The False Narrative of "I'm Not Fearful, I'm Smart" | Please Stop the Virtue Signaling!

It would probably be smart to ignore this topic, but I grew up at a time when it was bad to call people stupid or retarded. We no longer have a polite society, yet there are those of us who still hold to a higher standard of manners. And it's just as bad to imply that someone is an uncaring, irresponsible, grandma killing idiot as it is to come out and say it directly. In fact, I'd argue that the passive-aggressive approach rampant on social media is worse.

I'm reminded of Dr. Seuss's story of The Sneetches. Some sneetches had stars on their bellies, and some did not. The ones with the "stars on thars" thought themselves superior and ostracized the sneetches without. I suspect that Dr. Seuss was drawing an analogy to racism, but I'm applying it here to the virtue signalers, those who spread messages implying that they are the "smart" ones for following all the coronavirus "safety" protocols--face masks, social distancing, staying home, etc. They are too aware of political correctness to use words like stupid in reference to the sneetches without masks, but the superior attitude is transparently clear. And let it be known that their virtue is so great as to care nothing for themselves, but only for people around them that they valiantly protect. They are not scared! They are not scared! They are not scared! Please.

Let me state emphatically that I don't make fun of anyone who is scared. It's obvious if you look around you, if you leave your home and go to the grocery store and listen to the conversations on the street and the results of polls, that people are very fearful. The person driving in his car by himself with the windows rolled up, wearing a mask on his face, is terrified. You could argue that he's just uninformed, but that's an image of fear if ever there was one. I have compassion for those who are extremely anxious and wish to be a voice of light and reassurance in the prevalent darkness.

I'm sure there are some folks who are simply doing what they think is right by wearing a mask and all that jazz, and minding their own business in the process. I have no problem with that. Yet I doubt the complete absence of fear and singular altruism being insisted upon by the virtue signalers. If it were true, they wouldn't feel the need to keep shouting it so loudly.

Why has the mask issue become such a hill to die on? It seems to me that it's being used as a status symbol, a silent way of bragging about how smart, responsible, and caring one is, and how anyone who makes a different choice is not. Most of the news media, certain government leaders, and some doctors and scientists are encouraging the division amongst people, whether purposely or not.

I suppose it's our fallen human nature that causes such cattiness, and I believe this is rooted in insecurity and fear. People often double down on their narrative not out of conviction, but rather from lack of true confidence and the desire to control. If they are wrong, then they have been duped and mislead, and that is an even greater basis for fear. How about if we just live and let live?

Any and all of the coronavirus safety protocols, in my opinion, should be subject to context and taken on a case-by-case basis. I don't judge anyone for either wearing or not wearing a mask, or any of the other protocols. I do, however, discern that the shaming, on whatever side it might be, is objectively wrong. As Christians, and for others as well, it's important what we let into our lives, either on or offline. We have to screen the input so it doesn't divert us from our path and frog boil us into panic and inaction, leading us into error, stealing our energy and time. Steer clear of near occasions for sin and those things that shatter your serenity. I reject the ugliness that I'm seeing. As such, I am unfriending or unfollowing those on social media who are engaging in spreading the shame and prideful virtue signaling.

Humility asks us to consider the other point of view, if it isn't inherently in opposition to Christian faith and morals. And even then, it can behoove us to understand where the wrong thinking, or what we perceive to be the errors, of others are coming from. Are you so sure that the persons who disagree with the mask-wearing, home-sheltering, social-distancing narrative are wrong? Instead of shouting, "What's wrong with people?!"--a sentiment I often see accompanied by profanity--consider that maybe, just maybe, they aren't necessarily wrong. And if you have to drop an F-bomb, perhaps your argument isn't so strong after all.

Let it suffice for me to argue that for the majority of people, and in most situations, these COVID-19 protocols are likely doing more harm than good, and are counterproductive both to personal health and the goal of herd immunity necessary for the protection of everyone. As far as I'm concerned, science is decidedly not on the side of virtue signaling sneetches. Whatever you believe, let's all of us extend a little grace.

Spirit of Wisdom | How to Enlighten the Mind

Last week I was planting flowers in my window boxes when a man on a motorcycle stopped to chat with a couple walking down the street. The motorcycle man spoke loudly and lively about our coronavirus times. He talked about how everyone is so afraid, and how both his daughter and granddaughter who are nurses think the whole thing is overblown. I heard him mention the New World Order, Bill Gates' name, and a quote from a Facebook meme that I had also seen. He declared that he would not wear a mask, because "I don't believe in it." This man's remarks reflected the preoccupation of everyone, everywhere with COVID-19. 

One thing stood out to me as definite truth in what the motorcycle man was saying. He speculated that the media is inundating us with nothing but coronavirus news in order to control our thoughts. There's no doubt in my mind, all conspiracy theories aside, that the constant flood of information on this one topic gives more potent weight to it than it deserves. And because feelings always flow from thoughts, we are left in a state of perennial confusion, panic, anxiety, deep suspicion, and even despair. 

To be sure, our minds and emotions are being thoroughly manipulated. We are being taken advantage of, kept in a state of high alert by opportunists bombarding us from many angles. Like small children being led from one distraction to another, we are largely unaware that we've lost our center, our bearings, and we wouldn't know sound doctrine if it bit us in the behind. Divide and conquer. It's a classic tactic, and we're falling for it hook, line, and sinker. 

Yet at the center of a cyclone is perfect calm. This phenomenon is known as the Eye of Peace. What if we could sit in that center and be completely undisturbed by the havoc around us? We can. Jesus is our Eye of Peace. He chastised his apostles for fearing the storm when God himself was in the boat with them. We think we need to know what's going on, so we must watch all-the-news and debate everyone on social media. This gives us a false semblance of control. We are not in control. 

A quick glance at headlines will tell us the general state of things, and if there really is any earth-shattering news, we will undoubtedly hear about it. Otherwise, why not go about your day as if dwelling in the tornado's core? No one could see the truth of the storm more clearly than one smack dab in the middle of its peace. Am I right? But of course. 

We return, once again, to the gift of Wisdom. Without it, we are lost at sea. We won't receive this precious gift unless we have faith. St. Augustine said that faith must come first; only then will understanding follow. We have it backwards. We want certainties, guarantees, absolute proof of the thing before we will believe. But even when presented with the truth, many people will turn a deaf ear, because it doesn't align with the narrative they've chosen to follow and hold onto with the tenacity of a pit bull. 

Instead, let us immerse ourselves in right things, giving our finite energy to the tasks directly before us, which are in fact only comprised of this one day, today, and are without doubt not to be found in the storms of news and the internet. Note than in biblical terms, the mind is centered in the heart. What you choose to fill your mind with will inform the workings of your heart. From what place do your intentions flow? Are the tasks you set for yourself ultimately an offering for the infinite Kingdom? 

I'll leave you with this, from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, 1: 15-19, Confraternity Version:

Wherefore I on my part, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in deep knowledge of him: the eyes of your mind being enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe. 

Will "Better Science" Save Us? | Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish. He saw her and apportioned her; he rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and he exalted the glory of those who held her fast. To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life.  ~ Sirach 1: 18-20 RSV-2CE

What does the fear of the Lord have to do with science? That's the topic we are exploring today. Let's begin with a meme I spotted on social media:

The problem I've repeatedly encountered with memes that attempt to make a profound argument is that the idea will seem to make logical sense at first glance; but upon deeper consideration, it becomes clear that it makes any number of errors in logic, including presenting a false dichotomy or a straw man argument, or it simply fails to reflect the complexity of an issue. I couldn't put my finger on what was off about this meme, but it kept coming back into my mind throughout the day. That evening, as I was reading a book of Marian devotion, I encountered the verses from Sirach posted at the beginning of this article, and the trouble was elucidated. The foundational problem with the meme is perhaps the failure to put first things first. 

Very often in our contemporary Western culture, science is pitted against religion. Yet this is a relatively recent phenomenon in human history. The fact is that Theology was regarded as the Queen of the Sciences and worked hand-in-hand with Philosophy, also a high science. You might say that Theology was the perfection of Philosophy. Western civilization was built upon the marriage of faith and reason, exemplified by the classical Christian thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and his masterpiece, Summa Theologica. 

The artificial division of subjects from one another and over-emphasis on specialization that we find today are earmarks of the dumbing down of education. The Catholic Church founded the institutions of the university and the hospital. The universities in our present era are, by and large, no longer the incubators of critical thought, originality, creativity, holistically integrated studies, pioneering research, and grand aspirations of the human soul. Rather, they are the breeding grounds for the hive mind and radical leftist, atheist ideologies. The very science that we have elevated to golden calf proportions has become an anemic system separated from every other art and science and bereft of a cohesive, life-giving worldview. 

How can we ever hope to rely on "better science" if it's separated from its ultimate source? 

In the Book of Wisdom, King Solomon prays for the gift of Wisdom, via the power of the Holy Spirit, to come to him, and in return he is granted, among other things, perfect scientific knowledge (Wisdom 7: 16-22). Wisdom here, as in other books of the Bible, is personified as a woman and is called sister, bride, and the mother of all good things. As we learned at the top, the fear of the Lord is the root and crown of divine Wisdom. But what is this mysterious "fear of the Lord"?

The fear of the Lord does not refer to the cowering of one who fears the wrath of God, who worries that our Creator will hurl lightning bolts as punishment for our mistakes. The fear of the Lord, which is a divine gift itself, refers to a reverential love of God and a filial desire to please him and avoid sin. The fear of the Lord is the awe and respect for true Religion, manifested in the teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and fulfilled in the Trinitarian belief in one God in three divine persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--and the Incarnation of the Son in the person of Jesus Christ, who is both True God and True Man. Without placing this first thing first, any scientific knowledge can only be partial at best, and will likely be riddled with error. We won't know the complete truth until we get to heaven; but as we read in Sacred Scripture, peace and perfect health themselves are bi-products of wisdom.

Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6: 33 KJV). This statement comes at the end of Our Lord's admonition that we should not be anxious about what we will eat or wear or anything else. The first thing is to seek the heavenly kingdom and trust in God for all our needs. Both Solomon's desire for Wisdom, which reflects his fear of the Lord, and Jesus' setting of our priorities are directly applicable to our current coronavirus times. 

As we know from history, scientific knowledge is always in a state of flux. It's in a neverending state of change, revision, and interpretation. Science is not just a set of objective facts. New facts might refute a prior understanding of what were believed to be the facts, and the result might be better science. But if we think that science exists in a vacuum, apart from religion, politics, and human emotions and experience, we are dangerously naive. The scientists themselves form the hypotheses and conduct the experiments they do according to their own sets of preconceived beliefs, hunches, personal experiences, former observations, and any manner of outside influences, including the political, and internal motivations, such as greed and the desire for power. If the scientist is not a purely objective being, which, as a human, he is necessarily not, then it follows that the interpretations of the science will be to some extent subjectively colored. Hence we have what are called scientific opinions. 

As we all know, scientists of relatively equal education and experience in their field can have widely differing opinions. If you find out from a doctor that you have a serious medical condition, a doctor of good character will suggest that you have it confirmed by a second opinion before proceeding with treatment. What we find happening all over the news and social media right now is that any scientific opinion that differs from the WHO, the CDC, and Drs. Fauci and Birx is being categorically labeled as conspiracy theory and violently censored. If you don't think you have the right to any and all information that you might wish to consider when making your own decisions for your health and welfare, and that of others, you need to wake up. This is life and death stuff we are dealing with, and in this atmosphere of conflicting information and opinion, rife with political and emotional manipulation, the lay person needs something more than science upon which to make sound judgments. 

If the Holy Spirit could impart perfect wisdom and discernment, and even perfect scientific knowledge, upon a man who had no university education or medical experience, then he can likewise give anyone who puts the fear of the Lord ahead of all other considerations an awareness of when he is hearing the truth, and when he is being led astray. This guidance will sometimes come as a gut feeling, an intuition, or an "ah-ha" response to something a scientist, politition, or your great aunt Sophie says. Yes, it could indeed even come in the form of a YouTube video! And don't your own education, experiences, intelligence, and powers of observation and common sense count for something? Are we really so incapable of making informed decisions and thinking for ourselves that we must rely entirely on a myriad of expert opinions? Well, that's exactly what a certain atheistic, socialist agenda (viz. regime) would like you to believe. Have some self-respect, people! And in doing so, there is a better chance of being able to respect one another. 

Which scientists do you trust? To mask or not to mask? To glove or not to glove? To draw near one another, or to keep apart? When there are no easy answers, when there are many unknowns, when there is a cacophony of deafening voices and derision, it's all the more imperative that we go to God in prayer, with the fear of the Lord in our hearts, and beg for Wisdom. This is our only hope to be guided in the right direction. This is the better science. 

Doth not Wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice? Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths, beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying: O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O littles ones, understand subtilty and ye unwise, take notice. Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things. My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness. All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them. They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.

By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things... I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me... He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord: but he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death. 

(Proverbs 8: 1-10, 15, 17, 35-36 DRV)

Happy May! | How to Be Kind

Happy May! May has always been one of my favorite months of the year, the other being October. Both months typically feature glorious weather and a riot of color. In May I became a mother. And as a Catholic, I love the special honoring this month given to Mary, the Mother of God. To me, May is a month full of grace. 

Despite the suffering around the world at this time, May has arrived, and the simple pleasures of this month can gladden our hearts and lift our spirits. In Ohio, we can finally plant our gardens! With the states gradually opening back up, it's time to get out in the sunshine and boost our immune systems, which have likely been weakened during the extended period of quarantine and isolation. 

Unfortunately, in many areas around the USA, people are being deprived access to those very places and activities which would promote both mental and physical health. COVID-19 does not thrive outdoors, in bright sunlight, yet beaches and parks remain closed. Even in some cases where they are open, folks are being harrassed. I saw a video of a policeman on horseback insisting that an elderly couple (93 years old!) could not sit in chairs on the beach. There was no one in close proximity to them, and this is yet another case of absurd, draconian reactions to the health crisis. And it's simply not kind. I would go so far as to argue that it's immoral to force 93-year-olds to sit in the sand rather than on chairs. It's disrespectful of our elders, those very people most at risk, who we have taken all these precautions to protect. It's disgusting.

During these challenging times, we must not forget kindness. In the face of fear, do not become selfish. What I mean by that is, do not become so anxious and panicked that you attack others with judgement, harsh words, profanity, and shame, just because they disagree with you, or because they are doing things differently than you would. Keep an open heart. Listen to others' experiences and perspectives. We are not in a black-and-white situation, with easy, definitive answers. There is an overwhelmingly numerous number of considerations that must be balanced. Prayerfully consider whether any one element of the equation is really a hill you want to die on. Assume the best of others. Do not consider them stupid or in error simply because they make different choices. This is arrogance and pride. Choose compassion and lovingkindness instead. With so much more communication happening on social media than ever before, it's incumbent upon us to be honorable in our words. 

If we cease to be kind, nothing we think we are doing to "protect" ourselves and other people will matter. We will have destroyed what matters most.