Last night I heard and met an incredible speaker who is considered one of the greatest and most controversial Christian theologians in North America. Bishop John Spong spoke at Knox United Church, which was packed with people from many religious (and other) backgrounds. His theme was "The Christ Who Breaks the Boundaries of Prejudice". If you would like more information about him and some of the books that he has written, go to www.dioceseofnewark.org/jsspong. He was the Episcopalian (Anglican) Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, New Jersey for over 20 years before his retirement. Bishop Spong challenges the prejudices that he says have been perpetuated by conservative interpretations of Christianity, especially racism, sexism and homophobia. He was an incredible speaker--full of humor, passion and warmth. We gave him two standing ovations and several bursts of applause, including when he thanked Canada for opposing the war in Iraq (even though his youngest daughter is fighting in it with the U.S. army). Wonderful songs performed by the Bridge City Chorus (a gay and lesbian choir) and the St. Peter the Apostle Choir added to the amazing evening. David and I were very glad that we went!
Donald B. Campbell
Even though the TV show has been cancelled, you can check out my archived page on CBC's "ZeD" website: http://zed.cbc.ca/go?user_id=20849&c=contentPage (You'll have to copy and paste the URL.)


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