Getting free stuff from churches you visit

I just got a call from a church I visited on Sunday. When I was there, I was a good visitor and gave them all my information. I guess in the back of my mind I KNEW they would give me stuff, but that isn't the only reason I did it. I was actually genuinely interested. I imagine getting stuff and getting calls and stuff and suddenly have a bunch new facebook friends is a reason NOT to give information to a church you are visiting. But I figure, it's good practice to let them know that you're there. Usually you're just bothered the week after, and then they leave you alone. That is, providing you never return.

Getting stuff is nice, but it really makes no difference as to whether I like the church or not. AND it's SUPER awkward. I guess in a nice sort of way, like, "Uh. Thanks for this basket or bookmark or whatever. Maybe I'll see you again. Maybe I won't." Maybe I already have a home church but was invited by a friend to visit. I don't know, it just feels weird, and you feel kind of guilty (even if you already have a church!). Like, "This could have gone to someone who needed the love more..."

Nevertheless, I just gave instructions to a TOTAL STRANGER on how to get to my house and give me something I may or may not need and could possibly kill me.

Educational Plateau (Look a graph!!!!)

I'm good at school. I like school. But right now, I am so happy to be done with school. After 25 years of life I am finally at a place where I don't have to move on to a next "grade." While my double masters graduation was quite anti-climactic, the summer has only felt better as I've gotten further from reading, grades, and assignments.

Then at the same time, I wonder, "Am I getting dumber?" Or I can already feel myself falling far behind the curve of higher education, research, and politics (though I was always behind on politics). What do I do to "keep up" with the latest theology and psychology buzz? Do I want to keep up? It [higher education] was all so annoying and frustrating before, but back then (about a month ago), I felt like I could actually DO something about it--like I could make a difference! Now, I just feel like an overly educated, overly in debt, jaded, jobless hipster. Using nothing, giving nothing, and knowing everything (more or less). Wanting to fight The Man, but also, at this point, having no one but The Man to turn to (for jobs, security, protection, stuff....).

It's a bit extreme, I know. I feel a little bad for enjoying not being in school and I feel a little bad for being happy about it and letting my brain go numb.

I made this graph.


It's pretty meaningless, but I think more or less ideal for education. The y-axis is "stuff you know" and the x is "time". You learn a little more around puberty, undergrad (presuming you go) and grad school (presuming you go, duration variable). Point is, it's going up all the time. Sure there are times where it may dip, but overall, up. Though, how do you do this in adulthood? Learning is more or less natural as a kid, but after you are forced to be a robot adult in the real world--what do you do to not get dumb or plateau?

I'm just wondering... Cause all I want to do is play. I guess that's how kids learn, maybe I can too.

Gays Bolster the Tradition of Marriage

I might be a little behind on this... but didn't New York just pass gay marriage?! Woah. I almost missed it considering the cover of the New York Post:



Anyway....

I was perusing the Huffington Post and I found THIS article. Rabbi Shmuley thinks its funny that while gays are pushing the traditional institution of marriage, heteros are afraid of hardcore commitment. Just today one of my buddies said, "Why would I get married? I'm having sex." Obviously, there is more to marriage than sex. More to relationships than sex. More to commitment than sex. And more to love than sex. I found the article pretty compelling and kind of challenging as a straight person. We sure do take our straight relationships for granted.

Sort of on the other side I came across THIS blog entitled "Sex is good, Sex is Great" (pt. 1, 2, 3) (also where I got the photo from). And this guy is advocating for pre-marital sex, bashing some crazy Christians, and is not so interested in marriage. I found the comments very enlightening as well. I think my main concerns/questions for him would be

1. What is marriage? (What's it for? Is it necessary? etc?) Because he seems to be advocating for premarital sex, and not advocating for marriage really at all. And I guess I agree with him, atheists shouldn't feel any pressure to get married or not have sex before they are married. So what's the point of marriage? Should we keep it around?

(Sure, I have my Christiany answer in my head, but I'll spare you)
As far as I can tell it's a public commitment usually under some governing body (government, religion, culture, you name it). Without the governing body defining it somehow, then I guess it's a lifetime partner that you communicate with and figure out whatever marriage is for the two of you (monogamy or not, kids or not, finances, extended family, the list is endless). Then there's the whole kid issue... Cause once you have one of those, life/marriage/relationships/family/sex/commitment gets multiplied in complication (c.f. Babies are not a myth). And chances are you're just going to pass down the poopstorm to your babies.

2. What is sex? This is more a question I have for the Christians he is tirading against. Dude, get some definitions. Because you will come to find Christians with a "no touching policy" all the way to "duh, I have sex" and everything in between in all traditions, full of guilt or guiltless, and all with a rational to irrational argument all using the same sources. Isn't it wonderful? I love living in paradox. (I also found Scarleteen an interesting sex ed reference.)

Any ideas here? Should we all be pulling for institutionalized marriage or de-institutionalized marriage? What does it mean? As far as human history goes, it's pretty recent that we've gained the ability to choose are partners, and in many parts of the world the privilege still doesn't exist. Maybe we need to go back to bartering our sexuality for land and animals, or arranged marriages to keep peace between tribes. Maybe we'll never figure it out. Maybe committed monogomous loving post marital sexual relationships with lots of babies is the best way to go. Or maybe not?

Bleh.

Love

I went to take a walk during work, and was praying about a plateaued kind of feeling. I'm pretty happy with how happy I am. God and I are good. Boifren and I are good. Fam's good. Friend's good. Church, could be better, but still good. I found myself praying for more joy, more love, and trying to figure out what to do next. What more do I do?

This led my thoughts into, "Well, what's the most important thing?" Answer: Love. Well, that's vague. Everyone has a different idea of what love is. I thought about what love is for my evangelical church. It's telling people Jesus loves them (and if they don't accept him, then to hell). It's also doing nice things for people, being there for people, etc. Though I feel as though "the people" they go for are of a certain type, or just whatever God tells them, c.f. "Treasure Hunting". Love for God is quiet time (consisting of prayer and Bible reading) and being excited or super sad during rock out worship.

My evangelical church's view of love is NOT my favorite. I do not like it. I do not want to do it.

Other things that I think come up in church when talking about love are obedience, justice, turning the other cheek, being non-judgmental, care for everything, sacrifice, commitment, forgiving... it might be feeling, or it might not be a feeling. It is an action. It shouldn't yield negative stuff (at least in the grand scheme of things). It's never ending. It holds things together. It's Harry Potter's power against Voldemort. It's a mystery. It's God.

Well, no one person can ever hope to be all those things (not to mention God). It's overwhelming! And sometimes some of those things conflict and fight with each other! It's annoying! "So which is most important?" I wondered. And I think the answer is probably whatever I am best at. And the answer for you, is probably whatever you are best at. Do that. It's love.

A Modern Day Evangelical Council?

Wow! What is happening? There is all kinds of crazy happening in internet news, blogging, facebook, and tweeting over Rob Bell's Love Wins. This morning, in my seemingly infinite Friday free time, I continued perusing articles on this situation, and I think it is going to keep coming... Though, I am less sure where it's going... Evangelical-y churches are already splintered beyond recognition, so it's weird to think that there could be sort of this larger controversial "split" over those who question hell and the and how the love of God works. If you're going to go work in a "mainline-ish" Christian-y church, no body has to ask, "What do you believe about heaven and hell?" They might ask you, "How are people saved?" But both are really different questions, and the latter has more leeway for avoiding specificity in your answer. I guess a vague answer for the first one might be, "Yes, I believe in heaven and hell." And a vague answer for the second could be, "Jesus." But I don't know if those answers are going to get you a job, or help you keep it...

All this being said---I had to begin compiling all these interesting article on the Rob Bell situation.

• The Good News is Better Than That: This is the article that peeked my curiosity. It was on the front page of the Huff Post religion section, and I thought, "I didn't know Rob Bell writes for the Huff Post." As far as I can tell, this is his first contribution.
• A couple days before this, Brian McLaren wrote Will "Love Wins" Win? It is a long article, mostly in defense of Rob, and a critique of--
• Albert Mohler's We Have Seen This Before: Rob Bell and the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology. And OooOooOoohhh! A Panel Discussion!
• Good News About Hell? Came out as, what looks like, a plug for Rob's book.., or maybe just a curious indifference. Either way
• I am pretty sure this is the first charge of heresy: Christian author's book sparks charges of heresy... and you know it is cause it's on cnn.com
• Critics heated up by Bell's Hell is more from the Huff Post
• Pastor Loses Job Over Rob Bell Debate--This one seems a little sketchy here.
• And here's more from the Washington Post...
• Then look at the ratio of 1-star to 5-star reviews on Amazon--It's AMAZING!
• Red Letter Christians seem to think we're heading towards an "Evangelical Split." How in the world is this even possible.

There is a ton of stuff about all this, and I imagine there will be more... Still, I don't know where this is going, but if you've read Rob Bell, it was obvious he was going "this" direction... whatever this is? Anyway, I bought the book... Maybe I'll read it.

One of my favorites is a HERETIC!

Surprise surprise... it was only a matter of time before they caught on to you, Rob Bell...

Stuff Christians Like: Valentine's Day

There have been a few fun things I have discovered, for example, "awkward 'you're single' conversations" at church. Gotta love John Acuff, and yes, I have seen people shake their heads in shame at my uterus. Seriously, not being single is the single most important thing ever. Proof of this can be seen when just today, Valentine's Day, my facebook status was hijacked by my boyfriend, "P__ has the greatest most awesomest boyfriend in the history of ever." Within about 5 minutes, every church friend from back home "liked" my status. PROVED: singleness sucks, not singleness and bragging about it online makes you facebook popular.

However, if you are single, or are not single and like boycotting Valentine's, NPR has a great rationale for this here: Exploiting the darkside of valentine's. Though drinking and beating each other seems just as worth celebrating to me...