Huffington Post has announced that it will now carry a section on religion, which comes as great news.

“These are the times that try men’s souls” said Founding Father Thomas Paine. Personally, I believe that we stand at this precipice again, centuries after the Declaration of Independence was signed, both globally and here in America.

The importance of religion in our lives is declared everywhere.

via Osvaldo_Zoom at FlickrYou will notice a new style of presentation here at A of C, where I take timely fashion|design editorial and marry it with my past writing and the ‘idea’ prompted by the fashion visuals.

While Thomas Jefferson has popped up more than once here at A of C, his words about rational inquiry and religion in government are married to French Vogue military wear this week.

Yesterday I chose still in use Biblical phrases about women to accompany a fashion editorial about veiled, BSDM silent women, and a NYT opinion piece about the Haitian missionaries.

I know that Arianna Huffington agrees that all thinking people must remain passionate about America and our relationship with the world. I’m thrilled to see her use her influence at Huff Po to encourage a dialogue around religion in America.

Vatican in Charge

To see representatives of the Vatican sitting in Nancy Pelosi’s office dictating American health care policy with the determination of further curtailing women’s abortion rights was a big wakeup call for pro-choice having a manicures on the sidelines.

While I have great respect for Catholics, I do not want them on the phone with the Vatican in Nancy Pelosi’s office negotiating health care. This is not my understanding of how America functions and it’s a slap in the face — almost a farce — on how government works.

Sorry, I don’t believe that the insurance companies are the only bad guys in Washington.

We must all work together to clarify with honest argument and a reexamination of America’s historical records on the founding of our country, the real mission of America. Our conclusions must be based on not a sentence here or there, but on a broad review of the speeches, letters and what IS written, vs what ISN’T in our founding documents.

The argument that America exists to execute the mission of Jesus is news to me. But I hear these words frequently today — that the founding of the country is peppered with this intention. My duty as an American citizen is to join the mission for Jesus.

In the 1970s I would be accused of smoking dope, writing such a statement. Yet, it’s reality today — all around me.

Without denying or disputing the many good works done by religious institutions and members around the world, we will also explore the fundamental relationship between religion and war. After following the quote of one of the Idaho missionaries that took me yesterday to C.T. Studd’s ‘The Chocolate Soldier”, I read an abundance of materials linking the need for war and bringing Jesus to the world — which is itself described as a war.

Personally, I found the audio reading unnerving. And I found the websites about ‘real men’ and not the namby-pamby girlie men who read A of C also unnerving. Without discrediting the Haitian missionaries in any way, I want to understand if this C.T. Studd thinking is fundamental to their views about America.

Was C.T. Studd defining the mission into Haiti by the 10 missionaries? Having read much material on their websites, I sense the answer is ‘yes’ . I gulp and feel strangely out of the american mix.

Hopefully my own patriotism is clear with my support of our involvement in Afghanistan. I take seriously the fact that Muslim jihadists want me dead, and I have great respect for our American soldiers. But I know in my heart that most religions have a violent side historically.

Surveying today’s world, one must ask about the historical role of religion in creating this mess. Behind every way is not only the pursuit of power, wealth and subordination of other people, but typically it’s executed under the mantle of legitimacy in the name of religion.

Today, I’ve saved the best for last.

While men have been my biggest source of open encouragement, always challenging me to go forward in controversial convictions and concerns, I must acknowledge that we have a large number of ‘some college’ and ‘no college’ women who read Anne of Carversville.

At first I was rather astonished to review this newly-available information this week, but the course of my career has been one of working as a high-level executive but always relating well to people from every country and educational background.

This sixth sense ability to connect with all people has served me very well in business and now in my writing.

For 10 years my largest client invited all employees in the design unit to my very cerebral presentations. Many didn’t even speak English but they came to learn.

When I spoke at Wal-Mart years ago, I was embarassed over my introduction as a woman flying in private jets. That kind of introduction set me apart from people in a way that made me really uncomfortable. Reality is that I’m much more at ease grabbing a stool, being a person who hate podiums.

It’s also a fact that for years I was privileged enough to have a chauffeur in most cities of the world — and I walked, making them follow me from behind, taking the packages. Always asking my driver to bring a small car, I was so embarassed over a big black Cadillac in Taipei that I lay down on the seat, so no one would see me as we drove through the crowded streets.

via Flickr’s camdenphotosI’m honored to have less educated women as readers here at Anne of Carversville. The number is so significant that we cannot attibute you to women living outside the US, although non-US readers are 35% of our total.

You ladies have been so quiet, returning often, staying a really long time but saying nothing, that I was surprised to read how many of you are here with me. I repeat that I am honorored by your support and interest. And I know that we do not agree on all subjects.

This journey has been a big one for me, considering where it began. My only hope is that you will be influenced by me to consider your own self-worth as a woman and to know that you are not the despicable woman described in so much of history and still today.

Thank you for considering that knowledge and thought are not heresy among women living in any country, including America.

via Flickr’s HannhellIn my heart, I truly believe that only women can save the world for the 22nd century. We will not make it, without the liberation of the world’s women. The forces against this liberation of females are formidable and gaining strength every week around the world and in America, too.

Just so you know, even the American military regards the liberation of women internationally as a top national security priority.

It’s hoped that women being genuinely more pragmatic and peaceful, more interested in nurturing the world, rather than blowing it up over ideology, will tip the balance of violence in the world into one where we try to solve problems together, while helping each other.

The world’s women have a most challenging assignment on our shoulders. We must be strong. History is not on our side.

God bless you all. Anne