Editor:
I am so sick of this town trying to be turned into Arcata or San Francisco. We are a Christian-based farming town, with traditional family values. That is what attracts people here. We are not a place to turn into a freak show by those that think this ridiculous woke movement is OK and acceptable. There is a reason there are so many churches in a 1-square mile town.
How about giving some support to the one person in town who has the guts to stand up for moral behavior and not just turn the other cheek when immoral behavior is trying to take over. I know the majority in this town is in agreement with Pastor Bramwell but are too scared to speak up, for fear of retaliation from the other side (“LGBTQ+ Event at Old Steeple Canceled over Safety Concerns,” Jan. 12). Well, guess what? Despite all the threats and bad words thrown at him, Pastor Bramwell is still standing on God’s word and values. He is standing up for you Ferndale, and your moral family values. Why not try standing with him. If you don’t, we will end up exactly like the town we so desperately don’t want to be.
Christina Chapman, Ferndale
This article appears in Anatomy of an Embezzlement.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 2:10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Yes, I believe most are good Christians, and know better than to be swayed by prejudice and hatred.
Wasn’t this town founded by good Portuguese Catholics? I’m tired of all these varied flavours of Protestants and their “pastors”! You know they let them marry? It’s ungodly 😉
You know what I’m tired of? Ignorant, loud mouthed “Christians” who wouldn’t know Jesus if he slapped them in the face claiming that they’re standing up for “moral” behavior or “family values.” I was raised in a church with your so-called “family values.” I was abused, assaulted, manipulated, lied to, gaslit, traumatized, and beat down so hard that at almost 40 years old I am still trying to recover.
You’re not promoting “family values” because if you were, you would love your children unconditionally, you would know the Bible well enough to know that it does NOT condemn homosexuality, you would do whatever it takes to ensure your children’s safety. Which, I can tell you from experience, has NOTHING to do with drag shows but has EVERYTHING to do with the people you leave your children with in Sunday School, and at youth night!
I’ll believe you care about your children when you start doing something about school shootings, taking your children seriously when they tell you about sexual assault, when you stop throwing them out when they tell you they’re gay or trans or queer, or even remotely love them as much as you claim Jesus tells you to.
Until then, you should try and work on being honest with yourself and just call this what it is. Homophobia and transphobia. You hate queer people and that’s the truth. And I doubt you even know why. You probably just accepted it from this pompous pastor without even thinking for yourself.
Because I guarantee you, if this pastors congregation actually started thinking for themselves, he wouldn’t have a congregation at all!
When we relocated to Humboldt a year and a half ago, we fell in love with the quaint town of Ferndale. However, so many Humboldt friends warned us away from buying a home in Ferndale and referred to it as “Ferntucky” because of the rampant racism and homophobia said to be prevalent among the townsfolk. Now I see it first hand. How sad that there is such ugliness living among such loveliness. If this hate you’re spewing is what you call traditional family values, I’m glad we purchased our home elsewhere in Humboldt. I’d rather live in an area where we support and embrace one another’s differences.