Here & There …

First, the good news.

For those of you familiar with Karl of St Stephen’s Musings … here’s a

MUST READ,

posted by his sister-in-law, about the birth of a miracle baby. Glory to God for all things! Many years, Kristen, mom & dad!

In case you missed it, due to much controversy, I took it upon myself to uncover the true sexual orientation of Mr Sponge Bob Square Pants. It turns out that Mr Square Pants is, honest-to-goodness, a Hermo.

Kinda Good News: PBS has PULLED an episode (“Sugartime!”) of the cartoon “Postcards from Buster” which features a lesbian couple in Vermont.

THX: Classical Anglican

Speaking of sex — Gosh, is there nothing else? — Christianity Today has an article about these bad ol’ days vs them good ol’ days. Here’s a sample:

When, in Tom Wolfe’s most recent novel, I Am Charlotte Simmons, Charlotte’s mother asks her during Christmas break where students go on dates at Dupont University, Charlotte responds: “Nobody goes out on a date. The girls go out in groups and the boys go out in groups, and they hope they find somebody they like.” This is Charlotte Simmons’s description of “hooking up.” “Hooking up” has replaced traditional courtship and dating among today’s college students. “Hooking up” is dating sans courtship or expectations of a future relationship or commitment. It is strictly about user sex. I use you and you use me for mutual pleasure. And liquor is more often than not the lubricant that makes things go.

I confess, I read I Am Charlotte Simmons. While the subject matter is shocking — just reading the book, with all of its true to life colorful language, was in itself shocking. It do make one wanna keep yo babies home from da college.

But really. Is it all that bad? Better yet, What do you say at a naked party? Frederica answers.

Okay, sure, college has gotten a bit out of hand. What about high school? Have you heard about the latest Prom Dresses?

Maybe Papa was right:

In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI warned that the wide-spread use of contraception would lead to “conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality”; he also warned that man would lose respect for woman and “no longer [care] for her physical and psychological equilibrium”; rather, man would treat woman as a “mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion.” Why? By breaking the natural and divinely ordained connection between sex and procreation, women and especially men would focus on the hedonistic possibilities of sex and cease to see sex as something that was intrinsically linked to new life and the sacrament of marriage. [Touchstone, Vol.18, No.1, p.39]

But I thought all that stuff was due to heterosexism (scroll down).

Not everything is out in the open these days — out of the Closet, so to speak. HERE’s a story of a Closet Crosser.

Recently, I mentioned Rolling Stone’s rejection of an ad for yet another Bible translation. Rolling Stone has since reversed its decision.

World Blog comments on the reversal:

Considering the TNIV’s gender-inclusive language, Rolling Stone’s anti-Christian agenda may yet realize some fruit.

There’s also a couple new tidbits here:

1) A story on the sad state of Christianity in Bethlehem

2) Stats on what brings new folks to church

3) Curious facts regarding the Crusades