Chris Paul

Musing

  • What does it mean, “I am a Catholic”?

    What does it mean, “I am a Catholic”?

    In my last blog post, I claimed to be Catholic. Well, I had to do some thinking about that, as a result of writing it. Especially since I haven’t gone to Mass but maybe three or four times in the past 40 years of my life.

    Well, I’m not sure how much of one I am. If it’s possible to be partially Catholic, I guess I am that. I see myself as Catholic Plus. As in, Catholic plus Rationalism, plus Stoicism, plus Skeptic, plus Taoist, all of which I don’t believe have too many contradictions with each other to maintain. As many contradictions as most humans carry, I estimate.

    I was raised Catholic and I still pray as one. Especially the “Hail Mary” which I feel (“believe” may be too a strong word, but as far as a skeptic can believe, I do believe), that this prayer has helped me through at least one especially difficult time, once especially when recovering from a sickness from which I have since recovered.

    I also feel that, growing up Catholic, that the other people in my family were good people, partially because of how Catholicism made them good. Do good. To treat others as you wish to be treated. The golden rule is the most important lesson. Second, the people I knew growing up were quick to forgive, as long as an offense was not intended or the offender was remorseful, and seeking forgiveness. I still identify with these people.

    But I think, after my prayer, the main reason I believe that I am a Catholic is that I don’t believe civilization would work without some system like Christianity, or for that matter, Buddhism. I know that critics will point out all the flaws in practice, that many wars have been started in the name of Christianity (and Buddhism, too), but I don’t think that this means that the systems are entirely failed. Both systems came about as civilizations were growing larger and more interconnected. In my opinion, aside from whatever mystical or spiritual causes, both came out of a demand for humans from different tribes and nations to have a way to live with each other. And both, when practiced well by their believers, do promote an order to society and a reduction in violence.

    I harbor a deep distrust of positions of authority in religion. Too many popes, bishops, priests have engaged in action which contradicts the teachings of their faith. This is probably why I don’t attend Mass. I also have a hard time believing in some of the dogma like the virgin birth and resurrection, which were common myths in many Near Eastern faiths (Assyria, Babylon, Egypt).

    To me, the essence of what this guy we call Jesus came to preach is that we should not act as if we belong to a tribe, but instead, to humanity. God has charitable love, “agape”, towards us. As such, we should show “agape”, charitable love, towards each other. My feeling of Christianity is that it becomes lost when focus is placed on other dogma. I disagree with those who say that we are saved only by believing. This seems like an absurd claim, that you can do any sort of evil, but if you only so as believe, you’ll spare yourself eternal damnation. It seems also to circumvent Jesus’ most important teaching.

    So, am I a Catholic? A Christian? I am both, I claim, because I agree with what Jesus said, and I try to live my life according to His order. And I pray. Oh, I do. I pray and pray.

  • How I pray

    I have an annoying problem. Physicians have not yet been able to diagnose it. This issue has kept me from sleeping many nights since late 2019. They say it’s not going to kill me, but they don’t know what it is. Of course, everything kills you, in the right quantity, and after the right amount of time.

    But I don’t worry about it anymore. I just pray.

    Since I’m a Catholic by birth, a Geographer by degree and by nature, how I pray is this:

    First I say the Lord’s Prayer, which is an excellent prayer (how could it not be?) because it only asks for Earth to be like Heaven, for bread and forgiveness, and reminds oneself to forgive others. And asks God to “deliver us from evil”. What a civilized proposition!

    Second, I say a Hail Mary. (And with no apology to Protestants except to say “sorry for you.”) At least I agree with the Protestants. I admit that it could very well have a pre-Christian origin. The Hail Mary is an expression of belief of a female being of supreme holiness. I don’t see how anyone could dispute this fact, after experiencing how gently it can rain sometimes in California.

    Then I pray for the well-being of my nearest relatives, and try to also remember my larger family. I also pray that their lives are filled with meaning and purpose.

    And then I pick a continent. Of the several places on that continent where evil forces are raining destruction down to innocent civilians. And I say, “Democratic Republic of the Congo: peace, love, forgiveness, healing”. I remember all the neighbors of the DRC. These include the Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Angola. I say each country’s name followed by “peace, love, forgiveness, healing”.

    I often am still awake by the time I say this for all the countries in Africa. Then I say, “Gaza: peace, love, forgiveness, healing”, and “Israel: peace, love, forgiveness, healing”.

    I generally am able to get through all the Arabian peninsula. Then I continue to Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia. I fly on angelic winds to pray for Afghanistan. Then I proceed to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.

    Sometimes I arrive over the Baltic states and pray for them, Poland, and Germany. I also pray for the rest of Europe, including island states. Then, I hop another angelic flight across the pond to pray for my country, the United States of America. We feel less united than we should be lately. We are in need of a lot of prayers. So please pray with me. Please pray for us.

  • Taricha torosa

    I admire how the California Newts will fall onto their backs, and then immediately get back upright.

    A dark hollow. Home. Smells like home. Shiny on the outside. Warm and safe inside.

    Taricha tarosa “California Newt”

  • Toph’s law

    As brilliantly discovered by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys in his work “Portal”, which lasted less than a week before having to be dismantled, I shall distill the results down to these words:

    Toph’s law: The humanity of a connection is inversely proportional to the product of the digital channels employed, the physical distance between the parties, and the time elapsed since their last face-to-face meeting.

    Alternatively, The humanity of a connection decreases as the number of digital channels increases. It is also reduced by the physical distance between parties and the time elapsed since their last face-to-face meeting.

    Formally:

  • New website

    The first words I have for my new website are not my own.

    Be conservative in what you transmit. Be liberal in what you receive. – Jon Postel, “Postel’s Law”, RFC 760, “DOD STANDARD INTERNET PROTOCOL”