AMERICA MAGAZINE, MAIN LINE JESUIT JOURNAL ADDRESSES THE MARRIAGE OPTION IN THE PRIESTHOOD.
Remarkable! www.americanmagazine.org
Hi Father Martin.
http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=11896
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
www.jp2cc.org
Did you know that there was a cause for Canonization for JPII?
Visit their center on line. http://www.jp2cc.org/.
http://www.jp2cc.org/documents/jptg_legacy_project.pdf
There's a hole
in my soul
where love had a role
and now I ring too hollow.
There's a hole
in my soul
where love had a role
and now It's too hard to swallow
That God- shaped hole
seems too cliche, it's shape
looked more like you.
There's a hole in my soul
where love had a role
and now I don't have a clue without you.
in my soul
where love had a role
and now I ring too hollow.
There's a hole
in my soul
where love had a role
and now It's too hard to swallow
That God- shaped hole
seems too cliche, it's shape
looked more like you.
There's a hole in my soul
where love had a role
and now I don't have a clue without you.
The State Of Church
The Cross in the Desert and the Whipping Cane in Malaysia.
Todays front page of the Washington Post has an interesting article on the church-state non-establishment first amendment issue as it pertains to a large white cross planted on federal lands in the Mojave desert by WWI vets. It has been there for eons standing tall against desert winds until someone decided it was inappropriate on federal lands (Mojave Federal Preserve) and so now it is covered up. A quarter million Jewish vets also served in WWI so where's the equal time with the Star of David? And would planting a Star of David then make it all better? Should all federal property be totally devoid of any reference to the inspirations that motivated and formed the country in the first place? Stay tuned for a Supreme Court ruling on whether the cross has to be taken down. Those favoring historical approaches want to classify it as a Historic Monument- why not- it's older than all the Justices on the Supreme Court bench. It signifies the urges and inspirations of at least a majority of people who fought the first global war in the 20th Century. If the WWI vets wanted to plant a Star of David and it had survived desert predators and poachers for a decade we would be classifying that too a Historical Monument, wouldn't we?
Lest you think these issues are constitutionally "slam dunk" the trickier extreme poses itself in smaller print in today's Post about a story in Malaysia. There is a tiny reference to a story of a woman who did something so tragically scandalous it made its way into Western Journalism in America's capital's prime paper. Are you ready for it? She drank a beer. The problem is that this is a Muslim country and a woman drinking a beer because of the confluence of Sharia and State Law in Malaysia this is a "caning" offense- meaning she gets beaten, whipped with a cane. It aint Miller Time in Malaysia.
So when do we think it objectionable that any particular religion gets too tight with "the authorities" or the political power infastructure in any country? The genius of our American experiment is that we have at least attempted to separate any established religion so that all may flourish. But morality is always incorporated into public laws. That is what law is based upon; morality and ethics. So whose morality and ethics is always something that is never religion neutral.
So far it hasn't ruffled any church-state separation feathers that a full color guard and four or five supreme court justices worship at a "Red Mass" at Saint Matthews Cathedral in DC (next Sunday, and every year before the opening of the Supreme Court to bless the Judicial system in the US by the Catholic hierarchy), nor that Congress opens with a prayer or funds chaplaincy offices as does the military, nor has it been deemed any sort of church-state separation problem that federal funding goes into the Holocaust Museum. So clearly every expression of religion mixed with state observances or funding is not a First Amendment violation.
The fact of the religious observances and beliefs of Veterans prompted them to give thanks to their creator by planting a cross is a historic fact.
The fact that a woman gets caned for drinking beer anywhere in the world is just ridiculous.
Todays front page of the Washington Post has an interesting article on the church-state non-establishment first amendment issue as it pertains to a large white cross planted on federal lands in the Mojave desert by WWI vets. It has been there for eons standing tall against desert winds until someone decided it was inappropriate on federal lands (Mojave Federal Preserve) and so now it is covered up. A quarter million Jewish vets also served in WWI so where's the equal time with the Star of David? And would planting a Star of David then make it all better? Should all federal property be totally devoid of any reference to the inspirations that motivated and formed the country in the first place? Stay tuned for a Supreme Court ruling on whether the cross has to be taken down. Those favoring historical approaches want to classify it as a Historic Monument- why not- it's older than all the Justices on the Supreme Court bench. It signifies the urges and inspirations of at least a majority of people who fought the first global war in the 20th Century. If the WWI vets wanted to plant a Star of David and it had survived desert predators and poachers for a decade we would be classifying that too a Historical Monument, wouldn't we?
Lest you think these issues are constitutionally "slam dunk" the trickier extreme poses itself in smaller print in today's Post about a story in Malaysia. There is a tiny reference to a story of a woman who did something so tragically scandalous it made its way into Western Journalism in America's capital's prime paper. Are you ready for it? She drank a beer. The problem is that this is a Muslim country and a woman drinking a beer because of the confluence of Sharia and State Law in Malaysia this is a "caning" offense- meaning she gets beaten, whipped with a cane. It aint Miller Time in Malaysia.
So when do we think it objectionable that any particular religion gets too tight with "the authorities" or the political power infastructure in any country? The genius of our American experiment is that we have at least attempted to separate any established religion so that all may flourish. But morality is always incorporated into public laws. That is what law is based upon; morality and ethics. So whose morality and ethics is always something that is never religion neutral.
So far it hasn't ruffled any church-state separation feathers that a full color guard and four or five supreme court justices worship at a "Red Mass" at Saint Matthews Cathedral in DC (next Sunday, and every year before the opening of the Supreme Court to bless the Judicial system in the US by the Catholic hierarchy), nor that Congress opens with a prayer or funds chaplaincy offices as does the military, nor has it been deemed any sort of church-state separation problem that federal funding goes into the Holocaust Museum. So clearly every expression of religion mixed with state observances or funding is not a First Amendment violation.
The fact of the religious observances and beliefs of Veterans prompted them to give thanks to their creator by planting a cross is a historic fact.
The fact that a woman gets caned for drinking beer anywhere in the world is just ridiculous.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Get Ready For Saint Michael and the other ArchAngel's Day-Sept.29
Defend Us In Battle
Joan of Arc, Patron Saint of France was a big fan of the ArchAngel Michael I read recently. She should also be the Patron Saint of Female Fighters of any kind- like plaintiff's litigators.
Here is Saint Michael's prayer:
Saint Michael, the ArchAngel
Defend Us In Battle
Be Our Protection Against the Wickedness and Snares of the Devil
May God Rebuke Him we Humbly Pray
And do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host
By the Divine Power of God
Cast into Hell Satan
And All the Evil Spirits Who Prowl About the World
Seeking the Ruin of Souls.
(Now repeat after me....)
PEDRO Rest in Peace
Funeral For A Sweet Soul;
Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 10:30 am-St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC.
Pedro, or "Peter" didn't speak English very well or much. He was quiet, friendly, usually smiled and said hello to me whenever he saw me. That was when he was crouched in front of the West End library steps, on a bench in Washington Circle Park, once or twice when I cooked for him at Miriam's kitchen and at the winter Christmas church shelter or in the back row at Mass when I went to St. Stephens. He was paunchy, had diabetes apparently, a patch of died blonde hair in a pony tail and could be seen wrapping a rosary around his wrist in the dark on the back pew. Pedro was a catholic. Whenever I saw him I tried to drop off some kind of food. The Starbucks on K street donated day old wraps that I took to him when I found him lying in a door frame on K street. A church group donated a box of Au Bon Pain yogurt, muffins and coffee I delivered to the steps of the library. I paid him to do odd errands for me once in a while. I told him once- "we'll get you out of here Pedro hang on." I lied. We never got him off the streets. He died a fairly young man- didn't look older than 40.
I ticked off the church ladies when I invited him and a bunch of his friends to "Italian night" at the church basement. For God's Sake! What are all these homeless people doing in our basement party! For God's Sake Indeed.
Pedro went to meet the Lord I just found out and his funeral Mass will be held October 6 at 10:30- and there will, as is typical, be a 'reception' in the same church hall that served as his shelter during Christmas. The same one in which the snooty church ladies (bless their hearts) on fancy church committees and archdiocese budgets held their nose permanently out of joint at the thought of all the homeless people ruining their 'Italian Night' because there wasn't enough lasagna to feed everyone. This ironic indignity happened on the Feast Day of Saint Francis- the Saint best loved for his 'social justice' spirit in which he gave his inheritance and his father's money to the poor of the streets of Assisi.
Here would be my suggestion: Take a good walk around Washington Circle Park, and then go across the bridge to Georgetown, backtrack down K street from 22nd to 17th street and find the 30 or more chronically homeless quasi-crazy souls trying to keep their sanity and invite them to the "reception" for their friend Pedro. Then figure out a way to build permanent shelters for these people that they could actually care to live in with privacy, safety and noise under control, clean sheets, a working kitchen, and a view of the River they typically slept near, some under cover of the bushes. There is a lot of land right next to that Salvation Army building. Perhaps you all can work out a deal.
So we all don't have to feel guilty for doing next to nothing to really help Pedro and his buddies.
Then do an audit- and compare the money spent on cleaning stained glass windows in churches across America to the budget for cleaning the clothes of the "temples of the Holy Spirit" living homeless on the streets and tell me where the priorities are.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 10:30 am-St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC.
Pedro, or "Peter" didn't speak English very well or much. He was quiet, friendly, usually smiled and said hello to me whenever he saw me. That was when he was crouched in front of the West End library steps, on a bench in Washington Circle Park, once or twice when I cooked for him at Miriam's kitchen and at the winter Christmas church shelter or in the back row at Mass when I went to St. Stephens. He was paunchy, had diabetes apparently, a patch of died blonde hair in a pony tail and could be seen wrapping a rosary around his wrist in the dark on the back pew. Pedro was a catholic. Whenever I saw him I tried to drop off some kind of food. The Starbucks on K street donated day old wraps that I took to him when I found him lying in a door frame on K street. A church group donated a box of Au Bon Pain yogurt, muffins and coffee I delivered to the steps of the library. I paid him to do odd errands for me once in a while. I told him once- "we'll get you out of here Pedro hang on." I lied. We never got him off the streets. He died a fairly young man- didn't look older than 40.
I ticked off the church ladies when I invited him and a bunch of his friends to "Italian night" at the church basement. For God's Sake! What are all these homeless people doing in our basement party! For God's Sake Indeed.
Pedro went to meet the Lord I just found out and his funeral Mass will be held October 6 at 10:30- and there will, as is typical, be a 'reception' in the same church hall that served as his shelter during Christmas. The same one in which the snooty church ladies (bless their hearts) on fancy church committees and archdiocese budgets held their nose permanently out of joint at the thought of all the homeless people ruining their 'Italian Night' because there wasn't enough lasagna to feed everyone. This ironic indignity happened on the Feast Day of Saint Francis- the Saint best loved for his 'social justice' spirit in which he gave his inheritance and his father's money to the poor of the streets of Assisi.
Here would be my suggestion: Take a good walk around Washington Circle Park, and then go across the bridge to Georgetown, backtrack down K street from 22nd to 17th street and find the 30 or more chronically homeless quasi-crazy souls trying to keep their sanity and invite them to the "reception" for their friend Pedro. Then figure out a way to build permanent shelters for these people that they could actually care to live in with privacy, safety and noise under control, clean sheets, a working kitchen, and a view of the River they typically slept near, some under cover of the bushes. There is a lot of land right next to that Salvation Army building. Perhaps you all can work out a deal.
So we all don't have to feel guilty for doing next to nothing to really help Pedro and his buddies.
Then do an audit- and compare the money spent on cleaning stained glass windows in churches across America to the budget for cleaning the clothes of the "temples of the Holy Spirit" living homeless on the streets and tell me where the priorities are.
A Catholic Perspective
Of Interfaith Relations and Discussion
Saint Matthews Cathedral right around the corner from the RUMI FORUM located on Rhode Island between 17th and Connecticut Ave, is hosting a series of lectures on Interfaith Relations and Discussion; A Catholic Perspective, from a noted Paulist Father starting this Wednesday at 12:45pm (repeat lecture Thursday evening) for the next several weeks. The Paulists have been at the Interfaith Dialogue for a while and have an office in Washington. More details may be found on this week's bulletin (http://www.stmatthewscathedral.org/) Click on the "Fall Lecture Series"- it is in Five Parts-Five lectures in the North Conference Room.
All Faiths are welcome-
Saint Matthews Cathedral right around the corner from the RUMI FORUM located on Rhode Island between 17th and Connecticut Ave, is hosting a series of lectures on Interfaith Relations and Discussion; A Catholic Perspective, from a noted Paulist Father starting this Wednesday at 12:45pm (repeat lecture Thursday evening) for the next several weeks. The Paulists have been at the Interfaith Dialogue for a while and have an office in Washington. More details may be found on this week's bulletin (http://www.stmatthewscathedral.org/) Click on the "Fall Lecture Series"- it is in Five Parts-Five lectures in the North Conference Room.
All Faiths are welcome-
Sunday, September 27, 2009
And Today's Second Collection
Will be for the Families of All Diocesan Priests Worldwide
One billion catholics- if only a quarter, every fourth person puts in a dollar, that's a quarter of a billion fund to invest with
Morgan Stanley to support diocesan priests' families worldwide. So they are not tempted to compromise their integrity with the wealthiest old dames who can't get a date anywhere else.
Just sayin.
One billion catholics- if only a quarter, every fourth person puts in a dollar, that's a quarter of a billion fund to invest with
Morgan Stanley to support diocesan priests' families worldwide. So they are not tempted to compromise their integrity with the wealthiest old dames who can't get a date anywhere else.
Just sayin.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Interfaith Dialogue- because little progress was ever made by refusing to speak to each other
The RUMI FORUM, http://www.rumiforum.org/ (sign up on their site for all events.)
once again sponsors a delightful luncheon with interfaith conversation and a lecture- this time with esteemed Jesuit Father Rev. Raymond G. Helmick.
once again sponsors a delightful luncheon with interfaith conversation and a lecture- this time with esteemed Jesuit Father Rev. Raymond G. Helmick.
The Rumi Forum presents:
"The Key Question of Faith-Based Funding: How Are the Faith Communities & the Government to be Insulated from One Another?" with Rev. Raymond G. Helmick, S.J., & Jerome Dwight Maryon, Esq.
When:
When:
Tuesday, September 29th
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
at Rumi Forum--1150 17th St. N.W., Suite 408 Washington, DC 20036
Free and open to the public (registration required, http://www.rumiforum.org/)
Light lunch will be served
Summary:
Summary:
The Committee on Religion & Faith in the Public Square (the “RFPS Committee”), was formed in Boston this May to examine the four great issues presented by the White House Office of Faith-Based Funding, under both Presidents Bush and Obama.
These issues concern constitutional law, public policy, the diversity of public theologies in America, and the unique history of Church-&-State relations in America. They are crystallized in the question, “How can the government and the faith communities be insulated from undue interference in each other’s affairs?” That question is one, not only for the United States, but for all democracies, and particularly at a time when an uncertain global economic outlook requires governments and churches to work together more than ever.
This Roundtable in the Rumi Forum hopes to launch an international dialogue on these issues. A summit will follow in DC on Wednesday, and then a national conference in Boston next spring.
Rev. Professor Raymond G. Helmick, S.J. bio: Priest of the New England Jesuit Province, Raymond Helmick has, since 1972, worked with conflict in Northern Ireland, in Lebanon, between the Israelis and the Palestinians, in the countries of Former Yugoslavia, between the Kurds of Iraq and Turkey, in East Timor, and in Southern Africa. Fr. Ray has served as the Associate Director, 1973-81, of the Centre for Human Rights and Responsibilities in London, co-founder of the Centre of Concern for Human Dignity (a joint project of the English and Irish Jesuit Provinces), 1979-81, co-founder and Senior Associate in the Conflict Analysis Center, Washington, D.C., from 1983, Professor of Conflict Resolution in the Department of Theology, Boston College, since 1984. Educated at Weston College (Jesuit Province of New England), Hochschule St. Georgen (Frankfurt/M.) and Union Theological Seminary (New York). Co-editor (with Rodney Petersen) of Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy and Conflict Transformation (Templeton Foundation Press, 1999), author (with Richard Hauser) of A Social Option: A Social Planning Approach to the Conflict in Northern Ireland (London, 1975), La question libanaise selon Raymond Eddé: Correspondance et mémoires (Paris: Cariscript, 1990), Negotiating Outside the Law: Why Camp David Failed (London: Pluto Press, 2004). Fr. Ray also serves as the Chairman of Subcommittee I of the RFPS.
Jerome Maryon bio:President of the RFPS Committee, Jerome Dwight Maryon, Esq., also serves as the President of the Committee on Contemporary Spiritual-&-Public Concerns. The Rule of Law, the security of America, and the witness of faith in the public forum are consistent themes in Jerome’s long-term work and study. He takes as his motto the time-honored aim of the Common Law, “Non sub homine sed sub Deo et lege” – “Not under men, but under God and the laws.”
His B.A. includes a 4.0/4.0 in Poli Sci, plus the full first year of law studies, as a teenager, at the University of Paris; then he earned a First Honours Pontifical Diploma in Theology in Ireland – the land where his ancestors, in 1880, had helped forge the power of the powerless: the Boycott! Jerome served as Executive Editor of his Law Journal while earning his J.D., then joined the Navy JAG Corps; while serving as Commissioner onboard the appellate court of the Navy-Marine Corps, he took the three-year curriculum of the U.S. Naval War College and tied for first place at graduation in Newport, RI.
None of the judicial opinions that he drafted has yet been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. While Commissioner, Jerome represented the Department of Defense onboard the Federal Bar Association as the Vice Chair of all Lawyers in Uniform and he also served as the first Navy JAG Historian. Building on a winning brief and a comprehensive article on the integrity of the independent military justice system, Jerome engaged Ruth Wedgwood on her claim, that the President is above the Law, in a very rare public debate on Guantánamo – and received a standing ovation. Beyond teaching Law and Poli Sci, he has been researching a major study in the comparative law of drug policies worldwide; in his spare time, Jerome serves on the Board of Trustees of the Interreligious Center for Public Life, Inc. (which he incorporated), and as the Guest Lecturer in the pioneering course, “Towards an Abrahamic Family Reunion.”
As he deepens his commitment to interfaith dialogue, Jerome will be creating a think tank in Washington to address the complex intersection of Law, public policy, and our Postmodern plurality of theologies. None too surprisingly, Jerome has begun to research a book on the recent decline in our Rule of Law and our public discourse – and what we can all of us do to restore our rights and responsibilities: the plenitude of our Rule, under God.
What's a God-daughter He Asked Me
We Don't Have Those In India
A kind Indian Sikh friend of mine asked me what my relation to the gorgeous persons pictured below is and I told him "cousins and god-daughters." He then asked to my surprise "What's a God-Daughter?" informing me that "We don't have those in India." I explained that when a child is baptized in the Christian faith as infants they typically get a set of Godparents- or at least one of them. This person is supposed to, if they do their job right, help oversee and instill the faith into the child participating in their upbringing, and they are a safety net should either natural parent die. They are supposed to step up to the plate for assisting to meet practical needs should it be necessary in the event of death of a parent. In my case, that actually happened because these girls lost their Dad tragically to lung cancer when he was only 43. Luckily the family was collectively well off enough that no one was thrust into poverty and the only visible decline in lifestyle was that a huge house in Potomac was downsized into a three story townhouse close by (theirs not mine).
"We have lots of kids on the streets in India who don't have both parents" my friend advised me. "I want to learn about this tradition." He thought it might help in India. He wants to take it back to India. We can export a lot of great things of religious significance if explained in a certain way. I am not the best in your face proselytizer-I have a strong distaste for shoving religion down anyone's throat, can't stand it when anyone comes across "holier than thou" (whenever I am guilty of it feel free to punch me in the nose) and I loathe crusade style religious imposition of any kind at the end of a gun (totally counter-productive)- but Christianity has some very wonderful earthly manifestations in terms of caring for our fellows and particularly children that does and should appeal everywhere. No one could resist it. Everyone will want to know about it if we do our jobs right. Talk is Cheap- Good Works can win the world.
A kind Indian Sikh friend of mine asked me what my relation to the gorgeous persons pictured below is and I told him "cousins and god-daughters." He then asked to my surprise "What's a God-Daughter?" informing me that "We don't have those in India." I explained that when a child is baptized in the Christian faith as infants they typically get a set of Godparents- or at least one of them. This person is supposed to, if they do their job right, help oversee and instill the faith into the child participating in their upbringing, and they are a safety net should either natural parent die. They are supposed to step up to the plate for assisting to meet practical needs should it be necessary in the event of death of a parent. In my case, that actually happened because these girls lost their Dad tragically to lung cancer when he was only 43. Luckily the family was collectively well off enough that no one was thrust into poverty and the only visible decline in lifestyle was that a huge house in Potomac was downsized into a three story townhouse close by (theirs not mine).
"We have lots of kids on the streets in India who don't have both parents" my friend advised me. "I want to learn about this tradition." He thought it might help in India. He wants to take it back to India. We can export a lot of great things of religious significance if explained in a certain way. I am not the best in your face proselytizer-I have a strong distaste for shoving religion down anyone's throat, can't stand it when anyone comes across "holier than thou" (whenever I am guilty of it feel free to punch me in the nose) and I loathe crusade style religious imposition of any kind at the end of a gun (totally counter-productive)- but Christianity has some very wonderful earthly manifestations in terms of caring for our fellows and particularly children that does and should appeal everywhere. No one could resist it. Everyone will want to know about it if we do our jobs right. Talk is Cheap- Good Works can win the world.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Chant Revival underway-
http://www.musicasacra.com/colloquium/
Thanks again to the CIC in DC for hosting a cast of interesting characters - "Sing Like A Catholic."
CHANT. It's coming back. The author thinks it sounds "groovy."
Buy the Book.
Thanks again to the CIC in DC for hosting a cast of interesting characters - "Sing Like A Catholic."
CHANT. It's coming back. The author thinks it sounds "groovy."
Buy the Book.
"Sing Like A Catholic"
http://www.cicdc.org/
http://www.cicdc.org/
Do You Need A Do Over?
Happy Jewish New Year: Now Hit the Reset and Start Over.
I'm Sorry. So are you.
Forgiveness- it's not optional.
Beliefnet has tips on how to get over yourself alreaady and start over. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2009/09/How-to-Forgive-and-Receive-Forgiveness.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=12&ppc=75092&utm_campaign=Jewish&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter
I'm Sorry. So are you.
Forgiveness- it's not optional.
Beliefnet has tips on how to get over yourself alreaady and start over. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2009/09/How-to-Forgive-and-Receive-Forgiveness.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=12&ppc=75092&utm_campaign=Jewish&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter
Chicken Atonement: Chicken gets neck snapped before Atonement Day -it's called 'shlugn kapores.' http://www.ralphmag.org/AY/ingall.html
Jesus Atonement: Jesus nailed to the Cross to Atone for our Sins as Sacrificial chicken and lamb. http://www.jesuspolice.com/common_error.php?id=14
Shlugn kapores = 'Whacking atonements': the waving of a live chicken (or its monetary equivalent) three times over one's head, while chanting: "zeh khalefosi, zeh tamorosi, zeh kaperosi. Zeh hotarnegol yelekh le misoh, va'ani elekh le chayim tovim arukim ve shalom"
('This is my substitute, this is my commutation, this is my atonement. This rooster will go to death, and I will go to a life both long and peaceful'). - Jesus Death creates atonement unto eternal life- not just here but into the hereafter, the heavens. The waiving the atonement substitute three times echoes the three times that Jesus was invoked before Peter and he denied him three times, but died for him anyway. He died even for those who didn't accept him-even for those who didn't like him. Even for those who didn't really know him. He died for YOU, because a chicken doesn't cut it.
A Traditional Southern Wedding
My tribe-our girls: Megan and Bec (black dress and blue jean jacket, second and third from left). Becky is a Vice President at Edelman in Washington, DC. -Becky graduated from Good Counsel catholic high school and James Madison college (sorry fellas-she has a serious boyfriend.) Megan is a Veterinarian and Mark is a lucky genius.Only three more weeks till Megan and Mark's wedding.
http://markandmegan.net/contact-us.htm (Yes, her ring really looks like that)
hey, he works for Google, what'd you expect!) CONGRATULATIONS! http://markandmegan.net/about-us.htm
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Discount Shopper Recession Special
Here Comes The Bride
In an effort to brighten the economic outlook of recently engaged brides that have lost their job in the last 90 days and are looking for a job but do not want to postpone their special day, Patricia South's "The Bride's Choice" is giving away free wedding gowns.
The idea to give dresses to struggling brides came to South as she inventoried her beautiful selection of gowns in the 11,000-square-foot wedding center. She found many designer sample gowns, some that had cost as much as $3,000. South thought, "What a shame that these gowns couldn't be used by someone in need." Dresses in a variety of sizes from designers Amsale, Jim Hjelm, Rena Kohl, Bellisima, Allure, Jacqueline's, Pronovias and Maggie Sottero are included in the giveaway.
Patricia South is offering select designer wedding gowns from her stock to deserving brides struggling to afford the wedding of their dreams on Wednesday and Thursday, October 7-8 and 14-15, from 4-8 p.m.
Patricia South's "The Bride's Choice," celebrating its 27th year in business, is located at 4066 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation, Florida. [near Ft. Lauderdale.]
For more information, call 954-791-6007 or visit. http://www.abrideschoice.com/
In an effort to brighten the economic outlook of recently engaged brides that have lost their job in the last 90 days and are looking for a job but do not want to postpone their special day, Patricia South's "The Bride's Choice" is giving away free wedding gowns.
The idea to give dresses to struggling brides came to South as she inventoried her beautiful selection of gowns in the 11,000-square-foot wedding center. She found many designer sample gowns, some that had cost as much as $3,000. South thought, "What a shame that these gowns couldn't be used by someone in need." Dresses in a variety of sizes from designers Amsale, Jim Hjelm, Rena Kohl, Bellisima, Allure, Jacqueline's, Pronovias and Maggie Sottero are included in the giveaway.
Patricia South is offering select designer wedding gowns from her stock to deserving brides struggling to afford the wedding of their dreams on Wednesday and Thursday, October 7-8 and 14-15, from 4-8 p.m.
Patricia South's "The Bride's Choice," celebrating its 27th year in business, is located at 4066 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation, Florida. [near Ft. Lauderdale.]
For more information, call 954-791-6007 or visit. http://www.abrideschoice.com/
Hello Father Martin. Meet Sister Ann
Did You Hear The One About
the guy who tried to date a Nun by asking her to the county fair? She turned him down on account of her vow against Carnival pleasures.
It's all right to kiss a Nun- just don't make a Habit out of it.
{Big Shout Out Hello to My Favorite Nun Sister Ann M. who celebrates 65 years in her order! You don't look like a nun! --she also doesn't look 65-she must have entered when she was 4. She's from Philadelphia and also hysterical. http://www.sistersofsaintjosephfederation.org/}
the guy who tried to date a Nun by asking her to the county fair? She turned him down on account of her vow against Carnival pleasures.
It's all right to kiss a Nun- just don't make a Habit out of it.
{Big Shout Out Hello to My Favorite Nun Sister Ann M. who celebrates 65 years in her order! You don't look like a nun! --she also doesn't look 65-she must have entered when she was 4. She's from Philadelphia and also hysterical. http://www.sistersofsaintjosephfederation.org/}
An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Conditioning Benefits on Behavior
What if there were some measure of good behavior built into the "system" such that public benefits were conditioned on a blend of not only need but good conduct.
What if drug testing were a mandatory requirement of receiving public benefits? It is against the law to use them and most major employers request them of non professional staff-so why does anyone getting a public assistance check not have to take one? What if you had to have a regular blood test (which could also be used to screen for HIV free at the same time)
Discrimination against drug addicts you say? Anyone who doesn't test well is given instead information on treatment centers and rehabs. Will this drive addicted people to an underground market and life of crime on the streets if they are not given public assistance checks? Aren't addicts doing that anyway? Why subsidize it? Who would pay for the testing? Does it come out of the check if received or is it a free public health service. Should there be public health offices next to every unemployment office?
One of my eccentric aunts calls this the "Urine or You're OUT" program.
What say you? Just stuff to chew on.
What if there were some measure of good behavior built into the "system" such that public benefits were conditioned on a blend of not only need but good conduct.
What if drug testing were a mandatory requirement of receiving public benefits? It is against the law to use them and most major employers request them of non professional staff-so why does anyone getting a public assistance check not have to take one? What if you had to have a regular blood test (which could also be used to screen for HIV free at the same time)
Discrimination against drug addicts you say? Anyone who doesn't test well is given instead information on treatment centers and rehabs. Will this drive addicted people to an underground market and life of crime on the streets if they are not given public assistance checks? Aren't addicts doing that anyway? Why subsidize it? Who would pay for the testing? Does it come out of the check if received or is it a free public health service. Should there be public health offices next to every unemployment office?
One of my eccentric aunts calls this the "Urine or You're OUT" program.
What say you? Just stuff to chew on.
Castles of Plastic
Home Sweet Home- made entirely of Leggos?
Are there homeless people you know sleeping under trees on benches, down by the river, or in inhospitable trailer parks. There are "tent cities" in earthquake zones still in Italy and trailer sites for Katrina victims three years later.
This might be a prefab step up for shelter from the storm:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2009/09/22/life-size-lego-house-built-and-demolished/?icid=mainmaindl2link1http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shelterpop.com%2F2009%2F09%2F22%2Flife-size-lego-house-built-and-demolished%2F
Are there homeless people you know sleeping under trees on benches, down by the river, or in inhospitable trailer parks. There are "tent cities" in earthquake zones still in Italy and trailer sites for Katrina victims three years later.
This might be a prefab step up for shelter from the storm:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2009/09/22/life-size-lego-house-built-and-demolished/?icid=mainmaindl2link1http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shelterpop.com%2F2009%2F09%2F22%2Flife-size-lego-house-built-and-demolished%2F
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Father Martin Rocks the House
A Rabbi, Priest and Minister walk into the Bar and the Bartender says "Is This Some Kind Of Joke?"
Yes.
Jesuit Father Martin, editor of America Magazine, the Jesuit rag in New York (you can get it emailed to you directly), had en entire congregation at Saint Matthews cathedral in Washington in stitches chuckling at himself on purpose. Self-depricating humor, he argued can lighten the load. He has written an entire book on it actually. He told joke after joke and tipped his hat to
those with the pink yamulkas in quoting a high holy clergyman who when asked -now that he is an Archbishop if he would like to "condemn" anything -now having condemning powers. The Archbishop replied "Yes, I would like to condemn instant potatos and light beer." Jesus, he argued, had a hysterical classic sardonic Jewish wit -turning water to barrels of wine was not only a poignant foreshadowing of his blood given for the world, but was funny at the time. Much of what his parables illustrated also had humor, lost a bit in translations of the ages.
The tone could not have been more appreciated in a political climate in Washington where people take their self righteousness more seriously than most people take Monday Night Football (that would be saying a lot in the house where I grew up.)
Father Martin, you will recall was the voice of calm and reason when it came to the issue of whether the US President was allowed to address a major Catholic College in America.
While the right wing- nuts were flailing in ignonymous upheavals and strolling dead plastic baby dolls smeared with blood trespassing across Notre Dame's campus, Jesuit Father Martin could be heard quiety wondering if we all had collectively lost a bit of our grip and couldn't just calm down a bit and perhaps listen to what the US population elected as its free democratic leader had to say.
This follows the Jesuit thoughtful tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola (after whom a few catholic colleges are named) who suggests that "It is necessary to suppose that every good Christian is more ready to put a good interpretation on another's statement than to condemn it as false. "
Ignatius believed that respect and kindness were hallmarks of good Christian discourse. Cardinal Avery Dulles, also a Jesuit, in highlighting the "community of disciples" that Christians are called to be, must respect the rules of community which demand respect and kindness- which are hallmarks of humility- as Jesuit Father and Pastor Mark Horak noted in his pastoral letter to Holy Trinity in the bulletin which you can find on line (http://www.holytrinitydc.org/). "This more humble view of a pilgrim church always in need of purification and improvemment may help to tone down the rhetoric and encourage Catholics to work together in addressing the great issues of our day, especially those involving the culture of life."
This also, he notes as did Cardinal Dulles, allows and enables the church "to understand its teaching better, to present it more persuasivelly and to implement it in a pastoral way."
The reverse of the statement does, as one would expect, just the contrary. Which is why rageful, ranting and hateful condemnations have zero place in intellectually honest dialogue in public policy debates of even the most sensitive nature.
And No, Father Jenkins should not "drop the charges"- when people were opposed to the Iraq war they were not permitted to jump the White House fences and parade around amputated limbs to make their point. That would cross the line and demonstrate zero respect for the authority that the law gives the resident of the White House. Father Jenkins made it very clear what he did and did not tolerate on the campus and his authority was totally disrespected by the wing-nuts who just arrogantly thought they could do what they wanted- no matter how counter-productive, how embarassing, how much it set the cause back. They didn't care- they had no thought of how they would be perceived. They trespassed, and there is a law against it.
Forgiving trespasses does not mandate that anyone dismiss Justice. Justice may require action against a trespasser even while the trespasser is forgiven.
Yes.
Jesuit Father Martin, editor of America Magazine, the Jesuit rag in New York (you can get it emailed to you directly), had en entire congregation at Saint Matthews cathedral in Washington in stitches chuckling at himself on purpose. Self-depricating humor, he argued can lighten the load. He has written an entire book on it actually. He told joke after joke and tipped his hat to
those with the pink yamulkas in quoting a high holy clergyman who when asked -now that he is an Archbishop if he would like to "condemn" anything -now having condemning powers. The Archbishop replied "Yes, I would like to condemn instant potatos and light beer." Jesus, he argued, had a hysterical classic sardonic Jewish wit -turning water to barrels of wine was not only a poignant foreshadowing of his blood given for the world, but was funny at the time. Much of what his parables illustrated also had humor, lost a bit in translations of the ages.
The tone could not have been more appreciated in a political climate in Washington where people take their self righteousness more seriously than most people take Monday Night Football (that would be saying a lot in the house where I grew up.)
Father Martin, you will recall was the voice of calm and reason when it came to the issue of whether the US President was allowed to address a major Catholic College in America.
While the right wing- nuts were flailing in ignonymous upheavals and strolling dead plastic baby dolls smeared with blood trespassing across Notre Dame's campus, Jesuit Father Martin could be heard quiety wondering if we all had collectively lost a bit of our grip and couldn't just calm down a bit and perhaps listen to what the US population elected as its free democratic leader had to say.
This follows the Jesuit thoughtful tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola (after whom a few catholic colleges are named) who suggests that "It is necessary to suppose that every good Christian is more ready to put a good interpretation on another's statement than to condemn it as false. "
Ignatius believed that respect and kindness were hallmarks of good Christian discourse. Cardinal Avery Dulles, also a Jesuit, in highlighting the "community of disciples" that Christians are called to be, must respect the rules of community which demand respect and kindness- which are hallmarks of humility- as Jesuit Father and Pastor Mark Horak noted in his pastoral letter to Holy Trinity in the bulletin which you can find on line (http://www.holytrinitydc.org/). "This more humble view of a pilgrim church always in need of purification and improvemment may help to tone down the rhetoric and encourage Catholics to work together in addressing the great issues of our day, especially those involving the culture of life."
This also, he notes as did Cardinal Dulles, allows and enables the church "to understand its teaching better, to present it more persuasivelly and to implement it in a pastoral way."
The reverse of the statement does, as one would expect, just the contrary. Which is why rageful, ranting and hateful condemnations have zero place in intellectually honest dialogue in public policy debates of even the most sensitive nature.
And No, Father Jenkins should not "drop the charges"- when people were opposed to the Iraq war they were not permitted to jump the White House fences and parade around amputated limbs to make their point. That would cross the line and demonstrate zero respect for the authority that the law gives the resident of the White House. Father Jenkins made it very clear what he did and did not tolerate on the campus and his authority was totally disrespected by the wing-nuts who just arrogantly thought they could do what they wanted- no matter how counter-productive, how embarassing, how much it set the cause back. They didn't care- they had no thought of how they would be perceived. They trespassed, and there is a law against it.
Forgiving trespasses does not mandate that anyone dismiss Justice. Justice may require action against a trespasser even while the trespasser is forgiven.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Happy International Day Of Peace- Yesterday
Yesterday, the Feast of Saint Matthew was also the The International Day of Peace. http://www.usip.org/grants-fellowships/priority-grant-competition
If you forgot to pray for it yesterday, try twice today. And pray everyday for Peace. It's the most precious commodity not traded on any stock exchange, not bought in any store- more valuable than Gold of a thousand countries.
Peace. From the heart of the Prince of Peace.
(Your mind is a terrible thing to lose)
Intelligence, Principle and Compassion all Rolled in One Round Happy Face
US Senator Pat Leahy.
Imagine a Senator who had the wisdom and foresight to vote against the Iraq War (it was after all based on complete pretense and a disaster for a thousand now known reasons), against Guantanamo detention (what's a little thing like torture and violations of the Geneva Convention and other international laws?), and in spite of being a cherubic faced white guy loves to give "Wise Latinas" a fair shake before the Judiciary Committee.
Imagine someone who is a regular church going Catholic in the US Senate--Just Imagine such a thing.
Close your eyes, click your heels three times and say- There's no place like Vermont!
His name is Patrick Leahy. He is one of the best of the brightest now around.
Help him get re-elected.
Click here. His buddies in the Senate will be most grateful as will most all of Vermont and the rest of the country.
https://secure.ga3.org/03/LFV_contribute/nzpreH4Ma7t_s?source=sep09_levin
Starting Today
ONLY NINE DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT THERESE.Novena Prayer to Saint Therese
(Pray for nine consecutive days)
(Pray for nine consecutive days)
O glorious St. Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and inspire mankind, I implore your miraculous intercession.
So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul, Holy Mother Church proclaims you a "Prodigy of Miracles, the greatest saint of modern times."
I now fervently beseech you to answer my petition and grant me... (Mention intention here) and to carry out your promises of "spending Heaven doing good upon earth, of letting fall a shower of roses."
Henceforth, dear Little Flower, I will fulfill your plea to be made known everywhere, and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen.
So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul, Holy Mother Church proclaims you a "Prodigy of Miracles, the greatest saint of modern times."
I now fervently beseech you to answer my petition and grant me... (Mention intention here) and to carry out your promises of "spending Heaven doing good upon earth, of letting fall a shower of roses."
Henceforth, dear Little Flower, I will fulfill your plea to be made known everywhere, and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen.
[Many Thanks to the America Needs Fatima characters for this reminder]
Here's what frosts me
2 Billion Dollars Down the Drain
At the height of its profitability the MCI corporation in the early 1990s aspired to be a 2 Billion dollar corporation. It was one of the largest private employers in the DC area at the time, and entire families were fed, sent their kids to college and serviced mortgages in the DC -Maryland-Northern Virginia area from salaries earned at MCI corporation. It fed, clothed, housed and educated people on entrepreneurial ingenuity. I know because I worked for a time in it's General Counsel's office on a project.
Where did the Catholic church get 2 Billion dollars to pay off settlements (secret or otherwise) and what should that money instead have been used for? How many dollars in the bucket makes 2 Billion. Who had that kind of money that made 2 Billion dollars loose change to throw at settlements?
If the Catholic church has 2 Billion dollars loose change, it has the money to fund families of its priests. It has the money to pay living wage salaries to priests and house their families and allow diocesene priests to marry. NO EXCUSE. If you had psychologically/emotionally healthier intelligent priests you would pay less out for the misdeeds of the miscreants. The church pays tens of thousands for statues of dead 'saints' and millions on church property upkeep, and can't see clear of supporting families for their priests. The paintings alone for one Dome of the National Shrine Basillica in Washington, DC (there are several) cost the Knights of Columbus over one million dollars. And priests cannot afford a family?
Are you insane? Where are your priorities?
Saint Anthony it is believed is famous for stopping the money lending loan sharking practices in Padua making it finally against the law to imprison anyone for debt in Padua (revolutionary for the day) because he saw the suffering of the wives without husbands struggling to support their families and turning to prostitution and anything else that earned them a lira. He put all his
Franciscan Friars literally to work in the building trades to pay off the debts to release the prisoners from debtor's prison-because Jesus sets the captives free. He saw the suffering of the wives and couldn't stand it. It was just wrong.
He saw the law that put husbands- the sole breadwinning providers- in jail and said essentially "the law is an Ass" and changed it.
Saint Anthony is the church's greatest Lobbyist. When the Law is an Ass- change it.
At the height of its profitability the MCI corporation in the early 1990s aspired to be a 2 Billion dollar corporation. It was one of the largest private employers in the DC area at the time, and entire families were fed, sent their kids to college and serviced mortgages in the DC -Maryland-Northern Virginia area from salaries earned at MCI corporation. It fed, clothed, housed and educated people on entrepreneurial ingenuity. I know because I worked for a time in it's General Counsel's office on a project.
Where did the Catholic church get 2 Billion dollars to pay off settlements (secret or otherwise) and what should that money instead have been used for? How many dollars in the bucket makes 2 Billion. Who had that kind of money that made 2 Billion dollars loose change to throw at settlements?
If the Catholic church has 2 Billion dollars loose change, it has the money to fund families of its priests. It has the money to pay living wage salaries to priests and house their families and allow diocesene priests to marry. NO EXCUSE. If you had psychologically/emotionally healthier intelligent priests you would pay less out for the misdeeds of the miscreants. The church pays tens of thousands for statues of dead 'saints' and millions on church property upkeep, and can't see clear of supporting families for their priests. The paintings alone for one Dome of the National Shrine Basillica in Washington, DC (there are several) cost the Knights of Columbus over one million dollars. And priests cannot afford a family?
Are you insane? Where are your priorities?
Saint Anthony it is believed is famous for stopping the money lending loan sharking practices in Padua making it finally against the law to imprison anyone for debt in Padua (revolutionary for the day) because he saw the suffering of the wives without husbands struggling to support their families and turning to prostitution and anything else that earned them a lira. He put all his
Franciscan Friars literally to work in the building trades to pay off the debts to release the prisoners from debtor's prison-because Jesus sets the captives free. He saw the suffering of the wives and couldn't stand it. It was just wrong.
He saw the law that put husbands- the sole breadwinning providers- in jail and said essentially "the law is an Ass" and changed it.
Saint Anthony is the church's greatest Lobbyist. When the Law is an Ass- change it.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Worst Case Scenario?
Holiness.
When you redefine it contrary to Jesus' definition, look what can happen.........
http://living.aol.com/morning-rush/hot-water-the-early-show/41251181001
When you redefine it contrary to Jesus' definition, look what can happen.........
http://living.aol.com/morning-rush/hot-water-the-early-show/41251181001
Does Your Rule
St. Therese of Lisieux; Feast Day October 1.Promote More Love or Not. [that's the test]
Does it kill and destroy Love in the name of God or Not.
Does it elevate itself above the Creator of Life who is Love.
Flesh and Blood Has Not Told You This
The Holy Spirit Did
Jesus addressed Peter-I know what the other folks are saying, I'm Elijiah reincarnated, I'm a prophet, I'm Jeremiah come back- but Peter- I'm asking you- who DO YOU say that I am?
"You are the Son of God." "You are the Messiah" said Peter.
to which Jesus replied: Flesh and Blood has not told you this (no one around here is saying that- no person so advised you)- you were thus advised by The Holy Spirit- The Holy Spirit told you. Now you know. Because The Holy Spirit told you. The orthodoxy didn't get it yet. They were all stuck on 'You are Jeremiah or some prophet."
Peter had direct communication with God. God told him -look, this is Jesus the Messiah, my Son.
God picked Peter before Jesus acknowledged it. God knew Peter was a married man, God ordained the marriage of Peter presumably in a proper Jewish wedding. This did not disqualify him from having the keys to heaven, or being a Petras, piece of the Rock called the Petra.
Jesus knew women to be equal in every respect to men and that they were the ONLY suitable helpmate for Adam. God created the institution of marriage before any priest ordained it in the garden. It is as primordially pure a oneness as Christ is with his church, his body. The two become one flesh.
God gave the seed of his flesh to a human woman. This human woman became a mother blessed. If she were not the Blessed Mother she would be just another Jewish teenager and history would take no note. She was a Mother. Blessed Among Women.
No Jewish Priest relished childlessness. The priest Zechariah was visited by an Angel and stunned to silence in disbelief when told he would have a son he should name John. It was not a
badge of honor to be childless. Abraham is considered righteous because he believed well into his old age he would have a son when told by God. Story after story appears about women who had children against the odds- Samson's mother was barren and advanced in age.
Yet childlessness marks holiness in women "religious" in catholic orthodoxy. Priests who know no family of their own, take no wives- even though Paul said it was a "right" to take a wife like "Cephas" (Peter) only qualify for catholic priesthood. Eunichood, which can be just as selfish and miserly a disposition, is elevated to the height of piety, and anyone who disagrees and acts on the "right to take a wife" just gets kicked out. So "faux wives" "substitute wives" fill the void.
Wrong. Evil. Doctrinally on it's head and off its rocker. Insupportable. Manifesting harm. Needs to be changed.
Until the Roman church does something on this the Moscow orthodoxy should not and likely will not subjugate themselves to the "Petrine Primacy" because they may be closer to the actual Peter model than the current Papacy on this point.
Those who know the correct answer to the primordial question above, "Who Do You Say That I Am" and respond "You are the Son of God, The Messiah"- to all those Jesus said, on THAT
I will build my church. Those who know him and call on his name shall be saved- anyone, everyone. who knows the right answer:
No one can say "Jesus is Lord" but by the Holy Spirit. Whom the Father chooses, he also saves.
No Flesh and Blood Told you this- they, the orthodoxy don't get it yet.
Jesus addressed Peter-I know what the other folks are saying, I'm Elijiah reincarnated, I'm a prophet, I'm Jeremiah come back- but Peter- I'm asking you- who DO YOU say that I am?
"You are the Son of God." "You are the Messiah" said Peter.
to which Jesus replied: Flesh and Blood has not told you this (no one around here is saying that- no person so advised you)- you were thus advised by The Holy Spirit- The Holy Spirit told you. Now you know. Because The Holy Spirit told you. The orthodoxy didn't get it yet. They were all stuck on 'You are Jeremiah or some prophet."
Peter had direct communication with God. God told him -look, this is Jesus the Messiah, my Son.
God picked Peter before Jesus acknowledged it. God knew Peter was a married man, God ordained the marriage of Peter presumably in a proper Jewish wedding. This did not disqualify him from having the keys to heaven, or being a Petras, piece of the Rock called the Petra.
Jesus knew women to be equal in every respect to men and that they were the ONLY suitable helpmate for Adam. God created the institution of marriage before any priest ordained it in the garden. It is as primordially pure a oneness as Christ is with his church, his body. The two become one flesh.
God gave the seed of his flesh to a human woman. This human woman became a mother blessed. If she were not the Blessed Mother she would be just another Jewish teenager and history would take no note. She was a Mother. Blessed Among Women.
No Jewish Priest relished childlessness. The priest Zechariah was visited by an Angel and stunned to silence in disbelief when told he would have a son he should name John. It was not a
badge of honor to be childless. Abraham is considered righteous because he believed well into his old age he would have a son when told by God. Story after story appears about women who had children against the odds- Samson's mother was barren and advanced in age.
Yet childlessness marks holiness in women "religious" in catholic orthodoxy. Priests who know no family of their own, take no wives- even though Paul said it was a "right" to take a wife like "Cephas" (Peter) only qualify for catholic priesthood. Eunichood, which can be just as selfish and miserly a disposition, is elevated to the height of piety, and anyone who disagrees and acts on the "right to take a wife" just gets kicked out. So "faux wives" "substitute wives" fill the void.
Wrong. Evil. Doctrinally on it's head and off its rocker. Insupportable. Manifesting harm. Needs to be changed.
Until the Roman church does something on this the Moscow orthodoxy should not and likely will not subjugate themselves to the "Petrine Primacy" because they may be closer to the actual Peter model than the current Papacy on this point.
Those who know the correct answer to the primordial question above, "Who Do You Say That I Am" and respond "You are the Son of God, The Messiah"- to all those Jesus said, on THAT
I will build my church. Those who know him and call on his name shall be saved- anyone, everyone. who knows the right answer:
No one can say "Jesus is Lord" but by the Holy Spirit. Whom the Father chooses, he also saves.
No Flesh and Blood Told you this- they, the orthodoxy don't get it yet.
Why Jesus Would Have To Church Shop When He Comes Back
Because He Wouldn't Recognize Himself in part of the Priesthood.
Why did Jesus choose Peter? Because he was a solid married man who took care of his mother- in -law. Peter did all kinds of stuff against the grain- denied Jesus three times, lacked faith in the middle of the water after hearing his call and venturing to walk on it, threw out the one old dirty net instead of actually believing Jesus when he said that there would be an abundance of fish in a huge catch. Peter suffered and openly exercised disbelief, doubt, and denial, he was taken to task by Paul who disagreed with him and openly dissented regarding the issue of circumcizing Greeks and the Judaic rules as applied to gentiles (so much for party loyalty), he wanted to build a bunch of tents for the apparitions of Moses, and Elijiah at the transfiguration- like they need tents-clueless. Peter didn't get a lot of things- but his heart was pure and good- he was a good solid Family Man. He had a wife.No rumor or innuendo of impropriety, no appearances of impropriety or dalliances with ladies of ill repute. Good Solid Family Man.
The Catholic Church has completely excised the story of Mrs. Peter, Mrs. Rock, Mrs. on THIS I will build my church. On THIS.
You can't find a statue of her in the Vatican or anywhere. You can't even find her name in a gospel. Was she hiding in the kitchen? Darning in the dungeon maybe? Out back planting tomatos?
If you ask enough Vatican guides or one at the Lateran steps, you might get one to tell you in hushed tones that it is rumored that Mrs. Simon Peter who travelled to Rome with Peter was martyred alongside her husband as you would expect, similarly upside down. Her grave is unmarked. Peter's grave gets a Vatican built on it.
The mere mention of the fact that Peter had a wife has old world italian women cringing as if that were a hideously immoral thought.
HOW PERVERSE. How Wrong. How Evil.
Party loyalty demands apparently that the entire Catholic World subscribe to this perversion which has substituted instead the Watergate Sugar Momma syndrome, the demented parish basement housewife syndrome (where wealthy widows treat their favorite best looking priests as personal escorts) for "Traditional Marriage." It's the demonic mission creep of a spirit of harlotry- parading as piety.
It's OK to make "families" of hordes and harems of lonely widows who pay the parish light bills, but not OK to have your own children--yet you want to lecture gay people on why they can't have any? You want to kick any man out of the priesthood for having an actual age appropriate girlfriend of still child-bearing age? Are you people crazy?.
Party loyalty is going to demand something else in 2012- it is going to demand that because of the "traditional marriage" issue, as it is perceived by the church, as the defining culture war issue, it will be deemed uncatholic once again to vote Democratic- which is a slap in the face of Matthew 25 on his feast day. It is going to rock the heavens.
2012 is a "Ready for the Rapture" year according to many prophesies.
There will be cosmic explosive happenings that will stun and supercede doctrinal purists who won't know what hit them and they will have to rethink the orthodoxy laid down by the octogenarian celibates. 2012 is going to be a blow out. You are going to hear from the heavens themselves having ignored the signs on earth.
Instead, 2 BILLION dollars have been paid from church funds, properties sold and entire Archdiocese bankrupted because of lawsuits
involving Sexual Immorality and abuse. Abuse. Priests behaving badly- ALL MEN priests behaving badly. 2 Billion dollars worth.
And having a wife is less moral? Less "chaste?" Less Holy?
OK, not fair you say- that is only 5 percent of us which is about the norm in the general population. 5% of the total population and 5% of any order or religion are criminal or quasi-criminal miscreants. We just take more heat.
That may or may not be true, but what is true is that zero percent of the catholic priesthood by definition have healthy marriages. They have unhealthy attachments, co-dependencies, flirtations with fantasies and abusive reactions to anyone threatening their standing and status as "celibates." Some of them actually have the "gift" of celibacy and don't emotionally abuse, manipulate and torture women.
Stop demonizing marriage and women who seek it. The notion that the holiest people are definitionally men wearing dresses, and women who don't bear children is just not from Jesus.
Why did Jesus choose Peter? Because he was a solid married man who took care of his mother- in -law. Peter did all kinds of stuff against the grain- denied Jesus three times, lacked faith in the middle of the water after hearing his call and venturing to walk on it, threw out the one old dirty net instead of actually believing Jesus when he said that there would be an abundance of fish in a huge catch. Peter suffered and openly exercised disbelief, doubt, and denial, he was taken to task by Paul who disagreed with him and openly dissented regarding the issue of circumcizing Greeks and the Judaic rules as applied to gentiles (so much for party loyalty), he wanted to build a bunch of tents for the apparitions of Moses, and Elijiah at the transfiguration- like they need tents-clueless. Peter didn't get a lot of things- but his heart was pure and good- he was a good solid Family Man. He had a wife.No rumor or innuendo of impropriety, no appearances of impropriety or dalliances with ladies of ill repute. Good Solid Family Man.
The Catholic Church has completely excised the story of Mrs. Peter, Mrs. Rock, Mrs. on THIS I will build my church. On THIS.
You can't find a statue of her in the Vatican or anywhere. You can't even find her name in a gospel. Was she hiding in the kitchen? Darning in the dungeon maybe? Out back planting tomatos?
If you ask enough Vatican guides or one at the Lateran steps, you might get one to tell you in hushed tones that it is rumored that Mrs. Simon Peter who travelled to Rome with Peter was martyred alongside her husband as you would expect, similarly upside down. Her grave is unmarked. Peter's grave gets a Vatican built on it.
The mere mention of the fact that Peter had a wife has old world italian women cringing as if that were a hideously immoral thought.
HOW PERVERSE. How Wrong. How Evil.
Party loyalty demands apparently that the entire Catholic World subscribe to this perversion which has substituted instead the Watergate Sugar Momma syndrome, the demented parish basement housewife syndrome (where wealthy widows treat their favorite best looking priests as personal escorts) for "Traditional Marriage." It's the demonic mission creep of a spirit of harlotry- parading as piety.
It's OK to make "families" of hordes and harems of lonely widows who pay the parish light bills, but not OK to have your own children--yet you want to lecture gay people on why they can't have any? You want to kick any man out of the priesthood for having an actual age appropriate girlfriend of still child-bearing age? Are you people crazy?.
Party loyalty is going to demand something else in 2012- it is going to demand that because of the "traditional marriage" issue, as it is perceived by the church, as the defining culture war issue, it will be deemed uncatholic once again to vote Democratic- which is a slap in the face of Matthew 25 on his feast day. It is going to rock the heavens.
2012 is a "Ready for the Rapture" year according to many prophesies.
There will be cosmic explosive happenings that will stun and supercede doctrinal purists who won't know what hit them and they will have to rethink the orthodoxy laid down by the octogenarian celibates. 2012 is going to be a blow out. You are going to hear from the heavens themselves having ignored the signs on earth.
Instead, 2 BILLION dollars have been paid from church funds, properties sold and entire Archdiocese bankrupted because of lawsuits
involving Sexual Immorality and abuse. Abuse. Priests behaving badly- ALL MEN priests behaving badly. 2 Billion dollars worth.
And having a wife is less moral? Less "chaste?" Less Holy?
OK, not fair you say- that is only 5 percent of us which is about the norm in the general population. 5% of the total population and 5% of any order or religion are criminal or quasi-criminal miscreants. We just take more heat.
That may or may not be true, but what is true is that zero percent of the catholic priesthood by definition have healthy marriages. They have unhealthy attachments, co-dependencies, flirtations with fantasies and abusive reactions to anyone threatening their standing and status as "celibates." Some of them actually have the "gift" of celibacy and don't emotionally abuse, manipulate and torture women.
Stop demonizing marriage and women who seek it. The notion that the holiest people are definitionally men wearing dresses, and women who don't bear children is just not from Jesus.
Everything Is A Gift
Therefore I can Steal Your Stuff
Wrong.
Wrong. Wrong.
Don't care what you think you need it for, how much you benefit from it or can put it to better holier use.
Wrong, Wrong, Evil, Wrong.
Return It or Pay For It Now.
Wrong.
Wrong. Wrong.
Don't care what you think you need it for, how much you benefit from it or can put it to better holier use.
Wrong, Wrong, Evil, Wrong.
Return It or Pay For It Now.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Who Does God HATE
A THIEF.
http://blog.dc-agape.com/2009/07/18/yhwh-really-hates-thieves/
God HATES thieves. Really, Seriously, Despises them. Why? Shouldn't we just say to someone who had something stolen- get over it- you can't take it with you anyway-there are no luggage racks on hearses or U-Hauls following them-lead a simple life!
No, Sorry. GOD HATES A THIEF.
While it is true that "life does not consist in the abundance of possessions..."
Stolen Goods, Stolen reputations, Stolen husbands, stolen elections- they burn in hell if unrepentant and if not paid back or the stolen property returned. http://blog.dc-agape.com/2009/07/18/yhwh-really-hates-thieves/
In these despirate financial times people are tempted to do all kinds of crazy things- and taking what is not theirs ranks among the easiest and most loathsome.
If you did it-return it immediately because your very soul is in jeopardy.
You don't know why that person needed it- who they had promised to give it to, whether it was held in trust, whether it was essential for their maintenance, what they required of its use and it is not yours to profit from. Give it back immediately.
If you don't believe the author of Exodus ask Saint Paul: 1st Corinthians 6:10.
...nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Return it immediately. Not asking again.
In some Muslim countries they would cut your hand off you Bastard. I do not care if you think you have better nobler use for it. It was not yours to take.
Where is the only place in New Testament scripture where Jesus is seen table flipping shouting mad- ......you have turned it into a DEN OF THIEVES.
[Mark 11:17]
http://blog.dc-agape.com/2009/07/18/yhwh-really-hates-thieves/
God HATES thieves. Really, Seriously, Despises them. Why? Shouldn't we just say to someone who had something stolen- get over it- you can't take it with you anyway-there are no luggage racks on hearses or U-Hauls following them-lead a simple life!
No, Sorry. GOD HATES A THIEF.
While it is true that "life does not consist in the abundance of possessions..."
Stolen Goods, Stolen reputations, Stolen husbands, stolen elections- they burn in hell if unrepentant and if not paid back or the stolen property returned. http://blog.dc-agape.com/2009/07/18/yhwh-really-hates-thieves/
In these despirate financial times people are tempted to do all kinds of crazy things- and taking what is not theirs ranks among the easiest and most loathsome.
If you did it-return it immediately because your very soul is in jeopardy.
You don't know why that person needed it- who they had promised to give it to, whether it was held in trust, whether it was essential for their maintenance, what they required of its use and it is not yours to profit from. Give it back immediately.
If you don't believe the author of Exodus ask Saint Paul: 1st Corinthians 6:10.
...nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Return it immediately. Not asking again.
In some Muslim countries they would cut your hand off you Bastard. I do not care if you think you have better nobler use for it. It was not yours to take.
Where is the only place in New Testament scripture where Jesus is seen table flipping shouting mad- ......you have turned it into a DEN OF THIEVES.
[Mark 11:17]
Happy New Year, Love Benny
Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur and Sukkot hailed and blessed by Pope.
http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-26900
http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-26900
Are They Kidding? Another Reason For Catholic Education
Criminalizing Praying Teachers?
And today's winner of the GTF (gone too far) Award goes to:
In Florida-where else, a teacher (a few administrators to be exact) were subject to potential for criminal penalty for-what? PRAYING BEFORE A SCHOOL LUNCH. --actually violating a consent decree because they couldn't stop themselves from praying. Imagine the pathological criminal mindset to not be able to control or contain oneself from praying!
Here is where even the ACLU says- are they kidding? This is where separation of church and state non-establishment First Amendment principles need to be thought out loud a bit more carefully. Thankfully, the culprit praying teacher got off scott free here. Imagine what a scam on the system if ALL praying teachers get off scott free!!! (Yes, I am kidding- of course this is all totally ridiculous).
http://news.aol.com/article/florida-school-officials-wont-go-to-jail/676619
And today's winner of the GTF (gone too far) Award goes to:
In Florida-where else, a teacher (a few administrators to be exact) were subject to potential for criminal penalty for-what? PRAYING BEFORE A SCHOOL LUNCH. --actually violating a consent decree because they couldn't stop themselves from praying. Imagine the pathological criminal mindset to not be able to control or contain oneself from praying!
Here is where even the ACLU says- are they kidding? This is where separation of church and state non-establishment First Amendment principles need to be thought out loud a bit more carefully. Thankfully, the culprit praying teacher got off scott free here. Imagine what a scam on the system if ALL praying teachers get off scott free!!! (Yes, I am kidding- of course this is all totally ridiculous).
http://news.aol.com/article/florida-school-officials-wont-go-to-jail/676619
Friday's WiseCrack
Making up for the Sufferings of Christ for the Good of All The Church
is not a license for anyone in the church to intentionally harm anyone.
Martyrdom inflicted by the church toward the church isn't Martyrdom: it's Saddism.
If you did it to yourself, it's masochism. These are mental disorders. You get negative points- demerits and detentions in purgatory for them.
is not a license for anyone in the church to intentionally harm anyone.
Martyrdom inflicted by the church toward the church isn't Martyrdom: it's Saddism.
If you did it to yourself, it's masochism. These are mental disorders. You get negative points- demerits and detentions in purgatory for them.
Eating from the Hand That Bites You.
"JESUS LOVES YOU: EVERYONE ELSE THINKS YOU ARE AN ASS"
This was the bumper sticker in a car parked in front of the "Newman Center" of a major college I ran across today on the way to work.
The Protestant world stresses that there is a vertical and horizontal relational reflection of the Love of God and one without the other is dead works without Love. Faith without works is dead, works without Love is deader. Empty. Meaningless.
Some people have the relationship with God in the private time of their private prayer more or less on target while they never manifest it in the world in the form of good works or love of neighbor.
The good thing about "organized religion" is -it is organized. As a favorite pastor notes when passing the collection buckets "we can do a lot more together than any one of us can do separately alone." Combined funds generate more interest and can do more than the resources of anyone alone. Creative brainstorming works better in teams, alone it is called dreaming.
The bad thing about 'organized religion' is- it is organized. A zeitgeist Meme off the tracks drives the whole train off the tracks. Saint Thomas of Acquinas, a pre-medieval "saint" for example institutionalized in subtle and pernicious ways his wrong headed beliefs about the inherent genetic biological inferiority of women (he thought that you could abort them for a longer amount of time because they didn't become persons in uterus until months after male fetuses became persons for one example) -he believes them to be merely watered down weaker men- and he is credited with being the saintly father of all catholic theological education.
No Wonder.
Do you know any men who, for example, can keep a fetus alive for months feeding off nothing but what emanates from a body part? Just asking. What body part does a male use to feed a live infant for two years to keep it alive-containing ALL the nutrients necessary for development for two years?
Inferior?
The belief you perpetuate becomes the cage you lock yourself in.
Clearly, there have been some deeply "off the rails" thinking in high places- and it has perpetuated not only myths but deeply wrong headed ways of acting and behaving. It is taboo to even mention such instances where it comes to catholic authority - nearly everywhere it seems but the intellectually honest oasis called Jesuit Parishes.
This Sunday at 10:00 am in the Holy Trinity Theatre in Georgetown there is a famous Federal judge (Harvard Law) who will be addressing what the church is and should be doing to address the "scandal" which has caused a crisis of faith in some and a crisis of credibility for parts of the church. Go and ask him anything. http://www.holytrinitydc.org/
I am always stunned when I hear people in this country talk about "The Muslim World" as thought this were a monolithic one-voiced entity (dissent over Afghani and Iranian elections doesn't seem to dispel the notion, neither does secularization in Turkey and Egyptian election and openness to western education in places like Dubai where Georgetown has a campus)- while no one seems to call Europe or Latin America "the Catholic World" and Catholicism does have ONE titular head called a Pope (unlike "the Muslim World", and a doctrinal orthodological inquisitional enforcement arm called Dominicans who would be operating no differently than the Pakistani "blasphemy" law enforcers if we didn't have constitutional separation of church and state in this country and if Europe hadn't fought a hundred years or so of religious wars to get Freedom of Religion in parts of that continent.
When Authority goes off the Rails, the whole train follows. People will only sit at a dinner table for so long if the 'parents' can't stop verbally or physically abusing the kids- the kids would rather starve and will eventually go to the neighbor's house to eat.
The Jesuits are to be applauded for understanding that the authority structures in the church need better self-examination and self-reflection, because, frankly, the neighbor's house is looking nicer and nicer.
This was the bumper sticker in a car parked in front of the "Newman Center" of a major college I ran across today on the way to work.
The Protestant world stresses that there is a vertical and horizontal relational reflection of the Love of God and one without the other is dead works without Love. Faith without works is dead, works without Love is deader. Empty. Meaningless.
Some people have the relationship with God in the private time of their private prayer more or less on target while they never manifest it in the world in the form of good works or love of neighbor.
The good thing about "organized religion" is -it is organized. As a favorite pastor notes when passing the collection buckets "we can do a lot more together than any one of us can do separately alone." Combined funds generate more interest and can do more than the resources of anyone alone. Creative brainstorming works better in teams, alone it is called dreaming.
The bad thing about 'organized religion' is- it is organized. A zeitgeist Meme off the tracks drives the whole train off the tracks. Saint Thomas of Acquinas, a pre-medieval "saint" for example institutionalized in subtle and pernicious ways his wrong headed beliefs about the inherent genetic biological inferiority of women (he thought that you could abort them for a longer amount of time because they didn't become persons in uterus until months after male fetuses became persons for one example) -he believes them to be merely watered down weaker men- and he is credited with being the saintly father of all catholic theological education.
No Wonder.
Do you know any men who, for example, can keep a fetus alive for months feeding off nothing but what emanates from a body part? Just asking. What body part does a male use to feed a live infant for two years to keep it alive-containing ALL the nutrients necessary for development for two years?
Inferior?
The belief you perpetuate becomes the cage you lock yourself in.
Clearly, there have been some deeply "off the rails" thinking in high places- and it has perpetuated not only myths but deeply wrong headed ways of acting and behaving. It is taboo to even mention such instances where it comes to catholic authority - nearly everywhere it seems but the intellectually honest oasis called Jesuit Parishes.
This Sunday at 10:00 am in the Holy Trinity Theatre in Georgetown there is a famous Federal judge (Harvard Law) who will be addressing what the church is and should be doing to address the "scandal" which has caused a crisis of faith in some and a crisis of credibility for parts of the church. Go and ask him anything. http://www.holytrinitydc.org/
I am always stunned when I hear people in this country talk about "The Muslim World" as thought this were a monolithic one-voiced entity (dissent over Afghani and Iranian elections doesn't seem to dispel the notion, neither does secularization in Turkey and Egyptian election and openness to western education in places like Dubai where Georgetown has a campus)- while no one seems to call Europe or Latin America "the Catholic World" and Catholicism does have ONE titular head called a Pope (unlike "the Muslim World", and a doctrinal orthodological inquisitional enforcement arm called Dominicans who would be operating no differently than the Pakistani "blasphemy" law enforcers if we didn't have constitutional separation of church and state in this country and if Europe hadn't fought a hundred years or so of religious wars to get Freedom of Religion in parts of that continent.
When Authority goes off the Rails, the whole train follows. People will only sit at a dinner table for so long if the 'parents' can't stop verbally or physically abusing the kids- the kids would rather starve and will eventually go to the neighbor's house to eat.
The Jesuits are to be applauded for understanding that the authority structures in the church need better self-examination and self-reflection, because, frankly, the neighbor's house is looking nicer and nicer.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Couldn't resist this one: Busted for being Busted. Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful Part III.
There is a tax on being female in America. We have to pay more for dry cleaning our shirts when we make on average less than men for the same job- and Alito thinks that's just fine if you didn't catch it soon enough.
We have to pay for nylons and they run regularly. You men can wear the same socks until they get holes then make us darn them shut.
Some of us have been persecuted for being not only too sexy for our shirts but apparently too sexy for our sweat clothes as well because we can't wear anything immodest enough to not get persecuted. Men project their fantasies on us, then want to whack us because they have fantasies.
I couldn't resist this report of one chick who had enough.
Did you suspect you were just pulled over because you were driving while female? This one pretty girl was pretty sure she was targetted because the cops were bored and looking for a little sugar and spice.
I don't think you can get away with one of those Cher "Snap Out Of It!!" slaps on a cop- but I'm sure she was tempted. Haven't we all been.
She actually penned a note to the cop on the rear window of her SUV.
If you can't read the photo it says "Attn: Police, please don't pull me over because I am pretty." She was stopped an insane amount of times with only 2 citations that were both thrown out. She had enuf. The first person who makes this into a real sign and sells it on E-bay will be a millionaire.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How Wrong is Wrong. Really Wrong.
The Outcry To The Lord Against Its People Is So Great He Has Sent Us To Destroy It.
Not even ten righteous upstanding people lived in the entire town. Who are these creeps? You don't know them-They don't have any living progeny. Their names have been wiped out of the book of life.
Why were they considered so awful?
They preferred having their way with men than with a couple of virgin girls. A couple of them were even ready to rape a few Angels. When the one righteous guy in town pleaded with them to leave the Angels alone (here, take my daughters please), they threatened to rape him also. Sodomites. It comes from the name of the once prosperous town Sodom. A town so depraved that "the outcry to the Lord Against Its People is So Great He has Sent Us to Destroy it" declared the Angel. The destroying Angels warned the one righteous man to get his family out of dodge-like now. Get your girls and wife and anyone they are connected to and get out of this town now. Hell fire was going to pour down from the heavens and nothing living would exist there again. Pulverized into dust like a meteoric
falling star hit it and exploded everything to burning dust-like oblivion.
20Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.e 23Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not sparef the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judgeg of all the earth do right?”
26The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Abraham didn't want to see it destroyed- so he pleaded with God for his mercy. Surely there would be enough righteousness in the place to not totally wipe it off the map. Aren't there ten righteous people here? Can I get a quorum? But there wasn't. This place was so sick, so evil, so values on its head twisted, don't even look back when you get out of here. We all know what happened to Lot's disobedient wife who couldn't resist.
Harbor no nostalgia about this place that provokes your memory to revisit it's depravity. Harbor no longing for its seductions or lasciviousness. Cut it from your vision and your memory and do not look back if you want to live. That was the message.
Now Lot was "righteous" enough to be saved, but still not the paragon of virtue. Seems soon out in mourning for his dead wife no doubt he finds himself drunk and sleeps with his daughters.
That is what kind of fellow he was- he first offered up his daughters to the rapists in town then he slept with them himself. And this was deemed even more righteous than the sodomites in Sodom. This is what God thinks of Sodomites. I didn't make up the story. I will leave it to you to google "Sodomite."
Does God use natural phenomenon to punish, warn, instruct or signal communication? Did God use the Pillar of Fire by day and smoke by night to guide the Israelites through the desert for 40 years? Did God part the Red Sea to signal and make a way of passage to freedom? Did God turn a bush into an eternal flame that didn't go out and didn't destroy the bush? Did God smash Sodom and sister city Gomorrah with punishing fire from heaven? Did an Earthquake shutter the region when Jesus hung on the cross? Did the sun spin and turn out of usual sequence at the apparition of the blessed mother at Fatima drying the land that had been wet with rain? Did God tell us clearly in Revelation that in the end times we will see floods and earthquakes and signs in the heavens? Does God manifest communications through signs in the natural world?
OF COURSE. What better way to get our attention.
Is it uncharitable to note that God moves in the heavens and on earth and manifests communications through the natural world? Hardly- it's just Fact. Perhaps you are not looking
hard enough or listening hard enough.
Does God think that an entire people can be so off the rail self-deluded in their persistent sin that he loses patience with them and just is done with them? Apparently so- ask the Sodomites- oh, you can't- not a one exists anywhere on earth.
Not even ten righteous upstanding people lived in the entire town. Who are these creeps? You don't know them-They don't have any living progeny. Their names have been wiped out of the book of life.
Why were they considered so awful?
They preferred having their way with men than with a couple of virgin girls. A couple of them were even ready to rape a few Angels. When the one righteous guy in town pleaded with them to leave the Angels alone (here, take my daughters please), they threatened to rape him also. Sodomites. It comes from the name of the once prosperous town Sodom. A town so depraved that "the outcry to the Lord Against Its People is So Great He has Sent Us to Destroy it" declared the Angel. The destroying Angels warned the one righteous man to get his family out of dodge-like now. Get your girls and wife and anyone they are connected to and get out of this town now. Hell fire was going to pour down from the heavens and nothing living would exist there again. Pulverized into dust like a meteoric
falling star hit it and exploded everything to burning dust-like oblivion.
20Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.e 23Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not sparef the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judgeg of all the earth do right?”
26The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Abraham didn't want to see it destroyed- so he pleaded with God for his mercy. Surely there would be enough righteousness in the place to not totally wipe it off the map. Aren't there ten righteous people here? Can I get a quorum? But there wasn't. This place was so sick, so evil, so values on its head twisted, don't even look back when you get out of here. We all know what happened to Lot's disobedient wife who couldn't resist.
Harbor no nostalgia about this place that provokes your memory to revisit it's depravity. Harbor no longing for its seductions or lasciviousness. Cut it from your vision and your memory and do not look back if you want to live. That was the message.
Now Lot was "righteous" enough to be saved, but still not the paragon of virtue. Seems soon out in mourning for his dead wife no doubt he finds himself drunk and sleeps with his daughters.
That is what kind of fellow he was- he first offered up his daughters to the rapists in town then he slept with them himself. And this was deemed even more righteous than the sodomites in Sodom. This is what God thinks of Sodomites. I didn't make up the story. I will leave it to you to google "Sodomite."
Does God use natural phenomenon to punish, warn, instruct or signal communication? Did God use the Pillar of Fire by day and smoke by night to guide the Israelites through the desert for 40 years? Did God part the Red Sea to signal and make a way of passage to freedom? Did God turn a bush into an eternal flame that didn't go out and didn't destroy the bush? Did God smash Sodom and sister city Gomorrah with punishing fire from heaven? Did an Earthquake shutter the region when Jesus hung on the cross? Did the sun spin and turn out of usual sequence at the apparition of the blessed mother at Fatima drying the land that had been wet with rain? Did God tell us clearly in Revelation that in the end times we will see floods and earthquakes and signs in the heavens? Does God manifest communications through signs in the natural world?
OF COURSE. What better way to get our attention.
Is it uncharitable to note that God moves in the heavens and on earth and manifests communications through the natural world? Hardly- it's just Fact. Perhaps you are not looking
hard enough or listening hard enough.
Does God think that an entire people can be so off the rail self-deluded in their persistent sin that he loses patience with them and just is done with them? Apparently so- ask the Sodomites- oh, you can't- not a one exists anywhere on earth.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Marriage- Whose Tradition?
Today my mailbox had for me on the front page of the California Bar Journal the headliner "Same-sex mariage takes center stage again in California Supreme Court term." It was big news in Washington also recently when the gay paper "The Blade" featured a picture of the Washington, DC Archbishop and an article on how he is chiming in with Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Church in suburban DC while they try to get a referendum to demonstrate that the popular will in DC is against the current gay permissive law (a few DC City counselfolk are openly gay and DC is very gay-friendly as any stroll around Dupont Circle any day of the week will demonstrate.) There is no doubt where the Catholic doctrine stands on the issue. (somewhere between the salt column called the Wife of Lot and Soddom that you don't even want to gaze upon) The issue has split the Episcopalians and Presbyterians down the middle with schisms and heated finger pointing and a bit of land dividing litigation over churches splitting to form new congregations after some dare to ordain openly gay people. Whose church is it anyway? Who pays the mortgage and the light bills? These issues raise a lot of interesting questions regarding who owns the church? "God" doesn't seem to appear on the deed or title insurance.
Gayness is, it appears, a la mode cool these days with fun likeable attractive personalities like Rachel Maddow, Ellen and the Fab Four (or whatever those designing designers were called). TV shows now feature openly gay couples or stars- starting with the hip Will and Grace. The coolest celebs seem to "love their gays" like the pretend D lister (really an A lister) Kathy Griffith, Christine Aguilera and long before that Patty LaBelle. Madonna kisses Britney and it's instant fettish fascination and a media frenzy sensation, and the movie about a couple of gay cowboys almost took the Oscar. The poor girl Miss California voices an opinion and it becomes a You-Tube media sensation over her "traditional marriage" defense and breach of contract litigation when they cut her loose.
What is it now with the gayness cool craze?
Culturally there has been a "shift" of titonic proportion from the "Father Knows Best" "Leave it to Beaver" days. I actually remember when these shows were on TV.
The very idea of gayness in action used to evoke in the cultural consciousness a more or less universal "yeeiiick yuuck" factor unless you were gay. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I don't want to know and don't make me find out. This was the common visceral hide your eyes response. Now gay people actually marrying other gay people has become strangely the defining culture war line in the sand right next to abortion. To some, the coming out of the closet and into the wedding tuxedo (female size 8) is a sign that we as a country have finally come into the constitutional promise of full equality of citizenship for every citizen. Not long ago I got a blog comment from someone declaring that he as a gay person felt so deprived of the rights of citizenship by not being allowed to marry whomever he wanted of the same gender that he wasn't going to pay taxes until they changed the law so he could marry his manfriend.
The conservative blogs (self annointed or paid morality police) are all aflutter about the moral depravity of it all in the same usual off-putting harsh judgmental language condemning anyone with differing perspective as pure evil (do not judge; the judgment you mete will be the judgment you get --so don't let anyone, especially God, catch you doing anything remotely deviant, unchaste or even thinking it.) Spiritual pride can be just as evil which is why these sorts of rants are obnoxious.
When I got the California Bar Journal I asked a Christian lawyer I know what he thought of it to which he replied, "Not my issue, don't care." That's one approach-but should we care enough to feel compelled to chime in even if we are not paid judicial staff or wearing the robes?
Do we have to care? It seems that the issue is in our face so we are obliged to educate ourselves about it.
There is profound lack of love and civility on both sides. The contention here is only getting uglier. Some of the lack of civility and love does come from clergy on this point. God hates sin but does not wish that anyone should perish and Jesus came to save anyone who believes on his name and saving Grace who demonstrates and manifests their faith through following his commandments -one big one of which is Love your Neighbor (idiot). That is how you demonstrate you love God. We have a lot of Gay neighbors in DC and California.
The issues legally are complicated, not cut and dry, and not so easily decided. They have to do with the democratic principles underlying referrenda, to what extent referranda are legally permitted to override popular will as expressed by elected representatives in legislatures and constitutional principles (well-established) concerning equal protection under the laws and non-discrimination statutes and principles. The morality of the question for some is so obvious that some legal professionals try to craft the legal principles to meet the morality rather than use the legal and constitutional principles to build the solution. These are methodological differences with different normative outcomes in some cases.
I raise three points for chewing on, without the solution (unless someone wants to pay me to write an opinion)-
1. Behavioral attributes and mutables that one has control over may be viewed differently constitutionally from immutables that one has no control over such as "race" "gender" or "national origin" for a discrimination equal protection sort of analysis.
2. Permenantly committed co-habiting same-gender people are what are found in the Rectory so you are one to judge.
3. An institution-and an entire country- that forbids its entire ecclesiastical authority structure from marriage on threat of employment termination and permenant ban and with a stigma of mental instability may not be the best authority on "Traditional Marriage."
Just sayin.
And a last point- Not sure what gay people gain by wanting a "traditional" marriage or even why they want one if all the same civil rights and privileges attach to their "union" - I am sure they could think of a cooler word than "marriage" that would satisfy them that they were full citizens together, without any church's definition of what they are doing signalling ecclesiastical approval. Civil equality and ecclesiastical approval are not the same thing; one is free to Sin in this country in a variety of ways that would be ecclesiastically disapproved in some circles.
Old line methodists used to think that it was sin to drink liquor, smoke, dance or wear your skirt knee level or above. Sinning in some cases is constitutional.
I don't say this to minimize what I actually believe the Immorality of gayness to be.
I subscribe to the Scripture is inerrant Truth view of life so when I read the passages about the end times when people will trade natural for depraved unnatural relations involving same gender sexually immoral relations, I see affirmation and confirmation of what my visceral instincts tell me. This is not moral behavior. But that does not tell me whether it should be constitutionally protected or not. Drinking to excess until one passes out is immoral behavior, but there is no constitutional ban on it (unless you are driving.) Freedom means Free to choose Right from Wrong. We let mutually consenting people do both in America.
All things may be lawful for me but not all things are beneficial. And I love my gays.
Love Love Love Them!
Gayness is, it appears, a la mode cool these days with fun likeable attractive personalities like Rachel Maddow, Ellen and the Fab Four (or whatever those designing designers were called). TV shows now feature openly gay couples or stars- starting with the hip Will and Grace. The coolest celebs seem to "love their gays" like the pretend D lister (really an A lister) Kathy Griffith, Christine Aguilera and long before that Patty LaBelle. Madonna kisses Britney and it's instant fettish fascination and a media frenzy sensation, and the movie about a couple of gay cowboys almost took the Oscar. The poor girl Miss California voices an opinion and it becomes a You-Tube media sensation over her "traditional marriage" defense and breach of contract litigation when they cut her loose.
What is it now with the gayness cool craze?
Culturally there has been a "shift" of titonic proportion from the "Father Knows Best" "Leave it to Beaver" days. I actually remember when these shows were on TV.
The very idea of gayness in action used to evoke in the cultural consciousness a more or less universal "yeeiiick yuuck" factor unless you were gay. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I don't want to know and don't make me find out. This was the common visceral hide your eyes response. Now gay people actually marrying other gay people has become strangely the defining culture war line in the sand right next to abortion. To some, the coming out of the closet and into the wedding tuxedo (female size 8) is a sign that we as a country have finally come into the constitutional promise of full equality of citizenship for every citizen. Not long ago I got a blog comment from someone declaring that he as a gay person felt so deprived of the rights of citizenship by not being allowed to marry whomever he wanted of the same gender that he wasn't going to pay taxes until they changed the law so he could marry his manfriend.
The conservative blogs (self annointed or paid morality police) are all aflutter about the moral depravity of it all in the same usual off-putting harsh judgmental language condemning anyone with differing perspective as pure evil (do not judge; the judgment you mete will be the judgment you get --so don't let anyone, especially God, catch you doing anything remotely deviant, unchaste or even thinking it.) Spiritual pride can be just as evil which is why these sorts of rants are obnoxious.
When I got the California Bar Journal I asked a Christian lawyer I know what he thought of it to which he replied, "Not my issue, don't care." That's one approach-but should we care enough to feel compelled to chime in even if we are not paid judicial staff or wearing the robes?
Do we have to care? It seems that the issue is in our face so we are obliged to educate ourselves about it.
There is profound lack of love and civility on both sides. The contention here is only getting uglier. Some of the lack of civility and love does come from clergy on this point. God hates sin but does not wish that anyone should perish and Jesus came to save anyone who believes on his name and saving Grace who demonstrates and manifests their faith through following his commandments -one big one of which is Love your Neighbor (idiot). That is how you demonstrate you love God. We have a lot of Gay neighbors in DC and California.
The issues legally are complicated, not cut and dry, and not so easily decided. They have to do with the democratic principles underlying referrenda, to what extent referranda are legally permitted to override popular will as expressed by elected representatives in legislatures and constitutional principles (well-established) concerning equal protection under the laws and non-discrimination statutes and principles. The morality of the question for some is so obvious that some legal professionals try to craft the legal principles to meet the morality rather than use the legal and constitutional principles to build the solution. These are methodological differences with different normative outcomes in some cases.
I raise three points for chewing on, without the solution (unless someone wants to pay me to write an opinion)-
1. Behavioral attributes and mutables that one has control over may be viewed differently constitutionally from immutables that one has no control over such as "race" "gender" or "national origin" for a discrimination equal protection sort of analysis.
2. Permenantly committed co-habiting same-gender people are what are found in the Rectory so you are one to judge.
3. An institution-and an entire country- that forbids its entire ecclesiastical authority structure from marriage on threat of employment termination and permenant ban and with a stigma of mental instability may not be the best authority on "Traditional Marriage."
Just sayin.
And a last point- Not sure what gay people gain by wanting a "traditional" marriage or even why they want one if all the same civil rights and privileges attach to their "union" - I am sure they could think of a cooler word than "marriage" that would satisfy them that they were full citizens together, without any church's definition of what they are doing signalling ecclesiastical approval. Civil equality and ecclesiastical approval are not the same thing; one is free to Sin in this country in a variety of ways that would be ecclesiastically disapproved in some circles.
Old line methodists used to think that it was sin to drink liquor, smoke, dance or wear your skirt knee level or above. Sinning in some cases is constitutional.
I don't say this to minimize what I actually believe the Immorality of gayness to be.
I subscribe to the Scripture is inerrant Truth view of life so when I read the passages about the end times when people will trade natural for depraved unnatural relations involving same gender sexually immoral relations, I see affirmation and confirmation of what my visceral instincts tell me. This is not moral behavior. But that does not tell me whether it should be constitutionally protected or not. Drinking to excess until one passes out is immoral behavior, but there is no constitutional ban on it (unless you are driving.) Freedom means Free to choose Right from Wrong. We let mutually consenting people do both in America.
All things may be lawful for me but not all things are beneficial. And I love my gays.
Love Love Love Them!
Wisdom of Jesus
"Turn the Other Cheek"
an anonymous commentary:
"You have to feel deeply sorry for people who feel compelled to punish what they barely understand. How can you be mad at something so pathetically ignorant?"
"Laughter is the best medicine."
"The commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself doesn't end with discovering who your neighbor is. You must still endeavor to understand
the operative meaning of Love."
"The Seminal Commandment to Love ones neighbor as oneself is not excused by moving down the street."
"Jesus didn't come to teach a philosophy but to show us [...] a way that leads to life" Benedict, Benoit-the Pope. http://www.h2onews.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20276
"My father's house is a house of prayer" [Jesus] not "My father's house is a house for lecturing and punishing dissent from what you think I meant to say."
an anonymous commentary:
"You have to feel deeply sorry for people who feel compelled to punish what they barely understand. How can you be mad at something so pathetically ignorant?"
"Laughter is the best medicine."
"The commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself doesn't end with discovering who your neighbor is. You must still endeavor to understand
the operative meaning of Love."
"The Seminal Commandment to Love ones neighbor as oneself is not excused by moving down the street."
"Jesus didn't come to teach a philosophy but to show us [...] a way that leads to life" Benedict, Benoit-the Pope. http://www.h2onews.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20276
"My father's house is a house of prayer" [Jesus] not "My father's house is a house for lecturing and punishing dissent from what you think I meant to say."
Resurrection People See Joy-It Finds Them Like a Hound From Heaven
To Top off the Fantabulous Week-End: The Ordination of Father Rick Curry:
Wasn't my finest performance but it wasn't about me- I couldn't reach the Mendelsohn High A this time but it won't stop me from trying again-aside from that the whole event went off flawlessly.
I got to sing at the Mass of Ordination of Father Curry and it was something truly to remember. It is something to behold rows and rows of members of the Society of Jesus laying hands on a newly ordained brother. In this case, it was a special ordination because Jesuit Father Rick Curry is starting at Georgetown an Institute for Disabled Veterans, following in his mission to help the disabled find JOY and healing.
Here's to wishing you success and many manifold blessings in this important endeavor which couldn't be a more necessary ministry at this sensitive time.
Find out more about him here:
The Passing of a Visionary-Karen Laub-Novak
What a week-end. I spent Saturday afternoon feasting on every form of crab dip on heart shaped bread, heart of palm dip, and chocolate kisses with stickers on them announcing the wedding of my cousin/godkiddie Megan at her wedding shower in a beaucolic modern mansion in Bethesda surrounded by fountains and lush woods across from a countryclub. What a change from my usual view. Then I metroed over to the JPII Center and saw the most brilliant art exhibit at the invitation of the lovely Mr. Dempsy, the JPII cultural director (Grazie Grazie) of Ms. Karen Laub-Novak (no relation to Robert)- who passed away on August 12th. She was so celebrated as a genius of an artist, sculpter, printmaker who used her craft as an evangelical tool of hope and inspiration that her funeral mass was held Aug. 17th at the Shrine. Her husband is the highly heralded author and Catholic lay theologican. He wrote, inter alia, "No One Sees God."
I got to chat with him for a few minutes -and found him to be a charming down home sort of good fellow from Central Pennsylvania (who preferred a beer to the Merlot I was drinking) and he informed us that his wife's exhibit will be at the JPII Center for another few weeks. I particularly loved the "Jacob Wrestling With The Angel" piece. Her stuff is brilliant.
If you are a private collector of modern art, you don't want to miss this exhibit- and he further advises there is more of her stuff at the house.
Couldn't be a nicer fellow.
http://www.michaelnovak.net/
http://www.michaelnovak.net/
Friday, September 11, 2009
"We Don't Torture"
We just string naked guys up cuffed to a cage, put a hood on them to blinden them, and take pictures of them for fun.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Robert's and Nancy's and Joe's Rules of Order
Here Here.
The health care debate is too involved to give it a cursory late afternoon policy debriefing here. I, like all Americans have an opinion or two on it and the debate left a few questions unanswered. Some things I was uncomfortable with I am still uncomfortable with to a degree while comforted with other facts. I appreciate the disclosure on the prohibition on any abortion coverage. Smart. Overall the speech gets an 85.B+
I still don't think it sits well with people that the government is going to force people to buy insurance -the government option policy if all else fails, rather than let them assess risk of going without for a time (especially young adult people with no job) and most people I know believe ability to pay should be means slide assessed in terms of cost of insurance and ability to pay/income level somehow. Fining people who can't afford health insurance in the first place for not carrying it strikes me as just not something that the government should be doing and the analogies to car insurance are just scary. What is the "just liability coverage" please in case I hit another car equivalent in this plan. What is the penalty if the fine can't be paid- suspension of breathing privileges? Whoever thought of that analogy needs to revisit that proverbial drawing board. Instinctively it makes nearly all the friends I have cringe.
One in eight (1 in 8) houses are in some stage of foreclosure and its getting worse. That means one in 8 people (more than a tenth of the country) are not able to timely pay their mortgages. So those people who don't have insurance on top of not being able to afford it or their mortgage are going to be fined for not buying the government insurance?
Are you crazy? Just a rhetorical question there- don't send the Gulag after me.
Calling all people who chose not to buy health insurance "irresponsible" was not a good move. Way to insult all the Christian Scientists in the world. Some people on limited finances make a totally rational choice in light of their other obligations (including to children and other people) to forego the cost prohibitive insurance for themselves. Until you present something slide scale means appropriate to buy, calling anyone who doesn't buy something they can't afford "irresponsible" is just, well "irresponsible."
The Joint House/Senate congressional session for the first time looked less like a Glee Club and more like the Houses of Parliament in Britain where the back and forth cheering, jeering, jowls -a -flailing booing and hissing are common practice- to be expected on hot button topics especially. It's political theatre at its finest It would be odd in Britain if a debate this contentious didn't spill over into the Houses of Lords and Commons with wig-flapping hurrahs, hoots and the occasional booing.
But the guy shouting that the President was a liar was over the top even for British Parliamentarian decorum standards. Over the Top. Uncalled For. Rude. Disrespectful and Totally Ignorant. Even heckling has an ethic about it, and he overstepped even that. It is precisely this sort of behavior that gives Republicans a rather bad rap. It also feeds into the paranoia that white southern guys are just out to turn everything Obama into a failure regardless of whether it is in the interest of furthering the good of the country or not. (note bene; it's not 'paranoia' if they are actually doing this so I give this a polite benefit of the doubt here.) In this case this white guy was the liar not Obama on the issue of insurance covering undocumented or "illegal" immigrants in the bills proposed--at least until they redress it in the upcoming immigration reform legislation soon to follow.
Yes, this guy should have apologized. Disgraceful.
Now as they say, be part of the solution or get out of the way.
The health care debate is too involved to give it a cursory late afternoon policy debriefing here. I, like all Americans have an opinion or two on it and the debate left a few questions unanswered. Some things I was uncomfortable with I am still uncomfortable with to a degree while comforted with other facts. I appreciate the disclosure on the prohibition on any abortion coverage. Smart. Overall the speech gets an 85.B+
I still don't think it sits well with people that the government is going to force people to buy insurance -the government option policy if all else fails, rather than let them assess risk of going without for a time (especially young adult people with no job) and most people I know believe ability to pay should be means slide assessed in terms of cost of insurance and ability to pay/income level somehow. Fining people who can't afford health insurance in the first place for not carrying it strikes me as just not something that the government should be doing and the analogies to car insurance are just scary. What is the "just liability coverage" please in case I hit another car equivalent in this plan. What is the penalty if the fine can't be paid- suspension of breathing privileges? Whoever thought of that analogy needs to revisit that proverbial drawing board. Instinctively it makes nearly all the friends I have cringe.
One in eight (1 in 8) houses are in some stage of foreclosure and its getting worse. That means one in 8 people (more than a tenth of the country) are not able to timely pay their mortgages. So those people who don't have insurance on top of not being able to afford it or their mortgage are going to be fined for not buying the government insurance?
Are you crazy? Just a rhetorical question there- don't send the Gulag after me.
Calling all people who chose not to buy health insurance "irresponsible" was not a good move. Way to insult all the Christian Scientists in the world. Some people on limited finances make a totally rational choice in light of their other obligations (including to children and other people) to forego the cost prohibitive insurance for themselves. Until you present something slide scale means appropriate to buy, calling anyone who doesn't buy something they can't afford "irresponsible" is just, well "irresponsible."
The Joint House/Senate congressional session for the first time looked less like a Glee Club and more like the Houses of Parliament in Britain where the back and forth cheering, jeering, jowls -a -flailing booing and hissing are common practice- to be expected on hot button topics especially. It's political theatre at its finest It would be odd in Britain if a debate this contentious didn't spill over into the Houses of Lords and Commons with wig-flapping hurrahs, hoots and the occasional booing.
But the guy shouting that the President was a liar was over the top even for British Parliamentarian decorum standards. Over the Top. Uncalled For. Rude. Disrespectful and Totally Ignorant. Even heckling has an ethic about it, and he overstepped even that. It is precisely this sort of behavior that gives Republicans a rather bad rap. It also feeds into the paranoia that white southern guys are just out to turn everything Obama into a failure regardless of whether it is in the interest of furthering the good of the country or not. (note bene; it's not 'paranoia' if they are actually doing this so I give this a polite benefit of the doubt here.) In this case this white guy was the liar not Obama on the issue of insurance covering undocumented or "illegal" immigrants in the bills proposed--at least until they redress it in the upcoming immigration reform legislation soon to follow.
Yes, this guy should have apologized. Disgraceful.
Now as they say, be part of the solution or get out of the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)