Showing posts with label Asperger syndrome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asperger syndrome. Show all posts

Friday, January 4, 2013

Guns, Gamma Ray Bursts, and Roller Coasters

I've picked two items for this week's 'in the news' post: a mass murder in Newtown, Connecticut; and a cosmic time bomb.
  1. "Disturbing Trends of Violence:" We Need Change
  2. WR 104: Cosmic Time Bomb, Maybe
My take on both is a bit counter-cultural, which may not mean what you think it does:
I also discovered that not all dictionaries include the definition of "take" I mean in the phrase "my take." This one does:
  1. The act of taking
  2. Something that is taken
  3. The quantity of fish, game, etc., taken at one time
  4. An opinion or assessment
    • What's your take on the candidate?
  5. An approach; treatment
    • A new take on an old idea
    (Dictionary.com)
And that's an entirely different topic.

Death, Taxes, and Mass Murder

If Benjamin Franklin had been living today, his death and taxes quote might have included the school year. Students are going back to school in Newtown Connecticut:
As 'judgmental' as this may sound, I think murdering more than a dozen people, most of them young children, is not right:
"...There's a huge difference between pretending that rules shouldn't exist, and hating 'that sinner over there'...

"...It's likely that someone will pounce on the choice of weapon, and blame guns. It's less likely that we'll hear an 'expert' say that public schools cause mass murder.

"It's possible that we won't learn the exact motives for this mass murder.

"The root of this particular crime goes back to the start of humanity, and the original sin we inherited...."
(December 14, 2012)

Original Sin, Catholic Style

Thinking that original sin is involved doesn't mean that humanity is utterly vile, a hideous mistake that God hasn't thrown out yet. I'm Catholic, so I recognize that there's something wrong with humanity. But I also recognize that God doesn't make junk, and that we're basically a good sort of creature:
"ORIGINAL SIN: The sin by which the first human beings disobeyed the commandment of God, choosing to follow their own will rather than God's will. As a consequence they lost the grace of original holiness, and became subject to the law of death; sin became universally present in the world. Besides the personal sin of Adam and Eve, original sin describes the fallen state of human nature which affects every person born into the world, and from which Christ, the 'new Adam,' came to redeem us (396-412)."
(Catechism, Glossary)

'The Refrigerator Made Me Do It'

An automobile was used in the commission of that mass murder in Connecticut: but I doubt that there's an impassioned editorial about the need for tougher car-control laws. Think about it: the murder might not have killed folks at the school, if he'd had to walk there from his first killing.

Silly? I think so. But a remarkable number of folks seem to think that murder would stop being a problem, if only guns were illegal. Maybe the history of pre-firearms murder is a lie, foisted on us by a conspiracy by gun manufacturers. Then again, maybe not.

I don't own a gun, and recognize that we need governments and laws. But I have no problem with most folks owning and using dangerous technologies and substances like:
I'm quite sure that folks wouldn't stop criticizing the government, if we outlawed computers, or that refrigerators make people eat too much.

That's because I think human beings:
  • Can make reasoned decisions
  • Have free will
  • Use technology
    • Not the other way around
I've been over this before:
Now, finally, here's my take on news: this week's and otherwise.

1. "Disturbing Trends of Violence:" We Need Change

"Bishops call for cultural changes after Newtown shooting"
Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (January 3, 2012)

" Disturbing trends of violence in society should prompt both policy examinations and cultural changes, said committee leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

" 'It is time for our nation to renew a culture of life in our society,' said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

"The prelates, who lead the U.S. bishops' committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Communications; and Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, respectively, released a Dec. 21 statement responding to a recent mass shooting...."
I think most folks in America might agree that mass murders at schools are "disturbing." I also think that my native land has a long way to go before we have "a culture of life."

The Catholic Church says that:
  • Human life is sacred
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258)
  • Some actions are always wrong
    (Catechism, 1789)
    • Even if a leader says it's okay
      (Catechism, 2242)
    (Catechism, 2259-2262, 2268-2270)
  • Murder is wrong
    (Catechism, 2259-2262, 2268-2270)
  • Legitimate defense is permitted
    • But not more violence than necessary
      (Catechism, 2264)
    (Catechism, 2263-2267)
Saying that murder is wrong, but that it is morally acceptable to defend ourselves, isn't as crazy as it may seem. On the other hand, Catholic teaching probably won't sit well with either pacifists or the 'kill a commie for Christ' set.

America: Reconsideration and Restoration

I'm pretty sure that folks near the ends of various social and political continua will like what the bishops recommend:
"...They [the bishops] urged a re-consideration of national firearm policies, mental health treatment availability and violence in the entertainment industry, as well as broader efforts to restore the value that society places on human life.

"On Dec. 14, a gunman identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire on teachers and students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. He killed 27 people - including his mother and 20 elementary school students - before taking his own life.

"Offering a message of comfort and peace, the bishops extended their prayerful solidarity to all those affected by the 'horrific evil.'..."
(January 3, 2012)
Recapping the first paragraph, the bishops said that America should:
  • Take a new look at
    • National firearm policies
    • Mental health treatment availability
    • Violence in the entertainment industry
  • Restore our society's regard for human life

"Reasonable" Limits and Assumptions

"...To counter such violent acts, America's elected leaders should consider reasonable limits on firearms that do not infringe upon people's rights, the bishops said. While they acknowledged that 'the intent to protect one's loved ones is an honorable one,' they added that 'guns are too easily accessible.'

"The bishops reiterated the call made in their 2000 statement, 'Responsibility, Rehabilitation and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice,' for legislation aimed at protecting society 'from the violence associated with easy access to deadly weapons including assault weapons.'..."
(January 3, 2012)
I think "reasonable" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, at least in the informal sense of the word. Judging from when I last did time in college, some Americans might think "reasonable limits on firearms" would involve one handgun kept in a museum.

There really were 'gun nuts' who apparently thought the commies were plotting to steal their deer rifles. Some of the rabid gun-haters I've encountered didn't help dispel that fear, in my opinion.

I don't know if "guns are too easily accessible," as the bishops put it. Quite a few influential Americans seem to think so: but I remember when influential Americans were hunting communists, real or imagined. I really do not want a return to the 'good old days,' and that's yet another topic.

I don't own a firearm, and regard them as dubiously effective as household defense weapons.

I am, however, very concerned that Congress might 'protect' Americans by restricting handguns and similar weapons to folks who do not obey the law. We've had spasms of self-righteous foolishness before: prohibition, for one.

"Violent Movies," Culture, and Censorship

"...The bishops also encouraged an evaluation of the impact that violent movies and video games have on the culture.

"Entertainers should recognize that when their products glorify violence, they also 'prey on the insecurities and immaturity of our young people,' they said...."
(January 3, 2012)
I think it's silly to assume that movies, video games, and other entertainment, has no effect on people. Entertainers, and everyone else, should recognize the ethical implications of their work. I think the bishops had the right idea, encouraging the folks who produce movies and video games to act responsibly.

An alternative approach is to force movie makers, game designers, writers, and others to produce only what's 'proper.' Between growing up in America, and spending my youth in the '60s, I have a lively distaste for censorship:

'Lock Up the Loonies?'

"...In addition, the bishops highlighted the need to address society's treatment of those with mental illnesses. Recognizing the 'pervasive role of addiction and mental illness in crime,' they encouraged reflection on social fears and prejudices toward those with special mental health needs.

"Emphasizing the importance of sensitivity and support, they also urged the removal of 'burdensome healthcare policies' that prevent those in need from receiving help.

" 'There is no shame in seeking help for oneself or others,' they said, 'the only shame is in refusing to provide care and support.'

"The bishops called on Catholics and 'all people of goodwill to help bring about a culture of life and peace.'..."
(January 3, 2012)
I think "sensitivity and support" for folks with mental illnesses is a good idea: although I'll settle for acceptance.

I've got a personal stake here, since I've got a mental illness. Two, actually: major depression; and something that's ADD-Inattentive, Asperger's, or something else. I can't recommend the experience, but happily we (now) have pharmaceuticals that allow me to have a mental clarity I hadn't experienced since my preteens:
On a related note, removing "feeble minded" folks and others from gene pool seemed like such a good idea at the time:

2. WR 104: Cosmic Time Bomb, Maybe

"WR 104 Won't Kill Us After All"
Ian O'Neill, Universe Today (January 7, 2009)

"Early last year, concern was growing for a Wolf-Rayet star named WR 104 that appeared to be aiming right at Earth (see Looking Down the Barrel of A Gamma Ray Burst). A Wolf-Rayet star is a highly unstable star coming to the end of its life, possibly culminating in a powerful, planet-killing gamma-ray burst (GRB). GRBs are collimated beams of high energy gamma-rays, projected from the poles of a collapsing Wolf-Rayet star. It was little wonder that we were concerned when a dying Wolf-Rayet star was found to be pointing right at us! Today, at the AAS in Long Beach, one scientist working at the Keck Telescope has taken a keen interest in WR 104 and shared new findings that show our Solar System may not be bathed in deadly gamma-rays after all...."
This isn't exactly "news." For one thing, the article is about four years old. I ran across it after hearing WR 104 mentioned in a documentary.

The bad news is that if a Wolf-Rayet star was close to Earth, and if it was 'pointed' at us when it exploded, we might not have to worry about the coming ice age, global warming, or whether the Cubs will win the World Series.

The good new is that those are two very big "ifs."

Getting a Grip About WR 104

This FAQ page goes into more detail about WR 104 than you probably want:
"WR 104: Technical Questions"
Peter Tuthill, School of Physics, Sydney University, NSW 2006, Australia

" This page is for a more in-depth technical discussion of the risk posed by WR 104. There is jargon and techincal [!] stuff ahead, and I won't try to explain all the terms. Ask your local friendly Astronomer if in doubt.

"This discussion focusses [!] on the risk to earth from a potential future gamma ray burst (GRB) in WR 104. Note that this was not a big part of my scientific article published in Astrophysical Journal. The article only had a paragraph or two about this scenario. But for understandable reasons, the press and public have picked up on this aspect of the work. It is maybe a little more widely relevant than, say, 'radiative braking in colliding-wind systems' (which is discussed at length in the paper)...."
There's a pretty good article about WR 104 in Wikipedia, too.

The bottom line is that:
  • WR 104 is
    • About 8,000 light years away
      • 'Close' on a cosmic scale
    • A double star
    • 'Pointed' in our direction
      • Maybe
      • Or maybe not
  • The stars will explode
    • Probably
    • Within the next 100,000 years
      • Or so
    • Twice
      • It's a double star
  • The explosions will produce either
    • Two gamma ray bursts
    • One gamma ray burst
    • No gamma ray bursts
  • The gamma ray burst(s), if any, will
    • Get deflected by magnetic fields
    • Be diffused by interstellar gas
    • Cause mass extinctions
      • Like the Ordovician mass extinction
      • Or not
I really don't think we need to worry about WR 104. Certainly not for another few hundred thousand years.

Of course, by then, humanity may have spread out a bit: in which case, at least some of the stars we call 'home' may be in the way of a gamma ray burst. I'll let generations yet unborn work out whether it's better to:
  • Evacuate a few planetary systems
  • Set up shielding
  • Or maybe turn WR 104 in another direction
    • In which case someone else may get peeved
Ridiculous? Maybe. But so was the idea that robot spaceships would be exploring the outer Solar system, not all that long ago.

And that's still another topic.

8,000 Light Years: Close?!

I grew up near the North Dakota-Minnesota border, so my notion of "close" is probably not the same as someone from, say, Brooklyn.

Light from WR 104 takes about 8,000 years to reach us. That's a lot farther away than the distance from Minnesota to Brooklyn. But it's "close" on a cosmic scale.

Well, fairly close. The little circle in this illustration from last week's post is 3,000 light years across:


Scared Silly

I suspect that 'end of the world' rumors are popular for about the same reasons that folks enjoy riding roller coasters. In a way, it's fun to be scared.

I don't mind folks having fun. When folks get scared silly, and start making daft decisions? That can be a problem. And - yep, that's another topic, too.

'End Time prophecies:'
Speculation and coming attractions:
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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Thanksgiving: Cartoons and Gratitude

Thanksgiving Day weekend is an American holiday. It's our version of the harvest celebration that I suspect most or all cultures developed: probably not long after shifting to agriculture as a source of food.

The American holiday, according to a Wikipedia article, "...has its historical roots in religious traditions, but today is celebrated in a more secular manner...."

I wouldn't mind if the religious aspects of Thanksgiving got a little more attention, but I also don't mind the secular angle: particularly since I can have fun with it.


(From Apathetic Lemming of the North (2012))


(From Apathetic Lemming of the North (2010))

Something I didn't see in the Wikipedia article was the American habit of visiting family during the four-day weekend. My wife and I are at the point where the kids come to see us, and that's another topic.

Theological Implications of a Spaghetti Hat

The poster featured a profoundly unhappy baby wearing a bowl of spaghetti. The slogan was something like 'thank God anyway.' Or maybe it was 'praise God anyway.'

It was cute, and made a sensible point.

Being thankful for good health, or an above-average income, is fairly easy.

Being thankful after coming down with the flu, or being fired? That takes effort.

Readings for November 22, 2012, Thanksgiving Day in America, included this:
"2 And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters men's growth from their mother's womb, and fashions them according to his will!"
(Sirach 50:22)
Being alive could be near the top of a list of 'reasons for being thankful:' particularly when one considers the alternative.

- - - Aside from That, Pretty Good

I was used as a lab rat as an infant, without my parent's knowledge. (February 3, 2009)

I slogged through decades of undiagnosed major depression and ADHD-inattentive, or maybe Asperger's; lost a dear friend to suicide; and nearly lost my wife when one of our children died during childbirth. (June 3, 2012)

But aside from that, I've had a pretty good life:
"...I've been blessed with good parents, and a mind that's thirsty for knowledge. My wife stood by me through some very rough times. Four of our six children survived birth, and are as wonderfully varied a new generation as I could have hoped for...."
(June 3, 2012)

Emotions, Reason, and All That

I'm not one of those permanently-cheerful folks.

Even with pharmaceuticals that make thinking easier than it's been since my preteens, I'm all too capable of seeing life's serious side. Which doesn't make me a 'sour faced saint,' and that's yet another topic. (September 13, 2011)

I don't have anything against emotions: they're part of being human. But I try to avoid making decisions based on feelings.

If it sounds odd for a 'religious' person to say that: bear in mind that I'm a Catholic. We're told that:
  • Reason
    • Isn't opposed to faith
      (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 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)
    (December 18, 2011)
I've felt grateful: an emotion. I've also decided that I was grateful: a reasoned decision. There are times when I have to think a lot before deciding to be grateful.

Somewhat-related posts:
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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Fasting, Penance: and Infinite Depths of Joy

I follow the Man:
  • Who said
    • "...take courage, I have conquered the world."
      (John 16:33)
    • "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."
      (John 8:58)
    • And made it stick
  • Who was killed
  • Who gave his followers orders
    • Which we are still carrying out
      • Two millennia later
I hope for an unending life of joy and peace with my Lord. Following Jesus isn't always fun: but even now there's an echo of the "glorious joy" that, God willing, is ahead.

Despondency isn't a Virtue?

I've heard "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" sung as if it's a funeral dirge; and met folks whose theme seems to be "oh woe, all ye faithful."

There seems to be a confusion of despondency with virtue in some American subcultures. I think it's partly connected with this country's cultural history. Some of the folks who set the spiritual tone for America managed to present Christianity as a rather grim affair:
"Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."
H. L. Mencken, The Quotations Page
Long before Mencken, Puritans, and the Mayflower, some folks got the idea that tangible, physical, things are evil. The idea caught on, and has been repackaged quite a few times over the centuries. Millennia, actually.

Knowing Stuff; Being 'Spiritual;' and Icky, Sticky, Physical Things

I can see an appeal to believing that knowing stuff, and being really 'spiritual,' is good - not like icky, sticky, physical things. I like knowing stuff, and learning more.

But believing that what can be seen, touched, tasted, are bad because they're physical? That would force me to assume that God is a klutz, and doesn't know good from bad:
"Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.

"God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness."
(Genesis 1:3-4)
"God called the dry land 'the earth,' and the basin of the water he called 'the sea.' God saw how good it was. "
(Genesis 1:10)
I think the idea that there are two eternal, balanced, equally-matched, principles locked in an unending struggle between Good and Evil, could make a really good story. But I don't think it's true.

More to the point, the Church says that's not how it works.
"...Still others have affirmed the existence of two eternal principles, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, locked in permanent conflict (Dualism, Manichaeism). According to some of these conceptions, the world (at least the physical world) is evil, the product of a fall, and is thus to be rejected or left behind (Gnosticism)...."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 285)

"The truth about creation is so important for all of human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to his People everything that is salutary to know on the subject. Beyond the natural knowledge that every man can have of the Creator,124 God progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation. He who chose the patriarchs, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and who by choosing Israel created and formed it, this same God reveals himself as the One to whom belong all the peoples of the earth, and the whole earth itself; he is the One who alone 'made heaven and earth.' 125"
(Catechism, 287)

Genesis and Getting a Grip

America's cultural assumptions about Genesis, the Bible, science, and psychiatric disorders being what they are, I'd better explain that I'm a practicing Catholic.

I don't have to hate science, or believe that the Bible was written by Americans: Or by folks who were as poetically-challenged and literalistic as some of my fellow-citizens.

I take the Bible, Sacred Scripture, very seriously. But I don't refer to the Bible when trouble-shooting my computer, and it's not a science textbook:

Emotions, Faith, and Something Indescribable

Fasting, Confession, penance, and other serious matters, are part of being a Catholic. So is joy. I don't mean a sort of Giggle Gospel, encouraging folks to 'get high on Jesus.'

Not that emotions are bad: but I can't and won't rely on a 'feel-good faith,' and that's another topic. (March 3, 2009)

"Joy" can be a noun or a verb:
  • Noun
    • The emotion of great happiness
    • Something or someone that provides a source of happiness
  • Verb
    • Feel happiness or joy
    • Make glad or happy
    (Princeton's WordNet)
"Joy" is "the emotion of great happiness:" so if I stop feeling "great happiness," I've lost my faith? No, I really don't think so. I've posted about the "dark night of the soul" before. (April 22, 2010)

If this "joy" thing that Christians are supposed to experience isn't just an emotional buzz, how would I describe it? Part of the answer is in the first chapter of Peter:
"Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,

"as you attain the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls."
(Peter 1:8-9)
Knowing that it's "an indescribable and glorious joy" doesn't give me the sort of definite answer I might want: but I've gotten used to the idea that God's God, and I'm not. I don't expect to have all the answers. Not now, anyway.

Joy and Jesus

I converted to Catholicism because it made sense: but there's more to it than that.

I've followed Jesus for as long as I can remember. After I found out who held the authority that my Lord gave Peter, I only had one viable option. (Matthew 16:13-19, John 6:68)

For two millennia, the Catholic Church has been telling folks about Jesus:
"The transmission of the Christian faith consists primarily in proclaiming Jesus Christ in order to lead others to faith in him. From the beginning, the first disciples burned with the desire to proclaim Christ: 'We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.'11 And they invite people of every era to enter into the joy of their communion with Christ:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.12"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 425)

What About All Those Rules?

There's something to the stereotype that the Catholic Church has lots of rules. The Vatican's "Secret Archives," a sort of office library for the Holy See, has about 85 kilometers of shelving now.

The basic principles are simple: Love God, love your neighbor; everybody's your neighbor. (Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:25-27, 29-37; and Catechism of the Catholic Church 1822, 1825)

I think the proliferation of rules and explanations is partly the result of two millennia of folks trying to weasel out of the basic principles, simply stated. (September 26, 2011)

There's an attractive notion that all a person has to do is 'really believe' in Jesus. Yes, belief is important. But so is doing something about it. (James 2:18-20) I never could see the point in believing something: and not acting as if that belief mattered.

This gets me to morality - which sounds an awful lot like what those grim 'oh woe, all ye faithful' folks are so grimly sanctimonious about.

Like I've said before, "morality" isn't just about "morality." Ethical behavior includes what we do about our sexuality: but there's a lot more to being human than sex.

Where was I? Joy, Jesus, rules: right.

"Sing for Joy to the Living God"

By cherry picking in the Catechism, and elsewhere, I could find 'proof' that the Catholic Church only accepts perfect people. We're supposed to work at perfection: but it's a goal, not an entrance requirement.

There's a sort of 'payoff' to being perfect, apparently:
"Moral perfection consists in man's being moved to the good not by his will alone, but also by his sensitive appetite, as in the words of the psalm: 'My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.' 46"
(Catechism, 1770)
Somehow, I don't think I'll find out what that sort of "moral perfection" feels like this week. Or this month, or year - but it's still a good goal.

Meanwhile, I can work at developing virtues: human and otherwise.
"Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. The virtuous man is he who freely practices the good.

"The moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love."
(Catechism, 1804)
The human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. (Catechism, 1812-1829)

Joy: Short-Term and Long-Term

My long-term goal is the joy of Heaven. In the short term, I realize that there's no guarantee that I'll have a worry-free life. I follow Jesus: and my Lord went through some rough terrain:
"1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us 2 and persevere in running the race that lies before us

"while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God."
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
I'd just as soon not be tortured and executed for my faith: and don't think it's likely that I will face that.

God, Rain, and Me

On the other hand, I don't expect following Jesus to result in fame, fortune, and a rollicking good time. Although my life has been pretty good.

I've been blessed with good parents, and a mind that's thirsty for knowledge. My wife stood by me through some very rough times. Four of our six children survived birth, and are as wonderfully varied a new generation as I could have hoped for.

Some of what I've experienced isn't obviously good news. I've:
  • Been used as a sort of lab rat
    • Without my parents' knowledge
  • Lived for decades with
    • Undiagnosed
      • Major depression
      • ADHD-inattentive or
        • Asperger syndrome
        • Something else
    • Pain in my hip joints
      • Until getting them swapped out
        • In my '50s
  • Lost a dear friend to suicide
  • Lost two of six children
    • Nearly lost my wife when the second died
I think God's given me lots of opportunities to practice patience and other virtues. Which is just as well, since I'm not a very patient man. Actually, I need improvement in all the virtues.

As nearly as I can tell, God loves all of us. He showers blessings on everyone, pouring sunshine and rain "on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

Joy: "At the Heart of the Christian Experience"

Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI discussed joy, and reasons for rejoicing:
"...Joy is at the heart of Christian experience. At each World Youth Day we experience immense joy, the joy of communion, the joy of being Christian, the joy of faith. This is one of the marks of these gatherings. We can see the great attraction that joy exercises. In a world of sorrow and anxiety, joy is an important witness to the beauty and reliability of the Christian faith...."

"...A yearning for joy lurks within the heart of every man and woman. Far more than immediate and fleeting feelings of satisfaction, our hearts seek a perfect, full and lasting joy capable of giving 'flavour' to our existence...."
("Message for the 27th World Youth Day," Pope Benedict XVI (March 15, 2012))
There's quite a bit more: I strongly recommend following that link and reading the rest.

Jesus, Joy, and Standing Orders

Here's why my Lord endured torture and death:
"1 2 When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
...
"But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.

"I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
...
"Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.

"As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.
...
"I made known to them your name and I will make it known, 8 that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.' "
(John 17:1, 13-14, 17-18, 26)
Later, after Jesus stopped being dead, my Lord gave His disciples the standing orders that we're still carrying out:
"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 28:18-20)

"Infinite Joy"

I've had a few unpleasant experiences: a stubbed toe; the death of a baby; hurting one way when I moved, and another when I didn't.

But I'm convinced that it is all overwhelmed, lost in an infinite ocean of joy: if I keep my wits about me, remember to look at the 'big picture,' and accept the love of God.

One more excerpt, and I'm done:
"...Whatever brings us true joy, whether the small joys of each day or the greatest joys in life, has its source in God, even if this does not seem immediately obvious. This is because God is a communion of eternal love, he is infinite joy that does not remain closed in on itself, but expands to embrace all whom God loves and who love him...."
("Message for the 27th World Youth Day," Pope Benedict XVI (March 15, 2012))
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Monday, May 2, 2011

Thinking About Osama bin Laden, and What Father Lombardi Said

I don't expect what Father Federico Lombardi said to change the minds of any zealot. But stranger things have happened.

I wrote, yesterday, why I wasn't exulting in the death of Osama bin Laden - or speculating on what he'd be doing for the rest of eternity. Basically, I don't need that kind of trouble. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Someone at the Vatican made a more eloquent statement on that general topic. No surprises there. An excerpt from today's news:
"The Vatican says it does not rejoice in the death of Osama bin Laden.

" 'Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of each and every one of us before God and before man, and hopes and commits himself so that no event is an opportunity for further growth of hatred, but for peace,' spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, S.J. said on May 2.

"Fr. Lombardi’s comments follow the announcement earlier today that the Al-Qaeda leader had been killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. ... A U.S. official quoted by the Associated Press said Bin Laden's body has now been buried at sea....

"...'Osama bin Laden – as we all know – was gravely responsible for promoting division and hatred between peoples, causing the end of countless innocent lives, and of exploiting religions to this end.'..."
(CNA)
That burial at sea, by the way, seems to have been an effort by American forces to respect and follow Muslim customs for disposal of a body (CNN, FoxNews.com) My guess is that there will be bitter complaints about that - coming from several directions.

Oh, Hell: You Mean I Can't Stay Dead?

Although I grew up in a region where malignant virtue was endemic, my parents and church were nice, normal, mainstream Protestant Americans. I knew about folks claiming somebody would be going to Hell: generally 'those sinners over there.' But the fire-and-brimstone approach wasn't part of my personal experience.

By the time I was into my teens, I knew about Luke 18:13: "...'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' " Not that I could have rattled off the book, chapter, and verse. And that's another topic.

The point is, I knew about God, Heaven, and the alternative. I didn't like the idea that Hell existed: but I didn't see what else could be done with folks who refused to be with God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1033-1037)

A factor I have to keep in mind, when making decisions, is that I can't die. Not permanently. Nothing special about that: it's part of being human. On the other hand, we all die. Even if we avoid disease or injury, after a little while - we die. (Catechism, 1006-1014) (A special case like 2 Kings 2:11 is just that - a special case.)

If my body's death was the end of my existence, I could try optimizing the decades I had available, for maximum pleasure and minimum unpleasantness. Or to punish as many people as possible because they weren't like me - or for some other purpose.

Pursuing selfish goals isn't, I think, a good idea: because when I die, I've got a sort of final review to look forward to. The Church calls it the particular judgment. (Catechism, 1020-1050, especially 1021-1022) I hope and pray I'll have the good sense to follow the repentant thief's example. (Luke 23:42)

Osama bin Laden, Lazarus, and Me

I wrote a little about my reaction to Osama bin Laden's death yesterday. (May 2, 2011)

Aside from the Matthew 7 thing, bin Laden's death reminds me that I've got a limited time to work with.

I'm not quite in the position of either man in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. (Luke 16:19-31) But, despite being used in a medical experiment and dealing with major depression plus something that's ADHD-inattentive, Asperger's, or maybe something else1 - I think I'm closer to being in the rich man's position.

Those apparent afflictions have given me a great deal to think about, over the decades: an opportunity not many folks get. On top of that, God equipped me with a seriously overclocked brain. No bragging: my only contribution was deciding to use what I've been given.2

Osama bin Laden's death reminds me that I've got a limited span of time to work with. And, although I must rely on my Lord's mercy, it seems pretty obvious that we're supposed to do something with what we've been given. (Catechism, 1422-1473, 1846-1848), I've also read Luke 19:12-27 and Matthew 25:14-21)

I don't think I'm morbidly dwelling on death and all that. On the other hand, now that medication has put my brain in better working order: I feel like I've got some serious catching up to do.

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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.