Monday, December 24, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Chivalry
After the women's liberation movement of the 1960s, which insisted on the equal treatment of women in all domains of life, feminists dismissed chivalry as sexist. They still do. A new study, published in the feminist journal Psychology of Women Quarterly, questions the entire enterprise of male chivalry, which, in an Orwellian flourish, it calls "benevolent sexism."
Chivalrous behavior is benevolent because it flatters women and leads to their preferential treatment. But it is sexist because it relies on the "gendered premise" that women are weak and in need of protection while men are strong. "Benevolent sexism," Kathleen Connelly and Martin Heesacker of the University of Florida write in the study, "is an ideology that perpetuates gender inequality." They advocate interventions to reduce its prevalence, even though, they found, chivalry is associated with greater life satisfaction and the sense that the world is fair, well-ordered, and a good place.
Charles Murray, the libertarian social scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, summed up the study with tongue-in-cheek, writing "the bad news is that gentlemanly behavior makes people happy." He goes on to ask, "When social scientists discover something that increases life satisfaction for both sexes, shouldn't they at least consider the possibility that they have come across something that is positive? Healthy? Something that might even conceivably be grounded in the nature of Homo sapiens?"
In an interview, Connelly tells me that despite Murray's points, the problem with chivalry is that it assumes "women are wonderful but weak." This assumption of female weakness puts women down, Connelly says.
Perhaps because of women's ambivalence about chivalry, men have grown confused about how to treat women. Will holding doors open for them or paying for the first date be interpreted as sexist? Does carrying their groceries imply they're weak? The breakdown in the old rules, which at one extreme has given rise to the hookup culture, has killed dating and is leaving a lot of well-meaning men and women at a loss.
"We should have a clear notion of what chivalry is," argues Pier Massimo Forni, an award-winning professor of Italian literature and the founder of the Civility Institute at Johns Hopkins. "It was a form of preferential treatment that men once accorded to women generations ago, inspired by the sense that there was something special about women, that they deserve added respect, and that not doing so was uncouth, cowardly and essentially despicable."
Chivalry arose as a response to the violence and barbarism of the Middle Ages. It cautioned men to temper their aggression, deploying it only in appropriate circumstances—like to protect the physically weak and defenseless members of society. As the author and self-described "equity feminist" Christina Hoff Sommers tells me in an interview, "Masculinity with morality and civility is a very powerful force for good. But masculinity without these virtues is dangerous—even lethal."
Chivalry is grounded in a fundamental reality that defines the relationship between the sexes, she explains. Given that most men are physically stronger than most women, men can overpower women at any time to get what they want. Gentlemen developed symbolic practices to communicate to women that they would not inflict harm upon them and would even protect them against harm. The tacit assumption that men would risk their lives to protect women only underscores how valued women are—how elevated their status is—under the system of chivalry.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Dry As Toast: And the Battles, They Are Never-Ending
Dry As Toast: And the Battles, They Are Never-Ending: My family seems to have the worse luck with this holiday month. Seventeen years ago, we lost our grandmother due to complications from her...
Thursday, December 20, 2012
" Fear Not "- Rev. M.D. Rogers
On the windswept hillsides outside of town, shepherds are huddling, too. All of a sudden the sky lights up and an angel proclaims:
"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."6
Fear not. The shepherds' fear is turned to joy as they hear news that a Savior is born. The Messiah! In Bethlehem, the city of David himself!
And so they run down the hillsides into the town and hurry from stable to stable until they find the Child in the manger, just as they have been told. Tucked in that manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes against the cold, is the Savior himself.
A Savior comes to rescue people in danger, preserve those who are threatened by harm, and protect his people from the troubles that surround them. That's what saviors do! That's what Jesus came to do for us.
Do not be afraid because God has sent a Savior to us -- Jesus Christ the Lord. He is the One who will:
Never leave us or forsake us.
Supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.
Add to us all the things we need as we seek him and his Kingdom.
Christmas Is About a Savior
Our world doesn't know. They think that Christmas is about gifts under a tree and a spirit of good cheer, with Christmas dinner and family around the table. But as good as all that may be, it isn't nearly as good as the Real Christmas.
The Real Christmas message is this: God has sent a Savior for you. To save you from your sins and to help you in this life -- to lift your burden and ease your fears. That's it! A Savior who is Christ the Lord -- God himself!
The world is gripped by fear. But fear's hold has been broken in those of us who believe the angel's words:
"Fear not ... for a Savior is born to you -- Christ the Lord!"
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
During times of adversity and hardship, when the grey, thick clouds of political strife and international crises loom over us, it is natural to want to draw the curtains closed and barricade ourselves from the ugliness outside our doors. When we wonder if we will have enough money to keep a roof over our heads and food on our tables, it might be difficult to imagine that we can offer anything of value to God. Yet, it is in these seasons of spiritual winter; in these times of vulnerability and uncertainty that we offer to God the gifts he desires most.Although our hands may be empty of resources, if our hearts are full of praise and thankfulness to Him and love expressed in generosity to His people, He is blessed beyond measure. As he found much pleasure in the poor widow's offering of a few pennies at the temple, so he finds much pleasure in our sacrificial giving of ourselves during times of hardship.
No matter what season you are experiencing in your life, as you present your heart to the Lord, may you feel the warmth of His light shine upon you and through you. May that light be a beacon to those in the darkness and may you truly be a messenger of God's greatest gift to the world, His son, Jesus Christ.
God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
From all of us at Faith That Lives Ministry
Rev. M.D. Rogers-Executive Director
Christmas Prayer:
Father, We thank Thee for this day.
Bless all we do and all we say.
May we each enjoy Thy blessings great
As Jesus' Birth we celebrate.
And may the love that we share here
Remain throughout the coming year.
Amen!
Police: 20 children among 26 victims of Connecticut school shooting
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting_n_2300831.html
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Cosmic Alignments
..On Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers fear the apocalypse — anything
from
a rogue planet smashing into us to our world spinning end over end. However, the
world should expect nothing more next year than the winter solstice, the longest
night of the year, NASA says.
Many people point to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012
as evidence of the coming apocalypse, but astronomers have been quick to stress
that there is nothing to be concerned about.
According to the ancient Mayan calendar, next year's winter solstice marks the
end of a 144,000-day cycle. This cycle, which begins at the mythical Maya
creation date, has already been repeated 12 times. The 13th will end in 2012,
capping a full 5,200-year Mayan cycle of creation.
This date has long been shrouded in mystery, with many claiming that it will
bring destruction to our planet. [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears]
Rogue planet Nibiru?
One fear is that a rogue planet that has been dubbed "Nibiru" or "Planet X" is
supposedly aimed at Earth. Self-proclaimed Nibiru expert Nancy Lieder, who says
she is in contact with the aliens from Zeta Reticuli, first said Nibiru would
cause widespread disaster in May 2003, only to change it to Dec. 21, 2012.
There is, however, no evidence that Nibiru is real.
"Nibiru is ridiculous because it doesn't exist — it never existed as anything
other than a figment of the imagination by pseudo-scientists who don't seem
bothered by a complete lack of evidence," astronomer Don Yeomans, manager of
NASA's Near-Earth Object program office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif., told SPACE.com.
There is no basis for the claim that it might be lurking behind the sun, as it
could not have hidden from observation until now, Yeomans said. If such a planet
was headed toward Earth by Dec. 21, 2012, it would already be visible to the
naked eye.
Cosmic alignments?
There are also concerns that planets or stars might line up in ways that will
transform Earth. For instance, some theorists claim that from our point of view,
the sun will cross in front of the plane of our galaxy on Dec. 21. However, the
sun already does this twice a year, Yeomans said.
In fact, the sun will eventually cross the plane of our galaxy. However, the sun
is about 67 light-years from the galactic plane, so it should take several
million years to do so, Yeomans said. Even then, when our solar system finally
does cross the plane, nothing special will occur, he added. [10 Failed Doomsday
Predictions]
Some also claim that gravitational effects from planets lining up with each
other will somehow affect Earth. However, there is no planetary alignment due on
Dec. 21, 2012, "and if there were, it wouldn't cause any problems," Yeomans
said.
The only bodies that have any significant gravitational impact on Earth are the
moon and the sun, effects we see as the tides. Tidal effects from other bodies
in our solar system are negligible at best, and in any case, we have experienced
them for millions of years without notice.
Solar storms?
Solar storms — deluges of energetic particles from the sun — do happen, usually
waxing and waning in cycles that last roughly 11 years. When these charged
particles collide with Earth, they can trigger auroras and damage satellites and
power lines, although not really inflicting any lasting harm, Yeomans said.
There are accounts of a solar "super-storm" slamming into Earth in 1859.
Although that caused relatively little damage back then, there are concerns that
such a storm might cause far more harm now that our world is more dependent on
electronics.
Yet, there is no evidence that such a super-storm will happen on Dec. 21 of next
year, Yeomans said.
Flip-flopping Earth?
There is some alarm that 2012 could see the flipping of Earth's poles — either
the planet's geographical poles, which mark the Earth's axis of rotation, or its
magnetic poles, which our compasses point toward.
But, there is no reason to fear such an occurrence, scientists said, because the
moon stabilizes our planet's spin. The planet's magnetic poles do flip, but over
periods of about 500,000 years, and not suddenly, "but over thousands of years,"
with no evidence of a flip on Dec. 21, 2012, Yeomans said.
Even if the planet's magnetic poles do flip, no real problems would occur, other
than the inconvenience of us having to change our compasses from north to south,
he added.
Cosmic impacts?
The Earth is always vulnerable to impacts by comets and asteroids, but giant
impacts are rare, with the last major collision taking place 65 million years
ago, ending the Age of Dinosaurs.
Still, astronomers do monitor the sky for near-Earth objects.
"There are no known near-Earth objects in 2012 that present a credible risk to
Earth," Yeomans said. "None, zero, zip, nada."
But despite evidence to the contrary, doomsdays theorists have garnered
attention, and similar prophecies will continue to proliferate unless scientists
become more involved in bringing truth to these outlandish claims, Yeomans said.
Mounting hysteria regarding these unfounded doomsday predictions "will improve
only if scientists get more engaged in debunking pseudoscience," he said.
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter
@Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
a rogue planet smashing into us to our world spinning end over end. However, the
world should expect nothing more next year than the winter solstice, the longest
night of the year, NASA says.
Many people point to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012
as evidence of the coming apocalypse, but astronomers have been quick to stress
that there is nothing to be concerned about.
According to the ancient Mayan calendar, next year's winter solstice marks the
end of a 144,000-day cycle. This cycle, which begins at the mythical Maya
creation date, has already been repeated 12 times. The 13th will end in 2012,
capping a full 5,200-year Mayan cycle of creation.
This date has long been shrouded in mystery, with many claiming that it will
bring destruction to our planet. [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears]
Rogue planet Nibiru?
One fear is that a rogue planet that has been dubbed "Nibiru" or "Planet X" is
supposedly aimed at Earth. Self-proclaimed Nibiru expert Nancy Lieder, who says
she is in contact with the aliens from Zeta Reticuli, first said Nibiru would
cause widespread disaster in May 2003, only to change it to Dec. 21, 2012.
There is, however, no evidence that Nibiru is real.
"Nibiru is ridiculous because it doesn't exist — it never existed as anything
other than a figment of the imagination by pseudo-scientists who don't seem
bothered by a complete lack of evidence," astronomer Don Yeomans, manager of
NASA's Near-Earth Object program office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif., told SPACE.com.
There is no basis for the claim that it might be lurking behind the sun, as it
could not have hidden from observation until now, Yeomans said. If such a planet
was headed toward Earth by Dec. 21, 2012, it would already be visible to the
naked eye.
Cosmic alignments?
There are also concerns that planets or stars might line up in ways that will
transform Earth. For instance, some theorists claim that from our point of view,
the sun will cross in front of the plane of our galaxy on Dec. 21. However, the
sun already does this twice a year, Yeomans said.
In fact, the sun will eventually cross the plane of our galaxy. However, the sun
is about 67 light-years from the galactic plane, so it should take several
million years to do so, Yeomans said. Even then, when our solar system finally
does cross the plane, nothing special will occur, he added. [10 Failed Doomsday
Predictions]
Some also claim that gravitational effects from planets lining up with each
other will somehow affect Earth. However, there is no planetary alignment due on
Dec. 21, 2012, "and if there were, it wouldn't cause any problems," Yeomans
said.
The only bodies that have any significant gravitational impact on Earth are the
moon and the sun, effects we see as the tides. Tidal effects from other bodies
in our solar system are negligible at best, and in any case, we have experienced
them for millions of years without notice.
Solar storms?
Solar storms — deluges of energetic particles from the sun — do happen, usually
waxing and waning in cycles that last roughly 11 years. When these charged
particles collide with Earth, they can trigger auroras and damage satellites and
power lines, although not really inflicting any lasting harm, Yeomans said.
There are accounts of a solar "super-storm" slamming into Earth in 1859.
Although that caused relatively little damage back then, there are concerns that
such a storm might cause far more harm now that our world is more dependent on
electronics.
Yet, there is no evidence that such a super-storm will happen on Dec. 21 of next
year, Yeomans said.
Flip-flopping Earth?
There is some alarm that 2012 could see the flipping of Earth's poles — either
the planet's geographical poles, which mark the Earth's axis of rotation, or its
magnetic poles, which our compasses point toward.
But, there is no reason to fear such an occurrence, scientists said, because the
moon stabilizes our planet's spin. The planet's magnetic poles do flip, but over
periods of about 500,000 years, and not suddenly, "but over thousands of years,"
with no evidence of a flip on Dec. 21, 2012, Yeomans said.
Even if the planet's magnetic poles do flip, no real problems would occur, other
than the inconvenience of us having to change our compasses from north to south,
he added.
Cosmic impacts?
The Earth is always vulnerable to impacts by comets and asteroids, but giant
impacts are rare, with the last major collision taking place 65 million years
ago, ending the Age of Dinosaurs.
Still, astronomers do monitor the sky for near-Earth objects.
"There are no known near-Earth objects in 2012 that present a credible risk to
Earth," Yeomans said. "None, zero, zip, nada."
But despite evidence to the contrary, doomsdays theorists have garnered
attention, and similar prophecies will continue to proliferate unless scientists
become more involved in bringing truth to these outlandish claims, Yeomans said.
Mounting hysteria regarding these unfounded doomsday predictions "will improve
only if scientists get more engaged in debunking pseudoscience," he said.
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter
@Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
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