Independent "free" thought can never be progressive

From my previous post about Christians and Pagans, I want to extract something very important from that discussion by G.K. Chesterton that is related to that topic and many other modern topics. In the same chapter of his brilliant work, Heretics, G.K. Chesterton exposes this notion of progress and how it is sometimes linked by modern writers to this notion of independent or free thought. This idea that one must deconstruct or disown everything handed to him in order to progress is utter nonsense.

I do not know by what extraordinary mental accident modern writers so constantly connect the idea of progress with the idea of independent thinking. Progress is obviously the antithesis of independent thinking. For under independent or individualistic thinking, every man starts at the beginning, and goes, in all probability, just as far as his father before him. But if there really be anything of the nature of progress, it must mean, above all things, the careful study and assumption of the whole of the past.

Man must build upon what he is given. According to Chesterton, only two systems in the world can be credited with being truly progressive: Physical Science, and the Catholic Church.

Chesterton (via the character of MacIan) explains this in Ch. 8 of his work, The Ball and the Cross:

But there is one thing Free-thought can never be by any possibility -- Free-thought can never be progressive. It can never be progressive because it will accept nothing from the past; it begins every time again from the beginning; and it goes every time in a different direction. All the rational philosophers have gone along different roads, so it is impossible to say which has gone farthest. Who can discuss whether Emerson was a better optimist than Schopenhauer was pessimist? It is like asking if this corn is as yellow as that hill is steep. No; there are only two things that really progress; and they both accept accumulations of authority. They may be progressing uphill and down; they may be growing steadily better or steadily worse; but they have steadily increased in certain definable matters; they have steadily advanced in a certain definable direction; they are the only two things, it seems, that ever can progress. The first is strictly physical science. The second is the Catholic Church.

He goes on to explain why this notion is essential to Christianity, in that it prevents it from getting swept up in the particular fads of the day -- something which does often threaten the Church, and would mean its downfall, were we to simply disown our notion of dogma:

... I say that if you want an example of anything which has progressed in the moral world by the same method as science in the material world, by continually adding to without unsettling what was there before, then I say that there is only one example of it. And that is Us... Christianity is always out of fashion because it is always sane; and all fashions are mild insanities. When Italy is mad on art the Church seems too Puritanical; when England is mad on Puritanism the Church seems too artistic. When you quarrel with us now you class us with kingship and despotism; but when you quarrelled with us first it was because we would not accept the divine despotism of Henry VIII. The Church always seems to be behind the times, when it is really beyond the times; it is waiting till the last fad shall have seen its last summer. It keeps the key of a permanent virtue.

Science and Christianity rely on definitive axioms and teachings that have been handed down, building upon what came before them. For Christianity to progress anywhere, it must have dogma -- and this is why infallibility is so important -- that is, the promise we have from Christ to guard and guide the Church from proclaiming error. Researching and understanding the development of religious dogma is one thing, but if we simply toss it aside as out-moded under the impression that, to be an independent thinker, we must start from the beginning and construct it for ourselves -- this is not progressive, and it is very much not Catholic.

Christians and Pagans

Early in high school, I was confounded by those of my generation who believed themselves to be pagans. I remained a skeptic as I had determined that their affections for paganism were, more or less, masked disaffections for Christianity. They claimed to praise the ancient deities of old, and I found it to be quite silly at the time. As my relationship with Christ developed further, I began to question whether anybody who actually fancied himself a pagan in the line of the great pagans of antiquity should actually be considered truly pagan.

The modern pagan has certainly set up for himself a framework in direct opposition to Christianity, something the ancient pagans never did because, well, Christianity came later. And so there rests the question. These modern pagans most certainly share no true connection with pre-Christian paganism. To honestly do so would lead them, perhaps kicking and screaming, to Christianity. See, the thing about ancient paganism was precisely that it was pre-Christian, and, as G.K. Chesterton pointed out, the world can never be pre-Christian again! Anything that was good or true about ancient paganism is now wrapped up in Christianity! And the rest is, well, lost to the ancient ruins of the gods.

I recall this discussion by G.K. Chesterton from Ch. XII of his work, Heretics.

XII. Paganism and Mr. Lowes Dickinson

The primary fact about Christianity and Paganism is that one came after the other. Mr. Lowes Dickinson speaks of them as if they were parallel ideals--even speaks as if Paganism were the newer of the two, and the more fitted for a new age. He suggests that the Pagan ideal will be the ultimate good of man; but if that is so, we must at least ask with more curiosity than he allows for, why it was that man actually found his ultimate good on earth under the stars, and threw it away again.

There is only one thing in the modern world that has been face to face with Paganism; there is only one thing in the modern world which in that sense knows anything about Paganism: and that is Christianity... All that genuinely remains of the ancient hymns or the ancient dances of Europe, all that has honestly come to us from the festivals of Phoebus or Pan, is to be found in the festivals of the Christian Church. If any one wants to hold the end of a chain which really goes back to the heathen mysteries, he had better take hold of a festoon of flowers at Easter or a string of sausages at Christmas. Everything else in the modern world is of Christian origin, even everything that seems most anti-Christian. The French Revolution is of Christian origin. The newspaper is of Christian origin. The anarchists are of Christian origin. Physical science is of Christian origin. The attack on Christianity is of Christian origin. There is one thing, and one thing only, in existence at the present day which can in any sense accurately be said to be of pagan origin, and that is Christianity.

The real difference between Paganism and Christianity is perfectly summed up in the difference between the pagan, or natural, virtues, and those three virtues of Christianity which the Church of Rome calls virtues of grace. The pagan, or rational, virtues are such things as justice and temperance, and Christianity has adopted them. The three mystical virtues which Christianity has not adopted, but invented, are faith, hope, and charity. Now much easy and foolish Christian rhetoric could easily be poured out upon those three words, but I desire to confine myself to the two facts which are evident about them. The first evident fact (in marked contrast to the delusion of the dancing pagan)--the first evident fact, I say, is that the pagan virtues, such as justice and temperance, are the sad virtues, and that the mystical virtues of faith, hope, and charity are the gay and exuberant virtues. And the second evident fact, which is even more evident, is the fact that the pagan virtues are the reasonable virtues, and that the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity are in their essence as unreasonable as they can be.

As the word “unreasonable” is open to misunderstanding, the matter may be more accurately put by saying that each one of these Christian or mystical virtues involves a paradox in its own nature, and that this is not true of any of the typically pagan or rationalist virtues. Justice consists in finding out a certain thing due to a certain man and giving it to him. Temperance consists in finding out the proper limit of a particular indulgence and adhering to that. But charity means pardoning what is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all....

The great psychological discovery of Paganism, which turned it into Christianity, can be expressed with some accuracy in one phrase. The pagan set out, with admirable sense, to enjoy himself. By the end of his civilization he had discovered that a man cannot enjoy himself and continue to enjoy anything else... Now, the psychological discovery is merely this, that whereas it had been supposed that the fullest possible enjoyment is to be found by extending our ego to infinity, the truth is that the fullest possible enjoyment is to be found by reducing our ego to zero...

My objection to Mr. Lowes Dickinson and the reassertors of the pagan ideal is, then, this. I accuse them of ignoring definite human discoveries in the moral world, discoveries as definite, though not as material, as the discovery of the circulation of the blood. We cannot go back to an ideal of reason and sanity. For mankind has discovered that reason does not lead to sanity. We cannot go back to an ideal of pride and enjoyment. For mankind has discovered that pride does not lead to enjoyment. I do not know by what extraordinary mental accident modern writers so constantly connect the idea of progress with the idea of independent thinking. Progress is obviously the antithesis of independent thinking. For under independent or individualistic thinking, every man starts at the beginning, and goes, in all probability, just as far as his father before him. But if there really be anything of the nature of progress, it must mean, above all things, the careful study and assumption of the whole of the past. I accuse Mr. Lowes Dickinson and his school of reaction in the only real sense. If he likes, let him ignore these great historic mysteries — the mystery of charity, the mystery of chivalry, the mystery of faith. If he likes, let him ignore the plough or the printing-press. But if we do revive and pursue the pagan ideal of a simple and rational self-completion we shall end--where Paganism ended. I do not mean that we shall end in destruction. I mean that we shall end in Christianity.

Modern, anti-Christian paganism is a new creation. It has little to do with what came before it. In rejecting Christianity modern pagans inadvertently condemn much of what was genuine about the paganism that preceded it. But if modern pagans desire a real and true link with classic paganism, they find themselves confronted with the modern reality of Christianity. Laudetur Iesus Christus!

Wisdom from the Digital Cable Guide

Occasionally in my down time, I scroll through the channels on the little Digital Cable Guide to see what is on television. And occasionally, the descriptions of the shows and movies are pretty informative. Other times, not so much. Sometimes, I don't know. I often wonder who writes these things and how much they are paid for what they do.

Once, it listed the movie "Friday the 13th, Part VI". The description was something to the effect of:

Teen raises mass murderer from the dead. Slaughter ensues.

Uh, yeah. Straight, to the point.

The listing for "Deliverance" was even more interesting. The description said:

Four Atlanta businessmen encounter unexpected terrors while making their way down an Appalachian river.

Hehe unexpected terrors. If that isn't the understatement of the century. I guess it's true that just as Jaws made you not want to ever go into the water, Deliverance made you not want to ever vacation in Appalachia.

An Anniversary of Rebirth

It was 10 years ago tonight that I was baptized and received into the Roman Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil on March 29th, 1997. It's been an extraordinary journey, and it's only just beginning.

The eternal Father, by a free and hidden plan of His own wisdom and goodness, created the whole world. His plan was to raise men to a participation of the divine life. Fallen in Adam, God the Father did not leave men to themselves, but ceaselessly offered helps to salvation, in view of Christ, the Redeemer "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature". All the elect, before time began, the Father "foreknew and pre-destined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren". He planned to assemble in the holy Church all those who would believe in Christ. Already from the beginning of the world the foreshadowing of the Church took place. It was prepared in a remarkable way throughout the history of the people of Israel and by means of the Old Covenant. In the present era of time the Church was constituted and, by the outpouring of the Spirit, was made manifest. At the end of time it will gloriously achieve completion, when, as is read in the Fathers, all the just, from Adam and "from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect," will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church.

The Son, therefore, came, sent by the Father. It was in Him, before the foundation of the world, that the Father chose us and predestined us to become adopted sons, for in Him it pleased the Father to re-establish all things. To carry out the will of the Father, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of heaven on earth and revealed to us the mystery of that kingdom. By His obedience He brought about redemption. The Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world.

From Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council.

Your effect on every soul...

Constantly call to mind that at every moment you are cooperating in the human and spiritual formation of those around you, and of all souls — for the blessed Communion of Saints reaches as far as that. At every moment: when you work and when you rest; when people see you happy or when they see you worried; when at your job, or out in the street, you pray as does a child of God and the peace of your soul shows through; when people see that you have suffered, that you have wept, and you smile.

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from The Forge, #846.

Things too wonderful for me...

Job 38:1-5, 42:1-6

Then the LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its size; do you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it?

Then Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.

Do not think that we can control the world. It is much bigger than we can imagine...

Effects of a Synthetic Estrogen on Aquatic Populations

Interesting study:

Effects of a Synthetic Estrogen on Aquatic Populations: a Whole Ecosystem Study, conducted by the Freshwater Institute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The study concerned the effects on aquatic life exposed to ethynylestradiol, a synthetic estrogen used in hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills that is excreted by women; ethynylestradiol is not completely broken down during sewage treatment, and so it ends up in waterways. It looks like the results of this 2-year study were published in 2004, and the Freshwater Institute in Canada is continuing to study the issue in order to assess long term effects. I am not aware, however, if any other more recent studies have been done on this particular issue. If my readers are aware of anything more recent, feel free to comment.

This is from their executive summary:

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTP) discharge numerous contaminants into aquatic systems, and some of these chemicals are known or believed to act like hormones and interfere with the growth, reproduction and development of aquatic organisms. It is becoming increasingly apparent that male fish exposed to these effluents are becoming feminized due to the presence of natural and synthetic estrogens in the water. The potent synthetic estrogens excreted by women taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills are not completely broken down in the sewage treatment process and are discharged into waterways. The male fish exposed to these estrogens produce egg proteins, have smaller gonads and, in the more severe cases, develop eggs...

During the summer of 2001, the synthetic estrogen used in birth control pills, ethynylestradiol, was added continuously to one lake to maintain low and environmentally-relevant concentrations in the water. Laboratory and field studies had previously demonstrated that this estrogen does not persist in the water, and can be degraded by bacteria naturally present in the sediments of the lake. The additions were done from the end of May until the end of October, and mean concentrations of the estrogen were 6.1 ng/L in the surface waters of the lake. We monitored the lake for responses of the individual fish (lake trout, sucker and minnows) and their populations, as well as changes in the tadpoles, bacteria, algae, leeches, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates as a result of the estrogen additions.

This study was successful at reproducing some of the impacts seen in fish downstream of MWTPs. Male fish from the estrogen-addition lake produced high concentrations of egg protein precursors, had developmental delays in their gonads and, in one species of minnow, produced eggs. Female fish exposed to the estrogen also showed delays in reproductive development and changes in the amount and timing of the egg protein production. The kidneys and livers were also impacted likely due to the atypical and high production of egg proteins in these fish. In the fall of 2001, we did not see any changes in the sizes of the fish populations, fish growth rates, the numbers of males versus females, and the survival of the offspring. It is likely that population- level responses of long-lived organisms will take longer to appear, and for this reason we are continuing to monitor the fish populations in this lake for 3 years following the estrogen additions.

Happiness on the Bayou is...

Boiled Crawfish...



I can't get enough! Crawfish were everywhere in Alabama, where I have family, but for some reason, they never really caught them to eat them. I had to come to southeastern Texas for that...

... like a magnifying glass...

Let us try to foster deep down in our hearts a burning desire, an intense eagerness to achieve sanctity, even though we see ourselves full of failings. Do not be afraid: the more one advances in the interior life, the more clearly one sees one's own faults. Grace works in us like a magnifying glass, and even the tiniest speck of dust or an almost invisible grain of sand can appear immensely large, for the soul acquires a divine sensitivity, and even the slightest shadow irritates one's conscience, which finds delight only in the limpid clarity of God. Speak now from the bottom of your heart:

"Lord, I really do want to be a saint. I really do want to be a worthy disciple of yours and to follow you unconditionally."

And now you should make a resolution to renew each day the great ideals which inspire you at this moment.

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his sermon The Richness of Ordinary Life.

Baby Rabies

Apparently "baby rabies" is one of many derogatory terms used to indicate "the condition of desiring to have a child". The term is most often used by some (not all) childfree folks, which is not the same as childless. "Breeders" is another, more familiar term. One might run across the term in some of the online pro-choice forums, where artificial birth control, particularly the birth control pill and other drugs that may have an abortifacient effect, are referred to simply as medication. One might also note how television ads for birth control are remarkably similar to television ads for Herpes treatments. Children are a great responsibility, but when a society equates children with disease, I just don't see how much longer it can survive. That's just my observation.

In an effort to cover my bases here, I want to add that I also know the term has been used to refer specifically to an inordinate desire to have a baby, as in, a desire for the wrong reasons, lacking a sense of responsibility, etc... But I have seen it used generally (primarily in pro-choice circles, as I mentioned) to refer to any strong inclination toward motherhood, something that is quite natural, and should never be associated with a disease, as though it were some sort of unnatural affliction.

quīnta essentia: fifth essence

One of my favorite English words: quintessential, from quintessence:

quin·tes·sence /kwɪnˈtɛsəns/
–noun
1. the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
2. the most perfect embodiment of something.
3. (in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.
[Origin: 1400–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin quīnta essentia fifth essence]

—Related forms
quin·tes·sen·tial /ˌkwɪntəˈsɛnʃəl/ adjective

Or from the online Etymology dictionary:

c.1430, in ancient and medieval philosophy, "pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Medieval French quinte essence (14c.), from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, from Latin quinta, feminine gender of quintus "fifth" + essentia (see essence). Loan-translation of Greek pempte ousia, the "ether" added by Aristotle to the four known elements (water, earth, fire, air) and said to permeate all things. Its extraction was one of the chief goals of alchemy. Sense of "purest essence" (of a situation, character, etc.) is first recorded 1570; quintessential (n.) is from 1899, in this sense.

Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhoration

In case you haven't yet heard, the recently released post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis, written by the Holy Father, is available on the Vatican website. Check it out. It's an excellent read, very comprehensive. Introduction:

The sacrament of charity, the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God's infinite love for every man and woman. This wondrous sacrament makes manifest that "greater" love which led him to "lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Jesus did indeed love them "to the end" (Jn 13:1). In those words the Evangelist introduces Christ's act of immense humility: before dying for us on the Cross, he tied a towel around himself and washed the feet of his disciples. In the same way, Jesus continues, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to love us "to the end," even to offering us his body and his blood. What amazement must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and said during that Supper! What wonder must the eucharistic mystery also awaken in our own hearts!

Be warned that if you rely on the secular media to tell you what the exhortation says, you will probably receive very little benefit.

Global Warming Swindle?

Here's the video: The Great Global Warming Swindle

Article by Thomas Sowell, courtesy of Bill. (Note: Sowell is only a reporter, and to my knowledge he is not affiliated with the makers of the film.)

How much do CO2 concentrations really affect global climate change? How do we compare current warming trends with other warming trends in the earth's history? What role does the sun play in these observable climate patterns?

Not all top climate scientists agree with the current alleged consensus about human contributing factors to global climate change, and so it's clear that it's worth debate, in spite of what some folks (or politicians) may say to the contrary. Like the Global Cooling hysteria of past decades, it's important to keep some perspective.

Note: I am aware this program has its detractors -- as do other videos (like An Inconvenient Truth). But the film does raise issues that, in my opinion, do not yet have a successful or convincing response from proponents of anthropogenic global warming. So I mention it here as part of the international debate. Anybody who comes along and says that this immensely complicated issue should not debated is obviously not a scientist!

Early American Suffragist Sarah F. Norton and Abortion

Courtesy of Feminists For Life e-information list:

Little is known about the life of 19th century suffragist Sarah F. Norton beyond her writings. She was a public speaker, writer for feminist publications, and member of the Working Women's Association who advocated for the education of women and girls and equal opportunity in the workplace and equal pay for women.

Together, Sarah Norton and Susan B. Anthony agitated for the admission of women to Cornell University, "that stronghold of feminine prejudice," and won the support of the university's founder, Ezra Cornell. Norton wrote to Anthony's newspaper The Revolution:

After speeches by [Anthony] and myself, the house became noisy, at her suggestion, for a speech from Mr. Cornell. With inimitable grace he walked to the platform and turning so as to command a view of both the audience and ourselves as much as possible, said: “I would say in reply to Mrs. Norton's expressed wish to enter the University, that if she does not enter it, it will be her own fault.” Mr. Cornell assured us that women are to be admitted... how far his personal influence or wishes will avail against the power [of the trustees and directors], remains to be proved...

A year later, in 1870, Cornell became one of the first universities in the United States to admit women.

But equal education and employment opportunities were not Norton's only concerns. In another feminist newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly, Sarah Norton harshly decried the "Tragedy—Social and Domestic" of infanticide and "the fast increasing crime of fœticide," or abortion.

[C]hild-murder is an easy and every-day affair... [C]hild murderers practice their profession without let or hinderance, and open infant butcheries unquestioned, establishing themselves with an impunity that is not allowed to the slaughterers of cattle... Scores of persons advertise their willingness to commit this form of murder, and with unblushing effrontery announce their names and residences in the daily papers. No one seems to be shocked by the fact... [C]irculars are distributed broadcast, recommending certain pills and potions for the very purpose, and by these means the names of these slayers of infants, and the methods by which they practice their life-destroying trade, have become "familiar in our mouths as household words." ...Is there no remedy for all this ante-natal child murder? ...Perhaps there will come a time when... an unmarried mother will not be despised because of her motherhood... and when the right of the unborn to be born will not be denied or interfered with.

Norton was particularly concerned that double standards regarding the sexes should be eliminated, and that men should be held responsible for the "instigating" role they so often played.

If you wish to learn more about the pro-life history of early American feminism, visit Feminists For Life, or sign up for their e-tutorials. Find out how early American feminists advocated for an end to abortion in this country, and everything NOW and Planned Parenthood don't want you to know about authentic feminism!

On Lent

Lent commemorates the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in preparation for his years of preaching, which culminated in the cross and in the triumph of Easter. Forty days of prayer and penance. At the end: the temptations of Christ, which the liturgy recalls for us in today's Gospel.

The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand: God submitting to temptation, letting the evil one have his way. But we can meditate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains.

Jesus Christ being tempted... tradition likes to see Christ's trials in this way: our Lord, who came to be an example to us in all things, wants to suffer temptation as well. And so it is, for Christ was perfect man, like us in everything except sin. After forty days of fasting, with perhaps no food other than herbs and roots and a little water, he feels hungry — he is really hungry, as anyone would be. And when the devil suggests he turn stones into bread, our Lord not only declines the food which his body requires, but he also rejects a greater temptation: that of using his divine power to solve, if we can express it so, a personal problem.

You have noticed how, throughout the Gospels, Jesus doesn't work miracles for his own benefit. He turns water into wine for the wedding guests at Cana; he multiplies loaves and fish for the hungry crowd. But he earns his bread, for years, with his own work. And later, during his journeys through the land of Israel, he lives with the help of those who follow him.

St John tells how after a long journey when Jesus arrived at the well of Sichar, he sent his disciples into town to buy food. And when he sees the Samaritan woman coming, he asks her for water, since he has no way of getting it. His body, worn out from a long journey, feels weary. On other occasions he has to yield to sleep to regain his strength. How generous our Lord is in humbling himself and fully accepting his human condition! He does not use his divine power to escape from difficulties or effort. Let's pray that he will teach us to be tough, to love work, to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savouring the consequences of self-giving.

In the second temptation, when the devil suggests Jesus throw himself off the temple tower, Christ again rejects the suggestion to make use of his divine power. Christ isn't looking for vainglory, for show. He teaches us not to stage God as the backdrop for our own excellence. Jesus Christ wants to fulfil the will of his Father without anticipating God's plans, without advancing the time for miracles; he simply plods the hard path of men, the lovable way of the cross.

Something very similar happens in the third temptation: he is offered kingdoms, power and glory. The devil tries to extend to human ambitions that devotion which should be reserved wholly for God; he promises us an easy life if we fall down before him, before idols. Our Lord insists that the only true end of adoration is God; and he confirms his will to serve: "Away with you, Satan; it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and serve none but him."

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his sermon, The conversion of the children of God.

Martin & Weyrich Winery



Since we're talking about California wineries, I want to also take the time to mention the Martin & Weyrich Winery, just outside of Paso Robles, CA. My wife blogged about it back in January. The Martin & Weyrich winery is very supportive of healthy marriages and the Couple-to-Couple League; in fact, our class in Natural Family Planning was held in this winery's tasting room -- with complimentary wine, of course! It appears that they also operate a Bed and Breakfast outside of Paso Robles: Villa Toscana!

Cambria Winery



My wife and I often miss the beauty of California, being all the way out here in Houston. Last week, we were surprised to come across a fine Pinot Noir, produced by the Cambria Winery in our adopted home town of Santa Maria, California - in fact, the town in which we were married several months ago.

Once upon a time, Santa Maria was relatively small, compared to nearby Santa Barbara. Today, as people flock away from Santa Barbara, Santa Maria has grown to be the largest city in the county. Cambria is one of many, many wineries that have sprung up in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys. If you're ever in the area, why not make a wine tasting trip? You won't regret it!

Archdiocesan Conference for Men and La Santísima Muerte

This morning I headed out to my parish for the first annual archdiocesan men's conference. I hear there were about 250 men there, quite a turn out! Heard some good speakers, including my archbishop, Daniel DiNardo, and the infamous Jim ("Mattress Mack") McIngvale. I also bumped into one of the chip design architects from work; I hadn't ever had the opportunity to talk with him at work, and I wasn't aware that he was Catholic until now. He's part of a rapidly growing posse of Catholics I now know at work... that's so cool :) Bill Cork was also there, and getting rather comfortable in the pulpit :)

Anyway, after the conference, I went and picked up the wife, and we headed out to hit some antique shops in the nearby olde towne of Rosenberg, Texas. While we were there, we happened in to a little shop on one of the old main roads in town, "Herberia La Esparanza", or some such. Noticing the Catholic iconography in the window, I was intrigued, and so we entered.

As soon as we walked through the door, we were overwhelmed by images and statues of "La Santísima Muerte", aka "Santa Muerte", or "St. Death", a somewhat unofficial Mexican folk saint, of sorts -- a devotion peculiar to certain regions of Mexico, largely derived from pre-Christian, Aztec deities that were later syncretized with Christian beliefs; definitely not the easiest Catholic cultural devotion to explain to your average non-Catholic. Here's more from the Seattle Times:

Over the past 20 years, her following has grown so large that in some parts of Mexico she is becoming a rival in popular affection to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the manifestation of the Virgin Mary that is the reigning symbol of Mexican national identity.

"She is a Virgin of Guadalupe in negative: That which one can't ask of the Virgin, one can ask of her," says Homero Aridjis, a poet, novelist and former Mexican diplomat who recently published a short-story collection about La Santa Muerte's mysterious and firm grip on the Mexican soul.

As you might've guessed, at this point my latent Protestant senses were tingling uncontrollably. Indeed, I have read a little about this particular devotion in the past, and coming from California, I had heard about it... Bloggers have blogged on it. However, I had never come face to face before with St. Death. None of my Mexican-American friends embraced this devotion, even though they observed other related customs, such as the Dia de los Muertos.

I believe the male form of "Holy Death" is usually depicted as a Grim Reaper looking character, complete with white skull, red eyes, scales, long, flowing robes, and a very large, raised scythe. Aside from this, there were fairly typical things in the store: holy cards, statues, candles, etc... Within the devotion to St. Death, one can certainly find solidly Christian folks. One can also find those folks who, well, lean pagan. So I wasn't too surprised to find other items further inside the store reflecting various aspects of pagan/catholic syncretism from south of the border: Potions, herbs, oils, love and good luck incense and sprays, and an assortment of gold talismans. To our amazement, we also saw Buddha statues.

Gloria Dei, homo vivens!

The well known words of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, "The Glory of God is the living man!", or more to the point, "The Glory of God is man, fully alive!" Being truly and really human, really alive.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most powerful encounters a human being can have, and it is so that it is intricately linked with a Eucharistic faith. Yet, it is one of the most undervalued sacraments. Why? I suspect it's because of our pride, and a general loss of the sense of what sin is. But why are we so afraid of repentance? Given that we have a God who loves us so much, a God who has sacrificed everything for us, how is it so hard for us to look at ourselves, admit we're not at all perfect, and accept God's invitation to take away from us everything that keeps us from encountering and living with Him. Yet we prefer to walk with an obscured image of this great love, and we grow so used to needlessly carrying around this big bag of rocks we accumulate over time, out of some misguided sense of control and comfort, I suppose; and here God comes to us, asking us, pleading with us really, to give these darkest parts of our soul to Him, with the promise - the promise - of transformation, of grace. Reconciliation is the only place where we can stand before God, swallow our pride and confess, "I am guilty!", and embrace complete forgiveness.

Through more frequent confession, I am much more aware of my predominant faults -- those faults that I struggle with daily, that aren't overcome overnight. We all have them. And so I plead with all of you -- make this special season of Lent a true time of repentance and growth. If you haven't been to confession in years, why not swallow your pride and go? It will change your life. This is what makes the life as a Christian so radical. And God eagerly desires to make us fully alive through an encounter with all of the sacraments He has given us.

Devon Claire Flannery: Get a clue!

Last year, I meant to blog about this brain-dead article in the UCSB Daily Nexus newspaper, written last May by managing editor Devon Claire Flannery. It was written after a pro-life group called Justice for All came to the UCSB campus and displayed several photos of aborted children. First, let me say that this particularly strategy tends to work some times and fail other times primarily because it appeals more to shock value, which I am not sure actually changes as many minds as it ought to. Flannery's response to the demonstration, however, is completely asinine.

Fortunately, JivinJehoshaphat responds to Flannery's wild assertions much better than I could have. Read his response.

Just to highlight some things... Flannery asserts in her article that the pro-life group had a right to free speech, yet she ends the article by saying:

Well, I don't want to hear it. Get your medieval, ignorant and sexist posters, opinions and scare tactics out of my school, out of my country and away from my body.

She also asserts that the photos had been "photo-shopped" while offering no evidence to support it. Of course, they are difficult to look at, but one cannot pretend they don't exist. My favorite take-down in JivinJehoshaphat's response is when Flannery asserts this:

However, the demonstrators shouldn't hide behind their "Justice for All" and "free counseling for women" signs next to their photos of mutilated fetuses - which were probably mutilated because the abortion was performed illegally in a country where abortion has been outlawed by people like those present on campus today - and try to call it free speech.

JivinJehoshaphat responds:

One wonders if Flannery has any clue what she is talking about if she actually thinks that the fetuses are mutilated because the abortion was probably illegally. Does she not recognize that the goal of abortion (whether legal or illegal) is to destroy the fetus? How would an illegal abortion create a more mutilated fetus than a legal one?

Flannery goes on to assert the same old tired rhetoric about "sexist males". What would Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton say to that? I may be a male, but I can assure you that the feminism Flannery screams about is not the feminism these early American women fought for. Thank God the tide is finally turning toward authentic feminism and respect for all human life.

Masterpieces of French Art, from the Met



This afternoon, Christina and I ventured downtown to see this beautiful art exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art in Houston:

The Masterpieces of French Painting from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800-1920

It's an extraordinary sampling of many famous favorites! Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Seurat, Matisse, and on and on! The exhibit will be here until May 6, 2007. Check it out! Beware that this is a popular exhibit!

Absinthe: La Fée Verte



Here's an interesting YouTube clip from Modern Marvels (10 minutes) on the current distillation of Absinthe at the Combier distillery in France and the modern revival of the drink. While it is still illegal to sell in the United States (though it is not considered a controlled substance), traditional Absinthe is no longer banned in Europe.



The ban in the United States has increased the popularity of some faux-Absinthe drinks, such as Herbsaint (from New Orleans) and Absente. Absente follows the traditional Absinthe recipe -- however, instead of using grande wormwood as an ingredient (resulting in a large concentration of the controversial chemical thujone, the primary reason for the ban), it uses southern wormwood, which has a slightly different composition.

If there's coffee talk, how about Absinthe talk?

Handy Household Tips

How many of these do you know?

Harpsichord Mania!



Our parish church recently acquired a harpsichord for use in our daily mass chapel (chapel pictured above). A perfect way to compliment the large pipe organ that will soon be installed in the sanctuary of the main church.

Before now, I had never even seen a harpsichord in person. Last sunday morning after mass, my wife and I made our way over to the chapel. There it was, covered-up, sitting innocently in the corner. We lifted off the cover, and behold! I pecked a few keys, filling the room with that classic sound... and we thought, "that's a harpsichord all right!" I suppose the cover was meant to keep away prying eyes and fingers such as ours... but we will treat it with the utmost respect it deserves!

Blog Awards?!

I appreciate those of you who read my thoughts on this blog. But please don't nominate this blog for the "Catholic Blog Awards". As I said last year, I'm not in competition with anyone. I don't blog for ratings or awards, and I don't need an award to know that some readers enjoy reading me and other readers don't.

I know the creators and participants are sincere and don't mean harm, but I believe the blog awards are meaningless. Blogs reflect the personalities of those who write for them, and they're all pretty different; folks have different reasons for reading them. Why must one be better (or "best") than another blog?

I can't let this go without a little social analysis. In my mind, this is only a reflection of the American "award culture" craze, where we feel we have to compete to earn recognition to give some extra value to our work. Is there no value in doing something just for the sake of doing it? And so these awards end up being little more than mere popularity contests. Perhaps it won't be long before there are awards for whomever has the most awards (or like the Awardies). I guess I'm in the minority, but I'll continue to read plenty awardless blogs. In fact, I get rather tired of all of the campaigning some blogs due to win favor.

Unexpected Result...

You know the Bible 98%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

As in, I had to make a few educated guesses... plus, it won't tell you which ones ya got wrong...

Katie Short refutes Cheryl Rollings in letter

From the California Catholic Daily:

On Jan. 22, the Ventura County Star published an opinion piece by Cheryl Rollings, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties Inc., entitled ?Reproductive rights must be protected.? Catherine Short, legal director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, responded to the item with a letter to the editor challenging Rollings? data. An edited version of Short?s letter was published by the Star on Jan. 25. California Catholic Daily has obtained a copy of Short?s original letter, and publishes it below in its entirety.

Read more.

Cheryl Rollings cites made up statistics and complains about Bush's appointment to oversee Title X, the federal family planning program. Katie Short responds to this:

Ms. Rollings says Bush?s pick opposes the wishes of voters who ?do not want lawmakers to intrude into our personal and private medical decisions.? Wait, hit the playback button. People don?t want government ?intrusion? in a taxpayer-financed program? Ms. Rollings, you?re right. The federal government should not be in the family planning business, intruding in people?s private medical decisions. So let?s eliminate the Title X program altogether, and pull the rug right out from under Bush and his interfering, ?anti-choice? appointee.

Brava!

Giant Holy Water Stoup?

In the comment boxes on a recent discussion on a popular Catholic blog, there was some reaction to a recently built church that included a rather large baptismal font. One of the folks responded that she believed the purpose of the large baptismal font was to act as a "giant holy water stoup", since it was also placed near the main entrance of the church. If you want to get technical, the font can be thought of as a "stoup", but the font itself has a very important meaning, being the location where baptism is actually celebrated. I recall the discussion from Built of Living Stones, emphasis mine:

The baptismal font and its location reflect the Christian's journey through the waters of baptism to the altar... Through the waters of baptism the faithful enter the life of Christ. For this reason the font should be visible and accessible to all who enter the church building...

Water is the key symbol of baptism and the focal point of the font. In this water believers die to sin and are reborn to new life in Christ. In designing the font and the iconography in the baptismal area, the parish will want to consider the traditional symbolism that has been the inspiration for the font's design throughout history. The font is a symbol of both tomb and womb; its power is the power of the triumphant cross; and baptism sets the Christian on the path to the life that will never end, the "eighth day" of eternity where Christ's reign of peace and justice is celebrated...

The font should be large enough to supply ample water for the baptism of both adults and infants. Since baptism in Catholic churches may take place by immersion in the water, or by infusion (pouring), fonts that permit all forms of baptismal practice are encouraged.

Preferences aside, large fonts like the one discussed probably enable easier baptism of adults by immersion or pouring, and also serve as prominent symbols, reminders of baptism for the faithful (of tomb and womb), which is why they are also typically (but not always) placed near the primary entrance of a church and oriented in the direction of the altar. The little stoups next to doors came much later!

Texas Rally for Life in Austin

We just got back from the Texas Rally for Life in Austin, TX. We went with a large group of folks from all walks and ages; We were late going due to bad weather in Houston, but we arrived just in time and in beautiful weather for the march, which led everyone to the capitol building for the rally. The rally was very good. Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life was there to speak, as was Bishop Gregory Aymond of the Diocese of Austin and a number of others. Our own Archbishop DiNardo was there as well from Houston! We were also happy to see Democrats For Life present in full force.

There were only a handful of counter protesters. One group of 3 or 4 people held up a homemade sign that read, "Abortion is neat". I kept thinking that I would've liked to have a discussion with them in greater depth about the implications of their sign, but nobody was in discussion mode. I do wish some pro-lifers would give more thought to their off-the-cuff responses and reactions to antagonisms like this, but we're human.

One of the speakers at the rally was an African American woman who talked of her experience of being forced to the abortion clinic at age 14 by her father and mother to undergo a partial-birth abortion. After labor was induced, everyone discovered she was pregnant with twins! What they gave her to induce labor made her very sick, and one nurse responded to her complaints by telling her, "You should've thought about that before you opened your legs!" The nurse held her down with a pillow through most of the procedure, but she was able to see her twins, recovered from her body and scooped into a trash bag. Thousands of women like this woman are finding one another and coming forward to tell folks -- Roe V Wade doesn't empower women. It destroys them.

March 3: Archdiocesan Men's Conference

If you're a Catholic man in the Houston area, you're invited to a Lenten day of spirituality for men at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It's free! Details from the website:

Saturday, March 3

9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Starting in the Parish Hall

St. Theresa's Catholic Church
115 Seventh Street
Sugar Land, TX 77478

A time to reflect on who you are as a Christian man and what God is calling you to be. Catholic men will share their stories of how they seek to be faithful to God and to their responsibilities as husbands, fathers, friends and in the workplace....

Doors open at 8:15 a.m. We'll begin at 9:00 with speakers, have a time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (with opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation) and conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist.

Speakers include Archbishop Daniel DiNardo and Houston's own Jim ("Mattress Mack") McIngvale. Did I mention it's free? Go here to register!

Scooby Doo and the Mystery of the Texan Earthquake

So this morning a few minutes after midnight, we were greatly disturbed by what felt and sounded like an earthquake, which shook the house. Coming from California, this was a surprise to me -- an earthquake in Texas?! It's not impossible, however it is very unlikely. We weren't sure what it was; a bomb, maybe? Thunder? Well, this morning I discovered that my "earthquake" was actually caused by an exploding house 10-15 miles away in Missouri City! See Woman Survives House Explosion. Fortunately, it looks like nobody was seriously injured. If we felt it that far away, I can't even imagine what the house's next door neighbors experienced!

Poor Journalism from Santa Maria Times

The Santa Maria Times, of Santa Maria, California, ran an article today entitled, "Both sides of abortion rally support," written by Emily Welly. But does the article really examine "both sides"? Let me reproduce the article in two sections in case the article is lost. Here is the first part of the article:

Monday marked the 34th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America, and in Santa Maria, the landmark ruling was remembered by supporters on both sides of the controversial debate.

One group marked the anniversary by holding a candlelight vigil Monday night in front of Planned Parenthood, 415 E. Chapel St.

?On this day we are out to remind people of the importance of Roe v. Wade,? said Nancy Jones of Planned Parenthood, noting that many women today - anyone under 34, in fact - has never known a world without abortion being a legally recognized choice.

?That's what gave women the choice over their reproductive care,? she said. ?It's extremely important that those of us who believe strongly (in choice) stand up.?

Such candlelight vigils have been held in this location on the anniversary of the ruling for at least the past 10 years, Jones said.

The group that gathered Monday night included Planned Parenthood employees and members of the Pro-Choice Coalition of Santa Barbara County. Also in attendance, according to Jones, were members of the American Association of University Women and members of the League of Women Voters. Participants included both Democrats and Republicans, she added.

A group of Santa Marians from the other side of the abortion debate took to the streets Sunday afternoon, the eve of the anniversary, to voice their views.

Marchers from several Santa Maria-area Catholic schools carried banners with right-to-life messages at a rally that began at Santa Maria City Hall and finished across the street from Planned Parenthood.

The first section is spent touting the strength of support for Planned Parenthood. Opponents at the rally aren't even granted an interview. But in a desperate attempt to balance things out, the article goes on:

Their message was echoed Monday in the nation's capital, where President Bush told thousands of abortion foes he shares their goal of seeing ?the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected into law.?

Bush also signaled his unchanged opposition to a key goal of the Democrats who now control Congress: broadening embryonic stem-cell research.

?Our challenge is to make sure that science serves the cause of humanity instead of the other way around,? the president said in a telephone call piped over loudspeakers to a Washington rally of abortion opponents.

?I have made clear to the Congress, we must pursue medical advances in the name of life, not at the expense of it.?

Bush calls the rally each year, usually from distant locations. This year, he extended his weekend stay at the Camp David presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains to phone the participants from there.

Bush last year vetoed a bill bolstering embryonic stem cell research that advocates say shows promise for numerous medical cures. Earlier this month, the House passed such a bill again, though by a margin short of what would be required to overturn another veto from the president.

With abortion foes in a more defensive posture now that Democrats have gained control of Capitol Hill, Bush urged them to do more than look toward legislative victories.

?We've all got to remember that a true culture of life cannot be built by changing laws alone. We've all got to work hard to change hearts,? he said.

?The sanctity of life is written in the life of all men and women. And so I think, go forth with confidence that a cause rooted in human dignity and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens cannot fail.?

Emily Welly can be reached at 739-2220 or ewelly@santamariatimes.com

There is one glaring problem with this second section. The text is lifted verbatim from an AP wire news story that ran yesterday. Here is the same AP article from CNN for comparison. Meanwhile 20,000 people marched in San Francisco over the weekend, as part of the West Coast March for Life, calling for an end to abortion and for society to meet the real needs of women. Yet the Santa Maria Times apparently just wants to run its token "Roe V. Wade anniversary" article of the year by interviewing one side and slapping that together with some other article. I wonder how much effort that took?

Abortion and African Americans

It's been no secret that Planned Parenthood has targeted minority communities, particularly African American communities, for decades. No question most clinics are located in more poverty stricken areas of town. PP's founder, eugenicist Margaret Sanger, referred to African Americans and other minorities as "human weeds" and "reckless breeders", and according to Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America, by Linda Gordon, Sanger once said, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population... if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." That was back when PP was all about birth control, before they considered providing abortion.

But in fact, since the 1970's nothing has done more to harm African Americans than abortion. According to blackgenocide.com:

In America today, almost as many African-American children are aborted as are born [3 out of 5 pregnancies]. A black baby is three times more likely to be murdered in the womb than a white baby. Since 1973, abortion has reduced the black population by over 25 percent. Twice as many African-Americans have died from abortion than have died from AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer, and heart disease combined. Every three days, more African-Americans are killed by abortion than have been killed by the Ku Klux Klan in its entire history. Planned Parenthood operates the nation's largest chain of abortion clinics and almost 80 percent of its facilities are located in minority neighborhoods. About 13 percent of American women are black, but they submit to over 35 percent of the abortions.

What exists now is a negative birthrate among African Americans. If this rate continues, there will be no way for the African American community to replenish itself in future years. Are you listening, Barack Obama?

Abortion, no more

Check out this article from the UCSB Daily Nexus. UCSB's campus Planned Parenthood club (aka "VOX") had a quaint little rally in Isla Vista over the weekend, apparently visited by "a few students scattered throughout the park." Apparently one of the signs read, "Not Every Ejaculation Deserves A Name". That's right, your unwanted child is really just the result of a wasted sperm. Speaking at the rally was the pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church from downtown Santa Barbara, the Rev. Mark Asman, who extolled the virtue of legal genocide. Rev. Asman represents "Clergy for Choice" and also sits on the board of Planned Parenthood in Santa Barbara.

Planned Parenthood doesn't get it. After so many years, they continue to spew the same euphemistic lies about "reproductive freedom" and "healthy choice", etc... Here is another example of the same tired rhetoric. It's silly because we know the lies already; we're intimately familiar with them now. We know better. There is nothing "safe" about abortion; abortion clinics aren't even medically regulated. Most abortionists don't even have hospital admitting privileges should they need to admit a woman for care. And there is nothing "pro-woman" about abortion. Asking a woman to cut out her own child from her womb and toss it aside like trash is a woman-centered solution? Asking a woman to destroy the fruit of her own natural gift of fertility. The early American feminists certainly never believed that lie. They fought against it. They knew that abortion did not help women; it destroyed them. Abortion was a sign that society had failed to meet their needs - that women were being wronged.

When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society - so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged.

Mattie Brinkerhoff, early feminist, writing in The Revolution, 4(9):138-9 September 2, 1869

Alice Paul, author of the original Equal Rights Amendment, referred to abortion as the "ultimate exploitation of women". Yet we're supposed to listen to modern feminists who say that abortion is the "ultimate emancipation of women"?

Of course, the answer does not only mean eliminating abortion. It means providing real options for women. Real opportunities, particularly in education and employment. No woman should ever have to feel that having a child and completing an education, or having a career, are mutually exclusive. We also need to be about challenging men to be responsible, honest men. It's a big job. But women deserve better than the BS solution society has given them.

Who am I to speak about abortion? My peers and I are survivors. We were born in the years since our mothers were granted the "right" by our national government to have us killed. Today, much of my own generation is dead. Over 47 million brothers and sisters since 1973. Yet, my mother chose life. Life liberates.

The Decameron Web

Speaking of Giovanni Boccaccio, check out the Decameron Web, "a growing hypermedia archive of materials dedicated to Boccaccio's masterpiece," courtesy of the Brown University Department of Italian Studies.

The Decameron has elicited throughout the centuries fundamental discussions on the nature of narrative art, on the tenets of medieval versus modern morality, on the social and educational value of any form of artistic and literary expression. A true encyclopedia of early modern life and a summa of late medieval culture, the Decameron is also a universal repertory of perennially human situations and dilemmas: it is the perfect subject for an experiment in a new form of scholarly and pedagogical communication aimed at renewing a living dialogue between a distant past and our present.