In the last election, Falls Church city favored Jim Webb over George Allen by 71% to 28%, and opposed the anti-gay-marriage amendment by 69% to 31%. ItGÇÖs the kind of place that earned the National Arbor Day FoundationGÇÖs Tree City Award 17 times in a row, and has been recognized for having an exceptional high recycling rate. In 1915, it was the site of the first rural chapter of the NAACP, and in 1948 Falls Church became an independent town to enhance the quality of its school system.
Falls Church honored history by naming itself after the historic congregation of The Falls Church, which dates to 1769 and included George Washington as one of its churchwardens.
But that leads us to the problem. This progressive town has suddenly been tarred as a right wing haven because The Falls Church has voted to leave the U.S. Episcopal Church and join the ultraconservative Episcopal Church of Nigeria, the leader of which favors jailing homosexuals. This has been discussed elsewhere (here and here ) on Raising Kaine and in the Post.
The more moderate U.S. Episcopal Church may yet reclaim the property (and hence I would presume the name) of The Falls Church. But if not, this community will be stuck with a name that symbolizes intolerance.
What to do about it? I propose a contest to come up with a new name for the town, to help encourage the citizens of Falls Church to divorce themselves from the ultraconservative congregation -- if they so choose -- and restore the townGÇÖs reputation as an open and reasonable place.
Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:
- Mason or Masonville: Of all the Founding Fathers who arenGÇÖt household names, George Mason was perhaps the most important. He authored the Virginia Bill of Rights, precursor to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Since MasonGÇÖs Virginia Bill of Rights was just eviscerated by the Marriage Amendment, he deserves a little compensation GÇô how about finally getting a town in Virginia named after him?
- Thurber or Thurberville: The great American author and cartoonist James Thurber, who wrote "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", "The Catbird Seat", and other classic short stories, had a childhood summer home in Falls Church.
- Cherry Hill: Another historic property in Falls Church is the Cherry Hill Farmhouse. As city property, it will never vote to join a right wing establishment.
- Clinton: (snicker) I just included this option to annoy conservatives who want to name everything in the world after Reagan.
So what do you think of these options? Got some better ones? LetGÇÖs discussGǪ
falling down church
People fall for this scam all the time, and it looks like these folks in Falls Church are letting themselves be scammed out of their claim to American greatness.
What a pity.
"Also in February 2006, Akinola issued a communique on behalf of his Church of Nigeria Standing Committee stating "The Church commends the law-makers for their prompt reaction to outlaw same-sex relationships in Nigeria and calls for the bill to be passed since the idea expressed in the bill is the moral position of Nigerians regarding human sexuality." The bill in question, as well as criminalising same-sex marriage, also proposed to criminalise "Registration of Gay Clubs, Societies and organizations" and "Publicity, procession and public show of same-sex amorous relationship through the electronic or print media physically, directly, indirectly or otherwise", on penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment. The proposed legislation was formally challenged by the United States State Department as a possible breach of Nigeria's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.)
The Church's 2/06 statement (http://www.anglican-...) said:
"The Bill against Homosexuality:
The Church commends the law-makers for their prompt reaction to outlaw same-sex relationships in Nigeria and calls for the bill to be passed since the idea expressed in the bill is the moral position of Nigerians regarding human sexuality."
And since the two properties (Truro and Falls Church) are worth lots of money, I imagine that is an inticement also. (By the way, reading wikipedia, you learn that Akinola attended the Virginia Theological Seminary!!!)
"Struggling to hold the communion together, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, has said that the communion may have to create a two-tier system of membership, with branches that ordain partnered gays given a lesser status.
Akinola is among the conservatives who aren't waiting for a negotiated solution.
Under Anglican tradition, his move into Episcopal territory amounts to an invasion. Archbishops agree not to plant churches outside the borders of their own regional churches."
Granted, it's hard to be a human being, even harder to be an adult, but this collapse of reason and flight to antique superstition is not the solution.
It seems that people like Ollie North, Gonzales, and Clarence Thomas who attend these churches probably have a lot to do with this decision to split since they attend these churches. I think it would be unwise to think they are just passive bystanders in this. The Right Wing is still hard at work trying to divide people on these issues for their own political gain. That's about all they have left because they are bankrupt in the governance area. They are like one trick ponies and will keep doing that trick until it stops working. The real question is when will the other members of these churches realize they are being tricked. They are being tricked and they are prostituing their religions to these right wing fascists.
It seems that people like Ollie North, Gonzales, and Clarence Thomas who attend these churches probably have a lot to do with this decision to split since they attend these churches. I think it would be unwise to think they are just passive bystanders in this. The Right Wing is still hard at work trying to divide people on these issues for their own political gain. That's about all they have left because they are bankrupt in the governance area. They are like one trick ponies and will keep doing that trick until it stops working. The real question is when will the other members of these churches realize they are being tricked. They are being tricked and they are prostituing their religions to these right wing fascists.
The people who burned the Salem "witches" were just obeying their religious beliefs. Would you sit by and say they have a right to their beliefs so they should go ahead and do harm to people?
If they want to start their own church that's fine, but since they have chosen to follow someone I categorized as a whacko they need to take responsibility for what they are doing. What's the next whacko thing that they will endorse if they start down this slippery slope? Looks to me like they just don't have the courage to strike out on their own and are looking for Daddy, any Daddy.
I realize drawing an analogy to Hitler is emotionally charged, but Hitler did imprison people for "being" Jewish, a type of law no longer legal in the US, called a "status crime," like "being homeless," "being an alcoholic," or "being gay." FYI, the story made the NYT.
Another observation about the Nigerian affiliation:
Naturally, there will be a fight, probably not so godly since it will involve expensive lawyers, over who gets the property. If all that were not irony enough, these congregations, affluent beyond the dreams of third-world avarice, will be adopted by Anglican archbishops in the poorest regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America, where traditional orthodox Anglican theology is still held in high regard.WaTimes
December 19, 2006 -- As WMR reported in a long article on the "Fellowship," an Arlington, VA-based organization of wealthy "Christians" and defense- and intelligence-connected contractors, the group launched a campaign to infiltrate the area's mainstream Protestant churches and turn them into tax-exempt right-wing platforms from which to peddle extremist doctrines. The right-wing Christian Mafia has two strategies: one is to infiltrate established Protestant churches (and through the Opus Dei, established Catholic churches) and the other is to lure traditional Protestants, Catholics, and others to urban, suburban, and exurban "mega-churches."
The following is an excerpt from the article:
"Local residents, who, as they put it, have not drunk the Fellowship’s "Kool Aid," point to the constantly expanding Fellowship enclave in Arlington. They claim the Fellowship has taken over two local church congregations – Falls Church Episcopal and Cherrydale Baptist – as well as opening their own private school – Rivendell. Two other northern Virginia churches reportedly have a number of Fellowship congregants – Potomac Falls Episcopal and McLean Bible Church."
It should, therefore, come as no surprise that two Episcopal churches infiltrated and taken over by the Fellowship -- Truro Church in Fairfax and the Falls Church cited above -- have voted to leave the Episcopal Church of America and join the Nigerian branch of the worldwide Anglican communion that is headed by a Bishop Peter Akinola, who is extremely hostile to gays in general and women in the clergy. Among two of the conservative communicants at Falls Church are Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former CIA director Porter Goss. The Fellowship counts a number of African political and religious leaders among its group, including a number of Nigerians. It should also be noted that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a staunch supporter of the Fellowship and a frequent visitor to its Arlington compound, known as "The Cedars."
Another interesting story here. NPR here.
In sum, the church has paper ownership but a final decision is up in the air depending on whether VA agrees with California courts. The church seems to be a historic property, which may complicate the disposition further. It seems reasonable to assume that the church needs to count on support from wealthy homophobes and opportunists to threaten the national church with a lawsuit.
Good job on research as usual. I heard on the news that there is a meeting today to start dealing with the issue of the property. With heavy hitters like Justice Thomas I would think this will be a nasty battle. At least we can hope that if it goes to the Supreme Court Thomas will have to recuse himself.
It also bothers me greatly when I hear people talk about "doing the will of God" as in yesterday's WaPo. Bullsh*t. Don't blame your own intolerance and greed and hypocrisy on God. Of course, that's what slaveowners and white supremicists and various misogynists have done throughout time, I guess. Blame God. Quote the Bible. That's a trick of the devil.
I don't know what the outcome over the property dipute will be, but I know our Bishop is going to give them a hell of a fight. Some of this property includes consecrated ground--how can we give that up, or be forced to give it up, to the Nigerian church?
I understand the priests also want their pensions; I say let them apply to their new Bishop for that.
Let me say again that these people do NOT represent the Episcopal church. If you visited Truro or one of the other churchs and were turned off to organized religion or the Episcopal church, PLEASE give us another look-see.
No one is talking about interfering with the decision that the church made -- they are free to follow whatever bishop and denomination they choose. They are protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of both freedom of religion and freedom of association.
However, the town of Falls Church also has freedom of association, and the residents certainly have the freedom to change the name of where they live, if they so choose. Doing so would not interfere with the church's rights in any way, shape or form; it would simply symbolically disassociate the town from the church.
No harm done, while each side gets to associate with the identity that suits them best. What's the matter with that?
That Nigerian Archbishop is the true wackjob. Decide you won't associate with gays if you need to (although odds are great that you do associate with them, you just don't know who they are). But don't project your fear on the laws of the land and support jailing people who are gay. The rest of us don't have to tolerate that. We are free to judge, and even socially condemn, those who try to project their fear on us and our shared laws.
This is wrong and people should not be misled. Falls Church named itself Falls Church because the historic Falls Church was the church by the falls next to the Potomac. Just like Glebe Road is named for the road in which a church Glebe was on. As a historian and a native of Falls Church, I suggest that because the historic Falls Church has a deep and rich history and because there are three Virginia Historical Markers on its borders, the Diocence or the city of Falls Church kick the Epicopalians-or whatever they call themselves, out and tell them to build a different church, this one is being turned into a historical museum like Christ's Church in Alexandria. The property is the thing that should be seeded, not the city.
I also think the author is drunk with change the world fever after having helped win the Senate for Democrats which really was a historic change. And that the author should have his or her head examined because, posting something like this tells me that this person is a left wing fanatical who in the end is really no different from the right-wing fanatics that helped lead the Episcopal breakaway.
Ok, I reread this page after I clicked the link. The link doesn't bring me to an editoral of the Post talking about how Falls Church should now change its name or be known as intolerant forever, no. Instead it brings me to an article solely on the Epicopal's leaving the church.
This is like saying because of Joe McCarthy and the damage he caused not only to the US but also to the McCarthy clan, that Eugene McCarthy, should've changed his last name so everyone knows who you're talking about. When you say McCarthy or McCarthyism, no one thinks does he mean Eugene McCarthy. No, people know you're talking about Tailgunner Joe himself-Joesph McCarthy. You actually have to say Eugene McCarthy or Mary McCarthy or Andrew McCarthy, when talking about all other McCarthys.
Say City of Falls Church if you're that gungho about name changing because it was called City of Falls Church before the Episcopalians of the Falls Church-which is another distinction-had their brew haha. Which makes me think Kindler is not a native Falls Churchian but someone looking in on the outside.
However, if you think you like being associated with an assassin and you add "and you know who else is a tyrannt and should be shot," well then, politics and the Internet tend to attract little radicals who have a bone to pick with everything. Your post about changing Falls Church's name to avoid association with the church of the same name, has a tinge of radicalness to it.
I'm not accusing you of being an assassin or a wacko, but I am laying the cards out there for you to choose and to know what it is you're choosing because when you choose, you choose for the fate of this board as well.(Sartre theme) Who else besides John Wilkes Booth, has used the term Sic Semper Tyrannis-thus always to tyrants, in a way that wasn't passionate about a political cause before killing the tyrant spoken of? And I challenge you to find that example so that you can make a better association with the term Sic Semper?
I want to say that I was weary of writing this far to the edge and was holding back from writing about the Booth Association but since Kindler has chosen to engage me,I think it fair game to point this out.
Lincoln was our greatest president. The fact that Booth stole a good slogan does not associate anyone with him. We do face tyrants today, mainly in the Republican party, who deserve to be kicked out of office.
But I do thank you profusely for steering clear of personal attacks!
The irony is that the Episcopal Church owes its existence directly to the American Revolution; it broke away from the Church of England during the war and was reborn as a distinctly American entity between 1784 and 1789. Fully two-thirds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were active or (like Washington) nominal Anglicans, and, having repudiated the political authority of the king of England, they could scarcely have gone on affirming his ecclesiastical authority.The founders of the church believed, within the context of their time, that all men were created equal. Today's defectors have thought it over in the context of our own time, and decided that they're not.