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PAGE 4
The Georgia Bulletin
December 4,1980
Italian Victims
Pope John Paul said it well as he
looked at the devastation near Naples
in Italy. “I am not here out of
curiosity, but I am here as your
brother.” In this hour of numbing
destruction, we all need to be there
and simply “suffer with.”
The earthquake in Southern Italy
leaves tears on our face. Over 3,000
dead. Untold numbers still missing
and survivors huddling in the bitter
snows of the early Italian winter
without homes. Like the Holy Father
our every fiber must reach out to that
disastrous misery.
On Sunday next, in our liturgies in
every parish, we can give some
measure of help that will bring
immediate, if partial healing. The
second collection will be winged to
the needy victims. Blankets will be
bought, field kitchens and hospitals
will appear and more volunteers will
be sent. Our generous donations, like
a gigantic mercy rescue mission, will
make the miracles work.
Let us go, as the Pope did, like
brothers and sisters to their side. Let
our money, sacrificially given,
announce the message of complete
compassion and prayerful, thoughtful
sympathy.
Give an early Christmas package to
the earthquake victims of Southern
Italy.
--NCB
Not Even The Bible Is Safe
Dave McGill
Bulldog Fever
The regular season is over and
Bulldog fever is spreading like an
epidemic. Rightly so. The Georgia
canine machine has taken the nation
by storm. They are the one and only
gridiron group unbeaten and untied in
the big time league.
The genius of Vince Dooley is seen
in this successful season. Obviously,
his talent and his respect for talented
youth has attracted star players to the
Georgia university. Over the years, the
gentle and masterful coach has
brought thrills galore to the fans. This
season capped all those moments.
Congratulations go to our Bulldog
celebrities. To glitter as National
Champions of the 1980 season they
must simply beat Notre Dame. May
their New Orleans meeting in the
Sugar Bowl bring nothing but
sweetness to an already glorious
season.
-NCB
Light One Candle
I heard on the radio last week that there
is a move afoot to “de-neuter” (sic) the
Bible. In the view of those who are
dissatisfied, the Scriptures are far too
masculine, and are sorely in need of change.
The first thing you know, we’ll be reading
the following creation account from the
revised version of Genesis: “ . .. while the
first person slept, God took one of its ribs
and built it into a second person and then
brought it to the first person, who then
exclaimed: ‘Bone from my bones, and flesh
from my flesh! This will be called
wo-person, for it was taken from person.’ ”
I did some checking, and just as I figured,
my feminist friend Suffragette B. Gloribug
(Suffy) was behind the plot. I called and
asked if I could visit her and get the story,
and to my delight she replied, “Sure. We
need the publicity.” Before I relate to you
our conversation, however, you need to
know something about Suffy. She hates men
the same way that little fellow Wiley with
the wooden leg (in the comic strip “B.C.”)
hates water. Whenever Suffy hears a word
with “man” or “men” in it, she says
“Aarrrggh.” It is easier for her to halt in
mid-sneeze than to avoid those aarrrggh’s. I
went to her house and knocked on the door.
“Come in, Dave. Sit down there in my
comfortable lazy-girl chair, and prop up
your feet on my ottowoman. So you’ve
heard about our efforts to de-chauvinize the
bible, huh?”
“Yes, on the radio the other day. Suffy,
what in the world’s wrong with the Bible as
it IS? Why does t need changing?”
“That’s easy. Just look at this dictionary.
It is typical in that there are nearly 400
words beginning with the prefix ‘man’
(aarrrggh), while only a handful start with
‘worn’, and most of those are sexist words
like ‘womanizer.” In fact - let’s see here -
all we’ve got are ‘wombat’ and ‘womera.’ ”
“What’s a ‘womera’? ”
“It’s a device for propelling poison darts.
Here, bend over and I’ll show you.”
“No thanks. Look, what’s this discovery
of yours got to do with the Bible?”
“Well, when it was first written down, the
authors were a bunch of men (aarrrggh)
using dictionaries just like this one. So the
book took on a male flavor, which has led to
centuries of manipulation (aarrrggh) of us
females. It’s time we had our own Bible,
with phrases like: ‘I see the daughter of
woman standing at the right hand of God.’
Now don’t you think that’s beautiful?”
“Er, yes, in its Own way .. . Look, Suffy,
why do you dislike us so much?”
“I guess it’s because you turkeys flaunt
your masculinity in so many subtle ways in
the words of our language. For example, I
walk down the street, and I see a
MANnequin (aarrrggh) in a store window,
but it’s a model of a WOMAN. I go <,a the
beauty parlor, and seven LADIES are getting
a MANicure (aarrrggh). I go to the
restaurant, and the first thing on the MENu
(aarrrggh) isMANicotti (aarrrggh). Some guy
ran for public office and was elected with a
MANdate (aarrrggh) to improve WOMEN’S
rights. I go to church and the preacher talks
about MANna (aarrrggh) prepared by
WOMEN. Why, just last night, I watched
JAWS on TV, and the chauvinistic
MANeating (aarrrggh) shark chews up a
WOMAN instead.”
“Hey, hold on there! That shark also ate
up a man at the end.”
“Really? Good. I guess I just didn’t leave
it on long enough.”
“And look, Suffy - As long ago as 1910,
an all-male Congress passed a law making it
a federal offense to transport a woman
across state lines for immoral purposes.”
“Well, la-de-da, wasn’t that nice of them.
What was the name of the law?”
“Er, it was the Mann Act.”
“AARRRGGH. Dave, you’re going to
have to leave, before I get arrested for
manslaughter (aarrrggh). Nothing you can
say will slow our efforts to womanize the
Scriptures.”
“That’s your biggest problem, Suffy.
You’re so darned adamant.”
“Aarrrggh, aarrrggh, that’s enough.
You’ve just used the most chauvinistic word
in the language.”
“What word is that?”
“Adamant. According to the “old” Bible,
Adam (aarrrggh) was the first man
(aarrrggh), and our ordeal began. With our
new edition, we’re gonna EVEn things up.”
Father John Catoir
Working Women
WAITING FOR JESUS
Every year around this time the mystery
of Christmas begins to light up our dreary
world. While many people celebrate a yule
festival with decorated stores and
illuminated streets, Christians - at least
believing, practicing Christians - renew the
wondrous mystery of the Incarnation:
God-made-man, coming in love to bring each
of us home to “the country of our heart.”
Jesus came to save us from darkness and
alienation.
The doctrine which is easiest of all to
prove is the doctrine of original sin. The
world is writhing in pain, much of it
self-inflicted. Millions of people are taking
sorrte form of drugs or medication just to
find a little tranquility. It’s not difficult to
show that we are incomplete, fragile; yes,
wounded creatures in need of something
beyond our own strength. We need to know
we are more than a grain of salt destined to
dissolve in the moving waters of time.
To meet this need, the God of
Unchanging Love sent to us Jesus Christ, His
only begotten 3 " r, me •> n o us
to new life, now and forevti, in eternal
kingdom.
Some people comprehend this wonderful
mystery better than others. We call this kind
of seeing: faith. One person with a rare gift
for spiritual vision was Helen Keller.
Although blind and deaf from age one, she
had the power to comprehend what is
hidden from the wise of this world. Her
beautiful insights about the next world
testify to it.
“I cannot understand why anyone should
fear death,” she said. “Life here is more
cruel than death - life divides and estranges,
while death, which at heart is life eternal,
reunites and reconciles. I believe that when
the eyes within my physical eyes shall open
upon the world to come, I shall simply be
consciously living in the country of my
heart.” (“Helen and Teacher,” by Joseph P.
Lash, Delacorte Press/Lawrence, N.Y., p.
786)
The coming of our Savior is a personal,
intimate event. Gift-giving is part of the
celebration because Christ is God’s gift to
man, the gift of life and hope. For Helen and
for all of us who believe in Jesus Christ, this
hope of arriving one day in “the country of
my heart,” gives meaning to life. Jesus is not
only the newborn King, He is the Way home.
For a free copy of the Christopher News
Notes, “The Challenge of Loving,” send a
stamped, self-addressed envelope to The
Christophers, 12 East 48th St., New York,
NY 10017.
Sheila Mallon
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\ Georgia
U^TOl
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan - Publisher
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Her name is Rosalie. She is just six years
old and lives in the Phillipines. She has three
sisters: Romeda 11, Robinda 8, Riza 4, and
brother Ramil 1.
Rosalie’s father is a farmer and struggles
to eke out an existence for his family. Her
mother Rosita is beautiful and helps with
the family’s meager resources by working as
a housemaid on the island of Oriental
Mindoro where the family lives.
Life is a constant battle for the family
and for them as for many of the poor in the
Phillipines the most serious problem is
malnutrition.
Rosalie was adopted as a foster child
recently and through the Foster Parents Plan
the family will receive medical assistance as
well as educational services and other more
personal help.
The small sum of nineteen dollars a
month from an American family may mean
the difference between barely surviving and
a meaningful healthy life for Rosalie’s
family.
Her foster parents will write to her and
she will answer and someday - who knows,
they may visit their child in the Phillipines.
Rosalie is lucky she was adopted. There
are so many Rosalies and what better way to
celebrate the birth of Love - than to adopt a
child. There are many plans to choose from,
the Foster Parents Plan or Catholic Relief
Services to name just two.
For those who might wish to expend
their love closer to home - there is the
opportunity to be a “Secret Santa.” This is a
program sponsored by the Fulton and
DeKalb Foster Parent Volunteers. These
marvelous people are working to provide
gifts for children in foster care. Each child is
allowed to select one gift and the volunteers
try to find a donor who would be willing to
assure these children a brighter Christmas
morning.
The list of children is long and varied
embracing children ranging in age from five
months to eighteen years. Reading the little
biographies that accompany each child’s
name and gift request - will make you wish
that there was some way that you could be a
Santa to them all.
There is a way that you can participate -
simply buy a gift for the child you choose -
wrap it and tag it and have it ready for
delivery before December fifteenth.
Just to give you an idea of what this list
of children is like . . . Eric 4, would like a
rocking horse. He is attractive and friendly
but has difficulty walking without holding
on.
Marcus, who is five months old, was born
with a muscle contraction problem which
effects his hands and face - a Fisher Price
Activity Center will help him develop.
Patricia, age 15 - is bright and energetic -
but right now is confined to bed with a
broken back. She will be in a complete body
cast through Christmas. Patricia would love a
stereo with speakers.
Three-year-old April is active and
extremely talkative, full of energy and with
an engaging personality. She would like a
Black Baby Alive.
Larry age six, is alert, cute and likeable in
spite of being severly retarded. He would
love a moving mobile with music.
Ten-year-old Carla is intelligent, studious
and active. She would love to have a Barbie
Beauty Center - while Henry, a tall
seventeen-year-old would appreciate a watch
(which has long been his heart’s desire.)
Two would-be cheerleaders long for
“real” batons to practice their twirling. Both
of these “A” students want to be majorettes.
Tammy, 11, is an active girl with a vivid
imagination - she would be thrilled to receive
a calculator on Christmas morning.
Some of these dear children were abused
before going to their foster homes and have
never even received a toy of their own
before. What an opportunity for us to share
from our largess to make Christmas real for
some little one.
Of course the hardest time that the
volunteers have is finding gift givers for the
older children. It seems that the littlest ones
are usually taken care of first. Volunteers are
usually struggling to find gifts for the older
ones at the last minute.
Whether you choose a two-year-old or an
eighteen-year-old, you will be blessed in the
giving. If you can help this Christmas,
contact Jean Houseman at 371-2610 for
DeKalb, or Miriam Bowens at 753-1119 in
Fulton County. Tell them that you want to
provide a gift for a child this Christmas and
give them the age and price range you can
afford and they will bless you with all of
their hearts for your help. Merry Christmas!
Resound ... Resound ... Resound
To the Editor:
Sr. Mulcahy’s claim that the Communist
Party was against the ERA is inaccurate. The
official announcement of US Communist
Party support of ERA appeared in the
January 1978 issue of Political Affairs.
Along with the K of C, other opponents of
ERA are Catholic Daughters of America,
NCCW, Union of Orthodox Jewish Rabbis
and Congregations. Only the liberal element
supports ERA.
It might be well to point out that the
ERA/Abortion connection was again
substantiated in Massachusetts. The Supreme
Judicial Court of Massachusetts ordered that
the Commonwealth continue to fund
Medicaid abortions, until the court rules on
an argument by ACLU lawyers that the state
equal rights amendment requires such
funding.
Of course, the women’s ordination group
want the ERA, hoping it will force the
bishops to ordain women. Well, it won’t
happen in the Roman Catholic Church.
Now, it is certain to occur in the apostate
“American Catholic Church.” They are eager
to join hands with liberal Protestantism. But
the Divine Christ won’t be there. They do
not recognize His Divinity . .. another of
Hans Kung’s errors.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Nancy A. Molesky
Chamblee
To the Editor:
Re the letter - or perhaps a better word is
diatribe - of Janet L. Ward printed in The
Bulletin Resound of Nov. 13: such a spilling
of bile generally spoken or written by one
who divulges such a lack of facts or logic
should not require an answer. Yet, when
such name calling and arrogant and infallible
ranting would attempt to make a
second-class citizen out of me, I must reply.
Whether she believes or denies that Carl
Rowan is odious, she is entitled to her
opinions . . .
As to her diatribe, it is but the usual
name calling by one who is more dogmatic
and infallible than the group she castigates.
Name calling because she evidently has no
knowledge of the United States Constitution
or perhaps the understanding of just plain
English language . . .
She accuses the Catholic Church of
aligning itself with the “right wing fanatics.”
. . . She is both the judge and jury. She can
cite no instance where the Catholic Church
has so aligned. Individuals, yes, but not the
church. She is part of the secular society -
everyone can express their God given rights
and as Pope John XXIII stated in Pacem in
Terris, express their duty to obtain those
rights - everyone but Catholics . . .
. . . Please, Janet, get out of the
Constitution. The original says nothing
about separation of church and state nor
does the Bill of Rights. The first amendment
reads, “Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble and to petition the government for
redress of grievances.” Nowhere is the word
separation of church and state mentioned or
implied. If it were, every president from
Washington to Carter has broken his oath of
office. Even when the Rutledge doctrine (by
which judges who through prejudice or lack
of knowledge of the English language imply
that Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton,
Washington and all did not know what they
proposed in the first amendment) was
adopted, Congress immediately set up
chaplaincies for both houses of Congress; on
the recommendation of Washington,
Congress spent money for the spread of
Christianity among Indians; it asked the
president to call a day of prayer and
thanksgiving to Almighty God for His
blessings on the young Republic.
Instead of dogmatic name-calling and
classifying of groups she finds odious,
perhaps the cure for poor scholarship and
understanding of the Constitution is more
and better scholarship.
M.J. Maguire, Sr.
Atlanta
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