Blog Post I'm Considering

Here's blog post I'm considering writing on StrangeCultureBlog.com. Feel free to use these thoughts for your own blog:

• Moral Lessons from Captain America: The First Avenger



• Considering the sequelability of a stand alone Captain America film as well as repeat roles by the cast of Captain Planet in a follow up feature.



• Book review on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close as well as a film preview



• Sandra Bullock's turn 47 this week (Born July 26, 1964)



• Food as an expression of individualism, potentially exploring ideas of isolation as well as the transition from choice/personal preference to conviction.



• The debt ceiling and whether or not it's appropriate to compare the American financial situation to individual household budgets.



• Response to the 30 Rock episode "The Bubble" (season 3) regarding attractive people.



• Further exploration on concepts of giving



• The "Christian" film industry in 2011



• Christmas in July

Twitter Trend #ChurchRealityShows

If you're not familiar with Twitter Trends, the pound sign (#) indicates an indexing function where people can connect their topic with others that are related. Tonight the trending topic is #ChurchRealityShows.

Clicking on the trend topic shows that more or less a game has started on twitter for a short period where people are creating reality shows built around Christian or religious themes. The list below will help you catch the theme of the trending topic. The goal is clearly comedy and creativity.

This could inspire your own blog post based on a vision for a real or humorous church reality show. You might also think or look at these ideas and make some conclusions about what is being implied or what image the church has to the world (or at least the twitter world).

Here are some of the tweets of imagined Church Reality Shows.

• Jerusalem Shore
• So You Think You Can Shout
• 16 & Purified
• MADE: To Be Jesus
• Who Wants to Be a Mennonite
• My Super Sweet Baptism
• Pimp My Ark
• Pastor's Wives
• Sin Busters
• All-Nite Prayer (uncensored)
• Faith Date
• Are You Smarter Than A Scientologist
• 42 and Not Pregnant
• Extreme Makeover: Church Edition
• The Real Housewives of Westboro Baptist Church
• Nazarene Idol
• Queer Eye for The Pastor Guy
• Man vs. God

January 3, 2011

• 515 years since Leonardo Da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine (1496)
• 490 years since Martin Luther was ex communicated by Pope Leo X in the Decet Romanum Pontificem
• 119 years since the birth of J.R.R. Tolkein author of the Lord of The Rings trilogy
• 100 years since the birth of film director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape)
• 86 years since Benito Mussolini announced taking power over Italy
• 55 years since the top of Eiffel Tower is damaged by Fire
• 50 years since the US ends diplomatic relationship with Cuba
• 49 years since Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro
• Eli Manning, Quarterback of the New York Giants, turns 30 (b. 1981)
• January 3 is the Christian feast of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris

December 12, 2010: Women In Church Leadership

On this day, 60 years ago in 1950 Paula Ackerman became the first woman in the United States to lead a Jewish congregation in the United States.

When her husband Rabbi William Ackerman died November 30, 1950 she took up the post of leading her husband's congregation, Temple Beth Israel in Meridian, Mississippi.

She served in this role until 1953, never being ordained or going through the traditional school experience of one who leads a Jewish congregation.

Ackerman again later in her life would serve for 9 months in her home town of Pensacola, Florida.

Ideas for blogging:

1. What's your thoughts on women in church leadership?


2. How has your thoughts changed or stayed the same in your lifetime?


3. How do gender roles positively or negatively impact spiritual life?


4. What female spiritual leader do you find inspiring (examples could be: Joan of Arc, Joni Earekson Tada, Beth Moore, Elizabeth Dole, Selina countess of Huntingdon, Sarah Crosby, Catherine Booth, Lottie Moon, Ester Johns, Corrie Ten Boom, Anna Frank, Golda Meir).

December 6, 2010

• 4 years ago since NASA revealed pictures from Mars Global Surveyor indicating that there may be water on Mars (1996)
  
• Ulf Ekberg, founding member of Swedish 90s sensation Ace of Base turns 40
  
• Christkind, a day in central Europe that is a gift giving day with the view that the baby-Jesus-like-sprite brings gift to children
  
• The main feast of St. Nicholas for whom the Santa Clause tradition is based. Saint Nicholas day is celebrate December 6 in many parts of Europe through gift-giving.
  
• The 2nd "season" of NBC's television show The Sing-Off premiers. The five episode show is a reality competition game-show that features accapella vocalist

Compare & Contrast: Religion & Public Funds

Two stories I've heard recently both use some similar sounding arguments in some similar but inconsistent ways.

I think most people can sound off on one of these stories or the other, but I think a true blog-craftsman could weave these together in an interesting ways. Use the best logic you have in defending or critiquing one of these stories and use the same logic in the next, or explain why similar logic isn't needed.

Story #1: Nativity Scene at the Colorado State Capital Building and Protest Billboards
The organization Boulder Atheist will be placing Billboards up in the vicinity of the Colorado State Capital protesting the nativity scene that is included as part of the state's holiday display. The billboards will read: " "Stop government support of religion. Move this Denver nativity scene to a church." The state says it will not remove the nativity scene which has been part of it's display for 40 years. Read the story and watch the video here at 9new.com.

Story #2: Controversial Art of Jesus in Government Funded Art Gallery
The Smithsonian has removed a portrait from it's exhibit Hide/Seek featuring the art of homosexual artists portraits. The art removed is a video by David Wojnarowicz called A Fire In My Belly, which was removed after political pressure about government dollars funding art that depicted Jesus on a crucifix covered with ants. The NPR story can be found here.

November 15, 2010

• 65 years ago (1945) Venezuela joins the United Nations
  
• 20 years ago (1990) Racehorse Alydar dies
  
• The beginning of Winter Lent (or the Nativity Fast) for Eastern Orthodox which last 40 Days from November 15 until December 15
  
• Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1 released today (2010)