2008 February archive at Being Frank

Archive for February, 2008

Feb

“I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around a city, keeping its speed over fifty, and if its speed dropped, it would explode. I think it was called, “The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down.”"

Categories: Being Frank...

I think I should have had more crazy adventures when I was a kid. Why? Well, I find myself running out of useful analogies and anecdotes now when I’m an adult. However, I do recall a time when I had piano lessons with a lovely elderly lady who took her piano lessons very seriously. I even had a chart where I was supposed to write down how many hours of practice I did a day. The suggested time was an hour a day. An hour! All that precious computer game time… gone… So I used to fake the time I spent practising. Unfortunately the teacher could always tell during lesson time as I would be rubbish.

I think that’s a good thing to think about during this Lenten season. Don’t fake your sacrifices. There may not be a test involved at the end of it but someone will be able to tell if you’ve done a rubbish job.

Speaking of rubbish jobs, a came across this article in the NZ Catholic (sigh I can’t make the linky thing work):

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/viewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=1416

Don’t get me wrong, the article is fine. It’s the movie that’s the problem. I went to watch ‘No Country for Old Men’ last night thinking it would be quite good as it not only had glowing reviews, but also had won the academy award for Best Picture. Now it won’t be too much of a stretch to say it is perhaps one of the most depressing movies I’ve seen. I’m not sure how the academy decides on winning movies these days. Maybe there was some sort of veiled social commentary hidden amongst the dust and people wearing cowboy hats. Very few redeeming features unless you count people talking like cowboys and cowboy boots. I’m sure some people out there like it though.

In fact, maybe that’s the secret. The last slow moving movie with cowboys (“Unforgiven”) also won the award for Best Picture. The only thing I can remember from that movie was throwing tangy fruits around the mostly empty cinema while an attendant walked round with a flashlight trying to find us. Sort out your movie awards America.

Feb

Outside ourselves

By The Captain 10 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

Nothing new from me this week sorry. But plenty of the same ol!

Am currently in Central America with work, an opportunity I thank God for every day. The trip here however, doesn’t always feel like a blessing.

Many, many hours of flying and stopping over means I’m still in recovery. But even along the way, and as I battle the jetlag and sore throat that is a given with such a journey, I can’t help but feel so utterly grateful for my blessings.

My Lord has led me along a path that means I get to experience such a diverse range of His creations. To see the children He made, to see the beauty of the environment He gave to us, to experience the differences in His children is amazing.

Then to see the way we’ve taken that and what we’ve done with it – the degrading conditions we force those less materially blessed to live in, the ignoring of the suffering we carelessly allow, the disparities we create and the horror we inflict.

This always brings out a range of emotions and rationale in myself, a lot of which I’m the first to say I’m not proud of. Yes, we are all responsible for helping the poor and oppressed. No, we don’t do enough.

We’re not all Mother Teresa, nor were we created to be. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying – surely?

Funnily enough (or not really, but you know what I mean), I heard a little of Tony Campolo’s speech at Parachute this year – he said when we get to heaven, we will be judged on what we did to help the orphans and widows. On what we did to alleviate the suffering of the poor and oppressed. It was a stirring speech – perhaps a little extreme, but it sure got me thinking!

We love to make excuses – I count myself in this of course. We love to create intricate, intelligent, Church-backed reasons it ignore the (to paraphrase the great Sir Bob Geldof) “morally repugnant and intellectually absurd” situation of extreme poverty. It’s not good enough.

Like I said, it’s nothing new. But while the issue remains, I’ll keep blogging about it!

Feb

Let’s try that again…

By Tuppence 18 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

I have to admit, i was rather disappointed after my post last week. One of the only two comments seemed to share my sentiment in wondering why the questions I posed received little interest.

Now, aside from my sorely wounded ego (I build my self-worth on how good my Being Frank posts are…don’t you?), I’m just wondering why?

More than that, I’m actually looking for some clarification, and no one gave me any suggestions to help me…SO, in an attempt to re-stimulate discussion…see my post ’til death do us part’ from last Wednesday, and please help me answer my questions folks!

In the meantime, man I wish I could have been at the Cardinal Pell mass – sounds like Pell hit the nail on the head. Our faith needs to intimately inform the decisions we’re making on a daily basis, and those big decisions too. We need to see it as a source of understanding and explanation about the world we live in – that is what it means to believe in the Gospel. To believe it, and therefore have it influence the decisions we make. Until we see the Church’s teachings as having direct, essential and specific value in helping us make sense of the ‘secular’ world, the work that we do as laypeople will not be infused with faith. We will fail to truly be witnesses in that respect. Yeeha. Goodnight.

Feb

Can you smell the fear?

By The Dumb Ox 115 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

If you didn’t hear the news, the organisers of a Referendum on the anti-smacking law have managed to collect more than 300, 000 signatures.

If all of these signatures are verified as being legit, and there are no double ups, then this means that we will be asked to vote in a Citizen’s Initiated Referendum about whether we support the anti-smacking law.

I am excited by the very real prospect that this referendum attempt has been successful, and I have made no secret of my total disdain for this agenda driven, poorly written excuse for a law, which was promoted by Sue Bradford.

Strangely enough, it seems that a few people are panicking at the prospect that some New Zealand citizens have been successful in their attempts to exercise their democratic right to seek out signatures, and then bring about a Referendum on this issue.

Have you ever noticed how the so-called â€˜liberals’ are always banging on about tolerance and inclusivity, yet when it comes to things like genuine rights and freedoms they become violently intolerant?

I have been laughing myself silly over the last week, with the Herald running two different editorials trying to downplay the success of this anti-smacking referendum, with the latest telling us all that we should just move on. Quite ironic when one considers the concerted attack that they have mounted on the Electoral Finance Law (which is another draconian piece of totalitarian legislation). It seems that the Herald isn’t prepared to move on from that issue, and neither should they.

Two weeks ago the Christchurch Press ran this cartoon, which is factually incorrect and nothing more than a vicious and sinister attack on a group (Family First) exercising their legitimate rights and freedom to seek change through legal and peaceful means:

If that wasn’t bad enough, the same cartoonist just published this cartoon today (what the heck is up with this guy? Talk about judgemental intolerance!!!):

Then the Children’s Commissioner, Cindy Kiro, came out last Friday and made this ludicrous statement in a press release:

“…we know more about parenting and child health and development now than we did in our parents’, grandparents’ and great grandparents’ times.”

Oh really Cindy, well that explains why our grandparents, and great grandparents had less family dysfunction issues than what we have today. Thank goodness we have Cindy Kiro and Sue Bradford, or we’d never know how to parent our kids!

Let’s face facts; there is NOTHING wrong with using appropriate force to physically discipline a child, if it is required – and 80% of Kiwis know this (just two weeks ago another poll found that 74% of New Zealanders believe that parents should be allowed to physically discipline their kids).

This anti-smacking law is poorly written, and it is nothing more than a thinly disguised piece of socialist social engineering designed to exert intrusive and inappropriate state control over good parents.

Good on Family First and the others who have initiated and driven this referendum petition, it’s awesome to see Kiwis standing up for their rights, and it’s great to see the fear in the eyes of the people who have promoted this legislation, and many other pieces of destructive social engineering.

PS – This editorial appeared in today’s Herald. It is written by a liberal who opposes the anti-smacking law.

Feb

I still believe the children are our future…

By James the Least 65 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

`I attended an interesting Mass this weekend. Cardinal George Pell (or George Cardinal Pell as is proper…I think) celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph here in Auckland. He was invited over to celebrate that 100 years ago, his predcessoor – Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney – consecrated the original Cathedral…well, the original version of its current form anyway. Cardinal Pell was also over to talk to our bishop and to meet with some of the members of the Diocesan World Youth Day Committee as we get ever closer to that big event in July this year.

Anywho, I was there in my capacity as a member of the committee, and as a generally very interested Catholic Aucklander. I was also there as stand-in student shepherd. The committee member (a local DRS) who was getting the various heads and executive from the secondary schools around Auckland to make an appearance was himself absent with sickness (I’ll be sure to check his doctor’s note when I see him next. ) So, there I was, trying to organise these young leaders into two-by-two formation so they could process up the main aisle with His Eminence.

Aside from my increased respect for teachers who do this kind of thing on a daily basis, I also found myself immensely proud and hopeful. As I looked around the transcept and saw fifty or sixty of these bright, young, enthusiastic guys and girls, all dressed up in their formal uniforms on a Saturday night, I smiled. This looks promising.

The Cardinal obviously felt similarly, for as he gave his sermon, he pointed out that each of the young people sitting in the Cathedral that night were making hundreds of decisions – both small and big – that were shaping who they were to become as adults. He commended them for their presence, their enthusiasm, and for planning to come and see his diocese in July.

But he also had a message which cut straight to the heart of it. He said that unless these “children” became better leaders than the Cardinal’s generation had become, the tide would continue to go out in our society and take with it thousands of people…away from God. He said that these young people needed to realise the importance of leadership – “be that as priests or religious, leaders in the lay community, or as good, strong parents.”

I can quote that because it really struck me as being “the answer”. Look around, and ask yourself how many of today’s problems could be solved with more effective leadership? In my opinion, the answer is more than a few. Society doesn’t just fall away – it is lead astray. False prophets and idols preaching false messages packaged up to look like the truth…that’s how you get otherwise smart people to move away from God. Bickering politicians, duplicitous diplomats and childish rock-stars aren’t cutting the mustard as far as leadership goes – we need a breath of fresh air!

So, as I think back to that group of teenagers, I pray that some of them heed the Cardinal’s call and, indeed, Christ’s call, and step on up in to take the reins in this new millennium.

God knows we need them to.

Feb

Communism would probably be more just? but it doesn’t work…

By eyeWitness 20 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

Why doesn’t communism work? Is it because we’re all inherently selfish so we have to work for our own gain otherwise we won’t work efficiently at all? Added to this power always seems to corrupt central planners in one way or another…

Early Christian communities in the bible appear to have lived sharing everything. I often think I should try to see myself more as simply a custodian of what I own, to be re-distributed as needed. After all God does give us everything really, even our brains and talent - what we effectively use to earn money. Yet, personally I would hate to live sharing everything. I like my independence and having my own things too much! In our culture it can even be seen as an irresponsible way of living.

How do you define justice? – one of the cardinal virtues of our faith and Church.

It means different things to different people. For some people justice is a capitalist economy which rewards people for their work. For others it is some form of communism where everyone has an equal share.

Discussing justice oftens seems philosophical but it practically affects a lot of the decisions we make everyday.

Surely, you don’t think our laws are always just. But is your overall faith in “the law” functioning as rules to organise society stronger, meaning you still think you still wouldn’t break the law? Or do you appeal to something higher than the law. I would say you do.
What do you think about when you vote? Do you think we’re justified in going to war? How much of your income to you give away? These decisions all tie into your conception of justice.
To get the opinion of Aristotle (as you do!), situations and communities are just when individuals receive benefits according to their merits: those most virtuous deserve more of whatever goods society is in a position to distribute.

An individual who seeks more than her fair share of various goods has the vice of greediness, and a just individual is one who habitually takes no more than what she deserves, and no more than her fair share of good things.

According to the Church justice is finding the right balance between selfishness and selflessness.

It is defined as the constant and perpetual will to render each person his due.

The catechism states the Churches position as this:
Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.
The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor.
“You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” Lev 19:15.
“Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” Col 4:1.

The Church always seems very wise when you look into things like this. The depth never ceases to amaze me. It’s quite incredible. Do other denominations of Christianity have these sort of writings and theological research on how to deal with moral issues in our world? I’ve always wondered that…

Feb

Work to live, or live to work?

By Filia Day 3 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

This week I have been considering, a bit more than usual, the role of work in Christian life due to a couple of occurrences in my week. Firstly, rigid deadlines (with the University’s first semester fast approaching) have meant that I’ve really had to push myself to get what needs to be done completed. I’m sure everyone can related to that predicament! Secondly, there is an opportunity for job progression at my workplace. Basically, it’s one of those opportunities that will mean a lot of extra work but no monetary compensation, well initially anyway. I’m not complaining about either situation, in fact what I have realised is that pushing myself professionally has meant that I have got even more satisfaction out of my job and the prospect of an increase in workload is actually rather exciting! To cut a long story short, these couple of events led me to re-evaluate the role of work in my life.

A few years back, I used to think that work was a means to an ends; that if I could get away with doing an okish job in my professional life, I would. Living out my Christian vocation had everything to do with involving myself in organising “Catholic” stuff. What I did outside of university had absolutely nothing to do with what I did in normal office hours. In other words, I didn’t attribute much value to work. What’s more, while I had a reasonable work ethic, I viewed success in merely human terms. If fact success at university only fostered my pride, it was about what people thought of me, ensuring that I had a good career, attaining material goods, and a disordered competitive spirit. It’s fair to say that a dichotomy existed between my interior life and my professional life.

Needless to say, my opinion has changed on the role of work in my Christian life, mainly through my contact with Opus Dei (one of the fundamental aspects of the message of Opus Dei is that sanctifying ones work can actually help us to become saints). What I think is revolutionary about this ethos is that man (women) can become holy through their work; it’s an opportunity to grow in the human virtues, to grow in charity for those who are with us on a day to day basis, and to help others come to know Christ. I suppose what I realised this week was that the beauty of ordinary work is that it always provides opportunities to give oneself more to Our Lord and to grow in virtue. So which is it, to live to work, or work to live? I think a combination of both really….