Thursday, May 31, 2007

Bible rides

In response to the actual Bible Park USA, the Curt Jester has a list of Biblical rides he would like to see. For the sake of poking fun, I will poke some holes in his list.
-Elijah Flaming Chariot Roller Coaster Ride. When would it come down?

-A water ride where the Red Sea splits seconds before you think you are gong to get drenched. And the every other car could be the Egyptian army?

-Jonah's Whale Ride. Might be a few days too long and the stench unbearable.

-Water fountains would all be disguised as rocks. Only if you strike them with a staff and then you get kicked out of the park for good.

-Manna concession stand where any food sold would only have a shelf life of one day. Who would buy any of that healthy stuff?

-Goliath Slingshot Gallery. To borrow from one of the kids' Bible tapes, "Oh my head!"
My own ideas?
-The Ananias and Sapphira donation machine. Wait, that didn't turn out so well.
-Apples from Eden concession stands.
-The Lot Lottery.
-Walls of Jericho jumping thingy for the kids.

I'll have to remember these

I love #5 and #2

10 Things Not To Say when asked, 'What? No school today?'
10 'Well normally yes, but this time of year I need help with the planting and ploughing'

9 'Goodness, no!!! I graduated 18 years ago, but thanks for the compliment!'

8 'No, we homeschool. We're just out to pick up a bag of pork rinds and some Mountain Dew, then we gotta hurry home to catch our soaps.'

7 'What?! Where did you guys come from?! Oh my gosh! I thought I told you kids to stay at school! I'm sorry. This happens all the time.' (sigh)

6 'There isn't? Why, you'd think we would have seen more kids out then, don't you?'

5 'We're on a field trip studying human nature's intrusive and assumptive tactics of displaying ignorance and implied superiority. Thanks for the peek!'

4 'On our planet we have different methods of education.' '(Shhh! No, I didn't give it away... keep your antennae down!)'

3 'Oh my goodness! I thought that today was Saturday...come on kids, hurry!'

2 'Noooooope. Me 'n Bubba jes' learns 'em at home. Werks reel good!'
And the number one answer we should NEVER give to the question: "What? No school today?"

1 'What? No Bingo today?'
via Alive and Young

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

I haven't made the top 10

Well it may be a good sign, but I haven't made his top 10. But some come dangerously close. Perhaps if I flossed more...

Signs You Are Spending Too Much Time Blogging
4. You find yourself thinking, “I can’t wait to blog about this,” and you’re flossing.
...
8. While skimming a particularly long post you find yourself thinking, “Man, will this guy ever shut up about his family?” and then you remember you’re reading Deuteronomy.
I will maintain the illusion that I am in control of my blogdom by refraining from adding my own to his list.

Via Ironic Catholic who has her own list about taking some time off. I would think about a break too, but my ego couldn't stand losing any of my loyal readers. I mean, think about it. If I lose 1 reader, it probably cuts my readership by 25%.

Anyway, one of my readers/friends said I should write more and link less. It is good to know that friends value my opinions (and that my opinions still allow me to have friends). But it is a time and inspiration factor. Inspiration must come first, then I have to find the time and then I have to remember what my inspiration was. So it is a delicate balance. Especially with work, a large family and some occasional fishing.

Burn em

From the Roving Medievalist comes The Insignia of the Militant and Just Bloody Rotten Order of the Torch
The details of the Order can be found HERE. Plenty of space left, if you want to join.
And just what is the order about? Well the motto sums it completely. "The 70's are over, burn the felt Banners!"

Count me in. I am a sucker for any noble cause that invokes knighthood. Plus I have been distracted by those ugly banners way too long. I'll have to capture a picture of the banner with a sail boat on a lake that will likely show up again this summer.

via the Curt Jester.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

From the Sin makes you stupid file

To borrow the phrase from Mark Shea,

From the Sin makes you stupid file, this just in.

I am stupid.

Just noting how I feel. I hate when pettiness and egos cloud my judgment. I hate sin. Gotta find a confessional.

Plan B

Megan Basham takes to task the feminist notion of scaring women into working. Although I am not a fan of using statistics to prove one's point, she uses them well to refute the baseless claims that women need to work in case their husbands
a.) run out on them
b.) die
c.) lose their job.
Now I am not against women working. But I don't agree with the notions that the feminist perpetuate, namely that the women is an insurance policy and that most men are scum and will eventually leave their faithful spouse high and dry.

But mostly I disagree with the idea that individuals should enter the marriage hedging their bets. The "I gotta have MY time, MY money, MY interests..." is self-fulfilling. Starting with that selfish attitude, it is likely that "MINE" is all you will end up with.

It reminds me of a retreat master that asked us if we trusted Jesus. Then he asked if we had a "plan B" in case that first option didn't work. That isn't trust. Neither is it a marriage if we enter marriage as a contract rather than a covenant. Contracts have language to protect the parties in the event it is broken. A covenant has language that says, "I will die before turning my back on you."

via Bettnet

Are you a "single-issues" terrorist?

From the "But we meant well" file, comes this gem. Alabama's Homeland Security Department seems to have gone just a bit overboard in trying to defend their state.

Alabama Revises State Terrorism Web Site After Including Pro-Lifers
Montgomery, AL (LifeNews.com) -- If you're a member of a pro-life organization, there's a chance you could be among those who are involving in plotting terrorist attacks against the United States. That was the view of the Alabama state terrorism web site until recently, when state officials took it down to revise its content in the face of a huge outcry.

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security put together a web site that was partially intended to help state residents spot possible terrorists and report them to officials.

The only problem was that the site included several various political groups on the site, including gay and lesbian groups, anti-war organizations, and pro-life advocates. They fell under the heading "single-issue" terrorists.
Now I have heard the "single-issue" label applied to the pro-life cause, but not to this extreme.
"Single-issue extremists often focus on issues that are important to all of us. However, they have no problem crossing the line between legal protest and ... illegal acts, to include even murder, to succeed in their goals," the web site said.
Wow! Not quite the pro-life people I tend to hang around with. Who knew all those Rosary wielding, quiet, humble praying people were so dangerous? (I am not excluding those non-Catholic prolifers, it just seems someone took the "using the Rosary as our weapon" comment a bit too serious.)

And yes, I am sure they were thinking of the thousands (rounded way up) of clinic bomber and abortionist murdering folks out there. But I didn't see Postal Union members on the site. And we know THOSE people are the true threat.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Ask a teenager

Not sure why this is news, or who came up with the brilliant idea of polling people (sorry, polling adults) about this issue.; But it is so irrelevant it is almost brilliant. Glad they polled adults though, a child or even a teenager would have given the correct answer of "Huh?".

Majority Disagree With Denying Catholic Pols Communion Over Abortion
A new national poll of adults shows that a majority of people disagree that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied communion at church. The poll comes after comments from Pope Benedict XVI saying they should and that pro-abortion politicians automatically excommunicated themselves.
irrelevant
Reacting to those comments, Rasmussen Reports conducted a telephone poll with 1,000 American adults on May 16 and 17.
In other news, the majority of adults will agree with a pollster on an issue that has no relevance to them. And in other irrelevant news, the majority of atheists think the Unitarian church is too orthodox in their views.

GOP Straw poll

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Suggested use? Never

From a new-to-me blog, Apologetics From Scratch: via the Curt Jester comes this.

Warning Label for New Birth Control Pill
Warning, divine revelation and the Christ-given teaching authority of the Church have determined that contraception is indisputably linked to the following:
  • a chronic weakening of morality within our culture (e.g. pornography and abuse)
  • frequent exercise of dominion over the human body (e.g. embryonic stem cells and euthanasia)
  • general increase in number of abortions performed annually
  • excessive perception of women as mere objects of pleasure
  • absence of temperance within marriage (e.g. adultery)
  • abnormally high levels of divorce (up to twenty times higher in some studies)
  • artificial notions of superiority to God and his plan for marriage and the human body
  • perpetual burning sensation from rejection of grace and of God's law
It should be noted that church doctors have discovered a remedy that provides an instantaneous reversal of many of the above symptoms. If you have recently used contraception in your relationship, please see your nearest spiritual pharmacist for a prescription of absolution and penance (note: prescribed dosage of penance must be taken completely, even if symptoms appear to have diminished).
Bravo. And if I may humbly add, some secondary side-effects
  • Spinal column density loss in Shepherds
  • Decrease in libido (oh, wait. That is an actual side effect)
  • Societal crumbling
  • Falsely enhanced perception of freedom

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A champion and vindicator only of her own.

Another nice bit dug up by Mark Shea

The classic Republican position is summed up nicely by John Quincy Adams:
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.

But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.

She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example.

She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.

The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force....

She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit....[emphasis added]

All hail Caesar

Caesar never had it this good. Perhaps some good may come of the Democrat Congress yet. Of course that is if they don't get all starry eyed about the possibilities when they take office in 08.
WorldNetDaily: Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers via Mark Shea
President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.
...

The directive also makes no reference to Congress and its language appears to negate any requirement that the president submit to Congress a determination that a national emergency exists.

It suggests instead that the powers of the directive can be implemented without any congressional approval or oversight.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke affirmed to Corsi the Homeland Security Department would implement the requirements of the order under Townsend's direction.

The White House declined to comment on the directive.
Of course it declined to comment. Caesar answers to no one. NO ONE!

This just blows my mind.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Building blocks

Eric over at Square Zero takes a look at gender roles and how his 5 daughters and 1 son are different in their play. Now I have been blessed with 1 girl and 5 boys, so it is quite the opposite for me. Their isn't much "quiet" time in our house until the lights are out and I am well into my glass of Pinot Noir.

Square Zero: Boys and Girls at Play
That, it seems to me, is the way a father ought to relate to his daughters play—not to attempt to re-engineer it (by the way, a distinctly masculine notion to begin with), but simply to appreciate and enjoy it for what it naturally is.
And that is, come to think of it, the proper orientation to everything.
With boys, the gist is the same. I am often frustrated with my boys being boys. They are loud, one can't play any game with others without screaming and there is always seems to be an eventual injury. Mostly it is frustrating when I try to hold a conversation with my wife when I get home.

However, I let them know that if they want to play that way, they have to take it outside or downstairs. And as most veteran parents can attest, I don't jump at the first sound of crying or the bellow of an injured participant. They play rough, they take the punishment, that is how I see it.

It always amazes me how the boys will be attracted to whatever task I am doing. Something as simple as mowing the lawn will attract one or two on different occasions. One wants to pull start the mower each time, another just studies how it all works as I trudge back and forth. And just let me start building something, they come in force.

This Saturday, I was working on some props for my daughters Lord of the Rings birthday party. Nothing too fancy, but the playset became Helm's Deep with banners, swords and other weapons they had built; even Gimli's axe. A simple siege engine and a catapult adorned one corner of the yard and the trampoline became Mt. Doom. I think building it was more fun than the actual party and acting it out for my boys. They pitched right in hauling logs and bringing rocks for the catapult.

USCCB steps up

It won't make much difference to the almost-Catholic Politicians, but it is nice to see the USCCB taking their role as shepherds seriously. It isn't the smack-down some want, but it is a response and it includes Catholic teaching.

USCCB Responds To 18 Democrats Critical Of Pope
In an unfortunate May 10 statement, 18 of the 88 Catholic Democrats in
the U.S. House of Representatives criticized Pope Benedict XVI’s
remarks concerning Mexican lawmakers legalizing abortion. The
Representatives’ statement misrepresents the Holy Father’s
remarks and implies that the Church does not have a right to voice its
teaching in the public square.

The Holy See has made clear that neither the Mexican bishops nor the
Holy Father have excommunicated any legislator. Rather, the Holy See
reiterated longstanding Church teaching that anyone who freely and
knowingly commits a serious wrong, that is, a mortal sin, should not
approach the Eucharist until going to confession.


“The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that
the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision of
society.” (United States Catechism for Adults, p. 442)
Consequently, every Catholic is obliged to respect human life, from
conception until natural death.

To suggest that the Church should not clearly voice its teaching and
apply it in a pluralistic society is to attack freedom of speech and
freedom of religion.
The Catholic Church always will and must speak out
against the destruction of innocent unborn children. The right to do so
is guaranteed by the Constitution that all legislators are elected to
uphold. Speaking and acting against abortion is not a matter of
partisan politics. It is a matter of life and death.

The bishops urge all Catholics, especially those who hold positions of
public responsibility, to educate themselves about the teaching of the
Church
, and to seek pastoral advice so that they can make informed
decisions with consistency and integrity.[emphasis added]

Paul adding support

Key California Republican Group Endorses Ron Paul

Ron Paul 2008: Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2007

ARLINGTON, VA – The United Republicans of California (UROC) have unanimously endorsed Congressman Ron Paul for president of the United States. UROC, formed in 1963 to support Barry Goldwater, represents the traditional conservative wing of the California Republican Party.

“The unanimous endorsement from the United Republicans of California proves what the campaign has been saying all along,” said campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Ron Paul is the only true conservative and real Republican in the race.”

In their official statement endorsing Dr. Paul, UROC called him “the leading advocate for freedom in our nation’s capital” and recognized that:

Ron Paul’s voting record demonstrates that he has voted against:
· raising taxes;
· unbalanced budgets;
· a federal restriction on gun ownership;
· raising congressional pay; or
· increasing the power of the executive branch.

His voting record demonstrates further that he voted against:
· the USA Patriot Act;
· regulating the Internet; and
· the war in Iraq.

Dr. Paul is the only candidate with a record that matches the UROC’s platform.

“Whether the issue is life, the Second Amendment, foreign policy, spending or taxes, Ron Paul is the only traditional conservative candidate,” continued Snyder. “Traditional conservatives across the country should support Ron Paul for president.”

Helpful hints

Less than Helpful Hints for Being More Like Jesus, From Allen's Brain via the Ironic Catholic.
  • Learn to walk on water (This is especially helpful when you’re golfing and the ball lands in the water hazard.)
  • Feed 5,000+ people with a Happy Meal. Then, prepare to either be sued by McDonald's or be asked to be in their next TV ad.
  • Pay a bill entirely with money taken from the mouths of fish you've caught.
  • When asked a question, respond by telling a cryptic story.
  • Wreck a church/synagogue bazaar by showing up and trashing the place.
  • Spend more time with your fishing buddies.
  • Gain the secret of turning water into wine. This will make you very popular at parties. If that fails, you can always fall back on “Time to go turn some wine into water,” after an evening of drinking.
  • Cure a variety of diseases in a variety of ways, none of which involve the sentence “Take two of these and call me in the morning.”
  • Offend members of the Religious Right. Repeatedly. (Some of you are enjoying this one a bit too much.)
  • Start your own religion.
  • Get people to swear using your name.
Well I am going to try the fishing buddies one this weekend.

I think too many have tried the "start your own religion". Not so sure the last one would be a good idea either, but hey, these are less than helpful hints.

Here are a few I can add
  • When pulled over for speeding and the officer asks if you know how fast you were going, respond by misquoting the Bible to show you aren't guilty.
  • Call your mother "Woman" without understanding the context.
  • Rename your best friend "Rock" or perhaps something less significant such as "Straw".
  • Chase a bunch of pigs into the nearest lake and look around for approval.
  • Find a friend that betrayed you and get them to feed your sheep for the weekend.
  • Volunteer to lector as Mass and after reading about the Messiah, claim it has been fulfilled in their presence.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Finding ME in my faith

Chris looks back on some of his past writing and found he has changed a bit. I must admit I have said similar things back when I was 18 or 19 and didn't have the foggiest idea what my faith meant.

Calling Rome Home: What I said 5 years ago and how I understand it today.
I read those words from 5 years ago now and realize that my thoughts were very "me-centered". "As long as it's somewhere that you feel comfortable and you are able to worship and have fellowship with God", how much more self-centered can you get? Even though I used words like worship and fellowship the "you feel comfortable" is obviously the operative phrase. At the time I didn't feel comfortable at the Southern Baptist church I had been to in town but did feel comfortable at the Catholic Church. At the same time I felt pretty comfortable at the Southern Baptist church that I had spent my teenage years in whenever I went home from college. I remember thinking that whenever I moved again I would just have to shop around for a church that I felt comfortable in.
Sorta reaffirms what I said about if you find a church that agrees with you on most things, perhaps that is the worst place for you to be...

Glad I wasn't a lector this Sunday

Not being a Bible Christian, yes that is sarcasm, I didn't notice the omission from the Second Reading last Sunday. But as Carson Webber points out, Omissions Can Be Deadly via The Curt Jester

I often find it amusing to see how the readings are affected by the regular omissions made by those who prepare the Biblical texts for the liturgy, but this instance is even a bit scary!

Saturday, May 19, 2007

For bacon, sure thing.



Signs and Blunders: Reject Christ and recieve what?

Perhaps the bacon is so they can avoid giving out free food to any Jewish passerby?

Can you imagine coming home and saying, "Hon I brought home the bacon. And I only had to sell my soul this time."

I know what they need

Hmm, a Catholic site, Muslim hackers, prayers... Wonder what they need?
Catholic website allegedly shut down by Muslim hackers

.- The editors of a Catholic website claim their site was brought down by Muslim hackers residing in Turkey.

The website — www.totustuus.it– was hacked May 10, but is again operational. Editors of the website, named after the motto of the late Pope John Paul II, believe it is a religiously motivated attack.

"In the past two months we had already suffered 70 attacks," David Botti told AKI. Botti is the president of the Totus tuus network. He told AKI that 80 percent of those attacks were carried out by Islamic hackers, and of those 25 percent were by Turks belonging to Turkhacks.com.

Botti said that the source of a hack can be determined by thehacker’s signature, for example a propaganda message with which they replace the original text. “The most frequent is the Islamic crescent symbol with words offending the Holy Father," explained Botti.

Botti said prayer, rather than technological protection systems, is the key to staving off further hacking. Readers, he said, need to pray for Europe.
They need the St. Michael firewall that the Vatican uses. And if prayer is what they need, perhaps The Curt Jester can help.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us against Denial of Service attacks.
Be our protection against the bots and packets of black hats.
May thy firewall rebuke them, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosting Provider-
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into digital hell, distributed attacks and all buffer overflows,
whose packets roam throughout the network seeking the downing of sites.


Friday, May 18, 2007

Another round on the debates

We watched the second round of Republican debates via the internet.

This round was quite a bit more interesting than the first. As some of the candidates mentioned, the format was much better, the questions more pointed and once the fur started flying, we found out alot about these guys.

I can't stand watching the frontrunners give nuance and rhetoric. It is all based on emotion, light on details and we know they won't follow through if they get into office.

I like what Howard Fineman points out about The Power of GOP 2nd-Tier Candidates
Let’s hear it for the “second-” and “third-”tier presidential candidates. We’ll have world enough and time this year and next to suffer through the purposefully vague rhetoric of front runners. But these are the moments (Thursday night’s MSNBC debate at the Ronald Reagan Library is one) for the single-minded, the passionate and the obscure. They can speak their piece and get attention. And this time they might even have the chance to influence the tone, if not the course, of the ’08 campaign.
...
But if you know, as I do, some of the other, putatively lesser, GOP contenders, you have be impressed with the depth of their political passion, their knowledge, and even their track records. They represent, in undiluted form, the vivid primary colors of the conservative movement—dressed in both its modern and throwback uniforms. They are the seeds in the bland bread of modern Republicanism. They are easy to write off, but should not be dismissed, for they represent the result of decades of grass-roots thinking and debate. By the sheer force of their ideas and personalities, expect them to set conservative benchmarks for the frontrunners to meet.

Consider Rep. Ron Paul, a Libertarian Republican from Texas who has opposed the Iraq War from the beginning because of his small-government, isolationist worldview. He is not a nut case but rather a doctor with a degree from Duke Medical School. And he’s steeped in a branch of conservative intellectual history that traces its modern lineage to the Founding Fathers.

And if you haven't noticed, Ron Paul is getting some serious attention this week after punching a huge hole in the party Pro-War Banner. Now most of the attention is negative, as you know making the media think can get messy. And conservative types are supposed to be big Hawks like Duncan Hunter or just smaller hawks that haven't really spread their wings yet.

But I say no publicity is bad publicity. Notice where Rep. Paul's debate rating was? A close second to Romney. Not down in the 1% with his fellow 2nd tier candidates. Perhaps what he is saying resonates with the voters. Of course one would have to watch the debate to get the real news, as the moderator and most media accounts are making it sound like Paul said we invited 9/11 or that we deserve it. I have watched it twice now and he clearly laid out his position. The moderator asked him if he was saying we invited the attack and Paul didn't back down, but he explained what he meant. It was not that we invited it, but our nation building and foreign involvement aren't making friends in the middle east. Glenn Beck called him an isolationist, but that too is misrepresenting what he said. Rep. Paul said we should trade, be friends and promote peace. But without sticking our nose where it isn't wanted.

But back to the whole point, I love what these early debates are doing. I don't care for most of the candidates, but even flip-flop Romney makes a great point when pressed about his conversion. I don't believe him, but how can I not like the point he raises about how racks and racks of embryos slated for experimentation and destruction being a product of Roe v. Wade.

So watch the debates, note how each guy has some bright points even if he may be approaching it from the wrong angle. These points may shape the future policies of whomever comes out on top.

Obsessed with Sovereignty

Shellie brings out a marvelous point from Chesterton's The Catholic Church and Conversion.

Satan tend to attack us in our blind spot. We have many traits that we tend to think of as strong points, but often they are our biggest weakness.

Me, I am pretty laid back. I don't let things bug me or get too upset. But if I wasn't married to my better half, that trait would probably become dominant and I would be lazy and care about nothing. I don't lack faith, I lack zeal. So I could easily become a one day a week church guy. If I even would make that effort.

So it maybe the Devil's greatest triumph to have church shoppers looking to find their "niche". Considering our fallen nature, if you find a church that agrees with you on most things, perhaps that is the worst place for you to be.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Waiting for this

After the sparks at the debate last night, I was waiting for this response.

Ron Paul 2008: Press Release

Press Release

Why Hasn’t Rudy Giuliani Read the 9-11 Commission Report?

May 16, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARLINGTON, VA – During the "First in the South" GOP debate in South Carolina last night, one thing was made clear: Rudy Giuliani does not understand how to keep America safe.

When Congressman Ron Paul, who has long served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, explained how 50 years of American interventionism in the Middle East has helped compromise our national security, Giuliani interrupted saying he had "never heard anything so absurd." This statement is particularly troubling coming from the former mayor who tries to cast himself as a security expert, since Dr. Paul's point comes directly from the bi-partisan 9-11 Commission Report.

"Rudy Giuliani has tip-toed around the issues of abortion, guns and marriage. The only issue he has left is security, and he doesn't even get that right," said campaign chairman Kent Snyder. "It is clear from his interruption that former Mayor Giuliani has not read the 9-11 Commission Report and has no clue on how to keep America safe."

Oh and eventhough Giuliani's response got strong applause, most viewers seemed to agree with Ron Paul.
From the FoxNews text voting,
Mitt Romney: 29%
Ron Paul: 25%
Rudy Giuliani: 19%
And from the MSNBC online voting, Ron Paul has a 46% approval versus Giuliani's 24%

Where else

For those that deny a truth, there always has to be an escape clause. Not that they would actually let it affect their decisions, but it comes in handy during a debate.

Take for instance, life is sacred. Those that deny this want to claim life doesn't really begin at conception. Perhaps implantation, then perhaps at viability, then eventually it ends up being whenever they "decide" they want the life. But either life has a beginning or it doesn't matter one hill of beans. Murder would just be a decision by one man that the other's life didn't matter anymore. We would no longer try to stop suicides, just leave an address where we can send the clean-up bill.

But we still "know" that isn't true. Right? Lets hope we haven't regressed that far yet.

How can we know for certain that life begins at conception? Where else? You scientifically prove another time and then we can discuss it. Until then, the debate is settled. And don't take it from me, take it from Professor Jerome Lejeune the father of modern genetics.
- « Life has a very long history, but each one of us has a very precise beginning, and that is the moment of conception. »

- « Life begins at the instant that all the required and sufficient information is combined in order to define the new being. It therefore begins exactly at the instant that all the information brought by the spermatozoon is combined with the information contained in the ovum. As soon as the spermatozoon penetrates, the new entity begins its existence. Not as a theoretical human, but already an entity who we shall later call Peter, Paul or Mary. »

- « If man does not begin at impregnation, then man never begins, otherwise, where would the new information come from ? The test-tube baby is a demonstration of this for any disbelievers. »
...

- « But what about the brain, they say, it is only complete at five or six months. But no, in fact it is only entirely in place at birth : its countless connections are only fully established at six or seven years, and its chemical and electrical mechanisms is only fully run-in at fourteen or fifteen ! »[emphasis added]
And the section quoted by the Curt Jester that really piqued my interest regarding patients with "Down's Syndrom" or Trisomy 21 as he discovered.
- « With their slightly slanting eyes, their little nose in a round face and their unfinished features, trisomic children are more child-like than other children. All children have short hands and short fingers ; theirs are shorter. Their entire anatomy is more rounded, without any asperities or stiffness. Their ligaments, their muscles, are so supple that it adds a tender languor to their way of being. And this sweetness extends to their character : they are communicative and affectionate, they have a special charm which is easier to cherish than to describe. This is not to say that Trisomy 21 is a desirable condition. It is an implacable disease which deprives the child of that most precious gift handed down to us through genetic heredity : the full power of rational thought. This combination of a tragic chromosomic error and a naturally endearing nature, immediately shows what medicine is all about : hatred of disease and love of the diseased. »[emphasis added]

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Feast not

Curious to see it any readers had a potpourri of readings this last Sunday? We had the proper 1st reading and Psalm, then the second reading and Gospel were taken from next week! Probably because Ascension Thursday has become Ascension Sunday in the US.

But that is a big issue for me. Not only do we lose the last Sunday of Easter because people "can't" find the time for Mass on Thursday, but it is ruined for those that choose to go on Thursday. There aren't any Masses for the Ascension on Thursday. I went to a daily Mass last year and it was just a simple daily Mass.

If it is so important of a Holy Day that we move the feast to Sunday so the majority of church going Catholics will participate, why isn't it just gladly proclaimed as a Holy Day of Obligation? Is it not our duty to assist at Mass on Sunday's and Holy Days of obligation? So we are asked to go to a whole 8 holy days throughout the year, unless of course the holy day falls on a Monday or Saturday or is just too inconvenient for people.

Monday, May 14, 2007

media reactions

Read Ed Peter's primer on excommunication should be mandatory reading for any reporter covering the issues of the Catholic Church. I love/hate watching them flail away at what they mistakenly think is the teachings of the Church.

Time Shows Media Bias in Portrayal of Pope Benedict on Abortion
During an unprecedented 25-minute on-flight press conference, Benedict left little room for interpretation: pro-choice politicians not only should be denied communion, but face outright excommunication from the Church for supporting "the killing of a human child."
Wow, sounds grave. It is, but a proper understanding of excommunication is as a "medicinal" not "vindictive" measure in Church discipline, according to the online Catholic encyclopedia New Advent:

Excommunication (Latin ex, out of, and communio or communicatio, communion -- exclusion from the communion), the principal and severest censure, is a medicinal, spiritual penalty that deprives the guilty Christian of all participation in the common blessings of ecclesiastical society.

Being a penalty, it supposes guilt; and being the most serious penalty that the Church can inflict, it naturally supposes a very grave offence. It is also a medicinal rather than a vindictive penalty, being intended, not so much to punish the culprit, as to correct him and bring him back to the path of righteousness.
It reminds me of the best line in the recent Republican Presidential debate. Romney was asked what he would say to the Catholic bishops regarding this issue. He responded, "I wouldn't say anything to the Catholic bishops..." I don't like much about him, but at least he understands what the questioner doesn't. A politician has no business instructing a church leader on how to run their church. Especially when it is a leader of a different church.

And it reminds me of this quote by Archbishop Chaput. "I don't think the government should listen to the church - the government should listen to the people and the people should listen to the church."

St. Maximilian Kolbe would be proud

Dom has a great point here.

Bishops, the Gospel, and the Internet age * Bettnet.com
I think a lot more can be done if only there is the will to do it and the expertise to pull it off. The great thing about the new media is that the cost to do it is low. How much are you paying for your blog? Not as much as, say, a daily newspaper is to print it’s daily edition.
While you can’t replace the face-to-face encounter in spreading the Gospel and sharing the life in Christ, these new media can be a very effective means for starting that process. And we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what can be done.
It isn't just up to the bishops anymore to evangelize people where they are at. The wealth of information available on the internet is a boon to the truthseeker.

Not that everything you read on the internet (or newspaper) is true, but being informed has never been easier. The more information available, the more likely people will find the truth. In the MSM era, they could control what people talked about. As Bear-i-tone mentioned some time back, they don't have to control what people think as long as they control what they think about.

And I am encouraged by the likes of Archbishop Chaput of Denver. He has been using the internet to release his actual speeches rather than relying on the print and TV media to "quote" him and give a summary according to their skview.

And take the very recent comments from the Pope on communion and politicians. Many skilled writers stepped right up and dissected the nuance and meaning, so a Catholic can be informed even before the 6:00 news gives their slanted soundbit.

I new gas prices were bad here

At least it isn't as bad as this.

Friday, May 11, 2007

And in other news

The Pope urges Jewish leaders to include baptism in their ceremonial washings. Or the Catholic League asks Jerusalem Rabbi to censure Caiaphas for his failure to protect the Messiah.

Makes about as much sense as a Jewish body trying to influence how the Catholic Church views its deceased.

Halt beatification process for Pius XII, ADL urges
The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has urged the Vatican to suspend the process leading to the beatification of Pope Pius XII, and open the Vatican's secret archives covering the period of World War II before proceeding with his cause.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

83% of people out of touch

Or of course you can turn that around and say maybe the media is out of touch with a large majority of families. But that wouldn't do, the media moguls know us better than we do ourselves.

Parents Want Their Kids to Practice Abstinence, Support Education Programs
An overwhelming number of parents want their kids to practice abstinence until marriage and support abstinence education programs that drive that point home. Though six states have announced their intent to refuse federal funding for abstinence-only education, a new Zogby poll shows they are out of touch with Americans.

The poll found that 83% of parents want their children to save sex until marriage and a majority of families believe that programs should reinforce the abstinence message when broaching sex ed in the classroom.

"Despite left-wing pressure to abandon abstinence-only education, a survey of over 1,000 parents found overwhelming support for the programs," Family Research Council president Tony Perkins told LifeNews.com on Monday.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Seeking justification

Diogenes links to a wonderful tale of someone seeking out the good in the work they do.
the ability to work with women in crisis, to allow them to voice their fears, grief, and weaknesses is a true gift. not every one could do what we do. and i say that not to brag about what we do, but rather in humility that we were given this ability to "walk with women and men in their darkest hours". we do not judge, we do not run away, we do not fear to hear the unspeakable. this is the work we do.
They take pride in their humble task and yet it isn't always easy.
to be present in others' lives and bear their burdens for a bit,
Makes one kinda misty eyed. Until you realize this is an abortion clinic worker. The self-loathing is barely masked by the self-congratulations.

Diogenes then takes it apart skillfully with a comparison to how Heinrich Himmler overcame this same conscience problem in the Nazi soldiers.

tip to Bettnet

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Their L-L-L-ate

The Curt Jester's post on the "Liberation Theology" flakes in regards to the Pope's trip to Brazil inspired me. Jeff prefers Libation Theology, but I wonder if the Times columnists eat "Theology Flakes" for breakfast. I am sure they are soggy by the time they get done yammering and down to eating, but without further ado, here they are.

When no news is big news

Or from MSM perspective, when big news not news. It isn't new news to me, but this constitutional right to consequence "free" sex just isn't quite free of repercussions.

California Catholic Daily - Estrogen overload via Bettnet.
Millions of women in the United States ingest excess estrogen every day in the form of birth control pills. Within 24 hours, the effluent from those 12 million doses ends up in our sewage systems. And then?

The April 17 Scientific American reported results of a study warning that “many streams, rivers and lakes already bear warning signs that the fish caught within them may also be carrying enough chemicals that mimic the female hormone estrogen to cause breast cancer cells to grow.”

“Fish are really a sentinel, just like canaries in the coal mine 100 years ago,” says Conrad Volz, co-director of exposure assessment at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute's Center for Environmental Ecology. “We need to pay attention to chemicals that are estrogenic in nature, because they find their way back into the water we all use.”

According to the Freshwater Institute’s Fisheries and Oceans section, “The potent synthetic estrogens excreted by women taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills are not completely broken down in the sewage treatment process and are discharged into waterways.”

While cautioning that the exact process of hormonal confusion is not yet clear, the Scientific American article continued, “But the [estrogenic] effects on the fish themselves were clear: the gender of nine of the fish [tested] could not be determined.”

“Increased estrogenic active substances in the water are changing males so that they are indistinguishable from females,” Volz found. “There are eggs in male gonads as well as males are secreting a yolk sac protein. Males aren't supposed to be making egg stuff.”
And it isn't just the fish, cities that recycle water through treatment plants are feeding the estrogen back to the general population via the water supply. Any wonder why women's cycles are often so messed up in today's society?

Monday, May 07, 2007

moderately pro-life?

Bobby Schindler, brother of the Terri Schiavo, takes exception to the "pro-life" stance of some GOP candidates.

Since When Does Pro-Life Mean Killing Disabled People?
I sat in confusion last Thursday evening while watching the GOP Presidential debate.

All but one of the candidates proudly expressed their pro-life positions, and then just a short time later, in response to a question on the Terri Schiavo case, some of them stated that the courts should decide whether or not it was acceptable for an innocent disabled woman to be starved and dehydrated to death.

Wait a second, wasn’t it the courts that made it legal to kill unborn children?
I watched part of this debate and remember a bit of confusion on this question. I for one didn't think it was right for the legislative branch to intervene, but it could be understood and even commendable given the serious nature and urgency. In a perfect world, or following the constitution our founding fathers setup for us, Judge Greer would have been impeached early on for his obvious mishandling of the case.

But as it was, the appeals to the higher courts were limited in some way (trying to reach into the wayback machine and remember what it was) and they chose to ignore the appeal. So something probably needed to be done even if it meant stepping out of the constitutional boundaries.
I believe that the question was a set-up by moderator Chris Matthews to highlight this confusion and division in the GOP ranks on the issue of euthanasia.
It was with mixed feelings that I listened to the responses on this question. But I agree that the question was probably worded to cast confusion amongst the candidates.

Another note on the debates, I was upset to see some good responses cut short by the moderator while at other times McCain and Giuliani were allowed to ramble on and on well after their time was up. More discouraging was how stiff Brownback seemed. His answers were quite good, but he certainly lacked polish. Ron Paul also seemed a bit unpolished.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Missing the mark

Perhaps here is the answer to the question so many have asked, why don't the dissidents and pro "woman priest" crowds ever seem to notice the shortage of sisters and nuns.

The reason may be they are not concerned about shortages or authentic priesthood, but rather in the power they perceive priesthood carries. Just as the radical feminists miss the mark of true femininity, rather grasping at the sins and vices of men. They desire power, individuality, detachment, cold aloofness and the desire to avoid children; in short all that they despise in men.

The same goes for those grasping at the perceived power (rather than the suffering servant model Christ gives to his priests). They aren't interested in the true feminine that can be found as a sister or nun. Just as the priest is "persona-Christi" in relation to the Church, the sisters and nuns are "persona" brides. And as the wife is the heart of the family, the women religious are the heart of the Church.

Perhaps our Church has serious illness of the heart.

She is weak and unable to engage so many that have left her family. So for a true renewal of the Bride of Christ, we must pray for a strong heart as well as a strong head. The heart without a head is easily deceived by emotions. The head without a heart is just headstrong and uncaring.

Evil by name

George Weigel has an interesting look at the response to the Va. Tech shootings.

Tragedy? Or Wickedness?
At Mass on the morning of April 17, hours after a shooting spree at Virginia Tech had left dozens dead (including the shooter), the homilist spoke of the "tragedy" that had unfolded in Blacksburg the day before. I had no sooner gotten home from church and checked the e-mail than I found a communication from the Parent and Family Affairs Office at the University of Maryland (where my son is a student) deploring the "tragic incident that transpired at Virginia Tech" and listing "resources available to the UM community during this time of immense tragedy." But what, I wondered, was the "tragedy" here?

Terminal cancer in a five-year-old is "tragic." Macbeth is a "tragedy," in that the subject's flaws are ultimately the cause of the unraveling of his life. What happened at Virginia Tech, however, was not a "tragedy." It was a manifestation of what theologians once called the mysterium iniquitatis, the "mystery of evil." The murders in Blacksburg were acts of wickedness, not the "tragic" unfolding of an unavoidable fate.
I guess I would have to admit guilt in the use of the word "tragedy" to describe this act. I was thinking along the lines that the victims suffered a tragedy. But he is right in the supposition that it is an act of wickedness rather than an tragic act without a perpetrator. And knowing the difference between good and evil will help us understand why these deaths occurred. It isn't just a random tragedy that a loving God overlooked, but evidence that the Evil One still prowls about seeking the ruin of souls.
Unless we recover the vocabulary of good and evil, however, we will really not come to grips with what possesses a Hitler, a Stalin, a Pol Pot, a Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - or a spree-killer on a Virginia campus.

A matter of preference

Part or today's sermon focused on religious vocations and promoting a diocese program for increasing vocations. In my opinion we don't spend enough time or energy encouraging our youth to consider the religious life.

But my question is how should we best promote them? Our priest made the point that we let our young singles that they would make a good priest or brother or sister. That struck me as the wrong approach. I recall from the conversion story of Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea, he contends that following the wrong vocation could seriously jeopardize our soul.

So who are we to say that someone would make a good priest or nun? At least without serious prayer and discernment, we shouldn't make that assumption. It strikes me people make that comment to a boy that has trouble fitting in or a girl is unattractive.

Sorta like, well you haven't amounted to much, so have you considered the consolation prize?


Should we not encourage them to pray to know God's will in their life? And if we wish to have an influence, do some of the praying for them?

Another reason

Another reason to avoid soccer.

Soccer game for priests, imams canceled via Ironic Catholic

A soccer game between Muslim imams and Christian priests at the end of a conference to promote interfaith dialogue was canceled Saturday because the teams could not agree on whether women priests should take part.

Church of Norway spokesman Olav Fykse Tveit said the imams refused to play against a mixed-gender team of priests because it would have gone against their beliefs in avoiding close physical contact with strange women.

The church decided to drop its female players and the priests' team captain walked out in protest.

Hours before the game was to end the daylong "Shoulder to Shoulder" conference in Oslo, the church released a statement saying it had called off the match because it was sending the wrong signal.

"Because we thought it would be a nice conclusion of the conference we didn't want to call it off, so we decided to stage an all-mens team game instead," Tveit said. "We realize now that it will be wrong to have a priest team without women."

Would this really been a good idea to begin with? I mean with the propensity of soccer fans to turn violent, is adding religious differences going to help?

And that last line, it makes about as much sense as having a soccer match to promote dialogue.

Friday, May 04, 2007

And we have Paris in the headlines

Some 800,000 Russian children are living in orphanages, many abandon, neglected and some just left to die. And we have Paris Hilton and more U.N. propaganda on global warming in the headlines.



NPR : Russia's Halt on Adoptions Spotlights Conditions

Russian authorities have suspended the work of foreign adoption agencies. That has put into limbo the plans of many Americans waiting to adopt Russian children, even as human rights groups say a growing number of institutionalized children in Russia are living — and dying — in wretched conditions.

Most of the nearly 800,000 children called orphans in Russia still have living parents.
So these aren't just orphans, but also abandon or runaways.

A baby lies crying in a decrepit, wooden maternity hospital in Russia's poverty-stricken Far North. Many child advocates say places like these are where the problems start. Hospital staff often try to persuade parents of babies with disabilities to give them over to state care. Poverty and alcoholism also drive parents to abandon their children.

Sergei Koloskov, head of the Down Syndrome Society, says that contrary to government figures, the number of orphans in Russia is growing — and overloading the state's orphanage system.

"Healthy babies are lying in hospital beds all day as if they were sick, sometimes for months or longer," Koloskov says. "They're completely ignored. No one plays with them or provides any kind of stimulation. That happens because orphanages where they're supposed to go after birth are full."

Experts say that the lack of attention at an early age seriously harms a child's development. Elena Olshanskaya started a group of volunteers to help children in hospitals after noticing abandoned babies in rooms at the hospital where she gave birth.

"I was stunned," she says. "They were completely alone. They were fed several times a day and that was it. After a while, they just stop crying."

Last winter, another patient in a central Russian hospital noticed a room of abandoned babies with their mouths taped shut to stop them from crying. Her cell phone video shocked the country when it was played on national television. Reports of babies tied down in their cots are common. Many believe that's because hospital staff are seriously overworked.

Not picky

Not that he is picky or anything... And I mostly agree. Let's see, follow the Monroe Doctrine, remember the 10th amendment, appoint strict constitutionalist judges, protect OUR borders and balance your checkbook.

I think I could live with that.

Crowhill Weblog: My perfect candidate

We’re coming up on that long and torturous time where absolutely
everything seems to revolve around which moron we’re going to place at
the helm of this country.

Of course none of the candidates are very appealing, so I’m going to design my own virtual candidate. Here’s what he’d be like.

Fiscal Policy

Cut spending (severely) before you mess with revenue. Once the

government has a surplus — a real surplus, not some nutty “projection”
— then you can talk about tax breaks.

Foreign Policy

The number one priority is to become energy independent so we don’t have to worry so much about the Middle East any more.

Avoid foreign entanglements.

Enforce the border. Everyone who’s been coming in illegally should

leave and then come in legally. (Obviously we’d have to make that
process easier.) We should welcome immigrants. But laws must be
observed, and illegals must be deported.

Domestic Policy

The operating assumption is that if the Consitution doesn’t give the federal government the power to do it, it stays out.

This means, for example, no federal meddling in education, abortion
laws and the like, and a progressive retreat from the areas we’re
already meddling.

Social Policy

See above. The federal government should have almost nothing to do with social policy.

The Courts

Appoint judges who know the difference between interpreting law and

creating law, and when the courts go beyond their mandate, simply don’t
enforce their decisions.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Hmm, di'nt think there was so much to blogging

Found this gem via Slashdot. A nice bit of info for the blog world to note. Many don't affect me, as I haven't seen a dime, nor asked for it, for offering my opinions online. But I may have to look at images and stuff a bit differently.

Blog Law » 12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know
While the Internet still retains some of the “wild wild west” feel, increasingly Internet activity, and particular blogging, is being shaped and governed by state and federal laws. For US bloggers in particular, blogging has become a veritable land mine of potential legal issues, and the situation isn’t helped by the fact that the law in this area is constantly in flux. In this article we highlight twelve of the most important US laws when it comes to blogging and provide some simple and straightforward tips for safely navigating them.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

A hero has been found

Dom pointed out the really profound tattoo inspired by Michael Monsoor's heroism in Iraq. Monsoor died later in another incident when he fell on a grenade to save the three more fellow soldiers.

Townhall.com::The Medal of Honor::By Jeff Emanuel

A couple of hours later, an insurgency fighter closed on the overwatch position and threw a fragment grenade into the overwatch position which hit Monsoor in the chest before falling in front of him. Monsoor yelled "Grenade!" and dropped on top of the grenade prior to it exploding. Monsoor's body shielded the others from the brunt of the fragmentation blast and two other SEALs were only wounded by the remaining blast.

One of the key aspects of this incident was the way the overwatch position was structured. There was only one access point for entry or exit and Monsoor was the only one who could have saved himself from harm. Instead, knowing what the outcome could be, he fell on the grenade to save the others from harm. Monsoor and the two injured were evacuated to the combat outpost battalion aid station where Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes after the incident from injuries sustained by the grenade blast.

The final paragraph says it all regarding the depth and the magnitude of Monsoor's sacrifice. Due to the orientation of the room, and the location of its only exit, he was the only person who could have escaped in time to survive. Doing so, though, would have meant abandoning the others in the room to grievous injury or, more likely, to death. Knowing both courses of action, and the consequences of each, he had to make a split-second decision. As was so eloquently and succinctly put by the Chicago Tribune’s Kristen Scharnberg:

The men who were there that day say they could see the options flicker across Michael Monsoor's face: save himself or save the men he had long considered brothers.

He chose them.

The decision was made in less than an instant – and those whose lives would have ended that day but for Monsoor's action will carry a weighty gratitude for as long as they live.

In April of 2004, 24-year-old Marine Corporal Jason Dunham made a similar sacrifice, as he jumped on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. His father described the impulse - and the decision - to give his life for his comrades thus:

When you are in a war situation, that guy beside you is your brother or sister. And I think that most of us would give up our lives for our family.

Over two years later, Dunham was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless, heroic sacrifice. Now, three months after he gave his life for his teammates, Monsoor has been nominated for a Medal of Honor of his own.

It is men like Michael Monsoor and Jason Dunham who provide us with an embodiment of John 15:13, which says, “Greater love hath no man than this - that he lay down his life for his friends.”

The mindset that allows – or compels – a man to put himself into harm's way for the purpose of saving another is difficult to describe; however, such selflessness – and such love for one's fellow man – is a defining characteristic of the soldier, the sailor, the airman, and the Marine who has faced combat, and who has experienced the reality of having his life entirely in the hands of the men next to him, while having each of those in his own hands.

I am not so sure I agree with Corporal Dunham's father. Take the Va. Tech shootings for example, where were the Monsoors or Dunhams there? Or have we sent all our good men off to die in a foreign police action? I think we know where to find the missing men that so many have blogged about following the Va. Tech tragedy.

Of course, even an article on the Townhall has to have one moronic comment.
A combat situation has not a whole lot to do with patriotism or the folks back home...They are fighting for their buddies. They don't want to let their buddies down.
I think it has little to do with "letting their buddies down" and more to do with being trained to do what men should do; protect others and save lives. Man does not die to avoid the shame of letting someone down. But a man will die for a cause, to better the world or rid it of some evil. Man will die to save others.

There were very few men at Va. Tech that we heard about. One old professor that died to give others a chance to escape, but not surprisingly, the university didn't offer up too many heroes to jump on the live grenade.

Peaceful activists

Notice that Peaceful Activist is something of an oxymoron. Being an active agent of change means that the peace is going to be disturbed. Now compare that with how most of the media will represent the Kent State protesters.

Steve Farrell makes this quite clear. Kent State revisited. via Kathy

Liberal media pundits just can't help themselves -- to them, peace protesters are almost always, thoughtful, moral, visionary people who only desire peace, love and happiness to reign; loyal citizens who only seek to exercise their democratic voice responsibly; and a voice crying in the wilderness amidst a storm of blood-thirsty drum-beaters, who only seek to bring reason to the debate.

If only this were true.

Needless to say, maintaining the peace is a legitimate object of government and as Patrick Henry put it, "different men see the same subject in different lights." (1)

...

Whether the United States belonged in Vietnam in the first place, is debatable. President Johnson, a democrat, said we were there fulfilling our obligations under SEATO (The South East Asian Treaty Organization).

Once the War began in earnest, it could have been, should have been a war to halt the spread of communism in South East Asia, liberating millions from its murderous brutality. There should have been no substitute for victory, swift and absolute victory. Many experts, then and now, still feel the war was winnable in a matter of weeks with minimal casualties, had we been allowed to win. (3)[emphasis added]

But as has been the case since WWII, we were not at war, but in a "Police Action" and had to play by un-winnable rules.

But other people had other goals for Vietnam. Some of these others drafted nefarious "rules of engagement" which cost thousands of Americans lives, rules like permitting the Vietcong to launch attacks against our boys from designated "safe areas." (4)

On May 1, 1970, President Nixon said enough is enough and as Commander-in-Chief did what MacArthur was forbidden to do in Korea -- attack the bad guys in their hide out in Cambodia. This was war, not neighborhood night games! Nixon sent our troops into Cambodia in self-defense -- remembering that when under actual attack, a state of war exists, period.

There were other "others" who had other goals in mind. Communist front student organizations organized peace protests at our colleges and in our streets, keeping this in mind, the communist definition of peace is zero resistance. The organizers hoped to break America's will, undermine her moral resolve, divide and conquer her.

Their peace protests were anything but peaceful -- often they were orgies of violence.

Robert H. Bork writes:

"Kent State was hardly a placid campus before the Cambodian operation. The university had 21,000 students, and a sizeable SDS chapter [a communist front group] devoted to making trouble. In November, 1968, for example, charges were brought against 250 members of SDS and the Black United Students who had demonstrated against police recruiting on campus.

"The charges were dropped when about 300 black students left campus demanding amnesty. On April 8, 1969, SDS led a demonstration that resulted in clashes with university police. The demonstrators demanded that the university abolish the Reserve Officers Training Corps, a crime laboratory, and a school for law enforcement training. State police were called in and quelled the disruption. SDS was then banned from campus, thirty-seven students were suspended, and five were charged with assault and battery. Worse was yet to come.

"On the evening of May 1, 1970, a day after Richard Nixon announced an American counter-attack into Cambodia, students rioted in the main street of town, broke windows, set fires, and damaged cars. On May 2, a crowd of about 800 assembled on campus, disrupted a dance in a university hall, smashed the windows of the ROTC building, and threw lighted railroad flares inside. The building burned to the ground. A professor who watched the arson later told the Scranton commission, which investigated the shooting and the events leading up to it, 'I have never in my 17 years of teaching seen a group of students as threatening, or as arrogant, or a bent on destruction.'

"When fireman arrived students threw rocks at them, slashed their hoses with machetes, took away hoses and turned them on the firefighters. The police finally stopped the riot with tear gas. The National Guard was called in by the governor on May 2 and student rioters pelted them with rocks, doused trees with gasoline, and set them afire. Students attempted to march into town on May 3 but were stopped by the National Guard, the Kent city police department, the Ohio highway patrol, and the county sheriff's department. The protesters shouted obscenities and threw rocks.

"From May 1 to May 4 there were, in addition, riots in the town's main street, looting, the intimidation of passing motorists, stoning of police, directions to local merchants to put antiwar posters in their windows or have their stores thrashed, and miscellaneous acts of arson. All of this occurred before the shooting.

"On May 4, a Monday, about a thousand students gathered on campus. Guardsmen arrived and, probably unwisely, ordered the crowd to disperse. The order was predictably ignored. The Guard fired tear gas canisters into the crowd. The Guard, consisting of a hundred men surrounded by rioters shouting obscenities and chanting "Kill, kill, kill," were under a constant barrage of rocks, chunks of concrete and cinderblock, and canisters. Fifty-eight Guardsmen were injured by thrown objects. Several of them were knocked to the ground. They had little tear gas left, and the gas had, in any event, been made ineffective by the wind. The Guardsmen retreated up the hill, appearing frightened, and then some of them suddenly turned and fired for thirteen seconds. The firing was apparently spontaneous rather than ordered." (5)

So, just remember the "peaceful" events leading up to the tragic shootings. But I am sure you will hear the un-biased and whole truth on the media soundbites fed by the MSM.

Less is not more

If it weren't so sad, this would be hilarious. An oxymoronic, self-induced torture of the self.

But I must admit I was wrong.

I have speculated that, contrary to feminist claims, contraceptives are chauvinistic and have done more to objectify women than all the male hierarchy of the Church combined. I pointed out that wanton, "consequence free" sex is the male chauvinist's dream. Wham, bam and what do you mean you want more ma'am?

But these studies may prove me wrong. The only one made happy by contraception is Satan himself. No babies, less sex, less enjoyment and more misery.

Birth Control Pill Could Cause Long-Term Problems With Testosterone, New Research Indicates via Christina
Several studies over the last 30 years reported negative effects of oral contraceptives on sexual function, including diminished sexual interest and arousal, suppression of female initiated sexual activity, decreased frequency of sexual intercourse and sexual enjoyment. Androgens such as testosterone are important modulators of sexual function. Oral contraceptives decrease circulating levels of androgens by direct inhibition of androgen production in the ovaries and by a marked increase in the hepatic synthesis of sex-hormone binding globulin, the major binding protein for gonadal steroids in the circulation. The combination of these two mechanisms leads to low circulating levels of "unbound" or "free" testosterone.

This article is published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.[emphasis added]

Tolerate us or die

Dom's comment on the death threats against the Italian Bishop is too good to pass up.
It’s not “tolerance” they want, but your whole-hearted devotion to their pet sinful behaviors.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Free Catholic eBooks.

Free Catholic books in PDF format. Quite a variety too.

Free Catholic eBooks for all via Chris at Calling Rome Home



If Only

If only it were true. And then imagine getting them to pass the No Breathing bill for Capitol Hill.

No Breathing, Reduce the Deficit.
Imagine how much money could be saved if all the politicians and lobbyists on Capitol Hill stopped breathing for one day. Our national debt would be wiped out in no time.

Alive and Young.: "No Talking, Save the Environment"
Washington DC: Tourists today in the Capital City might notice an eerie silence upon Capital Hill. Today, a non-contested bill was voted into action which made measure to help reduce Global Warming by decreasing the amount of carbon gasses released into the atmosphere.