tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141394632024-03-14T09:42:38.066-07:00Weird on PurposeYeah, the blog name changes all the time.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-75621748771032647662018-04-14T20:56:00.003-07:002018-04-14T21:06:06.087-07:00Hearts of Iron II<div class="MsoNormal">
<span 107="" 12.0pt="" font-size:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;" times="">A cautionary tale from
fake history: Some years ago, I was playing the computer game Hearts of Iron
II. The game is set during World War II. It starts in 1936, and you can play as
any nation on Earth at the time. Playing as one of the major powers seemed a
bit complicated, so I settled on Republican Spain. I had read For Whom the Bell
Tolls during my university days, as I took an entire class on Ernest Hemingway
and John Steinbeck. Delightful, I must say. I hope the recent STEM craze does
not cause our society to forget the importance of literature. Sometimes I think
Creative Writing would have been a better emphasis for me than English: Literary
Studies, but most of the Creative Writing classes were up the road in Spokane
and my Ford Tempo had died in a cloud of smoke along Highway 395.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I digress. The game began, and I soon found myself
fighting fascists on the Iberian Peninsula. I have never been there </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">in real
life, but I hear it is quite lovely. Maximus from Gladiator had a farm in
Spain, though he never really got to go back and enjoy it. Speaking of my
university days, I received extra credit in my History class for watching
Gladiator. The professor criticized the errors in the film, but he also said he
liked “splatter movies.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 107%;">The war continued, and, since this was a computer
game, the Republicans were victorious. It is probably just as well the war did
not go that way in real life, because then Guillermo del Toro might never have
made Pan’s Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro is actually from Mexico, not Spain, so
this would be like an American making a movie about England. Maybe I will do
that. I hear making movies is a great deal of work, but maybe there is a position
where I can just sit in a chair and shout at people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 107%;">In time, war broke out on the rest of the European continent.
France fell to Germany, just as it did in real life. However, in this alternate
universe, Republic Spain entered the fray and pushed the Germans out of France.
I left Vichy France alone. Not really sure what they were doing at that point.
It was basically its own country. Someone should make a movie about life in
Vichy France. In French, with subtitles, so all the snobs can sit in the cafes
and talk with their snobby friends about their love of French cinema.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 107%;">War continued. The Soviets pressed the Germans from
the east. The British, French, and Spanish pressed them from the west. The Italians
were doing Axis things in the south, but I do not remember much about it.
Victory was approaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 107%;">But then, tragedy struck. Tensions had been growing
between the United States and the Soviet Union. And, in this universe, the
United States declared war on the Soviet Union and joined the war on the side
of Nazi Germany. Soon American troops were landing in Europe. They pushed my
brave Spaniards and our allies out of Germany, and soon the Axis powers were
victorious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 107%;">What is the lesson here? Not sure, exactly, except
that international politics can be an unpredictable game. And, speaking of
games, I highly recommend Hearts of Iron II.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-46420652775680277512017-07-24T18:29:00.000-07:002017-07-24T18:29:03.771-07:00Photography<div class="Standard">
When I was growing up, I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to paint stunning landscapes, the
kind where the viewer asks themselves, “Is that a photograph?” Then I learned I could produce even more
realistic images by just taking photographs.
In an effort to improve my skills, I signed up for the Photography 101
wait list at my local community college.
I was worried I would not get in the class, but then all three people in
front of me were hospitalized after the same balloon accident.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
Our first assignment was to take a landscape photograph in
our local area and show it to the class.
I decided to take a few photos of Mount Rainier, which was clearly
visible from just about anywhere.
Unfortunately, it turned out the zoom was broken on my camera, so I
decided to drive closer to the mountain.
My car was overdue for an oil change, but I always waited until the oil
burned away, refilling it when the light turned on, so I was not concerned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I left the city in my tan 1990 Ford Tempo, my camera belted
into the passenger seat, and headed south to Mount Rainier National Park. Due to my crippling fear of freeways, I spent
several hours on country roads, passing through farmland and forest. At one point in my journey, I nearly hit four
cows and a small horse before realizing I had left the road and was driving in
a field.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Not far from the park border, I ran out of gas for the first
time on the trip. It was a long walk to
the nearest town, and there was not much chance of catching a ride in the
middle of the forest. I walked along the
road in the early afternoon, enjoying the rain that had started the moment my
car had stopped. As I rounded a bend,
the mountain was before me in all its majesty, towering over the forest like a
mighty king of old. My camera was in my
car, where I had left it strapped into the passenger seat, so I continued on my
quest for gasoline.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
I arrived in town an hour or so later and purchased a gas can
and two gallons of gasoline. I did not
feel comfortable asking anyone for a ride, so I walked back to my car. The return journey took considerably longer,
as the can was heavy, and I was out of shape.
I had not been to a gym since my first attempt at college, when I would
spend an hour a week reading a magazine while sitting on a weight bench.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
The keys were on the front seat of the car, but I had left
the window open just enough to grab the keys with a hooked stick and push them
onto the floor. This had not been my
intention. As the rain continued to
pour, I tried all the door handles and attempted to hit the unlock button with
more sticks. Finally, with a word of
apology to my faithful car, I shattered a back window with a rock. After pulling away any shards of glass, I
crawled through the window and over the seat.
Digging through the small forest of sticks, I found my keys, which had
slipped through a small hole in the floor and onto the ground below. The hole was inherited from the previous
owner, who had jumped the car into a rock pile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
I emptied the gas can into the tank, started the car, and was
on my way. Without further mishap, I
reached the gate to the park. I had left
my park pass in my other jacket, but thanks to a wrong turn down the exit road
at the gate, I managed to bypass the pay station.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
Navigating the winding roads up to the mountain has always
been a bit difficult for me, but thankfully I had my insurance card, and the
damage to the other vehicle was slight.
I was now missing a headlight, but there were several hours of daylight
left, and I still needed my photograph.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Not far from the Longmire lodge, I found the perfect
spot. The peak of the mountain stood
against a patch of pure blue sky, the snow shining in the light of the afternoon
sun. I grabbed my camera out of the
passenger seat, but when I tried to take a photograph, I realized there was no
memory card in the camera. I began
rummaging around in the back seat, tossing aside my backpack, the jacket with
my park pass in it, a few unpaid bills, and a dozen cheeseburger wrappers,
before I found the card plugged into my laptop, under an old pair of boots.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
I loaded the memory card into the camera and took one of the
most amazing photographs anyone has ever taken.
After confirming the picture of my car was in focus, I took another
photograph, this time of the mountain.
My quest had been a success, though there was still the small matter of
getting home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
Leaving the park was easy enough, but I ran out of gas again
several miles from the gate. I had left
the previous gas can by the side of the road as a gift to some future traveler,
so after my walk to town, I had to buy yet another can. After emptying the can into the tank, I drove
to town and filled up the tank the rest of the way, something I had neglected
to do the first time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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I headed north without further mishap, aside from the
incident with the moose and the drapery, but that is a story for another day.<o:p></o:p></div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-61101895354544046372015-04-25T22:56:00.000-07:002015-04-25T22:56:07.779-07:00Conservatives, Environmentalism, and the FutureAmerican conservatives have an uneasy relationship with the environmental movement. Maybe someday I'll do an in-depth research project on when and how this tension started, but this is a blog post, people, not a college paper. I haven't had to type up a Works Cited page in years. Do they still use MLA format in those fancy schools?<br />
<br />
You know how it is, every time we have Earth Day or the Hour of Darkness or whatever environmental commemoration (I'm partial to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Days_of_Darkness">Three Days of Darkness</a>, when the true pope will appear and all five genuine real authentic Catholics will be saved from the horrors that await; I'm out because I have a fondness for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=64&v=1iwC2QljLn4">rock and roll</a>, but that's a side note). Liberals will make some token effort to save the Earth, like turning off their lights for an hour and navigating by the glow of their iPhones. Conservatives will respond by cranking the engine on their 90,000 horsepower SUV's and then dumping a million gallons of diesel fuel into the nearest lake. It's like, "Ha, stupid liberals; I will undo your pathetic gesture and then some."<br />
<br />
Part of this is that many on the left are so easily <a href="http://www.mark-shea.com/insens.html">aggrieved</a>, and there is a certain delight in taunting them. Another factor is perceived hypocrisy. "Sure, turn off your lights for an hour, and then go back to your 24/7 electronic gadgets, your $5.00 cup of coffee shipped from South America, your monthly flights from liberal coast to liberal coast (skipping icky conservative "flyover country"), and your Dance Dance Revolution parties at Al Gore's house." Also, appeals to think of future generations run a bit hollow from people who put so much effort into thwarting the next generation through in utero violence and chemical sterilization (and hey, flooding our water system with hormones is probably fine).<br />
<br />
There is also a suspicion that environmentalists are not really trying to save the environment; they are trying to halt American progress, so that our enemies may get the upper hand. One thinks of environmentalists in the '70s and '80s, fighting to <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/clear-american-sky-a-constant-reminder-of-industri,10165/">restrict American industry</a>, while praising the smog-choked skies of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Magazine-East-Europes/dp/B001T73HLW">Soviet Union</a>. A modern equivalent would be someone saying, "You want to stop <a href="http://www.syfy.com/battlestargalactica">fracking</a>, so we have to buy oil from the Muslims, Barack <i>Hussein</i> Obama!"<br />
<br />
What else? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism">Pantheists </a>annoy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theism">theists</a>, and some environmentalists are a bit on the pantheistic side. Many conservatives are Christians, and they believe in a distinction between Creator and created. That rock over there is a really pretty rock, and yes God made it, so praise Him, by all means. Just don't bow down and worship the rock. And don't tell people they are worth less than the rock, and they need to die or live in poverty so the rock can be preserved.<br />
<br />
Continuing the religious point, Christians and other theists of a more conservative bent believe this world is not ultimately our home. All of this will pass away, and our true home will be in <a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/heaven.htm">Heaven</a>. So, if we have to plow over an acre of rain forest here and there so a few more people can come into the world, it's worth it. After all, we're talking about each individual person being an immortal being, one who may shine like the stars in the eternal glory of Heaven.<br />
<br />
There is another set of Christians who believe the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY">end of the age</a> is near at hand, and therefore environmentalists are trying to preserve the world for a future that will not happen. Why should I give up my third Camaro, if Jesus is coming back next Thursday?<br />
<br />
Here's the deal, though. All those points above might be true. Some environmentalists are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Warrior">crazy</a>. Some liberals use the environment as an excuse to push their agenda. Some of their proposed solutions may make the problem worse. However, none of that excuses the apathetic or even hostile attitude so many conservatives have toward the environment.<br />
<br />
Conservatives are supposed to conserve, right? When liberal politicians want to spend our grandchildren's money on government programs, we protest. But when conservative politicians want to burn up our grandchildren's energy reserves or cut down their forests, or pollute their water, we go right along with it. I mean, those kids will think of something, right? They're not our problem. There is a callous attitude toward future generations that does not fit with the ideals conservatives are supposed to hold.<br />
<br />
The world is changing. Now, I want the Star Trek future as much as anyone. I want to see a hi-tech thriving world, running on clean and renewable energy. I want to see mankind go to the stars. I want us to figure out warp drives or mass effect relays or hyperspace. The thing is, though, I don't really think that's going to happen.<br />
<br />
Pessimistic, you ask? I like to think of it as being realistic, something conservative pride themselves on being. Our society runs on oil, gas, and other fossil fuels, and those fuels are going to become less plentiful and more expensive in the years to come. We don't have to reach the point where the planet runs dry; we just have to reach a point where we use more energy extracting these fuels than we gain from their use. I'm still new to this whole <a href="http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-peak-oil-looks-like.html">peak oil</a> concept, but I think there is something to it.<br />
<br />
I mentioned not long ago on Facebook that conservatives tend to think fossil fuels will last forever, while liberals think we will be able to maintain our current lifestyle using clean and renewable energy sources. I think they're both wrong. The future is going to be different, and we will all have to make changes.<br />
<br />
So, what will the future look like, and what does this have to do with conservatives and environmentalism? First, the obvious disclaimer that nobody really knows what will happen in the future. Any number of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire">things </a>could <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%281996_film%29">happen </a>to change the game, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Destruction_of_Alderaan">so to speak</a>. That said, the future could prove to be one where our ties to the environment are much closer than they are today, and local communities have more influence on our lives. What happens in DC or on the other side of the world may end up mattering very little.<br />
<br />
I see a world where it becomes too costly to ship food great distances, so we all live closer to where it is raised and grown. I see a world where private automobiles are rare, and most people walk to work or use some form of mass transit. I see a world where suburbs and "bedroom communities" either go away or are transformed into fully functioning communities in their own right. I see a world where more of us work in agriculture and less of us work in offices. I see a world where we still have meaningful leisure time, but that time is rarely spent in front of electronic devices.<br />
<br />
This is a <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/13520/">far cry</a> from the world in which we now live. The American dream, championed by so many alleged conservatives has turned into this: Live in a large, energy-inefficient home, in a suburb where people don't know their neighbors; drive alone in gridlock to a job an hour or more away; work more hours than a medieval peasant; make the same crushing drive again; buy groceries shipped from hundreds or thousands of miles away, wrapped in plastic like everything else we buy; keep up with all the television programs, all the sporting events, be intimately aware of the private lives of people you've never met. It's a mess, it really is. And when liberals suggest buying local, taking the bus, slowing down, knowing your neighbors, caring for green and growing things, they are right. When conservatives mock liberals for doing these things, they are mocking what should be their own values.<br />
<br />
Do you want your descendants to breathe clean air and drink clean water? Do you want them to be able to walk in the forest on a summer's day, or watch a whale breach along the coast? If yes, then live accordingly, and start now (this goes for me, too, lest my reader think I believe myself superior). In some ways, many conservatives are already more environmentally conscious than their liberal brethren. A family of six in an SUV is more efficient than six individuals in their own Priuses (Priae?). And really, it's hard to find people more conservative than the Amish.<br />
<br />
We should all be more like hobbits, to be frank (or Frodo). Living a simple life, together with our friends and family, with good tilled earth, an occasional pint at the Green Dragon, and long walks in the country. I think the future will look more like the Shire than the Starship Enterprise, and while there may be some bumps on the way, it could prove to be a merrier world.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-23120387103449190272015-02-21T15:07:00.004-08:002015-02-21T15:07:48.220-08:0015 Things Men Need to Stop Doing After 30We've all seen these lists, so here is one I made:<br />
<br />
1. Basing their lives on lists strangers put on the Internet.<br />
2. Leaving Lego bricks on the neighbor's lawn.<br />
3. Camping the spawn points.<br />
4. Wearing the emperor's new clothes to church.<br />
5. Riding horses through the halls of Congress.<br />
6. Reading the comments.<br />
7. Painting the roses red.<br />
8. Storming the field at chess matches.<br />
9. Cooking toast in the crock pot.<br />
10. Bringing your own silverware to Applebees.<br />
12. Skipping numbers on lists.<br />
13. Opening the forbidden scrolls.<br />
14. Awakening eldritch abominations from their long slumber.<br />
15. Speaking the names that may not be spoken.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-24524638428282605442015-02-19T20:42:00.001-08:002015-02-19T20:42:18.509-08:00The Evolution of the Word "Sergeant"The word "sergeant" starts as a two syllable word, which is how new recruits start out saying it. Soon after arriving at their first unit, the word begins to slip to "sarent." It is still two syllables, but the "g" has disappeared. Time passes, and the word becomes "sarnt," soon to be following by "sarn." If left unchecked, it can slip to "sar," a word easily confused with "sir." This can be convenient when you do not know if the screaming man in a PT uniform, chasing you down for the lack of a PT belt, is an NCO or an officer. "Yes, sar," has helped many a hungover soldier survive Monday morning.<br />
<br />
The final evolution of the word is nothing but a shrill hissing sound, similar to that made by the spider that fell behind your bed last night, and that you could not find again. At this point, society breaks down, anarchy prevails, and a new order arises. The newly victorious barbarian chieftains enforce the proper pronunciation of "sergeant," resetting the clock of civilization.<br />
<br />
The more you know...Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-36237878985243433452014-09-25T22:51:00.004-07:002014-09-25T22:51:58.764-07:00The World of Tomorrow<div>
"So, what do you think of this place?" I asked, leaning back in my chair and not smoking a pipe or anything.</div>
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"The bar?" Fred asked.</div>
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"Well, sure, but I mean 2014, the present, my time and place," I said. Fred was a foreign exchange student from the future.</div>
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"I like it," he said, "though it's hard to believe people used to live like this. We have history books, of course, but it's something else to see it."</div>
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"Okay, what are some of the biggest differences between your time and now?" I asked.</div>
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"Let's see," he said, "in my time most of the Pacific Northwest is known as the Kingdom of Cascadia. That seems to be a big change from what you have going now."</div>
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"We become a kingdom?" I asked.</div>
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"Not right away," he said. "After the depression and the war, this region became the Socialist Republic of Cascadia. When that government fell, local governments kept order in some places. The rest was a bit of a mess. The king brought order."</div>
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"When will this happen?" I asked.</div>
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"I don't think I'm supposed to tell," he said, "but don't plan on collecting social security from the U.S. government."</div>
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"Way ahead of you there," I said. "What else?"</div>
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"Everyone here has a car," Fred said. "In my time, only the very rich have private automobiles, and they don't burn gasoline. Everyone else walks or rides bicycles everywhere. Horses have made a comeback in the country."</div>
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"Do you have any kind of mass transit?" I asked.</div>
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"Sure," he said, "in the larger cities. Most people live near their work and their food, though."</div>
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"How about population?" I asked. "Is it crowded?"</div>
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<div>
"In places," he said. "People either live in dense cities, small villages, or the country. No 'McMansions' in the suburbs. The suburbs all died out or became villages in their own right. The overall population is lower than now. We don't have much petroleum-based fertilizer anymore, and long-distance transportation is less feasible. We just don't pull as much out of the fields as you people do."</div>
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"Are people religious?" I asked.</div>
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"Of course," he said. "The Protestant mainline pretty much went away, so if you're a western Christian in my time, you're probably a Catholic, a Pentecostal, or an independent KJV-onlyist. Cascadia has quite the thriving pagan population, with official denominations and everything."</div>
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<div>
"Atheists and the like?" I asked.</div>
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"A few," he said, "though they've learned to get along. Living closer to the cycle of the harvests has tended to make even the left more religious."</div>
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<div>
"How do people make a living?" I asked.</div>
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"More people work on farms, since heavy equipment is expensive to operate and fuel is scarce. Computers still exist, but we don't produce nearly as much electricity as you people. Offices full of cubicle drones staring at screens all day have mostly gone away. Fast food is pretty much gone, too."</div>
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<div>
"A university education is getting ridiculously expensive in my time," I said, "while at the same time becoming less valuable. How does the education system look?"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Most of the universities are gone," Fred said, "and their land has been converted to more productive use. Those that remain have a fairly classic curriculum. Most people don't go; it's all about apprenticeship and on-the-job training."</div>
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<div>
"So, college is just for the elite again?" I asked.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"In a way," he said, "but don't get the wrong idea. A high school graduate in my time knows more than one of your college graduates, and is far more employable. People learn useful skills at an early age."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We talked through the evening, and I learned a great deal. The future he described was not one I had been taught to expect, but it was an interesting one. As we said farewell, I had one final question.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"You're not worried all of this information will change the future?" I asked.</div>
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<br /></div>
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"You're just posting it on your blog and social media accounts, right?" he asked.</div>
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<br /></div>
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"Yep," I said.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Yeah, nobody reads those; the future is safe."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So, there you are, dear reader(s). Time for me to learn to plant a garden.</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-13262939876352876692014-09-01T21:17:00.002-07:002014-09-01T21:18:57.766-07:00IraqI spent about two years in Iraq, as some of you know. This is not much compared to many of my comrades, some of whom have added tours in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but it was a significant portion of my life. I was just a regular soldier, and I did not perform any great acts of heroism, and no one is likely to make a movie about my wartime experiences.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I did do, though, was walk the streets and breathe the air. I talked to the people, spent time in their homes, heard their calls to prayer. I rode in vehicles down torn up roads, through deep puddles full of questionable contents, hoping that this was not the time some insurgent pushed a button and sent us all beyond the veil. It happened to friends of mine, good men and true, men who were better soldiers than I.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even in those days there were debates. Should we have invaded Iraq? Was our cause just? The big picture will be debated for years to come, and it is, to use an Army expression, above my pay grade. Big picture aside, in our little sector of Baghdad, we had tremendous moral clarity. Our enemies were blowing up children, snatching people from their homes in the middle of the night, beheading people with knives, and attacking their own country's infrastructure. What they were doing was evil, and we, flawed though we may have been, were attempting to counter that evil with good. We were working to bring order when our enemies wanted chaos, we were working to bring security when our enemies wanted terror, we were working to bring peace when our enemies wanted war.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We thought we were making progress, that we were leaving the country better than we found it. The Iraqi police and army were improving, elections were held, and we were moving to an advisory role.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then this ISIS thing happened. I don't know how it will all end. Perhaps they've had a brief flash of success and then order will be restored. Perhaps the country will break apart with even more death and devastation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The whole mess troubles me deeply, though not as much as it surely troubles the people who live there. I wonder about the people I talked with and worked alongside. I think of the Iraqi Army soldiers, I think of our interpreters. I remember one interpreter who helped me to my feet after I unheroically tripped and fell during an awkward encounter with AK fire.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I do not know the best way forward, and I do not claim to speak for the U.S. Army or any branch of the U.S. government. I hope and pray that this whole situation has a positive outcome.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Please pray, if you are the praying sort. If these ISIS chaps all meet a violent end, I cannot say I will shed a tear, though I will pray for their souls. May God have mercy on us all.</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-3130915474346770992014-08-15T13:01:00.002-07:002014-08-15T13:01:51.917-07:00Making Time to WriteI am about to head out on my lunch walk, a daily ritual without which I should go mad, but I feel driven to write something. It is difficult to find time to write, though much of that difficulty comes from my own choices. Life is full of distractions, and one can consent to them all too easily. I often tell myself that if I can manage a page a day, I can have three hundred sixty-five pages in a year. That is a novel, though perhaps not a doorstopping fantasy epic.<br />
<br />
The world is full of stories, some good, some bad. I like to think I have something to offer, something as yet unwritten that will bring a bit more beauty and light into this often dark world. For those of you who write, how do you make the time?<br />
<br />
And with that, the walk awaits!Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-43006600153626120392014-07-31T21:23:00.000-07:002014-07-31T21:23:54.930-07:00The Latin Mass (Because Me Being Catholic Wasn't Weird Enough Already)This past Sunday, I attended (participated in? assisted at?) a Traditional Latin Mass. For those not in the know, this used to be the standard form of the Mass (are we supposed to capitalize it?) all over the Western world, until the Catholic Church came out with a new version about fifty years ago. Despite the near universal adoption of the Novus Ordo/Ordinary Form/The One With the Felt Banners, the Old Mass has held on in a few places. Since Pope Benedict XVI issued his apostolic letter <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> back in 2007, the Latin Mass has become a bit more prevalent.<br />
<br />
Several minutes before 5:00pm, I walked into Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Tacoma, Washington. The parish has a predominately Polish membership on Sunday mornings, a fact confirmed by the Polish missals in the pews, the Polish text on a painting of the Divine Mercy, and a prominent picture of Pope John Paul II. The <a href="http://www.st-michaels-latin-mass-society.org/">Latin Mass group</a> are guests, so to speak, as part of a mission from the main <a href="http://www.northamericanmartyrs.org/">North American Martyrs Parish</a> (FSSP) in Seattle.<br />
<br />
There was none of the chatter that fills my usual parish on a Sunday morning. A small group were praying a rosary together, while others knelt or sat in silence. Mantillas were plentiful. The kneelers were already in the down position, which later proved to be convenient. On my initial entry, I forgot the Latin-English missal, so I exited my pew and retrieved one. My Latin skills are unfortunately lacking.<br />
<br />
As the Mass progressed, one thing that struck me was how little speaking I needed to do. In the New Mass, the congregation and priest have quite the conversation, but in the Latin Mass, most of the responses are said by the (male only) altar servers. For the most part, I stuck with "amen" and "et cum spiritu tuo." I was able to read along in the missal, so I could follow all the prayers and responses. There was amazing theological depth to it all, and I could not help but wish the Church had just translated the existing Mass back in the Vatican II days.<br />
<br />
We did kneel quite a bit more than I was used to, but it seemed right. It is a posture that lends itself well to reverence. When it was time for Communion, everyone who wished to receive went up on their own, without row by row dismissal. There were two small altar rails with kneelers at the front. Two people at a time knelt at each one, and they received the host on the tongue. This was the first time I had received in this way, and it was quite a moving experience. It certainly felt more sacred than having a Eucharistic minister hand the host to me.<br />
<br />
I am very glad I attended, and I hope to do so in the future. It is too early to tell if I will "go trad" or not and become a regular, but I am glad that Mass still exists. We shall see what the future holds. I may want to lock in my Al Smith dinner speaker role first.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-82347331665316145392014-05-18T20:30:00.001-07:002014-05-18T20:30:17.601-07:00The Tale of the GooseThis past Friday, as I returned to the Park and Ride at the end of the day, I saw a large goose fly by and land in the parking lot. One often forgets how large geese are, particularly when their wings are spread. "I greet you," I said, or something to that effect, since I am the sort of person who talks to animals when no one is looking. I went on my way, with the goose showing no alarm at my presence.<br />
<br />
I reached my car without further incident. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw the goose flying straight toward my car. It landed behind me and stayed there. I did not wish to run over the magnificent bird, particularly since I had already conversed with it, so I exited my car and walked toward the goose.<br />
<br />
I would likely have discussed any number of matters with the goose, but there were some adolescent young men approaching, and I try to minimize the amount of time I appear crazy in public. The goose waddled a short distance away, so I climbed back in the car, carefully backed up and prepared to move forward. However, the goose decided to stand in the way. I sat there for a moment, as the goose stood defiantly in place and the young men laughed.<br />
<br />
In an effort to break through, I slowly began to edge past the goose on the left. The goose finally allowed me to pass, but he began honking and sticking out his tongue. Whether this was a challenge or a fond farewell, I was not able to determine. It may be that I was parked next to a secret nest. For now, the fowl mystery remains unsolved.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-58281620405797857602014-05-07T17:12:00.002-07:002014-05-07T17:12:47.221-07:00Books!John C. Wright, whose writings I could share daily, posted the following link:<br />
www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/05/mind-meld-books-weve-worn-out-re-reading/<br />
<br />
It made me think of my own list of books I have re-read and intend to re-read in the future. Here it is, for those who are interested:<br />
<br />
The Hobbit - Tolkien<br />
The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien<br />
The Pendragon Cycle - Lawhead<br />
The Song of Albion - Lawhead<br />
The Chronicles of Narnia - Lewis<br />
The Hitchhiker series - Adams<br />
Various Dragonlance novels - Weis and Hickman<br />
Treasure Island - Stevenson<br />
A Song of Ice and Fire - Martin<br />
<br />
I can see myself reading the Harry Potter novels again, but so far I've only read them once. The same goes for any number of Redwall stories, Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, Robert Howard novels, and Jules Verne classics.<br />
<br />
I know I'm missing some, so I will probably add them. What's on your list today?Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-54770619389760651192014-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:002014-03-31T20:52:55.030-07:00My Noah ReviewI haven't seen Noah, but here is my review:<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First of all, this is supposedly a Bible-based movie, and yet there are no Christians in it? What kind of commie nonsense is this? Also, wasn't Russell Crowe in that Gladiator movie? That movie was awesome. Not Robin Hood, though; that movie was all kinds of awful. So was King Arthur, now that I think about it. The Disney cartoon was better. Hey, have you guys seen The Black Cauldron? It's a Disney cartoon with a PG rating. The Star Wars movies were rated PG. Boba Fett, now, he was a gentleman warrior. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was pretty underwhelming. Hellboy was way better. Ron Perlman pretty much makes every movie awesome. So does Thomas Jane.</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-31463155117904304582014-03-26T18:03:00.000-07:002014-03-26T18:03:17.881-07:00A Few Lines for each GenreThis is a fun project I have thought about doing for a while, so here it is. I will be posting a few lines each from a variety of genres. None of these are part of my existing stories, though perhaps I may further develop these ideas. Some of these paragraphs will be <em>in medias res</em>, and some will be the beginning of the story.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fantasy</strong><br />
The ice fields of Narathrandianlithicoretolkienesque stretched to the horizon, and the army of Mekkuppaneim had left a trail the entire way.<br />
<br />
"They won't be hard to track, but they could be days ahead of us by now," Haielffenlord said, clutching his silver longbow in his hand.<br />
<br />
"Ah, but they must walk, and we will ride upon the wind," Proetagoenist said. "The sail of Mil-Wa-Kee has melded with the sled of Wi-Skaun-Skin."<br />
<br />
<strong>Science Fiction</strong><br />
"I'm sorry," the android said, his head inclined slightly. His eyes blinked. "Please rephrase your question."<br />
<br />
"Can you help me up?" I asked, hanging by one arm from the one hundredth floor balcony of the Asimov building.<br />
<br />
"Certainly," it said, and with almost comical ease, it pulled me to safety. Aside from the two of us, the room was empty.<br />
<br />
<strong>Western</strong><br />
"Put down your gun, friend," the stranger said, "I ain't got no quarrel with you."<br />
<br />
He was sitting at a corner table, a glass of whisky in one hand and a cigarette in the other.<br />
<br />
"You kilt Johnny Davenport!" Sid said, a mean look in his eye.<br />
<br />
"Maybe I did," the stranger said, stubbing out his cigarette on the worn table. "I've never been much for names."<br />
<br />
<strong>Romance</strong><br />
The Highlander pirate highwayman shook out his long, untamed hair, his freshly waxed chest glistening in the morning sun. Cordelia blushed and looked away, but only for a moment. She felt a stirring within her, an unquenchable desire, a flood of passion. She must have this man, she must tame him, she must civilize him, she must change him so thoroughly that no trace of the man she desired remains. There will only be a memory, a bitter memory, and she will come to despise this man for being so easily molded.<br />
<br />
<strong>Young Adult Paranormal Romance </strong>(hey, this is where the money is)<br />
"I will drain you," Aelric said, his fangs glistening. "I will take from you all that is human, and leave you a soulless husk. You will wander this world until the end of time, knowing only hunger, knowing only pain. You will never see the sun, and for you Heaven's gates will never open. Is this what you want?"<br />
<br />
"Oh, Aelric!" Lara gasped. "What is eternity in Paradise with God and all the angels and saints, when compared with a few painful and torturous years with you?"<br />
<br />
"Umh..," Aelric said. "Have you really thought this through? I mean, I really feel like I'm taking advantage of a stupid person here."<br />
<br />
<strong>Children</strong><br />
There's a monster in the forest, and I think he wants to eat me. There's a cave inside the forest, where he hides all dark and scaley. There's a fire in the cave, where he cooks his food so tenderly. There's a monster in the forest and it's me.<br />
<br />
<strong>War</strong><br />
The radio wasn't going to man itself, and so we sat. Hours passed, vehicles left, vehicles arrived, radio checks were made. Sergeant Cortez had a <i>Maxim </i>magazine, and I had Plato's <i>Republic</i>. I don't claim to be more sophisticated, just less honest about what I find interesting.<br />
<br />
Around noon, someone brought us chow. This was FOB food, which beat MRE's just about any day of the week. Still, it wasn't home.<br />
<br />
"Sar'nt," I said, because no one pronounces the whole word, "the flames are getting a bit closer. Should we move the radios?"<br />
<br />
Our company command post was nestled among the wreckage of what used to be our headquarters. The air strike and artillery bombardment had occurred earlier that morning, but I had been so engrossed in the duties of a citizen, I scarcely noticed.<br />
<br />
<strong>Horror</strong><br />
"We have to keep the blood inside!" she screamed, clawing at the walls of her cell. "The one who comes will see! The one who comes will know!"<br />
<br />
"Calm yourself," Dr. Preston said. "What are you talking about?"<br />
<br />
At this, she stopped and her eyes focused on the wall behind us. Her voice took on a perfect calm.<br />
<br />
"He's already here."<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Feminist Zombie Apocalypse Non-Fiction</strong><br />
You may find that in this zombie-filled world, an oppressive system of hetero-normative cis-gendered privilege will attempt to assert itself. It will be tempting to fight against this with knives or guns, but the inherently phallic nature of these instruments is problematic and troubling. The best method is to establish free zones of affirmation, where all forces of oppression, both living and undead, are firmly asked not to enter.<br />
<strong></strong>Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-30777760550163222532014-03-24T18:55:00.000-07:002014-03-24T18:55:49.200-07:00The Parting Glass<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7q5ayPzfCpw?list=UUMFoeIL8nIStpa3rtWpPv4w" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I should point out I wasn't driving at the time. That would be most irresponsible.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-14268439605400467802014-03-12T14:11:00.001-07:002014-03-12T14:11:08.320-07:00Election 2014I'm heading back to the office after a lovely lunch in Seattle. Don't worry, I'm not driving. Did you know some people can play guitar with their hands? I don't even know what to say to that. This one time, I walked all the way to the cake table. Typing on a smart phone is silly. I found a pine cone in the forest once, but I left it there. Removing too much biomass from the forest can cause what some have termed a "total planet kill." Don't forget to zip up your sleeping bag when you go camping. Sure, you're warm now, but there are like a billion bears right next to you.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-17509579619559458712014-03-06T20:19:00.002-08:002014-03-06T20:19:46.544-08:00Thoughts on LentLast year for Lent, I gave up video games. It was beneficial, though I must be honest and say I just watched more TV on Hulu instead. This year, I'm giving up fancy coffee, and I am also attempting to read the whole Catechism of the Catholic Church. Why do I tell you this, you may ask? After all, if I tell you what I am giving up, is that not a form of bragging? Am I not earning my full reward here, rather than in Heaven? Ah, but think about this: If I tell you about my Lenten abstinence, it will cause you to think me a bragger, which will cause you to think less of me, which will lower my standing in the eyes of the world, which will make me humble, which will reduce my pride, which will prepare me for Heaven. However, if I am allowing myself to be humbled for the sake of spiritual gain, am I not seeking after glory? And if I am seeking after glory, will this not lead to pride? And, if it leads to pride, will this not lead to a fall? And will this fall not lead to humility?<br />
<br />
But, fancy coffee, some will scoff! What kind of thing is that to give up? How easy, how paltry? Ah, but have you tried Nespresso? No? Then you know not of what you speak.<br />
<br />
And reading the Catechism? It comes out to a mere seventeen pages a day, when stretched throughout the whole of Lent. This is no great spiritual work.<br />
<br />
Indeed, indeed. But if I did a great spiritual work, I might take pride in it, and that would undermine the whole point.<br />
<br />
At the end of the Lenten season, I will have been a Catholic for an entire year. It will be quite an anniversary to celebrate. Please join me, if you have not already.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-42665369209327248142014-02-22T00:08:00.001-08:002014-02-22T00:08:29.550-08:00Quick Thoughts on Catholic TraditionalismI kind of want to be a Catholic traditionalist, but I am also kind of reluctant to be one. Part of it is a form of protest. After all, I am Catholic already; I should not have to move "further up and further in" to find the purely pure "real" Catholics. I am also just a regular man. I try to be a good Christian, but I do not try all that hard to be extra-spiritual. I would rather read a good novel than the <i>Summa Theologica</i>. Many of the saints frighten me, with a level of devotion I find intimidating. We have a wonderful parish that celebrates the Ordinary Form in a fairly reverent manner. For the Latin Mass, I would have to drive all the way to Seattle for a Sunday morning Mass, or wait until 5:00pm for one in Tacoma. For just a regular man, this is crazy stuff (cue the traditionalist complaint that they drive four hundred miles each way for the Latin Mass, and on the way they have to fight hordes of albino monk assassins <i>sent by their</i> <i>own bishop</i>; okay, so I admit to some spiritual weakness here, but I am still new).<br />
<br />
I have also heard the horror stories about some of the more "interesting" denizens of traditionalism. "Did you know Jewish Freemasons created the heliocentric heresy in order to more effectively fake the moon landing? If you don't home-school your kids, you will burn in the second deepest level of Hell, right above the women who wear pants and the people who defend Tolkien on Twitter."<br />
<br />
Of course, I know most traditionalists are not like this. They simply believe that the Church expressed its teachings more clearly in a pre-Vatican II sense and with a pre-Vatican II Mass. Much of what has been done in the last fifty years has made a mess of the faith. Therefore, like debugging software, it is often best to roll everything back until we get to where everything still works. At least I think that is the idea; I dropped Computer Science and majored in English instead.<br />
<br />
As I have said before, I nearly became Orthodox instead of Catholic, because of all the mess. However, as the traditionalists say, the mess is a bug, not a feature. Bishops, priests, nuns, and others in authority decided that the New Springtime of the Church was a great time to turn the Church into something else. It has gone...badly. One should hesitate to attribute malicious intent, and yet...<br />
<br />
...........Just adding a few more of these........................<br />
<br />
I have observed three (or four; see below) basic camps within the Church (I ask my reader to pardon the repetition from previous posts). There are the liberals, who desperately want the Church to have values indistinguishable from the secular culture. Groups like "Catholics for Wholesale Infant Slaughter" or "Catholics for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat" are popular (I'll take the conspiracy theorist from paragraph two over them any day, since they are not, you know, going around actually killing people). The second camp are the conservatives, as they are often called. They are very loyal to whatever the pope and bishops are teaching <i>right now</i>. If the pope said tomorrow that we are at war with Eurasia and always have been, the conservatives would write untold thousands of words affirming that this is indeed so. The third camp are the traditionalists, who claim to believe what Catholics always have. If their beliefs seem strange, it is because everyone around them has changed. The fourth camp is actually camping, and whatever they are cooking smells far better than the sandwiches we brought.<br />
<br />
I do not like that these separate camps exist; I just want to be Catholic, and I wish all these other people could be, too. Of course, the real battle is between good and evil, and the battle lines are drawn through every human heart. It matters not if you follow Paul, Apollos or Cephas, if you do not follow Christ. So, who follows Christ? It is those who do what He says, who live as He lives, who love as He loves. Who is doing that?<br />
<br />
It is no secret that most Catholics really are not all that Catholic (and many of them transition to, "I was raised Catholic, but."). I knew this long before joining the Church, so I have not been shocked or disillusioned. However, there is a difference between bad Catholics who know the faith but who do not live up to it, and malformed Catholics who have no idea what the Church teaches and yet are Hell-bent on changing it. The traditionalists would say, I think, that in the pre-Vatican II days, there were plenty of the former, but it has taken the "hope and change" post-Vatican II days to cause such an explosion of the latter. The former may repent, even on their deathbeds, but the latter see no need to repent.<br />
<br />
At any rate, this debate and exploration is like a family dispute. Where I fit in this Church family is a matter for debate, but there is no doubt this is my Church. This should be your Church. It really should. There is no such thing as my truth or your truth. There is only truth. And truth is a person, Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ said, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-83776445471358525262014-02-20T22:14:00.001-08:002014-02-20T22:14:47.168-08:00Real MenIt has become fashionable for people to post opinions on what makes a "real man." This is a bit amusing, because the definition is quite simple. First, this individual is real, as in genuine, as in he actually exists. Second, he is of the male sex and has reached the age of maturity. That is it. A real man can be a good man or an evil man, he can be a gentleman or a cad, he can be kind or he can be cruel.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Therefore, a man does not cease to be a real man because he fails to live up to a thirty bullet point list posted by women on Facebook. Being a real man takes no skill or determination. It is simply a matter of biology and age.<br />
<br />
Now, what do people actually mean when they talk about a "real man?" My literal definition is not what they have in mind, I think. Perhaps they mean a "desirable man" or a "strong man" or an "admirable man." Why do people not simply say what they mean?<br />
<br />
I am, of course, over-thinking this, as I do everything. Therefore, just to play along and have a grand old time, may I present the following list of "real man" qualities:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Real men have long, flowing beards, because they are wild berserker warriors, untamed by civilization.</li>
<li>Real men shave regularly, because a real man masters his facial hair in the same way he masters his passions.</li>
<li>Real men never have hobbies that do not involve their wives and children; all leisure time must be devoted to the betterment of the home.</li>
<li>Real men have a variety of hobbies and interests; in addition to increasing their own enjoyment of life, this also makes them more intriguing to women.</li>
<li>Real men have experience with vast numbers of women and antibiotic prescriptions.</li>
<li>Real men are chaste before marriage and completely faithful within it.</li>
<li>Real men have nothing to do with the crutch of religion.</li>
<li>Real men love Jesus.</li>
<li>Real men can't be tied down by rules and regulations.</li>
<li>Real men join the military.</li>
<li>Real men like curves.</li>
<li>Real men like whatever the [expletive] they want.</li>
<li>Real men are not tied down by a wife and children.</li>
<li>Real men are good husbands and fathers.</li>
<li>Real men hate guns.</li>
<li>Real men have all the guns.</li>
<li>Real men lift.</li>
<li>Real men work hard enough in their everyday tasks that they don't need to lift.</li>
<li>Real men think sports are for children.</li>
<li>Real men play sports.</li>
</ul>
<div>
That's enough for now. Take care, everyone, and watch out for snakes.</div>
</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-69376170232952116622013-12-30T20:54:00.000-08:002013-12-30T20:54:25.078-08:00Hellish Thoughts for the Christmas Season<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I would like to briefly discuss a
common attitude about Hell. It is a sort of compromise between the
“love wins” idea that no one will be damned, and the “God hates
you” idea that everyone except the purely pure members of the
purely pure church will be damned. This idea is more along the lines
of “Well, yes, Hell exists, but it's not really for you and me.
It's for particularly nasty people. You know, like Hitler.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ah, but why do people think Hitler
belongs in Hell? Usually, it is because he did many very bad things.
These things were so bad, and of such a significant quantity, that
eternal punishment is a just and right consequence. Very well, one
might respond. However, those actions, however horrible, were finite
in nature, and the punishment is infinite. So, you acknowledge that,
at some point, a finite amount of sins merit an infinite amount of
punishment.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let us consider mathematics. If sin is
represented by <i>x</i>, and Hitler
committed 20,000,000<i>x</i>,
to pick a number, and 20,000,000<i>x</i>
equals <span style="color: black;">∞,
then what does 100</span><span style="color: black;"><i>x</i></span><span style="color: black;">
equal? How about 10</span><span style="color: black;"><i>x</i></span><span style="color: black;">?
I am no mathematician, but is there not something about </span><span style="color: black;"><i>x</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
or sin, that leads to ∞? Therefore, it is the </span><span style="color: black;"><i>x</i></span><span style="color: black;">
that merits damnation, regardless of the number in front of it. After
all, when compared with infinity, what is the difference between
20,000,000 and 10? When compared with infinity, all the crimes of
Hitler are no different than a single sinful thought.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">Therefore,
would it not be best to say, “All of us, myself included, are in
the same boat. If one of us merits Hell, we all do. Therefore, let us
all work out our salvation with fear and trembling, trusting in God's
mercy and not in our own righteousness. Many thought to be quite
wicked will likely be in Heaven, and many thought to be quite
righteous will likely be in Hell. Let us pray for the salvation of
all, but assume it for none, especially not ourselves.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">Some
of you do not believe in Hell, finding it to be an unjust and
monstrous idea. I can respect that. It's certainly an idea I have had
from time to time. However, for those of you who hold to Christian
doctrine, remember that when it comes to sin, you are not a beautiful
and unique snowflake. All of us are the same.</span></div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-11120473546883450192013-11-11T20:10:00.002-08:002013-11-11T20:10:34.036-08:00A Veterans Day Tale<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The flag rippled and fluttered in the
wind, catching the eye of Command Sergeant Major Hill. <i>Another
Veterans Day</i>, he thought, <i>and I'm still here</i>. The number
of stars on the flag had changed since the first days at Benning,
when CSM Hill was PVT Hill. He had been just too young for Iraq and
Afghanistan, but he had caught the next one. It had been a short but
brutal affair, in a country no one would have predicted in the days
of the War on Terror.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He wore the combat patch on his right
shoulder. It was from an old division, one that had cased its colors
nearly two decades ago. In fact, CSM
Hill had the distinction of being the last remaining soldier in the
Army to have a combat patch at all. The world had changed after the
bombs fell, and concerns had turned homeward.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There
were other veterans, to be sure, those who, like CSM Hill, had seen
cities disappear and borders change. They, however, had all moved on
to civilian life, to retirement, to regular careers. CSM Hill stayed
on, though his mandatory retirement age was drawing near.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Decades of peace
could be hard on a soldier, though his wife, kids, and grand-kids
were glad to have him around. And there was always something to do.
Soldiers these days were soft, not like in the old days. CSM Hill
gave the flag a sharp salute, and continued on his way, rolling on as
the Army ever had and ever would.</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-33365914849799348192013-10-21T23:39:00.001-07:002013-10-22T21:36:24.004-07:00Neil Gaiman on LibrariesHat tip to <a href="http://www.scifiwright.com/2013/10/neil-gaiman-the-future-depends-on-libraries/">John C. Wright</a> for the link: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming">http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming</a>. I posted the link on Facebook earlier, for those of you who know me in real life.<br />
<br />
This is an excellent article, based on a lecture by Neil Gaiman. In our house, he is known primarily as the author of <i>Crazy Hair</i>,which may be my eldest daughter's favorite book. It brought to mind the books of my childhood and adolescence, some of which I have since revisited, and some which still wait on the shelf, always ready to rekindle our friendship.<br />
<br />
<i>The Hobbit </i>and <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> are obvious. If you have only seen the films, you are cheating yourself. <i>Treasure Island</i>, <i>Kidnapped</i>, and <i>The Black Arrow</i> make a great set of adventure stories. Anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs must be added to the list, though I must confess I have only recently landed on the mysterious world of Barsoom. <i>Watership Down</i> prepared me for my later <i>Redwall</i> excursions.<br />
<br />
<i>Tom Sawyer </i>and <i>Huckleberry Finn</i> are essentials, and made me want to sail the Mississippi myself. Jules Verne is from the same era, and cruising in the <i>Nautilus</i> beneath the sea, or circling the world in eighty days, is a delight.<br />
<br />
I read a selection of Christian fiction, of course. Frank Peretti's stories are incredible, and he has written some entertaining selections for children, as well. The Thoene's interested me in the Middle East, an interest that is perhaps stronger now that I have been there. Gilbert Morris wrote the same story a hundred times, most stating that even Christian women craved men who were tall, dark, and handsome. I eventually became quite content with being short, pale, and interesting.<br />
<br />
Stephen Lawhead has crossover appeal, I would say, and Christians and pagans alike should find joy in his work.<br />
<br />
If you have not yet read Douglas Adams' <i>Hitchhiker </i>books, stop reading this post, and go read them immediately. Patrick McManus has written numerous short story collections, and he keeps writing them. I have laugh wrinkles already, and they are mostly his fault.<br />
<br />
It turns out the library is not open at 11:30pm, so I suppose I shall sleep. Keep reading, and keep supporting your library.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-41009000979136406252013-07-12T22:18:00.000-07:002013-07-12T22:20:05.088-07:00Becoming Catholic<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This past Easter, my family and I
officially entered the Catholic Church. It has been a long journey
getting here. I would like to take a few moments now to look back at
the process. Hopefully, what I share will be of some benefit to those
of you who might be considering such a step yourself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the sake of simplicity, let us say
there are three significant groups who really do not care for the
Catholic Church. The first kind are the secularists and a fair number
of mainline Protestants, who see the Catholic Church as an
oppressive, patriarchal organization that is the primary obstacle in
the way of the great society. The Church refuses to change its
doctrines to match the mainstream's growing wisdom, and they keep
trying to save all the babies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second kind are the serious
Protestants, usually of an Evangelical, Charismatic, or Reformed
persuasion. They see the Catholic Church as the Whore of Babylon, a
false teacher leading people to Hell with its doctrines. Some of
these Protestants are kind enough to think well of individual
Catholics, so long as they don't take some of the weirder stuff
seriously. They will also partner with Catholics in the pro-life
movement, though they may think Catholics are strange and
irresponsible for having so many babies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The third kind are a fairly large
subset of Catholics themselves. They like calling themselves
Catholic, but they, like the secularists, wish the Church would get
with the times. They disagree with a number of doctrines of the
Church, but rather than leave for a Protestant denomination, they
stay and try to turn the Catholic Church into one. They really wish
the Church would stop caring so much about the babies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I list those groups to make clear that
deciding to join the Catholic Church is a decision that may be met
with opposition. The secularists will think you are joining the enemy
of progress, the serious Protestants will think you are risking your
soul, and the dissenting Catholics will be concerned that you might
actually take the whole Catholic thing seriously.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=14139463" name="en-AKJV-27903"></a>Now, many
of these people will be acting in good faith, so it is best not to
take their objections personally. Just understand that you might not
have a large cheering squad lining your road to Rome. However, the
Catholic teaching on the communion of the saints means you will have
a large cheering squad interceding on your behalf in Heaven. As the
writer of Hebrews said, <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">“</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>,
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">and
let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">our
</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
used the King James for the quote above, even though it's a
Protestant version, because it's awesome. See, you can keep all the
good Protestant stuff, even if you make the jump.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, what about the Catholic Church is
an area of difficulty for you? At the very beginning, long ago during
the Bush Jr. presidency, I had some of the usual Protestant
objections. I thought the devotion to Mary and the other saints was
idolatry, I thought there was too much emphasis on works, I thought
the Church had complicated the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ with the
addition of numerous man-made rules and regulations.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
However, all it really took was letting
the Catholic Church explain itself. I am not going to rehash every
argument here, but I encourage you to do some research. The book
<i>Surprised by Truth</i>, edited by
Patrick Madrid, was one of the first things I read, and I highly
recommend it. It is a collection of conversion stories, just a few
pages each, all written by converts far more articulate and
knowledgeable than myself. The Catholic Answers website, at
<a href="http://www.catholic.com/">www.catholic.com</a>, also has a
wealth of information.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Getting past those
early difficulties proved fairly easy. I did encounter a second set
of problems, however, that took a great deal more time and prayer to
resolve. When I was growing up, I had this image of the Catholic
Church as this glorious medieval institution, filled with ceremony,
Latin, incense, stained glass, and towering churches of stone.
Interestingly enough, if this image was still authentic, I would
probably have entered the Church much earlier.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
However, some
changes had occurred in the Catholic Church that had rendered the
image in my head obsolete. The Second Vatican Council had closed
about fifteen years before I was born, but since the finer points of
Catholic councils are not a widely discussed topic in the Free
Methodist Church, I had never learned of the changes. The Council
itself is still widely debated, with some saying it was a great step
forward, others saying it was a catastrophe, and yet others saying it
has simply been misunderstood.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am not an expert
theologian, but here is what I understand to have happened. In the
aftermath of the Council, the Mass was changed, churches were
remodeled (or “wreckovated,” some would call it) to have a more
open modern look, and the Church began to have a more ecumenical
attitude toward non-Catholics. Latin fell into disuse, the old high
altars were torn down or ignored, sentimental modern hymns came into
fashion, and priests stopped talking so much about Hell and
damnation. Millions of Catholics managed to reach adulthood without
knowing even the basics of the Catholic faith.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, it would be a
mistake to say all was moonlight and roses before Vatican II, and it
would be another mistake to say everything since has been a disaster.
However, as a prospective convert, I looked at this chaos and I was
deeply concerned. I began to consider Eastern Orthodoxy, another
ancient Church, though one without a Vatican II. There is so much
beauty there, and they profess so much of the same faith that the
Catholic Church does.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And yet, I became
Catholic rather than Orthodox in the end. I became convinced that the
ministry of the pope, the successor of Peter, was vitally important,
and the Catholic Church seemed to be doing a better job of holding
the line on some key moral issues. The failure of so many in the
Catholic Church to live up to its doctrines did not take away from
the truth of the doctrines themselves.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is important to
consider the whole history of the Church. Progressives and
traditionalists will both often point to Vatican II as a rupture with
the past. The progressives may say the Church before was repressive
and strict, but now a new day has dawned and soon we will be just
like the Episcopalians. The traditionalists may say everything before
was marvelous, but now the “conciliar Church” has lost its way,
and true Catholics must set out on their own. However, I urge you to
keep the big picture in mind. This is not the first crisis the Church
has seen. The Church in AD 2013 is the same Church it was in AD 1962,
AD 962, and AD 33.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hope is considered
one of the three theological virtues by the Catholic Church, the
other two virtues being faith and charity. When I consider the state
of the Catholic Church today, I hold onto hope. There is something
wild and glorious about hope, even in the midst of trouble. Hope
should be the natural state of the Christian, for Christ is the
victor, and we are under His care.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, do not rush off
to join the sedevacantists. Instead, work to restore the Church. Be
passionate about the faith, and share it with others. Read the
writings of the saints. Learn about what was and what may be again.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You may find
yourself in an RCIA program, if you actively pursue entrance into the
Church. The quality of these will vary immensely, with some being
completely orthodox and some not so much. If your instructors start
telling you that grave moral evils are simply a matter of conscience,
or that two thousand years of theology will be changed any day now,
do not be led astray. Getting to the day of judgment and saying, “My
RCIA instructor lied to me” is like a soldier saying, “My
recruiter lied to me,” when it turns out Fire Support Specialist is
not a fireman. Do the research.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Feel free to visit
multiple parishes in your area. In a perfect world, every parish
would be orthodox, and the same faith would be preached everywhere.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Even choosing based on
aesthetics is not wrong, though beauty and truth tend to exist
together.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pray without
ceasing. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and
strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Radiate the joy of Christ.</div>
Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-49599270952879454282013-02-11T22:05:00.003-08:002013-02-11T22:05:41.638-08:00Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI began his papacy in 2005, the same year I began studying the Catholic Church. With today's announcement, it looks as if I will be entering the Church during the reign of Benedict's successor. As Benedict was the pope during my time of study, so the next pope will sit upon Peter's chair as I begin the next phase of my journey. May God bless Benedict, his successor, and all who call upon the name of Christ our Lord.Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-20339034304282333882012-09-23T15:59:00.000-07:002012-09-23T15:59:00.535-07:00In Which I Write About The Church
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All roads lead to Rome, unless there is
an ocean in the way or some such thing. However, as we pass through
the waters of baptism, perhaps we can cross an ocean or two. With
God all things are possible, eh?</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You see, we are all in a mess. We have
sinned, you see, every last one of us. Through my fault, through my
fault, through my most grievous fault. We have rejected the good,
embraced the evil, and wandered down the path of destruction.
However, God, by His grace, sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on
our behalf. He conquered death, obtained forgiveness for our sins,
and opened the way to Heaven.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are all free to reject this,
however, and most of us do, at least at one time or another. Our way
seems best, even it takes us through the brambles and stinging
nettles, through ditches filled with festering decay and filth, and
down through the darkest places below, where there is no light and no
hope.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And yet, the path is there, narrow
though it may be. Angels guard it, carrying out their unceasing
watch in a war as old as time itself. All who seek after God will
walk it, step after step, until they stand before the very gates of
Heaven.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Those who stay upon the path are safe,
whatever may befall their physical bodies in this shadow world we
call our home. However, to step to the left or the right is so easy,
and there are ever those who would lure us to our doom.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Come, join us,” they say, grasping
with skeletal hands. “The path is hard beneath your feet, and the
road is long. Rest with us in the wood, where there is no striving
or struggle. Give up the fight.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For those who stagger off the road and
wander into blackest night, some will never be seen again. Some, by
God's grace, will make their way back to the path, though only after
great pain.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Making it back to the path is not easy,
particularly when there are so many guides who insist the straight,
paved road is not the path at all. “No, no, good sir,” they say.
“The true path is supposed to go through this swamp, you see. The
scaly beasts who dragged off Simmons there were probably just
inviting him to tea.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And, of course, many of these guides
are quite sincere. They have a guidebook, or part of it, anyway, and
they think they have interpreted the way out of the dark forest.
Unfortunately, the guidebook was never meant to stand on its own.
There were additional instructions and warnings passed down from the
master guides of the past, along with the proper interpretation of
the more confusing portions of the guidebook. This knowledge is
still held by those who patrol the narrow road. However, the
independent and often self-appointed guides who wander the forest
depths believe those on the road are lost, their authority
illegitimate.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sometimes, in the midst of wading
through the muck, or hacking through walls of thorns, some will look
in the distance and see the road, its straight and unbroken length
lit by torches and candles. Often, the sound of singing can be
heard, or perhaps a slight whiff of incense will drift over on the
breeze. These travelers may pause and say, “Look, nothing against
you lot. I mean, it's clear you're doing your best and you think
you're going the right way, but it's pretty obvious that we're
heading deeper into the blasted swamp.” Then, with fond
farewells, these travelers head for the road, though many trials may
still await them before they reach it.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To move away from the metaphor and say
it clearly, my family is preparing to enter the Catholic Church.
After visiting several Catholic churches this summer, we have started
the RCIA program, or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, with
the goal of entering the Church this coming Easter. I actually used
the path analogy in a recent class, saying that I believed I had been
looking at the path for some time, and was now finally on it.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's difficult not to shake people up a
bit when proposing the idea of conversion. Even Allison was
resistant at first. After all, no matter how polite one tries to be,
one is, in a sense, saying, “There is something fundamentally
flawed about the beliefs I used to hold, and which you still hold.
In order to do the will of God, I must change and move.” So, I do
understand why some people might not understand, or why they might
even be upset.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What I found, in my own journey, is
that I could not remain a Protestant. The longer I remained where I
was, the more uncomfortable I became. I didn't agree with the
distinctive Protestant beliefs. I didn't believe in salvation by
faith alone, I didn't believe in <i>sola scriptura</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
I didn't believe in a purely symbolic baptism, and I was not content
with a symbolic Eucharist. I did agree with all that the Catholic
and Orthodox Churches held in common, even if I was not always sure I
knew where I stood in the areas where they disagreed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I feared dying
while still a Protestant, and then standing before God and saying,
“Well, I couldn't decide, you see, so like the servant with the one
talent, I did nothing at all.” It didn't end well for that guy, if
you remember.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even today, I'm
still only about 80% sure I should be Catholic, but that will work
for now. Part of the purpose of the RCIA program is to help people
ensure they are making the correct decision. For the rest, I'd say
I'm 15% sure I should be Orthodox, and 5% sure I should sleep in on
Sunday morning and forget the whole theological mess. Still, even if
I'm not yet at 100%, I would still rather die as a Catholic than as
anything else. I'm not sure where the truth lies in all these
debates between Christians, but Christ did say to Peter that on this
rock He would build His Church and the gates of Hades would not
overcome it.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Catholic Church
of reality does not always line up to the Catholic Church of the
Protestant imagination. When I thought of the Catholic Church while
growing up, I imagined stone cathedrals, Latin chant, incense, and
nuns in habits. I have had to adjust the picture a bit, though those
other aspects are still there, if one knows where to find them. A
great deal has changed in the past forty years or so, and not all of
it for the good.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The other day, we
participated in a tour of St. Patrick's, in Tacoma. We were told how
after Vatican II, the church was instructed to install a new simpler
altar and abandon the use of the old. However, the old high altar
was too large to move, and so it stands, a reminder of things past
and perhaps a sign of things to come again.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of this seems
to move in cycles, anyway. One generation decides the church
buildings are too ornate and an offense to the poor, so the
decorations are stripped. Another finds that reverence is lacking
and people have lost a sense of the majesty of God, so the
decorations return.</div>
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Where do we want to
raise our children, and where do we hope they will raise their
children? The average Evangelical Protestant church is likely more
full of sincere Christian believers than is the average Catholic
church. However, the same could have been said of the Protestant
mainline churches a few generations ago, and where are they now? I
am far more confident that the Catholic Church will still be teaching
the faith one hundred years from now, than I am about any Protestant
denomination. Of course, as I said above, I don't agree with the
distinctive Protestant beliefs. Therefore, I don't think
Protestantism is really teaching the faith now.</div>
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So, on we go,
following the liturgical year of the Church. The Advent season still
awaits, followed by Christmas, another slice of ordinary time, Lent,
and finally Holy Week. There is still a long journey just to enter
the Church, and then the journey will continue, moving down the road
of this life. May we stay true and stay on the path.</div>
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God bless you all.</div>
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Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14139463.post-19034726448034578592012-06-16T22:15:00.002-07:002012-06-16T22:15:20.024-07:00The Breastfeeding Controversy<br />
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So, this is probably an odd thing for
me to write about, but why not, eh? In recent months, there has been
a bit of controversy in the news about public breastfeeding. It
seems there have been a few cases where breastfeeding women have been
asked to cover up, cease and desist, or take their mewling spawn to
the depths of the forest with the other beasts (I may have made up
the last one). Outrage has often resulted, though articles and
Facebook comments defending the original complaints have also been
seen.</div>
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In all this, I often say to myself,
“Just what sort of people are doing the complaining in these
situations?” This gets the occasional odd look, but it's not like
I'm the only one who talks out loud to himself on the bus.</div>
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For a woman, it seems there are a
number of normal reactions to seeing another woman breastfeeding in
public. One is to see the joyous bond between mother and child,
rejoice that there is still love in the universe, and go home with
renewed affection for her own children. Another is indifference,
because, hey, it's not like there's a mystery about what's going on
there.</div>
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For a man, one reasonable reaction is
to politely avert the eyes, out of respect for the mother's modesty.
Another understandable, though less laudable reaction, is to go to
one's friends and say, “Dude, this chick totally whipped her boob
out right in the middle of the mall! It was awesome!” These two
hypothetical men had very different reactions, but neither one of
them was offended.</div>
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So, who are these offended individuals,
who find that the sight of a woman nursing her child in public,
particularly uncovered, to be such a grave transgression? What
follows is a partial list, unaffected by the biases that tend to
accompany actual research.</div>
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The first is a young, sexually active
woman who fears getting pregnant and becoming a mother. Seeing
another women using her breasts for their primary biological purpose
strikes to the very heart of her insecurities. Complaining furthers
her goal of pushing pregnancy and its associated responsibilities out
of her view.</div>
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The second is a young, sexually active
man, who either is the partner of the woman in the previous example
or wants to be. One reason for his complaint is a desire to show his
partner that he is of one mind with her in her own complaint.
Another reason is that he likes living in a fantasy land where sex is
just for fun and never leads to pregnancy, where breasts are for his
enjoyment and not for the nourishment of a crying little creature
that poops everywhere.</div>
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The third is a slightly older woman who
desperately wants to become pregnant, but has been without success.
It is as if the nursing women are flaunting their own fertility and
mocking her lack.</div>
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The fourth is a man who is worried that
if his eyes inadvertently flit to the area of interest, he is not
attractive enough to avoid a sexual harassment charge. To him,
public breastfeeding is some kind of entrapment scheme. Complaining
helps deflect any accusations toward him, while also preventing
future events of the same kind.</div>
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The fifth is a prude of either sex.
This is the sort of person who shuns art museums and refuses to read
National Geographic. He or she is probably religious, but, even if
married, is probably not having much sex.</div>
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Those are just theories, and if anyone
has any other ideas, let me know. If anyone was not offended, let me
know what offends you, and I'll try to get it into my next entry.</div>
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My own thought on the matter is that a
mother should be free to nurse in public. If her beliefs or sense of
modesty so dictate, she can cover up in the manner she deems best.
It should not, however, be dictated by those around her, who, after
all, can avert their eyes, if they find nursing so distasteful.</div>Christopher Kinyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021456440312203960noreply@blogger.com0