Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Recovering From Sandy: Breezy Point, Queens; Santiago, Cuba

Quite a few folks are helping others sort out the mess left by Hurricane Sandy, including organizations like these:
If you don't see a tight focus on the recent Atlantic storm on those websites: don't be surprised. Sandy is a major storm: but it's not the only reason that folks need help.

On the other hand, cleaning up after Sandy is a big job: and it's very much in the news.

Floods, Fires, and Sturdy Masonry


(Associated Press, via New York Daily News, used w/o permission)
"The storm sparked a fire that took down dozens of homes in Breezy Point, Queens."

"Hurricane Sandy: Fire in Breezy Point burns down more than 80 homes, residents devastated"
Lisa L. Colangelo , Mark Morales, Tracy Connor, New York Daily News (October 30, 2012)

"Superstorm sparked a blaze that engulfed dozens of homes in Queens community, including that of Rep. Bob Turner, who praised first responders and vowed Breezy Point would be rebuilt.

"The tight-knit Queens enclave of Breezy Point was a scene of horrific devastation Tuesday -- row after row of homes engulfed by by an inferno that raged on streets flooded by superstorm Sandy....

"...Those who lost homes include Rep. Bob Turner, who praised first responders, vowed that the devastated community would be rebuilt, and said he was grateful he and his family were safe...."
I can't tell whether that statue started out inside a building, whether it was outside before the fire. Either way, I'm glad to see that folks in Breezy Point have at least one reminder of stability.

Here's where I could indulge in some conventional philosophizing. Depending on which audience I was playing to, I could write about:
  1. The 'miraculous' survival of a masonry structure
  2. How religion is stupid
    • Because the statue didn't protect Breezy Point
  3. The hate-filled Catholic Church
    • Wasting money on statues
    • Not supporting
      • Gay marriage
      • Eugenics
      • Whatever
That's not going to happen. I take my faith, and my Lord, seriously. I also realize that I've got my particular judgment coming, and don't need any more trouble than I've already got. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1013, 1021)

Here's what I think about those 'devout,' 'intelligent,' and otherwise, ideas:

1. Miracles and masonry

Maybe that statue's survival really was a miracle: but I've noticed that objects and structures made out of brick, mortar, and stone, tend to be more fire-resistant than wooden ones.

I acknowledge that miracles happen. In a sense, the continued existence of the universe is a miracle: and that's another topic.

2. Statues and Good Luck Charms

Some Catholics are superstitious. For that matter, some Catholics are mass murderers. (December 26, 2008) That doesn't, I think, mean that the Catholic Church should change the rules because some of us don't follow them - yet more topics. By the way, as a Catholic, I'm not allowed to commit murder.1 (Catechism, 2258-2262, 2268-2269)

I'm also not allowed to be superstitious. It's a very bad idea. (Catechism, 2110, 2111)

3. Hate and the Catholic Church

Maybe you know a Catholic who hates people. That's an individual, not the Catholic Church. I'm not allowed to hate people. It's "contrary to charity:" and is another very bad idea. (Catechism, 2303)

As for the 'hateful' things the Catholic Church stands for? I think Futon Sheen was right:
"There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church — which is, of course, quite a different thing."
(Bishop Fulton Sheen, Foreword to Radio Replies Vol. 1, page ix (1938), via Wikiquote)

Meanwhile, in Cuba - - -

"Cuban recovery from Hurricane Sandy will take years, agency reports"
CNA/EWTN News (October 31, 2012)

"The secretary general of Caritas Cuba said it will take years for the eastern section of the country to recover from Hurricane Sandy but that the local Church is bringing relief to thousands of victims.

"Maritza Sanchez told CNA on Oct. 29 that the situation in Cuba 'remains very difficult, especially in the city of Santiago, because the damage has been so severe.'...

"...While the Cuban government plays the key role in providing assistance, she continued, the Church is helping wherever possible and is seeking 'to officially collaborate with the structures of the State in order to broaden our efforts.'

"She said priests in hardest hit areas are identifying the families that have been most affected and are helping to distribute the food and water provided by Caritas. In some areas make-shift soup kitchens have been set up to help those whose needs are critical...."
I see what Caritas Cuba and the Catholic Church is doing in Cuba as another example of how we work with folks: where they live, as they are. On a local level, often as not, we are the 'natives,' the folks who live in an area.

"Subsidiarity" is fancy word for making decisions - and acting - as close to the local level as possible. I've shown how this principle works before. (April 28, 2011)

Ancient Church, Recent Events

Cuba has a communist government. Catholic institutions operate in Cuba. This doesn't mean that the Catholic Church is a commie plot.

The Catholic Church is also not a subversive puppet of Western capitalistic imperialism.

We were around nearly two millennia before the east-west, communism-capitalism conflict started: and I strongly suspect we'll be around when Whigs, Tories, Democrats, and Republicans are as ancient as Optimates and Populares are today:
Moving along.

"...Every Parish is Making an Analysis..."

"Cuban bishops bring relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy"
CNA/EWTN News (October 30, 2012)

"The bishops of eastern Cuba toured the provinces of Santiago, Holguin and Guantanamo to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, and bring pastoral and material aid to thousands of victims.

"An official from the Diocese of Holguin told CNA on Oct. 26 that local Bishop Emilio Aranguren 'personally went to all of the affected parishes,' and later went to Santiago to meet with Archbishop Dionisio Garcia, who also toured the affected areas...."

"...Manolo Martinez of Caritas Holguin said emergency teams are fanning out across the affected regions of the province and that 'every parish is making an analysis of its surroundings so that we can do our best to help the greatest number of people possible.'..."
I mentioned subsidiarity, getting the job done as far away from 'headquarters' as possible, before.

I think one reason the Catholic Church is so effective at charity work is that most of the time, we're already 'there.' Our organization is global, but we're also neighbors in the narrow sense of the word: folks who live down the street, across the valley, whatever.

Preparing For Sandy

"Catholic community helps East Coast prepare for Hurricane Sandy"
Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (October 29, 2012)

" As much of the East Coast braces for Hurricane Sandy, the Church is helping local people prepare for the storm, reaching out to offer shelter to the homeless and organizing disaster response efforts.

" 'Since Hurricane Katrina, we have focused on being prepared for future disasters,' Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, said in an Oct. 27 statement.

" 'Not only are we early responders, but our presence in the community also puts us in a position to be able to quickly assess and provide support in the long-term,' he added...."
I've said this before. The Catholic Church doesn't insist, or expect, that 'the natives' will stop being who we are. The Church has worked with worked with barbarian warlords, kings, dictators, and the American Congress.

That's not the same as saying that the Church approves of whatever the local shaman or Senator does: and that's yet another topic. Topics.

Related posts:

1 The Catholic Church says that human life is sacred. (Catechism, 2258) This belief results in awkward rules about killing people. Basically, as a Catholic I'm not allowed to kill an innocent person; even if:
  • It's legal
    (Catechism, 2270-2275)
  • 'In the victim's best interests'
    (Catechism, 2276-2279)
  • Part of an experiment
    (Catechism, 2292-2295)
  • I'm 'just following orders'
    (Catechism, 2313)

America's National Election; What I Believe; and What I Don't

Since there's an American national election coming next week, this 'Bible and Catechism' post focuses on citizenship, politics, and an issue or two.

I'm a Catholic. I take my faith seriously. Among other things, I must:
  • Support religious freedom
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Take an active part in public life
    (Catechism, 1915)
  • Contribute to the good of society
    • In a spirit of
      • Truth
      • Justice
      • Solidarity
      • Freedom
    (Catechism, 2239)
  • Submit to legitimate authorities
    • Refuse obedience to civil authorities
      • When their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience
      (Catechism, 2242)
    (Catechism, 2239)
    (June 1, 2012)

"Far Right-Wing?"

Since I take what the Catholic Church says seriously, some folks may assume that I'm part of the 'far right wing:'
"Catholics United urges 'gay marriage' surrender"
Kevin J. Jones, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 26, 2012)

"The group Catholics United, which until now has avoided directly contradicting Catholic teaching in its defense of Democratic political causes, has now denounced Catholic efforts to defend traditional marriage as a 'far right-wing' social issue.

"The shift comes in an Oct. 18 statement criticizing Catholic donations to organizations that support marriage and oppose its redefinition to include same-sex couples. Catholics United called for a halt financial support for 'anti-marriage equality ballot initiatives' in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington, states where the issue is on the November ballot...."
I've run into folks who say they're Catholics, and act as if they have very conservative beliefs. I've run into other Catholics who appear to be very liberal in their views.

I've been called a conservative, and understand why that label was applied, but I'm not. For example, I believe that human life is sacred. Because I believe this, I have both "conservative" and "liberal" views. I am against:
  • Abortion
    • A 'conservative' position
  • Capital punishment
    • A 'liberal' position
I'm neither conservative nor liberal; I'm certainly not moderate; and I've been over this before:

Marriage, Hate, and Belief

The notion that seeing marriage as a union of a man and a woman is "far right wing" isn't necessarily true. But I can see how it might seem plausible.

Some folks who are religious at the top of their lungs have views which are extreme, and aren't left-wing. If a person assumes that 'left wing liberal' and 'right wing conservative' are the only two possible philosophical stances, these extreme folks 'must' be conservative.

Maybe that's so. But whatever this lot is, they're not Catholic:


(Reuters photo, via FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)

As a practicing Catholic I'm not allowed to hate anybody:
"We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: 'He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.' Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell.' "
(Catechism, 1033) [emphasis mine]
Again: that's not a photo of Catholics.

"Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity"

I'm also expected to accept other people with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity:"
"The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."
(Catechism, 2358) [emphasis mine]
I've been over that before, too. (March 13, 2009)

Acceptance, Approval, and Getting a Grip

However, accepting human beings as people is not the same as believing anything people do is okay.

For example, the Church says killing myself is wrong, and has other rules that sometimes get in the way of impulses folks have.

That's not because the Vatican is run by a bunch of killjoys, but because we're expected to love God and love our neighbor.

That's not as narrow a view as it may seem. We're also told that everybody's our neighbor. (Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:25-27; Luke 10:29-37; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1822, 1825)

Again, I've been over this before:

Marriage, Catholic Style

As a practicing Catholic, I take Ephesians 5:22 seriously. But I've also read Ephesians 5:21-30, and that's almost another topic. (May 1, 2012)

Basically, the Church says that marriage is between a man and a woman who understand and accept human sexuality, and who agree to be man and wife. (2201-2203, 2333-2391)

Getting back to the question of redefining marriage, I'd hoped that I could take a nice, safe, 'I don't care' approach. I was wrong. (June 23, 2010)

Related posts:

Monday, October 29, 2012

"The Natural Environment ... God's Gift to Everyone"

I spent my teens in the '60s, and remember the first Earth Day, back in 1970. I also remember seeing truck-sized rafts of suds floating down the Mississippi River in the mid-'70s.

About three decades later, I'm still concerned about environmental issues.

That doesn't mean that I think humanity is a cancer on 'Mother Earth,' that 'Mother Nature' is dying, or that we'll all be killed by whatever today's fashionable crisis is.

Green, Above and Beyond the Call of Reason

I'd spent quite a bit of time on college campuses by the time I became a Catholic. I had gotten used to some colorful varieties of 'environmentalism' and folks who seemed convinced that:
  1. Human beings were killing Nature
    • And shouldn't exist
  2. Humanity could continue to exist if
    • There are a lot fewer of us
    • We live 'sustainably,' like we did before the
      • Industrial revolution
      • Iron age
      • Late stone age
  3. Technology is bad
Not all strident environmentalists believed 'all of the above,' and some had other sincerely-held beliefs. Sadly, the wacky side of environmental awareness made it difficult to take the steady stream of alleged crises seriously.

Part of my problem was that I remembered when terribly serious folks were concerned about fluoridated water and other 'commie threats' - - -

- - - Which reminds me of science, junk and otherwise; which is another set of topics:
Where was I?

Environmental concerns, real and imagined. Getting a grip. Right.

Environmentalism that Makes Sense

Don't get me wrong: I think:
  • It's stupid to dump raw sewage in water we plan to drink
  • Recycling is basically a good idea
  • Wasteful use of resources is a bad idea
But my background made it easy for me to assume that 'environmentalism' was a borderline-crackpot set of beliefs.

Then I started running into this sort of thing:
"...Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 339)
There's a reasonable approach to 'animal rights,' too: and that's another topic. (Catechism, 2416, 2418) (August 17, 2009)

Benedict XVI's "Caritas in Veritate" discusses concerns about economic development, technology, human development; and managing the environment:
"Today the subject of development is also closely related to the duties arising from our relationship to the natural environment. The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 48)

Information Age America isn't Victorian England

The idea that religion, Christianity in particular, is the root of all problems is - yet more topics. I've posted about Tennyson, Lennon, and getting along, before. (April 18, 2012)

Then there's malignant virtue and America's perennial 'End Times Bible prophecies.' Still more topics. (December 9, 2010, June 14, 2011) The Church takes the Last Judgment seriously. (May 21, 2011) Good grief. More topics.

I don't buy into the 'religion kills' attitude. But I've run into enough folks whose enthusiasm for hatred makes that attitude seem reasonable:
I think much of today's assumptions about religion - held by both the 'religion kills' and the 'everything I don't like is Satanic' sort - stems from a conniption among gentlemen of another century:
Victoria hasn't been Queen of England for generations, the 'Scopes Monkey Trial' is long over, and I think it's time to acknowledge that 'the good old days' are gone.

And thank God for that. (June 2, 2011)

Responsibility is No Accident

I've run into folks who seem convinced that Christians want to destroy nature because God says so. Maybe there's a preacher somewhere who says that.

God told our first parents to "fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:26-30) But - and this is important - we're stewards, not owners. I've been over this before.
And see:
I recognize that folks can believe that God shouldn't exist, and still want to 'save the rainforest.'

But once I admit that God exists, and created the visible world: acting irresponsibly toward this creation simply isn't an option:
"...When nature, including the human being, is viewed as the result of mere chance or evolutionary determinism, our sense of responsibility wanes. In nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative activity, which we may use responsibly to satisfy our legitimate needs, material or otherwise, while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 48)

Getting a Grip About Nature

Here's why it's a good idea to keep God in mind, together with the idea that we don't own nature:
"...If this vision is lost, we end up either considering nature an untouchable taboo or, on the contrary, abusing it. Neither attitude is consonant with the Christian vision of nature as the fruit of God's creation...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 48)
Yes, we have 'dominion' over the visible world. But it's not ours to destroy.

Simple self-interest should show that we shouldn't make a mess of the natural world. A key word there is "should." Moving on.

We have a responsibility to folks who haven't been born yet, and to the owner of this world. I don't think that means that any use of natural resources is wrong. We've got brains, hands, and a knack for finding new uses for the things in this world. I doubt very much that God made us this way 'by mistake.'

"...A Design of Love and Truth"

Worshiping nature, treating the creation as if it is God, is not an option. That would be idolatry, and a very bad idea. (Catechism, 2112-2114) (April 15, 2012)

But recognizing the designs and beauties of nature, and their implications, makes sense. I'll get back to this next week, God willing:
"...Nature expresses a design of love and truth. It is prior to us, and it has been given to us by God as the setting for our life. Nature speaks to us of the Creator (cf. Rom 1:20) and his love for humanity...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 48)
Finally, here's a few verses from Romans, including the one cited:
"For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.

"Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse;

"for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened."
(Romans 1:19-21)

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

Related posts:

Sunday, October 28, 2012

"Press On:" Bill Gates, Calvin Coolidge, and Bartimaeus

Readings for October 28, 2012, 30th Sunday in Ordinary time 2012:

30th Sunday in Ordinary time 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
October 28, 2012

I would like to share with you today three separate topics. The first one from a document received from Rome by Benedict the 16th's reflection on the year of faith. The second topic is from Francis Cardinal George referring to October as the month of the most holy Rosary and also a little about the apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima. Third will be a brief reflection on the blind man Bartimaeus from the Gospel of today.

The holy father on his Wednesdays general audience, he continues his catechesis on the year of faith, this is what he says, "Dear brothers and sisters, in our series of Catholic catechesis for the year of faith we now consider the nature of faith more than simply knowledge about God, faith is a living encounter with Him. Through faith we come to know and love God, who reveals Himself in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ, and in so doing reveals the deepest meaning and truth of our human existence.

Faith offers us sure hope and direction amid the spiritual confusion of our times. Before all else, faith is a divine gift which enables us to open our hearts and minds to God's word and, through baptism, to share in his divine life within the community of the Church. Yet faith is also a profoundly human act, engaging our intelligence and our freedom. When we welcome God's invitation and gift, our lives and the world around us, are transformed. May this year of faith help us to live our faith fully, and to invite others to hear about faith in God's word, opening their hearts to the Eternal life which faith promises.

Part two: October is the month of the most holy Rosary, a devotion associated in modern times with apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917, which she always requests in these private revelations that echo the public revelation in the gospel: "repent, the kingdom of God is at hand."

From that time when untold millions came to a violent death through war and atrocities to violent even to contemplate has taken place to the present day. However Mary did promise that her Immaculate Heart would triumph. This promise, too, echoes the gospel itself: the risen Christ is victorious even over sin and death. There is a question to be contemplated, and that is, why have entire civilizations seem to have been faded out of history?, and who will be next? Remember the words of Mother Teresa, any nation that kills and destroys the unborn cannot continue to stand as a nation!

Consider too the present political campaign that has brought to the surface of our public life the anti-religious sentiment, much of it explicit the anti-Catholic, that has been growing in this country for several decades, the secularization of our culture is a much larger issue then political causes or the outcome of the current electoral campaign, important though that is.

Some of you will recall it is from this sentiment that Cardinal George made this statement: "I am correctly quoted as saying that I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square." What is omitted from the report is a final phrase I added about the Bishop who follows the possible last martyred Bishop: "his successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church is done so often in human history." He goes on to say, what I said is not "prophetic" but away to force people to think outside of the usual categories that limit and sometimes poison both private and public discourse." The heading for this article is simply, "The Wrong Side of History" I will leave now, this second part, to your reflection and meditation.

Bill Gates failed in his first business. But he learned from the experience and started of another business, which he called Microsoft. Persistence pays off.

Pres. Calvin Coolidge once said, "nothing in the world can take the place of persistence, talent will not, genius will not, education will not, persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

Long before Bill Gates and Calvin Coolidge, Bartimaeus was putting persistence into practice. He wanted to have his vision restored, and nothing was going to stop him. He first had to get in front of the crowd's lining the street. He found his way to the front, and sat on the side of the road to await the coming of the one who could heal him. When he heard the crowd coming, he began to call out to Jesus, when people tried to silence him Bartimaeus called out the louder, "Son of David have pity on me." What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asks. The blind man replies, Mater I want to see! The response of the master is simply, go your way your faith has saved you!

I'm sure that all of us at one time or another can relate to the blind Bartimaeus, for blindness is not only in the eye but with our relationship to our God and to one another. This simple little story of the blind man can cause all of us to reflect on any area of blindness that we know exists in each of our natures and likewise can holler and call, Lord Jesus son of David have mercy on me!

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

More reflections:
Related posts:

Evangelization Project Number One: Me

If you follow this blog (thank you!) you've probably seen this fairly often:
There's more to my faith than that, but the basics are quite simple. Jesus died on Golgotha, which settled accounts between God and humanity: including me. I've decided that paying attention to Jesus is a good idea. So is accepting him as my Lord. (August 1, 2012)

'Loving my neighbor' doesn't mean always having gooey feelings toward others. It does mean acting as if other people matter. That gets me into 'faith and works,' which is almost another topic.

Jesus' 'to do' List

The 'to-do' list that my Lord gave us is, again, basically simple. One of the high priorities is teaching:
"11 Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

"Go, therefore, 12 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,

"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 13 And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.' "
(Matthew 28:18-20)
That's "teaching," not "verbally abusing." I've posted about malignant virtue, radio preachers, and why I became a Catholic, before. More topics. Lots more topics.

Job One for the Year of Faith

We're three weeks into the 'Year of Faith.' The New Evangelization is a major focus, which raises an good question:
"What is the New Evangelization?"
How We Teach, USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

"The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on 're-proposing' the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith...."
That doesn't mean that I'm supposed to act as if I'm a spiritual hotshot, straightening out my 'inferiors.' Not even close.

Job one is to brush up on how I'm following my Lord:
"...The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church...."
("What is the New Evangelization?")
I should be doing that anyway, yet more topics.

More than Just Me

I'm just one man, about 1/7,000,000,000th of the folks living today. What can I possibly do about reaching "all nations?"

There's the mustard seed thing:
"It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.

"7 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.""
(Mark 4:31-32)
Besides, there's more to my faith than just me. So I'll keep working on my relationship with Jesus, learning more, and - for what it's worth - posting on this blog.

More:
Related posts:

Friday, October 26, 2012

Liberty, an Election, and a Rock on Mars

I'd be concerned if folks stopped trying to move to America. I think America benefits each time someone with new ideas and fresh enthusiasm comes to my native land.

I'll admit to a bias. My ancestors, not too many generations back, were 'foreigners' who decided that life would be better here. Their motives were a mix of hopes for a better standard of living, and a desire for the freedom to practice their faith without interference from the state.

The freedom to act as if religious beliefs matter is one of the big issues in the November election. I think religious freedom is a good idea: but again I'm biased. I think being allowed to act as if God matters is okay.

I also think that "freedom" doesn't mean "free to be like me." As a practicing Catholic, I must believe that:
  • Religious freedom is vital
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
Meanwhile, a robot is still exploring Mars: and that's another topic.
  1. Immigrants and a 'Foreign' Religion?
  2. A Little Martian Pyramid Named Jake

1. Immigrants and a 'Foreign' Religion?

"Voter scorecard informs Latinos about religious freedom threats"
Michelle Bauman, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (October 25, 2012)

"A group that works to offer a Catholic voice in the public square has released a new guide to inform Spanish-speaking voters of religious liberty concerns in the presidential election.

" 'Our Christianity - our religious fervor - is a huge part of our lives,' said Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, director of Hispanic Outreach for the Catholic Association.

"She told CNA on Oct. 24 that Hispanic voters need to realize that the current administration 'has been aggressive' towards religion, conscience and the Church.

"Religion is 'intrinsically' part of the Hispanic way of life, she said, and 'it's too central to our culture to give that up.'..."
I could be wrong about this, but I suspect that some of the fury over immigrants from Latin America is rooted in a fear that America will lose the "P" in WASP.

America hasn't been most 'Anglo-Saxon' for several generations: but at least newcomers looked 'Anglo.' Many were Protestant, safely secular, or willing to keep quiet about their 'foreign' beliefs.

Folks who look like me or my ancestors could, in principle, learn to speak with an American accent, wear suitably drab clothing, and pass for 'regular Americans.' Many of today's immigrants don't have that option. Maybe it's time for America to get over trying to be 'British,' and that's not quite another topic.

Out of the Frying Pan - - -

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire" means: "If you get out of one problem, but find yourself in a worse situation, you are out of the frying pan, into the fire." (UsingEnglish.com)

If Americans decide that religious freedom isn't as important as giving the current administration four more years, folks who came here seeking that freedom may feel that they'd have been better off 'back where they came from.'

Which reminds me of a few decades back, when [whatever we're supposed to say when referring to Apache, Cheyenne, Lakota, and the other folks who'd been living in North America for 20,000 years or so] finally got America's government to recognize treaties signed in the 19th century. Whew! That's a monster of a sentence, but I think you get the idea. Moving along.

This 'regular American' supposedly said 'if those Indians don't like it here, why don't they go back where they came from?

It was funny, sort of, at the time.

Back to an issue today's immigrants, and many others, should take very seriously:
"...President Obama is given a failing grade for his policies, including the federal mandate that requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences. Romney is given an 'A+' for his actions and pledges to uphold religious freedom.

"Growing up largely in Mexico with parents from Cuba, Christie said that most Hispanics in the U.S. 'have left their countries because of a lack of freedom' in the economic, political or religious realms...."
(Michelle Bauman, CNA)
I think Americans have gotten used to the idea that an American doesn't have to be pale.

A Tradition We Can Do Without

On the other hand, I still run into folks who seem to think that "American" and "melanin-deficient" mean the same thing. I also run into the same old antipathy for Catholics and Catholicism from time to time.


(Chick Publications, via FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)

From ''Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'', 1926. Published by the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, NJ. Copyright was not renewed.
(Pillar of Fire Church, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission)
"From ''Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'', 1926. Published by the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, NJ...."


(From Thomas Nast Portfolio, Ohio State University, used w/o permission.)
"The American River Ganges, a cartoon by Thomas Nast showing bishops attacking public schools, with connivance of Boss Tweed. Harper's Weekly, September 30, 1871." (Wikipedia)

In a way, anti-Catholicism is an old American tradition. Which is why I don't think that old ideas are necessarily good ideas: and that's yet another topic. Topics.

2. A Little Martian Pyramid Named Jake

"Curiosity Rover's Pet Mars Rock 'Jake' Unlike Any Seen on Red Planet
Clara Moskowitz, Space.com (October 11, 2012)

"A rock on Mars being studied by NASA's Curiosity rover is unlike any Martian stone ever seen, and is surprisingly similar to an unusual, but well-known, kind of rock on Earth.

"This type of rock is the first of its kind encountered on Mars and is helping broaden scientists' understanding of how igneous rocks form, scientists said today (Oct. 11). The rock, named 'Jake Matijevic' in honor of a Curiosity mission team member who died in August, is a 16-inch-tall (40-centimeter) pyramid-shape specimen that Curiosity encountered at its landing spot in Mars' Gale Crater...."
A rock that's not quite knee-high for many folks isn't, by itself, newsworthy. What makes 'Jake' special is that it's on Mars, and the first of its kind found on that planet.

Martian Prospecting

Curiosity's work on Mars includes scooping up bits of Martian soil, shaking them, and sending back videos of the process:
Silly as it may sound, that's a pretty good way of seeing what the soil is like.

Back to 'Jake:'
"...'The spectrum that we're seeing was not what I expected,' said APXS principal investigator Ralf Gellert of Canada's University of Guelph. 'It seems to be a new type of rock that we've discovered on Mars' that wasn't seen by NASA's previous Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

"Jake appears to have higher concentrations of elements such as sodium, aluminum and potassium, and lower concentrations of magnesium, iron and nickel, than other igneous rocks studied on Mars.

"... While previously unknown on Mars, this type of chemical composition is seen in a rare but well-studied class of rocks on Earth. On Earth, such specimens are found on oceanic islands such as Hawaii and in other places. They are thought to form when interior rocks melt to form magma, which then rises toward the surface. As it rises, it cools, and parts of the material crystalize, preferentially selecting some elements while leaving a remainder of liquid magma that is enriched with the left-behind chemicals.

"However, the researchers said it's too soon to know whether the Jake rock formed this same way.

" 'This is based on one rock and one has to be careful not to extrapolate,' said Edward Stolper, provost of Caltech and co-investigator on Curiosity's science team. 'You have to wait and see if we find others and if relationships among them give us clues into the processes.'..."
(Clara Moskowitz, Space.com)
If this was science fiction movie from the 'good old days,' we'd probably have seen a Martian princess and/or hideous monster by now.

But this isn't "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" (1965). It's real. And, I think, at least as exciting.

A Healthy Interest in God's Creation

As for how I can be interested in science and be a Catholic, I've been over that before. Fairly often.

Basically, I think God is smarter than I am, more powerful, and apparently has no problem with big numbers. Besides, I don't see a point in giving us curiosity, if we're not supposed to be curious.

The way I see it, not showing an interest in this marvel-filled creation would be a strange way of showing respect for God.

Besides:
"...the things of the world

and the things of faith

derive from the same God...
"

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 159)

Related posts:

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Faith, Belief: and a Really Good Role Model

Jesus died to save my life.

That's not the sort of thing I'm likely to forget. (August 1, 2012)

There's more to my faith than that: I'm not likely to keep anything simple, let alone something as important as where and how I hope to spend eternity.

Here's what got me started on today's post:
"The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who 'loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins': 'the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world,' and 'he was revealed to take away sins':70
"Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light. ...71
"The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love ... 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.'73"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 457-458)

Acting as if God Matters

One more thing: it isn't enough to 'really believe.' Not as far as I can tell. I couldn't settle accounts with God without my Lord: but I'm not expected to sit back and do nothing after saying "I believe."

I'm expected to act as if God matters. Happily, I've got a good role model:
"The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.' 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'74 On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: 'Listen to him!'75..."
(Catechism, 459)
Following my Lord is changing me, and that's another topic.

Related posts:

Monday, October 22, 2012

Development: Done With People, Not to Them

Faith, hope, and charity, are theological virtues. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1812-1829, particularly 1822)

In "Caritas in Veritate" ("Charity in Truth") Benedict XVI describes principles we can use to make charity work: today and in the world we're building.

Charity is a theological virtue, but we're human beings: so getting it right takes work; and I'm not going to go off on a tangent about original sin. (June 27, 2012)

'The Hunted Look in their Eyes'

There's some truth to the joke about an over-energetic philanthropist: 'you could tell who he was helping, by the hunted look in their eyes.' (November 25, 2011)

Having zeal to help others is nice, but so is knowing how make that help effective.

Benedict XVI describes the sort of cooperation we need, if development is going to work:
"...International cooperation requires people who can be part of the process of economic and human development through the solidarity of their presence, supervision, training and respect...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 47)
Here's a breakout of that list of personal qualities for folks being a part of economic and human development:
  • Presence
  • Supervision
  • Training
  • Respect
I'm inclined to see respect as being particularly important. It's one thing to 'help the poor;' something else to see folks who have less wealth and power as 'respectable' persons.

Remembering Why the Bureau Exists

This is about as snarky as I can remember an official Vatican document getting:
"...From this standpoint, international organizations might question the actual effectiveness of their bureaucratic and administrative machinery, which is often excessively costly. At times it happens that those who receive aid become subordinate to the aid-givers, and the poor serve to perpetuate expensive bureaucracies...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 47)
There's more, including the idea that aid programs should be honest about:
  • How they're spending money
  • Who gets helped
  • Whether any resources seep through to the alleged recipients
All of that is a good idea, and a reminder to check out 'charitable' agencies before handing them money.

As for government programs that simply take our money - I realize that it's possible for a government agency to do something other than provide employment for bureaucrats.

I also think it's better when private citizens get together as needed, and work out ways to get what's needed to folks who need it.

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

Somewhat-related posts:

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Living With Imperfection

Halloween is a little over a week away.

Folks with a flair for outdoor decor set out artistically altered pumpkins, like the vegetable R2D2 someone showed on Google+. Villafane Studios takes jack-o-lantern carving to a whole new level; and, in one arboretum, folks can visit a patch of glass pumpkins.

Our catacorner neighbors have inflatable holiday decorations out again this year: including an improbably balanced pile of jack-o-lanterns and a huge purple spider.

Values: Halloween DVD, Addams Family, and Otherwise

Halloween-related discussions I've seen online this year have been fairly tame. One post showed a store's display of "Halloween DVD Values," questioning "...what kind of values a Halloween DVD has...."

The fellow who shared that may have been enjoying a play on words. I've done the same sort of thing, in somewhat snarkier tone:
What I haven't seen, yet, is a rant about the Satanic horrors of pumpkins, black cats, and kids asking for candy.

Engaging the Culture?

Maybe that's because I've found niches in online communities where most of the folks aren't particularly rabid. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough to "engage the present-day culture:"
Or maybe it's not close enough to Halloween yet.

The Usual Complaints

On the other hand, some online discussion did include folks with the usual complaints about the Catholic Church:
  1. Priests molested kids
  2. The Church
    • Is against women's right to chose
    • Isn't against the death penalty
  3. We're hypocrites
There's some truth behind those attitudes:
  1. Priests molested kids
  2. The Church
  3. We're hypocrites

Hypocrisy: Not Approved

A dictionary says hypocrisy is:
  • An expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction
  • Insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have
    (Princeton's WordNet)
The Catholic Church says we should be "living in truth." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2465-2470) The idea is to be truthful - which is inconsistent with practicing hypocrisy:
"Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy."
(Catechism, 2468)
So, does this mean that all Catholics are perfect people, unsullied by naughty thoughts and nasty deeds? Hardly. I've posted about original sin before. (July 25, 2012)

I'm one of the billion or so living Catholics who could say 'God's not done with me yet.' Which isn't the same as hating myself, or putting on a show of being 'a great sinner who is now SAVED, and that's another topic. Topics. (October 26, 2011, August 8, 2010)

Life: Sacred

Like I've said before, life is sacred. (Catechism, 2258) Since I'm a practicing Catholic, I can't let that be a lovely thought and nothing more. I have to act as if it's true. Yet more topics.

Change Happens

I didn't expect the 21st century to be quite like this: but I didn't expect it to be just like 1950s America, either. This post was going to be about change, stress, and all that: but it got out of hand. I'll settle for linking to sort-of-related posts:

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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.