Note: When musicians are applauded at Mass, something bad is going on.

This is a pet peeve for me, as well.

Note: When musicians are applauded at Mass, something bad is going on.: "A friend who is possibly more sarcastic than I am told me the following story. He was visiting the parish nearest his house, which is not his parish. The choir (music group, whatever you want to call it) was up front and elevated in a prominent place. At the end of Mass, the entire congregation gave them a rousing round of applause. Paul, on the other hand, had to fight back the urge to ask the priest, 'Father, the performance was great. When the heck is Mass?'

Just as the homily is not supposed to be a stand up act, so music at Mass is not a performance. It is an act of prayer and an offering to God. If musicians are applauded, the first question that should be asked is, 'What is being done that makes people believe that this is a performance?'"

(Via New Advent World Watch.)

The Spiritual Brain: Introduction

This is an interesting series of teasers for the book, The Spiritual Brain:

The Spiritual Brain: Introduction: "Because so many people have asked me what The Spiritual Brain: A neuroscientist's case for the existence of the soul addresses, I thought I would post the Introduction. It doesn't deal with everything the book addresses, but it gives you some idea.

In this book, we intend to show you that your mind does exist, that it is not merely your brain. Your thoughts and feelings cannot be dismissed or explained away by firing synapses and physical phenomena alone. In a solely material world, 'will power' or 'mind over matter' are illusions, there is no such thing as purpose or meaning, there is no room for God. Yet many people have experience of these things. We intend to argue that these experiences are real. In contrast, many materialists now argue that notions like meaning or purpose do not correspond to reality; they are merely adaptations for human survival. In other words, they have no existence beyond the evolution of circuits in our brains.

Can we prove God exists from neuroscience? No, but if your mind is real, a cosmic Mind would best account for it. If spirituality is good for you (and it is), that's because spirituality responds to the way things really are in our universe. Come along with us and see for yourself.

Part One: Neuroscience as if your mind is real
Part Two: Who has enough faith to be a materialist?
Part Three: The uses of non-materialist neuroscience
Part Four: Materialism is running on empty


Next: Part One: Neuroscience as if your mind is real"

(Via Mindful Hack.)

Catholic Beer Review

is a blog I can live with, even though a number of the recommended beers are unavailable here. Only in Wisconsin, you say? Pity.

Ten Beers I Go Back To Again and Again: "This list does not exactly comprise my top ten favorites, although it's close. If it did then certain really spectacular beers, like Fuller's 1845, Chimay Grande Reserve, Old Rasputin's Russian Imperial Stout, or several of the fabulous beers from the Founder's Brewery in Grand Rapids, MI would be on here. But those are too expensive or (for me) too inaccessible to be regulars. Rather, this list is of the ten beers that I find myself going back to time and again. They're consistently good and readily available, at least at my locale.

There are some beers that could have been on this list—notably some of the offerings from the Samuel Smith brewery. But they come in clear bottles and the CBR is officially boycotting all beers that come in clear bottles. That is a rant for another posting.

So without further ado, here are ten of my old friends:

Guinness Extra Stout—A classic. This beer is black and very assertive with roasted grain, coffee, and molasses on the palate. It's rich, tangy, well balanced. Great. Like all ales, this should not be drunk too cold. This is the foreign export extra stout version, not the more watery draft version. I like the draft version with its nitrogen pour and creamy head, but it's just a totally different animal. To my tastes, this wins hands down.


Fuller's London Pride Pale Ale— An incredibly well balanced beer. I think that for me this represents the quintessential example of a British pale ale. Smooth, not overly hoppy or overpoweringly malty. Classic British flowerly hop presence. Perfectly balanced and every sip a pleasure. Incredibly good.




Fuller's London Porter—This beer blows me away; I can hardly believe how good this is. This very dark brown (not black) beer starts with slightly thick mouthfeel that leads to a creamy, slightly roasted, slightly bitter but perfectly balanced follow-through of porter perfection. Bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and I catch a touch of licorice. The first time I tried this, I had a Fuller's London Pride and the London Porter in the same evening (12 Aug 2002) and I have never tasted two such great beers together, ever.

Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA—You may not be able to get this fabulous beer where you are. It's brewed here in Wisconsin and I love it. A very complex malt palate (the brewery lists 2-row, Vienna, Carapils, Wheat, Caramel malts in the grain bill) is supported by a very assertive but absolutely clean bittering. Citrus and pine notes prevail on the nose and the palate. An outstanding American IPA (India Pale Ale). Get it if you can!

J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown Lager—Mildly sweet, distinctive honey finish, mildly malty, and fairly low hop bitterness. Nice rich brown color. Smooth and infinitely quaffable. I have drunk a lot of this and I keep coming back for more. It is reasonably priced to boot.

Sleeman Original Dark—To my taste this is a dead ringer for Newcastle. In fact, it more often tastes the way Newcastle should taste, since it seems nigh unto impossible to get a fresh bottle of Newcastle. Sleeman, on the other hand, is brewed on contract right here at the La Crosse City Brewery, so I have an easy time getting it fresh. It's a brown ale, slightly nutty with nice caramel and a hint of molasses. Great.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout—Made with cocoa and chocolate malt (hence the double chocolate in the title) this is a silky, smooth, dessert-style beer. Very low hop bittering. It should not be consumed too cold—if you start it on the cold side it will get much better as it warms up. This beer should not, repeat NOT, be drunk with a meal. It's totally ruined by food. Drink it by itself or with a rich dessert.

Samuel Adams Cream Stout—This is not as sweet as I would expect from a cream stout. The roasted and coffee notes are pronounced, the chocolate less so. Starts almost tart when very cool, but sweetens as it warms. Nice hefty mouthfeel and a perfect malt and hop bittering balance. This is widely available and, at least in my locale, can often be had on sale for a very good price.

Samuel Adams Boston Ale—Note this is the Boston Ale, not the Boston Lager. The Boston Lager is okay—the Boston Ale is really yummy! This ale stands in the British style; it is decidedly malty, with the hop presence perfectly balanced. This beer is slightly fruity, but only mildly estery so it is more tame than some British ales. A rich mahogany in the glass with a nice stable head. This is hard for me to find locally, but when I travel I try to grab a six pack. I come back to it again and again, which is why it's on this list.

Goose Island India Pale Ale—I have not generally been a fan of the Goose Island products. Neither the Honker's Ale nor the Hexnut Ale from this Chicago microbrewery do a thing for me. Some years ago I somewhat reluctantly bought a six-pack of the India Pale Ale because it was on sale and I had never tried it. Wow! This medium bodied beer has a slightly thick mouth feel. The first sip shouts, Hops! The strong grapefruit notes indicate that there are almost certainly Cascade hops here, but probably at least two other varieties as well bringing a pleasing complexity. The finish is markedly bitter, but with a nice balance of malt and a very slight sweetness. Great!

Please share some of your own favorites in the Comments. What beers do you go back to time and again?

"

(Via New Advent World Watch.)

Global Warming Consensus Alert: Could This Be The End of Science?

We're also skeptical about the Global Warming religion in our household. I'm old enough to remember the Ice Age scare of the seventies.

Global Warming Consensus Alert: Could This Be The End of Science?: "If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from supporters of climate change alarmism, it’s this: Science = consensus, and consensus = TRUTH.



Well, it appears that science and truth have taken another hit:

A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals that more than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting at least one element of current man-made global warming scares. More than 300 of the scientists found evidence that 1) a natural moderate 1,500-year climate cycle has produced more than a dozen global warmings similar to ours since the last Ice Age and/or that 2) our Modern Warming is linked strongly to variations in the sun’s irradiance.

Via Henry Payne at Planet Gore."

(Via Acton Institute PowerBlog.)

Rising Popularity of the Legalization of Polygamy

This isn't on our schedule of moral controversies in the Philosophy course, but it would make for some interesting discussions. And don't get me going about how the Supreme Court of Canada discovered specific protection for homosexuals in the Constitution. At least with the Americans they can argue that the Founders reactions to new situations might have to be imagined or new interpretations created given two hundred years of history since the writing of the document.

Chrétien was Minister of Justice when the text of the Charter was written, just a few short years before the discovery occurred. The politicians made a prudential decision to leave sexual orientation out of the text, and, lo and behold, a few short years later their appointees find it there. Humph!

Rising Popularity of the Legalization of Polygamy: "

In Canada, polygamy is oozing onto the public square as a result of same-sex marriage lending legitimacy to some of it’s argument. What’s different in this case is that a majority of the anti-polygamy lobby is being fueled by opressive feminists who, because of their ideology, find polygamy repugnant. Now that Pandora’s box has been opened, on what grounds can the Canadian government ‘fairly’ prevent voluntary plural marriage?

Western Catholic Reporter

"

(Via COSMOS-LITURGY-SEX.)

Mark Shea and Pete Vere Defend Harry Potter (and I Agree)

This subject (Are the Harry Potter novels evil/?) comes up occasionally in our household, only as a matter of whether this is an abysmally ignorant question or merely misinformed. I've read the full set and enjoyed them, though I still think a little editing here and there would have helped. On my unofficial, personal scale, The Lord of the Rings being best and the Narnia being ok, but written for children, Rawling's series lands in between.

Mark Shea and Pete Vere Defend Harry Potter (and I Agree): "Harry Potter: sinister, evil figure, while Tolkien's Frodo is Christlike?

I've had posted links about Harry Potter, both pro, con, and 'neutral' for a few years now, on my Romantic and Imaginative Theology: Inklings of the World Beyond web page (bottom section). See Mark's posts (I've listed them in chronological order) and the usual 14,532 comments also:

Friend of the Blog John Granger"

(Via Cor ad cor loquitur.)

Happiness and Utility

No, I don't mean the telephone or cable. We're now investigating Utilitarianism; specifically, we're reading a section from John Stuart Mill. Our reading includes his famous quip: "It is better to be a man dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied." In our present consumerist society, I have doubts as to how saleable this position is, currently. "Have it your way"; "I did it my way"; and so on. Virtue just isn't on the agenda of those who are selling us on how wonderful we really are.

For Your Viewing Needs...

The latest That Catholic Show is up. Confession is good for the soul...

Every Once in a While Godless Editors Look Up from Their Monitors...

Mark Shea hits this one on the nose:

Every Once in a While Godless Editors Look Up from Their Monitors...: "Every Once in a While Godless Editors Look Up from Their Monitors and Are Astonished to Find Religion is Still There

Then the announce it is 'back'--as though it had left."

(Via Catholic and Enjoying It!.)

Fr. Benedict Groeschel responds to critics of Mother Teresa

And here a posting intersecting Father Groeschel and Mother Teresa:

Fr. Benedict Groeschel responds to critics of Mother Teresa: "

Not only is Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. (Ignatius Insight author page) a priest and noted author, he is a psychologist and a spiritual director who knew Mother Teresa personally. So who better to respond to some of the silly pseudo-psychoanalysis (emphasis on psycho in some cases) being performed on Mother Teresa by folks who likely know less about her, psychology, and Catholic spirituality than I do about the mating rituals of the Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly? From the First Things blog:

The unfortunate publicity and distortions to the point of calumny that have surrounded the publication of the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,
edited by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., the postulator of her cause,
have caused confusion to many and much pain to the Missionaries of
Charity and their close friends. One leading newsmagazine even
published a long article by Mother Teresa’s most severe and profane
critic without any other commentary. The author attempted to
psychoanalyze Mother Teresa’s experiences, which is both insulting and
absurd. He never knew Mother, never had the chance to observe her
behavior or life, and he has no serious training in psychology. As a
psychologist who knew Mother Teresa for thirty years, I feel I must
make some response to this absurdity and offer some helpful
explanations for those who were surprised by the darkness revealed in
Mother Teresa’s personal letters.

Although I was not privy to her spiritual darkness, and I never
received the kind of letters from her that her spiritual directors
received, I was well aware that there was a seriousness, even a
somberness, about her. I assumed that this sorrow was occasioned by
what happens every day in the world. When there were tragedies, she
would talk about them and encourage us to turn trustingly to God to
bring good out of evil.

During the thirty years when I knew Mother Teresa well, I never observed anything other than a tremendous faith and charity.

Read the entire article.

Related pages from IgnatiusInsight.com:

• Interview with Fr. Groeschel (June 2004)
• Excerpts from The Rosary: Chain of Hope
• The Church of Latter Day Sinners from
Arise From Darkness

Fr. Groeschel's books published by Ignatius Press:



' '' ''
• The Drama of Reform
• Arise From Darkness: What to Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense
• The Reform of Renewal
• Rosary: The Chain of Hope

• Still Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations
• Praying To Our Lord Jesus Christ: Prayers and Meditations Through the Centuries'

"

(Via Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog.)

Blog Round-up

T. S. O'rama's round-ups are quite good and I look forward to them. The first citation, which ponders the relationship between Mother Teresa's "Dark Night" and the popular "Footprints on the Sand", is particularly insightful:

          [W hy does]...: "

'''''''''

[Why does] a culture that loves 'Footprints in the Sand' not understand the dryness that characterized much of Bl. Teresa of Calcutta's life? I suggested the difference was the industrial grade sentimentalism of 'Footprints' and the utter lack of sentimentalism in a decades-long dark night of the soul... The dark night of soul (to the extent I understand it) seems not only to be an utterly un-sentimental experience, but also to be a disinfectant against sentimentalism. Disconsolation neither supports nor can be supported by mushy-heartedness. I think it's no accident that 'Footprints' is written from the perspective of one looking back. The happy ending is, not merely assured, but already attained. The suffering is over; all that's left is an academic curiosity, a question that seems not to have occurred to the narrator until he asks it...To the extent someone is governed by sentimentalism, purgation will seem like folly (or possibly scandal). Sentimentalism is a contradiction in which pat answers generate feelings of satisfaction, and 'Who can know God's counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?' is an answer too pat to satisfy those with real needs. It's not for nothing, though, that the book it comes from is called Wisdom. - Tom of Disputations

On a recent EWTN show on marriage one of the guests commented that in Herzagovie that the marriage custom is that the bride and groom both put their hands on a cross and kiss it instead of each other after saying their vows. The priest reminds them that they have not found the perfect partner but rather their cross. If they let go of each other, they let go of the cross. The divorce rate is among the lowest in the world. - commenter on Disputations

...The increasing, detailed, intrusive regulation of life, the national desire for control, control, control. Everything is the business of some form of government. Want to paint your shutters? The condo association won’t let you. Let dogs in your bar? Never. Decide who to sell your house to? Racial matter. Own a dog? Shot card, pooper-scooper, leash, gotta be spayed, etc. Have a bar for men only, women only, whites or blacks only? Here come the federal marshals. What isn’t controlled by government is controlled by the crypto-vindictive mob rule of political correctness. This wasn’t always in the American character. Add the continuing presence of police in the schools, the arrest in handcuffs of children of seven, the expulsions for drawing a picture of a soldier with a gun. Something very twisted is going on. -- Fred Reed via Jeff Culbreath's 'Stony Creek Digest'

I blog drunk. Does that count? - -- the Crescat's response to Eric Scheske's request for Catholic beer blogs

A man asked a priest, 'is it ok if I smoke while I pray?' The priest said no - that would be disrespectful. A bit later he asked, 'can I pray while I smoke?' the priest said yes, pray all the time. - Fred of 'Deep Furrows' on priorities

Is there such a thing as Catholic fiction?...The consensus we finally reached was that Catholic fiction is fiction which takes place in a universe in which Catholicism is objectively true... It need not overtly proclaim the author's religious beliefs, though they will be implicit in the work. And only the poorest specimens of Catholic fiction will be thinly fictionalized apologetics... It's a book in which Catholicism is the underlying physics of the world so baptism has a real effect on a person's identity and prayer can be surprisingly efficacious. - Catholic Bibliophagist

I've always thought that if the Church wanted to be useful on [healthcare], She should organize a national, non-profit health insurance program run by one of the religious orders who now run hospitals...In Italy, there is an insurance cooperative originally organized by Catholics, Cattolica Assicurazioni. It would also have the benefit of offering insurance that is in line with Catholic teaching, so that I don't have to worry if my premiums are going to fund certain drugs that don't correspond well with my faith...Many of the formerly not-for-profit insurance companies changed in the past decade to for-profits. They claimed that by attracting investment they would lower costs for their customers, but that doesn't appear to have panned out. - commenter Jack on 'Flos Carmeli'

For better or worse, September 11, 2001 marked a watershed--a determined advance by a small group of highly active and motivated insurgents into the heartland. For a brief time we awoke and we responded as was just and proper--we sought out the root of the problem and attempted to destroy it. We have not been successful, not for lack of trying but because there is no root. Rather there is a mycelium--a network--small and invisible--that at any time can give rise to yet another fungal bloom. A dandelion is relatively easy to confront, mushrooms much less so. September 11 does not justify any and all actions, but whenever we pause to question what we are doing and whether it is right, the memory of it should add weight to the reflection. September 11 was a declaration on the part of a very small part of the world that they have no intention of tolerating or respecting anything outside of the range of their political and religious philosophy...We do an injustice to those innocent people who died that day if we ever forget the truths that made this country great. - Steven Riddle, on the 6th anniversary of 9/11

The world of science lives fairly comfortably with paradox. We know that light is a wave, and also that light is a particle. The discoveries made in the infinitely small world of particle physics indicate randomness and chance, and I do not find it any more difficult to live with the paradox of a universe of randomness and chance and a universe of pattern and purpose than I do with light as a wave and light as a particle. Living with contradiction is nothing new to the human being. - Madeline L'Engle (1918-2007), via Therese of Exultet

As depressing the modern culture's view on marriage is it does make me reflect on how strong the role of grace is. Looking at the cultural indicators I think it is much more amazing that the divorce rate isn't much higher, but Jesus did promise that where sin abounds that grace abounds even more. The grace bandwidth is measured by Laud rate since we should certainly give praise and glorify God for it. Grace is what keeps me from being a pessimistic cynic since I know from experience He can touch even the most hardheaded individual. - Jeff of 'Curt Jester'

I'd never found Revelation particularly interesting reading. However, on further thought, it occurred to me that perhaps the fact that I found the book so uninteresting would be a good reason to go to the bible study. After all, it's part of the bible. I assumed that there must be something I was missing... So I've been going. It's still not my favorite book of the bible, but I think I'm beginning to 'get it' more than before...As the lamb opens the seals on the scroll, terrors are released upon the world to tear down the established order. In the context of last first/early second century, what is being discussed here is the chaos that doubtless must take place before the old pagan order of the ancient world can be remade according to the Christian faith...Those who have given their lives for the faith and ascended to the heavenly kingdom are saying 'faster please' -- asking when the reign of God on earth will begin. The answer is that they must wait until the suffering of the Church on Earth has reached its conclusion. Taken imminently, that might be taken to mean until a Christian society is established...On the one hand, we believe that through Christ's Word we've come to understand how humans are meant to live their lives, and believing that we know that there's a natural desire to want to re-order the world to function more according to that truth. On the other hand, Christian teaching pertains to how each one of us ought to lead our lives in order to one day be united with God in heaven; it does not describe a specific end state for earthly society. As such, attempts to perfect earthly society have distinct limitations. The question of how much one should strive to perfect earthly society (and in what areas and by what means) versus how much one should hunker down and focus on one's own progress towards God remains a fertile ground for argument between Christians. - Darwin Catholic"

(Via Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor.)

Nine/Eleven: A Remarkable Story

Father Groeschel told us this story at a conference here in Vancouver a few years ago, just before the accident that nearly killed him. This sent a chill up my spine at the time.

Nine/Eleven: A Remarkable Story: "About four years ago, I was visiting with Father Benedict Groeschel for a week, working closely with him daily to finish up the book that he was co-authoring with the now Bishop of Birmingham, Bishop Baker entitled When Did We See You Lord? On about the third day of my visit, while waiting for Father Benedict [...]"

(Via New Advent World Watch.)

Hans Küng needs to write less and read more

Kung was my least favourite theologian in the seventies and eighties. Time went to him every time they had an article on the Church or the Vatican. He was the anti-magisterium of the day. So, needless to say, I'm inclined to be sympathetic to any criticism offered.

Hans Küng needs to write less and read more: "

To say that Hans Küng's September 10th interview with Deutsche Welle is embarrassing might be an insult to embarrassment. Let's play the 'How Many Facts Can Hans Distort and Misrepresent Game,' shall we? Here goes (Küng's comments in bold):

• 'When we have a pope, who claims that -- as theological Lord of the
world -- only those who are with him are true Christians and that only
his Roman-Catholic Church is the true church, it gets on many people's
nerves.' The Pope said that 'only those who are with him are true Christians'? Really? C'mon, Hans, read the document!

• 'Europeans look at it from the view of Islam's advancement from northern
Africa to Spain, between the eighth and 15th century and the leadership
of the Ottomans on the Balkan. They don't see that Christians not only
had the crusades, but until the 19th century they colonized the entire
Islamic area from Morocco to the Indonesian islands. That leads to
tensions.' Um, if Islam was 'advancing' (translation: conquering by brute force and bloodshed) to Spain and western Europe (by the year 730), that strongly suggests the Crusades, which began in 1095—over 300 years later!—might have been in response to said 'advancements,' no? Hans, read this article, please.

• 'Unlike in previous times, it's no longer easy to get churches excited
about war. Of course more could be done, especially when it comes to
enlightenment.' Sure 'nuf. More could be done. For one thing, Küng could start reading more, writing less.

• 'When the pope in [a much-publicized 2006 speech in the Bavarian town
of] Regensburg tried to define Islam as a religion of violence, he
noticed himself that he took the wrong path. You have to remember the
kind of trails of blood Christians left in history.' Pope Benedict tried to define Islam as a religion of violence? And then he realized that he'd made a mistake? I must have missed all of that; could we please have a citation? Küng should stop reading the media reports and read the actual address given by the Pope.

• 'Then you become modest, and you won't say that we have the religion of
love and they have the religion of hate. Just like you and me, the
majority of Muslims in Egypt, Morocco, Afghanistan or Pakistan want to
have peace.' Where, oh where did Pope Benedict ever say that Islam is a religion of hate? Where? I'm waiting....tick...tock...

• 'He [Benedict XVI] did notice that it [the Regensburg Address] was a mistake, and he had to take in quite a bit of criticism. He corrected his speech many times.' No, actually, he didn't. He said:

'At this time, I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought. Yesterday, the Cardinal Secretary of State published a statement in this regard in which he explained the true meaning of my words. I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect. This is the meaning of the discourse.'

Read it here.

• 'The Romans, the Roman bishop, i.e. the pope, have a hard time admitting
mistakes. When you have an ideology of infallibility, then infallible
mistakes will be made, and those cannot be corrected.' Wow. You would think that a guy who wrote an entire book on papal infallibility might actually understand what papal infallibility is. Which means that either he doesn't (embarrassing) or he is being misleading (worse than embarrassing). But, to point out the obvious, the Regensburg Address, while certainly a serious and important pronouncement, was not 'infallible,' nor did anyone with any commonsense or knowledge of Catholic teaching act as though it was. Well, take heart, Hans Küng: at least your many mistakes aren't infallible. Just embarrassing.

• 'Desperate young people resorted to terrorism. Of course we have to
judge suicide assassins and assaults. But we have to think about why so
many young people became so desperate to make themselves available for
such assassinations.' Yes, we sure do. And we need to consider strongly the possibility—which does have evidence on its side—that poverty and 'desperation' are not the primary motives of Islamic terrorists. But, of course, you are so busy blaming everything on America and George Bush, you haven't time to read about other perspectives on the matter.

• 'Religion can co-exist with democracy. The leading architects of Europe,
from Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer to Robert Schuman and Alcide
De Gasperi, were all pious Christians. The reason why Islam has more
problems with democracy than Christianity is that Islam, in contrast to
Christianity and Judaism, had no Reformation and Enlightenment, leaving
out a few special circles.' I take that to mean that if it weren't for Protestantism and secularism, many Catholics would be just as violent and murderous as some radical Islamists are today? Is this guy serious?

• 'You could certainly negotiate with the Taliban. They aren't just crazy
people. There are some extremists, and there are, on the other hand,
those that warned the Bush administration about Sept. 11. But it wasn't
taken seriously.' Yeah, once you got past the violent oppression, beatings, killings, executions, genocide, and the burqas, the Taliban were just swell. Go on, ask 'em. I'm sure they'll agree.

• 'Were you hurt that Pope Benedict XVI never accepted your idea of the World Ethic? He
accepted the idea as such. He realizes that there have to be common
ethical standards. During our conversation he conceded that those
standards need to be valid for believers and non-believers. One could
only have expected that he would personally advocate this. But that
might still happen.' I recommend reading The Dialectics of Secularization. Or Deus Caritas Est. And stop trying to be pope. It's over. I'm fairly certain you're not eligible to be pontiff. At least not of a real Church.

• The interviewer asked: 'A personal question: On Sept. 12 you will introduce your autobiography 'Controversial Truth.'' What? Another biography? Is this different from My Struggle for Freedom: Memoirs (Eerdmans, 2003) and Disputed Truth: Memoirs, Volume 2 (Continuum, 2008), which together add up to about 820 pages!? Please, if only for the sake of the poor trees, stop writing and start reading.

• For more on Hans Küng and his 'world ethic', see Donna Steichen's 2005 article for Catholic World Report, 'A Religion The New York Times Can Love.'

Finally, much of this is summarized quite well by Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, author of Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age (Ignatius Press, 2007), when he said, in my June 2007 interview with him: 'Unlike Küng, who is always in tune with the latest fashion, Ratzinger is not afraid to be unfashionable.' Here's to being out of tune with the latest fashion!

"

(Via Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog.)

Jerry Lewis and the History of Science

If you're into history at all, this is an interesting read. It's an interesting aside that the course that used to accompany HIST 361 (The History of Science: The Eighteenth Century to the Present), HIST 360 (The History of Science: 1100-1725), is not longer listed on the current course descriptions at SFU. Did they conclude there was nothing worth learning about in that era? Or maybe enrolment was too low. Shame, this is on my dream list of courses to take. It's still listed on the Department of History page though, so maybe all is not lost.

And for the enquiring minds, here are the Wiki articles on Buridan and Oresme.

Jerry Lewis and the History of Science: "

In reality, science as a discipline was stillborn in Greece after Aristotle’s death, long before Christianity came on the scene. If any discipline has been ‘flawed’ due to religious reasons, it’s the history of science. You see, the information about Buridan and Oresme was suppressed for years at the behest of certain elements of the French government, because it indicated a Christian origin of science. The case was notorious in France in the 50’s, (when the info was finally released) and my philosophy advisor (an atheist and Marxist scholar) told me that it was used in French universities of the time as a prime example of government censorship (after I brought it up in class). Here’s the story …

Sponsored By: Gift Baskets for Men Select or design your own, save money, & impress.

"

(Via ThePolitic - Canadian Political Weblog.)

Whale 'success story' questioned

This story brought back memories of going to Point Loma to watch the twice-yearly migrations:

Whale 'success story' questioned: "The eastern Pacific gray whale may not have recovered to its pre-hunting level, as has been believed."

(Via BBC News.)

Dissing Relativism

Since that seems to be the theme of today's lecture (in a couple of hours), here is what I presume is a lecture by Peter Kreeft "A Refutation of Moral Relativism". He also published a book by the same name.

If an individualistic ethical relativist and you are having a discussion and you tell her she is wrong, is she then obliged by logical consistency to agree with you?

Actors question Bard's authorship

This is one of the perennial questions of English literature. The enigma of an author of middling success in his own lifetime, who then dominates later generations like no one, before or since. This beats the grassy knoll all to heck.

Actors question Bard's authorship: "Sir Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance launch a debate asking who really wrote William Shakespeare's works."

(Via BBC News.)

Decadent postmoderns

And this to fulfill your philosophy needs:

Decadent postmoderns: "For a scathing indictment of the existentialist philosophers, Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger, and postmodern 'philosopher' (I use the term loosely), Michel Foucault, see Christopher's post, 'Revolutionary Intellectuals' (Against the Grain, September 1, 2007). The discussion is occasioned by Gerald Augustinus' dismissal of Jean Paul Sartre at Closed Cafeteria (to which http://vox-nova.com/2007/08/31/whos-afraid-of-existentialism/) -- the former referencing Fr. Neuhaus' post Sartre, Legal Scholarship, and Those Troublesome Male Pronouns 'On the Square') and the following excerpt from Clive James' Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts. Complete with personal confessions of capitulation to the existentialist seduction and delicious quotes from Paul Johnson's wonderful book, Intellectuals, it's sure to provoke a plethora of responses."

(Via Musings of a Pertinacious Papist.)

Books: The Case for the Real Jesus

This is the sort of thing that troubles me: I've already got a boatload of books that I haven't read yet. And now yet another tempting book recommendation. Dear, dear...

Books: The Case for the Real Jesus: "

‘The Case for the Real Jesus’ by Lee Strobel. Zondervan, 2007.

Christian journalist-apologist Lee Strobel adds another in his list of ‘The Case of …’ books with this new title exploring answers to some of the new challenges facing Christianity in recent years.

In this new volume, Strobel takes on questions such as:

• Did Christianity copy its beliefs about Jesus from pagan religions?

• Are ancient documents such as the Gnostic gospels as credible as the four Gospels in the canon?

• Was Jesus an imposter who failed to fulfill the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament?

• Why can’t people just pick and choose what to believe about Jesus?

Strobel uses his tried-and-true method of interviewing scholarly experts in biblical studies, philosophy, textual criticism and other fields. Far from being dry and esoteric, Strobel’s tone is conversational, approachable and memorable.

As scholars once again present well-documented, logical evidence to support the historicity of the resurrection and the reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you might wonder why Strobel is going over the same ground again.

But if you’ve been paying attention to current events, you’d know how in recent years the best-seller lists and TV have been populated with all sorts of challenges to orthodox Christianity, from ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ to the alleged discovery of Jesus’ ossuary near Jerusalem, to the Gospel of Judas. These ‘new’ discoveries and allegations have shaken the faith of some and caused others to scoff at Christianity anew.

If you know anyone in your life like that, this book would be for them.

Strobel’s interviewees include Craig A. Evans, Ph.D., biblical studies professor and author of ‘Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospel,’ and Daniel B. Wallace, Ph. D., author of ‘Reinventing Jesus’ and an expert on textual criticism.

Such scholars and experts take on challenges from critics ranging from Dan Brown and Michael Baigent to Bart Ehrman, the Jesus Seminar, Muslim apologists and postmodern syncretists.

Because of its thorough answers and reader-friendliness, this book would be a valuable addition to a church library and certainly any individual Christian who cares about defending his faith. This is the sort of sound historical apologetics every Christian should know.

Early in the book, David Wallace, the New Testament expert and textual critic, says something that hit me right between the eyes. He tells Strobel: ‘Christians are not being led into proper historical research by their pastors. I have been saying for some time that I don’t think the evangelical church has fifty years left of life to it until it repents. … We have to quit marginalizing scripture. We can’t treat the Bible with kid gloves. We really need to wrestle with the issues because our faith depends on it. … We need to quit turning Jesus into our buddy. He’s the sovereign Lord of the universe, and we need to understand that and respond accordingly.’

If we as Christians are going to wrestle with the issues that challenge our faith, ‘The Case for the Real Jesus’ is a good place to begin.

"

(Via such small hands.)

The Great Escape A tribute to Bob Marks

This comparison of Baylor University to the Stalag in The Great Escape is entertaining. Is the academic environment that hostile to questioning conventional Darwinism?

The Great Escape A tribute to Bob Marks: "What does Bob Marks want? He wants the right to run computer simulations at Baylor that might (possibly) reduce confidence in Darwinian evolution.

That is, the simulations might show that Darwinian evolution is not nearly as probable as professional Darwinists claim.

Actually, the Wistar meetings showed that way back in the 1960s, but Darwinism is just too good a creation story for materialism to pass up. So otherwise respectable scientists have been lying for Darwin ever since, and snuffing out the careers of anyone who breaks rank.

Contrary to popular belief, you need NOT be a creationist or an ID guy. All you have to do is stop believing in magic - Darwinian magic - and ask for evidence.

That's a Big Sin because the evidence does not support Darwinism.

Well, that explains the role of the Darwinist, who can hardly help suppressing evidence, but what about Baylor, the alleged Christian university? Elsewhere, I have pointed out that institutions like Baylor essentially protect Christians from a world that favours materialism. The justification for their existence would be revolutionized if word got out that materialism is largely disconfirmed over a broad area. As I said there,

In a trice, the harsh reality from which the institution protects its dumb sheeplike students is - a harsh UNreality. The students are not meat puppets who foolishly imagine that they have immortal souls and must therefore be humoured by their silly little campus groups. They are people who actually do have immortal souls who are being trained by the institution to accept a culture that lies to them that they are meat puppets. And the institution essentially brokers the lies in the interests of the materialist culture - and to its own prestige.
Now do you see the threat posed by an intellectually rigorous inquiry into intelligent design?

Last night, my mom and I were watching a video of one of my favourite movies - The Great Escape. Suddenly, some of the dialogue seemed startlingly relevant to the struggle of scientists like Marks.

Listen, as the German Colonel Von Luger explains to the Allied prisoners of war:

We have in effect put all our rotten eggs in one basket, and we intend to watch this basket carefully. Very wise. You will not be denied the usual facilities. Sports, a library, a recreation hall, and for gardening we will give you tools. We trust you to use them for gardening. Devote your energies to these things. Give up your hopeless attempts to escape. And, with intelligent cooperation, we may all sit out the war as comfortably as possible.

What institutions like Baylor want is precisely that - faculty who will just 'sit out' the war between rampant materialist atheism and all non-materialist traditions, in the comfort of a Christian environment.

But Group Captain Ramsey responds,

Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability.

Ramsey's reply is the proper duty of the Christian (or other non-materialist) academic in these times.

It is also the only safe one. There is no surprise, really, in the fact that today's academic environment is quickly losing touch with the goal of intellectual inquiry. As Mario Beauregard and I show clearly in The Spiritual Brain, materialists do not believe in the reality of the mind. In that case, it is more humane as well as easier to just program the young meat puppets to be whatever is needed, and sideline any mis-programmed puppets who interfere.

Only a non-materialist tradition - in which intellect functions as a cause of events - can responsibly support intellectual freedom.

A Christian you say? Well then, do not be a good prisoner of your Christian campus. Be a Bob Marks. BE a problem!"

(Via Post-Darwinist.)

"The modern Left views the Jihad in much the same way that...

As you can see below, I picked this up via Mark Shea. It's an interesting hypothesis. But, if it's true, what does it mean: that everything is political? I share a certain skepticism about the alarmist predictions of imminent global climatic disaster. But refusing assent is not the same thing as believing the opposite; such as, saying "there is no global warming, period" or "mankind has no measurable effect on the world's climate".

"The modern Left views the Jihad in much the same way that...: "'The modern Left views the Jihad in much the same way that the modern Right views global warming.'


A brilliantly perceptive piece by the Zipster for your weekend contemplation."

(Via Catholic and Enjoying It!.)

Heavy Reading Early in the Morning

While doing the daily scan of blogs, I ran across a reference to a Diogenes' post over at Catholic World News. Besides enjoying the idea that the Periodica de Re Canonica has a swimsuit issue, I have been following with interest the controversies over refusing communion to some public, scandalous sinners. So I slogged through the Archbishop's article (no pictures, alas) and learned that admiratio (Latin) doesn't mean admiration (positive), but wonderment (neutral). And I had to look up lapidary. A bit dense and serious for this early, but educational in it's own way.

Watching this controversy unfold has been somewhat like watching a goring in slow motion. Somebody's going to be very hurt when it's all over, but you can't take your eyes off the unfolding tragedy. For those keeping score, I see the Church as the bull (even though there is some considerable internal ecclesiastical debate--the safest bet is to listen to the head cheese), and those presenting themselves as Catholic and at communion, while publicly defying the Church's teachings, as the gored. ymmv.

On Relativism

We got a cursory introduction to moral relativism in our first class. And our readings for next week are on this. So this article is certainly timely:

On Relativism: "At first glance, the expression ‘the dictatorship of relativism’ sounds like a paradox, maybe even an oxymoron. After all, aren’t dictatorships a form of absolutism? And don’t relativists find it difficult, if not impossible, to make judgments about differing moral systems? So how can they ‘dictate’ the behavior and thoughts of others if they can’t [...]"

(Via FIRST THINGS: On the Square.)

Five Things not Said by Jesus...

Actually it's seven, but this was the sort of warm and fuzzy thinking I was worried about when on the RCIA team.

Five Things not Said by Jesus...: "Five Things not Said by Jesus"

(Via Catholic and Enjoying It!.)

Trials

So, trying a 30-day version of the new MarsEdit is an excuse to come out of my self-imposed silence. When last heard from, I was struggling through my introductory English course. Well, the results are in: A-. That means a GPA of 3.67. As this is likely to be the pinnacle of my academic career, I promptly took the family out for a celebratory sushi. We're mad about sushi here in the Lower Mainland.

The Labour Day weekend saw me at a local chess tournament. I did well enough against those under twelve years of age with ratings at least two hundred points below mine: two for two. But, when Momma (really, the mother of victim number one) met me in the round following her ten-year-old's humiliation, it was a different story. Still, I got a draw against a gentleman rated 250 points above me, so I hope my rating will go up a little. It was strange to feel pleased with some of my losses, though. I made players rating far above me, including Momma, sweat to earn their points.

It was nice to win a prize for my efforts, as well. Ok, it was the lowest possible prize, second place in the under-1600 class. (I don't count the Unrated category as lowest; there are too many natural players hidden in there.) And I had to share it with two other budding genius's--both are looking forward to high school some day. But it paid for my new tournament chess set. And the wife was actually impressed when she saw it. Keep in mind she has no use for chess, and only views chess sets as potential decorations. So, her being pleased at the value obtained in an otherwise un-decorative set was the icing on the cake.

Yesterday was the first day in this term's course: Moral Philosophy. Since the previous course was online, this was my first visit to a classroom in over a quarter of a century. So, I fully expected to be older than the rest of the class. And I was not entirely surprised to be older than the Professor. But, when he mentioned his PhD in Philosophy, it did bring back memories of youthful dreams of just such an academic career for myself. In any case, it seems obvious I'm going to have to be more disciplined to do well in this course. At least the Professor won't have as much trouble remembering my name: Oh yeah, the old fart in the last row.

The youngest is having a shower now, so I'll have to get my act together, so I can have mine and go to work. Maybe I should make a resolution to post a blog entry once a week. Oh, right, again.

Sunday Reflection

This from Amy Welborn's Open Book

Christ was crucified on earth and the Church is crucified in time, and the Church is crucified by all of us, by her members most particularly because she is a Church of sinners...The Church is founded on Peter who denied Christ three times and couldn't walk on the water by himself. All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful. Priests resist it as well as others. To have the Church be what you want it to be would require the continuous miraculous meddling of God in human affairs, whereas it is our dignity that we are allowed more or less to get on with those graces that come through faith and the sacraments and which work thorugh our human nature...Human nature is so faulty that it can resist any amount of grace and most of the time it does. The Church does well to hold her own; you are asking that she show a profit. When she shows a profit you have a saint, not necessarily a canonized one. (Flannery O'Connor to Cecil Dawkins 12/8/58. Habit of Being, 307)

Funeral Postponed

because I'm still alive. As I struggle through the last third of the English course, feel free to check out That Catholic Show. Excellent!

Reading into Writing

That's what I've been doing the last couple of weeks. I'm slogging through the English course. The joys of reading (and reading into) essays is still not thrilling me. The recent article about Ray Bradbury being upset at how people routinely analyse Fahrenheit 451 suggests to me that this is an industry in and of itself: creating meanings out of authors' original works. And I'm now temporarily employed in that industry. Oh dear.

Life Becomes More Earnest

The "getting to know you" phase of the English course is over. Now I actually have to read, study, and write. While learning the art of essay writing we are reading exemplars of the art form.

Our first read is George Orwell"s Shooting An Elephant. I've read one other Orwell essay derived from his experiences in British East India: A Hanging. Real cheerful this is.

And since I'm playing in the Keres Memorial this long weekend, I'll have to have my essay uploaded before I leave for work on Friday afternoon. Nothing like a little time pressure to stimulate action.

The first step was to re-read the on-line documents for this week. The next was to clear off my desk in the bedroom (away from the computer, my ipod and the tv). And, finally, to actually read the reading assignments for the first time. This evening I'll try to start taking notes on the first two chapters of the textbook. By Thursday I should have at least the first draft of my essay done.

And, in the meantime, I should try to participate in the online discussions that the teacher is stimulating and monitoring. Maybe I'd better start reading ahead. It will be too easy to fall behind in this course.

Wish me luck.

Spring Update

The iPod is being filled with the photos from our trip. I'll try to post some once the process is complete.

In the meantime, the English class has begun. The first week seems to be dedicated to "getting to know you"--meaning both the participants and the program (it's an on-line course). I'll clean up my desk upstairs and begin reading next week's assignment. The art of essay writing is there to be mastered.

And the weigh-scale at work is just as hostile as ever: I'm one kilo over my pre-cruise weight, which is ten kilos over the weight my doctor wants me at. So, now that I'm over the worst of the chest cold, exercises start today. Oh, and diet too.

Spring is the time of new beginnings.

Springtime

My apologies for not posting more during the trip. The connection on the ship was poor and the cost was high. So I gave up copying my emails. Maybe I'll do it over when time permits and I have the photos on the computer.

Both of us are mildly ill from the experience. I caught a chest cold around Santorini and still haven't recovered. The wife came down a week or so later, getting feverish in London. Not that it stopped her, mind you.

Now we're re-accommodating ourselves to the real world. I'm suffering from jet-lag something fierce. I'm falling asleep after dinner and waking up at 5 a.m. This isn't going to last long. I'm due back at work today and will be there until 10:30 pm.!

And Monday is the official start of my English course. Apparently it's focussed on essay writing. So I'm confident of doing reasonably well.

Talk to you later.

The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On

us.

We're in the Mediterranean at last, heading for Barcelona. Yesterday was a complete contrast to Sao Miguel--no guide and lots of walking. Don't worry, Lorna got her, uh, arthritis medicine at the, uh, exercise bar last night, so she's quite chipper today.

The clock moved forward for the last time (before Greece, I think) the night before. and since we faithfully attended our exercise class that night, there were only five hours for sleep. The ship docked at 7 a.m. and the gangway went down at 7:30. We did hang around hoping to get another couple to join us in a taxi tour (to cut the cost in half) but no joy.

So off the the Estacion del Treno (Train Station) we went. My Spanish reached unrivalled heights: "Dos, Ida y vuelta, Jerez de la Frontera". I did that so well that I was complimented by the lady behind the counter. I immediately resolved to say nothing more in Spanish for the rest of the day so as to quit a winner.

An hour or so later we arrived in Jerez. We walked into the town, inspired on our way by the overwhelming perfume of orange blossoms. We meandered until we reached the Alcazar (ok, not the famous one, which is in Sevilla, two hours out of Cadiz). We walked around, took pictures and went in.

The original purpose of this complex was as a combined palace and fortress for the caliph of Sevilla. The Christians re-took Jerez in A.D. 1264, Alfonso the Wise taking the credit. The evidence is in the mosque, which has two prayers to Mary by Alfonso posted in it. There's a remnant of a smallish Roman-style bath built and used by the Moorish kings.

A man in the museum called the Escuella Real (where horses, like the Lipanzaner Stallions, are trained) but the show was already booked up. We took a taxi anyway, intending to see the museums there. But we decided we were hungry.

We wandered off and ended up at a cerveceria along the Calle Sevilla (Sevilla Street). Pescado (fish) and potatoes with cebillones (onions), all in olive oil, filled the empty spot. Lorna noted that my beer and her bottle water cost the same. And we were a little non-plussed by the high tables with bar stools all around that appeared to have taps built into them. Now thats what I call serious beer drinkers.

We then wandered some more, looking for a store to some some Sherry (for which Jerez is justly famous). But the sky opened up on us and we fled to a taxi stand outside some hotels, hiding under our umbrellas (we're from Vancouver, eh).

Eventually we got a driver and off to the Estacion we went. The driver tried to talk us into a ride straight to Cadiz ("only twenty minutes") but you will recall we bought train tickets "ida y vuelta", so we declined.

Since there was some time before the next train, I wandered around, found a supermercado (come on, you can figure that one out) and found a wonderful selection of wines. So now I have a bottle of dulce sherry. That fino stuff from Tio Pepe is mouth-puckeringly dry and meant as an aperitif. I like my sherry a little sweet and before bedtime.

Lorna napped on the way back, but adventure has it's costs (including mild anxiety) and I kept looking over my shoulder, trying to see Cadiz. When we arrived we strolled into the old city, bought a souvenir plate (for Lorna's collection) and toured the Cathedral. By now it was past four and with the gangway going up at 5:30, we decided to head back.

We agreed that in Barcelona we would try the tour buses. You know, the kind that do a continuous loop, stopping at the various sites of interest. You get on and off as you please. This might be a better use of time and easier on Lorna's feet. And the arthritis medicine is very expensive.

And I still say the Canucks are stumbling, but at least in the right direction. Get them to smarten up or I won't have any hockey to come home to. But that must have been a game and then some. Even CNN International was showing replays from it (in between cricket and futbol). It annoyed me though that he pronounced the winning goal a being by seh-din rather than seh-deen.

We have three port days in a row now: Barcelona Saturday, Monaco Sunday and Civitavecchia (Rome's port) Monday. I'll see if I can squeeze a note in before bed the next couple of nights, but don't hold your breath.

The 2007 Grand European Farewell Tour Begins

As in "wife, say good-bye to Europe, we're never doing back". We spent eight days at sea onboard the M.S. Veendam. Here is the first installment in the tour.

Monday was our first port day since leaving Tampa and our second visit to the Azores Islands. Hiring a guide to chauffeur us around Sao Miguel island was quite different from renting a car (which we did two years ago). There's not the same sense of adventure and the excitement of chance discoveries. The chances of something going seriously wrong are greatly reduced also, however.

Certainly, time is better spent, questions that pop up are answered and everybody gets to gawk out the window at the stunning tropical beauty passing by. Ricardo, our guide, took us first to the Santo Cristo church in town, where the statue of the Miraculous Christ resides. Once a year, on the Fifth Sunday of Easter it is brought out in procession. It is the major devotion in the Azores, I believe. Lorna and I were content to give a quick thanks for the beautiful crossing.

Then we headed out towards the Lagoa das Furnas (Furnace Lake), where the cozido meal is made. We stopped along the way at the Sixteenth Century chapel of our Lady of Peace on a hill high above the coast. It was built just five years after a major earthquake flattened the town below.

Arriving just a few minutes too late to see our lunch being removed from the ground in the hot springs at the lake. We made our way over to the village of Furnas to the restaurant Ricardo had picked out for us. It was a bit anti-climatic, though a bit tastier than the last time, since we already knew what was coming. The couple who joined us, Ron & Fran, however, didn't. And the sight of the blood sausage in the mix positively put them off. The result was that the meal--already too much for the four of us, but enough for three Azoreans--went half eaten.

We then went to a park in the nearby village of Caldieras complete with a pleasnt garden and boiling hot springs, one of which the locals use to cook their corn in. Several villages are in the huge caldera (3-4 miles across?). Property values will plummet when this volcano stirs again.

We re-visited (from two years ago) the beautiful viewpoint above the lake, overlooking the huge caldera. Then we crossed over to the north side of the island to enjoy some great scenery.

We learned a bit about the local customs and beliefs. For example, Ricardo explained that nearly all of the islanders are Catholic and he said this was because of the earthquakes. Three had been felt in the 24 hours before our arrival. And everyone being Catholic explains the islander's peculiar custom: "When a man wants to divorce his wife, he brings her to this scenic viewpoint (several hundred feet of sheer cliffs above the sea)". I pondered the obvious advantages of this over our Canadian system of divorce, but then I remembered that Lorna had the money and the credit cards. So we proceeded on as a couple.

Liquer tasting in the second ("and last") city, Ribeira Grande, was next. I highly recommend the passion fruit brandy.

Then back up over the sharp spine of the island with a stop for an admiring look at Lagoa de Fogo (Fire Lake), the second of the three great calderas on the island. Then down the winding road to the south coast, while swapping jokes. I'll spare you Ricardo's favourites: blondie jokes.

He dropped us off, as scheduled, in the center of town (Ponta Delgada) at 6 p.m. We did a bit of shopping and then parted company with Ron and Fran, who wante to walk around the town. Lorna and I got a taxi back to the ship and had a late dinner in the Lido Restaurant, while admiring the sun setting over the island.

So, adios Azores. Tomorrow, ola, Cadiz.

Give the Devil His Due

seems to be Rod Bennett's idea over at tremendous trifles.

Fair enough, there is an argument in favour of the This-is-the-Family-Tomb-of Jesus. But it's all so weak and presented (as was the Gospel of Judas last year) with so much hype and pr. It smacks of an end run from the realms of the scholarly to the tents of P.T. Barnum.

In the end a Christianity that believes in a resurrection that involves nothing physical ("we've found the bones of Christ, isn't that wonderful?") is trying to supplant the original:

“Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
(1Cor 15:12-17,20 RSV)

This, and other, testimony from the First Century is certainly preferable to the looney speculation and story-telling that various Gnostics came up with in the subsequent centuries. So why is neo-gnosticism so attractive today? Because, like every age, we prefer a Jesus we are comfortable with, who doesn't challenge us; who only challenges those we disagree with.

Something for us meditate on during this Lent.

A Less Scholarly Perspective

can be found here.

Thanks to Kevin Miller at Heart, Mind & Strength.

Follow-up

For those who still care there are a number of blogs talking about the Jesus Family Tomb: Titanic Stupidity by Mike Aquilina at The Way of the Fathers; The Tomb that dare not speak it's Name and "Jesus' family tomb": how blogging helps by Mark Goodacre, Associate Professor of New Testament in the Religion Department at Duke University, at NT Gateway Weblog; Tomb of Jesus Discovered? by Michael Joseph, BA Philosophy and Theology, MA Historical Theology, at Evangelical Catholicism; Dog/Filmmaker Bites Man/Christianity! by Carl Olson, Masters in Theological Studies, at the Ignatius Insight blog; among others.

The quality of the anti-Christians seems to have declined considerably over the last couple of decades. Or is the public they're selling to just less and less discriminating?

Lent and Penance

So my blogging software (MarsEdit) has been given a minor update and it's an excuse to write something after the long silence. The traditional Catholic observance of Lent consists of one or more of: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

But in recent years a fourth penitential observance has been added: putting up with radical, new, startling discoveries that will completely de-bunk the traditional Christian view of Jesus. Putting up with this nonsense is our new cross to bear.

Why Lent? Well, debunking Jesus at Christmas gets you into a conflict with people's natural love for little babies, not least the Christ-child in the manger. But after childhood memories have faded, adults, woefully ignorant of their Christian heritage and lacking basic reasoning skills, find the Crucified and Risen Lord a hard pill to swallow and silly, improbable stories easy to believe. Well, for a year or so, anyway.

So every year (or so it seems to me) someone has a book or a movie (a plus this year--it's both) to flog that has the unwitting all atwitter. So just a couple of comments from someone who has a high school diploma: Jesus of Nazereth and Mary of Migdal (Magdalene to us) lived where? Oh yes, in Galilee. Assuming they were persons of wealth (a rock-cut tomb was very expensive in those days), where would they have been buried, assuming they were married: Galilee--not Jerusalem.

And the evidence for Jesus' surviving the Crucifixion and his subsequent re-burial: it starts with German theologian Karl Friedrich Bahrdt in 1780. Oh wait, that's speculation from the Eighteenth Century. Nobody in the Ancient World knew of such a thing. There is, in fact, no evidence whatsoever for this absurd hypothesis.

And since the historical evidence, as distinct from speculation, supports neither Jesus' and Magdalene's wealth nor their marriage, this is hopelessly conjectural. You have to hold your breath for a long time to keep this house of cards from falling down under it's own weight.

But it will cause quite a stir, make a name or two, and quite a bit of money. And we Christians have another (admittedly light) cross to bear this Lent. But what of the unlettered dupes? Do we have an obligation to them? Well, consider this a down-payment for those who need help from a fellow ignoramus.

Now on to the more serious and laborious works of Lent.

Reading

Yes there has been some reading during the last few months. I've just finished Michael Grant's Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels, which I've meant to read for many years. It's written from the point of view of a methodological naturalist, so it is not sympathetic to Christianity's claims for Jesus. Nonetheless, Dr. Grant found ample room for describing the career, philosophy and tragic end of Jesus. He even grants that the empty tomb is historical.

Now I'll move on to A. N. Sherwin-White's Roman Soceity and Roman Law in the New Testament, which I read some years ago. I'm on a Jesus, History and the Resurrection kick now.

Ciao!

Christmas Presents

It's odd for me to be talking about Christmas presents. I don't usually make a big deal about what I want for Christmas. I will just point my family to my Amazon wish list--to no avail. This year I was a little anxious, however.

I listen to a number of podcasts on my computer: Catholic Answers Live (a re-broadcast of their daily two-hour call-in radio shows, focusing on apologetics), EWTN Openline (ditto, only one hour though), Heart Mind & Strength Radio online (by Dr. and Mrs Popcak, call-in show with psychology and counselling the focus), Daily Breakfast (a true Monday to Friday Podcast by Father Roderick: geek issues, tv, movies, whatever), Catholic Exchange Today and Rock Solid (weekly and every few days podcasts respectively: news, interviews, thoughts of the day), the Rosary Army Catholic Podcast (a catholic couple from Conyers, Georgia twice weekly podcast: motto--Make Them, Pray Them, Give Them Away) and the multiple intermittent feeds from SQPN: Catholic Insider (Father Roderick's initial foray into podcasting: travelogues), The Secrets of Harry Potter, Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars (each movie series examined from a Catholic perspective).

And how do I listen to all this while chained to my computer? Simple: I don't. I miss quite a number of the podcasts week by week. So I decided to buy an iPod so I could take these on the walk to work and elsewhere. But Momma (my wife to those not in the know) expressly forbade me to buy one. The strong implication was that it was coming to me under the Christmas tree. So I suffered through podcast loss for several months waiting anxiously for Christmas morning.

All I really wanted (besides my two front teeth) was a Shuffle, the smallest and newest of the iPod line. What I got, however, was a full-size iPod (30 G). It seemed like overkill, but I have been very happy anyway.

Now I discover that SQPN is venturing into video podcasting, starting with Catholic Minute. Wow, I can actually watch Father Roderick while he's walking around Amersfoort looking for a copy of Zelda for his Wii. Neat!

And then I find out that a cable is available that will directly download photos from a digital camera into my iPod. So let's say you were going on a long cruise and had wife who was camera crazy. She could take as many photos as she wanted. We could simply download them onto my capacious iPod and never run out of room for more photos. Well, well.

So, well I got a number of lovely gifts this Christmas (also unusual for me) this gift stands out. May my family (my daughters in particular, who did the actual purchase) be blessed many times over.

Rip Van Winkle Wakes Up!

Ok, it's been so long since my last post that my news aggregator has greyed out Ephemeris. There a a couple of excuses for the silence. There have been a number lot of pending things that I had mixed feeling about and so didn't quite know what to write and when. And the other excuse is that I'm now living a life newly structured and seemingly less interesting. So there seems to be less topicality in my day-to-day life.

Some things appear to be resolved. I won't be going to University this term. I was signed up for an online Psychology course. But events overtook the plan and I cancelled the course. University is on hold until the Summer semester in May.

The event that overtook this plan is a cruise from Tampa to Venice. I had carefully planned a Panama Canal cruise that would have fit in between the school terms (late April and early May). But the wife has a love affair with Europe and a sale came up just days after I signed up for the Psychology course. It was actually cheaper, even air fare included, to do the Trans-Atlantic cruise. So off to Venice we go.

We'll be at sea during Holy Week, not touching land until Easter Monday (the Azores). That's a bit of a downer, since Holy Week observances (Palm Sunday, Mass of the Last Supper, Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Service, and, the highlight of the Church worship, Holy Saturday Vigil Service) are a family tradition. Fasting on Good Friday while at sea trapped on a ship overflowing with delicious food will be a penance indeed. I've repeatedly warned the Mrs. that this is the absolutely last trip to Europe. She laughs and points out that that was what I said the last time. True enough, but I'll be seriously broke after this adventure, so it is true this time.

And I will have to sign up for my Summer course probably during the Trans-Atlantic trip. We'll see how that works. I do have the ability to sign-up online, so it's theoretically possible. Wish me luck on that one.

What little news there is I'll save for another day. Happy New Year to all and I hope that everyone's Christmas was Merry.

Speaking of Bookbags,

as T.S. O'Rama is doing over at Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor, I have finished Truth and Tolerance by (then) Cardinal Ratzinger. And I'm almost through The Christian and Anxiety by Hans Urs von Balthasar. The latter is heavy going, especially the last section, which is a metaphysical analysis of anxiety. Even re-reading passages doesn't get me much further forward. Too bad I slid through that class in Metaphysics thirty-some years ago.

Autumn

What is it about this season that so lifts me up? It is a season of fading and dying and going away. And yet this is the season I enjoy the most. We don't get much of a Fall here compared to back East. But this has been a pleasant one nonetheless.

The colours are the obvious attraction: greens give way to yellows, browns, oranges, reds, and, yes, even some near-maroons. They're mostly lawn carpeting now, though a few trees stubbornly hold on after the winds of a couple of weeks ago and the recent heavy rains. There are, of course, biological and chemical reasons for these changes. But what are God's reasons? Why such beautiful display before the sleep of winter? That's something to ponder.

From childhood I remember the excitement of a new school year starting; and a new NFL season (go Chargers!). Now in Canada it's the beginning of hockey (I can breathe again). So Fall is also a season of beginnings. The Yin to Spring's Yang. Some things only properly begin at the end of the year, it seems.

So with thoughts of retirement and new beginnings, I ponder the meaning of Autumn.