Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[CBS 13]

 A Sacramento State grad is trying to make money the old fashioned way, by auctioning off her virginity to help pay for her graduate studies.   And so far, bidding is up to $250,000.

The 21-year-old who is using the pseudonym Natalie Dylan for safety reasons is going through a legal brothel in Nevada to sell her virginity. Dylan says she’s already taken a polygraph test to prove her virginal status, and is also willing to undergo a medical exam. 

Read more here.

[From me]

How sad.  God intended sex to be between a husband and wife.  This misguided woman is giving away something special to a stranger.  She may as well go to the street corner. I don’t get it.

What do you think?

[SCSU Collegian & NPR] Youth Radio’s Pendarvis Harshaw says that among his friends, the transition from condoms to no-condoms signifies a lasting commitment.

It shows trust, commitment, and the prospect of a shared future,” he adds.

As bold as the statement may be, it is a part of Harshaw’s essay, “Sex Without Condoms Is the New Engagement Ring,” where he explores the way today’s youth approach monogamy in relationships. 

The essay was submitted as a part of Youth Radio’s “What’s the New What?” series, which highlights new trends in youth culture.  In the on-air essay, Harshaw acknowledges the dangers of contracting STDs and the risk of unexpected pregnancies. He emphasized that while youth may ditch condoms in their sexual activities, other forms of birth control are still widely used.  After conducting an informal survey, Harshaw said he came up with the leading argument for his essay.

“[I spoke with] everybody from friends, to co-workers, to residents about relationships-how to approach getting into a monogamous relationship, and I saw a consistent trend,” says Harshaw. “A lot of people were talking about the most major step is the step toward unprotected sex.”

The controversial issue tackled in Harshaw’s essay has definitely raised eyebrows among the NPR audience and has received harsh criticisms and empathetic remarks alike.

“I believe the feedback was mixed because older folks just plain do not want to hear the truth about young people encountering heavy sexual situations at younger ages. These situations are definitely adult, and used to be taboo to even talk about, but children have been bombarded with so much sexual imagery by the media, that the situations themselves have become common,” says senior Matt Cody, film production major and founder of HowHood University Records.

Harshaw, who set out to shed light on youth perspective of monogamy with this essay, has been surprised and pleased with the feedback surrounding his argument.

Read more here and here.

[From me]

I admit, I don’t understand this.  I come from a Christian perspective in which sex is intended for people who married.  I don’t care what the divorce rates are, that is no excuse for skirting God’s design.  What is sad is when followers of Jesus don’t even follow his plans.  It breaks my heart when I hear about former students who made purity commitments don’t follow through on their promise to God and their future mates.  Now I realize there are those who make mistakes and God does forgive. But to say that the practice mentioned in the essay above is the new engagement is sad.

What do you think?

[Business and Media Institute]

Sometime you really have wonder at what cost some are willing to see their political ideology advanced. To liberal documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, the bounds are seemingly endless. Moore has made a recent career out of attacking President George W. Bush, bashing conservatives and criticizing business. His latest outrage occurred on MSNBC’s August 29 “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” and when he commented about the coincidental timing of an unfortunate disaster – the potential for Hurricane Gustav to make landfall at the beginning of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

 “I was just thinking, this Gustav is proof that there is a God in heaven,” Moore said, laughing. “To have it planned at the same time – that it would actually be on its way to New Orleans for day one of the Republican Convention, up in the Twin Cities – at the top of the Mississippi River.”

After that comment, Moore backed off a bit and did say he hoped nobody got hurt and he hoped everybody is taking cover. However, he failed to make note of the $43.625 billion in damage the last hurricane to strike New Orleans caused – Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – and the billions of dollars the storm cost taxpayers.

Read more of his stupid comments here.

[From me]

Sometimes I wonder where people get their lack of judgment.  I’m sure Mr. Moore was trying to be funny. But I don’t think a natural disaster that will affect millions of people is funny at all.  In fact, most of the people who live in New Orleans are democrats so Moore is happy that people in his own party are going to be hurt.  

Now in fairness, Chris Knight pointed out that Focus on the Family prayed for rain the night of Obama’s speech at the DNC.  I think that is wrong too.  

I lived through Hurricanes Bertha and Fran on the East Coast.  Then we were wiped out financially by Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina.  Hurricanes don’t pick which political party they are going to affect. They are equal opportunity disasters.  There is nothing funny about “Hurricane deductibles” with the insurance companies.  No matter how much damage the homeowner pays 2% deductible of the value of their home for “EACH” hurricane.  Lets just say with 3 hurricanes in a 13 month period our savings was wiped out.  We were fortunate compared to people who didn’t have savings.

So, Mr. Moore and Mr. Shephard think next time before you start laughing at other people’s misfortunes.  I wouldn’t laugh if your houses burned down or you had some misfortune come your way.  Shame on both of you.

What do you think?

[The Australian]

[Christian Post]

The former president of Oral Roberts University, who stepped down amid allegations he misspent school funds to live in luxury, is being offered a severance package but university officials won’t divulge its terms. Televangelist Richard Roberts, the son of school founder Oral Roberts, resigned in November.

He and his wife, Lindsay, were accused of dropping money on shopping sprees, home improvements and a stable of horses for their daughters at a time when ORU was more than $50 million in debt. Both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Billionaire Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green took the reins at ORU in January, donating $70 million and pledging to restore the public’s trust in the small evangelical school.

On Wednesday, Green called the proposed severance agreement “fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of ORU.” The package has yet to be finalized, and Green refused to comment further on the details.

Frank Hagedorn, Roberts’ attorney, confirmed the negotiations.

“He was promised a severance and he should get his severance,” said Hagedorn, who would not say whether his client was assured severance when he resigned last November.

Critics say any deal for Roberts sends the wrong signal.

Read more here.

[From me]

I’m glad Christians are known for forgiveness.  But when do you draw the line?  How would you feel if you had given money to ORU and it was misused?  When do followers of Jesus say enough? What if they deduct the extravagant spending from the severance? ORU has always been a fine school, I imagine they just want to sweep this whole incident under the rug.

What do you think?