That would drive my minister crazy. There are real reasons why a person moves to a different church. Either share them our say it's personal but to say the Lord is leading you...It seems distasteful.

I'd disagree there...sort of. A girl should not be ashamed for wearing clothes some might find questionable.But it's not unreasonable for an institution like a school to have some standards of dress. The difficulty is in navigating the two concerns because too often standards of dress DO simply become about covering up girls. I know that if my daughter dressed for school in a bra and sheer top I'd make her change. That will never happen because that's not my daughter's style but I do have to send my son back to his bedroom frequently to get pants that aren't ripped, shirts that aren't stained etc. When he's going to Scouts or an appointment. Clothing expectations should be based, I think, on the context, not on certain individuals. I've got to think more about this...My husband is bugging me for the phone. :D

One caveat, natural philosophy, the forerunner of modern science, WAS concerned with purpose as well as the other stuff. So the question is there, hanging in the history of science. But the idea of what science is and the knowledge of it's limitations have evolved and now exclude that question. Philosophy, theology...that's where the question is properly asked now.

Honestly, I'm sort of leery about condemning extra-biblical stuff because it I'm not keen on the trend of people labeling themselves or their churches biblical as if that's some useful measure of proper Christianity. All of Christianity was extra-biblical for several centuries. WBC is, in a defensible sense, biblical. My own church, the CoE, has a deep tradition it draws from that many could argue is extra-biblical. The real issue is the way people look for guarantees and absolute answers, the way they want to be free of any doubts, want a faith they can buy, unwrap and wear instantly and want to be sold that faith by a specific personality. People want an easy faith with clear boundaries and strict rules, even if the rules are stifling. They're like the ancient Hebrews in the OT wanting a king. Sooner our later a huckster steps into the gap and they get what they asked for. And it's not going to change. It's not a Christian thing, it's a human thing. Rant over.

You're a strong woman Luanne! Thank you for keeping us updated. :-)

Public schools but when I was n nine and again when I was ten my parents pulled my siblings and I out of school and we traveled across Canada from about April to September. I'm pretty sure my mom got school books from the school but they disappeared pretty quick and we were effectively unschoolers for that time. It was formative and although we all slogged through school after that it meant that none of us ever thought learning was exclusive to schools and when I announced we were homeschooling everybody on my side of the family thought it was fantastic. :D

Yay! I've been recommending that all over the place and you're the first person who read it. :D Glad you enjoyed it.

The Key To series. Getting Started With Latin. And I think Rex Barks will become the next one.

What motivation does the state have to be fair and just if it can do something like that? If it can make a huge mistake and then simply pick up where it left off years later? What guarantee is there for any of us that we'll be treated justly if they know they can the ball any point without consequence? It's not simply unfair, it's unjust and vile.

I have to admit, I find all the SAT talk and extreme SAT focus a wee bit funny. North of the border SATs just aren't done unless you're applying to a US university our maybe a homeschooler looking for some outside validation to pad the university app (which is exactly why my kids will be writing).

When I was in youth politics one of the provincial politicians, a formidable figure in the party and later a cabinet minister, lived in a double wide. I don't know if he still does.

I think there's a lot of room for introducing new things but it has to be thoughtful, intelligent and be accompanied by some education so the congregation understands the changes. My minister's changes seem radical but this is over the course of 20 plus years with a real emphasis on educating people about their role in ministry.

Ugh. The forum is acting weird. What I meant to address was this: I'd first wonder what quantifies deserving. I'd also wonder if Harvard has a duty to admit every student based on how deserving they are of a spot at Harvard. Certainly some portion may be accepted on that basis but with others how deserving they are may be less of a factor then how much Harvard wants them on their campus. I'm also a little sceptical on all the weight being placed on race when the real factors may have been 1) child of fist gen. immigrants and 2) the socio-economic factors at play in the community he grew up in. I wonder if SATs are a straight number game when you're sitting at the admissions desk. His SAT numbers, in context, might look a LOT more impressive then the next student who outscored him but lived in an affluent neighborhood and went to a prestigious private school. Which brings it back to the question of deserving.

Uh...Wow. I'm Anglican, one of the other churches big on liturgy and that would be...something. The liturgical dancers thing I'm sketchy on but ad-libbing the Eucharistic prayer? Sorry but the liturgy is one the community of the church shares as a community, it informs the life of the community, gives us commonality with other Catholics/EO/Anglicans whatever. You don't go messing about making up your own stuff as if you're a disconnected and self-centered congregation. I'm neither here nor there on the 12 apostles thing. It does sound cheesy though. We have changed things a bit in our church. My minister moved the pews to be parallel with the walls of the church and brought the table down into that space. He takes off his stole and each person who does readings or leads a prayer wears it. Sort of radical but informed and deeply rooted in principles of ministry and community. The liturgy however, does not get messed with and I daresay he'd be a little horrified to hear of a priest ad-libbing a eucharistic prayer.

Regentrude, goddess of Physics and fashion! :D Love the dress. Not for me but I do love it.

I think the ads are probably the best solution and I have no issue whatsoever with them.

Yay!!!! No suggestions, just a happy dance. :D

The idea that so many don't know who he is (and Iagree, many don't) strikes me as a little dangerous. So much of the stuff that come up on message boards, conventions and such is junk that's trickled down from the patriarchal and dominions segments of homeschooling. If you know DP and his ilk you will know to steer clear.

Oh my. The use of the term Awesomesauce in the context of your post is...evocative. :D

I'm agreeing with everyone else. My family is very normal so from that normal perspective I can tell you that you're current situation is way outside of normal and merits a lit more alarm then you are communicating. See a lawyer about your situation ASAP. don't say a word to your mother about it until you know where you stand. Then make a plan that involves getting out our getting her out. Don't trust her at all.

Wikipedia has a decent rundown:

I don't mean to argue or maintain that I'm right or wrong although it probably did come off that way. I get geeky with the Bible and scholarship around it is all. :)

Give yourself a half hour or so alone and read The Ballad of Geeshie and Elvie. It's a fantastic story and it's use of pictures and audio is brilliant. Make sure you revisit the music after you're done the article. Best thing I've read and the best internet experience I've had in a long time.

There's some suspicion that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 may have been a marginal gloss, a note written by a scribe copying 1 Corinthians and later copied into the text by another. this because it "wanders" a bit in ancient copies, appearing in one place in one copy and another in a different copy. It's also a contradiction to earlier verses in 1 Corinthians that command "all" and "everyone" to pray and prophesy, activities which couldn't be accomplished if some were supposed to remain silent. It the context of Paul's letters that verse, is a little more puzzling. Paul is a man who works with female leaders in the Church: Euodia, Syntyche, Phoebe (a deacon), Priscilla, and Junia ("outstanding among the apostles"). Glosses and changes to fit with current church teachings weren't unusual: Junia had to deal with a sex change herself because of it. Remove a verse from all context and it is always rather easy to understand. Wrestle with it as it is presented to us, part of a much larger collection of verses, letters, books, etc. in the Bible and it becomes more difficult. It almost seems as if the Bible is intentionally presented to us with the challenge of interpreting it, arguing with it, coming up with different views and challenging our notions of what it should be saying. It certainly doesn't seem like a clear cut guide with easy-to-follow instructions. I'm generally suspicious of those who say it IS easy because as often as not they've got a book or webinar to sell me.