A Chautauqua Story
David Kyle Foster on the Intolerance of “Open” Communities
What an exciting thing it was to be invited to speak at the venerable Chautauqua Institution. Founded in 1874 as the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, it touts itself in one promotional piece as “ecumenical in spirit and practice . . . [a place] where students share learning experiences in an open, congenial atmosphere . . . a community renowned as a center for the performing arts and a resource for the discussion of the important issues of our time . . . [and] a national forum for open discussions of public issues.”
In another piece, it claims to be “a community in which religious faith is perceived, interpreted and experienced as central to the understanding and expression of our social and cultural values, a community which is open to all and is distinctly founded upon and expressive of the convictions of the Christian traditions . . . [with] participation by persons of all ages and backgrounds.” I couldn’t wait to get there and share the good news that God loves the homosexual and wants to rescue any who will come to him from a life of physical, emotional, and spiritual devastation.
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