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LIVING STONES
Volume 27, October 2007
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Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and
precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a
spiritual house... |
The Nonviolent Worm is Eating the Living Stones!
The Nonviolent Worms are eating the Living Stones. Yes, you heard me right
-- my work on the new worldwide website
www.nonviolentworm.org/ is eating the time I would spend on this newsletter,
Living Stones. But do not worry; this new site features all the essays, news,
growing power information, pictures, quotes and jokes that you would normally find in this
newsletter.
As I have said many times before, I am a firm believer in persons working together, not in
competition with each other. This site
www.nonviolentworm.org/ was made possible by the many years of experience and
encouragement I am blessed to have had with you and many others. I have been working on
putting the pieces of my life and interest in Growing Power and Creative Nonviolence together and
this new domain is the best I can do for now.
Check it out for yourselves. I could use some help from you. For example, I need some
funny, brief and clean jokes for my joke and quotes page. Please send along whatever you
find of interest to persons like us.
So Living Stones Is Not disappearing, but being integrated into the Nonviolent Worm
domain. Hopefully this Nonviolent Worm site will produce rich castings like worms do.
Thanks to John Veierstahler in California for making a printable copy of this newsletter with
pictures at the Hope to Healing site at
www.hopetohealing.com/media/newsletters/newsletters.htm. Hopefully he will now
put a link to the Nonviolent Worm site on this page.
Special Thanks to Tegan Dowling of Emergency Digital,
www.emergencydigital.com/, the master wiki-gnome who not only edited this newsletter
but who made possible the Milwaukee Renaissance sites we enjoy and has now made possible the
Nonviolent Worm site. If you or any group or business, large or small, needs an
effective web site that is easy to use and affordable, contact Tegan. Check out her client
gallery at:
www.emergencydigital.com/Gallery.
And Yes this last one is late as usual.
Dear Fathers
Although this is my last issue, in the true spirit of the Living Stones newsletter, I feel compelled to offer you something not found on the web page. It is a copy of a letter I sent to all the priests I know, Jesuits and Diocesan in the area. It was a public letter with copies going to the MU Tribune and Catholic Herald Newspaper. I have not had a response from any of the priests, but did get notice today that the Marquette Tribune will publish it soon. For more on this issue check out: www.nonviolentworm.org/Main/News. Bob
Dear Fathers,
A few weeks ago I was attending a lecture at Marquette given by two friends and a MU student
raised the question: "Does the Catholic Church consider the war in Iraq an unjust
war?" Although there were theologians in the audience the speakers turned to me to
answer the question. Calling forth all my Catholic and Jesuit education I said YES, the
Catholic Church considers the war in Iraq an unjust and immoral war. I repeated what my
Catholic Tradition, our past and present Holy Fathers, the Vatican and moral theologians like
Fr. Massingale had taught me on the morality of this war.
What is wrong with this picture? Here I am at a Catholic Jesuit community telling students
and faculty my understanding of the Church's position on one the greatest moral issues of our
time.
Last week I joined a group of Christians, mostly Roman Catholics, who publicly asked Father
Wild S.J., the president of Marquette University and Archbishop Dolan the question:
"Is the War in Iraq a Just War?" I had informed Fr. Wild and Archbishop Dolan a
week earlier that this question would be asked them.
In the morning of the action, Oct. 26th, the day Franz Jagerstatter was beatified for his refusal
to participate in an unjust war, I was interviewed by Ch. 12. The news reporter told me she
had called Fr. Wild's office and that an university representative had said: "The
university is a place where the question of what constitutes a just war can be debated freely and
respectfully. But ultimately, that decision rests with our elected leaders."
(www.wisn.com/news/14434166/detail.html)
I was dumbfounded by that response.
In the afternoon, when a group us when to Fr. Wild's office to get a response to the
question: "Is the War in Iraq a Just War?", we were met by security guards who
allowed only one MU student in the building. Inside this one student was met by a group
of MU administrators who refused to come outside and talk to the group. They communicated
to the student that Fr. Wild would send us a letter in two weeks with his answer. Again I
was dumbfounded by this response.
When a President of a Jesuit Catholic University cannot answer an important moral question of our
time yes or no with an explanation and our Archbishop, the pastoral leader of our Catholic Church
in Milwaukee, also cannot give a clear and consistent answer with the teaching of the Roman
Catholic Church it is no wonder that students at MU and other universities question morality and
are confused.
Yes the question is a politically and financially a tough one to answer. But I do not think
it is a morally difficult question to answer. And yes those of us asking the question do
not believe that Marquette should cooperate with an unjust war by hosting the military training
program for nine local colleges and universities in the area. And Yes we do believe that
the Marquette University of Military Science should not be teaching Army values that contradict
our Christian Gospel values. (www.nonviolentworm.org/Main/News)
However, we Christians can dialog about hosting the military on campus and teaching values
contrary to our Catholic values. But on this question, 'Is the War in Iraq a Just War?', the
teaching of the Holy Roman Catholic Church should be clear and consistent.
If the question was 'Is abortion moral?' and Planned Parenthood was seeking to locate an abortion
clinic on Campus, the answer would be quick and forthcoming. Does not our brave men and
women in the military, students at MU and we Catholics deserve a clear answer. Blessed
Franz Jagerstatetter gave his life in his answer to this question. (He was told by his
pastor and bishop to cooperate with the war but in conscience could not.) All we are asking
for, dear Fathers, is an answer to a simple question. What does each of you say:
"Is the War in Iraq a Just War".
Please answer. Thank you Fathers and forgive my insistence on an answer to this moral
question. I like many others have "been ruined" by Jesuit training and
cannot help myself.
I am copying our Catholic Press, the MU Tribune, our Holy Father and a few other individuals
who were with us last Friday asking this question. Many more look to you all for your moral
leadership in this time of violence.
Peace,
Bob Graf
PR MINISTRY - bobsyouruncle@sbcglobal.net - (414) 379-4162
Note: HopeToHealing is not affiliated with PR
Ministry.
This newsletter was sent to john@hopetohealing.com by
bobsyouruncle@sbcglobal.net.
(This is an edited version by John Veierstahler for the HopeToHealing website.)
You can now find Bob's commentaries online at
www.nonviolentworm.org/.