Thank goodness Muslims have the hajj and not Christmas

Otherwise we might not learn anything about it.  For its part, the MSM continues to do a good job covering Muslim religious practices and customs. What's holding back the 'shoe styles for the modern pilgrim' stories is beyond me.  Perhaps a new found respect and admiration for the role that religious belief plays in the life of most human beings?  Maybe.  The fact that the MSM is scared out of its pants when it comes to Islam?  Perhaps.  The fact that Islam is, and this is important, not Christianity?  I wouldn't doubt.  As it is, there have been many stories from various outlets covering the different parts, practices, and pilgrimages of a host of Islamic holy days and festivals over the last year or so.  I find it fascinating, though guess it probably isn't nearly as complete as most practicing Muslims would prefer.

Nonetheless, it's a massive improvement over what Christianity will get.  Turkey day, that day we shuffle our feet about lest we spend too much time on the religious/genocidal heritage of the holiday, is quickly being absorbed into our annual glorification of Mammon. And the holiday formerly known as Christmas will receive its annual passing references around the 24th and 25th.  Beyond that, and some typical 'the Jesus story was a myth!' sensationalism on some cable channels and monthly periodicals, most of the coverage will be about anything other than the Christian connection to the holiday.  Prizes for anyone who finds coverage of the season of Advent, the part in which Christians historically prepared for the celebration of Christmas.  Christmas itself didn't break out in festivities until after Advent.  But our dear friends on Wall Street would not have us miss an entire month of valuable shopping, so 'Christmas' is that time somewhere in July that ends about three days before the 25th, when stores begin getting ready for Valentines Day.

Some special prizes to anyone who sees a day to day series of stories covering the twelve days of Christmas, or the Feast of Epiphany, which closes the season of Christmastide.  Or for that matter, any mention of the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  That's the day historically set aside to remember the slaughter of the infants by Herod as he sought out the child Jesus.  Bet you won't find any Hallmark cards calling that one to mind.  All in all, America's annual celebration of commercialism and consumerism has long displaced that holiday once centered around the baby in a manger.  Even in Catholic circles, it's difficult to remember that the holiday isn't over on the 26th (or for some folks the evening of the 25th: It's all over for another year!).  On the 25th, it's only beginning.  If the MSM covered it that way, folks might actually believe it.  But unless the media follow their recent trend inspired by giving Islamic practices space and respect, and transfers that approach to covering Christian holy days, I doubt anything will change in the minds of most Americans.

The Royal Engagement and the Beatles on iTunes: Two stories I don't give a wit about

Why?  First, the royals.  While it's all interesting and whatnot, I guess I got burned by the wedding of the century when I was a kid.  You know, the one involving Prince Charles and Lady Diana.  Not to mention the fact that several news outlets are praising the young prince's willingness to let all those old traditions and moral anachronisms be set aside for a splash in the wellspring of modern narcissism and hedonistic post-Christian livun'.  So count me as one who will gladly watch a National Geographic special on the art of whale gutting in the arctic rather than waste my time following this one.  If the Royal Family was interested in preserving the best of what England had to offer, I might.  But as of now, it doesn't look like it's produced much more than a new generation of European post-moderns.

As for the Beatles, that's a little stranger.  I count myself as quite the Beatles fan.  I have all of their CDs, a few old time LPs, many old, now unused, cassettes, and myriad books and other fan paraphernalia.  So why don't I care about this? One reason I don't care could be I have the CDs and can just download the songs onto our digital receptacles as need be.  Another, however, is that I think I've grown up.  Not that I don't have my child like love of things such as running through cemeteries at Halloween or snowball fights at Christmastime or playing games with my children.  But I'm trying to stop being a kid disguised as an adult.  And one of the first things that go when that occurs is the end of living centered around the pop culture universe.

That's not to say I don't like movies here or there, or still listen to the Beatles, Van Halen, 80s music, or whatever.  I just don't live there anymore.  I'm tired of being part of a generation proud of the fact that it's forgotten how many Commandments there were, but knows the name of the latest kid Brad Pitt adopted.  I'm weary of a society that can't name the Vice-President or tell me how many Supreme Court Justices there are, but is all aflutter over who will win Dancing With the Stars.  And that means while I enjoy the Beatles' music, and even their life stories, I no longer sit on pins and needles waiting to obsess about the next cleverly designed marketing campaign meant to make filthy rich a bunch of people who couldn't care less if I lived or died. 

So for the next day or two, I will have to stomach story after story about two things I feel I've grown out of in order to hear a little bit of attention focused on the serious things of the world.  But I guess I can cheer up.  In a couple days it will be reduced to one superficial story as all focus turns to the release of the latest Harry Potter movie.

Pietro Sambi to the USCCB: Evangelize! Evangelize! For God's sake Evangelize!

About time. The apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, has told the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that it's high time Catholics get serious about evangelizing.  Of course this can mean many things, and the reasons why the Catholic Church in America is floundering in terms of evangelism are legion, for they are many.  It takes a parish, diocese, and national Church committed to evangelising, finding ways to proclaim the Gospel by deed and by word, and making darn sure when people show up to see what all the fuss is about, they aren't made to feel like someone just dropped in the middle of the Amazon basin. 

I studied both history and theology, but when I first began visiting local area Catholic churches, I was as lost as I ever could have been.  Nothing made sense, and I was already pretty well versed in the liturgical rites of the Anglican communion.  I still had to wonder what was happening.  My wife and kids, raised solely in the Baptist tradition, were even more confused about what was happening.  With no family or friends in the Church to guide us, we were as confused as I ever had hoped to be. Finding ways to break down those walls of wonder, making sure visitors are treated like guests, making sure we Catholics aren't inadvertently living up to anti-Catholic stereotypes, and being sure that the leadership of the Church is involved and supportive are all essential elements to effective spreading of the Good News.

In related news concerning our ever silly public education system:

West Potomac High School declares 'No more 'F' for failure!' Meanwhile Mike Shanahan, coach of the Washington Redskins Evil European Imperialists, will pressure the NFL to stop posting the games' scores so his team won't feel bad and will try to do better. 

Jay McDowell demonstrates how Homosexuality is the hammer with which the Left will crush failure to embrace Righthink

So a video has gone viral.  Many do.  Why is this one special?  Because it helps the MSM advance the cause of homosexuality, which I am increasingly convinced it could not care one wit about.  Rather, it is advancing the primary tool with which the Left will crush opposing viewpoints in the name of diversity and tolerance.  Apparently a teacher demanded a student who had a confederate belt buckle strip it off in the light of liberal dress codes.  Then as a result, two students who got into what is described as a heated debate over gay rights were immediately expelled form the classroom. The school board, laboring under the delusion that schools are where a free and open exchange of ideals can take place, punished the teacher. 

Now, gay rights advocates are pouring from the woodwork to defend this champion of the homosexual juggernaut.  Rightly did he demand conformity to the dogmas of the gay rights movement, and justly did he punish those who in their ignorance and bigotry failed to conform to the Righthink of the post-modern Left.

Some once thought that abortion would be the battleground over which the soul of America would be fought. But despite media and cultural attempts to portray it as a fight between stupid religious neanderthals and enlightened, caring, loving, and well dressed secularists, it just didn't pan out that way.  Plenty of traditional religious folks defend some level of abortion rights, and plenty of otherwise liberal, non-religious folks get the heebie-jeebies about treating human life in such a way.

But homosexuality is a whole 'nuther ball game.  Basically those opposed to it more or less cling to a more traditional viewpoint, usually one founded upon traditional religious beliefs.  Therefore it has become the preferred method by which the post-modern Left seeks to demand conformity to its dogmas, and punish those who fail to obey its precepts.  Second rate citizens, marginalized bigots, religious zealots: these are the labels waiting for our children in the public schools who fail to obey the absolute Truths (TM) of the post-modern Left, starting with the acceptance and celebration of homosexuality and every other sexual expression apart from a traditional marriage between man and woman.

President Obama offers greetings to Muslims for Eid-ul-Adha

Nothing really news here.  I'm sure some folks deep in the weird world of ultra-conspiracies will see something. But this is what the president does.  That these things haven't happened before merely illustrates the growing influence of Islam in America and the rest of the world.  That's no big deal.  The only thing that would make this a big deal is, come Christmas or Easter, President Obama does nothing specific for Christians, like singling the days out as a uniquely Christian holiday for reasons Christians believe.  For that, we'll have to wait and see.  But for now, this should not be another call for folks to run around and declare a vast, cosmic conspiracy by President Obama and the Islamic world.

Skating on thin ice: a parable

Imagine a pond.  Beside the pond is a sign that says 'Stay Off, Thin Ice.'  Now consider an individual who wants more than anything to skate on the ice.  Now imagine there are two individuals next to him.  One is a conservative.  One is a liberal.  The conservative says, "Don't do it.  If you do and fall through the ice, you're on your own.  Don't see why I should help.  You know better."

The liberal says, "If you feel compelled to do it, for whatever reason, go ahead.  Don't worry, we'll get you out somehow.  Even if others have to die to save you, or we have to deplete our accounts to build rescue equipment, it doesn't matter.  The important thing is doing what you are driven to do.  Follow your passions, your desires, above all things.  There is nothing that shouldn't be sacrificed in order for you to do what you want, or what you are compelled to do by your own desires."

And therein lies the problem.  Our modern division between liberal/conservative is one that has done little to help the average person.  After all, how many people look around today and say 'gee, things are better than they've ever been!'?  We've reached a point where most old values have been discarded, and we are encouraged to do what we want to do.  Despite our tendencies to be compassionate, we are given plenty of excuses to let people stew in their own juices.  And yet there is nothing out there to suggest we really are happier, better off, more fulfilled than ever before.

In fact, just the opposite.  Whether it's a pandemic of teenage suicides, unprecedented levels of drug dependency, or a genera malaise toward living, the indicators are that a vast sea of people in our nation are feeling left out, missing something, floundering in the wake of two ideological warships locked in mortal combat. 

The reason could be the extremes from which we are left to choose.  It shouldn't be 'do what you want, consequences be damned', not matter why you may want it.  Nor should it be 'everyone for themselves, if you screw up, you're on your own.'  A good, Christian, alternative should be, "Hey, don't skate on the thin ice.  No matter what, no matter why you want to.  Don't risk if.  It could be thin.  You could break through and die.  And others could be impacted by your decision.  But know this everyone else: sometimes humans in their weaknesses will sneak out and try the ice just because they are human.  When that happens, we should work together to do what we can and save them." 

In the same way, Jesus handled a situation many years ago on the streets of Jerusalem.  When a woman was dragged from the act of adultery and tossed at the feet of Jesus, the pundits of the day thought they had him where they wanted him.  She was caught in the act of adultery.  The Law of Moses makes it clear what must be done: death by stoning!  But Jesus would have none of it. Famously, and in the part everyone loves to quote, Jesus asks that the one among them who is without sin cast the first stone.  One by one the rocks, those rocks held in hand eager to do the throwing, begin to drop.  Realizing the degree of their own sins, they got the point.

Then Jesus walked over to the woman.  In another statement often quoted on shows like Oprah, and other post-modern venues, he asks her if there is anyone left to condemn her.  No doubt shaken, she looks around at the thinning crowd and realizes that all who were there ready to stone her to death have dispersed.  There is no one left.  Jesus then says, "Neither do I condemn you."  Now this is one of the favorite passages by those on the more liberal side of the tracks.  I've heard entire sermons centered around this line.  This is telling the skater, "Don't worry, no doubt you had to skate on the ice, it was beyond your control, it was you affirming your desires and passions. We would never, ever condemn or criticize you in any way for fulfilling your desires, no matter what the outcome." 

But Jesus doesn't merely say, "Neither do I condemn you."  He says, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more."  It's that last part that is missing in our post-modern age.  Sure, the sometimes self righteous condemnation from the right, or worse, the Darwinian philosophy of everyone for himself, can sound as cold and callous as a mob with stones in hand ready to pounce.   But the other, that there is no condemnation which means there is no moral absolute, no truth beyond our right to fulfill our every desire, is no less flawed; no less disastrous, as the body count in the wake of the deplorable sexual revolution should more than attest. 

It is the combination.  The Christian faith says 'there is no condemnation, but go and sin no more.'  For there is sin, sin for which we will all be held accountable.  It is not 'skate if you want, everyone else can suffer to affirm your desires.'  Nor is it 'skate if you will, and if you fall through the ice, then screw you.'  It's 'don't skate, because you and others could be hurt.  But if you do, we'll do everything we can to save you...so that you will never do such a thing again.'  Having that as the foundation of our modern value system could only help, given the disastrous legacy of the two fallacious choices with which we have been left in recent decades.

MSM continues its play by play of the hajj

Another interesting story that follows the developments of this annual pilgrimage.  So far, the stories about shoe styles and material shortages are at a minimum, as the media focuses on what the hajj is, what it means to Muslims, what its purpose is, and why it came to be.  I'm sure a scholar focused on studying Islam would find many things missing, many valuable pieces of the puzzle being left out.  Still, it's enough to give some basic information to non-Muslims about what is happening.

On the other hand, wait for that holiday formerly known as Christmas.  On December 24, the MSM will begrudgingly mention the fact that Christians do some things centered around the 'belief' that Christ was born here or there.  This will usually follow a month of consumerism and festive materialism, with the only religious references being the media's annual 'everything about Jesus was really a myth' stories.  I hope Muslims enjoy it while it lasts. 

Another inconvenient free expression of speech falls victim to the bloody axe of Big PC Brother values: University of North Dakota style

Or should I say bloody tomahawk.  Yes, I see the sensitivities involved.  By as a person of Irish lineage, perhaps it's time to dispense with the Fighting Irish?  No, I would never be so small, so petty, so insistent that everyone in the world change to conform to me.  But then I make a bad post-modern American, where focusing on myself and expecting the world to adapt to me is the MO of enlightened living.

Muslims around the world begin the hajj

Good for them.  I wish them the best.  One of the things I admire about Islam is its reliability.  Unlike so much of Christianity, that has tried through compromise to make friends with the increasingly anti-Christian West, Islam continues to do its thing.  Not deterred by pressures or threats, it stays true and faithful to the dictates of its faith.  Only a few years ago, when Christmas fell on a Sunday, what did churches around the United States do?  They closed.  Canceled services in keeping with the time honored tradition of Christmas being a super swell holiday all about family and fun and commercial festivities.  That religious stuff just needs to be put outside the kitchen door next to the dish of milk.  And so we did.  Of course the flip side is that when a religiously ignorant and uninterested media covers something like the hajj, expect stories about logistical problems, travelogues featuring Muslims advancing values shared by the post-liberal media, and cutsie anecdotes about the latest shoe styles for the Muslim pilgrim.  That comes with being a part of our post-religious Western culture.  Either Islam will be absorbed into that or, my bet, will make radical changes once its ability to influence the West has finally taken seed.

Jim Swilley: CNN's latest Superstar

Why? That's not difficult.  Because he is the leader of a mega-church who has recently left his wife and admitted he is gay.  That's the key, by the way.  He left his wife, dissolved his marriage, threw that last vestige of archaic values in the trash heap.  Unlike Ted Haggard, he put his sexual orientation above all things.  He affirmed the importance of the individual above everything as priority one, all other priorities rescinded, all other considerations secondary.  That last part is important for advancing modern 'progrssivism', which Jim Swilley's church appears intent on doing.

As for CNN, don't expect questions about his church's doctrines.  CNN is probably peopled largely with post-Western secular progressives who know less about theology and religious doctrine than I do about nuclear physics.  If they even care at all.

The point about this is CNN continuing to advance the homosexual juggernaut.  Obviously CNN, like all news outlets, is advocacy based.  Whether FOX, NBC, MSNBC (obviously), or CNN, it's the agenda that matters.  CNN's recent exploitation of teenagers who committed suicide, throwing any non-gay considerations or victims under the bus and focusing in disproportionate ways only on those who were gay, is an example of were advocacy can start to develop a foul reek. 

For his part, Jim Swilley will be interviewed, focused upon, celebrated, and given carte blanche over the next few weeks.  Cases of hatred or mean spirited attacks from those who oppose Jim Swilley will be paraded across their screens, with never a sincere, serious, and mature discussion on the various issues involved.  Viewers will hear nothing about The Church in the Now except it is a mega-church.  But I will say this.  CITN is not alone, and the development of the post-denominational mega-churches, and the increasing power and influence they have on the here today, gone later today face of Protestant Christianity, is one of the driving forces behind my movement back into the historic Catholic Faith.

Cindy McCain illustrates increasing rumors of divorce between Republicans and social conservatives.

Let's face it, Ronald Reagan brought the famous 'Reagan Democrats' into the fold largely because of the ineptitude and weakness of leadership displayed by Jimmy Carter, and promised by Walter Mondale.  That's not to say they loved everything Reagan ever did or said, contrary to what such prominent proponents of Reaganology such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity would have us believe. 

Nonetheless, one place of agreement between many old timer Democrats and Reagan was his social conservatism.  Whatever his views as a younger politician were, by the time he became president, it was clear his leanings had slid decidedly to the right.  This created a bit of a dilemma for the GOP, which has always been peopled by a fair amount of individuals who could care less about social conservatism or religious traditionalism. 

This is best illustrated by the fact that subsequent presidents and presidential candidates have wavered when it came to maintaining such key issues as abortion limits and stopping the homosexual juggernaut.  Topping the list of reasons why social conservatives are at least suspect of Republican leaders' commitment to their causes is the fact that their wives have, almost to a woman, been to the left of center.  Advocating embryonic stem cell research, pushing for gay rights, and advocating abortion rights has been the clear view of every First Lady since 1980.  Republican or Democrat. 

Notice that in the spiel Mrs. McCain she uses typical anti-religious imagery.  Religious leaders want to tell LGBT youth that they have no future.  So says Mrs. McCain.  That's not a thoughtful, clear response to the issue or argument in behalf of a position.  That's out of the old 'Be Liberal or Be Evil' playbook of advancing progressive dogmas.  If Mrs. McCain views things this way, it's not hard to see why Senator McCain is only lukewarm about fighting for those issues social conservatives have repeatedly seen pushed into the closet after every major election cycle.

Perhaps that's why the Tea Party has captured so many imaginations.  There are those saying they are willing to abandon the GOP to their love and worship of money.  There are those willing to lose (Christine O'Donnell) rather than elect someone who will jettison their cherished values.  Perhaps I'm reading a bit into the wives' influence on the politicians.  But I can't help but believe that the half hearted support religious conservatives have received from the GOP in recent decades has to be connected to that somehow. 

For the record, I have no intention of telling LGBT youth they have no future.  I do have the intention of telling my boys the truth.  For instance, homosexual men are more likely to get HIV than dying of lung cancer if they were habitual smokers.  But that's for another post.

Congratulations Ohio State Buckeyes.

A solid, and classy, win over Penn State.  It's nice to see two coaches who respect one another compete.  Respect, an almost forgotten word in our day.  Anyway, it looked desperate going into half time, but whatever Jim Tressel said in the locker room did the job.  The Buckeyes came out in the second half and never looked back.  But for our disappointing loss to Wisconsin, this could have been a stellar year.

And would someone please tell me why Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher isn't one of the most talked about players in college football?  I've seen Olympic gymnasts with fewer twists and turns than he has when he makes a successful play, and once his hands touch the ball, the glue holds every time.  Definite professional prospects.

Obama leads a diminishing nation

A good friend of mine, Ron, who currently lives in Hungary, sent this along:

"Obama is diminished because America is diminished. One thing he has destroyed, perhaps for a very long period of time, is its real prestige. Prestige is based on a kind of fear or awe and not on supposed “affection” which counts for nothing in the hard calculus of the world.


That awe was compounded not just of America’s strength, but to something Ralph Peters once called “The Old Magic”; the idea that somehow America had a kind of greatness, a sort of mojo that raised it above the low places of the world. Obama is proof, or seeming proof, that it does not.


“How could we have elected this man” translates to “how could the US have elected this man?” when viewed from the outside. Americans are palpably foolish after all, must the conclusion. This is in a smaller measure, what Malayans discovered about the British Empire when their armies were being marched from Singapore to build railroads for the Japanese for a handful of rice and knock on the head. Britain was supposed to produce Wellingtons and Nelsons. What Singapore showed was Perceval’s greatness was only the sham greatness of the Raffles Hotel social set. How hollow it was.


When people discover the Old Magic is gone; that the Presidents and the Secretaries of State are human after all they begin to think, “they’ve lost the mandate of heaven”. Gee, these guys are foolish.


Ironically every time conservatives throw a brickbat at the President that sticks it diminishes the prestige further. The truth is, American would prefer an President who was great; who bestrode the world stage. Who embodied the Old Magic. Not Hope and Change from a box of crackerjacks. On the day that the world regards him as a clown is the day America itself shares in his shame. After all, like or not, he was elected to the Oval office.


Paradoxically even Obama’s enemies have an interest in not seeing him make a fool of himself. But it is unclear whether anything can be changed now, if he’s determined to play the jester to the end. It just has to play out, to run to its sad, whimpering end, like a Greek tragedy, in the desperate hope there’ll be enough pieces left to pick up when the party’s over."

It's from a website called Pajamasmedia.  I know nothing of that site, and don't condemn or condone its contents.  The above piece has some interesting insights, but like so many things, there is more to be said.  What strikes me about this, as well as the linked story from which it was lifted, is how many are searching for ways to spin President Obama's trip.  No one is making the point that it was a rousing success.  Everyone admits things are not looking good.  That's what I notice.  When the debate is no longer 'is America a great nation or a dying nation', but merely 'why is it dying and who's fault is it?', then you know we are in deep. 

The first part of the last Harry Potter movie is coming out!

Just in case someone missed the media blitz over the last month or so.  You always know when you begin seeing stories about the shoes this actor wears, or who that actress is dating, that a movie is on the horizon.  From the beginning, the MSM has loved Potter, and has been one of the chief promoters of its empire.  Why, I don't know.  Popular culture is everything nowadays.  But the fact that so much of our modern media loves the franchise suggests it probably isn't because Harry Potter is jot and tittle a rewording of the Christian gospel, despite what some Christian Potter fans would like to believe. 

In fact, one of the weirdest phenomenons in the whole story of Potterville has been the backlash against religious fundamentalists that has been almost as, well, radical as the original fundamentalist reaction to the books.  While the usual suspects came out at the beginning and labeled Harry Potter as the textbook of Satan, a stalwart bunch of Christian fans of the series fired back.  Not only was it not of the Devil, but soon it became a reflection of the Eternal Truth, where every page and paragraph oozed Christian Gospel.  More than that, some (oddly enough in the blogosphere) went so far as to suggest only idiots or those whose spiritual being was somehow deficient could ever miss the fact that the Potter Saga deserved to be placed somewhere between Matthew and John.

Perhaps it's just me, and maybe because I haven't read all seven of the books, but from what folks have said, what Rowling has said, and the general response to the books has suggested, I must be dumb or spiritually inept.  For I don't see a series of books written by a sage scholar of the deepest insights trying to promote the orthodox Christian faith.  I see a woman who, as my oldest boy has said in so many words, is a decent author but a phenomenally brilliant and capable business woman.  One of her greatest gifts (powers should we say) is the ability to speak to a diverse range of fans and convince them that she is writing for them.  She's not dead.  She didn't pass from this world a hundred years ago, where debates about her intentions and themes are the stuff of academic theory.  She's alive in the Internet age.  And yet she still maintains groups of fans who insist she speaks to them, that her books are a celebration of post-modern new age occultism, or a validation of European secular liberal values, or a tome laying down the framework of the traditional Christian faith for a new generation.  All insist they are right because she is more brilliant than a Washington politician when it comes to saying just enough, but never more.

I have my own opinions, of course.  And it's not because I have anything against the books.  I think they are cute; the early ones especially are nice children's books.  Prisoner is my favorite, and I think the best of the series.  The later ones perhaps had her overreaching her writing abilities.  But overall they appear rather inoffensive, and have a few nice lessons like self sacrifice and loyalty.  There are also a few lessons not so nice, particularly the idea that authority is always to be resisted and when you're the good guy, there's no rules, just right. 

As for why the change in style and, to be blunt, quality?  Some of the confusion could be, like my oldest (and our resident expert on the Potter books) said, her books appear to have two distinct phases.  The early ones, when she was just beginning, appear to be part of an overall storyline that she was developing that find its crescendo in the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban.  Somewhere between book four (Goblet of Fire) and book five (Order of the Phoenix), things change.  Many fans, and critics, argue the books loose a little there, are not as well written, and generally try to go too many directions at once.  

Why?  My guess is, and at least one theory I read suggests, she realized a major change had to happen.  The first books give every impression that Harry was the tragic hero, doomed to die or suffer some Frodo-like fate to save the world.  But as HP became the first fruits of the new era of international market access, a development that has opened the door to unprecedented success for such stellar works as the Twilight series and Avatar, it became clear a major change had to take place.  Harry could never, ever die.  No way.  There is a multi-billion dollar international Potter Corp. to consider.  Get rid of Harry, and it's all over.  My other boys attest that while still somewhat popular, Harry Potter has been eclipsed by other works over the last year or so. Harry had to live, to go on, for multi-billion dollar corporations must be maintained.

Yet even a cursory reading of the early books suggests Harry was being set up as the great, tragic hero, something Rowling herself hinted at many times in early interviews.  So when it became clear that killing off Harry would have been like killing off Mickey Mouse, changes had to happen.  Other characters had to be elevated so that when the time came, and the promised final book was released, the 'tragedy' would still happen - in that key figures who had become major players could still be offed in order to fulfill the requisite 'this is an unusually tragic tale for a kid's book' - while keeping the principles alive for that magical day when Rowling could forget her lifelong promise (that there would only and ever be seven Potter books), and begin laying the groundwork for more returns for the stockholders books for her loyal fans.

At least that's my guess.  All of this is to say be careful how one plows into the modern artificial world of popular culture.  If corporate heads and politicians are merely corporate heads and politicians, that may sometimes apply even to those whose products we admire.  Sure, for those who looked at Harry Potter and said it's of the Devil, unless you can prove it beyond 'it has wizards doesn't it?', consider backing off and not making the Christian faith look stupid.  But for those who attempted to elevate it to the level of St. Rowling and the Holy Potter, consider that she simply might be a decent author who is a brilliant business woman, promoting a mixture of classical themes that Christianity certainly can claim, but also infusing it with plenty of European post-modern notions of individualism, anti-authority, and affirmation of anyone for any reason who does anything as long as they are not a baddie.  And when the magic dust has finally settled, its main purpose may have been focused on maintaining yet one more multi-billion dollar corporation above all things.

Toys R Us appears to heart money more than family or tradition

It looks to me like Toys R Us has made it clear that there is no god but money, and the bottom line is its profit (a little wordplay there, if you don't mind).  As the increasing intolerance of anything that doesn't let to net financial gain creeps into our commercialism society, the glaring problem behind a financial theory based only on the bottom line is becoming clear.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Capitalism without a heart and soul, or dare I say a Christian foundation, is no better than Communism.  Well done Toys R Us.  I think we'll look elsewhere for our kids' toys this year.

Spanish court cowers before Islam

Like most of the post-Western world, Spanish progressives are founded on an abiding hatred of their own heritage. That heritage includes Christianity.  Other faiths, cultures, civilizations are considered superior in every way.  So it's no surprise that a court has ruled it was no big deal when Muslims broke into the Cordoba Cathedral and held their own prayer services - against the wishes of the Catholics whose Cathedral it is.  Despite it being done by force.  Despite violence breaking out on the part of the Muslims.  Despite there being a law in Spain against such assaults on religious faith.  The court has ruled no big deal.  Why? 

First, because the Western liberal movement is based on a loathing of its own Christian heritage.  All other beliefs and faiths, once again, are superior.  Second, many on the Left are scared to death of Islam, and tend to do their best Dr. Smith from Lost in Space impersonations when confronted by a resolute Islamic movement.  Third, let's be honest.  Many on the Left consider anything not of Christianity to be allies against the common enemy.  Spain has been moving radically toward a hostile rejection of its Christian roots.  This is simply one more movement in that direction.

We need only ask if Christians broke into a mosque using violence and intimidation, if the result would have been the same.  I doubt it.  First, there would have been an international outcry.  Second, the likelihood of Muslims across the world turning out to protest such an action, even violently, is rather high.  Third, Christians don't issue fatwas.  Despite the insights of such intellectual giants as Joy Behar and Tavis Smiley, it would appear that most people, when push comes to shove, don't really believe Christians are more violent than everyone else in the world today. 

All in all, one more step in the West's final and ultimate rejection of its Christian roots.  And if that has to include increasing violence against the religion that helped bring its culture to life, so be it.

America's continued decline

Another story illustrating the decline and fall of the American empire.  But most don't see a big deal here.  Like Madeleine Albright once inferred, it will be a great day when America has been brought down to size.  Though I wonder if some Americans are starting to get a little nervous by statements like these:

The G-20's failure to adopt the U.S. stand has underlined Washington's reduced influence on the international stage, especially on economic matters. In another setback, Obama also failed to conclude a free trade agreement this week with South Korea.

Sometimes I don't care about tech stories

But I had to post this one, about a fellow who, apparently having missed his flight, threatened on Twitter to blow up northern England's Robin Hood airport.  Of course he's insisting that it was only a joke.  He was charged and fined.  Everyone is up in arms.  But to be honest, the only thing that made me want to post this was the fact that I didn't realize England had an airport named after Robin Hood.  How cool is that. 

With President Obama's Asian trip, we get egg roll

My favorite headline was on Yahoo news.  It read 'Despite setbacks, Obama claims stronger hand in global dealings.'  That's akin to saying 'But for having fewer points, we won the game.'  All of this being an attempt to put a positive spin on Obama's whirlwind Asian tour.  As far as I can tell, while talking with India he more or less accepted the post-American position that it's good America is no longer the lone super economy in the world.  Then he went to China and was smacked around for a while.  After that he went to S. Korea to salvage a quickly sinking trade deal.  And then went to the G-20 summit and asked other countries to help protect us from bullies like China.  Wow.  Proud to be an American after that.  I don't fault President Obama entirely.  His progressive attitudes lead him to believe that if America learns its place, the rest of the world will simply right itself and bring equality to the planet.  But much of the wreck he is dealing with was handed to him, and from more than just the previous eight years.