A Catholic Citizen in America

Freedom of Speech: Bothersome, but Valuable

2012-01-27T08:29:00.049-06:00

I got carried away while writing my 'in the news' post for this week. That happens fairly often. This time, I'd gone off on a tangent about freedom of speech, American culture over the last half-century, and what happened when Information Age technology hit old-school autocratic regimes.

There seemed to be enough for another post, so I copied what I'd written, polished it off a little, and here it is:

Freedom of Speech, in Principle and Practice

The America I grew up in had constitutional guarantees of free speech.

In principle, this gave most citizens the ability to share their ideas with others.

In practice, a person was free to share ideas with family, neighbors, and co-workers. Reaching a wider audience usually meant going to one of the culture's information gatekeepers: a relatively small number of news and magazine editors; book publishers; entertainment producers; and educators.

If those information gatekeepers didn't what they saw, the idea stopped there. That's an over-simplification, and I've posed about information gatekeepers before. Fairly often, including:

"Huckleberry Finn, [redacted] Jim, and Making Sense"
(June 24, 2011)
"Cultural Chaos, Divisiveness, and CNN"
(April 1, 2010)
"What is an Information Gatekeeper?"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (August 14, 2009)
Particularly
- Cultural Chaos! Divisiveness! I Like It!

McCarthyism, Political Correctness, and Deposed Autocrats

I remember the 'good old days,' when America was flushing McCarthyism out of its system. That, and the heyday of political correctness, together with having a pretty good memory, are reasons that I don't miss 'the good old days.'

I think McCarthyism was a bad idea. I think there really was a 'communist menace,' but by the time I started paying attention, it was hard to see through the psychological detritus, paranoia, and blacklists.

A few decades later, a different set of idealistic do-gooders gave us political correctness. With similar results. Like Fred Astaire sang, tomato, tomahto. I've been over this before:

"My Take on the News: Jingle Bells, Jangled Nerves, and Good Advice"
(December 16, 2011)
Particularly
- Fear and Control

Then the Internet started upsetting apple carts around the globe. Old-school autocrats in places like Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt would have died eventually: and eventually a successor would fail to maintain power. Instead, starting about a year ago, their regimes fell. I think Information Age technology, and the social structures developing around it, are at least partly responsible. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 30, 2011))

Getting Published, Then and Now

For folks who were on the same page as America's information gatekeepers, getting ideas circulated meant being a skillful writer or performer. And being in the right place, at the right time, with the right material.

Everyone else had to be very, very:

Skilled
Persistent
'Lucky'
All of the above

There were ways around old-school editors and the establishment media, of course. I remember when the undeground press gave 'regular Americans' conniptions. Later, when 'the establishment' had changed, 'little old ladies in tennis shoes' used fax machines to 'deceive' The Masses. Or to get the truth out. Different folks saw that sort of thing in different ways.

It's Different, When You're In Charge

Quite a few of the campus radicals of my youth grew up, had successful careers in media and politics: and have been telling each other what they want to hear for decades.

The 'official' version of reality has had time to deviate quite a bit from what the rest of us live with. I think most folks are level-headed enough to tell the difference between ideologically-driven piffle and facts. Once we've had a chance to hear something besides what our 'betters' think is good for us, that is.

Many folks who aren't part of the 'in' group are probably doubting secular equivalents to the perennial 'End Times prophecy,' angst over spotted owls that can only live in virgin forests (and K-Mart signs), and nostalgic efforts to re-live the days of Stokely Carmichael. My opinion.

It's no wonder that America's (new) establishment fears open discussion and uncensored opinions online.

I don't, putting it mildly, agree with everything I see online. But I like living in a world where my 'betters' can't decide what I should and should not see. I've posted about this before, too:

"SOPA, PIPA, and a Disapproving Rabbit"
Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 18, 2012)
"Lemming Tracks: Internet Freedom; or 'Be Careful What You Wish For' "
Apathetic Lemming of the North (April 19, 2011)
"Modernism, Luddites, Catholicism, and Godzilla"
(April 7, 2011)
"Lemming Tracks: Blasphemy! Or, 'We're All Gonna Die' Predictions That Fizzled"
Apathetic Lemming of the North (December 30, 2010)
Particularly
- Problems? Yes - Panic? No
- "A Catholic Blogger In the Digital Continent"
  (November 15, 2010)

Background:

"Egypt's revolution, one year on"
Roger Hardy, BBC News (January 24, 2012)
"Egypt's Mubarak: End of the great survivor"
BBC News (February 11, 2011)

My Take on the News: Reliquary Found; 'Kill or Close' Order From Washington; the Value of Silence

2012-01-27T07:51:00.676-06:00

This week I read about a discovery in Boston, an archbishop with good advice, and a reminder about the value of silence:

Reliquary Found
'Kill or Close'
Silence: Still Golden

1. Reliquary Found

"Reliquary?" It sounds like it might be a place where relics are dug up, and that's close to the word's meaning: but not quite.

Reliquary
1. A container where religious relics are stored or displayed (especially relics of saints)
  (Princeon's WordNet)
2. A container for relics
  (Wikipedia)
3. A container, often made of precious materials, used a repository for sacred relics
  (Art 31 Vocabulary, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
4. A novel (1997) set in and under New York City, involving
  - Decapitated bodies
  - A monster
  - Mole people
  - Dr. Whitney C. Frock
    - Evolutionary biologist
    - Mad scientist
  (Wikipedia)

Maybe I need to say this, given American culture's assumptions:

Relics aren't idols
Saints aren't little gods
Veneration isn't worship

I put a little more background near the end of this post¹ It's probably not as riveting as a story about Mole people, a mad scientist, and the Mbwun monster. That may explain why so many folks have odd ideas about Catholic beliefs: which is definitely another topic.

The closest thing to the Catholic Church's use of relics that I can think of, offhand, in American culture is sports memorabilia. Apart from the occasional crackpot, nobody believes that a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth has magical powers; or that a jersey worn by Michael Jordan will imbue greatness on its current owner. But folks have been known to spend large sums of money to get items with some connection to a sports star.

Which brings up simony, idolatry, Mephistopheles, and a whole boatload of other topics.

From Boston: Good News; Bad News

"Forgotten religious relic rediscovered in New York"
Lauren Green, FoxNews.com (July 25, 2012)

"Safely tucked away in a private room of the diocese headquarters, a mysterious masterpiece is causing quite a stir in Buffalo, N.Y.

"A rare religious relic, an intricate starburst tapestry, was recently rediscovered after being hidden for more than a century.

" 'We assume that something as elaborate as this had to come from the Holy Father.' says Monsignor James F. Campbell.

"That is the only thing he can be certain of.

"The tapestry contains a calendar of 365 relics of the saints, one saint's relic for each day of the year.

"And in the center of the roughly 2-foot-by-3-foot tapestry are what are supposed to be the relics of the actual crucifixion of Jesus: a piece of the Crown of Thorns, the sponge used to dab his lips, and a sliver of the cross itself, all woven into the cloth...."

Odds are pretty good that Pope Pius IX gave the reliquary to Bishop John Timon somewhere between 1850 and 1870. The Bishop's assignment was the then-new Diocese of Buffalo. Around 1900 a convent, the Sisters of Saint Joseph, on Buffalo's Main Street, got the job of taking care of the tapestry.

Which they did: but somewhere during the next century whatever documentation may have been with the reliquary got separated from the tapestry.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that it's in good condition, and that the Vatican has a reputation for meticulous record-keeping. Folks in Boston are probably hoping that headquarters can sort out details of the reliquary's history. FoxNews.com has a photo of the cloth reliquary.

2. 'Kill or Close'

An American archbishop is acting like an archbishop. That is very good news:

"LA archbishop calls on Catholics to oppose HHS mandate"
Hillary Senour, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (July 25, 2012)

"Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles urged lay Catholics to defend the faith after the Department of Health and Human Services refused to reverse a contraception mandate set to take effect in Aug. 2013.

" 'In this case, the government is imposing a narrow, radically individualistic idea of religion,' Archbishop Gomez said in a column published this week in his archdiocesan newspaper, the Tidings.

"On Jan. 20, Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the administration would not expand a religious exemption for employers who object to its 'preventative services' mandate.

"The policy, originally introduced in an Aug. 2011 interim rule, requires health insurance plans to cover contraception - including drugs that cause abortion - and sterilization free of charge.

"To qualify for a religious exemption under the policy, religious organizations must employ and serve primarily members of their own faith and must exist for the purpose of teaching religious values...."

I might be more shocked and discouraged about this latest decree from Washington, if it wasn't the sort of thing I've come to expect from America's national government. As it is, I think I understand some of the reasons that the Department of Health and Human Services wants to 'help' women kill their babies, and keep them from having 'too many.' I don't agree: but I think I understand.

Babies: A Reality Check

Babies have been defined as 'alimentary canals with a loud noise at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.' They're often inconvenient, not entirely compatible with an upwardly-mobile career success track, and an enormous blessing to anyone who bothers to notice.

I think one reason that America's government is trying to force its subjects into conformity on 'womens' health care' is that more and more Americans are noticing that those 'formless lumps of protoplasm' and 'products of conception' are people.

Most 'products of conception,' given time and attention, will grow into interesting, productive, adults. Some become members of Congress, and I've mentioned consequences of living in a fallen world before. Original sin and all that.

Politics, Religion, and Assumptions

In some social settings, there's a reason why one of America's rules of conduct is to avoid discussion of politics or religion. Topics like that can get arguments going, fast: and are best avoided when the point of a gathering is to have a pleasant time.

There's also the notion that being 'spiritual' means being 'so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good.' There are monastic orders which deliberately minimize contact with the outside world: but they're the exception in Catholicism.

We're supposed to be 'in the world, but not of the world:' and we're expected to make a difference:

"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. "One must pay tribute to those nations whose systems permit the largest possible number of the citizens to take part in public life in a climate of genuine freedom."³²"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1915)

"It is the duty of citizens to work with civil authority for building up society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom."
(Catechism, 2255)

That sort of thing is anathema to folks who think the Constitution should give them 'freedom from religion.' Again, I think I can understand why some Americans are scared silly at the prospect of people with religious beliefs getting involved in public policy.

I've discussed 'separation of church and state,' assumptions about religion, and crackpots, before:

"The Establishment Clause; Religious Freedom; and Getting a Grip"
(October 5, 2011)
"Sex, Science, and the Home Schooling Parent"
(September 17, 2011)
"Oh, Rapture! Here Come the End Times - Again"
(May 20, 2011)

As to whether or not it's okay to kill innocent people, the Catholic Church says that's not right. (Catechism, 2258-2283, 2302-2317)

America has an election coming up this November. I plan to vote: after taking a long, hard, look at what candidates said: and did. I don't expect to find a 'perfect' candidate. I'm hoping that there will be an acceptable one for each race in my area.

Moving on.

3. Silence: Still Golden

I suppose someone could take this headline, and assume that the Pope wants bloggers to be quiet and stop posting stuff. Actually, it's more about the value of silence. And reflection.

I'm an American, with the sort of intellectual twitchiness that seems to go with our culture. There's a reason why the boisterous American is a stereotype.

Here's what got me started about silence, Catholic style:

"Pope emphasizes need for silence in digital world"
David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 24, 2012)

"Pope Benedict XVI believes that in a noisy world of constant communication people need silence more than ever.

"He outlined his thoughts in his message for World Communications Day 2012, which is entitled 'Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization.' The Pope's letter was released Jan. 24 at the Vatican press office by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

" 'When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary,' the Pope says in a statement that will be read in Catholic churches around the world on May 20, 2012.

" 'This makes it possible to share thoughtful and relevant opinions, giving rise to an authentic body of shared knowledge,' he writes.

"Pope Benedict recommends making this interchange possible by developing 'an appropriate environment, a kind of "eco-system" that maintains a just equilibrium between silence, words, images and sounds.'..."
(CNA)

A key word here, I think, is "equilibrium." Finding a balance "between silence, words, images and sounds."

That equilibrium point is probably different for everybody. Some folks apparently find balance near the ends of humanity's various continua:

"EREMITICAL LIFE: The life of a hermit, separate from the world in praise of God and for the salvation of the world, in the silence of solitude, assiduous prayer, and penance (920)."
(Catechism, Glossary)

What the Pope is not saying is that everybody should be a hermit. One think I like about the Catholic Church is that we're supposed to be different:

Bishops and priests
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 874-896)
Hermits
(Catechism, 920-921)
Laity
(Catechism, 897-903)
Nuns and monks
(Catechism, 925-927)

That's not even close to being a complete index to what the Church says about being Christian. I've posted about the 1 Corinthians: 12 thing before. (June 1, 2011)

"Tied ... to Our Own Words and Ideas"

An English translation of Pope Benedict's statement is online at the Vatican's website:

"Message for the 46th World Communications Day, Benedict XVI"
"Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization"
Pope Benedict XVI (January 24, 2012)

The CNA article gives several excerpts, including this:

"...He [Benedict XVI] also observes that silence can allow other people to express their thoughts. In this way 'we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested,' and therefore, 'space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible.'..."
(CNA)

Quite a few folks have said that listening is a good idea:

"No man ever listened himself out of a job."
Calvin Coolidge (30th president of US (1872 - 1933))

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen."
Ernest Hemingway (US author & journalist (1899 - 1961))

"Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly."
Plutarch (Greek biographer & moralist (46 AD - 120 AD))

(via The Quotations Page)

Listening isn't the same as believing. Over the decades, I've listened to quite a bit that I didn't believe. And I stopped believing some things because I listened. Which eventually let me to become a Catholic. And that's yet another topic.

Exchange in the Marketplace of Ideas

I've mentioned the old phrase, "marketplace of ideas" before. Fairly often:

"My Take on the News: Down Syndrome; Religious Freedom; the Vatican's News Service, Beta Version"
(January 20, 2012)
Particularly
- Be Different: Make Sense
" 'Search Neutrality:' Deciding What We're Allowed to Find?"
Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 22, 2011)
"Pakistan, YouTube, Censorship and the Sixties"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (May 20, 2010)
Particularly
- Pakistan: Yesterday, FaceBook; Today, YouTube

I think First Amendment guarantees of free expression are a good idea, partly because crackpot ideas don't last long when folks get a chance to discuss them. Provided that the playing field is level.

Maybe more important: a free, open, marketplace of ideas allows good ideas to get shared and discussed. Even if a society's 'better sort' don't like the ideas.

I've got more to say about McCarthyism, political correctness, and the 'good old days,' but that'll wait for another post.

Basically, I like living in a world where someone can share opinions: even if editors, educators, or Congress, don't agree.

"Overwhelmed," and Individual Differences

One more excerpt from that article:

"...Silent contemplation also 'immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbors so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love,' he writes.

"Archbishop Celli summed up the Pope's message as reminding everyone that real communication involves pairing 'words and silence' so that people are not 'overwhelmed by the sheer volume of communication itself.'

"Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the social communications council, explained to CNA that the Pope's message 'reminds us that the relevance of silence is equally important within the context of a digital environment.'...
(CNA)

I think that "pairing 'words and silence' " is important. Last October, I decided to organize my online activity to give myself more time to think. (October 2, 2011)

I also recognize that many folks feel "overwhelmed" by the volume of information available online. I don't feel that way, myself: but I'm a fairly fast reader; and never 'grew out of' the sort of seemingly-insatiable curiosity that many four-year-olds show. ("Why Kids Ask Why," Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience (November 23, 2009))

And that's yet again another topic.

Related posts:

Saints and all that
- "My Take on the News: Saints; Standard-Issue Clueless Journalism; and Saint Michael, Action Figure"
  (December 23, 2011)
- "That's Funny: Another Way of Being Catholic"
  (November 13, 2011)
- "A 'Saint Brian,' Sort of"
  (May 9, 2011)
- "Saints, Martyrs, Catholics, and Rules"
  (July 28, 2010)
- "Saints: That's so Medieval"
  (February 14, 2010)
Politics
- "My Take on the News: Religion, Politics, and Freedom"
  (October 28, 2011)
- "Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
  (September 6, 2011)
- "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
  (September 2, 2011)
- " 'Disagreement' is not 'Treason,' 'Protest' is not 'Terrorism' "
  (April 19, 2011)
- " 'I Take No Interest in Politics' isn't an Option"
  (March 29, 2010)
Living in the Information Age
- "Information Technology, Blogging, and Practicing Patience"
  (May 13, 2011)
- "Lemming Tracks: Egypt, Dealing With Criticism, and Getting a Grip"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (February 4, 2011)
- "Technophobic Movies: A Top (Bottom?) Ten List"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 27, 2011)
- "Data-Driven Art: For an 'Overwhelmed' 'Hive Mind???' "
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 27, 2010)
- "New on the Blogroll: The Archbishop of New York"
  (October 24, 2010)
  - My introduction to The Gospel in the Digital Age, Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan's blog

Background:

"Message for the 46th World Communications Day, Benedict XVI"
"Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization"
Pope Benedict XVI (January 24, 2012)
"Politics as a Service to People"
Ombretta Fumagalli Carulli ( July 15, 1999)
"Declaration on Euthanasia"
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (May 5, 1980)
"Humanae Vitae"
"Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Paul VI on the regulation of birth"
Pope Paul VI (July 25, 1968)

¹ A little background on veneration, Saints, relics, and Catholic beliefs:

"VENERATION (OF SAINTS): Showing devotion and respect to Mary, the Apostles, and the martyrs, who were viewed as faithful witnesses to faith in Jesus Christ. Later, veneration was given to those who led a life of prayer and self-denial in giving witness to Christ, whose virtues were recognized and publicly proclaimed in their canonization as saints (828). Such veneration is often extended to the relics or remains of those recognized as saints; indeed, to many sacred objects and images. Veneration must be clearly distinguished from adoration and worship, which are due to God alone (1154, 1674, 2132)." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)

"WORSHIP: Adoration and honor given to God, which is the first act of the virtue of religion (2096). Public worship is given to God in the Church by the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ in the liturgy (1067)." (Catechism, Glossary)

"SAINT: The 'holy one' who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones (823, 946; cf. 828). See Canonization." (Catechism, Glossary)

"The patriarchs, prophets, and certain other Old Testament figures have been and always will be honored as saints in all the Church's liturgical traditions." (Catechism, 61)

"The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God. Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of 'idols, [of] silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.' These empty idols make their worshippers empty: 'Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.'⁴² God, however, is the 'living God'⁴³ who gives life and intervenes in history" (Catechism, 823)

Catechism, 823, seems to contradict what the Church says about the "veneration" of saints. It doesn't. As I've said before, I have the authority of "some guy with a blog, and don't speak for the Church. I'm pretty confident about this, though:

The Saints aren't little gods
Veneration of Saints isn't directed toward "other divinities"

About that last point, of the 1,100,000,000 or so Catholics living today, a few may be confused about what Saints are. Some may think they're worshiping little gods. Off-the-rails Catholics being wrong about what the Catholic Church teaches doesn't mean that the Church is wrong. One more thing about relics:

"The Second Vatican Council recalls that "the Saints have been traditionally honoured in the Church, and their authentic relics and images held in veneration"(323). The term "relics of the Saints" principally signifies the bodies - or notable parts of the bodies - of the Saints who, as distinguished members of Christ's mystical Body and as Temples of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 3, 16; 6, 19; 2 Cor 6, 16)(324) in virtue of their heroic sanctity, now dwell in Heaven, but who once lived on earth. Objects which belonged to the Saints, such as personal objects, clothes and manuscripts are also considered relics, as are objects which have touched their bodies or tombs such as oils, cloths, and images." (236, Veneration of the Saints and Beati, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Principles and Guidelines," Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (December 2001)

Clay, Elementary Particles, Photons, and God

2012-01-25T07:51:00.069-06:00

God isn't human. Well, actually the Second Person of the Trinity is human, and that's a different topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 232-260, 484-486, for starters)

As I said last week, I think God is a little hard to think about because the Almighty is so God-like.

"In the Beginning"

"We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create, nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance.¹⁴⁴ God creates freely 'out of nothing':¹⁴⁵

"If God had drawn the world from pre-existent matter, what would be so extraordinary in that? A human artisan makes from a given material whatever he wants, while God shows his power by starting from nothing to make all he wants.¹⁴⁶' "
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 296)

My father told me a story to illustrate this point. It's quite fictional, but I think it's worth repeating.

God, Clay, and Some Guy: A Story

God was walking along a riverbank with some man. They were talking about how much humanity had learned recently. The man was particularly impressed with developments in molecular biology. "I can make life, just like you did in Genesis," he said.

God asked, "could you make a man?" The man thought a minute, then said, "yes."

"Okay," said the Almighty. "Let's see you do that." They had come to a spot on the riverbank where a small landslide had exposed fresh clay. The man bent down and scooped up a lump of clay.

"Wait," God said. "If you're going to do this on your own, you have to create your own clay."

It's Elementary

Clay, in this context, is:

Material with a particle size of less than 2 micrometers
One of the "clay" minerals, with
- A great affinity for water
- The ability to exchange ions
- Similar chemical compositions
- Common crystal structural characteristics
- Particles ranging in size
  - From 10's of angstroms
  - To millimeters
("Clays," USGS)

My fictional man could, in principle, take Potassium (K), Silicon (Si), Aluminum (Al), Magnesium (Mg), Oxygen (O), and Hydrogen (H), and Calcium (Ca), and make an aluminous smectite (The chemical composition of a sample of that stuff ranged from K_0.4(Si_3.0Al_1.0)_4.0 to Ca_0.3(Si_3.0Al_1.0)_4.0(Al_2.0Mg_0.2)_2.33O₁₀(OH)₂ (USGS).)

He could, again in principle, start with hydrogen and fuse those atoms into the heavier elements: or go further back and start with a selection of elementary particles.

But my fictional man would have to start with something that already exists. Even products of our imaginations are arguably not entirely our own. I've yet to imagine something that doesn't have at least a few of the characteristics of real, created, things that I've encountered.

No "Oops" With God

God didn't have to create this universe we live in. It wasn't an accident, either. He made all this because He wanted to. (Catechism, 295) That's something to think about - and yet another topic. Maybe I'll get back to that next week. Or, not.

Infinite

"Infinite" can mean quite a few things:

Noun
- The unlimited expanse in which everything is located
Adjective
- Having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
- (of verbs) Not having tense, person, or number (as a participle or gerund or infinitive)
- Too numerous to be counted
- Total and all-embracing
(Princeton's WordNet)

God is big. Infinitely so:

"God is infinitely greater than all his works: 'You have set your glory above the heavens.'¹⁵⁶ Indeed, God's 'greatness is unsearchable.'¹⁵⁷ But because he is the free and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost being: 'In him we live and move and have our being.'¹⁵⁸ In the words of St. Augustine, God is 'higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost self.'¹⁵⁹"
(Catechism, )

Quite a few decades back, I ran into someone who wrote that God couldn't be all-powerful, because 'Hell could literally break out' somewhere and God wouldn't know until light from the event reached Him.

It was a clever way to discuss some of what we know about the speed of photons in a vacuum: but theologically clueless.

My guess is that the fellow who wrote that may have run into the same sort of loudly-pious Luddites and ignoramuses I have from time to time: and didn't bother to learn whether or not all Christendom was like them.

We're not: and I've been over that before.

Related posts:

" 'In a State of Journeying' "
(January 18, 2012)
"Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' "
(October 2, 2011)
"Sex, Science, and the Home Schooling Parent"
(September 17, 2011)
"How Could God Floss His Teeth?"
(July 2, 2011)
"Faith and Reason, Religion and Science"
(March 20, 2009)

Caritas in Veritate: Progress, Ethics, and Sex

2012-01-23T07:54:00.247-06:00

More posts about "Caritas in Veritate" (Love in Truth)
"Caritas in Veritate"

Last week's post about my take on Caritas in Veritate/Charity in Truth ended with this quote:

"...Idealizing technical progress, or contemplating the utopia of a return to humanity's original natural state, are two contrasting ways of detaching progress from its moral evaluation and hence from our responsibility."
(Caritas in Veritate, 14)

I'm picking up there, where Pope Benedict XVI gives links to two other documents that tie in with the "fully human meaning of the development that the Church proposes:"

"Two further documents by Paul VI without any direct link to social doctrine - the Encyclical Humanae Vitae (25 July 1968) and the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975) - are highly important for delineating the fully human meaning of the development that the Church proposes. It is therefore helpful to consider these texts too in relation to Populorum Progressio...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 15)

Like I said last week, I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog." If you want to see what Carita in Veritate is about: I strongly suggest reading it. That's what the links are for. I think it's worth the effort, although this sort of thing generally isn't particularly light reading.

Take the first sentence of the next paragraph, for example:

"...The Encyclical Humanae Vitae emphasizes both the unitive and the procreative meaning of sexuality, thereby locating at the foundation of society the married couple, man and woman, who accept one another mutually, in distinction and in complementarity: a couple, therefore, that is open to life[27]...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 15)

"Humanae Vitae," Logic, and Me

Bear with me, please: How I ran into "Humanae Vitae" actually does have something to do with this part of Caritas in Veritate.

"Humanae Vitae" is rather special for me, since I read it cover-to-cover before my wife and I got married. I'd been brought up in a nice, normal, mainstream Protestant household: and had absorbed a great deal of my native culture's values.

The idea of not using artificial contraceptives seemed foolish. I was quite sure that, after reading "Humanae Vitae," I'd find holes in their logic I could drive a truck through.

That didn't happen.

Instead, I found that I had a choice. Clinging to my preferences about artificial contraceptives would mean rejecting assumptions I'd made about God, human beings, and the nature of reality. I wasn't even close to being willing to re-think whether, for example:

Objective reality actually exists
God
- Exists
- Gives a rip about people
- Is reasonable

I still didn't like what the Catholic Church taught about contraception: but I had to admit that it was logical. I kept running into that sort of thing and eventually became a Catholic. Which is another topic.

Sex is Not Lust: and Other Counter-Cultural Ideas

This isn't even close to all that the Church says about human sexuality, but it's a start:

Sex is good
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2331-2336)
Lust is a disorder
(Catechism, 2351)
Sex is special
(Catechism, 2348-2350)
Rape is bad
(Catechism, 2356)
(June 8, 2011)

I suspect that the notion that sex is dirty has roots in Gnosticism, among other things, and that's yet another topic.

Where was I? Sex. Progress. The Catholic Church. John Muir.

"John Muir?!"

"Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe"

Human sexuality isn't, as Caritas in Veritate, 15, says, "...not a question of purely individual morality: Humanae Vitae indicates the strong links between life ethics and social ethics...." That reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."
John Muir, "My First Summer in the Sierra" (1911)
(Apathetic Lemming of the North (October 17, 2010)

Citing Pope Paul VI, Caritas in Veritate says:

"...Testimony to Christ's charity, through works of justice, peace and development, is part and parcel of evangelization, because Jesus Christ, who loves us, is concerned with the whole person...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 15)

Believing is good. Looks like we're supposed to do something about our high ideals, and I've posted about faith and works before.

Progress is a Vocation

One of the enduring myths of at least some American subcultures is the battle between Progress and Religion. On the one hand, in this view, we've got brilliant, forward-thinking people making things better by driving back the ignorance and superstitions of Religion.

I can see how folks could get that idea, given some of the crazier radio preachers I've heard. But there's more to religion than the perennial Apocalypse predictions.

Besides, the 'progressive secularists against superstitions Christians' myth serves to explain why it's so important to keep 'those religious people' from expressing their opinions. And I've posted about what "myth" does and doesn't mean before. More topics.

Wrenching myself back to why progress is a good idea, but not the highest good:

"...In Populorum Progressio, Paul VI taught that progress, in its origin and essence, is first and foremost a vocation: 'in the design of God, every man is called upon to develop and fulfil himself, for every life is a vocation.'[34] ...

"To regard development as a vocation is to recognize, on the one hand, that it derives from a transcendent call, and on the other hand that it is incapable, on its own, of supplying its ultimate meaning...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 16)

There's more in Caritas in Veritate, 16, 'meaning of life' stuff: but I'll get to that next week.

One more excerpt:

Human Life: Valued, or Not

"...The Church forcefully maintains this link between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that 'a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized.'[29]..."
(Caritas in Veritate, 15)

I've taken the establishment's attitude toward defective people a bit personally, since I'd probably have been culled from the herd if some of the 'quality of life' folks had their way. I tend to get hot under the collar about 'medical ethics,' too. Yet again more topics.

I think a sort of 'bottom line' for Caritas in Veritate, 16 is:

Development is
- A good thing, provided it involves
  - Freedom
  - Truth
  - Charity
- Not
  - The highest good
  - A goal by itself
- A vocation
  - Part of our pilgrimage through life

In this context, "development" is more than just designing faster computers, more fuel-efficient cars, or a new vaccine. I'll get to that next week.

Or, maybe not.

Related posts:

"Vocations for Everyone"
(December 11, 2011)
"Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
(September 13, 2011)
"Sex Isn't a Product for Consumption?"
(June 8, 2011)
"A Few Thoughts, After Leaving my Brain in Neutral"
(January 3, 2010)
Particularly
- A Myth-taken Meaning of "Myth"
"Medical Ethics and Human Experimentation: Why I Take it Personally"
(February 3, 2009)

"Caritas in veritate - Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI"

Pope Benedict XVI (English translation) (June 29, 2009)

Freedom, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Me

2012-01-22T07:54:00.336-06:00

I like being a Catholic. I also like being an American.

America, Love It and Improve It

I was born in America, and haven't always been thrilled about what the local, county, state, and federal governments have been up to: but like I've said before, there's a lot more to America than the government. And that's almost another topic.

I haven't heard the old "America: Love it or Leave it" slogan in quite a while. The attitude persists, though: and I think encourages another set of folks to assume that patriotism, like religion, is a psychiatric disorder. I think some of the trouble comes from confusing "chauvinist" and "patriot:"

Chauvinist
- "A person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind"
- "An extreme bellicose nationalist">An extreme bellicose nationalist"
  (Princeton's WordNet)
Patriot
- "One who loves and defends his or her country"
  (Princeton's Wordnet)

I've decided that I'm a patriot, but not a chauvinist, and posted about that in another blog:

"Pentagon Equates (Violent) Protest to Terrorism: Leaves Out Critical Explanation"
(June 18, 2009)
Particularly
- An American Patriot Who's Okay With Turbans, NASCAR, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

I think America is a pretty good place to live: but I know that this country isn't perfect. Since I'm a practicing Catholic, I've got a mandate to make society better. We all do. (Catechism, 1928-1942) Which is part of why I write these posts. I've been over this sort of thing before:

"Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
(September 13, 2011)

The Catholic Church in America

I've made this point before:

"It's the Catholic Church in America; Not the American Catholic Church"
(November 9, 2010)

I suspect that there's still an impression in some circles that the Catholic Church isn't American. In a way, they're right.

The Catholic Church has been around for a couple of millennia. The United States of America will have it's 300th birthday in a little over 64 years. The Catholic Church is literally universal, the United States doesn't even cover the north half of the western hemisphere of Earth.

Of the world's 7,000,000,000 or so living citizens, about 1,170,100,000 are Catholics. About 313,200,000 are Americans. Of the third-of-a-billion Americans, around 74,850,000 are Catholic. That's a little under one quarter of all Americans.¹

The Catholic Church is huge, it's ancient: and most Catholics are "foreigners." No wonder some of America's WASPish set got jittery when we started moving in.

'There Goes the Neighborhood?'

One reason I don't see immigration as a problem in America is that my ancestors are immigrants. I don't think we've hurt America by living here. We've even contributed a bit to America's culture.

I don't think America's going to suffer when folks who never heard of lefse or corned beef and cabbage before, settle down and start adding their ideas to America's 'potluck' culture. Actually, I'd be worried if folks with fresh ideas and enthusiasm stopped trying to get in.

Freedom

American culture and the Catholic Church were in the news late this week:

"Pope: Religious freedom most American of freedoms"
Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)

"The attempts of current cultural trends to curtail the right to religious freedom is a threat not only to 'Christian faith, but also to humanity itself', said Pope Benedict XVI Thursday....

"...The Holy Father's speech was given largely to reflections on what he described as the 'most American of freedoms, the freedom of religion' and how it must be defended and promoted in today's society. He said at the heart of every religion and culture is the need for moral good, but that today that moral good is being seriously eroded...."

There's a longer excerpt of the NEWS.VA article at the end of this post²

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to support religious freedom. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109) For everybody. (Catechism, 2106) I posted some of my reactions to the Pope's statements about religious freedom on Friday.

News, 'Fairness,' and Getting a Grip

I live in America, so I noticed that item about what the Pope said to some American bishops. It's sort of like seeing the name of your home town in a national magazine.

Maybe there's a disproportionate amount of news involving the United States on the Vatican's NEWS.VA English-language home page. But America is a fairly important part of the English-speaking world.

Being 'fair' by giving equal weight to news from Antigua and Barbuda, New Zealand, and the United States might make a few folks around Boggy Peak happy. (It's got a cooler name these days.)

But I think it would make about as much sense as insisting that devote equal coverage to news from Isanti, Minneapolis, and Sauk Centre, here in Minnesota. I love it here: but most of what happens in Sauk Centre doesn't have all that much effect on the rest of the state. What happens in Minneapolis often does, directly or indirectly.

Getting back to NEWS.VA, Here's a sample of what I found in Friday's English language news:

Near the top of the page
- "Pope meets delegation from Finnish Lutheran Church"
  Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)
Farther down on the home page
- "East Africa drought update"
  Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)
- "ASIA/HONG KONG - Hong Kong's religious leaders hope for a better new year and invite the faithful to act to overcome the global financial crisis"
  Agenzia Fides, via NEWS.VA (January 20, 2012)

NEWS.VA's Spanish and Italian websites each have their own selection of featured stories. Which I think makes a lot of sense. Not everybody has the same interests: and I think it'd be a boring world if we did.

Related posts:

Being Catholic
- "South Sudan, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and Working for a Better World"
  (January 6, 2012)
- "Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' "
  (October 2, 2011)
- "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
  (September 13, 2011)
- "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
  (January 13, 2011)
  Particularly
  - Wildly Improbable Survival
- "'Potty Parity,' Conservative / Liberal Values, and a Universal Church"
  (May 12, 2010)
Language
- "CREDO! New Roman Missal Coming"
  (November 6, 2011)
- "Flabbergasted: What's a Flabber, and How Does One Gast It?"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (October 21, 2011)
- "Radio Vaticana: What? Only 38 Languages?!"
  (March 7, 2011)
- "Friday, Rome, Language, and Boudicca of the Iceni"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (October 29, 2010)
- "Why isn't there More Mandarin on the Web?"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (April 4, 2008)
Citizenship
- "Zambia, America, and Two Millennia of Weaseling"
  (September 26, 2011)
- "America's Economy Isn't Doomed?!"
  (August 10, 2011)
- "Citizenship, being Catholic, and the Rules of Polite Society"
  (March 22, 2011)
- "Living in America and Living a Catholic Life"
  (April 29, 2010)
- "Elections and Citizenship, Catholic Style"
  (September 24, 2008)
SOPA
- "SOPA, PIPA, and a Disapproving Rabbit"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 18, 2012)
- "Lemming Tracks: SOPA, PIPA, and 'Rules are for the Little People?' "
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 17, 2012)
- "Lemming Tracks: SOPA, Censorship, and 'Protection' "
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 13, 2012)
- "Lemming Tracks: SOPA, Tech-Savvy Folks, Hollywood, and Congress"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 9, 2012)
- "SOPA: 20 Reasons Why It's a Really Bad Idea"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (December 30, 2011)

¹ United States population is from a July, 2011, estimate. Percent of living Catholics based on a 2009 estimate. World population estimate is from October, 2011:

" World"
CIA World FactBook (last updated on December 1, 2011)
"United States"
CIA World FactBook (last updated November 17, 2011)
"7 Billionth Person Born (Or Maybe More. Or Less. Who Knows?)"
FoxNews.com (October 31, 2011)

² Excerpt from Thursday's news:

"Pope: Religious freedom most American of freedoms"
Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)

"The attempts of current cultural trends to curtail the right to religious freedom is a threat not only to 'Christian faith, but also to humanity itself', said Pope Benedict XVI Thursday, in his address to US bishops from Region's IV-VI currently on their Ad Limina visit to Rome.

"The Holy Father's speech was given largely to reflections on what he described as the 'most American of freedoms, the freedom of religion' and how it must be defended and promoted in today's society. He said at the heart of every religion and culture is the need for moral good, but that today that moral good is being seriously eroded.

"Citing his predecessor, John Paul II, Pope Benedict noted : 'When a culture attempts to suppress the dimension of ultimate mystery, and to close the doors to transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey… to reductionist and totalitarian readings of the human person and the nature of society'.

"He said the Church has her part to play in the public square and that while the separation of Church and State is legitimate 'it cannot be taken to mean that the Church must be silent on certain issues, nor that the State may choose not to engage, or be engaged by, the voices of committed believers in determining the values which will shape the future of the nation'...."

My Take on the News: Down Syndrome; Religious Freedom; the Vatican's News Service, Beta Version

2012-01-20T07:59:00.394-06:00

I don't see a point in believing that something's true, and not acting as if it is. I believe that:

Human life is precious
Folks should be free to say what's on their minds
Having another source of news is okay

Which is pretty much what I'm writing about today:

1. Defective People and 'What Will the Neighbors Think?'

I've seen 'improving the race' and 'what will the neighbors think' give way to 'my choice' and 'every child a wanted child' as reasons to kill people who fail to conform to some physical standard, or are in the way.

That's wrong, because

Human life is precious
- Sacred
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258)
It's wrong to deliberately kill an innocent person
(Catechism, 2258-2262)
- "Innocent" doesn't mean "perfect"

When the victim is innocent and defenseless, I get more than a little peeved.

"Extreme abortion rate for disabled leads to DC conference"
Michelle Bauman, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 19, 2012)

"An upcoming conference in the nation's capital will address the staggering 90 percent abortion rate of babies with disabilities, while emphasizing the often unknown joys of caring for the disabled.

"Many people have a 'complete misunderstanding of the gift of a disabled baby,' said organizer Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.

"At the Jan. 21 'Council on Poor Prenatal Diagnoses and Therapeutic Intervention,' speakers will raise awareness about the dignity of all human life, including those with serious disabilities...."

What I see as good news in this article is that as many as 15% of people with Down syndrome aren't killed before birth. Given the sort of pressure on young parents to produce high-quality stock: that's doing pretty well.

Easy, No: Good, Yes

Culling 'defective' people from the herd is something I tend to take personally, since I was born with substandard hips. I've never lived a 'quality lifestyle,' from the point of view of someone who enjoys outdoor sports: but I'm rather glad to be alive.

Glitches in my brain's biochemistry didn't get diagnosed until recently: and even now, knowing that I've lived with major depression and ADHD-inattentive for most of my life, I'm glad that I'm alive. I've been over some of this before:

"ADD and Me: Good News, Bad News"
(October 14, 2010)
"Prayer, Medicine and Trusting God"
(March 4, 2010)

No, I don't understand from personal experience what it's like to have Down syndrome, or have someone with that particular deviation from average in the immediate family. On the other hand, I know a family who does, and they seem to be doing pretty well.

Back to that article:

"...A study published last October in the American Journal of Medical Genetics revealed that 99 percent of adults with Down syndrome reported being happy with their lives.

"The majority of parents and guardians surveyed also said they had a more positive outlook on life, and most siblings said they believed they were better people because of their family member with Down syndrome.

"Yet babies who undergo 'poor prenatal diagnoses' are among the most targeted groups for abortion, amounting to what Monahan described as 'essentially genocide.'

"Current estimates indicate that between 85 and 90 percent of Down syndrome babies are aborted, which shows the dramatic need for pro-life genetic counseling programs across the country, she said...."
(CNA)

I think that killing nine out of every 10 people with Down syndrome is a bad thing. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2268)

There's hope, though. One out of every 10 parents whose child doesn't live up to society's standards - resist pressure to kill that child. Considering how long we've been told that the unfit and unwanted should die, that sort of resistance is remarkable.

2. Religious Freedom: All Week

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to value religious freedom (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109) For everybody. (Catechism, 2106)

I also think it's a good idea to live as if God matters: to do something about what I believe. (James 2:19-20; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021) There's more to being a Catholic than 'going to church on Sunday.'

"Pope warns of 'grave threat' to religious freedom in US"
David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 19, 2012)

"Pope Benedict XVI warned today of a 'grave threat' to religious liberty in the United States that requires American Catholics to respond with intelligence and courage.

" 'It is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church's public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres,' he said...."

I think two key words there are "intelligence" and "courage."

Courage

It takes courage to say "no" when authorities expect us to say "yes." When government authorities, medical professionals, and socially powerful people say otherwise, it's not easy to say that killing a defective child is wrong, or that caring for the sick is right. (Catechism, 2268-2275, 2276-2279)

Intelligence

Despite the cultural assumption that religion is, by definition, unreasonable: the Catholic Church says it's okay to use our brain. Actually, we're expected to use human intelligence. And wisdom. (Catechism, 156, 158-159, 1954-1960)

Conscience: Seven Days a Week

"...Meanwhile, other bishops raised the 'worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship' without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.

"At present, the Obama administration is considering imposing a contraception and sterilization mandate that would require all insurance companies to provide those services free of charge. The regulation has a religious exemption clause, but it provides very few exceptions for Church organizations.

"Some states are also pushing Catholic adoption agencies out of business or severely limiting their work because they refuse to compromise the Church's beliefs on same-sex 'marriage.'..."
(CNA)

Despite what 'everybody knows' in some circles, the Catholic Church doesn't hate homosexuals. And I've been over this before:

"No Open Season on Transgendered People, Please!"
(April 26, 2011)
"Hating People? Not an Option"
(December 9, 2010)
"The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
(March 13, 2009)

Moving on.

Be Different: Make Sense

One of the reasons I became a Catholic was that what the Church says makes sense. What the Church teaches isn't always easy, and I didn't want some of what I was learning to be true. But I finally had to admit that some of the best minds of the last few millennia were right. And that's another topic.

Making sense is one thing. Getting heard is another. I think it's easier for someone with another 'end times prophecy,' or the secular equivalent, to get attention.

Happily, the Internet lets folks share ideas: without the approval of some editor or review board. That's a sort of good news/bad news situation.

Online, I've run into everything from the Vatican's website to a warning that squirrels are plotting to enslave humanity. I'm fairly confident that, given a level playing field, the marketplace of ideas will separate fact from silliness. Then there's SOPA, and that's yet another topic. Topics.

Back to what the Pope said:

"...Pope Benedict said these issues highlight the need for an 'engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture.' The American laity must have the 'courage to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church's participation in public debate,' he said....

"...To read Pope Benedict's full address, please visit: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=1059"
(CNA)

3. Vatican News: Beta Version

"Vatican pleased news website is popular"
David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 17, 2012)

"The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications says it is very happy with new figures that show over 10,000 people are using its online news site every day.

" 'I think that for an initiative that is only a few months old these results are really quite positive,' said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the communications council, in a Jan. 13 interview with CNA. The site, www.news.va, went live in June 2011...."

NEWS.VA's English-language page is listed as a Beta version, as are the Español and Italiano ones. If you think the English-language page seems to pay overly-much attention to what's happening in the English-speaking world: you're probably right. I checked, and the three home pages feature different articles.

For example, the second item on the right on the English page is "METHODIST VIEWPOINT ON ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE." On the Spanish page, it's "SE ULTIMAN LOS PREPARATIVOS DE LA MUESTRA CON DOCUMENTOS ORIGINALES DEL VATICANO II." (I think that's something like 'Preparations were completed - Sample with the Original Documents of Vatican II') The Italian page has "IL CATECHISMO IN EBRAICO" in that position. ("The Catechism in Hebrew," more or less)

I suppose I could fuss about how 'unfair' that is: but that would mean claiming that everybody's supposed to be interested in the same things. Instead, I'll see the different mix of news for the three languages as a reasonable effort to serve folks who don't all live in the same neighborhood.

I've added the English home page of NEWS.VA to this blog's "blogroll/Catholic Links page, under Media.

Related posts:

Life issues
- "My Take on the News: The San Jose Articles, Natural Law, International Law, and Getting a Grip"
  (December 2, 2011)
- "Steve Jobs, Jospeh Maraachli, and 'Reproductive Health:' My Take"
  (October 7, 2011)
- "Going Global for Life: Wonderful News"
  (September 8, 2011)
- "Sex Selection, Newspeak, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 11, 2011)
- "Remember: 'Clinically Dead' isn't 'Dead' "
  (October 22, 2010)
Religious freedom
- "My Take on the News: A Warmonger Christmas Tree, and Freedom From Religion"
  (December 12, 2011)
- "My Take on the News: Religion, Politics, and Freedom"
  (October 28, 2011)
- "The Establishment Clause; Religious Freedom; and Getting a Grip"
  (October 5, 2011)
- "First Amendment Suspended for 9/11 Memorial Service: Wrong, but Understandable"
  (September 10, 2011)
- "Space Aliens, Michele Bachmann, and Daft Assumptions"
  (September 2, 2011)
News media
- "Lie and Hype for a Good Cause?!"
  (November 28, 2011)
- "Return of the Pedophile Priests Rides Again: The Sequel"
  (November 18, 2011)
- "Zambia, America, and Two Millennia of Weaseling"
  (September 26, 2011)
- "Assumptions, Bible Verses, and a Little Research"
  (July 31, 2011)
- "The Threat of People Who Aren't Just Like Us?"
  (July 23, 2011)

"In a State of Journeying"

2012-01-18T07:51:00.210-06:00

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I believe that God created - and is creating - everything. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 279, 301, 302-305)

That's not necessarily the same as believing that God the Almighty looks like Charleton Heston's Moses.

It's certainly not the same as believing that God created the world, exactly as it is today, about 6,000 years ago.¹ Or even believing that the world hadn't changed a bit up until about 1850, when science and technology started killing everybody.

Which reminds me of providence, secondary causes, and free will. And that's another topic. Topics. (Catechism, 306-308, 1730-1742, 1853)

Thinking About God

I suspect that quite a few folks - myself included - find it hard to think about God, because God is so, well, God-like. Almighty. A "mystery beyond words." (Catechism, 198-227, 230)

It's a lot easier to think of God as someone who looks pretty much like me, only a little taller, a little older, and with better hair.

"Easier," not "more reasonable."

"In the Beginning - - -"

Here's what got me started with today's post:

" 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.'¹¹⁶ Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. The profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God the Father almighty is 'Creator of heaven and earth' (Apostles' Creed), 'of all that is, seen and unseen' (Nicene Creed). We shall speak first of the Creator, then of creation, and finally of the fall into sin from which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to raise us up again.

"Creation is the foundation of 'all God's saving plans,' the 'beginning of the history of salvation'¹¹⁷ that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for which 'in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth': from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.¹¹⁸"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 279-280)

As I've said before, I take the Bible seriously. Including Genesis 1:1. That doesn't mean that I look for answers about fixing software in the Bible. Holy Scriptures aren't a technical manual. The Bible wasn't written by Americans, either: and that's almost another topic.

Science, Poetry, and Truth

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a pretty good resource online. Several, actually, including this:

"Understanding the Bible"
Mary Elizabeth Sperry, Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible
1. Bible reading is for Catholics
2. Prayer is the beginning and the end
3. Get the whole story!
4. The Bible isn't a book
  - It's a library
5. Know what the Bible is
  - And what it isn't
6. The sum is greater than the parts
7. The Old relates to the New
8. You do not read alone
9. What is God saying to me?
10. Reading isn't enough

There's more under each of those 10 points. Like number 5:

"Know what the Bible is - and what it isn't. The Bible is the story of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation."
("Understanding the Bible")

Thinking that the Bible isn't "a science book" isn't the same as thinking it isn't true. There can be truth in poetry, but that doesn't make poetry "scientific." Or "unscientific," for that matter.

And I am not going to get side-tracked by Virgil, Parmenides, and metaphysics.

Stuff Changes: Deal With It

There may have been times when one year was much like the last. When generation succeeded generation with little to mark the passage of time, apart from the familiar turning of the seasons.

Today isn't one of those times. My father spent part of his childhood in a pre-industrial pocket of America, I remember when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, and my son plans to run a computer repair service.

Technology isn't all that's changed. I remember when "she's as smart as a man" was supposed to be a compliment, and someone with African ancestry wasn't allowed to use the same drinking fountain as someone with a genetic melanin deficiency. Not all changes in American culture and society have been for the better, but I remember the 'Good Old Days,' and am glad they're not coming back.

Nostalgia, Nature, and Notions

I think it's easy to mistake nostalgia with virtue: and feel that if only things had stayed just like they were, everything would be okay. Or at least better.

The secular version of that attitude shows up, I think, in 'back to nature' beliefs: the notion that science and technology are icky, and that we should all live 'as nature intended.' I'm not fond of smog, but I don't think trying to climb back into the trees is a viable option, either. (January 16, 2012)

A religious take on the 'change is bad' notion doesn't necessarily reject technology. It's been a while since I heard a variation on "if God had meant man to fly, He'd have given us wings." On the other hand, I think it's interesting that folks who are gung-ho for "old fashioned values" also tend to think science is bad. In my experience, anyway.

Evolution: Getting Past the One-Liners

The science that seems to get the 'good old fashioned family values' folks upset most is 'evolution.' I've gone over the Victorian-era snit that I think is behind much of 'Bible science' before. (July 5, 2011)

Nifty one-liners notwithstanding, what scientists are learning about human beings isn't that 'we used to be monkeys.' Here's a pretty good summary of what we've learned so far:

"...Converging evidence from many studies in the physical and biological sciences furnishes mounting support for some theory of evolution to account for the development and diversification of life on earth, while controversy continues over the pace and mechanisms of evolution. While the story of human origins is complex and subject to revision, physical anthropology and molecular biology combine to make a convincing case for the origin of the human species in Africa about 150,000 years ago in a humanoid population of common genetic lineage...."
("Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God," International Theological Commission, via Internet Office of the Holy See (July 23, 2004)

Interestingly, the president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is a microbiologist who has been studying how DNA is involved in evolution.

Change is Okay

I think it's a mistake to assume that God doesn't exist because things change: or because we've learned some of the rules that this creation follows. That's as silly as assuming that God wouldn't take 4,500,000,000 or so years to get the universe to where it is today because I wouldn't have done it that way.

I suppose God could have made a physical world that was finished from the start. But that's not the way things are:

"Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created 'in a state of journeying' (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call 'divine providence' the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection:
"By his providence God protects and governs all things which he has made, 'reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and ordering all things well.' For 'all are open and laid bare to his eyes,' even those things which are yet to come into existence through the free action of creatures.¹⁶¹"
(Catechism, 302)

'Inevitable Progress;' 'We're All Gonna Die;' and Getting a Grip

2012-01-16T07:59:00.220-06:00

More posts about "Caritas in Veritate" (Love in Truth)
"Caritas in Veritate"

I started posting about "Caritas in veritate - Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI" in 2009, a little after the letter was released. Before getting back to what Benedict XVI has to say about love, truth, and acting as if they matter, a few points:

I've got the authority of some guy with a blog
- I don't speak for the Church
Caritas in Veritate is
- Available online
  - In English
- Not light reading

If you're curious about what Caritas in Veritate says, I recommend reading the document. I'll put excerpts and summaries of what parts of it say into these posts - along with my opinions - but, like I said, I'm "some guy with a blog."

Besides, I think Caritas in Veritate is worth reading.

Excuses, or Reasons, or Something

So, why have I only read and posted about 13 of the 79 paragraphs in Benedict XVI's 2009 encyclical letter? And why has it been almost a year and a half since I last wrote about the letter?

Maybe I'm lazy. As I said back in July of 2009, one of the paragraphs is 500 words long. And that's not an unusually long paragraph. On top of that, the letter is written in a none-too-reader-friendly style. Nothing wrong with that, by the way.

For example, here's how paragraph 14 starts:

"In his Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens of 1971, Paul VI reflected on the meaning of politics, and the danger constituted by utopian and ideological visions that place its ethical and human dimensions in jeopardy...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 14)

I'll be getting back to paragraph 14 in a bit.

After reading part of Caritas in Veritate that could be (over-) summarized as "God matters," I got distracted by other things. Most of which were a whole lot easier to study and write about than what the Pope as to say about things like:

Agápe
Macro-relationships
Social conscience
Responsibility
Social action
Private interests
Logic of power
Social fragmentation
Globalized society
Lógos
Mater Ecclesiae
Pauline Year
Human advancement
Church's ever-living Tradition
Fathers of the Church
Populorum Progressio
Development of every person
Charity
Truth

That list is from the Vatican document's "subject" tag.

Like I said, Caritas in Veritate isn't light reading. And it doesn't lend itself to snappy little summaries. All of which is part of why I haven't posted about it for a while. Besides, there was always something else to post about. Something simpler: that required less concentration on my part.

Excuses, excuses.

One more thing: "Caritas in Veritate" is the title of this letter. I've seen it translated into English as "Love in Truth" and "Charity in Truth." I think I'll use its official Latin title, and the "Charity in Truth" English version. For one thing, "Charity in truth" are the first three words of my language's translation, and caritas can mean either charity or love, and love can be translated into Latin as amor, or caritas, or quite a few other words. And that's another topic. Topics.

"...Technology...Anti-Human...Degradation...Science..."

Back to Caritas in Veritate / Charity in Truth, politics, technology, science, and getting a grip.

The words I quoted actually are in paragraph/section 14 of Charity in Truth. In that order. But, dramatic as it might be, summarizing the paragraph as "Pope warns against anti-human technology and degradation by science:" That's NOT WHAT IT SAYS.

Small wonder, though, that Benedict XVI's document was called "purposefully vague back in 2009. It's not the sort of headline-friendly thing folks are used to reading these days: like "CANCER CAUSES CELL PHONES!" No, wait. That was the other way around in the news. More topics.

Politics, Technology, Science, and All That

Remember: This is an excerpt. I'm leaving stuff out.

"In his Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens of 1971, Paul VI reflected on the meaning of politics, and the danger constituted by utopian and ideological visions that place its ethical and human dimensions in jeopardy. ... Paul VI had already warned against the technocratic ideology so prevalent today[26], fully aware of the great danger of entrusting the entire process of development to technology alone, because in that way it would lack direction...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 14)

The message isn't "technology is bad." Technology isn't good, either. Back to Charity in Truth:

"...Technology, viewed in itself, is ambivalent. If on the one hand, some today would be inclined to entrust the entire process of development to technology, on the other hand we are witnessing an upsurge of ideologies that deny in toto the very value of development, viewing it as radically anti-human and merely a source of degradation. This leads to a rejection, not only of the distorted and unjust way in which progress is sometimes directed, but also of scientific discoveries themselves, which, if well used, could serve as an opportunity of growth for all. The idea of a world without development indicates a lack of trust in man and in God...."
(Caritas in Veritate, 14)

I'd have thought that Western civilization at least would have gotten over the 'technology and science will solve all our problems' thing by now. I can see how dramatic improvements in agriculture, medicine, and other technologies impressed folks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, though: well, I remember the first Earth Day: and that's another topic, too.

I've posted about the sort of neo-Luddite nonsense that blames technology and science for everything from the extinction of the American bison¹ to the impending ice age, melting of the ice caps, or - more recently - 'climate change.'

What the Pope seems to be trying to say is that science and technology aren't gonna kill us all, that it's okay to use our brains, and that trying to climb back into the trees simply ain't gonna work:

"...Idealizing technical progress, or contemplating the utopia of a return to humanity's original natural state, are two contrasting ways of detaching progress from its moral evaluation and hence from our responsibility."
(Caritas in Veritate, 14)

But, like I said, that's just part of what the paragraph said.

Okay. 14 sections down, 65 to go. This may take a while.

Still, next week I won't be doing quite so much catch-up and background.

Related posts:

Science, technology, and getting a grip
- "7,000,000,000 People, More or Less: Why I'm Not Alarmed"
  (October 31, 2011)
- "Climate Changes: So What Else is New?"
  (May 16, 2011)
- "Modernism, Luddites, Catholicism, and Godzilla"
  (April 7, 2011)
- "Environmental Awareness, Enlightened Self-Interest, and My Catholic Faith"
  (April 15, 2011)
- "When to Call Tech Support, When to Read the Bible"
  (January 14, 2011)
Politics, ethics, and living in the real world
- "My Take on the News: Religion, Politics, and Freedom"
  (October 28, 2011)
- "Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out''"
  (September 6, 2011)
- "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
  (September 2, 2011)
- "Public Officials with Ethical Standards: A Radical Idea For Today's America"
  (June 29, 2010)
- "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic"
  (November 3, 2008)

"Caritas in veritate - Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI"
Pope Benedict XVI (English translation) (June 29, 2009)

¹ The American bison, or buffalo, is far from extinct:

"Small Town America: Bucolic Scenes, Bison, and Cable Television"
Sauk Centre Journal Blog (November 15, 2009)
Particularly
- 'Extinction' of the Bison

Singing Nuns, Catholic Ghoulgirls, Stereotypes, and Me

2012-01-15T07:51:00.142-06:00

Movies often use stereotypes. I don't have a problem with that. "Stereotype" means:

Noun
- A conventional or formulaic conception or image
Verb
- Treat or classify according to a mental stereotype

Movies, the sort I'm thinking of, are entertainment. They've got maybe an hour and a half to two hours to set up characters, a setting, and enough of a plot to keep the audience interested.

It's possible to do deep, insightful, characterization and trenchant probing of humanity's core in a movie: but I think most folks would rather see a few song-and-dance numbers, a helicopter chase, or whatever is in vogue today.

Using stereotypes like 'spunky girl reporter' or 'crusading environmentalist' can save a lot of time and get the story to the exciting bits. Like I said, I don't have a problem with that.

Problems can start when folks forget that stereotypes are "conventional or formulaic conceptions:" a sort of mental shorthand that boils a complex reality down to something short, simple, and sometimes not much like the original.

A Typical Catholic?!

Here's a short list of Catholics in the movies, from the 'good old days:'

Granted, the 'angsty artist' movie focused more on the "artist" part than the "Catholic" aspects of Michelangelo's job as a sort of interior decorator.

These days, Catholicism in the movies seems more likely to show up in something like "Catholic Ghoulgirls" or "Tales from the Catholic Church of Elvis!" On the other hand, "The Passion of the Christ" was produced in the 21st century. Unlike so many 'Biblical' movies, that one got it right. And that's another topic.

Where was I? Catholic ghoulgirls, an angsty artist, and a singing nun. Right.

Some of the world's 1,100,000,000 or so living Catholics probably fit some of the stereotypes for Catholics. It would be odd if a few didn't. But we're not all ignorant louts, talented nuns, or dedicated reformers.

My Irish ancestry lets me be sort of close to one of America's stereotypes for 'being Catholic.' But I'm also half Norwegian, and was raised across the river from Fargo, North Dakota. I've got a decent singing voice, but I wouldn't make a good 'Irish Catholic' of the Father O'Malley variety.

And that's okay. I figure that God makes each of us a bit different for a reason: and I've posted about 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 14-17, 28; 14:9, 23 before. (June 1, 2011)

Slightly-related posts:

"The Threat of People Who Aren't Just Like Us?"
(July 23, 2011)
"Horses, Gothic Cathedrals, and a Faith That Matters"
(July 9, 2011)
"Speaking in Tongues and Getting a Grip"
(June 1, 2011)
"Tartans, Scotland, the Pope, and a Universal Church"
(September 12, 2010)
"Unity, Diversity, and Being Catholic"
(August 26, 2010)

My Take on the News: Jeanne d'Arc/Joan of Arc; Joy and Children of God; Mourning a Baby

2012-01-13T07:50:00.102-06:00

About a half-millennia ago, a young French woman repelled an invasion of her country. Then she was burned as a witch. Compared to that, America's presidential politics are almost civil.

Saint Joan of Arc, and how Rick Santorum mourned the death of his young son, are my first and third items today. Pope Benedict XVI said a few things about joy and being children of God, which is number two in this list:

1. Saint Joan of Arc

A tip of the hat to @news_va_en, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this item:

"Joan of Arc six centuries on..." Vatican Radio (January 9, 2012)

"On Wednesday, 26 January 2011, the Holy Father focused his attention on the figure of Joan of Arc, canonised by one of his predecessors to the See of Peter, Benedict XV back in 1920.

"While Veronica Scarisbrick brings you Benedict XVI's words in English focusing on this French saint who was born six hundred years ago, in a few moments she'll also be sharing with you an English programme production of the story focusing on this witness to the faith.

"A programme which is part of a series by the title 'Witness', written and presented by Jill Bevilacqua and produced by Sean-Patrick Lovett...."

"...the full English text of Pope Benedict's words to the faithful in the Paul VI Audience Hall, originally delivered in Italian.

"Today I would like to talk to you about Joan of Arc, a young Saint who lived at the end of the Middle Ages who died at the age of 19, in 1431. This French Saint, mentioned several times in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is particularly close to St Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Italy and of Europe, of whom I spoke in a recent Catechesis. They were in fact two young women of the people, lay women consecrated in virginity, two committed mystics, not in the cloister, but in the midst of the most dramatic reality of the Church and the world of their time. They are perhaps the most representative of those 'strong women' who, at the end of the Middle Ages, fearlessly bore the great light of the Gospel in the complex events of history. We could liken them to the holy women who stayed on Calvary, close to the Crucified Jesus and to Mary his Mother, while the Apostles had fled and Peter himself had denied him three times...."

I don't know where Joan of Arc stands in American culture these days. When I was growing up, she was either a vague historical figure: or a raving lunatic warmonger who heard voices and did what they said. I'm exaggerating, but not by all that much.

Later, I learned about Jeanne d'Arc - the real Maid of Orleans, not the propaganda construct I'd been exposed to. I can think of several possible explanations for the make-believe Joan of Arc:

The 20th-century (pop) psychiatry fad
- Psychoanalysis of famous dead people and all that
Devout secularists
America's position as a former English colony
- With most of our culture and history filtered through English-language media

Maybe 'all of the above,' plus other factors.

I don't think Joan of Arc's armed resistance to an English invasion of France helped her reputation on this side of the Atlantic.

Interestingly, French leaders didn't treat her all that well, after she'd defended their country. After the war she was imprisoned by French - and English - authorities, and eventually burned. The charge was witchcraft. Also wearing the wrong kind of clothes. That was in 1431. I put links to some biographies under "Background," at the end of this post.

Maybe contemporary American politics aren't all that bad, after all. Or not unusually so, anyway.

Jeanne d'Arc was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

2. Joy and Children of God

"Pope Benedict: Renew your joy as a child of God" David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 8, 2012)

"Pope Benedict XVI used his Sunday Angelus address to remind Christians of the joy of being 'children of God,' courtesy of baptism.

" 'God is the origin of the existence of every creature, and the Father in a unique way of every human being: he has a unique, personal relationship with him or her,' said the Pope from the window of his apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's Square Jan 8....

"...[The Pope] observed that being a child is 'the fundamental condition that binds us together,' for while 'not all of us are parents,' we are all children.

" 'Coming into the world is never a choice; we are not asked first if we want to be born,' he said.

"During life, though, we can develop an attitude toward life itself so that we 'welcome it as a gift and, in a sense, "become" what we already are: we become children.'

"The development of this attitude marks 'a maturity in our souls and our relationships with our parents, which is filled with gratitude.'

"It is this attitude that makes people capable of being parents themselves 'not biologically, but morally.'..."

Pope Benedict XVI said more, some of which is in the CNA article, translated into English. There's a transcript and video on the Vatican's website, linked from the "Latest Publications" page, but as of earlier this week those resources are in Italian.

Joy gets mentioned fairly often in the Catechism's discussion of virtues (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1803-1832), and in the Glossary, under Happiness:

"HAPPINESS: Joy and beatitude over receiving the fulfillment of our vocation as creatures: a sharing in the divine nature and the vision of God. God put us into the world to know, love, and serve him, and so come to the happiness of paradise (1720)." ("Glossary," Catechism)

I like to be reminded that Christianity is about joy. Also hope. I've posted about that before, including:

"Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
(September 13, 2011)

Then there's the idea of being childlike: not childish. We can be childish rather easily: being selfish, petty, or sulking because we didn't get our way. Being childlike: accepting the gift of existence, loving God because it's the right thing to do? That can take some doing. But I think it's worth the effort.

3. Mourning a Baby

This isn't a 'political' blog, in the sense that I uncritically praise one candidate or party: and heap ridicule on anyone who doesn't agree. I've posted about citizenship and why I try not to be 'too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good' before:

"What I Believe, Where I Stand"
(September 3, 2011)
"South Africa, Swaziland, Catholic Bishops, and Social Justice"
(July 7, 2011)
"Citizenship, being Catholic, and the Rules of Polite Society"
(March 22, 2011)

America has a presidential election coming up this November, so I need to wade through more 'political' news than I might like. Like this:

"Santorum defends mourning loss of newborn son" Michelle Bauman, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 2, 2012)

"Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said that only those who 'don't recognize the dignity of all human life' might think that he is 'somehow weird' for how he dealt with the loss of his son in 1996.

"To those who think a baby is merely 'a blob of tissue that should be discarded and disposed of,' recognition of a dead baby's humanity is something that 'should be subject to ridicule,' the former Pennsylvania senator said at a campaign event in Iowa on Jan. 2.

"Santorum was recently criticized by political commentators for his actions following the death of his premature son Gabriel, who died just two hours after he was born.

"In a Fox News interview, Santorum explained that he and his wife, Karen, decided to take their son home 'to have a funeral at home and then to bury him later that day.'

"They also showed the child to his siblings, so they could get a chance to see their baby brother....

"...On a Fox News segment on Jan. 2, political commentator Alan Colmes criticized Santorum for 'some of the crazy things he’s said and done, like taking his two-hour-old baby who died right after childbirth home and played with it for a couple hours, so his other children would know the child was real.'

"In a Jan. 5 interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson also ridiculed Santorum and his wife for taking their son home 'to kind of sleep with it, introduce it to the rest of the family.'

" 'He's not a little weird,' said Robinson, 'he's really weird.'..."

The youngest member of the Santorum family is a "he," not an "it." Maybe calling the dead baby an "it" was just 'a cultural thing:' an unconsidered part of the regional mindset. American culture tends to refer to infants as "it." I'm not entirely sure why, since a human being's sex is determined at conception - and patently obvious at birth in all but a handful of cases.

Harrumph! I Certainly Didn't Do That!

My youngest daughter died shortly before birth. We nearly lost my wife, too: and that's almost another topic.

My wife and I didn't take our daughter home when she died. We were almost 50 miles away from home by then, and my attention was focused on supporting my wife. If it had been a practical possibility, would I have taken Elizabeth's body home? Probably not.

Do I think everybody should be like me? No.

I've been around long enough to know that not all cultures have the same customs regarding death. Much less all families. I'm not going to criticize the Santorums because they're not just like me.

I'm glad to see that attitudes toward death and mourning have changed in America. Or are changing. What follows is not what I would have expected to see, just a few decades back. Not from 'experts:'

"...The American Pregnancy Association advises parents of stillborn children that they 'can find comfort in looking at, touching, and talking to your baby,' and that they may wish to allow their other children to see the baby as well.

"Making memories can also be a natural part of the grieving process, the association said on its website, explaining that this can be done by bathing and clothing the baby, or even reading or singing to the child.

"[A senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Peter] Wehner decried the 'particular delight and glee' with which the political commentators showed a 'casual cruelty' towards Santorum...." (CNA)

I don't know whether I would vote for Mr. Santorum or not. I'll be learning more, as needed, before election day. But I do not think that he is "weird" because he isn't just like me, or because he sees his children as people: even when they're small, or dead.

Related posts:

Saints
- "My Take on the News: Saints; Standard-Issue Clueless Journalism; and Saint Michael, Action Figure"
  (December 23, 2011)
- "Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: We're Not About 'Joyless Saints' "
  (October 1, 2011)
- "Tuesday, May 10, 2011: Feast Day of St. Damien of Molokai"
  (May 9, 2011)
- "Work, 'Giving Back,' and a Saint"
  (July 7, 2010)
- "Saints: That's so Medieval"
  (February 14, 2010)
Joy
- "Hope, Joy, and 'More Despondent Than Thou?' "
  (January 8, 2012)
- "First Sunday of Advent, 2011: Joy, Peace, Love, and a Dog Named Rollo"
  (November 27, 2011)
- "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
  (September 13, 2011)
- "A Thought for the Day, About Sin and Tomorrow"
  (December 5, 2010)
- "Celebrating Our Faith: This I'll Want to Think About"
  (July 28, 2009)
Life
- "Sex Selection, Newspeak, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 11, 2011)
- "Family Values: Addams and Otherwise"
  (July 12, 2011)
- "Losing a Child, Charity, and All That"
  (June 4, 2011)
- " 'Baby Joseph' Baptised: My Take"
  (March 28, 2011)
- "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)

Background:

"St. Joan of Arc"
Catholic Encyclopedia, via NewAdvent.org(1910)
"St. Joan of Arc"
EWTN.com
The value of human life
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258-2317)

Faith, Reason, Certainty, and Getting a Grip

2012-01-11T07:56:00.268-06:00

Faith isn't reason, but it's not unreasonable.

My faith involves certainty, but I don't think I know everything.

It's Faith and Reason

Quite a few folks say that religion isn't reasonable, and that faith is against reason. Some folks who are religious at the top of their lungs seem determined to prove that faith is a psychiatric condition. Others seem convinced that faith is a sort of emotional high: and that it's time to change churches when the feeling's gone.

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I don't have to check my brain at the door when I enter a church. We don't worship reason - that would be idolatry, and a very bad idea¹ - but the Catholic Church does encourage reasoned thought:

"By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine Revelation.¹..."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 50)

"By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him 'to do what is good and avoid what is evil.'⁹ Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the dignity of the person."
(Catechism, 1706)

What About Miracles?

I've posted about miracles before. Bottom line, I don't assume that every happy coincidence is a "miracle." On the other hand, since I believe that God "sustains and upholds" creation (Catechism, 301), my continuing existence is a sort of miracle. More topics.

"'Nothing is more apt to confirm our faith and hope than holding it fixed in our minds that nothing is impossible with God. Once our reason has grasped the idea of God's almighty power, it will easily and without any hesitation admit everything that [the Creed] will afterwards propose for us to believe - even if they be great and marvellous things, far above the ordinary laws of nature.'¹¹⁵"
(Catechism, 274)

That "far above the ordinary laws of nature" thing isn't the same as being mindlessly credulous. But it's not compatible with the secularist fashions of the day, either. I've been over this before:

"Miracles, Mass, Bread and Wine"
(June 7, 2010)
" 'If you must see ghosts ...' Materialism, Being Spiritual, and Uncle Deadly"
(December 18, 2009)

One of my favorite quotes about how folks deal with unusual experiences is from a sort of contemporary fairy tale:

" 'Your mistake is to think that the little regularities we have observed on one planet for a few hundred years are the real unbreakable laws....' "
(Grace Ironwood, Chapter 17.4, "That Hideous Strength" C. S. Lewis (1946))

Faith, Certainty, and Fanatical Intolerance

Faith and certainty go together. Which doesn't mean that I think:

God wants everybody to be pretty much like me
I know when the Last Judgment will happen
Anyone who disagrees with me is stupid
I can't make mistakes
The Pope can't make mistakes

That last point may sound odd, coming from a devout Catholic. Papal infallibility doesn't mean that a pope can't make any mistakes:

"INFALLIBILITY: The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church whereby the pastors of the Church, the pope and bishops in union with him, can definitively proclaim a doctrine of faith or morals for the belief of the faithful (891). This gift is related to the inability of the whole body of the faithful to err in matters of faith and morals (92)."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

I mentioned Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI, on Monday. Popes are not perfect people. Maybe you know a Catholic who thinks that Popes never make mistakes: but that's not what the Church teaches. And I'm getting off-topic.

The idea of certainty and faith has taken a beating from folks whose beliefs are alternatively-sensible. There's the sort of 'certainty' that prompted someone to damage 'art' with a crowbar, or that made folks believe in a 'Biblical' dress code.

Here's a start on what the Catholic Church says about faith and certainty:

"Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but 'the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives.'³¹ 'Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.'³²"
Catechism, 157)

I think that sort of certainty is close to the "confident and assured" dictionary definition of "certain."²

Faith, and Reason, and Understanding

One thing I like about being Catholic is how the Church embraces the idea that God created the world. And that it's okay to learn about what God's been doing.

" 'Faith seeks understanding':³³ it is intrinsic to faith that a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith and to understand better what He has revealed; a more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love...."
(Catechism, 158)
"Faith and science: 'Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth.'³⁷ ... the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God...."
(Catechism, 159)

Somewhat-related posts:

Knowing about God
- "How to Know About God"
  (December 14, 2011)
- "Existence, God, and the Meaning of Life"
  (November 16, 2011)
- "Why I Exist: It's Simple; and Not-So-Simple"
  (November 9, 2011)
- "How Could God Floss His Teeth?"
  (July 2, 2011)
- "Uncertainty, 'Being Religious,' and This Catholic"
  (February 12, 2011)
Living in a big world
- "7,000,000,000 People, More or Less: Why I'm Not Alarmed"
  (October 31, 2011)
- "Chauvinism Knows No Borders"
  (July 23, 2011)
- "America: We're Not All Sapps"
  (April 1, 2011)
- "Unity, Diversity, and Being Catholic"
  (August 26, 2010)
- "Assumptions About Religion, and American Rules of Etiquette"
  (April 14, 2010)

Background

Faith and understanding
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 156-159
Faith, a theological virtue
(Catechism, 1814-1816)
Faith and reason
(Catechism, 35, 156-159, 1804)
(As usual, there's more)

¹ "Idolatry" is treating anything as if it's God. That can be money, social position, pleasure: anything or anyone that's not God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2112-2114)

"IDOLATRY: The divinization of a creature in place of God; the substitution of some one (or thing) for God; worshiping a creature (even money, pleasure, or power) instead of the Creator (2112)."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

²Like I've said before, I'm a recovering English teacher: which might explain why I put so many definitions in this blog. Like these:

Certainty (noun)
1. The state of being certain
2. Something that is certain
(Princeton's WordNet)
Certain (adjective)
1. Definite but not specified or identified
2. Having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty
  Confident and assured
3. Established beyond doubt or question
  Definitely known
4. Certain to occur
  Destined or inevitable
5. Established irrevocably
6. Reliable in operation or effect
7. Exercising or taking care great enough to bring assurance
(Princeton's WordNet)
Reasonable (adjective)
1. Showing reason or sound judgment
2. Not excessive or extreme
3. Marked by sound judgment
(Princeton's WordNet)
Unreasonable (adjective)
1. Not reasonable; not showing good judgment
2. Beyond normal limits
(Princeton's WordNet

Marolwe's Faustus: Waffling His Way to Hell

2012-01-09T07:52:00.326-06:00

More posts about Marlowe's
"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"

"Waffling his way to Hell?" No, I'm not implying that waffles are satanic. Marlowe's Faustus is annoyingly indecisive, and I figured that "waffling" sounded better than something like "vacillating." Definition time:

Waffle
- (Noun) Pancake batter baked in a waffle iron
- (Verb) Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
(Princeton's WordNet)

Moving on.

This is my last post about Marlowe's "Tragical History of Doctor Faustus," at least for a while. I wrapped up last week's post where Faustus asked Mephistopheles for another look at Helen of Troy. Or a reasonable facsimile thereof, anyway.

I'm not quite sure what Christopher Marlowe had in mind with Doctor John Faustus and Helen of Troy. Seen through contemporary eyes, Doctor Faustus seems to have finally gone stark, raving, mad.

On the other hand, this is Elizabethan England, when tales of gallant knights and fair damsels were part of the daily culture. Four hundred years from now, folks may wonder what some of the 20th century's more earnestly 'relevant' movies were about. I've posted about that, a little, in another blog:

"Science Fiction in the Movies: 'The Satan Bug' to 'The Matrix' "
Drifting at the Edge of Time and Space (January 26, 2010)
Particularly
- 'The Swarm' (1978)

Time to wade back into "...Faustus."

Faustus, Helen, and Getting a Grip

"...FAUSTUS. Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless163 towers of Ilium-
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.-
[Kisses her.]
Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

As I've said before, English has changed a bit over the centuries. Back in Marlowe's day, "topless" didn't mean what it does in today's America:

"[ topless— i.e. not exceeded in height by any.] "
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Footnote 163)

Anyway, Faustus goes on - and on - about Helena. This sort of thing must have been much more popular in Elizabethan England, and I've posted about "... the great Faustian helicopter chase " before.

This excerpt should be enough to indicate what sort of speech Faustus delivered:

"...I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wertenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;..."

"...Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms;..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

After that oration, OLD MAN has a comparatively short speech:

"...OLD MAN. Accursed Faustus, miserable man,
That from thy soul exclud'st the grace of heaven,
And fly'st the throne of his tribunal-seat!

"Enter DEVILS.

"Satan begins to sift me with his pride:
As in this furnace God shall try my faith,
My faith, vile hell, shall triumph over thee.
Ambitious fiends, see how the heavens smile
At your repulse, and laugh your state to scorn!
Hence, hell! for hence I fly unto my God.
[Exeunt,-on one side, DEVILS, on the other, OLD MAN.]"
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Despair: A Really Bad Idea

The academic buddies of Faustus have some pretty good advice for the daft doctor:

"...SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven; remember God's
mercies are infinite...."

"...THIRD SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, call on God...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Here's part of what Faustus said after SECOND SCHOLAR cited God's infinite mercies:

"...FAUSTUS. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent
that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

There's more in that speech, about the "wonders" Faustus says he performed: Which seem to have consisted primarily of pranking the Pope and putting on a floor show for the German Emperor.

Marlowe probably wasn't a closet Catholic: but his play has more Catholic ideas in it than many Elizabethan citizens may have realized. What Faustus is displaying here is despair.

Despair or presumption are what happens when we abandon a reasoned view of hope. Time for more definitions:

"HOPE: The theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it (1817).

"DESPAIR: The abandonment of hope in salvation and the forgiveness of sins (2091).

"PRESUMPTION: An act or attitude opposed to the theological virtue of hope. Presumption can take the form of trust in self without recognizing that salvation comes from God, or of an over-confidence in divine mercy (2092)."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

I've put a little more about hope, despair, and presumption, under "Background," near the end of this post.

Words, Prayer, and a Decision

The scholars offer to pray for Faustus. What Faustus says next is a curious mix:

"...FAUSTUS. Ay, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever
ye hear,171 come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.

"SECOND SCHOLAR. Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have
mercy upon thee...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

"...Ay, pray for me..." might seem like a plea for help: but the sentence ends with "...for nothing can rescue me...." Like I said, Faustus seems to have chosen despair. Granted, he's under a great deal of stress, and I've been over that before, too. (December 26, 2011)

After a short exchange, the actor playing Faustus gets one of those long Elizabethan-style soliloquies. It runs over 460 words, not counting stage directions. It's a remarkable piece of oratory, but I'll just give the high (low?) points.

Faustus: Firmly Indecisive to the End

What strikes me most in this soliloquy is the Faust's steadfast indecision. He bemoans his fate, then says in quick succession:

"I'll leap up to my God"
"Ah, my Christ"
"O, spare me, Lucifer"

'Two out of three' isn't going to cut it in this case. Later Faustus tries to bargain with God ("Impose some end to my incessant pain"), wishes he was an animal, and curses:

His parents
Himself
Lucifer

This does not sound like a man who seriously wants to receive mercy. Not to me, anyway. Here's an excerpt:

"...FAUSTUS. Ah, Faustus,
Now hast thou but one bare hour to live,
And then thou must be damn'd perpetually!
Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven,
That time may cease, and midnight never come...

"...The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd.
O, I'll leap up to my God!-Who pulls me down?-
See, see, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!
One drop would save my soul, half a drop: ah, my Christ!-
Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ!
Yet will I call on him: O, spare me, Lucifer!-...

"...Ah, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon
O God,
If thou wilt not have mercy on my soul,
Yet for Christ's sake, whose blood hath ransom'd me,
Impose some end to my incessant pain...

"...Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul?
Or why is this immortal that thou hast?
Ah, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true,
This soul should fly from me, and I be chang'd
Unto some brutish beast!174 all beasts are happy,
For, when they die,
Their souls are soon dissolv'd in elements;
But mine must live still to be plagu'd in hell.
Curs'd be the parents that engender'd me!
No, Faustus, curse thyself, curse Lucifer
That hath depriv'd thee of the joys of heaven.
[The clock strikes twelve.]
O, it strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air,
Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Now Marlowe invokes some of the special effects available in Elizabethan theaters. I'm pretty sure it wasn't up to the standard we're used to in movies like "Spawn," but it's still good theater:

"...[Thunder and lightning.]
O soul, be chang'd into little water-drops,
And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!

"Enter DEVILS.

"My God, my god, look not so fierce on me!
Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while!
Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer!
I'll burn my books!—Ah, Mephistophilis!
[Exeunt DEVILS with FAUSTUS.] 175..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Good theater isn't necessarily good theology. As far as I can tell, nobody's dragged, kicking and screaming, into Heaven. Or Hell. Refusing Heaven is a choice. A daft one, but a choice:

"Oh, Hell: You Mean That Place Really Exists?"
(November 20, 2010)

Mercy?

I get the impression that some folks see "mercy" as saying "that's all right," no matter what. Which reminds me of the goofier excesses of the 'self esteem' fad, and that's another topic.

The Catholic Church has quite a bit to say about mercy: and justice. Including this:

" 'God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us.'¹¹⁶ To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'¹¹⁷"
(Catechism, 1847)
"Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the 'virtue of religion.' Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. 'You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.'⁶⁸ 'Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.'⁶⁹"
(Catechism, 1807)

CHORUS gets the last lines in "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus:

"...Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall,
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise,
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits
To practice more than heavenly power permits...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Four centuries later, some folks had taken the notion that some things are "more than heavenly power permits," and given it a Luddite twist. And that sort of 'if God had meant man to fly, He'd have given us wings' attitude is yet another topic.

Somewhat-related posts:

"Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
(December 19, 2011)
"Sloth, Faustian Flip-Flops, and Temptation"
(November 21, 2011)
"Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: Harlots and Pharisees, Agnostics and Routine Believers"
(September 29, 2011)
"Doctor Faustus, Benefit/Cost Ratios, and Fulton Sheen"
(September 23, 2011)
"Wheat, Weeds, and a Tax Collector"
(July 27, 2010)

Background:

Hope
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1817, 2090-2092)
Despair
(Catechism, 2091)
Presumption
(Catechism, 2092)
Mercy
(Catechism, 1422-1473, 1846-1848, 2447)

"When God reveals Himself and calls him, man cannot fully respond to the divine love by his own powers. He must hope that God will give him the capacity to love Him in return and to act in conformity with the commandments of charity. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God's love and of incurring punishment.

"The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:

"By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's goodness, to his justice—for the Lord is faithful to his promises—and to his mercy.

"There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God's almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit)."
(Catechism, 2090-2092)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

"The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"

From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev. Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R. Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

Hope, Joy, and 'More Despondent Than Thou?'

2012-01-08T07:47:00.226-06:00

There's something in the human psyche that seems to resonate with despondency. Or the feeling that there's some terrible crisis right around the corner.

Apocalypse Whenever

I think that explains some of the appeal for the perennial 'End Times prophecies:' like Mr. Camping's doomsday prediction last year. Christians with this quirk may be sincere. But I think they're doing themselves no favors.

Oh Woe, All Ye Faithful?

I also think a 'more despondent than thou' attitude projects a warped image of my Lord.

We're All Gonna Freeze Starve Get Blown Up Drown Uh, Change?

On the secular side, there's the environmental crisis du jure, with its 'and we're all gonna die' refrain. I've watched several coming apocalypses move from headlines to dim memories, like the:

Coming ice age
Population bomb
Impending nuclear holocaust
Horrific effects of global warming
- New York City Floods!
- Los Angeles Drowns!!
- Pandas perish!!!

These days the fashion seems to be acting distraught over 'climate change,' and that's almost another topic.

After I saw a few 'doomsday' dates swish by, I wasn't all that impressed by 'and we're all gonna die' predictions: but there are those who seem to relish the idea that all is lost.

Quirks and Kooks

A few quirks seem to pop up in any largish group of people. Like the notion that despondency is a virtue, or a sign of 'intelligence.' Folks with this trait seem:

Determined to see the dark lining in every silver cloud
Dedicated to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

I think the silly side of chronic pessimism is easy to spot, when 'those people over there' exhibit it. When 'serious thinkers' are part of one's own group? Maybe not so much. The kook who agrees with me can be more annoying than the crackpot who doesn't, once the kookiness becomes apparent, and that's another topic.

Hope isn't Irresponsibility

Willingness to see hope isn't the same as irresponsibility. There's a difference between seeing frostbite in every snowflake, and dressing warmly in winter.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with 'environmentally aware,' recycling, and not throwing out a pound of food for every pound you eat. As a practicing Catholic, I have to be concerned about God's creation:

"Common Declaration on Environmental Ethics"
Pope John Paul II (June 10, 2002)
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 373, 2402

That's far from a complete index of what the Church has to say about taking care of creation, and I've been over this before:

"God, Genesis, the Catholic Church, and Getting a Grip"
(June 22, 2011)
"Climate Changes: So What Else is New?"
(May 16, 2011)
"Earth Day, 2011: Pandas are Cute, but Let's Get a Grip"
(April 22, 2011)

'Gloominess is Next to Godliness?'

So: Why do so many folks seem to assume that:

'Thou shalt not smile' is an 11th Commandment?
The world's gonna end in 2012?
- Because the Mayan calendar isn't the same as ours
Or that we'd have mass starvation in the '70s?

I don't know.

Leibniz and Ehrlich

Another quirk, not quite so common these days, is the 'best of all possible worlds' attitude. That hasn't been fashionable for quite a while, although it enjoyed a sort of renaissance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

That was when science and technology was supposed to solve all our problems. These days, it's more in vogue to say that science and technology will kill us all. Paul Ehrlich still has a remarkable number of disciples, despite our getting disco instead of mass starvation, and that's yet another topic.

Finally, here's what got me started:

"Faith Fatigue?"

"Faith Fatigue Isn't Everywhere, Assures Pope"
ZENIT (December 22, 2011)
"Addresses Curia With Traditional 'Year in Review' Message

"Benedict XVI says that the solution to the problems of the world and the Church is a return to faith. And zeal for the faith is present in some places, he assured, notably in Africa and among the youth....

The Pope was talking to the Roman Curia.¹

Part of what Benedict XVI said was familiar enough:

Regular churchgoers are growing older all the time
- Their number is constantly diminishing
Recruitment of priests is stagnating
Skepticism and unbelief are growing

Oh, woe is us? No, not really.

The Pope had some pretty good reasons for optimism:

"...A further remedy against faith fatigue was the wonderful experience of World Youth Day in Madrid. This was new evangelization put into practice. Again and again at World Youth Days, a new, more youthful form of Christianity can be seen, something I would describe under five headings...."
(Pope Benedict XVI (December 22, 2011))

I'll do a summary of those five headings (look for "Hope and the Pope"), after getting some reminiscing out of the way. I think this relates to what the Pope said:

Kids These Days!

My teen years were in the '60s. The older generation of the day, some of them, were upset that 'those kids' weren't obsessed with wealth and status. 'Get a real job' was a familiar refrain.

Some of my contemporaries probably were 'lazy bums' who simply didn't like to work. But many were no more favorably impressed by lockstep conformity and obsessing over material gain than I was.

Not all older Americans were success-crazed worshipers of the almighty buck. But enough 'bought things they didn't need, with money they didn't have, to impress someone they didn't like' to make 'the American dream' less than appealing.

No, I was never a hippie. The conventional non-conformity of my youth was no more appealing to me than a gray flannel suit. And that's yet another topic, again.

Harmony, Understanding, and Commie Plots

Decades later, it's easy to look back at "Age of Aquarius" dreams and laugh: derisively or otherwise. Quite a few of my contemporaries took it seriously, though. I can see why.

Compared to marching to and from a cubicle each weekday, hating commies, and clawing your way up the corporate ladder, this sort of thing had real appeal:

"Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation...."
("Age of Aquarius," 5th Dimension)

I never did see why harmony, understanding, sympathy, and trust were hideous threats to the star spangled banner, mom, and apple pie. Still more topics.

Seeking Something Better

Jimi Hendryx and others demonstrated that "the mind's true liberation" was often either lethal: or left folks with damaged brains. The 'liberation' of people from rules that keep us from killing ourselves and each other didn't work out quite as-advertised either.

But - and I think this is important - the kids weren't, many of them, trying to tear something down. That wasn't the goal, anyway.

They - and I - wanted a world that was better than the 'lie, cheat, and steal your way to success' model of success. I might have felt differently, if my heart had ever been set on membership in a by-invitation-only country club. Yet again more topics.

Hope and the Pope

A transcript of the Pope's address to the Roman Curia, the one quoted by ZENIT, is online at the Vatican's website:

"Address by the Holy Father on the occasion of Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia"
Benedict XVI (December 22, 2011)

These are the five headings that Benedict XVI gave, describing the "new, more youthful form of Christianity" he saw at World Youth Days:

A new experience of catholicity
- Of the Church's universality
A new way of living our humanity, our Christianity
- Example: about 20,000 World Youth Day volunteers
  - Who devoted devoted weeks or months of their lives
  - Not
    - Because it was asked of them
    - In order to
      - Attain Heaven
      - Escape the danger of Hell
    - In order to find fulfillment
  - They worked "simply because it is a wonderful thing to do good, to be there for others"
Adoration of Christ the incarnate God, present in the Eucharist
- Example:
  - "Young people in Hyde Park responded in eloquent silence to the Lord’s sacramental presence"
The sacrament of Confession
- We need forgiveness
- Forgiveness brings responsibility
Joy
- Certainty
  - Based on faith
  - That I
    - Am
      - Wanted
      - Accepted
      - Loved
    - Have a task in history

On my way to becoming a Catholic, I ran into some very odd ideas about the Church.

For example, the sacrament of Confession, point #4, is not the sort of 'you're damned, you foul sinner' thing I've run into now and then in the darker corners of American faith. I've posted about the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation before. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1422-1484, summarized 1485-1498)

The certainty in point #5 isn't the sort of 'I am the hammer of God' thing that makes the news occasionally. ("Crowbar for Christ in Colorado?" (October 7, 2010)) Although you may have run into a Catholic who think he or she is 'holier than the Pope.'

Major Depression, 'Being Spiritual,' and Taking My Meds

I take medication to control major depression, among other things. 'Trusting God' and taking reasonable steps to maintain my health aren't incompatible. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 301, and Catechism, 2288, for starters) And I've been over that before. (March 4, 2010)

So, do I believe that wringing my hands in agony over this woeful world is 'being spiritual?' No. If anything, I think trying to ignore emotional fallout from an imbalanced brain chemistry helped me decide that emotions weren't a good basis for decisions.

Particularly decisions about anything important, like whether or not to believe that:

Life is worth living
God gives a rip about His creation
- And really exists
There's any point in trying to improve things

Emotional infarcts notwithstanding, I've decided that the answer is 'yes' to all of the above. Moving on.

Justice, Mercy, and Getting a Grip

I have no business, second-guessing the justice and mercy of God: I take the "stop judging" thing seriously. (Matthew 7:1-5) But there's a difference between thinking about someone's actions, and judging the person. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1861) I've posted about judgment and 'being judgmental' before.

Hoping, and Working, For a Better World

I don't think humanity can, on our own, make a perfect world. And I am not going to go off on a tangent about Last Things.

I also think there's a huge difference between thinking we can't make a perfect world: and feeling like there's no point in making what we've got, better. Which brings up topics like responsibility and social justice - and this post is already on the long side.

Related posts:

Hope isn't a four-letter word
- "Faith, Works, and Spirituality for Dummkopfs"
  (October 5, 2011)
- "Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex"
  (August 30, 2011)
- "Christianity: A Religion of Hope"
  (May 5, 2011)
- "Uncertainty, 'Being Religious,' and This Catholic"
  (February 12, 2011)
- "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)
We have work to do
- " 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
  (December 18, 2011)
- "Having Good Judgment isn't Being Judgmental"
  (October 12, 2011)
- "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
  (September 13, 2011)
- "Drought, Ethiopia, Texas, and Charity"
  (August 9, 2011)
- "Rebellious Youth, Protests, and The Establishment: in 2010"
  (January 26, 2010)
  Particularly
  - "The Establishment" - Woodstock to Political Correctness
Wealth, poverty, and getting a grip
- "Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: Liberation, Transformation, and Getting Personal"
  (September 27, 2011)
- "Trade Show in Pennsylvania, Ecclesiastes, Software, and Schedules"
  (July 26, 2011)
- "Passing Through Status Symbol Land"
  (May 14, 2011)
- "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
  (March 8, 2011)
- "Brooding on Ecclesiastes"
  (August 1, 2010)

Background:

"Address by the Holy Father on the occasion of Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia"
Benedict XVI (December 22, 2011)
"Africae munus, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation"
Benedict XVI (November 19, 2011)

¹ Roman Curia: I suppose you could call it 'headquarters' for the Church:

"In exercising supreme, full, and immediate power in the universal Church, the Roman pontiff makes use of the departments of the Roman Curia which, therefore, perform their duties in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service of the sacred pastors." (Christus Dominus, 9) (Quoted on Roman Curia, vatican.va)

The Roman Curia's home page includes an impressive list of departments:

Secretariat of State
Congregations
Tribunals
Pontifical Councils
Synod of Bishops
Offices
Pontifical Commissions
Swiss Guard
Institutions Connected with the Holy See
Labour Office of the Apostolic See
Pontifical Academies
Pontifical Committees

Starting with that list of a dozen departments, I could imagine the Vatican as being a vast labyrinth of corridors, cubicles, offices, and conference rooms. Vatican City is a largish place, compared to most companies I've worked for. It's roughly a half-mile across, and covers 0.44 square kilometers. That's about 7/10 the size of The National Mall in Washington, DC. On the other hand, Vatican City is entirely surrounded by Rome, and includes quite a bit of open land. Like the Vatican Gardens. What folks generally see when the Vatican gets on television is Saint Peter's Basilica. There's more to the place than that, like the Marconi Broadcast Centre: and I'm getting seriously off-topic. Those vast crowds you see in photos and video are visitors. Vatican City's population in July, 2011, was about 832. ("Holy See (Vatican City)," CIA World Factbook (page last updated November 7, 2011) The number of folks actually on the staff of any one department isn't all that large. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for example, has 45 folks - handling information from something like 1,100,000,000 Catholics. They're spread a bit thin, and I've been over that before.

"Pedophile Priests! - or - My Mind is Made Up, Don't Confuse Me With the Facts"
(April 11, 2010)
Partlicularly
- The Not-So-Vast Vatican Staff

South Sudan, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and Working for a Better World

2012-01-06T14:26:00.006-06:00

South Sudan is in the news again. Some Lou Nuer attacked folks around Pibor; after folks who had fled Pibore killed some Lou Nurer. The situation reminds me of what my ancestors were doing, a thousand years ago or so: Njal's Saga, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and all that.

One of the immediate issues in South Sudan is that the new nation's government has thousands of folks who desperately need food, shelter, and medical attention. South Sudan's government is asking for help:¹

"...The clashes around the town of Pibor are a result of cattle raids that have spiralled out of control.

"On Thursday South Sudan declared a disaster in Jonglei state...."

"...Several UN agencies are taking part in the aid effort, which will focus on food distribution, providing water and sanitation, and treating the injured, Ms Byrs said...."
(BBC News)

English-language news on both sides of the Atlantic, what I've seen, focus on the United Nation's efforts to help 2,000 of the 50,000 folks immediately involved. Happily, South Sudan doesn't have to rely exclusively on the United Nations.

Working in South Sudan, Before there was a South Sudan

I've mentioned Catholic Relief Services, CRS, before. They've been in Sudan, including the Darfur area, for years:

Catholic Relief Services
- South Sudan
  - "When Did We See You?"
    (December, 2011)
  - "A Christmas Blessing for you from Catholic Relief Services"
    (December 19, 2011)
  - "South Sudan Celebrates Long-Sought Independence "
    (July 9, 2011)
  - "Darfur Driver Takes Up Education Causes"
    (November 5, 2010)
  - "Taxis With Tails: Aid Workers Saddle Up in Darfur"
    (March 30th, 2010)
  - "Honoring Staff as CRS Marks Five Years in Darfur
    (December 21, 2009)

The United Nations, Congress, and Me

I don't 'trust' the United Nations, in the sense that I assume every decision they make is right. Using that definition, I don't 'trust' Congress, either. But, and I think this is an important point: right now the United Nations, the American Congress, and Nintendo are what we have to work with. "Nintendo?!" I'll get back to that.

Eventually we may have an "international authority with the necessary competence and power"² to keep national leaders in line; and give citizens legal, peaceful, means to deal with tyrants and nitwits. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2308) Until we have something like Tennyson's parliament of man, we're stuck with we've got.

We're also expected to work with what we've got, and I've been over that before:

"Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
(September 13, 2011)

The United Nations, the American Congress, and Nintendo?!

No, I do not believe that Nintendo, the Walt Disney Company, and the Illuminati, are controlling people's behavior with radio waves from invisible helicopters. Intriguing as the notion is, for a storyteller.

I included Nintendo in that list, because I don't think that an "international authority with the necessary competence and power" needs to be a government. For example, the Hanseatic League brought a measure of order to people from Novgorod to London from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Then Europe got nation-states. Today, about a half-millennia later, maybe the European Union will work out: and that's another topic.

Using the same definition of "trust" that I used earlier, I don't "trust" Nintendo, the Walt Disney Company, or Bharti Airtel. I think corporate leaders can make mistakes. As America's big three automakers demonstrated a few years ago.

But maybe that "international authority with the necessary competence and power" will be more like the Hanseatic League, and less like the sort of folks who gave us the Hundred Years' War, Reconstruction and the Treaty of Versailles.

Related posts:

South Sudan, Darfur
- "South Sudan: Darfur, a New Country, and Hope"
  (July 13, 2011)
  Particularly
  - 'The Natives are Dying' - This Time Someone Acted
  - The Religious Angle
- "Sudan, Election Results, and Genocide: Not Much to Do, But Pray"
  (May 1, 2010)
- "Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir Wins Election! Genocide? What Genocide?"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (April 26, 2010)
- "Darfur: Overview of the Current Mess, and Some Background"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (April 23, 2008)
- "Beyond the Teddy Bear: Sudan, the Darfur Genocide, and Islam"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (November 29, 2007)
Living in a big world
- " 'We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites...' "
  (August 5, 2011)
- "Drought, Starvation, Death, Request for Help - But No Pressure"
  (July 18, 2011)
- "Local Parishes, Universal Church, and Living in Minnesota"
  (June 16, 2011)
  Particularly
  - The U.N.: It'll Have to Do, For Now
  - Working With People - As They Are
- "Charity, Nuns, and an Overloaded Helicopter"
  (April 28, 2011)
  Particularly
  - The Holy See: Micromanagement in Reverse, Sort of
- "Peru, Japan, Minnesota: And a Universal Church"
  (March 21, 2011)

In the news:

"South Sudan's Jonglei clashes: UN begins aid effort"
BBC News (January 6, 2012)
"South Sudan appeals for humanitarian aid amid fighting"
CNN (January 6, 2012)

Background:

"South Sudan"
CIA World FactBook (last updated November 10, 2011)
"Sudan"
Catholic Relief Services

¹ From today's news:

"South Sudan's Jonglei clashes: UN begins aid effort"
BBC News (January 6, 2012)

"The UN has launched a 'massive emergency operation' to help those affected by ethnic clashes in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

"Food distribution has begun for 2,000 people, UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told the BBC.

"The operation aims to help 50,000 people who have fled recent clashes between rival ethnic groups, she said.

"The clashes around the town of Pibor are a result of cattle raids that have spiralled out of control.

"On Thursday South Sudan declared a disaster in Jonglei state.

"Some 6,000 ethnic Lou Nuer fighters attacked the area around Pibor in recent days, outnumbering South Sudan's army and UN forces.

"This is the latest round in a cycle of violence which has lasted several months - in one incident last year some 600 Lou Nuer were killed by attackers from the Murle community, the group which fled from Pibor...."
"South Sudan appeals for humanitarian aid amid fighting"
CNN (January 6, 2012)

"South Sudan appealed for international aid for a remote region that has been under attack by roaming fighters, as thousands of residents fled into the bush to avoid the violence.

"The government declared Jonglei state a 'humanitarian disaster area' and called on international aid agencies to help provide urgently needed assistance.

"It is not yet clear how many people have been killed or injured in the violence.

"The United Nations said Thursday it was mounting a 'massive emergency support programme' to help those displaced by fighting...."

"...Ethnic tensions in Jonglei state have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, leading to cattle raids and abduction of women and children.

"Government officials have urged the two ethnic groups to return women and children abducted in the spate of violence.

"More forces will be deployed and a committee established to push for reconciliation between the two groups, according to government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin...."

² Cited September 11, 2011:

"All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.

However, 'as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.'¹⁰⁶"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2308)

My Take on the News: Sex; SNAP; and Slurs

2012-01-06T07:53:00.539-06:00

A Los Angeles Bishop who fathered two children is in the news again. So is the 'pedophile priests' story. Closer to home, a judge in Minnesota is dealing with a memo that 'exposes' the Catholic Church as the force behind the slave trade, WWII, and the sinking of the Titanic.

No kidding.

Los Angeles Bishop: Bad Behavior; Bad Example
Different Rules for Special People?
Catholics Sank the Titanic?

My faith isn't shattered by a misbehaving bishop, or accusations of skullduggery, malfeasance, and conspiracy. I became a Catholic when I learned that it's the outfit my Lord founded. I'm not likely to quit because some priests and bishops demonstrated that humans are able to sin.

1. Los Angeles Bishop: Bad Behavior; Bad Example

"Pope accepts resignation of LA bishop who fathered two children"
Marianne Medlin, CNA (Catholic Network Agency) (January 4, 2012)

"Pope Benedict publicly accepted the resignation of Los Angeles auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala on Jan. 4, after the bishop admitted to fathering two children.

"Archbishop Jose H. Gomez called the news 'sad and difficult' in a Jan. 4 letter to the faithful, explaining that Bishop Zavala informed him in early December that he is of the father of two teenage minor children who live in another state with their mother.

"Since 60-year-old Bishop Zavala submitted his resignation to the Pope, he 'has not been in ministry and will be living privately,' Archbishop Gomez said. Bishop Zavala oversaw the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, which is one of five in the archdiocese...."

The Vatican's reputation as a house of ill repute seems to come from some historical incidents - and America's solidly anti-Catholic cultural heritage. There really were stories about Popes who behaved badly. Some of them were true. Considering that we've had 266 Popes so far, that shouldn't be surprising. All priests and bishops are human beings; we're a fallen race, dealing with original sin; and that's another topic.

Here's some background:

"...[people born out of wedlock] were then, sometimes, debarred from ordination, but only because of a real or supposed depravity of life. Pope Urban II (1088-99) prohibited the ordination of the illegitimate offspring of clerics, unless they became members of approved religious orders. The Council of Poitiers, under Paschal II (1099-1118), extended this prohibition to all persons of illegitimate birth. These regulations were later approved by other popes and councils...."

"...the Council of Trent (Sess. 25, c. 15 de ref.) Decreed that the illegitimate children of clerics should be incapacitated from obtaining any kind of a benefice in the Church where their fathers held one; from rendering any service in said church; and from receiving any pensions on the revenues of the paternal benefice. This law is not established and laid down as a punishment for the person to whom it is applied. It safeguards the honour and dignity of Holy orders...."
("The Defect of Birth (illegitimacy)," The Catholic Encyclopedia, via NewAdvent.org (1907))

Maybe those decrees by the Council of Trent (December 3, 1545 - December 4, 1563) decrees about children of priests and bishops seems harsh. As the Catholic Encyclopedia article points out, it's not a punishment for someone born out of wedlock. On strictly practical grounds, it prohibited priests and bishops from starting a sort of personal dynasty within the Church. Another point: that "defect of birth" is, if anything, a criticism of the unmarried parents. And that's yet another topic.

Popes with one or more illegitimate children:

Pius II
(Pope 1458-64)
- Two
- Before receiving Holy Orders
Innocent VIII
(Pope 1484-92)
- Two
- During a "a licentious youth"
- Before receiving Holy Orders
Alexander VI
(Pope 1492-1503)
- At least one
- Before becoming Pope
- Married his illegitimate daughter to Alfonso I d'Este
  - She's better known as Lucrezia Borgia

That's right: the Lucrezia Borgia. Alexander VI was Rodrigo Borgia before he became Pope, and "...Alexander continued as Pope the manner of life that had disgraced his cardinalate (Pastor, op. cit., III, 449 152)...." (Catholic Encyclopedia)

Did I miss some of the misbehaving Popes?
- Quite possibly
Is their misbehavior okay?
- No
Does it shake my faith?
- No

As I've said before, considering the sort of miserable leadership we've had occasionally over the last two millennia, it's a wonder that the Catholic Church is still here. Applying Occam's Razor, I think the simplest explanation is what the Church says: the Holy Spirit is holding us up. And that's yet again another topic.

Do the actions of the Borgia Pope and a bishop in Los Angeles mean that the Catholic Church is always doing bad things? I don't think so, but not everybody shares my view:

2. Different Rules for Special People?

Yes, I know about the pedophile priests. Here's more of the same:

"SNAP refuses to obey court order for abuse documents"
Michelle Bauman, CNA (Catholic Network Agency) (January 4, 2012)

"A group claiming to advocate for clergy sex abuse victims says it will not comply with a court order asking it to turn over documents, amid concerns that it had received information in violation of a judge's gag order.

"The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, has said that it will refuse to submit to a judge's request for information involving allegations of sexual abuse against a Missouri priest.

"SNAP director David Clohessy told CNA on Jan. 3 that his organization should be held to a 'different standard' of transparency than Church leaders and dioceses, which he described as 'organizations that enable and conceal thousands of pedophiles to rape tens of thousands of kids.'..."

And there you have it: Catholic dioceses are "organizations that enable and conceal thousands of pedophiles to rape tens of thousands of kids." Since SNAP are the 'good guys' and the Catholic Church are the 'bad guys' - from SNAP's point of view - it makes sense that 'good guys' shouldn't have to follow the rules. Again, from SNAP's point of view.

Moving on.

3. Catholics Sank the Titanic?

I am not making this up. According to a memo being processed by Minnesota courts, the Catholic Church was behind:

The slave trade
The sinking of the Titanic
World War II
The Holocaust
U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam

I don't take that seriously, but then: I'm a Catholic. And, if this outfit's beliefs run along the same lines as others, I'm either a dupe or part of the vast conspiracy.

Maybe that's part of the appeal of conspiracy theories: lack of evidence is 'proof' that the conspiracy exists, since 'they' must have destroyed the evidence. You can't argue with logic like that.

I suppose it's no surprise that a "Catholic Knight Witch Hunter" ordered the arrest of one of the attorneys involved:

"Judge orders Minnesota attorney arrested for slurs"
Steve Karnowski, Associated Press, via Chicago Tribune (January 4, 2011)

"A judge ordered the arrest of a Minnesota attorney with a small Wisconsin-based religious group who repeatedly made anti-Catholic slurs in court filings and failed to show up for a Wednesday hearing on whether she should be sanctioned for her statements.

"U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Nancy Dreher held Naomi Isaacson in contempt for her absence. Isaacson was already in contempt for failing to turn over documents in a long-running bankruptcy case involving a subsidiary of the Shawano, Wis.-based group, the Dr. R.C. Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology. Dreher said Isaacson will remain jailed until she produces the documents or gets someone else to do it...."

Bankruptcy, or anything to do with failing finances, is likely to be stressful for those involved. I've posted about emotions, reason, and how our brains are wired before:

" 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
(December 18, 2011)
"Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
(September 6, 2011)
"Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)

Bankruptcy, Bias, and - Conspiracy?

Bottom line, emotions and reason don't play well together. That's why I think the judge's decision to wait until folks cooled down was reasonable. But I'm getting ahead of the story:

"...Dreher had ordered them to appear Wednesday to show cause why she should not sanction them for a memo they filed in November that the judge said was 'replete with unsupported and outrageous allegations of bigotry, deceit, conspiracy and scandalous statements against this court ... and bankruptcy courts in general.'

"The memo repeatedly referred to 'Nancy Dreher, the Catholic judge' and called her a 'black-robed bigot' and 'a Catholic Knight Witch Hunter.' It also called one trustee in the bankruptcy case a 'Jesuitess' and another trustee a 'priest's boy' and accused them of conspiring against the group, known as SIST.

"Ex-members describe the group, which is led by an Indian immigrant who goes by the name Avraham Cohen, as a cult. Its bankrupt subsidiary, Yehud-Monosson USA Inc., used to own gas stations and convenience stores...."
(Chicago Tribune)

I think it's possible for a judge, or anyone else, to be biased against some ethnic or religious group. But that doesn't mean that every judge trying a case involving someone from another ethnic group is a bigot. I've posted about over-generalization before.

"Catholic Beasts," "the Sword of the Church," and 'the Good Old Days'

In a way, the memo in question reminds me of 'the good old days' of anti-communist goofiness, and the radio preachers of my youth:

"...'Across the country the court systems and particularly the Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota, are composed of a bunch of ignoramus, bigoted Catholic beasts that carry the sword of the church,' the memo said.

"Dreher was indignant as she read aloud from that document and from the replies Isaacson and Nett filed last month in response to her threat of sanctions.

"Isaacson, who identifies herself as chief executive of SIST and president of Yehud-Monosson, wrote that the attorneys weren't calling Dreher a member of the Roman Catholic Church when they called her a Catholic judge.

" 'It is referring to a mentality and an adherence to a universal creed of White Supremacy,' she wrote...."
(Chicago Tribune)

"White Supremacy?" Given what these folks believe, that actually makes sense:

"...The response from Nett, who represents Yehud-Monosson, took a similar tone, alleging that Catholics and the Jesuit order were behind the slave trade, the sinking of the Titanic, World War II, the Holocaust and U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam...."
(Chicago Tribune)

'I am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been, a Catholic?'

I remember the 'good old days' when America was flushing McCarthyism out of its system. The often-spoofed "I am not now, nor have I ever been - - - " is an echo of a Congressional committee's all-too-familiar question: "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States?"

That's one reason I'm glad 'the good old days' aren't coming back, and that's almost another topic. On the other hand, swap out some other term for "communist party," and this response looks rather familiar:

"...[judge] Dreher wrote in an order last month that she has never been Catholic and is 'not of any particular faith.' She said Wednesday in court that her religious views are not relevant to the case.

"The judge did not order Nett jailed, though she said Nett had made no effort to determine whether any of the accusations made against her or other court officials were accurate. And she pointedly noted that Nett had not apologized in writing or during her oral remarks in court.

" 'Sometimes that is really important,' Dreher said.

"Nett told her the November document was an 'emotional outburst' written by Isaacson and she 'wasn't trying to condone that' when she filed it on behalf of the company. She argued against disciplinary action, saying sanctions are meant to prevent a repeat of similar actions in the future.

" 'This is a one-of-a-kind case, and I don't see this happening again ever,' she said...."
(Chicago Tribune)

I think Nett may be overly-optimistic about this being "a one-of-a-kind case."

"Army of Oppression" and All That

The notion that the Catholic Church runs governments or industries, and is responsible for all that is icky, is fairly common. Take the crackpot-Protestant elements out, and you've got something that's pretty close to political correctness. I've been over this before:

" 'Tolerance' isn't Always Tolerant"
(December 7, 2010)
" 'Army of Oppression,' Unmentionables, and Being Catholic in America"
(August 17, 2010)
"Obama's Harry Knox: My Tax Dollars at Work"
(April 9, 2009)

Conspiracy Theories and the Archivum Secretum Vaticanum - Online

Sincere, intense, anti-Catholic views are part of American culture. I suspect that as long as human beings are the way we are now, some folks will probably believe that 'Jesuit Ruling Priests of Baal,' or some other 'conspiracy,' are behind whatever they don't like.

I think today's information technology, and so many folks having access to so much information, makes it harder to paint the Catholic Church as some mysterious menace.

Between the Vatican's Archivum Secretum Vaticanum (Secret Archives) having its own website (asv.vatican.va), broadcasts in Radio Vaticana's 38 languages, and folks having direct access to many Catholic documents online - someone who is seriously curious about the Church can learn quite a great deal.

Granted, not all documents archived at the Vatican are in a searchable database: yet. We've been around for about two millennia, with a written tradition that goes back to around the time writing was invented: and the Internet is no more than a few decades old.

Give us time, though - - - and that's still more topics.

Fulton Sheen, on Hating the Catholic Church

"There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church - which is, of course, quite a different thing."
(Bishop Fulton Sheen, Foreword to Radio Replies Vol. 1, (1938) page ix, via Wikiquote)

Sex
- "Same-Sex Attraction, 'the Devil Made Me Do It,' and Getting a Grip"
  (November 4, 2011)
- "Sex, Science, and the Home Schooling Parent"
  (September 17, 2011)
- "Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex"
  (August 30, 2011)
- "Sex Isn't a Product for Consumption?"
  (June 8, 2011)
- "Is Celibacy Healthy? Actually, Yes"
  (April 14, 2010)
'PEDOPHILE PRIESTS!!!!'
- "My Take on the News: Saints; Standard-Issue Clueless Journalism; and Saint Michael, Action Figure"
  (December 23, 2011)
  Particularly
  - Clueless Journalism - Again
- "Return of the Pedophile Priests Rides Again: The Sequel"
  (November 18, 2011)
- "Parish Priest: Loud Accusation, Quiet Exoneration"
  (May 7, 2011)
- "Pedophile Priests! - or - My Mind is Made Up, Don't Confuse Me With the Facts"
  (April 11, 2010)
- "Cultural Chaos, Divisiveness, and CNN"
  (April 1, 2010)
  - Ever wonder why sane people don't seem to support the Catholic Church?
Bias
- "Lie and Hype for a Good Cause?!"
  (November 28, 2011)
- "Space Aliens, Michele Bachmann, and Daft Assumptions"
  (September 2, 2011)
- "New York Archbishop: No More Mr. Nice Guy?"
  (October 23, 2010)
- "'Death Cookie' Comic: Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time?"
  (March 5, 2010)
- " 'Catholics and Muslims along with the fake Jews all are Satanic Cults' - Who Knew?"
  (April 2, 2009)
Conspiracy theories
- "How to Not Sound Crazy - or - THE PARANOIDS ARE AFTER ME!!!"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (June 12, 2011)
  My micro-review of
  - "Tips for Not Appearing Crazy on the Internet"
    Frank J. Fleming, Pajamas Media (June 12, 2011)
- "Nuclear Weapons, Space Aliens, Conspiracy Theories, and Getting a Grip"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (September 24, 2010)
- "Haiti's Earthquake Caused by - You Guessed it - Yankee Imperialists"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 21, 2010)
- "Greedy Rich People and an 'Organized Campaign to Suppress the Truth' - Who Knew?"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (April 5, 2009)
- "Lebanon, Israel, Pakistan, India, and the Lizard People"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (January 14, 2009)
  Particularly
  - Someone to Blame

Background:

Sexuality
- Is part of human nature
  - Catechism, 2331-2336
  - "Educational Guidance in Human Love"
    Outlines for sex education
    Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, William Cardinal Baum (November 1, 1983)
  - And as such is
    - Good
      - Catechism, 2331-2332
    - Special
      - Catechism, 2348-2350)
      - "The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality"
        Guidelines for Education within the Family
        The Pontifical Council for the Family, Alfonso Card. López Trujillo, + Most Rev. Elio Sgreccia (December 8, 1995)
- Rape is bad
  - Catechism, 2356)
  - "Consultation on Humanitarian Issues"
    Issues and Experience of the World Food Program
    Monsignor Marchetto, Permanent Observer of the Holy See (March 16, 2000)
    - Yes, I know about the pedophile priests
Social Justice
- Catechism, 1928, 1943-1948
- "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church"
  Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (June 26, 2006)

Respect for the human person
- Catechism, 1929-1933
- "Instruction on respect for human life"
  Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Card. Ratznger, Alberto Bovone (February 22, 1987)
Equality and differences among men
- Catechism, 1933-1938
- "Octogesima Adveniens"
  Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI (may 14, 1971)
Human solidarity
- Catechism, 1939-1942
- "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church"
  Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (June 26, 2006)

Holy Willie Syndrome

2012-01-04T07:51:00.007-06:00

A person can get some great quotes, by snipping out little bits of the Bible:

"... No one who is begotten by God commits sin...."
(Part of 1 John 3:9)

Oh, wow! Does that mean that once I'm baptized and saved and all that, I can do any damned thing I want, and it won't be my fault?

No, I really don't think so.

A Little More Detail

That 'no one ... commits sin" is from from today's first reading, 1 John 3:7-10:

"Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. Whoever sins belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. ⁴ In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother."
(1 John 3:7-10)

It's possible, if not reasonable, to take that snippet from 1 John 3:9 and decide that "righteous" people can do no wrong. And, of course, that "whoever sins" is irrevocably condemned to Hell.

If that doesn't seem compatible with loving each other: I agree, and I've been over that before. ("Loving Neighbors: No Matter What" (May 10, 2011))

"Sinless?!"

Being part of a self-described little band of 'spiritual elite' can, I suppose, be reassuring. Not to me, though. I want to be "righteous," but not self-righteous. There's a difference.

Let's see what that footnote says:

"A habitual sinner is a child of the devil, while a child of God, who by definition is in fellowship with God, cannot sin. Seed: Christ or the Spirit who shares the nature of God with the Christian."
(Footnote 4, 1 John 3)

Okay: clarifying "sinner" as being a "habitual sinner" helps, a bit. As usual, there's more. Quite a lot more, including something earlier in that book:

"If we say, 'We are without sin,' we deceive ourselves, ³ and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, 'We have not sinned,' we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
(1 John 1:8-10)

Again with the footnote:

"Denial of the condition of sin is self-deception and even contradictory of divine revelation; there is also the continual possibility of sin's recurrence. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin through Christ are assured through acknowledgment of them and repentance."
(Footnote 3, 1 John 1)

Being 'Biblical,' Getting a Grip

I could take those two selections from 1 John, say 'the Bible contradicts itself,' and be considered 'intelligent' in some circles. That kind of trouble I don't need. I've posted about the particular judgment before.

Or I could decide that my cultural background and personal quirks are 'divine inspiration,' latch on to my favorite verses from the Bible, and claim that God is on my side. Again, that kind of trouble I don't need. The idea is to be on God's side, and that's another topic.

I don't doubt that folks who say women must wear dresses, because the Bible says so, are sincere. I also think they missed some important points. Which is part of the reason why I don't rant about the Bible ordaining that the zoot suit shall be worn by men forevermore. And that's definitely another topic. Topics.

I have to take the Bible seriously. It's Sacred Scripture, inspired writing, and true. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 101-108)

But I don't worship a book. I worship God. Who is the Bible's author. (Catechism, 105) As a Catholic, I'm required to read the Bible; use my brain; and pay attention to what my Lord's outfit has been saying for the last couple of thousand years. (Catechism, 109-133)

"Repent!" and More

I'm a convert to Catholicism, so I'm probably more likely use words like "repentance," or "repent," than a cradle Catholic. Repentance is important, but I get the impression that the Church wants us to be aware of the process: contrition; penance; and reconciliation.

The rules are simple: love God, love my neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31) Also that everybody is my neighbor. (Matthew 5:43-44; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-30; Catechism, 1825)

I think the reason the Church 'makes stuff complicated' is that folks keep trying to weasel out of the simple, but challenging, rules. Yet more topics.

I put links to part of what the Church says about sin, contrition, and all that, under Background, near the end of this post.

Holy Willie's Prayer

Folks getting wild ideas, based on that "... No one who is begotten by God commits sin...." Biblical snippet is nothing new.

Robert (Rabbie) Burns wrote the words of "Auld Lang Syne." He also wrote "Holy Willie's Prayer:"

"...In 'Holy Willie's Prayer,' he [Burns] lays a burning hand on the terrible doctrine of predestination: this is a satire, daring, personal, and profane. Willie claims praise in the singular, acknowledges folly in the plural, and makes heaven accountable for his sins!..."
(Life of Robert Burns, " The Complete Works of Robert Burns," Allan Cunningham (1855), via gutenberg.org)

I put the full text of "Holy Willie's Prayer" at the end of this post.¹ The Catholic Church 'believes in' predestination, by the way. But not the 'Holy Willie' sort:

"To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of 'predestination,' he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: 'In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.'³⁹⁵ For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness.³⁹⁶"
(Catechism, 600)

That's the sort of detail that I think is interesting, even fascinating. But since God's God, and I'm not: that sort of 'predestination' may not make much practical difference in my daily decisions.

Holy Willie Syndrome

The phrase, "Holy Willie syndrome," has been around for well over a decade. At least. I think it's a catchy phrase for describing a particularly arrogant, blind, sort of hypocrisy.

Truth as lifestyle choice helps a person avoid hypocrisy. (Catechism, 2468) And that's yet again another topic.

It's Faith and Works

I rely on the mercy of God and the sacrifice my Lord made at Golgotha for my salvation. (Luke 24:46-47; Catechism, 602-603, 1424) But I'm expected to do something with the life I've been given, too. (James 2:12-26; Catechism, 1021, 1915, 2199)

Those bits from the Bible and the Catechism aren't all that's been written about acting as if God matters: but they're a start.

Related posts:

Love, Catholic Style
- "First Sunday of Advent, 2011: Joy, Peace, Love, and a Dog Named Rollo"
  (November 27, 2011)
- "Loving Neighbors: Even the One Who Stole Our Gospel Book"
  (September 4, 2011)
- "It's 'Love Your Neighbor,' Not 'Alienate Your Neighbor' "
  (August 8, 2011)
- "No Open Season on Transgendered People, Please!"
  (April 26, 2011)
- "Mother Teresa of Calcutta: She's No Princess Di"
  (May 8, 2009)
Faith, works, and getting a grip
- "Talents, 'the Outer Darkness,' and Interest-Bearing Bank Accounts"
  (November 23, 2011)
- "Being Saved, the Narrow Gate, and All That"
  (October 26, 2011)
- "Faith, Works, and Spirituality for Dummkopfs"
  (October 5, 2011)
- "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
  (September 13, 2011)
- "Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Warm Fuzzies"
  (August 8, 2010)

Background

Sin
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1846-1869)
- Is an offense against
  - Reason
  - Truth
  - Right conscience
    (Catechism, 1849)
  - God
    (Catechism, 1850)
- May be forgiven
  (Catechism, 976-983)
Contrition
(Catechism, 1451-1454)
- "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again"
  (Council of Trent (1551): Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum 1676 (1965), quoted in Catechism, 1451)
Penance
(Catechism, 1422-1484)
- Part of an ongoing process of conversion
  (Catechism, 1425)
Reconciliation
(Catechism, 1420-1484)
- With God
  (Catechism, 1468)
- With the Church
  (Catechism, 1469)
There's more
- Lots more

¹The "Pope" quoted by Robert Burns is Alexander Pope (1688-1744). "And sent the godly in a pet to pray" is from A. Pope's poem, "The Rape of the Lock." Here's Robert Burns' take on one sort of 18th century religion:

"Holy Willie's Prayer

" 'And send the godly in a pet to pray.'--Pope.

"Argument.

"Holy Willie was a rather oldish bachelor elder, in the parish of Mauchline, and much and justly famed for that polemical chattering, which ends in tippling orthodoxy, and for that spiritualized bawdry which refines to liquorish devotion. In a sessional process with a gentleman in Mauchline--a Mr. Gavin Hamilton--Holy Willie and his priest, Father Auld, after full hearing in the presbytery of Ayr, came off but second best; owing partly to the oratorical powers of Mr. Robert Aiken, Mr. Hamilton's counsel; but chiefly to Mr. Hamilton's being one of the most irreproachable and truly respectable characters in the county. On losing the process, the muse overheard him [Holy Willie] at his devotions, as follows:--

"O Thou, who in the heavens does dwell,
Who, as it pleases best Thysel',
Sends ane to heaven an' ten to hell,
A' for Thy glory,
And no for ony gude or ill
They've done afore Thee!

"I bless and praise Thy matchless might,
When thousands Thou hast left in night,
That I am here afore Thy sight,
For gifts an' grace
A burning and a shining light
To a' this place.

"What was I, or my generation,
That I should get sic exaltation,
I wha deserve most just damnation
For broken laws,
Five thousand years ere my creation,
Thro' Adam's cause?

"When frae my mither's womb I fell,
Thou might hae plunged me in hell,
To gnash my gums, to weep and wail,
In burnin lakes,
Where damned devils roar and yell,
Chain'd to their stakes.

"Yet I am here a chosen sample,
To show thy grace is great and ample;
I'm here a pillar o' Thy temple,
Strong as a rock,
A guide, a buckler, and example,
To a' Thy flock.

"O Lord, Thou kens what zeal I bear,
When drinkers drink, an' swearers swear,
An' singin there, an' dancin here,
Wi' great and sma';
For I am keepit by Thy fear
Free frae them a'.

"But yet, O Lord! confess I must,
At times I'm fash'd wi' fleshly lust:
An' sometimes, too, in wardly trust,
Vile self gets in:
But Thou remembers we are dust,
Defil'd wi' sin.

"O Lord! yestreen, Thou kens, wi' Meg--
Thy pardon I sincerely beg,
O! may't ne'er be a livin plague
To my dishonour,
An' I'll ne'er lift a lawless leg
Again upon her.

"Besides, I farther maun allow,
Wi' Leezie's lass, three times I trow--
But Lord, that Friday I was fou,
When I cam near her;
Or else, Thou kens, Thy servant true
Wad never steer her.

"Maybe Thou lets this fleshly thorn
Buffet Thy servant e'en and morn,
Lest he owre proud and high shou'd turn,
That he's sae gifted:
If sae, Thy han' maun e'en be borne,
Until Thou lift it.

"Lord, bless Thy chosen in this place,
For here Thou hast a chosen race:
But God confound their stubborn face,
An' blast their name,
Wha bring Thy elders to disgrace
An' public shame.

"Lord, mind Gaw'n Hamilton's deserts;
He drinks, an' swears, an' plays at cartes,
Yet has sae mony takin arts,
Wi' great and sma',
Frae God's ain priest the people's hearts
He steals awa.

"An' when we chasten'd him therefor,
Thou kens how he bred sic a splore,
An' set the warld in a roar
O' laughing at us;--
Curse Thou his basket and his store,
Kail an' potatoes.

"Lord, hear my earnest cry and pray'r,
Against that Presbyt'ry o' Ayr;
Thy strong right hand, Lord, make it bare
Upo' their heads;
Lord visit them, an' dinna spare,
For their misdeeds.

"O Lord, my God! that glib-tongu'd Aiken,
My vera heart and flesh are quakin,
To think how we stood sweatin', shakin,
An' p-'d wi' dread,
While he, wi' hingin lip an' snakin,
Held up his head.

"Lord, in Thy day o' vengeance try him,
Lord, visit them wha did employ him,
And pass not in Thy mercy by 'em,
Nor hear their pray'r,
But for Thy people's sake, destroy 'em,
An' dinna spare.

"But, Lord, remember me an' mine
Wi' mercies temp'ral an' divine,
That I for grace an' gear may shine,
Excell'd by nane,
And a' the glory shall be thine,
Amen, Amen!"
(Holy Willie's Prayer (1785), from "Poems And Songs Of Robert Burns," Robert Burns (1855) via Gutenberg.org)

Faust, Fear, and - a Femme Fatale?

2012-01-02T07:52:00.151-06:00

New post about Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

Faust Feels Bad

Here's where I left Marlowe's Doctor John Faustus, last week:

"...FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord

"To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Faustus had gone through another of his emotional 'repentances,' which last maybe a few seconds. Unless the actors say their lines very, very, slowly. Each time, Faustus noticed what direction he was going and got frightened. So far, so good: I think it's reasonable to be frightened of eternal torment.

Repentance? Sounds More Like Fright

Where Faustus fouls up, consistently, is in follow-through. Each time he gets scared, he 'repents,' then changes his mind as soon as Mephistopheles and company scare him again - or dangle bait in front of the doctor.

Last week, I said that I'd post about OLD MAN being 'to blame' for Faustus feeling bad. In its own way, Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" is a very up-to-date play. Or maybe the feel-good philosophies of a few decades back weren't quite as up-to-date as some folks thought.

Moving along.

"Vile and Loathsome Filthiness" - a Loving Remark?!

I'm pretty sure that the "base and crooked age" that Faustus tells Mephistopheles to torment is OLD MAN, the fellow who gave Faustus that reality check. Maybe you remember him. He's the fellow whose lines started with "Ah, Doctor Faustus...." Oh, wait a minute. I only used a few choice phrases, like "such flagitious crimes of heinous sin." Here's a longer excerpt:

"...OLD MAN. Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail
To guide thy steps unto the way of life,
By which sweet path thou mayst attain the goal
That shall conduct thee to celestial rest!
Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears,
Tears falling from repentant heaviness
Of thy most vile155 and loathsome filthiness,
The stench whereof corrupts the inward soul
With such flagitious crimes of heinous sin156
As no commiseration may expel,
But mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

I can see how someone might not feel good about being told that their recent actions are "vile and loathsome filthiness, the stench of which corrupts the inward soul." On the other hand, Faustus has been engaging in self-destructive behavior. Maybe OLD MAN is being a loving neighbor for Faustus.

Sometimes Love Hurts

Maybe it sounds strange, claiming that someone could be "loving" while obviously not accepting another person's choices. The notion that "love" means going along with another person's self-destructive behavior seems to be wearing thin. Finally.

Take the "friends don't let friends drive drunk" public service announcements. Maybe I missed it, but they failed to spark a storm of protest. I'd guess that quite a few Americans don't think it's "loving" to:

Let your friend drive drunk
Let your kids eat anything they want
Do nothing while someone you know commits suicide

Like I said last spring, " 'love' isn't 'approval.' "

Let's see how Faustus responds to OLD MAN's efforts to save his soul:

"...FAUSTUS. Torment, sweet friend, that base and crooked age,
That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torments that our hell affords.

"MEPHIST. His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul;
But what I may afflict his body with
I will attempt, which is but little worth...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Offhand, I don't think Marlowe's Faustus is particularly grateful. Or repentant. Temporarily scared at the flash of reality he ran into, yes. Repentant, no.

Helen, Hogwash, and Heavy Irony

In a way, I can see why Doctor John Faustus might have been peeved by OLD MAN. The elderly neighbor had intruded on a 'learned' discussion. A discussion among scholars, anyway:

"...FAUSTUS. Gentlemen,
For that I know your friendship is unfeign'd,
And Faustus' custom is not to deny
The just requests of those that wish him well,
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherways for pomp and majesty
Than when Sir Paris cross'd the seas with her,
And brought the spoils to rich Dardania.
Be silent, then, for danger is in words.
[Music sounds, and HELEN passeth over the stage.] 153

"SECOND SCHOLAR. Too simple is my wit to tell her praise,
Whom all the world admires for majesty.

"THIRD SCHOLAR. No marvel though the angry Greeks pursu'd
With ten years' war the rape of such a queen,
Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.

"FIRST SCHOLAR. Since we have seen the pride of Nature's works,
And only paragon of excellence,
Let us depart; and for this glorious deed
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Remember, this was Elizabethan England. The Renaissance was all the rage in Europe. Stories from Greece and Rome were as big as the Kinsey Report was a few decades back. And that's another subject.

Faustus and the scholars were discussing Helen of Troy: 'the face that launched a thousand ships' and all that. Men acting daft about a woman is nothing new: and I am not going to wander off-topic.

Still, a woman who had been dead for thousands of years walks by, and still looks good: and nobody wonders why?! Oh, well. I mentioned emotions and the frontal cortex last week.

Getting back on-track:

Faust and the boys were talking about women
OLD MAN comes in
Faust panics
OLD MAN leaves
Faust tells Mephistopheles to hurt OLD MAN

I suppose I should give Faust some credit, for holding on to at least one coherent idea for more than a few seconds. Still, I don't think this is what should be on the doctor's mind just now:

"...FAUSTUS. One thing, good servant,160 let me crave of thee,
To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-
That I might have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen which I saw of late,
Whose sweet embracings may extinguish clean
Those161 thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Faustus, this,162 or what else thou shalt desire,
Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

There's nothing wrong with sex, or human sexuality. What we do with it isn't always such a good idea: but God created sex, and God doesn't make junk. I've been over this before. More to the point, the Church has something to say about sex. And it isn't 'yuck!' (Genesis 1:22, 28; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1935, 2275, 2331-2391)

Whatever Marlowe had in mind, I don't think it's reasonable to call this Helen of Troy a "femme fatale," or "a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive." (Princeton's WordNet) Not without a whole lot more explanation than I've got patience for just now.

Christopher Marlowe's Faustus has some downright odd ideas, though: and that will wait for another post.

Other posts in this series:

Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
- On the "Featured Topics" page

Repentance
- "Repentance, Faustus, and an Impatient Demon"
  (December 26, 2011)
- "Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed"
  (November 14, 2011)
- "Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
  (November 7, 2011)
- "Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
  (February 21, 2011)
- "The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
  (March 13, 2009)
  Particularly
  - Catholics and the Catholic Church Must Really Hate Gays, Right?
    - Wrong
Sex
- "Mephistopheles and an - Ersatz Hot Babe?!"
  (October 24, 2011)
- "Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex"
  (August 30, 2011)
- "No Open Season on Transgendered People, Please!"
  (April 26, 2011)
- "Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?"
  (September 26, 2009)
- "Sex, Condoms, AIDS, an 'Immoral' Pope, and What Everybody Knows"
  (March 17, 2009)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

"The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev.
Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R.
Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

Background:

Repentance
- "Jesus calls to conversion..."
  (Catechism, 1427)
- Two conversion:
  - Water of Baptism
  - Tears of repentance
  (Catechism, 1429)
- Interior repentance
  (Catechism, 1430-1433 and following)
- Repentance is possible before death, not after
  (Catechism, 393)
  - Also see Catechism, 2283
Sex
- Sex is good (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2331-2336)
- Lust is a disorder (Catechism, 2351)
- Sex is special (Catechism, 2348-2350)
- Rape is bad (Catechism, 2356)
(Not a complete index: not even close)

Oops: Another Case of Erring Fingers

2012-01-01T21:48:00.001-06:00

Oops. I did it again. Hit the 'publish' button, when I meant to do something else.

I'm working on tomorrow's 'Faustus' post - which should be ready by morning, if I don't make too many more mistakes.

About that title "...Another Case of Erring Fingers" - - - That's a pretty good example of what I'll be saying. It's easy to blame someone else, or some part of myself that I can claim isn't under my control. And that'll wait until tomorrow.

"Captain Catholic" - No Kidding

2012-01-01T11:46:00.005-06:00

Are you fed up with greed, arrogance, injustice, bigotry, hatred, and violence? You're not the only one. Check out the intro video:

Captain Catholic Productions

Spreading love, hope, and the Catholic way! Saving the world through Captain Catholic coffee cups, T shirts and neckties?

That merchandise really exists: and the proceeds to Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Captain Catholic makes videos, too. I hope they've got the same thoroughly tongue-in-cheek approach as the intro video.

Folks who live the 'gloominess is next to Godliness' philosophy will not like this video. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A tip of the hat to MatthewWarner, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this video.

Related posts:

"Cancer, Dying, Death, Faith and Life: a Catholic Experience"
(October 24, 2010)
- Finished by my son-in-law and daughter
" 'Ava Maria' Our Lady of Perpetual Help by Justin Stroh - a Video"
(June 3, 2010)
"Mass, Dressing Properly, and Staying for the Final Flag"
(May 15, 2010)
"Priest Says Nice Things About That Pope on Video: You Don't Have to Watch"
(April 14, 2010
"Oasis Productions: The Future of Catholic Media"
(December 21, 2008)
- My son-in-law's video production company
  - 'Disclaimer time' ;)

New Year's Day, 2012: Flannel Tongue Optional

2012-01-01T11:04:00.000-06:00

It's the first day of a new year: when Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

This post isn't about Mary. Partly because I've

Written about Mary before
Got the teaching authority of some guy with a blog
Decided to write about something else

Besides, there's a pretty good discussion of today's solemnity online:

"Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God"
Homily of Pope John Paul II (January 1, 2001)

Celebrating a solemnity sounds like a contradiction in terms, and that's another topic.

New Year's Eve: Watching Television

I'm writing this post Saturday night, since I plan to celebrate New Year's Eve, and may sleep a bit later than usual tomorrow morning. My plans include watching that big Waterford crystal ball over New York City's Times Square go down, via television.

If you think that sounds tame, I agree.

If you're expecting a rant about the evils of things I don't enjoy doing: you'll have a long, long, wait. I try to avoid emulating Carrie Nation and other hyperactive do-gooders.

It's interesting, how calling someone a philanthropist is a compliment, but being called a do-gooder: is not so much. And that's yet another topic.

I wrote about New Year's Eve celebrations, how to avoid hangovers, and my far-from-wild plans, in another blog, as 'the Lemming:'

"New Year's Eve Celebration, and How to Survive It"
Apathetic Lemming of the North (December 30, 2011)

Having a Good Time: And Remembering It

About the closest I'm likely to come to ranting about the 'evils of Demon Rum' is saying that I think having a good time is okay. And that I like to remember the good time I had, the next day. I know that alcohol and drug abuse are real problems: but I don't think having a conniption will help.

I don't think alcohol, Bingo, or television, are satanic. The trick seems to be partly a matter of moderation.

As usual, here are a few links:

Avoiding excess is a good idea
- Don't abuse
  - Food
  - Alcohol
  - Tobacco
  - Medicine
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2290)
Games of chance
- Aren't contrary to justice by themselves
- Moral problems start when
  - "They deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others"
  - Someone cheats
(Catechism, 2413)
Idolatry is a really bad idea
- It's not just about physical idols
(Catechism, 2112-2114)

Champagne, Dinner, and a Flannel Tongue

Those are some of the reasons that I don't celebrate New Year's Eve with champagne, taxis, designated drivers, more champagne, wine, still more champagne, bars, dinner, hors d'oeuvres, and waking up with a flannel tongue.

But I don't cackle in glee, either, imagining eternal torment in the flames of Hell for folks who aren't just like me. Like I've said before, "having good judgment isn't being judgmental." Then there's Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-38, 41-42; and Romans 2:1-11.

It Boils Down to Love

Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31 say that there are two really important rules: love God; love my neighbor.

I don't think gloating over the suffering of my fellow-sinners is particularly 'loving.' But, like I've said before, "love" doesn't mean "approval." Which is why I sometimes suggest alternatives to culturally-normative, but destructive, activities.

Not that I think everybody should stay home and watch television on New Year's Eve. There wouldn't be much to see, if some folks weren't screaming their lungs out in Times Square and other locales.

One more thing: Happy New Year!

Vaguely-related posts:

"Faith, Works, and Spirituality for Dummkopfs"
(October 5, 2011)
" 'Legislating Morality' - My Take"
(June 28, 2011)
"Catholicism: Obligations, Penance, Fasting; and Cartoons"
(December 18, 2010)
"Jesus Christ, Beer, Tobacco, Idols and Indian Law"
(February 22, 2010)
"Halloween's Coming: Why aren't I Ranting?"
(October 29, 2009)

Religion, Assumptions, and Getting a Grip

2012-01-01T07:47:00.007-06:00

Say that someone's very 'religious,' and folks can assume quite a few different things, some more accurate than others:

Religious people
1. Are motivated by
  1. Faith
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1814-1816)
  2. Hope
    (Catechism, 1817-1821)
  3. Charity
    (Catechism, 1822-1829)
  4. Smouldering resentment of anyone not like themselves
2. Aren't reasonable
  1. Otherwise, they wouldn't be 'religious'
3. Don't smile
Religion (Except the ones that aren't Judeo-Christian)
1. Kills people
2. Stifles thought
3. Oppresses minorities

Ditziness, Diversity, and Being Catholic

You may have run into folks who fit those assumptions. I've opined about the 'gloominess is next to Godliness sort of 'spirituality' before.

Sadly, noisy members of the I-A-4 set make I-B and II-A through C seem plausible.

If I asked enough of the 4,000 or so folks who share Sauk Centre, Minnesota, with me, I'd probably find some who are:

Upset about newcomers
Unreasonable
Chronically grim

Some of them would be Catholics. The last I heard, we even have a 'traditional Catholic' bunch within a short drive: the sort who seem convinced that God transferred His flag to their little group. ("A 'Traditional' Catholic? Yes and No" (July 31, 2010))

I'd also run into folks who seem mostly motivated by faith, hope, and charity. Most of them would be Catholic, which isn't surprising, since this is a very 'Catholic' town. When most folks in a town go to one of the two Catholic churches, the odds of one person with any characteristic also being Catholic are pretty high.

Would finding Catholics who are jerks, or saints-in-training, prove anything? Maybe: but I think mostly it would just demonstrate that we're people. Human beings. Imperfect, living in a fallen world.

That's fallen world: not 'hopeless,' or 'basically bad.' The world we live in isn't perfect, we can make it better, and that's another topic. I plan to be back in about an hour, with another post about that.

Related posts:

" 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
(December 18, 2011)
"Space Aliens, Michele Bachmann, and Daft Assumptions"
(September 2, 2011)
"Earth Day, 2011: Environmental Concerns, Catholic Faith, and Me"
(April 15, 2011)
"Unity, Diversity, and Being Catholic"
(August 26, 2010)
"Not All Catholics are Like Me - Thank God"
(March 18, 2009)

My Take on the News: Bratty Tweets, Christmas Bombing, Permits for Carols

2011-12-30T07:56:00.292-06:00

It's almost a week after Christmas, some kids in America didn't like their presents, worshipers were kipped in Nigeria, and Malaysia is protecting its citizens from Christmas carols.

I spent more time on the 'bratty tweets' thing, but not because I think it's more important than dead people and dubiously-sensible governments. The Los Angeles Times op-ed about kids, greed, and regrettable 'comedy' got me thinking about respect, family, and technology.

1. Bratty Tweets, Daft 'Pranks'

"Bratty tweets about Christmas gifts disturb parents"
Deborah Netburn, Technology, Business, Los Angeles Times (December 28, 2011)

"It's not easy being a kid today. Everywhere you turn it seems like adults are out to make you look like a spoiled, entitled brat.

"The most recent example is comedian Jon Hendren's list of real tweets from kids who were angry that they didn't get an iPhone, or iPad, or a car for Christmas. Hendren assembled the tweets on Christmas Day and published them on his own Twitter feed.

"Here is a G-rated sampling:

" 'No Iphone. I hate my dad.'

" 'Just cried for like 2 hrs straight cause i didn't get a car.'

" 'Seems like I'm the only one who didn't get an Iphone for christmas.'

" 'If you got an iphone i hate you.'

"Yikes!

"Hendren's list of bratty re-tweets quickly made its way around the Internet, showing up in blogs and other Twitter feeds where adults expressed dismay at the entitlement of the youth today...."

There's quite a bit going on here. For starters, those quotes show massive lack of respect for others.

Respect is important. And, like I've said before, it works both ways. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2214, 2222)

"Family Values: Addams and Otherwise"
(July 12, 2011)
Particularly
- Children and Parents - Respect Goes Both Ways

The notion that 'children should respect their parents' has been misunderstood, misused, abused, and ignored. But that doesn't mean that it's a bad idea.

Again: Respect Goes Both Ways

Parents must respect their children, too. It's 'in the rules' for Catholics. Not that we all pay attention to the rules: and that's another topic.

Here's a short selection of what the Catholic Church says about family:

The Christian family
(Catechism, 2204-2206)
Duties of
- Children
  (Catechism, 2214-2220)
- Parents
  (Catechism, 2221-2231)
Education of and respect for children,
(Catechism, 2221-2224, 2229-2230)
Education of children through daily prayer
(Catechism, 2685)

'Tis the Season to be Greedy?

I posted about holiday spending two weeks ago:

"My Take on the News: Jingle Bells, Jangled Nerves, and Good Advice"
(December 16, 2011)
Particularly
- Holiday Spending

Basically, what I said was:

We're not supposed to be too attached to worldly goods
(Catechism, 2545, 2548)
Money isn't the problem
- It's love of money that gets us in trouble
  (1 Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5)
- Idolizing money is a bad idea
  (Catechism, 2113)
Avarice, greed, is wrong
(Sirach 5:8-10; Catechism, 2536)
Excessive attachment to worldly goods is - excessive
(Galations 5:24; Catechism, 2545, 2548)

The Church says that greed is one of the seven capital sins.¹ (Catechism, 1866) "Avarice" is greed on steroids, sort of.²

Where was I? Bratty complaints about insufficiently lavish Christmas presents; family; greed. Right.

Moving on.

'Kids These Days!?'

There's some good news in that Los Angeles Times op-ed. Adults were expressing dismay at 'those consarned kids' - on Twitter.

There are probably adults in America who are as convinced that the Internet has doomed civilization, as some were in my own youth, that television and the telephone were destroying America's youth. Maybe we've learned: or maybe I'm just not reading the ink-on-paper publications they'd use.

The Los Angeles Times writer has a refreshingly sensible opinion about 'the depraved youth of today.' Putting it another way, I pretty much agree with this:

"...We agree that the tweets are super obnoxious, but we can't help but wonder whether kids today actually feel more entitled than ever before, or is it that thanks to sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, adults are just aware of how entitled kids have always been, and more likely to exploit that entitlement, which could just be called 'childhood' and 'adolescence.'..."
(Los Angeles Times)

'Pranking' Kids

I'm not happy about children and teens behaving like spoiled brats. But I doubt that

all children and teens are greedy and disrespectful
All parents
- Are paragons of virtue
- Ignore their family responsibilities
  - Teaching by word or example that greed is okay
  - Allowing disrespectful behavior
  - Disrespecting their children

Huh? "Disrespecting their children?" Remember what I said about "respect" being important? Children should respect their parents: but parents must respect their children. It's in the rules:

"Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate their children to fulfill God's law."
(Catechism 2222)

I don't think that practical jokes are, by themselves, wrong. But I also think that a child might learn a regrettable lesson from a 'funny' parent. I also think that 'but everybody's doing it' isn't a good excuse for children or parents:

"...Consider the popular YouTube challenges that late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel occasionally issues to parents to essentially prank their kids and record their reactions.

"Kimmel's Christmas challenge -- in which he asked parents to give their kids terrible Christmas presents and then keep the camera rolling while the kids cry or patiently explain that they didn't want an onion for a present -- has had 14.25 million views on YouTube...."
(Los Angeles Times)

2. Christmas bombings

"Nigerian churches call Christmas bombings
'declaration of war' "
Soni Irabor, CNN (December 28, 2011)

"Nigeria's Christians are losing faith that the government will protect them from attacks by Islamic extremists and will 'respond appropriately' to future killings, the country's leading church group warned Wednesday.

"In a public message to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Christian Association of Nigeria called the Christmas Day targeting of churches in several cities 'a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity.' The group also criticized its Muslim counterparts for failing to condemn the Islamic militants blamed for Sunday's attacks, calling their responses 'unacceptable.'

" 'The Christian community is fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights to religious liberties and life,' its president, Pentecostal pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said in the statement. 'The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide would be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and properties.'..."

I've posted about vengeance and just war before.

I sympathize, in a way, with Nigeria's boss:

"...[President Goodluck] Jonathan responded with a statement of condolences for the attacks, which the church group said killed more than 50 worshippers,[!] and a call for Nigerians to unite behind the government's efforts to pursue those responsible. Nigerian authorities have blamed Boko Haram, a fundamentalist Islamic movement that mounted similar attacks the previous Christmas.

" 'The best thing is for all religious leaders, opinion and traditional leaders, youth leaders and women leaders to come together and assist government,' Jonathan said. He pledged that his administration 'will surely do more,' but added, 'The terrorists are human beings. They are not spirits.'..."
(CNN)

Part of what Jonathan said is true: "terrorists are human beings." I've been over that before:

"Thinking About Osama bin Laden, and What Father Lombardi Said"
(May 2, 2011)

I also think that it would be nice, if folks who believe it's okay to blow up a church with people inside decide to be nice from now on. But I don't think that a national government can, or should, count on that happening.

Which is not the same as denying the humanity of the killers.

3. Caroling By Permit Only

"Malaysian Christians reject permit to sing Christmas carols"
CNA (Catholic News Agency) (December 19, 2011)

"Christians from two churches in Malaysia rejected a requirement that they will need a police permit to sing Christmas carols in their parishes or homes.

"Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, head of the Malaysian bishops' conference, told Vatican-based Fides news that the country will soon be in 'a police state' if authorities continue demanding such 'bureaucratic requirements.'

"Two churches in Klang outside the city of Kuala Lumpur recently received notices from police asking for the names and addresses of people who were singing Christmas carols, claiming that a government mandated permit was required for those wishing to sing carols in their homes or churches.

"Father Andrew Lawrence, head of the diocesan 'Herald' newspaper, called the police action 'a strict interpretation' of current regulations on 'worship and freedom of religion' in the country...."

Father Lawrence also said that "after protests by local Christians, 'government representatives have denied the need for such authorizations.' " I'd be willing to write this off as some over-zealous police officer's blunder: but that 'caroling by permit only' isn't an isolated incident:

"...Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had promised voters in 2011 that he would overturn unpopular laws which stifle the press and allow for detentions without trial.

"Instead, the Malaysian Congress sparked widespread protest after passing a new measure titled the 'Law on Peaceful Assembly' which enables more government control...."
(CNA)

Am I glad to be an American? To live in a country where the government doesn't try to control how I worship?

One question at a time, please.

Yes, on the whole, I'm glad to be an American. This country allows citizens a remarkable degree of freedom. With occasionally-spectacular exceptions.

The Establishment Clause is supposed to protect Americans' freedom of religion. Not give brittle secularists freedom from religion. I've been over this before:

"The Right to Peaceful Assembly: As Long as the Government Approves"
(May 28, 2009)
"America, Racism, and What Didn't Happen at Virginia Tech"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (January 22, 2009)

There's more, in "Related posts."

Related posts:

Family
- "Sex Selection, Newspeak, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 11, 2011)
- "Sunday Obligation, Kids, and Consistency"
  (July 16, 2011)
- "Family Values: Addams and Otherwise"
  (July 12, 2011)
  Particularly
  - Children and Parents - Respect Goes Both Ways
- "Losing a Child, Charity, and All That"
  (June 4, 2011)
- "Joseph's Bones, a Promise, and Passing the Word"
  (December 20, 2010)
Living in an imperfect world
- "9/11, Just War, and 'Death to Mickey Mouse' "
  (September 11, 2011)
- "World Youth Day Madrid, 9/11, and an Imperfect World"
  (August 21, 2011)
- "Abandoning the Path of Hatred? Sounds Like a Plan"
  (July 24, 2011)
- "Crowbar for Christ in Colorado?"
  (October 7, 2010)
- " 'Death Cookie' Comic: Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time?"
  (March 5, 2010)
Religious freedom, for everybody
- "My Take on the News: 'There Oughtta be a Law?' "
  (November 11, 2011)
- "My Take on the News: Religion, Politics, and Freedom"
  (October 28, 2011)
- "The Establishment Clause; Religious Freedom; and Getting a Grip"
  (October 5, 2011)
- "Religious Freedom, Niemöller, and Muslims in America"
  (April 7, 2011)
- "School District Celebrates Religious Freedom Day: By Banning Bibles"
  (July 1, 2010)

¹ "Capital sins" are called that because:

"...They are called "capital" because they engender other sins, other vices.¹³⁸..." (Catechism, 1866)

² Synonyms for avarice include: avidity; close-fistedness; covetousness; cupidity; grabbiness, greediness, miserliness; parsimony, penny-pinching; penuriousness; rapacity; stinginess. A 'dictionary' definition:

Avarice (noun)
- Reprehensible acquisitiveness
- Insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins))
- Extreme greed for material wealth
(Princeton's WordNet)

Mid-Winter Blahs, the Beatitudes, and Me

2011-12-28T07:59:00.094-06:00

We're about halfway between Christmas and New Year's Eve. One of those is an important Christian observance, and both are major secular holidays in America. Between commercial hype, revved-up expectations, and massive quantities of festive food and drink: I could write about 'post-Christmas blahs,' or 'midwinter blues.'

Instead, I figured I'd post about being happy.

In a religious blog?! I plan to be back Sunday, with a post about 'gloominess is next to Godliness:' or, rather, the reverse of that. Of course, what I *plan,* and what actually happens - - - and that's another topic.

Who Wants to be Happy?

"The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it:

"We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated.¹³
"How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you.¹⁴

"God alone satisfies.¹⁵
"The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God calls us to his own beatitude. This vocation is addressed to each individual personally, but also to the Church as a whole, the new people made up of those who have accepted the promise and live from it in faith."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1718-1719)

The Beatitudes are what we call Matthew 5:3-12: the part that starts with " 'Blessed are the poor in spirit,..." and ends with "...Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

"Persecuted?" And this is supposed to be about being happy? I've mentioned Saint Philip Neri, and how the anything-but-grim parts of his life story were snipped out of 'proper' reading for American Catholics. More topics.

Still, being happy and being 'spiritual' don't seem to go together. I think it's a cultural thing.

Back to the Catechism:

To Know, Love, and Serve God

"God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us 'partakers of the divine nature' and of eternal life.²¹ With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ²² and into the joy of the Trinitarian life."
(Catechism, 1721)

"Partakers of the Divine Nature?!"

Oh, come on: how could I possible "know God?" I'm finite, God's infinite. I'm a creature, God's the creator. I've been over how we can know God before. And, as I've said before, I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog:" so follow those links, if you're curious about what the Church says.

'Partaking of the Divine Nature' is another one of those things that come under the 'God's God, I'm not' heading:

"Such beatitude surpasses the understanding and powers of man. It comes from an entirely free gift of God: whence it is called supernatural, as is the grace that disposes man to enter into the divine joy.
" 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' It is true, because of the greatness and inexpressible glory of God, that 'man shall not see me and live,' for the Father cannot be grasped. But because of God's love and goodness toward us, and because he can do all things, he goes so far as to grant those who love him the privilege of seeing him. . . . For 'what is impossible for men is possible for God.'²³"
(Catechism, 1722)

Parts of that sound like the sort of 'happy time' preaching we've had now and then:

Sit back
Let God do the heavy lifting
And be
- Happy
- Happy
- Happy

You guessed it: It's not that easy.

"Decisive Moral Choices"

It's true: God handles what we can't do on our own. But we're expected to do more than sit back and 'go with the flow.' Every day, I've got choices to make:

"The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement - however beneficial it may be - such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love:
"All bow down before wealth. Wealth is that to which the multitude of men pay an instinctive homage. They measure happiness by wealth; and by wealth they measure respectability. . . . It is a homage resulting from a profound faith . . . that with wealth he may do all things. Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second. . . . Notoriety, or the making of a noise in the world - it may be called 'newspaper fame' - has come to be considered a great good in itself, and a ground of veneration.²⁴"
(Catechism, 1723)

Looks like we're called to happiness: but not giddiness. That business of seeking "the love of God above all else" isn't easy, and neither is shoveling out the "bad instincts."

Oh, well: Nobody said this was going to be easy. Or, rather, someone did: Matthew 11:30. And that's yet another topic. One that's discussed in footnote 17 of Matthew 11.

Related (sort of) posts:

" That's Funny: Another Way of Being Catholic "
(November 13, 2011)
Particularly
- An AMIABLE Saint?!
"Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: We're Not About 'Joyless Saints' "
(October 1, 2011)
"Getting Involved in Constructing a Better Future? Sounds Like a Plan"
(September 21, 2011)
" 'From Sour Saints, Deliver Us' "
(September 8, 2011)
"Happy Lent?! What Kind of a Nut am I?"
(March 3, 2009)

Religion, Assumptions, and Getting a Grip

2011-12-26T19:49:00.012-06:00

Oops.

This post is, or was, a rough draft of something I hope to have ready for Sunday morning. Somehow, I managed to hit the wrong keys: and got it posted early. Too early.

Oh, well: back to writing.

-Brian H. Gill

Repentance, Faustus, and an Impatient Demon

2011-12-26T07:58:00.005-06:00

New post about Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

Comic Relief? Probably Not

I introduced Marlowe's OLD MAN last week. I might assume that, with lines like "such flagitious crimes of heinous sin," Marlowe had comic relief in mind: but all the characters talk like that, more or less, at some point.

English has changed since Elizabethan times, and so have what audiences expect. Back in Marlowe's day, it was flowery, over-the-top, long-winded speeches. More recently, it was helicopter chases, and I've been over that before.

Whatever Christopher Marlowe had in mind, OLD MAN has some pretty good advice. This comes right after Faustus said "despair and die!" - among other things - and Mephistopheles handed him a dagger:

"...OLD MAN. Ah, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
I see an angel hovers o'er thy head,
And, with a vial full of precious grace,
Offers to pour the same into thy soul:
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.

"FAUSTUS. Ah, my sweet friend, I feel
Thy words to comfort my distressed soul!
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

"OLD MAN. I go, sweet Faustus; but with heavy cheer,
Fearing the ruin of thy hopeless soul.
[Exit.]...
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Suicide is a bad idea, and I've been over that before:

"Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
(December 19, 2011)
Particularly
- Despair, Suicide, Hope, and Prayer

Emotions, Stress, and Marlowe's Faustus

There's nothing wrong with emotions: they're part of being human. But emotion and reason don't play well together.¹ Marlowe's Faustus is under a lot of stress in this scene: OLD MAN pointed out that his "flagitious crimes of heinous sin" have consequences; and that Faustus has limited options.

"...mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Applying conventional wisdom from a few decades back, it's OLD MAN's fault that Faustus feels bad. That's true, as far as it goes, but I think we need reality checks now and again.

Which isn't the same as approving of 'fire and brimstone' preaching, and that's another topic.

Repentance, Despair, and an Impatient Demon

Marlowe's John Faustus is still alive, he's got free will, and time to change his mind about the deal he made. He's also got a demon in the room, which makes things a trifle awkward. Let's see how he handles the situation:

"...FAUSTUS. Accursed Faustus, where is mercy now?
I do repent; and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

"MEPHIST. Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord:
Revolt, or I'll in piece-meal tear thy flesh.

"FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Faustus is, metaphorically speaking, dancing on the doorstep of Hell: just how much more danger could he be in? But, as I've said before, I don't think Mephistopheles has the best interests of John Faustus in mind.

What about repenting, though? Isn't it a little late for that? "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and all that. I've read the play before, and know how it comes out: but in principle John Faustus could still repent at this point.

Repentance, Despair, and the Catholic Church

Repentance is a good idea. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1427, 1429, 1430-1433 and following) It's a sort of 'limited time offer,' though. since repentance is possible before death, not after. (Catechism, 393, 2283)

Despair, on the other hand, is a bad idea:

"In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:
"Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair.³³³"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 844)
"The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:

"By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's goodness, to his justice—for the Lord is faithful to his promises—and to his mercy."
(Catechism, 2091)

Repentance, Despair, and John Faustus

I'll grant that Marlowe's Faustus is in an awkward situation. OLD MAN has left, leaving Faustus alone with his none-too-well-formed conscience. And Mephistopheles.

Given his track record, it's no surprise that Faustus says, "...I do repent; and yet I do despair...." Then, when Mephistopheles rather abruptly reminds him of his contractual obligation, Faustus does another 180:

"...FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Remember what I said, about OLD MAN being 'to blame' for making Faustus feel bad? I'll get back to that next week.

Other posts in this series:

Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
- On the "Featured Topics" page

"Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
(December 19, 2011)
Particularly
- Despair, Suicide, Hope, and Prayer
"Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed"
(November 14, 2011)
"Doctor Faustus, Benefit/Cost Ratios, and Fulton Sheen"
(September 23, 2011)
"Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
(November 7, 2011)
"Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
(February 21, 2011)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

"The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev.
Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R.
Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

¹ I've discussed emotions and reason before. Quite a bit, including:

" 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
(December 18, 2011)
"Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
(September 6, 2011)
"Hating People? Not an Option"
(December 9, 2010)
"It's Faith and Reason"
(June 19, 2010)
"Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)