Creative Minority Reader: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Zombies Ahead!

This is just funny. Go check out the pictures at Ace of Spades HQ:

Transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered to read, "Zombies Ahead."

We Believe In...Oh Never Mind

LarryD over at Acts of The Apostasy has the latest installment of "The Death of Religion Through Political Correctness:"

Political correctness continues to run amok in [insert emotion here] [insert age descriptor here] England (I didn't want to say "merry ol' England" because I don't want to offend sad young people).

From the Daily Mail: Silenced Christian Soldiers: Chaplain Bans Creed 'so services won't offend minority religions'

Sandhurst military academy has dropped the Church of England Creed from services over fears that it may offend religious minorities.

Friday, January 30, 2009

From Rorate Caeli

To His Eminence Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos

Your Eminence

Amidst this tremendous media storm stirred up by imprudent remarks of mine on Swedish television, I beg of you to accept, only as is properly respectful, my sincere regrets for having caused to yourself and to the Holy Father so much unnecessary distress and problems.

Continue Reading >>>>

Actor Comes Out...As Pro-Life!

Big Hollywood is off to a heck of a start. Actor Gary Graham -you'd know his face-writes about his journey from pro-choice to pro-life. It's got some language but it's really powerful:

I’m not a person filled with hate. I don’t brew strong stomach acids when I hear/see things I think horrendously idiotic or unjust in the news or on the street. Initially, my reaction is to laugh. The irony is simply too much, and I crack up. Generally, it’s either laugh…or cry. And who wants to spend the day in tears? For I would, were I to give in to that option of dealing with the utter, naked insanity in our midst on a daily basis. I’m not just talking about something that ‘isn’t quite right’ or… ‘is just a tad out of whack’…I’m talking about the United States of America in this year of 2009 being completely off its moorings and slipping into the abyss.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Chastity vs. Virginity?

From Dawn Eden

Last week, one of my professors (not at Dominican House of Studies, but at another school where I am taking a class) referred to the evangelical counsels—poverty, chastity, and obedience—as "poverty, virginity, and obedience."

I raised my hand and asked if he was using "virginity" to mean unmarried chastity. He said virginity was a more appropriate word than chastity because virginity implies a "complete self-gift" to God

Continue Reading >>>>>

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Channeling Bishop Burke

Bishop Hermann of St. Louis

In our Supreme Court and in our Congress, we have a plethora of so-called Catholics who are failing to live their Catholic identity. Over 50 percent of our electorate voted for a president who is one of the most pro-culture-of-death candidates from a major party to run for the highest office of the land.

Yes, we can thank one-half of our Catholics for bailing out on their faith!

Continue Reading>>>>

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

David Alexander asks "Wazzup With WTF?"

Yo, dude. We got the total DL on the latest buzz with that whole pro-life thing. Ed Morrissey of Hot Air says wazzup...

Continue Reading >>>>

Eight Responses to Pro-Choicers

Jen F. writes a really well thought out article at Inside Catholic on responding to pro-choicers about abortion:

I once said that I'd die to keep abortion legal and easily accessible, and I meant it. I was vehemently pro-choice, as were most of the women in my social circles. We believed abortion was a critical right for women and could not imagine how anyone could be pro-life. We were products of a culture in which human sexuality had been severed from its inherent connection to the creation of human life. Our generation had been taught in our public school sex-ed classes not that sex creates babies, but that unprotected sex creates babies. We were assured that the creation of new human life was tangential to sexual activity, something that was not only optional but completely controllable. In fact, babies were considered downright antithetical to sex.

If You Want A Laugh

The Curt Jester at his best. He brings this hilarious piece called "If Rodney Dangerfield had been Catholic" from out of nowhere. I wonder how long he's been working on it. It's so good:

It's not easy being me let me tell you. I went to a silent retreat. Turns out it was a regular retreat, just nobody wanted to talk to me. I can't get no respect.

When I was a child I was possessed by a Demon. When my bed lifted up in the air my mother told to Demon to hold it up there while she got the dust mop. I didn't even spew pea soup, more like Cambell's Chicken Noodle. Turned out I was possessed by a very minor Demon who couldn't even get his Latin declensions right and ran at the site of Holy Water. No respect I tell you.

When I received Confirmation the Bishop slapped me. I asked him "I thought we didn't do that anymore?" He told me in my case he made an exception.

This Keeps Me Up At Night

You want to know what keeps me up at night? The fear of having to fight a lion. (Go for the eyes!) But you know what else keeps me up at night? This post by Patrick Madrid which essentially details the demise of The West in a clear and rational way. Thanks Patrick Madrid! Thanks a lot! Well at least I won't be having the lion nightmare for a while:

Global aging, combined with plummeting birth rates, is a catastrophically dangerous menace that only a few people seem to be waking up to. You may not be familiar with terms like “global aging” and “demographic winter,” but you will be soon.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I Don't Hate the New President

Fr Dwight Longenecker doesn't hate the new President but he sure doesn't like what he sees so far:

The have been accused in the comments box of 'hating' our new President. I don't think I hate him as a person. Indeed, I'm proud that our country has elected a black man, and that so many of my countrymen have hope for the future, and are optimistic, and I hope he succeeds in making our country a better place. I don't hate him. However, I do dislike a trait he evidences which is a symptom of the philosophy he holds, and that he (like most ideologues) is stubborn.

Media Downplays Obama's Abortion Order

Newsbusters compares the press reaction of Obama's order to fund the abortion industry overseas with the way the press treated Bush for cutting it off:

Catching up on an item from Friday night, the three broadcast evening newscasts aired virtually nothing on January 23 about President Obama’s executive order permitting federal funding of abortions, overturning orders signed by President Bush in his first week in office back in 2001. Both CBS and NBC’s White House reporters squeezed in a single sentence about Obama’s action during stories about the economic stimulus bill, while ABC’s World News said nothing about the orders on Friday.

But on Sunday’s World News, ABC’s Dan Harris highlighted conservative criticism of Obama’s abortion decision, arguing that it showed how “despite his desire to reach out to people who disagree with him, the new President may find that on some issues, it may be impossible to find common ground.”...

SSPX: Triumph and Tribulation

Christopher A. Ferrara, Remnant Columnist, has said everything I could or would say about the lifting of the excommunications. A wonderfully joyous and momentous day marred by the actions of one.

I consider it a must read for anyone interested in the SSPX.

Amy's All Over the SSPX

If this whole issue with the SSPX is interesting to you, you should go over and read Amy Welborn's blog. She's really making some strong points and explaining it so that even idiots like me can understand:

I want to highlight this:

“The key issue with the lifting of the excommunications is to take all possible measures to prevent these prelates from conferring the episcopacy on a new generation of Lefebvrites. No new bishops and the thing dies.”

I don’t think Benedict wants the “thing” to die” in terms of the spirituality and devotion of people associated with SSPX, but he certainly wants them reintegrated into the Church. But the more I think about it, it seems as if lifting the excommunications is, looking at things politically, a means of actually getting more control over the SSPX, just for the reason - as well as the ordination of priests - that this commenter expresses.

God Has Call Waiting?

Dawn Eden has a homily which is quite good from Fr. Sean Raftis, S.J. about us answering our calls from God:

When we get phone calls, we all react differently, depending on who is calling and what the phone call is about. Sometimes we are excited to get a call and sometimes we might be nervous. Sometimes we want to answer the phone and sometimes we don’t. What would we do if God called us? Well, he does call us.

In today’s Gospel, Our Lord called some members of the Apostolic College. The Latin word for “calling” is “vocare." Just as Jesus called the disciples, he calls all of us, and we all have a vocation, no matter who we are, no matter what age we are. Also, it is never, ever too late to answer God’s call. God has eternal call-waiting...

Papist Thinks Pelosi's Left in the Cold

American Papist has the latest in the Pelosi contraception saga. And I bet you'll be surprised:

Quite a development:
House Democrats are likely to jettison family planning funds for the low-income from an $825 billion economic stimulus bill, officials said late Monday, following a personal appeal from President Barack Obama at a time the administration is courting Republican critics of the legislation
.

Monday, January 26, 2009

How Many Marched for Life?

So the media added a million or so to the Inauguration's attendance numbers. Try to guess what they did to the March for Life numbers. Apoloblogology has the numbers:

Having looked at several sources, I've come up with quite a few different numbers of how many marchers peacefully employed their first amendment rights this past week in Washington on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. So far the only consistent number I have that day when it comes to protesters is the one nutjob who smashed his SUV into a Minnesota Planned Parenthood, effectively giving the media an excuse to focus on an extremist exception and ignore the rule. So far, here are the numbers I've found:

Jimmy Carter: Trust Hamas

Appearing on Monday's "Today" show former President Jimmy Carter offered his advice to President Barack Obama on the Mideast peace process and to her credit "Today" co-host Meredith Vieira actually expressed skepticism about Carter's faith in Hamas in those negotiations. Vieira repeatedly questioned Carter about the trustworthiness of Hamas as she queried Carter, "But do you believe Hamas that Hamas can be trusted?" and pointed out to the 39th President, "Hamas has said that its goal is to destroy Israel. How can you involve them in a peace process when they've said their goal is to destroy Israel? They don't recognize Israel." ...

Who Will Chair the RNC?

The RNC Chair race will have long term consequences for many of the issues we care about most: Red State has some interesting news on the race:

There are two men at the top of list for RNC Chairman: Mike Duncan and Katon Dawson. One of them will be the next chairman.

I’m not saying this because I want them, though truth be told I’d be happy with either. I’m saying this because I’ve been surveying RNC members and people on the outside. It seems very clear this is where we stand.

In third place would be Saul Anuzis with Michael Steele nipping at his heels. Publicly, Steele has more endorsements, but Anuzis has stronger support among undecideds.

Rick Schroder Isn't Into Hopenchange

Well, that's it. Rick Schroder's career is over:

Actor and childhood star Richard “Ricky” Schroder, Jr., told CNSNews.com that the election of Barack Obama did not change his life and Obama should not raise taxes on Americans.

The election of Obama, “It hasn’t changed my life,” Schroder told CNSNews.com on the red carpet at the Declare Yourself Inaugural Ball

Saints! Who Needs 'Em?

The Anchoress writes of the disconnect between Catholics and other Christians over saints:

I’ve written before about the Communion of Saints and what it is like to pray with the cloud of witnesses St. Paul tells us are always around us. Christians profess the Communion of Saints in the Apostles Creed, but aside from the Catholics and Orthodox, we don’t actually talk about engaging them in prayer - asking them to pray to and for us. Anglicans recognise the saints, too, but are - I think - a little less pally with them, and the Evangelicals don’t think about them at all. That’s partly because, although there is growing friendship and understanding between Catholics and Evangelicals, there is a tremendous disconnect between them on this issue. Some Evangelicals swear we “worship” the saints instead of God and engage in idolatry, and we Catholics and Orthodox don’t do a very good job of explaining that our engagements with the saints are the farthest things from “worship” but are in fact, fast friendships wherein we pray together.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

No Name Calling, You Homophobes!

From Karen Hall

From the "When Will This End?" Files...

No, actually, this would be more accurately placed in the "No Sense of Irony" files. At any rate, now hear this:

Continue Reading >>>>

Absurd, Borderline Blasphemous

You've got to see this one to believe it. This is what passes for objective media today:

In yet another example of the absurd, even borderline blasphemous depictions of Barack Obama as if he were a religious figure, the L.A. Times foisted upon its customers an amazing specimen as a wrap around over its newsstand copies of the paper leading up to inaugural day last week.

Freeper "puffer" was so amazed at the audacity of this L.A. Times imagery, he had to scan the sheet and display it on FreeRepublic.com. The photograph is reminiscent of one of the most famous and iconic depictions of God in western art, the Sistine Chapel painting of God reaching out to Adam. But, instead of God, we have The Obammessiah reaching across the page as if straining to touch each of us with his healing hand. It's quite disgusting, really, the way the Old Media has propagandized for Obama by replicating religious imagery or communist propaganda and this over-the-top image is a perfect example.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

When 95% Isn't Enough

Please say a quick prayer for Domenico and his family:

It’s been quite a roller coaster day for us here. No, it has nothing to do with the inauguration (although I’m waiting for so-called pro-life Obama supporters to explain his moves on that front), but something much closer to home.

Melanie had gone in to see an endocrinologist recently because of something her ob-gyn had seen in her recent tests. (For those of you just catching up, she’s about 14 weeks pregnant.) She got the call back today that she has “nodules” on her thyroid gland and they’re going to have to do a biopsy by sticking a big needle through her neck. The doctor assured her that in 95% of cases, the nodules are completely benign...

K-Lo At March for Life

Kathryn Lopez writes about the March for Life in National Review:

On the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States, I stood, for a while, just about exactly where I stood during the so-called March for Women’s Lives the “pro-choice” crowd had in April 2004. That was back in the Bush years, and it was an election year to boot; their rally was a bit of a pre-Democratic convention, since the Democrats then as now are in the pocket of the abortion industry. (The late Governor Bob Casey remains an exception, and an inspiring model. Today, President Barack Obama even has a former EMILY’s List leader as his spokeswoman.)...

Chris Matthews: Is Sarah Palin Illiterate?

You want to hear the crazy truth. As sick and twisted and bias as Chris Matthews is, he isn't even the most sick and twisted and bias on his own network. he may not be in the top three. That's not to say he's not a lunatic as evidenced by this priceless clip from Newsbusters:

Good old Chris "Tingle" Matthews. We can always look to him to lower his own credibility just one more notch with each and every broadcast, can't we? This time Ol' Chris Tingle has debased himself by telling the four or five viewers he has that he thinks Governor Sarah Palin can't read or write. Apparently Matthews doesn't think that Palin has the capacity to write the book she is reportedly shopping around.

See How Fatima Looked in 1917

Patrick Madrid has up a video with pictures from Fatima in 1917. I've never seen it before and it's really quite interesting.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Can We Abort More? Yes We Can!

Some truly alarming abortion statistics from Gateway Pundit. But obviously, President Obama doesn't feel they're alarming enough:

Because 42 million global abortions each year are not nearly enough, Barack Obama will use taxpayer dollars to pay for more. He signed the legislation today... One day after the anniversary of Roe v Wade.

The Guttmacher Institute reported:

Fellay :Williamson's Opinion His Own

Bishop Fellay defends the SSPX and puts distance between Williamson's opinions and the Society. I wonder if Williamson see the bus coming his way?

See His Letter Here >>>>

A Question for Dems for Life

One of the things nobody ever talks about in the recent Democratic surge at the ballot box is how so many Democrats are veering to the right on issues like life and guns to woo conservatives. But this raises a question: Are the Democrats for Life an honest-to-goodness pro-life organization commited to remaking their party or simply a wedge to unseat pro-life Republicans. Jay Anderson wonders:

A commenter at this InsideCatholic article on shifting the pro-life strategy poses an excellent question:

I have not kept up perfectly with dems for life who hold office. I wish them well in changing their party. But I have to admit to a negative opinion overall. Let's start with Bob Casey Jr. D-Pa. He is a dem for life. He won partly because his dad was the honorable Bob Casey Sr., who was ostracized by the DNC for suggesting a prolife platform. Jr. also won due to the media negativity of the Iraq War. This was focused on a courageous prolife republican, Rick Santorum. Santorum is a devout catholic who constantly fought for the unborn. He deserved that seat more than Casey. It was a cheap dirty victory in that one prolifer was run by dems against the more dedicated prolifer: Santorum. Santorum lost. Net pro life victory zero. But at least Casey will typically vote party line.

Media Misreports "March For Life" Turnout

The AP said the March for Life was only three blocks long.

Michael Novak watched the march this afternoon. It was broadcast on EWTN and will be rebroadcast later. Michael said he watched for nearly three hours as the march just kept streaming up the street, often as many as fifteen abreast.

News Anchor Cried at Inauguration

George Stephanopoulos cried during the Inauguration and yet we're supposed to believe that he's objective. I'm not sure I can get there unless he cried when Clarence Thomas was sworn onto the Supreme Court:

"We watched everything and George was still doing all the anchoring for ABC and as soon Beyonce said 'At Last...' George called me at home and he went, 'Honey?' and I said 'I know!' and we both started crying."

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Substantive Question Annoys Obama

You've just got to watch the video at Hot Air. Obama gets asked a substantive question (I think for the first time in over a year) and he gets pretty peeved. Just for laughs watch the adoring faces of the journalists:

“Annoyed” is a relative term when it comes to Cool Hand Luke but the irritation was palpable enough to squeeze a story out of Politico. What, pray tell, did they do to irk the un-irkable? Why, the one thing that could be counted on to get a rise out of him throughout his interminable campaign: They asked him a question.

Prayers For Dale

From Mrs. Dyspepsia

While he's said "This ain't Oprah," I've spilled my guts here, and this is another one of those times.
Tomorrow my beloved husband goes under the knife for Lap-Band surgery. To those who noticed his comment somewhere about the "pre-surgical liquid diet," that's why.

Continue Reading >>>>

Struggle for the Soul of Our Nation

by Robert P. George

Thirty-six years ago tomorrow, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its infamous decision in Roe v. Wade and its companion case Doe v. Bolton. In the name of a generalized “right to privacy” allegedly implicit in the Due Process Clause of the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, seven justices created a license to kill the unborn.

These men probably had no idea that they were unleashing a struggle for the soul of the nation.

Continue Reading >>>>

March for Life, 22 Weeks, and Roe

Ed Morrisey of Hot Air will be interviewing the director of 22 Weeks, the pro-life movie, and he'll be talking about the March for Life as well. I'm sure it'll be interesting:

Today, the Left celebrates the 36th anniversary of Roe v Wade, while the pro-life movement mourns the deaths of over 44 million aborted babies. In Washington DC, March for Life will protest the Roe decision as well as the widely-expected Freedom of Choice Act that Barack Obama promised to push through Congress. The Anchoress also anticipates that Barack Obama will end the Mexico City policy by executive order as early as today and restore American funding of abortions overseas.

Today, I’ll interview Angel Manuel Soto, the director of a new film, 22 Weeks, about a true story of an abortion and what happened when the child survived. Joining us will be the mother, Angele, to give her perspective on Roe and the abortion industry. The film is now playing in selected theaters throughout the country, but can also be purchased on DVD now. The website has a lot more information, and a trailer:

Roe is the Dred Scott Of Our Age

Ed Whelan in The Corner writes an excellent piece on the comparison between the Supreme Court's ruling in Dred Scott to Roe:

On this 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s dreadful decision in Roe v. Wade, permit me to quote from my Senate Judiciary Committee testimony in 2005:
Roe v. Wade marks the second time in American history that the Supreme Court has invoked "substantive due process" to deny American citizens the authority to protect the basic rights of an entire class of human beings. The first time, of course, was the Court’s infamous 1857 decision in the Dred Scott case (Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857)). There, the Court held that the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavery in the northern portion of the Louisiana Territories, could not constitutionally be applied to persons who brought their slaves into free territory...

Why I Want Obama To Fail

I'm not sure I understand the expectation that we're all supposed to support the President as if he's coming in as a bipedal tabula rasa who we won't know what to expect from until he does it. Anyone who's paying attention knows enough to wish him failure in many respects. Warner Todd Huston (who may be the busiest blogger in the world) has a few things to say about it over at Stop The ACLU:

An extremely liberal co-worker of mine — he’s in the past said that the “rich” should be killed, for instance — asked me a serious question by which he felt he could gauge whether or not I was a “real” American in his eyes during the rise of the age of Obama. He wondered whether I wish success for Barack Obama as our president. After a few seconds of reflection I had to honestly give a qualified “no” in answer to his query. Naturally this fellow went off about how it was unAmerican to wish the president to fail and how it would damage the country. But, after he briefly calmed down, and brief calm is usually all we can expect from him, I gave him a fuller explanation.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

It's Official: U.S. Funding Foreign Abortions

One of the most outrageous and dishonest campaign websites this year was Obama's mock "Pro-Life" website paid for by George Soros.

In reality Obama was the most radical pro-abortion and infanticide candidate in the last 35 years. Barack Obama even voted 4 times to support infanticide.

After his victory his advisors announced that one of his first moves would be to lift a ban that would swell the number abortions both here and abroad.
They weren't kidding.

Jester Sees Change He Doesn't Like

Yesterday we were not giving money to organizations overseas that provided abortions, today we are - Change.

Yesterday before noon the official White House site did not promote abortion, now it does - Change.

Yesterday we had a President that did not consider that the question of human life was above his paygrade, now we do - Change

The Post-Barackalyptic Wasteland

Jammie Wearing Fool has video of Washington D.C. after the inauguration. It truly does look like a post-apocylptic wasteland. And these are the people who love the environment?

The Obamatons trash DC in the greenest, most glorious inaugural ever!

What was it Obama said, something about taking responsibility? Sure.

How about picking up after yourselves, you slobs?

Amy Refuses to Believe in Obama

Amy Welborn is a tad uncomfortable with the coronation...I mean...inauguration of the Obamessiah.

Long-time readers will recognize this post as yet another long, rambling, unfocused attempt to focus my own thoughts.

As I usually do, before going to the actual effort of articulating my own views, I hunt around, trying to find someone who says it better, so I won’t have to bother. I found three. But I’ll still bother.

First, I agree with a bit of this post at the Volokh Conspiracy critiquing the inaugural gestalt that seems more in common with a monarchy than a republic founded, in part, out of a desire for limited government. This is not an Obama issue. It’s an issue related to the increasingly vexing matter of the role of the president in American government and life. I say “increasingly vexing” because I do believe the confusion and pressure is getting worse as government grows. I thought about this often during the campaign, particularly during the debates. Think about it - these candidates are put up there in the debate context, not allowed to use any notes or references, and are expected to be comfortably expert on any and every aspect of domestic and foreign policy that might affect a nation of 300 million people as evidenced by their ability to speak extemporaneously and unaided.

Controversial Archbishop Dies

A hero of "progressive-minded" Catholics passed away today:

With family and friends near him, Archbishop Jean Jadot died peacefully at his residence in Brussels Jan. 21. He had received communion and the last rites a couple days before his death. Archbishop Karl-Josef Rauber, the Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium, had come to his bedside with a special papal blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.

He had been Apostolic Delegate to the United States from 1973 to 1980 and at the direction of Pope Paul VI transformed the U.S. Episcopal leadership by appointing pastorally-minded bishops.

Bow to Culture of Death

The Anchoress questions Obama's bow to Moloch concerning paying for abortions overseas:

As I mentioned yesterday, today Barack Obama’s first act as president will be precisely what Bill Clinton’s “first act” as President was: he will make a token offering to Moloch by freeing up US funds (they come from your pocket, remember) to pay for overseas abortions.

Obama and McNabb

Juan Williams in the Wall Street Journal writes an impressive column on how the media by building Obama up could be setting him up for failure.

With the noon sun high over the U.S. Capitol, Barack Obama yesterday took the oath of office to become president of the United States. On one level, it was a simple matter of political process -- the symbolic transfer of power. Yet words alone cannot convey its meaning.

The calloused hands of slaves, the voices of abolitionists, the hearts of generations who trusted in the naïve promise that any child can become president, will find some reward in a moment that was hard to imagine last year, much less 50 years ago. Our history, so marred by the sin of slavery, has come to the day when a man that an old segregationist would have described as "tea-colored" -- the child of a white woman and an African immigrant, who identifies as a member of the long oppressed and despised black minority -- was chosen by a mostly white nation as the personification of America's best sense of self as a nation of power and virtue...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Media Downplays Rev's Racial Comments

The media plays it's continuing game of "nothing to see here. Move along" at the Inauguration:

The Associated Press noticed liberal Rev. Joseph Lowery's prayer raised eyebrows when he prayed for that day in the hazy future when "white will embrace what is right." That divisive note drew this headline: "Lowery gives sole inaugural note of racial caution." The entire dispatch was brief:

Media's Path to Irrelevance is Activism

Journalism of the objective variety is dead. Red State performs the autopsy:

We’ve seen the evidence mounting over the last several years of professional journalism’s slide from respectable fourth estate to irrelevant outlet for liberal activism. We’ve seen Dan Rather’s “fake but accurate” forged-document-based assassination attempt on George W. Bush, and Chris Matthews’s tingly-legged assertion that his job as an objective journalist, while formerly being centered on bringing down the Bush administration, is now to ensure that Barack Obama’s tenure in the White House is a “success,” regardless of the facts or the cost.

From NARAL To Pro-Life Speaker

Ten years ago Karen Shablin was a "card-carrying member of NARAL"; she is now a pro-life speaker for Feminists for Life. A health policy expert and former state Medicaid agency head, Ms. Shablin is speaking for FFL on campus because, she says, "I can’t undo my mistakes over the years—having an abortion, advocating abortion, but I can help others to learn from my mistakes. Every life counts..."

Monday, January 19, 2009

Get Back Up!

You feeling like you've got it rough? Overwhelmed? There's a pretty amazing video over at Faith and Family Live that'll straighten you right out:

Feeling discouraged? This video will cure you of that. Nick Vujicic is one of the most inspiring speakers I’ve heard in a long time.

Doesn't Anybody Believe Al Gore Anymore?

Maybe it's just Winter but an awful lot of people aren't buying the whole global warming thing.

He won an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize, but a recent poll suggests the Global Warmingist-in-Chief Al Gore is losing his propaganda war to convince Americans carbon dioxide is destroying the planet.

In fact, the number of people who believe that long-term planetary trends are responsible for the relatively small increase in temperatures in recent decades rose ten percent since last April while those viewing it as a man-made problem have decreased by six percent.

Worst Political Movies in Past 50 Years

HotAir is compiling the list of the worst political movies of the past 50 years. There's some doozies I even forgot about. Go have some fun.

As promised, I have reviewed the hundreds of comments and suggestions in yesterday’s thread to compile a list of the worst political movies of the past 50 years. Remember, we’re looking for bad movies, not necessarily movies with which we disagree on political direction. That can be a fine distinction, as a really offensive political message can ruin a movie, so I’ll leave that judgment to Hot Air readers.

The Unpopular Fr. Richtsteig

Criticize Obama and pay the price. Even Fr. Eric Richtsteig has now learned his lesson, not that I think it will influence his actions even a little. (It may actually make him even more fun to read)

Anyway, the Salt Lake Tribune religion editor called earlier in the week and asked me to make a comment on the incoming presidency. (I think she wanted a divergent opinion.) Here is what I said.

Redemptive Diapering on Deus Caritas Est

This new blog has one of the greatest names of Catholic blogs I've seen in a while: Redemptive Diapering. Brigid is ambitiously starting a weekly discussion forum on Deus Caritas Est. Seems interesting:

Like a good theology prof, Pope Benedict is starting at the very beginning. Who and what is God? Who and what am I? To understand these things, we need to understand what love is, and strip away some of the false ideas that are popular about love, man, and God, particularly “[i]n a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence.”

This is Actually Good News

As much as CMR has made it clear we disagree with Barack Obama on...let's just say lots and lots, we do find that this is very good news. Can it change? Sure. But for now, it's good news.

More than two-thirds of African-Americans believe Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision for race relations has been fulfilled, a CNN poll found -- a figure up sharply from a survey in early 2008.

The CNN-Opinion Research Corp. survey was released Monday, a federal holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader and a day before Barack Obama is to be sworn in as the first black U.S. president.

No Praying While Crashing, Please

Mollie from GetReligion.org highlights a hilarious media angle on the recent plane crash in the Hudson. Clearly, the media doesn't think we should be praying while a plane is going down. Hey, if not then, when?

How awesome is Chesley B. Sullenberger, the heroic pilot who saved everyone’s life in his daring landing in the Hudson? I just can’t read enough about the perfect landing and the brilliant rescue operation. Of course, I’m one of those people who can’t drive across a bridge without contemplating what I’d do if, say, the bridge suddenly collapsed and I ended up in the middle of the icy Potomac.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Anyone Here From Outta Town?

Curt Jester's pet peeve is mine also.

Headlines like Applause for Biden interrupts Catholic church service
Another article gives more details.

Biden and his wife attended mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown. At one point, when newcomers and visitors were welcomed, congregants laughed and started applauding until Biden stood up. Then everyone stood up for sustained applause.
This adds to my list of why I hate Pastors asking about visitors.

Continue Reading >>>>

While It's Still His Pay Grade

From Sheila Liaugminas:

President George W. Bush has declared Sunday, January 18th, National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

It was one of his last acts as president, two days after declaring Friday National Religious Freedom Day.

His proclamation recognizes…

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Tell Tom Hanks To Shut Up!

I really want to like Tom Hanks. I didn't even blame him for the DaVinci Code thing. But it's getting harder and harder to like this guy. According to Michelle Malkin, Hanks has called me and anyone who thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman - un-American:

We were considered fascists for questioning theirs, but it’s patriotic for them to question ours.
Per Hot Air headlines, Hollywood lib Tom Hanks tars Prop. 8 supporters as “un-American.” As opposed to all of those patriots gathering black lists and compiling maps of people who exercised their right to vote and dared to express political opinions in opposition to Tinseltown orthodoxy…

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Obama Snubs Palin?

HotAir has a whole theory on why Sarah Palin has not been invited to the Inaugural even though McCain is:

Her spokesman claims he doesn’t know if she was or not, but come on.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, his controversial running-mate, will not attend the dinner, Bill McAllister, a Palin spokesman tells Mother Jones…
Was she even invited? “I don’t know if she was invited,” McCallister says. Don’t know? How could that be? It’s hard to miss an invitation from a presidential inauguration committee. For its part, Obama’s inaugural committee has declined to say whether an invitation was sent to Palin. Repeated phone calls to its press office produced no answer to this simple question…

Hilarious But Creepy Media Bias

CBS's Harry Smith has obviously long been willing to show his liberal bias but his "feelings" for Obama really come to the forefront here in an embarrasing third grade crush kind of way here including this precious line: "Wow...Yeah. Has a good smile, too, right? There you go. Peter, thank you so much...Really, really like it." Check out the whole thing at Newsbusters:

Near the end of Thursday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith unveiled the latest painting by artist Peter Max, a mural of 44 portraits of Barack Obama. Max has created numerous paintings for the Early Show set and Smith praised the artist’s latest work: "Okay, wow. That is really, really, really cool...Wow. Well, that is pretty impressive. I hope somebody in the President-elect's transition office is taking a look at this. That is really amazing. Wow..."

Madrid Wonders About the Strange Lights

OK. I'll admit it. I think the strange lights in the sky story is pretty cool but I'm the kind of guy who clicks on anything that has Bigfoot in the title. But if a guy as smart as Patrick Madrid writes about strange lights in the sky then it must be ok. And the pictures are really cool, too.

This story is linked to prominently today on the Drudge Report, so perhaps you've already seen these pictures of unusual and inexplicable columns of colored lights in the European night sky. But I just want to add that this phenomenon of strange lights in the sky is unsettlingly reminiscent of what the Blessed Virgin Mary promised to the three children at Fatima in 1917...

Fight FOCA

I can't believe I'm linking to something Chuck Norris wrote...but it's really good. Thanks to Matt Swaim for clueing me into it.

Barack Obama emphatically promised more than a year ago, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." Will he keep his word?

The Freedom of Choice Act is a sweeping bill that would abolish all pro-life regulations across the nation, from parental notification laws to bans on federal funding of abortions. The Office of the General Counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops identified 13 categories of pro-life laws that would be stampeded and nullified by FOCA. As far-reaching as the decision of Roe v. Wade is into the states' jurisdictions and our lives, even it, for example, showed certain respect for state laws and limits on infringing regulations in the medical field. FOCA shows no such restraints; it nails shut the coffin on pro-life choices and safeguards...

Thank You President Bush

The Anchoress utters the most dangerous words you could utter: Thank You President Bush.

Not that he didn’t make his share of mistakes - all presidents make mistakes and wartime presidents make more - but it always seemed to me that when the Arab Springtime was poised to flourish, and President Bush’s approval ratings seemed like they wouldn’t sink, when it became clear that Bush meant what he said about freedom and the human spirit, he had to be taken down. And that was accomplished; it was a group effort. It’s difficult to find a positive word written about him or his policies in any news report after that. Seriously. Go look.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

This is Sick and Sad

Dawn Eden details this awful story that's going on right now. Pray.

The abortionclinicdays blog currently features a story by abortionist "Nell" about a woman with the African-American name of DaShay, a psychologically abusive mother who phoned to inquire about having the child of her mentally disabled 17-year-old daughter, Alia, killed in the womb...

Abortionists as Euphemists

Once you become a euphemist, all the other sins come just a little easier:

Most abortionists are euphemists. By which I mean merely, to quote Chesterton, “that short words startle them, while long words soothe them. And they are utterly incapable of translating the one into the other, however obviously they mean the same thing.”

If, for instance, you say to an abortionist, “The excessive burden upon the mother, particularly in light of the rights to autonomy, privacy and reproductive freedom, of an unplanned pregnancy precludes any ethical objections to surgically removing the products of pregnancy post-viability, but prior to completion of delivery,” a gentle, indeed a radiant smile will cross his face, and he will dose off as if to a lullaby.

Say, on the other hand, in a forceful, straight-forward way, “Crush the skulls and suck out the brains of your children!” and he will leap from his seat, startled and full of objections.

But the two sentences mean precisely the same thing.

Laura Bush on Catholic Education

Nice find by Sheila Liaugminas of Inforum Blog. Good to see the current first lady is supportive of Catholic education. I shudder to think of how the incoming administration views it - probably as an impediment to indoctrination:

First Lady Laura Bush visited the Little Flower School in Betheseda, Maryland today to acknowledge their outstanding achievement in quality education. You probably won’t see this in any of the big media.

But I received a transcript from the White House Press Office, so here’s some of what she said:

Hear Planned Parenthood's Racist Founder

Patrick Madrid's new blog is off to a good start. Lots of good stuff already. He's posting every day unlike lazy Erin Manning who was laying around a hospital bed for two days doing absolutely no blogging whatsoever. But Patrick Madrid has a really good clip I'd never heard before of Margaret Sanger chatting about "the negro problem" and how abortion is the answer:

About the 5-minute mark is where she talks about her eugenics solution to the “negro problem.” But watch the whole thing to get the full effect. Please share this far and wide, especially with young women, who are the vulnerable targets of the nefarious organization.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Obama Backed Gay Marriage in 1996

So the media uncovered a quote from Obama saying he outright supports gay marriage. Man! What bad luck that they found it after the election, huh? I guess the press was in Wasilla so they couldn't get out there to Chicago to check this out until after they found out if Sarah Palin had returned all of her library books in elementary school:

Yeah, so he lied about it while he was running for president. Hey, they all lie, right?

So the man has zero core convictions and will do anything and say anything to get elected. What's the big deal? It's all about hopenchange, baby!

CNN Paints Barack Obama as Moses

I guess the media's tired of comparing Obama with Jesus so they're changing it up a little:

CNN.com may have tired of the idea of Barack Obama as a political Messiah, so they’re switching it up. On Monday night, it posted a report from rural Mississippi headlined "Grandson of slaves: Obama is our Moses." Senior producer Wayne Drash told the story of poor James "Little Man" Presley, who still picks cotton on the land his ancestors worked as slaves:

He's lived a raw-knuckled life where hope moved at a molasses-slow pace. The last time he had hope for a better future was four decades ago -- first with President John F. Kennedy and then with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

ACLU Sues Over Bishops

So, I’ve been working for three days now on another post, but I read this in the paper this morning and I wanted to post it. Basically, the ACLU is suing Health and Human Services over the US Conference of Catholic Bishops because when they help victims of trafficking, they won’t allow money to go to services and items which are in conflict with Catholic teaching. Here’s the crux of it:

(Not Too) Catholic School

The governors of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, one of London's leading Catholic comprehensives, are embroiled in a furious row with the Diocese of Westminster, which they accuse of forcing it to discriminate against practising Catholic parents.

Continue Reading >>>>

Bishop Promises Un-Christian Prayer

What did you expect of the un-Christian clergyman?
Bishop Robinson said he had been reading inaugural prayers through history and was "horrified" at how “specifically and aggressively Christian they were.”
"I am very clear," he said, "that this will not be a Christian prayer, and I won't be quoting Scripture or anything like that. The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer."

Monday, January 12, 2009

Job For Unemployed Heretics

This is a great post from Larry D at Acts of the Apostasy. But if you're in schism and wish to lead others away from the Church this might be the job for you:

Times are rough - national unemployment is at 7.2% and it's about 40 times higher here in Michigan. Jobs are hard to come by, so I'm going to do something about it. This can't wait for Obama to take office.

Continuing the tradition of announcing employment openings at AoftheA, here is the most recent career opportunity...

Girl Puts Virginity on Ebay

A young woman is selling her virginity online. No surprise that she's a Woman Studies major, I bet. The media seems to be interested in the story because of the new technology angle. But it's simply a new avenue for the world's oldest profession. Anyway, Red State has a well written piece on this depressing story.

A woman with a peculiarly mercenary streak is auctioning off her virginity for a considerable sum of money: $3.7 million, according to this Telegraph report. It’s one way to beat the recession, I suppose. The idea of enterprising degradation came to her, it is further reported, because her sister was able to pay for “her own degree after working as a prostitute for three weeks.” Ain’t that nice?

Don’t miss the remarkable statement that concludes that Telegraph report: “It’s shocking that men will pay so much for someone’s virginity, which isn’t even prized so highly anymore.”

Most Heroic Thing I Have Ever Witnessed

Mark Shea wrote a great piece on a priest in his parish. Please go read it. It's exceptionally moving and profound.

Yesterday, we went to Noon Mass at Blessed Sacrament. It was being celebrated by our visiting priest, but after he processed up to the altar, we were astonished to see that Fr. Tom Kraft had taken a seat beside him.

Fr. Tom is one of the sweetest and holiest men I have ever known. A thoroughly priestly man with a profound sense of his vocation, a deep love for the poor, a beautiful humility and just a sheer radiant goodness that shines out of him.

He is also dying. We've been praying for him for months, but God has made it clear that he picks the fruit when it is ripe. So Fr. Tom ended his chemo-therapy some weeks back, went to Spokane to say goodbye to his loved ones, and returned to us at Blessed Sacrament to spend his last days surrounded by brother priests in the rectory, cared for by Jesson Mata, our valiant liturgy guy--and to say goodbye to all of us.

Obama Chooses Gay Bishop for Inaugural

David Brody of CBN details the ever twisting world of Obama's which religious figures to invite. It's actually pretty funny when you see the list:

And now the latest installment in “As Obama’s Faith World Turns”

President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen a controversial gay bishop to give the invocation this Sunday at the big inaugural event at the Lincoln Memorial. Obama will be in attendance.

More from the Politico below and then get my analysis.

Fr. Neuhaus' Note to Francis Beckwith

The recently reconverted Francis Beckwith from Southern Appeal received a note from the recently departed Fr. Richard Neuhaus upon his very public conversion. Thanks to Francis Beckwith for sharing it:

Soon after my return to the Catholic Church became public in early May, 2007, I found in my email inbox a message from Fr. Richard John Neuhaus. Dated 7 May 2007, it reads:
Dear Frank Beckwith,
As you will appreciate, the metaphor is inescapable: Welcome back home...

Red State Endorses Blackwell to Head RNC

It's funny because when this race started I thought Michael Steele was a lock for the job. But there were a few unsettling things in Steele's history that veered me away from him including his appearance on Meet The Press where he said he was against overturning Roe V. Wade.

RedState endorses Ken Blackwell for Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

While RedState’s endorsement in the race for Chairman of the Republican National Committee does not set us apart from many of our colleagues in the online right movement, our second choice does. Nonetheless, we absolutely are committed to this fact: if the 168 members of the RNC cannot agree to choose Ken Blackwell for RNC Chairman, they should then keep Mike Duncan in place.

We make no secret that we are conservatives before we are Republicans. Ken Blackwell is a conservative. He is not just a conservative, but of all the men in the race, Ken Blackwell has run and won elected office on his own.

Fr. Blake on The Sign of Peace

Fr. Ray Blake from Saint Mary Magdalen has some concerns over moving the Sign of Peace:

The American bishops have informed the CDW that they would like the Sign of Peace placed at the Offertory of the Mass, presumably so it is in line with the verse "When you bring you gift to the altar ... go and be reconciled... then bring your gift". Personally I have always understood the bringing of the gift really applied to mutual exchange of gifts at Holy Communion: we give ourselves to Christ, he gives himself us.

Personally I hate tinkering with the liturgy but if changes are to be made they should be done with understanding.

Liberal Catholic Google

Go see Jeff Miller's funny "Liberal Catholic Google" over at The Curt Jester. Very funny stuff.

Recently a new way for Catholics to use Google came out www.catholicgoogle.com. This is from their about page.

Catholic search engine powered by Google striving to provide an easy to use resource to anyone wanting to learn more about Catholicism and provide a safer way for good Catholics to surf the web.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Eugenics of Cancer-Free Babies

American Papist is like reading Western Civilization's diary of its suicide. But well written. This one asks the question about failed experiments in creating cancer free babies:

Keep track of stories like these, and how they describe with other names what is actually eugenics:

The first child in Britain known to have been screened as an embryo to ensure she did not carry a cancer gene was born Friday, a spokesman for University College London told CNN.

Her embryo was screened in a lab days after conception to check for the BRCA-1 gene, linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Obama to Kill "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

HotAir has the video of Obama's Press guy promising in emphatic terms to kill "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." One interesting thing at the bottom of the story is the number of enlisted folks who say they will leave the armed services if that goes into effect:

From Change.gov. The One himself promised this during the campaign, then stepped back a bit after the election, and now is stepping back up, no doubt due to the unpleasantness over Rick Warren. No timetable as to when — the Wash Times piece I linked suggests 2010 — but he needs to throw the left a bone and this is an easy one to throw. Skip ahead to 4:15 of the clip.

Funeral for Army Surgeon Fills Cathedral

Born in New York and a resident of Moorestown, N.J., his (Dr. John P. Pryor) funeral was held in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia because of the great number of extended family, friends, uniformed members of the military and medical colleagues who wished to attend.

Father Damian McElroy, pastor of Pryor’s home parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorestown, and principal celebrant of the funeral Mass, spoke eloquently of Pryor’s spirit of sacrifice. He told how, after the tragedy of 9/11, he dropped everything and rushed to New York and Ground Zero where he worked through the night assisting the injured. He told how four years ago Pryor joined the Army Reserves because he knew the surgical skills honed by treating victims of violence in Philadelphia were needed there.

Woman Offers Ovary For Inaugural Ticket

I saw a link for this at The Anchoress and thought it disturbing enough to share. Now, personally I wouldn't offer my trimmed fingernails to attend Barack Obama's Inaugural ball but this woman seems pretty intense about going.

An ovary for a ball: Fair trade, no? A 27-year-old Cleveland lawyer and Barack Obama enthusiast thinks so. On Tuesday, Lisa F. posted a Craigslist ad offering her ovary—and that of a friend—in exchange for two tickets to an inaugural ball. “We’ve exhausted all my legitimate means of finding a ticket by begging our campaign staffer friends, so we thought we would try this,” says Lisa. “Also, neither of us are currently using an ovary.”

Friday, January 9, 2009

CRAZED Media STILL Investigating Birth of Palin's Son

If you think the media has lost its sanity over Sarah Palin, you have to read this from Gateway Pundit. The Editor of the Anchorage Daily News explains that he believes the rumors around Trig's birth are so ridiculous and hateful that they must be investigated. I'm not kidding.:

And then there's this Really Unbelievable News...
McClatchy Watch reported that the The Anchorage Daily News still has a reporter investigating the wild conspiracy that Trig is not Sarah Palin's son-- That Trig is her daughter's son... even though her daughter just gave birth last week.

Kmiec's Neuhaus Eulogy: All About Doug

From Pro Ecclesia

"Tasteless. Unbecoming. Insensitive. Not to mention utterly false and nonsensical."

Read the Entire Piece >>>>

Newsflash: Jesus Was Jewish!

Did you know Jesus was Jewish? Well, the Guardian in the UK doesn't believe you do? He thinks Christians have forgotten Jesus was Jewish or we pretend not to know. The writer says Judaism is Christianity's guilty secret. Now, of course, the guy is trying to drum up a little controversy so people watch his show on Jesus in the UK. But this is truly an insulting article.

Jesus was a Jew. Everyone knows that, don't they? Well, it would seem that they do and they don't. It is certainly not the view of most Christians, nor is it common knowledge among atheists or even Jews, that Jesus was to the brim a Jew, not incidentally or as a matter of temporal accident a Jew, not, in Jonathan Miller's joke, Jewish, but a Jew by faith, by temperament and by spiritual ambition; a Jew in his relentless ethicising, in his love of quibbling and legalistics, in his fondness - frankly, to the point of tiresomeness sometimes - for extended metaphors and sermons wrapped in parables, and in the apocalyptic urgency of his teaching. A Jew, in other words, on unambiguously Jewish business.

CNN Stung by Fake Atrocity Video?

I saw this segment earlier on CNN and wondered at the time how easily this could have been faked. Pretty darned easily, as LGF discovered, and the questions start where the fakery seems most obvious.

The story was supposedly that a freelance journalist in Gaza returned home to find his younger brother dead, the victim of a missile attack on a residential rooftop from an unmanned IDF drone. The video shows the supposed scene of the attack, and follows the Gaza family from the hospital to the burial, after a heroic attempt by doctors to revive the young child.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Cultural Tone Deafness and Insensitivity

Jay Anderson at Pro Ecclesia is shocked that Cardinal Martino compared the Jews of Israel to Nazis. I've got to admit that I was stunned by the analogy:

Rich Leonardi thinks that: [t]he time has come for Pope Benedict to summon Cardinal Martino to the papal apartments, thank him for his service to Mother Church, and reward him with a quiet parish in the Italian countryside.

At the very least, an apology by Cardinal Martino is warranted...

Richard John Neuhaus, 1936-2009

Our great, good friend is gone.

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus slipped away today, January 8, shortly before 10 o’clock, at the age of seventy-two. He never recovered from the weakness that sent him to the hospital the day after Christmas, caused by a series of side effects from the cancer he was suffering. He lost consciousness Tuesday evening after a collapse in his heart rate, and soon after, in the company of friends, he died.

Kidney Donor Wants It Back in Divorce

Divorces usually bring out the worst in people, but usually they take the Shakespearean “pound of flesh” more figuratively than Dr. Richard Batista of Long Island. Not only does he want his personal possessions back, he wants the kidney he donated to his wife returned as well. Not to worry, though — he’ll settle for $1.5 million in compensation if she won’t surrender it:

The Upside of Madoff

The Madoff financial scandal has caused a number of "reproductive rights" organizations to take a bad financial hit. I found this on Mark Shea and he says succinctly, "Golly My Heart Just Bleeds." The Salon piece which mentions this takes the point of view that this is a tragedy for women. Here it is:

For all the ink that's been spilled on the Madoff investment scandal, I've read nothing about its impact on funding for progressive women's causes -- which is considerable. Simply put, only a small pool of foundations are funding litigation and advocacy work related to criminal justice or constitutional rights; the pool that supports related programs targeted to women is smaller still. With the recent shuttering of two of Madoff's clients, the Picower Foundation and the JEHT Foundation, that pool has shrunk to a puddle.

Picower was one of a handful of foundations willing to stick their necks out and significantly fund the three organizations that handle virtually all major reproductive rights-related litigation and legal advocacy in the United States. Now the Center for Reproductive Rights needs to make up a $600,000 shortage in 2009; Planned Parenthood is out $484,000; the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project is off $200,000.

Last Rites Administered to Fr. Neuhaus

Please pray for Fr. Neuhaus,a truly great and good man of our time:

His friends and family are keeping vigil and he was administered last rites shortly after midnight. Fr. George Rutler, who gave him the Catholic Sacrament, says that “he is not expected to live long” and suggests “that it is appropriate that prayers be offered for a holy death.”

Fr. Neuhaus has come close to this moment before and been back. If it’s his time: Go in peace. He's a man who has loved and served His Lord. When he leaves this world, his vast intellectual and spiritual body of work will have a long life here.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

No More Thrift Shop Bargains?

If you've got a big family you may have shopped for clothes at thrift stores. But the nanny state strikes again because it's essentially forcing small thrift stores to destroy used clothes. Kat's pretty upset about this and rightly so.

Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children's clothing. The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead (which apparently costs between $20,000-$50,000) and phthalates. Those that haven't been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.

Porn Wants a Bailout

I'll be honest. There's no way I could get through writing about this without slipping in about ten double entendres. And it wouldn't be pretty. So I'm just linking up the story by Newsbusters about how the porn industry has fallen on hard times, I guess. And they're seeking relief from the government. That's right a bailout for the porn industry:

Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine, and Joe Francis, the CEO of Girls Gone Wild, are asking Congress for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry.

According to them, during bad economic times "Americans turn to entertainment for relief." Since "Congress seems willing to help shore up our nation's most important businesses, we feel we deserve the same consideration."

Obama and Panetta

Instapundit has an interesting thought on Obama's transition team and how the media views it:

Under fire over Panetta. “The Panetta uproar starts Obama off on the wrong foot with the committee and intelligence professionals and was the latest glitch in what has largely been an unusually smooth and carefully choreographed transition.” How many “glitches” do you need before it’s no longer “unusually smooth and carefully choreographed?”

Not Accidental If You Kill On Purpose

From Mark Shea

If I use a modern weapon to indiscriminately blow up a whole group of people, some of whom I know are innocent and some of whom are terrorists, the deaths of the innocents are not an accident. I killed them on purpose, precisely because they got in the way, and the technical capabilities of my weapon did not allow me to kill the terrorists without killing the civilians.

Read the whole piece >>>>

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Diamond Anniversary of Dehumanization

When I grow up I want to write like this guy from American Thinker:

Seventy-five years ago this month, one of the most insidious laws in human history came into effect in Nazi Germany. The innocent sounding name was The Law for the Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring. It was the ghastly pinnacle of an unholy theory of human eugenics. Darwinism -- not the Theory of Evolution, per se, but the sinister notion that natural selection made God superfluous -- liberated man from his obligation to treat fellow men as special creatures in a divinely ordered universe.

Suspected Terrorist Wants An Exorcist

OK. There's no getting ready for this story. It's just too bizarre. I'm sitting here trying to think up a clever way to introduce it but whatever I say, the story itself is better. So go to Jammie Wearing Fool and read this one:

Just when you think you have seen, heard or read it all along comes a story like this.

"Suspected" terrorist Ehsanul Islam Sadequee is claiming that interogators used mind control tactics to coerce a guilty plea out of him and is now asking for an exorcist to cast out the demons.

Hey! Nobody Said Catholicism Was Easy

Subvet over at Blowing San #1 doesn't play nicey nice. He tells you what he thinks. And usually it's got some four letter words mixed in there for emphasis. So if you like some good Catholic thinking and don't mind a few expletives go check him out:

Fighting in the courts won't do it. We have to start loudly asserting our beliefs and pushing the proof of them into the public eye. We have to truly live our ideals and let everyone know we're doing it. Once the general public shares our values we'll have a culture of life. Again I'll say, placing our main focus on court battles is a waste of time. This is NOT to say fighting on the legal front should be abandoned, but we definetly place too much emphasis on it.

What's Up With Spiritual Dry Spells?

We've all experienced spiritual dry spells. Come on. Admit it. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Jen F at Conversion Diary has a fine post on a reason for it.

What you are experiencing is what is known to mystical theologians as the passive purification of the senses. God deprives us of the consolations we used to obtain in prayer because ultimately he wants us to strive after him for His own sake and not for the joys we obtain from it. The passive purification of the senses is the entry point to the illuminative way from the way of beginners. Many beginners experience this but many give up at this point and continue to live lives of spiritual mediocrity instead of entering the illuminative way...

Where are the Cinema Heroes of Today?

Big Hollywood is a new site for those who think Hollywood has gone off the rails and no longer caters to normal Americans. This piece by Orson Bean is a good start.

The movies saved my life. I grew up in the great depression, the only child of a pair of star crossed lovers. My father lost his job. My mother drank. They fought. The movies were my escape. Of course, this was true of everyone back in the thirties. Forgetting for an hour or two cost a dime. But the movies represented a lot more than escape to me. They represented moral guidance. What I learned at home was despair and hopelessness. What I learned at the pictures was don’t give up the ship, we have only begun to fight, it’s always darkest before the dawn.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Edgy Colleen Is Buying Some Pants

Colleen over at The Best Thing wants to be cool. She's thinking pants will do the trick.

*Sigh*

This is hard to write. It's embarrassing enough in itself, this story. But when I think of the fits of convulsive laughter that will be had by my mother when she reads this, it's almost too much to bear. But out of a desire to share laughter with others, even at my own stupid expense, I shall prostrate myself on the altar of comedy. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

I have two cool new friends, Jen and Alyssa. Alyssa is originally from California and Jen is originally from Long Island but is not very familiar with Pennsylvania. They came over to hang out with us one evening and asked me a self-image-shattering question-- if I were an Amish Escapee.

And they weren't kidding.

Thoughts on Dom Hugh

Fr. Ray Blake on the prospect for Westminster.

I am not too sure I believe the rumour about Dom Hugh Gilbert, Abbot of Pluscarden being offered then turning down or delaying taking the diocese of Westminster, because of problems in the monastery.

If the story has a basis in truth then the implications are pretty radical.

Continue Reading >>>>

How the Puritans Stole Christmas!

Jay Anderson wrote this brilliant Seussian poem about Christmas. It is nothing short of brilliant.

How the Puritans Stole Christmas

Every High-Church Anglican and Catholic
Living in Jolly Olde England
Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Puritans,
Who were infected with Calvinism,
Did NOT!

The Puritans hated Christmas!
The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that their round heads weren't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, their predestinarian arses were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
Was a distaste for mince pies - shaped like a manger-bed in a stall.

But,
Whatever the reason,
Mince pies or their arses,
The Puritans saw the yuletide celebrations as farces...

Seven Quick Takes from Ebeth

This is a very good Seven Quick Takes from Ebeth. They're very clever and fun:

If you move the scale around the bathroom, you will get a different reading within five pounds every time you step on it. None of them is good. I'm sure there's some great cosmic truth in this observation but I'm not going to spend any time trying to figure it out.
New family rule: If you haven't offered to help, don't criticize.

Amy's Wasting Her Time

Hey, if you're looking to kill some time why don't you go over to Amy Welborn's site and read about how she kills her time. It's actually an interesting insight into the twisted mind of one of the best Catholic bloggers...evah.:

Everyone has their own way of killing time on the Internet. Mine is related to that ’satiable curiosity. It’s absurd. I don’t do games or timewasters and while I’ve done my share of watching laughing babies on YouTube, I don’t find multimedia such a temptation.

What gets me is just..well..have a look. A typical blog-post-writing session. Post is below.

First, there’s all the searches for hyperlinks on the Birmingham Museum of Art website and beyond, looking for information about the artists, suspecting there might be a Catholic sensibility in Viola’s work and wondering what his sense of spirituality might be, and researching that and finding various articles and reviews on that score and so o9n.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Germany - Russia’s Facilitator

Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks so. From Redstate:

...these days when you try to wrap your brain around Russia, you end up noticing an elephant standing in the corner - Germany.

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Senora Kennedy Is Make Very Good Senator

This is the funniest thing you'll read today. Iowa Hawk channels Caroline Kennedy's maid who endorses her for Senate:

Buenos dias! I am Rosa. I twelve years work for Senora Caroline Kennedy and her family so I am write for you today to tell you why Senora Kennedy is make very very good senator for Nueva York. Senora Kennedy is very busy now with party menus so she tell me to write this when I am finish with floors and make the bed for guest wing. I am now finish so I write this.

Senora Kennedy is very very sad that television man say he no think she is make a good senator in Washington. This is not right for you to think this too because Senora Kennedy is make very good senator! Here is the reasons:

Senora Kennedy she is from famous senator family. Senora Kennedy father was El Presidente. She have tio who is senator. She have many cousin who also is senator, even all the ones with the drug problems. Why she is only one who no is senator? This is no fair to her. In my old country was the law that all family of el Presidente is also Senator or Minister until the revolucion.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Film Critic: USA is Nazi Germany

Well the media only has a few days left before America transforms itself from the modern day equivalent of Nazi Germany to a shining Utopia so I guess the press is using up every Nazi cliche they can before Inauguration day.

How would you like to wake up New Year's day to read an opinion piece in your paper's entertainment section equating the United States of America to Nazi Germany and depicting Iraqi insurgents as being akin to a little known group of Polish Jews who rescued over a thousand people from Hitler's concentration camps?

That's a great way to start the New Year, dontcha think?

Well, the good folks at the Kansas City Star seemed to miss the inappropriateness in such sentiments during the holidays when they published "Is WWII In Movies Really Iraq?"

Grief for the Flying Priest

CMR takes a lot of shots at the press' handling of religion and religious figures. But every once in a while they do a great job. This story from the LoudounExtra.com is about the grief of a community over a priest who recently died. It's quite well done.

Michael C. Kelly, the pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, had a number of techniques for bringing people into the flock.

There was his disarming sense of humor, reflected in the signs he put on the doors of the confessional booths, which read, "Your Name Here." There was his knack for attracting attention, such as when he'd ride his homemade airplane-style bicycles through town, earning him the nickname "the flying priest." And there were his everyday actions, parishioners said, which exemplified the message of giving and self-sacrifice ubiquitous in his sermons.

Kelly, 53, died this week doing one final good deed. While driving to the funeral of another priest, Kelly pulled over in the Hamilton area about 9 a.m. Wednesday during a fierce wind storm to remove a fallen tree from the road so no one would get hurt. That was when he was struck and killed by another falling tree, authorities said.

Theologians! Rrrgghghggh...

Patrick Madrid sums up this whole nasty story concerning how a group of Catholic theologians convinced the Kennedy's and countless others that one could be both Catholic and pro-choice. I linked to the source article earlier but Madrid's comments are right on so I'm linking it as well. You want to know how fired up Patrick Madrid is over this? He called his post "Sons of Perdition." Yeah. He's fired up.

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating and deeply saddening article exploring the reasons behind the Kennedy Family's staunch pro-abortion position. Believe it or not, Ted Kennedy used to be pro-life. So how did he and all the other prominent Kennedys swing so far in the opposite direction? For that matter, what about some of the other Catholic pro-abortion zealots in (or recently in) high public office, such as Nancy Pelosi, Mario Cuomo, and Tom Daschle? What happened to them?

It's Funny. That's All.

Sometimes funny has no deeper meaning. Sometimes funny is just funny. Like the picture and caption over at American Papist. Go check it out if you're in the mood for a laugh. Click for the pic here.

The Isolationism of Our Founding Fathers

The Cranky Conservative is...well...cranky today. He's upset because people believe discussing history is lifting a few quotes out of context and pretending it is history. Today he takes on the belief that our Founding Fathers were isolationists and what that says about our current alliance with Israel.

Historical illiteracy is bad enough, but even more infuriating is encountering someone who thinks they have a good grasp on history but who in fact really knows nothing more than a few good quotes that they’ve heard mentioned somewhere else. Like biblical fundamentalists picking out pieces of scriptures divorced from all context, these would-be professors can recite bits and pieces of speeches and writings that they think bolsters their argument, but instead prove nothing more than that they can ape what others have said.

Friday, January 2, 2009

How Abortion Became Kennedy Dogma

This is a devestating column in the Wall Street Journal detailing the Kennedy's Catholicism and their support of abortion.

For faithful Roman Catholics, the thought of yet another pro-choice Kennedy positioned to campaign for the unlimited right to abortion is discouraging. Yet if Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of Catholics John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton, abortion-rights advocates will have just such a champion.

Ms. Kennedy was so concerned to assure pro-abortion leaders in New York, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Dec. 18, that on the same day Ms. Kennedy telephoned New York Gov. David Patterson to declare interest in the Senate seat, "one of her first calls was to an abortion rights group, indicating she will be strongly pro-choice."

Hamas Leader's Son Converts

The son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity. And he's not exactly an optimist on the Islamic world accepting Israel. Worth a read:

Via Fox:JONATHAN HUNT: Why, after 25 years, did you change?

MOSAB HASSAN YOUSEF: I believe that all those walls that Islam built for the last 1,400 years are not existing (sic) anymore. They don’t recognize this. They built those walls and made people ignorant because they’re afraid. They didn’t want people to discuss anything about the reality of Islam, about the big questions of Islam and they asked their followers, the Muslims, ‘Don’t ask about those certain questions.’

But now, people have media. If the father closes the door for his daughter not to leave the house, she’s going to go behind her computer and travel the world. So people easily can get information, knowledge, searching (sic) engines, so it’s very, very available for everybody to study about Islam, about other religions. Not from the Islam point of view, but from other points of view.

Jen F. Converts to Nerdy Cavewoman

First Jen F. converted from atheism to Catholicism but now she's converted from Catholic to CRAZED CAVEWOMAN STALKING HER PREY! Seriously, she runs a great blog and every Friday she does her Seven Quick Takes.

Speaking of Christmas presents, this was the first time I ever succumbed to Christmas Present Derangement Syndrome. The Monday before Christmas I decided that the perfect present for my two-year-old daughter would be a rocking horse. My mom and I missed getting the last one at our local Toys R Us by five minutes.

We went to three more stores. Nobody had one. Called four more. All sold out. At some point in this process I morphed from "Christian mommy just doing some shopping while firmly remembering the real reason for the season" to "CRAZED CAVEWOMAN STALKING HER PREY."

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Grumpy Geezers and Loud Babies

From Domenico Bettinelli, Jr.

This is what I’d like to say to the primarily elderly folks who complain— within earshot! — about crying children at Mass:

Just who do you think is going to be sitting in these pews in 20 or 30 years when you’re dead and gone?

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