Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Holy Family, Not '50s Family

This morning's readings — Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3; Colossians 3:12-21 or Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; and Luke 2:22-40 — have one thing in common: marriage and family.

That figures, since this is Holy Family Sunday.

Taking a cue from our Lord, Catholics see family as a big deal. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1601-1658, particularly 1655; 2210)

That's not the same as holding up Happy Days or All In the Family as an ideal toward which all must strive.

So why is this in one of today's readings?
8 Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord."
(Colossians 3:18)
Some of the world's billion-plus living Catholics may think this verse justifies their view that wives are useful household items, along with the dog and a dishwasher.

That's not what the Church says, though. The rest of that bit from Colossians goes like this:
"Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

"Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged."
(Colossians 3:19-21)
It's not the 'share a bedroom while you feel like it' arrangement that's been popular occasionally: but Colossians 3:18-21 doesn't describe the toxic domestic lockup many of my generation grew up with.

I've talked about Ephesians 5:22-31, Judges 4:4-10; John 2:1-5, and herding goats, before. (February 9, 2014)

Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility: Keillor's Got a Point


Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon Catholics were members of the Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility parish.

The parish, and town, are fictional: but there's something to the stereotype that responsibility goes with being Catholic.

In a Catholic family, we all have duties: children (Catechism, 2214-2220); and parents (Catechism, 2221-2231); wives and husbands. (Catechism, 2360-2365)

Men and women aren't alike: which is fine with me. More to the point, that's the way God designed humanity:
"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them."
(Genesis 1:27)
Since I think God designed humanity, and doesn't make junk: I think men and women are important. We have "an equal personal dignity." (Catechism, 2334, 2393)

Being "in the divine image" is more about our minds than our bodies, and I'm wandering off-topic. (Catechism, 1701-1709)

As usual, it boils down to 'love God, love my neighbor, see everybody as my neighbor.' (Matthew 5:43-44, 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-30; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1825)

The Church says parents have 'rights,' which governments should recognize: civic leaders have responsibilities, too.

Parents have, or should have, "...the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions...." That's because parents are — what else? — responsible for their children's education. (Catechism, 2229)

Part of their education is teaching our kids "...to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God...." (Catechism, 2226)

That doesn't mean I'm expected to train my kids to be priests, monks, or nuns. It's pretty obvious that none of our kids are headed for a "religious" vocation: which is okay. I'll get back to that.

Family and Freedom


Once I've made sure my kids got an education, I can tell them to be doctors, or lawyers, or whatever?

Nope. Not even if it's a family tradition.
"When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their profession and state of life...."
(Catechism, 2230)
I can't even tell my kids to get married, or who to marry — or not to get married.

My wife and I are expected to give our kids "judicious advice," while being "careful not to exert pressure on them ... either in the choice of a profession or in that of a spouse...." Once they're adults, the choice is theirs. (Catechism, 2230-2233)

Family is important: but it's not the most important thing in life. Putting anything ahead of God on my priority list is idolatry: which is strictly against the rules. (Catechism, 2112-2114)

Not All Vocations are "Vocations"

"Parents should respect and encourage their children's vocations. They should remember and teach that the first calling of the Christian is to follow Jesus."
(Catechism, 2253)
In my dialect of English, a "vocation" in the Catholic context generally means a "religious" vocation: being a priest, nun, or monk.

Clergy and holy orders are vocations: but so is being married, or single. As I've said before, everybody's got a vocation. (December 11, 2011)
"VOCATION: The calling or destiny we have in this life and hereafter. God has created the human person to love and serve him; the fulfillment of this vocation is eternal happiness (1, 358, 1700). Christ calls the faithful to the perfection of holiness (825). The vocation of the laity consists in seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will (898). Priestly and religious vocations are dedicated to the service of the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation (cf. 873; 931)."
(Catechism, Glossary, V)
Folks who follow a vowed life, nuns and monks, have a "vocation." (Catechism, 925-927)

So do ordained deacons, priests, bishops, the Pope; and everyone else. (Catechism, 874-896, 897-913, 1669)

I'm in the "everyone else" category: part of the laity. Our job is "...to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will...." (Catechism, 898)

The Catholic Church has been around for about two millennia, attracting folks from around the world. Every individual and each culture brings something new to the mix. Some innovations, like St. Francis of Assisi's nativity scene, are still with us.

Getting back to vocations, by now it's not just priests, nuns, monks, and laity. we've got secular institutes (Catechism, 928-929), societies of apostolic life (Catechism, 930), and other vocations that overlap vowed and laity.

No Pressure, Really


Two of our surviving kids are a bit like me; two are a bit like my wife; and each of them is a unique individual, pursuing his or her vocation. So far, they've all decided to stay with the Catholic Church.

But if one of them decided to walk out: the church door is unlocked, metaphorically speaking. Anyone is free to leave. Or join.

If one of the kids decided to stop being Catholic, I wouldn't be happy about it: but even if I could "make" them believe, I wouldn't. Seeking truth is a responsibility each of us has. Forcing another person to act against his or her convictions is against the rules. (Catechism, 2104-2109)

Maybe you've run into Catholics who don't live up to these high standards. I'm not surprised.

We're all human beings: basically good creatures, dealing with the consequences of a bad decision by our first parents. (Catechism, 388-389, 396-409)

For two millennia, the Church has been passing along what our Lord told us: 'love God, love our neighbor, see everybody as our neighbor.'

And for two millennia, some of us have paid attention: trying to live as if those ideas matter.

Looking Ahead


I wasn't a Catholic in the '60s and '70s, when 'those crazy kids' were trying to change the world.

I thought change was needed, though: and still do. Some of our reforms are turning out well. Others, not so much — but I'm glad the "good old days" aren't coming back.

Since today's America — and world — are far from perfect, we still have work to do.

When we're doing our job, the Church doesn't make people behave the right way. At its worst, forcing 'correct' behavior leads to atrocities like the Verden massacre. A dozen centuries later, we're still cleaning up that mess. (May 18, 2014)

Convincing folks that loving neighbors is a good idea takes longer. But after 19 centuries of passing along 'love God, love our neighbors, see everyone as our neighbor;' a remarkable number of folks started thinking that owning other people is wrong.

Human nature being what it is, some Catholics of the early 42nd century may be upset that the Church doesn't 'make' people behave.

My guess, and hope, is that the social ills they're sorting out won't be quite the same ones we have. And that's another topic. (October 26, 2014; September 13, 2011)

I'd say 'that's not my problem,' but I'm a member of society, with — you guessed it — responsibilities to future generations. And that's yet another topic. Topics. (Catechism, 1905, 1917, 2415, 2456)


(From Jaime Jasso, via DeviantArt.com, used w/o permission.)

More of my take on life, love, and the long haul:
Background:
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Sunday, July 6, 2014

Strangers and Standing Orders


(From NASA/Jim Grossmann, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Some of America's new citizens at the Kennedy Space Center. July 1, 2010.)

When thirteen colonies declared independence from England, 238 years ago, my ancestors were still in Norway and the British Isles. They had different reasons for uprooting themselves and crossing the Atlantic.

Some came because they worshiped in the 'wrong' church. Others, because they wanted an alternative to poverty and famine. One came to keep a relative company on the ocean voyage: and stayed because she experienced near-terminal seasickness on the trip.

I'm here because America tolerated immigrants: grudgingly at times. As each new wave arrived, some 'regular Americans' accepted them, others didn't. Then there was the appalling matter of slavery. It took two centuries and a major war to sort that mess out:

The Irish and Other 'Threats'



(From Rjensen, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission.)
("No Irish need apply" highlighted in this New York Times ad, from 1854.)

Some of my ancestors were none too pleased when one of those Irishmen came sniffing around their daughter. When asked about her daughter's suitor, one of my foremothers said, "he doesn't have family: he's Irish." (November 13, 2008)

I can understand her attitude. Quite a few 'proper' folks were convinced that those Irish were violent, indolent, and chronic drinkers: hardly the sort one would want marrying into the family. The daughter of a decent family and that Irishman got married, anyway. I think we earned our reputation for being garrulous and charming, and that's another topic.

When my father's father died, my father received a small inheritance from his maternal grandfather. My father figured that his grandfather didn't want 'that Irishman' to spend the money on whiskey and horses. Not that my father's father would have done so: but ethnic stereotypes often outvote reality.

I've never seen an "Irish need not apply" notice in a store window or the daily paper, America has had an Irish president, and most Americans seem to think the Irish are okay.

Now other ethnic and religious groups are on 'least wanted' lists.

Immigrants and the Greatest Commandment


The last I checked, the average American household doesn't spend more than our counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, but our consumer spending per household is the second-highest in the world. This is not a poor country.

Our economy could be doing better: but it could be a great deal worse. I think our "problem" with folks wanting to move here exists in large part because we're still one of the better places to raise a family.

I don't see immigrants as a problem, partly because all of my ancestors are immigrants. Wanting to exclude folks who are trying to do what my forebears did makes no sense. Not to me.

Even if I did feel that this should be the 'United States of Just Me and Mine,' I couldn't: or shouldn't, at any rate.

I'm a Catholic, and we have rules about that sort of thing. Here's what my Lord said about the greatest commandment:
"Jesus replied, 'The first is this: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

"The second is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.' "
(Mark 12:29-31)
We get pretty much the same thing in Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10:25-28.

The way I see it, given America's wealth and the standing orders to love our neighbor as ourselves, welcoming immigrants is an obligation.

"... A Stranger and You Welcomed Me...."


Over the last two millennia, some of the smartest folks in the world have realized that we can't love God if we hate our neighbor: and that everybody is our neighbor. The Catechism has a whole section devoted to how and why we should love our neighbors: all of them. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2196-2557)

Right after discussing the duties of parents and children; and pointing out that family ties are important, but not all there is to life; we get V. The Authorities in Civil Society, and this bit of instruction:
"The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
"Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2241)
The idea of treating folks who moved from another country the same way we treat old neighbors isn't particularly new. Here's part of what the Pentateuch has to say about immigrants:
"You shall not oppress an alien; you well know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."
(Exodus 23:9)
" 'When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him.

"You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God."
(Leviticus 19:33-34)
Life is very a high-stakes game, as my Lord pointed out in Matthew 25:31-46.

That includes treating strangers with dignity, respect, and charity:
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,

"naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' "
(Matthew 25:31-36)
We're supposed to treat folks in need the way we'd want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31)

The idea of reciprocity we call the Golden Rule isn't, or isn't quite, unique to Christianity, and that's another topic. (May 25, 2014)

Immigration is a topic that often inspires more sound and fury than sense.

I think that folks who entered this country illegally are, technically, guilty of breaking this country's rules. I also think that those of us who were born here need to treat them with the respect we'd like to experience if we were in their position.

Besides: "legal" isn't always right, "illegal" isn't always wrong; and that's another topic.(July 2, 2012; July 1, 2012)

Finally — I think that America will be in trouble if folks ever stop trying to move here.

Related posts:
While some Americans were getting upset about the Irish and other threats to the 'Anglo-Saxon States of America,' Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus." Two decades later the poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the Statue of Liberty's lower level.

Some of what it says about the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" may seem insensitive these days: but I like the idea that folks are still trying to break into America.


(Image from Daniel Schwen, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
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Friday, March 8, 2013

Electing a Pope, Protecting Everybody's Freedom

Some coverage of preparations for electing the next pope is well-informed. I think some does a better job of reflecting editorial assumptions, than reporting what's actually going on in Rome.

Instead of posting a sort of blooper reel, I've picked examples written by folks who know something about the Catholic Church; and an item about freedom that should probably be getting more attention.
  1. 'Somebody Talked'
  2. "Not Ready"
  3. Anti-Semetism and 'My End of the Boat'
There's more in this week's news, but I'm saving that for another post: which should be ready in about an hour.

Remembering What Freedom Means

Freedom is highly valued here in America. Remembering what freedom means isn't always easy.

I remember when folks with apparently-sincere concerns about 'freedom' wanted everyone else to help them hunt commies. A little later, another lot showed equal enthusiasm for suppressing discussion that didn't support their preferences.

McCarthyism and political correctness have different slogans, the same individual probably wouldn't hold both views, but I see quite a few similarities between 'the establishment' of my youth, and what we have today, including:
  • Then
    • Looking for commies
    • Pursuing 'the American dream'
    • Maintaining conformity
  • Now
    • Looking for racists
    • Being afraid of
      • Global warming
      • Climate change
    • Maintaining conformity
    (January 2010)

Seeking Truth, Respecting Freedom

The Catholic Church expects folks to "seek the truth," and act as if truth matters:
"All persons are bound to seek the truth in those things which regard God and his Church and by virtue of divine law are bound by the obligation and possess the right of embracing and observing the truth which they have come to know."
(Can. 748 §1, Book III. The Teaching Function of the Church, Code of Canon Law)
Even if I hadn't had my fill of hard-sell 'evangelism' efforts, and had the power to force others to say they believe as I do, I wouldn't. As a Catholic, I'm not allowed to force my beliefs on others:
"No one is ever permitted to coerce persons to embrace the Catholic faith against their conscience."
(Can. 748 §2, Book III. The Teaching Function of the Church, Code of Canon Law)
Maybe you've run into a pushy Catholic, who dragged you to Mass, or forced you to say you agree with some belief.

Some of the billion-plus living Catholics don't know our faith, or don't understand how we should act. Some of us are simply jerks: or worse. (June 18, 2011; March 31, 2011)

1. 'Somebody Talked'

"College of Cardinals imposes media silence after breach"
Estefania Aguirre, David Uebbing, CNA/EWTN News (March 6, 2013)

"The College of Cardinals has decided that its members will no longer speak to journalists after several cardinals gave too much information to Italian press.

" 'Concern was expressed in the general congregation about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers,' said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' media director...."
I'm an American, and share many of my native culture's attitudes about communication: in this case, the sort that's sometimes called 'openness' or 'transparency.' I like to know what's going on, and generally want leaders in business and government to share information with 'the public.'

On the other hand, I realize that there are times when sharing information is a really bad idea.

Here's a sampling of my reactions to folks who didn't know when to talk, when not to talk; why I don't follow the 'party line:'
Moving on.

Cardinals and Media

"...The American cardinals have been the only ones to organize press conferences during the general congregation phase of the Sede Vacante period.

"Before the decision was made to maintain media silence, three press briefings were held at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, attracting outlets from all over the world.

"But the Italian media was also interviewing cardinals of other nationalities.

"A source familiar with the cardinals general meetings told CNA on background that the primary reason for the cancelation [!] was that some Italian cardinals were divulging too much information to the Italian press.

"He added that at this morning's general meeting, the names of those cardinals who revealed too much were read off in front of the assembly...."
(College of Cardinals imposes media silence after breach"
Estefania Aguirre, David Uebbing, CNA/EWTN News)
I think it's interesting that the overly-chatty cardinals weren't from the American set. I suspect it's because our cardinals get a lot of practice, dealing with media. 'Practice makes perfect' is more hopeful than accurate: but I think practice does make 'better.'

A little later, the article quotes Farther Lombardi again:
"...Father Federico Lombardi, said he was not surprised that the American cardinals were offering the press briefings.

" 'The Americans are well organized, they have a good relationship with the media and so much American media with many people has come here (to Rome),' he said March 6 at the Vatican press office...."
(College of Cardinals imposes media silence after breach"
Estefania Aguirre, David Uebbing, CNA/EWTN News)

"...Discernment ... More Reflection and More Silence...."

"...Fr. Lombardi stands by the decision of the College, saying, 'it's natural that their discernment progresses into more reflection and more silence,' and during the conclave 'there will be absolute silence.'

" 'The congregations are not a synod or a congress in which we try to report as much information as possible,'” he noted.

" 'They are on a path towards arriving at the decision of electing the Roman pontiff.'..."
Estefania Aguirre, David Uebbing, CNA/EWTN News)
I think there's something to be said for folks, cardinals and otherwise, who appreciate the value of occasionally not talking, and I'll leave it at that.

2. "Not Ready"

"Cardinals contemplate insider, outsider papal candidates"
Andrea Gagliarducci, op ed, CNA/EWTN News (March 6, 2013)

" 'We are not ready to enter the conclave,' Cardinal Francis George of Chicago plainly told the Italian newspaper La Stampa today, adding, 'I never felt that we would begin the conclave on March 11th.'

"The American cardinals are first in line among those who do not want to hurry the conclave, and they are not alone...."
I expect quite a bit of commentary on the conclave, some of it well informed, some anything but. I think this falls in the 'well informed' category.

About what the Chicago cardinal said, I think he's probably right. Many folks at the conclave aren't ready. My guess is that quite a few wouldn't be 'ready,' no matter how long the process got delayed. Can't say that I blame the cardinals: selecting the next Pope is a huge responsibility.

That's one reason that I'm very glad that the Catholic Church isn't a democracy. I have a hard enough time getting enough information for sensible decisions during America's election cycles, and that's another topic.

"...A Subtle Battle...."

"...In the general congregations, the schedule of meetings and all other matters are decided by a majority vote, and the dean of the cardinals is just a 'primus inter pares,' i.e. the first among equals.

"Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the man who fulfills that role, initially sketched out a tight schedule for the cardinals pre-conclave meetings. On Monday, two pre-conclave meetings were scheduled in the New Synod Hall: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

"But that schedule was not kept for the following days, since the majority of the cardinals asked to hold only morning meetings, leaving the afternoon free for informal meetings and chats.

"It is a subtle battle, as all Vatican battles are.

"Gianfranco Svidercoschi, one of the most prominent Vatican observers, asserted in a March 4 discussion that there is 'a certain risk that the conclave will be split between two contenders.' ..."
"subtle battle?!" Aren't I supposed to believe that cardinals are perfect people, so 'spiritual' that they never show any human flaws? Hardly.

All clergy have a very special job, a great responsibility, and authority that traces back to my Lord. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 874-896, 934)

But that doesn't make them superhuman. I knew about the Catholic Church's history before I became a Catholic. The Church had good leaders, bad leaders, and woefully inadequate leaders. Five hundred and a thousand years back were two particularly rough spots.

But the Church kept going. Its wildly improbable survival puzzled me, and that's almost another topic. (January 13, 2011)

Politics? Sort of

I think any decision making process that involves human beings will be 'political' in the sense of being "of or relating to ... views about social relationships involving authority or power." (Princeton's WordNet) We relate to each other in a social way, and to date no effort to make an 'authority-free' society work has endured. We tried some imaginative approaches, about a half-century back, and that is another topic.

But I think it's a mistake to try interpreting what's going on at the Vatican as a political convention, or corporate board meeting.

CNA has a pretty good backgrounder about the group that's meeting:
I also recommend the CNS/Tim Meko infographic, Inside the Conclave.

I can't read the teeny tiny type on this reduced-size copy of the infographic, but at least the pictures look good:

(CNS/Tim Meko, via USCCB, used w/o permission)

3. Anti-Semetism and 'My End of the Boat'

"Congressional hearing highlights growing threat of anti-Semitism"
Adelaide Darling, CNA (March 2, 2013)

"Witnesses at a recent hearing in Washington, D.C., warned that a resurrected anti-Semitism is sweeping the globe and could lead to dire consequences for democratic societies and members of all religions.

" 'When we fight anti-Semitism it is not only a matter of justice for Jewish fellow-citizens, but also of standing up for Christianity, and for Islam, and for the possibility of decent living itself,' said U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who hosted the Feb. 27 hearing...."
I think it's worth noting who was speaking:
  • Katrina Lantos Swett
    • Chairwoman of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
  • Dr. M. Zuhudi Jasser
    • President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
  • Rabbi David Myer
    • Professor of rabbinic literature at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome
  • John Garvey
    • President of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Intellectual Freedom and 'Those People'

Anti-Semitism is everybody's problem, in the sense that folks who target Jews seem quite willing to attack anyone else who doesn't fit their preferences.
"...Dr. M. Zuhudi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, explained that the radical nature of militant Islamist extremism has fueled an exodus of not only Jews but also Christians and moderate Muslims from many areas of the Middle East, creating a 'vacuum of religious diversity' and a stifling of intellectual freedom...."
(Adelaide Darling, CNA)
As I've said before, "my end of the boat isn't sinking" isn't a sensible attitude.

"...And There was Nobody Left to be Concerned"

Americans still enjoy a remarkable degree of freedom: including the freedom to follow whichever faith we like, or no faith at all. We may even keep the right to act as if what we believe matters.

But these freedoms could change.
"...A German pastor, Martin Niemöller, made the point I'm trying to make. Quite a few times, it seems.

"He's credited with writing a poem. Several, actually, all with the same general message. Here are a few:
"When Hitler attacked the Jews
I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the Catholics,
I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists,
I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned.
Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church --
and there was nobody left to be concerned."
(Niemoller's address to the U.S. Congress (Congressional Record,
October 14, 1968, page 31636), Martin Niemoller poem and address on Hitler and the Nazis)
"Or maybe it was
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."
(MARTIN NIEMÖLLER: "FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALISTS...", United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
"Or
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me."
(Martin Niemöller's famous quotation: "First they came for the Communists"..., a page by Harold Marcuse, UC Santa Barbara)
"The version you ran into probably isn't there. Some are rather politically correct, some were edited from a more conservative point of view. Although I don't quite agree with the UC Santa Barbara professor's assumption that the guy from the Small Business Administration was subverting the pastor's message ('everybody knows' what those capitalists are like?), the professor's page is one of the best resources I've found online, for studying Niemöller's remarks.

"Between Islamic crazies and white supremacists, there's a whole lot of hate - concentrated in, I trust, 'a very few bad apples,' but dangerous nonetheless. 'My end of the boat isn't sinking' is not a prudent attitude...."
I've used that text before, in this blog (April 7, 2011; September 8, 2010), and in Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 11, 2009).

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Friday, January 4, 2013

Guns, Gamma Ray Bursts, and Roller Coasters

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

Death, Taxes, and Mass Murder

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

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

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

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

Original Sin, Catholic Style

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

'The Refrigerator Made Me Do It'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

America: Reconsideration and Restoration

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

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

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

"Reasonable" Limits and Assumptions

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Violent Movies," Culture, and Censorship

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

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

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

'Lock Up the Loonies?'

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

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

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

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

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

2. WR 104: Cosmic Time Bomb, Maybe

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

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

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

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

Getting a Grip About WR 104

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

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

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

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

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

And that's still another topic.

8,000 Light Years: Close?!

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

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

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


Scared Silly

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

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

'End Time prophecies:'
Speculation and coming attractions:
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Friday, December 21, 2012

Freedom, Joy, and Tau Ceti's Planets

"Freedom" shouldn't mean "free to agree with me." As a Catholic, I wouldn't be allowed to force others to believe as I do - even if I could. We're told to take freedom very seriously. Citizenship, too:
This week I found good news for folks who value freedom, and life; and exciting news from a team of astronomers:
  1. Good News: Two Religious Colleges
    Exempt from Lethal Health Care
  2. More Worlds: Planets Orbiting Tau Ceti
  3. Suffering and Joy During Advent
  4. Satawa's Nativity Scene is Back!

Freedom

I'm an American. I was born during the Truman administration, spent my youth in the '60s, remember the trailing edge of McCarthyism, and the heyday of political correctness. I like freedom, and am convinced that freedom is not being forced to go along with what a government wants.

If you follow this blog (thank you!) you've probably seen this before:
  • Religious freedom is vital
    (Catechism, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Some actions are always wrong
    (Catechism, 1789)
    • Even if the President says it's okay
      (Catechism, 2242)
  • Human life
    • Is sacred
      (Catechism, 2258)
    • Begins at conception
      • (Catechism, 2270, 2274)
  • Murder is wrong
    (Catechism, 2259-2262, 2268-2269)
Enough background. Here's my take on the week's news:

1. Good News: Two Religious Colleges
Exempt from Lethal Health Care

"Religious schools claim 'major victory' after ruling on contraception mandate"
FoxNews.com (December 19, 2012)

"Two religious-affiliated colleges claimed a 'major victory' Tuesday after a federal appeals court ordered the Obama administration to verify that it is revising the so-called contraception mandate in ObamaCare.

"The decision out of the D.C. Court of Appeals effectively reinstated a challenge that had been dismissed by lower courts. Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College were arguing against the federal health care overhaul rule that requires employers to provide access to contraceptive care.

"The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has represented several plaintiffs challenging the rule, hailed the court decision....
The Becket Fund "protects the free expression of all faiths." ("Our Mission," www.becketfund.org) The outfit is named after Thomas a Becket, an appointee of Henry II.

You've probably heard what happened. There was a conflict of interest, during which the English king apparently said "will no-one rid me of this troublesome priest?" (History Learning Site) Maybe it was "turbulent priest." (Spartacus Educational) Either way, Thomas a Becket was a troublemaker.

He's known as Saint Thomas a Becket now. Cleaning the blood off Canterbury's cathedral floor was probably rather easy. Cleaning Henry II's reputation wasn't, and that's another topic. I've mentioned St. Thomas a Becket before. (September 6, 2011)

Wheaton and Belmont Abbey colleges probably won't be the last organizations to need help, so here's where to find the Becket Fund:

America's Rulers and Religious Freedom

"...'The D.C. Circuit has now made it clear that government promises and press conferences are not enough to protect religious freedom,' Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund, said in a statement. 'The court is not going to let the government slide by on non-binding promises to fix the problem down the road.'

"The court ruling did not overturn the contraception mandate. Rather, it effectively put the court case on hold while requiring the Obama administration to follow through on its pledge to revise the mandate as it pertains to religious-affiliated groups.

" 'We take that as a binding commitment,' the court said in its ruling Tuesday. The court ordered the administration to file status reports every 60 days on its progress toward issuing a new policy in the first quarter of 2013.

"The contraception rule does include an exemption for religious organizations -- but that exemption does not cover many religious-affiliated organizations like schools and charities...."
(FoxNews.com)
The "exemption for religious organizations" is a joke.
"...The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain 'religious employers.' That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to 'Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital,' or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served...."
("USCCB Responds To Inaccurate Statement Of Fact On HHS Mandate Made During Vice Presidential Debate," USCCB Media News Release (October 12, 2012))
It seems to me that hospitals run by folks with ethical standards are in a Catch-22 situation. If they refuse to serve people outside their faith, they'd probably be guilty of discrimination on the basis of religion. If they are willing to help anybody, they have to offer lethal "womens' health services," or be fined out of existence.

It looks like a well-crafted scheme to edge 'religious people' out of health care. I can, in a way, admire the craftiness: but I don't approve. At all.

The Little Sisters of the Poor and Washington

"...Meanwhile, other groups have expressed concern about what the mandate will mean for their own survival. One group, The Little Sisters of the Poor, told The Daily Caller that the mandate could be a 'serious threat' to the group's U.S. mission of 300 nuns.

"The organization, as a Catholic group, opposes contraception, and the concern is that the fine that could be imposed for violating the rule would impose financial hardship. 'We have no extra funding that would cover these fines,' Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, spokeswoman for the organization, told the Caller...."
(FoxNews.com)
Reality check here. American news media, FoxNews.com included, tends to focus on the word "contraceptive" in these health care issues.

What the Department of Health and Human Services wants really is "contraception," as the word is used in my dialect of English. Messing with human reproduction on the physical, psychological, and philosophical levels, is a problem for practicing Catholics.

I hope a great many more folks would also be concerned about "contraception" that involves killing someone who has already been conceived.

Sure, humans aren't very pretty for the first few months. But we're still human, even if we can't speak for ourselves: or run away.
"...The Department of Health and Human Services mandate requires employers to provide coverage for 'preventive health.' It defines this coverage to include sterilization and contraception, including some abortion-causing drugs. The Obama administration's proposed compromise would mandate that insurance companies, not employers, provide this coverage.

"The mandate's religious exemption applies only to employers who primarily serve and employ their coreligionists and have the inculcation of religious values as their primary purpose...."
(CNA (March 8, 2012))
In the end, I'm confident that outfits like Little Sisters of the Poor will once again be free to help the poor and the helpless.

What concerns me is the process which will sort out today's lethal government policies. I hope that Americans will correct this problem though peaceful means: preferably by swapping out the lot we've got running our country in the next few elections.

2. More Worlds: Planets Orbiting Tau Ceti

"Potentially Habitable Planet Detected Around Nearby Star"
Mike Wall, SPACE.com (December 19, 2012)

J. Pinfield for the RoPACS network at the University of Hertfordshire, 2012, via Space.com, used w/o permission"A sun-like star in our solar system's backyard may host five planets, including one perhaps capable of supporting life as we know it, a new study reports.

"Astronomers have detected five possible alien planets circling the star Tau Ceti, which is less than 12 light-years from Earth - a mere stone's throw in the cosmic scheme of things. One of the newfound worlds appears to orbit in Tau Ceti's habitable zone, a range of distances from a star where liquid water can exist on a planet's surface.

"With a minimum mass just 4.3 times that of Earth, this potential planet would be the smallest yet found in the habitable zone of a sun-like star if it's confirmed, researchers said...."
A key word there is "perhaps." We don't know much about Tau Ceti's planetary system. These astronomers found the planets by sifting through information about the star's motion. My guess is that someone's going to challenge their conclusions soon.

However, Steve Vogt, of the University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of Hertfordshire's Mikko Tuomi; aren't crackpots. I think it's quite likely that they're right.

"They are everywhere..."

"...'This discovery is in keeping with our emerging view that virtually every star has planets, and that the galaxy must have many such potentially habitable Earth-sized planets,' study co-author Steve Vogt, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, said in a statement. 'They are everywhere, even right next door.' [Gallery: 7 Potentially Habitable Exoplanets]

"The five planet candidates are all relatively small, with minimum masses ranging from 2 to 6.6 times that of Earth. The possibly habitable world, which completes one lap around Tau Ceti every 168 days, is unlikely to be a rocky planet like Earth, researchers said.

" 'It is impossible to tell the composition, but I do not consider this particular planet to be very likely to have a rocky surface,' lead author Mikko Tuomi, of the University of Hertfordshire in England, told SPACE.com via email. 'It might be a "water world," but at the moment it's anybody's guess.'..."
(Mike Wall SPACE.com)
The Space.com article doesn't explain Mikko Tuomi's "water world" comment. He's almost certainly talking about a planet that's mostly water: not just partly covered by water, like Earth. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (February 23, 2011)

What's exciting about Tau Ceti's planetary system, assuming that the study's conclusions hold up, is that they're very, very, close to being as massive as Earth. It's getting hard to keep up with the growing list of known and 'possible' planets circling other stars: including a few that might, maybe, be the right temperature and right size to support life.

Alone?

I don't 'believe in flying saucers.' But I don't believe that we're alone in the universe, either. I simply don't know whether we share this vast creation with other living creatures, or not.

However, as a practicing Catholic, I'm not allowed to say that there can't be other worlds like ours. That's been a rule since 1277.


3. Suffering and Joy During Advent

I think it's important to not that Archbishop Chaput wasn't speaking, or writing, directly to folks in Newtown, Connecticut. The post cited by CNA was on The Catholic Standard and Times' website. The ink-on-paper publication is gone, and that's another topic. ("About Us," CatholicPhilly.com)

I recommend reading Archbishop Chaput's column:

"Nothing Remotely Naïve"

"Archbishop Chaput: Advent's message relevant in wake of tragedy"
CNA/EWTN News (December 18, 2012)

"The message of Advent is applicable in today's world, especially in light of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia said in his Dec. 17 column.

" 'In these final days of Advent, the Church urges us to lift up our hearts and prepare to rejoice,' he said. 'There's nothing remotely naïve in this call to joy; the Church knows the harshness of the world far too well for empty pieties.'

"Even in the face of tragedy, such as the recent elementary school shooting in which a lone gunman killed his mother and 26 students and faculty at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Archbishop Chaput said that God is present...."
CNA/EWTN News apparently got a pre-publication release of Archbishop Chaput's column, which is dated December 19, 2012: which has nothing to do with what the archbishop said.

I think it's important to remember that there's more to Christmas than cheerful sentiments and 'presents under the tree.' As Archbishop Chaput said, "...'There's nothing remotely naïve in this call to joy....' "

I've posted about Christmas before:

"...Something to do With Free Will..."

"...When trying to comprehend the violence and evil that took place that day, people will ask how God could allow such suffering to exist in the world, the archbishop noted.

"Although these questions 'sound reasonable,' he said, they are 'all evasions,'

" 'We might as well ask, "Why does God allow us to be free?" '

"Archbishop Chaput recalled that humanity has the blessing of being loved unconditionally by its Creator. And although God seeks our love, 'we will never be coerced by the One who loves us.'..."
(CNA/EWTN News)
Free will is an awkward gift. We've got enormous power over our lives: and personal responsibility for our decisions.

I haven't run into very many good, brief, discussions of free will. Archbishop Chaput's is one; another was in, oddly enough, a Monty Python movie. (May 23, 2012) Some of my take on free will:
Archbishop Chaput had more to say about free will.

"God is Good ...We Human Beings are Free..."

"...'God is good, but we human beings are free, and being free, we help fashion the nature of our world with the choices we make,' he said.

"That means that while 'evil is frightening,' it is unfortunately 'not incomprehensible,' he wrote. 'We know it from intimate experience.'

" 'What we never quite expect is for our private sins, multiplied and fermented by millions of lives with the same or similar "little" sins, to somehow feed the kind evil that walks into a Connecticut school and guns down 26 innocent lives, 20 of them children,' he said...."
(CNA/EWTN News)
Archbishop Chaput isn't, I'm quite sure, telling us that we should writhe in anguish or stand petrified in fear at the wretched vileness of our bad habits. I've mentioned Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" before. Fairly often. (December 14, 2012; December 16, 2011; December 5, 2011)

"...Love is Stronger than Death..."

"... In the Old Testament, God revels that 'love is as strong as death,' Archbishop Chaput said. In God's redeeming plan, 'love is stronger than death.'

" 'The surprise is the persistence of God's fidelity and mercy. The surprise is that, despite our sins, we still long to be the people God intended us to be.'

"He said that 'the only effective antidote' to evil in the world is for each person 'to live differently from this moment forward.'

"'We make the future beginning now,' he added...."
(CNA/EWTN News)
He also suggested that we should pray for the grieving families in Newtown. That sounds like a good idea.

4. Satawa's Nativity Scene is Back!

"Long-time Michigan roadside nativity resurrected"
Carl Bunderson, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (December 18, 2012 )

"A 67-year-old tradition of placing a nativity scene on a public median in Warren, Mich. has been re-established after a four-year legal battle involving the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

" 'John Satawa was persistent enough to follow through,' CNA was told Dec. 17 by Richard Thompson, president of Thomas More Law Center, which represented Satawa, the crèche's caretaker...."
I've mentioned the Thomas More Law Center before. (August 20, 2012) They're one of many outfits trying to preserve freedom in America:
I think that's a good thing, even if today's establishment doesn't. I learned that the government isn't always right during my teens, and haven't forgotten 'the good old days:'
And that's another topic or two.

Well-Wishers, Carolers, and a Priest

"...Satawa is 'an individual citizen who was not going to disappear silently into the night, but was going to fight the decision of the road commission to maintain this tradition that had been going on since 1945,' Thompson said.

"The crèche was erected again Dec. 15 by Satawa, his family and friends, and local Boy Scouts, after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decided in his favor on Aug. 1.

"While the nativity scene was being erected, Warren police controlled traffic as well-wishers gathered, carolers sang Christmas songs, a priest from nearby St. Anne's Catholic Church blessed the display and passing motorists sounded their horns in approval...."
(Carl Bunderson, CNA)
It looks like at least some of Satawa's neighbors are happy about the crèche being back. Others may be appalled, disgusted, or insulted.

From The Smithsonian Collections: Plastic Flamingos, c. 1980 (Jason Pietra), used w/o permission.I wonder if anybody's looked into the possible harmful effects of pink plastic flamingos on the public's 'mental health.' And that's definitely another topic.

City Hall, Persistence, and Freedom

"...In 2008 the Macomb County Road Commission received a letter from the Freedom from Religion Foundation objecting to a private citizen placing a nativity scene on a 60-foot-wide median.

"They claimed the crèche violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment, and the county immediately ordered the display removed.

"Satawa had gotten permission for the crèche several times, and in 1995 the local police department finally gave him a blanket permission to erect it in the future, so that he would not feel it necessary to ask again.

"On March 9, 2009, after receiving the Freedom from Religion Foundation's letter, a highway engineer for Macomb County, Robert Hoepfner, wrote to Satawa denying him a permit to resurrect the manger scene and only citing reasons related to the establishment clause for the denial.

"Satawa then sued the Macomb County Road Commission for violating his rights under the establishment and free speech clauses of the First Amendment, and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment...."
(Carl Bunderson, CNA)
Sometimes 'you can't fight city hall.' When Sauk Centre widened the street I live on, we lost three elms from the front yard. I was going to protest, but decided not to after seeing them used as an example of safety hazards. As it turns out, one of them had a hollow core: and would probably have fallen in the next big storm.

Sometimes a person can resist the powers that be, and win. Being right helps, I think.

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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.