In the spirit of peace, church apologizes to those it has hurt

Source: Sacramento Bee

The Rev. Rick Cole stepped onto the podium Sunday and into the Sacramento church's troubled past.

In front of a packed and stunned congregation, the senior pastor of Capital Christian Center apologized to anyone who had been hurt by the church, acknowledging pain that church leaders may have caused individuals and the community.

... Cole's apology is the latest and most high-profile one to date by a Sacramento-area pastor.

In recent months, other church leaders have apologized and made efforts to reach out to people who may feel hurt or betrayed by religion and have left the church.

At Impact Community Church in Elk Grove, congregants made gift baskets and dropped them off at gay civil-rights organizations and strip clubs with attached notes apologizing for the words and actions of some religious leaders. On Good Friday, Flood, Restoration Life and Vineyard Christian Fellowship posted apologies at downtown kiosks. Under a picture of Pat Robertson someone had written, "He doesn't speak for me."


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2180746.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Sorry, that wasn't Rick Cole.

That was Rick Roll.

My bad.

I know a druid who started off Catholic and got swept up in CCC for many years until he finally came out as gay. He's now very active with Gay Pride and Pagan Pride.

It's interesting that they highlighted apologies to a former stripper, and a black man, but none to represent the gay men and women they might have hurt over the years. Or non-christians for that matter.

Plus the people highlighted in the article had returned to the church.

I think their numbers are down and they're trying to get a few old customers back. Takes a lot of bums in pews to pay for that concrete monstrosity out off hiway 50.

And thousands of years too late

so called apology is that the shrinking number of church goers equals less money in the till for the con men masquerading as clergy.

These churches run out of paying customers -- they're in trouble.

I realize I'm amazingly cynical, but I can't even imagine what might be in there...

:eyes:

They're not putting anything even remotely good in that basket. My money's on a lot of crap published by Rick Warren, and maybe some candy or something. Yippee.

Just change your actions. Your words will not be appreciated, as evidenced by the responses on this thread. Just conduct yourself in a different fashion and forget the public apology and press releases. Nothing you say will ever be sufficient for any number of folks, and actions speak louder and more eloquently than words anyway.

Frankly, gigantic glass and steel complexes that hire ruthless security guards to rough up the homeless is what I would consider to be the exact opposite of the core Christian message.

CCC is a blight, preying on the stupid and fearful.

PS: I live here, and without providing details, I know a former church member who credits CCC with damaging her life and her children's lives. You can imagine what I mean.

Even churches can over-extend with lavish facilities and fat clergy salaries, while having no real guarentee of future income. Tough times for everyone, the Lord included.

At least that's my translation of this story. Suddenly, the sinners are needed.