Comments on: Of Demons and Diapers http://squarezero.org/2006/of-demons-and-diapers/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:19:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Father Joe http://squarezero.org/2006/of-demons-and-diapers/comment-page-1/#comment-42009 Father Joe Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:26:17 +0000 http://squarezero.org/2006-0905/of-demons-and-diapers/#comment-42009 Just a quick correction, Eric, I did not remove your comments, I simply moved them when I reorganized certain Blog material. I divided the large posts into smaller ones, allowing them to be more easily read. I kept your comment regarding the estranged couple and then also inserted two fairly large comments into a special page (not a dated post) on E5 Men. As the family communicated with me more of the facts of the "particular" case, I stopped posting or seeking comments, for reasons of confidentiality. Peace! Just a quick correction, Eric, I did not remove your comments, I simply moved them when I reorganized certain Blog material. I divided the large posts into smaller ones, allowing them to be more easily read. I kept your comment regarding the estranged couple and then also inserted two fairly large comments into a special page (not a dated post) on E5 Men. As the family communicated with me more of the facts of the “particular” case, I stopped posting or seeking comments, for reasons of confidentiality. Peace!

]]> By: Eric http://squarezero.org/2006/of-demons-and-diapers/comment-page-1/#comment-1501 Eric Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:27:40 +0000 http://squarezero.org/2006-0905/of-demons-and-diapers/#comment-1501 <bold>Fr. Joe writes: "You must really want a confrontation, and yet I find no great fault in your post, OF DEMONS AND DIAPERS."</strong> Dear Fr. Joe—Thanks for commenting on my post. No, I'm not looking for a confrontation, I promise you. In fact, in my original draft of this post I did not use your name or link to your blog at all; I just wanted to publish my remarks above about the cosmic struggle between the forces of light and dark that takes place in the small things of married life. However, that approach proved rather wordy and frustratingly ambiguous. I named you and linked to your blog because it seemed necessary to provide a brief context for the rest of the post. But perhaps that context was <em>too</em> brief, not sufficiently laying out the particular issues and trends that you were responding too. I have edited the second paragraph of my post accordingly. I'm glad that we agree, and actually not that surprised. I suspected you were simply overstating your case in seeming to draw a line between the struggle with principalities and powers and the daily struggles of married life. In fact, I wish that the discussion could have been continued in the comments section at your blog, because I actually think you're onto something in objecting to the tendency to "spiritualiz[e] the challenges and difficulties of life and marriage." But I don't know if this blog is the place. As you might have noticed, I have avoided naming the circumstances to which you were responding; I do not want to help give further life to a scandal I think best left alone. I hope there are no hard feelings on either side, and perhaps we'll get the chance to shake on it someday—possibly at the March for Life next year. Fr. Joe writes: “You must really want a confrontation, and yet I find no great fault in your post, OF DEMONS AND DIAPERS.”

Dear Fr. Joe—Thanks for commenting on my post. No, I’m not looking for a confrontation, I promise you. In fact, in my original draft of this post I did not use your name or link to your blog at all; I just wanted to publish my remarks above about the cosmic struggle between the forces of light and dark that takes place in the small things of married life.

However, that approach proved rather wordy and frustratingly ambiguous. I named you and linked to your blog because it seemed necessary to provide a brief context for the rest of the post.

But perhaps that context was too brief, not sufficiently laying out the particular issues and trends that you were responding too. I have edited the second paragraph of my post accordingly.

I’m glad that we agree, and actually not that surprised. I suspected you were simply overstating your case in seeming to draw a line between the struggle with principalities and powers and the daily struggles of married life.

In fact, I wish that the discussion could have been continued in the comments section at your blog, because I actually think you’re onto something in objecting to the tendency to “spiritualiz[e] the challenges and difficulties of life and marriage.” But I don’t know if this blog is the place. As you might have noticed, I have avoided naming the circumstances to which you were responding; I do not want to help give further life to a scandal I think best left alone.

I hope there are no hard feelings on either side, and perhaps we’ll get the chance to shake on it someday—possibly at the March for Life next year.

]]> By: Father Joe http://squarezero.org/2006/of-demons-and-diapers/comment-page-1/#comment-1500 Father Joe Tue, 05 Sep 2006 22:58:15 +0000 http://squarezero.org/2006-0905/of-demons-and-diapers/#comment-1500 Dear Eric, I have nothing against fasting and think that a restoration of the old discipline regarding abstinence on all Fridays might be a useful discipline for our people. Indeed, in the context of prayer and sacrifice, such mortification of the flesh can strengthen us for all sorts of moral and spiritual battles. The criticisms I made at my Blog were in reference to spiritualizing the challenges and difficulties of life and marriage in such a way that the nitty gritty elements were dismissed or eclipsed. They also centered on a particular essay and an inexact description of a modern movement. You must really want a confrontation, and yet I find no great fault in your post, OF DEMONS AND DIAPERS. I absolutely agree that the focus, even for our repudiation of the demonic, takes place on an earthly and human plain-- of dirty diapers, doctor's bills, fixing the car, the family table and so much more. Indeed, the seemingly mundane things of life and marriage can, and are often, occasions of grace. I have reviewed your site and even left comments for a few posts that I found interesting and informative. You have a good Blog and you seem to be right on the mark about the many facets of our Christian (Catholic) faith. It is unfortunate that we got off on the wrong foot, but I trust we are in sync regarding essentials. May God bless and watch over you and yours, Father Joe Dear Eric,

I have nothing against fasting and think that a restoration of the old discipline regarding abstinence on all Fridays might be a useful discipline for our people. Indeed, in the context of prayer and sacrifice, such mortification of the flesh can strengthen us for all sorts of moral and spiritual battles.

The criticisms I made at my Blog were in reference to spiritualizing the challenges and difficulties of life and marriage in such a way that the nitty gritty elements were dismissed or eclipsed. They also centered on a particular essay and an inexact description of a modern movement. You must really want a confrontation, and yet I find no great fault in your post, OF DEMONS AND DIAPERS. I absolutely agree that the focus, even for our repudiation of the demonic, takes place on an earthly and human plain– of dirty diapers, doctor’s bills, fixing the car, the family table and so much more. Indeed, the seemingly mundane things of life and marriage can, and are often, occasions of grace.

I have reviewed your site and even left comments for a few posts that I found interesting and informative. You have a good Blog and you seem to be right on the mark about the many facets of our Christian (Catholic) faith. It is unfortunate that we got off on the wrong foot, but I trust we are in sync regarding essentials.

May God bless and watch over you and yours,
Father Joe

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