Archive of Helen's Posts

Last post

Wow, posting my last post here feels weird… Thanks again to everyone who has blogged and commented here. And to those who have linked here and said it’s a site worth reading/visiting. That meant a lot to me. The closing of this blog is a change. What hasn’t changed at all is my belief in, [...]

Friday Video: How the markets really work

My father introduced me to the 2 Johns a few years ago – I think they’re very funny.

The Unlikely Disciple

I enjoyed reading Salon’s excerpt from Kevin Roose’s new book, The Unlikely Disciple I’m here in Florida with a group of students from Liberty University, the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s “Bible Boot Camp” for young evangelicals. But I’m not a young evangelical — not even close. Two months ago, I transferred to Liberty from Brown, a [...]

Conversation at the Edge will be closing soon

At the end of March Off The Map will be closing the Conversation at the Edge, Justice and Compassion and eBay Atheist blogs to new posts. They’ll stay open a little longer than that for comments. We appreciate everyone who has blogged for us on these three blogs and participated in the comments conversations. We’ll [...]

Sewing

What I’ve been up to today… Esther needs to dress up as a character from the 1920s on Friday for a school field trip. She chose Aimee McPherson. We went to a thrift shop and bought a sleeveless white dress, a scarf and a sheet. Esther made a cross to go on the front of [...]

Friday Video: Dolphins blowing bubbles

Africa, AIDS and the Pope

I’m not against religion per se, but I am against religious beliefs that are harmful to people. I would definitely put the Pope’s belief-based ban on condom use in that category, especially in countries hit hard by AIDS and HIV. He might allow married couples to use condoms when one of them has AIDS but [...]

Friday Video: SoulPancake

I like the look of this new site. “Life is a rich, weird, difficult experience. So join us as we go on the spiritual and artistic journey that is SoulPancake.”

Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells

Do you think this is a good move? Is he supporting immoral research? As I understand it, Bush vetoed funding the stem cell research Obama has just approved because he considered it immoral. Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells President Obama signed an executive order Monday repealing a Bush-era policy that limited federal tax [...]

International Women’s Day: a woman of great courage and wisdom

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about whether to participate in Julie Clawson’s synchroblog of Women in the Bible in honor of International Women’s Day. I wondered, if I participate, who would I blog about? No particular woman was springing to mind. This morning I was driving my daughter Esther to her friend’s [...]