New Background

Random bit here, I'm trying to teach myself photoshop (or at least a free online version of it), and I've decicded to use the result as the back ground for this blog.

Just a little something since I've haven't posted anything for a while.

Click on this magical link to see a clear version.

Carol Burnett Show outtakes - Tim Conway's Elephant Story

I laugh every time I see this. Warning: mild swearing at the end.

The Development of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception

The feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was celebrated on the 8th of December.

From the very moment of her conception she was free from the all stain of original sin and in a state of grace. Immaculate means 'without stain'. But she still suffered from the effects of sin – sorrow, illness, death.

How is this possible?

Well, Mary received grace same as us via Christ's death on the cross; His death is an eternal event meaning that the effects of it reach back in time as well as forward. Same as with the Sacrifice of the Mass it cannot be confine to time. God granted her freedom from sin to make her a fitting mother for His Son.

If was officially declared on 8 December 1854 by Pope Pius IX. So does that mean that the Pope just thought of it one day and said to himself 'that's a good idea'?

No it does not.

Let's first start with the Bible (I'm using the Dewey Rheims translation); Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she/he shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”

There is a parallel between Eve and Mary; If there is to be complete enmity between the woman and the serpent, then she never should have been in any way subject to him even briefly. This implies an Immaculate conception.

Luke 1:28 “And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”

An angel declared her 'full of grace'; it indicates an unique abundance of grace in her person.

There are a lot angels visiting people in the Bible, but Mary is the only one greeted by 'Full of Grace”

As I've said before the doctrine was not invented in 1854, it was defined or declared. That only happens for two reasons; firstly being that there is a controversy that needs to be cleared up or secondly when the Magisterium believes that the faithful can be helped by a particular emphasis on an already preexisting belief.

The declaration was prompted by the latter of the two. Pius IX had a great devotion to Mary and hoped that the declaration would inspire others in their devotion to Mary.

Let's us now turn to the Fathers of the Church. Now who exactly are these guys? Simple answer: they are men who lived before 750 and are called as such because of their leadership in the early Church, especially in defending, expounding, and developing Catholic doctrines. For the first two centuries, most of these men were bishops, although in later years certain priests and deacons were also recognized as Fathers. They were closes to the sources than we are today.

Many of them make very blatant statements about Mary's immaculate nature.

• St. Justine Martyr (d.165) the Church’s first major lay apologist, remarks on Mary's obedience to God (her willingness to do His will) in opposite to Eve's disobedience.
• St. Irenaenus (2^nd century) Bishop in Gaul, expands on that saying that Mary's obedience undid what Eve's disobedience brought to man.
• Origen (184/5-253/4) calls her worthy of God, immaculate of the immaculate.
• The Syrian Fathers wouldn't shut up (as it were) about her sinlessness.

The Syrians were really the first to have a feast day commemorating this, since about the 5^th century. It becomes wide spread by the 7^th century in the East and by the 8^th it is celebrated in parts of the Western Church.

The feast day became very deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon monasteries by the 11^th century. We even find an old calendar in Winchester dating 1030 with 'Conceptio S'ce S. Mariae'. The monks celebrated it and it was encouraged to the devotion of the individual.

But then, cue ominous music please, the Normans arrived.

For the Normans the feast appeared to be very English, too English; they considered it a product a product of insular simplicity and ignorance (the celebration, not the idea behind it mind you). Thus we can thank the Normans for stopping public devotion, but it lived on in the devotion of the individual. Thank you Normans (sarcasm in abundance here).

It was reestablished, however, by Anselm the Younger, nephew of St. Anselm (Yeah, that's not confusing).

It is after this, going into the 12^th century, that we begin to see a confusion over the idea of the Immaculate Conception.

St Bernard of Clairvaux protested what he perceived to be a new way of honoring Mary and reproved the canons (those are people of a religious order who are attached to a particular church) of the Cathedral of Lyons for acting without the authority of Rome when they started celebrating it in 1240. He saw it as a foreign to the traditions of the Church, but here's the kicker – he didn't know that the Church in Greece and Syria had been celebrating the feast with a rich tradition regarding the sinlessness of Mary. (There's no phone system, email, facebook, twitter, or texting)

He was not wrong in wanting a careful inquiry into the reason for observing the feast.

Even St Thomas Aquinas, one of the foremost philosophers and theologians of the Medieval Church, had difficulty grasping the concept. As seen in the Summa Theologica (III.27:2,a2), mostly along the lines of Mary's redemption, how could she be redeemed if she had not sinned.

For some reason, the major philosophers and theologians at the time were stuck on two possibilities:

One, the sanctification of Mary happened before the fusion of the soul into the body; or

Two, the sanctification happened after the union of soul and body.

None of them ever truly considered the moment between – the sanctification of the soul at the moment of conception. The idea of both the sanctification and the fusion of the soul could be simultaneous in time.

This is a good example of how science and faith work together.  When conception was better defined by science it aided in a clearer understanding of the doctrine.

Of course there were some issues, because people always have issues.

St Paul in Romans (5:12) states that all men have sinned via Adam. That would include Mary, right? By this declaration, St. Paul is trying to explain that all men need redemption via Christ. Mary is no exception to this rule as stated before.

Then the silence of the Church Fathers. Well, as we have seen the Church Fathers were not silent, just the ones that most people in the West were reading. There was limited access to those sources and some were lost to them, but not to us today.

It was Blessed John Duns Scotus (d. 1308)(a Franisican) who provided the answer of the simultaneous sanctification and conception. He stated that God had sanctified Mary at the moment of her conception in His foreknowledge that the Blessed Virgin would consent to bear Christ. In other words, she too had been redeemed—her redemption had simply been accomplished at the moment of her conception, rather than (as with all other Christians) in baptism. It was essentially Scotus who laid the foundation of the doctrine that we see to day and Pius IX referenced him when declaring the feast.

After Scotus the doctrine became commonplace at all the major universities and the feast was fast spreading. Most religious orders took up the celebration, except the Dominicans – why? They're sticking with Aquinas.

In 1439 the University of Paris asked the Council of Basle for a dogmatic definition. After 2 years the bishops declared the Immaculate Conception : a doctrine which was pious, constant with Catholic worship, faith, right reason and Holy Scripture and no one could declare contrary to this.

Problem solved, right? 

But wait – this is 1441. The problem? Council of Basle was not an ecumenical council, meaning that anything it declared only effected the area that those bishops lead, not for the Church as a whole. So disputes and discussions continued.

In 1661 P. Alexander VII promulgated in 'Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum' the true sense of the word 'conceptio', and that the immunity of Mary from original sin in the first moment of the creation of her soul and its formation into the body was the subject of the feast. This was when it was finally universally accepted within the Church. So by the time Pius IX promulgated the dogma on 8 December 1854 there was a ring of 'about time'.

In the decades that followed an octave was attached to the feast then became a holy day of obligation, then was allowed a vigil. All of which were in practice in local tradition in many areas.

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception was decreed By the First Council of Baltimore (1846) as the principal Patron of the US.

(This is a rough transcript of a lecture I gave to the RCIA class at my church for the Feast Day.)

An Unusual Combination that Just Works

As a big time fan of G K Chesterton and Benedict XVI, I very much so geek out over this.

I now wish they would translate the book into English so I can Catholic Geek out even more.

Blue and Black: My Reflection on His Holiness Benedict XVI

I have seen the Holy Father Emeritus four times during his reign; as in seen his physical person not just through a television screen.  Each of those moments are very special to me and part of an important event in my life.  Each of those moments, and a few others, I wore blue and black.  I never had the intention to wear that color scheme and now I can't help but associate those colors with him.

I am part of that generation that grew up with Pope Blessed John Paul II, the charismatic pope with a great love for the youth.  To me, and I'm sure many others, he felt like the grandfather we couldn't wait to visit or listen to one of his stories.  I'm not ashamed to say that I cried when he passed away and I know I wasn't the only one who did.  I got up early to watch his funeral and I will admit that I dosed off a few times despite my best efforts (this was before I fell into the common addiction of coffee).  Then I watched with great wonder my first conclave whenever I wasn't in school or at work.

On the day of white smoke and bells was also the day of National Honor Society Inductions.  I was already a member so I got to sit on stage and be dressed in my Sunday best, a blue skirt and a black blouse, which I much preferred to the khaki pants and ill fitted polo of the school uniform.  After some begging, pleading and convincing the teacher of that period turned on the television and I watched as Cardinal Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, stepped out onto the balcony. A humble worker in God's vineyard.

Later that year (after a year of saving and asking relations to lieu of Christmas gifts to send monies for the trip) I got to go to World Youth Day.  That year it was being hosted in Cologne, Germany which brought an extra meaning to me since I hadn't been to that country since I was born.  I always wanted to go to World Youth Day since I was really young and the fact that it was in Germany was an extra layer of awesome on my epic cake.  This was the first time I saw Benedict XVI without the aid of a TV screen.  I watched the tiny Pontiff in the distance give the final blessing of the last Mass of WYD, I bowed my head and noticed that my black chapel veil was about to slide from my neck.  I wrapped it more securely around my neck and zipped my blue windbreaker closed.

In my college career I transferred once and my first year at my second college was particularly difficult due to miscommunications, misunderstandings, and bias.  During this dark time for me fifty tickets were donated to the school for the Papal Mass that was held at the National Stadium for Benedict XVI's visit to the US.  A drawing was held amongst the students and I put my name in.  On a day filled with tears and hurt, I was told I won one of the fifty tickets.  The smile felt odd after not having one for so long, but it felt good to do it again.

I dressed in the wee hours of the morning the day of the Mass.  Oddly enough, as I looked in the mirror double checking everything, I was wearing the skirt I wore when Habemus Papam was announced; a different blouse but still black.  A bus ride, a trek through the Metro than a shuffle in the crowd I sat in the newly built baseball stadium to have Mass.

One of the better snap shots I got of Pope Benedict XVI.

The same college offered the opportunity to study in Rome for a semester and I took it.   Whilst there my classmates and I were able to attend a Wednesday Audience.  It was outside in St Peter's Square (or circle if you want to get technical about it). I waved enthusiastically as Benedict XVI rode by in the pope-mobile. He knew my school and we got a smile of recognition from  him and almost a two handed waved, but he had to re-grab the bar to keep his balance. My smile grew bigger and my teeth showed.  I sat and listen to talk about St John Leonardi.  He ended his talk with words of encouragement and a blessing.  As he gave his blessing I fiddle with a rosary bracelet around my left wrist.  It had blue and black beads with a medal of the Immaculate Conception.

The owner of the hotel where we were staying was able to get his hands on ticket to the Mass for the Conclusion of the Second Assembly for African of the Synod of Bishops.  Did I want one?  Yes, please!  Not realizing the change in time due to daylights savings, I got up earlier than I had intended.  It was a happy accident as I ended up inside St Peter's Basilica for Mass.  On a side note, the insides are even more awe inspiring when all the lights are on.  I sat at the very end of the row near the front section for the general public resulting in being less than five feet from the Cardinals and the Holy Father himself.  Throughout the Mass two Swiss guards took their posts next to where I sat so I got a good look at the stitching in their colorful uniform.  It was cool that morning and I grabbed a scarf I had purchased in Florence to keep away the chill, which doubled as a chapel veil for me; the scarf was mostly blue and black weaved together to create a design. 

I was just as surprised as anyone when Benedict XVI announced his abdication.  Let me first state that I wish him the best in his new life of prayer and solitude.  On his official last day I had to work, but I was able to schedule my lunch around the time he stepped down so I could pray for him and the next Pope.  I stared at my feet propped up in another chair and then down to what I was wearing; my blue work shirt over a black dress, all cinched with a black belt.  That's when it hit me - blue, black and Benedict XVI.  A strange connection I will admit, some may call it even flimsy, but there it is.

As Pope Blessed John Paul II was the Pope of my youth, Pope Benedict XVI was the Pope of my intellectual development.  In his homily at the closing Mass of his first World Youth Day he said, "In vast areas of the world today there is a strange forgetfulness of God. It seems as if everything would be just the same even without him.  But at the same time there is a feeling of frustration, a sense of dissatisfaction with everyone and everything."  He then encouraged us to "[h]elp people to discover the true star which points out the way to us:  Jesus Christ! Let us seek to know him better and better, so as to be able to guide others to him with conviction."

I saw first hand the forgetfulness that Benedict XVI talked about; with people in my own generation it has resulted from simply not being taught because the two generations ago misunderstood the intention of a Church Council.  In a fit of frustration after a particularly bad religion class I made a deal with God.  If He did not want me to major in Theology in college He would have to lead me in another direction.  From that point to when I declared my major there was nothing that really pushed me away from that degree and thus I now have a BA in Sacred Theology.  Before you ask - I'm not gonna be a priest or preacher!!  You would be amazed how often I'm asked that when people find out my major.

I'm not sure how well I'm leading others to Christ.  I can only hope that I can implant seeds of truth the the minds of those who wish to ignore it because it makes them uncomfortable.  Maybe one day those seeds will bloom into something or at least never leave them.

Today, if one was to take a look at my wardrobe, one would fine a lot of black and blue.  Because of that silly little connection I unknowingly made with those colors and Benedict XVI, I find that I am drawn to them without even thinking about it.  We all find comfort in things; for some it's in a little trinket left to us by someone we love, for others it maybe sharing a pint of ice cream with a friend with one spoon. My comfort is found in the colors blue and black; not in the colors themselves, mind you, but in what they have come to represent to me.

(In case if anyone was wondering, I was wearing brown when Pope Francis was elected.  There's a Franciscan joke in there somewhere, I just can't find it.)

Despicable Me 2 Teaser Trailer (2013)

It makes me smile, OK!!

Best Wishes Holy Father

On April 2005 I was still in high school and on that particular day I was taking part of a program for the National Honor Society.  Because of that particular participation I was required to wear something nice.  I decided on my Sunday best, a blue and white skirt with black line scribbles of flowers and a black blouse with a matching blue collar.  I felt pretty.  The usual khaki pants and school polo had always made me feel frumpy and I was a rather awkward child in high school.  But the only reason I remember all those small little details was that was the day of  'Habemus Papam!'.

It between classes when a classmate of mine apporched me and told me that they was white smoke coming from the Sisten Chapel.

'With the bells?' I asked him.

'Yeah, I think.' He said.

with that I rushed to my next class which, fortunately for me, was a rather pathetic, barely got by on the skin of it's teeth, religion class (I believe it was Comparative Religions) which gave me the perfect excuse to run to my teacher and practically beg to watch the announcement of the next Pope.

I still remember having my eyes glued to the screen while the rest of the classroom couldn't have cared less.

Then the announcement:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Iosephum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Ratzinger,
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictus PP. XVI.

My ear for Latin at the time was underdeveloped so it took me awhile to hear 'Ratzinger'.

I had several thoughts at the time, first was 'When was the last time we had a German pope?'; my second thought when he stepped out on the balcony was 'Wow, he looks a lot like one of my great-uncles, must be the German.'

What truly sadden me that day was the fact that I was so excited for the new Pope and the rest of my school (which supposedly was Catholic) was not.  There was no announcement over the intercom, no moment of silent prayer for the new earthly leader of Holy Mother Church, no one to gleefully jump up and down with me.  It was one of those moments in life where I felt quite alone in a crowded room.

At the time I knew Cardinal Ratzinger through 'The Ratzinger Report' and the fact that he was head of the Office that use to be known as the Inquistion.  But since his election I read as much as I could of all his writings before he was elected and read everything that he published since elected.

Two words: Heavy reading.

Really! I still re-reading everything just to get the general gist of them.

But I have to confess, a big reason I was really excited was that I was going to catch a glimpse of him at the up coming World Youth Day 2005 hosted in Cologne, Germany. A German Pope in Germany for World Youth Day - I had a Catholic geek-out moment there, I'm not ashamed to admit that.

Nearly eight years later His Holiness Benedict XVI, after much prayer and contemplation is abdicating his position.

I cannot tell you how many of my co-workers have asked my opinion of the matter.  So this is just my thoughts on the situation. This.

Benedictio Cerevisiae

Yes, for those of you who can read Latin, you read that right -- there is a blessing of beer in the Catholic Church found in the old Rituale Romanum, which contains all of the services which may be performed by a priest or deacon which are not contained within either the Missale Romanum or the Breviarium Romanum.  I thought I would share this fun blessing for the joy of all.  I recommend it's use on Oktoberfest or St Patrick's Day. :)

The proper blessing of beers is a proof that we have an awesome religion!

Blessing of Beer

English translation:
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.
Bless, + O Lord, this creature beer, which thou hast deigned to produce from the fat of grain: that it may be a salutary remedy to the human race, and grant through the invocation of thy holy name; that, whoever shall drink it, may gain health in body and peace in soul. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

And it is sprinkled with holy water.

Latin Original:
V. Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.
Bene+dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi, et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.

Et aspergatur aqua benedicta.

Yeah, we're just cool like that!

From Catholic Gentleman Blog

Oh Humanity, you make me despire!

Members of the race of man for many years have lead me to worry about the future of our race.  I'm sure that everyone has had those moments where you wonder how in Heaven's name did the person before survive into adulthood without getting smacked upside the head a few times or just getting there in the first place.

Just sit in a public area and listen to those around you and see what you pick up.

I got a one:

A woman is trying to push a door open and is getting frustrated because it's not opening.  She stomps over to one employee and demands to know why the door is locked.  The employee calmly explains that you have to push really hard to open it.  The man with the lady pushes the door and it opens.  The woman than looks at the employee and says that there should be a sign on the door that says 'push'.  If the woman was willing to look she would have seen that in big letters says 'PUSH' right where you're suppose to push.  It's kinda hard to miss.


Please insert your own face palm or desk head bang here.

May the odds be ever in your favor

'May the odds be ever in your favor.'

That is what is inscribed on the metal braclet that I wear around my left wrist.  Not only is it one of my favorite quotes, it is a phrase that seems to resonate deeper within me.  Espeically today.

As I write this I await to hear who the next President of the US of A will be.  With my faith changellened and my religious freedom threatened I find myself praying that the odds will be in favor of right and just.

Over the past few weeks I have been reminded of a strange dream I had when I was in high school.  At the time I thought little of it, but now I find my mind lingering over it more than I would like.  In my dream there was a strange turn of events in the 1960s that allowed the Ku Klux Klan to become a very powerful force in the government in the present time.  As such Catholicism became illegal and those who were Catholic were closely monitored by the government since they did not want those 'damn Papists' contaminating the purity of the American people.  In the dream I am walking in the streets of the town I live in; little has changed, except for the fact I have to carry a passport with me constantly as I am often harassed by the police demanding to know my business.  I inform them that I am on my way to the Catholic Church that was downtown.  In the dimensions of the dream the Vatican, in effort to protect the faithful in the United States made the agreement in which the land that every Catholic Church stood was an extension of the Vatican and thus considered like an embassy of sorts with all the extraterritoriality that went with it.

I will not bore you with the details of the rest of the dream - they're rather depressing. 
The dream scared me then and it unsettles me today.  Mostly because it feels like the reality that I dreamt of is not too far off.  Especially in light of the recent going ons of the political atmosphere.  As I look back at the dream I'm surprised at the age I dreamt myself - it was the age I am now. 

Whoever gets to sit in the Oval office come January, when they're sworn in, please God, let them respect life (before and after birth), let them respect the Catholic religion which seems be under attack from all sides and let them realize what is intrinsically good and what is intrinsically bad.

'May the odds be ever in your favor.'

A Morbid Connection to Heaven:

An Investigation of Relics & The Modern Need for Them

Chapter Two: Relics Today and Their Defense

 

In the movie Singing in the Rain there is a moment near the beginning in which fan-girls start attacking the lead male character and rip his clothing in an attempt to have a piece of him to keep as a memento. It is interesting to note that a culture filled with autograph hounds and with those who become star struck whenever a celebrity comes by can consider the Catholic veneration of relics a joke. A lovely dish is just a lovely dish, but one owned by your grandmother is a special treasure. A pocket-watch gotten at a pawn stop is just a time piece, but one given to you by a grandfather is one you dread losing and would mourn if that were to happen. People are willing to pay a ridiculous amount of money for an article of clothing worn by some famous person, faint at Beatles concerts, and engage in riotous behavior to get their hands on an article of clothing or some other item belonging to a new pop icon; but when a relic of Saint Catherine is mentioned, people snicker.

Especially today, in a world filled with atheists and misinformed Catholics, the snickering gets louder. In the year 2009, some of the relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux went on tour around England, even going to a correctional facility, after visiting forty other countries. Many English pilgrims came to see and touch the remains of the French saint. Simon Jenkins, a self proclaimed “Dawkins-ite”, wrote an article concerning the saint's visit to his country. Jenkins finds the whole event rather distasteful, crediting the frenzy that the faithful display towards the relics as “brainwashing of unreason.” But Jenkins decided to be gracious towards the less rational of his fellow man and take up the mantle of courtesy, the same he “would show a Hindu elephant worshiper or a Polynesian medicine man.” Such a mantle is hard to see in the rest of his article, which consists of a rather snarky description of how the relics came across the English channel and what the faithful would do once in reach of the relics. He blatantly states that relics are nothing more then “jujus, [or] religious placebos for the credulous classes” while most rational people “find them ghoulish.”

One of the members of the committee which arranged for Saint Thérèse to visit England, Father Stephen Wang, quickly responded to Jenkin's article. Wang quickly goes into an explanation of why so many come to the relics. People “come to pray; to find inspiration in the life of an extraordinary woman; to deepen their sense of community and belong; to connect with a person they love”; basically people are coming because they are seeking spiritual help. Wang explicitly states that relics are not, as Jenkins says, 'jujus', which are magical charms. A common misconception about relics held by non-Catholics and some Catholics is that relics possess magical powers; there is a supernatural aspect to relics, but there is no 'hocus-pocus' involved with them. The relics are part of the physical aspect of the faith, it is “not just about abstract spiritual truths.” The very act of the Incarnation confirms this – people were able to touch the Word of God and interact with Him. It is of little wonder then that Christianity developed with tangible ways to express the faith; this includes church architecture, polyphonic music and statues alongside of relics.

Today, relics are found in several different states in general. The first is relics lost and forgotten in a museum, where people gawk and wonder why there is a skull in a glided box. Next, the relics become a tourist attraction, like Pope Blessed John XXIII; the Swiss guards usher people along as they take pictures of a partially decomposed man under an altar. The last state, which is probably the most common, is that of relics in some form of a storage room, whether it be in a church or in a museum's back closet; they are hidden away out of sight, and the only way to see them is if one knows somebody with connections to the relics. But above all these states is that in every altar in the churches there has to be a relic, inside according to Cannon Law.

There are three classes of sacred relics depending on the closeness of the object to the saint. The first class are instruments of the Passion of Christ or a part of a saint's body. The relics found in church altars are first class, most likely one of a martyr. Then, the second class relics is a piece of the saint's clothing or something used often by the saint, such as the letters written by Saint Teresa of Ávila. Lastly, third class relics are objects touched to first class relics.

To venerate the relics of the saints is a profession of belief in several doctrines of the Catholic faith. The first of these is the belief in everlasting life for those who have obediently witnessed to Christ and the Holy Gospel whilst on earth. Next is the truth of the resurrection of the body of all persons on the last day, which relates to the doctrine of the splendor of the human body and the respect which all should show toward the bodies of both the living and the deceased. Also, there is the belief in the special intercessory power which the saints enjoy in heaven because of their intimate relationship with God. Last is the truth of our closeness to the saints because of our connection with the communion of saints, since we are all part of the same Church.

To understand how to venerate relics, one must understand the difference between latria, dulia and hyper-dulia. Latria is sacrificial in character, and may be offered only to God. Catholics offer other degrees of reverence to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Saints; these non-sacrificial types of reverence are called hyper-dulia and dulia, respectively. Hyper-dulia is essentially a heightened degree of dulia provided only to the Blessed Virgin since she is the revered Mother of God. 

End of Part One.
To Be Continued............
(Copyright: Belongs to the Wanderer)
(If interested in research please contact me.)

The Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street

I am glad smarter people than I can explain something in such a fun way.  Thank you!!

'Singing in the Rain' for Today

Some of you may recall a post I did about a year and a half ago concerning a cover of one of my favorite songs, 'Singing in the Rain'.  The only thing I will repeat about that post is that the writers and music arrangers for the show 'Glee' should still die.

Anyway, I found a cover of the song done by another popular singer, Usher.  I'm not a huge fan of him, but I'll listen to him when he comes on the radio and I find him a good singer I'm not embarrassed to listen to.  In my roaming on Youtube I found his cover and I thought it was a very good homage to Gene Kelly.  What do you think?

Please enjoy!

The Avengers Intro - Firefly Style

This makes me very very happy!!!!!!
:)

Les Miserables - Official Trailer (HD)

OK, I'm excited!!!!!

The Problem of Human Shields in Combatant Situations and the Morality of Possible Solutions

Human shields is a term that describes civilians present in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets.  It also describes civilians in a combat situation being forced to walk or march in front of soldiers literately being used as a shield.  Killing civilians always causes problems for whoever shot them, whether it be by accident or on purpose.  An enemy's own people can be used as human shields to deter an enemy.  International humanitarian law forbids using civilians as human shields by placing them next to soldiers, or next to military facilities, with the intention of gaining immunity from attack, or by forcing the civilians to carry out dangerous military assignments.  The very basic concept of the human shields is immoral because it reduces a human being to nothing more than an object to be used.  Human shields also gives the impression that the person is not worth keeping alive, which is true because the person using human shields only cares about his own life.  He does not care who he uses, women, children or the elderly, anybody as long as he escapes.


Captain Daniel P. Schoenekase of the Air Force gives many examples of how human shields have been used in recent military history.  The most recent and most notable violator of international law against the use of human shields has been Iraq in every major conflict they have had since the 1980s.  Cambodia, during the Vietnam War, used ethnic Vietnamese civilians as human shields against their own government.  During the civil war of Sierra Leone in the 1990s people of the Revolutionary United Front would regularly kidnap children and used them as human shields against the government forces.  In these few examples one can see the moral repulsiveness of forcibly using civilians as shields against attack of any form.

There are several types of human shields -- proximity, involuntary or hostages, and and finally willing human shields.  The first kind, the proximity shields, are near military target, and the presence of these people present a great likeliness of high civilian causalities.  The civilians causalities could then be used by the opposing force in propaganda to put their enemy in a more bitter opinion of their people, thus preventing the enemy from gaining allies within their borders.  Most of the time the proximity human shields do not even know that they are being used as shields.  Usually they are people who are in a neighborhood or even hopitals.  For example, during the Gulf War Saddam Hussein would station his weapons near hospitals, knowing that the American forces would not fire so close to civilians, especially the sick and injured.  At the time nothing could be done effectively to get at the weapons.  Aiming with the missiles at the time was pointing in the general direction and hope that it would hit close enough to the target to cause some damage.  Today targeting systems are much better, so the military can fire a drone guided missile and direct the missile to hit the target, and the surrounding areas take minimal damage.

The next type of human shield are the involuntary, also known as hostages.  a hostage is defined as "a person given as a pledge or taken prisoner as by an enemy or terrorist, until certain conditions are met."  Any civilian in a combat situation are at risk of being taken and used b soldiers of either side.  However, the taking and using of hostages is strictly forbidden by the fourth Geneva Convention.

Finally there are the voluntary shields, who are a recent development in the war with Iraq.  A voluntary human shield is someone who is usually a foreign peace activist who comes and stand in the way of military in peaceful protest of the war.  Captain Schoenekase explains in his article  that in recent years debates have arisen on "whether voluntary human shields have become a form of quasi-combatant by their active participation."  The Human Rights Watch says that since that these voluntary shields are not actively engaged in hostile behavior towards either sides, they should be treated as non-combatants and retain civilian status. Some scholars say that voluntary human shields have forfeited their immunity of being civilians.  This argument states that anyone who has willing taken positions at the location of a military target has acted knowing the risk they were taking and they have little right to be considered as a non-combatant

When dealing with a situation involving human shields, there are several options that are available.  The easiest option is to kick down the door and go in guns blazing and shoot everyone in sight.  Both shields, willing or not, and the bad guys are dead, but the problem is solved.  It is similar to surgery when the doctor has to remove a tumor.  The healthy cells are removed for the greater good of the whole.  But one cell and a complete human being has a great deal of difference in importance.  The option of guns blazing is mostly condemned by international law and by most people in the world.  it is immoral because it violates the persons' dignity; no care is given to the non-combatants who most likely did not want to be in a fighting situation.  Killing everyone in sight also is a failure of a soldier to fulfill his purpose which would be fighting for the good of the citizens of that country.

Then there is the option of negotiation, which is used in situations with hostages, especially when the situation is not a full-out combat.  This option's morality can go either way.  There is a risk of the enemy getting away in the process of negotiation, and they might kill the hostages even if they get all they demanded.  But one must also consider what to do if the enemy demands and entirety of several large banks for the lives of a few hostages.  It is a hard choice between bankrupting the city, affecting thousands of people's lives, or saving the life of a handful of people.

Another option is the use of mob control weapons that police have used in the United States.  The police use things like rubber bullets and tear gas to subdue and disperse a crowd without needing to pull out a gun that uses bullets to kill.  The most damage that rubber bullets do is give anyone that it strikes a big and painful bruise, but they are alive, and tear gas mostly likely leaves stinging eyes and a bad tastes in one's mouth,  Also, in the confusion of the tear gas, a soldier can get closer to the enemy to get a clearer hit.  Captain Schoenekase also explains that "soldiers can be trained to deal with human-shields tactics through advance marksmanship training that emphasizes target detection, acquisition, discrimination, and engagement."  The morality in these options is actually positive, the dignity and lives of the people used as human shields is preserved.

Human shields are an ugly thing that has arise because of war.  Innocent women, children, and elderly are forced into combat situations in which they do not know if they are going to live or die.  The immorality of human shields is unquestionable with the way human shields are treated.  The dignity of the lives of the non-combatants becomes worthless when used as a shield -- they become nothing more than a tool.  Soldiers, when they fight, try to minimize the amount of collateral damage to protect civilians as much as they can and is a requirement set before they by their commanding officers.  The solutions presented above each have something to offer when dealing with human shields and each have a different degree of morality.

Random Fun Quotes

"A woman uses her intelligence to find reasons to support her intuition."
--G. K. Chesterton

"Fun is good."
-- Dr. Seuss

"I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun."
-- Katharine Hepburn

Lady Egad!!

Give me the allowance to indulge myself in a small rant.  I have often verbally ranted and I have found it to be very therapeutic.  I'm sure many of you girls know what I mean.  Well, here it is!!

I very strongly with a passion, dislike, yes dislike for hate is too strong of a word, dislike Lady Gaga.

I now duck for a moment as some readers will most likely throw something at their computers.  If everyone has calm down, I shall proceed.

When she debut on radio she was singing techno and has gone on to join the collective 80s throwback.  Neither genres of music I particular clamor to listen to.  But when she first appeared everyone fell head over heels infatuated with her.  Which meant more songs for me to suffer through.  Truth be told Lady Gaga is one of the man reasons I stopped listening to the radio altogether, but that is a story for another time.

The more songs I heard of hers the more I realized that I did not like her style of music.  Just a personal touch.  Than I saw her . . . a little part of my artistic soul was hung, drawn and quartered, twice, than buried in unconsecrated ground.

Do not get me wrong, I support people who express themselves through their manner of dress.  I applaud the man who can pull off a kilt or waist coat.  I cheer the woman who can carry a parasol down the street without a second thought.

At first I thought the outfits were for her music videos, but I was sadly mistaken.  She wears the over the top and, quiet frankly, unflattering clothes all the time.


A moment of silence please for another part of my artistic soul that has been tortured to death.

**Moment of Silence**

Moving on.

Despite all this I was willing to just not really care about along with a bunch of other 'singers' out there.  Not actively seeking out or outright ignoring them.  Oddly enough when a song of hers came on and I did not know it was Lady Gaga I still did not like it (proof I have taste).  It was not until I saw one of her music videos for one of her more recent songs (I now use that term loosely in regards to her) that took her to my 'strongly dislike' category.


I won't say which one, but I will say that the imagery was confusing and pornographic.  Yes, I accuse Lady Gaga of making readily available porn.  Defend yourself!!!!!  In that same music video you can see her holding what looks like a rosary or something close enough to it, dressed similar to a nun of some sort, puts the pseudo-rosary in her mouth and makes mockery of the symbol of the cross.  Yeah, be surprise that I still have a computer to update this blog on.  It took all that I had not to burst out into tears because, to be perfectly honest, that music video felt like it was slapping me in the face, stabbing me in the gut, twisting my arm, mocking my faith, and all around doing everything it possibly could to make me hurt.

Now many of you may think that's over reacting to an artistic vision of a music video.  Well, see it from my side for a moment:  Imagine that something that is very essential to you and is part of who you are is taken to the public square and everyone in town  throws knifes at it and insults it for everything it's worth reducing it down to rubble.  After that everyone proceeds to stamp it into dust as they drunkenly dance on the remains, desecrating it and then throw all sorts of trash and muck on it.  All for the sake of art.

That, my readers, is not art, it's bullying plain and simple.

Nostalgia

Found this on Youtube.  Now I'm filled with nostalgia. 

Don't Worry, Be Psycho

This made me smile.  I hope it does the same for you.

By the ever fantastic Piano Guys!

Enjoy!!