“Who Am I to Judge?”

7/31/2013

The Pope utters revolutionary thoughts

If the Roman Catholic church needs spending money – and what religion doesn’t? – I have a modest proposal: brand the tolerant words of Pope Francis about gays and sell t-shirts and ball caps with the revolutionary phrase, which sounds like the sayings of the Jewish preacher of two millennia ago.

The new Pope’s words on his trip home from Brazil suggest an inclusivity not always seen in the era of the various hand hand-choppers of modern religions. You’re not like me? Whack!

Speaking of judging, how about the interview by Lauren Green of Fox, apparently the occupier of the Glenn Beck Chair of Philosophy at the network of fair-and-balanced?

Green was interviewing Reza Aslan, author of a new book about Jesus, called Zealot. She asked how he, as an American of Iranian descent, who is Muslim, could possibly write a book about Christianity. (He had been Christian for a time, but she did not seem to know that.)

In the official Fox judgment, this rule would disqualify Hindus from writing about Islam, Christians from writing about Judaism, and so on. Academic research and opinion, be damned. The academic was forced on the defense, to stress his degrees and past work. In Beck-ish, O’Reilly-ish tones, the Foxite asserted her position: Stick to your own kind.

The good news is that Zealot is selling very well. In appearances with Chris Hayes and others, Aslan has come off as wry, complicated and earnest. Perhaps he should have done the Fox interview with a t-shirt quoting this new Pope.

The gall, to study a world religion

Jeff from Jersey; yes New Jersey

7/31/2013 11:55:57 am

Can you imagine Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in my opinion a mensch in his own right, wearing that kind of hat? This Jamaica High alumni says yea.

George Vecsey

7/31/2013 02:11:08 pm

Jeff, what's a Jamaica guy doing living in NJ? You are correct: Dolan and O'Connor before him are ecumenical people. But those kind of shadings don't exist in Murdoch/Ailes land. GV

Thor A. Larsen

8/1/2013 01:03:29 am

Jeff,

Hearing some of Bishop Dolan's comments on the morning news the other day and comments in an on-line article, the Bishop seems to infer that NO chnge in Catholic Doctrine and that the Pope does not have the authority to change the Church's interpretation of the Bible etc.
As Catholics, we were very encouraged by Pope Francis' comments and actions since becoming a pope and now we look forward to these hopeful views get put in WRITING, ACCEPTED and IMPLEMENTED. (BTW.I do not share your views on the Cardinal, however, Jeff.)

George Vecsey

8/1/2013 01:16:31 am

Look at this, three Jamaica High guys having a conversation.
I heard Dolan on the radio the other day doing what in politics is called "walking it back" -- trying to explain what the Pope said. I ran into that in 1979 covering JP II's first trip to Mexico where he made strong and obvious comments about the clergy getting out of politics -- and the attending cardinals tried to walk it back, asserting that the pope would never do such a thing. GV

Ed martin

7/31/2013 01:56:23 pm

I am reminded of my old friend Rabbi Elijah Palnick who taught religion atnthe University of Alabama in the 60s, including New Testament. It's a good thing Fox wasn't around then.

George Vecsey

7/31/2013 02:13:27 pm

Ed, great point. But the strain existed with Fr. Coughlin in the 30's and Joe McCarthy in the 50's....GV

irene palnick

9/12/2013 08:33:21 pm

Ed- I am the widow of Rabbi Palnick- are you the ed martin that we were friendly with in Tuscaloosa- 1960-63. Zeke died in 2005 and I am living in Iowa City, Ia and Florida. Where are you- would love to hear from you-irene

Altenir Silva

8/1/2013 11:33:31 am

Just the other could see ourselves as we are... 'cause the mirrors always lie for us, especially on Friday and Saturday!

Alan Rubin link

8/2/2013 08:19:42 am

Some input from a non-Catholic who did not attend Jamaica High.

The election of Pope Francis was a step in the right direction for the Catholic Church and long overdue. In a very short time, he is reaching out to the masses and displaying compassion and a concern for them.

Change will not come quickly nor easily in the conservative inner workings of the church, but actions of a Pope speaks volumes. There is an accumulative effect of many small things. Talking to reporters individually on the plane rather than issuing a printed statement to the press and riding in the open to greet the people of Brazil are visible examples.

Judaism and Catholicism, as well as other religions, are different religions today than they were over three hundred years ago and earlier. Both have become more codified and rigid. Priests and Popes used to marry and the strict rules of today’s orthodox Jews were codified about 150 years ago. Too often today, it is the rule rather than the spirit of religious law that takes precedence.

Things evolve over time, often with cyclical swings. Hopefully, Pope Francis is starting a positive swing in the Catholic Church, especially if a trend for electing relatively moderates Popes continues.

Too much time had elapsed between PJ II and Pope Francis.

George Vecsey

8/2/2013 08:59:43 am

Alan, I agree with you.But this Pope has advanced the awareness of the poor and disenfranchised, and has also asked the right question about gays -- not changing any dogma or process, but asking the basic humnan question, who am I to judge? That is a welcome question. best, GV

Alan Rubin link

8/7/2013 03:46:08 am

George

There has been considerable commentary these last few days reinforcing your comments on Pope Francis’ advancing the awareness of the poor and disenfranchised, etc. He has shown considerable courage in doing so as he must have made many enemies within the church power structure.

The last sentence in the excerpt below from E. J. Dionne’s Washington Post has it exactly right.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ej-dionne-jr-religion-challenges-left-and-right/2013/08/04/2b2e7a2e-fb7d-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html
“These trends should disturb conservatives looking to the future, but they should also give pause to religious leaders. The association of religion, and particularly Christianity, with conservatism appears to be turning off substantial numbers of young Americans from faith.
On the other hand, a concern for social justice not only unites large numbers of believers across conservative-progressive lines but also appeals deeply to the more skeptical young. This is one reason Pope Francis’s eloquent emphasis on lifting up the poor, so visible during his recent trip to Brazil, could make him a transformational leader.”

However, “Who am I to judge?’ should not be applied universally. The financial institutions, banks, and wealthy special interest groups who profit at the expense of others, including the many underprivileged and needy, should be held accountable. Politicians who continually undermine many of the useful and needed programs that benefit society in general while addressing the needs of the poor should not be exempt from public wrath.

Elizabeth Warren recently addressed a meeting of the Democratic organization that I work with. Her reply to a question about the gridlock in Washington was that there was none. Legislation is being passed and moving through the system. The problem as she sees it is one of obstructionism. “Too many people in government who have, want to deprive others.” If she is correct, it is a very sad statement.

Brian Savin

8/4/2013 03:09:43 pm

George, your article this evening analyzing Rodriguez in the most basic human terms was the best human interest story about any person, in any sport, in any age that I've read in recent memory. It captures the controversial essence of this drug-enhanced age, and all the human vulnerabilities it exposes or inflicts. I read it aloud to my wife and we have talked about it for an hour in terms of our own parenting.

Now you need to go apologize to your own son, who wrote a damn good article about A-Rod the day before you blasted this paternally unfair grand slam.

I would hope A-Rod reads it, but I really don't think it would get through to him like it did to me and most others, and probably for the reasons you eloquently exposed. The purulent crust this man has encased himself in is just too thick to pierce at this point. Tragic.

Altenir Silva

8/4/2013 04:53:57 pm

Dear George,
I agree with Mr. Savin. Congratulations for the column Sports of the Times. Your article is awesome and sees the man under the player.
A-Rod is like Garrincha (soccer player from Brazil), that did never hear the stern voice saying "don't". Unfortunately the show lost.
Have a good week! unfortunately
Muito Obrigado
Altenir Silva (from Brazil)

George Vecsey

8/5/2013 02:52:42 am

Thanks for noticing. I gather Garrincha was a sad tale. I still cannot believe Socrates is gone so young. I met him a few times, saw him play in 82 and 86. Who knows the future for A-Rod?
I plan to view your Curitaba DVD and also your O Sal da Terra DVD soon. I hope things are quieting down after the Pope's trip to your neighborhood. Best, George

George Vecsey

8/5/2013 02:53:36 am

Brian, thanks. Just looked up "purulent." A new word to me.
David's essay stands alone. He told a nice story very well, with classic Caesarean overtones.
He's a copy editor at the NYT plus a talented writer. I wish he would write a long essay, or a book, about "Memories of a Clubbie." He used to tell me about how he and Jim Piersall hit it off. Plus he got to shag flies. Best, GV Brian, thanks. Just looked up "purulent." A new word to me.
David's essay stands alone. He told a nice story very well, with classic Caesarean overtones.
He's a copy editor at the NYT plus a talented writer. I wish he would write a long essay, or a book, about "Memories of a Clubbie." He used to tell me about how he and Jim Piersall hit it off. Plus he got to shag flies. Best, GV

Altenir Silva

8/5/2013 03:37:34 am

errata: Sorry, I made a mistake. I think the word "unfortunately" is out of place. I wish for you all good. Have a great week, my friend.

Ed Martin

8/5/2013 02:33:52 pm

glad Brian wrote about your column. I was too timid to go outside the box on this topic. The hero myth is revisited, young man/woman rises to great heights then falls because of a fatal character flaw. Very nice job.

Peter Kennedy link

8/6/2013 01:04:55 am

From Pope Francis to A-Rod! I love it. Thanks, George, for humanizing someone who is admittedly hard to like. (I also enjoyed David's piece. It suggests that my Roger Maris autograph baseball may be rising in value.) Let me just add in conclusion the question on everyone's mind: Is baseball (and all professional sports) forever undermined by drugs? Will clever chemists forever be a step or two ahead of the detectors and authorities? And is our love for the game unconditional? A topic for another day. Thanks, George.

George Vecsey

8/6/2013 01:22:17 am

Thanks for the responses. There probably is a straight line, from the Pope's question of who can judge to my own reactions to Alex Rodriguez. In my column in the NYT, I was not trying to make excuses for him, and he does not use his missing father as an explanation for anything. It's just a fact.
My answer to Peter Kennedy's question is that athletes (and bankers and every occupation) will continue to cheat, but that colleagues can temper the cheating with outrage. I am encouraged by the responses of players seeking stronger penalties., Some cyclists left the circuit when drugs became more mandatory on teams; others, like Greg Lemond and Jonathan Vaughters, and the couple, Betsy and Frankie Andreu, raised important questions. That response could drive the cheaters to the margin, but I doubt doping disappear. I doubt that. Best, G

Altenir Silva

8/6/2013 02:39:56 am

Dear George,
Sorry for change the subject of the post.
I didn't understand the yesterday game (CWS 8X1 YANKEES). Is it some type of protest? I was waiting for some plot twist like "A-Rod hits two home runs", but the final was very sad. If that continue this way, Mr. Sterling will forget his cry: "YANKEES WIN! Thuh-h-h-h-h Yankee! Win!"

What I love in baseball is because "we'll always have tomorrow". Rick (movie: CASABLANCA) has had Paris, but today, we have U.S. Cellular Field.

Altenir Silva (from Brazil)

George Vecsey

8/6/2013 06:10:36 am

Dear Altenir: when you adapt the script for Brazilian audiences, you must have A-Rod hitting two home runs (or scoring two goals, if you switch the sport to football). He is 38 and not the athlete he was a few years ago. Pele had the sense to move to the Cosmos when he got older. This A-Rod business is more like Fellini, the vain prince posturing in the face of disaster. E La Nave Va, or something. Ciao, GV

Altenir Silva

8/6/2013 06:31:07 am

Dear George,
Good point. Anyway La Nave Va by Federico Fellini is about the end: the movies and the ship as well. Great metaphor. I think it's the same with A-Rod and The "Core Four". The ship go away...

Best - Altenir Silva

Alan Rubin link

8/6/2013 06:43:12 am

George

A-Rod's ability may be up there with Pele, but that is where it stops.

Pele is not perfect, and some Brazilians criticize today, but he always had the best interests of the game in mind.

I saw Pele play at Yankee Stadium when he was about 18 years old and attended as many of his games as i could over the years.

Even when he was holding out for the big bucks with the Cosmos, he still was promoting soccer.

It is difficult to compare great players from different eras, but for me there will never be another Pele. Just watching him control the flow of play when away from the ball is a thing of beauty.

Alan Rubin link

8/6/2013 06:32:52 am

Altinar

I can relate to your frustration as a loyal, long distance, Yankee fan. I grew up in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan and was a die-hard Yankee fan since the age of five, 1940. Things were enlivened by rivalries with the NY Giant and Brooklyn Dodger fans, which always created heated arguments. It should be noted that arguments were the normal way to discuss baseball.

Although we believed that the Yankees winning the pennant was as much a part of life as breathing, we were still content when they lost as long as they were competitive.

Baseball, as are most professional sports, is greatly different today. There is much greater interest in the star power of players and too many of them are looking to their next big contract, regardless of which team it is. Loyal to teams still exists for many players, but it is more the exception than the rule.

I blame much of this on the owners, and greedy agents, who have drastically inflated salaries while promoting the stars. What business, with a finite income maximum (which is rarely realized), would pay an employee large sums of money over an extended period of time in which their skills would probably diminish?? When that happens, the owners whine that they are stuck with a bad contract.

Baseball is a beautiful game of strategy and inches that is being diminished by the greed and star mentality of the owners, agents, leagues and the player’s union. They should all be considering the fans, who at some point may ask themselves, why we are supporting all the nonsense.

I used to listen to John Sterling’s radio sports call-in program while driving home from work. This was before he began announcing Yankee games. I won’t comment on his talk show, but he is one arrogant sports voice I can do without.

Altenir Silva

8/6/2013 06:57:24 am

Dear Alan,

Thank you very much for your explanations. I think both baseball and soccer (here in Brazil) generate heated discussion. In Brazil we have a soccer team called FLAMENGO (Rio de Janeiro) that many people love to hate.

Best - Altenir Silva

Brian Savin

8/7/2013 04:00:37 am

Right on, Alan. Money is the politician's steroid. A lifetime ban with no arbitration clause might help there, too.

Brian Savin

8/6/2013 10:32:36 am

Sportsmanship in the enhanced performance age doesn't come easy and it seems can't be expected. I recently saw reclaimed on a cable channel a 2004 movie no one saw: "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius." He played as an amateur all his career and refused to turn pro. He famously called a penalty on himself that no one saw in the 1925 U.S. Open. His playing partner didn't think he should have called it and the judges at the end of that last round tried to talk him out of it before he signed his card. He refused and lost the Open by a single stroke. The judges congratulated him for his honesty and he replied, "You might as well congratulate a man for not robbing a bank."

That's the beauty of amateurs who play for the love of the game. But professional can do that, too. I remember vividly Thomas Muster in I think a semi final at the U.S. Open (tennis version) calling a ball in against himself that both the line judge and the referee called out. He just wouldn't take the point. He lost a wonderful match.

You don't have to go that far to still be considered a fair player. I think I even remember Derek Jeter once chuckling to himself when an umpire called him safe when he was out by a country mile. And Charles Oakley would stare down a rookie teammate that dared offer a hand to an opponent who got knocked to the floor. All you really have to do is NOT CHEAT; that's not so very much to ask.

George Vecsey

8/6/2013 12:19:54 pm

Brian, I'[ve seen Martina Navratilova and Pete Sampras and others wave off the chair official on a call. Martina often patted her racket for a good shot by an opponent. Eric Young, the other day, stepped on Hudson's leg across first base, and instinctively dashed back to commiserate. Plus, I was there when Theismann's leg was broken and Lawrence Taylor waved for doctors, and would not leave until Theismann was taken off. Many athletes have a core of sportsmanship. Then an A-Rod will do something bush like slap a ball or shout at an opponent. Just doesn't get it. GV

Alan Rubin link

8/7/2013 03:57:44 am

George and Brian

Good character is developed over time and become instinctive. Most people are good, but the A-Rod's seem to get most the the attention.

Two examples that i always refer to, but cannot remember the names, add to the examples already given by you both.

The second place runner in a 10K race waited at the finish line for the front runner to cross after he had made a wrong turn.

A girl's softball team carried an opposition player who was hurt rounding first so that she could touch all the bases. She had hit a game winning homer in a championship game. Her teammates were not allowed to do so.

People in all walks of life do these kinds of deeds every day.

Brian Savin

8/7/2013 04:16:27 am

My last comment directed to Alan's last on-target blog entry magically got misplaced by the server to appear as an attachment to to an earlier entry he made. Maybe someone in Congress didn't like Alan's contribution and decided to disrupt this blog! What do YOU think, NSA?

Alan Rubin link

8/7/2013 11:14:31 am

Brian

If NSA is watching us that closely, then they should be able to give us traffic directions when we are lost.

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QUOTES

Measuring Covid Deaths, by David Leonhardt. July 17, 2023. NYT online.
The United States has reached a milestone in the long struggle against Covid: The total number of Americans dying each day — from any cause — is no longer historically abnormal….

After three horrific years, in which Covid has killed more than one million Americans and transformed parts of daily life, the virus has turned into an ordinary illness.

The progress stems mostly from three factors:
First, about three-quarters of U.S. adults have received at least one vaccine shot.
Second, more than three-quarters of Americans have been infected with Covid, providing natural immunity from future symptoms. (About 97 percent of adults fall into at least one of those first two categories.)
Third, post-infection treatments like Paxlovid, which can reduce the severity of symptoms, became widely available last year.
“Nearly every death is preventable,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who was until recently President Biden’s top Covid adviser, told me. “We are at a point where almost everybody who’s up to date on their vaccines and gets treated if they have Covid, they rarely end up in the hospital, they almost never die.”

That is also true for most high-risk people, Jha pointed out, including older adults — like his parents, who are in their 80s — and people whose immune systems are compromised. “Even for most — not all but most —immuno-compromised people, vaccines are actually still quite effective at preventing against serious illness,” he said. “There has been a lot of bad information out there that somehow if you’re immuno-compromised that vaccines don’t work.”

That excess deaths have fallen close to zero helps make this point: If Covid were still a dire threat to large numbers of people, that would show up in the data.

One point of confusion, I think, has been the way that many Americans — including we in the media — have talked about the immuno-compromised. They are a more diverse group than casual discussion often imagines.

Most immuno-compromised people are at little additional risk from Covid — even people with serious conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or a history of many cancers. A much smaller group, such as people who have received kidney transplants or are undergoing active chemotherapy, face higher risks.

Covid’s toll, to be clear, has not fallen to zero. The C.D.C.’s main Covid webpage estimates that about 80 people per day have been dying from the virus in recent weeks, which is equal to about 1 percent of overall daily deaths.

The official number is probably an exaggeration because it includes some people who had virus when they died even though it was not the underlying cause of death. Other C.D.C. data suggests that almost one-third of official recent Covid deaths have fallen into this category. A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases came to similar conclusions.

Dr. Shira Doron, the chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine in Massachusetts, told me that “age is clearly the most substantial risk factor.” Covid’s victims are both older and disproportionately unvaccinated. Given the politics of vaccination, the recent victims are also disproportionately
Republican and white.

Each of these deaths is a tragedy. The deaths that were preventable — because somebody had not received available vaccines and treatments — seem particularly tragic. (Here’s a Times guide to help you think about when to get your next booster shot.)
***

From the great Maureen Dowd:

As I write this, I’m in a deserted newsroom in The Times’s D.C. office. After working at home for two years during Covid, I was elated to get back, so I could wander around and pick up the latest scoop.
But in the last year, there has been only a smattering of people whenever I’m here, with row upon row of empty desks. Sometimes a larger group gets lured in for a meeting with a platter of bagels."

--- Dowd writes about the lost world of journalists clustered in newsrooms at all hours, smoking, drinking, gossipping, making phone calls, typing, editing.
***
"Putting out the paper," we called it.
Much more than nostalgia.
---https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/opinion/journalism-newsroom.html

“Who Am I to Judge?”

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