It's that time again...

"It's Clobberin' time!"

The quote is, of course, attributed to the Thing. And while the line from Marvel comics isn't scintillating, at least his prose doesn't fall into some of the pitfalls of other, more prominent American writers.


Speaking of which:



Here is one of the best threads I've ever seen covering various errors in Dan Brown's works. No, wait! It's just the errors he made in his new-to-be-made-in-a-movie-starring-Tom-Hanks-and -Tom's-Bad-Haircut! Angels and Demons!

Seriously. And don't stop at the blogger's words; read some of the additions by his commenters. Hilarious. I'm actually glad that Rob Howard is making a second one. It gives me an excuse to continue with the ranting!

Enjoy.

This Week in the News!

So a lot of my students have heard me talk about torture, particularly how the soul of America is fighting through this issue right now. Well, here's an interesting story on how fiction helped certain people sneak torture in through the back door of America.

Wow.

Is it possible that this level of stupidity can really affect policy?

Banners, Crusades, and the Real Point

So, Mr. Corrigan and I have been chatting a bit, and it's interesting how some points slip by when one's head is full of glorious visions, the blood flowing at the thought of storming the gates of ancient cities. So, a word on living metaphors:

I, in certain moments, speak a certain way. And sometimes I think I'm successful in rousing certain emotions in certain people. Now, this is all well and good, and it is my position that the blood gets roused by certain visions because of the virtue of the vision (and not so much my merit... this is in fact important, as I'll get to later.)

Mr. Corrigan recently posted about the Governor General's Award, and how a very virtuous society gave theirs back. So, let's talk about that.

So far I've heard some fairly ringing words about marching forth with Johnson to some wondrous conquest. Thank-you, the sentiment is lovely. But, people, have you taken a look ahead to see where I'm going? Follow me, fine, but you do so at your peril because in me you'll find a rather fallible fellow, a very fallible fellow. Further, if you base anything on a single personality then your attachment lasts only so long. Shoot higher, folks. Do you dare follow the Christ, for example? Because all of the glory of the history I talk up is a reflection of Him. All the Crusades were waged by men who bowed at His feet. And that bowing doesn't mesh too well with the modern mind. There is in that bowing a rather profound letting go of a lot of things.

We wonder at the example of St. Thomas More, executed at the word of Henry VIII for being true to the Church. But are you prepared for the derision he faced? A recent comment caught my eye, in which a young man I respected said he was prepared to be accused of arrogance. That's fine, and many who read this would say similar things. But are you prepared to suffer arrogance? Because that's what the world has for you if you take up the banner of Christ.

Consider: The return of the Governor General's Award Mr. Corrigan cited. That's something that makes my blood sing; it's so noble, so right. But the vast majority of comments I've found mock it. Many are even openly angry, claiming that these Catholics are trying to impose their morality on Morgentaler. Go ahead, dig around and see some of the poisonous things people have said. And yes, you might say that this happens because people don't have a clue it's also true that they are in the majority. And when the majority think you're nuts, well- good luck.

So, Mr. Johnson and the walls of Constantinople. Let's turn that into metaphor, shall we? When I talk about Constantinople what I'm really talking about is taking something back that used to be ours. The same is true of Western civilization. The walls of the West have been taken, the barbarians are within the gates and they are us. So how do we take this proud citadel back? How do we rally beneath the flag of the Church and take back what was lost?

The answer is by being it, living it. You want to be something other than what our industrial-political-consumerist society wants you to be? Try going to Church. You want to fight back against the dying of the West? Consider the priesthood.

I find it fascinating that in this age of "individualism" that everyone is the same, and that our tolerance for people who genuinely think differently is so poor. And yet adolescents ache to be different, yet don't really DO anything different. So? Do it. Do something radical and different and break from the way the West lives. Pray. Read. Think about what the world could be like if there were more breathing, believing, loving Christians.

And as for Chesterton, because Mr. Corrigan and I will refer to him often, remember that none of his opponents found him arrogant. On the contrary, they found him to be one of the humblest men they had met and even his most strident political and philosophical opponents loved him for his brilliance, his warmth, and especially his humour. This is a fight you will win through only the most difficult way, a revolution and reconstruction of the self in the name of God. It is glorious precisely because it is so low and humble, I should say humbling.

Clear?

Okay, okay

I know, I haven't posted in a long time. I'll throw a few things up for you over the weekend. Until then, please enjoy this. Apparently it's only up and free for the next few days! Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion AND Neil Patrick Harris in a free Evil-Scientist-Musical???

Love it.

desiderantes meliorem patriam … “they desire a better homeland…”

In looking over the blog, I've begun to wonder if we've come across as negative. One of my students wrote in on the com boxes that when I initially presented Chesterton to him, he was turned off, because he saw him as arrogant. Once he realized that Chesterton was anything but arrogant, he was open to what he had to say. My concern is that in trashing those things that rightly deserve to be trashed, Mr. Johnson and myself come off as arrogant as well. Arrogance, or even its appearance, can turn people off from the truth.

Like Chesterton, nothing could be further from the truth with us. I know just enough to know how little I know. More importantly, I know enough to know how much more I could be doing in the world. I'm aware enough to see that there are still giants out there, even in our age, strong, uncompromising, yet handling themselves and those around them with charity and grace.

Some of those giants make their living in downtown Edmonton, at a place called the Marian Centre. They live in the middle of the worst part of Edmonton, having taken promises of obedience, chastity and poverty that they take very seriously. They spend their days praying and helping the poor. They make meals for the poor daily, and live off the same things they give out donations. They are part of a larger group called the Madonna Apostolate. Most of them are not Priests or religious, but just regular folks who have chosen to live a different way.

They, like many of us, were shocked to hear that the famous abortionist Dr. Henry Morgantaler was recently given the Order of Canada for his work in spreading abortion clinics across the country. Unlike me, they did something about it.

Go here to read about it, make sure to scroll down to read their powerful letter to the Governor General.

What I'm not watching this summer....

Here's one for you. What's similar between these four world event:

a. In Darfur, tribes of mostly Christians are being tortured, killed, raped and exiled from their homes. There is no secret to this atrocity,; it is fairly outlined. Expert after expert declares that what is needed is "boots on the ground." In other words guys with guns to stop the insanity.

b. In Tibet, a formerly autonomous country, the people are under foreign control and not allowed the practice their own faith. What's worse, they are being forcibly moved to other regions while non-Tibetans are being settled in their area so that they will soon be a minority in their own country. Cultural genocide. Media are not allowed into the region the report to the world what happens there. Tibetans are fighting, almost exclusively through non-violent means, to gain their freedom.

c. In Zimbabwe, the "President" has just won an election. He did so by outlawing his opponent (who fled into hiding) and forcing the people to the polls at gunpoint. His aide has said that those in the West who oppose this can "go hang a thousand times." Many nations would like see free and fair elections, or at least a suspension of the arms trade to Zimbabwe; arms that are currently being employed against her own citizens.

d. Burma has been taken over by a small group of dictators (who renamed the country Myanmar, a name I don't use because it gives the dictators credence), who refused even food and medical supplies into the country for the citizens who lives were destroyed by natural disasters. The Buddhist monks who led protests against the government have been put behind bars, and it is illegal to disagree with the government. Many countries would like to see strict sanctions against this regime.

Guessed yet? Spoiler alert! Scroll down for the answer.







All three of these things are allowed to go on because of the influence of the Chinese government. Through its influence in regions and its veto at the United Nations security council, these activities are allowed to continue. Certainly there are other countries who block and stall action as well (i.e Russia), but they would likely fall to the wayside without the ringleader, China.

Yet this summer we are called to celebrate China in the Olympic Games. China will be the showcase of the world. Not for me. I believe that both spectators and athletes should boycott the Olympics.

But the Olympics are all about sport you say? A trans political gathering of goodwill, that has nothing to do with politics. Nonsense. If that was the case China would never have wanted the Olympics. The reason they are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Olympics is for the attention it will give their country, and the legitimacy it will give their dictatorial regime.

I'm a sports fan. I enjoy watching the Olympics, but some things are more important.