Uncommonly common hymns; pole dancing for Jesus; Rowan Williams – Android Market; progressive taxation
Robert T. Coote looks at 28 hymnals published since the late 1800s by the six largest mainline denominations (and their main predecessor bodies) and tallies up the most commonly occurring songs. 13 hymns appear in all 28 books. Coote thinks they reflect an orthodox theology he sees on the decline in mainline churches. Perhaps he should attend a mainline church service, or study our prayer books, too.
Spin without Sin: Pole dancing for Jesus (SFW video)
Set to Christian music, church-going women spin and slither around poles. But the instructor and the students say it’s not about sex. Pollfit is free on Sunday for women who bring in their Sunday bulletin.
C o E priest partakes in tarts and vicars charity night, congregation frowns (no video)
Rowan Williams: An Introduction – Android Market
The first occupant of Lambeth in several generations with an international reputation as a theologian, Williams is often considered a difficult writer, more admired than read and understood. Many people remain puzzled…..
Bishop of Burnley misses mitre – Lancashire Telegraph
Bishop John believes it could have been tidied away into a cupboard by church workers. Although he regularly visits churches in London, he is convinced it is somewhere in Lancashire and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
Revisiting my don’t-give-to Japan post – Felix Salmon
The degree of anger and hatred leveled at me over the past week is nothing I’ve ever experienced. Substantive debate was something sorely missing in the comments to my post, which rapidly generated into a startling series of ad hominem attacks on myself personally — I’m evil, I’m racist, I deserve to die, I should be fired, that kind of thing — interspersed with other comments pointing out that the attackers didn’t seem to have read and understood what I’d written.
What country has the most progressive tax system? The share of the tax burden paid by the richest decile in Germany, France and Sweden is roughly equal to their share of the nation’s income. By contrast, the wealthiest households in this country pay a share of the tax burden that is one-third greater than their share of the nation’s income.
Why do Americans seem relatively unperturbed about growing income inequality? Is it a lack of awareness, or are there other factors? – An NYT debate.
Addendum. The Peril of Taxing the Rich
The rich have volatile incomes. Nearly half of California’s income taxes before the recession came from the top 1% of earners: households that took in more than $490,000 a year. It turns out their earnings fell by more than twice as much as the rest of the population’s during the recession. They took California’s finances down with them.