Weekend Reads

I missed doing this last week, so here's two weeks' worth of readworthy blogs!

Fun and Funny Stuff

Things My Male Tech Colleagues Have Actually Said to Me, Annotated by Cate Burlington at The Toast

“You got it! Clever girl!” Accolades I would prefer to ‘clever girl’ include: ‘inexorable agent of destruction'; ‘unknowable one'; ‘king’s champion.’ Also acceptable: ‘Gov’nor’ pronounced in a Cockney accent.

Sometimes When I See Anime Clothes at Escher Girls

This is a picture rather than text, so no quote here -- but I like it.

God's Not Dead 2: American Revolution (EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK!) by Tyler Huckabee

SYDNEY: Josh, if you don’t write what Professor Crampton told us to write, then I will never become a Christian and I will never date you.
JOSH: Sydney, I don’t want to date you. [He brushes a lock of her hair back behind her ear.] I want to court you.
SYDNEY: [Biting her lower lip] Oh, Josh. You just—you just—
[JOSH raises a finger to her lips.]
JOSH: Shhhh. You shouldn’t be here, Sydney. I am saving alone time with women for marriage.

If Love Songs Were Written Like Worship Songs by Tyler Huckabee

Verse 1
My girlfriend
My girlfriend
Is so great
Is so great
She will be
My girlfriend
Till the end 

My Real-Time Responses to Headlines on the Men's Health Website by Mallory Ortberg at The Toast

Another one that's picture-heavy, but made me laugh ever so much.

Serious Stuff

Madness in Indiana by Larry Behrendt at Jewish-Christian Intersections

The Act was written to protect the individual’s religious belief. The belief need not be the religion’s belief, or even the belief held by a religious sub-sect or cult. It need only be the religious belief of a single person, so long as the belief is sincere. So if I sincerely believe that Judaism requires me to drive at least 100 miles an hour on the left side of the road, it doesn’t matter under the Act that Judaism teaches no such thing. All that matters is that my belief is sincere. 

Mike Pence's Dishonesty about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by Liz Boltz Ranfield

Here’s the thing: RFRA might not actually do anything to change what discrimination looks like in Indiana, but it was sold to a certain block of voters by telling them that it would. That is a problem.

Of boys and girls (good and rotten) and climbing trees by Michelle at Word of a Woman

Instead, perhaps we should teach ALL the girls that they are not some boy’s prize for being brave and not slumming it with a “rotten” girl. They are not an object to be possessed. Their value is not determined by whether boys think they are “good” or “rotten” but rather on the fact that they bear the image of God him/herself. 

The Scandal of a Crucified God by Zack Hunt at American Jesus

For a Church that is increasingly insecure about its eroding power and influence in the world and desperately wants to portray Jesus as an über-manly hero who stands ready to lead the charge as we vanquish our enemies and wrestle control of the world from their cold dead heads, it’s disappointing, uncomfortable, and embarrassing to be confronted with the truth that we worship a crucified God who said “no” to conquest, choosing instead to die naked and alone for the enemies we seek to vanquish.

Are 'culture war' victories worth the casualties? by Rachel Held Evans at CNN

This is the tragic irony of the culture wars: The casualties tend to be the very people Jesus went out of his way to serve: the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the outcasts, the people ostracized and deemed "sinners" by the religious elite.

Jesus Burdens Our Religious Freedom by James F. McGrath at Exploring Our Matrix

Various things may or may not be legal, but if one is a follower of Jesus, it can be argued that his teachings burden our religious freedom. 

The Clean Reader App and Me by Dianna E. Anderson

Consistently through the work, any mention of the word “sex” was changed to “love,” which is an ideological position imposed upon the text. 

But more disappointing was when I arrived at the chapter about rape culture and consent, only to discover that graphic discussions about rape were not changed. “Rape” was not considered profane by this app creator’s rubric.  

On Rough Days by Taleia at Taleia & Company

It's one of the things I've always loved, the sheer physicality of the water. The touch of it against my skin. On a whim, I stop kicking, blow out my breath in a steady stream, and let myself sink. 

All is quiet under here, muffled, soft. It's easy to feel alone, but in the best possible way, surrounded by light and warmth and the soft pressure of the water on every inch of your body. I open my eyes, and I catch my kid studying me from behind his goggles, trying to figure out what it is that I'm doing. 

(The truth is, I have no idea. Anyone watching would think I'm nuts, and I can't blame them.) 

Mark Driscoll: he is risen indeed! by David Hayward at Naked Pastor

Being a bully is not a mistake, it’s a flaw. Having a domineering spirit is not a mistake, it’s a flaw. Being abusive is not a mistake, it’s a flaw. Being narcissistic is not a mistake, it’s a flaw. A flaw in character. A flaw that needs serious and extended attention. Flaws can be repaired, but it takes a lot of work. These may not all be curable, but they can all be manageable. 

Language Myth #6 at PBS

Another study reported that a male science teacher who managed to create an atmosphere in which girls and boys contributed more equally to discussion felt that he was devoting 90 per cent of his attention to the girls. And so did his male pupils. They complained vociferously that the girls were getting too much talking time. 

Gethsemane: The Most Troubling Story in the Bible? by Kyle Roberts at Unsystematic Theology

There simply is no strong biblical reason to let a (Platonic) idea of divine impassibility trump the theologically and pastorally powerful story of God’s entrance into history as Jesus the Messiah, in which he undergoes serious grief, anxiety, and suffering on our behalf. The implication is not just that Jesus suffers–in his humanity–but that as the unified person Jesus–who shares divinity with God and humanity with us–God also suffers in Jesus. 

Will the real villains please stand up? by Justin Lee at Crumbs from the Communion Table

So as I march into battle against the “bad guys,” with images of their crimes against humanity in my head, they, in turn, have been fed propaganda to convince them that I’m the bad guy, and that they are doing the right thing by avenging or putting a stop to my side’s supposed crimes against humanity. 

Maybe the truth is in between.

Two modes by Kevin Megill at Musing Out Loud

In warrior mode, everyone looks like a potential enemy. It’s hard to move from warrior to mode to nurturing mode. It’s probably equally hard to move in the other direction. 

Why is it always about "women and girls"? by Gina Denny

Why is it always about "women and girls" when we talk about body image? Do you really want to know why? I'll tell you why. . . . 

Because, up until two years ago, I had a mental list of all the things I hated about my body. It was 51 items long. 

Because I know a woman who says she has "hideous earlobes". She wants to have surgery to change her earlobes. EAR. EFFING. LOBES. 

Because a friend posted on Facebook a summary of all the miles she ran one month (hundreds) along with a picture and every single comment on that post  was about how she looked.

Weekend Watches

Every Mumford and Sons Song, Basically - Yeah, this sounds about right.

The Boy Who Cried Literally - And this is why it's important not to take away the word "literally." Sometimes you really, really need it!

#TUNESDAY w HANK GREEN! - Hannah Hart and Hank Green make up songs to give people advice. This is one of my favorite editions of this series.

Without me - ragtime remix - Language warning on this one... but the fact that there's a ragtime remix of Eminem's "Without Me" makes me so happy.