More enviro-nun wackiness
They have owned remote convents, willow-shaded hospitals, and schools and orphanages on green campuses. For decades, nuns have been little-noticed stewards of the land.
Now, a group of nuns at a Plainville nature center is pushing to preserve properties owned by nuns and other religious groups, arguing that protecting open space is a worthy pursuit, even for those focused on a higher plane.
The Dominican nuns at the Crystal Spring Earth Learning Center have formed the Religious Lands Conservancy Project, a partnership with the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition. [Source]
Here is the site for the Crystal Spring Earth Learning Center. They seem to be heavily influenced by Fr. Thomas Berry. There is an article about him in the NC Reporter that includes this.
Rather than a theologian, Berry considers himself a cosmologist and “geologian,” an Earth scholar. He believes the only way to effectively function as individuals and as a species is to understand the history and functioning of our planet and of the wide universe itself, like sailors learning about their ship and the vast ocean on which it sails. “It takes a universe to make a child,” he says, adding that he is “trying to establish a functional cosmology, not a theology.” The amazing, mind-boggling cosmological perspective, he feels, can resuscitate human meaning and direction. The most important spiritual qualities, for Berry, are amazement and enchantment. Awe is healing. A sense of wonder is the therapy for spiritual autism.
In other words, caring for our planet and ascertaining where we are in the universe goes to the heart of what it means to be a faithful Christian. Nothing is really itself without everything else. Christianity’s task, if it is going to survive, will be to place itself within the context of science’s new story of our human origins and the evolution of the universe.
A geologian? That is just too funny. Here is one of his poems:
It Takes a Universe
by Thomas Berry
The child awakens to a universe.
The mind of the child to a world of meaning.
Imagination to a world of beauty.
Emotions to a world of intimacy.
It takes a universe to make a child
both in outer form and inner spirit.
It takes a universe to educate a child.
A universe to fulfill a child.
Gee I guess Hillary got it wrong, but maybe this is what she was thinking of for universal health care. I also guess people might become frustrated waiting for the universe to come and pick up their child to take them to universal day care.
Also on the nuns site from one of their newsletters was this piece of cosmic relativity.
As a species we are programmed to reflect on the reality that we experience. Out of our reflection we construct our meaning and create our cosmology. Our cosmology is our belief about the creation and purpose of the world.
In November they had "A Beautiful Gaia Concert" which promoted "Love Songs to Earth." O Beautiful Gaia. Of course they also link to multiple sites that reference sustainability (code words for abort to keep the population in control), reproductive health, and responsible reproduction.
Their attitude is like going to an art museum where all of the names of the artists were removed from their works. That the art exists as its own creation. I know this world view first hand. I have always loved the world of science and the awe of studying the complexity and wonders of the universe. I saw creation without a creator and the universal architecture without an architect. Many art historians study the biography and life of creator of a piece of art to try to more fully understand the art produced. Our eyes looking downwards to study the earth should also look upward to thank God for its wonders. Only by more deeply falling in love with God can we more deeply appreciated what he has created.
Known as 
If a community of monks or friars had an equal fascenation with the sun, whom they named Aten or Apollo, or Ra, or perhaps the Sol Invictus, and wrote hymns to It, would they be accused of idolatry?
What if they praised and danced before the sky itself, calling it Iupiter or Ba'al?
What if they kept vigil as Osiris passed along the night sky, offering incense and prayers?
Would they be accused of idolatry?
And this Berry guy still calls himself "father"? Where's his bishop in all this?
"...Christianity’s task, if it is going to survive, will be to place itself within the context of science’s new story of our human origins and the evolution of the universe."
Really? I thought Christianity's task was to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love one's neighbor as one's self. I guess Jesus got it wrong.
If a community of monks or friars had an equal fascenation with the sun, whom they named Aten or Apollo, or Ra, or perhaps the Sol Invictus, and wrote hymns to It, would they be accused of idolatry?
Yes.
What's with the reverse-rhetorical questions? Why are you expecting a no? Do you think that misogyny is driving Jeff to comment on this story? If so, you just don't get it.
The point of the "reverse-rhetorical questions" is to show that this behavior goes beyond mere wackyness. Of course the friars would be accused of idolatry. The point, dear Meredith, is that the sisters have not.
"Why are you expecting a no?"
Why are you expecting that I am expecting a no?
Notice how these seemingly enlightened, scientific minded people aren't "evolving" beyond religion but rather devolving back into paganism.
......and I wonder....does this community benefit from the recent collection for retired religious taken at the request of the UCCB? To find out,access this http:www.usccb.org/nrro/index.shtml.
What's needed here is a St. Athanasius or a St. Nicholas (he got tired of listening to Arius's heresy and actually got up and gave him a good smack).
Very recently I had the occassion to write a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament the following note:
Dear Sister,
It has been quite sometime since I’ve been in touch with you. We regularly receive the newsletters and I must say that I am deeply disturbed by the spiritual and theological direction which they convey. The Winter 2004 issue has a long quote from a letter by Clarissa Pinkola- Estes to a minister of the Church of Religious Science. This is what that church (?) says about our Savior, Jesus Christ:
"In Religious Science, Christ is viewed as a universal principle rather than a person. It is the principle of God expressing through humanity. Jesus of Nazareth was a human personality through which the Christ Principle, or Divine Personality, expressed itself on Earth. The principle of Jesus Christ represents the mystical marriage of our inner spirit with our outer personality. This union produces an expression of Life that includes both, yet is greater than either. The potential for this expression lies within each one of us. Therefore, Jesus is viewed as a great example for humanity, rather than the great exception"
I don’t know where to begin tallying all the heresies in their belief. It is not what our Church proclaims as truth.
As to Clarissa Pinkola-Estes – her new age mysticism is a false path. I tried hard to find something she says about our Christ but it seems she doesn’t even consider Him.
I worry about your salvation and the scandal you are causing. You will be in my prayers.
May the Peace of Christ be with you.
For non-nutty, orthodox ecological thinking, folks should check out Wendell Berry. He's also a much better poet that Thomas Berry. Here's a nice article:
http://tinyurl.com/4kxbu
Eek! Sorry, J A Baumgartner... I misread your post.
Nevermind. -__-
As a convert, I'm just plain embarrassed about 98% of the time. Why are there so many Stupid Catholics? You guys got a congenital problem?