Jimmy Akin is one of those self-appointed right-wing Catholics who has created a business out of telling other Catholics that they aren't true enough or pure enough in their Catholicism. He's a blogger who has written books and gets on right-wing Catholic radio (including the Covenant network) to encourage Catholics to report their priest to the bishop if he says something during Mass that a right winger does not like--for instance, if the priest mentions that he thinks priests should be able to marry, or that women should not be banned from the priesthood.
That's Jimmy Akin's right. He can make money however he wants, as long as it's legal, and he obviously has his first amendment rights. No crime there. But now Akin has gone on the warpath against Mitt Romney -- not because Romney's economic policies (the few that he's actually been willing to put his name to) are heartless, not at all protective of the poor Jesus asked his followers to help. No, Akin does not think Romney should be taken seriously as a presidential candidate because....wait for it....he's not Christian. Romney is a member of the LDS church (the Mormons), obviously, and Akin is quick to point out that the LDS church is not Christian.
Couple problems with that one. First, Akin's own faith -- Catholicism -- is often bashed by evangelicals as "not being Christian." That's a charge arising from ignorance; it typically comes from people who believe that Catholics worship Mary or that Catholics are not called by the church to have a "personal relationship" with Christ. You would think Akin, as a member of a faith community that is itself often attacked by outsiders, would not want to tackle Romney on Romney supposedly not belonging to a Christian church.
The second problem is that Akin defines Christianity in strictly theological terms. Personally, I find theology fascinating -- one of the most interesting parlor games around. But theology is not synonymous with being a follower of Christ -- that is, a true, humble Christ-ian: a person who attempts to love as Jesus loves. Akin has missed the point of Christianity if he thinks it's chiefly about doctrine.
Not to mention that people who call themselves Christian should reject bigotry in all its forms--including religious bigotry. There's no other word for what Akin has advocated: rejecting a presidential candidate chiefly on his religious beliefs.
There's no way in heck that I will vote for Romney -- in part because he has now rejected the one clearly good thing he did as governor of Massachussetts: helping to craft health care reform that increased the likelihood that sick people (of all income levels) will be able to get medical care without the system going bankrupt. No, Romney is not getting my vote. But it has nothing to do with the sort of bigotry that Jimmy Akin is busy promoting.
I truly believe that each of us is called by God to reject bigotry in all its forms. If we work at that, we can help save the church. (Call me naive if you must, but I do believe that.)
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Norway's Tragedy: Hatred of Muslims Turns into Violence
A day and a half ago (July 22), a young, photogenic citizen of Norway carried out two gruesome attacks against his fellow Norwegians. Roughly ninety-three people were killed, a great many of them teenagers. The suspect police arrested is Anders Behring Breivik.
It could turn out that Breivik's massacre is the product of untreated mental illness, not so different from the case of Jared Loughner, who went on the attack in Tuscon in January, killing several people and severely wounding Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. At the moment, however, it appears that Breivik had very warped political motives--a terrorist more like Timothy McVeigh than Loughner.
What were Breivik's motives? Evidently, he hates Muslims. He lumps Muslims together as a danger. All Muslims. Breivik was hoping to start a cultural revolution and turn Norweignans against Muslims. He wanted to call his fellow citizens to arms against Muslims. The people he killed were not Muslims (not as far as I know), but he evidently fed himself a diet of anti-Muslim propaganda, and then he went out to murder lots and lots of folks. Bigotry that is shared openly is an attempt, in effect, to teach one's listeners to hate those who are deemed the dangerous "other." Hatred often boils over and leads to violence. No big surprise there.
Those who try to gin up hatred of Muslims in various corners of the world -- including, of course, even the occasional Catholic bishop -- should join the rest of us in saying prayers for the victims of the violence in Norway. And then they should pray some more and repent of the hatred they are helping to spread. For hatred always has tragic consequences, and Anders Behring Breivik would seem to be one of those consequences.
It could turn out that Breivik's massacre is the product of untreated mental illness, not so different from the case of Jared Loughner, who went on the attack in Tuscon in January, killing several people and severely wounding Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. At the moment, however, it appears that Breivik had very warped political motives--a terrorist more like Timothy McVeigh than Loughner.
What were Breivik's motives? Evidently, he hates Muslims. He lumps Muslims together as a danger. All Muslims. Breivik was hoping to start a cultural revolution and turn Norweignans against Muslims. He wanted to call his fellow citizens to arms against Muslims. The people he killed were not Muslims (not as far as I know), but he evidently fed himself a diet of anti-Muslim propaganda, and then he went out to murder lots and lots of folks. Bigotry that is shared openly is an attempt, in effect, to teach one's listeners to hate those who are deemed the dangerous "other." Hatred often boils over and leads to violence. No big surprise there.
Those who try to gin up hatred of Muslims in various corners of the world -- including, of course, even the occasional Catholic bishop -- should join the rest of us in saying prayers for the victims of the violence in Norway. And then they should pray some more and repent of the hatred they are helping to spread. For hatred always has tragic consequences, and Anders Behring Breivik would seem to be one of those consequences.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Say an Ave for Amy Winehouse
Sad news from London: Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her home. Only twenty-seven years old. Great talent, wonderful voice, soulful tunes. A tortured soul, from most accounts. This particular song is sad in its irony--and, I can't deny it, as catchy as all get out.
If you have a moment, say a Hail Mary for Amy Winehouse as well as those who are still struggling with addictions. May she rest in peace; may she find her true home in God's loving arms. May we all, each of us, find our true home in God's loving arms.
If you have a moment, say a Hail Mary for Amy Winehouse as well as those who are still struggling with addictions. May she rest in peace; may she find her true home in God's loving arms. May we all, each of us, find our true home in God's loving arms.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Praying for Heat Relief...and Finally, Doing Something About It
It's been unbearably hot (humid and hot, as in blast-oven hot) here in the Midwest. One hundred degrees before they even look at the heat index.
In our prayers during these hot days and nights, my son and I sometimes remember to pray for those who do not have air conditioning. We do have air conditioning. We are comfortable. It's all too easy, once we've been inside the house for a few hours, to forget what it must feel like in other people's homes.
Just decided we need to add action to our prayers this weekend. Need to buy a couple fans and donate them. Should have done that way back in June. Should have been doing that for the last several summers, actually. All those summers I could have done that and did not -- that's what you call a sin of omission. I'm guilty of plenty of sins of omission.
Most towns or counties have food pantries -- sometimes multiple food pantries (the community one, plus multiple church-run pantries). I would be interested to hear: What, if anything, does your local faith community or civic organization do to help the poor, the aged, the vulnerable to cope with extreme weather, especially the type of heat that kills? Is this a neglected ministry? Or is help readily available for the folks who need it?
In our prayers during these hot days and nights, my son and I sometimes remember to pray for those who do not have air conditioning. We do have air conditioning. We are comfortable. It's all too easy, once we've been inside the house for a few hours, to forget what it must feel like in other people's homes.
Just decided we need to add action to our prayers this weekend. Need to buy a couple fans and donate them. Should have done that way back in June. Should have been doing that for the last several summers, actually. All those summers I could have done that and did not -- that's what you call a sin of omission. I'm guilty of plenty of sins of omission.
Most towns or counties have food pantries -- sometimes multiple food pantries (the community one, plus multiple church-run pantries). I would be interested to hear: What, if anything, does your local faith community or civic organization do to help the poor, the aged, the vulnerable to cope with extreme weather, especially the type of heat that kills? Is this a neglected ministry? Or is help readily available for the folks who need it?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Six Months After Christmas: Still Praying That Bishop Paprocki Will Reject Prejudice Against Muslims
Today is the half-way mark on the calendar between Christmas 2010 and Christmas 2011. We're six months out from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki's choice to promote prejudice against Muslims in his 2010 Midnight Mass celebration at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, Illinois. We have six months until Bishop Paprocki gives his next Christmas Eve homily.
Since he is the bishop in charge of the diocese in which I live, I am praying each day that Bishop Paprocki will turn away from the serious sin of bigotry that he demonstrated in his Christmas Eve homily. Here's a link to that homily. The bishop began that homily by celebrating (not noting, not explaining, but celebrating) the execution of a Muslim general on Christmas Day in 1683. He then went on to lament that Muslims today "wish to move in legally and peacefully" to the United States and Western Europe in order to "impose Islamist values and sharia law with little or no resistance." That's right, folks. The way Bishop Paprocki sees it, you can't even trust Muslims who come in peace. They all, evidently, have something awful up their sleeves.
When someone is in the habit of prejudging others--particularly a large group of individuals--we call that prejudice. People who are proud of their prejudice are bigots. People who encourage other people to become bigots are...well, do we have a word for that? Some would call such folks hate-mongers. I'm sure the bishop would not call himself that. After all, he would point out, he never said anyone should hate Muslims. Just reject them out of hand. Including the ones who come "peacefully and legally." And, oh yes, he also says--more out of rhetorical obligation than heartfelt belief, I suspect--that "not every Muslim is a terrorist." But he only makes that point once, and very briefly, and it's the same sort of thing that every bigoted person says when he hopes that non-bigots will take him seriously. It rarely works.
Catholic Christians are called by the church to go the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confess their sins in private, before only God and a priest. We are not, under normal circumstances, obliged to repent of our sins in a public forum--although we are, most certainly, expected to repent with a sincere heart, if perhaps only in private. It's entirely possible that Bishop Paprocki has already repented of the sin of bigotry privately, that is, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It's not my business, obviously, to know whether he has or not.
In this case, however, it sure seems that Bishop Paprocki should supplement any sacramental confession of the sin of bigotry with a public apology and repentance. For he did not just engage in bigotry--which, sadly, most of us have struggled with in one form or another in our own hearts. No, what Bishop Paprocki did was much worse. He used the Holy Mass to encourage others to adopt his prejudice. In other words, he encouraged every person who attended that Mass, and every person who read the homily thereafter, to engage in sin. He encouraged others to prejudge individuals as having evil intent when he knows nothing of those individuals. And, once again: he used the Mass--Christmas Eve Mass--to do this.
We are all sinners; we are all in need of conversion and acceptance of God's mercy. With regard to the bishop's very public sin last Christmas, let's hope that the bishop is able to come to terms with this sin and turn from it. Let us hope he will encourage his flock to reject prejudice and bigotry in all its forms. (Think about it. The bishop's example of showing the faithful how one recognizes sin in his own life, turns from it, and seeks to make things right would be inspirational for every Catholic in the diocese.) And let's also pray that the bishop will remember to celebrate Jesus' love at Midnight Mass six months from now. (Is it not a shame for a savior to be born--a savior who leads us deeper into God's love--and for a bishop to miss the point of that event? How sad for those people who went to Mass to celebrate God's love on Christmas Eve.)
The good news for Bishop Paprocki, on the off chance (the incredibly minuscule chance) he stumbles across this blog entry: God can help you turn away from your sin--even one as drastic as the homily you gave last Christmas. (Who knows? You might even have a chance to sit down and get to know a few Muslims as friends, as people. Don't be afraid, sir. They might be praying for you as well, for all you know. Open your heart to God's love, Bishop Paprocki. You're better than the sin you committed last Christmas in front of all those people.)
(For what it's worth, here's a link to my original post on Bishop Paprocki's homily--from this January.)
Since he is the bishop in charge of the diocese in which I live, I am praying each day that Bishop Paprocki will turn away from the serious sin of bigotry that he demonstrated in his Christmas Eve homily. Here's a link to that homily. The bishop began that homily by celebrating (not noting, not explaining, but celebrating) the execution of a Muslim general on Christmas Day in 1683. He then went on to lament that Muslims today "wish to move in legally and peacefully" to the United States and Western Europe in order to "impose Islamist values and sharia law with little or no resistance." That's right, folks. The way Bishop Paprocki sees it, you can't even trust Muslims who come in peace. They all, evidently, have something awful up their sleeves.
When someone is in the habit of prejudging others--particularly a large group of individuals--we call that prejudice. People who are proud of their prejudice are bigots. People who encourage other people to become bigots are...well, do we have a word for that? Some would call such folks hate-mongers. I'm sure the bishop would not call himself that. After all, he would point out, he never said anyone should hate Muslims. Just reject them out of hand. Including the ones who come "peacefully and legally." And, oh yes, he also says--more out of rhetorical obligation than heartfelt belief, I suspect--that "not every Muslim is a terrorist." But he only makes that point once, and very briefly, and it's the same sort of thing that every bigoted person says when he hopes that non-bigots will take him seriously. It rarely works.
Catholic Christians are called by the church to go the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confess their sins in private, before only God and a priest. We are not, under normal circumstances, obliged to repent of our sins in a public forum--although we are, most certainly, expected to repent with a sincere heart, if perhaps only in private. It's entirely possible that Bishop Paprocki has already repented of the sin of bigotry privately, that is, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It's not my business, obviously, to know whether he has or not.
In this case, however, it sure seems that Bishop Paprocki should supplement any sacramental confession of the sin of bigotry with a public apology and repentance. For he did not just engage in bigotry--which, sadly, most of us have struggled with in one form or another in our own hearts. No, what Bishop Paprocki did was much worse. He used the Holy Mass to encourage others to adopt his prejudice. In other words, he encouraged every person who attended that Mass, and every person who read the homily thereafter, to engage in sin. He encouraged others to prejudge individuals as having evil intent when he knows nothing of those individuals. And, once again: he used the Mass--Christmas Eve Mass--to do this.
We are all sinners; we are all in need of conversion and acceptance of God's mercy. With regard to the bishop's very public sin last Christmas, let's hope that the bishop is able to come to terms with this sin and turn from it. Let us hope he will encourage his flock to reject prejudice and bigotry in all its forms. (Think about it. The bishop's example of showing the faithful how one recognizes sin in his own life, turns from it, and seeks to make things right would be inspirational for every Catholic in the diocese.) And let's also pray that the bishop will remember to celebrate Jesus' love at Midnight Mass six months from now. (Is it not a shame for a savior to be born--a savior who leads us deeper into God's love--and for a bishop to miss the point of that event? How sad for those people who went to Mass to celebrate God's love on Christmas Eve.)
The good news for Bishop Paprocki, on the off chance (the incredibly minuscule chance) he stumbles across this blog entry: God can help you turn away from your sin--even one as drastic as the homily you gave last Christmas. (Who knows? You might even have a chance to sit down and get to know a few Muslims as friends, as people. Don't be afraid, sir. They might be praying for you as well, for all you know. Open your heart to God's love, Bishop Paprocki. You're better than the sin you committed last Christmas in front of all those people.)
(For what it's worth, here's a link to my original post on Bishop Paprocki's homily--from this January.)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
SNAP To It: Kansas City & Bishop Finn
SNAP is pushing for a grand jury investigation in Kansas City, so reports The National Catholic Reporter. Thank goodness. It's about time. Good wishes for whoever filled their gas tanks.
I used to be skeptical about SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. Used to think the group was crassly anti-Catholic in that they never bothered to broaden their focus to other populations of sexual abuse survivors and the people who victimized them. After all, there are plenty of abusers who are Baptist, and Methodist, and United Church of Christ, and...well, you get the idea. [Update and correction: A commenter who stopped by has set me straight. There are indeed SNAP chapters that focus on groups other than the Catholic church.]
Not to mention that most priests (including every priest I've ever known personally, as far as I can tell) are not prone to victimizing children. Most priests are decent men; some of them are very holy men, and not in a cardboard cut-out sense, but in a genuinely down-to-earth, caring way.
So then: Why a group that focuses solely on the Catholic church? That's the question I used to ask myself, and a question which many defenders of the church still ask. (I'm thinking of people who argue, rather sadly, "We're no worse than the rest of society..." Not much of a defense there, methinks. Nor much witness to the message of Christ.)
And then I got it. The Catholic church, unlike so many other organizations and employers who have predators within their ranks, is highly centralized in its policies and decision making. There is a company line here. For decades and decades and decades -- with regard to the abuse of minors -- it was a lousy company line, but one that was followed by bishop after bishop in diocese after diocese. Ignore. Cover up. Lie. Lawyer up. Stall.
SNAP is needed. SNAP brings both attention and heat to the cases it highlights. If its rhetoric is occasionally inflammatory, its raison d'etre is clear. The group wants to bring about real change in the church, which includes an end to abuse and cover-ups, and justice for survivors of abuse. Believe it or not, the church owes SNAP a big round of thanks. (I'm guessing, though, that members don't expect to hear any clapping until they get to heaven. The church on earth is too busy calling the lawyers.)
I used to be skeptical about SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. Used to think the group was crassly anti-Catholic in that they never bothered to broaden their focus to other populations of sexual abuse survivors and the people who victimized them. After all, there are plenty of abusers who are Baptist, and Methodist, and United Church of Christ, and...well, you get the idea. [Update and correction: A commenter who stopped by has set me straight. There are indeed SNAP chapters that focus on groups other than the Catholic church.]
Not to mention that most priests (including every priest I've ever known personally, as far as I can tell) are not prone to victimizing children. Most priests are decent men; some of them are very holy men, and not in a cardboard cut-out sense, but in a genuinely down-to-earth, caring way.
So then: Why a group that focuses solely on the Catholic church? That's the question I used to ask myself, and a question which many defenders of the church still ask. (I'm thinking of people who argue, rather sadly, "We're no worse than the rest of society..." Not much of a defense there, methinks. Nor much witness to the message of Christ.)
And then I got it. The Catholic church, unlike so many other organizations and employers who have predators within their ranks, is highly centralized in its policies and decision making. There is a company line here. For decades and decades and decades -- with regard to the abuse of minors -- it was a lousy company line, but one that was followed by bishop after bishop in diocese after diocese. Ignore. Cover up. Lie. Lawyer up. Stall.
SNAP is needed. SNAP brings both attention and heat to the cases it highlights. If its rhetoric is occasionally inflammatory, its raison d'etre is clear. The group wants to bring about real change in the church, which includes an end to abuse and cover-ups, and justice for survivors of abuse. Believe it or not, the church owes SNAP a big round of thanks. (I'm guessing, though, that members don't expect to hear any clapping until they get to heaven. The church on earth is too busy calling the lawyers.)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Nest of Cardinals...and Gratitude
My wife pointed out to me last night that a mother and father cardinal established their nest in an elevated nook of our back porch (on the branch of a huge shrub) while we weren't looking. Evidently several chicks hatched while we were away on vacation, and we can now see mom and dad bringing food home on a regular basis. Occasionally, my wife sees little beaks straining upward. (She has better eyes than me.) At this moment, sitting here with the door open before the day's heat takes over, I hear clusters of their chirping, the sound of joy or hunger, I'm not sure which. Would love to snap a picture, but I don't want to trespass on their space.
In any case, the green leaves and the chirps and the summer breeze all leave me feeling very grateful for the five senses God blessed me with. And I am reminded, as well, of a short video that fits rather nicely with any moment of gratitude. (Sometimes I watch this piece after a long day, and I always sleep more peacefully that night.)
The speaker here is Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk.
In any case, the green leaves and the chirps and the summer breeze all leave me feeling very grateful for the five senses God blessed me with. And I am reminded, as well, of a short video that fits rather nicely with any moment of gratitude. (Sometimes I watch this piece after a long day, and I always sleep more peacefully that night.)
The speaker here is Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tim Russert: A Catholic and a Good Man
Greg Kandra, at the Deacon's Bench blog on Patheos, has a couple nice tributes to Tim Russert, who died three years ago this week. Every Sunday morning when my son was a baby, I would hold him and he and I would watch MTP together--bottle for him, coffee for me, dogs at our feet. Then the child discovered cartoons.
May Tim Russert rest in the eternal peace and loving embrace of God, merciful creator and lover of all souls. May God have mercy on each of us at the hour of our death.
May Tim Russert rest in the eternal peace and loving embrace of God, merciful creator and lover of all souls. May God have mercy on each of us at the hour of our death.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Nugget from William J. O'Malley
This morning one book's spine seemed to jump out at me from the stacks of books at bedside. The book, God: The Oldest Question, by William J. O'Malley, S.J., is one I haven't touched in three or four years. (This inference is based on the convenience store receipt with which it was bookmarked. I wonder if I really needed that York Peppermint Pattie...or if I managed to give the second one to my wife, as I hope I did. Anyway.)
As I skimmed O'Malley's wonderful book this morning, I came across this line, which for some reason I neglected to place an X next to the last time I encountered it. I'll make up for that here on the Net.
But have I taken it to heart? Lived it out in a pervasive, transformative, rubber-meets-the-road way? Allowed myself to see how far I am from the mark of God's generosity?
Hmmm. Well now. Not so much. Which leaves me thinking: I have plenty of road still to cover. And no footsteps to waste. I need to start listening to the gospel for real and living it like I mean it. All along the walk. More kindness. More benefit of the doubt. A quieter voice except when loudness is truly needed. Less attention to things, more attention to people. More humility, less pride. A greater awareness that the present moment matters, even as I realize that this will all pass away--especially the individual moments in which I might, somehow, learn how to be a Christian.. And, along with that, I need to give myself permission to be unnerved by all that God calls each of us to, and unnerved by the sweep and depth of God's love as well.
Yes, I truly do need to hear the gospel.
As I skimmed O'Malley's wonderful book this morning, I came across this line, which for some reason I neglected to place an X next to the last time I encountered it. I'll make up for that here on the Net.
"If the gospel doesn't unnerve you, it's quite likely that you've never really heard it."Never really heard it. Heard it, yes, but without hearing it. Heard the words of the gospel read aloud, yes; read the words with my own eyes, yes.
But have I taken it to heart? Lived it out in a pervasive, transformative, rubber-meets-the-road way? Allowed myself to see how far I am from the mark of God's generosity?
Hmmm. Well now. Not so much. Which leaves me thinking: I have plenty of road still to cover. And no footsteps to waste. I need to start listening to the gospel for real and living it like I mean it. All along the walk. More kindness. More benefit of the doubt. A quieter voice except when loudness is truly needed. Less attention to things, more attention to people. More humility, less pride. A greater awareness that the present moment matters, even as I realize that this will all pass away--especially the individual moments in which I might, somehow, learn how to be a Christian.. And, along with that, I need to give myself permission to be unnerved by all that God calls each of us to, and unnerved by the sweep and depth of God's love as well.
Yes, I truly do need to hear the gospel.
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