Friday, October 26, 2012
How a Grammar Nerd Grows to Love God
Doing research for my Natural Theology paper, I started to ponder how we talk about God. I am reading about divine impassibility: God's ability to stand unaffected by external influences. "Impassible" and "passive" are, of course, etymologically related, and so I began to wonder if we can use passive verbs to talk about God. Well, we do: "was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary... was crucified... was buried..." All these verbs describe the Incarnation. How beautiful is the divine humility of the Incarnation, that it allowed the All-Powerful God to take on passive verbs?
Friday, October 19, 2012
Women and Office Supplies
Due to politicking, retreating, and researching, I don't have a long time to get on my soapbox about the most recent presidential debate. Much as I would love to comment on my mental image of "binders of women," which then led to images of filing cabinets overflowing with women and eerily dovetailed with recent discussions of pornography and sex trafficking. (I don't understand the objectification of people. I really just don't.)
However, in spite of the fantastic images Romney conjured, the plan of action he gave (for use on an individual level) was laudable. In place of my analysis/soapbox, have a look-see at this one here.
However, in spite of the fantastic images Romney conjured, the plan of action he gave (for use on an individual level) was laudable. In place of my analysis/soapbox, have a look-see at this one here.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Crisis Averted
Besides the president, several other political offices will appear on my ballot in two weeks, including Senator and Representative. Being a "swing voter" (I've rarely if ever voted a straight ticket for one party), I ponder each position before voting. And I was having an impossible time figuring out upon whom I should bestow my vote for the House.
The two choices in VA 11th: Chris Perkins (R) and Gerry Connolly (D). I'm not a fan of Connolly. Besides being tired of him for voting against pro-life and for pro-abortion legislation, I have watched his poor constituent relations annoy my sister for the past few years. However, Perkins is a pro-choice Republican, so basically disagrees with me on everything. I broke my rule about never voting in primaries to vote against him, so I would not be in the situation. Up until this weekend, I had more or less decided to leave that question blank.
However, by the grace of God, I have a sister who is politically aware and takes the time to help me out. So she found the candidate for whom I should vote: Chris DeCarlo, who is rapping his way to Washington. That's right; this modern-day Mr. Smith is using educational raps to make his way to Congress, where he will fight political corruption.
Crisis averted. I have found a politician to support.
The two choices in VA 11th: Chris Perkins (R) and Gerry Connolly (D). I'm not a fan of Connolly. Besides being tired of him for voting against pro-life and for pro-abortion legislation, I have watched his poor constituent relations annoy my sister for the past few years. However, Perkins is a pro-choice Republican, so basically disagrees with me on everything. I broke my rule about never voting in primaries to vote against him, so I would not be in the situation. Up until this weekend, I had more or less decided to leave that question blank.
However, by the grace of God, I have a sister who is politically aware and takes the time to help me out. So she found the candidate for whom I should vote: Chris DeCarlo, who is rapping his way to Washington. That's right; this modern-day Mr. Smith is using educational raps to make his way to Congress, where he will fight political corruption.
Crisis averted. I have found a politician to support.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Voting Catholic
One of the most consistent frustrations for a politically and religiously aware Catholic preparing to vote comes from her fellow-Catholics: the tendency to collapse all differences between candidates to this issue of "pro-life." Don't get me wrong -- abortion and other policies about human life are huge. I have an "I vote pro-life first" sign in my window. (The other side, the one I really like, says, "I AM the pro-life generation!")
Our obligation to protect the life of pre-born children, however, does not overturn or cancel out our obligation to care about other issues or to be guided by moral standards to create just policies in other areas. (Really, it just shows the tragedy of our modern political divide. Could you imagine not having to vote pro-life, because both candidates were?) So even if we vote pro-life first, we need to know there are other important questions in politics. Even if they do not change our vote, they exist, and we as Catholics need to care about how our government addresses other issues of justice. We also need to know what our Church teaches about them.
The Virginia Catholic Conference puts together voter education literature every election. They publish candidate's approaches to issues that are of interest to a Catholic understanding of justice. It's not the most comprehensive resource, but it at least puts questions other than abortion on the table. Take a look-see here (for the presidential race) and here (for the VA senatorial race).
If you aren't sure on Catholic approaches to the issues, read the senatorial one first, because it contains more information about the bishops' position. There is, of course, no official Church teaching on policy matter. The bishops offer guidance based on the Church's teaching and their understanding of the current national situation. It's called prudential judgement. The first criterion will not change; the second can and does; and opinions of how the two fit together can legitimately vary.
That doesn't get anyone off the hook about caring about these issues. It just raises our obligation to become informed so we know how to become involved in the political process. Even if we vote pro-life first, 364 days of the year (or 365 in the case of presidential election years) are not election day. Those days require our involvement as well.
Our obligation to protect the life of pre-born children, however, does not overturn or cancel out our obligation to care about other issues or to be guided by moral standards to create just policies in other areas. (Really, it just shows the tragedy of our modern political divide. Could you imagine not having to vote pro-life, because both candidates were?) So even if we vote pro-life first, we need to know there are other important questions in politics. Even if they do not change our vote, they exist, and we as Catholics need to care about how our government addresses other issues of justice. We also need to know what our Church teaches about them.
The Virginia Catholic Conference puts together voter education literature every election. They publish candidate's approaches to issues that are of interest to a Catholic understanding of justice. It's not the most comprehensive resource, but it at least puts questions other than abortion on the table. Take a look-see here (for the presidential race) and here (for the VA senatorial race).
If you aren't sure on Catholic approaches to the issues, read the senatorial one first, because it contains more information about the bishops' position. There is, of course, no official Church teaching on policy matter. The bishops offer guidance based on the Church's teaching and their understanding of the current national situation. It's called prudential judgement. The first criterion will not change; the second can and does; and opinions of how the two fit together can legitimately vary.
That doesn't get anyone off the hook about caring about these issues. It just raises our obligation to become informed so we know how to become involved in the political process. Even if we vote pro-life first, 364 days of the year (or 365 in the case of presidential election years) are not election day. Those days require our involvement as well.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
A Long Overdue Feminist Rant
Mostly because you haven't had one from me in a while. This article came across my radar very recently. The headline is provocative and also wrong: "Saudi Arabia’s Alternative to Photoshopping Women Out of Ads: Scribbling All Over Cleavage."
The article discusses Ikea's decision to photoshop women out of ads in catalogs shipped to Saudi Arabia and subsequent repentance of that decision. It comes fully equipped with photos to show Ikea's artistry as well as the alternative --"Scribbling All Over Cleavage," according to the headline. Take a look though. The women's cleavage has not been covered: in many cases the entire woman has, leaving a black shadow or pixelated ghost where a woman had been.
It gives an eerie visual for a sexism that we sometimes here about in America, but rarely see, reminding us of the work yet to be done in the world.
The article discusses Ikea's decision to photoshop women out of ads in catalogs shipped to Saudi Arabia and subsequent repentance of that decision. It comes fully equipped with photos to show Ikea's artistry as well as the alternative --"Scribbling All Over Cleavage," according to the headline. Take a look though. The women's cleavage has not been covered: in many cases the entire woman has, leaving a black shadow or pixelated ghost where a woman had been.
It gives an eerie visual for a sexism that we sometimes here about in America, but rarely see, reminding us of the work yet to be done in the world.
Day-Maker #72
Quote of the Day: "I would create the universe again just to hear you say that you love me." ~Christ to St. Teresa of Avila
This made me stop in the middle of campus, smile, and ponder the greatness of God's love.
This made me stop in the middle of campus, smile, and ponder the greatness of God's love.
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