Religion 71 | ***Dave Does the Blog

New! Improved!

It’s the fresh, vibrant, new, improved Friday Five! 1. What shampoo do you use? Whatever’s on sale that doesn’t cause Margie to break out in a rash. That means it’s…

It’s the fresh, vibrant, new, improved Friday Five!

1. What shampoo do you use?

Whatever’s on sale that doesn’t cause Margie to break out in a rash. That means it’s likely to be bulk, it’s likely to be lightly, if at all, scented, it’s likely to last us for a while, and it’s likely to be something different next time.

2. Do you use conditioner? What kind?

Yes, I do, though my hair is not exactly unmanageable at this point. As to what kind, see #1.

3. When was the last time you got your hair cut?

Probably four or five weeks ago, at Margie’s hands. I need to do it this weekend, since my folks are coming to visit next.

4. What styling products do you use?

Um … shampoo, conditioner, and hair cuts? Not much left to style after that … which is one reason I have it cut this short.

5. What’s your worst hair-related experience?

Its long, gradual, thinning-out on top?

Having to chop off my pony tail when I got married (Margie had some silly but irrefutable reasoning about “photographs” and “timeless appeal” and “you really don’t want folks laughing at our wedding snapshots in years to come)?

My hair has never been terribly easy to manage, and it’s not something I’ve been willing to dedicate my life to keeping under control, so back when I wore it longer it was prone to looking pretty shaggy. I do have a recollection of having to get a picture taken (driver’s license?) after it had been through a minor wind storm and was looking like I belonged down at the Mission …

6. BONUS UNSOLICITED QUESTION: What are you doing this weekend?

Friday:

Long work day for me, to make up hours to take next Friday off.

Comic book store and other errands on the way home, possibly including a trip to another KP clinic to look at their glasses selection.

Put the sprinklers on a 24-hour rain delay.

Star Wars RPG tonight, with my character up a level and adding a new class.

Poking my fingers in my ears and singing “LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!” loudly whenever people start talking about AotC.

Saturday:

It’s supposed to be my weekend to sleep in, but I think I’ll let Margie do the honors since she’s been Majorly Frazzled for a few weeks.

Plant plants from the plant sale last weekend.

Last “Hungry Flock” dinner for the season, this one down at the church instead of at someone’s house. We have to bring a dessert, which I’ve been thinking about making myself (Dave’s Famous Carrot Cake … yum!).

Sunday:

Church.

Church Picnic, including farewells to our pastor who’s going off on a four month sabbatical (and a richly deserved one, I’ll add).

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Dinner, including much chatting about one of the above bullet items (guess which one).

Lazy, snoozy day

Well, we were up pretty late last night (at least by our middle-aged standards), so this has been a pretty tired day. Margie had Kitten Kustody this morning, though it…

Well, we were up pretty late last night (at least by our middle-aged standards), so this has been a pretty tired day.

Margie had Kitten Kustody this morning, though it was a truncated sleep-in for me. Veena, one of our deacons, was getting ordained this morning, so we had to get up in time to get showered and dressed and their.

A wonderful ceremony. We were at Rev. Bonnie’s ordination, too. It sends chills down your back, even as it lifts up the spirit. There’s centuries of tradition there, of service and inspiration and dedication to God. Really neat. I’m glad we were there.

You can chalk up another minor sin to those in the Catholic Church who committed not only abuse, but those who worked so hard to cover it up. As I was listening to the words of the vows Veena spoke, I couldn’t help but compare them to the actions of those others. And since I suspect that Catholic priestly vows are not all that different from those of the Episcopal Church, it just makes you wonder how such things could have happened …

And on a related note, on this date, in 1969, I received my First Communion, at St. Joseph’s in Pomona, California. I had a St. Christopher medallion for many years that I received that day, with the date on the back … “5-4-69” … and so it was branded indelably in my mind.

After that, it was Errand of Mercy time, as I went over to see if I could help Doyce with his sprinker problem. We removed the bad parts, got the right parts, but couldn’t get things to be leak-free. But we could do enough so that they could run their sprinkers for the first time in weeks, so it will hold them until the Sprinker People can arrive …

A while later, Jackie came by with the video tapes I’d forgotten to bring home, and, snuck into them, a nice thank-you gift. Which was just plain silly, since I didn’t do anything, so we’ll have to think of something even nicer for them …

The Scandal

Latest news in the current Church Pedophilia Mismanagement Scandal is an oddly mixed bag. The cardinals back a Zero Tolerance policy. No, they don’t. Yes, they really do. Stay tuned….

Latest news in the current Church Pedophilia Mismanagement Scandal is an oddly mixed bag.

The cardinals back a Zero Tolerance policy. No, they don’t. Yes, they really do. Stay tuned.

The thorniest issue for such a ZT policy is how or whether to grandfather it in. In other words, to use the hypothetical case that keeps being bandied about, if a priest molested a kid thirty years ago, and has been (as far as anyone knows or is willing to admit) on the straight and narrow since then, should he be forced out?

On the one level it’s a real gut-wrencher, since part of the whole Christian thang is the idea of forgiveness and the ability to change one’s behavior through the intercession of the Lord. And if a particular priest has had such an experience, and has demonstrated his reform, why punish him now?

Of course, the same can be true for any given molester today from a perspective of thirty years from now. That’s what ZT means. It means one strike and you’re out. If a ZT policy is good for today, then it must be good for the past. And if that’s so, then you need to let those other priests go. Maybe, maybe you let them resign gracefully, nothing further being said.

Or maybe not. If their reform is truly meaningful, then the shame of being outed at this late date should mean little to either the priest or their congregation. And it clears up a lie that has been perpetrated since then, if the whole matter was cleared up.

So if ZT is the way of the future, and all the cardinals are behind it — why was that not the message from the official communiquï¿½ issued in Rome? Was the retroactive-ZT thing so much a barrier to the announcement? Or were there some who aren’t so determined that should be the policy?

The facile connection of priestly molestations with homosexuality has not been directly argued by the Church, but it’s sure been danced around. And one of the new measures that’s being proposed is more diligent screening of seminary applicants to make sure none of Those are being given admission.

But why, you might ask? According to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelphia:

Bevilacqua also spoke bluntly about the issue of gay priests. Responding to a question, he confirmed that his archdiocese screens seminary applicants for homosexuality because “we feel a person who is homosexual-oriented is not a suitable candidate for the priesthood even if he had never committed any homosexual act.”
When a heterosexual man accepts celibacy to become a priest “he’s giving up a very good thing, and that is a family and children,” Bevilacqua said. “That would not be true about a homosexual-oriented candidate. . . . By his orientation he’s not giving up family and marriage. He’s giving up what the church considers an aberration, a moral evil.”

You would think, by church lights, that taking a vow of celibacy (and service) to avoid a moral evil would actually qualify someone better for the priesthood. You would think that Paul, who had at best lukewarm acceptance of marriage and suggested that the really virtuous folks should be celibate, not portraying it as a sacrifice but as a strength, would be of some inspiration here. But no. And Bevilacqua explains why:

He added that because of the all-male nature of the priesthood “the risk of someone who is homosexual-oriented is much higher.” Comparing gay priests to alcoholic priests, he said that under “tension of the priesthood there’s a tendency at time to seek some kind of outlet. . . . The risk is higher. That’s all we can say.”

In other words, there’s too great a chance that gay priests, living together in seminary or in a rectory, might be tempted beyond their vows of celibacy. Obviously this has been a significant problem, to take such a positive step, which makes one wonder whether such a ZT policy on gay priests will be applied to the current priesthood.

How many priests can the Church afford to kick out?

This was an interesting contrast to the protests that occured outside of a Mass held by a number of the cardinals in Philadelphia Sunday:

Outside the cathedral, about two dozen protesters stood in silence holding signs that said “Homo Priests — No; Married Priests — Yes” and “Protect Our Children, Fire the Cardinals.”

Of course it was a small protest and it’s dangerous to infer too much from the sentiments of three signs plucked from such a small group. But it sounds like (a) the protesters saw a quite different mechanism for alleviating outlet-seeking, and (b) at least some church objections to gay priests (among the laity) are more fundamental than Cardinal Bevilacqua’s concerns over the stresses of the priesthood.

Oh, and Cardinal Law denies he’s being transferred to the Vatican. Which returns the issue of whether he deserves to remain as an Archbishop and Cardinal in the Church in America — something that looks like he will continue to be. I suspect that, more than anything else, will remain a thorn in the side of efforts to resolve this whole matter.

Betrayal

I was born and raised Catholic. I’ve had a number of doctrinal disputes with the Church over the years, and have thought its hierarchy (particularly outside the US) has had…

I was born and raised Catholic. I’ve had a number of doctrinal disputes with the Church over the years, and have thought its hierarchy (particularly outside the US) has had a tendency to confuse tradition with dogma. But, regardless …

Even though I’m no longer Catholic, I still have a great fondness and respect for the Catholic Church. Which is why I, alongside so many of my Catholic brethren are increasingly incensed over the “sex scandal” rocking the Church in the US.

Except, of course, it’s not really a sex scandal. The real issue is not that some priests horribly abused their roles as pastoral and moral leaders, by molesting children and teens. Not to mention violated their vows. That’s terrible, it’s horrible, but it has happened before and it will happen again, even among men of the cloth. You lock the bastards up and go on, renewing your recognition of the power of temptation and sin and so forth.

No, the real scandal here is how the church leadership — the folks at the top of the national church ladder — abused their roles as pastoral and moral leaders, by quiet pay-offs and shuffling assignments and anything else they could to avoid public acknowledgment of what had happened — even if it meant putting others in harm’s way.

Pride. Face. Honor. They can drive folks to great heights. Or they can cause you to betray everything in their name. Maybe there’s a reason why Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

If you can’t trust the Church, who can you trust? Yeah, that sounds kinda naive, but … really.

The natural reaction is to request that some of the most egregious offenders resign. The person at the top of the list would seem to be Cardinal Bernard Law, until a few months ago seen as the most powerful Catholic leader in the US, and mentioned more than once as a possible successor to the Holy See. As more and more documents have come out, Law’s stonewalling (which sounds like the stonewalling of every policitician from Nixon to Clinton, and of the same moral suspectability) has rung more and more untrue, as we’ve seen in case after case that he was aware of the allegations, aware of the evidence for them, aware of the out-of-court settlements made to families, and aware of the reassignments made to those accused priests, after therapy or without any therapy — assignments all too often to unsuspecting parishes and other jobs where there would be further unsupervised contact with minors. This happened over and over … and all Law, as well as many others, seem to have been interested in is saving the Church’s good name.

The truth shall out, I believe Shakespeare said. And so it has, and now what happened to that good name?

There is continuing pressure for Law to resign. He has so far declined the suggestion. The fear, some analysts say, is that if Law is forced out, the numerous other officials — including other cardinals and bishops — who engaged in similar conduct may also be forced to resign.

Has it not occured to anyone that perhaps that’s just what’s needed?

In every scandal, the only way — the only way — that resolves matters without the destruction of the scandal-ridden individual, agency, or organizaton — is:

(1) Full, immediate disclosure. Tell the truth. Admit the worst. Apologize. Beg forgiveness. Don’t wait for every detail to be dug out — get a jump on it. Well, it’s too late for that in this case. Continued stonewalling (“It never happened. Well, it was alleged, but the accusers had no credibility. Well, they did, so we took appropriate internal measures. Well …”) only makes things worse, serving to insult everyone else involved.

(2) Full, sweeping reform. Kick the bums out. Fall on your sword. Exit before you’re forced out. It worked for Nixon, but he almost waited too long.

So force Law out. Review each case. Bust the folks involved down a few ranks, or reassign them as Bishop of Death Valley or something. Make it perfectly clear to those who remain — and to those you serve — that this sort of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated. Re-establish your moral authority by exercising it.

The Church does not have unlimited manpower, of course. And some of the folks involved have — except for these episodes — been capable leaders. But begging the issue of whether these sorts of coverups, and leaving the Church open for this sort of scandal isn’t really a final indictment of whether they are capable leaders, I don’t believe that there aren’t other people in the Church who cannot move into the vacancies that would be opened up. There might even be more room for power-sharing with (gasp) the laity.

This is not going to just blow over. Because the problem, the scandal, is not the individual priests who abused those in their care. That would be eventually forgotten, yesterday’s news. The problem, the scandal, is that many feel the Church hierarchy, the clergy, can no longer be trusted to watch after the laity. Because they’re too busy watching for themselves.

The Pope has summoned all the bishops and cardinal in the US to Rome next week. One cannot but hope that a few of them will not be coming back to their old jobs.

Priests and Marriage

Here’s an interesting article on married priests in the Catholic Church. There are a few officially sanctioned — former Episcopalian priests, already married, who changed denominations. From the way the article describes it, they live and act not unlike … well, not unlike our Episcopalian pastor.

So what’s the big deal? Why is this okay in the eyes of Rome, but not marriage for other priests?

No idea. But, while it is a worthy debate in and of itself, it’s not suitable as a panacea for the sexual abuse scandel rocking the church.

Why not? Because the statistics I’m seeing indicate that such abuse is no more prevalent among Catholic priests than elsewhere in the general population. The actual numbers are actually quite small, and in keeping with other professionals.

What’s got folks raising the roof over all these goings-on is not the fact of the abuse (admittedly the more shocking among avowed servants of God), but that it was hushed up and mishandled and even, through inaction, allowed to happen again and again by the higher-ups in the Church.

Granted, dealing with such matters — especially among spiritual brothers, people who have taken the same vows as you, and in a profession where forgiveness is expected — would be extremely difficult. But it is the betrayal of trust by the Church hierarchy that is seriously hurting the Catholic church in the US today, from the standpoint of its parishioners.

Holy Weekend, Batman!

So here we are, on Un-named Saturday (the one between Good Friday and Easter Sunday). I suppose, given my Christian bent, I ought to set forth on the Deep Meaning…

So here we are, on Un-named Saturday (the one between Good Friday and Easter Sunday).

I suppose, given my Christian bent, I ought to set forth on the Deep Meaning of Easter, You Godless Heathen You. But I shan’t.

Instead, I’ll just talk about renewal.

Actually, there’s not a lot to say about it. It’s Spring. Renewal is in the air. Bulbs are bulbing. Trees are budding. Plants are leafing out after the cold, barren winter. (Except in California, where there are two seasons, Green and Brown, and Winter is usually as green as Spring. But bear with me here.) Most faiths have some sort of “Spring is Here!” ceremony, or holiday, or Occasion To Wear Funny Hats. And event those not of that persuasion generally welcome Spring as a neat, refreshing, exciting time.

So Happy Spring. Happy Easter, too. Happy Passover. Happy Whatever. Get out and enjoy the mild temps, the flowers and leaves and birds and good stuff like that. Eat some chocolate. Take a walk. Sit in the park. Go to church, if you’re of a mind. Plant some flowers, regardless. Everything is bright and fresh and new and promising.

Enjoy.

Suffering

13 Then were there brought unto him little children, who made happy noises all during the service, despite their parents’ best efforts to quiet them down, plying them with sippy…

¹³ Then were there brought unto him little children, who made happy noises all during the service, despite their parents’ best efforts to quiet them down, plying them with sippy cups of milk and coloring books to draw in; which happy noises did ring and echo throughout the temple even unto the times when the priest suggested a moment of peaceful meditation: and the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴ But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
¹⁵ Nevertheless, the parents were more than a little mortified by the whole affair.
— Matthew, ch. 19 (para.)

Did I mention that Margie and I were tapped to do the Scripture readings at the evening service tonight? Which service was attended by about twenty other people, which meant that the usual sound-dampening qualities of the congregation were not there? Damned fine acoustics in that church.

Oh, and the usual child care they provide in the nursery on Sundays wasn’t there, either. Which we had known in advance, but …

Well, Katherine had a good time.

Start spreadin’ the news …

If I were a superstitious man, I’d say Somebody doesn’t want me to write this. I’ve begun this post once while I was in Orlando (and fell asleep before I…

If I were a superstitious man, I’d say Somebody doesn’t want me to write this. I’ve begun this post once while I was in Orlando (and fell asleep before I was done), and once mere minutes before my notebook crashed this past week. So if my head suddenly explodes while I’m writing this … well, hopefully Margie will post it for me …

What are the duties of a Christian to “spread the Good News”?

What are the most effective ways to do that?

What exactly does that mean, anyway?

Okay, now that 95% of you have scrolled on to the next post, let me provide some background to those questions.

Continue reading “Start spreadin’ the news …”

The Mission

[N.B. This post was started but never finished.] So the Alpha course I’m helping to facilitate down at the church is almost done. Last nigh was the penultimate session. We…

[N.B. This post was started but never finished.]

So the Alpha course I’m helping to facilitate down at the church is almost done. Last nigh was the penultimate session. We skip next week (Holy Week), and then wrap things up on 1 April (April Fools jokes not necessary).

The topic last night was evangelism, “spreading the Good News.” It’s a topic that has a bad rap about it in our American culture. Probably because there have been way too many people, past and present, who have mistaken the idea of talking about their faith, and inviting others to share in it, with shaming others into conversion, harrassing them until they join, or imposing their faith on others by even more violent or coercive means (take, for example, the teachers prayer group mentioned a few posts down).

It’s interesting. Religion is just not something that’s talked much about in my circle of friends and acquaintences. There are indirect hints, here or there, but it just isn’t something we discuss.

Okay, that sounds kind of official

So one of my personal demons is the terror that I’ve misunderstood something important that someone’s told me — whether it’s what time or where we are to meet, or…

So one of my personal demons is the terror that I’ve misunderstood something important that someone’s told me — whether it’s what time or where we are to meet, or something more significant like, “Hey, Dave, we want you to serve on the Vestry at the church.” I mean, if I rely on my memory of just a single instance of it happening, I start being plagued by doubts. Did I remember what was said correctly? Did I misinterpret? Did the person make a mistake in telling me? This all goes back to my real fear, which is appearing ridiculous, but that’s a much longer story …

Anyway, since Fr. John asked me to join the Vestry at Good Shepherd, there’s been no other sign that it happened. My name hasn’t appeared on the mailboxes at the church. John hasn’t said anything further about it, nor has anyone else. There’s been no annoucement at services.

So, given the above, I cling to the fact that I actually entered the next meeting, Tuesday, into my Palm to convince me that it really happened.

Well, I just got an e-mail with a spreadsheet on “the preliminary Income Statement for February 2002” from the church treasurer. I guess that counts as confirmation.

Mysterious ways

I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed of late — business travel, dying PC, busy-busy at home, loads of projects at work. Another business trip coming up at the end of next…

I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed of late — business travel, dying PC, busy-busy at home, loads of projects at work. Another business trip coming up at the end of next week forced me to delay once again the second meeting of my supers game, leaving me to crankily grump, “It’s enough to make me quit volunteering for stuff.”

Flash back to January. I was running for the Vestry (the local “civilian” council that runs our church‘s business), and, of the four candidates running for three positions, I was … number 4 in the election.

Now flash forward to last night. There I am at church, lending my booming baritone to a “dinner show” (don’t ask) and Fr. John pulls me aside casually and says something along the lines of, “This is going to come out of left field, but Fred Smith has resigned from the Vestry, and you’re next in line, so would you like to be a member?”

Cue sound of little cogs stripping off of little gears in Dave’s head.

Of course, I said, “Yes, I’d be honored.”

Yeah, I’ll stop volunteering for stuff. Sure. Uh … maybe next week.

Or (to keep the church theme going), as St. Augustine said, pre-conversion, Da mini castitatem et continentiam sed noli modo (usually translated as, “Lord, make me chaste … but not yet”).

Shall we gather …?

An ABC News poll indicates that, funerals and weddings aside, only 38% of Americans say they go to church weekly. The numbers increase with age; 28% of ages 18-30 go,…

An ABC News poll indicates that, funerals and weddings aside, only 38% of Americans say they go to church weekly.

The numbers increase with age; 28% of ages 18-30 go, compared to 60% ages 65 and over.

Weekly churchgoing is more popular in the South (nearly half) and among women (44%, vs. 32% of men).

Republicans attend weekly at a rate of 47%; Democrats are at 38%, and independents at 29%.

Into the woods

So, in case I forget or end up running out of time (altogether likely today), we’re heading up into the mountains to our church ALPHA Retreat. No, Margie isn’t cooking…

So, in case I forget or end up running out of time (altogether likely today), we’re heading up into the mountains to our church ALPHA Retreat. No, Margie isn’t cooking up at Bear Trap Ranch (they have a good crew to do that), but she has volunteered to look after the infant population. I’m up there to act as font of wisdom and guru, gathering about me a utterly obedient shadow cult of —

— oh, um, sorry. I’m up there as a Small Group Facilitator, which I’ve been doing the past several Monday evenings, and will be for a few Monday evenings more. Though not this Monday evening.

Anyway, it’s just drop-dead gorgeous up there, and we expect to have a fun time (albeit sans blogging). And, of course, the alarm is turned on, our Rottweiler twins Rend and Sunder are on 4 hour shifts, and the guys in the black helicopters promised they’d keep an eye on things while we were gone. So … no funny stuff, hear?

Yes, because that approach has been so moral and successful when applied to other groups

A leading Jewish rabbi in Israel has declared that all gays should be killed. Rabbi David Batzri told the Israeli Ma`ariv newspaper that homosexuals should be “put to death” according…

A leading Jewish rabbi in Israel has declared that all gays should be killed.

Rabbi David Batzri told the Israeli Ma`ariv newspaper that homosexuals should be “put to death” according to Jewish religious law.
Batzri added: “Homosexuals and lesbians are not only a sickness, they are an abomination which should be removed from every city in the country, also from those districts where they feel protected, like in Tel Aviv.”

Yeah, that will work. Perhaps you could build some camps for them.

Mercifully, the message has been met with outrage from various quarters (including other rabbis).

(Via JillMatrix)

Don’t know much about history

Yet another state bill going through another state legislature to hang the Ten Commandments in every classroom. This one, which has cleared a Senate committee in South Carolina, at least…

Yet another state bill going through another state legislature to hang the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

This one, which has cleared a Senate committee in South Carolina, at least uses the excuse of trying present historical documents of some assumed import in the legal foundation of the US. Thus, it also mandates hanging of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution (sans the Bill of Rights, one would assume), and the Magna Carta.

State Rep. Lewis Vaughn, R-Greer, chairman of the Greenville County Legislative Delegation, said he strongly supports the display of the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution in schools.
“I don’t know about including the Magna Carta because that is English, and I think we should keep it American,” Vaughn said.

Yeeeaaaah … like that All-American document, the Ten Commandments.

“We’ve taken an important first step toward improving character education in South Carolina schools,” said Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, the bill’s sponsor. […] Hawkins said his proposal would survive a constitutional challenge by portraying the Ten Commandments in a historical perspective.
“They say you can’t teach religion, but you can teach about religion,” Hawkins said. “It’s impossible to teach about the history of Western law unless you discuss the Ten Commandments.”

Really? Actually, I’d be very interested in seeing something scholarly on the influence of the Ten Commandments on US law.

Doing some quick analysis (these are all from Exodus 20, v2ff, KJV — other translations, and other instances of the Decalogue in the OT, have some differences in phrasing — plus the other instances where the Decalogue is recounted in the OT, and, of course, different groupings in different faiths) …

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

While there seems to be plenty of debate about the devoutness or theological beliefs of the Founding Fathers, I don’t believe that US law is founded on or has demonstrated (particularly given the First Amendment) this particular commandment.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

I’m unaware of anything in US law that this commandment applies to.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

This has played a role in obscenity laws, I suppose.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Government offices are usually closed on Sunday. Does that count? I guess so.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Is there a particular unique aspect to this commandment that has played a role in US or Western jurisprudence? I’d welcome examples.

Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

All of these are (or have been) laws in US. Were they derived from the Decalogue? What did Roman Law have to say about murder? Or Sumerian? Or Egyptian? What about theft? These four — particularly the admonitions against theft and murder — are common in societies both within and outside the Christian world. I do not think you can argue that the Decalogue is the reason why we have laws against murder on the books in the US.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

I’m not aware of any law on the books now, or in the past (save, perhaps, some fringe communities during the settlement of New England) that tried to enforce this admonition.

So, with what are we left? Not much. The principles and dictates of the Ten Commandments, while strong religious admonitions, do not seem to have made, to my eye, much of an impact on US law.

So why post them up with other documents that have (including that damn furriner document, the Magna Whatsis)? Surely not as an end run around the prohibition of establishment of religion, right?

When is an ID not an ID?

The state of Florida is being sued by a Muslim woman, after the state suspended her Drivers License because she declined to take off her veil (which reveals only her…

The state of Florida is being sued by a Muslim woman, after the state suspended her Drivers License because she declined to take off her veil (which reveals only her eyes) for the picture.

I certainly respect Sultaana Freeman’s beliefs. If she feels it is improper or undignified to appear unveiled to “strangers or unrelated males,” that is certainly her prerogative.

But Florida law states, both clearly and properly, that a drivers license must have “a color photographic or digital imaged driver’s license bearing a full-face photograph.” The implications for being able to identify the holder are clear — that’s the purpose of the picture in the first place.

If Freeman declines to be so photographed (and, presumably, to unveil for a policeman), she cannot be given an drivers license (which is, of course, a privilege, a “license,” not a right). That’s not religious prejudice, that’s just common sense.

The only weakness in the state’s case is that, apparently, Freeman was able to obtain an Illinois DL while veiled, and on a February 2001 license issued by Florida. The Florida error was discovered during a review of DL records in November, post-9-11.

(Via OpinionJournal)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So, from a personal note, three changes going on in my church-related life. I’ve dropped, er, foisted, er, transitioned management of our church web page off to someone else. I…

So, from a personal note, three changes going on in my church-related life.

I’ve dropped, er, foisted, er, transitioned management of our church web page off to someone else. I think. I hope. It was something I enjoyed putting together and hated maintaining (lack of cooperation in doing so being a not-insigniificant part of my dislike). That should make it easier to look at the church bulletin without worrying about what parts of it I need to transcribe on-line.
The Alpha class starts tonight, so my Monday nights (plus one weekend in mid-March) are now all sucked up with being a small group facilitator. Should be interesting, esp. since I need to be in “I don’t know everything, let’s see what everyone else has to say” mode, which doesn’t come naturally to me. Margie is doing the cooking, which means her Monday days are pretty full, though she’s not doing the class. It also means that dinner should be great.
I didn’t get elected to the Vestry (the parish council). Three openings, four candidates, one guy left on the sidelines. I was told it was an extremely close race, and had a number of folks assure me that they would certainly find things I could apply my talents to, but it was a bit disappointing. Also provocative of a lot of second-guessing (Did shaving my beard and moustache make it difficult for folks to recognize me? Should I have worn a sports jacket and tie? Was my mini-biog too long, too weird, or otherwise defective? Do they all really hate me?).
Well, there’s always next year.
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That zany Pat

Pat Robertson managed to wriggle away from his initial support of Falwell’s claims about 9-11 being the Wrath of God against US gays, abortionists, and civil liberties groups. But he’s…

Pat Robertson managed to wriggle away from his initial support of Falwell’s claims about 9-11 being the Wrath of God against US gays, abortionists, and civil liberties groups. But he’s out there preaching the same tune again.

Take this for no more than it’s worth and no more than that, but I do believe that San Francisco is going to be a target of these people [al Qaeda terrorists], and I think that Detroit is going to be a target. We had one person at a prayer meeting say that he had a dream so vivid about Dallas, that he woke up and turned the TV on because he thought he was seeing a newscast. But, I think something through ship is going to be the one. But this is what I think the Lord told me.

Shall we take a wager on that, Pat? And if you’re wrong, what exactly does that mean? And if Al Qa’eda does somehow strike out against San Francisco (home of uppity gays) and Detroit (home of uppity minorities), what exactly will that mean?

(Via Andrew Sullivan)

UPDATE: (5-Jan-04) The original link was bad, but here’s a transcript.

The Lure of the Rings

No, not those rings. This WSJ Opinion piece has some interesting thoughts on tolerance, the War between Civilizations, and an 18th Century play. My counsel is: Accept the matter wholly…

No, not those rings. This WSJ Opinion piece has some interesting thoughts on tolerance, the War between Civilizations, and an 18th Century play.

My counsel is: Accept the matter wholly as it stands.
If each one from his father has his ring,
Then let each one believe his ring to be
The true one. Possibly the father wished
To tolerate no longer in his house
The tyranny of just one ring!–And know:
That you, all three, he loved; and loved alike;
Since two of you he’d not humiliate . . . Let each strive
To match the rest in bringing to the fore
The magic of the opal in his ring!
Assist that power with all humility . . .
And with profound submission to God’s will!

Interesting thoughts.

I’m doomed

Went to the organization meeting for the facilitators of the Alpha class next month. One of the major points: we facilitators are not there to give the answers, we’re there…

Went to the organization meeting for the facilitators of the Alpha class next month. One of the major points: we facilitators are not there to give the answers, we’re there to make sure everyone gets heard, gets a chance to speak, express, progress along their spiritual journey. But we’re not the Font of Wisdom, the Folks with the Answers, the People Who Know Everything.

That’s going to be the biggest challenge for me. Because while I am well-aware that I don’t Know Everything (and am not even certain that I really Know Anything), I certainly … have strong opinions.

This is going to be a challenge. And probably good for me.