Another Reason Why I Hate Wikipedia

Wikipedia stinks for many and various reasons, although it does have its uses for those who realize its limitations.

So I am wondering about Moldova (don't ask why I am wondering about Moldova during Holy Week when I have a zillion other things to do, but I was) so I decide to check out the Wikipedia page for Moldova.

In pretty much anything that has anything to do with a foreign country, there is always some joker who goes through and changes everything to the foreign way of spelling it, and justifies it by saying it's the "right" way.

For example, Chişinău is the capital. The CIA World Factbook, as well as the website of the Moldovan Embassy in the United States and the official English-language Moldovan government website, spell it Chisinau. But some jerkface has to go through and add all the little marks all over.

Note to foreigners: the English Wikipedia should be in English. I don't go through the Moldovan wikipedia's five or six pages and change every American place name to the English spelling, do I?

Some Polish dude did the same thing to the Casimir Pulaski page. We have a stinking holiday named after him! He's an important dude in our history! That is how we spell it in English! Leave us alone!

No Votes For You

I have learned via instructions from the Southeastern District that congregations that share a pastor constitute a "parish" (quotes original) and thus only get 1 shared lay delegate.

This is ridiculous in many and various ways.

Congregations who are vacant get a lay delegate.

Congregations who, during their vacancy (including what are essentially permanent vacancies) are served by the pastor of another congregation, get a lay delegate.

For the last district convention, Nazareth and Christ both got a lay delegate, although only Christ had a called pastor. Now that Nazareth has a called pastor (whom they happen to share with Christ), they are essentially being disenfranchised.

So, because they chose to to call a pastor (which is what a group of Christians should do), because they chose not simply to let the interim pastor hold their hands while the congregation died, a member-congregation of The LCMS is denied a vote in the district convention.

When I complained, both the district secretary and the synodical secretary pointed out that this is, indeed, synodical understanding. It has been since at least the 1960's. I would like to know when they decided that a "parish" meant multiple congregations sharing a jointly called pastor. It certainly isn't how the word parish is in use in The Synod. I guess I am the only "parish" pastor I know (personally - I know they exist).

Note that this will particularly disenfranchise two groups in The Synod - the rural congregations and, increasily, urban congregations like the ones I serve.

The fairness or reasonability of this aside, it also does not reflect our polity or supposed understanding of the Church as centered in the local congregation. Basically, it makes me as the pastor what defines a congregation (sorry, "parish"), not the fact that these are two separate congregations, both members of The Synod for over a century now, with separate constitutions, etc.

I understand not giving me two pastoral votes because I have two congregations. Duh. I do not understand giving congregations that share a pastor a partial vote. It's like the 3/5ths compromise all over again.

I wish I had time to argue about this, but I am sure it won't do any good. In the current climate in The Synod, especially with the Great Synodical Restructuring Thing, they are actively seeking to disenfranchise small congregations anyway, so I doubt if I'd get much sympathy.

College Football Stinks.

Texas and Oklahoma have identical records. Texas beat Oklahoma. Oklahoma is playing in the Big 12 Championship game against Missouri, a team with a worse record whom Texas also beat.

For crying out loud, the BCS is horrible.

The NFL stinks

The end of the Steelers-Chargers game just tells you what a bunch of humorless, incompetent jerkfaces the NFL is.

The game was, for the most part, dreadful. They had a nice, fun ending that would have left fans with a positive view of what was otherwise a horrible ordeal. Instead,

1) they ruin it with an instant replay and

2) then they mess up the call.

And don't get me started on holding.

Avoiding offending people at all costs.

From an article about getting rid of Latin phrases in local governments in England:

Linguistic controversies are nothing new in Britain, cradle of the English language, where people have strong opinions on what constitutes proper usage. In recent years officials have moved to avoid language that gives offense to ethnic minorities, disabled people and other groups.
Predictably, some feel the drive has gone too far. Many were bemused earlier this year when it was reported that a town council had banned the word "brainstorm" because it might offend people with epilepsy, a condition that involves periodic electrical storms inside the brain. Tunbridge Wells council advised using "thought showers" instead.

"Thought showers."

Sweet mother of pearl.

LCMS.

I am displeased with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.