Curb brain deaths instead

TO CURB MATERNAL DEATHS
UN body urges the use of contraceptives

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-Philippines has urged the use of contraceptives to curb the increasing number of maternal deaths as the world body celebrates safe motherhood week.

UNFPA Representative to the Philippines Suneeta Mukherjee called for an immediate “universal access to contraception” which could cut by 25 to 40 percent cases of maternal deaths.
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Here we go again [sigh]. Why even stop at 25 to 40% ? What about the remaining 60 to 75% of maternal deaths ? Just let them die ?
Brain dead, are we ? Why not prevent pregnancy altogether by whatever means ? Now that would cut maternal deaths by 100 percent, right ???

Regarding universal access to prenatal care...oh, never mind.
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Of the swine flu

A pandemic (from the Greek pan - all + demos - people) is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide.

GENEVA (AP) – The World Health Organization has raised its tally of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 5,251 in 30 countries, with 61 people dead from the disease.
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Flashback to the deadly "Spanish flu", 1918-1919.

First identified early in March 1918 in US troops training at Camp Funston, Kansas. By October 1918, it had spread to become a world-wide pandemic on all continents, and eventually infected an estimated one third of the world's population (or approx 500 million persons). Unusually deadly and virulent, it ended nearly as quickly as it began, vanishing completely within 18 months. In six months, some 50 million were dead;some estimates put the total of those killed worldwide at over twice that number. An estimated 17 million died in India, 675,000 in the United States and 200,000 in the UK.

The virus was recently reconstructed by scientists at the CDC studying remains preserved by the Alaskan permafrost. They identified it as a type of influenza A H1N1 virus.
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The "Mexican swine flu", is a strain of infuenza A H1N1.

Strangely in the case of the "Spanish flu", the pandemic mostly killed young adults, with 99% of pandemic influenza deaths occurring in people under 65, and more than half in young adults 20 to 40 years old. It appears that the strong antibodies of the young, healthy, adult people actually worked against them, as the stronger antibodies reacted in a haywire manner causing a more deleterious effect compared to the very young or older age brackets. Young, healthy, adult people...

This actually reminds me of the the tenth and final plague of Egypt that finally forced the Pharaoh to submit. The plague targeted only the death of all Egyptian first-born. No one escaped, from the lowest servant to Pharaoh's own first-born son, including the first-born of livestock. Except of course those who had lamb's blood on the door posts. Could have been the biblical equivalent of a particularly virulent and deadly strain of H1N1. Of course this is just pure speculation on my part.

"and that you may recount to your son and grandson how ruthlessly I dealt with the Egyptians and what signs I wrought among them, so that you may know that I am the LORD."
(Exodus 10:2)

Anyway, today looks like a fine day. Perhaps I'll walk the dog later. Drink a couple of beers. Eat some junk food. Read a good book. Hug the family...

Pray.

A typhoon-proof vine

Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2009

...I am the vine, you are the branches...

(John 15:1-8)
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Jesus' discourse on the vine and the branches presents a very rich allegory: faith, trials, communion, spiritual gifts, good works, a life-giving relationship, salvation. I once had a lively debate with a fundamentalist friend with his contention of "once saved, always saved". How can he reconcile this with Jesus' assertion that the branches that does not remain in the vine are gathered, thrown and burned? In the first place, if the branch was once connected, and then was broken off later (as it did not bear fruit), it was clear that the branch basked in God's graces at one time but did not elect to stay connected. The branch did not bear fruit - good works to my mind. This is another flash point, as fundamentalists reject the salvific value of good works: faith is enough. Catholics on the other hand say: faith AND good works. I remember he launched into a Pauline discourse to the effect that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Sure I say, but we retain the will to accept or reject God's grace. He insists that Jesus' death would have been meaningless if "faith only" was not enough. But it's ok, although our discussion goes on in circles, this fundamentalist guy remains my friend even as we exasperate each other. I pray he gets to swim across the Tiber sometime.



Speaking of vines, I have this peculiar vine in our garden that never fails to be a conversation piece with visitors. Funny thing is I don't even know the name of the plant, as I just inherited it from the previous owner. I transferred a sapling about two years ago and now it has grown to over 20 feet. Notice how it climbs up the wall with apparently no support except that its leaves seem to attach themselves tenaciously to the wall. Its round, flat leaves seem adapted to attaching to flat walls like there were an adhesive. It must also have a pretty sturdy stem underneath, as this part of the garden is buffeted by fairly strong winds. I think it is the collective strength of the leaves attached to a strong stem that makes the entire thing flourish in spite of the strong winds. That is why even many typhoons cannot strip this plant - the leaves provide strength to each other. Hmm, I think there's more to add to the allegory.

Angels and Demons and Clowns

"The idea that Copernicus was murdered by the Church is just too stupid for words."

So says John C. Wright , in his scathing review of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.
Fact: Copernicus died quietly in bed at age 70 from a stroke, and his research was supported by Church officials; he even dedicated his masterwork to the Pope.

The joker is the same Dan Brown who wrote the Da Vinci Code, a work of fiction shot full of errors. Nevertheless on his webpage, Clown, (Brown, rather) claims that "Because my novels are so research-intensive, they take a couple of years to write".

Bull feathers.

By the way, John C. Wright is a well-known sci-fi writer who used to be an atheist but converted to Catholicism last year.
Check out his blog here- http://johncwright.livejournal.com/

The Perfect Shepherd

May 3, 2009

Fourth Sunday of Easter

"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...
they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd..."
(John 10:11-18)

There was this teacher who came up with a good problem.
"Suppose," she asked the second-graders, "there were a dozen sheep and six of them jumped over a fence. How many would be left?"
"None," answered little Norman.
"None? Norman, don't you know arithmetic?"
"Teacher, don't you know sheep? When one goes, they all go!"
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I remember a trip we made to Australia a few years ago. On the tour, our family had an opportunity to visit the Warrook Cattle Farm in Melbourne. We were treated to a demonstration of a sheep dog aiding the shepherd in rounding up the herd. The flock must be in the hundreds, and it would be a tough task for the shepherd to herd the sheep all by himself. At the master's signal, the sheep dog ran circles around the flock while yelping and barking, and the scattered flock was soon organized into one close herd as they dutifully followed the shepherd to the gates. Fantastic! the herding was over in minutes.

Speaking about hearing, there is something peculiar about it compared to seeing. Our ocular view is limited to the direction that we turn our heads, whereas we hear things around us no matter what direction we face. Also, we can shut our eyes but we cannot shut our ears. By the running and barking of the smart sheep dog, the scattered sheep are organized into attention, close together where they are within earshot of the shepherd's voice. The analogy tells us that the good Shepherd may use many instruments and charisms in the Church, so that His voice may be heard loud and clear. That is why in the great commission, the Lord commands: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.". Jesus is not only a Good Shepherd, He is the Perfect Shepherd.

We must pay attention to what we hear, and make a discernment.
Oftentimes, our minds are just too preoccupied with our own voices.

As it goes, three hearing-challenged persons are having a walk one fine day.

One remarked to the other, "Windy, ain't it?"
"No," the second man replied, "It's Thursday."
And the third man chimed in, "So am I. Let's have a coke."
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Pambansang kamao does it again

It was not exactly like a David and Goliath battle, although from some pre-fight indications, it does look like one. Hatton is certainly heftier and the stronger fighter from most accounts, plus he is a natural fighter at 140 pounds. As the fight unfolds, the waiting and suspense was arduously long (aggravated by those vexating, long-winded commercials), but the bout's end itself was swift in coming. It came at 2:50 of the second round, with a powerhouse left to the chin of Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton. Hatton went down like a log, motionless. For a while there it did seem like he was hit on the head by a large rock. After several minutes, Hatton was helped to his feet. Fortunately he seems fine. "It was a hard loss but I am okay," Hatton said.

Manny Pacquiao prays fervently during training, before and after a fight. Not too many people are aware that Manny is also a pro-life advocate.

Stay on, Manny. Mabuhay ang pambansang kamao!

On Suffering

A CAF poster asks:

How do I explain to someone the meaning of suffering? In particular, I am looking to explain what it means to "offer up" your sufferings and "unite them to Christ's suffering on the Cross."
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Tough question. When suffering is examined , it is usually from an academic standpoint. This revolves around the philosophical and theological views on suffering and its "meaning". How do we reconcile a merciful, providential God with suffering? How do we distinguish between "merited" and "unmerited" suffering? Why does suffering occur to some and not to others? For instance, witness the spectacle of tens of thousands of people living in the dumpsites, sickly children in the teeming slums, massive devastation by flood and landslides, victims of wars in Rwanda, Afganisthan, Nigeria, Poland, the Philippines. There is simply too much suffering for us to be able to give an ethical and hermeneutical analysis.

In the end, what remains is a mystery.The sufferer might not be able to appreciate an intricate explanation of theodicy. In intimate settings, it might be better to commiserate with the sufferer rather than explain something we cannot fully understand. To hold their hand, listen, emphatize, provide help if we can... as we remind them that God is also listening and in due time, His will prevails.