Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Facebook Was Not Criticized By Archbishop Vincent Nichols

I'm seeing attack after attack on Archbishop Vincent Nichols for his comments about FaceBook and other network community sites. It was amusing at first (seeing everyone criticizing without quoting) but now it's just boring. The first report of his comments that I could find were here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8180115.stm

I didn't really see him directly criticize social network sites. I did see him say, "Facebook and MySpace might contribute towards communities, but I'm wary about it." That's about as close to an attack as the BBC could report—that he is wary of such sites.

His wariness is well founded. For years, social experts have been saying that these transient relationships are bad for society. This is nothing new. Teenage addiction to such pastimes as texting, IMing, and other forms of electronic communication were pointed out long ago, and very few experts have disagreed with the fact that the new social networking fad (it's well beyond the 'fad' stage now) had an isolating effect on people. Studies have even pointed out that networking activities are anti-social by nature.

But no one will talk about that. Instead, they'll point to this one bishop, who is justified in his opinions, and say that the Church is, once again, behind the times. I wonder how we've survived these 2000 years, being so slow to "get with it."

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Medjugorje Apparitions Lose More Credibility - Father Tomislav Vlasic Silenced

It looks like another priest who had been the spiritual director of the children in Medjugorje has been given "silence orders" by the Vatican. He had been acting against previous orders when he continued to promote the vision. He is also being investigated for fathering a child with a nun.

Personally, I was always a little skeptical of the apparition. I won't say that this is in any way a nail on the coffin. As a matter of fact, each apparition (and the mystics themselves) have had to go through such trials. The church and the secular world has always tried to silence mystics, and by some grace of God, they have always overcome the doubts.

But I will point out that obedience is one of the true marks of mystics (and their spiritual directors). To me, the legitimacy seems more unlikely when those close to it won't obey the Church. But then again, who's to say that the allegations of disobedience (or those of sexual misconduct) are true.

I guess time will tell. That's another mark of these sort of apparitions. It often isn't until years after the mystics have died that they are approved.

Here's where I first saw the story:

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804522.htm

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Catholic Bishops Asked To Re-Think Their Stance On ProLife Issues

In a small story in the Inside Higher Ed, Richard A. Yanikoski, president of the association of Catholic colleges, has asked the US bishops to review their stance on allowing schools to honor politicians who believe in murdering children. Here's the link:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/19/qt/catholic_colleges_want_review_of_2004_bishops_statement

I don't understand why these people can't get it.

The bishops could revisit their recommendations a thousand times, but they'd always end up with the same conclusion. We're talking about the Church here, not some human institution that can fall prey to every hair brained agenda that some idiot in higher education wants to promote.

Every now and then, I get this flash in my head, and I really start to grasp just how BAD abortion really is. I find myself living in a world where the most abominable sin is being called a right, and it makes me feel like I'm in some sort of surreal fantasy world.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Anti-Semitic Bishops Get Warning

One of the points I made several months ago, when our pope lifted the excommunication of the anti-Semitic bishop, was that he HAD NOT given that bishop any power. All he had done was allow the bishop to be a part of the church again.

The press couldn't quite see that. They wanted to crucify Pope Benedict for his actions—not considering the fact that the pope was just trying to find a way to help thousands of people come back into the church. People who, we should remember, really WANTED to be in communion with Rome. If you know any traditionalists, then you know how torn they are on the subject.

Now the pope has issued a warning to the bishops not to ordain priests. Here's the story from Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE55G3CD20090617

Let's see if the press has the same type of orgasm it had when the pope lifted the excommunication.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Another Fight For Married Priests


We have another round of news stories hoping to change the fact that priests cannot marry. This time, it was all started by the story of Father Alberto CutiĆ©, who was caught with a woman. No real big story here—there was just some priest who got had a weakness for the ladies (I would say most do—it's just that he let it get the better of him).

Anyway, reporters are trying to find some scandal in this incident. But to criticize men for being with women seems a little below them. Instead, they're attacking the celibacy rule. I can't count how many headlines I've seen on the subject. For example, US News & World Report ran a poll to see if Catholics thought their priests should be allowed to marry.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/05/11/poll-should-the-catholic-church-lift-celibacy-requirements-for-priests.html

Dan Gilgoff had the good sense to get some Catholic expertise to weigh in on the subject. Ha ha—a Notre Dame professor of theology. That's good. Especially right before their scandal hits (Obama is speaking there this Sunday).

What I really want to figure out, is what their objective is. Normally, I'd say they just want to show everyone how the Church is wrong, and they're right. But I'm really starting to wonder… could they have the audacity to think they're going to rock the Church? I mean after all the wining they did over the condoms comment from Pope Benedict, I realized that they actually thought some doctrine was going to change. Maybe now, they're trying to settle for some of the less concrete traditions of the Church.

These people—when they gonna' learn?

Monday, April 27, 2009

2 New Women Priests

Patricia Fresen, a self proclaimed Catholic bishop, ordained two women in Roxborough, Philadelphia as priests in the Holy Catholic Church. In other news, I'm looking for someone to take over my position here as Mayor of Cleves Village, so that I can be sworn in as president of Australia. My good friend, John Smith, will be presiding over the Australian ceremony.

Really folks… get a clue.

At least the reporter, David O'Reilly, somewhat looked into the real Catholic stance on this issue. I found the story here:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090426_Risking_heresy_to_serve_as_priests.html

Of course, the real problem was in his title. These women are not RISKING heresy. They are heretics.

Oh well. BTW – I'm also going to be sworn in as American Vice President two months from now, so I'll let you all know how that turns out.

Obama Crowned With Thorns

There's a lot happening this week. Apparently, Obama is named the new messiah, as a painting to be unveiled on the 29th this month will depict him with outstretched arms wearing a crown of thorns. You can read the whole story here:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96138

I don't think I even have to point out the sacrilegious idea being portrayed here. But I did want to talk about something I've been putting off.

A lot of my friends, family, and fellow bloggers have begun to think that maybe Obama is the antichrist. With a story like this, it's not too hard to believe.

But I just don't think the antichrist will be like this. I haven't heard too many speeches by the man (I try to avoid listening to him). I have read quotes, often ones from news casters who are salivating at his feet. I really don't hear him saying anything profound. I mean he's not the kind of person I'd describe as 'inspiring'.

Obama is part of a fad. He's a sensation. But it's not he himself that is sensational. He represents a movement towards liberal ideas, but by himself he is nothing. I don't think that's what the antichrist will be like. I think the antichrist will tempt even great Christians to follow him… because he himself will evoke a sort of inspiration and pride.

Obama—no, he's just a guy who was in the right place at the right time. The kind of anti-religious pictures mentioned in the story above (this is only one of many) are created by anti-religious artists. He's not turning people away from religion, he's gathering the people who are already against religion. Including the millions of people who identify themselves as Catholics but aren't really Catholic at all.

I would repeat something I said in an earlier post: Lines Are Being Drawn!

We're not really preparing for battle. Maybe we will soon. But for now we're making it clear who is on whose side. The Church is beginning to awaken from the long sleep. The shepherd is calling the flock. Are you a lamb or a wolf?

Friday, April 24, 2009

Fighting Amongst Catholics

An article in the Washington Independent by David Weigel today described the outcry against Obama as little more than bickering between conservative and liberal Catholics. And I guess he's right… in a sense. Here's the article:

http://washingtonindependent.com/40303/few-conservative-catholic-groups-fuel-obama-notre-dame-scandal

But like most outsiders (and quite a few insiders) he misses the bigger point.

While it might be the conservatives and liberals fighting back and forth, the conservative side (at least, those labeled as conservative) have knowledge of something that the liberals will never quite understand: There is no room in the Catholic Church for certain beliefs.

I might believe priests should be able to marry. There's room for that. I might believe that charismatic Christians are great and that the hooping and hollering is uplifting. There's room for that. But I CANNOT believe that ANYTHING justifies killing an innocent child.

You see, abortion is one of the beliefs that must split us. Not because it will create healthy debate, but because it will show us where the cancer is in the church. Let's face it, the Catholic Church will not get better unless one of two things happen—we either cut the infected sections from the body of the church (meaning we strip certain people and institutions from their right to call themselves Catholic) or God, by some miracle, makes them Catholic again.

Lines are being drawn. Not for war, but for us to know who is who. I don't know what will happen next, but I think the line is important no matter what. It's like when Moses told the Israelites to choose sides. "Who is for God and who is against Him?" The abortion issue is one of those deciding views. Who is Christian, and who is not?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Another Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Scandal

This one dates back to 1979. According to the victim (Ben Rodriguez), he was invited to watch pornography by the priest (Father Gordon Pillon) as a 15-year-old boy. I didn't see any specifics on what happened after that, except that the priest molested him for the next several years. Rodriguez then became a priest himself. He served a parish in Peoria, Illinois for 16 years, he says, before they forced him out when he began talking about his past experiences.

You can read the story from Associated Press here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilg-XpU7rvtWx3qbEwd152oTmBiwD97MFRC01

I'm not going to pretend to know if any of this is true. But I would point out how excited the media will get now that they have yet another scandal to talk about.

Well, we know this stuff will keep happening. The seminaries are in a sad state of decay, drawing the wrong sort of people to the priesthood. Those people end up being bishops, and the corruption only gets worse. The Catholic universities in America is just an extension of that problem. We can see it now at Notre Dame and at the university in Georgetown where they covered up the crosses so that they could get Obama to speak there.

This won't get any better without breaking some eggs. If the American Church would let a few more priests go (including many of the bishops who made bad decisions) and try to rebuild with priests who embrace the teachings of Christ, we might eventually see some real changes. Until then, we have to keep praying.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Vatican Looking Into Homosexual Nuns

There's a big problem in Catholic America, and very few people have addressed it. A lot of our convents are teaching false doctrine concerning homosexuality and other teachings. Seeing how the number of nuns have dramatically declined in the US, the Vatican is finally taking notice.

You can read the story from Press TV here:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91583&sectionid=3510212

A bigger problem is that it's not just the convents slipping in doctrine—our seminaries are as well, and we've known it for quite some time. I would think it's about time the Vatican started a war to save our religious orders.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

New York Archbishop Dolan Seems Promising

SEWELL CHAN from the New York Times gives a fairly comprehensive report of Archbishop Donlan's first press conference. Here's the blog passage:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/archbishop-dolans-first-news-conference/?hp

All I can say is, "He sounds like the kind of guy the Church needs right now." Someone who won't back down, someone who isn't afraid of truth.

We'll see how this plays out. According to my sources, he's friendly to the Traditional Mass. I wish he was here in Cincinnati. Our bishop had all kinds of rules and red tape for any parish wanting a Latin Mass. As a matter of fact, there's still only one place you attend a Tridendtine Mass in Cinci.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

12 Year Old Martyr On YouTube


Sometimes the most beautiful parts of Christianity come out in the form of ugliness. Take, for example the videos of ChristianU2uber, who posted some views about same sex marriage. He was verbally crucified.

Here we see the true nature of the godless. And we see the prophetic words of Christ come to life—"If they hated me, they will hate you."

You can see him here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUdFsRgd7f4

A year or so ago, I was engaged in a debate about evolution on a popular marketer's forum. Over and over again, I simply asked the question, "What has the theory of evolution produced for the scientific community? How is it of any use?" I condemned no one, I simply asked the question.

I was amazed at how many people hated me for asking the question, and I was even more amazed at how open they were with this hatred. The thread ended up being the single longest thread in the history of the forum.

Throughout the discussion, many people guessed at my reasons for being a Christian. I'm stupid. I'm brainwashed. You know, the usual.

I wouldn't engage in those kinds of arguments. I wanted to debate about my main point—that evolution is a useless theory. Among other things, I wanted to illustrate how hateful their side was. And I accomplished that.

Once they had made it blatantly obvious (by their classic insult tactics) that there's a distinct line between Christians and non-Christians, I finally posted a letter telling them why I was a Christian.

The forum has since then been removed, along with all of the discussions. But I do have a copy of my final response (the final one that mattered, anyway), which I'm posting below.

Ok, it looks like my argument about the uselessness of evolution study is over.  I can't see why everyone was so unwilling to really address it, but whatever. 

Over and over again, some of you have eluded to my reasons for being a creationist...sometimes about my reason for being a Christian.  I'm brainwashed, I'm emotional instead of logical (tell that one to my wife--according to her, charcoal has a fuller range of emotions than me), I've been indoctrinated, I'm scared of the truth, I'm living a dream, etc.,

Well, I thought I'd make one statement here to set that record straight.  Until now, I've avoided it, because I didn't want to make it part of my argument.  After all, it really isn't an argument.  It's a personal choice I've made, just as many of you have chosen not to be Christian.

Now whatever your response is going to be- believe me, I've heard it all before.  Save your fingers.  It might make you feel better to poke fun, but it sure ain't gonna change my mind, and it won't change the mind of any other Christian.

Every other Christian on this board will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.  Not a single non-Christian will have any clue.  It's not the kind of thing you can grasp unless you've experienced it.

To me, Christianity (and everything involved) is a love story.  Not the kind of sappy romance stories you see now-a-days.  It's a perfect love story.  One that has a happy beginning, a happy (but difficult) middle, and a happy ending.

It's the kind where a guy meets a woman that is so perfect, so far above him, that he knows he'll NEVER be worthy of her love.  Yet instead of settling for something less, he spends his entire life trying to make himself worthy.

And despite all his flaws, she loves him back.

It only makes sense for him to reject everything that rejects her.

That's the plain and simple.  There's nothing more to it.  I reject evolution because the only time I hear it put to use, is when someone is trying to disprove creation...even when the two do not contradict each other.

Now you might point to all the obvious reasons that my God is not perfect (as in my love story), and that He only makes my life harder, and doesn't lift a finger to solve the world's problems.  But in answer to that, I'll tell you another love story.  A true one.

Jan and John fall in love just before entering into college.  They know they're not financially ready for marriage, but they decide to tie the knot anyway, and go through college as a married couple.

John has to have some shots before he can go to the school he wants.  He has a bad reaction to them.  

Fastworward a few months.  John is bedridden.  As a matter of fact, he is very nearly a paraplegic.  He cannot work, he cannot do anything around the house, he is in complete misery (very severe physical pain ALL the time).  And it doesn't look like it will EVER change.  His life as an active young man ended at the age of 20.

Now in present time.  Jan didn't run.  She had a 4 month honeymoon, and then she had to quit school and work full time at two jobs so that she could support the both of them.  When she gets home every night, she thanks whichever relative had been there all day to take care of John, and then begins the tiring work of keeping house.  He can talk, he can feel, he can think, he can tell her he loves her and how sorry he is for all of this...that's about it.

Some people will say she got a raw deal.  Some people would look at it as bad luck for both of them.

But here's the way I see it:  Damn, that's some powerful love!  She's about the strongest woman I've ever known.  She's on the top of my list of "saints who haven't died yet".  And as hard as her love is, the one thing you CAN say about it is that it's true love.  It's the one real example of true love in a modern, loveless world..  It's love when everything else falls apart.

That's the kind of love I strive for, whether I end up as a Jan or a John.  And that's the kind of love that is exactly the opposite of what I've been accused of over and over again:

I'm not emotional about it.

Love is not an emotion.  Rather, it is an overcoming of emotions.  It is a choice to sometimes ignore the emotions.  If we rely on emotions to carry us through a marriage, it will end in divorce every time.  But when we rely on love, we're able to see past the emotion, and experience something much deeper.

Without love, a simple debate over religion quickly turns to hateful (or playful) insult.  Something clearly demonstrated over and over again in this thread.  But not by the Christians.

I chose to love Christ.  I try not to waver on it.  It's that simple.

I haven't been brainwashed.

Have you ever tried to talk a man out of an idea that was programmed into him by a cult?  He won't argue against you on it.  For example, when a Jehovah Witness tells you that "our God is not a God of confusion", look up the passage and put it in context.  Show him where he's wrong.  He won't argue with your response, he'll change the subject or repeat what he said the first time.

I HAVE stuck to one point.  But I've directly answered every point against mine (except the mind-numbing, same-old-same-old, 'you're being emotional' accusations).

I haven't been indoctrinated.

My parents raised me Catholic.  But they were more into teaching than indoctrination.  I've had access to a lot more kinds of books as a kid than most people will ever have as adults.  Not just the new-age feel good stuff--everything.  Solid philosophers like Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, and Chesterton.  Not many people will have read a third of the Summa by the time they are 15.  Nor the entire works of Shakespeare by the time they were 18.  And I always had stuff like Stephen King just for fun.  The fact is, I've had access to more diverse knowledge and literature than most people do even now that the Internet is offered to them.  And I used it.

I know a lot of you can't quite grasp this concept, but to me truth always starts with love.  It's the one truth that doesn't change.  It's the one thing in life that doesn't need a test to prove itself, but ALWAYS IS tested.  

In fact, I'll go for love before I ever put my faith in any science.  

And when the two collide (as they do in the theory of common descent), my instinct is always to stick with what I know.  And every time I do this, I'm glad.  Because all the 'evidence' I've found for common descent is just as 'untestable' as creation.  In fact, it completely relies on its own theories to hold itself up.  It has ZERO solid evidence (that I've seen).

No, I'm not going to read all the books on evolution that have been suggested here.  I no longer read books just to prove myself right.  I already know I'm right.

It's like when I was very young and reading apologetic books on Christianity and Catholicism.  I wanted the complete picture--an answer to every rebuttal.  But I've found that it's easy to miss the trees in the forest when you think this way.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about and think I'm a nut job, don't worry.  At some point in your life, you're going to feel a little tug.  A nag in your gut that says "Hey, maybe there really is a God, and maybe I should find out how I can serve Him."  You'll have a choice then: do you fall in love and become a nut job like me, or do you run the other way?

Chesterton (my favorite author, who once had a public debate with and totally creamed the guy who first tried to make the teaching of ID in American schools illegal) said there are 3 steps to conversion:

question
listen
run like hell

If you don't ever get to step 2, then it's your fault.  There are none so deaf as those who refuse to hear.  If you've entered step 3, then don't worry.  You'll find the way.  As hard as you try to resist, love has a way of conquering.  The question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to be a Jan who lovesfreely, or a Jon who can no longer run and has no choice but to love.

Friday, April 10, 2009

NY Daily News Gets It Right – American Catholics Have Identity Crisis

I know a lot of people think I search and search for news items on Catholics that completely miss the real points, but you can believe me when I say, "I'm thrilled when a reporter 'gets it.'"

Today, NY Daily's S. E. Cupp reported that the criticism of Notre Dame for inviting the president to speak is a little "too little, too late" considering the fact that it was Catholics who put Obama in office. And he's 100% right. You can read the column here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_the_catholic_identity_crisis.html?page=0

I don't want to ignore the bishops and priests who spoke out against Obama from the start. They might be thinking all their efforts were fruitless, but we must remember that God judges our will, not our results. Their will was to testify to the truth, and they did it beautifully.

But at the same time, a lot more could have spoken up, and there could have been a lot more public teaching and preaching going on. The problem is that half of our bishops and priests are in the same identity crisis.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Obama Speaking At Notre Dame

Every Catholic out there has weighed in on this subject while I've been avoiding it. It's not that I think it's not a big deal, and it's not that I think we shouldn't show some kind of public disapproval (although, I think MOST of it ought to be handled by Notre Dame alumni, students, and the Church itself). But I think the whole subject is being handled wrong.

To me, this is like a patient coming in to a doctor and complaining about a terrible headache… when he was just there last week and diagnosed with a brain tumor. The cancer eating the Catholic universities in America might be causing the pains and aches. But it's doing far more than that. As a matter of fact, I'd say it's too late to find a cure for this. The pro-death president speaking and receiving honors at a Catholic university is nothing but a noticeable sign (one of MANY) that Notre Dame has lost its right to be called Catholic.

Raising a stink over it, to me, is like trying to heal a patient of headaches long after the patient has died. I've seen the question of authority come up again and again, and it looks like the Church doesn't really have any. If the Church has no authority over this college, then why is it a Catholic college?

I would say to the bishops and those in charge of all the orders who have any part at Notre Dame, "Pull your guys out, and start a Catholic college. Quit pretending."

That's really all I can think of to say about it.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Pope, Condoms, and Recycled News

Here we go again. I really thought the issue had died. My brother had commented to me that it was still alive, but I thought it was just in tiny little local papers… not the BIG NEWS. Apparently, I was wrong.

Because here it is again, right in the Washington Post:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2009/03/wrong_message_from_the_pope.html

This specific article criticizes the way Pope Benedict talked about condoms. He was too blunt I guess. Didn't show any sympathy. Maybe he should have introduced the Church's teaching in small mouthfuls. You know—he could start off by saying people should poke holes in the condoms before using them, and then gradually build to not using them at all. Finally, he could give them the old birds and the bees talk. "Stick to marriage, and you won't have to worry about it."

It never really bothered me that they're all criticizing our pope or the Church in general over this teaching. Some people can't think with anything other than their genitals. The reporters can't seem to think with anything other than other people's genitals. But what bothers me is why they're choosing this specific episode to launch their attack.

There haven't been any changes. They could have picked up a Catechism at any time (the rules in America are the same as they are in Africa) and said all the same stuff. Why is it now, when he commented on it, that they are so filled with malice?

I'll tell you why.

Because they sincerely thought the Catholic Church was going to change. They really thought that our 2000 years of tradition was going to be abandoned. And they're pissed now that it isn't turning out that way.

Oh well. Maybe they'll figure it out now. I say to them, "Our doctrines are spelled out very plainly, and they're never going to change. Forget it. Get it out of your head. Eventually, you'll be able to move on with your lives, and find some news to report."

Incidentally, if you are looking for the teachings of the Catholic Church on condoms, birth control, and other questions about sex, you can read the Catholic Birth Control & Sex FAQ.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Catholics In Vietnam Get Light Sentence For Fighting For Church

Some Catholics did a little damage during a demonstration in Vietnam. They knocked down a wall and set up a shrine to Our Lady. They were convicted, given a light sentence, appealed the decision, and lost the appeal.

While this might seem like bad news, I think it's a good thing that the government there has come such a long way towards tolerance of Catholics.

The full story from the AP is here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFaNWDuuQ4A1hcYeEtbf3GoGu5AwD9768QFO0

Friday, March 20, 2009

Short Video About Abortion

This video is short, sweet, and really get's to the heart of the matter. Pass it on.


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Pope Continues To Uphold Catholic Teaching on Condoms in Africa

And the Libs (especially the gay ones) Are Ticked Off!

I saw several videos, along with a story in the Dallas Morning News reporting all kinds of outrage when the Pope upheld our Catholic belief that condom use is evil.

I'm not really upset about their whining, as I am surprised. It's as if they expected him to visit Africa and say, "Oh…I'm sorry. All those years of Catholic theology were wrong. You can go ahead and use condoms now."

The story from Dallas is here:

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/gay-catholics-call-popes-condo.html

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

New Mass Being Said In Africa

We've all heard that they're going to give us a new wording for the Mass. It's supposed to be closer to the Traditional Latin Mass in its word for word translation.

As for me, I've always felt that an English translation from the Latin would be great. I love the Latin Mass because of the wording, and I think that a direct translation would give me a nice mixture of comprehension (I don't speak Latin) and beauty (say what you want, but I think the Novus Ordo lacks poetic expression of God's Word).

But by the way it was reported in the Associated Press by MICHELLE FAUL, you'd think there was a storm of controversy over it. She had to get quotes from people like Thomas J Reese, who is just about a heretic as far as I'm concerned.

Apparently, some of the African churches received mistakes when they got their copies of the new version. They put the new wording into practice right away. And the only thing the press can do is try to dig up some controversy over it. I wonder how long it took them to find one priest (who was pressured into resigning from his position as an editor because of his unorthodox views, and isn't even in Africa) and one parishioner.

You can see the AP's full story here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izGBXjejSklazOAV28OEwt9ELS2AD96VLU5G0

Monday, March 16, 2009

Brazilian Abortionist Gets Help From AP

In an Associated Press story this weekend, they report that a prelate from the Vatican is sympathetic to the 9 year old who received an abortion in Brazil. The girl was raped by her father and pregnant with a set of twins. The doctors say that the pregnancy was putting her life in danger.

Per canon law, the doctors who performed the abortion and those who helped the girl get the abortion were excommunicated.

Now from the quotes offered from the AP, it would seem that the Vatican official thinks we need to show sympathy for the girl. And the way the story is written, people would think that the Church is being unsympathetic.

I remember when this first hit the news, and the original story (about those who were excommunicated) had the same irresponsible style that's shown here in this article. This one is written by FRANCES D'EMILIO. I can't remember who wrote the first one I had read.

All of the stories seem to miss out on (or purposely avoid) one important element: The girl was not excommunicated… or even chastised in any way.

This is a typical story meant to entice outrage for the Church.

You can see the whole thing here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQjAIPlGEFkMsL4LzVbOmz8Q1UfgD96UKG600

Friday, March 13, 2009

Clinton Glad We’re Only Using Unfertilized Embryos

You might think Clinton was the worst president we've ever had. But maybe he was just the stupidest…

In an interview on CNN, he said that he fully supports the destruction of unfertilized embryos. So you see, his incompetence might just have been purely out of ignorance, and not nearly as 'evil' as I had always thought.



The World Net Daily reports on this here:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91521

Thursday, March 12, 2009

North Carolina Homeschoolers Beware

Reported by the World Net Daily, a judge in North Carolina has ordered a mother to return her children to the public school system, despite the fact that they had all tested above average in test scores.

The full story is here:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397

You can see the mother's website here:

http://www.hsinjustice.com/

The most irritating thing about this is the pigheadedness of people. It doesn't matter how well the children are treated, it doesn't matter how well they score against other children, it doesn't matter how well they do in the outside world. In simple, ignorant, institutional logic, the government can do a better job schooling our kids than we can. End of story.

Monday, March 9, 2009

USA Today Reports Americans Losing Religion

The Official report from USA Today says that member percentages of organized religions have decreased drastically with the new generation.

The report comes from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). The not-surprising results show that most religions have declined in numbers.

The full story is here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm

None of this should surprise Catholic at all. We've known for a long time that the Church in America is in trouble. And I think it's precisely because "people are just making up their own stories of who they are" as Barry Kosmin, survey co-author, claims.

It's funny how easy it is to just make up a story of who you are. But I'm, thinking this kind of thing could spread to new dimensions. Instead of just making up the story of who I am, why not make up a story of who my wife is… maybe even my kids. Next, I'll go to work on a story for my parents and siblings. Eventually, I will have made up the story on the whole world… and I will be king.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Child Selection Process Getting More Freaky

If you haven't seen the movie Gattaca yet, then go do so now. Go on, I'll wait for you.

EWTN reports a company giving people a way to screen babies for desirable traits, before choosing and implanting one. The ones that didn't get the part are culled out (killed).

Here's the url:

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=94070

Pretty darn scary.

If you happen to own the Gattaca DVD (like any decent home would be without it) then take some time and watch the deleted scenes. The mother in the movie asks about what will happen to the remaining "fertilized eggs". On the whole, the movie has a nice message to it, but it looks like the writer also wanted to put that prolife message in there too. It's a shame that scene was culled.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Another Idiotic Report On Williamson

We see yet another columnist trying to tell us something they know nothing about.

The Pope allows someone reentry into the church after being excommunicated for creating a "schism". The Pope Benedict XVI gets criticized for this because the excommunicate is also a holocaust denier. USA Today thinks it was still inexcusable because Pope Benedict XVI should have just looked on Google to find out more about the man. The full story is here:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/03/63602473/1

Or maybe this isn't such an irresponsible column. Perhaps the writer really believes that someone who would commit such a heinous crime as to deny the holocaust (not who took part in it, or who ever supported it, but someone who denies the accuracy of history reports) ought to be barred from the Church. Ought to be kept from their only link with Christ. Ought to have a damning brand on their soul—one they can never shake.

The only thing that bothers me is how much these folks are in support of the Muslims who hate the Jewish people more than Williamson ever could.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

New York Times Wants A Latino Archbishop

The New York Times published an article today lamenting the fact that the new archbishop in New York is Irish, and not, as the number of Catholics in New York would reflect, Latino.

Again, we see the popular media trying to represent a group of people they know nothing about. Of course, they needed to have someone comment on the event. Who did they get? An Evangelical Reverend who says:

"The Catholic Church's renewal in New York is due to the Latino community," he said. "Naming an archbishop who reflects the fastest-growing constituency it has would have sent a message that this church is not in a world apart."

This particular fellow is an ex-Catholic. That should tell you enough to know that he doesn't have the slightest idea what he's talking about. After all, an ex-Catholic is an ignorant one.

You can read the full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/nyregion/03bishop.html?em

The thing to remember about the Catholic Church is that it is not a collection of various races and cultures. The Catholic Church is united in a way that no other congregation possibly could be.

Yes, we welcome people to bring their culture. We welcome (and always have) the different colors and backgrounds. But we're still all Catholic, and our representation in Rome doesn't have to be based on any one group.

It's funny how petty people can get… especially when they're not even a part of something (as the reporter from the Times is obviously not a part of the Church). It's also funny how the major media outlets now serve as a good illustration of irresponsibility. Someday, we might be proud of American reporters again. Right now, we've got to use the blogs to get the news.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Alarming Quote From Obama

I try to stay far away from politics… I didn't even watch the president speak last night. But I found a quote from him on an MSN front page story:

"We will root out the waste, fraud and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn't make our seniors any healthier…"

This ought to scare the devil out of people. Notice the goal here: to make our senior citizens healthier. It's that kind of talk that makes me think, "What about the chronically ill? Don't they need healthcare as well? They won't get any healthier, so is it a waste to spend money on them?"

Watch out folks… I'm telling you that his agenda includes NOT caring for the elderly.

You can see the whole story here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29377101/?GT1=43001

Monday, February 23, 2009

Senator Questions Obama’s Citizenship

The question of whether or not Obama is eligible to hold the office of US President continues to build. Now Senator Richard Shelby from Alaska is jumping on the bandwagon, as reported by the World Net Daily:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=89704

I doubt this will ever change anything. Even if we could prove that Obama wasn't a US citizen, he'd still stay in office, and there wouldn't be any way to get rid of him. People are too proud of the fact that we have him. If anything, it would just get people more emotionally swept up. People would point and say, "See how tolerant we are—we have a president who's not even American. This is such a great historic moment."

Oh well, let's just pray that he doesn't do too much damage. I mean that. You should be praying.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Pope Sets New Rules?

Not likely. The rules have never changed.

What did happen, is that someone finally "got it".

What I'm talking about is the article that appeared in Time:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1880977,00.html

They assumed that since the pope hadn't specifically addressed judges and their blatant violation against human dignity, then they weren't responsible for the Roe V Wade decision. They were responsible. They are responsible. And that hasn't changed and won't ever changed.

Even if they finally overturned the decision (which would be the correct thing to do, as the constitution clearly protects human life and doesn't support the right to take life before or after conception), the judges who allowed abortion on demand in America will always have their hands stained with the blood of millions of human beings.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Bishop Williamson Ordered To Leave Country

The Guardian reported that the Argentinean Government has ordered Richard Williamson to leave the country in 10 days because he believes the Jewish body count, during the holocaust, is closer to 300,000 than 6 million.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/20/argentina-priest-expulsion

Big Brother must have a pretty big presence in this country. It's amazing to me that none of these stories, instead of just throwing out criticisms toward Williamson, have made any attempt to prove that he's wrong.

To tell you the truth, now even I'm starting to wonder—where did they come up with the number 6 million?

Not that I'm denying it. But since so many people are against this guy, and no one has shown us WHY they're against him, it should at least raise some questions in people's minds.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Catholic Schools Flying Downhill

Those of us who are Catholic (I mean REALLY Catholic—as in practicing) have been seeing a problem in the Catholic school system for quite some time. But the problem we see, apparently, is not the same kind of problem the bishops see.

I heard a caller on Patrick Madrid's show today talking about how her high-schooler was required to attend their pro-gay play. I can imagine the parent's frustration when she pays out the %$@ for a Catholic education and then has to deal with a heretical system. Fortunately for me, I don't have any in high school yet. When they do reach that age, you can bet home schooling will be my first consideration (the Catholic high schools in Cincinnati are pretty bad).

In the elementary schools, things are steadily getting worse also. The kids are being taught polygenism (the belief that we have more than two original parents and that we did not all descend from Adam and Eve) and I don't think one eighth grader out there can answer the simple question: Why did God make you?

The bishops, on the other hand, see an attendance problem. They see a money problem, as pointed out in this article in the Associated Press:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghGk5Lj6-e5KJOZMpIzs-pBPVnTAD96E44OO0

I found this paragraph particularly amusing:

This academic year, Washington also took the unusual step of converting seven schools to a public charter group, which aims to maintain the high standards and values of Catholic schools without focusing on religion. Excluding the number of students lost through the conversion, enrollment in the archdiocese's schools was 2 percent lower this year.

Eventually, our bishops are going to have to return to teaching the faith and see that when the Catholic schools aren't much different than public schools (other than costing more money), Catholic parents will pick the one that costs less.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Direct Order From The Pope

Associated Press reported that the pope's private meeting with Pelosi had one central subject: Abortion Must Be Stopped! You can see the short little story here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hy2Dm6iwRNfsDBZIQFLnTzi_CYBAD96E0L6G0

You have to wonder how it would be (as a Catholic) to get advice directly from the pope. I mean other religions would think of it more as a sign of status, but we believe this man is our direct link with the Word of God… the guardian of truth. He's also the head hancho in the Church, of which she's a member. That's like getting a directive straight from the top. I wouldn't ignore it. I have a feeling she will.

You gotta' love the last line in this story, though:

"A number of the bishops in the United States have questioned her stance on abortion."

As if any bishops in all the world could NOT question her stance on abortion.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Why Bishop Richard Williamson Bothers So Many People

Some day, I'm going to search the news for Catholic events, and maybe I'll see a nice little article pointing out all the good we've done in this world. But that's not today. Reuters just can't leave this whole holocaust denial go. Today, the Catholic Church in Austria is meeting to discuss the "crisis".

Here's the story if you can stomach such irresponsible reporting:

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE51C4PK20090213

Sometimes, my mind has a tough time wrapping around this weird obsession people have with finding fault in our church. But then I remember that Catholics are held to a different set of standards. Not because of any kind of conspiracy… just because the Church is our public link to God.

Did you ever have a job where it seemed like one of the other workers were always exalted by the boss? Where he would take their advice over anyone else's, and where he absolutely believed that they were the greatest employee ever hired at that company?

Even a true Christian gets tempted to despise that kind of attention. Even if you don't act on your temptation, you still find yourself looking for any little faults. And in the deep recess of your mind, you're hoping the boss notices and loses just a little respect for that person. It's wrong, I know. But it's human nature.

Now imagine if you weren't a Christian. Imagine how much that jealousy would eat you up inside, until you became obsessed with proving your boss' opinion wrong.

That's were the rest of the world is concerning the Catholic Church. They scrutinize the heck out of every move, and rightly so. We are, after all, supposed to give the very best example.

Now I'm not saying I agree that there's a crisis. I'm not saying that the pope did anything wrong when he lifted the excommunication (try to remember that he didn't give anyone any kind of authority—he just lifted the excommunication). But I am saying that people will naturally dig through our garbage and make a huge deal out of anything that can be misconstrued as sinful.

Let it be. Let them talk. Let them burn themselves alive in their hatred and jealousy. Say a quick prayer for them and don't let it get you down. After all, if this is the very worst thing they could find on our pope, I'd say we're doing pretty well.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Catholic Icons Cause Dissent in Catholic College

I'm not sure how some people come across these articles, but whenever someone sends me one, I start out as skeptical. You know, I want to make sure this isn't one of those Onion Spoof stories. But it looks like this one is real:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88609

Some people might take this as a sign that Catholic colleges are really trying to be Catholic again. Some might take it as a sign that professors and any other college staff members really are crazy. I guess I see it as a sign of both.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Reuters Just Loves To Stir An Empty Pot

Sometimes you just have to wonder what it takes to become a reporter these days. Today Reuters published an article titled:

TIMELINE: Pope Benedict angers Jews

The timeline they provide shows a startling account of the apologies not sent to the Jewish community by Pope John Paul II and how our Pope Benedict has yet to make any clear amendments. The final blow is when Pope Benedict lifted the excommunication on a bishop who had denied the holocaust.

What I find so amusing about this is that excommunication is a religious penalty for certain crimes against morality. Hate to say this, but denying the holocaust isn't really a crime against morality. And it certainly isn't defined as a sin worthy of excommunication. I would think that the Jewish community would realize this. I suspect that they do, and they no more care about it than they care whether or not they get an apology from any of our popes.

You can read the full article here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE51A4Q720090211?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Friday, February 6, 2009

Reports on Father Marcial Maciel’s Sex Allegations

There was an article in Reuters the other day about the scandal involving the founder of Legionaries of Christ, Father Marcial Maciel. The headline reads:

"Catholic sex abuser fathered secret child"

I looks like Father Marcial fathered a kid some years ago. I don't quite understand how this confirms allegations that he is a sexual abuser. Of course, through the eyes of Catholic teaching, I guess any sex outside of marriage could be considered abuse of the gift. But the report wasn't written through the eyes of Catholic teaching… heck, I doubt Philip Pullella is even a Catholic. What's more, the term "sexual abuse" has kind of taken its own meaning to suggest molestation, so this whole article is garbage.

The report also suggests that Father Marcial abused both boys and MEN. Has any man out there ever been abused sexually? I imagine it happens in prison a lot, but I just can't see it happening in a seminary.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

New Eucharist "Mock-Movie" Makes Headlines

Patrick Madrid had a few choice words about the short on LinkTV.  You can read his blog here:

I can kind of see his point.  I mean when someone insults God, there's no defense for it.  And we do have an obligation to voice our opinions on it.  

The video he's talking aboput is 3 minutes long.  If I could understand what the video is about, I would tell you.  If I could find anything alarmingly evil about it, I would tell you.  But honestly, the video was boring more than it was offensive.

It's obvious that they meant for it to insult Christians.  I just can't figure out what the insult is.

You can see the video here: