orichalcum

On Saturday, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a water emergency and requested, although did not yet require, that we reduce our water consumption by 20%. I understand the reservoir issue and generally support doing something about it.

That said, it all feels a little ironic given how much it's been pouring lately. Today, I debated at home whether or not to drive or take the train and bus, and initially felt guilty that due to timing and the fact that I was carrying a bag full of Mac's new Thomas the Tank Engine underwear (because outsourcing works for toilet training!*) plus extra pants and blankies to school, I drove.

Given how wet just I got walking from Mac's daycare to the bus and then from the bus stop to my office, I no longer regret this decision. Mac's underwear would not have been in a remotely usable condition had we walked. I want a stroller attachment that places a hands-free umbrella at adult-pusher height.

I wish we had snow.

*I like to think that my general ego is kept in check by my awareness that many, many people are better at specific skills than I am. I suspect my son's preschool teachers might falter if asked to do my task today, which involves researching and then figuring out to coherently communicate to 95 students the details of four major land and naval battles that took place 2500 years ago and changed the course of world history. However, they are _much_ better than I am at figuring out how to get Mac to consistently use the toilet, sit quietly, and put his own clothes on. All things considered, society is far better served by them doing what they do well and me doing what I do well. Now if only I could pay someone to sit on the phone with Expedia for the next few hours and wrangle a refund out of them. Sadly, I lack a personal assistant.

So, I've posted before about my deep outrage at the farcical nature of abstinence-only sex education, which spreads lies like the idea that condoms have a 30% failure rate and that sperm and HIV can go through condoms anyway.

I had not realized, however, that at least for 9.5% of children in the  Texas public school system, this was being mixed with even more fun (and illegal) religious indoctrination, with questions in the curriculum like:

"Things to Look For In a Mate:

How They Relate to God
A. Is Jesus their first love?
B. Trying to impress people or serve God?

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F. Attitude
    1. Willing to obey God, or hesitate to obey
    2. Humility - willing to accept correction, put other first (Phil 2:3)
    3. Industrious - Proverbs 31:17

Question: What does the Bible say about sex before marriage?
Answer: Along with all other kinds of sexual immorality, sex before marriage/premarital sex is repeatedly condemned in Scripture (Acts 15:20, Romans 1:29, [and a bunch of other Biblical citations, all interestingly from the New Testament.)

Question: Are we supposed to be actively looking for a spouse, or waiting for God to bring a spouse to us?

Question: Is this person [potential mate] a Christian, meaning has she or he been born again? God tells us, as believers, not to become unequally yoked by marrying an unbeliever (2 Cor. 6:14-15), because those living in the light (of Christ) and those living in darkness cannot live in harmony.

From the "Wonderful Days" program, used in 3 school districts in the Fort Worth area:

"You will be amazed when the "sperm" of His Spirit connects with the "ovum/egg" of your spirit and you become a "new person" with His character. How? Read about it in your Bible: (NT passages cited.)

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