Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Year: 2006

You are Here :
Christian Witness, Current Events

Mmmmm meat?

In Cruelty to roaches? Fr. Martin Fox asks:

Other than being utterly revolting, will someone please explain the objection to this?

PETA upset at Six Flags roach contest

GURNEE, Ill. – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants Six Flags Great America to scrap its Halloween-themed cockroach-eating promotion.

A spokeswoman for the animal rights organization says the contest at the amusement park’s FrightFest is “gratuitously cruel.”

The park in Gurnee, Ill., is joining other Six Flags parks in offering unlimited line-jumping privileges to anyone who eats a live Madagascar hissing cockroach. The bugs are up to three inches long.

The contest begins next month.

Amusement park officials are defending their menu choice. Great America spokesman Jim Taylor says the bugs are nutritious, high in protein and fat free.

Now, I am definitely not a PETA person. I like my steak, pork, chicken, veal, fois gras, lamb, and many other delicacies made from living stuff.

God gave the earth to sentient beings —“ us, i.e., human beings —“ not to animals. Animals were given to us, to serve us. At the same time, we bear the responsibility of stewardship for the resources we have been given.

I didn’t want to take up Fr. Fox’s comment boxes with a long post so I’d like to answer his question here.

I think the whole issue —“ and PETA has it right in this case —“ is that the event is gratuitous. It’s just another one of those ‘anything goes’ tears in the fabric of society. Some will laugh, others will be grossed out. Regardless, the essential question goes to purpose. What is the intent, the purpose of this exercise?

  • Is it to earn money for the contestants —“ then my question, Is money enough of a reason?
  • Is it to entertain —“ then my question, Is entertainment enough of a reason?
  • Is it to get all native (well the tribe of such-and-so exotic place eats these all the time) —“ then my question, Why not do a National Geographic about it?
  • Is it to educate —“ then see the previous question.

Fr. Joseph Huneycutt stated in Practical Tips for Orthodox Living:

2 – A blessing (grace, we called it) is said by the head of the family before a meal, and a prayer of thanks afterward.

Thus the objection (at least mine). Fine, kill all the cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, and other annoying insects. That would be appropriate (and appreciated). Just doing something for the sake of doing it doesn’t fit with our faith nor with the proper ordering of our relationship to the world. It is right to the Pope’s most recent comments. Faith and reason cannot be separate.

As an aside: When I was in seminary I had a classmate who would have made a perfect PETA spokesman. He fully believed that animals are sentient, had souls equal to human souls, and that they will go to heaven; this from a person who considered himself to be ‘orthodox.’ He said more rosaries than I could count, probably for the repose of the ‘souls’ of animals.

As a second aside: Recent reporting notes that the amusement park industry is really hurting. Six Flags has been divesting itself of parks across the country, keeping only those that provide the best bottom line. I would assume that this reasoning has a lot to do with the event —“ get the guests in no matter what…

Current Events, Media

Panagia Elona recovered

From the BBC: Greek police recover stolen icon:

Greek police have recovered a priceless 700-year-old icon stolen last month in a daring raid on a cliffside monastery…

…and check out the snarky comment by a BBC reporter from the same article:

The BBC’s Malcolm Brabant in Athens says the deeply religious and superstitious people who worship at the Elona monastery attribute the discovery to the power of prayer.

Homilies,

The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Spójnia Sunday)

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
—If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.—

Father Andrew, honored guests, my brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate Spójnia Sunday, a day on which we reflect upon the connection between faith and works, a day on which we celebrate the insight and common sense of our Church’s founder, Bishop Francis Hodur, and of all our ancestors.

Indeed, this weekend we, in New York’s Capital Region, celebrate a great festival highlighting Polish and Polish-American culture. We highlight a people of faith, determination, and common sense.

These two celebrations flow from our unique heritage, from the strength of our traditions and from our commitment to the truth and honesty found in Catholic-Christianity.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors understood Jesus’ lesson. They understood Jesus’ instruction regarding our place and our service.

They focused on faith.

Their strong Catholic faith was not an aside or a pastime; it was the center of their existence. From this center, from this grounding in Catholic-Christian ethics, they worked tirelessly for freedom, freedom from tyranny, freedom of expression, and freedom to worship God in full faith. They held to a dream that transcends national borders, while holding fast to a culture that joyously celebrates, and strongly defends the faith.

Through their hard work, they integrated themselves into the dream that is America. They put that dream into action in organizations like Spójnia, understanding the connection between faith, hard work, and the values enshrined in Our Country’s Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…

They struggled.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors realized that the struggle was not just of the moment, but of eternity.

This week’s reading from the Book of Wisdom foretells the suffering of Christ —“ and of all Christians bound to Him.

Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.

This is the judgment of the worldly. Let us put God and His Church to the test. Let us gather evidence. Let us see if God is real and if His people hold the truth.

God Himself was put to the test in more than the philosophical sense. God Himself condescended to be mocked, dragged, beaten, whipped, and killed on a cross.

What the world didn’t realize was that the very test it subjected Him to would be His vindication. He proved Himself, not because He had to, but because He loves us.

His vindication was the raising of His Son from the grave to life. Jesus stood victorious over death and separated all of us from the snares of the world. Jesus showed us that the struggle is only a prelude to eternal perfection in His kingdom.

Our ancestors understood that well.

They set to work.

Last week’s second reading from James focused on the connection between faith and works. James took a very common sense approach to describing the fullness of the Christian life. Anyone can say they have faith in Jesus, but without the corresponding works, by which their faith is exhibited, their proclamation means nothing.

Today St. James tells us that:

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.

As Catholic-Christians our responsibility must correspond to and come from the teaching of Jesuis Christ. These responsibilities have been delegated to us by our ancestors and our fathers in faith. We are to avoid all semblance of the disorder created by self interest, ambition, and jealousy. We, like Bishop Hodur, and our ancestors, are to engage in work for the common good.

That is why Spójnia, the Polish National Union of America is more than just an organization. It is a symbol and a public witness to our work. It is a symbol and a witness to our working together for the common good, setting ourselves as servants of each other, and of all people.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors understood Jesus’ lesson very well, and by faith, work, and struggle they lived His word.

We, our families, our community, our organizations, and the Church are all called to struggle against evil. We are to uphold the banner of truth —“ the only truth there is —“ God’s truth. And, we are to work diligently on our salvation and for that of our brothers and sisters.

Amen.

Everything Else

My iPod Shuffle

From Fr. Jim Tucker: This Week’s Ipod Shuffle

Get your iPod or media-player of choice, select your whole music collection, set the thing to shuffle (i.e., randomized playback), then post the first ten songs that come out. No cheating, no matter how stupid it makes you feel! Maybe link the songs to online music stores for readers’ convenience.

Here’s mine…

  1. I Could Get Used to This, Diane Schuur – Pure Schuur
  2. All My Ex’s Live in Texas, George Strait – Greatest Hits Volume II
  3. Splendid Isolation, Warren Zevon —“ Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon
  4. Boondocks, Little Big Town —“ The Road to Here
  5. Witaj Matko uwielbiona, In Crudo —“ Jest drabina do nieba
  6. In My Time of Dying, Led Zepplin —“ Physical Grafitti
  7. I’ll Hold You in My Heart (‘Til I Can Hold You in My Arms), Eddy Arnold —“ Johnny Cash Artist’s Choice
  8. Hawai’i ’78, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Facing Future
  9. Active piosenka, Grzesiek Góralczyk
  10. Porcelana, Anita Lipnicka —“ Moje oczy są zielone
Current Events, Political

A question

Based on Hugo Chavez’ insults directed at President Bush, do you think that one of Mr. Bush’s children (or his brother) will run for President so as to avenge the insults against the Bush family?

Think of it, the U.S. invades Venezuela to overthrow the mean Mr. Chavez (oh yeah, and the oil thing all over again).

You’re welcome to discuss in the land of nightmares.

Current Events, Political

Threats coming home to roost

It appears that Bush administration threats, and their way of doing business, are being exposed by world leaders. The President of Pakistan, in a stunning revelation, discusses Bush administration tactics with the Times.

While Bush’s father used diplomacy (walk softly and all that…) the son never got beyond the stick.

This little snapshot from the pages of the Bush doctrine should serve as notice to everyone in the world, and especially to opponents at home, that we will be crushed to powder if Bush Jr. doesn’t get his way. He might just begin to loose sight of the little barriers that exist in his mind between terrorism and democracy.

If anyone saw Mr. Bush on CNN the previous night you’ll have noticed just how prone he is to anger and threats when he is cornered.

Here are a few excerpts from the Times article on Bush administration threats past and present: We’ll bomb you to Stone Age, US told Pakistan: Musharraf reveals post-9/11 threat in book serialized by The Times

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, the President of Pakistan, claimed last night that the Bush Administration threatened to bomb his country —into the Stone Age— if it did not co-operate with the US after 9/11, sharply increasing tensions between the US and one of its closest allies in the war on terrorism.

The President, who will meet Mr. Bush in the White House today, said the threat was made by Richard Armitage, then the Deputy Secretary of State, in the days after the terror attacks, and was issued to the Pakistani intelligence director.

—The intelligence director told me that [Armitage] said, ‘Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age’,— President Musharraf said. —I think it was a very rude remark.— The claims come at the end of a week in which relations between the US and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated, and days ahead of the publication of President Musharraf’s memoir, In the Line of Fire, which will be serialised in The Times from Monday.

On Wednesday, President Bush, in an interview with CNN, said that he would not hesitate to authorise immediate American military action inside Pakistan if he had intelligence of Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts. Asked if he would give an order to kill the al-Qaeda leader, Mr Bush said —absolutely—.

President Musharraf was clearly angered by Mr Bush’s declaration that the US would act independently of his authority inside Pakistan…

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023