So I’m reading “Aunt Epp’s Guide for Life”

It’s a compilation of diary entries and deceptively deep snippets from Elspeth Marr, a Scottish woman who died in 1947 but left behind a wealth of good advice. So far, here’s my favorite:

Chastity: There is much talk of this, and great expectation placed upon a woman, none on a man, no more than if you would expect a bee to produce milk, or a cow honey. That is very well for the man, who is not expected to comprehend the secret of chastity. As for you, understand one thing: chastity is a spiritual, or at least a mental condition, not a physical one. You are not to confuse it with virginity. There is no better representation of this in literature than Mr.  Hardy’s Tess, who loses her virginity but remains chaste to the end. Many’s the vile-minded virgin and chaste whore. Splendide mendax et in omne virgo nobilis aevum.

Any Latin majors? I got “False splendor something maiden noble old age.” Yeah. I am not a Latin major.

Here’s more on Aunt Epp.

The music’s still there

Thank you, Sis. Cynical, for this. And Happy Thursday!

Some retired chaplains asked Pres. Obama to retain DADT

So Interfaith Alliance president C. Welton Gaddy wrote a letter of his own that included this:

If forced to interact with gays in the military, this group of chaplains says they will be presented with a moral conundrum. Yet, Jesus said we are to love other people as he loved us—the love of Jesus was inclusive beyond measure and graceful beyond imagination.  In fact, this Sunday, Christians around the world will be studying Jesus’ admonition for his followers to love others as he has loved them—often called “the new commandment.”  The views expressed by the chaplains are the antithesis of the themes of love and inclusion commended and demonstrated by the Christ from whom they form their religious identity.  If Christian chaplains followed the teachings of Jesus they would have no problem joining any military member in prayer or spiritual thought.

Our servicemen and women deserve chaplains who support and comfort them as they carry out their military duties regardless of their individual lifestyles.  Sexual orientation is no more a hindrance to that mission now than was racial identity years ago.  Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a step forward in equality and justice for all citizens.  When chaplains find the government’s pursuit of these goals to be a threat to their values, we must ask whether something is askew with their values.

Go ahead, Bro. Welton!

Spot! The! Immigrant!

And if the type’s too small, go here.

And thanks, Sis. Vegas, for the link.

That government job might not be so cushy

State and local workers earn less than people in the private sector, and the gap is widening.

So now I guess I’ll have to stop teasing my son about being a state employee. And thanks, Bro. Jay, for the link.

Worst toy of the year!

You can vote right here. And here’s more on the organization sponsoring the vote, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

And thanks, Bitch, for the link.

Upon giving up one’s American citizenship

Sis. Sharon sends this New York Times story about American expatriates giving up their citizenship, but not for reasons you might think:

Anecdotally, frustrations over tax and banking questions, not political considerations, appear to be the main drivers of the surge. Expat advocates say that as it becomes more difficult for Americans to live and work abroad, it will become harder for American companies to compete.

American expats have long complained that the United States is the only industrialized country to tax citizens on income earned abroad, even when they are taxed in their country of residence, though they are allowed to exclude their first $91,400 in foreign-earned income.

Sis. Sinead on the Roman Catholic sex abuse scandal

Sinead O’Connor appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show recently. You can watch here.

And thanks, Sis. Sharon, for the link.

Christianity: Adapt or perish?

Alex Wilhelm at Huffinton Post writes:

Why should these changes be made now? Is there such a dire need here in the United States? In short, yes. The Pew Forum has a rather revealing recent poll that outlines a quick collapse of American religion. Quick, that is, in a historical context. Given that we have long been a majority-Christian nation, the Pew numbers of aggregate religion are a fair look at how Christianity is surviving in the States. What can we see? Of people born from 1981 on, some 26 percent claim no religious affiliation. Among people born between 1965 and 1980, the percentage of non-believers is a lower 20 percent. Heading farther back, those born from 1946 to 1964 are only 13-percent non-religious.

A doubling, that is, between the boomers and the most recent generation. As you know, doubling is a geometric function. If the number of non-believers doubles again in 50 years, then by around 2050, the United States will be a majority non-religious country. Clearly, if Christianity seeks to not only stay relevant but viable, it must adapt. The proof is in the numbers; Christianity is suffering.

The Biblical passages subjugating women to the back of the bus need to be let go to reach the modern woman, who no more expects to be treated as a second class citizen than to be beaten. The passages condemning people born homosexual as abominations need to be released to make the church inclusive. The blatantly incorrect attempts at science and history in the book need to be shut out if Christianity is to attract the educated who could not reconcile the Bible and the real world.

Americans work longer

But maybe you already knew that. And thanks, Economic Policy Institute.