Dear Brother Fred,
I consider the word "monologue" a better description of our sermons and prayers. "Dialogue" on the other hand takes a minimum of two.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss of a loved one. I did not know.
Sincerely yours,
Simply Jim
***
Hi James,
Just wanted you to know that I received this email and also the copy in the mail. I have been slow in replying because of the sickness and death of a grandchild. You may have heard mention of that on your last visit to our church.
I am taking a class this semester that has started and takes up a good bit of time. I am going to need to get established in it a bit to see how my schedule will function before further consideration of a meeting with you. Looking at the conditions that others felt the need to put on subsequent talks and the description of a monologue rather than a dialogue does not exactly motivate me to think there is any real purpose to a meeting, so I am going to have to give more thought to it.
Thanks,
Fred
***
Dear Brother Fred,
"Hello. I'm Janet; B(?)b."
~(Little Old Lady Having Crossed, Alone, Over To My Side Of the Street First)~
I have already been told, by a member of your congregation, that a meeting with you was not necessary before me participating with some of Clairmont Hills Baptist Church bible study groups.
"My name is James Avery.
I'm a veterinarian who lives in this house.
Not only am I gay, I'm atheist as well."
~(Simply Jim)~
However, my life experience has taught me into letting others, most especially older people, approaching me first and listening to what they have to say; then we go from there.
"Oh we're not that kind of Christian!"
~(Janet Claire Segers Gary: Equally Head of Household with George R. Gary, Sr., MDiv, ThD./Mother to George R. Gary, Jr. MDiv. and Susan Gary Landry, MDiv.)~
I do try my best not to be two-faced.
"Janet.
Are you aware,
that before we can have an Antichrist,
we must first have a Christ? Well I'm an anti-Christ."
~(Simply Jim: Mature Methodist Crackhead)~
Yet, still, it does not always turn out well.
Subject:
|
Contact and Boundaries
|
From:
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ggary@emory.edu (ggary@emory.edu)
|
To:
|
jimedavery@att.net;
|
Cc:
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jgary@emory.edu;
|
Date:
|
Saturday, November 27, 2010 1:33 PM
|
Hello Jim Ed,
You must know that in the future, there will be clear boundaries for
making contact with Janet and me, especially Janet. This is not to
say there will be no further contacts with us, but it must be under a
number of conditions.
Janet wanted to add her word before we set the conditions together.
Here is her note to you:
Jim Ed,
I was more than a little disturbed by your visit on Wednesday. In the
spirit of neighborliness and the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I
opened our house to you, even though I felt s bit uncomfortable doing
so, especially in Bob?s absence.
We ironed out what you perceived to be a rejection on my part.
When you wanted to share the symbols that are meaningful to you, I was
interested, although having a hard time ?getting it? in the way you
told it to me. No input from me seemed to even get through to you, or
matter at all.
I was very disturbed when you talked of your depression, thinking
about getting your gun, and when you told me you are the ?Anti-Christ?
and a ?crack-head? I began to be somewhat afraid of you and wished I
had not opened my door to you.
When I told you I needed medications and even that didn?t stop your
monologue, I said it again and began to leave the room. At that point
you did thank me for listening and left, saying you would leave your
stuff so you could come back. You either didn?t hear me or didn?t pay
attention when I said, ?No, take them with you.?
Bob and I both feel we and our space were violated, and Bob has drawn
up some conditions under which we may all co-exist as neighbors. I
concur with what he has written below. Janet
The Conditions:
1. There can be no further non-negotiated visits on your part with
either or both of us.
2. We are not available to participte in your theological doctrines
which you presented to Janet for more than one hour and fifteen
minutes. You failed to leave our house until the second time Janet
indicated she needed a break for medicines. You may not know that
Janet has Parkinson's and extended stressful events activate her
symptoms. Furthermore, Janet needed to take her
medicines and tried to bring your theological discourse to a close,
but you continued. Furthermore, you left your basket of possessions in
our house in order that you would have assurance of returning to our
house. That is far too presumptuous for us.
3. You do not have permission to enter our property or phone our house
unless you can abide by these limits.
4. We do not listen to religious talk from anyone, let alone invite
them into our home. We do not do that with you. We share our faith
with people who ask questions of us and our religious convictions. You
had no questions for Janet, only pressing her to agree with your
doctrine.
G. Robert Gary, Sr. ThD
I'm simply wanting you meeting with me, first, so the two of us can discuss how best introducing me to your congregation up front. From this point forward, those members of your congregation willing to chance listening to someone maybe having a differing viewpoint, will be abled the opportunity, first, approaching me and introducing themselves. This will also give these other members of your congregation the opportunity, first, a chance being more in control of the topics discussed (talkative) after introducing themselves as well. By eliminating the awkwardness/embarrassment resulting from being caught off guard, really do think this would work out to be in the best interest of all; and not just me.
Subject: Re: Contact and Boundaries
From: James Avery (jimedavery@att.net)
To: ggary@emory.edu;
Date: Saturday, November 27, 2010 4:08 PM
I'm sorry for the pain I caused you. It was not my intention. I do not deny having personal problems. Was actually reaching out for some help.
Again, I apologize for barging into your home and upsetting Janet. I do not own a gun or plan to.
jim ed
''The physicists say that I am a mathematician, and the mathematicians say that I am a physicist,'' he said. ''I am a completely isolated man and though everybody knows me, there are very few people who really know me.''
Otherwise, I will continue to be polite and courteous in my attempts being the one, first, introducing himself to members of your congregation; attempting conversations (talkative).
"FAGGOT!"
~(Neighbor?Christian: Another Stranger Speeding Pass My Home)~
However it is my understanding that being polite does not mean others having to like all that they are about to hear. And If my opinions/conjectures are able being changed once exposed to the information(s) needed changing them, then there should be no wrong of me expecting the same from others.
"Opinion are more than collection of idle thoughts.
Spoken or unspoken,
they still have consequences.
They are windows to one's soul."
~(Simply Jim)~
And this cannot happen until enable the opportunity sharing them with others.
"Congeniality bias are PRO-LIFE my side choices."
~(Simply Jim)~
If there is anything I've done right these last few years since attempting by own drug addiction intervention, starting with the only friendly neighbor I thought I had at the time once living in the house directly across the street from me: That I have been completely honest and open with my thoughts and feelings.
"I hold you responsible for the behavior of your congregation."
~(Simply Jim)~
"BUT ALL METHODIST ARE NOT THE SAME!"
~(Rev. Josh Amerson: Associate Pastor Glenn Memorial UMC)~
"But they...DO...have a commonality."
~(Simply Jim)~
"YES...they have commonality!"
~(Rev. Josh Amerson)~
And I can think of only one reason why a pastor of any church would be unwilling meeting with me..?
"You."
~(Simply Jim)~
"(silence)"
~(Rev. Josh Amerson: Associate Pastor Dunwoody UMC)~
It's a double edge sword that is my creed...
"If you are going to continue insisting on believing in a God your way, then I'm having no choice but having to accept the rights of those halfway around the world from us believing in a God however way they are feeling it necessary for them needing to believe in a God; including seventy-two virgins waiting for nineteen dead pilots soon to be arriving."
~(Simply Jim)~
Truth be God; Universal one instead.
If still willing to meet with me, just need hearing from you a time a place that's good for you. My schedule is completely open.
Sincerely yours,
James E. Avery, D.V.M.
***
Included is an email sent to you that may have been redirected elsewhere?
***
Subject:
|
Requesting a Meeting With Rev. Fred Pitts
|
From:
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James Avery (jeaverydvm87@att.net)
|
To:
|
Fred@clairmonthills.org;
|
Date:
|
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 11:33 PM
|
Dear Rev. Pitts,
I'm the resident of nearby 1840 Mason Mill Road. I spoke briefly with you after worship service August 2nd about a possible meeting between the two of us.
I also place in the offering plate,a communication card filled out requesting this meeting with you as well as requesting a CD of that Sunday's sermon.
Have not heard from anyone.
If possible, would like this meeting taking place at my home; but anywhere having a computer with access to the Internet will work as I'm wanting the two of us watching together and discussing a short video I've uploaded to YouTube.
Sincerely yours,
James E. Avery, DVM
1840 Mason Mill Road
Decatur, GA 30033
(404)788-9263
JEAveryDVM87@att.net
***
***
Hi James,
I’m sorry it has taken me this much time to get back to you. I told you a couple of weeks ago a good bit of my hesitation for interacting with you has been in reading some of the emails that you have sent to other ministers. While I appreciate the fact that each time you have attended our worship service to this point, as far as I am aware, you have been friendly, kind, and polite to everyone—you certainly have been to me—I have felt a bit awkward receiving emails that were addressed to others. That is why I may not have received some emails from you—I started having those emails directed away from my in-box. They seemed very personal, and I considered them inappropriate for me to read. I also do not want to get into an email correspondence with you that I consider private that might end up being sent to others. Therefore I had planned to send a letter, but I have finally decided to go ahead and send this email.
In fact, I had a lengthier letter already prepared when I decided to check out your blog sites before sending. While some are mostly collections of quotes and pictures from others—I am a C. S. Lewis fan and saw several from him from the Pilgrim’s Regress—others seem to me to pretty clearly give a definition of your thinking about God and related ideas. You probably have an idea of my thinking, too, from your attendance at our church meetings, and if your blog profile accurately describes your current beliefs, we would likely not find many areas of theological agreement.
As I told you the other week, I am grateful that we live in a country where we have freedom of faith and that we can respect each another’s faith or non-faith, as the case may be, and live in peace. Respect does not mean agreement, of course, but disagreement in itself does not bother me. I am glad we both have the freedom to belief as we do.
Right now, my main question is why you want to meet with me, as you have requested. Frankly, I am trying to decide whether it is something I will agree to do. It seems that we both have pretty well-defined ideas of what we believe. Also, by background you are a Methodist and it seems that much of your dealings have been within the Methodist church. I am always glad to have opportunities to share my faith in Jesus with others and exchange ideas, but it seems you have had many meetings with other pastors over the years, and according to some of your emails, if I understand them correctly, they have not always continued on a pleasant and respectful basis. There is also the puzzling statement you made to me: you would like something in writing, “even if it is restraining order,” if I heard you correctly. Perusing some of your emails and blogs, I will have to admit that I wonder if you have had some of these filed against you and even whether such an order is something you welcome. I would hope such things wouldn’t ever be necessary, but your bringing it up does make me wonder. At any rate, I would want to know a bit more about your purpose in wanting to meet. I certainly will not get into any kind of situation that your emails seem to indicate you have had with other ministers. Nor will I meet just to hash over differences in beliefs.
Again, I do appreciate your politeness and respect on those occasions when you have visited our church, and were those occasions my only knowledge of you, I would have no hesitation in having a meeting. However, having the background I do through the emails you have copied to me and the blog links listed, I am not sure of the purpose and whether a meeting would be a productive use of our time. So, if you continue to want to meet, please let me know the purpose, and I will give thought to it.
Thanks,
Fred O. Pitts
Pastor, Clairmont Hills Baptist Church
***
Thank you for keeping me posted.
James E. Avery
***
Hi James,
I have been working on something to send you but am being called out of town abruptly until Saturday. Sorry for the delay, as it may be next week.
Thanks,
Fred O. Pitts
Clairmont Hills Baptist Church
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