Photo by Kevin Remington
Apparently the parishioners in Virginia decided that bearing the name of a (violently pro-slavery) Confederate General was no longer an excellent representation of Jesus Christ.
Sadly it took the tragedy of Charlottesville (& not the B-I-B-L-E) to open up their eyes.
Leaders of R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington voted Monday evening to change the parish’s name to Grace Episcopal Church — what it was originally called when the Confederate general moved to town after the Civil War and joined the congregation.
The decision concludes a quiet, two-year debate among congregants over whether it’s appropriate for a Christian institution that aims to welcome all to carry a name that memorializes a man best known for fighting a war to preserve the institution of slavery.
“It’s been a very divisive issue for two years,” said the Rev. Tom Crittenden, the church’s rector. “But Charlottesville seems to have moved us to this point. Not that we have a different view of Lee historically in our church, but we have appreciation for our need to move on.” (Richmond Times Dispatch)
Despite Confederate states clearly stating in their declarations of secession that maintaining slavery was the reason they left the union, many in the southeast still view the American civil war as a fight against an over bearing Federal government.
Honoring any Confederate soldier, general or politician via statues, street names or building names is akin to honoring Nazi’s from World War 2 (as both held similar views regarding non-white humans).
Fortunately more cities are realizing that Confederates were (at best) proto-Nazis and hopefully more Christians will abandon honoring ancient wicked men whose legacy included treason & enslavement.
Discovered via: Christian Today & RT.com
