Thursday, November 13, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
CNN special on CONFESSIONS
Lisa Ling on Life
Dishes on what it is really like to be a Priest.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/us/this-is-life-with-lisa-ling
Dishes on what it is really like to be a Priest.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/us/this-is-life-with-lisa-ling
Why Elections Matter
For Foreign Policy.
This weekend celebrations from Coast to Coast are paying tribute to the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador. Because the Jesuits are on the front lines and cutting edge of bringing light to dark places they find themselves often between historical cross hairs of crucifiers and crucifixions.
Around 25 years ago there was a blazing civil war in El Salvador which can be simplified as follows: 13 powerful families dating back to 16th century conquistadors who owned all the land were fighting off peasant workers who were awakening to the fact that they were being horrendously exploited and eat dirt poor.
That would be none of the US' business you might think except for a few do gooding religious types who wanted to see that people didn't eat dirt.
However, this was at the end of the long 'Cold War' and Reagan was terrified the communism that took over Cuba was going to spread to Central America so it was expressly part of US foreign policy to provide official aid to the military of the establishment to keep order so the masses wouldn't revolt in some socialist uprising. The military was supported by the US with arms and US AID, and elections regularly rigged in latin and central america with the help of the CIA (directed by Bush, Sr. at one point Veep to Reagan). The military with our backing waged a brutal massacring slaughter of the peasant workers in El Salvador in a civil war that decimated huge portions of the population and wiped villages off the earth. Commonplace were torture, disappearances, mass graves, close to 100,000 dead and the worst human rights violations Amnesty International ever chronicled.
The US funded a School of the Americas- to train people in allegedly ostensibly fighting communism in Latin and Central America. We trained military leaders to fight to keep the established inequity and impoverishment in place to support our puppets.
It didn't end until 1992 after Clinton was elected and Democrats could not be relied upon for arms or USAID.
Prior to Clinton being elected, the military officially put a hit on the Jesuit intellectual priests who ran the University in El Salvador who were seen as spreading such silly notions as - exploitation isn't nice, fair treatment might be more Christian, and poor isn't something you have to really tolerate.
Six Jesuit Priest Professor intellectuals and/or University Administrators, along with their cook/housekeeper and her daughter were killed in cold blood. The Archbishop Romero was also assassinated and there is a cause for his sainthood pending at the Vatican.
The generals who put the hit out were trained by the School of the Americas faculty. Some of those guys are living in luxury in retirement in Florida. Not Kidding. Jeb Bush country. One of them has a deportation on appeal apparently.
Elections in the US matter. They matter for the entire region in a direct way and the entire world obviously.
From Saint Isaac Joques to the El Salvadoran Martyrs, the soil of the Americas is infused with the blood of Jesuits who died to proclaim the Good News to the Poor, and set the Oppressed Free. So this weekend Hug a Jesuit and say Thank You.
This weekend celebrations from Coast to Coast are paying tribute to the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador. Because the Jesuits are on the front lines and cutting edge of bringing light to dark places they find themselves often between historical cross hairs of crucifiers and crucifixions.
Around 25 years ago there was a blazing civil war in El Salvador which can be simplified as follows: 13 powerful families dating back to 16th century conquistadors who owned all the land were fighting off peasant workers who were awakening to the fact that they were being horrendously exploited and eat dirt poor.
That would be none of the US' business you might think except for a few do gooding religious types who wanted to see that people didn't eat dirt.
However, this was at the end of the long 'Cold War' and Reagan was terrified the communism that took over Cuba was going to spread to Central America so it was expressly part of US foreign policy to provide official aid to the military of the establishment to keep order so the masses wouldn't revolt in some socialist uprising. The military was supported by the US with arms and US AID, and elections regularly rigged in latin and central america with the help of the CIA (directed by Bush, Sr. at one point Veep to Reagan). The military with our backing waged a brutal massacring slaughter of the peasant workers in El Salvador in a civil war that decimated huge portions of the population and wiped villages off the earth. Commonplace were torture, disappearances, mass graves, close to 100,000 dead and the worst human rights violations Amnesty International ever chronicled.
The US funded a School of the Americas- to train people in allegedly ostensibly fighting communism in Latin and Central America. We trained military leaders to fight to keep the established inequity and impoverishment in place to support our puppets.
It didn't end until 1992 after Clinton was elected and Democrats could not be relied upon for arms or USAID.
Prior to Clinton being elected, the military officially put a hit on the Jesuit intellectual priests who ran the University in El Salvador who were seen as spreading such silly notions as - exploitation isn't nice, fair treatment might be more Christian, and poor isn't something you have to really tolerate.
Six Jesuit Priest Professor intellectuals and/or University Administrators, along with their cook/housekeeper and her daughter were killed in cold blood. The Archbishop Romero was also assassinated and there is a cause for his sainthood pending at the Vatican.
The generals who put the hit out were trained by the School of the Americas faculty. Some of those guys are living in luxury in retirement in Florida. Not Kidding. Jeb Bush country. One of them has a deportation on appeal apparently.
Elections in the US matter. They matter for the entire region in a direct way and the entire world obviously.
From Saint Isaac Joques to the El Salvadoran Martyrs, the soil of the Americas is infused with the blood of Jesuits who died to proclaim the Good News to the Poor, and set the Oppressed Free. So this weekend Hug a Jesuit and say Thank You.
Who Said
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
Sunday, November 09, 2014
Saturday, November 08, 2014
Friday, November 07, 2014
Simply
JESUS
A Pilgrimmage.
That is the title of the newest book of Father James Martin, SJ, a Jesuit Priest, editor of America Magazine in New York, who spoke at Georgetown
this week discussing his trip to Israel described in the book. Every time I hear him speak (third time now) I am more and more in awe. He packed the house, as he always does and had the crowd both in uproarious laughter as well as 'ahah' lightbulb moments. People left with a 'Thank God For Priests Like That' feeling.
This Priest, whom I particularly connect with because he grew up not far from where I partially grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs is one of the single best advertisements for "Catholic" I know of- he is extremely witty (wrote also "Heaven and Mirth"), down to earth, and profoundly spiritually insightful. Moreover, he's just extremely kind and sweet and disdains trolling meanness on the internet. "We have to recover and reuse the word 'Mean'", he said describing some of the vitriol he received merely by posting something controversial. He describes how going to Israel aided greatly his understanding of Jesus' talks, noting that he saw places along the Sea of Galilee that were 'rocky' ground, and good soil that had things growing-and noted when Jesus spoke parables of the Word falling on rocky ground and good soil that bore much fruit, he wasn't making up abstractions but pointing to -that good ground over there with good soil, or that rocky ground. The book chronicles in part his journey with his friend George (a prison priest chaplain at San Quentin) as they followed trails to purple rocks spotting the Bay of Parables where Jesus taught from a boat to a natural amphitheatre because the acoustics were great as sound travels over water so well.
He noted that when Jesus was called to the Tomb of Lazarus by his frantic sisters they likely didn't have a singsongy tone but one of exasperation and anger. What would you think if your brother was having a heart attack and you called a relative who was a heart surgeon and he didn't come for days- he noted in expressing the Jesuit approach to putting yourself in scripture to better connect with the message.
We can understand Christ better by embracing the Jesus of history- a historical Jesus approach. He was fully human and fully divine at the same time all the time. Fully human when raising Lazarus, fully divine when doing 'carpentry.' The implications of that are truly staggering if you realize the fullness of what that means.
There are some encounters which have been called holes in heaven where light travels fast to touch earth and Father Martin walks with one over his head. An encounter with him leaves one with the feeling that you touched heaven for a few minutes, or an hour long talk and you didn't want it to end. This is a real Priest, and a really good man.
I highly recommend getting his book- (which make excellent Christmas presents and some of my relatives are getting it:-)
click to order here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Pilgrimage-James-Martin/dp/006202423X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415378209&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+a+pilgrimage
A Pilgrimmage.
That is the title of the newest book of Father James Martin, SJ, a Jesuit Priest, editor of America Magazine in New York, who spoke at Georgetown
this week discussing his trip to Israel described in the book. Every time I hear him speak (third time now) I am more and more in awe. He packed the house, as he always does and had the crowd both in uproarious laughter as well as 'ahah' lightbulb moments. People left with a 'Thank God For Priests Like That' feeling.
This Priest, whom I particularly connect with because he grew up not far from where I partially grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs is one of the single best advertisements for "Catholic" I know of- he is extremely witty (wrote also "Heaven and Mirth"), down to earth, and profoundly spiritually insightful. Moreover, he's just extremely kind and sweet and disdains trolling meanness on the internet. "We have to recover and reuse the word 'Mean'", he said describing some of the vitriol he received merely by posting something controversial. He describes how going to Israel aided greatly his understanding of Jesus' talks, noting that he saw places along the Sea of Galilee that were 'rocky' ground, and good soil that had things growing-and noted when Jesus spoke parables of the Word falling on rocky ground and good soil that bore much fruit, he wasn't making up abstractions but pointing to -that good ground over there with good soil, or that rocky ground. The book chronicles in part his journey with his friend George (a prison priest chaplain at San Quentin) as they followed trails to purple rocks spotting the Bay of Parables where Jesus taught from a boat to a natural amphitheatre because the acoustics were great as sound travels over water so well.
He noted that when Jesus was called to the Tomb of Lazarus by his frantic sisters they likely didn't have a singsongy tone but one of exasperation and anger. What would you think if your brother was having a heart attack and you called a relative who was a heart surgeon and he didn't come for days- he noted in expressing the Jesuit approach to putting yourself in scripture to better connect with the message.
We can understand Christ better by embracing the Jesus of history- a historical Jesus approach. He was fully human and fully divine at the same time all the time. Fully human when raising Lazarus, fully divine when doing 'carpentry.' The implications of that are truly staggering if you realize the fullness of what that means.
There are some encounters which have been called holes in heaven where light travels fast to touch earth and Father Martin walks with one over his head. An encounter with him leaves one with the feeling that you touched heaven for a few minutes, or an hour long talk and you didn't want it to end. This is a real Priest, and a really good man.
I highly recommend getting his book- (which make excellent Christmas presents and some of my relatives are getting it:-)
click to order here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Pilgrimage-James-Martin/dp/006202423X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415378209&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+a+pilgrimage
Thursday, November 06, 2014
Monday, November 03, 2014
Sunday, November 02, 2014
Let Them Eat Croissants, Lots of Them
DOG TAG BAKERY- Not Just For Dogs.
One of the most exciting things coming to Georgetown is a cool Bakery which is the brainchild of a Priest which he located on GRACE street, naturally. Yes, there is a Grace Street in Georgetown.
Father Rick Curry who masters the art of one armed bread kneading (because he only has one arm, not kidding, no joke-was born that way, don't remind him), wanted to see disabled vets returning from the war fiascos get a break. He developed an idea, pitched it, got it funded and set up a non profit to allow returning disabled vets to get credit at Georgetown by working in a bakery especially equipped for disabled people.
He calls it Dog Tag Bakery and it is strongly rumored to open this week (actually he announced it at Mass so its more than a rumor).
I dare you to google it. You can also get his Jesuit's guides to breakmaking and soupmaking- which found their way under a few of my extended family's Christmas trees in years past.
I dare you to google him- its the most exciting thing you learned today. Plus they have chocolate croissants according to their on line menu which is my fav. breakfast of champions:-)
God's Speed (even if its slow rise in a dark place:-)
Love, Love, Love It!!
www.dogtagbakery.org
One of the most exciting things coming to Georgetown is a cool Bakery which is the brainchild of a Priest which he located on GRACE street, naturally. Yes, there is a Grace Street in Georgetown.
Father Rick Curry who masters the art of one armed bread kneading (because he only has one arm, not kidding, no joke-was born that way, don't remind him), wanted to see disabled vets returning from the war fiascos get a break. He developed an idea, pitched it, got it funded and set up a non profit to allow returning disabled vets to get credit at Georgetown by working in a bakery especially equipped for disabled people.
He calls it Dog Tag Bakery and it is strongly rumored to open this week (actually he announced it at Mass so its more than a rumor).
I dare you to google it. You can also get his Jesuit's guides to breakmaking and soupmaking- which found their way under a few of my extended family's Christmas trees in years past.
I dare you to google him- its the most exciting thing you learned today. Plus they have chocolate croissants according to their on line menu which is my fav. breakfast of champions:-)
God's Speed (even if its slow rise in a dark place:-)
Love, Love, Love It!!
www.dogtagbakery.org
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
WHO AM I TO JUDGE
A discussion with Renown Jesuit Father James Martin, SJ.
Tomorrow night Fordham University Lincoln Center in the heart of New York city is hosting a discussion with renown author Jesuit Father James Martin, SJ. on the latest from the Synod titled
"WHO AM I TO JUDGE" --
In keeping with the Popes theme of-- try not to obsess too much on gay issues driving people away, if a person is sincerely seeking God and trying to find him WHO AM I TO JUDGE, famously said the Pope.
While the synod thinkers tinkered with syntax and wording on a document concerning whether we
should 'welcome' gays, or 'provide for' gays (whether it was right to shut down completely all catholic social services for adoption in DC and Boston because a gay couple might show up) the basic premise according to Fr. Martin's prolific facebook page is that gays are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have God endowed skills, talents and contributions to make to the Church. He wants them 'welcomed' with open arms. That's the Christian thing to do.
If you are in NYC this is a must see TV event (meaning I hope they film it and post the whole thing on Facebook/Youtube.
http://www.fordham.edu/Campus_Resources/eNewsroom/topstories_3314.asp
click FORDHAM EVENT
Tomorrow night Fordham University Lincoln Center in the heart of New York city is hosting a discussion with renown author Jesuit Father James Martin, SJ. on the latest from the Synod titled
"WHO AM I TO JUDGE" --
In keeping with the Popes theme of-- try not to obsess too much on gay issues driving people away, if a person is sincerely seeking God and trying to find him WHO AM I TO JUDGE, famously said the Pope.
While the synod thinkers tinkered with syntax and wording on a document concerning whether we
should 'welcome' gays, or 'provide for' gays (whether it was right to shut down completely all catholic social services for adoption in DC and Boston because a gay couple might show up) the basic premise according to Fr. Martin's prolific facebook page is that gays are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have God endowed skills, talents and contributions to make to the Church. He wants them 'welcomed' with open arms. That's the Christian thing to do.
If you are in NYC this is a must see TV event (meaning I hope they film it and post the whole thing on Facebook/Youtube.
http://www.fordham.edu/Campus_Resources/eNewsroom/topstories_3314.asp
click FORDHAM EVENT
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Friday, August 08, 2014
The Jesuit Almost Martyr
Pater Mayer
Congratulations to the Jesuits on the anniversary of their Society's restoration.
In Munich, a Jesuit died in 1945. He was co-operating with the resistance against the Nazi's and was thrown in prison. He was called The Apostle of Munich. Its a reminder of what 'religious liberty' means.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
God to Anti-Semitic Muslim Rioters: Arretez vos Conneries. Arretez Vous. Vous Etes Tous Fous
DÉCLARATION DES ÉVÊQUES D’ILE-DE-FRANCE
Friday, July 11, 2014
Monday, June 09, 2014
It's Official
Lift the Ban on Marriage for Priests.
...Reads a Statement officially posted on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website- from an Orthodox-Catholic Theological organization. Read http://usccb.org/news/2014/14-099.cfm
Thank you to Fr. James Martin, SJ for pointing out the huge significance of this- which was also commented upon by the New York Times about three days ago. But its just for the Eastern Orthodox catholics in North America- so who knew there was a ban on priests being married in the Eastern Orthodox world in North America in the first place. Small step for humanity.
...Reads a Statement officially posted on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website- from an Orthodox-Catholic Theological organization. Read http://usccb.org/news/2014/14-099.cfm
Thank you to Fr. James Martin, SJ for pointing out the huge significance of this- which was also commented upon by the New York Times about three days ago. But its just for the Eastern Orthodox catholics in North America- so who knew there was a ban on priests being married in the Eastern Orthodox world in North America in the first place. Small step for humanity.
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Man Who Almost Was Pope
And Could Yet Still Be- He's young enough.
Cardinal Schoenborn is my new favorite Cardinal (no offense to Cardinal O'Malley who is also a favorite).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/02/austrian-cardinal-christoph-schoenborn-conservative-open-to-reform-and-maybe-next-pope_n_2799177.html
He had the gall to suggest that the mandatory celibacy might be re-examined in light of the crushing pedo scandals- which now have prompted a UN body to declare officially the Catholic church as a 'torturer' on the child rape front. Yes, child rape is torture. Are you seriously questioning that? I mean did you have to think of that for five seconds- when boys are turning suicidal and becoming drug addicts to self-medicate their pain. And the betrayal. Judas didn't do worse. Can you imagine any corporation in the world acting like that. Imagine GE having files on all its branch managers that they were raping children and the senior management ignored it or transferred the managers to evade service of process. Criminal Enterprise.
The people who challenge the connection between mandatory celibacy and pedofilia are such brain challenged people I wonder if they are veterans with traumatic brain injury or just totally brain-washed. More healthy married clergy men means less perverts. D'oh.
People are (with a straight face and a publishing deal) declaring in the blind defense of hierarchy with the same ferocity that had a village of intimidated idiots declaring the Emperor's clothes were spectacular- that there are scout leaders and teachers and police men who are also pedos so therefore catholic clergy aren't so bad because they too are pedos. This is like saying there are obese people in the world so its not so bad that athletic olympians are obese. CLERGY are supposed to be so far above the perverted masses that no one would dare even compare the two. Presbyterian clergy have paid zero in child rape convicted clergy cases, other than Al Sharpton I am not aware of Baptist ministers sitting in any jail for any reason much less child raping, and Episcopalian priests don't find themselves defending allegations of raping boys with anything like the magnitude of catholic clergy who have paid over two billion (that's 2 billion dollars) in settlements and legal fees. The apples to apples comparison is clergy to clergy- not catholic priests to the demented perverted masses.
Does the Catholic clergy engage in emotional abuse? Yes. Is it sometimes "torture"- yes, according to the UN.
Over 200,000 ordained priests have left the church in America due to the mandatory celibacy when they found God's call to fall in love with women and marry them and pro-create, just like their heavenly father who Pro-Created physically humans. Falling in love with women has been demeaned to 'scandal' in the catholic church such that they drive priests out for doing it. That is DISGUSTING. It is scandal to rape a boy. It is Godly to fall in love with a woman. How this twisted theology took root is beyond reason. Its flatly heresy.
Because of the priest shortage some theologicans had mass without one- and got excommunicated.
The Catholic church is afraid of itself. Its afraid of those evil mean women who think priests are their possessions and they own their sexuality so they have to demonize women who fall in love with them---because they can't have them. The twisted sister widows and married women who fall in love with priests because their marriages are so dismal and hang around parish houses keeping 'their' priests in line are pathetic old women who should not be running any policies anywhere.
Stop demonizing women who actually are eligible to marry priests and love them, and start looking at your own eye-logs. And for Heaven's Sake (literally) stop deluding yourself that mandatory 'celibacy' makes anyone holier. Saint Peter himself was married and he was chosen as the Rock. If you aren't married, you aren't Saint Peter.
Cardinal Schoenborn is my new favorite Cardinal (no offense to Cardinal O'Malley who is also a favorite).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/02/austrian-cardinal-christoph-schoenborn-conservative-open-to-reform-and-maybe-next-pope_n_2799177.html
He had the gall to suggest that the mandatory celibacy might be re-examined in light of the crushing pedo scandals- which now have prompted a UN body to declare officially the Catholic church as a 'torturer' on the child rape front. Yes, child rape is torture. Are you seriously questioning that? I mean did you have to think of that for five seconds- when boys are turning suicidal and becoming drug addicts to self-medicate their pain. And the betrayal. Judas didn't do worse. Can you imagine any corporation in the world acting like that. Imagine GE having files on all its branch managers that they were raping children and the senior management ignored it or transferred the managers to evade service of process. Criminal Enterprise.
The people who challenge the connection between mandatory celibacy and pedofilia are such brain challenged people I wonder if they are veterans with traumatic brain injury or just totally brain-washed. More healthy married clergy men means less perverts. D'oh.
People are (with a straight face and a publishing deal) declaring in the blind defense of hierarchy with the same ferocity that had a village of intimidated idiots declaring the Emperor's clothes were spectacular- that there are scout leaders and teachers and police men who are also pedos so therefore catholic clergy aren't so bad because they too are pedos. This is like saying there are obese people in the world so its not so bad that athletic olympians are obese. CLERGY are supposed to be so far above the perverted masses that no one would dare even compare the two. Presbyterian clergy have paid zero in child rape convicted clergy cases, other than Al Sharpton I am not aware of Baptist ministers sitting in any jail for any reason much less child raping, and Episcopalian priests don't find themselves defending allegations of raping boys with anything like the magnitude of catholic clergy who have paid over two billion (that's 2 billion dollars) in settlements and legal fees. The apples to apples comparison is clergy to clergy- not catholic priests to the demented perverted masses.
Does the Catholic clergy engage in emotional abuse? Yes. Is it sometimes "torture"- yes, according to the UN.
Over 200,000 ordained priests have left the church in America due to the mandatory celibacy when they found God's call to fall in love with women and marry them and pro-create, just like their heavenly father who Pro-Created physically humans. Falling in love with women has been demeaned to 'scandal' in the catholic church such that they drive priests out for doing it. That is DISGUSTING. It is scandal to rape a boy. It is Godly to fall in love with a woman. How this twisted theology took root is beyond reason. Its flatly heresy.
Because of the priest shortage some theologicans had mass without one- and got excommunicated.
The Catholic church is afraid of itself. Its afraid of those evil mean women who think priests are their possessions and they own their sexuality so they have to demonize women who fall in love with them---because they can't have them. The twisted sister widows and married women who fall in love with priests because their marriages are so dismal and hang around parish houses keeping 'their' priests in line are pathetic old women who should not be running any policies anywhere.
Stop demonizing women who actually are eligible to marry priests and love them, and start looking at your own eye-logs. And for Heaven's Sake (literally) stop deluding yourself that mandatory 'celibacy' makes anyone holier. Saint Peter himself was married and he was chosen as the Rock. If you aren't married, you aren't Saint Peter.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Congratulations
ERIC HOLDER -US Attorney General
For his landmark prosecution against Chinese hackers stealing trade secrets from American companys. Brilliant. Well Done. Bravo Bravissimo.
See, http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/19/us-brings-cyber-espionage-charges-against-chinese-officials/20888230/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cresponsive-test1%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D478075
Hacking is Evil. No matter who does it.
For his landmark prosecution against Chinese hackers stealing trade secrets from American companys. Brilliant. Well Done. Bravo Bravissimo.
See, http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/19/us-brings-cyber-espionage-charges-against-chinese-officials/20888230/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cresponsive-test1%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D478075
Hacking is Evil. No matter who does it.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
European Court of Justice
Privacy Rights and the Right to Move On
Europe has stricter privacy rights than the US. Disparaging material is not something that Europeans want published about each other. Law suits against tabloids flourish for violating privacy rights even when true- or photos actual real and not photoshopped. That is why, for example, Julie First French Mistress to the President can threaten to sue the tabloids for exposing an affair.
The European Court of Justice has issued a landmark ruling against Google that it must delete and remove any old disparaging information on line. Google is appealing it- why? Does Google wish to become the gossipmonger peddler of defamation internationally? Does Google become an international neighborhood bully of sorts if it won't delete or remove disparaging or defamatory material? This debate will rage- on line no doubt.
See, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/google-faces-data-demand-as-eu-court-backs-right-to-be-forgotten.html
Europe has stricter privacy rights than the US. Disparaging material is not something that Europeans want published about each other. Law suits against tabloids flourish for violating privacy rights even when true- or photos actual real and not photoshopped. That is why, for example, Julie First French Mistress to the President can threaten to sue the tabloids for exposing an affair.
The European Court of Justice has issued a landmark ruling against Google that it must delete and remove any old disparaging information on line. Google is appealing it- why? Does Google wish to become the gossipmonger peddler of defamation internationally? Does Google become an international neighborhood bully of sorts if it won't delete or remove disparaging or defamatory material? This debate will rage- on line no doubt.
See, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/google-faces-data-demand-as-eu-court-backs-right-to-be-forgotten.html
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Irish Catholics Overwhelmingly
Want Married Priests.
See, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-17699603
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-17699603
Six in Ten American Catholics want married priests. http://www.christianpost.com/news/poll-most-catholics-think-priests-should-be-allowed-to-marry-91303/
So shouldn't there be at least an option?
See, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-17699603
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-17699603
Six in Ten American Catholics want married priests. http://www.christianpost.com/news/poll-most-catholics-think-priests-should-be-allowed-to-marry-91303/
So shouldn't there be at least an option?
The Sublime and the Ridiculous
Ways to Defy God
The fight against the married priesthood option takes a perverted theological turn in justifications launched stating things like Christ was married to the Church as the 'bridegroom' to the body of Christ, therefore priests have to be married to their parishes- and celibate. This is such a ridiculous theological perversion which has been debunked by no less than Pope John Paul II who said there is no ontological necessity for priests to be unmarried and it is a mere 'discipline' that serves an institutional pragmatic purpose. This Pope, Francis has said it can change- and I argue, Must Change.
A priest is not Jesus. A priest cannot pretend to be Jesus. Jesus was Jesus. Jesus doesn't need a priest's sperm to consecrate his body or blood to become Jesus' body and blood.
The perversions that have followed from this biblical disobedience (there is an express Biblical mandate that Bishops should be the husband of one wife, as is the Jewish priesthood model and as was practiced in the catholic world for a thousand years and as is still the case in protestant denominations and eastern, orthodox, armenian, melkite, and maronite orders) are legend and have cost the church BILLIONS.
It is time to stop the BS- stop persecuting women who know that far far more abuse than Jesus ever would sanction or tolerate has been perpetuated disgustingly in his name over keeping priests unhealthy not heterosexual men in marital unions.
Time to get real. Before the world makes you.
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before the Lord other than the Lord- not even yourself. Its the First Commandment you break when idolizing celibacy. You are not Jesus. There should be a class in Seminary: You Are Not Jesus: Get Over Yourself Please.
The fight against the married priesthood option takes a perverted theological turn in justifications launched stating things like Christ was married to the Church as the 'bridegroom' to the body of Christ, therefore priests have to be married to their parishes- and celibate. This is such a ridiculous theological perversion which has been debunked by no less than Pope John Paul II who said there is no ontological necessity for priests to be unmarried and it is a mere 'discipline' that serves an institutional pragmatic purpose. This Pope, Francis has said it can change- and I argue, Must Change.
A priest is not Jesus. A priest cannot pretend to be Jesus. Jesus was Jesus. Jesus doesn't need a priest's sperm to consecrate his body or blood to become Jesus' body and blood.
The perversions that have followed from this biblical disobedience (there is an express Biblical mandate that Bishops should be the husband of one wife, as is the Jewish priesthood model and as was practiced in the catholic world for a thousand years and as is still the case in protestant denominations and eastern, orthodox, armenian, melkite, and maronite orders) are legend and have cost the church BILLIONS.
It is time to stop the BS- stop persecuting women who know that far far more abuse than Jesus ever would sanction or tolerate has been perpetuated disgustingly in his name over keeping priests unhealthy not heterosexual men in marital unions.
Time to get real. Before the world makes you.
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before the Lord other than the Lord- not even yourself. Its the First Commandment you break when idolizing celibacy. You are not Jesus. There should be a class in Seminary: You Are Not Jesus: Get Over Yourself Please.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
His Mercies to Behold.
Do you Believe in Miracles? Its a good question to ask around Canonizations because it takes a few to make a Saint-
If you have not seen the movie " HEAVEN IS FOR REAL" yet I highly encourage going. Its playing everywhere-about a four year old boy who had an out of body near death experience and claims he went to heaven then returned to talk about it.
Do you believe in Visions? A few Pennsylvania Minors apparently saw one of a late Pope. You can read the remarkable story in the Pastor's letter in the Bulletin of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bethesda HERE
If you have not seen the movie " HEAVEN IS FOR REAL" yet I highly encourage going. Its playing everywhere-about a four year old boy who had an out of body near death experience and claims he went to heaven then returned to talk about it.
Do you believe in Visions? A few Pennsylvania Minors apparently saw one of a late Pope. You can read the remarkable story in the Pastor's letter in the Bulletin of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bethesda HERE
Gone to Pot
Legalization of Marijuana
The race statistics on arrests previously for MJ (marijuana) smoking in small amounts have been seen as a troubling point to judicial racism because they tend to weigh heavily in African American communities. It is a ralling cry for legalization everywhere of small 'personal' amounts. It might just be that black communities indulge more, hence the larger arrests.
In DC this morning I walked behind a large African American male smoking on the street in a fairly nice neighborhood on the way to work. Last night it was on the metro. The smoke is pervasive-you can't miss it- nor the roughly 300 pound rastafarian smoking standing still on a metro escalator. You cannot eat or drink in the metro but apparently you can now smoke pot.
It still should be illegal everywhere to smoke in public. The smoke has second hand smoking features that the rest of the non-pothead world doesn't appreciate.
This morning after standing on the sidewalk behind a lethargic meandering pothead strolling while toking I stood in line at a cormer bakery where the guy behind the cash register, also African American was clearly stoned, gazingly dazing off into the horizon past cinnabon heaven taking dollar bills and repeatedly asking what sort of coffee that was that I ordered. He is supposed to immediately hand me a paper cup whereupon i get it myself on another counter and hand me the orange juice while he places the bagel order. I waited 20 minutes before getting bold and asking where my egg bagel with cheese was and it had been sitting behind him for a while. I thought that was mine there. Either clinically subhuman intelligence of an ardvaark or stoned off his gord. The loopy rolling eyes gave him away.
Don't do it. Don't legalize MJ in your city/state. Or at least make it adhere to the same smoking in public bans that exist and ban them from restaurants and sidewalks and metros and train stations and everywhere people have to have oxygen.
Saturday, May 03, 2014
Paul, Paul
Why Are You Persecuting Me.
Easter isn't over. It's never over. Because the Resurrection leads to ETERNAL LIFE.
The official calendar has an Easter "Octave" or 8 days after Easter, then another 40 days to Pentacost as
the Easter "Season"- We are still in the Easter "Season." Jesus lives, and reigns, still and forever.
That means new life can resurrect out of nothing any day. Hard hearts can turn to Joy, spitting mean people can turn to generous loving people.
What happened after Easter on the road to Damascus (in Syria) was that the person persecuting the truest believers the most, Paul of Tarsus, a learned erudite man boasting of his cosmopolitain worldliness as the speaker of multiple langauges (Greek, Roman, Hebrew….) and adherer to the law as a Pharisee owed all the rights and privileges of a Roman also, was flattened off his horse and blinded until he could absorb that Jesus was telling him to STOP Persecuting His People. Note to Assad.
Sometimes the Lord tells people to get a grip and get over yourself. Sometimes when they refuse he knocks them off their high horse.
Paul was on a rampage. The believers could not stop talking about the saving power of redeeming Grace through Jesus, and it drove Paul crazy. He couldn't stand it. He was out to stone them all to death- and succeeded with Stephen. We don't know whether he gave the orders on Stephen or not (first martyr) or whether he was part of the lynching party. However-- he was gleefully there cheering on the crowds to rid the place of the blight of Stephen's testimony- that Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified LIVES - He Rose from the Dead- and you can't stop him. Not even by hanging him in a disgraceful manner for all the world to gloat. Go ahead, string him up on death row in a public execution and barter for all his clothing- still alive. Didn't work. Still Alive. Are you getting this?
Sometimes some people's success makes other people mad with envy. They can't see straight. They want them destroyed. There are people filled with demonic hate who wish people destroyed. Paul was one of them. There are people threatened because people see through their game- so they want them destroyed.
Paul, Paul, why are you Persecuting Me?
Love of the Jesus kind is a radical thing. People are threatened by it. They hold tight to their hate, vendettas, jealousy pride, and egos. They have to be superior. Jesus washed feet like a maid. Jesus did demeaning things to demonstrate love. Some people are offended by that. They want their leaders looking regal. Some people are offended by the notion that you should try to heal people on the Sabbath because saving a life obviously trumps the no-work rule. Even today. Some people are offended that Jesus said "bless those who curse you and spitefully use you and utter all kinds of slander against you." It outrages some people when Jesus says "blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the earth" "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God". Its a stumbling block to some and salvation to others. The more good there is, the stronger evil people will fight it.
Who are the Pauls in your life who want to crush you? Who are the people holding fast to the cannon laws, legalisms, and pettiness of forms of religiosity without its true meaning trying to kill Love.
Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me?
Easter isn't over. It's never over. Because the Resurrection leads to ETERNAL LIFE.
The official calendar has an Easter "Octave" or 8 days after Easter, then another 40 days to Pentacost as
the Easter "Season"- We are still in the Easter "Season." Jesus lives, and reigns, still and forever.
That means new life can resurrect out of nothing any day. Hard hearts can turn to Joy, spitting mean people can turn to generous loving people.
What happened after Easter on the road to Damascus (in Syria) was that the person persecuting the truest believers the most, Paul of Tarsus, a learned erudite man boasting of his cosmopolitain worldliness as the speaker of multiple langauges (Greek, Roman, Hebrew….) and adherer to the law as a Pharisee owed all the rights and privileges of a Roman also, was flattened off his horse and blinded until he could absorb that Jesus was telling him to STOP Persecuting His People. Note to Assad.
Sometimes the Lord tells people to get a grip and get over yourself. Sometimes when they refuse he knocks them off their high horse.
Paul was on a rampage. The believers could not stop talking about the saving power of redeeming Grace through Jesus, and it drove Paul crazy. He couldn't stand it. He was out to stone them all to death- and succeeded with Stephen. We don't know whether he gave the orders on Stephen or not (first martyr) or whether he was part of the lynching party. However-- he was gleefully there cheering on the crowds to rid the place of the blight of Stephen's testimony- that Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified LIVES - He Rose from the Dead- and you can't stop him. Not even by hanging him in a disgraceful manner for all the world to gloat. Go ahead, string him up on death row in a public execution and barter for all his clothing- still alive. Didn't work. Still Alive. Are you getting this?
Sometimes some people's success makes other people mad with envy. They can't see straight. They want them destroyed. There are people filled with demonic hate who wish people destroyed. Paul was one of them. There are people threatened because people see through their game- so they want them destroyed.
Paul, Paul, why are you Persecuting Me?
Love of the Jesus kind is a radical thing. People are threatened by it. They hold tight to their hate, vendettas, jealousy pride, and egos. They have to be superior. Jesus washed feet like a maid. Jesus did demeaning things to demonstrate love. Some people are offended by that. They want their leaders looking regal. Some people are offended by the notion that you should try to heal people on the Sabbath because saving a life obviously trumps the no-work rule. Even today. Some people are offended that Jesus said "bless those who curse you and spitefully use you and utter all kinds of slander against you." It outrages some people when Jesus says "blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the earth" "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God". Its a stumbling block to some and salvation to others. The more good there is, the stronger evil people will fight it.
Who are the Pauls in your life who want to crush you? Who are the people holding fast to the cannon laws, legalisms, and pettiness of forms of religiosity without its true meaning trying to kill Love.
Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
spaketh the papeth
A community of peace, forgiveness and harmony means "there's no place for gossip, jealousy, back-stabbing and slander," he said, according to a report by Vatican Radio.
To see how a community measures up to what Christ wants, look at how its members behave, he said. "Are they meek, humble? Are there battles among them over power? Jealous arguments? Is there gossip? They are not on the road of Jesus Christ," said Pope Francis.
To see how a community measures up to what Christ wants, look at how its members behave, he said. "Are they meek, humble? Are there battles among them over power? Jealous arguments? Is there gossip? They are not on the road of Jesus Christ," said Pope Francis.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Happy Easter
Happy Blessed Joy-filled Easter to All my friends, family and foes. Jesus is Risen. Hallelujiah.
Resurrection Witnesses
The First Witness to the Resurrection was a Woman.
The conservative blogdom went nuts when Nancy Pelosi went to an Episcopalian church to wash feet. A priest is supposed to do that and women are not supposed to do what priests do. That's the logic.
And its crazy. As for being in an Episcopalian church, the upper room was neither a temple nor a synagogue so any house of worship is an upgrade from a dining hall (likely on top of someone's house.) Nancy Pelosi was imitating Christ in washing feet. Women are supposed to imitate Christ also. Do you have a serious question about that. What it is however, is reflective of a deeper sexism in the church that insists on all male fraternities of unmarried womenless men. Father Martin in his Washington Post essay reminds us that it is a myth or wrong statement that Jesus appeared to Peter first after the Resurrection. He appeared to Mary Magdalene- on purpose one assumes. There is reference to him telling her not to touch him because he has not yet ascended- which has been variously translated to mean 'don't hug too hard' or stop hugging me for those who know ancient aramaic and/or greek.
So clearly there was a relationship between them that was close and special. She calls him Rabboni not Rabbi- which is a term of endearment not as distant as rabbi/student. It always gets translated 'teacher.' It was more than that. Like calling one a cherie prof (in french), or something closer than Mr. teacher, Sir.
The view of women perpetuates the myth that its holier to be without one, because they must be intrinsically dirty or unclean- all of them, all of the time.
When I went to the church of San Pietro In Vincoli (Peter in Chains) the titular church chosen by the Archbishop of Washington, DC there was a plaque memorial on the floor of "Cynthia, wife of Bishop….." which struck me because that is my name- and because this was evidently someone so revered she ranked enough to be buried along with her Bishop husband inside not outside the church. The church is so old it existed during the time when it was commonplace for Bishops to marry wives.
What has happened since the practice was banned, only about a thousand or so years ago, is that there evolved a theology intrinsically of the unclean unholy nature of priestly marital union-- rendering all 'flesh' evil- and a denegration of womenhood had to take place to justify it. It was viewed as holier for men to just remain celibate among themselves. The theology changed to accommodate it. Any sexuality of priests became evil. It intrinsically adopted and incorporated a sort of pagan Platonic Realm of the Forms schism wherein matter was fleshly and spirit was superior and to live a holy life one had to swear off all forms of 'flesh'. It became inconceivable that Flesh could be used in a non- temptation way-that it didn't exist just for temptation but had a 'good' attached even for priests in proper context. That is why Jesus was 'fully human' and fully divine at the same time and in him there is no contradiction in that.
The church needs to look at their views of women- what they believe they are capable of and expand it. Because otherwise it insults their creator who made women also in the image and likeness of God. God put talents in womenkind that have yet to be fully explored or nurtured. And this has to be one of the more egregious stifling of the Holy Spirit we ever witnessed or lived in.
The conservative blogdom went nuts when Nancy Pelosi went to an Episcopalian church to wash feet. A priest is supposed to do that and women are not supposed to do what priests do. That's the logic.
And its crazy. As for being in an Episcopalian church, the upper room was neither a temple nor a synagogue so any house of worship is an upgrade from a dining hall (likely on top of someone's house.) Nancy Pelosi was imitating Christ in washing feet. Women are supposed to imitate Christ also. Do you have a serious question about that. What it is however, is reflective of a deeper sexism in the church that insists on all male fraternities of unmarried womenless men. Father Martin in his Washington Post essay reminds us that it is a myth or wrong statement that Jesus appeared to Peter first after the Resurrection. He appeared to Mary Magdalene- on purpose one assumes. There is reference to him telling her not to touch him because he has not yet ascended- which has been variously translated to mean 'don't hug too hard' or stop hugging me for those who know ancient aramaic and/or greek.
So clearly there was a relationship between them that was close and special. She calls him Rabboni not Rabbi- which is a term of endearment not as distant as rabbi/student. It always gets translated 'teacher.' It was more than that. Like calling one a cherie prof (in french), or something closer than Mr. teacher, Sir.
The view of women perpetuates the myth that its holier to be without one, because they must be intrinsically dirty or unclean- all of them, all of the time.
When I went to the church of San Pietro In Vincoli (Peter in Chains) the titular church chosen by the Archbishop of Washington, DC there was a plaque memorial on the floor of "Cynthia, wife of Bishop….." which struck me because that is my name- and because this was evidently someone so revered she ranked enough to be buried along with her Bishop husband inside not outside the church. The church is so old it existed during the time when it was commonplace for Bishops to marry wives.
What has happened since the practice was banned, only about a thousand or so years ago, is that there evolved a theology intrinsically of the unclean unholy nature of priestly marital union-- rendering all 'flesh' evil- and a denegration of womenhood had to take place to justify it. It was viewed as holier for men to just remain celibate among themselves. The theology changed to accommodate it. Any sexuality of priests became evil. It intrinsically adopted and incorporated a sort of pagan Platonic Realm of the Forms schism wherein matter was fleshly and spirit was superior and to live a holy life one had to swear off all forms of 'flesh'. It became inconceivable that Flesh could be used in a non- temptation way-that it didn't exist just for temptation but had a 'good' attached even for priests in proper context. That is why Jesus was 'fully human' and fully divine at the same time and in him there is no contradiction in that.
The church needs to look at their views of women- what they believe they are capable of and expand it. Because otherwise it insults their creator who made women also in the image and likeness of God. God put talents in womenkind that have yet to be fully explored or nurtured. And this has to be one of the more egregious stifling of the Holy Spirit we ever witnessed or lived in.
Friday, April 18, 2014
JESUS
A Pilgrimmage
The new book by Fr. James Martin, SJ. is flying off the shelves and in its second printing already. If you get one Easter book for a loved one make it that one. Author of 'Jesuits Guide to Almost Everything', the beloved Jesuit author has penned an epic which he claims was 25 years in the making and includes his pilgrimmage to the Holy Land invaluable insights in scripture. Available at Barnes and Noble and all reputable book sellers everywhere as well as Amazon on line here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Pilgrimage-James-Martin/dp/006202423X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397835191&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+a+pilgrimage
JESUS: A Pilgrimage
The new book by Fr. James Martin, SJ. is flying off the shelves and in its second printing already. If you get one Easter book for a loved one make it that one. Author of 'Jesuits Guide to Almost Everything', the beloved Jesuit author has penned an epic which he claims was 25 years in the making and includes his pilgrimmage to the Holy Land invaluable insights in scripture. Available at Barnes and Noble and all reputable book sellers everywhere as well as Amazon on line here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Pilgrimage-James-Martin/dp/006202423X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397835191&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+a+pilgrimage
JESUS: A Pilgrimage
Thursday, April 17, 2014
I was dead and now I AM Alive
I was dead and now I AM alive.
What Good Friday teaches us is that death comes. You will be one day dead. You may be dead many times over while walking in your lifetime. People might try to destroy you and they may even succeed. You could be dead in your business, your marriage, your career, your relationships, your family, a child's illness might destroy your emotional capacity to go on, your condemners might have convinced you of the validity of their judgment so you give up, you might lose your hope. But what Easter proves is that for those who have faith in Jesus the Christ/Messiah, you can't stay dead even if you feel like it and the people closest to you want to kill you off. Because God will resurrect you. He will break through all that darkness because he loves you more than any person could.
Dead is really dead. It looks grim. Bloody dripping on a first century electric chair out in the open for all the world to gawk. You control nothing, not even your own clothing which is gambled for by the very people persecuting you throwing you to the dogs. Dead is really dead not just sleeping like a monty python skit. Not just in a coma, really dead. But just like Jesus called Lazarus who was so dead after four days in a tomb he was stinking rotting dead, Jesus /God will resurrect you - Lazarus didn't even ask to be resurrected. God will resurrect you. Do you see how the frost covers the tree limbs bared of all leaves in winter over a frozen ground. It all looks dead. Jesus in physical form was deader than that on Good Friday. And yet, the life force found in him by God's power raised him to life. You have that same life force within you. Its greater than the life force that brings back dead bulbs buried under ground to become blossoming trees and tulips in Spring- its the life force of creation. Anything that looks dead, can be rebuked in the name of Jesus who stills storms and raises dead things to fullness of life. Even you. In the holy powerful name of Jesus.
What Good Friday teaches us is that death comes. You will be one day dead. You may be dead many times over while walking in your lifetime. People might try to destroy you and they may even succeed. You could be dead in your business, your marriage, your career, your relationships, your family, a child's illness might destroy your emotional capacity to go on, your condemners might have convinced you of the validity of their judgment so you give up, you might lose your hope. But what Easter proves is that for those who have faith in Jesus the Christ/Messiah, you can't stay dead even if you feel like it and the people closest to you want to kill you off. Because God will resurrect you. He will break through all that darkness because he loves you more than any person could.
Dead is really dead. It looks grim. Bloody dripping on a first century electric chair out in the open for all the world to gawk. You control nothing, not even your own clothing which is gambled for by the very people persecuting you throwing you to the dogs. Dead is really dead not just sleeping like a monty python skit. Not just in a coma, really dead. But just like Jesus called Lazarus who was so dead after four days in a tomb he was stinking rotting dead, Jesus /God will resurrect you - Lazarus didn't even ask to be resurrected. God will resurrect you. Do you see how the frost covers the tree limbs bared of all leaves in winter over a frozen ground. It all looks dead. Jesus in physical form was deader than that on Good Friday. And yet, the life force found in him by God's power raised him to life. You have that same life force within you. Its greater than the life force that brings back dead bulbs buried under ground to become blossoming trees and tulips in Spring- its the life force of creation. Anything that looks dead, can be rebuked in the name of Jesus who stills storms and raises dead things to fullness of life. Even you. In the holy powerful name of Jesus.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Artificial Crosses
And Making Martyrs of your own People
This holy week there should be More Life.
Jesus was a carpenter but it is fairly certain he never built his own cross.
He didn't put the nail in his own hands.
But this is what the church does in its mandatory priestly lifetime celibacy doctrine which is counter-biblical and in biblical error.
In perpetuating the illusion of spiritual superior celibacy the catholic church demands that men not be healthy heterosexuals, in spite of the teaching that Jesus was 'fully human' at the same time as fully divine and those two things are not contradictory. It is not flesh itself that is evil it is the misuse of it. A mouth is necessary for nutrition and intrinsically good for the intended purpose, but turns evil if you put poison in it. Sexuality is not evil when used properly for its intended use, in heterosexual marital union. It is evil when you use it to bang children.
The church has confused for far too long 'lust of the flesh' with flesh used in Love and doomed all male sexuality in priesthood as evil.
In what should be considered the most head-bangingly odd understanding of stewardship the church has allowed a policy of mandatory lifetime celibacy to cost it over 3 billion dollars in legal fees and settlements for perversely indulging in lust of the flesh instead of allowing properly channeling flesh used in Love. In insisting on the myth of superiority in celibacy it has attracted gays (about a third of the priesthood by the account of a famous Jesuit Fr. James Martin) and sexual deviants who have cost about three billion. That is just ridiculously bad stewardship. Its the GNP of small countries lost due to sexual perversions to uphold an illusion.
Note to file: amount of money spent on perversity, deviancy and sexual criminality of roman catholic clergy: about 3 billion.
amount of money spent on perversity, deviancy and sexual criminality of Presbyterian clergy: about Zero.
And that is not even counting the budget for the Saint Luke's Institute which will be largely unnecessary after you stop driving nails in your own hands.
What is the difference? The teaching, theology and practice on Heterosexual Marriage for clergy.
Do not insult Jesus by persecuting heterosexual women. Do not insult Jesus by drugging your priests with prostate medication or sending to the St. Luke's Institute for female hormone therapy or contraceptives to perpetuate the myth of superior celibacy (with side effects of heart disease and other conditions and cancer.) Stop lying to the world. Stop driving nails in your own hands.
END the mandatory celibacy and create a marital priesthood option to get healthier more 'fully human' men in the priesthood. The world will be a MUCH MUCH better place. You won't have to lie about the men secreting lovers in the rectory. Over time it will be a much less gay population trying to counsel on issues of family life, and it will cost less in all the medication, saw palmetto, and female hormones you have to give priests not to mention the cancer and heart disease treatment for all the drugs you made them take to deal with their normal sexuality.
No one is fooled any more. Or Impressed.
This holy week there should be More Life.
Jesus was a carpenter but it is fairly certain he never built his own cross.
He didn't put the nail in his own hands.
But this is what the church does in its mandatory priestly lifetime celibacy doctrine which is counter-biblical and in biblical error.
In perpetuating the illusion of spiritual superior celibacy the catholic church demands that men not be healthy heterosexuals, in spite of the teaching that Jesus was 'fully human' at the same time as fully divine and those two things are not contradictory. It is not flesh itself that is evil it is the misuse of it. A mouth is necessary for nutrition and intrinsically good for the intended purpose, but turns evil if you put poison in it. Sexuality is not evil when used properly for its intended use, in heterosexual marital union. It is evil when you use it to bang children.
The church has confused for far too long 'lust of the flesh' with flesh used in Love and doomed all male sexuality in priesthood as evil.
In what should be considered the most head-bangingly odd understanding of stewardship the church has allowed a policy of mandatory lifetime celibacy to cost it over 3 billion dollars in legal fees and settlements for perversely indulging in lust of the flesh instead of allowing properly channeling flesh used in Love. In insisting on the myth of superiority in celibacy it has attracted gays (about a third of the priesthood by the account of a famous Jesuit Fr. James Martin) and sexual deviants who have cost about three billion. That is just ridiculously bad stewardship. Its the GNP of small countries lost due to sexual perversions to uphold an illusion.
Note to file: amount of money spent on perversity, deviancy and sexual criminality of roman catholic clergy: about 3 billion.
amount of money spent on perversity, deviancy and sexual criminality of Presbyterian clergy: about Zero.
And that is not even counting the budget for the Saint Luke's Institute which will be largely unnecessary after you stop driving nails in your own hands.
What is the difference? The teaching, theology and practice on Heterosexual Marriage for clergy.
Do not insult Jesus by persecuting heterosexual women. Do not insult Jesus by drugging your priests with prostate medication or sending to the St. Luke's Institute for female hormone therapy or contraceptives to perpetuate the myth of superior celibacy (with side effects of heart disease and other conditions and cancer.) Stop lying to the world. Stop driving nails in your own hands.
END the mandatory celibacy and create a marital priesthood option to get healthier more 'fully human' men in the priesthood. The world will be a MUCH MUCH better place. You won't have to lie about the men secreting lovers in the rectory. Over time it will be a much less gay population trying to counsel on issues of family life, and it will cost less in all the medication, saw palmetto, and female hormones you have to give priests not to mention the cancer and heart disease treatment for all the drugs you made them take to deal with their normal sexuality.
No one is fooled any more. Or Impressed.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Idolization of Dogma
Tyranny of thought.
Dictatorship of Ideology.
The Pope is concerned that people will throw out the baby Jesus with the bathwater of intellectual dogmatism.
He is getting at something serious here- do you destroy God's love over something as dumb as a
contraceptive mandate argument. --or substitute any canon law controversy.
Did Jesus die for Canon Law or for people?
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/10/pope_francis_at_mass:_be_vigilant_of_dictatorship_of_thought/en1-789541
and are you too closed-minded?
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-narrow-thinking-destroys-freedom-of-conscience
There is even now a very regrettable dictatorship of narrow-mindedness. Thou shall not shoot the prophet.
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/santa-marta-33382/
Dictatorship of Ideology.
The Pope is concerned that people will throw out the baby Jesus with the bathwater of intellectual dogmatism.
He is getting at something serious here- do you destroy God's love over something as dumb as a
contraceptive mandate argument. --or substitute any canon law controversy.
Did Jesus die for Canon Law or for people?
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/10/pope_francis_at_mass:_be_vigilant_of_dictatorship_of_thought/en1-789541
and are you too closed-minded?
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-narrow-thinking-destroys-freedom-of-conscience
There is even now a very regrettable dictatorship of narrow-mindedness. Thou shall not shoot the prophet.
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/santa-marta-33382/
Monday, April 07, 2014
I AM
The Resurrection and THE LIFE
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
Pope Francis
Makes it Cool to Love Jesus Again
We have a Pope who after only a year in office is making people ask such heretofore unheard of questions that its cool to love Jesus again. Not that we didn't always love him, but lots of us didn't wholly understand him. Now, even John Stewart loves him through this Pope. He is making catholic more christian again and people want it. He's not a remote dogmatist with a knuckle slapping ruler on a narrow set of doctrines. He's a hugger. Kids want to jump in his car with him.
This Pope's emphasis is where Jesus' emphasis was-on the Poor, the Marginalized, the Despised, the outcast, the lost, the lonely, the strangers. He is a Matthew 25 pope. This is the acceptable year of the Lord where Isaiah's teaching found in the mouth of Jesus is mirrored in the works of Francis.
He has championed immigrants of the destitute variety, he has visited prisoners, given out gospels to thousands like a tract peddling missionary, washed women's feet, and embraced modern day leper equivalents like his namesake, cleaned house at the Vatican Bank, sent Blingey Bishops packing and selling their maniors, and has clergy wondering if they really should be fleecing the sheep. The Vicar of Christ looks more like the walking talking heart of Christ than anything anyone recalls seeing in a long time in that form.
One Cardinal said- he has freed the church from its bourgeois roots. [Because that was boring and missed the point]
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/kasper-kasper-kasper-33324/
Jesus didn't come to protect your assets, get you in a five bedroom in the suburbs with a butler and a lawn maintenance contract, or develop your portfolio-or build you a second home at the beach, a manior in provence, or set your retirement- he came to heal the sick, preach good news to the poor, free the oppressed and deliver from sin to eternal life everyone who believes in him, rich or poor. You don't rank more if you have an honorific title, a snotty demeanor, or if you wear designer duds to church banquets any more than the guy sitting next to him on the bus on his commute off the evening shift. There are no luggage racks on hearses.
Jesus is more than your financial planner- He is your best friend, your savior, your mentor, your father, your hope. Your inheritance is in Christ-forever in a beautiful place- eternal life to a place where there is no weeping or disease, no envy, capitalist competition, or striving. Pure Joy for those who love the Lord and walk according to his purposes. The guy with sores on his feet, sitting with no shoes on outside the city gate waiting for the rich passers by to toss crumbs at him may get to heaven before you do unless you notice that guy and try to help. We are reminded of the impassible chasm between rich and poor by the Feather Ruffler in Chief who wants us to notice Lazarus at the gate.
Love your enemies- even when they trash talk, persecute and demean and demoralize you while scamming you. Love them all- because you can't die now. Don't fear anyone who can do anything to your body- your soul is
in Christ secured if you get with the real program, not the fake one embroidered in dogmatic finery. So now start valuing everyone you looked down on before- everyone who insulted you, everyone whom you thought deserved your haughty rebuke, everyone who smells like sheep. Love the least of these, my brethren.
Most of all those who didn't deserve your love- because you don't deserve God's either but he loves you anyway. He loves the dirt poor as much as the petit bourgeois et grand bourgeois- all of whom he created and formed in his own likeness.
This is a Pope who makes people happy to be catholic and want to talk about Jesus. He's less a Pope of wealthy suburbs and more barios and ghettos. He goes where the suffering is- not the places of pampered egoism. I love this Pope.
Tomorrow, Tuesday night, you can hear pre-eminent Pope watcher and religious news commentator Jesuit Father Tom Reese who will speak at Holy Trinity, Georgetown at 7:00 pm on Pope Francis- a year after the white smoke put him in his simple white cassock and crumpled brown shoes.
We have a Pope who after only a year in office is making people ask such heretofore unheard of questions that its cool to love Jesus again. Not that we didn't always love him, but lots of us didn't wholly understand him. Now, even John Stewart loves him through this Pope. He is making catholic more christian again and people want it. He's not a remote dogmatist with a knuckle slapping ruler on a narrow set of doctrines. He's a hugger. Kids want to jump in his car with him.
This Pope's emphasis is where Jesus' emphasis was-on the Poor, the Marginalized, the Despised, the outcast, the lost, the lonely, the strangers. He is a Matthew 25 pope. This is the acceptable year of the Lord where Isaiah's teaching found in the mouth of Jesus is mirrored in the works of Francis.
He has championed immigrants of the destitute variety, he has visited prisoners, given out gospels to thousands like a tract peddling missionary, washed women's feet, and embraced modern day leper equivalents like his namesake, cleaned house at the Vatican Bank, sent Blingey Bishops packing and selling their maniors, and has clergy wondering if they really should be fleecing the sheep. The Vicar of Christ looks more like the walking talking heart of Christ than anything anyone recalls seeing in a long time in that form.
One Cardinal said- he has freed the church from its bourgeois roots. [Because that was boring and missed the point]
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/kasper-kasper-kasper-33324/
Jesus didn't come to protect your assets, get you in a five bedroom in the suburbs with a butler and a lawn maintenance contract, or develop your portfolio-or build you a second home at the beach, a manior in provence, or set your retirement- he came to heal the sick, preach good news to the poor, free the oppressed and deliver from sin to eternal life everyone who believes in him, rich or poor. You don't rank more if you have an honorific title, a snotty demeanor, or if you wear designer duds to church banquets any more than the guy sitting next to him on the bus on his commute off the evening shift. There are no luggage racks on hearses.
Jesus is more than your financial planner- He is your best friend, your savior, your mentor, your father, your hope. Your inheritance is in Christ-forever in a beautiful place- eternal life to a place where there is no weeping or disease, no envy, capitalist competition, or striving. Pure Joy for those who love the Lord and walk according to his purposes. The guy with sores on his feet, sitting with no shoes on outside the city gate waiting for the rich passers by to toss crumbs at him may get to heaven before you do unless you notice that guy and try to help. We are reminded of the impassible chasm between rich and poor by the Feather Ruffler in Chief who wants us to notice Lazarus at the gate.
Love your enemies- even when they trash talk, persecute and demean and demoralize you while scamming you. Love them all- because you can't die now. Don't fear anyone who can do anything to your body- your soul is
in Christ secured if you get with the real program, not the fake one embroidered in dogmatic finery. So now start valuing everyone you looked down on before- everyone who insulted you, everyone whom you thought deserved your haughty rebuke, everyone who smells like sheep. Love the least of these, my brethren.
Most of all those who didn't deserve your love- because you don't deserve God's either but he loves you anyway. He loves the dirt poor as much as the petit bourgeois et grand bourgeois- all of whom he created and formed in his own likeness.
This is a Pope who makes people happy to be catholic and want to talk about Jesus. He's less a Pope of wealthy suburbs and more barios and ghettos. He goes where the suffering is- not the places of pampered egoism. I love this Pope.
Tomorrow, Tuesday night, you can hear pre-eminent Pope watcher and religious news commentator Jesuit Father Tom Reese who will speak at Holy Trinity, Georgetown at 7:00 pm on Pope Francis- a year after the white smoke put him in his simple white cassock and crumpled brown shoes.
Sunday, April 06, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
In my neighborhood
In my back yard
The Sun Shines through the Cold
and snow drapes the rocks
and the Ducks
forgot to fly south for winter
but there's still time, don't dither
to save their souls
from the cold I'm told.
The Sun Shines through the Cold
and snow drapes the rocks
and the Ducks
forgot to fly south for winter
but there's still time, don't dither
to save their souls
from the cold I'm told.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Let it Always Be
Christmas in your heart and home.
The Douglas Furs on the sidewalks, snow covers the cars
the chill is in the air and the politics drags on
back to bitter diatribe, the who is right or lied on
the corruption in the Governors' hide, the devil
wears Louis Vuitton it seems, snide pundits and comedians
mock apple pie and you, and things you once held true
like babies are babies even inside you
The polar freeze bends in the breeze
my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
on the balcony called fire escape
where I also draped my tinsel till late
January just to piss off the building Super. This is the day
that Jack Frost made, let us rejoice
and be glad. Though Christmas trees dangle
from sidewalks and sadness pervades the darkened
skyscape, insist on the memory you made
that tells you Christmas is every day
if you hold in your pocket the baby incarnate
who dared ask you who he is. Whether he comes on a stork
or a cloud, he's coming, and ready or not
It's always Christmas in New York.
The Douglas Furs on the sidewalks, snow covers the cars
the chill is in the air and the politics drags on
back to bitter diatribe, the who is right or lied on
the corruption in the Governors' hide, the devil
wears Louis Vuitton it seems, snide pundits and comedians
mock apple pie and you, and things you once held true
like babies are babies even inside you
The polar freeze bends in the breeze
my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
on the balcony called fire escape
where I also draped my tinsel till late
January just to piss off the building Super. This is the day
that Jack Frost made, let us rejoice
and be glad. Though Christmas trees dangle
from sidewalks and sadness pervades the darkened
skyscape, insist on the memory you made
that tells you Christmas is every day
if you hold in your pocket the baby incarnate
who dared ask you who he is. Whether he comes on a stork
or a cloud, he's coming, and ready or not
It's always Christmas in New York.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
God is….
God is like an Ocean
Our souls like sprinklers attached with a hose. We have to decide to turn it on- and it irrigates our lives with fruit abundantly--blessings, inspirations and overflowing love. You can also not try to clean it and it gets clogged and you can't get a pure flow. (Create in me a clean heart and cast not your holy spirit from me) It can get stuck, so you have to make sure it is clean and the line clear. You can refuse to believe its there so never turn it on, but the Ocean has always been there.
I am the Vine, you are the Branches. Without me you can do nothing.
There has always been the Ocean and it always tended to flow into anything desiring sourcing from it or connected to it because its nature is overwhelmingly generous (if your own child asked for a loaf of bread are you going to give them a snake?). But if it is dammed up or clogged up it cannot reach the soul.
No one owns the Ocean.
The reason why 'social conservatives' have lost so colossally politically is because they think they have a superior claim to own the Ocean and this is pure hubris. It ridiculously arrogantly trivializes God and his people to suggest that they all must be Republicans, or all must vote a certain platform or all must back certain political agendas. It demeans, diminishes God and makes him in our image of political ethics. You cannot imagine an Ocean by worshipping a glass of water in a holy font. You cannot reduce God to a political platform.
God's love is for everybody and the soul is in everybody as images of Him by virtue of their humanity created by and for him in his image.. He promises that whosoever calls on his son's name will be saved. He loves the least, the littlest, the most marginal , the most despised, the most outcasted, the most forgotten as much as he loves the richest, most powerful, most influential. Perhaps more-because he identified as the 'least of these my brethren.' His point is that the most despised in human terms is the dearest, sweetest creature to Him.
So there is no room for political ego or pride, or feelings of ethical or moral superiority. It is an offense to God. It is a sadness. God is like an Ocean. You cannot stop the torrents of his Love when he wants to flow it into someone who turned on the spicket. God blesses whom he wills.
Our souls like sprinklers attached with a hose. We have to decide to turn it on- and it irrigates our lives with fruit abundantly--blessings, inspirations and overflowing love. You can also not try to clean it and it gets clogged and you can't get a pure flow. (Create in me a clean heart and cast not your holy spirit from me) It can get stuck, so you have to make sure it is clean and the line clear. You can refuse to believe its there so never turn it on, but the Ocean has always been there.
I am the Vine, you are the Branches. Without me you can do nothing.
There has always been the Ocean and it always tended to flow into anything desiring sourcing from it or connected to it because its nature is overwhelmingly generous (if your own child asked for a loaf of bread are you going to give them a snake?). But if it is dammed up or clogged up it cannot reach the soul.
No one owns the Ocean.
The reason why 'social conservatives' have lost so colossally politically is because they think they have a superior claim to own the Ocean and this is pure hubris. It ridiculously arrogantly trivializes God and his people to suggest that they all must be Republicans, or all must vote a certain platform or all must back certain political agendas. It demeans, diminishes God and makes him in our image of political ethics. You cannot imagine an Ocean by worshipping a glass of water in a holy font. You cannot reduce God to a political platform.
God's love is for everybody and the soul is in everybody as images of Him by virtue of their humanity created by and for him in his image.. He promises that whosoever calls on his son's name will be saved. He loves the least, the littlest, the most marginal , the most despised, the most outcasted, the most forgotten as much as he loves the richest, most powerful, most influential. Perhaps more-because he identified as the 'least of these my brethren.' His point is that the most despised in human terms is the dearest, sweetest creature to Him.
So there is no room for political ego or pride, or feelings of ethical or moral superiority. It is an offense to God. It is a sadness. God is like an Ocean. You cannot stop the torrents of his Love when he wants to flow it into someone who turned on the spicket. God blesses whom he wills.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
epiphanies
"Shall I Be Mother?"
This is a colloquial British phrase said when one is reaching for the teapot to serve tea which is usually responded to by things like 'black please' or 'one sugar' or 'just a spot of milk, please.' I just heard it again while watching the Iron Lady movie where Meryl Streep plays brilliantly Margaret Thatcher. (Netflix-highly recommend it)
This reminded me of the questions Elizabeth and Mary both must have had. Shall I---be Mother? Its a question that got answered- complete with names…yes, so sure am I here is his name.
The spiritual inquiry is met with a pretty clear answer in both cases. Its definitive, its strong, its -here is what is going to happen. Are you with us here? the Angel seemed to wait for a response after the initial skepticism- How can that happen? I haven't been with a guy- promise. Then the Angel says, God will get the job done (nothing is impossible with God, remember). He proposes and waits for a respose . This is the reverse-totally unlike the fallen angels or demons who found the daughters of men so beautiful they raped them-the Nephalim. God proposes and gets consent after waiting for the answer. The demons rape. God proposes nicely.
The same gentlemanly angel goes to Elizabeth who is ancient and beyond menopause one assumes. Like Sarah you can hear the laughter under her breath. (Isaac's name means 'Laughter' it seemed so ridiculous- it was laughable even)- But what did God do when Zechariah doubted it? He just shut him up until he went with the program- listen, you don't open your mouth until you affirm his name is John.
So here we have God doing what only God can do- because it was beyond human capacity or conniving to concoct and who really would want to? Mary might have liked to get pregnant a little later- Elizabeth a little earlier- but God has plans that don't fit our schedules sometimes. God operates out of time and inside time-because he is eternal.
And so next Sunday we have what we associate with babies- Baptism- the Baptism of the Lord. It happens that the Lord was adult baptized at the start of his ministry- age around 30 we think. But it birthed a new kind of ministry-or a new dimension to his ministry. It birthed a new start into the years where his teaching was the richest, and the mission the clearest. God took about 30 years to unfold that plan so it was manifest to the world while it was simmering inside him for much of his life--at least from the time he was 12 in his 'father's house' reading Talmud -Torah in the Temple.
God's promises are true and unfailing. Nothing is impossible with God. Because he is God.
This is a colloquial British phrase said when one is reaching for the teapot to serve tea which is usually responded to by things like 'black please' or 'one sugar' or 'just a spot of milk, please.' I just heard it again while watching the Iron Lady movie where Meryl Streep plays brilliantly Margaret Thatcher. (Netflix-highly recommend it)
This reminded me of the questions Elizabeth and Mary both must have had. Shall I---be Mother? Its a question that got answered- complete with names…yes, so sure am I here is his name.
The spiritual inquiry is met with a pretty clear answer in both cases. Its definitive, its strong, its -here is what is going to happen. Are you with us here? the Angel seemed to wait for a response after the initial skepticism- How can that happen? I haven't been with a guy- promise. Then the Angel says, God will get the job done (nothing is impossible with God, remember). He proposes and waits for a respose . This is the reverse-totally unlike the fallen angels or demons who found the daughters of men so beautiful they raped them-the Nephalim. God proposes and gets consent after waiting for the answer. The demons rape. God proposes nicely.
The same gentlemanly angel goes to Elizabeth who is ancient and beyond menopause one assumes. Like Sarah you can hear the laughter under her breath. (Isaac's name means 'Laughter' it seemed so ridiculous- it was laughable even)- But what did God do when Zechariah doubted it? He just shut him up until he went with the program- listen, you don't open your mouth until you affirm his name is John.
So here we have God doing what only God can do- because it was beyond human capacity or conniving to concoct and who really would want to? Mary might have liked to get pregnant a little later- Elizabeth a little earlier- but God has plans that don't fit our schedules sometimes. God operates out of time and inside time-because he is eternal.
And so next Sunday we have what we associate with babies- Baptism- the Baptism of the Lord. It happens that the Lord was adult baptized at the start of his ministry- age around 30 we think. But it birthed a new kind of ministry-or a new dimension to his ministry. It birthed a new start into the years where his teaching was the richest, and the mission the clearest. God took about 30 years to unfold that plan so it was manifest to the world while it was simmering inside him for much of his life--at least from the time he was 12 in his 'father's house' reading Talmud -Torah in the Temple.
God's promises are true and unfailing. Nothing is impossible with God. Because he is God.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Friday, December 06, 2013
Monday, December 02, 2013
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