Top Ten Stupid Questions
I have spent quite a bit of time talking to the press this week and have been amazed at some of the questions I have been asked. Let me say upfront that all the editors and reporters I have had conversations with have been extremely courteous and their reporting has been fair and balanced. The crazy questions came from ill-informed and downright malicious comments from people with their own agenda who want to stop us building. In Letterman style, here are my Top Ten Stupid Questions ...
10. WAS GRACE CHURCH OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION?
Only if you count someone pointing out that the Brookhaven Multiplex is up for sale as the same thing as being offered another place. That's just passing on information we knew already. Now if that person offered us the $20,000,000 to secure the purchase, that would meet my definition of being offered an alternative location.
9. ISN'T THE BUILDING TOO BIG FOR THAT LAND
Nope! In Brookhaven you can build on 15% of your property and we're only planning to build on 11.3%.
8. IS IT CORRECT THAT YOUR CONGREGATION COMES FROM PLACES LIKE QUEENS?
Nope! 90% of our folks are from Brookhaven and the others live a few miles either side.
7. WHY ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A DRUG RHAB CENTER IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA?
We're not. Never had one, haven't got one, don't plan to have one. Just another story being circulated by nasty-minded people to prey on the fears of the uninformed.
6. DIDN'T YOU AND ANOTHER PASTOR START A CHURCH ON RTE 112 & HORSEBLOCK ROAD THAT RAN OUT OF MONEY?
I guess that's a reference to the church being built by my good friend Anthony Pellela. He's my buddy, but it's not a joint-venture. They did have a glitch in the building process, but I'm happy to say it's back on track and will be opening in a couple of months.
5. IS YOUR CHURCH GOING TO RUN A FOOD PANTRY?
That's a dumb question because someone meant it to be accusatory - as if we should hide the fact or be ashamed that we are helping struggling local families as is every church worth its salt. So the answer is ... yes we are! And with no apologies.
4. DIDN'T YOU WORK WITH A HOMELESS ORGANIZATION
Yep, I volunteered a lot of hours a week for seven years with a ministry that helps the homeless in Manhattan. Loved it, glad I did it. What's the problem?
3. IS IT TRUE YOU PASTORED A CHURCH IN SCOTLAND THAT FAILED AND SO CAME HERE?
Nope! The person looking for ammunition on my blogs should at least quote them correctly - here's last week's statement again for the clandestine critic who likes to twist the truth ... When we moved over here in 1991 the church I had planted there went along quite well for a while, but then it faltered. When I left it was doing well - I thought I stated that clearly enough.
2. WON'T YOUR CHURCH CREATE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS?
No it won't. Professional independent engineers have done a report which has been approved by Traffic Safety and the Planning Department that says we will have negligible to no impact on trafffic in the area. Can't we lay that objection to rest. It has been answered a hundred times.
1. DO YOU EXPECT TO WIN?
Of course I do. The Constitution is on our side. The law is on our side and best of all God is on our side. If you really want to take on that combination, you obviously relish exercises in futility.
10. WAS GRACE CHURCH OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION?
Only if you count someone pointing out that the Brookhaven Multiplex is up for sale as the same thing as being offered another place. That's just passing on information we knew already. Now if that person offered us the $20,000,000 to secure the purchase, that would meet my definition of being offered an alternative location.
9. ISN'T THE BUILDING TOO BIG FOR THAT LAND
Nope! In Brookhaven you can build on 15% of your property and we're only planning to build on 11.3%.
8. IS IT CORRECT THAT YOUR CONGREGATION COMES FROM PLACES LIKE QUEENS?
Nope! 90% of our folks are from Brookhaven and the others live a few miles either side.
7. WHY ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A DRUG RHAB CENTER IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA?
We're not. Never had one, haven't got one, don't plan to have one. Just another story being circulated by nasty-minded people to prey on the fears of the uninformed.
6. DIDN'T YOU AND ANOTHER PASTOR START A CHURCH ON RTE 112 & HORSEBLOCK ROAD THAT RAN OUT OF MONEY?
I guess that's a reference to the church being built by my good friend Anthony Pellela. He's my buddy, but it's not a joint-venture. They did have a glitch in the building process, but I'm happy to say it's back on track and will be opening in a couple of months.
5. IS YOUR CHURCH GOING TO RUN A FOOD PANTRY?
That's a dumb question because someone meant it to be accusatory - as if we should hide the fact or be ashamed that we are helping struggling local families as is every church worth its salt. So the answer is ... yes we are! And with no apologies.
4. DIDN'T YOU WORK WITH A HOMELESS ORGANIZATION
Yep, I volunteered a lot of hours a week for seven years with a ministry that helps the homeless in Manhattan. Loved it, glad I did it. What's the problem?
3. IS IT TRUE YOU PASTORED A CHURCH IN SCOTLAND THAT FAILED AND SO CAME HERE?
Nope! The person looking for ammunition on my blogs should at least quote them correctly - here's last week's statement again for the clandestine critic who likes to twist the truth ... When we moved over here in 1991 the church I had planted there went along quite well for a while, but then it faltered. When I left it was doing well - I thought I stated that clearly enough.
2. WON'T YOUR CHURCH CREATE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS?
No it won't. Professional independent engineers have done a report which has been approved by Traffic Safety and the Planning Department that says we will have negligible to no impact on trafffic in the area. Can't we lay that objection to rest. It has been answered a hundred times.
1. DO YOU EXPECT TO WIN?
Of course I do. The Constitution is on our side. The law is on our side and best of all God is on our side. If you really want to take on that combination, you obviously relish exercises in futility.
posted by Roger Blackmore | 8:18 PM
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