Religion: A source of division?

The following was an article I read online. These aren't my words (as if I could write like this!). I just thought it was a great article!


"I was taken aback recently when an old friend of mine argued the position that religion is a major divisive force in the world. In light of recent events, he argues that religion is virtually the only thing that is dividing people in Kashmir and the Middle East, just as it was religion that divided Ireland, not to mention Iran and Iraq."

To read more from this article, go to
www.lifeissues.net/writers/mcm/mcm_43religiondivision.html

The Passive/Agressive Evil

"The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see the final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clear, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice."

— from the Preface to The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Nice quote. Is the "greatest evil" done by the passive/aggressive? By the subtle? Or is evil itself subtle? Does it always look like "nine - eleven" terrorism? Surely those were evil acts! Nowadays we are afraid to even mention the word. The word offends, even judges. But unfortunately, it is real...it is very real. We find it in politics/government, schools, businesses,marriages, even churches. Yes, we find it within ourselves. Maybe that's why these institutions appear corrupt. From what Merton calles the "false self". That's a whole other blog entry!

1 John 1:8 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

So, there is good news here and bad news. Bad news, we are in fact sinners...which means we must wrestle with evil within ourselves, to work on removing the log in our own eye. This is a lifelong process. I doubt we will have much time to be concerned with the splinter in our brother's eye. Turns out, his splinter is his own log also. But ahh, the good news, He is faithful and just and will forgive us if we but only ask. Vs. 9 says He will "purify us from all unrighteousness."

When I was on the Applachian Trail, I remember the bliss of a hot shower after being out on the trail for a week, smelling like roadkill. Nothing to bathe in but rain and a pond here and there. Sweet purgatory. After all that is what it is isn't it? The difference, being a "purging", a purifying "yet so as by fire". (1 Cor 3 :15). My guess, a painful process. Unfortunately, purgatory appears misunderstood by Protestants and Catholics alike. Purgatory...this too is another blog entry!

Ok Murph, off your soapbox. All of this to say sin can appear neat and clean, even attractive. If we would only ask for God's Irish Spring and become "clean as a whistle"!

Pax Christi,
Murph

Show Me The Money!!!

This is just what we need people! Hey, I'm not complaining in terms of getting more dough back from Uncle Sam, BUT...

We all need to tighten our belts. From the feds to little Jimmy who makes 25 bucks a week on his paper route. Let's face it, times are tough! I think part of the problem today is that we have such high standards of living. We need to head in a direction that will allow the grampas out there to stop sayin, "When I was your age..."

After all, they have a point. They were lucky to have ONE car in the driveway. Steak was a luxury. And your own bedroom...much less with an Xbox 360, home entertainment center, your own phone line...no, wait I forgot, kids have their own cell phones today.

Will we, as Americans step down from such "royalty"? Not to be a skeptic but I doubt it. But I think most would agree--we NEED to. I admit, I feel the pull of the Joneses. But then I come back to reality and realize that there is not enough Prozac in the world to keep the Joneses happy. "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?" And gaining the whole world? That's to heavy anyway!

Gospel Reading for today...

Mt 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats. Every time I read this, I am reminded of Kieth Green's song, "The Sheep and the Goats". It still moves me today.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’


Those on His right, the ones who clothed, cared, fed, visited these "brothers of the king". They served (unaware)as seving the king himself. Oh, to be able to see the face of Jesus in everyone we meet. The prisoners, the homeless, the rich, the poor, believers and nonbelievers, gay, straight, black, white and on and on. Why is it so hard to do this? Isn't it easier to send "missionaries" to do it for us? After all, that's what we pay them for right? Which are we, sheep or goats? It is too easy to be surrounded in the "safety" of our "Christian circles". But as Lewis says about Aslan, "He is anything but safe!"

OK, off my soapbox.

"Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

The sin of omission. Yeah, I'm guilty. Not beating myself up here but today's Gospel is pretty clear on the difference on what we do and don't do. Sola Fide doesn't seem to work here. Sola, alone. As if we are saved by faith alone. As if our salvation has nothing to do with "works". Works without faith is dead. Faith without works...well, what kind of faith is that. Can we earn our way to heaven? No. Do we have a ticket though for just believing? Even the demons believe and shrudder. I know there are many divisions especially between Catholics and Protestants on what it means to be "saved". That's a bummer really.

Getting on another rabbit trail. There I go again. The soapbox!

Christ calls us to action, a living faith, an active faith. Not to be bench warmers. Not to be "goats". But to be sheep, His sheep. Let us be thankful today for the Good Shepherd and in that thanks serve one another as if we are doing it to the Lord.

God bless and have a great week.

For you Super Mario nerds...and one for Indian Jones fans

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

I find today's reading troubling. And yet, somehow reminds me that even the greatest of kings can fall. See http://www.usccb.org/nab/020108.shtml. 2 Samuel passage.

Ok. David is called a man after God's own heart. He wrote many of the Psalms. Killed Goliath with a stone's throw (let's see Dice K do that one!), humbly served his king (Saul) even with Saul's threat of killing David, loved his son even with his rebellious ways...face it, he was a man's man. If we could only be half the man David was!

Yet, today's reading alarms us when "the man after God's own heart" falls in adultery with the woman he noticed from his roof top, Bathsheba. She was very beautiful in appearance the scripture notes. She gets pregnant and loses her husband to the front lines of war. David covers up his affair by sending in Uriah to die in battle.

Adultery, murder. Two of the "biggies". (Maybe mortal and venial sins start to make sense here!). How does such a man fall? This becomes humbling to us as Christians. There is a saying, "Be careful when standing at the top of Everest. A step in any direction is a step down." No matter how "good" we are. No matter how much integrity, how much strength, courage. We can fall. There but the Grace of God go I.

I think us men in the church should take note of David's fall. Lust kills. Not only us but others. For those of us who might struggle with this sin, be not afraid. Because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 Jn 4:4

Pax Christi

Today's Mass readings

Mark 3:22-30

vs. 24-25 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."

This seems to follow up with yesterday's readings. What comes to my mind this morning is what good old Abe said. "United we stand, divided, we fall."

Republican vs. Democrat. Conservative vs. Liberal. Heck, it seems like we have more division in the "UNITED" States than the Civil War era! Why is that? Maybe because we are in an "individual" era. It's all about me. I am the center of the universe. I think what this country needs is a big group hug. Men need to get in touch with their "feminine" sides and women, their "masculine" sides...oh, wait that's already happening. So much so, that we don't know who the heck we are any more. God forbid we discuss "roles" within marriage or even children obeying their parents. After all, "it's all about me and what I want" right? Wrong! I think I did learn a few things in the Army. How come we have the best military in the world? Because everyone has a part to play and if one does not "play" it, there will be consequenses. Our culture has misunderstood the word equality. Sure, we are created equal but NOT the same. There is a reason for our differences. My wife once said that America used to be the melting pot but now we are a tossed salad. Again, united we stand, divided we fall.

As I write this I find a paradox going on here. We need to be united, "ONE nation under God". One nation but many parts. The individuals with the same goal, the same end in sight. Ahh, I think I got it. One nation under me? Under you? Under man, woman, gay, straight, liberal, conservative? Nope. Under God. I think that has to be the unifying factor. If not, we will indeed be divided. Again, we seem to be in the age of the "self". Where the self is the final destination. All the current issues in our lives ironicly can be solved not by serving the self but by dying to self (of course so that He may live).

Maybe I am an idealist. Maybe I am just dreaming. As if we could all die to ourselves and focus on the One who created us. After all, that would achieve unity wouldn't it?

Live once, die twice. Live twice, die once.

God bless.

Today's Mass readings

1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree in what you say,and that there be no divisions among you,but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.I mean that each of you is saying,“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”Is Christ divided?Was Paul crucified for you?Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning."

Right from the start...divisions! Now add 2 thousand years, a "reformation", multiple schisms and what do get? A lot of confused people wondering/asking, "what is the church?"

Is Christ divided? No. Therefore His church should not be divided. I guess the problem is that His church is full of us human beings! Oh how we always get in the way. Heck, if I am honest with myself, there is division within me. Can't seem to fit with the saints, more at home with the sinners. I guess it's comforting that He came for the sinners.

We must strive for Christian unity. First question is how? How do we strive for such a task? When I reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church, I figured I was "back home". No more division. Wrong. SSPX vs. Novus Ordo. Pre vs. Post Vatican II. Like Charlie Brown says...Uuggggghhhh!

So, how do we strive? Maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe the right question is not how do "we" strive but how "I" strive for this unity.

1)Work on me first. More time in prayer, solitude, time alone with our Lord. Daily time in the Scriptures. Studying, praying, absorbing the Word of God.

2)Create more unity at home with my wife and kids. Daily examining my conscience as a father and husband. This of course seems tough. I guess I have to go back to step one on this one.
...Ok assuming I can get the first one down, prioritizing time spent with the family. I mean, how am I supposed to prioritize between the Xbox 360 and doing an activity with my wife and kids! (Only sort of joking on that one.) This is where I find going to Mass together so important. Receiving the Body and Blood or our Lord together, being unified with fellow Catholics around the world--what a mystery! Oh the Sacraments (see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13295a.htm). A sign of something sacred and hidden, a mystery. "The redemption of man was not accomplished in an invisible manner. God renewed, through the Patriarchs and the Prophets, the promise of salvation made to the first man; external symbols were used to express faith in the promised Redeemer: "all these things happened to them [the Israelites] in figure" (1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 10:1). "So we also, when we were children, were serving under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman" (Galatians 4:3-4). The Incarnation took place because God dealt with men in the manner that was best suited to their nature. " Ok, I am on a rabbit trail with this one, bear with me. Isn't it like God to touch our senses? To touch our humanity? But I digress...

Back to the unity thing. After being married for 5 years now, I realize how difficult it can be sometime to be united with my wife on such topics as disciplining the kids, what to do with our finances, how to prioritize our time, etc. After thinking about all of this, I think I have my hands full with working on family unity.

Maybe that's why God gives us families. To learn how to die to self and serve others. To put others first. Maybe being a desert father never looked so good!

Ok, now I am really rambling. I gotta get ready to take the fam to Sesame Street live. Who knows, maybe I will be "unified" with Tommy and Molly in enjoying Elmo dance around.
More thoughts later.

Here Goes!

Here goes. I'm not much of a writer. More of a talker. But I figure I'll give my family and friends a break from my soapbox and try a new outlet.

A little about me...
I am a 34 y/o Catholic convert (or should i say a reconciled Catholic) from being an Evangelical Christian for about 18 years. I guess I came to the conclusion that the problem with the Catholic Church is that it is full of human beings (of which I happen to be one;a chief of sinners even!). For many years, being somewhat of an idealist, I was always trying to find out what was wrong with Christianity. All the hypocrites, the sin within, the division, etc. Many influences on this journey have been Kreeft, Chesterton, Lewis, and studying Francis of Assisi, etc. Of course add Scott Hahn, mixed with a bit of Mark Shea, and well, I guess my mind was on to something. One influential book, Peter Kreeft's book Fundamentals of the Faith, explains it well. First, we must see if Truth exists (or is it all relative). If it does, there must be things that aren't true. Ok, is there a God? Who is this God? I believe He the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob. I believe in Jesus. I believe in the Holy Spirit. Yep, the Trinity. (See Apostle's Creed. I think that does a pretty good job defining who God is as defined in the Holy Scriptures.).I guess I made it this far as an Evangelical. But there was always an unanswered question floating around in my head. What is the Church?! What is this business about "One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church"? Ahh, that is the question that I pursued for many years until coming to believe in...One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
The story is much deeper than that but I guess that is my journey in a really small nutshell.
I'd write more but I gotta go to Mass with the fam.

Pax Christi