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!
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