[nagdu] Churches

Thu Apr 5 16:59:15 UTC 2012

This is really weird about these supposedly christian churches not accepting 
of blind people or their dogs.

Alan, what Lutheran group refused blind people?  There are three major 
groups of Lutherans - two kind of conservative and one liberal.  I belonged 
to a Lutheran church from the conservative group and this church is VERY 
welcoming of blind people.  And the dogs are very welcome as well.  This 
church pays a Braille transcriber to make the bulletins each week and they 
also make large print ones as wwell so the blind and visually impaired 
worshippers can follow along with the service.

If you can find out which Lutheran group this Lutheran church is affiliated 
with, I may be able to put a bug in their ear to stop this discrimination. 
The pastor I know is from the Lutheran group AALC - American Association of 
Lutheran Churches.  He is a regional pastor for this group.  That leaves the 
other conservative group and the liberal one.  I doubt the liberal one would 
have pastors that would have that kind of attitude about not wanting to 
minister to "that kind".

Now, that person who experienced this discrimination now knows what it is 
like to be LGBT and trying to find a church home - wwe've started our own 
church, MCC, back in the 1970s.

The other thing, don't call churches to ask if the guide dog would be 
welcome - just show up!  That's what I always did and I NEVER was turned 
away from worshipping at a church.  What I have experienced was that the 
sighted people just basiclly ignored me like I wasn't worth their time. 
Like being on the outside of a huge clique.

Bertha, I hope you find a good church for you and I'm sure it is very 
painful to find yourself being discriminated against by people who profess 
to believe in God and Jesus.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan Wheeler" <awheeler65 at windstream.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Churches

> Well, I lived in Chicago for a while, and let me tell you, I had an
> experience I don't wish on anyone. Granted, it was indirect, but it's 
> still
> very telling.
>
> My ex-wife and I found a good Lutheran church. The pastor was really
> accepting of me, and I even got to be an elder. As it happened the pastor
> was on some local ecuminical committee. I had told him about a church or 
> two
> that had made me feel less than welcome, and looked at my ex like they
> pitied her for having to "care" for me.
>
> So, this Lutheran pastor asked the other clergy in this ecuminical group
> what they did for the blind, and he was told, to use his words, "We don't
> want that kind of person (meaning blind) in our church. That's not who we
> want to minister to."
>
> This is why, on some levels, churches rejecting her doesn't surprise me. 
> It
> may not be the dog, but what the dog represents...her blindness and their
> inability to accept her and know how to deal with her.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Cindy Ray
> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:17 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Churches
>
> Yeah, but most Catholic or Assemblies wouldn't either. That is just weird.
>
>
> On Apr 4, 2012, at 7:17 PM, Alan Wheeler wrote:
>
>> Hmmm, about the best thing I can suggest is going to
>> www.calvarychapel.org and seeing if you can find one of their churches
>> nearby. I don't think they'd turn away a dog.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Bertha Avila Guerrero
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 6:34 PM
>> To: NAGDU NFB
>> Subject: [nagdu] Churches
>>
>> Hello All,
>> I know churches are the only places that can deny us access. I don't
>> understand this since they have to follow ADA regulations for building
>> accessibility.
>> Anyway, I have been in Colorado a year and a half and have not yet
>> found a home church. This has been difficult for me because I am used
>> to be active in church. Well I decided Godiva and I needed to find an
>> Easter service and the two churches I called were friendly enough and
>> would not come out and say we would be denied access.
>> But one told me we would have to sit in the foyer and the security
>> guard would decide if we would be allowed in the sanctuary. Another
>> church told me we would have to sit in the back pew. Needless to say I
>> am very disappointed, and my heart hurts . I had no trouble attending
>> church in Texas when I go back.
>>
>> Well I guess we won't be attending an Easter service.
>>
>> B A Guerrero and Seeing Eye Dog Godiva guerrero.avila at sbcglobal.net
>>
>>
>>
>>
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