Comments on Creative Minority Report: Forgive Him Father, He Knows Not What He Does

Wow, desecrating a Koran can get you killed!

2008-07-25T12:05:05.436-04:00

Wow, desecrating a Koran can get you killed!

Originally, I was extremely upset about the whole ...

2008-07-24T23:41:03.534-04:00

Originally, I was extremely upset about the whole PZ Myers thing - moreso when, against your advice, I dropped by his blog... The level of hatred there was unnerving. And I was stunned that the administrator was doing nothing to elevate the discourse. I mean - isn't this a college professor? Isn't that what they're supposed to do?

But then I started looking closer. Myers has a Wikipedia page... and it seems like he keeps it himself - or it's kept by a close friend. It's remarkably up-to-date about the trivialities of his life... like a high schooler's myspace page. It makes a claim that his blog is the third most-read blog maintained by a Minnesotan. Now, nothing against bronze medals or Minnesota... but if that's your claim to fame... well...

In the end, I realized - this is a man in his fifties who can't lock down tenure at a third-tier liberal arts school. Talk about a sad little cracker.

So, yes, I'll pray for him. He needs it.

"Yes, the sad little cracker has met [his] undigni...

2008-07-24T17:20:54.434-04:00

"Yes, the sad little cracker has met [his] undignified end"

One day, when he passes, I'm gonna chisel that on his tombstone.

Everyone seems to believe what Myers has said. Ca...

2008-07-24T13:48:19.916-04:00

Everyone seems to believe what Myers has said. Call me dubious but I think his statement was made to bring the attacks to closure. Notice his words: "the sad little cracker has met its undignified end", are in the singular. Did he not, on a previous post, boast that he had several (supposedly) consecrated hosts? How do we know he has any?

Myers is a megalomaniac. He loves attention. Had he truly destroyed those hosts (assuming he has any), he would have displayed pictures of the desecrated host(s).

I'm calling his bluff.

This poor man knows what we believe, even more so ...

2008-07-24T13:01:41.793-04:00

This poor man knows what we believe, even more so now because of the reactions, so his actions condemn themselves. We hardly need to defend God himself. Let's get back to Mass, shall we? In the Extraordinary Form, of course.

Sorry, Patrick. I'll behave.

2008-07-24T12:51:47.558-04:00

Sorry, Patrick. I'll behave.

All,Please do not respond to Bill as he has been b...

2008-07-24T12:42:20.921-04:00

All,
Please do not respond to Bill as he has been banned from this site. I asked him politely in email to refrain from posting here as he has repeatedly shown himself to be disrespectful, immature, and mean spirited. He then told me to go F-- myself. He is thus banned from this site.

As we do not yet employ comment moderation as to allow as much discussion as possible, I ask everyone not to respond to a Bill comment that temporarily makes it to the blog.

If comment moderation becomes necessary, so be it. As for now, please just ignore him. Thanks.

Maybe churches can at least take warning from PZ M...

2008-07-24T12:41:19.694-04:00

Maybe churches can at least take warning from PZ Meyers... and show more respect to the Blessed Sacrament so people have a harder tiem stealing and desecrating?

That said, how does he even know the hosts he got ahold of WERE consecrated?

It would be the easiest thing in the world to grab a handful of wafers when they're sitting in the back waiting to be brought up with the gifts. Heck, a toddler could do it! (I know, because mine would if I didn't grab her hands whenever we walked by the table.)

Just to be sure, the last post wasn't meant sarcas...

2008-07-24T12:31:35.448-04:00

Just to be sure, the last post wasn't meant sarcastically...dropping the F-bomb on a religious blog usually leads to deletion, I'm afraid.

Bill:I agree that I find the deletion of comments ...

2008-07-24T12:30:36.716-04:00

Bill:

I agree that I find the deletion of comments very disconcerting, since my post now makes little sense without yours (My Joker to your Batman, perhaps?).

I would suggest not using profanity in your posts. I would also suggest proof reading? Also, making a sensible argument, in a sensible way helps? And, if possible, keeping a sliver of respect in your post. Discussion doesn't work without it.

Atheism, even if I don't find the ideas "good" in a metaphysical sense, has had a string of great authors under her belt. I suggest emulating them.

Making bad taste acceptable doesn't make it any le...

2008-07-24T11:58:44.817-04:00

Making bad taste acceptable doesn't make it any less bad.

As for Myers and his cohort, I'm afraid that you c...

2008-07-24T11:46:41.518-04:00

As for Myers and his cohort, I'm afraid that you can see from Bill's reaction above the likely reply if Myers were to convert. In fact you don't need him to convert to see it. When the Raving Atheist announced that he would stop mocking Christianity his readers snapped like so many dry twigs. It was like watching 150 toddlers have simultaneous meltdowns in the supermarket - but the funny thing is, he didn't say word one about converting.

The thing is, no matter what Myers or Bill or anyone else may claim, there is a great deal of evidence that there is a God and that Jesus his begotten Son is the Christ. One of the strongest bits is that Christianity is a religion of promises - and many people find that those promises are kept. Who is keeping them? If there is no God, then how could anyone claim that He would bless, or curse, or bring about His will? Yet as one lives faithfully one sees those things happening; it suggests strongly that somebody is making it happen. And that those acts do not always take the forms we would expect strongly suggests that it isn't merely a self-delusion or a subconscious, after-the-fact rationalizing.

If Christianity were merely a set of rules made to dominate and control people, and enslave their minds, then living by those rules would result in misery for the believers and those around them. The evidence is quite the contrary - the saints have all been extraordinarily joyful, despite the most dreadful hardship. Those in the Church who have spread misery are usually found to be in obvious defiance of the Church's actual teachings - in fact, one of the chief accusations of nonbelievers is that Christians disobey their own teachings. But of course it doesn't mean the teaching is wrong: in fact the teaching is proved right when disobeying it brings evil to oneself and others.

Contrast that to the frothing spittle we see from Myers and Bill. That looks much more like a mind enslaved by rules meant to dominate and control, bringing misery, than anything the Church has ever taught.

"It is a belief I don't feel I have to respect and...

2008-07-24T11:30:21.512-04:00

"It is a belief I don't feel I have to respect and your emotions regarding it really don't bother my conscience because they are attached to a belief which is the height of stupidity."

Fair enough. Of course, this is the same logic used by most serial murders (since you bring up Hitler). You think your life has value. I don't share the belief and so I don't respect it So, your emotions regarding it really don't bother my conscience because they are attached to a belief which is the height of stupidity.

And then later, you said you would destroy the "cracker" if it comes into your path. Richard Ramirez had much the same logic.

The question is, while freedom of religion means that you have the freedom to desecrate a religion on your own time, wouldn't common decency (graciousness, taste, tact) suggest that you shouldn't? Your behavior (as well as your shoddy post) are worthy of high school, at best (PZ's as well). Hitchens, at least, knows how to make an argument (and he makes it well, and is generally very amusing).

What's more amusing it that you read the religious blogs. I believe Christians are routinely advised to not watch something that offends them. I'm typically an advocate for that position. If reading the blog gives your such fits, why don't you stop reading the blog? Opposition research?

You're a libertarian? Very good! (I'm also voting for Bob Barr in '08)

AgonyIn a gardenOn a warm spring nightLong ago,The...

2008-07-24T11:13:24.772-04:00

Agony

In a garden
On a warm spring night
Long ago,
The Lord of All, conjoined
With frail humanity
Saw
Down the ages
An angry, spiteful, hating
Man.
And looking beyond
(the insult to his body)
Saw
A soul in torment
And wept tears of blood.
(Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison)

I often ponder the idea that Jesus might actually ...

2008-07-24T11:01:37.904-04:00

I often ponder the idea that Jesus might actually suffer more over the enormuty of indifference from practicing Catholics than all of the physical pain on Calvary and even such cruel stunts as this.

We have "perpetual" adoration at our parish. No candles lit on the altar because it would be a fire hazard (no problem trusting Our Presious Lord in His most vulnerable state to a bunch of people you can't trust with a couple of lit candles). The only flowers, except mine, are the half dead ones that are not good enough for the big sanctuary. No one shows any regard for our Lord in preparation for daily Mass.

Sigh...

Kate

What PZ Myers did is very foolish and dangerous, n...

2008-07-24T10:34:55.845-04:00

What PZ Myers did is very foolish and dangerous, not to Christ, not to Catholics, but to himself...to his sanity and that part of his psyche over which he has no control. The man is an utter fool to have pulled off this nearly suicidal act...the killing of his own soul for a lousy few minutes of fleeting fame.

Pray for his soul...he is in grave danger of being tormented. And, as we as Catholics are reminded, Myers, as all great sinners, still has the capacity for contrition and asking forgiveness. One never knows just when someone as morally deranged as this man may be saved from himself.

May God have mercy of him.

Poor little man. Like a streaker, that's all he's...

2008-07-24T08:27:50.602-04:00

Poor little man. Like a streaker, that's all he's got.

-- Mack

Yes, as difficult as it is, we need to pray for hi...

2008-07-24T07:32:54.953-04:00

Yes, as difficult as it is, we need to pray for his soul and for his conversion.

But wouldn't it be wonderful if God used his conversion as "proof" of His existence (not to faithful Christians, of course) to Myers' devotees? It would be marvelous and interesting to witness the reaction should that ever happen.

So you're saying it wouldn't be Christian to lynch...

2008-07-24T06:54:17.725-04:00

So you're saying it wouldn't be Christian to lynch him?

Of all the things we feel compelled to do right now, forgiving this man is the hardest. That is our noblest call to action, however: prayer and forgiveness.

(Not to mention an even greater devotion to the Eucharist.)

Yep, we need to forgive this poor misguided soul, ...

2008-07-24T04:33:44.154-04:00

Yep, we need to forgive this poor misguided soul, and pray for him, and leave the rest up to God. Perhaps God will use someone's words to reach Prof. Myers.

He should resign his position - plain and simple.

2008-07-24T02:52:17.688-04:00

He should resign his position - plain and simple.

I'm trying very hard to be as Christian as you are...

2008-07-24T01:09:23.174-04:00

I'm trying very hard to be as Christian as you are being right now. This infuriates me.