Futurelawyer

Does God Care Whether We Pray In Latin?

Pope Francis Bans Old Latin Mass. The older I get, the more I realize that neither ordination nor being a Pope means that you can tell other human beings whether and how to believe in, or pray to, whatever God you imagine. In fact, human based organizations, like the Catholic Church, or any other Church group, for that matter, really have some stones to try and tell the rest of us what to do, or what to say, or how to pray, or whether to pray. So, forgive me if I say to Pope Francis, I will pray in Latin if I choose to do so. Maybe I am just getting contrary as I grow older; but, while I respect the rights of others to believe whatever they choose to believe, I certainly have no desire to set out rules for their lives, short of protection of all humans from violence or abuse. Laudate Dominum and Dominus Vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo.

 

Easter Sunday

Bok Tower Gardens. For Christians, this holiday commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Regardless of whether you are a believer, the history and the human connections is worth studying and remembering. For the non believer, this is still a happy holiday, filled with rabbits, Easter eggs and the celebration of Spring. We are on the earth such a short time. We honor all beliefs, recognizing that no human really knows anything; especially about the future. I will spend the day with my bride having a picnic in one of the most beautiful spots I know.

Holy Wednesday And The Bargain Of Judas.

The Bargain Of Judas. In the Christian tradition, today, Holy Wednesday, marks the Bargain of Judas, or the contract that betrayed Jesus, made between Judas and the Chief Priests. As a lawyer, I have always been fascinated by this part of the story, grounded, as it is, in a bilateral contract between two actors. The consideration, we are told, was 30 pieces of silver ( a tidy sum in those days), in exchange for information as to the location of Jesus and the time he would be there. Like a modern day police informant, Judas was paid for information. Unlike a civil contract, there is no enforcement mechanism in the law for breach; but, I suspect that Judas would pay a severe penalty for lying to the priests. Regardless of whether you are a believer, the remainder of this week is the stuff of history, and the stories themselves are fascinating. All of human greed, emotion, passion, love, hatred, and the full range of what it means to be human are found in the history. Each day has its own special story. Have a Happy Easter.

The End Of A Liberal Arts Education System

A recent tweet by friend, Michael Wade, of Execupundit fame, called my attention to a University planning to phase out History and Philosophy and Religion from the curriculum. New suggested programs include Sports and Recreation Managment, and Performing and Cinematic Arts. They also want to add Law, which is my profession; but, I have a hard time believing I could have become an effective lawyer without a background in Philosophy, History and Comparative Religions. It could be a blessing that sending a kid across the country to a private University becomes the exception and not the rule; and, if this is what Universities are teaching, along with how to avoid inconvenient or disagreeable speech on campus, I applaud the coming education apocalypse. Add Missouri Western to the list of colleges I wouldn't pay a dime to educate my kids. Jeez.

What Was Found In Christ's Empty Tomb?

What Was Found in Christ%u2019s Empty Tomb?. On this Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the Risen Christ. A human being who dies, and then rises, challenges everything we think we know about science and physics and the world in which we live. Some believe the Shroud of Turin is a medieval forgery; but, the science of the carbon dating is questionable. The science surrounding the Shroud, however, is, in the opinion of many scientists, incontrovertible. Read the science, and then decide if you believe. But, even if you don't, wouldn't it be a great thing if more people in our violent, insane society, believed in love and redemption? Just sayin'.

#TBT - Questions And Answers

The next time that someone tells you something that you are not allowed to question, whether scientist, cleric, or anyone else, remember this Richard Feynman quote. Feynman recognized that nothing is absolute, and we don't really "know" anything. This is the ultimate statement of his science and his physics; but, it applies to every human endeavor. As lawyers, we are trained to know that. 

"I would rather have questions with no answers, than answers which cannot be questioned."

What's Next? Selling Naming Rights For The Vatican?

Vatican Rents Out Sistine Chapel to Porsche For Corporate Event - First Time in 600-year History. Are you kidding me? I am all for the liberalization of the Church's attitudes and rules about marriage and other man-made restrictions on Catholics. I draw the line, however, at renting the Sistine Chapel to Porsche. Now that I think about it, however, the new Diocesan Cathedral here in town would make a great car dealership. The dealership couldn't be open on Sunday; but, the rest of the week I never see anybody in there anyway. We could move all the cars to the parking lot, and have a drive in Mass. I can see the signs now: "A car deal made in heaven!" Or, "These cars are what God would drive!" While we are at it, let's get the priests and nuns out selling cars. They don't make very much money, and they could add to the retirement fund. Jeez.

 

In Other Words, It's Better Than Your Neighbor's Xmas Light Display

The Crab Nebula Is a Swirling Cloud of Electric Purple Light. This image of the Crab Nebula got me thinking about the Xmas Light displays that seem to populate the suburban landscape this time of year. We Americans seem to take our joy in increasing the number of lights every year. I have nothing against this in principle (fun is fun); but, my idea of front yard displays is a couple of blow up figures that take 5 minutes to hook up, and a string of hanging lights that look like they took more than 3 minutes to hang on last year's hooks. Perhaps we should be looking skyward for our Christmas inspiration. Up at whatever God we believe in. Peace on earth. Please.

All My Heroes Are Nuns

Obituaries | Jacksonville.com. I was sorry to learn of the passing of Sister Margaret Victor, the Sisters of St. Joseph nun who terrorized me into obedience and studiousness in the Sixth Grade at St. Paul's School in Jacksonville, Florida in the 1950s. One of my schoolmates remembers that we called her the "Evil Eye" because of her withering stare. I credit her insistence upon discipline to much of my success and ability to focus diligently on tasks. I find it interesting that we don't much consider life influences until one of them passes from this earth. The obituary photo shows the softer habits that nuns have adopted in recent years. In the Fifties and Sixties, their brows were covered in starched white, and their collars looked like starched torture. I always attributed the stern demeanor to the uncomfortable clothes. However, the schoolhouse discipline that is missing from modern day education made us into better students, and, ultimately, better human beings, better prepared for the challenges of adult life. Thanks, Sister Margaret Victor. Go with God.