Knoxville UU
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that it turns out the shooter's most recent ex-wife attended church at the Knoxville UU. This is a domestic violence issue, and even less surprisingly, no one is addressing it as such, in the media or within the UU. The other story, a madman bent on killing liberals, is more compelling, even if the truth -- a madman bent on killing his ex-wife -- should jar faith communities into thinking about how best to deal with domestic violence. If we made spaces that felt safe for survivors to come forward and seek support; if we took as strong a stance on violence within the home as UU's do on violence outside the home; if we stopped getting caught up in talk of redemption and saving grace for people who are unwilling to do the work of ridding themselves of violent actions towards their families.
If.
Once again, it's not some hulking madman from the shadows, a stranger nobody knows -- it's the hulking madman nobody really knows except his or her family, the family that knows them all too well. The enemy within, the enemy with a face and a name who makes potato salad for the annual barbecue -- I haven't yet found a faith community that knows how to address this issue.
If.
Once again, it's not some hulking madman from the shadows, a stranger nobody knows -- it's the hulking madman nobody really knows except his or her family, the family that knows them all too well. The enemy within, the enemy with a face and a name who makes potato salad for the annual barbecue -- I haven't yet found a faith community that knows how to address this issue.