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Here are this weeks notable links from around the internet: * Global warming and the dinosaurs. Yep, they're related. * Stories of #churchtoo. They are powerful and are starting to change Evangelical church culture. * What is this wolf-like creature that was shot in Montana? Authorities are trying to figure it out. * RFK's son doesn't believe that Sirhan Sirhan killed RFK. * The bride and the officiant were both in labor! * Gardening as a prison activity - and more. * The most embarrassing performance for Genesis. * Some heartwarming but hilarious stories about animals. * Harvard estimates that thousands died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria. What have you seen on your internet travels

I grew up in Southern Baptist churches. I could sing The Doxology and Just As I Am (all 6 verses) by the time I was ten. I went to church 2-3 times a week until I was a teenager. Between church and a Christian school, I had memorized hundreds of Bible verses. I grew up in the midst of the Conservative Resurgence in the late 70s and 80s, but I think that I was in churches that were already pretty conservative. I've always "known" that men were in authority over women, particularly in marriage. I've always "known" that men and women have different roles, but the same value. I've always "known" that women could not be pastors or in other kinds of church leadership except as children's directors

Time for the weekly round-up of cool stuff I found on the internet this week! * Scientists were initially skeptical of the "Big Bang" theory (not the TV show) because it sounded too religious. * There's another Ebola outbreak in Africa, so here's a story about Kent Brantly, the first American to get Ebola and be treated in the US. * Cuban LGBTQ Pride parade. * You've always wanted to read a story about hippos pooping, haven't you? * A man threatened to call ICE because people were speaking Spanish in a New York deli. * Why is this man on the roof of a Wendy's? * Having babies on Mars is going to be difficult, apparently. * Graduation cake kerfuffle. * Really? A Southern Baptist Convention re

"You do realize that it's hard to keep up with what day you're on," said my husband. "You mean, if it's a migraine day or a clean day?" I asked. 5 minutes later. "Oh, so your Diet Coke was in this box." My husband. "Yes." Me. "And you just left the box here on the floor." My husband. "Oh, no! I'm going to take it garage!" Me, realizing that it's a clean day and that I left an empty Amazon box in the middle of the hallway floor. What you have to understand about me is that I have an inner neat freak. If it was up to me, all surfaces would be dusted all the time; everything would be neat; the kitchen would be always clean; and the floors would always be freshly vacuumed and mopped. As it is, I

Another school shooting happened on Friday. Another ten people dead. And, with this weekend’s migraine, I’m too tired to even be angry. But not too tired to care. This has to stop. Somehow, our society has to find a solution to this horrifying problem. Right now, we’re just flailing in the dark. Gun control seems like a reasonable place to start, but the NRA makes sure that we get nowhere fast with that. Dealing with mental illness also would also be a rational jumping off place. But, how? There are many variables in the mass shooting equation but it would help tremendously to have some data to guide us to the most important places to start making changes. Let’s start to address this problem

Here are some cool things I've found this week around the internet. * Here is an interesting series of short videos introducing how human evolution may have worked. It's done from the perspective of a Christian. Very highly recommended! * What kind of diet did the Knights Templar follow to stay in fighting shape? * Have you ever seen a merperson? Between 1610 and 1784, there were several sightings by Europeans. Check it out. * This missionary couple in South Korea works for reunification between the North and the South. * Digital photocopiers have hard drives. Which means that discarded digital photocopiers have secrets. Read all about it. * The last stagecoach tavern of the Wild West is sti

Back on April 23, I reviewed the book, Still Evangelical?, a collection of essays by various evangelical leaders about why they remain evangelicals despite problems within this branch of Christianity. Which brings up the question, am I still an evangelical? After all, I spend a fair bit of time critiquing evangelicalism. I'm an ardent egalitarian when many in evangelicalism are complementarian. I'm a feminist. I support the full inclusion of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters in the life of the church. I don't see much persecution of Christianity in our country. I believe the earth is millions of years old and that God used evolution to create the diversity of life. I'm on the wrong side of a lo

I finally don't have a migraine or a bad headache today after about a week of dealing with migraine and/or intermittent headache. So, I walked a mile, took a shower, ate breakfast, and have been reading internet stuff. But I have this underlying anxiety that I need to get up out of my chair and do all the things!! My to-do list is a mile long and would take about a week to do if I was completely healthy and had no migraines. Which is totally fine. That's how my to-do list is supposed to work. I put stuff on there so I don't forget. So why am I feeling so anxious and guilty about sitting down and reading some interesting and informative blogs?! I am a do-er. I have always been. I have trouble

Here are some great links that I found this week on the internet: * What's it like to grow up expecting the Rapture every moment? This man can tell you. * Only in Florida . . . * Umm, relieving your bowels on the rival team's football field? * Three black girls were racially harassed in a NASA competition. People are gross. * More racism. Two Native American young men were questioned by campus police on a campus tour after a parent complained at CSU. * The tests that they gave the men who wanted to be Mercury Astronauts. These are wicked hard. Except the analogies. I did well on those. * How many spaces between sentences? Science knows. * John McCain on his ranch, recovering from surgery, wr

The issue of women in Evangelicalism, specifically, the Southern Baptist Convention, is making waves in the mainstream press as well as the religious press. Dr. Paige Patterson, whose ill-advised remarks about a woman in a domestic violence situation blew up the interwebs, is back in the news with his defiant insistence that he has never condoned abuse, has counseled women to separate from abusive spouses, but has never counseled divorce. At The Wartburg Watch, Wade Burleson prints more of Dr. Patterson’s words that show his view of women even more clearly. In 2006, Dr. Patterson terminated a professor of Hebrew at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (despite his promise not to do so)

John 20-24-29 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then J

Twitter and the blogosphere have gone berserk the last few days over comments that Paige Patterson, the president of Southwest Theological Seminary and former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, made in an interview in 2005. Here’s the quote: “I had a woman who was in a church that I served, and she was being subject to some abuse, and I told her, I said, “All right, what I want you to do is, every evening I want you to get down by your bed just as he goes to sleep, get down by the bed, and when you think he’s just about asleep, you just pray and ask God to intervene, not out loud, quietly,” but I said, “You just pray there.” And I said, “Get ready because he may get a little more

This week's interesting reads from around the internet! * Hate crimes against Muslims have increased. * President Trump is relying more and more on using his personal cell phone. * Things got crazy on an American Airlines flight last week! * Dissecting beached whales is actually a really dramatic thing. * Human ancestor footprints that are 36 million years old!! * Narcan-resistant Fentanyl in Pennsylvania - What?! * Truckers helped police stop a suicide. * More ancient footprints - this time, humans and giant sloths. * Google found that many of it's best employees are liberal arts grads. So that history degree can be useful, after all! * What if college courses were sponsored by industry? *