Matthew 18:15-17 presents a piece of advice from Jesus that seems wise and constructive: If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member... Read more
Here is an ugly story from New Jersey, via David Badash, “‘For Going Against God’s Will’ Catholic Hospital Denies Gay Man HIV Meds“: “Joao Simoes sued Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Union County Superior Court,” the Courthouse News Service reports. “He says that the hospital admitted him in August 2011, but that requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored, and his sister was denied visitation rights.” Susan V. Borga, M.D., from the Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, allegedly... Read more
2 Kings 22:11-20 When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us,... Read more
Kathy Escobar: “Power is not like pie“ It’s all about power. Patriarchy in the church, in the world, isn’t just about male-centered leadership in our church system. It’s about who’s got the power because in our human-brains-who-are-bent-on-making-it-all-make-sense, it must be clear. And making it clear means that we have to make it finite. We think of it like a limited resource. We think of it as being a certain size. We think of it like a pie, with only so... Read more
I did not know this about my state of Pennsylvania. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Article 1: Declaration of Rights Religion, Section 4. No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth. WTF? How is that not a religious test for public office? I’m guessing/hoping that this was originally... Read more
The other day I mentioned the “thrones” of the U.S. Catholic bishops. That was not a figure of speech. They have cathedra — big fancy chairs that serve as the thrones of bishops. What are these thrones for? Well, they’re only symbols, some might say. But all thrones are only symbols. They are symbols that the people who sit on them believe that they reign over others. The picture here to the right makes me feel fiercely Baptist. This is... Read more
Mets fans waited 50 years and more than 8,000 games to see this: Johan Santana pitches Mets’ first no-hitter: Santana threw the first no-hitter in franchise history Friday, pitching the Mets to an 8-0 win over the Cardinals before a crowd of 27,069. It just took 8,020 games to do it, but the Mets finally got that elusive no-hitter they had been longing for. … Santana had thrown 121 pitches heading into the ninth inning. Matt Holiday flew out to... Read more
Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist: pp. 4-7 For the past year and a half, Rayford Steele and Buck Williams have been working for the Antichrist. Unbeknownst to their diabolical boss, the two men are double agents. Their carefully guarded secret is that, while outwardly seeming to be nothing more than capable assistants to Nicolae Carpathia, they’re also members of the Tribulation Force — the underground resistance cell pledged to oppose him. So the whole time Rayford and Buck have been... Read more
This started as a footnote to today’s Left Behind post, which touches on the horrible way the heroes of those books treat poor Hattie Durham. The way Rayford and Buck treat Hattie reminds me a bit of the way David Wright and a pair of SportsCenter hosts treat the sad Wake Forest mascot in this ad: You’re probably familiar with this scenario. A bunch of co-workers plan on a fun night out at happy hour after work, but for whatever... Read more
What’s the use in half a story, half of a dream? “La Belle Dame Sans Regrets,” Sting “La Bomba,” Tonio K. “La Di Da,” Asher Roth “La Javanaise,” Madeleine Peyroux “La La La La Lemon,” Barenaked Ladies “La La Land,” The Go-Go’s “La Tortura,” Shakira “La Vie Boheme,” Rent cast “La Vie en Rose,” Madeleine Peyroux “Labour of Love,” Frente! “The Ladder,” Prince and The Revolution “Lady,” Regina Spektor “Lady Goodbye,” Daniel Amos “The Lady Is a Tramp,” Gerry Mulligan... Read more
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