I'm Home! (again)

Well, I’m back from London. Sorry about not checking email or updating while I was gone, but I couldn’t find any unsecured wireless. I had a great time, nice and relaxing. We went to Westminster Cathedral for Mass on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday Mass was in one of the side chapels for St. Thomas Becket’s feast day. We were thinking of going to Canterbury for Thursday, but decided against it. Actually going to mass in Thomas’s chapel in the new seat for the Catholic Church in England was better than seeing (and paying to get in to) the stolen property in Canterbury again. I really think that Westminster Cathedral is the most beautiful church in the world, and it’s not even finished. If I ever become fabulously wealthy (very unlikely) I will finish all the mosaics.
We also went to visit a few paintings at the national gallery, but I’ll make a separate post on that later today. Other than that, and a trip out to my sister’s Fiancé’s parent’s house, we took it very easy. I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Support this student!

This student was denied the right to wear a kilt at his High School's formal dance. Read the full story here. I wore my kilt to my formal dance, and I love wearing it to the pub. You can also sign the online petition here.

Hat Tip: The Shrine of the Holy Whapping

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

I'm Home!

Well, I've been home since Saturday, but haven't had a chance to write any new entries. Also, while I'm at home, I have to rely on my neighbors for wireless, and they can be a mite unpredictable. So, it is wonderful to be home, and I have a few new entries on my brain's back burner. Look for them in the next couple of days. I will also blog my trip to London right after Christmas. My mom, my sister, and I are going for a couple of days to see my sister's fiancé's family.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Raphael

I promised I would write this today, and I will. I just might fall asleep while I'm typing!
My guardian angel's name is Raphael. When I was very little, I was asked what his name was, and I said Raphael. Fast forward several years. I had a very nasty crash on my bike. I really tore my arm open badly, and needed to go to the hospital. During the ambulance ride, I was given a stuffed ninja turtle. Do you want to guess which one? Yup, Raphael. Later I found out Raphael is the patron angel of healing. Go ahead several more years. I start reading books on philosophy, theology, and metaphysics. I began to put pieces of the puzzle together. angels have no material aspect, they are purely spirit. Because of this, their name is very important. It is how angels are distinguished from one another. No two angels can share the same name. Their name is their identity. So after I found out about this, I began to wonder, "Can I have an archangel as a guardian angel?" Some of the Saints believed so (I'll give an update when I can find the book where I found this.), and there is the entire book of Tobit. If an archangel was sent by God to look after tobias during the times B.C., why not now? And, after all, each angel could have an infinite number of wards, as they can polylocate.
So, there you have it. That's my Guardian Angel entry. I'm glad I didn't fall asleep, I think Raphael wants me to write this. My sister had sent me a package on the 3rd, that just arrived today, and one of the items in the package was a small icon of Raphael.

Yours in christ,
Thursday

P.S.
I had a very hard time finding a decent image of Raphael for this post. He is usually drawn in a very feminine manner. I imagine that it is because one of his jobs is matchmaker to Tobias. But people forget that he also bound an ancient and powerful demon in the desert. I think he should be given a more prominent role in the rite of Exorcism. Right now, he is only mentioned along with the other two archangels.

Some new links.

You may have noticed that the blogroll has gotten a few new members recently. Why don't you check them out, I guarantee that any blog there is well worth the read.

Theology of the Body
Conspicuously Lacking a Latin Title
Confessions of a Chronic Dork
The Sober Sophomore

And yes, I do know my blogroll is not in alphabetical order, I'm just too lazy to bother. If and when I gets bigger, maybe I will put them in order.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Moving on up!

Thanks for the Link Joey. I am now up to 16627 on "Truth laid Bear", one space above "Meet an Atheist!" No, I am not going to link to his blog, that would move him up. If you want, I'm sure you can find him on google. No other news, just wanted to gloat.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Death now a crime. Punishable by death?

Biritiba Mirim, a city in Brazil, is voting on a new city regulation. This law would make it illegal to die. The city of 28,000 people does not have any more room in its cemetery, and is prohibited from building a new one due to environmental laws. Apparently, 98% of this city is conservation land, and nothing can be built on it, including burial grounds. The city doesn't expect the law to bring the mortality rate to zero. It is mainly being used as a protest against the strict environmental laws in the area. The city is also asking its inhabitants to take cares not to die in the near future. You can read the full story here at the BBC. You realize, in the Old Testiment, this would be considered "testing the Lord, thy God."

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Another Letter to TIA...

I just can't help myself, sometimes I feel Tradition in Action is there for me to convert to convert them! Here is a copy of the latest email I sent them:

"Dear TIA,
I have been looking through your link page, and found that you link to Catholic Insight (http://www.cathinsight.com/.) As sedevacantists, they are heretics as defined by the first Vatican council.

"Therefore, if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the Lord himself (that is to say, by divine law) that Blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole Church; or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema." - Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus (emphasis added)

As you have pointed out several times on your website, the code of Canon law of 1917 states:

"A person who of his own accord and knowingly helps in any manner to propagate heresy, or who communicates in sacred rites with heretics, incurs suspicion of heresy" (Canon 2316).

By linking to a website which propagates a heresy, you have brought yourselves under suspicion o of heresy. I am sending this email with the hope that you were not aware of the position of Catholic Insight. I also hope that now that you know of their position, you will immediately remove the link, and publicly declare their views to be contrary to the the teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church."


TIA constantly says that it is not enough for someone suspect of heresy to stop associating with those propagating the heresy, that person must also publicly denounce the heresy. That is all I am asking TIA to do. Comments on this would be most appreciated.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

The Inclusive Worshiper is no more...

It is my very sad duty to report that the Inclusive Worshiper is no longer blogging. Here is the final post:

"Faithful readers,

Thank you for your enthusiastic participation these past few weeks.

Unfortunately, a few very Tolerant and Inclusive administrators have taken quite an interest in the blog, and baptism in the New Religion apparently washes away any sense of humor.

Therefore, it has become necessary to discontinue the blog.

Yours truly,
The Author"

I will now preform my victory dance! *dances* Just remember, I called it as satire FIRST!

To Lucian Gregory: I now see you were never an anarchist to begin with, but merely one of the members on the "Council of the Seven Days." Though, you can't be Sunday, and I'm Thursday, you can choose one of the other five. If I might make a suggestion, I think you should go with Saturday.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

The Inclusive Worshiper

I'm actually kind of jealous, if this page is satire, the writer is excellent. Check it out here.
I'm also jealous because I know his traffic is higher than mine, after all most of St. Blogs is talking about him/her/it. I still strongly believe this is satire, but I'm going to pull a Adam Wayne on it. For those of you not in the know, that would mean treat it seriously. I coined the name myself, so I figure I'm the only one really in the know! It comes from this passage in Napoleon of Notting Hill.


"Suppose I am God," said the voice, "and suppose I made the world
in idleness. Suppose the stars, that you think eternal,
are only the idiot fireworks of an everlasting schoolboy.
Suppose the sun and the moon, to which you sing alternately,
are only the two eyes of one vast and sneering giant, opened alternately
in a never-ending wink. Suppose the trees, in my eyes, are as
foolish as enormous toad-stools. Suppose Socrates and Charlemagne
are to me only beasts, made funnier by walking on their hind legs.
Suppose I am God, and having made things, laugh at them."

"And suppose I am man," answered the other. "And suppose that I
give the answer that shatters even a laugh. Suppose I do not
laugh back at you, do not blaspheme you, do not curse you.
But suppose, standing up straight under the sky, with every power
of my being, I thank you for the fools' paradise you have made.
Suppose I praise you, with a literal pain of ecstacy,
for the jest that has brought me so terrible a joy.
If we have taken the child's games, and given them the seriousness
of a Crusade, if we have drenched your grotesque Dutch garden
with the blood of martyrs, we have turned a nursery into a temple.
I ask you, in the name of Heaven, who wins?"


That is one of my favorite passages in all of Chesterton's works.
I hope you join us at the Inclusive Worshiper's, it's quite a jolly time.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

P.S.
Be sure to read the posts from the bottom up, it's the only way it makes sense.

Baba Yetu

I was going to post on this song when I had second, but I found out something that is just too cool. The song is called "Baba Yetu," and is the opening music for the game Civilization IV. You can download it here. Clicking on the link plays the song, right-clicking (or control-clicking for my Mac friends) lets you download it. Baba Yetu is Swahili for Our Father. Yup, that's right, a mainstream game has the Lord's Prayer sung at the beginning. The composer's name is Christopher Tin, here's his website. It has some samples of his work, all of which is very good. The singers are "Talisman A Cappella," a group from Stanford, who as you can tell, are very talented.
Ok, let me just say I don't like suburban white choirs singing african spirituals in church, I think it is just wrong. I'm not saying I want to hear Baba Yetu in church, just that I like the song. If I ever go to South Africa, then I wouldn't mind hearing it, but not in the U.S..
Oh, one more thing. Did you notice the image with the post? That is the screen that comes up when you are the first to discover theology in Civ. IV. When you do that, your civ. founds Christianity. I thought it was nice that they used bread and wine as the symbols for Christianity. WIthout them there could be no Eucharist.

That's all for now.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

A gift for our Mother.

I was going to post this on Thursday, but I decided it would be better to do it earlier. If everyone in St. Blogs posted this by Thursday, it could be an excellent gift for our Mother, on the day of her Immaculate Conception. I hope you enjoy it, and that you post it, if you have a blog.

Ave Maria


Yours in Christ,
Thursday

P.S.

I have no way of posting the html code for you to paste into your blog here without it turning into another video player. So, you have two options: 1) view my source and search for "Ave Maria" or 2) click on this link, and copy what's in the box labeled quote.

MegaChurches

Now, I've only ever been to one "megachurch," and that was definitely enough. I just don't see the point of cramming 10,000 people in for one service week after week. (World Youth Day is different, it's only every couple of years, and it's with the Pope.) The megachurch that I visited was Southeast Christian Church, in Louisville KY. Here's the outside of the Church:
This is the Church that one of my pair of Grandparents go to. They are very nice and holy people, they just go to church in a building that looks like an airport. If you don't believe me, look at this picture of the main atrium:
Once you get to the sanctuary, however, you lose the feeling of being in an airport, and start to feel you're in a convention center. Have a look at these images:

They do have a "smaller" chapel for weddings. I guess they figure most people are not going to be inviting 10,000 guests to their wedding. The "smaller" chapel only holds 500 people, and actually looks like a church.
Well, it doesn't look like a church that makes me think of the majesty of God, but it's a step towards that goal. I really just don't get the point. This is not just a church, it has a library, gyms, conference rooms, a youth assembly (fancy word for a stage.), and a whole lot more. And when I say gym, I don't just mean a small room with an old set of free weights for the pastor, I mean this:
Now, don't get me wrong, I like big churches. But my definition of big is seats maybe 1,500 tops, and has flying buttresses. If a church is going to seat more than 1,000 people I demand flying buttresses galore. That and mosaics, floor and ceiling. Oh, and it needs a dome, the dome is what really seals the deal. This church has none of that, and close to ten times the seating. As I said, I just don't get it.
My ideal church would be Westminster Cathedral which looks like this:
It can be forgiven its lack of flying buttresses because it has a dome, and because of these:


So there you have it, what every church with seating for more than 1,000 should look like.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

I'm no longer alone on this blog.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you will see my new partner in blogging, Midnight the Hedgehog.
He likes to play, so have some fun.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Christian "Unity"

From Eddie Izzard's "Dress to Kill"

(Jesus speaking to the Father about Christian "unity")
"...they split into different groups!—Catholics, Protestants, Jesuits, Methodists, Evangelicals, Free Presbytarians, Locked-up Presbytarians, Quakers, Bakers, Candlestick-makers,—oh, and the Mormons are from Mars, Dad, we just found out."

I died laughing during this sketch!

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

More on the Rule.

Ok, as long as I get this up in less than an hour, I won't break my promise (again.) I think the rule is a remarkable document, it is what I have always thought. Not that I'm saying what I think is the gauge by which Vatican pronouncements are measured, it's just nice to know I was right all along! Dom, over on Betnett commented that people often talk about the many good and celibate gay priests, and how we have no evidence that they exist. He's write, the only evidence of gay priests that we have is the 400 in the U.S. that have died of Aids, and the multitude who abused young men. Neither of these groups can be called "good priests," as they broke their vows, and committed mortal sins. If there are good celibate priests who have a homosexual tendency, we will never know, because they do not flaunt their affliction. It is their own cross to bear. That is all for right now.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Vatican publishes rules on ordination.

The rules on the ordination of homosexuals has been published. The document is almost exactly the same as the leaked version from last week. You can read the document at Betnett. I will post more on this later today.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday


UPDATE: So, um, about that "posting more tonight thingy," ya, um... I lied. I'll post tomorrow, I promise!

Eucharistic music video

This is a Eucharistic music video, I never knew they existed! Enjoy!


Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Another Video

Here is the Litany of Saints. It has some beautiful art work, and music. It might take a bit to load, Sorry.


Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Possibly the greatest one-liner ever!

"I wanna live 'til I die, no more, no less."
-attributed to Eddie Izzard

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

I know this is a bit late...

I know World Youth Day was a couple months back, but I just found this short video that I thought I should post. It also gives me a chance to try and post video directly into the page, so keep your fingers crossed.



Yours in Christ,
Thursday

"Pope Undercover"

I found this on google today. It seems to end up somewhere in a grey area. It's a matrix spoof revolving around the pope. It somewhat reminds me of Eddy Izzard:

Lay person: Father, I have committed an original sin. I have poked a badger with a spoon.
Priest: Well done! I've never heard that one before. You have indeed committed an original sin.
Lay person 2: Father, forgive me for I have sin. I slept with my neighbors' wife. Priest: Heard it!

Well, you can see for yourself here.
It is rated NE for "Not Yet Excommunicated."
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

I'm a Nerd!

Pure Nerd 82 % Nerd, 47% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

	You scored higher than 96% on nerdiness
	You scored higher than 74% on geekosity
	You scored higher than 23% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

1,000th Visitor!

Today Thursday's Trifles had its 1,000th visitor. Here's a before shot:


And after:


Thank you to:

who was the 1,000th visitor to Thursday's Trifles!

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

My response to TIA's response (UPDATED)

TIA has posted their response to my letter, you can find it here (your will have to scroll down until they fix their site.) (UPDATE: They have fixed their site)

Here is my response to their response. Because they divided their response into numbered sections, I will follow their system.

1. “We did not know it, so we could not report it.”

I don’t really have a problem with this, if they didn’t know, I can’t expect them to report it.

2. “We acknowledge that you are convinced of your opinion, and we respect it. We hope you may also realize that your opinion is open to discussion.”

If my opinion is open to discussion, then discuss it. You cannot just say, “well, that’s your opinion,” and then leave it. If TIA can come up with another alternative for the music the Bishop Britt is dancing to, please let me know. Until then, because there has been no other option put forward we must accept our initial hypothesis as being the only option.

3. “You seem to confuse singing in honor of God and dancing in honor of God.”

I never mentioned singing, my exact words were: “Do you object to a dance that praises God?” The entire section on the difference between singing and dancing is immaterial.


“It is our conviction that a Bishop should be a model of Christ for his diocese. Now, Our Lord never danced.”

What evidence do you have that Christ never danced? Dancing was a large part of the culture, especially at weddings and other celebrations. We know Jesus attended at least one wedding, and to think that was the only wedding he attended in 33 years is absurd. “They [the apostles] died martyrs because they obeyed this command of Our Lord and opposed the pleasure-oriented pagan world that surrounded them.” Dancing is not exclusively pagan, so I do not understand the point of this argument.

4. “This opinion is confirmed by History where the rule for Bishops is not to dance. We are not aware of exceptions to this rule, but would like to know if any existed.”

By rule do you mean a written law, or just general pattern? If there is a written rule forbidding Bishop’s from dancing, I would like to see it, and wonder why you did not post it with the picture.

5. “This opinion is also confirmed in the Old Covenant, wherein God described in great detail all the ceremonies and rules the Levites should follow for His honor and glory, and, as far as we know, never mentioned dancing.”

The beauty of God’s law is that it is minimalist. Instead of listing everything we can do, it tells us what we must do, and what we must not do. If dancing is not mentioned, we can assume that it is acceptable.

6. “From these spurious sources, and not from the crystal waters of Catholic tradition, the post-conciliar Church assimilated the present day habit of dancing and shouting at religious gatherings…”

What is your proof for this claim?

7. “The example of King David dancing before the Ark does not apply to the case of dancing Bishops because he was a layman, not an ecclesiastic.”

In 2 Samuel 6:5 “And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord with all their might…” It does not say “all the house of Israel, except the Levites who were not allowed to make merry…,” but all the house of Israel. If this is not enough, Psalms 150:2-3 “Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with timbrel and lyre!” Again it does not exclude the Levites.

I don’t think there is anything else to add to this, there is nothing in the Word of God, or in the Traditions of His Church to forbid “dancing Bishop’s.”
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

WOOT!

I just checked out seven sorrows website, they have a new drummer now, who along with the two new guitarists they just got, completes the band. I have been waiting for this CD for awhile now, I'm really excited they can make it now. Go check them out, there music is great, and it's free!
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Tradition in Action strikes again. UPDATE X2

Previously I have posted on the website "Tradition in Action" (here and here). They have a section that they call "Church Revolution in Pictures," in which they post a new image each week that they think shows the decline of the Catholic Church post Vatican II. Well, I saw this picture, and read it's caption, and wrote a letter to them.


"On December 7, 2001, following the example of John Paul II,
Bishop Kevin M. Britt dances at the National Catholic Youth Conference.

After being Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, he was named Bishop of Grand Rapids. "

My letter was as follows:
Hello,
I have been reading through your site for several months now, and have been tempted many times to write a letter to you, but this piece was the proverbial straw. You disapprove of Bishop Kevin M. Britt dancing (www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/A087rcDancingBishop), but you fail to mention what music he is dancing to. Just by glancing at the picture I can tell you the name of the song is either "Our God is an Awesome God," or "Yes, Lord." Those are the only two songs that have a dance with a "thumbs up," like the one shown in the picture. Do you object to a dance that praises God? If King David, God's anointed king for His people, danced and sang the praises of God before the Ark, why should you malign one of God's anointed shepherds for doing the same?

Well, their site says they published my letter and their response here, but it's not there (UPDATE: They have now posted their answer to my letter, but not my letter). (UPDATE2: My letter is now published.)
I'm will be very interested to see what they have to say, and will post my response here when they do. (UPDATE: I will be addressing the points they made in a upcoming post.)
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

The Dreaded Confiteor Meme!

Well, Antonia tagged me with the latest meme going around, so here goes.

I confess...

To wanting to be like Dr. House, even though I know he is rude, immoral, and mean.

To being a video game addict (I haven't played a game in about two weeks though, I'm going into withdrawal symptoms).

To being a procrastinator, I use blogging as my excuse for not getting any work done.

To having tastes far beyond my limited means. I like good scotch, I just can't afford it.

To having no idea what I'm going to do with a degree in Physics/Math.

To going to the local pub with friends at around 9 PM on Halloween, and leaving at midnight only to find that "Capitaine Grec," my only source of soberfying Poutine (french fries, cheese, and gravy), closed at 11 PM.

To not trying Poutine at first because it sounded disgusting.

To going to school in Quebec, and only being able to say one phrase in French. (My little Cheese)

To being sad at the thought of missing Thanksgiving with my family for the next four years.

To taking great pleasure in baiting atheists, fundamentalists, rad trads, liberals, ect.

To spending far too much time reading other blogs in St. Blog's, when I should be doing work.

To desiring gadgets for the sake of the gadgetiness.

I think thats all for now. I now invoke the incomprehensible power of the meme, and tag:
Joey of Vox Pro Domini, and Emily of the Holy Whapping (Because she's reading The Man who was Thursday!), and Andrew of the Holy Whapping.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Vocations Reloaded?

One of my first posts was on The Matrix Vocations Poster. Well, I've been meaning to do a follow up on that entry, because there are a couple of new posters available now, I've just never gotten around to it (I know I'm lazy!). So here they are:



You can get your own copies of these posters and a couple others here.
Just in case anybody is wondering, he is a real priest. In my opinion these posters are exactly what is needed to interest young men in the priesthood. So often we only see the stereotypical older priest who is timid and ignorant. These posters show young men who are willing to give their lives to God, and to Serve His Church. They show a priest who is a hero, a warrior against Satan. That is exactly what a priest is, a warrior. The sacrament of confession causes Satan extreme pain and suffering, and is only possible with a priest.
I have my first vocation poster up on my wall, and it makes people think. This is an image that goes against the stereotypes they have been brought up to believe. In that little moment of doubt, God can creep in. In 1 Kings 19:11-13, we find that God is not in the Mighty Wind, or the Awesome Earthquake, or the Roaring Fire, but in the small voice. God only requires a small chink in the wall that society builds around the soul. Like the constant drip, drip, drip of water, He will bring those walls crashing down. (I know I've mixed about ten metaphors at this point, please forgive me.)
I think that is all for right now.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday.

P.S. The website also have a very nice calendar with a picture of the saint of the day on each day.

Just found this blog.

I found this new blog, speculativecatholic, and I have to say it is excellent. It is very hard to describe exactly what the blog is about, so I will just use what others are saying about Speculative Catholic:
"The geniuses at Speculative Catholic have found a new way to turn lemons into lemonade!" - Mark Shea
" Speculative Catholic fuses science fiction and theology" - Lex Communis
"A blog worthy of note" - Waffling Anglican

I will now add what I think of Speculative Catholic, and hope that he posts it on his brag-roll:

"The word, I fancy, should be 'pink'." - Thursday

I've added a link to the blog in the sidebar, so it will always be easily accessible to my readers.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

US wins world gaming crown

The US took two gold medals (Counter-Strike and Halo 2), and one silver medal (Warcraft III) to be the number one ranked nation at the World Cyber Games. You can read the rest of the story (Man I feel like Paul Harvey!) here.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Is this a joke? (UpdateX2)

I've come across this on a couple of Rad Trad (Radical Traditionalist Catholics) sites. I think it has to be a joke, nobody has that poor an understanding of Physics. I'm also very surprised to find "Flat Earth" Theory on Rad Trad sites, as the Church never taught that the Earth was flat. The Church always went with Aristotle's teaching that the Earth was round. Granted Aristotle underestimated the circumference of the Earth considerably, leading Columbus to thinking he was in the East Indies. Flat Earth theory only came about after the reformation, when the Protestants started taking the Biblical description of the Earth in Genesis literally. So Rad Trads are now hanging out with Heretics, interesting.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot an "=" in the html code, now the link works.

UPDATE2: Added some clarification for Non-Catholics.

What superhero are you?

You scored as Maximus. After his family was murdered by the evil emperor Commodus, the great Roman general Maximus went into hiding to avoid Commodus's assassins. He became a gladiator, hoping to dominate the colosseum in order to one day get the chance of killing Commodus. Maximus is valiant, courageous, and dedicated. He wants nothing more than the chance to avenge his family, but his temper often gets the better of him. Maximus 83% William Wallace 79% Neo, the "One" 75% Captain Jack Sparrow 67% Lara Croft 63% El Zorro 58% Batman, the Dark Knight 58% Indiana Jones 54% The Amazing Spider-Man 50% The Terminator 42% James Bond, Agent 007 42% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

(HT catholicpillowfight)

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

P.S.
I'm kind of concerned about the 63% Lara Croft.

Random Thought

This is only a little random musing (stolen completely from the Reduced Shakespeare Company.)

If Hamlet takes place in Denmark, how come there is a character named Bernardo?

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Put a pin in.

Because everyone else is doing it (O.K., the only two groups I know doing it are Bettnet and Catholic Answers, but their everyone right?), I am starting a "frapper" map. It's nice to see a map of where the people who read this blog are from, who knows, maybe your next door neighbor reads this as well. So, come on give in to peer pressure!
Stick a Pin in

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Hmm..

I just looked over at my sidebar, and I saw that I was a "Lowly Insect" in TTLB. At first I thought "Woohoo, I'm moving up!" Then I checked out TTLB, to see how many steps I was up, and found I was a step down! I don't get it, my traffic has been up this week, but I lost a step. I'm not saying my traffic is very high, it's nowhere near "Bettnet", or "Shrine of the Holy Whapping" (check them out by the way, links are in the sidebar.), but it was high for me. Oh well, I guess I will just have to find more ways to lure people into my blog.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday,

His Dark Materials

Hail Citizens!
(I've been watching way too much of the series Rome, so please forgive my nerdy classicalisms.)

Per request, I'm going to share some of my thoughts on Philip Pulman's series "His Dark Materials."(HDM) I will start by saying that this series is one of the most well written fantasy series of the last century, inferior only to "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Chronicles of Narnia." HDM is the foil of these other two series, even being called the "anti-Narnia" by some.

Pulman is an incredible storyteller; and as such, he knows that the only truly compelling stories are those of the battle between good and evil. Pulman has a problem though, he's an atheist. His books are set in a universe with no true God, no creator; however, his theme is still that of good versus evil. This is my first problem with the series, Pulman has put good and evil into a universe which cannot account for their existence. In the HDM universe, there is no objective truth that can account for some actions being evil, and some being good. There is no objective line that divides them forces of evil from those or good. In this book, thousands die for something that is just a feeling, something naturally evolved into us. This is totally different than Lord of the Rings, were good and evil are objectively defined.

My second problem is logical, ex nihilo nihil fit. In the HDM universe, "God" was created when matter became conscious of itself, and sought out other matter. When enough matter had come together, the first "Angel" was created, and he called himself "God." This idea is even more preposterous than the theory that if you pile enough stones together, eventually the pile will start to think, and become man (Darwinist evolution.) With this, we get the idea that a stone will randomly start to think, and that if we pile enough "thinking stones" together, we will make a man.
Usually if you bring up "ex nihilo nihil fit," the first thing you will hear is some voice shouting "virtual particles." Virtual particles are sometimes called vacuum fluctuations, and are pairs of particles that form and then annihilate each other. I could go on for pages about the science behind virtual particles (it's really quite fascinating.), but instead I'll just say that we are arguing across terms. Virtual particles form out of vacuums in space-time, which is still something compared to NOTHING. NOTHING can not be fully comprehended, as we have no experience with it. NOTHING is what existed (or didn't exist as the case may be) before God created the Universe.
I do have other problems with HDM, but I think I will leave them for another day, as it is late, and I am tired.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Oh my... Knees!

When I saw this I burst out laughing.

How could he let his knee touch hers! Did he not know that his knee had been consecrated by God, and that he was to lock himself away in the Cathedral's residence, only coming out to say Mass. Tradition in Action is definitely not a Catholic group.
The plus side of their site is that it has an incredible collection of very nice photographs of the last several Pontiffs.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Are you in the GIMPS?

GIMPS is:


Basically, it's a program that runs in the background on you computer. While you work away, it works at factoring really big numbers to see if they are prime. I mean REALLY big numbers. The number I'm working on right now is more than 10,000,000 digits long, that's ten MILLION. My computer has been running this number since Sunday, and I have another 25 days to go.
there website is here, give it a browse. Oh, did I mention that if your computer finds the first prime number with more than 10,000,000 digits you get about $50,000.00 US. Of course, it takes about a month on my 3.4 Ghz P4 w/HT and a gig of RAM to run one 10,000,000 digit number, so don't expect to find one right off the bat. Also, your odds of finding one are about 1:350,000. (With the steps passed on my number the odds are up to 1:200000.)

Remember:


Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Check out the new guy on the block!

There is a new Catholic blog out there. I first met Joey at a message board for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman. In case your not familiar with the series, it's pretty much the foil of Narnia, aka "Narnia for atheists." I was doing apologetics there, and asked for help at Catholic answers, and Joey helped me out. Well, I should say after he started it was more me helping him out. So, Joey is now at Notre Dame, and I am incredibly Jealous. Oh well, maybe for Graduate School.
So check out his blog Vox pro Domini.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Yet another quiz...

I know, all I post is quizes... Well to bad, here's another!

Numenorean


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

I would have prefered elvish, but numenorean is pretty cool.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

IMPORTANT

This might be one of the most important booklets you ever read:
HERE

It is the Holy Mass, explained by the Virgin Mary, and Christ Himself. It will only take you 10 or 15 minutes, please read it.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday


EDIT: It might only take 10 to 15 minutes for a cursory view, but it will take a lifetime to comprehend.

Thursday or Napoleon

Today, I’m going to write about my favorite work by Chesterton. Some of you may guess, from my pseudonym I presume, that my favorite book is “The Man Who was Thursday;” however, you would be wrong. While I do love TMWwT, the name was chosen for more mundane reasons, I like alliteration. No, my favorite Chesterton is “Napoleon of Notting Hill.” Somehow, “Wayne’s Wisdom,” or “Quin’s curiosities” just didn’t have the same impact as “Thursday’s Trifles.”
“Napoleon of Notting Hill” was the first book by Chesterton that I read, so maybe that is why it is so dear to me. Or, maybe it is that I see myself as the common ploughman, whose brain is made up of the practical joker of Auberon Qunin, and the unflinching idealist of Adam Wayne.
The reason that this entry popped into my head is, I think, a result of researching Civilization IV, Age of Empires III, and several other strategy games that are coming out soon. It just brought to mind that line of Adam Wayne’s:

"Notting Hill is a nation.
Why should it condescend to be a mere Empire?"

This book examines the question of what is greater, an empire, or a city. It expounds on the “What have the Romans ever done for us?” argument of Monty Python fame. It, it true, that Empires do many great things, but they can never compare to the gifts of two cities, Athens and Nazareth.

"Cannot you be content with that destiny which was enough for Athens,
which was enough for Nazareth? the destiny, the humble purpose of
creating a new world. Is Athens angry because Romans and Florentines
have adopted her phraseology for expressing their own patriotism?
Is Nazareth angry because as a little village it has become
the type of all little villages out of which, as the Snobs say,
no good can come? Has Athens asked every one to wear the chlamys?
Are all followers of the Nazarene compelled to wear turbans?
No! but the soul of Athens went forth and made men drink hemlock,
and the soul of Nazareth went forth and made men consent to be crucified."

This is a big part of the book, but not all of it. The last several pages are the answer to many philosophers questions about the “meaning of life.”

" A smaller figure seemed half to rise in the dark.

"Suppose I am God," said the voice, "and suppose I made the world
in idleness. Suppose the stars, that you think eternal,
are only the idiot fireworks of an everlasting schoolboy.
Suppose the sun and the moon, to which you sing alternately,
are only the two eyes of one vast and sneering giant, opened alternately
in a never-ending wink. Suppose the trees, in my eyes, are as
foolish as enormous toad-stools. Suppose Socrates and Charlemagne
are to me only beasts, made funnier by walking on their hind legs.
Suppose I am God, and having made things, laugh at them."

"And suppose I am man," answered the other. "And suppose that I
give the answer that shatters even a laugh. Suppose I do not
laugh back at you, do not blaspheme you, do not curse you.
But suppose, standing up straight under the sky, with every power
of my being, I thank you for the fools' paradise you have made.
Suppose I praise you, with a literal pain of ecstacy,
for the jest that has brought me so terrible a joy.
If we have taken the child's games, and given them the seriousness
of a Crusade, if we have drenched your grotesque Dutch garden
with the blood of martyrs, we have turned a nursery into a temple.
I ask you, in the name of Heaven, who wins?""


I’ll leave you to dwell on that passage for a bit.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Very strange test. . .

ellipsis You scored 38% Sociability and 82% Sophistication!

Your life can be difficult because of your insecurities, but you should know that it isn't your fault. YOU didn't ask to be thrown in around thirty times per page in every bodice-ripper on the shelf! Those who overuse you can kiss your . . . you know. You need to learn to hold your head high and glory in your solitude. You really do have excellent, scholarly tastes. You must never forget that your friend, the period, will be there to support you at the end of every sentence where you truly belong, and, if what is left out is as important as what is said, why, then you are as vital as the alphabet!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 22% on Sociability You scored higher than 97% on Sophistication

Link: The Which Punctuation Mark Are You Test written by Gazda

WWJD?

Just got this emailed to me:

Journal Entry: What Jesus Wouldn't Do......
Monday, October 24, 2005
What Jesus wouldn’t do….
Here are a few things I know Jesus wouldn’t do that I think we need to really hear right now.
1- The little children come running to Jesus and He says, “Peter, keep those kids at a safe distance from me because they could bring a law suit upon us and for Pete’s sake don’t hug them! They could see that is improper! Do you want to cause a scandal”?

2- A little girl who’s father just died comes running to Peter for comfort and Jesus says to Peter, “make sure you keep a foot of space between you if she needs a hug…actually just give her a handshake. We don’t want people getting the wrong idea now do we?”

3. Peter comes to Jesus and says, "Lord these children are beautiful. They have such innocence about them. It is so refreshing to see.” The Lord answers, “Ah yes! It is truly beautiful. There is nothing like childlike innocence. Now get them into sex ed. classes and immediately start warning them about how there are bad people who may want to molest them.” Peter replies, “But Lord shouldn’t we leave that to the parents to determine when their child is ready to hear such things?” Jesus says, “Listen Peter, if it’s good enough for the public school system it’s good enough for us! The last thing we need is another lawsuit!”

4. The Pharisees come to question Jesus and He says to his apostles, “Listen, these guys get upset easily, let's water down our message so as not to cause any conflict. Some of these guys put a ton of money into the collection basket so we don’t want to rock the boat. If they ask tough questions or do scandalous things just tell them something like “we are all loved by God” this makes them happy and keeps us safe. Whatever you do DON’T mention sin or hell!”

5. Peter comes to Jesus asking him what they should do about some of the people in the church who are elected officials who are scandalizing the church. Jesus answers “Peter, don’t be crazy! You know we can’t talk about political things! We could lose our 501c3 non profit status! Just tell them we are all loved by God and that should make everyone happy.”

6. Peter comes running frantically to Jesus and says, “My Lord! There are money changers defiling the temple what should we do?!” Jesus answers, “Take a poll and see what the people think, If they are ok with it then see if we can hit any of the money changers up for a donation. If the people are upset just tell everyone that “we are all loved by God”. Then we will just wait until it all blows over”.

7. The apostles come running to Jesus and say, "My Lord, the catholic colleges are teaching horrible things that are leading many away from the true faith!” Jesus replies, “I know, it really is a bummer I wish I could do something about it …oh well, let me know if any of the graduates from the schools would like to work in our diocese because we are in desperate need of help. They may be teaching heresy but let’s just hope they will tone it down a bit. And remember … we are all loved by God! Have a nice day!

8. Peter comes to Jesus, “My Lord, homosexual men have entered the priesthood and have been sexually abusing young men in the church! What should we do”? Jesus answers, “Listen, if we say the problem is homosexuality the media will rip us apart. Let’s call it pedophilia and that will save us from the media attack. Peter replies, “But Lord, the problem is homosexuality! The vast majority of the abuses were on teenage boys!” Jesus answers, “Again I tell you, unless you submit to the pressures of the media you will have no peace in you! So I command you, go out into the world two by two and submit!”

Again I say….these are things that Jesus wouldn’t do. We can learn a lot from Jesus…..
TO BE CONTINUED…..

This was all written by Sean Forrest, check out his website here
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

I'm on iTunes!!

My podcast is now on iTunes!! Search for me in the iTunes music store. "Thursday's Podcast" You can subscribe to my podcast, and then iTunes will automatically download new episodes. Hopefully, I will have episode 3 out by Wednesday.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Civilization IV

Hi all,
Have you listened to my podcast? Well, why not? Ya, I thought so, no good reason.
Anyways, Civilization IV comes out on Tuesday!
I can't afford the game, so I'm not buying it right away. I also can't afford to lose the time I would playing it, so I guess it's all for the best. You can see the trailer for Civ IV here: http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/trailer/civ4_640_wmv.zip.
It is well worth the look, it is narrated by Martin Sheen, and is very professional. The music is absolutely amazing. You should also visit the official site for the game here: http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/home.htm. Be sure to have your sound turned on, as the music will just blow you away. One of the cool features that Civ IV is incorporating is a clock on the game screen with an alarm. This should stop me from playing until 1 am, realizing what time it is, saying just one more turn, and then playing for another 2 hours. Well, I say it "Should," but unless the alarm has auto-save, auto-quit, and auto-shutdown, it won't do a thing. Maybe it needs the equivalent of a snooze button, the "One More Turn Button." The alarm goes off, you hit "Give me one more turn," and after that turn, it auto-saves your game, and quits the program.
The other big feature that is going to be in Civ IV is Religion! There are going to be seven religions that you can found, and build temples for. you also get the "Holy City" for any religion your civilization founds. Having the "Holy City" for a particular religion gives you gold from any other civilization that has people of that religion, along with other benefits. Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking? Yup, potential for major "Holy Wars" to liberate a "Holy City" from the hands of the impure!
Well, that's all for tonight.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Podcast 2

Well, the second episode of Thursday's Podcast is up. Grab it here: http://gkthursday.podomatic.com

This episode is devoted entirely to Chesterton, and more specifically to one paragraph in "Where All Roads Lead." I hope you like it, I've polished the style a bit, given it some more class. Let me know what you think.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Podcast {UPDATEDX2}

Well, when I started this blog, I said I might do some podcasts, and I try not to disappoint. I finally found a site that hosts files for free, so now I can put audio in blogger easily When you click on the link, you will be taken to my page on Putfile.com (see sidebar for link to their main page.) The podcast will play right in your browser, and is in WMV format. The reason it is in a video format is because it plays faster on their website (go figure), so you get to look at my pretty picture while the audio plays. This one is short, it is only about 4 minutes long. This is because I did not know how many megs the file was going to be, and I have a file size limit on Putfile. If you have trouble playing it, or any other technical question, do not hesitate to leave a comment (preferably on this site), or drop me an email.
So, drum-roll please....
The Link: Click here to watch 'Thursday's Podcast 1
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

UPDATE: I am not happy with the hosting at putfile, and I am moving to PodOmatic. When the move is complete, I will post the link. Hopfully, you will also be able to find me on the iTunes podcast directory soon.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

UPDATE2: Here is the link to my new host: Click here to listen to 'Thursday's Podcast 1. This site allows downloading, so if you don't want to wait for the audio to stream, you can download it and listen to it at your leasure. My podcast has also been submitted to iTunes, I will post when it is available for download.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Not evacuated

Well, we weren't evacuated last night, so I am writing this entry from the comfort of my bed. However, the bridge is still closed to foot traffic (it's been closed to cars for a week due to construction), so all classes are canceled today. I'm not going to complain, the less mondays I have to go to class on the better.
Keep you all updated.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Flood waters rising!

Here are some of the images from Bishop's University as the flood waters rise up to our very windows (well not quite, but it is about 3 feet deep and the river is way above it's normal bounds.) We are probably going to be evacuated tonight. I'm bringing my computer and an ethernet cable, and if I find an open port, I will continue to update. If I can't, I think this is a pretty good excuse for not updating.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

What kind of snob are you?

You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every
book ever published. You are a fountain of
endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and
never fail to impress at a party.
What people love: You can answer almost any
question people ask, and have thus been
nicknamed Jeeves.
What people hate: You constantly correct their
grammar and insult their paperbacks.


What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Strangely enough, that is right on.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday aka "Jeeves"

Wow, I think she's crazy!

I found this on Bettnet tonight, hope Dom doesn't mind my stealing it. This was emailed to all the Pastors in the Archdiocese of Boston:
(Start)
Dear Pastors of Boston,
Please read this letter to Bishop O’Malley. I hope you will reflect on it and decide to support Walter Cuenin and others like him. Look at how many of you there are. If you stood together for one another, no bishop could abrogate power the way O’Malley is doing in Boston.

Blessings on you,
Mary Gail Frawley-O’Dea, Ph.D.

MARY GAIL FRAWLEY-O’DEA, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist & Psychoanalyst
Speaker, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dallas 2002
Speaker, Annual Assembly, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, 2002
2617 Cadagon Court
Charlotte, NC 28270
(704) 814-6612
[url]mgfod@aol.com[/url]

October 1, 2005

Dear Archbishop O’Malley:

It is the eve of Walter Cuenin’s reception and the march that will take place on his behalf.

I met you at the Annual Assembly of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in Philadelphia in August 2002 where I spoke about the long-term consequences for victims of sexual abuse by priests. Interestingly that day, despite your acclaimed affinity for Franciscan garb, you were sporting clericals, complete with pectoral cross. Travel clothing perhaps.

In the three years since my speech to the bishops in Dallas and to the provincials in Philly, I have immersed myself in research and discourse about the multiple underpinnings of the Church’s sexual abuse scandal. My conclusions will be available in my forthcoming book, “Perversion of Power and Sexual Scandal in the Catholic Church.”

As the book title suggests, sir,—and as many others have opined - it has become clear that the responsibility for the sexual abuse of tens of thousands of minors, as well as the succeeding scandal, rests squarely with those least willing to shoulder it. To wit, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, from the Seat of Peter to chanceries throughout the world, have labored long and hard to structure a Church dedicated too much - much too much - to the preservation of their own power. It is the power born of homosocial monarchy and it is frightening. As your recent actions make clear yet again, great woe befalls sexual abuse victims/survivors, laypersons, and especially priests who, in order to follow Gospel teachings, poke at the hierarchy’s assumed power and authority.

With great hope, the Archdiocese of Boston - my childhood Church home - welcomed you. While quickly settling the pending sexual abuse lawsuits - at what turns out to have been bargain basement per victim prices - you have brought enormous pain to this old and richly traditioned Christian community. You, sir, have evidenced yourself as a Pharisee cloaked and secreted in monk’s clothing. The Pharisees, you may recall, were primarily concerned with their authority and they twisted the greatness of the Torah to suit their own lusts for power. You too, sir, have embarked on a spree of serial spiritual soul murders, wiping from your path those men and women who, truly following the Nazarene, challenged their leaders’ twisting of the Gospel. Your misogynistic refusal to wash the feet of women insulted the dignity of we the children of Eve, Sophia, Mary, and the Magdalene. Your closing of vibrant parishes without consulting the People of God involved in them bears scant resemblance to the Galilean’s devotion to and inclusion of the masses. Most egregiously anti-Christ in nature, and glaringly reminiscent of the Pharisees, however, is your exiling of priestly “friends of God and prophets (Elizabeth Johnson, theologian at Fordham, “She Who Is and Truly Our Sister.")” Is there such a log in your eye that you truly do not apprehend the meaning of your rejection of the contemporary true and courageous “other Christs” who have lifted their voices to teach you - to help you refind your way? Do you not remember that Jesus, knowing that his disciples would disavow him at his most horrific hour, loved them still and returned to them, retaining them in ministry as beloved disciples?
In Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” we meet Smeagol/Gollum, once a sprightly creature engaged with life. Upon finding the ring of Sauron, however, his soul became twisted and his capacity to love and be loved was lost as he became more and more enthralled by the dark draw of the ring, with its seductive promise of great power. Once, I am sure, you and your episcopal colleagues were boys who played in the sun, loved, and were loved. Your “Smeagol” humanity still can be detected in ministerial efforts that are safe and unthreatening to your authority. When challenged by Gospel voices unadorned by papal or episcopal garb, however, you become “Gollums,” obsessed with the power dangled by red hats, croziers, pectoral crosses, and newly forged, golden versions of the ring.

Almost surely, if Jesus returned today to St. Peter’s Square (or Holy Cross Cathedral), he would do so as a tattooed, multiply pierced individual wearing jeans and an old camouflage jacket. He (or she) would dine with gays and lesbians, bless the children born in test tubes, and gather unto him the sea of sexual abuse victims. He would, as he did, spend his time lifting the marginalized and powerless of today’s world while taking down the arrogant who teach with forked tongues. He (or she) would remind the modern day Pharisees - you and too, too many of your episcopal brethren - that people are more important than rules or accoutrements of power. As before, almost surely, the Swiss Guards would call the Romans to remove the disruptive truth teller from the temple. Sound familiar?

Last week at Villanova, a woman took to the microphone and told Justin Cardinal Rigali that he is a phony. Harsh truths sometimes require harsh words. You, sir, in my opinion, also are a facade of the Christ follower.

May you receive greater mercy than you have shown to others during your assaultive march through the vineyards of Massachusetts.

Very truly yours,

Mary Gail Frawley-O’Dea, Ph.D.

(End)

No this is not a joke. This really was written by this woman, and sent to all the pastors in Boston. I really don't know what to say other than that all her contact information is right there *Hint Hint*
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Plato Group

I went to Plato Group today. Plato Group is the coolest group ever invented! It is a gathering of Philosophers, Theologian, Classicist, and me the token Scientist discussing Plato’s Republic. I only add a point every now an then, being fairly new to Plato, but there are wonderful discussions. The format is pretty much one person reads aloud the passages for the session and then people bring up anything that caught their eye. It’s great, as we have Classicists who can read the Republic in the Ancient Greek as we go along, and tell us if that clever word play that we connected to something in a previous book is in the original, or put in by the translator. All I can really say about Plato Group is that is one of the highlights of my week, and well worth the hike up the steep hill to get to it.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Richard III

Well, I went home for Columbus Day (Canadian Thanksgiving.) and saw Serenity. It is an incredible movie. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a movie to go see. Joss Whedon does his usual brilliant job of writing and directing. Enough on that for right now, don’t want to let any spoilers slip out.
I don’t know why, but I’ve decided to write about my favorite English King today. My favorite is Shakespeare’s evil uncle, Richard III. I think I know why I decided to write about him. I was back in my room at home, and I saw my postcard of his portrait from the National Portrait Gallery in London. It is a truly striking painting, very lifelike, and brilliantly executed. If you ever have a chance, stop by and pay it a visit. I believe it is on the third floor, but don’t hold me to that. Here’s a picture of the painting that I found:

This doesn't due the original justice.
I can’t write a short defense of Richard, there are simply too many allegations against his character to sum up why they are all false. Well, maybe not. All of the allegations date from after Richard’s reign, when history was being written by the Tudors. The Tudors needed to legitimize their claim to the throne (tenuous at best), and vilified Richard immensely. I recommend reading “Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, to anyone who likes a good mystery and learning the truth (that should be most Chesterton fans.) This book exonerates Richard much more fully than I ever could.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Sorry again

Sorry for not updating for awhile. I have been quite busy with classes this week. I have been working on an update, but I'm not satisfied with it yet. Hopefully I can post it this afternoon, but if it's not done, I will post something else.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Why I fight the Radical Traditionalists.

Is the civil war between conservative Catholics in line with the Magestirium of the Church and those conservative Catholics not in line with the Magestirium really the most important fight we should be engaged in? What about the fight between conservative Catholics and liberal “Catholics?” Isn’t that fight more pressing? Or what about the fight between the Church and all the other Christian denominations? Shouldn’t we hurl ourselves into that breach first? Or, for the sake of argument, what about all the non-Christian religions, shouldn’t we be steadfast in our endeavors there? I’m on a roll here, so what about Theism Vs. Atheism, isn’t that fight more important than this little squabble among siblings. My answer is that our numbers are too small for all of those later fights.
Satan’s greatest tactic is divide and conquer. For all of the latter fights, we must have won the earlier ones. This becomes most evident when dealing with the last fight, Theism Vs. Atheism. If you don’t believe me, merely bring up Pascal’s Wager with an atheist, and you’ll see what I mean. I should have added one more fight to the list, Objective Truth Vs. Subjective truth. It comes at the very end, for there are some Atheists who acknowledge objective truth, but deny the Truth of God.
Tactically speaking, we cannot fight with a divided frontline. Imagine this scenario: During the American Civil War, Canada declared war on both the North and the South, and invaded. The North now has to fight on two fronts, while the South faces stronger attacks on its Northern front. How would each side do? I don’t know, but I can’t imagine that we would give our best possible showing on all fronts. Now let’s dissect that scenario. The South is the Radical Traditionalists, the North is the conservative Catholics bound to the Magestirium, and Canada is the liberal “Catholics.” This analogy can go even further. The Rad Trads are fighting is only one direction, they have only one front, much like our fictional South. Those faithful to the Magestirium must fight on two fronts, against the waves coming from the Right with the Rad Trads, and those coming from the Left with the Liberals; this is like our fictional North fighting the forces from the South and from Canada. And the liberals want both those who support the Magestirium, and the Rad Trads to “get out of the “dark ages,”” like our Canadian invaders, seeing everyone to the south as an enemy.
Can’t you see that it is better for the North to entrench at 44’40” and hold the line until the rebellion in the South can be quelled? It is the same in our real fight. We should not give an inch in our fight with the left, but neither should we undertake a campaign of conquest while we leave our rear flank wide open. You may ask why we shouldn’t shore up our Southern flank, and push ahead in our fight against the left. There are two reasons against doing this. First, there is another enemy beyond the Catholicism of the left, and that is Protestantism, and another enemy after them, et cetera. Second, if we leave the Rad Trads, they will be a constant thorn in our side.
I was going to expand my analogy, having Polar Bears represent the Protestants, Russians the non-Christian religions, and Southern Asia as the Atheists, and Africa as the Relativists; but I decided it would just get to cumbersome. I also didn’t like the idea of staging an invasion over the North Pole. Nonetheless, you get the idea, we have an acre of bickering opponents on one side, and a crack rifle company on the other. It is always best to deal with any insurrections before advancing on an opposing army of superior numbers.
As Always,
Yours in Christ,
Thursday


Update:
This post brought to you by the wonders of Caffeine and Divine Revelation. Stayed up late studying, and just as I finished, this essay just came into my head. Seeing as I'm never one to ignore those sudden inspirations, I decided to write it down while it was still fresh in my mind.
Again,
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Shining

Hi all, sorry for the lack of updates. I still haven't seen Serenity, I will post a review when I do. I found this link on Bettnet, and you all should check it out, it's Hilarious.
A bit of background: There was a contest for post-production artists. You had to submit a 90 sec. trailer made from scenes from a movie. Sounds easy? The trailer had to completely change the genre of the film. This trailer is the winner. He made a trailer for the next feel good movie of the season "Shining." Care to guess which film he re-cut? You guessed it, The Shining.
Oh, one more rule, the picture can not be edited, on the sound. Enjoy!

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

EDIT: forgot to add, you need quicktime to view the movie. If you don't already have it you can (and should) download it here.

Serenity

1 day more...


Serenity

The tenth crew member is Serenity. Serenity is a Midbulk Transport, standard radion-accelerator core. Class code 03-K64, but that was more than you wanted to know, right. You can see from the picture why the show is called "firefly," or at least I hope you can. You can also probably tell that Serenity is not a big ship. Compared to an Alliance cruiser, she is miniscule. She is agile and dependable though, and Mal would do most anything to keep her flying.

Yours in Christ,
THursday

Mal

2 more days...


Mal

Captain Malcom Reynolds owns Serenity. He fought for the Independence (Brown Coats) in the War for Unification, And though he was on the losing side, he is still not convinced it was the wrong one. After Fighting in the bloodiest battle, The Battle for Serenity Valley, Mal was out of the war. The brown coats were though, so Mal bought a ship, and named her Serenity, because after you've been in Serenity, you never leave. Mal runs his ship on a thin stretch of space between the Alliance and the Reavers. He will take any job to keep Serenity flying, legal or not. His crew is his family, and he would fight to the death for any one of them.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Sorry

Just a quick note to say sorry about not posting on Monday, but I was asleep in bed most of the day, and it just slipped my mind. Going to sleep now, very tired, don't like Chem. Lab.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

River

3 more days...

River

River Tam is Simon's genius younger sister. She was recruited for a special Alliance run Academy while in her early teen years, and jumped at the chance. Soon, Simon started receiving strange letters from River. They talked about things that never happened, people that didn't exist, and most confusing of all, spelling mistakes (River started correcting Simon's spelling when she was three.) Simon figured out it was a code. It said "They're hurting us." He paid off some people, and was able to get River smuggled out, and onboard Serenity. River is incredibly brilliant, and to say anymore would be full of SPOILERS.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Zoe

4 days left...


Zoe

She is Serenity's first mate, and Wash's Wife. She served under Mal during the war for independence, and was with him in Serenity Valley. She is a tough fighter, and a crack shot. She would follow Mal to the ends of the 'Verse, knowing that he will lead her back. This has caused some tension in her marriage, because as Wash would put it "There's obeying going on right under my nose!" Zoe is not afraid to tell Mal that she doesn't think his plan is good though, and is proven right fairly often.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Wash

5 days left...

Wash

Wash is Serenity's pilot. He is also married to Zoe, the ship's first mate. Wash is an incredible pilot, and can handle Serenity better than any other pilot. He is never short of a witty retort or excellent joke. There appears to be a rivalry between Wash and Jayne, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Wash is always very laid back, to the point that in flight school he was laconic.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

Jayne

6 days left...

Jayne

Jayne my be a girls name, but Jayne ain't no girl. He is the hired muscle onboard Serenity. He knows more about inflicting a world of hurt on the other guy then most do. He is not exactly the most trustworthy man, as he will sell his services to the highest bidder, even if that means turning on his current employer. Jayne is the type of man who would still go for his gun, even if he was outnumbered 20 to 1. There seems to be only one thing that Jayne really fears, and that thing is the Reavers. Even though He fears Reavers, Jayne would still go down fighting, being that kind of guy.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday