Super Crazy Political Theory, Explained

This has got to be the best thing I've ever seen on the subject of the Urban/Rural Political Divide.

Super crazy political theory of the week

Republicans vs Democrats is not as deep a divide in morality as cosmopolitan vs rural.

It is impossible for a Democrat to lose in a majority urban voting block; it is equally impossible for a Republican to lose in a majority rural voting block. But where you live dictates your core principles far more than what party you belong to. A rural person is going to be far less tolerant of evil, far more pro-human-life, for where he lives, humans are rare. An urban person is far more likely to tolerate evil, for how else is he to get along with his neighbors less than 100 feet away?

What did I say?

Suddenly, I'm getting a lot of followers on Disqus. They appear to be from Turkey, or at least, that region of the world. I'd love to know what I posted to gain this following, so I'm posting this in my blog and will comment on it, in hopes that a few of my new followers will see it and tell me: What did I say?

Surprises aren't random

Apparently, I've gotten caught between my knowledge of language and the Jesuit tendency to use language in new and novel ways. "The God of Surprises" doesn't actually refer to God at all, but merely to man's inability to see the future with clarity.

Surprise! You're not God. But since when did you expect to be God?

The first thing I have read from the Synod that actually gives hope instead of fear

For some strange reason, Pope Francis's words at the end of the Synod give me hope instead of fear.

Until this morning, when I suddenly realized Pope Francis's view on the Holy Spirit is essentially the same as Loki

It took a man from Gay Paris to finally mention children

We should also be concerned about children: in many cases, it is the children of a heterosexual couple in which one spouse or partner has changed his life. Children are often more mature than one would think. They put up with the situation, but that does not mean they do not suffer.

The Synod that started the sexual revolution

Lambeth on Contraceptives

Will we have a repeat from the German and Italians in Rome as they contemplate 5 sacraments instead of 7?

My problem with Jesuits....and Romans, and Italians

Sorry, but the synod’s draft report is no earthquake | CatholicHerald.co.uk: One professor, who was absolutely no liberal, said: “All sexual relations have a positive element to them; even when a man visits a prostitute, he may not know it, but he is looking for something good, and that is positive.”

That statement, in and of itself, sounds extremely liberal to me to the point of denying the existence of evil. I have a huge problem with the position of Aquinas, Augustine, Romans, Italians, and the Jesuits on this point, because if we aren't working for God, then surely we have joined the Standard of the other Army. A choice needs to be made- for good or for evil. And I see no good in the privation of the good.

Hypothetical

For the sake of argument, I'd like you to consider that true wealth lies in face to face human conversations. From that standpoint, the wealthy autistic hiding behind a screen using a telepresence robot to interact with human beings, is far more poor than the 12th century peasant who had 1/1000 of the autistic's possessions.

Hypothetical, that's just fiction

Hypothetical arguments. This XKCD raises an interesting point- are they actually worth anything? I recently became engaged in an online flame war about a hypothetical situation on the subject of Catholic annulments. I have to say, at least half the people in the conversation didn't realize that hypothetical arguments are based in fiction, and that the Devil's Advocate, like the Father of Lies himself, also by necessity is a liar.

What California Consent Teaches Us About Women’s Needs

People say I'm crazy to equate fornication with rape; to suggest that fornication contains dire consequences for women and that consent isn't defined strictly enough.  But recently, California changed that with the Yes means Yes act- which strictly defines consent for sex.  Maybe not as much as sacramental marriage does, but at least it's a step in the right direction.



What California Consent Teaches Us About Women’s Needs:

Why we can't trust democracy to decide morality

Marriage | Gallup Historical Trends:





An excellent example of how even objective morality isn't obvious to most human beings.

More against the Muwahiddun

There is a reason why the Muwahiddun look a lot like Christian Fundamentalist groups we know in the United States.  The religion of the Ishmaelites, as St. John Damascene called them in his book on heresies, are a Christian heresy related to Arianism.



St. Peter's List: Islam as a Christian Heresy: 8 Quotes from St. John Damascene A.D. 749:



'via Blog this'

My prediction for the Synod.

Ok, everybody's hot button issue is, can a couple living in technical adultery (due to lack of an annulment for a first marriage) take communion?

Here is my analysis of what I think the synod CAN accomplish:

Canon Law is made up of dogma, doctrine, and discipline. Not taking communion when in a state of mortal sin, is dogma, and is not specific to marriage. Annulments in general are a Doctrine- they are a natural development of Christ's teaching that a man who marries again after divorce, is committing adultery. Proving that the original marriage wasn't a marriage is a way out of that, and that is why the doctrine developed, it isn't likely to change. The ONLY way for a Catholic in a second marriage to stop mortal sin is to get an annulment. But that leads us to discipline, which is how the Church uses doctrine to teach moral truth. The current discipline surrounding annulments is broken. They're expensive, they take a long time, they're horrendous to go through, and maybe worst of all, there is a sense that they're just rubber stamping the secular divorce for the rich. The process can and should be made better.

Synods in general can't change dogma or doctrine, but they can change discipline. For the sake of the wounded modern family, the Synod should change this.

And then it should go on to discuss all the other stuff in the working document.

American College of Pediatrics Blasts Medical Group for Promoting Myth of "Safe Sex" - Aleteia

ACP vs AAP- the only safe sex is no sex.



American College of Pediatrics Blasts Medical Group for Promoting Myth of "Safe Sex" - Aleteia:



'via Blog this'

Experts Discuss Devastating Breakdown of Marriage, but Believe Church Can Turn It Around - Aleteia

The best thing I've read yet on why gay marriage is just another step on the slippery slope.



Experts Discuss Devastating Breakdown of Marriage, but Believe Church Can Turn It Around - Aleteia:



'via Blog this'

From here on out

When engaging with an outraged liberal on any topic, "Who are you to judge?" is going to be my standard answer, with a hit of "Resist not evil" for any claiming to be Christian.