And God Said, "Just Do It."

I read this interesting article in Time magazine, so please check it out and look for my reaction post later today.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1818197,00.html

This is one trend I hope the LDS church does not get involved with. It turns my stomach to think that "Larry," who is a bricklayer with a nervous laugh during the week but becomes "the bishop" when he puts on a tie and suit would think he has any perogative telling my celestial sex partner and I when, where and how to have sex. That also goes for those higher in the hierarchy. Also, I personally don't believe sex is the solution to a stale marriage, but the lack of it more a symptom of a floudering one-- having more bad sex, because let's face it when you aren't happy with your partner the sex can only be bad, won't jump start a relationship that's falling apart on all the other levels. While I see nothing wrong with scheduling sex, I simply think the belief that having more of it will improve your marriage is just another way to avoid the deeper issues.

At least these kinds of sermons will help keep the evangelicals in their bedrooms!

Religion For Sale

I’ve been to Vatican twice and one of my favorite parts of going is to stop at the massive gift shop. I could spend hours musing over all the Catholic trinkets that range from the sacred to the profane, from the cheap to the steep. One of my favorite items is a snow globe with a gaudy-looking Pope John Paul II waving out to the world beyond the domed glass. The first time I went I left the gift shop thinking how disgusting it was that they’d used The Pope and Jesus as a marketing tool to sell everything from T-shirts to backscratchers. Well, fast-forward ten years and picture me walking into a Deseret Book after a decade of reprieve and experiencing those same thoughts all over again. But they aren’t the only ones due credit, it seems for many LDS companies it’s now perfectly acceptable to put the image of Joseph Smith, Christ, a temple, scriptures or any other Mormon icon on some bauble and emotionally sell it at a financial premium. Here are some of the current products available that I find to be egregious.

Joseph Receives The Golden Plates Action Figure $5.95
A sacred moment now “Made In China” from vinyl

$20.99 I know it's a little hard to read but it says, “CTR, Bitches”

Isn’t this the perfect thing to send Tiffany Sue to her first day of 4th grade in?

$14.95 It used to be you’d get out of the font and mom would be waiting with a raggedy towel from home, not anymore, now everything surrounding any LDS event is a sellable product…even a towel.

Well, I’m thinking of cashing in on the LDS product craze myself by making and selling Bobblehead Joseph’s, just think of the marketing—“setting him on your dashboard brings a touch of the spirit to your car.” You laugh at my sarcasm, but give it a few months and someone else will have made one and be living large on the East Bench.

Jesus Is My Hedge Fund Manager

My celestial sex partner works in the financial industry so we’ve always been cautious about saving for retirement, but statistics clearly show most Americans aren’t building a large enough nest egg. Currently Utah ranks #14 in the nation for retirement savings, not bad, but in
talking with other women over the past year I’ve noticed a new phenomenon- some young LDS families aren’t saving because they believe the Lord will provide when the time comes or the Millennium will start before they reach retirement age. This thinking is propelled by pulpit admonishments that we’re living in the last days and we’re the chosen generation, which gives some members a false sense of timing. Besides, who’s to say Jesus will show up and you won’t need money anymore? National numbers clearly show this country is headed toward a retirement crisis and those of us who’ve saved over the course of our lifetimes will be forced to pick up the tab for those who chose to play or pray instead. So, to those of you choosing not to put money away because Jesus is coming, well, here’s some advice, start now because you can’t all be Wal-Mart greeters.

http://compensation.blr.com/display.cfm/id/155692