I just read an awesome article in First Things entitled Christianity Lite. If you have a few minutes, head on over and read through the whole thing. Mary Eberstadt discusses the potential end of Anglicanism and by extension the potential end of "Christianity Lite." She particularly connects it to the jettisoning of sexual teachings, showing the clear pattern of relaxing moral codes:
First, limited exceptions are made to a rule; next, those exceptions are no longer limited and become the unremarkable norm; finally, that new norm is itself sanctified as theologically acceptable.
This is what happened with divorce, then contraception, and now homosexuality. I personally have a hard time faulting the people who originally wanted to bend the rules, because I think they usually were just trying to be compassionate, but that's not really the point of the article. The point is that the denominations that do this are in decline, and she explores why. Really, go read this fascinating article.
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Wow, I totally didn't expect to get going on that when I started this post! What I really wanted to know is if any of you still read magazines? Because I was thinking I would like to get a subscription to something, especially in this time of print decline, and was hoping for suggestions.
Obviously First Things is one that I'm considering, although it's not so much the light reading you usually thing of when ordering a magazine! I've contemplated getting Canticle, the Women of Grace magazine, though I'm not sure that it's exactly what I'm looking for. Believe it or not, I haven't joined the Couple to Couple League yet, so maybe if I did and got Family Foundations my magazine urge could be satisfied?
Molly emailed me a while back to suggest the magazine Eliza, and I think that might be more of what I'm wanting. A trendy but not trashy woman's magazine.
Do any of you still get magazines? Do you read any online? Whether they're thought-provoking or frivolous, I'm totally open for suggestions!