Barbara Walters, of 20/20, did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan, several years before the Afghan conflict.
She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands.
She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walked behind their husbands. Despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seemed happy to maintain the old custom.
Ms Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, 'Why do you now seem happy with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?'
The woman looked Ms.Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation said: 'Land Mines.'
Moral of the story is (no matter what language you speak or where you go):
BEHIND EVERY MAN, THERE'S A SMART WOMAN
(received by email!)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
The fear that cannot be named...
If I can be forgiven some plagiarism, I was struck by the following article in the Age online. A symptom for me of pastoral burnout was crippling panic attacks, so this article found resonance in me:
Winston Churchill is widely cited as someone who suffered depression, or the "black dog" as he referred to it. I have an image of the old man slumped in a chair by a fire, weighed down by the enormity of the fight against Nazism. Churchill's depression was a burden; but it is also consistent with being a deep and serious man.
Fewer people know that Churchill also suffered anxiety, with evidence he was prone to panic attacks. I suspect this is a deliberate oversight: a focus on his anxiety may damage our view of him as a strong person. Doesn't it evoke an image of a worry wart? A neurotic with shattered nerves? Would we still want the free world's fate in his hands?
The way we view Churchill and his mental illnesses is indicative. There is a huge focus on depression – more and more high-profile Australians are coming out and admitting they suffer from it, the latest being Liberal front bencher Andrew Robb.
Their outings help remove the stigma of depression, which is an excellent thing. Depression is most dangerous when it is swept under the carpet and untreated. But for some reason anxiety flies under the radar – it remains the poor man of mental illness. How many people will only register the "depression" bit during beyond blue's Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month through October?
An anxiety attack: waves of fear and panic; a "torturer" increases the pain when you attempt to control and fight the anxiety. The pain ratchets up until – at its worst – it becomes like flesh being torn off your bones. How to stop the pain?
Anxiety, which beyond blue defines as unrelenting feelings of tension, distress or nervousness, can be just as dangerous as depression. It's common to suffer depression and anxiety at the same time.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Survey of Mental Health, some 2 million Australians live with anxiety – making it twice as common as depression. Yet a survey by beyond blue found just 7 per cent recognised anxiety as a major mental health problem, against 56 per cent recognising depression as a major health problem.
Until I became fully aware I was susceptible to anxiety, my knowledge of the illness was limited. I knew Howard Hughes suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, a form of anxiety along with generalised anxiety disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder.
My other image of the illness was standing behind a man at a chemist handing over his subscription to anxiety tablets with a shaking hand. I pitied him. The last story I read about anxiety revealed Hugh Grant suffered panic attacks when filming, which I thought mildly amusing.
Now I'm aware of untreated anxiety, I see it wreck marriages, ruin careers and, I suspect, cost lives. It's obvious it isn't taken nearly as seriously as it should be by the medical profession and society in general. It's either viewed as a weakness, particularly by men, or not that debilitating.
One of the problems is that anxiety appears difficult to treat. GPs are so focused on depression – which can be (supposedly easily) treated with drugs – that they tend to ignore anxiety. Anxiety is a major side effect of most antidepressants, a fact often overlooked. Many anxiety attacks seem to be diagnosed as indigestion, or even heart attacks.
Another problem is that people learn to cover anxiety up and self-medicate, most commonly by drinking, which gives an instant calming effect. Anxiety is also confused with stress – and isn't everyone stressed out these days?
Ultimately it's an issue of focus. People are choosing to overlook anxiety and not take it as seriously as depression. I was well aware actor Gary MacDonald suffered depression, but it was lost on me that he also suffered anxiety and debilitating panic attacks.
Once diagnosed, anxiety is treatable. Things that work include cutting down caffeine, regular exercise, stress management, and breathing exercises. But ultimately, the best way to deal with anxiety is acceptance.
Most anxiety problems are caused when people try and fight or control it. You have to let go and say to the "torturer" – "do your worst, I'm not going to fight you; my life's been great so far despite your presence, I can handle it". It requires guts and a leap of faith. For some reason the torturer sticks around but loses interest.
Far from being a sign of weakness, living a good, healthy life with anxiety requires courage, as Churchill himself would probably attest.
Thanks to Ben Power from the Age.
Why do you think anxiety is a difficult issue to name?
Winston Churchill is widely cited as someone who suffered depression, or the "black dog" as he referred to it. I have an image of the old man slumped in a chair by a fire, weighed down by the enormity of the fight against Nazism. Churchill's depression was a burden; but it is also consistent with being a deep and serious man.
Fewer people know that Churchill also suffered anxiety, with evidence he was prone to panic attacks. I suspect this is a deliberate oversight: a focus on his anxiety may damage our view of him as a strong person. Doesn't it evoke an image of a worry wart? A neurotic with shattered nerves? Would we still want the free world's fate in his hands?
The way we view Churchill and his mental illnesses is indicative. There is a huge focus on depression – more and more high-profile Australians are coming out and admitting they suffer from it, the latest being Liberal front bencher Andrew Robb.
Their outings help remove the stigma of depression, which is an excellent thing. Depression is most dangerous when it is swept under the carpet and untreated. But for some reason anxiety flies under the radar – it remains the poor man of mental illness. How many people will only register the "depression" bit during beyond blue's Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month through October?
An anxiety attack: waves of fear and panic; a "torturer" increases the pain when you attempt to control and fight the anxiety. The pain ratchets up until – at its worst – it becomes like flesh being torn off your bones. How to stop the pain?
Anxiety, which beyond blue defines as unrelenting feelings of tension, distress or nervousness, can be just as dangerous as depression. It's common to suffer depression and anxiety at the same time.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Survey of Mental Health, some 2 million Australians live with anxiety – making it twice as common as depression. Yet a survey by beyond blue found just 7 per cent recognised anxiety as a major mental health problem, against 56 per cent recognising depression as a major health problem.
Until I became fully aware I was susceptible to anxiety, my knowledge of the illness was limited. I knew Howard Hughes suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, a form of anxiety along with generalised anxiety disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder.
My other image of the illness was standing behind a man at a chemist handing over his subscription to anxiety tablets with a shaking hand. I pitied him. The last story I read about anxiety revealed Hugh Grant suffered panic attacks when filming, which I thought mildly amusing.
Now I'm aware of untreated anxiety, I see it wreck marriages, ruin careers and, I suspect, cost lives. It's obvious it isn't taken nearly as seriously as it should be by the medical profession and society in general. It's either viewed as a weakness, particularly by men, or not that debilitating.
One of the problems is that anxiety appears difficult to treat. GPs are so focused on depression – which can be (supposedly easily) treated with drugs – that they tend to ignore anxiety. Anxiety is a major side effect of most antidepressants, a fact often overlooked. Many anxiety attacks seem to be diagnosed as indigestion, or even heart attacks.
Another problem is that people learn to cover anxiety up and self-medicate, most commonly by drinking, which gives an instant calming effect. Anxiety is also confused with stress – and isn't everyone stressed out these days?
Ultimately it's an issue of focus. People are choosing to overlook anxiety and not take it as seriously as depression. I was well aware actor Gary MacDonald suffered depression, but it was lost on me that he also suffered anxiety and debilitating panic attacks.
Once diagnosed, anxiety is treatable. Things that work include cutting down caffeine, regular exercise, stress management, and breathing exercises. But ultimately, the best way to deal with anxiety is acceptance.
Most anxiety problems are caused when people try and fight or control it. You have to let go and say to the "torturer" – "do your worst, I'm not going to fight you; my life's been great so far despite your presence, I can handle it". It requires guts and a leap of faith. For some reason the torturer sticks around but loses interest.
Far from being a sign of weakness, living a good, healthy life with anxiety requires courage, as Churchill himself would probably attest.
Thanks to Ben Power from the Age.
Why do you think anxiety is a difficult issue to name?
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Losing my Religion
I met with a friend a few months back who is an escapee from a spiritually abusive church. I enquired how she felt about reading the bible (as her new church was conducting something of a "read the bible" campaign), and she said very the thought of it made her feel like vomiting.
This didn't sound terribly like the loving and gentle invitation of the Spirit to me.
I asked my friend what kinds of activities seemed to nourish her soul. She said reading a novel by a fireplace was her best soul food. So I suggested she do that regularly... and to take a moment of conscious gratitude each day.
I spoke with her again last night, and she feels like her soul is beginning to heal. I encouraged her to continue to learn to live in grace.
People who have experienced spiritual abuse seem to have a strong need to detox from religion. Indeed, it seems to me that Jesus wasn't a particularly religious character... the people who seemed most upset by him were the most earnestly religious of his day. Anyone who aspires to be like Jesus might also need to learn to be a little less religious and a lot more Christ-like.
Sometimes we develop habits of thought and practice in life that are helpful and life-giving. Sometimes we develop habits of thought that destroy our wellbeing, and we need to change them. Sometimes we develop a highly religious image of God: the harsh taskmaster, the legalist, the stern judge. This image needs replacing with the image of Jesus... the Jesus who invites us into life and love and laughter and grace. When this image of Jesus is firmly in our heads and hearts, then his invitation brings a joyful response. If this Jesus invited us to engage with him through the bible and prayer, it would be our joy to say yes. If the stern God demanded religious duty, this would do no good for our soul.
So my friend is losing her old religion and regaining her soul. Have you ever needed to lose religion? And what have you found?
This didn't sound terribly like the loving and gentle invitation of the Spirit to me.
I asked my friend what kinds of activities seemed to nourish her soul. She said reading a novel by a fireplace was her best soul food. So I suggested she do that regularly... and to take a moment of conscious gratitude each day.
I spoke with her again last night, and she feels like her soul is beginning to heal. I encouraged her to continue to learn to live in grace.
People who have experienced spiritual abuse seem to have a strong need to detox from religion. Indeed, it seems to me that Jesus wasn't a particularly religious character... the people who seemed most upset by him were the most earnestly religious of his day. Anyone who aspires to be like Jesus might also need to learn to be a little less religious and a lot more Christ-like.
Sometimes we develop habits of thought and practice in life that are helpful and life-giving. Sometimes we develop habits of thought that destroy our wellbeing, and we need to change them. Sometimes we develop a highly religious image of God: the harsh taskmaster, the legalist, the stern judge. This image needs replacing with the image of Jesus... the Jesus who invites us into life and love and laughter and grace. When this image of Jesus is firmly in our heads and hearts, then his invitation brings a joyful response. If this Jesus invited us to engage with him through the bible and prayer, it would be our joy to say yes. If the stern God demanded religious duty, this would do no good for our soul.
So my friend is losing her old religion and regaining her soul. Have you ever needed to lose religion? And what have you found?
Friday, 28 August 2009
Facebook Fever
I've recently caught the Facebook bug... which has rather slowed my pace of blogging. Why would one go to the effort of writing a whole article when one can write a few witty words? (Perhaps in this I flatter myself about the generally trivial rubbish I post online!!!)
I only joined Facebook because my sister informed me that "Not being on Facebook is like not having a mobile phone". In other words, if I was to have any relevance in the current millenium, Facebook was absolutely essential. So she registered me. A "late adopter" I may be... but better late than never.
I have found it kind of fun, and an interesting way to connect with a variety of people. I've also been amazed how much free time some people have... just how many quizzes/games/challenges/virtual world construction can one pack into a day?
I did have some pause for thought in the Facebook phenomenon last night listening to Dr Michael Carr-Greg speak on early adolescence. There is something a little disturbing about the capacity for adolescents to connect with (potentially) millions of others online... especially when some may falsify their identities and engage on Facebook with malicious intent. Cyber bullying is a new and cruel form of humiliation and abuse. The idiotic things a young person may place online might be googled by a future prospective employer in years to come. The internet is here to stay... but it behoves us to use it wisely and teach our young people to do likewise.
My eldest son turns 13 later this year... the legal age for Facebooking. Does anyone have tips out there on Facebooking for the young... or any thoughts on the cyber world in general?
I only joined Facebook because my sister informed me that "Not being on Facebook is like not having a mobile phone". In other words, if I was to have any relevance in the current millenium, Facebook was absolutely essential. So she registered me. A "late adopter" I may be... but better late than never.
I have found it kind of fun, and an interesting way to connect with a variety of people. I've also been amazed how much free time some people have... just how many quizzes/games/challenges/virtual world construction can one pack into a day?
I did have some pause for thought in the Facebook phenomenon last night listening to Dr Michael Carr-Greg speak on early adolescence. There is something a little disturbing about the capacity for adolescents to connect with (potentially) millions of others online... especially when some may falsify their identities and engage on Facebook with malicious intent. Cyber bullying is a new and cruel form of humiliation and abuse. The idiotic things a young person may place online might be googled by a future prospective employer in years to come. The internet is here to stay... but it behoves us to use it wisely and teach our young people to do likewise.
My eldest son turns 13 later this year... the legal age for Facebooking. Does anyone have tips out there on Facebooking for the young... or any thoughts on the cyber world in general?
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
All is not well with women....
I have copied the article below from the Age online:
THE standard assumption is that women’s lives have dramatically improved in the past 50 years. They have considerably more personal freedom, and opportunities for education and employment have been transformed. As a result they have much greater financial independence, which has given them more power to shape their lives. So far, so easy.
But something odd is going on. These huge social changes are not making women happier, and, according to several significant studies, women’s happiness relative to men’s has declined in the past 25 years. This includes women of all age groups, and is evident in many countries, particularly the United States and Britain.
Let’s start with the most alarming evidence. It comes from a study by Patrick West and Helen Sweeting of 15-year-olds conducted in exactly the same place in Scotland in 1987, 1999 and 2006. The 1999 results show that the incidence of common mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks and anhedonia (loss of capacity to experience pleasure) had increased for girls from 19 per cent to 32 per cent. The increase for boys was only 2 per cent.
But the latest results are even more dramatic. There has been an increase for both sexes: boys are now on 21 per cent, and girls are at a staggering rate of 44 per cent.
More than a third of girls agreed ‘‘they felt constantly under strain’’; those who ‘‘felt they could not overcome their difficulties’’ had more than doubled to 26 per cent. The number who agreed with ‘‘thinking of yourself as a worthless person’’ had trebled between 1987 and 2006. These findings could partly explain the recent reports of sharp rises in girls’ binge drinking and aggressive behaviour.
The first thought is that perhaps this gender gap is a teenage thing. Other studies showing a marked increase in mental ill-health of teenagers have prompted speculation that the transition to adulthood now is much more difficult and demanding. But the gap in mental ill-health between men and women is just as striking in other age groups — a recent study showed that between 1993 and 2007 common mental disorders had risen by a fifth for women aged between 45 and 64 (there had been no change in men), and were twice as likely in women as men in the over-75s.
Various explanations are put forward. Women’s levels of serotonin are more vulnerable, it has been suggested, but that doesn’t explain the change over time. Women are now struggling with work and family, looking after their elderly parents, or coping with an empty nest. Thirty years ago, women reported higher rates of subjective wellbeing than men in the US. This advantage has been eroded, and in many instances it is now men who are happier. So how did women end up, after a generation of advances in gender equality, less happy typically than their mothers at the same age?
There are no easy answers. One finding is that women’s satisfaction with their financial situation has declined while men’s has remained stable – one possibility is that there has been a change in expectations for women so that their lives are more likely to come up short.
This latter is key to the work of an American psychologist, Jean Twenge, who has analysed what she describes as a ‘‘narcissism epidemic’’ in the US that is disproportionately affecting women. Her meta-analysis covered 37,000 college students. It found that in 1982, 15 per cent got high scores on a narcissism personality index; by 2006 it was 25 per cent – and the largest share of this increase was women.
Narcissists have huge expectations of themselves and their lives. They make unrealistic predictions about what they can achieve. They seek fame and status, and the achievement of the latter leads to materialism – money enables the labels and lavish lifestyle that are status symbols. It is Paris Hilton syndrome across millions of lives.
Twenge points to the fact that in the 1950s only 12 per cent of college students agreed that ‘‘I am an important person’’, but by the late ’80s it was 80 per cent. In 1967, only 45 per cent agreed that ‘‘being well-off is an important life goal’’, but by 2004 the figure was 74 per cent.
The problem, Twenge believes, derives in part from a generation of indulgent parents who have told their children how special they are. An individualistic culture has, in turn, reinforced a preoccupation with the self and its promotion.
The downside is that narcissists have a tendency to risky behaviour, addictive disorders, have difficulties sustaining intimate relationships, and are more prone to aggressive behaviour when rejected.
The evidence of narcissism is present throughout highly consumerist, individualistic societies – and women suffer disproportionately from the depression and anxiety linked to it.
Girls are more compliant and eager to please – that is how they have always been socialised – but now the dominant social expectations of them are deeply destructive of their happiness.
The expectations of girls and women have multiplied and intensified on every front, from passing exams to looking good (breast augmentation quintupled in 2006 in the US) and having more friends and better photos on Facebook.
One possibility is that women’s identity has always been framed around relationships, yet this is at odds with an individualistic, intensely competitive, narcissistic culture.Women, brought up to seek social approval, battle between competing frames of reference, and many end up feeling failure and inadequacy on multiple fronts.
Madeleine Bunting is a Guardian columnist.
What do you think about this? What is going on... and what on earth can we do about it?
THE standard assumption is that women’s lives have dramatically improved in the past 50 years. They have considerably more personal freedom, and opportunities for education and employment have been transformed. As a result they have much greater financial independence, which has given them more power to shape their lives. So far, so easy.
But something odd is going on. These huge social changes are not making women happier, and, according to several significant studies, women’s happiness relative to men’s has declined in the past 25 years. This includes women of all age groups, and is evident in many countries, particularly the United States and Britain.
Let’s start with the most alarming evidence. It comes from a study by Patrick West and Helen Sweeting of 15-year-olds conducted in exactly the same place in Scotland in 1987, 1999 and 2006. The 1999 results show that the incidence of common mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks and anhedonia (loss of capacity to experience pleasure) had increased for girls from 19 per cent to 32 per cent. The increase for boys was only 2 per cent.
But the latest results are even more dramatic. There has been an increase for both sexes: boys are now on 21 per cent, and girls are at a staggering rate of 44 per cent.
More than a third of girls agreed ‘‘they felt constantly under strain’’; those who ‘‘felt they could not overcome their difficulties’’ had more than doubled to 26 per cent. The number who agreed with ‘‘thinking of yourself as a worthless person’’ had trebled between 1987 and 2006. These findings could partly explain the recent reports of sharp rises in girls’ binge drinking and aggressive behaviour.
The first thought is that perhaps this gender gap is a teenage thing. Other studies showing a marked increase in mental ill-health of teenagers have prompted speculation that the transition to adulthood now is much more difficult and demanding. But the gap in mental ill-health between men and women is just as striking in other age groups — a recent study showed that between 1993 and 2007 common mental disorders had risen by a fifth for women aged between 45 and 64 (there had been no change in men), and were twice as likely in women as men in the over-75s.
Various explanations are put forward. Women’s levels of serotonin are more vulnerable, it has been suggested, but that doesn’t explain the change over time. Women are now struggling with work and family, looking after their elderly parents, or coping with an empty nest. Thirty years ago, women reported higher rates of subjective wellbeing than men in the US. This advantage has been eroded, and in many instances it is now men who are happier. So how did women end up, after a generation of advances in gender equality, less happy typically than their mothers at the same age?
There are no easy answers. One finding is that women’s satisfaction with their financial situation has declined while men’s has remained stable – one possibility is that there has been a change in expectations for women so that their lives are more likely to come up short.
This latter is key to the work of an American psychologist, Jean Twenge, who has analysed what she describes as a ‘‘narcissism epidemic’’ in the US that is disproportionately affecting women. Her meta-analysis covered 37,000 college students. It found that in 1982, 15 per cent got high scores on a narcissism personality index; by 2006 it was 25 per cent – and the largest share of this increase was women.
Narcissists have huge expectations of themselves and their lives. They make unrealistic predictions about what they can achieve. They seek fame and status, and the achievement of the latter leads to materialism – money enables the labels and lavish lifestyle that are status symbols. It is Paris Hilton syndrome across millions of lives.
Twenge points to the fact that in the 1950s only 12 per cent of college students agreed that ‘‘I am an important person’’, but by the late ’80s it was 80 per cent. In 1967, only 45 per cent agreed that ‘‘being well-off is an important life goal’’, but by 2004 the figure was 74 per cent.
The problem, Twenge believes, derives in part from a generation of indulgent parents who have told their children how special they are. An individualistic culture has, in turn, reinforced a preoccupation with the self and its promotion.
The downside is that narcissists have a tendency to risky behaviour, addictive disorders, have difficulties sustaining intimate relationships, and are more prone to aggressive behaviour when rejected.
The evidence of narcissism is present throughout highly consumerist, individualistic societies – and women suffer disproportionately from the depression and anxiety linked to it.
Girls are more compliant and eager to please – that is how they have always been socialised – but now the dominant social expectations of them are deeply destructive of their happiness.
The expectations of girls and women have multiplied and intensified on every front, from passing exams to looking good (breast augmentation quintupled in 2006 in the US) and having more friends and better photos on Facebook.
One possibility is that women’s identity has always been framed around relationships, yet this is at odds with an individualistic, intensely competitive, narcissistic culture.Women, brought up to seek social approval, battle between competing frames of reference, and many end up feeling failure and inadequacy on multiple fronts.
Madeleine Bunting is a Guardian columnist.
What do you think about this? What is going on... and what on earth can we do about it?
Friday, 7 August 2009
In praise of unsung heroes
"It was the worst of times, it was the best of times" is the famous opening line of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities". It is a phrase that comes to my mind on this six-month anniversary of Black Saturday. The worst of times... as Australia's worst ever natural disaster claimed 173 lives and traumatised thousands of others. However, this "worst of times" led to a truly remarkable outpouring of generosity and service by the Australian community... the best qualities of the Australian community (and beyond) were released in a most moving way.
This article notes the recovery process and the contribution of a wide range of church, business and community groups that rallied to help.
I would like to take a moment to sing the praises of the VCC chaplains... largely unsung in the media... who journeyed with deeply traumatised people after the fire. Many chaplains have continued to journey with those impacted by this tragedy. Each chaplain I have spoken with report something of "vicarious traumatisation"... a significant cost for those who come to care and be the presence of Christ in the face of overwhelming grief.
Thank you for bringing grace on behalf of the churches to those who needed care and a listening ear. May the healing peace of Christ be in your hearts this day.
This article notes the recovery process and the contribution of a wide range of church, business and community groups that rallied to help.
I would like to take a moment to sing the praises of the VCC chaplains... largely unsung in the media... who journeyed with deeply traumatised people after the fire. Many chaplains have continued to journey with those impacted by this tragedy. Each chaplain I have spoken with report something of "vicarious traumatisation"... a significant cost for those who come to care and be the presence of Christ in the face of overwhelming grief.
Thank you for bringing grace on behalf of the churches to those who needed care and a listening ear. May the healing peace of Christ be in your hearts this day.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Computer Rage
I don't know about you, but some days I am nearly convinced that demonic forces are at work on my computer. The freezing... the error messages... the unexpected restarts... all designed to test my endurance and character.
Anyway, today I received the following email about Jesus, Satan and computers for your edification and entertainment:
Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for forty days and forty nights, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They created powerpoint presentations.
They e-mailed.
They e-mailed with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They created labels and cards.
They created charts and graphs.
They did some genealogy reports .
They did every job known.
Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:
"It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past week.
Satan observed this and became irate.
"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"
God just shrugged and said,
"Jesus SAVES..."
Anyway, today I received the following email about Jesus, Satan and computers for your edification and entertainment:
Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for forty days and forty nights, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They created powerpoint presentations.
They e-mailed.
They e-mailed with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They created labels and cards.
They created charts and graphs.
They did some genealogy reports .
They did every job known.
Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:
"It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past week.
Satan observed this and became irate.
"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"
God just shrugged and said,
"Jesus SAVES..."
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