Showing posts with label slavery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slavery. Show all posts

Friday, April 8, 2016

BEAM Prototype Habitat, Bigelow's Plans

The BEAM Bigelow Aerospace habitat module, will be launched toward the International Space Station (ISS) today: if all goes well.

BEAM is packed in the Dragon spacecraft's unpressurized section. This cargo run also carries supplies for the ISS crew, and for several dozen of the roughly 250 experiments planned for Expeditions 47 and 48. (SpaceX press kit)

After getting attached to the ISS and inflated, BEAM will mostly just sit there for at least two years: empty except when someone in the ISS takes samples and swaps out radiation sensors. I think that's a good idea, since BEAM is testing technology for Bigelow Aerospace rental properties in low Earth orbit.
  1. BEAM: a Bigelow Aerospace Inflatable Habitat Comes to the ISS
  2. Commercial Research in Orbit?
  3. Robert Bigelow: "Foretastes of the Space Age"
As I'm writing this, Thursday evening, spacexstats.com says that SpaceX CRS-8 will lift off at 20:43 UTC Friday, April 8, 2016.1 SpaceX has a webcast at spacex.com/webcast.


Update 00:10 UTC April 9, 2016

The SpaceX first stage landed successfully, and the Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the ISS.



Philosophers and Engineers



(From NASA, used w/o permission.)
(Part of the International Space Station.)

I've mentioned the aeolipiles — steam-powered rocket engines — of Vitruvius and Hero of Alexandria before. (October 10, 2014)

About two millennia later, folks living north of the old Roman imperial frontier learned how to make steam engines that don't explode: at least not often. A little later folks started building spaceships, which raises an interesting point: why didn't Athens build space stations?

I think it has something to do with economics, and a lot to do with attitude.

I agree with folks who say that the ancient Greek upper crust didn't think much of manual labor: that they saw it as something slaves did. Small wonder their philosophers carefully avoided finding practical applications for their theories.

Romans didn't have quite the same delicate sensibilities. They were top-rate engineers, given the limits of their numbering system. Try dividing LCX by XVII some time, and you'll see what I mean.

I gather that Romans often recognized that they weren't as "cultural" as the Greeks: but if a wealthy Roman wanted culture, he could buy a Greek, so that wasn't much of a problem — for the Roman.

On the 'up' side, Roman slaves could earn their freedom and become Roman citizens: an idea the Greeks didn't adopt.

By the way: slavery is a bad idea, and we shouldn't do it.

Having private property is okay, and the universal destination of goods is another topic. But treating humans as property is emphatically not okay It's "...a sin against the dignity of persons...." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2378, 2401-2406, 2414)

After about 19 centuries of reminding folks that loving God, loving neighbors, and seeing everyone as a neighbor2 is a good idea, a few countries stopped practicing slavery.

As I've said before, things often take time. Particularly when change means giving up long-established privileges. (July 5, 2015; January 18, 2015)

Where was I? Hero of Alexandria, steam power, Spartacus. Right.

Science, Pure and Otherwise



(From Bigelow Aerospace, used w/o permission.)
("...When fully expanded, the hull thickness will be approximately 0.46m (18in) and offer ballistic protection superior to that currently afforded to ISS. The hull will also feature at least four large UV protection coated windows that will offer unparalleled earth viewing from orbit...."
(Bigelow Aerospace))

I'm a Norwegian-Irish-Scots-American living in the Upper Midwest, so I'm neither ethnically nor geographically "Yankee:" but I think "Yankee ingenuity" is still a defining American trait.

I suspect the trait may be more common among first- and second-generation immigrants than among many 'real' Americans. When folks stop wanting to move to America, then I'll start worrying about my country's future, and that's yet another topic. (November 17, 2015; July 6, 2014)

I'll be talking about the Bigelow Aerospace BEAM module, and what that company may be doing in the next few years. It's an American outfit: but don't get the idea that aerospace enterprises are strictly "American."

I've talked about Reaction Engines Limited's Skylon project before. (May 2, 2014)

The last I heard, the Japanese Rocket Society's Kankoh-maru is still trying to get off the ground, financially and literally.

Starchaser Industries, a British firm, is hoping to get part of the nascent space tourism industry; Zero2infinity, a Spanish company, is developing high-altitude launching platforms; and ISC Kosmotras, an international outfit, is using modified R-36 missiles as satellite launchers.

ISC Kosmotras vehicles got the Bigelow Aerospace Genesis modules into orbit, and I'll get back to that.

We've long since gone past the point where space travel is "pure science," a strictly theoretical affair with no practical applications.

I see that as a good thing, but some have conniptions when business and science intersect.

Sometimes there's a real ethical issue buried under the rant. Sometimes — I'll let the Lemming, an online alter ego, speak for me:
"...The Lemming remembers watching a terribly serious thinker sputtering after the Russian space program launched a satellite.

His problem wasn't that the Russians had practical launch vehicles. He seemed offended because those people had put an advertisement on the rocket. Imagine!! That was an affront to science, apparently.

The Lemming's understanding of the situation was that the Russian space program was short on funds - and sold advertising space on their launch vehicle to help cover expenses. Which, to the Lemming, made sense.

Maybe it would be nice if exploration of space could be a 'pure' pursuit: an occupation of gentlemen; unsullied by mere commercial concerns.

The Lemming doesn't think that's how it's going to happen...."
(Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 16, 2011))

1. BEAM: a Bigelow Aerospace Inflatable Habitat Comes to the ISS



(From Julie Jacobson/AP, via Wired, used w/o permission.)
("Bigelow Aerospace founder and president Robert Bigelow answers questions from members of the media during a news conference, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in Las Vegas."
(Wired))
"NASA Is Finally Sending a Hotel Magnate's Inflatable Habitat to the ISS"
Sarah Scoles, Science, Wired (April 4, 2016)

"When humans leave Earth for good, they're going to need somewhere to stay. Somewhere spacious, and safe. Portable, but comfy. Lightweight, but robust to the dangers of space. Something like a big bouncy castle for kids, but built to house astronauts and solar system colonists and tourists looking for an out-of-this-world vacation.

"It sounds like a sci-fi fever dream, but it's becoming reality. On Friday, SpaceX will launch a so-called 'expandable'—a prototype called the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module—to the International Space Station. (ISS) It will remain there, attached to the Tranquility module, for two years. Bigelow Aerospace hopes its time in orbit will prove the technology worthy of inhabitants...."
Sarah Scoles did a good job of research, taking readers on a quick tour of inflatable satellites and proposed off-Earth business ventures — including the Echo Mylar balloons, Barron Hilton's Lunar hotel, and a Goodyear inflatable space station.

The hundred-foot-diameter Echo satellites made it into orbit, but the Goodyear prototype didn't. "2001: A Space Odyssey" featured a Hilton hotel in the (fictional) Space Station V, and folks stopped visiting Earth's moon after the Apollo 17 mission.

Scoles' assertion that America's Congress ordered NASA to abandon the TransHab project because "a new, airy space station" would add problems to the over-budget and past-deadline ISS is plausible. Whether or not it's true: I don't know.

Whatever Congress had in mind, "in the 2000 NASA Authorization Act, Congress canceled TransHab. The housing bubble burst," as Scoles put it.

Bigelow Aerospace bought NASA's TransHab patents.

I don't mind a bit: particularly since B.A. actually did something with the research.

Empty, Mostly



(From Bigelow Aerospace, via Wired, used w/o permission.)
(BEAM)
"...For most of its stay, BEAM will be empty, except for the air it shares with the rest of the ISS. 'Currently there is no plan to use the BEAM module as a storage closet,' said Dasgupta. BEAM's empty space should have basically the same internal environment as the rest of the habitat. 'It might be a little cooler,' he said, by which he definitely meant a lot hipper, and also quieter because its walls absorb sound better than the station's metal.

"But four times a year, the station's astronauts will get to actually, you know, inhabit the place—for three hours at a time. With battery-operated flashlights, they will collect data about the module's temperature, pressure, general well-being, and radiation, and switch out radiation sensors. They will also swab samples of surfaces to see what weird life might be growing there, before going back to their regularly scheduled program and habitat.

"The balloon will protrude from the Space Station's side for two years. Then, the robotic arm will swing back around and unhook BEAM, its job complete. Cast into its own decaying orbit, the module will spiral back toward Earth, burning up in the atmosphere 290 days after its ejection...."
(Sarah Scoles, Science, Wired)
Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis I and Genesis II test modules have been orbiting Earth since 2006 and 2007, launched by ISC Kosmotras, a multinational commercial freight service using one-use converted Dnepr rockets.

We're still years — at least — from spaceplanes like Skylon, and I'm drifting off-topic.

Apparently BEAM's two-year scheduled attachment to the ISS is strictly a test of the tech's spaceworthiness.

I figure that keeping BEAM empty except for scheduled maintenance gives researchers 'clean' results: any changes will come from exposure of the outside to near-Earth space, or the inside's exposure to the ISS atmosphere.

Besides, at a tad over 400 kilometers, 250 miles, above Earth's surface; depending on comparatively untested tech isn't the safest option.

The half-dozen folks living and working there have other pressurized modules with a total volume about the same as a Boeing 747's. Considering that much of it is packed with equipment and supplies, it's probably not as spacious as it sounds.

2. Commercial Research in Orbit?



(From Biegelow Aerospace, via The Space Review, used w/o permission.)
("An illustration of Bigelow Aerospace's BEAM module attached to the ISS. While BEAM is a step towards commercial space stations, what types of customers they'll attract remains uncertain."
(The Space Review))
"The challenges of commercializing research in low Earth orbit"
Jeff Foust, The Space Review (April 4, 2016)

"On Friday afternoon, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station, the first resupply mission by the company since a June launch failure. Included in its cargo is the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), an inflatable (or expandable, as Bigelow Aerospace prefers to say) module that will be attached to the station. If all goes as planned, by late May the BEAM will be installed and expanded to its full size, enabling tests of the technology.

"Bigelow is just the latest in a wide range of companies to make use of the ISS for technology demonstration, satellite launches, and research of various types. Bigelow, though, has plans to develop its own space stations as well, and sees BEAM as the next step in those plans.

" 'A free flyer is absolutely a goal of Bigelow Aerospace, and the BEAM, which will be the first time that an astronaut steps inside an expandable habitat, is a very important milestone moving forward towards that vision,' said Mike Gold, director of DC operations and business growth, during a panel session March 30 at the National Academies that was part of a day-long examination of the commercial prospects for activities in low Earth orbit...."
Wikipedia's list of private spaceflight companies has separate lists for "Launch vehicles" and "Crew and cargo transport vehicles.

The former are mostly single-use expendable rockets; although it includes the SpaceX Falcon 9, which has a still-experimental reusable first stage. (December 24, 2015)

The latter includes (now-bankrupt) Rocketplane Kistler's K-1 planned reusable launch vehicle.

I'm not sure what the rationale is for placing vehicles in one or the other of those two lists.

Anyway, that Wikipedia page also lists Space mining and Space manufacturing separately: although Infinite Space Dynamics, Shackleton Energy Company, and Deep Space Industries show up in both. I talked about Deep Space Industries a few years back. (January 25, 2013)

Deep Space Industries' focus is on asteroid mining: which has the advantage of avoiding legal issues rooted in the Outer Space Treaty of 1966.

Shackleton Energy Company may be counting on world leaders to change their minds — or maybe they have really good lawyers. (February 5, 2016)

The Space Review's article focuses on "commercial prospects for activities in low Earth orbit."

Looking Beyond the Lab



(From Stephanie Schierholz/NASA, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module) at Bigelow's Las Vegas facility last year (March 12, 2015))
"...What emerged from that discussion is that the technical infrastructure needed for performing research in LEO, particularly by people, is finally coming together. Orbital ATK and SpaceX have vehicles to transport cargo to and from the ISS that can also be used commercially, while Sierra Nevada Corporation is developing its own cargo vehicle that will be ready in a few years. Boeing and SpaceX, meanwhile, are making progress on commercial crew vehicles that are scheduled to make test flights next year. And Bigelow has its B330 modules that the company says will be ready once commercial crew systems enter service.

"What was less clear from that discussion, though, was the demand for those systems: who will want a commercial space station, particularly when the commercial viability of LEO research remains uncertain?

"NASA argues that it is trying to stimulate that demand now on the ISS, with the goal of having sufficient demand to support commercial suppliers by the time the station is retired in the 2020s. 'Private industry is the driver for the development and the sustainment of the supply,' said Sam Scimemi, ISS director at NASA Headquarters, describing the agency's vision for commercialization in LEO.

"The demand for those commercial facilities, Scimemi said, could include NASA, but only as one customer of many at most. 'We expect that the majority of the demand will be private-sector driven,' he said. 'The majority of the NASA focus will be on beyond low Earth orbit.'..."
(Jeff Foust, The Space Review)
I'm not surprised that "the commercial viability of LEO research" is problematical. There's not all that much demand back on Earth, at least not yet.

We didn't have Earth-based research parks until the 1950s. These days we've got hundreds, which sounds like a lot: but that's hundreds total on the planet, including about 170 in North America.

They're generally associated with a previously-existing university: and I'd be astonished if we're within a generation of seeing the first orbital university campus.

My guess is that folks who are "chasing long-held visions of using space not just for research but also for manufacturing" are on the right track.

This is still speculation, but we're discovering that some materials, behave differently in free fall:
"...Current technology indicates that a microgravity environment has enabled researchers to grow three-dimensional tissues that have characteristics similar to body tissues and to produce protein crystals to aid in novel pharmaceutical development...."
("Fields of Research," International Space Station Payload Information Source, via Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
I'd love to give examples of some specific drug that can only be made in low Earth orbit, or another manufacturing process that makes economic sense there. As far as I know, there isn't one. Not today.

"Needs" Change




(From Cmglee, Geo Swan; via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Orbits of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass (medium earth orbit) satellite navigation system, International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope and Iridium constellation.)
"...'What can we not do without that we have to get from space?' asked Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's space systems division, about that search for a killer app for LEO research. 'We don't have that yet.'..."
(Jeff Foust, The Space Review)
"What we can not do without" has changed quite a bit since I started noticing things — communications satellites, for example.

The International Telegraph Union became a United Nations specialized agency in 1947. Now we're calling it the International Telecommunication Union, and one of its functions is sorting out disputes between folks who want their satellites in the similar orbits.

I remember when Telstar satellites were experimental, and when a live transatlantic broadcast was international news. We still don't "need" communications satellites: but we certainly notice when a live video feed from another continent isn't as crystal-clear as local coverage.

Weather satellites predate Telstar by a few years. Collecting data from remote areas, and Earth's ocean, helped make weather forecasting a whole lot more reliable than in my 'good old days.'

As with communications satellites, maybe we don't "need" accurate weather forecasts the way we need food and water: but knowing the odds that a tornado is coming is nice.

So is having National Weather Service who aren't afraid to tell us. I really do not miss the 'good old days.' (January 16, 2015)

FAQs



(From NASA, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(BEAM mockup interior (2014))

Like most of the rest of the ISS, Bigelow's BEAM module has no windows: and doesn't need them, since it's there to 'flight test' Bigelow Aerospace inflatable habitat technology.

I'm fascinated by this sort of thing.

Your experience may vary: but if your day won't be complete without a learning more, I put a link list of resources at the end of this post.3

Here's an excerpt from a FAQ I didn't include in that list.
  • In its packed configuration, the module will measure approximately 8 feet in diameter.
  • In its expanded configuration, BEAM's internal dimensions provide 565 cubic feet of volume.
  • BEAM's mass is approximately 3,000 pounds.
  • BEAM is composed of: two metal bulkheads, an aluminum structure, and multiple layers of soft fabric with spacing between layers, protecting an internal restraint and bladder system. It has no windows.
  • BEAM will be attached to the aft section of the Tranquility Node on the International Space Station.
  • BEAM's mission duration is two years.
  • BEAM is outfitted with various sensors and radiation monitors.
    (Source: "BEAM Facts, Figures, FAQs," NASA (July 17, 2015))

3. Robert Bigelow: "Foretastes of the Space Age"



(From Michael Friberg, Bloomberg Businessweek; used w/o permission.)
("A cutaway showing the interior of the Olympus habitat, which has a volume more than double that of the International Space Station"
(Bloomberg Businessweek))
"A Las Vegas billionaire plans to build a real estate empire in space"
Adam Higginbotham, Bloomberg Businessweek (May 2, 2013)

"Robert Bigelow was no more than 9 years old when he heard his first atom bomb explosion. He was upstairs in his bedroom, in a two-story brick house in Las Vegas. There was a low rumble in the early hours of the morning; a bright flash seared the horizon. 'All of a sudden,' Bigelow remembers, 'it lights up like daytime.'...

"...As he grew up in the Las Vegas of the early ’50s—then still a small town—foretastes of the Space Age transfixed him: exotic jet planes screaming overhead from Nellis Air Force Base and stories of UFO sightings recounted by friends and family. At 12, Bigelow decided that his future lay in space travel, despite his limitations. 'I hated algebra,' he says. 'I knew I was no good at it.' So he resolved to choose a career that would make him rich enough that, one day, he could hire the scientific expertise required to launch his own space program. Until then, he would tell no one—not even his wife—about his ultimate goal. It took more than 40 years...."
Robert Bigelow is a few years older than I am, looks quite a few years younger, is a great deal richer. About the latter two: I don't mind.

Folks like him, Jacques Cousteau, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, and Sir Isaac Newton are among the reasons I do not mind uneven distribution of wealth. As I've said before, being rich or poor is okay. What matters is what we do with our lives. (January 25, 2015; November 16, 2014)

Differences between folks isn't the problem: it's unjust differences. I've talked about the universal destination of goods, social justice, and Beaver Cleaver, before. (January 17, 2016; May 3, 2015)

Bigelow's sometimes called a "hotel magnate," which means that he owns Budget Suites of America: and has been developing hotels, motels and apartments since the late 1960s.

He's talked about hotels in space, maybe because that's likely to spark interest. He also sees other possibilities: like mining Helium-3 on Earth's moon. It's used in cryogenics and MRI machines, and (theoretically) could be used in fusion reactors — eventually.

The ESA and China have been talking about He-3 lunar mining:
Maybe that pesky Outer Space Treaty will finally get scrapped. Or ignored.

Space for Rent: Looking at Numbers



(From Michael Friberg, Bloomberg Businessweek; used w/o permission.)
("The B330 can be deployed by multiple launch vehicles and features an architecture designed with modular expansion in mind. A single B330 can be joined in orbit by multiple vehicles, in addition to other B330 and Bigelow Aerospace spacecraft."
(Bigelow Aerospace))
"...Although he'll be quite happy to sell habitats outright to his customers, he points out that for NASA—or the agencies of any other newly budget-conscious nations with ambitions beyond earth's atmosphere—leasing is by far the more affordable option. For only $51.25 million, Bigelow's sales brochure suggests, a client can travel to the Alpha Station and enjoy dominion over 110 cubic meters for 60 days.

" 'The main thing is trying to save them a lot of money on good quality hardware,' he says. Bigelow's intention is to become the first full-service landlord in space. 'Bring your clothes and your money. We provide everything else.'..."
(Adam Higginbotham, Bloomberg Businessweek)
Let's look at the numbers: 110 cubic meters, 60 days, $51,250,000 U.S. dollars. At first glance, that looks like a lot of money: and it is, for someone like me. We're making our own laundry detergent and growing produce out back to make ends meet.

But let's say that I want, or could use, two months in low Earth orbit; and had a company in Ohio with an annual revenue of between $10,000,0000 and $1,000,000,000.

That's a "middle market" company, according to Ohio State University's National Center for the Middle Market.

It's still a lot of money, but at middle market's high end, it'd be very roughly 1/20th of the company's annual revenue.

Let's see how much room that gets me. 110 cubic meters is just over 3,884 cubic feet.

A standard 40-foot intermodal container — that's one of those big metal boxes you see on container ships, railroad flatcars, or hauled by semitrailers — holds 3,040 cubic feet, or 86.1 cubic meters. That's about as much as a really small American studio apartment.

If it was job-related, I can imagine living in something that size for two months: even if equipment and supplies took up much of the volume. Bear in mind that I spend 12 to 14 hours a day at my desk, virtually plugged in to my computer. My idea of  'roomy' and yours may not be the same.

If Mr. Bigelow's "everything else" included air, water, food, power, and basic furniture, that $854.17 per day price tag doesn't seem so extravagant.

I checked, and that 'per day' rate is a bit less than I'd pay for one day at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort (Pennsylvania) Chateau Lafayette Club Suite on a summer weekend or holiday.

I think Bigelow Aerospace may take off: literally and financially.

Even if that company doesn't, I'm quite sure that other folks will continue humanity's old habit of heading for the horizon:
1 I talked about UTC, 'Earth time,' last year. (July 10, 2015)

Briefly, "UTC" stands for Coordinated Universal Time, an acronym that happened when folks speaking French and English couldn't agree on an acronym.

UTC is based on International Atomic Time: a time standard set by the weighted average of over 400 atomic clocks in more than 50 laboratories at various spots at or near Earth's surface — coordinated by GPS and two-way satellite time and frequency transfer.

2 My faith's basic 'to do' list is quite simple. I should 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)

Acting as if that's true: that's what gets hard.

3 Background, far from exhaustive from:
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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:
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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Prayer: Expressing an Inner Desire to Receive Help

Readings for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
July 28, 2013

I would like to share with you today what I would consider three points of interest, all in one way or another dealing with prayer.

The first bit of interest is that of the Holy Father in Brazil. He did not go there only just to schmooze with the kids, although it is obvious that this is very important for him, he nevertheless comes to Brazil in order to pray not only with the young people but with all the people of the region.

So this last Wednesday we find him at a shrine to our Lady called our Lady of Aparecida, for there he wanted to pray. It was important for Francis to add this day and this visit as a time of prayer to our Lady. Who by the way he calls, Mom.

This statue of the Virgin Mary is about 40 cm tall and is black. Partly I suppose because it was found in the river of Paraiba in three pieces. Tradition says that this statue, being black, means it wants to be close to the oppressed and the fact that it was found in pieces symbolizes the broken lives of slaves.

Francis knows full well the power of prayer even spending time in prayer with Pope Benedict, emeritus before going to Brazil. The most important part of Francis's mission is to pray the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass not only for the youth but for the world at large. Much more of this story is available to you on Internet and I would encourage you to look it up and read it so that you too may share the vision of Pope Francis.

Secondly I want to share with you a little bit of the trip that father Statz and I took now just a little over a week ago; and that was to the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe, La Cross, Wisconsin, at a workshop sponsored, by Queen of the Americas Guild. This retreat workshop concerned art and architecture that you all may, well know, father and I are both highly interested. The title of the workshop worshiping God through art and architecture is expressed in the words of St. Juan Diego, "I want very much they build my sacred little house here."

This shrine to our Lady is a recently built shrine that expresses what can be done for the love of Jesus through Mary. You walk up a trail of little more than a half-mile long to one of the most beautiful churches built in our time. The trail reminds you that you are on a journey and that journey is to give praise and honor to our Lady under the title of our Lady of Guadalupe. Walking into that church leaves one's jaw hanging down. Then to see the artwork along each long axis of the church likewise is so stunning that words cannot describe and furthermore maybe the lack of words is prayer itself. And wouldn't you know the first very large painting on the left-hand wall as you come into the church is the most beautiful painting of Divine Mercy and St. Faustina. I stood there in awe, really not even able to pray: not only because of its beauty but what it represents in the life of the Church in our world today. Sometimes words are not adequate in prayer so finally we must allow our heart to speak.

And we find that we are to celebrate Mass with Cardinal Burke and father is to concelebrate. Father wants me to come with him to be Deacon of the Mass and I don't want to. Why is a good question. Maybe I just didn't feel adequate enough. But nevertheless that finally is what happens so twice I am the Deacon of the Mass for Cardinal Burke, a very kind and gentle man, called the patron of this shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe. I really didn't get into trouble, however Bishop Madera informed me that I was not incensing correctly. You don't incense down here he said but up here, and I said, okay, I can do that, so the next time you see me incense it will be done correctly by the directions of Bishop Madera. Another point of interest for you might be that maybe you should think twice about complaining when father uses incense because the Cardinal knows how to use incense. He not only had a little spoon to fill the sensor, but a scope, and I mean he scooped it in. Advice to me was maybe you have to hold your breath a little bit once in awhile. I say this looking at you, maybe you need to bring a gas mask or a fluffy handkerchief, than having to hold your breath. All for the praise and glory of God in prayer. For incense rising is a symbol of our prayers rising to heaven.

One other brief point, was a very old Monsignor. who looked to be 110 going on a 120. I looked at him and he so much looked like father Harden, who I knew as our retreat master that I said to him you look very much like father Harden, he said, he's my brother. Small world.

Many homilies could be preached on the words of the our father, as found in the Gospel for today, but I want to draw your attention to the opening words, Our Father, because in these two simple words, is what a little Jewish boy would express as he calls out Abba. With much love, petition and fear of loss. To find and hold onto the father is an answer to all of our prayers. Father, I love you I worship you and give you all Honor and Glory. In finding You the desires of an earthly life are fulfilled, in the heavenly life we will find Eternal Life, to Know You to Love You to Serve You is life itself.

A closing thought: there are many bold claims made for prayer. Some bumper stickers even read: "prayer changes things." Of course, then you and I might ask, what does prayer change? I think we will find that more often than not we will find that things do not change so much around us, as changes are made with in us. Prayer certainly gives us a new perspective on things. Prayer gives us a new power over circumstances. Prayer changes more things than we will ever know!

Each time that we pray, whether we pray, Our Father, Hail Mary, Jesus I trust in you, we express an inner desire to receive the help we need to live a Good Holy life and that we may spend Eternity with You in Heaven.

So you all be good, be Holy, preached the Gospel always, and if necessary use words!
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Kidnapping, Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Bingo

Three women who had been held against their will in a Cleveland, Ohio, house are free: and, happily, seem to be in good physical health.

Their kidnapping, years of virtual slavery, and eventual escape, are international news. I'll be back on Friday with another 'in the news' post, but this seemed worth posting now:
  1. Not-So-Good Neighbors
  2. Good Neighbors
  3. Human Trafficking and Other Threats

Neighbors, Sex, and Slavery

The rules are basically simple:
In my native language, English, "love" can mean quite a few things, like: 'I love hamburgers;' I love golf;' 'I love my wife;' I love golf;' or 'I love God.' In this case, I'm talking about the sort of love that's "to will the good of another. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1766)

Slavery

The Catechism has quit a bit to say about loving neighbors. (Catechism, 2401-2449)

Some of it is what we should do, some is what we shouldn't do. Among other things, slavery is not allowed. We can't do it for ideological or totalitarian reasons: or for commercial purposes. It's wrong, and we shouldn't do it. (Catechism, 2414)

It's true that the Church did not 'make' people stop practicing slavery. Individual Catholics have occasionally tried to force their notion of 'proper' behavior down the throats of unwilling subjects: but that's a bad idea, and we shouldn't do it. (Catechism, 1782)

It took almost two millennia, but eventually several nations started acting as if people owning other people was a bad idea. I think the idea is catching on. (May 6, 2012)

On the other hand, we do have occasional lapses. Old habits die hard.

Prostitution

Despite the goofy assumptions that are mistaken for facts in some American subcultures, the Catholic Church doesn't abuse women. Again, some Catholics have behaved badly.

Among other things, unjust discrimination in employment is against the rules. (Catechism, 2433)

If the Church is against discrimination based on sex, why isn't prostitution allowed? Given America's recent cultural history, that's not an unreasonable question.

A half century back, it seemed 'obvious' to some reformers that prostitution was a good way for women to make money: and was illegal because a male-dominated society wanted to keep women in a subservient status.

The Church is against prostitution, not because sex is evil: but because prostitution hurts the dignity of the person who acts as a prostitute. Prostitution reduces a person to a mere object intended for sexual pleasure. It's not good for the prostitute's client, either, and is particularly bad when children are used. (Catechism, 2355)

Yes, I know about the pedophile priests. Moving on.

Sex

Sex is good. That's not just my opinion. Genesis 1:22, 28, and 31 make it fairly clear that God designed humanity with our sexual nature: and thought it was good. At that level of authority, I don't think there's a point in arguing.

Here's a very quick overview of the Catholic Church's view:
  • Sex is
  • Lust is a disorder (Catechism, 2351)
  • Rape is bad (Catechism, 2356)
Some folks don't act as if that's true, sadly: which brings me to some of this week's news.

1. Not-So-Good Neighbors

"Ohio abduction suspect was familiar figure in neighborhood"
Associated Press via FoxNews.com (May 8, 2013)

"In the tight-knit neighborhood near downtown where many conversations are spoken in Spanish, it seems most everyone knew Ariel Castro.

"He played bass guitar in salsa and merengue bands. He parked his school bus on the street. He gave neighborhood children rides on his motorcycle.

"And when they gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember two girls who vanished years ago, Castro was there, too, comforting the mother of one of the missing, a neighbor said.

"Neighbors and friends were stunned by the arrest of Castro and his two brothers after a 911 call led police to his house, where authorities say three women missing for about a decade were held captive...."
What three brothers did in that neighborhood was very wrong, and is now international news. The blame game may go into extra innings as folks vent their anger and frustrations. I think kidnapping is wrong. (Catechism, 2297) Forcing those three young women into slavery was wrong.

But I won't claim that the local police are to blame, that school bus drivers should all be deported, or that men who play guitars are evil. I don't have enough information to have an opinion about what law enforcement could have done: and the rest is simply silly.

I doubt that anyone will seriously propose that guitars be outlawed: but it's all too likely that some 'regular Americans' will decide that this appalling situation shows that non-WASPs should be driven out of 'their' country.

Locks and Hindsight

"...Castro's son, Anthony Castro, said in an interview with London's Daily Mail newspaper that he now speaks with his father just a few times a year and seldom visited his house. On his last visit two weeks ago, he said, his father would not let him inside.

" 'The house was always locked,' he told the newspaper. 'There were places we could never go. There were locks on the basement. Locks on the attic. Locks on the garage.'..."
Ideally, Anthony Castro might have deduced that his father's behavior was sufficiently inappropriate to warrant calling the police: with a complaint that his father had put a lock on his garage???

It's easy to be wise after the fact. I think it's more sensible to remember that kidnapping and imprisoning those women was a bad thing, and that we shouldn't do that sort of thing.

2. Good Neighbors

"Cleveland officials hail bravery of missing women"
BBC News (May 7, 2013)

"Police have praised the bravery of three women found alive on Monday evening in a house in Cleveland, Ohio, after they vanished about a decade ago.

"Amanda Berry, who disappeared in 2003 aged 16, escaped with a neighbour's help while her alleged captor was away.

"Gina DeJesus, who went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight, who vanished in 2002 aged about 19, were also rescued from the property.

"A school bus driver and his two brothers have been arrested.

"The three women were taken to hospital for a check-up and to be reunited with their relatives before being discharged on Tuesday morning.

"A six-year-old girl also rescued from the house was believed to be the daughter of Ms Berry, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba told a news conference...."
I prefer to look at what neighbors did, as soon as one of them realized that someone needed help. As soon as Amanda Berry called for help: she got it, together with the release of her fellow-captives.

3. Human Trafficking and Other Threats

"Congressman calls attention to human trafficking in US"
Adelaide Mena, CNA/EWTN News (May 6, 2013)

"In a recent Virginia forum, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) highlighted the largely unknown problem of human trafficking within the United States, offering suggestions for how to fight 'modern day slavery.'

"While many see slavery as a problem of history, Wolf said, 'slavery, of a different sort, still exists today.'

"He also stressed that human trafficking is a local issue, with girls being held in sex slavery within the state of Virginia.

"Wolf delivered his comments at a May 3 meeting with state and local officials in McLean, Va. The gathering, hosted by state delegates Barbara Comstock and Tim Hugo, was aimed at discussing ways to fight human trafficking in the state.

"According to the non-profit group Shared Hope International, over 100,000 American children are exploited through pornography or prostitution annually....
Representative Wolf may be looking at his reelection campaign, dispassionately interested in righting this wrong: or, more likely, motivated by a bit of both.

Depending on his constituency, he may be taking a risk. 'Good, decent, God-fearing folks' can get used to remarkably depraved things: and get huffy when someone rocks the boat, and that's another topic.

Porn

"...The congressman remarked that he has 'seen credible reports of nearly 80 establishments' in Northern Virginia that serve as centers for human trafficking and exploitation.

" 'We walk and drive by them every day,' he said.

"Wolf listed the internet and gangs as major components in the spread and success of human trafficking. He stated that sites such as Facebook and Backpage.com permit individuals to meet and take advantage of victims.

"The congressman also expressed concern that the opening of a casino in the Maryland National Harbor would lead to a growth in human trafficking in the region...."
(Adelaide Mena, CNA/EWTN News)
For some folks, pornography is 'stuff I don't like that relates to sex.' That can include anything from cosmetics advertisements and the auto parts store wall calendar to "The Moon is Blue." (1953) I really don't miss the 'good old days.' More topics.

As a Catholic, I think pornography is the deliberate display of real of simulated sexual acts. It removes the intimacy of partners, is a misuse of sex, and hurts the dignity of everyone involved. (Catechism, 2354)

Like prostitution, pornography was supposed to be a tool used by liberated women to make money: thereby freeing them from the trammeling bonds of male oppression. I think people should be able to earn money: but I also think porn is a bad idea.

Magazine ads for lip gloss and mascara are sometimes of debatable value: but that really is another topic.

The Internet and Bingo

I think Representative Wolf has a point, about online services like Facebook and Backpage.com being used by human traffickers. Happily, he doesn't seem to be trying to sell fear of Facebook. I don't see Facebook, or other social media, as a threat to society: but I'm one of those people who have a Facebook page, so maybe I'm biased. (Brian H Gill)

Wolf's concern about a casino interested me. I don't gamble, but I don't think gambling is inherently bad. Maybe the idea is that casinos are seen as 'ethics-free' zones: or, not. I've harangued about the Internet, Bingo, fear, and sin before. (November 18, 2012; September 28, 2012)

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Sunday, May 6, 2012

Street Performers and Making Progress

I lived in San Francisco for about 18 months, back when Disco was in flower. San Francisco isn't quite like Minnesota's major metropolitan area, Minneapolis-Saint Paul: and it's not just the climate.

Street performers were a facet of San Francisco life that took getting used to. Where I grew up, street vendors/sidewalk salesmen/hawkers weren't around. Neither were folks providing open-air entertainment.

Some of San Francisco's street performers might have made more money with a sign saying "WILL QUIT FOR MONEY." Others were very talented: and I'm told some made a modest living off what landed in their hat.

Sidewalk Entertainment: In Minnesota?!

I don't think we'll see street performers here in central Minnesota: not soon, anyway. It's simply not part of the regional culture.

I wouldn't mind at all if the upper Midwest changed its attitude toward street vendors and street performers. Aside from pepping up the downtown experience, I see hawkers and sidewalk shows as an opportunity for 'the other folks.'

Having parents who are studio executives, entertainment celebrities, or owners of a national network, doesn't guarantee a successful career in the entertainment industry. But I suspect that it's a little easier for folks in that position to get a foot in the door.

Sawing away at a violin on a street corner is no guarantee of a successful performing career, either: but all a person needs to get that sort of exposure is appropriate clothing, a violin, and something to hold coins. Or, if you're really good, bills.

Some Scrawny Kid from Hoboken

Maybe that's a bad example. Violins are expensive, and quite a few folks can't afford one. Let's say that someone likes to sing, and is good at it.

Some kid from Hoboken, New Jersey, started singing for tips at age eight: in a local bar. Later, he was kicked out of high school, got in trouble with the law, and became Frank Sinatra.

I don't think breaking the law is necessarily a good career move for anybody. Not in a 'big picture' sense, anyway. A society that lets some scrawny kid from Hoboken get a singing career started by trading songs for tips? I don't see that as a problem. I like the idea of letting folks have opportunities to exercise their talents.

San Francisco isn't Minneapolis

Street vendors and performers aren't the only way that San Francisco and Minneapolis-Saint Paul are different. For one thing, Minnesota's Twin Cities / "the Metro" is a collection of almost 200 towns and cities, packed around a few good landings, crossings, and a waterfall on some rivers. San Francisco is a city built around a harbor, surrounded on three sides by water.

Then there's culture. San Francisco is on America's west coast, and has been described as eccentric. Minnesota is at the north end of America's Midwest, and has lots of Scandinavians.

At one time Minnesota had a reputation for providing employment opportunities to oppressed women. Or selling girls into slavery. So much depends on how a person views places like New York City's Minnesota Strip. Folks in outstate Minnesota tended to give the Twin Cities most of the credit. In my experience, anyway.

These days, prostitution and solicitation are somewhat illegal in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. On the other hand, it's fairly easy to find 'sex shops' in the Metro, particularly near convention and sports venues. Not that they're involved in prostitution. Like I said, that's illegal.

But, as 'advanced' and 'enlightened' as some folks in this state are, I think Minnesota's largest city is nowhere near as, ah, relaxed as San Francisco. Not in terms of what the folks in charge seem to believe, and think they can get away with, about human sexuality.

No Rant, No Way

If you're expecting a rant about the abyssal vileness of wicked San Francisco, and how a wrathful God should smite the sinners and cast their city into the depths: You'll have a long wait.

Not - gonna - happen.

I do not need that sort of trouble. Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37, 41-42; Romans 12:19; 1 John 3:15; and all that.

These days, by the way, human trafficking in Minnesota is more of the incoming variety, and I've posted about this before:
As that post's title implies, I think prostitution and slavery are bad ideas: and I'll get back to that.

Street Vendors and Regional Culture

Goat meat seller in the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. Продавец мяса коз на улицах Кабула, Афганистан. Keçinin kelle paçasını satan seyyar satıcı Kabil, Afganistan. Photo by Paulrudd (February 12, 2010), via Wikipedia, used w/o permission.Over the decades, I've run into folks whose faith seems to consist mostly of fussing about music they don't like, movies they won't watch, and people who aren't pretty much just like themselves. I've discussed malignant virtue and why I converted to Catholicism before.

A Brief Distraction

Taking my cue from the 'everything that's not done in my neighborhood is Satanic' school of thought, I could assume that street vendors and performers are evil. After all, we don't do that here in Minnesota: and that 'wicked' city, San Francisco, is just simply swarming with street vendors. Or was, back in the '70s, when I lived there.

Some of my better memories of San Francisco involve street performers. Not the young woman with a violin whose vocal performance suggested that she might be tone deaf. There was a man who played classical guitar: and did a beautiful job. What most of them had in common was talent, a willingness to perform, and a small container on the sidewalk for contributions.

Barrel organ player in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Andrzej Barabasz (Chepry) (2002), via Wikipedia, used w/o permission.The chap with the barrel organ and white gloves in that photo isn't from San Francisco, by the way. He looks quite a bit like many of the folks living in my part of Minnesota: but he was in Vienna, Austria.

Another Brief Distraction

Apparently street vendors are called hawkers in dialects of English other than the North American version I speak. Whether they're called street vendors or hawkers, many parts of the world have folks with goods to sell who do business with pedestrians.

The way my brain works, the terms street vendor and hawker reminded me of software that translates from one language to another. For example, although I don't understand more than a few words of traditional Chinese, I can use Google Translate to change "The hawker had fresh fish." to "小販有新鮮的魚。"

Since I'm not at all fluent in Chinese, traditional or otherwise, I used the same online software to change "小販有新鮮的魚。" back to "The hawker There are fresh fish." Which is another reason why I won't be using automated translation software any time soon, and I posted about that yesterday.

Where was I? San Francisco, street performers, and silly ideas. Right.

Money Isn't the Root of All Evil

I hope most folks realize that "money is the root of all evil" isn't in the Bible:
"For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains."
(1 Timothy 6:10)

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never forsake you or abandon you.'"
(Hebrews 13:5)
I've posted about wealth, poverty, and what the Church says, before; including these posts:As nearly as I can tell, it's okay to be poor, it's okay to be rich: what matters is what I do with what I've got.

Business Ethics

I've yet to find a serious objection to doing business in the Bible: or Catholic teaching. Based on what I've found so far, I doubt that there's a blanket prohibition against street vendors/hawkers, or street performers. There are quite a few rules about business ethics, though.

For example, there's "do not steal." (Exodus 20:15, Deuteronomy 5:19, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20) The Catechism has a somewhat detailed discussion of what "do not steal" means. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2401-2449)

Basically, "do not steal" means that stealing is wrong, and we shouldn't do it. Even it it's the sort of "legal" theft where someone takes property in a way that's legal: but unethical. (Catechism, 2408)

Like I've said before, after two millennia of folks trying to weasel out of a few simple rules, the Church has gotten pretty good at explaining how "do not steal" means "do not steal;" and why stealing is a bad idea. My opinion. (March 12, 2012)

Prostitution and Slavery: Ancient Traditions, but Wrong

Some folks seem to see the Catholic Church as an institution dedicated to preserving the status quo, and forcing people to live with dusty traditions. That's not the way it works.

The Catholic Church keeps insisting that some ancient principles are important: like "do not steal." Not because they're ancient: but because they're right.

The Church has been saying that other ancient traditions are wrong. Not because they're dusty old ideas: but because they're wrong. Like prostitution and slavery:
"Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who engages in it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual pleasure...."
(Catechism, 2355)
"The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason - selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian - lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St. Paul directed a Christian master to treat his Christian slave "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, . . . both in the flesh and in the Lord."194"
(Catechism, 2414)
I don't think it's too much of an oversimplification to say that prostitution and slavery are wrong partly because both involve folks treating other folks as something less than a 'real' person. The Church has insisted that we should treat human beings as if they're people. All human beings.

That doesn't mean that the Church doesn't want women to have jobs:
"The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:
"Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design.40"
(Catechism, 1935)
My wife or my daughters working outside the home is okay. Being prostitutes isn't.

Slow Progress is Still Progress

I don't think there are all that many folks in America who still think that owning other people is okay. Yes, human trafficking shows up in the news now and then. Occasionally someone with more money than sense gets in trouble because they've been keeping another person around the house as a sort of slave:What makes me hopeful about efforts to improve this world is that most folks in America seem to think that keeping slaves is wrong. That's progress.

Twelve Legions of Angels?

So, if the Church says that slavery is wrong, why didn't Jesus start a Spartacus-style revolution and keep going until blood of Romans and everybody who was 'too wealthy' ran in the street? Questions of morality aside, I think there are practical reasons.

I enjoy watching the occasional action-adventure movie where the good guys blow things up and justice triumphs. But life isn't the movies. (May 3, 2011)

The real Spartacus was remarkably successful at disrupting part of the Roman Empire. But after the smoke cleared, his revolt had killed quite a few people, and destroyed quite a lot of property. But Spartacus and thousands of his followers dead: and the status quo was pretty much intact.

Slavery didn't start getting unpopular (among non-slaves) until almost two millennia later - and is still practiced, sadly.

My Lord said that he could call in twelve legions of angels. (Matthew 26:53) But that he had good reason for not doing so. (Matthew 26:54) I'm inclined to believe Jesus. His Father had ordered an air strike that obliterated at least two cities and the region they had been in. (Genesis 19:28)

The 'Hammer of God' and Rebound

If the Catholic Church operated like some of the 'hammer of God' folks who make the news now and then, and was as incredibly powerful as some claim, slavery could have been wiped out. Quite often.

Killing everybody who owned slaves, or supported slavery, would end slavery. For a while. But that would be a messy process: and my guess is that slavery would reappear within a generation or two. There's that bit from Job:
"For mischief comes not out of the earth, nor does trouble spring out of the ground;

"2But man himself begets mischief, as sparks fly upward."
(Job 5:6-7)
I've used that quote before, and posted about original sin. (October 15, 2010, October 12, 2010)

Passing Along Simple Truth

What the Catholic Church has been doing for two millennia is passing along what we got from my Lord:We're still doing what we've been doing for the last two thousand years - teaching folks to love God and love neighbors.

When more people learn to love, and that we should treat others as we want to be treated, I think we'll see less slavery, less prostitution: and fewer dishonest salespeople.

It took something like 19 centuries for the idea that slavery is a bad idea to catch on. Maybe by the 39th century, another obdurate social malady will be on the wane.

It's slow going: but we are making progress.

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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.