tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54020742011-04-21T17:54:53.114-07:00I am a progressive Roman Catholic noticing that conservatives and traditionalists Catholics take most of the Catholic space on the web. I decided to start blogging to advance "progressive" Catholic views. I can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:jcecil3@verizon.net">jcecil3@verizon.net</a>Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comBlogger24301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-67848353100800235782008-11-05T10:42:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:05:36.315-08:00

YES! WE! CAN!!!!Last night was an amazing night. I am a white American citizen born in the U.S.A. I looked it up on the CIA fact book today. We whites still seem to be about 79.96% of the American population - which was supposed to make the election of Barack Obama unlikely, given a history of racism in this country. My wife is from Tanzania, East Africa. She had permanent residency before we met

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-20294397428337807102008-11-04T20:25:00.000-08:002008-11-04T20:26:56.669-08:00

YES! WE! DID!!!!

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-13507472761126682802008-10-10T19:21:00.000-07:002008-10-13T07:02:16.278-07:00

Can Pro-Life Catholics Vote for Obama and Other DemocratsI believe a just society is founded on the foundational right to life, which is the condition for the possibility for freedom and choice. Human life begins at conception. A culture of life fosters a respect for the sanctity of human life and the incomparable dignity of the human person from womb to tomb - conception until natural death. As

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-17324473250679420452008-10-03T20:52:00.000-07:002008-10-03T21:26:08.681-07:00

The Change We NeedIf you believe faith influences our politics, and people of faith have a contribution to make to the secular common good, Obama is the change we need.McCain calls Christian leaders agents of intolerance. If you worry about losing your home, Obama is the change we need.McCain thinks the fundamentals of our economy are strong. If you make less than $250,000 per year, and feel your

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-45013666999934807042008-09-03T18:57:00.000-07:002008-09-04T12:56:29.589-07:00

The Republican ConventionI only tuned in to the RNC tonight, and my blood pressure is going up too high to be healthy. I just got done listening to the governor of Hawaii as she says that Sarah Palin, like her, is really a CEO. Does that mean that she will send our jobs to India, eliminate our retirement savings, and leave us on our own when she jumps out of the plane with her golden parachute?

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-78868459171083688392008-03-10T11:33:00.000-07:002008-03-10T11:41:24.408-07:00

Farewell?Since the birth of my second child, I have had very little time to blog. This shows in the much slowed frequency of my posting. To add to this, I am taking a new job next Monday that will significantly add to my commute time. I'll also be working for the federal government. Thus, I probably shouldn't use my work PC for blogging, even if I avoided work related material, and even if I

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-69254672033370971032008-03-10T11:32:00.000-07:002008-03-10T11:33:36.959-07:00

A Catholic Yogi BlogThis site is nicely done.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-23264549140055670402008-03-03T08:08:00.000-08:002008-03-03T08:37:04.833-08:00

Conflict in Burke's DioceseThis NCR article is dated more than a week ago, and I haven't been online very much. So, this may be "old news" to some readers. The controversy is over an inner-city church in St. Louis that has historically served the Polish immigrant community. For whatever reasons, the church has historically controlled its own finances (about $9 million in 2005). Archbishop Raymond

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-14813183981603950112008-02-27T13:14:00.000-08:002008-02-27T16:30:09.930-08:00

Question for YogisThis is not a "Catholic" post. Nor is it about the news. My question is for anyone with some experience with different styles of vigorous yoga. Back on January 2, I wrote a post about how I managed to quit smoking through prayer, exercise, diet and other healthy habits. In that post, I mentioned that my exercise regime has become some "intense" or "vigorous" yoga. At the time, I

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-33680710826943771072008-02-26T07:50:00.000-08:002008-02-26T08:06:31.957-08:00

Unfinished Business: Revisiting Welfare ReformThomas Massaro's article in Commonweal argues for making welfare an issue in 2008. He specifically proposes the case for better empirical observation of the results of the 1996 welfare reform. There are some interesting questions raised either implicitly or explicitly and almost in passing as Massaro pleads his case. Did the welfare reform of '96 lead

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-30531123578546717502008-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:002008-02-21T08:22:40.555-08:00

Latest Gun Mayhem Provokes Silence on Gun ControlThe link above highlights recent school shootings and public reaction to highlight how successful the NRA has been in marginalizing the issue of gun control beyond common sense. The article clearly expresses some strong feelings on the subject that provoked some thinking on my part about the whole meaning of a "right to bear arms". The second

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-79118581594859634142008-02-19T12:56:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:57:44.601-08:00

Faith and Politics After the Religious Right, by E.J. DionneThis Commonweal article is excellent.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-69000966851801806492008-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:002008-02-07T13:03:16.038-08:00

Will Catholic Republicans Back Huckabee?Well, Romney dropped out earlier today, and it seems that it is really down to McCain and Huckabee as the only viable candidates for the Republicans. Some would argue that Huckabee is not really viable. Mccain would restrict abortion, but would allow exceptions for rape, incest, and health of the mother. He also supports federally funding embryonic stem

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-65626851404186849182008-02-07T07:31:00.000-08:002008-02-07T08:05:33.024-08:00

Biblical FastingThe link above is to an article written by a member of the New Life Community Church, which seems to be, based on their own statement of beliefs, a conservative evangelical Protestant community. The article is not what I would call "scholarly" in the academic sense. Yet, it is a very good treatment of fasting from the whole of scripture. The result is similar to what we might

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-45884776349665156312008-01-30T08:40:00.000-08:002008-01-30T08:49:09.029-08:00

Giuliani Out of the RaceThis is actually really bad news for Democrats, who could lose the pro-life Catholic (once stalwart Democrats a generation ago) and working class evangelical Protestant votes to the Republicans in the general election. Just to clear the record on abortion....Here's McCain's ambiguous views on abortion during his last presidential run.And McCain criticizes Romney for not

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-76314594577254970092008-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:002008-01-30T08:29:25.604-08:00

Impressions of Eternity: What do we mean when we say 'God'?The link above is to book review in Commonweal written by Lawrence Joseph of Do You Believe? Conversations on God and Religion, or Tu Credo?, by Antonio Monda. I have not read the book, but it sounds fascinating. Apparently, Monda, a devout Catholic, runs in circles where he routinely encounters some of America's most famous thinkers,

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-22992102646323173112008-01-25T11:04:00.000-08:002008-01-25T12:01:14.634-08:00

Has Archbishop Burke Lost It???You may remember Archbishop Burke from the 2004. He sparked a firestorm by publicly stating he would deny John Kerry communion because of Kerry's pro-choice stance. I did not agree with Burke's stance at that time. Yet, he did have a bit of a leg to stand on with that one. Now he is going after a pro-choice Catholic basketball coach at a Jesuit university that isn't

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-30258232240619301952008-01-22T12:01:00.000-08:002008-01-22T13:44:35.847-08:00

The 2008 ElectionI'm finding it hard to get as "fired up" about the 2008 election as I was in 2004.It isn't that the race isn't interesting. It is extremely interesting. I just haven't made up my mind yet.But some readers have expressed a desire for me to write more about current politics. We have a very real chance of having our first woman or first black president.Either prospect is historic

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-68414681212461263252008-01-18T13:10:00.001-08:002008-01-18T14:33:54.963-08:00

Why Can't the Priests be a Little More Like Gurus?Sorry for the continued slow blogging. At work, we lost seventy percent of our revenue, and everyone is scrambling to either find new sources of revenue, or find new jobs. At home, I still have the prematurely born baby we're trying to protect through cold and flu season. I wrote last about how prayer and yoga and some other healthy living has

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-44355774716724490182008-01-02T06:09:00.000-08:002008-01-03T12:52:46.817-08:00

A Happy and Healthy New Year!I'm a day late, but I wish everyone a Happy - and healthy - New Year. I got to thinking that many people try to give up smoking on New Years, and many who try this will fail. I write from experience. Well, it wasn't a New Year resolution, but I finally managed to kick the habit. It's been only about four months - but it feels real this time, and this is the longest

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-89750918699860797572007-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:002007-12-19T13:53:02.910-08:00

A Reluctant BishopBishop Patricia Fresen was consecrated a bishop by three Roman Catholic bishops in 2005. The Vatican does not accept the validity of the consecration. The article highlights Bishop Fresen's initial reluctance to accept the responsibility of being a bishop.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-42154838909073243782007-12-18T07:55:00.000-08:002007-12-18T18:24:16.725-08:00

Is Pope Benedict XVI a Heretic?I haven't had much time for blogging in recent months, since the premature birth of our second child. Nevertheless, I did find some time to read the Holy Father's latest encyclical, Spe Salvi, which was issued on November 30, 2007.Overall, I really liked the encyclical. My title may not imply this. Like the 2005 Christmas encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, the man once

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-85637865262219978382007-11-29T20:16:00.000-08:002007-11-29T20:20:57.726-08:00

Rodney King and I Are the Same AgeOn the news, they said, "Forty-two year old Rodney King was shot today...."Pray for him.For those who do not know who he was/is, this African-American male's beating in 1991 by five white police officers led to a riot that killed 51 people. We were born 50 days apart. That's just weird to me.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-62775670629023363942007-11-28T17:58:00.000-08:002007-11-28T18:46:50.647-08:00

Can Democracy be Forced?On this day, November 28, 2007, the question seems abstract. Further, to apply the question to an historic event, such as the March 2003 invasion of Iraq by America seems abstract to many people. Yet, I was really and truly asking this question in 2002, before the invasion of Iraq by America, when the question was anything but abstract. I was reminded of this in a

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-60716642002666702262007-11-07T09:22:00.000-08:002007-11-07T09:26:45.182-08:00

Cotton and Conscience: by Michael GersonWith a toddler and a premie at home, and a imminent and inevitable downsizing at work, I haven't had much time for blogging.I received the editorial linked above from today's Washington Post via email, and felt it was too important not to take a moment to post....

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-48446730173252917972007-10-05T06:07:00.000-07:002007-10-05T06:09:45.737-07:00

UpdateI haven't been blogging for quite some time, and when I left off, I probably seemed a bit down. Well, I just wanted to let folks know that my wife and our new baby are doing great, and I'm feeling a bit better too. I'm still a bit too busy to get into my regular posting, but things are going well. Of course, Mom is tired, but healing very well. Baby is healthy and gaining weight at a good

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-52142415490441822007-09-12T19:32:00.000-07:002007-09-12T19:46:22.722-07:00

Question for Catholic EconomistsI was leaving the hospital this evening after visiting my new born son in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). The hospital is a Catholic hospital, and I was thinking how amazing it is that the Church runs a high tech hospital serving a diverse urban population.The thought crossed my mind that I heard a statistic in abortion debates that one fourth of all

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-44893357267317084102007-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:002007-09-11T20:01:37.014-07:00

Survivor's GuiltMy new born son continues to do great. From birth, he has been breathing on his own with high oxygenation - which is the number one concern with premature babies.There has been no heart murmur, which is the number two concern. His reflexes are good. His vital signs are good. He is gaining weight. All is well. Thanks be to God!But.....And this has to do with my "dark night"....My

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-42017002809130690662007-09-06T18:48:00.000-07:002007-09-07T05:58:40.247-07:00

Faith and DoubtIt's almost ten o'clock at night as I sit to write, and it's been an exhausting past few days after an exhausting thirteen weeks. First, let me describe the birth of my son. I sat down to say evening prayer from the liturgy of the hours rather late on Tuesday night (two days ago). It was just a little after nine o'clock when I sat down to pray. I was through the third canticle,

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-43381994296735448532007-09-05T03:55:00.000-07:002007-09-05T03:58:27.403-07:00

It's a Boy!!!I don't really have time to blog, and won't be reading comments till much later. I just stopped by home to pick up our two year old daughter. At 10:04 PM last night, my wife gave birth at 33 weeks to a premature, but healthy boy. He's four pounds and ten ounces, and 17 and 3/4 inches long. Please keep mom and baby (and dad too) in your prayers.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-8015788808733715352007-08-27T07:15:00.000-07:002007-08-27T07:23:03.138-07:00

Mother Teresa's Dark Night of the SoulThis really fits my recent mood, and was released in Time the day after my last post regarding a sort of dark night I feel myself experiencing. I also liked John Allen's recent piece on a deep personal friendship between a bishop and an athiest on Aug 24. The comments also mention Mother Teresa's dark night of the soul. Mother Teresa, pray for me.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-33711157105964294052007-08-22T13:35:00.000-07:002007-08-22T15:02:42.593-07:00

Slow Blogging....I haven't been blogging lately for a number of reasons. The top reason is that with my wife on strict bed-rest, I'm just too tired between the job and our two year old. I don't know how single mothers handle kids, a full time job, etc....It's exhausting. And on top of that, money is tight and I am under pressure at work. The "good news" on the front with my wife is that we're up

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-7313439335193348722007-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:002007-08-10T14:18:18.905-07:00

Religion in a Violent AgeThe link above is to the blog of Father Joseph S. O'Leary, and the essay is long - it printed 194 pages off my printer (and y'all thought I am verbose).I haven't finished reading it yet, and I'm not sure I agree with every jot and tiddle,...., but he's dealing with a theme I raised earlier this week in my post entitled, "Does God Command Killing?". In what I have read so

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-91569784972450207102007-08-09T06:56:00.000-07:002007-08-09T07:02:05.355-07:00

Another Excellent Review of the Pope's BookI ran across this through a link on Amy Wellborn's blog. Dr. Benjamin Meyes uses a highly critical negative book length review of Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth by Gerd Ludemann as a springboard for pointing out both the genuine weaknesses, and the strengths of the Holy Father's book.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-38759197172740647582007-08-08T14:39:00.000-07:002007-08-09T08:19:50.349-07:00

Does God Command Killing?A few times this year, I have made disparaging comments about Moses based on the story narrated in Exodus 32, and particularly verse 27. I have even gone so far as to call Moses a psychopath based in this story. At least part of the narrative is familiar to many of us through Cecil B. DeMille's movie, The Ten Commandments. Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving the ten

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-2306360976516068042007-08-07T06:54:00.001-07:002007-08-07T06:59:23.658-07:00

A Good and Positive Review of the Pope's BookPeter Steinfels, writing for Commonweal, seems to understand the limitations of the Holy Father's book, Jesus of Nazareth. Yet, he gives it a very positive review for what it is:Jesus of Nazareth is a patchwork, not a scholarly treatise, and readers will be richly rewarded if they accept it as such. Some sections clearly derive from homilies on topics

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-997592863957072482007-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:002007-08-06T11:49:29.183-07:00

The New Catholic Manliness???The link is to Crisis magazine, and I added the question marks to the original title.My question is whether this macho version of being Catholic has any basis in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Where in the Gospels or early traditions is there a demand for male Christian athletes who wear muscle shirts with Christian symbols and idealize "saintly warriors"? The

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-61126016217181997312007-08-03T13:05:00.000-07:002007-08-03T20:01:17.301-07:00

I Want to Know the TruthI'm feeling sort of down lately. I have a lot of stress going on in my personal life - my wife's high risk pregnancy, some financial woes, job dissatisfaction, maybe hitting my mid-life crisis, etc....All of that probably has something to do with the funky mood I'm feeling. And maybe factors like the local heat or hay fever add to the feeling. I don't blog much about these

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-13982197470398539662007-08-01T08:37:00.000-07:002007-08-01T08:41:44.012-07:00

Is Big Government Inevitable?Of course, the war in Iraq is an extreme exercise in big government. Further, the erosion of civil rights under neoconservative Republicans is hardly what libertarians or paleoconservative Republican advocates of limited government have argued for a long time. Despite the neoconservative dominance of the current administration and the Republican party in recent years,

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-43651281478455609142007-08-01T06:30:00.001-07:002007-08-01T06:31:52.823-07:00

The Unnoticed Casualties of WarA recent study by JAMA reveals that children of the troops are more likely than other children to suffer neglect and abuse while one of the parents is deployed in war.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-90315117384380876602007-07-31T13:51:00.000-07:002007-07-31T13:59:09.066-07:00

A Thought for the DayThe link above is to a post today at Amy Welborn's blog. In turn, Amy links to an article in Christianity Today by a woman who has kept the faith after some disillusionment with churches. The woman recognizes how messed up churches can be, but finds Christ in helping the homeless. I was not so impressed with the article as with Amy's comment:The nugget I took away from her

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-51496602403118645472007-07-30T13:49:00.000-07:002007-08-01T06:20:22.567-07:00

A Question I Seldom Think AboutI was trying to catch up on my email, and ran across a question from a woman whose question I seldom consider. She states that she is married, and has absolutely no desire to have children. Neither does her husband have any desire to have children. I tend to argue the case for temporary non-abortificient contraception within marriage on the grounds that it is

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-60360115029714235182007-07-27T13:31:00.000-07:002007-07-27T19:30:39.299-07:00

The True Cost of War"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (Par 2258 of the CCC, emphasis

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-21960460219452943732007-07-27T10:30:00.000-07:002007-07-27T11:16:33.729-07:00

The Virginity MystiqueNona Willis-Aronowitz critiques Wendy Shalit's Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It's Not Bad to Be Good.Shalit has a few good points -- there is something undeniably creepy about a 10-year-old girl in a thong. My stomach does sink a little when I see one of my peers woozily stripping her clothes off on a Girls Gone Wild commercial. And do I want

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-88608549565686675562007-07-27T06:08:00.000-07:002007-07-27T06:49:31.169-07:00

A Step Backward?The article above is by Rita Ferrone, for Commonweal. The question mark in the post title is my own addition to her main title. The article is about Pope Benedict's motu proprio restoring the use of the 1962 Mass of John XXIII. Ferrone argues quite forcefully that this is a bad move that undermines the entire intent of the Second Vatican Council regarding liturgical reform, and

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-92197518556970899182007-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:002007-07-27T05:37:47.966-07:00

A Few Thoughts on PrayerMy JustFaith experience ended about a month ago, but our group decided to continue to meet on an ongoing basis to discuss a pre-determined topic. Last night's topic was prayer. A book was picked to read ahead of time, and one of our members attended a week long work-shop two hours per night on prayer. The member who attended the workshop did a presentation on what she

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-28280933817597688302007-07-26T12:08:00.000-07:002007-07-31T06:01:40.192-07:00

Last Sunday's HomilyIt's Thursday. Why am I only now posting my thoughts on the homily I heard last Sunday?The reason is that I absolutely loved the homily, and I don't want to get the homilist in trouble if someone who would not like it knows who I am and where I went to Mass. Yet, as I have pondered on this anxiety, it occurs to me that those who know where I went to Mass last week are not

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-10452164489569325552007-07-26T11:55:00.001-07:002007-07-26T12:00:36.389-07:00

Pope Calls Conflict Between Evolution and Creation AbsurdLORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI said the debate raging in some countries — particularly the United States and his native Germany — between creationism and evolution was an “absurdity,” saying that evolution can coexist with faith...."They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other," the pope said. "This clash is an

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-81976571655443453262007-07-24T13:14:00.000-07:002007-07-24T13:17:32.804-07:00

Andrew Sullivan on Green ConservativismOf course, to some extent, the environment involves a public good that only the state can regulate.... It's foolish to deny this. What traditional conservatives can uniquely bring, however, is a way of improving environmental policy to embrace more market-friendly structures, and a better appreciation of how the private sector is most likely to come up with

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-82979428836945669432007-07-24T08:46:00.000-07:002007-07-24T08:49:41.039-07:00

Are Permanent Deacons Bound to Continence?The link above was posted by a reader in my comboxes, and raises a very interesting question. According to the article, canon 277.1 binds all clerics to "perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven". Implied in this, they "therefore are bound to celibacy". Of course, with the restoration of the permanent diaconate after Vatican

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-23936236063206013232007-07-24T07:24:00.000-07:002007-07-24T07:25:12.541-07:00

Signs of the TimesThis is funny.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-59782286821538446062007-07-19T09:35:00.000-07:002007-07-19T11:20:28.637-07:00

How Does One Discern A Celibate Calling?I don't know the answer. That's partly why I'm posting the question. In posting the question, I am only partially interested in the responses any celibate may offer. My intention is more to plant the question in the mind of those who haven't really felt strongly called to celibacy. I am prompted to plant this question in the mind of lay people with little

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-78262301599714636912007-07-17T14:32:00.000-07:002007-07-18T10:29:39.849-07:00

History Verses TheologyJesus said, "Lucky is the lion that the human will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And foul is the human that the lion will eat, and the lion still will become human." - The Gospel of Thomas v. 7, written sometime between 50 and 140 AD.Next, he was going through the village again and a running child bumped his shoulder. Becoming bitter, Jesus said to him, "You will not

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-23454317660683574272007-07-16T06:25:00.000-07:002007-07-16T06:29:41.113-07:00

Los Angeles Pays $660 M for Abuse Cases!Cardinal Mahoney stated the following yesterday:There really is no way to go back and give them the innocence that was taken from them ... The one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot -- and that is a restoration to where they were originally,... It should not have happened, and should not ever happen again,...I am still wondering if the

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-18929181684205333552007-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:002007-07-13T11:43:47.610-07:00

Hat Tip to "Stranger in a Strange Land"I ran across this blog, and liked it. Here's a great quote from Thomas Merton that seems a permanent feature in the side-bar:A theology of love cannot afford to be sentimental. It cannot afford to preach edifying generalities about charity, while identifying 'peace' with mere established power and legalized violence against the oppressed. A theology of love

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-47274554830915571462007-07-13T11:21:00.000-07:002007-07-13T11:24:48.739-07:00

Love Means Being Able to Say 'I'm Sorry'I ran across this article on cnn.com. Picking up on the line from Love Story where Ali MacGraw tells Ryan O'Neal that "Love means never having to say you're sorry", Martha Beck suggests that if Ali's character lived longer, she'd have realized how wrong that statement is.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-85598725720028744502007-07-12T11:28:00.000-07:002007-07-12T11:32:16.626-07:00

Bush Concedes CIA Leak Likely Came From AdministrationPresident Bush on Thursday acknowledged publicly for the first time that someone in his administration likely leaked the name of a CIA operative, although he also said he hopes the controversy over his decision to spare prison for a former White House aide has "run its course."

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-75918380811504124912007-07-12T10:09:00.000-07:002007-07-12T11:07:30.562-07:00

Our Fathers: by David FranceI'm still reading the Pope's book, Jesus of Nazareth. However, I had some public library books to return on Tuesday, and while I was there, I saw a book entitled Our Father's: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal, by David France. I picked it up out of curiosity and sat down for a few minutes to browse the book, initially thinking I may come back

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-37297500709337306372007-07-10T10:42:00.001-07:002007-07-10T11:31:29.503-07:00

CDF Release on the Doctrine of the ChurchThis short "response to doubts" attempts to clarify what is meant by the Second Vatican Council's teaching that the one Church of Christ "subsists in" in the Roman Catholic Church. The first question addressed is whether the Church teaching changed, and the response is that it has not changed, but been clarified. This is my own view, though I would point

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-18807036659834782912007-07-09T11:31:00.000-07:002007-07-09T11:40:16.346-07:00

Between Theology and Exegesis: by Jack MilesWriting for Commonweal, Jack Miles reviews the Pope's Jesus of Nazareth. He hits on something I am noticing in my own reading that I could not quite figure out to articulate:..., it is one thing to reread the Bible in a way that makes God or God incarnate once again its central literary character and subject. It is another to claim that unless God's

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-14825030578383466272007-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:002007-07-06T12:29:02.734-07:00

John Allen's 'All Things Catholic'A week ago or so, Allen posted Lay Ecclesial Ministry and the Feminization of the Church to NCR. The article highlights increased lay involvement in the Church's ministry and administration, and points out that women are finding real ecclesial power through lay ministry. Allen also suggests that the number of men who know work for the Church in paid ministry is

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-34078686885574857172007-07-05T05:46:00.000-07:002007-07-05T07:11:34.048-07:00

Chapter 4: The Sermon on the MountI have completed chapter 4 of the Pope's book, The Sermon on the Mount, and begun chapter 5 on the Lord's Prayer. I have decided that it is rather pointless to critique this book on the grounds of the historical-critical method. It seems to me that what the Holy Father written is not a contemporary scholarly treatise a la John P. Meier or Raymond Brown. Rather,

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-11599540913365332192007-07-03T13:09:00.000-07:002007-07-03T13:10:22.439-07:00

NCR Editorial: Erasing Women From History

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-23573274206365115562007-07-03T12:54:00.001-07:002007-07-03T12:57:56.794-07:00

Former Jihadist Critiques Theology of TerrorI'm not sure this article will actually convince anyone involved in militant Islamic jihad to abandon terrorists tactics.Yet, the author may persuade the vast majority of Muslims who do not embrace terror to be more vigilant in marginalizing those who do embrace terror.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-56889010352722807002007-07-03T12:02:00.000-07:002007-07-03T12:03:54.495-07:00

Andrew Sullivan's Quote for the Day"I don't believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own," - George W. Bush on why he signed death warrants for 152 inmates as governor of Texas.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-81897402629496047952007-06-29T13:55:00.000-07:002007-06-29T14:10:40.808-07:00

Thoughts on Motu Proprio?Surfing Catholic blogs, it seems there is a lot of buzz about the restoration of the Tridentine liturgy, and a general consensus that liberals are against it. I just want to be on record as saying I have never been oppossed to wider availability of the Latin Mass. I've been to approved Latin Masses, and it is a beautiful way of worshiping, though my preference is for the

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-27667672326287240092007-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:002007-06-29T13:44:49.344-07:00

A Conservative Argues for Impeaching Cheney

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-87153085398987670742007-06-29T13:16:00.000-07:002007-06-29T13:18:10.565-07:00

What Happens When You Google the Word "Failure"?You probably guessed it.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-2488622639059017092007-06-29T06:22:00.000-07:002007-06-29T07:44:12.476-07:00

Chapter 3: The Gospel of the Kingdom of GodI liked this chapter of the Pope's new book much better than previous chapters, though there do seem some points worthy of critique. In this chapter, the Holy Father does seem to be delving into a true attempt at exegesis and historical investigation. Of course, he is still mixing in some theologizing and homiletics without being clear that he is doing

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-84827727897783892952007-06-28T09:55:00.000-07:002007-06-28T10:18:41.523-07:00

A Critical Review of the Pope's BookI haven't yet finished the next chapter of the Pope's book (The Kingdom of God), much less the whole book. What I have read so far in this chapter seems to be getting a little better than the earlier chapters from the view point of intergrating historical scholarship. So far, my chapter by chapter critique has consistently been that the book does not integrate

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-9785576124180143752007-06-27T13:46:00.000-07:002007-06-27T13:57:31.487-07:00

Hat Tip to Reformed CatholicI took a little break from reading the Pope's book and did this quiz on B's site. I feel like I may have seen this before a couple of years ago, but it was fun to do again....I wonder if the conservatives are surprised by the results.B also has a great 2 part series on Western dating verses Hindu dating....You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-6897918915420958022007-06-27T05:56:00.000-07:002007-07-05T05:46:36.207-07:00

The Temptations: Chapter 2 of Pope's BookHow do I describe this chapter? I liked it. I really liked it alot. This is a fantastic homily on the temptations of Christ as presented in the Gospels. One reader left a comment hinting I may not like Benedict's swipes at those who would reduce the Gospel to a political manifesto to give bread to the poor. Actually, I had little problem with the Holy

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-51550843676506849192007-06-26T13:41:00.000-07:002007-06-26T17:55:36.725-07:00

More on the Pope's BookOk. I just got through the first real chapter: "The Baptism of Jesus". What a dissapointment!Perhaps I had the wrong expectations when I picked up this book. I was under the impression that this was going to be a synthesis of the best of historical studies that shape the Holy Father's Christology. I don't mind that the Pope wants to do some Christology and theology - but I

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-59058484346047554372007-06-25T08:53:00.000-07:002007-06-25T10:35:55.591-07:00

The Pope's BookI've been pretty busy with my toddler while my wife is on pretty strict bed-rest during a high risk pregnancy. I haven't had much time for reading and blogging.However, I did manage to get my hands on Pope Benedict's book, Jesus of Nazareth, which I am slowly plowing through in my few moments of free time.The forward to the book is worth the price, in my mind. Benedict is clear

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-70252787642229083212007-06-19T11:10:00.000-07:002007-06-19T11:14:43.138-07:00

Vatican Releases Ten Commandments for DriversI'm not making this up. EWTN reports that the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, under the leadership of Renato Cardinal Matino, has issued ten commandments for drivers:I. You shall not kill. II. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm. III. Courtesy, uprightness and

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-74647102275170003592007-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:16:30.491-07:00

Homosexuality and the ChurchDespite all that's going on, I did find a few moments to read this exchange in Commonweal between Bible scholar, Luke Timothy Johnson, and blogger/journalist Eve Tushnet on homosexuality. Both views are very thought provoking.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-52773913157714850162007-06-13T07:06:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:13:51.758-07:00

Another UpdateMy wife is on bed rest, and my daughter now has a fever probably due to being woken up in the middle night to go to the hospital and eating irregular meals. On top of all else, we're dealing with the fact that our air conditioning broke down, as did one of our cars, and a hard drive on a PC crashed with some financial info that wasn't backed up recently. So far, things are going as

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-2879865358917199322007-06-08T16:34:00.000-07:002007-06-08T16:44:52.237-07:00

Update!Thanks so much to everyone praying. God is good!We found a wonderful doctor able to give my wife the right treatment to stop contractions and opening of the cervix - and he knew a solution using some sort of ring with a sort of web that will hold the uterus to remove pressure on the cervix. Most of all, he gave us hope. This morning, even he was nervous we would not make it through the

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-85561742815783627122007-06-07T23:58:00.001-07:002007-06-07T23:59:34.289-07:00

KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING!My wife is in the hospital with pre-term contractions. No time to say much more (see below). Please pray for us.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-52737817813187331852007-06-07T13:14:00.000-07:002007-06-07T13:22:08.391-07:00

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!My wife and I went in for the 20 week ultrasound today. This is our second child. About two weeks ago, she was experiencing prolonged contractions, and went in to be checked, but everything was fine by the time she got to the doctor. They told her to take it easy and drink lots of water. There have been sporadic contractions since, even as we were driving in for the routine

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-5056226351439681312007-06-06T14:31:00.000-07:002007-06-06T14:34:54.396-07:00

Is This the End of the Stem Cell Debate?Scientist believe that they have found a way to convert adult cells taken from a person's own body into pluripotent stem cells without creation or destruction of a human embryo.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-48306595937152238942007-06-05T21:06:00.000-07:002007-06-07T05:12:56.678-07:00

Preliminary Thoughts on Sam Harris' The End of FaithA few months back, I posted some of my thoughts on the online debate between Sam Harris and Andrew Sullivan at www.beliefnet.com. I stated that I considered Harris to be winning the debate, and offered my own critique of points he had made to that date with Sullivan. I received in response to this post an email from an atheist who commended me

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-67665306500116453102007-06-01T13:00:00.000-07:002007-06-01T14:01:53.426-07:00

A Bishop Takes a Swipe at RudyBishop Thomas Tobin of the Archdiocese of Providence, RI, has publicly printed his "R.S.V.P." to a fund raising event for Rudy Giuliani. There is no mention of denying Giuliani communion over his pro-choice stance, per se, but Tobin does refer to a "defection from the Catholic Faith" and "abandoning the Faith for political expediency". I am not in favor of denying

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-16715939619592641702007-06-01T10:42:00.000-07:002007-06-01T10:43:14.237-07:00

John Allen's Take on CELAM

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-54259138201363022362007-06-01T10:40:00.000-07:002007-06-01T10:42:06.342-07:00

Daniel Callahan & BioethicsThis Commonweal article by Paul Lauritzen is interesting.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-34515976556917008092007-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:002007-06-01T09:56:43.045-07:00

CNN on Religion in PoliticsI'm not sure what to make of the way candidates are pursuing the religious voter. On the one hand, if a person claims to have faith that doesn't impact political choices, that faith cannot be very deep. Faith impacts everything you do by choice in one way or another.I once said that to my brother while we were conversing over a beer. He said that's ridiculous. He stated

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-51819280826050091432007-05-31T14:23:00.000-07:002007-05-31T14:33:35.622-07:00

Renewing American Leadership: by Barack ObamaI first ran across this article today on Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. Sullivan extracts a number of quotations that present Obama as hawkish, and defends that position against Jerome a Paris' use of the same quotations on Daily Kos.Sullivan states that Obama's hawkishness appeals to him, because it shows an awareness of the threats in the world. Paris

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-64716086180492185102007-05-31T11:15:00.000-07:002007-05-31T11:20:35.972-07:00

Educating RudyA Ron Paul supporter states the following while compiling a reading list for Rudy Giuliani:"In the second Republican Presidential debate of 2007, Rudy Giuliani called Ron Paul's assertion that U.S. foreign policy was part of the reason we were attacked on 9/11 "absurd." In a press conference Paul gave on May 25, Paul presented Giuliani a reading list of books to better understand

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-5499995861904895272007-05-30T09:22:00.000-07:002007-05-30T09:28:59.822-07:00

Cinton Leads Dems, but Obama Would Take General ElectionIt's way to early to put any trust in political polls, but this strikes me as interesting. According to a May 23 Zogby release, a poll of only Democrats puts Hillary Clinton ahead of Barack Obama.However, when polling the general population, Barack Obama beats all candidates, including Clinton and all of the leading Republicans.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-79934311401135878042007-05-30T09:01:00.000-07:002007-05-30T09:16:19.965-07:00

Priest Denies Killing Woman in 1960

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-57433109658780841952007-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:002007-05-25T11:31:48.373-07:00

Congress Caves in to a BullyCongress sent President Bush a new Iraq funding bill yesterday that lacked troop withdrawal deadlines demanded by liberal Democrats, but party leaders vowed it was only a temporary setback in their efforts to bring home American troops.......In an anguished floor speech, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), a longtime war opponent, said he would reluctantly

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-73275193365438508082007-05-25T07:41:00.000-07:002007-05-25T07:43:33.646-07:00

The Pope's Communication ParadoxJohn Allen's commentary on the Pope's communication style is spot on.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-26814692992135242552007-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:002007-05-24T10:00:11.932-07:00

An Atheist Makes a Record Gift to a Catholic ArchdioceseSeparately, just last week, I met a man who has worked for twelve years with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. He states he is an agnostic who never goes to church. I asked him why he worked for CCHD, and he stated he likes the work they do, and the principles of Catholic social justice teaching - which he can articulate quite

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-79319357475857589462007-05-24T09:15:00.000-07:002007-05-25T05:29:35.441-07:00

What is the Difference Between Affect and Effect?This is real break from theology and politics. I just want to vent my own little bit of frustration at something entirely trivial. After a brief argument in a meeting this morning, I googled the difference between affect and effect, and am frustrated by the results, because it doesn't settle the question I have. It seems that everyone writing on

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-77571908816628987142007-05-23T09:39:00.000-07:002007-05-23T09:41:12.759-07:00

Rove's Ex-Aide Will Talk If Granted ImmunityWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Susan Ralston, a former top assistant to President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, is willing to tell Congress what she knows about contacts between White House officials and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- but only if she's granted immunity from prosecution, her lawyer has told congressional investigators.

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-87195542442219612512007-05-19T11:20:00.001-07:002007-05-19T11:26:56.218-07:00

Another Matt Talbot PostMatt tells great and moving stories about growing up poor and his observations of poverty throughout his life. This one tackles discipline of children. I have only known a hand-full of people my own age who were raised without ever having been spanked. Every single one of that hand-full of people, I met in seminary - the kindest people you'd ever want to meet. On the flip

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-44593733501444096672007-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:002007-05-19T10:08:28.369-07:00

Grinding My Axe About JudgesThe Commonweal editors say the following about the recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision to uphold the partial birth abortion ban:Making Carhart even more complicated, however, is that the decision further embeds the principles of Roe in the Court's jurisprudence. Like Casey, this opinion strongly reaffirms a woman's fundamental constitutional right to an abortion, even as

Jcecil3http://www.blogger.com/profile/04926137256389306968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402074.post-2373848150663709032007-05-17T14:07:00.000-07:002007-05-17T14:45:11.748-07:00

A Republican Speaks Some Truth on Iraq.... A few minutes after the debate ended here at the University of South Carolina, Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas, ventured into the Spin Room to talk to reporters, only to find that they wanted to know whether he really blamed the United States for the September 11 terrorist attacks."Who did that?" Paul snapped. "Who blamed America?" "Well, your

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Dalai Lama Eyes RetirementI am confused. I'm not a Tibetan Buddhist, and I confess my question is sparked by ignorance. It is my understanding that the Dalai Lama is supposed to be the reincarnation of past Dalai Lamas in an unbroken chain going back for centuries. If my understanding is correct, how can one retire from being a Dalai Lama? In my understanding, being a Dalai Lama is something you

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The Wisdom of Gandhi..., long after he had left South Africa, Gandhi received a letter urging world leaders to draw up a charter of human rights. "In my experience," Gandhi wrote back, "it is far more important to have a charter of human duties."From Gandhi the Man: The Story of His Transformation (1997) by Erknath Easwaren, p.33

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