Leaders of R.E. Lee Memorial
Episcopal Church in Lexington voted Monday evening to change the
parish’s name to Grace Episcopal Church — what it was originally called
when the Confederate general moved to town after the Civil War and
joined the congregation.
The
decision concludes a quiet, two-year debate among congregants over
whether it’s appropriate for a Christian institution that aims to
welcome all to carry a name that memorializes a man best known for
fighting a war to preserve the institution of slavery.
“It’s
been a very divisive issue for two years,” said the Rev. Tom
Crittenden, the church’s rector. “But Charlottesville seems to have
moved us to this point. Not that we have a different view of Lee
historically in our church, but we have appreciation for our need to
move on.”
The
discussion was not easy, dividing congregants and prompting a vestry
member and the church’s treasurer to resign their leadership posts in
protest of initial inaction.
More @ Richmond Times-Dispatch
Sad situations all over the South. And I believe in the long run, it's going to prove a costly mistake for us all.
ReplyDeleteI do also.
Delete“to carry a name that memorializes a man best known for fighting a war to preserve the institution of slavery.”
ReplyDeleteHow friggin ignorant. LEARN HISTORY! But what can we expect. This disinformation is being taught in schools. Welcome to the “new” history of the world.
Badger
Welcome to the “new” history of the world.
Delete:(
I wish it were possible to get those (and other willful idiots) to understand that Robert E Lee did NOT fight on the side of the Confederacy to preserve the institution of slavery. He fought to defend his home state of Virginia. Period. Full stop. Had Virginia voted to remain in the Union, Lee would have worn Union blue and would have likely accepted President (tyrant) Lincoln's offer to command the Union forces. What these idiots ought to do, is to read what Lee himself wrote and to take him at his word.
ReplyDeleteAfter the war when Lee was the head of the university he wrote that his primary goal and desire was that the men who graduated, would be good CHRISTIAN gentlemen. I thought it was the goal of any institution that calls itself Christian that it's members leave to its credit as CHRISTIANS! Or am I missing something here?
Agreed and yes he once said that the only rule he had was that all must be gentlemen.
DeleteThey might try reading the Bible and discover their mistake
ReplyDeleteRead, read...............?:(
DeleteRight after the Ten Commandments there are rules about how "when you buy a slave" that deal with a Jewish slave. Later there are other rules for how to treat a gentile slave. A lot of the rules are dealt with in tractate Kidushin. In any case slavery is very much sanctioned by the Old Testament. In the New Testament also there are specific instruction for slaves not to rebel.
DeleteThanks.
Delete