Allen Varlaki is a guy with strong opinions, especially about himself:
The good news is that I've been able to rejoin the 21st Century by way of restoring my connection to the internet. The bad news is, I have many more desirable things to do lately than sit in front of my computer authoring blog entries. This is not to say that I don't appreciate the interest of those of you who make a point of checking this site regularly, but I've just figured it best not to trouble you with entries that would likely fail to arouse said interest. We all know that Allen Varlaki content and pleased with his physical and temporal surroundings is not nearly as entertaining as Allen Varlaki embittered with the world and every moment of existence it foists upon him.
And what can we expect from Allen Varlaki, the "entertainer"?
I haven't been reading the newspapers all that much lately. This could be because I've developed an adversity to doing so unless the province is paying me for the task...that's what two years as a part-time civil servant will do to you. I did, however, choose to crack the Toronto Star today. Sometimes I need a wake-up call from someone so far out in 'left' field that they don't dream in technicolour, but in Soviet red, and their colomunists [sic] rarely diappoint [sic] on this level.
Thomas Walkom's piece on Stephane Dion and the bigger picture of federal politics got me thinking again about something I've had on the back-burner for a while. I've always maintained that there will come a point at which Stephen Harper will have to take a bullet. I mean, we'll arrive at a time when the only way we can protect this country, its ideal and its history from a violent rape at the hands of the neo-con pigs is to take this man out.
Might I suggest that the fact that Harper is polling almost two-to-one over Dion as the preferred leader for Canada is a harbinger of this time's arrival. It's coming Steve, better invest in some Kevlar.
Did that sound like a joke to you? It appears to me to be a long and deeply held opinion, and not a passing bit of gallows humour. According to Varlaki, people who support Stephen Harper are "neo-con pigs" who are engaging in the rape of Canada.
Sounds like a lot of us ought to be taking Varlaki's advice and investing in Kevlar.
When the storm erupted thanks to blogger Second Thoughts (too bad Allen Varlaki doesn't seem to indulge in second thoughts of his own), Varlaki took down the entire site.
Of course, a relatively current version is still in the Google cache.
If you read his blog carefully, you'll realize that Allen Varlaki considers himself as very spiritual person, and he has recently settled into Serra House, having announced his move there in his posting of September 6:
Speaking of my recent relocation [to Serra House]. I'm loving the new digs, and the whole package that comes with it. I'm already forever indebted to a housemate for having turned me onto philosopher/theologian Peter Kreeft. I've been spending every spare minute absorbing his ideas by the dozen and I can't forsee at time (at least in the near future) when I will find myself tired of his opinions, arguments and analyses.
Peter Kreeft is a well-known Catholic thinker:
Peter Kreeft is a Catholic apologist for Christianity, professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King's College, and author of over 45 books including Fundamentals of the Faith, Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven, and Back to Virtue. His ideas draw heavily from religious and philosophical tradition, especially Thomas Aquinas, Socrates, G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis. Kreeft is especially known for his writings on Socratic logic, the sea, angels, Pascal, and Heaven, as well as his work on the Problem of Evil, for which he was interviewed by Lee Strobel in his bestseller, The Case for Faith. His essay "The Apple Argument Against Abortion" is influential in pro-life movements.
Does it sound like Peter Kreeft would inspire those sorts of murderous thoughts?
Without qualification, without ifs, ands, or buts, God's word tells us, straight as a left jab, that love is the greatest thing there is (1 Cor 13: 13). Scripture never says God is justice or beauty or righteousness, though he is just and beautiful and righteous. But "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8). Love is God's essence, his whole being. Everything in him is love. Even his justice is love. Paul identifies "the justice of God" in Romans 1:17 with the most unjust event in all history, deicide, the crucifixion, for that was God's great act of love.
Justice is love...not a bullet. Time for Allen Varlaki to re-read some of Kreeft's works.
What is Serra House?
The formation program at Serra House encourages study and companionship, prayer and parish ministry, and the time for reflection and discernment, as you undergo the spiritual development that will help you answer your very personal question: "Is God calling me to the priesthood?"
Serra House will provide the spiritual atmosphere you need to discern whether or not you are ready to commit yourself to answer Christ's call to the priesthood.
So I have to ask myself -- is this the material from which the next generation of priests for the Catholic Church will be cut?
I'd like to know myself, so I decided to email Serra House to find out. As a Catholic, I'm very concerned.
And not just about Varlaki. He suggests himself that he's not the only one who thinks the idea of Stephen Harper dead is at the same time a clever joke and an example of responsible political debate:
Greetings everyone. I'm glad everyone enjoyed my post. Might I offer a little background.
My blog is used primarily between myself an a couple friends, so it tends to be filled with inside jokes...this is one of them (sort of).
I'm known in my social circles as a bit of a loudmouth and I take things over-the-top just for a laugh and to make a point. The point I was making here: I dislike Stephen Harper. Would I ever consider harming him or supporting someone in their efforts to do so? Absolutely not!
I have removed the post because I understand now, that without knowledge of me, my personality and my writing style, people might be needlessly concerned for the PM's safety. Some jokes are better kept among friends. I do apologize if anyone was genuninely fearful.
By the way, the grammar and punctuation was perfect in my original post because I'm an educated young man skilled in academic writing, not because I'm some psycho who took hours to post a message on my blog.
Again, sorry for the confusion.
Does that social circle include other residents at Serra House? Is Serra House a hotbed of future priests ready to use the pulpit to push forward a political agenda? Do they all think anyone who stands for lower taxes and respect for the Constitution and personal responsibility in place of government programs is a neo-con social rapist? Did they all laugh at Allen Varlaki's joke about killing Stephen Harper?
Or did they nod is solemn agreement?
I, for one, would like to know.
