Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Rescued Four-Year-Old, Rules About Children, and Assumptions

The kid's okay, physically, now that doctors got about 500 cactus spines out of him.

Carlos Rico, the four-year-old's father, is in jail. Understandably, I think, under the circumstances. The boy was found on Interstate 20 near Sweetwater, where he'd been thrown from his father's car. Allegedly, as we say.

It gets worse.
"...Rico told Saginaw investigators that God told him to choke the boy and expel him from the car, [Sweetwater police Chief Jim] Kelley said. There was bruising on the boy's throat, he said...."
(Associated Press, via FoxNews.com)
But, like I said, the kid's okay, physically. My guess is that he's old enough to understand what happened - and has a very great deal to think about now.

Texas authorities are treating what was done to the boy as a crime - a serious one - and legal processes have started. The boy's stepmother came to Lubbock, where he'd been taken, to be with him. Texas officials don't know where his biological mother is. There's a custody hearing set for July 7.

'It's [not so] Obvious'

I could claim that what happened to four-year-old Angel Flores was 'proof' that you just can't trust:
  • Texans
  • Hispanics*
  • Men
  • Americans
  • Catholics*
  • Motorists
  • Police
  • Doctors
  • Social Workers
  • The CIA*
I might even convince some folks that I was right.

That's not gonna happen.

Thinking or feeling that anybody in that list was responsible for what happened to Angel Flores requires assumptions.

* The ones marked with an asterisk* in particular.

My guess is that a man named Carlos Rico, whose son is Angel Flores, is Hispanic. But this is America: He could be 'Hispanic' the way I'm a Scotsman. Assuming that the boy, his father, or his Mother, are Catholic assumes that they're Hispanic - plus assuming that all Hispanics are Catholic.

As for the CIA being involved? That'd take a really dedicated conspiracy theory buff. I don't think space aliens or Elvis are connected to this crime, either.

Job One - The Boy's Safety

Generally, I think it's a good idea for children to be raised by their parents. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2201-2211) Provided, of course, that one of the parents doesn't decide that God told him (her) to kill the kid.

Children are not property. (Catechism, 2378) Children are persons:
"In creating man and woman, God instituted the human family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Its members are persons equal in dignity. For the common good of its members and of society, the family necessarily has manifold responsibilities, rights, and duties."
(Catechism, 2203)

"Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate their children to fulfill God's law."
(Catechism, 2222
We're not supposed to kill our children. The same goes for people who are old, ugly, sick, or 'in the way.' (Catechism, 2258-2317)

This is just a suggestion - but I think it couldn't hurt to pray for Angel Flores. He's got some rough times ahead of him, I think, not matter what happens. While you're at it, Carlos Rico could use prayer, too.

WHAT?! Pray for someone who choked his son and threw him out of a car?

Yes: Although I think that, at least in the short term, Angel Flores must be protected from his father - his father is also a human being. And, from the sounds of it, one whose mind is not in good working order. Regarding Carols Rico as a human being does not mean that I think he should not be sanctioned and restrained. And that's almost another topic.

Life is Sacred

But what about war? Isn't the Catholic Church all about waging war and killing people and stuff like that?

No. As a Catholic, I have to believe that war is a bad idea, and should be avoided. If possible. But it's not something to be avoided at any cost. We're not strict pacifists. (Catechism, 2307-2317) I've posted about 'just war' before.

Bottom line? Human life is sacred:
" 'Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.'56"
(Catechism, 2258)
Maybe you knew someone who was Catholic, and oozed hatred. There are more than 1,000,000,000 of us alive just now. Some of us aren't very good advertisements for our faith.

What the Catholic Church teaches is that we should not - must not - hate other people. Or, for that matter, ourselves. (Catechism, 1033, 1765, 2262) It may sound corny, but the idea is to 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' (John 8:1-11; Catechism, 1465, 1846) I've posted about that before, too. (, January 28, 2009)

Getting a Grip

I think everybody makes assumptions. Some assumptions are fairly harmless - like assuming that broccoli won't taste good. Others, not so much.

Like the person who's convinced that the Catholic Church is behind 'domestic terrorism' directed at a family member. I'm not making that up.1 Sadly, quite a few folks have a distorted view of what the Catholic Church is - including some Catholics.

I don't expect to change the mind of a zealot - but my conversion to Catholicism came partly from my curiosity about wild claims against the Church. Maybe telling what we're really like will help someone else.

In the news:

1 See "Pro-Life? You May be a Dangerous Domestic Terrorist! MIAC Says So" (March 23, 2009) - comment by Anonymous (June 28, 2011 7:40 p.m.)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Freedom, Burma / Myanmar / Myanma, and Getting a Grip

A Catholic - concerned about freedom - in a country on the other side of the world - Where 89% of the folks are Buddhists, 4% Muslims, 3% Baptists, and only 1% Roman Catholic?1

Part of that is concern for the 1% who share my beliefs. But mostly it's because I'm Catholic, and I have to be concerned about freedom.

A Catholic - Supporting Freedom?!

I've run into some interesting ideas about what religious people are like: and I've known folks whose religious beliefs were downright odd, at best.2 Religious crazies encouraged me - unintentionally, I think - to take a long, hard look at Christianity. Which eventually led to my conversion to Catholicism.

Considering that the Catholic Church doesn't tell people to go and do anything they want - no matter how self-destructive - the idea that Catholics also value freedom may seem self-contradictory. I don't see it that way, but I've read what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about freedom. (Catechism, 1730-1742, for starters)

We can't help but support freedom - humanity is designed with free will. It's part of what we are. Where Catholic teaching was - and is - very ungroovy is our saying that freedom comes with responsibility.3 (Catechism, 1731-1738) I've posted about this before. (March 5, 2011)

By the way - remember that I speak with the full authority of "some guy with a blog." Those citations and links are 'for further reading.'

So, does the Catholic Church support freedom - religious freedom - for everybody? Yes. (Catechism, 2104-2109)

That's a part of Catholic teaching I had no problem accepting. (April 7, 2011)

Good Citizenship - It's a Catholic Thing

I don't have much choice about being a good citizen, and getting involved with community and national concerns. I'm a Catholic, and it's in the rules. (Catechism: 1915, 2199, 2238-43, and more)
"It is the duty of citizens to work with civil authority for building up society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom."
(Catechism, 2255)

'God is an American?!' Get a Grip

As far as I can tell, there isn't one system of government that's 'right.' Not according to the Catholic Church, anyway. We're told that we need some sort of government, and that whatever we cobble together is supposed to follow some rules. Principles, really. (Catechism, 1897-1917) Part of the summary for that section reads:
"Authority is exercised legitimately if it is committed to the common good of society. To attain this it must employ morally acceptable means. The diversity of political regimes is legitimate, provided they contribute to the good of the community. Political authority must be exercised within the limits of the moral order and must guarantee the conditions for the exercise of freedom."
(Catechism, 1921-1923)

"...But God's First"

Just before he was executed for not obeying his ruler, Thomas More said, "The King's good servant, but God's first."4 That's Saint Thomas More now: and that's another topic. Sort of.

Catholics have to obey the laws of whatever ruler we're under. Unless doing so brings us into conflict with God's law. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2242)

That 'but God's first' thing isn't as dicey as it may seem. The Catholic Church is emphatically not much like the goofy end-times-are-nigh outfits that make the headlines now and then. (June 14, 2011) And, although we're allowed to use force to swap out oppressive rulers: we may do so only under quite specific circumstances. (Catechism, 2243)

Being a Good Citizen, When the Rulers Aren't

Here's what got me started today:
"Aung San Suu Kyi 'must end political activity' "
BBC News Asia-Pacific (June 29, 2011)

"Burma's government has warned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party to halt all political activities, state media report.

"The interior ministry told the Nobel peace prize laureate her party was breaking the law by keeping its offices open and holding meetings....

"...The NLD was officially dissolved for refusing to register for the poll...."

"...The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said the party should apply to register as a social organisation if it wanted to 'engage in social affairs'...."
I remember the 'good old days' when more Latin American countries really were 'banana republics.' Phrases like "pro-democracy" do not fill me with confidence.

That said, the folks currently controlling the territory between Thailand and India don't seem to be doing much good for their subjects. I've opined about that before - mostly in another blog.

As far as I can tell, Aung San Suu Kyi's primary offense is not being one of the rulers - and having the unmitigated gall to say that election results should reflect what voters want. Her party's refusal to submit the usual paperwork doesn't appear to mean what it might in, say, America. (See Related posts, below; and Another War-on-Terror Blog (June 9, 2009))

As for what a Catholic thinks about a woman being active in national affairs? See Judges 4:8-9 - and that's another topic. Topics.

What to do? Prayer Couldn't Hurt

My hat's off to Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, for apparently trying to sort out the mess in Burma / Myanmar / Myanma through political channels. They may even be successful. Eventually.

Here in central Minnesota, there isn't a whole lot I can do about what happens in Burma. Not in 'practical' terms.

I can, and have, prayed: asking that the folks in that territory get rulers who do a better job of leading their people. It'd be nice if the current bosses started being nice - who knows? It could, in principle, happen.

Ranting and raving like the M*A*S*H resident nitwit, Frank Burns, is simply unacceptable. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (November 15, 2009)) Which is yet again another set of topics.

Related posts:
In the news:

1 source: "Burma," CIA Word Factbook (last updated June 14, 2011)

2 The Catholic Church teaches that life is sacred, which puts us in conflict with the dominant culture in some parts of the world, like America. I suppose it's only natural to assume that 'those Catholics' are to blame when bad things happen:
"Pro-Life? You May be a Dangerous Domestic Terrorist! MIAC Says So"
(March 23, 2009), comment by Anonymous:

"I only know what we have experienced as a family and that my son has been a target of domestic terrorism we believe backed by th Catholic church...."
(June 28, 2011 7:40 p.m.)

3 There's a pretty good summary at the end of the Catechism's section on freedom:
" 'God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel (cf. Sir 15:14), so that he might of his own accord seek his creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him' (GS 17 § 1).

"Freedom is the power to act or not to act, and so to perform deliberate acts of one's own. Freedom attains perfection in its acts when directed toward God, the sovereign Good.

"Freedom characterizes properly human acts. It makes the human being responsible for acts of which he is the voluntary agent. His deliberate acts properly belong to him.

"The imputability or responsibility for an action can be diminished or nullified by ignorance, duress, fear, and other psychological or social factors.

"The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in religious and moral matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of man. But the exercise of freedom does not entail the putative right to say or do anything.

" 'For freedom Christ has set us free' (Gal 5:1)."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1743-1748)
4 source: "History," The Lawyer's Guild of St. Thomas More Minnesota

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

'Legislating Morality' - My Take

"You can't legislate morality" was a popular - and effective - slogan a few decades ago. I don't know if that's still the case.

Malignant Virtue

During my teens, and when I started doing time in college, "you can't legislate morality" almost made sense. Folks who confused the malignant virtue of their own preferences and dislikes with the Word of God sometimes claimed that
  • Killing people was bad
    • Except for commies and other folks they didn't like
  • Marriage consists of a (semi) permanent union of
    • One man and one woman
    • Of the same
      • Race
      • Nationality
      • Socioeconomic rank
      • Denomination
        • Applies to Protestants only
        • Catholics are all going to Hell anyway
That's an oversimplification - but not by all that much. These frightfully pious folks didn't all agree on other points, like:
  • Candles are Satanic
  • Cigarettes are Satanic
    • Sometimes pipes and cigars, too
    • Maybe even chewing tobacco
  • Rock and roll is Satanic
  • Alcohol is Satanic
What it seemed to boil down to is 'everything I don't like is Satanic' - and 'anybody who disagrees with me is probably a commie. Or pinko, or - - -' you get the picture.

With friends like that, who needs enemies? It's no wonder, I think, that the idea of "legislating morality" looked dubiously sensible. At best.

Living in the Real World

As it turns out, smoking or chewing tobacco really is unhealthy. America has been "legislating morality" to the extent of regulating some aspects of tobacco use. 'That's different?' From my point of view, not so much.

Then there's alcohol. I am convinced that drunk driving is a really bad idea, and think that "friends don't let friends drive drunk" is a good idea. Even though refusing to affirm a friend's choices isn't "loving" by some standards. (April 26, 2011)

I had enough of a drinking problem myself to know that alcohol abuse is real - and a very bad idea.

I also think that Prohibition was a really, incredibly, monumentally stupid idea. I hope folks continue remembering the 18th amendment, AKA the Volstead Act; speakeasies; and the massive cultural SNAFU it took the 21st amendment to sort out on a legal level. I think we're still shoveling debris from that attempt to 'legislate morality.'1

The Catholic Church doesn't say that folks can't have a beer after work, or wine with your dinner. What is prohibited is "every kind of excess." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2290)

That includes, but is not limited to, getting drunk.

Drunk Driving? Morality?

Complaints about 'those people over there' trying to "legislate morality" seemed to focus on points of sexual morality.

That's understandable. American culture tends, I think, to assume that "morality" is about sex. Period. I've posted about that before. (June 3, 2011)

'Trust Your Feelings?!'

I liked the original Star Wars movie - and, to a greater or lesser extent, the other five that George Lucas made. One iconic line, though - "trust your feelings, Luke" - made a whole lot more sense in the context of the movie, than in real life.

It's not that emotions are 'good' or 'bad' by themselves, Just that they're not all of who we are:
"In themselves passions are neither good nor evil. They are morally qualified only to the extent that they effectively engage reason and will. Passions are said to be voluntary, 'either because they are commanded by the will or because the will does not place obstacles in their way.'44 It belongs to the perfection of the moral or human good that the passions be governed by reason.45"
(Catechism, 1767)

Good, Bad, and the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church says that some things people do are good, some things we do are bad. (Catechism, 1749-1756) We're also taught that learning to know the difference is important. (Catechism, 1776-1794)

So far, the Catholic Church sounds like a 'First Church of Fred' sort of outfit, where everything Fred doesn't like is Satanic.

Catholics are told that right and wrong exist, that we can tell the difference: and that we should decide to do right and avoid wrong. But the Vatican doesn't try to micro-manage the fine points of etiquette, or impose one set of cultural foibles on all one-billion-plus living Catholics.

I've explained my conversion to Catholicism before. A big factor was that what the Church teaches is unyielding - sort of - and accommodates local and regional cultures - to an extent. And we've been doing that for about two thousand years now.

As a practicing Catholic, do I believe that:
  • Anger is wrong?
    • Sometimes yes, sometimes no (2302)
  • Armed resistance to oppression is wrong?
    • Sometimes yes, sometimes no (2243)
  • Hating people is okay?
  • Killing people is wrong?
  • Rape is bad?
  • Sex isn't lust?
  • 'Trust your feelings' is always a good idea?
  • War is wrong?
    • Often yes, sometimes no (2309)
    (source: Catechism of the Catholic Church. Not comprehensive)
That isn't being 'vague,' or indecisive. It's what happens when the successors of Peter apply 'love God, love your neighbor'2 principle to human beings. We're made in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26; Catechism, 1701-1709) At this point, though, we're likely to cause mischief:
"2 But man himself begets mischief, as sparks fly upward."
(Job 5:7)
And that's another topic.

Related posts, somewhat arbitrarily categorized:

1 You'd think America would have learned its lesson - but just a few generations later, the draconian approach of Prohibition was back. Remember "zero tolerance?"

2 Someone asked Jesus for the greatest Commandment. He gave two, sort of. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Monday, June 27, 2011

Silence, Prayer and iPods in Rome - My Take

Rome is an ancient city. Even some relatively new buildings, like the current St. Peter's, are several centuries old. Tourists like to look at old stuff - and so tourism is a big deal in Rome.

Some of the tourists like to look at old churches. Like St. John Lateran. Just one problem: unlike, say, the Colosseum of Rome or the Roman Forum, St. John Lateran is still in use. Daily.

Although I think someone could make use of ambient chatter, as an aid to developing patience and forbearance - I can see how folks trying to pray might prefer to not be hearing various tour guides talking in several different languages.

Options, Sensible and Otherwise

The Bishop who runs the Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Rome could, I suppose, decide to haul out a soapbox and tell folks who'd come to see the churches of Rome that God hates them because they're not Catholic - or not 'really' Catholic - and then get really mad.

That's really not our style. At all. (January 11, 2011, December 9, 2010)

So acting like a jerk is out. That still leaves the problem of folks who came to church to pray, and folks who came to see the sights.

The bishops could put 'official business only' signs on the door. Or maybe have ID cards, and make the churches into exclusive 'members only' clubs.

Again, not our style. We'd have a hard time carrying out our orders to baptize "all nations,"1 if we keep them out of church.

Besides, I think we've got enough - imaginative? - stories floating around about what 'those Catholics' do, without acting like we don't want 'outsiders' seeing what our faith life is like.

Still, there's the problem of chatter interfering with prayer.

Silence in Church? 'There's an App for That'

Happily, we're in the Information Age. As of last Friday, there's an app for St.John Lateran, the Pope's cathedral, that lets tourists see the sights - and learn about the church's 1,700-year history - without disturbing the silence that most folks need for prayer.

It's a trial run2 - and sometime during or after December of this year officials will decide whether or not to roll out the same program, or one like it, in other churches.

I hope it works. I became a Catholic in part because I was curious about the churches. Maybe other folks will wonder what the big deal is, and start learning. And that's another topic.

Related posts:In the news:
Links to posts about science, Catholicism, and Getting a Grip:1 We've got standing orders to make disciples of all the nations. Which isn't the same as beating people up because they don't agree. At all. Matthew 28:18-20; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 856.

2 Excerpt from the news:
"The Vatican has introduced a new way of keeping silence in their churches while also informing tourists – the iPod.

"Today is the first full day of a trial which sees pilgrims to the basilica of St. John Lateran given the audio-guide with a special app explaining the 1,700-year history of the church, which serves as the Pope's cathedral.

" 'I can easily say that in Italy there are no examples of experiences like this in religious contexts, probably not even those in museums,' Jelena Jovanovic said to CNA. Her company, Antenna International, created the handheld device.

"The multi-lingual guide offers audio, video, photos and texts to give an interactive experience to pilgrims....

"...But the primary purpose of the guide is not entertainment or even education - it's prayer and silence.

"Bishop Luca Brandolini, the head of Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Rome, explained to CNA that 'Unfortunately, our basilicas have become more like noisy meeting places at many times.'

" 'We need to bring back a place and time for silence. So I think this audio-guide will help achieve that.'

"The Managing Director of the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Vatican body that oversees all pilgrim activity in the Diocese of Rome, agrees.

" 'Those who want to enter into a basilica to pray must be able to pray. So this multimedia guide helps with that,' said Fr. Caesar Atuire.

" 'Everyone can now do what they have to do without disturbing others.'...."
(CNA (June 24, 2011))

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Corpus Christi, and Running into Walls

Corpus Christi - It's the name of a city in Texas.

It's also a sort of nickname for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, (the Body and Blood of Christ). (Canon 1246) What we celebrated today is often called the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It's done in English partly, I suspect, because quite a few Americans don't know all that much Latin.

Using English to describe today's solemnity takes longer than saying it in Latin - but it's in the language most Americans understand, and I think it's a good idea to make sure that folks know just what it is they're celebrating.

The Savior of Humanity Shows up in Person: So What?

What's the big deal about Mass?

Me? I go because Jesus is there. My Lord. Second Person in the Trinity. Son of the Living God. Through Whom all things were made.1 Physically present in a parish church, here in central Minnesota.

Offhand, I'd say that's a pretty big deal.

Not that Jesus recorded any records that went platinum, or won an Olympic medal. The Man whose name means "God saves"2 has never been interviewed by David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres, or Oprah. Even so, I think it makes sense to worship the Son of God who died, horribly: and didn't stay dead.


The Eucharist in a monstrance: adoration after Mass at Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre. June 26, 2011.

The Eucharist: Something to Gnaw On

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has quite a bit to say about the Eucharist.3 Jesus, my Lord, really is there - it is his Body and Blood. (Catechism, 1333; John 6:51-58)

And, yes: we really gnaw on the flesh of my Lord. (footnote 19 of John:6) Gnaw. Munch. Like an animal chewing. Really. No kidding.

Like they said, "...'This saying is hard; who can accept it?' " (John 6:60)

"This Saying is Hard"

About two thousand years later, even a gung ho Catholic like me thinks "this saying is hard." But if I didn't think chewing on the flesh of my Savior was important, I wouldn't be there.

I converted to Catholicism because I thought it made sense. I wouldn't be at Mass if I didn't believe that what I receive really is the Body of my Lord. Like they say, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.4

Do I taste meat when I chew? No. I don't expect to.4

But I don't need to see bread turn into muscle, or wine into blood, to believe that Jesus is present. Some folks do - and get a demonstration. And that's another topic.5

I don't have to run into walls to believe that they're really there. Which is a metaphor that can't be taken very literally.

And that's yet another topic.

Related posts:
In the news:

1 See "Declaration 'Dominus Iesus' on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church," Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

2 Catechism, 430

3 I think Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1406-1419 might be a good place to start - followed by 1326-1405.

4 Catechism, 1374

5 See "Message to Archbishop Enzio d'Antonio of Lanciano-Ortona," John Paul II, From Castel Gandolfo (August 6, 1999)

Saturday, June 25, 2011

New York State Senate Okays Same-Sex Marriage: My Take

You've probably heard the news by now: New York State's Senate says it's legal for homosexuals to get 'married.' The bishops of New York State made a statement about that. I put the statement - not what I heard a reporter say someone felt about the statement - at the end of this post.1

I'm a practicing Catholic, which may not mean what you think it does.

Do I:
  • Think New York State's Senate made a good decision?
    • No
  • Think it's okay for people to marry members of the same sex?
    • No
  • Hate homosexuals?
    • No
      • I'm not allowed to hate
        • Homosexuals
        • Politicians
        • New Yorkers
        • Lawyers
        • Men
        • Women
        • Anybody (December 9, 2010)
  • Think marriage is important?
    • Yes
  • Think Senators can decide what human nature is?
    • Yes
    • Senators can decide anything they want
      • But there are some things not even Senators can do
Does all this mean that I think folks who don't agree with me on every point are damned to everlasting fire, that God is on my side (not the other way around), and that the only folks in Heaven look, talk, and act just like me? No. I've been over that before. (including June 17, 2011)

Related posts:
In the news:

1 Statement of the Bishops of New York State on SSM:
"Statement of the Bishops of New York State on SSM

"June 24, 2011

"The following is a statement from Archbishop Timothy Dolan and the bishops of New York State:

"The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity's historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.

"We strongly uphold the Catholic Church's clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.

"We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.

"Our society must regain what it appears to have lost – a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America's foundational principles.'

"+Timothy M. Dolan

"Archbishop of New York

"+Howard J. Hubbard

"Bishop of Albany

"+Nicholas DiMarzio

"Bishop of Brooklyn

"+Edward U. Kmiec

"Bishop of Buffalo

"+Terry R. LaValley

"Bishop of Ogdensburg

"+Matthew H. Clark

"Bishop of Rochester

"+William F. Murphy

"Bishop of Rockville Centre

"+Robert J. Cunningham

"Bishop of Syracuse"
(press release, Archdiocese of New York (June 25, 2011))

Friday, June 24, 2011

Huckleberry Finn, [redacted] Jim, and Making Sense

I think slavery is a bad idea. I've posted about this before. (June 5, 2011, June 30, 2010, June 25, 2010, February 2, 2009)

Slavery isn't a bad idea because I say so, though. I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog:" which isn't all that much. What matters is that the Catholic Church says slavery is a wrong.1

Shocking Best-Seller Banned

Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" was uncensored when I was in high school. I'd read it - and was quite impressed.

Not that it was a 'nice' story.

"Huckleberry Finn" is, after all, an account of a teenage boy who, despite the best efforts of his guardians, runs away from a good home. He then commits a series of crimes including theft, aiding a fugitive, fraud, and more theft.

And decides that he'd rather go to Hell than give up this life of crime.

And the language! Shocking!

No wonder the book was banned.

Here's a sample from Twain's scandalous best-seller:
"...'...We blowed out a cylinder-head.'

" 'Good gracious! anybody hurt?''

"No'm. Killed a [redacted].'

"' Well, it's lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt....'..."
(Mark Twain, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Part 2 (1885), Chapter XXXII., via Project Gutenberg)

Sense and Sensibilities - American Style

Maybe school libraries are allowed to keep this appalling example of foul language on the shelves again. Even though it is "racist." As nearly as I could tell, any book containing the word [redacted] was "racist."

I can sort of understand that. We're not supposed to use words like [redacted].

Today.

And so, this massive, eloquent - in my opinion - account of ludicrously inhumane attitudes about slaves in America was removed from shelves. Because the author used the word [redacted].

Down With Their Establishment!

Banning "Huckleberry Finn" because of naughty language was silly.

For one thing, recoiling in shock and horror - or maybe it's horror and shock - from indelicate language was what 'the establishment' did, back in the '60s.

In my teens, those not satisfied with the status quo used establishment efforts to keep certain words off television, and particular books out of schools, as an example of how out-of-touch conservatives were.

I thought there was something odd about supporting "free speech," and wanting to control what people said.2

I was one of 'those crazy kids' then. I was more into pocket protectors, than jeans and long hair: but I was as certain as any hair-over-the-eyes conventional non-conformist that society wasn't as good as it could be. I still think so.

Time passed. I got jobs as a sales clerk, beet chopper, delivery guy, radio disk jockey, and computer operator. Not all at the same time, of course.

Meanwhile, some of the folks who had gone ballistic over the dying gasps of McCarthyism pursued serious careers. Some of them became successful professionals in various communications media. Some earned tenure in the establishment. Academic establishment, that is.

It's Different, When You're in Charge

I remember the trailing edge of McCarthyism, and the days when Political Correctness was in flower.

Apart from some of the demographics of the censors, and details in what was getting blacklisted, I didn't see much difference. And still don't.

Particularly since folks seem inclined to get a little crazy when information gatekeepers share ideals and goals. Nothing wrong with having ideals and goals.

It's when folks won't let anybody who doesn't agree with them - in the 'right' way - be heard.

Or, in the case of "Huckleberry Finn," read.

Religious Freedom - for Everybody

I have to believe that religious freedom matters. Not just freedom for folks who agree with me: for everybody.

I'm not that thrilled that I'm helping pay the salary of a professor who trashed a consecrated Host. (August 3, 2009)

But I'm a practicing Catholic: there are certain things I must believe because it's what the Church teaches.3

Including this:
" 'All men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and his Church, and to embrace it and hold on to it as they come to know it.'26 This duty derives from 'the very dignity of the human person.'27 It does not contradict a 'sincere respect' for different religions which frequently 'reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men,'28 nor the requirement of charity, which urges Christians 'to treat with love, prudence and patience those who are in error or ignorance with regard to the faith.'29"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104)
As I've said before, you don't have to believe this. I certainly can't 'make' you - and, since I'm a practicing Catholic: I wouldn't try, if I could. But I do suggest that you at least think about what the successors of Peter have been saying.

Slightly-related posts:

1 This isn't all the Church has to say about slavery, but it's a place to start:
"The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason—selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian—lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St. Paul directed a Christian master to treat his Christian slave 'no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, . . . both in the flesh and in the Lord.'194"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2414)
Liberation theology is a bad idea, too.

So the Pope says nobody's ever supposed to do anything about bad people? It's not that simple. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2243)

But if the Catholic Church is against slavery, why isn't the Pope telling Catholics to break their chains, take arms against enemies of the people, let the streets flow with the blood of oppressor classes? Maybe you've read about - or met - a priest who thought it was okay to kill whoever owns the factory you work in, as long as you steal his money and share it with your friends.

Attractive as that idea may be, though: it's still on the no-no list. Sometimes it must seem like the Church doesn't want folks to have any fun at all.
2 Not that I thought throwing verbal doo-doo on the walls was an optimal communications strategy.

3Here's a start on what the Cathechism of the Catholic Church has to say about freedom:I do not like the foul, coarse - and largely unimaginative - vulgarities which seem required in many entertainment media.

On the other hand, I've seen what happened when two different sets of do-gooders decided that they were better than the rabble - and needed to control what 'the great American public' or 'the Masses' saw, heard, and read.

I didn't think much of the results, either time. I've posted about this sort of thing before.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Hell, Heaven, Character, and Culture

Besides a common language,1 England and America share a common history, up to about 235 years back. And both countries have been quite Protestant: since day one in America's case; and ever since the 16th century for England.

I won't claim that England and America share a common culture. But then, I'm an American, and spent most of my life in the Upper Midwest. I tend to see cultural differences between folks here in central Minnesota, and those who live in the New York City - Washington D.C. megalopolis.2

Looking across the Atlantic, to the land of Cockneys, Liverpool, and old aristocratic families who aren't as badly off as Spain's Charles II,3 - - - I see big differences between the British middle ground, and America's. To someone who had grown up in, say, Singapore, we might look pretty much interchangeable.

Culture: as in High, Throat, and Values

"Culture" is one of those words with many meanings. The one I have in mind for this post is the one that Princeton's online dictionary puts between "tastes in art and manners" and "microorganisms in a nutrient medium:"
"Culture
"...all the knowledge and values shared by a society...."
(Princeton's WordNet)
America went through some huge cultural changes in the last half of the 20th century. Some of them long-overdue.

By the way, if this is the first post in this blog that you've read: I'm a practicing Catholic, I live in America - - - and I do not miss the "good old days." Partly because I remember 'Happy Days' America.

Christians and 'Those People Over There'

In the part of America where I grew up, "Christian" and "Protestant" were interchangeable terms for quite a few folks. They assumed that Christians were Protestants, Protestants were Christians: and Catholics weren't. I suspect that assumption is taken for granted by quite a few Americans.

I grew up in a nice, mainstream Protestant denomination - and realized that Christianity had existed before Martin Luther and the northern princes of Europe started doing their thing. And that's another topic.

Most Protestants aren't much like the colorful nut jobs who make the news. (see Related posts, below)

Still, it's wackadoos like the ones at Arlington on Memorial Day, carrying "God hates you" signs, who seem to be what many Americans imagine when they think of 'religious people.'


(Reuters photo, via FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)

No wonder somebody said "Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." Mark Twain may or may not have written that, by the way.4

The Church of Just Me?

My father, describing a particular attitude about dealing with the Almighty, pictured two painfully pious people. One of them said, "none are saved, but me and thee: and I am none too sure of thee."

He did not see reality that way, and neither do I. I'm convinced that God's Kingdom isn't populated by a few folks who are just like me: and yes, I've read Matthew:
"7 8 'Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."
(Matthew 7:13-14)
Seriously, though: why should I assume that Heaven is strictly for folks with my interest in art and science, my preferences in music, and my habit of wearing flip-flops in warm weather?

Faith, Works, and Making Sense

I can't see the sense in saying, "I follow Jesus," and not following His orders.

I don't think I can work my way into heaven, either. I've discussed faith, works, and why Catholics aren't Klingons before:
More to the point, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has a bit to say about making prudent choices5

As I've said before, free will exists. I can't 'make' you believe anything. You don't 'have to' believe any of what the Church teaches. And has been teaching for about 2,000 years now.

But I'd heartily recommend listening to what folks with the authority my Lord gave Peter6 have been saying.

'Jerks for Jesus?'

Mahatma Gandhi is credited with saying, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I don't expect to be all that much like God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Son of the living God; King of glory; sun of justice; most powerful, patient, and obedient; meek and humble of heart.7

On the other hand, I don't think I'd be doing my Lord any favors by saying - in word or attitude - 'I am one of the privileged few people who have God on their side, and you are a damned fool if you don't agree with everything I say.'

That is also one of the things I very sincerely do not want to try explaining when I get serious face time with my Lord at my particular judgment.

Heaven, Hell, and Mark Twain

Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, saw quite a lot of 19th-century America: particularly what's along the Mississippi River. He was quite good at sharing what he experienced - and what he thought about it.

Folks, then as now, had opinions about Heaven, Hell,4 prayer and God. Mark Twain included:
"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places.

"When I think of the number of disagreeable people that I know who have gone to a better world, I am sure hell won't be so bad at all."
(Mark Twain, p.377 of Evan Esar, "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968))

"I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 'All right, then I'll go to Hell."
(Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), via Bartlett's Quotations, 16th ed.)

"I am a great & sublime fool. But then I am God's fool, & all His works must be contemplated with respect."
(Mark Twain, Letter to William Dean Howells (December 28?), 1877), via Bartlett's Quotations, 16th ed.)

"You can't pray a lie."
(Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), via Bartlett's Quotations, 16th ed.)
I think it's a good idea to consider the sort of folks who were loudly 'Christian' in Twain's day - and that's almost another topic.

Related posts:

1 'More-or-less common' language might be more accurate. Still, apart from the occasional dropped "H" or "R," and the way we use words like "football" and "pavement," Most American- and British- English dialects aren't all that dissimilar.

2 Megalopolis: "(a very large urban complex (usually involving several cities and towns)" (Princeton's WordNet)

I've got reasons for deciding to live without the advantages of relatively high crime rates, property taxes, and pollution. For one thing, I don't think we've worked the bugs out of civic engineering, regulation, and traffic control. However, I think cities are an idea that still shows some promise:
3 Charles II of Spain was, mercifully, the last of a family that bred itself out of the gene pool. The Habsburgs were a sad example of misplaced priorities:
4 For quite a few years, I 'knew' that Mark Twain wrote "Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." Then I tried to find just where Mr. Clemens wrote - or said - that famous phrase.

I found the quotation on page 378 of Evan Esar's "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968). Or, rather, found the anonymous "Heaven for climate, and hell for company." Back on page 377, near the start of the section of quotes on Heaven and Hell, I found ones that were attributed to specific individuals, like Ed Howe, Ben Johnson, Lincoln Steffens: and Mark Twain.

5 These links are a pretty good place to start reading up on what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about:
But those are places to start. I rather doubt there's time in one's span of years to read all that's written on the subject.

6 See Matthew 16:18-19

7 See Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, via EWTN.com

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

God, Genesis, the Catholic Church, and Getting a Grip

About two years ago, some 'serious thinker' said that a new document from the Vatican was "purposely vague." I've written about that before. (July 18, 2009)

Instant Profundity - It's Easy!

The notion that the Catholic Church was 'vague,' or 'indecisive,' wasn't a particularly new one. It's one of the things folks who want to be taken seriously can say when they want to seem 'intelligent.'

There are quite a few off-the-shelf assumptions for folks who want to be 'serious' in a culturally-normative way. These include saying that:
  • The Catholic Church is
    • Harsh and rigid and uncaring
    • Kills people
      • 'Not letting' them do whatever screwball thing is in fashion at the moment
  • Christianity destroys the environment
    • This one's a perennial favorite
Me? I stopped trying to seem 'intelligent' and 'serious' by fashionable standards a long time ago. I've been entirely too interested in how things really work, and what folks actually said.

'Thou Shalt Plunder Creation For Thy Own Profit?'

The 'Christianity destroys the environment' notion is almost rooted in fact. Someone wearing the 'right' cultural blinders, and taking a quick run through a selection of verses - mostly Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 1:28 - might conclude that God gave animals, plants, and the rest of creation to Man to exploit.

Who Cares About the Next Generation?

This notion seems quite firmly-entrenched: that Christianity teaches vile, selfish values. Values which encourage Christians to rip through the world: until the last tree is cut down, the last mountain strip-mined into oblivion, and the coal fires it takes to run this filthy civilization choke the last vulture out of the sky.

Then, in this alternative reality, the plutocratic oppressors who ripped bread from the starving lips of the poor will die of old age and cirrhosis of the liver.

And shivering victims of oppression will be left with a dead planet.

Well, dying anyway.

Or pretty sick.

And not at all the way it was back in the 'Good Old Days:' which ended around, say 1850. Or 1492. Or whenever.1

I think being selfish is wrong.

I think it's wrong to live with no concern about what happens to folks who will come after I'm dead. I'm a practicing Catholic, so I must keep the needs of future generations in mind.

Looking Beyond Victorian England

Back to the notion that 'Christianity destroys the environment.'

Like I said, Genesis 1 has a verse or two which could suggest that the Judeo-Christian world view is horribly sick, twisted, and delusional. And encourages people to ravage the land and poison the seas.

In order to take that notion seriously, you have the 'right' attitude to begin with, read the selected verses really fast, and not think about it too much.

It helps if you take England and America of the late 19th century as your reference point for what is 'real.' I think that's fairly easy to do, particularly for folks who grew up in America during the last 50 years or so. Maybe elsewhere, too: but American culture(s) is/are the one(s) I know best.2

Which brings up the question of whether this country is more of a melting pot - or crazy quilt. And that's another topic. (April 1, 2011)

Humanity, Creation: and Rules

The Catholic Church tells us how we're suppose to treat animals, and all of creation. It's 'vague' in the sense that Catholic teachings can't be summed up as "ravage the planet, because you should be utterly selfish," or "human beings kill Earth and should drop dead."

I don't think we're even 'moderate.' But never mind me: I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog."

Let's see what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about animals, people, and God:
  • Animals are for our use, not the other way around
  • We can't 'do anything we want' with animals
  • Animals
  • Human beings are
    • Animals
    • People
    • Made in the image and likeness of God
'People are animals?!' What: the Pope is one of those godless heathen scientist fellers? That's yet another topic.3

Related posts:

1 Assuming that science and technology would end poverty and hunger disease and make everything just about perfect actually made a little sense in the late 19th century. I think we tend to forget what happened before antibiotics, mass production, and steam power got many of us out from behind a horse-drawn plow.

Oh, by the way, the best and brightest (just ask them) keep insisting that:

WE'RE ALL
GONNA DIE!!!!!!

And have been, at least since I started paying attention to the latest 'End Times Bible Prophecy' wannabe-bestselling authors, and their secular equivalents.

Aside from the 'dust to dust' aspect of the human experience, there's a little bit of fact behind the secular analog of 'End Times Prophecies.'

Genesis 1:28 is where you'll find " 'Be fertile and multiply...'." Sometime this year, I'm told, there's going to be an estimated 7,000,000,000 people living on Earth.

Taking fashionable assumptions seriously, that means that you'll start getting really hungry a few hours from when you first read this post. Then, about six to eight weeks from now, we'll all starve to death. ("Starvation Deaths, from "Dr. Dinesh Rao's Forensic Pathology" (© 2011))

Except maybe for a few cannibals.

If we run low on water first, it may take about 10 to 12 days for EVERYBODY YOU KNOW TO DIE!!!! HORRIBLY!!!!!! AND YOUR LITTLE DOG, TOO!!!!!!!!

*Ahem* Seriously, we're radically over Earth's 'carrying capacity' right now. And have been for centuries. Millennia. If we weren't people, we'd be in trouble. And that's another topic:2 Quite a lot of the sort of 'social Darwinism,' and assumptions that the 8,000-or-so-mile-wide ball of rock we live on has "infinite" resources, slopped over into the 20th century. I can remember the trailing edge of that particular 'Good Old Days.' The '60s happened for a reason, and I'll leave it at that for now.

3 See

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bishop's Orders about Deacons Preaching: My Take

A bishop has ordered that deacons not preach at Mass - not regularly, anyway.
"...Deacons should preach the homily at Mass 'for some identifiable advantage for the faithful in the congregation, but not on a regular basis,' the bishop wrote...."
(CNA1)
Lately, I've been adding a guest post to this blog each month:
Each of those "reflections" is what a deacon preached at the parish church, down the street here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Which is exactly what a bishop said deacons mustn't do.

Does this mean that
  • I go to a heretic church?
    • Defying the authority of Rome?
    • And being pretty much wrong-headed?
  • The Catholic Church is in utter disarray?
    • Shattered by
      • Chaos?
      • Dissension?
    • Doomed!
    • DOO-OO-OOMED, I TELL YOU!!!
  • All is lost
    • "...the center cannot hold;
      mere anarchy is loosed upon the world....
      "?

      (Yeats)
No.

That's partly because I know a little about what kind of authority is behind the Catholic Church - and how the Church is organized.

Authority, being Catholic, and Getting a Grip

Some folks, understandably upset by 'in the spirit of Vatican II' weirdness, apparently decided that
  • The Pope had gone crazy
  • The Cardinals were plotting to destroy the Real True Catholic Church
    • Which was their little circle of friends and neighbors
  • And - again apparently - believed that the Holy Spirit had
    • Left Rome
    • Moved to their area
    • Was on speaking terms with somebody who agreed with them
      • And nobody else
Okay: 'traditional' Catholics who want everything the way they think it was in the 'Good Old Days' aren't always quite as wackadoo parochial as that.

And they're not just in America. I ran into this a couple of months ago, describing someone's run-in with a British Catholic blogger:
"...He and others of his mindset describe themselves as 'traditional Roman Catholics' who, as one put it recently without any apparent recognition of the irony, believe in being 'loyally obedient to the Pope's authority when that authority is exercised in conformity with the Faith.'..." (Austen Ivereigh1) [emphasis mine]
I'm a practicing Catholic, by the way - so I have to take Tradition seriously. That's Tradition with a capital "T." I've discussed Tradition, the Magisterium, and authority before. (October 2, 2008) Fairly often, actually, judging by what I got by clicking "authority" in the label cloud.

Speaking of authority, I've got the full teaching authority of "some guy with a blog." I don't speak for the Church.

Hundreds of Popes - Some Good, Some Not So Much

The Catholic Church has had hundreds of popes since my Lord appointed Peter. (Matthew 16:17-19) (June 15, 2011)

A big reason I converted to Catholicism is that I knew Church history: and what lousy leaders the Church has had from time to time. It just didn't seem reasonable that a human institution - no matter how well-organized - could have endured that sort of mismanagement.

I also learned just what 'papal infallibility' was.2 Applying Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation was that what the Catholic Church has been saying for about two millennia is true: the Holy Spirit is behind it.

With backing like that, I figured it made sense to sign up. Join. Convert. Whatever.

Where was I? Authority. The Catholic Church. Right.

Obedience, Hierarchy, and Other Counter-Cultural Stuff

I think quite a few Americans have trouble with the idea of obedience to authority, and being part of a hierarchical structure. It's probably a cultural thing.

I'm not all that enthusiastic about taking orders from somebody else - although my wife pointed out that it's not authority I have trouble with. It's pompous nitwits who think they speak with authority. (March 30, 2011)

When it comes to the Catholic Church, I don't have a problem - like I said, I know Who is backing it, and where the authority comes from. God, I can respect.

Being part of a hierarchy - pretty much at the opposite end from the Pope - has taken a little getting used to, and that's another topic.

Sauk Centre and Marquette: Same Church, Same Country; Different Dioceses

The Bishop of Marquette, Michigan, gave that order about deacons preaching. the Diocese of Marquette is in - of course - Michigan. Sauk Centre is in the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota. We're not even in the same region as Michigan dioceses.

We're all Catholics - but Bishop Alexander Sample's authority is, as far as I know, only over the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan. Not Minnesota dioceses. If Bishop John F. Kinney, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, orders priests in this diocese to stop asking their deacons to preach at somewhat-predictable intervals - we're Catholics, and we follow orders.

With some spectacular exceptions - and that's yet another topic.

Universal Church, Local Awareness

Just how many dioceses are there?
"...The Roman Catholic Church in its entirety contains more than 3,000 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 600 archdioceses as well as military ordinariates, apostolic administrations, apostolic prefectures, apostolic vicariates, territorial and personal prelatures, and missions sui juris around the world...."
"List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)," Wikipedia)
As I've said before, the Catholic Church is huge, and - literally - universal.

Having thousands of dioceses helps bishops deal with local cultures and circumstances. Liturgical dance, for example, is forbidden - and encouraged - by the Catholic Church. It depends on where you are.

Obedience and Me

Bishop Sample explained why he'd given the order - and it makes sense. There's more at the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan's website, www.dioceseofmarquette.org.

If Bishop Kinney decides to follow Bishop Sample's example - well, I'll miss the deacon's reflections, and getting those guest posts. But like I said: we're Catholics, and we follow orders.

But not blindly. And that's yet again another topic.

Sort-of-related posts:
1 News and views:
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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

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.