a beautiful miscellany / my online corkboard
the cuppboard
I’m tired of individuals being assigned numerical value.
That family with ten kids? Each and every child in it is an individual — a person — a being who is capable of giving and receiving. She’s not the Ninth Child. He’s not an extension of the familial glob. They’re not a “large family.” We’re people — and there’s nothing weird about being a person.…
When people talk about large families being morally repugnant, I bristle. I’m acceptable, being the second. I’m normal — I was born first. But somehow the younger ones aren’t as human. They’re not as special as the first child. They’re leading a downward spiral of decency decay.
We need to retrain how we view children — as people, not assigned numbers; as individuals, not “large families.” No more do I say, “I want a large family.” I say, “I want every single one of them.” One or twelve — each is a person with just as much right to be here as anybody else.
Love is Lord.: shortbreadsh: getmetoanunnery: To fellow Catholics: when did emotional…
I guess I just don’t see that as a “chastity” issue. It’s imprudent, perhaps, and disordered in that you are forming disordered attachments. But it’s not a chastity issue.
When it’s a chastity issue, it automatically becomes objectively sinful. So we’re teaching girls and women (not boys and men) that they are sinful for an involuntary, amoral and learned behavior. We’re conditioned from a young age to think that our wholeness hinges on a romantic attachment. And that’s not coming from the Church, or at least it shouldn’t be. That’s coming from a post-Enlightenment Western perspective (can anyone think of a shorter word for that, also beginning with P?).
Then, rogue catechists, “apologists”, youth ministers, etc who are influenced by that post-enlightenment western perspective, give the post-enlightenment western answer: women are weak and have to worry about extra sins that don’t affect men.
When we treat the problem you describe as a chastity issue (which it isn’t), we also prevent ourselves from being able to address it effectively. All we get is a bunch of beaten down young women in the confessional pouring their hearts out about wanting to be loved even though they have been taught that they are unloveable. And that’s a sad image, not a healthy one. A healthy image of the church is one where women and men frequent confessionals and are honest about the fact that they both experience and act on lust, among other things.
What’s the point of causing guilt where guilt doesn’t belong? Yes, you should work on building yourself up so that you don’t feel tempted to give your heart to every guy. But you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. And when you tack on the word “unchaste” to something, guilt comes with it.
Our puritanical background (hey there’s one P word that would have worked!) has unfortunately resulted in every sin being turned into a chastity related sin. And there are other sins/moral issues!
The language of the church is pretty smart a lot of the time (granted, not all of it) since it’s had so long to stew, but this language of ‘emotional chastity’ is extremely novel and smells of the P-word.
Everything she said.
Not to mention, I can’t imagine any confessor I’ve ever gone to not responding with, “that’s not a sin.”
This is an interesting conversation. I love it.
(Source: getmetoanunnery)
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.- Dorothy Parker
(Source: badwolfcomplex)
by Hans Ostrom
They call each other E. Elvis picks
wildflowers near the river and brings
them to Emily. She explains half-rhymes to him.In heaven Emily wears her hair long, sports
Levis and western blouses with rhinestones.
Elvis is lean again, wears baggy trousersand T-shirts, a letterman’s jacket from Tupelo High.
They take long walks and often hold hands.
She prefers they remain just friends. Forever.Emily’s poems now contain naugahyde, Cadillacs,
Electricity, jets, TV, Little Richard and Richard
Nixon. The rock-a-billy rhythm makes her smile.Elvis likes himself with style. This afternoon
he will play guitar and sing “I Taste a Liquor
Never Brewed” to the tune of “Love Me Tender.”Emily will clap and harmonize. Alone
in their cabins later, they’ll listen to the river
and nap. They will not think of Amherstor Last Vegas. They know why God made them
roommates. It’s because America
was their hometown. It’s becauseGod is a thing
without feathers. It’s because
God wears blue suede shoes.
Someone should probably take away my Internet for this one but I’m not sorry.
Happy feast day, St. Thomas Aquinas!
A+
This completely made my night.
One of my former professors is a Thomist philosopher and body builder who has a sign on his office that reads, “Dumb Ox Gym.”
From SBA List
The confusing, contradictory remarks from Planned Parenthood directors were on full display as they celebrated the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. In an interview earlier this week, Angie Murie, executive director of Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region in Canada, was asked about sex-selection abortions.
“I wrestle with gender-based abortion more than any other reason [for having an abortion],” Murie said. “From a macro perspective, I don’t think it is a good idea for us to be eliminating women. But if you look at it at the individual level, which is what we do, I don’t have any right to say that one person’s reason is better or worse than another’s.”
This statement is as illogical as it is disturbing.
From February 1st through March 6th, I will be attending Catholic Mass on Sundays. Why the sudden devotion, you ask? Because I will be flying out to Quito, Ecuador to live with my husband’s family for a nice, extended vacation. :) I’m so excited. Even though my husband is not a devout Catholic, his mother has never missed a Sunday as long as he can remember.
It’s exciting to think of me, his mother, and Mia all going together. Its risky for sure, since I’m not familiar with the Mass, I don’t really know Spanish, and Mia’s so young, but I’m very excited anyway.
Keep us in your prayers!
♥ee
Anonymous asked: Hey, I am currently a Catholic Christian. I plan to convert to Orthodox Christianity after studing both traditions. All I want to ask you is if you know any converts on tumblr from Catholicism to Orthodoxy? I know for sure two guys, Andrew and Tom. I don't have an acount on tumblr anymore, that's why I am anonymous. Emma T.
Hm, I can’t say I can help you much there. I would point you towards the lovely and kind Simply Orthodox for information. Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance!
♥ee
(PS - I am tempted to ask you all sorts of questions, like have you considered Eastern Rite, and what swayed you to Orthodoxy, etc. Just general questions about your journey! If you’d like to share, you can submit or ask or email me [elizcupp@gmail.com] — just tell me if you’d like to keep it private! )
