Letters to the Editor
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@ sesanders
Thank you so much for your response!
I can appreciate your discomfort with the fire and brimstone thing.
Not much I can say about that other than I share it myself, but in this context it just doesn't alarm me. If Wright had been ranting about striking down faggots or niggers or communists, I'd be alarmed, but not for the brimstone per se, but the hatred, especially because in my example, that's rhetoric that pretty directly leads to physical violence.
I think it's more rational to fear such things because when open season is declared on marginalized people, broken individuals actually do take up the call and beat and harass and dehumanize such people.
In the case of Wright (and admittedly, I've not watched the sermon), I just don't see any realistic danger of such words translating themselves to violent recriminations. But I do fear such anger because yes, I do tend to associate anger with violence, largely because of my own history being harassed, dehumanized and assaulted.
So for me, there's a genuine difference in context.
Not for you, I guess. FAir enough, but I'd humbly encourage you to consider that maybe there's a significant difference.
Maybe there isn't, but I do think it merits deliberation, if you'd care to do that.
Again, thanks for responding. It's important that we keep talking and perhaps over time, we'll come to some kind of honorable consensus on the matter, each one of us having learned something from the other.
May I ask for more details about the sort of church you're referring to, if you feel comfortable sharing?
For my part, I'm an Episcopalian and if you know anything about the Episcopal church, you'll know it's the polar opposite of fire-and-brimstone, so for what it's worth, I do understand your discomfort. I share it myself.