Injustice for All: More on the Brewer SSG Saga

For openers, here are a few items that Americans generally respect. It’s interesting to remember that the men who hammered out the first two documents considered themselves to be Englishmen. Interesting, too, that when you look at the third item, you can see that we’re still trying to hammer things out:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; – First Amendment, United States Constitution

. . . no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. – Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

Employees cannot be forced to participate — or not participate — in a religious activity as a condition of employment. – Website, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

From Phil Groom’s blog, SPCK/SSG: News, Notes & Info we have a few recent comments. These refer to a management meeting which took place in 2007. I’ve edited these to remove references to meeting events and activities that aren’t germane to this particular post. If you want to read them in full, follow the link to Phil’s blog. The comments:

Victim?Ǭ† // September 29, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Ah, yes, the Swanwick conference! As it was at a time of an Apostolic Fast in the Orthodox Church, Phil Brewer had to be off meat etc, so all the shop managers also had to go veggie for three days – no choice, it was decreed.?Ǭ† . . . An Orthodox theologian was present to tell the Managers about St Stephen the Great, then was asked by Phil to also give theological lectures which insulted the intelligence of the gathered assembly, some of whom were clergy, and insulted their denominations and belief.

Mole Island?Ǭ† // September 29, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Which conference was it at Swanwick? And can anyone remember which ?¢‚Ǩ?ìOrthodox Theologian?¢‚Ǩ¬ù addressed the gathering?

Incidentally, Mr. Brewer has no business requiring non-Orthodox people to observe Orthodox Church fasts. These are voluntary even for the Orthodox – who are invited to fast but not ?¢‚Ǩ?ìcompelled?¢‚Ǩ¬ù to.

Pax Vobiscum?Ǭ† // September 29, 2008 at 7:09 pm
The Swanick SPCK Managers conference – a swan song for the managers. June 2007, the last time most of them were able to get together. After several years of this annual conference where normally much work was done, managers were able to give each other much encouragement and many pints of amber nectar were downed, this was a very different affair. No relax from the fear. Paltry food and even worse dinner time conversation. A lay ?¢‚ǨÀútheologian?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ with extreme views and no concept of the word ?¢‚ǨÀúdialogue?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢.

In reading through these comments, it seems that attendees at this meeting were required to fast in observation of requirements of a religion not their own. And they were required to listen to theological lectures by a person who demeaned their various religious beliefs.

If you happen to be an American, just sit back for a moment and imagine the last corporate workshop, management or staff retreat, or even staff meeting you attended.?Ǭ† (We’re going to assume you’re employed in a business enterprise as opposed to a religious organization . . .) Now imagine something like the above happening.

Apparently it’s OK for the Brewers to go to a far country and completely forget about–totally ignore–precepts we live by (and that many have died for) in our own country. When you look at these blog comments and combine them with the proliferation of Brewer-originated “Cease-and-Desist” notices, it looks as though three of our bedrock principles of liberty–freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press–are simply being ignored. Or worse, trampled underfoot.?Ǭ† Apparently, in their zeal, they haven’t just flown in the face of U.S. bankruptcy laws. They also don’t have much regard for the Constitution or for the civil rights of the individual. If they did, they’d observe those laws as a matter of principle with every human being in every part of the world–not just here where the consequences of being caught can be unpleasant.

Tags: Brewer Brothers, SPCK, SSG