[nfbwatlk] What is Faith Talk

[debby phillips]

Hi Mike, on principle, I agree with you.  There is an emotional 
thing that happens though when a church, synagogue, temple, oh 
what have you, discriminates.  Here's my thinking.  Rightly or 
wrongly when discrimination happens in a worship setting it feels 
like rejection from God.  Now theologically I know that's crap.  
But that's what it feels like.  I know it's not rational.  In the 
second place, when religious leaders are part of that 
discrimination it feels like more of a betrayal.  The very 
churches, synagogues, what have you that say they accept us and 
love us, etc.  on some level, don't.  The "gray" area here is 
that there seems to be little regal recourse.  If, for instance, 
a community of nuns decides that they will not accept 
"handicapped women" to my knowledge there is nothing legal that 
can be done about this.

This spring and summer when I was not invited back for a second 
interview, and when my email inquiries were ignored, it totally 
devastated me in a way that not getting another interview for 
other jobs did not.

When friends of mine have been told not to bring their guide dogs 
to church services they have had little recourse.  Their choice 
is either to leave that denomination, group or what have you, or 
not be guided by their dogs.  If we could have workable 
strategies to work these things out, that would be a reason for 
such a division to exist.  But many groups start out with good 
intentions and deteriorate.  The same thing happens with email 
lists.  [Present list excluded).  It's really unfortunate.

Well, enough of my ramblings here.    Peace,    Debby