Saturday, January 15, 2005
A Simple Prayer
Inform my conscience
give me the silence to hear
the strength to follow
give me the silence to hear
the strength to follow
Friday, January 14, 2005
Conscientious Objection
In this article, Lutherans Recommend Tolerance on Gay Policy, we find that a Lutheran task force of clergy and laypeople worked for three years to recommend that penalties levied on clergy who bless same-sex unions should remain in place, but do not need to be enforced. In this way, they say, those who are against homosexual marriage still can say Lutherans do not allow it, while those who are for same-sex marriage can perform a blessing without being kicked out on their ear. The church will vote on the recommendation next August.
Those who defy church policies now face a range of disciplinary actions. The approach would allow those who agree and disagree with the policy to stay within the church, the group said.So... everybody wins? What about those people who believe that same-sex unions are sinful setups and that blessing them in the Lutheran Church is placing God's blessing on sin? Do they win? The happy couple gets their marriage blessed and the faithfilled congregant gets to sit in the pew, turn his or her head away and conscientiously object.
The task force didn't want legislation: that would have created a win-lose situation," said the Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. "They wanted to legitimize both sides of the issue. This allows each side to be conscientious objectors, allows them to legitimately disagree and act on it and not be disciplined for it."
Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Prayer of Simeon
A nice article about the Pope, reflecting on a Canticle from the book of Revelations. JP II ended like this:
The prayer of Simeon is all the more passionate when delivered by someone who is suffering so in his own life... as John Paul II is. My prayers are with him.
I think it was in the National Catholic Register this last week where I read about the faith journey of another Methodist, like myself, who found his way to the Catholic Faith. When asked why he became Catholic, this man said something like, "I began to take my faith seriously. Anyone who takes Christianity seriously will find themselves drawn to Catholic reading." I don't want to leave the impression that Methodists or Presbyterians or Lutherans are not serious in their faith, but I certainly found that statement to be true. When I began taking my faith seriously, I found myself drawn to the history of my faith... and finally into RCIA.
In this connection, the Holy Father concluded his meditation by quoting a moving prayer attributed to Simeon, bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, in Persia, as he faced martyrdom in 341.
"I want to persevere heroically in my vocation, fulfill with fortitude the task that was assigned to me, and be an example to all your people," the Pope quoted the martyr as saying.
The quote continued: "I shall receive life that knows not pain, or concern, or anguish, or persecutor, or persecuted, or oppressor, or oppressed, or tyrant, or victim; there I shall no longer see the king's menace, nor the terror of prefects; no one who takes me to court and continues to terrify me, no one who drags me or frightens me.
"The wounds of my feet will heal in you, O way of all pilgrims; the exhaustion of my members will find rest in you, Christ, chrism of our unction. In you, chalice of salvation, sadness will vanish from my heart; in you, our consolation and joy, the tears of my eyes will be wiped away."
The prayer of Simeon is all the more passionate when delivered by someone who is suffering so in his own life... as John Paul II is. My prayers are with him.
I think it was in the National Catholic Register this last week where I read about the faith journey of another Methodist, like myself, who found his way to the Catholic Faith. When asked why he became Catholic, this man said something like, "I began to take my faith seriously. Anyone who takes Christianity seriously will find themselves drawn to Catholic reading." I don't want to leave the impression that Methodists or Presbyterians or Lutherans are not serious in their faith, but I certainly found that statement to be true. When I began taking my faith seriously, I found myself drawn to the history of my faith... and finally into RCIA.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Good for the Goose...
Mary Mapes, the CBS producer/talent who "got" the President Bush Texas Air National Guard memo scoop, says she's getting a raw deal in the CBS report.
If, indeed, she did everything right, imagine how she must feel having lies reported about her all across the nation.
I wonder if she might get a clue about how President Bush feels when Mapes, Rather, and so many others lied about his service.
Update: Powerline has a nice piece of analysis on Mapes' response.
If, indeed, she did everything right, imagine how she must feel having lies reported about her all across the nation.
I wonder if she might get a clue about how President Bush feels when Mapes, Rather, and so many others lied about his service.
Update: Powerline has a nice piece of analysis on Mapes' response.
Monday, January 10, 2005
CBS Report: False Witness
How interesting. Just as our RCIA class beings studying the 10 Commandments, the CBS report comes out, giving us a great example of what not to do. I took the time to read the report and was surprised at the weak response of CBS. If you remember, the issue was that 60 Minutes/Wednesday reported that a Kerry fundraiser, Ben Barnes, and four faked documents proved that President Bush was a screw up in the Air National Guard and only got in because of his family name. The panel investigating wrote a report showing that nothing CBS reported could be proven. In fact, the report says that Dan Rather didn't even believe his own apology to its viewers and to this day beleives the story is true "because the facts fit."
Let's say that story wasn't about a presidential candidate just before an election, let's say it was about me or you and every single item in the report was shown to be made up and untrue. Would you want an apology? I sure would. Did the panel recommend that Dan Rather and 60 Minutes apologize to President Bush? No.
There can be no reconcilliation if there is no admission of sin. Mary Mapes, Dan Rather and CBS News were out to get President Bush any way they could. They didn't let the facts stand in their way. If an expert said a document was false, that expert was ignored. If a source said the documents came from a third party, that third part was never contacted. If a source was negative toward President Bush, that source was unimpeachable and included. If a source was positive toward President Bush, that source was considered impeached and sullied and thrown out. These type of decisions are not the type of decisions made by journalists, they are the type of decisions made by politicians. Reporting from only one side makes a report political and the fact that the panel could find no political bias is ridiculous.
Let's say that story wasn't about a presidential candidate just before an election, let's say it was about me or you and every single item in the report was shown to be made up and untrue. Would you want an apology? I sure would. Did the panel recommend that Dan Rather and 60 Minutes apologize to President Bush? No.
There can be no reconcilliation if there is no admission of sin. Mary Mapes, Dan Rather and CBS News were out to get President Bush any way they could. They didn't let the facts stand in their way. If an expert said a document was false, that expert was ignored. If a source said the documents came from a third party, that third part was never contacted. If a source was negative toward President Bush, that source was unimpeachable and included. If a source was positive toward President Bush, that source was considered impeached and sullied and thrown out. These type of decisions are not the type of decisions made by journalists, they are the type of decisions made by politicians. Reporting from only one side makes a report political and the fact that the panel could find no political bias is ridiculous.
