A LETTER ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF APPALACHIA

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We speak of the people

who live in this land,

people who love nature's freedom

 and beauty,

who are alive with song

and poetry.

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But many of these people are also poor

and suffer oppression.

The poor of our land

have been wounded,

but they are not crushed.

The spirit still lives.

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Their struggles and their poetry

together keep alive

a dream

a tradition

a longing

a promise

which is not just their dream,

but the voiceless vision buried beneath life's bitterness

wherever it is found.

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They sing of a life

free and simple,

with time for one another,

and for people's needs,

based on the dignity of the human person,

at one with nature's beauty,

crowned by poetry.
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If that dream dies,

all our struggles

die with it.

 This struggle of resistance

is a struggle against violence -

against institutional violence

which sometimes subtly,

sometimes brutally,

attacks human dignity and life.

At stake is the spirit

of all our humanity.

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Pastoral Letter

Catholic Bishops of Applachia

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Below is a video from the Google Earth Hero
series titled "Appalachian Voices."  It's a good
"update," you might say, to the reality in the letter above.
And below that is a music video from West Virginia,
with a story about D. Ray White, a man who was considered
 by many in his time to be the best mountain dancer in Appalchia.  
 He was murdered in 1985.
Both videos offer good insights into this most unique and, unfortunately, 
 somewhat abandoned part of our country.
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SAINT PAUL, POVERTY, AND SEX

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From THE URANTIA BOOK
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.Poverty was just a part of the ritual of the

mortification of the flesh which, unfortunately,

became incorporated into the writings and teachings of many religions, notably Christianity. Penance is the negative form of this ofttimes foolish ritual of renunciation. But all this taught the savage self-control, and that was a worth-while advancement in social evolution. Self-denial and self-control were two of the greatest social gains from early evolutionary religion. Self-control gave man a new philosophy of life; it taught him the art of augmenting life’s fraction by lowering the denominator of personal demands instead of always attempting to increase the numerator of selfish gratification.

These olden ideas of self-discipline embraced flogging and all sorts of physical torture. The priests of the mother cult were especially active in teaching the virtue of physical suffering, setting the example by submitting themselves to castration. The Hebrews, Hindus, and Buddhists were earnest devotees of this doctrine of physical humiliation.

All through the olden times men sought in these ways for extra credits on the self-denial ledgers of their gods. It was once customary, when under some emotional stress, to make vows of self-denial and self-torture. In time these vows assumed the form of contracts with the gods and, in that sense, represented true evolutionary progress in that the gods were supposed to do something definite in return for this self-torture and mortification of the flesh. Vows were both negative and positive. Pledges of this harmful and extreme nature are best observed today among certain groups in India.

It was only natural that the cult of renunciation and humiliation should have paid attention to sexual gratification. The continence cult originated as a ritual among soldiers prior to engaging in battle; in later days it became the practice of “saints.” This cult tolerated marriage only as an evil lesser than fornication. Many of the world’s great religions have been adversely influenced by this ancient cult, but none more markedly than Christianity. The Apostle Paul was a devotee of this cult, and his personal views are reflected in the teachings which he fastened onto Christian theology: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” “I would that all men were even as I myself.” “I say, therefore, to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them to abide even as I.” Paul well knew that such teachings were not a part of Jesus’ gospel, and his acknowledgment of this is illustrated by his statement, “I speak this by permission and not by commandment.” But this cult led Paul to look down upon women. And the pity of it all is that his personal opinions have long influenced the teachings of a great world religion. If the advice of the tentmaker-teacher were to be literally and universally obeyed, then would the human race come to a sudden and inglorious end. Furthermore, the involvement of a religion with the ancient continence cult leads directly to a war against marriage and the home, society’s veritable foundation and the basic institution of human progress. And it is not to be wondered at that all such beliefs fostered the formation of celibate priesthoods in the many religions of various peoples.

Someday man should learn how to enjoy liberty without license, nourishment without gluttony, and pleasure without debauchery. Self-control is a better human policy of behavior regulation than is extreme self-denial. Nor did Jesus ever teach these unreasonable views to his followers.

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THE URANTIA BOOK

Part III, 89, 3

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A SPANISH SAYING ABOUT THE POOR

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No es desgracia ser pobre,

pero es muy inconveniente.

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It is no disgrace to be poor,

but it is very inconvenient.

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This is an example of a dicho,

a proverb or saying in Spanish.

Many of centuries-old lineage,

they can still be heard today among

Spanish-speaking people across

the southwest, though more

likely to be heard from the

older folks, not the young.

If they live in poverty,

the youth fail to see much in

a philosophical light,

especially their condition.

A curse is more likely

than a dicho.