As moderator, I am going to do some editorializing here. It's been observed several times before that exchanges on the internet are different from live conversation or chats on the phone in that such features as tone of voice, facial expression and body language are missing. They're also different from letters that people used to write because the physical labor of putting pen to paper is quite different from typing a thought and hitting "send" or "post." There's often less thinking through (at least with my posts) because frequently visits to forums and blogs are snatched inbetween doing other things (like, um, work). So quite a bit of what gets posted may be spur of the moment.
For example, a few days ago I plunged into the middle of a discussion about the seating arrangement of the papal household staff. Unicorn had taken the position, as is customary in her culture and apparently in-grained in her societal world view, that out of deference to the Pope the Memores Domini should have demurred when offered seats at a concert near His Holiness and should have chosen to be less obtrusive. This is an entirely understandable position to take, given Filipino culture -- indeed, most cultures outside the United States and certain parts of Europe. She bolstered that position with a quotation from Thomas a Kempis which advocated such deference in Christian terms.
Well, although I disagree with the implication that the Memores Domini were somehow acting inappropriately, I must say that I respect the views of those who, for reasons of their own traditions and customs, found the ladies' prominent placement jarring to their sensibilities. This attitude is not bigotry, as Ob2 acknowledged. But I don't think it is entirely in keeping with the social teachings of the Gospel, either. And here we come to a public apology that I owe Unicorn.
In a hasty post, I set out a counter-quotation from the Letter to St. James, which stands for the proposition that Christians should not make
distinctions between people based upon their wealth or their social class. I could have chosen any number of other "hard" sayings from the Gospels
such as those of the last being the first and the first being the last and so on. By this post I did NOT mean to imply in any way shape or form that I
thought Unicorn's remarks were "bigoted." I should have explained what I meant, which is that Christ's teachings are intended to
affect both how we relate to our God and Creator and how we relate to each other. The way I understand it, our relationship with the Lord should indeed be one
of deference, should be self-effacing, forgetful of our own egos and desires. We should not make a public show of our piety. We should stand in the back of
the synagogue with the publican and not be beating our chests in the front with the Pharisee. That is the sense in which I read Thomas a Kempis.
On the other hand, when it comes to relationships amongst ourselves, we are each servants of each other. Christ's washing of the feet is meant to be, I
believe, a vivid illustration of the equality that should exist amongst us as brothers and sisters in the Lord. So, yes, we may be deferential to each other
in our social interactions depending on our cultural context, but in actuality we all share equal dignity and equal rights. Including, if I may say so, equal
rights to such trivialities as good seats at a concert!
Let me be clear: bigotry means the unjustifiable, unwarranted drawing of invidious distinctions based on someone's immutable
characteristics or beliefs. It is usually accompanied by hateful attempts to marginalize and deprive the target of the bigotry of dignity and rights. Bigotry
is rightly condemned by Christians and should be denounced when it appears. Ob2's use of the word was ill-advised, because it does not
fit at all with the argument that Unicorn was making. Ob2 has since clarified her argument, as I am doing here.
I hereby publicly apologize for any misunderstanding that may have arisen by my post and I have amended it to include reference to this explanation. If anyone
wishes further clarification about my views, feel free to do so here.
