Bear in mind that in the culture of the time, simply allowing women to attend the services with the men was a radical step.

This is the thing that I think of as the key -- Christianity is so fundamentally progressive as a religion, but it's sometimes hard to see that from here, looking all the way back then.

I need to note that obsession with the baby panda cam made local FOX news. Didn't see the piece, but it was a lead it.

Cracked me up.

My exposure to things biblical as a child were the picture bibles at the credit union and scattershot quaker sunday school. Pretty stories, and heavy on the love everyone rebellious streak thing. I tried at the old testament late in high school but got lost in begats. I didn't get anything organized and thorough until college, when I took a new testament class. Which was...odd.

I am a little sorry it took so long, since it is the dominant culture where I am and grew up. I was much more well versed in Norse, various native american, roman, greek, egyption and even sumerian and maori myth than I was with the judeo christian one. (Some may be offended by me referring to judeo christian as myth. But to someone such as me, it is as such. It isn't a denigration, per se.Just...stories.) The thing is, my parents were very clear in their (rather opposite) beliefs, and really didn't raise us with any agenda. Just exposure and yet somehow.... both my brother and I gravitated first to the more "foreign" stories and ignored those closest to us. Of course, this may be a kid thing. I mean, I grew up 45 minutes from Mexico and the first foreign country I visited was the USSR. And I haven't yet been to Mexico.

Dan Rydell has a small part in this week's episode of Stella. Just FYI. (msbelle)

What is Stella and why are beloved SportsNight characters showing up on it?

Susan, I'm friends with Jennifer Crusie

faints dead away at Betsy's feet

Faints next to Aimee

I'm sitting out on my porch in my new adirondack chair, watching the sunset over the bay.

Life is not so bad.

^

Ah, that sounds lovely Perkins.

I just finished walking the dog and am now all sweaty. Yuck. If I had the energy I would take a quick swim before I went to bed, but too tired. Also, have to take DH to airport in less than 6 hours. To bed with me.....

Ah, that sounds lovely Perkins.

It really is. The sky is a really amazing color right now.

As an added bonus, I am driving the cats, who aren't allowed on the porch, bonkers.

Where is DH going, Laura?

Perkins is TAUNTING.

I'm...answering maudlin email from officemate. You know what? A good friendship can sneak up on you. I'm usually more aware than that. In any case, we were lucky in that.

Same here. I totally thought billytea made it up.

t aghast Is this what you think of me? That I just go making stuff up? Please. Were I to do so, it'd be something much more interesting than this, and probably involving vultures.

Though Paul tells the older women to instruct the younger women -- does that count as "preaching/teaching"?

I'd say not in the context of 1 Timothy, which is a matter of church services. I'd want to check on the Greek terminology before commenting further, though.