– Welcome to those coming from
our reaction to the “Creative Law Blog”
award see thanks a lot (for all this pressure)
New Year’s Dawn
light first gathers
in the icicles
first page
of the new journal
untrammeled snow
Jim Kacian – Presents of Mind (1996) “snowflakeS”
the ball drops . . .
same moon
as last year
potluck
No Limbo? As a Catholic apostate, who nonetheless tries to
lead a life that’s congruent with the Golden Rule and other basic
moral values, I have always liked the thought that there might be
an alternative other than Hell for me, if I guessed wrong, and there
actually is an afterlife ruled over by a judgmental God. Therefore,
Limbo and analogous concepts (like house arrest instead of doing
time in the Big House) was always an attractive one for me. [I mean,
wasn’t it the Lord who gave me this questioning, contrarian brain.
I refuse to believe in a “Gotcha God.”]
It’s a little worrisome, therefore, to learn — during this time of joy and
hope — that the Catholic Church, whose theologians originated the
idea of a place other than Heaven or Hell for certain unbaptized but
unsullied souls, may be about to consign Limbo to the theological
round file. See New York Times article, Dec. 28, 2005, that puts the
discussion into historical context, along with the modern issues of
aborted fetuses and African infant mortality; and today’s NYT op/ed
by Howard Bloom, who has more practical personal concerns; also.
see Seattle Catholic (Dec. 7, 2005) for one theologian’s “serious con-
cern” over the implications of the Church saying that unbaptized infants
would be allowed to enjoy the beatific vision in heaven (rather than merely
avoid hellfires and pain). Beyond feeling the heat on behalf of my own
immortal soul, this changing of the rules in mid-game (or activist revision
of longstanding doctrine and beliefs) makes me 1) worry — as with the
gay priest issue that we raised here — just what the Church is modeling
for “Catholic legal theory” in the realm of personal rights and due process;
and 2) why so many bright Catholic brains spend time on this stuff when
the world has so many real moral problems.
the great lord’s wood fire
rises
first
how annoying!
among chrysanthemums too
the nobles win
Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue
Luckily, I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions.
So, I can nix the notion that I stop picking on Prof. Bainbridge
in 2006. Steve is a great proponent of fine wine, cigars and cars
(chastizing Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney’s abstention from such vices),
and I would be the last person to wonder how they are connected
to his other passion — his religious Faith. I do nonetheless wonder
why a man with such impeccable taste allows one of his advertising
“Supporters” — The National Center for Public Policy Research — to
constantly place the photo of a roll of toilet paper at or near the top of
the Bainbridge websites. (It couldn’t be the money!). Prof. B wants
to be seen as a leading Public Intellectual. Toilet paper — no matter
how fluffy, absorbent or insightful — does not add to that image.
Prof. B. has not eschewed Resolutions. Check
his out here and consider a) which are inconsistent
or work at cross-purposes and b) which are likely to
make Steve a better person. Test to follow.
– click for New Year haiku & senryu “OLD&NEWYearS”
