Category: Culture

In the aftermath of the recent election I have noticed a tendency toward extremes. I’d like to point them out and counsel something of a via media.

There is no doubt that we have been through a difficult and painful election cycle. There were many strong, acidic, and even hateful things said by the candidates and their supporters; the knives were surely out. Even within the parties there were strong differences. It is clear that we are a very divided land.

And thus there are very different reactions to the results. Sadly, at least among the most vocal, two extremes are apparent. Some see catastrophe while others think that all of our country’s problems will be solved. Some demonize; others canonize. Neither extreme is helpful or accurate.

To those who see catastrophe and those who see utopia, I would point out that this is not the first political earthquake in the United States nor will it be the last. But we did not elect an autocrat; we elected a president. And like others before him, he is going to have to deal with our political process within a divided land. He will encounter resistance and will be forced to negotiate and compromise; the founding fathers deliberately designed it this way. Previous elections considered as great upheavals (e.g., the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and the 1994 shift to a Republican majority in the House of Representatives) did bring about change, but not overly dramatic change. Whatever the campaign rhetoric of the candidates, political reality tends to temper the results.

To those who would canonize the President-elect or any political leader, or who would see him as “God’s choice,” I say, beware. Some people can become inordinately devoted to a candidate, so much so that they seem to believe that he or she can usher in the Kingdom of God! Every leader is flawed, some more deeply than others. Frankly, Donald Trump is a hard man to categorize—politically or otherwise. Mr. Trump’s campaign promises are in accord with the Church’s position on abortion and religious liberty, but he is not with us on other key matters such as euthanasia, immigration, and likely LBGTQ-related issues. I’m sure that we will have to deal with his administration and Congress on an issue-by-issue basis. That a candidate is right on certain important issues does not mean that we should be unquestioning of his views on others. When we grow too devoted to a candidate, reflection often shuts down and we don’t issue the challenges we should. This is true with respect to political parties as well. No party perfectly reflects Catholic teaching; Catholics in both parties have many reasons to challenge their candidates and the parties with which they are affiliated. And yet there is only marginal evidence that such challenges take place. Mr. Trump is not aligned with the Church on some important issues. Even those who support him and are pleased with the outcome of this election should be prepared to issue challenges. I will be publishing an article at the National Catholic Register with more detail in this regard.

To those who would demonize our next president, I admonish that no Christian should succumb to the temptation to use the sort of vitriolic language we saw during the campaign, both from the candidates themselves and their respective supporters. There are legitimate concerns about the character and behavior of the President-elect as well as his stated views and policies, but comparing him to Hitler or using demonic terms to attack the man and/or his family is lamentable. Neither should the language and behavior at some of the anti-Trump rallies over the last few days infect our own speech and conduct. The scriptural stance from St. Paul regarding our leaders is clear: I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered on behalf of all men for kings and all those in authority, so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior (1 Tim 1:1-3). And remember—when St. Paul wrote this, Nero was Caesar! When it comes to Mr. Trump, we ought to skip the invective and start the prayers.

Finally, with all this outward focus on the federal election cycle, it is time to rebalance our priorities. For most Americans, Washington is a world far away. Perhaps now is the time to devote more attention to the things and people closer to home. We ought to tend more the vineyard of our own soul. The problems and sins of the world are not isolated to Washington; they exist in our own souls, too. We should focus more on our families and communities and seek to improve them; Washington should not get all of our attention. Washington is not irrelevant, but neither is it all-important. It is time to find the proper balance.

These are just a few of my thoughts as a pastor. Avoid the extremes and find a via media, a middle way.

Some years ago it was popular to say of television, “It’s not the medium, it’s the message.” This was in answer to critics who claimed that watching it “rotted the brain.” The retort was that there was nothing wrong with the medium (television) per se, but with the message (vapid sitcoms, etc.). Television could be used to great ends if the message was right.

While television can be used to broadcast good material, there is significant evidence that watching it is in fact deleterious, especially for more than an hour a day. The flickering screen, with the picture angle that changes every eight seconds or so (according to an industry guideline), is devastating to the attention span of the viewer. The fact that it is a purely passive medium, used more often to entertain than to teach, does not help either. At least with radio, the imagination is engaged. No so with television, which supplies just about everything to the passive viewer. None of this helps us or prepares us for true human interaction, in which changing the channel is not an option, entertainment is not always the goal, and the viewing angle isn’t constantly changing. Most teachers will tell you that the average attention span of today’s youth seems to be dismally short.

And now we have added to the mix our cell phone screens and earbuds. The tune-out from real relationships has deepened, attention spans are even shorter, and a kind of particularism has set in wherein I reject you or tune you out because you aren’t exactly what I want right now. Forget reality, bring on the virtual reality!

We see it everywhere:

1. Bored children sit in classrooms, almost incapable of staying focused to listen to the simplest instruction, sneaking peeks at their phones for something more interesting.
2. Teenagers at family gatherings barely speak to one another, let alone to the adults; they sit alone in a corner with their earbuds in, lost in games or videos on their phones. Trying to break in with a simple “Hi” yields a grunt or irritable glance in return. And don’t expect any eye contact!
3. Even in public places like the subway or the sidewalk of a city street, many people are lost in their devices, inwardly focused, barely noticing the humanity around them.
4. I recently asked a priest personal director what he thought was the biggest difference between younger and older clergy. I expected him to say something about theological differences, but he surprised me by replying, “Younger clergy do not answer their phones. They just text.” It seems that real conversations, even if only by phone, are on the outs with a generation raised on electronic devices.

In a thoughtful article published in First Things, Patricia Snow writes about the effects on high school and college students of extended immersion in cell phones (and other devices). I want to take up her call: “Look at me!” She begins by describing the problem and its symptoms:

Inevitably, in some of our young people espe­cially, we are reaping deficits in emotional intelligence and empathy; loneliness, but also fears of unrehearsed conversations and inti­macy; difficulties forming attachments but also difficulties tolerating solitude and boredom. … The teachers tell … that their students don’t make eye contact or read body language, have trouble listening, and don’t seem interested in each other, all markers of autism spectrum disorder. … Students are so caught up in their phones, one teacher says, “they don’t know how to pay at­tention to class or to themselves or to another person or to look in each other’s eyes and see what is going on.” Another says uneasily, “It is as though they all have some signs of being on an Asperger’s spectrum …. [Yet] we are talking about a school wide problem.”

That’s right, the effects of becoming lost in our devices lead to semi-permanent problems and symptoms we usually attribute to autism spectrum disorders. This affects not only human conversation, but even more so the conversation with God that we call prayer. Snow writes,

For all the current concern about technology’s effects on human relationships, little or nothing is being said about its effects on man’s relationship with God. If human conversations are endangered, what of prayer, a conversation like no other? All of the qualities that human conversa­tion requires—patience and commitment, an ability to listen and a tolerance for aridity—prayer requires in greater measure. Yes, here is the one conversation Satan most wants to end.

So here is the problem: there is an increasing loss in our ability to relate to other people and to God. The virtual is prized over the real, fantasy over reality. What God actually offers us is dismissed as of lesser value and we become more deeply locked in our own little world. It is a perfect recipe for Hell since it also describes it: turned in on oneself and away from God and others.

What is the way out of this descent into a self-enclosed virtual world?

Simply put, the solution is in the eyes. Ms. Snow details one therapeutic approach in the treatment of autism as follows:

In the protocols developed by Ivar Lovaas for treating autism spectrum disorder, every discrete trial in the therapy, every drill, every interaction with the child, however seemingly innocuous, is prefaced by this clear command: “Look at me!” If absence of relationship is a defining feature of autism, connect­ing with the child is both the means and the whole goal of the therapy. … Eye contact—which we know is essential for brain development, emotional stability, and so­cial fluency—is the indispensable prerequisite of the therapy, the sine qua non of everything that happens …. There are no shortcuts to this method; no medica­tions or apps to speed things up; no machines that can do the work for us. This is work that only human be­ings can do, with their human eyes and human voices …. In this work of restoration, the child’s gaze comes back first. In intermediate, breakthrough moments, she greets her father when he comes home from work, and calls her mother for the first time ever in the night.

There is a need for all of us to have extended “unplugged” time, time spent with no phones or screens. Power the devices down or put them away. Leave the virtual world and re-enter the real world. Look one another in the eye and have conversations. Eat dinner with your family; sit in the living room together and just talk.

Most cell phones have a feature (sometimes called sleep or do-not-disturb mode) that silences the phone unless a call comes in from someone on a defined list. This permits calls from close family members to get through, but nothing else. I set my phone in this mode from 10:00 PM until 9:00 AM. During this time, I take no calls or texts; I’m unplugged.

Eye contact is so important! Really looking at the people in your life is essential for wholeness and holiness. To us who are collectively straying into these autistic manifestations, the cry must go up, “Look at me!” This is a summons to the person inside, too often lost in his device or listening through his earbuds, to look up and out. The summons is tied to the concept of human respect. The word “respect” means literally “to look again” (re + spectare).

Consider well what you must do, lest you get lost inward. Our life cannot merely revolve around the device screen. It isn’t just the message that can harm us; it’s the medium as well. We were made by God for relationships—true personal relationships, not just virtual ones. Our relationships with one another are meant to enrich and complete us. And how much worse it is if our relationship with God fails. The very purpose of our life is to be related to God to an ever-greater degree, and one day to be perfectly united to Him. It is, of course, Satan’s dream to sabotage our relationships on every level.

Consider these questions:

1. When do you unplug each day and for how long?
2. Is there a consistent time each day when you are not interacting with your device?
3. How frequently do you check your device when you are in meetings or with others?
4. Do you ever just turn your phone off and put it away?
5. How often do you eat a meal with your family? Are family members on their devices during these meals?
6. How much of your day involves silence?
7. Are you able to fall asleep in a dark, silent room, or do you need a light on and/or something playing in the background?

I suspect that the answers to questions like these will vary quite a bit with age. But to some extent, the concerns expressed here affect us all.

Give some serious thought to what our devices have done to us personally and collectively. Relationships and their quality matter a great deal. The most important things in life aren’t things at all. Yes, “Look at me” is a powerful and necessary corrective. Our eyes are too easily fixed on what mesmerizes us, rather than on what heals us, challenges us, and helps us to become more whole, more complete, more holy, and more human.

Look at me!

I had an interesting discussion with Matt Hadro on EWTN’s “Morning Glory” radio show about the rising number of “nones” in our country. When asked for their religious affiliation, “nones” do not identify themselves as atheists or agnostics, but rather check the “none” box. They tend to be dismissive of “organized” religion and generally believe that it is acceptable to construct a purely personal religious view and understanding of God.

Indeed, we live in times when many people make light of the fact that others do not believe in God or relegate their faith to a solely personal and largely irrelevant aspect of life. This attitude exists even among many Catholics who, though believers themselves, don’t seem to be overly concerned that others are not. What seems to be of greater concern to most believers—Catholics included—is that a person be “nice.” If a person is determined to be “nice,” little else seems to matter.

Frankly, all of us should be concerned by the rise of unbelief in our culture, whether it is atheism, agnosticism, “none-ism,” indifference, or the rampant secularism that relegates God to the margins. We should be concerned because unbelief on a wide scale (as is the case today) is not only unhealthy for a culture, it is dangerous to it.

This danger is fairly obvious when one considers that unbelievers (and most “under-believers” such as “nones”) think that they answer to no one. When one no longer acknowledges that God exists and sees everything, “reinvents” God, selects what he likes from what God has commanded, or doesn’t understand that he will ultimately have to answer to God for what he has or has not done, it is easy to ignore important aspects of the moral life.

Realizing that we will one day answer to God is an important reminder that we are not a law unto ourselves. The knowledge that we will not ultimately escape if we treat others with contempt, engage in serious injustice, live unchastely, or indulge greed, is an important curb on sin (or at least a call to repentance).

This observation does not mean that every unbeliever or “under-believer” lives a reprobate life. There are atheists who live exemplary lives, who exhibit natural virtues, whether they do so because it is to their benefit or simply because they have some ethical sense that comports with the right reason.

But, other things being equal, having large numbers of unbelievers who do not think that they are ultimately accountable for what they do or fail to do is never healthy to good order, morality, or virtue.

Further, when belief is lost by many, so is a common moral reference point. The Judeo-Christian moral view formed the basis for modern law, justice, constitutional rights, and ethics. While sectarian differences obviously existed in the country for 200 years before this rise of unbelief, there was basic agreement on the essential moral issues, based on a biblical worldview. The rise of unbelief has caused this moral consensus to break down. In its place there has arisen a tyranny of relativism, in which numbers matter more than reason. The one who wins is the one with the loudest megaphone, the most power, and the greatest influence.

This, too, is dangerous to a culture. Without a shared cultus, there can be no real culture. The word cultus refers to a reference point (God and His revelation) that is above and outside a culture, that is bigger and more lasting. Without that shared cultus, that devotion to someone higher, there can be no culture.

Today, when we cannot agree on what makes a marriage, or even on something as obvious as whether one is male or female, the tyranny is starting to resemble anarchy and nihilism. No culture can withstand such a basic undermining. Problems of this sort are civilization killers.

Thus, belief is not only important—it is critical. We cannot go on relegating this matter to the realm of the purely personal and largely irrelevant. Being “nice” is not enough. We must be accountable to God and see Him as authoritative in our life. If we are to survive we must do this, both individually and collectively.

The First Commandment says, I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2). This is not some egocentric God, demanding worship and that He have no rivals. This is our loving Father, who knows what unbelief does to us. When we reject Him and/or turn to other gods, we are harmed immeasurably. We lose our way and inherit a lawless and confused world, in which the tyranny of relativism holds sway and no one thinks or acts as if he will one day answer for what he has and has not done.

Do not make light of the rampant unbelief in our world today. It is far more serious than most imagine. God commands the most serious things for our own well-being. The First Commandment is that we believe and that we call others to do the same. There is a reason that it is commandment number one!

One of the less edifying aspects of the Summer Olympics in Rio is the attire of the women’s beach volleyball players from Western countries. Most of the women wear a tiny bikini with the bottom being especially tiny. (I do not show a picture here because I deem it immodest to do so. Instead, I show a picture of some of the men, whose attire I mention below.)

Frankly, playing volleyball in a tiny bikini seems quite unnecessary. I would argue that it detracts from the sport because it distracts from the sport. The attention doesn’t seem to be drawn to the ball, shall we say. I would further argue that the attire encourages the focus not even on the women, but on certain aspects of the women’s bodies.

I can understand that swimmers (male and female) wear tight and sometimes abbreviated swimsuits to lessen drag in the water. Gymnasts, too, often wear brief and/or tight clothing to improve their performance and maximize the mobility of their limbs. The clothing is thus at least somewhat performance related.

But I can see no performance enhancement brought about by the wearing of tiny bikinis. Some will point out that the bikini top in question acts as a sports bra. Fine, but men wear supportive attire, too; but they do so under their shorts, not out in the open.

The Egyptian women’s beach volleyball player shown in the above photo illustrates that it is possible to compete quite well without wearing a bikini. One could argue that having short sleeves and shorter leg coverings might be cooler for the players. The impact on performance of wearing the hijab is debatable, but it is worn tucked in and did not seem to bother the women who wore it. These women played and competed well in a sport that is relatively new to their country and region.

Men’s beach volleyball attire also illustrates that near nudity is not required to play the sport well. The men do not play wearing tiny swimwear. They wear ample shorts along with t-shirts or tank tops.

I realize that each time the question of modesty has come up on this blog there are some readers who want to dismiss such discussions and emphasize the right of people to dress as they please. They believe that any sexual temptation aroused is almost wholly the fault of the viewer, not the one wearing the attire.

Modesty should avoid excessively burdening people. It seeks a middle ground wherein the one who dresses and the other who sees share responsibility. The one wearing the attire should not be burdened with difficult requirements, nor should the viewer be burdened by facing undue temptation. Mutual charity and concern are the goals.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of modesty as protecting the mystery, chastity, and dignity of the human person.

Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. … Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. … Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet (CCC 2521-2522).

As always, comments are appreciated, but I have found in the past that discussions about modesty are often difficult to have in a way that is helpful or charitable. Reasonable people may differ on the details of modesty. Modesty does involve a range of options, influenced by circumstances and the sensibilities of cultures. I have articulated here that I see no need for tiny bikinis in this sport and that I think more modest attire is important. If you disagree, please explain the relationship you see of the brief bikini to the sport, considering that men in general and women from other cultures who compete do not see the need to wear so little. If you agree, please remember in your comments that the imputation of motives to individuals is a sketchy and usually uncharitable thing to do. Everyone, please use care when commenting.

I am often struck by the mystery of the relationship that dogs and cats set up with their owners. While I realize that we humans often project what we want their behavior to mean, I am still fascinated by the reality of how our pets come to “know” us and set up a kind of communication with us.

Dogs, especially, are very demonstrative, interactive, and able to make knowing responses. Cats are more subtle. My cat, Jewel, knows my patterns. She also knows how to communicate to me that she wants water, food, or just a back rub. She’s also a big talker, meowing each time I enter the room. I wish I knew what she wanted.

Yes, this interaction with our pets is indeed a mysterious thing. I am not suggesting that animals are on a par with us intellectually or morally; Scripture is clear that animals are given to us by God and that we are sovereign stewards over them.

But animals, especially our pets, are also to be appreciated as gifts of God. Scripture is also clear that animals will be part of the renewed creation that God will bring about when Christ comes again in glory:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6-9).

Hence, when Christ from His judgment seat shall finally say, Behold, I make all things new (Rev 21:5), and when with John we see a new heavens and a new earth (Rev 21:1), I have little doubt that animals will share in that recreated and renewed kingdom where death shall be no more (Rev 21:4).

They are part of the Kingdom! Without elevating pets (no matter how precious to us) to the full dignity of human beings, it is not wrong to think that they will be part of the Kingdom of God in all its restored harmony and beauty.

Maybe now, in the mystery of our interaction with our pets, God is giving us a glimpse of the harmony we will one day enjoy with all creation. Scripture says,

For indeed, creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:19-21).

Yes, creation itself is eagerly waiting the day when God says (in the words of an old spiritual), “Oh, preacher, fold your Bible, for the last soul’s converted!” And then creation itself will be set free from its bondage to death and decay and will be gloriously remade into its original harmony and the life-possessing glory that was once paradise.

Perhaps the mystery of our pets is that they are ambassadors for the rest of creation, a kind of early delegation sent by God to prepare the way and begin to forge the connections of the new and restored creation. Perhaps they are urging us on in our task of making the number of the elect complete so that all creation can sooner receive its renewal and be restored to the glory and harmony it once had. Who knows? But I see a kind of urgency in the pets I have had over the years. They are filled with joy, enthusiasm, and the expectation of something great.

They show joyful expectation! Yes, there was a kind of joyful expectation in the dogs of my youth: running in circles around me, dashing to greet me when I arrived home, and jumping for joy when I announced a car ride or a walk. My cats have always sauntered over to meet me at the door with a meow, an arched back, and a rub up against my leg. Somehow our pets manifest this Scripture passage: Creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed (Romans 8:19).