WOUNDED BIRD

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY THAT SANTORUM DOESN'T KNOW..

...and doesn't want to know.

From Psychology Today:

Santorum has argued that contraception is morally wrong because, “It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.” But human beings happily experience, witness, imagine, and lament a cornicopia of erotic encounters that couldn’t possibly result in conception. Leaving aside the many “perversions” happily practiced by humans the world over, the human female is available even for Vatican-approved missionary position intercourse—at least theoretically—when she’s menstruating, already pregnant, post-menopausal, or otherwise precluded from conceiving. Is this, too, an abomination? Even Santorum and his wife, who have had more children than most couples, have certainly had a lot more non-reproductive than reproductive sex over the years.

Read the entire article. Santorum's brain seems not to be able to absorb the rudimentary realities of human sexuality (and those of our cousins the chimps and bonobos!). Nothing anyone says shakes his rock-solid conviction that the talking points straight out of the Vatican are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Thanks to Paul (A.) for the link. See? Paul (A.)'s contributions to Wounded Bird are not confined to jokes. He also contributes stimulating intellectual content.

STORY OF THE DAY - GETAWAY WEEKEND

escaping as quickly as they can from a
getaway weekend gone bad

From StoryPeople.

Heh, heh. It's the only thing to do.

ASBO JESUS ON HUMANS AND ELEPHANTS

From ASBO Jesus.

I must tell you that the cartoon brought tears to my eyes. The best cartoons are perhaps those that make us think, rather than make us laugh.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S - 'PRIMATE CRISIS'

Don't blame me. Blame David Attenborough and Bosco Peters.

MORE ON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ORDINARIATE

Read Bosco Peters' excellent post at Liturgy on the Roman Catholic ordinariate. Bosco points out that the ordinariate is not the only option or 'flavour' for discontented Episcopalians/Anglicans. He posted an entire list, which he admits may not be all-inclusive, but he wants a diagram to help him get up to speed. I would not mind a diagram, as I cannot keep the options straight in my head, either. Of course, the diagram would need updating from time to time, as groups continue to merge and divide.

While you're at Bosco's website, don't fail to watch the video by David Attenborough titled 'Primate Crisis'.

WISDOM FROM AN OLD JEWISH MAN

A CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.

So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site.

She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.

"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?

"Morris Feinberg," he replied.

"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims."

"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop."

"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults and to love their fellow man."

"I pray that politicians tell us the truth and put the interests of the people ahead of their own interests."

"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a wall."

:-) Thanks to susan s.

BULLYING...WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Please read the excellent post at Dirty Sexy Ministry on bullying.

Bullies don't exist.

At least that's the viewpoint held by some who think that the intentional harm they cause to others is just what happens in the course of a day's work or in the course of human relationships. And yes, we who live in community together do things to each other through thought and word and deed that hurt others.

Bullying, however, is another matter. Bullying by adults covers a range of behaviors from teasing which gets out of control (i.e. the person being teased has said or indicated that it's troubling, but the person doing the teasing refuses to stop) to serious criminal activity like verbal threats and physical assault.

I know adult teasers who don't get it that enough is enough. "Oh, it's just teasing," is the excuse. There is no excuse. When a person asks you to stop, just stop.

Bullies are a magnified example of how our own hurts and wounds can hurt and wound others. Most bullies don't see their actions as bullying; they may not even be aware of just how damaging their personal actions are to others. Perhaps a first step to healing may be admitting that there are bullies in both clergy and laity and, even more difficult, admitting that all of us are capable of bullying others. I've yet to meet a person that didn't have places in our self-image that were sensitive and lacking. I've yet to meet a person that didn't, on some level, have issues with authority and issues with misuing it at times. I've yet to meet a person who didn't crave acceptance and attention, and who didn't coerce someone to salve that craving.

I absolutely agree that we all need to examine ourselves for 'subtle and covert' signs of bullying, which is far easier to recognize in others than in ourselves. And yes, there's no denying that bullying happens in the church, at times with catastrophic consequences.

Read the entire post.