more catholic unity

It was bound to happen sooner or later. It seems like only yesterday, lay Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis was merrily writing article after article supporting his comrade Gerry Matatics, another Catholic lay apologist. As Fleetwood Mac taught us, however, yesterday’s gone and a fascinating new day is upon us. Gerry and Bob are merrily smacking away at each other about sedevacantism. In case you’re not familiar with Roman Catholic terminology, this is the belief that the last few popes have been heretics and anti-popes, which means the papal seat has been vacant and that Catholic church without a valid pope. In an email sent to a sedevacantist group (http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/), Gerry writes,

I believe, and publicly teach, that the Catholic Church has always infallibly taught that because heretics are not members of the Catholic Church, they cannot validly hold office in the Church, according to divine law, and that, should they seem to hold such offices, the believing Catholic must conclude that their election to and possession of such offices is null and void. This would include, not only the manifest heretics John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II, but also the manifest heretic and present illicit and invalid occupant of the See of Peter, Benedict XVI, who has the further handicap (unlike his immediate four predecessors) of not even having been validly consecrated a bishop, which, in addition to all other considerations, makes it impossible for him to therefore function as Bishop of Rome.

That, unfortunately, puts Mr. Matatics squarely on the shooting gallery, and Bob Sungenis opens fire with a response and condemnation of Gerry’s position. Thanks you guys. Once again you have clearly demonstrated that the so-called “unity” of the Roman Catholic church is nothing more than a vapour, a mirage that wavers in and out of perception. I believe both of these guys are walking in a straight line with Roman Catholic tradition, because I believe that tradition is about as solid as a bowl of runny stew. The deliciously insane part of such a debate is that, if the seat is vacant then there’s no one to offer an infallible judgement on the current pseudo-pope. If it’s not vacant, then no one outside of Benedict XVI can offer infallible judgement on his orthodoxy. The only one who can place the label of “heretic” on a pope is a subsequent pope (as Pope Agatho condemned Pope Honorius I – but that was back before ‘papal infallibility’ was a dogma), so as long as the line of alleged “anti-popes” continue, there is no way for the Roman Catholic individual to know with certainty whether they are being infallibly guided by Christ’s representative on earth, or a raving heretic trying to lead people astray.

Therefore, I advise my friends in the Roman Catholic tradition to not argue against Protestantism on the basis of “unity” or “infallibility” because it simply does not exist.

psych made ya flinch

Ouch. Only got a 70% on my psych test, mainly because I spent so much time worrying about all the anatomical names, I didn’t spend enough time on the theory stuff. I really need to get those marks up, if I want to have a shot at some more financial support. There’s a few courses that I think I’m doing alright in, but since I haven’t gotten any feedback yet, I can’t really say for certain. I felt really good about my New Testament midterm, so I’m hoping my grades support that feeling. I’m kind of experimenting a bit in my Christian Education class, since it’s mostly writing, and I write all the time anyway. When I say “experimenting” I mean enjoying a little more relaxed writing style, keeping it real and relatively readable. My Greek is on the downside right now, but I believe I can bring that up with some extra effort. My Intro to Ministry class is a big question mark, but Dr. Lee says it would be nearly impossible to not get a ‘B,’ so I hope I can manage a little better than that.

perk me up

Got a cute little perk-me-up in the mail today, which was very welcome given the touch of a cold (never got much worse than a touch, thankfully) at the same time that papers and midterms are flying everwhere. So it was nice to receive a little care package from AnimeNation.com

Lookie! It’s Ed and Ein from one of my favorite all time animes, Cowboy Bebop! Ah, anime… how would I waste time without it?

judge not lest ye be judged

Harriet Miers has done the intelligent thing and resigned her nomination to the Supreme Court, considering the fact that she has never sat behind the bench in her whole career, and her legal escapades are about as memorable as 4-armed-Grimace. That’s not to say she couldn’t be a fantastic judge, but when you have nothing going for you professionally except your friendship with the President to rally senate support, that’s just not a whole lot. Actually, I was somewhat shocked that George couldn’t make this one stick, since he seems to be brilliant at pushing through even the least likely political appointments (read “John Bolton”).

Cheers to Mrs. Meirs for this intelligent decision, and putting the solidarity of the republican party, and the support for her friend above what would have been a tremendous promotion. (Read Google News on this topic)

beware of greeks bearing verbs

My Greek class as a whole, and my own marks, are suffering a bit right now. I’ve had a touch of something lately, and I’m hoping that offers some excuse for the C+ I got on my last grammar test. Indeed it is a partial excuse, but I’m still working on disciplining myself in my studies. It’s hard to get back into that frame of mind, especially when you’re also working a secular job, teaching, and have perhaps one too many hobbies (such as this blog).

While I’m still trying to find a comfort-zone with the nefarious “third declension,” we just initiated studies of Greek verbs. What?! Verbs?! You mean the Greeks DID things? Drat and double-drat! I thought learning ‘eimi’ (I am) was sufficient, but alas… it turns out Greeks also ran, walked, studied, talked and other such actions described by verbs. Ah well, at least I had a bit of fun with my wedding term-paper for Dr. Lee’s class. We had to describe the minister’s involvement in a wedding from first-contact to follow-up. I spent the largest portion of the paper on the pre-marital counselling, because I truly believe that is the most critical area. The “bit of fun” was pretty much limited to the couple’s names: Olaf and Helga. You can read the paper if you want – although not really all that interesting.

icky poo

Not only has the weather been pretty icky the last couple days, but so has my body. I hope I’m not getting sick, because I’ve been pretty happy with my relative health over the last while. Seriously, folks… the whole “vitamin thing?” It actually works!

I’ve committed to dealing with a couple controversial topics on the blog here, but I’ve discovered that I really have to better manage my time when it comes to writing. With term papers and assignments due all over the place, it’s just silly to spend too much time writing here. Unfortunately, I don’t think my professors mark me based on my blog contents.

Okay, just a quick point-form view on Halloween. First and foremost is the simple fact that many of the oft-repeated legends of ancient pagan origins have relatively little basis in reality. It just sounds good. So here’s some quick points:

• Yes, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “Sow-in”) was held on October 31st, the evening before the Celtic New Year.
• Yes, the Celts believed that the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead became thin or blurred on that evening, as they believed “transitory” times and places were powerful. Indeed they also had stories about dusk, dawn, beaches, horizons, etc…
• Yes, the Celts did lots of stuff on Samhain night. While it’s not clear, there may indeed have been human sacrifices performed in the Druidic rituals.
• The Celts DID NOT dress up as spirits to avoid being recognized by the dead. I know it’s in your encyclopedia, but there is just no historical record behind it.
• The Celts did not “trick or treat.” In fact, you will search in vain for a first-hand historical reference to that practice prior to the 20th Century.
• You can, however, connect the celebration of Samhain to the Roman Empire’s festival of Feralia, remembering the honored dead. You can also draw a pretty solid connection between this practice and All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2). Please note, that this does not inherently make those two days “pagan.”
• As far as Halloween being a “devil’s night” or “witches night” – the one’s who made it such were none other than Christians.
• The late-inquisitional focus on superstition and witchcraft had people pointing at everything and naming it “Satan.”
• The list of papal deliverances opened in 1233, when Gregory IX., addressing the bishops of Mainz and Hildesheim, accepted the popular demonology in its crudest forms. The devil, so Gregory asserted, was appearing in the shapes of a toad, a pallid ghost and a black cat. In language too obscene to be repeated, he described at length the orgies which took place at the meetings of men and women with demons. Where medicines did not cure, iron and fire were to be used. The rotting flesh was to be cut out. (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol 6, p.517)
• Essentially, Christians donated the evening to those who would seek to perversely offend the name of Christ. Any pagan baggage that was dangling from the rural celebrations were declared “witchcraft” and resulted in the most imaginative forms of torture and execution that should not occupy the Christ-like mind. Is it any wonder that, since the evening was thrust upon them with red-hot pokers, that they merrily took it and ran with it?
• The vast majority of North American Halloween traditions are very recent, and can only be traced back to the Great Depression, primarily in urban areas. Note that urban areas often were rich in Celtic immigrants, who no doubt, brought many a chilling tale along with them.
• The evening before All Saint’s Day became a night to blow off steam among the stressed youth in the cities. Outhouses and ashcans were toppled, along with various other sorts of vandalism.
• Going door to door asking for food was also another urban American tradition during the depression, but not until Thanksgiving evening (Nov 24) when leftovers would be available to the young beggars.
• In an attempt to keep kids off the streets (and outhouses standing upright) many parents had parties, often costume-parties, on Halloween night. Over time, as the Great Depression lifted, these assorted traditions coalesced.
• In the final analysis, there is no 100% easy answer to the Christian view on Halloween. Yes it has it’s bad points, and yes it has it’s harmless points as well. The REAL question that should be asked is, “How can I take advantage of this amazing ministry opportunity?”
• Remember, as Paul discusses the whole issue of whether or not it is appropriate to consume meat that has been sacrificed to idols, his summary statement on the matter is: “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:33)

I hope that gives you something to chew on. Again, there’s no “perfect answer” to the issue, other than making sure that whatever you do, you do it with the right motives. Hanging latex recreations of decomposing bodies probably isn’t the best thing you could do to minister to people in your neighborhood. Just a thought.

go army?

The US Army and Army Reserve has been doing a major advertising campaign, trying to entice young men (women too, but primarily men) to enlist. I can understand the need, given the shortage of soldiers and the invasion and occupation of two middle-east countries, but I really think they need some help with marketing. Shampoo ads, no matter how cheap the product, always show men and women with gorgeous, gleaming hair – supposedly representative of product users. That’s what entices the consumer to run out and purchase the shampoo.

The US Army Reserve ads are slightly less inspiring. Take this web-ad that you’ll see here n’ there, which chronicals the past, present, and future professional-life victories one young man has achieved. When the biggest immediate perk to joining the Army Reserve is the chance that you can lead a “full civilian life,” it’s not worth it. Join the Army Reserves… and you might actually survive.

Please note, this is not their original ad, as I enhanced the phrase in question, and edited the ending. Oh, and if your target market is low-income Christian right-wingers, don’t choose Staff Sergeant PAGAN as your poster boy. It’s a subliminal thing. “Lt. Gonna Liveforever” would probably be a better choice. A guy who’s gone on to become an engineer, or a teacher would even be better than someone who’s managed to “live a full civilian life.” I wonder what their penal-industry promotions are like. “Become a corrections officer in the American Prison system: There’s a good chance you won’t get shivved!”

midterm madness

I forgot how much I hated tests! I truly believe that testing serves the teachers, and not the students. It’s a method that teachers can use to determine if they are capable of engaging a subject with a group of people in such a way that they are able to retain the information discussed. Tests do not, I repeat, DO NOT encourage information retention. In fact, I submit that testing actually encourages students to treat information as disposable – tossing things into memory in order to deal with an immediate need, such as a test or exam, allowing the data to be easily expelled shortly after the immediate need has passed.

But that’s a rant for another day. For now, it’s back to studying the various diagrams and terminology for the brain and senses. Wheeeeeee.

greek test tomorrow

We’ve got another Greek grammar test tomorrow, which will include parsing and translation excercises. If you’re like me, and like to have the paradigms that we have to memorize together in one document, an Adobe Acrobat PDF of the 3 declension paradigms, and all the pronouns. Enjoy.

christian education powerpoints

If you’re in Carol-Anne Janzen’s Christian Education class, and are having difficulties with her powerpoints because of of the Mac font she uses, you can click here to download a self-extracting file that will install the “Chalkboard” true-type font.

Jordan said he’s like to read my incredibly sarcastic commentary on MacLean’s magazine, which was one of my assignments for CE. So, here ya go Jordan!