Weddings

As a note, my sister Brenna got married this past weekend to Brett Philbrick. Brett is the younger brother of Ryan Philbrick, who was part of the skater crowd back in high school. I always felt the skaters were a group that tormented me, though looking back I have a hard time recalling exactly how they were. I know sometimes we were at odds, especially those skaters who were Catholic, but as far as the name-calling, tripping in hallways, and so on... I recall that those things happened, but not who did them anymore. I guess I'm growing up.

Anyway, I was uneasy at first with Brenna dating Brett, but as we got to know him better, I started feeling comfortable, and then appreciative of the man who has now become my brother-in-law. We have few things in common, true, but I respect him and am happy for both him and my sister. I hope to earn his respect, as he has earned mine, and I hope our future occasions together will be close.

NFL Week 17

I didn't quite get around to making my picks, but here's the rundown of how I would have called the games:

NYG @ MIN: NYG
STL @ ATL: ATL
NE @ BUF: NE
DET @ GB: DET
CAR @ NO: NO
CHI @ HOU: CHI
CLE @ PIT: PIT
KC @ CIN: KC
TEN @ IND: IND
OAK @ TB: TB
JAC @ BAL: BAL
MIA @ NYJ: MIA
DAL @ PHI: DAL
WAS @ SF: WAS
SEA @ ARI: ARI
DEN @ SD: DEN

This would have given me a record of 7-9, not very good. So this is how my season went:

Week 17: 7-9
Week 16: 9-7
Week 15: 7-9
Week 14: 13-3
Week 13: 13-3
Week 12: 13-3
Week 11: 13-3
Week 10: 11-3
Week 9: 8-6
Week 8: 8-6
Week 7: 6-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 5: 9-5
Week 4: 7-6
Week 3: 12-4

My tally will be 31 games short, missing weeks 1 and 2, but for the 15 weeks I did call, I was 144-81, which means overall my guesses were much better than coin flips. (If you flipped a coin, you'd expect to have guessed correctly on around 104-120 games in that duration. For all 256 games, the range is about 120-136.)

Now, we just have the playoffs, which Denver so gracefully missed, having a 3 game lead on San Diego with 3 games to go. But this is Denver we're talking about. And I can only say: better luck next season.

Right now, I'm hoping for a Manning-on-Manning Super Bowl. I think that would be the greatest showdown in football yet.

American Catholic Doings

I have a new post up at the American Catholic detailing the problem with premarital sex. It was tough to sit down and figure out how exactly I wanted to write this one, which is why I procrastinated two weeks on it, writing a filler pointing a post by Steve Greydanus and writing about Catholics and guns. Ah well. It is finally up. I originally wanted to include adultery in this post, but the topic of premarital sex ended up filling my quota (which is keeping the post to a length that first covers all the points I want to make and second isn't too long). So I'll try to hammer out some good things on adultery for my next post.

NFL Week 16

IND @ JAC: IND 24-22

BAL @ DAL: BAL 16-14

CIN @ CLE: CIN 17-12

PIT @ TEN: TEN 13-9

SF @ STL: SF 24-10

SD @ TB: TB 34-20

MIA @ KC: KC 21-20

NO @ DET: NO 33-21

ARI @ NE: NE 24-21

HOU @ OAK: HOU 27-16

BUF @ DEN: DEN 30-20

NYJ @ SEA: NYJ 24-17

ATL @ MIN: ATL 24-23

PHI @ WAS: PHI 31-14

CAR @ NYG: CAR 22-14

GB @ CHI: CHI 30-21

Confidence: 10-6

Week 15: 7-9
Week 14: 13-3
Week 13: 13-3
Week 12: 13-3
Week 11: 13-3
Week 10: 11-3
Week 9: 8-6
Week 8: 8-6
Week 7: 6-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 5: 9-5
Week 4: 7-6
Week 3: 12-4

Day Without a Gay Bust

So it seems that the "Day Without a Gay" protest drew little attention and few participants. Apparently a few people have commented that, given the bad economy, it simply wasn't prudent to strike, that such a an effort would have a backlash on the gay community.

That explanation doesn't seem to work, to me. Maybe I'd be a bit more ruthless in this, but a poor economy would, to me, be the best time, so that the message hits home hardest. But then, I suspect that maybe the reason the protest didn't find wide participation is because, in contrast with similar protests by blacks and Hispanics, homosexuality doesn't manifest visually in terms of unalterable traits. While I'm willing to concede to the theory that "homosexuality is not a choice", nevertheless homosexual actions do involve choice. One can choose to engage in homosexual sex, or one can choose to refrain. One can choose to be "flaming", or one can choose to appear no different than any other random Joe on the streets.

The problem the gay movement is having, I think, is this. The black movement truly and honestly dealt with discrimination that targeted something blacks simply could not change. Moreover, blacks were fighting to be recognized as far more than just a skin color. Those in the gay movement, though, are largely discriminated against for their behavior (and not their sexual preference per se). What this amounts to, then, is that in order to equate their struggles as being discriminated against as something that they are, they have to reduce themselves to nothing but gay, and I don't think most people with homosexual tendencies want to completely subsume themselves under a single label.

To simplify, because the onus is on the behavior, not on an unchangeable trait, people in the gay movement have to make that behavior an unchangeable part of their being, essentially make "gay" the sole qualifying detail about themselves. They have to reduce themselves to a single label in order to make this discrimination fit, and I would conjecture that the human mind find such a reduction of self unappealing.

NFL Week 15

NO @ CHI: NO (It is a big gamble betting on NO on a road game, but CHI has been just an inconsistent as NO. While Ortan may be back in good shape and the passing defense has stepped up, Brees should still be able to pick apart CHI. I expect this to be high scoring and close. 32-28)

SF @ MIA: MIA (Two things will work against SF: the first is turnovers, and the second is traveling to the east coast. 19-10)

TB @ ATL: ATL (I see no reason to believe that TB will upset the home-streak in the NFC South. But then, all four teams are very capable, and this will be a showdown as much as any other NFC South game. 35-33)

WAS @ CIN: WAS (CIN's woes just continue unabated, and while WAS has struggled, they should be equal to CIN. It will probably be a low-scorer. 17-9)

SD @ KC: KC (I have a feeling SD is going to try too hard and blow this game. I think Rivers will throw two critical interceptions that will undermine the whole game, and SD will lose a close one in Arrowhead Stadium. 21-20)

GB @ JAC: GB (GB should be able to top the woeful JAC, who are without their best receiver and might be short one of their two primary running backs. Couple that with poor performance overall, and GB should not have to worry about a last minute comeback for victory. 27-18)

TEN @ HOU: TEN (It is hard to see how TEN could blow this one. They're still driving strong, and while HOU is resurgent late in the season, they will fall to 6-8. 27-21)

SEA @ STL: SEA (I give this to the team with the exiting coach, who will want to play hard for him. Maybe, having played close several games against play-off contending teams, SEA will find the opportunity here to post another W. The least that can be said is that at least one of the teams will have 3 wins after this game. 24-10)

DET @ IND: IND (DET seems to be on the verge of running through QBs the way DEN is running through running backs. This mix-up will make it very difficult for DET to mount an offense, and its woeful defense will not stop Manning. 30-10)

BUF @ NYJ: NYJ (Mainly, due to Edward's injury, I doubt that BUF will manage their first AFC East victory. After two losses, Favre will be ready to go. 27-13)

MIN @ ARI: ARI (MIN at times has been inconsistent, and they might be having some problem with the QB position, after Frerotte's injury. But I pick the home team in a contest that should be close. 30-28)

NE @ OAK: NE (I think we might see a reprise of Favre's performance in blowing OAK after his father's death. Cassel--and let us all offer prayers for his father--might come back and lead NE to a much needed victory. OAK, on the other hand, is struggling and struggling and, more important, struggling. If NE can keep OAK from scoring on special teams, they might be able to keep OAK from scoring altogether. 17-6)

PIT @ BAL: BAL (Of the two, BAL has shown more resilience of late, but it will be a nail-biter. 19-17)

DEN @ CAR: DEN (Once again, just making my team the winning pick. CAR should have this one in the bag, but DEN has been surprising before, and might just sweep the NFC South. 34-30)

NYG @ DAL: NYG (I expect the woes to keep piling up on DAL, and NYG to be resurgent after last week's loss. But then, DAL should win if NYG receivers still can't catch the ball. 24-22)

CLE @ PHI: PHI (If this is a contest, then Reid and McNabb better be working on their resumes. 30-9)

Confidence: 10-6

Week 14: 13-3
Week 13: 13-3
Week 12: 13-3
Week 11: 13-3
Week 10: 11-3
Week 9: 8-6
Week 8: 8-6
Week 7: 6-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 5: 9-5
Week 4: 7-6
Week 3: 12-4

NFL Week 14

OAK @ SD: SD (While SD has had its share of struggles and is only one game ahead of OAK in the division, I expect they'll come out swinging harder than OAK. It will be a tough game, though, just like the game against KC was tough. 17-6)

JAC @ CHI: CHI (Expect CHI to regroup from last week in their typical swing of good to bad to good. JAC, on the other hand, is pretty much out of the playoff picture, is in disarray, and is only fighting to avoid losing a fifth straight game. The only boon is that they're on the road, where they're 3-3, versus 1-5 at home. 21-17)

HOU @ GB: GB (I think this game will just be a matter of GB outscoring HOU, especially since HOU has such a bad track record away from home. 33-28)

MIN @ DET: MIN (It is hard to see how MIN can give this one away, which probably means they will. It is a division rivalry game, and those are always harder than any other games. 24-16)

CIN @ IND: IND (CIN seems to be continuing to spiral downwards in Palmer's absence, while IND seems to be creeping back to healthy players and healthy play. 24-14)

CLE @ TEN: TEN (Losing both first and second string QB's is a blow. CLE will play their hearts out, I'm sure, but it won't be near enough. Mistakes will only seal the deal for TEN. 27-9)

PHI @ NYG: NYG (This should be a close game. Missing Burress will have an effect, undoubtedly, but NYG is still running strong. PHI, on the other hand, has been inconsistent, and it likely the NYG defense will pressure McNabb into a few costly mistakes, especially late. 34-30)

ATL @ NO: NO (Home field is magic in the NFC South. NO is especially prolific at home. I expect Brees to throw for 380+ in a high-scoring game. 33-28)

MIA @ BUF: MIA (Edwards is either out or questionable, and that will make a huge difference. Playing in Canada probably won't aid BUF, either. 17-14)

NE @ SEA: NE (After the bruising PIT handed them last week, NE will probably come back in peak performance. SEA, on the other hand, just isn't doing well, even with Hasselbeck back. The 34-9 loss to DAL does not bode well for this meeting, even if it is at home. 24-20)

KC @ DEN: DEN (Hopefully DEN will keep consistent from last week. They had spark and fire and played defense moderately well. They have to keep in mind that any division game won't be easy, no matter the records. That destroyed them in Week 4, and again against OAK in Week 12. But they should be able to avenge their previous loss to KC. 34-12)

NYJ @ SF: NYJ (Last week was a wake-up call to NYJ, and wide awake, they should manage to win handily against SF. 31-17)

STL @ ARI: ARI (Home field and a weak opponent, even a division rival, should be enough to set ARI back into action. 30-20)

DAL @ PIT: PIT (I expect snow to make a difference, but this will be a game to watch. 10-9)

WAS @ BAL: BAL (It is possible that WAS will stand up to BAL's defense, but their record in the past few games hasn't been impressive. 21-14)

TB @ CAR: CAR (This is a tough call. TB might be the better team, but I think it is reasonable to stick with the home field magic in the NFC South. It is by no means a guarantee, but the NFC South leads the league in home wins, having only lost 2. (The AFC West is worst, with 16 home losses.) 34-33)

Confidence: 10-6

Week 13: 13-3
Week 12: 13-3
Week 11: 13-3
Week 10: 11-3
Week 9: 8-6
Week 8: 8-6
Week 7: 6-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 5: 9-5
Week 4: 7-6
Week 3: 12-4

Doing a Little LDS

So I've been meeting with a couple of Mormon missionaries. Before anyone gasps in horror and shock, I must say that the reason is merely to learn more specifically what their doctrine is through personal interaction, as opposed to reading books. Now, a missionary may not be as well catechized as some Mormons, but they are supposed to know enough to make conversions, so it is a good place to start. There's some hope that as we compare Mormon doctrine to Catholic doctrine, they'll start to understand Catholicism a little better. I'm not seeking any conversions here, but a chance to learn the particulars of another faith through a non-hostile lens (I won't say unbiased), and a chance to know where I'm particularly lacking in my own faith.

One thing I'm doing to help meet with the missionaries is to actually read the Book of Mormon. In a way, I feel bad about spending time on it, since I haven't read the full Bible yet, but it is a chance to see what is there and make critical evaluations of it. At the very least, I'll be able to tell future missionaries that I've read it!

I must say that I'm in agreement with other skeptics that the BOM overuses the phrase "And so it came to pass", but that's a literary critique, not a theological critique.

So far, I've felt at times the warm fuzzies that are supposed to convince one that the BOM is true, and at other times I've felt absolutely disgusted with what I've read. (An example of the latter is the portion in Moroni where Mormon writes, calling anathema on any who preaches infant baptism; an example of the former was actually in 2 Nephi talking about the role Christ's sacrifice plays in the history of salvation.)

The biggest sense I have from the BOM (and I'm by no means done with it; I've read bits and pieces of all four Nephi's, Alma, Mormon, and Moroni. That's not the whole thing by far) is a sense of incredulity. 600 years before the birth of Christ, Nephi recorded with vivid accuracy just what Jesus would do, and how it would play into the role of salvation. I find this foreknowledge, so clearly written down, a little far-fetched, given the foreknowledge (or lack thereof) that the Jews in Israel and Judah had of the Messiah. Unlike the Jews, who were very concerned with the Law of Moses and the covenant, the Nephites were already ready for Jesus to come, knowing full well what He would do. From this, I feel most people are justified in claiming that the BOM is the work of a man in the 1800's who had knowledge of what Christ's sacrifice at Calvary meant.

At the same time, I feel I understand why people are swayed by the BOM. I think it is primarily because of the clarity. If one is willing to believe that it was written between 600 B.C. and 400 A.D., one finds a very clear description that isn't obfuscated behind hundreds of lines of poetry or songs of praises. The Old Testament is as clear as a brick wall in comparison. One reading what Nephi purportedly inscribed on brass tablets finds doctrines spelled out and explained (though hardly in an orthodox manner).

There's also, for Americans, a particular allure in believing that Christ came personally to the Americas. Just as the British like to believe that Christ came to England (And did those feet in ancient times / walk upon England's mountains green / and was the Holy Lamb of God / on England's pleasant pastures seen?), and the original inhabitants of England were Trojans who left from captivity and sailed to the misty isles in search of a new home (see Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of England), so would Americans enjoy a special connection with Christ that makes them a chosen people.

I myself am not satisfied with what I've seen so far. I hope to learn more, but--and I apologize to my Mormon friends--I have no intention of leaving the Catholic Church.