Ok, so I had never heard of this publication until a copy of it showed up in my inbox with the following announcement:
The People's Voice is proud to announce that it now has subscribers in Canada, Australia, England and USA. We are also thrilled to have the ability to take on-line subscribers through www.sacollectables.com, which has allowed us to make the publication more available round the world.
Other exciting news is that film maker Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, The Awful Truth) has agreed to write for the People's Voice on an ongoing basis. His views of social justice will add good weight to the world's only 'newspaper for the homeless' - as described in the AGE newspaper recently.
If you are not already a subscriber get onto it (it only costs the same as 4 coffees for a whole year's subscription).
-- --
Timothy McPherson
Territorial Director - Major Gifts
The Salvation Army Australia
Phone
Michael Moore offering his views on social justice is a good addition to an Army publication? Call me crazy, but I think Moore's politics would at least give pause in this circumstance if not rule out a collaboration with the Army. Maybe life is that different in Australia.
Unfortunately, you can't really read the whole edition of The People's Voice online anywhere, but a small taste is available. It's designed as a newspaper for the homeless, so I guess they are trying to make some money with it for ministry. Which is why they included an ad for Bernard's Magic Shop. (They couldn't sell any ads to anyone else?) Had to read this thing closely thinking it was a joke, but as far as I can tell, Tim McPherson and others think this is a good idea for 614 Melbourne to be putting out. I think I'm generally pretty open-minded about collaboration and think the Army should do more of it, but I don't think this is the kind of collaboration we need--Michael Moore and a Magic Shop.
12 comments:
Doing the Moore Good.
As an American living in the UK, I can confirm that Michael Moore is seen in a very different light over here. He’s seen as one of the few Americans who are willing to stand up and confront America. While he was booed at the Oscars a few years ago, he was celebrated and praised as a hero for having the guts to say the things he did in that speech.
I have only one problem with Michael Moore and that is that he tends to blend fiction in with the truth. I don’t know why he does that? The truth is bad enough on its own. He’s right, gun laws in the U.S. are ridiculous. But when he suggests things like “nobody in Canada locks their doors” he taints all of the truth that he displays and makes us doubt the validity of any of his statements. This is a shame because I think he has some really important things to say to us as Americans.
But (and you knew I’d go here), the church has been slipping opinions and “tales” into the scriptures for years, so I’m not quite ready to kill Michael Moore for doing the same thing.
Having said that, it is a strange combination and, you’re right, I can’t see the Army in American making the same choice.
Btw, I didn’t know that Clifton had signed an open letter condemning the war. Wonder if that one will come back to bite us in the butt? That’s a pretty big diversion from the stance on war and politics that the Army has taken in the past. Pretty dangerous territory.
Drew,
I got the same note from the folk down under yesterday. Tim is right. Michael Moore is as guilty as some of our right wingers who tend to stretch the truth.(WMD in Iraq?) We probably should just said we need to remove an evil man from power and been done with it.
Farenheit 911 was definitely a stretch and many of the assertions he made in it have been proven wrong. Many of the left wing people have said that Moore stretched the truth. To call F911 a documentary was a stretch of the truth as well.
The one thing Moore does is get us to think. His personality is obnoxious and I think he does fantasize. As Tim has rightly put it, many in the Church stretch truth as well, with often the same obnoxious personalities. I have even been guilty of that sin. That is why these forums are so important. We need to hold each other accountable.
All the more reason for us to correctly handle Scripture in context and live lives of grace and peace.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of the leadership of the Army world and their reaction to this.
Larry, you made reference to this and I guess so did Eddy?
I was thinking this but didn't really express it in the post that I would be just as surprised and disappointed if an Army publication chose a member of the radical right like Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh to write a regular column. I'm not saying this is a questionable choice strictly based on Moore's politics that swing left. I'm saying it's questionable based on the very strong nature of his politics period. Some in the Army would hail the day we brought Bill O'Reilly's column on board at The War Cry. I wouldn't be one in support of that either.
Drew,
I was going from the aspect that these left and right wingers stretch the truth. Not just that their politics are questionable.
I do get concerned when we hitch our wagons to stars. We get affliated with them and then when they fall, we fall, especially those who often use the medium of hate to get their message across.
seemingly we've hitched our wagon to a few stars over the years - including Donald Trump - hmm, Michael Moore may not be so bad.
Eddy,
Don't get me wrong, I'm a conservative in most respects, but did you really mean to say that "the right to own and bear arms" is a Christian belief? I think it's more an American belief than anything...
eddy,
contrary to popular belief God is not a republican. For that matter He is not a Democrat either. Yes, Rush does stretch the truth. He will even admit to it and has done so in some interviews. Christian values also include racial and gender equality. Wasn't Rush fired for a comment denigrating Donovan McNabb? Not sure that is a Christian value.
By the way, the republicans have controlled the White House, Senate and Executive Branch for 6 years. If they are with us on abortion, please explain why we have not seen any movement at all toward restricting abortion by them.
So what I am saying is this, extremists on both sides are not good for us.
hs, I am not for us hitching our wagons to stars, be they Trump, Paul Shafer, Dr. Phil, or Michael Moore. If they want to help fine. Let them help. I am not sure we hold them up as honorary spokesmen or as commentator on social ills.
The Australians would have been better suited to have Jim Wallis or John Perkins write for them.
Curtis,
Nobody's hijacking anything. I'm happy to have the debate going on. Don't necessarily feel the need to jump in every couple of comments, that's all.
I've been entertained and enlightened by the discussion.
Duck, Curtis. I think Eddy has a gun.
Eddy,
Sorry, didn't see the joke. I'm acused of that often.
Please don't shoot me -- I agree with you. Mostly.
:O)
Drew,
Thanks for the license -- you may regret it. ;O)
Thanks,
Curtis.
The person at the centre of this, Tim McPherson, of the salvation army, is an interesting topic all of his own. I assume you guys don't know him, or you wouldn't be missing the main point. Tim is an Australian, and a soldier. He has not only produced the only newspaper in the world for the homeless, but he also has founded a successful outreach program for the Aboriginal poor in Australia, but he was a part of the 614 movement in its early days and is constantly invited to speak on social justice around the world. We're talking here about a guy who motivated Mike Moore, Billy Graham's son, MC Hammer, Mr T and Germain Greer to come together under the name of the Salvation Army to all work toward the poor and Others (refference Booth). Do some research people and know the kind of person you're dealing with here. Also, there is a bit of footage on Youtube of him if you are unfamiliar.
Tim McPherson... where are they now file...
Post a Comment