Today, I Defend Life

Being a liberal in my life, and recently re-converted back to the religion of my birth - Catholicism, only for real this time..  I have not taken a public stand on abortion but today I was compelled to.  Speak up or let the world run roughshod over life..

A small "Great Decisions" discussion group, where we read foreign policy issues and watch a DVD about a topic every other week.  Today's topic - humanitarian intervention and U.S. policy.  Absolutement, and why the heck aren't we doing something in Syria??

But the conversation turned to women, the treatment of, and several participants in the Unitarian Universalist basement decried the return to traditional values, and how "their bodies" were not respected.  A man jumped up and down and wondered how women in "red states" could vote against their interests.

ok, final straw, time to defend my faith.  When it was my turn to speak, I said this is not a gender issue - if you believe, as stated in the Bible and in my faith, that life begins at conception, if you defend life in this way, then you might want to make this the law of the land.  Or, you might want to allow a secular society.  But, to assume all women would be pro-abortion, well let me set you straight on that.

Did I change any minds?  Maybe not.  But I remember the first haunting time I heard a Republican candidate speak about in-womb babies having fingers, a heartbeat separate and unique.  It hit me then, but took a few years and a Catholic conversion to get me there.

So maybe just maybe some of the things I decided had to be said, and I had to muster the courage to say them, maybe they will hit some of these people down the road.  When the shadows of their political ideas are wiped away.

You almost had me

Egyptian activist Mona Eltahawy came to Portland tonight to speak to the World Affairs Council, part of the International Speaker series.  Yes, some day I will spring for the expensive tickets and go to the soiree with the guest of honor.  I can imagine silver trays passed around with little canapes and caviar.  Or maybe champagne fountains.

Anyhow 2 blocks and twenty minutes from the venue, glad my husband staked out seats.  Mona is complete energy, like the Platonic ideal.

I admire her sticking up for social justice, for freedom, for rights of women.  I am leery lately of special interest activists. I've known some, and some are out there in the ether.  Maybe everyone needs a solid brand so you know what they stand for.

Many admirable and fighting words.  When she dissed the Catholic church, I suppose I was the only one in a crowd of thousands who hissed quietly.  As she continued talking about the plight of Muslim children growing up in this country after 9/11, did she stop to think about Christians who are true to their faith?  How her words weren't truly in spirit with her talk about social justice.

Maybe she was playing to a secular, mostly anti-religious crowd in Portland. Speaking in front of a crowd is, after all, a performance.  I will write to her.

It only takes one Christian

And sometimes even the secular news will report it..

The cheating scandal in Atlanta, where teachers, principles, and the superintendent all conspired to change student test scores.  To make it appear their schools were improving every year.  When in fact they took out their pink erasers and, using their teacher guide, changed the scores to the right answer.

Gaming the system so their school could be seen as "improving".  No corrective action, no allowing kids to transfer out, and all good in the eyes of the U.S. Department of Education.

Until...

A brave 3rd grade teacher, Jackie Parks, according to the PBS News Hour, could not live with this situation.  A religious Christian, couldn't abide by this falsity.  She spoke out after a fashion.

The third graders, falsely led to believe they had done well on these tests.  The superintendent - could face up to 41 years in prison.

One Christian, speaking out.  Christianity can save the world.  It starts with one person.

God's Plan for My Life

Sometimes I feel my destiny is elsewhere.  Often, I feel the job out there is better than the one I have.  Often.

I should learn from my most recent experience - getting in a car wreck on my way to a second interview.  Besides ruining my track record of always getting a job after the second interview (which was rescheduled), totaling my car, and of course the endless dealing with insurance..  I did not in fact get that job.  I did in fact, walk away from a totaled car wreck where someone broadsided me, and both of us walked away without a scratch.  Thank goodness for Suburban Assault Vehicles.

So to my surprise, and remembering God's got the plan for my life (not me), in today's paper I see the working conditions of the agency I sought employment.  Needless to say building these health insurance exchanges is the Governor's priority.  So go where the money is, right?

But the photo showed hundreds of programmers, lined up, as if they were in some public television pledge night event.  Looked horrible.

So here I remain, home girl (remember "The Trouble with Angels", and how Halley Mills stayed behind at the orphanage where she was a tough girl, only to go on and take her vows and become a nun?)  Anyhow, slim analogy, but I've been with my current agency 5 years and that is 1 year longer than I've worked any place in my entire life.

God has seen fit to give me new and interesting experiences where I can be useful. I am taking it.  And staying where I am to shed whatever blessings I am able.

Today's blessings

Well, so far Pope Francis has not asked me to be an evangelist.  But maybe I will be.

After a massive all staff meeting to review possible CIO candidates for my agency, I happened upon one of them in the lobby, waiting for someone to come fetch him in our very secure building.  Ah!  My opportunity to talk with this man, who is filled with energy (filled with the Spirit?  Maybe I will find out if he gets the job).

We talked about private industry to government and how fascinating that transition can be.  About the "box states", but I had to inform him Oregon of course is unique.  Check out Portlandia and that is 1/4 of the state.  Then remember the State of Eastern Oregon..

As we talked an old woman in a walker was scuffling around the lobby.  Sound carrying.  She asked where is Safeway?  I politely showed her it was out one side of the building and two blocks down the street.

Somehow, it was God's plan I should talk with this man. Somehow, His plan I should be able to help this woman.  These are my blessings today.

Almost done, just beginning

The Grotto

Just as I thought I was nearly complete with my reading the bible cover to cover, lo and behold, I find out I have the wrong bible..  As a returning Catholic, I have, over the past year or two, been reading a Protestant bible.

A survey of what is different:  Maccabees, Baruch, Ben Sira, Book of Wisdom are new.  Esther and Song of Songs - some differences.

Then there is all the annotation, which seems a distraction from the Word of the Lord.  Then there is the Divine Constitution at the start of the Catholic bible - words from authors about how important reading scripture is, but also, to the Catholic, tradition is important.

Then, which really bugged me when I first opened this Book, after the first cover, the 'indulgences' note.  Well I will just accept that that is a vestige from the Catholic church of old.  I am ready for the Catholic church for to-day, for tomorrow, for the 22nd century!

I am excited to be a returning Catholic at this time, and with a new Pope, and a new Archbishop coming.  This is a time for evangelized Catholics, and I seek to become one!