The Benefits of Being over 60

Trust me, I've done more than my share of complaining about aging.  Those complaints include increased aches and pains, loss of stamina and strength, and even a dulling of memory.  However, in the past few years I've come to rejoice in the fact that I've lived most of my life and won't have to face a bleak future.  The times, they truly are a'changing and not for the better.  I no longer envy the young, in any way possible.

My generation, in my estimation, lived through the best of times of American history.  We also, for the most part, benefited from a high point in education on all levels.  From kindergarten through graduate school, our educational system reached its zenith.  As baby boomers we had benefits both from having parents who lived through WWII and the Great Depression and living through major progressive changes ourselves.  Our parents witnessed and/or experienced the advent of Social Security and FDR's implementation of massive expansion and improvements in our infrastructure, from roads, to bridges and dams.  That isn't saying everything was good.  The development of the atomic bomb, the bombing of Hiroshima, the Holocaust showcased the worst of humanity.

In the 1950s President Eisenhower oversaw the building of interstate highways, connecting our nation as never before.  In the 1960s we saw the first steps toward equality for all humans, recognizing people of color and women as fully human, although that fight still continues today.  The passing of the Civil Rights Act and the advent of the Second Wave of feminism helped to provide previously unavailable opportunities to a large segment of our population.  President Johnson got Medicare passed, so that the elderly wouldn't have to go without affordable and accessible health care.  Add to all this the fact that we had the best music ever - Elvis Presley, Motown, Crosby/Stills/Nash & Young, the Beatles, Carole King, James Taylor, just to name a few of my personal favorites.  As time progressed, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, and LGBT persons were coming out of the closet and beginning to be "granted" their rights as humans as well. 

What does the future hold that concerns and worries me so much?  I'll try to make the list concise:

• CLIMATE CHANGE
• AN EROSION OF RIGHTS, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN
• A WORLDWIDE FAILING OF ECONOMIES
• INCREASED UNEMPLOYMENT/POVERTY
• INCREASED VIOLENCE, EITHER PERSONALLY OR THROUGH WARS
• EXTINCTION OF MORE AND MORE SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS
• WORLD HUNGER
• BIGGER AND MORE FREQUENT NATURAL AND MAN MADE DISASTERS
• INCREASED DESERTIFICATION
• LACK OF SUFFICIENT CLEAN WATER, IN OUR OCEANS, LAKES, RIVERS - EVERYWHERE
• INCREASED RELIGIOUS ZEALOTRY BY ALL RELIGIONS

During a time when we, as Americans, have access to a larger amount of information via the Internet, most of us remain complacent and uninformed of the dangers which are happening, whether in our own backyards or worldwide.   It seems to me that only a small percentage of Americans are actually paying attention.  Too many are simply struggling to get by, day to day.  Others just don't care, continuing to believe that things will get better and there isn't anything to worry about.  And still others resort to paranoia about fantasy bogey-men (like the UN Agenda 21).

A couple of articles that I read this morning prompted me to put up this post.  First is this from Alternet - Alaska Militia Leader sentenced to prison   I highly recommend checking out the website for the Southern Poverty Law Center to find out more about militias and hate groups, and their astronomical rise in the past four years - Hate and Extremism

And one final link has to do with President Obama's nomination of Jack Lew for Treasury Secretary.  Although I had wished he would appoint Sheila Bair, former chair of the FDIC, I never expected that to happen.  Soon to be former Treasury Secretary had helped get her booted from the early White House team.  I would have been just as happy had either Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz or David Cay Johnston been the nominee.  I never expected that to happen either.  I hadn't been concerned about Lew, despite his wacky & arrogant signature after hearing Obama's glowing introduction to the nomination.  Additionally, NPR made a point to say that Lew had photos of the FDR programs gracing his office walls, implying that Lew was supportive of these programs.  This interview on Alternet changed my mind and put a knot in my stomach.  Below is a quote about Jack Lew from Professor William Black:

So—and he has the history, in one sense, correct. He says the problem arose before deregulation. That’s true that derivatives were already a problem before deregulation. And so, Brooksley Born proposes to deal with the problem by having a regulation to deal with credit default swaps. And then the Clinton administration, in league with Greenspan, in league with Phil Gramm, and with one of the important architects of all of this being Jack Lew, squashes Brooksley Born to destroy the proposed regulation and to pass something, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act—talk about a dishonest phrase—that not only said, "You, Brooksley Born, cannot go forward with this particular regulation," the statute actually said, "We hereby withdraw all regulatory powers to protect the nation, period. From the federal government, from the state and local governments, we exempt you from the gambling laws. We exempt you from the boiler room laws to prevent fraudulent operations." It’s one of the most extraordinary abusive things in the world, heavily involved with AIG’s ability to produce not just the disaster atAIG, but the disaster of credit—of the CDOs that blew up a larger portion of the world. And those CDOs would not have been possible without these credit default swaps.

Again, I had held out hope that Obama would get Congress to re-instate Glass-Steagall.  That ain't gonna happen with Jack Lew at the helm of Treasury.

For more about Glass-Steagall, check out these links:
Glass-Steagall

Interestingly, Sandy Weil, formerly of Citigroup and advocate for the repeal of this law, has reversed his position and sees the error of his ways now that it's too late: Sandy Weil + Glass-Steagall

Religion vs Science, or Faith vs Reality

No matter where you get your news these days, radio, television, newspapers or online, at least one of the headlines has something to do with religion.  I am an agnostic, but I was raised in a non-dogmatic, Christian home.  My kindergarten was a Bible school, I attended Sunday School from 1^st grade through my confirmation, when I then attended church.  I took lessons (Bible study classes) every Saturday for 2 years in preparation for confirmation in our church.  

Growing up, I questioned much of what I read in and was taught about the Bible.  One thing, however, stood out for me.  I don’t remember what grade I was in, but we were studying Greek mythology.  I was fascinated by it and the stories.  I remember some kids making fun of it, which bothered me.  I didn’t like the fact that they were ridiculing early Greek religion.  How would they feel if someone ridiculed their religion?  These weren’t Grimm’s Fairy Tales, they were the religious beliefs of a highly educated culture.  It was how the Greeks explained the unknown, which IMHO is just what religion is.  Scientific knowledge at the time of the Greeks’ golden age was limited.  

Another curriculum item that fascinated me was Science.  Learning about dinosaurs, the planets, the universe, atoms, electrons, neutrons – what’s not to love?  Explaining and understanding the world around me, science unlocked those doors and revealed the secrets to so many mysteries.  My love of science continues to this day because it better fulfills my need for knowledge and an understanding of the realities of life.  I learned early on that death is inevitable and often comes unexpectedly, so LIFE became much more precious.  

Needless to say the news about climate change denial, anti-contraception protests and laws, creationism vs. evolution, just to name a few is disconcerting, at the very least, and maddening at the worst.  Instead of adequately funding our public school system we spend billions on military spending and war.  Lawmakers and local school boards are trying to turn our public education over to for profit businesses using vouchers and by funding charter schools.  These groups are replacing text books teaching FACTS with text books filled with misrepresentations and outright lies.  High quality education is the bedrock of any country, civilization.  It reminds me of the Dark Ages when most of the world's population didn't go to school and couldn't read or write.  How better to dominate and exert control over the populace? 

I have no problem with the teaching of religious studies classes in schools; classes which teach students about all of the world’s religions.  However, religious beliefs don’t belong in science classes.  Most, if not all, religions have a creation story.  Yes, religion of all cultures strives to explain the world to its followers, but it is based on faith – NOT ON FACT AND NOT ON REALITY.  Since religious beliefs cannot be proven, nor can they be replicated (anyone bumped into a talking, burning bush lately or has James Dobson descended from the mountain top with a new set of commandments?).  Science is based on experiments, where results can be replicated.  Science is based on FACT.  Science is based on REALITY.  Sadly,  less than half of all Americans BELIEVE in evolution.  How can they if they aren’t taught about evolution and Darwin’s trip around the world where he saw the different sub-species of finches on each of the Galapagos Islands?  How can they if they don’t learn about carbon dating, which allows scientists to determine just how old the dinosaur bones they discover are?  Science decodes the mystery and magic that exists in the world around us.  It fosters not only a better understanding of the natural world, it fosters respect for the wonders of the natural world and why we must learn to live in harmony with all life on this planet.  Personally, I would rather protect the only home we and future generations have than bet there is a happily ever after in some mythical Heaven or Nirvana and that I will be granted permission to enter.  

For a much more eloquent and “enlightening” take on this subject, check out this piece from Common Dreams (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/06/18-2).  John Atcheson sees a return of the Dark Ages in this article.  And yes, I have feared a return to the Dark Ages for some time.  I’ve told many friends that I have long anticipated being burned at the stake.  Most of those persecuted as witches during the Inquisition and Dark Ages were older women who had cats and dared to be a bit more than contrary.  If that doesn’t describe me, I don’t know what does. 

And you can find more on The Burning Times here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_burn2.htm

 

There is a reason that America's constitution clearly outlines a separation of Church and State, and does not permit the government to "endorse" or favor a national religion. Feel free to practice your personal religion and let me have my freedom from religion.  How about the believers practicing what they preach?  DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.  

YOU’RE GROUNDED!

Well, well, well, young ladies, you have stepped over the line one too many times.  My previous scoldings, tongue lashings and hand slappings obviously haven’t worked.  From hence forth you shall only speak when spoken to.  When you do speak, you will utter only the words I tell you to speak.  You will only participate in activities that I have sanctioned.  You will associate only with people and groups who I have previously approved.  Everything you do, say and THINK will be monitored by my hand-picked lady-sitter.  You will learn to behave like the proper ladies I expect you to be.  You will LEARN YOUR PLACE in the world and you will REMAIN IN YOUR PLACE under threat of eternal damnation.  Why?  By what authority do I declare this mandate?  Because I am your Father, my authority comes directly from God, I AM IL PAPA, The Pope!

You are held to a standard set by God.  As a woman, you are born of Man as was Eve born from Adam’s rib.  You are not fully human.  Humanity applies only to men.  We were the first and we wield a mighty wand.  God put man on earth to control your uncontrollable, base nature.  Without our guidance you would sow destruction upon our earth.  Only through our beneficence can you possibly know God and do God’s work.  Only we know God’s mind, only we are inherently able to determine Right from Wrong, Good from Evil.  We are always on the side of Right and Good.  Only we have the God given ability to lead the world and keep people on the path of both Right and Good.  We are God’s perfect examples of how to live a Godly, Devout life…………………..unless, of course we see a lovely young boy and, occasionally, a particularly charming young girl.  Then it is incumbent upon us to share God’s love with them.  With young children, we can demonstrate the ecstasy of God’s love.  We can teach young boys the power that resides within the wand with which God gifted them.  

END OF SARCASM.  

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) have been roundly reprimanded by The Vatican, i.e. Pope Benedict for what he and Bishop Leonard Blair have determined that the Leadership:

“had challenged church teaching on homosexuality and the male-only priesthood, and promoted “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.”  And these heretical women have focused too much of their time and efforts on the issue of poverty. 

You can read the full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/us/vatican-reprimands-us-nuns-group.html

another here: http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2012/04/nuns-%E2%80%98stunned%E2%80%99-as-vatican-tells-them-to-focus-on-%E2%80%98human-sexuality%E2%80%99/

and from the LCWR website: https://lcwr.org/media/news/lcwr-board-meets-review-cdf-report

Apparently the pervasive perversion of pedophilic priests and the conspiracy by higher ranking authorities within the church (including the current Pope before he was “elected” to his position) weren’t horrendous, hypocritical nor outrageous enough for Catholics around the world to flee this faith.  I shouldn’t need to detail these crimes committed by priests against children, as well as those committed against church followers.  How these criminally perverted hypocrites could continue to preach to their parishioners about morality, values and purity of mind and body is beyond my understanding.  Certainly, it is the epitome of “Do as I say, not as I do.”  To stand in judgment, take confession of the people who looked to them for salvation is unconscionable.  For me, worse yet was the fact that church elders were well aware of the perverted activities of the priests and chose to either ignore it, cover it up or transfer the priest to another unwitting parish, where those priests would have a “fresh crop” of innocent children to molest.  There was no outrage, no condemnation of this widespread disease infecting the church.  In most cases the church attacked the victims instead.  However, now that women have dared to minister to the poor, to provide counsel and comfort to those in the LGBT community, to speak up for women’s health rights – this is what the Church finds truly outrageous.  This is something that DEMANDS Public Shaming.  No doubt, if the Church had the power in today’s world, these women would be trotted out into the public square, have their bodices ripped from them, tie them to a stake and whip them for the public to witness.  Alternately, they would probably like to lock them in a pillory so that the public could walk past them and pelt them with eggs, rotten tomatoes or even stones.  

 

What will it take for those who call themselves Catholic to fully reject this corrupt, evil organization?  The sacrificing of the lives of innocent children apparently wasn’t enough.  Will the public shaming and denunciation of nuns and women of faith who have generously served the physical and moral needs of individual people become the one that opens their eyes? 

UPDATE June 2 6:15 PM Eastern Time: Alternet ( http://www.alternet.org/) has a lengthy post about this issue.  It's well worth reading, as well as encouraging.  Personally, I can only hope that the nuns will defeat The Vatican in this struggle.  Check it out here: http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/155696/why_the_pope_hates_nuns/?page=1

Values & Morals, Part 1

Unless you make a concerted effort to avoid television, radio and serious discussions you know that the discussion in the U.S. for the past few months has been dominated by the topics of morals, morality and values.  The majority of the talk has involved women’s behavior and the consequences thereof.  Most of this rhetoric has been coming from the Right, primarily due to the Republican presidential primaries and Rush Limbaugh.  These players have dominated the conversation. 

Unlike the political shows that I regularly watch and blogs that I regularly read, I want to talk about the values that I hold dear and my take on morals and morality.  Why?  Well a friend recently directed me to the latest post by George Lakoff, a linguist and professor whose work I greatly admire.  To check out the inspiration for this post, go here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/santorum-strategy_b_1338708.html

First a disclaimer:  these are my beliefs and are not a part of a tradition, codified ideology, religious doctrine or political party.  While as a self-described ecofeminist, my point of view is what I arrived at after evaluating my life experiences and the books that I have chosen to read.  I haven’t had any formal training, taken any women’s studies classes in college, nor undergone any sort of indoctrination process.  Feel free to identify with one from Column A, two from Column B or any distribution you want, including rejecting all of the following.  For the time being, at least, this is a relatively free country. 

In my formative years I attended the local Lutheran church.  In preparation for confirmation in the faith, I attended a 2 year long, weekly Bible study program with others my age.  Because of my affinity for animals, most likely from birth, I frequently questioned some of what is in the Bible.  Animal sacrifices bothered me immensely.  Additionally, the absence of women in the many lineages (a man begat this man, who begat that man and so on), I was disturbed by this omission of half of the human race’s participation in populating the world.  Where were the mothers?  Even at a very young age, it seemed to me that the chronicles recorded in the Bible were weighted heavily toward men.  The inequities visited upon women were apparent to me at a very early age, long before the second wave of feminism.  And, incidentally as a Lutheran, I was taught a distrust of and opposition to the Catholic Church, which remains with me to this day. 

Also at an early age I became interested in witches and witchcraft.  Maybe it was because I was an avid fan of the afternoon soap opera, Dark Shadows.  I certainly can attribute my fascination with vampires to that show and Barnabas Collins/Jonathan Frid.  I read whatever I could find on the Inquisition (conducted by the dreaded Catholic Church) and the persecution of so-called witches.  The primary targets of the Church were women, especially women who served as mid-wives and healers in their communities.  Most were widows with valuable property.  And, of course, many of them had cats.  When these women were found guilty of witchcraft, they were either burned alive at the stake or drowned.  Their cats faced the same fates because it was believed that the cats were the Devil who had transformed himself into a cat, which was most often a black cat.  Where do you think all of those myths about black cats actually came from?  Why are black cats singled out as bad luck?  Why do cats, in general, elicit such hatred even today?  The witch burnings also succeeded in destroying Women’s Wisdom, which many of these women possessed.  And, of course, their horrible deaths served as a way to keep women “in their place”, submissive, subjugated and compliant to men.  This is probably the beginning of my foreshadowing of my fate as well – I could envision a burning stake in my future. 

VALUE #1:  A woman is as much of a person as a man.  Women are as smart as men, women are as capable and competent as men. 

For the first 40 years of my life, I loved animals.  It wasn’t until my best friend and very first cat, Casey, died that I came to respect animals and their inherent worth.  My circle of compassion widened to include all living things.  I came across a quote that sums up my feelings better than I ever could.  The following was written by Henry Beston in his book The Outermost House:

“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”

VALUE #2:  All living things – be they non-human animals or plants – have as much of a right to live and as much of a value as humans.  We, as humans, have no right to question their purpose for being.  They exist and therefore they have purpose and value.  Their lives, their very survival, are as important to them as ours are to each of us.

I don’t want to be misunderstood here.  I am talking about living things who exist, not fetuses who may or may not have the potential to be born alive.  I personally find it disgusting that there are those people who place a higher value on the potential life of a fetus than they do on living, breathing, already born children and women.  To ignore the health and well-being of a child, a woman or a non-human animal and dedicate one’s time, money and passion on a potential life is beyond cruel, it’s evil. 

VALUE #3:  Humans are part of, not apart from, the animal kingdom and the rest of Nature.

Do you remember the childhood game, animal/vegetable/mineral?  You would be given the name of something and have to determine which category it fell into.  Humans are neither a vegetable nor a mineral therefore, at least, in this scenario they are an animal.  Much of our behavior can be understood by a better understanding of the behavior of those non-human animals to whom we are most closely related – other mammals. 

I plan to make this an ongoing series of posts.  I’m going to sign off for today and try to get some things done around the house.  There are dishes to wash, laundry to do and litter boxes to scoop.  Wish me success in getting my To Do list for today completed.  Hopefully, I’ll also get my potato soup made as well.  I’ll end with the recipe, in the event you’re interested in giving this vegan version a try.

POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

Russet potatoes – number depend on how much soup you want to make or the size of your stock pot

16 oz bag of frozen peas & carrots

Unsweetened soy milk

Smart Balance vegan margarine spread (equivalent to half a stick of butter)

Salt & pepper to taste

Peel & slice potatoes.  Put them in a steamer inside a stock pot.  Cook until tender.  Drain the water from the stock pot and transfer the potatoes into the stock pot.  Fill the pot with the unsweetened soy milk until the potatoes are nearly covered.  Add margarine and the frozen peas and carrots.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low until the peas and carrots are fully cooked, stirring frequently.  Note:  I have never tried freezing this.  It’s too yummy and gone in no time at all.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

This was a popular phrase that my mother used frequently as I grew up.  Frankly, it annoyed the crap out of me.  If that was how it should be “done”, then why aren’t you doing it that way, Mom?  Of course, I would have had my mouth washed out with soap for talking back, so I never said it……but I sure as heck thought it. 

In the past month, this phrase has sprung to mind on several occasions.  To me this is the motto of hypocrites and there seem to be a bunch of them in the news lately.  We have a couple of poster boys and an institution that has been around for over 2000 years.  These folks are preaching Morality for the Masses, and telling us just how we should be living our lives.  And, by not following their mandates, we are stripping others of their Constitutional liberties, we are taking America in the wrong direction and we are being sacrilegious.  If you believe them, there is a war being waged against Religion.  Really?  Is that really what they think?  I have a bit of a different perspective. 

Before I begin, let me make a full disclosure.  As a child, I was raised Lutheran.  Although my parents only attended church on Easter and Christmas Eve, I attended a Lutheran kindergarten, Sunday School every week, confirmation classes for two years in preparation to being confirmed in the Lutheran church and then moving on to attending church services  instead of Sunday School.  I have read the Bible, and those two years of confirmation classes were weekly Bible studies.  Throughout this learning period, I questioned quite a bit and had many concerns about much of what I was being taught and what was in the Bible.  I left religion behind, permanently, when I discovered feminism in college.  I do, however, firmly believe in The Golden Rule and the ethic of care practiced by Jesus in the Bible.  And, I detest hypocrisy in all of its forms.  

  

Let me begin with Newton Leroy Gingrich, or as I prefer to call him, Newter.  

 

 At some point in his proselytizing he used the phrase “the sanctity of marriage.”  PLEASE, Newter!  You of all people who has pissed all over your marriage vows, not once but at least twice.  If there really was a god, you would have been struck by lightning when that phrase left your lips.  You who married one of your high school teachers, had her work to put you through grad school so you wouldn’t have to work.  Then, while she was in the hospital fighting cancer, you told her you wanted a divorce so that you could marry your lover.  Then, after marrying your second wife, you cheated on her for six years with the devout Catholic woman you would make your third wife.  And due to this devoutly religious woman, who had no problem having secret sexual relations with the husband of another woman, you converted to Catholicism.  So now that you have found god, you can champion the sanctity of marriage, but only between one man and one woman.  Something you, of course, didn’t practice in the past.  And now, you are against same sex marriage.  You claim our current president, also a professed Christian, is waging a war against religion. You call the president the Food Stamp president, you want to repeal the Affordable Health Care Plan, you are outraged that Catholic hospitals and universities will be required to include contraception without a co-pay in the insurance plans they choose for their employees.  Personally, I think your past affairs and disrespect for the vows of fidelity you freely took do more damage to religion than anything the president has done.  Not to mention your willingness to start even more wars – against Iran, Pakistan, et al – flies in the face of the sanctity of life and your profession for being a pro-life candidate.  Do you only respect “life” within the womb?  What about the viable lives outside the womb?  Then there is the food stamp question.  Actually it’s the SNAP Program now, Newter.  Who do you think is using this program?  Do you realize that it mostly benefits children living in poverty, the elderly, the disabled, the working poor and the unemployed?  While expressing outrage over “food stamps” you also want to eliminate ALL taxes on capital gains.  So, for you and your Christian values, the extremely wealthy need more money while those struggling in poverty don’t really need food.  Do I have that correct?  Not exactly my idea of “Christian charity.”  Well, if you are a good example of just what a good Christian looks, sounds and acts like, then I’m not buying into it. 

Then there is Mr. Social Values Candidate Supreme, Rick “Frothy” Santorum.   

Rick, whose wife Karen, lived with the doctor who delivered her, a man 40 years older than her and a doctor who performed abortions, without being married to him.  And, now the two of you are models of a good Christian married couple.  You have come into your own recently with the announcement that all employers, including the Catholic Church, must provide insurance for their employees that includes no co-pay prescriptions for contraception.  Apparently you aren’t aware that 28 states already require all employers that provide prescription benefits to include contraception in the coverage.  You can read more about this here:  http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/07/420114/many-catholic-universities-hospitals-already-offer-contraception-as-part-of-their-health-insurance-plans/  If we believe you, this violates the First Amendment right to freedom of religion.  But you also think that states should make the sale and purchase of contraception illegal.  How is that not abridging the First Amendment rights of non-Catholics?  Isn’t that imposing Catholic doctrine on people of all faiths, or even those of no faith?  So, let’s make sure I have this correct.  Everyone should respect your belief system but you have no responsibility to respect the belief systems of others?  And for you, that’s Freedom of Religion?  Is that right? 

And then there is the Catholic Church, the bastion of morality for millions of people around the world.  And they have set such a stellar example for us all.  As an historian and recent convert, I’m certain – well, not really - that Newter has thoroughly studied the Church’s history of imposing morality across the planet.  We have the s0-called witch dunkings/drownings and burnings during the Dark Ages (mostly elderly, widowed midwives), the Crusades that waged war against Islam, the conquering of the New World that led to the massacre of indigenous peoples and, of course, the most recent moral crusade of ignoring, condoning, empowering the pedophiles within their ranks.  Ah yes, these are the guys that I’m going to look to for moral conduct and advice.  

Apparently all of these pious Christians missed this, which even I – the non-believer – remember quite well.  It’s John 8:7:  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.   So, if you are wondering What Would Jesus Do, ponder that passage. Or maybe you could work on setting a better example by practicing what you preach - before you even preach it.