Renewed Goals for The Okie Traditonalist Blog

First things First:

But let's be clear, this is just a blog.  I am no expert, saint, cleric, or authority figure.  I am just one lay traditional Catholic guy with a blog.  A blog is not an organ of the Magisterium, after all.  It is literally a "website" + "log" of one's thoughts about any subject.   Hence the word blog.   

Website + Log = BLOG

By now my regular readers hopefully appreciate that I try and keep these writings at that level, rather than trying to be a self-appointed, pontificating, professional theologian.

At the same time, I believe the power of a "Catholic blog" is that it becomes part of a critically needed, online network, voicing shared concerns, perspectives, and catechesis to help the Church and a Christian society.  Not a substitute for the hierarchy, but one of many places to voice the point of view of lay Catholics (who compose 99.999% of the world's 1.18 billion Catholics).    

After all, Canon Law no. 212 says (LINK):

The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.§3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful

Renewed Goals for the Blog:

In light of all the really great experiences I've had these last two years of blogging on "The Okie Traditionalist" blog, connecting with many different people from all sorts of places and backgrounds, but also in light of the nuttiness, infighting, and downright dark ugliness I not rarely encounter, I am renewing the goals for this hobby of mine:

1.  I will continue to use humor, irony, satire, and reference to modern media and language, to shed light on truth, because that is my personality.  But I plan to tailor my style to be more focused and effective in conveying my points, while polishing up my spelling, grammar, and writing skills.   

My target audience is both moderation-loving traditional Catholics, and any human being even remotely disposed towards traditional Catholicism.   So I'll still be using words like "cool," or "pee your pants laughing," or referencing mainstream movies, or saying traditionalists as a group need to drink more alcohol, because we are not angelic spirits living in the Garden of Eden.  

Fair enough, Okie Trad!

Thanks, GK!

2.  At the same time, I will continue to call out the extremes and abuses of both the liberal left, and from time to time the traditionalist/conservative right (of which I identify).  I love our Catholic tradition, and support the Latin Mass movement, but pharisaism is also a damning force that tempts traditionalists, that needs to be sometimes addressed, not only evils of the flesh and modernity.  

If you frequent this place, odds are you appreciate me voicing these concerns.  


3.  I will continue to share information with readers to help build up my local Church.   I will be discreet and very careful of any negative information I might share, and it will be factual, public, verified, and respectful if conveyed.   If the sacrilege of modernism rears its ugly head in my own diocese, I may report about it and comment in the future.  

If the local presbyteral council tries to publicly undo another traditional work of retired Bishop Slattery, I reserve the right speak about it, but matter-of-factedly and with concern.  That said, when I blog about something local, the focus will be on what is good, true, and beautiful, on what is being done here in Oklahoma to "restore all things to Christ."

Sounds like a plan!

4.  I want to write about my personal experience as a traditional Catholic, here in my own local Church, and living in Oklahoma, as a microcosm of what is happening everywhere in the world.   I get emails often from people in other states and countries, relating to my experiences here, which indicates to me my method is working.   

But I intend to develop that style more as I go.  On one hand, I am thinking of the overall positive feedback of local traditionalists here, that there seems to be a good deal of Okies who look kindly on this endeavor.  On the other hand, most readers do not live in Oklahoma, but many are attracted to the more local, Okie flavor of how I sometimes write, so I will be writing to both audiences (which requires some mental gymnastics in imagining what you want to say, and how).

Microcosm

5.  I will write about topics related to subjects I have degrees in, and professional experience with:  science, education, Catholic philosophy, and health care.  I also want to talk more about my personal interests:  nature, outdoor adventure, gardening, cooking, movies, and helping others.

And at the same time, I will speak about these things from the perspective of being a traditional Catholic...which I think fits well into the parameters of what defines a "blog" in the first place.  A personalized place to voice ideas in writing about serious topics, but also not-so-serious topics, to be true to life and reality.

If that makes your anal sphincter muscles contract in fear or anger, then there are literally 439,999,999 (LINK) other blogs on the world wide web you can read.  Fair enough?