# Who's watching the Joplin, Mo. memorial service? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690 "2011-05-29T19:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/1 "2011-05-29T19:40:07Z")
There’s a memorial service in Joplin right now. I’ve caught a little on TV. I was surprised how very very Christian it got, not only from a Methodist preacher, but from the state governor. Geez, does the word “non-sectarian” mean anything to y’all? ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/2 "2011-05-29T20:17:51Z")
Unbelievable. I live in St. Louis and none of the local stations are carrying it. I guess golf is more important.☹ ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/3 "2011-05-29T20:50:18Z")
I live in Springfield, and as far as I can tell in this corner of the state here “non-sectarian” means “a Baptist prayer AND an Assemblies of God prayer to make things even.” I suspect it’s on TV here. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/4 "2011-05-29T21:02:28Z")
I think they had a don’t-call-me-Baptist “independent Christian,” a Methodist of some variety, & a Roman Catholic. But I avoided the parts that were more church service & watched Obama’s speech, which was more the sort of thing I expect in this case: philosophically more or less Christian, but not in an in-your-face way. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/5 "2011-05-29T23:21:40Z")
I was in the Dallas airport waiting for my flight to St. Louis, and it was on some monitors. People were stopped around it, watching. I don’nothingnything about it - was it supposed to be non-sectarian? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/6 "2011-05-30T03:13:11Z")
[Apparently not.](http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=461257) > [@](#): > > Governor Jay Nixon says there will be a special memorial service on Sunday for the more than 100 people who lost their lives in last Sunday’s storm. > > Nixon said today the community “must come together and seek a higher power’s assistance.” I was raised devout, & on reflection I can understand Christians wanting a service with some religious meaning, but for a tragedy like this, when I heard, “memorial service,” I expected a bit less Jesus & a bit more restraint. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/7 "2011-05-30T06:07:05Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > I was in the Dallas airport waiting for my flight to St. Louis, and it was on some monitors. People were stopped around it, watching. I don’nothingnything about it - was it supposed to be non-sectarian? This should say " I don’t know anything about it." I don’t know why the iPad smooched it all together, and I never even noticed it!! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-watching-the-joplin-mo-memorial-service/583690/8 "2011-05-30T14:02:33Z")
You guys have obviously never been to Joplin. Be glad the service didn’t devolve into healing and speaking in tongues.