A Tattoo Depression?

Okay, some folks might not find this too funny (Prov. 17:22, 14:13), but we're not making this up. Rather in light of certain official ecclesiastical pronouncements on the subject which one could be presumably excommunicated for disagreeing with, it could be considered quite relevant. Over at the papist libertarian LewRockwell site they have a mp3 podcast/interview entitled - believe it or not - "Tattoo Depression". (They got the free market Austrian economics wired, but leave something obviously to be desired in the religion department.) It seems in an financial downturn, according to the economist interviewed and what your common sense might tell you, people turn conservative. They start saving money, women's hemlines drop etc. So too it seems with tattoos and body piercings, all those popular and hip pagan post Christian fads. People - employers, employees, the general public - retreat from all that far out way cool stuff.

And if there is any question whether or not we are in an economic downturn, sooner or later in the Lord's good providence the obvious becomes unavoidable. (Then the game will be who to blame it on.) Another word for a downturn or recession would be depression, but that belongs to the politically incorrect index of forbidden words to use in public or on TV. Nevertheless the Federal Reserve - a monopoly or cartel which is itself the biggest speculator around when it comes to interest and credit - has pumped $4 billion into the American economy through lending and printing dollars. That means there is that much more paper chasing consumable goods which cannot increase as fast as the money supply. Result: inflation, the hidden tax as well as a depression/recession (Ron Paul does a pretty good job of talking about it here.)

In short, the popularity of carnal graffiti might look to be on the way out for now. Granted it is because of providence not principle, but beggars can't be choosers and we take what we can get in a day of small things (Zech. 4:10). After all, we can remember a son of an elder who wanted to tattoo something about the covenant on his forehead or chest, but we really don't want to remember what or where. Anyway, maybe some folks will reconsider their ecclesiastical argument for the exception as the rule when it comes to epidermal scribbling. Maybe not. But if they don't, at least the current economic reality will restrain them from putting it into practice. It hasn't sunk home yet on all the help at some of the businesses we patronize, but we're looking forward to it.

And another thing/This just in: We have been informed that one of the RPNA(GM) elders owns 1/3 interest in a certain xerox reprint and cd-rom company. Maybe that is why, among other things, there was no traction gained in the attempts to get the advertisements for a for-profit book company off the church's website. One elder is family and one is part owner and . . . (We say nothing of the divorce/excommunication which to the best of our knowledge was handled in-family also.) Accountability, transparency, integrity etc. versus conflict in interest. Hey, not to worry, It's a small and tidy world when you make the rules and can do as you please.