Thursday, May 29, 2003
Thought for the day:
"Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to
realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
From a list forwarded by my Uncle Wayne.
JTC
posted by JTC 12:40 PM
Friday, May 16, 2003
Anyone see NOW with Bill Moyers with Bill Moyers on PBS tonight? I just don't know where to start. First a pro choice piece featuring Frances Kissling. Then a piece about Texas Republicans featuring Molly Ivins. Then a piece about religion featuring Elaine Pagels, famed for her writing about the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. This isn't a straight news show so I don't really mind that Mr. Moyers has a point of view. But the complete lack of representation of opposing views is troubling. Especially in the first piece. Ms. Kissling is introduced simply as the president of "Catholics for a Free Choice". There was not the least mention of the fact that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has denounced CFFC. Nor of the fact that Ms. Kissling's organization has no membership and is funded not by everyday Catholics, but by the Ford Foundation and other organizations which promote poulation control and abortion. The funny thing is that in the NOW piece (called the Politics of Choice) Ms. Kissling said nothing untrue. She continually stated that legislatures, encouraged by conservative, largely Christian, pro lifers across the country are attempting to incrementally reduce women's access to abortion. Of course they are!!! At the moment that's the best means we have available to reduce the death toll.
Molly Ivin's comments about legislative shenanigans in Texas were more entertaining. She was basically right. Whoda thunk it? In developing their redistricting plans, Texas republicans obviously took a page from their democratic predecessors. These schemes just give us all more evidence that professional politicians are a breed more interested preserving and expanding their own power than they are in standing for ideals or serving those that they represent. This goes for both parties. That said, Ivin's comparing Christian conservatives to David Koresh was abhorent and patently offensive.
Elain Pagels' obsession with the Gospel of Thomas is a bit baffling. She's made a career out of writing about it. Sadly, she comes across as just one more lost soul who's seen the forest, but not the trees.
JTC
posted by JTC 9:57 PM
June Carter Cash passed on Thursday
As a Johnny Cash fan I knew of her from their marriage and partnership. Among others she co-wrote "Ring of Fire". I didn't know that that song was about falling in love with Johnny. She and the carter family were important to country music in their own right as well. I know that Johnny is not in the best of health these days. They'll both be in my prayers tonight.
JTC
posted by JTC 7:03 PM
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
An angst junkie comes out of the closet.
Alright here it is.....The Dawson's Creek series finale was tonight, I confess, I'm a fan. And before that there was 90210, Party of Five and others. I like melodramatic sap. I love a happy ending. Ok, ok, I like pretty women too. I've thrived on this junk since childhood. "Hypocrisy!" you scream. Of course these things are objectively amoral at best and immoral more often. If I had kids I wouldn't want them watching this stuff. No more than my Mom wanted me watching her soap opera when I was a kid. But she couldn't keep me away. I was hooked on the Guiding Light from about age five until my late twenties. Friends and family out there are wishing I would just grow up. And to tell the truth the teen dramas are wearing a bit thin now that I'm in my (gulp) thirties but, like many (maybe most) folks I still have the heart of a sixteen year old. The Catholic blog surfers out there may swear they're never coming back. Well listen folks this is the whole me. I don't leave the Catholic in the church and the world doesn't stop at my front door either. It's all one big world of paradoxes and bittersweet contradiction. So Dawson's done, what do I do now? Well I'm getting older and busier and my TV addiction is starting to wane a bit. Besides there's still ER and Everwood.
JTC
posted by JTC 11:06 PM
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Read this. Then follow this link to read Ex Corde Ecclesiae. For the moment I will restrict my comments to this: If one claims to be iron then one ought to exhibit the properties of iron. Else he would be regarded a fraud. If one claims to be Catholic......
JTC
posted by JTC 10:40 PM
Monday, May 12, 2003
Do you have kids? Do you want to have kids? Do you like kids? Then read this: What A 5-Year Old In Boston Is Learning, right now! I don't know what's going on up in Boston. You expect this kind of nonsense in the public schools. You don't expect to see it mandated throughout your diocese. Pray that holiness and common sense will invade the Church in Boston and throughout the world.
JTC
posted by JTC 2:13 PM
Saturday, May 10, 2003
If you've read any of my Blog you may have caught on that I'm a fairly conservative guy. I hate anything that smacks of government intervention, entitlement, socialism etc. But I also love the idea of everyday people in everyday communities taking it upon themselves to solve a problem. With the huge agribusiness companies dominating much agriculture in this country and suburban development running amuck, it's a wonder any small farms still survive at all. Here's a possible way to ensure that they do: Robyn VanEn Center for Community Supported Agriculture.
posted by JTC 12:00 PM
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Pet Peeve...."Latin" Mass
For heaven's sake be specific! I'm tired of hearing people talk generically about the "Latin" Mass. The current Roman rite liturgy, often called the Novus Ordo, was written in Latin and may me celebrated in Latin anytime, anywhere! The previous Roman rite liturgy, often called Tridentine, is currently only licit under the terms of a special indult from the Vatican. I happen to like both liturgies and would like to see both in active, obedient, use. But I wish the traditionalists who prefer the older rite wouldn't refer to themselves as the "Latin" Mass movement. There are plenty of places where one can participate in a Novus Ordo liturgy conducted in Latin. To those in the church who never knew the older liturgy this is the "Latin" Mass. The traditionalists and others who aren't specific enough do a great disservice to younger catholics who may not know about the differences in the liturgies. I am also one of those in favor of refering to the liturgies by the Popes under which they were promulgated. Gregorian for the older, Pauline for the newer.
BTW, there are rumors that the indult allowing the Gregorian (Tridentine) rite to be used may soon be expanded. Look here.
posted by JTC 11:40 AM
Monday, May 05, 2003
Check out this site for an article about Dick Gephardt, unions and hypocrisy. I originally found the article through this blog.
posted by JTC 10:31 PM
Sunday, May 04, 2003
I'm not a big Rosary prayer. I'd like to be, but it isn't something I feel real connected to. Anyway here's a neat site about the history of the rosary.
posted by JTC 11:01 PM
