"IT'S DISCRIMINATION...."

From the Times:

Sir, The Civil Partnership Act 2004 prohibits civil partnerships from being registered in any religious premises in Great Britain. Three faith communities — Liberal Judaism, the Quakers, and the Unitarians — have considered this restriction prayerfully and decided in conscience that they wish to register civil partnerships on their premises. An amendment to the Equality Bill, to allow this, was debated in the House of Lords on January 25. It was opposed by the Bishops of Winchester and Chichester on the grounds that, if passed, it would put unacceptable pressure on the Church of England. The former said that “churches of all sorts really should not reduce or fudge, let alone deny, the distinction” between marriage and civil partnership.

In the same debate, the bishops were crucial in defeating government proposals to limit the space within which religious bodies are exempt from anti-discrimination law. They see that as a fundamental matter of conscience. But it is inconsistent to affirm the spiritual independence of the Church of England and simultaneously to deny the spiritual independence of the three small communities who seek this change for themselves (and not for anybody else).

The bishops’ “slippery slope” argument is invalid. Straight couples have the choice between civil marriage and religious marriage. Gay couples are denied a similar choice. To deny people of faith the opportunity of registering the most important promise of their lives in their willing church or synagogue, according to its liturgy, is plainly discriminatory. In the US it would be unconstitutional under the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise . . . of religion.

The amendment will be re-presented by Lord Alli on March 2. We urge every peer who believes in spiritual independence, or in non-discrimination, to support it.

Above is a letter submitted by leading scholars, bishops, and clergy in support of an amendment to the Equality Bill pending before the English Parliament to permit ministers of religious bodies who so choose to officiate at civil partnerships between same-sex persons. No minister or rabbi would be forced to register civil partnerships between persons of the same sex. The list of those who signed the letter may be found at the Times link.

The relationship between the state and the Church of England is puzzling to me, and I believe that both church and state would be the better for disestablishment. On the matter of clergy performing civil duties such as marriages and civil partnerships, in my opinion, clergy would be well advised to work to remove themselves from the marriage/civil partnership business, thus opting out of performing the duties of the civil authorities. If a couple - same sex or opposite sex - wants a blessing on their pledge to commit themselves to fidelity to one another after a civil ceremony, then it would fall to the church community to decide whether to perform a blessing ceremony.

However, in the case of the English law, it's not fair that clergy are permitted to register marriages between persons of the opposite sex and forbidden to register civil partnerships between same-sex persons, so the amendment seems like a good thing.

Again from the Times:

The Church of England has so far resisted change, arguing that if some religious groups are allowed to hold civil partnerships then the pressure on the C of E to follow suit will become intolerable. It is a feeble argument. No one is arguing that any church should be forced to conduct a civil partnership. But willing churches should not be precluded from doing so.

What a surprise! And doesn't your heart bleed for the intolerable "pressure on the C of E to follow suit". "It is a feeble argument." Indeed!

H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead for the links to the articles.

COMFORT ON THE BUS

I love this one!

From Annie via Paddy Anglican.

MENTAL CHECKUP

It's that time of year for us to take our annual senior citizen test.

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you lose it! Below is a very private way to gauge how your memory compares to the last test. Some may think it is too easy, but the ones with memory problems may have some difficulty. Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've made your answer.

OK, relax, clear your mind, and begin

Question 1. What do you put in a toaster?












Answer: 'bread.'

If you said 'toast' give up now and do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, bread, go to Question 2.

Question 2. Say 'silk' five times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink?












Answer: Cows drink water.

If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question. Your brain is over-stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate literature such as Sports Illustrated. However, if you said 'water', proceed to question 3.

Question 3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?












Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said 'green bricks,' why are you still reading these??? If you said 'glass,' go on to Question 4.

Question 4. It's twenty-five years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany ). Anyway, during the flight, three engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately the engine fails before he can do so and the plane fatally crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany. The question: Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany, West Germany, or no man's land'?












Answer: You don't bury survivors.

If you said ANYTHING else, you're a dunce and you must stop. If you said, 'You don't bury survivors', proceed to the next question.

Question 5. (To be answered without using a calculator): You are driving a bus from London to Milford Haven in Wales.
In London, 17 people get on the bus.
In Reading, 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on.
In Swindon, 2 people get off and 4 get on.
In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.
In Swansea, 3 people get off and 5 people get on.
In Carmarthen, 6 people get off and 3 get on.
You then arrive at Milford Haven.












Without scrolling back to review, how old is the bus driver?










Answer: Oh, for crying out loud! Don't you remember your own age? It was YOU driving the bus!!

If you pass this along to your friends, pray they do better than you.

P.S.: 95% of people fail most of the questions!!

From Paul (A.), with no thanks from me.

PLEASE PRAY

Cathy said...

Mimi, this is nowt to do with your Lenten reflections, but could I please post a prayer request here? ... I have an interview tomorrow first thing for a six-month contract where I work (I am currently freelance). I wouldn't mind people's prayers for it, is the thing.

May the Lord be with you, Cathy.

HAITI - LEST WE FORGET

From NOLA.com:

Dr. Yvens Laborde saw Louisianians suffering after Hurricane Katrina, and he has seen first-hand the devastation a massive earthquake brought to his native Haiti on Jan. 12.

As difficult as it may be for some New Orleanians and their neighbors to conceive, the medical director at Ochsner Medical Ochsner-West Bank said, the post-storm landscape of the U.S. Gulf Coast pales in comparison with the total devastation in the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region.

But Laborde said he recognizes a common element in the aftermath of both disasters. “A hope that springs eternal,” he calls it.

“I’ve seen the degree of pain and suffering that crosses all boundaries: age, class, pretty much from one spectrum to the other,” Laborde said of Haiti. “Everybody has suffered, everybody has lost a family member, and everyone at this time is in a significant state of mourning and suffering. But I have seen the strength of our spirit, a resilience of our people."

Laborde, whose first post-quake medical mission spanned three weeks, said of his fellow Louisianians: “What I would like for them to do is identify themselves with that journey,” then build on that bond “to partner with Haitians” in recovery.
....

Dr. Charles Rene, a Haitian-born obstetrician-gynecologist, was already on the ground. Rene worked at the undamaged Hospital St. Joseph in La Vellee, a village near Jacmel, where he has for years served as medical director, returning several times a year to provide patient care and supervision. Anthony Allen, a physician’s assistant who specializes in emergency medicine and traveled with the group, said the damage and its effects “were on a much greater scale” than anything he’d seen previously.
....

The communicable diseases are an even greater threat, Laborde said, as the rainy season approaches with so many Haitians having inadequate shelter. “We have to have a way to keep people dry during the rainy season,” he said. Shelters are also an absolute necessity to keep people away from areas vulnerable to mudslides once the rainy season starts. In the meantime, Laborde said, Haitians are sleeping outside, scared of aftershocks collapsing already damaged structures, but still vulnerable to the almost certain mudslides turning the wrecked landscape to an avalanche of rubble and debris.

The scale of the catastrophe in Haiti is far greater in numbers of dead and injured and destruction of infrastructure than the the disasters of Katrina and the federal flood, but I pray that folks in and around New Orleans and in the rest of the country remember and respond appropriately to the dreadful conditions of the people of Haiti who still need our help and will for a long time in the future. I fear that the devastation and the plight of the people in Haiti are fading far too quickly into the mists of memory, despite the fact that the people in the country remain in a desperate situation.

For the Poor and the Neglected

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons in Haiti whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Oppressed

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in Haiti who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(From The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826, with slight editing)

Here's the link to a video of Dr. Yvens LaBorde talking of his experiences in Haiti.

UPDATE: My charity of choice for aid in Haiti is Episcopal Relief and Development.

A LENTEN DISCIPLINE NEVER MENTIONED

Thus far, the only Lenten discipline that I've mentioned is to attend Evening Prayer, Lenten meditation, and silent reflection on Thursday evenings at my church. I'd made another resolution which I neglected to mention because I forgot. Hmm - why did I forget? The other resolution was to get to church on time, but perhaps I forgot to mention it because deep in my unconscious I knew that was a resolution I was not likely to keep. Yesterday morning, by the time I was dressed and presentable to leave the house, I was late for church. I've been late for several Sundays running, and I was too embarrassed to walk in late again. I told Tom, "I'm not going to church." He was shocked.

I thought for a while and decided that I did not want to miss church on the 1st Sunday of Lent. I went online to look for a church that had an 11:00 AM service. The United Methodist Church offered what I wanted, and I headed for the church. I'd attended one or two organ concerts at the church, but I'd never been to a Methodist service in my whole life, and here was my opportunity to pay a visit. The congregation was the friendliest and most welcoming that I've ever encountered. I was honest about my reason for being there and confessed my habitual sin of tardiness to all. Confessed, and confessed, and confessed. I pray I'm forgiven.

If any of the members of my community at St. John read this post, they will say, "You should have come, late or not!" And I know that they'd mean the words, but I was just too embarrassed, especially after resolving to do better beginning with the 1st Sunday of Lent.

At the Methodist service, we sang some of the old country hymns, which I love like "the Old Rugged Cross", "Blessed Assurance", and "Come Thou Fount". The pastor, the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, gave a lovely sermon on Matthew 21:1-2, 7-10 and Luke 19:41-45. He made Jesus' journey to Jerusalem come alive, as he described the terrain and the view of the city from Mt. Olivet. It was a good thing for me to pay a visit to the Methodist Church.

To be entirely honest, I must confess that while the service at the Methodist church was lovely, I missed the liturgy of the Eucharist. I thank God often for my church with its frequent Eucharistic celebrations. The Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ are vital to my spiritual life.

What began as a day of failure, at least as I saw it, turned out, in the end, to be not a failure at all, but an opportunity to share worship with fellow Christians in another denomination in my community for which I am thankful.

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

"I lose heart"

Rmj at Adventus, in his post titled "There are no atheists in foxholes....", quotes from a soon-to-be-released novel about the Vietnam War. A character in the novel, Cortell, states one of the finest descriptions of faith that I have read or heard - at least of my kind of faith. There it is. In a novel. About Vietnam.

"GOD 'N DOG"

Thanks to Ann for the reminder. I've seen the video elsewhere and thought to post it, but I never got around to it.

SUNDAY FUNNIES

New in Church

After the service a young couple talked to a church member about joining the church. He hadn't met the husband before, and he asked what church he was transferring from.

After a short hesitation, he replied,"I am transferring from the Municipal Golf Course."


The Sermon

A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"


The Boasting Boys

Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50."

The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."

The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon. And it takes eight people to collect all the money!"


Instruction About Church

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."

STORY OF THE DAY - SIGHTSEEING

You're not going to see people like this
again for a long time, he said & I
said I always saw people like this & he looked
at me for a moment & said, You're not
from around here, are you?


From StoryPeople.