Saturday in Lent / Sexuality and Sharia

So many thoughts in our heads.

The Pope said:  for Lent, try to get rid of some "indifference".  Interesting phrase.  The Pope also worries about being killed.  He hopes it would not hurt too much, if it happened to him.

It sounds like he has thought about it.  

The paper is full of contradictory ideas.  The empowered feminists want to let women assert a strong sexuality, just like men.  Women should take back the word "slut" and make it positive.  Be a "good slut".  They find it backfires.  What a surprise.

Also, little children should be taught about being gay or lesbian or transgendered.  Most importantly they should learn about "consent."  

(Would you ever want to be a teacher again?)

A Christian school in England was shut down because children could not explain what lesbians do.

A Muslim woman wants to weir a veil while becoming a Canadian citizen.  It is her identity as Muslim, she insists.  She does not feel right if she does not wear it.  Sharia is all about not giving women rights.  We want to encourage this?  What about our right to see our fellow citizen's face?  Must we look at veils?  In any case, the newspaper says, it seems that is be important to distinguish between religious beliefs and simple habits.  Well, try and draw the line, here, with Islam.  The religion simply seems to be about keeping women down and covered, or enslaved.

ISIS wants to wreck mayhem in southern Europe and take Rome.  Islam has been there before.  It has been at the gates of Vienna.  But now adherents are our fellow citizens.  Some of them don't want us to see them.  Others want to chop our heads off.

This business with headcoverings is always a ploy.  If someone wants to show their piety with such measures, we can be sure that the devil is in it, Luther already told us that in regards to a variety of groups and their special garb.

Piety is not in the hat or veil.  Never.  Piety is a matter of the heart.

Oh, and in Saudi Arabia, the garb can only be black now.  No dark blue or browns allowed.  The police messed up the clothing stores.  These woman in the picture are not dressed properly.

Am I overcoming and indifference, Pope Francis?  

How does one speak to feminists and all these women insisting on choosing to  follow Sharia?

How do we speak to the children?

There should be freedom in clothing choices and fashions, though not all are tasteful or to be recommended.  Women should be basically decent and modest;  it is a good policy much of the time. 

But they also need to assert their human rights and equal value.  

"Honor Diaries" is on Netflix.  I have not seen it yet.  It seems intelligently made.  I will work on my care and love for women oppressed by Sharia law.-- You need not wear the veil.  It really is not part of your identity.  It is also not anything that matters in your relationship with God.  Not one bit. 

It only matters that our sins are forgiven, in Christ.  And our sins are much more serious than the wearing or not wearing of a certain item of clothing.

Let us search our hearts for love of God and neighbor.