Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My interests are eclectic. So is what my Google News feed puts in my "Picks for you" section. This morning (Thursday, October 24, 2024), I noticed an AP headline about Pope Francis denouncing something: "Pope Francis denounces a world 'losing its heart' in 4th encyclical of his papacy". I could have checked out what AP says the pope said, but long experience tells me that I'll learn more about what a pope — or anyone else — said by reading or hearing what they actually said. So I went to the Vatican website, and took a look at this new encyclical: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A link to Dilexit nos, English translation, with two brief excerpts. My first reaction to what the pope wrote, and what I expect from an in-depth look.)

America has changed since my youth. I've seen fire and brimstone give way to tofu and soy sauce, rotary dial phones replaced by smartphones. Some things, however, haven't changed. Like the value we place on freedom. How my country's self-described best and brightest see freedom, particularly freedom of speech: that's what I'll talk about this week. "We Will Come After You" — He Really Said That RIOTERS RUN RAMPANT AS CHAOS STALKS THE LAND!!! "Complete Nonsense" and a Warning Scary Situations, Fear, and 'Those People' Four Freedoms: a Catholic Viewpoint Freedom of Worship, From Want, and From Fear Free Speech and Being Responsible The Powers That Be and Malcontents, Viewpoints and Fear "Outside Agitators", "We Will Come After You": Same Attitude, Different Eras "With Great Power...." More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The London police chief warned that illegal online speech

"It's fair to say that if news sites were people, most would be diagnosed as clinically depressed right now." ("I stopped reading the news. Is the problem me — or the product?", Amanda Ripley , Washington Post (July 8, 2022) via Wikiquote) A comic strip started me thinking about the news, fearmongering, viewpoints, and weird groupings from Google News. I'll be talking about that: along with rich folks, free speech, and whatever else comes to mind. Free Speech, a Slogan, Journalism, and a (Very) Little History "The Yellow Press", Mayor Gaynor's Letter, and Viewpoints: Including Mine Freedom of Speech, Lèse-Majesté, and "The Apotheosis of Washington" By the Pricking of my Thumbs, Something Freaky This Way Comes Google News and 'Physics' Be Afraid — Be Very Afraid! — — — or Not Wealth, Averages, and Attitudes "Moral Panic" and Making Sense "Today in the News....” Good Advice, Actually More

Storytelling is a very "human" thing. But not all of us are storytellers. And some of us don't even care for reading stories. Which is just as well, since we're not supposed to be all alike. "Fiction is Lies" Giving and Getting Impressions Coming at Reality from Different Directions "Little Less Than a God" Imaginary Worlds and Human Dignity More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Fiction and truth, human nature and creativity, remembering who and what we are. Looking at reality from different directions. Attitudes and impressions.)

It's been two and a half weeks since NASA's "Public Meeting on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena", aired on YouTube. Or is that streamed on YouTube? Never mind. The NASA panelists did not announce contact with an extraterrestrial diplomat, or admit that they've been holding space aliens captive. So some of the folks who were contributing to the video's live chat were profoundly disappointed. The panelists did, however, discuss what Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) means, how they'll be collecting and analyzing data, and answered some questions. Ideally, I'd have listened to all four hours of the meeting, pondered its content, and would now be sharing the highlights. That didn't happen. But I did catch bits and pieces of the video: mostly during the last hour. So I'll be talking about that today, focusing on a former pilot and astronaut's experience: along with flying saucers, ball lightning and (very briefly) space aliens.

TThis week, I'll talk about Professor Ethan Siegel's view that "the myth of the super-habitable super-Earth planet" is "a scientific catastrophe", other non-catastrophes; and a problem with "super-Earths" as a label. Along the way I'll look at science, news, headlines and silliness. And finally, skip lightly over a 13th century academic debate that got out of hand. "...A Scientific Catastrophe"? Earth ISN'T the Best of All Possible Worlds??? Bigger Isn't (Always) Better: But Neither is Smaller Science News, Silliness, Headlines and "Catastrophe" Proxima Chorizo, the Great Moon Hoax and Headlines Exoplanets: New Categories for Strange New Worlds Sorting Exoplanets by — Radius? Mass, Period and Discovery Method of Known Exoplanets (March 2022) New Worlds Discovered by Kepler, TESS, and Everything Else Still Seeking the Legendary Earth 2.0 The Problem with "Super-Earths" HD 219134 b: Da

Kepler-1658 b, KOI-4.01, is a "hot Jupiter". In another 2,500,000 years, give or take a bit, it won't be there any more. That makes it a hot subject for scientists: literally and figuratively. Kepler-1658 b is also the the Kepler space telescope's first confirmed exoplanet. ... ... today I'll be talking about Kepler-1658 b and why studying it matters. To scientists, at any rate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Looking at studies of Kepler-1658 b, first confirmed Kepler exoplanet; a hot Jupiter spiraling into its sun. Plus my take on pursuing truth.)

I'd been planning on writing about chimps, strength, muscles, and assumptions this week. Then, a few hours later, I noticed that I'd been talking about horses, digestion, etymology, cephalic index and other assumptions. Which, for me, is about par for the course. Eventually, I got back to what we've been learning about chimps and muscles. Horses Aren't Human Scientists, Science, and Assumptions: Old and New Phrenology and the Superiority of 'Folks Like Me' Scientific Scientists: An Etymological Excursion Cephalic Index: Numbers, Notions and Aryan Angst Assumptions, Attitudes and an Opportunistic Omnivore More Assumptions and Attitudes Using Our Brains, Seeking (and Accepting) Truth Making Sense and Other Options Chimpanzee Sort-of-Super Strength: It's the Muscles Reviewing the Evidence Twitchy Chimps And Finally, Malu Malu: the Slow Loris More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (How ho

(From Bonhams auction house, used w/o permission.) (Louis William Wain's "A curious cat." (ca. 1930)) As a behavior, curiosity is part of being a rat, a cat, or a human. In humans, at least, it's also an emotion. Whether the decline in curiosity exhibited by many of us as we mature is a natural process, or is the result of education — that's a can of worms I'll ignore today. Cultural values very likely also encourage, or discourage, curiosity. Happily, there's more to my native culture than this proverb.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . This week I discuss using and misusing curiosity: with quotes from St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIII, St. Thomas Aquinas and H. P. Lovecraft.

It's barely over two weeks since scientists at the University of Cologne published what they'd learned about a trilobite's unique eye. Their research vindicated an amateur paleontologist's observations, and very likely will raise more questions than it answers. That's par for the course. Answering a few questions and raising many more, I mean. So is discovering something new. New to us, that is. This trilobite's 'hyper-compound' eye last saw the light of day — or dark of the ocean floor — 390,000,000 years ago. I had fun writing this, and hope you enjoy reading it. Who knew trilobite eyes could be so entrancing? More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research has learned that more than half of all Americans think evolution is real. Seems that 2016 was the tipping point. That's when my country, on average, decided to step into the late 19th century. Or stopped listening to Bible-thumpers. Or started learning about science. At any rate: More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'm intrigued by that which: Exists within this universe Exists beyond Might exist I've talked about "that which exists within this universe," what we've been learning about it, and why science doesn't upset me. I've talked about it a lot. Basically, I'm a Christian and a Catholic. I think truth matters. Faith is in part a pursuit of truth. Science is a pursuit of truth. As Pope Leo XIII said, "truth cannot contradict truth." Sometimes we learn something new, but I really don't see that as a problem. I've talked about what the Nicene Creed calls 'invisible,' too. Which isn't church-speak for electromagnetic phenomena outside visible spectrum. And that's not quite another topic. But I've written precious little about stuff that might exist. And why I don't see a problem with being a Christian and enjoying stories. Or writing them. So that's what I'll be talking about today: along with hubris

"Doctor Faustus..." starts with a 194-word soliloquy. Sort of. It's delivered by Chorus, named last in Marlowe's "Dramatis Personae." Ancient Greek tragedies had a chorus, acting like today's narrators. Again, sort of. Aristotle said that chorus was a character, so maybe Marlowe saw it that way, too. Make that probably did, since his "Dramtis Personae" lists Chorus. Anyway, here's Marlowe's first whacking great chunk of soliloquy, whittled down considerably, in "Dr. Faustus." Assuming that what Chorus says is soliloquy.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I've been feeling frustrated. Nothing unusual there. Feeling frustrated, satisfied, discouraged, elated: that's part of being human. Emotions happen. I'll get back to that. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Scientific discoveries haven't threatened my faith. I don't see how they could, since I think that reality and truth exist. And that they're real. In other words, I think I'm not a figment of your imagination and that we live in the same universe. We see it from different angles, since no two people occupy exactly the same slice of space-time. Our metaphorical points of view may not match, either. Here's what started me thinking about science, religion, and making sense.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Instead of writing about Halloween, I'll share a seasonally-appropriate story and talk about science, death being human: Waiting on a Dead World Inspiration and Stellar Evolution Still Seeking a Solar System Analog Metaphors and the Lives of Stars Sirius, Procyon and Weighing Stars "Vastness" and Questions Embracing Truth Philosophers and Models Earth, Eons and New Puzzles Faith, Reason and Me Life, Death and Dante's Wood of the Suicides Neuroimaging and Pickled Brains, Altruists and Lab Rats Dante's Hell: Seventh Circle, Second Ring "Here Shall They Hang" — Wood of the Suicides and Clueless Critics Being Human: Body and Soul Avoiding Suicide: Help is Available Art and Being Able to Smell Roses "In the Image of God:" Creativity Included Science Fiction and Attitudes It's Alive! — Oh, ICK!! Kidnapping and Murder, Rules and Principles

When one fails to see the truth because of following a false ideology, one places their soul in peril. This ominous thought came to mind one day while I prepared to teach a session on suffering and persecution for one of my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) sessions. I came across the following passage found in the  Catechism of the Catholic Church : Before Christ’s second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist  (CCC 675). The “mystery of iniquity” sounds threatening since the definition of inequity is evil. So, we are looking for an evil religious deception; a deception that will look like a solution to a problem but will be a tot

When we look at the concept of justice from a subjective point of view, we will wind up with a variety of “opinions” on how to define justice. What seems just and fair to one individual, might seem unjust to another. And therein lies the conflict. However, if we look at the definition of justice objectively, we can come to a consensus of truth in the definition of justice. So, to find justice in what seems like an unjust society we must first look at the objective definition of justice. Find Justice in the Objective Truth The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Justice as respect for “the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.”  1  So, here we see, that Justice is not what’s right for only me, but I must take into account respect for all persons and strive for equity among all. With a common definition to rely upon, we must now look at where we see injustice within society.  W

When we stay entrenched in a specific point of view, many times it is because our biases contradict disinterestedness.  The virtue of disinterestedness calls for us to assess situations and/or perform actions without biased motives. Jurors, for example, are called to places their biases at the door and act with objectivity; to be open to listening to all the facts, forming an impartial decision on guilt or innocence. Biases Contradict Disinterestedness in the United States As citizens of the United States, we entrench ourselves in our camps of liberal and conservative, with a virtual 50/50 split. The biases embraced by both sides inhibit us all from seeing God’s objective truth. As citizens, we fail to listen to the facts; the objective truth. Instead, we spin the truth to meet our previously conceived opinions. By doing so, we embrace moral relativism and diverge from objective truth. As individuals, and as a country, we need to ... Read more...

Anyone who knows me well, knows never to lie to me. When someone lies, and the truth comes out, trust is broken; sometimes irreparably so. For me, I cannot trust someone who I know is a liar. Habitual liars are the worst. I think they get to a point where they cannot discern Truth if they tried. Yet, these folks exist, and we must deal with them. It’s because of the habitual lies, that we must question everything that comes out of their mouths to discern objective truth. We must seek truthfulness. Since President Trump took office, he has told more than 12,000 documented lies! That’s more than 12 documented lies, per day, on average! Now, that’s a habitual liar. I do not trust him. His perpetual violation of the Eighth Commandment is something to be concerned about regarding our very safety, as his lies impact national security. His lies exhaust me; for every lie told, requires us to seek the objective truth to counter each lie.  I’m tired of the lies. Seek Truthfulness Livin