Some blogs to note: just three among many…

Before I start two things. The last two days I attended a mandatory UN security training. The first day we had theory about mines, hostage situations, moving in a convoy and more. And yesterday we had some pratical “exercises”. During which I got beaten by some “rebels”. Played by soldiers from? Rwanda. Members of the UN contingent…

And…

Yesterday I was flown out of Darfur. I am now in Khartoum and we will see what is happening in the next few days. UN has raised the security level in Sudan. And staff in Darfur has to be reduced to “essential” staff. Given my age (am I old?), I was told to relocate. This is in the aftermath of last week’s attack on peacekeeping troops in North Darfur leaving 7 death and 22 wounded…

Opening paragraphs from two recent entries by Swiss blogger Worldman. I think you may see why this is a blog to note.

In the often sad world of US political blogging much of which would incline one to despair — especially the “conservative” side — here is a bit of a treasure: Political Realm. (And I really like their template!)

Political Realm launched in February 2007, providing analysis of the important headlines, original political commentary, and insight into races across the country. Our work has been featured on Reuters, USA Today, CNN, Fox News, and several other political news and opinion sites. We do not claim to be nonpartisan, but we do hope that our coverage is fair, astute, and interesting. Political Realm is not associated with any candidate or campaign.

I (Andy) created this site as an outlet for my political interest. I see it as a way to inform my own opinion, while perhaps influencing, educating, and entertaining readers as well. My own politics are left of center, but I am not owned by any party or ideology. I strive to keep my writing here fair and honest. I currently live in Omaha, Nebraska, and have been happily married for several years. I am a big sports fan, most obsessively following the Oakland A’s. My favorite book is Cat’s Cradle, written by the late, great Kurt Vonnegut. Other passions include movies, art, and history.

Finally, in keeping perhaps with my previous entry:

The bleeding obvious is still news to too many…

That was my initial thought as I read Freedom 2 b[e] :: View topic – …the death of alex…, which came my way through Anthony Venn-Brown’s latest newsletter, though this forum post is itself a couple of years old.  The writer is a gay Christian and the occasion of the text was a resignation speech delivered at a Christian school.

I have been involved in Christian education for over 15 years. It has been an amazing privilege to impact the lives of these kids and even more so now that they’re adults as some choose for me to continue to be part of their lives. As an art teacher you have a strangely close relationship as kids grapple with trying to best conceptually express some very personal ideas. Sometimes I feel like a therapist. The opportunity to produce major events and to have artistic licence with crazy creative teams has been fun for me. I really appreciate Sue taking a chance with me with my marketing suggestions and very casually telling the Exec to change the college’s name …and the blank expressions when I told them that their logo needs to be more organic! …and also for trusting me with Senior School and the strong team who has built this big HSC boat and have confidently set sail in choppy shallow water…

I find myself in a strange situation where as a gay Christian in a non inclusive Christian environment, I feel a little like the character Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady where she is from a working class background but trained to mix with the upper class. Towards the end of the story Eliza discovers, to her horror, that now after her training …she doesn’t appear to fit in either group! I have come to the same horrifying conclusion that I don’t really fit in. In the same way, being gay all my life but also a Christian for 24 years, I find that I can no longer live with the internal conflict between my sexual orientation and a Christian culture that views me as sick, dysfunctional or some kind of super sinner…

After 15 years, it has only since being at Charlton, I now realize that Christian education is not ready for the Iain Wallaces [the writer's name] of this world at this point. I tell others that Charlton has the most caring staff I have ever experienced, but it is actually here that I…

- have been told to word advertisements in a way that gay Christians won’t apply for jobs.
- have been told by a staff member that all gay people are diseased
- have read the hatred of gays in most of the job applications …and we seem to be ok with this.
- have been told by a staff member that all faggots should be shot in the head

As Christians we have been trained to be black and white. The greyer cultural issues of the Bible are treated as some sort of threat. The church has changed its position over the years often embracing a new understanding but never actually admitting we got it wrong. We have to concede that it has not been Christians but the scientists and social commentators who have helped us see new truths about God and the Bible. For example, we know now that…

- mental disorders and epilepsy are not actually demon possession
- black people do not suffer under the OT’s ‘curse of Ham”
- women ‘deserve’ the relatively recent basic privileges of voting, holding office, manage a business or a school, preach or pastor a church.
- the OT and NT’s approval of human slavery is no longer acceptable.
- there are many good reasons for divorce other than infidelity
- killing other people because they worship other gods is intolerable …yet we seem to be more okay with men holding guns than with men holding hands…