Will millennials redefine success and change the way Americans work? | National Catholic Reporter

Will millennials redefine success and change the way Americans work? | National Catholic Reporter by Robert Christian.  MGB: Everyone wants a supportive workplace.  Of course, in many workplaces there is so much down time that many workers, especially Millennials, spend at least some of the day on Facebook to kill the extra hours.  Of course, in the modern job, using social networking may be part of it.  One key fact about Millennials is that women seem to be better educated than men.  The question is whether they insist on marrying men that support the family economically or are smart enough to marry men to stay home with the kids - thus taking them out of the workplace and competition for the better jobs.  Its the only way to eliminate the glass ceiling.

Hierarchy's Mary is vastly different from ours | National Catholic Reporter

Hierarchy's Mary is vastly different from ours | National Catholic Reporter by Sister Joan.  MGB: Mary was also rather the radical.  The Magnificant is a rather bold statement for social justice.  It is obvious who taught Jesus about both justice and, because she treasured all these things in her heart, his own divinity.  That is why he assumed she would understand when he went to the temple. She essentially said not yet.  At Cana she told him yet, even though he said his hour had not yet come.  Their love seems strong enough for a little back and forth sarcasm.  Jesus surrounded himself with formidable women.  Anyone living in Caphernum would have had to deal with the Rabbi's mother, Mary, and the Rabbi's wife, Mary Magdalene, while his brothers were likely among his cousin John's disciple's until Jesus called them.

A call to end party purity in US government | National Catholic Reporter

A call to end party purity in US government | National Catholic Reporter by Robert Christian.  Being "pro-life" is problematic because many who take such a position are rather unforthcoming in what they actually want to see done.  One can be anti-abortion (meaning they don't believe in abortion as just another form of birth control) while being pro-choice (meaning banning abortion does more harm than good).  Convincing the Church of this, like convincing older Catholics that the teaching on mastrubation has changed, is a very different thing.

There are social libertarians and then there are socialist libertarians who are "private sector socialists" - some of whom are willing to use public policy to move people into such systems - specifically by shifting most payroll and income taxes to the employer and then giving the employer deductions for giving voting shares to employees and providing for cooperatively provided services now provided by the government (like education, retiree healthcare, mental health, etc) as well as having the employer provide financial services so that no one has to deal with outside bankers.

There is no party that does this - however such an ideology may be where the large number of independents live - and many Democrats.  The reason to begin to form a new party is that the Republicans are largely making themselves irrelevant.  As a result, the Democratic coalition will be too big to last - giving a new party the opportunity to claim majority party status.

The government's responsibility to promote the common good | National Catholic Reporter

The government's responsibility to promote the common good | National Catholic Reporter by Robert Christian.  MGB: As a late boomer (like Obama) who registered for the Draft because of the Afghan invasion by the Soviets (we were never called up - the CIA did the heavy lifting), I am in favor of some response in Syria.  I don't, however, find Obama's Middle Eastern policy feckless at all.  The fact is that the Arab Spring, as well as the Syrian resistance, was hijacked by the better organized Islamist parties, with the Syrian resistance including al Queda.  Unless al Queda wants to negotiate a peace with us from all points, we have no incentive to help them.  We do have an incentive to help rebuild Syria, however.  The Hashemite Dynasty should be proposed as the new rulers of Syria, Jordan, the Lebanon, Iraq and those Arab parts of Israel and the West Bank that Israel badly needs to lose to retain its status as a Jewish state.  I'm sure this will be a tough sell to Israel, but it is in their interest and that of the region.  As far as Egypt, the coup was the right thing as Morsi was making things worse.

Three options for the countercultural Catholic | National Catholic Reporter

Three options for the countercultural Catholic | National Catholic Reporter by Robert Christian.  MGB: There is the fourth way, which is to realize that the Church needs a counter cultural witness as much as the world does.  This does not water down the Church - rather it perfects it.  Indeed, until we perfect the Church we are attempting to remove the speck from the world's eye before removing the beam from ours.  Frankly, we need to do both, but we cannot be silent on where the Church is wrong - especially when it fails to distinguish between supporting abortion as a form of birth control and simply not making it illegal because doing so would lead to more dangerous back alley abortions (and finally because making first trimester embryos people is legally problematic as it relates to miscarriages),.

Argentina Loses Case Against Hedge Funds | National Catholic Reporter

Argentina Loses Case Against Hedge Funds | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The Court has no power to force another country to pay beyond any Agrentine assets held in the United States.  The only way Argentina should pay this is by turning on the printing presses.

Tension Between Foggy Bottom & USCIRL | National Catholic Reporter

Tension Between Foggy Bottom & USCIRL | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I would say its about time - especially if it forces Israel to get honest about how it treats its Arab residents (both Christian and Muslim) in Israel proper and in the territories.  These minorities will soon be a majority and it will take apartheid like measures to no become a secular state (or it must cede territory to a neighboring country - perhaps one under Hashemite rule where Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Jordan are all a part, with a constitutional monarchy and a democratic parliament. It should also sometimes scold religious who tread on freedom of conscience - Russia comes to mind in its treatment of gays at the behest of the Patriarch.

Culture Warrior Model Is Dead, Dead, Dead | National Catholic Reporter

Culture Warrior Model Is Dead, Dead, Dead | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB:  Why this Pope is different.  Now if he would only take this tone in talking to the LCWR.

Prof Schneck on Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" Speech | National Catholic Reporter

Prof Schneck on Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" Speech | National Catholic Reporter The religious background of the speech and the movement.

Editorial: Misguided LCWR mandate lumbers onward | National Catholic Reporter

Editorial: Misguided LCWR mandate lumbers onward | National Catholic Reporter The Inquisition hates to be told it is wrong, especially when it is gravely so.  It is the Inquisition, not the LCWR, which should be disbanded.

Women's ordination movement takes interfaith approach | National Catholic Reporter

Women's ordination movement takes interfaith approach | National Catholic Reporter by Jamie Manson.  MGB: The Gospel of Life would have far more credibility coming from ordained women.  That is really all you have to say.

Telling Africa's story; the Coptic Kristallnacht; latest Dall'Oglio rumors | National Catholic Reporter

Telling Africa's story; the Coptic Kristallnacht; latest Dall'Oglio rumors | National Catholic Reporter The subSaharan church should be abandoned by Rome and Canterbury (as well as the Protestant sects) and given over to the Copts in Alexandria, as officially His Holiness is Patriarch of all of Africa.  That tradition should be honored now.

As far as the violence, I am told that this came about because they were supporting the government rather than because they were Christian.  Still, that gives no points to the Muslim Brotherhood - which should be crushed.  They are hardly a non-violent democracy movement - they are revolutionaries who shot at the police first.  That is never a good idea and for doing so they deserve a Darwin Award.

Benedict on Francis | National Catholic Reporter

Benedict on Francis | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I saw this piece online as well.  I was expecting you to comment on it.  Physical weakness is often an effective place to meet God and hear His wishes, although it is good that he is now healthy enough to travel to Castel Gandolfo - which is the best thing that could have happened to the town this summer.  Hopefully Francis will visit him a few times.   Interestingly, Francisco does not seem to be the Peter the Roman referred to by Malacy's prophesy - probably because Benedict is still living.  When they are both gone, we will see the papacy of that ill-fated last pope who will die as Rome lay in ruin.  We can see that ruin coming in Italy's economy, but it is not here yet.

The Most Beautiful Words in the World | National Catholic Reporter

The Most Beautiful Words in the World | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: No, the most be beautiful words are "Take and eat.  This is my body....This is my blood......As often as you do this, you do it in memory of me."  Where Paul refers to the unworthy reception of the Eucharist, we as not talking about the variety of small sins the Church now considers mortal, but serious things like Apostasy.  This is before the Irish clergy introduced sin books in an over emphasis on crushing piety.  The Church has not recovered yet, since a real reason for Protestantism are the excesses of the clergy over sin.

Philadelphia to sell nursing homes to help stabilize church finances | National Catholic Reporter

Philadelphia to sell nursing homes to help stabilize church finances | National Catholic Reporter These should not be salable.  Rather, they should be independently chartered with their own boards.  The archbishop's residence and cars should be first sold - and they should go after the last Cardinal personally.  He needs to be made a pauper for what happened on his watch.

Pope Francis Effect II? | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis Effect II? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: There is a great deal of difference between promoting abortion as another form of birth control and simply deciding that making it a criminal act (or keeping it so) is bad public policy, which it is, by the way - especially if done by the SCOTUS - which would end federal supremacy in all areas of civil rights - essentially enshrining the Tyranny of the Majority (or the Church) into law.  Still, it is good that the Archbishops are looking over their shoulder now - including the Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Stafford on Pope Francis & "Savage Capitalism" | National Catholic Reporter

Stafford on Pope Francis & "Savage Capitalism" | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Michael Stafford (who is American) is correct that the cure is Social Democracy (also known as Democratic Socialism or even Libertarian Socialism).  I've got a few ideas in this area myself, including a $500 per month per child tax credit (with the states putting up an additional $200 to $700 depending on their cost of living) and an evenly credited Social Security employer contribution (without regard to wage level) with a deduction for personal retirement accounts holding employer voting stock (non-stock companies get no deduction) - with an insurance fund holding a third of each account so that no one goes hungry if their employer fails.  Companies in the supply chain should do this as well and sales to an ESOP would continue to be tax free (so that the Walton heirs have an incentive to divest).  Wal-Mart as an employee owned firm could be quite the force for good.

The Culture of Death in Oklahoma | National Catholic Reporter

The Culture of Death in Oklahoma | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: It is easy to feel the lives of others are worthless when you believe the society considers you worthless.  In a world where an innocent black kid can be killed walking home after getting skittles, it is no wonder that these kids responded with indifference to others, even if they won't admit that this was part of it.

Libertarianism's "Rounder Edges" | National Catholic Reporter

Libertarianism's "Rounder Edges" | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Not all libertarians are the same.  There are the pure libertarians, like Boaz and the Pauls, there are the economic libertarians like Perry, Cruz and company and then there are the social libertarians (and social liberals) who are the under-represented part of the political spectrum without their own party (although the Greens come close).  Social libertarians believe in moral freedom, but will accept some economic regulation and taxation - with some of us supporting mandated services but with alternative providers - like the Church - rather than the government.  For example, Catholic Health Care would take over private correctional facilities where the inmates are predominantly mentally ill or drug addicted/alcoholic.  Instead of having the Church be a subcontractor to Corrections Corporation of America, it would be the prime and would make policy on how these patients will be treated.  Social libertarians believe in private accounts for Social Security - but not for investment by Wall Street.  Instead, we would invest two-thirds of them in employer voting stock and a third in an insurance fund of all such employer controlled companies.  We would ultimately close Wall Street, which is why everyone else finds us to be truly scary (except the Pope).

Silk Defends New State Dept FBO | National Catholic Reporter

Silk Defends New State Dept FBO | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: With religion a big issue in world politics, its about time - although the right wing many not like the fact that it will listen to Islam.

Egypt's Young People on What They've Learned | National Catholic Reporter

Egypt's Young People on What They've Learned | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The BBC talked to some of them in a cafe the day before yesterday.  They are glad Morsi is gone.  They will one day be the middle class upon which a natural rights democracy is based.  The military is mainly trained here as well, so they are aware of the need for individual rights for a society to work.  The Brotherhood, however, has shown itself incapable of governing in a way that respects dissent.  I think by now it has pretty much been crushed.

Fr. Schall, Pope Francis & the Poor | National Catholic Reporter

Fr. Schall, Pope Francis & the Poor | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Cops won't seize your house because a guest is getting high.  They will seize it if you are dealing, which I could not imagine.  More to the point, Schall identifies what happens in much of the world, especially in Latin America (Francis is the exception), where the Catholic clergy tend to serve the richer citizens and keep the poor at arms length.  As for whether Fr. Schall has ever had a ministry where he was involved with the poor - neither of us has any idea.  While he is recently retired from Georgetown, we don't know whether he might have had a posting overseas or in Appalachia.  Don's slander the man if you don't know for sure.  His main point is that we need to life the poor up so that they can be not poor.  He is absolutely right.  Education is usually the answer to poverty (accept when it is due to the economic cycle).  Our ministry is to provide that - which is the ultimate encounter.  Sadly, the Catholic Church in America mostly educates college bound people and leaves adult literacy to others (with very few exceptions).  Every diocese should have an adult high school devoted to this - and pay the students to go.

More GOP Congressmen Back Immigration Reform | National Catholic Reporter

More GOP Congressmen Back Immigration Reform | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: It won't take many sane Republicans to bring the Senate immigration bill, flawed that it is, to the floor and pass it.  Sadly, it is way to harsh on undocumented immigrants who should simply be nationalized if here along enough - especially if they toiled in the dirty jobs that citizens would not do and were underpaid to do them.  Immigration rules and right to work laws are what cause employers to hire undocumented workers because they create compliant workers in the shadows.  Abolish those and only those workers who have jobs (good union jobs) will be hired.  Everyone else will go home.

Fr. Schall & the Poor | National Catholic Reporter

Fr. Schall & the Poor | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Nothing is obnoxious in this essay.  What is obnoxious is a Catholic Church in Latin America that loves to mingle with the more European wealthy while abandoning the poor.  While poverty can be a spiritual practice within a religious community - its meaning is a communal economy of equality within the community - with some degree of simplicity - but not necessarily destitution.  That is not what we impose on the poor however.  The poor need to be lifted up - not for their conversion - which is up to the Holy Spirit - but to education them and empower them, while fighting for them to be repaid justly for their individual efforts and for the well being of their family (which requires greater pay).

Pope Francis & Encounter | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis & Encounter | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: He was not talking about converting the poor at all.  He was talking about taking care of them - as well as creating the kingdom of God so that they are taken care of in the many ways they are needy, especially by providing them education - and paying them to receive it, along with adequate income to feed their children (as well as our children) and the same health care for the teachers and the students.  While religious class can be offered, they should not be mandatory.  Sadly, the Catholic Church stays out of the adult remedial education business.  That must end now if we are to truly face the poor (hopefully with governmental money - but without it if necessary).

Archbishop Chaput's right-wing funk | National Catholic Reporter

Archbishop Chaput's right-wing funk | National Catholic Reporter by Charles Reid.  MGB: I suspect that Papa Francisco would not go along with the right wing meme of denying Communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians - and would at least listen to why they are pro-choice (which is not the same as pro-abortion - the definition of which is NOT accepting legal abortion and IS encouraging it as a social good - for example encouraging teenage girls who become pregnant to have them to continue their educations).  Indeed, most conservative bishops actually cause more abortions than they prevent because they are so anti-sex.  Catholic girls and their parents have abortions so no one finds out about the pregnancy.

New Pew study: Most Americans view abortion as moral issue | National Catholic Reporter

New Pew study: Most Americans view abortion as moral issue | National Catholic Reporter  The moral question is not for society but for the researchers and practitioners.  Because they are all embryologists they are familiar with the facts of embryology - the chief among them being that prior to gastrulation the zygote to blastocyst (you can't call it an organism because it has no organ systems) is potentially an organism and is under the genetic control of only one parent.  At gastrulation organ differentiation occurs and the influence of both parents first makes itself felt.  In other words, there is a profound difference between the two stages of development.  Anyone in the field who believes in souls would cite gastrulation as when it was important to preserve the life.  Before, not so much.  The moral principle in ethics is about personal decision making, not public policy.  If the Church really believed in natural law ethics, it would bow to the judgement of the experts in this field and abandon its unscientific stance on protecting life from the moment of conception.  Gastrulation is where its at.

Larry Kudlow & Pope Francis | National Catholic Reporter

Larry Kudlow & Pope Francis | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Kudlow believes that capitalism is a free market system, which it is not.  Capitalists concentrate power over both markets resources so that they can charge more for their products and pay less for their materials and labor than the free market would provide.  Kudlow would not know a free market if he were cast into the middle of one with one hundred dollars of the local currency.  He is nothing more than an apologist for Wall Street.

Sochi 2014: The Conundrum of Politics & Sports | National Catholic Reporter

Sochi 2014: The Conundrum of Politics & Sports | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: A permanent home for both sets of games would be good.  Indeed, if we quit the quadrennial exercise in bribery in awarding games, we could actually hold them more often - perhaps annually.  You could then end the world championships in most events and have the Olympics fill that role and more athletes could churn through the system.  As for the gay rights issue in Russia - this actually came from the Duma, not from the President.  It was democracy run amok against gays and lesbians from the culture - the same way it happens here.  This is why the civil rights of groups and individuals should not be put up for a vote.  Putin is less to blame, in fact, than the Russian Orthodox Patriarch - who fears apocalyptic events if gays are not persecuted.  Since the end of the apocalypse is the coming of Christ - and will result in love and acceptance - it is vexing why he would resist it.  To put int bluntly, any action which causes mass hatred of others cries to Heaven for justice - much more than anything gays and lesbians in committed relationships do.

Can Dems Flip Georgia? | National Catholic Reporter

Can Dems Flip Georgia? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: If Atlanta and the suburbs turn out for her, especially if she gets direct support from both Clinton and Obama, then the answer is yes.  It increasingly becomes yes if Clinton is going around with her outside of Atlanta.  Many of the old guard racists are dying off every day, so a flip becomes all the more possible.  If she succeeds, this could be a mark of incredibly good math in the Senate for the remainder of Obama's term.

The Cuban Future | National Catholic Reporter

The Cuban Future | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: It is a failure of imagination to think that there are no Catholics who would also be or meet with Marxists or other kinds of socialists (such as social democrats or libertarian socialists). Indeed, the Catholic Left has plenty of such folks, including me.  Hold a meeting at Catholic University, with plenty of publicity and a more open process for picking discussants than having them pre-selected and you will be surprised at what you will here, if you are willing to listen.

The Orthodox Church’s role in Russia’s anti-gay laws | National Catholic Reporter

The Orthodox Church’s role in Russia’s anti-gay laws | National Catholic Reporter Tolerance is a sign of the apocalypse, the good kind that has people actually loving each other and living at peace.  Why the Patriarch does not want that is troubling.

Egypt's Descent Into Civil War | National Catholic Reporter

Egypt's Descent Into Civil War | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The Islamic Brotherhood are not exactly the Sons of Liberty - indeed their concept of respect for individual rights is quite weak.  I am in no way in favor of the democratic enactment of Sharia, especially in a nation where those who want it are not really in the majority.  I can't see a western democracy there either - at least until the Brotherhood gets the point that the time to enact Sharia has passed. Let individuals and groups be guided by its tenants, but do not impose it on everyone.  Sadly, most of this has to do with the continued subjugation of women.  I cannot continue to abide by that in Islam any more than I can abide by it in the Catholic Church.

Bp Tobin Switches Parties | National Catholic Reporter

Bp Tobin Switches Parties | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The bishop needs to realize that same sex marriage is constitutionally inevitable, whether voters support it or not.  Its inevitability in the Church itself will come at the insistence of Catholic families and gay priests - who will need to be placated so that they don't simply leave and take advantage of their new ability to marry Mr. Right (which is what likely scares him most).  As for NARAL, supporting keeping abortion out of the criminal law is not the same thing as supporting it as something women and teenage girls should do.  Indeed, that is the worst way to stop it.  He should be a bit more creative in exercising his offices to make sure that young Catholic women (and their partners) can attend Catholic high school and college for free with adequate economic and day care support for their children.  He would most likely claim that this would send a mixed message on sex.  Too bad.  If he thinks that way, it is his attitude on sex, not NARAL's support for women, that is CAUSING ABORTION.

Morning's Minion on Living Wage | National Catholic Reporter

Morning's Minion on Living Wage | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Quoting John Medaille is always good in talking about this topic, as he and I used to speak about how to bring employee-ownership into being - which is necessary to move toward a living wage.  Employee-owned firms would be more likely to provide both cooperative work and cooperative consumption - and would have an interest in living wages because of that.

The debate on whether the employer or society should fund the living wage is interesting - and the way around it is to consolidate help for families into a large child tax credit as an offset to a consumption tax paid by employers - with the credit paid with wages rather than as part of an end of the year tax refund.

Finally, while the Church speaks boldly on these issues, it must also make sure that it pays such a wage to all of its employees.  Indeed, if workers at parishes, Catholic Charities and Catholic Hospitals and schools all were given a $12,000 wage increase for every new child, there would have been no controversy on the availability of birth control - as no one would use it unless there was a health reason to do so (and most often a non-reproductive one).

Remembering Jean Bethke Elshtain | National Catholic Reporter

Remembering Jean Bethke Elshtain | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: My sympathies.  Augustine was a complicated intellect as both an author and a pastor.  Indeed, in the end, he walks back some of his younger severity - which is always a good lesson - and is likely the lesson of Elshtain.  I find it interesting to relate Aquinas and Rousseau - that it is human free will that is the divine right of kings, making adherence to the general will necessary before trying to force certain types of decisions on minorities, especially moral ones.  That, in essence, is how to bring Catholicism into the enlightenment, as is a view that the crucifixion was not about divine blood lust to satisfy and ancient debt, but instead a divine vision quest so that the Son could feel the apartness humans experience when sin moves them out of relationship with God and each other.

Speaker Boehner MIA | National Catholic Reporter

Speaker Boehner MIA | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: He may simply be a foil to show what will happen to the party if it does not settle this quickly.  The more extreme he sounds, the more likely cooler heads will rule and the Senate bill will be adopted - not that I particularly like the Senate bill.  It is much too harsh, giving too much to the haters.  The backlog in processing applications is unconscionable.  It is time to bring in contract workers to clear it quickly and build up staff so that it does not recur.  

Racist Attacks Bishops on Immigration | National Catholic Reporter

Racist Attacks Bishops on Immigration | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The reason Engler makes these protestations is that the Supreme Court has long determined that you cannot deny public schools or benefits based on immigration status (whether documented or not).  Like the Church, the equal protection doctrine considers all people to be, well, equal.  Of course, there is a minor inconsistency here -as born but not naturalized people are equal but the unborn are not - but like immigration - only Congress can change that - not state governments.  Conservatives, however, cannot seem to get either point with their High School understanding of civics.

Shame on North Carolina | National Catholic Reporter

Shame on North Carolina | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: In most places, poll watchers are there to see who has voted so you can turn out those who have not.  In the south, they are there to intimidate and that is simply wrong.  Of course, the way around that is to send your own poll watchers to make your voters feel at home.  The real problems are the fact that they are closing early voting on Sundays - which will lead to lines - and the fact that the Governor said the would not sign the bill - meaning he is either a coward or most likely a liar.  Luckily, Section 2 of the Civil Rights Act can be used to challenge these provisions, with Section 3 remedies included (putting North Carolina on the pre-clearance list, where it belongs).

Bp Lynch Defends CCHD, CCUSA and CRS | National Catholic Reporter

Bp Lynch Defends CCHD, CCUSA and CRS | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: It seems like he reads your blog.  This is a good thing.  I agree with the tag line about pro-life groups being not for life but merely anti-abortion.  Brilliant! I wish he would also be a bit more vocal, even in private, about some of his brother bishops who seem to care more about the GOP than the unborn.

Reza Aslan's Many Mistakes | National Catholic Reporter

Reza Aslan's Many Mistakes | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Quite a few others have pointed out the problems with this interpretation as far as the cherry picking of facts. Still, it is an interesting interpretation - even if it ignores the Sermon on the Mount entirely (which Tod Lindberg used in writing The Political Teachings of Jesus). Still, if you accept the Protestant interpretation of the family of Jesus as is having step brothers and brothers and sisters, you cannot totally abandon a revolutionary interpretation of Jesus' career. He and his brothers were named for the Maccabees by Mary (one of them being Simon the Zealot) and his step brothers were named for Jewish kings by Joseph's first wife. The Magnificant is both intensely spiritual and intensely political at the same time. As a loyal Jew, Jesus would have also sought the day when Israel would be free of Rome. He may have evolved in his own thinking toward an entirely spiritual kingdom and away from a kingdom of this earth - and even then - he was political enough for the Roman authorities to hang him on a tree. That is an intensely political death.

The fact that Jesus was crucified as the King of the Jews shows his death WAS political. You can't spin that away. It seems that the review is rife with credentialism. I don't care if Mr. Dickson's professional pride is hurt - which seems to be his major objection to the book. I do not agree with Mr. Aslan's view that the Resurrection was an afterthought put in later. My view on the Crucifixion is actually more radical - that in enduring it Christ did indeed empty himself of both his divine identity and his mission when he said "Woman, this is your son - John, this is your mother." (actually, she was his grandmother). She was the source of the infancy narrative (who else could be?) and his self-identity as the Son of God. John was the last of his disciples - and he did not say to baptize the world, just take care of Nana. This is what caused him to cry out in the words of Psalm 22 "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?" thus experiencing human despair when it is separated from God. It was at this point that, as a sign that the kingdom had indeed been fulfilled, he said "I thirst" and drank of the fruit of the vine, which he had said he would not drink until the kingdom had been established. It is only then that he gave his spirit to the Father and expired.

This reading - that the sacrifice of the cross was a divine vision quest rather than a divine revenge killing - is far more radical than anything Aslan says - because the implication must follow that the moral law is for our benefit, not God's satisfaction. If we can do what is right without fear then suddenly there is room for movement on gay marriage, the abortion of dangerous pregnancies and the ordination of women. Of course, the lack of moral courage to make necessary changes probably has less to do with the fear of God than the fear that doing so might harm one's ecclesiastical career. It is time to for the bishops to quit hiding behind the implicit teaching that God is an ogre, as He is not.

Bishops Must Respond to Attacks on CRS, CCHD & CCUSA | National Catholic Reporter

Bishops Must Respond to Attacks on CRS, CCHD & CCUSA | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: EWTN confirms the biases of its listeners on a great many things.  They are a valuable source for the Pope's Christmas Eve Mass and live coverage of other papal events, and its broadcast of daily Mass.  Other than than, I have better things to watch.  As for the defamatory comments spread by Mr. Mosher, they are par for the course.  Anyone who hangs on every word uttered on EWTN is a lost cause anyway and those who shade the truth need to be careful of their own consciences.  As I have said before, some of them are in mortal peril.

Don't expect the pro-life leadership of the Church to speak out in this case. Their concern is not life, but Republican Party politics.  I suspect they fear harming their coalition more than speaking the truth.  Recall their opposition to health care reform, which was based on rather sketchy analysis - and their complicity as the Susan B. Anthony Fund spread the lie that the Affordable Care Act led to direct federal funding of abortion, which was entirely untrue and was all about the Republican Party winning back the House.

Schneck on Francis | National Catholic Reporter

Schneck on Francis | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Neither liberals nor conservatives will be absolutely satisfied - although I think liberals still have more reason to be glad (in that if change becomes inevitable, this man of humility might make it), whereas there is no way this pope will bend on his economic condemnations of the wealthy and their defenders in the Church.  Its a bad day to be George Weigel.  He should retire, as he can't take a red pen to anything this pope writes.

American Life League chastises Catholic Charities USA for affiliation | National Catholic Reporter

American Life League chastises Catholic Charities USA for affiliation | National Catholic Reporter American Life League is an astroturf Republican front that does nothing for the poor - especially nothing that would have unborn women be able to not only have their children, but keep and raise them in a well - which Catholic Charities does by the way.  While Fr. Larry is not the perfect CCUSA leader (that was Fr. Fred), he is 1000 times better a Catholic than Hichborn, who needs to worry about how his politics affects the state of his soul.  In my opinion, Hichborn is an ass who is going to Hell.

Thoughts on Fr. Schuller's Tour | National Catholic Reporter

Thoughts on Fr. Schuller's Tour | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Shuller is absolutely right about rights and democracy.  The early Church was not a medieval autocracy and should stop being so now.  Indeed, scripture says that lay deacons should control property, not apostles.  It also shows apostles traveling in married pairs and that in reality, the office of overseer was more akin to a Pastor than a Bishop.  St. John Newman's views that the current organization was a hidden kernal that existed in the prior form is simply a justification, not a fact.  It is up to us to say how the Church is to be organized in the present and future - and if we don't like what the bishops are doing - including allowing the sexual abuse of minors to go unpunished - than the fault is truly ours in continuing with our consent - as with rights come responsibilities.  As for the Eucharist, our joining into it is a sign of our unity in Christ from our Baptism into his death and resurrection.  Finally, as to the perversion of what was a good start in liberal theology - only you can answer why you became a defender of the status quo when the status quo is rotten.  It was not the liberals who ruined the modern church, it was and is the conservative elements who believe they cannot ever err on sexual morality - even though it is obviously rooted in misogyny.

A Jesuit missing in Syria; the Vatican batting 1.000 in American courts | National Catholic Reporter

A Jesuit missing in Syria; the Vatican batting 1.000 in American courts | National Catholic Reporter by John Allen.  MGB: The Vatican found a way to have its cake and eat it too.  Still, when a bishop threatens an American elected official with the loss of communion for toeing the party line, it is still seditious because of his appointment by a foreign government.

Conservative Gloves Coming Off | National Catholic Reporter

Conservative Gloves Coming Off | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Pharisees are simply believers in the resurrection.  Jesus was in that party too, which is why he felt free to criticize them.  That fact is why the right wing prelates feel so upset by this pope, they thought he was one of them.  Heaven help them when he actually sees the need to re-examine much of what was thought to be sacrosanct, because the Church will not survive if he does not - and we are told the Church will always survive (as there is no reason to believe we are in the end of days).

I suspect the way he might fudge this is to unify with Constantinople and allow autocephalus patriarchies full freedom to deal with these issues - so that an American or non-African English speaking Patriarch might open the door for female deacons, or even female priests, bishops or patriarchs (actually, matriarchs) as well as same sex marriage, which the body of the faithful will also demand - while the African Church could reunify with the Copts under His Holiness, the Patriarch of Alexandria with several linguistic patriarchs in that Church that would hold fast against homosexuality but may ease the rules on polygamy.

Expect this sooner than later, as when both Francis and Benedict die, the next pope will be an anti-pope who will take the name Peter and be a counter-revolutionary - inviting and getting biblical destruction of the city of Rome (or maybe he will be there during rioting - when he is killed according to our Lady). That's right, I am a liberal that believes in ancient Catholic and Marian prophesies.

The Left Grudges Pope Francis Too | National Catholic Reporter

The Left Grudges Pope Francis Too | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The entire Catholic Left is not the same.  Most of us abhor abortion.  We especially abhor back alley abortions for the poor while richer women get them overseas or in another state.  Those of us who are thoughtful link reaching out to the poor with reducing abortions.  As far as Ms. Hunt, I don't particularly care what she thinks.  Likely, she thinks that life begins when consciousness is possible, so a first trimester embryo is not really a person yet.  I don't agree personally.  The life energy of the organism seems to start at gastrulation, not before and not after.  If the Church would recognize this, it would have more authority in saying abortion is wrong.  The adherence to a conception or nothing position does much more harm than good, since it is obviously wrong.

Immigration Fight During the August Recess | National Catholic Reporter

Immigration Fight During the August Recess | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I object to the Senate plan because it requires too much of those already here and does not take into account the lousy conditions most of them have faced and continue to face working in the shadows.  If I had my druthers, I would grant anyone who has been here for 8 years citizenship and would end immigration restrictions entirely, as well as right-to-work laws.  If factory owners had to hire union labor, they would likely not hire from the global south - and if they did it would not matter.

As for Archie Bunker Wannabes like D.A. King who don't want Latinos on their street, they need to be reminded that Mexican Americans have likely been here longer than they have, especially those whose roots come from California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.  My confirmation sponsor was an Air Force Major whose family lived across the street from our family, whose wife taught us what real Mexican food was like and whose daughter I would have likely dated had we not both moved away.

Remembering Paul VI | National Catholic Reporter

Remembering Paul VI | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Paul VI was the first traveling pope of the jet age, although he never traveled after seeing a vision on the roof of the upper room.  He did allow a new Mass translation that was undone by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, so that the new translation is largely the translation of the Mass as found in the pre-Vatican II missals. While he did not produce schism and started talks for unity, he created a virtual schism by trying to engineer the result he wanted on contraception and when faced with natural law evidence that the Church's position was wrong, doubled down on error.  This was the worst of all possible things he could do, since once given an open process he squashed it and demoralized those whose informed consciences were absolutely sure (and for good reason) that the Church was wrong.  That lack of moral courage when facing the Curia is enough to stop any canonization.

A look at marriage equality from a historical perspective | National Catholic Reporter

A look at marriage equality from a historical perspective | National Catholic Reporter I still believe in multiplying, however modern science and health care reform means anyone can do it.  As importantly, Canon Law says people marry each other with the Church acting as witness - and the Church part is optional.  The Church brought this issue to a head by not treating gay people well in hospital, letting the family of origin trump the rights of the partner.

Grim Jobs Report | National Catholic Reporter

Grim Jobs Report | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Wage growth is going up in some places, not others.  If we can get a new minimum wage passed, it will increase wages up the line.  Interestingly, as I stated on my own blog and Facebook page, as well as directly to the White House, adding a COLA to the minimum wage should be the price for adopting chained CPI.  This takes both issues off the table and leads to automatic wage growth to go along with productivity growth.  Until workers own all the technology and capital, they are at a disadvantage in both the automated and world economies - because there are always more workers than employers.  The minimum wage has been shown to counteract that without increasing joblessness.

Frankly, if there is joblessness, that should be an invitation for the establishment of funded training programs, where employees are paid a wage to train - since it seems that the current labor shortage in certain fields is not being made up by hiring people and training them - industry wants only those already trained and would rather short staff than provide training.  Short staffing also keeps wages low.

Gov't Shutdown? Bring It On | National Catholic Reporter

Gov't Shutdown? Bring It On | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Sadly, the more important issue is extending the debt limit, which calls into question the full faith and credit of the United States.  Cruz can be shut down with a cloture vote - and unless they change the rules so that states that Republicans actually win get a bigger voice in the nomination than those they lose - he will not be the nominee.  I suspect that a continuing resolution and a debt limit extension will quietly pass, even if Boehner ignores the Hastert rule to do so.

The reason the GOP wants to repeal Obamacare is not because they disagree with how it works - it is their idea.  What they don't like is that it is funded by an expansion of taxes on the wealthy.  This is exactly the reason that they refused to deal and almost shut down the full faith and credit of the U.S. in 2011 - because they wanted to extract a promise that taxes on the wealthy would also be made permanent.  Eventually, they got Grover Norquist to shut up and accept the inevitable (we have not heard much from him since).

What we see here is preening  Come late September it will stop.

Isolating the Isolationists | National Catholic Reporter

Isolating the Isolationists | National Catholic Reporter by MSW on Dana Milbank in WaPo.  MGB: Pity, that - as someone needs to begin standing up to a defense - industrial sector that is more than willing to mortgage the nation's future for its own profit.  American Hegemony has gone on long enough without some outside funding from our allies - as well as outside participation by them in selecting the commander in chief.

Meyerson Exposes Wall Street Short-sightedness | National Catholic Reporter

Meyerson Exposes Wall Street Short-sightedness | National Catholic Reporter by MSW on Meyerson in WaPo.  MGB: That need comes from paying CEOs with stock - rather than paying all employees with stock, going private, and using shares as a real governance mechanism - as well as a way to distribute pensions.  Ending both outside banking and outside stock trading is where we eventually must head if we are to have an economy that works for everyone.