Most citizens spend a great deal of time complaining about government shortcomings. All complaints boil down to one coin with two opposing sides. One side believes that “The government should let me keep more of my...
Equal opportunities and no special privileges.
If Andrew Jackson reduced his political beliefs to a phrase, it might be “Equal opportunities and no special privileges.” From the 1830s through Grover Cleveland, Jackson’s beliefs held sway. Then, with Theodore Roosevelt, things began to go downhill. The...
Angels sometimes appear as living holograms.
Today’s reading, from Acts 12:1-11, prompts a new, Catholic Fundamentalism view of angels. The reading begins with an explanation of why angels appear. They are given missions in answer to heartfelt requests for programming assistance...
God’s priorities are better than ours.
Most of us prefer a closet full of clothes to a houseful of children. We are wrong to think so. We must ask God to forgive us for allowing our vanity to overwhelm our desire...
Bursting bubbles bring in higher tax revenue.
The United States is now so productive that unemployment no longer brings automatic poverty. The unemployed are able to get two years of unemployment income. That is augmented by food stamps, heating assistance, medical assistance,...
Sunday, July 1, 2012 Weekly Reading. Only the disobedient die.
Today’s Reading from the Book of Wisdom is a wonderful description of the Catholic Fundamentalism view of Creation. We have but to re-translate “fashioned” and “formed” into “programmed”. When we do, we see that only...
The monkeys have taken over the circus.
A well-run circus keeps the animals safely locked away. Monkeys are clever. They have to be carefully locked inside cages. If they get out, they cause havoc. Good circus management begins with keeping the monkeys...
How to deal with political tyranny.
Today’s First Reading: 2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiah with this message: “Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God on...
Are we running out of time?
Yesterday’s column discussed a little-known fact: the Sunday that The Church dedicates to John the Baptist is the Sunday which is nearest to June 21, the longest day of the year. The longest day of...
John the Baptist, midpoint of history and indication of its end.
The Sunday nearest the longest day of the year is dedicated to John the Baptist. That Sunday is today, June 24, 2012. Why is that calendar date dedicated toJohn the Baptist, last of the prophets? ...