4 Responses to The Slow March to Freedom

1. La voz de la razón says:

   June 19, 2024 at 4:54 pm

   Glad you are not so naive to think that people can be freed by simply putting pen to paper on an “executive” order proclaiming such.

   Freedom was only obtained through hard work, blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice of self, and in some cases martyrdom of those seeking a better lot in life for their fellow human beings.

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2. Philip E Jenks says:

   June 19, 2024 at 7:49 pm

   Please identify yourself. You are making all your comments under the safe cloak of anonymity.

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3. La voz de la razón says:

   June 20, 2024 at 2:32 am

   Wow, I’ve been writing comments for more than a year and never knew whether they were being seen or reviewed by either you or readers of your blog and satirical cartoons.

   At long last, I now can rest assured that my comments do have an audience. Let’s us now, however, get on with the introduction.

   You seem to be a fan of Paul McCartney, but I lean more towards the Stones.

   So here we go: Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name
   But what’s puzzlin’ you is the nature of my game

   Let me introduce myself.

   What follows are excerpts from an email I sent to Pastor Jim O’Hanlon over a year and a half ago.

     I had been a long-time member of St. Paul’s; baptized, confirmed, and married there.  Faithfully attending church services for over 30 years and contributed many thousands of dollars.  I date back to the old church in Byram, CT with Pastor Luther Freimuth and Pastor Mugavaro, attending until the late 1990’s. I distinctly remember the sermon the esteemed Franklin Clark Fry delivered on an Easter Sunday in the Byram church. I was trumpeter at the laying of the cornerstone ceremony at Rye Brook. The picture is on your St. Paul’s Facebook album.

   Even though I was an avid church-goer, I felt I was missing something.  It was then the Lord led me to start reading completely through the Bible.  It seems most “organized” Christian religions relegate Scripture solely to the Lesson, Epistle, and Gospel Readings.  During these times I started attending dozens of various denominations and ended up with those few Brick and Mortar and/or online churches where congregants must have a copy of the Bible on hand.

   Current congregants of St. Paul’s who may remember me are Rob and Missy Trenck and Heather Paul.

   Having relocated out of state, I had often intended to attend one of your church services when I returned to visit old friends and relatives in the NYC/Westchester area.

   These intentions were dashed when I went to St. Paul’s website and was astounded to find the statement, “Homosexuality is not a sin.”  (The church ought to embrace Scripture and expound on desires of the flesh versus fruits of the Spirit, rather than espouse current liberal social and political issues)

   Paul states in Galatians 5:19-21 KJV

   Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God

   Paul also writes:  1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV

   Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

   Yes, adultery is a sin…i.e. sex outside of marriage.  Gossiping is a sin, as is Anger, hatred.   I, myself, am guilty of a multitude of these sins but thankfully I am wiped clean by the blood of Jesus.  The Lord has put a conscience into each of us, nevertheless, some have so hardened their heart that they no longer feel guilt.  Homosexuality, just as sex outside of marriage among heterosexuals is a sin.  Christians living together outside of marriage is a sin.

   Some of the greatest heroes of the Bible committed the most grievous of sins.  David, for example, was an adulterer and murderer.  Paul was also an accomplice to murder.  Yes, they sinned, but were cleansed by the Grace of God through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

   You should not be preaching: homosexuality is not a sin.  Rather, you should be preaching that it is a sin, just as heterosexual relations outside of marriage is a sin. 

   The church should indeed welcome sinners into its fold whether they are thieves, adulterers, murderers, idolators, alcohol or substance abusers, etc. 

   It is ironic that upon asking some folks who have religiously gone to church their whole life, “Do you think you will go to heaven?”  The most common answer is…” I think I’ve been a good person overall.” 

   St. Paul’s and all Christian Churches should be expounding:  “No matter what your sin…you are loved by the Lord…and if you accept the work of his Son on the Cross…you are forgiven.” The church needs to preach what the Holy Spirit desires those folks sitting in the pews to hear…not what the itching ears of the congregants want to hear.

   Yours in Christ

   Frank Verni

   P.S Just as the author of the last book of the Old Testament chose to write anonymously calling himself “Malachi,” i.e., the Lord’s Messenger, so do I consider my message more important than my name.

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4. Philip E Jenks says:

   June 20, 2024 at 4:46 pm

   Thanks for your response, Frank.

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