Showing posts with label Knights of Columbus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knights of Columbus. Show all posts

Friday, August 10, 2012

Sikhs, Catholics, and Prayer; Evangelization; and Exploring Mars

I don't have much to say about the Olympics this week. The global sports get-together is in its 14th day:
Don't get me wrong: I recognize the cultural significance of today's Olympics, which is why I posted those links.

But I decided to write about something else today.

Murder, Suicide, and Prayer

I've mentioned what happened at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee before:
Bottom line, a lot of folks are hurting. This is just a suggestion, but prayer couldn't hurt.

I've got more to say about the multiple-murder/suicide in Milwaukee: also evangelization, and a robot on Mars.
  1. Sikhs, Catholics, Prayer, and Hate
  2. Matthew 28:19-20 Plus Two Millennia and Counting
  3. "We are Not Afraid of the Truth"

1. Sikhs, Catholics, Prayer, and Hate

"Wisconsin Sikh temple gunman killed himself: FBI"
Brendan O'Brien, Reuters (August 8, 2012)

"The white supremacist gunman who killed six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the FBI said on Wednesday.

"A police officer shot and wounded the gunman, Wade Page, 40, in the stomach outside the temple in Oak Creek on Sunday, said Teresa Carlson, an FBI special agent in charge.

" 'Subsequent to that wound, it appears that Page died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,' she told a news conference...."

"...Federal authorities have said they are treating the attack as a possible act of domestic terrorism. Page, an Army veteran, was a musician who played in white power punk-metal bands. He was armed with a 9mm handgun during the attack...."
Like I said yesterday, the Church says that murder and suicide are wrong. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2268-2269, 2280-2283)

Putting murder and suicide on the 'don't do this' list isn't as arbitrary as it might seem. Both rules come from the idea that human life is sacred. (Catechism, 2258)

I have a very personal connection with suicide. (January 28, 2009) The Church says we must not despair for the eternal well-being of folks who killed themselves, and I'll get back to that. (Catechism, 2283)

Prayers and People

"Archdiocese offers prayers in wake of Sikh temple shooting"
CNA/EWTN News (August 6, 2012 )

"Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki expressed sorrow and promised his prayers after a gunman fatally shot six people at a local Sikh temple....

" ...'Our prayers go out to the congregation at the temple and to the entire Sikh community,' Archbishop Listecki said in an Aug. 5 statement responding to the Sunday morning murders, committed by Wade Michael Page at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.

" 'It is in times like these that we turn to God who is the consolation and hope for all of us,' the [Milkwaukee] archbishop reflected.

"The archdiocese expressed its closeness to victims as well as families, friends, and emergency responders involved in the shooting...."
I wrote this yesterday, but it bears repeating. What the Church teaches is based on fairly simple principles, like 'love God, love your neighbor;' and 'everybody's your neighbor.' (Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:25-27; Luke 10:29-37; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1822, 1825)

Love and Approval

'Love God, love your neighbor, everybody's your neighbor' sounds simple. Actually believing it: that's another matter. Particularly since I'm supposed to love everybody: every human person. Even the one who stole the parish Gospel Book: even the man who killed seven people, including himself.

I've said this before, in another context: "love" isn't "approval." (April 26, 2011) Loving a mass-murderer is one thing: approving of mass murder is something else.

Assumptions

The man who killed six others, and finally himself, is being called a "white supremacist" and "neo-Nazi, depending on which paper or news service I look at. They're probably right, at least to the extent that Wade Michael Page hated what he saw at the Sikh temple.

Mr. Page was also white, a musician, a former member of the armed forces, and an American citizen. My guess is that it's just a matter of time before someone claims that we should fear:
  • Whites
  • Musicians
  • Veterans
  • Americans
I don't think so: but I don't think folks should be afraid of dangerous technologies, either: like movable type; LP gas; computers; or guns. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 18, 2012) I'll grant that it's reasonable to be afraid of what some folks decide to do.

Hate

Mr. Page seems to have been driven by hate: which, directed against people, is a very bad idea. It's another thing that the Church says we mustn't do.

'Hate the sin, love the sinner' may sound corny: but it's pretty much what the Church says. (Catechism, 1765-1766, introduction to The Fifth Commandment)

2. Matthew 28:19-20 Plus Two Millennia and Counting

"Knights of Columbus called to be in front ranks of New Evangelization"
Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (August 7, 2012)

"As the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus must play a prominent role in evangelizing the contemporary world, said Bishop Tod D. Brown of Orange, Calif.

" 'Certainly, there is a clear and demanding need today for the New Evangelization,' he stressed....

"...The convention drew approximately 2,000 participants from across the country and around the world, including 12 cardinals and more than 70 bishops, archbishops and abbots...."
One of my favorite bits of the Bible comes after Jesus stopped being dead, just before my Lord left:
"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 28:19-20)
Two millennia later, we're still carrying out those orders.

What's new about the New Evangelization are some of the methods we use, and the culture we're working with. The basic message: that hasn't changed.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas

"...Bishop Brown called to mind the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.

"Our Lady has a special significance to the Knights, who renewed their dedication to her during their meeting. The Knights also co-sponsored an Aug. 5 Guadalupe Celebration with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which drew about 100,000 participants...."
(Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (August 7, 2012))
There's more in the CNA/EWTN News article about Our Lady of Guadalupe. I think it's worth reading - but will admit to a bias. I live in the Americas, and the last I heard there's a devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the next town down the road.

3. "We are Not Afraid of the Truth"

"Vatican Observatory head praises Curiosity rover landing"
CNA/EWTN News (August 6, 2012)

"Vatican Observatory director Fr. José Gabriel Funes thinks that 'everybody' should be happy with the successful landing of the Mars science rover Curiosity.

"Fr. Funes said he liked the rover's name because curiosity is 'a driving force to do science, to do research.'

" 'Human beings are basically curious,' he told Vatican Radio Aug. 6. 'We want to know how many things in the universe work, the logic, the "logos" in the universe.'

"The priest explained that this drive for knowledge has a basis in the nature of creation.

" 'Because there is rationality in the universe, we can do science,' he said...."
I don't see a conflict between the idea that the universe has observable, predictable, rational rules: and the idea that a rational God created this place. I also do not think that
  1. God can't exist
    • Because we've discovered a new elementary particle
  2. Science is a lie
    • Because the phlogiston theory of combustion was wrong
  3. The existence of oxygen proves that God doesn't exist
    • Because now we don't need God to explain fire
Maybe that list seems silly: but I was part of a discussion involving point #1 yesterday. Don't laugh: if I'd spent more time working up to that weird assertion, it might seem reasonable.

I won't do that, because "...the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God...." (Catechism, 159)

Phlogiston?!

Phlogiston is a substance that doesn't exist. But around the last half of the 17th century it was a pretty good way to explain combustion. Experiments and observations eventually demonstrated that phlogiston couldn't exist, but for a while it was a reasonable way to explain how fire works:
About a century after the phlogiston theory of combustion was presented, some folks were still having conniptions about the idea.

Then we found out about oxygen, and that's almost another topic.


(Edgar Fahs Smith collection, Annenberg Rare Book and Manuscript Library, via ExplorePAHistory.com, used w/o permission)
"Doctor Phlogiston, The Priestley politician or the Political Priest...."

Joseph Priestly discovered oxygen, defended the phlogiston theory, and had quite a few other interesting ideas.

Why bring up some dude who's not Catholic, and discuss a scientific theory that didn't pan out?

I think phlogiston's history is a good example of how science works; I like that cartoon; and think that the 'trampling on the Bible' angle illustrates an all-too-common reaction to newfangled ideas.

Like phlogiston.

Back to Mars


(Curiosity, via NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, used w/o permission)

"This is a portion of the first color 360-degree panorama from NASA's Curiosity rover.... The mission's destination, a mountain at the center of Gale Crater called Mount Sharp, can be seen in the distance, to the left, beginning to rise up. The mountain's summit will be imaged later. ... Blast marks from the rover's descent stage are in the foreground." (NASA)

Curiosity, the robot that landed on Mars recently, sent that image back. I picked the picture up at the NASA website, along with two documents:
Wired did an article on a sort of 'family' website: I'm looking forward to what Curiosity finds. Even if we don't learn that there's life on Mars.

Fragile Faith?

I've been a Christian as long as I can remember, and persistently curious about what's in the universe, and how things work. I don't see a conflict between faith, reason, science, and religion.

I could be a Catholic and believe that Earth is flat, and about 6,000 years old. I couldn't, though, deny that God might have made other 'Earths.' That's against the rules, and has been since 1277.

There's a persistent notion that Christians are none-too-bright Luddites who think that everything discovered in the last few centuries is a Satanic lie. I've run into a few Christians who seem dedicated to reinforcing that set of assumptions.

But I'm a Catholic, so I'm not required to check my brain at the church door.

Another idea is that unequivocal evidence that life exists someplace other than Earth would shatter the faith of 'those Christians.'

Maybe there are folks whose idea of God would be destroyed by knowledge that creation has new facets. For that matter, maybe there are Christians somewhere who will stop believing if they learn that Earth isn't flat.

I'm not one of them, and neither is the Vatican Observatory director.

Humanity and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

"...For almost two years, the rover will explore whether the crater area ever had favorable conditions for microbial life, according to NASA.

"Fr. Funes said that the search for extraterrestrial life is one of the things that has motivated humanity to explore space.

" 'Until now, we do not have any evidence for life. But still, the search for life is worthwhile and we can learn many things,' he said, acknowledging that scientists may not find signs of life.

"The Vatican Observatory director rejected the idea that Catholics have anything to fear from the search for extraterrestrial life or from scientific exploration.

" '(W)e are not afraid of science, we are not afraid of new results, new discoveries,' he said.

" 'That's the reason why the Catholic Church has an observatory,' he explained. 'We are not afraid of the truth. Whatever the truth might be, we are open to new results, once they are confirmed by the scientific community.'..."
(CNA/EWTN News (August 6, 2012))
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Friday, June 22, 2012

Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity

Americans have important decisions to make. I think they boil down to the sort of options Joshua presented:
" 'Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

"3 If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.' "
(Joshua 24:15-15)
A couple dozen centuries later, deciding whether or not to follow Joshua's example is just as important. And just as difficult. My opinion.

The reasons I became a Catholic are the same ones Peter gave for staying with my Lord:
"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:67-69)
I've been over that before. Fairly often. (April 1, 2012)

Religious Freedom and 'My End of the Boat'

I don't see the point in believing something and not acting as if the belief matters. That's part of why I think being free to practice religion is important. More to the point, the Catholic Church says I have to support religious freedom: for everybody. I'll get back to that.

Catholics are the obvious targets of an attack on religious freedom in America. I think quite a few folks who aren't Catholic realize that 'my end of the boat isn't sinking' isn't a sensible attitude. 'The masses' are getting uppity. Or are waking up, depending on your point of view.

My take on the week's news:
  1. "The Faith Community" - But Whose?
  2. Knights of Columbus Partisan? Yes and No
  3. School Bus Firebombed? Ignore it, They're Catholic
My views, and values, are counter-cultural. These posts may explain what I believe, and why:

1. "The Faith Community" - But Whose?

"Leaked e-mail shows media campaign against US bishops"
Kevin J. Jones, CNA/EWTN News(June 21, 2012)

"A leaked e-mail shows that the Democratic-leaning organization Faith in Public Life is running a behind-the-scenes media effort to undercut the U.S. bishops and the 'Fortnight for Freedom' events intended to rally opposition to the HHS mandate.

"Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, released the e-mail detailing the campaign on June 18. He said a copy of the e-mail had been leaked to him.

"Donohue said 'fair minded persons' may disagree with the religious freedom effort 'but there is something unseemly going on when those who work for a George Soros-funded group are quietly providing talking points to the media.'..."
I don't have a problem with folks "quietly providing talking points to the media." Providing press releases, and touching base with reporters and editors, us one way to 'spread the word' in this culture.

I'm not offended when a dairy company tells editors about a new kind of butter, and I don't think it's unethical for someone who's concerned about public safety to prepare a list of 'talking points' about pot holes, or whatever specific issue they're aware of.

Freedom of speech is important, and "providing talking points" cab help get discussions going.

'The Pothole Plot'

Let's imagine that the 'important' folks in some city assume that 'those people over there' like pot holes. It's 'well known' that 'they' go out at night and make pot holes.

That's a hypothetical - and ridiculous - situation. But if a city's mayor, newspaper editors, and influential citizens, were convinced that pro-pot-hole people were a menace: I think that providing talking points to unmask the malefactors might not be a good idea.

Catholics and America's Cultural Baggage

America has a long tradition of distrust, at best, toward Catholics and the Catholic Church.


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

More recently, America's 'important' folks have embraced a way of life which devalues the very young, the very sick, and the useless. That's contrary to Catholic teaching: which makes the Catholic Church an enemy of America's establishment. (September 15, 2011)

In this sort of situation, I don't think establishment news media needs help. They're doing a fine job of attacking the Catholic Church on their own.

"Adversarial" - No Surprises Here

"...The June 7 e-mail from John Gehring, Faith in Public Life's Catholic Program Director, is addressed to reporters, editors and columnists. It describes itself as a 'backgrounder' and contains talking points, adversarial questions for Catholic bishops and recommendations of experts to interview.

"It appears aimed at shaping a narrative skeptical towards Catholic objections to a Department of Health and Human Services mandate that requires employers, including many Catholic institutions, to provide insurance coverage for sterilization and contraception, including some abortion-causing drugs...."
(Kevin J. Jones, CNA/EWTN News)
Like I've said before, the Catholic Church has counter-cultural ideas about who is a human being, and killing innocent people. I think that's starting to change, now that some folks started noticing gaps in the population. (June 6, 2012)

You Won't Kill? How Selfish!

"...'Are you willing to sacrifice Catholic charities, colleges and hospitals if you don't get your way on the contraceptive mandate?' reads one proposed question for a bishop.

" 'Are you willing to drop all health insurance for your employees?' reads another.

"The e-mail encouraged journalists to 'ask critical questions' about the bishops' 'sweeping claims' in light of a 'charged political backdrop' ahead of the 2012 election. It noted that both the June 8 'Stand Up for Religious Freedom' rallies and the June 21-July 4 'Fortnight for Freedom' campaign include Catholic dioceses.

"CNA sought comment multiple times from Gehring and Faith in Public Life but did not receive a response...."
(Kevin J. Jones, CNA/EWTN News)
The lack of response isn't surprising. Today's establishment has as much trouble making its preferred reality seem reasonable as the WASP nest of my youth did. My opinion.

It's much easier to be a staunch defender of 'women's health care' against those 'sexist,' 'racist,' 'homophobic' 'oppressors' if the 'oppressors' keep quiet.

'It's Okay: They're Not Real People'

A major problem with "contraception," as practiced in America, is that the process often kills very young people. Euphemisms like 'plan B,' or 'morning after' pills describe drugs which take the life of a unborn baby.

This is legal in America, since we're supposed to believe that human beings don't become people until we get to an arbitrary age.

On a related topic, what the Catholic Church says about sex and related topics isn't what you may have read in the papers:
Maybe you know someone who's Catholic at the top of his lungs, and hates everybody who isn't just like him. Some of the world's billion-plus living Catholics are jerks. That doesn't change what the Church teaches. Moving on.

Getting a Grip About "Progressive"

"...On its website, Faith in Public Life describes itself as 'a strategy center for the faith community advancing faith in the public square as a powerful force for justice, compassion and the common good.' It runs strategic communications and 'narrative-setting' campaigns. The organization says it can identify 'moments of opportunity when a targeted event or campaign can effectively broaden or shift the values debate.'

"It works to insert its perspective into political debates and to highlight 'progressive and moderate people of faith at key moments.'..."
(Kevin J. Jones, CNA/EWTN News) [emphasis mine]
I'm a practicing Catholic, so I'm not "progressive." I'm not conservative, either: and I'm certainly not "moderate." I'm Catholic. (November 3, 2008)

The Catholic Church isn't "progressive" in the contemporary political sense. For two millennia we've been passing on the same message:
Folks seem to be realizing, slowly, that 'those people over there' are people. (May 6, 2012) That, I think, is "progress."

"Deep Pockets" - Those Nasty, Rich, Catholic Oppressors?

"Deep pockets" is a nifty little phrase, appealing to the notion that 'anybody with more money than I have is greedy and dishonest.' 'Otherwise, how could he have more money than I do?'

I don't think wealth, or poverty, are indications of virtue or vice: and that's another topic.
"...Reporters should consider asking about the Knights of Columbus, an organization with deep pockets,' the e-mail advised. Gehring tried to paint Supreme Knight of Columbus Carl Anderson as a political partisan, noting his work in the Reagan administration and his time as a legislative assistant to Republican Sen. Jesse Helms in the late 1970s and early 1980s....

"...The Catholic League's Bill Donohue was critical of the media effort, saying Gehring's e-mail encouraged the media to 'the victim' and target those who refuse to compromise their principles."
(Kevin J. Jones, CNA/EWTN News)
In a way, the "progressive" Faith in Public Life is upholding a fine old American tradition: hostility toward the Catholic Church.


(from H.E. Fowler, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission)
"Crowley, Jeremiah J. (1913) 'The Pope: Chief of White Slavers High Priest of Intrigue,' p. 430"

That sort of thing makes me glad that 'the good old days' aren't coming back. More topics.

2. Knights of Columbus Partisan? Yes and No

"Archbishop Lori: labeling Knights of Columbus partisan is an 'injustice' "
Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (June 14, 2012)

"Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore argued that it is an 'injustice' to imply that the Knights of Columbus' support for defending religious freedom creates a sense of partisanship.

"At a June 13 press conference at the U.S. bishops' spring general meeting in Atlanta, the archbishop was questioned by Jerry Filteau of the National Catholic Reporter about funding for the bishops' campaign to defend religious liberty.

"Filteau said that he had heard 'rumors' that much of the funding for the bishops' effort is coming from the Knights of Columbus, whose head, Carl Anderson, is a former Reagan administration official.

"He suggested that there may be 'a partisanship aspect to the whole thing.'

"'Oh my goodness, Jerry,' Archbishop Lori responded...."
Please bear with me: I think it's important to know what words mean, and how they're used. Here are 'dictionary' definitions of "partisanship" and "partisan:"
  • Partisanship (Noun)
    • An inclination to favor one group or view or opinion over alternatives
    (Princeton's WordNet)
  • Partisan (Noun)
    • A fervent and even militant proponent of something
    • An ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity
    • A pike with a long tapering double-edged blade with lateral projections
      • 16th and 17th centuries
  • Partisan (Adjective)
    • Devoted to a cause or party
    (Princeton's WordNet)
Words have at least two sorts of meaning. One is the 'dictionary' meaning: what the word literally means. Another is what the word implies:
  • Denotation (Noun)
    • The act of indicating or pointing out by name
    • The most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression
      • The class of objects that an expression refers to
    (Princeton's WordNet)
  • Connotation (Noun)
    • What you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression
    • An idea that is implied or suggested
    (Princeton's WordNet)
For example: if I said that a dachshund was a dog, I'd be using "dog" in it's literal, or denotative, sense; but if I called another person a dog, I'd be using the word in one of its connotative senses. In that case, I'd either be complimenting the person's unswerving loyalty; or, more likely, insulting the person.

I've noticed that "partisanship" is what 'the other party' does. "Partisanship" has negative connotations, implying that 'those partisans over there' care more about some nasty idea they've got, than about putting a chicken in every pot, saving the environment, sustainable tofu, or whatever the 'right-minded' folks prefer.

Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity

"...'Think of what the Knights of Columbus does for the Catholic Church and for many other humanitarian causes,' he [Archbishop Lori] said. 'To try to say that is in some way partisan is, in my opinion, sort of an injustice.'

" 'It seems to me the Knights have been very generous to a whole variety of causes,' the archbishop observed.

"He acknowledged that the organization has contributed to the bishops' religious freedom efforts but added that 'other groups have as well,' including Our Sunday Visitor, the Order of Malta and many others.

" 'So it is not just one group,' he said. 'It is not in any way partisan, either in its spirit or in its funding.'..."
(Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News)
I think it's clear that Archbishop Lori was using "partisan" in its connotative, negative sense: and that he clearly understood what the reporter was doing.

I'm part of the Knights of Columbus, and agree with the archbishop. I do not think that Knights of Columbus are "partisan," or exhibit "partisanship" in the conventionally negative sense.

On the other hand, I think Knights of Columbus is "partisan," in the literal sense of the term.

We favor the view that God exists, and matters. We also support freedom of religion: even though the establishment doesn't approve. In both cases, we don't have many options. We're a Catholic organization. We're stuck with the values that go with being Catholic. I've already mentioned some of these counter-cultural values:

Religious Freedom, Acting Like God Matters

"...Recent months have united Catholics from across the country in efforts to defend religious liberty from numerous threats, including a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance that covers contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

"The mandate has drawn widespread criticism for violating religious liberty. The bishops have worked with individuals and groups of various faiths to speak out against the regulation and ask the Obama administration to respect the rights of those with religious objections...."
(Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News)
I think what "religious freedom" means depends on who you listen to.

The establishment seems to think that "religious freedom" means letting those religious people go into a building once a week, where they do religious stuff.

I think that "religious freedom" should include letting folks who think God exists act as if God matters: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year. It looks like quite a few folks see "religious freedom" the way I do: and this has the establishment worried.

I can see why.

3. School Bus Firebombed? Ignore it, They're Catholic

A tip of the hat to Patty Garza, for the heads-up on this article. ("Anti-Christian Terrorists Bomb #Prolife Bus in Rockford,ILL;Media silent" Patty Garza, Google+ (June 18, 2012))
"Pro-life Catholic school bus allegedly firebombed in Illinois, media silent"
Joe Newby, Spokane Conservative, via examiner.com (June 18, 2012)

"According to a report at the Pro-Life Corner, a Catholic school bus belonging to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy was allegedly firebombed Friday night. The bus is well known in the area for its pro-life messages and calls to end abortion.

"Pictures posted by the Pro-Life Corner shows windows broken in on both sides with extensive fire damage inside the bus.

" 'It has been speculated that this bombing of a pro-life Christian school bus is in retaliation for the closing of the Rockford abortion mill that is located not far from where the school bus was attacked,' the Pro-Life Corner said, however, that has not been corroborated.

"Adding insult to injury, the local media has so far refused to report on the incident, but the Rockford Register Star managed to report on an incident that took place twelve years ago...."
I'm not surprised that a Catholic school bus getting firebombed is a non-event that never happened - as far as establishment news is concerned.

Maybe it's an intentional effort to skew pubic perceptions by filtering out 'irrelevant' information.

Maybe editors and reporters have mental blinders keeping them from seeing what doesn't fit their preconceptions. Maybe it's both, plus other factors.

Whatever the reason, the results are the same. (April 1, 2010)

Criminal Investigation: Maybe

"...On Monday, the Rockford Fire Department confirmed the attack with The Blaze.

" 'An employee also said that when authorities arrived at the scene to put out the fire, a bottle was found nearby. This fact, teamed with footage of broken windows and damage inside of the vehicle, seems to corroborate the notion that a firebomb (i.e. molotov cocktail) was employed,' Billy Hallowell wrote.

"The Department also confirmed that authorities arrived on the scene around 3 a.m. Saturday and Hallowell suggested that the attack 'may not yet be on reporters' radar,' as it was first reported early Saturday morning.

"The Pro-Life Corner, however, says that is not the case, and notes that the paper reported on another vehicle that had been set afire early Friday morning.

" 'Arson is the suspected cause of a car fire around 1 a.m. today in the 600 block of North Winnebago Street,' the Register Star reported Friday...."
The term "Molotov cocktail" is in the Register Star's headline:
I think the implication that public officials are acknowledging the attack - and apparently investigating it as a possible crime - is a hopeful sign. Authorities don't always view violent attacks on folks who don't have the 'right' ideas as criminal. Or even unreasonable. (March 23, 2011)

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Friday, August 20, 2010

Haiti, Knights of Columbus, and Kids Without Limbs

Sometimes it's nice to get your name in the paper. Or the name of an organization you're with in the news:
"Knights of Columbus Aid Haitians Who Lost Limbs"
Zenit (August 19, 2010)

"Donate 2,200 Wheelchairs to Quake Victims

"The Knights of Columbus announced a program to help the estimated 800 Haitian children who lost limbs in the Jan. 12 earthquake.

"The charitable organization committed to provide $1 million for prosthetic limbs and therapy for all of the children who lost an arm or a leg in the earthquake.

"The program, 'Hope for Haiti's Children,' will be administered by Medishare, which operates the University of Miami/Medishare Hospital in Port au Prince, and is the premier children's medical facility in that country...."
I've been a member of the Knights of Columbus for - years. Each year I spend two hours in the K. of C. Bingo booth at Stearns County Fair, calling out numbers. It's one of the local council's major fundraisers.

I don't know how much of that $1,000,000 came from our part of central Minnesota: but I'm pretty sure some did.

What's the big deal?

There are kids in Haiti who will have a bit less trouble moving around as a result of what Knights of Columbus and Medishare did. I think that's a good idea.

We're able to help: and so we should. I've been working my way through a recent document from the Holy See, Caritas in Veritate: a title that can be translated as "Charity in Truth." Looking at my link page for the posts I've written about it, I see that I'm letting that task slip. Maybe this weekend.

Bottom line, though: I don't think I'm working my way into heaven by putting in time at a Bingo booth. (August 8, 2010)

On the other hand, "charity" is one of the three theological virtues: and I figure that helping an outfit that does things for others - including folks who aren't likely to be able to return the favor any time soon - counts as "charity." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1813, 1822-1826)

So, why do I help the Knights of Columbus do charitable works? Because I can, and since I can - because I'm supposed to.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

"Army of Oppression," Unmentionables, and Being Catholic in America

I get the impression that many folks who are the 'right sort' in America either don't understand Catholicism, or don't understand Catholicism and hate it.

For example:
"Harry Knox, a member of President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, has stood by his past comment that Pope Benedict XVI is 'hurting people in the name of Jesus.'

"Knox, a former licensed minister of the United Methodist Church and a leader with the homosexual activist group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), originally made his comments in March 2009 in response to Pope Benedict's comments about the effectiveness of condoms in fighting AIDS in Africa...."
(CNA (February 4, 2010))
I think I understand Harry Knox's point: the Pope, reflecting Catholic teaching, assumes that Africans are people: capable of reason, self-control, and other qualities which haven't been fashionable in the West recently. This 'obviously' shows great 'insensitivity,' and is 'hurting' Africans.

'As is well known,' teenagers, Africans and The Masses in general have about as much self-control as a cat in heat. And so must be protected from themselves. I don't buy the idea. But then, I'm one of 'those' people: practicing Catholics.
Unmentioned in Polite Society
Unfortunately, from one point of view, people in some parts of Africa have decided to stop using condoms and start using their brains. And even worse - again from one point of view - the incidence of AIDS has gone down in those areas. (March 17, 2009)

Haven't heard about that? I'm not terribly surprised. That information doesn't square with what America's dominant culture wants to believe: and so doesn't get discussed much.

It's sort of like sex is supposed to have been in Victorian England: There are some things that decent persons simply do not mention.

It Could be Worse

Looking at places like China, I realize that the situation for practicing Catholics could be a lot worse here in America.

We're even allowed to hold positions in the government:
"Several Catholics are included among President Barack Obama's announced appointments to his advisory council on faith-based partnerships. However, the appointees also include a homosexual activist who has described the Pope as a 'discredited leader' and the Knights of Columbus as 'foot soldiers' of an 'army of oppression' because of their opposition to same-sex 'marriage.'

"Anthony R. Picarello Jr., General Counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), was announced as an appointee on April 6. A former head counsel and executive director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Picarello has litigated several major religious freedom cases. He is a 1991 graduate of Harvard University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995...."
(CNA(April 8, 2009))
Sure, there's that 'Knights of Columbus are an army of oppression' thing, but really: it could be worse.

How Can He Work With Those People?

As to how a practicing Catholic - particularly a General Counsel for the USCCB - could, in good conscience, work with an American government that's so sincerely non-Catholic? The way I look at it is this: the Catholic Church works with people where they are.

A dozen centuries or so ago, the Church didn't wait for leaders of Europe's war bands to develop the Magna Carta and parliaments. Missionaries went in, showed folks living in my ancestors' homelands what this Jesus fellow was about: and eventually we got things like the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Sure, we lost cherished cultural traditions like human sacrifice: but we also (eventually) got more humane laws. I think it was a good trade off.

Name-Calling and Being a Catholic in America

I'm a member of the Knights of Columbus, by the way. And I've written about today's quirky notions regarding marriage before.

How do I feel, having a group I belong to called 'an army of oppression?'

I don't like having being labeled a "foot soldier" in an "army of oppression" by one of my government's officials, but I'm used to that sort of thing.

I've done time in American academia: where any view might be openly and freely discussed. Provided, of course, that the view was approved by the professors and the more earnest students.

I hadn't converted to Catholicism then, by the way.

College Days and Unintended Consequences

My stretches on campus weren't a complete wash, of course. I spent a great deal of time in libraries, learning a great deal - in addition to getting an education. And, I paid attention to what the establishment seemed to be saying.

They had some ideas that, stripped of their loopy ideological trappings, made some sense. Like the much-maligned "multiculturalism." I didn't buy into the notion that everything America did was icky: but the core idea that people were people, no matter where they lived, seemed to make sense.

Which, eventually, led me to join the Catholic Church. And that's another topic.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:In the news:
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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Pope, Knights of Columbus, and Fidelity

From today's news:
"Pope to Knights: Best response to attacks against the Church is greater fidelity"
Catholic News Agency (August 3, 2010)

"In an emotional letter sent by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI to the Knights of Columbus, the Pontiff said that the best response to the attacks against the Church is a greater fidelity to Christ.

"The Pope also used the fraternal organization as an example of loyalty to the Catholic Church.

"In the letter, read during the first session of the 128th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Washington D.C., Cardinal Bertone wrote that 'in the face of often unfair and unfounded attacks on the Church and her leaders, His Holiness is convinced that the most effective response is a great fidelity to God's word, a more resolute pursuit of holiness, and an increased commitment to charity in truth on the part of all the faithful.'..."
I'll highlight one phrase:
"...'...an increased commitment to charity in truth on the part of all the faithful.'..."
(CNA)
Works for me.
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Monday, April 12, 2010

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI, Day Two

I just about forgot to pray that novena today. It's been an - interesting - day. (This Monday was More So Than Most," Through One Dad's Eye, (April 12, 2010))

A few minutes ago I remembered. Happily, one of my daughters was still up, so I had someone to pray with.

Two days down, seven to go.

"Bishop Lori leads the novena for the Pope"

kofcsupreme, YouTube (April 08, 2010)
video, 2:02

"Knights of Columbus are asked to pray a novena for Pope Benedict, beginning on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, and concluding on Monday, April 19, the fifth anniversary of the Holy Fathers election."

(I reduced the video to fit this blog's format: if it doesn't display properly, please try the original on YouTube.)

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI, Day One

My household started praying a novena for Pope Benedict XVI after lunch today. As such prayers go, it's a short one.

Here's the Knights of Columbus national chaplain (U.S.A.), reciting the novena:

"Bishop Lori leads the novena for the Pope"

kofcsupreme, YouTube (April 08, 2010)
video, 2:02

"Knights of Columbus are asked to pray a novena for Pope Benedict, beginning on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, and concluding on Monday, April 19, the fifth anniversary of the Holy Fathers election."

(I reduced the video to fit this blog's format: if it doesn't display properly, please try the original on YouTube.)

The way I figure it, my family will have spent about 18 minutes as a group on this novena when we're done. That's not much of a 'sacrifice' of time: but I think it's a good idea, anyway.

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Monday, April 5, 2010

Whadaya Know! Knights of Columbus has a YouTube Channel

I finally called the Knights of Columbus central offices, and found out that they've got a YouTube channel: KOFCsupreme.

That's great, but it took talking to three people in three Knights of Columbus headquarters departments to find.

No, Really: This One is Done by Knights of Columbus

The only YouTube channel that claimed to be by Knights of Columbus looks okay, and didn't have any of the culturally-normative Catholic-bashing. So far, so good.

I hope that whoever set it up meant well, but that channel was, in effect, a poser. (I'm pretty sure that it's an 'unofficial' YouTube channel, since a rather highly-placed person in the K. of C. headquarters' eBusiness department knew nothing about it. However, it was the only YouTube Channel I could find that implied that it was by Knights of Columbus at the national level: at least, after maybe ten minutes of searching through YouTube's new interface. Channels by K. of C. councils and individual members: That, I could find.

Interesting.

Anyway, now I know where to find the real Knights of Columbus, Supreme, YouTube Channel:This, I'm pretty sure, is the real McCoy, since I got the URL straight from K. of C. headquarters this afternoon.

The poser? Like I said, that channel looked legit - and had a total of five video uploads. One of them had been uploaded about two years ago; the other four, all around around the same time last year. It looked like all too many corporate websites I've seen: probably designed by an intern one year, updated a couple years after that by another intern, and the responsibility of a manager who's never been online - and has never used a keyboard.1

I probably wouldn't have taken the trouble, finding the real Knights of Columbus YouTube channel, but I'd run into an issue with a post I wrote earlier today:Which KOFCsupreme's content resolved for me.
1 That may not be much of an exaggeration, I'm afraid. Many people in positions of responsibility are around my age. (I'm pushing 60.) And, unlike me, had the desire for conventional success in the world of business.

I didn't opt for a 'success track' career. I did, however, learn how to type: Because my handwriting's almost indecipherable to others. I kept up with information technology because a number of jobs I had required it - and it was one of the many things that fascinate me.

As a result, I've kept up with Information Age technology. And learned how to be a radio disk jockey and beet chopper - but that's another story.

Serious, career-minded executives? My guess is that many of them know a little about the technology that was common when they were in their teens and twenties: and simply don't understand what's been developed since then.
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Novena for Pope Benedict XVI, April 11-19

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI - invitation from the Knights of Columbus.

"Novena for Pope Benedict XVI"

kofcsupreme, YouTube (April 05, 2010)
video, 1:01

That video's been shrunk to fit this blog's format. If it won't display properly here, please try it on YouTube

"Invitation to pray a novena for Pope Benedict, beginning on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, and concluding on Monday, April 19, the fifth anniversary of the Holy Fathers election."

I've downloaded the Knights of Columbus printer-friendly six-to-a-page novena prayer cards for Pope Benedict XVI: and printed out a double-sided sheet for my family.

Finally, I've taken the liberty of lifting the novena's text from the Knights of Columbus home page:
"...Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI

"Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd, Benedict, a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ, build your Church into a sacrament of unity, love and peace for all the world. Amen.

"V/ Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.
"R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life,
"make him blessed upon the earth,
"and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.
"V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant.
"R/ And upon your son, whom you have anointed.

"Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
"Prayer Card -- Printer Friendly (6 per page)..."
(Knights of Columbus)
Updated 3:53 p.m. Central (April 5, 2010)
YouTube video and kofcsupreme link added.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Knights of Columbus Headline Bistro: New on the 'Blogroll'

Headline Bistro is my latest addition to this blog's Blogroll/Catholic Links. The website's About Us page says:

"Headline Bistro is a service of the Knights of Columbus dedicated to bringing readers the top, daily headlines that Catholics need to know.

"We seek to present the news from the perspective of Catholics who want to know what’s happening in the Church, nation and world around them.

"From election coverage and breakthroughs in science, to breaking news and opinions around the globe...."

They'd like people to visit the website every day. From what I've seen, it could be worth the time. Re-reading one of the articles is on my 'to do' list for this afternoon, as well as giving the website a more thorough once-over.
A tip of the hat to KofCStore on Twitter, for the heads up.
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Thursday, April 9, 2009

Obama's Harry Knox: My Tax Dollars at Work

The fed's "faith-based initiative" has a really groovy guru.

"...President Barack Obama has named to the federal government's faith-based initiative a gay-rights activist who, last month, described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as 'discredited leaders' because of their opposition to same-sex marriage.

"Harry Knox, who is a newly appointed member of Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual activist group...." (Chicago Daily Observer)

Not everybody's happy with Mr. Knox.

"Newt Gingrich said Tuesday the Obama administration is "intensely secular" and "anti-religious," the former House Speaker's second hard-hitting criticism of the new administration this week...." (CNN)

Harry Knox Anti-Religious? I Don't Think So

With due respect to Mr. Gingrich, I disagree with his evaluation of Harry Knox.

From what I've read, there's little doubt that Mr. Knox is not in solidarity with the Holy See on a few issues, but I have no reason to doubt that he has deeply held religious values. Values, anyway.
Not All Religious People are Christians
I am quite willing to believe that Mr. Knox sincerely and deeply believes in principles. His writings make that fairly obvious. He may even believe in a deity. And he quite likely shares with many successful people a religious attention to detail.

Personally, I'm disappointed in the appointment of Harry Knox: but not at all surprised. What is interesting about the current situation is that conventional Protestant Christians are in the same boat as those Catholics. That seems to have been happening more often lately - but that's just my impression.

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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.