Iron Works: May 2011

He Created Them Male and Female

I'm actually feeling some hesitation about writing this post because the subject matter really makes my blood boil. There are so many things wrong on so many levels in these following news stories that I am not even sure where to start.

I'll begin with the story that has been creating a lot of buzz on the internet over past week:

Parents keep child's gender secret

In the latest episode of "political correctness gone wild", these "enlightened" and "progressive" parents have decided to turn their children into a lab experiment by raising them "free of societal norms regarding gender". They have actually refused to identify the gender of their newborn baby to anyone even family and friends. I can only shake my head is disbelief at these quotes from the parents as they try to rationalize the harm they are doing to their children:

Witterick and Stocker believe they are giving their children the freedom to choose who they want to be, unconstrained by social norms about males and females.

In an age where helicopter parents hover nervously over their kids micromanaging their lives, and tiger moms ferociously push their progeny to get into Harvard, Stocker, 39, and Witterick, 38, believe kids can make meaningful decisions for themselves from a very early age.

“What we noticed is that parents make so many choices for their children. It’s obnoxious,” says Stocker.

“In fact, in not telling the gender of my precious baby, I am saying to the world, ‘Please can you just let Storm discover for him/herself what s (he) wants to be?!.” Witterick writes in an email.

Now if this isn't enough proof that our society is spiraling out of control, there is this next story about "Gender Spectrum training" in California:

Transgender Clownfish? Gender Diversity Lesson at California School Riles Critics

As part of the latest fads in anti-bullying education, children as young as kindergarten in public schools in California are being taught about being transgender as well as the following:

“Gender identity is one’s own sense of themselves. Do they know themselves to be a girl? Do they know themselves to be a boy? Do they know themselves to be a combination?” Baum said. "Gender identity is a spectrum where people can be girls, feel like girls, they feel like boys, they feel like both, or they can feel like neither.”

I have had several reactions going through my mind about these news stories. The first is that my wife and I have sacrificed a lot to put our three children in a Catholic school. While I may not be able to afford the biggest houses or fancy cars or great vacations, I thank God every day for the fact that my children are in a school with a very orthodox Catholic environment. I can sleep easy at night because I know my kids will not get exposed to this politically correct insanity.

Secondly, while I am tempted to harshly criticize the parents in the first story and the educators in the second story for their harmful decisions, I want to focus on the bigger picture. When did gender become a dirty word in our culture? When did having a specific, clearly defined gender become such a negative in our society? In other words, why are we so afraid to let men be men and women be women?

My point is that God "created them male and female." (Genesis 5:2) God created specific roles for men and women. In His infinite wisdom, He created gender for very specific reasons. This was so beautifully detailed by Blessed John Paul II in the Theology of the Body. We are all created in the Father's image and likeness and our body, including our gender, is an integral part of who we are along with our soul. These parents and educators, by believing that gender is something we feel or should decide for ourselves, are making the same mistake that Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden. It is the basis of all sin. Rather than submit to the will of God, we foolishly think we know more than God and choose to follow our own wills. We want become our own gods when we think that gender and sexuality is something we can determine more appropriately than the Creator.

God in the Public Square

As I sit here and write this, our society is witnessing the growing effects of when the spiritual and the secular collide. The Federal government and several states are in political battles to defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The homosexual agenda and the fight for gay marriage continues to spread to more states. The common theme I see in debates between those on both sides of these issues is whether or not our faith has a place in politics. I have personally witnessed this in discussions I had regarding gay marriage and abortion. Countless times I have been told to "keep my religion to myself" and to "stop acting like the taliban and shoving my beliefs down the throats of others". I have also been told many times that I have lost touch with reality by believing in an "imaginary friend in the sky and a fairy tale book written thousands of years ago".

It does little to help the situation when many of our politicians, who claim to be Christians, openly profess that it is their duty to separate their private beliefs from their public office. They usually go on to quote JFK's famous campaign speech about his religion as if were scripture. The truth is that for many years our culture has slowly but deliberately been pushing Christianity out of the mainstream and into the sidelines. It has become extremely politically incorrect to even mention the name of Christ in public. How ironic is it that the same so called "progressive" mindset that is advocating homosexuals to come out of the closet and live openly, is also behind the push to shove Christianity in the closet as if it were something to be ashamed about. Let me be clear here. This is not meant to be a tirade blaming homosexuals for all the ills in society. My point here is that our culture has turned 180 degrees to where it is now taboo and even shameful to openly live your life as a Christian. Any mention of our faith as our guide in our personal and political beliefs is met with scorn and accusations of extremism and bigotry.

As a Catholic and a father of three, I am deeply troubled by the legacy of moral decay we will be leaving our children and grandchildren if we as Catholics continue to remain silent. The reason that this secularism has been so successful in marginalizing Christianity is because many Christians leave their faith at home or at Church and not live it openly. Positive change in our society will only come about when we stop being afraid to let our faith permeate every area of our life both public and private. Father Larry Richards once said that God is either the God of everything in our life or he is the God of nothing. The point of that statement is that we can't compartmentalize God. Our faith in Him has to be a part of everything we do. Unfortunately many Catholics and Christians are allowing God to be marginalized and any mention of Him to be removed from our society. The results of that have been disastrous.

I started thinking about all of this more deeply after reading Men of faith should be involved in politics -- Moses is proof by Bryan Fischer and Be Brave - Be Uncomplicatedly Catholic. These articles raise two important points that many of Catholics seem to have forgotten. The first is that as Christians, God expects us to get involved with politics. The author used Moses as an example. I also see John the Baptist, and the Apostles as examples. John the Baptist and most of the Apostles were martyred because they dared to challenge the political leaders of that time by proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. These saints challenged unjust and oppressive anti-Christian rulers and willingly gave up their lives for their faith. Yet here we are 2,000 years later and we are afraid to publicly stand for our Church teachings because we don't want to be seen as intolerant or politically incorrect.

The second point comes from Be Brave - Be Uncomplicatedly Catholic, which is a review of the book The Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform, and the Future of the Church by George Weigel. In his book Weigel writes:

“The answer to the current crisis will not be found in ‘Catholic Lite.’ It will only be found in a classic Catholicism — a Catholicism with the courage to be countercultural, a Catholicism that has reclaimed the wisdom of the past in order to face the corruption of the present and create a renewed future, a Catholicism that risks the high adventure of fidelity.”

This goes hand in hand with what I have been thinking about. Unless we have the courage to be authentically Catholic - which means living in stark contrast to the culture around us - we are part of the problem and not the solution. As Catholics, God calls us to share His message not only through words but how we live our lives. Our actions will often have more impact than just our words. This includes speaking out and opposing our political leaders when they are advocating laws that are contrary to God's natural and moral law.

The truth is that our society today wants to shove our faith and our God in the closet and out of the public square. This hostile society wants us, as Christians, to be silent and just fall in line with everyone else. But God wants us to remember that only a dead fish goes with the current. Our duty as Catholics is to swim against that current and wake up this culture that has become intoxicated on its own "freedoms". It is our moral obligation to remind this culture that freedom is not right to do anything you want but the ability to do what is right.

The Archangel Song

I know the video is a little corny, but the song is actually pretty good. How I wish that Lady Gaga and most of today's pop stars would learn from this video and follow in the example its creators!

My Thoughts on Blessed John Paul II

I know I am a little late with this given the fact that Pope John Paul II was beatified a few weeks ago. However, I still feel compelled to share my thoughts on this amazing and holy individual. One of my fondest memories of John Paul II was during his visit to Los Angeles in 1987. Tony Melendez was doing a wonderful performance for the Holy Father. At the conclusion of the song, the Pope was so moved that he jumped down off the stage, and walked over to Tony and embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. John Paul II then told Tony that he was a courageous man that gave hope and inspiration to others and to continue to spread that hope. (click here to see a video of this moment).

I think that moment was a classic example of who John Paul II really was. He wasn't afraid to reach out to people to make a personal connection while at the same time proclaiming the message of hope. I grew up during his pontificate and look back fondly at John Paul II as not only a spiritual leader but also a true hero to so many Catholics. His profound influence on young Catholics gave birth to the terms "John Paul II generation" and "John Paul II priests". I personally know many young orthodox priests and Catholics that cite our late Holy Father as their inspiration.

In spite of his charisma and popularity, Blessed John Paul II was a man of deep humility and devotion. His papal motto "Totus Tuus" brilliantly reflected that. Those simple Latin words set the theme of his pontificate and his life: total entrustment of his life and ministry to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. (John Paul II credited those words to St. Louis-Marie de Monfort (1673-1716). "Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt," -- "I am all yours, and all that is mine is yours.").

I could on and on about the difference that Blessed John Paul II made in this world. From his part in the fall of Communism, to energizing thousands of youths at World Youth Day, to his amazing insights in the Theology of the Body, God worked wonderful things through John Paul II. He was a truly holy teacher, shepherd, servant and, to quote Tom Peters of American Papist, a "spiritual grandfather" to a generation of Catholics.

I remember watching the news when it was announced that John Paul II had died. I clearly recall feeling at that moment as if I had just lost a grandfather. These memories came back to me when I read Tom Peters blog post about John Paul II being our spiritual grandfather. I could think of no better way to describe the affection that so many Catholics of my generation had towards our Blessed late Pope. I'll end this with one final quote from Mr. Peters' blog post about Blessed John Paul II:

Thank you for showing us the light, the truth and the way, grandpa. We miss you.

Pro-Life Flash Mob Strikes Again!

I absolutely love this. Thanks to Jill Stanek for video.

One Christian's Perspective on The Death of Bin Laden

I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I busy studying for a certification exam for my job. I have been looking forward to getting back into blogging, but I wasn't expecting Osama Bin Laden's death to be the first thing I would write about. However, since the news broke, I have been struggling with what the right response should be to his death. My initial gut reaction was to celebrate like so many did across our nation. On the other hand, I know as a Catholic, that we should not celebrate at the loss of any life. So this has caused me to reflect on what the right reaction to this event should be.

I came across two well written articles today that I feel best describes what the most appropriate Christian reaction would be to this whole affair. The first piece is titled "Bin Laden died long ago" and is written by Presbyterian minister David Lewicki. The second is titled Osama Bin Laden! How Much Do You Love Your Enemies? and is a homily by Fr. Timothy Henderson. The main point of both was that we should follow the words of Christ to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us." This is a very radical way of thinking especially towards someone like Bin Laden. However isn't that what Christ calls us to do - live contrary to what the world is telling us to do?

As Fr. Henderson pointed out, this isn't about whether or not Bin Laden's killing was justified, but about how our reactions measure up to Christ's teachings. I'll leave you with a powerful excerpt from David Lewicki's post. Please read both articles above and take some time to reflect on the messages in each.

Beyond our feelings, Christians might also spend time considering our Lord’s call to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This is not easy. If we call ourselves Americans as well as Christians, we may feel a strong civic sense that what our government did in our name was the embodiment of public justice.

But our political identity and our identity as followers of Jesus are rarely reconcilable. Jesus did not meet enemies with violence. He asserted that the way to loose ourselves of our enemies was, counter-intuitively, by loving them and forgiving them — by wanting God’s best for them and believing in the Holy Spirit’s power to convert any person to faithful obedience. Jesus implied that if the Spirit does not convert them to goodness in this life, any judgment of their deeds is to be left in the hands of their creator — God alone. Our job is to never cease praying that they receive God’s blessing.

I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for 10 years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to peace. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week — but he died to life a long time ago.

I have wondered over the years what God tried to do to win him back to love. I wonder about the confounding ability of human beings to resist the love of God. I wonder about these things for Osama bin Laden and I wonder about same things with respect to my own life. Today, as I have many days before, I pray for my enemy — I pray him into the hands of the God of justice and of mercy.