Author Topic: Foster's Daily Democrat  (Read 2344 times)

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J Hersom

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Foster's Daily Democrat
« on: May 12, 2000, 05:43:00 AM »
Hello Friends, I would like to share with you the followings two articles in our local newspaper this past week. The Open Letter to the Editors was very interesting and well written. Please comment if you like.

Community must keep Sabbath holy

To the editor:
An open letter from the Wakefield-Milton Area Clergy Association regarding the scheduling of Sunday activities.

We the members of the Wakefield-Milton Area Cergy Aossication, must voice our opinion on an issue that is becoming increasingly problematic for the families within our congregations.

Extra-curricula activities, such as school and community sporting events, are being scheduled more and more on Sunday mornings. We are sensitive to the fact that Saturdays and Sundays are two of the only days during the week when most families have an opportunity to be together. Therefore, scheduling events on these days makes it possible for parents to attend their children's games and practices.

We are not adverse to this. In fact, we feel that recreational activities are a crucial part of our youths social education and physical fitness. This, however, has often taken precedence over another crucial part of our children's development their spiritual development.

We do not advocate strict separation of church and state, to coin the cliche that always seem to be in vogue. The church, as a member of society, needs to function as a covernantal partner with the community at large. A covenant, however, is a relationship of mutual support and care. Covenants cease to be covernants when they only work one way.

In short, just as we are supportive of the activities that our schools and communities plan for our youth and their families, we expect our schools and communities to be supportive of the activities that we plan for themas well: namely, their ability to participate in the life of their local church.

We need to work together as covernantal partners. We need to provide our children with a myraid of opportunities for intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual growth. This means that our school systems and recreational department need to be more conscious and respectful of the times that are traditionally set aside on the Sabbath for worship, and the church needs to support our school systems and recreational departments in this venture as well.

Let's work together to find a mutually beneficial solution.

Wakefield-Milton N.H. Area Clergy Association.

The next day this article appeared on the front page of the Foster's Daily Democrat of Dover N.H. circulation 35,000

"Local clergy group wants kids in church on Sunday, not the ballfields"

Milton- Area clergy members are speaking out on the issue of school and community sporting events scheduled for Sunday morning, claiming it could have a negative impact on a child's spiritual development.

The Wakefield-Milton Area Clergy Association has written an open letter voicing its opinion on the controversial issue, which is becoming increasingly problematic for families according to the letter.

Signed by six area clergy members, the letter states that recreational activities, although they are important arte taking precedence over Sunday morning church services.

"just as we are supportive of the activities that our schools and communities plan for our youth and their families, we expect our schools and communities to be supportive of the activities that we plan for them as well: namely, their ability to participate in the life of their local church", the letter states.

It also suggests that school systems and recreation departments need to be more conscious and respectful of the times that are traditionally set aside on Sunday for worship.

"And," it continues, " the church needs to support our school systems and recreational departments in the venture as well".

The association writes that it is "sensitive to the fact that Saturday and Sunday are two of the only days during the week when most families have an opportunity to be together" to attend games and pratices.

"We feel that recreation activities are a crucial part of our youth's social education and physical fitness." the letter states. However, the association believes these recreational activities are becoming more important than church attendance.

The Rev. Scott McCleary of the Trinity Anglican Church on Rochester Hill Road in Rochester agrees with the clergy association.

"This is very much a problem," McCleary said of parents and children neglecting Sunday morning church service because of an extracurricular event. "It is a dilemma for both kids and parents".

McCleary believes the scheduling of Sunday activities conveys a questionable and problematic issue to children. The problem, he said, is increasing each year.

"In an era that emphazies multi-cultural sensitivity to other people's values, the school systems is being insensitive to Christian values." McCleary said.

One solution, according to McCleary, would be for school to try and schedule activities at times other than Sunday morning. When parents do not attend church because their children are participating in an event they wish to see, it stresses that sports are more important than church, he said. Another solution would be for parents to approach school boards and complain about the dilemma. However, McCleary said, it is unfortunate that school administrators do not already sympathize with the conflict and correct it on their own without having to be appraoched by the public.

Father Paul Gregoire of the St. Charles Parish on Central Avenus in Dover also believes that baseball and hockey games diminish Sunday serice attendance.

Gregiore said he is understanding about the issue, acknowledging that it is often difficult to schedule use of sporting facilities.

"Organizations need to work together to not schedule Sunday morning events." he maintained.

The clergy association letter states that communities need to work together as partners to provide children with myraid opportunites, both spiritual and physical.