Love: The Conscience of Credibility

St. Valentines Day is about Love. After thirty-five years of marriage, my wife and I have this holiday down to a science: "a card will be fine!" Thanks to my better half, the kids, grand kids, and parents, also get a card. I also love my friends, my patients, and others. I love God! I love our constitutional republic. I love gutsy people who have stood in the gap, out of faith, or patriotism. It is probably why I have been distracted recently by the courage of Debra Medina. This mother of three is making a stand against the most powerful cartel in the world, and the conservative talking heads call her a "loon". She is a martyr for the republic of stateS, and she deserves our financial assistance, our political support, and our love.

Love is also important in our instinctive discernment of Truth vs. Credibility. For those who believe in the second person of the triune God as Jesus Christ, know that He is Truth. For my friends who do not believe, I yield to their moral sense. For those who understand the New Testament, also know that God is Love. So we believers, could in fact, substitute Love for Truth, to look at Love vs. Credibility.

I am not referring to an emotional love, but a decision. A decision to want the very best for those that we love. The best for their purpose in life, and not necessarily the best of the nice things in this world. St. Paul connects love and truth in his famous definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, "Love rejoices in the Truth." This should give us a clue. Our conscience should rest in peace, when it rests in the Truth. This inner joy may not be happiness, but possibly a sad peace. But, peace! When a situation concerning our love relationship, is presented to be credible, but we don't sense an inner joy, our lie alarm should go off. If our relationship to some one, or some group, is negatively affected by believing what is presented as credible, question it. Question the credible label as to truth, because it effects our love. For by accepting a lie as truth, we stop the love.

Let's Get'er Done!

Last night my wife watched a DVD about a girl who blogged for a year, about J. C. (not sure of spelling), a famous woman who mixed humor and French cooking. It was entertaining and informative. She got to know the woman, even though they never met. She stabilized her life. She even wrote a book.
I have had this Blog since shortly after my run for office, so why not write? I have issues with which I could use some stability. And, I have always toyed with the idea of writing a book. Many published authors will say, "You need discipline, You need to make yourself write, everyday". So, why not?
The issues have already been entitled in this blog, "Truth vs. Credibility". Exposing the believable lies vs. the absolute truth, will be the year-long project. For my part, I will write every day,but here is the twist of faith. I know God is real, and I have waxed and waned in my sense of relationship with Him. I hope to use this daily blog as a means of reestablishing or deepening this relationship; not to preach, but to discuss Truth vs. Credibility. For His part, He may use me to do His will, and possibly show others that He is real, and He loves each one of us.
It may be coincidence that the catalyst, that got me to commit, had the initials, J.C. I believe that absolute truth has a name with the same initials, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we might think of this blog with a subtitle, Jesus Christ vs, believable political lies. With that agenda, we could end up anywhere. Starting with the quote for this blog title that came from a book about the legalized counterfeit robber-bankers, The Federal Reserve. Then, there is the lie that has paralysed our country and media, that has been countered by the 9-11 "Truthers". This could go anywhere.
This is Day 1. Only 364 days to go. Let's get'er done!

Treatment Planning "Real Teeth"

I have been blessed for over a quarter of a century to be a member of one of the greatest professions, dentistry. In cleaning out some of my old, and less used, accumulations, I found a freshman dental school textbook, “Treatment Planning”. It discusses many concerns for a new practitioner, such as what method and means of treatment would be appropriate for a particular patient. After twenty-five years of practice, most of these questions are answered automatically. Is a tooth restorable? How best to restore proper function in chewing, biting, slicing, and speech. Can the patient’s expectation for appearance be achieved? Last but not least, would the proposed treatment violate that universal dogma, “Doctor, do no harm”? My textbook on treatment planning was obviously void of many options on today’s dental landscape. There have been advances in most subspecialties, the dental implant has become a treatment, and now they are talking about genetically growing “real teeth”.

Real Teeth? Could this be anything like the “real teeth” Pope Benedict XVI has proposed in his latest encyclical, Caritas In Veritate? This 51-page letter on Charity and Truth, is addressed to everyone from Bishops, to all people of good will. Under section 67, he makes his diagnoses: To manage the global economy; there is urgent need of a true world political authority. His plan of treatment for this situation is proposed earlier in the same section, “so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire “real teeth”.

What in the world could my Pope possibly be planning?

• Real teeth that chew-up open ecclesial opposition, and silence, to an earlier encyclical on human life, Humane Vitae?
• Real teeth that can slice through the scandal, of honoring the most pro-death President in our history, at our nation’s most “Catholic” institution, Notre Dame?
• Real teeth that bite-off the mockery of using a Divine Liturgy, for the purpose of honoring one of the most pro-abort senators in recent history.
• Real teeth, positioned properly, to allow the proper sounds to words that condemn the book and lifestyle of homosexual Bishop Weakland?

I humbly suggest that my Pope ponder the inverse of the question for Bishops, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?” 1 Timothy 3:5 NIV. I say, “If anyone does not know how to take care of God’s church, how can he take care of the world family?”

My diagnosis is simple: the Catholic Church in America is edentulous. The treatment plan: Pray for “real teeth”! And, the universal, or catholic, doctrine holds true, “Papa, do no harm!”