The cardinal… is a thief. l delivered two portraits of his mindless nephew more than three months ago to be depicted in the heroic mode of an Hercules or an Achilles– so specified our contract. l complied… making that young fool of a nephew look far more heroic than nature ever intended– an act on […]
Tag: Bible
A Sort of Love I Don’t Understand
Christianity taught me a lot of things; but I’m not certain how to love was one of them. As I was growing up when True Love Waits and I Kissed Dating Goodbye were all the rage, a great many sermons outlined what my Biblically-informed family-oriented life ought to look like so that when it was […]
Vulnerable
I’ve had to learn to never really speak my mind in Christianity. I’m not supposed to have an opinion or thought of my own that differs from my superiors or their preferred and accepted interpretation, it seems. So I tend to speak my mind a little too much online. I don’t like it when it […]
Chains and Slavery
In an article on “Marital Authority” in Le Correspondant, Mme. COLETTE YVER tells us that — Feminine obedience and masculine authority, belonging to the very nature of men and women, imposed themselves, despite of everything, on the human pair. Civilization and politeness have weakened them in practice, without altering their mutual reactions. In vain will […]
That Poor Dog
There’s nothing like a heartfelt, charming sermon illustration to drive home a Christian point. Jesus knew this when he spoke in parables, talking about farming to farmers and fishing to fishermen; so many pastors have followed his example by talking about things we can all relate to: A pastor once told his congregation, “I learned […]
Different Spaces
Perhaps one of the more telling flaws in Christian social structures is the increasing separation between men and women. The other day I was eavesdropping in a conversation two young men were having. As it turns out, one of them was expecting and baby. One man asked if they knew whether or not it was […]
Of machismo, marianismo, and complementarianism
I happened across The Gospel Coalition’s Spanish-language version of their ministry and was suddenly struck by a note of worry. You see, America’s egalitarian values limit the church’s impact. But not all countries have the benefit of our particular point of view. Other cultures have other beliefs by other sources. In Spanish-speaking countries, there’s already […]
We Remember: A Ceremony to Lament and Honor Women
Originally posted on It Is Trish:
One of my least favorite things about the Bible are stories where women are neglected, abused, raped, and chopped into twelve pieces. Worse than the stories themselves is the way in which God is silent about these stories. When Abraham sacrificed his son, God saved the day by providing…
Ruling Structure
The Greek word hierarchia, “rule of a high priest” from hierarkhes, “leader of sacred rites”, has evolved into the concept we now know as a hierarchy – an arrangement of pretty much anything in which the items are represented as being “above”, “below”, or “at the same level” as another item. Long before the word […]
Neglecting Widows
“How have you been, Mary?” Sarah asked, catching up with an old friend that she hadn’t seen in quite awhile. “Oh, I’m alright. Just doing some shopping. It seems that’s all I ever do, go shopping and stay home these days – since Jack died, nothing’s been the same.” Mary answered. “I lost my Edward […]
Be Persuaded 