Time for Another Award

I am kind of old school, you might say. I suppose my attitude reflects a partriarchal mindset. But I was raised with a certain set of values. Within that set of values was the rule that boys don't hit girls. There was something pretty cowardly about a boy who would take out his violence on a girl.

The ones whom you might think would keep this value would be clergymen of my era of an evangelical persuasion. They must have learned the same values as I learned. Real men don't gang up to pick on women. That is a value that most of us I hope would have expanded to this ethical principle: the strong don't pick on the weak.

The recent high profile court cases in our denomination show that some of our clergymen are not real men at all but cowards.



Take the case of Rev. Jane Spahr.



For four years she was dragged through the PC(USA) court system, vilified and demonized, for acting on her conscience on behalf of others. Finally, she is exonerated by our highest court.

But what about the boy who started this mess? I am talking about the clergyboy who complained about her publicly and was interviewed in the media as saying that Rev. Spahr was no better than a thief who stole church money. There are no consequences for him. He goes on plotting his next move.



Take the case of Rev. Janet Edwards.





She is also being dragged through the court system as well. Eight clergyboys have formed a pack to pick on Rev. Edwards.

Is there no such thing as chivalry, you cowardly ninnies? I think we should give them all an award.

Just in time for General Assembly 2008:

For embarrassing themselves and our denomination;
for picking on colleagues who are by far their betters;
and for failing to act as real men,

I hereby bestow upon

• Rev. Jim Berkley of Seattle Presbytery (and the IRD)...
  

and

• Rev Jim Yearsley (formerly of Pittsburgh Presbytery) and his seven clergyboy cohorts,
  
• the Rev. L. Rus Howard of Washington Presbytery;
  
• the Rev. David Perry of Coastal Carolina Presbytery;
  
• the Rev. James Coone of Grace Presbytery;
  
• the Rev. Robert Kopp of Blackhawk Presbytery;
  
• the Rev. Jim Tilly of Blackhawk Presbytery;
  
• the Rev. Toby Brown of Mission Presbytery; and
  
• the Rev. Mark Hughey of Blackhawk Presbytery...

The 2008 BLOWHOLE Award
















(photo courtesy of the Dr. Monkey archives)