Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Paris, Evil, and Love




(From Anne Sophie Chaisemartin/AP, via New York Daily News, used w/o permission.)
("Victims of a shooting attack lay on the pavement outside La Belle Equipe restaurant in Paris Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. Well over 100 people were killed in Paris on Friday night in a series of shooting, explosions."
(New York Daily News))

I've read that Friday's attacks in Paris are the fault of right-wing hate-mongers, that America's president is to blame — — — and the American election is still nearly a year off. I am not looking forward to the usual self-serving balderdash.

Death and Assumptions



(From Philippe Wojazer/Reuter, used w/o permission.)
("A general view of the scene that shows the covered bodies outside a restaurant following a shooting incident in Paris, France, November 13, 2015."
(Reuters))

It's only a matter of time before 'all Muslims are terrorists' ponies get their moments of fame; while another lot will blame America, France, or their political foes.

I don't doubt that folks who blame Muslims, Jews, Catholics, blacks, or other 'foreigners' for their troubles are sincere. That doesn't make them right. (June 21, 2015; September 11, 2014)

I am pretty sure that Muslims who blame France, America, and Western civilization for their problems are sincere, too.

But the grand imam of Al-Azhar called Friday's attack "odious," Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said it was "heinous," and Saudi King Salman called it "repugnant."1

Not all Muslims, or Christians, are alike.

It looks like 137 folks died in the attacks: including eight attackers.2

I've gotten the impression that ISIS, whose leaders claim responsibility for Friday's attacks, doesn't approve of today's world.

I don't, either. I'd better explain that.

Change and the Status Quo



(From Philippe Wojaze/Reuters, used w/o permission.)
("French fire brigade members aid an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall following fatal shootings in Paris, November 13, 2015."
(Reuters))

I'm not among those who apparently think the world was fine in the 'good old days' before 1954, or some other imagined golden age. (August 30, 2015; July 13, 2014)

Today's world, my country included, has problems. But as I've said before, I remember the 'good old days:' and they weren't.

Like I said last week, I'm part of a literally καθολικός, universal, outfit: not tied to one time, place, or culture. (November 8, 2015)

My job as a Catholic layman is not desperately clinging to customs and attitudes that won't work any more: and never worked as well as some imagine.

Part of my job is finding or making ways to permeate "social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 899)

That is emphatically not the same as trying to restore the world of "Leave it to Beaver." (May 3, 2015)

Accepting the way things are isn't an option. I can't change the world, not on my own: but I can keep talking about respecting humanity's "transcendent dignity," our "dignity as persons," and "human solidarity." (Catechism, 1928-1942, 2419-2442)

Terrorism and Legitimate Defense



(From Philippe Wojazer/Reuters, used w/o permission.)
("A French policeman assists a blood-covered victim near the Bataclan concert hall following attacks in Paris...."
(Reuters))

This may seem 'judgmental,' but terrorism is wrong. The same goes for kidnapping and torture. (Catechism, 2297)

Maybe you heard that 'Christian' rulers sometimes indulged in that sort of thing. It's true. Catholic pastors, sadly, sometimes did not protest these actions: and sometimes committed the same crimes. It's still wrong. (Catechism, 2297-2298)

Getting back to what's been happening in France, the French president seems disinclined to 'give peace a chance,' and do what ISIS wants.

I think it would be nice if ISIS and similar outfits would start acting nice if someone asked them politely. But I am quite sure that asking politely would not work.

ISIS and like-minded organizations have been quite willing to kill folks whose chief offense is having fun — or otherwise offending the sensibilities of ISIS. That is not acceptable.

Since being alive is preferable to being dead, we are allowed to defend ourselves. This principle, applied to outfits like nations, is called just war. (Catechism, 2307-2309)

I've been over this before. (August 24, 2014)

Evil



(From AFP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
("Rescuers evacuate people following one of the attacks"
(BBC News))

I've mentioned this bit of dialog before: (May 23, 2012)
Kevin:
"Yes, why does there have to be evil?"

Supreme Being:
"I think it has something to do with free will."
("Time Bandits" (1981) via IMDB.com)
Oddly enough, that snarky line about free will is pretty close to the truth.

Sin, evil, is deciding to act — or not act — in a way that hurts someone: me, or anyone else. Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and God. It is failing to love. (Catechism, 1849-1850)

I'm human, so I'm a rational creature: able to decide what I do, or don't do. I can decide that I'll just 'go with the flow,' and act as whim and emotions dictate: but that's a decision, too. Either way, I'm responsible for what I decide. (Catechism, 1730-1738)

God doesn't 'make' anyone do bad things. But like I said: each of us has free will. I can decide that I'll hurt — or help — someone. It's my choice. Making good choices isn't easy, since the first of us made a really bad decision. (Catechism, 385-389, 396-409)

I've talked about original sin before. It's not the notion that God botched our design. (September 27, 2015)

Love



(From sporki, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(World Youth Day 2000.)

I'm Catholic, so I must believe that human beings are people: all humans, no matter who our ancestors are, where we live, what we look like, or how old we are. (Catechism, 357, 361, 369-370, 1700, 1730, 1929, 2273-2274, 2276-2279)

We have equal dignity, but we're not all alike: and we're not supposed to be. (Catechism, 33, 366, 1934-1938, 2232, 2393)

That's easy to say when life is copacetic, not so much when your city has been attacked:
"...Faced with the violence of men, may we receive the grace of a firm heart, without hatred. May the moderation, temperance and control that has been shown so far, be confirmed in the weeks and months to come; let no one indulge in panic or hatred. We ask that grace be the artisan of peace. We need never despair of peace if we build on justice."
"(Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris, via Vatican Radio)

"...In a telephone interview on Saturday with the Italian Bishops' Conference official television network – TV2000 – Pope Francis said the attacks are 'not human.'

" 'I am close to the people of France, to the families of the victims, and I am praying for all of them,' Pope Francis said. 'I am moved and I am saddened. I do not understand, these things hard to understand.'...

"When asked if this is part of the 'piecemeal Third World War' the Holy Father has mentioned many times before, Pope Francis said 'this is a piece of it,' adding 'there is no religious or human justification for it.'..."
(Pope Francis, via Vatican Radio)
I put longer excerpts at the end of this post. 3

By the time you read this, the Pope's statement that the attacks are "not human" may have morphed into "the attackers are not human" — which is not the same idea at all.

Folks have a knack for embellishing, or distorting, what they hear. Scrambled messages are fun in a telephone game: and that's another topic.

I keep saying this: I must love God, love my neighbor, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37; Catechism, 1789)

That's not easy, particularly when my neighbor does something profoundly repugnant: like killing folks at a rock concert.

But despite how I feel at the moment, the eight dead attackers in Paris are human beings: people. So are those who convinced them that killing innocent folks in Paris was a good idea.

My love of neighbor must not be an easy-going indifference, or unthinking approval. "Friends don't let friends drive drunk" may be a half-forgotten cliche, but the principle is still valid. (October 12, 2014; August 24, 2014)

At the moment I don't feel very "loving" toward ISIS leaders, and those who have decided to follow them. I'd be concerned if I did. Their actions are most emphatically not what human beings are supposed to do.

Doing what is right is easier when my emotions are in sync with my reason: but "...conscience is a law of the mind...." I've got brains, and I'm expected to think. (Catechism, 1762-1775, 1776)

Actually, I don't feel much of anything at the moment. Experience tells me that I've most likely shunted emotional responses to the non-conscious parts of my mind. It's late Saturday night as I write this, early Sunday, actually: I could have very interesting dreams later on.

I'm forgetting something. What was it? Paris. Death. Evil. Love. Right.

ISIS leaders apparently want to set up a global Islamic state: where ISIS-style Islam is enforced. (Wikipedia)

I've run into a few Christians, some of them Catholic, who apparently feel the same way about their notion of Christianity. What can I say? Some of us do not understand our faith. We're still cleaning up the mess Charlemagne made at Verden. (August 9, 2015)

Even if I had the power to make others believe as I do, I couldn't do it. As a Catholic, I must support religious freedom: for everyone. And that's yet again another topic. (Catechism, 1738, 2104-2109)

More about making sense in a big world:
1 Muslim responses to the November 13, 2014, attacks:
"UK Muslim Council: Nothing Islamic about killers"
The Times of Israel (November 14, 2015)
"...The council says that while the Islamic State group is claiming responsibility for the attack, 'there is nothing Islamic about such people and their actions are evil, and outside the boundaries set by our faith.'..."

"Égypte: le grand imam de la mosquée Al-Azhar condamne des 'attaques odieuses' à Paris"
Jeune Afrique (14 novembre 2015)
"Le grand imam de la mosquée Al-Azhar, prestigieuse institution de l'islam sunnite, a condamné samedi les attaques à Paris qui ont fait au moins 128 morts les qualifiant d' « odieuses » et a appelé « le monde entier à s'unir pour faire face à ce monstre »

"« Nous condamnons cette attaque odieuse », a affirmé cheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb à l’ouverture d’une conférence au Caire, soulignant que « le temps est venu pour que le monde entier s’unisse afin de faire face à ce monstre »..."

["The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, a prestigious institution in Sunni Islam, on Saturday condemned the attacks in Paris that killed at least 128 dead describing them as 'odious' and called on 'the whole world to unite to face this monster'

" 'We condemn this heinous attack,' said Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb at the opening of a conference in Cairo, stressing that 'the time has come for the world to unite to face this monster'...."]

"Arab states condemn 'terrorist' Paris attacks"
Al Arabiya News (November 14, 2015)
"Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt have been among the Arab states leading condemnations of the simultaneous attacks in Paris that killed 129 people and wounded 250 - 80 critically - on late Friday.

"Saudi King Salman sent a cable of condolence to French President Francoise Hollande. 'We learned about the pain and the sadness of the terrorist attacks in Paris…we express our condemnation for this repugnant terrorist act and offer our condolences to your excellency, the French people and the families of the victims,' said the king, who is currently in Turkey for the G20 Summit.

"Prominent Saudi scholars also condemned the attacks...."
2 Background:
3 Catholic responses to the November 13, 2014, attacks:
"Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris: statement on terror attacks"
(Vatican Radio (November 14, 2015))
"...Message of Cardinal Vingt-Trois following the terrorist attacks in Paris

"Our city of Paris, our country, was hit last night with particular savagery and intensity.

"After the attacks of last January, after the attack in Beirut this week and many others in these past months, including in Nigeria and other African countries, our country knows anew the pain of grief and must face the barbarism spread by fanatical groups.

"This morning I pray, and invite Catholics of Paris to pray, for those who were killed yesterday and for their families, for the injured and their loved ones and for those who are hard at work assisting them, for the police forces who face formidable challenges, and for our leaders and country, so that together we will remain in unity and peace of heart....

"...Faced with the violence of men, may we receive the grace of a firm heart, without hatred. May the moderation, temperance and control that has been shown so far, be confirmed in the weeks and months to come; let no one indulge in panic or hatred. We ask that grace be the artisan of peace. We need never despair of peace if we build on justice."

"Pope Francis: No religious or human justification for Paris attacks"
Vatican Radio (November 14, 2015)
"Pope Francis has called the attacks in Paris 'a piece' of the 'piecemeal Third World War.'

"In a telephone interview on Saturday with the Italian Bishops' Conference official television network – TV2000 – Pope Francis said the attacks are 'not human.'

" 'I am close to the people of France, to the families of the victims, and I am praying for all of them,' Pope Francis said. 'I am moved and I am saddened. I do not understand, these things hard to understand.'...

"When asked if this is part of the 'piecemeal Third World War' the Holy Father has mentioned many times before, Pope Francis said 'this is a piece of it,' adding 'there is no religious or human justification for it.'..."
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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Boko Haram: Slavery, Death, and Love

Muslims are still upset about those 'Mohammed' cartoons in Charlie Hebdo.

That, I think, is understandable. Being upset is not an excuse for killing folks, though. (January 11, 2015)

I'm upset when my faith gets described as 'worshiping a cookie.' I was angry about a college professor's photo of a consecrated Host, a page from the Quran, and another book's page: treated as garbage. For that matter, I felt disgust when a preacher burned the Quran. (July 20, 2012; April 1, 2011; March 5, 2010)

Some of that comes from spending my youth in the '60s. When I became a Catholic, however, seeing humanity as one big family was no longer an option: it's a requirement. (Genesis 10:1-32; Catechism, 360, 396-409)

It's easy to demonize those who believe, act, or simply look, different. That doesn't make it right.

Charlie Hebdo, 20 Dead: Northeastern Nigeria, Thousands Dead



(From AP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
("Baga, seen here in April 2013, has been the scene of previous clashes between Boko Haram and the army"
(BBC News))


(From Digital Globe, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
(Satellite images of Baga, a town in northeastern Nigeria, before and after a Boko Haram attack.)

The last time I counted, 20 folks died in the Charlie Hebdo offices, or as a result of that attack.

That's a tragic loss of life.

So, I think, are the recent deaths of 2,000 or so folks: killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. (The Independent (UK) (January 11, 2015))

A key phrase there is "or so." Officials and others in Nigeria have earned a reputation for being — inaccurate, at best. (BBC News (January 13, 2015))

Boko Haram is an Islamic outfit: by their standards, anyway.

"Boko haram" means "Western education is forbidden" in Hausa. Boko Hamam opposed Western education, started military operations to create an Islamic state in 2009, and has killed thousands. The United States started calling Boko Haram a terrorist group in 2013. About 3,000,000 folks are affected by this lot. (BBC News)

Boko Haram achieved international fame last year, when they kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from a Chibok boarding school.

Boko Haram's assertion that the girls were "war booty," and would be sold as slaves, may be a mistranslation. Even so, what happened was not good.

A Wikipedia page says that some of the girls were married to Boko Haram members — for a 'bride price' of 2,000 Nigerian niara a head. That's about $12.50 USD, or £7.50. (BBC News (November 14, 2014; May 20, 2014; May 12, 2014; May 15, 2013))

I'm angry about what Boko Haram does, and think what they are doing is very wrong. But I try to not hate them: and will not make claims about their souls. I really don't need that kind of trouble.

Love and Conscience


My faith's basics are simple: love God, love my neighbors, see everyone as my neighbor, and treat others as I'd like to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1789)

I don't have to like my neighbor: but hating a neighbor is not an option. (August 26, 2014; December 9, 2010)

Judging whether an act is good or bad is part of using my conscience: it's a basic requirement for being human. We're even expected to think about the actions of others. (Catechism, 1778, 2401-2449)

Maybe that sounds 'judgmental:' but I'm not loving my neighbor, if I see nothing wrong with someone stealing my neighbor's lawn mower: or selling my neighbor's child.

This isn't the 'my way or the highway' self-righteous attitude I occasionally run into. It's a matter of hating the sin, loving the sinner: and leaving the judging of persons to God. (Catechism, 1861)

Laws and customs are always changing. What doesn't change are the underlying ethical principles they reflect: or fail to follow. I've talked about law, positive and natural, before. (August 31, 2014; August 29, 2014)

'Loving my neighbor' has to matter. I'm expected to:
  • Support religious freedom
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Take an active part in public life
    (Catechism, 1915)
  • Contribute to the good of society
    • In a spirit of
      • Truth
      • Justice
      • Solidarity
      • Freedom
    (Catechism, 2239)
  • Submit to legitimate authorities
    • Refuse obedience to civil authorities
      • When their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience
      (Catechism, 2242)
    (Catechism, 2239)
    (November 4, 2012)
I could be overwhelmed by guilt at the thought that I haven't ended poverty, cured cancer, and achieved a lasting peace in the Middle East.

I could also believe that I can "...leap tall buildings in a single bound..." — but that would be crazy.

Humility, Catholic style, is having a balanced view of my abilities: or lack of them, and that's another topic. (August 10, 2014)

Happily, I'm expected to do what I can: not what I can't.
"As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life. The manner of this participation may vary from one country or culture to another...."
(Catechism, 1915) [emphasis mine]

Making Sense



(From From Buz lightning, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
("Branford Clarke illustration in The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy 1925 by Bishop Alma White published by the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, NJ"
(Wikimedia Commons))

Seeing folks who are different as a threat isn't unique to the Pillar of Fire Church in the 1920s.

I think it's involved in the "God Hates You" church's beliefs, the 2011 Norwegian mass murders, and folks who call Muslims "towelheads" — or blame Western civilization for the world's problems.

I'm also pretty sure that those folks aren't typical examples of Protestants, Norwegians, Americans, or whatever. (July 23, 2011; June 14, 2011)

I also think these folks make sense:
"...The birth of South Sudan was welcomed with high jubilations: mainly the years of slavery, persecution of Christians and oppression has gone, but also hopes of new beginning, of development and provision of essential services. In fact, the two Sudans and rest of the African nations are faced by enormous challenges such as nation building, healing wounds of our painful pasts and present, managing the expectations of our people, withstanding international investors who do not care about the safety and wellbeing of the local people...."
(Monsignor Edward Hilboro Kussala, Bishop of Tombura-Yambio (Sudan))
"...Despite the impression often given by the world media, I want to stress that Christians in Nigeria do not see themselves as being under any massive persecution by Muslims. Our population of about 160 million is made up of Christians and Muslims in equal number and influence. We have not done too badly in living peacefully together in the same nation. We believe we have learnt some lessons which may be useful for the rest of the world on Christian-Muslim relations...."
Monsignor John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan; Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria
"...A more Nuanced perspective on the Boko Haram phenomenon in Nigeria:

"Interesting to note is the fact that not only Christians have lost their lives from the bombs and bullets unleashed by Boko Haram. But even a good number of Muslims too, as some statistical data show.

"It is not every Muslim who cherishes what Boko Haram is seeking to perpetuate in Nigerian.[!] Many admire the Christian virtues of Love and peace, which they claim are equally enshrined in the Koran.

"Many of our Muslim brothers and sisters long to convert to the Christian faith but cannot achieve this, for fear of losing their lives...."
Monsignor John Ebebe Ayah, Bishop of Ogoja (Nigeria)
("XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops" (October7-28, 2012))
More recently, the Vatican's representative in Geneva talked about recent high-profile examples of slavery: and some that aren't so obvious. (Roman Curia (September 9, 2014))

Things Take Time


Slavery, treating others as if they're property, is a bad idea: and we shouldn't do it. (Catechism, 2414)

Expecting slavery to disappear overnight isn't reasonable.

After 19 centuries of passing along 'love God, love your neighbor, everyone's your neighbor: quite a few folks in some countries decided that owning other people was wrong. I'd be surprised — astounded — if everybody suddenly followed suit. (October 26, 2014; May 6, 2012)

Remarkably, western Africa's national leaders seem to be giving serious thought to working together to remove Boko Haram from their territories. And that's yet another topic.

Meanwhile, we'll keep passing along the best news humanity's ever had: that God loves us, and wants to adopt us: all of us. (John 3:17; Catechism, 52, 1825)

And that's yet again another topic. (November 16, 2014; August 5, 2011)

More about living in a big world:
Background:
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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Charlie Hebdo, Chick Tracts, and Getting a Grip

As I'm writing this, 19 folks in France have died because — it's complicated.

Assuming that the Kouachi brothers had religious motives for killing folks at the Charlie Hebdo offices is, I think, reasonable: but it's an assumption.

Assuming that Charlie Hebdo's distinctly irreverent treatment of Islam led to this week's attack is — that's complicated, too.

I think it's likely that the Kouachi brothers were upset about Charlie Hebdo's satirical treatment of their faith. BUT that's no excuse for killing people. Not in France. Or, for that matter, America.

Ironically, one of the non-Kouachi dead was a Muslim police officer, Ahmed Merabet.

This post is mostly about living in a world where we're not all alike: and whatever else comes to mind as I write it.

First, though, something really important: remembering the folks who died.

Some of the 19 known dead are important by my culture's standards, others not so much:
No pressure, and this is just a suggestion: but prayer for the dead, their kin, and friends, couldn't hurt.

Hamyd Mourad And Assumptions


Hamyd Mourad's name keeps popping up as an accomplice in these killings. He's 18, much younger than Cherif (32) and Said (34). (BBC News (January 10, 2015))

A melodramatic tale could be woven about him — idealistic young man falling in with bad company, and all that.

That would be pure speculation.

Back in the real world, Hamyd Mourad apparently touched base with police when he learned that his name was being linked to the killings: and was released. (The Independent (UK), The New Yorker (USA))

I think jumping to conclusions is a bad idea. So is assuming that someone is guilty because they have the 'wrong' ancestors, or talked to someone who knew a suspected criminal. I've discussed cool heads, lukewarm brains, and regrettable assumptions, in another blog. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (February 15, 2011; July 30, 2007; July 2, 2007))

Having Irish forebears, and knowing about 'No Irish need apply' notices, affects my attitude, and that's another topic. (July 6, 2014)

The last I heard, police are still looking for Hayat Boumeddiene, who may actually have been involved with the fellow who attacked a kosher supermarket.

Satire and Death

"The paper's controversial 3 November 2011 issue, renamed 'Charia Hebdo' (a reference to Sharia law) and 'guest-edited' by Muhammad, depicted Muhammad saying: '100 lashes of the whip if you don't die laughing.'

"There have been two attacks presumed to be in retaliation: one in 2011 and one in 2015....

"...2015 attack...

"...During the attack the gunmen were heard to shout Allahu akbar, 'the Prophet is avenged', ... [30[[38][39][40] ... President François Hollande described it as a 'terrorist attack of the most extreme barbarity'.[40] The two gunmen were identified as Saïd Kouachi and Chérif Kouachi, French Muslim brothers of Algerian descent. [41][42][43][44]..."
(Charlie Hebdo, Wikipedia [emphasis mine])
I haven't heard any reasonable alternative to the most obvious reason for Cherif and Said Kouachi's actions on Wednesday.

They were probably upset about at least one of these Charlie Hebdo issues:
  • February 9, 2006
    • Front page cartoon of a weeping Muhammad saying "C'est dur d'être aimé par des cons" ("it's hard being loved by jerks")
    • Inside, "Mahomet débordé par les intégristes" ("Muhammad overwhelmed by fundamentalists")
  • November 3, 2011
    • This issue renamed "Charia Hebdo" (a reference to Sharia law)
    • "Guest-edited" by Muhammad
    • Muhammad depicted saying: "100 lashes of the whip if you don't die laughing."
  • September 2012
    • Satirical cartoons of Muhammad
      • Including nude caricatures
Charlie Hebdo was fire-bombed and its website hacked in 2011. Maybe the attack wasn't related to their November 3, 2011, issue: but it might have been.
"...Charb [Stéphane Charbonnier] was quoted by AP stating that the attack might have been carried out by 'stupid people who don't know what Islam is' and that they are 'idiots who betray their own religion'. Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, said his organisation deplores 'the very mocking tone of the paper toward Islam and its prophet but reaffirms with force its total opposition to all acts and all forms of violence.' [19]...."
(Charlie Hebdo, 2011 attack, Wikipedia [emphasis mine])
Charb isn't available for comment this time around. She was killed Wednesday.

"Abominable"


I've run into quite a few opinions about killing folks at the Charlie Habdo offices and at that supermarket. Some are, I think, sensible:
"...Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Sunni Islam's leading centre of learning, called the attack 'criminal' and said 'Islam denounces any violence'. The Arab League also condemned the attack. Pope Francis called it 'abominable'...."
(BBC News (January 7, 2015) [emphasis mine])
If you're waiting for a rant about Muslim — or Catholic — hypocrisy, you'll have a long wait.

The psycho Santa of 2008 was Catholic; and so, apparently, is Emmanuel Uwayezu. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (October 22, 2009); A Catholic Citizen in America (December 26, 2008))

The 'pedophile priests' story has been in abeyance for a while, but there's an American election coming up: and that's yet another topic. (Pedophile Priests, Ephebophilia, and Facing Facts link list)

I didn't become a Catholic because Catholics have been perfect people for the last two millennia. Some of us have fallen short of our ideals: spectacularly. We're still cleaning up the mess left by Charlemagne's Verdun massacre. (May 18, 2014)

As for Muslims — my understanding is that Islam is at least as decentralized as Protestant Christianity, so it's small wonder that local and regional cultures affect what individuals and communities believe.

Then there are syncretic belief systems like liberation theology and voodoo, combining Catholic and local beliefs: and that's another yet again another topic. (June 19, 2009)

I agree with Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the Arab League, and Pope Francis — killing those folks in Paris was a very bad idea.

I'm sure that some Muslims don't see it that way: and that some Catholics have more zeal than common sense.

Bottom line? The world's 1,800,000,000 or so living Muslims, and 1,190,000,000-plus Roman Catholics, are not all alike. We share a common humanity, and I'll get back to that.

Getting Angry, Staying Angry


I grew up in a virulently anti-Catholic part of America.

I don't remember seeing any Chick tracts, like the 'death cookie' one that made national news a few years back: but rants about the 'Whore of Babylon' were hard to miss. (March 5, 2010)

Jack T. Chick's "Mamma's Girls" tract (2012), warns us that the Catholic Church is run by Satan: and created Islam, Communism, Nazism, and Freemasonry.

I am not making that up.

The historical figures in "Mamma's Girls" are real. What Mr. Chick apparently thinks they did is — quite imaginative.

Unhappily, quite a few folks seem to believe Mr. Chick's version of reality.

Again, if you're waiting for a rant: you'll have a very long wait. I don't like the streak of anti-Catholicism that's part of American history and culture, but posting a screed won't help. (October 26, 2012)

Don't get me wrong. I can be very emotional about my faith.

That's okay. Emotions are part of being human. But "...conscience is a law of the mind...." We're expected to use our brains. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1762-1775-1776-1778)

Crazy assertions about my faith make me angry: momentarily. But I'm learning to think before I act.

Anger is a particularly serious sin, since it can lead to other sins. (Catechism, 1866)

I'd better explain that.

Anger, like any other emotion, isn't good or bad by itself. Emotions happen. It's when my reason and will get involved that it's an issue. (Catechism, 1767)

If I hang on to anger, letting it build into a desire to harm or kill someone else: that's where it becomes a sin. (Catechism, 1762-1775, 2302-2303)

Like it says in Romans 12:19: "...'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' "

There's Matthew 7:1-5; and Catechism, 1861; too. I'll leave the judgment of persons to the Almighty. God is emphatically not someone I want to defy. (September 11, 2010)

Again, I'm learning to think before I act: or write. Occasionally I don't catch anger, or some other impulse, in time. That's why we have the sacrament of penance and reconciliation. (Catechism, 1422-1470)

Looking Around, Looking Ahead


In a way, I can understand why Jack T. Chick and others have an attitude about the Catholic Church. We're huge, ancient, and — for the most part — 'foreign.'

We were around before the Roman Empire collapsed, and were global before internationalism was cool.

We're καθολικός, universal: not tied to any one era, nation, or culture. We see humanity as a huge, but sadly-dysfunctional, family. (Genesis 10:1-32; Catechism, 360, 396-409)

As part of that family, I have obligations:
That love can't be safely abstract. I've expected to live as if loving God, and my neighbors, matters. It's not easy, like the time when someone stole the parish church's Gospel book. (September 4, 2011)

Since we're supposed to love our neighbors, all our neighbors, social justice is a priority. That doesn't mean forcing everyone into one cultural mold, or insisting one one 'correct' form of government. We're not supposed to be all alike. (Catechism, 1901, 1928-1948)

Not all Catholics are comfortable with that, of course.

I have the advantage of being an adult convert, one who accepts the need to re-learn just about everything I thought I knew about Catholicism. Spending my teen years in the '60s helps, too. In a way, I never stopped being one of 'those crazy kids' who thought we could do better.

Some folks see how much the world has changed, think it's the end of civilization as we know it: and see that as a bad thing.

I think it's the end of civilization as we know it, and about time. I remember the 'good old days,' and they weren't. (August 31, 2014; February 9, 2014)

The world our descendants live in won't be perfect. But if we maintain what is good in our societies, change what is not, and keep working: I think their world will be better.


(From Raphael-Lacoste, used w/o permission.)

And that's — still another topic.

More about living in a big world:
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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Remembering 9/11, Living in a Big World

About 3,000 folks died in attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon on this date, 13 years ago.

The death toll would almost certainly have been higher, if passengers and surviving crew of United Airlines Flight 93 had not attacked their hijackers. They died, probably because the Al Qaeda pilot deliberately flew into the ground.

Depending on their views, folks have commemorated the 9/11 attacks in many ways.

Some have declared that the attacks were justified, because America is a big meany. They usually express the idea in more sophisticated terms, of course.

Others say that Muslims are to blame: all Muslims. Still others take the more sweeping view that all religion is to blame.

I think there is a tiny element of truth in 'all of the above.'

Al Qaeda's leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, almost certainly had sincerely-held religious beliefs: and chose American targets in response to this country's profound lack of fidelity to his brand of Islam.

I like being an American, and am still upset that so many folks were killed by religious fanatics. But I am not going to rant about folks who don't follow my faith: or those who do, and behave badly.

Instead, I'm going to take a look at how some — but happily not all — Americans have reacted to Catholics, Jews, blacks, and other 'threats' to my country.

Burning Crosses



(From Confederate till Death, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
("Ku Klux Klansmen and women at a cross lighting in on November 12th, 2005."
(Wikimedia Commons))

Father James Coyle's execution in 1921 was, by some standards, justified. Hours before his death, he had performed a wedding between a Ku Klux Klan member's son and a Puerto Rican.

I don't see a problem with 'mixed marriages' like that: but I'm about half Irish: and that's almost another topic. (September 5, 2014; November 13, 2008)

Considering this country's anti-Catholic traditions, though, for the most part we've been treated rather well here.


(From From Buz lightning, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
("Branford Clarke illustration in The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy 1925 by Bishop Alma White published by the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, NJ"
(Wikimedia Commons))

Living in a Big World


Members of the Ku Klux Klan aren't, of course, the only folks in America who feel threatened by those who the 'right' sort. But over the generations, they've been among the more prominent advocates of 'old fashioned values' in this country. They're also among the reasons I don't miss the 'good old days.' (February 12, 2012)

I think there's wisdom in avoiding hasty generalizations.

Maybe it's obvious, but — the KKK doesn't include all American Protestants, not all Catholics commit murder or genocide, and not all Muslims are terrorists. I've been over this, mostly in another blog:
Happily, more folks are realizing that we live in a big world: and that living among folks who aren't all alike is okay.

Anger, Hate, and Love


I gather that Al Qaeda and other violent Islamic groups don't like today's world. I can sympathize with that attitude, in a way. I'm not at all happy about many of the unethical standards accepted by contemporary Western culture.

Unlike some of my fellow-Christians, though: I do not think we should return to values of the 'good old days' before, say, 1965. I remember the 'good old days,' and like I've said before: they weren't. (June 18, 2013)

I certainly do not think that bombing a federal building (1995), or an Olympic park (1996), is a reasonable response to America's unresolved issues. And killing folks at a Sikh gurdwara is wrong on several levels. (August 9, 2012; August 10, 2012)

Even though I am not personally connected with the 9/11 attacks, and 13 years have passed, I am still very unhappy and angry that Al Qaeda deliberately killed so many innocent people.

That said, I must not hate those who committed these acts. I am convinced that what they did was wrong: but hating anyone is also wrong. (December 9, 2010)

I am a Catholic, so I must take what my Lord said seriously. We are all expected to:

Freedom: For Everybody


Finally, here's something I wrote about faith and freedom, three years ago:

Religious Freedom: For Us; For 'Them;' For Everybody


I've discussed 'why the rights of Muslims matter to this Catholic' before. Aside from thinking that 'my end of the boat isn't sinking' isn't a sensible attitude - I have to care about religious freedom. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)

So far, that's not very impressive. Most folks with religious beliefs believe that they should be free to worship as they see fit. In a way, that's what the war on terror is about: Al Qaeda wants to worship they way they see fit, and make everybody else follow their lead.

The Catholic Church is picky about religious freedom. 'Demanding' might be a better term. As a practicing Catholic, I have to believe that religious freedom is important.

Not just for me. For everybody. (Catechism, 2106)
(September 11, 2011)
More of what I think about living in:
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Friday, October 14, 2011

My Take on the News: Dubious Dissing; Egyptian Killings; Saudi Law; Tattoos

Friday's the day when I give my take on stuff in the news. This week I picked four items. Three, if you count the last two as a pair:
  1. German Bishops Dis Pope? Not hardly
  2. The Pope is "Deeply Saddened"
  3. Soccer Player Arrested - In Saudi Arabia - Over a Tattoo
  4. Tattoos and All That
The most serious of the set is #2, Benedict XVI's response to the killings in Egypt last Sunday. Enough of this introduction. Here's my take on the news:

1. German Bishops Dis Pope? Not hardly

Apparently a rumor is going around that German bishops showed disrespect for the Pope. By not shaking his hand.

As rumors go, this one is more fact-based than many. Pope Benedict XVI really was in Germany. There really is a one-minute, 18-second YouTube video showing the Pope walking down a line of bishops, shaking some hands and not shaking others.

Which, depending on how thin-skinned a person was, and other factors, could mean that
  • Some bishops showed disrespect for the Pope
    • By not grabbing his hand
  • The Pope snubbed some bishops
    • By not shaking their hands
  • The photographer humiliated the Pope
    • By taking photos of other people
And yes, I know about the pedophile priests, which came up in 'related videos' on that YouTube page.

This rumor may be around as long as Elvis sightings were. Particularly since, depending on who you listen to the Catholic Church:
  • Is icky
    • And will fall apart really soon
  • Was just perfect until Vatican II ruined everything
    • And will fall apart really soon
Then there are assorted assertions that the Catholic Church is a Babylonian conspiracy; a Satanic plot; or whatever.

"Ridiculous?" Works for Me

I think what's in this CNA article is a more plausible explanation of what we see in that video. But I would say that, since I'm 'one of those Catholics.' I'll be back with more snide cracks trenchant insights:
"Vatican spokesman rejects claim German bishops disrespected Pope"
Marta Jimenez, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 12, 2011)

"Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., dismissed what he called 'ridiculous' claims circulating online that the German bishops disrespected Pope Benedict during his recent visit to the country.

"Fr. Lombardi said that a YouTube video showing the Pope and German president Christian Wulff has been misconstrued by bloggers and other members of the media...."
Bloggers? And "other members of the media?" I've discussed bloggers, blogging, and old-school journalists before. Back to that CNA article:

Pope 'Ignored?' Reality Check, Please

"...Some have claimed that as the Pope moved down the line and extended his hand to introduce the members of his entourage, he was ignored by a number of German bishops.

"But Fr. Lombardi told CNA that 'the interpretation given to that video that the German bishops were disrespectful to the Pope is absolutely unfounded.'

"In fact, he added, the video 'obviously shows the moment in which the Pope was introducing his entourage - not the German bishops - to the German president at his residency.'...

"...'I have nothing else to add,' Fr. Lombardi said. 'An interpretation of the video that accuses the German bishops of disrespecting the Pope is too senseless to warrant further comment.'

"The video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygeG5WFzkV8"
(Marta Jimenez, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 12, 2011))
There's more in the article, mostly about the folks in that video and papal protocol. The bottom line, as I see it, is that the Pope didn't shake the hands of his entourage

Think about it: when was the last time you saw the president of the United States shaking the hands of his Secret Service bodyguards? It's not the same thing, of course. Not quite.

Rumors? Par For the Course

My reaction to news of the rumor, the video, and the CNA article, is that this sort of hoo-ha is about par for the course.

The Catholic Church is ancient, has a current membership of over a billion, and makes some remarkable claims. In America, at least, a great many folks know things about the Catholic Church that either never were true: or haven't been for several centuries. I was one of them. When I found out what sort of authority each Pope had, I converted to Catholicism, and that's another topic.

Even if some German bishops had snubbed the Pope, I wouldn't be all that troubled. Miffed, maybe. But worried about the Church? Not so much. Concerned, yes: worried, no.

Two Millennia of SNAFUs

We've been through worse. Much worse. There was that time, about a thousand years back, when where was the Pope, and up to three or four wannabes saying that they had Peter's commission. We're not talking about the sort of nut cases who think they're Napoleon: the antipopes were taken seriously by a fair number of folks.

Sort of reminds me of the 'holier than the Pope' types who decided that Vatican II wasn't to their liking - and so must be against the will of God. Yet another topic.

There's more to this post, but I'm putting the 'Related posts' and 'Background' links that related to this new item here.

Related posts:
Background:

2. The Pope is "Deeply Saddened"

It's no wonder that the Pope expressed sadness at Sunday's killings in Egypt. More than a dozen Christians were killed. There's more going on than 'us against them,' though. A whole lot more.
"Pope deeply saddened by Egyptian violence"
David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 12, 2011)

"Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sorrow over violent clashes in Cairo that left many Egyptian Christians dead and hundreds wounded.

" 'I am deeply saddened by the violence that was committed in Cairo on Sunday,' the Pope said at the Oct. 12 general audience in St. Peter's Square.

" 'I join in the sorrow of the families of the victims and the entire Egyptian people, torn by attempts to undermine the peaceful coexistence between its communities, which is rather essential to preserve, especially in this time of transition,' he said....

"...The Pope said that the Egyptian authorities - civil and religious - should try to build a new society that 'respects the human rights of everyone, and particularly minorities, to the benefit of national unity.' It is estimated that about 10 percent of Egyptians are Christian."
In a way, Sunday's killings were the fault of the 17 dead Christians. They, and others, had been demonstrating: trying to draw attention to previous attacks on Christians. Obviously, if they'd left the country: this wouldn't have happened.

Religious Freedom: It's In the Rules

I don't see it quite that way, but I live in a country where we have laws against killing someone for going to the 'wrong' church - and enforce them. More to the point, I'm a practicing Catholic. One of the rules is that I have to support religious freedom. For everybody.

I'm not sympathetic with Egypt's 'old school.' On the other hand, I think they're going through a terribly difficult period: getting dragged into a global culture where killing infidels is often considered gauche.

Which does not mean that all Muslims are psychopathic killers. Or a threat.

Like I said before, as a Catholic I have to support the right of everybody to worship - or not worship - according to their conscience. If that's not what you've heard about the Catholic Church, I'm not surprised. There's some background under, what else? "Background," below.

Related posts:
Background:

3. Soccer Player Arrested - In Saudi Arabia - Over a Tattoo

I am not making this up.
"Saudi police detain soccer player for showing tattoo of Christ"
CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 11, 2011)

"Saudi Arabia's religious police detained a Colombian soccer player at a shopping mall on Oct. 7 for not covering up an image of Jesus tattooed on his shoulder.

"Juan Pablo Pino, 24, who plays with the Al Nasr Soccer Club in Saudi Arabia, was wearing a sleeveless shirt while out with his pregnant wife at a mall in the capital city of Riyadh.

"Locals who saw the tattoo began insulting him, which drew the attention of the officers from a group known as the Police Force for the Promotion of Virtue of the Prevention of Vice, who detained the couple...."
I'm no big fan of tattoos: but this is ridiculous. On the other hand, arresting a foreigner for offending some local taboo is about par for the course for that desert kingdom.

Like I said before, getting dragged over several millennia of change in a generation can be unsettling.

Related posts:

4. Tattoos and All That

As I said before, I'm no big fan of tattoos. I haven't gotten a tattoo, and neither have my wife or kids. Not yet, anyway.

But I'm not going to rant about how tattoos have brought civilization to its knees and forebode the coming of the End. I'll get back to that, after this excerpt from an op-ed:
"Tattoos: Not just for bikers anymore"
Julie Filby, Catholic Womanhood, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (undated, probably July 27, 2011)

"Once upon a time tattoos were limited to the tough guy population—soldiers, bikers, rock stars.

"Not anymore....

"..It's a fad that's affected virtually every age group, race, gender, industry and religion. A Pew Research Center survey found that 36 percent of Americans ages 18–25 have a tattoo, 40 percent of those 26-40, and 10 percent of those 41-64...."
"Fad?" Here in central Minnesota, I've been seeing tattoos on quite a variety of folks for years. I think of a fad as something that might last a month. Maybe a year or two. Sort of like pet rocks. Or mood rings.

My guess is that tattoos are now part of North American culture: and will probably be around for years. Decades. Maybe a generation or more.

'God is on My Side?' Or 'I'm on God's Side?'

So, is this a sure sign of the coming apocalypse? No, I really don't think so.

Back to that op-ed:
"...Love or loathe them, perspectives continue to differ regarding the appropriateness and morality of tattoos. Which made me wonder: What does the Church say about it?

"In the article 'Physical Graffiti: Tattoo You' in Envoy Magazine issue 7.4, Deacon Robert Lukosh from the Archdiocese of Portland wrote that tattoos are morally permissible as long as they respect the dignity of the person:

" 'Body art as a form of adornment, that is ordered to the ultimate good of the person and to humanity, if it observes modesty and avoids vanity, and if it respects the fundamental integrity of the human person—including the integrity of the body—can be morally permissible.'..."
(Julie Filby, Catholic Womanhood, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (undated, probably July 27, 2011))
As I said before, I'm not going to rant about the Satanic influence of tattoos, how rock and roll is of the Devil, and how God will smite everybody who doesn't share my taste in music and hair styles.

Rules, Leviticus, and Getting a Grip

Julie Filby brings up a few verses from the Bible. The first one, form Leviticus, she puts in context:
"...However some argue that Scripture prohibits tattoos in the Old Testament book of Leviticus: 'Do not lacerate your body for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. I am the LORD' (19:28).

"OK, don't do it. Bible says.

" 'Not exactly,' according to Mark Hart of Life Teen International, who's affectionately known as the Bible Geek. Hart explained that this verse referred to the ancient mourning practices of the Canaanites that were forbidden for the Israelites. The law was meant to communicate to people that mourning wasn’t necessary if they believed in God's salvation. It also sought to prevent people from hurting themselves (tattooing could be deadly back then).

" 'It's not altogether correct to say a blanket statement like "tattoos are against God" or are "anti-Biblical" because they're not,' Hart said, adding that the decision of a tattoo goes beyond what the Bible says about it and should be taken seriously.

"Hart said some of the holiest people he knows have ink...."
(Julie Filby, Catholic Womanhood, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (undated, probably July 27, 2011))
So far, so good. Filby and Hart realize that Leviticus wasn't written by an American. And that specific rules in the book were written for folks who lived quite a while ago.

God, Change, and Two Dozen Centuries

Quite a lot has happened in the two dozen or so centuries since the Pentateuch was assembled. For one thing, Canaanites aren't part of the ongoing Middle East crisis. On the other hand, Abram's domestic dispute - and that's yet another topic.

The point is that the rule about "mutilation" made sense. Then.

But today? Although my hat's off to folks who dutifully follow the rule about leaving the hair of their temples and edges of their beards uncut: I think the important point in Leviticus 19:27, and in Leviticus 19:28, is the principle that we're supposed to love and serve God, and worship Him. Only Him.

I suppose I could try living exactly the way that Leviticus spells out. But I live in central Minnesota, not the east end of the Mediterranean. Starting around this time of year, the treatment program described in Leviticus 17:3-32 would be downright chilly.

Tattoos: There's a Reason; Lots of Reasons

One more excerpt from that op-ed:
"...People get tattoos to memorialize a person; honor a relationship with a child, parent or spouse; commemorate an event or accomplishment; reflect their heritage; express their personality, convey their religious beliefs; and sometimes, to evangelize...."
(Julie Filby, Catholic Womanhood, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (undated, probably July 27, 2011))
It's the "to evangelize" motive that got the soccer player in trouble with the Saudi faith police: that's my guess, anyway.

Stuff I Don't Like is Sinful?

It's very unlikely that I'll ever get a tattoo. And, like I've said, I'm not a fan of tattoos.

On the other hand, I've been on the receiving end of too many earnest 'Bible believers' to be comfortable claiming that what I don't care for is sinful.

Back when tattoos started getting popular, I did a little checking on my own. Remember, by the way, that I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog." I don't speak for the Church.

There's quite a bit about the body in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It's the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we're supposed to respect the body - but not worship it.

Folks have taken the idea that God created the human body, which is true: and so we should 'trust God' to heal wounds and cure disease, which is sort of true. Trusting God is good.

But God also gave us brains: and we're not required to be stupid. Organ transplants and autopsies are okay. Even cremation: provided it's not intended to deny the resurrection of the body. I've put links under another "Background" section, below.

The closest thing to a prohibition on tattoos was this:
"Organ transplants are in conformity with the moral law if the physical and psychological dangers and risks to the donor are proportionate to the good that is sought for the recipient. Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorous act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity. It is not morally acceptable if the donor or his proxy has not given explicit consent. Moreover, it is not morally admissible directly to bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2296)
Honestly? This isn't all that close to forbidding tattoos. Except for that bit about "disabling mutilation."

Let's see what "mutilation" means.

Mutilation:
  1. An injury that causes disfigurement or that deprives you of a limb or other important body part
  2. The act of damaging the appearance or surface of something
    (Princeton's WordNet)
Definition #1 doesn't really describe what a tattoo does. The skin's still there: it's just got some extra pigment. I suppose a big enough tattoo might start interfere with our ability to synthesize vitamin D: but I think that's a stretch.

Definition #2, "damaging the appearance," certainly could cover the effect of getting a tattoo. If I thought that my artistic tastes were the one universal standard by which all humanity should be judged.

I don't need that kind of trouble. I wrote about Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-38, and 41-42 on Wednesday.

A tattoo that I might feel is "damaging the appearance" of someone's skin, someone else might regard as a beautiful work of art.

"Your Body is a Temple...." Context, Please!

The op-ed's author cites another verse of the Bible. It's from 1 Corinthians 6, about the body being the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Placed where it is in the op-ed, it sort of looks like it might mean that we shouldn't be marking up the walls of the temple with tattoos.

Looking at the verse in the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians? Maybe not so much:
"Do you not know that your body is a temple 8 of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
(1 Corinthians 6:19)
'Context, please,' which is discussed in footnote 8:
"8 [19-20] Paul's vision becomes trinitarian. A temple: sacred by reason of God's gift, his indwelling Spirit. Not your own: but "for the Lord," who acquires ownership by the act of redemption. Glorify God in your body: the argument concludes with a positive imperative to supplement the negative "avoid immorality" of ⇒ 1 Cor 6:18. Far from being a terrain that is morally indifferent, the area of sexuality is one in which our relationship with God (and his Christ and his Spirit) is very intimately expressed: he is either highly glorified or deeply offended."
(Footnote 8, 1 Corinthians 6)
My take on tattoos is that they're:
  • Part of today's culture
  • Depending on individual taste,
    • Works of
      • Art
      • Satan
    • Eyesores
  • An emotional topic
Getting tattoos can be dangerous: if someone's not careful about properly sterilizing the needles. But if I start claiming that potentially-dangerous activities are 'un-Biblical,' I'd have to start ranting about the sin of driving automobiles, using power tools, and swimming.

And that, in my opinion, would be silly.

Related posts:
Background:
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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.