Pastor Sues Congregation for Posting their Displeasure

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Today’s Blog Post


Pastor Sues Congregation for Posting their Displeasure

Now here is a winner! It is something that I can sink my thoughts into. Maybe you can as well.

Two University Students, twin Brothers, were disciplined for criticizing their instructor on Facebook.

The report that I read stated… quote..
“Twin brothers Keith and Steven Pridgen made the comments on a Facebook page three years ago. They contributed one comment each to the wall, both of which were critical of their communication and culture instructor.

As a result, the two faced a university review committee. Keith was put on probation for two years for non-academic misconduct, and along with his brother was ordered to apologize to the sessional instructor.” End quote.

This issue went to court and the Judge’s ruling went for the Students and she stated….quote…
“Justice Jo'Anne Strekaf found that the brothers' Charter rights to free expression had been violated by the review committee.

"Students should not be prevented from expressing critical opinions regarding the subject matter or quality of the teaching they are receiving," Strekaf wrote in her ruling.

"As an educational institution, the university should expect and encourage frank and critical discussion regarding the teaching ability of professors amongst students …"
End quote
(Quotes from the CBC web story – Link Below)

I have been thinking about this is relative terms to Pastoral work that I have been involved in for 35 years.

I can’t imagine the number of times that what I said and the way that I said it were criticized! It staggers my mind to even consider it. Mind you I don’t think that I was ever criticized on Facebook – maybe that is worse than just getting it over a table at Swiss Challet… or Red Lobster… where they could do it without me hearing about it.

On Facebook the danger for the Twins and the Instructor was that others could read and re-read it for days to come.

The worst I got at Swiss Challet was a “friend” coming to me later and telling me in ‘Christian Love’ that, “Dear Sister So and So was very unhappy with the sermon on Sunday AM. She has decided to leave the church for a while. In doing so she hopes to send a message to you Pastor.”

Facebook is more direct than the old method of nattering and dropping out of the church, pulling your tithe so the minister will get the message.

Can you imagine how well off I would be if I could have brought a lawsuit against the Swiss Challet mutters and the Low Blow Red Lobster-ites? I imagine that the CBC might have picked up on that idea.

An old saying stated simply… “If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen!”

I am reading a Book entitled “Who stole my church?” by Gordon MacDonald… that is a WOW Book. My wife is reading it as well and has decided that we are going to buy copies and slip them into the mail boxes of The Swiss Challet and Red Lobster folk.

I told her that I wouldn’t spend the money of these folks that way.

We both had a chuckle out of it.

The book is amazing and tells the story of people that make people unhappy and then the stories about how people that are unhappy react…and a whole lot more.

A Lawsuit … and a court case… wow!

Like I said – lots to think about! Too funny!

Oh – sorry – the title had not a lot to do with the content… but hey… you read this far… thanks… now go an post your displeasure….

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Resource

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/11/26/calgary-university-student-charter-rights-review-appeal.html