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Peter SchinellerMarch 22, 2009

A recent book on baseball umpires, reviewed positively, is entitled “As They See ‘Em”.  That reminded me of  a comment in the New Yorker many years ago about  hree umpires explaining how they called ‘em.

-- The first umpire said “Some’s balls and some’s strikes, and I calls ‘em as they is.”  

-- The second said “Some’s balls and some’s strikes and I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.”

-- The third explained: “Some’s balls and some’s strikes, but they ain’t nothin’ till I calls ‘em.”  

This takes me right back to philosophy (and sometimes theology) class. What is truth?     

-- The first is the dogmatist. He is sure of his grasp of  objective truth--as they is.    

-- The second, more honestly, admits his own perspective is a bit more relative, or subjective. Truth depends upon his own eyesight and judgment--as he sees ‘em.

-- The third is also dogmatic, and I believe  the most dangerous. He is in charge, he constructs or imposes what he sees, his truth upon reality--as he calls ‘em.

How this applies to various media writers and commentators, and how this applies to spiritual and temporal leaders, I leave up to the viewer to decide.

Peter Schineller, S.J.

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15 years ago
Well, you make a good point; on the other hand, for the sake of the game the pitch needs to be called; it is what I call it, as I see it and hopefully what it is. In the past there was no possibility of a replay, only a gathering of opinions; now, we can have a digital view within a framework of references. So, whatever the philosophy and attitude of the ump, still there is the truth and it can be determined. Still, was it a spit ball? I saw on national news a 5 second notice of the Pope at a Mass in Angola Africa attended by 1 million people. 30 seconds were given to the following news article about an actress. Hmmmm.
15 years ago
Jever hear of the Magisterium? the Holy Father? Of Jesus Christ, Who is the Way and the Life and the Truth?

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