Pork or Parents

Oh, so, this was a segment on the Daily Show on Monday night. The video is here if you want to watch it to get the whole story. But, basically, this Muslim woman applied to be a foster mom. And the agency she applied to turned her down, and in the letter they sent back, told her that she was being rejected as a foster mom because she refused to serve pork in her home.

Wait, wait, let that sink in. Take a moment. I'll wait.

Now, of course, this is only a short segment, and we don't get every little bit of information. However, let's assume that there's nothing else that would make this woman a bad candidate for being a foster parent. Let's just give her the benefit of the doubt, okay? So...because she will not serve pork, which is not a requirement for life or anything, she is denied. Any children that she might have taken in and given a loving, supportive environment are just s.o.l. because she won't serve them pork. What about alcohol? I'm certain that she also explicitly stated in her application (since she had to say something about the pork) that there would be no alcohol in her home. Why not mention that? Oh, because it's a *good thing*. No alcohol is good, for kids who are perhaps coming from places where they've been removed due to a parents alcohol/drug abuse issues. But pork! Pork is a god given right! Pork never did anybody any harm! (Tell that to the people who ate bad and undercooked pork and got brain worms.)

The woman says that she was a foster child herself, and all she wants to do is give kids like her a good place to be! Assuming, as we are, that there is nothing *wrong* with the situation, why in the hell is the lack of pork a disqualifying position? What if it was an allergy? A refusal to serve sea food because she (or someone in the house) is allergic to it? Would that be disqualifying? I doubt it. So...that means it's about religion. And that's just not right.

I've been thinking about this for a couple days, so bear with me. A good home is, I think the most important factor here for the kids. Why should it matter what faith the foster parents subscribe to? This woman, specifically stated that she would make sure the kids got to go to whatever church or synagogue or what have you that they wanted to. She doesn't appear to be attempting to convert children through osmosis in her home.

Let's say, theoretically, that I have married, had children, and then my husband and I have both died, somehow not leaving a guardian for our children, and they are sent into the foster system. I say (from the peanut gallery I realize), that I would rather have my children in a good home, regardless of the faith of the people taking care of them, than lost in the foster system, maybe going to people who will murder them and then hide their bodies and have the crime not be discovered for *decades* because the system is so over worked. But I get that that's a worst case scenario.

What about if I had assigned a guardian? Assume that my husband has no siblings, the grandparents are deceased, or incapable of taking in the children, and BabySis and her Hubby (theoretical) are chosen as guardians should something happen. Years go by, and they convert to Islam. I've thought about this, really - would I change the guardianship based solely on that fact? Assume that nothing else has changed. They've not left the country, we're still friends, they're still the same people I know. Only now they're Muslims. Would I still want them, more than anyone else I know, more than complete strangers, raising my children? Would I trust them to honor my wishes for my children's religious education? And I can say that I would trust them, still. If I trusted them enough in the first place, I don't see that their being Muslim would change that. I've considered the problem of faith by osmosis. Depending on how old the kids are and other factors, would they be drawn to Islam just because they're living in home where it is practiced? Maybe. But I'd still rather Muslims that I know and trust than people of whatever faith I don't.

I think my ending conclusion is that the religion (and the possible strictures thereof - fasting, no pork, no wine, no working on Saturday, etc.) of foster parents shouldn't be a deciding factor. There are so many other concerns! Assuming that they are not crazy people who will do actual harm to the child they can be Jewish, Muslim, Amish, Hindu, Pastafarian (the worship of the Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky - may the blessings of his noodly appendages be upon you), Baptist, Anglican, Evangelical, non-denominational, Orthodox, Catholic, *whatever*.

Random Shoes - Shoe Blogging

I was going to do my first day of school report, but then I came across Alana's shoe post and Anna followed it up and invited others to make shoe posts. (So did Alana, too, by the by.)

And I, being the lemming that I am, must obey! :)

I apologise for the quality of the picture, but it's night, and the lighting in my room is not the best. I have *no* overhead light in the room itself. I'd say that I'm not a 'shoe girl', but I think 21 pairs of shoes may make a liar of me. (Of course, I'm not including in the picture the 6 pairs of flipflops in the mud room and the ratty tennies out there, they don't count because I wouldn't ever wear them in public)

So, come on, trot out your shoes and show 'em to us! Girls love shoes, yes, yes we do. :)

My New Header - The Ladder of Divine Ascent Icon

Susanne asked for an explanation of my new header, and I wasn't certain if she wanted an explanation of the icon itself, or why I chose it. So I present both in their very own post.

First, the icon in question:

This is the Ladder of Divine Ascent.

Why did I pick it?

It has a ladder, which is quite like stairs.

No, really. I've been going with a 'stairs' theme for my headers, not that anyone else knew it, and I thought, 'I've had Deir el Bahri, I've had Kukulkan with its really cool snake shadow, I need something more Christian, but with stairs!' So, actually, I was looking for something with Jacob's Ladder in it, and I found this icon. That's it, the whole explanation.

Below is the explanation of the icon, from the Orthodox Christian Information Center.

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The Ladder of Divine Ascent

AMONG THE VERY IMPORTANT SCENES depicted on the walls of churches decorated in the traditional Byzantine manner is "The Soul-saving and Heavenward Ladder," usually referred to as "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." This painting or mosaic is a large synthesis that is given prominence in the narthex of some of the churches and refectories of the Holy Mountain of Athos, as well as in some old churches elsewhere.

The icon is connected with the famous spiritual classic entitled The Ladder of Divine Ascent of Saint John Climacos, who flourished in the seventh century. His memory is celebrated by the Orthodox on March 30 and on the Fourth Sunday of the Great Lent.

In this book, he describes thirty stages of spiritual development, which he likens to thirty steps upward on a ladder. The steps lead the spiritual striver to theosis, divinization, salvation—the ultimate goal of askesis or spiritual struggle.

In the icon which is inspired by this book, the ladder stands on the earth and reaches Heaven, symbolized by a vault from which emerges Christ. The ladder stands at an angle. Sometimes, the lower half of it is at a forty five degree angle, while the upper half stands upright. This is done in order to convey the idea that more effort is required for rising to the highest levels of spiritual development.

At the right side of the scene is shown a building, symbolizing a monastery, and outside its entrance stands Saint John Climacos. With his right hand he points at the ladder for the monks who stand behind him, while in his left hand he holds a scroll on which is written: "Ascend, ascend, Brethren."

Over the top of the ladder is Christ, emerging from Heaven. With His right hand He blesses the monk who has climbed to the top of the ladder, or holds the monk’s hand. In His left hand He holds a scroll, symbolic of His Gospel, or a crown which He is about to place on the head of the victorious monk. Below, there are other monks at various stages of ascent. Some stand on the ladder firmly, and are about to rise to the next rung. Others, however, are barely retaining their hold, as they are drawn by demons. The latter are flying at the left of the ladder. One of the monks has fallen off the ladder and is being swallowed below by a great dragon with wide open jaws. The dragon is used as a symbol of Hell.

Near the right side of the ladder are portrayed holy Angels encouraging and helping the ascending monks. This is in accord with the statement made by Saint John and other Eastern Church Fathers, that those persons who struggle for the acquisition of the virtues are helped both by God and by His Angels.

The Angels are shown with halos, clothed with light-colored garments and large, strong wings. The demons, on the other hand, are depicted without halos, without garments, with small, weak wings. Their bodies are of dark, dull colors, and have something that the bodies of the holy Angels do not have: tails. The latter symbolize the fallen state of the demons, their animalistic state. For the rational faculty, with which God endowed them when He created them—and which distinguishes both the angelic nature and human nature from that of the beasts of the field—has been corrupted by their rebellion against God.

The demons are depicted in order to remind the beholder that there exist such evil incorporeal beings, who act upon us through mental suggestion and assaults, and also to symbolize various "passions" (negative emotions and desires) in us. Saint John describes and minutely analyzes the nature of the passions, namely, pride, gluttony, lust, anger, despondency, malice, and so on. Positive qualities—the opposites of the "passions"—e.g., humility, temperance, chastity, gentleness, hope, love, etc.—are symbolized by the holy Angels, who are also to be viewed as real beings.

The statement on the open scroll held by Saint John Climacos is taken from the concluding exhortation of his book. It begins thus: "Ascend, ascend, brethren, ascend with eagerness and resolve in your hearts, listening to him who says: ‘Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God, Who maketh our feet like those of the deer, and setteth us on high places, that we may be victorious with His song.’"

The Ladder of Saint John Climacos, which the icon depicts, is inspired by the Ladder which the righteous Jacob saw in a dream. Jacob saw a ladder which rose from earth to Heaven, on which some Angels were ascending and others were descending. His dream—or, better, his vision—is described in the book of Genesis as follows: "Jacob dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven, and the Angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord leaned upon it and said: I am the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; be not afraid.... And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places wither thou goest" (28:12-13, 15—Septuagint).

Saint John’s Ladder expresses the Orthodox view that spiritual perfection, theosis, salvation is not something attained all at once, as by a leap, but comes after a long arduous process of spiritual striving or askesis. In this process, with sustained effort one rises gradually from lower to higher and higher levels of spiritual development. Thus, in the ninth step, Saint John remarks: "The holy virtues are like Jacob’s Ladder. For the virtues, leading from one to another, bear him who chooses them to Heaven." Later, in the discussion of the fourteenth step, he observes that "no one can climb a ladder in one stride."

Commenting on this, Saint Symeon the New Theologian says: "Those who want to climb these steps climb the first rung of the Ladder, then the second, then the third, and so on.... In this way one can rise from earth to Heaven" (Tou Hosiou Symeon tou Neou Theologou ta Heuriskomena Panta, p. 368). The first step of spiritual ascent, says Climacos, consists in these three virtues: guilelessness (or truthfulness), fasting, and temperance. "All babes in Christ begin with these virtues, taking as their model natural babes. For in these you will never find anything sly or deceitful. And they have no insatiate appetite, no insatiable stomach, no body that is on fire or bestialized." These three virtues will serve, he says, as a secure foundation for the rest.

The idea of a Ladder of Spiritual Ascent appears often in Orthodox hymnography. The Kontakion chanted on March 30, feast day of Saint John Climacos, speaks of his Ladder thus: "By offering fresh fruits (teachings) from thy book, O wise one, thou dost delight the hearts of those who in a state of inner wakefulness heed them; for it is a Ladder that leadeth from earth to heavenly and abiding glory the souls of those who with faith honor thee."

I must add a few words about the life of Saint John Climacos and about the intent and influence of his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. This great and very wise ascetic was tonsured a monk at the Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai. After three years he withdrew to a hermitage about five miles from the Monastery and lived there for forty years. Subsequently, he became Abbot of the Monastery and wrote his Klimax—the Greek word for ladder. He owes his name—Climacos—to the title he gave to his book.

Although this book is addressed to monks and to those who are thinking of embracing the monastic life, it contains a wealth of observations, counsels, and exhortations that are profitable to everyone who is interested in making progress in the spiritual life. For, as he remarks in one of his discourses (or "steps"), "Angels are the light of monastics, while the monastic state is a light for all men."

From the time it was written to the present, The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been read assiduously by monastics as well as by pious Christians living in "the world" in the Hellenic East, in Palestine, in Russia, in Serbia, in Rumania, in Bulgaria, in Europe, and elsewhere. It has been translated, from the ninth century on, into many languages: Syriac, Arabic, Latin, Slavonic, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Modern Greek, Rumanian, Italian, Spanish, English, and other languages. There are two translations of it in the English language, one published around 1960 in New York by Harper and Brothers and one published later by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent occupies an important place in the tradition of Orthodox spirituality known as Hesychasm. Among the famous Saints who were deeply influenced by it are Symeon the New Theologian, the great eleventh-century Byzantine mystic; Gregory Palamas, the great fourteenth-century exponent and defender of Hesychasm; the eighteenth-century Greek "Kollyvades" Macarios of Corinth and Nicodemos the Hagiorite; and Starets Paissy Velichkovsky, also of the eighteenth century, who translated the Philokalia and The Ladder of Divine Ascent into Slavonic.

From Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XII, No. 4, pp. 60-63.

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The Meaning of the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Okay, so, from googling, etc. I've come across what the 'story' behind the scene portrayed in the icon is. This particular write-up of it is from here. Anything in red is me, of course.

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The Meaning of the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

This beloved picture may look strange to modern Western eyes. It doesn't portray Mary as a delicate maiden with downcast eyes. Her direct gaze and strong features command our attention. We are struck by the unrealistic qualities of the figures. Jesus is the size of toddler, but his features are those of an older child. Mary and Jesus aren't set in a scene but float against a background of gold.

This picture was painted in the Byzantine style of the Eastern Church. The purpose of this style of art is not to show a beautiful scene or person but to convey a beautiful spiritual message. Because the artist is trying to communicate something more glorious than anything in this world, the picture isn't a realistic portrayal. A Byzantine painting is like a door. Seeing a beautiful door is nice, but who wants to just stand there looking at the door? We want to open the door and go beyond it. The door might be attractive or unattractive, but it is only a door, there to lead us into a new world.

That's how we must approach this picture. The artist, realizing that no one on earth would ever know what Mary or Jesus really looked like, and that their holiness could never be depicted in purely human terms, has portrayed their beauty and their message in symbols.

What do you see when you look at this picture?

First of all you see Mary, because she dominates the picture and because she looks straight at you - not at Jesus, not at heaven, not at the angels above her head. She looks at you as if to tell you something very important. Her eyes seem serious, even sad, but they command attention.

This is an important woman, one of power and position. She is set on a gold background, a symbol of heaven in the middle ages. She is dressed in dark blue robes with a green lining and red tunic. Blue, green, and red were the colors of royalty. Only the Empress was allowed to wear those colors.

The eight-point star on her forehead was probably added by a later artist to represent the Eastern idea that Mary is the star that leads us to Jesus. To reinforce the symbolism, there is an ornamental four-point cross to the left of the star on her headdress.

The letters above her head proclaim her the Mother of God (in Greek). Looking at the painting, we know that she has the power to intercede for us in heaven.

Mary's gaze is fixed on you, but her arms hold Jesus. In Byzantine icons, Mary is never shown without Jesus because Jesus is central to the faith. Jesus too is wearing the clothes of royalty. Only an Emperor could wear the green tunic, red sash, and gold brocade portrayed in the picture. The Greek initials to the right of the child and his halo decorated with a cross proclaim that he is "Jesus Christ."

Jesus isn't looking at us, or at Mary, or at the angels. Though he clings to his mother, he's looking away, at something we can't see - something that made him run so fast to his mother that one of his sandals has almost fallen off, something that makes him cling to her for protection and love.

What would frighten a little boy, even the Son of God, so much?

The figures that hover on either side of Jesus and Mary - the Greek letters above them identify them as Archangels Gabriel and Michael - provide us with the answer. Rather than carrying harps or trumpets of praise, they bear the instruments of Christ's Passion.

On the left, Michael holds an urn filled with the gall that the soldiers offered to Jesus on the cross, the lance that pierced his side, and the reed with the sponge.

To the right, Gabriel carries the cross and four nails. (This, actually, is what many sites say frightened Christ to run to His Mother, the sight of Gabriel with the Cross and nails.)

Jesus has seen part of his destiny - the suffering and death he will undergo. Though he is God, he is human as well and afraid of this terrifying future. He has run to his mother, who holds him close in this moment of panic, the same way she will be close by his side through his life and death. While she can't spare him his suffering, she can love and comfort him.

So why is Mary looking so intently at us instead of her child in need? Her gaze brings us into the story, makes us part of the painting and the pain. Her gaze tells us that just as Jesus ran to his mother and found refuge, so too may we run to Mary.

Her hand does not clasp the hands of her frightened son in a protective grip, but remains open, inviting us to put our hands in hers and join with Jesus.

Mary knows there are many things in our lives that are dangerous and terrifying, and that we need someone to turn to in times of suffering and dread. She offers us the same comfort and love she gave to Jesus. She tells us to run to her as fast as Jesus did, so fast that we don't even think about what we wear or how we go, just so we get there.

What are you waiting for?

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The History of the Icon

For many centuries throughout the world, this picture has been revered as an icon of hope and inspiration.

The original picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is a product of Byzantine art. It is known to be at least five hundred years old in its present form. Painted in tempera on hard nutwood and only 17 by 21 inches, the picture may date back another 1,000 years to the ancient madonnas of Constantinople. Some church legends even date the picture to the first century and the hand and brush of St. Luke the Evangelist.

It is only in the past 125 years that devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help has increased dramatically. In 1866, Pope Pius IX entrusted the miraculous icon to the Redemptorists and told them to "Make Her Known Throughout the World."

As they have criss-crossed the globe bringing the Good News of Salvation, Redemptorist priests and brothers have also erected churches and shrines to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. They have encouraged people to gather each week to pray the novena prayers and then to pray daily in their homes to Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Countless miracles, healings, and conversions are attributed to Mary by those who pray to her as Our Mother of Perpetual Help. There's even a bit of the miraculous in the way the Redemptorists received the picture in the first place.

Historical records indicate that around the year 1490, the picture was located in St. Matthew's Church in Rome. Although it was a relatively small church located on the Via Merulana between the great Roman basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major, people came from miles around to pray before the picture because of the many miracles attributed to this sacred icon.

For three hundred years the picture hung over the main altar in the church of St. Matthew the Apostle and the miracles continued to occur. In 1798, the picture was taken into hiding by the monks who fled the city of Rome to avoid being captured by Napoleon's invading armies. The picture resurfaced some years later in an Augustinian monastery chapel.

Meanwhile the Redemptorists had built the new church of San Alfonso near the site of St. Matthew's which had been destroyed by Napoleon's invasion force. In time the Redemptorists learned about the miraculous picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that had been enshrined on that site for several centuries. They requested that the picture be placed there once again.

The Holy Father Pope Pius IX agreed and on April 26, 1866, the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was placed above the high altar in the Church of San Alfonso. To this day, the miraculous picture is there for all to see.

Millions of copies of the picture can be seen around the world in churches and homes. Each week hundreds of thousands of people gather to pray the novena prayers to Our Mother of Perpetual Help while in their homes each day millions of people invoke the assistance of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

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I read on a personal blog, which I'm not going to quote, because I don't know that his opinion is widespread or anything, that the sandal hanging on by one thread is us, clinging to Christ through Grace.

Why Yes, I *Am* That Fabulous

Susanne at This & That recently gave me this blog award, for which I am happily grateful. It's always so nice when people acknowledge your genius. ;) Susanne is, ( I just went and checked), my longest running commenter. She is fantabulous (fantastic/fabulous, for those who don't know), in many ways, and you should all go and appreciate her blog too. :) She posts, most often, about what she reads, and they're always, without fail, things that make you think. Plus, she went to Damascus earlier in the year, and took enough photos to almost make you feel you were there!

Here are the rules:

List five current obsessions.

Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.

On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well.

Don’t forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

My current obsessions:

1. Books -- I know, I know, control your shock. :) Books are my eternal obsession. I love books, I love everything about them. I don't read books on line, or or Kindle, or whatever, because it. is. not. the. same. I like to hold the book, feel the weight. I love the smell of books! I love reading! I cannot comprehend people who don't read. I just can't.

2. Religion -- Again, try not to collapse in shock. I've always found religions and philosophies fascinating, even when I myself didn't believe. The way humans have always known that there was something higher than them, and the ways they interpreted the events around them that they couldn't understand, the manipulation of mythology to express deep human truths that we're still discovering. It's all endlessly interesting.

3. Sharks -- What can I say about sharks? I saw Jaws and was terrified. I wouldn't swim in pools that weren't perfectly clear. I had nightmares about a giant shark swimming up the canal behind my grandparents' house. And somewhere along the way, I started learning about sharks, and I fell in love.

4. Merlin -- It's a BBC show that NBC was playing over here during the summer. Now, I've always loved Arthurian legends (not that the two have *all* that much in common - you're happier with Merlin if you forget everything you know about Arthurian legend, trust me). It's a fun, fabulous show, and I spend *way* too much time reading fanfic about it lately. But the boys! I just want to *squish* them! Arthur and Merlin are just so cute! *wibbles at them* Hmmm... and Anthony Stewart Head as Uther...ah...well...I don't want to squish him, but I do love him, once I got over the 'It's Giles!' and giggling.

5. Vampires - Ones that Do Not Sparkle! Vampires should NOT SPARKLE! I'm a vampire fan, I admit it. I don't run around all in black, all emo and goth, but I like vampire mythology, I love vampire fiction, and Dracula is one of my favorite characters of all time. Ever. And I will hear nothing to the contrary! I want to travel to Transylvania and visit the real Castle Dracula. Yes, yes I do.

Five blogs I want to pass this on to...well, to be honest, anyone I read should get the award. I wouldn't read 'em if I didn't think they were fabulous, but to stay in the rules (and if I don't pick you officially, consider yourself chosen unofficially), and in no particular order...

1. Barei Lev - Sanil, I don't recall how I found her, but she's a seminary student who wears hijab, and is my long lost nerd sister. :) I hate stuff like this, because I never really know what to say. What do I like about her blog? Everything. I like reading about other peoples lives, and how they think, because they're not me, so it makes me think about things differently.

2. Non-Muslim Niqabi - Heather's new to the blog world, but, okay, a non-Muslim niqabi? How can you pass that up? It's just so *interesting*.

3. Answering Life - Again, I can't recall how I found Candice, but she's a newly Muslim wife and mother living in Canada. Can we just take as written that I follow/read people because I find them interesting and different from me? Because I have a hard time quantifying and breaking down why I read people other than that. Do I *need* another reason? I think not.

4. Farm Hijabi - Michelle's blog is private, but basically, she lives the kind of life I want, on a farm in the middle of nowhere, she writes about the realities of it, and she's another Catholic hijabi. She says what she thinks, and isn't afraid of hurting peoples feelings with the truth. Again, not brain surgery to figure out why I like her.

5. Morning Coffee - I read Alana for the smartness. (Shut up, I just made it a word.) She posts on a variety of topics, but they never fail to make me think, even when I don't comment. Plus, she's the first Orthodox blogger I'd ever found, and since that's a (growing) interest for me, it's all her fault. All of it.

My Nerd, Let Me Show You It

Okay, before we get to our previously scheduled nerd post:

Naturally Super and Facing Ghosts

ComicCon Supernatural Vid! Not mine, cause I did not get to attend ComiCon, but, uh, *splorfl* head-explodey! Kripke! You wonderful, wonderful mad bastard! *twitches* It is September now, yes? Yes?

And now...

My Fables statues. Snow White and Bigby and Rose Red and Shere Khan.

Some close ups of Snow & Bigby. You really need to look at this one from all angles, because of the bodies of the wooden soldiers and the details on the base.

Rose Red and Shere Khan. And if you don't know who Rose Red is, you've been raised on Disney-fied fairy tales, and I pity you. :)

And the rest of my humble toy collection. You win internet cookies if you can name the characters. :)

Guess Where Amber'll Be Spending Some 'Free' Internet Time

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php

I found an Orthodox web forum!

Also, my new books:

Documentary: A Time for Burning

This was something I accidentally came across, recorded, and just got around to watching last night. To be perfectly honest, there was no description information on the tv, so I thought it might have been about the Salem Witch Trials or something. Turns out it was about race relations in 1960's Omaha. Slightly different.

It was very, very good. Fairly short, maybe 50 minutes. The basic premise is this: A Lutheran pastor (Rev. L. William Youngdahl) wants to begin integrating his white church. Now, it's not like he picked up a couple of black families and plopped them into his congregation with no warning. He was going through the board, the proper channels - what he wanted to do, as a first step, was set up a sort of exchange program. Put two or three of their families together with two or three families from the black Lutheran church in town. Let them get to know each other. Because, as he says in the film, most of his congregants don't even *know* anyone who's not white.

It goes about as well as you'd expect, and the pastor winds up resigning. There's no violence or anything, at least not that's recorded in the film, or anything that I could read about it. It's just... well. I'm one, I think, if at all possible, everyone should read/listen/watch a thing, rather than have it described to them, or even read a summary. I was going to just recommend that, should you get the chance, you watch it, but then I found the whole thing on YouTube.

So, here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUvlzk2tvaY

Also, here's the link to the Wikipedia article on it: A Time for Burning. I know, Wikipedia, but I read the article, and it matches what I found other places, and has it in the nicest, most concise format.

And this is the quote that stuck with me (it also happens to be quoted in the Wikipedia article - which just proves how striking it is): "This one lady said to me, pastor, she said, I want them to have everything I have, I want God to bless them as much as He blesses me, but, she says, pastor, I just can't be in the same room with them, it just bothers me."

A Few of My Favorite Things

Lisa did one over at her place, and it seemed like an entertaining thing to do. :)

Supernatural:

Dean and Castiel and 'the Winchester Gospels'! And a prophet of the Lord named Chuck (not pictured).

This shalwar khameez from Al Hannah:

Jumper-dress from Katie's Mercantile: I'm considering buying one, but I want to wait and see how Alana's order with them goes first.

My Baby (and all my pets, but his picture is the one I have on my computer):

Great White Sharks:

Beads:

Good Omens (Crowley!):

A Little Bit About Abuse

I'm certain that everyone has heard the story from last week, about the man who beheaded his wife after she asked for a divorce. On the off chance that you haven't, here's a link to a cnn story about it: Founder of Islamic TV Station Accused of Beheading Wife This is a tragedy, and a horrible story. Here's my problem, too many people have focused on this being a Muslim man who beheaded his wife. As opposed to this being an abusive man who murdered his wife when she finally decided to leave. By focusing on this man's faith, pointing to it and saying, 'See, Muslims are violent!', they're ignoring the fact that abuse has *nothing* to do with religion.

Do abuser's use their faith as an excuse? Certainly. But here's the thing, an abusive person will make up an excuse for their abuse, whether it's religion or economic circumstances, or what have you. They will *find* a way to justify their violence, because, of course, nothing is ever their fault. It's always the other person. The other person *made* them do it, they just had no choice.

I grew up in an abusive home. My adoptive father used emotional, mental and physical abuse to keep my mother and my sister and myself 'in control'. We finally left, but I can tell you that, every so often, I think I see him on the road, and I panic. Just hearing his voice terrifies me. Thankfully, he has left us entirely alone for almost a year now. I can honestly say that I regret not killing him when I had a chance. It would have made my life much, much easier. I grew up constantly so angry and terrified that I didn't even realize what not feeling those things felt like until years after we left.

He didn't use religion, he just did what he did, and blamed us for not being able to live up to his perfect standards.

The story of the man beheading his wife has, of course, inspired more questions about abuse in Islam (which, as an aside, I don't believe is something that the religion teaches) and I found a couple of good posts about it on blogs I read every so often:

Someone Wanted Me to Write About Abuse of Women in Islam - at Beautiful Muslimah

A Quicky on Domestic Violence/Abuse - at A Muslim Wife

another blog that deals with it, much of the time, is:

A Journey Westward From Tartary by Lisa - Lisa is someone I've been reading for a little while, but I've never commented, mainly because someone else has already given her the advice I would give before I get there, and they do it in a much nicer fashion than I would. I constantly, at first, had to resist the urge to yell at her to get the hell out of her marriage, abuser's never change. But yelling isn't helpful, and I recognize that I'm too violently emotional on the topic, and others were telling her the same thing, but in a much nicer fashion. :)

Yes, all these are Muslim links, because they're the ones that I've come across discussing the topic recently. But still, abuse is not a 'Muslim problem', or a 'Christian problem', or anything like that. It's a problem. Period.

Testimony of Grace

I don't typically make announcements when I add a blog to my blog roll, because no one cares but me. :)

However, I've been meaning to add Muhala's blog, Testimony of Grace to the list, but I have forgetfulness. ;)

Muhala has undertaken the task of writting a book on the new movement of headcovering that has emerged. It's a wonderful project, and something that I wish had existed when I first felt the pull to cover. At the time, at first all I could find were testimonies and books from the Muslim perspective. I did eventually find other Christian women who covered and were talking about it, but I believe that this book would have made things a lot easier for me.

I'm fairly certain that the few people who come here are already aware of Muhala and what she's doing, but just in case, I'm making the announcement.

So, go over there, and check it out. If you're covering, please consider telling her your story, if you're comfortable. You never know who your own journey might resonate with.

Link to American Bedu - How Long Will Child Marriages...

Okay, so I love American Bedu's blog. I'm oddly fascinated with Saudi Arabia (as a matter of fact, despite my dislike of travel, I would love to go there one day), and she posts about a wide variety of topics in the Kingdom. And the people who post on there are typically well informed, so the conversations that go on in the comments are great too. But this post/conversation I'm finding particularly interesting. It's about the practice of child marriages (brides, mostly), in Saudi. So I'm linking it.

How Long Will Child Marriages Continue in Saudi Arabia?

I think it's telling that even the most traditional of the posters on Carol's blog are against the practice, and many are pointing out that it's not an Islamic thing, but a tribal thing.