Hislop welcomes all types to online neighborhood

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By Melissa Coulter | Friday, May 2, 2008 5:11 PM CDT | () comments

The Rev. Anne-Marie Hislop often sets the tone for comment streams on QCTimes.com. She’s up early, weighing in on letters, editorials and stories by 6 a.m. She directs her calm, thoughtful remarks at teachable moments and sets the bar high for respectful dialogue.

And she does it all on a dial-up connection.

“If your blog is the ‘virtual hood,’ then Rev. Hislop is unquestionably Mr. Rogers,” fellow commenter Art Heyderman wrote in an e-mail to me. “There are very few clergy that have an Internet ministry in the manner she apparently does. She neither preaches nor sermonizes, she informs and teaches in a gentle manner. Often, when I read her posts, I am proud to live in her community.”

When we had coffee a few weeks ago, Hislop was quick to point out that Fred Rogers was also a Presbyterian minister, though he’s best remembered as the cardigan-wearing PBS children’s show host who invited everyone to be his neighbor.

Hislop is pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian in Davenport, her first congregation. She’s an unconventional pastor — a liberal, single female in her 50s. Her passion for social justice was nurtured at the progressive McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

A frequent writer of letters to the editor, she never flinched at commenting under her real name.

“I have a longstanding sense of believing what I say and standing by it,” she said. “I’m also called to take some risks.”

But she was ambivalent about including her ordained title in her online moniker.

“It’s very tricky, especially being a clergyperson, because people have an idea of what you’re supposed to be,” Hislop said. “I’m not big on titles. But I think it’s important for religious people on the left to identify themselves.”

While she sometimes offers her interpretation of scripture in religious discussions, she attempts to live, rather than preach, the Gospel. You won’t find her evangelizing in the comment streams, just leading by example.

“I enjoy teaching,” she said. “I like it when I can teach and not just give an opinion.”

Recent discussions on race gave Hislop many opportunities to lead commenters away from stereotypes and toward a meaningful discussion. They’ve also tested her ability to counter injustice, inequality and prejudice with kindness and reason.

“Sometimes I get too angry, and I need to pull back,” she said. “I try to be calm and get in there a little zen-like.”

The ongoing controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright “has underscored that it’s important to listen to people who think really differently than we do,” Hislop said. “I think that’s growth-producing.”

By interacting respectfully with commenters of all persuasions, Hislop has certainly helped our commenting community grow.

Melissa Coulter writes on the comments posted online at qctimes.com. Contact her at (563) 383-2243 or at mcoulter@qctimes.com.

In her words

Here are excerpts of some of the Rev. Anne-Marie Hislop’s recent comments.

On race...

I bet that if you asked those hard working black folks who have earned their own way if they think the playing field is level, racially speaking, that they would tell you it was certainly not. White privilege is structured into our society — has been from the beginning. We deny it, get angry when it is said, but it is there.

Rev. Wright said that this country was run by rich white men — and he is right. That creates a set-up for people of color (and women) who have less voice, less power and less opportunity. This is not about blame, but is about the system the way that it is — a result of slavery, Jim Crow and good old bias. To me personal guilt is not the point, but recognizing what is is the first step in continuing to move forward.

On immigration...

Every country has to have some system for receiving and integrating newcomers. I, too, would love to have us receive everyone with open arms, but that is simply not feasible for any country.

Our immigration policies need serious revision because the system is a mess.

Different kinds of outreach to Central and South American countries might also help folks stay put with a better standard of living. Instead, we act like the 400-pound gorilla in the hemisphere — looking to our “own interests,” forgetting that the well-being of our neighbors is also our interest.

On the environment...

Whether there is “plenty” of oil or not, the world supply of resources is not limitless. We need to develop synthetic fuels for the future. There are some in process.

We also need to learn serious conservation — better public transportation, both local and long distance; better fuel economy in our vehicles; better efficiency in transport of products; building our communities to make walking and biking more feasible would help, not only with fuel, but with health.

To this point coal burning has been disastrous for the environment and lungs.