Shouldn’t that be an area of great potential, and an area of great need?

Oh my! I’m a Christian (of sorts) but that whole article is making me chuckle.

“The area’s highly educated population is skeptical and often indifferent to their faith. ‘About once every hour, I give up. It’s tough, man,’ said a half-joking Joe Souza, a Southern Baptist missionary working north of Boston. ‘It’s like, you found a cure for cancer and you want to give it away and nobody wants it.’”

Why did I read Joe’s quote and unconsciously assign him a voice not unlike that of Tommy Chong (of “Cheech & Chong” fame)?

“The area’s highly educated population is skeptical and often indifferent to their faith.” So what the writer is saying is that because the town’s residents are intelligent and educated, they’re not gullible and aren’t taken in by their newly arrived religious neighbors, who, as I’ve already noted, sound not unlike stoners.

Oh, this article is just brilliant! A fine display of journalism if ever I saw one.

“New England’s religious apathy has developed over decades, but it’s striking where the Pilgrims landed seeking religious freedom…”
Now maybe I’m misinterpreting “religious freedom” here but shouldn’t that phrase imply the freedom to, ooh, I don’t know, maybe not practice religion? And maybe not be persecuted for your non-belief? And maybe not have it implied that not being religious means you’re lazy and apathetic? Just thinking out loud.

Practically every single one of our members disagrees with the beliefs of our new neighbors. We are a very small congregation struggling to remind folks that we are still working together, and the article doesn’t even mention us or the thriving (and theologically liberal) Episcopal church 2 blocks up the street or the Unitarian church around the corner, because we don’t fit into the picture they want to paint of spirituality in New England. (Even if you decide to look at New England the way some conservatives would want you to – vegetarian lesbian Socialists have spiritual needs too!)

If you need proof as to our progressive nature, take a look at our minister’s bio: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/watertown/page7/page7.html
Every four years at the United Methodist Annual Conference, the New England Conference specifically votes FOR full equality for people of every sexuality. Every four years, the rest of the conferences help to vote it down.

Thanks for giving me a chuckle when I was too blinded with rage to see the error in the article. I love the Oxford comma, and will continue to use it even if the powers that be say it is incorrect.

Will need to send the link to my sister, and tell her she’s doing homosexuality wrong, because she’s not a Christian!