Paul Thompson blogs at the Bridge. Unfortunately, evidently he also needs his mouth washed out with soap!
The childhood fear of having my mouth washed out with soap haunted me this evening as I was responding to some push back from mycolumn this morning in the Times-News.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to write a regular column for the Times News. They are kind to publish my 500-700 word column in a rotation with 5 others in the Magic Valley. Today’s post generated a small amount of discussion via www.magicvalley.com (the online version of the Times-News).
In my attempt to dialog with some of those commenting, my original reply was rejected with this statement: “Your comment cannot be accepted due to the presence of profanity, please remove any objectionable content from your comment and try again”.
At first I thought, ‘wait! what?’ I looked at my comment again and again and could not figure it out. I thought the word “sin” or “sinner” was the problem so I substituted the phrase “offend” or “offend God”. It still got rejected. Then I began to fear that my mom might see this and the taste of soap in my mouth washed over me.
This is my original attempt, can you find the profanity?
[Reader], my column today was to the church at large. The reality of it all is that all have sinned and have fallen short of perfection. That reality leaves me humbled and thankful for a Redeemer. I’m happy to tell all who want to hear what it takes to redeem a sinner like me. You are not forced to listen or agree. I’ll hope you’ll look at that work of the cross again. See your sin? I saw mine. I owned it and its cost was death. Cry out to God for forgiveness. Rise up a new creature in Christ as you turn from your sin.
“O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”
~ Fanny Crosby – circa 1872
I think its the word large. They thought you were showing size-prejudice. Comments on corpulence are thus: right out!
Or am I just being stupid?
Perhaps it had something to do with the name of the hymn author?
I’d guess it was the word ‘blood’, but it makes me think they’re using a U.K list.
My guess would be sin or sinner.
“Fanny” might have tripped their sensors.
that’s my guess . . . but ???????
OK I give up. What is the answer?
definitely “Fanny”.
If it is “fanny” I applaud their standard of morality.
For real!
Well, you folks should see the info from Houston where the city has requested every pastor to supply his sermons to check for anti-gay stuff, compliments, apparently, of the Lesbian mayor. O yes, and the toilets, so it seems, will be open to all, male and/or female.
James,
Double check those details. They have not requested the sermons of every pastor to check for anti-gay stuff, etc. They have subpoenaed the sermons of a small group of pastors. The subpoena was filed during the discovery phase of a lawsuit related to a petition for a referendum. This does not strike me as an issue of religious liberty; I imagine lawyers subpoena all sorts of information when preparing for a case. Because this particular lawsuit involves homosexuality, it is not hard to understand why lawyers would consider their sermons relevant.
Dear Chris: I live about a 50 minute drive down the road from where at least one of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution. I hardly he would have approved of such a political evil, where there is no crime of a serious nature. I had many other relatives in that war, and my knowledge of that war suggests that the ministers were respected. Now you know as well as I do that the ministers, be they many or few, who preached against the sin of sodomy were doing the will of God, and the mayor and those of… Read more »
Line four of previous remark, “I hardly think….”
It wasn’t requested they subpoenaed the sermons of five area pastors that had content about homosexuality, transgendered issues, or mentioned the Houston mayor in them.
“Double check those details. They have not requested the sermons of every pastor to check for anti-gay stuff, etc.”
You’re right, they’ve only subpoenaed, not requested, sermons from pastors whom they want to intimidate. The vocal ones.
Surely you know the difference between subpoena request don’t you?
Tarheel, I surely do. I was merely speaking generally, but I know that it was done by subpoena. To me that is a clear violation of the first amendment. Don’t get all bent out of shape. Chris thought I needed to know that it was not all but only some of the ministers. So what? The subpoena of one is enough for a descendant of the Sons of Liberty to get up and call for his musket or, at least, his lawyer, if he can trust him to be pro constitution.
Tarheel,
As I reiterate in a comment that has yet to be approved, the subpoena is in response to a lawsuit initiated by the pastors themselves. The pastors started the lawsuit, they should expect information will be requested by the defending lawyers.
Chris, from what I’ve read, your facts are askew and your bias might be showing. Again, I’ve only read news reports, but: 1) The city council passed a non-discrimination ordinance that had some implications the Christian community did not like. 2) A group of Houston citizens presented a petition with 50,000 signatures (3x the required amount) to seek a referendum on the matter. 3) The council denied the petition, questioning its validity. 4) The community group filed suit against that action. The pastors involved were not parties to the lawsuit but had been supporters of the community group. The pastors… Read more »
The fact that they subpoenaed sermons that mentioned the mayor says a lot about the motives, doesn’t it?
Dr. JW,
My comment was directed at Chris. I am not bent out of shape…at least not with you. 🙂
“Chris, from what I’ve read, your facts are askew and your bias might be showing…”
Yes, his comments show Chris’ current bias….but hey…if we wait a few years he just might move on to another bias and come on this board railing against the ones he so strongly holds today.
For a fairly balanced view of this, see here.
So what?
Sorry, Ben, I overstated my case. Should have said, the ministers involved in the petition effort. Even so the net effect is the same. If you can get one or a few, then you can, later, go after the rest, ignoring the constitution. Soon we shall see that the folks who are really in power (they are behind the scenes, not out front) intend to take away that constitution, one way or another.
A perfectly innocent word in one country, can be a profane word in another.
There have been many missionary stories of this, humorous and otherwise.
An American canoe expedition in Russia had to put duct tape over the name of the model of their canoe, because it was an improper word in Russia.
I agree it may be the famous songwriter’s first name. Seems I’ve heard it is very improper in the UK.
David R. Brumbelow
Duh! This is the dumbest discussion in which I have ever taken part. Obviously, there is no profanity in the comments – anywhere. Someone evidently has an intention that is going to preclude the Gospel. Recommend that the paper be quizzed for what they regard as profanity…while having your religious liberty lawyer handy.
I sure hope it wasn’t “Jesus.”
Yes, the first name of the late, beloved, blind, hymn writer was the “proFannyty”
Interesting that the local paper filter is that tight with the word “Fanny” when you consider the other language it does allow.
The issue generated a good bit of laughter within my household for the week.
Wait, so James’ persecution and suppression theory were pulled completely out of thin air?!
Thanks, David Miller, for the link to the paper in Houston. Looks more and more like them folks are about the business of suppressing religious liberty, especially when it involves speaking out against the evils of sodomy, etc. I never cease to marvel that I live down the road about a 50 minute drive, where one of my ancestors fought for religious liberty (and that is just one, the only one at this point that I can trace to the big event for liberty, and I never think of the Revolution but what I think of the Liberty Bell and… Read more »