Sunday, January 30, 2011

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Beatitudes

Readings for January 30, 2011, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time 2011

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
January 30, 2011

The "reward motive" is very much a part of the American psyche, and in some degree in all the peoples of the world. In our culture, where freedom is the highest virtue, people are expected to use it to their own advantage. There is no class system here where one is expected to accept one's place. It is claimed that "any child born in America can grow up to be President." The message is that hard work and honest effort will be rewarded, and a more subtle message is that rewards are the only reason for hard work and honest effort. Thus, the reward motive is accepted as normal. There is that word again, "normal". I used to ask my 7th graders to define normal? Who is to decide what is normal or who is normal for that mater. We're to find it's much harder to define then we thought.

Keep this word in mind as we carry on and maybe we will have to decide that we are not the best ones to define normal.

Consider the reward motive that attracts more people to religion than any other interest. Consider the appeal of both avoiding hell and being assured of heaven. It wouldn't be a difficult thing to sell. Consider, too, the so-called "health and wealth gospel." Is it any wonder that the media hucksters of this kind of message stay in business? Other appeals may be less crass and more subtle, but there is something inconsistent, if not fraudulent, in inviting people to follow the loving and suffering Savior for what they can get out of it! On the other hand, who would take up a cross and follow Jesus if they knew it would only lead to suffering and painful death?

We redeem the reward motive as Christians by our unqualified commitment to Jesus Christ. We come to Christ, not because of what He can do for us, but because of His unique and compelling worth. Christ is not a deal-maker. He does not entice us or appeal to our lower nature. He invites us to become a part of His mission and movement, not for His own self-aggrandizement, but to help accomplish God's purposes in the world. Any "rewards" come as a by-product of our commitment to Him alone, a commitment that seeks no rewards, other then to see Him face to face.

Among the things most people want most is happiness. Jesus didn't promise happiness, but He had a great deal to say about it. His "beatitudes" are a primary example, "Blessed" means "happy," not in frivolous gaiety, but sublime happiness. "Blessed are" might be translated "Truly happy are." Hear what Jesus has to say on true happiness:

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT. The poor in spirit are those who are not proud in spirit, but know they must have help from God. By sensing their great need of it, they receive it. When one's pride is gone, blessedness becomes possible. Trusting in God puts one in God's Kingdom!

BLESSED ARE THE SORROWING. We can't understand the evil and suffering in the world, but we can grieve over it. We can identify with another person's suffering. We can allow ourselves to feel and to care, as Jesus did. In caring for the suffering of others, we grow in our understanding God's Love.

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK. The meek shall inherit the earth? The meek are not the cowardly or the weak. They are humble and trusting, as opposed to those who are arrogantly independent. The earth does not belong to the selfish and self-assertive who seek to possess it, but to those who receive all things as gifts from God!

BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR HOLINESS. The beatitude speaks of craving goodness and holiness in the way that needy people want water and food. They are blessed who yearn for the victory of right over wrong. They are assured that the holiness of God will ultimately prevail.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO SHOW MERCY. The merciful know that justice is not the answer to every need. We need and receive Mercy from God. We show Mercy when we put our own concerns aside and focus compassionately on the need of another. What we extend to others is often what we receive from others.

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART. The word "pure" means "clean." Purity of heart is contrasted to the ritual cleansing of hands and or body. Jesus had no patience for superficial religion. The heart is the inner self. Purity of cleanness of heart is marked by simplicity and integrity, as opposed to duplicity, and is the way to God.

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS. True peacemaking is not merely the absence of conflict. It is positive and active. Jesus taught that God's true children are those who are joined with God in the tasks of making peace. Peace includes the ending of war and strife, but also to seek harmony between persons, through harmony with God.

BLESSED ARE THOSE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR HOLINESS. Persecution or abuse, as such, is not a blessing. But there is great blessing in suffering for or with Christ. A heavenly reward is not simply a future blessing, but a promise for those who suffer for what must ultimately prevail or come to be.

Happiness is a universal desire, but a rare possession. The paradox is that those who seek happiness are the least likely to find it, while those who give of themselves to a cause or challenge worthy of their lives no longer seek happiness. True happiness is a by-product. Jesus called on His hearers to take up their crosses and follow Him. Some did, some didn't. Those who did often paid with their lives, but a pagan observer wrote of how these followers of Jesus as they went to their burial grounds, "with a little clapping of hands and dancing of feet."

Now maybe we can answer for ourselves as to what is normal. Reflecting on what is normal in the Eyes of God, places us in right relationship with God and one another. Also gives us the self-esteem so many of us are searching.
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
More reflections: Somewhat-related posts:

Friday, January 28, 2011

Facts, Frustration, and Fear

I haven't been posting consistently on this blog since late December, 2010. I'm not entirely sure why: but I've got pretty good idea of what's going on. I'll get to that in a bit.

This post, by the way, will be more about me than most.

Which is a little odd, considering that this blog's description is "Following Catholic beliefs and practices in America: One man's experience." One might expect this to be more about the contemporary trinity of 'I, Me, and Myself' than it is. Or maybe not.

Anyway, A Catholic Citizen in America often focuses on something going on in the Universal Church that caught my attention.

Christmas: What a Bummer

I like Christmas, and make an effort to tune in for televised coverage of the New York City Times Square New Year's Eve bash. Which is about as close to a wild night out as I get. That and the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade coverage. Which is another topic, sort of.

Where was I? Christmas, 'bah, humbug' and all that. Except that I haven't gotten to the Dickens reference yet. You've probably seen the movies, but I recommend reading what Mr. Dickens wrote. Although it's an example of why someone quipped that an analysis of Dickens' work suggests that he was paid by the word. Readers in the 19th century seem to have wanted their money's worth of verbiage when they bought a book - which is yet another topic.
It's my opinion that the Muppet Christmas Carol is the movie which follows the original most faithfully - and that's yet again another topic.
Holiday Stress and Murder
As I said, I like Christmas. But it's a stressful season. That's not a particularly original observation. There's no paucity of material on how to deal with holiday stress - and news about folks who snapped around that time of year. Sad. Here's a sample of what I'm talking about:
The all-too-familiar family murder-suicide could be taken as proof that all men are murderers as well rapists and male chauvinist pigs. Or that the holiday season is stressful. I think some folks snap around Christmas because of stress - but I'm a man, and 'everybody knows' what they're like. Still another topic. I've written about this sort of thing before. (August 3, 2010, May 8, 2010, March 27, 2009)

Anyway, I think these murder-suicides are more about holiday-related stress, than all men (or women) being guilty of crimes against humanity. Maybe that's being 'simplistic.' The point is, my being a bit - sometimes more than a bit - anxious during the end of December is hardly a unique experience.

Before moving on, a few things I believe. I'd better believe them, since I'm a practicing Catholic:
No wonder some folks think the Catholic Church doesn't want us to have any fun - there are so many rules against stuff. And that's - another topic, too. (June 18, 2010)

'There's a Hole in My Mind'

Babylon 5: The Gathering (1993) includes this line: "There is a hole in your mind." (IMDB.com) The assertion refers to a gap in the memory of Babylon 5's commander, foreshadows a major development - which oddly enough isn't the old Oedipus Rex thing - and struck a resonant chord in my mind.

Not because I think I'm a character in a science fiction story: but because there are gaping holes in my memory. Each within a year of the other.

I've mentioned that my mother had a stroke. (September 19, 2009) It happened around Christmas when my parents and I were living in Minnesota's Twin Cities.

And I have no memory of what happened. Or of that Christmas and New Year's. Which is notable, since I'm told that I was there when my mother had the stroke. I'm pretty sure that more than events are missing. It's only recently that I've been able to see - in my mind's eye - a particular part of the dining room of the house we were living in.

All of which isn't all that remarkable. There's even a phrase for this sort of thing.
The latter resource says that the condition is uncommon - likely enough, soap opera conventions notwithstanding. And there's this reassuring assertion:
"This is uncommon...."

"...Most commonly, important personal information is forgotten, and the recall of events during a circumscribed period fails. This often bears relation to a traumatic episode, i.e. a car accident.

"Less commonly a generalised amnesia is present and the patient is unable to recall anything about his or her past.

"During the period of memory loss cognitive skills are entirely intact.

"Recovery is usually complete with no residual memory impairment (typically within 48 hours), and reccurrence is rare...."
(General Practice Notebook)
More than four and a half decades later, I still don't have access to memories of the day my mother had that stroke: or of that Christmas season. There's no reason to believe that I experience physical trauma during that period, so I'm assuming that something happened that encouraged my mind to purge indexing for memories of that period.

The memories are probably - almost certainly - still there. I just don't know how to get at them.

It's sort of like living in a huge building and hearing someone screaming - but not being able to find hallways, stairs, or doors leading to the source of the sound.

Facts, Frustration, and Fear

My wife's assured me that I don't need the memories.

I think she's right: but it's a tad frustrating.

I know what happened, how I was involved: but it's the sort of knowledge a person has of distant events. It's the same sort of knowledge I have of what happened when the ship my father was on stopped in mid-ocean and lowered a loading ramp so the crew could enjoy a swim: interesting, moderately detailed, but not personal experience.

There's a difference between facts learned second-hand, and memories of one's own experiences.

At Mass one Sunday this Christmas season, I started - not so much remembering what happened, as realizing that I'd found a path to the memories. I felt a sort of horror that was quite unpleasant: and didn't follow the path. Under the circumstances, that may be just as well.

Maybe I'll get another crack at those memories, next year around the same time. Between (finally) getting major depression and ADHD-inattentive treated, I have to fight the controls of my brain a great deal less now. (November 11, 2010)

Almost getting access to scary memories may not seem like a good excuse for a month-long lapse in regular posting. But I had a lot to think about: you might say I was distracted.

Suicide is Not an Option

I take the subject of suicide personally. I briefly considered killing myself, while in my teens. I decided against it. No great virtue involved: besides, I didn't have access to Catholic teachings on the subject at that time. What made me decide to stick with the program was a recognition that I'm stubborn - and could probably out-endure any of the awkward situations I faced at the time.

Turns out, I was right.
Passive Suicide?
Maybe I read the term 'passive suicide' somewhere. The idea is that someone can commit suicide - not by some direct action, but by neglecting some routine. Self-starvation is an extreme example.

I'm seeing a counselor regularly - trying to sort out decades of accumulated glitches in the way I act and think. My wife comes along, too - which is a good idea, since she's often in a better position to 'see' me than I am.

Anyway, last month the idea came up that my lack of attention to health could be interpreted as passive suicide.

That got my attention. Big time.

I'm very overweight, diabetic, and have not been physically active for a very long time. That last is changing a bit - long-overdue hip replacement surgery helped enormously. (September 16, 2010)

I didn't think I was seriously trying to kill myself - but I couldn't prove the contrary, either. Major depression undiagnosed for decades, remember?

My wife has assured me that she doesn't think I'm trying to kill myself by neglecting my health. That's good news: but there's still the matter of what I've been eating and the activities I haven't been doing.

So, after a rather scary review of my motives and attitudes, I've decided that it's high time that I get quite a lot stricter about what I eat. And, more to the point, that I do something about that determination.

Regular moderate exercise is a more elusive goal - but not an unattainable one. Another goal - sleeping at night and being awake during the day - is much closer.

Finding the right dosage of methylin - a generic form of Ritalin - has, I think, helped a lot. (November 11, 2010)

What?! A Christian man putting his faith in the worldly things, rather than 'letting go and letting God,' or whatever phrase is popular these days?

You bet: I also put on a jacket before going outside today, and rely on the furnace to keep the house warm in winter.

Like I've said before: "...We're called to holiness - not stupidity." (May 19, 2010)

Not-entirely-unrelated posts, about:

Sunday, January 16, 2011

You think You had a Bad Day? Elijah, Jezebel, and a Reality Check

I don't recall hearing much about Jezebel recently. Apart from that reading back in June, anyway.

Maybe it's because Jezebel's character and career aren't a very good fit for either America's dominant culture, or the 'nice' versions of Christianity. Mind you, that's not even my opinion. I think it's likely: but it's still speculation.

Jezebel was the wife of Ahab - and was assertive. A bit like the fictional Lady Macbeth: the one who did finger-painting on the walls of her castle with other people's blood.

Not that being forceful is a bad thing by itself, like Deborah when she was judging Israel. (Judges 4:4-5) Come to think of it, we don't talk much about Jael, who nailed that fellow's head to the floor, either. (Judges 5) And that's another topic.

Anyway, Jezebel didn't stop with boosting her husband's business interests with a surreptitious execution. She had a shot at converting Israel to the worship of Baal.

In retrospect, that was a bad idea. (2 Kings 9:32-37)

Before Jezebel's abrupt fall from power - literally - she had Elijah on the run. Here's part of what the prophet had to say, after he'd prayed for death. And been told to eat a good meal, instead.
"...He [Elijah] replied, 'I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.' "
(1 Kings 19:14)
Sounds pretty hopeless, doesn't it?

Turns out, Elijah didn't have all the facts. From where he stood, things looked about as bad as it gets.

God gave Elijah the names of three others he had assignments for - and assured Elijah that there were 7,000 who hadn't gone over to Baal.

Slightly-related posts:

Christina Green, Organ Transplants, and Rules

I've written about the mass killing in Tuscon. (January 9, 2011) The youngest victim, Christina Green, is in the news again: Some of her organs are now in another child.1

I'm glad to hear that some good has come of Jared Loughner's decision to kill people, earlier this month. Not that recovering organs from Christina Green makes it all better. Killing a half-dozen people like that, and wounding many more, is quite simply wrong. No matter what can be salvaged from the wreckage.

About organ transplants, organ donation, and other examples of people learning new ways to save lives and maintain health: The Catholic Church is okay with it.

As long as a few - you guessed it - rules are followed:
"Organ transplants are in conformity with the moral law if the physical and psychological dangers and risks to the donor are proportionate to the good that is sought for the recipient. Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorous act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity. It is not morally acceptable if the donor or his proxy has not given explicit consent. Moreover, it is not morally admissible directly to bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2296)
Maybe that sounds picky: the part about needing explicit consent. Saying that killing someone for their organs is a no-no limits a person's choices, too.

I mean to say, who makes up these rules?

And that's another topic.

Related posts:
In the news:

1Excerpts from The Boston Globe and CNN articles on Christina Green and organ donation:
"...John Green tells The Boston Globe in Sunday's edition that he received a phone call about the transplant, but he doesn't know any other details about the donation.

"He says the call 'really lifted' his spirit and he and his wife are proud parents once again of their daughter, 'who has done another amazing thing.'..."
(Boston Globe)

"The father of Christina Green, the youngest of six people killed January 8 at U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' meet-and-greet outside an Arizona supermarket, told CNN Friday that some of his daughter's organs 'went to a little girl in Boston.'

" 'It was very poignant to find out. That's what Christina was all about,' John Green said. 'It's a blessing.'

"Asked whether he and his wife would like to meet the girl who received the organ one day if she were willing, John Green said, 'Oh yes, and I'd give her a big hug.'

"On Thursday, Christina's family, friends, classmates and hundreds of mourners filled St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson for a funeral, all of them passing under a giant American flag that was recovered in the aftermath of the terror attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 - the day Christina was born...."
(CNN)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI, the Big Bang, and Science: No Surprises Here

Once in a while a journalist gets it right. Like today, in an article about Pope Benedict XVI, the Big Bang model for how this universe got started, and the Catholic Church.

In a way, I can understand how the Pope's remarks about the Big Bang may have seemed - strange - to many journalists, at least in America. And why quite a few folks may have cringed when they read headlines like "Pope: God Behind Big Bang" (CBS News).

Maybe I'm projecting my own attitudes on others. I'm fascinated by the universe and the way it works - and have been interested in the study of natural phenomena we call "science" since I was a pre-teen. And, corny as this sounds, I have a passion for truth. That's part of why I had to stop listening to a particular radio station, not all that long ago. There were too many programs about "Bible science," which tended to be - I'll be charitable and call them imaginative.

'Rational Christian' isn't an Oxymoron

I've written before - often - about the notion that faith and reason, religion and science, are opposites: how one either has religious faith or reasons scientifically. But not both.

That's not the way the Catholic Church works.

Bottom line: some churches may require folks to check their brains at the door; the Catholic Church recognizes and encourages people to use what God gave us - including our brains.

Pope Benedict XVI's Epiphany Homily

After reading a particularly egregious example of journalistic ignorance regarding home schooling and science, I put together a sort of reality-check list, which I've adapted for this post:
  • Being a Christian does not necessarily involve
    • Thinking Bishop Ussher was right
    • Being a Protestant fundamentalist
    • Disliking 'real' science
  • Not all Christians are dolts
    (May 20, 2010, March 6, 2010)
I'll get back to a journalist who understood what Pope Benedict XVI said - and bothered to look up facts about the Catholic Church and science, before submitting the story. If more reporters took a few minutes to Google the topics they expound on - and that's another topic.

First, though, here's an excerpt from what Pope Benedict XVI said, earlier this month. This is a short excerpt: I recommend reading the entire homily.
"...And so we come to the star. What kind of star was the star the Magi saw and followed? This question has been the subject of discussion among astronomers down the centuries. Kepler, for example, claimed that it was 'new' or 'super-new', one of those stars that usually radiates a weak light but can suddenly and violently explode, producing an exceptionally bright blaze.

"These are of course interesting things but do not guide us to what is essential for understanding that star. We must return to the fact that those men were seeking traces of God; they were seeking to read his 'signature' in creation; they knew that 'the heavens are telling of the glory of God' (Psalm 19 [18]:2); they were certain, that is, that God can be perceived in creation.

"But, as sages, the Magi also knew that it is not with any kind of telescope but rather with the profound eyes of reason in search of the ultimate meaning of reality and with the desire for God, motivated by faith, that it is possible to meet him, indeed, becomes possible for God to come close to us.

"The universe is not the result of chance, as some would like to make us believe. In contemplating it, we are asked to interpret in it something profound; the wisdom of the Creator, the inexhaustible creativity of God, his infinite love for us.

"We must not let our minds be limited by theories that always go only so far and that - at a close look - are far from competing with faith but do not succeed in explaining the ultimate meaning of reality. We cannot but perceive in the beauty of the world, its mystery, its greatness and its rationality, the eternal rationality; nor can we dispense with its guidance to the one God, Creator of Heaven and of earth...."
(Pope Benedict XVI (January 6, 2011))
I'm not entirely sure how reporters got "Big Bang" out of that - but one journalist, at least, showed a remarkable level of understanding:
"God or the Big Bang? Why not both? Things aren't all black and white in the Vatican, it seems.

"Pope Benedict XVI made headlines last week during a sermon that made a case for the similarity of science and religion, two disciplines on quest for the truth. Christopher T. Baglow, director of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute for Faith, Ethics and Science explained the nuance the pope tried to convey.

" 'The Italian word in question is concorrenza, which means "rivalry," not "concurrence," ' he told FoxNews.com. In other words, Pope Benedict pointed out that God and the Big Bang aren't at odds -- not that they don't square up.

"Surprised? Don't be. The church has long argued for a reconciliation of science and faith. Reality is a far cry from the caricature often seen in pop culture, in movies like 'The DaVinci Code' and 'Angels and Demons' that portray the Catholic Church as butting heads with science.

"That's good fiction, but it's just not true.

"In fact, it was a Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Georges Lemaitre, who first proposed the Big Bang theory in 1927, on the basis of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, according to the American Natural History Museum in New York. The current Pope wrote about it in a 1995 book, and John Paul II called science a 'highway to wonder' way back in 1979...."
(Gene J. Koprowski, FoxNews.com (January 15, 2011))
It's getting late, and I've got dishes to wash. Anyway, I've been over this 'science AND religion' stuff before.

Given my assumptions about the nature of reality, I'm not surprised when folks who honestly seek truth find themselves converging on the same point, no matter where they started.

Related posts:
Link list for posts on on science, religion, reason and faith:In the news:Background:

Friday, January 14, 2011

When to Call Tech Support, When to Read the Bible

I'm moving data from the computer I've been using for about five years to my new one. It's a Christmas present from my son-in-law, and that's another topic.

Some of the data is information I use with 3D graphics software. Yesterday, I'd noticed that the method I was using of setting myself up in the new computer would take me - months. Probably a year or more, given the fraction of each day I'd have for the process. There was a lot of data on the old machine. I was pretty sure I knew a way to load the data faster - but wasn't all that sure.

So I called tech support, confirmed that the data could simply be copied, and moved on.

WHAT?! Relying on the wisdom of man, instead of God?!! What kind of a Christian do I think I am?

A smart one. And a Catholic.

Sacred Scripture

I think it's a good idea to define terms. Like "Word of God:"
"WORD OF GOD: The entire content of Revelation as contained in the Holy Bible and proclaimed in the Church. In John's Gospel, God's 'Word' means his only-begotten Son, who is the fullness of God's Revelation and who took flesh (the Word incarnate) and became man for the sake of our salvation (65, 81, 101, 241, 461; cf. 2653)."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)
Okay: so depending on context, when I use the phrase "Word of God," I mean the Holy Bible; or My Lord, Jesus. Which doesn't mean that I think Jesus is a book.

As a Catholic, I'm expected to study the Bible. (February 2, 2010) The whole thing. Which makes sense, considering what it is.
" 'Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit.'42 'And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound, and spread it abroad by their preaching.'43"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 81)

The Bible: Not a User's Manual

If I call the Bible a "user's manual for the soul," I hope I'll be very careful to define what I mean by that. That's because of what the Bible is, and what it isn't.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a copy of the Bible online: it's the one I link to for quotes in this blog. The NAB Bible home page has a link called "Tips for Fruitful Reading of Scripture." It leads to "Understanding the Bible," Mary Elizabeth Sperry, Office of Media Relations, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

There's a 10-point list there, which includes this item:
  1. "Know what the Bible is - and what it isn't. The Bible is the story of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation."
(USCCB, "Understanding the Bible")
If 'Bible-believing' folks in the 19th century hadn't been quite so insistent that the Bible was a science textbook: well, that's water under the bridge. (See "Science, Religion, and being Catholic")

Related posts:

Thursday, January 13, 2011

We Won: Quite a While Ago

I don't know why so many folks are so pessimistic about so much.

A person might think I would know that, since I lived most of my adult life with undiagnosed major depression. Which is another topic. (November 30, 2010)

Sort of. I've often felt "as if life isn't worth living." (MayoClinic.com) But I've also thought that I could endure whatever was happening. Yet another topic.

The point is that I've generally realized that life goes on. And that although change happens: some things don't change. And that some change is good.

It probably helps that I studied history. Particularly ancient history.

What? Dry facts about dead emperors and lost empires perk me up?

Actually yes. Partly because, although some realms didn't last more than a century or two, and land changed hands: folks carried on. And there were phenomena like Rome and Egypt.

A Short Look at a Long Time

Egypt was something of a special case, with a desert buffer on two sides: but even so, lasting about two dozen centuries with only the usual dynastic turnover and a few major breaks in continuity isn't doing too badly.

Roman Senators had been debating for over six centuries by the time my Lord was born: and it was about three centuries later that Constantinople became the capital of a divided empire. Again, that isn't doing too badly.

A little over two centuries ago, some very sharp people on the east coast of North America studied Rome, and every other culture whose records they had access to, took the best ideas from all of them and - well, that's yet again another topic.

Bottom line, for several millennia of recorded history people have not only endured: we've learned.

Wildly Improbable Survival

About a thousand years before the Chaldeans had their moment in the sun, a man named Terah moved from Ur to Haran. He's known chiefly because of one of his sons, Abram. (Genesis 11:31, and the NAB's footnote 9 of that chapter)

God promised Abram, or Abraham as we know him now, " '...I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you....' " (Genesis 17:7)

The descendants of Abraham were in for some rough times, but they're still with us. And I worship one of them. He's the son of David who was laid in a manger after his birth. (Matthew 1:1, Luke 2:7)

As an adult, this son of David, Jesus, made some remarkable claims and was executed.

Three days later he wasn't dead any more, which made quite an impression on his followers. Before He left, Jesus put Peter in charge of His church, and gave us standing orders that we've taken to calling the Great Commission. (Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:18-20)

So what?

The descendants of Abraham and Isaac have held on to their identity for thousands of years. That's quite an accomplishment. Maye they're incredibly lucky, very stubborn, or - as I think - they had help.

Then there's the Catholic Church.

We've had good Popes: and we've had some who weren't so much. And we've had folks who said they were Pope, and weren't. The years from 974 to 1181 were particularly rough that way.

I could assume that the Catholic Church is incredibly lucky - that the organization has 'just happened' to avoid collapsing under occasionally inept-and-worse leadership for almost two millennia.

That seems - unlikely, to put it mildly.

I've been over this before:
"...learning what sort of leadership the Church has had over the last 19 centuries - going on 20 - is one of the reasons I decided that God really was supporting the Catholic Church."

"Somebody or something was holding the outfit up: and Occam's Razor1 suggested that I accept the explanation that the Church has been giving from day one...."
(December 7, 2010)

" '...Where, O death, is your sting?' "

Like I said, I don't know why so many folks are so pessimistic about so much. Particularly Catholics.

Our leader is someone who was killed, but didn't stay dead. Jesus is alive.

He promised that " '...I am with you always, until the end of the age.' " (Matthew 28:20)

When Jesus put Peter in charge of His church, my Lord said, " '...the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.' " (Matthew 16:18)

I'm not inclined to believe every extravagant claim I read. In this case, though, it's the second Person of the Trinity making a promise. If that wasn't enough, there's pushing two thousand years of track record to show that He meant it.

So the last American election didn't go quite the way I liked, opinion polls show that quite a few folks just don't get it, and I'm coming down with a cold: SO WHAT?!

I'm part of an outfit led by a man who wouldn't stay dead, that's seen nations and empires rise and fall - and that is still carrying on my Lord's work.

As if that's not enough: We won't stay dead, either. When Jesus conquered death, it was for all of us. (Catechism, 632-637)
"25 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,

"in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

"For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.

"26 And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'

"The sting of death is sin, 27 and the power of sin is the law.

"But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
(1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
Related posts:
Background:

The New Roman Missal, Habits, and Togas

Noted:
Catholic Courier's posted a video that helps introduce the new Roman Missal: coming on the first Sunday of Advent, 2011.

I'll be back, after this video, reduced in size to fit this blog's format.

"Roman Missal "

DioceseOfRochester, YouTube, (January 3, 2011)
video, 5:55

New Roman Missal: A Pretty Big Deal

It's like the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says on their website:
"Vatican issues final text of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, for the Dioceses of the United States of America"
The Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2011)
New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

"The Roman Missal, Third Edition, the ritual text containing prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass, has been approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. First use of the new text of the new Roman Missal will be on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011...."
The Diocese or Rochester's video says that we've had the same missal here in America for the last 40 years: Which covers the entire time I've been a Catholic, plus some. As Bishop Matthew Clark and others said, it's like an old friend. We've gotten used to the words in the existing Missal.

Something I'm pretty sure is going to shock a few folks is that the new Roman Missal isn't going to 'undo' Vatican II. It's part of the same set of changes mandated by the Holy See, back in the '60s.

Mandated by the Holy See, mind you: not the groovy craziness pulled by screwball theologians and frustrated interior decorators 'in the spirit of Vatican II.'

I'm looking forward to the new Missal - although I expect an awkward time as I get accustomed to the new procedures.

Which is okay. I expect the underlying principles the Church has been teaching for the last two millennia to stay the same. I don't expect the way they're taught to be the same as the methods used were when Paul wrote those letters to the folks in Rome: any more than I expect the President of the United States to wear a toga.

Somewhat-related posts:
Background and resources:
A tip of the hat to deaconbluue, on Twitter, for the heads-up on the Diocese of Rochester video.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I Don't Understand the Incarnation: No Surprise There

I like to understand things.

Some things, though, I probably can't.

Like the Incarnation. The Nicene Creed says: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 456) I know why Jesus "came down from heaven." I just don't understand how.

No big surprise there.

Anyway, I don't need to know how the Incarnation worked. Not at the nuts and bolts level. As for the 'why,' the Catechism has a few words about that. (456-483 is, I think, a good place to start)

This post started when I went through today's Bible readings, Hebrews 2:14-18 and Mark 1:29-39.

If you're looking for some profound insight - I suggest following those links to Hebrews, Mark - and the Catechism. It's late, and I don't plan to do much more tonight, apart from wash some dishes.

Besides, I've got the teaching authority of "some guy with a blog." And I've written about that before.

Related posts:

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Life on Other Worlds, and the Catholic Church

While writing a post for another blog, I realized that my micro-review of an article on space aliens was turning into a post for this blog. That happens once in a while: which, given my ADHD-inattentive brain, should be no surprise.

I copied the link-lists I'd made after my mind jumped the tracks into this post, which I'll get to in a minute. The post, I mean: not the links. They're at the end of this post. First, though, a little blatant self-promotion.

A post on the topic of assumptions, space aliens, sharks, and Cthulhu:

Superstitious, Willfully Ignorant, and Narrow-Minded?

America, I've heard, is a "Christian" country. A majority of folks living in America say they're Christians, something I discussed in another blog. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (January 9, 2010))

That's nice, in a way: although I don't assume that God relies on opinion polls to keep His position. And that's another topic, sort of.

I've run into other folks in America who seem convinced that 'those Christians over there' are gaggle of superstitious, hate-filled, nitwits with barely enough reading ability to get through a few verses of their King James Bibles.1

I've also run into folks who were pretty good evidence for the 'Christians are nitwits' viewpoint. I grew up listening to some of them: yet again another topic. ("Why I Became a Catholic")

One of the current crop of that American subculture, Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church, made the news again today. (FoxNews.com (January 11, 2011))

Reuters. Nov. 11, 2010: Members of the Westboro Baptist Church hold anti-gay signs at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Veterans Day.
(Reuters photo, via FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)

That's a file photo of folks from Westboro Baptist Church members, taken at Arlington National Cemetery last Veterans Day, 2010.

In my opinion, they're not your typical Christians.
"...I've made the point before, and probably will again, that folks like Pat Robertson, Tony Alamo, and the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas; are not all there is to Christianity. I don't think they're even representative of Protestant Christianity...."
(October 12, 2010, quoted November 19, 2010)
Folks who are more-or-less on the same page with the Westboro lot tend, I've found, to be somewhat unwilling to acknowledge much of what the rest of us have learned since around 1859.

Can't say that I blame them, in a way. (March 20, 2009) Creation's turned out to be immensely more vast in time and space than many imagined.

Either that, or astronomers, cosmologists, physicists, and paleontologists have made a complete hash of evidence they've found. Or maybe God deliberately planted fraudulent evidence in order to condemn those who used the brains He gave them.

It's a little difficult to imagine that so many researchers in so many fields could be that wrong for a century and a half. And I really have trouble believing that God's a vindictive liar.

Before getting back to space aliens and the Catholic Church, a quick recap of my views on the 'superstitious, willfully ignorant, and narrow-minded' view of Christendom. Specifically, whether those terms have much to do with the Catholic Church.

Superstitious?

I've been over this before:
Don't take my word for it, though. You can check out Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2111.

Willfully Ignorant?

I suspect that quite a few Americans don't think that Christians should be interested in science. The notion that science and religion get along about as well as mongoose and cobra seems firmly planted in American culture. Maybe Western culture as a whole. I've been over that before, too:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a bit to say about science and research.
"Scientific, medical, or psychological experiments on human individuals or groups can contribute to healing the sick and the advancement of public health."
(Catechism, 2292)
There's more, mostly a reminder that scientists are not 'beyond good and evil.' (Catechism, 2293-2296)

Narrow-Minded?

I've been over this before, too:
Which brings me back to space aliens.

Space Aliens and the Holy See

I keep running into the idea that discovering life elsewhere in the universe would mean the end of Christianity.

As for our learning that life on another world included intelligent life: people; who weren't shaped pretty much just like us? The assumption in some circles, I gather, is that news like that would throw Christians into a pit of despair and utterly shatter our faith. (August 6, 2010)

Some folks, whose Christianity is rooted in a sort of nostalgia for the days before Darwin: Maybe.

Me? Let's put it this way: As a practicing Catholic, I'm not allowed to say that God couldn't have created life elsewhere in the universe. The notion that Earth was the only place where life exists came up - and was declared a heresy.

In the 13th century. (April 19, 2010)

Related posts:
Speculating about the mind of the alien:
More:

1 I like the literary style of the King James Bible, but it's not the one I study regularly. Yet another topic. (August 27, 2009)

I've discussed the Bible before, including these posts:

Monday, January 10, 2011

To "Make Men Gods"

I've written that "God's God, I'm not." (December 7, 2010)

That's quite true, of course.

On the other hand, there's something from yesterday's homily at Our Lady of Angels, here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: We're not baptized into the attributes of God. We're baptized into the nature of God.

I did a little checking. Sure enough, it's in the Catechism:
"The Word became flesh to make us 'partakers of the divine nature':78 'For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.'79 'For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.'80 'The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.'81"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 460)
This does not mean that now I think that I'm God, or so similar that the difference doesn't matter. I am not - emphatically not - like God in my attributes. The Catechism discusses God's attributes in 268-278, and elsewhere.

Back to me and God: I am not, putting it mildly, all-powerful and all-knowing. Good grief, I'm on medication to keep my brain working right, and depend largely on my wife to remember appointments. That's hardly a mark of omnipotence and omniscience.

We've been hearing about the Incarnation, too. (Catechism, 456-483 and elsewhere)

Then there's this paragraph, that I quoted in another post today:
"The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude (article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace they grow in virtue (article 7), avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son1 to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they attain to the perfection of charity."
(Catechism, 1700)
The idea that humanity shares something with God is hardly a new one:
"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them."
(Genesis 1:27)
I get a sense of awe - and puzzlement - when I think about the implications of "in His image."

Why God chose to make us this way, I don't understand. Which isn't surprising: God's God, I'm not. Sort of.

Finally, as I've said before, I'm "some guy with a blog." I'm a Catholic layman. I don't speak for the Church. Still, I try to be an informed layman.

Slightly-related posts:

National Vocations Week: What's a Vocation?

Until last night, I wasn't aware that this is National Vocations Awareness here in America:
"National Vocation Awareness Week"
Aggie Catholics blog (January 9, 2011)
"National Vocation Awareness Week is January 9-15 this year (2011).
Here are a few good vocation sites to get you thinking:...
"
There's a short list of resources, and a request to pray for vocations. Good idea, I think.

Being the sort of person I am, I couldn't just quote the Aggie Catholics blog post's introduction, add a link, and leave it at that.

Vocations: Everybody's Got One

I've noticed that when a Catholic in America says that so-and-so found his or her "vocation," it often means that the person decided to become a priest, monk, or nun.

That's an accurate way to use the word, but there's more to "vocations." In the Catholic sense, "vocation" means pretty much the same as it does for everyone else:
  • Career, calling, vocation
    • The particular occupation for which you are trained
  • Occupational group, vocation
    • A body of people doing the same kind of work
    (Princeton's WordNet)
So far, so good. It still looks like a "vocation" is something that some folks have - but not everybody. Just as not everybody has a "career," a particular sort of work that they've trained for. Some folks 'just work' and whatever job comes their way.

Before I forget, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a section on their website about vocations:
  • "Vocations "
    Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, USCCB
Another point: I have the full teaching authority of "some guy with a blog." In other words, I'm a Catholic layman. I don't speak for the Church.

"Vocation" is "Career:" Sort of

So far, it still looks like a "vocation" in the Catholic sense is sort of like a career: something a person seeks out and trains for.
And so it is, sort of.

That 'sort of' is where things get interesting.
"VOCATION: The calling or destiny we have in this life and hereafter. God has created the human person to love and serve him; the fulfillment of this vocation is eternal happiness (1, 358, 1700). Christ calls the faithful to the perfection of holiness (825). The vocation of the laity consists in seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will (898). Priestly and religious vocations are dedicated to the service of the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation (cf. 873; 931)."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)
That's fairly clear, but there's more. There always seems to be more.

As nearly as I can tell, everybody has - or should have - a vocation. Which isn't to say that we're all supposed to become priests, nuns, or monks.

Life in the Spirit: Say What?

The USCCB's online copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church's Table of Contents includes links to the catechism's major headings. There's a whole section called "Section One: Man's Vocation: Life in the Spirit."

Here's how that section starts out:
"Life in the Holy Spirit fulfills the vocation of man (chapter one). This life is made up of divine charity and human solidarity (chapter two). It is graciously offered as salvation (chapter three)"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1699)
Wait a minute! Does that mean that Catholics are supposed to go around "filled with the Spirit," babbling nonsense and shouting HALLELUJAH! At odd intervals?

Happily, no: that doesn't seem to be what the Catholic Church is about. There are folks who really do get the grace to speak in tongues. God works miracles through some folks, too. Sometimes. (Catechism, 2003) But we're not all alike. We're not supposed to be, and I've written about that before. (August 26, 2010)

Vocations: a Short List

Some of the vocations, in the Catholic sense, are:
  • Priest
  • Holy orders
    • Monks
    • Nuns
  • Chastity
    • "...the integration of sexuality within the person...."
      (Catechism, 2395)
  • Marriage
  • Parenthood

Chastity: It's Not What You Might Think

Later, in "Section Two: The Ten Commandments," there's this heading: "II. The Vocation to Chastity,." That doesn't mean that only virgins go to Heaven. Here's part of what the Catechism has to say:
"Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.

"The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift."
(Catechism, 2337)
That's in a discussion of the Sixth Commandment, "do not commit adultry." Turns out, sex is okay. It's the misuse of sex that isn't good for us. Which is another topic. Sort of.

Turns out that parenthood is a vocation, too. (Catechism, 2369)

And there's this summary:
""Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being" (FC 11)."
(Catechism, 2392))
Before that, there's quite a bit about the Sacrament of Matrimony. (1601-1666)

I like this introductory paragraph from the section on Life in the Spirit:
"The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude (article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace they grow in virtue (article 7), avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son1 to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they attain to the perfection of charity."
(Catechism, 1700)
I think it's important to remember what we are - and that's another topic.

Sort-of-related posts:

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Rambling About Tucson, Sudan, and Prudence

There isn't much of 'today' left: it's approaching midnight here in Minnesota.

All I plan to do with this post is follow up on what I wrote about yesterday.

Tuscon Shooting

During 'intentions' at Mass today, we prayed for the victims - surviving and otherwise - of the attack in Tuscon, Arizona, yesterday.

Details are coming out: how many people were killed; who they were; and who committed this appalling act. There seems to be a consensus that Jared Loughner is "disturbed."

What's remarkable is how "disturbed" he's been - and for how long. I'm old enough to remember the aftermath of the "Snake Pit" era. There's a reason why it isn't easy to get someone locked up for 'being crazy' in America. There were, I'm told and am inclined to believe, abuses back in the 'good old days' when inconvenient family members could be quietly lobotomized or shipped off to a loony bin.

Still, an ideal society would have taken note of someone as obviously off-the-rails as Jared Loughner, and at a minimum detoxified him.

I'll get back to 'those crazy people' in a bit.

Bottom line, with the Tucson situation? A half-dozen people are deal. More are wounded, some very seriously. Prayer couldn't hurt.

Sudan Election: So Far, Remarkably Good News

As far as I've read, the Sudan election in which the independence of the southern part of the country is at issue is going rather well.

According to a CNN account, folks who were standing in line when one of the polls reached its closing time were allowed to stay in line until they had a chance to vote. Awfully sporting of the powers that be in Sudan, I think.

It would be nice, if the voting proceeds smoothly, the ballots are counted in a plausibly legitimate way, and the official results are not wildly different from the actual polling data.

No matter how the election comes out - it's my opinion that it's not going to be easy for the folks in the southern part of Sudan. I've discussed that before.

'He's Crazy, Lock Him Up'

It's easy to be wise after an event. Using 20-20 hindsight, it's 'obvious' that Jared Loughner should have been locked up. For his own good.

In a perfect society, that would have happened, I think.

We don't live in a perfect society. I've quoted Job 5:7 fairly often: the idea that we make trouble for ourselves, "as sparks fly upward." I've written about original sin before. (January 8, 2011)

I've also explained why "I Put no trust in princes...." (Psalms 146) (February 2, 2009)

My opinion is that America's attitude, policies, and procedures for dealing with folks who are 'crazy' is due for a re-evaluation. I also think that any changes need to be considered very, very carefully.

I've got a personal stake in the matter.

First, though, about the fellow who's accused of killing a half-dozen people on Saturday:
"...Jared Lee Loughner was 'physically removed' from the Pima Community College course less than a month after it began, its instructor, Ben McGahee told CNN. McGahee said Loughner sometimes shook, blurted things out in class, and appeared to be under the influence of drugs at times.

" 'I was scared of what he could do,' McGahee said. 'I wasn't scared of him physically, but I was scared of him bringing a weapon to class.'...

"...Loughner dropped out of high school in nearby Marana after his junior year, according to the school district. He got into the community college through a program aimed at helping high school dropouts transition to community colleges, Pima's president told CNN.

"When he tried to enlist in the Army in 2008, the service rejected him for reasons it says it can't disclose due to privacy laws. But an administration official told CNN on Sunday that Loughner had failed a drug test.

"In postings on the social media sites YouTube and MySpace, Loughner railed against government 'mind control,' being surrounded by people he considered illiterate and the illegitimacy of the U.S. government. In class, McGahee said Loughner accused him of violating his free-speech rights, 'And of course free speech is limited in the classroom.'

"One such outburst was 'the straw that broke the camel's back,' and McGahee -- who had already raised concerns about Laughner with administrators -- had him removed.

"Laughner 'needed psychological help,' and McGahee said he was not surprised to hear his former student was the suspect in Saturday's bloodbath.

" 'This guy was mentally disturbed. He was very isolated,' he said....

"...McGahee said the school responded to complaints about Loughner, but, 'They didn't do it early enough.'

" 'I think they did the best they can do, but as far as the time frame goes it could have been shortened,' he said...."
(CNN)
Like I said, 20-20 hindsight is great. The day after, it's obvious that Jared Loughner would have been better off if a benevolent authority had taken charge of him. And, a far-from-trivial point, the six people killed Saturday would very likely be alive today if he'd been restrained before he opened fire.

Incidentally, I'm not using words like "allegedly" in describing Jared Loughner's actions. The 'innocent until proven guilty' aspect of American law is one reason why I have no intention of leaving this country. In this case, however, considering the massive amount of evidence, eyewitnesses, and people who jumped him while he was shooting - I'm assuming that Jared actually pulled the trigger and killed those poeple.

Where was I?

'He's crazy, lock him up.' Right.

Although young Mr. Loughner is a sort of 'poster child' for the idea of involuntary institutionalization of lunatics, I'm just as glad that a professor or neighbor can't arrange for someone else to be locked away in a nice, quiet asylum.

Partly because I'm one of those 'crazy people' myself.

Specifically, I've been diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive. Also major depression. (November 30, 2010, November 11, 2010)

Sure - 'that's different.' I had the good sense - and the ability - to avoid being "physically removed" from a classroom, or from where I worked, or my home.

It helped, I think, that I saw no reason to do drugs, back when that was more fashionable. The way my brain is wired, why bother? If I wanted a 'trip,' all I had to do was let my foot off the brake, so to speak.

Or, maybe it's not so different. I cited the various versions of Martin Niemöller's 'they came for the Jews' remarks in another blog. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 11, 2009)) Briefly, I think it's prudent to defend the rights of 'those people over there.'

It's not just because I've got ADHD-inattentive. As a member of a religious minority, I need to be careful of the rights of folks who don't fit the approved molds.

And that's another topic.

Yesterday's posts:
In the news:

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Sudan, Darfur: My Take

Another set of folks to pray for: people living in Sudan, particularly Darfur.

There's an election coming up, on whether or not the north and south parts of the country stay together, or the south becomes an independent nation. Either way, it looks like there's going to be trouble.

Or, more accurately, more trouble.

Civilized Foreigners, Natives, and Getting a Grip

I've discussed Sudan before in this blog:
"...I'll admit that I have a fairly well-defined point of view, when it comes to Sudan. I also think that one reason that Sudan stayed 'off the radar' for Western news for so long has to do with a sort of cultural legacy we have.

"Over-simplifying the situation in Sudan, the country's run by people who are, by 19th-century standards, fairly 'civilized.' Folks living in the southern part of the country are distinct from the rulers in a number of ways: and are, again by 19th-century standards, 'natives.'

"I think that's one reason why it took several million 'natives' 'just happening' to drop dead, for many Westerners to twig that something wasn't quite right in Sudan. Again, in my opinion...."
(May 1, 2010)
A sort of bottom-line summary of my view of what's going on in Sudan is that the folks running the country practice an unusually screwball version of Islam. As I wrote in another blog:
"...I think if the Sudanese government had more wealth, they could give Saudi Arabia a run for its money as the craziest Islamic country. Still, they're doing a pretty good job with the resources they have...."
(Another War-on-Terror Blog (September 7, 2009))
Please note: I don't 'hate Muslims.' I'm not allowed to hate people, for starters. I've discussed that before. (March 13, 2009, for starters)

My opinion is that what we're looking at in Sudan - and Saudi Arabia - is similar to what America would be like if it were run by people with views like those of Tony Alamo and Fred Phelps.

I've written even more about Sudan and Darfur's appalling situation in other blogs:
Related posts in this blog:
In the news:

Excerpt from the CNA/EWTN News article:
"Darfur bishop: humanitarian troubles, persecution could follow Sudan independence vote"
CNA/EWTN News, (January 8, 2011)

"With independence very likely in south Sudan, one Sudanese bishop is looking to the future. He warns of the possibility of 'humanitarian disaster' in the south and 'real persecution' for Christians in the north following the upcoming election.

"On Sunday there will be a referendum to create an independent state of semi-autonomous southern Sudan. World governments and experts on the region predict a landslide 'yes' vote, giving autonomy to the area which has been united for more than 50 years.

"The Jan. 9 - 15 vote comes five years after a landmark peace agreement ended more than 20 years of civil war in the African nation with the largest land area....

"...Truckloads of hopeful people have been returning from the North for weeks in anticipation of the vote.

"But the southern Sudan they find has little to welcome them. Dropped off 'in the middle of nowhere' without any vital supplies or even bedrolls, he said, they find an infrastructure that is already inadequate for the existing population....

"...He [Bishop Gassis] explained that a five-year window before a vote for independence was provided for in the 2005 peace agreement precisely to give the Khartoum government time to promote unity.

"'It has become the opposite,' Bishop Gassis said. 'It has not adopted a policy that recognizes the needs of the diverse populations that make up this country, which is multi-confessional, but continued to insist on the application of Sharia.'

"Sharia is the Muslim rule of law, installed by then-Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry in 1983. Seventy percent of the nation’s 43 million inhabitants profess Sunni Islam while just five percent are Christians who are divided between the capital and South Sudan....

"....'What will become of the Church in the north, once Sudan is divided into a Christian and animist southern state, and in a largely Muslim northern state?' asked the bishop.

"His fear is that Catholics and Copts who remain in the region risk being singled out. A system where the Sharia law is interpreted in the strictest sense, said Bishop Gassis, could demote them to be 'second class citizens, or worse, becoming victims of real persecution.'..."

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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

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What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.