Another critique of the American bishops (and the Catholic
neoconservatives), this one from the very fine Fr Michael Baxter, at Traditionalist Catholic Reflections:
neoconservatives), this one from the very fine Fr Michael Baxter, at Traditionalist Catholic Reflections:
—Daniel Nichols
[Note: As Daniel wrote the above, it was "Cathoilic neoconservatives." Coincidence?!?! I wasn’t sure if I should correct it or not. –mh]
I don’t believe he is a priest. No indication in the article, lots of schooling listed though. His “editorial” is poorly written in my opinion , he does not cite facts, just list an example then strech that into a wide spread example to prove his point.
Sorry, I think he needs to go to Iraq before he writes that all is wrong/failed over there. Personally, I have talked to people who have been there and it is not what you see on the TV news.
And I am not a big Bush supporter either. But I shudder to think what Gore or Kerry would have been like.
I’ll jump into the asbestoes flame suit now…
Barry
He teaches at Notre Dame but it isn’t clear from his faculty bio whether or not he’s a priest.
I found the interview, or editorial as Barry calls it, to be quite interseting. I supported going to war with Iraq because I bought into the idea that the invasion was justified by the just war theory. However, I’m starting to think that when the Church tells us something isn’t a good idea maybe we should listen. I don’t see how this war could in any way be deemed a success. The positives I count are that we now know for certain that Saddam did not have WMDs and the war may have helped somewhat with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Maybe. But we have only exacerbated the Iran situation instead of intimidating the Iranians and boxing them in. And as far as democratizing the Middle East it does indeed seem we are empowering the Arab people to elect Islamist extremists and suppress minority populations in their countries. This is what we get for trying to export American values when our current values (consumerism, materialism, sexual libertinism, vulgarity, licentiousness, etc.) are so deplorable. But I must acknowledge my role and the role of others like me who went along with this adventure in kneejerk fashion because it was championed by the faction labeled conservative. It has, however, helped me learn what “conservative” should really mean. I will not be a cheerleader for the next war even if it is a just one.
“I don’t believe he is a priest.” What a strange statement! Some of us have known of Fr. Baxter for years, and he is certainly a priest. But in any case, to claim he is not a priest does not deal with his statements, but is simply an ad hominem attack.
“Michael J. Baxter, a Catholic priest and member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, is assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He has published articles in the DePaul Law Review, Pro Ecclesia, Communio, The Thomist, and other journals. During the fall of 1984, he cofounded Andre House, a house of hospitality serving the poor and homeless of downtown Phoenix, where he lived and worked until the fall of 1988. He is national secretary for the Catholic Peace Fellowship, an organization dedicated to supporting Catholics and others who conscientiously object to participation in war. He is currently writing a book on Catholic social ethics in the United States, tentatively entitled Seeking the Other City.” http://muse.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/access.cgi?uri=/journals/south_atlantic_quarterly/v101/101.2contributors.html
Maclin- Correct what? I don’t get your reference. Is there something wrong with refering to “Catholic neoconservatives”?
I found Fr Baxter’s comment that Bishop John Michael Botean’s letter condemning the war as unjust will be remembered as a light in a dark time to be startlingly convincing. I was in the cathedral the morning it was read…
And Barry: according to the few independent [as opposed to “embedded”] journalists I have read, you are right: things in Iraq are not what you see on the TV news.
They are far worse.
Oh, I see now, “Cath-OIL-ic”; Freudian slip, perhaps?
The Church of the Hand makes up his own dogma as the need arises. Do not question the Hand!!
That’s unfair, Monica. The article in question is not by Mr. Hand but by Fr. Baxter who is a respected theologian (and I don’t mean “respected” by secularists looking for someone to gripe about the Church). There’s certainly no question of anyone making up dogma.
But in any case, to claim he is not a priest does not deal with his statements, but is simply an ad hominem attack.
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Sorry Tom but it was not ad hominem, no where from that link is there any indication he is a priest. His picture shows no collar, his bio has no mention of ordination etc. I expect that members of the priesthood show they are priests, they are “different” then others.
Barry
I agree entirely that priests should wear clerical garb, preferably a cassock. My point was, that whether or not he is a priest (and he certainly is), does not affect the validity or cogency of his argument.
I think I went through the same mental double-step: I skimmed the intro above, then read the article, and said to myself, “Didn’t Daniel refer to him as Father?” I looked for an ecclesiatistical affiliation (Catholic? Anglican? Orthodox?) and was about to post a “The auther is a priest, for sure?” query.
So it was not necessarily an ad hominem attack.
Hey Mr Hand, Jessie MacBeth is a con artist, you should vet and investigate your links before you post them.
I know you so desperately want to believe that the US is as evil as Pol Pot, Stalin, etc etc amen…..but proper common sense would dicate otherwise
“Initial research by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg shows no Soldier with the name of Jesse Macbeth having ever been assigned to the Special Forces or the Army Rangers — which are, in fact, two separate disciplines. This appears to be some sort of hoax. No Soldier by that name at Fort Lewis to our knowledge, in the past, either. Of course, the line about “go into the Army or go to jail” is vintage TV script not heard since the 1960s. There are also numerous wear and appearance issues with the Soldier’s uniform — a mix of foreign uniforms with the sleeves rolled up like a Marine and a badly floppy tan beret worn like a pastry chef. Of course, the allegations of war crimes are vague, as are the awards the Soldier allegedly received.”
I hardly see any reason to accuse Stephen Hand of wanting to “believe that the US is as evil as Pol Pot, Stalin” etc. Perhaps he simply tries to obey the command that we should remove the beam in our own eye before we attempt to remove the splinter in others’ eyes.
To clarify my last post, which I realize was open to misunderstanding, what I meant was that too often Americans seem to regard any criticism of ourselves as uncalled for and unacceptable, but the command of our Lord seems to invite criticism not just of myself as an individual, but of our nation, before we self-righteously attempt to correct the faults of the rest of the world.
I think I have figured out what Monica Hayes is referring to (sorry, I never know whether to say “Miss,” “Mrs.”, or “Ms.” anymore). On the front page of TCR there is a link to a story about an Army Ranger named Jesse Macbeth who has made an anti-war video. I learn from another site that the authenticity of the video is being questioned. Since TCRNews does not have a reader comment capability, Monica Hayes is arguing with Mr. Hand here. This is not the right place for that, though, as Stephen Hand has nothing to do with this blog, and I’ve emailed her to that effect. Monica, you’re more than welcome to debate the matters raised in Fr. Baxter’s piece.