I’m too busy for a real essay today. Kids had piano lessons this morning and my second son got a very challenging piece from his teacher today. He’s very excited about it. Ya know… he is going to be quite an interesting catch for some lucky girl (if he doesn’t enter the seminary!) because he loves to cook, he loves to play soccer and swim, he plays the piano, and he is very theologically minded. I am quite interested in seeing what he will be like 13 more years or so!
Also I go to see the doctor today, but the baby has been moving so regularly that I’m pretty sure there won’t be much problem finding a heartbeat.
There are some other items of interest that I’ve come upon in the blogosphere.
A commenter on TWA responded to my complaints about last week’s unsolicited flaming.
Welcome to the world of blogging !with comments!. Subject be damned, some people are going to attack you personally. I guess Elena didn’t know that before, but now she sure does, so it’s time for her to consider whether she really wants to keep commenting in blogs that allow it
Well, actually being a veteran of AOL message boards and having been a blogger for 14 months now, I kinda knew that. I’m just use to the personal attacks being more on a reasonable adult level. I guess in this era of The Jerry Springer Show, it’s probably prudent not to assume that all such attacks will touch the high bar.
I found a new blog this week courtesy of Selkie (who also has a very good blog- well worth the read.) Drop by and visit Arwen/Elizabeth, a young, newly married, Catholic woman studying theology and interested in starting her own family.
Todd had some interesting discussion on his blog this week. I found myself disagreeing with my friend John B, The Catholic Packer Fan. This comment struck me:
Likewise, if you are not challenging the evil of abortion and only volunteering at the soup kitchen, you are not testifying totally as a Catholic.
I believe that not everyone has the gifts, calls, time, treasure, talents to address all the needs of the world. I think that might be part of what Jesus meant when he talked about the many parts of the one body.
My reply was:
“I don’t believe that is true John. Not everybody has the same time, talents, treasures, gifts etc. etc. I would be TERRIBLE in a prison ministry. I’m just not called to it, have no gifts for it and no life experience. I could see myself working later in life with the dying or in grief counseling, tutoring little kids, working with young moms or even birthing moms. I think I have the experience, and possibly the talent to do those things and maybe even the call. I don’t believe it has anything to do with being “totally Catholic” as far as self giving goes.”
The discussion there still continues as well as some other interesting stuff so check it out.
Another commenter made this remark to me:
I think maybe what John and Todd may be saying is that to really fight against abortions, you need to take away the causes (see John’s last paragraph). In order to do that you need to understand the causes and not in a simplistic way (i.e.: ‘those evil, immoral people’). Working with people on that level may not be comfotable and may not feel like your call, but the discomfot could bring about a growth in one’s own compassion.
The topic of the “causes” of abortion is a huge one. Historically I believe you can trace it back to the acceptance of contraception, a very common theme on this blog because I truly believe that. So consider that one of my contributions to the cause!
Other than that I don’t disagree with John and Todd that the fight against abortion is multifaceted. It is. The solution will be equally multifaceted and I think it will include things like the yearly March for Life, the work of Right to Life, and Priests for Life as well as one-on-one acts of mercy, some maybe as simple as just listening to a mom in trouble, or hugging a post-abortive mom who needs a hug.
I just don’t think for example, that the senior citizen who feels called to visit the dying, or rock sick babies in the hospital should feel that they are “less Catholic” if they don’t also feel the call to work against abortion too.
Lastly, the Christian Carnival should be up by tonight I guess they got a TON of entries. It will be up at Digitus Finger and Co. so stay tuned!
Please feel free to leave a comment under the posting, or sign my Spiritbook (guestbook). You can chat with me on the tag board to the right!
