I just visited Otto's blog and was unable to leave a message, so here I am posting. Way to go, Otto! Anyway, I was reading your bit on the church, and I could not agree more. Since I live in a more conservative part of the state, we have not had the luxury of having women preach (that I know of) but we do have women lectors, lay ministers, etc. In our church we have a priest who could retire, but one of his wealthy pals in the area bought him a condo so he'll stay and serve as an "associate pastor." This means he never actually "prepares" a homily, plus he seems to think only the old testament of the bible exists! The "monied" conservatives love him, though. we even have an old guy in the parish who sits in the front of church and stalks out shaking his head if a woman goes up to do a reading. In addition to your arguments, how about the inability to relate to normal "human" problems when they are expected to live a solitary, celibate lifestyle? How are they able to avoid becoming self absorbed "me-people" without wives and children to raise? Well, Carl's 78, so. . . .. . See ya!

PS: Geoff's recital at CMU is tomorrow at 3:00 - Ya'll come! Sorry about short notice; it's been a hectic week.