Good morning folks - and boy is it an early one. I'm at Dunks at 4:50 am, a sure sign that finals are almost upon me. It's been a while since I did my last "Ask Ryan Anything," so I figure it's time for another Monday installment. I'm very busy today (2 papers and a final, even though technically finals don't start until Tuesday and boy do I feel like going to the dean over that!)... so, don't expect lots of blogs, but I will answer every question to the best of my ability.
Some good topics: To what degree of insane am I for doing another audition on Tuesday, so soon after my last show? What do I think of James Carroll's latest column? And what topics are going to come up on Tuesday's LeftAhead podcast?
There are a few things to chew at. Have at it.
Posts
12 comments:
Though the language wasn't as crude as Imus's, in his own way Sharpton's comments about Romney's religon are just as hurtful. Agree or disagree?
From what I've read, he didn't articulate his point as clearly as he wished - and that a better analogy would be John Kerry's gaffe about the President and the troops than Imus's comments. However, I readily admit it's been too long since I've followed that story anywhere resembling closely.
However, Sharpton has had a very large number of very offensive remarks over the course of his lifetime and isn't someone I look to as a leader within either the progressive movement or Democratic Party. I wish he were, but he's anything but. Furthermore, I've read some slightly disturbing ties in the past to rightwing types in order to solidate power, but again that was a while back and I can't remember all of the specifics surrounding it.
The important thing to remember here is that there are very few true "leaders" of movements in this country. A leader of a movement has to, well, lead it, but also buy into it, respect it, represent it well and do a number of other things. The only guy who really qualifies as that, right now, at least that I can think of, is Al Gore on Global Warming.
What finals do you have? I'm wrapping up a 20-30 page long accounting term paper and I want to cry.
Does Julian Tavares make you angry?
I knoww It's ask Ryan anything, but I MUST respond to that James Carroll thing. I'll be brief.
When I was in Middle School, my friends took me to an Evangelical Christian service that had rock music and yelling and hand waving and all that. When I got back I asked my mom why Mass couldn't be like that. She asked me whether or not I was thinking about God during the service. I said no, I was thinking about how much fun I was having. She asked what I thought about during Mass. I said usually God or my prayers or the scripture.
That really put it in perspective. Catholics don't go to Mass to make themselves feel better...we go to venerate and give glory to God. That's why I think the whole Evangelical deal is a huge sin...it's distracting people from the word of God and the glory of his Son and focusing it on PEOPLE and what PEOPLE say and do.
What do you think?
Along the lines of Imus - should Opie and Anthony have been fired for airing remarks about raping Condi Rice and Laura Bush?
I know they are on subscription radio, but isn't there some line of decency?
And would this story be buried the way it is if Rush talked about raping Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton?
Hey Joe,
My finals include Brit Lit, fake science (basically health class), native american history and i'm not sure what's going on my my multicult lit. I have a psych today that I want to rise up against the system to block (they're not fucking allowed to do that on the last day!) but i already sent an email once and she scoffed, so I can either take it up with the dean or suck it up and do horrible on it.
Why horrible? I had 2 papers due today, including a 15 pager, as well as 2 more papers due tomorrow. So, yea, this is why we have a no fucking final exam on the last day of class rule, I don't give a shit if was on the syllybus. Anyway, /rant off.
I basically agree with you on the religion point, though. I think any religion where you lose yourself emotionally is dangerous. It should be about intellect and understanding, not something akin to getting pumped up by the coach right before the big game... lol.
Julian Taverez is a bandaid. For his talent level, he's been doing fairly well. Even with him, we still have the best rotation in baseball. Lester will probably improve it come a few months.
Anon,
No, Rusch wouldn't be fired. After everything he's said and done on the radio - stuff far worse than Opie & Anthony.
I haven't really followed the story as closely as I'd have liked because of how busy I've been (typically I salivate for stories like that - talk radio is a part of the media and I'm obsessed about the media; I covered DePetro's firing very closely). However, from the clips I've heard them say, let's just say I have no problems with their firing, but I didn't hear a prolonged version to get the full story (not that I think it would change much).
Joe re: evangelical worship.
Well golly, Joe, just because you didn't think about God and scripture during that service, you somehow have concluded that the same was true for all of those around you? How presumptious of you! You were having fun because it was a new experience. Others there who grew up in the tradition were just as likely to be communing with God in this way as you do in the quiet pews of the St. Someone's Cathedral. Just ask any evangelical if all they're doin is groovin, then get back to me.
p.s. No, I am certainly not an evangelical, nor have I ever been or likely will be. But I can see blind judgement and presumption a mile away.
Westerners see a Buddist in a trance and think "What lovely communing with God", they see a Pentacostal and scorn their trance as artificial. A "whirling Dervish" is cool because its foreign, a snake handler is an idiot because he should be smarter than that. Its all bull.
Groovin among other fallacies related to scripture and theology, Laurel.
PS, I went to The Holy Ghost Parish, it's only a Cathedral if a Bishop has a seat there.
Um, Joe, take a poll next time you're at Mass. Unless its 9 AM on Wednesday (in which case there'll be 3 people there) I think you'll find a large proportion of us who are there that particular day out of habit, as a social thing, or because our mom made us go, and what we're thinking about in many cases is what we're going to have for lunch. We may be there to make ourselves feel better, but we're not all there for the same reasons as you. You may respond to the traditional approach, but many of us are more comfortable with other traditions which, whether you like it or not, also have a history and a theology in Catholicism. Since John Paul purged other strains of theology that didn't match his, we increasingly have no place to go.
Think about it, you regard any belief/practice that you disagree with as a sin, we're just as uncomfortable with the kinds of rituals you like, what are we supposed to do? I know, you're infallible and the only true Catholic, your way is THE way, but how would you feel if you were on the other side of the coin, a new Pope takes over tomorrow and you find out that your tradition is wiped away as if it never existed and it's only guitar Mass and liberation theology and pro-union anti-war anti-death penalty political Mass from here on in?
Joe--you know, James Carroll WAS a priest, and all. He's spent a good chunk of his life contemplating God and theology and ethics and the future of the Church. Isn't it possible that his opinion on spiritual matters is equally as valid as say, yours or mine or your mom's?
We have a long tradition of social justice in the Church that's focused on PEOPLE, and that's more important to me than, as Carroll puts it, "whether praying people sway or lift their hands or close their eyes or give themselves over to group elation. The issue is what they pray for, what values they attach to their fervor, how their religion makes them behave."
"WE" don't do anything, we don't all share the same brain or have the same thoughts and goals. We go to Church for different reasons and have different cultural traditions all over the world, whether they're mine, yours, your mom's, or Carroll's or the Jesuits or the Ciseterians or the Liberation theologians or the Paulists or. Carroll says "impoverished people depend on religion for meaning and hope....A piety that emphasizes rewards in heaven, downplaying the significance of the here and now," you say the exact opposite.
I'm from Abington, but I was in Whitman the day the substitute priest started going off on our state rep for being in favor of gay rights, when she was sitting right there. That's not what I go to Church for, but maybe that's what the Kirbys go to Church for, they seemed pleased. We're different.
It just seems like you'd be the first one complaining "anti-Catholicism" if Evangelicals or mainline Protestants or other Catholics started labelling your beliefs as "sin."
They do.
See:
Bob Jones III,
Bob Jones Sr.,
Jerry Falwell,
Pat Robertson....
I don't complain though. They're entitled to their opinions, albeit wrong.
For the record: Political discourse during Mass is just as out of place as an electric guitar. Of course the Kirby's would be pleased, given Ned Kirby's activity in the Mass. Lege for so many years, but it still has no place.
So Eddie, why do you go to Mass? What reason aside from veneration of God, Communion with Him and celebrate the divine sacrifice of His Son do you have to go?
I would never argue that religion shouldn't be a keystone in a person's character, I'm only questioning the service.
Anon, there are changes to tradition I don't agree with. Frankly, I would like to see the Tridentine Mass make a return, among other things. And clearly you are not well indoctrinated into Catholicism or left the church ages ago, or you'd already know that the Catholic Church is one of the loudest anti-war and anti-death penalty voices. You'd also know that certain strands of Liberation Theology are praised by the Church even though the Marxist attitudes and views of Christ as a revolutionary figure are against Catholic Catechisms.
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