Links: Jason Berry, the scientific method and the California recall

Links: Jason Berry, the scientific method and the California recall 

If only the coverage of the scandal made use of gender theory to explain how priestly asexuality (not celibacy) leads to abuse. Still, congrats to JB.

The scientific establishment missed vital details in dealing with the illness and how it spreads. Laura missed them too - even though they are hiding in plain sight. She is a war criminal in the epidemic and the Insurrection.

I did not see the article on the web page. Joanna Morehead's article looks like a must read. I would do so if registration were not required to do so. Other than a personal attack on Carroll, what is there to say about Root and Branch? James would have been a great priest in the long term were it not for the need to cooperate with evil.The delicious irony about MSW dissing Jim is that Jim agrees with Michael about clericalism.

His heartfelt book missed one of the main details of how the Church got to where it is today. Catholic sexual morality really does need to be yanked out root and branch. Ordaining married lesbians would certainly do what is required (if we look at the Church's problems scientifically).

Initiative, referendum and recall bow to what is essential political mob rule. One of the reasons politicians don't like pruning their voter rolls is that doing so makes such nonsense harder. Democrats need to hold a convention to pick a consensus candidate to short circuit the process, even while supporting Newsome. Walking and chewing gum is essential when the rules are crazy.

My daily routine includes watching You Tube videos on the volcano. Gutn Tog is the best channel for this coverage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEnIICJzwe0

The Southern Baptists may not have liked McIntyre, but they followed his playbook. The Catholic Church has still not recovered from such self-promoting nonsense.

The architecture and urban planning of the 1950s was a disaster that helped keep racism firmly in place. Much of it needs to be removed, root and branch, to rebuild community and grow smarter.

If US church is to become synodal, we have a lot of work to do

If US church is to become synodal, we have a lot of work to do 

The original conference was pushing back against Rome and followed the lead of the Cardinals among them. The current one is divided, with St. John Paul bishops hoping that they can resist the current pope for only a short time before they get a pope more to their liking. This is not to say that division in the Conference is a bad thing. People like it when their own side is dominant, but debate is good. It keeps matters from being swept under the rug. To pretend that the conference is not like any other group of human beings is idealistic ecclesiology, not reality. 

There is one sure way to strengthen the Conference (or any group of people). Give them an opposing force to argue with (rather than seeking imagined enemies in the White House). The bishops like the status quo. To change it, elevate the Cardinal Advisors to the level of national or continental patriarch on the Orthodox model. This will both temper the actions of dissidents while giving them a reason for engagement.

Rethinking sex, especially the sexuality of the priesthood, would be to actually face the reality of how warped Catholic theology is. Complementarity is a hopeless concept. Priests (those who are not gay) need to realize they are the A in LGBTQIA (asexual) and quit acting like they are superior rather than different. Relating to the fact that their dreams of holiness are simply deviance from the norm would give them the necessary humility to deal with those of us who fall closer to sexual normality. Let the Conference chew on that issue for a while and leave Democratic voters alone for a bit.

Links: Critical race theory, culture wars and dog cuddling

Links: Critical race theory, culture wars and dog cuddling 

The pro-life hysteria is showing its irrelevancy. They are trying to look busy and children are dying because of it. It is good that she hinted at the principle of the double effect.

I hope that the AFL-CIO can get buy-in from the bishops on the President's proposals on the Child Tax Credit. Expanding the credit is the only pro-life solution that will actually work.

New York will be able to mange sea level change. The entire state of Florida will simply go away. There is simply nowhere that they can shunt the water to. They have no lower or higher ground.

Dogs are an emotional support animal for a reason. They also make you take a walk when you are old.

I would say that we have made progress, but in much of the world, religion is still blood sport. That includes enforcing atheism. People pick gods that resemble themselves and most people are nasty. That includes 4th Century Christians - whose personal sexual issues have been a burden to the Church for 16 centuries.

That cultural leaders capitalize on the desire for violence (whether it be Mao or Trump) is endemic. Sometimes, of course, it is the leaders who are particularly blood thirsty. They merely strike a chord. 

Fights over education (and as importantly, the color of who their children date) are endemic in America. These serve the interest of those who seek to divide the working class. As long as there have been conservatives, this has been a thing.

Pandering over abortion rights shows how much sex is a driving force in politics. Political contests have zero impact on the legality of abortion. We do not vote on civil rights. No one will say that, because that would involve giving up free money and motivated volunteers. 

As AFL-CIO charts its future, alliance with Catholic Church is vital

As AFL-CIO charts its future, alliance with Catholic Church is vital 

Trumka was very tolerant of the Church's foibles, especially with regard to the teacher's union, the insane ignorance of constitutional law and its doctrinal opposition to the right to strike. Would that the Church would learn such tolerance.  

The AFL-CIO needs to make peace with white collars. It can reach out to onsite government contractors, who can be fired at will be government agencies where they work. The right to fire at will is a feature, not a flaw, and it is a justification for not hiring people as staff. More importantly, it needs to branch out to employee-owned firms (which, ironically, need board representation, not the right to strike). The value of any relationship is the ability to grow together. May both the union movement and the Church realize that they each have room to grow.

Social issues are not something "over there." Their use by conservatives to divide workers is endemic, especially on gender and race.  Church needs to make its peace with our Constitution (which is the essence of the enlightenment). Many thought it already had in promulgating Dignitatis Humanae. Of course, this was before Roe. The principle behind individual rights is to accept others when you don't like their choices. Even abortion. 

Historically, just as the Unions ignored abortion rights, the Evangelicals did as well (for them, it was not an issue). This all changed when racism in education lost its tax breaks and its acceptability. The Catholics made a devil's bargain when it let itself be led into the GOP at the behest of White Evangelicals. It is an abuse relationship the Church much leave if it is serious about opposing Authoritarian Capitalism (there is nothing libertarian about it). Sadly, the Church likes authoritarianism, or at least the hierarchy does. They will need to change this to be of any help to labor.

The Church can start by making voting for the President's economic stimulus bill, which makes refundable child tax credits permanent, must pass pro-life education. Call it a show of good faith.

National Catholic Bioethics Center still wishy-washy on vaccine mandates

National Catholic Bioethics Center still wishy-washy on vaccine mandates 

The NCBC was the pet project of Bernard Law, then moved to Philly to become the project of Chaput. One quick look at its website tells you all you need to know about its (lack of) relevance. It has a newsletter, has received staff letters from two previous (and not the current) popes and holds annual conferences for the usual bishops. None of their ethicists are medical doctors. It's location is currently for sale. Nice house.

The official voice of the Church on bioethics is the  Catholic Association of the United States. They have a real office in DC in an actual office building. Their annual gatherings are huge and their COVID work is for real. Their ethical concerns page talks about real issues, like when to shut ventilators off. I am sure the NCBC would have a conniption, except no one would care.

Links: Trump and the Taliban; Ben and Jerry’s; and RIP Thomas Levergood

Links: Trump and the Taliban; Ben and Jerry’s; and RIP Thomas Levergood 

The infrastructure bill was just funding deferred maintenance. The same people who get road construction money now will keep getting it. Some businesses may expand, but there likely will be no new ones. The other bill, however, is profoundly pro-life. To call it anything else is to undersell it. Someone call the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life to get into the debate.

People will simply forget Afghanistan. If I were Trump, I would be very worried about how the news cycle is about to change.

The virus is mostly survivable for people who know how to deal with asthma. It is not about strength. The family should have gotten the shot. For the record, the four virus orphans will have their educations paid for. It comes with being poor, provided they stay out of "the system" and have some relative take care of them.

I used to think that corporate participation helped reform in problematic countries, like South Africa and Israel. Then the boycotts helped in the former. The connection is apt. I am not for the two state solution. Palestinians and Israeli Arabs should have the same rights to full citizenship as Jews - and without commitment to a Jewish state.

Opinions on architecture are like opinions on sexuality. People like what they like and abhor what they don't - irregardless of the underlying reality.

Haiti and Afghanistan: Twin tragedies demonstrate mystery of original sin

Haiti and Afghanistan: Twin tragedies demonstrate mystery of original sin 

Haiti has not been a going concern since France began reparations for itself over the nation. This was absolutely perverse and we did nothing. While calling Catholic Relief is helpful, much more is needed and France should pay for it - with interest. Can the nation survive? Should it? Maybe the best option is mass migration out. The other is to bring education in. It is the only way out of poverty.

Afghanistan needs to be given to Iran to deal with, at least to the Pashtunistan border. Pakistan should meet them there. Barring that, we must have hope that the Taliban's agenda was getting the U.S. out rather than imposing Wahibbism. This is where faith comes in. The nation fell to the Taliban as effectively as it fell for us. The real power is with tribal leaders. We must trust them too. After Bin Laden's body was dumped into the ocean, we should have declared victory an left. Hindsight is 20-20.

The failed doctrine of original sin, which is so misogynistic it could have been concocted by the Taliban of Mullah Omar (also dead), has little to do with these twin tragedies, or how to fix them.