Monday, January 21, 2008

BAD NEWS FOR RATZ


Our attraction to love and truth, kindness and integrity, is the foundation of the Christian religion.

For many, Christ IS this attraction.

Such is the basis of the three modern Christological heresies.

Christ = Evolution
Christ = Poor people
Christ = One of many leaders
The original European Romantic, Novalis, (Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg), asked:

Who declared the writing of the Bible complete?

The three heresies assume that the writing of the Bible is NOT complete, that we live, still, in Biblical times.

These heresies are the only ways most thinking Catholics understand Christ, and there are too many of them for the Church to shoo away.

So the Jesuits have elected a new leader who seems to adhere to the last two heresies as explained (in veiled terms) by this John L. Allen NCR column:

A former director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila and head of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania, Nicolás is said to be particularly close to the church in Japan. In broad strokes, Jesuit observers say he represents the theological outlook associated with the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, with emphasis on inter-religious dialogue, advocacy for justice and peace, and “inculturation” of church teachings and practices.

Way to go, Jebbies!

On a darker note:

Coverage of the GC here in the USA has included quotes by Fr Thomas Smolich, S.J., who has risen to the be President of the Jesuit Conference in the United States.

Based on his scandalous denials regarding the serial rape by Jesuits of mentally retarded men, I would expect Smolich to be ladling soup on a skid row somewhere. It looks, rather, like he got a promotion.

Although the payout-per-victim was the highest of any clergy abuse settlement, Smolich kept it relatively quiet. Plus, I suppose, the Jesuits see Smolich’s Stanford MBA as a community asset that shouldn’t be squandered.

[BTW: Microsoft Word’s first suggested correct spelling for “Smolich,” is “Moloch.” Whoo!]

Smolich’s money quote:

I believe we’ve chosen the man God had in mind.

To explain the hubris here is either unnecessary, or would require a dissertation.

Notable about the quote is the Madison Avenue-quality phrasemaking. That kind of pithy froth could sell a lot of toothpaste.

“The man God had in mind” has the same scansion as the old Armour hotdog slogan: “The dog kids love to bite.”

----- o -----

1 comment:

Civic Center said...

Go get Moloch, dude. You're on quite a roll over here.