Pope Benedict and "eros"

Far be it from me to "steal" an entire post from another blog, but this one I think warrants being "saved" at least for my own reference in a place where I'm more likely to see it again. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for having the patience and the philosophical background to pick through this latest Papal document and point out some verrrryy interesting things...

I have read the first encyclical closely now; and it's clearly some of Benedict's finest work. I've posted a few of extracts - his critique of Christianity's tendency to abhor the body, his understanding of the limits of politics, his connection between eros and agape - that strike me as particularly eloquent. ...

Benedict and Same-Sex Love
30 Jan 2006 10:26 am
At the same time, I have to say I'm struck by the references in the document. It's pretty stunning to me that Benedict should cite Plato's Symposium for his definition of eros. This sentence is mind-blowing:

"That love between man and woman which is neither planned nor willed, but somehow imposes itself upon human beings, was called eros by the ancient Greeks."

Er, not exactly. For the Greeks, eros meant a kind of longing. Plato saw it as bound up in the search for truth, as well as for beauty. But also - critically - it describes same-sex love as well as opposite-sex love. The Symposium, the source of Benedict's description of eros, treats same-sex love interchangeably with opposite-sex love, and the myth cited by Aristophanes even places same-sex erotic love on a higher plane than mere heterosexuality. (I'm even hoping to use the passage in my own marriage service, and began my anthology on gay marriage by citing it.) Benedict must know this. He's a deeply learned man. Why rest his own treatment on sources that clearly embrace gay love? Beats me. He even cites Virgil's Eclogues, a deeply homoerotic work. Part of me thinks that Benedict's anti-gay posture is just orthodoxy, made more reactionary by the social revolution of our time. And then I wonder if he doesn't have an esoteric meaning as well. Nothing in this encyclical couldn't apply to same-sex eros; his bigoted Instruction has helped expose the fact that the Church is a deeply homosexual institution, and in the West, at least, there's no real attempt (so far) to purge gay seminarians and priests. Maybe the Instruction's unpersuasive and naked bigotry is esoterically designed to advance the argument that gay people are obviously not "objectively disordered" in such a way to render them unfit for the priesthood. Is Benedict quietly showing the validity of same-sex eros and equal dignity of same-sex eros, even while publicly denouncing it? Or have I read too much Leo Strauss? Probably the latter.

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You, me, a ring...

...some uneven parallel bars, and I'm yours.

While on the treadmill at Bally's this afternoon I caught part of the Hilton Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular. Never one to be disinterested in a men's gymnastics exhibition, I was totally bowled over by this super-super-fine Bulgarian gymnast by the name of Jordan Jovchev (aka Yordan Yovchev, Jordan Yovtchev, etc.). Can you imagine why?

This dude was suspending himself on the rings, shirtless and still busting out all over. I had to get off the treadmill (lest I fall off!) and just stood there gape-mouthed. (The other guy (Ivan Ivankov of Belarus) was really good too, but Jordan was breathtaking.)

Well, you can't say I don't know what I like. (obligatory letdown = that he's married, as if I would ever meet him and charm the pants off him anyway. He does live in the US, but still, come ON.)

(OK, this one gives me all sortsa impure thoughts.)

Just in case this isn't enough, here's a Jordan gallery :)

So familiar, and yet so new. Quo vadis, 2006?

Happy New Year, Carroteers!
How to open my first post of the new year? Ah, I know. The odds and ends.

--> I've been checking out a bunch of entertainment, DC, and gay blogs (they're pretty much 2 of those 3 things) and making a list of fun stuff that I'll soon debut on my improved sidebar. Look for it within a week or so! (I don't know why I'm doing this now, what with so many other things I oughtta be doing, but I have a strange, restless feeling that I need to shake things up a bit. If I can scratch that itch without stepping away from the laptop, all the better)

--> One of those blogs informs me that "Friendster is very important to the current existence of the gay community, at least in DC. If you are gay, you are on friendster, it doesn't matter if you're ugly, fat, or otherwise gay socially unacceptable, you have a profile and have put your favorite books/movies/foods for all the world to see." A-HA! That's why I'm dateless and with no prospects in sight! Funny that just a day or two ago something else suggested to me that I get on that friendster thing. Brian P. sent me an invitation to join a few months ago, and I left it to languish in my Inbox. Mebbe it's time to revisit the idea...

--> Playing on winamp right now: "Look on the Floor" by Bananarama. That's right, you heard me, BANANARAMA (with Sarah* and Keren - Siobhan left the group quite a few years ago). They've even got a new album called Drama. Amazon has it as an import for a whopping $37. I figured I could be more resourceful and find it for cheaper; sure enough, CDWOW! in Britain's got it for only 6.99 GBP, which was about $13, with free shipping. SWEET!
*Richko confession: I had a gayboy crush on Sarah back in the days of "I Heard a Rumour", "More than Physical", etc. And there was a girl in high school who looked just like her with whom I had a mild, from-a-distance fascination, and with her other blondie friend was it any coincidence they were (mockingly) referred to as "Bananarama"?

--> One of my former favorite spots on the radio dial morphed into something even more disturbing today. DC's Z104, which when I moved here was a hot hits format with a strong bent towards club music but eventually changed to a standard Top 40 and then a "mix of everything" pop-for-lameo-GenXers format, is now some classical station. I like classical music as much as the next person, but not in the car. It's not compatible with my driving style! I'd look for a station to replace it, but DC radio sux so bad, I doubt I'll find even one!

--> Shout-out to Tory, who's been livening up my days & nights for the last three days or so! She's goin' back to Mexico on Friday. (sniffling & tearing up...) We went shopping the other day at Pentagon City (incl. Marshalls, BB&B, LNT, Macy's, Sur la Table, some outfitters' shop, Victoria's Secret...) looking for the "purch of the day" and other time-tested hallmarks of our friendship. (Her purch of the day was a bunch of bras that didn't come from Pentagon City; mine was a pair of Claiborne pants from Macy's that was on the 50% off clearance rack but rang up at full price, but that the cashier -- er, Associate -- gave me for half-off anyway.) We also crafted any number of temporarily-useful acronyms/abbreviations (kinda in the vein of JK - just kidding, or TMI - too much information) but I can't entertain you with them cause I've already forgotten them. (Tory, how bout you leave a comment and post the ones you can remember!)

--> Ricky Martin is really fine. ('course, I like the guy with him (his half-brother, I think) even better!)

And my tickets to the Feb. 9 Ricky concert in DC came in the mail on Tuesday. Mmmmm, can't wait!