Friday, 16 July 2010
As with all sins, we are invited to see the act of sinning as regrettable, but the sinner deserves compassion, love and understanding, which does not in turn translate to approval. This is a Christian standing on all things of social conduct.
On all matters of social behaviour and personal choice, judgement shall be given by Him, not by us. Yet we are human, just as any sinner who would offer contestation to our consistency with our own Faith. We too sin. We too need kindness and compassion.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Argentina Legalised Same-Sex Marriages
Today Argentina legalised gay-marriages by a margin of 6 votes, in a move contrary to 200,000 protesters shouting against it on the streets of Buenos Aires.
The very next minute my anti-Catholic interlocutors started writing/calling to rub the issue in my face, which was an act I found regrettable and prejudiced. Funnily enough, my gay friends and acquaintances didn't. What does that tell you?
In all honesty I am tired of hearing the same fallacious arguments over and over again by people who aren't interested in listening to the reality of the situation and seek only to reinforce their own opinions. Even so, I'll have a go one last time:
1. First and foremost, the Catholic Church does not condone violent behaviour of any sort, nor does it condone prejudice of any kind. Regrettable historical moments notwithstanding, the Catholic Church remains universally open to take-in any who would like to be with us, and to live peacefully alongside any who would not.
2. Second, the Church’s official view toward homosexuality is that the ACT is condemnable, but the DRIVE isn’t. In any case, the homosexual himself/herself is seen as a person worthy of fraternal love and solidarity like any other person. We see the act of seeking the sexual partnership of the same sex as a sin, but the sinner deserves love and understanding.
3. Third, the Church does not impose this view by rule of force on any Government or State. It is the governments of some countries that have been imposing their rule on the Church, even when it is contrary to the Church’s legal right to think otherwise and to speak its mind on moral and religious issues. Furthermore, it is quite obvious to me that no one should be forced to accept and incorporate homosexuality just as no one should be forced not to accept it or incorporate it.
In other words, this should not be a legal matter at all, but a matter of individual choice, just as a person’s religion is a matter for individual choice.
Forcing the issue in the way it is being forced indicates to me that there is a political/socioeconomic agenda (emphases on the “economic” bit) behind the entire charade.
The very next minute my anti-Catholic interlocutors started writing/calling to rub the issue in my face, which was an act I found regrettable and prejudiced. Funnily enough, my gay friends and acquaintances didn't. What does that tell you?
In all honesty I am tired of hearing the same fallacious arguments over and over again by people who aren't interested in listening to the reality of the situation and seek only to reinforce their own opinions. Even so, I'll have a go one last time:
1. First and foremost, the Catholic Church does not condone violent behaviour of any sort, nor does it condone prejudice of any kind. Regrettable historical moments notwithstanding, the Catholic Church remains universally open to take-in any who would like to be with us, and to live peacefully alongside any who would not.
2. Second, the Church’s official view toward homosexuality is that the ACT is condemnable, but the DRIVE isn’t. In any case, the homosexual himself/herself is seen as a person worthy of fraternal love and solidarity like any other person. We see the act of seeking the sexual partnership of the same sex as a sin, but the sinner deserves love and understanding.
3. Third, the Church does not impose this view by rule of force on any Government or State. It is the governments of some countries that have been imposing their rule on the Church, even when it is contrary to the Church’s legal right to think otherwise and to speak its mind on moral and religious issues. Furthermore, it is quite obvious to me that no one should be forced to accept and incorporate homosexuality just as no one should be forced not to accept it or incorporate it.
In other words, this should not be a legal matter at all, but a matter of individual choice, just as a person’s religion is a matter for individual choice.
Forcing the issue in the way it is being forced indicates to me that there is a political/socioeconomic agenda (emphases on the “economic” bit) behind the entire charade.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Pricing
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson
"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Sir Winston Churchill
"The price of inner peace is oblivion." - Noel-Morgan
"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Sir Winston Churchill
"The price of inner peace is oblivion." - Noel-Morgan
Is Helping Enough?
No. Helping is not enough. Nor is the desire to help someone ever sufficient basis for contentment. If you want to truly help someone, you must bear in mind the following:
1. The form of your aid will ultimately influence its result. Unwanted help or unwelcome help is no help at all in the end.
2. Is your help long-term? Must it be? If so, is your help sustainable?
3. Is your "help" actually helpful, or will it turn that someone into someone dependent on you? If so, your help is not very efficient and may not be any help at all.
Helping someone is a worthy thing, but we must first understand what true help is.
1. The form of your aid will ultimately influence its result. Unwanted help or unwelcome help is no help at all in the end.
2. Is your help long-term? Must it be? If so, is your help sustainable?
3. Is your "help" actually helpful, or will it turn that someone into someone dependent on you? If so, your help is not very efficient and may not be any help at all.
Helping someone is a worthy thing, but we must first understand what true help is.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
On the FIFA World Cup 2010
The BBC interviewed me on the results of this year's World Cup and the impact it had in Brazil.
After watching all the play-acting by players and their pretense injuries, after witnessing the incongruencies perpetrated by referees, the attempt by FIFA to ban the very technologies that were revealing these mistakes and the overall injustice that resulted on the fields of South Africa, I have only this to say:
The way fairplay was abused during the FIFA World Cup 2010 only reflects the (lack of) moral standards by which Western Society is steering.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2010/07/forgive_and_forget.html#comments
After watching all the play-acting by players and their pretense injuries, after witnessing the incongruencies perpetrated by referees, the attempt by FIFA to ban the very technologies that were revealing these mistakes and the overall injustice that resulted on the fields of South Africa, I have only this to say:
The way fairplay was abused during the FIFA World Cup 2010 only reflects the (lack of) moral standards by which Western Society is steering.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2010/07/forgive_and_forget.html#comments
Friday, 18 June 2010
Reconciliation & Justice Leads to Peace
I read an article on Zenit on Cardinal Marchetto's address to the Conference of European University Chaplains, and it impacted me so completely with the truth contained in it, that I had to reproduce an exerpt fom what I've read. Zenit will publish the entire text this Saturday, so if this pricks your interest, do take the time to seek out the entire text: http://www.zenit.org
COVENTRY, England, JUNE 17, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Promoting dialogue and social justice are needed in order to build a lasting peace, says the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, Cardinal Marchetto.
The cardinal began his address to the event ending this Friday by noting the importance of the chosen theme and its application in the context of education, especially universities. The "intellectual, spiritual and human formation of young minds and hearts is so fundamental to create a better world," he said.
The cardinal noted that the Church has constantly held to the view that peace is possible "through social justice and reconciliation."
"Mankind will not succeed in 'building a truly more human world for everyone, everywhere on earth, unless all people are renewed in spirit and converted to the truth of peace,'" the cardinal stated, quoting "Guadium et Spes."
Quoting Benedict XVI, he continued, "Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity. The truth of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships; it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness and reconciliation."
In cases of terrorism, he explained, the Church upholds the view that government and religious leaders must work toward eliminating the social oppression and economic injustices that make the recruitment of terrorists easier.
"In this regard," he continued, "interreligious understanding and cooperation is also very important," especially with regard to "promoting a culture of forgiveness and reconciliation."
Cardinal Marchetto noted as well that "poverty is often a contributory factor or a compounding element in conflicts. These conflicts, in turn, fuel further tragic situations of poverty"
"Of course nowadays, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization," he said. "Certainly globalization on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts.
"Globalization should be rather guided as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the fight against poverty, and to place at the disposal of justice and peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously."
The cardinal said that a form of building peace is through working for the "universal common good." But before that can happen, he noted, "there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones."
"All of this would indicate," Cardinal Marchetto explained, "that the fight against poverty requires cooperation both on the economic level and on the legal level, so as to allow the international community, and especially poorer countries, to identify and implement coordinated strategies to deal with the problems, thereby providing an effective legal framework for the economy."
COVENTRY, England, JUNE 17, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Promoting dialogue and social justice are needed in order to build a lasting peace, says the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, Cardinal Marchetto.
The cardinal began his address to the event ending this Friday by noting the importance of the chosen theme and its application in the context of education, especially universities. The "intellectual, spiritual and human formation of young minds and hearts is so fundamental to create a better world," he said.
The cardinal noted that the Church has constantly held to the view that peace is possible "through social justice and reconciliation."
"Mankind will not succeed in 'building a truly more human world for everyone, everywhere on earth, unless all people are renewed in spirit and converted to the truth of peace,'" the cardinal stated, quoting "Guadium et Spes."
Quoting Benedict XVI, he continued, "Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity. The truth of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships; it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness and reconciliation."
In cases of terrorism, he explained, the Church upholds the view that government and religious leaders must work toward eliminating the social oppression and economic injustices that make the recruitment of terrorists easier.
"In this regard," he continued, "interreligious understanding and cooperation is also very important," especially with regard to "promoting a culture of forgiveness and reconciliation."
Cardinal Marchetto noted as well that "poverty is often a contributory factor or a compounding element in conflicts. These conflicts, in turn, fuel further tragic situations of poverty"
"Of course nowadays, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization," he said. "Certainly globalization on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts.
"Globalization should be rather guided as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the fight against poverty, and to place at the disposal of justice and peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously."
The cardinal said that a form of building peace is through working for the "universal common good." But before that can happen, he noted, "there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones."
"All of this would indicate," Cardinal Marchetto explained, "that the fight against poverty requires cooperation both on the economic level and on the legal level, so as to allow the international community, and especially poorer countries, to identify and implement coordinated strategies to deal with the problems, thereby providing an effective legal framework for the economy."
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Is the Pill our Undoing?
On the subject of the contraceptive pill and the institution of marriage, I was startled to see someone of the stature of Raquel Welch provide a no-compromise comment on the defence of marriage. Amongst other things, she declared:
"These days, nobody seems able to "keep it in their pants" or honor a commitment! Raising the question: Is marriage still a viable option? I'm ashamed to admit that I myself have been married four times, and yet I still feel that it is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children and saves us from anarchy.
In stark contrast, a lack of sexual inhibitions, or as some call it, "sexual freedom," has taken the caution and discernment out of choosing a sexual partner, which used to be the equivalent of choosing a life partner. Without a commitment, the trust and loyalty between couples of childbearing age is missing, and obviously leads to incidents of infidelity. No one seems immune."
She is totally correct. The pill is but a product; a means to an end, but in my opinion, the end is what harbours the malice.
What endangers the institution of marriage and many other valuable institutions in our culture is a systematic and general erosion of our moral values. Western cultures have been progressively destroying traditional ethical systems such as Virtue Ethics and even modern ones such as Deontology and Consequentialism in exchange for greater quarterly profits.
Some would call me a sexist and I agree that promiscuity is harmful whether it comes from women or men. Yet one must concede to the fact that, coincidence or not, promiscuity has increased many fold after the introduction of the pill and other contraceptive and abortive means. Nowadays people do take less care in choosing their partners and this has had a destructive impact on how easily people break their marital commitments.
It seems to me that women once tendered themselves more dearly and that, by their example, men were invited to do the same to achieve their partners. It also seems to me that, important as it may be, the economic independence of women has come at unforeseen costs to society. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for independent women, but the supposed "sexual freedom" that was endeared to our society in the 1960's and 1970's has actually imprisoned us in a cycle of "irresponsible sex" and its myriad socioeconomic consequences instead.
If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that the concept of "free sex" is a fallacy in itself. Let's not kid ourselves that getting sexually involved has no emotional impact attached to it. Let's not kid ourselves that there is no moral and social responsibility involved in giving this step. It's not just pleasure. Regardless of the "options" medical science affords us today, sex is still the doorway to new life and the continuation of our species, our families and our values. By distorting sex into a mere plaything, we are making it into just one more pastime and it has to be more than that. I know that to me it is.
The truth is that nowadays we seem to turn a blind eye to immorality so long as it brings us fame and fortune. Then we follow the rich and famous into moral decay; seeking to become rich and famous like them. We do this at the expense of our self respect, our marriages, our families and our children.
If you'd like to see the full enterview with Raquel Welch, here's the link:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/07/welch.sex.pill/index.html
"These days, nobody seems able to "keep it in their pants" or honor a commitment! Raising the question: Is marriage still a viable option? I'm ashamed to admit that I myself have been married four times, and yet I still feel that it is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children and saves us from anarchy.
In stark contrast, a lack of sexual inhibitions, or as some call it, "sexual freedom," has taken the caution and discernment out of choosing a sexual partner, which used to be the equivalent of choosing a life partner. Without a commitment, the trust and loyalty between couples of childbearing age is missing, and obviously leads to incidents of infidelity. No one seems immune."
She is totally correct. The pill is but a product; a means to an end, but in my opinion, the end is what harbours the malice.
What endangers the institution of marriage and many other valuable institutions in our culture is a systematic and general erosion of our moral values. Western cultures have been progressively destroying traditional ethical systems such as Virtue Ethics and even modern ones such as Deontology and Consequentialism in exchange for greater quarterly profits.
Some would call me a sexist and I agree that promiscuity is harmful whether it comes from women or men. Yet one must concede to the fact that, coincidence or not, promiscuity has increased many fold after the introduction of the pill and other contraceptive and abortive means. Nowadays people do take less care in choosing their partners and this has had a destructive impact on how easily people break their marital commitments.
It seems to me that women once tendered themselves more dearly and that, by their example, men were invited to do the same to achieve their partners. It also seems to me that, important as it may be, the economic independence of women has come at unforeseen costs to society. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for independent women, but the supposed "sexual freedom" that was endeared to our society in the 1960's and 1970's has actually imprisoned us in a cycle of "irresponsible sex" and its myriad socioeconomic consequences instead.
If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that the concept of "free sex" is a fallacy in itself. Let's not kid ourselves that getting sexually involved has no emotional impact attached to it. Let's not kid ourselves that there is no moral and social responsibility involved in giving this step. It's not just pleasure. Regardless of the "options" medical science affords us today, sex is still the doorway to new life and the continuation of our species, our families and our values. By distorting sex into a mere plaything, we are making it into just one more pastime and it has to be more than that. I know that to me it is.
The truth is that nowadays we seem to turn a blind eye to immorality so long as it brings us fame and fortune. Then we follow the rich and famous into moral decay; seeking to become rich and famous like them. We do this at the expense of our self respect, our marriages, our families and our children.
If you'd like to see the full enterview with Raquel Welch, here's the link:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/07/welch.sex.pill/index.html
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