Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 1403

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People send me this stuff

So I get this letter that's one of those anonymous circular letters supposedly encapsulating the Wisdom of the People. In fact, it seems to be a pretty good snapshot of the urban legends, fears, prejudices, and myths of American Tea Party Style Conservatism c 2010. It's not *completely* wrong and the general sense that Islam and American civilization are probably not a good fit is, I think, true. But the sheer woolly minded Know Nothingism of the thing should give pause to any Catholic with more than the historical memory of a fruit fly. Catholics who sign off on this thing uncritically will deserve it the next time some mob burns down a Catholic church and tells us furriners to get out of Protestant America.

To wit:

Can a good Muslim be a good American?

This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.

Ah! Well, when an anonymous writer tells me his anonymous friend worked in SA for 20 years, what further credentials do we need?

The following is his reply:

Theologically - no. . .. . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia ...

Okay. Two things right away. The question is not "Can a good Muslim be a good Christian?" People applying for citizenship here are not required to fill out a theological exam. Also, the whole "Allah=moon god" thing is going to come as a shock to the millions of Maronite Catholics who worship Allah in their liturgies. Of course, Know Nothing Protestants will happily inform you that Catholics worship pagan deities too. But Catholics should really be cautious about declaring an entire rite of the Catholic communion to be pagan. They should also be cautious about people who confuse America with True Christianity.

Religiously - no.. . .. Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam .. (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)

Again, there's no religious test to be an American. Muslims can believe what they like, just as Catholics can believe that the Church is the one true faith. The only issue is what those respective adherents do about their belief in the public square. If a Muslim wants to stand on the corner and shout at passersby that they are going to hell if they don't convert, let him. If he wants to shoot those passersby, then put him in jail.

Scripturally - no. . .. Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Yes. And Catholics, if elected, will take their orders directly from the Pope. And we shouldn't have Catholics on the Supreme Court because they will turn the US into a Catholic Confessional State.

Geographically - no . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day..

"Geographically?" So when Tridentine Catholics face east to pray, they are committing treason?

Socially - no. . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews ..

A Muslim Mourns Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni

In the name of the compassionate and merciful God,

Ragheed, my brother,

I ask your forgiveness for not being with you when those criminals opened fire against you and your brothers. The bullets that have gone through your pure and innocent body have also gone through my heart and soul.

You were one of the first people I met when I arrived to Rome. We met in the halls of the Angelicum and we would drink our cappuccino in the university's cafeteria. You impressed me with your innocence, joy, your pure and tender smile that never left you.

I always picture you smiling, joyful and full of zest for life. Ragheed is to me innocence personified; a wise innocence that carries in its heart the sorrows of his unhappy people. I remember the time, in the university's dining room, when Iraq was under embargo and you told me that the price of a single cappuccino would have satisfied the needs of an Iraqi family for a whole day.

You told me this as if you were feeling guilty for being far away from your persecuted people and unable to share in their sufferings …

In fact, you returned to Iraq, not only to share the suffering and destiny of your people but also to join your blood to the blood of thousands of Iraqis killed each day. I will never forget the day of your ordination [Oct. 13, 2001] in the [Pontifical] Urbanian University … with tears in your eyes, you told me: "Today, I have died to self" … a hard thing to say.

I didn't understand it right away, or maybe I didn't take it as seriously as I should have. … But today, through your martyrdom, I have understood that phrase. … You have died in your soul and body to be raised up in your beloved, in your teacher, and so that Christ would be raised up in you, despite the sufferings, sorrows, despite the chaos and madness.

In the name of what god of death have they killed you? In the name of which paganism have they crucified you? Did they truly know what they were doing?

O God, we don't ask you for revenge or retaliation. We ask you for victory, a victory of justice over falsehood, life over death, innocence over treachery, blood over the sword. … Your blood will not have been shed in vain, dear Ragheed, because with it you have blessed the soil of your country. And from heaven, your tender smile will continue to light the darkness of our nights and announce to us a better tomorrow.

I ask your forgiveness, brother, for when the living get together they think they have all the time in the world to talk, visit, and share feelings and thoughts. You had invited me to Iraq … I dreamed of that visit, of visiting your house, your parents, your office. … It never occurred to me that it would be your tomb that one day I would visit or that it would be verses from my Quran that I would recite for the repose of your soul …

One day, before your first trip to Iraq after a prolonged absence, I went with you to buy souvenirs and presents for your family. You spoke with me of your future work: "I would like to preside over the people on the base of charity before justice" -- you said.

It was difficult for me to imagine you a "canonical judge" … And today your blood and your martyrdom have spoken for you, a verdict of fidelity and patience, of hope against all suffering, of survival, in spite of death, in spite of everything.

Brother, your blood hasn't been shed in vain, and your church's altar wasn't a masquerade. … You assumed your role with deep seriousness until the end, with a smile that would never be extinguished … ever.

Your loving brother,

Adnam Mokrani
Rome, June 4, 2007
Professor of Islamic Studies in the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture,
Pontifical Gregorian University

Politically - no.. . .. Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan.

Much as all Protestants must submit to the pastors who support the KKK, prosperity gospel, abortion on demand, gay marriage, and six day creationism.

Moral: mullahs are not a Magisterium or a united front. They are all over the place.

Domestically - no. .. .. Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 )

I'm not going to pretend that Islam is any great shakes in it's treatment of women. However, the notion that all Muslims are polygamous wife beaters strikes as being as accurate as "All Irish are drunken wife beaters."

Intellectually - no. .. Because he cannot accept the American
Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

This Light and Glory take on the Constitution is vintage Evangelicalism (and Mormonism) but I think you'd get an argument about what "biblical principles" is supposed to mean and about how biblical the Constitution is... and about how aware most Muslims are of the Constitution's roots in English Christianity. All one needs to do, of course, if find a Muslim who has no problem with the Constitution to give this soul diagnosis the lie. But then, I suppose, one can simply play the "no true Scotsman" trick and declare that guy to be "not a real Muslim".

Whatever the case, precisely the same claim can be and has been made against Catholics, since the Constitution is forged on "biblical" not "magisterial" principles according to Know Nothings. (See all those warnings above about seditious Catholics whose highest allegiance is to the Romish Pope.)

Philosophically - no. .. . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

I won't argue with this much. Islam, which sees the universe in terms of a Master/Slave relationship, recreates Master/slave relationships in its political expressions. If it gains the upper hand here, it will do it again, because its in the philosophical DNA to do so.

However, that said, I also note that exactly the same claim is made against Catholics by Know Nothings, whether of the 19th Century Protestant Nativist variety, or the 21st Century Pelvic Obsessive Variety. A civilization which is drunk on licentiousness sees *all* forms of moral restraint as an attack on "freedom". Rome is as "dictatorial" as Mecca for much of our post-modern culture where consent is the sole criterion of the good and the Imperial Autonomous Self is the only god worth worshipping.

Spiritually - no.. . .. Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 excellent names.

Once again, we are back to the conflation of America with Christianity and, judging from what is written above, Evangelical Protestant Christianity. Allah is most certainly called Heavenly Father by Maronite Catholics. But our expert in etymology is still stuck on the "moon god" urban legend.

Therefore, after much study and deliberation.... Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future.

And now the ringing conclusion: They're all alike and I am (anonymously) speaking THE TRVTH!

The frustrating thing is that he's not completely wrong. Islam has real problem when it comes to reconciling with things like human freedom, modernity, and the American Experiment. But, of course, "Muslims" and "Islam in chemical purity" ain't the same thing. And this wooly piece of jingoism and murky confusion of America with Evangelical Protestantism has a rather nasty pedigree that Catholics are fools to accept uncritically.

A friend who works at Amazon

sends along this little factoid in a spirit of corporate patriotism:

Why attackers can't take down Amazon.com

Anonymous tried to take down Amazon.com with an intense traffic spike, but the site has ample server capacity to withstand it.

Amazon mystifies me. They ran for years without turning a profit, they seem to sell everything to everyone, and they are better prepared for cyber-terror than the Feds. I have this theory that they are a vast corporate cyberstate that is preparing to assume control of Planet Earth. Our new World State Holy Scripture will be the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (available for purchase from Amazon.com!).

Oh! I nearly forgot!

I will use the million dollars for good purposes--such as not posting more of this sort of thing.

Don't forget: there's still the entire Star Trek Animated Series. How long can you hold out against the pain?

One millllllion dollars!

Back tomorrow!

Prayer Requests

A readers asks prayers:

For Jamie, a young wife who almost died last year following a miscarriage. She's pregnant again and anxious about a safe delivery.

For Beverley, a 78-year old woman in delicate health who's facing knee surgery.

For Jeannie, a young widow who's about to have a pre-emptive double mastectomy.

Also, another reader writes:

I just want to ask for prayers for all my students, who will be taking their final exams next week, and also for myself, as I enter the end of my graduate semester.

Father, hear and answer our prayers for these people through Jesus Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for them! St. Luke and St. Peregrine, St. Albert and St. Thomas, pray for them!

Want to Fight Poverty? Have a Baby!

The Utter Folly the Afghan War Has Become

We need to get out. Now.

Prayer Requests

A reader writes:

I ask you to pass on prayer requests for neighbors who are enduring awful losses. L and her 2 year old granddaughter, J, died in an accident. Certainly, J is beyond need of our prayers but I would ask prayers for L if she is still in need of them. Still among us on earth, please pray for P, who lost his wife and granddaughter and for D, who lost his mother and daughter. Perhaps most urgently, I would beg prayers for J's mother, who may be in greater need than any of them for these and other reasons.

Father, hear our prayer for the people involved in this horrible tragedy. Grant eternal life to L and J and peace, grace, strength and consolation to those who survive them. Let your grace bring them together in love by the power of your Holy Spirit. Mother Mary and St. Jude, pray for them. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Another reader writes:

Can you please keep a young woman and her unborn baby in your prayers? My husband's coworker, just found out her 12 year old is pregnant. The coworker tried to take her daughter for an abortion, but the local abortuary won't do the procedure until the girl is 13. So, the plan is that on her birthday, December 28th, the woman will take her daughter in and have the baby killed. My husband is trying to find a way to reach the woman with information and change her mind, but obviously this is a delicate situation. Please pray that the woman changes her mind and finds real help for her daughter and unborn grandchild. The poor baby is slated to die in less than a month, please pray now and pass this on to your readers.

Father, we ask that you would intervene to spare this baby's life through Jesus Christ. Change their hearts and minds to see that this child is yours and that you love the baby and her mother. Grant the right words through the Spirit to my reader's husband. Mother Mary, pray for all involved here. Guardian angel, protect both these children. Guardian angels of the parents, drive away any demonic power that seeks to frighten them into doing this evil. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord that all will issue in the glory of your Name!

Another reader writes:

Would you please have your readers pray for my brother, Daniel? This past Saturday he herniated a disk in his spine and has since lost the use of his legs. He had emergency surgery to correct it, and has showed some minor improvement, but he is still unable to walk, and we do not know if he will regain mobility. Please pray for him that he will be able to walk again.

Father, hear our prayer for Daniel's complete healing and recovery of the ability to walk through Jesus Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for him!

By the way, please keep praying for Lorna, who is struggling to recover her ability to walk. Also, pray that her sense of taste and smell would recover. They seem to have been affected by the head trauma. Father, we ask for all this and for her complete recovery (and grace and strength for her family) through Jesus Christ. Mother Mary, continue to pray for them.

Marian Apparitions

Real

vs.

Extremely Dodgy:

Introducing: The new "app" for iPhone - "Medugorje - Messages from Mary Our Lady of Peace"

Like everything else the protagonists put out, they have already determined that the entity of Medjugorje IS the Blessed Virgin Mary, despite their disclaimer that no decision has been made.

It claims to have ALL of the messages delivered since 1981. I suspect it will be missing a few of those "messages" - especially the one that lauds Tomislav Vlasic for guiding the "seers" so well, and the one which threatens the Bishop of Mostar. I would love to know whether the original "doubting Judases" will be in there, or the Father Laurentin special, "doubting Thomases".

But wait.... there's more! It has this...

Official position of the Holy See

The messages attributed to Our Lady of Međugorje have a very strong following among certain Catholics. The Holy See has never officially either approved or disapproved of the messages of Međugorje, although both critical and supportive documents about the messages have been published by various Catholic figures: a selection of these messages are included in this app!

I need to find my boots because something smells bad here.

Have a look at that link above. It's pure propaganda and I'm sure someone will be making a nice little profit.

They would do well to download the Compendium of the Catholic Catechism App instead, and get St. Teresa of Avila's "Way of Perfection" for the Kindle App on iPhone.

I'll take "real".

Speaking of judges, reader Kim makes a good point

...about my own swiftness to judge this judge. He writes:

Mark: resolving the issue on the basis of standing might not be the "courageous" answer, but it is the answer that is consistent with the idea of the rule of law that you rightly want to protect. A basic principle of American law is that questions can only be resolved by the courts if they are brought by individuals who themselves have suffered an actual injury caused by the action or policy they challenge that can be redressed by a decision in their favor. If you abandon the principle of standing, then the courts turn into (even more than they are right now) a second legistlature and shadow executive, where anyone who doesn't like a decision reached by the political branches has a "do-over" in the courts. You and I might say the father should have standing, but the law of standing says that only the actual injured person can bring the case. This is basically the same rule that prevented the man who wanted "under God" removed from the pledge of allegiance, on the grounds that his daughter was subjected to a violation of her first amendment rights, from having his case heard.

Probably the biggest drawback of the rule of law is that it requires individuals who have certain roles and responsibilities to acquiesce in procedures and norms that prevent them from reaching the decisions they know are right. On the other hand, if it didn't require this, it wouldn't be the rule of law, it would be the rule of the conscience of the judges.

I agree with you on the merits, but I think it's important to respect a judge who is trying to uphold the rule of law.

Fair enough. Mea culpa.