Atheist Rev. Gretta Vosper to be “reviewed”

[rug]

Two United Church adherents from the Toronto conference made a motion to interview Rev. Gretta Vosper "with a focus on continuing affirmation of the questions asked of all candidates at the time of ordination."

May 26, 2015. 8:34 am
Douglas Todd

A committee of the democratic United Church of Canada has unanimously voted for a “review of the effectiveness of Rev. Gretta Vosper,” the Toronto clergyperson and author who proudly promotes herself as an atheist and publicly denounces all forms of religion.

The move happened quietly this month, when two United Church adherents from the Toronto conference, Ann Harbridge and Linda Parsons, made a motion to interview Vosper “with a focus on continuing affirmation of the questions asked of all candidates at the time of ordination” into the United Church of Canada.

I’ve already had a member of the United Church of Canada email me and say the review of Vosper reminds her of the “Inquisition.”

That would be the “Inquisition” of the 15th-century Roman Catholic Church in Spain, which has become notorious for the way it tortured, burned and otherwise murdered at least 5,000 people for perceived unorthodoxy. It doesn’t seem to be very accurate language to use in the more mundane Vosper case.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2015/05/26/atheist-rev-gretta-vosper-to-be-reviewed/

[Cartoonist]

1. Swords Drawn

Her nemesis (Rev. David Ewart) writes:

If Ms. Vosper’s ideas weren’t so dangerous, it would be tempting to read her letter with quiet amazement at her naiveté and click on the next Internet prophet with celebrity to be sought and a book to be sold. Ah, the sweet bliss of continuing to believe in an 18th Century ideology that the path to world peace lies in a single solution: get rid of religion.

Evidence that this ideology is false and dangerous can be seen in the bloody aftermath of its first proclamation in France’s Revolution: The Reign of Terror. Unfortunately this was only the beginning of non-religious ideological war, genocide and mass starvations. Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Amin, Mugabe and too many others have caused far more death and destruction than the current terror that we mis-attribute solely to religion.

But she overlooks the glaringly obvious alternative that while it is true that her ideas about God are juvenile, there are centuries of conversations about the reality of God that provide mature, rich and nuanced experiences and expressions of God.

Perhaps she uses the rationale of being a provocateur from within the institution, but wouldn’t her personal integrity be far more clearly demonstrated by admitting she is no longer in accordance with the church’s understanding of her ordination vows. And take the steps to leave the United Church?
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He uses the word juvenile in describing the thoughts of Rev. Gretta Vosper, but then uses the tired arguments and empty proclamations of theists everywhere.

[Yorktown]

2. there are centuries of conversations about the reality of God..

..that provide mature, rich and nuanced experiences and expressions of God?

And after all these centuries, it has come to naught?

Doesn't it mean that 'god' is made of the same stuff than the teapot orbiting the planet Mars?

[cbayer]

3. I find this very confusing. A christian atheist?

What does that even mean?

Why would an anti-religioun atheist want to stay in the church? To deconvert? To sell books?

She should join the UU's, but this just looks like acting out.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. I'm an ordained minister.

Twice, actually. Faith is not required to be a member in good standing.

She was once a believer, and ordained. Doesn't believe anymore. Is that grounds for expulsion?

[cbayer]

5. I understand that, but she is an ordained minister in a denomination

which holds tenets and believes that she now specifically and actively rejects.

Is that the case for you?

I think she should leave voluntarily, otherwise she looks like a petulant child.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. That's not a very charitable assessment.

One of the faiths I'm ordained in holds tenets I do not believe in. Is ok.

[cbayer]

7. Not charitable? That's a statement of the facts as reported in the article.

What tenets of the "faith" you are ordained in do you not believe?

[AtheistCrusader]

8. All of them.

I'm not seeing 'petulant child' established as a fact in the article.

[cbayer]

9. Where do you have your ordinations?

[AtheistCrusader]

10. The United Church of Bacon, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[cbayer]

12. Not even worth continuing.

Carry on.

[AtheistCrusader]

13. I joined so I could officiate my brothers wedding.

Because state law requires you either be ordained, or be a circuit court judge.

Nice to see how rudely dismissive you still are.

[cbayer]

14. I know why you got ordained and I have no problem with that.

I know many people who have done the same thing and I am fully supportive.

That is not why this woman got ordained.



If you want to continue to have discussions with me, don't make it personal.

I'm giving you a chance here.

[AtheistCrusader]

15. She apparently believed when she was ordained.

She has stopped believing. That does not preclude doing or enjoying her job. The idea of ordained ministers and priests performing their function while no longer themselves believing, is not new or unusual, and does not warrant being called a 'petulant child', which you have not walked back even though the article itself made no such allegation at all.

Faith is not required to be a member in good standing, as with my own ordination. The churches concern, per the article full of facts, as you referred to it, is that she perform the duties of her job, not that she believe.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. She's honest. There are many ordained ministers who have lost their faith but choose to keep their

jobs by shutting up about it. "petulant child" - what an amazingly disparaging attitude about this woman.