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heidiDon't forget, if you live in much of the US, it's Spring Ahead tonight, which means change your clocks *and* change the batteries in your smoke & carbon monoxide detectors!
And on the Pope, I'm going to paraphrase words by others on my flist and say that as a non-Catholic, one has to admire strong faith when manifested for good - and he did a lot of good. He also held various positions on matters of life and death that I strongly disagree with, in large part because they stem from something other than the theology and faith I've grown up with, and only time will tell how problematic said positions are. But the test of time has already shined on certain things, like his solidarity with Solidarity, his forgiveness of the man who shot him, and the way he saved a man from Death Row in the US.
When I was a senior in high school, the Pope and the President both came to Vizcaya in Miami to have a summit - it was the fall of 1987. The flight pattern for MIA is over my parents' house, and I sat with a book outside to see the two planes pass overhead - the airport was closed to all other traffic for a few hours, and my school was cancelled for the afternoon because many of the students had to go near Vizcaya to get home, and they were closing that road to all traffic. So I was within a few thousand feet of both men, on one afternoon, and now they're both gone, within ten months of each other. Actually, ten months give or take two days. One died on his own terms, one died most likely without any real knowledge or understanding of anything, his mind ravaged by a disease. And if John Paul II had felt otherwise on stem cells, would the death of Ronald Reagan been any different?
And on the Pope, I'm going to paraphrase words by others on my flist and say that as a non-Catholic, one has to admire strong faith when manifested for good - and he did a lot of good. He also held various positions on matters of life and death that I strongly disagree with, in large part because they stem from something other than the theology and faith I've grown up with, and only time will tell how problematic said positions are. But the test of time has already shined on certain things, like his solidarity with Solidarity, his forgiveness of the man who shot him, and the way he saved a man from Death Row in the US.
When I was a senior in high school, the Pope and the President both came to Vizcaya in Miami to have a summit - it was the fall of 1987. The flight pattern for MIA is over my parents' house, and I sat with a book outside to see the two planes pass overhead - the airport was closed to all other traffic for a few hours, and my school was cancelled for the afternoon because many of the students had to go near Vizcaya to get home, and they were closing that road to all traffic. So I was within a few thousand feet of both men, on one afternoon, and now they're both gone, within ten months of each other. Actually, ten months give or take two days. One died on his own terms, one died most likely without any real knowledge or understanding of anything, his mind ravaged by a disease. And if John Paul II had felt otherwise on stem cells, would the death of Ronald Reagan been any different?
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 12:20 am (UTC)There's some very interesting stuff there.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 12:49 am (UTC)Not to mention his own death as, I do believe, the Pope had been diagnosed with Parkinsons at least a few years back.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 01:12 am (UTC)The Pope also felt strongly about the war against Iraq. Did that make a difference?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 01:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 03:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 03:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 08:17 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 05:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 10:29 pm (UTC)I was raised Catholic. When I was thirteen I did some research because I was supposed to start confirmation classes (Confirmation is a sacrament inteh Catholic church that makes you an adult in the eyes of the church) I decided not to get confirmed and left the church. My feelings about women, sex, and certain life issues just conflicted too much.
Today I am 19 and a student at The Catholic University of America. And I like so many of my fellow students will mourn the passing of this great man. But like Heidi I wonder about the people I've lost who could ahve been saved by more liberal church policies.
I couldn't get shelaghc's link to load but if anyone has anyone has any questions about the pope or Catholicism they never wanted to ask for fear of offending someone drop me an email: 46tighe@cua.edu
Anyone looking for an interesting read about the modern church and sex should check out this out: [URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0801440033/qid=1112487380/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-4491018-8066322?v=glance&s=books&n=507846]Catholics And Contraception: An American History[/URL]
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-03 10:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-07 12:47 pm (UTC)I don't know if anyone's warned you yet, but there has been some conflict caused by a woman who demands that Warner Brothers (I think) shut FA down because of 'inappropriate' fics.
Here's the link: http://www.planetfeedback.com/sharedLetters/viewLetter/0,2936,0-106-0-0-20-0-fb_date-desc-282875-0,00.html
Just thought I'd give you the heads up.