Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2000-10 > 0970956859


From: malinda jones <>
Subject: Re: Personal statement
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000 17:14:19 -0500
References: <LPBBJMLKEBGLACCIAAGJEEGCCLAA.edward.andrews@btinternet.com>


I always enjoy your learned posts Edward and invariably come away a wiser and
better informed person because of them. This post was no exception to that.

<sigh>....I'm so sorry that people have attacked and flamed you, obviously not
respecting either the Library time you were saving them or the level of thought
and study that have informed your views....and also not respecting the
Constitutional rights to freedom of speech that we Americans used to cherish
....not to mention, the obvious lack of manners.

It's a very sad day....my 3rd great grandfather was a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian
minister on the American frontier (in the 1700s that meant Alabama and
Tennessee) and he went around planting churches with a Bible in one hand and a
shotgun in the other....I suppose one can see why.

Thank you for your learned discourse,
malinda jones


Edward Andrews wrote:

> There have been a number of attacks on me both by way of flames to my home
> address, and disparaging remarks on the list (as well as a larger number or
> supportive remarks and one or two pleasant discussions).
> Unfortunately I feel that I have to reply publicly.
> There is an on going debate on the conduct of this list. The List Owner has
> the final say on the content of the list, and if you don't like her policy
> that is tough.
> There has been the claim that what you are getting is only one person's
> view. While that is partly true, for the benefit of those who do not know
> me, I am a graduate of the University of Dublin where my first degree was in
> History. I am also a graduate of the University of Edinburgh where I, to,
> use the American term, Majored in Scottish Church History. There is a
> certain amount of peer review of work on this list. We had an example when
> someone kindly clarified some of the comments which I made about the
> Covenanters. I would welcome more of this. Perhaps the people who criticise
> would like to display their knowledge of the topics. There is not as much
> peer review as there was, because in similar circumstances a number of the
> experts from this side of the Ocean left the list as they were not prepared
> to put up with the abuse they were receiving. I would claim that you are
> getting as unbiased information as it is possible to write.
> There has been an objection which claims that I preach. I was taught my
> Scottish Church History in the context of the Theological Faculty of one of
> the top dozen Universities in Britain. Candidates for the Church of Scotland
> are trained at ancient Scottish Universities, not at Seminaries. this means
> that we do not preach when we are writing history. Except for a few comments
> which I made in reply to Stu Ross, and a comment about Montrose, I don't
> think that I have expressed a personal religious view during this whole
> discussion. We are talking about history, the common heritage of all the
> various brands of Christianity which may have an interest in the list.
> There has been a comment that one could learn as much about the topic out
> of books. As much of what I write is checked in books before it is sent,
> that is obviously true. Perhaps the person who made the suggestion would
> suggest a number of affordable, available, and readable books on the topics
> which people could buy, or even get through their local library. The whole
> point of the contributions to the list is to provide a background against
> which people can conduct their researches. It needs to be fairly basic, for
> it does not touch everyone on the list directly. History will only be part
> of their research, and while I would like people to have whatever history
> book will help them understand the topic which they are researching, the
> very price of some of these books will discourage people from buying them.
> Unfortunately because of their nature books on Church History seem to go out
> of print faster than many others.
> I have no intention of stopping writing on this list - unless Linda kicks
> me off. I will however refrain from writing a reply to Cynthia Forde's
> interesting question at least for long enough to give other people a chance
> to reply.
> Edward Andrews
>
> St. Nicholas Buccleuch Parish Church Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland
> Visit our Web site http://www.btinternet.com/~stnicholas.buccleuch/index.htm

This thread: