May the Resurrection of our Lord and the promise of our own be a source of joy, blessings and peace to you all!
We can praise and thank God that Michael Schiavo has relented in the rigor of his "mercy" to permit his wife to receive the sacraments of the Church one last time. May God shower additional graces upon Michael for this act of kindness. We can rest assured that Terri now has the benefit of every grace that can be provided in this world to assist her soul in its entrance into the next.
God is indeed merciful!
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
A Clarification
Some folks who have left comments on this blog have occasionally made some statements that seem to indicate a misunderstanding on their part as to its purpose. I apologize now for being the possible occasion of this misunderstanding and offer this clarification in reparation for my shortsightedness and omissions.
Nothing I post on this blog is meant in any way to insult or provoke a verbal fight with anyone over their potentially opposing views. It is meant to provoke thought, but not a fight, and certainly not a knee-jerk "reaction." I don't doubt that emotions may be elevated, but I hope not tempers.
If I write something that seems unreasonable to someone, it is likely that either (a) I wrote it without sufficient reflection and stand ready for gentle correction, or (b) that person is himself unable or unwilling to engage his own powers of reason & is reacting on the level of emotion alone. If (a), then I would expect to see an example of superior insight to steer me back onto the right path. If (b), then I pray the person will take a "time out" to re-evaluate his own position & not waste his or my time with emotional appeals to a debased, random or somnolent conscience.
I write from my own personal convictions, opinions and beliefs based on what I have learned (seen, read or heard). That is my right--this is my blog. I publish my thoughts "for what it's worth" and for "anyone who cares." I expect many who visit here will not agree with me. That's OK. If they don't like it, they are free to leave and never return if they so choose. I have no idea who visits if they don't leave a comment, and I don't care how many "hits" I get (you'll notice I don't have a hit-counter & I have no particular curiosity to track my stats). My words are offered as a "public service" for anyone who may enjoy or learn something from them.
I do read every comment that is posted, even if I don't reply to it. I take no offense at people who disagree with me. They are certainly entitled to do so, but I hope they also realize that irrational or gut-based arguments are unlikely to make any impression, much less change my mind. (For example, if your opinion is that I am an unsophisticated bigot, well, I've been called that (and worse) to no effect. You'd be wasting your keystrokes by telling me again.) This shouldn't surprise anyone, since I would expect that same attitude from anyone who speaks from conviction.
If someone is excessively perturbed by what he reads here, I would be puzzled if he kept returning to torture himself.
If someone leaves provocative comments just to "bait" me for his own or his friends' amusement, I would hope he'd soon tire of wasting his wit on someone who just doesn't "get it."
If someone comes here looking for originality or novelty, he'd better just keep walking--he won't find that here. I feel it's better to be right than original. (Of course I mean these are just my own opinions & I don't claim to be absolutely right (aligned with truth) in and of myself. I am not the standard of truth. I only try to pass on any fragments of truth I may have gleaned from elsewhere. I leave you, the reader, to be your own judge.)
Sorry, I know I tend toward verbosity. I just don't want to leave any stones unturned. If this "clarification" has only had the opposite effect, I guess I'll just apologize again and leave it at that.
Nothing I post on this blog is meant in any way to insult or provoke a verbal fight with anyone over their potentially opposing views. It is meant to provoke thought, but not a fight, and certainly not a knee-jerk "reaction." I don't doubt that emotions may be elevated, but I hope not tempers.
If I write something that seems unreasonable to someone, it is likely that either (a) I wrote it without sufficient reflection and stand ready for gentle correction, or (b) that person is himself unable or unwilling to engage his own powers of reason & is reacting on the level of emotion alone. If (a), then I would expect to see an example of superior insight to steer me back onto the right path. If (b), then I pray the person will take a "time out" to re-evaluate his own position & not waste his or my time with emotional appeals to a debased, random or somnolent conscience.
I write from my own personal convictions, opinions and beliefs based on what I have learned (seen, read or heard). That is my right--this is my blog. I publish my thoughts "for what it's worth" and for "anyone who cares." I expect many who visit here will not agree with me. That's OK. If they don't like it, they are free to leave and never return if they so choose. I have no idea who visits if they don't leave a comment, and I don't care how many "hits" I get (you'll notice I don't have a hit-counter & I have no particular curiosity to track my stats). My words are offered as a "public service" for anyone who may enjoy or learn something from them.
I do read every comment that is posted, even if I don't reply to it. I take no offense at people who disagree with me. They are certainly entitled to do so, but I hope they also realize that irrational or gut-based arguments are unlikely to make any impression, much less change my mind. (For example, if your opinion is that I am an unsophisticated bigot, well, I've been called that (and worse) to no effect. You'd be wasting your keystrokes by telling me again.) This shouldn't surprise anyone, since I would expect that same attitude from anyone who speaks from conviction.
If someone is excessively perturbed by what he reads here, I would be puzzled if he kept returning to torture himself.
If someone leaves provocative comments just to "bait" me for his own or his friends' amusement, I would hope he'd soon tire of wasting his wit on someone who just doesn't "get it."
If someone comes here looking for originality or novelty, he'd better just keep walking--he won't find that here. I feel it's better to be right than original. (Of course I mean these are just my own opinions & I don't claim to be absolutely right (aligned with truth) in and of myself. I am not the standard of truth. I only try to pass on any fragments of truth I may have gleaned from elsewhere. I leave you, the reader, to be your own judge.)
Sorry, I know I tend toward verbosity. I just don't want to leave any stones unturned. If this "clarification" has only had the opposite effect, I guess I'll just apologize again and leave it at that.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
from the Green Flash.
Please pray for Terri Schiavo, her parents, her estranged husband and the judge who is deciding her case.
Please pray for Terri Schiavo, her parents, her estranged husband and the judge who is deciding her case.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)