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[platocplx]

Some of the Article

On Monday, Lee announced he would be leaving his church — Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, N.C. In his statement, published on the website of the Auburn Theological Seminary, Lee wrote that while he did have congregants who supported his freedom of speech, many resented the attention the church received after the VMAs.

“A faction of church members were concerned about my speech and that I lifted up Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s March, and Heather Heyer as examples of racial justice work,” he wrote, adding that his “church’s reaction was deeply hurtful.” Lee wrote that he never sought the kind of attention that has followed him since the protests in Charlottesville last month, even while his visibility as a religious leader and staunch opponent of Confederate memorials garnered international recognition, a turn of events no doubt fueled by his namesake. (Technically, he’s an “indirect” rather than a “direct” descendant.)

Lee did not describe specific responses he received from congregants. But the comments section on an article about his VMA speech in the Winston-Salem Journal gives some sense of the backlash. One commenter wrote that there was “no way” Lee was a Christian and that “it seems anybody that wants to protect our country is a racist, or white supremacist. … It’s a sin to use your position to name-call and judge.”

Another commenter wrote that rather than appear on television, Lee should devote his time to ministering: “You have how many faithful members? Maybe if you spent more time around the church that number would increase.”

From his pulpit, Lee implored his parishioners to condemn the racism swirling around them, insisting they would be doing the church wrong if they remained silent.

“It’s not the message that we’re used to hearing from our pulpits. But maybe now is the time to start having those messages,” Lee said in the NPR interview

Original Speech:

“My name is Robert Lee IV, I’m a descendant of Robert E. Lee, the Civil War general whose statue was at the center of violence in Charlottesville,” he said. “We have made my ancestor an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate. As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin.

“Today, I call on all of us with privilege and power to answer God’s call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.

“We can find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the women who marched in the Women’s March in January, and, especially, Heather Heyer, who died fighting for her beliefs.”

4

Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/09/05/robert-e-lee-descendant-and-denouncer-quits-n-c-pastor-post-over-hurtful-reaction-to-vma-speech/?utm_term=.cd70b70ede9b

 

[ebullientprism]

White fragility is real as fuck. Poor guy.

 

[Fury451]

Yeah, saw this before. Awful.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Some people are scum, kudos to this guy for speaking out when it would have been easier for him to just stay in the background.

 

[jon bones]

"America's original sin"

powerful stuff

 

[rjinaz]

OMG that speech. The horror. I'm surprised the church wasn't casting stones!

 

[veryslowhand]

Wait, kicked out of the church for being a good person?

 

[Hubbl3]

Man, before reading the article I thought the guy held questionable views and his congregation pushed him out because of it, but I should've known better.

Sounds like he's a better dude than anyone else in that church, so good on him and fuck them.

 

[diaspora]

White fragility: ensuring no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Steeped in a Sea of Games]

I heard his interview on NPR. It was really inspiring. I applaud his efforts to try and fight against the tide, but the people he's trying to convince are, ironically, pretty much the most hateful, close minded of the bunch. I hope he doesn't stop speaking up for what is right.

 

[kmax]

Distancing himself from his anscestor and condemning racism in the strongest of terms is the only thing he could of done.

Kudos to this guy.

 

[I_D]

Unless I'm mis-reading, that sounds like a perfectly valid thing to say. 'Don't be racist, don't be silent when you see racism,' is a pretty damn good message to preach, considering the whole 'love thy neighbor' part of Christianity.


Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

 

[Dash_Riprock]

Wait, kicked out of the church for being a good person?

American Christianity in a nutshell...

 

[shintoki]

When people say you just need to talk to them.

You have the direct descendant of their idol, their own pastor basically saying it's wrong. Combining both God and their Southern "Pride" into one.

And what do they do? Kick him out. You're not going to get through to these people. They will be kicking and screaming the entire way through.

 

[EMT0]

Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

Ding ding ding

Those people are beyond help

 

[Cagey]

The "why don't you do your job instead of spending time (saying something I dislike)" criticism is so boring and cowardly. Just attack what he said like we know you are trying to do.

 

[Zolo]

Wait, kicked out of the church for being a good person?

Church drama is fairly common coming from someone in a rural area with a church pretty much everywhere. The good news about their being lots is that you can choose and change churches based on what actually aren't good.

 

[The Albatross]

Unless I'm mis-reading, that sounds like a perfectly valid thing to say. 'Don't be racist, don't be silent when you see racism,' is a pretty damn good message to preach, considering the whole 'love thy neighbor' part of Christianity.


Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

Yes, it's in the OP.

Well, he decided to step down amid a backlash from his statement condemning white nationalism.

 

[platocplx]

Unless I'm mis-reading, that sounds like a perfectly valid thing to say. 'Don't be racist, don't be silent when you see racism,' is a pretty damn good message to preach, considering the whole 'love thy neighbor' part of Christianity.


Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

apparently they were uncomfortable with his small statement about inspiration from "Black Lives Matter" you know how insane people get when they hear those words.

 

[Fury451]

Unless I'm mis-reading, that sounds like a perfectly valid thing to say. 'Don't be racist, don't be silent when you see racism,' is a pretty damn good message to preach, considering the whole 'love thy neighbor' part of Christianity.


Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

It is an absolutely valid thing to say, that displays true principles of Christianity in practice. Some people seem to dislike that it has put the church in a spotlight (no doubt a lot of hate-mail from white supremacists over his comments), while others seem to straight up dislike what he said in general, which may indicate the latter part of your question.

 

[Pandy]

Sounds like he's a better dude than anyone else in that church...

.

 

[Glix]

Thats religion for you, I guess.

Bunch of disgusting hypocrites.

 

[zer0das]

Wait, kicked out of the church for being a good person?

Just another day in America.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

So many folks going hard in the paint in defense of someone who should be remembered like a Benedict Arnold, at best.

Stupid fucking racists.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

SMH. Quality congregation they have there at Bethany United Church of Christ.

Always amazes me, the people that think they're going to heaven.

 

[Aaronrules380]

I'll be honest, this isn't what I expected going into the thread lol. Guy seems like a much better person than the church that kicked him out

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I would have said that kicking a pastor out of his church for speaking against racism is too on the nose to even be part of the plot of a movie set in the 60s. How is this even real.

 

[Slayven]

I'll be honest, this isn't what I expected going into the thread lol. Guy seems like a much better person than the church that kicked him out

the lee descendants are really really woke.

 

[Aaronrules380]

Also I find it disgusting that people think it's more important for priests to gather more "faithful" rather than to preach the actual values of the religion and guide people on the path to good deeds

 

[zeemumu]

Unless I'm mis-reading, that sounds like a perfectly valid thing to say. 'Don't be racist, don't be silent when you see racism,' is a pretty damn good message to preach, considering the whole 'love thy neighbor' part of Christianity.


Did he get booted out by racist church-goers, or what?

He got booted because the rest of his congregation didn't want to be associated with liking anything that Black Lives Matter does. I guess their racist friends would be mad and yell at them for backing what they see as a group of extremists, ironically.

 

[Tezzeractor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__n5Bgxx-68

Spoiler

It's Blazing Saddles.

 

[PSqueak]

Thats religion for you, I guess.

Bunch of disgusting hypocrites.

This sounds more of a USA thing than religion, i mean it was their goddamned pastor who was asking for decency and no bigotry and these "heritage not hate" types went like "nah, fuck you".

 

[SaviourMK2]

Ironic that the Lee family needed to and continue to suffer for the South's sins

 

[daveo42]

I would have said that kicking a pastor out of his church for speaking against racism is too one the nose to even be in a movie set in the 60s. How is this even real.

White people in the south are particularly blind to the racism surrounding the Confederacy. Or they are straight up racists hiding behind the ideals of freedom, history, and heritage.

 

[_Ryo_]

This is really fucked up. Someone within Church who actually strives to live morally and just, treated like dogshit because he wants to teach his own followers that being racist and a nazi is wrong. Jesus fucking Christ.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Lots of respect for this guy.

Also, note how the racists who forced him out were more bothered by his support of good groups like BLM than the actions of this man's ancestor that are constantly praised by racists.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

So many folks going hard in the paint in defense of someone who should be remembered like a Benedict Arnold, at best.

Stupid fucking racists.

The irony of this is that someone who should have the most reason to care about the depiction of their ancestor is one of the people coming out strongest against what said ancestor is so often used to represent. They have chosen not to be blinded by loyalty to their lineage, while the fucknuggets that were their congregation chose to disagree.

Bob's a good guy.

 

[Darryl M R]

When people say you just need to talk to them.

You have the direct descendant of their idol, their own pastor basically saying it's wrong. Combining both God and their Southern "Pride" into one.

And what do they do? Kick him out. You're not going to get through to these people. They will be kicking and screaming the entire way through.

100%

 

[Abstrusity]

"But if you preach love and tolerance and reason you'll get through to them!"

Nope.

The only way to do it is to drag them with you as you pave the way. By force if need be.

 

[Deepwater]

This is my hometown and I actually went to middle school with either his daughter or granddaughter. I haven't kept up with her since then but I looked her up on facebook but they definitely were not redneck-y and her upbringing did not suggest they were problematic

 

[Creaking]

Good man. It's a shame about his congregation.

 

[AlexFlame116]

Huge props to the guy. Completely shameful that he had to leave the church because people were "uncomfortable".

He was actually doing his job unlike that nuthead of a pastor that Trump has.

Hope he gets back up with no trouble.

 

[L Thammy]

"We are all sinners, and we must acknowledge that and repent."
*Cheers*
"Also, racism is one of those sins."
*Boos*

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Ironic that the Lee family needed to and continue to suffer for the South's sins

Children do suffer the sins of their fathers.

 

[LiK]

Plenty of other churches will accept him.

 

[Omegasquash]

When people say you just need to talk to them.

You have the direct descendant of their idol, their own pastor basically saying it's wrong. Combining both God and their Southern "Pride" into one.

And what do they do? Kick him out. You're not going to get through to these people. They will be kicking and screaming the entire way through.

I agree. Anyone that shuts down with the mere mention of something they're uncomfortable with, you won't get through with discussion. Even the ones that you could talk to a few years ago have their heels so god damn dug in that they won't.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Another commenter wrote that rather than appear on television, Lee should devote his time to ministering: “You have how many faithful members? Maybe if you spent more time around the church that number would increase.”

"Athletes should shut up and play"
"Actors should shut up and act"
"Preachers should shut up and preach"

"Why is the left constantly trying to trample on free speech?"

 

[Angelus Errare]

White people in the south are particularly blind to the racism surrounding the Confederacy. Or they are straight up racists hiding behind the ideals of freedom, history, and heritage.

The latter.

 

[Yazzees]

Snowflakes.

 

[L Thammy]

"Athletes should shut up and play"
"Actors should shut up and act"
"Preachers should shut up and preach"

"Why is the left constantly trying to trample on free speech?"

Funny thing here is that he was preaching, and pretty well too.

White people in the south are particularly blind to the racism surrounding the Confederacy. Or they are straight up racists hiding behind the ideals of freedom, history, and heritage.

Is it possible to really be blind to be the racism surrounding the Confederacy? Even saying that it's surrounding the Confederacy is misleading; it's what the Confederacy is. It's the sole reason for its existence. Most of its national flags were primarily white as a symbol of white supremacy, because that was their core value. You can sweep it under the rug with state rights and the fantasy of the old south, but I'd imagine that if you dwelled on that for even a moment you'd have to realize that slavery was at the core of those as well.