michal's musings

American Myth “Western rationalism no longer understands myths and their importance. Although almost all historic cultures valued myths, we are the obvious exception. Western culture has replaced these effective and healing story lines with ineffective, cruel, and disorienting narratives like communism, fascism, terrorism, capitalism, and consumerism. Each in its own way is a watertight explanation and refuses any outside critique. (Richard Rohr: Myths, Tuesday, September 29, 2015)” Few months ago I attended a workshop at the Archdiocese of Chicago about social justice. It was good and bad at the same time.  The good was that we got together and we spoke about how to create small groups.  The bad was that this workshop wanted to prove that all the American Dreams are no longer true. I did not like that. My dad came to America in 1985.  By 2015 my family lives the American Dream. We love America and we try to build this nation and serve this nation and keep the Dream going. I am

all are atheists “Nobody can accuse the Catholic Church of being democratic, but as an atheist I’ll paraphrase Winston Churchill’s remark about democracy: Pope Francis is the worst pope we ever had, except for all the others. I’m no papal historian, but I’m pressed to think of a less bad pope. True, I have nothing bad to say about Pope John Paul I, perhaps because he was pope for only 33 days. Although Pope Benedict XVI unified atheists whenever he made pronouncements on atheists, gays, pedophilia, and all matters sexual, his successor, Pope Francis, is a divider rather than a uniter within the atheist community. Some atheists see this pope glass as 1/10 full, while others see it as 9/10 empty.(By Herb Silverman)” http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2013/09/23/pope-francis-divides-atheists I like Mr. Silverman’s statement. I think it is good that some religious people challenge some atheists and that some atheists find something interesting and good among religious people. I

divine and human “‘Guardini says that it's a principle of logic that A cannot be B at the same time and in the same respect that it's A. . . . Likewise, God is the Creator and we are the creature. And yet, Guardini adds, 'Although I am not God, I am not other than God either.' He says the direct intuitive realization that although I am not God, I am not other than God either, fans out in all directions. Although I am not you, I am not other than you either. Although I am not the earth, I am not other than the earth, either. As this soaks into me, what are the implications of this in the way I act in the world, in relationships with other people?’(Richard Rohr: Unitive Consciousness, Monday, September 7, 2015)” Relationships.... This is something very interesting. Following Guardini’s thought, that if I am able to enter into some relationship with the other, the other cannot be much different than I am.  Well, that make sense. We are able to enter into the relati

Jesus kiss “Mother Teresa – ‘The Kiss of Jesus’ This is not a fringe position in the Catholic Church, which has long extolled the spiritual virtues of suffering. Mother Teresa’s attraction to pain shaped her ministry to the dying, and one of the most serious criticisms of her Calcutta homes was that patients were denied modern medical care to relieve pain even when the Missionaries of Charity had the funding to do so. By her own report , Mother Teresa once told a woman to imagine that her suffering was kisses from Jesus. “Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliation, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close that he can kiss you.” ‘Tell Jesus to stop,’ the woman responded. (By Valerie Tarico)” http://www.salon.com/2015/09/26/why_right_wing_christian_leaders_are_often_indifferent_to_needless_suffering_partner/ Mrs. Tarico challenges me very much and that is why I like her. I like to be challenged intellectually. However, I am not

Las Vegas When most people thinks about Las Vegas they picture some combination of gambling, burlesque, night clubs and legalized prostitution—the pleasures that earned Vegas the nickname Sin City. But when Sociologist Lori Fazzino thinks about Las Vegas, she pictures churches. Seventy-seven percent of Las Vegas residents say they are religious, mostly Christian; and Vegas caters to a largely Christian population of tourists, many of whom party hard on Saturday night and then attend one of the 30 churches surrounding the strip on Sunday. And yet, the city’s public image makes it a target for revival meetings, “church planting” and missionary outreach by conservative Christians who see the city as ripe for redemption. According to Fazzino, that makes Sin City a fascinating place to study religious belief and non-belief. (By Valerie Tarico)” http://www.salon.com/2015/08/22/atheist_are_as_moral_as_theists_an_interview_with_a_sin_city_religious_sociologist_partner/ I was in Las

Jesus Mickey and Lenin “Rather than making dogmatic statements about how to get to heaven, Jesus modeled and taught how to live on earth in a loving way, and he said that this was indeed heaven! But Christians have all too often pushed heaven into the future. We've made Jesus' death and resurrection into a reward/punishment system for the next world, which creates tremendously self-absorbed and self-preoccupied people. It doesn't transform anyone into compassionate, loving individuals. Instead it leads to a kind of morbid self-analysis in which people feel guilty, inferior, and inadequate or superior and self-righteous. (Richard Rohr: A Change in Consciousness, Sunday, September 6, 2015)” As always I like Rohr’s approach to earthy Christianity. I agree with him that too many Christians live in some world of ideas and imaginary world. We need to go back to concrete Christian experience. Jesus was much more about earthly life, earthly change and material material world.

“A man asked the Prophet, "Give me advice." The Prophet said, "Do not become angry." The man asked again, and the Prophet repeated his advice. For a third time, the man asked the question, and the Prophet said again, "Do not become angry." The repetition of this counsel stresses the importance of the Prophet's admonition about anger. Scholars agree, however, that this hadith does not prohibit anger per se, for even the Messenger of God became angry at times. He once said, "I am a human being and I become angry like you." The Prophet's anger could be seen on his face. But his anger was always in response to an aberration in human character and behavior offensive to God. So anger is not a negative emotion in and of itself. It is part of the human creation as our flesh and limbs are. Without anger, there are many things that would not have been achieved. Anger can be a positive motivator.” Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseas