McSweeney's Internet Tendency: PROS AND CONS OF JOHN KERRY'S TOP TWENTY VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES -
For the last entry, I think the "con" should be "Might smite the candidate."
For the last entry, I think the "con" should be "Might smite the candidate."
Catholic Light: One of our parish priests speaks on abortion and communion
The best summary of the issue I have seen. If you have a friend who needs info, this is the kind of thing you can just print out and give to him.
The best summary of the issue I have seen. If you have a friend who needs info, this is the kind of thing you can just print out and give to him.
Hmm, I wonder why?: The Rainbow Sash Movement received an e-mail Tuesday from the Los Angeles Archdiocese inviting them to Mass on Sunday, but no one wearing sashes showed up for morning or midday Masses at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, archdiocese spokesman Tod Tamberg said.
A letter from the Bishop of Fargo -
A while back I wrote a letter to Bishop Aquila of Fargo thanking him for reminding the Catholics of Fargo that those who demean the Eucharist risk hell. He wrote me a nice letter back and I thought I would share it with you.
DIOCESE OF FARGO
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
5201 Bishops Boulevard, Suite A
Fargo, North Dakota 58104-7605
www.fargodiocese.org
Phone: 701.356.7944
Fax: 701.356.7999
May 25, 2004
Zorak the Mantis
1000 Mantis Lane
Mantisville, VA 22222
Dear Ms. Mantis,
Thank you very much for your letter of May 8th. Thank you also for your donation to Human Life International with the request for their prayers for me. I have received a number of personal letters and e-mails from clergy and laity on the recent homily I presented (April 25, 2004) concerning the relationship between a person's Catholic faith and their living it out in the world.
I am grateful to you for your kind words of support and most especially your prayers. I am overwhelmed by the positive comments I have received, especially by those who have found the homily helpful in understanding the Church's teaching of the role of the laity in the transformation of the world. May the Risen Lord fill you with His peace and bless you abundantly. May Our Lady of Guadalupe keep you under the protection of her mantle of love.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
(Real signature)
Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila
Bishop of Fargo
DIOCESE OF FARGO
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
5201 Bishops Boulevard, Suite A
Fargo, North Dakota 58104-7605
www.fargodiocese.org
Phone: 701.356.7944
Fax: 701.356.7999
May 25, 2004
Zorak the Mantis
1000 Mantis Lane
Mantisville, VA 22222
Dear Ms. Mantis,
Thank you very much for your letter of May 8th. Thank you also for your donation to Human Life International with the request for their prayers for me. I have received a number of personal letters and e-mails from clergy and laity on the recent homily I presented (April 25, 2004) concerning the relationship between a person's Catholic faith and their living it out in the world.
I am grateful to you for your kind words of support and most especially your prayers. I am overwhelmed by the positive comments I have received, especially by those who have found the homily helpful in understanding the Church's teaching of the role of the laity in the transformation of the world. May the Risen Lord fill you with His peace and bless you abundantly. May Our Lady of Guadalupe keep you under the protection of her mantle of love.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
(Real signature)
Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila
Bishop of Fargo
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote these elegant words about the Torah:
'Why does the Bible surpass everything created by man? Why is there no work worthy of comparison with it? Why is there no substitute for the Bible, no parallel to the history it has engendered? Why must all who seek the living G-d turn to its pages?
'Set the Bible beside any of the truly great books produced by the genius of man and see how they are diminished in stature. The Bible shows no concern with literary form, with verbal beauty, yet its absolute sublimity rings through all its pages. Its lines are so monumental and at the same time so simple that whomever tries to compete with them produces either a commentary or a caricature. It is a work we do not know how to assess. Other books you can estimate, you can measure, compare; the Bible you can only extol. Its insights surpass our standards. There is nothing greater. In three thousand years it has not aged a day. It is a book that cannot die. Oblivion shuns its pages."
'Why does the Bible surpass everything created by man? Why is there no work worthy of comparison with it? Why is there no substitute for the Bible, no parallel to the history it has engendered? Why must all who seek the living G-d turn to its pages?
'Set the Bible beside any of the truly great books produced by the genius of man and see how they are diminished in stature. The Bible shows no concern with literary form, with verbal beauty, yet its absolute sublimity rings through all its pages. Its lines are so monumental and at the same time so simple that whomever tries to compete with them produces either a commentary or a caricature. It is a work we do not know how to assess. Other books you can estimate, you can measure, compare; the Bible you can only extol. Its insights surpass our standards. There is nothing greater. In three thousand years it has not aged a day. It is a book that cannot die. Oblivion shuns its pages."
UN troops buy sex from teenage refugees in Congo camp: "Teenage rape victims fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being sexually exploited by the United Nations peace-keeping troops sent to the stop their suffering.
The Independent has found that mothers as young as 13 - the victims of multiple rape by militiamen - can only secure enough food to survive in the sprawling refugee camp by routinely sleeping with UN peace-keepers."
The Independent has found that mothers as young as 13 - the victims of multiple rape by militiamen - can only secure enough food to survive in the sprawling refugee camp by routinely sleeping with UN peace-keepers."
This really made me laugh -
Summa Mamas: "God's timing being what it is, i.e., perfect, Father C told a story today about a sort of 'Jesus is my homey' priest who went to a high school and said, 'if you want to know about God, forget everything you've ever learned because i can sum everything up in three simple words: God is love.' one of the students raised his hand and inquired, 'do you mean God is eros, philia, or agape?'"
Summa Contra Mundum: "A cousin of Mrs. Athanasius died suddenly a while back, at the age of 37. She died in the shower, with no cause of death discovered. The body was found by the husband. There are three girls, aged three to nine.
I bring this up because there is a very insidious problem in modern Christianity, something that was apparent at the funeral, and in conversations since the funeral. People will ask "Why did she have to die so young?" "Why would God take her?" "Why would God leave her kids without her?" Some have expressed that it is difficult to keep faith in God when such good people die, for no apparent reason.
Now, these sentiments are understandable. I don't blame anyone who has them. But I think such attitudes are fundamentally incompatible with Christian faith.
See, there is an idea hidden behind these statements: "God won't let bad things happen to her/me/the kids." If I pray and do good things (which is another insidious idea, that there really are good people), shouldn't I be rewarded? Shouln't I be able to die peacefully, full of years, surrounded by children and grandchildren? Shouldn't I just slip into heaven as easily as a hand in a glove, with no intervening discomfort? That's the way things should be, God,and if it doesn't work out that way, I'll be mad at you!
Bunk."
I bring this up because there is a very insidious problem in modern Christianity, something that was apparent at the funeral, and in conversations since the funeral. People will ask "Why did she have to die so young?" "Why would God take her?" "Why would God leave her kids without her?" Some have expressed that it is difficult to keep faith in God when such good people die, for no apparent reason.
Now, these sentiments are understandable. I don't blame anyone who has them. But I think such attitudes are fundamentally incompatible with Christian faith.
See, there is an idea hidden behind these statements: "God won't let bad things happen to her/me/the kids." If I pray and do good things (which is another insidious idea, that there really are good people), shouldn't I be rewarded? Shouln't I be able to die peacefully, full of years, surrounded by children and grandchildren? Shouldn't I just slip into heaven as easily as a hand in a glove, with no intervening discomfort? That's the way things should be, God,and if it doesn't work out that way, I'll be mad at you!
Bunk."
REFLECTIONS ON SSA (elcaminoreal.blog-city.com): "I'm beginning to think that, in the context of day-to-day living, it is a mistake to self-identify as someone with same-sex attractions.
There are two primary reasons for this. First, homosexuality is not something that normal people should be thinking about on a regular basis one way or the other. It is especially not something children should be thinking about. It follows that forcing other people to confront one's personal sexual disorders is probably not the most charitable way of interacting with them. Second, as has been discussed before in these pages, knowledge of homosexual temptations is a serious impediment to same-sex friendships. By self-identifying as someone with SSA, a person is severely limiting prospects for friendship with heterosexuals. Deep and lasting friendships do not require that one ever discuss what is best reserved to the confessional.
It also seems to me that the language of SSA really obscures the essential problem, which is that SSA, insofar as it is a problem at all, is the predisposition to commit a specific grave sin and is therefore a threat to eternal salvation. Everyone has such predispositions to a greater or lesser degree, and there is a reason we don't tend to wear them on our sleeves. We regret them, we wish we didn't have them, and we don't want anyone thinking such things are essentially unchangeable or beyond the reach of grace. Perhaps we will never be completely rid of them in this life, but in the end we must be rid of them, and so they are not truly a part of our identity. "
There are two primary reasons for this. First, homosexuality is not something that normal people should be thinking about on a regular basis one way or the other. It is especially not something children should be thinking about. It follows that forcing other people to confront one's personal sexual disorders is probably not the most charitable way of interacting with them. Second, as has been discussed before in these pages, knowledge of homosexual temptations is a serious impediment to same-sex friendships. By self-identifying as someone with SSA, a person is severely limiting prospects for friendship with heterosexuals. Deep and lasting friendships do not require that one ever discuss what is best reserved to the confessional.
It also seems to me that the language of SSA really obscures the essential problem, which is that SSA, insofar as it is a problem at all, is the predisposition to commit a specific grave sin and is therefore a threat to eternal salvation. Everyone has such predispositions to a greater or lesser degree, and there is a reason we don't tend to wear them on our sleeves. We regret them, we wish we didn't have them, and we don't want anyone thinking such things are essentially unchangeable or beyond the reach of grace. Perhaps we will never be completely rid of them in this life, but in the end we must be rid of them, and so they are not truly a part of our identity. "
The other night O.O. visited a friend who was tending bar and serving him free drinks. He returned to the hotel at 5:30 am slightly intoxicated, at which time he shared these thoughts with me:
"I'm like a gyroscope. I will not spill the water. I have the charism of (not) spilling."
He also noted that if holding a small child ("womb fruit") requires skills similar to those needed to holding a drink despite being intoxicated, he would be very good at it.
"I'm a whore to the animal aesthetic." This thought preceded a discourse on the glories of teaching a child to slay an animal, and to put his hand into the still-warm guts of the beast.
"Listen to that." (clicks his tongue against his cheek.) "That's my tongue roving through the tongue fields."
He then went on to describe how the new phrase that he had coined, "tongue fields," would help him to make new friends.
On the fact that I would later blog his drunken musings: "My students will read them, and they will say, 'My God, he was drunk, but he still cares about prime matter!'"
"I'm like a gyroscope. I will not spill the water. I have the charism of (not) spilling."
He also noted that if holding a small child ("womb fruit") requires skills similar to those needed to holding a drink despite being intoxicated, he would be very good at it.
"I'm a whore to the animal aesthetic." This thought preceded a discourse on the glories of teaching a child to slay an animal, and to put his hand into the still-warm guts of the beast.
"Listen to that." (clicks his tongue against his cheek.) "That's my tongue roving through the tongue fields."
He then went on to describe how the new phrase that he had coined, "tongue fields," would help him to make new friends.
On the fact that I would later blog his drunken musings: "My students will read them, and they will say, 'My God, he was drunk, but he still cares about prime matter!'"
"The audience laughed and black leaders frowned when Bill Cosby mocked underclass blacks at a D.C. event commemorating the desegregation decision. From the Washington Post:
'Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal,' he declared. 'These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.' . . .
'They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English,' he exclaimed. 'I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you aint,' 'Where you is' . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!'
The Post's Hamil Harris reports that Cosby also turned his wrath to 'the incarcerated,' saying: 'These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?' "
'Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal,' he declared. 'These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.' . . .
'They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English,' he exclaimed. 'I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you aint,' 'Where you is' . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!'
The Post's Hamil Harris reports that Cosby also turned his wrath to 'the incarcerated,' saying: 'These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?' "
Gone
until Friday evening at the earliest, unless I manage to post on the road, which is unlikely. In the meantime, stick it to the Man. No, really. At least a little bit.
Why Do So Many Students Require Remedial Education? [Mackinac Center for Public Policy]: " I remember one student who called me complaining that she had received an 'F' in a course even though she had attended every day. She didn't understand that she actually had to master the basic course material. That was foreign to her."
Yahoo! News - Sodas Raise Cancer Risk, U.S. Study Finds
Yeah. And how much, just for comparison's sake, does regular sodomy increase the risk of colon cancer?
Yeah. And how much, just for comparison's sake, does regular sodomy increase the risk of colon cancer?
US Catholic News Service Editor Cites Acceptance of Contraception as Leading to Current Gay Unions Situation: "The Church of England burst the dam in 1930 when it became the first major Christian denomination to accept the use of contraceptives. Lawler reveals that a Washington Post editorial at the time warned the 1930 decision 'would sound the death knell of marriage as a holy institution by establishing degrading practices which would encourage indiscriminate immorality.'
Since that time, The Catholic World News head observes, 'We have seen a meteoric rise in abuse, divorce, depression, and dysfunction. Countless thousands of individual marriages have dissolved; now finally the institution of marriage has begun to totter.'
Lawler argues that because of the norm of contracepted sex Massachusetts citizens and others are 'having a difficult time coming up with a persuasive argument why same-sex couples should not be entitled to their own preferred form of sterile sexual expression.'
His suggestion for the long term solution to reversing gay 'marriage' legalization is to 'Go through your medicine cabinets, dressers, and bedside-table drawers. Gather all the contraceptives. Throw them in the trash, where they belong. If you're Catholic, go to Confession. Then, having put our own houses and homes in order, we can begin the long trek toward restoring the true meaning of marriage.'"
Since that time, The Catholic World News head observes, 'We have seen a meteoric rise in abuse, divorce, depression, and dysfunction. Countless thousands of individual marriages have dissolved; now finally the institution of marriage has begun to totter.'
Lawler argues that because of the norm of contracepted sex Massachusetts citizens and others are 'having a difficult time coming up with a persuasive argument why same-sex couples should not be entitled to their own preferred form of sterile sexual expression.'
His suggestion for the long term solution to reversing gay 'marriage' legalization is to 'Go through your medicine cabinets, dressers, and bedside-table drawers. Gather all the contraceptives. Throw them in the trash, where they belong. If you're Catholic, go to Confession. Then, having put our own houses and homes in order, we can begin the long trek toward restoring the true meaning of marriage.'"
Some poor fool came to the Old Oligarch's blog looking for "episcopal advise to newlyweds." Below are some pieces of advice for you:
1. Learn how to spell.
2. Have a male child.
3. Divorce, "marry" someone of the same sex, become a "bishop," and repeatedly compare your self-promoting activities to the agonies of Christ.
4. Have a male child.
5. Remember that while the Episcopal Church has its problems, it's still all-white. And the after-church donuts are just scrumptious!
6. After 500 years, your "leadership" has just discovered that you don't have a Magisterium, and that this is causing some problems. Donate much more money to your church.
7. Bored in the bedroom? Set the mood by reading an essay by the eminent "Bishop" Spong.
1. Learn how to spell.
2. Have a male child.
3. Divorce, "marry" someone of the same sex, become a "bishop," and repeatedly compare your self-promoting activities to the agonies of Christ.
4. Have a male child.
5. Remember that while the Episcopal Church has its problems, it's still all-white. And the after-church donuts are just scrumptious!
6. After 500 years, your "leadership" has just discovered that you don't have a Magisterium, and that this is causing some problems. Donate much more money to your church.
7. Bored in the bedroom? Set the mood by reading an essay by the eminent "Bishop" Spong.
More Protpocrisy -
The Bible was not divided into chapters until the thirteenth century, and the system for numbering verses was not developed until 1551.
So why do Protestants rely upon this tradition of man, which distorts the perfect Word of God?
So why do Protestants rely upon this tradition of man, which distorts the perfect Word of God?
Outrage as KISS player mouths off on Muslims - Music - www.smh.com.au: KISS bass player Gene Simmons has caused an uproar among Australia's Muslim community by launching an attack on Islamic culture while in Melbourne....
The Israeli-born US musician went on to say Islam was a "vile culture" that treated women worse than dogs.
Muslim women had to walk behind their men and were not allowed to be educated or own houses, he said.
"Your dog, however, can walk side by side, your dog is allowed to have its own dog house... you can send your dog to school to learn tricks, sit, beg, do all that stuff - none of the women have that advantage."
The Israeli-born US musician went on to say Islam was a "vile culture" that treated women worse than dogs.
Muslim women had to walk behind their men and were not allowed to be educated or own houses, he said.
"Your dog, however, can walk side by side, your dog is allowed to have its own dog house... you can send your dog to school to learn tricks, sit, beg, do all that stuff - none of the women have that advantage."
What I learned at Woodrow Wilson's birthplace -
I visited Woodrow Wilson's birthplace in western VA two weekends ago. The facility contains a small display on World War I, which given their limited space for it (2 rooms) is good. But HERE'S an interesting fact that I didn't know, and I'll wager you didn't either (except Otto Hiss and Cacciaguida, I bet they know this) - many American citizens of German origin were jailed during the war. Like the internment of the Japanese citizens that we have heard so much about, only worse - presuming that jail is worse than an internment camp, which I cannot say for certain.
This fact really blows a hole in the theory that the internment camps for the Japanese are a product of American racism, hmm? Which is of course why we haven't heard about it.
This fact really blows a hole in the theory that the internment camps for the Japanese are a product of American racism, hmm? Which is of course why we haven't heard about it.
Anglican Communion News Service: Dr Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland, says "we hold as a priority the centrality of Holy Scripture to our witness, worship and life. The fact that pilgrims on the journey of the Church can differ on the interpretation of that same Scripture has produced much of our present crisis. So we need guidance on how we interpret Scripture."
I complete online polls for money. Today I am completing one on "beauty." Here is one of the statements that I must agree or disagree with, with options for varying levels of agreement or disagreement: "True hair satisfaction comes from embracing the hair you were born with."
Unfortunately there is no option for expressing my actual reaction to this statement - What the ??? is "true hair satisfaction?"
Unfortunately there is no option for expressing my actual reaction to this statement - What the ??? is "true hair satisfaction?"
Kerry 'Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief,' Say Former Military Colleagues -- 05/03/2004: 'We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander-in-chief,' O'Neill said.
"Gender Study" Victim Boy Raised as a Girl Commits Suicide - How sad. This man had a particularly hard life. Pray for the soul of David Reimer.
Zorak reminds the Old Oligarch that she does not want anything expensive for her birthday.
O.O.: "Uh-oh. I already killed the world's only dancing penguin for us to eat."
O.O., sleep-deprived: "Do you mind if I stare at your pineal gland?"
Zorak: "What does the pineal gland do?"
O.O.: "It connects the soul to the body."
O.O.: "Uh-oh. I already killed the world's only dancing penguin for us to eat."
O.O., sleep-deprived: "Do you mind if I stare at your pineal gland?"
Zorak: "What does the pineal gland do?"
O.O.: "It connects the soul to the body."
Catholic Answers: Karl's E-Letter:
"EVEN YOUR PARISH DOESN'T HAVE IT THIS BAD
Perhaps you hear ill-formed or banal intercessory prayers during Mass at your parish. Many Catholics do. But cheer up--it could be far worse. Your priest could be selecting the prayers from 'Prayers of the Faithful,' edited by Fr. Henry Fehren and published by Liturgical Press.
Fehren is the author of seven books, has appeared in fifteen movies, and has written a regular column for 'U.S. Catholic.' Perhaps his best known book is 'Good News for Alienated Catholics.'
Here are samples of what you have been spared:
1. 'For employers whose primary interest is in efficiency, self-confidence, and good appearance, that they will also hire the ugly ...'
2. 'For a frost that will tarnish the value of gold and put sparkle into the dullness of life ...'
3. 'For a society where we don't have to make a million dollars, run the 100 in ten seconds, invent a laser, or die in order to be believed ...'
4. 'For soldiers who don't get mail, children who flunk, showgirls who grow old ...'
5. For put-down, stepped on, squelched children exiled to live in dark caverns ...'
6. 'For the smell of new rain, for pumpkins and Snoopy, for the aroma of homemade bread, for cotton candy, for funny looking animals like giraffes and koalas and human beings ...'
7. 'For dissenters and the right to dissent ...'"
Via the Curt Jester.
"EVEN YOUR PARISH DOESN'T HAVE IT THIS BAD
Perhaps you hear ill-formed or banal intercessory prayers during Mass at your parish. Many Catholics do. But cheer up--it could be far worse. Your priest could be selecting the prayers from 'Prayers of the Faithful,' edited by Fr. Henry Fehren and published by Liturgical Press.
Fehren is the author of seven books, has appeared in fifteen movies, and has written a regular column for 'U.S. Catholic.' Perhaps his best known book is 'Good News for Alienated Catholics.'
Here are samples of what you have been spared:
1. 'For employers whose primary interest is in efficiency, self-confidence, and good appearance, that they will also hire the ugly ...'
2. 'For a frost that will tarnish the value of gold and put sparkle into the dullness of life ...'
3. 'For a society where we don't have to make a million dollars, run the 100 in ten seconds, invent a laser, or die in order to be believed ...'
4. 'For soldiers who don't get mail, children who flunk, showgirls who grow old ...'
5. For put-down, stepped on, squelched children exiled to live in dark caverns ...'
6. 'For the smell of new rain, for pumpkins and Snoopy, for the aroma of homemade bread, for cotton candy, for funny looking animals like giraffes and koalas and human beings ...'
7. 'For dissenters and the right to dissent ...'"
Via the Curt Jester.
Just think how hurt and angry the occupants of hell must be.
"I am a gay man in a committed relationship with another man whom I love, as you should love your spouse," he wrote.
Sand, 43, and Pepera, 49, have been together for five years. Each was married when they "got together," at a Catholic retreat. Both were soon divorced. Pepera has three children, and Sand has two; their children visit them one weekend a month.
"I am a gay man in a committed relationship with another man whom I love, as you should love your spouse," he wrote.
Sand, 43, and Pepera, 49, have been together for five years. Each was married when they "got together," at a Catholic retreat. Both were soon divorced. Pepera has three children, and Sand has two; their children visit them one weekend a month.
Bishop Kevin Farrell rocks!
As Old Oligarch noted, we had an opportunity to witness a deaconal ordination at the National Shrine on Saturday. It was the first time I have seen anything like that and I really enjoyed it. Five young men were ordained, 4 from the Dominicans (since Dominican House is right across the street) and one Franciscan. There were at least 40 priests in attendance, plus lots of monks and nuns. But the real treat was Bishop Farrell's homily. He informed the new deacons that they should above all, depend upon frequent reception of the Eucharist to provide them the graces they would need for their vocation. And that they should teach respect for Christ in the Eucharist, whether doing so made them "comfortable or uncomfortable." He spent at least 7 minutes emphasizing this aspect of their ministry. Fairly bold for a man who reports to Cardinal McCarrick.
Other good counsels he offered included frequent reading of the Bible to ensure that their decisions were informed by Christ's mentality rather than their own, and remembering that they are ordained not to be served but to serve.
I have written letters to Bishop Farrell, Bishop Aquila of Fargo, Archbishop Burke of St. Louis, and Archbishop Myers of Newark thanking them for their courage in defending the Eucharist. Hopefully I will need to write more in the coming weeks.
Other good counsels he offered included frequent reading of the Bible to ensure that their decisions were informed by Christ's mentality rather than their own, and remembering that they are ordained not to be served but to serve.
I have written letters to Bishop Farrell, Bishop Aquila of Fargo, Archbishop Burke of St. Louis, and Archbishop Myers of Newark thanking them for their courage in defending the Eucharist. Hopefully I will need to write more in the coming weeks.
Swamp City: Canadian Made: "President Bush came under fire this week for touring around Ohio with a bus stating 'Yes, America Can' that was made in Canada. The Kerry campaign jumped on the issue until realizing that their own bus was made in Canada."
Wow!
I just learned that holy water remits venial sin. Did you know that? I've been a Catholic for 8 years now and never knew that.
New York Post Online Edition: Letters to the Editor: "Imagine denying Communion to all the women who take any form of contraception or who support Planned Parenthood."
Aaah. Yes. Wouldn't that be nice?
Aaah. Yes. Wouldn't that be nice?
CATHOLIC LEAGUE for Religious and Civil Rights: "Two months have elapsed since (The Passion of the Christ) was released and no Jew has been killed. Not only have there been no pogroms, there have been no reported beatings, and no reported acts of vandalism associated with the film. This is true not only in the U.S.; it is true all over the world. By now the movie has played in literally scores of countries, all without violence. "
I'm sure
that the pictures of a cocky, smoking American woman pulling a naked Iraqi man around on a leash will really help us convince them that their women should be able to drive and not wear burkas.
Family Backs Reservist in Iraq Prison Case - friends make excuses for the woman who gave the "thumbs up" to abusing Iraqis. Classy.
USATODAY.com - Guns, like abortion, are a matter of choice - editorial linking pro-choice and pro-self-defense views. So many problems.
I have gotten 2 solicitations in the mail today: one from Human Life International, one from the Capital Area Food Bank. Both are worthy organizations. I will probably give to both. But I will definitely give more money to HLI.
This made me think about the pro-abortion accusation that pro-lifers don't help people after they are born. But let's face it. Lots of people (and corporations) give money to food banks, literacy programs, etc, because they are noncontroversial and good causes. Lots of people and corporations (including birth control manufacturers, and pornography distributors) also give to pro-abortion causes. But not that many people give to pro-life causes. And in the natural order of things, being killed is much worse than going hungry. So anyone who argues that pro-lifers are not giving to post-natal causes should just think of the money that will go to the Capital Area Food Bank when I don't have to pay to prevent abortionists from vaccuming up little babies.
This made me think about the pro-abortion accusation that pro-lifers don't help people after they are born. But let's face it. Lots of people (and corporations) give money to food banks, literacy programs, etc, because they are noncontroversial and good causes. Lots of people and corporations (including birth control manufacturers, and pornography distributors) also give to pro-abortion causes. But not that many people give to pro-life causes. And in the natural order of things, being killed is much worse than going hungry. So anyone who argues that pro-lifers are not giving to post-natal causes should just think of the money that will go to the Capital Area Food Bank when I don't have to pay to prevent abortionists from vaccuming up little babies.
Fascinating book review at Reason Magazine
Reason: Fools for Communism: Still apologists after all these years: "First, in 1992, the post-Soviet government of Boris Yeltsin threw open the Communist Party's records, including the enormous collection of documents held by the Communist International, or Comintern, which directed the affairs of foreign Communist parties during the first half of the century. Two years later, the Russian SVR, the cash-strapped successor to the KGB, allowed brief and limited access to some of its old files to a handful of Western historians in return for a substantial gratuity. And finally, in 1995, the U.S. government released thousands of KGB cables intercepted and decoded in the 1940s in a top-secret operation known as Venona. In all, some 2 million pages of new documents became available, a historical payload of unfathomable proportions and inestimable impact.
The new picture of American Communists that emerged looked nothing like the one painted by the revisionists. The CPUSA was founded in Moscow, funded from Moscow (as late as 1988 Gus Hall was signing receipts for $3 million a year), and directed by Moscow; the Comintern reviewed everything from the party's printing bills to its public explanations of the nuances of the Hitler-Stalin pact, and the slightest misstep could bring scorching rebukes."
Via Fr. Jim.
The new picture of American Communists that emerged looked nothing like the one painted by the revisionists. The CPUSA was founded in Moscow, funded from Moscow (as late as 1988 Gus Hall was signing receipts for $3 million a year), and directed by Moscow; the Comintern reviewed everything from the party's printing bills to its public explanations of the nuances of the Hitler-Stalin pact, and the slightest misstep could bring scorching rebukes."
Via Fr. Jim.
He has a point.
Getting Ready To Read About "Troy"? Here Are Some Tips So You Don't Pull an Achilles: "Trojan is the worst possible name for a condom. "Think about it," says Turmel, "there was this thing outside the city, soon as it got inside, people came pouring out of it ... isn't that what these things are supposed to prevent?"
Lansing Diocese leaves Eucharist up to individuals: The Diocese of Lansing won't withhold Communion from Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, Bishop Carl Mengeling said last week.
Instead, the diocese will leave the decision on receiving the Eucharist to individual Catholics....
Mengeling said individual Catholics are obligated to determine if they are fit for Communion, not priests, bishops or cardinals. When asked about the sacrament of penance, in which penitents are absolved from their sins by a priest, Mengeling said that individual Catholics are obligated to determine if they need to visit the confessional. "Or do anything, really," he said. "I mean, it's not like there's anyone around here to tell them what the rules are."
"All Catholics, that includes myself, must examine themselves extremely carefully before they approach the Eucharist," Mengeling said. "Our Catholics are adults. We can't treat them like children."...
Mengeling said denying Communion to Granholm and other politicians who support abortion rights would force the church to judge every Catholic, a task he said is up to God. "Oh, and if your confessor says it's a sin, but you don't want to stop, you are 'obligated to determine if you are fit to do your thang,'" the bishop continued. "See, I can throw that in anywhere!" he said.
"We assume that (people) are in good standing with the law in terms of their own conscience," Mengeling said. "The Lord knows that. I don't." "Because when I think about abortion," the bishop continued, "and imagine the bloody masses of human flesh being sucked into a vaccuum, or thrown into a bowl before all the parts are counted to make sure an arm, leg or hand wasn't left in the womb, I recall Christ's teaching: 'Do as thou wilt.'" "What are you looking at?"
Liz Boyd, Granholm's spokeswoman, said the governor, who regularly attends St. John's, has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the state and that she represents all citizens - not just Catholics.
"Gov. Granholm is a person of faith, and her faith is very important to her," Boyd said. "Should the church decide to impose spiritual penalties for political votes of which they disapprove, it may be difficult for any Catholic to serve in public office." Boyd continued by noting that she had heard rumors that God himself planned to impose such penalties. "Gov. Granholm has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the state, not the laws of God," she said. "If God chooses to impose penalties on political votes of which He disapproves, it may be difficult for Gov. Granholm to achieve Nirvana, or whatever," Boyd added.
Rep. Julie Dennis, D-Muskegon, said Catholic politicians represent citizens from diverse religious beliefs and backgrounds and they are being unfairly targeted.
"I will not legislate Catholic doctrine because the Vatican thinks I ought to," said Dennis, a Catholic who also supports abortion rights.
"I'm looking forward to hellfire," Dennis added. "It's freezing up here in Lansing," she said.
Instead, the diocese will leave the decision on receiving the Eucharist to individual Catholics....
Mengeling said individual Catholics are obligated to determine if they are fit for Communion, not priests, bishops or cardinals. When asked about the sacrament of penance, in which penitents are absolved from their sins by a priest, Mengeling said that individual Catholics are obligated to determine if they need to visit the confessional. "Or do anything, really," he said. "I mean, it's not like there's anyone around here to tell them what the rules are."
"All Catholics, that includes myself, must examine themselves extremely carefully before they approach the Eucharist," Mengeling said. "Our Catholics are adults. We can't treat them like children."...
Mengeling said denying Communion to Granholm and other politicians who support abortion rights would force the church to judge every Catholic, a task he said is up to God. "Oh, and if your confessor says it's a sin, but you don't want to stop, you are 'obligated to determine if you are fit to do your thang,'" the bishop continued. "See, I can throw that in anywhere!" he said.
"We assume that (people) are in good standing with the law in terms of their own conscience," Mengeling said. "The Lord knows that. I don't." "Because when I think about abortion," the bishop continued, "and imagine the bloody masses of human flesh being sucked into a vaccuum, or thrown into a bowl before all the parts are counted to make sure an arm, leg or hand wasn't left in the womb, I recall Christ's teaching: 'Do as thou wilt.'" "What are you looking at?"
Liz Boyd, Granholm's spokeswoman, said the governor, who regularly attends St. John's, has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the state and that she represents all citizens - not just Catholics.
"Gov. Granholm is a person of faith, and her faith is very important to her," Boyd said. "Should the church decide to impose spiritual penalties for political votes of which they disapprove, it may be difficult for any Catholic to serve in public office." Boyd continued by noting that she had heard rumors that God himself planned to impose such penalties. "Gov. Granholm has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the state, not the laws of God," she said. "If God chooses to impose penalties on political votes of which He disapproves, it may be difficult for Gov. Granholm to achieve Nirvana, or whatever," Boyd added.
Rep. Julie Dennis, D-Muskegon, said Catholic politicians represent citizens from diverse religious beliefs and backgrounds and they are being unfairly targeted.
"I will not legislate Catholic doctrine because the Vatican thinks I ought to," said Dennis, a Catholic who also supports abortion rights.
"I'm looking forward to hellfire," Dennis added. "It's freezing up here in Lansing," she said.
Olsen Twins in the News: "'We are twins,' said one of them. 'But it's nice to be recognized,' said the other one.
'As individuals,' the first one finished the sentence.
'As individuals,' the first one finished the sentence.
Someone's feeling spunky:
O.O. says, "This is my personality hat."
Zorak asks, "So do you have a personality when you're not wearing the hat?"
O.O. says, "Not this one!"
Zorak and the Old Oligarch both approach the refrigerator at the same time.
O.O. says, "The animals are gathering around the water hole."
Zorak asks, "What happens then?"
O.O.: "Fight for resources!"
Zorak, commenting on the new encyclical: "Now you remember that you can't call them EMEs* anymore."
O.O.: "What do you call them now? EMHCs**?"
Zorak: "Right."
O.O.: "How 'bout we just call them punks?"
*Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
**Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Zorak asks, "So do you have a personality when you're not wearing the hat?"
O.O. says, "Not this one!"
Zorak and the Old Oligarch both approach the refrigerator at the same time.
O.O. says, "The animals are gathering around the water hole."
Zorak asks, "What happens then?"
O.O.: "Fight for resources!"
Zorak, commenting on the new encyclical: "Now you remember that you can't call them EMEs* anymore."
O.O.: "What do you call them now? EMHCs**?"
Zorak: "Right."
O.O.: "How 'bout we just call them punks?"
*Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
**Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Cardinal Newman Society has issued a shocking new report on scandals at U.S. Catholic colleges and universities that is certain to reignite concerns about the colleges' religious character.
The 56-page report, "The Culture of Death on Catholic Campuses: A Five-Year Review," documents inroads made by advocates of abortion, contraception, premarital sexual activity and physician-assisted suicide onto Catholic college campuses since 1999. It is the most extensive evidence of problems in Catholic higher education ever compiled in a single source—and yet it only scratches the surface, relying primarily on media reports and college websites.
"'Pro-choice' is no choice for a Catholic institution, which by its Catholic mission must be courageously pro-life," said Erin Butcher, lead researcher and co-author of the report. "Cardinal Newman Society has responded to scandal after scandal on Catholic campuses, but many Catholics still fail to appreciate the scope of the problem.'
The report identifies the problems and suggests solutions to ensure that Catholic colleges uphold their Catholic, pro-life mission.
The 56-page report, "The Culture of Death on Catholic Campuses: A Five-Year Review," documents inroads made by advocates of abortion, contraception, premarital sexual activity and physician-assisted suicide onto Catholic college campuses since 1999. It is the most extensive evidence of problems in Catholic higher education ever compiled in a single source—and yet it only scratches the surface, relying primarily on media reports and college websites.
"'Pro-choice' is no choice for a Catholic institution, which by its Catholic mission must be courageously pro-life," said Erin Butcher, lead researcher and co-author of the report. "Cardinal Newman Society has responded to scandal after scandal on Catholic campuses, but many Catholics still fail to appreciate the scope of the problem.'
The report identifies the problems and suggests solutions to ensure that Catholic colleges uphold their Catholic, pro-life mission.
Got a hit for What is the most dangerous animal. I resent the implication that I am somehow dangerous. I'm just out here delivering candygrams and collecting for UNICEF.
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