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View Digital Edition (PDF) HRISTIAN FAITH TAKES HISTORY From the birth of sea life and fish in the seriously. Jesus was born in ocean, 550 million years, Bethlehem, a real place, and at From the first plants and vegetation on America a specific time. A traditional land, 400 million years, Published by Jesuits of the United States Cway to proclaim the birth of Jesus is From the age of the dinosaurs, 230 mil- found in the Roman Martyrology. When lion years, Editor in Chief I was a first-year Jesuit novice in 1957, From the age of the first apes and mon- Drew Christiansen, S.J. this was read during dinner on Christmas keys, 35 million years, Eve and then sung in Latin at Midnight From the age of Homo habilis, 2.6 million EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Mass. That version had been assembled years, Managing Editor and approved in 1584. Calculating from From the time of Homo erectus and the Robert C. Collins, S.J. the Old Testament, it put the birth of use of tools, 1 million years, Jesus 5,199 years from the creation of the From the time of the first female from Editorial Director world. From the birth of Abraham, 2,957 whom all human DNA can be traced, Karen Sue Smith years had passed and from the Exodus, 160,000 years, Online Editor 1,510 years. From the time of Homo sapiens and the Maurice Timothy Reidy A newer version, published by the use of language, 80,000 years, Associate Editors U.S. Catholic bishops in 1994, spoke of From the time of the last ice age, 12,000 Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J. “unknown ages from the time when God years, George M. Anderson, S.J. created the heavens and the earth,” 21 From the time of the first cities, 10,000 Dennis M. Linehan, S.J. centuries from the time of Abraham and years, James Martin, S.J. Sarah and 13 centuries after Moses led From the invention of phonetic writing, James P. McDermott, S.J. the people of Israel out of Egypt. 3,500 years, Matt Malone, S.J. In 2001 the Sacred Congregation for From the time of the flourishing of civi- James T. Keane, S.J. Divine Worship lization in Peter Schineller, S.J. updated the Egypt, entire 3,000 Literary Editor Martyrology to Of Many Things years, Patricia A. Kossmann be more histori- From the Poetry Editor cally accurate. time of James S. Torrens, S.J. The entry for the Nativity began, “From Abraham and the Patriarchs, 1,925 the creation of the world…countless ages years, Assistant Editor have passed.” Abraham remained at From Moses and the coming of the Francis W. Turnbull, S.J. “about 2,100 years,” and since the Israelites out of Egypt, 1,280 years, Design and Production Exodus, 13 centuries. From the anointing of King David, Stephanie Ratcliffe Biblical scholars continue to establish 1,011 years, more accurate dating of historical events From the time of the prophets Amos, BUSINESS DEPARTMENT of the Old Testament, and scientists Hosea and Isaiah, 750 years, Publisher refine the age and stages of the universe. In the 194th Olympiad, Jan Attridge A Martyrology entry for the Nativity In the year 752 since the founding of the based upon contemporary biblical schol- city of Rome, Chief Financial Officer arship and science (and allowing for fur- From the time of the poet Homer, 700 Lisa Pope ther development) might picture the his- years, Marketing tory of the universe into which Jesus From the time of Socrates, Plato and Eryk Krysztofiak Christ entered as follows: Aristotle, 450 years, In the 42nd year of the empire of Advertising The Twenty-fifth Day of December Octavian Augustus, when the Roman Julia Sosa From the creation of the world, when in world was at peace, the beginning God created the uni- Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the 106 West 56th Street verse, 13.7 billion years, eternal Father New York, NY 10019-3803 From the formation of the first galaxies, Desirous to sanctify the world by his Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596. 10 billion years, most merciful coming, E-mail: [email protected]; From the formation of our galaxy, sun Having been conceived of the Holy [email protected]. and solar system, five billion years, Spirit, Web site: www.americamagazine.org. From the formation of planet Earth, 4.6 And nine months having elapsed since his Customer Service: 1-800-627-9533. billion years, conception, © 2008 America Press, Inc. From the origin of life on Earth, the first Is born in Bethlehem of Judah, living cells, 3.5 billion years, Having become human of the Virgin Cover art Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who From the time when the continents of Mary. became Pope Pius XII, is seen during a earth stabilized, 2.5 billion years, THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS visit to Budapest, Hungary, as Vatican From the time of the first ice age, 2.3 bil- CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. secretary of state, in this June 11, 1938, lion years, Peter Schineller, S.J. file photo. (CNS photo.) www.americamagazine.org Vol. 199 No. 20, Whole No. 4839 December 15, 2008 Articles 16 Forgive Us Our Debts 9 Jennie D. Latta How should we think about bankruptcy? A Pope in Wartime 12 Gerald P. Fogarty Why did Pius XII act as he did? Congo’s Lament 16 George M. Anderson A country rich in resources remains mired in poverty. Current Comment 4 20 Editorial The Art of the Possible 5 Signs of the Times 6 Ethics Notebook 8 Abortion Absolutists John F. Kavanaugh Faith in Focus 19 Joy Is on the Way James J. DiGiacomo Bookings 20 Do-You-Good Anthologies James S. Torrens Book Reviews 22 Ecclesial Existence; This Little Light; Books in Brief Poem Urgency James S. Torrens 23 Letters 28 The Word 30 A Dwelling Place for God Barbara E. Reid This week @ Gerald P. Fogarty, S.J., considers the complicated legacy of Pius XII on our podcast. Plus, a remembrance of Sister Thea Bowman from 1990, and more America Connects Advent video reflections from the editors. All at americamagazine.org. Current Comment ship of these companies. That is the theory. A Wave of Hate In the recent financial crisis, however, an essential ele- While the incidence of hate crimes overall is down, a ment was missing from this model: information. For com- recent report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation notes panies to be well run, shareholders must know the finan- a rise in crimes against Latinos, reflecting a nationwide cial health of the company in order to make sound deci- anti-immigrant backlash. A particularly vicious hate crime sions. But financial management failed to bother to under- occurred last month in Suffolk County, N.Y., an area stand the investments they were making or, if they did, to where anti-immigrant tensions have increased over the inform others. This is where consideration of the common past two decades. On Nov. 18 a group of seven teenagers good should have entered. calling themselves the Caucasian Crew attacked Marcelo In a prescient essay in the periodical Communio in Lucero and a friend. Lucero, employed at a dry cleaner’s 1985, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote that business ethics to help support his ailing mother in his native Ecuador, rang like a “hollow bell” when the goal of efficiency had been in the United States for 16 years. The crew crowded out morality. Had financial managers been con- members periodically went out “beaner jumping,” their cerned with morality as well, they would have been less term for harrassing Latinos. The teenagers surrounded the likely to make foolish, short-sighted decisions. Cardinal two men near the train station in Patchogue, Long Island. Ratzinger wrote, referring to morality, “The decline of The friend escaped, but when Lucero tried to defend him- such discipline can actually cause the market to collapse.” self with his belt, one attacker stabbed him. The 17-year- Would that the heads of the American Insurance Group, old killer, Jeffrey Conroy, was charged with a hate crime Fannie Mae and Citigroup had been reading Communio and second-degree murder. as well as Forbes. Attacks have been frequent elsewhere in the country too. Last year, a Latino immigrant in Wright City, Mo., was attacked and robbed by three men who broke into his mobile home yelling “immigration enforcement!” Reason’s Greetings At a press conference in the wake of the Lucero mur- “Why believe in a God? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” der, Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of The statement sounds like a take-off on the Christmas La Raza, expressed alarm at the “wave of hate” that has favorite “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” In fact, it is been exacerbated by the inflammatory rhetoric of radio appearing in advertisements on buses in our nation’s capi- and cable show hosts and even of some elected officials. tal. Across the ocean in London, posters on buses say: Anti-immigrant hatred has no place in a nation built on “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy the work of immigrants. your life.” In Colorado, a coalition of groups called the Coalition of Reason uses billboards to stress the communi- ty aspect of atheism: “Don’t Believe in God? You Are Not Alone.” In Australia, on the other hand, proposed ads Was Adam Smith Wrong? reading, “Celebrate Reason—Sleep in on Sunday Has the “invisible hand” failed? A central theory of clas- Mornings,” have been rejected by ad companies.
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