THE PIZZAONIAN

A saint for all ages and all faiths

For true believers, faith in God does not require proof.  I accept that. However, that does not make it any easier. I have speculated most of my life why God made the world the way it is.

Is the world what it is because that’s the way it was naturally meant to be, or did we in our arrogance and God-like pride, foul our own nest creating the suffering and misery that so many souls endure?  

The Bible tells us, we razed our own nest with our conceit and lust for individual power.

Accepting our obvious flawed human nature, I would think a loving God would at least leave us footprints – some examples of His presence? This is a question that is not going to be resolved in this short essay.

However, I can, speculate. I believe a loving God creates beacons for us to witness as signs of His existence. Such a person was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. While we may have created this valley of tears, God, in his loving mercy and tolerance gave us this heroic figure to inspire and lead us to Him.

Dietrich, a Lutheran minister, lived during the rise of the Nazi evil that swept Europe. As a leader of his Church, his followers wanted him to be safe, so he could carry on his ministry in exile rather than in his native Germany.  

He did escape to the United States to continue his ministry. However, his convictions and never-ending belief in God’s destiny for him brought him to the early conclusion that he could not remain in safety while his flock suffered in his native country. He had to be with his flock. His conscience allowed him no other choice. So he returned knowing full well the inevitable consequences of his actions.

After his return to Germany, he could not let his voice be silent. His message of God’s love could never be reconciled with the brutality of the Nazi philosophy. He joined the German Secret Service and became a double agent. He used his position to help rescue Jews from Germany.

It was only a question of time before he was arrested. For many, this would be the end of the story. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it was the beginning of his - his last days in prison, and his eventual execution by the Nazis became his cross – a cross he bore as only a true lover of God could.

If ever God created a saint whose life by its very existence is a beacon of faith for all of us to follow - it is this man. For many this would be the end of the story. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer it was the true beginning of his.

Brother Franco           Follow us on Twitter

“Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. … Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, and grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/martyrs/dietrich-bonhoeffer.html

Recommended reading: Books by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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“Merchants have no country…” Thomas Jefferson - Globalization, globalization and the beat goes on

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As our presidential election approaches we hear much about "globalization" from the candidates.  Perhaps we should refer them to Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson said it and we now live it.  “Merchants have no country……….”  Never before have words ringed so true.  American companies now move their corporate headquarters without a second thought to countries that give them cheap labor and more favorable tax status.  Their rationale:  the bottom line.

What would happen if members of our armed forces, who live and die in harm’s way to preserve our liberty as well as our free-market system, applied the same logic?  How about serving in the armed forces of the country where you would have the best chance of survival?  Or how about serving in the country that paid the most and provided the best benefits?  You get the point.  No one has yet to say it better than Jefferson did.

Globalization, globalization and the beat continues on and on and on………

Maybe it’s time to take seriously the gentleman who said, “The real elections in America take place at the cash register.”

Read more: Washington Post

Thoughts on a quiet afternoon:

"There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a failure. The failure is a stranger in his own house." Eric Hoffer

                       http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eric_hoffer.html

May I respectfully disagree with Mr. Hoffer?  “There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a person who never tried.” Pizzaonius 

Failure is acceptable if you have tried with all the energy and might of your being.  If you have, then rest well – you are still among the minority.  Most did not have the courage to risk all - and you did.

John Frank Giovanni, commenting for "The Pizzaonian" a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and corporations are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator…………

(C)2012

Pizzaonian National Flag – Courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator 

 

IN OUR OPINION   … Observations from Pizzaonia

 

This and that: 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and corporations are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness -- and unlimited power."

 

IS IT POSSIBLE American voters are as stupid as the politicians believe them to be.  Unfortunately, our WEP survey analysis says yes - they are.  How else can you explain the rhetoric of the current presidential campaign? 

 

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?  When did the American religious right become a political party rather than a church?  Our WEP survey results show this happened shortly after somebody looked in the donation plate and said, “You know there is big money to be made here.”

 

WHY IS IT?   Americans are troubled about gun control, pro and con, yet do not seem bothered by the culture of vicarious* violence they have created.  It permeates everything from entertainment, to ongoing, endless wars, to politics, to sports – and no one seems concerned. 

*vicarious only to the non-victims (spectators)

 

THE GOOD NEWS:  Their still is a strong incentive within the American culture to remain true to the course their founding fathers set for them.  The possibility of evolving slowly toward a more perfect union still exists. However, our WEP research shows this fundamental belief, that helped create the United States is in jeopardy. 

 

As of now, though the core belief remains, the country has neither the voter will nor political character to maintain this tradition.  We would rather chase demagogues than debate the issues. As to foreign policy in these troubled times - we would rather be entertained with inflammatory rhetoric. Who is ultimately responsible – the voters or the politicians?  Some believe the people always get what they deserve. It will be interesting to see how this evolves. 

 

Observing from Pizzaonia, Brother Giovanni for the “The Pizzaonian”-  a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network – Diverti Mento, editor

We also recommend:   http://giovanniandfranco.com

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Christian relevance 2016 - “claiming no faith is the fastest growing religion in the United States."

 

It was recently reported in "The American Conservative*" that "claiming no faith was the fastest growing religion in the United States." It begs the question: How does this affect the current status of the Christian faith in the United States today?

It is the ongoing problem that every new generation of Christians faces.  However, the issue is bigger than any election.  The bigger issue is how do modern Christians address their faith and Christian message in a rapidly expanding world of information and ideas?

A Catholic priest once said to me – “It’s too bad we stopped writing “gospels.” When I asked why, he said, “Because we need to update the narrative, not the content, but the places and references so young people can better relate to the Christian message.”

To prove his point that Sunday at Mass, he read the Gospel, replacing the biblical names and places with localized references in their place. The difference was amazing- how more relevant the words became because of the regional reference to familiar names and places.   

How then do we make the story of 2000 years ago as compelling and relevant today in this important election year as it was originally?

Even the most ardent atheist agrees that Jesus preached an ethical and humanist philosophy. The concept of love and sacrifice that embraces a committed community is as relevant today as it was in the day it was first preached. How then do we continue to preach the Gospel in a more humanistic way so it can reach beyond the faithful?

Some would argue that we already do. And in many ways this is true. However, the message of Jesus, though preached regularly, is still not received by many people all over the world. One problem is the unbending and intolerant view that some Christians have and project to the world. It is hard to project love and tolerance, when tolerance is not there. 

For many fundamental Christians, the above statement amounts to heresy. This begs the question: “Is the non-fundamental Christian any less faithful? And of course, the next question as well: “What is a non-fundamental Christian?”    

First, we must establish what makes all Christians alike - we all except Jesus as friend and savior, as the Christ, the son of the living God. We would all agree that the Bible is the “word of God.” The problem has always been how we interpret the “word of God” – literally or metaphorically – allegory of actual fact?   

It also raises the additional question: Does a parable or allegory make the concept or subject being discussed less factual? Is a story that is considered a “myth” presumed to be not as truthful in its concept? Merriam Webster’s full definition of parable states: A parable is usually a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or religious principle.” 

We know Jesus often used parables to make his point. Most of the important messages of the New Testament come to us in stories or parables that Jesus used to make his point to the people he was addressing. Does this make His comments any less true? Most Christians would agree - they do not.

Why then is it necessary to believe that all the events in the Bible, while true, were not told as metaphors or allegories? When you consider the linear evolution of human consciousness, it seems that an all-knowing God would have spoken the truth in a form that would resonate through the ages for peoples of all time.   

Now those who don’t agree with me would say the words of the Bible do just that when they are accepted as literal truth. They would also tell us that being able to accept the word of God as literal – just as it is stated - is a matter of faith – and that faith is a gift they receive directly from a loving deity.   

This makes any discussion impossible. How can you argue with the direct word of God? For one, you can’t. However, you can challenge the fundamentalist's basic premise. This is important to do so, not to change the mind of the fundamentalist, but to create a more relevant dialogue with each new generation so that the word of God is also significant to them. And when we do this, I still believe the Gospel’s message reflects true word of God.   

And what moral justification do we have for this. Again, we have to ask how about Jesus himself who used parables as his most important way of making his message relevant and clear to all who were willing to hear.

If a loving God could understand the ongoing evolution of expanding human consciousness can we do any less as we make our decisions in this vital presidential election?

Brother Franco

* "The American Conservative"

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Why are agnostics and atheists always so upset with believers in God?  Who’s at fault?  Do Christians target non- believers as unworthy and not trustworthy?  Or is this simply a built in prejudice of a significant minority?

Historically, atheists  may have good reason for their prejudice.  Certainly, non-believers were suspect by Christians in the previous century.  But to still have that feeling today – how realistic is this?

Secular humanists have believed for some time that they have to defend themselves.  One point they always make is that they can be just as charitable as believers because it is the moral thing to do without any motivation created by a belief in God.  And as a believer in God, I agree with them.  Christians do not have any claim to always following the will of their God.  History is filled with horrific acts created in the name of religion. 

However, does this negate the goodness of God because so-called believers are not always able to act charitably? Of course not, any more than non-believers need to defend their goodness because they are atheists.

It seems Christians need to get used to not being an overwhelming majority in former Christian countries. More and more people do not identify with any religious faith. Maybe we should be asking ourselves as believers what kinds of example are we are setting. 

I agree many churches don’t always set the best of examples. However, it should not be up to churches. Individual example should be the criteria that determine how we are to be judged. If we truly lived our faith, there would not be a need to have this type of discussion.   

Again, we should regularly be reminded of St. Francis. He would invariably tell his monks that were about to leave the monastery and enter the world, “preach the gospel and if necessary use words.” We would all be well advised to listen and take to heed. Example has always been the best teacher. And as every teacher can tell you what’s good for the student serves the teacher even better.  

So the next time we are critical of our agnostic or atheist brothers and sisters, let us consider how much we have contributed to their attitude. Brother Franco regularly reminds us: “The best corrections are invariably made when looking into the mirror.”   

Brother Giovanni

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PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Diverti Mento Pizzaonian@yahoo.com

Pizzaonain Newsertainment Network

 

For immediate release

Major shakeup at “The Pizzaonian”

In a surprise move today the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network completely reorganized the staff of “The Pizzaonian.”

As the leading news source for the alternate universe of Pizzaonia, a Pizzaonian spokesperson announced today that their new efforts would focus on the events in Pizzaonia rather than the expanded coverage currently being offered of other universes, including the United States.

“Since so many Pizzaonians are “portalized” Americans, the need for coverage of the United States was an important part of our journalistic responsibility.

However, since the internet is now capable of reaching Pizzaonia, and many other news sources are now available to our readers, we can now redirect our efforts to the finest and most complete reporting of events here at home.

Diverti Mento will continue in his current position as editor and he will announce the reassignments of our editorial staff in the near future.

Our other publications, “Musings” and “GiovanniandFranco.com,” will continue as usual. 

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