What would you think if....

LDNanna - this sounds almost like what the original people from my Deaf church had happen to them. It wasn't so much a comment from the Pastor as much as it was the whole congregation just making the deaf people feel uncomfortable. Then, the church transferred out the Deaf Pastor, so the other people just started their own church. We meet in the local Deaf Club's clubhouse and attendance averages anywhere from 8-40 people and this month, they are one year old. I have been going now since the middle of June and have yet to miss a service.
 
LDNanna said:
...I am much too shocked to think. Please would you give me your off - the - cuff opinion on this?

All members are welcomed to give opionions, regardless of hearing status. Mind you, this is the only deaf service in our town though.
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Like you, I'm shocked. That's an ignorant and insensitive thing to say to your group. :mad:
 
Your pastor would love me.
I have a 666 tattoo somewhere...
I'll be more than happy to show him the devil in the flesh for what he said to you. :nana:

I'm Deaf.
You don't mess with the Deaf horned one.

humor aside I'd leave the church and find one that is more accepting of your Deafness.
God will not fault you for it.
 
@ Kristina - maybe I should move out there!

@ Reba - I was hoping to get your feedback. Where we sit, we are by the musical instruments. Our HOH terp has a bit of trouble understanding everything over there. She signs " quizzical face - something" many times in the service. We cannot see the preacher and the terp at the same time. To us, our terp is the preacher. You know what I mean, right?

Seriously, how can I take his sermon at word now? I am personally tired of educating sometimes. Also I am anxious to see what our deaf group meeting comes up with on this. People do drive in to meet here once a month from all over this area and visit from many others. We are hoping for a full group from about 30 to 60 people as this is a wide area with a low deaf population, but that would be a good turn-out for us.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I would had reported the preacher to his Superiors! That is outrageous and he should not be allowed to preach until he made a public apology to you in church!
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I agree 110%. Remember the bracelet WWJD?
he wouldn't do this to a Deaf person.
I wore one myself when I was in church years ago and lived by it.
Shame on him.
 
LDNanna said:
@ Kristina - maybe I should move out there!

@ Reba - I was hoping to get your feedback. Where we sit, we are by the musical instruments. Our HOH terp has a bit of trouble understanding everything over there. She signs " quizzical face - something" many times in the service. We cannot see the preacher and the terp at the same time. To us, our terp is the preacher. You know what I mean, right?

Seriously, how can I take his sermon at word now? I am personally tired of educating some hearing populace.
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You shouldn't.
You and the rest of the Deaf church goers should sit with the rest of the audience. Sitting in a "special" section is singling you out and is wrong.
 
One thing I really like about my Deaf church. The church took up a collection for a laptop and projector for the services. Now, all sermons/lessons and announcements are put into a Power Point presentation. Anyone can take notes and the person doing the lesson will also sign additional info regarding the lesson. Pictures will be inserted and everything. We are very informal. If someone has a question or comment, we will break and take care of it. Also, they don't end the service until everyone understands what we learned. That's why today's service actually ended up being 2 different lessons. One person didn't totally understand and so they pulled up the 2nd lesson and after that, she got it.
 
@ deafbajagal - see post # 19

I intend to meet with our church deaf core members and the deaf group that meets at our church on October the 8th.

Not only is the church our only deaf church but also the deaf meeting place for our area. Sigh.
 
Wow ... it took me some time to absorb the idea that your preacher -or any one- would think this way. If there was another church available that fit your needs, I would go there. However, you said there are no other services for the deaf in your town so ... I would set up a meeting between the preacher and the deaf congregation (with a trusted interpreter) to let him know how you feel about what he had to say and to give him a chance to respond in full. I would also acknowledge that some people can be distracted by an interpreter (natural curiousity to watch) but point out that hearies can watch an intepreter and listen to a preacher at the same time - they are pretty smart like that ;-). If he thinks his congregation cannot listen and watch at the same time then maybe he should hand out blindfolds to the hearies before they enter church :p. I think everyone needs to say a prayer for this preacher to help him open his mind!
 
hope you let us know what happens with the meeting!

in response to your query as to "different race, spoken language..." etc - no, I don't think it would be acceptable in MOST places in U.S., to have separate seating. I think that preacher is VERY VERY ignorant to put it mildly-
 
LDNanna said:
"the devil was using sign language as a way to distract the rest of the congregation from the sermon". (the hearing were watching the terp)
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That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I wonder if they tried to burn the interpreter at the stake? :bowlol:
 
There ALWAYS someone just don't think everywhere you go.

I hope it all sorted soon. Good luck!
 
Leave it and don't go back. You don't need that bullshit. How can you accept anything the pastor preaches as truthful and correct if that is how he (and probably many people in the congregation) feels.

BTW, Hell and "the Devil" are inventions of monks in the middle ages trying to figure out a way to scare up membership in declining church attendance levels.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Leave it and don't go back. You don't need that bullshit. How can you accept anything the pastor preaches as truthful and correct if that is how he (and probably many people in the congregation) feels.

BTW, Hell and "the Devil" are inventions of monks in the middle ages trying to figure out a way to scare up membership in declining church attendance levels.
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You got something to prove that? If not,, then you should say "In my opinion."
 
That's just wrong. I can understand grouping people to see the interpreter, but moving you all to a different section in order to "save the Hearing from the Devil's influence" is just messed up. In all honesty, a meeting with the preacher'd be my first move. If he continues to discriminate, or gets worse, see what you guys can do about starting up a new church. Try to find someone who's more accepting of interpreters and deafness, who knows the culture, or, better yet, find a deaf preacher. I know that in reality it'll be difficult, but it's better than a preacher who's full of it.
 
Secretblend said:
You got something to prove that? If not,, then you should say "In my opinion."
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I sure do. And it's not my opinion; It's fact. In the Greek codeces Sinaiticus (which I've seen in the British Library, btw. Lovely looking artifact) and Vaticanus, from which all modern Bibles are descended, there is not a single mention of the typical "Hell" that is described by American protestant churches. What you are imagining as some fire and brimstone place is just some semantic bungling on the part of monks, scribes, and that pesky group of scholars that pulled off the biggest fraud known to the Western World (The King James Version).

The Straight Dope: Who invented Hell?

I should mention that this only talks about Hell. I'll get back to you on the other half about the Devil in a little bit, but first I'm going to have a beer.
 
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