The White Parasol » Challenge the View

Defending the Catholic Church

edb — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 14:41:46 +0000

Blaming the Church for its supposed stance on world issues is a popular and ageless pastime. And who can blame us? But that is not altogether fair. Catholic means universal and its Church is part of a political and spiritual tool on earth. It easily can be blamed for not allowing, by decree, certain acts which seem controversial and old-fashioned in contemporary terms, where individuality and freedoms rule.

To take the stance on contraception, it seems that we can blame the Church for the over-population we perceive, resulting in poverty and misery for want of a simple answer: contraception. But this assumes a logical process of thought whereby everything has a direct answer. In political and poverty terms it is argued that contraception is the answer. Seems simplistic does that.

The Church has a wider role than merely reacting to issues on a simplistic basis. The issue of “allowing” a ruling according to the needs of the political aspects on earth is not about the Church responding to the world view of the problem. It is about the wider issues of life in relation to the greater journey. If it were so simple as to get the Church to directly react to a world problem on the political stage, then its position as a wider body of contemplation in line with higher aspirations in the world spiritual sphere would change intrinsically. If the Church decreed that contraception was the answer to solving or containing world poverty, then that would imply that it was the proper answer for now and always complete in itself. If enlightenment and world peace are subject to simple decrees, then the Church merely becomes a tool for application of the perceived world answer to a perceived world problem.

Whether we agree or disagree with a stance is irrelevant; it is whether we can appreciate a wider view. The Church has a political role on earth as it is looked to to offer guidance in the way we live in relation to political governance. It could easily conform or change to whichever political views preside in any age. But its purpose is to provide a balance and to rise above narrow world political notions of what is right or wrong.

What if we perceive the argument to be more related to the way we treat each other, the level of respect we hold for each other in terms of equality of respect – do we really respect others as we respect ourselves? Then education and development is the answer, not a mechanical response to the symptom – which is what absolute promotion of contraception against poverty assumes.

Within any organisation, be it political or Church orientated, there will be corruption and narrow perceptions based on personal, national or international drivers. Where the Church has been found lacking in suppressing its own ills, as in the dreadful cases of abuse of children, it should be made known and exposed for what it is. This goes in inside as well as outside of the Church, as it might in any institution. And all corruption when it is exposed shows a successful development of being enlightened and facing the truth. If that happens within the Church then it shows that the Church is continuing to develop, that it is now enabled to expose the truth as it should – as within so without in the world. We can liken it to our own individual journeys whereby we come to terms with facets of ourselves instead of continuing to deny them, pretending that we are already totally good and in no need of development.

To view an entire institution and its ideals against all of the problems in the world, and how it affects them within the narrow confines of given decrees and without knowing anything else about its reason for being, is not appropriate. Within the Church, as within any family or organisation, there is conflict, disagreement, politics and strife; it is human and has failings. Its ideals will remain to be striven for and its conscience and understanding will continue to develop and evolve. The Church provides us with vehicles of attaining learning, discipleship and developing – ultimately to take responsibility for ourselves and to consider issues with pity, rather than follow an absolute rule book. Whatever we gain from a Church will be based on our own intent and seeking.

As an individual member of a Church, you might choose to agree or disagree with certain facets, according to your own point of view and your own development. You might choose for contraception at a personal level, which is allowed in your life according to your conscience and according to the freedoms you might enjoy in society, but it shouldn’t preclude you from being part of a Church whose ultimate stance on contraception appears to be directly against your choice. In a relatively developed society which embraces many facets outside of church thinking, we have many more choices than those where rules have to be adhered to for the sake of the rules. The development of societies is based on wider thinking and wider freedoms of choice, usually afforded us when the society is rich enough economically to support wider education and knowledge.

Might War be Right?

edb — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:29:29 +0000

Michael the Archangel keeps popping up in my life; a life not entirely begun with religious discipline. St. Michael, St. Gabriel and their presence within the “Our Lady of Succour” icon is an image of arresting dimensions for me, it being the Alpha and the Omega depicted with Our Lady as shielding Christ from his fate, presented to him by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel – how could they offer such objects of violence to The Christ?

I have been to Le Mont St. Michel in Normandie now a few times – in pilgrimage – and recognise the powerful earth-grounded imagery of the Archangel Michael’s might. Therein, the Might, lies the clue behind the armour. “Fight the Good Fight with all thy Might, Lean and his mercy will provide..” is intrinsic. Armour and war are indeed related and, whether we like it or not, our ways of being affect the world and the manifestations of war.

That soldiers and military have the protection of the Archangel – whichever side they are on – is profound in their own, single journeys; if I may learn not to judge the whys and wherefores of war, not to judge the individual combatants, that, in itself, may give peace to the world.

The Immigrant

edb — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:32:09 +0000

Well, they have no right here do they?
They are taking our jobs, our social security, our houses, our
schools, our communities.
They cause us all the problems of a country which is too full: crime,
lack of resources.
Well, the thing is that we are not seeing clearly.
We are looking for someone to blame for the hurt and anger inside of
us, of you, of me.
The hurt and anger inside comes from our conditioning, our prejudices.
Therefore, we cannot see clearly and we cannot understand.
People will move, migrate to another place if they believe that they
can achieve a better quality of life for themselves and their
families. They are merely seeking to improve their lot. As we do, we
seek to improve our lot.
Occidental values mean that we expect a high standard of living,
by earning a lot of money and paying lower taxes.
We want this high standard of living so the Home Office and the
Foreign Office must act accordingly or we will not vote “them” in
again.
The Home Office must flex its muscles and put emphasis on excluding immigrants.
The Foreign Office must make sure that we get the trade and industry
needed to support our lifestyles. To do this, national interest takes
precedence over environmental issues and over the injustices enacted
on the peoples of other countries.
So the Foreign Office declares war on a people whose resources or land
is required; there is death, destruction, devastation, dissidents and
then there are lots of refugees.
Some of whom become immigrants.