Acts Of The Apostasy

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Ready?

Here it is.

AoftheA has moved to Wordpress. Pardon the moving boxes and clutter - it'll be cleaned up in no time!

So sayonara, Blogger.

Comments at AoftheA 1.0 will be turned off from now on.

If you want to follow the fun, click the link. Looking forward to seeing all of you (and I do mean all of you!) at the new site.

Today Is The Day

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Big announcement coming today - I'm predicting 5:00 PM EST. Be ready!

I know! The suspense is killing you! Except for that black dude, who's sleeping.

Okay Then, That Was Unexpected...

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:41:00 +0000

For about 3-1/2 hours today, my blog was off-line. Those of you who tried to access AoftheA were probably surprised to see that it no longer existed. Not sure what the problem was, but it seems to be cleared up - for the moment. You never know...

Nonetheless, I will be making a biiiiiiiiiig change here at AoftheA over the next few days. Stay tuned.

To those whom I emailed this afternoon - thanks for your support.

Regular blogging will resume shortly.

Church Art Shouldn't Make You Say "Blech!"

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +0000

When it comes to art, my mantra is basically "I may not know much, but I know what I like." At the very least, I can tell the difference between beauty and ugliness.

And when it comes to art in churches - statues, iconography, stained glass images - well, it ought to both reflect and project beauty. It ought to reflect the beauty, truth and goodness of God, creator of all things, as best presented by the artist's hands and imagination. And it also ought to project the blessed beauty of our final end - heaven, and eternal union with God. It ought to be beautiful, as well as draw us towards Beauty.

If the work of art fails to do either of those two things, then it should not be anywhere near a church.

One problem with the progressive mentality in the Catholic Church is that it seeks to destroy the good and the true and the beautiful, and erect in its place the grotesque and the false and the ugly. It then defends itself by saying "Beauty is subjective", or "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Then it tries to convince you that the New is superior to the Old, mainly because it is Different and progresses towards something. This has happened in my parish.

On either side of the sanctuary stand two alcoves. In one, there was a lifesize reproduction of the Pieta; in the other, a shrine to the Blessed Mother. The statue of Mary was painted, traditional, beautiful. A bank of votive candles stood before her.

They were removed recently by the pastor. Beyond the fact that he's somewhat progressive, I was told that he felt the Pieta "disturbed" children because it depicted such a sad scene. Using that logic, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the crucifix is replaced with a "Resurrection Jesus" superimposed upon a cross. I don't know the rationale for having taken away the Blessed Mother statue, but I'm sure the reason was just as flimsy.

These were replaced with two new statues, wood carvings that are better viewed than described (although the pictures don't do their hideousness justice):

In case you couldn't tell, the top one is of Blessed Mother Mary, the other is St. Joseph with a young Christ. Except that's not what they're called. No, the female one, while it is of Mary, is actually called "Starving Palestinian". The other goes by something along the lines of "Bedouin". I kid you not.

I'm not sure what the significance of the arm placement in the top statue (I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to say it represents Mary). Usually she's depicted with hands folded, or spread out with palms up, or similar positions. This image tells me she's being closed and withholding grace from us. It's very disconcerting. The other statue? If someone didn't tell me it represented St. Joseph, I never would have guessed it. The misshapen head is enough to make me look away.

And where are the halos?

Now, many parishoners have complained to the pastor about these new additions. To one, he said "just stand in front of them and look. They'll grow on you." Excuse me, father, but holy art isn't designed to "grow on you". Moss grows on you. Cobwebs grow on you. Bacteria grows on you. Holy art ought to uplift, inspire and show us the face of God. To lead to meditation and contemplation. For me, these statues cannot do that.

Some of the parishoners have put together a petition to have the statues removed - which I readily signed.

Oh - and get this. The artist's wife? I learned she runs reiki sessions out of their studio. Yeah.

Those unholy statues have no business being on consecrated ground.

What do you think?

Cardinal Urges Priests To Liven Up Sermons

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:15:00 +0000

That's what the article says.

From The Telegraph:

Sermons delivered by Catholic priests are often painfully "grey and dull" and need to be livened up with the "scandal" contained within the Bible, the Vatican's most senior cultural official said.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said preaching in churches had become so formulaic and boring that it risked becoming "irrelevant" to congregations accustomed to the excitement and immediacy of television and the internet."

The advent of televised and computerised information requires us to be compelling and trenchant, to cut to the heart of the matter, resort to narratives and colour," said the cardinal, who as the head of the Pontifical Council for Culture is the Vatican's unofficial minister for culture.

Too many priests employed theological language that was "grey, dull and flavourless" and instead should spice up their sermons with graphic stories contained in the Bible, which used much more forceful imagery.The Bible was "crowded with stories, symbols and images," he said.

Speaking at a conference in Rome, he said Twitter was also an effective way of spread the Word of God.

"We need to remember that communicating faith doesn't just take place through sermons. It can be achieved through the 140 characters of a Twitter message."

Cardinal Ravasi, a champion of new media who writes a blog for the website of Italy's respected financial daily, Il Sole 24 Ore, said that whether they liked it or not, priests in the pulpit should be aware that their congregations were "the children of television and the internet."

I think the cardinal is onto something here.

In case some of you priests out there are thinking the cardinal is talking about you, let me suggest some techniques you might want to mull over, should you be considering his advice.

1) Puppets. Always a big hit.

2) Try preaching like this guy. He's got style.

3) Pre-record your homily and then Auto-tune it, like the "Turtle Fence" song, or the "Backin' Up" song.

4) Utilize laser light shows (might cause epileptic seizures, so have your congregation sign waivers before hand) or fog machines for dramatic effect.

5) If your church has TV screens hanging throughout the nave (such as my parish does), you could augment your homily with 3-D effects. Call it "Trinity-Vision". And if your church doesn't have TV screens, get them!

5) Sing to the congregation - I've heard of one bishop who does that, so it's cool. Sit at the piano and serenade your sermon, or break out a Stratocaster and play Stairway to Heaven while preaching about eternity. But rap is right out!

6) Wander amidst the congregation and ask random parishoners questions to make them feel awkward and embarrassed. That'll liven up your sermon for sure!

7) Have parishoners "act out" the sermon as you preach it. Or maybe even the Gospel, like my parish did for the Feast of the Annunciation. Seeing those two kids dressed up as Mary and Gabriel brought a tear to my eye...

Whatever you do, though, don't preach Truth, straight up, no chaser. There's no entertainment value in that.

New Translation Objections Are Becoming More Ridiculous

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:27:00 +0000

The introduction of the New Missal is mere weeks away - the first Sunday of Advent. I believe that the closer we come to full implementation, we'll be seeing more and more weird articles and opinion pieces objecting to it. Kinda like a throw-everything-you-got-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach.

You see, there are quite a few who are perturbed about the translations, for various reasons. The usual wellsprings of consternation - the National Catholic Distorter and USCatholyc, for example - are still venting about it. It's been kinda non-stop since the whole matter surfaced.

At first it was annoying - remember the "What If We Said Just Wait?" petition, started by a priest out in Seattle? I think that had more anonymous signatures than actual names. In any case, that project has lost much of its momentum.

But now it's getting comical.

Last week, the Distorter trotted out a 16-year old Latin whiz-kid (their description, not mine) to dissect the translation.

And just the other day, Brian Cones at the USCatholyc wrote a piece which relied on his dad's opinion. That's one way of making this personal, I guess.

The NCD and USCatholic must be struggling in coming up with legitimate sources to present their cases if they're now relying on teenagers and family members. They must have exhausted their rolodex of go-to folks for analysis and punditry. So who's going to be next? The water meter reader? The girl at the Tim Horton's drive thru?

In any case, I'm looking forward to future objections. I need the laughs.

This Comes As No Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:25:00 +0000

From Call-to-Action:

2011 Call To Action Leadership Award: Sr. Margaret McBride, RSM.
In November 2009, Sister Margaret McBride, an administrator at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, assisted in the decision to save the life of a patient who was 11 weeks pregnant and suffering pulmonary hypertension. Medical providers determined that death of both the 27-year-old woman and her 11-week of fetus would occur unless the pregnancy was terminated.

Call To Action recognizes Sr. Margaret’s careful work with a complex issue, her courage in a time of censorship and public pressure, and her witness to the need to stand firm in the face of opposition while striving to protect life in all its venues.

Further proof that Call-to-Apostasy ain't Catholic - recognizing the ex-communicated. The "award" was given this past weekend in Milwaukee at the CTA National Confernce.

UPDATE: Saw this video over at CMR, of McBride accepting the award. Watch it if you have the stomach for it.

Things A Catholic Ought Never Say

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

There are certain phrases and slogans that should never pass a Catholic's lips. I'm not merely thinking of "I'm personally opposed, but..." or "Keep the Pope out of my bedroom" here (as if PBXVI wants to go into people's bedrooms! sheesh!) - those are pretty obvious. Such utterances belie the fact that such folks are more interested in maintaining their place in certain social circles or good graces with family members than living authentically as Catholics. You know - hang on to the good things about the faith without having to sacrifice anything. At which point, they ain't got any faith at all.

There are other phrases and slogans I have in mind, whereby the speaker attempts to justify the way they live their faith or they criticize Church teaching, all the while acting as if they're the reasonable, faithful ones.

Such as (in no particular order) -

"Challenge authority. Jesus did." Uh, no he didn't. Not really. Especially when you consider he IS the authority. What he did do was chastise some in authority for their hypocritical actions and unjust prescriptions. But he never thumbed his nose at them. In fact, he exhorted the people to obey those who occupied the seat of Moses, but not to follow their example. And what about the crucifixion? Seems to me that instead of challenging authority, he submitted to it.

"Good Catholics Use Condoms". Uh, no they don't. Not ever. This is a campaign run by Catholics For Choice, and it's as insidious as they come. Good Catholics avoid artificial contraception. Weak Catholics - and giving the benefit of the doubt, we can include uninformed Catholics (and even improperly taught ones, too) - use artificial contraception. And yes, there are those who summarily disregard Church teaching, and yet dare to call themselves 'good' Catholics. Catholics who ought to know better - and the nefarious natters at CfC fall into that category - don't encourage other Catholics to sin against God and each other. That's not the definition of a good Catholic.

"Do what you feel is right." Catholics ought to say "Do what you know is right". We have the benefit of a magisterium, a Catechism, the saints - so much available to guide us in how to live, to make the right choices, to arrive at conclusions rationally and logically. But hey - it's easy to fall into the trap of relying on our feelings to make decisions. After all, when we feel cold, we turn up the heat. When we feel sad, we seek solace. When we feel lonely, we call a friend. Those are simple examples. But sometimes our feelings can lead us to making poor decisions. Like, just because it feels right to have sex with your girlfriend, doesn't mean it is right. Far from it. And just because it feels right to do a new-agey thing like reiki or whatever, doesn't mean it is right.

"The Church hates women." For any Catholic to say this is utterly shameful. And it's only based on one issue - women's ordination. It's patently obvious that this is so untrue, regardless of any of the pro-ordination crowd propaganda. When you hear a Catholic repeat this refrain, spare no ammo in shooting this bogus claim down.

"I'm spiritual, not religious." Oh, gag me with a prune. This declaration is is asinine as it is meaningless - especially for a Catholic to say it. Y'know, Jesus was both spiritual and religious, so when a Catholic says this, what they're really saying is that they can be good without being like Christ. How much sense does that make? Absolutely none, that's how much.

I'm sure there are other phrases - you could even include "Glee is my favorite show!" Which ones would you add?

Sister Patrica: On Seven Quick-Takes Friday

noreply@blogger.com (SisterPatricia) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:20:00 +0000

(Sister Patricia Owens O'Flannery, OP, a post-modern pre-traditional omni-spiritual Dominican sister, periodically contributes to AoftheA.)

Greetings, dear readers! May the fresh and comforting embrace of the Autumn Spirit keep you safe and secure in these unsettling times.

I profusely apologize for posting so infrequently. There really is no excuse, except that I truly have been extremely busy. I think the best way to get you all caught up with what I've been doing - and there's been so much! - is to hop on this cute little meme I found called "7 Quick Takes Friday". Have you seen this? Seven is such a deep profound mystical number, how could I not resist?

~ 1 ~

I've been performing a one-woman play (that I wrote, by the way!) called "The Book Of PolyEsther: A Morality Play On The Life And Times Of A Progressive Sister Trapped In A Regressive System Run By Oppressive People". It's a big hit at the motherhouse, let me tell you. I've even played to sold-out living rooms at intentional eucharistic communities all over. So that has been taking up much of my time. If you'd like me to come to your parish and give a performance or two, email me!

~ 2 ~

I'm so upset that I won't be able to attend the Call-to-Action National Conference being held in Milwaukee this weekend. I was even planning on performing my play, but as sure as Fate weaves her web of chance and coincidence, I sustained an injury last weekend. Oh, nothing serious, so don't concern yourselves! It's actually quite silly. You see, every year our order runs a Corn Labyrinth and Haunted Hayride for the Halloween celebrations. Well, I was driving the tractor that towed the hay wagon, when all of a sudden one of the sisters came out of the woods dressed as Dick Cheney, holding a rifle! It was sooo scary! I forgot she was part of the haunted hayride, can you believe it? Anyway, I leapt off the tractor fearing I was about to be shot, and sprained my ankle in the process. Let me tell you - it's no fun hobbling after a tractor towing a wagon full of screaming religious sisters in the dark!

~ 3 ~

Have you heard about "Occupy Wall Street"? I don't watch much television (not since Golden Girls was taken off the air, at least), so I don't know much about it. However, I did see this video of a sweet girl from the National Catholic Reporter who went to the Occupy DC crowd, and tried to evangelize about the Catholic Church. I don't think she was all that successful, though. What do you think?

~ 4 ~

Have I told you how I'm working to get solar panels installed at the motherhouse? Just doing my part to be environmentally responsible! Well, my plans hit a snag earlier this year when Solyndra went bankrupt - we had a contract and everything! Now I'm looking at working with another company called First Solar.

~ 5 ~

My fantasy football team is performing terribly! I truly regret having drafted Donovan McNabb, and now that my #1 running back Ahmad Bradshaw is done for the year with a broken ankle, I might as well just pack it in for this season.

~ 6 ~

This past summer I attended the American Catholic Council in downtown Detroit. Ugh. All those old people. I left halfway through the Saturday program. My prediction? The movement will die in committee. I mean that literally.

~ 7 ~

Our order has started making wine. My oh my, it has been so much fun! We're using the proceeds to launch our Sophia Institute Of Intentional And Sustainable Living. To date we've started with a chardonnay, to be followed up with a port. I hope to have our website up and running soon so we can start selling it - by the case! Here's the label:

Oh, and don't worry - we make sure our feet are very clean before pressing the grapes!

Apparently, I'm supposed to link back to Conversion Diary, so there it is.

And I promise to post more often. Unless, of course, my one-woman play gets picked up at Broadway (you never know!)...

Just Thought You'd Like To Know...

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:49:00 +0000

...I got a text from Sister Patricia this evening. She says she's going to be posting Friday November 4. Says it's something special. Different.

Oh boy.

Can't wait.

Wheelchair Bound High School Student Scores Touchdown

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

With all the bad news in the media, of immature people behaving badly (hello Occupy Oakland!), of the seemingly never-stopping onslaught of vitriol and mean-spiritedness, of idiot politicians and of crashing economies, it's important to come across stories like this:

Heart-warming: Wheelchair-bound Football Player Scores Touchdown

Trent Glaze loves football. In fact, he even wants to coach it one day. But as a high school football player he also had a dream of getting on the field. That may sound like a simple goal, but Glaze has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. But despite his physical setback, his dream came true on last Friday night.
It was his opportunity to shine,” Fairfield Union (Ohio) coach Tom McCurdy told WBNS-TV. “He’s my right-hand man. He’s always telling me what we need to do (and) what needs to improve.”
But on Friday, the “right-hand man” became his star player.

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Maybe if more time and ink was given to stories like this - and I bet that stuff like this is more commonplace than we are led to believe - maybe people's perspectives on life and how we treat each other would change for the better. Of am I being too hopeful?

Laurel And Hardy: Dance Fever!

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Some diversion for today - check out these videos where folks took a clip from an old Laurel and Hardy film ("Way Out West" from 1937) and included different music. These have been around for awhile, but they're worth sharing.

Here's the original (dancing begins at about the 1:20 mark):

Now here's one where they're dancing to Carlos Santana's "Oye Como Va":

For the rock 'n roll crowd, this one is to the ZZ Topp hit "Sharp Dressed Man":

And here's The Gap Band's "Party Train":

There are other versions, but I liked these three the most.

h/t The Blaze

NaNoWriMo 2011

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It's November - and that means it's time for NaNoWriMo.

For the unfamiliar - it stands for National Novel Writing Month, and the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This is my third year participating, and I'm proud to say that I've written 50,000+ words in each of the last two years. I didn't quite complete the stories - the goal is to get the words.

And I have a feeling this year is gonna be tough - it's Day One, and I haven't got a clue of what to write. Uh oh.

A Halloween Short Story

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:14:00 +0000

I've recently discovered John C. Wright's blog (via Mark Shea) - he of Fantasy/SF fame, and convert to Catholicism from atheism - and his posts are consistently stunning, intelligent and thought-provoking. I wish I could say with honesty that he's following my example, but I'm quite sure he's never read AoftheA, so I'll just leave it to coincidence that our blogs are so uncannily similar.

*ahem*

Anyway - he penned a quick little read apropos for today entitled "The Eve of All Saints' Day". I recommend taking five or so minutes to give it a read. Cool stuff.

NCReporter: Think Like A Planet!

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Ever read something so ridiculously stupid, you feel as if your IQ's dropped about a dozen points? (I know - it probably happens every time you read AoftheA. Har har) I tell ya, if I keep reading articles like the one I just did, I'll end up being smart enough to write for the National Catholic Distorter, and come up with stuff like the following:

World Leaders Need To Think Like A Planet by Sharon Abercrombie

Envision for a moment the healing that could wash over our suffering planet if the entrenched ruling establishment were to come together for a very special one-day gathering at a retreat center deep within the California redwoods.
These retreatants would be comprised of an assortment of political leaders, lobbyists, bankers, CEOs of GMO research facilities, the military, and members of the oil, natural gas, nuclear weapons , timber and coal mining industries. Factory farm corporations would be there, too.

Imagine them shedding their initial sheepishness, contempt and self-consciousness at being invited "to do WHAT KIND OF STUFF?" Watch as they sink into a numinous space where the agenda includes drumming, chanting, meditating and mask making.

With your mind's eye, envision these power brokers abandoning their Blackberries for construction paper, crayons, paints, clay , feathers, leaves and cardboard. Earlier that day, they had walked in the forest and "let themselves be chosen by another life form," in the words of Buddhist writer Joanna Macy, describing such a retreat day: They had wandered off alone outside "to happen onto the identity they will assume. They take time to contemplate this life form, imagining its rhythms, and pleasures and needs. They ask the non-human creature's permission to speak for it."

Now, observe these men and women sitting in quiet corners of the room. They are busy creating masks. Likenesses of penguins, polar bears, tigers, mountains -- maybe even a gopher or an earthworm -- begin taking shape.
After an hour or so, half of the group dons masks. They sit in a circle, facing outward. A second circle forms around them, looking inwards. One by one, the masked figures begin telling of the pain they have suffered because of the thoughtlessness and greed of human beings. The outer circle then takes it turn to move to the inner circle with their own stories and identities.
Perhaps what will transpire will be a miracle of tears, regret, deep sadness and a vow to change. And if so, they will be the results of having walked in the footsteps of a nonhuman for a little while.

This is what the Council of All Beings is about. Macy and John Seed created what they call a communal ritual in early 1985, during a weekend workshop for social and environmental activists in Australia.

Macy, an author, teacher and antinuclear activist, learned she had a lot in common with her co-facilitator, John Seed, founder of the Rainforest Information Center.

"We discovered that we shared a passionate interest in deep ecology and the writings of Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess about the 'Ecological self,'" Macy explains on rainforestinfo.org. "As Buddhists we both resonated with these concepts, finding them close to the Buddha's core teachings on the interdependence of all life. John expressed the wish that my workshops include a 'deep ecological' group experience to directly challenge the anthropocentrism of industrial society."

Maybe instead of thinking like a planet, the author should try thinking like a person. Just sayin'.

There's nothing that screams "Dumb as a lampshade!" quite like an article where the author imagines someone making a worm mask. And then trying to think like one. I mean, how much thinking is an earthworm capable of anyway? They can't be very smart since after every rainstorm, scores of 'em are stretched out on my driveway, drowned and bloated.

Articles like this, unfortunately, are par for the course at the Distorter, where greater credence is given to Buddhist philosophy than Catholic thought. Christ said we are to become like little children, not like tigers, mountains or earthworms.

The article dives deeper into the ocean of un-smart-ness:

Together, Macy and Seed invented the Council of All Beings. It was introduced shortly afterward at a camp north of Sydney, on huge flat rocks by a waterfall. About 40 people took part.
Within a year, the Council of All Beings had spread by word of mouth across the globe, through Macy and Seed's workshops. She recalls: "People were gathering to shed their personae as humans and give voice to the plight of the Earth. They spoke as whale and wolf and wind, aspen and marsh, and any other nonhuman they felt called to represent."

Joanna Macy maintains that without emotions, truly realizing the interconnectedness of all life stays stuck at the intellectual level. Mental concepts alone do not affect our attitudes and behaviors.

"We need to feel (the interconnectedness) and our capacity to feel is stunted if we block out the pain within us over what is happening to our world. Furthermore, if we proceed to take part in the Council per se, speaking on behalf of other life-forms, without first acknowledging our sorrow for what others beings are suffering at human hands, we risk being superficial …"

According to Macy, humans' connections to other life forms are based on more than the emotional attachments to places and beings we have loved.

"They are also organic, woven by shared ancestries, embedded in our bodies. Each atom in each molecule of our being goes back to the beginning of life and has belonged to far more ancient and varied forms of life than our own. The human form we wear now is just the latest and briefest chapter of a long evolutionary journey."

Remember - this comes from a *supposed* Catholic publication.

But just to be fair, I gave this a go. I decided to try and shed my human persona and get in touch with my ancestral otherness, by communing with my Sunday dinner: steak, mashed potatoes and a salad.

Steak: I made a cow mask. All I could think of were those funny Chik-Fil-A commercials where those cows make "Eat Mor Chikin!" signs. But boy, that steak was really really good.

Potatoes: I made a potato mask. How many eyes are there supposed to be in a potato mask? And it's hard to think like a potato. Would a potato be happier in a Pringles' tube, or boiled? I bet mashing is pretty painful - but probably not as painful as being digested, what with the mastication, and saliva, and being dumped into a pit of corrosive gastric acid. GOD, FORGIVE ME FOR I AM SUCH A TERRIBLE PERSON TO DIGEST A POTATO!!!! (sorry - almost lost it there) Or does a potato die when it's taken out of the garden? Does it need dirt to breathe, like a fish in a lake, and thus "drowns" when it's harvested? Well, whatever - the mashed potatoes were good. I like to think I gave the potato a last hurrah by making a butter volcano - y'know, you hide butter inside the mound of potatoes, so it melts and then when you take a forkful, it kinda spills down the sides. I think the potato liked that.

Salad: This one was tough - do I make a mask for the greens, the radicchio, the yellow pepper, the radishes or the cherry tomatoes? I ended up not making one, but I think the salad was happy because it was a big get together of veggie friends, all mixed together with a light vinaigrette. Sorta like OWS -without the odor.

Oh well. I tried. I think I felt something as a potato, but I doubt it. Kinda like reading the article - you think you read something that passed for smart, but in the end, it was just your imagination.

I Am The 99%

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:35:00 +0000

Occupy Catholic Blogs!!!!

(click to enlargify)

PETA Seeks Constitutional Protection For Orca Whales

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:15:00 +0000

The world has indeed gone nuts.

From CNN.com: PETA Lawsuit Alleges SeaWorld Enslaves Killer Whales

(CNN) -- Can killer whales sue SeaWorld for enslavement?
A lawsuit filed Wednesday by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other "next friends" of five SeaWorld killer whales takes that novel legal approach.

The 20-page complaint asks the U.S. District Court in Southern California to declare that the five whales -- Tilikum, Katina, Corky, Kasatka, and Ulises -- are being held in slavery or involuntary servitude in violation of the 13th Amendment.

A PETA statement said the lawsuit is the first of its kind in contending that constitutional protections against slavery are not limited to humans.
"Plaintiffs were forcibly taken from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm collection to breed performers for defendants' shows, and forced to perform, all for defendants' profit," the lawsuit says, arguing that those conditions amount to enslavement and/or forced servitude.

A SeaWorld statement called the lawsuit a baseless publicity stunt by PETA, which is known for provocative advertisements and public demonstrations on behalf of animal rights.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the question of whether a non-human entity can sue for a violation of constitutional rights.

The 13th Amendment outlaws slavery and "involuntary servitude" in the United States without any specific mention that it applies only to people.

SeaWorld claims PETA is just doing this for publicity, but I'm not so sure. PETA folks are insane. They probably believe their lawsuit has a chance of winning.

And if it does win (and that's a mighty big "if", but then again, the world has gone nuts), then Tilikum and company will have enjoy greater constitutional protection than unborn human children. That's the really crazy bit.

Meanwhile, Up In Heaven...

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:45:00 +0000

"Morning, Tommy."

The portly tonsured man, seated at the crystal kitchen table, glanced up from reading the newspaper at the man who had addressed him. "Good morning, Frankie."

Frankie smiled. Everyone else around here called him Francis, except for Tommy. Just as he was the only one who called the angelic Dominican "Tommy".

Frankie poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Tommy. He cocked his head a bit to see beneath the dog-eared corner of the newspaper clutched in Tommy's thick hands.

"USA Today, huh?" he remarked. "Didn't think they delivered here."

"I dispatched Gabriel to retrieve this morning's issue," he explained. "Although I do wish these journals were published in Latin. For old time's sake."

Frankie sipped from his porcelain mug, when Tommy let out a sudden shout of surprise, causing Frankie to splutter coffee across the table.

"Tommy! What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, while wiping the droplets off the surface with the sleeve of his brown habit.

Tommy lowered the paper and gazed at his breakfast table companion, "Please pardon that unexpected outburst, my Franciscan friend. But it appears that we have been duped."

"Duped? How so?"

"According to this article, Americans claiming to be Catholic believe that you can disagree with Church teachings and still call yourself Catholic!"

Frankie blinked hard, several times, before replying. "What? All of them?"

"Nearly so. 86 percent believe it."

"Are you sure they were talking to Catholics?" Frankie asked.

"Fair point. It is the USA Today after all. But I believe it is safe to presume that yes, those being polled were indeed Catholic." Tommy raised the newspaper, shielding his face. "There's more. Listen - 'The survey, a comprehensive look at the beliefs and practices of 1,442 U.S. Catholic adults, also finds that 86% say "you can disagree with aspects of church teachings and still remain loyal to the church." Only about 30% support the "teaching authority claimed by the Vatican." And 40% say you can be a good Catholic without believing that in Mass, the bread and wine really become the body and blood of Christ — a core doctrine of Catholicism.' "

Frankie bowed his head and stared into his coffee cup, turning it slowly in his hands.

Tommy read on. "And if you aren't depressed enough yet, let me add that 67% said that helping the poor is most important to them."

Frankie's frail shoulders slumped. Tommy folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. They sat in silence for several moments; Frankie stared into his swirling steaming coffee, and Tommy tapped his finger pensively onto the table, his face tight as a drum.

Taking a deep breath, Tommy started. "Objection 1..."

Frankie held up his hand, still gazing into his mug. "Don't, Tommy. No Summa." Tommy closed his mouth.

Sighing heavily, Frankie looked at his friend. "So all those years of poverty. The fasting. The preaching and the sacrifices. Apparently I didn't have to be all in. I only needed to give 67%."

Tommy nodded. "I always knew my writings were straw. I poured my heart and mind and strength into my work, and as it turns out, I didn't need to do that. I could have been a good Catholic by attending Mass once every three weeks. I could have prayed half as much, and still ended up here."

Frankie continued. "And the stigmata. What was the point of that?"

"And to think I endured imprisonment at the hands of my own family for my faith," Tommy added. "As I look back, that was so unnecessary."

"Tommy, you are so right - we were duped."

Tommy and Frankie's eyes met. A nearly imperceptible twinkle flashed between them, and then ear-to-ear smiles cracked their beaming faces. Laughter filled the kitchen, and Tommy smacked the table with his meaty palm, causing some of Frankie's coffee to slosh out of its cup.

"Ha ha!" Tommy chortled. "I believe you laughed first!"

"Not on your life," Frankie countered. "Although I almost lost it when you said 'Objection 1'."

Tommy's expansive frame shook as his laughing subsided. "Okay then. I humbly concede defeat. One day, however, I will outlast your stoic demeanor and outright win a match of 'Partial Faith Poker'."

"Never. All those years of practice, that's why I always win." Frankie raised the cup to his lips, and before drinking, he shook his head and added, "Silly Americans. Part-time Catholics indeed. What was it that you once wrote - there is no such thing as partial faith - there is either total faith or no faith?"

"Yes, extremely true. One cannot extract a stone from an arch and expect the structure to remain strong and standing. To be clear, I find no amusement at their waywardness - after all, the sacrileges committed against our Savior's Sacred Heart are indeed very grievous."

"And to our Lady's Immaculate Heart as well," Frankie interjected.

"True, true," Tommy agreed. "However, it is amusing, in a sense, that one can profess to be Catholic while disagreeing with parts of Church teaching. While disregarding the pontiff. While supporting same-sex marriage...or abortion. There is such disjunction between their beliefs and their actions, one wonders if they're thinking at all! And how is it possible for them to maintain composure when they make such claims? I believe I would laugh to their faces at such blatant displays of ignorance! Charitably, of course."

"Of course," Frankie agreed. "To be fair, Tommy - it's not just Americans. It's like that in every country down there."

Tommy nodded. "Our Savior did wonder if He would find faith on Earth upon His second coming. His word, when sent out, does not return empty." He pushed away from the table and picked up his paper while getting to his feet. "And nor do our intercessions. Hurry up and finish your coffee, Frankie - the 14% need our help. They need strength to remain faithful amidst such faithlessness. To be a light in the darkness. To forge ahead on the narrow path. To show others the way to joy, peace and happiness."

Frankie drained his cup and stood up. "Right behind you, big guy. And the 86%?"

"God save them."

Pope Joan's Latest Lament

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:15:00 +0000

The Lake Erie Libber - Sr Joan Chittister, aka Pope Joan Of Erie - penned another screed for the National Catholic Distorter. And as usual, it's the same ol' same ol' - she's been treading this rut for so long now, you can no longer see the top of her head.

This one is titled Lack Of Women Will Irreversibly Harm The Church. Man, sounds like she's issuing a threat, doesn't it? Or a dire warning. Either way, it's over-the-top hyperbole and completely ridiculous - and all it's lacking is a soundtrack.

Until now... (click the green arrow)

	Dorian Kelly - River of Blood - eerie beginnings; a menacing chase, leading to a gruesome and sinister end. Dorian Kelly, PRS. .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

[...]

What bothered them was their 4-year-old daughter. She was a quick-minded child. Precocious. Persistent. Confident. They knew...she would question the difference between what her brother could do in the church and what she could do. That would be years away, of course, but still... they were struggling, to no avail, to find a reason good enough to appease her, they said. Then, suddenly, one Sunday morning after Mass as they sat at the family breakfast table, it happened.
"Mama," she said suddenly, "why don't we have any girl priests at our church?"

They looked at one another, dumbstruck, unprepared. Too late. There was nothing left to do now but be honest.

"Because, darling," the mother said, "our church doesn't allow girl priests."

The little girl pursed her lips and frowned. "Then why do we go there?" she demanded.

With the retreat to Vatican I in full force, this question and its answer get closer and closer.
Feminine language is fast being cut from the very prayers of the church. The invisibility of women is official policy again. Women have been removed from various church boards stealthily but steadily.

All talk of the restoration of the diaconate has been suffocated.

"If the diaconate is restored for women," an official spokesperson is reported to have said, "they will assume they can then be ordained to the priesthood."

It has not occurred to the spokesman, it seems, that the restoration of the diaconate for married men did not launch an assault on the chancery doors to require a married priesthood. Either that, or the old "you know how irrational women are" argument is being dusted off again, too.

And now, in places even in this country, some dioceses are denying girls the opportunity to become altar servers, despite official church acceptance of female servers since 1983 and the long-established practice in churches everywhere.

The idea that women are to be "seen and not heard" is fast becoming "neither seen nor heard."

Here and there, little by little, the hoary head of chauvinism, of patriarchy, of sick and petty and adolescent sexism is making one last desperate attempt to make us a totally male church again.

Correction: To make us a serving female church, a parading male church again. And all of it, as usual, in the name of God. In defense of the faith. In imitation of the church of Christ.
...But when a church can simply erase the women in its midst, refuse to discuss the subject and attempt to go on calling itself church, Christian and holy, that is another matter entirely.
...From where I stand, it is clear that the church already lost a good proportion of one generation of women in the last 25 years and is now willing to lose the next one to reassert its maleness. The question rises again with new and demanding urgency for many: Why do we go there?

The answer to it will not only affect the women and their children for generations to come. It will affect the church in ways no number of male altar boys can begin to heal it.

Joan needs to get over herself. The Church isn't erasing the women in its midst - it's merely ignoring the ones who have convinced themselves they can do a better job of running the Church than Christ Himself. And that's what has her, and those in agreement with her, angry.

Ill-bread

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:15:00 +0000

The following was in my email box this morning. For those of you with a low tolerance for bad puns, you might want to skip this.

On the Jewish New Year, there is a ceremony called Tashlich. Jews traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins.

Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown.

Here are suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors:

For ordinary sins: White Bread

For erotic sins: French Bread

For particularly dark sins: Pumpernickel

For complex sins: Multi-Grain

For twisted sins: Pretzels

For tasteless sins: Rice Cakes

For sins of indecision: Waffles

For substance abuse: Stoned Wheat

For use of heavy drugs: Poppy Seed

For petty larceny: Stollen

For committing auto theft: Caraway

For timidity/cowardice: Milk Toast

For ill-temperedness: Sourdough

For silliness, eccentricity: Nut Bread

For not giving full value: Shortbread

For jingoism, chauvinism: Yankee Doodles

For excessive irony: Rye Bread

For unnecessary chances: Hero Bread

For warmongering: Kaiser Rolls

For dressing immodestly: Tarts

For causing injury to others: Tortes

For lechery and promiscuity: Hot Buns

For promiscuity with gentiles: Hot Cross Buns

For racist attitudes: Crackers

For sophisticated racism: Ritz Crackers

For being holier than thou: Bagels

For abrasiveness: Grits

For dropping in without notice: Popovers

For gluttony: Stuffing

For impetuosity: Quick Bread

For indecent photography: Cheesecake

For raising your voice too often: Challah

For pride and egotism: Puff Pastry

For sycophancy, butt-kissing: Brownies

For being overly smothering: Angel Food Cake

For laziness: Any long loaf

For trashing the environment: Dumplings

For telling bad jokes/puns: Corn Bread

Corn Bread indeed...

And don't blame me for the jokes. I didn't make them up.

About all I can come up with is...

For lying about your weight: Graham Crackers

For liking bad bread puns: Doughnuts

A Momentary Lapse Of Overlooked Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:15:00 +0000

I should have made mention of this earlier.

Fellow Michigan Catholic blogger Dale Price - proprietor of Dyspeptic Mutterings - announced earlier this month and he and his wife Heather gave birth to a healthy, robust son (Dale affectionately described him as a "brick"). I believe that increases the number of children in the Price household to six.

Congratulations Dale and Heather! This one's for you and Thomas Henry:

The Moment Fr. Pavone Lost Credibility

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I've avoided blogging on the Fr Pavone situation to this point for the simple reason I hadn't come to an opinion one way or the other. I've been trying to maintain a disinterested distance from the whole brouhaha because a) most people tend to let their emotions speak for them, and this is explosively emotional, and there's no arguing emotions; and b) I don't have all the facts in order to take an informed intelligent position.

Until now.

A while back, I had subscribed to the Priest For Life email service, and yesterday I received an email from them, signed by Fr. Pavone. Here's how it started:

I’m writing to thank you for your prayers, to urge you to remain steadfast in your resolve to end abortion, and to give you an update on my situation with Bishop Zurek.

Even as you read this I am praying for and working toward a speedy resolution of my current situation. In obedience to my bishop, I am carrying on with our shared pro-life mission from a convent here in Amarillo.

My only real fear right now is what might be going through your mind at this time regarding me and Priests for Life. That’s because of all the misinformation and outright attacks on me and Priests for Life that are taking place right now.

All I can tell you is that just about everything you’re reading or hearing is false. All of it.

Of course, you can dispel my fear that you might be taken in by these false accusations by clicking here. and making as large a contribution to Priests for Life as you can … whether it be for $15, $150 or $15,000. (bold original, and I removed the link)

This email has "slimy" all over it.

So what he's saying is, in order to dispel HIS fears that I might be taken in by false accusations (by whom? where? everything not issued by PFL or Fr. Pavone might be a "false accusation"?), I have to donate money to PFL?? And if I don't, I've somehow been duped? I'm sorry, Father, but my wallet is closed to PFL from now on. I have no use for shuckster-ish shameless begging for donations as a means to drum up "support" for a particular position. It's bad enough politicians resort to such tactics - but for priests?

Oh - and the letter went downhill from there:

But rather than ask you to simply take my word for it, I thought you would appreciate reading a letter we received from the Most Reverend Roger W. Gries, O.S.B., Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland. As you’ll see when you click on the link below …

… it’s addressed to you as a “Supporter of Priests for Life.”

Two things that you’ll want to pay special attention to in Bishop Gries’ letter are:

1. That Bishop Gries wrote his letter on September 19 … ten days after my bishop wrote to him.

2. This paragraph from the middle of his letter: “Please keep Father Pavone in your prayers. He is currently facing some difficult days as he negotiates with his bishop. The work he had done since founding Priests for Life must continue as we face the future. Please continue to support Priests for Life.”

I encourage you to click here and read Bishop Gries’ letter.

And as you do, please keep in mind that his words of encouragement are not the only ones to come my way. Another one who is free to go public with his endorsement is Ray Flynn, the former mayor of Boston and U.S. Ambassador to The Holy See. Here’s the short note he sent me:

“I want you to know that in my opinion, nobody speaks more effectively and as passionately for the unborn as you do. We are very fortunate to have such a strong and committed pro-life voice as you. Please God, continue to give Fr. Frank Pavone the courage to lead us in this critical life issue. We will pray for you and support you in the years ahead.”

Regrettably, due to the sensitive and private nature of my situation with Bishop Zurek, I cannot reveal the names of others who’ve contacted me or repeat their kind words. But I can tell you that I’ve had numerous positive conversations with many bishops in the past several days. To a man, they all want my situation with Bishop Zurek resolved quickly and amicably.

That is my desire as well.

But since I must be obedient to my bishop, I am conducting my pro-life mission from Amarillo. I am hopeful that very soon now I will be back on the road fulfilling my vocation to energize the People of Life both here in the United States and throughout the world.

There's more to the letter, but you get the general drift.

So...he prints support from two people, and then goes on to say that "due to the sensitive and private nature of my situation with Bishop Zurek" he can't reveal the names of those who are supportive. What? It's okay to cite Bp. Gries and Ray Flynn, but nobody else? And what's with pitting one bishop (along with some anonymous ones) against his own?

And if his desire is to have this situation resolved quickly, why did he blow off the meeting arranged by Bishop Zurek? If he "must be obedient to (his) bishop", then why didn't he meet with him? That makes no sense to me.

And he hopes to be "back on the road fulfilling (his) vocation"? His first vocation is to be a priest, isn't it? Obedient to his bishop? Am I missing something here?

If Priests For Life is of God, then it will continue to do God's work with or without Fr. Pavone at the helm. That's how I see it, but I'm not so sure Fr. Pavone does. I'm struck by the unsavory similarity to Fr Gruner and his The Fatima Crusader organization. Gruner believes that if he weren't still directing the group, it would fail. (he might well be right)

To me, at this point, it doesn't matter if Pavone is right and his bishop is wrong, or vice versa. I know nothing about Bishop Zurek at all, so I have no opinion on him or his position. I pray for the sake of the Church that this situation get resolved quickly and completely. I pray that both parties display humility and civility. I hope it's not too late for that, and yet I fear in Pavone's case, it might be. Which is why, as a result of this email, Fr. Pavone has zero credibility left with me. I'm going to continue to support pro-life causes, but I can't support Fr. Pavone.

Needless to say, I emailed PFL and unsubscribed from the email service.

I know I might take some flak over this. Let 'er rip. I'm not denying that Fr. Pavone has been a force for good in the pro-life movement - I'm saying that his current actions show that he's merely protecting his own interests at the expense of his credibility. And maybe at the expense of the pro-live movement.

Michigan: Best State For Catholic Blogs!

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:05:00 +0000

Boo-yah! Something that I always suspected being true has been proven!

Michigan Rated #1 State For Catholic Blogs

A recent nationwide survey conducted among 1,241 Catholic adults has revealed that the best state for Catholic blogging is Michigan. And by a wide margin. 18% of respondents chose the Mitten State - because of its miles of Great Lakes coastlines, unrivaled scenery and having been the birthplace of Call-to-Action - far exceeding Nebraska, in second place with 12%.

"This just goes to show that if you're a Catholic blogger, Michigan is where it's at," Keith Rohlheimer said, who blogs at Wolverine Catholic. "Our state is the home of Ave Maria Radio, RealCatholicTV, Fr John Hardon and Blessed Solanus Casey. We have our share of crazies too - Call-to-Action started here, Elephants in the Livingroom, and the American Catholic Council met in Detroit in June. We got it all."

[...]

Rounding out the top five behind Michigan and Nebraska were Colorado, Georgia and Vermont. The bottom three states were Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin.

This puts the "Great" in the "Great Lakes State", me thinks!

Click here to read the entire article and see where your state ended up.

OWS Protesters Who Want Your Things, Have Their Things Stolen

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Oh, the wondrous, beautiful, sweet sweet irony of it all.

The "redistribute the wealth" crowd on Wall Street is shocked - shocked, I tell you! - that there are some among them who are redistributing their own things. This sounds like it's straight out of the Onion News Network, but it's not.

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops — and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

“I had my Mac stolen — that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”

Crafty cat burglars sneaked into the makeshift kitchen at Zuccotti Park overnight and swiped as much as $2,500 in donated greenbacks from right under the noses of volunteers who’d fallen asleep after a long day whipping up meals for the hundreds of hungry protesters, the volunteers said.

Apparently, an 18 year-old from Ft Lauderdale, slumming in New York, who owns..oops, I mean owned a $5500 Mac (really? - my little Asus was only $600 and some change...) represents the "99%". Right - I'm having a real hard time buying that.

HT Hot Air

What's The Next Gayness?

noreply@blogger.com (LarryD) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:00:00 +0000

So now that everyone - at least it seems so - is cool with gay marriage and homosexual activity, and they're being granted special rights and all, what's the next gayness? What disordered behavior is going to be afforded "normal" status next?

I think it's a toss-up between bestiality (which is being spun as "zoophilia" - I mean, who doesn't like zoos, right?), pedophilia, or polygamy. Case in point for the latter:

It might take awhile, but all three will end up as being acceptable mainstream behavior someday. Sure, bestia---I mean, zoophilia, might currently be illegal in Switzerland, but that doesn't seem to be stopping nearly 3.5% of the population from engaging in the behavior. Give 'em time - they'll demand special rights, too, and most likely eventually get them. Won't PETA be proud.

And the polygamy crowd...it's not a stretch to presume that should the definition of marriage get changed from one man + one woman, then it will be altered to 'more than one man' + 'more than one woman'. That's a slam dunk guarantee.

As for the pedophilia - as Mark Shea has said on more than one occasion (and I'm paraphrasing here) - today the Church is castigated for not having done enough to stop it, but in the future it will be castigated for not doing enough to promote it.

Yep - we all gots freedom of choice. And what folks do in the privacy of their own home is nobody's business, you judgmental, heterosexist, multiple-wives-a-phobic, anti-pedophilia, bestiality haters!

You know I'm right...unfortunately. The question remains - which one's next? I don't know, and I don't wanna know - and I suspect you don't wanna know either. One thing I do know is that it will be the Catholic Church that will take a stand for purity, morality and chastity - and stand alone, if necessary.

Remember - it's October. Pray the rosary.