It Takes 2 to Make a Thing Go Right (I)

During my undergrad days it was quite normal to hear a certain phrase in connection with pornography; and ever since, it has almost served as a mantra for certain faithful (or perhaps not so faithful) adherents of Theology of the Body.

The phrase used and now in vogue is, "the pictures do not show too much. They do not show enough." The point being of course is that the woman in the magazine is reduced from a person of inestimable worth to an object of lust. And of course this is right "in a certain sense." Just recently a friend of mine (not Mr. C) and I were talking and he used this phrase and it struck me as a little, well, not entirely correct. And all of you who know me I'm sure can guess what happened next. Immediately a song, which has bothered me for some time, came into my head.
The song is a John Mayer song and the lyrics go **throat clearing** like eh-zo.

Some day I'll fly/some day I'll soar
Some day I'll be/somethin' much more
Cuz I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for.

Ironically, this comes from the same man who wrote "Your Body is a Wonderland." At any rate, what has bothered me about the song lyrics is how John confuses (perhaps with invincible ignorance) our sinfulness with the body. When John Mayer says he's "bigger than his body," what he means is, he's capable of more than his sinful nature gives him credit for. To say otherwise, would be to say that the body is evil and enslaves the soul.

Now it is true, our sinfulness is mediated through our bodies, but it's not the body's fault per se. [Insert attempt to make a quick though readily intelligible argument from Aquinas] The soul is the principle of the body...the body cannot go anywhere without the soul. And the soul needs the body in order to do human things like understand stuff, "there is nothing in the mind that was not first in the sense." The unity between the body and soul is so great that I can call this unity, "Reginald" - one subject.

On the one hand, if John is looking to place the blame for his frustration, he won't find it in the body. He'll be even more frustrated when the soul does not have a body. If on the other hand, he wants to accept his real lot, he'll come to know his soul is indeed trapped, but by sin and his only true freedom will come in realizing his unlimitted capacity for virtue, goodness, and perfection in and through his body - probably greater than he "gives it credit for."

Stay tuned folks...

Up and coming is a post where John Mayer and pornography both meet Aquinas and Mr. C (<--think John Paul II and TOTB).

We won't go

Sorry. I couldn't resist.
<- check out homegirl right here.

I think that a lot of people have expressed my own views about the issue. Regarding Flyte's comment, I think it's funny that today at work in fact, one of the other servers who is a 2nd or 3rd generationer told one of the cooks (in Spanish) that he was going to go on Sunday to rally against this bill in support of the aforementioned cook because, "who else is going to make my salads?"

I think Whiskey's comment is apt: believe in the American dream. How much better it would have been -going along Eric's lines - if the pro-immigration side really thought through their position and went out marching with American flags. Instead they made post facto claims of the United States stealing their land from them in the first place. Ay yai yai, mi gente!!! This doesn't help your claim at all!!!

Flannery, I think that's a fair observation concerning the immigrants who only come to work. They're more concerned with the reality of providing for their families; they don't have to buy into the American dream and that's ok. I agree also, along with Windmilltilter that they should take the necessary steps to be legitimate, while the opportunistic landowners, I think, should be hit with some legislation to help prevent the exploitation of those workers.

As for the Church and the tithing issue, this is not only a cultural issue. I mean, I know plenty of Catholics of all shapes, colors, and sizes who do not tithe. It's not like a lot of these people tithe all that much in their home countries either, though I know this was not at all Flannery's position. This is a catechesis issue. Too many churches emphasize tithing as necessary for "maintaining the building" or for "paying for ..." We should tithe because our money doesn't belong to us ultimately and ultimately all of us have the same "universal destination" of all our goods.

I tithe to the Church, because we all belong to each other, first to the local community, but ultimately to the same Body of Christ. It's my pledge of detachment to ever let Mammon force me into servitude (even when times are tough...10% is a lot when you ain't got no money). I say this because a great deal of people - justified on many accounts - become bitter at the Spanish-speaking communities because they're not "paying" for anything. That argument is the only one you hear from such people, which calls into question their reason for tithing and the relationship they want to have with those other people in the Church.

Point. The immigration issue is complex. One side has to admit exploitation and in some sense the necessity of the work ethic, that the immigrants bring [I'll fight with anyone on this last issue until I'm blue in the face. When I look out at the fields in California (and into my own family history), I do not see any other ethnic group represented in those fields]. BUT, the other side has to take responsibility for their actions and if need be with the help of more JUST laws, which will facilitate as much as is reasonable those who are here already to become legitimate workers. Too bad we can't legislate morality. My mom (from the mother country) I think rightfully becomes infuriated at the ingratitude of those people from Mexico who are blind to all that is evil in Mexico and have the nerve to populate their lives with all things Mexican in retaliation to the United States, in the name of "la raza." Even when there isn't an outrageous proposal!!!

As a Church however, we have to look at the situation graciously. Problem is...the Church is a little short-handed these days.

All seems so grey!

"How long will you tolerate our weakness, before you step into our sky blue and say, 'that's quite enough and your time is up?'"