[Peace-discuss] AWARE
E. Wayne Johnson
ewj at pigs.ag
Thu Sep 3 10:04:02 CDT 2009
Certainly Carl is correct in noting that a pontifex is one who builds a
bridge between man and God.
pontifex, from pont-, stem of pons "bridge" + -fex, -ficis, root of
facere "make."
The connotation of pontifications being dogmatic follows from that
position. The messages flowing
over the genuine bridge toward man are truth, and perfect. Man, on the
other hand, has many inventions.
On 9/3/2009 3:06 AM, John W. wrote:
> Incidentally, in my own dictionary perusings and musings - to say
> nothing of my life experience - I'm not seeing anything about a person
> who pontificates as being a "bridge builder":
>
> *pon·tif·i·cate
> *
> (pŏn-tĭf'ĭ-kĭt, -kāt')
> n. The office or term of office of a pontiff.
> intr.v. (-kāt') *pon·tif·i·cat·ed*, *pon·tif·i·cat·ing*,
> *pon·tif·i·cates*
>
> 1. To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way.
> 2. To administer the office of a pontiff.
>
>
> [Latin pontificātus, from pontifex, pontific-, /pontifex/; see *
> pontifex*. V., from Medieval Latin pontificāre, pontificāt-, /to act
> as an ecclesiastic/, from Latin pontifex.]
> *pon·tif'i·ca'tion*/ n./, *pon·tif'i·ca'tor*/ n.
>
> /
>
> The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
> Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
> Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
>
>
> But (from a Louse to a Mouse) Rabbie Burns came closer to my
> condition when he wrote,
>
> Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
> O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
> Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
> Wi' bickering brattle!
>
> --WSCTB
>
>
> John W. wrote:
>
> O wad some gift the Giftie gie us
> To see oursels as ithers see us!
>
> --Robert Burns, I believe
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 12:34 PM, C. G. Estabrook
> <galliher at illinois.edu <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu>
> <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu>>>
> wrote:
>
> "...intervention by leadership"? AWARE has leadership? When &
> where has it
> "intervened"?
>
> Do I understand correctly that you're objecting to debate on a
> discussion
> list...? Or saying just that "pontificators" have to shut up?
>
> (A pontificator -- I have to hurry to point it out before
> Wayne does
> -- is
> literally a bridge-builder, and that surely is something we
> need to do.)
>
> Yet you conclude, "May the conversation continue..." OK.
> --CGE
>
>
>
> jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>
> <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>> wrote:
>
>
> I would be happy to. As I understand, the AWARE group was
> created to tackle the issues of Peace and Justice and be an
> outlet for folks living in the area
> to feel they had a voice and to take action. The goals
> of the
> AWARE group
> are in theory decided upon by the membership via, ie:
> surveys,
> board recommendations etc. When I see only 3 - 4
> people on the
> peace-discuss list serve pontificating for weeks and
> months at a
> time and when the conversations become so heated that there
> needs to be an intervention by leadership, I
> understand clearly that the "discussion" has ceased to
> exist and
> in fact has
> slipped to a typical "I'm right, your dead wrong"
> situation. We
> as longtime
> peace activists, know first hand how distructive this
> is to the
> work that
> needs to be done. It is an unecessary distraction.
>
> I am tired of the situation where we are contuously losing
> members due to their frustration and unmet needs.
>
> In my mind, to have a meaningful discussion, not a
> debate, to
> explore the "root causes" of war requires intensive
> listening on
> both sides. Which is clearly, quite clearly, not in
> practice here.
>
> May the conversation continue.
>
> Joy George
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "C. G. Estabrook"
> <galliher at illinois.edu <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu>
> <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu <mailto:galliher at illinois.edu>>>
> To: jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>
> <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>> Cc:
>
> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>> Sent: Wednesday,
>
> September 2, 2009 9:23:29 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] AWARE
>
> Would you be willing to be a bit more specific?
>
> What are "the goals and needs of the entire group" that
> are not
> reflected on
> peace-discuss? And what is "the entire group"? AWARE
> members?
> All those in
> favor of peace?
>
> If the list doesn't reflect such views, the solution
> would seem
> to be inclusion, not exclusion, viz. "those who want to
> have the
> ongoing debate discussions find their own regular venue..."
>
> The "work to be done" seems to me importantly to include
> understanding what we're doing and why. --CGE
>
>
> jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>
> <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net <mailto:jgeo61 at comcast.net>> wrote:
>
>
> This is quite an accusation. You make it sound as
> if we are
> pouting, taking our toys home, since we didn't get
> our way
> on the playground. My concern is that this
> discussion group
> does not reflect the goals or needs of the entire
> group and
> in fact the current behavior has driven away
> existing/potential members.
>
> If we want to "make a difference" in the peace
> effort, we
> must stick together to be a unified force, otherwise we
> appear only to be squabbling chickens. I strongly
> believe
> that if those who want to have the ongoing debate
> discussions find their own regular venue and talk
> until the
> cows come home. There is work to be done and there
> is no
> time like the present to get back to it.
>
> Joy
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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