Faith

‘Religion Flies You Into Buildings’

by Bill Brenner March 22, 2012 Communication Skills

Here’s my thing: Everyone should be free to believe what they want. I choose the Catholic faith. I have friends who are Muslim, Jewish and Atheist. I only judge you by whether you’re a kind soul or an asshole. Mood music: But there’s always someone who thinks they’re better than everyone else — someone who is so certain their belief is the only right answer that they’ll go to extremes to put down people who…  [Read More]

Romney’s Lesson: When You Try To Be Someone Else, People Notice

by Bill Brenner March 22, 2012 Communication Skills

This post is about what happens to politicians when they try too hard to be someone else. Mitt Romney is in the thick of it. John McCain was four years ago, as was Al Gore eight years before that. Mood music: It’s not just a problem with politicians. Musicians have fallen in the trap. So have writers. I’ve been there myself. In the desperate search for success and fame — and getting elected — it’s…  [Read More]

About Father Canole And Keeping The Faith

by Bill Brenner March 18, 2012 Communication Skills

Life as a Catholic in the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts can be a bitch, sometimes. Here we are waking up to news that another priest, Rev. Robert Canole, has resigned from his pastoral duties in disgrace. We look up to our priests and count on them for inspiration. We go in a confessional with them and spill our deepest, darkest faults. Then some of those priests let us down hard. http://youtu.be/IaymN2mkaC0 According to my local…  [Read More]

Such A Waste To Lose One’s Mind-Fulness

by Bill Brenner March 14, 2012 Communication Skills

A combination of OCD and ADD has given me a bitch of a handicap: Living in the moment and being present has become tough as nails. Health experts call this elusive thing I search for “mindfulness.” Mood music: Here’s what happens: When the OCD runs hot, I develop tunnel vision. I focus in on the task I’m either doing or thinking about. That’s good if you have a major work project to complete. It’s bad…  [Read More]

The Hypocrisy Of This Contraception Debate

by Bill Brenner March 3, 2012 Faith

Updated March 14 with this example of outrage from the Arizona legislature. I don’t get why the Republican Party is bogging itself down in this contraception debate. In pandering to the religious groups, they’re ignoring the economic woes people care about most. That’s especially silly because the economy if an issue that’s big trouble for President Obama. Would it not be wise to stick to the issue your opponent is weakest on? That’s my big…  [Read More]

Gave Up Giving Up For Lent

by Bill Brenner February 23, 2012 Faith

Here we are starting another season of Lent, where Catholics the world over give up something they like for 40 days in an effort to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for everyone. Sean has given up the computer. Erin is TV-free. Duncan put aside the chocolate. Mood music: What have I given up? Nothing. It’s not for lack of faith or gratitude. It’s not even the move of a curmudgeon who doesn’t like to follow…  [Read More]

A Rebellious Catholic’s Analysis Of Rick Santorum

by Bill Brenner February 22, 2012 Communication Skills

That Rick Santorum really sets people off. He doesn’t like gays serving in the military, or women for that matter. He thinks Satan is taking over America through rock music. People either love him or want to see him vaporized. Mood music: Is he really THE presidential candidate for true Catholics, as some of my church friends suggest? Is he really the evil, hateful soul some of my non-Catholic friends make him out to be?…  [Read More]

Screw You, Cardinal Egan

by Bill Brenner February 8, 2012 Faith

As a devout Catholic, I am outraged by Retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan’s “regrets” about apologizing for the priest sex abuse scandal. Here is a man who thinks the Church “did nothing wrong” in how it handled the crisis. Mood music: Countless children were sexually molested by men who had vowed to serve God. The Catholic Church decided to cover it up and move pedophile priests to other parishes where they could prey on others,…  [Read More]

A Confession (Or Four)

by Bill Brenner January 30, 2012 Coping tools

This is for those who believe in a higher power — especially the messed-up Catholics among us. Those who might take offense should go away and come back tomorrow.  I won’t think any less of you. In the Catholic Faith, there’s a Sacrament of Reconciliation — modern language for going to confession. Duncan did it for the first time Saturday. Sean, Erin and I used the occasion to do it, too. Because you tell your…  [Read More]

‘No Man Is A Failure Who Has Friends’

by Bill Brenner December 26, 2011 Depression

Part of the holiday tradition around here is a viewing of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The ending used to make me sad, because it seemed to sum up what was missing in my life. For a long time, I didn’t feel like I had any friends. It was nobody’s fault. I had crawled so far inside myself that I chose dozing off on the couch with the TV remote in my hand over going outside…  [Read More]

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