Darwin Goes to the Movies

Armed Hoodlums + Rags-to-Rapper Movie = Darwin Award.

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About Funky Dung

Who is Funky Dung? 29-year-old grad student in Intelligent Systems (A.I.) at the University of Pittsburgh. I consider myself to be politically moderate and independent and somewhere between a traditional and neo-traditional Catholic. I was raised Lutheran, spent a number of years as an agnostic, and joined the Catholic Church at the 2000 Easter Vigil. Why Funky Dung? I haven't been asked this question nearly as many times as you or I might expect. Funky Dung is a reference to an obscure Pink Floyd song. On the album Atom Heart Mother, there is a track called Atom Heart Mother Suite. It's broken up into movements, like a symphony, and one of the movements is called Funky Dung. I picked that nickname a long time ago (while I was still in high school I think), shortly after getting an internet connection for the first time. To me it means "cool/neat/groovy/spiffy stuff/crap/shiznit", as in "That's some cool stuff, dude!" Whence Ales Rarus? I used to enjoy making people guess what this means, but I've decided to relent and make it known to all. Ales Rarus is a Latin play on words. "Avis rarus" means "a rare bird" and carries similar meaning to "an odd fellow". "Ales" is another Latin word for bird that carries connotations of omens, signs of the times, and/or augery. If you want to get technical, both "avis" and "ales" are feminine (requiring "rara", but they can be made masculine in poetry (which tends to breaks lots of rules). I decided I'd rather have a masculine name in Latin. ;) Yeah, I'm a nerd. So what? :-P Wherefore blog? It is my intention to "teach in order to lead others to faith" by being always "on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful" through the "use of the communications media". I also act knowing that I "have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors [my] opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and [I] have a right to make [my] opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward [my and their] pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons." (adapted from CCC 904-907) Statement of Faith I have been baptized and confirmed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I, therefore, renounce Satan; I renounce all his works; I renounce all his allurements. I hold and profess all that is contained in the Apostles' Creed, the Niceno- Constantinopolitan Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Having been buried with Christ unto death and raised up with him unto a new life, I promise to live no longer for myself or for that world which is the enemy of God but for him who died for me and rose again, serving God, my heavenly Father, faithfully and unto death in the holy Catholic Church. I am obedient to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. That is, I promote and defend authentic Catholic Teaching and Faith in union with Christ and His Church and in union with the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter. Thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for all Thy infinite goodness, and, especially, for the love Thou hast shown unto me at my Confirmation. I Give Thee thanks that Thou didst then send down Thy Holy Spirit unto my soul with all His gifts and graces. May He take full possession of me for ever. May His divine unction cause my face to shine. May His heavenly wisdom reign in my heart. May His understanding enlighten my darkness. May His counsel guide me. May His knowledge instruct me. May His piety make me fervent. May His divine fear keep me from all evil. Drive from my soul, O Lord, all that may defile it. Give me grace to be Thy faithful soldier, that having fought the good fight of faith, I may be brought to the crown of everlasting life, through the merits of Thy dearly beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Behind the Curtain: an Interview With Funky Dung (Thursday, March 03, 2005) I try to avoid most memes that make their way 'round the blogosphere (We really do need a better name, don't we?), but some are worth participating in. Take for instance the "interview game" that's the talk o' the 'sphere. I think it's a great way to get to know the people in neighborhood. Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhod? In your neigh-bor-hoo-ood...*smack* Sorry, Sesame Street flashback. Anyhow, I saw Jeff "Curt Jester" Miller's answers and figured since he's a regular reader of mine he'd be a good interviewer. Without further ado, here are my answers to his questions. 1. Being that your pseudonym Funky Dung was chosen from a Pink Floyd track on Atom Heart Mother, what is you favorite Pink Floyd song and why? Wow. That's a tuffy. It's hard to pick out a single favorite. Pink Floyd isn't really a band known for singles. They mostly did album rock and my appreciation of them is mostly of a gestalt nature. If I had to pick one, though, it'd be "Comfortably Numb". I get chills up my spine every time I hear it and if it's been long enough since the last time, I get midty-eyed. I really don't know why. That's a rather unsatisfying answer for an interview, so here are the lyrics to a Rush song. It's not their best piece of music, but the lyrics describe me pretty well.

New World Man He's a rebel and a runner He's a signal turning green He's a restless young romantic Wants to run the big machine He's got a problem with his poisons But you know he'll find a cure He's cleaning up his systems To keep his nature pure Learning to match the beat of the old world man Learning to catch the heat of the third world man He's got to make his own mistakes And learn to mend the mess he makes He's old enough to know what's right But young enough not to choose it He's noble enough to win the world But weak enough to lose it --- He's a new world man... He's a radio receiver Tuned to factories and farms He's a writer and arranger And a young boy bearing arms He's got a problem with his power With weapons on patrol He's got to walk a fine line And keep his self-control Trying to save the day for the old world man Trying to pave the way for the third world man He's not concerned with yesterday He knows constant change is here today He's noble enough to know what's right But weak enough not to choose it He's wise enough to win the world But fool enough to lose it --- He's a new world man...
2. What do you consider your most important turning point from agnosticism to the Catholic Church. At some point in '99, I started attending RCIA at the Pittsburgh Oratory. I mostly went to ask a lot of obnoxious Protestant questions. Or at least that's what I told myself. I think deep down I wanted desperately to have faith again. At that point I think I'd decided that if any variety of Christianity had the Truth, the Catholic Church did. Protestantism's wholesale rejection of 1500 years of tradition didn't sit well with me, even as a former Lutheran. During class one week, Sister Bernadette Young (who runs the program) passed out thin booklet called "Handbook for Today's Catholic". One paragraph in that book spoke to me and I nearly cried as I read it.
"A person who is seeking deeper insight into reality may sometimes have doubts, even about God himself. Such doubts do not necessarily indicate lack of faith. They may be just the opposite - a sign of growing faith. Faith is alive and dynamic. It seeks, through grace, to penetrate into the very mystery of God. If a particular doctrine of faith no longer 'makes sense' to a person, the person should go right on seeking. To know what a doctrine says is one thing. To gain insight into its meaning through the gift of understanding is something else. When in doubt, 'Seek and you will find.' The person who seeks y reading, discussing, thinking, or praying eventually sees the light. The person who talks to God even when God is 'not there' is alive with faith."
At the end of class I told Sr. Bernadette that I wanted to enter the Church at the next Easter vigil. 3. If you were a tree what kind of, oh sorry about that .. what is the PODest thing you have ever done? I set up WikiIndex, a clearinghouse for reviews of theological books, good, bad, and ugly. It has a long way to go, but it'll be cool when it's finished. :) 4. What is your favorite quote from Venerable John Henry Newman? "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt." 5. If you could ban one hymn from existence, what would it be? That's a tough one. As a member of the Society for a Moratorium on the Music of Marty Haugen and David Haas, there are obviously a lot of songs that grate on my nerves. If I had to pick one, though, I'd probably pick "Sing of the Lord's Goodness" by Ernie Sands.

One thought on “Darwin Goes to the Movies

  1. Ariel of the house of our Fath

    Exquisite tranquility; the gift of peace which surpasses all understanding, what does a person teach others to attain to if not this?
    Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, and in the Spirit of our Father, and of the Holy Spirit;
    As there is no life in these simple markings on a background, if you receive knowledge of a message it is only because of the Word of the Spirit of Truth which dwells within you and you are blessed. I say this of myself – As Christ has stated that He does nothing on His own, I too do nothing on my own, only that which the Father shows me and directs me to do.
    This is important to understand. I do nothing in you. If you received knowledge of insight in the words written, then the words were true, and the spirit desired for you to know the truth, that you might be set free to live in the Spirit of them. To God be the glory, in that He works mightily in you.
    Every man, woman, and child you encounter is to be uplifted, but not first in the way a man uplifts through physical support of food and shelter and other material objects. First let them know that they are being blessed in being led by the spirit with dwells within them. There are many who do not know the spirit of God dwells within them, but God who dwells within them knows. The task of the teachers is to reveal unto those who were lead to come to the teachers, how it is done, as indicated in the words in the above paragraph. It is then that they are to be given instruction, that in being lead by the spirit to come to the teacher, they were then to understand their INDIVIDUAL accountability to God within. Then clothe and feed them according to their needs.
    You and they are to understand, for what ever reason God has chosen to do so, God has withheld His power from within them for a time; and if they reflect on it for a time, God may show them why. Remember, if they come to you, let them know it was not anything you did, but the love of the Father leading them and showing them that He wants them to understand He lives in them. Then send them away in peace. Tell them they, not just you, have a power within them that only wants good and they now must do their part to let the goodness come through. Goodness is not complicated. It is quietness, hugs and kisses, tenderness, patience, respectfulness for all that God has created, even if it is not all fully understood immediately. We are examples in this, reflecting the light of GodÂ’s image from within us that others wonder at it, and like moths are led to it.
    Wait on the Lord and He will lead and show you one by one, from within them, their true need. Created in GodÂ’s image, they need to know the love God has for them within them. They are a people who will not gather unto themselves the wealth of the nations, but they will be a nation of people who have the peace which surpasses all understanding.
    Some, God will lead to pass by you. He knows why they do. Be careful so as not to incur the wrath of God by detaining them from their destruction. Their time will come. Show your faithfulness unto God, thanking him in the spirit at all times. Explain this faithfulness to those whom God leads to you.
    I thank Him daily that He brings remembrance and knowledge of Him when I wake, through time and eternity, and when I go to sleep – That is my heritage.
    From this vantage point, see the four winds of heaven, the sea of humanity is stirred up as casting waves upon the sands of time. Every manner of possibility, every gain of sand is treated like a building block and so men toil building upon unsteady premises. Even constitutions filled with holes fail to hold an ounce of spirit, they are so compromised. You may consider yourself just a man, by are you not something greater as seen by God, that you might be lifted up in the spirit to see these things as God does? Look again into the words of Revelation, what does the spirit reveal unto you there?

    Where does the words of men take a man? Only into the limitations of their own understanding. See this:
    Strings of pearls of wisdom, seeds of perfection have been cast aside, dormant and unable to take root, the fertility of minds are as wind-blown parched lands haunted by specters of endless possibilities. What ifÂ…, why not thisÂ…, letÂ’s do thisÂ…, all of it fruit, but not fruit from the Tree of Life; all of it compromises cast aside by God as without total satisfaction. What turned man from living in a garden of paradise, wasnÂ’t it fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Before disobedience, was it not the desire like Satan has, to be like God?
    What is this place of gloom I see in the eyes of the half-dead? Upon the shoulders of the sea of humanity, papyrus vessels (doctrine in every form) are passed one to another carrying the wealth of compromised principles gilded by lips spewing fools gold. The creators of the vessels and their rudders direct the wealth be exchanged for the rewards of prosperity, all the comforts and gifts the land can offer. Do fish in the sea of humanity, know that they are fish and dwell in the sea? What must be done in order to have wings of an eagle?
    Look about you. What rallies the species, the promise of justice and equality without God by some, with many gods by others, and a false god by still more. Where are the lights, the lamps, the rays? Atop makeshift and self-contrived pedestals waning embers weakly reveal crude and rough terrain with no end in sight. The gathered lost are told to wait for the shepherd, that the time has not yet come for them; and so they wander from flock to flock food for passersby.
    At a place in time, in history, yet also in eternity, the total power of the spirit of love and perfection was unleashed through the unselfish act of forgiveness. The firmament, the flesh and spirit of man, the work of the potterÂ’s hands stretches out like a banquet beneath a crystal dome, under constant vigilance by the angelic, and by witnesses, those who accept the gift of transformation. Who do they serve; they serve those who seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. How do they serve, by making the enemies of the seekers be at peace with the seekers, giving the seekers the peace which surpasses all understanding (exquisite tranquility). The enemies are blinded from within the enemies by God or by one whom God has sent in the spirit. Thus they fail to see you as a danger or threat. God can even cause them to serve you.
    Consider what you are given to view. Christ said “Lo, I am with you always” and asked this question “Know ye not that you are the temple of the Lord?” In this he indicated that God dwells within every man as man has been created in God’s spiritual image, having powers to gather, retain and process concepts differently than animals. Can Christ be within you or within any believer in the Spirit by himself, without the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit not being there also? How is it then that the assembly of believers have come to rely on the men who act as their teachers rather than act on the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which dwells within each of you?
    If you are a body of believers, where is your connection? Do not the spirits of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within you all to connect you all?
    The combined words of the sea of humanity is spirit also, but one, where like schools of fish, men mindlessly follow where one happens to turn regardless if leads to danger. Could it be that the fish (men) who have been removed from the sea of humanity, who accept the worldly symbol of the fish as their insignia of who they are, have not left the ways of the sea of humanity behind? When exactly did Christ endorse the fish as the official logo of his chosen followers? When you enter into the portals of manÂ’s words accepting and confirming the premises of the words, that is where you dwell in the spirit. Look around you and see what is being agreed upon in the spirit and in whose spirit.
    What has become of the army of God, are they not purported to come in the spirit along with the spirit of angels? You were told to become the new creature in Christ, the one where the weaknesses of the flesh were crucified that you might dwell abundantly in the spirit. Why do you not do so?
    What ever happened to the Words of Christ “Go and sin no more?” How complicated the Word of God has become, that many should write so many books about it and there be so many sermons. What was it said about adding to or taking away from God’s Word? Teach, yes; but teach what; and what has it been said of those who go far in one apostle’s letter? Why do men who cannot be God behave as if their words are the gospel? It is because that after desiring and eating a piece of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the desire remained in those who, like Satan, had a need to uplift themselves above others.
    DonÂ’t believers (children) rest from their labor so God (the Father) might do His work in the others? Consider the example of Christ in the house of Mary and Martha. One labored, and one listened and rested in worship perhaps just simply laboring in understanding. Which did Christ say was more important? Listen to the Spirit of Christ within you; fear not that some would chastise you in order that they might have an abundance of laborers to work in their vineyard. Did not Christ turn water into wine at a wedding feast and was it not better than the wine in the house? Whose wine is served at the marriage supper in heaven (in the spirit)?
    Explain this. Where once there were none, now media gods in abundance are resurrected and raised daily to weave illusions and illustrations that resound, cloak, and line the streets with idols and their worshipers. Every ministry has given itself a name; what is the name of the ministry of our Father? The church belonging to the Lord as stated in His Word, even those in mentioned in Revelation, are NOT named but are stated as of a peopl

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