25 January 2012, Thoughts

A key factor in military culture and the exercise of military authority is mutual respect up and down the chain of command. There is precious little, if any, such respect in the authority I have watched exercised in the church – respect is demanded up the chain, but is not reciprocated down the chain. Rather than authority it seems to me to be abuse of power for power’s sake.

Gospel Thoughts 22 January 2012

If a given religious group or organization believes it is following Jesus and being fishers of men, how does that explain a bishop threatening his priests with loss of faculties and livelihood if they disagree publicly with what he is doing in his attempts for impose on the general public the “catholic view” about marriage equality? How is that following Jesus and being fishers of men?

Gospel Thoughts, 8 January 2012, Epiphany

People in charge of structures do not know what to do with prophets, so they try to silence them. And, as we have seen so recently, these attempts to silence folks makes whatever they have written a best-seller, and ensures that their ideas will become even more popular. It appears that freedom of speech, guaranteed by civil Constitution is not applicable in some institutions. But prophets cannot be silenced.

Gospel Thoughts 1 January 2012

When Jesus confronted the authorities about their unjust and uncompassionate treatment of folks in his day, what does this say to us about folks treated the same way in our day?

28 November 2011, Thoughts on the New Missal, etc

I have come to accept that my ways of thinking are foreign to many priests who have had experience only in a civilian setting. I have been told more than a few times by brother priests that I don’t know what I am talking about, and I ought to keep my mouth shut. I have never heard that from a priest with military experience. It probably is not a good idea to tell a retired soldier what he can say or think, or what opinion he has to have. Just sayin . . .

July 25 2011, Meanderings

I believe in free speech. I believe in the separation of church and state. I do not think any religion has to right to impose their beliefs, however noble, on the general citizenry through laws. I believe the Gospel is proposed, never imposed. If we think our values are worthwhile for others, we might try to live them ourselves, perhaps teach by example. The Infantry School teaches this well – “Follow Me!”

July 3 2011, Gospel Wonderings

We begin to sense that the ways so many of the Stories have been interpreted throughout history have been used to protect someone’s power and interests. We believe Jesus, besides being God, was a man just like us. He taught and told stories, while often throughout history, and even in our present day, the Stories are being used to tell people what and what not to think and talk about, and to restrict the rights of folks whose gender or lifestyle do not fit with an established interpretation. Deviation from the norm is again a dangerous walk.

Gospel Thoughts 26 June 2011

Who are we to practice exclusiveness when Jesus lived inclusiveness? Jesus offered himself to all who approached him, while we impose restrictions and requirements. What do we know that Jesus didn’t?

Gospel Thoughts #2 19 June 2011

As we look around at life these days we realize that the old answers we have come to rely on are gone, and we have to find new ones. In the religious sphere there are many new questions and issues never raised before and to which we have not yet found the answers, eg, ordination of women, mandatory celibacy, use/abuse of authority in the church.

Gospel Thoughts 19 June 2011, Trinity Sunday

Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them”. He did not say anything about first getting the approval of a group or the permission of its leader.