Weekend Update 03-03-2012

“Giving Up Something” for Lent. Indeed, the practice of individually picking something to give up for Lent is an essentially pietistic practice. Perhaps because my formation thoroughly revolved around the idea that one must pick and choose your beliefs and practices, I initially found evangelicalism comfortable. But over the years, I found it was far too easy for someone like me (and increasingly more people are at least somewhat pluralistic and relativistic in their formation than not) to adapt pietism any way I desired. Perhaps that’s one reason “low-church” Protestantism is so radically fragmenting today — headed toward a collection of churches of one. The fact that almost everything — prayer, worship, fasting — is deeply communal in nature in Orthodoxy, even when performed in solitude, was one of the first things I noticed when I encountered it. Even the goal of Orthodox faith, its salvation, is utterly communal, theosis or union with a God who is a communion of love. The above is also available as audio.

Four Fiscal Phonies. Yep. Of course as I’ve pretty much established in past posts on a wide array of topics, it seems like many Americans are either unable or unwilling to do the math. Sad, but true. But then, close to half the people currently receiving Medicare and/or Social Security report in polls that they have never relied on a government program. What do you do when whole segments of your population turn delusional? This post includes a nice chart illustrating the point.

Hmmm. And apparently highly educated Republicans are actually farther removed from facts and reality than their less educated brethren. Strange, but not particularly surprising in our current era.

Anne Rice coming here for a signing! I had already purchased The Wolf Gift (and have almost finished it), but I told my youngest daughter and she starting jumping up and down and ran to give me a hug. That’s worth the price of another copy of the book. 🙂 I’m sure I can find someone who would appreciate an Anne Rice book as a gift (but only if he returns her previous book to me).

Olympia Snowe. No room in the GOP anymore for moderates. Actually, there hasn’t been for quite some time now. I’m surprised she held on as long as she did, though honestly she wasn’t much of a moderate.

Stand with Sarah against the Limbaughs of this world.

A great collection of gluten free dining options in Austin.