David's Daily Diversions

The Dangers of Pollution to Gender

Okay this ones almost enough to make me an environmentalist.

Pollution emptying into the Firth of Forth has turned 20 percent of the shrimps into hermaphrodites. In an amazing parallel with the human society around them, the results of samples showed that shrimps were maturing later and producing fewer eggs.

The leader of the research team said, “I believe there is a relationship between pollution and the number of intersex shrimps. But I don’t know the mechanism involved. There is a parasite which alters a male amphipod’s gender so the amphipods have either been indirectly affected by the polluted area’s increased number of parasites, or directly from the wide variety of industrial chemicals which act like hormones.”

Not surprisingly the pollution of sin around us is creating gender-bending changes as well. The only salvation from the polluted water in which we are drowning is the Church. As St Cyprian famously said, “If any one could escape who was outside the ark of Noah, then he also may escape who shall be outside of the Church.”

For more one sin and sexuality, Huw Raphael at Doxos has posted some insightful thoughts.

Born of a Pretty Special Sheila

So says the The Aussie Bible (Well, bits of it anyway!) about Jesus. It will be published Down Under in August. It is a translation into Australian vernacular, though I don’t know if the was from the original Greek. I have my doubts as this is the story of the Good Samaritan:

"A bunch of bushrangers attacked him, stole his dough, and left him as good as dead. A big wig from the Temple happened to pass by, took one look at the bloke, crossed the road, and hurried off. Another official who was on the road that day did the same.

"Then a really ordinary bloke (a grubby old street sweeper you wouldn't look twice at) passed by and felt really sorry for him. So he used his first-aid kit to patch him up, and then put him on his old nag, took him to the nearest pub and took care of him."

But I don’t know the academic qualification of the translator, journalist and Christian radio presenter Kel Richards. Though it has the support of the Australian Bible Society, I am a bit worried about it, since it also has the blessing of the Anglican Church. And we know what the Anglican Church has been blessing lately…