"The very skirts of your robe are stained
with the blood of the poor,
of innocent men you never caught breaking and entering!
And in spite of all this,
you say, 'I am innocent,
let his anger turn from me!'
Now I pass sentence on you
for saying, 'I have not sinned.'
Jeremia 2:34-35 (NJB)
I was struck by the implications when I read this several months ago and have been meaning to post on it ever since. God's judgment here is on those who sin but claim false justification for their actions. It is a fact which all the saints in history seem aware of but which our modern age seems have been forgotten. Quite simply, sin blinds us to reality. Specifically, it blinds us to the reality of our own sinful nature and our need for reconciliation to God.
Now, we used to understand that someone who was unable to accurately perceive reality had problems. We had methods for treating such people involving counseling and sometimes pharmacuticals. But now, our society claims that there is no problem because there is no "real" reality. This spiritual blindness leads into three overlapping trends.
Truly, the overarching sin of our day is pride. Pride that makes us believe we are better than we are, and thus we come to disbelieve in our own sinfulness. In this passage, it is not the sin of murder that God condems so much as the refusal to accept that what was done was wrong and thus something to be guilty about.
More deeply, pride prevents us from seeking God's forgiveness. When we refuse to see our sins as sins, when we justify our guilt away, we inevitably end up spurning God because he convicts us of our sins. And once we begin to set our own reason against the reality of sin that God reveals to us via our conscience, we fast end up with our souls so corrupted that our conscience, no longer perceptive to God's law, in malformed and no longer any good as a guide.
Ultimately, whether spoken, hinted at, or buried in the dark recesses of the prideful mind, the question arises; since we are not guilty, what need have we of redemption? And if we are not in need of a redemption, do we really need a redeemer? The crazy sinner who can no longer see the reality of sin clearly will slowly reduce their relationship with the God who redeemed them on a cross, to an acquaintance who had a lot of good advice.
And of course, that advice is only as good as we say it is. Because if we do not need God's forgiveness, if we are always without fault in our own eyes, then we will eventually replace God's commandments with our selfish desires. Those commandments are easy to say but rather hard to actually put into practice. The saints knew this, but in our day difficulties and sacrifices are viewed with the same level of approval as stepping barefoot in the neighbor dog's pile left in our yard.
"Thou shall not kill"? All well and good until the cure for disease is dangled before us and then, well, its not like the embryo/fetus is a person right? Besides, the old man/disabled child wouldn't want to live like this/that anyway, its such a burden on us/them. Its not really murder...its mercy. Or, "Love your enemy"? Well, of course, unless its that stupid Republican/Democrat (liberal/right-wing) idiot who is pontificating against my beloved hobby horse. Its ok to assign evil motives to them because we all know how evil all Republican/Democrat (liberal/right-wing) idiots are and there is really no point in trying to engage them in civil debate.
Such is the thinking of those who hold themselves blameless. And, being without fault, they rush to cast the first stone. But no one who loves their neighbor could casually disregard the dignity of the weakest. If we love our neighbor, indeed if we love anyone, we ourselves will welcome them, visit them, comfort them. And here is the kicker...our actions do not depend one whit on what others are doing. The fact that some women will always kill their unborn children does not change our duty to fight to overturn any law that makes abortion easier. And while fighting the good fight, we are not excused from our duty to welcome, visit, and comfort.
Its funny, but when we stop seeing our own guilt, it becomes blindingly obvious how guilty everyone else is. To paraphrase Chesterton, 'we seem only to readily forgive those sins that we really don't consider sins'.
I have never (to date) heard anyone argue that "the Church is against torture, and I follow the Churches teaching, but not everyone has the same moral imperative against torture and that is why I am against signing the treaties on torture. Of course, I would never torture anyone myself, but I am sure that those who carry out waterboarding did so only after much agonized deliberation. And I wholeheartedly support a worldwide effort to educate those societies who cut people's heads off with dull knives on the optional methods of obtaining information or making a point." I have also never heard; "I feel that we should stop trying to ban the death penalty at the state level until we can reach a concensus on the issue and pass a constitutional amendment recognizing the personhood of convicted felons." Those who are not called to an apostalate in those areas have not been vocally condeming the efforts who are. At least not yet.
In the end, if our ultimate purpose is not to love, know, and serve God; then we will ultimately make ourselves into gods whose ultimate purpose is to to please and serve ourselves. And if we do not strive to follow God's commandment, then we will finally come to creating commandments out of our desires. If we are without need of forgiveness, why should we forgive others? Right and wrong are easy to determine from the sidelines, but what will keep us from crossing that line if there is no higher authority than our immediate feelings? And when we cross that line, who is to say we are wrong now? We were blind before, but now we see? Do we see the reality of God, or Satan's deception? It is easy to see why the pagan cultures are so often barbaric. Its harder to see why we would want to imitate them. But then, as a fellow blogger likes to say: sin makes you stupid.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
From Consumer to slave
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave. [a]
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house. Prov. 5: 3-10
In this post, I will focus on lines 6 - 10 of Proverbs 5.
I don't normally comment on current events per se, but I am deeply disturbed at how our "economic crisis" is being morphed into emotional blackmail intended to push forward morally questionable spending that has nothing to do with the economy. I speak here of the inclusion of a quarter of a billion dollars for contraception, among other "social need" spending in the "stimulus" bill. The inclusion of what the Democrats have acknowledged "may be perceived by Republicans as pork". Republicans? I would argue that any of us in our right minds would view these items as "pork" which I will define here as spending that does not directly accomplish the stated goal of any given bill. Unless we have also redefined "economic".
Vice-President Biden was today saying about the "crisis" that "It is worse, quite frankly, than everyone thought it was, and it is getting worse every day". Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that we are losing 50,000 jobs every month (an eight of the total population of 400 million which includes non working children, the elderly, and those in other unpaid work) this number should be greeted with skepticism. Pres. Obama keeps claiming he will save and ever increasing number of jobs.
There is a very deep problem with our political discourse in which the prolific use of fear mongering is seen as necessary to get "buy-in" and commit our country to an unbelievable level of spending will garuantee that American citizens will be indentured for the near forseeable future. But this is only the most visible and obvious path we take to slavery. The more powerful and irreversible way is hidden in such a way that we do not even know we walk on the "crooked path".
We have moved so far down the road to slavery that selling human life itself (ESCR, organ donation, fetal remains, etc) is no longer considered taboo. It is in fact now accorded legal protection and patents. What started with acceptance of pornography and prostitution (who are we to impose our values?) has become an ever growing monster. We have become so insensitive to the murder of the unborn under the banner of "reproductive rights" that we are now desensitized to the pain of our children caused by other parental "freedoms" like divorce, adultery, and all consuming careers.
We now openly talk about "life worth living". And the need to "end compassionately" those lives which are seen as unproductive or difficult. After all, "who would want to live like that?" And in so saying, we devalue those who DO "live like that". Their lives, their value is less than ours.
We are so consumed with ourselves that we are ever less sensitive to the other. Oh we may decry the death of middle east children in war, but we care nothing for the suffering of untold women in the developing world sterilized or forced to have abortions against their will. Their pain funded by USAID and, ultimately, us. Perhaps the woman in China who killed her own son after suffering two forced abortions deserves more of our pity.
And we don't even know it. We give no thought to what we owe God. We give no thought to prudence. We give vague lip service to Charity, but are way too interested in moderation when it comes to action.
So we find ourselves defending the indefensible and spend our "best strength" on issues of secondary importance. We serve those who promise us safety. Who promise us admiration of others. Who tell us what we want to hear. How inconvenient then that God promises us just the opposite. We are to serve Him though it cost us our lives, our prestige, our comfort. What good will it do us if we save the whole world and lose our own soul? Not much.
Do we want to give our radically pro culture of death President our best strength. Do we really want to promise our wealth to those who would use it to kill the innocent and persecute the Church? Do we really want to empower any political party over God?
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave. [a]
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house. Prov. 5: 3-10
In this post, I will focus on lines 6 - 10 of Proverbs 5.
I don't normally comment on current events per se, but I am deeply disturbed at how our "economic crisis" is being morphed into emotional blackmail intended to push forward morally questionable spending that has nothing to do with the economy. I speak here of the inclusion of a quarter of a billion dollars for contraception, among other "social need" spending in the "stimulus" bill. The inclusion of what the Democrats have acknowledged "may be perceived by Republicans as pork". Republicans? I would argue that any of us in our right minds would view these items as "pork" which I will define here as spending that does not directly accomplish the stated goal of any given bill. Unless we have also redefined "economic".
Vice-President Biden was today saying about the "crisis" that "It is worse, quite frankly, than everyone thought it was, and it is getting worse every day". Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that we are losing 50,000 jobs every month (an eight of the total population of 400 million which includes non working children, the elderly, and those in other unpaid work) this number should be greeted with skepticism. Pres. Obama keeps claiming he will save and ever increasing number of jobs.
There is a very deep problem with our political discourse in which the prolific use of fear mongering is seen as necessary to get "buy-in" and commit our country to an unbelievable level of spending will garuantee that American citizens will be indentured for the near forseeable future. But this is only the most visible and obvious path we take to slavery. The more powerful and irreversible way is hidden in such a way that we do not even know we walk on the "crooked path".
We have moved so far down the road to slavery that selling human life itself (ESCR, organ donation, fetal remains, etc) is no longer considered taboo. It is in fact now accorded legal protection and patents. What started with acceptance of pornography and prostitution (who are we to impose our values?) has become an ever growing monster. We have become so insensitive to the murder of the unborn under the banner of "reproductive rights" that we are now desensitized to the pain of our children caused by other parental "freedoms" like divorce, adultery, and all consuming careers.
We now openly talk about "life worth living". And the need to "end compassionately" those lives which are seen as unproductive or difficult. After all, "who would want to live like that?" And in so saying, we devalue those who DO "live like that". Their lives, their value is less than ours.
We are so consumed with ourselves that we are ever less sensitive to the other. Oh we may decry the death of middle east children in war, but we care nothing for the suffering of untold women in the developing world sterilized or forced to have abortions against their will. Their pain funded by USAID and, ultimately, us. Perhaps the woman in China who killed her own son after suffering two forced abortions deserves more of our pity.
And we don't even know it. We give no thought to what we owe God. We give no thought to prudence. We give vague lip service to Charity, but are way too interested in moderation when it comes to action.
So we find ourselves defending the indefensible and spend our "best strength" on issues of secondary importance. We serve those who promise us safety. Who promise us admiration of others. Who tell us what we want to hear. How inconvenient then that God promises us just the opposite. We are to serve Him though it cost us our lives, our prestige, our comfort. What good will it do us if we save the whole world and lose our own soul? Not much.
Do we want to give our radically pro culture of death President our best strength. Do we really want to promise our wealth to those who would use it to kill the innocent and persecute the Church? Do we really want to empower any political party over God?
From Citizen to consumer....
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave. [a]
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house. Prov. 5: 3-10
Are we being beguiled by the honey of sweet words? In the first post, I am focusing on lines 3 - 5 of Proverbs 5.
It appears that words like "bipartisanship" and "listening" and "understanding" and "respect" are being redefined. The forces for the coup de culture of death, as Wesley Smith puts it on his blog Secondhand Smoke, are beguiling the masses with flowery words. It all sounds so nice and pretty compared to the harsh words of partisanship. Pres. Obama acknowledges that the abortion issue is "divisive". But just what does that mean? Many take it to mean that he understands there are legitimate concerns about abortion. But is that what he is really saying? He also says he supports unrestricted abortion, repeal of the partial birth abortion ban, he is against the Born Alive Infant Act. He overturns the Mexico City Policy and lifts all restrictions on Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR). These are not positions that can claim to be understanding of the concerns of the pro-life side of the debate. Against the Born Alive Infant Act? Can this possibly be the position of someone who gives weight to ANY pro-life concern?
But this strategy is just that, a strategy. And one with, to me, terrifying implications. According to Ed Kilgore, Pres. Obama is successfully using "values based messaging" which seeks to build support for an idea by using vague language about shared values, while hiding the true details. Yes, the "larger audience may begin to shrink once bold policy goals and detailed programs are advanced. But it definitely helps, and just as importantly, roots progressive programs in values and goals the public understands," and that tactic of deliberately misleading the public is fine by Kilgore as long as the method "represents a sensible approach to the preeminently appropriate task of tearing down the old partisan paradigm and rebuilding a new one that can command an enduring majority in support of a progressive agenda." http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/obama_and_valuesbased_messagin.htm
And lest we forget, the progressive agenda being promoted is one of unlimited abortion, embryo destroying research, gay marriage, anti-conscience rights for medical professional, pro "assisted suicide" (euthanasia), and in practice very anti-christian in particular and anti-religion in general as seen by the elimination of all public recognition of religion and the persecution of the Boy Scouts of America for holding to their founding beliefs.
Forget thirty pieces of silver, our leaders are being bought with dinner, nice words, and the approval of the "right" sort of people. At least Judas got cold hard cash for his betrayal, remember that Judas protested the "waste" of oil on Jesus when it "could be sold and given to the poor". And like Judas, both are heading down the same road which can only end in death. When we give ourselves over to temptation, we often try to make the wide road look like the right one. We are not envious, no, we are "concerned for the poor". We are not forsaking the fight for life from conception to natural death, we are just "finding common ground". We are not dissenting from the teachings of the Church, we are just "moving past judgmentalism" and moving "more toward loving all our neighbors". We are not greedy, we just think that "the unregulated market best serves the interests of the poor".
Our founding fathers knew that only an educated and engaged populace could withstand demagoguery. Does anyone still think our populace is educated? Do we weigh the words in light of the action? I don't think so. Our desire to give ourselves a free pass on the sacrifice that acting on our words would entail leads us to give our leaders and pundits (at least those on "our" side) a free pass as well. So we find ourselves in the strange position of defending actions we don't like by pointing to the fact that the person's words are the opposite so therefore their actual behavior somehow becomes ok because it is not the same as their words. We used to call this being "two-faced" but the standard of character as Rev. King saw it seems to have fallen out of favor and so have the terms used to distinguish the corresponding lack of character.
Character counts. We can't persevere on the road to heaven without it. But the virtues that hopefully form our character must be exercised and built up. The reverse is when our character reflects poorly on us because we fail to correct our vices through practice of their corresponding virtues. I bring this up because it seems to me that many of us fail to use the brains God gave us...literally. God gave us the use of reason to keep us from being mislead by empty promise or blown around with the winds of the current zeitgeist. But do we use our reason? Do we "test the spirits" as instructed in I John 4?
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave. [a]
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house. Prov. 5: 3-10
Are we being beguiled by the honey of sweet words? In the first post, I am focusing on lines 3 - 5 of Proverbs 5.
It appears that words like "bipartisanship" and "listening" and "understanding" and "respect" are being redefined. The forces for the coup de culture of death, as Wesley Smith puts it on his blog Secondhand Smoke, are beguiling the masses with flowery words. It all sounds so nice and pretty compared to the harsh words of partisanship. Pres. Obama acknowledges that the abortion issue is "divisive". But just what does that mean? Many take it to mean that he understands there are legitimate concerns about abortion. But is that what he is really saying? He also says he supports unrestricted abortion, repeal of the partial birth abortion ban, he is against the Born Alive Infant Act. He overturns the Mexico City Policy and lifts all restrictions on Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR). These are not positions that can claim to be understanding of the concerns of the pro-life side of the debate. Against the Born Alive Infant Act? Can this possibly be the position of someone who gives weight to ANY pro-life concern?
But this strategy is just that, a strategy. And one with, to me, terrifying implications. According to Ed Kilgore, Pres. Obama is successfully using "values based messaging" which seeks to build support for an idea by using vague language about shared values, while hiding the true details. Yes, the "larger audience may begin to shrink once bold policy goals and detailed programs are advanced. But it definitely helps, and just as importantly, roots progressive programs in values and goals the public understands," and that tactic of deliberately misleading the public is fine by Kilgore as long as the method "represents a sensible approach to the preeminently appropriate task of tearing down the old partisan paradigm and rebuilding a new one that can command an enduring majority in support of a progressive agenda." http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/obama_and_valuesbased_messagin.htm
And lest we forget, the progressive agenda being promoted is one of unlimited abortion, embryo destroying research, gay marriage, anti-conscience rights for medical professional, pro "assisted suicide" (euthanasia), and in practice very anti-christian in particular and anti-religion in general as seen by the elimination of all public recognition of religion and the persecution of the Boy Scouts of America for holding to their founding beliefs.
Forget thirty pieces of silver, our leaders are being bought with dinner, nice words, and the approval of the "right" sort of people. At least Judas got cold hard cash for his betrayal, remember that Judas protested the "waste" of oil on Jesus when it "could be sold and given to the poor". And like Judas, both are heading down the same road which can only end in death. When we give ourselves over to temptation, we often try to make the wide road look like the right one. We are not envious, no, we are "concerned for the poor". We are not forsaking the fight for life from conception to natural death, we are just "finding common ground". We are not dissenting from the teachings of the Church, we are just "moving past judgmentalism" and moving "more toward loving all our neighbors". We are not greedy, we just think that "the unregulated market best serves the interests of the poor".
Our founding fathers knew that only an educated and engaged populace could withstand demagoguery. Does anyone still think our populace is educated? Do we weigh the words in light of the action? I don't think so. Our desire to give ourselves a free pass on the sacrifice that acting on our words would entail leads us to give our leaders and pundits (at least those on "our" side) a free pass as well. So we find ourselves in the strange position of defending actions we don't like by pointing to the fact that the person's words are the opposite so therefore their actual behavior somehow becomes ok because it is not the same as their words. We used to call this being "two-faced" but the standard of character as Rev. King saw it seems to have fallen out of favor and so have the terms used to distinguish the corresponding lack of character.
Character counts. We can't persevere on the road to heaven without it. But the virtues that hopefully form our character must be exercised and built up. The reverse is when our character reflects poorly on us because we fail to correct our vices through practice of their corresponding virtues. I bring this up because it seems to me that many of us fail to use the brains God gave us...literally. God gave us the use of reason to keep us from being mislead by empty promise or blown around with the winds of the current zeitgeist. But do we use our reason? Do we "test the spirits" as instructed in I John 4?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Are we "those" kinds of christians?
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14 (New International Version)
I have noticed an odd trend in the catholic blogoshpere. There are many "liberal" or "conservative" or "post-vatican II" or "traditional" labels out there. But in reality it boils down to heterodox and orthodox catholics arguing about our mutually claimed faith.
Now the odd thing is that many of the heterodox catholics are always claiming to be orthodox right before pushing their heterodoxy. For example: "I am completely in agreement with the church's teaching on sexuality but I think that we should allow artificial birth control and/or abortion in certain circumstances". This is not the statement of one who is actually in agreement with the churches teaching on these issues.
Now, I never hear the opposite of someone saying: "I think that the church is wrong in its teaching on abortion and artificial birth control, but it is still a good idea to unilaterally outlaw both in all circumstances".
Why is it that so many on the heterodox side of doctrine and dogma want to claim to be on the orthodox side? The reason may lay partly in the fact that they do, in their hearts, believe that the church is correct. But for various reasons cannot openly admit that to themselves.
Often we shy away from the sacrifice and effort required by God to fully live the faith. Its not that we fear martyrdom, so much as we fear being labeled as one of "those kinds" of christians. You know, the ones who stand outside of abortion clinics. The ones who are just a little bit odd. We all know at least one of them. Every conversation with them comes back to religion and God's Truths as taught by the Church. It makes us uncomfortable to be around people like that so it stands to reason we would not want to become "those kinds" of people.
Still, that is exactly the "kind" of person that Jesus calls us to be. Where we set our minds, our hearts will follow. Where our treasure is there is our hearts. Well, what is our greatest treasure? Shouldn't our hearts, minds, souls be focused on God? And if God is our center, shouldn't the spirit that flows our from us be all about God?
It seems that, lived out in our ordinary existence, that both the orthodox and the heterodox have shied away from living "in the fullness" of their faith. The heterodox are just more honest about it.
If this were not true, there would be more of "those kinds" of Catholics out there.
I have noticed an odd trend in the catholic blogoshpere. There are many "liberal" or "conservative" or "post-vatican II" or "traditional" labels out there. But in reality it boils down to heterodox and orthodox catholics arguing about our mutually claimed faith.
Now the odd thing is that many of the heterodox catholics are always claiming to be orthodox right before pushing their heterodoxy. For example: "I am completely in agreement with the church's teaching on sexuality but I think that we should allow artificial birth control and/or abortion in certain circumstances". This is not the statement of one who is actually in agreement with the churches teaching on these issues.
Now, I never hear the opposite of someone saying: "I think that the church is wrong in its teaching on abortion and artificial birth control, but it is still a good idea to unilaterally outlaw both in all circumstances".
Why is it that so many on the heterodox side of doctrine and dogma want to claim to be on the orthodox side? The reason may lay partly in the fact that they do, in their hearts, believe that the church is correct. But for various reasons cannot openly admit that to themselves.
Often we shy away from the sacrifice and effort required by God to fully live the faith. Its not that we fear martyrdom, so much as we fear being labeled as one of "those kinds" of christians. You know, the ones who stand outside of abortion clinics. The ones who are just a little bit odd. We all know at least one of them. Every conversation with them comes back to religion and God's Truths as taught by the Church. It makes us uncomfortable to be around people like that so it stands to reason we would not want to become "those kinds" of people.
Still, that is exactly the "kind" of person that Jesus calls us to be. Where we set our minds, our hearts will follow. Where our treasure is there is our hearts. Well, what is our greatest treasure? Shouldn't our hearts, minds, souls be focused on God? And if God is our center, shouldn't the spirit that flows our from us be all about God?
It seems that, lived out in our ordinary existence, that both the orthodox and the heterodox have shied away from living "in the fullness" of their faith. The heterodox are just more honest about it.
If this were not true, there would be more of "those kinds" of Catholics out there.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Eyes and ears to see?
11 "But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices. Psalm 81:11-13 (New International Version)
How often have we scratched our heads because someone was denying a (to us anyway) obvious truth? Now, perhaps I am more into the demands of truth than some, but I have always believed that denial of the truth was a willful act. Someone who did not hold themselves to the standard of their rhetoric was in my mind nothing less than a liar. "Say what you mean and mean what you say" was my unofficial motto.
But a funny thing happened on my way to righteousness. I was forced to note in my own life those instances where I too failed to live up to my own rhetoric. It seems that much of my life (ok most of it) has been spent bending my behavior to my will with only moderate success. The rest seems to have been spent bending my will to God's as revealed in and through His Church. This last part is perhaps the hardest because it involves humility and that has just never been my strong suit. To be honest, humility is for me a total gift from God because it just doesn't seem to be a foundational part of my temperment.
In a certain way, this only reinforced my belief that failure of others to own up to their mistakes or act in accord with their stated values was willful. Because I am always aware of where I was failing and I am always aware of where I was elevating my will above God's. But lately, I have come to view this awareness as not any ability on my part but rather as a gift from God. It seems that most people do not have that self-knowledge and this is not a deficiency or disability on their part.
But what about the cases where the truth is made manifest? For example when someone makes a good argument for faith, or perhaps more mundanely, when your debt or weight indicate an obvious lack of temperance or prudence? Now, when I say I see my failures and strive to bring them in line with my will, I do not want to give the impression that either the decision to change or the process of change is easy. It is not. First, it requires meditation on the failure and a request that God illuminate the error. Our paths in gaining virtue are as individual as our particular vices.
So first we must understand the vice behind our failure. (mind the weight example is for me, for many being overweight is just a health issue and has nothing to do with the state of their spiritual lives) The narcissist cannot make it past this stage because it requires admitting our weakness and fault. This is perhaps where many in our current society get lost. They look at themselves but not with the idea of finding ways to grow in holiness, but rather they look to see what they desire.
So acknowledging failure is a stumbling block for many, including myself. But it is better to be looking for failure when the failure is small than to wait for God to hit you upside the head with His call to lead a holier life. God never stops calling us, but our ability to hear Him is lessened every time we hear his call to grow in holiness and say "not today".
It becomes harder for us to stay on the narrow path because sin decreases our ability to percieve reality as it is and ourselves as we are and thus decreases our ability to act prudently toward a wise end. Perhaps it is the Good that we become blinded to. Maybe we become so enamored with attaining a percieved " good" that we willingly persue that good in an evil manner, excusing our behavior by citing our good intentions. As the proverb has it, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. However we prefer to assert our own will over God's, the fact is that as we do so, the path we are on widens. And we all know where the people on the wide path are headed.
Because we are intellectual creatures, we must operate within reason, which informs and upholds our faith. But reason can be clouded. Hence in order to be free, we must control our passion through our correct use of reason (fortitude, temperance) Not until we understand this does the idea that freedom consists in the freedom to make the correct choice, rather than the commonly held belief that freedom consists in the freedom to make the choice we want to make simply because we want it and without any constraints put upon us by the necessity of having a "correctly informed world view".
I think that bending our will to God is perhaps the harder part of conversion. But if we don't, we risk hardening our hearts. Every time we say "I know better than the church" or "the Church is out of touch or doesn't understand", we put ourselves ahead of God. Docility is a lost virtue, but one that is desperately needed in our age of hyper individualism. Perhaps a mistake has been made in this or that doctrine, but I am willing to bet that 99.99% of the time, such claims are a cover to hide our failings. To paraphrase Jesus: it is much easier to see the error in someone else than the error in our own lives.
So the next time you feel that you are wiser than the Church or upset at some of her teachings, consider that it may be God calling you to greater understanding, but more likely, it is just an excuse.
Stay on the narrow path and if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices. Psalm 81:11-13 (New International Version)
How often have we scratched our heads because someone was denying a (to us anyway) obvious truth? Now, perhaps I am more into the demands of truth than some, but I have always believed that denial of the truth was a willful act. Someone who did not hold themselves to the standard of their rhetoric was in my mind nothing less than a liar. "Say what you mean and mean what you say" was my unofficial motto.
But a funny thing happened on my way to righteousness. I was forced to note in my own life those instances where I too failed to live up to my own rhetoric. It seems that much of my life (ok most of it) has been spent bending my behavior to my will with only moderate success. The rest seems to have been spent bending my will to God's as revealed in and through His Church. This last part is perhaps the hardest because it involves humility and that has just never been my strong suit. To be honest, humility is for me a total gift from God because it just doesn't seem to be a foundational part of my temperment.
In a certain way, this only reinforced my belief that failure of others to own up to their mistakes or act in accord with their stated values was willful. Because I am always aware of where I was failing and I am always aware of where I was elevating my will above God's. But lately, I have come to view this awareness as not any ability on my part but rather as a gift from God. It seems that most people do not have that self-knowledge and this is not a deficiency or disability on their part.
But what about the cases where the truth is made manifest? For example when someone makes a good argument for faith, or perhaps more mundanely, when your debt or weight indicate an obvious lack of temperance or prudence? Now, when I say I see my failures and strive to bring them in line with my will, I do not want to give the impression that either the decision to change or the process of change is easy. It is not. First, it requires meditation on the failure and a request that God illuminate the error. Our paths in gaining virtue are as individual as our particular vices.
So first we must understand the vice behind our failure. (mind the weight example is for me, for many being overweight is just a health issue and has nothing to do with the state of their spiritual lives) The narcissist cannot make it past this stage because it requires admitting our weakness and fault. This is perhaps where many in our current society get lost. They look at themselves but not with the idea of finding ways to grow in holiness, but rather they look to see what they desire.
So acknowledging failure is a stumbling block for many, including myself. But it is better to be looking for failure when the failure is small than to wait for God to hit you upside the head with His call to lead a holier life. God never stops calling us, but our ability to hear Him is lessened every time we hear his call to grow in holiness and say "not today".
It becomes harder for us to stay on the narrow path because sin decreases our ability to percieve reality as it is and ourselves as we are and thus decreases our ability to act prudently toward a wise end. Perhaps it is the Good that we become blinded to. Maybe we become so enamored with attaining a percieved " good" that we willingly persue that good in an evil manner, excusing our behavior by citing our good intentions. As the proverb has it, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. However we prefer to assert our own will over God's, the fact is that as we do so, the path we are on widens. And we all know where the people on the wide path are headed.
Because we are intellectual creatures, we must operate within reason, which informs and upholds our faith. But reason can be clouded. Hence in order to be free, we must control our passion through our correct use of reason (fortitude, temperance) Not until we understand this does the idea that freedom consists in the freedom to make the correct choice, rather than the commonly held belief that freedom consists in the freedom to make the choice we want to make simply because we want it and without any constraints put upon us by the necessity of having a "correctly informed world view".
I think that bending our will to God is perhaps the harder part of conversion. But if we don't, we risk hardening our hearts. Every time we say "I know better than the church" or "the Church is out of touch or doesn't understand", we put ourselves ahead of God. Docility is a lost virtue, but one that is desperately needed in our age of hyper individualism. Perhaps a mistake has been made in this or that doctrine, but I am willing to bet that 99.99% of the time, such claims are a cover to hide our failings. To paraphrase Jesus: it is much easier to see the error in someone else than the error in our own lives.
So the next time you feel that you are wiser than the Church or upset at some of her teachings, consider that it may be God calling you to greater understanding, but more likely, it is just an excuse.
Stay on the narrow path and if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Dear Blue States
Someone sent me the following "dear red state" letter. In the spirit of promoting understanding I composed and sent back a "dear blue state" letter. Below is the first letter and my response. The level of ignorance in our culture sometimes astounds me, but education must always take an appropriate form or it will not be received.
Dear Red States:
If you had managed to steal this election too, we'd decided we would be leaving. We intended to form our own country, and we'd be taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split would have been beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly:Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control
- You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.
- You get Dollywood.
- We get Intel and Microsoft.
- You get WorldCom.
- We get Harvard.
- You get Ole' Miss.
- We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.
- You get Alabama.
- We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay heir fair share.
- Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22%lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families.
- You get a bunch of single moms.
of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their
projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is
sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% believe that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in MexicoPeace out,
Blue States
Dear Blue States,
We are so glad you are willing to split amicably.
Thanks to you, we get all the current cures from adult stem cell research, you get all the unrealistic promises of embryonic stem cell research along with the problems of tumor formation, with the added bonus that our women will not be forced to act as egg donation machines.
You get all the culture of death, we get to rest easy in our old age content in the knowledge that you will not be killing us off for our organs or simply because our care costs too much.
It is true that we will get all the disabled because we offer them the chance to live and participate in society, but we stand firm in the belief that they are worth every dime and effort.
We get Alaska and the Arctic Wildlife Refuge....drill, baby, drill!!
We won't have to worry about Iraq because Al-qaeda and the other terrorist freaks don't care about Alabama either. So don't expect us to defend your pacifist backsides.
You get most of the earthquakes and volcanos.
We get Glacier National Park and Yellowstone and all that great hunting. Plus the guns to get the job done.
And let's talk about that fresh water thing since we will also have the head of the Missouri, the Snake, Columbia and many the other rivers, not to mention most of the Ogallala aquifer. Seems like California will continue to have a fresh water problem.
We have the best geography for renewable energy sources and we're not afraid to use them, so keep your dirty coal!
You get to bail out the banks, auto industry, steel industry....have fun.
You get all the polluting industries. We get all the new biotech industries coming from the actual cures from adult stem cells, including custom grown body parts like tracheas. You get to kill embryos and chase promised future cures.
We LIKE religious people, we may even get more muslims, hindus, etc, since they don't like the culture of death either.
Without your nanny state interference mosquitoes won't be a problem because we will start using DDT again. Yahoo!
You get to keep Hollywood, thank you.
We get the bald eagle.
And finally, in spite of the fact that you keep calling us names, we still love you.
God Bless,
Red States
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Curiosity is a precondition for attaining wisdom
"I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness." Ecclesiastes 7:25
Wisdom and knowledge seem to have become the rejected cornerstones of civilization in today's world of sound-bite discourse which seeks only to assign blame and evil motives to "'the other/enemy" for causing one unpredictable and unsolvable "crisis" after another. I have observed that many of the people who claim to so ardently support "world peace" or "the environment" or any other such grandiose ideal, actually know very little about their cherished subject. When pressed about what exactly should be done about the subject they respond with a vague course of action but without any comprehension of any complexities or awareness of counter or alternative arguments. Mostly, they just want to talk about how someone or some group is evil and responsible for the mess. But, once again, when pressed they cannot point to anything with specificity. And most certainly there is never the attempt to demonstrate causality.
For example, today, I watched a debate on foreign policy and economics, and both sides talked grandiosely, but only one side acknowledged that our country's interests were not the only ones in the world. Only one side seemed to realize that other countries have their own motivations and goals and that those might be in direct conflict with ours. Neither was willing to admit that they could not deliver everything promised. Both sought to assign blame. Only one came close to admitting responsibility. It was a depressing excuse for a "debate". But more depressing was the so called analysis where the talking heads distilled the sound bites as to tell everyone whose sound bite was the most "memorable" and thus who "won". Nothing about the issues, nothing about anything of substance or detail.
I have talked to people who were for "world peace" but had only the vaguest of ideas what was going on in the world outside their borders. They usually have heard of the "war du jour" that the media is currently hyping, but when pressed are profoundly ignorant beyond the partisan "talking points". They admire certain world leaders but know absolutely nothing about any policies said leaders are enacting in their country. They admire certain philosophers without ever really thinking about where the advocated philosophy would logically lead if followed.
None of this disturbs me as much as the current trend of people who profess strong emotional opinions about certain issues while exhibiting a complete lack of curiosity about those same issues. They do not search out information about the topic. They do not consult with anyone or read anything that offers a counter opinion. They do not care if the "facts" bandied about are actually true.
This willful ignorance could be tolerated if it were not so often coupled with a complete contempt, even irrational hatred, of anyone professing a contrary opinion.
But it makes sense, after all, if you suspect your cherished and emotionally satisfying opinion is wrong, you will tend to discount the evidence against it. After a while you won't be discounting the evidence, you will simply not see it. Soon, there is no reason to suspect your cherished opinion might be wrong, because you haven't seen or heard anything to the contrary. And besides, everyone you know agrees that anyone saying otherwise is a malicious liar. Hence, there is no place for curiosity because you have certainty.
Its a dangerous place to be. Remember "when they say 'peace and safety' then will the end come upon them" (I thess 5) People instinctively know their peace of mind is precarious so they seek to preserve it by forcefully silencing any voice that might cause a crack in their dam of righteousness. Because once the truth penetrates, then indeed it is a disaster for a mind that has closed itself off from inquiry, from self-examination, from awareness of sin.
When we finally stop wondering "why"? When we begin to think we know and understand it all, when we begin to leap first to evil intentions for explaining the motivations of those we disagree with... then suddenly ignorance clouds our minds and we become thoughtless. We are no longer self-aware and so do not even realize the magnitude of what we have lost. Lord, preserve me from self-blindness and willful ignorance. Grant me always an awareness of my sins, a contrite heart, and the grace to continually move closer to you and further from myself.
Ultimately, peace at any level is a matter of a correctly ordered relationship to God. We cannot achieve peace by silencing others, or coercing them. We can act to protect the innocent, of course, and seek to enact and uphold just laws that protect human dignity from conception to natural death. But beyond that we must always pray. Pray for those who do not yet see Truth, for those who turn a blind eye, for those who plug their ears and harden their hearts. And we need to remember that God is at the heart of every truth.
Wisdom and knowledge seem to have become the rejected cornerstones of civilization in today's world of sound-bite discourse which seeks only to assign blame and evil motives to "'the other/enemy" for causing one unpredictable and unsolvable "crisis" after another. I have observed that many of the people who claim to so ardently support "world peace" or "the environment" or any other such grandiose ideal, actually know very little about their cherished subject. When pressed about what exactly should be done about the subject they respond with a vague course of action but without any comprehension of any complexities or awareness of counter or alternative arguments. Mostly, they just want to talk about how someone or some group is evil and responsible for the mess. But, once again, when pressed they cannot point to anything with specificity. And most certainly there is never the attempt to demonstrate causality.
For example, today, I watched a debate on foreign policy and economics, and both sides talked grandiosely, but only one side acknowledged that our country's interests were not the only ones in the world. Only one side seemed to realize that other countries have their own motivations and goals and that those might be in direct conflict with ours. Neither was willing to admit that they could not deliver everything promised. Both sought to assign blame. Only one came close to admitting responsibility. It was a depressing excuse for a "debate". But more depressing was the so called analysis where the talking heads distilled the sound bites as to tell everyone whose sound bite was the most "memorable" and thus who "won". Nothing about the issues, nothing about anything of substance or detail.
I have talked to people who were for "world peace" but had only the vaguest of ideas what was going on in the world outside their borders. They usually have heard of the "war du jour" that the media is currently hyping, but when pressed are profoundly ignorant beyond the partisan "talking points". They admire certain world leaders but know absolutely nothing about any policies said leaders are enacting in their country. They admire certain philosophers without ever really thinking about where the advocated philosophy would logically lead if followed.
None of this disturbs me as much as the current trend of people who profess strong emotional opinions about certain issues while exhibiting a complete lack of curiosity about those same issues. They do not search out information about the topic. They do not consult with anyone or read anything that offers a counter opinion. They do not care if the "facts" bandied about are actually true.
This willful ignorance could be tolerated if it were not so often coupled with a complete contempt, even irrational hatred, of anyone professing a contrary opinion.
But it makes sense, after all, if you suspect your cherished and emotionally satisfying opinion is wrong, you will tend to discount the evidence against it. After a while you won't be discounting the evidence, you will simply not see it. Soon, there is no reason to suspect your cherished opinion might be wrong, because you haven't seen or heard anything to the contrary. And besides, everyone you know agrees that anyone saying otherwise is a malicious liar. Hence, there is no place for curiosity because you have certainty.
Its a dangerous place to be. Remember "when they say 'peace and safety' then will the end come upon them" (I thess 5) People instinctively know their peace of mind is precarious so they seek to preserve it by forcefully silencing any voice that might cause a crack in their dam of righteousness. Because once the truth penetrates, then indeed it is a disaster for a mind that has closed itself off from inquiry, from self-examination, from awareness of sin.
When we finally stop wondering "why"? When we begin to think we know and understand it all, when we begin to leap first to evil intentions for explaining the motivations of those we disagree with... then suddenly ignorance clouds our minds and we become thoughtless. We are no longer self-aware and so do not even realize the magnitude of what we have lost. Lord, preserve me from self-blindness and willful ignorance. Grant me always an awareness of my sins, a contrite heart, and the grace to continually move closer to you and further from myself.
Ultimately, peace at any level is a matter of a correctly ordered relationship to God. We cannot achieve peace by silencing others, or coercing them. We can act to protect the innocent, of course, and seek to enact and uphold just laws that protect human dignity from conception to natural death. But beyond that we must always pray. Pray for those who do not yet see Truth, for those who turn a blind eye, for those who plug their ears and harden their hearts. And we need to remember that God is at the heart of every truth.
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