I mentioned yesterday that an old friend had operated on Lyndon B Johnson. Paul Nener (The Rev'd Canon Paul Nener as he now is) had been a medical student with my cousin in Liverpool, and like my cousin had been a straight A's student; an erstwhile medical genius..
Having mentioned him, I decided to 'google him' to see what he looked like today; he is only just about recognisable from when we last met.
Having been a top-notch surgeon (you need to be, to operate on a US president), Paul later turned his back on medicine to become a priest.
I'm saddened to say, but I find this totally incomprehensible and shocking. Why someone with such obvious talent and knowledge should leave it all behind to become a purveyor of Fairy Tales, I really cannot fathom!
33 comments:
Your cousin was saving lives. Now he saves souls :)
Greetings Maria x
My cousin's friend. Being a strict atheist, I believe in neither 'souls, or having them saved. In my opinion he deprived the world of a brilliant surgeon. But it was his choice!
When did you last see him? More recently than me I expect.
The insurance premiums are cheaper.
We can never know what is behind other people's choices.
Ages ago; when Steve was in Liverpool.
My cousin practiced in Canada, and his insurance premium was much the same as his annual salary!
Certainly not in this case. I wonder if he ever regretted his choice?
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was an oil trader, and a very successful one, for 11 years. One day he was called to God, he gave up oil trading and was ordained a priest. God cannot be ignored when he calls. I don't understand it either. Justin Welby once said he found it quite embarrassing.
I'm not too keen on Welby, he meddles in politics too much for a vicar.
Agree it seems a very strange career move, but who knows what motivates such a highly skilled and intelligent man?
It has long been my view that the church should not interfere in politics and should be praying and converting and peddling love and nothing more.
Swapping one kind of theatre for another.
I find it baffling!
A Classic v Panto.
Welby has been particularly vocal.
Reading a biography of C.S.Lewis at the moment who wrestled with religion and then took it on. The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe were of course based on 'the story of Jesus'but also, and this comes as a bit of a shock, against vivisection and eugenics which was about at the time.
So what happened to Welby's and Nener's moral compass to make such a change?
I cannot imagine, but I suppose their 'calling' must have been very strong.
I had the call to priesthood but ignored it to become an impoverished sculptor. I deprived the world of a brilliant Archbishop.
Andi's English Attic, if there were facility on Cro's blog (as there is on some forums) I'd give you more than one up vote for wit.
U
Interesting [your call to priesthood]. Some bits of you remind me of a formidable man. He was, I don't know, say thirty five to my seventeen, a Jesuit and my history teacher. A most compelling person on so many counts.
One thing one tends to associate with "Jesuit", on default and without reflecting on it, is supreme intelligence [not that I accuse you of supreme intelligence - latent no doubt]. He radiated something mega. He also radiated being amused/bemused at his audience (pupils in their late teens). Then he vanished. Without so much as a good bye.
U
One day I was approached by our local vicar who asked me if I'd ever thought of becoming a priest. I think you'd make a good one.
If God wanted me to be a priest he would have given me the ability to sing, I told him.
We left it there.
When I was at school, there was a Theological College within our confines. I got to know several of the students, who were all atheists, and just wanted a nice life in a village Georgian rectory. They were all perfectly open about it.
I had a cousin who left the church to become a heart surgeon. It made more sense to me.
Now that; I approve of!
You really do have no sense of humour, do you? (No response needed).
He certainly looks happy in the photo! I'm a kind-of-non-believer but for some people I've met they find unbelievable peace in religion. Maybe he couldn't stand the sight of blood!
'Tis for sure a curious thing to choose mumbo jumbo over medicine. Maybe he found medicine too stressful, which I believe it can be.
It is not for us to judge others who look for their joy, but it is for us to wish them well. It is a short life and we all have to choose the path that suits us best.
I certainly couldn't do it; most medical procedures (that involve blood) make me feel ill.
The difference between playing god, or being his representative.
I'm a bit more pragmatic. He was doing so much good as a surgeon, and then took up what we all know to be nonsense.
Sounds like Doc Martin ... hahaha
Jo in Auckland, NZ
Post a Comment