Here are some folks I think of as all time greats, from many fields. They are all Americans. Why don't you list a few All time Greats from the US of A in the comm box?
Jimmy Stewart--Actor, Soldier/Airman/Pilot, General Officer
Nathaniel Herreshoff--Engineer, Yacht Designer
Ambrose Bierce--Curmudgeon, Social Critic
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen--Churchman, Evangelist, TV/Radio Personality
Walter Reed--Soldier, Physician, Discoverer of the Link Between Mosquitoes and Yellow Fever/Malaria
Benjamin Franklin--Raconteur, Philosopher, Scientist, Politician, Rabble Rouser
Nathaniel Bowditch--Autodidact, Mathematician, Merchant Captain, Navigator
Winfield Scott--Soldier, Strategist, Victim of Sectional Politics, Creator of the Strategy That Won The Civil War
Just a few, add some of your own.
TRIUMPHALIST--YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A Small Question
Why is it that when a liberal celebrity like Sean Penn goes to Haiti, it's an expression of Compassion and Concern, but when Sarah Palin goes to Haiti, it's grandstanding and disaster porn?
Do the Palinophobes even see the double standard?
Do the Palinophobes even see the double standard?
The Problem of Approving Homosexual Activity
If we wish to approve of homosexual activity, yet retain the title "Christian" we are first confronted with the practical issue of explaining away the scriptural prohibitions of it, both Old and New Testament.
To do so, we must first explain away Tradition, then the Scriptures themselves.
To do that, we have to explain away the Holy Spirit, and his role in the development of Tradition, and the preservation of Scripture.
Once we do that, we have to explain away the Holy Trinity.
After we have done that, we find we have also explained away the Divinity of Christ.
At that point, we find that the core of our Christian Faith has been removed, and everything is up for grabs, morals, cosmology, metaphysics. Once that happens, we are left with only the title "Christian" and a community that is held together, not by the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments, but by habit and predilection for one another's company. Like a club.
We are left with an empty title.
Why do we go there? Because we do not want to hurt someones feelings. Because we have friends who are Gay and it causes them discomfort to know that we think they are immoral. Because we don't want to be harassed or embarrassed in public. For lots of reasons. But the progression of conceptualization is inevitable. Simply look to the Episcopal Church, or the Unitarians, or those Religious Congregations within the Catholic Church which support 'Gay Rights".
As much as I dislike Cardinal Bernardine, I have to borrow a phrase from him: Christianity is a "Seamless Garment". If we delete or excise any one part of it, the rest simply unravels with time.
To do so, we must first explain away Tradition, then the Scriptures themselves.
To do that, we have to explain away the Holy Spirit, and his role in the development of Tradition, and the preservation of Scripture.
Once we do that, we have to explain away the Holy Trinity.
After we have done that, we find we have also explained away the Divinity of Christ.
At that point, we find that the core of our Christian Faith has been removed, and everything is up for grabs, morals, cosmology, metaphysics. Once that happens, we are left with only the title "Christian" and a community that is held together, not by the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments, but by habit and predilection for one another's company. Like a club.
We are left with an empty title.
Why do we go there? Because we do not want to hurt someones feelings. Because we have friends who are Gay and it causes them discomfort to know that we think they are immoral. Because we don't want to be harassed or embarrassed in public. For lots of reasons. But the progression of conceptualization is inevitable. Simply look to the Episcopal Church, or the Unitarians, or those Religious Congregations within the Catholic Church which support 'Gay Rights".
As much as I dislike Cardinal Bernardine, I have to borrow a phrase from him: Christianity is a "Seamless Garment". If we delete or excise any one part of it, the rest simply unravels with time.
Four Notes
American Apparition Approved: By now you've already heard about it, most likely. The Apparitions in 1859, in what is now the Diocese of Green Bay Wisc. have been approved. The title is Our lady of Good Help.
I see a pilgrimage in my future.
Nun is an Embezzler: Sister Marie E. Thornton, of the Sisters of St. Joseph has been charged with misusing fund from Iona College. The estimates of how much she misused range from 850K to 1.25 Million. The Sisters of St. Joseph are one of the most vocally dissident congregations affiliated with the LCWR. By their fruits...
Anti-Christian hate Crimes: The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe released a five year report yesterday. It notes an increase of various forms of discrimination and intolerance through out Europe. It lists attacks against pro-life advocates in Vienna, Beatings of Catholic and Orthodox priests in Germany, Violent attacks on Franciscan Friars in Italy, and other examples of documented, anti-christian violence.
In November of 2009 the FBI released an report stating that there had been an increase of 9% in hate crimes against religious groups as a whole, and a 25% increase in hate crimes against Catholics, in the previous year.
Having read, over the last year, numerous reports of vandalism against Catholic Churches and shrines, I am unsurprised.
Pilgrimage Site Destroyed By Modern Roundheads: The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury was hacked down this week. This tree reputedly sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. It was unique in that it bloomed twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
The tree had been hacked down once before, by Cromwell's Roundheads, but locals salvaged the roots and replanted it.
It has long been a pilgrimage site. BTW--botanists have determined that the specific species of tree in question is of Middle Eastern origin.
I guess this goes with the note above.
I see a pilgrimage in my future.
Nun is an Embezzler: Sister Marie E. Thornton, of the Sisters of St. Joseph has been charged with misusing fund from Iona College. The estimates of how much she misused range from 850K to 1.25 Million. The Sisters of St. Joseph are one of the most vocally dissident congregations affiliated with the LCWR. By their fruits...
Anti-Christian hate Crimes: The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe released a five year report yesterday. It notes an increase of various forms of discrimination and intolerance through out Europe. It lists attacks against pro-life advocates in Vienna, Beatings of Catholic and Orthodox priests in Germany, Violent attacks on Franciscan Friars in Italy, and other examples of documented, anti-christian violence.
In November of 2009 the FBI released an report stating that there had been an increase of 9% in hate crimes against religious groups as a whole, and a 25% increase in hate crimes against Catholics, in the previous year.
Having read, over the last year, numerous reports of vandalism against Catholic Churches and shrines, I am unsurprised.
Pilgrimage Site Destroyed By Modern Roundheads: The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury was hacked down this week. This tree reputedly sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. It was unique in that it bloomed twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
The tree had been hacked down once before, by Cromwell's Roundheads, but locals salvaged the roots and replanted it.
It has long been a pilgrimage site. BTW--botanists have determined that the specific species of tree in question is of Middle Eastern origin.
I guess this goes with the note above.
Friday, December 10, 2010
I have been told that parts of my rant were extreme.
Well, yes, I'm sure that's correct. The person who said that is someone whose learning and faith I respect highly.
But then, I think Catholicism is extreme, when you strip it of an imposed nuance, and look at in it's stark contrast to the world around us. At times, it seems extreme compared to the culture of the Church itself, in the developed nations.
Let me put it this way: every diocese is supposed to have an exorcist. There are less than a dozen in the US.
That's extreme, in a bad way.
Hell is real. That's extreme too.
If you are not extreme about your religion--you are lukewarm. And Revelations tells us about the lukewarm.
And that's extreme.
Of course, I may be wrong. I'm not all that well educated, or catechized.
But then, I think Catholicism is extreme, when you strip it of an imposed nuance, and look at in it's stark contrast to the world around us. At times, it seems extreme compared to the culture of the Church itself, in the developed nations.
Let me put it this way: every diocese is supposed to have an exorcist. There are less than a dozen in the US.
That's extreme, in a bad way.
Hell is real. That's extreme too.
If you are not extreme about your religion--you are lukewarm. And Revelations tells us about the lukewarm.
And that's extreme.
Of course, I may be wrong. I'm not all that well educated, or catechized.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Here's Something About the Religious Orders Becoming New Age Refuges
This is an announcement taken from The Record, the Archdiocesan News Paper for Louisville.
"A retreat entitled "Winter Solstice: Celebrate light and Darkness", will be led by Passionist Father Joseph Mitchell, who is director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center, on Dec. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nazareth Retreat Center in Nazareth KY. The cost is $25. For information, contact Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Sharon Gray at 502-348-1597 or Carol McKean at 502-438-1513."
In my rant below, I talked about the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Now you can see a little of my antipathy actually has reason.
I know an old Passionist, who is a fine priest and an excellent preacher. But i don't think he is typical of his order.
And of course the local 'Catholic" paper surpports this. I actually feel sorry for Archbishop Kurtz.
"A retreat entitled "Winter Solstice: Celebrate light and Darkness", will be led by Passionist Father Joseph Mitchell, who is director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center, on Dec. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nazareth Retreat Center in Nazareth KY. The cost is $25. For information, contact Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Sharon Gray at 502-348-1597 or Carol McKean at 502-438-1513."
In my rant below, I talked about the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Now you can see a little of my antipathy actually has reason.
I know an old Passionist, who is a fine priest and an excellent preacher. But i don't think he is typical of his order.
And of course the local 'Catholic" paper surpports this. I actually feel sorry for Archbishop Kurtz.
A Note on Local Unemployment
The Louisville Metro area (which includes three counties in Indiana for economic purposes) has, according to government figures, undergone a reduction in unemployment from 9.8% to 9.4% .
The local government, and the Federal Government, are all about it.
Unfortunately, the Business and Economic Faculties of Indian University Southeast have pointed something out, that made the front page of the paper:
It's a lie. The area has lost 5,900 jobs.
What the bureaucrats have done, is decide that a large number of people have left the labor force. I guess that's true, because if there is no work. you're not laboring. You have left the labor force, just not by choice.
This kind of mendacity is why i no longer trust the government, or it's bureaucrats.
The local government, and the Federal Government, are all about it.
Unfortunately, the Business and Economic Faculties of Indian University Southeast have pointed something out, that made the front page of the paper:
It's a lie. The area has lost 5,900 jobs.
What the bureaucrats have done, is decide that a large number of people have left the labor force. I guess that's true, because if there is no work. you're not laboring. You have left the labor force, just not by choice.
This kind of mendacity is why i no longer trust the government, or it's bureaucrats.
THIS IS A RANT
And if you have a problem with it, you have three options. One: just skip it, and read something else. Two: place your rebuttal in the comments section. Three: try to realize how little I care about you not liking it.
The National Catholic Reporter, a journal that as near as I can determine is about as Catholic as the Church of Scotland, has recently put up two items on it's web site. One of the these is an interview with Archbishop Joseph Tobin, who is the number two man at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It is titled " Vatican Must Hear 'Anger and Hurt' of American Nuns, Official Says".The other is a shorter piece touting a "strategy of reconciliation" with the American Sisters affiliated with the LCWR (Leadership Council of Women Religious).
Let me make my bias perfectly clear: I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S A** ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS. Not at all, The Sisters of the LCWR have spent nearly fifty years trying to disassemble the Church in the US. From those delightful Sisters of providence in high school, who tried to teach me not to say the rosary, pray before the blessed sacrament or pay attention to the Holy Father, to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who signed, more or less en mass, an attempt to block the implementation of Liturgiam Authenticam in the US, I have never run across a congregation affiliated with this miserable group that was faithful to the Magisterial Teachings of the Church.
Representing better than 80% of the religious sisters in the US, these groups receive about 20% of the new vocations to the religious life. Simply because they have abandoned it. NO group that has seen such a decline in numbers can be said to be doing well. And no group that has spent a generation defying the legitimate authority in the Church can be said to be faithful.
These women are being subjected to not one, but two Apostolic Visitations. One is from Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. It is looking into the fact that when Vatican Two called religious order to return to their original charism, the American Nuns abandoned their in droves. It's looking into the fact that the norms of religious life--community living, obedience, poverty and yes, chastity are not being followed. It's looking into the reason why there are almost no vocations to these congregations. And to make the job easier, They have only to compare these women to those congregations of women affiliated with the IRL, who are displaying stability, and in some cases, explosive growth to see that in fact there is not a shortage of women called to religious life, but a shortage of opportunities to join, and examples of, faithful women religious.
The Sisters reactions have been those of rebellion and disobedience since the Visitation was announced. No surprise, these chicks have been behaving like spoiled college freshmen for fifty years. But the cornerstone of religious life is obedience--the other vows, and the whole life. proceeds from that. And these women do not want to obey anything.
From their undermining of the Bishops in the last two years on questions stemming from the sanctity of life to the sanctity of marriage, their stubborn refusal to cooperate, their deliberate mendacity in public relations, all these women have managed to do is cement the appearance that they are in material, if not formal, schism.
Anger and Hurt? Why isn't anyone worrying about the anger and hurt of parents who have children who say that the Church isn't important, and unique on the earth, because these sisters have undermined that belief? What about the anger and hurt of laity who contribute to Religious Communities, when they hear the superiors of those communities say that we "need to get beyond Christ"? What about the hurt of families who see their children cohabiting, or living in sodomitic relationships with the sister's blessing and approval?
And most of all,what about the anger and hurt of the Saints, who look down from heaven to see souls falling into Hell for listening to these women, who many assume to be speaking from the heart of the Church and out of Holiness?
Nobody in the hierarchy gives a Rats Ass about the anger and hurt of the Faithful, who are generally relegated to the periphery of parish life. Nobody cares about the hurt of those who ask, and beg, for reverent liturgies only to be told that sister has been to St. Louis, and knows best. Nobody cares about the anger of men whose children have been murdered before birth under laws theses "sisters" supported and lobbied for.
We shouldn't give a moments concern for their anger and hurt, and we shouldn't give a thought to a strategy of reconciliation with these communities. We should tell them that they can be Catholic Religious, or they can be Independent. But they can't be hotbeds of heresy, disobedience schism and lesbian activism--which right now they are--and pose as Catholics.
The Sisters of the LCWR embarrass me as a Catholic.
The National Catholic Reporter, a journal that as near as I can determine is about as Catholic as the Church of Scotland, has recently put up two items on it's web site. One of the these is an interview with Archbishop Joseph Tobin, who is the number two man at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It is titled " Vatican Must Hear 'Anger and Hurt' of American Nuns, Official Says".The other is a shorter piece touting a "strategy of reconciliation" with the American Sisters affiliated with the LCWR (Leadership Council of Women Religious).
Let me make my bias perfectly clear: I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S A** ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS. Not at all, The Sisters of the LCWR have spent nearly fifty years trying to disassemble the Church in the US. From those delightful Sisters of providence in high school, who tried to teach me not to say the rosary, pray before the blessed sacrament or pay attention to the Holy Father, to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who signed, more or less en mass, an attempt to block the implementation of Liturgiam Authenticam in the US, I have never run across a congregation affiliated with this miserable group that was faithful to the Magisterial Teachings of the Church.
Representing better than 80% of the religious sisters in the US, these groups receive about 20% of the new vocations to the religious life. Simply because they have abandoned it. NO group that has seen such a decline in numbers can be said to be doing well. And no group that has spent a generation defying the legitimate authority in the Church can be said to be faithful.
These women are being subjected to not one, but two Apostolic Visitations. One is from Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. It is looking into the fact that when Vatican Two called religious order to return to their original charism, the American Nuns abandoned their in droves. It's looking into the fact that the norms of religious life--community living, obedience, poverty and yes, chastity are not being followed. It's looking into the reason why there are almost no vocations to these congregations. And to make the job easier, They have only to compare these women to those congregations of women affiliated with the IRL, who are displaying stability, and in some cases, explosive growth to see that in fact there is not a shortage of women called to religious life, but a shortage of opportunities to join, and examples of, faithful women religious.
The Sisters reactions have been those of rebellion and disobedience since the Visitation was announced. No surprise, these chicks have been behaving like spoiled college freshmen for fifty years. But the cornerstone of religious life is obedience--the other vows, and the whole life. proceeds from that. And these women do not want to obey anything.
From their undermining of the Bishops in the last two years on questions stemming from the sanctity of life to the sanctity of marriage, their stubborn refusal to cooperate, their deliberate mendacity in public relations, all these women have managed to do is cement the appearance that they are in material, if not formal, schism.
Anger and Hurt? Why isn't anyone worrying about the anger and hurt of parents who have children who say that the Church isn't important, and unique on the earth, because these sisters have undermined that belief? What about the anger and hurt of laity who contribute to Religious Communities, when they hear the superiors of those communities say that we "need to get beyond Christ"? What about the hurt of families who see their children cohabiting, or living in sodomitic relationships with the sister's blessing and approval?
And most of all,what about the anger and hurt of the Saints, who look down from heaven to see souls falling into Hell for listening to these women, who many assume to be speaking from the heart of the Church and out of Holiness?
Nobody in the hierarchy gives a Rats Ass about the anger and hurt of the Faithful, who are generally relegated to the periphery of parish life. Nobody cares about the hurt of those who ask, and beg, for reverent liturgies only to be told that sister has been to St. Louis, and knows best. Nobody cares about the anger of men whose children have been murdered before birth under laws theses "sisters" supported and lobbied for.
We shouldn't give a moments concern for their anger and hurt, and we shouldn't give a thought to a strategy of reconciliation with these communities. We should tell them that they can be Catholic Religious, or they can be Independent. But they can't be hotbeds of heresy, disobedience schism and lesbian activism--which right now they are--and pose as Catholics.
The Sisters of the LCWR embarrass me as a Catholic.
Minor Notes in the Culture War
Here are some minor notes on stories that I had been paying attention to, that I'm not going to hold forth on, because I'm lazy.
--Pepsi/Doritos Ad: Has been pulled from You Tube and is out of consideration for running during the Super Bowl. 90% of the comments were unfavorable. So Pepsi/Doritios is now having to confront the idea that using Holy Communion, as practiced in the Protestant churches, is not an acceptable thing to be made fun of. And we didn't even use suicide bombers or terrorism to make the point.
--Another Democrat Against Free Speech: Steve Driehaus of Ohio's First Congressional District lost his bid for re-election. During the election, he tried to sue the Susan B. Anthony List under Ohio election law, to prevent them from putting up bill boards criticising his support for ObamaCare and noting that it would make money available for abortion. (Note: this has happened through "high risk insurance pools" that slide between the cracks of bans on Federal money paying for Abortions) Now he is sueing the Susan B. Anthony List in Federal Court, saying that they "Deprived him of his Livelihood" by campaigning against him. If this flies, it will open a door to intimidating people from opposing incumbent representatives. It's an attempt to prevent Values Conservatives from adding their voice to the pubic discourse.
--Give the C of E "Bishop of London" a break: The Rt. Rev Richard Chartres isn't a fan of the Roman Catholic Church. And His Grace has gone on record as saying that not only would he forbid any departing congregations to take their buildings out of the C of E, in his Diocese there will be no sharing of buildings. Some Catholics are being critical of this stance. Grow up. Rt Rev Chartres is within his rights, and really, within his duties. He believes--however wrongly--that the Catholic Church is in error, and doesn't want to promote error among his flock. He is showing some backbone. (Of course, now I must make a point of explaining that he is a schismatic heretic supporting an ecclesial body that has discarded apostolic succession, and with it Holy Orders and valid sacramental worship. i would think that would be understood, but apparently, not always.)
ACLU Bullying-- The ACLU has sent a letter to every school district in the State of Tennessee warning them not to include religious content in any "holiday pageants" they may stage or face the possibility of legal action. They say this stems from complaints they received from people in the State. This is really just a case of bullying. There can't be a complaint about something that hasn't happened. It is an attempt to silence speech and expression of our cultural heritage through intimidation. There at least should be substantive complaint before a threat of legal action.
Discrimination Against the Greek Orthodox Faith: On 9-11 one of the structures destroyed was a Greek Orthodox Church, The Church of St. Nicholas was destroyed, and every since the congregation has faced obstructionism from the City of New York and the Port Authority over rebuilding. They had arrived at an agreement in 2008 to rebuild, but the obstruction continues. They have filed suit.
Strange--if you oppose a mosque in the vicinity, you're a bigot. If you oppose a Christian Church, you're the government.
New York Times Takes a Swipe at Our Lady: In the holiday Edition of T--the Times' style magazine, there appeared, just in time for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, an article titled "Immaculate Perception--Exploring the Cult of the Virgin Mary". This article was based on a book published in the 70s, which has since fallen into relative obscurity. In this article the author, Holly Brubach characterized the teachings on the BVM as unscriptural, misogynistic, and a tool of the oppression of women. Oddly enough, there was no article attacking any other religions teachings on the Winter holidays.
Anyway, just some of the things that are going on around us.
--Pepsi/Doritos Ad: Has been pulled from You Tube and is out of consideration for running during the Super Bowl. 90% of the comments were unfavorable. So Pepsi/Doritios is now having to confront the idea that using Holy Communion, as practiced in the Protestant churches, is not an acceptable thing to be made fun of. And we didn't even use suicide bombers or terrorism to make the point.
--Another Democrat Against Free Speech: Steve Driehaus of Ohio's First Congressional District lost his bid for re-election. During the election, he tried to sue the Susan B. Anthony List under Ohio election law, to prevent them from putting up bill boards criticising his support for ObamaCare and noting that it would make money available for abortion. (Note: this has happened through "high risk insurance pools" that slide between the cracks of bans on Federal money paying for Abortions) Now he is sueing the Susan B. Anthony List in Federal Court, saying that they "Deprived him of his Livelihood" by campaigning against him. If this flies, it will open a door to intimidating people from opposing incumbent representatives. It's an attempt to prevent Values Conservatives from adding their voice to the pubic discourse.
--Give the C of E "Bishop of London" a break: The Rt. Rev Richard Chartres isn't a fan of the Roman Catholic Church. And His Grace has gone on record as saying that not only would he forbid any departing congregations to take their buildings out of the C of E, in his Diocese there will be no sharing of buildings. Some Catholics are being critical of this stance. Grow up. Rt Rev Chartres is within his rights, and really, within his duties. He believes--however wrongly--that the Catholic Church is in error, and doesn't want to promote error among his flock. He is showing some backbone. (Of course, now I must make a point of explaining that he is a schismatic heretic supporting an ecclesial body that has discarded apostolic succession, and with it Holy Orders and valid sacramental worship. i would think that would be understood, but apparently, not always.)
ACLU Bullying-- The ACLU has sent a letter to every school district in the State of Tennessee warning them not to include religious content in any "holiday pageants" they may stage or face the possibility of legal action. They say this stems from complaints they received from people in the State. This is really just a case of bullying. There can't be a complaint about something that hasn't happened. It is an attempt to silence speech and expression of our cultural heritage through intimidation. There at least should be substantive complaint before a threat of legal action.
Discrimination Against the Greek Orthodox Faith: On 9-11 one of the structures destroyed was a Greek Orthodox Church, The Church of St. Nicholas was destroyed, and every since the congregation has faced obstructionism from the City of New York and the Port Authority over rebuilding. They had arrived at an agreement in 2008 to rebuild, but the obstruction continues. They have filed suit.
Strange--if you oppose a mosque in the vicinity, you're a bigot. If you oppose a Christian Church, you're the government.
New York Times Takes a Swipe at Our Lady: In the holiday Edition of T--the Times' style magazine, there appeared, just in time for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, an article titled "Immaculate Perception--Exploring the Cult of the Virgin Mary". This article was based on a book published in the 70s, which has since fallen into relative obscurity. In this article the author, Holly Brubach characterized the teachings on the BVM as unscriptural, misogynistic, and a tool of the oppression of women. Oddly enough, there was no article attacking any other religions teachings on the Winter holidays.
Anyway, just some of the things that are going on around us.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Well, He's in Gaol
Julian Assange has been arrested in London, on a warrant from Sweden. His attempt to blackmail the governments of the western world by threatening to release a gigabyte file of classified documents didn't pan out.
There are people on the "Net saying that the arrest is retaliation for leaking classified documents. This point of view, however, ignores a few of inconvenient facts. The first is,that the warrants are dated from before the leaks, and refer to two counts of rape. The second is that the warrants originate in Sweden, a Country that is not a part of NATO, and that has a record of extending political asylum to people who embarrass their own governments. Third is and inconvenient fact that is also an inconvenient concept.
Not all "whistle blowers" are heroes. Some are scumbags, who did the right thing. Some are megalomaniacs who want to set themselves up as above the law. Some are megalomaniacs who have non consensual sex with women, leave the country and threaten to endanger the lives of thousands, to help terrorists set up their hit lists and to disrupt the diplomatic process--such as it is--if they are arrested.
There are those who will attempt to make this man a poster boy of free speech. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is the poster boy for narcissistic egotism, lawlessness and callous self interest.
There are people on the "Net saying that the arrest is retaliation for leaking classified documents. This point of view, however, ignores a few of inconvenient facts. The first is,that the warrants are dated from before the leaks, and refer to two counts of rape. The second is that the warrants originate in Sweden, a Country that is not a part of NATO, and that has a record of extending political asylum to people who embarrass their own governments. Third is and inconvenient fact that is also an inconvenient concept.
Not all "whistle blowers" are heroes. Some are scumbags, who did the right thing. Some are megalomaniacs who want to set themselves up as above the law. Some are megalomaniacs who have non consensual sex with women, leave the country and threaten to endanger the lives of thousands, to help terrorists set up their hit lists and to disrupt the diplomatic process--such as it is--if they are arrested.
There are those who will attempt to make this man a poster boy of free speech. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is the poster boy for narcissistic egotism, lawlessness and callous self interest.
Some Minor Violence
Well, the local newspaper Anti-Catholic fish wrap has as it's mantra that pro-lifers are violent or capable of violence. Even though the only rowdy behavior I have seen at the Abortuary is coming from pro-abortion folks.
But hey, it's in the paper, it must be true, right?
That's why Joseph and Ann Scheidler had their home attacked at 2 AM, December the 2d. Chunks of pavement were thrown through their windows, with notes attached. The notes were laced with obscenities and said that the perps would "destroy your sexist ideas" and boasted of their abortions, as well as touting a natural abortificient that the perps claimed they would use if abortion was outlawed. The notes were adorned with a symbol associated with the GLBTQ movement.
I couldn't find any reports of arrests.
Because, after all, it's the prolifers who are violent. The FBI said so. The FBI said lawsuits to recover free speech by prolifers were acts of violence. Gee, we're so dangerous.
Sure wish we had the 'equal protection under the law" thing going for us. But from what i have seen, we don't. Of course, my evidence is all anectdotal, eccept where it's documented. Where it's not documented, it happened to people I know.
But hey, it's in the paper, it must be true, right?
That's why Joseph and Ann Scheidler had their home attacked at 2 AM, December the 2d. Chunks of pavement were thrown through their windows, with notes attached. The notes were laced with obscenities and said that the perps would "destroy your sexist ideas" and boasted of their abortions, as well as touting a natural abortificient that the perps claimed they would use if abortion was outlawed. The notes were adorned with a symbol associated with the GLBTQ movement.
I couldn't find any reports of arrests.
Because, after all, it's the prolifers who are violent. The FBI said so. The FBI said lawsuits to recover free speech by prolifers were acts of violence. Gee, we're so dangerous.
Sure wish we had the 'equal protection under the law" thing going for us. But from what i have seen, we don't. Of course, my evidence is all anectdotal, eccept where it's documented. Where it's not documented, it happened to people I know.
Death Mongering
Those who believe in the sanctity of human life have been embattled for thirty-eight years in the US. There have been minor victories on the subject of capital punishment, but on the issue of Abortion we have been very ineffective. A few small victories, a clinic closing her and there, but not really any signal success anywhere. And now we are moving into a new arena: Euthanasia.
As Paul VI warned in Humanae Vitae, we are indeed on a slippery slope.
Euthanasia is gaining ground in the US and abroad. It gains ground largely on the basis of misrepresentation and lies. There are those who point to Belgium, and it's Euthanasia laws as models of how to do it. Jan Bernheim has been touring North America, telling people how well the law is working in Belgium, and how there are no real abuses of the law. Unfortunately, that's untrue.
It turns out that a study of death certificates found some interesting violations of the law that allows medical personnel to murder their patients. First, the required reporting isn't being done in about half the cases. Second--and this is the biggie--32% of the euthanasia cased were not accompanied by the required requests or consent papers. Thirty-two percent of these events were not consensual. Most of those were performed by nurses, acting alone.
So the spectre of medical personnel murdering their patients "for their own good" is very real, despite the dismissal of this fear by euthanasia proponents.
Two years ago, the Ruling party in Belgium said that the law should be expanded to include teens and children. When you compare that to the children and infants who areeuthanized murdered by medical personnel in The Netherlands, it gets scary. I was appalled to learn that children with club foot--a treatable condition that even if left untreated does not preclude an active, full life--were being killed after being born in Holland.
The Court of Appeals in Brussels very recently approved the concept of "wrongful life", citing the Belgian criminal code on abortion, and reasoning that abortion was in the best interest of children who would be born with disabilities. Chillingly reminiscent of the Nazi concept of "life unworthy of life".
"She's just a Euthanasia Child"--Those are the words a teacher spoke upon seeing Tikvah Roosemont, whose parents have to deal with repeated attempt to have their child killed by the medical establishment, beginning with attempts to get them to abort their disabled child when it became clear that she would be born with severe disabilities. (Disabilities that are not as severe as the doctors predicted when pressuring the Roosemonts to have her murdered.) They insure that there is someone with her at all times when she is in the hospital, for fear that the nurses will murder her. To bolster this position, Lionel Roosemont, her father, points to Doctor Marc Cosyns boasting of killing a dementia patient, even though that is a flagrant violation of the law, as the woman was not terminal, didn't give a written consent, and didn't ask for the procedure, and wasn't lucid enough to give legal consent in any event. Mr. Roosemont cites a culture of illegality and indiscriminate use of euthanasia that is unregulated, unreported and unpunished.
When we discuss Euthanasia in the US, perhaps we should look at what happens when it is legalized in Europe, especially since "Europeans enlightened attitude" is used as an example or excuse. I give it not time at all before Oregon begins to feel the lash of murder by physician discretion, if indeed they are not already.
It's obvious to me why Lilith is used as the unofficial mascot of the abortion movement--even to the point of naming foundations that raise money to pay for women's abortions after her--because this courting of death and the negation of human worth has to be demonic.
As Paul VI warned in Humanae Vitae, we are indeed on a slippery slope.
Euthanasia is gaining ground in the US and abroad. It gains ground largely on the basis of misrepresentation and lies. There are those who point to Belgium, and it's Euthanasia laws as models of how to do it. Jan Bernheim has been touring North America, telling people how well the law is working in Belgium, and how there are no real abuses of the law. Unfortunately, that's untrue.
It turns out that a study of death certificates found some interesting violations of the law that allows medical personnel to murder their patients. First, the required reporting isn't being done in about half the cases. Second--and this is the biggie--32% of the euthanasia cased were not accompanied by the required requests or consent papers. Thirty-two percent of these events were not consensual. Most of those were performed by nurses, acting alone.
So the spectre of medical personnel murdering their patients "for their own good" is very real, despite the dismissal of this fear by euthanasia proponents.
Two years ago, the Ruling party in Belgium said that the law should be expanded to include teens and children. When you compare that to the children and infants who are
The Court of Appeals in Brussels very recently approved the concept of "wrongful life", citing the Belgian criminal code on abortion, and reasoning that abortion was in the best interest of children who would be born with disabilities. Chillingly reminiscent of the Nazi concept of "life unworthy of life".
"She's just a Euthanasia Child"--Those are the words a teacher spoke upon seeing Tikvah Roosemont, whose parents have to deal with repeated attempt to have their child killed by the medical establishment, beginning with attempts to get them to abort their disabled child when it became clear that she would be born with severe disabilities. (Disabilities that are not as severe as the doctors predicted when pressuring the Roosemonts to have her murdered.) They insure that there is someone with her at all times when she is in the hospital, for fear that the nurses will murder her. To bolster this position, Lionel Roosemont, her father, points to Doctor Marc Cosyns boasting of killing a dementia patient, even though that is a flagrant violation of the law, as the woman was not terminal, didn't give a written consent, and didn't ask for the procedure, and wasn't lucid enough to give legal consent in any event. Mr. Roosemont cites a culture of illegality and indiscriminate use of euthanasia that is unregulated, unreported and unpunished.
When we discuss Euthanasia in the US, perhaps we should look at what happens when it is legalized in Europe, especially since "Europeans enlightened attitude" is used as an example or excuse. I give it not time at all before Oregon begins to feel the lash of murder by physician discretion, if indeed they are not already.
It's obvious to me why Lilith is used as the unofficial mascot of the abortion movement--even to the point of naming foundations that raise money to pay for women's abortions after her--because this courting of death and the negation of human worth has to be demonic.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Shark Attack
There have been five shark attacks at Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt in the last week. I'm not surprised.
I was at Sharm in the early 80s, as a member of the international Force and Observers, who were monitoring the Camp David peace accords. There wasn't a luxury Hyatt resort there then, but it had been a minor Israeli fund spot before it was returned to Egypt. One of the chief forms of recreation we had--it was, after all in the middle of a desert, then, (The palm trees one sees there now were planted later!) was swimming and scuba diving. The diving was magnificent.
But there were lots of sharks. Sharm el-Sheikh is at the top of the red sea, on the straights of Tiran. It has been a region famed for sharks, and a mecca for shark researchers. We would walk out on the reef at low tide,sit with our legs in the water, and slap the water to call the sharks. The pilots who flew the choppers could see into the water quite well--it was very clear--and they refused to scuba dive or swim, saying they could see all the sharks.
So the story in the news brought back memories. I'm very sorry for the tourists who have been killed or injured. At the same time, what was for me a place in the middle of nowhere is now a major resort. The dividend of peace between Egypt and Israel was well worth my time.
I just hope they cleaned up the minefields.
I was at Sharm in the early 80s, as a member of the international Force and Observers, who were monitoring the Camp David peace accords. There wasn't a luxury Hyatt resort there then, but it had been a minor Israeli fund spot before it was returned to Egypt. One of the chief forms of recreation we had--it was, after all in the middle of a desert, then, (The palm trees one sees there now were planted later!) was swimming and scuba diving. The diving was magnificent.
But there were lots of sharks. Sharm el-Sheikh is at the top of the red sea, on the straights of Tiran. It has been a region famed for sharks, and a mecca for shark researchers. We would walk out on the reef at low tide,sit with our legs in the water, and slap the water to call the sharks. The pilots who flew the choppers could see into the water quite well--it was very clear--and they refused to scuba dive or swim, saying they could see all the sharks.
So the story in the news brought back memories. I'm very sorry for the tourists who have been killed or injured. At the same time, what was for me a place in the middle of nowhere is now a major resort. The dividend of peace between Egypt and Israel was well worth my time.
I just hope they cleaned up the minefields.
Political Observations
Looking toward the New Congress that will convene in January, the Democratic Congress Critters are feeling a bit of angst. partially that is finding expression in the attempts by the lame duck congress to pass legislation they know that they have no chance of passing after the next Congress convenes. It also manifests itself in such political theater as the hearings concerning misconduct by Charlie Wrangle. (Yes he has been censored. But if he had been subject to the scrutiny of a Republican controlled house, he probably would have been sent down. If for no other reason than to make the Democrats look bad.) But one thing they are very worried about is that the chair of the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform will be controlled by the Republicans, who are going put Darrel Issa in that position. He is apparently serious about inefficiency and mismanagement, something that several of the programs the Democrats have emplaced in the last two years suffer from to an amazing degree--some of their sacred cows are at risk. But they are worried about something else.
They are worried about the historical example of Henry Waxman, who controlled the committee during the Bush Administration. Waxman used his position not improve efficiency, but as a propaganda tool, staging hearings that were essentially show trials, in which minority members were not present, with changes in topic at the last minute so that those testifying were not prepared. The conduct of these hearings was appalling: Members of Congress would use up the time available for their questions so that those before the committee didn't have time to answer, by engaging in orations or accusations that were unfounded. Under Waxman, the Committee didn't do it's job: inefficiency, waste and misconduct flourished unchecked. The Democrats are afraid of a repeat, a tit for tat, that would be politically damaging. At the same time, if Issa does his job properly, they also stand to loose face.
I don't know which way Issa will roll. I hope he uses this position as it's intended, and not for partisan politics. If he doesn't, the losers will be us, the people. And if he doesn't, another set of losers will be the Republicans. We the people are fed up, and we don't trust the congress we have elected. We will be watching for the usual bait and switch bull shit that passes for government these days.
In other political theater, the Republican Stage is still dominated by Sarah Palin. Love her or hate her, Mrs. Palin has become a force in American Politics. And love her or hate her, her influence on the Conservative Movement is considerable. Much has been made of the fact that not all of the candidates she endorsed won. That's a straw man argument, because more of her endorsed candidates won than lost.
I like Sarah Palin. I admire the way she was able to take on both the oil corporations and the entrenched old boy Republican Machine in Alaska, and win. I do not want her as president. I just don't think that she is of presidential caliber. And I take as a central disqualifier her resignation from the governorship of Alaska. That's my politics, and I am unapologetic.
But there is something we need to be very aware of. Among her chief opponents are people who are not Democrats, or liberals. They are the old guard of the Republican Party. The Good Old Boys do not like her. One, they resent her influence, and the fact that it is used against them. Two, they resent her roots. Republican, or Democrat, the party leadership inthis country is an elite, economic and social. One needs only to look at their declared incomes, and their educational backgrounds. Sometimes the politics of this Country look like an inter-clan feud in a dysfunctional clan. An incestuous dysfunctional clan. Sarah Palin isn't part of the clan. She's an outsider. Democratic opposition to her is very understandable: she represents a philosophy of government and politics that is inimical to their own. So their efforts to keep her out of power are honorable. (Except for the religious bigotry and sexism shown by some of the progressive fringe--that's just wrong, no matter who you apply it too.) But the Republican elite see her as something else--they see her as the voice of the conservative base who have grown tired of and angry at a party that pretends to be working in their interest, but repeated and routinely sells them down the river. If there is a series of horrendous dirty tricks played on Mrs. Palin, or heavy smears, or really, any extremely slimy thing done to her, or her reputation, I'm betting that at the bottom of it you will find not Democratic party operatives, but Republicans.
If you are a conservative, or concerned with constitutional rule, or political and personal liberty, the Republicans are just as much the enemy as the Democrats.
As an aside, Mrs. Palin's reality show recently aired a segment that featured hunting. Uproar, of course, ensued. But I like Mrs. Palin's rebuttal: "Unless you've never worn leather shoes, sat upon a leather couch, or eaten a piece of meat, save you condemnation of tonight's episode. I remain proudly intolerant of anti-hunting hypocrisy." I love it! of course, she made this response on her Facebook page. And to be honest, both the reality TV series and the Facebook page are reasons I don't want her in the oval office. I do want her to keep speaking out: she says things we need to have said that the political master don't want us to say, or hear.
They are worried about the historical example of Henry Waxman, who controlled the committee during the Bush Administration. Waxman used his position not improve efficiency, but as a propaganda tool, staging hearings that were essentially show trials, in which minority members were not present, with changes in topic at the last minute so that those testifying were not prepared. The conduct of these hearings was appalling: Members of Congress would use up the time available for their questions so that those before the committee didn't have time to answer, by engaging in orations or accusations that were unfounded. Under Waxman, the Committee didn't do it's job: inefficiency, waste and misconduct flourished unchecked. The Democrats are afraid of a repeat, a tit for tat, that would be politically damaging. At the same time, if Issa does his job properly, they also stand to loose face.
I don't know which way Issa will roll. I hope he uses this position as it's intended, and not for partisan politics. If he doesn't, the losers will be us, the people. And if he doesn't, another set of losers will be the Republicans. We the people are fed up, and we don't trust the congress we have elected. We will be watching for the usual bait and switch bull shit that passes for government these days.
In other political theater, the Republican Stage is still dominated by Sarah Palin. Love her or hate her, Mrs. Palin has become a force in American Politics. And love her or hate her, her influence on the Conservative Movement is considerable. Much has been made of the fact that not all of the candidates she endorsed won. That's a straw man argument, because more of her endorsed candidates won than lost.
I like Sarah Palin. I admire the way she was able to take on both the oil corporations and the entrenched old boy Republican Machine in Alaska, and win. I do not want her as president. I just don't think that she is of presidential caliber. And I take as a central disqualifier her resignation from the governorship of Alaska. That's my politics, and I am unapologetic.
But there is something we need to be very aware of. Among her chief opponents are people who are not Democrats, or liberals. They are the old guard of the Republican Party. The Good Old Boys do not like her. One, they resent her influence, and the fact that it is used against them. Two, they resent her roots. Republican, or Democrat, the party leadership inthis country is an elite, economic and social. One needs only to look at their declared incomes, and their educational backgrounds. Sometimes the politics of this Country look like an inter-clan feud in a dysfunctional clan. An incestuous dysfunctional clan. Sarah Palin isn't part of the clan. She's an outsider. Democratic opposition to her is very understandable: she represents a philosophy of government and politics that is inimical to their own. So their efforts to keep her out of power are honorable. (Except for the religious bigotry and sexism shown by some of the progressive fringe--that's just wrong, no matter who you apply it too.) But the Republican elite see her as something else--they see her as the voice of the conservative base who have grown tired of and angry at a party that pretends to be working in their interest, but repeated and routinely sells them down the river. If there is a series of horrendous dirty tricks played on Mrs. Palin, or heavy smears, or really, any extremely slimy thing done to her, or her reputation, I'm betting that at the bottom of it you will find not Democratic party operatives, but Republicans.
If you are a conservative, or concerned with constitutional rule, or political and personal liberty, the Republicans are just as much the enemy as the Democrats.
As an aside, Mrs. Palin's reality show recently aired a segment that featured hunting. Uproar, of course, ensued. But I like Mrs. Palin's rebuttal: "Unless you've never worn leather shoes, sat upon a leather couch, or eaten a piece of meat, save you condemnation of tonight's episode. I remain proudly intolerant of anti-hunting hypocrisy." I love it! of course, she made this response on her Facebook page. And to be honest, both the reality TV series and the Facebook page are reasons I don't want her in the oval office. I do want her to keep speaking out: she says things we need to have said that the political master don't want us to say, or hear.
Freedom of Worship Equals Oppression of Religion.
I am not a fan of George Orwell. i don't like his writing style, and his personal politics were appalling. But saying you're not a fan of someone is a far cry from saying you shouldn't think about what he wrote. I was given two book by Orwell to read in high school, Animal Farm and 1984. I think that was a good idea, and I would love it if more people read 1984.
I think that the idea of "NewSpeak" is one we all should keep close while we're watching the activities of our rulers. Because sometimes, it shows us what's coming.
President Obama is fond of the phrase "Freedom of Worship". And most people seem to take it for granted that it's synonymous with Freedom of Religion. It is not. Freedom of Worship is a clever phrase that relegates religion to what occurs inside of a church building. Really it relegates religion to an hour or so a week, on Sunday, while opening a door to it's exclusion from the public square. You can be sure when this phrase is used by progressives, it means that they won't interfere with say, what songs are sung or what holy books are read, but that the behavioral implications of religion outside of the sanctuary will be interfered with.
You can see this now, in the move to remove protection of conscience from the laws pertaining to health care workers. The ruling class says that adequate protections already exist. However, history and experience shows that any right not given explicit protection is up for grabs. And if current protections are adequate, how do you explain that a nurse in New York state was fired for refusing to participate in an abortion; when she took her case to the courts, they upheld the firing. Despite the existing statutory "protections".
Remember, when a politico says "freedom of worship" he is dropping the word religion. Worship is a specific act. Religion is a world view that colors all of you choices and decisions. This verbal construction is simply a way to make it easier to banish religion and religious ethics from the public square. Don't fall for it, and when you hear it, ask questions about it, in a loud voice, in public.
I think that the idea of "NewSpeak" is one we all should keep close while we're watching the activities of our rulers. Because sometimes, it shows us what's coming.
President Obama is fond of the phrase "Freedom of Worship". And most people seem to take it for granted that it's synonymous with Freedom of Religion. It is not. Freedom of Worship is a clever phrase that relegates religion to what occurs inside of a church building. Really it relegates religion to an hour or so a week, on Sunday, while opening a door to it's exclusion from the public square. You can be sure when this phrase is used by progressives, it means that they won't interfere with say, what songs are sung or what holy books are read, but that the behavioral implications of religion outside of the sanctuary will be interfered with.
You can see this now, in the move to remove protection of conscience from the laws pertaining to health care workers. The ruling class says that adequate protections already exist. However, history and experience shows that any right not given explicit protection is up for grabs. And if current protections are adequate, how do you explain that a nurse in New York state was fired for refusing to participate in an abortion; when she took her case to the courts, they upheld the firing. Despite the existing statutory "protections".
Remember, when a politico says "freedom of worship" he is dropping the word religion. Worship is a specific act. Religion is a world view that colors all of you choices and decisions. This verbal construction is simply a way to make it easier to banish religion and religious ethics from the public square. Don't fall for it, and when you hear it, ask questions about it, in a loud voice, in public.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Today, at Mass
Right after communion, during the purification, my Granddaughter reached up, and pulled my moustache. Hard.
Do you know how hard it is to present an appropriately reverent face to the world, when someone has just given your 'stache a firm tug?
I ought to get an Oscar.
Do you know how hard it is to present an appropriately reverent face to the world, when someone has just given your 'stache a firm tug?
I ought to get an Oscar.
I Can't Believe He Used the "S" Word
Today, being the second Sunday of Advent, we get to hear about John the Baptists, and his call to repentance. If you are around my age, you always have in the back of your head a shofar and the words "Pre--eeee---PARE Ye the way of the LORD. Fortunately, Godspell has fallen out of vogue.
But that was today's Gospel.
Father Ray had the 9:30 Mass, and being a Ressurectionist, he preaches whenever he says a Sunday mass. And today, He used the 'S' word. He actually said "sin", as well as "repentance", "Sacrament of Reconciliation" and went so far as to address the problem of confessing the same thing over and over, and a purpose of amendment. Then he went on to list the times the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available in our parish, and when the Advent penance Service would be.
In other words, he preached the call to repentance that is integral to the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
I have never heard a sermon on the necessity of Confession or repentance in any other parish. God Bless Father Ray.
But that was today's Gospel.
Father Ray had the 9:30 Mass, and being a Ressurectionist, he preaches whenever he says a Sunday mass. And today, He used the 'S' word. He actually said "sin", as well as "repentance", "Sacrament of Reconciliation" and went so far as to address the problem of confessing the same thing over and over, and a purpose of amendment. Then he went on to list the times the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available in our parish, and when the Advent penance Service would be.
In other words, he preached the call to repentance that is integral to the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
I have never heard a sermon on the necessity of Confession or repentance in any other parish. God Bless Father Ray.
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