Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 1316

The Darwin Mythos Coughs Up More Crap

Like the immortal tendency of materialists who try to prove that all minds (but theirs, while they are making the argument) are accidental epiphenomena of the meaningless movements of matter and energy...

or the "sawing off the branch I'm sitting on" brilliance of the materialist who tries to persuade you to change your mind and believe that the power to change your mind is a mere illusion....

I give you the latest bit of mummery from the All Explaining Theory of Everything Factor that is Darwinist Mythos. Up to bat today, the argument advanced by some Darwin Worshippers that our brains evolved, not to find truth, but to win arguments. And you can know their argument is true because..... um. Zac Alstin, an actual real philosopher does the latest autopsy on yet another attempt by a technician with a smattering of philosophy to speak outside his field of competence under the illusion that a lab coat is a priestly vestment conferring the power to pronounce on The Meaning of It All.

The sooner materialists give up their crude reductionism and consider the possibility that real philosophers--and especially Thomists--have something to teach them, the sooner we will put these unfortunate displays of high school cafeteria sophomore philosophy flatulence behind us.

One of the countless great things about being Catholic

...is that I'm not a real Christian, so I don't have to worry about God wrecking my Memorial Day Camping Trip at our Hidden Island Redoubt by rapturing us on May 21.

The American Mystical Faith...

in the cleansing, healing and redemptive power of democracy, blooming in the Arab Spring means, as a practical matter, death and suffering for Christians under the bootheel of Islamic thuggery.

Fortunately, it's just Christians. So no big deal. Continue the media blackout.

There Ain't No Pure Church

In which we look at the difference between thinking like a Catholic about ecclesial unity and thinking like a Protestant who thinks he is a Catholic.

Got a bad cold the other day

Blogged a request for prayer on Facebook and was inundated with tons of kind well wishes and prayers from lots of lovely folk for which I am grateful.

Many recommended the "Neti Pot" for my plugged sinuses.

My wife informs me that the neti pot is sort of the home permanent version of waterboarding. The universe is full of life's hilarious little ironies.

The New Issue of Gilbert is out!

Huzzah! It has an interesting three way editorial debate occasioned by the great Lying for Jesus Controversy, with contributions from David Beresford (pro), Sean Dailey (con) and Dale Ahlquist (Can't we all just get along?). My letter to the editor has already been sent:

Dear Editor:

It is not exactly prima facie obvious that somebody who says "You should never lie" is afflicted with a lack of love for the truth. An editorial, such as Mr. Beresford's, which concludes with that loud of a "KLONK" (not to say a slander) in the logic department throws all that goes before it into unplumbable wells of doubt. And, indeed, when Mr. Beresford argues, as he does, that sometimes you need to lie to tell the truth, I am again assailed by the odd sense that he is speaking rubbish.

Mr. Dailey's piece, meantime, seems to me to be good practical common sense. Tell the truth. Don't do evil that good may come of it. All the sorts of things that my Mommy, Mother Church, and our beloved GKC endorsed. One may, of course, make the appeal to the perennial Jew Hiding in the Closet from the Gestapo scenario, but to my way of thinking, the thing that is make or break there is not to lie like a trooper, but to hide your Jews well. Because the Gestapo aren't going to pass you by on the basis of your charming gifts of prevarication. They'd just as soon have a look anyway.

And, in any case, all this depends on whose door is being knocked on. When the bad guy comes to you demanding information to which he has no right, you are within your rights to deceive (though not to lie). But when you go to the bad guy and lie about your name, occupation and purpose that is what speakers of English call a "lie". And a lie, according to the Church is never morally permissible because "By its very nature, lying is to be condemned". No. Really. It's right there in the Catechism (2485). Some of us take that seriously and therefore can't fathom how Mr. Beresford can conclude that to do so implies lack of love for the truth.

Finally, let me express both admiration and pity for my dear friend Mr. Ahlquist who has the unenviable task of trying to act as peace negotiator in this contretemps. I am reminded of nothing so much as Chesterton's remark that it takes three to make a quarrel because "the full potentialities of human fury cannot be fully realized until a friend tactfully intervenes." May he survive with only cuts and bruises and gain the blessing our Lord promises all peacemakers. And may he come around and realize that Mr. Dailey is simply right here.

With fondness and respect for all my fellow Chestertonians,

Mark Shea

What do you mean you don't subscribe? It's the only magazine really worth the price! In the words of Ahnuld, "Do it! Do it now!"

Taiwan Gets...

a freakin' clue.

Update: D'oh! This story is about Taiwan, not the PRC. What can I say? It was late.

A friend of mine who lives in Singapore says a couple decades ago they started rewarding childlessness and punishing large families economically. Result: people (except Malay people) stopped having kids and embrace the Yuppie lifestyle. Then demographic collapse set in, so the state tried to reverse engineer and get people to have babies. Guess what? They were addicted to their selfish pleasures and refused to cooperate with the Plan. Demographic collapse proceeds apace.

The fertile shall inherit the earth.

Have I mentioned we have four sons? :)

China Starts to Get...

a freakin' clue.

A friend of mine who lives in Singapore says a couple decades ago they started rewarding childlessness and punishing large families economically. Result: people (except Malay people) stopped having kids and embrace the Yuppie lifestyle. Then demographic collapse set in, so the state tried to reverse engineer and get people to have babies. Guess what? They were addicted to their selfish pleasures and refused to cooperate with the Plan. Demographic collapse proceeds apace.

The fertile shall inherit the earth.

Have I mentioned we have four sons? :)

Awkward Questions

If you had only three Catholic apologetical books that you wanted Protestants to read, what would they be?

Why, the ones I wrote, of course! :)

Actually, it's hard to say since it depends on what the issue is for the particular Protestant. But I would start with By What Authority? since sacred tradition is at the heart of the divide between Catholics and Protestants. Then, it would be up to the individual. I wrote This is My Body and Mary, Mother of the Son because the Eucharist and Mary are two huge hurdles. For others, it might be the papacy, or scandals in the Church, or other stuff.

Beyond that, I'd survey some of the big Catholic apologetics sites for suggestions. Also, I'd strongly recommend looking beyond apologetics to just good spiritual writers without an argumentative axe to grind. There's no such thing as Protestantism, just Protestantisms as varied as the number of Protestants. So having a wide array of materials is essential in order to tailor your appeal that particular person with those particular issues and questions.

Always keep reminding yourself

This man is insane:



We *need* to maintain a military presence in over a hundred countries that are perfectly capable of defending themselves, even if it bleeds us white in the midst of the most serious economic crisis since the Depression. That money we are blowing on Defense Corp Welfare Queens is *vital* and they need it far more than you do for your stupid little business, your dumb kids and their worthless dreams of education and self-sufficiency, or that retirement you used to think you were gonna get. The McDonald's Recovery is good enough for you lot. Pony up with the taxes, serfs. We have an Empire to maintain.