RSSPraying In Jesus’ Name
C Brown
Here’s an interesting story from Beaver Falls, the home of the RPCNA’s Geneva College.
On the one hand, I’m pleasantly surprised that the city council has been able to get away with this form of prayer until now, without an ACLU lawsuit. On the other hand, I wish that they would keep it going and not cave to this lone critic.
This sounds, though, like a good issue for the Geneva College community to address. Let’s bring the mediatorial kingship of Christ to bear on this matter. How would we defend public prayers in Jesus’ name? Thoughts?
W.H. Chellis
May 7th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Beaver Falls is a sad testament to the RPCNA’s doctrine of Christ’s Kingship over the Nation. It should shock the conscience that not one RP is mentioned in the article. How can we have such a small town serve as RP Mecca and seem to have no impact what so ever.
Beyond the sad cultural implications this is a really faulty view of the 1st Amendment. The best answer to the problem would be a process of unincorporation in 1st Amendment jurisprudence. Allow a thousand flowers to bloom based on local diversity… the truly American religious settlement as opposed to this kind of court supported establishment of secularism.
C Brown
May 7th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Bill,
Exactly. My favorite line in the article was, “We’re in Beaver Falls, not Chicago or New York.” It’s their city, let them conduct their meetings as they wish.
RPWitness
May 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I think Mr. Brown’s last paragraph in his original post gets to the point. Perhaps we could come up with such suggestions for the RPs in Beaver Falls to help them in this matter. It’s a daunting task, but this is a watershed issue.
I don’t assume that the RPs there have had no impact for Christ’s kingship–in fact, I’ve seen the opposite. As a journalist, I wouldn’t rely on “no mention” of RPs by a reporter as evidence that no RP has done anything. Reporters, quite frankly, often have tunnel vision as well as deadlines. However, I’m also not assuming that RPs are involved as they should be. So perhaps your suggestions would be welcome to them.
W.H. Chellis
May 12th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
It was not the reporting that shocks my conscience- it is the lack of RP involvement in the local government of the town Geneva College resides within. How about an RP for mayor? Town Board? Is all that neo-Calvinism that Geneva preaches just academic gobbeldeegook?