Forgive us our debts...

I am neither an economist nor the daughter of an economist.
Yet it seems to me that something is wrong when the way to save our common economy is to spend, not save our individual resources.
I know that when we as individuals fall into economic difficulties, the economy will not spend its wealth on us.

I think of the early forms of the ancient prayer...
Matthew:
Forgive us our oipheimata - debts - as we forgive our debtors (oipheletais).
Luke:
Forgive us our hamartias - sins - as we forgive those who are indebted to us (opheilonti).
And the earliest of all, Mark:
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Beloved in heaven may also forgive you your paraptomata - trespasses.
It is not as simple as to be in debt is to trespass, to sin.
But is is that debt makes people vulnerable to exploitation. And that a financial system that requires exploitation - and an underclass (or several) to exploit is inherently sinful.

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Forgive us our sin as we forgive those who sin against us.

Forgive us for placing ourselves in debt and holding others in debt.

Forgive us for trespassing against ourselves and others.

Forgive us for sinning against ourselves, each other and You.

Of Patrimony and Matrimony

Patrimony is one's ancestral legacy, in a word: heritage.
Matrimony is one's spousal union, in a word: marriage.
Patrimony is passed down through the ages.
Matrimony is temporal and temporary, (F/LDS theology not withstanding.)
In spite of all of the matriarchs and their daughters, female judges, women prophets, female disciples, saints and martyrs, the heritage of the Church is still constructed as a patrimony.
And that there is no word for female ancestral legacy reveals the limits of the sanctified imagination ~ as my ancestors taught me. (The designation of the corresponding term for something other than a corresponding body of knowledge eliminates the possibility of deploying the "natural" term for this natural purpose.
If a thing cannot be named, it cannot exist ~ as my sages taught me.
Now, where's that Wikedary?...

Homophobia Kills

Our children are killing themselves because they believe that they are better off dead than living in the world we have created.

They would rather be anything - including dead at their own hands - than to have one more person call them by a gay slur.

They know that their parents will hate them, that God will hate them and they already hate themselves.

It doesn't and shouldn't matter that they are not gay or straight or even aware of their God-given sexual orientation.

They are children.

And so are their tormentors.

Their tormentors are other children who have been steeped in the homophobia - no homohatred - some say misanthropy that pervades our society, homes and congregations.

These children have been taught to hate as agents of our society.

They are our enforcers.

Children are flexible.

They can be retrained, retaught.

Children can be taught to love themselves and other people.

But they must be taught by people who love themselves and other people.

Perhaps the most difficult task of all is reaching a child who is not yours, whose parents, family, culture and congregation present a united front of hate and spiritual violence, sanctioning physical violence.

Train your children in the right way,

and when they are old, they will not stray.

Train your children in homophobia and hatred,

and when they are old, their hatred will become greater.

Train your children in loving-kindness, and when they are old,

they will love others and perform acts of kindness.