Here’s an introduction to Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement that aired on PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly back in February of 2013.
Transcript is here.
Our Salvation – A Quote From Dorothy Day
“I firmly believe that our salvation depends on the poor.”
– Dorothy Day
The Place To Learn How To Fight
I’ll see you in Chicago.
Remembering Eugene Debs
“On the day of his release, the warden ignored prison regulations and opened every cell-block to allow more than 2,000 inmates to gather in front of the main jail building to say good-bye to Eugene Debs,” according to Howard Zinn. “As he started down the walkway from the prison, a roar went up and he turned, tears streaming down his face, and stretched out his arms to the other prisoners.”
Read More: Eugene Debs: Dreaming of a red Christmas » peoplesworld.
Bye Bye Burke
From the St. Louis Post Dispatch:
Former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has been bumped from the influential Congregation of Bishops — a post that gave him say in the selection of bishops.
Some observers of the Roman Catholic Church said the move by Pope Francis is yet another example of his effort to tone down highly publicized stances on divisive social issues such as gay marriage, contraception and abortion, on which Burke has made strong remarks.
Burke was the one who stated publicly that he would deny Eucharist to John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election.
Read More: Pope Francis removes former St. Louis Archbishop Burke from Congregation of Bishops : Lifestyles.
Bill Ayers Interview
Read the interview: Bill Ayers Talks Obama, Nelson Mandela, and Toni Preckwinkle | Chicago magazine.
Ayers is the authentic voice.
20 Things The Poor Really Do Every Day « Ben Irwin
I’ve never had any use for the likes of Dave Ramsey and his little cult of prosperity. It was nice to see somebody stand up to his recent un-Christian stereotyping of poor people, although it is always saddening to be reminded of the daily struggles of our brothers and sisters.
The Culture of Prosperity Deadens Us
“To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own. The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase; and in the meantime all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us.”
JFK
Happy Holidays!
This was originally posted in December of 2010. I suppose I’m being pushy in reposting it every year, but here it is.
Our subject today is “The War On Christmas” and, once again, I feel compelled to note that people on the extreme edges of such discussion have more in common with each other than they do with the vast majority of us who get caught in their crossfire.
I have been wishing people “Merry Christmas” for nearly five decades. I have been wishing people “Happy Holidays” for roughly the same length of time.
When I say “Happy Holidays” I don’t say it to be polite, nor to be inclusive, nor to be accepting of anyone’s agenda, beliefs or point of view. It is a straightforward and heartfelt expression of goodwill, and that is all. I might say it to a fellow Christian, and if it is offensive to him then I shall take comfort in the fact that there is at least someone in the world who has more time for trivia and who is less well-adjusted than I.
When I say “Merry Christmas” I don’t say it to make a political statement. Again, it is a straightforward expression of goodwill, and, again, if people should take offense then I wish them well, and am grateful that I an unencumbered of such thin skin.
The two greetings are not interchangeable, in that I wouldn’t say “Merry Christmas” on Thanksgiving Day or on New Years Day. I also wouldn’t be likely to say “Merry Christmas” to an individual who I know doesn’t celebrate it, any more than I would be likely to say “Happy Hanukkah” to someone who doesn’t celebrate it. This is not a matter of political correctness, or a matter of politics at all. It is a matter of simple courtesy, and also of using language precisely to express a coherent and appropriate thought.
Two of the worst things about what passes for political discussion in our society today, in my humble opinion, are the dogged determination to corrupt our language and the equally dogged determination to focus our attention on insignificant bullshit when there are serious problems that ought to be rationally discussed. I can, perhaps, do precious little to nudge the debate toward things of true importance, but I certainly can (and most stubbornly shall) own my own words. They belong to me. They express my own thoughts and feelings. Speech police on all sides are unwelcome.
So, should you feel the need to correct my speech because it does not support your agenda, however noble you deem that agenda to be, I will reply in the only manner I can think of that seems appropriate.
“Bah! Humbug!”
P.S. If I should happen to say “Gesundheit” (i.e., “good health to you”) it’s not that I don’t also wish you “God Bless.”
Happy Holidays!