Creative Minority Reader: July 2011

The Pro-Choicers Trade-Off

The regularly brilliant Joe Carter of First Things writes:

Recognizing that the abortion-on-demand position is becoming politically unpopular, many abortion-rights moderates are becoming increasingly more vocal about finding a middle path—at least rhetorically. The shift has been occurring for more than a decade, but it became more noticeable after the 2004 presidential campaign. By 2008 the solidly pro-abortion candidate Hillary Clinton felt comfortable arguing,

Green Birth Control

Rachel Balducci of Faith & Family Live writes:

Organic-this and chemical-free-that is all the rage these days and it’s nice to know that when it comes to child-spacing, couples who use NFP are ahead of the curve. Our methods are green!

Daddy Went to Jail

It's Dan Lord's sequel to "God Ruined Everything." Worth a read:

The pledge I had once made to God to not fight was at that moment feeling like a spiritual hair shirt chafing me raw; I just wanted to take it off. I was the frontman for Pain, after all—impulsive wackiness was supposed to be my stock-in-trade. For instance, at a show once in—was it Charlotte? Richmond? I don’t recall—I threw myself off the stage near the end of a song, accidentally opening a gash in my head, and then leaped back on stage and performed the rest of the song with a triumphant smile and blood rushing down my face. Impulsive wackiness. Surely it was time for more of that now that Train’s road crew had sabotaged our show? What kind of frontman makes a no-fighting pledge, anyway?! One of our songs was called “Fight,” for freak’s sake!

Perry: States Should Decide on Abortion

Governor Rick Perry believes in federalism. And while I support laws restricting abortion being pushed through the states, I don't think it's the end goal. The Corner has the story:

After igniting controversy last week for saying that it was “fine” for New York to legalize gay marriage, Rick Perry said yesterday that he also sees abortion as a matter that the states should be allowed to ban or legalize.

Muslim: This Snack is Too Christian

The Blaze reports:

The snack under scrutiny: samosas.

Somalia’s al-Shabaab group announced its ruling last week against the three-pointed pastry pouches traditionally filled with minced meat or vegetables. The Daily Mail reports that islamist militants may have taken offense to the supposed semblance between the food’s shape and the symbol of the Christian Holy Trinity.

Choosing Time for Conservatives

Kristol's for Boehner's plan. Levin and Steyn are against it. Aren't we really just looking at another GOP failure here. Pundette rounds up a lot of thinking on that question:

William Kristol writes in support of the (presumably re-written and improved) Boehner plan:
To govern is to choose. To vote is to choose. To vote against John Boehner on the House floor this week in the biggest showdown of the current Congress is to choose to vote with Nancy Pelosi. To vote against Boehner is to choose to support Barack Obama. It is to choose to increase the chances that worse legislation than Boehner’s passes

Who Said This Quote?

The Anchoress has a great quote. Guess who said it and when.

“At the present time, more than in any previous age, we find Catholics turning into unbelievers . . . Catholicism seen from the inside seems to be losing, but seen from the outside, to be gaining. There is a reason for this. Our contemporaries are naturally little disposed to belief, but once they accept religion at all, there is a hidden instinct within them which unconsciously urges them toward Catholicism...

A Whiter Tomorrow By Planned Parenthood

Adam Peters of Live Action writes:

Nicholas and Lola Kampf believe in a hands-on approach to parenting. In September of 2006, they discovered that their 19-year-old daughter, Katelyn, was pregnant. Upon hearing this news, the Kampf couple lived up to their name (kampf–is German for struggle) by tackling Katelyn, tying her up, and throwing her in the trunk of their car. A road trip was then planned; it was to begin at their home in Maine and end at an abortion clinic in New York where Katelyn would exercise her “right to choose” (possibly with encouragement from the gun that her father had brought along).

Priest Beaten for Celebrating Latin Mass

Not good. Rorate Caeli has the story:

Priest attacked, guilty of celebrating the Latin Mass

"You have been tough, but we will smash your head. Signed, Your friend Satan". That was one of several threatening messages sent to Father Hernán García Pardo, parish priest of San Michele, in Ronta [Mugello region of the Province of Florence, Tuscany]. His fault [was] that of celebrating the Latin Mass, liberalized by Benedict XVI in September 2007.

This kind of stuff makes me a bit crazy. The bishops are warning against any cuts to programs aiding the poor. Now, nobody wants to see the poor hurt but maybe...just maybe government isn't the answer. The National Catholic Register has a very fair article on this:

An alliance of American churches, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, met with President Obama last week, urging that programs aiding the poor be exempted from any spending cuts.

The ecumenical appeal was cast as a non-partisan initiative, but some critics viewed it as a wrong-headed measure that will keep taxes high and prevent investments by small businesses that would lead to job creation.

Abortionists Sold Drug Under-the-Counter?

I guess they did it because they care so much about women...or something. Live Action reports:

Crazy story out of Pennsylvania today. Three abortion clinic workers, including two doctors, from the Allegheny Women’s Center in Pittsburgh have been criminally charged after the doctors illegally purchased thousands of diet pills for a clinic technician “to treat anxiety and depression”:

Perry vs. Santorum on Gay Marriage

I see what Rick Perry's saying about federalism and all but gay marriage is not marriage. It's that simple. Paul Zummo also takes on Rick Santorum's response to Perry. Check him out.

At this early stage of the game, I’d say that my top choices for the GOP nomination are two Ricks: Perry and Santorum. The latter has as much chance as I do of actually getting the nomination, but he’ s also the one who I am most sympathetic to ideologically.

Covering WomenPriests?

Tmatt of Get Religion wonders if the media is picking sides:

Please grant me a moment to help readers flash back to a few recent GetReligion posts focusing on mainstream news media coverage of the Womenpriests movement. It focused on an event in Baltimore, a public rite in which four women were hailed as Roman Catholic priests.

Lord, I Love Your Commands

Jennifer Merkel writes about embracing God's commands:

The Psalm at Mass today really struck me in a special way.

I was sitting in the pew listening to my friend Paula sing the psalm, and I was holding Lilly on my lap.

I had been praying before Mass and just thanking God for my family and the fact that we were all there together safe and sound, since Tim was away this past week.
Then I started thinking about things that get in the way of a right relationship with Christ. He is the ultimate Truth and authority. So much can get in between us and Christ in the world we live in today.

How God Ruined Everything

Dan Lord writes a great piece about his "rock star" days and how God ruined everything:

(For all of us trying to peel off our old vices, and for those days when putting on Christ is like putting on a wet suit that’s one size too small, I offer the following anecdote…)

In 1999, the rock band known as Train was the entertainment world’s equivalent of a Greek god, a multi-platinum-selling sacred cash cow with videos and singles circling the heavens and bouncing back and forth from orbiting satellites to earthly receivers like billions of invisible rubber darts. They regularly headlined music festivals throughout the world.

Newt Thinks You're an Idiot

Liar! Doug Powers writes:

Back in May, Newt Gingrich claimed that the “climate change” PSA with Nancy Pelosi, made for an organization founded by Al Gore, wasn’t a love-fest, but rather a demonstration of how the right shouldn’t be afraid to debate the left. Now Gingrich says the reason he took flack for it was that people didn’t understand the message he was trying to convey:

Lib Wonders If Porn Damages Men

Duh. Suzanne of Big Blue Wave writes: Naomi Wolfe asks: Is Pornography Driving Men Crazy? I love it when liberals discover what so-cons knew twenty years ago. Better late than never I suppose. There is an increasing body of scientific evidence to support this idea. Six years ago, I wrote an essay called “The Porn Myth,” which pointed out that therapists and sexual counselors were anecdotally connecting the rise in pornography consumption among young men with an increase in impotence and premature ejaculation among the same population.

Naomi Wolfe asks: Is Pornography Driving Men Crazy?

I love it when liberals discover what so-cons knew twenty years ago. Better late than never I suppose.
There is an increasing body of scientific evidence to support this idea. Six years ago, I wrote an essay called “The Porn Myth,” which pointed out that therapists and sexual counselors were anecdotally connecting the rise in pornography consumption among young men with an increase in impotence and premature ejaculation among the same population.

Good News! Darwinists Heart Religion

Wesley Smith writes:

This is so funny. The National Center for Science Education–which spends a lot of time and money castigating my Discovery Institute pals about wanting to teach intelligent design as supposed “religious advocacy” in public schools (they don’t)–apparently has no problem with religious argumentation when it supports neo Darwinism and opposes human exceptionalism.

Obama Complains a Lot

The Anchoress writes:

I’ve always said his instincts were more inclined toward ruling than leading. This is not the first time he’s suggested that a dictatorship might be preferable to a presidency.

WaPo Profiles Abortionist

Newsbusters reports:

Today's Washington Post provided a sympathetic profile for Nebraska abortionist LeRoy Carhart, who in December of last year expanded his practice to include abortions in a Maryland clinic about 30 miles from the District of Columbia.

"From abortion provider to activist," read the below-the-fold headline on page A1 of today's Post. " Physician is committed to doing late-in-pregnancy procedures despite threats."

Stacy McCain Fights off Demographic Winter

Singlehandedly. Well, with his wife too, I guess.

My wife and I have six children, which is three times the national average in the U.S. People often ask, “Are you Catholic?” No, we’re proudly Protestant. Yet one cannot ignore the fact that, almost alone among major Christian denominations, the Catholic Church has a well-developed pro-life, pro-family doctrine as part of its basic belief system. It is lamentable that Protestants — even conservative denominations — have not followed suit, insofar as I think that the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, for example, has proven quite literally prophetic in its forecast of the social consequences of what has been called the Contraceptive Culture. (See “The Pill at 50: Unhappy Un-Birthday.”)

Taxpayer Money Funding Taliban

We can't give taxpayer money to Catholic schools but we give it to the Taliban.

Vomit inducing.

(Politico) — Millions of dollars in American taxpayer funds intended for an Afghan transportation contract to promote local businesses were steered to the enemy Taliban, according to a military investigation cited in Monday’s Washington Post.

What Have I Been Tellin' Ya'

Chelsea Zimmerman found this pretty amazing story of love and forgiveness:

Disabled people live very “normal”, happy, active lives – lives that include the joys of love, marriage, sex and babies…or they can when someone is willing to see the real person and not just the disability And we make very pretty brides, too! Check this gorgeous chick out:

Donkey Victim of Honor Killing

Weasel Zippers reports this very odd story:

Heh.

SUKKUR: Incredible though it may sound, a donkey was declared ‘Kari’ and shot dead here in a remote area on Monday. The Jirga imposed 110,000 rupees fine on the alleged ‘Karo’.

Bill Would Restore Mexico City Policy

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives are considering an appropriations bill that would, in part, restore the Mexico City Policy preventing the funding of groups that promote or perform abortions overseas.

The policy has been a central tenant of pro-life foreign policy during Republican administrations, but pro-abortion presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both scrapped it during their first weeks in office.

Continue Reading >>>>

Linda Hamilton Asks Marine to Ball

I'm glad to see Hollywood stepping up and supporting the military. This video from Linda Hamilton is pretty cool:

Linda Hamilton Asks Sgt. Ray Lewis to Marine Corps Ball. Due to a scheduling conflict, Betty White broke his heart. But Sarah Connor herocially steps in to pick up the pieces:

Wealthy GOP Donors Hated Palin, Voted Obama

Pundette reports:

Wealthy GOP donors "couldn't live with Sarah Palin," voted for Obama instead. And now they're feeling betrayed.

Allen West to Schultz: You're No Lady

Wow. He really doesn't pull punches. Ace has the letter:

Allen West To Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: "You Are Not A Lady"
That's pretty much the nicest thing he wrote to her in an email after Wasserman-Schultz went after him in a floor speech.

Gay Indoctrination in California

Al Kresta writes:

The California governor has signed into law a bill that will not simply require a “gay history” curriculum. It requires a form of “indoctrination” that will label Christianity as being intolerant and bigoted, one critic says.

“The bill is not about teaching gay history. That’s what the sponsors of the bill are portraying it as. That is not the language of the bill. That is not what it does, that’s not the intent,” William B. May, head of the San Francisco-based Catholics for the Common Good, told EWTN News on July 15.

Abby Johnson: My Sin, Not Yours

Abby writes:

Sometimes memories creep into my mind from my days inside Planned Parenthood. When they do, I try to document them. I don’t always share them…some of them I just won’t ever be able to share with you. Some of them are things most of you wouldn’t want to know. But some of them I can’t wait to share…this is one of those memories.

Bishop Dies During Consecration

Courageous Priest reports:

Just one week after welcoming the independence of South Sudan where he had been a missionary for three decades,Bishop Cesare Mazzolari of Rumbek died Saturday while celebrating Mass.

The 74-year-old Italian Comboni missionary had been working in South Sudan since 1981,enduring the nation’s 1983-2005 civil war.

Sad to See Borders Bookstore Go

Lisa Hendey writes:

Amidst today’s happy news in Philadelphia comes a story that made me sad - Borders will be closing their remaining 399 stores across the country.

As a reader, and even more so as a writer, this news saddens me. There is simply nothing like walking into a giant bookstore and spending an hour or two browsing. I have so many wonderful memories with our boys in our local Borders—story hours, running to the bookstore to buy the next book in the Redwall series when Adam just had to have it before bedtime, and even looking on the bookshelf and seeing names of some authors I now count as friends.

President Endorses DOMA Repeal

It's what he's always been for, the only news is that now he thinks it's politically safe to say so out loud. Kathryn Lopez has the details:

At his press briefing today, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that the president “is proud” to support the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which, as Carney put it “would take the Defense of Marriage Act off the books once and for all.”

Estrogen in Your Drinking Water

Badger Catholic writes:

After reading about how much birth control in drinking water I was thinking to myself; maybe I should test my water! Turns out, it's not that easy...

Nevade Declines "Go Palin" License Plate

But they approved "Go Obama."

A Nevada man has filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles alleging his rights were violated when he says the state denied his requests for personalized license plates with conservative political themes.

James Linlor, a Douglas County resident, filed the complaint July 15 in U.S. District Court in Nevada. A state official said the plate eventually was issued late last year.

Destruction in their Pathway!!!

Funny stuff from Sherry Antonetti:

Look at any baby store, any parent magazine and you will discover that the home we live in 24-7 is unsafe for children and requires at least two thousand dollars worth of specialized equipment to help them reach the tender age of four. But for all the talk of how one has to make a house safe for an infant, the reality is steeper than a newbie parent can possibly bear.

Diversity Training in Omaha

Ranting Catholic Mom writes:

Friday on The Five on Fox News, I saw a conversation about a new text book, paid for with stimulus money, that is coming to Omaha Public Schools. Mark Steyn also mentioned the book in his most recent article for NRO. Since I don't have priestly faculties to perform an exorcism, I haven't read the book, and don't want it in my home. What (or who) has possessed people to think of spending money in our cash strapped world on diversity manuals for children?

Seasons of Infertility, Years Later

A beautiful story from Mothering Spirit:

“Oh, honey!” She shrieked as she came running towards me and S, nightgown flapping. “Look at you!”

I smiled, the meager smile of a large pregnant woman, bracing herself to hear the usual round of “you’re due when?!” or “you’re sure it’s not twins?” Be nice, L, I admonished myself. She’s a sweet neighbor. Let the comments be.

But it was the first decent day we’d had in weeks, cool enough that I could finally take S for a spin in the stroller without my head spinning from the heat. I just wanted an escape, half an hour to myself in the cool breeze and quiet.

Abortion. It's A Hitler Thing

Kristen Walker nails it:

I happened today upon a charming little piece of work entitled “Why Defunding Planned Parenthood Will Bankrupt America.” The gist of the article, which the author helpfully puts in bold letters, is that abortion will save us all money. Yes, folks, you heard it here: it’s much cheaper to kill human beings than to let them grow up and be a drain on society.

This is an argument I hear pretty often when talking to people about abortion. After I school them in basic biology so they have no choice but to stop telling me the embryo is not a separate human being, they fall back on utilitarian arguments, or what I like to call the Hitler Thing. “Crime has gone down since Roe v. Wade,” they’ll say. Or, “What would we do with all those babies?”

Theological Argument for Gay Marriage?

Say what? Campus Notes reports:

Jesuit, Catholic Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics website hosts an article from 2004 co-written by a Santa Clara professor of religious studies which proposes a theology that would accept same-sex “marriage.” The article is titled “Gay Marriage: Theological and Moral Arguments.”

David Brooks For Suicide for "Skin-Bags"

Wesley Smith writes:

NYT columnist David Brooks often disappoints, but he has an awful column out today that not only exhibits (I hope an unintended) loathing of people who are living with serious disabilities, but which could also be fairly construed as the early spade work for establishing a duty to die among those for whom care is very expensive.

Brooks uses an op/ed from last Sunday’s NYT, in which a man dying of ALS stated his intention to refuse life-sustaining treatment–certainly his right–but which also strongly intimated he would commit suicide (at least as I read it) when he became seriously disabled.

Faith and Hope Pulled War Hero Through

Pretty amazing story about a WWII vet who sabotaged the Bridge over the River Kwai with termites. Free Republic has the story:

A WAR hero's medals have revealed the untold story of a Scottish soldier who survived three years of suffering building the notorious Burma Railway. Kenneth McLeod, who has died aged 92, was captured by the Japanese in the Second World War and was one of the last surviving veterans who worked on the bridge over the River Kwai.

Now his daughter and son are donating his war medals, Glengarry bonnet and sporran to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders museum at Stirling Castle, where he was based more than 70 years ago.

92 Iraqi Christians KIlled in 2010

The world community doesn't seem to notice. We do. And you've gotta' give props to Weasel Zippers for not allowing these stories to go under the radar.

Islamists Kill 92 Iraqi Christians For Their Faith In 2010…

The world continues to ignore the slaughter of Iraq’s Christian community.

Rick Perry Feeling "Called" To Run?

Does he mean the big "CALLED" or just that a bunch of folks want him to run? Either way, his entry into the race would change everything, don't you think? Drew at Ace of Spades writes:

Here we go.

“I’m not ready to tell you that I’m ready to announce that I’m in,” Gov. Rick Perry told The Des Moines Register. “But I’m getting more and more comfortable every day that this is what I’ve been called to do. This is what America needs.”

Watch out for Transhumanism

CMR friend Rebecca Taylor warns of a dangerous movement you should be aware of:

Transhumanism is a insidious philosophy that many people are simply unaware of. It is time to become aware. Transhumanism seeks not just to cure disease but to change the nature of man. To make him more than human with whatever means are available, whether it is with nanotechnology, artificial limbs, artificial intelligence, or genetic enhancement. Transhumanists have societies and magazines and conferences. They even argue that the writings of a Jesuit priest will convince Christians of their cause.

Dorothy McCartney RIP

I never met Dorothy McCartney but my mother knew her through Fr. John McCartney when he was at Saint Matthew's parish on Long Island. My mother liked her and many seemed to love her. I was flattered when my mother told me she even knew that CMR existed. She worked on "Firing Line" and at National Review and from all reports seemed to be a wonderful lady. So if you have a moment please say a prayer for her and her family.

Many of the writers at The Corner are writing their thoughts about Dorothy McCartney. I'll start you off with Kathryn Lopez and then you should scroll through.

She was a humble and devoted servant.

There will be more …

Please pray for her brother, Fr. John, who she believed to be a saint, who cared for her through this long illness.

7 Priests Shut Down Abortion Mill for Day

Good news from ProLifeCorner:

Last year seven Catholic Priests gathered around the Rockford abortion mill and prayed prayers of exorcism. On that day two mothers choose life; the number of abortions fell by two thirds, and the abortion mill landlord was so unsettled that he stayed outside his abortion mill while the Priests were praying. This year the powers that be inside the mill were taking no chances. Instead of trying to remain open in the face of such spiritual power, they found it easier to close their doors for the day.

Vatican Excommunicates Chinese Bishop

The Blaze reports:

The Vatican said Saturday that a bishop ordained in China this week without papal approval had acted in defiance of the Holy See and was automatically excommunicated.

Amid a deepening standoff with Beijing, the Vatican issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the ordination and said Pope Benedict XVI “once again deplores the manner in which the church in China is being treated.”

Forgiveness Brings Healing

A very personal story from Marcia Morrissey:

About a year after my former husband filed for divorce, some friends invited me to go on a week-long retreat with them, and I went. I needed it. That year had been so difficult, and I had to get alone with God for some direction in my life.

Atheists Unbless Texas

Emily Miller writes:

Atheists don’t want Texas Gov. Rick Perry to have a prayer day this summer. On Wednesday, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asked a federal judge to block “The Response,” an event where Christians would gather in Houston to turn to God for direction and unity for an aggrieved nation.

Pro-Life Victory in New York?

Judge blocked restrictions on CPC's. @TinaKorbe writes:

Found it — the something hopeful I’ve been scouring news feeds for. A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked New York City from enforcing a new law that would hinder the effectiveness of crisis pregnancy centers.

Judge William Pauley III called the new law “offensive to free-speech principles” and halted its enactment while a lawsuit filed on behalf of two pregnancy-care centers and a maternity home by the Alliance Defense Fund continues.

Blood Red Host Investigated

Catholic Culture reports:

After a consecrated Host was accidentally dropped on the floor during Mass on June 19, Father John Echert placed it in water so that it could dissolve and intended later to pour the water into the sacrarium. Instead, part of the Host turned red, and the Host has yet to dissolve fully. The Archdiocese of St. Paul - Minneapolis is now investigating the phenomenon.

Birth Story Haikus? Really?

One of our favorite bloggers Jennifer Fulwiler had a baby and wrote some birth haikus. Ya' gotta' give it to her -she's a committed blogger:

I am limited to one-hand typing while holding the new baby, so how about if you all do all the work for this post? How about this: Let’s do birth story haikus!

I love hearing birth stories, but they’re always so long — I don’t think I’ve ever been able to capture one of mine in less than 2,000 words. I thought it might be fun to put them in haiku form (if you need a refresher, it’s a 5-7-5 syllable scheme). Here are two of mine:

BABY #1:
Natural childbirth:
this is gonna be great, right?
Doctor Bradley lies.

Rock Star Convert

Jeff Miller writes of Dion's new book:

Here is a book that is an interesting juxtaposition. A Rock Star who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame writes a new biography. In it there are pictures of this star along with pictures of him with people such as Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, and Scott Hahn. Yes Scott Hahn. I figure this is the first Rock and Roll autobiography co-authored by a patristic scholar – that is Mike Aqulina.

Leave the Cannoli, Take the Kid

Julie Gunlock of The Corner takes on this anti-obesity madness:

A new report out of Harvard, published in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, advocates removing dangerously obese children from their homes and putting them in foster care where ostensibly they will lose weight and begin to eat healthily.

Take a moment to let that seep in.

Lindsey “I’m a robot with no feelings” Murtagh, one of the authors of the report, showed her soft side saying, “Despite the discomfort posed by state intervention, it may sometimes be necessary to protect a child.”

UK Mom Told Breastfeeding Offends Muslims

The Blaze reports:

A U.K. woman said she was told to leave a community center after she tried to breastfeed her five-month-old son, out of concern that she would offend Muslim visitors.

According to the Daily Mail, a receptionist told Emma Mitchell the center was a “multicultural building” and suggested she continue in the privacy of a restroom. After Mitchell argued, a manager permitted her to use an empty room under supervision.

Cdl. Burke's Warning of Persecution

Fr. Rick Heilman of Knights of the Divine Mercy writes:

I don’t know about you, but I am witnessing the beginnings of this persecution, BIG TIME! Watch this short video here.

Yesterday’s Gospel heard our Lord warn, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

“The word of God in fact leads to these divisions mentioned here. It can lead, even within families, to those who embrace the faith being regarded as enemies by relatives who resist the word of truth”

Atheists vs. Rick Perry

If you judge a man by his enemies, I'm starting to like Rick Perry. Weasel Zippers has the story:

Texas Governor Rick Perry is facing a federal lawsuit as a state/church watchdog group consisting of atheists and agnostics attempts to block his involvement in the Day of Prayer and Fasting organized for Aug 6.

Did You See the "Tree of Life?"

I saw it and loved it but I hear people having all sorts of reactions. Rebecca Teti saw it and she wants to know what you thought at Faith & Family Live:

My friend Tom Hoopes calls Tree of Life “Into Deep Silence” for lay people.

I like that description, although the film isn’t merely a quiet meditation on a way of life.

It poses a question to the viewer, the same question the main character must grapple with.

How to Fix Budget Without New Taxes

John Kendrick at the Washington Examiner writes:

With the debt ceiling negotiations deadlocked, politicians are struggling to fix the nation's fiscal woes. Republicans refuse to raise taxes, and Democrats resist substantial spending cuts. Both are avoiding a solution which requires neither.

The federal government owns more than $3 trillion worth of assets. Many are underutilized, and would be more productive if shifted to private hands.

Klavan: A Libertarian Reconsiders Abortion

Andrew Klavan writes:

I am by nature a libertarian. It’s as much a matter of personality as philosophy. I’ve never lost a minute’s sleep over a stranger’s private morality. I think people should be able to smoke cigarettes wherever the property owner allows — the “dangers of second hand smoke” are largely a meddler’s lie. I think drugs should be legal with the same basic restrictions as alcohol. If you were a pal, I’d tell you to stay off that poison, but in the end, adults have to choose for themselves.

Behold The Power of Secondhand Smoke

Hey, could I sue my parents for smoking around me when I was a kid. That would explain everything that's ever gone wrong in my life. Whew. I thought some of that stuff was my fault. Pundette writes:

Now it is "associated with" ADHD. Secondhand smoke 'could increase risk of ADHD in children by 50%':

Children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home increase their odds of developing common mental and behavioral disorders by 50 per cent, experts say.

Don't Trust a Man Who Licks Doorknobs

Joe Carter of First Things takes on sex writer Dan Savage:

If you haven’t already done so, add this regulation to your rules for living: Never take sex advice from a man who licks doorknobs. The reasoning—as if a reason needed to be given—is that a man who doesn’t understand the telos of a doorknob isn’t likely to understand the telos of sex. Unfortunately, many people seem to disagree with me, which is why Dan Savage has become one of the most influential sex-advice columnists in America.

She's Pretty Good at Animal Noises

The Anchoress posted this fun video of a young girl making animal noises. She's pretty dead on with some and she seems to be having a good time doing it. Check it out.

Nice to see a kid having fun

10 Reasons to Go To Confession

Fr. Z writes:

I am all for any official entity of the Church promoting the Sacrament of Penance.
The media blog of the USCCB has a post by Sr. Mary Ann Walsh about the Sacrament of Penance. Shall we have look with my usual approach of emphases and comments?

IRS After Guy Who Caught Jeter's Hit

Pajamas Media reports this lunacy:

IRS wants to have a word with the man who caught Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit

Man is lucky enough to grab a historic home run ball, and does the right thing by giving it back to Jeter. So leave it to the Obama administration to come down on him like 16 tons of government stupid.

Christian Lopez, 23, recovered the prized ball his father fumbled after The Captain hammered it into their section of the stands in the third inning of the Yankees’ win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Govt Mandates Race of Dolls in Daycare

This is liberal lunacy and would be hilarious if it weren't real:

Day care centers in Colorado may have to meet new rules that regulate everything from the race of dolls to how much TV kids can watch.

According to documents obtained by 7NEWS, the changes being proposed by the Colorado Department of Human Services include:

Bishop Bans Fundraisers for Komen

Kudos to Bishop Blair. Jill Stanek reports:

Bishop Blair of Toledo (pictured left) has banned parishes and Catholic schools in his diocese from raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation:

Bishop Blair, in his letter sent over the weekend to all priests and parishes in the 19-county Toledo diocese, stated that “at present the Komen Foundation does not fund” embryonic stem-cell research.

First Palin, Now Bachmann

The MSM has aimed their cannons at Bachmann with the intent of destroying her, just as they did to Sarah Palin. But why? David French of The Corner writes:

One of the most disgusting political spectacles of my lifetime has been the single-minded effort of the Left to destroy Sarah Palin. Without burdening the readers with a litany of links, we all remember the “not a real woman” comments, the stalking author/neighbor, the hacking scandal, the recent (enthusiastic) fishing expedition through thousands of e-mails, and the vile insults from academics, politicians, and celebrities alike. The goal: to banish her to the fringe of American life, to turn her into a figure of mockery and contempt.

Change.org vs. Christianity

Michelle Malkin writes of the leftist jihad against Christianity:

In February, I told you about a Change.org activist’s witch hunt against Chick-Fil-A.

Refresher:

Chick-Fil-A is an American success story. Founded by Georgian entrepreneur Truett Cathy in 1946, the family-owned chicken-sandwich chain is one of the country’s largest fast-food businesses. It employs some 50,000 workers across the country at 1,500 outlets in nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia. The company generates more than $2 billion in revenues and serves millions of happy customers with trademark Southern hospitality.

Strippers at Funerals?

Oh boy. Larry D has this weird story:

And here I thought it was during the wake where people were expected to whoop it up. Silly me.

From the Daily Mail: Ashes To Flashes: The Funeral Strippers Who Dance To Honour The Dead

They bring new meaning to the phrase Drop Dead Gorgeous - as the strippers who dance for the deceased at funerals.

Cool! Actress to Accompany Marine to Ball

This is pretty awesome, I've got to admit. Right Coast Conservative has the story:

Cool.

As we reported on Saturday, Sgt. Scott Moore, of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, took to YouTube last week to make a fanciful request: he wants movie star Mila Kunis, from “That 70s Show” and “Black Swan,” to be his date to the Marine Corps. Ball on November 18th in Greenville, North Carolina. At the time, it may have been just a dream. But now, Moore’s dream has come true.

Paul Ryan Quotes Pope Benedict

Badger Catholic reports:

This guy Ryan really gets it.

Catholic social doctrine is indispensable for officeholders, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to understand it. The wrong way is to treat it like a party platform or a utopian plan to solve all of society’s problems. Social teaching is not the monopoly of one political party, nor is it a moral command that confuses the preferential option for the poor with a preferential option for bigger government

Ask Me Why I’m Gay, Catholic, and Celibate!

Steve Gershom writes:

Not long ago I reconnected with Keith, an old college friend. I’d always found him sort of intimidating. He’s a big guy, sort of a jock, and comes across as extremely confident — three things that, in college, terrified me and made me clam up. We hung out with our mutual friend Molly, one of my oldest and dearest, who’s known about my SSA since about ’04.

Obama: I'll Raise Taxes If I'm Reelected

Pajamas Media has the vid:

Video: President Obama promises ‘massive job killing taxes’ if re-elected

From today’s presser on the debt ceiling debate. Check out how the prez frames the debate over taxes.

“So, when you hear folks saying ‘Well, the president shouldn’t want massive job killing tax increases when the economy is this weak.’ Nobody’s looking to raise taxes right now. We’re talking about potentially 2013 and the out years.”

Most Ridiculous "Scandal" Evah!!

Byron York reports:

Susan Feinberg, an associate professor of management and global business at Rutgers University, caused a stir in the left-wing blogosphere over the weekend with her account of witnessing House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan drinking a glass of $350-a-bottle wine at an upscale restaurant near the Capitol.

Did Obama Know about Fast and Furious?

I think this video is kind of a big deal, no?

Flashback — March 24, 2009: Announcement of Operation Fast and Furious

“The President has directed us. . .”

Gay Mass Goes on at Boston Parish

Deacon Greg writes:

It made headlines last month when it was scheduled, then cancelled — but the controversial “Rainbow Mass” finally went on yesterday.

Ranting Catholic Mom on the Prez Candidates

Ranting Catholic Mom writes:

For those of you who have never visited before, I live in a low population state with a late primary, Nebraska. That means that my individual vote comes after the other states have chosen a front-runner. I am determined to influence those who have a primary vote that matters. Read at your own discretion.

Having previously discussed the names on the (seemingly endless) list of GOP candidates, It is now time to check back in. Some are out already, some may not enter regardless of our wishes and prayers, others continue to be foisted on us by people who really don't understand true conservatives

No Vocations?

Katherine of No Fighting No Biting has some thoughts:

About 3 weeks ago during the announcements during Mass the priest asked parents to fill out a survey as to why in the past 10 years the CCD programs has gone from 1000+ children to under 450 children participating. I didn't bother to fill out the survey since we aren't members of the parish, but even if we were I know that I wouldn't send my children to CCD. Why? Because after the dumbing-down of the curriculum and contrary-to-the-Faith teaching I have seen and heard about over the years, I don't trust the instructors

Five Ways I Don't Love NFP

Danielle Bean is trying to cause trouble at Crisis Magazine, I guess:

I don’t want to write about NFP. I hate to write about NFP. And yet, here I am…writing about NFP.

I brought this on myself. I completely forgot about an editorial deadline and found myself scrambling for a column topic at about 10:00 p.m. Naturally, I turned to my dear friends, Mrs. Twitter and Mr. Facebook, to see what they thought I should write about.

“NFP!” came the answer, immediately and repeatedly. It is almost NFP Awareness Week, it turns out, and this is a topic in the forefront of Catholics’ minds.

In the End it Was the Children's Mass...

The Crescat writes:

in the end it was the Children's Mass that drove me away...

... I just couldn't take it anymore. My son has been singing in the Children's Choir at a local parish for close to year. If you never been to a Children's Mass at your parish then God bless your fortunate soul. If you have, then you know.

If Contraception, Why Not Gay Marriage?

Crisis Mag makes a great point about how if you approve of contraception you're also removing many roadblocks to gay marriage:

In his book Heretics, G. K. Chesterton writes,

There are some people — and I am one of them — who think that the most practical and important thing about a man is still his view of the universe. We think that for a landlady considering a lodger, it is important to know his income, but still more important to know his philosophy. We think that for a general about to fight an enemy, it is important to know the enemy’s numbers, but still more important to know the enemy’s philosophy. We think the question is not whether the theory of the cosmos affects matters, but whether in the long run, anything else affects them.

Pro-Aborts On The Run

From Live Action:

Abortion supporters are getting very anxious these days. Even as Planned Parenthood fights in court for its funding and pro-abortion lawyers take a few pot shots at some of the milder abortion restrictions to come out in the past year, the movement remains incredibly gun-shy of many new, innovative pro-life laws.

Sally Steenland of the pro-abortion Center for American Progress does a good job of summing up the perfect storm that some pro-life state lawmakers are hoping to create first with 20-week bans, then with heartbeat bills, and then *gasp!*…personhood amendments:

Continue Reading >>>>

Militant Atheist Idiocy

Jammie Wearing Fool reports:

NYC Atheists Winning Friends and Influencing People.

File this one under the category of Know When to Pick Your Fights. This isn't one of them. But in the non-stop assault on religion, there's no level of pettiness people won't stoop to, apparently.

Inflation Hits the Terrorists

You just can't find good help anymore. Weasel Zippers reports:

Supply & Demand: Price of suicide bombers has tripled in two years

Or else Obamanomics has directly impacted the world of terrorism.

(Sydney Morning Herald) — MILITANT groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan are trading the lives of would-be suicide bombers for up to $US90,000 ($83,800), three times what they were paying just two years ago.

Sip Stealing

Lisa of Faith and Family Live fame presents our generation with a moral conundrum. It's about sipping soda before you buy it. Me? I'm against it. 100%. But I know Moms who've busted open the Chips Ahoy in Aisle 8 for their kids and think it's ok. Wondering what you think:

Here is a philosophical question I am debating with someone important in my life. If you are shopping in a store and fully intend to purchase a diet coke, is it permissible to open and drink the beverage as you shop, before paying for it. I say “no” - what do you think? We NEED your response!

Feel Good Story of the Day

Pretty amazing story from Rivals:

The event - a foul-shooting contest for top academic students at Compton High School in Los Angeles - was created with a simple premise: Organizers wanted to show the kids at Compton how to create community spirit with college scholarship money as the incentive.

Allen Geui won in front of a packed house. Following a tear-jerking gesture from the winner - it appears the true lessons learned were by the adults.

The kids in Compton are more than alright.

Convict Entitled to Porn?

Pundette writes:

How do you feel about your hard-earned tax dollars going toward supplying convicted criminals with pornography? Or for paying the court costs for a creep who believes he's entitled to it? Kevin McCullough finds it sickening:

Petty Partisan Snub of Reagan

Weasel Zippers reports:

Obama’s Ambassador to the UK Does Not Have the Time to Show Up For London Event Honoring Ronald Reagan on Independence Day

A petty partisan snub of America’s greatest president.

Prayer: Priest Commits Suicide

Terrible.

SPRINGFIELD — The death of a Roman Catholic priest in Springfield has been ruled a suicide.

Police said Monday that the Rev. Paul Archambault died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was found Sunday at the Sacred Heart rectory.

Archambault said Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s church in Hampden, and was scheduled to return there Sunday. When he did not arrive, parish members contacted Sacred Heart Police say there was no note.

Dem Hits Pro-Lifer with Car, Quits Race

I'm surprised her fundraising from the pro-aborts didn't shoot through the roof for attempting to run over a pro-lifer:

A Democratic candidate for the school board in Fairfax County, northern Virginia, has quit her campaign because she has become the subject of criminal charges for purposefully hitting pro-life advocates participating in the March for Life with her vehicle.

Altar Rails Returning to Use

Good news.

Architects, pastors and parishioners find it enhances reverence in church.

Bishop Bars NY Pols from Parish and Schools

CNS News reports:

In response to passage of a same-sex marriage law in New York, the Catholic bishop for the diocese of Brooklyn, Nicholas DiMarzio, has asked all Catholic schools to reject any honors bestowed on them by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and lawmakers who voted for the bill. The bishop has also asked all pastors and school principals to not invite any of the pro-gay marriage lawmakers “to speak or be present at any parish or school celebration.”

Iran Escalates Crackdown on Christians

Please remember that in many parts of the world being a Christian is a death sentence:

Hundreds of Christians in Iran have been arrested and imprisoned since the beginning of this year.

The crackdown has led to 285 believers in 35 cities being arrested in Iran in the past six months, according to Elam Ministries, an organization that serves Christians in that country.

An Atheist Brokeback Mountain?

Atheism is all the rage in Hollywood. You might get confused because sometimes it comes across just as rage against Christianity. Newsbusters reports on the latest bomb of a movie touting atheism:

Hollywood once eschewed making movies that openly advocated atheism. That is no longer the case.

"The Ledge" is the latest in a series of recent Hollywood films that actively promote atheism. Director Matthew Chapman hopes that his movie will be the "'Brokeback Mountain' moment for atheists."

"The Ledge" has a simple plot. An atheist seduces the attractive wife of a Christian fundamentalist. The husband, a crazy fundamentalist, lures the atheist onto a ledge and threatens to kill the wife if the atheist doesn't jump from a ledge at a certain time.

Woman: Pope Pius XII Cured My Cancer

The Blaze reports:

Maria Esposito was ready to give up. Wasted away at 42 kilos (92 pounds), she couldn‘t bear another dose of chemotherapy to fight the Stage IV Burkitt’s lymphoma that had invaded her body while she was pregnant with her second child.

But as she and her family had done since she was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of cancer in July 2005, Esposito prayed to the man who had appeared to her husband in a dream as the only person who could save her: Pope Pius XII.

Is Ohio the Most Pro-Life State?

Their new law may put them in the lead. Kevin McCullough of Hot Air seems to think so. To me, Kansas seems to be doing a pretty good job too but let's just say they're leading the pack:

Is Ohio becoming the most pro-life state in the union?

According to this report it seems darned certain to be trying. Reuters reports that the ban goes into place once a fetal heartbeat is detectable.

Abortion Laws Just Like Jim Crow

Chris Matthews was honored at my Catholic alma mater a few years back. And he says idiotic and hateful stuff like this all the time. Here, he compares abortion laws in Kansas to Jim Crow laws.

In the warped mind of MSNBC's Chris Matthews, efforts to regulate the practice of abortion are morally equivalent to literacy tests in the South that were aimed at preventing African-Americans from voting.

The "Hardball" host made that puzzling and arguably insulting comparison on the June 30 program in a segment titled "What's the Matter with Kansas?"

Fmr. Defense Official: NYT Anti-Catholic

Jed Babbin is absolutely right.

Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin said Friday that there is a deep-seated anti-Catholic bigotry at the New York Times.

Speaking with Clayton Morris on "Fox & Friends," the former George H.W. Bush administration official also called the Gray Lady "a hub of liberal thinking" (video follows with transcript and commentary):