SIGNIFICANT PAPAL TRIVIA

IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT THIS PAST WEEK OR SO TO AVOID A BARRAGE OF SPECULATION SURROUNDING THE ELECTION OF A NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC POPE WHEN TRYING TO ACCESS CURRENT NEWS, BOTH WORLDWIDE AND LOCAL.  NOW THANKFULLY THE CORONATION IS OVER AND SOON WE CAN REVERT TO THE USUAL DIET OF SEX ABUSE AND FINANCIAL ABUSE SCANDALS WITH A CATHOLIC FLAVOR.  THE SPECULATION HAS BEEN INTENSE AND HAS COVERED MUCH TRIVIA IN ITS EFFORT TO PREDICT THE DIRECTION OF THE CHURCH UNDER ITS NEW LEADER BUT THERE IS SOMETHING I PERSONALLY FIND VERY SIGNIFICANT WHICH HAS SO FAR BEEN COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED — THE FACT THAT THE NEW PONTIFF PREFERS BOXER SHORTS.  THIS I FIND DEEPLY IMPRESSIVE AND TO ME IT INDICATES A SHARP BREAK WITH THE PAST, A BREAK WITH TRADITION WHICH SUGGESTS THE CHURCH WILL SHORTLY BE UNRECOGNIZABLE TO OLDER MEMBERS OF THE FAITHFUL, A BREAK WHICH SUGGESTS THAT IN FUTURE THE CHURCH WILL NO LONGER BE AN ASSEMBLAGE OF CYNICAL AND AMBITIOUS INSIDER INVESTORS AND HYPOCRITICAL MISOGYNIST PATRIARCHAL CHILD MOLESTERS AND THEIR CRIMINAL APOLOGISTS, A CHURCH VAINLY DEDICATED TO STOPPING THE FLOW OF REASON, TO STOPPING THE CRITICAL PASSAGE OF MANKIND FROM AN IGNORANT AND SUPERSTITIOUS PAST TOWARD AN OPENLY INCLUSIVE, INTELLIGENT FUTURE.  

IF ONLY.

IDEALOGUES

EXCERPT FROM NOTEBOOK FOUR — ALBERT CAMUS, SEPTEMBER 1944

...abstraction is evil.  It causes wars, tortures, violence, etc.  Problem:  How does the abstract view continue in the face of physical evil, ideology in the face of the torture inflicted in the name of that ideology?

THIS NOTE COULD BE APPLIED WITH JUSTIFICATION IN THE PRESENT TIME IN AMERICA TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHICH IS INFLICTING MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING ON THE GREAT BULK OF CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT AMONG THE ONE PERCENT.  THAT THE PAIN IS REAL AND THE PEOPLE INJURED MORE COMPELLING THAN AN ABSTRACTION WILL SHORTLY BE WIDELY REALIZED.  THE REPUBLICAN LEADERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS IN THE FINANCIAL AND ENERGY SECTORS WHO HAVE SYSTEMATICALLY DENIED THE GREAT MASS OF PEOPLE RELIEF FROM THEIR INCREASINGLY PAINFUL INDEBTEDNESS ARE GUILTY, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, OF INHUMANITY.  THEY DESERVE TO BE CONSIGNED TO OBLIVION AND THE HISTORY BOOKS, WHERE THE LESSONS LEARNED WILL BE TAUGHT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF POLITICAL ACTIVISTS.  THE REPUBLICAN PARTY — AND THOSE IT REPRESENTS — IS VICIOUSLY OBSOLETE.

WE ARE CRAWLING OUT OF DARKNESS

WHEN PEOPLE EVIDENCE VARIOUS LEVELS OF DESPAIR ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING OR IRANIAN NUCLEAR AMBITIONS OR ECONOMIC HEGEMONY OR WALL STREET HUBRIS AND DISPARITY OF INCOME OR CANCER RATES  OR THE WARS IN SYRIA AND ELSEWHERE, AND OTHER EXAMPLES OF INHUMANITY, I LIKE TO ASK THEM TO PICK A TIME IN HISTORY WHEN THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE A BABY.  AFTER THINKING A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME, MOST PEOPLE GIVE IT UP AND GO OFF MUTTERING TO THEMSELVES.  

WE ARE CRAWLING OUT OF DARKNESS AND HAVE A WAY TO GO BEFORE WE MAY BE BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.