Remember how they lambasted Bush after Katrina?

Let's pray the cap over the deep sea oil well holds. But let's not forget the incompetence and lack of leadership from the White House. No one expected the president to fix it. But they did want him to get the federal government out of the way so cleanup could begin immediately and other countries could assist with their expertise. But this president can't make a decision. He is completely incompetent. The mainstream media has protected and covered for him, but his incompetence is more and more obvious.

Don't forget the beginning of this video. President Bush suspended the Jones Act two days after Katrina. Obama fiddled, played golf, and politicked. Remember this in 2012. This man can't lead. All he can do is campaign and enjoy the perks of office like having the first dog fly on his own personal jet for vacation.  In 2012 put a leader in office instead of a community organizer whose only experience is creating conflict. And vote liberal democrats out of office in 2010. We need solid conservatives -- not liberals or RINOs.


Oil Spill Timeline from RightChange on Vimeo.

The Butterfly Circus

You will love this short film featuring Eduardo Verástegui and the man with no limbs Nick Vujicic. Compare the heroes of this short film with the anti-heroes of Twilight. Eduardo Verastegui and Nick Vujicic are men of God who witness to the wonder of life and service of others. If you haven't heard Eduardo's conversion story, it's amazing -- also his testimony of counseling outside abortion mills. Skip the soulless vampires and focus on the real deal! If you haven't seen Eduardo's film, Bella, it's one of the most powerful films I've ever seen about offering real hope to women in crisis. Butterfly Circus is filled with the message of hope and transformation. It's worth the 20 minute investment and what a film to share with children! I'm buying it for all my kids for Christmas (Shh...don't tell.)  Enjoy!

Let's hear it for laity on the Internet! Hurrah for Catholic bloggers!

Some of the bishops may consider lay bloggers on the Internet pesky and judgmental but Mike Voris points out how we and solid, orthodox websites are renewing the face of the Church. The insanity of the 60s and 70s is on the wane while the truths of the faith are ascending thanks to truth tellers with keyboards.

This is something to celebrate. So remember Hillaire Belloc's poem that "wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, there is music, and laughter, and good red wine." At the end of an Ignatian retreat there's always a toast to St. Ignatius. Let's spread the tradition and toast all those who walk in the footsteps of the man who founded what used to be the pope's shock troops. The new legions are among the laity. So choose your vintage and lift your glass in celebration of orthodox Catholics writing on the internet. Make mine a merlot.

It's the stuff of horror films

Dr. Frankenstein's at work.

FDA OKs First Embryonic Stem Cell Research Trial on Humans, Despite Concerns

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Obama administration has approved the bid by cloning company Geron to undertake the first trial involving the use of embryonic stem cells in humans. They have never been used before in people because the cells cause tumors and have immune system rejection issues when tried in animals.....

Sex, Lies and Videotape - Part II

When bishops cooperate with evil the laity are misled and confused. No wonder the flock is scattering. Bishop Dolan needs to reassess what's he's doing re homosexual promotion in the Archdiocese of New York. Anyoe who believes his statement needs a brain transplant. But this is what gave us the sex abuse scandals and continues to rock the Church with scandal after scandal. Perhaps Bishop Dolan's wearing a "cheese mitre" while garbed in stole and chasuble reflects more than imprudence and lack of dignity.

Fired Catholic Professor Reinstated

Thanks to Professor Kenneth Howell and Alliance Defense Fund for taking on the liberal university establishment. Every time these modern censors go after Christians violating their free speech rights and right to academic freedom, there must be an assertive and immediate response. Silence and submission just invite more abuse. Praise God for this positive outcome.

Fired Catholic professor reinstated at University of Illinois

Dining on Whine and Chicken Fingers-Pointing

St. John's Valdosta blog has a great article titled The Days of Whining and Neurosis about bishops who like to dine on whine and chicken fingers (my take). They cooperate in evil by enabling groups that support abortion and homosexuality but waggle their fingers at the laity who dare to expose their scandals. Oh...those evil Catholic blogs -- not faux Catholic groups like Call to Action, Catholics, United, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good... or the immoral groups they fund through the Cathlic Campaign for Human Development. No, it's those evil bloggers who spew their "judgmentalism."

Since our intellect is called the "seat of judgment" one wonders exactly what bishops mean when they criticize those who use their judgment to expose public scandals that hurt the Church. I'm afraid their criticism is actually aimed at anyone who criticizes a bishop regardless of what he does. The Catholic laity in Elizabeth I's England, by the yardstick of some bishops today, should have gone along with all the apostate bishops rather than be "judgmental" about their apostasy. 

Ah, but there is another bishop who called the laity to take back the Church: Bishop Fulton Sheen. Holy Jesuit Fr. John Hardon also told the laity to defend the faith, even against bad bishops. But they were only following those who came before them like the Angelic Doctor, Thomas Aquinas, who said prelates should be chastised, even in public, for public scandals. So let faithful laity continue to address the disgraceful behavior of clerics (like Jesuit school presidents who let the Vagina Monologues play on campus or feature "queer film fests"). It is an act of virtue to admonish the sinner and if the sin is public, admonishing in public is appropriate.

What would Mary read?

Dymphna posted this lovely picture of Mary on the feast day of St. Joachim and Ann. It got me thinking about a Facebook discussion on the Twilight series that grew out of my oldest daughter posting Fr. Euteneuer's critical article, Vampire Logic. Father is no fan of the series. In fact, he says, " I don't hesitate to tell people that I am totally disgusted with the new fad sweeping over our youth culture these days." He has a lot of good reasons and I recommend you read them.

I admit I haven't seen any of the films, but I did read the first book after I found it on the bedside table in my granddaughter's room when we visited last year. It was basically a weird teen romance with a lot of heavy breathing and a "hero" who sleeps with his girlfriend but never has sex with her for fear he might be overcome and kill her. She, on the other hand, thinks being turned into a vampire is worth it so she can live with her lover forever even though vampires have no souls. I got tired of the heavy breathing and Bella being continuously overcome in Edward's presence. Frankly, the book is boring. Maybe the sequels are more interesting, although why a bunch of moms are swooning over this teen series is beyond me and I completely agree with Fr. Euteneuer's criticism. 

Evil symbols, like dragons, serpents, and vampires etc. are powerful. Think of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. There is no confusion about evil being evil. The dragon, the ringwraiths, the goblins, the trolls...all the creatures of the dark and dank arouse terror.

But now we have this remaking of the vampire into (I can't help laughing) a vegetarian who no longer has to fear the dark. He shines in the light like diamonds. Of course, from a farmer's point of view these "vegetarians" would be about as welcome as a coyote or a wolf. But a vampire heartthrob? I've seen the trailers for the movies and the posters. The guys playing the vampires look metrosexual and certainly not very manly. I wonder if that's part of their appeal.They are so empathetic with women, they're like soulmates.No need to work at a real male-female relationship that takes effort if you have a vampire around. On the other hand, the vampire can be the ultimate "bad boy," part of whose appeal is his lack of respectibility in normal society. Sort of a James Dean with fangs.

Pardon me for throwing cold water on this. (All the adult women swooning over Edward Cullen, particularly Catholic moms, could use a cold shower.) But I do have one question. What would Mary think?

Potpourri of interesting articles.

Preacher outside abortion clinic climbs into tree to avoid cops

How to Fight the Gay Agenda: Pro-Family Group Organizes Three-Day Conference

Democrats Fail to Stop Filibuster Against DISCLOSE Act Pro-Life Groups Oppose

 Catholic college revives medieval-style guilds, explores merger

A Speech Every American High School Principal Should Give

The Les Femmes Spring Newsletter is online at www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org

After struggling with some computer problems my webmaster has the Spring issue of the Les Femmes newsletter on line at the website. I'm posting the lead article here as well. Pray for the solid Catholic schools around the country. There aren't many and Trinity definitely isn't one of them. May the faithful schools prosper and may schools like Trinity fade into obscurity.

Trinity: the Catholic School Pat McGuire Killed

by Mary Ann Kreitzer

In February, the Washington Post Magazine (WPM) carried a puff piece on Trinity University in Washington, D.C. praising its president, Patricia McGuire, as “The Devoted” with a subheading describing her thus: “She spent her life transforming Trinity. So where does Pat McGuire – and the university she rebuilt – go from here?”1 In general the article described McGuire’s commitment to Trinity and her role in empowering women (pro-abortion feminist women like Trinity graduates Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Kathleen Sebelius, former governor of Kansas and currently the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and Maggie Williams, former chief of staff for first lady Hillary Clinton. Trinity has lionized these women as they advanced liberalism and the democrat party.) The author called McGuire “the soul” of Trinity, and he apparently meant it as high praise. But, in fact, McGuire has presided over the demise of a once great Catholic institution that has lost her soul. Trinity once inspired women to be defenders and champions of the Catholic faith. No more.

I know. My mother graduated from Trinity in 1939 with a warrior’s heart. She raised ten children, six of them girls, passing on a strong sense of personal responsibility for practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. And her education at Trinity, along with her upbringing, played an important part in developing her moral conscience. She loved the doctrines of the Church that valued life from its first beginnings. She embraced the Church’s exhortation to a life of virtue and resistance to the seven deadly sins that lead one on the path to hell. She had a strong social conscience rooted in Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Rerum Novarum. Sadly, the Trinity that fostered that holy devotion to the truth in my mom is long gone and McGuire helped destroy her.

McDonald's Shills for the Gay Lifestyle: Boycott the Burgers

I not only have problems with the ad below (Who does McDonald's think will be buying their happy meals in the future - all the little children produced through sodomy?). I also have problems with Bill O'Reilly who champions homosexual adoption and now throws out the bogus 10% figure as though it's fact. Homosexuals represent more like 2-3% although with all the homosexual propaganda and recruitment in the schools the larger number may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's interesting the ad isn't running here -- yet. I guess Americans culture hasn't reached the level of depravity as the French. For more info see Americans for Truth. TAKE ACTION: You can write McDonald's HERE or call 1-800-244-6227; or write: McDonald's Corporation, Attn: Jim Skinner and Don Thompson, 2111 McDonald's Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523.

You can read the email I sent McDonalds below the video.




Dear Mr. Thompson:

I've been aware for sometime that McDonald's promotes Planned Parenthood and other anti-family organizations. But your promotion of homosexual youth is the last straw! When I saw the French ad on YouTube I knew I'd eaten my last quarter pounder with cheese! I love your frappes, but the only ones I'll drink in the future will be "bought" with the free coupons that come in the mail. I won't spend a nickle at your counter or takeout window.

As for my 19 grandchildren, I'll be taking them to other fast food restaurants and by-passing the Happy Meals. And where do you think the kids who eat your Happy Meals come from anyway - sodomy?

I put out a Catholic newsletter and write a blog that gets between 200 and 400 hits a day. I'm urging my readers to make the McDonald's connection of the golden arches with homosexual activity. That should kill anyone's appetite!

Italian gay priests and their wild nights

An Italian magazine has exposed the antics of three gay priests who play priest by day, but play with gay prostitutes by night. How many homosexuals are in the priesthood leading double lives? The priesthood can be a comfortable closet. No one questions your same-sex friendships. You can cozy up to wealthy elderly parishioners who offer you free use of their vacation homes and time shares. You can go off on "retreats" to Las Vegas and Key West. Yes, the homosexual priest of the lie can live comfortably embezzling parish money to support his other life. Visit Bishop Loverde, Where is Fr. James Haley? for more on this breaking story.

Would you rather be a monkey wrench or a window pane?

I love reading Fulton Sheen. His Life of Christ and his autobiography, Treasure in Clay, are filled with what I call "aha moments" that shimmer with truth, almost breathtaking in their simplicity. Reading each book, I often had to stop and ponder. I often returned to a sentence or paragraph a second or even third time, because it so moved me I could not go on without taking at least a few moments to reflect further.

Today, looking for a citation, I stumbled on FultonSheen.com which I've added to my list of Catholic websites on the sidebar. What a treasure! Already, I've run off several essays to tuck into my adoration bag to read in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Let me give you a taste from the beginning of his book The Sacraments on A Divine Sense of Humor: 

Do Your Homework Instead of Spouting the Party Line of the Liberal Culture

I lurk and occasionally comment on a Catholic mom's board where I'm sure I'm the oldest person. Almost all the women are young enough to be my daughters. So I'm definitely the granny of the group. The women are very interesting and the conversation is generally respectful. Many are well-versed in the faith. The purpose of the board is for a group of faithful Catholic moms to support and encourage one another in the authentic faith. There are some great discussions on Church teaching about the hard issues, like birth control and divorce.

Occasionally an antagonistic cafeteria Catholic who wants to attack the Church pops in, but she usually won't stay for long. The board accepts searchers seeking to learn and understand, but will respond pretty quickly when someone shifts to attack mode. (I.e., "I think for myself and make my own decisions rather than act like a mindless drone listening to a bunch of men in skirts!" will get some sharp and astute replies along with a little admonishment and invitation to go to another board where she'll feel more comfortable.) I love it!

But every now and then a comment is thrown in that shows how much the hate-the-Church secular culture has influenced the young. One of those comments was posted on a thread discussing the differences between the Tridentine Mass and the Novus Ordo which branched out into abuses, liturgical music, the nature of beauty, Church architecture, the meaning of priesthood, lay "ministers", etc. One young woman commenting on abuses threw out an offhand statement about how she doesn't pay much attention to the abuses, after all they've always happened in the Church and then gave the examples of the Crusades and the Inquisition. I heaved a sigh and wrote a response.

Why do young people believe this nonsense? Because it's been repeated so often by liberals who attack the Church for its bloody violence but hold up Mau and Che Guevara as heroes, men who butchered their own countrymen without qualm. The entire Spanish Inquisition executed about 2500. Che Guevara, Fidel Castro's henchman, personally murdered tens of thousands and Mau killed millions. Here's a typical Guevara quote: "We reject any peaceful approach. Violence is inevitable. To establish Socialism rivers of blood must flow!" And he acted literally on that belief, personally giving the coup de grace to many executed prisoners.

Of course, comparing the sadistic violence of socialist revolutionaries doesn't justify other violence. Like our mom's told us, "Two wrongs never make a right." But were the Crusades wrong? Certainly not the First Crusade called by Pope Urban II (1096-1099) to take back the Holy Land and repel the invasion of the Muslim Turks who threatened to overrun Europe. It was a defensive action to protect the Christians lands. Think of the peasants of Europe facing the scimitars of the Muslim warriors. I sure would have liked to see an army defending my home. Not to mention the fact that, had the First Crusade failed, we would all be saying our prayers on rugs facing Mecca.

It's high time people stopped throwing out "facts" about historical events they know nothing about. Get  Warren Carroll's History of Christendom and use it as a reference. Then when someone makes an ignorant statement about a historical event, check the facts and be prepared to gently correct them. Those who are ignorant of historical reality, are easily duped. The Church is under attack by atheists like Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass), and faux Christians like Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code). Their attacks on Christianity are ignorant, but in our dumbed-down culture many swallow their sweet tasting hemlock and let it poison their faith. Fight back with the truth.

Randy Engel on Jackson Labs and Ave Maria Town

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

More on the Ground Zero Mosque

 Based on Muslim history, building a mosque is a sign of Islamic victory. One cannot judge this action from an American point of view; it needs to be seen from the Islamic viewpoint. Islam builds mosques where they have conquered. If the mosque is built at Ground Zero, the Muslim world will see it as a victory sign celebrating the terrorist actions of 9/11 and a forerunner of planting Sharia Law here on American soil. It must be stopped for the sake of our Constitutional Republic. Fifty-four percent of Americans oppose the mosque at Ground Zero. If more Americans understood what is happening the opposition would be much higher.



Read the background of the man who leads the initiative to build the mosque, Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf. And for more information see 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America.

When the Back Alley Butcher Operates on Main Street

The mantra of the "pro-choice" movement is that they want abortion to be safe, legal, and rare. We can probably all agree that, yes, they want abortion-on-demand legal for all nine months of pregnancy. The other two claims, safe and rare, are not so obvious, and, in fact, all the evidence illustrates just the opposite.

Let's take the safety issue and the case of an abortionist who is well known for butchering women and operating facilties that maim women while they kill their babies. Steven C. Brigham has had his medical license revoked or suspended in five states. But that doesn't seem to bother him or slow him down a bit. He operates 15 abortion mills in four states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York.

The Pennsylvania Health Department recently ordered Brigham to close his four facilities in that state for numerous violations that endanger the lives and health of women. Among his unsafe practices is hiring unqualified and unlicensed employees. But so far Brigham has thumbed his nose at Pennsylvania's decision. The mills, located in Allentown, Erie, Pittsburgh, and State College,.remain open even though he has no medical license to practice in the state.

Will Pennsylvania enforce its action against Brigham and close his abortion mills? With enough public pressure probably. Operation Rescue posted an article (linked below) with a message to take action: 

Operation Rescue is asking the public to urge the PDH to immediately enforce their order and close Brigham’s four Pennsylvania abortion clinics. Please contact the Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Health, Everette James, at 717-787-6436.

For more information check out the articles below.

Abortion Clinics Snub PA Health Department Order To Close

More trouble for abortion doctor, this time in Pennsylvania

The Power of Exorcism to Save Babies!

On July 16th four priests stationed themselves on the four corners of the building in Rockford, IL where an abortion mill operates. They used the exorcism prayers printed in Fr. Tom Euteneuer's book on Exorcism. Apparently the demons were upset. The landlord came out and immediately began lambasting them. But four women left. Two were confirmed saves. The other two left before the abortionist arrived without speaking to anyone. Praise God! Read more here. Keep praying for an end to abortion. The Mass, the rosary, and prayers of exorcism will drive the devil out. Never give up. Love perseveres!

Intolerance in the Ivory Tower: The Farce of "Academic Freedom"

How can a Catholic teacher get instantly fired from a secular university? Teach what the Catholic Church teaches in a course on Catholic teaching. Yup! You read that right. Professor Kenneth Howell has taught  courses on the Catholic Church at the University of Illinois for the past twelve years. In fact, students have rated him an outstanding professor during most of his tenure. But when a student complained  about his statement that homosexual acts, not the inclination, violate the natural law (a truth he has taught for many years and exactly what the Church teaches), he was removed as a professor.

Even more shocking from a Catholic point of view -- when he suggested that he teach the courses at the Newman Center and arrange with a Catholic university to provide credit which could be transferred to UI, the campus minister, Msgr. Gregory Ketcham, declined (which, frankly, makes me wonder about the campus minister). So, in effect, the representative of the diocese on campus was willing to help the University kill off Catholic truth. 

But let Professor Howell explain it:

Dear Friend:

I write this short narrative to explain why I am no longer teaching at the University of Illinois and am not employed by the Diocese of Peoria as of 30 June 2010. First, a little background.

I came to Champaign-Urbana in August of 1998 to be employed by the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center as a teacher in the courses of the Catholic faith that were then taught through the Center. For seven years I enjoyed a working relationship with Monsignor Stuart W. Swetland, the Director of the Center, who taught alongside me in that program. In 2000, Monsignor Swetland negotiated an agreement with the Department of Religion in which he and I would be adjunct professors in the department and would teach courses on Catholicism. We simultaneously established the Institute of Catholic Thought of which I became the Director and Senior Fellow. The purpose of the Institute was to promote the intellectual heritage of the western world in which Catholicism played such an integral role.

Since the Fall of 2001, I have been regularly teaching two courses in the Department of Religion. Since Monsignor Swetland’s departure in May of 2006, I have taught the equivalent of a full-time professor every semester, sometimes even more. This past semester (Spring 2010) something occurred which changed an otherwise idyllic academic life. One of the courses I have taught since 2001 has been “Introduction to Catholicism.” I think that it is fair to say that many students at the University of Illinois have benefited greatly from this and other teaching I have done. Every semester in that “Introduction” class, I gave two lectures dealing with Catholic Moral positions. One was an explanation of Natural Moral Law as affirmed by the Church. The second was designed as an application of Natural Law Theory to a disputed issue in our society. Most of those semesters, my chosen topic was the moral status of homosexual acts. I would happy to explain more fully the Catholic Church’s position on this matter but, for the sake of brevity, I can summarize it as follows. A homosexual orientation is not morally wrong just as no moral guilt can be assigned to any inclination that a person has. However, based on natural moral law, the Church believes that homosexual acts are contrary to human nature and therefore morally wrong. This is what I taught in my class.

This past semester was unusual. In previous years, I had students who might have disagreed with the Church’s position but they did so respectfully and without incident. This semester (Spring 2010) I noticed the most vociferous reaction that I have ever had. It seemed out of proportion to all that I had known thus far. To help students understand better how this issue might be decided within competing moral systems, I sent them an email contrasting utilitarianism (in the populist sense) and natural moral law. If we take utilitarianism to be a kind of cost-benefit analysis, I tried to show them that under utilitarianism, homosexual acts would not be considered immoral whereas under natural moral law they would. This is because natural moral law, unlike utilitarianism, judges morality on the basis of the acts themselves.

After the semester was over, I was called into the office of Robert McKim, the chairman of the Department of Religion, who was in possession of this email. I was told that someone (I presume one of my students) sent this email to the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Concerns at the University. It was apparently sent to administrators in the University of Illinois and then forwarded on to Professor McKim. I was told that I would no longer be able to teach in the Department of Religion.

Professor McKim and I discussed the contents of the email and he was quite insistent that my days of teaching in the department were over. I offered that it would be more just to ask me not to address the subject of homosexuality in my class. In fact, the other class I regularly taught (Modern Catholic Thought) never dealt with that subject at all. I also averred that to dismiss me for teaching the Catholic position in a class on Catholicism was a violation of academic freedom and my first amendment rights of free speech. This made no difference. After that conversation and a couple of emails, Professor McKim insisted that this decision to dismiss me stood firm.

I then consulted with our Diocesan lawyer, Mrs. Patricia Gibson, to see if the St. John’s Newman Center could sue the university for breach of contract. Mrs. Gibson, kind in spirit and articulate as regards the law, told me that unfortunately the university had made very careful provisions to protect itself and so would not be liable in a law suit. I am still consulting with other lawyers about possible legal action on the grounds of the first amendment.

Then Monsignor Gregory Ketcham, the current Director of the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center and my superior, informed me that the Center would not be able to continue employing me since there was no longer any teaching for me to do. I then reiterated what I had mentioned to him the day before. I suggested that we work together to have courses on Catholicism taught at the Newman Center that could be accredited by a Catholic university and that could be transferred into the University of Illinois for credit. In this way, the students whom we had been called to serve could continue to be instructed in the Catholic Faith. I told him in fact that I had once had conversations with professors in Catholic universities who were willing to make such arrangements. Monsignor Ketcham said that he had no interest in such a plan.

Thus, after more than sixty years, students at the University of Illinois will have no classes on Catholicism available to them. If the Department of Religion continues to offer the courses I taught, I have no idea how accurately Catholicism will be represented. I know this subject well enough to say it can be easily distorted. I have tried in this document to portray in a straightforward manner what happened. I also am preparing another document giving my own interpretation of all these events. If you are interested in that, or you just want to be informed as things progress, please contact me by email: kenneth.howell1952@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I look back at the twelve years I have spent in this position with memories of wonderful times with my students and friends with whom I have labored. It has been a time of great growth and joy. I thank God from the bottom of my heart. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know Him who holds it. He is faithful and can be trusted.

Sincerely,

Kenneth J. Howell

This outrageous situation cannot go unanswered. Contact information for the university is below. More information and a petition you can sign is here. As for the Diocese of Peoria. They finally released a statement on July 16th, two weeks after Professor Howell's dismissal, saying they were to meet with university officials today. Stay tuned....


President of the University of Illinois:
Michael J. Hogan
Office of President
364 Henry Administration Building, MC-346
506 S Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801-3649
presmike@uillinois.edu or mjhogan@uillinois.edu or uipres@uillinois.edu


Chancellor and Provost (Interim) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
Robert A. Easter
Office of Chancellor
317 Swanlund Administration Building, MC-304
601 E John Street
Champaign, IL 61820-5711
reaster@illinois.edu

Head of the Department of Religion:
Professor Robert J. McKim
Department of Religion
3080 Foreign Languages Building, MC-166
707 S Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801-3643
rmckim@illinois.edu

Board of Trustees
UIBOT@uillinois.edu

Extreme Cases Make Bad Law

An English stroke victim, Tony Nicklinson, is fighting for the right to have his wife kill him with a lethal injection. He says he has no quality of life and wants to be dead, but as a stroke victim in "locked in" state, he cannot do anything for himself. He cannot kill himself or even participate in his own suicide. He needs to be directly killed. He is challenging the law to make it possible, seeking the assurance that his wife will not be charged with murder. The irony of the news story below is its ending, where the reporter talks about death releasing Tony from a "living hell." But what if the "release" results in his plunging into eternal hell, the unquenchable fire?  Is it worth trading 20 years of suffering for an eternity's worth?

 

We do not belong to ourselves; we belong to God. Suffering has value. My own brother (55) who suffered a debilitating stroke last summer and has also contracted a seriously debilitating condition called recurring transverse mylitis also has limited quality of life. But rather than focusing on his own suffering, John has been offering his suffering for others and praying and keeping his sense of humor. Granted, his condition is less severe, but terrible nonetheless.

The worst scenario will be the result if the Nicklinsons are successful in changing the law. Every handicapped individual will be at the mercy of caregivers who may believe they are better off dead. Legalizing the murder of Tony Nicklinson would endanger millions of sick and suffering people. Look at the euthanasia laws in the Netherlands where people are being offed without their consent. Will England be next?

A Great Article Outlining the Racial Antics in the Administration

Americans Reject a New Racial Divide
We’re Not Biting the Obama Race Bait

The Washington Times

July 19, 2010

By Robert Knight

What if they threw a race war and nobody came?

So far, thankfully, that sums up the results of the Left’s recent efforts to instigate racial animosity in America.

The NAACP’s absurd resolution on July 13 that the Tea Party movement harbors “racist elements” is only the latest gambit in the campaign to divide Americans and perhaps even to spark violence. It’s right up there with some congressmen (Clyburn, Lewis, Cleaver) charging – without evidence – that Tea Party folks emitted racial slurs during the Nancy Pelosi-led House victory march for ObamaCare on March 20.

Here are other pieces in play:

Margaret Sanger: Racist Friend of the KKK

Planned Parenthood loves to pooh-pooh the facts about Margaret Sanger's racism. But it is a historical fact that Sanger was invited and accepted an invitation to speak at a Ku Klux Klan ralley which generated, according to her, another dozen invitations. I have been trying to find the speech she gave on that occasion without success, but I can guess.

Sanger was a WASP elitist who believed that blacks, Catholics, Jews, Irish immigrants and many other groups were human weeds. She must have particularly hated the large Catholic families of the early 20th century. Perhaps she was thinking of Catholic families when she said:

THE MOST serious evil of our times is that of encouraging the bringing into the world of large families. The most immoral practice of the day is breeding too many children....

The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it....

The immorality of bringing into being a large family is a wrong-doing shared by three—the mother, the father and society. Upon all three falls the burden of guilt. It may be said for the mother and father that they are usually ignorant. What shall be said of society? What shall be said of us who permit outworn laws and customs to persist in piling up the appalling sum of public expense, misery and spiritual degradation? The indictment against the large unwanted family is written in human woe. Who in the light of intelligent understanding shall have the brazenness to stand up and defend it?      Read the complete article.

Sanger described her cloak and dagger experience with the KKK in her autobiography. A warning about that work. I read it about twenty years ago and found it to be a self-serving work. Sanger often credited herself with the work of others. She also exaggerated her credentials claiming to be a nurse. She had some nurses training, never completed. So who knows how much she exaggerated this tale. At any rate, she was among her own, illustrated by the fact that she received numerous invitations afterwards. The Klan hated many of the same groups she did including "Negroes" whom she considered indiscriminate breeders.

Sanger is a champion of the Culture of Death. Just as the Church has saints, God's generals, Satan has his own leaders. Sanger was surely one of them. Did she repent before she died as a drug abusing alcoholic? I can't begin to guess, but her life was a tragedy from start to finish. She was a charismatic woman who could have done great good had she marched under the standard of Christ. She chose instead to march under Satan's banner. God have mercy on her.

The Church's Nasty Little Secret

The Church has a nasty little secret. And, no, I am not talking about the sex abuse crisis and all the homosexual priests shuffled from here to there, although that certainly is a nasty story. No, I’m referring to a doctrine of the Church, one that is rarely preached. Our shepherds: both priests in their parishes and bishops in their dioceses apparently don’t like to talk about it. Even the pope mentions it so rarely that he made headlines in 2007 when he brought it up and said it’s a real place and is eternal. You’ve probably guessed but I’ll give you a hint anyway. The place could use air conditioning even in the dead of winter because it’s as hot as…HELL!


The failure of our shepherds to preach about hell is ironic since Jesus talked about it so often.

Self Proclaimed "Devout Catholic" Nancy Pelosi Gets Planned Parenthood Award

Nancy Pelosi is arguably one of the most effective proponents of child killing in the country, so effective, in fact, that Planned Parenthood established a new award (Champions of Women's Health) to recognize her efforts in passing the massive expansion of abortion in Obamacare. Here's what PP says about her on their website:

As the first female Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi was instrumental in the passage of the historic health care reform legislation. During the health care reform debate she led her female colleagues in Congress as they stood strong against attempts to insert the Stupak abortion ban into the bill. Against tremendous odds, she delivered the necessary 219 votes to send the bill to President Obama’s desk. (Read complete article here.... )

Yup, from PP's perspective Nancy is a "champion." Already, Obamacare is providing $160 million for abortions in Pennsylvania and PP, as the nation's largest abortion provider will no doubt get the lion's share. And that's just the beginning.

What ever happened to that famous "executive order" that was going to prevent tax dollars from killing children? It was the Joker's trick from the beginning. Similar funding is expected to spread to the other states so the abortion largesse will be expanding exponentially. Meanwhile, if you're elderly and need a hip replacement good luck.

Obamacare was never about health care. It is the biggest expansion of the culture of death in my lifetime. Maybe it will even fund my death since I'm one of those pesky baby boomers who need to be hastened into the next world to save money. No doubt someone in the administration is working up a cost-benefit analysis right now about anyone over 60 who isn't a member of the Democrats' Beltway aristocracy.

I can't help feeling sorry for Nancy, though. She either has convinced herself there's no hell or that nobody goes there. Meanwhile she's racing headlong and heedless toward that place of neverending fire. It's the "new direction" she and her cronies are taking America.

Please pray for Nancy. She did, after all, have a baptismal day when the priest clothed her in a white garment and claimed her for the Lord.  That she has traded that garment for the devil's livery is a tragedy. And remember the rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner. Where there's life, there's hope of conversion. Besides, Nancy isn't really the enemy; she's only marching under his standard with smoke in her eyes and sulphur in her soul. May God help her to see the light before it's too late.

When Christ Returns Will He Find Any Faith on the Earth?

Many so-called Catholics these days reject many of the Church's teachings. How do you respond when a Catholic you know dismisses doctrines of the faith? To admonish the sinner is a spiritual work of mercy. Michael Voris gives a personal example of witnessing in the face of a friend's expression of heresy.

 How do you measure up on this spiritual work of mercy? If someone comes to you for advice do you tickle his ears and coddle him in his disbelief? Do you remain silent out of fear of her reaction? Or do you exercise the supreme act of charity by warning friends of the impact of what they are doing? Tough love is willing to suffer.

Planned Parenhood Is After Arizona's Common Sense Law to Protect Women

Remember when abortion was supposed to be a decision "between a woman and her doctor?" Well, Planned Parenthood has dropped the bar. They want abortion performed by non-physicians. So when Arizona passed a common sense law to protect women, PP went into attack mode to prevent it from going into effect.

The Arizona law requires that only doctors do abortions, calls for women to be given complete information 24 hours before the abortion, requires notarized parental consent for a minor's abortion, requires that the woman be given information on alternatives and the age of the baby in the womb before the procedure, and it also outlaws partial birth infanticide in accordance with the federal ban.

Any person without an agenda would see these elements as reasonable. As a breast cancer survivor I remember when women were demanding complete information about treatment options and demanded a two-part procedure between removing a suspicious lump and performing a mastectomy. Doesn't a woman considering an abortion deserve that same respect? Shouldn't she have complete information and know all her options before she makes that "choice?"

Many post aborted women share horror stories about being lied and manipulated into choosing abortion. Some tell of changing their mind and being forced to undergo the abortion anyway. And Planned Parenthood has been in the lead opposing any law to require safe surgical facilities, oversight (like any other freestanding health care providers), clean instruments, etc. Abortion is the most unregulated industry in America endangering women's lives as well as killing their babies.
Their opposition to the reasonable Arizona law is one more proof that all PP cares about is money. If you have a PP in your community check out Stopp Planned Parenthood and join the battle under the standard of the Lord of Life following our 12 star general, the Blessed Mother.

From Catholic World News: Revised Norms on Clerical Abuse Released Today

The revised norms "codify seven modifications." Among them are increasing the stature of limitations from ten to twenty years and giving the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) “the right, as mandated by the Roman Pontiff, to judge Cardinals, Patriarchs, Legates of the Apostolic See, [and] Bishops.” Robert Moynihan of Latin Mass Magazine sent out an extended letter about the document today which is online here.  He titles it Benedict Gets Serious. Let's hope he's right. When the CDF disciplines a few bad bishops I'll take it a lot more seriously.



Vatican revises norms for clerical abuse of minors, other ‘exceptionally serious’ crimes

The Holy See Press Office has published a revised edition of the 2001 norms dealing with clerical abuse of minors and other “exceptionally serious” crimes against faith and morals.

“The norms of canon law dealing with crimes of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy have been published today in a comprehensive and updated form, in a document which covers all the crimes the Church considers as exceptionally serious and, for that reason, subject to the competency of the Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” said Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, the director of the Holy See Press Office. “Apart from sexual abuse, these include crimes against the faith and against the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Penance and Holy Orders.” ......

Bishop Dolan Cheers Gay Groups at Jesuit Parish Rededication

Another bishop committing another serious scandal. And they are circling the wagons as usual.


Here's the video put together by the parish that is available at the St. Francis Xavier website. The church is beautiful. It sounds like they minister to the local community. But remember Jesus words: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Sodomy is a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. To tickle the ears of the people and make them believe their ministy to the homeless will save them from condemnation for their mortally sinful lifestyle is a lie. A visit to the parish website is instructive. Note the prominent place given to the gay and lesbian groups that meet to talk about spirituality. What kind of spirituality one wonders, since the starting place isn't repenting of sin, but maintaining sinful relationships. God have mercy on the pastor of the parish where the beauty is only a veneer over corruption and he preaches a false love that is likely to lead many to hell.

Will "No Go" Islamic Zones Thrive in America?

I've been posting about the Battle of Dearborn, and perhaps some readers think it's no big deal or is being exaggerated. But what's happening in this country and around the world is that Islam is winning the war against the West that it lost in the Middle Ages because of the first Crusade and the Battle of Lepanto.

If the article below doesn't raise the warning flag and cause us, as Americans, to protect our Constitutional rights, it is just a matter of time before Islam destroys our way of life and we find ourselves bowing the knee, not to Jesus Christ, but to Allah.

Wake up, America. We don't hate Muslims. As Christians, we have an obligation to love our enemies, but don't be delusional about what Islamic organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood stand for -- the complete takeover of the West and the imposition of Sharia Law.

Muslim Enclaves U.S.A.
Building the American Caliphate, One Enclave at a Time

by Ryan Mauro

FrontPage Magazine

July 9, 2010


It seems almost unthinkable, but Islamist groups are, as we speak, hard at work creating Muslim states-within-states in the U.S. Indeed, this process has been unfolding for a long time across the Western world, through the creation of isolated Muslim enclaves in both rural and urban areas, as well as through the designation of "no-go zones" where governments admit to having little authority over Muslims living there, essentially leaving them to function as autonomous regions.

Daniel Pipes has tracked numerous examples since 2004 of Muslim groups working to create communities based solely on Islam and run by Shari'a law. As discussed by David Kennedy Houck in 2006, "Although such concepts are antithetical to a free society, U.S. democracy allows the internal enclave to function beyond the established boundaries of our constitutional framework."

For example, one such community, Gwynn Oak, has been created in Baltimore, Maryland, consisting of Muslim immigrants and African-American converts. The project is led by John Yahya Cason, director of the Islamic Education and Community Development Initiative. Cason explained that the neighborhood is a response to the problem that "Muslim communities are ruled by Western societal tenets, many of which clash with Islamic norms." In his opinion, there is a need for communities with "the totality of the essential components of Muslim social, economic, and political structure." As such, the Gwynn Oak enclave follows specific moral rules based on Islam and people there speak Arabic. On September 13, 2009, the construction of its three-story mosque began. Approximately 400 Muslims now live in the vicinity.

Another example involves the Islamic Center for Human Excellence, which receives funding from the United Arab Emirates. In August 2004, it was granted permission to build a Muslim neighborhood in Little Rock, Arkansas, complete with a mosque, school, and 22 homes; it would not allow the presence of alcohol. The goal was for Muslims to find an area to escape the alleged crime and depravity of American life, although the imam behind the effort said that non-Muslims are welcome to join.

Far more radical groups than these are now taking the lead in promoting and creating Islamic enclaves on U.S. soil. 

The Battle of Dearborn Continues: Christians Arraigned for Asking Questions in Dearborn

In Dearborn, if you are a Christian and dare to attempt to engage Muslims in conversation about faith, watch out. You can check out earlier posts on Sharia Law. Muslim organizations in this country want to substitute our law under the Constitution with the Muslim Sharia Law. Check out these posts which include a video of the 2010 festival where Christians were denied their first amendment rights. I've also posted below the video from last year's festival where Christians were physically assaulted by Muslim security guards. The second video is an interview about this year's event where Christians were arrested for engaging people in the festival in conversation. They did not distribute pamphlets, they simply asked questions, conversed, and taped what was happening. But they were arrested and the individuals share what happened. The last video is an update about the arraignment. You can keep track of this court case at the Acts 17 Apologetcs blog.

Black Racists Attack the Tea Party Patriots

The Tea Party Movement must really scare the liberals because they sure are trying hard to paint them (and I consider myself one) as racists with white hoods stashed in their closets and nooses, crosses, and torches in their garages. Their crime? Criticizing our black president and his liberal politics and trying to take the country back from big spenders who want to keep every American, black or white, down on the plantation as wage slaves serving the Federal Government and the governing class.

How many people are gullible enough to believe the nonsense tarring every tea party activist as a racist in a white hood? Probably plenty. If you repeat a lie often enough even if you have no proof, many people will swallow your poison. Goebblels knew that and was a master at propaganda.

I've been to several tea party events and didn't see a single racist poster. I did see one with Obama as a witch doctor, but I didn't consider that any more racist than George H. Bush accusing Reagan of "voodoo economics."

I saw a lot of anti-tax posters - very clever posters, in fact, including a child with one showing a piggy bank being hammered by the feds. I didn't see any mass produced posters so common at all the Obama rallies where union members (paid to attend?) filled events. There were even three dimensional signs and street theatre type protests. One man carried a model of the Capitol overrun with very real looking rats with the faces of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, etc. A couple was pushing a wheelchair holding a skeleton with a sign saying, "I'm still waiting for my operation."

I did see the poster of Obama as the Joker. But, hey, that was just a remake of the George Bush joker poster. Racist? I don't think so. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. How come it's only mean when conservatives do it?

Want to see some real racism? Here are a few examples:

Note in this video the discussion of the second amendment and "arming" themselves against the "enemy" which is the tea party. The implication of violence is clear.



The accusaton of the NAACP recently about the "racist" tea party participants is the typical race-baiting of an organization that has walked in lockstep with the liberal democrats. They deserve to be challenged to prove their allegations. Where are the photos and videos of racist actions? Of individuals hurling the N word and carrying posters that say "lynch Obama." If they had proof it would be all over the mainstream media. They don't have it. They lie to advance their own agenda. No doubt their are racists among the tea party supporters. But it certainly is not endemic to the movement. For crying you loud there are plenty of blacks among the speakers.

As for racism, it cuts both ways. And the evidence of black racism including the president's own behavior (Remember his attack on a white police officer? He was white so he was presumed guilty.) is not insignificant.

NAACP's latest attack on Tea Party prompts response

The head of the Black Panther's in Philadelphia shows his "tolerance" discussing "white crackers". in the video below. These are the folks attacking the "tea party racists." If it weren't so pathetic it would be laughable.

Modesty, Especially at Mass: a Picture's Worth a Thousand Words; a Video's Worth 100,000

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Bishop Kevin Boland of Savannah recently participated in the installation of Scott Benhase as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. This appalling decision illustrates once more that Bishop Boland is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Like the Catholic bishops of 16th century England, he betrays the faith in favor of "ecumenical dialogue" with material heretics who choose secular relativism over biblical truth. For more about Bishop Boland's scandal affirming the election and insallation of a bishop who blesses same-sex relationships and approves the ordination of active gays like Gene Robinson, go here. Don't miss the outlandish photo of the presiding female bishop who looks like she stepped off the movie set of Alice in Wonderland. And note the rainbow stole on the priestess below. The liberal Episcopalians are so delightfully tolerant and diverse. Take your pick: fornication, adultery, sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, etc. ad nauseum. Bishop Boland's participation in this event makes Jesus' teachings a mockery.

The Future Belongs to Pro-Life Youth!

More on the Mosque at Ground Zero

Understand the doublespeak of the Muslim leadership. What they say in English is not the same as what they say on Arabic websites. Listen to the full 17 minutes of this video to get a chilling view of what is coming. Lying and "outward show" is permitted when Muslims deal with "infidels."

Kill the Ground Zero Mosque

The Islamization of the United States is on the fast track. Historically, Muslims build a mosque on conquered territory. That's a fact of Islam. While our politicians spout platitudes about the religion of peace, building a mosque at ground zero sends a victory message to the Muslim world saying, "We committed an act of war here and our stupid adversaries will let us build a victory shrine celebrating their defeat." The fact that the mosque is scheduled to be dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attack is especially significant and an atrocity to the memories of those who died that day.

Study the history of Islam. It's a violent religion with world conquest as its goal. Look at what the Ottoman Empire did to the Armenian Christians after World War I. Hitler used their example to justify his genocide against the Jews saying, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" Look at the communities in this country where free speech is being suppressed in favor of Sharia Law. The danger is real and imminent.

Doctors Turning Away from Contraception

Can a doctor make it without prescribing contraceptives? Dr. John Bruchalski and his medical staff at Tepeyac Women's Center in northern Virginia have been doing it for several decades. And more doctors are turning away from the pill and other destructive methods of birth control and turning to natural family planning instead. In the process they often recover their faith and experience a renewed sense of really helping their patients. Artificial birth control hurts women physically as well as spiritually and damages relationships as well. Check out some of the documentation here.

Please pray for pro-life doctors. A few, like Dr. Bill Hogan and Dr. John Bruchalski, are icons in the pro-life movement. But the unique story of each of these doctors illustrates the miracle that happens through grace. Their conversions invite imitation. If you have a pro-abortion doctor, why not print out and share one of these testimonies. You may the catalyst God uses to soften a hard heart.

Read Dr. Richard Brennan's story.

Read Dr. Kim Hardey's story.

Read Dr. Bill Hogan's story.

Read Dr. John Bruchalski's story.

Dr. William Germann battles for life.

Find a pro-life doctor.

American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNs

Caught between Barack and a hard place.

To see the story behind the billboard go here. I wonder how many other funny and clever Obama billboards are popping up around the country. Let's face it. The mainstream media loves to mock Republican presidents (even when they're democrat lite). Think of Gerald Ford being shown as a clumsy oaf, Ronald Reagan just a dumb B-level movie star, George W. as a doofus, and poor VP Dan Quayle who couldn't spell potato. But their guys... I heard the interview with a politician who was spouting off about Obama's high I.Q. When the interviewer pressed him about what it is, he, of course, didn't know. Wish I could remember the source. I just laughed.

Democrats really are so much fun to spoof. They take themselves so seriously and they don't mind lying. Every time Joe Biden opens his mouth he puts both feet in and then tries to get his hands in as well. Poor guy can hardly make a statement without showing his ignorance of history and even the people around him. Remember when he tried to get the man in a wheelchair to stand up and be recognized?

Liberals champion so many evil  things how can they be funny? How do you crack jokes about murdering babies? Although they say Ted Kennedy took great delight in making jokes about Chappaquiddick. Apparently he found his killing of Mary Jo Kopechne a real bellylaugh! Maybe you had to be there. Check it out here.

When Les Femmes got its start we had a mock funeral for radical feminism on the Capitol Steps. We "buried" a lot of relics of feminism. We also, in keeping with the funeral idea, read a last will and testament with items left to those who advanced the feminist agenda. Among them was a snorkel for Ted Kennedy. Imagine the feminists holding up as an icon a man who was a notorious womanizer. But they take themselves so seriously they never see the ridiculous in their own nutty positions. As long as they could count on him to support baby killing he could diddle as many young girls as he wanted. Crazy!

No matter how bad things get, never lose your sense of humor!

More on the Dignity of Women

If we women would only be who we are called to be, the transformation of the culture would be ensured. Women are the civilizers of the society, the first teachers with an inner wisdom and a gift of spiritual insight. It was Mary who "pondered all things in her heart" and became the spiritual mother of the apostles and the guide of the early Church. If we draw close to Mary we will become more like her and "magnify the Lord" in our world. Imitate Mary, ladies, to be more truly yourselves and a greater gift to your families and the world.

The Dignity and Genius of Women

by Pope John Paul II

From the beginning of Christ’s mission, women show to him and to his mystery a special sensitivity which is characteristic of their femininity. It must also be said that this is especially confirmed...not only at the Cross but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: “He is not here. He has risen, as he said”… They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles....

The Gospels…highlight the fact that women were in the forefront at the foot of the Cross, at the decisive moment in Jesus of Nazareth’s whole messianic mission. John was the only Apostle who remained faithful, but there were many faithful women...the Mother of Christ and “his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene” were present, but “there were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.”

Read the complete document.

The Importance of Women

"The level of any civilization is always the level of its women." Fulton Sheen

Remember that old saying, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world?" It's absolutely true. One of the reasons we are sinking as a culture is because women have forgotten their natures as "custodians of life." Too many have accepted the Planned Parenthood/radical feminist lie that their nature is as sexpots "liberated" from fertility. Instead of being the natural custodians of life, they have been convinced to be custodians of the condoms. A woman can be a mother or have a career, but always be true to her nature as the custodian of physical and spiritual life.

George Gilder in his book, Sexual Suicide called women the civilizers of men. To the degree that women  return to their nature we will see a transformation of our culture from a culture of death to a culture of life.

I hope I live to see it.

This is the "religion of peace?"

The recent attempted "honor killing" of 21-year-old Harry Potter actress Afshan Azad by her father and brother illustrates the violence of the so-called "religion of peace." When fathers can murder their daughters over a row about a boy friend and the religion they espouse approves it....what more is there to say?

Most of the victims of "honor killings" are women and most of the murderers are men, often fathers and brothers. (See here.... ) There is no religious sanction against the perpetrators in the Muslim faith. Islam  treats women as chattel and all sins of lust are their fault. Men can have multiple "wives" and keep them like a harem while they collect welfare as "unwed moms". A woman doesn't even have to commit sin to be killed. Read this horrifying story about a fifth grader who "committed suicide" by shooting herself three times in the head (Yeah, right!) after being handed a note by a boy saying, "I love you."

Christianity is under assault today, but the fact is that it was Christ who raised the status and dignity of women. All women in Christianity are invited to imitate Mary, the new Eve. Even the fallen woman is not condemned under the New Covenant. As Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery (Where was the man?) "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and henceforth avoid this sin." Christianity calls to conversion and goes in search of the lost sheep, not to slaughter it, but to return it to the fold.

Today is the feast of St. Maria Goretti, the little saint of purity who died rather than agree to engage in sex with her assailant. She was stabbed multiple times and suffered greatly before her death the next day. But her sacrifice led to the repentance and conversion of her attacker who was present at her canonization. 

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.  

Bad News for Planned Parenthood

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has cleared the way for a case allegeing massive fraud against Planned Parenthood (PP). The American Center for Law and Justice who argued the case call it a "huge victory." A lower court dismissed the case saying the "whistleblower" who reported the fraudulent billing practices had no standing. With the 9th Circuit decision, the case against PP can proceed. Read more....

Is anyone really surprised that those who systematically kill babies for a living would engage in fraud? It's a no brainer. Once you are willing to kill, lying and cheating look almost virtuous by comparison. After all, they are "helping women" and the more money they have to do it, the better.

March of the Survivors

All the polls show that young people are more pro-life than adults. This offers great hope for the future as these youngsters become voters and decision makers. Share the pro-life message with a young person today. As one of the speakers says, "The pro-life movement is getting younger and younger." Praise be to God! The energy and zeal of these youngsters fills me with hope.

God Bless America on this 4th of July

Pray today for all those who offered their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for our country. May we continue to dedicate ourselves to making this "one country UNDER GOD with liberty and justice for all" especially the most vulnerable.

Cardinal Sodano and the Maciel Scandals

I just posted on the Fr. Haley blog about Cardinal Sodano. We are living in times that appear to be rivaling the leadup to the Protestant Revolt. The corruption at the highest levels of the Church is disheartening. Don't let it damage your faith. If you do, that will be spiritual suicide.

Spend more time before the Blessed Sacrament praying for priests, especially those at upper levels in the Church. Many of them have a lot for which to answer.