Nate Knows Nada

At least in Hungary….

“There are thousands of them on the road but they’re not using their newfound freedom well; they’re just sitting around, eating grass and enjoying the sun.”

Technorati Tags: rabbits, random

April 9, 2007
Black Colleges Fail to Welcome Gay Students and Groups
Gay students often feel unwelcome at historically black colleges,
where homophobia may prevent classmates and administrators alike from
acknowledging the presence of lesbians and gay men, reports the
Associated Press.

The wire service says black colleges have a disproportionately small
number of gay-student organizations, in some cases because the groups
can’t find faculty members willing to serve as advisers. Hampton
University has twice refused to permit a gay-student group to form
because of a moratorium on the number of student organizations.

A representative of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group, told
the AP that some historically black colleges were hostile to the idea
of allowing groups of gay students to meet, while others denied having
any gay students.

But the head of the Coalition of African-American Pastors in Memphis,
Tenn., said black-college administrators “don’t have to give a lot of
reasons” for banning gay-student groups, because acceptance of
homosexuality would be “a threat to the black family.” —Lawrence
Biemiller

Technorati Tags: academia, gay, politics

Courtesy of Anglicans Online:

re there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Are there any who are grateful servants?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!

Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed Hell when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.

Isaiah foretold this when he said,
“You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below.”
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

The Easter sermon of John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)

Technorati Tags: christianity, death, poetry, spiritual

As i sat about earlier today, doing some work, I had the computer playing track on random. Rather by coincidence, a couple of songs from U2’s Pop came on. Now Pop is the album that you only own (especially since it’s been 10 years since it was released) if you are dedicated to U2. Pop was the nadir of U2 and 1990s irony. After they “went away and made it all up again” in the early 1990s with Achtung Baby (which is certainly among the greatest rock albums of all time), they descended further and further into irony, jadedness, sarcasm, and darkness. The shows became bigger and bigger, full of production and bubble gum. They shamelessly celebrated commercialism and shallowness and repudiated earnestness and sincerity.

Technorati Tags: christianity, death, music, poetry, U2, spiritual

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“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Epistle of James, 1.27

In the third and early fourth century of the common era, the Christian church underwent significant persecution. Under this persecution, when the authorities came after Christians, the temptation from fear to save one’s own life by denouncing others proved all too great, for clergy and laity alike. Preists and bishops committed apostasy, renouncing their faith. But when the church was made official under Constantine in 313, a significant question arose: What should be done with the apostate clergy? (It’s worthwhile noting here that the issue was one of theology AND of labor supply. There were serious issues around the sacraments, but also around having sufficient clergy to serve in Christianity’s new status.)
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I have just fnd the most awesome site ever, especially considering my dissertation. Take a look at GiantMicrobes.com.

And here’s my personal topic, HIV. I’m ordering right now!

This is what we do when we’re not writing on the blog.

Russell Digs a Hole

We’ve finally moved over to the new blog software system here at NKN. It took a little longer than expected, as I had to negotiate a bit to get some special stuff done for me. But I can finally get blogging again.

Just so you know, the blog software works pretty similarly, but you will have to provide a name and e-mail address, and I will manually approve the first comment made by anyone. This should reduce spamming, which was absolutely ridiculous on the old system. Also, I’m not a big fan of anonymous comments; if you won’t self-attribute, I’m under no inclination to accept your comments. Nor will you automatically get posted anyway.

I’ll start writing more again soon, although I admit that my dissertation writing takes much of my writing energy out of me.

Later today, I hope, there will be small changes and some downtimes, as I move this blog from one software system to another. I hope you don’t notice too much.

A couple of you have offered to provide me with hosted space on your servers, and I still am quite likely to take you up on that. But I wanted to get this up and operational as soon as I could. (Yeah, orange person, I’m talking mostly to you.)

May the joy of the Word Incarnate and peace that passes understanding be with you and yours today and always.