40 Days for Life - Anchorage

In 18 days the 40 Days for Life campaign will begin across the country. This movement has done so much to prevent abortions, convert hearts, and put pressure on death clinics. The 40DFL organization has mobilized pro-life warriors like no other group.

As of today there are 238 communities that are going to be participating in this falls campaign. The campaign includes Prayer, Fasting, and Constant Vigil. From their website here is what they say about their mission:
40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program:

Prayer and fasting
Constant vigil
Community outreach

40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion in America.

The 40-day campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ's resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

Vision and mission
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America.

The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion in America.

Unfortunately, there isn't a Kenai Peninsula campaign. But, there is an Anchorage one. You can find the information at the: 40 Days for Life  - Anchorage site, their campaign starts September 23rd. If you want more information, you can contact the head of the Anchorage leadership team:

Christine Kurka

(907)306-3263

cekurka@mtaonline.net

For more information please see:

Anchorage: 40 Days for Life

40 Days for Life Blog

Failure to Communicate

The other day I posted about the disappointment I had in the way my parish handled the Proposition 2 issue. I was disappointed, because where I attended Mass in Michigan, whenever a ballot initiative came up that a priest could and should discuss "from the pulpit" they took that opportunity. Yet here in Alaska, I saw nothing that came close to active support.

Leading up to the election I made sure that I did what I could in terms of supporting the proposal. I posted about it on my blog, linked to the Catholic Anchor, linked to the APR website, and I even wrote to my parish urging them to support the measure publicly in various ways that were available. I received in return a we are looking into it response. What we got was a brief mention during announcements that a letter from the Archbishop had been printed and was placed near the bulletin. (Not in the bulletin, not stuffed in the bulletin, not even NEXT to the bulletin... but near it. Not to mention it was a word document copy and not on official letterhead.) This... non-action disappointed me. But I offered it up, did what I thought was proper in terms of my own response, and let it go. Prop 2 passed, and I was happy.

Until I read the Catholic Anchor's post from the Archbishop. It stung me like lemon juice on a cut. When I read the post, I wasn't upset by what was said, no, I was upset by what didn't happen. Here is the part that got me (emphasis mine):

So for a year leading up to today’s vote, the Catholic bishops of Alaska – Archbishop Schwietz, Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau and Bishop Donald Kettler of Fairbanks – rallied Alaska’s Catholics to support the parental notice initiative.

From Anchorage, Archbishop Schwietz sent letters to the diocese’s 32 parishes and published statements in the Catholic Anchor encouraging his flock to sign a statewide petition required for the ballot proposition, collect other signatures and otherwise “actively support” the parental notice initiative.

He prompted priests to address the issue from the pulpit and post notices in parish bulletins. Parishioners were urged to collect petition signatures on church property and in their neighborhoods.

...

“The support of the Catholic Church played a crucial role in our success,” Minnery observed.

Once the state certified the petition, a ballot question was prepared for the August primary election. And the Knights of Columbus sprang into action. Councils from around the state, along with the national Catholic men’s group, raised over $80,000 for radio and television advertisements in support of Proposition 2. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest purveyor of abortion – and other abortion supporters poured over $800,000 into opposition ads, setting up a David-versus-Goliath media battle.

As the August vote drew near, notices supporting Proposition 2 appeared in Catholic Church bulletins and prayers were offered at Mass.

Sherry Grenier of the Respect Life group at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in South Anchorage distributed yard signs and bumper stickers. And on busy intersections, Catholic families including St. Benedict parishioners Megan Walsted and her children joined throngs of supporters waving “Yes on 2” signs to rush hour drivers.

On election day, Alaska’s Knights of Columbus offered rides to the polls. In Anchorage, the group provided 23 rides to voters who lacked transportation, reported District Deputy Cal Williams.

...

What did our parish not understand? We didn't hear it from the pulpit. I even emailed them and asked for it. In fact... you want to know the real sting, Ms. Lisa Murkowski attended Mass at our parish the Sunday before election day. What a chance to publicly speak out against the vile of abortion, with the captive audience of a Catholic Senator who has a less than stellar Pro-Life record. Instead... we heard a homily about community...and respect...and differences.

We didn't have it in our bulletin either. I emailed the links for the bulletin inserts. I offered my time, talent, and treasure to help stuff the bulletins or do whatever it took. Instead... we got a letter near the bulletins.

Now I have never said where I am a parishioner, and I will continue to keep that off the interwebs. That being said, this pushes me ever close to revealing that. My purpose and goal has never to bring scandal or spotlight upon my neighbors, friends, and faith family.

That being said... we failed here. Sure some of us went to vote, and I pray that others voted Yes on two. But as a parish? We failed. We ignored our Bishop, in fact, we defied our Bishop. He said in his post:

It is a core issue for Catholics, who believe the relationship between parent and child is sacred – and not one to be broken by others, including abortion practitioners.

We weren't part of the success. We were too afraid. To afraid to stand up and say anything, too afraid to support the teachings of the faith, and too afraid to stand up to our church leadership and demand they fulfill their obligation to authority.

We failed to proclaim the Gospel to one another. I say we, because we are a parish community. We are only as strong as our weakest link. We win as a team, and lose as a team. As individuals, we might be OK... but that shouldn't be good enough for anyone. If we truly believe in what the Eucharist is... then we failed. For it is supposed to unify and create the communion with one another that only it can bring. Therefore, we failed. We did not communicate the message of our God to one another, and therefore failed in communicating it to the world.

I know people from my parish know who I am. I don't hide who I am on my blog, I also don't advertise. Our parish business is our own. But if we are unwilling to stand for this most basic teaching of the faith... we will fall for anything, and should that be kept quiet? Our parish, and others like it, must do a better job of teaching the faith. We aren't the only ones. In many parishes in the area Catechesis is laughable, ministries are wacky and questionable, an inconsistent (or worse sometimes: heterdoxical and even heretical) message is conveyed about the teachings of the faith, and the liturgical life is about as inspiring and sacred as an Alaskan grey sky. It is harder and harder to refrain from saying these things. I do want to be charitable, but at some point silence becomes an enabling effect. How come Anchorage parishes have Respect for Life groups? The answer is not because they asked for it. We ask for things. I know of at least 4 people that have offered themselves carte blanche to various parishes to no avail. We must become an authentic Catholic community.

The sick and twisted irony of this situation is that in a mere month or so we are going to celebrate "Respect for Life" month. Will we hear this message then? Will we have people stand up and have dinners, breakfasts, and get into Diocesan papers showing how Pro-Life we are? Every last parishioner at our parish, and at any parish that doesn't consistently hear a Pro-Life anti-abortion message, should demand to know why not. This can not be an issue that is used for clout, fame, or religious-political popularity.

We have abortion clinics in our surrounding towns, but no parish Pro-Life/Anti-abortion ministries... why not? We have prisons and therefore prison ministries... why isn't the same true for life issues? For those that say: "You don't need the parish." You are right... buy my point is why not?

We have failed to communicate to one another the importance of this issue. So instead we communicate another message. We tell each other that innocent life doesn't matter. We communicate that Social Justice is free trade coffee and taking kids on mission trips. (Don't get me wrong, valid, necessary, and important things... but not sufficient.) We communicate that Social Justice works are about something else... We have failed to communicate though, the Gospel. So we have failed in our Catholic duty. I cannot stand for this...and neither should you. This is one issue... but there will be others. Issues like this are toxic to the faith, they mock God and they rot the core of our parish. Once the core is gone... what fruit can survive? Do not let the silence prevail.

**N.B.:
I was informed of a post by Msgr. Charles Pope. It addresses the issue of preaching and priests. It is a very informative and insightful piece. It quotes Pope St. Gregory the Great and his instruction on preaching. You can read it here: (Link)

Lovers of the world

Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
-James 4:4

I wait on Wednesdays to do my "Wondering Wednesdays" post until Maggie at "From the Heart" does hers, because she is the originator of those posts. Well, I was surprised today when she posted, but it wasn't a WW type post.

Instead she talked about the ups and downs of pregnancy. (She is 33 weeks btw.) What really struck me is that she wrote this in her post:

Yesterday was a horrible day. It started out by reading a beautifully written blog post from Femininity Revisited. She wrote that her dreams of being a stay at home mother were literally too late to be fulfilled. The post broke my heart and of course I bawled my little eyes out. I felt so bad for her, but also was afraid that her dilemma could be my fate. As much negative criticism I get for wanting to be a SAHM and have more than 2 kids, I get a lot of positive feedback as well (mostly from you lovely folks in the blogosphere.) "You can do it! Trust God! Budget well! If we can do it, you can do it!" Unfortunately at this point I have this big fear that we won't be able to manage it. Maybe it isn't God's plan for me to stay at home. But I have the strongest pull and desire to be a SAHM. It isn't because it's what other people do or because I'm lazy and don't want to work or because I want to be one of those crazy, smothering mothers who end up having spoiled children. I feel it in my heart.

I was appalled. Negative Criticism... for wanting to be a SAHM and have more than 2 kids? I am not naive, I don't live in a bubble where I think the world is accepting of the idea of mothers staying home, having large families, homeschooling, homesteading, etc... I get that the tables have turned, and the fact that my wife can make bread, sans any electronics aside from the oven is freakish. I get that our friends down the road that have enough kids to field a baseball team is freakish by today's standards. I get it.

What I don't get is how people will go to the other extreme and advise against it. It doesn't logically add up. These people aren't speaking from experience, they aren't speaking from the same philosophical or theological perspective, and they sure as heck are speaking from the same family mindset. So why do they offer their advice? From what basis are they offering these ideas?

Most often we are advised against big families from someone such as a mother of 2, that had child one at 29 and child 2 at 34, whom has worked her entire adult life at various jobs, lives in a house with more bedrooms than people, owns a vehicle for every licensed driver, spends more on clothes in a month that some people do in a year, uses birth control, doesn't have the same religious beliefs as the person she is advising, went to public school and thinks that it is an OK option because it is cheaper than the Catholic school that is further away and VERY expensive, spent more time researching her day-care than she will spend instructing her children morally, has absolutely no basis from which to give advice to her "friend" that simply wants to live out the whispers in her heart.

As an example, if I owned only Chevy pickup trucks my entire life, and told you: "whatever you do, don't buy a Toyota sedan" you would look at me and say, skeptically, "why?" And I wouldn't have an answer. Now if I said, "Chevy pickups are awesome, and here is why you should buy one..." that would be a different story. But that isn't what happens.

Instead, people like Maggie are faced with criticism and anger directed towards them and about their desire to be a "natural mother." The worst is that it comes from women that have NEVER experienced what it was like to be a mother of a large SAH family. Why? [NB: I wrote a much longer post originally, that answered this question, but for brevity, and sanity's sake I edited it down].
To Maggie, her critics: The WORLD HATES Catholics and followers of Christ. Hates us. I wrote about this in a post called: The World HATES you. So when we, who take our faith seriously, are open to life and love our spouses and children in an attempt to perfect our love for God, we are criticized. We are looked at funny, and we are marginalized as weird and freakish.

People love the world, and they are worldly. They want heaven, but they want it here on earth.

"There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.."
-Stairway to Heaven by: Led Zepplin

An Example of How the World Hates Us...

A few people were "confused" about what I meant the other day when I posted that "the world hates you." They accused me of being "overly-emotional," exaggerating, and taking that verse "out of context."
I don't think any of those are true...in fact I think that I held back on that post more than I should of. THE WORLD HATES CATHOLICS. By world, I mean our culture, things and people "of this world." It is impossible for a culture that values things like abortion, gay-unions, contraception, wealth, relativism, and ideologues, to accept or understand Catholicism. Don't believe me?

Here is an example:

But here’s what I really meant: because I am a faithful Catholic, who believes what the Church teaches (and has taught for over two thousand years) – many people today consider me to be a bigot, and would consider my children to be bigots if they grew up to inherit my (Catholic) views on the nature of human sexuality and the meaning of marriage. I wrote nothing mean or hateful in my original post, yet the vast majority of negative comments I have received are obviously hateful (foul language, intimations about my personal morality, family history, etc).


Evidently, some people think that if someone considers you to be a hater, it’s okay to hate you back … and much more viciously.

This quote is from a post by Thomas Peters of American Papist. One of his posts was linked to a pretty prominent blogger, Andrew Sullivan, and because of this he received a bunch of exposure, albeit it the kind of exposure that brings floods of hate-mail to his inbox. What was so "hateful" about his original post?
This quote of course:

I’ve remarked to friends that I think DC would be a hard place to raise kids. I’m beginning to think that’s more and more the case, especially if you live near the Macy’s.

I guess he is hateful to politicians, criminals, the city, federal districts, the east coast, and cherry blossoms. I mean.. can you believe the hate he spews in that statement? [sarcastic eyeroll]. So readers, this is what I mean by: The WORLD HATES YOU... because it does.

The world HATES you...

Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus. It took its position on the sand of the sea. - Apocalypse 12:17

We are at WAR. This is not puffery. Our souls, and the souls of those that we love are in mortal peril and they are under constant ATTACK from the Devil. After reading Terry Nelson's latest post over at Abbey Roads, I had to post about it. He nails home so many points that I harp on at this blog, and I am glad to see someone else taking up the same flag. Unfortunately, he is also right on another point: that many Catholics today do not really believe in things like spiritual warfare, the peril of souls, of even the Devil himself. He sums it up this way:

Today, when there is such an emphasis upon peace and justice, some Catholics do not like using the terms, spiritual warfare, combat, battle, or always hearing phrases such as 'we are at war' and so on. Yet that is what the Christian life has always been, it is a struggle - an intense, knock down, drag out fight, a very real spiritual combat: To quote St. Paul,

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. ~~Ephesians 6:10-12

He is so right! Just the other day in my parish there was a discussion about what theme will be used for the parish-wide Catechesis program. The choices were: Prayer & Spirituality, Morality, and Justice (ie Peace & Social Justice). The overwhelming response was: Justice. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but most people felt that the #1 issue facing our Church today was not the lack of prayer and spirituality, or morality, but a lack of Justice. The other parish in the area... facing the same question picked: Justice.

Don't get me wrong, I think these are worthy and important areas of Catholic teaching and belief, but I just wonder how that can be the number one issue facing us as Catholics. As a Church we are at War with the culture, the homosexual priestly abuse crisis, the lack of vocations, the 'progressive modernization' of our faith, the feminist agenda, the corruption of our children, the culture of death, the onslaught of pornography and infidelity, the debasement of our Sacred traditions and symbols; and we as a people cry for social justice for the oppressed. Who exactly are the oppressed? Aren't we as Catholics oppressed? Or worse yet, are we not HUNTED? If the world and our culture are consuming folks and it is unjust, what is the best avenue to combat this? When people are held captive and imprisoned how to we best free them from the shackles?

Reading an article over at Sancte Pater, one of, if not the, leading exorcists in the Vatican says that more needs to be done in the War against the Devil:

The Catholic Church's most famous exorcist says more should be done to fight the devil. Father Gabriele Amorth has conducted 70,000 exorcisms for the church during his lengthy career.

In an interview with Italian daily, Corriere Della Sera, the 85-year-old priest said it would be worth extending the practice of exorcism.

"It would not be a bad idea," he told the daily. "In Italy moral decay is evident. Families are often breaking down.

"Do you know what I would do if I was the Pope for a moment?" he asked. "I would provide every opportunity for exorcisms. Like the Orthodox Church. There you do not need the permission of a bishop."

Social justice will only come when the forces of evil, the purveyors of injustice are defeated. We MUST PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD if we have ANY chance to defend ourselves in this battle. Therefore, if we go out there, looking for justice and peace, and we do not possess the ARMOR OF GOD, we are thrusting ourselves, defenseless, into WAR. A true, honest to GOD, WAR! We must treat our world and culture in this way, or we are being nothing but foolish and naive. Therefore we must arm ourselves with Truth, Morality, Love, and walk in the Commandments of God... prior to going into battle. We cannot seek Justice without those things. We can not and must not enter into battle weaponless. So how do we arm ourselves?

Terry Nelson suggests:

...begin to pray - to really pray - prepare yourself for trials. Whenever you embark upon anything good in the spiritual life, the combat begins. Sometimes that can be a sign to "do even more" as St. Paul says. Frequent Mass and the sacraments - especially confession. And use sacramentals - especially wearing Our Lady's livery: The Scapular of Mt. Carmel along with the shield of the Miraculous Medal, and keep the very best weapon of the Rosary with you at all times. These are tools, weapons, Our Lady herself has given to her children through the saints. These are not foolish devotions or superstitious.

The Devil is real, like it or not. As a Catholic you must believe not only that he is real but also that he seeks the eternal damnation of your soul, his only chance at victory, albeit already foretold and written, is to seek the ruin of as many souls as possible. Your soul is no safer than anyone else... you are NOT GUARANTEED Heaven... unless you do that which is required of you by GOD. Social Justice is an honorable, worthy, and important goal. Yet, it cannot simply occur through the good intentions of the faithful. We all know what road is paved with good intentions. We must actively defend ourselves, our souls, and the souls of those around us.

We must be counter-cultural. We must strike against culture, against 'the world', and against evil. I heard a teen say the other day that they come to Mass and learn the faith, and love the faith but have a hard time knowing how to live it out each day. This is honestly a good thing... they realize that there is a incongruity between the world and Catholicism. We are not made for the world, we are not made for its culture, its riches and gold. We are made for GOD and we should seek Heaven. Our religion is surely about love... but love does not only mean lollipops and gum-drops. Sometimes love is a battle... and the greatest love is to lay down your life for another. This isn't always in physical death, but sometimes 'death' comes in another form.

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.
-John 15:9-19

The world HATES you. Say itout loud right now... 'The World Hates ME!'

Then... repeat the promise from the start of this section: "As the Father loves Jesus, so also will I be loved. If I keep the commandments of God, I will remain in HIS LOVE." What more could we ask for? But as I have said in this post, it will not come easy... we are at WAR.

So we must stand firm and resolute in our desire to keep the commandments of God. We must put on the ARMOR OF GOD. We must arm ourselves with the weapons of the faith: the Rosary, the Scapular, and Medals. We must spiritually fight through prayer and meditation. We must seek Social Justice and Peace for people and not for the world. It takes great strength and courage to be a Catholic in today's world... and yet it has always been such. If you need inspiration... look to any CHILD Saint that was ready willing and able to DIE for their faith. Can we even FATHOM THAT? No wonder we don't like phrases such as "SPIRITUAL WARFARE." I wonder if Spiritual War will chip my nails, muddy my gym shoes, or ruin my designer handbag?

Again, I have no problem with seeking Social Justice... I just do not believe we can bring about that type of change unless we are truly willing to enter the war. Our faith and our souls are under constant attack. Justice will not be served until we can protect and preserve the souls of those that seek and follow Christ. The only way we can do that is if we are willing to take up arms against the enemy, put on the Armor of God and Defend our FAITH in battle!

The LA Times: An Agent of Evil

So I haven't talked about the Perez Hilton, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana), "Up-Skirt" Photo - Issue, because ... well, frankly, it is hollywood & celebrity gossip at its worst. It is the exploitation of women, children, and sex to an extreme, but what is new for Hollywood? If you really want to know about the story you can google it... I don't really want to link anywhere.

What really gets to me in this whole issue is how the media is treating it. For example, look at the poll that the LA TIMES has up regarding the issue:

How is this even a question? What kind of question is this?!? Why doesn't it just ask the question they are hinting at: "Is semi-nude photography really Child Porn if the person in question is famous and almost 18?" I know there is a QUESTION over whether she was ACTUALLY sans underwear and therefore: nude... but lots of laws don't actually REQUIRE actual nudity.

This whole situation is messed up... just MESSED UP! I blame everyone: Perez, Miley, her dad, the press, the culture, the people that still buy her albums for their children, the people that let their children continue to watch her on TV, I just can't take it! Our culture has seriously gotten us to the point where it is OK to watch and support Miley as HANNAH, because that show is OK even though she isn't! This whole thing makes me furious... and if you are a PARENT and support Miley Cyrus in anyway... you fail. The End. Not that there is any... but all Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus stuff is IN THE TRASH tomorrow... this is why pop culture is ruining our children.

And she makes "3"...

Not to be morbid or to take joy in death, but the celebrity deaths in "3's" thing usually rings true. Not because of some curse, or weird cosmological occurrence... just the way the world is.

So we now know who fills this triumvirate:

Golden Girl - Rue McClanahan - RIP

Now this doesn't directly relate to Catholicism, and I wanted to make sure that I kept this a CATHOLIC blog, so the reason I posted it is because I was thinking about why we are fascinated with DEATH, as a culture.

Some would simply respond, we are the Culture of Death... a la, the fascination. I would disagree, I don't think that this type of fascination, is exactly what Pope John Paul II meant by the "culture of death." I may be wrong, but I think his reasoning was a bit different. I do think it ties in though.

I have been wanting to do a post about the idea of the culture of death, and this little quirky cultural thing popped up. So I have to ask... why this odd fascination with the deaths of stars?

Miss USA - The hypocrisy of it all....

So there once was a Miss California who got into a lot of trouble for some racy photos that existed of her, and she almost lost her Miss California Crown. The real reason that she came under fire though, is that she answered a question about gay marriage the "wrong way." [She spoke against it.] But after the pageant, the scandal was all about some photos of her in next to nothing. Here is the photo that made the uproar:

Look... I am not here to defend Carrie Prejean, or the photo. I also know that some other things, such as lewd movies and other such things were discovered with Prejean in them. Again, I am not making a case for her becoming a Saint. Although, I will go on record to say that I think she did try and speak out, and speak her mind. She had more skeletons in the closet than one would like, but it shows how women in our society can very easily get sucked into the world of sex and sin, especially when they look like Prejean.

My point is... she was demonized for these photos. She even had to defend herself and her title as Ms. California, against these media and legal attacks. All the while the media was lambasting her for being a hypocrite. Well... look who is calling the kettle black.

Miss USA photos have hit the web... official photos and are creating quite the stir. You can find them at the ABC  - MISS USA WEBSITE - but I warn you... the Prejean photo above is less racy than most of these photos. In fact... the one most people say is the "cleanest" is this one:

I expect this from the world, I really do. The "Sex Sells" mentality pervades our culture. But what I don't understand is how the media gets away with this. I don't blame Miss USA, I don't even blame the contestants really. Like I said, when you are in that world, and that subculture of "beauty and sex" the slope is very, very.... VERY slippery. It isn't hard for someone to tell them, "they are tasteful and artistic" and have them dropping their clothes. What I DON'T understand is how the media, celebrity blogs, and social sites get a FREE PASS. They destroyed Carrie Prejean, but are now just oogling over these pics. How is it that they get this free pass? Is it because we let them? I think many of "us" out here in the world are to blame.

I am sure many will watch the MISS USA pageant thinking it isn't a big deal. We will continue to buy the magazines that support this, watch ABC, and continue to give into the culture of sex and death, all the while a girl who made mistakes in her past, and TRIED to be a role model is forever tainted. Will these girls be forever tainted? If one spoke up that she was Christian... I am sure the same media that lauds these photos would call her a hypocrite.

They want your sex... they just don't want your God - it makes things too messy and complicated.

The Danger of Contraception

Contraception hurts marriages, our culture, our society, and our families. This is a bold statement but it is true.

The basis for this conclusion: the percentage of divorces attributed to those couples that use contraception as compared to those couples that utilize Natural Family Planning or some other method of child planning.

I am not here, at least in this post to defend or even advocate the use of NFP. Instead, I simply want to show how much of a negative affect contraception has on marriage, relationships, and culture. Erin Manning from "And Sometimes Tea" wrote a recent post about Dr. Janet Smith responding to the Agence France Presse (AFP) regarding a recent piece they wrote about the anniversary of "The Pill." You should go read Ms. Manning's piece, but I am here to argue a different point.

The point is a poignant one, and one that needs to be emphasized not only to our YOUNG Catholics, but those that are "set" in their ways. Recently, while at Wal-Mart, my wife and I were looking for floss. We went down one aisle and noticed all the condoms, displayed right next to pregnancy tests. The sign labeling the section was "Family Planning." Now what does this say about our culture and our attitude towards sex and reproduction? Oh, I know... I am preaching to the choir, while beating a dead horse, and walking over trampled ground. But I think it is important to state the obvious. Also... do we know WHY the Church teaches what it does, regarding contraception? Dr. Janet Smith, in the article discussed above, addressed the issue precisely and succinctly (my emphasis and comments):

Defending the Church's teaching that contraception affects society in negative ways and is immoral, Smith noted that “more than one out of three babies in the United States are born to a single mother, one out of four pregnancies are aborted,” and that “more than one out of two marriages end in divorce.” [These come from the "Family Planning" culture... eg the Culture of Death. These numbers exist EVEN WITH THE PILL AND CONDOMS!]


“If people were living by the Church's teaching on sexuality, those things wouldn't be happening, and those things are a path to misery,” she underscored. [AMEN!!!]


“People born out of wedlock have a very hard life, as do their children. People who get divorced have a very hard life as do their children, and their friends and their family,” Smith asserted, adding that on the other hand, “people who don't get divorced and stay married and raise their children, generally have very good lives.”


“Couples who use natural family planning almost never divorce,” she pointed out. “The divorce rate at tops, we think is around 4%.” [This is CRITICAL... if you have never seen this statistic before... WHY NOT!? Why is this number hidden?]


In light of these facts,“who looks foolish?” she asked. “The Church for not changing a teaching that almost guarantees happiness or a culture that is pushing an agenda that almost guarantees misery?”

I know that life is tough. I know that we live in an EXPENSIVE culture. Keepin' up with the Jonses' is tough. Sure you might even argue that it is impossible to have 7 kids, 2 careers, a 5 bedroom house, 2 SUV's, and send your kids to private catholic school. My answer to that is... sure it is... but if we looked at life differently, and if we lived for GOD, towards GOD, and with GOD... it would change our entire perspective on life.

4% vs. 50%??? Really? Even if you make up every excuse int he world as to why such disparity exists between the two numbers, there is still a gap the size of the Grand Canyon between them. Even if you apply all sorts of theoretical factors and reasons as to why these numbers are misleading, they don't fail to be glaringly far apart.

I know that there are people that read this blog, that know me, and who this might offend. I don't care about their feelings, I care about them as persons who deny the truth of God in their practices. As Father Corapi says, "I love my fellow Catholic, but I am not willing to go to Hell for them." The teachings and practices of the Catholic Church exist for reasons. They aren't arbitrary, and they aren't there for superficial and shallow reasons. They have been constructed through the grace and inspiration of God the Almighty, through the Holy Spirit, so as to lead us to perfect love and union in Him. We should not lightly dismiss this teaching or any teaching; this is a perfect example of how something many Catholics dismiss actually has a very detrimental and horrible consequence even if we don't immediately see it, or know of it.

We must demand more from ourselves and from our culture. We are NOT MADE FOR THIS WORLD. We are simply here to live life, love God, love one another, and attempt to perfect that love [in a completely futile pursuit due to our sinful nature] so that we can hopefully one day be united with God in Heaven. Why then, do we work so hard against God, in an effort to enjoy the fruits of this life only to turn our backs on God?
PS.
Check out this post on the subject:
Belinda's Brain - "A Very Merry Un-Birthday" via Sancte Pater


.

The Consequences of Sex

Sword-tip to: Aggie Catholics:

These are some STUNNING Pictures. They speak for themselves.

Vaccines & Abortion

I know this article appears long but it is VERY IMPORTANT. If the title is in anywhere significant to you please read this post and follow the links.

Major Sword-Tip (aka Hat-tip) to The Badger Catholic on this story:

"Which Vaccines contain aborted babies?"

The BC links to a Right to Life of Michigan article that explains how many of the Vaccines that we administer (or don't in some cases) to Children in this country actually contain cellular elements of aborted babies are produced from cellular lines taken from aborted babies. [A note of clarification: The clarification here is for precision purposes. My goal is not to scare or "trick" people into thinking that aborted baby "cells" are being used to make these vaccines. The vaccines are constructed from cellular lines. This is no way changes the gravity of this situation.]

RTL of Michigan explains:

For several years now, information has circulated among prolife groups and individuals regarding the development of very common vaccines through the use of tissue taken from aborted babies. While initially the reports and information were not conclusively documented, further detailed research by several prolife groups has provided direct proof of a connection between aborted fetal tissue and most vaccines. That connection, and its implications for whether prolife citizens should consider using the vaccines, raises some complicated issues. In sorting through those issues, this LifeNotes will address the basic science involved, the documentation of the abortion-vaccine connection, the moral/ethical questions about using abortion-tainted vaccines, and information about available alternative vaccines.

This is a SHOCKING report. As someone who considers themselves pretty "up" on RTL issues, this one has escaped me. Sure I heard rumblings of this in the past, but as RTLM says, it was inconclusive speculation for a long time, so I didn't really every think to much about it.

Apparently The Badger Catholic was thinking about it, because they posted this story only a week ago about a measure in the Minnesota Legislature that would force pharma companies to list vaccine "ingredients." See that post here: Minnesota Vaccine Bill Proposal

Well, now it appears that Right to Life of Michigan has a conclusive list and puts it out there for all to see. Maybe this is something that everyone already knew about, but I sure didn't. As a newer father, I have not heard *one* Catholic parent talk about this anywhere, even those VERY OPPOSED to vaccines for other reasons.

Here is a list of alternative Vaccines that use non-fetal cell lines from non-human sources.

I think what is MOST shocking is that there are NO alternatives to the CHICKENPOX and RUBELLA Vaccines, two vaccines which many states require school children receive prior to entry into the public and even somtimes private school system. I plan on doing more on this story later but I wanted to get this out there. This may have HUGE implications in terms of "Religious Exemptions" for Catholic parents morally opposed to their children get vaccinated with fetal cell line vaccines. Here is what Right to Life says about the Moral implications:

Should These Vaccines Be Used? The Moral & Ethical ConsiderationsThe ethical quandary created by the tainting of these otherwise beneficial vaccines is obvious and vexing. Parents are more than justified in wanting to protect their children from these potentially life-threatening diseases. It can be legitimately argued that parents have an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect their children. Likewise, as a society, we must take into consideration the morality and cost of failing to prevent widespread outbreaks of disease. Thus, there is a civic responsibility associated with vaccines and controlling diseases.

The moral perspective of those who are utterly opposed to the use of these vaccines is straightforward and equally justifiable. If these vaccines were developed from cell lines taken from Jews murdered in Nazi concentration camps, it is not difficult to imagine that there would be widespread, if not universal rejection of those vaccines. Since many prolifers see no difference between the moral magnitude of abortion and the Holocaust, their passionate refusal to use these vaccines is completely understandable.

When dealing with difficult ethical issues like vaccines grown on the tissue of aborted children, one of the main questions to answer is how do individuals act in a moral way when they are acting in a world that is filled with immorality. For example, should a person watch no television programming on a certain network because some of its programming is immoral? It is crucial to remember that the moral nature of any act depends first on the action itself. Secondly, the intention of the individual is also a crucial factor. The further away the current act (using a vaccine) and intent (protecting a child from a disease) of an individual are from a previous immoral act (aborting a child), the less that individual is restricted by the immorality of the previous act. While the act of aborting the child was certainly immoral, all of the steps involved with the development and use of the vaccines thereafter neither cooperated with the abortion, nor intended to promote more such practices, nor intended anything but the preservation of life and health.

The Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, and the U.S. and British bishops conferences have studied the issue in detail and concluded that using the vaccines is morally permissible. However, once a person learns that certain vaccines are morally tainted, there is an obligation to seek out ethical alternatives where possible and to make objections known to health care providers and vaccine manufacturers. In addition, parents are entirely justified in citing a "conscientious objection" to tainted vaccines being used to immunize their children, particularly when the vaccine is not for a substantially threatening illness (Chickenpox, flu). Parents have a right to demand ethical alternatives be used or reject the vaccine if an alternative is not available.

A number of noted prolife activists have weighed in on both sides of the issue. Some have encouraged parents to use and demand nothing less than morally acceptable vaccines. While others like Jack Wilke, M.D., former National Right to Life Committee president and Bernard Nathanson, M.D., prolife activist and creator of "The Silent Scream" have opined that using the vaccines is morally allowable.

What is unanimous among all commentators on the subject is that everyone ought to know of the facts surrounding the vaccines, and prolife citizens should make an effort to persuade - even pressure - vaccine producers to eliminate their tainted products in favor of ethically acceptable products.

Catholic Congressional Votes on the HCB: We might be in trouble...

A blog I frequent (listed in the sidebar) is Musings of a Pertinacious Papist. Well, he recently had a very interesting take on the way Catholic Congressmen voted on the recent Obama-Care bill; and we might just be in trouble:

There are a whopping nine faithful Catholics in Congress who oppose the public funding of abortion. That's really good news. Faithful, shining witnesses to the truth of the Gospel. Nine. Out of 136 Catholics in Congress. The rest of whom support the public funding of abortion.

Let me see ... When Abraham was negotiating with God on the number of righteous men in Sodom for the sake of which God would not destroy it, how many was the minimum, do you remember?

Genesis 18:32 --
Then [Abraham] said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" And [the Lord] answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

Oh, crap.

Oh crap is right! 9!? That is it? Really? 9? That was just on the first vote... other bills and votes weren't as good.

See the Catholic Advocate for the actual vote counts for Catholics in Congress:
Catholic Vote Count on Health Care Bill


-Posted by: Joe

My Obama-Care Post

So I had a huge long post ready for this... and then I decided what I have to say really doesn't matter. If you want intelligent, educated, and well thought out posts about the health care bill passing please visit:
Creative Minority Report
American Papist

Here is my take:

-Posted by: Joe

Stupak was always a "YES" vote... and this isn't an "I told you so..."

I wrote the following post in October:
"Dear Cong. Stupak"


He never intended to be a NO. He is more savvy than to think this Executive Order will actually do what it says. What a shame... what a fraud.




-Posted by: Joe

Nancy Pelosi uses Catholicism as a gimmick.

I have tried to remain mostly politically free here.

I can't for this. 

I worked in politics. You *HIRE* people to fact check, speech write, and make sure you button your shirt correctly. How she let this political gaff occur... well it says a lot about her faith. It also says a lot about her ability to do her job well.

This clip is from a PRESS CONFERENCE. That means she PREPARED for this. We are entrusting her to run the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and she can't use Google. Don't believe me. Try this:

1. Type "March 19 St. Joseph" into Google. What is this first thing that comes up? This does: Wikipedia - St. Joseph

2. Now read the first three paragraphs.

3. Now watch this:

Ok. Now. Breathe.

Do you really trust ANYTHING This woman says!?! She went on CNN, to a press conference, that she set up... breathe... and said what??? Seriously... she claims she is Catholic. She invoked Catholicism in her presser. She didn't even use an ounce of effort to prepare.

You may say... "No big deal, it's a mistake so what."
Not so what. This wasn't like a reporter asked her a question (a la Couric & Palin). This was a PRESS CONFERENCE set up by her.

I can't think right now... I am done with this rant... make up your own mind...


-Posted by: Joe

Canon 915 - resources from Dr. Ed Peters

Dr. Ed Peters has posted a bunch of resources pertaining to Canon 915. For those unfamiliar with Canon Law, it is the Canon that relates to the denial of Communion to certain Catholics. This is a very serious and somewhat complex subject and therefore one should read all of the resources that Dr. Peters has listed.

You can find his list of resources here:
Canon 915 Resources

Here are some other resources I was able to find:
Canon 915 Project
Abp. Raymond Burke - Canon 915 Article


-Posted by: Joe

The Pope and the Church need our prayers...

I woke up this morning (345am) to a daughter making noises that a 2 month old will make in the middle of the night. But I stayed up because of an restlessness ... that wouldn't allow me to fall back asleep.

So I came to my computer to check the news... it is a habit I have when I cannot fall back asleep, which unfortunately proves prophetic more than I would like. Sure enough this is what I find:

We must remember to pray for the Pope, the Church, and our faith. We must defend them in battle against the evilness and snares of the Devil. Evil is real. The Devil is real. We cannot pretend that the Pope, the Church, and our Faith are some how immune to problem, failings, and scandal. Just like anything else, and actually more so, they are susceptible to attack and disease. The Devil wants nothing more than to bring the Church down upon itself. So please pray.

Also, pray for those affected by these horrible events. The victims in these abuses are normally children, and are the victims not only of abuse, but of this battle of evil vs good. The enemy cares not about anyone, and children are like a fine delicacy to him. We must pray, we must fight, we must succeed. We cannot simply sit back knowing that God is greater and will eventually win... we must do our part.

WE MUST PRAY!

-Posted by: Joe

Resources Concerning the ND Observer Situation

In light of the post below concerning The ND Observer and Dr. Rice, I provide for you a few resources that may help form your thought regarding the matters involved:

Papal Writings:
Ex corde ecclesiae - Pope John Paul II - On Catholic Universities
Fides et Ratio - Pope John Paul II - Encyclical on Faith and Reason

Dr. Rice Info:
Dr. Rice's Column: The Teachings of the Church on Homosexuality
ND Law Bio Page
Wikipedia Entry
Books by Dr. Rice - On Amazon.com
Dr. Rice's Call for Fr. Jenkins to Resing in.... the Observer.

ND Observer Links:
The Observer - Main Page
Staff Editorial Regarding Comic Controversy
The University's OFFICIAL Repsonse to the Incident


ND's Independent Catholic Paper:
The Irish Rover


-Posted by: Joe

The Shame at Notre Dame - Daily Observer Wimps Out On Dr. Rice Column - Answering Why...

So the University of Notre Dame periodical "The Observer" has again brought shame down upon the University by their decision to nix a column written by Law Professor Dr. Charles Rice. [You can read about that here: ND Observer Refuses Dr. Rice's Column On the Churches Teaching Regarding Homosexuality]

As we reported yesterday, a Dr. Rice wrote a regular column for the Observer. Dr. Rice is a distinguished member of the Notre Dame Law faculty, and his influence reaches far beyond the hallowed halls of their law school. [Read about Dr. Rice at his Law School Info Page] His column was never short of poignant and was always firmly rooted in the intellectual and spiritual teachings of the Holy Catholic Church. So then why would the new editor of the "Observer" refuse to print his column?

Well the answer may lie in cowardice. Harsh words you say? I disagree, in fact, the reasons given by the editor show that cowardice is most likely the exact reason why the column was denied. One must follow the a trail though, which starts at the reasons given for the denial of publication and leads back to the incident that supposedly created the "reason," or need to deny the column by Dr. Rice.

First, there was an incident a while back where the Observer printed a pretty horrible cartoon. It was hateful and crude; it dealt with homosexuals and created quite a stir. There were protests, apologies and resignations. Here are some links:
The Observer Cancels the Comic Strip "The Mobile Report"
The Mobile Report Apologizes
All of this occurred just over a month ago in Mid-January. Between then and now there was quite an outcry for a "change" at the Observer. That is exactly what happened.

Second, the Observer started to change their course. They changed editorial staff, and actually decided to "Right" their "Wrong" by going to the other extreme and "embracing" the homosexual causes on campus. They supported and promoted a change to the anti-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation. This showed their agenda, it also highlighted the course in which they were going to be taking over the next few weeks and months.

Finally, the new EIC and editorial staff came on board. The campus was all buzzing over this controversy and there was a perfect opportunity for the paper of the flagship Catholic University in America to lead the way in the Catechism of the Church. Instead, they punted. Actually, they didn't even show up to the game. Instead they ran and hid from the opportunity.

This is why I say it was cowardice. Not on the part of Notre Dame, but on the part of the Observer. This was what some call a "teachable" moment, but instead the Observer decided to push its liberal anti-Catholic agenda. Hopefully the independent paper on campus the Irish Rover picks up on this situation and runs with it! I'd love to seem them print the original Rice article and make the Observer irrelevant. I suggest you all take a look at the Irish Rover and see that there are good things going on at Notre Dame and that there still are students committed to keeping Notre Dame Catholic... even if none of them work for the Observer.

Please take some time to check out the Rover, and possibly support them. They run off of donations and the generosity of their readers. I once was the EIC of a paper just like the rover. In fact, when the Rover was starting up so were we. I know how hard it is to keep independent conservative papers like that going, especially on the campuses of major universities; funding is only one of the many problems they face. So if you are looking for something positive to support and a way to help "the good" consider a donation to them. If you can't afford that, check out an issue and write them some email of support. In the very least, pray for them.


-Posted by: Joe

Breaking!: Notre Dame "Observer" refuses to print Dr. Charles Rice's Column RE: Church's Teaching on Homosexuality

UPDATED*** 7:49 pm ET:

Notre Dame... fails again.

• UPDATE*** 7:49pm ET:
• A new email from the Editor to Dr. Rice is printed below. It appears that the Observer is still licking it's wounds from an earlier "incident." What better way to "repair" your image than print the teachings of the Church?? Guess they don't think that way..... (SEE BELOW FOR NEW EMAIL)

This is story is hitting just now in a few well respected Catholic News outlets:

Dr. Charles Rice (Notre Dame Law School - Bio) recently wrote a column/piece for the Notre Dame Observer, as he does every few weeks. The topic this week is: The Church's Teaching On Homosexuality. Only... this week they didn't print it.

Here is the article: Dr. Rice's - "Right or Wrong?" Column: March 1, 2010 - Homosexuality (from Fumare)

The Editor of the Observer didn't print it for a variety of reasons...or so they say. None of the listed reasons was legitimate. Now, as a former College Paper Editor, I know something about the role of an EIC. There are LEGITIMATE reasons for not printing certain things, and there are times when you don't WANT things printed so you CREATE a reason. This folks... is a brush off.

Below is the email exchange between Dr. Rice and the Editor.

From: Matt Gamber [mgamber@nd.edu] Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 1:24 AM To: Charles Rice Subject: Tuesday's column

Dear Mr. Rice,

I wanted to first introduce myself as Matt Gamber, the new Editor-in-Chief of The Observer. Thank you for your continued hard work and contributions to The Observer's Viewpoint section.

Second, I wanted to let you know why we chose not to run your most recent submission in Tuesday's Observer. First, it far exceeded our word limit guidelines, which I understand our Viewpoint Editor, Michelle Maitz, has shared with you in the past. Our daily space limitations require that we enforce this word limit, and we would appreciate your attention to this limit in the future.

Also, I personally had some concerns with the content of the column, particularly considering The Mobile Party comic incident earlier in the semester at The Observer. While your piece was well-researched and I trust the information was factually correct, I did not feel it lent itself to creating a productive discussion, all things considered. I was a bit concerned with certain language as well.

In the future, if you would like to examine this topic, we thought it might be beneficial to do so in a point-counterpoint format, perhaps with an author of an opposing or differing viewpoint. That way, each "side," to speak, would have the opportunity to present relevant facts, evidence and analysis to define its position.

As I began, I again thank you for your contributions to The Observer. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this decision, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Matt Gamber Editor-in-Chief The Observer Cell: (847) 287-1141 Office: (574) 631-4542

Dr. Rice's Response:

From: Charles Rice Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 3:04 PM To: Matthew Gamber Subject: Rice Column on Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality

Dear Mr. Gamber:

Thank you for your email informing me that my column presenting the teachings of the Church on homosexuality will not be published. Since 1992, I have been privileged to publish every two weeks a column, entitled “Right or Wrong,” in the Observer. I emphasize my appreciation for the unfailing professionalism and courtesy of the Observer editors with whom I have had contact over those years.

You mention the column “far exceeded our word limit guidelines.” It is in fact significantly shorter than each of the three previous columns published this semester in the Observer. I was not asked to shorten any of them. The rejected column accurately presented relevant teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality. I understand why you are concerned over the content of the column. You further propose that if I examine the topic of homosexuality in the future, “we thought it might be beneficial to do so in a point-counterpoint format, perhaps with an author of an opposing or differing viewpoint. That way, each ‘side,’ so to speak, would have the opportunity to present relevant facts, evidence and analysis to define its position.”

In a university that claims to be Catholic, I am not willing to restrict my presentation of Catholic teaching to a format that treats the authoritative teaching of the Church as merely one viewpoint or “side” among many. If you require that future columns of mine on homosexuality comply with a format such as you propose, it will be inappropriate for me to continue writing the column for the Observer.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Rice Professor Emeritus Notre Dame Law School

Words fail me. Dr. Rice is amazing, I had some limited interaction with him while at Ave Law, and he was nothing less than a gentleman and a scholar. This is another BLACK mark on the name of Notre Dame, and unfortunately, Dr. Rice is once again a target of Anti-Catholic thinking.

UPDATE*** 7:49pm ET:
Here is the most recent email from Matt Gamber, EIC to Dr. Rice:

From: Matt Gamber [mgamber@nd.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 5:29 PM
To: Charles Rice
Subject: Re: Rice Column on Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality

Dear Dr. Rice,

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your contributions to The
Observer and I hope that we will continue to work together. I do not
wish to question the Church teachings or argue the points you
presented in your essay, but rather, because the paper is still
recovering from the incident with The Mobile Party comic, we would
prefer to examine this issue at a later time.

I sincerely appreciate your understanding of our concerns, and I hope
you will not hesitate to contact me with any further questions or
concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Matt Gamber

-Posted by: Joe