Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Humans are Animals: But Not Just Animals

At the end of yesterday's post, I said I'd get back to Genesis 1:22. That's the verse that starts, "God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile, multiply....' (Genesis 1:22)

Sounds like what God told our first parents to do, doesn't it?

This "be fertile" command, though, was directed at critters:
"God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.' "
(Genesis 1:21-22)
We come a little later, and got the same basic instructions, plus a sort of special assignment:
"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: 'Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.' "
(Genesis 1:27-28)

Oh! Horrors! I Think Humans are Animals?!

I'm about as sure as I can be, that human beings are animals. When I look in a mirror, I see eyes, nostrils, and a mouth. That means I've got a physical form, one with characteristics of an animal: the hair tells me I'm looking at a mammal; other characteristics peg me as a primate.

That's assuming that the mirror, my body, the room I'm in, and everything else, isn't a figment of my imagination. Which is another topic.

Does my acknowledging that I'm an animal mean that I 'believe in' Godless science, Communism, and fluoridated water?

No.

I'm a Catholic, so I don't have to check my brain at the door when I enter church. I've discussed science, religion, and being Catholic quite a bit.

Bottom line? It's faith and reason.

Human Beings: Animals, but Not Just Animals

As I wrote a couple weeks ago, I like animals. (August 13, 2011) I also noted the basics of what the Catholic Church has to say about what sort of creature a human being is.

Human beings are:
  • Animals
    • A special sort of animal
      • Endowed with reason
      • Capable of
        • Understanding
        • Discernment
      (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1951)
  • People
    • Rational and therefore like God
      • Made in the image and likeness of God
      (Catechism, 1700-1706)
    • Created with free will
    • Master over our actions
      (Catechism, 1730)

Animals?! Eww! That Sounds so - Beastly

To hear some painfully 'spiritual' Christians talk, a person could get the idea that Jesus came into the world to let us know that His Father had blundered. And that we should shun and despise the physical world. Especially sex.

I don't see things that way. At all. Partly because I like physical things, partly because I think God is competent.

I'll get back to that.

God Made a Mistake?!

I worship the Eternal God who is:
  • All-powerful
    • Created everything
    • Rules everything
    • Can do everything
    (Catechism, 268)
  • The source of
    • Every good
    • All love
    • All truth
    (Catechism, 1723, 2465)
  • The great HE WHO IS
    • From everlasting to everlasting
    • Without origin and without end
      (Catechism, 212-213)
  • A "mystery without words"
    • Even after revealing Himself
      • "If you understood him, it would not be God"
        (St. Augustine)
    (Catechism, 230)
If I said that the physical world was bad, I'd be claiming that the great I AM goofed. I do not need that kind of trouble.

Fallen, But Basically Good

The world as it is today, human beings included, isn't in ideal shape. Our first parents made a choice: and we've been living with the consequences ever since. (Catechism, 390, 391, 402-406, particularly 405)

But God made a creation that's basically good.

God, by the way, after finally getting the descendants of Abraham and Isaac to acknowledge that there was one God: let us know that there are three of him. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit aren't three gods. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 659, 689) (July 2, 2011) Yet another topic.

'Darkness and Light, Locked in Combat' - Nifty Slogan, and Wrong

I'm a bit of a nerd. More than a bit, according to #3 daughter. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (April 15, 2011))

My interest in matters of the mind could lead me into Gnosticism: the notion that what matters is knowing the 'inside secrets.'

That would be a very bad idea. The Church has been affirming that Jesus is Man and God since the 3rd century. (Catechism, 465)

Where was I? Creation. The physical world. God doesn't make junk. Right.

"Utter Pessimism" - Not For Me

Gnostics thought (and think) that knowledge is important. That, I don't have a problem with.

But they took that truth, and ran with it straight off the edge of sanity's map:
"...The Gnostics, it is true, borrowed their terminology almost entirely from existing religions, but they only used it to illustrate their great idea of the essential evil of this present existence and the duty to escape it by the help of magic spells and a superhuman Saviour....

"...This utter pessimism, bemoaning the existence of the whole universe as a corruption and a calamity, with a feverish craving to be freed from the body of this death and a mad hope that, if we only knew, we could by some mystic words undo the cursed spell of this existence — this is the foundation of all Gnostic thought...."
(Catholic Encyclopedia)
Sounds like some radio preachers - who inspired me to take a long, hard look at Christianity and other major religions. Which led me to become a Catholic. Yet another topic again.

Dualism and Weekend Grilling

For full-bore dualism you'd have to go to Manichaeism. I've put links to background resources under, what else? "Background," near the end of this post.

There are different sorts of dualism. There's the idea that there's a good god and an evil god in opposition to each other, or light and darkness, or some other pair of equally-powerful principles. Then, there's the notion that matter and spirit, body and mind, are radically different - and that one's inherently good, and the other evil.

It doesn't take a degree in theology to guess whether terribly 'spiritual' folks decided which of those pairs was evil. Matter and the body, 'obviously,' are basically icky.

Again, I can't see it that way. God made the physical world, and God doesn't make junk.

That's not just my opinion:
"Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: 'You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.'151 The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the 'image of the invisible God', is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the 'image of God' and called to a personal relationship with God.152 Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work.153 Because creation comes forth from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness - 'And God saw that it was good. . . very good'154 - for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world.155"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 299) [emphasis mine]
Looks like I don't need to writhe in agony because I enjoy grilling burgers on weekends. As God was creating the physical world, He "saw that it was good. . . very good."

Spiritual People: There Ain't No Other Kind

Ever hear someone talk about 'spiritual' people? In contrast with not-spiritual people, I suppose.

Turns out, I'm a 'spiritual' person. So are you. So is everybody. It's how we're designed.

Spirit is 'built in' to the human person. (Catechism, 363) And because it's animated by a spiritual soul, the human body "shares in the dignity of 'the image of God': it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul...." (Catechism, 364)

And, 'spiritual' or not, I'm still an animal. It's the way God made me: so I'm not going to complain.

Related posts:
Background:

1 Don't get me wrong: 'spirituality' is okay. I've gone over sense, nonsense, common sense, and spirituality before:

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex

Or, Sex Isn't a Four-Letter Word.

It's hard to ignore sex completely, although I suppose it could be done. Sexuality is part of being human: the basic coding is there, as soon as DNA strands come together in a fertilized egg. X and Y chromosomes, and all that.

Folks can have quite a few attitudes toward sex, including these:
  1. Low responsibility, high fun
    • 'Free love, baby!'
      • 'It's been fun, gotta go'
    • Feels good in the short term
    • Ignores
      • Subtle consequences
      • Not-so-subtle consequences
  2. High responsibility, low fun
    • 'Yecch!'
      • 'One does what one must'
    • Feels good in the short term
      • For those who enjoy feeling
        • Self-righteous
        • Grim
      • Ignores
        • Subtle consequences
        • Not-so-subtle consequences
  3. High responsibility, lasting fun
    • "God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile, multiply....' "
      (Genesis 1:28)
      • "God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile, multiply....' "
        (Genesis 1:22)
        • I'll get back to that
    • Feels good in the short term
      • Except when it doesn't
        • Pleasant feelings don't last
          • Neither do unpleasant feelings
        • Change happens
    • Ignores
      • Pressure
        • Social
        • Psychological
        • Hormonal
      • Desires for self-gratification
A caricature of the situation? Simplified? Of course.

Why Pick on Hippies?

"Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex" isn't quite what this post is about: but it's close. It's not that I'm sloppy about picking titles. Not for the most part, anyway, and that's another topic.1

Hippies weren't the only folks who decided to take a vacation from cause and effect. Or try, anyway. But now, a half-century later, "Hippy" is a fairly common term that most Americans associate with a particular set of choices.

And It's shorter than "a person ... who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love...." (Dictionary.com) Seriously: titles like that could put a person to sleep. Or, worse, bore a potential reader.

As for wanting spontaneity, and rejecting established institutions? That's not necessarily a bad thing.

I grew up in the '60's, and saw huge problems with America's "established institutions." So I converted to Catholicism?!

Bucking the system doesn't have to involve love beads and incense. Come to think of it, though: I wear a chaplet around my neck, and incense is a routine part of Mass.

Still more topics.2

Why Pick on Prudes?

Prude: "A person who is or tries to be excessively proper, especially one who is easily offended by matters of a sexual nature." (Wiktionary)
I don't think much of prudery. But I don't 'hate' prudes, or anybody else. I try very hard not to, anyway. Hating people is against the rules. Yet another topic.3

As for being easily offended - I think many old-school American Christians made the mistake of assuming that their wardrobe preferences were God's unchanging dress code.4 And I'm getting off-topic.

Or maybe not so much.

Gloomily Grim for God?

I take my faith very seriously. Or, more accurately, I take my Lord very seriously. But that doesn't mean I think I should be conventionally 'spiritual,' and go around looking grim. 5

Sure, there's a time for being solemn. Like when the Man who was killed but didn't stay dead shows up in person. And that's yet again another topic.6

Not everyone who seems to feel that 'gloominess is next to Godliness' is of the "God Hates You" ilk.


(Reuters photo, via FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)
These are not, in my considered opinion, typical Christians.
(June 14, 2011)

Outfits like Jim Phelp's little band aren't even representative of American Protestantism. They are, however, loud: and colorful enough to get on the news from time to time.

It's little wonder that some folks get wrong ideas. Like:
  • The Catholic Church says some things are bad for people
    (True)
    • Examples include:
      • Homosexual practices
      • Suicide
      • Rape
      • Drub abuse
  • Therefore Catholics are taught to hate
    • Homosexuals
    • Suicides
    • Rapists
    • Drug addicts
    (False)
It may sound corny, but it's a matter of 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' Which is the principle behind those 'friends don't let friends drive drunk' ads. And those 'repressive' rules the Church has about being human. (April 26, 2011)

Sex, Electricity, and Common Sense

Sex is great. So is electricity. But there's a reason that we keep live wires covered, and won't let children poke things in electrical outlets. We're not trying to keep the kids from having fun: we're trying to keep them alive until they develop 'common sense.' Which sometimes seems to be uncommon. Still more topics. A short, incomplete, list of what the Catholic Church has to say about sex:
  • Sex is good (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2331-2336)
  • Lust is a disorder (Catechism, 2351)
  • Sex is special (Catechism, 2348-2350)
  • Rape is bad (Catechism, 2356)

"God Blessed Them"

Oops. I said I'd get back to "God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile, multiply....' " (Genesis 1:22) I'll have to put that off until tomorrow. It's getting late, and I need sleep: which ties in with what I had to say about that quote. Lots more topics. Related posts:

1 The idea is to get your attention with a title that gives a general idea of the post's topics. I figure a short title is generally better. You can get details by reading the post. I try to give posts titles that:
  • Have something to do with the post
  • Are fairly short
  • Get your attention
    • At least aren't
      • Boring
      • Unimaginative
      • Like a thousand other headlines
2 "Hippie" is often used as a generic term for someone who's obviously counter-cultural. Like me. Except I'm not. A hippie, that is:
3 You may have run into a Catholic who hated someone: but that's against the rules:
It's another specific instance of what's in Matthew 22:36-40.

4 The admonition in Deuteronomy is against men dressing as women or vice versa: Not that the dress code of America, 1950 A.D., was God's unchanging rule for how men and women should dress.
5 With spectacular exceptions, like some Southern Baptists, quite a few Americans who are Christians and take their faith seriously are - serious. Terribly, unrelentingly, unsmilingly, doggedly serious. 'Serious' can be good, but I don't think it's the whole picture:
6 The Resurrection, and the Eucharist, are remarkable things. Putting it mildly.

Monday, August 29, 2011

What Hurricane Irene Doesn't Mean, and Prayer

First, about this post's title: "What Hurricane Irene Doesn't Mean...."

I've got opinions about Hurricane Irene, but I also have the teaching authority of "some guy with a blog." I don't speak for the Catholic Church.

Still, I'm pretty confident about this:

Hurricane Irene Wasn't God Getting Even With Those Sinners Over There

I could be wrong about that. Maybe God decided that about three dozen people had to get killed, becauseI really don't think so - but I suppose it's possible.

It's not so much the 14 decades that's gone by since those riots that makes me think that Hurricane Irene isn't some sort of vindictive divine payback.

It's the sort of petty viciousness I associate with assuming that God kills people because He's peeved about something their ancestors did. That doesn't seem like a good fit with God the merciful and righteous, source of all truth, good and love. Still, He's been known to get rough with us.1

As far as I know, nobody's said that Hurricane Irene was the righteous wrath of an angry God - punishing sinners in big east coast cities. Not that I've looked for the sort of thoughtless statements celebrities made after recent earthquakes in Haiti and Japan.2 And I'm getting a little off-topic.

Oddly, I also think that - - -

God Sent Hurricane Irene

Since I'm a Catholic, I have to believe that divine providence exists: the idea that God runs the universe in a very hands-on way. It makes sense, but taking divine providence seriously also forced me to let go of the 'clockwork' model of creation.3

I think this is a pretty good super-short summary of what the Catholic Church has about divine providence. The basics, anyway:
  • God
    • Cares about His creation
      • From the smallest detail to the largest events
    • Does what He wants
      • Regardless of whether it fits our plans
      (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 303)
There's more, including:
  • Jesus told us to
    • Trust God
    • Not be anxious about what we
      • Need
      • Want
      (Catechism, 305)
  • Providence and
    • Secondary causes (Catechism, 306-308)
    • The scandal of evil (Catechism, 309-314)
I don't have much of a problem with assuming that God set Hurricane Irene up the east coast of the United States. What I won't do is assume that the storm is the righteous wrath of a tame God, smiting folks who don't agree with me.4 There's that Matthew 7:1-5 thing for starters.

I think it's safe to assume that God had a reason for arranging weather conditions over the weekend. I also suspect that I couldn't understand His motives. God's God, I'm not.

However, I also think a little speculation won't hurt. First, though:

Hurricane Irene: Prayer Couldn't Hurt

So far, about three dozen folks near the east coast died as a result of Hurricane Irene. I think it'd be a good idea to pray for their families and friends - and for the victims.

About Prayer

I think prayer is a good idea: whether it's a quick 'please help me stay calm;' or a nine-day sequence of structured prayers and meditations.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a pretty good place to start learning what the Catholic Church says about prayer:
  • Prayer
    • Isn't just an impulsive outburst
    • Is
      • A learned skill
      • Taught by the Holy Spirit
      (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2650-2651)
There's more, of course: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2650-2660, for a start.

Hurricane Irene: Opportunity for Prayer and Charity?

This is just speculation, but I've wondered if maybe one of God's reasons for the east coast's wild weather is educational. Americans have an opportunity here to pray - and offer help to folks affected by the storm.

It's just speculation, of course.

Related posts: News and views:
1 There's more to God than this sort of thing:
"7 As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole region of the Plain, he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace." (Genesis 19:28)
On the other hand, seeing God only as a nice, inoffensive chap who doesn't do much except smile and tell people how well they're doing: isn't, I think, a good idea. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) It isn't, I think, the end: but I also think it's a good place to start.2 There seems to be something about major disasters that brings out the cluelessness in folks:3 The notion that God created the universe, wound it up, and let it run on its own, allowed me to sidestep questions about the existence of evil. That 'clockwork universe' notion wasn't easy to let go:4 Minnesota is so far north, it isn't even a 'flyover state.' Not for folks whose world exists in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Too many folks seem to have the 'anything I don't know, isn't important' attitude. That can be annoying or amusing, or a bit frightening: depending on whether the ignoramus is obnoxious, harmless, or a prominent member of society. I've gotten the impression, now and again, that a fair number of America's leaders don't realize that Green Acres is fiction.

Then there's the tendency to assume that folks in your neighborhood, and near your office, are 'normal:' and that anyone who's not like your little group - isn't.

I've discussed parochialism, The New York Times, and assumptions about New York City's home town paper, mostly in another blog:

Sunday, August 28, 2011

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Readings for August 28, 2011, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Trinity Sunday 2011

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
August 28, 2011

We will hear from time to time that here in America one can be whatever you want if you really try. "Any child born in America can be President." Hard work and honest effort will be rewarded. Often the more subtle message is that rewards are the only reason for hard work and honest effort. The reward motive is securely rooted in the national psyche.

So you can say that, that makes a lot of sense and I suppose that is also the reason many are attracted to religion more then anything else. To avoid hell and to be assured of heaven is a great inducement to consider the teaching of the Apostles.

Then consider some of our TV evangelists who seem to have not a problem in appealing directly to the poor and the sick, not to mention the greedy, with bold assurances that they will receive precisely what they want. But don't you agree that 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!

So it should not surprise us that once in a while someone gets it. Lewis Smedes, of Fuller Seminary in California, has written about his own reservations about this practice.

"My problem was," he wrote, "touting miraculous healings as signals of God's power and God's desire to heal our suffering in a world chock-full of suffering that never comes close to getting healed. It was a feeling I could not shake ... about the fittingness, even the decency, of celebrating far and wide the miraculous healing of a relatively few ailments within a world endemically infected by enormous intractable, unalleviated suffering. It felt to me like proclaiming that God is alive and well .. because you survived an airplane crash in which everyone perished." He goes on to say, "I think we should see miraculous healings not as a way of solving human suffering, but as whimsical signals -- not made too much of, but signals -- that God is alive, that Christ is Lord, and that suffering is not the last word about the human condition."


These remarks of Lewis' deserve careful and thoughtful consideration.

Then consider how simply Jesus recruited His followers. He was walking along the sea shore and called fishermen to follow Him, and they did. Was Jesus mesmerizing them? Probably more then anything else they had at least heard about Him. And from what we can glean from scripture they, along with many, had hopes of a grassroots revolution to rid the country of Rome rule. To join Him might mean helping restore the nation of Israel to its once proud status in the world.

It was not what Jesus said, but what they heard that made them such enthusiastic followers. Their eyes were full of stars, these simple fishermen, and their hearts full of dreams. They had every reason to follow Him, including God and country. They didn't ask about rewards, they were so certain the rewards would come.

It is obvious at the end that they had not anticipated His death. much less His simple acquiescence and acceptance of it. Whatever rewards they were expecting, they were utterly disappointed. It took the Resurrection, the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus, and Pentecost to begin to set them straight.

How true it is that we tend to hear what we want to hear. Jesus had done the best He could to prepare the disciples for what was coming. When Jesus began to talk to them about it, Peter took Him aside and said such things would never happen. Jesus responded angrily, and said that Peter was not on the side of God. This led to some of Jesus' most memorable and important words, both for the disciples and for us. He explained what following Him would mean. His words were clear enough for anyone to understand. Deny yourselves. Take up you crosses and follow Me. Give away your life for my sake, and find true life in God.

They could not really hear it, because they could not believe it. The question is, are we really any different?

We redeem the reward motive by our own unqualified commitment to Jesus Christ. We are to come to Him primarily because of His unique and compelling worth. Christ is not a deal-maker; neither does He entice us. He invites us to become a part of His mission, not for our own self-aggrandizement, but to help Him realize God's purpose in the world. Any "rewards" come as a by-product of this commitment.

Jesus never promised happiness, but He had a lot to say about it. Happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are the sorrowing. Happy are the meek, the humbly trusting. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for goodness. Do any of us really need more rewards than these. All of this is given us along with the greatest gift of all that is Eternal Life given us in Baptism and Jesus Himself in Holy Communion. How can any human being deserve more then that!

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

More reflections:
Somewhat-related posts:

Saturday, August 27, 2011

An Eternal Life I can Live With

I will live forever. So will you.

As I've mentioned before, that's a sort of 'good news, bad news' thing. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 988-1014) I'm talking about resurrection, by the way, which isn't reincarnation. My life, and particular judgment, is my one shot at a desirable eternal life. (Catechism, 1013, 1021)

The criteria, by the way, is faith and works. That's 'and,' not 'or.' (Catechism, 1021) I've gone over faith, works, particular judgment, and getting a grip, before. ("Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Warm Fuzzies," (August 8, 2010)) Also the disclaimer that I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog."

Who Said I'll Live Forever?

'I read it in the Bible' says why I believe that I'll have eternal life: partly. (Daniel 12: 2; John 5:26-29)

I've opined about the 'dark side' of Bible study before. Also why I think it's a good thing to have the Bible, Tradition, and the Magisterium for guidance.

Live Forever? How?

My Lord spelled out what it was that gave eternal life: or, rather, Who. (John 6:53-59) About two millennia later, folks still say, in effect, "...'This saying is hard; who can accept it?.'" (John 6:60)

As a convert, I found the Eucharist hard to swallow: figuratively speaking. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains - in part. (Catechism, 1322-1419) I've read that section, and more: and still don't fully understand the Eucharist, transubstantiation, or exactly how the Sacrifice on the Cross works. I don't expect to.

God's God, I'm not, and that's another topic.

Why Live Forever?

Someone who's in reasonably good health, isn't facing some crisis, and doesn't foresee troubles, could reasonably want to keep on keeping on indefinitely. I've been in that position. I've also experienced times when an unending extension of the present was very sincerely not what I wanted.

I've also wondered, fairly often, exactly why I exist. The simple answer is that I have the same purpose as every other human being. I'm here to seek God, to know Him, and to love Him. (Catechism, 1) Happily, God loves each of us, and made knowing Him possible. (Catechism, 68-73)

God also wants us to live forever. (Catechism, 55) Again, we need God for that. (Catechism, 1998) And we need to recognize God "as the supreme Good and the source of all good." (Catechism, 2052)

There's more to it, of course: Catechism, 1020-1065, for starters.

Uncertainty?

Some painfully 'religious' folks give me the impression that they believe:
  • Someone who 'really' believes has absolute certainty about
    • Their own salvation
    • God
    • Anything else important
  • Lack of absolute certainty is
    • A sign of Satan
    • An attack on their faith
Again, that's just my impression. Judging them is a sort of trouble I don't need. (Matthew 7:1-5)

I've decided that God knows more than I do, and is smarter than I am. Sounds obvious, putting it like that. I've written about "uncertainty, 'being religious,' and this catholic" before. (February 12, 2011)

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

I hope to spend the vast bulk of my life in my Lord's kingdom. Actually getting there depends on whether I want to enter Heaven when I face my Lord. I can't be absolutely sure that I'll make a sensible choice.

It's not because I don't 'really believe.' It's because I have free will. (Catechism, 1730-1742, for starters)

I could, in principle, tell my Lord that I'd rather cling to some petty grievance, than enjoy an eternity with God. I think that'd be a stupid decision: but that doesn't make it impossible.

Harps, Halos, and Heaven

I know what Heaven is 'supposed' to look like - according to American cartoons of the 20th century.

Show an American a pastel cloudscape, where people wear white robes, have wings, and sport a halo and harp as wardrobe accessories - I think most folks will recognize "Heaven." Or, rather, a conventional representation of Heaven.

Restful vistas aside, the place looks dull. For starters, those harps don't look like they've got much sounding range.

Seriously, I don't think there's much point in trying to guess what Heaven will look like. Much less what I'll be doing when - God willing - I get there. I wouldn't mind if "singing God's praise" was literally what happened. I've sung in choirs, and would enjoy being able to keep singing: without dealing with vocal cords that need rest periodically.

Or maybe my place will involve using my knack for scrabbling through piles of data, in search of some nugget of knowledge.

Bottom line, though: I have no clue about what Heaven will be like. Happily, I can trust God to take care of details there.

Mercy!

Finally, my plan is to keep working at conforming my will to God's. That, and ask for my Lord's mercy when we meet.

And that's another topic. Topics.

Related posts:

Friday, August 26, 2011

Irene, New York City, and Altruism as Enlightened Self-Interest

What with weather satellites, ground-based radar, pretty-good communications, and increasingly sophisticated forecasting software, folks in places like America's east coast aren't likely to get surprised by a hurricane. Not if they're paying attention.

That's good, because Hurricane Irene is headed their way.

New York City is being evacuated - the low-lying parts, anyway. Odds are pretty good that skyscrapers built during the last several decades will get a stress test. If Irene hits, they'll get hit with high winds, hail, and low-flying pieces of other buildings.

Folks living along the rest of the coast are getting ready, too.

Disaster Preparedness #1 - Don't Act Stupid

I've seen quite a few 'how to prepare for a hurricane' lists, most of them going over pretty much the same common-sense points. An item I don't often notice is 'be somewhere else.'

Those lists tend to focus on short-term planning, like:
  • Take anything that's loose inside
  • board up the windows
  • Get a portable cooler
    • And lots of ice
  • Be ready to throw out food that didn't stay refrigerated
I'm no 'expert,' by the way: so consider this the usual disclaimer about doing your own research and not acting stupid.

Disaster Preparedness #2 - Build Smart

I'll suggest a longer-term strategy, based on the way we build in rural Minnesota and the Dakotas. Folks building near the coast could consider designing buildings so they'll stay safe during 150 mile-an-hour winds, water coming 25 or so feet above normal high tide, plus 30-foot waves. During a Richter 5.0 quake. Remember the 5.8 quake in Virginia earlier this week?

We don't have weather like that here in Minnesota: no ocean to have tides, for starters. We do, though, have blizzards: and learned that it's prudent to build sheds, barns, and houses so they'll survive one.

Disaster Preparedness #3 - Get Ready to Help

Even with the best preparation: If Irene hits places like New York City, some folks will need help after it's done. So will folks elsewhere, like North Caronlina:
"North Carolina Catholics prepare for Hurricane Irene's wake"
Kevin J. Jones, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (August 26, 2011)

"Catholics in North Carolina are preparing to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

" 'There is a great deal of praying going on right now,' Frank Morock, communications director of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, told CNA on the afternoon of Aug. 26.

"People are praying that the storm 'picks up speed so it moves out of the state quickly then out to sea away from the eastern metropolises.'..."
Gear up for emergency relief, pray that city folks won't have to deal with heavy weather? Sounds like a plan to me.

Disaster Preparedness #4 - Pray

I've said this before, too: I think prayer is important. I also think being 'practical' is important.

I don't see that as an 'either-or.' More like a 'both-and.'

One thing prayer isn't, or shouldn't be, in my opinion, is telling God what you want to get: treating the Almighty like a generous, and none-too-bright, rich uncle. I haven't run into the 'prosperity gospel' recently, for which I'm grateful: but something like it will probably pop up again. And that's another topic.

Here's a start on what the Catholic Church says about prayer:

Helping Those in Need: What's In It For Me?

Major relief agencies in America, like CRS, Catholic Relief Services, often focus on helping folks in other countries. I think part of that is because most folks in this country are so comparatively affluent, that we can take care of local and regional relief - locally and regionally. I've been over this before:
As for why someone should help folks who need it, I see two really good reasons:
  • It's the right thing to do
  • The alternative has unpleasant consequences
As I've said before: when you consider the alternatives, "altruism" seems more like "enlightened self-interest."

Related posts:
In the news:
Background:

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Two Thousand Years of the Great Commission, and Some Guy With a Blog

America's next presidential election is more than a year away. Campaigns have been going for a while, and so has news coverage.

At this rate, we may get to a point where campaigns for an election four or five years off will be going full blast when polls open each November. Can't say I'd like to see that. There's enough vitriol dripping off news, op-ed pages, and blogs, to eat through copper. At least it feels like it.

There are times when I feel like forgetting about elections, issues, and particularly the tunnel-vision partisans who cling to campaigns like barnacles to a ship. Being 'above mundane affairs' isn't an option for me, since I'm a practicing Catholic.

We're expected to "take an active part in public life." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 19151) Since America is a country where citizens can vote, I can't ignore the candidates.

The Great Commission

About two thousand years back, my Lord gave an order that we've come to call the great commission:
"8 The eleven 9 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

"10 When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

"11 Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

"Go, therefore, 12 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,

"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 13 And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.' "
(Matthew 28:16-20)
I think one reason the eleven worked so hard at making "disciples of all nations" is that Jesus of Nazareth had been tortured to death before giving those orders: and then stopped being dead. Which is another topic.

Or maybe not so much. A few minutes, or years, or decades, from now I'll be getting some serious personal time with my Lord. We call it the particular judgment, and it's when I get to find out how good a follower I've been. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021-1022) I plan to throw myself on my Lord's mercy, and hope for the best.

I don't think I can 'work my way into heaven,' but I'm certain that what I do - and don't do - matters. (Catechism, 1021)

A Millennia-Spanning Mandate, and Some Guy With a Blog

One of my high-priority tasks is to do my part in that "disciples of all nations" thing. Sure, I'm only about 1/1,000,000,000th of the Church currently in the world, and I can only reach folks I know - and anyone reading this blog. It's not "all nations," but it's a start.

Don't worry, by the way: I'm not going to go full-bore blowhard evangelical on you. I've tangled with folks who use Christianity as a blunt instrument - who indirectly encouraged my conversion to Catholicism.

Getting back to the great commission, presidential elections, and me.

I've written about political issues that I think are important before: like whether or not it's good public policy to kill people who aren't up to spec. I don't think so, partly because of what the Church says. (Catechism, 2277) I plan to keep doing that.

But I don't intend to call anyone who doesn't agree with me a heretical mush-brained spawn of Satan. Ethical and theological considerations aside, I think that'd be a daft way to make my views seem reasonable.

Besides, I've got the full authority of "some guy with a blog," and take Matthew 7:1 seriously.

I think:
  • It's a mistake to
    • 'Be polite' and not contradict nonsense spouted by the nation's self-appointed best and brightest
    • Emulate folks who yell 'racist!' or 'commie!' whenever someone disagrees with them
  • Life-and-death issues are at stake in next year's election
  • Individuals matter
    • To each individual, anyway
  • I'll be held accountable for my actions
    • Just like everybody else
    • I've got enough trouble, without adding slander to the list
      (Catechism, 2477)
  • The great commission hasn't been rescinded
    • Acting like a jerk isn't good 'discipleship'
    • 'Religious people are unreasonable' is a fairly common stereotype
      • Living down to it won't encourage anyone to take my faith seriously
    • Abrasively-religious Christians make an impression
      • That needs to be corrected
  • We're called to love our neighbor
    • Not abuse our neighbor
It might be easier to either let fly with expletives over the shenanigans of my 'betters;' or to be primly pious, posting a pithy platitude each day. But I don't want either up for review at my particular judgment.

Not when I'm pretty sure that I can make at least a small difference by taking time to think - and sharing what I come up with.

Related posts:

1 There's quite a bit in the Catechism about citizenship, including this selection:
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church on
    • Citizens and public life (1915)
    • Duties of those with authority over others (2199)
    • Duties of citizens (22382243, 2255)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Virginia Earthquake: Cracked Cathedral, No Deaths, Frustrating 911 System

First, the good news.

As far as I've read, nobody was killed in Virginia's 5.8 earthquake yesterday afternoon. Sounds like there weren't even serious injuries.

Now, the bad news.

Folks in America's northeast were shaken up, literally and figuratively; property damage is worse than officials first thought it was, and the 911 emergency system still can't handle a lot of calls at the same time.

Still, as we say here in Minnesota, it could be worse.

What's so Spiritual About an Earthquake?

I suppose the obviously 'religious' angle on yesterday's earthquake is damage to places of worship. One of the high-profile buildings hit was the Washington National Cathedral.

There's a sane, reasonable way to look at a cracked cathedral. I'll get to that after the next heading. I can think of some not-so-sane ways to look at the earthquake, too.

Another 'religious' angle on the earthquake is to thank God - literally - that nobody got hurt. Between falling spires and scrambled schools, it's a wonder we're not looking at body counts. I took a little time out for a quick prayer of thanks - like I've said before, it can't hurt.

A not-so-obviously faith-related aspect of the quake is what it showed about the emergency response system. Seriously, folks, we can't keep hoping that:
  • We won't really need 911 in an emergency
  • Or, if we do
    • Massive disasters will
      • Pace themselves decently
        • With plenty of time between each step
    • Only one person will call 911 for each emergency
I'll get back to that.

Washington National Cathedral Closed for Repairs

The Washington National Cathedral says they'll be closed until August 27. The Martin Luther King prayer service will be at the National Shrine.

Just to make things more confusing, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. may be 'none of the above. It'd be best to check locally, if you plan to be there.

Cracks in the National Cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral is still standing - but it's damaged. The Houston Chronicle says three of the tower's four spires broke off, and some of the flying buttresses have cracks.

It'll take millions of dollars to fix the damage. Despite the name, the Washington National Cathedral isn't part of the federal government. It's not supported by taxes. So, like they say on their website:
"Today, we need your help to restore this majestic landmark. Please give today to join the efforts of preserving this national treasure."
("Cathedral Shaken by Earthquake" - Help Repair the Cathedral - Washington National Cathedral)
I had to read the headlines twice before I got it clear which of Washington's "national" Catholic places of worship got hit badly. There are two with names that sound sort of alike. To me, anyway:

No State Church

I'm not criticizing the name, but "Washington National Cathedral" might sound like 'evidence' that there's some kinda plot to start a state religion.

Maybe it's my biases talking but I suspect that folks with either of two apparently-unlike attitudes might get the wrong idea about the National Cathedral. Think about it: both the rabidly anti-Catholic 'death cookie' preachers, and the folks who have conniptions each time they see "God" in print, want to protect America from 'those Catholics.' And, lately, from Christians in general.

In both cases, I suppose they think they're justified: the one lot apparently assumes that anything they don't like is Satanic; the other seems convinced that the Constitution's first amendment starts with "Congress shall make no law supporting an establishment of religion, or allowing the free exercise thereof...."1 And that's another topic. Topics.

Rules and the Catholic Citizen

I'm a Catholic. I take my faith seriously. I live in a country where I'm allowed to vote, express my concerns about the government, and even criticize local, state, and national leaders. Most of the time, anyway: we're going through another interesting era just now. More topics.2

There's something to the notion that the Catholic Church has rules about everything:
"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)
Bottom line: I can't be 'above such mundane things' as how my country works. (Catechism: 1915, 2199, 2238-43, and more)

Which is why I don't think it's out of place to bring up the emergency response system in this blog.

911, Citizenship, and Being Catholic

I think the '911' emergency system is a good idea: one number that's supposed to be useful for folks with just about any sort of emergency. I remember when it was getting introduced, starting almost a half-century ago.3

I also remember that the '911' system has never worked perfectly. Some accounts made me wonder if maybe equipping everyone with carrier pigeons might be a more swift and effective way of getting help to folks in trouble.

I think one problem the 911 system has is that it:
  • Is
    • Huge
    • Complicated
  • Involves
    • Several government agencies
    • Technology that hasn't stopped changing
In a way, it's a wonder that 911 works at all.

After the September 11, 2001, attack on the east coast, folks in the northeast were not at all happy about 911 and telephone service in general. Particularly folks who lived and worked in south Manhattan: and weren't killed when quarter-mile-tall skyscrapers came crashing down.

The telephone system was adequate, I gather, pretty much most of the time in the area. Except when a lot of folks decided to use their phones at the same time, or some equipment was on the fritz.

Then airliners hit the New York World Trade Center. Thousands of folks started running out of the building. Others were trapped on floors above the fires. A whole lot more saw what was happening on the skyline: and the communications network got overloaded.

That wasn't supposed to happen again.

Yesterday's earthquake was, it a way, a good live drill for the northeast's emergency response system.

Like I said the good news is that nobody got killed.

Whether you call it luck or providence, I don't think we can count on coming away with a few broken buildings and millions of dollars in repair bills next time. I don't know enough about the situation to know what action makes sense - apart from drawing attention to an inadequate communications system.

God Smiting the Unbeliever??

Then there's the 'religious wacko' thing.

I haven't heard some preacher saying that a vengeful God has wreaked terrible vengeance on an evil administration - leaving the White House and Congress untouched. Or maybe it'd be a judgment on those Catholics - and high school students in Louisa County, Virginia.

But I haven't been looking for the screwball end of religious expression in this country. A high-profile, expensive, disaster like this ought to be good for at least a few bombastically 'Biblical' bags of balderdash. Which, sadly, a few folks will earnestly believe. Yet again more topics.

Related posts:
In the news:
Background:

1 The 'Bill of Rights,' as first ratified in 1791, starts this way:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
(Bill of Rights Transcript Text," archives.gov)
There's an interesting discussion of 'the establishment clause' on Cornell's Law School's website:
  • "First Amendment"LII / Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School
2 That 'freedom of speech' thing represents an American ideal: one which is followed to a remarkable extent. With exceptions. I remember the trailing edge of McCarthyism, which is one reason I do not want a return to 'the Good Old Days.'

These days another batch of zealots is over-represented (my opinion) in the federal government. I've harangued about that before:3 This fellow says he's got "the first accurate, documented history of 911" - and he could be right. What I read agrees pretty much with what I remember:

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

World Youth Day Madrid, Pope Moved to Tears, Emotions, and Me

I'm wrapping up my posting about World Youth Day, Madrid: although I may come back to some of people and events mentioned in the news.

Like this, from yesterday's news:
"Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid, Spain recalled that Pope Benedict was 'emotionally moved many times, almost to tears,' during World Youth Day 2011.

"The cardinal said Benedict XVI was especially touched by the theatrical presentation of the Stations of the Cross, which he had initially not planned to attend....

"...The cardinal also encouraged Catholics to re-read the Pope's numerous speeches, which he called a treasure trove of 'preaching, proclamation of the word and explanations to young people' based on the gospels and on the World Youth Day theme. This year's theme was, 'Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith,' taken from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians...."
Reading, or re-reading, the Pope's speeches is a whole lot easier these days. I suppose a person could still subscribe to magazines that cover the Pope's statements, and buy books of the collected speeches.

But it's a lot easier, faster, and - this is important for me - less expensive to go to the Vatican's website (www.vatican.va), and read the speeches, homilies, encyclicals, and whatnot, online.

Pope Benedict XVI's homepage is titled, reasonably enough, "Benedict XVI." (www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm)

Emotions: Important, but Not the Whole Picture

Emotions "are natural components of the human psyche." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1764) By themselves, they're not good: and they're not evil, either. What matters is what we decide to do with them. (Catechism, 1767)

There's quite a lot more about emotions, or "passions," as the Catechism calls them. I think a good place to start is Catechism, 1762-1770.

Where was I?

Emotions. They're part of us. They aren't good or bad by themselves: it's what we decide to do with them that makes a difference.

Right.

Emotions, Decisions, and the Pope

I'm glad to read that the Pope was moved by part of Youth Day Madrid: for his sake, and for the inspiration it may give to folks who attended.

That said, I'm also not all that surprised. The Stations of the Cross, parts of the various do-it-yourself meditations that I've read and followed over the years, get me weeping now and then. That's helped me remember parts of my Lord's suffering and passion: and given me something to think about.

But I don't think I'm 'being religious' when I go through a few facial tissues during Stations of the Cross; and 'not being religious' when I'm studiously tracking down some dry item in the Pentateuch. Emotional and intellectual experiences are both part of my faith - and I trust my reason more than my emotions.

It's getting late, and I've written about emotions and getting a grip before.

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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.