WobLog

A friend wrote to me to mention her disappointment with Mel Gibson's arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. I am also sad that this has happened. It is particularly hard when an orthodox Christian falls. However, it is a reminder that we all depend on the grace of God, and that we are all sinners, no matter how firmly we believe and try to follow Christ.

Mel Gibson did a very good job accepting responsibility for his actions, and he gave no excuses for his sinful behavior, so in that sense he was a good role model for accepting responsibility and not running from one's own sinfulness. But the whole event reminded me of the importance of relying on Jesus, Mary, and the Saints for our role models. And I encourage people to pray for Mel Gibson.

I'll leave you with Mr. Gibson's apology.

"After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.

"I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.

"Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.

"I have battled the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health."

Posted by Lisa Roberts at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the midst of Israel's response to Hezbollah rocket attacks and IAEA efforts to stop Iran's uranium enrichment activities, John Bolton is undergoing Senate confirmation hearings (when it rains, it pours). Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has written an op-ed supporting Bolton:

As a liberal Democrat, I listened carefully to the opposition voiced by many Democratic senators to the nomination of John Bolton as our chief representative to the United Nations. Mr. Bolton has been representing us at the United Nations since August. During the current Middle East crisis, I have been able to listen for myself to what Mr. Bolton has been saying at the United Nations.

On the basis of his performance, I have become a Bolton supporter. He speaks with moral clarity. He is extremely well prepared. He is extraordinarily articulate. He places the best face on American policy, particularly in the Middle East during this crucial time.

Mr. Bolton understands that his job is to represent the United States and our interests to the world, and not the other way around. When The Washington Post's Dana Milbank chided Mr. Bolton for "disparaging the very organization he would serve," the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto promptly corrected him by saying, "the American ambassador to the U.N. is supposed to serve America, not the U.N."

I have observed Mr. Bolton's performance with regard to Israel and its conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas. On many other fronts he has proved himself a staunch advocate of freedom and human rights — specifically in Sudan, North Korea and Cuba. Some critics have argued that Mr. Bolton is better in his public role as advocate than in his behind-the-scenes role as conciliator. But at this point in history, the United States needs a public advocate who can further its case in the court of public opinion. No one does that better than John Bolton.

Bolton's Senate opposition — at this point all Democrats — have had two shots at him and have failed to make their case that Bolton is unfit to serve at the U.N. Bolton's performance this year (since his recess appointment last August) has manifestly proven that he is qualified. It's time for the Senate to act and confirm John Bolton.

Posted by Don Roberts at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you looking for information on SB 1437, you can check out Lisa's posts here and here.

Posted by Don Roberts at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amy Welborn links to several blog's entries on Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report." Colbert is fairly public about his Christian (Catholic) faith. Rocco also has details about Colbert, including excerpts from a commencement speech he gave at Knox College in Illinois.

But here's the reason for today's blog entry: as a disclaimer during a "report" on the status of faith in America, Colbert mentioned what he, personally, believes. To those of you familiar with the Nicene Creed, it ought to sound familiar.

Posted by Don Roberts at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On July 4th, Independence Day, Alex slew (well, blew up) his first video game monster while visiting my folks down at the Ranch. For a long time now he has enjoyed playing Banjo Tooie, but he has never been able to fight. On the 4th he managed to situate himself so that he could shoot eggs at bad guys without them seeing him. I think he spent about 10 minutes shooting a bad guy, waiting for him to regenerate, and then shooting him again.

My favorite game right now is The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker on the Nintendo Game Cube that my folks have. It's awesome! I can't wait to play it again the next time we visit them.

Posted by Lisa Roberts at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night we gathered to say the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. We always pick two of the five mysteries since our kids are small enough that all five is too difficult. Sarah picked the Agony in the Garden, which recalls Christ's fervent prayers in the Garden of Gethsemene, and Alex picked the Scourging at the Pillar, which remembers the scourging Jesus received from Pilate. For the Sorrowful Mysteries, we have been using some pictures from Mel Gibson's The Passion, and after we finished the Agony in the Garden and started the Scourging, Alex looked at his picture and asked me to explain what was happening in it. He listened carefully as I interrupted the Rosary to talk about Pilate and the Pharisees and a host of other things. He seemed to understand, as much as a child of 3 can, what was going on, but then, to my surprise, he referred to the Mystery as "The Scourging at the Pillow." Sometimes the challenges to my prayer life come in unexpected things.

Posted by Lisa Roberts at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saturday's New York Times has an interesting profile of Hong Kong's new Cardinal, Joseph Zen Zi-kiun:

Like many here, he watched with fascination and then horror as the democracy protests unfolded in Beijing in the spring of 1989. The killings of protesters in and around Tiananmen Square was a turning point in his life, he said, motivating him to spend the next seven years traveling to mainland seminaries to teach.

He kept fairly quiet about his own political views during those years, as he developed close friendships in Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere with many priests and bishops in both the government-supervised churches and the "underground." The underground churches are closely watched by the police and face levels of persecution that vary widely among provinces.

It was after he became Hong Kong's junior bishop, in 1996, that he began to develop a reputation for strong comments about civil liberties. But he became much more outspoken after September 2002, when he took over the Hong Kong diocese following the death of the senior bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Wu. He soon emerged as a leader in the successful campaign to block the imposition of stringent internal security regulations here, an effort that brought 500,000 people into the streets on July 1, 2003.

Posted by Don Roberts at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)