Santorum, Bella, and Natural Law

Ivan Strenski, a progressive blogger questioned (in a nice way), Rick and Karen's Santorum decision to get pregnant late in life and bring Bella into the world. The original article by Ivan is HERE.  The first comment to the post was by "hsmom" who called Ivan's thinking "erroneous at best... and illogical." Hsmom's comments were good. But I felt the need to go further.

Ivan was being honest. He didn't understand how Santorum's "legalistic" behavior to Catholic teaching was good, because it brought such "suffering" into Bella's life. Ivan's logic is typical of many in the world. The only reality they understand is the one they can see and feel right before them at the moment.

Here are my two responses:

Ivan. Please consider:

A. Catholicism's teachings are based on 5,000 years of observing human history and how human experiences reveal what works and doesn't in the universe, i.e. natural law. The Catholic assumption is that life and the universe of reality is ultimately ordered, sophisticated, and benevolently intelligent. Although we cannot know everything, what we do know must be followed if we are to live a life approaching happiness, purpose and meaning. The doctrine is not arbitrary but is the faith's best interpretation of what is true, universally, for all human beings, regardless of our state in life.  Or, what is good, true and beautiful.

B.  Thus, Santorum, like other well-informed Catholics (and few Catholics are well-informed about their faith), is not being "legalistic" to an arbitrary rule, but rather a trust in 5,000 years of wisdom acquired by Judea-Christian understanding about what works in the long run, not just what we see before our eyes (c.f. Bella Santorum). There's a direct analogy to standing on the edge of a cliff and deciding to believe in the effects of gravity. If you trust what experience and scientists tell you, you'll step back from the cliff. That is not legalism in the pejorative sense. But it is following a rule (legalistically) that ensures your greater security. That is what the Church attempts to do under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

C. The problem with human kind is something called "sin" or (to put it in less theological terms) the willful, knowledgeable disobedience of a law of nature. Natural law exists in the physical as well as the psychological realms. Sin is like stepping off that cliff when you've been told that doing so is going to hurt. When pride tells us that we're going to do what we want and screw the theologians and historians and scientists.... then we or others get hurt.

D. Your assumption is that YOU know what is better for Bella, Rick, and their world, than what God (or Providence, or Natural Law) has ordained to occur in their life. And your solution to what you perceive is Rick's problem (a sick child that "suffers") requires that Rick and his wife step off a cliff that they have been clearly warned will cause them harm in ways that you and they cannot conceive. Rick and his wife trust in the wisdom of the ages, not just what they see before their eyes. Rick and his wife understand that they don't understand everything, and what they see is not necessarily what is true when confronted with all of reality, if they could see and understand it. You comments assume that what you see is all there is to understand. But I don't think that intellectually you really believe that.

E. Lastly, we don't want the innocent to suffer. But because our pride-filled propensity to sin (e.g. ignoring natural law when we know better) suffering is a part of the moral world in which we live. Blame pride and ego. But God in his mercy and grace brings meaning out of that suffering, even by the innocent. Christ, innocent in all ways, suffered and died a cruel death for the salvation (in the eternal afterlife) for all of us. Just as a soldier gives his life for his comrades; a willful suffering for the benefit of others. We have no idea how huge Bella's suffering may be, nor do we have any idea how huge and meaningful her suffering is. But to enact one of your solutions would be to bring suffering of a sinful sort, and such disobedience is always like walking off that cliff saying," I am smarter than gravity." This is where we trust God for the short time we are on this earth. For there is eternity to face. This is but a training ground for what is beyond.

Second comment to Ivan:

Ivan,

Not to belabor this, but perhaps this, too, is worthy of your consideration: Your solution to Bella's implied suffering, is that the Santorums should have contracepted, or aborted. On the "contracepted" see my earlier post. But on the "aborted" you imply that killing Bella in the womb would be less "suffering" (and therefore a good) than letting her live and "suffer."  (My earlier post hoped to argue that "suffering" is not a bad thing, ,but there's more to the argument that suffering can be good. See below.)  By extension, if you believe Bella in the womb is a human being, you must also believe that killing a sick child is better than letting her live. And by extension, the same would apply to all adults who are suffering. Would you now care to define "suffering" in terms of when it should prompt suicide or murder? Trusting in the Church's teachings will save you from these sort of dilemmas.

Is suffering good or bad?  Suffering is the result of sin... a bad thing, even when that suffering occurs to a "good" person. The suffering may not be the result of the person's weakness or sin, but rather is the result of humankind's sinful, weak, and imperfect condition... that is, our propensity as a group to ignore what we know (or sometimes don't know) about the nature of reality. This understanding applies to tsunamis as well as adultery, although it may take longer to explain the former than the latter. )  The suffering of a person who has sinned (ignored natural law) should inform the person about what not to do next time if she wants to be happier. On the other hand, suffering by the "innocent" is a call to their lives to pray and offer up their lives as a lesson in helping others to care for others. Thus, Bella is put into the Santorum's life as an "object lesson" that will draw the Santorums and all of us who "watch" the Santorums, how to care for others. Humanity is about caring for others. The dependent around us (like Bella) fulfill a great purpose in teaching those of us who are not so dependent, to care for others. Thus, we the healthy and proud, can be brought low and humbled (in a good way), because others need us to care for them. As human beings we need to learn to care for others. Life is about relationships. Bella teaches us all these great lessons. And by extension, we just might learn that God looks on us as we look on Bella--from God's perspective, we (the "normal") are far from healthy and we need a great deal of help. We are dependent on God's grace, if not his forgiveness, then just to breath and live. For the complexity and sophistication and intelligent benevolence of nature sustains us.

Success Down Under with American Media

One of Nineveh's Crossing consistent customers is Fr. Adrian Head from South Australia. Fr. Adrian pastors three parishes: St. Vincent de Paul in Cleve (pictured at right), Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cowell, and Sacred Heart in Kimba.

Fr. Adrian stays active as an evangelist, too. He's always ordering copies of several of our Catholic apologetic DVDs movies and related media to give away. No one gives the DVDs back to him, so he has to buy another. Recently he asked me to special order a Kindle Fire for him before they were on sale in Australia. It arrived safely.

Recently he wrote:

One day I will send you a list of the movie DVDs that I tend to buy. These are doing so much good here in this parish. I was talking to a loyal parishioner who with his wife visited their daughter in England and went around Europe and he said that the amount of religious practice there is often very low.....whereas our small parish of Cleve - including three other small towns - compares very favorably. I am lucky to be in such a lovely parish and I can see young ones and young marrieds growing spiritually with some help from me and from the valuable books and DVDs on the faith and spirituality. Something which has come into prominence in the world now is the Amazon.com Kindle and Audible and it is putting bookstores in Australia out of business, except those that offer assistance in downloading books onto the Kindle. Another thing that amazes me is the interest in Natural Family Planning among my parishioners, even the younger ones, and I am able to help this along with good materials, particularly from the WOOMB organisation that Drs John and Evelyn Billings began with such great success.

White House Misrepresents Its Own Contraceptive Mandate

The Obama administration, to justify its widely criticized mandate for contraception and sterilization coverage in private health plans, has posted a set of false and misleading claims on the White House blog (“Health Reform, Preventive Services, and Religious Institutions,” February 1). In what follows, each White House claim is quoted with a response.

Read USCCB's statement

The Forgotton Man - McNaughton Painting Video

Fr. John Riccardo on KNOWING JESUS

Here is Fr. John Riccardo's 35 min sermon before the weekday congregation at Kensington Community Church, the Protestant Church that produced the DVD, Common Ground that we distribute.




Father John Riccardo at Kensington 5/28/11 from Kensington on Vimeo.

Photo Caption Contest at Nineveh's Crossing

We're having a photo captioning contest at Nineveh's Crossing.

See current entries HERE.

Nineveh's Crossing is offering $100, $50, and $25 worth of free Nineveh's Crossing product for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in a photo-captioning contest. You don't have to buy anything to win. Here are the rules.

1. By email, submit a jpeg photograph of anything you want with a caption that depicts some creative, entertaining and /or metaphoric aspect of Catholic-Christianity. (We are not looking for literal declarations of faith, e.g. a cross with the caption "Jesus Saves".) And it would be nice if the photo had a story. For example:

MY PHOTO STORY and CAPTION: After returning from delivering packages to the post office, something my cat (Skitty) sees me do every day-- leaving her alone in my home-office, she crawled into the plastic mail carrier and took up residence as if to say, "take me with you next time." Here's the picture and a caption that represents the ironic nature of culture's criticism of the Church, but the Church's ubiquitous presence and universality.

They put me in this box, but if they take me to the

Post Office I might be found anywhere in the world.

2. Send the image to "sales@ninevehscrossing.com" along with the picture's story and caption... and of course your name and contact information.

3. You must use a photo that you own (e.g. took) or have copyright permission to use. Say that in your email to protect us if we publish it.

4. We may post all the images we get and their captions, but we're not obligated to.

5. Deadline for entries is June 1. Award coupons of $100, $50, and $25 for Nineveh's Crossing product will be issued by June 15, 2012. The coupons will have no cash value.

6. By submitting the photo and caption you give us permission to use your entry in our emailings and website, but you retain the ownership of the photo.

7. We are under no obligation to award prizes or post anything if we don't like anything that was submitted.

Metaphors and Worship

Assumption Grotto Sanctuary, Detroit, decorated for Christmas

Because of my work in the motion picture industry with stories and screenplays, I can never get enough of metaphors and similes. They are the magical and mystical ingredients in stories that convey truth. Stories told with metaphors are always more powerful than didactic presentations, because metaphors require the mind to engage the soul and the emotions to understand. Metaphors work best because pictures are instantly worth a 1,000 words, and visuals force the audience to internalize and personally identify with the emotional context of a character's decisions that advance the story. That connection drives memory and motivations... often to change.

In Cahtolicisim, I am struck by the rich metaphor that the Church provides — that is, the physical accrutiments we see IN the physical Church buidling, especially during Mass.

And to go one step even further, during an orchestral Mass such as those celebrated at Assumption Grotto under the able baton of the parish priest, Fr. Eduard Perrone, the experience involves the metaphors of hearing and stirs the emotions, memories, and behaviors even more deeply.

Perrone Rehearses Orchestra and Choir

Over Christmas I traveled across town three times to experience Fr. Perrone's first orchestral mass—the first that he's composed. I've been to many Masses that he's conducted with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestral and their normally expert choir, accented by professional soloists, composed by the greats of history. But this was Fr. Perrone's first... of many to come...some of us hope. It was ... breathtaking in many ways. As Ray Long, Jr (who works for Perrone as weekday Mass organist, and who leads the Gregorian schola) remarked, "You can tell the music was written by a priest, who knows what's actually going on in the mass."

Indeed, I remarked to Fr. after the second celebration, "You've convinced me that every Mass needs bass drums and tuba." He laughed, but he knew what I meant. If you pay attention to what goes on in Mass, you may connect my comment to the place in the singing of the Creed where reference is made to the resurrection of Jesus. It is theologically a bombastic concept, and Perrone brings it off that way with the metaphor of music, particular with bass drum canon hits and tuba blasts. After the very slow and dirge-like "burial" moment, the resurrection strikes the congregation -- and we jump from our seats, as if rising from the dead (sleep.) More bass drum and tuba moments, please.

The third Mass this orchestral Christmas, Fr. Titus Kieninger was the chief celebrant and he delivered a terrific homily, that focused on how the physical elements of the Mass, and the music, contribute to metaphorical communication of what the Mass is all about.  I'll share that next, and insert my observations about storytelling, metaphors, and the value to Christianity that such worship celebrations bring to humanity.

(To Be Continued.)

New Years Resolution - Fr. Eduard Perrone

Fr. Eduard Perrone in Grotto's pulpit

Several times each year Pam and I will travel across Detroit to Assumption Grotto parish for one of Fr. Eduard Perrone's majestic orchestral masses, complete with full orchestra, choir and pipe organ in the second oldest church in Detroit. Many of the principals and soloists are professionals. I have always said they are better than what the pope experiences in St. Peter's.   The last two Sundays I've gone to hear the premiere and second performance of his Mass to the Mother of Jesus. The mass will be repeated for the third time January 8 at Noon.  It is magnificent. And, of course, it's the Tridentine Mass, in Latin, with all the bells, smells, and glory you'd come to expect... or should. 

What follows is a posting from Diane Korzenlewski's Assumption Grotto Blog regarding Fr. Perrone's suggestion of a New Years Resolution for his flock. Please visit Diane's blog for extraordinary photo essays of the events at Grotto.

Now, here's Diane and Fr. Perrone:

---

In his January 1, 2012 column, Fr. Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto, pitched a rather interesting resolution for 2012 to parishioners. His pastoral guidance, spoken from the heart of a shepherd, helps those burdened with various worries these days. He puts before us a spiritual response to adversity that is time-tested and one familiar to the saints.   You can read it here, copied from the Pastor's Descant column in the Grotto News for January 1, 2012.

Listening in on many a tabletalk conversation in recent weeks I’ve noted some apprehension over the prospects for this new year. Though there are indications that there may be an economic upturn (calculated just in time to sway votes) there is concern over what may befall us in the aftermath of that surge. (I speak here about economics, a subject I would best keep silence about, no doubt.) The fears I hear expressed however have not so much to do with financial security as with things of greater concern. While there has always been talk of how deserving we are of God’s chastisements–doubtless true–there is worry that we now may be reaching the limits of God’s patience and headed for a time of real trial.


I have never been a proponent of panic, of conspiracy, or of the immanent consummation of the world. The reasons for my reticence to advocate such positions are reasonableness and confidence in Divine Providence. It’s clear however that we, as a people, seem to be ever more capable of outdoing ourselves in wickedness. For those who delight in being at peace it’s not a good time to be living. There’s altogether too much to cause us to be disturbed. The agitation of the world is threatening to invade the serenity of our souls. Being deeply grounded in faith and hope, with a solid spiritual regimen of life, is the way to counteract these unsettling menaces to our Christian life.

There is a proposal I would like to make to you this new year. Being your pastor, your spiritual guide, I should protect you, teach you and give you goods for your souls. I therefore would like you to take on a practice this new year as a means of imploring God’s blessing on our parish and on you, my parishioners. It is this: that everyone elect to do one act of penance every week during the year 2012–an act in addition to any penitential acts which may already be one’s practice or which the season (viz., Lent) may dictate. This would mean that, if everyone cooperated, there would be fifty-two penitential deeds done by each person in the parish by the end of the year. The motive for these would be exactly what they have always been historically: to avert God’s punishments and to obtain the divine favor.


There is a proposal I would like to make to you this new year. Being your pastor, your spiritual guide, I should protect you, teach you and give you goods for your souls. I therefore would like you to take on a practice this new year as a means of imploring God’s blessing on our parish and on you, my parishioners. It is this: that everyone elect to do one act of penance every week during the year 2012–an act in addition to any penitential acts which may already be one’s practice or which the season (viz., Lent) may dictate. This would mean that, if everyone cooperated, there would be fifty-two penitential deeds done by each person in the parish by the end of the year. The motive for these would be exactly what they have always been historically: to avert God’s punishments and to obtain the divine favor.

What I mean here is not that everyone should do some strenuous, excessive penance (which would appeal subtly to pride and thus be harmful), but something every week that may be rather simple but yet pleasing to God. I’m thinking of something of the kind of making a one hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every week; or, of eating at one meal during the week only half portions; or, of denying oneself the purchase of something, directing the savings as alms. I have in mind acts that are of their nature penitential, that is, which cause a little voluntary discomfort, rather than some other good deeds, because the purpose of these is to be spared of what our sins rightly deserve. Also, I am not asking that in every week the same penitential deed needs be done. There’s a great variety of these which can vary on different weeks, and they could be done on a different day of the week, from one week to the next.


You may recall that when the people of Nineveh, from the rulers down to the beasts, did penance God was favorably disposed to them and averted the punishment He had intended to inflict on them. The biblical expression is that God “repented” of the evil He had planned to do to them. Our Lord Himself admonished us, saying that if we would not do penance we would perish. These words suggest to me the program I am asking all my parishioners to adopt this new year.

But, can I bind you, that is, obligate you to do this? I can bind you–to borrow Saint Paul’s expression–only by the bounds of charity, that is, by the pastoral concern I have for your good. I do not want to impose on you any obligation other than to work diligently for the salvation of your soul. What I am suggesting is a means to that end. But I have a hunch that since I, your pastor, am the one doing the asking, it carries the weight, if not of strict obligation, of serious deliberation.


In brief: I am asking every parishioner to do some one secret thing (speaking about it would rob it of merit) every week for this entire new year in reparation for sin–something in addition to whatever disciplines he may ordinarily observe. The reason for this is to beseech the Almighty to protect us, each and every one, this new year and to withhold His “avenging hand” (that too is a biblical expression) from meting out to us what our sins deserve. Will you be “with the program”?


Happy New Year!


Fr. Perrone

Alan Boss - Divine Opinion Movement Nominee

Alan Boss trying to sell his book.

Okay, I'm going to start naming names. Astrophysicist Alan Boss is hereby nominated Divine Opinionator and a member of the Divine Opinion Movement.  I am assuming something risky in this—that the news media quotes people accurately. Here's the news item (my underlines) and [brackets].

NASA announced a major milestone in the quest for life in the universe Monday: The discovery of another planet close enough to the sun it orbits to potentially support life.

Called Kepler-22b, the planet is about 2.4 times the radius of Earth and about 600 light-years away. And it orbits in the "habitable zone," [notice the quotes] the region of space just far enough from a star that liquid water could exist on the planet's surface -- a discovery could have profound implications in the quest for alien life, said Alan Boss, an astrophysicist with Carnegie Melon University.

“This discovery supports the growing belief that we live in a universe crowded with life,” Boss said.  (Read more.)

The parameters that allow human life on Earth are astonishing precise. Vary anyone of several dozen just 0.1 to 1% and life disappears. Dr. Boss's planet is NOT something we can see or measure much of anything except perhaps the gravitational pull, which is perhaps 2.4 times that of Earths.  Traveling at the speed of the Space Shuttle (17,500 mph) to get to Keppler-22b would take over

688 million years. 

And between low earth orbit where the International Space Station orbits, NO LIFE has been discovered ANYWHERE... but Dr. Boss is claiming that something 600 light years away, of which we know nothing, indicates that the universe is "crowed with life."

Why would he do that? Well, he's trying to sell his book by the same name, and get more money for research. The more planets he finds (or thinks he's found, or convinces others that he thinks he's found) the more research grant money he gets. Of the 300+ rocks he thinks he's found in the universe, there are 10x that many asteroids between Jupiter and Mars... and of the ones we've seen through a telescope, they all look like cratered iron ore. 

He thinks his opinion is divine. I can tell you I won't be buying his book.

Divine Opinion Movement

I wish someone with more influence than I would declare an intellectual war on the "Divine Opinion Movement." This is the group that can say idiot things and claim they're rationale. Example:  Along comes the LGBT claiming the Salvation Army is bigoted (therefore don't give to the needy) because of its "selective interpretation of the Bible" (regarding marriage) when it's the LGBT that selectively interprets the Bible and is bigoted toward Christians of good will. I want to ignore these people but wish the news media would ignore them first. 

Then there's a comment by Sagalla1 on my YouTube channel regarding the 8-min short about Alex Jones, the Pentecostal minister who came into the Catholic Church with 55 of his former church members. The comment is this: "Pentacostal (sic) Methodists in the Catholic Church? What's next, Hindus????" 

People like this commenter never cease to amaze me. Sagalla1 is evidently a fan of Charlie Sheen, who froths outrageous thoughts about 9/11 being a conspiracy and then uses his craziness as the reason someone should take him serioius. Huh!? 

This is the real downside of public media and free speech. Anyone can say anything and the world takes notice, like I'm doing now. The problem is, there's so much out there, spurious comments like this one will never stop it. I think the only solution is to reintroduce the study of logic and fallacies back into Jr. High and High School and make them mandatory for 4 years. Then, maybe, in a generation sanity might return to "civilization" ... or maybe we could license journalists and bloggers to pass a logic and fallacy test... let's include government officials and advertisers while we're at it.  There is definitely a downside to "free speech" when the Divine Opinion Movement matters.