Meanderings

J'Accuse

I just finished reading a short book of poetry written by Israeli author Ahron Shabtai and translated by Peter Cole called, "J'Accuse". It was a challenging read for me, not because the material was unfamiliar or complex, but because the point of view as so very different from my own. Shabtai is a man who deeply loves his country and is harshly critical of his government's policies. He is an idealist who sincerely believes that Israel's best course of action would be to demilitarize, throw open the borders of the Territories, and to embrace those who shout for Jewish blood.

While I can empathize with his revulsion at the violence (he mentions only violence against Arabs, but it obviously goes both ways), I cannot comprehend the thinking that would assume a positive outcome for Israel if his way were made national policy. To me this is analogous to the United States inviting Al Qaeda and Taliban members to reside here so that they can see that American's aren't so bad.

No, some relationships are not reconcilable and romanticizing about a Disney ending to the Israeli-Palestinian tensions is, just like Disney, the stuff of fantasy.

Provocative Words on the Eve of Ash Wednesday

Stephen Fry presents a scathing indictment of the Catholic Church in this 20 minute video. A thought provoking way to begin the Lenten season.

The Intelligence² Debate - Stephen Fry (Unedited)
Uploaded by Xrunner17. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Suck It Up and Ruck On

Today's guest opinion was authored by philosopher Robert Munyan.

How do you tell some one to “Suck it up and ruck on” when they have no  understanding what that really means or the definition of the terms?

First you have to understand “Suck” is a noun. It is quite literally the thing that separates the men from the boys. It is not until you know suck that you can truly understand the subtle difference between hurt and injured, pain vs. anguish, intestinal fortitude vs. pride. Everybody has their own personnel level of suck that they can endure. Suck is a measure of a man that can not be defined for that individual with out experiencing it. In other words if you are relying on this definition to find the meaning of suck you will never truly understand suck. I use the word man here subjectively just as in mankind, or human. There are many women out there who know the true meaning of suck (no pun or sexual innuendo intended here). I have met many women who can endure just as much if not more than any man.

Ruck- for those that don’t know this is the backpack that you carry around in the military. Used here however it refers to your load, or burden you must shoulder. There is no greater humiliation than to have someone shoulder your load for you.
So if someone tells you to “ Suck it up and ruck on” you’ll know that they don’t think you have reached your limit, and that your whining because your are being mentally weak. But they are also challenging, and telling you to prove them wrong.
So all I have to say to all you whining little “the worlds not fair” people “Suck it up and ruck on!” ...

Have a Greedy 2010

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. 

Greed is right. Greed works.

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.

Saturday's Philosophy Lesson

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) was a medieval philosopher who posited the notion that there are two classifications of beings: necessary beings, or those that must exist, and contingent beings, those that may exist but whose existence is not necessary. I find it an interesting intellectual exercise to organize things in this fashion.

Burris Should Stay!

Why should Roland Burris be required to resign when his alleged quid pro quo pales in comparison to the political payback contained in the Obama stimulus plan. What's a few hundred thousand dollars compared to nearly a trillion?

Also, I believe that the Honorable Mr. Burris is being unfairly targeted by his political opponents and their co-conspiritors in the mainstream media. Mr. Burris' many years of public service should not be tarnished by a simple misunderstanding and the failure of the investigative committee to ask the right questions. Keep in mind that Senator Burris divulged the incriminating information voluntarily absent the impetus of subpoena or other document discovery request. Mr. Burris is the consummate Illinois politician and deserves to hold his seat in the U.S. Senate as much as his predecessor.

The Latest Irony

Just a few days ago a group called Catholicvote.org posted this video on YouTube and began soliciting Catholic voters for funds to distribute it to commercial media channels. I find the irony of the video tragically ironic in light of the fact that President Obama just signed an Executive Order releasing funds to support abortions throughout the developing world.

Burris For Senate

Is Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich under suspicion for all sorts of unethical and possibly illegal activities? Yes. Does this cast a pall on all of his activities until this situation is resolved one way or the other? Yes.

Do these suspicions, however, absolve him from his responsibilities as Governor or disempower him from acting in that capacity? No. If legislation appears on his desk he is still responsible for acting upon it, positively or negatively. He is still responsible for delivering a State of the State address later this month to inform the citizens of Illinois of the status of their great state. Therefore, I believe that the U.S. Senate and the Illinois Secretary of State are acting inappropriately, and perhaps illegally, in their rejection of Governor Blagojevich's Senatorial appointment Roland Burris.

He is more qualified to assume that Senate seat than Barack Obama was when he won the election in 2005. He has been Attorney General of the State of Illinois, National Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Operation PUSH, and has held a number of other federal and state offices.

To deny as eminently qualified a leader as Roland Burris access to his rightful place in the Senate is analogous to slamming the bus doors in Rosa Parks' face. He is the duly appointed successor to Barack Obama and should be sworn in immediately.

Comparative Sinning

In the world of divine judgment, are all sins created equally or are some worse than others? In the Catholic tradition, there are certainly "levels" for lack of a better word of sin. Some are worse than others and yield a more significant penance upon confession. I don't know the basis upon which priests evaluate sins for their severity, but I don't think it's in the Bible. In my readings, and they are not exhaustive, I have never seen a hierarchical breakdown or listing of sin and their concurrent penances. This would be convenient for people to have in their day-to-day decision making processes. Such a listing exists in human law, at least in the State of Washington. Title 9 of the Revised Code of Washington is the Criminal Code and very specifically lists crimes and their punishments. It would have been nice if God had thought of that and provided Moses a few more tablets to lug down Mt. Sinai. It would have been a pain for old Moshe, but it would have made things a lot clearer for the rest of us over the next five millennia.

The Protestant denominations that I am familiar with do not believe in the employment of a human confessor, an intermediary between themselves and the Almighty. They simply repent of their sins, ask for forgiveness, and upon doing so are cleansed of these sins and brought back into good standing with God. This is where I become confused. Is the child who told a lie about his sister regarded in the same way by God as the man who blasted six people with a shotgun while holding up a liquor store? If the answer is yes, then I have a difficult time reconciling that.  If the answer is no, then I'd be interested in learning the scriptural basis for the differentiation.

Humanity or Security

If one's enemies are fighting amongst themselves what is our role? Do we help the casualties of this conflict? Do we stand aside and thank God because each day that they fight with each other they are not bombing us? Do we offer refuge to people fleeing the conflict? Do we put our soldiers at risk to help these refugees who, on a different day, would be shooting at out soldiers? Do we have an obligation to send the refugees back if the recognized legal authority requests their return (even if that might mean their imprisonment or execution?)

These are but a few of the many ethical questions facing the leaders of Israel as Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah battle one another for control of Gaza.

The BBC reports on this developing situation here.