Eighty percent of teens believe in god, according to a new book. But devil help them if they have to explain what that means or why they believe. A couple of points the author makes or implies:
1. The state of Christian religious education appears to be dismal. Most couldn’t articulate even the basics of what they claim to believe. This strongly contrasted with their views on sex and drugs.
2. Teen theology is a "buddy deism:" god is a "divine butler" who expects nothing yet offers help with self-esteem and problems. A rootless theism open to exploitation.
The ad campaign to capitalize on the Unitarian Jihad buzz continues apace. I checked but couldn’t find any restrictions about telling you the details, but I’ll be somewhat vague on the money end, just in case. Click to continue reading “Update: Unitarian Jihad Ad Campaign”
My funny cousin "Rotten Robyn" has changed her blog to "I Married the Pastor." Says she:
Do I take everything he says and turn it into some sort of "Theology for Blondes"? A pastor’s wife doesn’t talk incessantly about her panties, does she? Does my son automatically become some unruly "preacher’s kid"? I have two new daughters to train in the ways of the world — how to wave like a queen, don’t touch your nailpolish for at least 10 minutes and how to order a drink at Starbucks. Do you know where I can get a manicure pedicure in Nepal? One thing is for sure, I make church a prettier place.
Pastor Poodle Hater, you’re in for a fun ride.
Sean of Ministrare is right. Something is happening in UU circles. I don’t want to overplay it, but the UU blogosphere abounds in discussions of what our "unity amid diversity" might be. (See Chalice Chick’s review for links.) The new UU Theology listserv is aimed directly at the issue. And Sean reports movements along the same in the UU bureaucracy.
The natural starting points for this discussion are UUism’s "Purposes & Principles." Chalice Chick points out that I’m arguing that—contrary to the usual quips—the P&P don’t suck. Sean points out that that I’m only "timidly defending" the P&P. So what exactly am I saying? Click to continue reading “Clarification: What sucks and what don’t”
Salon points to shit-kicking Montana governor Brian Schweitzer as a Dem to watch. In a state that Bush won by 20 points, pro-choice Schweitzer won with 53%.
Remember: Even though he is not our spiritual leader, we need to give him the utmost respect, even reverence. So what if he will deliver ten pieces of bad news for every piece of good? We should always be gracious to this Grand Inquisitor, because, after all, we’ve never suffered before by the likes of him. To do otherwise would be illiberal.
