Blogaround

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1. Why We Need Andrew Marin (posted January 13) "Andrew is important to me because if he goes away there is no one else. Seriously, there’s no one." A gay blogger defends Andrew Marin, who has been criticized for not taking a side on the "issue" of homosexuality and the church.

2. Beijing's 'Airpocalypse' Spurs Pollution Controls, Public Pressure (posted January 14) "The air has been classified as hazardous to human health for a fifth consecutive day, at its worst hitting pollution levels 25 times that considered safe in the U.S. The entire city is blanketed in a thick grey smog that smells of coal and stings the eyes, leading to official warnings to stay inside."

3. Los Angeles Overreacts to Cold Temperatures (posted January 11)

I lolled.

4. How President Obama reminds me of Ron Sider (and why that’s both good and bad) (posted January 14) "And the white, evangelical Republicans he reaches out to always seem upset that their acceptance of any such invitation does not result in the president immediately ceasing to be black, mainline Protestant and a Democrat."

5. The Bible and Homosexuality: Part One (posted January 15) This is great. Steve Chalke, an evangelical Christian leader in the UK, published this article for Christianity magazine about why the church NEEDS to support marriage equality. Wow. (See also Slacktivist's post about why this is a BIG DEAL.)

6. Does God Choose for Us? (posted January 16) "Walking with God suddenly becomes a multiple-choice test, and one wrong answer will wound irreparable damage."

7. So, I Waited For Him To Tell Me He Liked Me First. (posted January 10) Because we all know the girl isn't allowed to make the first move, right?

8. What If We Responded to Sexual Assault by Limiting Men’s Freedom Like We Limit Women’s? (posted January 10) "We want women to be safe, and there is apparently no way for some men to reasonably restrain their own behavior once they catch a glimpse of cleavage, so all men will have to cover their eyes while working out, going to bars or clubs, or relaxing at the beach."

9. Is Marriage Really an Illustration of Christ and the Church? (posted January 16)

10. What does it mean to be 'privileged'? (posted January 11) "Because I would have been a black dude—in a hoodie, no less!—carrying a nice-looking TV down a quiet city street at 10pm."

11. Do Truck Drivers Matter to God? (posted January 15) "They assume God places little, if any, lasting value on work that deals with the temporal things of everyday life. The implied ranking of our vocations is obvious."

12. Why I Can't Go to Church on Sundays (posted January 17) "You know that feeling of panic that you get on airplanes when they shut the door and you suddenly realize you are packed very tightly with 300 other people into a giant metal tube about to be launched into space? It’s like that, except I get it when I think about ordered pews in a big open sanctuary."

13. Global Rich List This is really interesting- how rich are you, compared to everyone in the world?

14. Why Was Jesus Baptized? (Or Why Baptizing Infants Isn’t Heresy) (posted January 16)

15. Space Invaders: Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a period. (posted January 12)

16. How I became the mother of the little girl from Good Luck Charlie (alternate title: Why children should not be on instagram) (posted January 16)