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Help Me Find a Vera Brittain Quote

Modus Pwnens — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:21:04 -0800

I am looking for an exact quote by Vera Brittain which I believe is from Testament of Youth. The gist of the quote is "Thinking is work, and people have to learn to appreciate thinking." As of yet, I have not been able to locate it. Does anyone know the exact quote, or possibly remember it better than I do?

Looking for contextual understanding of Hebrews 10:23

iamkimiam — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:07:13 -0800

Seeking advice about a quote from Hebrews 10:23, which states "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." This is from one of the books of the New Testament (Epistle to the Hebrews). I have no religious background knowledge. This quote is referenced in the data portion of a research paper I'm writing. I'm trying to not only understand the quote and what type of message it sends to an audience, but how the quote itself fits into the big picture of Epistle to the Hebrews, and the New Testament. The Wikipedia page is not very useful because it doesn't explain the quote, or the book of Hebrews in context. I'd like to know what was going on before, after, during this time/passage/letter. What is Epistle to the Hebrews for? What is the significance of the message? If you are a religious person, what does this passage mean to you?

A brief summary of events is great...book recommendations or heavy reading material not so much. I just need a basic understanding for now, so that I can apply the knowledge and move on with writing.

Thanks so much!

It's time for the partner and I to set up wills. I need clarification about what we might need, and recommendations about what software to use.

misanthropicsarah — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:53:40 -0800

It's time for the partner and I to set up wills. We've never done this before, and our "estates" aren't worth the cost of going to a lawyer. I need clarification about what we might need, and recommendations about what software to use. I have seen this and this.

We're both in our mid-twenties, in Philadelphia, PA, not married (what with the gay), and don't have any assets to speak of besides some very small retirement accounts. We're both in decent enough health.

What we want is a document that defines who gets what in terms of any property and money if the other passes away, as well as document that says who gets to decide to "pull the plug" and make the funeral (or whatever) arrangements for the other.

Since we're not married, we don't automatically have these kinds of "death bed" rights, and we want to make sure we have the proper documents to ensure we get them if we should ever need them.

I think that we need both a will and testament and a living will, but I'm not positive.

Is there any software out there that will help us create a will and a living will if it turns out that's what we need?

Thanks for any input!

I appreciate it, but please don't tell us to just see a lawyer. The finances just don't make that possible right now.

And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen."

Baby_Balrog — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:33:04 -0800

It was always my understanding that Numbers 5:11 in the Hebrew Bible refers to an abortive procedure. However... When I brought it up in my OT ex class the other day, several of my classmates were shocked by this and adamantly denied this possibility. I guess I had always assumed that the "bitter water that carries the curse" was an abortive. Here is the passage as it is found in the NRSV.

I should add, as this is incredibly important, that the NIV (my least preferred edition) translates "uterus drop and womb discharge," to "abdomen swell and thigh waste away" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean) and I pointed out in class that this might be the source of some of the confusion. However, even provided with a more accurate translation, another student suggested that a body of evidence exists that this is, in fact, not sanctioned abortion - but rather some other form of poison that generates a prolapsed uterus.

I think this is ridiculous - given the Israelites probable desire to maintain their patrilineal descent patterns it would seem most logical that a man, upon returning from afar, and suspecting his wife of being pregnant, would immediately demand an abortion to prove that she had cheated on him. There would be no reason to keep the child when there was no way the man could have been thought to be its father, rather, the abortion would provide excellent proof of the woman's infidelity.

My question (finally!) is whether or not this "body of evidence" actually exists regarding this disturbing chapter in the OT and if there have been books written on this topic.