The Absolute Catholic City

Here's something interesting to read:

The founder of Domino's Pizza is starting a Florida town where he will build a Catholic university -- and possibly keep out contraception.
[...]
He wants drugstores to keep birth control off their shelves, and the developer said it would favor pharmacies with such a policy, according to Newsweek. A clinic opening already has said it would refuse contraception to students.

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There are times when a couple needs to have safe s*x. If a pregnancy endangers a woman's life, then she should has access to birth control and other means to protect her health and life.

This is one example only. There are more complicated issues than this one; but I tried to address the obvious.
 

Joseph, Joseph

I'm tired of the latest news from Iraq. And, I really really really need to laugh for a change. Since Lent isn't that far, I thought to share this Catholic joke with you -- I hope you don't get offended by the joke:

Jesus Christ is on the cross and is obviously dying. He looks up and hoarsely calls, "“Joseph. Joseph."”

At the beckoning of his master, Joseph rushes to the foot of Jesus'’ cross. Just then, the Roman guards grab Joseph and cut off his legs and throw him into the crowd of onlookers.

Later, an exhausted Jesus looks around and again calls, "“Joseph. Joseph."”

Again at the beckoning of his master, Joseph crawls with just the use of his arms to the foot of JesusÂ’ cross. Again the Roman soldiers seize Joseph, cut off his arms and throw him into the gawking crowd.

Hours later, Jesus again looks over the city with a sense of bewilderment and calls, "“Joseph. Joseph."”

With super-human strength, Joseph musters his remaining energy to crawl inch-by-inch with the use of his chin alone to the foot of JesusÂ’ cross. Upon seeing this show of sheer devotion, the Roman guards allowed Joseph to speak to Jesus.

Joseph said, "“I am here for you my Lord."

Jesus said, "“Joseph?"”

Joseph said, "“Yes my Lord, I am here for you."”

Jesus said, "“Joseph, I can see your house from here."”

Have a nice Sunday everyone.
 

American Catholics and St. Patrick's Day

I haven't been in America long enough to take St. Patrick's Day seriously. I noticed American Catholics really love the festives associated with this day. This year St. Patrick's Day is on a Friday during Lent. So, Bishop Kmiec, bishop of Diocese of Buffalo has granted an exception to the Irish-American Catholics in Buffalo:

Danny Boy, please pass the cabbage. And don't forget the corned beef.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec said it is OK to indulge in the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal - meat included - even though this year the Irish holiday is on a Friday during Lent.

Kmiec, the Diocese of Buffalo's first Polish-American bishop, granted a "general dispensation" to all Catholics from the duty to abstain from meat on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.

Normally, Catholics older than 14 are expected to avoid eating meat on Fridays during Lent, the six-week Christian season leading up to Easter.

Read more...

Does that mean we too can eat meat on St. Patrick's Day? Just joking. I can always find something to eat on Fridays during Lent.


© Mark M. Hancock

Is Iraq Heading Toward a Civil War?

I'm not sure what is the answer for this question. But, the bombing of Shia Al-Askariya Shrine in Samarra broke all doors to hell. The Shia militia retaliated by burning Sunni mosques and killing Sunni imams.

Where do Iraqi Christians stand? Iraqi Christians don't take sides. I wish there's a way to guarantee their safety. But, there isn't. They're part of the Iraqi society during the good and the bad times.

Why can't we all get along together? Why do we keep killing each other? Why is our Iraqi history filled with blood and murder? I really don't know.

Iraqi blogger Ali has a great analysis of the situation on the ground. It's a must-read post.

Please, keep Iraqis in your prayers.
 

The Line Between Good and Bad

Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, the 1970 Nobel Prize winner in literature once wrote:

I have learned one great lesson from my years in prison camps, I learned how a person becomes evil and how he becomes good.

When I was young, I thought I was infallible and, I was cruel to those under me. I was madly in love with power, and in exercising it. I was a murderer and an oppressor. Yet in my most evil moments I thought I was doing good, and I had plenty of arguments with which to justify my deeds.

It was only when things were reversed, when as a prisoner I lay on rotten straw, that I began to feel within myself the first stirring of good.

Gradually I came to realize that the line which separates good from evil passes not between states, or between classes, or between political parties, but right through every human heart.

Even in the hearts that are overwhelmed by evil, one small bridge head of good is retained. And in the best of all hearts, there remains an unrooted small corner for evil.

I thought it's a good way to start the week. I hope you didn't mind it.
 

Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoon Contest

Yes, you read it correctly. Here's the announcement from the Israeli group's blog:

A Danish paper publishes a cartoon that mocks Muslims.
An Iranian paper responds with a Holocaust cartoons contest -
- Now a group of Israelis announce their own anti-Semitic cartoons contest!

Amitai Sandy (29), graphic artist and publisher of Dimona Comix Publishing, from Tel-Aviv, Israel, has followed the unfolding of the "“Muhammad cartoon-gate"” events in amazement, until finally he came up with the right answer to all this insanity - and so he announced today the launch of a new anti-Semitic cartoons contest - this time drawn by Jews themselves!

"“We'’ll show the world we can do the best, sharpest, most offensive Jew hating cartoons ever published!"” said Sandy "“No Iranian will beat us on our home turf!"”

Read more...

I hope this puts an end to the clash of religious and offending cartoons. I'm certain this contest has come as a shocker to the Iranian President.

The group will publish the accepted cartoons on their blog. So, make sure to check their site for updates.

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UPDATE Feb. 18, 2006
Rabbi Marc Gellman wrote in a Newsweek magazine article about the cartoons:

Humor that is self-effacing is fine as long as the member is of the faith/race/ethnos, but when outsiders tell the joke, it is usually insulting or at least inappropriate. As a Jew, I can freely tell the joke about how the Yeshiva University crew team always lost to Harvard because the Harvard crew team had eight guys rowing and only one guy shouting (pause for laughter). If a gentile told that joke, I would … plotz (a Yiddish word meaning: to faint at a Jewish joke being told by a gentile). It is just not funny or in good taste or even in bad taste--it is just wrong--for anyone to insult other people's core identity and then hide behind freedom of the press. Yes, we in the West have the right to say any stupid thing we want, but when people get really pissed off about it, we can't hide or blame them because they can't take a joke.

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This is exactly what I tried to explain to my readers two weeks ago. But, it got lost in translation. Oh well, I can't change the world. But, It's good to know there are people who see things the way I do.
 

Late Pope JP II's Car Is For Sale

The Associated Press reported yesterday:

PARIS (AP) - Bidders at Christie's auction house offered up to $71,820 for a 1958 car that once belonged to the late Pope John Paul II, but the seller decided the sum was not enough.

The green, Polish-made FSO Warszawa M20 was pulled from the auction in Paris late Saturday after bidding failed to reach the minimum reserve price of euro200,000, Christie's said.

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If the car owner wants it sold for that much money, then he needs to put it on eBay.
 

The Cab Driver Goes to Heaven

Being someone who hired many taxis over the years, I understand the following joke so well:

A cab driver reaches the Pearly Gates and announces his presence to St. Peter, who looks him up in his Big Book. Upon reading the entry for the cabbie, St. Peter invites him to pick up a silk robe and a golden staff and to proceed into Heaven.

A preacher is next in line behind the cabby and has been watching these proceedings with interest. He announces himself to St. Peter. Upon scanning the preacher's entry in the Big Book, St. Peter furrows his brow and says, "Okay,we'll let you in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff."

The preacher is astonished and replies, "But I am a man of the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff and a silk robe. Surely I rate higher than a cabbie."

St. Peter responded, "matter-of-factly: this is heaven and, up here, we are interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabbie drove his taxi, people prayed."

Source: Comedy Central

The worst is when the taxi driver doesn't know the way to your destination. That's when you really start praying, especially if you rent the taxi at night.
 

The Joy In Loving

Last night, I finished reading Mother Teresa's book "The Joy In Loving."I always enjoy reading her words. Here's a quote from the book:

Whether one is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian, how you live your life is a proof that you are or not fully His.

We cannot condemn or judge or pass words that will hurt people. We don't know in what way God is appearing to that soul and what God is drawing that soul to; therefore, who are we to condemn anybody?

-- Mother Teresa

And this one:

Humility is the mother of all virtue, purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent.

If you're humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you're blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint, you will not put yourself on a pedestal.

-- Mother Teresa

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The Joy In Loving

My Stand On Religion

NOTE: This post was originally posted on my other blog on Nov. 29, 2003. That was before I started this blog. It's about time to move it here.

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I received a sweet e-mail last week from a Jewish woman who lives in Israel and who is married to an Iraqi-Jew. I wanted to share part of her e-mail with my readers.

She wrote in part of her e-mail:

Never does that story my brother-in-law told me leave my head: in 1951 when there was some kind of uprising against the Jews in Baghdad - so many angry people were chasing him down the market. BUT : he came home, and who do you think helped the family hide from the angry mob? Their Muslim neighbours! I'm quite sure that people under each-other wouldn't have dragged on this bloody situation as long as it's dragging on now

I don't know if my Middle-Eastern readers have known any Jews during their lives. I did.

My mom's best friend in Basrah, Iraq was an Iraqi-Jew, who was married to an Iraqi-Muslim. My family had a close friendship with her and her family. Me and my siblings were brought up closely to the family. I was the youngest among the girls' and boys' big circle of friends from both families. So, I was the favorite cute-little-child to play with. She lost a son during the Iran-Iraq war. It was one of the saddest times for both families.

I believe she still lives in Iraq even though her husband died many years ago (if I'm not wrong). Everyone in town, who knew her, always respected and loved her. She had a very charming personality.

The same is true with many of the Jews whom I got to know through my work and social life in Australia and America.

For my Middle-Eastern readers who never got the chance to know a Jew personally, I say. "Hey, Jews are people and human just like us with our good and bad parts."

Now, I have to talk about my Muslim friends. Even though I'm a Catholic, most of my friends in Iraq, and whom I still consider as my best friends were Muslims. This is not because there weren't many Christians where I lived (I had Christian friends too), but because I choose my friends for their spirits and willingness to be good people as much as they could. I never paid attention to their religious beliefs. We always discussed our religious differences with respect and a few arguments from time to time, but that's how friends are.

I do believe we all can live together peacefully even if we have different beliefs. It all depends on us. We need to ask ourselves each time we meet someone who doesn't believe in what we believe, "Can I give this person my trust and understanding?" If we could understand, then we could trust. I hope we all would one day.
 

Nuns' Frozen Bank Account

The Tampa Tribune reported the following case, which is related to the Patriot Act:

ST. LEO - The nuns of the Holy Name Monastery say they have been swept into the net cast by the nation's antiterrorism laws.

The sisters say the monastery's main bank account was frozen without explanation in November, creating financial headaches and making the Benedictine nuns hopping mad. They were told the Patriot Act was the cause.
[...]
Abbott said she was told the troubles started because one 80-year-old nun who is a signatory to the account didn't have her Social Security number and photo ID on file.

"Clearly an international spy," Abbott said wryly.

None of the nuns has given the bank that information, Abbott said. "We've been in business 116 years. No one's ever asked."

Against the Patriot Act from the start, the sisters have members of Congress on speed dial, Abbott said. "They'll be hearing from us now that this is all settled."

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Most Catholics know the golden rule: Don't piss off any nuns.

I'm certain the folks in Washington will hear a lot from those nuns. Way to go sisters.
 

Michael Jackson and The Vatican

I read the following with disbelief:

SECRET discussions between the Roman Catholic Church and Michael Jackson to put the prayers of Pope John Paul II to music appeared to be in disarray last night after the singer fled members of the press who had got wind of the project.
[...]
Yesterday, Father Giuseppe Moscati, of the Millennium Music Society, which specialises in church music and organises musical events at the Vatican, reluctantly confirmed the details.

Fr Moscati said: "We have the rights for the 24 prayers written by Pope John Paul.

"We had hoped the fact that we have been in contact with Michael Jackson would remain a secret. But sadly it has leaked out ahead of time. We are in discussions and trying to sort it out.

Fr Moscati dismissed Jackson's controversial past and insisted it was no barrier to him working with the Catholic Church. The priest said: "He was cleared and found not guilty by a jury.

"Michael Jackson is very interested in this project - we shall see what happens."

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If this news is true, then What on earth is the Vatican thinking? What kind of messages are they sending the families of the boys and girls molested by the Catholic priests? I don't care what California's jury decision was. This deal is 100 percent wrong.