The Church in Samoa
Excerpts from 'The Naked Journalist'
[Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of Cherelle Savaliolefilemu Jackson, and does not reflect the opinions of her family, friends or colleagues. One Denomination is the subject of these observations, knowledge and experience of the said denomination has lead the writer to conclude the beliefs below, that being said, I do acknowledge that their are righteous and honest Pastors in this Church, but that does not erase what the Church as a whole has done to its people.]
A Pastor drove by in a sweet four door Toyota Hilux, and as he passed byhis wife sitting proudly on the passenger seat, one could almost see sweat dripping off the car. Sweat of the congregation, sweat of the little man, the oldlady and the little children.
Samoa is paradise, for two weeks, and then you see the cracks in the otherwise perfect fibres of a self deceptive society.
Faifeaus in Samoa are not servants of God, they do not take care of their sheep, they do not feed, comfort or save their sheep, rather they lead them into bankruptcy, poverty, fear, and eternal damnation if they do not contribute more than they, their daughters, sons in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia's entire paychecks and more.
God in Samoa punishes those who drink alcohol, wear short skirts, talks loudly infront of the Pastors house. God punishes those who disagree with the Pastor, who say things about his wife, he punishes those who buy their family a decent meal instead of giving it to the alofa of the faifeau, God punishes those who do not come to both services on Sundays, God (faifeau) sees all
and knows all and will make sure the whole congregation is aware of who is not honouring the word of the Lord.
Young Children are taught to be afraid of the Lord and his mighty wrath, the emphasis is never placed on loving, embracing or worshipping the Almighty. Pastors preach the woes of sinning and guilt but do not praise the power of forgiveness and repentance.
A big and expensive Church is sign of peoples faith in God.
A refurbished Church is a sign of renewed faith in God.
A big and expensive house for the faifeau is a sign of peoples (village) support for Gods word.
A run down Church reflects poorly on the village and their faith in God.
A fat faifeau, his wife and his children spell a generous, giving and faithful village, never mind that the rest of the village barely eating each night.
It's ok to build a 6 million tala building for the Church Ministers to meet once a year while the students of this Church still pay their school fees from pre-school until high school. Its ok that millions are funnelled into the Church to educate its Ministers while not a single scholarship or tala is paid towards studies of a student member of the Church.
Fear of the Lord is the begining of Church contributions.
What are your thoughts on this, more to come......
[Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of Cherelle Savaliolefilemu Jackson, and does not reflect the opinions of her family, friends or colleagues. One Denomination is the subject of these observations, knowledge and experience of the said denomination has lead the writer to conclude the beliefs below, that being said, I do acknowledge that their are righteous and honest Pastors in this Church, but that does not erase what the Church as a whole has done to its people.]
A Pastor drove by in a sweet four door Toyota Hilux, and as he passed byhis wife sitting proudly on the passenger seat, one could almost see sweat dripping off the car. Sweat of the congregation, sweat of the little man, the oldlady and the little children.
Samoa is paradise, for two weeks, and then you see the cracks in the otherwise perfect fibres of a self deceptive society.
Faifeaus in Samoa are not servants of God, they do not take care of their sheep, they do not feed, comfort or save their sheep, rather they lead them into bankruptcy, poverty, fear, and eternal damnation if they do not contribute more than they, their daughters, sons in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia's entire paychecks and more.
God in Samoa punishes those who drink alcohol, wear short skirts, talks loudly infront of the Pastors house. God punishes those who disagree with the Pastor, who say things about his wife, he punishes those who buy their family a decent meal instead of giving it to the alofa of the faifeau, God punishes those who do not come to both services on Sundays, God (faifeau) sees all
and knows all and will make sure the whole congregation is aware of who is not honouring the word of the Lord.
Young Children are taught to be afraid of the Lord and his mighty wrath, the emphasis is never placed on loving, embracing or worshipping the Almighty. Pastors preach the woes of sinning and guilt but do not praise the power of forgiveness and repentance.
A big and expensive Church is sign of peoples faith in God.
A refurbished Church is a sign of renewed faith in God.
A big and expensive house for the faifeau is a sign of peoples (village) support for Gods word.
A run down Church reflects poorly on the village and their faith in God.
A fat faifeau, his wife and his children spell a generous, giving and faithful village, never mind that the rest of the village barely eating each night.
It's ok to build a 6 million tala building for the Church Ministers to meet once a year while the students of this Church still pay their school fees from pre-school until high school. Its ok that millions are funnelled into the Church to educate its Ministers while not a single scholarship or tala is paid towards studies of a student member of the Church.
Fear of the Lord is the begining of Church contributions.
What are your thoughts on this, more to come......
posted by The Naked Journalist at 5:36 AM
31 Comments:
man, relle...
heres something the National Council of churches should shit their 'Made in Rome' underwears about.
On the blogs below, are the same issue: young people displeased with the Churches/Clergy in Samoa.
Oh yes, their disgust is in the form of blogs,.
-Malie Dramas
-That Girl in Samoa
-moine..hehe
and theres more to cum...
there were some sweet letters to the editor today on Observer, one thanking the church and censor board for saving us from movies of spiritual perspectives and delivering us movies promoting sodomy (ahem..brokeback mountain), the rape of the innocense (ahem..countless films), sharpening ones f-vocabulary and our own local dancers stripping in moviews (ahem.... maryjane in siones wedding) .. overall a great response from the public
relle o lea foi le imeli a le kamaloa o le unesco programme pliz?
..good thoughts on the church in samoa but again you can't just take one example and make a general statement about it, perhaps it is only your faifeau(or 1 faifeau) that's fat and blah blah blah eating all the village money..or is it in your village where everyone's in poverty coz of the church?...or who knows is it mere jealousy of what you see in the lifestyle of the faifeau's presumably from the all they money and luxuries they get that made you rest upon such conclusion? if its a "real" problem then be it best you marry an a'oa'o and look for a big village that will give you a taste of such lavishing life you "think" or impliedly assume all faifeaus in Samoa have. its amusing how people are so quick at pointing out the blah blah with the church in samoa taking everyone's money and dominating everyone's lives,..maybe life as a faifea'u may not be easy and flashy as you think might be..perhaps you should do more thinking before blabbing but yeah..freedom of speech prevails thus i feel for the young, naive and "green" ones like you whom once armed with very little knowledge quickly and loudly attacks such ...you know..we once treated with ~~..
overall, good thoughts.
An amusing insight indeed, but this begs the question, is the Da Vinci code at the root of this rage? Or does a typical Samoan faifeau really live this extravagant lifestyle you describe? Id have to take your account for it, considering ironically, you would have inside knowledge. Your uncle, your mom's brother, is doing a great job as a faifeau at milking the dimes dry from our Congregation pockets :O
malo le lafolafo..e solomua lava iai latou e le galulue ma faia se pa'upa'u i le lotu le komumu ma le kaukakala..ailoga ua e alu e ave se sege se kasi mai lou kokogi ma si kou faifea'u a ea? a'e a e kaukala mai gei sole pei lava oe o le..
don't hate appreciate LOL
On the surface of things it may appear that way. Im surprised you didnt search a little deeper before plunging into such remarks, especially on a public forum. I am no saint nor an advocate supporter of the Samoan congregation structure, whatever that is. But I do know, that amongst many members of any congregation, they share an innate belief on the significance of the faifeau's role as a servant of God, thus feel the need to show this appreciation. Hence the monetary and material forms you speak of. Yet you fail to see that this comes from a direct response of peoples beliefs in how a faifeau ought to be treated. To some extent, arguably, its more cultural than religious. I dont recall ever going to a sermon hearing a faifeau demanding money etc blah blah, but rather its the member themselves who feel such an obligation. Maybe you should question that. Also be mindful that Samoa is a self professing Christian country and evidently goes through great extents to display that. For instance the recent ban of the Da Vinci code.
Manuia
isa laia, ga ua feikai mai fagau a faifeau, harharhar, aua le ago iai, after all, at least youre highlighting a problem that most samoans are suffering or ai afuring with but cannot get out of.
thats the truth those above commenteers should accept.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
i like how being hidden behind a veil of anonymity gives me the power to speak like a coward, and coward i am, and always will be, because i cannot be accountable for my comments, and like my fellow anonymous loser peers, lets shoot ourselves together and make the world a better place.
and lets make personal attacks on others because we envy them and wish we were them., arghhh, the benefits that come with anonymity. I like it!
reverend anonymous.
cherelle, you are so lucky to be hated so much, see what success brings you?
you should just be like us, anonymous and pathetic, and church loving wankers, we love to give give our lives and our belongings to our servant of God.
With exception of one comment, there is no personal attacks aimed at you Relle, rather than the ones that you seem to have posted about yourself "anonymously", or maybe your fellow family supporters "ahem" Fotu....you posted or may have exposed a topic fragile to the identity of many. Saints and hyprocites alike of Samoa do not take religion lightly, and seem to carry this parallel to their identity as Samoans. So if you cant handle the criticism against your oppinion posted, or dont have the ability to redirect the readers attention to the angle or perspective you undertake, then perhaps you should stick to reporting facts on paper, and leave your thoughts for a "dear diary" entry. You asked for our opinions, you got it. Considering the profession your in, I was expecting a more in depth reply rather than a self elevating and childish name calling comments. Disappointed. This is a significant and interesting issue that you have shed light on, yet its ashame how have you driven the attention of readers elsewhere.
Manuia
you're right lesina..or whoever you are. cherelle brought up a fragile topic and asked for more thoughts and bear in mind on her blogg which includes anonymous commentators... but when anons' post what they think..presumably cherelle herself or her loyal supporter fotu throws a tantrum! harhar.. what happened to the disclaimer you posted at the begining? ahem..maybe you should give more thought on where you post such writings..maybe somewhere no one can anonymously reply back at you coz blogging can't do that! LOL. oi aue! aua le tiga le loto na'o nai lafolafoga lava.
sticks & stones may hurt but words hurt more.. is that how it goes fotu? teehee!
Long live the church in Samoa!~
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
A disclaimer only protects one from a legal action but not from public attacks. Surely she should have considered this before posting such a controversial opinion. What a pity, I was hoping for an exhilarating debate, its something I too have observed and pondered about.
The topic of this post seems to have sparked a lot of tempers as is obvious in all the comments. I’m still gauging my opinion on the whole topic, but meanwhile;
Anonymous #2 - A bit of a contradiction there, wouldn't you say? You say you need to take Relle's word for it "Id have to take your account for it, considering ironically, you would have inside knowledge." and then make a statement that arguably supports her theory on Faifeaus albeit her relative " Your uncle, your mom's brother, is doing a great job as a Faifeau at milking the dimes dry from our Congregation pockets :O"
Anonymous #4 - Are you racist? It seems that the words afakasi and half breed are easily flung from your mouth. Must you resort to such low tactics to get a point across, which let's be honest isn't a point but an attack of character? Do you know the family that well; that you feel informed enough to suggest that they were a broken family? Instead of addressing the issues in the post, you've made it personal and why? If you think otherwise, then do it with a bit more class, create a blog of your own and express your own views. Here's another thought, why not compile a list that counters Relles suggestions on Faifeaus and their lives? I'm ashamed that anyone would sink so low as to use derogatory racist remarks against anyone let alone Cherelle. Being full blooded Samoan or any other ethnic group does not make any one person superior to those of mixed blood. Who are you to insult people of their parentage? Because the last I read in the bible, we were all created in the image of our Lord.
Some of you think that Cherelle or her ‘posse’ wrote a few of the anonymous comments that in some way support her. What? You think she’d hide behind an anonymous screen? Or that Fotu her sister, FotuofSamoa and Nydia would assume that same role as well? Well, you must be reading different blogs then I read, because these girls are extremely vocal and active in their beliefs, somehow I don’t see them turning tail, so enough with the presumptions.
Relle, sorry I’ve wasted your comment space on a completely separate issue. I suppose because I haven’t put across my views on this subject, assumptions will be made on a so called ‘allegiance’ that I have with you. Hah – ignorance is bliss. Ta rah for now…to be cont’
To sidetrack the post even further, its obvious she wrote those comments to prove a point, which she did. Being faceless whilst making downgrading accusations and personal attacks is an act of cowardness. However, she sank to their level when she demoted her response to the same degree. For shits sake people, or should I say ladies, leave the claws out of this. The Samoan Christian faith is arguably at the centre of our identity. Relle has highlighted the cracks within this - some of us agrees and others dont, whilst some maybe sitting on the fence. Your views on your position and the reasons behind it was all that was necessary. But sadly, this discussion has exceeded beyond the agenda.
My Dear Readers,
You would not believe how delighted I am at reading the 17 comments on this entry. I applaud each and every one of you for your comments, this is exactly what I wanted, a healthy debate and and an active discussion. Be reminded that freedom of expression is our constitutional right as well as our God given right, being that we were give the power of speech.
Unfortunately some of us choose to use this freedom for personal attacks and petty arguments instead of discussing the real issue at hand. But this is your right and this website strives for your voice to be heard, regardless of your race, interests, values etc.
One of my first Editors told me that a loved Journalist is not necessarily a good one, but a hated one is making a difference, and striking a chord.
I quote an Abolition who stated: "Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground."
cheers
Cherelle S Jackson
PS. If you have any further concerns or wish to further offend the memory of my father or the name of my mother, whom bless their souls, equipped me with manners not to call others parents such names, then please e-mail me at savaiitimes@yahoo.com, or keep on posting, for it is indeed your right!
My final entry, as this link is becoming too hideously polluted.
I dont agree with Relle's post. However she does make a good point.
Personally, I hold the view that its culture that corrupts religion. Broadly speaking, religion itself is black and white. Faith is what holds the belief in the Almighty divine. Culture is what complicates this, or to the more extreme, it corrupts one’s view of their religious path. Throughout the world, culture dictates one's interpretation of the Bible and how one to ought to honour the Christian faith eg in Samoa, “thou shall not wear short skirts as it corrupts the male mind”! ha!
Within my own congregation, objectively, I too would have been easily convinced by Relles point. However, it would be unfair to make such an assumption without looking any deeper. Generally speaking, I think most Samoans place the faifeau's position on a pedestal amongst us all, and would go through great lengths to honour this position.
Moreover, I find many contribute largely to either do the above mentioned, or simply being "fia kagaka". Otherwise, there's the pressure of not fulfilling what they feel obligated to do, to avoid being succumbed to shameless talks from the mass. And lets face it, in our Samoan society, there’s no greater punishment than "ma", shame bestowed upon a person. An unforgiving stigma. Yet it does make me wonder why our people self inflict such burdens?
Our faifeau sounds like a rare precious stone, a far cry from the one Relle paints a picture of. He speaks volumes and stresses greatly to our members not to place our families in a financial detriment for the sake of church obligations. Again and again, he preaches the values of family. He deals with his own personal financial grievances and has helped many struggling families out of their financial woes using his own funds (and not the churches!). He leads a noble life. His children are the same. They are not like the overweight brat pack relle describes, but are humble and hard working peers who see themselves no higher than anyone else.
Alternatively, Ive questioned whether the faifeau has taken advantage of his position as a faifeau to suggest several contributions to other causes. But that’s just it, a suggestion. In our church, its up for discussion whether the members agree or not, and because of this relationship formed with our faifeau, our members can speak freely whether they agree or disagree.
For these reasons, I don’t believe that the faifeau indulges in life to the detriment of others. Maybe a few are like this, but perhaps we should consider other factors influencing this rather than coming to such an erupt conclusion.
Soifua
Dear Lesina,
In the 'disclaimer' I mentioned that there are righteous and honest faifeaus in the said denomination, and your faifeau sounds like one of these. I could only wish and dream that we had a servant of God like that, one who is hard working and actually helps his congregation and perhaps the part I envy the most is one that preaches the word of God in its true form and not out of spite or to push through a hidden agenda. True, culture is a factor in what has become an imprisonment of some villagers in the system of 'giving for blessing' but when I speak and make quotations as I have done, I speak solely from what I have witnessed in my lifetime, and some faifeaus I have come to associate with, they exist, believe me they do and everyday they 'serve' these villages, God is almost the last on their minds as they become part of a district power struggle and become trapped in materialistic values. The Constitution of this Church specifically puts the 'people' on top of the hierachy thus 'congregation' many a theological students have said that if the constitution is truly adapted and used then no one would suffer and the value of the word of God through the people would be the basis of the faith.
Thank you for sharing your opinion, this is the type of input we need because there are many different sides to the story.
cheers
Cherelle S Jackson
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Great topic Cherelle. Keep it coming. Some spoiled brats out there who are taking it personally. Puhlease you're in denial peeps. Wake up and smell the koko and stop hating and insulting people and then hiding behind anonymity palamimi to the max. Don't read blogs if u're going to take 'em personally losers. Anonymous that made racial attacks sounds dumb as a drum and don't know nothing in order to make sound arguments. And what does having a dad have to do with anything...What an idiot..
Il ignore the troubled mass who obviously holds a personal grudge against you…publicly disparaging someone, and being masked at the same time, reflects poor character. Do what I did, make contact and straighten shit out...
Had a chat with mum and was alarmed to find out things that I have turned a blind eye on, or have been very fortunate to never experience.
She explained that sadly, there are misguided faifeaus (actually a majority) who often take advantage of our people’s religious stronghold to manipulate the congregation to achieve the luxurious lifestyle they sought. I was told I would not have been exposed to much of this, as bless our faifeau is a heavenly saint, and secondly, the Samoans in NZ are more vocal when they sense corruption. Whereas in Samoa its less likely for it to even surface in any conversation, unless its murmured amongst the privacy of homes. Why? For many reasons, but what topped the list was this so called respect for the faifeau and fears of being “malaia” or being subjected to the repugnant glares and gossip for daring to ever speak up against the faifeau. Ironically, that’s exactly what has happened here when you posted this topic.
Again, I felt that our culture was a great factor in this. It seems that respect means not to question the faifeaus agenda and disagree. The only thing I can suggest is, we start at home by steering people away from the thinking that “we wont be blessed if we don’t give” (somehow, there’s a Samoan interpretation that doing for others and giving will be reciprocated by a blessing of materialistic wealth, good health or good fortune. Where exactly in the Bible does it say this??). And it’s not a sin to be too broke to contribute to church obligations. Additionally, we need to learn to speak up. I find this would be the most difficult to achieve, because usually the one’s who can see the cracks within the congregation are either the younger generation or someone who has any form of qualification. They are often labeled as “fiapoko (lil shit)” or “fiapalagi”. We need to stop being narrow minded, and start listening to new ideas offered and not be afraid of change. Some fear change will disrupt culture, yet how are we to progress and since when was culture ever static in any society? Also, there should be a check and balance system for the many funds donated to the congregation, and members should decide how this is prioritized. All this maybe wishful thinking for now, but the first step has been made. The issue has been identified and brought to the fore.
Considering what some of these people go through, I now have a more profound understanding of why my parents (and our church) value our minister’s service. We are definitely the lucky ones.
Soifua
wow, i gunt belif it, i leave the blog scene for one lousy weekend and something interesting actually happens???
sorry for my absant, i was goings to moving to our new house and partree for the rugby...hello, the rugby that you gant see anybodys coz of the fog??
anyhow, let me put on my serious face here and pretend im angry about the personal attacks on my poor mom and dad and sister and cousin and friend....Frankly, i'm not even angry, and im not gonna waste my time stooping to their level..half breed...that takes the cake heheh, i like the israeli hate tone in that one...fai mai Luther King "I have a drim, dat one day, I will not be judged by da colour of my skins but by the content of my character, amen to dat..
Ah well, keep up with your writings my darling gyrl, I support you 105% and love your work (even if you wasn't my siders i' would still loiking it)...
we need some love in this room....
LOVE LOVE LOVE
My two sene to the article: I agree with a lot of it as I have seen it myself. However it may be common but as you mentioned and Lesina pointed out, its definitely not all pastors who are doing this. Though if you live in Samoa and don't see this then either 1.you have an honest pastor like Lesina's (Bless them
2.your vision is distorted or
3.you are brainwashed and have not questioned the system at all.
Though there is a lot of truth in Lesina's point about people bringing the burden unto themselves but then the pastor has a lot of power to control or to lighten the burden on the people. I do hear of this talk amongst pastors fueled by deacons and church elders of how a church is not well-off due to the condition of the pastor's house or lack of car and other things. To see this for yourself you should try and stop at different pastors' houses when you drive around Samoa. I've done this myself and then stop to visit the neighbours or their parish, you will be shocked to see the contrast in most of them. Our congregations are brainwashed for sure to believe in being cursed when they are not giving but then again the village encourages so much giving as well that it is just a never ending struggle to right the wrong.
And what is with the announcing of how much people are contributing. We should start by abolishing that tradition in the church altogether. Give anonymously is the way the church must be.
The sad thing is there are so many within the church that really work hard to spread the word of God but then there are those that work for the church to progress with material riches and wealth. Also these church schools do not seem to be at all in any good financial standing, when there is so much money invested in them.
Compare what is given to the pastor each year and imagine that at least half or some of it went to helping the progress in each village in community developments such as a library or computer room for the village youngsters. This will contribute greatly to the education of the young people, these sort of ideas pastors could initiate to help their parish but unfortunately this is very rare.
My hope is the new generation graduates will go to their parish with a fresh outlook and ambition to ultimately help the people through spiritual and human progression for the good of the Christian faith let alone the church.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
kudos to all who tried to keep an open mind in regards to this post. It has certainly sparked some raw and unbridled reponses.
I know that it is hard to keep one's feelings out especially if you have a personal stake in this matter but we can't keep burying our heads in the sand by saying the entire entry is a bunch of fabricated lies by the author.
Though what she has written may not hold true for all the servants of God (she did make a mention of that fact!), we can not deny that there are those who are not exactly shining examples.
The point that I am trying to make is that the church including some of its servants are not infallible.
This knowledge should not have us at each others throats but rather provide understanding. There is always 2 sides to everything. Not all faifeaus live opulent lives but some have carved out a comfortable living for themselves.
Do we blame them or the congregations who forked out for these assets? This can be a debatable topic coz as mentioned in a previous comment. Sometimes it is the people who want to lavish these things on their faifeaus. Are they given a nudge in that direction or an excercise of free will. More info needed??
My grandparents on both sides were faifeau's. I prob have more cousins who are faifeau's or married to one that not. I am immensely proud of their contributions to the Lord's work as well as to their flocks.
I do not presume to know how they are perceived at their respective congregations all I know is that coming from a poor family they know all too well the value of hard work. Are fully aware that not everyone makes $60,000 a year. And that though respect for ones faifeau is highly valued people are obligated to take care of their familys first which is in essence living a life of obedience to the Lord.
So I hope and pray that they (cousins/brothers etc) continue to keep our humble roots in mind as well as the ultimate meaning of their titles faifeau So that they can remain true to the teachings of Christ, walking and living God's word and therefore be worthy of their calling.
We are encouraged to speak up for what we believe. The ideas we share here may not change the world and will probably be confined to this space alone but it can plant a tiny seed of hope for those who choose and accept diff points of view.
Hope that stems from the knowledge that there are many people who revere the church and feel strongly enuff to defend it. Some may have taken it a bit too far but perhaps the initial intention was noble. That there are also those who are not afraid to speak up about some of the cracks they see and wish for something to be done about it.
I totally disagree with the derogatory name callin. Dissin' someone who is no longer around to defend themselves is low. It takes not only the discussion out of focus but is even beneath someone who is enjoying the safety anonymity provides.
As I have said our little discussions may not alter the world in a significant way but thru healthy sharing we keep our minds alert n open to many issues that may impact our lives significantly.
Soifua ma ia Manuia.
Kia ora Savaiian Time,
hey relle, I just found ur blog thru fotus. I like this piece of yours. As a PK ( pastor kids) the issue you touch on, hits closer to home. The issue you talk about is faced by every Samoans, whether they are in Samoa or New Zealand or whereever. Its good to speak your mind and talk about issues taboo for one reason or another. And if it does make people talk even if they are so not so open minded. Then you know you hit a nerve!
The world is funny or maybe the world of Samoans...in everyday life they komumu and whine etc about the faifeau's alofa and on top of that the atiane's,lafoga for this mafutaga and sege for aoga aso sa, the kaulaga talalelei and kaulaga samoa etc etc ( you can so tell Im an EFKS person that CCCS for you non-fxs ) But when someone express there opinion in a public form such as this. Most of them would point the finger with disgust, such a hypocrisy....well only in Samoa or maybe only Samoans a?
cheers
Raneeta
This was an interesting read, I admire you and the fact you have guts to talk about issues that people are all too scared to touch on. I personally would like to believe that there are the odd faifeaus out there that are trying their best to lead our poeple down the path of righteousness:) It is sad to see that people are attacking you personally especially your family, I for one knows exactly how it feels(it hurts) and you're right "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." but that is a quote that your sister should really think twice about, I can recall one of her blogs personally and in the most disgusting manner attacked my parents. I showed the blog to my mother that told me to forward it to your mother beacuse she was sure she was not the type of woman who would teach her children such ways. I didnt, because I knew that if it had hurt my mother to read it, it would of hurt yours even more and that was the level I wasant willing to stoop to. You're a really awesome writer and I could only wish I had half the talent you have.
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for the compliment, i think I know which entry you are talking about. I respect the fact that you held back from involving my parent in this and on this note, I apologise for what has been written by my sibling. It was mom that told her to take it down in the end.
You see we were all brought up passionate and straightforward and this is great but sometimes I admit, our comments may be insensitive. I know what it feels like, my own parent has been attacked in the media, but at the end of the day, like your father always says: "To thine own self be true." So no matter what others say, as long as we are true to ourselves and stand by our convictions, it will not hurt us.
cheers
cherelle
It's quite simple really. If you piss the congregation off, you get the sack. Just like my faifeau two weeks ago lol
The faifeau before him is buried at the front of the church. The auloku liked him.
Faifeaus may intercede on our behalf, and they may speak for God, but at the end of the day, he is an employee of the congregation. If the shareholders aren't happy, guess what happens?
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!
Post a Comment
<< Home