First things first.... I handed my dissertation in!!!!! I'm all happy!

I also did the quiz thing (that James & Mark both talked about), & I am:

100% Catholic (yes, even dirty liberals like me can be 100% Catholic! Well, according to quizzes like this)
66% Eastern Orthodox
56% Lutheran
54% Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England
38% Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God
35% Anabaptist
33% Presbyterian/Reformed
27% Baptist (non-Calvinist)
22% Congregational
18% Baptist
18% Church of Christ
17% Seventh Day Adventist
15% Methodist

I am now going to say what I think about Pope Benedict - if you have read the entry below, then you will know that he wasn't really my preference, but I'm not "dismayed" either.

Firstly, I think that the emphasis that excuses for newspapers, such as the Sun and Daily Mirror, have placed upon the fact that as a young boy he was enrolled in the Hitler Youth is appalling. Apart from the fact that it is much easier in retrospect to see that Hitler & his political movements were bad, it is also much easier to see these things as an adult. He was a child, and it was 60 years ago that these things happened. It is obvious that he is not a Nazi sympathiser, so I don't see why it is such an issue to these people.

Then, there's the matter of his being in the German army. What the newspapers don't say, is that in 1943, Ratzinger was a 16 year old at a prepatory seminary, and his WHOLE CLASS were forced to join the anti-aircraft corps. So, it apparently wasn't his choice to get involved with the army in the first place!

He is obviously a man deeply devoted to his faith, and to the Catholic Church. I believe that he has a sound knowledge of the Church in the different continents, and I believe that he will bear the issues that the Church as a whole, and in different parts of the world in his mind, and prayers, and will try to lead the Church as a unified body, whilst recognising that the Church faces different issues in different parts of the world.

He also seems to be a man who is far more concerned that secularism, and denial of God, is far more off track than any other religion (which contain some truth, but as they're not Catholicism do not have the full truth). He seems willing to continue inter-faith dialogue (but too the extent of John Paul II?), with the exception, maybe, of Buddhism, which he doesn't perceive to be worth the space it occupies.

He also wants to make the Church pure, which can only be good.

There are some things about his view-point that I don't like.

The first is his description of homosexuality as "an intrinsic moral evil". People do not choose to be homosexual. Surely it would be worse to be homosexual, but force yourself to have heterosexual relationships. Whether or not homosexuality is something that the Church approves of, the Church still needs to respect homosexual people - they too are made in the image and form of God.

Secondly, (yes, I'm being rather feminist here) is his declaration that the ordination of women would be "a grave offence to the divine constitution of the Church". Even if the ordination of women is not something that he agrees with, I think this is a bit radical! If ordaining women would be such a grave offence, would he agree with things like female eucharistic ministers, and women being allowed on the altar?

The final one is his saying that the use of condoms to prevent AIDS is "a kind of behaviour that will encourage evil". Surely those who have AIDS and are married, should be allowed to have a sexual relationship, without the fear that they may pass the disease on to their partner, or their children.

I think that the Church does need to realise that "contraceptives" are not just to prevent pregnancy. Condoms can prevent AIDS, and in my mind, that can only be a good thing. The Pill is also not used merely as a contraceptive, it helps to relieve period pains - that can be agonising - and PMT - which isn't nice either. But, as celibate men, those who really can influence the teachings of the Catholic Church, don't have to worry about contracting AIDS from their wife, and have never experienced period pains or PMT.

Well, I decided it's time I blogged again, particularly as a new Pope has been elected.

Thrilled at the choice? Well, no (I am a dirty liberal after all). Dismayed at the choice? No.

I think that I can say that, with the limited knowledge I have, Ratzinger would not have been my choice; but, I am not, after all, a cardinal with the responsibility of choosing a suitable leader for a million people.

I think that those who I would have preferred to Ratzinger would have been Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, (who has done much for the Latin American Church in particular, as well as being an active figure in campaigning for human rights; he also established the Catholic University in Honduras.) or Cardinal Angelo Scola (he is generally seen as an open-minded conservative, but he's not too bad as far as those conservatives go! He's written numerous books on topics that are very much in many people's concern, and are often topics of public debate, including things such as bio-medical ethics, and is also keen on inter-faith dialogue, particularly with Islam.) or Cardinal Jeorge Mario Bergoglio (although he is also quite a conservative, he is also well known for his commitment to social justice; also, on a more practical level, it is known that he does not live in a palatical bishop's residence, and favours a one-bedroom apartment; he also uses public transport, rather than being chauffer-driven. I also really admire his stance on homosexuality - he reinforces the Church's teaching, but also emphasises the importance of respecting individulas who are gay. He is also known for his compassion towards AIDS sufferers).

No more Classics essays for me! I even handed them in on time this semester! I have just one essay left to write, and that's a Theology one. I also have to finish my dissertation, but at the moment, that's going fairly well.

I now have a phone (for anyone who knew it had been stolen), but I don't have anyone's number; my number's still the same though.

Did you know that hippos can open their mouths to 150 degrees?!

Well, it's quite a while since I blogged... Dissertation, essays and presentations have been taking up lots of time. I have a presentation on voodoo dolls tomorrow, and one on the conversion of Augustine next week. I don't have any lessons to plan this week as it's inset day on Friday.

I'm half way through my dissertation now; I had a bit of a setback due to not being able to find a book that a big part of my argument's based on, but that's all sorted now, thankfully.

I am also at the moment writing two essays - one on the importance of sexual renunciation & asceticism in 4th century Christianity, and one on I don't know what.

I'm very glad that it's week 8 of term; it means that in 2 weeks, I will only have one presentation and one essay left to write before I graduate!

This weekend, I am going home, as it's my little brother's 18th birthday on Saturday, bless him.

Well, the GTTR have not updated my application progress so that I can accept my PGCE place, which is silly of them. I know that I have a place, and have returned my form to the college.

Strangely, it appears that I know stuff!!! I just had a Theology seminar, and said things that may even have been vaguely intelligent!

Also, my lessons were OK on Friday - the second one was better, but both were fun. This week I have a day off, as it's half term, but next week, I'm teaching Year Eights about symbol and story in Hinduism. All I have to do is find my symbols and stories...

So, since I last blogged, some good things have happened, and some, well, haven't been good!

I am very proud... I have completed one third of my dissertation - & it doesn't have to be in tomorrow. Usually, I am very good at leaving things until the last possible minute, which generally means an all-nighter the night before...

I also have a PGCE place at St Mary's in Strawberry Hill for next year! V. Exciting! I had an interview last week & they liked me!!!

On Friday, I'm teaching Year 8s on "Hindu daily life" - I've already done activities like fill in the gaps, put the sentences in the right order, match the words and the definitions, and cutting and sticking all in about the past 3 weeks... Any ideas for a new & innovative activity?!

Woo! I have internet in a house...Not my house though - my stepdad's. I'm staying here tonight, as I am going to my PGCE interview tomorrow.

I was quite proud today - I got all the way from Exeter to Essex in 3 & 1/2 hours - not bad!!

I'm going to be on a train at just before 7:30 tomorrow morning... Nearly time for bed, methinks....

Oooh... 2 whole weeks since I blogged....

Since then, I have handed in all of my essays!! Yay! & done my exam! Yay! I even managed to laugh when the computer crashed in my exam, & didn't need beta blockers or anything!

I have also been teaching Yr 8 lessons on Hinduism & really enjoy it...

& I have a PGCE inteview at St Mary's in Twickenham on Wednesday - I'm very excited! But, prayers would be appreciated....

Well, it has been a while since I've blogged...

It's the end of week 1/week 11 already... I have only been to one lecture this week, as apparently I have/have had something called Acute Stress Reaction, which has left me feeling pretty pants, to be fair.

I haven't been to work since Monday either, as I just have not been well enough. Am back at work tomorrow night though.

I did go to school today, & taught the 1st lesson that I'd actually planned myself. All considered, it went pretty well. I'm not too great at classroom control though. I can be heard quite easily at the back of the room if they're all quiet, but when they're all making noise, I do have trouble making myself heard. Need to be louder! Yes, you did read that right - I need to be LOUDER!

Not much else going on really...Am very tired due to this Acute Stress Reaction thing, but am getting better...Have actually made it through a whole day today, which is good considering the past week!

Well, Christmas was OK - though if you're going to be really technical, it's Christmas til Thursday... I missed my church especially for midnight Mass though... I wanted to be there!

Perhaps someone clever could help me with this one... I was taught at school that Mary was born without original sin... BUT, at midnight Mass, my church used a bidding prayer in which they talked about Mary's labour pains... Now, I thought that in Genesis, God gave Eve labour pains as a punishment for original sin... If Mary was born without original sin, then, she wouldn't have labour pains... So, why did my church use a bidding prayer that talked about Mary's labour pains?!

I had some cartilage taken out of my knee nearly 2 weeks ago... Apparently, lots of people who do extreme sports tear cartilage in the same place as me... Extreme sports?!! Me?!! I don't do extreme sports! However, my knee seems to think I do extreme sports...

Anyway, my knee is now OK... A bit bruised, but that's all, & one of the bruises is from crawling under the bar hatch at work on New Year's Eve... I don't even have any dressings on my knee any more. I consumed sufficient amounts of alcohol on New Year's Eve that it didn't hurt when, at 5 o'clock or so in the morning of New Year's Day, I pulled all of the dressings off. I had a bath this morning - it was bliss. (I haven't been allowed to have a bath for almost 2 weeks... No, that doesn't mean I smelt bad! I could have a shower, as long as my leg was wrapped in clingfilm...)

I have written almost 3,000 words of my dissertation - I am proud!!!