Simple Steps to Save Earth

Dear Editor: Several letters recently mocked those crazy doomsayers who worry about cataclysmic things like global warming. Personally, I would love to play a few rounds of poker with these writers and, while I’m choosing my opponents, I would also invite a pro-choice Catholic, a pro-war Catholic, an atheist, an agnostic, a non-practicing Catholic, and anyone who habitually sins, relying on an infinitely and unconditionally forgiving God. (Ignore for a moment that I and most Christians often fit into that last category.)

The environmentalist risks very little if he (and all of the science supporting him) is wrong, while his opponent risks making our planet entirely inhospitable to life. The pro-life person risks denying people the right to limitless sex without responsibility, while the pro-choice person risks taking part in the largest act of mass murder if he/she is wrong.

Likewise, the pacifist only risks being a coward while those who support war risk taking part in the unjust killing of innocent civilians. The believer who does not attend Mass makes the amazing gamble of risking his eternal salvation to save an hour each week. The atheist and the agnostic make this same gamble, with no real benefit (as statistically, people who believe and go to church live longer and happier lives). Finally, people who sin habitually heavily rely on the idea that God will instantly forgive them without any amount of regret, repentance, punishment, etc., without there being any real biblical basis for such a pathetic God, all for the benefit, if we can say there is any, of their vice.

For those of us who prefer to gamble on the side of life and salvation, there are many simple things we can do to help save the environment. For one, at www.ecologyfund.com, 64 square feet of land can be saved each day for free, paid for by advertisers. That becomes 23,360 square feet over the course of a year, or almost the size of a dozen people’s homes, given a 20x100 plot of land. The website www.therainforestsite.com saves land on the same principle, as well as feeding the poor. Energy efficient light bulbs save not just money but the environment. The same could be said of walking, biking, and car pooling. For just a few dollars a month, anyone could sign up to have their home’s electricity provided by green power, rather than fossil fuel, at www.coned.com. If enough environmentalists take these and other simple steps, we may just wind up saving the lives of the skeptics and their children.

Joe Muller
Jamaica

Who Are We Fighting Anyway?

Dear Editor: Let me pose two straightforward questions about the Iraq war.

1.  Who, precisely, is the enemy?  We’re shooting at Sunnis, Shiites, al-Sadr’s forces, remnants of the Baathist army, al-Qaeda, and God knows how many others – all conveniently lumped together as “insurgents” or “Islamic enemies.”  That’s unacceptably imprecise.  I want to know with exactly which groups or combinations thereof would we sign a treaty to cease hostilities, for example, if such a treaty were desired?  That was not a problem in previous wars, since it was no secret who we were fighting.

2.  If we cannot identify our enemy in Iraq – if we don’t even know who we’re fighting – how can we achieve victory?

Bruce Brown
Manhattan

Thank God for Foreign Priests

Dear Editor: About 20 years ago a priest in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church stated in his homily that due to the decrease in vocations America would soon become the mission and the missionary priests would come to us from afar. How prophetic were his words. Today, throughout the dioceses of our country we are being served by priests from India, Pakistan, Haiti, Colombia, the Philippines, and many other Third World countries. Unfortunately English is a hard language to learn and its pronunciation is often difficult to master. Sometimes during their homilies we, especially us senior citizens, find their words hard to understand. I often wonder how our accents would be if we tried to speak in their native tongues.

In contrast, the evangelist Rev. Billy Graham is probably, with the exception of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the most dynamic preachers of our generation. He has conducted many “crusades” all over the world bringing thousands of people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The congregations listen to his every word with rapt attention. At the end of each of his sermons this holy man invites people to stand up and approach the stage to accept Christ. At that time he prays with them, gives them Bibles, prayer books and other religious materials.

Similarly at the end of the Mass our missionaries also ask us to stand up and approach the altar to accept Christ. However, instead of Bibles, they give us the most precious gift of all; they give us the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

When we go to church this week, let us have a little patience with our priests and the syntax of their homilies, and let us give thanks to God for these good men who serve us so well.

JAMES MACK
Brick, N.J.

A Fan of Father Dulaney

Dear Editor: Father William Dulaney chooses simple words and everyday events to interpret Sunday Scripture and get us through the day-to-day.

In the Scripture readings for Sunday, May 13, the participants adjust to their situations to achieve peace and quiet. Father uses himself and his family to bring this message closer to us.

I hope we continue reading explanations of God’s words as told to us by this good priest.

STEVEN ALLURED
Flushing

Msgr. Bracken’s Anniversary

Dear Editor: On May 24, the parish family of 310 Prospect Park West celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ordination of Msgr. John Bracken, Vicar General for Temporalities. A special surprise luncheon (see below) was held in his honor. It had to be a surprise because he did not want any fuss made over his anniversary.

Everyone who knows Msgr. Bracken or knows of him will attest to the fact that he has one of the most difficult jobs in the diocese. He is in charge of all its temporal holdings and he oversees many of the departments that are based at 310 Prospect Park West. There are over 16 agencies housed in “310,” as it is affectionately called by everyone who works there and Msgr. Bracken oversees 10 of them.

He loves his building at 310 and you can see great care and concern for the building in that it is always immaculate and well-maintained from the manicured lawn in front to the gleaming floors throughout the building. He can be seen going through the building always greeting everyone he sees by name. He cares for the building as a pastor would care for parish property.

The place, I feel where Msgr. Bracken really comes alive is in the chapel, where he says Mass for us every day. With his very busy schedule it is not easy for him to be with us every day, but he works it out that he is with us most days for either the 8 a.m. or noon Mass. We have a faithful community of about 20 people who attend Mass every day. No matter where he has been or how hard he had to rush to get to us, you can see that he is most at home at the altar doing what he was ordained to do.

We are so grateful that Msgr. Bracken thinks it is so important to have Mass for us every day. As someone who is a parishioner of 310, I know that the highlight of my day is the half hour I spend at Mass. Msgr. Bracken is a wonderful pastor and we are so fortunate to have him in our little parish of 310. All of us here wish him ad multos annos.

MARIA MASTROMARINO
Park Slope