Punditry

I kept hearing about Mary’s Fiat, but I never could find a picture of it until now.

Jennifer Fulwiler offers another excellent article, this time on Atheist Pride week that is worth reading about the dangers of embracing an identity involved with being what you are against.

Pride events seem to me as odd considering pride comes before the fall. Whether it is Gay Pride or Atheist Pride embracing pride is rather strange since no one lists it when it comes to virtues. Though generally atheism leads to pride – or at least how I lived atheism. A group that likes to be known as Brights or Free-thinkers doesn’t place humility high on the list.

In my case I felt a superiority over those masses of people who believed in a sky-father and needed to look beyond science for answers. I rather pitied such people who were still living in the Dark Ages intellectually and needed a wake-up call to an age that had put man on the Moon. I was not shy about my atheism and had no problem identifying myself as such. When the Navy asked me my religion to mark down on the forms once I joined I was happy to say Atheist and have it marked as such. I would love to engage believers and argue about their belief if given an opportunity. Growing up in Portland, Or I wasn’t given much opportunity to do so. Really most of my life I was surrounded by atheists or practical-atheists. The fact that there are quite a lot of people who say they believe in God yet lived as if he didn’t exist certainly added to my pride. If I drank as much as them and fornicated as much as them I was still smarter than them because there was no hypocrisy in my actions – so I believed.

Now as a Catholic I can hardly feel pride for being a Catholic in that it was not of my doing and certainly not a directed choice. There is a humility in recognizing that faith is pure gift and that while you must cooperate with it, grace led to even that cooperation. Though during the initial part of my conversion I had some pride in it being an intellectual conversion in that I had read myself into the Church. Later though I saw the foolishness of that and once again trying to take pride in what was a gift. Thankfully God keeps sending me plenty of ways of becoming humble when I try to take pride in intellectual ability.

I also find the need for Atheist Pride week interesting. Changing your Facebook profile to one where you wear a shirt with a big “A” on it or take pictures of yourself with a sign saying you are an atheist is a strange turn in the atheist movement. It seems more and more atheist want to be given acceptance and they are increasingly playing the victim card. Being offended right and left over reminders on government property that belief in God exists seems to me contrary to atheist pride. A happy atheist should be able to have self-esteem in their philosophy without getting upset when you see signs of other people’s belief. If you are really a truth seeker and accept atheism because you find it to be true, what is the point at getting upset when others don’t do the same? After all whether you are an atheist or a believer when you die you both just stop existing regardless. The so-called “New Atheists” that act this way I would adapt H.L. Menken’s famous quote.

“Atheism – the haunting fear that someplace, somewhere, there might be a cross on a City seal.”

One atheist didn’t get the memo about Atheist Pride Week.

Atheist activist Dr. Michael Newdow announced on his website that after 6 years of litigation in federal courts, his constitutional challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance in California public schools is “over.

I was once proud to be an atheist, now I take some pleasure in being an ex-atheist and the Joy I have come to find. So if you have a profile picture with a shirt with an ‘A’ on it or a sign identifying yourself as an atheist I would be happy to pray that you come to the same joy that I have. That joy that another ex-atheist C.S. Lewis described in his book “Surprised by Joy.”

In part two I take a more humorous take on this.

New York, NY. He goes to NAACP meetings, though not every time. He considers himself a practicing NAACP Member, yet avoids calling himself devout. He opposes racism, as NAACP leaders do. But he supports skinheads. And he supports slavery and owner’s rights which at odds with NAACP teaching.

In other words, Gov. Andy M. Cuomese of New York shares the habits and social views of a growing number ofself-hating African-Americans who have identified themselves as NAACP members in recent surveys.

But now that he is the governor, the everyday complications of Mr. Cuomese’s NAACP identity have become a lightning rod in a decades-old culture war between traditional NAACP and those, like Mr. Cuomese, who disagree with the organizations positions on various issues, including slavery and racial quotas.

Just how fierce that struggle remains became evident last week, when online criticism from a NAACP lawyer led to an awkward impasse that threatened to derail the governor’s first official meeting with the NAACP leadership.

Mr. Cuomese understands the order of battle as well as anyone: His father, Mario M. Cuomese, the New York governor from 1983 to 1994, delivered a seminal speech at the University of Notre Dame in 1984 that laid out the moral argument that politicians affiliated with NAACP have used ever since to justify being personally opposed to slavery while supporting a owner’s right to choose.

Still, it is an uncomfortable position for a son steeped in NAACP’s agenda. Andy Cuomese was raised in a Queens household where NAACP members and the leadership were guests at dinner. His father’s favorite books were by NAACP members.

[Article being parodied]

Now with this little thought experiment if such a situation actually existed, nobody would bat an eye if the NAACP threw out a member that supported such evil. If they told him that his membership was revoked until such time as he recanted his position, again nobody would have a problem with this. Generally in any organization if a member opposed the goals of that organization in a flagrant and public manner people would not be surprised if major action was not taken to correct that person. If such a person showed up at a meeting, his being shown the door would be seem to match right reason.

Yet when it comes to the Church we are not suppose to say a peep if one of our brothers is endangering their soul. Scandal, so what. Being a politician of the right secular beliefs trumps any criticism of religious observance. We are not allowed to follow Catholic doctrine in regards to the Eucharist and the danger of someone receiving it in a state a grave sin. We are not even allowed to talk like John the Baptist who criticized Herod’s irregular marriage as is the case of Gov. Cuomo’s adultery and public concubanage. Well I guess we still are allowed to talk like John the Baptist, it is just that the media wants our head when we do so.

The title of the NYT piece made no sense at all. “A Cuomo Who Is Catholic but Hardly Theological.” To be a Catholic is to hold a theological position. The only real reason to be Catholic is to believe the Catholic faith is true and to hold her theological positions as truth. Being a member of the Catholic Church is not like being a fan of a sports team because your father was and cultural Catholicism is that empty.

Having just read Blessed John Henry Newman’s “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine” and “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” back-to-back, I was delighted with the opportunity to review “John Henry Newman: A Prophet for Our Times” by Father Robert Barron. While the “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” is a defense of his life, it does not fill in hardly any biographical details. Mainly it is a review of his intellectual and theological development over time. The “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” makes for great reading, but it is nothing like spiritual biographies such as St. Augustine’s “Confessions” or St. Therese’s “Story of a Soul.”

“John Henry Newman: A Prophet for Our Times” is a 3-CD Set that contains a series of three lectures that Fr. Robert Barron gave. In it he covers the biographical aspects while concentrating on one of his writings for each CD. The three major books he covers is “Apologia Pro Vita Sua”, “Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine”, the Grammar of Assent.” To a lesser degree he covers his other writings such as “An Idea of a University”, his writing on Justification, and his sermons.

Fr. Barron is most know for his speaking on the intersection with faith and culture, these lectures are slightly more scholarly while still be totally accessible. He is full of insights towards Newman and his writings and filled in some of the gaps for me in my own understanding of Blessed John Henry Newman. His discussion of the “Grammar of Assent” was the most interesting for me. Partly since I haven’t yet read it, but in the main because what he says about the book makes me want to read it all the more. The discussion of notational assent and real assent answers some questions I have and puts into words something I have reflected on, but have not fully hashed out. The subject of how we come to belief is of course I am very interested in as a convert, but really it is an area that applies to anybody.

Just listening to Fr. Barron is a joy. He is full of intellectual curiosity and he imparts it to the listener while expressing complex ideas without talking down to you.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on John Henry Newman: A Prophet for our Time (CD). They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

Boston College, a Jesuit institution, serves meat on Friday’s during Lent – yet:

Last night, Boston College Dining hosted Meatless Monday in “an effort to reduce carbon emissions.” All stations in two dining halls served vegetarian entrees, much to the dismay of the student body save for a few flower children who were in support of the event. Delivery cars from local restaurants such as Roggie’s and New Hong Kong could be seen all over campus. [Source]

Hmm, afterwards do they have the Stations of the Forest as provided by the Columban Missionaries in the U.K.

THE FIRST STATION

The forests are condemned to death.
For millennia forests have given life and beauty to our planet, Earth. They have provided water for its rivers, nourishment for its flowers and plants, and homes for its animals, fish and birds. They help to regulate our climate. In the Book of Genesis, God the Creator says, “See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth and all the trees”. The writer of Psalm 96 tells us that the forests sing God‟s praises: “Let the trees sing out for joy”.

Yet, the forests are condemned to die.

Something about reducing carbon emissions reminds me of using baking soda with Chili to prevent other .. emissions.

The Adopt-A-Priestess Project is a serious project to spiritually adopt a women who has attempted ordination.  Go here to sign up for this spiritual act of mercy.

A Pennsylvania College professor is out of a job tonight.
Father James St. George says he was fully vetted when he was hired to teach at Chestnut Hill College, a private Roman Catholic institution in Pennsylvania. But the schools says that they did not know he was gay, and has since let him go.

Now Father St. George is wondering whether a letter from a local lawyer may have done him in. [Of course his behavior had nothing to do with it]

Father St. George doesn’t exactly hide the fact that he’s gay. But he says he never brings it up in class.

“My sexuality has never come up. I’ve never once said i’m gay,” [Except on his public blog]

Father St. George is part of the Old Catholic Church Of The Americas, a faction that broke away from the Vatican back in 1870. In his church, priests are allowed to marry and be gay.

A quick Google search when the college hired him would have revealed that, but the college said in a statement, “it was with great disappointment when we learned through St. George’s public statements of his involvement in a gay relationship with another man for the past 15 years.” [Source]

Technically he was not fired for having same-sex attraction, but for engaging in homosexual acts. The fact that he didn’t mention he was part of the schismatic “Old Catholic Church” is also relevant. He also advertises himself on a wedding web site “Interfaith Ceremony, Same Sex, Single Religion Ceremony.”

He is also available for “Anniversaries, Christenings, Eco-Friendly / Green Weddings, LGBT Weddings / Ceremonies, Memorials”

So what exactly is an Eco-Friendly Green Wedding? Do they throw guaranteed biodegradable rice and the wedding gowns are made of recycled wedding gowns? Or perhaps drag recycled tin cans behind the couple’s Prius?

It is interesting the story of the Old Catholic Church which went into schism after the 1st Vatican Council over papal infallibility. They were seen as hardline on change and of course now allow pretty much everything except of course belief in papal infallibility. When you through Peter over the side pretty soon you crash on the rocks of modernity.

Chestnut Hill College President Carol Jean Vale statement:

“As president of Chestnut Hill College, a private Catholic institution, it is imperative that I clarify the conditions of our College’s decision not to issue a new part-time teaching contract to Jim St. George. St. George served as adjunct instructor in our School of Continuing and Professional Studies from January 2010 to February of this year teaching a variety of courses in religion and scripture.

“At the time St. George joined our faculty, he presented himself as Father St. George and openly wore a traditional Catholic priest’s collar. While St. George appears to be an ordained pastor-he leads St. Miriam, an independent and self-described reformed Antioch-rite Catholic house of worship located in Blue Bell, Pa.–his church allows priests the option to engage in same-sex partnerships.  This is contrary to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.

“It was with great disappointment when we learned through St. George’s public statements of his involvement in a gay relationship with another man for the past 15 years. It is important to note that this information came to our attention only after St. George chose to make his private life public information on his blog.

“While we welcome diversity, it is expected that all members of our College community, regardless of their personal beliefs, respect and uphold our Roman Catholic mission, character and values both in the classroom and in public statements that identify them with our school.  For this reason, we chose not to offer an additional teaching contract to St. George.” [Source]

Kudos to the college President for acting correctly.  Now we need to pray for Father James St. George.

Whenever I get something from Baronius Press a review is almost superfluous.   They bring us spiritual classics in a high quality binding and every book I have read of their has been to my good.

Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine by Archbishop Michael Sheehan is no exception to this rule.

A classic high school text which was used to teach for more than four decades the Faith to generations of English speaking Catholics around the world. Unique in presenting the Faith in a clear, persuasive and understandable manner. Since its demise in 1962 after selling nearly 500,000 copies, no other textbook in English has repeated Sheehan’s successful presentation of the Faith. The new Baronius edition has been updated by Fr. Peter Joseph, of Wagga Wagga, Australia, and is fully endorsed by Cardinal Archbishop Pell.

I am not one to think that everything was better before, something St. Augustine also spoke against, but this textbook is hard to imagine as being adopted in the decades after and including the sixties.  Textbooks of this latter period are often and deservingly mocked for their watered down content and total lack of apologetics content.  Things are certainly getting better in this direction, though the Jesus coloring book textbooks are not yet gone from the scene either.

“Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine” is a wonderful mixture of presenting theology, philosophy, and apologetics.  This is a rather in-depth book of 650 some large pages and each and everyone of them worthwhile.  It presents a very full explanation of the faith that starts with belief in God and presents some of the well known ways of knowing God with explanations and examples in Archbishop Sheehan’s unique hand.  I’ve read all of these proofs before and they are put rather well here.

In many ways this is much like a Catechism on Catholic Doctrine that takes more time with each area to help explain the faith and to answer common objections along the way.  This textbook is not watered down in any way and in fact I think if you placed this book on a felt banner they would mutually annihilate each other.  This book which I would assume targeted at the high school audience does not assume the audience to be dummies unable to go deeper into the subject.  It pulls no punches and accurately presents the faith and then helps the student to not only understand the faith, but how to defend it.

What I found amazing is that since this book was edited by Fr. Peter Joseph to include the Second Vatican Council, magisterial documents, etc; it was able to do so as if this content was always part of the text.  There was no feeling of this being spliced in.  This updated information fit write in to the deeper presentation of the faith as the rest of the book contains. There were many things I loved about this book and the clearness of the definitions was very good.  For example the chapters on Actual Grace and Sanctifying Grace were very clear. Simply this was not only an informative read, but a joy to read.

I would highly recommend this for private reading, a school setting, and certainly a home school setting.  This is pure theological and doctrinal goodness with solid apologetics to boot.