This past week I presented the flag to the family of a U.S. Army nurse who had helped liberate Dachau. With her passing, there was one less person to recall the horror of those camps. One less person to stand against the Holocaust deniers. One less good person who could speak up and say, in truth, “Never again.” Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans are dying at an alarming rate. How will we remember the Holocaust after those lived... Read more
What exactly defines the good father? Is it that they are morally perfect? That they inculcate these morals into their children? That they are present at sports games and formative life moments? Is the good father also a good husband? Does there have to be a punchlist of what it means to be a “good father?” Much of it boils down to what we choose to remember of our own fathers. I can recall my father being decidedly imperfect. If... Read more
Ah, Lent; that time of year when Catholics turn suffering into a competition. Who can give up the most onerous and yet imaginative thing possible? “You’ve given up meat? That’s cute, I’ve given up eating all solid foods and now devote all my life to adopting stray badgers and raising them as my children!” I jest, and yet…there’s an odd characteristic of Catholics that makes us sort of enjoy being able to suffer more than someone else. Which, looking from... Read more
So, it’s a little weird to write what should have been the first post as the fifth post in on this thing. But 2019 is all about changing minds and mentalities, so let’s just go with this. Let’s talk about breaking our differences by breaking bread. What’s the point of this blog, anyways? It’s not to complain about religion or lack of religion in the military. Instead, it’s meant to a give an honest look at faith and religion inside... Read more
Okay, dear readers, it’s time we had a talk about cultural appropriation. No, I’m not talking about what you think I am; I’m talking about Catholic men who get all excited about comparing spiritual warfare to actual warfare, who militarize their own faith. Yes, I’m aware that the Church already has a fair bit of militarism about it, with the whole battle between heaven and hell, Saint Michael, and so on. I’m not talking about that; I’m talking about the... Read more
I suppose that it is inevitable to think about free will over the Christmas season – given that it is often preceded by a period of time where we ask children if they’ve been good or bad. Both of these concepts are, of course, relative to the child and the family: Christian, atheist, or otherwise. And this tends to get all caught up in the gift-giving as well. We generally present these as a sort of societal obligation rather than... Read more
It’s terribly easy to fall into a corny and “feel good” story mode during the holiday season, because that’s what we are taught. And over Thanksgiving, especially, we’re taught that it’s incredibly important for us to give thanks for literally everything. Of course, this usually results in uncomfortable moments around the table as people scramble for things to give thanks for that someone else already hasn’t said (Me, I’m always thankful for my health, because as Count Rugen says in The... Read more
We’ve all heard that old saw: “There are no atheists in foxholes.” It’s a nice thought for some, I suppose; that at the first sign of mortal danger all people suddenly discover hidden beliefs in eternal salvation and in a higher deity, usually somehow of the Christian faith. But of course, as with most adages, it is quite false. The military, it turns out, is not monolithic. It is a blend of persons from all walks of life; all backgrounds;... Read more
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