An astonishingly long-winded post on silence (and Walter Russell Mead)

By non sequitur

(Ed. note: We haven't heard from non sequitur in quite some time. Welcome back to the world of blogging! This post is long, but well worth it. -- MJWS)

This recent post by Walter Russell Mead was interesting, I thought, but much of its argument about the United States rests on this earlier post, which seemed to me more interesting still. As is so often the case in the world of punditry, both posts contain lots of conventional wisdom masquerading as fearless heterodoxy. But both really are interesting, and even though the focus of my post is going to be critical, I really do encourage you to read both (in fact, you'll pretty much have to read the second, "blue government" post to understand what follows here).

What struck me the most about the posts, and especially the second, earlier (and, given the overall focus of both on the United States, much more fundamental) post, was a certain blindness. It's not the (largely predictable) dismissal of "green scare propaganda" in the newer post -- though this probably isn't the best time to be sneering at the idea that climate change is having very real adverse effects already. It's not the strange silences in Mead's account of how "blue government" has become unsustainable -- the silence about corporate welfare, for instance, or about untramelled defense spending, or about the way that Bush-era policies -- not the intrinsic nature of twentieth-century "blue" government -- creating so much of our current budget debacle. Nor was I most impressed by his silence about the economic disaster foisted on us all by for-profit health care, though all of these things seem to be crucial, and perfectly evitable, parts of the budget crisis he presents as the inevitable consequence of clinging to an obsolete form of social and political organization.

Incidentally, Mead's criticism of economists -- that they're too dogmatic in their views about a global economy that's far too complicated for anyone to understand -- is far too gentle, though he does quote a funny line about economics from Bernard Lewis ("I’m reminded of what Peter Berger tells us was the first paragraph of Bernard Lewis' still unfinished book on economics: 'In the history of human thought science has often come out of superstition. Astronomy came out of astrology. Chemistry came out of alchemy. What will come out of economics?'”). Much better is this characterization of the situation from a very biting review of David Brooks's new book:

IT IS a commonplace that the economics profession failed to foresee the crisis that definitively ushered in the end of American primacy. What may be more pertinent is that with a few honorable exceptions, so many economists refused to accept that such a crisis was possible—captivated as they were by the belief that quantitative models could predict the future, sheltering the field from messy reality. Economists were thus incapable of perceiving the dangers that were mounting around them. The attempt to domesticate the uncertainties of the future by turning them into calculable risks was discredited by the crash. A mode of thinking that was supposed to be supremely rational has proved in practice to be little more than an exercise in harebrained cleverness.

(Yikes! What is that, three links to The American Interest? What have I become... though I suppose self-referential humor works better if you write more than one blog post every three years.)

But be all of that as it may... what really struck me about Mead's piece was its more fundamental assumptions. At the end of his (older) post he sums up the "ugly truths" that face us in the decade ahead. "First, voters simply will not be taxed to cover the costs of blue government. Voters with insecure job tenure and, at best, defined-contribution rather than defined-benefit pensions will simply not pay higher taxes so that bureaucrats can enjoy lifetime tenure and secure pensions." But, as the second paragraph of my post shows, it's not nearly that simple, is it?

But the more interesting part comes with the second "ugly truth":

Second, voters will not accept the shoddy services that blue government provides. Government is going to have to respond to growing ‘consumer’ demand for more user-friendly, customer-oriented approaches. The arrogant lifetime bureaucrat at the Department of Motor Vehicles is going to have to turn into the Starbucks barista offering service with a smile.

Obviously, it's a problem for Mead's argument that he can't come up with any actual evidence for this claim, just a lazy stereotype... and, in my experience, an inaccurate one. I first got a driver's license much later in life than most people, so maybe I just don't have enough experience with this sort of thing. But honestly, I've never found a "lifetime bureaucrat" at a DMV to be anything other than friendly and efficient. What I have noticed, of course, is the same thing you notice anywhere you have to deal with lines (banks, airports, the DMV): while the service reps are usually equally efficient, some customers take a very long (and some, of course, are needlessly truculent). One person may take five or ten minutes, but once they're gone, that particular line speeds up again.

This may seem like a trivial observation, but the point is more about the strange and largely unjustified hostility towards government institutions to which Mead's post give voice (without really thinking about it). Mead provides no real evidence that government bureaucracies are especially inefficient -- he just assumes its truth, and assumes that his readers will accept his unargued caricature.

A few months ago, Amy Chau wrote a controversial book extolling the virtues of "Chinese" parenting. I wasn't much impressed by the short extract I read, but I did think this passage, detailing how "Western" parents react when their children don't do well in school, was actually quite perceptive:

Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child's grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher's credentials.

When faced with a choice between demanding more of their children or attacking the legitimacy of the institution that doesn't just give them what they want, "Western" parents will choose the latter.

This is, of course, a familiar lament in discussions of contemporary education -- many students and parents now regard education as a customer-service industry. But this attitude is hardly unique to education. Don't like the grade you've gotten? Assume it was unfair and that the teacher and/or school is at fault. Don't like the way the news pointed out the egregious and continual factual errors of Sarah Palin, or Michele Bachmann, or whatever absurdly retrograde and unprincipled cretinous goon the Republican Party has vomited up this election cycle (or, more accurately, this week)? Just refudiate it all as a biased hatchet job. Don't like evolution or climate change? They're just socialist agendas of the liberal scientific elite. Don't like Roe v. Wade... or the Fourteenth Amendment? Just denounce decades of precedent (also know as "the rule of law") as the pretensions of "activist judges." Don't like the outcome of the election? Say that the president isn't really a citizen... somehow, even this shit will stick.

In other words, we seem to suffering from a genuine legitimation crisis, but the crisis stems more from a sustained, highly ideological assault on the legitimacy of our institutions than it does from the actual failure of those institutions. To be sure, this assault is not purely ideological, and it comprises different strands originating in different sources, and those strands are not always brought together or otherwise coordinated. But the most incessant hammering on our political institutions is obviously being done by the Southern Strategy wing of the Republican Party and their media allies. Why would they be so reckless? Could it be that for all their Tea Party crisis-mongering, they don't actually believe that "our way of life" can possibly threatened by their partisan bomb-throwing? Or could it be that, for all their professed love of what the Constitution says, they can't begin to grasp the basic concept of democratic institutions, let alone the meaning and purpose of America's democratic institutions?

This instinct to erode the legitimacy of public institutions is surely a part of the "crisis of blue government" that Mead discusses, probably a much deeper one than resentment of government pensions. But he seems to treat this attitude or instinct as a simple and clear perception of reality, most likely because he is strangely blind to the consumerist mentality that shapes his entire criticism of the "blue model" of social and political organization.

The main problem with that model, according to Mead, was that consumers didn't have enough choices. Today we're instantly bent out of shape if our Internet is running slow, or if a package doesn't arrive as quickly as we'd like, or if there's "nothing on" TV, or if some pointless gadget/empty status-symbol/electronic narcotic isn't working properly. And it never seems to occur to Mead that this may actually be a bad thing, that a world in which we're all gripped by a relentless, uncontrollable consumerist sense of entitlement may actually distort us and make us worse people. This is presumably how Mead would answer the objection that Germany's considerable recent economic success is largely attributable to "blue" economic policies. It turns out that the problem isn't that these policies simply don't or can't work today--it's that they fail to optimize our consumer experience.

To be fair to Mead, he does point out that one of the problems with the blue system was its exclusion of women and minorities from most blue-collar jobs. He later returns to this point and makes a joke about how white men like him have the most reason to mourn the blue system, since they were its greatest beneficiaries. This is the occasion for another strange silence in his account, the way that the Republican Party and media outlets like Fox News have seized upon the resulting sense of resentment -- and, indeed, have done everything they can to ratchet it up -- for political and commercial gain.

And yet, the limitations on Mead's vision are much more severe than that (and, again, Mead's analysis can stand as a representative of conventional wisdom, his iconoclast posturing notwithstanding). This is the closest he gets in his analysis of "blue government" to any discussion of justice, or indeed to the very idea that human beings might craft institutions to achieve certain ends.

Part of this is because Mead is pushing the "no one can ride this tiger" shtick, but part of it is because of the deepest assumption shaping Mead's outlook. For there is, after all, one institution the remains triumphant and even untouched in Mead's prognostications, one institution whose existence he takes as given and even absolute: the multi-national corporation. So much of what he describes (e.g., the transfer of jobs and capital) is the working of the multi-national corporation, and Mead presents the actions of the corporation as if they were as fundamental and exorable as death itself. And this silence points us to the deepest assumption, or perhaps commitment, forcing Mead to adopt this willful blindness: that we must all simply acquiesce in the blind obedience demanded by the corporation.

This day in history - June 23, 1926: The College Board Administers the first Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

By Richard K. Barry

 
I go back and forth in my own mind about the value of standardized tests. Mostly I end up being pretty traditional about the whole thing, thinking that some kind of national benchmark is necessary if not desirable, but I could easily be convinced otherwise.

What I do remember from high school is the potential for damage to a student's sense of self-worth based on that number, two numbers actually (verbal and math), that seemed to have far too much significance in determining how each us thought about ourselves and each other.

Were you a 1220 or a 940 or even a 1540? The highest score, if I remember correctly, was a combined 1600 (800 math, 800 verbal).

[The highest possible score was 1600 when I took it back in the early '90s, but changes in 2005, specifically the addition of a writing section, made it 2400. For more on the SAT, in my view a thoroughly ridiculous and wildly overvalued "test," see here -- MJWS]

Yes, it's true. Life is about winners and losers and there is always someone standing there with a clipboard to tell you which camp you're in.

(Cross-posted to Lippmann's Ghost.)

The "Tim Tebow Bill"

     It has been introduced in the Alabama Legislature, and would allow home-schooled students to take part in public school sports. Kind of an a la' cart approach to public education:

 "I'll take one football and two AP English classes. To go, of course."

     The Anniston Star has an editorial in opposition. I haven't seen the Birmingham News editorial* yet, but I'm kinda betting they'll go for it.



WWSSD?*





*What would Scott Stantis Draw?

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Recently I listened to Jonathan Edward’s famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. I had heard of it yet never read it. My initial reaction was surprise. This was the sermon which provoked the 'Great Awakening'? I had to walk away and find something else to do. I prayed a lot the next day and fortunately it was my day off so I had the time to do it.

Also fortunately, the readings yesterday at Mass were about an incident where Jesus becomes angry. Perfect. This allowed me to prayerfully write this book review for goodreads:

'Reflecting on Edward’s sermon, there’s nothing technically wrong with it and yet still it doesn’t ring true. It doesn’t sound like the same God I have come to know through the Jesus I’ve met in the Gospels. Where is the Abba, Father we are supposed to address our prayers to?

Yes, Jesus does become angry in the Gospels. In the Gospel of Mark in particular, Jesus is portrayed as rather impatient, brusque even. He curses the fig tree—symbolic of barren Israel and a parable on the fate of Jerusalem—and it withers. He trashes the moneychangers in the Temple and then he teaches. He teaches. Like all good parents, he gets his children’s attention with a little anger and then proceeds to explain its meaning, why he lost his temper.

And why did he become angry? What are the wayward children doing which has led to this? What does Jesus tell them? That God delights in holding his children in Divine suspension until it is His pleasure to send them to the fiery abyss? No. ‘That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come?’ No. Hear what happens in the Gospel immediately after the incident at the Temple with the moneychangers:

‘Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." Jesus said to them in reply, "Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen; it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions." (Mark 11:24-26)

Peter sounds like a little boy excitedly reporting news to his favorite teacher, which in fact was exactly what was happening. Jesus told them to believe in God, to pray and to forgive each other so that God would be able to forgive them in kind. Does this sound like an angry God? Not to me. And if you go back and read that whole chapter slowly and in context, I promise a fuller picture emerges—as always happens when you sit down with the Jesus of the Gospels. He is desperate to talk to us. Angry? No. Passionate? Yes! There is love and deep compassion in his every word.

Yes, there will be justice along with mercy; that is in fact true mercy. Those who deliberately, with full knowledge, choose to turn their backs on God will get their heart’s desire.

I wanted to be moved by this famous sermon. Well, I suppose I was, just not in the way I’d hoped. God is a God of Love and Love is the most powerful force in the universe, more powerful than anger by far. Perhaps where Love is weak, we humans build up other things to fill the gap. I don’t know.

The thing I am most sad about, however, is that Edwards didn’t persuade me. We have no shortage of sin and I know it must cause Our Lord a great deal of anguish because he loves us all so very much. Sadly, Edwards is 100% right about the eternal suffering of those who are bent on refusing and denying God. They will surely get what they have asked for.

An excellent rendering of this classic sermon may be heard on Sermon Audio. However, I suspect the reader, David Bruce Sonner, presents a much more matter-of-fact version of this hellfire and brimstone text than that which was first given by Edwards on that July day in 1741.'

Math

      I've been known to say that if I had math skills, I'd be in business making money instead of in journalism. Math has never been a strong subject for me, and I remember coming face-to-face with Algebra the way a child might remember confronting a forest filled with hungry, wild creatures.

     I'm finding slight comfort in knowing that I am not alone.

     A new study finds parents' confidence in their ability to help their kids with math plummets when the kids start taking Middle School math.

     My own math confidence started low even earlier, and stayed there. The only lesson I learned was to fear exams, especially math exams, and I still do.

     Geometry I kinda got, dicing and slicing all of those various shapes made some sense. But Algebra started me down the path of Duhhhhh? And it only got worse after that.

     That study, by the way, compared several countries, and found that parents in Singapore are much more likely to hire tutors to help their kids than U.S. parents, with resulting better grades.

     Like the American kids in the study, I had help from my family, but that only went so far. Left brain/right brain? Whatever.

      My PC and other electronics take care of most of my math needs now, and that's just fine with me. I wonder if I would have had more confidence if I had those tools in school?

   

Day 15 - Don’t Be Late for Dinner

‘Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’’ Matthew 22:1-4

Yes, I realize I’ve missed Day 14. It wasn’t a mistake; it was intentional. When I go back and do that post, you’ll understand why I just couldn’t publish it today on the Feast of Corpus Christi—as well as why this topic is so much more relevant.

“Don’t be late for dinner!” How many times did you hear that as a child? For me, it was usually as the screen door banged shut behind me; the last sound of my mother’s voice before I was gone to play. She knew that. That’s why she said it. She wanted me to remember to come home when there was every likelihood I'd be distracted . . . by my friends, the game we were playing or who-knows-what.

Our Lord is also preparing dinner for us. But not just any ordinary dinner. He has called us to a banquet of all banquets.

‘Everything is ready’, He says.

But the question remains, are we? Am I?

Embrace Life!

Two 'Daughters of the Month'

There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ family. There are however moments in the life of a family when things happen which make you realize how blessed you are to be a member in something larger than yourself. It’s humbling and exciting at the same time.

My husband and I have always been very proud of our daughters. They are both smart and talented, but more importantly, they have always been good kids—again not ‘perfect’ but dependable, honest, hard-working and nice girls.

We’ve been proud of their accomplishments, such as good grades, piano recitals, Tae Kwon Do belts and various sundry awards, but we’ve been even more impressed by those things they do which never gain them any recognition. For example, Bear can never forget how proud he was of Michelle in a race where she came in dead last—but she never quit running. And for me, one of Meg’s finest moments was when she kept going back to break a board time after time after time even though her hand was hurting, her knuckles were bruised and tears of frustration were streaming down her cheeks. Eventually the instructor–a black belt—discovered the wood was too hard even for him to break and he gave her a lighter piece of wood. She broke it, sore hand and all.

However, even these poignant memories pale when I think about the girls’ relationship, how they get along, continue to stick up for each other, love, and even like each other—most of the time anyway. So many siblings grow up with an intense dislike of one another; they fight constantly. Meg and Michelle have been best friends for most of their lives ... and still are.

Tonight was a good example. My younger daughter, Michelle, came in bringing the October issue of their high school newspaper, Titan Talk. “Here,” she said. “Meg is on the front page,” she showed me where her sister was pictured with her escort as the Cross Country Princess in the Carl Albert Homecoming Court. “And here she is again, ‘Female Athlete of the Month’. I figured I’d better tell you and get you a copy of the paper because Meg would never tell you. I’ll pick up some more copies for you tomorrow so you can send them to people. I can get them at the Library.”

Now I ask you, is that a generous sister or is that a generous sister? I didn’t know who I was more proud of at that moment: Meg for her athletic accomplishment or Michelle for her thoughtfulness. Truthfully, I was unspeakably proud of both girls—proud and humbled at the same time.

In September, Meg became a National Merit Semi-finalist and was recognized as an AP (Advanced Placement) Scholar with Honor, which means she received at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. In fact, she got 5’s on three out of the four AP tests she has taken so far: AP European History—5; AP U.S. History (Independent Study)—5; AP English III—5; AP Chemistry—3. She is taking five more AP courses this year.

Besides her academics, Meg has won five medals in Cross Country so far this year and just placed, along with the entire Carl Albert girl’s team, to run at State this coming week-end.

As I write this, Meg is practicing her piano. Michelle just returned home. After she said hello to me, her first words were to her sister, “Did you know you were ‘Athlete of the Month’?”

Thank you God for letting me know, love and play a role in the lives of these wonderful young women. It is an honor and a privilege to be their mother. Please dear Lord continue to watch over and protect them.

time to remodel

Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” ~~Mt 23:23-26

Remember when you were a kid and the teacher really ‘gave it’ to some kid—or group of kids—who really deserved it?! Didn’t you sit there in your chair and secretly (or not so secretly!) smile, feeling rather smug that you’d witnessed justice-in-action? It so often goes the other way that it’s nice when the “bad” guys get their due.

What am I saying? Even as adults, we rather enjoy watching our powerful enemies step in their own traps, embarrassed or brought to shame by excesses or crimes. So to have someone of Jesus’ impeccable reputation chastise the scribes and Pharisees in that way must have been satisfying for his audience.

And yet, I read—or heard—somewhere once that we’re always supposed to put ourselves into every situation in Scripture; that in order to derive maximum benefit from the stories and situations, we have to imagine ourselves capable of every sin committed.

We cannot view the scribes and Pharisees as “other” but that we are them.

Jesus is talking to us.
To me.
I am blind.
I am full of plunder and self-indulgence.
I am in need of cleaning, first on the inside.

Jesus’ harsh admonition in today’s Gospel is a personal invitation to ‘remodel’ ourselves ... myself from the inside out.

I know I have some serious work to do, but with His help, it can be done. He knows my Pharisaical insides and yet He loves me even so. Jesus’ words sound harsh, but just think how beautiful something is after it is remodeled—from the inside out. He alone can do that, because He alone KNOWS me.

It was no coincidence the Responsorial Psalm today is 139. Listen to these beautiful words and be filled with Hope, Joy and Peace:

R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Medieval Technical Support

I knew there had to be someone who helped them out -- back then -- when they encountered informational technical difficulties, I just didn't know their IT support was so responsive, thorough and friendly as ours is today. ☺

The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est (Part 3)

This is my third and final post about the book, The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In the two previous posts of February 21st and March 3rd, I reviewed the first eighteen articles. Here is a summary of the last nine articles. I cannot say enough about how this book enhanced my comprehension of, and appreciation for, the Holy Father's breathtakingly beautiful testimony to love. If you are going to read Deus Caritas Est, read, The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est along with it!

20. The Covenantal Character of Love: Reflections on Deus Caritas Est, David S. Crawford: discussion of covenant and its meaning beginning with the Old Testament stories. Covenant is seen as 'gift' in that the future cannot predicted. When a pledge/promise is given in 'covenant' one is sealed or given to another without knowing what is fully given, yet it is given in trust and love even so. God exemplifies this covenantal love for man by the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus, to us for our sins. We do the same in a much smaller way when we give lifelong pledge of marriage.

21. The Harmony of Love "Idem velle atque idem nolle", Donna Lynn Orsuto: I confess to having a particular fondness for the particular essay for several reasons. For one thing, it deals with friendship, ever a favorite subject with me. But even more, it discusses our friendship with Jesus. With Jesus? Yes! Throughout history the saints have spoken and written about Jesus as Lord, Messiah, and even lover, and spouse, but few consider Him as friend and yet that is exactly how I need and see Him most. Of course He is my Lord and Messiah, no doubt! But in order for Him to remain in my mind and heart 24/7, He must be a friend, a confidant, someone I can talk to as I would a friend. Orsuto highlights those passages in DCE where PBXVI makes it clear Our Lord wants to be our friend, our very best friend, the friend who will always be there, always love us, always take us back, always understand, always forgive and never let us down. With Jesus, we can use words like 'always' and 'never'. With Him we can begin to trust in True Love and Eternal Joy. He is our Best Friend. Beautiful!

22. The Spark of Sentiment and the Fullness of Love, José Noriega: a surprising essay in the fact that it points out the redeeming qualities of sentiment. So often we find so-called serious students of "love" would dismiss all forms of sentiment as false love, but our author shows how the experience of love possesses a sentimental dimension and we are not to dispense with it altogether but rather to allow it to speak in all its grandeur. Due attention is also given to time, maturation of affect and discernment. Excellent article!

23. Love of God and Love of Neighbor, Juan-José Pérez-Soba: an extremely dense article. While no doubt an important topic, I had difficulty with this particular piece and I'm not exactly sure why. I read and reread it several times but it remained largely impenetrable. The reflection on the Good Samaritan was the only section from which I derived any benefit. According to the author, religious hatred is the most virulent type of hatred and in overcoming this we are affirming the principle of love that does not exclude any man, i.e., we are loving as God loves. We see that the neighbor is not the one in need but the one who shows mercy. Perhaps if ones sees this, then it is enough.

24. Charity and Philanthropy, Sergio Belardinelli: refutes those who would say faith and politics never meet; rather talks about their common grounds. Essential elements of Christian charity are trifold: 1.)simple response to immediate needs and specific situations; 2.) formation of the heart requires the interiorizing of Christ in a way that we become like Him so far as is possible; and, 3.) all charity must be free of parties and ideologies. Belardinelli points out (much as Nietzsche did but in a way contrary to him) that we had to experience the complete destruction of Christian values in order to develop a true appreciation of such values. Indeed, we have seen a spread of "Christian" values beyond Christian cultures. Such examples prove the truth of Man created in the image and likeness of God.

25. Charity and the Common Good, Lorenzo Gattamorta: deals with the intimacy and 'realness' of God's presence; His nature in us which is Love, which is why we are called to extend that same love to others. PBXVI has touched on this theme in many of his writings--according to Gattamorta, I cannot claim to having read so many of the Pope's writings myself sad to say. Utopian-ism is, and always will be, impossible, thus human love will be required for the just ordering and maintenance of society.

26. Justice and Charity in Deus Caritas Est, Carl A. Anderson: outlines the history between justice and charity leading up to DCE in important writings on the subject. As the Holy Father has always shown particular interest in the inseparable connection between these vital virtues, it is not surprising he should have forever linked them again here. What is perhaps surprising to some is that justice was given such a prominent place, i.e., it is almost the entire focus of the second half of an encyclical on love. Given his predecessor's focus on other (reproductive) aspects of love, it may have taken some by surprise. In any event, it does shift the vantage of the second part of the papal writing to a wider view.

27. Charity and the Formation of the Heart, Maria Luisa di Pietro: Benedict XVI includes among his priorities for those who do charitable works for the Church "formation of the heart", meaning 'heart which sees' rather than 'a heart which feels'. Life teaches us (or should) that our feelings come and go, real needs persist. Includes description of how this formation of the heart occurs, vertically between God and us and horizontally among us and our fellow human beings, also the development of the heart from affectivity to equilibrium and embracing one's obligations.

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God's Smuggler

Sometimes the troubles of the present day can seem bigger than anything seen before. That's why it's good to balance out one's reading with a healthy dose of history. Although I've been unable to track it down, I read (or heard) once that history is best understood one biography at a time.

All that said, it's easy to see why God's Smuggler has been in print since 1967 and sold over ten million copies. It is the riveting story of a young Dutchman's conversion and subsequent life as a missionary during the early years of the Warsaw Pact when an 'Iron Curtain' divided what had once been the whole continent of Europe. 'Brother' Andrew -- as he is commonly called by friends and colleagues alike -- began his unusual ministry with a trip to Poland where he learned the importance of being there for his brothers and sisters in Christ who were reassured to discover that their fellow Christians in the West hadn't forgotten them.

Andrew was told (and never forgot) that 'being there' for another is better than any sermon. From that trip in 1955, Andrew went on to visit all the other countries behind the Iron Curtain -- including Russia -- and learned many lessons about Christ, Christianity, control and his fellow human beings which he shares in God's Smuggler. Political persecution isn't the enemy of faith; indifference is. Andrew witnessed the latter on an unprecedented trip to Communist China, a trip he was told would be impossible.

But like the legendary hydra, for every enemy of Christianity vanquished, two new and/or bigger one(s) emerge(s). Brother Andrew's motto remains the same: I'm not anti-this or that; I'm pro-Jesus.

Fantastic book! Read it!

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The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est (Part 2)

Continuing from a previous post of the 21st of February this year, here is a summary of the next nine articles of The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est:

10. The Revelation of Love in the Song of Songs, Joseph C. Atkinson: fits the love between man and woman as the center panel in a triptych about love. The first panel is "love created" depicted as Eden and the third panel is "love restored" with the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb. In the book, 'Song of Songs, . . . the most obscure of the books of the Bible, defying any single hermeneutical key to unlock its meaning in a totally integrative fashion' lies the mystery of human love against the backdrop of the Fall.

11. The Novelty of Christian Agápē: The New Testament Testimony, Luis Sánchez-Navarro: interesting book-by-book examination of the New Testament in search of agápē. Although not used as a verb very often, agápē is demonstrated through looks of love, actions, calls to follow, invitations, interactions, affirmations, stories about self-giving love and eventually through the Jesus's ultimate sacrifice.

12. Commandment and Love: From Friedrich Nietzsche to Benedict XVI, Olivier Bonnewijn: brief journey through Nietzsche's three metamorphoses of the spirit: the Camel, the Lion and the Child, which sanctified érōs and took morality beyond good and evil (for Nietzsche). The true relationship exists in communion between érōs and agápē in proper balance by the genuine reality of love; commandment being the benevolent expression of love and not some draconian will to power, animated by resentment.

13. Love and Forgiveness, Jean Laffitte: sees DCE (published in 2006) as a continuation of Pope Pius XII's Haurietis Aquas In Gaudio, May 15, 1956, fifty years earlier. Addresses references to the pierced Heart of Christ in both encyclicals, their evangelical aims and the supreme logic of love and forgiveness.

14. The God Who Loves Personally, Antonio López: DCE invites us to understand that God is a mystery of love. This paper stresses three main points: 1.) God loves with a personal love; 2.) He loves in this way because He is a "communion" of persons; and 3.) God does this because He wishes man to also become a person within a "communion" of love, the Church.

15. The Original Source of Love: The Pierced Heart, Juan de Dios Larrú: reveals the Augustinian basis or heart of Pope Benedict's encyclical, which is the opening quote by that great saint and Church Father, "If you see charity, you see the Trinity." St. Augustine held that love recorded in the human soul is the path that leads us to God; however, knowledge of God isn't sufficient unless when reflecting on love, we also discover the Trinity. To know God, it is more important to know how to love than just to know love.

16. Érōs and Agápē: The Unique Dynamics of Love, Antonio Prieto: this essay above all was the one which first cracked open the encyclical for me. I'm not sure now that I've read so many more that its necessarily better than the others but it just said things in the right way at the right time to open up my understanding and deepen my appreciation for DCE in ways too numerous to list. The historical background on érōs was extremely helpful, as well as the section on the significance of 'logos to the aid of érōs'. These explanations were especially illuminating; I'd recommend Professor Prieto's reflection be among the first read.

17. To Love as God Loves: Marriage, Gilfredo Marengo: compares false reality of love to despair as exemplified by Nora's final words in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. Marriage is discussed in DCE as an example of the unity and inseparability of érōs and agápē, rather than as an explicit treatment of the sacrament itself.

18. Participating in His Gift: the Eucharist, Nicola Reali: one of my favorite essays in a book full of good writings. Reali uses the familiar Scriptural story of the disciples traveling to Emmaus to point out how something can be true, real and even right in front of our noses and yet we can still fail to "see" it. He uses this point to dispel the illusion that action is superior to faith and worship and to illustrate the good coming from the Eucharist, both of which are REAL and TRUE despite our unwillingness to trust to that which we cannot see with our physical eyes.

19. Johannine Foundations of the Church, Michael Waldstein: primarily a debate with the 18th-century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, who saw the paternal nature of the Church as suffocating, leading him to develop his own philosophical theology of 'personalism'. Personalism sees man as the highest value to which all other values are subordinated. Waldstein examines the Gospel of John in light of this challenge and discovers two words also especially prominent in DCE, love and gift. 'While for Kant the dignity and perfection of the person lies in the autonomy of self-caused moral willing, for the Gospel of John (as interpreted by St. Thomas) it lies in the unity of love between the Father and the Son, which is the unity of the Spirit.' (p.261)

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The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical 'Deus Caritas Est' (Part 1)

If you're going to read The Way of Love reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, plan on taking your time with it. It's not a book you want to rush through.

Benedict's Book Club has been reading the Pope's encyclical Deus Caritas Est, (DCE) for the past two months, during which time I've been reading one of the essays/reflections from TWoL approximately every two or three days. I was adding short reviews of those individual papers until the review got too long and cumbersome. Nevertheless, I'm glad I wrote them as I went along because it helped me record the evolution of my impressions both to the encyclical and to other authors' ideas contained therein. Initially I saw no connection among the various pieces, each seeming to look out from the original work as from a geographical center. However, a little over a third of the way into the work, the overlap became readily apparent, most notably in discussions concerning the interplay between érōs and agápē.

TWoL is a collection of twenty-seven reflections written on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est (DCE) by professors from Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family. The writings comprise scholarly articles from a variety of perspectives but all seeking to address the theological and philosophical issues raised in the Pope's first encyclical, DCE.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm no scholar. Yes, I read a lot. But I haven't attended formal schooling in years. These writings are scholarly pieces and no lightweight reading. I found more than a few of them to be dense and very challenging. Fortunately they're mostly less ten pages in length, mostly. It was good for me to stretch myself with this book. I know I got so much more out of DCE as a result of reading TWol. I highly recommend it; I hope there will a book like this for all of Benedict's encyclicals.

Here are the reviews for the first nine articles.

1. Introduction: The Way of Love, Camillo Cardinal Ruini: provides an introduction to the book as well as giving an overview of the encyclical itself, its theological importance, overall significance to history and the sources of PBXVI's insights. Brief but extremely helpful.

2. Love: The Encounter With An Event, Livio Melina: somewhat mystical reflection on love as an event that happens to us, a gift that is given. Our existence and our faith are not acts of our will or thoughts, but come freely from a God Who is Love. Probably the least scholarly work I've encountered thusfar.

3. The Way of Love in the Church's Mission to the World, David L. Schindler: focuses on the second half of the encyclical, the Church's charitable mission to the world as understood in DCE. 'Union with God entails union with all those to whom He gives Himself.' (DCE 14) Basically an elaboration of some aspects of Part II of DCE.

4. "The Love that Moves the Sun and the Other Stars": Light and Love, Stanislaw Grygiel: one of my favorites! Not sure if it was because I got so many good quotes or because of the "Aha!" experience I had while I was reading this one night. Here is just one of my favorite quotes: 'Agápē descends from eternity, and érōs desires to move out of time: eternity is its future. For this reason, only those who with faith, hope and love, in some way already dwell in eternity understand time and know how to carry themselves in it.' Profound and beautiful article.

5. Has Christianity Poisoned Érōs?, Jaroslaw Merecki: philosophical essay discussing various approaches to handling sexual desires from Nietzsche through Freud to the Sexual Revolution. PBXVI says in DCE, '...(the) love between man and woman, where body and soul are inseparably joined and human beings glimpse an apparently irresistible promise of happiness. This would seem to be the very epitome of love; all other kinds of love immediately seem to fade in comparison.' It would seem the answer is a resounding "No!"

6. Love between Man and Woman: The Epitome of Love, William E. May: made me aware of even greater depths in the text by revealing the Latin translations of the word "love". By comparing the English text with the Latin, we see that PBXVI 'argues that amor integrates into one the different kinds of "love" identified by érōs and agápē.

7. Érōs: Ambiguity and the Drama of Love, Giovanni Salmeri: a historic journey through philosophical and theological understandings and wrestling with érōs. An undeniable reality, érōs has been viewed with distrust, as ambiguous folly. Ultimately, we're shown the saints throughout history who have known God as the ultimate Érōs.

8. The Unity of the Human Person under the Light of Love, José Granados: speaks to the positive and integrated aspects of humanity when Love is at the core. 'Give me someone who loves, and he will understand, by the light of his love, that man is one, in body and soul.' An important article in its insistence that science and religion remain married, both disciplines committed to seeing human beings as both body and soul.

9. Agápē, the Revelation of Love and Its Appeal to the Heart: A Comment of Deus Caritas Est in Light of John Paul II's Category of "Elementary Experience", Margaret Harper McCarthy: the event of Jesus crystallizes the the reward in the higher form of love, i.e., the beloved being the reward, 'the joy of being with that person whom the lover takes as goodin se and whose good the lover pursues so that, by it the beloved may be more perfect and flourish.' Love being twofold, involving wanting some good for someone and the elementary experiences from original solitude, through unity to innocence which led Adam to Jesus.

(to be continued . . . )

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Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power

In Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power Joseph Pieper begins building his case against sophistry by showing what Plato most deplored about the sophists of his day: their wealth (no surprise) and physical beauty and how the former is gained through the corruption of the latter as well as the manipulation of language. Pieper includes quotes from Hegel and Nietzsche -- both separated from the Father of Philosophy by more than a millennium -- which assure us of the pervasive continuity of sophistry from then until now, as if we needed any.

'Human words and language accomplish a two-fold purpose... First, words convey reality. We speak in order to name and identify something that is real, to identify it for someone, of course--and this brings us to the second aspect in question, the interpersonal character of human speech.'

We are then led to look at lies, the crafting of well-reasoned arguments and whether the author is seeking to convey the truth or deceive his audience. When such is the case, 'from that moment on (the author/artist) no longer considers the other as partner, as equal. In fact, he no longer respects the other as a human person.' Plato, through Socrates, calls this "flattery". Pieper says this 'becomes a speech without a partner, since there is no true other; such speech, in contradiction to the nature of language, intends not to communicate but to manipulate.'

The rest of the essay goes on to examine the loss of character in our language through slogans, advertising, propaganda, and mass media--just different forms of deceptive trickery and mental bondage.

Plato's three statements about the necessity of truth to the health of human society are summarized and as true today as ever: 1.) the good of man and meaningful human existence consists in perceiving, as much as possible, things as they really are; 2.) all men are nurtured by the truth; 3.) the natural habitat of the truth is found in interpersonal communication.

Pieper calls for 'an area of truth, a sheltered space for the autonomous study of reality, where it is possible, without restrictions, to examine, investigate, discuss, and express what is true about anything--a space, then explicitly protected against all potential special interests and invading influences, where hidden agendas have no place, be they collective or private, political, economic, or ideological.' His mentor, Plato, would no doubt agree with this necessity, recognize the description of his own Academie and be proud. Who indeed would disagree? And yet, where can such a place be found? Thankfully for this booklady at least, such a sanctuary still exists in my own home.

Profound essay! Never more relevant than it is today.

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More on F.O.C.A.

I've spent the day researching information about bulletin inserts on F. O. C. A., you know, the so-called, Freedom of Choice Act.

I hate calling it that but it's the name we're stuck with. The so-called Pro-Choice side in the abortion debate have been assigning the labels and we on the Pro-Life side get to use them . . . like it or not. Usually not. As often as I can I try not to use their terms; I try to call things what they really are. For example, an unborn baby is a 'baby'. It's also called a 'fetus' but since such terms distance us from the humanity of that unborn child, I try to avoid that and other such distancing terms whenever possible. But I'm not perfect. Far, far from it. So when you notice me slipping into sloppy jargon, feel free to call me on it. I like to have my mistakes pointed out to me. I like to learn and grow; I believe that's one of the main reasons I'm here in the physical realm.

But back to the day's events. When I asked my pastor to let me collect names for the National Right to Life petition against FOCA after week-end Masses outside the sanctuary in our Narthex (vestibule) I didn't expect I was going to be the one to educate him on what FOCA was. But he was over in Iraq for the past four months serving his active reserve time, dealing with a different sort of death and destruction. However, since our correspondence he's been incredibly supportive of my feeble efforts to drum up support for this petition. He did suggest we begin with educating the parish via bulletin inserts. Thus my homework assignment for the day.

So I just want to share with you what I've found. In case you might want -- or need -- to educate your parish too. Heritage House has some great material for all your group's Pro-Life needs, including bulletin inserts like these. Thanks to Sharon and Ellen for all your help and support!

God bless you and all the unborn children wanting only what you have: Life!

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Gepetto the Toymaker

He refers to himself as Gepetto the Toymaker. And sometimes making toys can come in handy.

I'm talking about my own dear spouse, who I call Bear.

Last year the folks at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) here in Oklahoma City got wind of the fact that my Bear is pretty handy at making things, especially anything and everything that flies. They approached him with a little idea for making a few training models for their new air traffic control students.

Gepetto got immediately to work. First he had to make a protype of each aircraft type they wanted. Next, came developing molds for 'mass production', purchasing supplies, and beginning the endless process of mixing, pouring, and and waiting for each unit to dry. Once the resin is 'set', the unit is ready for removal; one by one, each individual airplane is slowly and carefully taken out of the mold, meticulously cleaned and painted, a laborious and painstaking process. Just one man, a messy garage and plenty of dedication.

Needless to say, when his airplanes were featured recently on Good Morning America, Bear/Gepetto was quite proud. No, he doesn't get named. They don't even talk about his hard work, but they do show it here and now you know the rest of the story. Sometimes it's kind of fun to be taken behind the scenes . . .

Want to hear what the Toymaker has to say about it?

Here are some of the models I have built for the FAA. All are made to 1/200 scale (1" = 200"), the scale for most of the FAA trainer jets. In the three-airplane picture are prototypes which I carved from Bassword, sanded to shape, then painted with primer to smooth them for molding. The largest T-tail jet is a RJ (Regional Jet), and the smaller jet is meant to represent a Falcon. The smallest is an approximation of a 310-size twin. The RJ is approximately six inches long, and the 310 is approximately two inches long. The other picture is of finished models; a Citation-type business jet, and a standard 172-sized airplane. The FAA requires them in plain white paint for the most part, with windows and no paint schemes. The reason? They keep walking off with students!

Also included is a shot of a citation in the rough as it comes out of the mold, with the two pink mold halves opened up. The models are cast in Urethane resin, a non-toxic resin with good strength characteristics to hold up to handling. It is relatively expensive, and cures in six to 20 minutes depending on heat and humidity. I cannot mold in the summer time; the resin cures in less than 2 minutes, which means I can't get the resin mixed and poured in time to ensure a good cast.

Problems? bubbles in the mold and the resin; that means I have to hand fill every pore in the skin of the cast model with putty, wait for it to dry, and then sand it down. Sometimes I have to do it more than once before painting. And worst of all: I sometimes have models that just don't fully cast for a lot of reasons. The picture of the "bucket of shame" says it all... how many don't make the cut. You never find out until you split the mold after it cures... and start over again. Each successful model requires approximately 3 hours from start to finish. Multiply that by 60 and do the math... It's laborious, and that's all I'll say!

The Right to Kill?

On 10 December, Human Rights Day, the Secretary-General launched a year-long campaign in which all parts of the United Nations family are taking part in the lead up to the sixtieth birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on Human Rights Day 2008.

This landmark historic document was adopted by the General Assembly on 10 December 1948 by a vote of forty-eight in favour, zero against, with eight abstentions (all Soviet Bloc states, South Africa and Saudi Arabia) and has been translated into three hundred thirty-seven different languages. The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document" in the world. The need for the Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. It is a deceptively simple document consisting of thirty articles which have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, national and religious constitutions, laws, and addresses. Recently I read and reviewed it here on Goodreads.

However, as with most things, the Declaration is involved in an ongoing struggle. From the anniversary website we read:

The UDHR protects all of us, and it also enshrines the gamut of human rights. The drafters of the UDHR saw a future of freedom from fear, but also of freedom from want. They put all human rights on an equal footing and confirmed human rights are essential to a life of dignity.

The UDHR drafters’ vision has inspired many human rights defenders who have struggled over the last six decades to make that vision a reality. The contemporary international human rights edifice that originates in the UDHR is to be celebrated. But it has yet to benefit all of humanity equally.

The struggle is far from over. As the Declaration’s custodians and beneficiaries, all of us must reclaim the UDHR, make it our own. While we are entitled to our human rights, we should also respect the human rights of others and help make universal human rights a reality for all of us. In our efforts lies the power of the UHDR: it is a living document that will continue to inspire generations to come.

In April of this year, Pope Benedict XVI, visited the United Nations General Assembly and delivered a twenty minute address urging the organization to realize its mission. Benedict paid tribute to UN staff and those who died on missions. He also stressed that human rights must include the right to religious freedom which is not limited to the exercise of worship, but allows believers to play a role in society. The Pontiff went on to say that the United Nation's role and responsibility was increasingly becoming one of protection: 'Indeed this is coming to be recognized as the moral basis for a government's claim to authority.'

A week from today we will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Will it be a cause for celebration? Did the General Assembly -- or anyone -- listen to what the Holy Father said last April?

Next week on December tenth, radical pro-abortion groups will present petitions asking the UN General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right, thereby destroying the most fundamental right, the Right to Life.

It has always been understood, from time immemorial, that the strong have the responsibility to protect the weak, but never before have so many of the vulnerable and voiceless ones of the world depended so much on the strong. Speak out! Let the United Nations and the world know that while we hold human rights sacred, the killing of unborn human beings is the most heinous crime imaginable and would undermine and destroy the credibility, integrity, and very purpose of the Declaration.

It still isn't too late! Sign the petition for International Call for the Rights and Dignity of the Human Person and the Family.

Our petition requests proper consideration must be given to:

1. The right to life of every human being, from conception to natural death, each child having the right to be conceived, born and educated within the family, based on marriage between a woman and a man, the family being the natural and fundamental group unit of society,

2. The right of every child to be educated by his or her parents, who have a prior and fundamental right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Thank you and God bless!


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Obama/McCain Girl

8th Grader Learns Lesson About Intolerance

by Marcia Segelstein

Catherine Vogt is an 8th grader in Oak Park, Illinois. Just before the election, Catherine, with the approval of her history teacher, decided to conduct an experiment about tolerance at her school.

As John Kass wrote in the Chicago Tribune, “She noticed that fellow students…overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama for president. His campaign kept preaching ‘inclusion,’ and she decided to see how included she could be.” So one day she wore a T-shirt to school on which she’d written “McCain Girl.” She carried a journal with her to record the reactions she got. And what was the response? She was called stupid, very stupid, and told that she shouldn’t be wearing it. Then fellow students told her to “go die.” In fact, she reports that she was told many times she should be killed. One student told her she should be “crucifixed” for wearing the shirt. Catherine found it almost funny that he didn’t even know the word “crucified.” One teacher also remarked on the shirt, telling Catherine that she wouldn’t judge her for her choice, but “she was surprised that I supported McCain.”

Catherine got very few even remotely positive comments. One girl privately told her that she liked the shirt. The next day, Catherine wore a T-shirt on which she’d written “Obama Girl.” The response to that? “People liked my shirt. They said things like my brain had come back, and I had put the right shirt on today.” After the experiment was revealed, her history teacher engaged her class in a debate. “I said, here you are, promoting this person [Obama] that believes we are all equal and included, and look what you’ve done? The students were kind of like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ I think they got it.”

And the teacher who had expressed “surprise” when Catherine wore the McCain shirt? When she found out about the experiment “she was embarrassed because she knew I was writing down what she said.”

Catherine turned the experiment into a report for her history class and got extra credit. (booklady note: well we are sheep afterall, right?)

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