Saturday Six - Episode 205

Patrick’s Place: Saturday Six - Episode 205

1. You’re in church, listening to a sermon, when your pastor begins a diatribe that you strongly disagree with. Which are you more likely to do: sit through the sermon and confront the pastor privately afterwards, get up and leave in the middle of the sermon, or say nothing at all?
Since I do not usually attend church, I will answer hypothetically and say that I do not think that I would say anything.

2. Regardless of your response to question #1, how likely would you be to return to the same church with the same level of enthusiasm the following week?
No, I do not think I would go back.

3. Based on how well you know your particular belief system’s main principles, how much do you agree with them overall?
100%, that is kind of a loaded question. If it our belief system wouldn’t we agree with them?
My principles are simple…
1. I believe in God
2. Do no harm – to people, property or the environment.
3. Treat everyone equally, with respect and dignity.

4. Based on how well you know your pastor or the person from whom you take the most spiritual advice (or the person who has influenced your beliefs the most if not a pastor), how much do you think you agree with this person overall and how much do you disagree?
I really do not have anyone that I seek spiritual guidance from; I learned it from my parents and from life. I think each of us knows right from wrong.

5. How important is it to you that the people with whom you associate most often have views on spirituality that closely mirror your own?
I think that all my friends follow my three principles, that they are all “good” people.

6. To what extent do you believe spirited rallies about racism actually opens the door to improve race relations in this country, as opposed to merely maintaining a level of anger that blocks such attempts to improve things?
That is a hard question to answers; it has so many different facets and levels to it.
I think that the best way for fight racism is by example, by treating “everyone equally, with respect and dignity”
However, when something is blatantly racist you have to speak-up. An example of that is when a local nightclub had a comedy act by a black face comedian who was portraying blacks as stereotype; many felt that something had to be done. What was done was not a “spirited rally” but an alternate comedy act; flyers were handed out in front of the nightclub and posted around the neighborhood explaining why we were against the show and directing them to the other show.