They're at it again. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is once again targeting the constitutionality of prayer - This time, they are leveling their misguided threats at one of the most revered branches of our military ... the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.
Help the ACLJ answer the ACLU with the force of thousands of voices raised in protest: Sign on to our PROCLAMATION OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY and protect the constitutional right to prayer! I also ask you to use our website forward-to-friend tool to alert your friends of this important issue.
Here's the situation: For more than 160 years, there's been a mealtime prayer at noon at the U.S. Naval Academy ... ... a time-honored tradition of voluntary prayer that is now under attack. The ACLU is demanding that the Naval Academy stop this long-standing tradition - or face a federal lawsuit. This is an outrage! Congress and Supreme Court precedent support voluntary prayer. But, the ACLU is trying to shut down prayer - claiming voluntary prayer somehow violates the U.S. Constitution.
The ACLJ is taking immediate action and we need your help. Add your name to our online PROCLAMATION OF SOLIDARITY and encourage the Naval Academy to stand firm - to keep the noontime prayer - and to say NO to the unfounded demands of the ACLU. THE ACLU IS DEAD WRONG. The Naval Academy's longstanding tradition of having a chaplain offer a brief word of prayer before lunch does not violate the First Amendment, nor does it endorse a particular religious viewpoint. The fact is the lunchtime prayer at the Naval Academy is voluntary - and voluntary public acknowledgement of God is uniquely compatible with military service. We've sent the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy a detailed letter outlining the legal reasons why this prayer tradition - believed to date back to the school's founding in 1845 - is not only proper but constitutional as well. We've launched this nationwide campaign so you can join your voice with ours in this debate!
Urge the Academy to uphold this tradition of military prayer by signing our nationwide online PROCLAMATION OF SOLIDARITY right now. I'm grateful for the dedicated service of those at the Naval Academy who have committed their lives to defending the freedoms of Americans at home and abroad. It's time for you and me to return the favor. Stand on behalf of the U.S. Naval Academy and in defense of their time-honored, constitutionally-protected traditions. Please make your voice heard by signing the ACLJ's online PROCLAMATION OF SOLIDARITY today. Thank you.
American Center for Law and Justice
Copyright©2008, ACLJ
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Proposition 8 and School Indoctrination
On July 25, the San Francisco Chronicle printed an article called “Proposition 8 Backers take Fight to Kindergarten.” From the article:
“Backers of a November initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California plan to tell voters in the state ballot pamphlet that the constitutional amendment would protect children as young as kindergarten age from being taught in school about the virtues of gay and lesbian matrimony.”
"If the gay marriage ruling is not overturned, teachers will be required to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage," supporters of Proposition 8 said in ballot arguments that went on public display this week at the secretary of state's office. It's all nonsense and scare tactics, opponents of the measure said Thursday.”
Nonsense and scare tactics?
Check out this flyer for the “Gay Pride/Respect Promotion Month,” from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Heath Programs Department. The entire thing is an obscenity, but the Elementary School Curriculum deserves special attention:
Grades Kindergarten to 2 curriculum is “All Families are Special” which attempts to indoctrinate children into believing that a child can have “two mommies.”
Grades Kindergarten to 3 curriculum is “And Tango Makes Three.” From Wikipedia:
“And Tango Makes Three is a 2005 children's book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole. The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male Chinstrap Penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo who for a time formed a couple.”
Grade Two Curriculum: “My Two Uncles.” Comment unnecessary.
One of the contacts on the “April is Gay Pride Month” flyer is a man named Kevin Gogin. Mr. Gogin is also spearheading the “Welcoming Schools” project for the San Francisco Unified School District.
“Welcoming Schools” is a public school initiative of the Human Rights Campaign. It is being piloted in three school districts around the country. HRC is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender political action group in the country. Now, why would a political action group be pushing an initiative like this? Because under the guise of preventing bullying, “Welcoming Schools” seeks to have same-sex households acknowledged as equally desirable as is a natural family. I could pull a quotation more or less anywhere from the program, but this is as good as any:
“If you want to try to break down “naturally” occurring divisions in the class between boys and girls, it is best to avoid using “boys and girls” when referring to the class as a group and eliminate times that children are divided by gender or seated or grouped in gender-defined patterns. For some children, identifying as a boy or girl in order to participate in an activity creates internal dissonance. If you change your language, and, later, your thinking, it can be very liberating for some children and broaden the scope of experiences and expectations for all the children.”
Sounds like a gay re-education camp for your children.
The Alliance Defense Fund has a very comprehensive takedown of “Welcoming Schools” here.
As we said, the leader of the “Welcoming Schools” effort for the SFUSD is a man named Kevin Gogin. That name rang a bell. Could this be the same Kevin Gogin described in Father Donal Godfrey’s book “Gays and Grays: the Story of the Gay Community at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church”? I think so.
“The baptism of children being raised by gay couples took place publicly at the 10AM Sunday liturgy…One gay couple, Dan McPherson and Kevin Gogin, active MHR parishioners while (Father Tony) McGuire was pastor, did adopt a daughter, Sarah, in 1998, but she was quietly baptized outside the parish at St. Ignatius Church. . . .Rob Lane & Don Propstra’s adopted son was baptized at a regular liturgy in the parish on October 21, 1990 . . . “Kevin and Dan [Gogin and McPherson] were the godparents.” p103-104.
The Dan McPherson mentioned is now the Associate Dean of the School of Education at the Jesuit University of San Francisco. By the way, it’s against Canon Law to have two godparents of the same gender. The Church teaches that it is important for the child to have a role model from each gender. Silly Church! Believes such a thing as gender is real!
The Archdiocese of San Francisco will have a lot to answer for by tolerating the presence of these men. According to the USF website: “McPherson coordinated the School of Education’s Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy program.” An open homosexual is now teaching Marriage and Family Therapy at a “Catholic” university. Gogin is now indoctrinating the children of San Francisco into the homosexual agenda. Once again we thank our curent Archbishop, George Niederauer for finally putting a stop to Most Holy Redeemer Church's annual participation in the "Gay Pride Parade."
Any of you parents who don’t want their children exposed to this have the right (for now) to pull your children from these public school classes. But YOU must specifically request this. The California Catholic Bishops have an informational brochure letting you know what you must do to protect your children. Needless to say, the public schools make it as difficult as possible:
From the Bishops’ brochure:
"In plain words:
Parents or guardians who object to certain education offered to their children must specifically request that they be excused, i.e., they must "opt-out," or the school assumes that permission for the students to participate has been granted.
In order to make that "specific request" a parent or guardian must complete an "opt-out" form. A standard "opt-out" form can be obtained from the school office.
A signed "opt-out" form must be submitted for each student and for each type of objectionable activity from which that student is to be excused. An "opt-out" form for each student is only considered valid for the current school year-and must be resubmitted annually.”
Emphasis in original.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
“Backers of a November initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California plan to tell voters in the state ballot pamphlet that the constitutional amendment would protect children as young as kindergarten age from being taught in school about the virtues of gay and lesbian matrimony.”
"If the gay marriage ruling is not overturned, teachers will be required to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage," supporters of Proposition 8 said in ballot arguments that went on public display this week at the secretary of state's office. It's all nonsense and scare tactics, opponents of the measure said Thursday.”
Nonsense and scare tactics?
Check out this flyer for the “Gay Pride/Respect Promotion Month,” from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Heath Programs Department. The entire thing is an obscenity, but the Elementary School Curriculum deserves special attention:
Grades Kindergarten to 2 curriculum is “All Families are Special” which attempts to indoctrinate children into believing that a child can have “two mommies.”
Grades Kindergarten to 3 curriculum is “And Tango Makes Three.” From Wikipedia:
“And Tango Makes Three is a 2005 children's book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole. The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male Chinstrap Penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo who for a time formed a couple.”
Grade Two Curriculum: “My Two Uncles.” Comment unnecessary.
One of the contacts on the “April is Gay Pride Month” flyer is a man named Kevin Gogin. Mr. Gogin is also spearheading the “Welcoming Schools” project for the San Francisco Unified School District.
“Welcoming Schools” is a public school initiative of the Human Rights Campaign. It is being piloted in three school districts around the country. HRC is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender political action group in the country. Now, why would a political action group be pushing an initiative like this? Because under the guise of preventing bullying, “Welcoming Schools” seeks to have same-sex households acknowledged as equally desirable as is a natural family. I could pull a quotation more or less anywhere from the program, but this is as good as any:
“If you want to try to break down “naturally” occurring divisions in the class between boys and girls, it is best to avoid using “boys and girls” when referring to the class as a group and eliminate times that children are divided by gender or seated or grouped in gender-defined patterns. For some children, identifying as a boy or girl in order to participate in an activity creates internal dissonance. If you change your language, and, later, your thinking, it can be very liberating for some children and broaden the scope of experiences and expectations for all the children.”
Sounds like a gay re-education camp for your children.
The Alliance Defense Fund has a very comprehensive takedown of “Welcoming Schools” here.
As we said, the leader of the “Welcoming Schools” effort for the SFUSD is a man named Kevin Gogin. That name rang a bell. Could this be the same Kevin Gogin described in Father Donal Godfrey’s book “Gays and Grays: the Story of the Gay Community at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church”? I think so.
“The baptism of children being raised by gay couples took place publicly at the 10AM Sunday liturgy…One gay couple, Dan McPherson and Kevin Gogin, active MHR parishioners while (Father Tony) McGuire was pastor, did adopt a daughter, Sarah, in 1998, but she was quietly baptized outside the parish at St. Ignatius Church. . . .Rob Lane & Don Propstra’s adopted son was baptized at a regular liturgy in the parish on October 21, 1990 . . . “Kevin and Dan [Gogin and McPherson] were the godparents.” p103-104.
The Dan McPherson mentioned is now the Associate Dean of the School of Education at the Jesuit University of San Francisco. By the way, it’s against Canon Law to have two godparents of the same gender. The Church teaches that it is important for the child to have a role model from each gender. Silly Church! Believes such a thing as gender is real!
The Archdiocese of San Francisco will have a lot to answer for by tolerating the presence of these men. According to the USF website: “McPherson coordinated the School of Education’s Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy program.” An open homosexual is now teaching Marriage and Family Therapy at a “Catholic” university. Gogin is now indoctrinating the children of San Francisco into the homosexual agenda. Once again we thank our curent Archbishop, George Niederauer for finally putting a stop to Most Holy Redeemer Church's annual participation in the "Gay Pride Parade."
Any of you parents who don’t want their children exposed to this have the right (for now) to pull your children from these public school classes. But YOU must specifically request this. The California Catholic Bishops have an informational brochure letting you know what you must do to protect your children. Needless to say, the public schools make it as difficult as possible:
From the Bishops’ brochure:
"In plain words:
Parents or guardians who object to certain education offered to their children must specifically request that they be excused, i.e., they must "opt-out," or the school assumes that permission for the students to participate has been granted.
In order to make that "specific request" a parent or guardian must complete an "opt-out" form. A standard "opt-out" form can be obtained from the school office.
A signed "opt-out" form must be submitted for each student and for each type of objectionable activity from which that student is to be excused. An "opt-out" form for each student is only considered valid for the current school year-and must be resubmitted annually.”
Emphasis in original.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
P G & E Attacks Civilization
From today's LA Times:
"Giving a financial and public relations boost to gay marriage proponents, PG&E announced today that it is giving $250,000 to the No on Proposition 8 campaign.The utility also said it will spearhead the formation of a business advisory council that will seek to get other businesses around California to to defeat the ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. "
P G & E has declared war on our culture.
"Republican strategist Allan Hoffenblum noted that PG&E probably doesn't have to worry about that. They are, after all, a utility with a monopoly in many areas."I can't in outrage call PG&E and say, 'Cut off my gas,' he said."
No, but they've just gone to my "pay every three months" list....
Posted by Gibbons
"Giving a financial and public relations boost to gay marriage proponents, PG&E announced today that it is giving $250,000 to the No on Proposition 8 campaign.The utility also said it will spearhead the formation of a business advisory council that will seek to get other businesses around California to to defeat the ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. "
P G & E has declared war on our culture.
"Republican strategist Allan Hoffenblum noted that PG&E probably doesn't have to worry about that. They are, after all, a utility with a monopoly in many areas."I can't in outrage call PG&E and say, 'Cut off my gas,' he said."
No, but they've just gone to my "pay every three months" list....
Posted by Gibbons
Civilization at Stake
Those supporting gay marriages in California have a new ally in Attorney General Jerry Brown.
The State Ballot initiative entitled Proposition 8 has a title change from “Limit on Marriage-- Constitutional Amendment” to “Eliminates Right of Same-sex Couples to Marry.”
The original statement recognized that only a union of man and woman would be legal. The new wording emphasizes that changes eliminate “rights of same sex couples to marry.”
How many people will read that and say: “I don’t want any of our rights eliminated?” And spport the ban.
It’s going to be tough to repeat what Californians voted for overwhelming just a couple years ago:” Marriage in California is between a man and a woman.”
God help us to uphold marriage as between one man and one woman!
The opposite is not a matter of fairness, but a matter of human civilization.
The State Ballot initiative entitled Proposition 8 has a title change from “Limit on Marriage-- Constitutional Amendment” to “Eliminates Right of Same-sex Couples to Marry.”
The original statement recognized that only a union of man and woman would be legal. The new wording emphasizes that changes eliminate “rights of same sex couples to marry.”
How many people will read that and say: “I don’t want any of our rights eliminated?” And spport the ban.
It’s going to be tough to repeat what Californians voted for overwhelming just a couple years ago:” Marriage in California is between a man and a woman.”
God help us to uphold marriage as between one man and one woman!
The opposite is not a matter of fairness, but a matter of human civilization.
Marriage Destroyed
The State of California no longer recognizes brides and grooms. I'm just doing a Marriage License for one of this weekend's weddings.
Where it used to say "Bride" and "Groom" it now says "Party A" and "Party B."
Posted by Gibbons
Where it used to say "Bride" and "Groom" it now says "Party A" and "Party B."
Posted by Gibbons
Saturday, July 26, 2008
"Humanae Vitae" question
On the Saints Peter and Paul Church website we have a section called "Ask the Fathers" where people can email in questions. We get questions from all over the world, and from members of every (and no) religion. Although Fr. Malloy is no longer stationed at SS. Peter and Paul, he still answers questions on the site.
Yesterday, we got a question that ties in very well with this 40th anniversary of "Humanae Vitae." The question, and Father's answer are below.
Fathers:
I have a question about family size, my husband and I are active catholics, we go to mass every sunday and Holy day of obligation and raise our two lovely (and very lively..) daughters in the Faith. My husband works full-time and I part-time, also sometimes in the evenings and weekends, unfortunately (but we need all the money for our loan etc).
Now, our second-born is 3.5 years and I start to think should we actively try to conceive. We use no contraception, and NFP only not too strictly. A new baby wouldn't be a disaster, exept maybe financially... but that doesn't matter so much to us. The best "prevention" for us has obviously been nursing and then, being so tired in the evenigs that we normally just go to sleep. frankly, we don't have sex really often...
I feel sometimes (especially when much work) exhausted, mentally and physically. Both of our girls are very dear to us but sometimes I find myself thinking, that just two of them is quite enough. We both try our best as parents. We spend time with them, much.
But at the moment a thought about it all starting anew (our second didn't sleep much at all during the nights in one year... and I was studying at that time... I was like a zombie sometimes.. it is a scary prospect..) is almost devastating, at times. I do pray, a lot and if God would bless us with a child I would comply, of course, but it would be a sacrifice. My husband says he wants more children but not, if I consider them as a "sacrifice".
So, in order to be good and exemplary in the Lord's service, what should we do? What would be best for me to think? Would you please pray for me, as I pray for you!
Many thanks in advance,
.....
Fr. John Malloy answers:
Dear ....,
It would take a whole book for me to give you a suitable answer to the questions you have raised. So let me apologize in advance, as I attempt to answer some of your queries.
Your experience with your two daughters is your unique privilege. I draw on experience as a Salesian working with boys from third graders to college men, and on my experience as one of eight children in a family that went through the Great Depression.
From my point of view: We were poor, but as children we did not even realize it, because all the kids around us were also poor. There was no TV then. When we got a radio I would sit with my sisters, close to the set as possible, and follow the popular programs of the day. That, and our outdoor games, was our recreation. Movies were too expensive, but we did manage to get to some matinees, And we were happy. We had a vegetable and flower garden which I loved to tend. We never went hungry, even when my father was out of work on the Santa Fe Railroad strike.
What I am trying to get across is that necessity is the mother of invention. Too many of our needs today are superfluities. Can we not get along with one TV and not one in every room? One refrigerator ? One less expensive vacation? This housing crises has been fueled by a perceived need (beyond our means) that we must have more room, more furniture, more, more, more.
Visiting a remote village in Mexico, I cringed as traveled over muddy roads and saw what seemed to be shacks in which the families lived. But I was delighted see the young boys and girls going back to school after their lunch break skipping happily along in their very clean clothes and smiling faces. They certainly did with a lot less than our kids, but seemed happier than many a family I view in our towns.
I remember what I heard from one mother with a large family: "How can you stand so many kids night and day?" Her answer: "When I had my first baby I was busy all the time. And after several babies I am still busy all the time. And love it!"
Benefits to come: As children grow older they become surrogate parents for the younger ones and help give mom some rest from time to time. Old age comes fast and having a caring family around at that time is worth millions! I pity parents with only one or two children. Their old age will probably not be as joyful as the family with more kids. Practical experience has taught me this.
So you can now skip all the above and go to my direct answer to your question. Having a baby is not a sacrifice, but a blessing. Or is it both? What does God ask of us?
What was God's command to Adam and Eve? Increase and multiply. But He gave us free will to decide how to do just that. Adam and Eve's lives were damaged by their submission to Satan's intrigue. We have suffered from it through original sin. But the Lord has assured us: "My grace is sufficient for you!" He does not give us a cross larger than we can bear. Do His will and you will be happy. Many sacrifices we make are blessings in disguise and come home to nourish and support us in time of need.
You seem to be well on the road of living a true Catholic life. Take time to "smell the roses." Maybe you can do with a little less so as to have more time to love each other. It's love not work that conquers all. I predict that more children will make your lives happier and that happiness will grow with old age!
Yes, I will pray for you. As I celebrate mass today in a Carmelite Monastery, I will ask these cloistered nuns to pray with me for you and yours.
With many blessings,
Fr. John J. Malloy, SDB
Posted by Gibbons
Yesterday, we got a question that ties in very well with this 40th anniversary of "Humanae Vitae." The question, and Father's answer are below.
Fathers:
I have a question about family size, my husband and I are active catholics, we go to mass every sunday and Holy day of obligation and raise our two lovely (and very lively..) daughters in the Faith. My husband works full-time and I part-time, also sometimes in the evenings and weekends, unfortunately (but we need all the money for our loan etc).
Now, our second-born is 3.5 years and I start to think should we actively try to conceive. We use no contraception, and NFP only not too strictly. A new baby wouldn't be a disaster, exept maybe financially... but that doesn't matter so much to us. The best "prevention" for us has obviously been nursing and then, being so tired in the evenigs that we normally just go to sleep. frankly, we don't have sex really often...
I feel sometimes (especially when much work) exhausted, mentally and physically. Both of our girls are very dear to us but sometimes I find myself thinking, that just two of them is quite enough. We both try our best as parents. We spend time with them, much.
But at the moment a thought about it all starting anew (our second didn't sleep much at all during the nights in one year... and I was studying at that time... I was like a zombie sometimes.. it is a scary prospect..) is almost devastating, at times. I do pray, a lot and if God would bless us with a child I would comply, of course, but it would be a sacrifice. My husband says he wants more children but not, if I consider them as a "sacrifice".
So, in order to be good and exemplary in the Lord's service, what should we do? What would be best for me to think? Would you please pray for me, as I pray for you!
Many thanks in advance,
.....
Fr. John Malloy answers:
Dear ....,
It would take a whole book for me to give you a suitable answer to the questions you have raised. So let me apologize in advance, as I attempt to answer some of your queries.
Your experience with your two daughters is your unique privilege. I draw on experience as a Salesian working with boys from third graders to college men, and on my experience as one of eight children in a family that went through the Great Depression.
From my point of view: We were poor, but as children we did not even realize it, because all the kids around us were also poor. There was no TV then. When we got a radio I would sit with my sisters, close to the set as possible, and follow the popular programs of the day. That, and our outdoor games, was our recreation. Movies were too expensive, but we did manage to get to some matinees, And we were happy. We had a vegetable and flower garden which I loved to tend. We never went hungry, even when my father was out of work on the Santa Fe Railroad strike.
What I am trying to get across is that necessity is the mother of invention. Too many of our needs today are superfluities. Can we not get along with one TV and not one in every room? One refrigerator ? One less expensive vacation? This housing crises has been fueled by a perceived need (beyond our means) that we must have more room, more furniture, more, more, more.
Visiting a remote village in Mexico, I cringed as traveled over muddy roads and saw what seemed to be shacks in which the families lived. But I was delighted see the young boys and girls going back to school after their lunch break skipping happily along in their very clean clothes and smiling faces. They certainly did with a lot less than our kids, but seemed happier than many a family I view in our towns.
I remember what I heard from one mother with a large family: "How can you stand so many kids night and day?" Her answer: "When I had my first baby I was busy all the time. And after several babies I am still busy all the time. And love it!"
Benefits to come: As children grow older they become surrogate parents for the younger ones and help give mom some rest from time to time. Old age comes fast and having a caring family around at that time is worth millions! I pity parents with only one or two children. Their old age will probably not be as joyful as the family with more kids. Practical experience has taught me this.
So you can now skip all the above and go to my direct answer to your question. Having a baby is not a sacrifice, but a blessing. Or is it both? What does God ask of us?
What was God's command to Adam and Eve? Increase and multiply. But He gave us free will to decide how to do just that. Adam and Eve's lives were damaged by their submission to Satan's intrigue. We have suffered from it through original sin. But the Lord has assured us: "My grace is sufficient for you!" He does not give us a cross larger than we can bear. Do His will and you will be happy. Many sacrifices we make are blessings in disguise and come home to nourish and support us in time of need.
You seem to be well on the road of living a true Catholic life. Take time to "smell the roses." Maybe you can do with a little less so as to have more time to love each other. It's love not work that conquers all. I predict that more children will make your lives happier and that happiness will grow with old age!
Yes, I will pray for you. As I celebrate mass today in a Carmelite Monastery, I will ask these cloistered nuns to pray with me for you and yours.
With many blessings,
Fr. John J. Malloy, SDB
Posted by Gibbons
Friday, July 25, 2008
Abortion Changes You
”Although one out of three women of childbearing years have had an abortion in the United States by age 45, we rarely talk about our abortion experiences with even our closest friends and family members. Because we don’t talk about our experiences, most couples have no working knowledge about how an abortion may impact them in the future. "
(From a book by Michaelene Fredenburg: "Changed: Making Sense of Your Own or a Loved One's Abortion Experience)
Karna Swanson, writing in a Zenit article, interviewed the author:
Men and women have a variety of reactions after an abortion ranging from relief to paralyzing guilt and grief. Many individuals experience conflicted emotions that are both positive and negative. While I had an immediate reaction after my abortion, there are others that will experience a delay of months, years, or even decades. …Any number of reasons can contribute to a sense of urgency to “erase” a pregnancy including the desire to keep the pregnancy a secret, the abandonment of a partner, or the lack of economic resources.
There is often the expectation that life will go back to the way it was before the pregnancy. However, when a man or woman realizes that this isn’t possible, he or she may experience powerful feelings of regret. The reasons for choosing abortion that were compelling before the procedure may appear weak or very different after the procedure. ...
Q: Many women wrote that even though they were sure the decision to abort was the right one, they immediately regretted it. How should we interpret that immediate regret?
"...My healing process began when I reached out for help and learned that I wasn’t alone."
There is also a Web site that goes along with the book. … a safe confidential place that can be visited any time of the day or night: AbortionChangesYou.com The interactive content allows visitors to anonymously explore at their own pace.
www.abortionchangesyou.com
(From a book by Michaelene Fredenburg: "Changed: Making Sense of Your Own or a Loved One's Abortion Experience)
Karna Swanson, writing in a Zenit article, interviewed the author:
Men and women have a variety of reactions after an abortion ranging from relief to paralyzing guilt and grief. Many individuals experience conflicted emotions that are both positive and negative. While I had an immediate reaction after my abortion, there are others that will experience a delay of months, years, or even decades. …Any number of reasons can contribute to a sense of urgency to “erase” a pregnancy including the desire to keep the pregnancy a secret, the abandonment of a partner, or the lack of economic resources.
There is often the expectation that life will go back to the way it was before the pregnancy. However, when a man or woman realizes that this isn’t possible, he or she may experience powerful feelings of regret. The reasons for choosing abortion that were compelling before the procedure may appear weak or very different after the procedure. ...
Q: Many women wrote that even though they were sure the decision to abort was the right one, they immediately regretted it. How should we interpret that immediate regret?
"...My healing process began when I reached out for help and learned that I wasn’t alone."
There is also a Web site that goes along with the book. … a safe confidential place that can be visited any time of the day or night: AbortionChangesYou.com The interactive content allows visitors to anonymously explore at their own pace.
www.abortionchangesyou.com
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Revolutions Devour Their Own Children...
...it is said, and nowhere is this more true than the Sexual Revolution.
Mary Eberstadt has a devastating article over at First Things on the 40th Anniversary of dear Pope Paul's encyclical "Humanae Vitae."
It is surely no accident that the "gay rights" movement coincided with the greatest period of sexual immorality in the history of the world. It's only because we are in the midst of this disaster that an insane proposition like same-sex "marriage" is even being considered.
Posted by Gibbons
Mary Eberstadt has a devastating article over at First Things on the 40th Anniversary of dear Pope Paul's encyclical "Humanae Vitae."
It is surely no accident that the "gay rights" movement coincided with the greatest period of sexual immorality in the history of the world. It's only because we are in the midst of this disaster that an insane proposition like same-sex "marriage" is even being considered.
Posted by Gibbons
Support the Marriage Initiative
Catholics for ProtectMarriage.com
Sign up today either online
(http://www.ccgaction.org/cathvolforprop8)
or by downloading a volunteer flyer and form
(http://www.ccgaction.org/downloads/pmicathsuppak.pdf).
Catholics for the Common Good
Sign up today either online
(http://www.ccgaction.org/cathvolforprop8)
or by downloading a volunteer flyer and form
(http://www.ccgaction.org/downloads/pmicathsuppak.pdf).
Catholics for the Common Good
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Adult Stem-Cell Update
The Family Research Council reports on adult stem-cell victories from Janury-June 2008.
Conditions and diseases treated and victories achieved JUST IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS include:
Autoimmune Disorders
multiple sclerosis
recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
Heart Tissue Regeneration
Breast Reconstruction
Graft vs. Host Disease
Leukemia
Neuroblastoma
Organ Transplants
Parkinson's Disease
Cerebral Palsy
Multiple Myeloma
Lower Limb Ischemia
Vision Restoration
Sickle Cell Disease
We admit we didn't even know what some of these things are. But we do know immoral Embryonic Stem-Cell Research, for which the voters of California have shelled out $3billion+, has never cured even one thing. Go to the Family Research website and see for yourself.
As always with adult stem-cell news, h/t to Mr. Don Margolis.
Conditions and diseases treated and victories achieved JUST IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS include:
Autoimmune Disorders
multiple sclerosis
recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
Heart Tissue Regeneration
Breast Reconstruction
Graft vs. Host Disease
Leukemia
Neuroblastoma
Organ Transplants
Parkinson's Disease
Cerebral Palsy
Multiple Myeloma
Lower Limb Ischemia
Vision Restoration
Sickle Cell Disease
We admit we didn't even know what some of these things are. But we do know immoral Embryonic Stem-Cell Research, for which the voters of California have shelled out $3billion+, has never cured even one thing. Go to the Family Research website and see for yourself.
As always with adult stem-cell news, h/t to Mr. Don Margolis.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Fr. Godfrey at World Youth Day update
This is scary and sad. It’s from the article we referenced below, about the meeting of the gay group “Acceptance” coinciding with World Youth Day:
“Organiser Paul Harris, from gay Catholic group Acceptance, says many people find there is a conflict between their sexuality and their spirituality.
No, really?
"They give up their faith, they give up going to church," he said…
That is a phenomenon that has been noticed before.
Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Smith had trouble reconciling the two issues. When he realised he was gay, his faith was an impediment.”
Remarkable. With great clarity, we see in these young men the germ of what, in San Francisco, came to be Most Holy Redeemer. They are faced with a choice that all Christians face all the time: follow our own sinful desires or follow Christ. Pray for them! And at the exact moment they need serious spiritual guidance from a Catholic priest, who shows up? None other than Fr. Donal Godfrey of USF who tells them there’s actually no conflict at all! Pray for him!
People often ask us why we blog so much about Most Holy Redeemer, the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco, etc. Well, this is why. That kind of teaching threatens the souls not only of our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters, but of everyone.
Posted by Gibbons.
“Organiser Paul Harris, from gay Catholic group Acceptance, says many people find there is a conflict between their sexuality and their spirituality.
No, really?
"They give up their faith, they give up going to church," he said…
That is a phenomenon that has been noticed before.
Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Smith had trouble reconciling the two issues. When he realised he was gay, his faith was an impediment.”
Remarkable. With great clarity, we see in these young men the germ of what, in San Francisco, came to be Most Holy Redeemer. They are faced with a choice that all Christians face all the time: follow our own sinful desires or follow Christ. Pray for them! And at the exact moment they need serious spiritual guidance from a Catholic priest, who shows up? None other than Fr. Donal Godfrey of USF who tells them there’s actually no conflict at all! Pray for him!
People often ask us why we blog so much about Most Holy Redeemer, the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco, etc. Well, this is why. That kind of teaching threatens the souls not only of our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters, but of everyone.
Posted by Gibbons.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
God Bless Doug Manchester!
From today's San Francisco Chronicle:
"Same-sex marriage advocates demanded Friday that Hyatt Hotels Corp. end its relationship with a business partner who is financially backing a California ballot initiative that would ban such marriages.
Picketers outside the Manchester Grand Hyatt waved rainbow banners and signs reading "The 'Hyatt' of Hypocrisy" to protest owner Doug Manchester's $125,000 donation to a group backing the November ballot measure."
God Bless Mr. Manchester! The best way to support him is to support Proposition 8.
Their website is http://www.protectmarriage.com/
Posted by Gibbons.
"Same-sex marriage advocates demanded Friday that Hyatt Hotels Corp. end its relationship with a business partner who is financially backing a California ballot initiative that would ban such marriages.
Picketers outside the Manchester Grand Hyatt waved rainbow banners and signs reading "The 'Hyatt' of Hypocrisy" to protest owner Doug Manchester's $125,000 donation to a group backing the November ballot measure."
God Bless Mr. Manchester! The best way to support him is to support Proposition 8.
Their website is http://www.protectmarriage.com/
Posted by Gibbons.
Friday, July 18, 2008
USF Update: Fr. Godfrey goes to World Youth Day
Father Donal Godfrey, Excutive Director of University Ministry at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco made it to Sydney. He's the priest with the homilies published on the "Gay Catholic Forum."
Father's attending an "Acceptance" forum. "Acceptance" is a sort of Autralian version of "DignityUSA." The Acceptance folks were unhappy that they were not allowed to attend the World Youth Day events. From ABC News of Australia:
"The organisers of the forum had tried to have the event included in the event's Youth Festival but were told it did not fit within church policies."
No kidding. Check out their webpage to see why. Same old LGBT story.
Fr. Godfrey was also interviewed. You can hear the interview here. The first 55 seconds or so are especially interesting. If homosexuality is an affective disorder, the attempt to rationally justify it leads to intellectual disorder.
Posted by Gibbons.
Father's attending an "Acceptance" forum. "Acceptance" is a sort of Autralian version of "DignityUSA." The Acceptance folks were unhappy that they were not allowed to attend the World Youth Day events. From ABC News of Australia:
"The organisers of the forum had tried to have the event included in the event's Youth Festival but were told it did not fit within church policies."
No kidding. Check out their webpage to see why. Same old LGBT story.
Fr. Godfrey was also interviewed. You can hear the interview here. The first 55 seconds or so are especially interesting. If homosexuality is an affective disorder, the attempt to rationally justify it leads to intellectual disorder.
Posted by Gibbons.
Work of the Spirit
In a World Youth Day message yesterday in Sydney Pope Benedict had some striking words:
“…Yet experience shows that turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order. When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the “good” begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world.
But what of our social environment? Are we equally alert to the signs of turning our back on the moral structure with which God has endowed humanity. Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity - as image of the Creator - and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise?
And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable violence?
My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable.
Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion.
“…Yet experience shows that turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order. When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the “good” begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world.
But what of our social environment? Are we equally alert to the signs of turning our back on the moral structure with which God has endowed humanity. Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity - as image of the Creator - and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise?
And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable violence?
My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable.
Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!”
SYDNEY, Australia, JULY 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).-
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Informed Conscience
Antonio Salas, coordinator for the homosexual and transgender support group at Newman Holy Hall parish at the University of California, Berkeley, told the Mercury News he knew of “renegade priests” who have performed marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
"The greatest sin is to sin against your conscience,” said Salas. “With an informed conscience, you can dissent from the church's teaching.”
With an informed conscience, you can dissent from the church's teaching?
Not exactly! One may not dissent from the Church’s official teachings if the conditions are not in conformity with Scripture and Treadition and the Magisterium of the Church.
Just because my conscience tells me that it is right for same-sex couple to marry does not make this right and proper if the Magisterium of the Church has decreed otherwise.
"The greatest sin is to sin against your conscience,” said Salas. “With an informed conscience, you can dissent from the church's teaching.”
With an informed conscience, you can dissent from the church's teaching?
Not exactly! One may not dissent from the Church’s official teachings if the conditions are not in conformity with Scripture and Treadition and the Magisterium of the Church.
Just because my conscience tells me that it is right for same-sex couple to marry does not make this right and proper if the Magisterium of the Church has decreed otherwise.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Message for the XXIII World Youth Day
Be prepared to put your life on line on the line
in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ;
to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life;
to proclaim the hope of the risen Christ in every corner of the earth.
Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI
ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
One of the blessings of World Youth Day has been the long lines of penitents seeking confession at the many venues provided for young people in Sydney and other cities where youth are gathering for the event.
Cardinal Pell of Sidney said that when young people have the chance to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, they normally go. "We've seen ourselves at the cathedral school and in our World Youth Day groups that nearly all of them do, and the non-Catholics want to come too," he added. "Though they can't receive absolution, they can come for a chat and to bare their soul."
One of the blessings of World Youth Day has been the long lines of penitents seeking confession at the many venues provided for young people in Sydney and other cities where youth are gathering for the event.
Cardinal Pell of Sidney said that when young people have the chance to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, they normally go. "We've seen ourselves at the cathedral school and in our World Youth Day groups that nearly all of them do, and the non-Catholics want to come too," he added. "Though they can't receive absolution, they can come for a chat and to bare their soul."
Cardinal Pell said he is "convinced that a significant element behind the anger and hostility in many young people results from displaced guilt, and all this talk about the primacy of conscience doesn't help either.""People feel guilt," he continued, "although they may not call it guilt, which they try to bury deep inside them, only for it to emerge in all sorts of unexpected directions."
"In an age where there is the burgeoning business of psychology, counseling, etc, "it's sad that there's been a fall away from the practice of confessing to a priest, and World Youth Day is helping renew this -- one of the most important gifts the Church offers."
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
USF Update
Notes from the "Gay Rome"*:
California Catholic Daily has an article "Wiccans, Druids, and Catholics" reporting on the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco's hosting the North American Interfaith Network's 2008 Conference.
One of the workshop presenters is Episcopalian Bishop William Swing. It's not the first time USF has hosted Bishop Swing. They also honored him at their December, 2005 commencement.
According to one of his priests, the openly gay Reverend John Kirkely: "Bishop Swing has ordained more gay and lesbian clergy than probably any bishop in the history of Christendom..."
This is unsurprising to anyone familiar with USF Commencement honorees:
In 2004, USF honored the late Leo T. McCarthy at it's May Commencement. In his long political career, McCarthy was a fanatical advocate for the Culture of Death. From "LifeSiteNews": "During Senate candidacy campaigns in 1988 and 1992, McCarthy pledged to write the Roe v. Wade ruling into federal law, supported federal funding for abortions and contraceptives and advocated for the distribution of the abortion pill RU-486."
In 2007, of course, USF chose to honor house speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In 2008, one of their Commencement honorees was openly gay US Global Aids Coordinator Mark Dybul, who took his oath of office with his male lover holding the bible. Go here, scroll to the entry for May 16, 2008.
Why be surprised? It's USF!
The Executive Director of University Ministry is Fr. Donal Godfrey.
The 2008 visiting scholar-in-residence is Fr. James Keenan.
The Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies is Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, who left the Catholic faith to be ordained in the Celtic Catholic Church, which is not in communion with Rome, but does perform same-sex "commitment" ceremonies.
The Adjunct Professor of Media Studies is Madeleine Lim, who is also Executive Director of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project.
We could go on but we don't want to....for a full rundown on USF, go here.
*For the origin of the "Gay Rome" tag, go here. It's at about 1:14 into this audio of a USF seminar, sponsored by the Lane Center, and held at (where else?) Most Holy Redeemer.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
California Catholic Daily has an article "Wiccans, Druids, and Catholics" reporting on the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco's hosting the North American Interfaith Network's 2008 Conference.
One of the workshop presenters is Episcopalian Bishop William Swing. It's not the first time USF has hosted Bishop Swing. They also honored him at their December, 2005 commencement.
According to one of his priests, the openly gay Reverend John Kirkely: "Bishop Swing has ordained more gay and lesbian clergy than probably any bishop in the history of Christendom..."
This is unsurprising to anyone familiar with USF Commencement honorees:
In 2004, USF honored the late Leo T. McCarthy at it's May Commencement. In his long political career, McCarthy was a fanatical advocate for the Culture of Death. From "LifeSiteNews": "During Senate candidacy campaigns in 1988 and 1992, McCarthy pledged to write the Roe v. Wade ruling into federal law, supported federal funding for abortions and contraceptives and advocated for the distribution of the abortion pill RU-486."
In 2007, of course, USF chose to honor house speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In 2008, one of their Commencement honorees was openly gay US Global Aids Coordinator Mark Dybul, who took his oath of office with his male lover holding the bible. Go here, scroll to the entry for May 16, 2008.
Why be surprised? It's USF!
The Executive Director of University Ministry is Fr. Donal Godfrey.
The 2008 visiting scholar-in-residence is Fr. James Keenan.
The Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies is Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, who left the Catholic faith to be ordained in the Celtic Catholic Church, which is not in communion with Rome, but does perform same-sex "commitment" ceremonies.
The Adjunct Professor of Media Studies is Madeleine Lim, who is also Executive Director of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project.
We could go on but we don't want to....for a full rundown on USF, go here.
*For the origin of the "Gay Rome" tag, go here. It's at about 1:14 into this audio of a USF seminar, sponsored by the Lane Center, and held at (where else?) Most Holy Redeemer.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
#1 On the Internet!
Catholic Answers: furnishes this horrendous picture:
Pornography kills the soul because using it is a mortal sin.
It kills marriages because it’s a form of unfaithfulness…
It turns love into lust…
And it often leads to extra-marital affairs and divorce.
And it kills the innocence of children who unintentionally stumble upon it when they’re on the Internet.
Today, pornography is the #1 most downloaded and most viewed category of material on the Internet. According to the Internet Filter Review, the worldwide Internet porn business is a $97 billion-a-year industry—and growing. It’s no wonder. At last count, there were 4.2 million pornographic Web sites, with 420 million pages of pornographic material. (These numbers grow by the hour—because thousands of new sites come online every week.) 43% of all Internet users view porn sites while they’re online. The estimate is that 72 million people visit porn sites each month.
According to Media Metrix, more than 70% of men ages 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site each month. 2.8 billion pornographic e-mails are sent every year. Because of the Internet, laws against pornography and obscenity have become virtually impossible to enforce. No longer can local communities effectively control the influx of filth in their midst, as they did in days gone by.
Today, it’s spread from computer to computer in the blink of an eye. In the old days, a man had to risk being seen walking into an adult bookstore. But not anymore. With the Internet, he doesn’t even have to leave his house.
And the number of children being exposed to pornography has skyrocketed due to the Internet. According to research conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science, fully 9 out of 10 children from ages 8 and 16 have seen Internet pornography—usually without even intending to.
The Internet Filter Review reports that the average age of a child when he is first exposed to Internet pornography is 11 years old. Of children 15 to 17 years old, 80% have multiple exposures to hard-core Internet pornography. 90% of 8- to 16-year-olds have viewed pornography online—most while doing homework.
In 1996 while battling the ACLU (a major supporter of Internet porn), the United States Department of Justice stated… “Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions” (U.S. Department of Justice, Post Hearing Memorandum of Points and Authorities, Reno v. ACLU, 929 F. Supp. 824 [1996]).
Internet pornography is truly a plague that has infested our land—and it’s infecting our homes, our families, our churches, and our entire community. Sexual sin has always been the #1 way the devil takes people away from the practice of the Catholic faith. ...
Pornography kills the soul because using it is a mortal sin.
It kills marriages because it’s a form of unfaithfulness…
It turns love into lust…
And it often leads to extra-marital affairs and divorce.
And it kills the innocence of children who unintentionally stumble upon it when they’re on the Internet.
Today, pornography is the #1 most downloaded and most viewed category of material on the Internet. According to the Internet Filter Review, the worldwide Internet porn business is a $97 billion-a-year industry—and growing. It’s no wonder. At last count, there were 4.2 million pornographic Web sites, with 420 million pages of pornographic material. (These numbers grow by the hour—because thousands of new sites come online every week.) 43% of all Internet users view porn sites while they’re online. The estimate is that 72 million people visit porn sites each month.
According to Media Metrix, more than 70% of men ages 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site each month. 2.8 billion pornographic e-mails are sent every year. Because of the Internet, laws against pornography and obscenity have become virtually impossible to enforce. No longer can local communities effectively control the influx of filth in their midst, as they did in days gone by.
Today, it’s spread from computer to computer in the blink of an eye. In the old days, a man had to risk being seen walking into an adult bookstore. But not anymore. With the Internet, he doesn’t even have to leave his house.
And the number of children being exposed to pornography has skyrocketed due to the Internet. According to research conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science, fully 9 out of 10 children from ages 8 and 16 have seen Internet pornography—usually without even intending to.
The Internet Filter Review reports that the average age of a child when he is first exposed to Internet pornography is 11 years old. Of children 15 to 17 years old, 80% have multiple exposures to hard-core Internet pornography. 90% of 8- to 16-year-olds have viewed pornography online—most while doing homework.
In 1996 while battling the ACLU (a major supporter of Internet porn), the United States Department of Justice stated… “Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions” (U.S. Department of Justice, Post Hearing Memorandum of Points and Authorities, Reno v. ACLU, 929 F. Supp. 824 [1996]).
Internet pornography is truly a plague that has infested our land—and it’s infecting our homes, our families, our churches, and our entire community. Sexual sin has always been the #1 way the devil takes people away from the practice of the Catholic faith. ...
Cardinal Schönborn DOESN'T Get It!
Outrageous and disappointing. From LifeSiteNews:
Vienna Cardinal Awards Papal Knighthood to Notorious Pro-Abortion Austrian Politician
"On June 25, Vienna Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn awarded Vienna Deputy Mayor Renate Brauner the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the highest honors conferred by the Catholic Church.
The German-language Catholic news service Kreuz.net reports that Brauner is a well-known supporter of abortion. In 2000 when Austrian politician Herbert Haupt attempted to protect the right to life of handicapped children by banning abortion for such unborn children after the third month of pregnancy, Brauner strenuously opposed the move. "Hands off the abortion law!" Kreuz.net quotes her as saying.
"I consider Haupt's suggestion to reduce the period of the so-called eugenic indication, an attempt to call abortion into question," she said at the time. "This becomes clear as Haupt challenges the exclusive responsibility of the woman to decide for or against an abortion."
In autumn 2005 she said: "If we socialist women speak about lasting values, we mean lasting women's values - abortion rights are part of it."
Dear Eminence, what were you thinking?
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Vienna Cardinal Awards Papal Knighthood to Notorious Pro-Abortion Austrian Politician
"On June 25, Vienna Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn awarded Vienna Deputy Mayor Renate Brauner the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the highest honors conferred by the Catholic Church.
The German-language Catholic news service Kreuz.net reports that Brauner is a well-known supporter of abortion. In 2000 when Austrian politician Herbert Haupt attempted to protect the right to life of handicapped children by banning abortion for such unborn children after the third month of pregnancy, Brauner strenuously opposed the move. "Hands off the abortion law!" Kreuz.net quotes her as saying.
"I consider Haupt's suggestion to reduce the period of the so-called eugenic indication, an attempt to call abortion into question," she said at the time. "This becomes clear as Haupt challenges the exclusive responsibility of the woman to decide for or against an abortion."
In autumn 2005 she said: "If we socialist women speak about lasting values, we mean lasting women's values - abortion rights are part of it."
Dear Eminence, what were you thinking?
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
World Youth Day News!
Pope welcomes World Youth Day pilgrims in video message"Referencing the theme of World Youth Day, 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you will be my witnesses' (Acts 1:8), Pope Benedict said: 'How much our world needs a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit! There are still many who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, while many others, for whatever reason, have not recognized in this Good News the saving truth that alone can satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts.'
Cardinal Pell celebrates World Youth Day Opening Mass with over 140,000
"Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd greeted pilgrims prior to the Mass, in several different languages. 'You are here for this great celebration of life, this great celebration of faith and this great celebration of hope,' said the Australian Prime Minister. "For this you are so much the light of the world at a time when the world has so much darkness.'
Cardinal Pell presided over the opening Mass, which was the largest Mass to be hosted in Australia’s history, with 26 Cardinals, 400 bishops and approximately 4,000 priests.
In his homily Cardinal Pell called all to listen to Christ’s message saying, 'Christ’s call is to all who are suffering, not just Catholics or other Christians, but especially to those without religion. Christ is calling you home; to love, healing and community.'”
GO SALESIANS!
Salesian selected to be at Pope's boat-a-cade arrival
"Salesian Sister MaryAnn Schaefer, admissions director at Mary Help of Christian Academy in North Haledon, NJ, couldn't dream of a better place to celebrate her 25th jubilee as a religious sister than at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia."
AND I LOVE THIS:
Pope's smitten with a kitten
"Of all Pope Benedict's loyal followers in Australia, little Bella has every right to feel like the cat that got the cream. The 11-month-old grey tabby kitten has been brought in to make the pontiff feel at home during his three-day stay at Kenthurst in NSW."
h/t Faithful Rebel
EWTN has full coverage.
The World Youth Day site is here
Monday, July 14, 2008
Be Prepared!
Same-sex "marriage" news from Massachusetts today.
The Massachusetts State's House and Senate is considering a repeal of the 1913 law which forbids couples from other states from getting married in Massachusetts if the marriages would be illegal in their home states. This was the law that prevented same-sex couples from other states from getting "married" in Massachusetts.
Why is this attempted repeal happening now? Simple: because of the recent California Supreme Court decision. The same-sex marriage activists are trying to confuse the issue. They will argue that there is no point in passing Proposition 8 in California, because even if it passes, same-sex couples will now be able to go to Massachusetts and get "married" anyway. Be prepared for this and don't buy it.
I'd be surprised if the Massachusetts legislature does not repeal the law. They are the same bunch who refused to allow a 2007 constitutional amendment to be put on the ballot despite the fact that a record 170,000 citizens signed the petition. The amendment proposed to overturn Massachusetts' court-imposed redefinition of marriage. But the legislature refused to even allow the citizens to vote on the matter.
Similar to California. The Supreme Court of California decided, 4-3, that marriage can mean a man "marrying" another man. That single person overturned the will of 60% of Californians, not to mention thousands of years of accumulated wisdom.
"Same-sex "marriage" doesn't hurt anybody?" It's already led to a denial of the right of self-government in two states.
Posted by Gibbons
The Massachusetts State's House and Senate is considering a repeal of the 1913 law which forbids couples from other states from getting married in Massachusetts if the marriages would be illegal in their home states. This was the law that prevented same-sex couples from other states from getting "married" in Massachusetts.
Why is this attempted repeal happening now? Simple: because of the recent California Supreme Court decision. The same-sex marriage activists are trying to confuse the issue. They will argue that there is no point in passing Proposition 8 in California, because even if it passes, same-sex couples will now be able to go to Massachusetts and get "married" anyway. Be prepared for this and don't buy it.
I'd be surprised if the Massachusetts legislature does not repeal the law. They are the same bunch who refused to allow a 2007 constitutional amendment to be put on the ballot despite the fact that a record 170,000 citizens signed the petition. The amendment proposed to overturn Massachusetts' court-imposed redefinition of marriage. But the legislature refused to even allow the citizens to vote on the matter.
Similar to California. The Supreme Court of California decided, 4-3, that marriage can mean a man "marrying" another man. That single person overturned the will of 60% of Californians, not to mention thousands of years of accumulated wisdom.
"Same-sex "marriage" doesn't hurt anybody?" It's already led to a denial of the right of self-government in two states.
Posted by Gibbons
Archbishop Dosado Gets It!
From Catholic World News:"Archbishop Jesus Armamento Dosado of Ozamis (in the Philippines) has announced that politicians who support legal abortion will not be allowed to receive Communion.
'The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion merely as a consequence of being present at Mass is an abuse that must be corrected," wrote Archbishop Dosado in a pastoral letter released on July 13. He said that Catholic politicians who vote or campaign for legal abortion should be denied Holy Communion "until they bring to an end the objective situation of sin.'"
This is a no-brainer. I don't understand why every one of our American bishops is not following suit. They ought to have the words of Cardinal Arinze right on their desks:
"Get the children for first Communion and say to them, 'Somebody votes for the killing of unborn babies, and says, I voted for that, I will vote for that every time.' And these babies are killed not one or two, but in millions, and that person says, 'I'm a practising Catholic', should that person receive Communion next Sunday? The children will answer that at the drop of a hat. You don't need a cardinal to answer that."
Posted by Gibbons
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Cohabitation - Evil to be Avoided
...Allow me to offer further thought on cohabitation [...].In the light of George Weigel’s book “The Courage to be Catholic," I feel we should assert better leadership regarding cohabitation.I recommend that pastors clarify that a preliminary requirement for public celebration of the sacrament of matrimony is an “acceptable Christian lifestyle." Cohabitation is not acceptable. Living in mortal sin is a public declaration of disregard for God and the Church. It is a blatant contradiction of basic values manifested to the Christian community. In most situations cohabitation is compounded with other grave sins of contraception, rejection of reconciliation and receiving Communion unworthily. In a kind but firm way, the couple should be persuaded to separate and then receive the sacrament of matrimony in a proper and dignified way.
Another less desirable option would be to offer the rite of marriage after the sacrament of reconciliation, in a private rite without a public Church celebration.If the couple is concerned about celebrating, it is more fitting do so in a secular way since their living has been secular. After all, one half of all marriages today are civil marriages, followed by a reception. Let them follow that pattern after a private rite of marriage.[...]
From A letter of Fr. Tom Rudolph, pastor of St. Joseph Church, printed in Zenit.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Barack & Abortion
Two quotes from a Story courtesy of Christian Newswire.
“Mr. Barack Obama claims to be a practicing Christian,” stated Cheryl Conrad, director of Survivors.of the Abortion Holocaust. “What we are doing is calling on him as fellow believers. We are calling on Mr. Obama to come to grips with the fact that you cannot be pro-choice without undermining what it means to be a Christian. A Christian can no more be pro-choice about killing children before they are born than he can be pro-choice about killing a two year old. To endorse or even be neutral about killing innocent children created in God's image is unthinkable in Scriptures and should be unthinkable to Christians today."
"As a Christian, I find it troubling that Mr. Obama embraces what God clearly states is murder and an abomination,” said Amanda Lord, also a member of Survivors. “Obama professes Christ, yet supports the barbaric procedure of partial-birth abortion and wants to expand abortion rights through the Freedom of Choice Act. We are appealing to Obama in the hopes that he will assume a Christian stance on protecting the unborn and see all life as deserving of love, dignity and respect."
“Mr. Barack Obama claims to be a practicing Christian,” stated Cheryl Conrad, director of Survivors.of the Abortion Holocaust. “What we are doing is calling on him as fellow believers. We are calling on Mr. Obama to come to grips with the fact that you cannot be pro-choice without undermining what it means to be a Christian. A Christian can no more be pro-choice about killing children before they are born than he can be pro-choice about killing a two year old. To endorse or even be neutral about killing innocent children created in God's image is unthinkable in Scriptures and should be unthinkable to Christians today."
"As a Christian, I find it troubling that Mr. Obama embraces what God clearly states is murder and an abomination,” said Amanda Lord, also a member of Survivors. “Obama professes Christ, yet supports the barbaric procedure of partial-birth abortion and wants to expand abortion rights through the Freedom of Choice Act. We are appealing to Obama in the hopes that he will assume a Christian stance on protecting the unborn and see all life as deserving of love, dignity and respect."
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Truth or Fiction?
Wikipropaganda By Lawrence Solomon
Ever wonder how Al Gore, the United Nations, and company continue to get away with their claim of a “scientific consensus” confirming their doomsday view of global warming? Look no farther than Wikipedia for a stunning example of how the global-warming propaganda machine works.As you (or your kids) probably know, Wikipedia is now the most widely used and influential reference source on the Internet and therefore in the world, with more than 50 million unique visitors a month.
In theory Wikipedia is a “people’s encyclopedia” written and edited by the people who read it — anyone with an Internet connection. So on controversial topics, one might expect to see a broad range of opinion.Not on global warming. On global warming we get consensus, Gore-style: a consensus forged by censorship, intimidation, and deceit.
I first noticed this when I entered a correction to a Wikipedia page on the work of Naomi Oreskes, author of the now-infamous paper, published in the prestigious journal Science, claiming to have exhaustively reviewed the scientific literature and found not one single article dissenting from the alarmist version of global warming.
Of course Oreskes’s conclusions were absurd, and have been widely ridiculed. I myself have profiled dozens of truly world-eminent scientists whose work casts doubt on the Gore-U.N. version of global warming.
Following the references in my book The Deniers, one can find hundreds of refereed papers that cast doubt on some aspect of the Gore/U.N. case, and that only scratches the surface. Naturally I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that Oreskes’s work had been vindicated and that, for instance, one of her most thorough critics, British scientist and publisher Bennie Peiser, not only had been discredited but had grudgingly conceded Oreskes was right.
I checked with Peiser, who said he had done no such thing. I then corrected the Wikipedia entry, and advised Peiser that I had done so. Peiser wrote back saying he couldn’t see my corrections….
Ever wonder how Al Gore, the United Nations, and company continue to get away with their claim of a “scientific consensus” confirming their doomsday view of global warming? Look no farther than Wikipedia for a stunning example of how the global-warming propaganda machine works.As you (or your kids) probably know, Wikipedia is now the most widely used and influential reference source on the Internet and therefore in the world, with more than 50 million unique visitors a month.
In theory Wikipedia is a “people’s encyclopedia” written and edited by the people who read it — anyone with an Internet connection. So on controversial topics, one might expect to see a broad range of opinion.Not on global warming. On global warming we get consensus, Gore-style: a consensus forged by censorship, intimidation, and deceit.
I first noticed this when I entered a correction to a Wikipedia page on the work of Naomi Oreskes, author of the now-infamous paper, published in the prestigious journal Science, claiming to have exhaustively reviewed the scientific literature and found not one single article dissenting from the alarmist version of global warming.
Of course Oreskes’s conclusions were absurd, and have been widely ridiculed. I myself have profiled dozens of truly world-eminent scientists whose work casts doubt on the Gore-U.N. version of global warming.
Following the references in my book The Deniers, one can find hundreds of refereed papers that cast doubt on some aspect of the Gore/U.N. case, and that only scratches the surface. Naturally I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that Oreskes’s work had been vindicated and that, for instance, one of her most thorough critics, British scientist and publisher Bennie Peiser, not only had been discredited but had grudgingly conceded Oreskes was right.
I checked with Peiser, who said he had done no such thing. I then corrected the Wikipedia entry, and advised Peiser that I had done so. Peiser wrote back saying he couldn’t see my corrections….
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
"That's what gay pride is all about.”
"We just want to be treated like everyone else." That’s the mantra of the gay rights activists…
But that’s neither true nor possible because the self-identification based on sexual desire gives sex a place all out of proportion to the rest of life. The result is the destruction of human dignity. Read this story from the Boston Herald: Sex acts on Provincetown beaches prompt outrage. For those who don’t know, Provincetown is the “gay mecca” of Cape Cod. To get an idea what this means, here’s their local web paper.
Of course, in San Francisco, we’re all too familiar with the assertion of gay "pride":
But that’s neither true nor possible because the self-identification based on sexual desire gives sex a place all out of proportion to the rest of life. The result is the destruction of human dignity. Read this story from the Boston Herald: Sex acts on Provincetown beaches prompt outrage. For those who don’t know, Provincetown is the “gay mecca” of Cape Cod. To get an idea what this means, here’s their local web paper.
Of course, in San Francisco, we’re all too familiar with the assertion of gay "pride":
The above photo is from the San Francisco 2008 "Pride" parade, censored for this website. (in the original, they are completely nude). We don't like to show this, but you've got to see it to believe it. These guys are in the very center of the city--the corner of First and Market Street. Can you imagine such a thing in the Columbus Day Parade, or the Chinese New Year Parade, or even the Mardi Gras? These people would be arrested immediately. But that does not happen-- gay "pride," combined with political power, destroys the rule of law. Now they're hoping to destroy marriage.
The heading for this post comes from a San Francisco Chronicle story about a woman firefighter riding topless in the parade. The only reason this was even considered newsworthy is because she was wearing her badge at the time, which is against department rules. Said Sabine Balden: "I'm perfectly happy to be riding topless in the parade. That's what gay pride is all about.”
Well, that’s not all it is about. According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s HIV/AIDS Annual Epidemiology Report for the year 2006 there were more than 19 times as many cases of syphilis among men having sex with men as there were among the entire rest of the city's population combined. And that's from a group that is only 8.3% of the city's population.
We thank our Archdiocese for preventing Catholic parishes from marching in the parade this year. That’s a start. At least Catholic parishes are not publicly endorsing such behavior. But how much more we are called upon to do, always beginning with prayer for our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters.
The heading for this post comes from a San Francisco Chronicle story about a woman firefighter riding topless in the parade. The only reason this was even considered newsworthy is because she was wearing her badge at the time, which is against department rules. Said Sabine Balden: "I'm perfectly happy to be riding topless in the parade. That's what gay pride is all about.”
Well, that’s not all it is about. According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s HIV/AIDS Annual Epidemiology Report for the year 2006 there were more than 19 times as many cases of syphilis among men having sex with men as there were among the entire rest of the city's population combined. And that's from a group that is only 8.3% of the city's population.
We thank our Archdiocese for preventing Catholic parishes from marching in the parade this year. That’s a start. At least Catholic parishes are not publicly endorsing such behavior. But how much more we are called upon to do, always beginning with prayer for our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters.
"By developing an interior life of chastity, which is the universal call to all Christians, one can move beyond the confines of the homosexual identity to a more complete one in Christ."
Posted by Gibbons
New Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Today at noon the Supreme Pontiff has named H.E. Archbishop Angelo Amato SDB, until now Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, new Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. This appointment, which had been rumoured in the Italian press in recent weeks, means that the possible nomination of Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, the Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain, as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship has become more credible, since Msgr. Amato - who will be raised to the cardinalate at the next consistory, together with Archbishop Burke, the new Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura - was the only other serious name so far mentioned, apart from that of Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, who however seems now more likely to return to his native Ceylon as Archbishop of its capital Colombo, where he might help to bring and end to the civil war, for which he had already done much as bishop of Ratnapura.The new Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, also named today, is Fr Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer SJ, now raised to the dignity of Archbishop with the titular see of Tibica. Fr Ladaria is a very renowned Professor of Dogmatics at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Secretary General of the International Theological Commission, and has decisively contributed to the 2000 declaration Dominus Jesus.
Posted by Gregor Kollmorgen on 9.7.08
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Let us Hope and Pray..
It's been big news everywhere this week. Here's the latest from the the Telegraph:
"The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, is to lead his fellow Anglo-Catholics from the Church of England into the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Herald will reveal this week.
Bishop Burnham, one of two "flying bishops" in the province of Canterbury, has made a statement asking Pope Benedict XVI and the English Catholic bishops for "magnanimous gestures" that will allow traditionalists to become Catholics en masse.
He is confident that this will happen, following talks in Rome with Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican's head of ecumenism. He was accompanied on his visit by the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough, the other Canterbury "flying bishop", who is expected to follow his example.
Much more coverage at Threshing Grain, and the Insight.
"The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, is to lead his fellow Anglo-Catholics from the Church of England into the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Herald will reveal this week.
Bishop Burnham, one of two "flying bishops" in the province of Canterbury, has made a statement asking Pope Benedict XVI and the English Catholic bishops for "magnanimous gestures" that will allow traditionalists to become Catholics en masse.
He is confident that this will happen, following talks in Rome with Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican's head of ecumenism. He was accompanied on his visit by the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough, the other Canterbury "flying bishop", who is expected to follow his example.
Much more coverage at Threshing Grain, and the Insight.
More from Canada...
Following up on Fr. Malloy's previous post of Bishop Henry of Calgary's great letter, here's a Catholic World News story on Madonna House's returning of their "Order of Canada" in protest of the Canadian government's giving the same award to notorious abortionist Henry Morgentaler:
"Father David May, one of the three directors of Madonna House, commented on the decision to return the medal to the Governor General:
'Catherine Doherty was honoured to receive this award in 1976. She exemplified what the Order of Canada should be about: an individual committed to strengthening the nation by her contribution to the vulnerable and the marginalized. It is only after much prayer and consultation with our community, as well as with heavy hearts, that we are undertaking this action. The Order has been devalued in recent days, and we are confident that Catherine is spiritually present with us, affirming this gesture of love for our country and for the values which alone can sustain it. Without absolute respect for the gift of life, no society can survive. '"
I love it. The Church is never stronger than when she seems to be standing alone.
More on this disgusting "honor" here and here.
Update: Carl Olsen has a good essay on Morgentaler over at the Insight.
Posted by Gibbons
"Father David May, one of the three directors of Madonna House, commented on the decision to return the medal to the Governor General:
'Catherine Doherty was honoured to receive this award in 1976. She exemplified what the Order of Canada should be about: an individual committed to strengthening the nation by her contribution to the vulnerable and the marginalized. It is only after much prayer and consultation with our community, as well as with heavy hearts, that we are undertaking this action. The Order has been devalued in recent days, and we are confident that Catherine is spiritually present with us, affirming this gesture of love for our country and for the values which alone can sustain it. Without absolute respect for the gift of life, no society can survive. '"
I love it. The Church is never stronger than when she seems to be standing alone.
More on this disgusting "honor" here and here.
Update: Carl Olsen has a good essay on Morgentaler over at the Insight.
Posted by Gibbons
Could It Happen in the USA?
Canada has reached the bottom of the pit when it come to POLICIAL CORRECTNESS.
You have to read this letter of my good friend Bishop Henry.
Dear Premier Stelmach:
I have raised the issue of the Alberta Human Rights Commission several times with you in the past eighteen months. On each of those occasions, you said that you understood the issues and shared my concerns. However, the situation is continuing to deteriorate across our country and the various levels of governments are seemingly non-responsive.
April 2008: The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered an evangelical Christian charity, Christian Horizons, to rescind its morality code and require employees to undergo anti-discriminatory training. In addition, Christian Horizons has been ordered to pay $23,000 plus lost wages for terminating Connie Heritz’s employment based on a morality code which she freely and knowingly signed as a condition of employment and which she failed to adhere
to. Every religious institution should have the jurisdictional independence to determine its own confessions, doctrines and ordinances, including conditions of employment.
May 2008: A Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal has fined a Regina marriage commissioner, Orville Nichols, $2,500 after finding he discriminated against a gay couple when he declined to perform their same-sex ceremony. Nichols, who has performed nearly 2,000 marriages since 1983, had referred the couple to another marriage commissioner because he said his religious beliefs (Baptist) kept him from performing the ceremony.
The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning a profession or of compromising one's convictions. Faced with that tension, despite the ruling of the Commission, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before workers who are faithful to their conscience. It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators.
Every person has the right to have their religious beliefs reasonably accommodated. Each judgment emanating out of our various Human Rights Commissions seems to be more brazen and bizarre than the one that preceded it. However, for inane stupidity and gross miscarriage of justice our own Alberta Human Rights Tribunal deserves to take first prize for its treatment of Stephen Boissoin.
June 2008: The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal fined Stephen Boissoin, $5,000. Section 30 of the Alberta Human Rights Act states: “Evidence may be given before a human rights panel in any manner that the panel considers appropriate, and the panel is not bound by the rules of law respecting evidence in judicial proceedings.” It would also seem that this panel is also not bound by reasonable argument or the elementary rules of logic but is free to skewer anyone not espousing and proclaiming politically correct views. Darren Lund, the complainant, said that Boissoin’s words in his 2002 letter to the Red Deer Advocate were hateful, and furthermore, an assault on a gay teenager three weeks later could be connected to them. No proof of either was presented.
Lori Andreachuk, the chairperson of the Tribunal, agreed that his words were “likely” to expose gays, “a vulnerable” group, to hatred due to their sexual orientation. No court in the land would connect the letter and the assault but this silly tribunal did. Andreachuk acknowledged that “In this case, there is no specific individual who can be compensated as there is no direct victim who has come forward...” However, she also wrote: “Dr. Lund, although not a direct victim, did expend considerable time and energy and suffered ridicule and harassment as a result of his complaint. The Panel finds therefore that he is entitled to some compensation.” One might ask on what grounds? She concluded that Boissoin “shall pay to Dr. Lund an award for damages, jointly and severally, in the amount of $5,000.00.” Lund wasn’t the victim of any kind of discrimination and yet he is handsomely paid, and subsequently, feted as Gay Pride Parade Marshall in Calgary.
The tribunal effectively stripped Boissoin of his right to freedom of speech. “Mr. Boissoin [...] shall cease publishing in newspapers, by email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals.” What is meant by “disparaging”? This is tantamount to ruling out honest debate and a plurality of views in the public sphere lest someone be offended by a differing viewpoint. The tribunal decided to extract a further pound of flesh by way of public humiliation. “Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. provide Dr. Lund with a written apology for the article in the Red Deer Advocate which was the subject of this complaint.” What happens if Lund is not satisfied with the apology?
Mr. Premier, we have talked enough about the inadequate provisions of and appointment to the Alberta Human Rights Tribunals, it is time to repeal Section 3(1)(b) of the Alberta Human Rights Act ("No person shall publish, issue or display or cause to be published, issued or displayed before the public any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that is likely to expose a person or a class of persons to hatred or contempt because of the race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income or family status of that person or class of persons") and to protect the rights of religious freedom. Every person has the right to make public statements and participate in public debate on religious grounds.
Sincerely yours,
F. B. Henry
Bishop of Calgary
July 6, 2008
You have to read this letter of my good friend Bishop Henry.
Dear Premier Stelmach:
I have raised the issue of the Alberta Human Rights Commission several times with you in the past eighteen months. On each of those occasions, you said that you understood the issues and shared my concerns. However, the situation is continuing to deteriorate across our country and the various levels of governments are seemingly non-responsive.
April 2008: The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered an evangelical Christian charity, Christian Horizons, to rescind its morality code and require employees to undergo anti-discriminatory training. In addition, Christian Horizons has been ordered to pay $23,000 plus lost wages for terminating Connie Heritz’s employment based on a morality code which she freely and knowingly signed as a condition of employment and which she failed to adhere
to. Every religious institution should have the jurisdictional independence to determine its own confessions, doctrines and ordinances, including conditions of employment.
May 2008: A Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal has fined a Regina marriage commissioner, Orville Nichols, $2,500 after finding he discriminated against a gay couple when he declined to perform their same-sex ceremony. Nichols, who has performed nearly 2,000 marriages since 1983, had referred the couple to another marriage commissioner because he said his religious beliefs (Baptist) kept him from performing the ceremony.
The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning a profession or of compromising one's convictions. Faced with that tension, despite the ruling of the Commission, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before workers who are faithful to their conscience. It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators.
Every person has the right to have their religious beliefs reasonably accommodated. Each judgment emanating out of our various Human Rights Commissions seems to be more brazen and bizarre than the one that preceded it. However, for inane stupidity and gross miscarriage of justice our own Alberta Human Rights Tribunal deserves to take first prize for its treatment of Stephen Boissoin.
June 2008: The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal fined Stephen Boissoin, $5,000. Section 30 of the Alberta Human Rights Act states: “Evidence may be given before a human rights panel in any manner that the panel considers appropriate, and the panel is not bound by the rules of law respecting evidence in judicial proceedings.” It would also seem that this panel is also not bound by reasonable argument or the elementary rules of logic but is free to skewer anyone not espousing and proclaiming politically correct views. Darren Lund, the complainant, said that Boissoin’s words in his 2002 letter to the Red Deer Advocate were hateful, and furthermore, an assault on a gay teenager three weeks later could be connected to them. No proof of either was presented.
Lori Andreachuk, the chairperson of the Tribunal, agreed that his words were “likely” to expose gays, “a vulnerable” group, to hatred due to their sexual orientation. No court in the land would connect the letter and the assault but this silly tribunal did. Andreachuk acknowledged that “In this case, there is no specific individual who can be compensated as there is no direct victim who has come forward...” However, she also wrote: “Dr. Lund, although not a direct victim, did expend considerable time and energy and suffered ridicule and harassment as a result of his complaint. The Panel finds therefore that he is entitled to some compensation.” One might ask on what grounds? She concluded that Boissoin “shall pay to Dr. Lund an award for damages, jointly and severally, in the amount of $5,000.00.” Lund wasn’t the victim of any kind of discrimination and yet he is handsomely paid, and subsequently, feted as Gay Pride Parade Marshall in Calgary.
The tribunal effectively stripped Boissoin of his right to freedom of speech. “Mr. Boissoin [...] shall cease publishing in newspapers, by email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals.” What is meant by “disparaging”? This is tantamount to ruling out honest debate and a plurality of views in the public sphere lest someone be offended by a differing viewpoint. The tribunal decided to extract a further pound of flesh by way of public humiliation. “Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. provide Dr. Lund with a written apology for the article in the Red Deer Advocate which was the subject of this complaint.” What happens if Lund is not satisfied with the apology?
Mr. Premier, we have talked enough about the inadequate provisions of and appointment to the Alberta Human Rights Tribunals, it is time to repeal Section 3(1)(b) of the Alberta Human Rights Act ("No person shall publish, issue or display or cause to be published, issued or displayed before the public any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that is likely to expose a person or a class of persons to hatred or contempt because of the race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income or family status of that person or class of persons") and to protect the rights of religious freedom. Every person has the right to make public statements and participate in public debate on religious grounds.
Sincerely yours,
F. B. Henry
Bishop of Calgary
July 6, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Salesian Sisters Centennial
Our dear Salesian Sisters are celebrating their 100th Anniversary in the United States!
Here's part 1 of a series of videos about the order:
We will post the other parts from time to time.
Here's part 1 of a series of videos about the order:
We will post the other parts from time to time.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Humanae Vitae Conference
Choose Life! "The Humanae Vitae: Cornerstone of the Culture of Life" conference will be held August 8 and 9. The conference is a joint effort by the Diocese of Oakland and the St. Anthony of Padua Institute. "As John Paul II reminds us, what Humanae Vitae teaches—that sexuality worthy of human partners is at once unitive and procreative—demands 'the complete acceptance of the other.' From this teaching parents learn 'openness to the richness of life that the child represents,' nurturing families in God's cult of life so that they may celebrate it amid a culture overshadowed by death (Evangelium Vitae 23.3)."
Please visit the Conference website to learn more.
Around the web today . . .
Much of our Mainstream Media has become like Pravda in the bad old days. You've got to ignore them to get true news. Thank heaven for the internet!
From the Times Online:
"Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda"
"American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul. A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects."
"Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.
The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.
The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil. "
From the Times Online:
"Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda"
"American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul. A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects."
and
"Thank a Warmist for third world starvation"
Thomas Lifson at "American Thinker" quotes a Guardian.UK story:"Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.
The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.
The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil. "
Mr. Lifson adds:
"Global warming remains an entirely theoretical prediction, based on climate models that do not approach the complexity of the actual world climate system. But human starvation is a very real phenomenon in the here-and-now, with reports of Haitians eating dirt "cookies" as a way of fending off hunger pangs. The world's poorest cannot compete with mandates for ethanol content in gasoline in many states.
Nice work, Al Gore. And a shout-out to the Nobel Prize committee, for giving the peace prize to a man who has helped starve the world's poorest people. Now we know how much respect your prize deserves."
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Love vs Hate
Robert Quinn sent this to The Tablet:
Bill Reel wrote "gays question how others can love homosexuals, yet disapprove of their sex lives."
A reader replied "being gay is much more than a sex life." True, but it's that sex life which the Church clearly defines as depraved, against natural law & never approved. (cf Cat.2357). The reader faults the Catechism for making this known, then faults the teaching as "not that of a fair & loving Christ." Will he also fault these words and actions of the Holy Trinity?
The angels, punishing men attempting to sexually abuse them, "...struck with blindness from the least to the greatest..." (Gen.19:11).
"...Sodom & Gomorrah...committed sins of immorality & practiced unnatural vice, have been made an example, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)
"...God has given them up to shameful lusts; for their women have exchanged the natural use for that which is against nature, &, in like manner the men also, having abandoned the natural use ofthe woman, have burned in their lusts, one toward another, men with men doing shameless things & receiving in themselves the fitting recompense of their perversity." (Romans 1:26-27).
"...those who practice such things are deserving of death..." (Romans 1:32)
"...sodomites will not possess the Kingdom of God..." (cf 1 Cor.6:9-10)
True Catholic teaching is faithful to the above, though rarely heard today! Though being gay is not sinful, sinful thoughts or actions make one culpable, as with all of us. Calling its teachings "antiquated", the reader implies the Commandments have a "shelf" life.
For this, Christ died?
Bill Reel wrote "gays question how others can love homosexuals, yet disapprove of their sex lives."
A reader replied "being gay is much more than a sex life." True, but it's that sex life which the Church clearly defines as depraved, against natural law & never approved. (cf Cat.2357). The reader faults the Catechism for making this known, then faults the teaching as "not that of a fair & loving Christ." Will he also fault these words and actions of the Holy Trinity?
The angels, punishing men attempting to sexually abuse them, "...struck with blindness from the least to the greatest..." (Gen.19:11).
"...Sodom & Gomorrah...committed sins of immorality & practiced unnatural vice, have been made an example, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)
"...God has given them up to shameful lusts; for their women have exchanged the natural use for that which is against nature, &, in like manner the men also, having abandoned the natural use ofthe woman, have burned in their lusts, one toward another, men with men doing shameless things & receiving in themselves the fitting recompense of their perversity." (Romans 1:26-27).
"...those who practice such things are deserving of death..." (Romans 1:32)
"...sodomites will not possess the Kingdom of God..." (cf 1 Cor.6:9-10)
True Catholic teaching is faithful to the above, though rarely heard today! Though being gay is not sinful, sinful thoughts or actions make one culpable, as with all of us. Calling its teachings "antiquated", the reader implies the Commandments have a "shelf" life.
For this, Christ died?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fun! "Dance 2008!"
"14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. Thanks to everyone who danced with me."
Higher resolution version here.
Higher resolution version here.
Make Babies, Not War
Make love and babies, but not war
A Bay Area deacon speaks out for the Church’s teaching on contraception
Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae “was the most devastating thing I had ever read,” recalled Deacon Paul Turrentine in a “personal reflection” published as part of the “Wedding Guide” in Catholic San Francisco, the newspaper of the San Francisco archdiocese.
Turrentine, who serves at St. Rita’s parish in Fairfax, recalled how as a 14-year old in 1967 he had been “in full sympathy with the hippie movement.” In 1968, when Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae, the encyclical reiterating the Church’s teaching on artificial contraception, Turrentine said he and his friends were certain “that the Catholic Church was a dangerous anachronism which opposed progress to control people afraid to think for themselves.” Yet nineyears later, Turrentine became Catholic. During his preparation for baptism, however, and even in the marriage preparation he and his fiancee underwent later, the Church’s teachings against contraception were never mentioned. “We assumed this was an ancient, dreamy ideal but certainly not a practical requirement for modern Catholics,” said Turrentine. Two years later, after reading Humanae Vitae and other Church documents, Turrentine said he and his wife, “with trepidation and self-pity … agreed that, as faithful Catholics, we had to submit to these teachings…. This was the heaviest cross ever thrust upon us.
Growing up in a time of general rebellion against societal norms, the virtue of chastity was foreign to me.” Since the method of Natural Family Planning they learned “depended upon a single sign of fertility … which works well for the vast majority of couples,” but did not for them, the Turrentines had a “surprise pregnancy.” (They later discovered the Sympto-Thermal method, taught by the Couple-to-Couple League, that includes multiple signs of fertility.) Despite all this, the Turrentines never turned back to contraception. Having “dispensed with artificial methods, our relationship had improved profoundly … [t]he use of contraception had involved exploitation. We discovered … what Pope Paul VI had warned about: by disrupting the baby-making part of sex, we had also been damaging the love-deepening part of sex.”
“A couple, evaluating their circumstances with reason, faith, generosity and prayer, need not seek a baby every time they engage in the self-giving proper to marriage but they must never seek to kill new life once conceived,” wrote Turrentine. “They also must not alter themselves with a surgeon’s knife, or with spermicides, artificial hormones, the introduction of physical barriers or by the frustration of the act itself in order to damage the life-giving power God has woven into the physical self-giving of married couples
A Bay Area deacon speaks out for the Church’s teaching on contraception
Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae “was the most devastating thing I had ever read,” recalled Deacon Paul Turrentine in a “personal reflection” published as part of the “Wedding Guide” in Catholic San Francisco, the newspaper of the San Francisco archdiocese.
Turrentine, who serves at St. Rita’s parish in Fairfax, recalled how as a 14-year old in 1967 he had been “in full sympathy with the hippie movement.” In 1968, when Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae, the encyclical reiterating the Church’s teaching on artificial contraception, Turrentine said he and his friends were certain “that the Catholic Church was a dangerous anachronism which opposed progress to control people afraid to think for themselves.” Yet nineyears later, Turrentine became Catholic. During his preparation for baptism, however, and even in the marriage preparation he and his fiancee underwent later, the Church’s teachings against contraception were never mentioned. “We assumed this was an ancient, dreamy ideal but certainly not a practical requirement for modern Catholics,” said Turrentine. Two years later, after reading Humanae Vitae and other Church documents, Turrentine said he and his wife, “with trepidation and self-pity … agreed that, as faithful Catholics, we had to submit to these teachings…. This was the heaviest cross ever thrust upon us.
Growing up in a time of general rebellion against societal norms, the virtue of chastity was foreign to me.” Since the method of Natural Family Planning they learned “depended upon a single sign of fertility … which works well for the vast majority of couples,” but did not for them, the Turrentines had a “surprise pregnancy.” (They later discovered the Sympto-Thermal method, taught by the Couple-to-Couple League, that includes multiple signs of fertility.) Despite all this, the Turrentines never turned back to contraception. Having “dispensed with artificial methods, our relationship had improved profoundly … [t]he use of contraception had involved exploitation. We discovered … what Pope Paul VI had warned about: by disrupting the baby-making part of sex, we had also been damaging the love-deepening part of sex.”
“A couple, evaluating their circumstances with reason, faith, generosity and prayer, need not seek a baby every time they engage in the self-giving proper to marriage but they must never seek to kill new life once conceived,” wrote Turrentine. “They also must not alter themselves with a surgeon’s knife, or with spermicides, artificial hormones, the introduction of physical barriers or by the frustration of the act itself in order to damage the life-giving power God has woven into the physical self-giving of married couples
The Pope Speaks
"The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions."
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Children in Crisis
A report card on the well-being of children, released in February by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Center, sparked off a round of soul-searching, as reported by Fr. John Flynn in a Zenit article. The "Innocenti Report Card 7" is the latest in a series of reports from the United Nations Children's Fund designed to monitor and compare the performance of developed countries in securing the rights of their children.
A UNICEF press release explained that small northern European countries dominated the top rankings. Nevertheless, there wasn't a consistent relationship between the wealth of a country and the child's well-being. Then US and Britain placed low in the rankings.
Christopher Caldwell, writing in Financial Times, observed that the report's section on poverty was misleading. According to the tables, countries such as the United States and Britain suffer more from child poverty than nations such as Greece. In fact, what the report measured was inequality, and not poverty, with results favoring countries with more generous welfare systems and lower levels of immigration. Other commentaries soon argued that if British children are badly off, one of the main causes is the disintegration of family life, something not remedied by more government spending. Both Britain and the United States have in common a higher level of family breakdown than the other countries surveyed, according to Philip Johnston in London's Telegraph newspaper. Johnston observed that the study found substantial evidence that children in single-parent and stepfamilies tend to be worse off than those living with both biological parents. In an accompanying article, Lesley Garner opined that improving child welfare in Britain doesn't mean spending more money, but rather putting children first. This means that parents should spend more time with their kids and build stronger family relationships.
Other measures, ranging from more family meals together, teaching good manners and encouraging more sporting activities are also needed, argued Garner. One critic mentioned one weak link:"policies that encouraged more parents of young children to enter the workplace and put the demands of their careers before the needs of their children." Minette Marrin, writing in the Sunday Times, London, recommended a cultural change, and called for "moral disapprobation" toward single parents and men who abandon their children. Instead of being afraid of being "judgmental," she said, society should disapprove such actions, due to the social problems they cause. The recommendation could also be applied to the USA.
The need to defend the family is also a hot topic in Italy. Earlier this year, the government unveiled a bill that would give legal recognition, and a series of benefits, to cohabiting couples, including those of the same sex. The move sparked off a fierce debate with many Catholic bishops and organizations arguing that the proposed law will undermine family life. Carlo Casini, director of the Italian pro-life group Movimento per la Vita, wrote a book on issues related to family life just prior to the presentation of the current proposal. Casini observes in his book how many people seek legal recognition of same-sex relationships on the grounds of a need to avoid unjust discrimination against homosexuals. Others argue that a man and a woman living in a de facto relationship, and who love each other, are no different from a married couple. Casini comments that answering this challenge to the traditional status of marriage and the family means reflecting on the nature of these institutions. When the Catholic Church, Christians, or political groups defend marriage between a man and a woman, and the resulting family they form, it is not discrimination, or the imposition of religious principles on a modern secular society, according to the pro-life leader. Casini points out that the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights defends the family: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state" (Article 16). In addition, the constitutions of a number of European states specifically mention the family as playing a vital role in society. Protecting marriage and the family falls within the role of the state in promoting the general public good of society, Casini also maintains. If family life fails, then in turn this has a detrimental effect on society and the state.
The Pope has also spoken out repeatedly to defend marriage and the family. Marriage has a truth of its own, based on the "the sexually different reality of the man and of the woman with their profound needs for complementarity, definitive self-giving and exclusivity." "We are well aware that the family founded on marriage is the natural environment in which to bear and raise children and thereby guarantee the future of all of humanity," stated Benedict XVI in an Angelus message. The Pontiff noted that the institution of marriage is in crisis, and that it faces many challenges. "It is consequently necessary to defend, help, safeguard and value it in its unrepeatable uniqueness."
On Feb. 12, addressing the participants in the International Congress on Natural Law sponsored by the Pontifical Lateran University, the Pope spoke even more clearly about the need to reject legislative moves that weaken marriage and the family. If a human law goes against what is written in our hearts and nature regarding marriage, Benedict XVI stated, then this will "dramatically wound" what should be the very foundation of society. Unfortunately, he noted, the legal status of the family is under attack from many pressure groups.
A UNICEF press release explained that small northern European countries dominated the top rankings. Nevertheless, there wasn't a consistent relationship between the wealth of a country and the child's well-being. Then US and Britain placed low in the rankings.
Christopher Caldwell, writing in Financial Times, observed that the report's section on poverty was misleading. According to the tables, countries such as the United States and Britain suffer more from child poverty than nations such as Greece. In fact, what the report measured was inequality, and not poverty, with results favoring countries with more generous welfare systems and lower levels of immigration. Other commentaries soon argued that if British children are badly off, one of the main causes is the disintegration of family life, something not remedied by more government spending. Both Britain and the United States have in common a higher level of family breakdown than the other countries surveyed, according to Philip Johnston in London's Telegraph newspaper. Johnston observed that the study found substantial evidence that children in single-parent and stepfamilies tend to be worse off than those living with both biological parents. In an accompanying article, Lesley Garner opined that improving child welfare in Britain doesn't mean spending more money, but rather putting children first. This means that parents should spend more time with their kids and build stronger family relationships.
Other measures, ranging from more family meals together, teaching good manners and encouraging more sporting activities are also needed, argued Garner. One critic mentioned one weak link:"policies that encouraged more parents of young children to enter the workplace and put the demands of their careers before the needs of their children." Minette Marrin, writing in the Sunday Times, London, recommended a cultural change, and called for "moral disapprobation" toward single parents and men who abandon their children. Instead of being afraid of being "judgmental," she said, society should disapprove such actions, due to the social problems they cause. The recommendation could also be applied to the USA.
The need to defend the family is also a hot topic in Italy. Earlier this year, the government unveiled a bill that would give legal recognition, and a series of benefits, to cohabiting couples, including those of the same sex. The move sparked off a fierce debate with many Catholic bishops and organizations arguing that the proposed law will undermine family life. Carlo Casini, director of the Italian pro-life group Movimento per la Vita, wrote a book on issues related to family life just prior to the presentation of the current proposal. Casini observes in his book how many people seek legal recognition of same-sex relationships on the grounds of a need to avoid unjust discrimination against homosexuals. Others argue that a man and a woman living in a de facto relationship, and who love each other, are no different from a married couple. Casini comments that answering this challenge to the traditional status of marriage and the family means reflecting on the nature of these institutions. When the Catholic Church, Christians, or political groups defend marriage between a man and a woman, and the resulting family they form, it is not discrimination, or the imposition of religious principles on a modern secular society, according to the pro-life leader. Casini points out that the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights defends the family: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state" (Article 16). In addition, the constitutions of a number of European states specifically mention the family as playing a vital role in society. Protecting marriage and the family falls within the role of the state in promoting the general public good of society, Casini also maintains. If family life fails, then in turn this has a detrimental effect on society and the state.
The Pope has also spoken out repeatedly to defend marriage and the family. Marriage has a truth of its own, based on the "the sexually different reality of the man and of the woman with their profound needs for complementarity, definitive self-giving and exclusivity." "We are well aware that the family founded on marriage is the natural environment in which to bear and raise children and thereby guarantee the future of all of humanity," stated Benedict XVI in an Angelus message. The Pontiff noted that the institution of marriage is in crisis, and that it faces many challenges. "It is consequently necessary to defend, help, safeguard and value it in its unrepeatable uniqueness."
On Feb. 12, addressing the participants in the International Congress on Natural Law sponsored by the Pontifical Lateran University, the Pope spoke even more clearly about the need to reject legislative moves that weaken marriage and the family. If a human law goes against what is written in our hearts and nature regarding marriage, Benedict XVI stated, then this will "dramatically wound" what should be the very foundation of society. Unfortunately, he noted, the legal status of the family is under attack from many pressure groups.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
This kind is cast out by prayer and fasting
"Largest grass -roots campaign in California history”
San Diego minister seeks to unite churches in prayer and fasting as part of marriage amendment campaign, but so far few Catholic parishes have signed up.
San Diego minister seeks to unite churches in prayer and fasting as part of marriage amendment campaign, but so far few Catholic parishes have signed up.
Pastor Jim Garlow of the 2,500-member Skyline Church in San Diego has a plan to propel a ballot initiative to protect traditional marriage to victory in November. Garlow’s plan includes not only networking with other churches in California, but prayer and fasting as well. The goal of Garlow’s campaign, he told the June 26 Los Angeles Times, "is to create a climate, a culture of fasting and praying for our state." His plan includes calling a 40-day fasting period leading up to the November election, accompanied by 100 days of prayer. Garlow says he wants to fill Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and other large venues throughout the state on the weekend before the election with people praying for the success of the marriage initiative.
The initiative, Proposition 8, would amend the state constitution “to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”
On June 25, Garlow had a conference call meeting with more than 1,000 ministers from across the state to discuss strategy and to consider Garlow’s proposal for prayer and fasting. Lawyers and political consultants also participated. Initiative organizers say that the ministers involved in the conference call lead congregations that total more than 1 million people.
A political analyst, Tony Quinn, told the Times that the pastors’ involvement could be significant. "This… could bring people to the polls that would not otherwise vote,” he said. “The churches can do that." But opponents of the proposed amendment downplayed Garlow’s efforts. "There are certainly thousands of people of faith who are supportive of the freedom to marry," Kerry Chaplin, organizing director for California Faith for Equality, told the Times. CFE is a coalition representing more than 2,000 faith leaders and congregations that support same-sex marriage. no one. "We are working with all the churches who are willing to work with us," Frank Schubert, the initiative’s campaign manager, told the Times. "It's woven together to form what we hope will be the largest grass-roots campaign in California history."
The Roots of Same-sex "Marriage"
Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando really gets it. From the Catholic News Agency:
"(Bishop Wenski) characterized the 'culture wars' as a conflict about 'the understanding of man and his relationship to truth and reality.'
One side, which, he argued, includes homosexual marriage advocates, 'holds that anyone can essentially create his or her own reality. This side holds for a radical autonomy by which truth is determined not by the nature of things but by one's own individual will.'
This position, in the bishop’s view, is a 'recipe for tyranny.'
The other side, the bishop argued, thinks men and women are 'not self-creators but creatures.'
'Truth is not constructed, but received and thus must reflect the reality of things,' he said. This position promises freedom that is achievable only 'through adherence to objective truth which we do not, and could never, invent.'”
We absolutely agree with the good bishop. The California justices’ action presents a foundational challenge to the Catholic Church, and to the civilization she has guided. The teaching of the Church and the civilization on marriage is clear and unambiguous. Marriage is an institution created by God, and a part of created nature: it is the union of one man and one woman. That truth is a revealed truth and a truth of nature.
Thus, the Holy Father has called the protection of marriage as a union between one man and one woman a “non-negotiable” issue. There is simply nothing to “negotiate.” To decide that marriage means a man “marrying” another man is to sever contact with reality. Reality can’t negotiate with non-reality. And when we see a non-reality offered up as something good and valuable, we should know where it ultimately comes from. Same-sex “marriage” is a created non-reality. “A created non-reality” is just another way of saying: “a lie.” Satan has always tried to make non-reality--an autonomous existence independent from God--into reality. Thus, Satan is the father of lies.
The underlying conflict is between reality as something which exists versus reality as being what men think about what exists. So marriage, as understood by the supporters of same-sex “marriage,” is not a thing whose structure has been revealed by God and is a part of created nature; no, marriage is what men think it is. And if men change their minds about what is marriage, marriage changes. This understanding of reality appoints man as Lord of Creation. Again, purely Satanic: “I will not serve.”
A perfectly clear enunciation of this came from Karl Marx. Everybody has heard of Marx’s major works: Das Kapital, and the Communist Manifesto. But not too many know of these very early words, from his doctoral dissertation, written in 1841 when he was only 24: “Philosophy makes no secret of it. The confession of Prometheus: In simple words, I hate the pack of gods [Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound] is its own confession, its own aphorism against all heavenly and earthly gods who do not acknowledge human self-consciousness as the highest divinity. It will have none other beside.”
"Human self-consciousness as the highest divinity, with none beside it." As Bishop Wenski says: it's a 'recipe for tyranny'; as the quote from Marx shows it's already happened and can happen again.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
"(Bishop Wenski) characterized the 'culture wars' as a conflict about 'the understanding of man and his relationship to truth and reality.'
One side, which, he argued, includes homosexual marriage advocates, 'holds that anyone can essentially create his or her own reality. This side holds for a radical autonomy by which truth is determined not by the nature of things but by one's own individual will.'
This position, in the bishop’s view, is a 'recipe for tyranny.'
The other side, the bishop argued, thinks men and women are 'not self-creators but creatures.'
'Truth is not constructed, but received and thus must reflect the reality of things,' he said. This position promises freedom that is achievable only 'through adherence to objective truth which we do not, and could never, invent.'”
We absolutely agree with the good bishop. The California justices’ action presents a foundational challenge to the Catholic Church, and to the civilization she has guided. The teaching of the Church and the civilization on marriage is clear and unambiguous. Marriage is an institution created by God, and a part of created nature: it is the union of one man and one woman. That truth is a revealed truth and a truth of nature.
Thus, the Holy Father has called the protection of marriage as a union between one man and one woman a “non-negotiable” issue. There is simply nothing to “negotiate.” To decide that marriage means a man “marrying” another man is to sever contact with reality. Reality can’t negotiate with non-reality. And when we see a non-reality offered up as something good and valuable, we should know where it ultimately comes from. Same-sex “marriage” is a created non-reality. “A created non-reality” is just another way of saying: “a lie.” Satan has always tried to make non-reality--an autonomous existence independent from God--into reality. Thus, Satan is the father of lies.
The underlying conflict is between reality as something which exists versus reality as being what men think about what exists. So marriage, as understood by the supporters of same-sex “marriage,” is not a thing whose structure has been revealed by God and is a part of created nature; no, marriage is what men think it is. And if men change their minds about what is marriage, marriage changes. This understanding of reality appoints man as Lord of Creation. Again, purely Satanic: “I will not serve.”
A perfectly clear enunciation of this came from Karl Marx. Everybody has heard of Marx’s major works: Das Kapital, and the Communist Manifesto. But not too many know of these very early words, from his doctoral dissertation, written in 1841 when he was only 24: “Philosophy makes no secret of it. The confession of Prometheus: In simple words, I hate the pack of gods [Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound] is its own confession, its own aphorism against all heavenly and earthly gods who do not acknowledge human self-consciousness as the highest divinity. It will have none other beside.”
"Human self-consciousness as the highest divinity, with none beside it." As Bishop Wenski says: it's a 'recipe for tyranny'; as the quote from Marx shows it's already happened and can happen again.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
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