Catholic Bashing

Two things happened to me today that showed me just how ugly people can be. Especially when it comes to religion in general and Catholicism in particular.

I woke up this morning and read an opinion written by someone who quoted an obviously non-Catholic website that referred to a certain pop star as satanic. The writer was clearly upset and pointed out that “the fools who created the website didn’t know what it means to be Christian.”

I couldn’t agree more, however, I had to question the writer’s understanding of the faith when he/she went on to add this comment:

When will people realise that Catholosism is a misconception of the Bible? When will people realise that God is a loving God. He doesn't hate people, he's not to be feared... that's Satan. Catholosism is blind worship of the devil.

Remember the writer is commenting on an opinion he found on a non-Catholic website. Somehow or other he/she decided to use this opportunity to attack Catholics.

Now, this upset me greatly and it upset me not just because I’m Catholic and don’t appreciate being called a devil worshiper, but because the writer was perfectly comfortable blasting one group for labeling someone he/she admired as satanic and then turning around and doing the same thing to Catholics. I couldn’t believe the hypocrisy. I couldn’t believe the insensitivity. I just couldn’t believe how easily this person could condemn one ignorant opinion with another one!

Even though I am not one to want to start a fight I couldn’t help responding to the Catholic bashing. I essentially told the writer that calling Catholics devil worshipers sounded a whole lot like the website he/she was so appalled at for claiming that his pop star’s music is Satanic!

I wasn’t surprised that the writer couldn’t follow the jest of what I was saying. They were not moved to reconsider the fairness of their opinion. They couldn’t see their own hypocrisy. The irony of their statement was completely lost on them. Like I said, I wasn’t surprised.

Instead, they insisted that Catholics have been “mislead into blindly worshiping the devil.” They admitted to the boldness of their statement but insisted that:

Catholosism is centered around fear. Fear is the way of the devil… the Catholic church is hypocritical… there is nothing so far from what the Bible promotes, than the Catholic church.

Clearly this person has no more idea about the truth of my faith than the obviously non-Catholic website has about his pop star’s.

What a way to start the day, huh?

Well, the tone set by my first contact of the day continued into the afternoon.

I went to the museum to see the Illuminated Bible. I attended the private exhibition with a small group of my mother’s friends. We had our own tour guide and a couple we did not know just started tagging along. No problem. We could all enjoy learning about the exquisite documents on display. Right? Wrong!

This couple began asking the guide how she became such an expert on the bible. She said that she and my mother attended a four-year bible study program sponsored by the archdiocese. What did she want to say that for?!

This couple launched into a sardonic diatribe about how Catholics knew nothing about the bible. How dare they? Here they were tagging along with a group of Catholic women touring an exhibit of the first Illuminated Bible commissioned in 500 years. A bible that was designed to honor God, multiculturalism, and modern society. A bible commissioned by Catholics mind you. A bible crafted by artisans from all over the world using materials and techniques that would ensure that it would be around for a thousand years. And here these people were saying that Catholics know nothing of the bible! What audacity!!!

Well, I’ve had enough.

I’m hear to tell you what my Granmama told me… God don’t like ugly!

Blogger Bloggin' Blues

Well, it looks like the filer problem that's been plaguing my little online world is fixed! Can you say... FINALLY!

I tell you one thing... This technical snafu has shown me just how important spilling my guts in this way has become to me. It is extremely therapeutic, but more importantly it is a 'ell of a lot of fun!

Here's to a stable blogging environment... oh, and backups... can't stress it enough... Backthatthangup!

*SPOKE TO SOON... it looks like they are still migrating data off the bad filer. Oh, well... *

*Okay, it looks like we're back on track. Let the blogging begin... or rather... let the blogging continue!*

The Illuminated Bible

I’ve taken an interest in the Saint John’s Bible. It is the first modern handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned since the advent of the printing press 500 years ago.

The illuminations (drawings) I’ve seen are beautiful. Each one is illustrated with gold, silver, and platinum, using goose quills on vellum. Calligraphers have hand drawn 1,150 pages with every letter written in a font created especially for the Saint John’s Bible by Donald Jackson.

The Saint John’s Bible created in this historic six-year project interprets scripture through illumination reflecting a multicultural world and humanity’s enormous strides in science, technology, and space travel.

The calligraphy is complete, but the illuminations are still being worked on. The bible is currently on tour.

A sketch design for the Road to Emmaus Illustration

What He Said

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
- Philip K. Dick

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
- Albert Einstein

Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems -- but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems incredible.
- Salman Rushdie

There is an objective reality out there, but we view it through the spectacles of our beliefs, attitudes, and values.
- David G. Myers

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.
- Democritus

To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, but to imagine your facts is another.
- John Burroughs

But There is Saving Grace

Warren's Wave

An error does not become truth

by reason of multiplied propagation,

nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
- Mahatma Gandhi

The Heart Of My Distrust

Gonslave's Ladies Of The Lake

Anyone who can handle a needle convincingly can

make us see a thread which is not there.
- E.H. Gombrich

Late Breaking News

According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow. According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow... According to a certain Jedi Master a certain Padawan may be getting a lightsaber soon... More to follow...

An Annoyance

While I’m waiting for my next telecon to begin, I thought I’d explore another subject that’s been nagging at me.

Mean Spirited People... what an annoyance!

Again, I’m writing about people I run into in forums. Well, not just people, but one specific person who’s been drawing my attention of late.

I will spare him the embarrassment of using his screen name and yes, I realize he’d never be embarrassed by anything I could say about him, but he should be. He should be ashamed of his online behavior and God help him if he carries on like this out in the “real” world.

I’ve never “talked” to this guy. I’ve never posted a response in one of his asinine threads and truthfully, I try to avoid reading anything he writes. However, every once in awhile I make the mistake of irritating myself by venturing into his mean little world. And honestly, it is a mistake.

This man has little to offer other than a very twisted outlook coupled with an over inflated sense of his own worth. I occasionally drop into one of his topics with the same “can’t help but look” frame of mind a driver has when peering at a traffic accident. It most assuredly isn’t about entertainment. The entertainment value is minimal. Unless you think harping on fat women, dumb people, and what he likes to think of as hoes is entertaining. No, it is my own morbid curiosity that leads me to him. It is my own good sense that quickly sends me away shaking my head and wondering about the state of people in general, and this poor man in particular.

I wonder if he has any idea how much the hatred he spews says about him. The other day, after spending the afternoon generating the usual “I hate fat women” posts the man I’m talking about had the audacity to defend himself by saying that he writes the things he writes to “help” people. Right? Thanks, but no thanks. I can’t think of anyone that needs his kind of help. Naw, I think the world would be better off without his aid.

Here’s to avoiding unsightly things on the side of the road!

Rich Man Or Poor Man

I’m sorry, I feel a preach coming on. Bear with me people… Believers and Non-Believers it doesn’t really matter - hear me out!

I wanted to take a few minutes this morning before my day blew up and jot down a few thoughts I have about money, its influence on us, and its importance in our lives.

Let me begin by explaining what has me thinking about this subject!

I frequent several forums. Some of them I simply read, and others I take an active role in. Lately, I’ve run into several threads that have me concerned. No, not “toss and turn can’t sleep at night” concerned, just “hmmmmm that’s unfortunate” concerned.

Allow me to address a thread I read the other day that questioned whether or not dating a rich man is significantly different from being involved with a poor one. I find nothing inherently wrong with this question. In fact, it is rather interesting.

What did surprised me was the attitude many of the respondents brought to the discussion. The stereotyped beliefs about the differences between the rich and poor didn’t necessarily astonish me, but I found it rather disturbing that people could show such essentially unfounded animosity toward one another.

Let me give you an example. I don’t have time to dig through the forums and directly quote the posts, however, I’ll give you a general summary of some of the things that were said.

Rich men just buy women to use!

Poor men get jealous and can’t accept a woman that tries to earn a decent living!

Rich men have no character while poor men are sincere!

Am I the only one disturbed by these statements?

Naive or not, I am of the belief that character is a function of moral or ethical strength and that has little to do with financial wealth. It does, however, have much to do with an individual’s relationship to wealth.

Now, this is where I’m going to pull out my scripture. This is a fundamental one, but it seems to make my point.

You are probably familiar with the statement Jesus made about the rich man and entrance into heaven. The story of the rich man and heaven goes like this:

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "Only God is good. If you want to enter eternal life, obey the commandments… If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Notice the young man’s reaction to the thought of giving away what he had. He sadly walked away knowing he couldn’t do it. See, that was the problem… not the having, but the inability to part with what he had.

I’m sure you’ve heard the other often quoted biblical passage about the “love” of money:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Timothy writes:

Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.

Again, notice that wealth itself is not evil nor does it make people evil. In fact, wealth allows for sharing. So, it is not wealth, but the love of wealth that must be combated.

Look guys, I know this is basic stuff, but some of the things I’ve been seeing lately tell me that people need to get back to some of these basics.

There’s a third statement about the importance of money that is worth remembering:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Okay, so let’s say we accept the truth of these statements. What do they mean for the poor?

First, what I really find interesting is that in the world of forums, I’d say these statements are directed not to some “rich folk” out there, but to us. Anybody with a PC and broadband can consider themselves rich as far as I’m concerned.

Secondly, I think these principals mean exactly the same thing for the actual “poor” as they do for the rich. All of us have something that we hold dear. All of us have something we are tempted to hoard away for ourselves… things we are afraid to let go of. Things we put before God.

The lesson given to the rich young man, the warning Timothy gave to the rich people of the world, the admonition about attempting to serve God and Wealth found in the scriptures are for us… All of us! Rich and Poor alike!

So, is it with this is mind that I answer the question posed earlier – Is being with a rich man significantly different than being involved with a poor man?

Well, I say… it depends on their attitude about money!

Here’s to remembering the lessons we've probably learned somewhere along the way!

I'm Gonna Get Serious

I’ve been a giggly mess the last couple of days. I’ve decided to serious up.

These Are My Confessions…

May not be as exciting as Usher's but here's the truth...

I’ve turned one of the file draws in my office into a pharmacy. Taaaaacky! I know, but I don’t care.

Walgreens Jr. Inventory:

Tylenol 3’s… yes, I have a prescription
Alka-Seltzer Plus
Multi-vitamins
Chewable chocolate calcium… hmm, maybe I’ll move this to the kitchenette
Iron Supplements
Hemorrhoid suppositories… yes, I said it… I believe in being prepared.
Imodium AD… I told you… I believe in being prepared.
Advil
Hair gel
Perfume (8 bottles)… what did I say…
Lotion
Comb
Brush
Q-tips
2 toothbrushes
Marvis Toothpaste... 8 bucks a tube and worth every penny! Sooooo good.
Feminine Products Galore… we got your light days, your heavy days, your interior and exterior protective devices, we got your plastic applicators, your cardboard inserters, we got wings….we… oh, never mind!

I’ve turned one of the bins in my office into a kitchenette. Taaaaacky! I know, but I don’t care.

Overhead bin kitchenette inventory:

2 currently unopened boxes of Girl Scout cookies – charity cookies tempting the crap outta me
1 possibly stale box of multigrain crackers
1 partially consumed jar of smooth natural peanut butter
2 cans of pop-top chicken noodle soup
1 box of microwave popcorn (made with real butter)
1 family sized box of Raisin Bran... good for the bowels
1 box of Brown Sugar Quaker Instant Oatmeal... Grandpa lived to be 101 and ate it er’ry day
1 tin of Constant Comment tea
1 box of gifted peppermint herbal tea I’ll never drink… I need caffeine
1 box of Splenda – they say this company is black owned (?)
1 unopened jar of Orange Marmalade
20 pilfered packets of sugar-free hot chocolate – they give it free in the coffee room, but I sneak it into my kitchen. I’m afraid one day they’ll run out!
Paper plates and napkins
2 microwave safe bowls
1 large cappuccino mug
1 tall company mission statement emblazoned coffee cup – GO TEAM!
1 blue plastic water cup
1 Empty Boy Scout caramel corn tin full of takeout restaurant plastic silverware kits
1 Empty Christmas Candy tin full of takeout restaurant condiments
and…
1 book of matches.

See… I’m ready for anything!

Dang... Here's to me getting a more scandalous life!

Soul Train

I’ll be honest I haven’t watched Soul Train since... well since forever. Truthfully, I didn’t even know the show was still on.

Well, after getting my kitchen in order I decided to settle down and find a movie or something… I started flippin’ channels and stopped at Soul Train. Can somebody tell me when we lost our good sense? These girls were dancing like they were in the club… not “the” club, but “the” strip club. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty. I expect it on the vids, but Soul Train… pole dancin’, breast strokin’, humpin’. No! Stop! Leave something undefiled.

Oh, my goodness….

Right now somebody is shakin her behind to Kirk Franklin's lyrics:

Jesus you are, (Jesus you are, Jesus you are)
You are my sun right after the rain
Wherever you are
I just wanna be near you
I'm so glad I can hear you

How you gonna pole dance to that?! Have mercy!

Here's to getting a little dignity!

Quiet Weekend

It’s been a wonderfully quiet, guilt free weekend. My daughter is away for a few days. I dropped her at “diversity” camp Friday morning. She’s a camp councilor and works with kids from all over the State as they gather together to discuss race, religion, and sexual preference. My daughter is probably one of the most accepting people I know. It amazes me. Her level of empathy for others is just astounding. I’d say I don’t know where it came from, but that probably is not true.

We’ve moved around a lot and she learned early how to make friends. She saw that even though people are different there is a sameness that makes it possible to understand just about anyone. I’m proud of her, but it does make me nervous.

My daughter goes for the underdog… the person with problems… she’s a sympathetic listener… and though she has a very strict code of behaviour she tries not to judge others too harshly. Why would that make a mother nervous? Well, I worry that she will not draw the line with certain people. I’m concerned that she will let her friend’s problems drag her down. I’m worried that she will surround herself with needy people who will bring trouble to her life. I know… I shouldn’t worry needlessly… I have to trust that she has a strong enough sense of self-preservation that she will walk away from bad relationships. In many ways we are the people we associate with.

Here’s to praying that my daughter finds good friends to bring love and joy to her life while keeping that beautiful spirit alive and untainted.