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.
As much as I dislike Bush, I kinda find myself feeling sorry for him nowadays, and I couldn’t enjoy the roast.
Re: the naked virgin, I love Brasil!
I browsed a couple of her photos and the nude ones I saw were not pornographic. I do have to admit some of her photos where she was modeling clothes however were very erotic.
I just want to reiterate the point which has been made here before that nudity does not equal porn.
One more thought, Brasil is the worlds largest Catholic country. I think we have to consider that the attitude of brasilian Catholics could/should be considered more representative of a typical Catholic’s attitidue/views than the attidudes / views of a few highly educated Americans.
Note: I am not claiming Ms. Lima is a typical Catholic, its just what reminded me of that.
Look up the definition of pornography in the CCC. Nudity by itself is not pornographic. Also, Brazil doesn’t have the Puritan element that still influences the USA for better or for worse.
Nudity need not enter the picture (in either definition). If the intent of the image is to arouse lustful feelings in the viewer, it’s pornographic. I’d classify the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated in that category.
If my opinion is inadequate, how about John Paul II? Check out pages 192-193 of “Love and Responsibility”. Here’s a sample.
You’re proving my point: there are several definitions of pornography. For example, the SI swimsuit issue is not pornographic as defined by the CCC but it is by you. Lust and eroticism only add to the confusion here. I maintain, however, that a nude picture of a good-looking woman is not pornographic according to the catechism. Otherwise, we may as well join the Muslims and have all women wear burkha.
For what purpose, Mike, would you be looking at a nude picture of a good looking woman anyway?
Whether it’s porn or not, as a Catholic Christian she has a duty to not lead others into sin. If she thought for one moment that her posing nude would give others material to use for self pleasure, she should not be doing it. I’m pretty sure that these models know what their pictures are used for, and i don’t just mean advertising.
Look at what it is that they are advertising too. It’s not Hanes Her Way. It’s Victoria’s Secret. I see nothing wrong with the Hanes underware ads, VS however dose not just sell underware, they sell lingerie. Lingerie is sold to help women to look and/or feel sexy. You are trying to make someone think about sex if you are showing off you lingerie. If you are not married to that person you are causing that person to commit adultery (Matt 5:27-28). The danger of lingerie is that it causes lust. Lust is not just extra-marital. A spouse should not lust after the other. Lust is a sin. Spouses should love and respect each other and want to have sex. Not for we can get out of it, but what we can give each other through it. In other words, mutual sexual desire between spouses is good. We have these desires for a reason. But for her to knowingly risk creating a distorted desire in men, for the purpose of their self-gratification, is to create a stumbling block for those seeking Christ.
Good rule of thumb: If you can’t look at these things with your wife or mother looking over your shoulder, don’t look at them.
If you see a good-looking woman, praise God!
But, why are you praising Him (not that it wrong to praise Him 😉 )? For giving you eye candy to gawk at? For giving you that warm feeling you now have below your belt?
You should praise God for all the women he created. For all of our mothers and sisters. Praise Him for all the “plain looking” women as well as those who were not gifted with “good looks”. Do not, by any means, save your paise and thanksgiving just for the beautifull. They will get enough of that from the rest of society. Praise Him instead for the normal looking woman to whom you will or may be married to.
From the Song of Songs, chap. 7:
1
Turn, turn, O Shulammite,
turn, turn, that we may look at you!
Why would you look at the Shulammite
as at the dance of the two companies?
2
How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the handiwork of an artist.
3
Your navel is a round bowl
that should never lack for mixed wine.
Your body is a heap of wheat
encircled with lilies.
4
Your breasts are like twin fawns,
the young of a gazelle.
Quote Squat:
The danger of lingerie is that it causes lust. Lust is not just extra-marital. A spouse should not lust after the other.
Are you suggesting that spouses shouldn’t wear lingerie for each other? I think you must be confusing “lust” with “desire.” Lingerie doesn’t have to cause lust, when used in the right place. I’m certainly not suggesting that Victoria’s Secret advertises in appropriate ways, but I am saying that there is nothing wrong with their products, if used properly.
Spacemouse,
No, I think it is ok for spouses to wear lingerie for each other to stimulate desire. The danger with it though is that if that desire then turns to lust. If you and your spouse can enjoy lingerie without creating a lust for each other then, by all means, break out the crotchless painties! 😉
Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, That you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!
Isaiah 66:11
It sounds like Mark Driscoll is saying that if a woman poses in the nude she is committing a sin. Huh? Also, he thinks sex is a sin but I’m sure he meant fornication. Where does he get the idea that Adriana Lima doesn’t think lust is a sin? I think maybe she’s not as confused as Mark is.
Who is Mark Driscoll?
Have spent time in Brazil I tend to find Brazilians both more vain and more down to earth than Americans. Its an apparent contradiction I would have a difficult time trying to explain.
My hunch is that Adriana is loves all the attention, but has never, ever once thought about her photos in terms of leading someone to sin (were talking about a model here not a theologian).
She’s probably going to pull a Britney Spears and lose her virginity in the next year or two anyway.
Mark Driscoll is the fellow you linked to above:
Huh? Naked, Virgin, Catholic Model | Resurgence
(http://theresurgence.com/huh_naked_virgin_catholic_model)
oops, she did it again 😉