Latest CWG Events from the News Coordinator

It's hard to believe that three weeks from this Sunday, we'll be celebrating Easter!  On a more personal note, this is also the eighth year anniversary of our family joining the Catholic Church--and three years, or so, for my in-laws.  (The Tiber crossing is getting busy!)


Still trying to find my rhythm when it comes to getting the news out for my fellow guild members. To simplify the process for me a bit, I am posting originally on my blog, then copying my post over to the CWG blog.  We'll see how it works.  (WordPress and I don't always see eye to eye.)

For today, I am just sharing some of the most recent news items in short paragraph format.  In the future, I will try to do this more often along the lines of member profiles.  If I have overlooked an important news item, please send to me directly at karl@karlerickson.com .  (Please put something along the lines of CWG News in the subject line.)



John Konecsni's new novel is now available from CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.  Hope you can check it out!  (I was happy to find it available in both traditional and electronic format, and am excited to check out the Kindle version today.)




There’s a new publication, a slick magazine with a mission of worldwide evangelization, called Shalom Tidings and two of our CWG writers are contributors.

 In the March issue (the second issue) of Tidings, Nancy Ward debuts as a columnist, with “Bring a Friend,” written for the Year of Faith.  Barbara Schoneberger has a stirring essay, “Divine Simplicity and Truth,” featured in this issue.

 Although the magazine is published in Texas, it is the newest endeavor of a word-wide media apostolate (www.shalomworld.org) with roots in India in the Syro Malankara Exarcate rite. What a diverse and intricately connected Church our God has given us.  (Thanks to Nancy Ward for the preceding news item!)

Help a Writer!

Over the next couple weeks, I'll start work on article focusing on the Catholic concept of time.  (Yes, I always pick easy, simple topics, don't I?)  While attending services in Dallas, Texas in December, I heard a prayer that I'd like to include in my upcoming article.  

The prayer quote below was taken from a Mass I attended at the Catholic Cathedral in Dallas, Texas.  Since that time, no one has been able to track down the source of this particular Eucharistic Prayer.  It's possible that it was adapted to English from another language.  

If the passage below rings any bells for you, could you please contact me?  (I am also in the process of getting it translated to Spanish.)

You parted the veil of eternity and entered time in the person of Jesus born to Mary and Joseph; new life, given to change all lives.  Be born in our hearts and minds to touch and change this world.



Update:

Here's the Spanish translation--thanks to my friend and colleague, Blanca.  Unfortunately, it doesn't shed light on the origins of the prayer; nothing matching found using Google.

Has separado el velo de la eternidad
y entrado en tiempo en la persona de Jesús
nacido a María y José;
Nueva vida, dada para cambiar las vidas.
Nace en nuestro Corazón y pensamientos 
para tocar y cambiar este mundo.

Newfoundland Puppy Gallery

We have a dear relative who is unable to navigate Facebook and whose e-mails seem to go into a black hole.  As she'd very much like to see photos of our puppy...we decided to post a few right here.  Hope you enjoy them, too!

First Book on Kindle

Thanks to Kimberly Erickson for the image!

Getting over the flu, I decided it was a good time to experiment with the Kindle format.  It turns out that it's not only simpler than Lulu, the finished product is also much better--not to mention the wider distribution.  So...I'll probably be keeping Kindle for future short writing ventures and turning to Lulu only for things like calendars.

My first e-book for Kindle users is called Three Short Stories.  This book includes "Stars Within the Glass," "Into the Night," and "Light in the Darkness."

While two of the stories have been sold separately before, "Into the Night" has never been published before.  It was originally intended to be part of a larger work, but I discarded the novel subplot idea it represented. While this is probably more of a chapter than a traditional, unified short story, I think you will still enjoy reading the tale.  I welcome reader comments, as they may actually help me decide whether, or not, to finish the tale of Benjamin Jenkins in the late 1800s.

Reclaiming True Diversity

Sometimes it's easy to say no to a movement or cause just because of some of the characteristics of its supporters.  Diversity is a prime example, I think.  I used to take a negative view of diversity because it struck me as propaganda, a movement hijacked by the politically correct crowd, aimed at freezing free speech which may be opposed to their favored causes of the day--e.g. gay marriage.  

While in many respects, diversity can quickly become a cliche, there is real and substantive truth there, as well.  Lately, I have been endeavoring to use the language of the enemy against the enemy and for the cause of truth.  This is probably easiest to explain through three examples.  First, if the atheist opposes symbols of faith, I would point out that the atheist's position is simply a different type of faith.  Second, another example would concern those who preach "diversity," but who have no shred of tolerance for opinions diverse from their own.  It's a two-way street, folks.  (Strangely, I have found some of the most liberal people I know are also some of the most bigoted.)  Third, I have successfully argued at a state agency, for example, that New Age training within a state seminar is a form of promoting of religion.

What does this have to do with the clarion call for diversity?  Well, what do we mean by true diversity?  It's a recognition of many different cultures and belief systems, right?  At its core, there is the quality of respect and treating others as we would want to be treated.  These are biblical concepts, beliefs grounded in faith.  I submit to the reader that these Christian principles need to be taken back and applied to everything from immigration reform to safeguarding free speech.  If they want to communicate this way, let's give it back to them in full measure!

While my point of view holds that the diversity movement can be important because it reflects the differences within God's diverse and varied creation, I don't hold that it justly applies to chosen behaviors.  Even still, though, the Christian has no argument with regards to the imperative need to show and demonstrate respect and courtesy for the homosexual just as much as to the poor immigrant.  They are both human beings made in the image of God, requiring redemption as all of us do.

So, if you work within a politically correct environment, you may find it helpful to defend your position with the liberal's own toolbox of words and phrases; it really gets under their skin.  After all, it's not an excuse for inaction that some people may do what's right for entirely the wrong reasons.

Staying in the "Creative Groove"

I hope all of my readers (both of them!) had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's.  We started our journey back to Oregon from north Texas yesterday at 6am (Central), and our second flight didn't bring us home to western Oregon until close to noon.  It was a long day, but we're happy to be home safe and sound.

One thing I was struck with this trip is how I finally broke a persistent writer's block.  I thought I'd share a few quick observations today.  If you have a stressful day job as I do, it's really difficult to be able to leave your work at the office and focus on creative projects.  (In fact this really hit home, when the first message I read on my iPhone after arriving in Oregon was a very negative office-related e-mail.)

Temporarily leaving behind the daily life responsibilities, experiencing a change of scene, and I think also attending fairly frequent Mass (Holy Days of "Opportunity," you know) helped me write more than I have in years.  It was wonderful to be able to free mind and connect with my characters again like that.  The million dollar question, of course, will be whether I can stay in this "Creative Groove."  

Someone is bound to ask what attending Mass could possibly have to do with writing, and it's a little hard for a Catholic to perhaps articulate.  Is it the Eucharist or is it simply slowing down to focus on God and His Church?  The short answer is "yes."  The longer answer would remind all writers and artists that the ultimate wellspring of any good creative enterprise is God, the Creator.  

That's all for today.  God bless.

Are Packing Teachers the Answer to School Violence?

After the tragic and depraved events in Newtown, Connecticut, one of the solutions being suggested by some--such as Oregon State Rep. Dennis Richardson--is the idea of two or three teachers at each school being allowed to carry a concealed weapon in order to deal with an armed intruder emergency.

Let me first say that I have nothing at all against responsible use of firearms.  In fact, my father is a firearms instructor.  I look forward to getting a new concealed weapons permit myself in the near future for a .45 caliber handgun.  What I do question, though, is the wisdom of this recommendation for four main reasons.


Opposing Skill Sets

Perhaps relevant to this discussion is a quick snapshot of my own background.  As a young man, I spent many an hour helping in classrooms, followed some years later by ride-alongs with city, county, and federal law enforcement officers from Seattle to Port Townsend.  I have also had the opportunity to work in the loss prevention, corporate security, and even as a Campus Security Officer for Seattle Pacific University before going to work for the State of Oregon in 1997.  

While I have the greatest respect for teachers, the skill set and talent required to educate our children is completely different than what's required for a law enforcement officer.  The teacher is slow and methodical, while the police officer must, through experience and constant training and education, be prepared at any moment to take lethal force against an individual.  He's not going to aim for the legs; he's not going to fire a "warning shot."  If he pulls his service weapon, he is prepared and ready to take a life.  These professions are diametrically opposed--not great candidates for job sharing.  A simple error in judgement could quickly lead to catastrophic results.  (One example of this would be the issue of bystander safety.)


Conflicting Priorities

If the armed teacher were to suspect an emergency in-progress, is he expected to leave his students unattended to go race down the halls?  The teacher's primary responsibility should be to do everything in his power to ensure the safety of his students.  This doesn't include abandoning them alone in the classroom.


Too Much Authority?

Last year, a teacher at Sprague High School was arrested .  Sadly, this is nothing new in our nation, but it should give us all some food for thought.  It's well known that abusive teachers will often wield their authority in a way that intimidates their victim.  Do we really want to risk handing this same teacher a 9mm?  I suggest a diversification of authority in schools safeguards our children.


The Pacific Northwest is not Texas

I'll probably catch some heat (only slight pun intended) on this from my Texas family, but let me explain.  Just because some schools may be successfully employing a practice along these lines in Texas, doesn't mean it's necessarily appropriate in Oregon or Washington (especially western sides of the respective states).  No, I have absolutely no statistics to back this assertion up, but, as a guy who has lived both in the north and south, I suggest that firearm familiarity may be a little more prevalent down south than in the Pacific Northwest.  (If you don't believe me, just try breaking into a house in south Dallas.)  This issue needs to be addressed on a state by state basis, and I don't believe that either Oregon or Washington is the ideal test candidate.


A Better Solution

Rather than arming our educators, I suggest that one way to approach this is to utilize more plainclothes personnel who are well armed and highly trained.  These individuals would randomly patrol school district property.  They would not get involved in citing cars in the fire lane, but they would take action any time a violent encounter is observed.  (After all, even a small fight between high schoolers can quickly escalate if a weapon appears.)

People need to understand that a uniformed officer serves both as a deterrent and a first responder, but he is also likely the first target.  The plainclothes personnel would have the extra few seconds they would require to get in position and terminate the threat as safely as possible.

Shared Accountability & Militant Atheism

In the wake of Friday's tragedy, I shared some thoughts online the other day.  I'd like to post them again here.


We've systematically removed God and prayer from our culture, embraced moral relativism, and loved ourselves more than others. This is the tragic result. Our culture needs a return to the values that made us great. This won't be solved by Unitarians or New Age Mysticism; the answer is Christ.


Who bears the responsibility for the spiritual swamp we are mired in today?  The short answer is that we are all responsible for the current state of affairs.  Still, if we look a little deeper, is there a particular mindset which perhaps bears a greater degree of culpability for us so thoroughly losing our way as a culture?

I suggest that no small degree of responsibility rests on the shoulders of those whose message of the anti-Gospel seeks converts to their cause.  This is not so much associated with all atheists as the ones who are constantly "evangelizing" their faith.  (The atheist who doesn't push his faith so vociferously can hardly be held accountable for those who choose to do so.)

That's right, I did say faith.  If atheism is an absence of faith, then that absence in and of itself represents a form of faith.  Yes, it may be a faith in essentialy nothing, but it remains a belief system that cannot be proven just as my personal belief in God cannot be scientifically proven: a supposition with regards to a particular state of affairs and the nature of reality itself.

Seeing atheism through the lens of faith is helpful in reacting to its siren call.  For instance, the atheist that demands a school stop some long-held practice because it offends him, needs to be intellectually honest and realize that his request itself is framed upon his own faith.  Whose faith should win?  That's not my call, but I suggest those atheists who feel the need to get in our faces with provocative billboards or inflammatory rhetoric need to recognize their behavior for what it is.  They wish to spread their faith in a similar way to the Christian's desire to evangelize the lost.



The crimes of atheism have generally been perpetrated through a hubristic ideology that sees man, not God, as the creator of values. Using the latest techniques of science and technology, man seeks to displace God and create a secular utopia here on earth. Of course if some people - the Jews, the landowners, the unfit, or the handicapped - have to be eliminated in order to achieve this utopia, this is a price the atheist tyrants and their apologists have shown themselves quite willing to pay. Thus they confirm the truth of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's dictum, "If God is not, everything is permitted. 

Diniesh D’Souza, “Atheism, Not Religion is the Real Force Behind the Mass Murders of History.” The Christian Science Monitor. (11-21-06 edition).  

(See also http://atheismexposed.tripod.com/atheist_crimes.htm .)