Editorial: Abortion fundamentalism overwhelms Democrats: We say: Chairman Tom Perez's U-turn on Omaha mayoral candidate Heath Mello shows the party finally joining Republicans in being held hostage to extremist abortion orthodoxy.
MGB: Sadly, it did overwhelm Hillary. He was not going to lose the pro-choice vote. She should not have taken the bait on partial birth abortion in the debates, since it is already banned under federal law. She should have used this opportunity to show that Trump was as much of an ignorant panderer as Sarah Palin was when she could not describe what she disliked about Roe and then she should have attacked the pro-life movement as an organ of GOP politics and that people should not be fooled, even if some of the Catholic bishops cooperate with their little game. Could she have won? Maybe. She certainly could not have lost any worse in PA, MI, OH, WI. She could have also said that when the two W. appointees were given the chance to overturn Roe, they did not do so. Its a powerful argument that the pro-life judicial strategy is bankrupt and should not affect elections. That and Booker should have been on the ticket.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Links for 04/18/17
Links for 04/18/17: In the Washington Post, the most intelligent critic of Trump from the right, Michael Gerson, assess the new president at the 100 day mark. Withering.
Former President Barack Obama will spe...
MGB: In business, you can hire yes-men and still go with your gut. You can't do that as POTUS, especially if you are a novice.
Former Presidents have to charity fund their own libraries. Pay for them with tax dollars and we will talk about former presidential financial ethics. Does Obama have any solutions to give? Not sure, we will see what they do with the results of his talk. It is definitely an artifact of being known. People with real solutions that our from outside the mainstream never get an invite and rarely a byline - or a mention in other people;'s columns (not to shame our host too much).
Austerity led to Brexit. It should be avoided at all cost. If PR cannot tax high income effectively, it needs to tax wealthy land holdings effectively. This case may make me a Georgist yet.
Former President Barack Obama will spe...
MGB: In business, you can hire yes-men and still go with your gut. You can't do that as POTUS, especially if you are a novice.
Former Presidents have to charity fund their own libraries. Pay for them with tax dollars and we will talk about former presidential financial ethics. Does Obama have any solutions to give? Not sure, we will see what they do with the results of his talk. It is definitely an artifact of being known. People with real solutions that our from outside the mainstream never get an invite and rarely a byline - or a mention in other people;'s columns (not to shame our host too much).
Austerity led to Brexit. It should be avoided at all cost. If PR cannot tax high income effectively, it needs to tax wealthy land holdings effectively. This case may make me a Georgist yet.
Friday, April 28, 2017
What 100 days means for US President Donald Trump
What 100 days means for US President Donald Trump: Distinctly Catholic: Congressional Republicans wonder how long they have to accomplish their objectives before the investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia blow up, rendering serious legislative action unlikely.
MGB: We knew Trump was a rookie. Sadly, he is not easy to fire and Pence would have to get the majority of the cabinet to go along with him to do so. Pence should have had his people appointed, making this possible. Sadly, he did not. Trump's staff is worse than Trump, if that is possible. My working theory is that no decent Republican staffers will work with him or the gang of fools he has surrounded himself with, so don't expect improvement any time soon.
The Democrats actually have the votes to stop action in the Senate, especially on tax cuts, which require a 60 vote point of order if they would result in revenue losses. Sadly, the Trump staff is not really good with the rules. Dick Durbin is, so nothing will pass without him.
Don't expect anything out of the White House nativists on immigration. No reform is the best option with this crowd.
Obamacare is going nowhere and if it does fall apart and go to bankruptcy court, the court will give us single-payer.
Trump can try to undo Obama climate rules, but he will find that environmentalists have standing and all changes are subject to legal challenge.
The Joint Chiefs will only countenance so saber rattling, so don't expect war with North Korea, even if they have to go beyond the White House's back to the Chinese.
Trump will claim credit for Obama's economy, just as Obama got the blame for the week economy of Bush until 2012 (Obama kept the Bush tax cuts on the rich, which kept labor in check because they had the incentive to keep costs down. Since Trump can't pass anything, the Obama tax increases on the rich will keep helping labor (higher rates would, of course, be better for workers).
Trump did get Gorsuch nominated and approved. The great unsolved question is whether he will vote like Scalia or Kennedy, Roberts and Alito. If the former, the pro-life movement still has a voice on the court for repealing Roe. If the latter, the movement to repeal Roe is dead.
MGB: We knew Trump was a rookie. Sadly, he is not easy to fire and Pence would have to get the majority of the cabinet to go along with him to do so. Pence should have had his people appointed, making this possible. Sadly, he did not. Trump's staff is worse than Trump, if that is possible. My working theory is that no decent Republican staffers will work with him or the gang of fools he has surrounded himself with, so don't expect improvement any time soon.
The Democrats actually have the votes to stop action in the Senate, especially on tax cuts, which require a 60 vote point of order if they would result in revenue losses. Sadly, the Trump staff is not really good with the rules. Dick Durbin is, so nothing will pass without him.
Don't expect anything out of the White House nativists on immigration. No reform is the best option with this crowd.
Obamacare is going nowhere and if it does fall apart and go to bankruptcy court, the court will give us single-payer.
Trump can try to undo Obama climate rules, but he will find that environmentalists have standing and all changes are subject to legal challenge.
The Joint Chiefs will only countenance so saber rattling, so don't expect war with North Korea, even if they have to go beyond the White House's back to the Chinese.
Trump will claim credit for Obama's economy, just as Obama got the blame for the week economy of Bush until 2012 (Obama kept the Bush tax cuts on the rich, which kept labor in check because they had the incentive to keep costs down. Since Trump can't pass anything, the Obama tax increases on the rich will keep helping labor (higher rates would, of course, be better for workers).
Trump did get Gorsuch nominated and approved. The great unsolved question is whether he will vote like Scalia or Kennedy, Roberts and Alito. If the former, the pro-life movement still has a voice on the court for repealing Roe. If the latter, the movement to repeal Roe is dead.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Links for 04/27/17
Links for 04/27/17: In the Washington Post, Julie Zauzmer on the nascent "Christian Left" and the hurdles they face.
Also in the Washington Post, an examination of the working conditions for those who wo...
MGB:_The religious left is not just clergy. Some of us are bloggers. I started posting in 2004. Welcome to the newbies.
That conditions are harsh in a Chinese factory is not news, especially one making clothing for a capitalist diva.
Trump tweets are best ignored, especially on real issues like Puerto Rico.
Congratulations to our new auxiliary.
Also in the Washington Post, an examination of the working conditions for those who wo...
MGB:_The religious left is not just clergy. Some of us are bloggers. I started posting in 2004. Welcome to the newbies.
That conditions are harsh in a Chinese factory is not news, especially one making clothing for a capitalist diva.
Trump tweets are best ignored, especially on real issues like Puerto Rico.
Congratulations to our new auxiliary.
Puerto Rico's creditors push Congress to stop bankruptcy process
Puerto Rico's creditors push Congress to stop bankruptcy process: Distinctly Catholic:
MGB: One wonders who insisted on the deadline for action and who is paying them. That the Governor is cooperating with the Vulture funds is sad. He needs to lose the next election. Able executives can move a control board along the correct path, but they won't if they are captured by the Capitalists. The bishops helped the last time and they helped Trump enough to have a chit to call in. It is time to do so, this time with an end date to Title 3 authorization that expires when the Control Board expires. Of course, if the government shuts down, federal courts who the capitalists could use to collect their money will also be closed. No island court should even consider their cases.
MGB: One wonders who insisted on the deadline for action and who is paying them. That the Governor is cooperating with the Vulture funds is sad. He needs to lose the next election. Able executives can move a control board along the correct path, but they won't if they are captured by the Capitalists. The bishops helped the last time and they helped Trump enough to have a chit to call in. It is time to do so, this time with an end date to Title 3 authorization that expires when the Control Board expires. Of course, if the government shuts down, federal courts who the capitalists could use to collect their money will also be closed. No island court should even consider their cases.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Links for 04/26/17
Links for 04/26/17: At the Vatican website, Pope Francis delivers a TED talk. Someone at the Vatican who hatched this idea deserves a raise.
MGB: All good sermons should fit into TED Talk parameters and Francis gives good sermons. Of course, TED is about your one best shot. Francis could talk about the Gospel for each day of all three cycles and have it always seem fresh.
Assange gets air because he often says things that other people don't want said.
The San Francisco ruling should hold up. The precedent is the right of states to not get expanded Medicaid and still get Medicaid funds. The GOP insisted on this principle now it is being used to hang them.
Glazek takes a cheap shot. The attack ads were against Clinton when she was in her forties too. No reason to give up. Clinton lost because she did not know her base well enough to put Booker on the ticket.
MGB: All good sermons should fit into TED Talk parameters and Francis gives good sermons. Of course, TED is about your one best shot. Francis could talk about the Gospel for each day of all three cycles and have it always seem fresh.
Assange gets air because he often says things that other people don't want said.
The San Francisco ruling should hold up. The precedent is the right of states to not get expanded Medicaid and still get Medicaid funds. The GOP insisted on this principle now it is being used to hang them.
Glazek takes a cheap shot. The attack ads were against Clinton when she was in her forties too. No reason to give up. Clinton lost because she did not know her base well enough to put Booker on the ticket.
Abortion litmus test: Democrats slide back into culture-war politics
Abortion litmus test: Democrats slide back into culture-war politics: Distinctly Catholic: The "Unity Tour" for the Democratic Party is not going well, as the party appears ready to alienate pro-life voters instead of sticking to building a more just economic system.
MGB: Do we require a prostate ultra-sound to get Viagra? Or in some cases and invasive prostate ultrasound up the you know where? That is the way women see that particular piece of information gathering, as an intrusive interference in their medical care, even if that care is abortion. Still, NARAL should realize that winning a seat is winning a seat (although that did not do the party any good when two Democratic Senators, Lincoln and Nelson forced dropping the public option from health care and lost or dropped out anyway). Pushing choice is what NARAL does, although it is a departure from the successful strategy of calling Republican pro-lifers opportunistic. Maybe she things Mello was opportunistic in supporting an ultrasound bill, which may be considered an undue burden under Casey anyway.
MGB: Do we require a prostate ultra-sound to get Viagra? Or in some cases and invasive prostate ultrasound up the you know where? That is the way women see that particular piece of information gathering, as an intrusive interference in their medical care, even if that care is abortion. Still, NARAL should realize that winning a seat is winning a seat (although that did not do the party any good when two Democratic Senators, Lincoln and Nelson forced dropping the public option from health care and lost or dropped out anyway). Pushing choice is what NARAL does, although it is a departure from the successful strategy of calling Republican pro-lifers opportunistic. Maybe she things Mello was opportunistic in supporting an ultrasound bill, which may be considered an undue burden under Casey anyway.
Council of Cardinals speaks about decentralizing authority in the church
Council of Cardinals speaks about decentralizing authority in the church: The group of cardinals advising Pope Francis on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy spoke in their latest meeting about how to decentralize authority in the Catholic church and improve relationships bet...
MGB: This kind of meeting always makes me wonder if the Church is going to divide into patriarchies based on language, geography or nation on the Orthodox model. If they do, it certainly leads to many solutions to some of the doctrinal questions like celibacy and female ordination - and hopefully better understanding on host nation political practices and law (like abortion as a constitutional v. legislative issue). I suspect that the members of the Council will be the first group of patriarchs.
MGB: This kind of meeting always makes me wonder if the Church is going to divide into patriarchies based on language, geography or nation on the Orthodox model. If they do, it certainly leads to many solutions to some of the doctrinal questions like celibacy and female ordination - and hopefully better understanding on host nation political practices and law (like abortion as a constitutional v. legislative issue). I suspect that the members of the Council will be the first group of patriarchs.
Court rules Saskatchewan cannot fund non-Catholics in Catholic schools
Court rules Saskatchewan cannot fund non-Catholics in Catholic schools: A Canadian judge has ruled that the government of Saskatchewan is violating a section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by funding non-Catholic students who attend Catholic schools.
MGB: The Trinity Lutheran case just argued is likely to result in the Blaine Amendments banning such funding being ruled unconstitutional. It will come sooner than you thing, like six weeks.
MGB: The Trinity Lutheran case just argued is likely to result in the Blaine Amendments banning such funding being ruled unconstitutional. It will come sooner than you thing, like six weeks.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Links for 04/25/17
Links for 04/25/17: Bishop Danny Flores of Brownsville, Texas, issued a short but incisive pastoral letter at Easter. Flores is continually linking our dogmatic claims about Jesus with our social teachings, which is so i...
MGB:_Bishop Flores certainly tied in the social concerns of his flock. It is well done but not overpowering. Nothing about religious liberty.
Mike Stafford challenges our wealth and reminds us that it is the product of stealing from the poor (so much for the view that taxation is theft).
Gerson talks about our political silos (Cracker Barrell v. Crate and Barrell) and the media’s place in maintaining them. He thought Trump once offered hope for unity. Are you kidding me? Maybe journalists can, although with FoxNews owned by Murdoch, I have little hope in that. I would suggest a more robust socialism that has enough in cash and prizes for even the right wing to appreciate might do the trick.
MGB:_Bishop Flores certainly tied in the social concerns of his flock. It is well done but not overpowering. Nothing about religious liberty.
Mike Stafford challenges our wealth and reminds us that it is the product of stealing from the poor (so much for the view that taxation is theft).
Gerson talks about our political silos (Cracker Barrell v. Crate and Barrell) and the media’s place in maintaining them. He thought Trump once offered hope for unity. Are you kidding me? Maybe journalists can, although with FoxNews owned by Murdoch, I have little hope in that. I would suggest a more robust socialism that has enough in cash and prizes for even the right wing to appreciate might do the trick.
Global persecution of Christians is 'growing worse than ever'
Global persecution of Christians is 'growing worse than ever': Distinctly Catholic: A report from the Under Caesar's Sword project details strategies Christians use while living under hostile regimes.
MGB:_Religious Liberty is not the loss of religious power, as some in the USCCB believe. It is something to get killed for. The Catholic Church now adapts more than witnesses. For the Evangelicals, persecution may pull them out of the belief that they will be raptured rather than face persecution, which was an ironic belief in a Church that prizes martyrdom. Of course, martyrdom did nothing for the Church in Japan when it was closed to foreigners. The Church disappeared.
MGB:_Religious Liberty is not the loss of religious power, as some in the USCCB believe. It is something to get killed for. The Catholic Church now adapts more than witnesses. For the Evangelicals, persecution may pull them out of the belief that they will be raptured rather than face persecution, which was an ironic belief in a Church that prizes martyrdom. Of course, martyrdom did nothing for the Church in Japan when it was closed to foreigners. The Church disappeared.
Monday, April 24, 2017
France says 'non' to Le Pen's ugly politics
France says 'non' to Le Pen's ugly politics: The elections in France were, like the American elections in November, a referendum on the governing elites and the elites lost. But, the good news is that the highest polling candidate, Emmanuel Macr...
MGB:_Either candidate must work with one of the mainstream parties in France. I suspect Le Pen will find it harder. Whomever wins will have a steeper learning curve than an establishment candidate. Remember that although Jimmy Carter was a Democrat, he was an outsider, and it showed.
The international fascism of Le Pen, Bannon and Trump is the salvation of militarism as it becomes obvious that terrorism is a law enforcement problem rather than a military one (I suspect the Republican Guard that made ISIL so fierce has already been killed off). It is time for the left to take a stand, not with the neo-liberals for ordered globalization but with the inclusion of Francis. There may even be room for a new socialism, which is already standing up to Trump.
MGB:_Either candidate must work with one of the mainstream parties in France. I suspect Le Pen will find it harder. Whomever wins will have a steeper learning curve than an establishment candidate. Remember that although Jimmy Carter was a Democrat, he was an outsider, and it showed.
The international fascism of Le Pen, Bannon and Trump is the salvation of militarism as it becomes obvious that terrorism is a law enforcement problem rather than a military one (I suspect the Republican Guard that made ISIL so fierce has already been killed off). It is time for the left to take a stand, not with the neo-liberals for ordered globalization but with the inclusion of Francis. There may even be room for a new socialism, which is already standing up to Trump.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Links for 04/21/17
Links for 04/21/17: At Chicago Catholic, Fr. James Keenan, S.J., recounts a recent meeting a group of moral theologians had with Pope Francis. "We left stunned and speechless," after the meeting, Keenan reports...
MGB:_Francis knows the issues (after all, he is a Jesuit). He is not the bumpkin some right wingers like to believe he is (especially the Luddites).
Repealing state and local tax deductions is appropriate if you are launching a VAT for most taxpayers and lower rates with few deductions for the remaining payers. This option is usually brought up in health reform where the Federal government would take over Medicaid entirely (or at least for the elderly, which is the highest potential cost driver). This White House has little expertise in real tax policy.
Making a deal with the devils in the House Freedom Caucus will give Ryan a win in the House and doom the bill in the Senate. It would bee a first 100 days wonder. Of course the Democrats won’t negotiate unless the GOP abandons the cut in non-wage income taxes and the Medicaid modifications. The problem is, for Ryan those are non-negotiable. Unless the Speaker agrees to keep his hands off Medicaid and replaces the non-wage income taxes with a more general value added tax or net business receipts tax as part of larger reform, reform is dead save for small bipartisan incremental tweeks to fix the law.
MGB:_Francis knows the issues (after all, he is a Jesuit). He is not the bumpkin some right wingers like to believe he is (especially the Luddites).
Repealing state and local tax deductions is appropriate if you are launching a VAT for most taxpayers and lower rates with few deductions for the remaining payers. This option is usually brought up in health reform where the Federal government would take over Medicaid entirely (or at least for the elderly, which is the highest potential cost driver). This White House has little expertise in real tax policy.
Making a deal with the devils in the House Freedom Caucus will give Ryan a win in the House and doom the bill in the Senate. It would bee a first 100 days wonder. Of course the Democrats won’t negotiate unless the GOP abandons the cut in non-wage income taxes and the Medicaid modifications. The problem is, for Ryan those are non-negotiable. Unless the Speaker agrees to keep his hands off Medicaid and replaces the non-wage income taxes with a more general value added tax or net business receipts tax as part of larger reform, reform is dead save for small bipartisan incremental tweeks to fix the law.
Conservatives say relaxing mandatory health benefits will tame premiums
Conservatives say relaxing mandatory health benefits will tame premiums: Health Care Costs. House Republicans' plan to pull 10 specific categories of “essential health benefits” from federal requirements would have little affect on premium costs, experts say.
MGB:_There are four ways to reduce premiums. The most obvious is national price regulation of drugs and state price regulation of hospitals-man of which behave monopolisticly. The second is catastrophic insurance with health savings accounts and lines of credit to bridge the gaps and pay for non-standard (abortion) services. Of course, this would make it so easy to get care that no one would avoid it due to price so there would be little savings. The third is a public option, with taxpayer subsidies, to pay for the sickest cases, allowing private funds to lower rates. The fourth is single payer, which would negotiate all prices and effectively regulate them by denying payment for gouging.
The GOP cost cutting is simply letting the capitalists abuse the sick to keep their profits up. Their plans are and should be DOA. The Speaker needs to make a deal with the Democrats, not the Freedom Caucus. Of course, the Speaker is practically a member of the Freedom Caucus, so a deal that won’t die in the Senate is impossible. Giving Trump a win in the House is a hollow victory.
MGB:_There are four ways to reduce premiums. The most obvious is national price regulation of drugs and state price regulation of hospitals-man of which behave monopolisticly. The second is catastrophic insurance with health savings accounts and lines of credit to bridge the gaps and pay for non-standard (abortion) services. Of course, this would make it so easy to get care that no one would avoid it due to price so there would be little savings. The third is a public option, with taxpayer subsidies, to pay for the sickest cases, allowing private funds to lower rates. The fourth is single payer, which would negotiate all prices and effectively regulate them by denying payment for gouging.
The GOP cost cutting is simply letting the capitalists abuse the sick to keep their profits up. Their plans are and should be DOA. The Speaker needs to make a deal with the Democrats, not the Freedom Caucus. Of course, the Speaker is practically a member of the Freedom Caucus, so a deal that won’t die in the Senate is impossible. Giving Trump a win in the House is a hollow victory.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Alleluia for umpires: literalists in theological debate
Alleluia for umpires: literalists in theological debate: Young Voices: When I was 6, our music liturgist asked us to practice singing the alleluia for Easter; the problem was it was still Lent, and our priest had told us we couldn't say that word.
MGB:_The parable is about what happens when he calls a strike and it really was not. In a natural law morality context, reality is reality, regardless of what Rome says. They have no special competance on knowing humanity or sex. Indeed, they have defiencies because of their attitude. Of course, this is a self-correcting problem. When they act side of their moral authority their public authority crumbles.
MGB:_The parable is about what happens when he calls a strike and it really was not. In a natural law morality context, reality is reality, regardless of what Rome says. They have no special competance on knowing humanity or sex. Indeed, they have defiencies because of their attitude. Of course, this is a self-correcting problem. When they act side of their moral authority their public authority crumbles.
Stop claiming corporate tax breaks 'trickle down'
Stop claiming corporate tax breaks 'trickle down': Distinctly Catholic: Four men who provided economic advice to Trump during his campaign are on record now calling for tax reform focused on corporations, not the left-behind middle class who voted for him.
MGB:_Tax cuts for corporations may or may not trickle down, depending on who really pays the tax. If it really comes at the expense of workers than it should be expanded to a full-on value added tax or net business receipts tax and be paid by all employers, not just corporations, with most families no longer filing taxes, with the Child Tax Credit paid through employers and added to every paycheck. In this case, investments can be deducted when made rather than amortized, as is usual, but they don’t have to be (at some point OECD rules come into play). As for repatriation, if we raise dividend and capital taxes to the normal income rate (cutting all deductions except for sales to-a qualified ESOP) and have only the top 10-20% of families pay it (with graduated increases), then bring all the money back to the US tax free, making sure Steve Forbes pays at a 28% rate when he gets his dividend check (take it off the top).
Supply side economics does not work. If personal income tax rates are too low, CEOs and investors demand wage concessions or send jobs overseas (and inflation goes down). It is time to stop that now. Make the VAT high enough for robust public expenditure and generous family benefits while taking away the incentive to cut wages (keep raising the income tax rate at the top until employment and basic wages (net of tax benefits)) go up and the economy will be like the mid-century miracle. Of cousre, Trump is about rewarding capitalists, so this will never happen on his watch.
MGB:_Tax cuts for corporations may or may not trickle down, depending on who really pays the tax. If it really comes at the expense of workers than it should be expanded to a full-on value added tax or net business receipts tax and be paid by all employers, not just corporations, with most families no longer filing taxes, with the Child Tax Credit paid through employers and added to every paycheck. In this case, investments can be deducted when made rather than amortized, as is usual, but they don’t have to be (at some point OECD rules come into play). As for repatriation, if we raise dividend and capital taxes to the normal income rate (cutting all deductions except for sales to-a qualified ESOP) and have only the top 10-20% of families pay it (with graduated increases), then bring all the money back to the US tax free, making sure Steve Forbes pays at a 28% rate when he gets his dividend check (take it off the top).
Supply side economics does not work. If personal income tax rates are too low, CEOs and investors demand wage concessions or send jobs overseas (and inflation goes down). It is time to stop that now. Make the VAT high enough for robust public expenditure and generous family benefits while taking away the incentive to cut wages (keep raising the income tax rate at the top until employment and basic wages (net of tax benefits)) go up and the economy will be like the mid-century miracle. Of cousre, Trump is about rewarding capitalists, so this will never happen on his watch.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Trump's pledge to help workers faces hurdles
Trump's pledge to help workers faces hurdles: Distinctly Catholic: His own past business practices, his administration appointments and policies so far, and divisions within the GOP don't bode well for American workers.
MGB: Trump's H-1B order directs the government to study how the H-1B law should be amended. He cannot change it by order. He is all hat, not cattle. This was a publicity stunt, although apparently he and his staff do not understand that. He essentially signed a memo with people watching. It is no shock that as a capitalist and as president he is quietly doing the opposite of what he proclaims. Interestingly, the Goldman appointees are probably his most qualified - certainly more so than the conservative ideologues whose disdain for workers is palpable. These stunts are a smoke screen so voters don't notice that Trump does not care for them or does not think they are smart enough to notice (especially on tax policy, which some say is on hold for now anyway). Have we already had an infrastructure publicity stunt? Did it say anything about gas taxes (which have room to grow with lower prices). On school choice, the Trinity Lutheran case will give him an undeserved win, not DeVos.
MGB: Trump's H-1B order directs the government to study how the H-1B law should be amended. He cannot change it by order. He is all hat, not cattle. This was a publicity stunt, although apparently he and his staff do not understand that. He essentially signed a memo with people watching. It is no shock that as a capitalist and as president he is quietly doing the opposite of what he proclaims. Interestingly, the Goldman appointees are probably his most qualified - certainly more so than the conservative ideologues whose disdain for workers is palpable. These stunts are a smoke screen so voters don't notice that Trump does not care for them or does not think they are smart enough to notice (especially on tax policy, which some say is on hold for now anyway). Have we already had an infrastructure publicity stunt? Did it say anything about gas taxes (which have room to grow with lower prices). On school choice, the Trinity Lutheran case will give him an undeserved win, not DeVos.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Supreme Court justices side with church in playground dispute
Supreme Court justices side with church in playground dispute: In a case with implications for more than 30 states that prohibit using public funds for religious purposes, the justices appeared aligned against Missouri’s refusal to include a Lutheran church in a grant program that provides funding to resurface playgrounds and make them safer.
MGB: This could actually apply to religious schools too if they find that the Blaine Amendments are all unconstitutional. This is much bigger than playground equipment. See larger analysis from my blog at http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2017/04/trinity-lutheran-church-of-columbia-v.html
MGB: This could actually apply to religious schools too if they find that the Blaine Amendments are all unconstitutional. This is much bigger than playground equipment. See larger analysis from my blog at http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2017/04/trinity-lutheran-church-of-columbia-v.html
Obedience is not mere blind capitulation to authority
Obedience is not mere blind capitulation to authority: Book Review: I'm pretty wary of the word "obedience." So wary, in fact, that I almost declined to review Bradford Hinze's new theology of the church.
MGB: I refer you all to the work of Elaine Pagels on both Leviticus and Revelation. She uses cultural theory to explain these books very effectively - and why they must be taken in the context of the group rather than simply declaring them truth. Sociology studies religion rather well, which scares religion to death.
MGB: I refer you all to the work of Elaine Pagels on both Leviticus and Revelation. She uses cultural theory to explain these books very effectively - and why they must be taken in the context of the group rather than simply declaring them truth. Sociology studies religion rather well, which scares religion to death.
Links for 04/19/17
Links for 04/19/17: At RNS, Mark Silk looks at Trump's approval ratings through the prism of religious identification, and compares his numbers to Obama's. In a nutshell: Trump is not holding his own with h...
MGB: Mainline Protestants and liberal Catholics are likely to be more pro-choice than others. Trump is not helping himself by signing a bill to ban funds for Planned Parenthood, which was not using them for abortion anyway. I am more concerned with month 40 than month 4.
If Ossoff had won, it would have been because of white moderate Republicans either crossing party lines or staying home. That he even made the runoff is news.
Truman was an experienced statesman. Trump is a dabbler. Presidents make decisions, not just deals and they can't be underhanded like you are in business. In government, you keep your word or you have no power. Trump has no power.
MGB: Mainline Protestants and liberal Catholics are likely to be more pro-choice than others. Trump is not helping himself by signing a bill to ban funds for Planned Parenthood, which was not using them for abortion anyway. I am more concerned with month 40 than month 4.
If Ossoff had won, it would have been because of white moderate Republicans either crossing party lines or staying home. That he even made the runoff is news.
Truman was an experienced statesman. Trump is a dabbler. Presidents make decisions, not just deals and they can't be underhanded like you are in business. In government, you keep your word or you have no power. Trump has no power.
Donald Trump's tears are good, but the US needs more
Donald Trump's tears are good, but the US needs more: Distinctly Catholic: The test of political leadership is not the capacity to feel, but the capacity to decide what to do about the horror.
MSW:No one ever denied that Donald Trump was a man of deep feelings. The problem is that so are most fascists and that he is flying by the seat of his pants. He has no idea about how policy is developed, especially in national security and why consistent policy is a good thing, especially for for him since he is the ultimate judge, at least until the next election, of what that policy will be. Flying by the seat of his pants leads to chaos and that is never good is a government this large.
A no-fly zone is not enough. We need a larger peace conference that puts Abdullah of Jordan back in Damascus reigning over a state from the Lebanon to Iraq to the part of Israel ceded as a Palestinian and Arab Israeli state. We should not wait for rebels to topple Assad or ISIL. We need to do those things ourselves. Does Trump have the ability or inclination to do that? Of course not. This is, sadly, a long term project.
MSW:No one ever denied that Donald Trump was a man of deep feelings. The problem is that so are most fascists and that he is flying by the seat of his pants. He has no idea about how policy is developed, especially in national security and why consistent policy is a good thing, especially for for him since he is the ultimate judge, at least until the next election, of what that policy will be. Flying by the seat of his pants leads to chaos and that is never good is a government this large.
A no-fly zone is not enough. We need a larger peace conference that puts Abdullah of Jordan back in Damascus reigning over a state from the Lebanon to Iraq to the part of Israel ceded as a Palestinian and Arab Israeli state. We should not wait for rebels to topple Assad or ISIL. We need to do those things ourselves. Does Trump have the ability or inclination to do that? Of course not. This is, sadly, a long term project.
Past Easter Columns, both my own and commentary
Three columns, one recent and two years ago, address these themes:
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2017/04/finding-god.html
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2015/04/divine-mercy.html
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter.html
These were originals rather than comments on MSW columns, which are still extensive
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-triduum-of-mercy-national-catholic.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-sacred-triduum-beckons-national.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2014/04/our-sacred-triduum-national-catholic.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2013/04/triduum-national-catholic-reporter.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-did-jesus-do-between-good-friday.html
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2017/04/finding-god.html
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2015/04/divine-mercy.html
http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter.html
These were originals rather than comments on MSW columns, which are still extensive
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-triduum-of-mercy-national-catholic.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-sacred-triduum-beckons-national.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2014/04/our-sacred-triduum-national-catholic.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2013/04/triduum-national-catholic-reporter.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter.html
http://heymsw.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-did-jesus-do-between-good-friday.html
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Links for 04/18/17
Links for 04/18/17: At the Working Class Perspectives blog, John Russo looks at the interplay of technology and economic forces, and some creative attempts to deal with the catastrophes caused by modern economic decision...
MGB: Russo is exploring the road towards a Uniformed Basic Income, or UBI. It might work if no one had to to work, but there will always be people who do. I prefer UCO, or universal cooperative ownership - with multiple cooperatives and everyone having the right to join the cooperative of their choice, be trained, be an owner and do most of their purchasing through the cooperative. It is the antidote to consumerism.
The ICE spate of arrests is what happens when an agency is allowed to give license to its darkest desires. I suspect quotas are involved and low hanging fruit is allowed to be picked.
The Trump base is figuring out that it has been had. The pro-life movement is trying to put on a good face, but they have to know what is happening.
I won't waste my time on a Burke interview. Let him fade away.
MGB: Russo is exploring the road towards a Uniformed Basic Income, or UBI. It might work if no one had to to work, but there will always be people who do. I prefer UCO, or universal cooperative ownership - with multiple cooperatives and everyone having the right to join the cooperative of their choice, be trained, be an owner and do most of their purchasing through the cooperative. It is the antidote to consumerism.
The ICE spate of arrests is what happens when an agency is allowed to give license to its darkest desires. I suspect quotas are involved and low hanging fruit is allowed to be picked.
The Trump base is figuring out that it has been had. The pro-life movement is trying to put on a good face, but they have to know what is happening.
I won't waste my time on a Burke interview. Let him fade away.
The reality of the Resurrection
The reality of the Resurrection: Distinctly Catholic: We believe that the paschal mystery occurs within history, that Jesus really did die and rise from the dead, and we believe that the paschal mystery tra:nscends history
MGB:_I know that my Redeemer lives. I know this in two ways. The first way is that I encounter Him in the Eucharist. My experience of my thinking and feeling changes to peace when I encounter him in this way. The second is how St. Paul, whose reports of the Resurrection are more recent than the Gospel, describes the fact that people saw the Lord and that the Church is about the Resurrection, not some superior understanding of ethics (which sometimes it is not). A Resurrected Body of Christ is the Church, as well as the ascended Jesus. The whole Church, not the clergy. The Gospel accounts are later stories that flesh out the details, but they are not as important as the testimony of Paul.
As for our resurrections, I believe they occur right away. A glorified body and the leftover husk can certainly coexist, especially because the husk can be obliterated without damaging the possibility of a later life in Paradise. We know we will be like him and that he is described after the resurrection, although we won’t ”come out” publicly. The Gospels writers said that some saints rose with Christ and were seen, so we need not wait for the last day.
MGB:_I know that my Redeemer lives. I know this in two ways. The first way is that I encounter Him in the Eucharist. My experience of my thinking and feeling changes to peace when I encounter him in this way. The second is how St. Paul, whose reports of the Resurrection are more recent than the Gospel, describes the fact that people saw the Lord and that the Church is about the Resurrection, not some superior understanding of ethics (which sometimes it is not). A Resurrected Body of Christ is the Church, as well as the ascended Jesus. The whole Church, not the clergy. The Gospel accounts are later stories that flesh out the details, but they are not as important as the testimony of Paul.
As for our resurrections, I believe they occur right away. A glorified body and the leftover husk can certainly coexist, especially because the husk can be obliterated without damaging the possibility of a later life in Paradise. We know we will be like him and that he is described after the resurrection, although we won’t ”come out” publicly. The Gospels writers said that some saints rose with Christ and were seen, so we need not wait for the last day.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Mary Magdalene drama illuminates: God's forgiveness wipes the slate clean
Mary Magdalene drama illuminates: God's forgiveness wipes the slate clean: Essay: A Dutch medieval mini drama about Mary Magdalene provides insight about forgiveness, conversion and acceptance of God's love.
MGB:_The seven demons were the seven deadly sins. To lose those takes a huge investment in seeking holiness. If Jesus had a wife (and as a Rabbi he likely did) everyone agrees it would have been Mary. When he first saw her after the resurrection, she was told not to cling to him. In other words, she was a widow with a risen husband, or former husband. She had him back as God but not as husband. How do you grieve that? Legend has it she died an old dessert hermit, so gnarled by age and sun that you could not tell her gender by looking at her. That is grieving and worship put together into perfect self-denial.
MGB:_The seven demons were the seven deadly sins. To lose those takes a huge investment in seeking holiness. If Jesus had a wife (and as a Rabbi he likely did) everyone agrees it would have been Mary. When he first saw her after the resurrection, she was told not to cling to him. In other words, she was a widow with a risen husband, or former husband. She had him back as God but not as husband. How do you grieve that? Legend has it she died an old dessert hermit, so gnarled by age and sun that you could not tell her gender by looking at her. That is grieving and worship put together into perfect self-denial.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Good Friday: Feel as the original disciples, feel the tremors
Good Friday: Feel as the original disciples, feel the tremors: Distinctly Catholic: Reading the Gospel accounts of Good Friday, the degree to which the Hebrew Scriptures are present in the text is striking, but there is something deeper at work.
MGB:_Jesus’ adherence to the Hebrew scriptures is a double-edged sword. Some claim that where details were not known, the Gospel writers filled them in from scriptural sources. It is up to the reader to decide which view is correct. I prefer to read the Passion narratives as one. It allows for a fresh perspective which goes beyond the Hebrew canon.
All of the protagonists save one, Jesus, forgot about the Resurrection and even Jesus did so for that one brief moment after he told his mother that he was dead to her and his disciple that he should care for Mary rather than make new disciples. That moment of despair allowed him to feel our hopelessness so that we can bring it to him for our salvation. We are all at the cross, every day of our lives. Jesus allows us to come down by going up to get us.
The disciples had Jesus in their lives on a daily basis and could not believe what was coming until after the Resurrection. We have the benefit of the whole story but we only find him in the words of scripture and in Communion. We have not seen, but we believe. The challenge is whether we use the Cross for self-justification or to bring mercy to others. Do we believe in St. Anselm’s bloody ransom or a Christ who feels the despair we feel and how does that impact our view of sin?
MGB:_Jesus’ adherence to the Hebrew scriptures is a double-edged sword. Some claim that where details were not known, the Gospel writers filled them in from scriptural sources. It is up to the reader to decide which view is correct. I prefer to read the Passion narratives as one. It allows for a fresh perspective which goes beyond the Hebrew canon.
All of the protagonists save one, Jesus, forgot about the Resurrection and even Jesus did so for that one brief moment after he told his mother that he was dead to her and his disciple that he should care for Mary rather than make new disciples. That moment of despair allowed him to feel our hopelessness so that we can bring it to him for our salvation. We are all at the cross, every day of our lives. Jesus allows us to come down by going up to get us.
The disciples had Jesus in their lives on a daily basis and could not believe what was coming until after the Resurrection. We have the benefit of the whole story but we only find him in the words of scripture and in Communion. We have not seen, but we believe. The challenge is whether we use the Cross for self-justification or to bring mercy to others. Do we believe in St. Anselm’s bloody ransom or a Christ who feels the despair we feel and how does that impact our view of sin?
Thursday, April 13, 2017
'Why Do the Evil Prosper?'
'Why Do the Evil Prosper?': From my standpoint, I'm glad that I absorbed as much original sin theology before being swept up in the human potential movement that made us and Jesus into unalloyed positivity. It helps at times...
MGB:_There are a lot of themes here. The Psalms, the prophetic books and Revelation are all part of an apocolyptic tradition that decries injustice and perceived evil (although in terms of Revelation, the Judaizers the author supported faded from history and Pauline Christianity won out). Holy Week takes us a different way, toward forgiveness being required to receive it. Moral philosophy states that evil comes from free will, as the intellect can only chose between lesser goods, the absolute good being absent. Marxists would say that our hope in a resurrection or in a day of the Lord is a weakness, deradicalizing those we need to radicalize.
So how to procede? If Constantine could conquer under the banner of the Cross, we can certainly radicalize under the same banner, from expanding cooperatives, union and employee-owned firms to a more complete socialism to tax policy that favors families with children to using the power of the United States to force everyone from Gaza and Turkey to Pakistan into a peace conference to iron out borders to stop the violence or else.
MGB:_There are a lot of themes here. The Psalms, the prophetic books and Revelation are all part of an apocolyptic tradition that decries injustice and perceived evil (although in terms of Revelation, the Judaizers the author supported faded from history and Pauline Christianity won out). Holy Week takes us a different way, toward forgiveness being required to receive it. Moral philosophy states that evil comes from free will, as the intellect can only chose between lesser goods, the absolute good being absent. Marxists would say that our hope in a resurrection or in a day of the Lord is a weakness, deradicalizing those we need to radicalize.
So how to procede? If Constantine could conquer under the banner of the Cross, we can certainly radicalize under the same banner, from expanding cooperatives, union and employee-owned firms to a more complete socialism to tax policy that favors families with children to using the power of the United States to force everyone from Gaza and Turkey to Pakistan into a peace conference to iron out borders to stop the violence or else.
Powerful imagery of sacrifice and love make Holy Thursday a time for unity
Powerful imagery of sacrifice and love make Holy Thursday a time for unity: Distinctly Catholic: The liturgy of Holy Thursday focuses us on both the institution of the Eucharist and the great commandment to love one another.
MGB:_Sadly, clericalism and misogyny have turned the washing of the feet into a sad joke. Perhaps it should be done at every Mass, including daily Mass, where all feet can be washed. We originally elected our Pastors. Until we go back to that, the hypocracy will continue and women will be seen as a source of temptation and sin, rather than the wellspring of life. We also need to see that sin is a violation of our human natures, not disobedience to the divinity. Jesus sacrifice and his message restores our humanity. We are to be perfect in our love, not in our avoidnace of vice (which comes naturally from love). The abandonment of the Cross was about God experiencing our broken heartedness. He is leading us to ourselves, not to Nirvana. As for unity, the main objection to unity is papal overreach. Humbly acknowledging the supremancy of Constantinople would go a long way to bringing western Christianity back together.
MGB:_Sadly, clericalism and misogyny have turned the washing of the feet into a sad joke. Perhaps it should be done at every Mass, including daily Mass, where all feet can be washed. We originally elected our Pastors. Until we go back to that, the hypocracy will continue and women will be seen as a source of temptation and sin, rather than the wellspring of life. We also need to see that sin is a violation of our human natures, not disobedience to the divinity. Jesus sacrifice and his message restores our humanity. We are to be perfect in our love, not in our avoidnace of vice (which comes naturally from love). The abandonment of the Cross was about God experiencing our broken heartedness. He is leading us to ourselves, not to Nirvana. As for unity, the main objection to unity is papal overreach. Humbly acknowledging the supremancy of Constantinople would go a long way to bringing western Christianity back together.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Montana legislature passes post-viability abortion law
Montana legislature passes post-viability abortion law: New Montana legislation concerning pregnancies that endanger mothers' lives, after a fetus is deemed potentially viable, restricts physicians from using abortion as a termination method.
MGB:_This seems to fall within the confines of Roe, but not necessarily Doe v Bolton, although Doe was largely overruled by Gonzalez v. Carhart. The question is whether sponsors are serious or are looking for a vehicle to try again to overturn Roe (a strategy that won't work. If the defenders of the law argue that it falls within the limits of Roe, The compromise is reasonable and may prove a model for Congressional action, which would be more appropriate and more likely to be constitutional.
MGB:_This seems to fall within the confines of Roe, but not necessarily Doe v Bolton, although Doe was largely overruled by Gonzalez v. Carhart. The question is whether sponsors are serious or are looking for a vehicle to try again to overturn Roe (a strategy that won't work. If the defenders of the law argue that it falls within the limits of Roe, The compromise is reasonable and may prove a model for Congressional action, which would be more appropriate and more likely to be constitutional.
Iowa House passes measure to ban almost all abortions after 20 weeks
Iowa House passes measure to ban almost all abortions after 20 weeks: Pro-life supporters are praising the Iowa House of Representatives on passing legislation that bans almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
By a vote of 55-41, the ban passed the House Apri...
MGB:_20 weeks should be the time when sedation for the fetus is required, not a point where the procedure itself should be banned. Hardly any one performs an abortion that late just because they feel like it. There is usually a medical reason and the fetus would not survive. Iowa, indeed no state, has the consitutional authority to declare fetal personhood before viablility. Only Congress can do that and the GOP does not have the votes (nor does it want to, as a compromise ends the ability of the GOP to politick this issue).
By a vote of 55-41, the ban passed the House Apri...
MGB:_20 weeks should be the time when sedation for the fetus is required, not a point where the procedure itself should be banned. Hardly any one performs an abortion that late just because they feel like it. There is usually a medical reason and the fetus would not survive. Iowa, indeed no state, has the consitutional authority to declare fetal personhood before viablility. Only Congress can do that and the GOP does not have the votes (nor does it want to, as a compromise ends the ability of the GOP to politick this issue).
Europe's populist parties pose a challenge for the church
Europe's populist parties pose a challenge for the church: Christians have a role in countering European populism, but as European politics fragment, not everyone is convinced populism can be deflected by condemnations.
MGB:_Populism is succeeding because Democratic Socialists have not come up with an answer to the question of where to go next. The welfare state cannot be the end point. Workers need not only more control of the means of production, but also democratic control of the means of consumption. This means employee owned and controlled firms, not just taxing the surplus to create social services. CEO selection should be democratic and CEO pay should be determined in open auction. Firms should provide rental housing for younger employees and build and finance homes for senior employees and when older workers are let go, their housing debt must be forgiven and their pensions made whole. If we give workers something to vote for, the populists won't stand a chance.
MGB:_Populism is succeeding because Democratic Socialists have not come up with an answer to the question of where to go next. The welfare state cannot be the end point. Workers need not only more control of the means of production, but also democratic control of the means of consumption. This means employee owned and controlled firms, not just taxing the surplus to create social services. CEO selection should be democratic and CEO pay should be determined in open auction. Firms should provide rental housing for younger employees and build and finance homes for senior employees and when older workers are let go, their housing debt must be forgiven and their pensions made whole. If we give workers something to vote for, the populists won't stand a chance.
Churches need ‘gift of administration’
Churches need ‘gift of administration’: Book Review: Parish governance is not only a necessity but also entirely consistent with a pastor’s roles of teaching and sanctifying.
MGB:_With all do respect to the author, we need to take the checkbook away from the clergy, and by that I mean all administration, and vest it with a deaconate that need not be male, permanent or celibate, but must be both elected by the parish and election the diocesean admiistrator. Let the clergy operate on a different track, although getting rid of celibacy, maleness and hierarchy would be good steps too. And give clerical permanent deacons the power of absolution as well. More people might come back to confession. You could even ordain Catholic therapists. What a way to end the hour!
MGB:_With all do respect to the author, we need to take the checkbook away from the clergy, and by that I mean all administration, and vest it with a deaconate that need not be male, permanent or celibate, but must be both elected by the parish and election the diocesean admiistrator. Let the clergy operate on a different track, although getting rid of celibacy, maleness and hierarchy would be good steps too. And give clerical permanent deacons the power of absolution as well. More people might come back to confession. You could even ordain Catholic therapists. What a way to end the hour!
Monday, April 10, 2017
Exploring Christian and Jewish connections at Easter
Exploring Christian and Jewish connections at Easter: NCR Today: Tonight Passover begins, and while Christians may be encouraged to celebrate a Seder meal, doing so on our own is actually disrespectful.
MGB:_I have been to Jewish Sedars, which serve brisket rather than lamb (I prefer my brisket smoked or slow cooked). I have never been to a Catholic Sedar, except my own. Lamb is a part of the Samaritan Sedar, with no exile adjustments. Because I am Romany and we are akin with the Samaritans (Thomas the Apostle converted us in India before the Germans or Irish ever heard of Christ) I follow Samaritan custom, I wish I were tracking the calendar better, I would have gotten some lamb, matzos and horseradish sauce. Time to order Mongolian Lamb instead.
MGB:_I have been to Jewish Sedars, which serve brisket rather than lamb (I prefer my brisket smoked or slow cooked). I have never been to a Catholic Sedar, except my own. Lamb is a part of the Samaritan Sedar, with no exile adjustments. Because I am Romany and we are akin with the Samaritans (Thomas the Apostle converted us in India before the Germans or Irish ever heard of Christ) I follow Samaritan custom, I wish I were tracking the calendar better, I would have gotten some lamb, matzos and horseradish sauce. Time to order Mongolian Lamb instead.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
It may be time to radically rethink ordination
It may be time to radically rethink ordination: A small c catholic: Why does it require a seminary degree and ordination to be able to baptize people and to oversee the Eucharist?
MGB: The basic problem is not who we are ordaining or not ordaining but a deeper issue of what we expect with ordination. That issue is Continence - the rule that you cannot have marital intercourse and celebrate Mass that day or the prior evening. This practice is misogynistic and it reflects the rot in Catholic sexual teaching. Being with a woman (or a man) or being gay or a woman does not render one impure to offer Mass. There I nothing intrinsically impure about sex. Once we get this one corrected, everything else falls in line.
MGB: The basic problem is not who we are ordaining or not ordaining but a deeper issue of what we expect with ordination. That issue is Continence - the rule that you cannot have marital intercourse and celebrate Mass that day or the prior evening. This practice is misogynistic and it reflects the rot in Catholic sexual teaching. Being with a woman (or a man) or being gay or a woman does not render one impure to offer Mass. There I nothing intrinsically impure about sex. Once we get this one corrected, everything else falls in line.
The Suffering Servant
The Suffering Servant: Spiritual Reflections:
MGB: The suffering servant is vey human. If you take the Gospels together, you can place the passage in John where Jesus gives care of his mother to the beloved disciple right before he call out in despair. In this act, he abandons his divine origins, which he originally learned from his mother (and she kept all these things in her heart) by severing ties with he a his imminent death. Likewise, he tells John (or Lazarus), to care for Mary, not to go out and baptize all nations, thus abandoning his Church as well. Total emptiness, just like that of the sinner in a world of blame. We know this is the sacrificial act because after it occurs, John states that Jesus took the fruit of the vine (I thirst), thus signaling the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
MGB: The suffering servant is vey human. If you take the Gospels together, you can place the passage in John where Jesus gives care of his mother to the beloved disciple right before he call out in despair. In this act, he abandons his divine origins, which he originally learned from his mother (and she kept all these things in her heart) by severing ties with he a his imminent death. Likewise, he tells John (or Lazarus), to care for Mary, not to go out and baptize all nations, thus abandoning his Church as well. Total emptiness, just like that of the sinner in a world of blame. We know this is the sacrificial act because after it occurs, John states that Jesus took the fruit of the vine (I thirst), thus signaling the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
Mass is a family, chosen for us, not by us
Mass is a family, chosen for us, not by us: My Table Is Spread: The brother and sister I would never claim are here, beside me, and I must claim them or admit that what I profess is a lie.
MGB: The man in the blankets and the cathecumen in the sweats are the Christ hidden in those we would help. How badly we treat the Lord when we meet him in our lives. It is no wonder we no longer meet him at Mass either. We have clever ways of helping, like distributing food that is about to rot to food banks or providing old clothes for them to wear. We are to visit the Lord in prison, but oh how he is fed by Sheriff Joe Arpao and CCA. Been to a shelter lately? We should remember who we are feeding, clothing and housing. Maybe we would buy fresh food, new clothes and better shelters, along with more humane prisons.
MGB: The man in the blankets and the cathecumen in the sweats are the Christ hidden in those we would help. How badly we treat the Lord when we meet him in our lives. It is no wonder we no longer meet him at Mass either. We have clever ways of helping, like distributing food that is about to rot to food banks or providing old clothes for them to wear. We are to visit the Lord in prison, but oh how he is fed by Sheriff Joe Arpao and CCA. Been to a shelter lately? We should remember who we are feeding, clothing and housing. Maybe we would buy fresh food, new clothes and better shelters, along with more humane prisons.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
The normalization of insanity
The normalization of insanity: From Where I Stand: In a political world that is normalizing the irrational more and more every day, our obligation is not to be like those who would secure themselves by making others insecure.
MGB:_The current insanity is the banality of evil, the totalitarian itch that the GOP is willing to scratch. When the bizarrily named Susan B. Anthony Fund lied about the abortion provisions of the ACA, the bishops said nothing to discourage them. Indeed, they cheered. Rush Limbaugh, FoxNews and the Republican Party can say anything without consequence and a generation believes them because Bill Clinton has a sex addiction and the hidden racism of a generation flaired when Obama was elected President, although the anti-immigrant bias surfaced when President Bush proposed a balaced approach to immigration and his own Congress spat in his face, with pro-life Catholic Jim Sensenbrenner leading the way. It is no surprise that a narcisist billionaire can be elected president based on his borderline racism regarding his predecessor’s birthplace. The worship of success is endemic to capitalism and its Calvinist defenders, who assume it implies both mental health and ability in government. We have found that it implies neither.
MGB:_The current insanity is the banality of evil, the totalitarian itch that the GOP is willing to scratch. When the bizarrily named Susan B. Anthony Fund lied about the abortion provisions of the ACA, the bishops said nothing to discourage them. Indeed, they cheered. Rush Limbaugh, FoxNews and the Republican Party can say anything without consequence and a generation believes them because Bill Clinton has a sex addiction and the hidden racism of a generation flaired when Obama was elected President, although the anti-immigrant bias surfaced when President Bush proposed a balaced approach to immigration and his own Congress spat in his face, with pro-life Catholic Jim Sensenbrenner leading the way. It is no surprise that a narcisist billionaire can be elected president based on his borderline racism regarding his predecessor’s birthplace. The worship of success is endemic to capitalism and its Calvinist defenders, who assume it implies both mental health and ability in government. We have found that it implies neither.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Where there's willingness, there's a way for Congress and Trump to fix health law
Where there's willingness, there's a way for Congress and Trump to fix health law: Affordable Care Act: Health policy analysts say that some of the health law’s marketplace problems could be improved with a bipartisan spirit.
MGB:_Provisions to end subsidies and mandates bring us closer to a single-payer system, not to a Republican proposal to replace comprehensive insurance with catastrophic insurace plus health savings accounts. If the HSA is too low, this is cruel. If you add a line of credit for the gap between accounts (and to cover unallowables like massage therapy and abortion and to cover deductibles and copays), the cost limitation provisions won’t decrease costs. In the interim, a subsidized public option will allow the poor and the sick to get good coverage at a lower price than than market would provide. Capitalism will likely lead to more people in that pool until it is essentially a single-payer plan (unless insurance company bankruptcies due to GOP sabotage don’t get us there first).
MGB:_Provisions to end subsidies and mandates bring us closer to a single-payer system, not to a Republican proposal to replace comprehensive insurance with catastrophic insurace plus health savings accounts. If the HSA is too low, this is cruel. If you add a line of credit for the gap between accounts (and to cover unallowables like massage therapy and abortion and to cover deductibles and copays), the cost limitation provisions won’t decrease costs. In the interim, a subsidized public option will allow the poor and the sick to get good coverage at a lower price than than market would provide. Capitalism will likely lead to more people in that pool until it is essentially a single-payer plan (unless insurance company bankruptcies due to GOP sabotage don’t get us there first).
Links for 04/05/17
Links for 04/05/17: The Hope Border Institute denounces an ICE decision denying a parole request for a Mexican journalist fleeing death threats. The Hope Border Institute does great work building solidarity along th...
MGB:_That non-peasants are being treated badly is probably a good thing, although the underlying policy is aweful. Assylee candidates used to always be paroled. That a journalist has a good case that the government cannot stop him from being killed (or may help kill him) is tragic.
That proposed wall is more a stunt than a possibility. Countless people come legally across the border and simply stay. The morally offensive part is that it is the peasants who can’t even come as tourists.
Allowing states to reintroduce community rating would still take a change to the ACA and is a proposal that is coming with campaign cash behind it, rather then simply ideology. A public option plan becomes all the more necessary, whether or not this is passed, to allow for lower rates for the healthy. This would still take a payroll or consumption tax to make it work.
MGB:_That non-peasants are being treated badly is probably a good thing, although the underlying policy is aweful. Assylee candidates used to always be paroled. That a journalist has a good case that the government cannot stop him from being killed (or may help kill him) is tragic.
That proposed wall is more a stunt than a possibility. Countless people come legally across the border and simply stay. The morally offensive part is that it is the peasants who can’t even come as tourists.
Allowing states to reintroduce community rating would still take a change to the ACA and is a proposal that is coming with campaign cash behind it, rather then simply ideology. A public option plan becomes all the more necessary, whether or not this is passed, to allow for lower rates for the healthy. This would still take a payroll or consumption tax to make it work.
Cupich tackles violence in Chicago
Cupich tackles violence in Chicago: Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago held a press conference yesterday at which he pledged the archdiocese to renewed efforts within the city to end the scourge of violence. He reported on an inventory he...
MGB: Events like this are valuable. When I was working for Mayor Barry in DC, we did one (a bit more secularly, (which was likely an oversight - we were usually pretty good at bringing in clergy) to help set the tone for whomever would be the next mayor. This is the kind of project that Rahm Emmanuel should have done early in his mayoralty. Instead, he seems to have pandered tot he police and the existing racism. Bless the new Cardinal and shame on the Mayor of Chicago (and God rest Marion's soul).
MGB: Events like this are valuable. When I was working for Mayor Barry in DC, we did one (a bit more secularly, (which was likely an oversight - we were usually pretty good at bringing in clergy) to help set the tone for whomever would be the next mayor. This is the kind of project that Rahm Emmanuel should have done early in his mayoralty. Instead, he seems to have pandered tot he police and the existing racism. Bless the new Cardinal and shame on the Mayor of Chicago (and God rest Marion's soul).
Editorial: We embrace a broader vision of government
Editorial: We embrace a broader vision of government: We say: Fixing the current health care system isn't the only battle we must engage. A deeper, more philosophical and tougher fight awaits us.
MGB: Ryan has a choice, bipartisanship or pandering to the GOP's version of libertarians (although true libertarians are pro-gay rights, these are more the Ron Paul variety). Sadly, I believe the Speaker sympathizes with much of their insanity. He has been pandering to it rather than forcing a vote which would out them and then taking away their leadership posts. We live in interesting times.
MGB: Ryan has a choice, bipartisanship or pandering to the GOP's version of libertarians (although true libertarians are pro-gay rights, these are more the Ron Paul variety). Sadly, I believe the Speaker sympathizes with much of their insanity. He has been pandering to it rather than forcing a vote which would out them and then taking away their leadership posts. We live in interesting times.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Links for 04/04/17
Links for 04/04/17: In the Chicago Tribune, Cardinal Blase Cupich unveils a new effort to combat violence in that city, and he has the pope's support. More on this tomorrow.
At Politico, their daily look ...
MGB: It takes a village to start an anti-violence initiative, with professionals from Catholic Social Services to Rome giving a hand to Chicago's Cardinal. Like poverty, the answer is education and for many that education should be paid. Pay high schoolers and they don't have to sell drugs for money or get a dead end job.
After Obama, having Trump to pan is a boon to late night comedy. Everyone gets a turn.
Fox News is not that different from the other Fox entertainment properties. Their family values emphasis has always seemed hollow to me. Their preference for blonds and old men gives them away as just another dirty joke.
At Politico, their daily look ...
MGB: It takes a village to start an anti-violence initiative, with professionals from Catholic Social Services to Rome giving a hand to Chicago's Cardinal. Like poverty, the answer is education and for many that education should be paid. Pay high schoolers and they don't have to sell drugs for money or get a dead end job.
After Obama, having Trump to pan is a boon to late night comedy. Everyone gets a turn.
Fox News is not that different from the other Fox entertainment properties. Their family values emphasis has always seemed hollow to me. Their preference for blonds and old men gives them away as just another dirty joke.
When will Donald Trump decide to be president?
When will Donald Trump decide to be president?: NCR Today: There is no comprehensive strategy for this administration, and, as of now, the operation of this White House is at odds with the Trump campaign.
MGB: Why should anyone assume that the Donald Trump of the campaign was not also an act? While I believe in showing Bannon the door, he's not the only one. He needs to poach heavily from Senate staff, preferably committee staff of both parties. This is assuming, of course, that he is not simply an empty suit who thought being president sounded like a nice idea. Maybe the family members in his White House will see this and similar columns and realize that his staff and Congress are making a fool of him and that someone needs to close his account on Twitter or let someone from the Communications Office handle his tweets in the banal way we came to expect from his predecessor.
MGB: Why should anyone assume that the Donald Trump of the campaign was not also an act? While I believe in showing Bannon the door, he's not the only one. He needs to poach heavily from Senate staff, preferably committee staff of both parties. This is assuming, of course, that he is not simply an empty suit who thought being president sounded like a nice idea. Maybe the family members in his White House will see this and similar columns and realize that his staff and Congress are making a fool of him and that someone needs to close his account on Twitter or let someone from the Communications Office handle his tweets in the banal way we came to expect from his predecessor.
Let the filibuster die
Let the filibuster die: Distinctly Catholic: Democrats should normally be opposed to any parliamentary procedure that is as obviously anti-democratic as the filibuster.
MGB: When the Democrats were in power but without a sixty vote majority, they were loud in their view that the filibuster should be ended. I told them to be careful what they wish for. This is why I did so, because their consensus was not permanent and was based on people who don't vote that frequently. The current majority is based on an electoral block of older white people who believe in what FoxNews has to say and who are susceptible to campaign ads designed by neo-Birchers. Let us not be so hasty about ending the filibuster. ALEC has 29 state legislatures in their thrall. They are mostly small states. Making them deal with a super-majority rule limits their impact to when they are willing to reach across the aisle (not often). Let us not add the Senate, especially while the House is firmly in the grip of the Hastert rule (which also favors right wing stupidity).
Sadly, the GOP could win this one. They should be careful because their majority is not permanent either, especially in two years. Remember that not so long ago they were seeking a balanced budget bill that gave the minority an effective veto whenever the budget was not balanced, so confident were they of permanent minority status. As their base ages, they have reason for concern.
MGB: When the Democrats were in power but without a sixty vote majority, they were loud in their view that the filibuster should be ended. I told them to be careful what they wish for. This is why I did so, because their consensus was not permanent and was based on people who don't vote that frequently. The current majority is based on an electoral block of older white people who believe in what FoxNews has to say and who are susceptible to campaign ads designed by neo-Birchers. Let us not be so hasty about ending the filibuster. ALEC has 29 state legislatures in their thrall. They are mostly small states. Making them deal with a super-majority rule limits their impact to when they are willing to reach across the aisle (not often). Let us not add the Senate, especially while the House is firmly in the grip of the Hastert rule (which also favors right wing stupidity).
Sadly, the GOP could win this one. They should be careful because their majority is not permanent either, especially in two years. Remember that not so long ago they were seeking a balanced budget bill that gave the minority an effective veto whenever the budget was not balanced, so confident were they of permanent minority status. As their base ages, they have reason for concern.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Links for 04/03/17
Links for 04/03/17: At the Working-Class Perspectives blog, Sherry Linkon and John Russo argue, persuasively, that the resistance to Trump movement must keep its eye on issues of economic justice. Enough with the bath...
MGB: Economic justice as a warm fuzzy is not enough. A full-throated attack on capitalism and Trump as a capitalist is what is needed now.
We never know how a Justice will rule. Souter was supposed to be a conservative, as were Alito and Roberts. All looked at Roe as settled law. A defense attorney would be good. Even better would be a good consumer attorney. As for Gorsuch, if he is more like his mentor, Justice Kennedy, than his friend, Justice Scalia, it will be a win. Whether Senators vote for him or not, they should not filibuster him.
Benedict and Francis are also very close and are very different as well. The similarity is a matter of Charism. The differences, however, are still striking. While many read a lot of their own desires into Francis, we have not heard him condemn relativism. He is still a pastor first.
I remember the St. John Paul death watch. It is interesting that they did not put him on a ventilator or give him a feeding tube.
MGB: Economic justice as a warm fuzzy is not enough. A full-throated attack on capitalism and Trump as a capitalist is what is needed now.
We never know how a Justice will rule. Souter was supposed to be a conservative, as were Alito and Roberts. All looked at Roe as settled law. A defense attorney would be good. Even better would be a good consumer attorney. As for Gorsuch, if he is more like his mentor, Justice Kennedy, than his friend, Justice Scalia, it will be a win. Whether Senators vote for him or not, they should not filibuster him.
Benedict and Francis are also very close and are very different as well. The similarity is a matter of Charism. The differences, however, are still striking. While many read a lot of their own desires into Francis, we have not heard him condemn relativism. He is still a pastor first.
I remember the St. John Paul death watch. It is interesting that they did not put him on a ventilator or give him a feeding tube.
Cardinal Sarah's unfortunate speech on liturgy
Cardinal Sarah's unfortunate speech on liturgy: Distinctly Catholic: Liturgy touches us at the core of our beings. What is surprising is that so many feel the need to denounce those who view liturgical matters differently.
MGB: I have wondered whether it was St. John Paul or Benedict that was responsible for essentially bringing back the pre-Vatican II English translation of the Mass. Now we know. Perhaps it would have been better had they simply changed the language in the first place - because the words are essentially the same (save for ending references to St. Michael in certain prayers). The optics of moving the altar are important and Rome knew it could not take counter-revolution any further. The Cardinal is simply grousing that he did not get his entire agenda enacted. Boo Hoo for him.
He and Benedict have relativism wrong. Absolutism and natural law are a belief in finding truth based on the best use of reason - and in some matters EVIDENCE from real life. What the Cardinal and Benedict pined for is a kind of Catholic Relativism where the Curia and a pliant Pope declare what the truth is authoritatively and we obey. Of course, the current Pope is anything but pliant.
MGB: I have wondered whether it was St. John Paul or Benedict that was responsible for essentially bringing back the pre-Vatican II English translation of the Mass. Now we know. Perhaps it would have been better had they simply changed the language in the first place - because the words are essentially the same (save for ending references to St. Michael in certain prayers). The optics of moving the altar are important and Rome knew it could not take counter-revolution any further. The Cardinal is simply grousing that he did not get his entire agenda enacted. Boo Hoo for him.
He and Benedict have relativism wrong. Absolutism and natural law are a belief in finding truth based on the best use of reason - and in some matters EVIDENCE from real life. What the Cardinal and Benedict pined for is a kind of Catholic Relativism where the Curia and a pliant Pope declare what the truth is authoritatively and we obey. Of course, the current Pope is anything but pliant.
Pope recognizes miracle attributed to Fatima visionaries
Pope recognizes miracle attributed to Fatima visionaries: Pope Francis has approved the recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of two of the shepherd children who saw Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, thus paving the way for their canonization.
F...
MGB: This event says everything about the personal holiness of the visionaries and nothing about the visions or secrets. The latter may b as discreditable as those of La Salette, which are ignored due to the seers association with apocalyptics later in life. Still, on the third secret, I am hoping it applies to the next pope rather than this one. I would truly weep if Francis were martyred by mistake by an Italian soldier after an earthquake. That is farce, not martyrdom. Still, it fits with what St. Malachy says about Peter the Roman. Apocalyptic literature is more about dissatisfaction with the current era rather than foretelling the future. For example, John of Patmos did not like Paul. We wanted the Church Judaized and wrote after the fall of Jerusalem. He wanted a new Jerusalem from Heaven. He was pretty much wrong on most points and time will not make him right. It won't make the Trads right either.
F...
MGB: This event says everything about the personal holiness of the visionaries and nothing about the visions or secrets. The latter may b as discreditable as those of La Salette, which are ignored due to the seers association with apocalyptics later in life. Still, on the third secret, I am hoping it applies to the next pope rather than this one. I would truly weep if Francis were martyred by mistake by an Italian soldier after an earthquake. That is farce, not martyrdom. Still, it fits with what St. Malachy says about Peter the Roman. Apocalyptic literature is more about dissatisfaction with the current era rather than foretelling the future. For example, John of Patmos did not like Paul. We wanted the Church Judaized and wrote after the fall of Jerusalem. He wanted a new Jerusalem from Heaven. He was pretty much wrong on most points and time will not make him right. It won't make the Trads right either.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Links for 03/31/17
Links for 03/31/17: In this morning's Washington Post, a report on how researchers use forensic technology to explore the reality of poverty in the medieval ages. One more reminder that those who bemoan our current a...
MGB:_Distributionists like to point to how the High Middle Ages were great for everyone. While they were better than the earlier time when roving soldiers terrorized the populace, they undoubtedly provided the example for Hobbes of the state of nature leading to a justification for a strong yet harsh governmental authorities, which often prove expensive to the peasantry.
Violating someone’s rights a little bit just to make the majority equally unhappy is probably not up to muster. Still, the majority may get away with it or it may not.
Yakima is in the heart of the land of the apple. Ministering to them is the least we can do. Fighting for just wages and health care while providing education for their children at low cost would be even better.
MGB:_Distributionists like to point to how the High Middle Ages were great for everyone. While they were better than the earlier time when roving soldiers terrorized the populace, they undoubtedly provided the example for Hobbes of the state of nature leading to a justification for a strong yet harsh governmental authorities, which often prove expensive to the peasantry.
Violating someone’s rights a little bit just to make the majority equally unhappy is probably not up to muster. Still, the majority may get away with it or it may not.
Yakima is in the heart of the land of the apple. Ministering to them is the least we can do. Fighting for just wages and health care while providing education for their children at low cost would be even better.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Editorial: Take the lead on health care as a right
Editorial: Take the lead on health care as a right: We say: Breathe a sigh of relief for the American people. For now, Obamacare is safe. But then let's roll up our sleeves for the next battle.
MGB:_If Obamacare explodes, insurance companies will go bankrupt and that bankruptcy may yet give us a sinlge payer plan, although Congress would have to eact the payroll or value added tax to fund it. Health care is a positive right, like food stamps or retirement income. Sadly, positive rights tend to be underfunded (a word to the wise for guaranteed income advocates).
The right to life is both a positive and negative right. The negative right is soley the right to not forcing eugenic abortions on poor women and prisoners or parents on teenage daughters. Birth control cannot be forced either, although some judges have gotten away with it until someone notices. The positive right to life can go two ways. One is through government prohibition on abortion, which steps on a woman’s right not to procreate. The second part of a right to life is government support of childbirth and childhood, which includes health care, food stamps and an adequate child tax credit.
If that were realized, maybe there would be more adequate benefits for those in need. Making the poor suffer should be considered part of the culture of death(=Freedom_Caucus=Caucus_of_Death)
MGB:_If Obamacare explodes, insurance companies will go bankrupt and that bankruptcy may yet give us a sinlge payer plan, although Congress would have to eact the payroll or value added tax to fund it. Health care is a positive right, like food stamps or retirement income. Sadly, positive rights tend to be underfunded (a word to the wise for guaranteed income advocates).
The right to life is both a positive and negative right. The negative right is soley the right to not forcing eugenic abortions on poor women and prisoners or parents on teenage daughters. Birth control cannot be forced either, although some judges have gotten away with it until someone notices. The positive right to life can go two ways. One is through government prohibition on abortion, which steps on a woman’s right not to procreate. The second part of a right to life is government support of childbirth and childhood, which includes health care, food stamps and an adequate child tax credit.
If that were realized, maybe there would be more adequate benefits for those in need. Making the poor suffer should be considered part of the culture of death(=Freedom_Caucus=Caucus_of_Death)
The Christian Fake News Problem
The Christian Fake News Problem: Easter is a reminder that the church's founding event was first labeled "fake news" by Jesus' followers. Luke's Gospel says the women who discovered the empty tomb dashed off to ...
MGB:_People got to the tomb at different times. The story of the women at the tomb is important, especially the appearance to Mary Magdalene (possibly of Bethany) because that is evidence that she was Jesus wife.
In general, those of us who partake of the Eucharist are witnesses to the Resurrection, because how could a dead person enter into our hearts?
MGB:_People got to the tomb at different times. The story of the women at the tomb is important, especially the appearance to Mary Magdalene (possibly of Bethany) because that is evidence that she was Jesus wife.
In general, those of us who partake of the Eucharist are witnesses to the Resurrection, because how could a dead person enter into our hearts?
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