Pope Francis: I Love This Guy!

If I had grown up around priests and nuns that felt like this humble man of God, I would probably still be a practicing Catholic.  I am rapidly becoming an avid follower, of the man, his thoughts, his hopes and fears.  I love this guy!  Hey, if you have to have a "bromance" it might as well be with the Pope.

Having said all this, recognize that popes, in general, have never garnered much of my attention.  They were the head of a religion that flaunted it's wealth while people around the world starved.  They paraded around in costume and had not lost much of the Middle Ages snobbery they were so famous for.  Yet, the masses gather to await the white smoke announcing a  new heir to the throne.

Disappointment in my childhood religion would be putting it mildly.  I was ashamed.  As I grew older and got out on my own, I found other spiritual outlets, other avenues to take in my personal search for God.  Some bore fruit, others were a cult nightmare.  One day I'll have to do a post on my run in with Scientology.

So, when the smoke cleared in Vatican City it was just another day in the life.  And then they announced the new Pope had taken the mantle of "Francis."  Pope Francis?  I didn't remember there ever having been a Pope named Francis.

He was seated next to his friend, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, when he realized the cardinals had elected him.  He says his friend "embraced me and kissed me and said, 'Don't forget the poor.' and that struck me, the poor.  Immediately I thought of St. Francis of Assisi.  Francis was a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation."

I always considered St. Francis my own "patron saint," because of my first name.  Then the stories started coming out.  This new Pope was a maverick!  He disliked the formal attire and the "bling."  He preferred to eat with his friends in the cafeteria and ride a bus in lieu of taking a limo.  And, when he opened his mouth to speak, I wanted to cry.  I am still mesmerized by things he has said. 

Why do I love this Pope?  Every quote is another reason.  I have highlighted his sense of humor in blue.  A Pope should be human, and I think he shows this side of himself nicely.

"How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor."

"The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials."

"The church should go back to being a community of God's people, and priests, and bishops, who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God." 

“Perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naïve. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.”

"Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person."

"It makes me sad when I see sisters who aren't joyful.  They might smile, but with just a smile they could be flight attendants!" 

“It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world." 

"And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."

"Let us think of when slavery was accepted or the death penalty was allowed without any problem. So we grow in the understanding of the truth. Exegetes and theologians help the church to mature in her own judgment. Even the other sciences and their development help the church in its growth in understanding. There are ecclesiastical rules and precepts that were once effective, but now they have lost value or meaning. The view of the church’s teaching as a monolith to defend without nuance or different understandings is wrong." 

"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else—God is in this person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life. Although the life of a person is a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God." 

"I love to tango, and I used to dance when I was young." 

"If one has the answers to all questions, that is proof that God is not with him.  It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself.  The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt.  You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties.  We must be humble."

"I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle... The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you." 

"Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord." 

"I like it when someone tells me 'I don't agree.'  This is a true collaborator.  When they say 'Oh, how great, how great, how great,' that's not useful."

"Find new ways to spread the word of God to every corner of the world."

"Jesus teaches us another way - Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your bothers, go out and share, go out and ask.  Become the Word in body as well as spirit."

"You know what I think about this? Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy." 

"Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."

"Woman has a different make-up than a man. But what I hear about the role of women is often inspired by an ideology of machismo... The church cannot be herself without the woman and her role. The woman is essential for the church. Mary, a woman, is more important than the bishops. I say this because we must not confuse the function with the dignity. We must therefore investigate further the role of women in the church. We have to work harder to develop a profound theology of the woman... The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions."

 

As many hopes as we can have for this pope, however, needs to be tempered with the fact that the Vatican is still the Vatican.  It is a government for all intents and purposes and, as such, change comes slowly.  Don't expect the great works of art to be sold on the auction block, or the guarded secrets protecting mankind from itself to be made public in our lifetime.  He may be the voice of God on earth, immune from making mistakes, but the cardinals still tell God what he can get away with, for now.

 

I will continue to follow this Pope and root him on as he stirs the Christian pot vigorously.  My fear for him is from threats within the Vatican, from the cardinals themselves.  It is a government, after all, and historically they have not been immune to intrigue from within.  Internal tug of war, back stabbing, and assassination should come as a surprise.  One can hope for more, but this is the Vatican.

 

I hope for Pope Francis a long and fruitful life.  God bless him, keep him safe, and give him the strength to continue the good fight. 

Faith

What is faith?  This is a question I posed to myself and addressed in another of my posts from 2013: What is Faith?  This current post, then, is an expanded reprint of that post.  I hope I have added enough new, interesting meat so it isn't found to be too repetitive.

So, to the question of what is faith?  It's one of those questions that I find myself pondering at 2:30 in the morning as I stare at a ceiling I can't see in the dark.  Finally, I just say, screw it.  I roll over on my side and, like the preverbal "coyote" a man might take home from a bar when too drunk to think straight, I keep coming face to face with a thought I shouldn't have brought to bed in the first place.  I finally end up at the edge of the abyss and, if I do sleep, I wake up around 3:30 or so to make a cup of coffee and write about any answers I might have gleaned from staring into the void.

For me, "faith" is Joan of Arc holding firm to her beliefs.  It is Jesus enduring all suffering, knowing full well the outcome, yet having faith in salvation and everlasting life.  For both of these martyrs, it seems to rest on a belief in righteous morality and an infallible, unrelenting, faith in God.

Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.  Faith helps define the unexplainable "bullshit" in our lives.  If it can't be explained any other way, faith will save the day.  Our religious leaders have been copping to excuse for the unexplainable since Christ died for us, and our modern-day revivalists, the "Televangelists," are in fiscal love with having their congregation give all for faith while they feed answers that life is crap for a reason which only God is aware and, since God is perfect, you must have trust in His way.

Blowing smoke across the mirrors of belief keeps the focus of the masses on this hand, while something else happens in the other.  The magic tongues of clergy keep coffers of organized religion full.  I can hear their practiced spiel, "I can't really tell you why sending me your life savings will buy your spot in heaven, but, a pope of old stated it was true, so have faith!  Praise, God!"  And, the crowd goes wild!  The faithful yokels keep sending in the cash while they wonder where the next meal for their own meager table is coming from.  Meanwhile, Reverend Joe Bag O'Doughnuts eats at the finest restaurants, dresses in 5000 suits, and has a chauffeur.  But, not to worry, God will provide to those less fortunate.  Have faith!

I know a whole bunch of the Christian faithful are tuning me out right now:  Heaven forbid!  He has no faith!  Gasp!  But, by definition, I have loads of faith.  I have faith there is a God.  I have faith that Jesus was a great teacher and died on the cross to save us and to show us how much faith he had in what he was preaching.  I have faith there is an afterlife, even though it may be a rebirth back into this world in order to make amends for any sins from the previous incarnation.  I have faith that, if there is supreme evil, there must also be supreme good, and if a thousand people die in a catastrophe there will be a thousand babies born, somewhere, to bring the universe back into balance.

Let's look at some definitions of faith:

Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion or view (e.g. having strong political faith). The word faith is often used as a synonym for hope, trust or belief. In religion, faith often involves accepting claims about the character of a deity, nature, or the universe. While some have argued that faith is opposed to reason, proponents of faith argue that the proper domain of faith concerns questions which cannot be settled by evidence.

-- Wikipedia

And dictionary definitions:

• Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
• A belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
• Strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence.
• A specific system of religious beliefs.
• Trust in God and in His actions and promises.
• Conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp when not based on reason.
• Any set of firmly held principles or beliefs
• Belief in the existence of God.

Looking at many of these definitions, I would seem to have faith.  I seem to have a lot of faith.  I especially have faith that God wants us to fight to live, and not to go gentle into that good night.  I think the poet Dylan Thomas was really onto it: 

Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,Because their words had forked no lightning theyDo not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how brightTheir frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sightBlind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.Do not go gentle into that good night.Rage, rage against the dying of the light.                 

Finally, I have faith that God just wants us to believe.  Believe and hold to a faith in those rules of morality and righteousness which every world religion seems to hold dear.  We need to keep searching, striving to understand, to be the best we can be, and to have unwavering faith in something good!

If atheism is your belief, then be the best atheist you can be, but be a good person and live a good, giving, and righteous life.  If you don't believe in God but die saving others, is this not faith?  Is it not faith in the good of the many outweighing the good of the few, or the one?  For a Christian, for a human, for any living being, there truly can be no greater love than sacrificing your life for another.  For these good who choose to question the existence of a higher power, belief in God becomes a moot point.  I think my forgiving God will shake this out with those few in the afterlife.  How you live your life now speaks volumes.  I don't think you will be condemned by others to penance for your sins.  I think you will make the obvious choice to condemn yourself, and go back to try again until you get it right.

As with Alonso Quijano, Don Quixote de la Mancha, doubt is crucial is the faith of one's own "created" reality.  I give you an excerpt to ponder from "Faith, Doubt, Sanity, and Don Quixote," by James F. McGrath: 

So we focused next on another question. If being extremely deceived or deluded is (or is indistinguishable from) insanity, then how do we avoid having that happen to us? It was at this point that I was struck by the answer that students gave:

Doubt has been the least favorite of the three elements that make up the title of the class. Not that anyone is opposed to doubting – everyone doubts the truthfulness of hundreds of things people say that they a inclined to disagree with, and such doubt aimed at others is not incompatible with insanity. it is the doubting of one's own perspective that the students suggested is the key to avoiding delusion and insanity. As long as Quixote does not doubt that he is a knight, that windmills are giants, and other things he interprets in his unique way are what he thinks they are, not only is he out of his mind, but there is little hope that sanity and reality can get through to him.

And so it turns out that doubt is crucially important, and it is essential that, if we have been told that doubting the correctness of our assumptions and beliefs is inappropriate and destructive, we come to doubt that. Because unwillingness to do so eliminates one of the few effective means we have as human beings to remain sane and prevent strong and dangerous delusions from taking hold of us. Or at the very least, even if doubt may not be able to altogether inoculate us against loss of sanity, doubting our perception and our views seems to be something that indicates that we have not lost it yet.

Do you see the quandary?  Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Deist or Atheist, faith makes you right, but doubt? "...if we have been told that doubting the correctness of our assumptions and beliefs is inappropriate and destructive, we come to doubt that.  Because unwillingness to do so eliminates one of the few effective means we have as human beings to remain sane and prevent strong and dangerous delusions from taking hold of us."   Interesting.

Did deaf and blind Helen Keller (1880-1968) have faith?  Enough for her to overcome her limitations and become a reknowned author, lecturer, and political activist.  Unusual for a time in our history when people with her handicaps would have been, at best, minimalized, and at worst, institutionalized.  She was a lesson for us all in not being too quick to judge.  She once wrote:

“Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.”  

This Sunday, or any day, over your morning cup of coffee or tea, open a dictionary and look up definitions of "faith."  Ask yourself if its really as cut and dry as that religious "leader," the one who'd like to lead you around by the nose, would like you to believe.  Or, does God expect more of you than subservience to a religion, organized hypocrisy, a "church" that was never asked for?  Subservience, to rules and demands that might not have been God's desire for us, more than it was the hidden agenda of ruling clergy?  Does doubt make you stronger because your belief in God becomes your belief in God and not someone else's definition?

My own doubts have given me a stronger faith in a more loving and forgiving God than that described in "holy" scripture inspired by God but written by men, for men, in a world controlled by men.  I have faith that God knows what is our hearts and minds.  As yourself this:  Why would God give me credit for following what someone else has discovered, simply because I believe they're right?  Wouldn't God give more credit to you for simply trying, on your own, to find your own faith, your own belief, even if you fall short?  It isn't whether you win or lose, it is truly about the effort you put forth in discovering God's truth.  

I leave you with one final quote:

"There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him [God], it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you."

 -- C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"

Note:  I invite you to check out this website, http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/index.aspx, and try their test to determine which belief best suits your answers.  It might mean very little but, then again, the results might be quite telling.  Remember, however, you can't walk someone else's path.  You can learn from them but, ultimately, you will have to discover your own path and teach others how to discover theirs.

Have fun! 

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

A Sign from God

"If you ask God whether you should cheat on your wife, don't consider a couple of falling stars or a billboard saying "Just do it" as a sign from above.”

-- Simeon Visscher, musician

I loved this sign, shown above.  This is what I'd expect from an omnipotent God, a loving God, with a sense of humor.  If I asked God to help me bail a sinking boat, I'd be looking out for a tin cup and another leak to immediately appear as an answer and a sign of God's sense of humor; a way to keep me humble.  I'd just look up to the heavens, smile, and saying my usual response to the Almighty, "Understood.  I have it from here.  Thank you!"  I always say God must be a woman because only a woman would have this much humor at my expense.

We get signs from God constantly and are too wrapped up in our own issues to notice.  I've learned to put selfish concerns aside.  I've learned to take notice.  For instance, did you wake up this morning?  This is a sign from God that you have another day to excel in life.  Did you see flowers in full, gorgeous bloom, a sunrise with a multitude of colors, or birds splashing away in the birdbath?  This is God's way of welcoming you to another day in paradise, another gift of life.  What you do with the rest of your day, your gift of life, is now on you.  Embrace it!

“When you know that something's going to happen, you'll start trying to see signs of its approach in just about everything. Always try to remember that most of the things that happen in this world aren't signs. They happen because they happen, and their only real significance lies in normal cause and effect. You'll drive yourself crazy if you start trying to pry the meaning out of every gust of wind or rain squall. I'm not denying that there might actually be a few signs that you won't want to miss. Knowing the difference is the tricky part.”

-- David Eddings (1931-2009), author, "Belgarath the Sorcerer"

I guess that's the whole point.  Life is on you.  It is yours to embrace or ignore.  God gave us his son, Jesus Christ, and God also gave us Buddha, Muhammad, even Joseph Smith.  God gave us all the tools to make our lives righteous, and yet we keep going back to the trough selfishly expecting more.  We have to understand that sometimes we are meant to fall down, to fail, to learn some lesson from the fall and then get back on the horse to try again.  If you succeed, that may very well be, in and of itself, a sign from God that you're on the right track.

If your company burns and explodes, is this a sign from God?  If it happened prior to all the people arriving for work, did you consider this another sign from God and, perhaps, a miracle to boot?  If so, then what was the destruction of the twin towers supposed to tell us?  What lesson was that massive loss of life about?  Was it to remind us about humility?

I'm one of those people who have a hard time reconciling a coincidence.  Maybe the Twin Towers was a reminder to us that there exists absolute evil in the world, lest we forget, or become too complacent.  Or, maybe it was a sign that we are on a poorly defined path, a way to bring us together as a whole, to make us understand something greater which we keep missing in our selfishness?  It makes your brain hurt until you take a step back and see what's happened in New York since 9/11.  And then, it becomes tomorrow; emotions dull and attitudes change.  Politics take over, again, and people slip right back into the old complacently selfish "do for me" attitudes, driven by the political agendas of those who have anything, but the well-being and safety of their own constituents, as their motive.

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"

-- Five Man Electrical Band, "Signs" (1971)

Trying to find a sign from God is difficult if you can't take a step back to see the "big picture,"  and then keep your eyes wide open.  All too often we are caught up in emotions, unable to step back, or not wanting to understand the logic of it, wanting only to blame God for everything bad in our lives.  Our lives.  If we can learn to open our eyes and think for ourselves, when we step back we will realize those trees in front of us are actually the forest we thought they were blocking.

The miracle for all of us is waking up, every morning, to life and opportunity we have been given to excel in for another day.  If you muck it up, tomorrow is yet another day, another gift, and another chance to do right.

Life is good.

“I come to a red light, tempted to go through it, then stop once I see a billboard sign that I don’t remember seeing and I look up at it. All it says is 'Disappear Here' and even though it’s probably an ad for some resort, it still freaks me out a little and I step on the gas really hard and the car screeches as I leave the light.”

-- Bret Easton Ellis, author, screenwriter, "Less Than Zero"

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Malaysia: God is Property

Malaysia has ruled that God is property.  Well, it was bound to happen.  I'm not sure how God will feel about that though.  Actually, they ruled on a periodical, The Catholic Weekly Herald, using Allah in referring to God, because it would create confusion in the Muslim-majority country.  They're that stupid?  Really?  Hey, Malaysia!  Your government and high court feels you're too ignorant and easily confused to understand the difference between Allah and God!

"This is one of the most illogical, insensible and childish decisions I have heard in my life.  It is sheer nonsense...the Malaysian decision to claim a Muslim copyright for "Allah" is grossly wrong.  It is both un-Islamic and irrational.  And it only reveals the burning lack of intellectual self-confidence among Muslims, not just in Malaysia, but also elsewhere."  --Mustafa Akyol

Wait a minute.  Am I wrong, or is there only one God, and Allah is his name?  And it is the same God as the Christian and Hebrew God, because they are all Abrahamic religions.  So, who is truly muddying the waters here?  My view of Allah differs from theirs, as I'm sure their view of God differs from mine.  I hate to mention the obvious but, the views differ because no one knows for sure what the difference is.  Only Allah/God knows that, and I'm certain claiming the name as property will go a long way in determining the fate of certain individuals.

 

Wake up Islam!  If the mountain won't come to Mohammad, then Mohammad must go to the mountain, except that He will need a visa to enter Malaysia, because Islam no longer has a claim to Allah, the Malaysian's have climbed that mountain and planted their flag.  Isn't that special?

 

I hate being a smart ass.  Not really.  It's what I do, it seems.  But, Malaysia makes it way too easy.  Islam is probably going to stand for  the decision, not realizing that Malaysian courts are making the rules for all of Islam now.  Really, Islam?  This is the way to spread the name of Allah throughout the world?  Hmmm.

 

Let's get an idea of just how narrow this viewpoint is.  The editor of The Herald, Rev. Lawrence Andrew, had this to say:

"We have been using this word for nearly four or five hundred years, people have been living in peace and harmony.  We have published The Herald for 19 years and we have not caused any trouble."

No, you haven't caused any trouble.  But the Al-Ehsan Islamiah Malaysia Welfare Association needs a continued reason for Islam to burn Christian churches in Malaysia.  I mean, isn't that the newest thing for Islam?  Burning Christian churches?  I just know it says it is the proper, peaceful thing to do according to the Qu'ran, right?  Or, is this just another attempt to overturn the apple cart?  There must be peaceful coexistence in Malaysia.  Well, hell!  We can't have that now, can we?  Heavens no!  Allah/God forbid, these two religions might find a way to live in peace somewhere in the world!

 

What you have done, Malaysia, is shameful.  It is shameful and an affront to Allah.  You have thrown your lot in with the Islamic heretics and become terrorists.  Any future disruption in this peace you have enjoyed, is now on your head.  You have sown the seed of dissent as though you were a member of that "Welfare" Association.  May Allah, and/or God, forgive you all. 

 

One more quote to put my last couple of paragraphs into a less emotional view.  The editor of the Jakarta Post saw it this way:

"The problem with religious exclusivism is that it breeds intolerance, which leads to prejudices against others...  But there is only a thin line dividing tolerance and intolerance, which leads to prejudices against others...  With the rising exclusivism that the Muslim majorities in these two countries are pushing, we may well be witnessing the Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia becoming less and less tolerant.  In fact, it may already be happening."

To recap, according to Islam, "There is no God except Allah; Muhammad is Messenger of Allah. ... It is name of the same One and Only, Supreme Being who is ... all His names are beautiful."  All His names are beautiful!  I agree with this!  There is only one God, and we all have a name for the All-Mighty and, "all His names are beautiful."  We just can't seem to find common ground for our belief.  This looking for a reason for discontent isn't accomplishing anything good. 

 

We all need to wake up.  This kind of intolerant bullshit isn't helping secure a peaceful coexistence.

As always, this is just an opinion, it may very well be wrong.  Everyone has an opinion and I invite you to share yours.   

Sunday Thought - November 10, 2013: What is Faith?

What is faith?
 

That is a question I posed to myself last week.  I don't know why I do that to myself.  It's one of those questions that I find myself pondering at 2:30 in the morning as I stare at a ceiling I can't see in the dark.  Finally I just say, screw it, roll over and, like the preverbal coyote woman one might mistakenly take home from a bar, I come face to face with it again.  I finally end up down at the computer at around 3:30 or so, make a cup of coffee and work on a post.

Faith, as a post, is in draft.  It may be there for another week.  Faith as a woman would be easier to deal with, maybe.  As a noun, faith defines the bullshit we live by.  If it can't be explained, faith will save the day.  Our religious leaders have been copping to this since Christ died for us.  Televangelists love faith.  It keeps their coffers full.  "I can't really tell you why sending me your life savings will buy your spot in heaven.  Have faith!  Praise, God!"  Please.  But, the yokels keep sending in the cash and wondering where their next meal is coming from while Reverend Joe eats at the finest restaurants.  Don't worry.  God will provide.  Have faith!

I know a whole bunch of you are tuning out right now.  Heaven forbid!  He has no faith!  Gasp!  By definition, I have loads of faith.  I have faith there is a God.  I have faith that Jesus was a great teacher and died on the cross for us to show us how much faith he had in what he was preaching.  I have faith there is an afterlife, even though it may be a rebirth into this world as punishment for my sins in this life.  I have faith that if there is supreme evil, there is supreme good, and if a thousand people die in a catastrophe there will be a thousand babies born to bring the universe back into balance.

I have so much faith.  I have faith that God wants us to fight to live; to not go gentle into that good night.  I think Dylan Thomas was onto it:

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

                 

Finally, I think God just wants us to believe.  Believe and keep searching, and striving, to be the best we can be.  To have faith, in something!  If atheism is your belief, then be the best atheist you can be, but be a good person and live a good, giving life.  If you don't believe in God but die saving others, is this not faith?  Is it not faith in the good of the many outweighing the good of the few, or the one?  For a Christian, for a human, for any living being, there is can be no greater love than sacrificing one's life for another.  Belief in God becomes a moot point.  God will shake this out with us in the afterlife, but how you live your life speaks volumes.

As with Don Quixote, doubt is crucial is his faith of his own "created" reality.  I give you an excerpt to ponder from Faith, Doubt, Sanity, and Don Quixote by James F. McGrath:

So we focused next on another question. If being extremely deceived or deluded is (or is indistinguishable from) insanity, then how do we avoid having that happen to us? It was at this point that I was struck by the answer that students gave:

Doubt.

Doubt has been the least favorite of the three elements that make up the title of the class. Not that anyone is opposed to doubting – everyone doubts the truthfulness of hundreds of things people say that they a inclined to disagree with, and such doubt aimed at others is not incompatible with insanity. it is the doubting of one's own perspective that the students suggested is the key to avoiding delusion and insanity. As long as Quixote does not doubt that he is a knight, that windmills are giants, and other things he interprets in his unique way are what he thinks they are, not only is he out of his mind, but there is little hope that sanity and reality can get through to him.

And so it turns out that doubt is crucially important, and it is essential that, if we have been told that doubting the correctness of our assumptions and beliefs is inappropriate and destructive, we come to doubt that. Because unwillingness to do so eliminates one of the few effective means we have as human beings to remain sane and prevent strong and dangerous delusions from taking hold of us. Or at the very least, even if doubt may not be able to altogether inoculate us against loss of sanity, doubting our perception and our views seems to be something that indicates that we have not lost it yet.

Do you see the quandary?  Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Deist or Atheist, faith makes you right, but doubt? "...if we have been told that doubting the correctness of our assumptions and beliefs is inappropriate and destructive, we come to doubt that. Because unwillingness to do so eliminates one of the few effective means we have as human beings to remain sane and prevent strong and dangerous delusions from taking hold of us." 

Interesting.

This Sunday pour a cup of coffee or tea, open a dictionary and look up definitions of "faith."  Ask yourself if it is really as cut and dry as that religious "leader," that leads you around by the nose, would like you to believe.  Or, does God expect more of you than subservience to a church that was never asked for, to rules and demands that might not have been God's desire for us.  Does doubt make you stronger because your belief in God becomes your belief in God?

My own doubts have given me faith in a more loving and forgiving God than that described in a Bible written by men, for men, in a world controlled by men.

I have faith that God knows.

Bless all of you this Sunday.  Love each other and kiss your children.  They can be the best part of us, if we love them unconditionally.   

Another Homeless Breakfast

I joined Dee and the crew of Joyful Hands Ministries again this morning for their Saturday breakfast for the homeless in downtown Olympia.  I arrived just before 9:00 and they were already well into serving with a line that easily numbered thirty, and was growing.  No one in line seemed in a hurry, which would make sense if you had nowhere to go.  There was quiet talking in the line, no pushing or shoving, no impatience.

Today’s fare was similar to every week, differing, from what I could tell, in the kind of bread, peanut butter and jelly that was available.  Dee was busy at the gas stove heating flour tortillas over the burner.  She placed a toasted tortilla onto a paper plate, added a generous scoop of her breakfast casserole (potatoes, eggs, sausage, and what looked like biscuits on top) and ladled a thin, sausage, gravy over all.  I considered that generous helping of casserole, noticing she only had two enamel baking pans worth, and looked at the line which had not diminished.  Was this going to be enough?

In what seemed to be a reenactment of Christ with the fishes and loaves, the casserole just seemed to keep on giving as though self-replicating.  She ran out of it as the last person was served, and was still able to scrape some of what was left for a late comer.  I shook my head in amazement, but this seemed to be what Dee was all about, and I think the people that came here each Saturday to eat were aware of it.

While I was watching the line, the serving, and the interaction I couldn’t help but notice, like the last time I visited, how courteous these people were, not only to Dee and the Ministries folks, but to each other as well.  I found myself in the way several times, moved, and was met with, “Thank you, sir.”  You are so very welcomed, I would respond.  A few of the people nodded a wordless hello to me, or just smiled.  A few others came up to say hello, or comment on my Air Force Retired cap.  I don’t know what preconceptions I brought to the table.  As I always do, I tried just to come and observe. 

I asked a few of the patrons that were eating while leaning against phone poles, sitting on a curb, or just standing, how the food was.  They said it was tasty, it was hot, and it was food.  I suppose, for these folks, that says it all.

 

This was another Saturday for Dee and the folks.  Another homeless breakfast.  Or was it?  One has to wonder is they consider this home, and all of those around them are family.  They seem to know each other, look after each other, break bread and share a quiet meal.  Even the dogs were well behaved and owners made sure they kept out of the garbage bags.  This could have been a picnic in any middle class neighborhood. Does this mean they want to be in their situation?  I don't know.  Mentally some of them are left without a choice as they seem to have either been abandoned or forgotten by the system.  Others, younger mostly, seemed fit enough and would probably welcome work.  And there were those that time and the elements has been unkind to. 

My feet were getting cold through my tennis shoes.  I should have worn something warmer than my corduroy coat.  We were getting a cold, biting breeze coming in off the sound or down from the mountains.  I noticed they had laid out a tarp with socks and assorted clothing which was being picked through.  Of particular interest to several of the ladies were the socks.  I imagine they were probably doubling up on socks with as cold as it’s been at night.  It was probably going to get colder, especially at night.  I made a mental note to keep my eyes out for warm clothing or blankets to add to the pile of giveaways.

I called over to Dee as I was about to leave and told her it was educational, as always.  She came out from the cooking area to say goodbye and give me a hug.  I asked about Thanksgiving and we promised to stay in touch.  I also asked her to write down her story, and that of her group.  No one has ever done an article on her and Joyful Hands before.  I told her I’d love to give it a shot. 

 

We’ll see.

Veterans Day

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!”   – Sun Tzu

I isn't just a piece of cloth, not to the men and women of the United States military that selflessly volunteer to take on the mantle of soldier, protector, and hero.  Heroes all, and they will be the last to willingly accept the title.  They do a job, walk the fence line, man the gates against the barbarian hordes, fight and die.  They do this, not for acknowledgement, or glory.  They do this with full knowledge they may come home in a box, draped with this "piece of cloth."  They do what they do for an ideal that escapes most Americans anymore;  love of country, patriotism, and sacrifice for the common good.

 

I grew up after World War II, when conflicts became "police actions" that were never won, and our men and women became the focus of ridicule, and saddled with the label of baby killers.  Much has changed with the way we treat our returning soldiers.  It reflects more the days of old with parades and bands.  What hasn't changed is the horror of war, the broken bodies and minds, the dead and dying.  And, yet, they re-up for another tour.  These special men and women that have seen what many of us don't want to and understand what the news media cannot begin to express in words, go back for more, until many don't come back at all.

 

Love does not do justice to the feeling of comradery one has with this special group of people.  Once you have taken the oath of service you begin to experience a bond that goes beyond inter-service rivalries.  Nothing makes me choke up more than to see coffins with flags draped over them, the knowledge that more brothers and sisters have given their all for an idea that there is something greater than themselves; the idea that freedom requires the sacrifice of a chosen few so the many might enjoy the fruit of their effort.

 

This Veterans Day, take a moment to reflect on those that risk their lives daily so you might live secure, and free.  Take a moment to thank a vet for their service.  It embarrasses the hell out of them when you do it, but watch the look of pride that comes over them for it.

 

I love them all, always have, and always will. 

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”  —Mark Twain

The Colour of Mourning

 

I have never experienced death of someone close to me, other than pets.  My grandmother, but she was just an occasional visitor in my life, not an influence or a confidant; we lived on opposite coasts.  Knock wood, I have not lost a parent, a child, or significant other in my life.  To those that have I can only imagine what you feel.  Unlike abortion, where I have not the emotional reference of a mother to comment on the subject, unfortunately death affects us all, sooner or later, either ours or someone else's, and emotionally we'll all have to deal with it.

 

It is one emotion I think I have kept at arm's length by never getting too close to people.  I have friends, but even with the closest of these there is no weekend football or beer drenched camping trips, no fishing, and certainly no confidences.  I fear their loss as much as I fear my own vulnerability.  I think this would be my ex-wife's fault.  I vowed to never leave myself vulnerable to that kind of pain again.  So, what does this leave?

 

It leaves you standing in a field of aromatic wild flowers, the sound of a creek babbling over rocks at the tree line, the warmth of the sun on your face, deer crossing downhill with fawn prancing through the tall grass, and you have no one to share it with.  You are blessed with moments of pain and confusion when you need that friendly shoulder to lean on as you stumble and try not to fall off the emotional cliff because no one is there with you.  What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger?  Perhaps, but it takes an emotional toll that the best of us find easier to bury deep down in a well worn footlocker, hidden in some dusty, forgotten, back room in one's mind.  It is this burial  I fear when I finally have to confront the death of someone dear.

 

With grandma, she died when I was a young man.  I begged God to give her more time so I could know her better, but that wasn't in the grand plan.  She was very close to her God and I think she knew she was needed elsewhere.  When my daughter's cousin Jimmy died, I had developed a better understanding of my own views on God.  Jimmy died in high school, a passenger in a car crash, no good reason for him to die.  One must hope the good die young because they are needed elsewhere, and the older folks, like my grandma, are there to guide them.

 

Do you mourn the dead, or celebrate their life?  Do you celebrate their moving on to the next level of existence?  Do you mourn the loss as you would a cherished friend that moves across country, wishing them a bon voyage, as it were.  For some reason I just know this will crush me, no matter how strong I think I'll be, or how much reason for the death I try to put behind it.

 

As humans I think we come to rely on those around us for moral, physical, and emotional support.  We know that we can weather life alone,  it's just easier with others around us to lean on.  When they finally pass on it's like losing a valued member of the office staff, knowing you now have to take on all the responsibilities, or make all the tough calls by yourself.  I think this is why it is easier to deal with loss as you get older and more self-sufficient.  There is no more of that selfish, "why did you leave me, what am I supposed to do now, how will I make it without you," stuff that you blubber as a younger person.  It morphs into, "have a nice trip, you will be sorely missed."

 

Knowing how I will probably deal with death of loved ones helps me know how I want to be launched off the pad into that great unknown.  I want those around me to eat, drink, and be merry.  Don't wear black, no armbands, no teary eyed funeral.  I want a cheap "burn and toss" down by the ocean. Deal with my passing as a celebration of life, the start of a new journey, that next great adventure!  Party hearty and then strike up the bag pipes while you scatter my ashes to the winds along my new path.

 

In confronting my fears, I will try to color death differently when facing it, although I know it will be hard.  A celebration will make it easier, and will probably make the deceased happier in the knowledge that I will be able to move along with fond memories, no regrets, and the best of hopes for them.  I also think I need to start letting more people breach my castle walls and start taking more emotional risks.  As I get older I am finding the need for more people in my life.  The few that I have let in know that my worst fear is to die alone, yet, I would be the one to make this fear come to fruition.

 

The color purple is not that of mourning.  Mourning is the color of rainbows after a dark, violent storm when the sun breaks from behind the clouds.  When the damage is done, the hurricane has passed; crying over what is left, is of no help.  Pick yourself up out of the doldrums and revel in the new day, and the glory of life, remembering fondly those that have moved on.

 

I think this is what God would want of us.

"It is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter real life; 'tis rather an embrio state, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he is dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals?"

-- Benjamin Franklin, 1756

Sunday Thought - November 3, 2013: Thanksgiving

 

I give nothing of money to the poor and homeless, as I feel this cannot save them from their lot.  How counterproductive it would be, however, not to feed those in need, so they may have the strength to better their situation if, and when, opportunity presents itself.

That time of the year is rapidly approaching.  The time when we make a large meal, gather with friends and family, and give thanks for all of our many blessings.  We will pray for those no longer with us, friends unable to come, or for the troops in harm's way.

Thanksgiving concerns itself with the heart, and with God, not with late night drunk fests, fireworks, and giving gifts others probably have no use for.  It is about family and friends, being alive, and about love.

I hope there are some soup kitchens opened this season.  It has been a while since I have donated food to their cause.  There is plenty of time for you to reflect on whether you might want to give something as well.  Even the hardest heart can soften on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I leave you with a quote, as something to consider, and bless you all this crisp, clear Sunday morning which our creator given us! 

"What is Thanksgiving?  I saw a homeless man walking along a street today and wondered, but for the grace of God go I?"  -- Reed B. Markham, Educator

Feeding the Homeless in Olympia

You know what's embarrassing?  When Christian organizations tasked with feeding the poor and homeless, are avoided by the poor and homeless.

 

I went out Saturday morning to see how Mama Dee and her Joyful Hands Ministries were doing with the wind and the rain we're having.  They were all set up and serving, waiting on one of their group to return with tortillas so they could serve up breakfast burritos.

 

I sipped my cup of coffee and watched the operation, all the while listening to the friendly banter among the group.  It seems like a few of her clientele had less than glowing opinions of the Salvation Army and the Gospel Mission.  Words like rude and unfriendly were used.  Hmmm.  I give money to the Salvation Army, and my girlfriend has given gifts to the Gospel Mission.  Not stuff you like to hear when you are a supporter.

 

Now, granted, a few comments reflected on the fact that several of the homeless had been banned from the mission, so one has to take that into account when hearing these kinds of comments.  I have been to Dee's operation twice now and find it difficult to believe that this motley group of homeless could get banned from anything.  They have been peaceful, friendly, and very respectful of Dee and her group.  If I were homeless and hungry I don't think I would be biting the hand that's trying to feed me.  Where there is smoke there is usually fire, but there are also bad apples in any group and I'm talking about both sides of this issue.

 

One hopes that religious organizations would ensure proper attitude and bearing while providing a few moments respite, warmth, and a meal to the needy.  Dee's crowd certainly seems to be on good terms with her folks, and I get the feeling the group that frequents her establishment probably police themselves, knowing she is probably the only game in town unless they want to be talked down to.

 

This is a case of "he said, she said" that should not be taken at face value.  I will continue to find out more during my visits with Mama Dee.  I would recommend the local Salvation Army and Gospel Mission look into these rumors in order to validate or dispel.  I think this kind of rumor would be of importance to Christian organizations concerned with doing Christ's work, but then, like most Christian organizations maybe it's become all about the money, and a token meal just keeps up a good front and the coffers full.

 

I sincerely hope this isn't the case, as I have always appreciated what the Salvation Army did on the Gulf Coast after Katrina.

 

God bless Dee and her folks for the volunteer work they do on cold, rainy, inhospitable mornings.  Just one more point for the Salvation Army and the Gospel Mission:  Her people aren't in a warm, dry building.  They are out amongst them, in the wind, rain, and cold, doing the Lord's work. 

 

Where are you?

 

"Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor."

Proverbs, 22:9