Wednesday, February 29, 2012

"Jesus-Eating Cult" - Top Story in Friday's Post

Oops. I hit the wrong key, and posted a work-in-progress version of Friday's post. I've discussed the strange tolerance we have in today's America before:Now, back to work. I'll be back Friday, God willing.

My Lord and His Angels

Before I get started about Jesus and angels, a reminder: I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog." I don't speak for the church.

There's a pretty good discussion of "Christ 'with all his angels' " in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 331-333. That's my starting point today.

Jesus in the Center

Jesus is the center of the angelic world. (Catechism, 331) No surprises there:
"For in him 8 were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. "
(Collossians 1:16)
Angels have been around from the start of creation: taking an active role. (Catechism, 332)

That's 'active,' not 'central.' Angels are messengers, agents. (Catechism,329) It wasn't an angel who died at Golgotha. That was my Lord, Jesus. Mark 15:22 and all that. And that's almost another topic.

"Blow, Gabriel, Blow?"

I'm a convert to Catholicism. Along the way, I learned a lot about the Church: and learned that some of what I thought I knew was four or five centuries out of date, or simply wrong.

I was a little surprised to learn that the Church takes the Last Judgment quite seriously. Up to that point, what I'd heard about it came mostly from radio preachers. And Hollywood musicals.

The preachers' theology was generally more imaginative than the lyrics of Cole Porter's "Blow, Gabriel, Blow." ("Nobody's Darling" (1943)) The tap dance version in Anything Goes (1956) is a pretty good bit of choreography - and look for the wiggling wingtips. Which is another topic.

But 'imaginative' isn't necessarily 'plausible.' Or true.

What the Church says about angels tends to be more prosaic:
"...it is the angels who 'evangelize' by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.199 They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.200"
(Catechism, 333)
That takes us from those shepherds on night watch, to indications that this creation's endgame will be impossible to miss, when it comes. (Matthew 24:31, Luke 2:8, Acts 1:10-11) Which is yet another topic.

"Why are You ... Looking at the Sky?"

After my Lord stopped being dead - still more topics - He had several meetings with his apostles. Then, as now, folks seem to have wanted to know exactly what God has in mind. Which doesn't seem all that sensible, under the circumstances. (Job 38:1-41:26)

Here's what Jesus said, when asked: "...'Lord, are you at this time going 4 to restore the kingdom to Israel?' " (Acts 1:6)
"5 He answered them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.

"6 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

"When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight."
(Acts 1:7-9)
I don't blame the apostles for happened next. This was before folks were used to seeing videos of jetpacks on the Web - with flight trials for a commercial version in last year's news.

After Jesus left - vertically - the apostles stood there. Just stood there. Until angels told them to shake it off, and get back to work:
"While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

"They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.' "
(Acts 1:10-11)
Two millennia later, we're still waiting: and there's still work to do. And that is, you guessed it, yet again another topic.

Related posts:

"The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum" and "America - Love It or Leave It"

I'm upset about this, but not as much as I might be. Anti-Catholicism is part of the deeply cherished cultural values that many Americans hold dear. After a while, it's more tedious than troubling.

Not that I approve of how an op-ed referred to Catholics and the Catholic Church:
"Conservative leaders demand apology from Huffington over anti-Catholic column"
FoxNews.com (February 28, 2012)

"A group of socially conservative leaders is demanding Huffington Post publisher Arianna Huffington apologize for allowing a column to be published on her website that compares Catholics to pedophiles and attacks communion as a 'barbaric ritual.'

"In the letter dated Tuesday and obtained first by FoxNews.com, the group -- never fans of the online news site -- writes that the website, recently purchased by AOL, is "complicit in bigotry" for publishing columnist Larry Doyle's article about Rick Santorum's Catholic faith.

" 'Larry Doyle's recent anti-Catholic screed in the Huffington Post, "The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum," is bigoted and unacceptable, and a perfect example of "flame-throwing, name-calling, and simplistic attack dog rhetoric" ' that Huffington pledged to avoid when she launched the Huffington Post in 2005...."
That phrase, "The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum," is - oddly enough - literally true. Rick Santorum is Catholic: and we do 'eat Jesus' at each Mass. (Catechism of the Catholic Church , 1322-1405)

Anti-Catholicsm: a Fine Old American Tradition


(From Thomas Nast Portfolio, Ohio State University, used without permission.)

Under the circumstances, I don't think the Huffington Post op-ed had theological aspects of the Eucharistic celebration in mind when referring to the Catholic Church as "The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum."

My guess is that it's an example of America's indigenous anti-Catholic sentiments. I've posted about the Eucharist; and the ever-popular 'pedophile priest' story before:

Where's the Rant?

I could, given what I've read about the Huffington Post op-ed, rant and rave about how much I hate folks who express opinions like that.

Not - gonna - happen.

I'm a practicing Catholic. We've got rules that I'm supposed to follow.

When it comes to hating people, the Catholic Church has quite a bit to say. It boils down to: DON'T. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033, 2262)

If that's not what you've read in the papers: I'm not surprised.

Love: Simple, not Easy

All the acres of text in Catholic documents are based on a very simple set of interconnected ideas:
That 'love God, love your neighbor' thing has interesting consequences. It's the principle behind what the Catholic Church says about euthanasia, legitimate defense, and social justice. Among other things. I put a short set of links under "Background," at the end of this post.

What the Catholic Church teaches may seem complicated. I think that's partly because we've been around for two millennia: dealing with the occasional barracks lawyer who wants to weasel out of that 'love God, love your neighbor' rule.

"America, Love It or Leave It"

I remember the 'good old days' when folks supporting America's establishment used slogans like "America: love it or leave it." That's one of the reasons I'm glad those 'good old days' aren't coming back.

A few decades later, 'the establishment' was no longer nearly all white and all male: and I got up close and personal with political correctness in American academia. Different words, different details, same basic idea: 'freedom' meant agreeing with the establishment.

I am distressed by casual - and clueless - anti-Catholicism in America.

Some issues are much more serious than that Huffington Post op-ed. For example, I think a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate which may force Catholics out of America's medical and insurance fields is destructive, ill-advised, and ethically wrong.

Hopeful About America's Future

But I am quite hopeful about America's future. That's because I've seen 'the establishment' tearing itself apart from the inside before.

I don't think the '60s would have happened, if America's establishment of the '50s had paid attention to serious problems - and not become increasingly detached from reality.

I don't like what I see in today's America:
  • Casual acceptance of remarks like "The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum"
  • An unwillingness or inability to understand that
    • Disagreement is not treason
    • Protest is not terrorism
    (April 19, 2011)
It reminds me strongly of the trailing edge of McCarthyism, and what happened on the steps of Foster Auditorium.

Back in the '60s, it felt like America's institutions would never change.

But they did.

I think that's happening again: and this time we may do a better job of reforming America.
More posts about forcing Catholics to violate our conscience:
The Department of Health and Human Services vs. Conscience
Related posts:
In the news:
Background, the Catholic Church and:
  • Human life
    • Why human life is important
      (Catechism, 2258)
    • Abortion
      (Catechism, 2270)
    • Capital Punishment
      (Catechism, 2267)
    • Euthanasia
      (2276)
    • Legitimate defense
      (Catechism, 2263)
    • Murder
      (Catechism, 2268)
    • Suicide
      (Catechism, 2270)
  • Social Justice
    (Catechism, 1928-1942)
    • Including environmental issues
      (Catechism, 2415)
Freedom comes with a catch, responsibility:
  • Catholics must support religious freedom
    (Catechism, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Freedom comes with responsibility
    • For the individual
      (Catechism, 1731-1738)
    • For the state
      (Catechism, 2431)

Monday, February 27, 2012

"The Scandal of Glaring Inequalities"

Like I said last week 'it's complicated.' Or, as Pope Benedict XVI put it:
"Today the picture of development has many overlapping layers...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 22)

2,700 Pairs of Shoes; and Getting a Grip

I think 'equality' is a good idea. I have to think that, since I'm a practicing Catholic and that's what the Church says.

But I do not think it makes sense to try making everybody 'equal.' Not if it's the sort of 'equality' where everybody has to pretend to be just like everybody else. I've been over this before. (August 4, 2011)
  • Human beings are equal
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1934, 1935)
  • But we're not all alike
    (Catechism, 1936)
  • And this is okay
    (Catechism, 1937)
Because of my beliefs, I don't expect everybody to be pretty much just like me. Take footwear, for example.

I don't particularly like shoes. From spring, through autumn, I wear flip-flops, and like to have the pair that I'm wearing: and another pair as a backup, when the 'in use' pair wears out. Maybe that seems like an extravagance: but here in Minnesota, most stores have a 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' policy. I 'need' that second pair to get inside and buy the next backup.

I have no idea why someone would want to own 2,700 pairs of shoes. I understand that fashion-conscious folks want different styles of shoes for different outfits: but 2,700? That seems extravagant: and it's how many Imelda Marcos is supposed to have had.

Oddly, I don't have a problem with someone owning that many shoes. I don't understand why someone would want to: but I don't think it's wrong. If, as seems to have been the case, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos got their wealth by hurting other people - that, I have a problem with.

Wealth, Waste, and Woe

"...As John Paul II has already observed, the demarcation line between rich and poor countries is no longer as clear as it was at the time of Populorum Progressio[55]. The world's wealth is growing in absolute terms, but inequalities are on the increase. In rich countries, new sectors of society are succumbing to poverty and new forms of poverty are emerging. In poorer areas some groups enjoy a sort of 'superdevelopment' of a wasteful and consumerist kind which forms an unacceptable contrast with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing deprivation...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 22)
Back in my 'good old days,' I'd expect to hear something about the oppressed proletariat and capitalistic warmongers after someone mentioned that some folks are getting richer: and others poorer. That's one reason I don't miss the 'good old days.' And that's another topic.

Here's what came before that observation about "superdevelopment" and "dehumanizing deprivation:"
"...This fact should prompt us to liberate ourselves from ideologies, which often oversimplify reality in artificial ways, and it should lead us to examine objectively the full human dimension of the problems...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 22)
Based on what Western civilization tried, during the 19th and 20th centuries: I don't think full-bore laissez faire capitalism or the various flavors of socialism and communism make sense. 'All of the above' look good on paper - or can be made to do so. In the real world? Not so much.

Looking at the Problems

Like Benedict XVI wrote:
"...'The scandal of glaring inequalities'[56] continues...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 22)
We're looking at:
  • Corruption and illegality in
    • Rich countries
      • 'Old rich'
      • 'New rich'
    • Poor countries
  • Sometimes human rights of workers aren't respected by
    • Large multinational companies
    • Local producers
  • International aid often gets sent to the wrong folks, by
    • The chain of donors
    • Folks at the receiving end
  • Cultural factors
    • Rich countries
      • Excessive protection of intellectual property rights
        • Particularly health care
    • Some poor countries
      • Cultural models and social norms of behavior
The issue of excess zeal in intellectual property rights enforcement in health care fields is new to me. Maybe there'll be more discussion of that later in "Caritas in Veritate," or maybe I'll find background elsewhere.

I don't think the message here is that companies - big or small - are bad. Or that rich countries are warmonger oppressors. Or that poor countries are guilty of not being Americans.

What Benedict XVI seems to be doing is identifying what sort of issues we can look for - anywhere.

No Micromanagement Here

As for solutions? There aren't any in this paragraph. Maybe there's a detailed 'how to' somewhere in the remaining 57 paragraphs.

Or - more likely, I think - what I'll find is that we're being given guidance for how we're supposed to go about making things better. Which makes sense, since folks at the grassroots level are more likely to know what the local or regional problems are: and what solutions are more likely to work.

Cherished Cultural Traditions

When someone suggests a change in routine, someone else is likely to say, "we've never done it that way!" It's one reason that it's hard for many companies to adjust to new conditions: and why so many countries can't seem to adjust to living in today's world. My opinion.

"Cultural models and social norms of behavior," the last item in that 'issues' list, covers a lot of territory. I'm going to focus on literacy: the ability to read and write. It's a fairly basic skill today.

Apart from being able to understand warning signs like "Caution - Liquid Nitrogen - Gloves and Face Shield Required," someone who is literate can read newspapers, books, magazines: and blogs like this one.

Reading is a very effective way to learn what folks around the world have been thinking. Someone who can write can add to that storehouse of knowledge: and I'm getting off-topic.

But not by much.

I live in America: which, for all its faults, is a remarkably prosperous nation. It's also the only country that I'm familiar with 'from the inside.' I'm going to use America, and a few other countries, to illustrate how literacy connects with other aspects of life.

Literacy (percent of people age 15 and over can read and write) in:
I'm not happy that American literacy isn't 100% - but 99% isn't bad, for a country this size. And that's yet another topic.

Countries like America and Japan aren't perfect. But hordes of citizens living in grinding poverty isn't among our problems. And - I think this is important - for all our similarities, America and Japan aren't alike. Even our robots tend to look different - and that's yet another topic.

I'd have to do some serious number-crunching to confirm this, but I think countries with high literacy rates aren't quite as likely to have radical inequalities of wealth.

Then there's the matter of keeping women from learning how to read - and that's more than I want to get started with in this post.

Related posts:

More posts about "Caritas in Veritate" (Charity in Truth)
"Caritas in Veritate"

More:

"Only a Few of His Works Have We Seen"

I plan to be back later today, with a post about part of "Caritas in Veritate."

Meanwhile, here's something I was introduced to yesterday.

Quantum Foam to the Observable Universe: And Beyond

This is a reduced-size still image from a very impressive interactive graphic.

"The Scale of the Universe 2"

An interactive graphic by Cary Huang, on http://htwins.net (© Cary and Michael Huang)

The link takes you to Cary and Michael Huang's graphic - push 'start,' and use the slider to go from the scale of things we're used to seeing, down to the quantum foam that's our current known limit of how small anything can be - or go the other direction to zoom out past the observable universe, to a picture showing the estimated size of the universe we're in.

"Beyond These, Many Things Lie Hid"

Folks have learned a few things about this world, in the 22 centuries that have passed since this was written:
"Beyond these, many things lie hid; only a few of his works have we seen.

"It is the LORD who has made all things, and to those who fear him he gives wisdom."
(Sirach 43:34-35)
I'd be very surprised if there isn't more to learn about this creation. My guess is that we're just starting to learn about the scale - in space, time, and other aspects of reality - of the world God is putting together.

I've run into folks who seem convinced that God gets upset when we show curiosity about His handiwork. That doesn't make sense to me.

We live in a world of wonder, with beauty and order to be found in any direction, and at every scale: from forces holding elementary particles together, to sheets of galaxies spread like soap bubbles across the cosmos; and from events so ephemeral that 'a blink of an eye' would seem like frozen motion, to a universe that took somewhere around 13,750,000,000 years to get to where it is today.

I probably wouldn't have made things so big, so small, so ephemeral, or so ancient: but I'm quite willing to accept the idea that God can.

Related posts:A tip of the hat to FatherTF, on Twitter, for the heads-up on his post:

Sunday, February 26, 2012

First Sunday in Lent; God is Reclaiming His Broken Creation

Readings for February 26, First Sunday in Lent 2012:

First Sunday in Lent 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 26, 2012

Have you ever heard the click as the door locks behind you and at that instant you remember that you don't have the keys? Have you ever gotten locked out of your car with the engine still running?

This week, the doorway to Lent clicks behind us and we face five weeks of encounter. Perhaps it was like that for Jesus when the Spirit drove him out into the desert. He finds himself there in the wasteland with only the wild beasts for company. It's a predicament from which there is no escape until the Angels come to wait on him. The same applies to us with our own Guardian Angels.

Being as how Ash Wednesday is the beginning of these five-weeks of encounters, the Ash Wednesday comments of Pope Benedict the 16th are quite appropriate for us this Sunday. "You are dust and to dust you shall return" is not only an invitation to humility, but also an announcement of the path to salvation.

The Pope made this reflection Wednesday as he celebrated evening mass for the start of Lent at Rome's Basilica of Santa Sabina.

Referring to Genesis's description of the fall of Adam and Eve and God's response, the holy father explained; "When God, says to man, 'you are dust and unto dust you shall return!' together with the just punishment he also intends to announce a path of salvation, which will travel through the earth, through that 'dust,' that flesh will be assumed by the Word."

It is in accord with this salvific perspective that the verse of Genesis is taken up by the Ash Wednesday liturgy: as an invitation to penance, to humility and to an awareness of our mortal condition, but not to end up in desperation, but rather to welcome, precisely in this mortality of ours, Gods unthinkable nearness, which, beyond death, opens the passage to the resurrection, to paradise finally rediscovered," he added.

The Pontiff spoke of the possibility of divine pardon as depending "essentially on the fact that God himself, in the person of his Son, wanted to share our condition, but not the corruption of sin. And the father raised him with the power of his Holy Spirit; and Jesus, the new Adam, became, as St. Paul says, 'life-giving spirit,' the first fruits of the new creation."

Benedict the 16th concluded with a prayer that all might find the way to "our true homeland."

"That God who banished our first parents from Eden, sent his Son to our earth devastated by sin," he said. "He did not spare him, that we, prodigal sons, might return, contrite and redeemed by his mercy, to our true homeland. May it be so for each one of us, for all believers, for every man who humbly recognizes his need of salvation."

What is God saying to us?

At the outset, see God's invitation to Noah to work with God in making right what went wrong with creation. The story of God's saving humanity and the animals using an ark hewn from gopher wood speaks of God's patience with us. God, the Eternal Creator and Sustainer of life could have chosen to wipe the slate clean, consigning all creation to judgment and destruction. But the story tells us God went to great lengths to involve one person in a small family as partners with God in making this world what God created it to be.

If God would go to such lengths to reclaim his broken creation, what lengths might God go to love us back to himself? We who know we are of dust and are to return to dust are the beloved sons and daughters of God. This world that God pronounced "Good" is still God's world needing our attention, our involvement, our care. The bow still splashes across the sky after a storm to remind us of the lengths God went through along time ago and the lengths God still goes to love us back into relationship with him.

The gospel lesson shows us another dimension to this heartbeat pulsing through our lessons. Our Lord, still feeling baptismal water dripping from his brow, is led into the wilderness and there, after a 40 day fast, is tempted by the devil. Mark's telling of this event is the briefest in the Gospels of the spirit driving our Lord into the wilderness; he is there 40 days tempted by the devil, his only companion "wild beast", and finally, angels ministering to him. Out of the crucible of these 40 days Jesus comes to Galilee declaring, "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news."
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
More reflections:Related posts:

The Spirit of Resistance

In America, it's perfectly legal to kill innocent people: as long as a few conditions are met.

Basically, the victim has to be unable to flee or resist the killer. People who may be killed are those who are too:
  • Young
  • Old
  • Weak
  • Sick
The assassins use nice words, like "health of the mother," or "euthanasia," to describe their murders.

I think evil is not nice, even when described with nice words. I also think laws that allow the murder of innocent people are disgusting. And, more to the point, wrong.

I think forcing folks who have a functioning conscience to pay for these killings is also disgusting. And wrong.

To-Do List from the Bishop

First, what the bishop asked us to do.

Excerpt from a message distributed after Mass this morning:
"...ACTIONS:

"+ Pray that the Rule be rescinded and conscience protections be reinstated.

"+ Contact Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and your federal Representative. Urge them to support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act in both houses of Congress (H.R. 1179, S. 1467). Call the Capital switchboard at 202-224-3121; or email through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.usccb.org/conscience. This measure will ensure that those who participate in the health care system 'retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions.'..."
("HHS Rule Stands - Please Contact Your Lawmakers" bulletin insert, Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota)

'Legal' Isn't Always 'Right'

Here's why Catholic Bishops in America want us to pray - and more:
"....the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirm and 'interim Rule' that under the 2010 health care law, virtually all private health care plans must cover access st sterilization, contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs like RU 486 and 'Ella' as part of the set of 'preventive health services.' As Catholics, we support providing those services which can truly prevent disease or disability for women...

"...On February 10, despite strong and united input from every U.S. bishop, other religious organizations, and legislators from both major parties, the Obama Administration made this Rule final 'without change.' The HHS Rule remains an unprecedented violation of religious liberty and conscience protections that had been the consistent tradition in our nation and allowed faith-based organizations to do so much to those in need...."
("HHS Rule Stands - Please Contact Your Lawmakers" bulletin insert, Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota)
From one point of view, I suppose sterilizing women makes sense. Having a little after-hours fun with the secretary, or giving special attention to that sexy coed, can get awkward if the sex machine gets pregnant. Being able to bill the company's health care plan for a 'plan b' approach is also convenient - but still wrong.

Back to that message:
"...ISSUES: In light of the objections raised by so many, the Administration announced a 'compromise' that would require the insurer, rather than the employer, to pay for these objectionable services. This compromise does nothing to address the moral issues at stake.
  1. Requiring the insurer to provide these services 'for free' simply shifts costs on paper, but not in fact. It is still the premiums paid by the employer and employees -- even for those who object in conscience -- that will fund this coverage. This is evident for self-insured religious employers, but in fact true for all employers.
  2. The extremely narrow definition of 'religious employer' was not changed. Thus, since they serve people regardless of their faith or membership, Catholic hospitals, charities, colleges and secular employers all remain subject to the mandate to pay for procedures contrary to their convictions and harmful to others.
Thus, the 'accommodation' offered in the proposed compromise effectively changes nothing. Therefore, a legislative solution is needed to protect the long-standing rights of conscience....

("HHS Rule Stands - Please Contact Your Lawmakers" bulletin insert, Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota)

Unjust Laws

I don't expect to change anybody's mind. Folks who think it's okay to sterilize the secretary, or kill what happened after a hot-and-heavy session with a coed, or kill granny, may never change their minds.

The rest of us have quite a few options.

We can sulk, complain that nobody's doing anything - and do nothing ourselves. Offhand, that doesn't seem very productive.

We can follow up on the bishops' suggestions. Prayer is a good place to start. I think there may be some use in contacting the lot that's running America's government at the moment.

In any case, there's an election coming up in November. American voters will have the opportunity to swap out some of the deadwood in Washington, and maybe replace them with politicos who have a passing familiarity with ethics.

This isn't the first time that folks have had to deal with laws which were somewhat less than ideal, and the rulers who imposed them:
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere."
Thomas Jefferson (3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)). Letter to Abigail Smith Adams from Paris while a Minister to France (22 February 1787), referring to Shay's Rebellion.

"Silence is the virtue of a fool."
Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), The Advancement of Learning, Book VI, xxxi

"An unjust law is no law at all."
St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430), On Free Choice Of The Will, Book 1, § 5"

"True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting; it summons to duty by its commands, and averts from wrongdoing by its prohibitions."
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC) De Re Publica, Book 3, Chapter 22

Freedom: Use It or Lose It

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to support religious freedom. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109) That's religious freedom for everybody:
" 'Nobody may be forced to act against his convictions, nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others, within due limits.'34 This right is based on the very nature of the human person, whose dignity enables him freely to assent to the divine truth which transcends the temporal order. For this reason it 'continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it.'35"
(Catechism, 2106)
I realize that not forcing people to act against their convictions is contrary to America's current government policy. In a sense, I am advocating opposition to the actions of America's government.

But at the end of all things, I'd rather be on on record as opposing the will of some government official of the 21st century, than acting against what the Almighty wants. But that's just me: you'll have to make up your own mind.

America is being run by folks with what I think is an at-best precarious grip on basic ethical principles. That, in my considered opinion, is a problem.

Happily, most folks in America have the right to vote. We get an opportunity to exercise that right this November. I intend to exercise that right, after dredging through the political morass in an effort to find candidates that are acceptable.

This country has a fairly good record for allowing quite a few folks to experience a degree of freedom. But there's no guarantee that we'll keep those freedoms. Particularly if we don't care enough to vote intelligently.

Politics

I'm not a 'political' person: not in the sense that I'll try to convince you that one party is always right, and the other is run by the spawn of Satan. Or that one party is always wrong, and the other will let everybody do whatever they want - as long as it's something that the party approves of.

On the other hand, I've got a responsibility to be a good citizen. You guessed it - that's because I'm a Catholic, and it's in the rules.

What the Church says about government, citizenship, and the like:There's a lot more - but I think that's a pretty good place to start.

I've been over this sort of thing before:
More posts about forcing Catholics to violate our conscience:
The Department of Health and Human Services vs. Conscience
Other related posts:

"Dust in the Wind" and Getting a Grip

I like songs by Spike Jones and "Weird Al" Yankovic. I also like 'poetic' songs like this:
"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity...
"

"...don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind....
"
("Dust in the Wind," Kansas (1977))

Chasing the Wind

By the time "Dust in the Wind" appeared, I'd seen the "Gray Flannel Suit" give way to Beatlemania, which was succeeded by disco: as some folks desperately tried to force others to live in a nostalgic vision of the '40s. I've been over that before.1

"Dust in the Wind" was a welcome change from the various flavors of living for material gain, or material pleasure, that seemed so terribly important at the moment. Besides, I recognized at least one of the sources of the song's ideas:
"3 What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?

"One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays.

"The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises.

"Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.

"All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going."
(Ecclesiastes 1:3-7)
I could quibble about phrases like "the world forever stays:" but that'd be viewing a treatise written about two dozen centuries back through the eyes of a 21st century Western literalist.

Doing that would, in my opinion, be silly: and an exercise in missing the point.

On a related topic, I also do not think that Ecclesiastes is in the Bible because we're supposed to think that people are 'just animals:'
"For the lot of man and of beast is one lot; the one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast; but all is vanity.

"Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return."
(Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)

"3 All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his desire is not fulfilled.

"For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, or what advantage has the poor man in knowing how to conduct himself in life?

"4 'What the eyes see is better than what the desires wander after.' This also is vanity and a chase after wind."
(Ecclesiastes 6:7-9)
I think it's reasonable to see Ecclesiastes as a sort of reality check. Sooner or later, any wealth, or pleasure, or fame, or reputation, that I work for will pass.

That's not an expression of hopelessness, and I'll get back to that.

Dust and Wind - Not 'Biblical?!'

Several years ago, when I was listening to 'Christian radio,' I heard a fairly passionate denunciation of "Dust in the Wind." The chap really, sincerely, didn't like the idea that "all we are is dust in the wind." Can't say that I blame him for that. The idea that all the awards, recordings, and stock options we may collect - and our bodies - are ephemeral phenomena isn't exactly cheerful.

He eventually got around to saying that death is not the end, and that God has something more in mind for us. But not before removing any doubt that he was very upset about that awful "Dust in the Wind" song.

There are some songs that I don't like. And others that with lyrics that I think express harmful ideas.

But hearing someone popularize the idea that "both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return" - and getting upset because it's not 'Biblical?!'

I've wondered how many of these 'Bible-believing' radio personalities ever read parts of the Bible that aren't on their equivalent of the Top 40 Hits Parade - and that's another topic.

"To Dust You Shall Return:" Humility and Salvation

The Pope had a few things to say about dust and hope on Ash Wednesday:
"Pontiff Notes Hopeful Element in 'To Dust You Shall Return"
Kathleen Naab, ZENIT (February 23, 2012)
"Says Through That 'Dust,' God Became Unthinkably Near

"Benedict XVI says the somber Ash Wednesday declaration "You are dust and to dust you shall return" is not only an invitation to humility, but also an announcement of the path to salvation.

"The Pope made this reflection Wednesday as he celebrated evening Mass for the start of Lent at Rome's Basilica of Santa Sabina.

"Referring to the Genesis description of the fall of Adam and Eve and God's response, the Holy Father explained: 'When [God] says to man, "You are dust and to dust you shall return!" together with the just punishment he also intends to announce a path of salvation, which will travel through the earth, through that "dust," that "flesh" that will be assumed by the Word.'..."
ZENIT also has an English translation of Benedict XVI's complete homily. Which is just as well for me. The Holy See's website has a few translations of Benedict XVI's text online. The language they've provided that's closest to something I can easily read is Spanish. I'd been working my way through that, when I found the ZENIT full text, English translation:
What the Pope said gets a bit technical, but I think Benedict XVI's Ash Wednesday homily is worth reading. Or watching. The Vatican's website has the video, and a few text translations:
  • "Statio" and Penitential Procession - Holy Mass, Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes
    Benedict XVI Homilies, Vatican.va (February 22, 2012)
I put a sample of ZENIT's translation at the end of this post.2

Looking Past Today

Between doing the occasional job to help my son-in-law, hanging out with the family, researching and writing these posts, and learning how to make better use of 3d graphics software: it's easy for me to get caught up in 'today.'

I try to remember that there's a bigger picture: and that my first priority should be getting ready for the life that'll outlast this universe. It's like the last part of Ecclesiastes says:
"7 The last word, when all is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all;

"because God will bring to judgment every work, with all its hidden qualities, whether good or bad."
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

"[13] Man's all: St. Jerome explains: 'Unto this is every man born that, knowing his Maker, he may revere him in fear, honor, and the observance of his commandments.' "
(Footnote 7, Ecclesiastes 12)
Cheerful? Full of peppy slogans and feel-good assurances? Hardly. But that's not the point.

Related posts:

1 I take the injunction in Deuteronomy 22:5 seriously. Besides, I rather like the way God designed humanity in two distinct and complimentary models.

But when someone acts as if their preferences are backed up by the Almighty? It's goofy, at best:
2 Excerpt from ZENIT's English translation on Benedict XVI's Ash Wednesday homily:
"Pope's Ash Wednesday Homily"
Benedict XVI, Basilica of Santa Sabina, English translation via ZENIT (February 22, 2012)

"God's Unthinkable Nearness ... Opens the Passage to the Resurrection"

"...With this day of penance and fasting -- Ash Wednesday -- we begin a new journey toward the Easter of Resurrection: the journey of Lent. I would like to pause briefly to reflect on the liturgical sign of ashes, a material sign, an element of nature, which becomes a sacred symbol in the liturgy, a very important symbol on this day in which we start our Lenten journey. Historically, in the Jewish culture, the practice of sprinkling ashes upon one's head as a sign of penance was common and was often combined with the wearing of sackcloth or rags. For us Christians, however, this is the only time that we use ashes but it has a special ritual and spiritual relevance.

"First of all, ashes are one of those material signs that bring the cosmos into the liturgy....

"...The 'merits of the soul,' of which Origen speaks, are necessary; but Christ's merits are fundamental, the efficaciousness of his Paschal Mystery. St. Paul offered us a summary formulation in the second Letter to the Corinthians, today's second reading: 'He who did not know sin God made sin for our benefit, that in him we might become the justice of God' (2 Corinthians 5:21). The possibility for us of divine pardon depends essentially on the fact that God himself, in the person of his Son, wanted to share our condition, but not the corruption of sin....

"...We invoked him a moment ago with the Psalm 'Miserere': 'Create in me, O God, a pure heart, / renew in me a firm spirit. / Do not banish me from your presence / and do not deprive me of your holy spirit' (Psalm 50:12-13). That God who banished our first parents from Eden, sent his Son to our earth devastated by sin, he did not spare him, that we, prodigal sons, might return, contrite and redeemed by his mercy, to our true homeland. May it be so for each one of us, for all believers, for every man who humbly recognizes his need of salvation. Amen."
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Joshua James, You are Missed (Update About the Seventh Victim)

I'm catching up on comments, and got additional information about the seventh victim in Monday's traffic deaths. Steffanie and Paul Dahlseng's baby is a boy, named Joshua James.

As I wrote Wednesday, there are a lot of grieving folks. Prayer wouldn't hurt:

Friday, February 24, 2012

HHS Mandate: Keeping the 'Wrong Sort' in Our Place?


Good news: Folks want to buy the company's product, and folks want to work there.

Bad news: Until America's government changes, only so many folks will be able to work there. I'll get back to that.

Money, Idolatry, and Common Sense

I don't know how many folks still believe that "money is the root of all evil;" and that 'good Christians' are supposed to be 'so heavenly-minded, they're no earthly good.' Not that the terminally-spiritual lot would put it quite that way.

It's the 'prosperity gospel,' run in reverse gear. Sort of.

Money isn't a problem. It's love of money that can get folks in trouble. That's a sort of idolatry: treating something that's not God as a god.1

As far as I can tell, having money - or not having money - isn't a virtue: and it's not a vice, either. What matters is what we do with what we've got, and I've been over that before. (September 27, 2010)

Keeping Catholics in Our Place?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not be trying to keep 'those Catholics' and other folks with functional consciences from being too successful.

Sadly, that's one of the effects of the HHS mandate, that forces employers with more than 50 people on the payroll to pay for 'health care.' That's a euphemism for sterilizing women, and killing babies.

I don't think that sort of 'health care' is a good idea. Even if it's 'for their own good.'

This HHS mandate imposes a de facto limit on the size of companies whose owners have ethical standards. I think it's a bad idea: although I'll admit to having a personal stake in the matter.

De Facto Limits

I remember 'the good old days' of de facto segregation and unbalanced poll taxes. Before the '60s, white trash, blacks, and other 'undesirables' had the right to vote: but couldn't because of poll taxes or other legal barriers. I think that was a bad idea.

I also think that forcing employers to support killers of the weak and helpless is a bad idea. Not all employers, though: just the ones who have a conscience and get 'too big.'

Here's what a young business owner thinks of the situation:
"Fed mandates put hiring on hold"
Aaron McWilliams, oped, INFORUM (February 17, 2012)

"One year ago, I invented a new candle that's poised to revolutionize the industry. In less than 12 months, we've grown from a concept in our kitchen to opening a 10,000- square-foot factory in my hometown of Hillsboro, N.D.

"I am one of the young entrepreneurs our country needs. We've invented brand-new product lines, and we are bringing manufacturing to a small community, creating jobs and developing overseas accounts. We've done it all from scratch in less than one year, but government mandates and red tape threaten the momentum of our company, the jobs of our communities and the birth of new companies in our country.

"At full capacity, our employee base should exceed 75 full-time workers, but I will never choose my business over my faith. I'll keep our staff to a minimum so we won't be forced to comply with new mandates that add undue expenses and contradict our faith....

"...It is in our employees', our company's, and our country's best interest that businesses provide benefits to their workers. But if by mandating health care, we slow job creation and create resentment among the people, we end up with healthy workers with no place to work. Is it worth it?

"McWilliams is CEO of Spiral Light Candle Corp. "
Folks living in Hillsboro could use another large employer. Right now there are more folks looking for work than jobs. I know Aaron McWilliams. He believes that ethics trumps convenience and expediency: and his company simply can't afford the sort of economic penalties the federal government would impose if he got 'too big,' and didn't pay to have babies killed.

Evil isn't Nice

There are nicer, more genteel, ways to put that. But the situation isn't nice, and I don't think this is the time for being genteelly diffident about saying 'evil isn't nice.'

Remember November

Aaron McWilliams discovered that one or two folks didn't approve of his having a conscience. That's understandable. We're not used to that sort of behavior in America.

But quite a few others quietly said that Mr. McWilliams had written what they had been thinking. I hope those folks pay attention to what the politicos say - and what they actually do - before the November election.

Americans have an opportunity to vote for candidates who do not think that the federal government should force people to abandon their consciences - or their livelihood. God willing, I'll find candidates who fit that description: and be able to vote. There's a new and growing company in Hillsboro, North Dakota. I'm particularly interested in it, because my son-in-law runs it.

More posts about forcing Catholics to violate our conscience:
The Department of Health and Human Services vs. Conscience

Other related posts:

1 Love of money is a really bad idea:
"For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains."
(1 Timothy 6:10

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never forsake you or abandon you.'"
(Hebrews 13:5)
I've quoted those verses before:
Loving money is a sort of idolatry:
"Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, 'You cannot serve God and mammon.'..."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2113)
Bottom line, idolatry is a bad idea and we shouldn't do it. (Catechism, 2110-2114)

My Take on the News: Death; Religious Freedom; Resistance; Burned Books; and Saints


More posts about forcing Catholics to violate our conscience:
The Department of Health and Human Services vs. Conscience
I'm a little more aware of 'last things' today, partly because Lent has started; and partly because of what I've been seeing in the news:
  1. The Seventh Death
  2. Religious Freedom and Living in a Big World
  3. The Spirit of Resistance
  4. Apology for Burning Quran
    Particularly
  5. Kateri Tekakwitha - Canonization Slated for October
"Memento mori" means "remember death." Or "remember your mortality," or "remember you must die," or "remember you will die," or something equally cheerful. It's Latin, and - like it or not - true. The special case of Elijah notwithstanding, one of the few things human beings can count on is that, sooner or later, we die.

What a person does with that knowledge is up to the individual. We've got quite a few options, including:
  • Denial
    • 'Anything I don't like is an illusion'
  • Evasion
    • 'Let's talk about something else'
  • Morbid fascination
    • 'Oh, goody! Another funeral!'
I think a sensible choice is 'none of the above.' Death happens, I think it's daft to make believe it doesn't, and there's more to life than death.

1. The Seventh Death

Monday was a really bad day for driving in Minnesota. Seven people were killed in three separate accidents:
"Six lives lost in three hours"
Echo Press; Alexandria, Minnesota (February 22, 2012)

"In the space of three hours, six lives were lost in three separate crashes on snowy, slushy roads near Alexandria and Glenwood on Monday.

"The first crash happened during a heavy snowfall at about 3:05 p.m. on Interstate 94 about three miles west of Alexandria.

"Four female students from North Dakota State University died at the scene – the driver, Lauren Peterson, 18, of Prior Lake and passengers, Jordan Playle, 19, of Elk River, Megan Sample, 18, of Rogers and Danielle Renninger, 18, of Excelsior...."

"...Tragedy struck again at about 6:15 p.m. on County Road 82, west of Alexandria, about a quarter mile east of Townhall Road.

"Kristy Carlson, 40, of Alexandria was driving east with her 13-year-old daughter, Megan Victoria Carlson in a 2002 Oldsmobile that collided with a westbound 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Erin McCoy, 38, also of Alexandria, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

"Megan Carlson was pronounced dead at the Douglas County Hospital.

"Kristy Carlson was transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center where she was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday morning...."

"...A three-vehicle crash on State Highway 28 in Pope County in Glenwood at about 3:30 p.m. Monday also claimed a life.

"Steffanie Dahlseng, 26, of Starbuck was killed in the crash...."
These weather-related fatalities were hard to miss in regional news. I put more excerpts at the end of this post.1

Perhaps understandably, most news was about the four college students. Three of the four young women were roommates, they were well-liked by friends and family, their lives were tragically cut short, and I'm sure that they'll be missed.

This is just a suggestion, and no pressure: but prayer couldn't hurt. Quite a few families are mourning just now.

Remember, I said that seven people were killed in three crashes? The seventh victim died at the scene of one of the accidents, but hasn't, as far as I can tell, been mentioned in the news.

When Steffanie Dahlseng was killed on State Highway 28, her baby died, too. She and her husband were expecting the birth in May.

I posted about that little omission on Wednesday:

About the Four NDSU Students

Don't get me wrong: I think the death of all seven people last Monday was a sad set of circumstances.

All three accidents were, as far as I can tell from the news and what I've heard, the sort of thing that tends to tug at the heartstrings. I'll focus on the four North Dakota State University (NDSU) students, since that's the instance that's had the most coverage.

They had every reason to expect that they'd arrive at NDSU and get back to studies. Interstate 94 is a well-engineered road, and the part near Alexandria, Minnesota, is far from the most likely to cause trouble in bad weather.

Sure, in 20-20 hindsight, they might have looked at the weather and decided to wait until the ice, snow, and slush got cleared off. But like I said: I-94 is a well-engineered road. Besides, I've been a college student: and skipping class generally isn't a preferred option.

They'd apparently been driving sensibly - seat belts fastened, and no alcohol in evidence. Seat belts improve the odds of surviving a crash, by the way: they don't guarantee it. The same goes for any safety gadget.

So, one minute they were very much alive and looking forward to several decades of living. The next - they were dead.

I don't think constantly brooding on the possibility that something's going to kill me is sensible. But neither, in my considered opinion, is blithely assuming that I've got all the time in the world before I die.

2. Religious Freedom and Living in a Big world

America has, to a remarkable extent, allowed folks to worship the way they want: or not worship at all. I think that's a good idea.

Which is just as well, since as a Catholic: I'm required to support religious freedom. It's 'in the rules:'
  • Catholics must support religious freedom
    (Catechism, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Freedom comes with responsibility
    • For the individual
      (Catechism, 1731-1738)
    • For the state
      (Catechism, 2431)
Like I said, America has a fairly good track record when it comes to freedom of (not from) religion, as well as the freedom to not enthusiastically applaud the country's establishment. I've discussed aberrations like McCarthyism and political correctness before.

Other countries aren't doing quite as well, dealing with folks who follow their conscience: instead of their country's leaders.
"Iran court convicts Christian pastor convert to death"
Lisa Daftari, FoxNews.com (February 22, 2012)

"A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, according to sources close to the pastor and his legal team.

"Supporters fear Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old father of two who was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy, may now be executed at any time without prior warning, as death sentences in Iran may be carried out immediately or dragged out for years....

"...'The world needs to stand up and say that a man cannot be put to death because of his faith,' said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

" 'This one case is not just about one execution. We have been able to expose the system instead of just letting one man disappear, like so many other Christians have in the past.'..."
There may be more to the case of Youcef Nadarkhani, than simple religious intolerance. Iran's Ayatollahs have been trying to run a fairly large, technologically advanced, country - using a set of rules that might have worked when Abram left Ur. Three dozen centuries later? Not so much.

I've made the point, in another blog, that places like much of the Middle East and Sudan have been dragged over several thousand years of change in a few generations:
"...To people still accustomed to burqas and Sharia, a world of Barbies and sports cars must be terrifying. It's no wonder that they go a little crazy, trying to adjust...."
(Another War-on-Terror Blog (November 28, 2007))
I'm not making excuses for Iran's leadership. But I think it's worth noting that they're old men, who seem to be trying desperately to hang onto a way of life that much of the rest of the world left behind centuries - at least - back. That doesn't excuse their actions: but it may help explain them.

'Religion Kills People?'

One thing I emphatically do not think the death sentence proves is that 'religion kills people.' Yes, the occasional homicidal maniac with weird religious beliefs makes the headlines. Sometimes folks get confused about what God says, and what they want to believe. But there's more to faith than than. A lot more. I've linked to a few posts about that, near the end of the blog. There's also a sort of quick link list under "Background."

Death Sentence as Distraction?

There may be more going on in the 'death to the apostate' sentence than cultural rigidity or religious intolerance. Iran's economy has not been doing too well. Sanctions haven't helped, and that's another topic.

The Ayatollahs may have decided that killing infidels may distract their subjects from shortcomings of leadership - and might force foreigners to stop pestering the Ayatollahs. I'm not saying that it's a sensible thing to do.
"...It is also feared that Nadarkhani will be executed in retaliation as Iran endures crippling sanctions and international pressure in response to its nuclear agenda and rogue rhetoric. The number of executions in Iran has increased significantly in the last month...."
(FoxNews.com)
Compared to what's happening to Youcef Nadarkhani, the Department of Health and Human Services forcing Catholic doctors to abandon their conscience or their careers is a relatively minor threat.

3. The Spirit of Resistance

Before getting to the third news item, some quotes:
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive."
Thomas Jefferson (3rd president of US (1743 - 1826))

"Silence is the virtue of a fool."
Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)
The bad news is that folks in America's government are trying to force Catholics to abandon their conscience.

The good news is that Catholic bishops - and others - are not being silent.
"ACLJ: Obamacare Contraceptives Rule 'Blatantly Unconstitutional' -- 70,000 Sign Petition to Reverse Reg"
Elizabeth Harrington, CNSNews.com (February 22, 2012)

"The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and almost 70,000 Americans are urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reverse its controversial mandate that requires all health insurers to offer sterilizations and contraceptives, including those that induce abortion, free of charge because it potentially is a violation of religious liberty under the First Amendment.

"Along with the petition, the ACLJ sent a legal analysis to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Feb. 21 that finds the mandate 'blatantly unconstitutional.' The legal group says the regulation violates the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which protects individuals and institutions' right to freely exercise their religion against burdensome laws.

"Thus far, 68,794 people have signed on to the 'Defend Religious Liberty – Stop Forced Abortion Pill Coverage' petition that states, 'The Obama Administration has launched an all-out assault on people of faith.'..."
I think this HHS mandate is a very bad idea. It's bad enough that killing people who are too young, too old, too weak, or too sick, to defend themselves is legal in America. Forcing folks who think that murder isn't nice to help the assassins is unacceptable.

The good news is that Catholic bishops in America are doing their job. I'd rather that they not have to say that murder isn't nice, and we shouldn't do it. But at least somebody with authority in this country isn't stark raving bonkers.

There's an election coming up, by the way. Just a thought.

From Bishops: Leadership

Here's an updated list of resources from Catholic Bishops in America:

4. Apology for Burning Quran

"Barack Obama apology to Afghanistan over Koran burning"
BBC News (February 23, 2012)

"President Barack Obama has apologised to the Afghan people for the burning of Korans by American troops at a US base.

"In a letter to President Hamid Karzai, Mr Obama expressed his 'deep regret' and said the incident earlier this week was a genuine mistake.

"Demonstrations against the desecration have continued for a third day across northern and eastern Afghanistan.

"Two US soldiers and two Afghans were killed in an attack on a military base. Elsewhere there were four other deaths.

"On Wednesday, another seven people were killed and dozens injured in protests.

"Mr Obama's letter, delivered by the US ambassador to Afghanistan, assured the Afghan president that US authorities would question all those responsible...."
I'm inclined to believe what this general said:
"NATO commander orders probe of 'improper' disposal of large number of Islamic religious materials from air base"
Associated Press, via FoxNews.com (February 21, 2012)

"More than 2,000 angry Afghans rallied Tuesday against the inadvertent burning of Korans and other Islamic religious materials during trash disposal at an American air base. They demanded to meet the country's president over the issue and threatened to demonstrate again if their demand was not met.

"U.S. Gen. John Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, apologized and ordered an investigation into the incident, which he was 'not intentional in any way.'

"The incident stoked anti-foreign sentiment that already is on the rise after nearly a decade of war in Afghanistan and fueled the arguments of Afghans who believe foreign troops are not respectful of their culture or Islamic religion...."

Apology: It's a Start

I have no problem with the American president apologizing for desecrating books that many folks in Afghanistan take as seriously as I take the Bible. Looking at it from a strictly diplomatic point of view, it's one of the few things the American president could reasonably do in this situation.

Burning those Qurans - almost certainly an accident - was a monumentally stupid and destructive action. And an insult to the faith of a great many folks in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Now, if the current administration could start treating the beliefs of Catholics in America with the same respect - - - well, that's probably a bit much to expect.

I've already been over this administration's disregard for conscience. (Spirit of Resistance, earlier in this post)

Error, Consequences, and Spelling

I don't envy whoever is responsible for torching those Qurans. Even if it was the result of ignorance or negligence - there are likely going to be personal consequences.

By the way: I've generally spelled the book in question "Quran." Quite a few folks who speak English and use the Latin alphabet write "Koran." It's actually spelled القرآن‎ - and I've discussed transliteration before.

At least this time the book-burning seems not to have been a deliberate insult:

5. Kateri Tekakwitha - Canonization Slated for October

"Oct 21: Canonization of 1st Native American Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha"
"Nun Who Cared for Hawaii Lepers Will Also Be Canonized That Day"
ZENIT (February ,21 2012)

"On Saturday, the prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes announced that Oct. 21 will be the date for the canonization of the first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha.

"Blessed Kateri will be raised to the altars along with Marianne Cope, a German-born immigrant to the United States, who followed St. Damian in caring for the lepers of Hawaii...."
Also scheduled for canonization October 21, 2012:
  • Jacques Berthieu
    • Martyr
    • French
    • Priest of the Society of Jesus
  • Pedro Calungsod
    • Martyr
    • Filipino
    • Lay catechist
  • Giovanni Battista Piamarta
    • Priest
    • Italian
    • Founder of the
      • Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth
      • Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord
  • Maria del Carmen (born Maria Salles y Barangueras)
    • Foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching
    • Spanish
I'd probably be interested in folks who greeted Brendan the Navigator, vikings, and that lot that started coming over about five centuries back, even if I didn't have family connections to the Oglala Lakota. And that's another topic.

Anyway, Kateri Tekakwitha was born in the Mohawk tribe. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin who had been captured by Iroquois. There's a fairly good - and brief - biography of her on a page of the online Catholic Encyclopedia:It takes two confirmed miracles for canonization to be authorized. Here's the one that put Kateri Tekakwitha on the list:
"Sainthood nearer for Kateri Tekakwitha"
The Gazette, Montreal (December 20, 2011)
"Credited with miracle, Lily of the Mohawks to be canonized

"A Mohawk woman whose remains are entombed inside a Kahnawake church has moved one step closer to becoming a saint.

"On Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI cleared the way for the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, known as Lily of the Mohawks, and six others.

"Kateri died in 1680 at age 24....

"...The decision was made on Tuesday after the pope signed a decree approving a miracle attributed to Kateri. She is credited with interceding to save Jake Finkbonner, a child in Washington State who developed necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, after cutting his lip while playing basketball.

"With Jake gravely ill in hospital, his parish priest asked his family and other church members to ask Kateri for intercession. Soon after, the bacteria stopped spreading and Jake recovered, his family says....

"...In 1980, Kateri was beatified by Pope John Paul II, the final stage before sainthood. To be declared a saint, a miracle must be attributed to the candidate after he or she has been beatified.

"The Vatican has been receiving requests to canonize Kateri for more than 100 years. The first recorded instance came in the 1880s, when Jesuit missionaries delivered a petition on behalf of Mohawks...."
I've posted about miracles before. Yes, they happen. And that's almost another topic.

Related posts, getting a grip about:
Background:
  • Religion, reason, and emotions
    • Faith and reason are compatible
      (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 159)
      • Reason
        • Isn't opposed to faith
          (Catechism, 35)
        • Is a critical part of
          • Conscience
            (Catechism, 1778)
          • Human law
            (Catechism, 1902)
          • Natural law
            (Catechism, 1954-1960)
        • As intellect, an attribute of God
          (Catechism, 271)
        • An ability which makes human beings like God
          (Catechism, 1730)
      • Emotions
        • Are "natural components of the human psyche"(Catechism, 1764)
          • Aren't "good" or "bad" by themselves
            (Catechism, 1762-1770)
        • Should be governed by reason
          (Catechism, 1767)
    • Catholics are not allowed to hate anyone
      • No exceptions
      (Catechism, 1033)
    • Jesus told us that the Commandments boiled down to 'Love God, love your neighbor.'
      (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-31)
    • Everybody is our neighbor
      (Matthew 5:43-44; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-30; Catechism, 1825)
  • Death
    • Jesus
      • Died: really
        (Catechism, 624-628)
      • Didn't stay dead: really
        (Catechism, 631-635, 638-655)
      • And is currently seated at the right had of His Father
        (Catechism, 659-664)
    • I will
  • Freedom
    • Catholics must support religious freedom
      (Catechism, 2104-2109)
      • For everybody
        (Catechism, 2106)
    • And responsibility
      • Of the individual
        (Catechism, 1731-1738)
      • Of the state
        (Catechism, 2431)
    • Threats to freedom
      (Catechism, 1740)
    • And property
      (Catechism, 2402-2406)
  • Last Judgment
    • You can't miss it
      (Catechism, 1038-1041)
    • After the end of time: a new universe
      • When God says so
        (Catechism, 1048)
      (Catechism, 1042-1050)
  • Life issues
    • Human life is sacred
      (Catechism, 2258)
    • A human being is a person from conception to natural death
      (Catechism, 2270)
    • Euthanasia is wrong
      • Even if the person is
      (Catechism, 2276-2279)
    • Science can help people
      • Provided the research is ethical
      (Catechism, 2292-2295)
    • Organ transplants are okay
      • But don't kill someone and break him down for parts
      (Catechism, 2296)
  • Miracles
    • Why Jesus worked miracles
      (Catechism, 515, 548-544)
    • Charisms and miracles
      (Catechism, 2003)
(This isn't even close to being a complete index on these topics.)
1 Excerpts from the news:
"Six lives lost in three hours"
Echo Press; Alexandria, Minnesota (February 22, 2012)

"In the space of three hours, six lives were lost in three separate crashes on snowy, slushy roads near Alexandria and Glenwood on Monday.

"The first crash happened during a heavy snowfall at about 3:05 p.m. on Interstate 94 about three miles west of Alexandria.

"Four female students from North Dakota State University died at the scene – the driver, Lauren Peterson, 18, of Prior Lake and passengers, Jordan Playle, 19, of Elk River, Megan Sample, 18, of Rogers and Danielle Renninger, 18, of Excelsior...."

"...Tragedy struck again at about 6:15 p.m. on County Road 82, west of Alexandria, about a quarter mile east of Townhall Road.

"Kristy Carlson, 40, of Alexandria was driving east with her 13-year-old daughter, Megan Victoria Carlson in a 2002 Oldsmobile that collided with a westbound 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Erin McCoy, 38, also of Alexandria, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

"Megan Carlson was pronounced dead at the Douglas County Hospital.

"Kristy Carlson was transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center where she was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday morning...."

"...A three-vehicle crash on State Highway 28 in Pope County in Glenwood at about 3:30 p.m. Monday also claimed a life.

"Steffanie Dahlseng, 26, of Starbuck was killed in the crash...."

"Four NDSU Students From Twin Cities Killed in Snowy Crash"
Michelle Knoll, KAAL TV (February 21, 2012)

"Four women from the Twin Cities were killed in a crash on I-94 near Alexandria Monday afternoon. The women were freshman at North Dakota State University. Three of the women were roommates.

The Minnesota State Patrol says 18-year-old Lauren Peterson of Prior Lake, 19-year-old Jordan Playle of Elk River, 18-year-old Megan Sample of Rogers, and 18-year-old Danielle Renninger of Excelsior died when they lost control of their car and went through the median into oncoming traffic.

Peterson was driving, and roads were slippery at the time of the crash. Authorities say all of the women were wearing seat belts, and no alcohol was detected....
"

"4 college roommates killed in Minnesota crash"
News8000.com (February 21, 2012)

"The four young women who died in an interstate crash west of Alexandria were college roommates heading back to North Dakota State University.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the teens' car crossed the median of Interstate 94 near Alexandria Monday afternoon and was struck by an SUV, which was hit by a third vehicle....
"

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