Pope Benedict: King of Denial

Pope Benedict, in a riveting 131-page document, reaffirmed many of the stodgy outdated principles by which Catholics are supposed to live. Among other things, he reminded Catholic politicians that they are expected to aid the Church in its opposition of abortion and gay marriage. He also chimed in on the "painful situations" of remarried Catholics. Instead of getting remarried, which implies a sinful consummation of said marriage, he urged the divorced faithful to "commit themselves to living their relationship ... as friends, as brother and sister."

Obviously Benedict didn't get to be pope without being an intelligent man. He no doubt wielded significant political prowess in the secret meetings that eventually produced the white smoke a couple of years ago. So the man who formerly served as Pope John Paul's head theologian is no dolt.

He does, however, seem to be in denial.

His call for Catholic politicians to "support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature" seems terribly ironic coming from someone who, theoretically, is still a virgin. Talk about going against human nature. Catholics can talk all they want about how unnatural homosexuality is. At least they're having sex. I would contend that it is more "unnatural" to abstain from sex your entire life and then use the highest and loudest pulpit possible to make judgments about "values grounded in human nature." His views are not grounded in reason, much less human nature.

Benedict either 1) has had sex and is having a Ted Haggard episode, attempting to assuage his overwhelming guilt by implicating everyone else; or 2) has been so cloistered his entire life that he long ago abandoned any notion of his own human nature and easily mistakes his high intellect for Holy approval.

The same same kind of hate-filled counterintuitive and counterproductive speech can be heard coming from Protestant pulpits too, of course. For me, it just provides additional confirmation that those people who, in 2007, still talk of the immorality of homosexuality and the "painful situation" of remarried people are not the loving, thoughtful, and compassionate people that they claim to be.

Just as people find religion (or no religion) outside of your rules, people are going to find love outside of your rules. People don't fear you anymore, Benedict, and when given a choice (as all free-thinking people have), choosing love will always trump the guilt that you are selling. Religion can do alot of good, as can the Church. Don't you have bigger fish to fry? Call me crazy, but sitting in your golden city casting judgement seems like a terrible waste of time and resources. Many of the people whose steadfast alliegence to thier faith lends you what legitimacy you have left are among the poorest, most disinfranchised and oppressed people in the world. While I'm sure that your reminder to the faithful that they speak Latin during mass gives these people considerable comfort, a little more attention to their physical and political plight might do a little more good.

Of Hate and Basketball

My Dad and I today at the Big 12 Mens Basketball Championship game in OKC


Because it was raining and cold in OK* and we were unprepared, we spent an hour or so searching for a couple of light jackets. As a result, I was forced to face the ugly convergence of two of my most hated entities: Wal-Mart and Oklahoma. It was scary. The people were not quite right. They moved rather slowly, had an unusual affection for processed cheese products, and seemed very fascinated by the display of "belly fat" pills. Since I hadn't entered a Wal-Mart in about 18 months, I didn't think it wise to venture too far into the belly of the beast, but I'm certain that the young children working in the meth lab by the McDonald's were doing just fine. I left hurriedly without buying anything.

Anyway.... I survived Wal-Mart and we went on to the game, which was GREAT. Kevin Durant, who by this time next year will have been named NCAA Player of the Year, and will be watching the 2008 NCAA Tourney on his bazillion foot yacht, was great too. He couldn't miss (in the first half), and Texas was cruising to a blowout (in the first half). In the second half and overtime (yes, overtime), things worked out a bit differently for UT. Kansas won a nailbiter and received a top seed in the tourney.

Enough about basketball and my hatred of the land of meth and casinos. I'm off to ruin my bracket. If you want to join in on the fun, go here: http://pick-wisely.mayhem.sportsline.com/. Just email me for the password.


*It was only cold and rainy in OK, not in Texas. I am wise enough to attribute this not to some sort of "occluded front," but to the same meteorological phenomenon that resulted in the constant rain cloud over the Addams Family's house. Somehow, the earth is pointing out to us via wierd weather patterns those people who don't really belong here. Oklahomans, like the Addams Family, are here only because we tolerate their existence because they can be entertaining at times (Kings of Leon, Flaming Lips, etc.)

Cheney Should Go, Really, but Not Like This

Ok. Scooter's guilty. If an independent prosecutor can't find someone (anyone) in the current administration guilty of lying, he would merely be proving himself to be neither independent nor a prosecutor. But kudos, Mr. Peterson. Though this wasn't an attack on the president himself, and was merely at times an absentia trial for Cheney, you didn't allow it to get ugly or too political. Though you weren't able to bring down one of the bog dogs, you were able to implicate them beyond defense in the public's eye.
Many now see the damning look into the Bush Whitehouse that the Libby trial provided could punch Cheney's one-way ticket back to Wyoming. Since Cheney is the type of guy who would set up his closest political aide to be his scapegoat for a horrible sin that was lost and overshadowed by myriad of other sins, I doubt that he's they kind of guy that would easily step down from his mighty perch.
Unfortunately, I think that the only way that he will leave office early is if he is forced out by an official investigation in Congress. This would require enormous political capitol on the part of the Democrats, because they would need serious support from the other side of the aisle to give the investigation any teeth. So, even if the planets were to align properly, any serious discussion of pre-war intelligence would require the Dems to abandon any serious legislation regarding our current "strategy" in Iraq.
As much as I'd love for Cheney to turn in his badge, I don't think that the country can afford the lengthy distraction that his investigation would necessitate. And while Bubba W has earned his own investigation, that too would prove to be a disastrous waste of time.
Ken Starr may have just been doing his job back in the day, but both parties spent entirely too much time and money to embarrass one man. Bush and Cheney committed actual crimes, but it would exacerbate their crimes even further to ignore the war they created to punish them.
So, Senator Schumer, put away your dagger and your mascara. Stay away from the cameras a little bit longer and fight the good fight, if you can.

Where Have You Been?

Ok, so I'll admit it, my last post was a long time ago and was written from my sister's house after consuming quite a bit of alcohol (after all, it WAS New Year's Eve). Quite a bit has happened since then. I'll do my best to avoid the messy details, though they will no doubt trickle out piece by piece.

I was unemployed pretty much the entire month of January. While I thought that I could never get bored, what with all of the books, magazines, newspapers, and daytime tv at my dispoal, boredom set in about the third week. So, between the oppresive boredom, the blinding red glow of my checking account balance, and the blunt encouragement of a dear friend (Dude, get a job!), I decided to do just that.

So, to my student loan-paying father's unspoken chagrin, I am now waiting tables (again). My recent return to the service industry has been an incredibly humbling learning experience for me. Even though I was not making enough money to warrant it, I developed this sense of superiority while working at the Council. I somehow started to believe that a desk + business cards + wearing suits = success. The truth? My bosses now are pretty irritating, but they don't call me at home or curse at me. I don't miss the happy hour bitching sessions either. Regardless of what my plans for the near future are, when it comes to my job, I think I traded up. What's really interesting is that it will be my current job waiting tables that will provide for me the means to move abroad, not my job at the Council.

There is much to say about what has gone down in the last couple of months. They have truly been some of the most instructive, self-revealing, and emotionally wrenching weeks that I have ever experienced.

I'll be writing more now, and they won't all be this boring and diary-esque. I promise.