Crumpled Notebook

I was just reading "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/23/wgay23.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/09/23/ixportal.html">
this article and found it pretty ridiculous. “The Roman
Catholic Church is preparing to bar homosexuals from becoming
priests even if they are celibate… .” My immediate reaction was,
“aren’t priest supposed to be celibate? who cares if they are gay?”
After reading the article, my reaction is still the same. Lets get
basic first. If you are a Christian, you believe that sin is sin,
right? And at least for me, I don’t believe that temptation is a
sin. It’s acting on the temptation that is the sin. After all,
Jesus was tempted ( "http://biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=4&version=31">Matthew
4:1-11) but we still hold him to be sinless. So is the sin in
homosexuality, having homosexual feelings, or acting upon it,
either physically or lustfully? I say it’s the act. We all struggle
with sin. Being gay is no more a sin than lying, stealing,
committing adultery, but these are all things we seem to be fine
with for the most part. Now if these priest were teaching that it
was okay, then I could see the problem since it goes against the
Christian religion. So I say, if a priest or a man (or woman)
struggles with homosexuality, and chooses to be celebate, isn’t
that what God would want? Paul even tells us it is good for man not
to marry ( "http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%207;&version=31;">1
Cor 7:1), but that it is better for him to marry than to burn
with desire. So, lets look at a priest. Lets say, it’s better for
him not to marry and remain celebate. Now, if he lusts after men,
it should be the same as lusting after women…lust=sin whether it
is for a man or a woman. So, what is the difference? Does the Pope
plan on questioning all the candidates for priesthood about their
sexual desires? If so, I think we’re going to have a shortage of
priest. All I’m saying is that yes, I agree, homosexuality (the
act) is a sin. So are a lot of other things. But if those are
someone’s feelings, isn’t being celebate, not acting upon those
desires what God would want from us? To have enough love for Him to
sacrifice part of ourself? People do this everyday. They give up
pornography, addictions, sex, lying, being prideful, cussing, you
name it. Many people give these things up everyday in the name of
Jesus, so how is giving up this any different? I’d love some
comments on this one.

Hey, just a quick prayer request if you think about it while/if you’re praying over the next couple of days.

Hurricane Rita is pretty much headed straight for Cameron, LA (its the far SW side of LA–if you can see the big lake down there, it’s south of it, directly on the coast), which is where my mom lived. Most of my step-siblings and their families still live in that area that could be affected pretty bad. And there is the issue of selling the motel that they run and my mom still technically owns. Chances are, if it hits like it is predicted, not only the motel/house will be destroyed, but I’d venture to say all of Holly Beach (the town they lived in) will be too. It’s only a few blocks wide, with the ocean/beach on one side and swamps/lakes on the other. A lot of the people there are very poor and/or old and a lot of them don’t have cars. Those that do, it’s a 2 lane road either way out of there (one way across a ferry/lake). I fear that many of them won’t have the resources or common sense to get out (if they do have resources). These people were very good friends to my mom, especially after Joe passed away and continue to keep in touch with her, so in addition to keeping Joe’s family, my step-siblings, in your prayers, please keep these people in your prayers. I’m sure there are many more like them in that area, as there was with Katrina. I dont’ have as many fears for the safety of my family, as they have money, cars, resources and places to go, but obviously losing a house, etc…can be just as devastating. And even though I’m not super close with them, I do have a bond with them and am concerned for them.

So yes, I just ask for prayers of safety for my step-family and for the community where my mom lived. Just that everyone can get out to a safe place.

Apparently this is my slogan, according to some some "http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi?word=MelFelk">slogan
generator.

Happy Birthday to my good buddy and fellow WKU alum Jeff, who has caught up with me once again–it happens about the same time every year :)

Jeff is the same age I am…the big 27. I had one of those moments yesterday, twice actually, where you realize just how old you are in comparison to your past. For instance, I’m helping the 6th graders on their report on early man. You know, Homo Erectus, Homo Habilis, Homo whatever, up through the Neaderthals. And they’re asking me questions, to which I tell them I don’t know about this stuff. So they say, “didn’t you learn this in school?” Of course I did. But I say, “Yeah, like 10, no wait, 15 years ago!”

That’s right. 15 years ago. That’s over half my life ago. 15 years ago, I was 12, which is actually just a smidge older than these 6th graders right now. I can remember very vividly when I had only been alive 15 years, now I have to think back just to remember things that old.

The other moment happened as I was driving home from the store with my roomate, who proceeded to tell me there was a red light, that I clearly saw. My roomate who has never driven, nor had a driver’s license. So being the smart alec that I am say, “who in this car is the one with a driver’s licesnse? Oh yeah, that’s me. And I’ve been driving for (short pause) 11 years.” Now, this time, I didn’t freak out. My roomate freaked out. “You’ve been driving for 11 years?! No way!” Yep, I’ve been driving for as long as the afore mentioned 6th graders have been alive for the most part.

So for all of you people who are my age (ahem, or older) hope this was a day brightener for you!

If case you are here and haven’t noticed, I changed the layout again. Hopefully this will be a little cleaner for all screen resolutions and browsers. Next will probably be the banner that I’ll rework.