Having reread pgs. 198/199 I think I have a better grasp of what he means.(I think)...If in our old age we begin to go back and live in the past, extoling our youth, we lose the present and instead of going towards the future, we become diminished.

But, isn't it also possible by recalling the past, we see the present more clearly. The past can help us to understand the present. At this time of year don't we have to recall what happened 2'000 years ago, so we can go forward in the present?

To pg.204, middle of page: "The individual being a part of the history of the totality, has to make his respective decision, in accord not only with the demands of his private present but also, and in equal measure, with the truth that is his community, his culture, his epoch set before him and commit him to serve."

So in our referendum then which decision best serves the above? (1). If we vote yes, we are saying the foetus is primary in it's right to life, which begs the question, Has the woman any right here? what is the relationship between the woman and the foetus? A woman says "I do'nt want this foetus . I cannot ,at this time nurture it with my body and blood. I do'nt feel capable of this. I do'nt feel capable of being responsible for it's life until it has grown to be an adult." Have I or the community a right to tell this woman that she has no choice. Tough.

If we vote no we are saying the woman has the right to abort the foetus.That the foetus has no choice here. Again have I or the community the right to make this decision?

Surely there must be a third way... It seems to me that very little real thought has gone into this; but then if it took four years to come up with a formula ,( that nobody understands, unless your a lawyer,) to put into the constitution how many years will it take to come up with a solution. Perhaps if we could work together for the common good,(An old Jesuit theme), WE MIGHT CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING.

1.The government shall provide funds and expertise to develop an artificial womb, capable of sustaining life for five or six months. 2. All pregnant women in the above catagory will keep their babies for the first semester, until the baby is properly formed. The baby can then be transferred to the created womb for the remainder of the time needed. 3.The pro-life movement will be responsible for the care of the new babies . It will find homes, and provide a facility to care for them untill homes can be found. With a senario such as this, there would no longer be any need for women to travel to Britain or for foetus' to die.

Can you explain the greek words bottom of206, top 207and 208?

Continuing on, Von B. talks about love, this is one area in which I am glad not to look back, because I see very clearly my lack of it.It is so much nicer to look forward knowing that real love wipes out our poor efforts from the past with one swish of it's wing. Rita.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Answers

Rita, I can't here and now take on the many questions you raise about the referendum (I travel to Dublin in a short while--Tuesday rather than the usual Wednesday... so I don't know if I will even have a vote on Wednesday, as I am now registered in Limerick). I can however reply to the questions in your second last paragraph.

Bottom of p. 206: aletheia is greek for truth. Balthasar writes is with a hyphen and takes Heidegger's notion of truth as unconcealment of being--which is wonderful!

Top of page 207 there is some German: 'Dieses' is is just the word which points out a particular thing: 'this', or 'this here'. 'Sosein' is German for 'being thus', being in a particular way: a cat or a dog or a human being... we can't hide it: it is unveiled.

Top of p. 208: Tuaumazein is Greek: this has to do with wonder, astonishment, the list of words he has on the line before it.

On the bottom of p. 208 he has 'intus legere'. This is latin, having to do with 'reading inside of being', as Balthasar puts it. He is taking a version of the latin word for intellect: intellectus and gives this meaning which is found in Thomas Aquinas (see Summa Theologica, II II, q. 8, art. 1: "respondeo dicendum quod nomen intellectus quandam intimam cognitionem importat, dicitur enim intelligere quasi intus legere." "I reply that the name intellect implies a kind of intimate knowledge, to know, in fact, means "to read in".")

See you Wednesday

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002