Zion and Its Elders

Zion and Its Elders: Pictured above is Theodor Herzl, the man who is often considered the primary founder of modern Political Zionism. He was a Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist living in the latter half of the nineteenth century. At the time, Europe saw the rapid growth of anti-Semitism in numerous countries like Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Russia. Even France could not eradicate its virulent anti-Semitic forces, as it plunged into a decade-long dilemma known as the Dreyfus Affair. It was this incident in France that caught the attention of Herzl. As a result, he decided to dedicate his time and effort to the creation and promotion of a back to Palestine movement (Zionism) for the Jewish peoples around the world. Such a concept was not new, it had existed ever since the days of the Jewish diaspora. However, the most novel feature of this movement was the fact that it contained vast socio-political implications for the European Jewry. As the rise of nationalism swept over Europe throughout the nineteenth century, the Jews were consistently set apart from any sort of grandiose nationalistic vision, which tended to be vaguely "Christian" in nature. And since they were frequently seen as a nation within a nation, European Jews needed a refuge where they could be free from the persistent persecution that they faced in the form of pogroms. Unfortunately for Herzl and other Zionist leaders, securing a place for the Jewish people in an area that was dominated by Muslims of the Ottoman Empire would prove quite difficult.

Defense or Healthcare?

Defense or Healthcare?: In the United States today, there is an overgrown elephant in people's living rooms that nobody is discussing. This elephant is draining the economic resources of the country at an increasingly rapid pace. But who is this elephant and when did he arrive in Americans' living rooms? Well, his name is the War on Terror and he showed up shortly following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Back then, the U.S. economy was thrown into a recession, and some economists would argue that the increase in defense spending after 2001 helped the economy to recover by early 2003. Nevertheless, as this national security crisis lingers over the U.S., there looms another major dilemma and it is called healthcare. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals, doctors, and drug companies are dropping on an annual basis. Millions of Americans cannot afford adequate health insurance. So, how should the U.S. arrange its priorities in the not-so-distant future? Should it choose a strong national defense or a strong healthcare system? Is national security the best way to ensure freedom or is good health the greatest form of wealth?

Catholicism and Monarchy

Catholicism and Monarchy: Any Catholic ought to understand the innately monarchical structure under which the Church operates. And as the period of Lent approaches, it becomes important for Catholics to reflect on the nature of the Church. Why is it inherently exclusive? Why is it so slow to change its Catechism? Why is the Pope the "Supreme Pontiff"? These questions beg American Catholics to ponder their ultimate allegiance. As a Catholic in the U.S., with whom should I side? The President or the Pope? Democracy or Monarchy? Is there truly a middle ground? Wars have been waged over these kinds of questions. Take King Henry VIII in England for example. He did not see eye-to-eye with the Pope, especially when it came to the sacrament of matrimony. As a result, he broke away from the Catholic Church and formed the Anglican Church, or what is known as the Episcopalian Church in the United States. The English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution of the seventeenth century essentially occurred in reaction to Henry VIII's controversial maneuver. Even so, where does the Pope derive his monarchical authority? In effect, every Pope, who is ironically "ELECTED" by the College of Cardinals, assumes the throne given to Simon Peter by Christ. Therefore, Simon Peter (Saint Peter), one of Christ's Twelve Apostles, was ordained the first Pope by Christ himself to spread the "Good News" of the Gospels. And Peter was subsequently crucified (upside down at his request) for the role he played in promulgating Christianity.

Carl Jung's "Collective Unconscious"

Carl Jung's "Collective Unconscious": Grappling with the collective unconscious is particularly difficult for the white man. In effect, the collective unconscious is an idea put forth by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (pictured above c.1910) and it constitutes a memory bank of all human experiences. As a result, every rational being has access to this unconscious storage place. Unfortunately for the white European, certain dark areas of his history have left indelible scars within the collective human psyche. Slavery serves as one dark area with which the white man must deal. Today, whenever a white man encounters a black man with an ostensibly Anglicized last name like "Smith" or "Bond," an eerie feeling creeps down the white man's neck for this is a tell-tale sign of a lineage of slavery. And although the white man did not personally participate in the forced bondage of the black man, he cannot help but feel the guilt that is inevitably thrust upon him by the collective unconscious. In many respects, the collective unconscious acts as a constant reminder of all past human experiences, and for the most part, it works through a series of what Jung called "archetypal images." An image, such as a black man hanging from a tree by a noose, triggers a visceral reaction to the atrocities of the past, and thus, a process of reconciliation between whites and blacks ought to ensue as a result.

Catholicism as Cannibalism?

Catholicism as Cannibalism?: When Catholics receive the "Body of Christ" in the form of a consecrated piece of bread, they assume Christ-like qualities. That is, through the ingestion of the sacramental bread (host), Christians become infused with the Holy Spirit, and thus, attempt to recenter their lives on the principles of love, forgiveness, and humility. To some non-Christians, however, the symbolic eating of Christ's body appears as a cannibalistic act. Ingesting the body of God is certainly a unique feature of Catholic Christianity. Other Christian sects view this act as blasphemous, especially considering the presumed arrogance of someone to think that he or she is worthy of consuming a piece of the Divine. Even so, for Catholics, the sacrament of the Eucharist is the source of all life, and thus, the most important part of weekly mass celebrations. Also referred to as the "Lord's Supper," Catholics gather in Church to seek unity with Christ. This union of the human and the Divine, of the finite and the Infinite, of the temporal and the Eternal, is an essential part of the "Mystery of Faith" whereby the bread on the altar effectively becomes God through the process of transubstantiation.