James Martin S.J. and The Colbert Report on Spirituality

CNN, which can’t get much ratings lately because it reads the news it prints on the Internet and the novelty of that has worn off, is trying something different in an articles about the so – called new SBNR (spiritual but not religious) movement taking shape globally and independent of any organized religion groups.

Like any news group aimed at a mainstream ratings approach, they start by quoting head up his ass Jesuit James Martin S.J.(society of Jesus) about all this personal blending of what fits personally and spiritually as “egotism”. Martin’s only claim to fame are a few books, talking on catholic radio and making a few appearances on Stephen Colbert’s faux news program.

But the article like the whole of spirituality and religiosity is not about him (thank God).

Are there dangers in being 'spiritual but not religious'?

"God and the devil were walking down a path one day when God spotted something sparkling by the side of the path. He picked it up and held it in the palm of his hand.

"Ah, Truth," he said.

"Here, give it to me," the devil said. "I'll organize it."

The above quote is from a Huffington Post blogger, BJ Gallagher, the Huffington Post for Christ’s sake, and wants to label this new movement of personal spirituality as “Burger King Spirituality” (have it your way). Everyone wants a piece of the action and to get credit for naming a movement with clichés they had nothing to do with including that of their own spirituality or lack of it.

I started this blog as the result of the insult of Joe the Pope’s visit to New York City in 2008 and his spin doctors throwing out their favorite insults to the masses such as “Cultural Catholic” or “Cafeteria Catholic”. Of course then, 2008, the Vatican and their PR spin doctors were still in control of the Pedophiles hidden under the Carpet deal.

What have you or your church done lately Joe to hug the average Christian???  Hugs are important to humanity believe it or not.  Jesus never mentioned hugs or did he?

Many people, of all recognizable faiths past, are searching and gleaning other faiths and beliefs, and picking the best things and merging them together in individual personal belief systems under the umbrealla concept of Spiritual and not Religious. Isn’t life and freedom and the new age dawning great!

Fundamentalists will wear the ink off the pages of the bible, their idol, rather than look up and live their lives in accordance with simple principles set out by Jesus. This hemming and hawing and wanting every period and comma to mean something puts too much nothing out of nothing into the world.

Father Martin ends in the last paragraph quoting with one word about how all the deep, sincere, prolonged search for spirituality is worthless and just basic “Laziness”. Only meal ticket religion and vested perks interest the Father Martins of this world and the hard work to get and horde those perks minus the human factor I fear.

When Catholic clerics waste eight years in the seminary worshiping their idol of the Catechism as a substitute for real living, real mistakes and real redemption, they miss the point and miss the boat in most critical junctions of life thereafter and into the hereafter.

Somewhere in the pea soup of Christianity is a cloudiness that defies present explanation and few should try to label it for the sake of a daily blog headline.

The future of spiritual man will reveal itself in time and purpose along the global timeline.

Father Bill Breslin and his Cafeteria Dogma

Reading Father Bill Breslin’s Blog, regarding his disposal of children he does not like out of his Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Boulder Colorado, says something to me.

The Heart of the Matter

If a child of gay parents comes to our school, and we teach that gay marriage is against the will of God, then the child will think that we are saying their parents are bad. We don't want to put any child in that tough position - nor do we want to put the parents, or the teachers, at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Why would good parents want their children to learn something they don't believe in? It doesn't make sense. There are so many schools in Boulder that see the meaning of sexuality in an entirely different way than the Catholic Church does. Why not send their child there?

I am reminded of the words of Saint Paul – Romans 13:1-7 – and obeying civil law.

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (NIV)

I see that Colorado shot down Domestic Partnership by a very slim margin in 2006.

You may not be breaking the law yet in Colorado Father Breslin with your institutional Homophobia. When Colorado does legalize Domestic Partnership and or Gay Marriage, you will have to obey the law as the Apostle Paul compels and does not suggest, or you will have to close your teaching institution if you continue to discriminate.

You all talk about cafeteria Catholics choosing what to believe. I think it matches the Cafeteria Dogmas of clergy these days who will fight tooth and nail to prevent abortion and then shrug their shoulders with total indifference once a child is born.

Something missing in that equation I think. Namely true Humanity aka Christianity.

So-called bishop Richard Williamson - Heretic?

“…Bishop Richard Williamson of the ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that based on research he did in the 1980s, he became convinced of his views about the Holocaust, which historians say resulted in the deaths of six million Jews.

Williamson is quoted by Der Spiegel as saying he would re-examine "everything again and look at the evidence." However, he said he won't be visiting the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

"Since I see that there are many honest and intelligent people who think differently, I must look again at the historical evidence," the British bishop was quoted as saying.

"It is about historical evidence, not about emotions," he added, according to the report.

"And if I find this evidence, I will correct myself. But that will take time."…

("Holocaust-denying bishop promises to review evidence" CBC.Com Feb.7,2009)

In the worst sort of Cafeteria Catholicism, so-called bishop Richard Williamson is taking his good old pedantic time in filing his nails and telling the Pope to chill while he reviews his beliefs on the Shoah or Jewish Holocaust.

He refuses to go to Auschwitz. There are living witnesses and he wants to drag out his old hate magazines and books to review his views that do not reflect reality or the modern age.

I feel sorry for this man who in his closed minded way thinks that Pius XII is still Pope and the Holocaust can be swept under the rug of Catholic, Christian Europe.

I read once in a book by the Traditionalist and ex-Jesuit Malachi Martin how Pius XII in the grand tradition of obedience to the Pope used to insist that bishops and cardinals get down on their hands and knees and kiss his foot in submission to his grand role as Head of the Roman Catholic Church.

If the traditionalists, sedevacantists insist that Pius XII was a real pope, what is Benedict XVI ? If you accept release from excommunication, it was by order of the Pope. Why aren’t you groveling before the Bishop of Rome and recanting your gloriously ignorant view of history???

If this were 70 A.D., 70 C.E. and Jerusalem was in ashes and thousands of Jews were in chains, would bishop Williamson if he were an early Christian scholar, would he write a gospel based on eyewitnesses to Christ or would he pull out his research, his scrolls and review what this Jew Jesus supposedly said or did. Then pick and choose. Probably!

It was the Jews in chains that built the Coliseum in Rome and brought Judaism and early Christianity to Rome in a big way. No Jews. No Jesus. No Christianity.

Jesus was real. Jesus was a Jew. Jesus’ first mission was to the Jews.

The secondary mission to the gentiles came later under the Apostle Paul and other gentiles. What came later after Jerusalem is less Jesus and more strange than it was human - kind of like you Richard Williamson.

I believe that this recent disgraceful episode is ordained by God to expose this so-called bishop's belief system, to bring it out of the shadows of ignorance and into the light of day and reason.

Get real. Get a life. Get a soul!