Catching Up on Reading

Particularly since I missed Mass today, I checked out the day's readings:

• "Second Sunday in Ordinary Time"
  USCCB (January 17, 2010)

It's the usual: one from the Old Testament; one from the New Testament, but not the Gospels; the last from one of the four Gospels.

Oh, about the Gospels - That book you'll see on the altar of a Catholic church: Around here, we call it the "Gospel book."



It's the four Gospels by themselves.

Back to today's readings: Isaiah 62:1-5; 1st Corinthians 12:4-11; and John 2:1-11. They're about the relationship between God and His people; gifts of the Holy Spirit; and the wedding at Cana.

That last is one of my favorite accounts from the New Testament. But, I've talked about it before. Several times.

Besides, I don't seem to have anything

Three Killed in Tel Aviv Gay Youth Club: There's No Excuse

There's very sad news from Tel Aviv, Israel, today:

"Israeli police say a gunman entered a youth club for gay teens in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night and sprayed the interior with automatic rifle fire, killing three people and injuring 11.

"Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was 'most likely a criminal attack and not a terror attack.' Tel Aviv has been a target for Palestinian militants in the past...."

"...'This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack,' witness Yaniv Weisman told Channel 10 TV. He said Cafe Noir, the basement club, was popular with youth..."
(AP, via FOXNews)

First of all, a hate crime may be premeditated, or may be some bit of evil done on the spur of the moment. A premeditated crime may be motivated by hate, or by a coldly calculated desire to achieve some goal by illegal means.

Yes, it looks like what some Americans call a "hate crime." But it's possible that this attack was the sort of communication that occurred in the livelier days of Chicago's history, when someone didn't go along with an offer they couldn't refuse.

Why Write About This?

A few days ago, I read a post about celebrating our faith: and added the post's blog to the blogroll. (July 28, 2009) I do intend to lighten up a bit: but this multiple homicide in Tel Aviv attracted my attention. I think there are some important things to be pointed out.

Not Everything is About Me

I'm a Catholic, living in a country that started out Protestant and is becoming increasingly secular. There are people who don't like Catholics in America. The days of the burning cross seem to be over, for a while at least, but there are still rather nasty verbal and symbolic attacks on Catholicism. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (August 5, 2008))

Particularly since I grew up in a virulently anti-Catholic area, I need to remind myself now and again that not everything that affects Catholics is directed at Catholics or Catholicism. (July 5, 2009) I'm a convert, by the way: and wild claims about the 'Whore of Babylon' are part of the reason I'm a Catholic now. (September 26, 2008, and other posts)

With respect to the feelings of Yaniv Weisman, I can't assume that this multiple murder was a hate crime - any more than I can assume that explosions in Cotabato were directed at Catholics (July 5, 2009)

Catholicism Does Not Teach Hate

I don't expect to convince true believers of contrary philosophies, but the Catholic Church doesn't teach hate. There are Catholics who hate others - and sometimes themselves - and some of them may believe, ardently, that the Catholic Church is on the same page as they are.

They're wrong.

The Catholic Church has some markedly counter-cultural beliefs about sin: for starters, that it exists. But hating a sin is not the same as hating a sinner. I wrote about that in connection with the supposed object of hatred in this crime, earlier this year. (March 13, 2009)

I know: there are wack jobs who say that they're Christian and appear to have very little going for them except hatred for a short list of preferred targets: blacks, Jews, foreigners and Catholics often make the list. (October 2, 2008) But I don't assume that they're any more representative of Protestant Christianity, than politicos like Pelosi are representative of Catholicism. (March 8, 2009)

And yes: these little 'First Church of Holy Hate' groups generally teach hate of homosexuals, too.

Life is Precious: and Three Lives are Now Ended

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have no choice but to value human life. (November 2, 2008) Not just the lives of good-looking, healthy people with opinions similar to my own: every human life.¹

Now What

It's possible that whoever killed these youth will be caught, tried, and convicted. And, I hope that the person or persons responsible are not executed. It's that 'life is precious' thing again.

Briefly:

• Do I think it was right to kill those three people?
  • No
• Do I think Homosexuality is okay?
  • No
• Do I hate homosexuals?
  • No
• Do I hate the person or persons who killed those kids?
  • I'm trying, hard, not to

It's getting late: enough said.

Related posts:

• "Beach Killer Joseph Burges: A Case of Horribly Warped Christianity"
  (July 24, 2009)
• "Dr. George Tiller's Murder Link Page"
  (last updated June 9, 2009)
• "Cotabato Bomb: Not Everything Affecting Catholics is Aimed at Catholics"
  (July 5, 2009)
• "Sex, Condoms, AIDS, an 'Immoral' Pope, and What Everybody Knows"
  (March 17, 2009)
• "The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
  (March 13, 2009)
• "The Catholic Church Won't Even Let People Kill Themselves"
  (January 28, 2009)
• "My Life Has Purpose: Everybody's Does"
  (January 5, 2009)
• "Psycho Santa's Slaying Spree - The Catholic Connection"
  (December 26, 2008)
• "Old Woman Attacked Proposition 8 Demonstrators: Who Knew?"
  (November 13, 2008)
• "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic"
  (November 3, 2008)
• "Life: It's a Single Issue, and an Important One"
  (November 2, 2008)
• "Capital Punishment: Killing Those Who Deserve to Die"
  (October 2, 2008)

In the news:

• "Gunman Kills 3, Injures 11 at Gay Youth Club in Israel"
  The Associated Press, via FOXNews (August 1, 2009)

---

¹ I know: the Catholic Church allows the death penalty. In extreme circumstances. Although I know that not everyone agrees with my position, I do not think that a country with America's resources can, in good conscience, allow the death penalty. (October 2, 2008) When the Supreme Court of the United States of America can raise someone from the dead, I'll reconsider my position.

Another Notre Dame SNAFU - This Time in Jerusalem

The Pope attended a meeting for interreligious dialog, at Notre Dame Centre in Jerusalem. The meeting didn't go quite as planned.

'Muslims and Christians Unite Against the Murdering Jews' - I'm Not Making This Up

The Palestinian Authority's Chief Islamic Judge, Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, wasn't on the program, but he took the microphone anyway, after the Pope had spoken. He had an interesting proposal: That Muslims and Christians should work against 'those murdering Jews.'

The sheik dragged out the usual 'Jews murder women and children' thing.

The Chief Islamic Judge's little speech was bit awkward, since there were quite a number of 'those murdering Jews' at the meeting.

The Holy See's press office director, Father Federico Lombardi, had a statement ready a few minutes later:

" 'The intervention of Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi was not previewed by the organizers of the interreligious meeting that took place at Notre Dame Centre in Jerusalem,' the message read. 'In a meeting dedicated to dialogue, this intervention was a direct negation of what [it] should be,' it continued.

" 'We hope that such an incident will not damage the mission of the Holy Father aiming at promoting peace and interreligious dialogue, as he has clearly affirmed in many occasions in this pilgrimage,' Father Lombardi added.

" 'We hope also that interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land will not be damaged by this incident,' the message concluded...." (Jerusalem Post)

Points for Thinking Outside the Box: But Pogroms are a No-No

I'll give the sheik credit for stepping outside the usual 'death to the Jews/death to the great Satan America' box. His call for a Muslim/Christian pogrom might have gotten a more favorable reception a few generations ago. Anti-Semitism isn't quite as popular as it was, though, before a German leader's efforts to cleanse Europe's gene pool, back in WWII.

Still, Maria Monk, Thomas Nast, Tony Alamo, and all notwithstanding, anti-Semitism isn't really part of Catholic teachings.

I know: Over the last couple thousand years, some Catholics have done mean things to Jews. And, more recently, a few priests raped boys in this country. The Church is made up of human beings - and some of us aren't very nice. That doesn't mean that the Catholic Church has a 'go and sin some more' philosophy.

Actually, quite a chunk of the Catechism of the Catholic church discuses 'human solidarity:' Article 3 / Social Justice.

"...After the meeting, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said, "In a meeting dedicated to dialogue, this intervention was a direct negation of what a dialogue should be.

" 'We hope that such an incident will not damage the mission of the pope aiming at promoting peace and also interreligious dialogue, as he has clearly affirmed on many occasions during this pilgrimage. We hope also that interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land will not be compromised by this incident,' Father Lombardi added.

"[Carol] Tabash, a Catholic who works for the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, told Catholic News Service, 'It would have been better if he (the sheik) had stuck to interreligious dialogue....'" (UPI)

The Pope had an interesting idea, regarding the Palestinians:

" 'I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue,' the pope said, 'So that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders.'..." (CNN)

Providing that people with the sheik's mindset aren't running the show, that's an idea that could work.

More-or-less elated posts:

• "'Pope Turns Back on Peace Dialog' - Sort of"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (May 11, 2009)
• ""Catholics and Muslims along with the fake Jews all are Satanic Cults" - Who Knew?"
  (April 2, 2009)
• "The Pope, Angola, and the News: No Wonder 'Everybody Knows' What Those Catholics Are Like"
  (March 22, 2009)
• "Who Knew? Assertions, Assumptions and Assorted Weirdness from All Over"
  (Anchor page started March 7, 2009)
• "The Pope, the Antichrist, and Fu Manchu"
  (October 2, 2008)
• "Catholic Beliefs and Practices: Don't Believe Everything You Read"
  (September 16, 2008)

About the title: "Notre Dame" university, in America, claims to be a Catholic institution. The last I heard, the number of American bishops who have gone public in criticism of the allegedly Catholic university's defiance of Catholic teaching was still growing. More at "Notre Dame: Lots of Prestige, Lots of History, About as Catholic as Harry Blackmun" (May 3, 2009).