Comments on the Aurora Shooting

Violence saddens me... especially senseless violence like the shooting and killing of some 12 innocent people in a movie theater in Colorado... and the injuring of dozens more.  Why would it even cross someone's mind to ever do something such as this?

Human beings... in our free-will, our gifts of intellect, and the gift of our passions, are capable of great sacrifices of Love and virtue.  It is apparent, however, that we are also capable of grotesque and abhorrent acts such as the one in Colorado this morning.

The motive of this "alleged" shooter, a 24 year old man, is unknown.  New information says he also planted bombs in the apartment which he lived, and that he just waited there for Police to come and arrest him.  He did not take his own life, which so many of the shooters like him tend to do.  It seems he was not afraid of what would happen to him.  This makes me believe that this was well planned on his part, not an act of passion, and that through it, he wishes to make some statement.  He will surely get enough stage time to say what he wants.

But really... why does anyone do something like this?  While this action can never be excused, and we can never initially know the fullness of motives for why violence happens, especially in this case, there is a history of shootings among those who are bullied.  We live in a SINFUL world, my friends, and we MUST, we are OBLIGATED, do to everything we can individually and as a community to make sure things like these never happen.  At the end of time, when we stand before God and he shows us the effects of our actions throughout our whole lives... how many of us will be happy with what they see?  I urge you, do not let this act, or Columbine, or Cold Springs, or Virginia Tech, go in vain!  Keep them in your mind, pray about them, and let them motivate you to live every moment of every day in love for your neighbor... especially those who feel as though no one loves them.  Love can change hearts.  Love can convert sinners.  Love can prevent acts such as this shooting.

Finally, brothers and sisters, I wish to impress on you the importance this shows us of being ready for our death!  Those people in the movie theater, I say with confident certainty that none of them went to the movie expecting to be killed.  How many of them now, wish that they had lived lives closer to God, that they had gone to Church or confession just one more time, or that they had made amends with broken relationships they just never got around to?  Life is precious! But even more important is what happens to us after life... let's not take either for granted--let's live life to the fullest, loving, maintaining healthy relationships, and doing what God wants us to do, and lets do it with our eyes set to heaven, taking care to avoid any sin, and asking for forgiveness as soon as we can for those sins we do commit.

We pray, O Lord, for all those affected by the shooting in Aurora, CO this morning.  For those who were taken, eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine on them.  For those who loved them, or who will be forever changed by the experience, we ask you to send down your Holy Spirit to console them.  We pray that, in the devastation and suffering that they are feeling, they cling closer to you and that they're hearts not be hardened or despair.  Finally, we pray for the man who committed this atrocity, may he feel true sorrow and repent of his sin, and may everyone who hates him, who wishes damnation on him, experience a softening of heart and pray for his conversion.  Amen.

Further Reflections on Political Parties and the Religious Middle

I was thinking about things on my way to work today, and one of the things that crossed my mind is the fallacies that occur in the philosophies of our political parties, particularly in concern to social and moral issues.

I'm not a political genius, but here's how I see it breaking down.  The primary mistake Democrats as a whole make in their social-moral philosophy is thinking that social issues are actually individual issues, whereas Republicans, as a whole, overlook the value of free-will and personal choice.

Democrats believe that what happens in the bedroom or in the womb is an individual choice which doesn't affect the population as a whole.  Ironically, this is despite what the individual might think concerning the "moral rightness" of an act.  They say, "I believe abortion/Birth Control/Homosexual Marriage is wrong, but I have no right to impose that view on others, especially when it doesn't affect me".  Granted, some Democrats think abortion is a moral good, but that's not the point here.  What I'm trying to say is, we ARE our brother's (and sister's) keeper.  This is actually an act of love, despite what much of the modern secular world might think. Individual acts do affect the greater population both immediately and indirectly.  Abortion has negative effects on women, birth control in one woman can affect various sexual partners, the psychological ramifications of damaging acts affect how the individual relates with others, it leads others to do those immoral acts (through scandal), and from a theological standpoint it further corrupts the state of the world, increasing the presence of social sin.  All those baptized are part of the Body of Christ.  Sinful acts damage the world as a whole, not just the person(s) committing them.

However, some of these acts in and of themselves, should not be so far as outright banned on a federal level.  This is where, I think, Conservatives sometimes overlook the value of personal choice and free-will.  It's the same reason why the Church doesn't hold socialism as legitimate economic system.  Just as you can't FORCE people to give up their hard-earned money, you cannot FORCE people to uphold the positive norms in every and all instances.  While I agree that negative norms should be prohibited, we must still find a way to assure that people are able to live lives focused on a freedom to choose love rather than obey the religious law. 

Its a hard balance to tread.  I'm sure there are gaping holes in my argument.  I also realize that I'm arguing a primarily religious position.  Indeed, this is written mostly to my Christian brothers and sisters, those of whom think we should not hold each other accountable, those who think we need to control every action, and those of us who are stuck in the middle not knowing which side to take.

Being a Christian is hard work, often there is no apparent right answer.  However, I believe there is a middle way somewhere in this mess; a balance of Christian morality and civil law that helps people avoid moral evil and yet challenges them (without forcing) them to live out the fullness of the positive norm Christian Charity.  I have no answers, just observations about some of our problems.  I realize this was kind of a rambling post, but hopefully you found a nugget or two of Truth within it.

Peace.

Whether "Cliques" are Opposed to Christian Charity

I think this is an especially relative question... should devout Christians belong to a group, in an exclusive nature, and decline interaction with "lesser" or non-believers?  This question is raised constantly in Christian circles, especially among teens and young adults, and on college campuses.  Should we ignore those who could lead us to sin or who aren't as holy as we... or should we invite all manner of sinners into our midst in an attempt for conversion?  What's more Charitable?  Most would say that exclusiveness is not loving, and that would should welcome every type of person into our groups to best love them.  Let's examine the question further.

For the purpose of this post, the definition of clique will be, an exclusive group of people with shared interests who spend time together.

Now let me say this first, group-forming and cliques are part of the psyche from the human condition.  Because we have an innate need to belong, we naturally form groups to fulfill that need, and thus we form "out-groups" to distinguish what we "are not".  However, just because we have a disposition to something does not mean its automatically alright.

Now for the issue at hand--as Christians, can we form exclusive groups and still be charitable?  Well first, lets look at what Charity is.  

Another word for Charity is love, we know that God is love, and that Jesus told us to not only love God with all our being, but also to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Aquinas states that love is "benevolence", or willing the good of the other person.  Basically this means that to love another person we must want them to be with God, to love ourselves we must wish to get to heaven, and to love God we must want to do his will.

Now we know we must love God with all our being, so it is him that we should love first and foremost.  We then must love ourselves, and then others, for we cannot give what we do not have, and so to be charitable to others we must abide in charity to ourselves.  This, above all, means avoiding sin, for it is in sin that we are separated from God and reject His Charity.  In avoiding sin, we must also be careful not to allow others to lead us to sin, but also must not condone or support the sinful lives of others.  If we are to love our neighbor, we must be his keeper.

Further, each person as a varying degree of strength in God, some are strong and others are week, and each person has particular areas of sin that we fall into habitually.  If we are expected to help others we must be strong and not fall into sin ourselves, and thus if a person is going to lead you to sin, how can you help them? Yes, Jesus ate with sinners, but in his perfection he need not worry about falling into the sinful acts of those he fell around, nor did he partake in sinful acts as a means for their conversion.

So here it is... it is from this knowledge that I conclude that certain Christian Cliques are not actually (inherently) contrary to Christian Charity, but rather may help to guard it.  Sadly there are some people who, for our own well being, we just shouldn't associate with.  If someone will lead you to sin, away from God and His charity, you will no be able love them fully while living in that sin, and so to preserve the love for yourself and the love of God, you can "love them from a distance" ie, pray for their conversion and happiness.  But the will of God and your purity must come first.

Now, some people are strong in faith or have a particular resistance to certain vices.  If this is the case than you should prudently discern if you are called to evangelize to a group or person in that they may be converted.  You should only do this if you are strong enough to resist this sin.

Finally, Cliques can be misused.  When used as a means of judgment or self-edification they not only hinder charity on all three accounts, but damage the charity of others as they grow contempt for the Church.  If an individual is in need of guidance and fellowship, and your "clique" is solid enough to encourage them in that way without falling itself, the charitable thing to do is to invite them into your group.

Consider the groups you are part of, why you are part of them, and if they are exclusive to the detriment or support of Christian Charity.

Exposition on "All of Creation" (Part II)

Having discussed the first era of Man post fall in Verse 1, we shall discuss the second era, which is presented in Verse 2. This second era is characterized by the time of the resurrection to the present day.

Captivated but no longer bound by chains

The definition of captivated is traditionally "strongly attracted, fascinated, or beguiled". This phrase contrasts the effects of sin on man before and after the crucifixion. Before the completion of the Paschal Mystery man was bound in chains by sin. We could not avoid it, we could not overcome it. This is evidenced in the repeated covenant violations of the ancient Hebrews, and the reason why we needed a "new heart". It was this binding by chains that kept us from heaven. However, now that Christ has paid our debt and conquered sin and death, we are no longer bound in sin, but merely captivated. Basically, sin lures us and tempts us, in many ways we find it attractive, and it even beguiles us into following it. But through the sacrifice of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are now able to follow Christ, who truly satisfies all our desires.

left at an empty grave

At a basic level this line merely points to the power of the resurrection for the cause of salvation and our release of bondage. However, the empty grave is something more, for as Christs body was glorified, so will ours be. When we get our bodies they will be perfect and completely free of sin and blemish.

the sinner and the sacred resolved

I thought that "resolved" was an interesting word choice for this... why not "rejoined"? The definition of "resolution", in this sense, I believe is "the solution to a problem derived from decision making". This I think is accurate in that, though God freely gives us salvation, we must make the personal decision to accept it. So, although we do not achieve salvation because of our own qaulifications, our salvation is still dependent on our choice. So now, in our current era, we can choose to resolve ourselves to Christ, for though we are not rejoined with him (we are not in complete union with him), we are still resolved in that we can make the decision to accept heaven.

Thus is the state of the second era of man, and the second verse of the song.