Abbey-Roads2

“Bastard people…”

Posted by admin on Sep 1st, 2008

(Pictured, my favorite unwed mother, Rachel from “Friends”)

Kids out of wedlock.

Who doesn’t know someone - either relatives, friends, co-workers, politicians - or their kids, who have sex or live together without benefit of marriage, have children out of wedlock, or is just a single woman who simply wants a kid - and goes and has one.

These children were once called “illegitimate”; their status having been noted upon their birth certificate. In addition, the more ancient appellation “bastard” was used in regard to children born of an irregular union. It is definitely not politically correct to use these terms today. Kids shouldn’t be labeled because of the sins of their parents. Even though they are affected by the parents lack of morality.

At least they chose to keep the baby.

If a poor woman gets pregnant, someone will take care of her; such as welfare, the Church, or some pro-life agency. If she is rich, or has a great job, she can have her cake and eat it too. Thankfully, unwed mothers are no longer turned out on the street. Childless couples will find them in order to adopt their babies, oftentimes paying all their expenses and more. Pro-life workers will do anything to help the woman carry the child to term. That’s a good thing, to be sure. But are we somehow encouraging illicit births in the process?

Is it so bad morally that we just give a blanket blessing to everyone, no matter the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy out of wedlock? Are we so held hostage to the threat of abortion and infanticide that we give up moral imperatives and direction? Is immorality to be affirmed because an element of shame might enter into the dilemma of pregnancy outside of wedlock - compelling a woman or girl to kill her child? It all seems rather morally irresponsible - don’t you think?

Yeah - so like the only sin is abortion now days?

I’ve been in a workplace situation where a single woman announced she was pregnant - actually, that same single woman announced it twice in two years. The entire office got all excited and congratulated her effusively, they encouraged her and just carried on with attention and gifts. The woman was not married - never had been, the pregnancies were by two different dads… So like something is wrong with that picture, don’t you think?

Republican family values.

Is the American dream-works myth now telling parents and kids it is okay to have sex and get pregnant out of wedlock? That there is nothing wrong with pre-marital sex and getting pregnant - especially if you plan to marry the father?

“Post-denominational” Christianity.

Posted by Terry Nelson on Sep 1st, 2008

I never knew it had a name.

John Allen defines the term while discussing Sarah Palin’s religious affiliation in a recent article for the NCR. Palin was baptised a Catholic and then re-baptised in a Pentecostal church when her family abandoned Catholicism. To most Americans, that makes no difference - although one blogger felt it significant that Tim Pawlenty is a fallen away Catholic and questioned if Catholics would be bothered by that if McCain chose him as his running mate. Obviously, the approval of Governor Palin proves that is not an issue. From John Allen:

What church do you go to?

“The initial confusion surrounding Palin’s denominational identity, therefore, has a simple explanation: She doesn’t have one.

Instead, Palin appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity, where elements of Evangelical and Pentecostal styles of faith and worship fuse into a myriad of unique local combinations, and where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead.

Though post-denominationalists are, by definition, difficult to catalog and index, they’re unquestionably numerous. A 2007 survey conducted by LifeWay found that fully one-third of American Protestants were contemplating attending a different church in the future, and of that group, only one in four said it would be important that their future church belong to the same denomination as the one they currently attend.

Globally, the World Christian Encyclopedia estimates that roughly 20 percent of the world’s 2.2 billion Christians today are part of what it calls “independent Christianity,” defined as forms of faith and worship “separated from, uninterested in, and independent of historic, denominationalist Christianity.” Typically, these folks eschew any label other than “Christian” for their religious identity.

Religious sociologists and theologians point to any number of explanations for the rise of post-denominationalism: the spread of a consumerist ethos and “comparison shopping” within Christianity; disillusionment with what are seen as petty denominational differences; the increasing liberalism of some mainline Protestant denominations, leading more conservative church-goers to seek alternatives; even the category-blurring character of post-modernity itself.” - Source

Isn’t that special.

H/T Western Confucian

St. Giles

Posted by Terry Nelson on Sep 1st, 2008

And the deer.

“He passed many years in intense solitude, living on wild herbs or roots and clear water, and conversing only with God. He was nourished there by a doe of the forest. One day, being pursued by Visigoths hunting in the forests, she fled for refuge to the Saint and lay down at his feet. Moved to tears, he prayed God to spare the life of the innocent animal. An arrow the hunters had sent in her direction came and lodged in his hand, making a wound which would never heal. When the hunters found the animal there and saw the bleeding wound of the gentle hermit, they begged his pardon on their knees, and the chase was ended. The Visigoth king, hearing of this, came to visit this holy hermit, accompanied by the bishop, who afterwards ordained Giles a priest.” - Source