Irish Catholic: Protestants, Bible Thumpers, Mary MacKillop, Sainthood, Gays and Lesbians, Mardi Gras, Catholic Confessional, Heaven and Hell.In the 'Catalik' church you see, before you can become an official saint, you have to have performed a few miracles. And there's the rub! How can dead people work miracles? - Now cousin Jack as we called him was a good God fearing Christian man and like any good Catholic, was determined to spend Christmas eve at Mass with the family. So off he went leaving a new junior officer in charge. A right conscientious young berk he was.
As assistant editor at Magic City Morning Star News, I was recently contacted by Mr. John Walsh, who expressed his wish to contribute articles to the Newspaper. His intitial letter to me and some subsequent articles are reproduced here with his permission, for your enjoyment. (January 2nd article is published here in advance of Magic City publication.)
You may not agree with the way he expresses himself, but I think it is obvious that he while he writes 'tongue-in-cheek', he does touch upon some serious issues on the matter of religion and religious beliefs.
If he continues to provide articles on a weekly basis, I will publish them here on a monthly basis. I do hope you enjoy what he writes.
As his bio indicates, his personal contact particulars are not provided, but if you wish to contact him, you may send emails c/- the email account I opened in his name and I will forward them to him.
R.P. BenDedek
Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com
1.
Those protestants are a hot blooded lot.
By John J. Walsh
Dec. 20, 2009
G'Day to you Mr. BenDedek.
I saw the article on your King's Calendar website saying that you were looking for contributions to your site and to the newspaper in Maine, and I thought I might like to have a crack at it.
I've been reading a lot of articles at Magic City to get a feel for what you are looking for, and I see why you need some help. You have a lot of names listed but few people writing. Why is that?
Since you have given the green light for people to write in, I'm going to start sending you some things, but I thought I had better introduce myself first.
My name is John J. Walsh, originally from Ireland, but after my family emigrated, I did high school and university in Melbourne. Some years later I was sent to work in one of our offices in the united States, where I met my wife, and settled down. I currently live in the North of the Midwest but don't want to say where in case I upset some people and they send a lynch mob out after me hide. Those protestants are a hot blooded lot!
I grew up in a Catholic society, and life seemed pretty normal until I went to Australia, where I discovered the other side of the religious coin. But that didn't prepare me for the bible thumpers in the USA. After hearing a lot of protestant preaching, I began to study religion, and even did a stint in a theological college studying evangelical theology.
I think it is fair to say that while I am Catholic and always will be, my horizons have been broadened, and I understand where a lot of those Bible thumpers come from. I say this because I note that a number of your writers are religious folk.
Even if he never mentioned it, I could tell that Doug Wren is a real 'paddy' by the way he writes. He reminds me of an uncle or two, including uncle Mike who was a Priest. The Irish do love their words, and I did enjoy reading one of Mr. Wren's pieces where he was ripping that Swank fellow to shreds.
Most of that guys writing is short and to the point, and I'm guessing that he has a lot of followers, but he does raise the ire at times if you know what I mean. He'd make a fine preacher in the north of Ireland, except his sermons are too short.
I like the photos of the day and looking up the stories that they are linked to, but the one you put up today about being mentally unbalanced, (appreciated by the Irish for sure), probably won't sit well with many of the conservative folk here. That's just me talking and I don't mean to tell you how to do your business.
I hope to hear from you soon, and then start sending you some things to publish. I'm not saying that I will write everyday or even every week, but these days I have a lot of time on my hands and would like the opportunity to see some of my musings in print.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year.
2.
When is a Saint not a Saint?
By John J. Walsh
Dec 21, 2009
Born into a staunch Roman Catholic Family in Ireland, I have for many years now lived in America. I spent my formative years however, being educated in Melbourne Victoria in Australia.
Australian culture owes a lot to the Irish, and all Irish jokes aside, there is a strong kinship between Australians and the Irish. There is also a lot of kinship with the Scots, and one Australian born Scot has recently made headlines that does the heart proud of every Roman Catholic. The headline of which I speak is that Mother Mary MacKillop of blessed memory (as we Irish like to say); founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, is to be canonized and made an official Saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
I'm sure every 'Mick' in Australia is jumping for joy over that news, and not a few Scots back in the Highlands and the Heather. It is a great day to be sure to be sure to be sure!
The Roman Catholic issue concerning 'Saints' however, is one of those fiddly wee things that the protestants like to make a big deal about sometimes; the reason being the prerequisites to canonization.
In the 'Catalik' church you see, before you can become an official saint, you have to have performed a few miracles. And there's the rub! How can dead people work miracles?
It's a prickly issue for sure, because as the 'heretics' rightly point out, there is only one mediator between God and Man and that is Jesus; and the souls of the departed are separated from us.
But you know if you look at the Miraclous healing in Luke 17:11-19, Jesus attributed the one leper's healing to 'his faith'. There were 10 lepers in all, but only one was healed.
The Catholic Church teaches that the departed intercede for us with Jesus, and the bible says that Jesus intercedes for us. Is the Roman Catholic Church right or wrong? No matter the answer, how do we explain a miracle that comes from someone praying to a departed saint?
Perhaps we just put it down to a person's faith. If I believe that my long lost uncle Joe will intercede with Jesus for a miracle, and then I get the miracle, does it matter whether Uncle Joe took the lift up or down on his deathbed? I got the miracle didn't I?
I believe that it is my 'faith' which initiates the miracle. Now if you want to believe differently, then so be it, but I really have a hard time with those of a more 'rigid' religious mindset, insisting that the miracle is the devil's work. Fancy saying that I got a miracle from the devil while all your prayers to God got you nothing. It's a thick hide that can say that I think!
My evangelical friends tell me that I must believe in Jesus, and I do. Then they say that is not enough. They say I have to say a sinner's prayer. Are they taking the 'micky' out of me? Every time I go to confession I say a sinner's prayer, but apparently that isn't enough.
Some tell me that I need to be Baptised by being half drowned in a swimming pool. So what then I asked them. Am I saved yet? Not bloody likely! Then I have to take out membership in their church and go to their bible studies and believe everything that they believe.
You'd think that would be an easy decision to make wouldn't you? Then another bible thumper comes along and tells me that unless my baptism is prayed over in just the right way, it is null and void. Saints preserve us, who can you trust?
I figured long ago that it is best just to trust God to understand that it is an impossible thing to know which church is right.
I don't know if the Sainted Mary Mackillop did or did not do any miracles, but I sure as hell am going to try and find out. I'm off to find a statue of her, and beg her indulgence to intercede with Jesus to provide me with an answer to the question. If I get that miraculous answer, then I'll know for sure that the blessed Mary is a saint. I only hope she doesn't tell me to start going to the Baptist church down the road.
3.
Merry Christmas from John Walsh
So it's Christmastide again and this being my first Christmas as a soon to be world famous writer thanks to your wonderful newspaper, I thought I'd just pop in and wish ye all a fine and Blessed Christmas.
No matter your religion, Heretic, Jew, Mohommedan or Hindu, I do pray the Blessed Savior makes his face to shine upon you and give you peace.
Christmas is a special time of year. For some it is a time of giving like for them three wise men who following the miracle star found the Blessed Babe in his mother's arms.
For others, Like Mary and Joseph, it is a time of rest at the end of a long journey to witness the miracle of a new birth. Poor as they might be, their blessedness was beyond all that a mere mortal could dream of.
For others it is a time of charity when those who cannot offer much, offer all that they can, like the innkeeper that blessed night.
For others like the wicked Herod, it is a time to look for ways to rob us of our blessing. May such as he melt off the earth like snow off the ditch
But above all else, Christmas is a time for family and friends to come together as one, welcoming each other with open arms, forgiving all debts, and praying God's blessings on all.
Would to God the local constabulary would pay attention to the 'forgiving of all debts' though.
I remember once when we were new to living in Australia, and didn't have much in the way of family to celebrate with, me Ma got a call from a distant relative who years before had moved to Australia and was living in the north. She invited us all to celebrate Christmas with her family. And so off we went into parts unknown.
Another unknown was that her husband was a copper, the local police seargent no less. Now cousin Jack as we called him was a good God fearing Christian man and like any good Catholic, was determined to spend Christmas eve at Mass with the family. So off he went leaving a new junior officer in charge. A right conscientious young berk he was.
The church was packed to the rafters for midnight mass that Christmas, and so of course there were cars aplenty parked in a street with not enough space to accomodate them all. So this wet behind the ear copper decides to go ticket collecting, and seeing the street full of cars parked wherever they might, he proceeds to start writing out tickets for illegal parking.
Mass over, everyone comes out to find that half of them have got a ticket. I was standing right beside cousin Irene and cousin Jack when a member of the congregation starts frothing at the mouth about the pettiness of handing out tickets on Christmas eve.
He let's his shite fly right at Cousin Jack who just stood there saying nothin.
'You bloody money hungry coppers sucking us dry with your tickets!' he yells. Cousin Jack keeps his peace letting the poor begger get it all out, and when finally he runs out of steam, Cousin Jack quietly and as politely as you like says: "I know how you feel! I got one too!"
Well! Didn't that just take the wind out of the windbags sail. Everybody gathered round to listen to the tirade were laughing fit to bust. Even the bloody seargent got a ticket. He was no different than anyone else.
And isn't that the point of Christmas? We are all the same! All struggling to get through every day, every unfortunate event and tragedy, and we are all the same in the eyes of the Almighty. He loves us all!
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God and May the roof above us never fall in and may the friends gathered below it never fall out.
Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!
4.
The Cart before the Horse
By John J. Walsh
Dec 26, 2009
The piece about the Doctor's comments on homosexuality, although just a bit of a lark, got me to thinking what a wicked wicked world we live in.
Now I'm not passing judgment here one way or t'other about whether what our little faerie friends do in the privacy of their bedrooms, I'm merely wanting to say that it is a wicked thing indeed when what is done in private becomes a thing of gossip round the dinner table.
My 'Ma and Da' would never let gossip in the door, and if any of us kids were heard blathering nasty words about someone, we could be sure to get a good 'clip round the ears'.
So I want to make a distinction here so that you good folks understand my meaning. I've got nothing against people for what they believe or what they do, as long as it is legal and they don't go pushing their shite in my face. I personally have nothing against the little nancies prancing around in their skimpy latex 'near nothings' at the Mardi Gras. It's all quite a laugh really. It's all quite 'gay' you might say.
As a kid we all loved 'gay' people, but of course in those days it had quite a different meaning. So my meaning here is that I am not bothered by 'nouveau' gays in society. It's their life and they should be able to live it as they please.
But when comes the religious argument about homosexuality, I find the subject all a bit of a bother. Take the evangelical viewpoint for instance.
According to the "Bible Thumpers" (well they do thump their bibles now don't they? so don't go getting all fired up about my use of the expression), if you don't believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, then ye be going to hell and such like, and I'm sure you'd find yourself a right mixed bag of people down there now wouldn't you?
If you'd chased skirt all of your life with narry a thought about the boyo beside you, but you didn't belong to the right church and say the right prayers, then you'd still go to hell. So what's the deal with everyone always going on about the queer folk?
If you'd never stolen so much as a penny; or told a lie; or said anything nasty about a soul; or never hurt anyone or killed anyone, but you didn't have the right 'admit' ticket when you passed over, it's off to the hot house with you - isn't it?
I guess what I'm saying is that I think the 'straight laced' religious folks have got the cart before the horse. It's not the 'kinky' stuff that gets you a free entry into the furnace, it's the rejection of our Blessed Saviour.
The Catholic church on the other hand, has a great system in place which, if you time it all just right, can give you a 'free pass' at the pearly gates. Unless you are one of those liberal nancy catholics, you aren't allowed to let your mind, eyes, hands or anything else go wandering over another boyos body. But if a wandering you do go, a quick trip to the confessional just before you kick the bucket will get you one of those free passes. You might of course have to spend some time in purgatory burning off the lingering guilt of a life time of pleasure, but that is another topic for another time.
The question that lingers in my mind is why so many priests, reverends and other gents wearing frocks spend so much time preaching about the daily misdeeds of people we already know are going down to warmer climates.
J.M.J. I get sick to death of listening to all that blarney. The gospel is supposed to be the 'Good News' as my protestant friends call it, but saints preserve us it doesn't come out of their mouths that way.
As a lad I grew up listening to the wonderful faith and deeds of the saints and how much God and the Virgin Mother love us all. Today all I hear about is the devil. I swear by all the saints in heaven; sometimes I come away thinking that the devil himself is God, such is his power over mankind. And that is just from the Catholics. I swear that 90 percent of the blarney that comes out of the mouths of my protestant friends is about the devil.
Sometimes I would just like to return to my childhood when everything was simple. All ye heard from the clergy was; Be good, say the Rosary every day, go to confession every Saturday, go to Mass every Sunday, be kind to animals, don't use profanity, and don't nick anything. Life was so simple then.
May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent!
5.
Skirt below the knees and legs crossed
by John J. Walsh
Jan 2, 2010
There's been a lot said lately about our healthcare system and whether the public should be paying for abortions or not, so I thought I just might throw me own tuppence worth into the ring. So here goes.
I think it's a crying shame when a young lass find's herself up the duff and has an abortion. It's a shame that she has to find herself in that position in the first place, although truth be known it was the previous position she found herself in that did the trick and caused the trouble. 'Skirt below the knees and legs crossed' was my Ma's constant 'go on about' to my sister. Good advice for sure these days.
But by the time the little colleen finds herself in the 'delicate condition' as the old folk were want to say, it's water under the bridge to be giving a tongue lashing about crossing the legs.
Now in the old days, when a family found themselves faced with this type of problem, abortion was not one of the choices they had to be making. The boyo did the 'right thing', or the lass would go off for a spell to visit far away relatives until the little one popped out, whereupon the good sisters at the local convent would care for it until a suitable home could be found. It was all done 'hush hush' like.
Today there are people everywhere looking to find themselves a wee one to call their own with none to be found. If they have the dosh they fly off to distant lands and come back with little ones that don't quite blend in with the family genes if you know what I mean.
Far be it from this poor sinner to be passing judgment on the activities that go on in the back of a car, but when it comes babies being tossed out like so much trash, especially when the Blessed Saviour has not seen fit to bless some with little ones of their own; well my heart just cries.
Now of course I have been going on about the youngsters with hormones raging and nought between their ears, but if we be talking about the married ladies, well, what were they not doing to get pregnant in the first place. Surely they know better.
Well I'm in it now am I not? A good Catholic lass married or not is not supposed to be 'taking precautions' cause according to the big fellow in Rome it's not the done thing. I'll let in you in on a little known secret in the protestant world - We Catholics don't pay nearly as much attention to what he says as you might think!
But all that by the wayside, if the lass and her man cannot afford to raise the little tyke, then as I've already said, there are plenty of folk out there with hearts bursting at the seams to have that 'unwanted bundle of joy'.
I guess it's just too much trouble for some people to be carrying round God's little blessing for such a long time, so it's off to the nackery with him. Chop chop! Problem solved!
Now although I really don't want to be mentioning this final thing, I know if I don't there will be some wanting to spar a bit with me so I will.
Sometimes, an abortion might be needed for medical reasons. Maybe it's a choice between the mother or the child. What then? Well, personally I think the Good Lord understands! There are some of course who say let them both die - well perhaps they don't say that but it's what it comes down to. Well they have their own problems now don't they.
I grew up being taught and believing that God is good and merciful and loving. He is our father. I'm sorry if your father was not of that kind of kin, but mine was, so when I think what my father would do and say in a situation and think how much better is our Blessed Saviour than my Da, then I know that God is far more loving than many religious folk make him out to be.
'Our Father who art in Heaven ... Forgive us our sins even as we forgive those who sin against us!'
John J. Walsh.
John J. Walsh, a Catholic, is originally from Ireland; went to high school and university in Australia, and later moved to the U.S.A. He lives in the Midwest and is married to an American. He now has a lot of time on his hands and is taking the opportunity to see some of his musings in print. Fearing the hot blooded protestants and not wanting to reach heaven or hell faster than is God's plan, his personal email address and other particulars are not available for publication. You may however Email him c/-: johnjwalsh_magic @live.com
Copyright 2011 is held by the nominated authors on this article page.
About the KingsCalendar Publisher
R.P.BenDedek is the owner and Editor of KingsCalendar.com which was originally set up to publicize his research results into the Chronology of Ancient Israel. Those results were published under the title: 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran'.
Whilst there have been many attempts to solve the chronological riddle of the Bible's synchronisms of reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah and their synchronism with other Ancient Near Eastern Nations, no other research is based on a simple mathematical formula which could, if it is incorrect, be disproved easily. To date, no one has been able to dismiss the mathematical results of this research.
Free to air Academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
During the current economic downturn, this book has been dramatically reduced in price but will eventually rise as the economy improves.
Check the Chapter Precis Page to see details of each chapter and to gain access to the Four Free to Air Chapters
R.P. BenDedek writes social commentaries and photographic 'Stories from China' both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing columnist at Magic City Morning Star News in Maine USA.
He currently teaches Conversational English in Baotou City in Inner Mongolia in China.
