Only two people who voted on the poll didn't accept their medal. One said they were unaffected by abortion, and one said I was attempting to guilt women into being broodmares.
BTW--I put options like that on the poll because it reduces hateful remarks in my Comm Box.
Cheers!
TRIUMPHALIST--YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
OK-That's Just Weird!
Just out of boredom, I checked the little gizmo on the "Stats" page to see wht searches led people to this blog in the last week.
Two people came here after searching the term "redneck porn star".
How very odd.
Two people came here after searching the term "redneck porn star".
How very odd.
The Reform of the Renewal--a Prologue
The Second Vatican Council, convened from 1962 to 1965 has taken a lot of blame that does not rightfully belong to it. First--it was a duly convened, licit Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. If you are a Catholic, you are bound to accept the idea that these Councils constitute the Extraordinary Magisterium of the Church, and are indefectable when they are ratified by the consent of the Holy Father. So to simply dismiss the Council puts one out of the Realm of Catholic Ecclesiology. The Second Vatican Council was called by a validly elected Pope, and ratified by a validly elected Pope--we are bound to accept it. At the same time, it's hard to deny that there has been tremendous upheaval and a huge increase in heretical expressions and disrespect of the Church itself following the Council.
I will respectfully submit the opinion, while affirming that I accept the Second Vatican Council as valid in all it's decrees, that the problem was one of timing. The council was overdue. The roots of the council are found in the First Vatican Council. The First Vatican Council (Vatican I) was convened in 1868, and was slated to consider questions of Ecclesiology, the problem of rationalism, "liberalism" (the word has changed meaning in the years since the council) and materialism (in it's formal meaning). Unfortunately it was cut short well before it finished it's work, by the entry of the Army of the kingdom of Italy into Rome, and the annexation of the City into the kingdom. The questions that had remained unexamined remained, and grew more pressing. At the same time, the formal heresy of Modernism was becoming a problem, despite the efforts of the Papacy and the Holy Office, including the Holy Office document Lamentabili Sane Exitu issued in 1907 and the Encyclical issued by Pope St. Pius X, in the same year.
That Encyclical was titled Pascendi Domanici Gregis, and defined Modernism as a heresy. Shortly after that, in 1910, an oath was required of all Bishops and Priests against modernism. The problem went underground, especially in seminaries and religious orders. At the same time, from 1870, when Vatican I was adjourned, technological progress and social changes accelerated. By the time of the encyclical, aircraft, radiotelegraphy, submarines etc had been invented. The number of literate persons increased throughout the Christian world, and developments in political thought were occurring at a dizzying pace. Four years after the requirement for the oath, the Great War broke out.
The First World War was a shock to the intellectual and spiritual life of the World. Although not as destructive as the Second World War, it was more disruptive of the world view of humanity. Nothing had happened like it in history. Four of the Great Empires were destroyed, those of Germany, Austro-Hungary, Russia and the Ottomans. Two remaining colonial empires, France and England were impaired and impoverished, the seeds of their own destruction as empires sown in the battlefields of Europe, Asia and Africa. What was as,or even more, traumatic was the loss of a world view. The second half of the 19th century had been an age of belief in progress. Technology was making the world more accessible. The ideal of "globalism" was more closely realized in an economic sense in 1914 than in 2000. Suddenly,, the integration of economies and peoples into transnational structures was turned to destruction, often of these same transnational structures. The technologies that had promised so much became the basis of industrialized warfare. Warfare itself was transformed, moving from two dimensions to three. You need only to look at the uniforms, equipment and tactics of 1914 and compare them to those of 1918 to see the transformation. The industrial production, which promised such possibilities for improvement in the lives of people, were turned to the production of weapons, often of new and terrifying kinds--poison gas, flamethrowers, bombardment of cities from zeppelins and aircraft--and the old "honorable" means of warfare, the determined bayonet charge, the use of cavalry, and so forth simply proved to be butchery to no apparent end.
Worse, the political, intellectual and spiritual structures that had seemed to provide for so much progress and improvement were seen to have failed. The governmental structures of oligarchy, limited democracy and diplomatic empire were shown up as bankrupt, as having contributed to the slaughter of a generation. And the spiritual structures of all the major belligerent powers played an active role in justifying the war, and perpetuating the manifest madness of modern industrial warfare. people could no longer trust their governmental structures--Russia, Germany, Austro-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire fell to revolutions and disintegration that led to the establishment of Secular governments, often blatantly hostile to religion.
The problems that Vatican I was to have considered, but was prevented from considering by the Army of the House of Savoy that unified Italy as a de facto Piedmontese Empire had risen up to savage western civilization. And the Church, no less than the temporal regimes suffered. From the end of the Franco-Prussian war there had been a rising tide of actions directed against Religion, and the Catholic Church in particular. People had begun to place their faith in materialism (in the formal sense) and secular causes. And the Church had been denied it's opportunity to address the infection before it festered.
In reality, the Second Vatican Council was way overdue. It should have been called earlier. The council, if called in say, the early twenties, could have addressed these questions, and done so without the rot of spreading, underground modernism, or the challenge of entrenched atheistic materialism. It could have done so without the deterioration of the 40s and the 50s, which while giving the appearance of strength weakened the ability of the Church to enforce it's authority. A council in the twenties would have given us the tools and conceptual framework to oppose the fascist rise in the thirties, the spread of atheistic communism, the rise of hedonistic materialism an the loss of faith in the supernatural order that characteristic the period from 1929 to the present.
The big mistake wasn't in calling the council, it was in calling it too late.
I will try, in another post, to set out some of the things about Modernism, Rationalism, Materialism, etc., that militate against the Church and have created a climate of contumacy that has led to the Liturgical and Catechal wasteland we now inhabit.
I will respectfully submit the opinion, while affirming that I accept the Second Vatican Council as valid in all it's decrees, that the problem was one of timing. The council was overdue. The roots of the council are found in the First Vatican Council. The First Vatican Council (Vatican I) was convened in 1868, and was slated to consider questions of Ecclesiology, the problem of rationalism, "liberalism" (the word has changed meaning in the years since the council) and materialism (in it's formal meaning). Unfortunately it was cut short well before it finished it's work, by the entry of the Army of the kingdom of Italy into Rome, and the annexation of the City into the kingdom. The questions that had remained unexamined remained, and grew more pressing. At the same time, the formal heresy of Modernism was becoming a problem, despite the efforts of the Papacy and the Holy Office, including the Holy Office document Lamentabili Sane Exitu issued in 1907 and the Encyclical issued by Pope St. Pius X, in the same year.
That Encyclical was titled Pascendi Domanici Gregis, and defined Modernism as a heresy. Shortly after that, in 1910, an oath was required of all Bishops and Priests against modernism. The problem went underground, especially in seminaries and religious orders. At the same time, from 1870, when Vatican I was adjourned, technological progress and social changes accelerated. By the time of the encyclical, aircraft, radiotelegraphy, submarines etc had been invented. The number of literate persons increased throughout the Christian world, and developments in political thought were occurring at a dizzying pace. Four years after the requirement for the oath, the Great War broke out.
The First World War was a shock to the intellectual and spiritual life of the World. Although not as destructive as the Second World War, it was more disruptive of the world view of humanity. Nothing had happened like it in history. Four of the Great Empires were destroyed, those of Germany, Austro-Hungary, Russia and the Ottomans. Two remaining colonial empires, France and England were impaired and impoverished, the seeds of their own destruction as empires sown in the battlefields of Europe, Asia and Africa. What was as,or even more, traumatic was the loss of a world view. The second half of the 19th century had been an age of belief in progress. Technology was making the world more accessible. The ideal of "globalism" was more closely realized in an economic sense in 1914 than in 2000. Suddenly,, the integration of economies and peoples into transnational structures was turned to destruction, often of these same transnational structures. The technologies that had promised so much became the basis of industrialized warfare. Warfare itself was transformed, moving from two dimensions to three. You need only to look at the uniforms, equipment and tactics of 1914 and compare them to those of 1918 to see the transformation. The industrial production, which promised such possibilities for improvement in the lives of people, were turned to the production of weapons, often of new and terrifying kinds--poison gas, flamethrowers, bombardment of cities from zeppelins and aircraft--and the old "honorable" means of warfare, the determined bayonet charge, the use of cavalry, and so forth simply proved to be butchery to no apparent end.
Worse, the political, intellectual and spiritual structures that had seemed to provide for so much progress and improvement were seen to have failed. The governmental structures of oligarchy, limited democracy and diplomatic empire were shown up as bankrupt, as having contributed to the slaughter of a generation. And the spiritual structures of all the major belligerent powers played an active role in justifying the war, and perpetuating the manifest madness of modern industrial warfare. people could no longer trust their governmental structures--Russia, Germany, Austro-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire fell to revolutions and disintegration that led to the establishment of Secular governments, often blatantly hostile to religion.
The problems that Vatican I was to have considered, but was prevented from considering by the Army of the House of Savoy that unified Italy as a de facto Piedmontese Empire had risen up to savage western civilization. And the Church, no less than the temporal regimes suffered. From the end of the Franco-Prussian war there had been a rising tide of actions directed against Religion, and the Catholic Church in particular. People had begun to place their faith in materialism (in the formal sense) and secular causes. And the Church had been denied it's opportunity to address the infection before it festered.
In reality, the Second Vatican Council was way overdue. It should have been called earlier. The council, if called in say, the early twenties, could have addressed these questions, and done so without the rot of spreading, underground modernism, or the challenge of entrenched atheistic materialism. It could have done so without the deterioration of the 40s and the 50s, which while giving the appearance of strength weakened the ability of the Church to enforce it's authority. A council in the twenties would have given us the tools and conceptual framework to oppose the fascist rise in the thirties, the spread of atheistic communism, the rise of hedonistic materialism an the loss of faith in the supernatural order that characteristic the period from 1929 to the present.
The big mistake wasn't in calling the council, it was in calling it too late.
I will try, in another post, to set out some of the things about Modernism, Rationalism, Materialism, etc., that militate against the Church and have created a climate of contumacy that has led to the Liturgical and Catechal wasteland we now inhabit.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
If you help people in unusual quests...
...And you are on Facebook, friend "Newalbany Thegnome' a ragen gnome who seeks to have 1000 facebook friends.
He's harmless.
He's harmless.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
What's Up With Catholic Health Association?
The Catholic Health Association defied the bishops over Obamacare, and are party of a counter suit against the now 27 States suing over the act. They came to the defense of the Phoenix Hospital that performed an abortion for therapeutic reasons. One of their largest member groups is Catholic Healthcare West, which ran that hospital, and have other problematic hospitals as well.
Currently, Catholic Healthcare West is embroiled in a new problem, stemming from one of it's hospitals, mercy Hospitals of Sacramento, giving grants totaling around one million dollars to Capital Community Health Network. This group is more than problematical, two of it's member agencies--the "non-profit providers of womens health care" that serve women who can't afford it are Planned Parenthood and Women's Health Specialists. Planned Parenthood is obviously problematic, and Women's Healthcare Specialists provide contraceptive services free of charge. More, this group was expressly founded to protect these agencies revenue streams, and one of the members of it's board of directors, Debora Ortiz is the executive director of Women's Health Specialists, and Vice president of Planned Parenthood-Monte Mar. And this supposedly Catholic hospital, a member of one of the largest groups in CHA, gave them grant money, and runs clinics in the same umbrella organization! And CHW is and has been defended by CHA!
Yet we learn that the CHA sent a letter to Abp Dolan, acknowledging that the Bishops get to say what is and isn't Catholic, and affirming that the local Bishop gets to be the one who makes the call concerning whether something is ethical or moral according to Catholic teaching, and have the right to impose this on Catholic hospitals. The letter is dated 18 January of this year, and seems to contradict public statements mad by Sister Carol Keehan in December of last year saying essentially that the call was rightfully theirs and the Bishops didn't have the expertise to make such decisions.
This is causing some confusion, and the motive isn't clear. The letter to the president of the USCCB contains one passage that can be parsed to mean that the CHA still believes that it's interpretation of Catholic teaching and clinical situations will override the Bishops, but that isn't completely clear. Some people are saying this means that the CHA hasn't submitted to the Bishops, but is simply putting up a smoke screen to buy themselves some breathing room--an bureaucratic tactic, to confuse and stave off any efforts at reform.
Another thing that could be happening is that the CHA has been told by the Bishops, but quietly, to shape up or be dissolved as a part of the Catholic Church.
A third could be simply a financial move: when an institution is declared to no longer be Catholic, it loses a lot of legal bennies, and can be open to litigation under labor laws it had previously been exempt from.
So the situation is now more confused than it was two months ago, and I don't know what's up. I can hope that the Bishops have put their foot down, and the CHA is being brought to heel. Certainly it's needed, because Catholic Hospitals are starting to go the way of Catholic universities--deciding that they will tell the Bishops what's Catholic, not vice versa. But I can also fear that this is just another dodge by relativist nuns, under the influence of Modernism.
Currently, Catholic Healthcare West is embroiled in a new problem, stemming from one of it's hospitals, mercy Hospitals of Sacramento, giving grants totaling around one million dollars to Capital Community Health Network. This group is more than problematical, two of it's member agencies--the "non-profit providers of womens health care" that serve women who can't afford it are Planned Parenthood and Women's Health Specialists. Planned Parenthood is obviously problematic, and Women's Healthcare Specialists provide contraceptive services free of charge. More, this group was expressly founded to protect these agencies revenue streams, and one of the members of it's board of directors, Debora Ortiz is the executive director of Women's Health Specialists, and Vice president of Planned Parenthood-Monte Mar. And this supposedly Catholic hospital, a member of one of the largest groups in CHA, gave them grant money, and runs clinics in the same umbrella organization! And CHW is and has been defended by CHA!
Yet we learn that the CHA sent a letter to Abp Dolan, acknowledging that the Bishops get to say what is and isn't Catholic, and affirming that the local Bishop gets to be the one who makes the call concerning whether something is ethical or moral according to Catholic teaching, and have the right to impose this on Catholic hospitals. The letter is dated 18 January of this year, and seems to contradict public statements mad by Sister Carol Keehan in December of last year saying essentially that the call was rightfully theirs and the Bishops didn't have the expertise to make such decisions.
This is causing some confusion, and the motive isn't clear. The letter to the president of the USCCB contains one passage that can be parsed to mean that the CHA still believes that it's interpretation of Catholic teaching and clinical situations will override the Bishops, but that isn't completely clear. Some people are saying this means that the CHA hasn't submitted to the Bishops, but is simply putting up a smoke screen to buy themselves some breathing room--an bureaucratic tactic, to confuse and stave off any efforts at reform.
Another thing that could be happening is that the CHA has been told by the Bishops, but quietly, to shape up or be dissolved as a part of the Catholic Church.
A third could be simply a financial move: when an institution is declared to no longer be Catholic, it loses a lot of legal bennies, and can be open to litigation under labor laws it had previously been exempt from.
So the situation is now more confused than it was two months ago, and I don't know what's up. I can hope that the Bishops have put their foot down, and the CHA is being brought to heel. Certainly it's needed, because Catholic Hospitals are starting to go the way of Catholic universities--deciding that they will tell the Bishops what's Catholic, not vice versa. But I can also fear that this is just another dodge by relativist nuns, under the influence of Modernism.
Even as I Type....
....my three year old Granddaughter is fighting off THE NAP. But she's in a good mood, so she's doing it by singing.
She's singing "All Creatures of Our God and King". The tune is recognizable, and she's singing "Alleluia!, Alleluia! All the praising! all the praising! Alleluia! Alleluia! All the praying! all the praying!"
I love that song, and now I'll like it even better!
She's singing "All Creatures of Our God and King". The tune is recognizable, and she's singing "Alleluia!, Alleluia! All the praising! all the praising! Alleluia! Alleluia! All the praying! all the praying!"
I love that song, and now I'll like it even better!
RETRACTION! RETRACTION!
I had been of the opinion that Fr. Thomas Euteneuer had been the victim of skulduggery aimed at silencing him, and that's the reason for his sudden disappearance from public like and ministry.
That proves not to be the case.
Fr. Euteneuer has issued a public statement admitting to offenses against chastity with one person, of a heterosexual nature, not involving intercourse or minors.
He has rightly been removed from public ministry. It is unclear whether this involves an act or acts committed in the course of his ministry. If it does, the seriousness of this matter increases greatly. However, Fr. Euteneuer is obeying his ordinary, and is expressing contrition for his actions. (Unlike another famous priest, who blames the church for his lack of chastity and sees no reason for contrition. Yes Fr. Cutie, I'm talking about you.)
Hopefully, wit his issue of a public statement, approved by his ordinary, the rampant speculation and character assassination will stop: He has done enough besmirching of his character with his own actions that it's not needed.
Fr. Euteneuer fought the Devil, and the Devil won. Since I spent many, many years fighting God at the Devils side, I can't be too condemnatory--rather, I must pray for him and consider that God has Forgiven me as much, and more.
However, I must retract my statements, and my opinion, that he was beset by forces and factions within the Church bent on interrupting his ministry and discrediting his person. I must also admit that my lack of trust in my Brothers and Sisters in Christ led me to calumniate persons unknown, based on a narrow minded and suspicious mindset. Since I did this on the 'Net, I consider it a matter that will have to be addressed in Confession. This is because, with out a doubt, I have sown discord and division in the Body of Christ, where there was no offense or action to condemn.
Please pray for me that I will become more charitable.
That proves not to be the case.
Fr. Euteneuer has issued a public statement admitting to offenses against chastity with one person, of a heterosexual nature, not involving intercourse or minors.
He has rightly been removed from public ministry. It is unclear whether this involves an act or acts committed in the course of his ministry. If it does, the seriousness of this matter increases greatly. However, Fr. Euteneuer is obeying his ordinary, and is expressing contrition for his actions. (Unlike another famous priest, who blames the church for his lack of chastity and sees no reason for contrition. Yes Fr. Cutie, I'm talking about you.)
Hopefully, wit his issue of a public statement, approved by his ordinary, the rampant speculation and character assassination will stop: He has done enough besmirching of his character with his own actions that it's not needed.
Fr. Euteneuer fought the Devil, and the Devil won. Since I spent many, many years fighting God at the Devils side, I can't be too condemnatory--rather, I must pray for him and consider that God has Forgiven me as much, and more.
However, I must retract my statements, and my opinion, that he was beset by forces and factions within the Church bent on interrupting his ministry and discrediting his person. I must also admit that my lack of trust in my Brothers and Sisters in Christ led me to calumniate persons unknown, based on a narrow minded and suspicious mindset. Since I did this on the 'Net, I consider it a matter that will have to be addressed in Confession. This is because, with out a doubt, I have sown discord and division in the Body of Christ, where there was no offense or action to condemn.
Please pray for me that I will become more charitable.
Varia Number Whatever--I'm Bored Today!
As a Matter of Fact I AM Afraid of the Federal Government: The "Internet Kill Switch" is back on the legislative table. The Internet is the most powerful and revolutionary communications and free speech tool since the printing press. And this law would assign to the President the power to shut it down, without even being subject to judicial review. This comes after several attempts by Obama Administration officials to gain the power to silence individual web sites, or to regulate the entire web. We only need to look at some States that have that power--like the Peoples Republic of China, which seeks to keep it's people from hearing unapproved opinions and talking about them, or Egypt,which shut the "Net down to try and stop dissent. If you're a Conservative, do you want Obama to be able to silence your speech, or to interfere with your ability to communicate with like minded people? If you're a Liberal,would like some one like Nixon to have the same power? These powers are not only granted to the sitting president, but to his successors. And none of us has had an unbroken string of Chief Executives that we trust of respect.
Another Misunderstood Call for Violence Against Sarah Palin: So a community theater group putting on The Mikado had Ko Ko the executioner list Sarah Palin as one of the people who would not be missed. Of course, we just misunderstood the whole intent of that, didn't we. After all the Director of the play, Curt Olds says the list is often updated to make it relevant and funny. Yeah, right. After the Arizona Massacre, people said we need to be careful about what we say, because unstable persons could take it to heart and kill people. And Sarah Palin was blamed. Since then, death threats against Sarah Palin have increased exponentially. I wrote about the local progressive weekly that ran a cartoon showing Ms. Palin with the word "A-Hole" spelled out on her forehead with bullet holes. I rather believe that these things are now done in the hopes that someone will act on them--progressives want Palin dead.
How Does This Crap Happen?: Herbert Richey Jr. was a priest in Ohio. He was removed from the ministry for sexual impropriety. He took a job as music minister at a parish in Michigan. In 2002, it was realized that he was banned for sexual abuse and immediately removed from his position. OK--he was caught and fired, unfortunate but understandable. Now, we find out that he has been working in music ministry--playing the organ--at St. Margaret of Scotland church in St. Clair Shores MI. How does this happen? Once, could be the result of his simply trying to conceal his history, and doing a good enough job to get hired. This means that somehow he got hired, placed on the Church payroll and worked in a parish After the Archdiocese knew he was a banned and laicized priest! Some one somewhere covered for him--that's the simplest explanation. I hope the Church in Detroit is looking into how he got hired, and I hope someone gets hammered--this is inexcusable! BTW--Laicized priests are banned from ministry, even those who that are open to laymen--they are not even allowed to be an Altar Boy.
The "Morning After Pill" Experiment Failed: The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in western Europe. That is a cause for concern, and the UK government is rightly trying to fix the problem. One fix they tried was to distribute, free and without prescription, the morning after pill. Well, the results are in, and statistical analysis shows something interesting. In the areas where the program was implemented, there was no decrease in the teen pregnancy rate--it stayed the same as in areas where it was not tried. However, the STD rate among teens rose by 12% in those areas that received the free pills. Opponents of truth are trying to dismiss the numbers as meaning less or out of date. In the last five years, STD rates among those under 16 have risen 58%, with chlamydia leading the pack. The pharmaceutical interests are saying this report about the morning after pill is meaning less, and needs to be presented against the backdrop of "skyrocketing conceptions rates elsewhere. Umm--it was about people in the UK, and it did compare the figures between areas with and without the free pills. Besides--with birth rates among the English and Celtic peoples of the UK below replacement levels, one would think that higher conception rates would be in the interests of the National Government,if for no other reason than to make more taxpayers.
Is Sebelius a Dolt or a Jackwagon?: It's kind of hard to tell! At a recent event she tried to sound Republican, and defend the Individual Mandate Provision of the Obamacare bill. She compared it to buying a TV set. She said it's one thing to have a 27 inch TV to watch the Superbowl, and another to demand that someone deliver one to your house on Superbowl Sunday because you have a right to it. She said the uninsured were presenting themselves for medical care and expecting someone else to pay for it. Then she said she felt Congress had the right under the Interstate Commerce Claus to mandate the purchase. Well, the problem is, that the people behind Obamacare are holding the position that health care is a right--so she fails on her Republican Style argument. Especially as mandated insurance coverage will entail people paying for others insurance by the provision that "the poor" will have theirs subsidized. As far as the Commerce Clause (when did the word "interstate" get dropped? When Congress wanted to accrue more power, that's when!) what Sebelius puts forth is the merest of jackwagonry. The Interstate Commerce Clause gives congress the power to regulate trade and items that cross state lines, it doesn't give the Federal Government the right to make us buy anything. Her analogy breaks down--because following it through, it would mean that Congress can make you buy a TV because someone else wants one for free. And, considering it's illogic and dissimulation, it becomes probable that Sebelius is both a dolt, and a jackwagon.
Another Misunderstood Call for Violence Against Sarah Palin: So a community theater group putting on The Mikado had Ko Ko the executioner list Sarah Palin as one of the people who would not be missed. Of course, we just misunderstood the whole intent of that, didn't we. After all the Director of the play, Curt Olds says the list is often updated to make it relevant and funny. Yeah, right. After the Arizona Massacre, people said we need to be careful about what we say, because unstable persons could take it to heart and kill people. And Sarah Palin was blamed. Since then, death threats against Sarah Palin have increased exponentially. I wrote about the local progressive weekly that ran a cartoon showing Ms. Palin with the word "A-Hole" spelled out on her forehead with bullet holes. I rather believe that these things are now done in the hopes that someone will act on them--progressives want Palin dead.
How Does This Crap Happen?: Herbert Richey Jr. was a priest in Ohio. He was removed from the ministry for sexual impropriety. He took a job as music minister at a parish in Michigan. In 2002, it was realized that he was banned for sexual abuse and immediately removed from his position. OK--he was caught and fired, unfortunate but understandable. Now, we find out that he has been working in music ministry--playing the organ--at St. Margaret of Scotland church in St. Clair Shores MI. How does this happen? Once, could be the result of his simply trying to conceal his history, and doing a good enough job to get hired. This means that somehow he got hired, placed on the Church payroll and worked in a parish After the Archdiocese knew he was a banned and laicized priest! Some one somewhere covered for him--that's the simplest explanation. I hope the Church in Detroit is looking into how he got hired, and I hope someone gets hammered--this is inexcusable! BTW--Laicized priests are banned from ministry, even those who that are open to laymen--they are not even allowed to be an Altar Boy.
The "Morning After Pill" Experiment Failed: The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in western Europe. That is a cause for concern, and the UK government is rightly trying to fix the problem. One fix they tried was to distribute, free and without prescription, the morning after pill. Well, the results are in, and statistical analysis shows something interesting. In the areas where the program was implemented, there was no decrease in the teen pregnancy rate--it stayed the same as in areas where it was not tried. However, the STD rate among teens rose by 12% in those areas that received the free pills. Opponents of truth are trying to dismiss the numbers as meaning less or out of date. In the last five years, STD rates among those under 16 have risen 58%, with chlamydia leading the pack. The pharmaceutical interests are saying this report about the morning after pill is meaning less, and needs to be presented against the backdrop of "skyrocketing conceptions rates elsewhere. Umm--it was about people in the UK, and it did compare the figures between areas with and without the free pills. Besides--with birth rates among the English and Celtic peoples of the UK below replacement levels, one would think that higher conception rates would be in the interests of the National Government,if for no other reason than to make more taxpayers.
Is Sebelius a Dolt or a Jackwagon?: It's kind of hard to tell! At a recent event she tried to sound Republican, and defend the Individual Mandate Provision of the Obamacare bill. She compared it to buying a TV set. She said it's one thing to have a 27 inch TV to watch the Superbowl, and another to demand that someone deliver one to your house on Superbowl Sunday because you have a right to it. She said the uninsured were presenting themselves for medical care and expecting someone else to pay for it. Then she said she felt Congress had the right under the Interstate Commerce Claus to mandate the purchase. Well, the problem is, that the people behind Obamacare are holding the position that health care is a right--so she fails on her Republican Style argument. Especially as mandated insurance coverage will entail people paying for others insurance by the provision that "the poor" will have theirs subsidized. As far as the Commerce Clause (when did the word "interstate" get dropped? When Congress wanted to accrue more power, that's when!) what Sebelius puts forth is the merest of jackwagonry. The Interstate Commerce Clause gives congress the power to regulate trade and items that cross state lines, it doesn't give the Federal Government the right to make us buy anything. Her analogy breaks down--because following it through, it would mean that Congress can make you buy a TV because someone else wants one for free. And, considering it's illogic and dissimulation, it becomes probable that Sebelius is both a dolt, and a jackwagon.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Abortion News I like
Well, Lila Rose and the good soldiers over at Live Action have been at it again, and once again have managed to catch Planned parenthood in the dirty business that they excel at.
Live Action sent their trademark undercover camera and recording teams to twelve PP clinics. This time, they posed as sex traffickers. And they caught PP on tape, making arraignments for sex traffickers without alerting the police. They even bluntly posed as pimps wanting to bring their whole stable in for group depo shots, trying to get abortions for underage kidnapping victims, trying to get syphilis treatment for girls who were brought into the country illegally for work in the sex trade. And in these twelve clinics, no one called the police!
This time though, after the data was collected, before it was released, pp tripped to the fact they had been punked, and released the story themselves, as well as sending a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder saying that sex traffickers had been by looking for services.
The thing is, that doesn't erase the failure of the clinics to obey the state laws they violated. more than that, PP could complain that they had been punked, but not without admitting that the clinics in question were operating outside the law. It's a no win situation for them.
In England, Margaret Forrester was suspended and threatened with firing after she discussed her misgivings about the information that women considering abortion were being given, and gave that coworker a book detailing the psychological and physical risks of abortion. Unfortunately, the word got out. Even more unfortunately, Ms. Forrester's actions were in compliance with the guidelines of the British medical community about informing patients of the risks of abortion and what they are. She has not only been reinstated, but offered a higher paying position. Truth will out.
Finally, in the realm of backhanded compliments and unintentional affirmation, the Internet site religiondispatches.org has a piece by 'guest blogger' Mary E. Hunt. She calls the Right to life march "The (Mostly Catholic) Anit-Abortion Roe v. Wade Schlep". As if that's something to be ashamed of! i'm proud that the Church in the US is at least living up to it's duty to protect the powerless, even if all of us aren'ton board. She went on to acknowledge the strong presence of youth at the march, complaining it was artificial because they carried banners from their schools, or had been bused to the march. What she had to do though, was acknowledge that there was enough concern and passion about this to make that a point of pride for the marchers, and that there were too many of them to ignore.)
So prayers, sacrifice, courage and integrity are making a difference. We need to keep it up!
Live Action sent their trademark undercover camera and recording teams to twelve PP clinics. This time, they posed as sex traffickers. And they caught PP on tape, making arraignments for sex traffickers without alerting the police. They even bluntly posed as pimps wanting to bring their whole stable in for group depo shots, trying to get abortions for underage kidnapping victims, trying to get syphilis treatment for girls who were brought into the country illegally for work in the sex trade. And in these twelve clinics, no one called the police!
This time though, after the data was collected, before it was released, pp tripped to the fact they had been punked, and released the story themselves, as well as sending a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder saying that sex traffickers had been by looking for services.
The thing is, that doesn't erase the failure of the clinics to obey the state laws they violated. more than that, PP could complain that they had been punked, but not without admitting that the clinics in question were operating outside the law. It's a no win situation for them.
In England, Margaret Forrester was suspended and threatened with firing after she discussed her misgivings about the information that women considering abortion were being given, and gave that coworker a book detailing the psychological and physical risks of abortion. Unfortunately, the word got out. Even more unfortunately, Ms. Forrester's actions were in compliance with the guidelines of the British medical community about informing patients of the risks of abortion and what they are. She has not only been reinstated, but offered a higher paying position. Truth will out.
Finally, in the realm of backhanded compliments and unintentional affirmation, the Internet site religiondispatches.org has a piece by 'guest blogger' Mary E. Hunt. She calls the Right to life march "The (Mostly Catholic) Anit-Abortion Roe v. Wade Schlep". As if that's something to be ashamed of! i'm proud that the Church in the US is at least living up to it's duty to protect the powerless, even if all of us aren'ton board. She went on to acknowledge the strong presence of youth at the march, complaining it was artificial because they carried banners from their schools, or had been bused to the march. What she had to do though, was acknowledge that there was enough concern and passion about this to make that a point of pride for the marchers, and that there were too many of them to ignore.)
So prayers, sacrifice, courage and integrity are making a difference. We need to keep it up!
If it's Monday, I Must Have Read the News.
Well, there is a lot going on, in both major and minor stories across the globe! So here are some things, at random, that i noticed this morning. I have to say, the things I notice are so random, that I wonder if I'm paying attention at all!
A Criticism of Obama = FAIL: Haaaretz, The Israeli newspaper, has a column up on it's website saying that Obama will go down in history as the president that lost Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. I am not a fan of President Obama, but that is so much BS! Obama never had Turkey, Lebanon or Egypt. The flames that are engulfing North Africa and the Near East are not of his making, nor are they in anyway his fault. We, and Israeli journalists, need to bear in mind that these are sovereign nations, and with their own populations who have their own agendas. There is absolutely nothing the US can do in this situation, unless we decide to implement a truly imperial policy and invade them, to enforce an order favorable to us. Even if we tried that, we would fail. The days of imperial nations inflicting their will on restive populations are over.
It's at Least Partially About Food: This mess was touched off by a Tunisian fruit vendor who immolated himself as a protest about food prices. Th cost of basic foods has risen sharply in most places on Earth. The disorders in North African and the Near East stem from this fact, compounded by the great divide between rich and poor in these regions. There are people who are going to give this a Marxist or Class War spin, forgetting that it's about food, and hungry people are angry. It started there because it's where the pinch was felt first. Right now the global ratio of stocks to use for corn are the lowest in years, at about 12.8%. The global food index is at an all time high, with the cost of fats and oil up 55% in the last year, and the cost of cereals up 30%. (The figures are from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.) The proximate cause of this is the drought in Russia and the Ukraine, but there are deeper causes. One of them is the diversion of grain to make fuel grade ethanol. An awful lot of corn ends up being burned in internal combustion engines. Another is the puttering out of the Greed Revolution. Globally, the per acre yield of grain is falling, and that include in the US-we are not maintaining our crop lands in any sustainable manner. (Go check the per acre yield figures for the US--it's sobering!)
This sort of disorder is going to spread, and increase.
Speaking of Civil Disorder: Police were called to the Greater New Zion Baptist Church because of a brawl. As many as 75 people were involved, and it took 30 Law Officers to break it up. The reason for the brawl is unclear. And I though we Catholics were bad about division with in the Church... .
Disorder on the Political Front: Twenty-five people were arrested at a protest outside of a conservative strategy session near Palm Springs. protesters carried signs saying "Troops Home Now". "Medicare for All" amd "Tea Party founded and Funded by the Kochs". Some of them wore HazMat suits and called for the session participants to be quarantined. The protest was legal,with permits, but the people arrested left the legal protest area, trespassed and attempted to gain entry to the session to disrupt it. Such a wonderful new age of Civility we're having, when mob action is used to prevent a lawful assembly that exercises constitutional rights. The "progressive" left doesn't like conservatives to have rights. The organizer of the protest said it was to protest "...funding of climate denial groups, far-right political candidates and anti-health care reform efforts." Judging by the signs carried, the participants weren't as focused as the organizers. The protest peaked at about 1000 people. And, I haven't met a or heard of a single group that denies that there is a climate.
Why: Did a protest by 1000 people against conservatives in Palm Springs get more mainstream press coverage than a protest by 400,000 pro-lifers in Washington DC?
Speaking of Climate: If a theory or model does not explain or fit factual observations, it needs to be changed. This is as true for theories of climate as it is for theories of physics. And observations are piling up that do not fit the theory and models used in the global warming debate. I am in no way qualified to judge what's up with the climate, but i can notice things about facts and observations, and how they fit a model. Things like this: Dr. Rajendra Pachauri predicted in a UN report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the Himalayan Glaciers would be gone by 2035, with catastrophic flooding followed by a dearth of water as glacier fed rivers shrunk or dried out. However, measurements show that the Himalayan Mountain's Glaciers are not shrinking, they're growing! Pachauri admits that the conclusion reported was based on unchecked data and research, but maintains that the glaciers are rapidly shrinking. Of course, measurments and observation by teams from the Universities of California and Potsdam show the opposite.
Let's be real--if we are in a crisis due to climate, then we need to be able to take action if it's due to human agency, or to at least make intelligent plans if it is not. That means we need real science, not pantheistic junk science that's motivated by politics and grant money.
France's Constitutional Court has Offended Gays: The high court in France has ruled that laws against gay marriage do not violate the Constitution of the nation. This has led to an outcry among gay activists. The Communist Party of France has said that "France has retained it's dunces cap over the right for people of the same sex to marry..." Polls and popular opinion suggest that this is going to be changed after the next election. A plurality of French people support Gay marriage. Such luminaries as the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe and Pierre Berge, co-owner of the Le Monde are openly gay. Berge is famous for both his philanthropy and for being the former lover of the late fashion mogul Yves St. Laurent.
The US District Court in Pensacola FL: Judge Rodger Vinson is prepared to rule--and may have already ruled today--on the constitutionality of a provision of the Obamacare Act. The provision in question is the mandatory purchase of health insurance by individuals, who will be penalized if they do not do so by 2014. Judge Vinson will be the second judge to rule this provision unconstitutional if he doesn't uphold it. This case id imprtant though, because it has been filed by 26 States.
Pro Lifers are worried about the Obamacare because it seems to provide too many ways for taxdollars to go for abortion, and the possibility that it will enable euthanasia, or the withholding of hydration and nutrition from terminal patients. Libertarians, however, are concerned with the fact that Congress in this act aggrandized itself with the power to dictate purchases on the part of the citizens. legally, this is without any prior precedent, and alarms libertarians and legal scholars.
Interestingly, unlike most large and complex bills, Obamacare does not include a severability clause--language that would enable other provisions of the law from continuing in effect even if part of it is found unconstitutional. I think this oversight was caused because this book-like behemoth of a law was passed without anyone really reading the whole thing. This will be an important ruling,in a case that's important, for our civil liberties and our freedom from government coercion.
In Another Matter, There is Reason for Hope: Miley Cyrus, the celebrity with the most problem keeping yp with cell phone pics since Ms. Hilton, has been named the "Worst Celebrity Influence". Now that's not really much of a surprise, and it can be pretty meaningless. After all, me and two beer budies can form a non-profit, call ourselves something catchy like 'Dads for Decency" and name anybody we want as worst influence. But Miley got this distinction from a poll on AOLs Just so You Know website, with 58% of the votes, and this website is aimed at the 9-15 year old age group. They don't like her either, I guess. Just goes to show--when you prove to the whole world that you can't look cute while sucking hallucinogens through a bong, people notice.
I Don't Think I Trust this Deacon: Canon Lawer Ed Peters, JCD, pointed out that while the usage of the Church ordaining married men to the Diaconate, and the Pastoral Provision and now the Anglican Ordinariates does not require continence, Canon Law does. Dr. Peters has a point. And while i do not think that these men should be required to eschew their wives, I do think Canon Law needs to be revised to recognize this. However, one deacon has spoken out on this matter--as is his right, and as he should--to say that Latin Rite Canon Law should be interpreted in the light of Easter Canon Law. I think this is balderdash, and related to the progressive political faction that insists American law, Federal, State and Constitutional should be interpreted in the light of the laws of Europe and other nations. It's flat wrong.
But then, I noticed that this mans education--he too is entitled to be called Doctor--isn't designed to make him faithful to the Traditions and norms of the Church. He got his undergraduate from St. Ambrose University--an institution that has been embroiled in scandal, along with the ordinary who had charge of it concerning homosexuality and sexual abuse. He got his Masters in Education from Pepperdine, and his Maters in Theology from St. Mary of the Woods College. St. Mary of the Woods is not listed as a Mandatum School, nor is it on the list of Schools that require an oath of fidelity from it's theology professors. (I grew up in near St. Mary of the Woods--and I can guarantee that the Sisters of providence are not a congregation noted for fidelity to the Magisterium, the bishops or the Church.) He holds a PhD. in theology from Catholic University in Washington DC--not exactly known as a hot bed of fidelity either. I also note that he hasn't any training in Canon Law.
I just don't think he is qualified to comment on this matter from a standpoint of interpreting Canon Law, and how that process should work.
And I can't help but comment that his posts on Deacons as sacramental ministers shows photos of improperly vested deacons, and refers to priest as presbyters. It also refers to them as 'presiding' at the Eucharist, with no mention of confecting the Sacrament. I am not at all sure he is clear about the ontological nature of Holy Orders.
A Criticism of Obama = FAIL: Haaaretz, The Israeli newspaper, has a column up on it's website saying that Obama will go down in history as the president that lost Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. I am not a fan of President Obama, but that is so much BS! Obama never had Turkey, Lebanon or Egypt. The flames that are engulfing North Africa and the Near East are not of his making, nor are they in anyway his fault. We, and Israeli journalists, need to bear in mind that these are sovereign nations, and with their own populations who have their own agendas. There is absolutely nothing the US can do in this situation, unless we decide to implement a truly imperial policy and invade them, to enforce an order favorable to us. Even if we tried that, we would fail. The days of imperial nations inflicting their will on restive populations are over.
It's at Least Partially About Food: This mess was touched off by a Tunisian fruit vendor who immolated himself as a protest about food prices. Th cost of basic foods has risen sharply in most places on Earth. The disorders in North African and the Near East stem from this fact, compounded by the great divide between rich and poor in these regions. There are people who are going to give this a Marxist or Class War spin, forgetting that it's about food, and hungry people are angry. It started there because it's where the pinch was felt first. Right now the global ratio of stocks to use for corn are the lowest in years, at about 12.8%. The global food index is at an all time high, with the cost of fats and oil up 55% in the last year, and the cost of cereals up 30%. (The figures are from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.) The proximate cause of this is the drought in Russia and the Ukraine, but there are deeper causes. One of them is the diversion of grain to make fuel grade ethanol. An awful lot of corn ends up being burned in internal combustion engines. Another is the puttering out of the Greed Revolution. Globally, the per acre yield of grain is falling, and that include in the US-we are not maintaining our crop lands in any sustainable manner. (Go check the per acre yield figures for the US--it's sobering!)
This sort of disorder is going to spread, and increase.
Speaking of Civil Disorder: Police were called to the Greater New Zion Baptist Church because of a brawl. As many as 75 people were involved, and it took 30 Law Officers to break it up. The reason for the brawl is unclear. And I though we Catholics were bad about division with in the Church... .
Disorder on the Political Front: Twenty-five people were arrested at a protest outside of a conservative strategy session near Palm Springs. protesters carried signs saying "Troops Home Now". "Medicare for All" amd "Tea Party founded and Funded by the Kochs". Some of them wore HazMat suits and called for the session participants to be quarantined. The protest was legal,with permits, but the people arrested left the legal protest area, trespassed and attempted to gain entry to the session to disrupt it. Such a wonderful new age of Civility we're having, when mob action is used to prevent a lawful assembly that exercises constitutional rights. The "progressive" left doesn't like conservatives to have rights. The organizer of the protest said it was to protest "...funding of climate denial groups, far-right political candidates and anti-health care reform efforts." Judging by the signs carried, the participants weren't as focused as the organizers. The protest peaked at about 1000 people. And, I haven't met a or heard of a single group that denies that there is a climate.
Why: Did a protest by 1000 people against conservatives in Palm Springs get more mainstream press coverage than a protest by 400,000 pro-lifers in Washington DC?
Speaking of Climate: If a theory or model does not explain or fit factual observations, it needs to be changed. This is as true for theories of climate as it is for theories of physics. And observations are piling up that do not fit the theory and models used in the global warming debate. I am in no way qualified to judge what's up with the climate, but i can notice things about facts and observations, and how they fit a model. Things like this: Dr. Rajendra Pachauri predicted in a UN report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the Himalayan Glaciers would be gone by 2035, with catastrophic flooding followed by a dearth of water as glacier fed rivers shrunk or dried out. However, measurements show that the Himalayan Mountain's Glaciers are not shrinking, they're growing! Pachauri admits that the conclusion reported was based on unchecked data and research, but maintains that the glaciers are rapidly shrinking. Of course, measurments and observation by teams from the Universities of California and Potsdam show the opposite.
Let's be real--if we are in a crisis due to climate, then we need to be able to take action if it's due to human agency, or to at least make intelligent plans if it is not. That means we need real science, not pantheistic junk science that's motivated by politics and grant money.
France's Constitutional Court has Offended Gays: The high court in France has ruled that laws against gay marriage do not violate the Constitution of the nation. This has led to an outcry among gay activists. The Communist Party of France has said that "France has retained it's dunces cap over the right for people of the same sex to marry..." Polls and popular opinion suggest that this is going to be changed after the next election. A plurality of French people support Gay marriage. Such luminaries as the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe and Pierre Berge, co-owner of the Le Monde are openly gay. Berge is famous for both his philanthropy and for being the former lover of the late fashion mogul Yves St. Laurent.
The US District Court in Pensacola FL: Judge Rodger Vinson is prepared to rule--and may have already ruled today--on the constitutionality of a provision of the Obamacare Act. The provision in question is the mandatory purchase of health insurance by individuals, who will be penalized if they do not do so by 2014. Judge Vinson will be the second judge to rule this provision unconstitutional if he doesn't uphold it. This case id imprtant though, because it has been filed by 26 States.
Pro Lifers are worried about the Obamacare because it seems to provide too many ways for taxdollars to go for abortion, and the possibility that it will enable euthanasia, or the withholding of hydration and nutrition from terminal patients. Libertarians, however, are concerned with the fact that Congress in this act aggrandized itself with the power to dictate purchases on the part of the citizens. legally, this is without any prior precedent, and alarms libertarians and legal scholars.
Interestingly, unlike most large and complex bills, Obamacare does not include a severability clause--language that would enable other provisions of the law from continuing in effect even if part of it is found unconstitutional. I think this oversight was caused because this book-like behemoth of a law was passed without anyone really reading the whole thing. This will be an important ruling,in a case that's important, for our civil liberties and our freedom from government coercion.
In Another Matter, There is Reason for Hope: Miley Cyrus, the celebrity with the most problem keeping yp with cell phone pics since Ms. Hilton, has been named the "Worst Celebrity Influence". Now that's not really much of a surprise, and it can be pretty meaningless. After all, me and two beer budies can form a non-profit, call ourselves something catchy like 'Dads for Decency" and name anybody we want as worst influence. But Miley got this distinction from a poll on AOLs Just so You Know website, with 58% of the votes, and this website is aimed at the 9-15 year old age group. They don't like her either, I guess. Just goes to show--when you prove to the whole world that you can't look cute while sucking hallucinogens through a bong, people notice.
I Don't Think I Trust this Deacon: Canon Lawer Ed Peters, JCD, pointed out that while the usage of the Church ordaining married men to the Diaconate, and the Pastoral Provision and now the Anglican Ordinariates does not require continence, Canon Law does. Dr. Peters has a point. And while i do not think that these men should be required to eschew their wives, I do think Canon Law needs to be revised to recognize this. However, one deacon has spoken out on this matter--as is his right, and as he should--to say that Latin Rite Canon Law should be interpreted in the light of Easter Canon Law. I think this is balderdash, and related to the progressive political faction that insists American law, Federal, State and Constitutional should be interpreted in the light of the laws of Europe and other nations. It's flat wrong.
But then, I noticed that this mans education--he too is entitled to be called Doctor--isn't designed to make him faithful to the Traditions and norms of the Church. He got his undergraduate from St. Ambrose University--an institution that has been embroiled in scandal, along with the ordinary who had charge of it concerning homosexuality and sexual abuse. He got his Masters in Education from Pepperdine, and his Maters in Theology from St. Mary of the Woods College. St. Mary of the Woods is not listed as a Mandatum School, nor is it on the list of Schools that require an oath of fidelity from it's theology professors. (I grew up in near St. Mary of the Woods--and I can guarantee that the Sisters of providence are not a congregation noted for fidelity to the Magisterium, the bishops or the Church.) He holds a PhD. in theology from Catholic University in Washington DC--not exactly known as a hot bed of fidelity either. I also note that he hasn't any training in Canon Law.
I just don't think he is qualified to comment on this matter from a standpoint of interpreting Canon Law, and how that process should work.
And I can't help but comment that his posts on Deacons as sacramental ministers shows photos of improperly vested deacons, and refers to priest as presbyters. It also refers to them as 'presiding' at the Eucharist, with no mention of confecting the Sacrament. I am not at all sure he is clear about the ontological nature of Holy Orders.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Queen of the House Said...
The Queen of the House was talking to the Grand kids about songs, and said:
"When I was little and went to school it was taught by nuns, back when they still wore habits and believed in God..."
"When I was little and went to school it was taught by nuns, back when they still wore habits and believed in God..."
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