Mamassage

while I have you all riled up

It was almost five years ago that I received a forwarded email from my father in law asking me to save the murdered unborn - or something of that nature. Now, I had only been dating Chris for about six months at that time, and worried about how to respond to this email without alienating myself from this man for whom I’d already developed much love and respect. 

After a moment, I sent off a reply stating simply, “I am pro-choice.” To which I received a prompt reaction. “Is this an April fool’s joke?”

“No,” I answered, “it is not. Your son and I have agreed to disagree regarding this. I hope that you can respect that, and do the same.”

I got no response to this email. Nor did he ever bring it up again. I don’t know what he thought of our brief interaction. I never will, as he passed away in 2003. But he often told me that he thought I was an intelligent woman, and that he was glad his son had married me.

Over the years, I've  thought a lot about that short communication.

I know that most of Chris’ family shares his father’s political and religious views. And I know that they have at least some understanding of mine. But it is rarely brought up. And for the most part, I like it that way. I don’t have to feel too uncomfortable in my role as insurgent newbie relative. I think the feeling of ease is mostly reciprocated.

But sometimes, when I meet new people, it comes across that I am both pro-choice - and - very supportive of organ donation.  I often see the veiled look of questioning behind their eyes. And I’m glad that they don’t always ask me how this can be.

Why am I relieved? Not because I am unsure of my convictions. But rather, because, we live in such a climate of fear based politics, that when questioned, I clam up, get sweaty, and my mind fills with a grey, fuzzy, panic.

But I found someone who doesn’t share my lip-tripping political stammer. Molly is absolutely fantastic at cutting straight to the heart of an issue. And yesterday she wrote a piece entitled “Which is it?” that truly resonated with me. It addressed clearly and succinctly not only the differences between the politics of The Death Penalty, Abortion, and Organ Procurement, but how someone can logically have very disparate views of each.

I completely agree with her point – which, simply paraphrased, is that it is all about individual responsibility and the rights of a person over their person. Whether you agree or not, her blog is definitely worth taking a look at. I know that I’ll be back.

 

For what it’s worth, I found Molly through Bitch Ph.D.
She is also a great read, and highly recommended.

great name, too

For a while now, I have written sporadically about my thoughts regarding the teaching of Intelligent Design (ID)/creationism in the classroom. As I’ve stated before, I feel that ID is the result of a religious belief system and not scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is my opinion that its teaching belongs (if anywhere) in the social studies classroom – not the science lab.

Today; however, I found an interesting article about the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. He has also “stepped into the controversy between religious fundamentalists and scientists by saying that he does not believe that creationism - the Bible-based account of the origins of the world - should be taught in schools.”

Of course his reasons for this are quite different than mine. From what I’ve gathered his worry stems more from the concern of diminishing biblical beliefs by reducing them to the category of theory.

"I think creationism is ... a kind of category mistake, as if the Bible were a theory like other theories ... if creationism is presented as a stark alternative theory alongside other theories I think there's just been a jarring of categories ... My worry is creationism can end up reducing the doctrine of creation rather than enhancing it," he said

I am always intrigued by the realization that people who appear to be polar opposites can in fact come, via very diverse routes, to the same conclusion. More information about Rowan Williams can be found here.

...*~..~*...

As long as you do not personally attack me, I’d love to hear your views on ID in the schools.

Éireann go Brách

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.   

The fact that he wasn't Irish and wasn't named Patrick didn't seem to thwart this in the slightest... According to the Catholics, Patty's real name was Maewyn Succat. "Patrick" was the Roman Catholic name he adopted later in life. He was born at Kilpatrick, near  Dumbarton, Scotland, in the year 387. The name changed when he was in his twenties. According to church records, Maewyn died in Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17th, 493.  He would have been 106.

When he was sixteen, Maewyn was captured by pirates and then sold as a slave to a chieftain named Milchu in  Dalriada, Ireland. For the next six years, he tended sheep in the valley of the Braid where Maewyn began hearing voices.

Understandably, these voices told him that this whole slavery gig wasn't really all that great, and that he should escape back to England. For some reason, Patrick interpreted these voices as "angels" instead of "common sense." Either way, he ran away from his master, persuaded the captain of a boat into permitting him passage back to England, and finally returned home at the age of twenty-two. Since he credited God and angels for his release, he became focused upon being holy and pure in order to thank the powers that be for his freedom.

As Patty had such a predilection toward the idea of conquering, ahem, saving the souls of Ireland, Pope St. Celestine I gave Patrick a mission to "gather the Irish race into the one fold of Christ." (i.e., convert who you can and kill the rest). In 433 Patrick landed at Wicklow Head in Ireland to begin his conquest of the evil, loathsome, heathenous Druids that were living blissful, jovial lives unaware that they were, in fact, wretched and miserable without Christ.

Over the years, Patrick went about raising the dead, healing the sick, and doing all your run of the mill "saint" stuff. In return for all this astounding work, God promised Patrick that he could be judge of all of Ireland--instead of Christ--when the Apocalypse came. As a special favor to Patrick, God also agreed to send a massive tidal wave to demolish all of Ireland and kill every Irishman so they wouldn't be tempted to join the Antichrist in the End Times. Now isn’t that sweet?  I guess we should all drink up while we still can.

Evidently, Patrick went up on a mountain and prayed for forty days. (Why is it always forty days?) It is said that his prayers were so powerful that they drove all the snakes out of Ireland. The difficult part of this tale is not in ascertaining whether or not it is true, but in figuring out who in their right minds would believe it.

Ireland is an island.

Like all islands its biosphere is unique.  Australia (another island) is famous for its peculiar and inimitable flora and fauna. The same is true of Ireland.  A reptile expert will tell you that snakes and other reptiles would not flourish in the cold, damp weather of Ireland even if they did make it there from the mainland. Furthermore, ecologists state that Ireland has frozen-over many times since the big Ice Age.  This would kill off any residual snakes that may have been lurking there.

In all likelihood the whole tale is some sort of allegory for "cleansing" Ireland of Druid worship. (Druid priests were known for tattooing snakes upon their forearms, dontcha know?)  And although there is now a huge population of Catholics in Ireland, he was never successful at eliminating all of the pagans. The annual Druidic Wickerman festival in Ireland which pre-dates Patrick, attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.

So, I guess not all the snakes are gone.

AS IF SOUTH DAKOTA DIDN’T SUCK ENOUGH

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

PIERRE, S.D.-- Gov. Mike Rounds on Monday signed legislation banning almost all abortions in South Dakota.

The Legislature passed the ban late last month, focusing nationwide interest on the state as the governor decided what to do about the measure.

The law, designed to raise a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, is scheduled to take effect July 1.

Under the law, doctors in South   Dakota  will face up to five years in prison for performing an abortion except when the procedure is necessary to save the mother's life.

Rounds issued a technical veto of a similar measure two years ago because it would have wiped out all existing restrictions on abortion while the bill was tied up for years in a court challenge.

South Dakota Planned Parenthood said it planned a quick court challenge.

Well, I won’t be moving to South Dakota anytime soon. 
I refuse to allow my tax dollars to support forced childbirth.  

JESUS PETS

As seen on Texas Dave’s blog. 

I am thinking that this might just be the answer to all my financial prayers.

SHAKING MY HEAD IN BEWILDERMENT

Thanks to my perusal of the website devoted to The Twin Cities Creation Science Association’s (TCCSA) science fair.

Yes you guessed it. This science fair was specifically for Christian Homeschoolers of Minnesota. Their science fair goals?

1. Know your material.
2. Be Confident.
3. Communicate well. 
4. Be thorough.
5. Pray your exhibit will witness to non-Christian visitors.

You know, that’s what I associate with science...conversion of heretics.  Oh, wait, that would be me. No wonder I don’t get it.

Bear in mind that every exhibit is required to display a bible verse. While this may seem a bit odd to me, I was unaware that the following was the perceived purpose of evolutionary biologists.

Evolutionists ask this question:
How can I prove that evolution is true (and God does not exist). This may not be stated in this way, but is inferred by their writings. Darwin and others have said that if evolution is true, there is no need for God.

Creation scientists need to ask this question:
What can I learn about myself, God, and God's plan for the universe as I study His creation today. I believe true science is a way to learn more about God and ourselves. It is a living class room in which God is the Instructor and we the students. Jesus used common things in nature to illustrate his principles as he taught.

It must be such beliefs which led them to proclaim:

Unlike Some Science Fair Sites
We Are For Real!
Unlike Many Secular Educators
We Teach The Scientific Method!

Each student is provided with a list of suggested creation science topics from which they may choose. Among my favorites are:

• How many shades of skin color are there? Use a paint scanner to test 100 people.
•  What affects skin color? Is one color better than another? What was God's purpose?
• Is intelligence influenced by physical attributes? i.e. are blondes "dumb" or does skin color influence intelligence?
• Statistical occurrence of giants, and midgets and dwarfs and giantism. Use Princess Flo, Goliath, and brothers.
• What can we learn from the Amish blood disease and sixth finger? Compare this to the half Jewish Samaritans.
• How much voltage or current can a human take before he is killed? Could do experiments on a plant.
• Build and run studies on a strata forming wave tank. This would confirm or disprove strata are all laid down at the same time.
• What was life like before the Flood?
•  Make a computer model of the Flood currents.
•  Trilobites prove Noah's flood because they are curled up or not?
•  Do Lilydale closed clam fossils support a world wide flood? Collect 100 shells and compare.
• What was the weather like before the Flood?
• Were all the animals friendly to man before the Flood? Idea: raise several baby animals like snake and mouse together to see if they remain friends as they are older.
• Why do they live longer before the Flood?
• Why did God create the moon to control the tides?
• Is there a way for humans to get to Jupiter? Mars? etc.
•  If there were aliens, why would they visit humans?
• What are aliens and are there really any in our world? see Lamentations 5:2, Eph 2:12, Heb 11:34.
• Why does the Bible say there is one glory of the sun, one glory of the moon, and one glory of the stars?
• Why did God make pests like bugs and mosquitoes?
•  Why did God make birds to fly?
• How long can flies survive freezing in a frig?
• Are humans mammals? We thought they were made in God's image and not related to animals.
• What is God made of?
• Where was the Garden of Eden? Is it around today?
• Why do people believe in Evolution?
• What events caused them to become evolutionists?

I still don’t get it.

I have no issue with people believing whatever they feel in their hearts. But why do some otherwise smart folks insist on using religion as an excuse to keep them from seeing facts & evidence clearly.
Evolution is not a theory people. It has been proven. Intelligent design is an interesting religious anecdote. But in my opinion, it belongs in a social studies class. Because, honestly, it has nothing to do with science.