Not long ago I received the following email:
Kendall,
I have to say that I’m surprised by what I would call the level of secular/partisan posting on T19 of late.
You are certainly free to post and say whatever you like – it’s your blog. But on a blog which is nominally focused on things Episcopal/Anglican, the number of items posted regarding the federal bailout, politics, and various secular issues may well make readers think that you have a political agenda.
There can well be disagreeing opinions on how the federal government should approach the meltdown of financial institutions, and related topics. When you post items endorsing a particular perspective/resolution, you change the focus of T19 from religion to sociology. Please – think about what your priorities are. And if they’re socio-political – well, that’s fine. But you should say so.
And just to make things clear – I’m a Republican through-and-through; well, actually, a “Libertarian” – I believe in the “Federalist” approach which was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. But I believe that everyone should have the right to make their voices heard – and I fear that you are espousing a position which some may believe equates with doctrine, which is certainly not the case.
My response was as follows:
[Dear xxxxxx]:
This is a response which illustrates (a) a surprising lack of understanding of the blog [“A free floating commentary on culture, politics, economics, and religion based on a passionate commitment to the truth and a desire graciously to refute that which is contrary to it”¦”] and (b) a strange interpretation of the posts themselves.
There is no way I am going not to post about one of the larger financial crises in American history. It is something all Christians have to engage with, and I am not letting my readers off the hook.
I am posting perspectives, also, from both “sides,” hence the J.K. Galbraith piece and the piece saying it all started on Main Street. If you think there is a certain perspective, which it sounds as if you do, I would be interested to know what that is. And please do not confuse the commenters with the main blog entries.
As I have said numerous times, I am registered with neither party; though I grew up in a staunchly democratic family that is only where I began. And for this election, it is very clear the Republicans deserve to lose and the Democrats do not deserve to win.
But my main goal remains the original purpose of the blog, to think and pray all of life through and with Christ. When a major crisis hits, as it does now, then that becomes one of the places the blog will focus.
This has happened numerous times in the past, and will again in the future.
Thanks very much for the response.
Warmly
[blockquote] And for this election, it is very clear the Republicans deserve to lose and the Democrats do not deserve to win.[/blockquote]
Ain’t that the truth!
As one of those who sometimes comment on the political threads, I think Kendall’s postings on economics and politics are an eclectic mix and don’t necessarily favor any one viewpoint, except that since he restricts himself to news articles in published papers and magazines, there is necessarily a tilt since those sources are themselves not particularly balanced. But that’s not Kendall’s fault. In general, he does a good job of posting items that provoke thought and consideration.
Jesus talked about money more than He did Heaven and Hell combined.
Jesus talked about money more than anything else except the Kingdom of God.
11 of 39 parables talk about money.
1 of every 7 verses in the Gospel of Luke talks about money.
Money, as almost everyone knows at T19, has a spiritual and moral dimension. Indeed, the love of money is the root of all evil. I believe that it is fitting and proper to both discuss money and the political systems seeking to control money. This is, in point of fact, an extremely spiritual subject.
Thanks to Rev. Canon Kendall Harmon and a hat tip to all the bloggers who give us this vehicle to explore ideas, present our own for review and criticism, and provide a genuinely liberal education for those who engage. As Dr. Thomas Fuller said: “Education begins a gentleman, conversation completes him.”
Thank you so much Rev. Harmon for this opportunity for conversation. I have learned so much. I have grown as a person and as a Christian from interaction with those that agree with me and I owe a special debt to those that disagree with me. Just this week, I expressed my resentment of the “powers that be” for the actions taken in the “bailout”. A poster with whom I disagree [almost always and in almost every way], John W., reminded me that Jesus had set us free from resentment. Thank you so very much for that witness John! Instead of moping and doping about, I channeled those feelings into prayer…an appeal to heaven.
If this is not growth, what is?
Good show, T19!
We can over-obsess about our corner of the church.
The financial crisis will impact each of us in our own lives, our churches and is something which as Christians we ought to be considering concerning how we will respond to the trouble other people will be in as a result. Canon Harmon has been posting about this issue for a period long before the main stream media realised how important it was.
Canon Harmon posts things which are important for our own good: like medical checks we should have; thoughts and readings we should consider; the quirky; the amusing; and sometimes things which are just interesting. I think it is a really good witness for which I am grateful.
As my second grader says to his friends, “My house. My rules!”
As for me, I appreciate the mixture of politics, religion and economics that I find here. I often disagree, but the posts made here are typically well-written and well thought out, even if wrong. 😉
Please continue as you have been.
I agree with #6. The mix of subjects is part of what keeps me coming back to T19.
While I’m not all that interested in finance, this is something that affects every American, and thus is highly important. And because of the magnitude of the abuses of those high rollers in the US, it’s beginning to affect us in other countries as well.
Kendall has always addressed issues and matters whether they are about culture and society, Church issues, and/or political. Rarely, does Kendall make more than a passing comment and those are how they impact him internally….his most frequent comment is something along the line that it makes the heart sad.
It is sad that the EC is not being what it once was. It is sad that both Republicans and Democrats elected officials are not taking care of business. It is all quite sad…..
Personally, I suspect Kendall and I disagree on a number of these issues so I do not see the suspected agenda as raised.
But raising the question about the seriousness of these matters and then allowing others to comment is about as objective as it can get…
I love it when people take a blogger to task for content. As if it’s the frikkin’ local paper he’s reading. That said, it’s gotta make the blogger feel good that some would become so emotionally invested to the point of seeking to influence editorial control. So, I guess congratulations to the T19 staff is in order. Bravo!
Kendall+
Thank you for the ‘mix’ of stories – as far as I can tell the materials that T19 contains affects the ‘folks in the pew’ – especially in these economic times of lower budgets and cut backs. Keep up the good work!
Agreed. After all, our host makes it clear that this is “A free floating commentary on culture, politics, economics, and religion . . .”
There’s only so much angst ridden ECUSA/Anglican news one can digest before it appears to be so much navel gazing. There are issues that we all need to be thinking about, not just the internal turmoil in the Anglican Communion.
Kendall’s blog always makes me think more clearly, no matter what the issues. I have come to respect the integrity involved in the selection process as to what articles are linked. I feel like I do in my own home where an atmosphere of honest exchange is possible.
Mr. Sulik. I like that quote, too. Has to be read carefully. Just want to point out that things were going pretty good until we got the Democrat majority in Congress in 2006. The more I study this mess, the more it goes back to Democrats demanding that mortgage loans be given to those who could not afford them, so they can live the American Dream. The Democrat’s dream has turned into a nightmare.
Given the financial mess and the magnitude of the stakes, Kendell is right on target.
“And for this election, it is very clear the Republicans deserve to lose and the Democrats do not deserve to win”
Hmmm… I thought elections were about who we believe is best qualified to lead us in the future…
The mix of topics is fine, but it would be nice to see a more balanced mix of news sources beyond the heavy reliance on partisan, left-liberal publications like Time and the NY Times, IMHO.
Though we are not to be of the world, we are certainly in the world.
I appreciate the mix of postings and try to keep my gaze upon Jesus no matter which Caesar is in power.
Keep up the good work, Kendall+.
Personally I love this blogs’ ecclectic mixture, and the fact that I get to interact with people, with whom I profoundly disagree, in a fashion that requires me to consider their arguments despite my gut level response, in a forum where they cannot get me booted off simply for refuting their arguments. Most face to face arguments would not get to nearly the depth of the debate on this blog as both parties would have stomped off in anger shortly after the inital, ritual, shaking of verbal spears.
It is helpful that one can hone an argument over many days, while being able to take stock and reflect on the discussion. That is almost impossible to do in “normal conversations” which is why most “normal” people reserve their serious conversations with people who think like themselves.
Further, the conversations are entered by more diverse people on this blog (where our only link is Christ) than on a political or work oriented blog. Most strictly political blogs end up being mutual admiration societies held by one flavor of the political spectrum with dissenters being heavily encouraged to go elsewhere.
I see Kendall’s blog as being a microcosm of the church. One gets to meet folks that one would only rarely interact with if left to one’s own circle of acquaintainces and friends. The church requires you to meet as an equal, folks with experiences and ideas that are foreign to your own experiences and beliefs. That is a good thing both for personal growth, and for the growth of the church and the community. Thank you Kendall for your valuble service with this blog.
It just reminds us all that Kendall+ is a well-rounded Priest.
🙂
It is elections like this one that make me remember a bumper sticker I saw at a Sci Fi convention about 20 years ago:
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Keep it the way it is. The posts in which I have no interest, I pass up, the ones that pique my interest, I read. The ones I really am interested in, I comment upon.
I like it like that.
In His Peace
Jim E <><
Although I rarely, if ever, post responses on the economic threads I do enjoy reading them. I feel I am receiving a fair view of both sides of the issue, which is something I know I am not getting from my local news reports. Keep up the fine work!
I think the topic mix is fine. If anything, it’s really interesting to see, in the comments, how readers who are mostly unified as conservatives in the context of the church have widely differing views in the secular political arena.
It is not broke don’t fix it.
I agree with the positive posts here. The issue is our greater interest in these juicy and carnal topics. But that’s hardly Kendall’s fault.
i agree with the positives as well… he kindly includes articles that appeal to both my environmental whacko side and orthodox side. thanks very much!!
This blog is fun, seems to have many different opinions, and we all have a chance to share ours. Join in!
We are all trying to learn as much as we can in order to vote responsibly in the Presidential elections. We see no reason to cloister ourselves away from the world and limit our discussions.
Thank you Kendall, for giving us, at TitisOneNine, the opportunity to communicate and learn from each other about both religious and political matters.
Kendall,
Fret not. You are balanced in your reporting and show that you actually realize that you live in a larger world than the church. Purely “churchy” sites make you wonder whether these folks realize that there is a real world out there, you know, in the profane world. It is to this world that the church is sent, not to the one within the walls.
Phillip