Gentle as a Dove, Yet Shrewd as a Serpent
Anything from apologetics to mere musings about whatever
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A Wolf!!! - Rob Bell
Friday, March 11, 2011
Silence on spousal sexual assault jarring: Doctors – The Express Tribune
Gynecologists at several city hospitals have expressed their concerns over the growing number of married female patients who are forced into intercourse.
“The number of marital rape cases keeps going up but no one even acknowledges that the problem exists. We see dozens of patients coming in but they never acknowledge they have been raped; only that they were doing their duty,” says Ganga Ram Hospital consultant gynecologist Dr Shamsa Humayun. Dr Humayun said that she recently treated a mother-of-four, who had lost her pulse, consciousness and lots of blood pressure following a result of her third abortion. “I had warned her not to get pregnant because she had severe diabetes. I told her that her life was at risk but she chose abortion over contraception. Now she is dead,” Dr Humayun said.
Alviah Noor*, who is working on her PhD research paper and recently got married, said that she had severe vaginal infection for the last six months and was heavily medicated to treat an infection caused by her intra-uterine system (IUS or coil). “The coil ruined my health but it was the only contraception I could use without my husband finding out,” she said, adding that doctors had prohibited her from intercourse but her husband refused to listen to her. “I have no choice in the matter. I have to do whatever he tells me,” she said.
Nilofer Raja* complained that her husband had several extra marital affairs and that she had contracted an STD after he forced himself on her. “He abuses me but I cannot refuse him. My family told me that it was my religious duty to do as he demanded and that if I refuse the angels will curse me all night,” she told doctors.
Shirkat Gah representative Fauzia Vikar said “the concept of marital rape does not exist in our society. She is thought to have signed a contract for sex. Even in US, the first marital rape case was reported in 1978. Most reports from battered women reflect that they do not think their spouses are guilty of a crime.” “Most women I have spoken to on the issue simply think that marital rape is natural. We need to educate and economically empower women so that they realise it is not their duty to tolerate abuse,” she said. According to Vikar, most women consider it shameful and a sin to oppose non-consensual sex. “There is almost no local literature available on the subject and not a single reported case to my knowledge,” she said.
Dr Ambreen Ahmad, a clinical psychologist who teaches at Lahore School of Economics said “We need to introduce couples counseling, especially before marriage because women need to know their rights. Many women consider it their ‘religious duty’ to undergo this when there is nothing in religion that condones such assault.”
According to Dr Rabia Ameen of General Hospital said “There is no sex education before marriage. This often leads to women contracting horrible diseases from unprotected sex. I feel terrible when I see young girls dying of reproductory problems because of irrational social expectations.”
Dr Ameen said “On average we deal with five cases of spousal rape every week and 90 percent of these cases occur within the first two weeks of marriage. Young brides aren’t aware that they have the right to put a stop to intercourse and we often see severe tearing and heavy bleeding in young women.” “I have lost count of the number of times I have simply stitched a vaginal tear and prohibited the couple from having intercourse for six weeks. The women almost always come back with the same problem because their spouses refuse to listen,” she said, adding “I now recommend that the woman stay at her parents’ house to be safe.” Dr Ameen said that women seldom know that it is even possible to be raped by their husband. “They think that it is their duty to go along with whatever their husband wants and all we can do is recommend a course of treatment,” she said, adding that doctors often knew that their patients would not be allowed to rest.
Dr Shamsa Humayun, a gynecologist said that patients don’t complain of sexual abuse from their spouses even when the evidence is overwhelming. “I have examined women with severe vaginal tearing, enough that they needed stitches, but they still never admitted they were assaulted,” she said.
According to a gynecologist Dr Asmah Mehmood “Very few women in Pakistan actually have a healthy sexual relationship with their spouses. Abuse is common and so is violence.” She said “I have seen a woman who was the victim of the constant rape by her spouse simply because he was addicted to pornographic films. She was abused so often that we eventually stopped even asking her what had happened.”
Dr Yasmeen Rashid said that in her 30-year career as a gynecologist she had never seen an official report relating to marital rape even though after delivery cases the most common cases she treated were related to women being sexually assaulted by their spouses.Silence on spousal sexual assault jarring: Doctors – The Express TribuneWednesday, January 26, 2011
Homemaker's Journal: Understanding
In the kitchen today: little was done. Mom and Des went on a ski trip - with lunch provided - Dad and I took left-overs, there's a lot of them. I was out for 14 hours thanks to nursing clinical so the only real cooking I did was 2 scrambled eggs to take for dinner. Dinner for the rest of the family was leftovers - so no in depth cooking.
Proverbs 17:27 says that “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.”. What this means for me as a woman of God is ……. I need to remember to stop and listen. All too often I have a bad habit of cutting in, when if I had been silent the question would have been answered in a moment or misunderstanding cleared up.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
It's VBS Season!!
Augsburg Fortress: they have not released a new program for this year but are instead recycling their RENEW program once more. UnBiblical. That one word sums up the program all too well. I saw the preview video last year and perused the curriculum and just about died that they would pass it off as a vacation BIBLE school. The program would pass for a public school's Arbor Day promotion program...
David Cook has also decided to reuse the programs of yesteryears...
Day | Great Commission Publications: Faith Expedition VBS | Abingdon Press: Island Odyssey | VBS Reach Out: Based in Jonah passages | Urban Ministries Inc: Jesus Truth Seekers |
1 | God gives us faith to follow his plan – Exodus | Hearing the right voice – Paul makes his voice heard over the magician | Am I Jehovah’s or am I Jeering? – belonging to God, or not yet in right relationship with Him | Forgive! – parable of the unforgiving servant |
2 | God gives us faith to believe his promise – 1&2 Samuel | Going the right way – despite Paul’s advice, a wrong decision puts all on dangerous course | Am I headed to my Tarshish or my Nineveh? – heading away from God in rebellion or toward Him through obedience | Hear! – parable of the sower |
3 | God gives us faith to obey him – Daniel | Being true to who you are – mutual hospitality reveal’s Paul’s true identity in Christ | Have I been turned around by God? – turned toward God both once-for-all in salvation and continually in daily repentance | Help! - parable of the Good Samaritan |
4 | God gives us faith to repent and give our lives to Jesus – Matthew & Luke | Seeing who Jesus is – while imprisoned for preaching Christ | Do I have a ”Jehovah” or a “Jonah” attitude? – knowing I am saved by grace not by works | Seek! - parable of the prodigal son |
5 | God gives us faith to share the Good News of Jesus Christ – Acts | Spreading the Good News – salvation is for everyone | Lord, send me a Fish and a resurrection! – understanding how Jonah’s life points to the death and resurrection of Christ | Choose! – the rich man and Lazarus |
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The History of the Modern Gospel
There is pasta cooking and rice will be put on later today. Pasta and rice are two staple foods in my book; both are quick to turn into a meal with a little olive oil or soy sauce plus spices and a quick protein such as egg or canned tuna. They can also be a quick breakfast, rice and honey is a quick and satisfying morning meal. The key is having a container of cooked rice in the fridge at all times.
It is a true blessing to be able to be at home and not need to be out working.
Burning candles. I LOVE candles, particularly soy candles. Fragrant and clean burning, leaving a soothing/comforting aroma in the room it is present. The burning candle also tends to make the place seem more cozy too.
Not a clue what I would do. Often a woodsy, cabin look is my fancy but on occasion but there are so many other lovely options I would not know where to start.
…HOME. A safe haven. A place where they know they are loved no matter what and a place that they can bring others and not be ashamed - of the family or home.
Is where the heart is: whether it be in Alaska, New York, or Spain, any I can make any place to be my home. It is a place of safety and love. Not a perfect place, but still filled with fond memories and laughter.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A thought to mull over
A couple resources that you may find useful are
Abort 73 - not for little eyes, it has images of abortions. However, it has many resources for those of high school age and above to wear, say, and handout.
Blood Money
The Silent Scream - not for little eyes, has a video of an abortion proceedure with other pro-life resources.