As Luck Would Have It, Bishops Allow Meat on St. Patrick’s Day

Check out the link above regarding a dispensation (letting people off the hook) being given by some Catholic bishops regarding eating meat on Friday’s in Lent, specifically St. Patrick’s Day. Now, let us take a look at what a Catholic web site says about eating meat on Fridays. You can find the full text of Canon 1251 here.

Here are my observations to the article. I’m going to try to be very precise about this and not spaz out on my keyboard because this topic makes me want to snap.

1. By saying that “Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays” they are saying that it HAS to be done. “Is to be” is not a statement that means perhaps, maybe, or if you want to. It means DO IT. Thus it is a law statement.
2. Also, notice how the statement says all Fridays. Wait a minute…. most Catholics don’t enforce this. In fact, you never hear this talked about.
3. Notice the “do penance” statements through the pages. Also notice the lack of Scriptural citations.

My reactions:

1. By making a law statement Roman Catholics are saying that those who eat meat or fail to do penance are sinning.
2. We know from Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” We deserve nothing but death and hell for our sinful natures.
   How can a Catholic bishop, a supposed shepherd of God’s flock excuse people from a law that they would say comes from God? How I ask?
3. Also, why is it that the Catholic Church is failing to observe their own laws about not eating meat on all Friday’s as stated in the Canonical statement?

This only confirms my problems with the Roman Catholic Church. I know there are some, including the E*CA that would say that Lutherans and Roman Catholics have similar views of justification (how we are declared righteous before God). However, if you don’t have a proper understanding of the law and its affect on sinners, how can you even come close to having a proper understanding on justification? These bishops are heretics for promoting a heretical doctrine, but also heretics for then going around and excusing people from a so-called sin.

Bah.

Mr. Powell goes to Washington

As many of you know I’m currently student teaching at Baltimore Lutheran School. I am working with two cooperating teachers in both the social studies and religion deptartments. My finalized schedule is two sections of sophomore World History, one section of freshman American Government, three sections of senior religion, and one section of freshman religion covering the New Testament.

I arrived last Saturday after a 1200+ mile drive from Nebraska. No major problems along the way. I started up right away on Monday observing all my classes. I also had the opportunity later in the week to wander around to the other theology classes and observe things. My cooperating teachers are both excellent, but have very different styles. My religion c0-op has been in the classroom for a very long time, is very informal, and the classroom is very “loose” in terms of structure. It works very well for him. My social studies co-op is the exact opposite in the classroom, and it works very well for him. I think I’ll fit in just fine. The rest of the staff is awesome. There is a good mix of older and younger teachers including people that I knew from Seward. The younger teachers (plus some of the older ones) go to a pseudo-pub type place every Tuesday night to relax and grade papers. When I say every Tuesday, I mean they haven’t missed a night since September. They are very serious about this stuff! 🙂 All of the teachers treat us incredibly well and are willing to do anything to help us settle in.

My host family is very nice. They feed me way to much and I have free reign of the house. They have a wonderful 8-month old son who is a blast to play with. They are worried that he wakes me up at night and I’m worried that I wake him up in the morning since I get up so early. It all evens out. Speaking of the early mornings…. the traffic stinks pretty much. I’m basically “used” to it now… if you ever can be. After school it looks like I’ll be helping with a play and also with a bit of the golf team… plus other odds and ends.

As the title of this post says, I went to Washington, D.C. this past week on a field trip with some freshmen and seniors. We had an excellent trip and got to sit in on some debate in the House of Representatives. Interesting facts… did you know that the chairs for the representatives are bullet-proof, that there are gas masks under every chair, and that the flag behind the speakers chair was flown on the moon? I learned all that on the trip. We also had the opportunity to meet two representatives and tour the National Archives. Today, Maura and I went to Ft. Sumter and ran into a park ranger who is related to a retired CUNE professor. Small world. We also saw Federal Hill in Baltimore and walked around the inner harbor area. Tomorrow some of the other student teachers and myself will go to the National Cathedral to see Valpo’s choir do the choral prelude and then spend some time exploring around the National Mall.

Okay… i’m out. Heading to one of the teacher’s house for dinner probably.

Late… But funny..

Bush Fails To Prevent East Coast Blizzard Minorities Hit Hardest
by Brian Williams, NBC
02/12/06

As President Bush and his staff cowered in the White House, the snow continued to pile up on the many poor and African American victims who could not afford to get out of town or to safety in Florida. Crucial supplies of blankets, hot cocoa, popcorn and dark rum – so essential to surviving the stress of any major snowstorm – lay in stores undelivered.

“Where is the government? I need my sidewalk shoveled so I can getout to buy my damn lottery tickets!” said one D.C. resident from his living room. “Why are we wasting money in Iraq when we could be spending it here on me?” Progressive blogs blasted the President for his inaction. “We find the timing terribly suspicious – just as the Domestic Spying hearings kick into high gear, what happens? A major northeast Blizzard. Why now?” wrote blogger FUAmericaNBush2.

Hearings into the Blizzards’ effect on hearings are almost acertainty.

Howard Dean has suggested he will call for an investigation once his new medications kick in and John Kerry took a break from the sporting activities of the glamorous super-rich in some exotic locale (random choice: Ice Sailing in Finland) to call for new legislation outlawing snowstorms. “The Republican Congress has dropped the ball once again.

I have always been a staunch supporter of anti-snow legislation, except for certain locations where I ski. Snow has no business on our roads and the President and Congress know that.”

Calls for impeachment over “SnowGate” as some are calling it already are mounting as deeply as the snow itself, and what will be discovered underneath will prove to have a truly chilling effect on the Republicans.

More breaking news……

Al Sharpton demands an investigation as to why snow is ALWAYS white.

Cheney has stock in Tru-Value Hardware. Do you have any idea how many SNOW SHOVELS they sold today to the unsuspecting consumer?

In Baltimore

I have arrived in Baltimore! I actually started at Baltimore Lutheran School today. I came into town on Saturday around noon after driving about 1300 miles. I got to see Lisa’s family along the way which was very nice as always. Yesterday was spent getting ready and resting. Brady, one of the theology teachers at the school (who is friend’s with my host family) took me around the school so I didn’t go in totally blind today. I’ve had lots of fun with my host family. They have an 8-month old son Noah who is fun to play with (I know Lisa is jealous).

While I’m out here it looks like I’ll be teaching freshman American Government, sophomore World History, freshman religion (New Testament), and senior religion. I’m also helping with the golf team, maybe the band, and with chapel. I’m helping chaperone a trip to D.C. on Thursday. We are going with the freshman class (and some seniors) to the capital and also to the National Archives. Wahoo for a free trip. This weekend we might be going to the National Cathedral with one of the student teachers who wants to see his brother sing there.

All in all… things are going very well. It is absolutely beautiful out here. The only thing missing is Lisa. But… I won’t have to worry about that for long since the wedding is fast approaching! 🙂