Today I spent the entire day, 8 to 8, babysitting three children 3 and under. I am so tired.The youngest child that I watched name is Thomas More, after the saint. His name started me thinking. More was the great defender of true justice and proper union of Church and state. How can we do the same? What is the ideal balance for that union here in the U.S. You're thinking" Whoa Kate, one world issue at a time please". Here in Missouri we are facing a greater evil than Thomas More faced. We are about to put to vote whether or not we should legalize the cloning and slaughter of human embryos for"potential" "cures" (a.k.a not really gonna work treatments or therapies) when everyone knows that adult stem cells are the only ones that show any scientific promise. What would More say?
The future of America lies in the hands of all of the good solid families that do things like name their children after Saints. What are we going to leave for them? One of my favorite More quotes states " Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be" I think that one of the only ways we're gonna be able to fight the evil of these times is by the constant discipline and correct formation of our minds. Why are people buying the lies of the Culture of death about abortion, the pill, homosexual lifestyles, and embryonic stem cell research? They are uninformed. A nation of silly puddy minds can be easily bent. We are intellectually flabby. We can't REASON for ourselves. It is such an easy pattern to fall into and so dangerous. The brutality of indifference!
More really knew what he was doing. He never allowed his children to be idle. He made sure they were always being useful by studying, working, or gardening. Through their father's guidance their minds were always being challenged to see the grandeur and wisdom of God in everything they did. More knew that this would not only increase their chances of personal sanctification, but it would keep the inflammitory and selfish thinking that was pervading their country and their government from affecting their ability to distinguish between what was true and what was not. More reached the balance that all Catholics are called to reach. The balance of perfect reason and perfect faith. Deep spirituality paired with a deep intellect is so powerful. I guess that's why I want to go to California next year. I see the opppurtunity for that kind of education at TAC. With the same kind of approach I believe it's possible to be able to live the message of Vatican II to its fullest. It's the greatest culture rocking evangilization tool that we have.
So let's hit the books! Even if it is a Chemistry book.
It's amazing what a day of babysitting will do for you.
posted by Bernie @ 7:14 PM
6 Comments:
At 8:11 AM,
Anonymous said…
Good ideas, Kate. But I think that you should be careful not to make comments that you don't mean. It's not such a big deal in a blog but in your career it could be. Like saying 'everyone knows that only adult stem cell research will be productive' or however you worded. That isn't true. We don't know that nothing can be done with embryonic research. We only know that it is immoral to do embryonic research. So don't justify something with a different argument than the one that actually justifies it. And calling people "silly puddy minds" will probably not assist them in reaching the Truth.
But More was a pretty cool guy. And your general message was great. kudos.
At 4:56 PM,
Emily said…
1. Leading research scientists are bold enough to say this, Gabe:
"Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led scientists to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult blood forming stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 30 years. Certain kinds of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, given the right conditions. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases." -The National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
So, where do you get off beating up on my sis for being optimistic?
2. You stated "We don't know that nothing can be done with embryonic research."
Now, the problem is that we're dealing with future contingencies (which are neither true nor false), but we do have scientific probabilities and authorities who are not afraid of stating the facts:
'Embryonic stem cell research has provided no treatments:
Ironically, given all the hype, embryonic stem cell research offers NO treatments or cures and in fact has proven to produce defects such as tumors. Hence, "none of the major biotech companies in this country - none of them - are putting their money behind therapeutic cloning." (Leon Kass - Former Chairman, President's Council on Bioethics)'-Missourians Against Human Cloning (www.nocloning.org)
3. Despite the spelling faux-pas, I think my sister is completely justified in her simile. The minds of America are the consistency of silly-putty; even if it's unpleasant, it's a statement of fact. Intellectual rigour is hardly a hallmark of our media-ridden populous - I doubt you'd claim THAT.
What I suspect you are saying is that it's not charitable to tell people they'e being weak minded. While I think that this statement may be correct in some circumstances (practical wisdom is ever determined by the particulars at hand - not in principles, but in their manner of application), confrontation is not of itself an evil, and telling someone that they are only caving because it's easy is occasionally a much-needed reality check. Ask More - he thought so: "I die the king's good servant, but God's first."
4. And lastly - Kate is a Harrison. We rarely say things we don't mean, and we definitely never write things we don't mean. If you want to argue about whether it's right for us to think what we're thinking, then fine - but we ALWAYS mean what we say.
So, yeah, hope that clears some things up. :)
-Pax Christi,
(Big Sister) Emily
At 6:33 PM,
Anonymous said…
First of all, Kate, your older sister is very cool. I have much respect for her.
Emily...
1a)That is a great quote and a very positive one. However, it is an irrelevant detail. I said nothing in my comment that in any way knocked the great usefulness and scientific goldmine that is adult stem cell research. Read what I said. My comment was merely pointing out that what Kate said was incorrect. Not "everyone knows that adult stem cells are the only ones that show any scientific promise." This is simply untrue. Not everyone knows that. I would assume that Kate knows that not everyone in the world is as knowledgeable as she is and so I assumed (apparently incorrectly) that what she wrote was not exactly what I meant.
1b)Point out to me, if you wish to, where I knocked your sister's optimism in my comment. I find no knocking of optimism in my words. If they were interpreted to be attacking or derogatory in any way, I apologize for not speaking clearly enough.
2a)Thank you. I was somewhat rushed this morning and didn't think to check up on the current situation in the scientific field. I am glad to know that no companies are deluded in this issue. However, that doesn't change the fact that pro-choice advocates are still deluding people into thinking that it will work.
3a)Your sister's simile may have been apropos, regardless of its spelling. I don't know whether the brain of a homo sapiens is actually like silly putty or not. I have never looked into it. However, you make a good point. As you said, I am saying that the way Kate said it was uncharitable (you don't need to mention that my statement is true under some circumstance...we are only talking about one specific event here)Uncharitable means unloving. We are called to love all people at all times. I realize this is difficult to do in person. So why not make every effort when typing since it is easier?
3b)I didn't say that confrontation is wrong. I agree with Thomas More. The Truth needs to be told. However, and Thomas More would agree with me, it needs to be done charitably. What good comes about from telling someone the truth if you hate them while doing it? (I do not mean to say that Kate was being hateful...I merely think it was not said as charitably as possible)
4a)Familial pride is honorable, especially when justifiable. Reading your comment reminds me of my own sister and the pride we share in being Jakubisins.
4b)Never and always are very strong words, Emily. I shouldn't need to tell you that. Your comment smacks of arrogance and perhaps blindness. I think that, as I mentioned in (1a), you would agree that Kate made an incorrect statement. I don't think you can argue that point unless you want to argue semantics and say that 'everyone' doesn't mean "everyone." I wouldn't recommend it though. You are left with the position of saying that your sister "always" means what she says and therefore was openly and purposely advocating a position that is both incorrect and immature.
God bless you, Emily, and you, Kate. I love you both as sisters in Christ. If at any point my tone of voice(type) was sarcastic, I am sorry. I might have times even been uncharitable, although I hope I haven't been. Please forgive me if you are injured, but take my words into consideration, as I do for you.
If you would like to pursue this issue further, I am more than willing. If Kate would prefer we not use her blog comment board for this purpose, feel free to email me. Kate has my address.
I assume you are older than me, Emily, since you are Kate's older sister and she is my age. If I did not properly respect my elder during this conversation, again, my apologies.
Pax Christi,
Your Brother in Christ,
Gabriel A. Jakubisin
At 6:42 PM,
Emily said…
Gabe,
It had occurred to me that there were a couple of things you might mean by your statement, but I took this:
"We don't know that nothing can be done with embryonic research. We only know that it is immoral to do embryonic research."
to mean you were uninformed on the issue at hand - out of which ignorance you chose to say that all we knew was that embryonic stem cell research was immoral. While that's the biggest problem with it it's not the only issue, as I, consequently, pointed out.
Kate's statements reflected the nature of the facts - everyone who knows the science knows that there is no future in embryonic stem cell research. Full well we know that there are a great many people being duped, but they're being duped by people who are lying through their teeth. Our Irish ire gets up at that - and quite justly so, I think.
Also, a minor point about your approach - this is Kate's BLOG. It's not a public forum, it's not listed on websites as a place to gain information on this subject, and it has a limited number of readers consisting entirely of her friends and family, all of whom agree with her entirely on life issues. She uses this venue for communication and support. Now, I am a bit curious as to why you wanted to publicly rap her knuckles on the issue of charity when it's obvious that she's struggling with the same frustration many of us are dealing with on the battlefield. I sympathize with Kate's frustration a great deal - this embryonic stem cell issue is a demon of a thing to fight against. In Missouri, and especially in Kansas City, things are really, raelly heated. Do take her into consideration when posting here for everyone to see, and even if you do object to something she says don't talk down at her on the site - e.g.:
"It's not such a big deal in a blog but in your career it could be."
Emphasis on the last half of the sentence. Ouch, Gabe. Don't always think of yourself as her peer, now, do you?
There are a few people justified in making comments like this to my sister, and although I take a great deal of exception to YOU doing so I have to admit that I generally think myself to be one of them, as I am three years older and her sister. BUT, even if she were being much more difficult than she currently is I wouldn't have talked to her like this in front of everyone else. An e-mail would've been a much better idea. PLEASE consider such things before you post. It was NOT very nice of you.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Emily
At 9:10 AM,
Bernie said…
Gabe and Emily,
I apologize for my comments being the means of such a disagreement. Gabe's ubrupt first post greatly frustrated and annoyed my because I felt greatly put down and judged. Gabe and I ARE equals and I don't appreciate the fact that he felt the need to tell me when I mean what I say and when I don't. That itself is uncharitable. I do mean what I say when I say it. I'm not stupid. I'm sorry that my comments on the general state of the American intelligence were offensive. I was not judging any one group of people for being uninformed or intellectually susectpible. It is not the fault of the uniformd that they are uninformed(More has something to say about this in his "Utopia"). It is our fault. It is our vocation to educate them. I did not intend to be or seem uncharitable in any way and I apologize Gabe for offending you in this way; I ask your forgiveness.
The issue of embryonic stem cell research is a very emotional one for me because of it's status in my home state. The prospect of my state being the one to lead the entire country into grave moral error is a very very scary thought to me, and sometimes when I feel scared or threatened I let my thoughts come out too quickly. My point was to try and point out the irony that emryonic stem cell research, for 20 years of research, has not shown half of the promise that adult stem cell reasearch has shown and actaully shows that it has greater chances of major health health risks, such as tumors. And yet they still are pushing to protect it in our constitution. In my mind is the gretest infringment on common sense that I have seen. Not only that but it will bring the soul of our country into jeopardy.
The night I wrote that I was scared and worried for the children that I had watched. I wanted to say something about it as a natural reaction to want to do something about the thoughtless and blind actions of those with money and power that are bringing their ability to live their lives with freedom and without fear into jeopardy.
To most of the people who read this blog, I do not have to explain all this. This blog being one that mainly my closest friends and family visit, they know very well my speech pattern and can read my words in the spirit that I mean them. I have only said a couple of words to Gabe in person so he does not have the advantage of knowing how to read my blogs in the right light, by no fault of his own of course.
My older sister is pretty cool, which is why I asked to to get on a read this debate. I greatly value her opinions, I believe that they have been rightly formed with great care and wisdom. Not only does she also mean what she says, she sounds really good when she says it; a gift I do not possess. Emily is a senior at TAC which means she doesn have a tad bit of arrogance in her tone. It rubs off after the first year or two after graduation. (;
Yah well my spelling is beside the point....
"4b)Never and always are very strong words, Emily. I shouldn't need to tell you that. Your comment smacks of arrogance and perhaps blindness. I think that, as I mentioned in (1a), you would agree that Kate made an incorrect statement. I don't think you can argue that point unless you want to argue semantics and say that 'everyone' doesn't mean "everyone." I wouldn't recommend it though. You are left with the position of saying that your sister "always" means what she says and therefore was openly and purposely advocating a position that is both incorrect and immature."
I take great offence and hurt at this particular column, it "smacks" of sophistry. You succeeded only in offending and insulting both my older sister and I and making no valid point at all. I did not make an incoreect stamement, there was a misunderstading of what I meant. And again, I do not need someone whom I barely know telling me when I being immature. I would apprecaite it if you would take Emily's advice by emailing me if you feel you need to counsel me in any of my character flaws or if you have a major problem with what I say instead of coming off insulting in front of my family and friends.
The Love that is shared by all in the body of Christ is extended back to you Gabe. Let us pray for each other.
pax domine sit semper tecum
Kate~
At 10:20 PM,
Anonymous said…
I was wrong and only my arrogance wouldn't let me admit it immediately. I am sorry. Please forgive me all whom I have offended.
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