This is what happens when you let religious nuts merge church and state.

---

Give A Hoot! Don't make a proud Native American Cry.

SoMA whips it out once again with "For the Love of Agape," a fabulous look at what an evangelical sex shop might provide. My favorite excerpt:

New Agape-Approved Sex Books:

• “The Illustrated Song of Solomon.”
• “The Complete Story of Adam and Eve,” with glossy photographs; comes in fig-leaf or no-fig-leaf versions, depending on your inhibitions.
• “Love Stories From the Bible”: Includes: Abraham and Sarah and Pharaoh; Isaac and Rebecca and Leah; King Solomon and Seven Hundred Wives and Three Hundred Concubines (diagrams included).
• “Loving with Authority” (for men only) by Rev. Richard Land.
• “The Women’s Sex Guide: Complete Submission for Complete Satisfaction,” by James Dobson.
• “Celibacy is Not a Hands-On Job: Or Play with Yourself, Play with Fire,” by Cardinal Ratzinger.

For the last 10 years I've always gone to church on Maundy Thursday. Last night I missed the service because of work so I went kind of late at night, during a full moon, and hung out in the chapel for the vigil. (Episcopal churches strip the altar of all communion stuff, then some churches have an all-night vigil -- representing staying up to pray with Jesus in the garden of G as he asked). Anyway, it's the first time that I've ever done a real DIY church service -- when I got there the chapel had about 15 other people in it, and when I left it was down to about 5.

Fun things first: there was a guy in the front row with a big head cold who kept sniffing, which didn't bother me, and would occasionally say some two-word phrase out loud, which also didn't bother me. My favorite: "Oy Vey". I was momentarily distracted by that to laugh.

2nd fun thing: my eyes were closed most of the time because I meditate better that way, but one of the times they were open a very yummy and friendly and straight-looking guy came into the chapel. I was momentarily distracted by the shock of a hot, seemingly straight, dude, at an Episcopal church for a tiny little ritual. I'm still intrigued. I didn't see if he had a wedding ring on.

Anyway, I was able to get past the distraction and decided to structure meditation in the old "how to pray" way -- Adoration, Thanksgiving, Confession, Intercession, Petition -- ie God is great, thank God, I messed up, pray for others, pray for myself.

Too much pain and suffering in the world? Here's a nice break from coastal port disputes and Dick Cheney shotgun weddings.

I finally saw the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe last night. A little history here: As a child (probably from 1st grade through high school) I read and re-read all the Narnia books. I grew up going to church and I knew almost from the very beginning that the books were Christian allegories. That neither added to nor subtracted from my enjoyment of the stories – the tales are so rich and colorful and full that I would get lost in Narnia for weeks. Once I read one book I would have to read the rest again too.

Anyway, the movie was fabulous. Very true to the book, great imagery, nothing very different from the Narnia in my head. Good music, good language, good cinematography, good actors. The little Lucy actor is incredible.

"PostSecret":http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ is one of my weekly web addictions. People anonymously send in postcards with their secrets on them for all the world to see.

They range from "funny":http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/heals.jpg to "scandalous":http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/pictures.0.jpg to "very very sad":http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/almost.jpg. But regardless of the content, they're always striking.

The thing about the site is there are so many people with problems that you would try to fix if you knew whose secrets they were. But the anonymity has an interesting effect -- and the best reaction to the site I've ever seen is "here.":http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/pray.0.jpg
And "this":http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/georgetown.jpg is a close second.

PostSecret -- not your grandma's prayer list.