What are you reading?

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I think we've complied a pretty good list of things to read, between us all.


"Going Postal," "Equal Rites," "Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrel."

[Swatopluk]

A collection of essays about the rise of creationism in Germany.

[beagle]

An article in The Economist claiming that all the fame and glory given to DNA has led to the importance of RNA being underestimated.

[Griffin NoName]

It seems it may be a case of do shoot the messenger!

(oh and half way down the page I found: It's evolutionary, my dear Watson )

[beagle]

Now reading another Economist article about Southern Baptists. (No they don't pay me to advertise).

Be interested in Sibling Chatty's view on that one if she's feeling up to it.

[Swatopluk]

A book on giant squids

[Griffin NoName]

Hard-Earned Lessons From Counselling
Windy Dryden

( a cheaper way of learning)

[beagle]

I haven't heard of anyone with a first name of "Windy" since Windy Miller in Camberwick Green.

Are you sure it's a good idea to be taking advice from this person?

[Aggie]

Wintersmith, FINALLY!!!


oh, and....  there's PIRATE FEEGLES!

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Carpe Jugularum

[Griffin NoName]

I haven't heard of anyone with a first name of "Windy" since Windy Miller in Camberwick Green.

Are you sure it's a good idea to be taking advice from this person?

The book advertises itself as reviewed by the Clinical Psychology Forum as very honest and essential reading and not like all those flawed experts......

It warns against muddling Rational Emotive Therapy (used to be called RT rather than the current RET) up with Reichian Therapy (RT). Given the difference one would have to be fairly insane to do that (I think Swato is the expert on Reichian).

Maybe it should be called Counselling for Dummies.

Or maybe the Clinical Psychology Forum is some ameteur virtual outfit run by Pirates. 

[Swatopluk]

Is there any connection between Reich's Orgon and the character in Moliere's Tartuffe?

[Sibling Chatty]

Now reading another Economist article about Southern Baptists. (No they don't pay me to advertise).

Be interested in Sibling Chatty's view on that one if she's feeling up to it.

The Southern Baptist Convention's takeover by the inerrantist, hardcore conservative socio/political cabal is just about complete. The few voices of sanity that wanted to preserve the Baptist tradition of Freethinking (the part about no MAN comes between the believer and God, no MAN or group of men can dictate to any other what they should believe) have just about gone.

There's never been a total BIG LOUD split, the denomination has just fractured. Splintered slowly, as the name Baptist becomes more and more a nasty word.

The Baptist Bookstore is no more. Changed names YEARS ago to avoid the negative connotations. There are thousands of former Baptist churches that no longer use the name. Lots of the BIGGEST, and definitely the ones that have chosen to be about religion, not about politics have no overt mention of the "B" word at all.

Example: One of 5 Baptist "Superchurches" in the Houston area, Sagemont calls itself "Sagemont Church". http://www.sagemontchurch.org/index.htm
You have to search for the word "Baptist", they do not want to tell you, because it's NOT a positive word. (An old friend is a minister there.)

Oh, by the way, Sagemont, for all the size, the staff, the equipment, buildings, everything they have? Debt free. They pay taxes on all their outbuildings and all the land they own, except for the actual sanctuary and the small chapel. Every building they have was paid for when built, and they teach a series of 'How to get out of debt' seminars, free, that anyone can take--not just members, not just Christians.

And you have to FORCE them to say they're Baptists. That's the way it's happening. The 'church' as a group of like-minded believers has ceased to be, there's the Authoritarian "SBC" and then there's the non-political, non-authoritarian rest of the Baptist world.

As in most places, Baptist churches that aren't extremely political may have a male pastor, but it's the women of the church that keep it running. Baptist women LONG AGO decided to keep a different agenda and organization from the political world that the men lived in. They may "rule the convention" but they're sadly short on ruling the 'true church' for Baptists. Don't mess with the WMU!!

WMU is an auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention, which means that it acts as a "helper" to the SBC. The auxiliary status also means that WMU is self-governing and self-supporting.

They call 'em uppity women at their own risk, because there's a LOT of power there. And a lot of money that the convention wants to control. And they don't, And won't.

This article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20070629-1624-religiontoday.html
gives an overview of the 'other' Baptists, and are the group that will benefit most from the coming political fallout that the US MUST have to survive. There are rumbles within the WMU that the SBC is pushing it a wee bit too much, and the SBC has tried to push the WMU in the past and gotten their hands slapped. They'll keep it up, and the WMU, instead of just cooperating with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, will switch support completely. THAT will begin the slow, tortuous death of the SBC.

And, as a Christian, good riddance to them!!

As ever, I did not leave my church, it left me.

Oh, if you're looking for nice, handcrafted Fair Trade gifts...US only, I think, but you might ask...
http://www.worldcraftsvillage.com/
It's a non-profit group, all 'profits' go to funding new artisan groups. The WMU started it and supports it so that the artisans can support themselves.

[Swatopluk]

Wolfgang Jeschke, Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung

[Sibling Chatty]

Northshore, Sherri Tepper