Also, condolences and all kinds of drying-out-ma to libkitty and the library.

I don't believe anything is always good. Humans are too ... human for that. For a start, we can't always agree on the definition of "good."

Wow - REALLY enjoying this discussion, my lovelies. Although the whole Ash Wednesday detail is unfortunate (here it's Muslim New Year, fwiw) and I'm sorry I can't punctuate JZ.

My main thought? Other than largely being in the Camp o' Hecubus? Wow. America sounds to be well nigh as religious a country as Egypt. Coming from a secular country, it's all a bit astounding.

I'm fairly broad minded about most things, but I have real problems being broad minded about religion. To me, there's a stark difference between a person's relationship with God (and how they understand the universe to be wired together) and their religion. The former is about faith, the latter is about society. The former may be embedded in and shaped by the latter, but the latter is about a whole shitload of things that have very little to do with God.

Er. This is the tip of a large iceberg which I don't feel like exploring just now, but - yeah. Interesting discussion.

Also? Happy belated birthday, Lexine!

For a start, we can't always agree on the definition of "good."

And according to yesterday's NY Times Science section, we can't agree on the definition of "evil" either [link]

Wow. America sounds to be well nigh as religious a country as Egypt.

Yup. It's one of the things that weird Europeans out about us.

Speaking of good, Annabel has been so good lately I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. She's just...content. She sleeps well at night. She takes naps on a semi-regular schedule. She doesn't like it if we're out of sight for long, but she's perfectly happy to play in the playpen while I sit here at the computer and work and natter for half the day. She's suddenly gone low-maintenance, and it's weird.

Susan, how old is she now?

And do you have any pictures? I want a look at her sweet baby face.

She's ten months as of Sunday. And getting so big! Earlier today she stood on her own for what had to be ten full seconds, albeit with a very wide stance and arms held out for balance.

Here's the most recent picture we have posted: [link]

I really need to take more pictures of her.

Please point me to an organization of any sort that's been around for 2,000 years -- heck, even 1,000 or 500-- that has used power and money particularly well. I certainly can't think of one.

The fact that they're an easy target doesn't make them less deserving of criticism. The fact that they've had more opportunities to do wrong by virtue of their long history doesn't excuse the fact that they took them.

But the religious right certainly doesn't speak for all christians. There are plenty of liberal christians as well. I'm disturbed by how the religous right has become the voice of christianity when it seems to concentrate so much being anti-abortion and anti-gay and ignores social and economic justice.

It's going to take the moderate Christians and moderate Republicans becoming more active & effecting change inside their party & churches.

vw, I don't know if this came up, but Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer is set in modern Appalachia. It's a marvelous book. I highly recommend it on book on tapes or CD because the author reads it, with her soft Kentucky cadences.