There's a new poll over there on the right side!
I know there were probably funnier incidents than the ones listed - for example the sermons by Father Tim - so nominate some in the comment boxes.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Why not evangelicals too?
I used to be a regular contributor to the Catholic Community Forum. In fact that's where I honed my "debating" skills, hanging out on the apologetics forums. I wonder, sometimes, how many people who knew me back then are readers of SOV2. Though I liked the CCF, especially the moderators who were very, very good, I had a hard time controlling my temper. The "first do no harm" ideal is often hard to maintain when its the fifth or sixth or seventeenth time you have to restate the same idea.
Despite the heated arguments I had at CCF, I am very sympathetic to evangelical protestants. My brother-in-law and his wife fall into that non-denominational category. This is one of the reasons you don't see Che' or H. Robert slamming them... though of course many liberal catholics do slam them often and unfairly. It is also unfortunate that many orthodox Catholics also attack evangelicals in general in response to the hyper-zealotry of a few apologists... for example James White. But don't we have our own hyperzealots?
Yes there are wicked evangelicals. Yes there is a lot of arrogance at evangelical bible studies. There are greedy evangelicals, there are evangelicals that are dumbing down Christianity and turning it into a for-profit business. But most evangelicals I have met are not like that. In fact all those I know treat Catholics with fairness and respect - which is more than you get from the progressive people I know.
As we (Catholics and Evangelicals) are increasingly brought together by the onslaught of the secular culture you can see that the two communities are beginning to influence each other in positive ways. They are adopting more Catholic devotional ways, more Catholic approaches to things like vocation, sin. They no longer shun the church of the middle ages. They no longer consider the Pope the Antichrist. I speak in generalities here. Yes, there is still that pre-millenialism that expects Rome to be annihilated in a ball of fire; but even in there anticipation of Armageddon, they save a few places for Catholics on the bus out of town. I think that is a sign that the bitter feelings from the reformation are finally coming to an end in the face of the common threat and the disintegration of the old school protestant traditions.
We Catholics are also starting to learn from evangelicals... not exactly theology... but practice. We are more prepared, more biblically literate and more willing to talk about our faith in public. We are also learning to communicate lay person to lay person and look for areas where we can have understanding and respect for each other if not agreement.
It is not the intellectuals at Universities whose openness to differences of opinion and relativism in regards to other cultures has affected this change. It is through the pro-life movement that Catholics and Evangelicals have finally come to see each other as fellow Christians and yes Vatican II and John Paul II deserve much of the credit in fostering this authentic ecumenicism.
Despite the heated arguments I had at CCF, I am very sympathetic to evangelical protestants. My brother-in-law and his wife fall into that non-denominational category. This is one of the reasons you don't see Che' or H. Robert slamming them... though of course many liberal catholics do slam them often and unfairly. It is also unfortunate that many orthodox Catholics also attack evangelicals in general in response to the hyper-zealotry of a few apologists... for example James White. But don't we have our own hyperzealots?
Yes there are wicked evangelicals. Yes there is a lot of arrogance at evangelical bible studies. There are greedy evangelicals, there are evangelicals that are dumbing down Christianity and turning it into a for-profit business. But most evangelicals I have met are not like that. In fact all those I know treat Catholics with fairness and respect - which is more than you get from the progressive people I know.
As we (Catholics and Evangelicals) are increasingly brought together by the onslaught of the secular culture you can see that the two communities are beginning to influence each other in positive ways. They are adopting more Catholic devotional ways, more Catholic approaches to things like vocation, sin. They no longer shun the church of the middle ages. They no longer consider the Pope the Antichrist. I speak in generalities here. Yes, there is still that pre-millenialism that expects Rome to be annihilated in a ball of fire; but even in there anticipation of Armageddon, they save a few places for Catholics on the bus out of town. I think that is a sign that the bitter feelings from the reformation are finally coming to an end in the face of the common threat and the disintegration of the old school protestant traditions.
We Catholics are also starting to learn from evangelicals... not exactly theology... but practice. We are more prepared, more biblically literate and more willing to talk about our faith in public. We are also learning to communicate lay person to lay person and look for areas where we can have understanding and respect for each other if not agreement.
It is not the intellectuals at Universities whose openness to differences of opinion and relativism in regards to other cultures has affected this change. It is through the pro-life movement that Catholics and Evangelicals have finally come to see each other as fellow Christians and yes Vatican II and John Paul II deserve much of the credit in fostering this authentic ecumenicism.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Ahem...
OK - I'll get on board in this bizarre reality-blog vs. parody blog blogathon thing. But I'm keeping my trap shut about certain details concerning the creation of the SOV2 blog - what inspired it, for example. Providing too much detail would only serve to increase the likelihood of offending someone I know in real life (hear that, Ché? no hints!)
Which brings me to the ongoing question: how long should SOV2 be kept alive? I have continuing moral qualms about the blog - sure it's a place to exercise creativity (or, more accurately, to watch Che and Maryann and Sr. Fairah exercise their creativity, and try to keep up). But at times there has been a mean-spirited undercurrent of which I am the source.
Further, I continue to have qualms about representing myself as a priest, whether in the Fr. Tim, Fr. Juno, or Fr. Kane configuration. In our age of diminished vocations, there is a sort of "necessary clericalism" that urges me to include all priests, even fictitious ones, within a sort of protective halo. Sure, I have a lot of differences with various clergy, but frankly -they're ordained. I am having enough trouble living my much easier vocation in the secular world.
Anyway, I have thought about giving SOV2 a year to run its course, and have been tempted many times to "do the right thing" and refrain from further blogging. The relevant sections of the catechism concerning scandal (2477-2479) are continuous challenges that all the SOV2 contributors would do well to consider.
Which brings me to the ongoing question: how long should SOV2 be kept alive? I have continuing moral qualms about the blog - sure it's a place to exercise creativity (or, more accurately, to watch Che and Maryann and Sr. Fairah exercise their creativity, and try to keep up). But at times there has been a mean-spirited undercurrent of which I am the source.
Further, I continue to have qualms about representing myself as a priest, whether in the Fr. Tim, Fr. Juno, or Fr. Kane configuration. In our age of diminished vocations, there is a sort of "necessary clericalism" that urges me to include all priests, even fictitious ones, within a sort of protective halo. Sure, I have a lot of differences with various clergy, but frankly -they're ordained. I am having enough trouble living my much easier vocation in the secular world.
Anyway, I have thought about giving SOV2 a year to run its course, and have been tempted many times to "do the right thing" and refrain from further blogging. The relevant sections of the catechism concerning scandal (2477-2479) are continuous challenges that all the SOV2 contributors would do well to consider.
Che' vs Che'
Well, the war of the "secrets" has begun over at Spirit of Vatican 2. Yes, you the voter has determined this fate by the slimmest of margins.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I was FINALLY tagged!
paramedicgirl tagged me on her site
Che' always complains about not being tagged... but I must admit to being a bit shy.
1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo. My wife converted to the faith once... I'll let her decide when to move on to more Latiny things.
2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
There has always been one within 30 miles of my house, but I've never been.
3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?
I am a Sociocath... but in a good way.
4. Are you a comment junkie?
As much as I can be!
5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Yes. Always.
6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?
No, but I have several different names I use. (Sigh) I'll have to reveal the "original" one soon.
7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?
I'd most like to be on the b-movie and scifi blogrolls for reasons that may be revealed.
8. Which blog is the first one you check?
I first check SOV2 for comments, then I search the site meter to see who is looking at SOV2 and go read those in order of most recent. Is this evil? Then I go to sci-fi catholic and b-movie catechism, and the curt jester.
9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?
Only one.... Father Tim.
10. What are you reading?
Shusaku Endo's The Samurai... not to be confused with the Tom Cruise movie. This is about an early 17th century convert to Catholicism. It is about the saddest book I have read since Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos. But it balances all the zany english books I read.
Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?
Well... pretty soon it will be as a result of the poll.
If it has, who do you think Father Tim really is?
Hmmmm. I could tell but it would be best that I don't. Let's just say that if you looked carefully at SOV2 and looked for some unusual recurrences of "obscure people" or very odd names you could probably guess. I mean you have to look at unusual names and people who aren't mentioned often on other Catholic blogs. I'll also say that the Curt Jester knows. But this is a secret I am not allowed to reveal.
Okay... I tag the following:
Christina
Paul, just this guy, you know?
the Mom
larsterkhan
and
RobK
It will be a while before I comment on their blogs.
Special extra tags to...
guadalupe
DigiHairshirt
Which (as far as I know) are all the people who know the "secrets"
Che' always complains about not being tagged... but I must admit to being a bit shy.
1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo. My wife converted to the faith once... I'll let her decide when to move on to more Latiny things.
2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
There has always been one within 30 miles of my house, but I've never been.
3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?
I am a Sociocath... but in a good way.
4. Are you a comment junkie?
As much as I can be!
5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Yes. Always.
6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?
No, but I have several different names I use. (Sigh) I'll have to reveal the "original" one soon.
7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?
I'd most like to be on the b-movie and scifi blogrolls for reasons that may be revealed.
8. Which blog is the first one you check?
I first check SOV2 for comments, then I search the site meter to see who is looking at SOV2 and go read those in order of most recent. Is this evil? Then I go to sci-fi catholic and b-movie catechism, and the curt jester.
9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?
Only one.... Father Tim.
10. What are you reading?
Shusaku Endo's The Samurai... not to be confused with the Tom Cruise movie. This is about an early 17th century convert to Catholicism. It is about the saddest book I have read since Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos. But it balances all the zany english books I read.
Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?
Well... pretty soon it will be as a result of the poll.
If it has, who do you think Father Tim really is?
Hmmmm. I could tell but it would be best that I don't. Let's just say that if you looked carefully at SOV2 and looked for some unusual recurrences of "obscure people" or very odd names you could probably guess. I mean you have to look at unusual names and people who aren't mentioned often on other Catholic blogs. I'll also say that the Curt Jester knows. But this is a secret I am not allowed to reveal.
Okay... I tag the following:
Christina
Paul, just this guy, you know?
the Mom
larsterkhan
and
RobK
It will be a while before I comment on their blogs.
Special extra tags to...
guadalupe
DigiHairshirt
Which (as far as I know) are all the people who know the "secrets"
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Funny ways of Finding SOV2
One of the "secret" tactics I am embarrassed to admit I have used is to go to site meter and look at the search terms that hit on our blog. Some of them are pretty amusing.
When we suddeny started to get a lot of hits from people looking for information about Matt Johnson I figured theres something about google which favors blogger sites. So Che' kept bringing him up to see what would happen.
Anyway, here are a few "funny" searches that will lead you to SOV2...
... (until I posted this that is!)
"matt johnson is a loser"
"organic tomatoe"
argot private jet
vatican 2 natural food
ron paul catholic voter's guide
giuliani martini catholic
When we suddeny started to get a lot of hits from people looking for information about Matt Johnson I figured theres something about google which favors blogger sites. So Che' kept bringing him up to see what would happen.
Anyway, here are a few "funny" searches that will lead you to SOV2...
... (until I posted this that is!)
"matt johnson is a loser"
"organic tomatoe"
argot private jet
vatican 2 natural food
ron paul catholic voter's guide
giuliani martini catholic
One day left to vote!
The poll is about to close for you "insiders." As it stands all secrets will soon be revealed! Where are the forces of darkness?
What will the results of this unveiling be? I shudder to think!
What will the results of this unveiling be? I shudder to think!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
"Real" Places of SOV2
Most everything on SOV2 is fictional, but if you ever want to go on a "SOV2" tour you can see some of the Knoxville landmarks mentioned by Father Tim and Che'.
Knoxville was chosen as the site of Spirit of Vatican 2 Catholic Faith for several reasons, not least of which was the familiarity of the blog owner and myself of the surroundings. Some Knoxville sites mentioned are Toddy's Backdoor Tavern where Che' and Keith hang out, the Falafel Hut, Market Square, the Sun Sphere, Calhoun's by the River, and the Soup Kitchen. Also, Che's dad lives on Lyon's Bend drive near the Tennessee River.
The University of Tennessee where Che' and Keith went before dropping out is also located in Knoxville. There is a "haunted mill" or some "haunted grain silos" in South Knoxville.
Oak Ridge is a nearby smaller city of about 25,000 which is the location of the National Labs. Oak Ridge was one of the Manhattan Project cities and a frequent destination of protesters of Nuclear Weapons.
North of Knoxville on I-75, Norris Lake is the location of H. Robert's retirement home and the Museum of Appalachia. It is also where Alex Haley author of Roots lived. South and East are Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Great Smoky Mountains - a stone's throw from Knoxville. There are, but you'll have to take my word for it, witches who live in the hills. Krystal is the grand-daughter of one of these and so not actually a new age Wiccan. Her frog potion was made from boiled toads.
Politically the area is heavily republican, religiously evangelical and, last I looked, culturally football crazy. Most have scottish ancestry. Yet, the populations of West Knoxville and eastern and western Oak Ridge would be culturally diverse with many recent migrants attracted by low cost of living and technical jobs. These newcomers are often extremely liberal in reaction to the surrounding "redneck" population and have a loathing of all things Orange.
Knoxville was chosen as the site of Spirit of Vatican 2 Catholic Faith for several reasons, not least of which was the familiarity of the blog owner and myself of the surroundings. Some Knoxville sites mentioned are Toddy's Backdoor Tavern where Che' and Keith hang out, the Falafel Hut, Market Square, the Sun Sphere, Calhoun's by the River, and the Soup Kitchen. Also, Che's dad lives on Lyon's Bend drive near the Tennessee River.
The University of Tennessee where Che' and Keith went before dropping out is also located in Knoxville. There is a "haunted mill" or some "haunted grain silos" in South Knoxville.
Oak Ridge is a nearby smaller city of about 25,000 which is the location of the National Labs. Oak Ridge was one of the Manhattan Project cities and a frequent destination of protesters of Nuclear Weapons.
North of Knoxville on I-75, Norris Lake is the location of H. Robert's retirement home and the Museum of Appalachia. It is also where Alex Haley author of Roots lived. South and East are Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Great Smoky Mountains - a stone's throw from Knoxville. There are, but you'll have to take my word for it, witches who live in the hills. Krystal is the grand-daughter of one of these and so not actually a new age Wiccan. Her frog potion was made from boiled toads.
Politically the area is heavily republican, religiously evangelical and, last I looked, culturally football crazy. Most have scottish ancestry. Yet, the populations of West Knoxville and eastern and western Oak Ridge would be culturally diverse with many recent migrants attracted by low cost of living and technical jobs. These newcomers are often extremely liberal in reaction to the surrounding "redneck" population and have a loathing of all things Orange.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What is the relationship with SSLI?
Some of you may wonder if we are or were acting in "cahoots" with the Society of Saint Leo I. The answer is "sort of."
Radtradchad announced the creation of his blog in one of the comment sections. He posted comments before too. However, we don't know who runs the SSLI blog or the Holy Knights of the Truely True Church.
I admire the creative imagination of all those people. They far outshine my ability to put voice into the character, and their story lines were just as funny as ours. The SSLI and HKTTC were welcome contributors to the mayhem and their creation of an ultra-radically traditional sect satisfied many of our readers. Being a post Vatican 2 Catholic and not knowing much about SSPX and similar ilks I could not have done it. SOV2 really can use a nemesis and SSLI is perfect.
Coordination was not easy and that caused problems early on. For example when sir rev. leonard feeney suddenly decided to slay H. Robert (see comments to this post) I had to ignore it. H. Robert could not die so soon! Wishing to satisfy the blood lust of sir leonard, I let him plunk H. Robert with a lawn dart. I have a sketch I drew of the incident - which is kind of funny - and if I can find it, I'll scan it in and post it here (it shows Keith in the background eating a hamburger). This I did on my own writing in as the culmination of the dreaded church pinic in order to prevent any possible third siege. I was not sure how the SSLI folk would take it but the results seemed to work out well with everybody happy and H. Roberts in the hospital.
Incidentally, this first hospital stay led to my favorite H. Roberts post Romans Chapter 1. If you get a chance read H. Roberts version and the actual side by side.
Cooperation with SSLI was most successfully handled with the long distance exorcism Father Chadwick performed to rid SOV2 of the demonic presence the wiccan Krystal had accidentally summoned while trying to resurrect Curtis the mouse (good times!). But since then SSLI has been relatively quiet and not participated much in the blog.
Overall I found this blog to blog coordination very difficult. As a result the participation was mainly one directional (we didn't enter their world as much as they entered ours). I enjoyed reading what was happening at SSLI and HKTTC, but its been hard just maintaining a presence at SOV2. However the HKTTC is indirectly responsible for the creation of Krystal and hence frog tea and hence H. Robert being a brain in a jar. So you can see SOV2 would not be the same place without them.
Radtradchad announced the creation of his blog in one of the comment sections. He posted comments before too. However, we don't know who runs the SSLI blog or the Holy Knights of the Truely True Church.
I admire the creative imagination of all those people. They far outshine my ability to put voice into the character, and their story lines were just as funny as ours. The SSLI and HKTTC were welcome contributors to the mayhem and their creation of an ultra-radically traditional sect satisfied many of our readers. Being a post Vatican 2 Catholic and not knowing much about SSPX and similar ilks I could not have done it. SOV2 really can use a nemesis and SSLI is perfect.
Coordination was not easy and that caused problems early on. For example when sir rev. leonard feeney suddenly decided to slay H. Robert (see comments to this post) I had to ignore it. H. Robert could not die so soon! Wishing to satisfy the blood lust of sir leonard, I let him plunk H. Robert with a lawn dart. I have a sketch I drew of the incident - which is kind of funny - and if I can find it, I'll scan it in and post it here (it shows Keith in the background eating a hamburger). This I did on my own writing in as the culmination of the dreaded church pinic in order to prevent any possible third siege. I was not sure how the SSLI folk would take it but the results seemed to work out well with everybody happy and H. Roberts in the hospital.
Incidentally, this first hospital stay led to my favorite H. Roberts post Romans Chapter 1. If you get a chance read H. Roberts version and the actual side by side.
Cooperation with SSLI was most successfully handled with the long distance exorcism Father Chadwick performed to rid SOV2 of the demonic presence the wiccan Krystal had accidentally summoned while trying to resurrect Curtis the mouse (good times!). But since then SSLI has been relatively quiet and not participated much in the blog.
Overall I found this blog to blog coordination very difficult. As a result the participation was mainly one directional (we didn't enter their world as much as they entered ours). I enjoyed reading what was happening at SSLI and HKTTC, but its been hard just maintaining a presence at SOV2. However the HKTTC is indirectly responsible for the creation of Krystal and hence frog tea and hence H. Robert being a brain in a jar. So you can see SOV2 would not be the same place without them.
Poll: Should SOV2 blog link to Secrets of SOV2?
The intent of this blog is to just clear up some misconceptions and give people who are interested a little more insight into the thought process of one of the SOV2 actors.
I received permission from the SOV2 blog owner to go ahead with this blog. Now you (!) the keepers of the secret get to vote on whether to make the secrets more generally known or to keep them for the select few (and the people who do google searches on Secret of Vatican 2). Just vote in the poll on the left. In a week if more votes tally "yes" I'll see if I can get Father Tim to condemn this blog as a trick of the Republican-Vatican plotters to thwart the intentions of the second Vatican Council by spreading confusion.
I received permission from the SOV2 blog owner to go ahead with this blog. Now you (!) the keepers of the secret get to vote on whether to make the secrets more generally known or to keep them for the select few (and the people who do google searches on Secret of Vatican 2). Just vote in the poll on the left. In a week if more votes tally "yes" I'll see if I can get Father Tim to condemn this blog as a trick of the Republican-Vatican plotters to thwart the intentions of the second Vatican Council by spreading confusion.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
My Mistake
Early on in the blog I made a stupid mistake. I misread an e-mail from the blog owner and thought he intended to end the blog because it's original mission was no longer needed. (The actual original mission I must not divulge... leave that for Father Tim...). As a result I jumped the gun and posted the famous Siege post.
That led to the dissapearance of Che' and his encounter with the Lord Acton brigade, the SSPX and the scientologists. We were debating what to do with Che' (i.e. how severely I should be punished!) and whether he would return as a ultra-traditionalist or a convert for Father Juno. Well, he came back pretty much the same as he started but feeling a bit special since he was without Body Thetans.
The siege seemed to be popular among readers and so it was repeated again with Father Kane, and almost a third time... but was put down before it started. It is tempting to always have a crisis at SOV2 because that's when you can let your imagination go wild. But in reality the cause of many crises is due to the schedule of the various actors. Thus Father Tim's frequent trips on board Dr. Argot's private jets and retreats to Maggie Valley left Che' in charge for a couple weekends.
The good news is that H. Robert will NEVER be in charge of SOV2 since Che' will always be there to stop him.
That led to the dissapearance of Che' and his encounter with the Lord Acton brigade, the SSPX and the scientologists. We were debating what to do with Che' (i.e. how severely I should be punished!) and whether he would return as a ultra-traditionalist or a convert for Father Juno. Well, he came back pretty much the same as he started but feeling a bit special since he was without Body Thetans.
The siege seemed to be popular among readers and so it was repeated again with Father Kane, and almost a third time... but was put down before it started. It is tempting to always have a crisis at SOV2 because that's when you can let your imagination go wild. But in reality the cause of many crises is due to the schedule of the various actors. Thus Father Tim's frequent trips on board Dr. Argot's private jets and retreats to Maggie Valley left Che' in charge for a couple weekends.
The good news is that H. Robert will NEVER be in charge of SOV2 since Che' will always be there to stop him.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Anti-Semitism in SOV2
An interesting aspect of the blog, especially in its (very) early days, was the feedback from the readers. This really is what got the blog going. For example the Britnee-Che' back and forth over the backpack.
The identity of Britnee is a mystery to me, as is the identity of Agent Smith... though I have my guesses as to which blogger might play Smith.
I slowed down a bit on the reader dialog aspects of the blog and I think people might want to hear an explanation.
One reason is it seemed to be getting a little mean spirited in regards to attacks on Sister Fairah. The other reason it was getting in danger of becoming too "debate" oriented. But the other reason were some accusations leveled against us, specifically the charge of anti-semitism.
The anti-semitism charge came from a joke which backfired. The actor playing Father Tim is not anti-semitic, but Father Tim, like a good Marxist, has that tendency. Father Tim, you might notice often insults people in a rather flippant way. Often his jokes are followed by expressions like "Just kidding, you're the best." When he made a flippant remark in one of his posts, someone immediately jumped on him. Father Tim managed to spin his way out of the controversy without blowing his cover... which I found very impressive.
I took a similar approach with Che' concerning Keith's weight. Che' can't help but make fun of Keith for his large girth. It comes from his obsession with Hollywood values which only tolerate a few fat character actors (like Rosie). The readers who noted Che's "weightism" though understood it to be a part of the parody and called him to task. Che' mended his manners a little in regards to Keith.
The anti-semitism charge struck a nerve with me. My best friend growing up was a rather orthodox Jew and I celebrated Passover many times with his family. I remember in his kitchen the "meat" dishes and the "dairy" dishes were stored on opposite sides. And to this day when I go to the grocery store I try to keep the milk and the ground beef separated by a loaf of bread. Part of my love for the liturgy and desire to see it firmed up a little comes from witnessing my friend's Jewish faith. People complain about not understanding Latin... have you heard a service in Hebrew? The synagogue to me was a dark place... but a holy place where they treated the Torah with reverence. You know, maybe the great developers of the liturgy need to take a longer and better look at the way our elder brothers do things.
The identity of Britnee is a mystery to me, as is the identity of Agent Smith... though I have my guesses as to which blogger might play Smith.
I slowed down a bit on the reader dialog aspects of the blog and I think people might want to hear an explanation.
One reason is it seemed to be getting a little mean spirited in regards to attacks on Sister Fairah. The other reason it was getting in danger of becoming too "debate" oriented. But the other reason were some accusations leveled against us, specifically the charge of anti-semitism.
The anti-semitism charge came from a joke which backfired. The actor playing Father Tim is not anti-semitic, but Father Tim, like a good Marxist, has that tendency. Father Tim, you might notice often insults people in a rather flippant way. Often his jokes are followed by expressions like "Just kidding, you're the best." When he made a flippant remark in one of his posts, someone immediately jumped on him. Father Tim managed to spin his way out of the controversy without blowing his cover... which I found very impressive.
I took a similar approach with Che' concerning Keith's weight. Che' can't help but make fun of Keith for his large girth. It comes from his obsession with Hollywood values which only tolerate a few fat character actors (like Rosie). The readers who noted Che's "weightism" though understood it to be a part of the parody and called him to task. Che' mended his manners a little in regards to Keith.
The anti-semitism charge struck a nerve with me. My best friend growing up was a rather orthodox Jew and I celebrated Passover many times with his family. I remember in his kitchen the "meat" dishes and the "dairy" dishes were stored on opposite sides. And to this day when I go to the grocery store I try to keep the milk and the ground beef separated by a loaf of bread. Part of my love for the liturgy and desire to see it firmed up a little comes from witnessing my friend's Jewish faith. People complain about not understanding Latin... have you heard a service in Hebrew? The synagogue to me was a dark place... but a holy place where they treated the Torah with reverence. You know, maybe the great developers of the liturgy need to take a longer and better look at the way our elder brothers do things.
Che' Spills the Beans
Okay... this is not Che' but one of the "actors" on the Spirit of Vatican 2 web site. In addition to Che' I also play H. Robert Williams and Keith... and every now and then an anonymous poster. Very early on I posted as Maryann McGronk but in general others play the roles of "Father Tim," "Sister Fairah," "Maryann McGronk," "Father Juno," "Father Kane," etc.
I am not the owner of the blog but one of the select few who has been chosen to participate.
About the Blog
Let me confess that this activity often gives me a lot of heart burn because many people mistake SOV2 for a real Catholic church. SOV2 is not an actual place... though sometimes it strikes so close to home that it hurts.
I am very sorry to those people I have fooled. It has never been our intent to trick people. But as a parody/satire you run that risk.
About Me
I am sure there are people who wonder what our actual views are. I am a Catholic. I am not an ultra-traditionalist. I'd like to go occasionally to a Latin Mass, but I'm happy enough with Novus Ordo. In fact I'd like to think of myself as that middle which is trying to hold so that things don't fall apart. But like many, I see that the threat to the church is from the liberal side not the conservative.
About Che'
I love playing the part of Che' because its always fun to play the clown. This is the best role on the blog because I don't have to worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, or even making sense. As you know Che' (who has taken a life of his own) is obsessed by celebrities and its really the fact that he is so mesmerized by what they do that has led him into this strange world. His problem is he keeps latching on to the wrong trends.
Che's dad is very wealthy and lives in a huge estate in Knoxville. His mom is an eco-nut up in Connecticut. They were divorced and his dad married Brenda. Che has a sister.
Che' really dislikes his dad but is dependent on him for survival (Che's career in beret design never worked out) he only goes to the mansion when his dad is not around. His nutty attempts to make money by various means is due to his desire to break away from his dad, but having never really had to work for anything he always fails. His eco-obsession and interest in social justice is fueled primarily by a need to do what his mom would like and capture her attention. But his mom has no real time for Che'.
Che' was "rescued" by Father Tim who brought him out of a post college depression and gave him a purpose at the new church.
About Keith
Keith is a tick. He was smart enough to escape his white trash background and get to U.T. but he was lazy and dropped out and sponges off of Che'. However, Keith has his good points as he is very loyal to his friends.
About H. Robert Williams
H. Robert obviously represents a kind of evil. He is a theologian who does not believe in God only in the Human Spirit. He represents a kind of secret agenda which is driving Universities. Ever wonder why many lose their faith in college? People like H. Robert who teach comparative religion classes are the reason.
H. Robert is a retired University Professor from Villanoce college who moved down to Norris Lake. He has been married a long time and has a daughter. He and his wife can't stand each other and the daughter hates both of them equally. The daughter, an invisible member of the wider SOV2 community is a militant feminist and gay. She went to Villanoce where she was embittered. Because of him she sees religion as a sham, a hoax, and a refuge for self-righteous hypocrites. H. Robert is proud of her since she "thinks for herself" but finds her company unpleasent. His wife is a martini alcoholic who finds a way of drinking socially even when no one is around. She frequents several bars... but never would be caught dead in Toddy's. She would like to divorce H. Robert but then would lose her position as the wife of a University Professor.
H. Robert is an exagerated character representing the worst aspects of all the people you might encounter at a University. You will notice how he is very careful with his language yet he is also quite confident and does not believe he can make a mistake. However, H. Roberts does get carried away with his own ideas. And, if pressed, his spitefulness will come out.
I do not enjoy playing this H. Robert which is why I tried to kill him off by having him die from drinking a frog potion. But people voted him back on the show. (I voted twice to let him die and once for global warming.)
I am not the owner of the blog but one of the select few who has been chosen to participate.
About the Blog
Let me confess that this activity often gives me a lot of heart burn because many people mistake SOV2 for a real Catholic church. SOV2 is not an actual place... though sometimes it strikes so close to home that it hurts.
I am very sorry to those people I have fooled. It has never been our intent to trick people. But as a parody/satire you run that risk.
About Me
I am sure there are people who wonder what our actual views are. I am a Catholic. I am not an ultra-traditionalist. I'd like to go occasionally to a Latin Mass, but I'm happy enough with Novus Ordo. In fact I'd like to think of myself as that middle which is trying to hold so that things don't fall apart. But like many, I see that the threat to the church is from the liberal side not the conservative.
About Che'
I love playing the part of Che' because its always fun to play the clown. This is the best role on the blog because I don't have to worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, or even making sense. As you know Che' (who has taken a life of his own) is obsessed by celebrities and its really the fact that he is so mesmerized by what they do that has led him into this strange world. His problem is he keeps latching on to the wrong trends.
Che's dad is very wealthy and lives in a huge estate in Knoxville. His mom is an eco-nut up in Connecticut. They were divorced and his dad married Brenda. Che has a sister.
Che' really dislikes his dad but is dependent on him for survival (Che's career in beret design never worked out) he only goes to the mansion when his dad is not around. His nutty attempts to make money by various means is due to his desire to break away from his dad, but having never really had to work for anything he always fails. His eco-obsession and interest in social justice is fueled primarily by a need to do what his mom would like and capture her attention. But his mom has no real time for Che'.
Che' was "rescued" by Father Tim who brought him out of a post college depression and gave him a purpose at the new church.
About Keith
Keith is a tick. He was smart enough to escape his white trash background and get to U.T. but he was lazy and dropped out and sponges off of Che'. However, Keith has his good points as he is very loyal to his friends.
About H. Robert Williams
H. Robert obviously represents a kind of evil. He is a theologian who does not believe in God only in the Human Spirit. He represents a kind of secret agenda which is driving Universities. Ever wonder why many lose their faith in college? People like H. Robert who teach comparative religion classes are the reason.
H. Robert is a retired University Professor from Villanoce college who moved down to Norris Lake. He has been married a long time and has a daughter. He and his wife can't stand each other and the daughter hates both of them equally. The daughter, an invisible member of the wider SOV2 community is a militant feminist and gay. She went to Villanoce where she was embittered. Because of him she sees religion as a sham, a hoax, and a refuge for self-righteous hypocrites. H. Robert is proud of her since she "thinks for herself" but finds her company unpleasent. His wife is a martini alcoholic who finds a way of drinking socially even when no one is around. She frequents several bars... but never would be caught dead in Toddy's. She would like to divorce H. Robert but then would lose her position as the wife of a University Professor.
H. Robert is an exagerated character representing the worst aspects of all the people you might encounter at a University. You will notice how he is very careful with his language yet he is also quite confident and does not believe he can make a mistake. However, H. Roberts does get carried away with his own ideas. And, if pressed, his spitefulness will come out.
I do not enjoy playing this H. Robert which is why I tried to kill him off by having him die from drinking a frog potion. But people voted him back on the show. (I voted twice to let him die and once for global warming.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)