Very interesting New York Times article about the middle aged angst of reformed fundamentalist child. Angela Himsel tells about growing up in the Church of God and hearing sermons speak of the coming times of tribulation. What makes this of interest to me is I knew her family back in 1968. I was in the sister church to the Evansville church she says she attended. In fact I was probably sitting in the same hard metal chairs a few rows back of her family listening to the same sermons to which she refers.

Had she listened a bit closer to the message she would have heard the context of the idea of "parents eating their children." When I heard those references it was always to the historical accounts of the first century Jewish historian Josephus. Josephus wrote of the Roman siege of Jerusalem, in 70 A.D. when conditions did deteriorate into cannabilism. Jewish mothers did eat their children.

I think Ms. Himsel has regressed if she is slitting the throat of a chicken in her current faith. Doesn't sound like enlightened progress to me. Nothing we ever did  in church back then was that bizarre.

I always cringe a bit when I read an article like this. Although it is a distorted view of the past, and only one perspectiveit reminds me to keep the heart of hope and encouragement in the message of warning that Christ gives to the nations. Today you can get a bigger scare out of reading the headlines of the Washington Post or New York Times.

I read the Bible today to gain some hope in world full of war, genocides and nuclear threat. And I learned that while sitting on the same hard metal chairs in the church of my youth.