Spirituality and God

I grew up in a Catholic family and a Catholic Neighborhood, really when you are from Milwaukee; it's hard to not grow up in a Catholic Neighborhood. We went to church every Sunday and I went to Catholic school all the way through high school. At the time I thought everything I was learning in school was true. I didn't question what I was being taught in Religion classes. I just memorized the genealogy of Adam and Eve through Jesus. I had to in order to do well in the class. When I got to high school I started to realize there was a lot to question about religion. I did my questioning, but I never wavered from my strong beliefs because I had a supportive family and church. I was allowed to ask questions and people were willing to talk to me about hard topics like abortion and homosexuality. I was confirmed into the Catholic Church my Junior year of high school and was so on board because my faith was in tune with the Catholic Church I knew.

Some would say the Catholic Church I grew up in was not Catholic. We did things very differently than most. We had liturgical dancers, dramatic gospel readings, hand gestures during the Eucharistic Prayer, and a Priest that encouraged us to think outside the box and question the messages that Rome was sending. I never really understood how much of a gift my Church was until I got to college. I went to Winona State University, in Winona, MN. A very Catholic town, but a public school. I was in a little bit of shock when some students responded to me negatively because I was Catholic. That had never happened growing up in Milwaukee, and going to Catholic School. I got questions like, "Why do you worship Mary and the Saints?", "Where does holy water come from, is there a special plane that brings it from the Holy Land?", and "Why is the Pope so old?"

I started questioning the Catholic Church more and more. Not because of other students reactions to me being Catholic, but I started to see the Catholic Church was not on board with the way I was thinking. I started becoming a feminist activist, and declared myself to be Pro-Choice and I started wondering where my Catholicism fit into all of this. My faith is God has never wavered, but my faith in the Catholic Church started to go down.

I've come to terms with the fact that I still want to be Catholic. I think I can be Catholic and a Feminist. I can hold the political beliefs and hold and be Catholic. Does that mean I don't get angry with the Catholic Church? Of course not! Why can't women be Priests? Why can't Priests be married? Why can't God be neither male nor female? Why is it so bad to think that Jesus could have been married and had sex? Why can't women have more authority in the Church? Why can’t homosexuals get married if they are in committed relationships? Aren’t we totally missing Jesus’ message? He hung out with the lepers and outcasts! He was so radical because he brought so many new ideas. He wanted people to see that there was more to faith than tradition. There is a place for tradition, but there is also a place for change.

I am still Catholic, though I may not go to Mass every week. I am still Catholic even though I don’t agree with everything the Church says. If I did agree wouldn’t that be boring? I have a strong faith, and I will continue my strong relationship with God, even if I decide that I may not want to be an active member of the Church. I’m not going away anytime soon. I can be Catholic and hold my beliefs! God told me so!

I'm recommending a movie this time: Iron Jawed Angels (It's awesome!)

SOA and Georgia

Protests are interesting things. It's a culmination of all different kinds of people protesting the same thing. I went to the School of Americas protest in Georgia the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was an interesting experience. Loading up 12 people in a 15 passenger van with bread, peanut butter, and jelly. A huge bag of popcorn and puppy chow, driving for 20 hours. Trying to sleep in the van as it barreled down the freeway (that was for Gosia) she misses the barrel! Finally after barely sleeping in a awkward position and next to the heater where it was boiling, or away from the heater, where it was freezing, we got to Georgia. We then went to the hotel, crammed 11 people into a King size room, with barely any walking room, quickly changed, and then went to the gate of Fort Benning. Upon arrival of the gate there was, people with signs, a stage with people singing, and many tables selling shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. I saw people lying in the street pretending to be dead to show the number of people that have died because of the violence. We then piled back into the van to go to the convention center for Mass. It was a great Mass. They had candles for all the Jesuit colleges and universities and I saw a friend that I have not seen in quite a while. The next morning, we went back to the gate for the funeral procession. We had made crosses with people's names on them that have died from the violence. We honored their lives and prayed for a closing to the school. It was a powerful experience to see all the people from all over the country wanting to see an end to this school.



There were people there who were protesting other things as well, which to each his/her own, but there was free vegan food, and people advocating for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church, and people protesting the war and Bush. I felt a sense of people who cared about the direction that their lives were going in. People who are not happy about something and decide to do something about it. I may not agree with what they are protesting, but I respect their protest, because there are things that I protest, and I want respect from people as well. I love that you can protest things that you are unhappy with in this country. Where would we be if people did not protest slavery, or women getting the right to vote, or the Civil Rights Movement? I'm glad I was able to experience SOA. Would I go back? Hopefully not because it needs to be shut down, but I would protest again. There are people from all over that have different ideas about the world supporting the common cause of shutting down the SOA.



For more info go to: SOA Watch

The book this time is:
The School of the Americas: Military Training and Political Violence in the Americas (Lesley Gill)

There is discrimination..even in recycling?

Seriously? So I work at Sojourner House, a homeless family shelter and I manage an affordable rental unit as part of my job. Boston just recently passed a law that all buildings that have more than 7 units have to provide recycling for the residents. The building that I manage, never got the recycling program because of the change in the job this summer. So my boss calls the city to find out what we have to do. We have to meet with a recycling official to look at the building and decide what kind of bins to get. We meet with the recycling guy today. Now I have been recycling my whole life, or at least as long as I can remember, so I know how to separate and that you have to clean out the containers. He goes on this whole speech about how to recycle and that you have to clearly mark the cans that are for recycling.....well duh! Then he goes on this rant about how even poor people should recycle. You might have to teach them, because they don't usually know how......are you kidding me? Because they make less money they are stupid and don't know how to recycle? Please......I bet they recycle better than you because it's part of the lifestyle that they live.



It upsets me to see that there are so many prejudices that people hold, and usually they are over simple things like recycling. I think with global warming and the environment that everyone knows the importance of recycling. Especially in a democratic state like Massachusetts. I just don't understand....well he will see when he notices that the people living in the rentals will take on recycling when it is available to them!

The book this time is:
Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future (Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards)

Those Radicals!

Last night I went to Boston College for a meeting about the School of Americas protest. I picked up "The Observer" a conservative newspaper on campus. I was appalled to read an article calling feminism a heresy. They were calling it a heresy because some people change the words in Mass to gender neutral language. So instead of saying "Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his people on earth", people change it to "Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to God's people on earth". Now, I don't really find anything wrong with this, but the article blamed the "lying radical feminists" who think that they can do anything, when no person is allowed to change the mass (Hello, Vatican II! Oops....the Mass has been changed). Now, I understand if you oppose using gender neutral language,but I do not understand at all blaming it on radical feminists. I don't understand why it is radical to not want to think of God as a man...or a woman. God is greater than gender, so why should we refer to God as male?



Feminism is not at all radical. Believing that everyone no matter their race, age, class, gender, or ability/disability, should have an equal chance at being successful at life is not radical. Wasn't Jesus' message radical? I mean he wanted to change the whole foundation of the church! People didn't understand him at first either. There are parts of feminism that disagree with Catholicism, but there is also a lot of good involved with feminism. There is social justice in feminism and would probably go along a lot with Catholic Social Teaching. It's not radical to think that because I'm a woman I should be able to be on an equal playing field with a man. I think God and Jesus would be on my side with this. We are all children of God are we not? Someday God will answer all my questions around this matter!

The book this time is:
Catholic and Feminist: The Surprising History of the American Catholic Feminist Movement (Mary J. Henold)

What does it mean to be on the outside?

Last night we had community night with Meg our Area Director for Jesuit Volunteer Corps. We read an article by C.S. Lewis, whom I love, that talked about being in the inner ring of a group or a part of the outer ring. It made me think about the times that I've been in the outer ring, and the times that I've been in the inner. I also started looking at all the people in society that are a part of the outer ring. How do we decide who is the inner and who is the outer? It makes me think back to 1st and 2nd grade when there was no cool group. Everyone was just friends. Then suddenly something shifts and if you happen to be doing or wearing the wrong thing on the day that decides what is cool, then you are a part of the outer ring. I think about my job as a Jesuit Volunteer. I work at a homeless family shelter and also work with people living in affordable rental and home ownership units. I think about the ways that these people are marginalized by society. Boston is one of the most expensive cities to live in and there is a big call for affordable housing. People are losing their homes for all sorts of reasons. These people are then looked down upon by society because they can't keep their homes. People are also looked down upon by society if they choose a job that makes less money. I'm wondering when the American dream became all about money. The jobs that I feel passionate about are never going to make a lot of money. I want to work for non-profits. People who devote their lives to great causes are looked down upon as well. I tell people that I'm volunteering for a year and living on $85 a month, and they laugh and tell me I'm crazy (granted not everyone has reacted that way, but a lot of people have). Why is it crazy to care about society? Why is it crazy to strive for justice....especially in a place like America? Being in JVC has given me a new outlook on life. I've spent a lot of my life being in the outer ring. I had friends there, but I was never one of the cool kids. I feel blessed for never having been a cool kid because it has given me greater understanding of myself. I'm a cool and unique person. I'm valuable even if not everyone sees that. I will not make a lot of money, but at least I'll be happy, and know that I'm bringing some sort of justice to the world.



The book this time is: Meritocracy and Economic Inequality (Kenneth Arrow)

YES WE CAN!!!

He pulled through baby! Well he more than pulled through, it was a landslide victory! I can't believe it all happened so fast! I was washing dishes at 10:50, they said they would have updates at 11, so I sat down at 10:55, there was a black screen and then no sound, just a picture of Obama saying that he is the new President Elect. I literally jumped out of my seat, I was so excited! I made my housemates change the channel to see if the others had called it, and I was convinced when FOX said he won! I'm just so happy that this great man is going to be our President. He loves his family with his whole heart. (Also really excited to have kids in the White House again!). I've been following Obama since he was elected to the Senate four years ago. I was watching the results for the Bush/Kerry election and they randomly went to Chicago to show Obama winning a Senate seat. When I heard him speak, I knew he was going to be our next President.

The thing that is making me sad is to see the number of people, even after McCain's speech (which was great by the way, sounds so intelligent when he isn't listening to his campaign aids), that people are so upset as to make a facebook group called Impeach Obama. Hello! He hasn't even been sworn in yet, and people are talking of impeaching him. I was pretty bitter when bush won, but at least I was gracious in saying that I would live with him as President. Our country is not all the sudden turn socialist, Barack Obama is not a terrorist, despite his middle name, and the country is not going to fall apart with him in office. Hell, it didn't fall apart when Bush was President. Okay, a little (well there was the whole stock market stuff going on), but then why would you want someone with the same politics to be running the country? Did you really think Sarah Palin was competent enough to be V.P.? I didn't think so. I say celebrate that history has been made! Celebrate a change in office! Celebrate a man who truly loves his wife and kids! And stand behind the man even if you didn't vote for him. I stood behind Bush even though I did not vote for him. We've had to put up with 8 years of his politics, don't you think it's time for a change? Thank you Barack Obama! :) You rule! Joe Biden rocks as well, he'll be a great aid to Barack! Sad that Massachusetts will lose our Governor, even if he says he won't be a part of his cabinet. Right........!

I'm recommending to go and read all of Obama's speeches. He is a great speaker who knows how to motivate people and win an election!

It's Election Day!

Oh my gosh! I'm so excited, I can't believe it's actually here. I've never been so excited about an election before. It's so close though, I'm choosing to believe that Obama will pull through. I think the country is ready for a black President. Contrary to what some people believe. I think we give the United States people too little credit. Look at the Democratic primaries. Who ever thought it would come down to a woman or a black man? That in itself is groundbreaking. Plus people are fed up with the economy and the Bush administration and McCain/Palin are pretty much the same as Bush. As many times as they want to say that they are mavericks....um......no. John McCain is not a maverick because he has been listening to his campaign people way too much and has made himself very unlikable. He has even sunk so low as to call someone a terrorist and likened Obama's policies to socialism.

Here's the thing about socialism, is it really all that bad? To have everyone on an equal playing field? I believe some things should be socialized, like health care. Why shouldn't everyone be able to go to the doctor? Why should we have to pay so much money for medicines? Canada makes socialized health care rock! There are no long lines and everyone has a chance at seeing a doctor or specialist when they need to. It's when socialism is corrupt that it is not a good idea. I think certain jobs deserve to be paid more than others. Socialism as an idea is not bad, it's when the idea is put into the wrong hands (i.e. Joesph Stalin).

I feel so passionate about these ideas because I'm working with homeless families. I see what people go through to pay for medication for themselves and their children. It shouldn't have to be a choice between medication and food. Everyone should have access to housing, medication, and food. It's a justice issue and the U.S. should be about everyone having equal access to the essentials in their lives. All of these reasons and many more are the reasons that I voted for Obama/Biden!