Bono Now Attacks the 'Church'

[jman507]

He wasn’t attacking the Church, I didn’t get that either. I personally really liked what he had to say. His focus is on getting people to believe we are the generation that will make a difference in ending extreme poverty. There was nothing in that speech that gave me the sense he was attacking the Church.

It doesn’t matter so much if you don’t think he was attacking the church, nor if I think he is attacking the church. It doesn’t matter if one can follow what he says and parse it down to see exactly if what he was saying was an attack or not. What matters is if those especially directly helping or directly need help are scared off. I do not think this is what Bono wants, especially if he could have been a bit more careful with his words. The purpose of my objection is not to attack Bono’s intentions or thoughts, my objection is a reminder to be careful of the words we use.

 

[moira]

Ad hominem attack.

His “job” is irrelevant. Does he or does he not have a point? That’s what you should be addressing, not his age or the fact that he’s a singer …

And he’s younger than you, m’dear.

It was a joke. And it’s o.k. that he’s younger than me. I’m aging, too.
Bono doesn’t impress me. I’m glad he’s done some charity work but to me, he just sounds like a guy on a soapbox. And everybody stands up and applauds. I don’t get it.
I get tired of people that say the Church is judgmental. The Church is supposed to point out error. That’s part of it’s “job”.

 

[Moneo]

It was a joke. And it’s o.k. that he’s younger than me. I’m aging, too.
Bono doesn’t impress me. I’m glad he’s done some charity work but to me, he just sounds like a guy on a soapbox. And everybody stands up and applauds. I don’t get it.
I get tired of people that say the Church is judgmental. The Church is supposed to point out error. That’s part of it’s “job”.

Mine was a joke too, just in case you may have thought I was offended, or that I wanted to offend you. That’s why I put the smiley face with the Bono sunglasses on it

I admit to being an enormous U2 fan and where others find Bono preachy and irritating (and I can certainly see their point … but even he sees it: he makes jokes about himself and his preachy “St. Bono” image all the time!) I like that he at least is not the stereotypically brainless “sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” type rocker.

The fact that despite being one of the biggest rock stars in the world he has been married to his wife since 1982 (which means that he was 20 and U2 still a struggling band when they got married) and has four children with her, that he is loyal to his childhood friends, that he reads the Bible, particularly the Book of Psalms, for inspiration regularly and that he has managed to remain idealistic and passionate about the things that he believes instead of becoming cynical and jaded show business celebrity make him a fascinating character in my book.

But of course I don’t always agree with him …

God bless!

 

[moira]

Mine was a joke too, just in case you may have thought I was offended, or that I wanted to offend you. That’s why I put the smiley face with the Bono sunglasses on it

I admit to being an enormous U2 fan and where others find Bono preachy and irritating (and I can certainly see their point … but even he sees it: he makes jokes about himself and his preachy “St. Bono” image all the time!) I like that he at least is not the stereotypically brainless “sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” type rocker.

The fact that despite being one of the biggest rock stars in the world he has been married to his wife since 1982 (which means that he was 20 and U2 still a struggling band when they got married) and has four children with her, that he is loyal to his childhood friends, that he reads the Bible, particularly the Book of Psalms, for inspiration regularly and that he has managed to remain idealistic and passionate about the things that he believes instead of becoming cynical and jaded show business celebrity make him a fascinating character in my book.

But of course I don’t always agree with him …

God bless!

No offense taken. The problem with computers is we can’t see each other smile.
I know nothing about the man. I have to admire the fact that he’s been married to the same woman for 20 years. That seems a rarity in famous people. And a lot of others, too. Glad, too, to see that he is not your '60’s drugged, rock and roll, hippy type.
Thanks for filling me in.

Moira

 

[Moneo]

No offense taken. The problem with computers is we can’t see each other smile.

Agreed. And I forget that too often I’m afraid.

I know nothing about the man… Thanks for filling me in.

Moira

No problem. Like I said, I’m a big U2 fan. Okay, so my last geeky Bono fan-boy post goes something like this: unless you just absolutely hate rock music, you should really check out some of U2’s songs and Bono’s fantastic lyrics. He is a Christian though he doesn’t worship in any one congregation as far as I know.

Some of my personal favourites (I’ll try to keep it short ):

From the All That You Can’t Leave Behind album:

“Grace” - Bono’s song about God’s grace and its transforming power. The man *gets *it! Sample lyric: What once was hurt, what once was friction, what left a mark no longer stings, because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things …

“Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”- a song that encourages me a lot when I am feeling the weight of my sin and my bad habits.

*I was unconscious, half asleep, the water is warm till you discover how deep. I wasn’t jumping, for me it was a fall, it’s a long way down to nothing at all.

You’ve got to get yourself together
You’ve got stuck in a moment and now you can’t get out of it
Don’t say that later will be better now
You’re stuck in a moment and you can’t get out of it*

“When I Look At The World” - a song Bono wrote after meeting Pope John Paul II, and which expresses his admiration for the pope at the same time that he confesses his inability to see the world in the same way that he did.

*When you look at the world, what is it that you see?
People find all kinds of things that bring them to their knees.
I see an expression, so clear and so true that it changes the atmosphere when you walk into the room.

So I try to be like you, try to feel it like you do
But without you it’s no use
I can’t see what you see when I look at the world*

From the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album:

“Yahweh” - subject matter’s a bit self-explanatory methinks . Two things: 1) this always makes me think of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s famous “Take Lord, Receive” prayer. Kind of a rock ‘n’ roll version of it and 2) it’s scary that this is far more reverent and theologically on target that 98% of what you’re likely to hear in youraverage Catholic parish these days.

*Take these shoes, click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes,and make them fit
Take this shirt, polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt and make it clean, clean
Take this soul, stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul and make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I’m waiting for the dawn*

And finally, “Crumbs From Your Table” - a song inspired by his numerous visits to Africa and his experiences there, as well as the abysmal difference between the wealthy First World and the poverty of the Third World. The lyric is inspired by Our Lord’s Parable of Rich Man and Lazarus in the Gospel:

*You speak of signs and wonders, but I need something other
I would believe if I was able, but I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table.

Where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die. Three to a bed, Sister Ann, she said dignity passes by …*

Okay, I’ll stop now or I’ll ending up going through their entire discography! But you gotta admit, it’s head and shoulders above your typical rock song subject matter.

God bless!