One just for me.

Lots of times I can't wait to bore you with every little thought I have about every little thing I read, nonfiction and fiction. Partly I do this to keep track of what I'm reading, and partly I do it because the conversations we invariably end up having have really added something to my enjoyment of my reading. (And I already enjoyed my reading, so that's saying a lot.)

But you should also know that sometimes I read things that I end up wanting to keep to myself. Often these books have to do with personal topics that, well, are just too personal. Sometimes these secret books get me thinking about people I know, and our interconnected lives, and then I keep quiet because other people's secrets are not really mine to blog about. But a lot of times it's just because I figure too much about me, not enough about the books is just a boring mix.

But then again I come across a book that I want to keep for myself, and yet I feel there are certain readers who might enjoy it, and then I feel a conflicted need to babble about it. So before I talk about today's secret book, there are some things you should know about me: I am Catholic. I like being Catholic. This does not mean I think everyone has to be Catholic (I didn't even think Mr. CR had to be Catholic so I'm not about to start in on y'all). I know, boy do I know, the Catholic church has many many problems, and has much to apologize for and fix. So, frankly, do the federal government and most large corporations, and yet we keep them around.

So today's book is A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division, by Chris Korzen and Alexia Kelley. I'm really only mentioning it because I strongly feel that if there are any Catholics out there, or people who are interested in (or, okay, repelled by) Catholicism, this is a great book to read, as it hammers home the point that we are all meant to care about and for each other, for the common good. It's got interesting things to say about politics and voting, which has been a real bitch for Catholics since Roe v. Wade was passed and abortion took over as the issue most likely to be used by the Conservative Right to obtain the Catholic vote. But most of all? I loved its whole chapter on the Catholic social tradition, including the tenet of "the dignity of work and the rights of workers":

"Because each human person has inherent dignity independent of his or her economic value, work is designed to benefit the person, not the other way around...In this era of economic globalization, it is all the more important to remember that people should always take priority over profit. Workers, in the Catholic social tradition, have essential human rights: to a just and living wage that will support workers' families, to organize and bargain collectively through trade unions, to safe and to humane working conditions, and to leisure time to spend with their friends and families. Employees have a responsibility to hold up their end of the bargain, but so too must employers take an active role in protecting these essential rights." (p. 27.)

Isn't that beautiful? Frankly, I think we should make THAT a prayer and start reciting it. You hear me, Catholic Church?

Okay, I've said too much. Sorry for boring you with my secrets.

Comments

[laura]

Thanks for posting this. I have my own set of books I read but don't write about, for various reasons, so my thanks is partly for that. Also, I am an Episcopalian and happy to be an Episcopalian, and while I have not an evangelical bone in my body, I sometimes find that it's good to talk to other religious people, because it turns out there are a lot of things with religious people despite the differences in our denominations (or even faiths). . . which reminds me that readers interested in the bit about workers' rights above may also be interested in Interfaith Worker Justice (iwj.org), which points out that a LOT of religions and denominations support workers' rights.

[Citizen Reader]

Laura,
My pleasure. Sometimes we have to keep a little for ourselves between us and the books, don't we?
I'm with you. I think workers' rights is something we can all agree on. Of course, why we can't all agree just to agree that we can have different religions has always stymied me too. What, is that too easy? Sad.

Thanks for the IWJ link. Very interesting, and inspiring.

[Brandon]

You really ARE a communist, aren't you? ;)

Not that I have problems with communists. I actually like them, especially since I'm a bit of a socialist.

Strangely enough, I don't have a bone to pick with the Catholic church. Sure, the whole molestation scandal was creepy and, frankly, unsurprising, but I rather liked John Paul II. Or at least, what I saw of him on TV. (I suspect he was aware of what some priests were doing, but when your organization has 2,000 years worth of dough, I suppose you can afford such things, when it comes to hush money and settlements.)

I will say this, though: I was utterly disgusted when I went to my first Catholic service several years back. During communion, everyone was drinking from the same cup. Nasty.

And every time I think of Catholic services, I always picture the climax of "The Godfather," when Michael Corleone is having all his enemies assassinated while he "renounces Satan." Brilliant.

[Brandon]

A literary aside: have you ever read "The Family" by Mario Puzo? Puzo believed that popes were the very first Mafia dons. Apparently, he drew a lot of inspiration for "The Godfather" from the policies and actions of popes.

[Citizen Reader]

Brandon,
The hilarious thing is that my voting record includes Ross Perot and Pat Buchanan. I once actually read AND AGREED WITH Ayn Rand.

Holy shit. Evidently people can change.

I know very little about Communism, sadly, as I paid very little attention in high school and I'm pretty sure they weren't really teaching anything in high school except the Civil War, which I found totally boring. I have always had the vague idea that Marx and Engels might have had some okay points, but they were WAY too optimistic about human nature. Everyone working together for the human good? Come on, did those guys ever observe human behavior while waiting in lines?

I have many bones to pick with the Catholic Church. Doesn't mean I want to chuck it. As previously noted, I also have many many bones to pick with democracy (or America's version of it) and capitalism, but I don't think they need to be totally chucked either. On the bright side, you're not obligated to drink the wine along with everyone else (next time just stride on by when they're offering you that cup of nasty). My god, I go home and scrub down after the peace handshake, you think I'm going to drink from the communal cup? Not bloody likely.

Anyway. Hm. I like the "The Family" reading suggestion. I might have to look into that--thanks!

p.s. the Michael Corleone bit is genius. I have a feeling old Puzo might have been well aware that church/religion sadly often equals total hypocrisy.

[Brandon]

Admittedly, I'm not an expert on communism, but I do know that people (namely, Americans) often confuse it with Stalinism. (I know even less about Maoism, which is Chinese communism. And Leninism? This is getting out of hand!) Communism is sort of like Christianity in that there are a lot of different versions of it. Ultimately, communism is about forming a utopia, without government. Like peaceful anarchy, if such a thing can actually be achieved. (It can't, as you've already pointed out.) I suppose communism is ultimately self-defeating. A true communist government would never allow itself to exist, since, like I said, communism is about eliminating government altogether. People just aren't that good, and governments (or rather, the people who run them) will always want to stay in power.