President Obama is invoking the name of Jesus these days. At an Albuquerque town hall on Tuesday he claimed that the teachings of Jesus inspired him in his life of public service. Moving on.... he defended killing Christ's babies. Obama's words about following Christ, "the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead - being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me," are a clanging cymbal set against his actions.
And in fact a question or two after making his Jesus statement, he defended abortion using Bill Clinton's appalling word game that he wanted to make abortion "safe, legal, and rare."
Actions speak louder than words and Obama's actions are for murdering babies even in the last moments before birth. As an Illinois senator he voted in favor of the gruesome partial birth abortion procedure and even voted against providing life support for babies born alive. Hey, if mom and dad want you dead.... And abortionists donate bigtime to liberal politics. Can't offend them!
Many otherwise moral people in our culture who would never think of directly committing a gravely evil sin, like abortion or sodomy, nevertheless consider it a positive virtue to approve of and cooperate in these and other depravities when committed by others. Under the mask of tolerance and compassion they take what I call the “Norfolk approach” to morality. The Duke of Norfolk, remember, in the play A Man for All Seasons, is a friend of England’s chancellor, Thomas More, who resigns after Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church in England. When the king demands More take the Oath of Supremacy which includes public affirmation that the king’s valid marriage to Catherine of Aragon was unlawful, he refuses. Norfolk, who along with most of the nobility and clergy capitulates to the king’s demand, urges Thomas to join them “for fellowship.” The saint’s reply? “And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me for fellowship?”1 Many, like Norfolk, are willing to cooperate with evil if it means protecting themselves or avoiding conflict with family or friends.
Before looking at some examples where cooperation with evil is almost epidemic, it’s necessary to know exactly what constitutes cooperation with evil. Is it ever acceptable? When is it sinful?2 The subject is complicated, but St. Alphonsus Liguori made it easier to grasp when he devised the distinction between formal and material cooperation in the 18th century. Formal cooperation, whether explicit (the nurse at the abortion mill) or implicit (the boyfriend who claims to oppose the abortion, but drives his girlfriend to the mill and pays for it), is always immoral. Read more...
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the three great Archangels described in Scripture: Michael, the warrior; Raphael, the guide and healer; and Gabriel, the messenger. These angels are wonderful intercessors for the family. What a model Michael is for the father of every family - standing over his wife and children as a watcher and protector. Whenever we leave on a trip I ask St. Michael to watch over things at home while we're gone and protect us on our journey.
I've always loved the story of Tobias and his quest for a wife. What a friend and guide he has in the great archangel Raphael who accompanies him. Not only that, but Raphael heals Tobias' father, Tobit, of his blindness. He reminds me of the guardian angels assigned to each one of us. He is also a great intercessor for mothers who are there with kisses and bandaids to heal the bumps and bruises of our little ones as well as guide them along life's path.
Gabriel, the great messenger, is a reminder to all of us to listen and be quick to respond to the word of God and carry it to others. He teaches us how to honor the Blessed Virgin, kneeling before her when she says, "Let it be done unto me" and becomes a living tabernacle.
Ask the archangels to intercede for you and thank God for giving us such great helpers. I always tell my grandchildren they have nothing to fear because St. Michael will watch over them and he has a big sword!
I'm engaged in an interesting exchange with a homosexual man in the comment section of one of the posts. It got me thinking this morning about disordered attachments. Many in our culture suffer from disordered attachments to sex, sins of lust. Fornication, adultery, masturbation, sodomy, pornography, contraception, same sex acts --.sins against chastity are as common as sand at the beach.
But lust isn't the only sin. How many of us have disordered attachments to food, alcohol, money, "stuff", even our beds. Lust is only one of the seven deadly sins. Greed, gluttony, anger and sloth aren't exactly rare. Envy is pretty common. And pride is a root sin for most, if not all, of us. So there are plenty of things for each of us to work on.
I recently cut out a saying by Cardinal John Newman from my Magnificat prayer book and taped it to the mirror so I would read it often.
If you ask me what you are to do in order to be perfect, I say, first-- do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; give your first thoughts to God; make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament; say the Angelus devoutly; eat and drink to God's glory; say the rosary well; be recollected; keep out bad thoughts; make your evening meditation well; examine yourself daily; go to bed in good time, and you are already perfect.
When trials and tribulations come along you have two choices. Moan and groan about what you don't have and you've lost or work as hard as you can with what you have. The young men in the videos below are both blind and lost their sight to cancer. But look at their spirits! I wish the stories had explored faith a little, but that's not on the media's radar screen. I'd love to know more about these families and their relationship to God. Because with God, all things are possible!
Did the headline catch your attention? Yes, indeed, a young sister of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sr. Mary MacKillop, who founded the order of teaching sisters in Australia was excommunicated by her bishop in 1871 after exposing a priest who abused children. Read the story here. That same sister is about to be canonized by Pope Benedict in October. "Pray, hope, and don't worry," as Padre Pio said. No matter how grim things look, God is there in the midst of the blackest night.
Please pray for those "persecuted for righteousness sake," that they will persevere and never lose heart.
Remember when our abortion extremist president spoke at Notre Dame's (ND) graduation while cops arrested pro-lifers outside? When was that? ...Let's see...May 2009...have you forgotten already? Well, the 88 pro-lifers arrested haven't. They are still in the midst of the persecution (oops...) prosecution. They recently claimed a victory, though, when St. Joseph County, Indiana Circuit Court Judge Michael Scopelitis ruled that their lawyers from the Thomas More Society may depose former Notre Dame Student Affairs Administrator William Kirk.
Professor Kirk is interesting. He was the only Notre Dame official who protested the Obama debacle and attended the alternate graduation service at the grotto. He was "abruptly sacked" recently according to Life Site News (LSN). LSN reported the reaction of Notre Dame philosophy professor, David Solomon, who criticized the university's callous act:
Solomon suggested that Kirk's insistence on maintaining school-wide disciplinary standards for Notre Dame football athletes helped precipitate the move. However, the professor also said the news appears to confirm fears that Kirk's stand against the highly controversial honor to Obama would prove fatal.
"At the time Bill took part in the NDResponse rally, many people commented on the courage it took for him to stand with his wife and other witnesses to this protest of Notre Dame’s decision to award President Obama an honorary degree. I personally discounted these worries, believing that the Notre Dame administration would admire him for his principled stand on a matter so close to the Catholic heart of Notre Dame, even if they disagreed with his particular action," wrote Solomon.
Since the administration welcomed Obama's own "sharp dissent from and attack on central Catholic teaching on life," he continued, "It seemed only reasonable that they would equally welcome dissent from university policy by such a loyal Catholic and member of the Notre Dame family as Bill Kirk — especially when his dissent was made in the name of the Catholic principles at Notre Dame’s heart and in the company of his bishop.
"Perhaps, alas, there was reason for Bill Kirk to be worried about his participation in NDResponse after all."
These days with old age creeping up on me (or galloping) I really appreciate Maxine's aging jokes. But she is also a savvy, politically-minded gal. Here's her take on solving the immigration problem (among others).
Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately: illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, and alligators attacking people in Florida.
Not me. I concentrate on solutions for the problems. It's a win- win situation.
+ Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
+ Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levies.
+ Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border.
If you need a laugh to dispel the gloom over the current state of the world, google Maxine cartoons. If you want to know a little more about Maxine's creator go here.
When we are out and about I often get into conversations with people. This week, while we were camping at Sherando Lake, I spoke briefly to a grandmother who was pushing a little girl in an umbrella stroller. The child looked like she was about two. She was a serious child. I asked her if she had her grandma wrapped around her finger and she nodded solemnly.
I mentioned to the grandmother how much I enjoy our grandchildren. She replied, "I have one and that's enough." How sad, I thought.
My response was, "How can there be too many flowers in the grandma garden?" And then we walked on. But it was a sad conversation to me. I have no idea what's going on in her family. Maybe she is the primary caregiver for this little girl and resents it. I once met a grandfather in the grocery store carrying an infant. When I admired the little girl, he shared that she was born out of wedlock and maybe it would have been better if she had been aborted. "Oh you don't mean that," I replied gently, "Just look at that beautiful child."
These conversations amaze me - first that people will tell intimate details of their lives to perfect strangers. And secondly, that a grandparent will reflect, again to a stranger, such negative attitudes toward their grandchildren.
Pray for all grandparents, especially those who are spending their golden years parenting their grandchildren when they should be spoiling them. May God give them strength, energy, and, above all, joy in the wonder of childhood.
My husband and I have been camping and hiking in the George Washington National Forest for the past few days. The weather is perfect: warm enough during the day to swim in the lake and cool enough at night to enjoy a campfire (before they're controlled by the feds). I love getting away to the quiet of the woods where there is no internet access or cell phone service - away from all the distractions of the world. (Not too far away, though. We came into town this morning so Larry could pick up some items for camper repair and I'm taking the opportunity to post and download email.)
The gift of this trip is silence...or perhaps more accurately, silent beauty. During the day we've watched the still lake reflect back like a mirror the trees along the shore until a stiff breeze shivers the waters and replaces the still life with a glittering shimmer. A Walk in the woods exposes the colorfall autumn pallette with the golden sassafrass and scarlet dogwood the first to shed their summer colors. You don't see them much looking at the side of a mountain. Only when you enter the forest do you find yourself surrounded by color - so brilliant that an orange butterfly flitting among the branches gets lost among the leaves.
And then there is night. Sitting around the fire ring we watch the dancing flames and reflect on the wonder of nature in all its glory. How can anyone not believe when faced with the order, beauty, and wonder of God's world? Our Lady's Lamp, pure white and full, shines so brightly we don't need our flashlights. Saying our rosary and night prayers, we feel close to the Lord who made it all.
Show me a male chauvinist pig and I'll show you a man who says, "She can always get an abortion." Real men don't kill their children!
Support a pregnancy help center today and plan to participate in Life Chain and 40 Days for Life. Abortion is a crime against humanity. Babies and their moms deserve better.
She's revered as a trail-blazing feminist and author Alice Walker touched the lives of a generation of women. A champion of women's rights, she has always argued that motherhood is a form of servitude. But one woman didn't buy in to Alice's beliefs - her daughter, Rebecca, 38.
Here the writer describes what it was like to grow up as the daughter of a cultural icon, and why she feels so blessed to be the sort of woman 64-year-old Alice despises - a mother.
The other day I was vacuuming when my son came bounding into the room. 'Mummy, Mummy, let me help,' he cried. His little hands were grabbing me around the knees and his huge brown eyes were looking up at me. I was overwhelmed by a huge surge of happiness.
I love the way his head nestles in the crook of my neck. I love the way his face falls into a mask of eager concentration when I help him learn the alphabet. But most of all, I simply love hearing his little voice calling: 'Mummy, Mummy.'
You see, my mum taught me that children enslave women. I grew up believing that children are millstones around your neck, and the idea that motherhood can make you blissfully happy is a complete fairytale Read more here...
We live in a culture where fatherlessness is devastating many families. Kids who grow up without dads are more likely to commit crimes, join gangs, drop out of school, abuse drugs, live in poverty, have mental and physical problems, and engage in premarital sex. (See here.) Championship fathers love, coach, and model for their children. And one of the most important thing about dads? Children are more likely to practice their faith as adults if Dad did. Pray and thank God today for fathers who rear their children in love and faithfulness.
It's easy in our crazy world, especially when the Church is in such disarray to be discouraged. Sometimes I want to crawl under the bed and suck my thumb. St. Ignatius tells us how to discern spirits. When you are in mortal sin, the evil spirit encourages and coddles you saying that all is well. When you are in the state of grace he tempts by urging you to be discouraged and depressed and think that nothing ultimately matters so why bang your head against a wall. Give up.
A priest friend recently sent me the following little message and it's worth sharing.
Remember that discouragement and despondency are "gifts" offered by the Father of Lies. So follow your mothers' warning, "Don't take gifts from strangers" - especially ones with spiked tails and bad breath.
So if you are trying to do God's will and feel discouraged you're holding and looking at the devil's "gift." Throw it away quick!
Pope Benedict has surprised the naysayers by attracting large crowds to his Masses and other events during his visit to Great Britain. At Westminster Cathedral I loved watching the altar servers bring forth the kneeler for Communion so the pope could feed the bread of life (on the tongue) to those kneeling. What a contrast to those receiving from other clerics in the hand and standing. Which posture shows more clearly our dependent relationship to our God and King who feeds us like a child and a lover?
The teachings of the Catholic Church stand in stark contrast against the moral collapse of Anglicanism as The Guardian article below shows. Even more so did the pope's address at Westminster Hall as he said, "I recall the figure of Saint Thomas More, the great English scholar and statesman, who is admired by believers and non-believers alike for the integrity with which he followed his conscience, even at the cost of displeasing the sovereign whose 'good servant' he was, because he chose to serve God first. The dilemma which faced More in those difficult times, the perennial question of the relationship between what is owed to Caesar and what is owed to God, allows me the opportunity to reflect with you briefly on the proper place of religious belief within the political process." Read the complete address and celebrate the wisdom of Holy Mother Church.
Pope's visit: Moral absolutes and crumbling empires by Andrew Brown for The Guardian
This was the end of the British Empire. In all the four centuries from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II, England has been defined as a Protestant nation. The Catholics were the Other; sometimes violent terrorists and rebels, sometimes merely dirty immigrants. The sense that this was a nation specially blessed by God arose from a deeply anti-Catholic reading of the Bible. Yet it was central to English self-understanding when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1952, and swore to uphold the Protestant religion by law established.
For all of those 400 or so years it would have been unthinkable that a pope should stand in Westminster Hall and praise Sir Thomas More, who died to defend the pope's sovereignty against the king's. Rebellion against the pope was the foundational act of English power. And now the power is gone, and perhaps the rebellion has gone, too. Perhaps, though, it has not. First there was Rowan Williams, making the point that when the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of England mingled in Lambeth Palace, all alike were bishops. This the pope, of course, denies. Then there is our stubborn attachment to the notion that all you really need is decency, rather than theology. This, too, the pope denies, and the section of his speech dealing with that was the most interesting part. "If moral principles underpinning the democratic process are themselves determined by nothing more solid than social consensus, then the fragility of the process becomes all too evident – herein lies the real challenge for democracy." Read more....
I hooted when I watched the exchange in the video below, because it reminds me of many I've had over the years. When I was teaching Natural Family Planning I often had people ask me about it. Then a few minutes into the conversation they would start attacking the Church's teaching. I'd scratch my head and ask, "Uh, who brought up this conversation? I'm not trying to force you to use NFP; I was just answering your questions." Then I'd drop it.
The reality is that a guilty conscience needs no accuser and oftentimes people are convicted by your existence if you are trying to lead an authentic, integrated Christian life. I think the best thing to do in these situations is keep your sense of humor.
When I was pregnant with my fifth, several people (at Church no less) said things like, "I thought you taught that birth control thing." At first I was offended but I knew I couldn't get through the entire pregnancy angry so I started laughing and replying, "Yes, and if you use the fertile time, you get a baby." Another woman at Church asked me, "What does your husband think?" That really made me laugh, and I ansered, "He was there!" An anti-life culture provides lots of opportunities to witness to the truth just by being who you are. A smile on your faith, love of neighbor in your heart, and a silent prayer in your mind cover a lot of awkward situations.
After Mass this morning Larry and I were talking to a friend who mentioned the arrest of the five Arab Muslims plotting to assassinate the pope. "Oh, were they Arabs?" my husband asked. "They didn't mention that on ABC, just said, 'five men.'"
"I was watching Fox," my friend replied.
Was there a time when journalists were more concerned about reporting the news than being megaphones for political correctness?
As for the plot to kill the pope, let's pray in thanksgiving for his deliverance and his continued safety as he travels. And here are a few good links that tell the story. The American Catholic gives an extensive history of terrorist activity against Church targets.
You gotta give it to President Obama. He knows how to advertise himself and millions of "stimulus" dollars have gone for exactly that - advertising the Democrats American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Signs are popping up all over the country advertising stimulus projects, at least $9 million worth, although, since reporting is sketchy, it is proably much more.
According to ABC News reporting in July, a single 10 X 11 foot sign at Dulles Airport cost a cool $10,000. And similar signs are all over the country! Illinois spent more than a million on signs. The Dept. of Transportation spent over $8 million -- all at the direction of the White House Budget Office. Call it taxpayer-funded Democratic campaigning. HUD actually suggested signs that read, "Funded by: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Barack Obama, President."
When my husband and I drove the Skyline Drive recently we saw huge ARRA signs at many closed overlooks where no work was going on. Hey...they could have had a portable sign and moved it around as they repaired the overlooks if they insisted on the signs. But no, post signs, close overlooks, and go up to Skyland for coffee. Taxpayers are just lambs to be fleeced by this administration for the benefit of the ruling elite. Well, at least the sign makers are working.
One wag photoshopped the sign to express his feelings toward the massive borrowing these "stimulus" programs require. Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch. But there's something particularly pernicious about eating your feast and making your yet unborn grandkids pay for it.
Former KBG agent, Yuri Bezmenov was interviewed in 1985 about the Communist strategy of destroying a country from within. It involves four stages and, twenty years ago, he saw the process already well advanced in the U.S.
You see it today in the growing movement toward crisis precipitated by massive spending and the advancement of immorality. It is throwing our country into moral and economic chaos. Review the stages below and then watch the video. Can it be stopped? Absolutely, but only through a miracle of grace. Americans must wake up! Resolve to pray and fight with a rosary in one hand and the sword of truth in the other.
1) Demoralization: The process takes place over a generation as the young are brainwashed to the degree they can no longer make rational connections. I see that in discussions on Facebook with the young hving a knee-jerk reaction toward conservative principles and a mindless acceptance of homosexuality as "normal." Exposure to the truth doesn't matter as they spout the politically correct platitudes of the liberal culture. It illustrates Bezmenov's point that the individual will not believe the truth even when he is given proof. Destabalization is far advanced int he U.S. It is necessary to retrain a new generation to counter it. How many young people do you know who are totally brainwashed about "choice", homosexuality, the welfare state, global warming hysteria, etc.? No matter what you say to them or the scientific evidence they spout their personal "truth" saying, "That may be true for you, but not for me." Home schooling is the great countermeasure against cultural brainwashing in the public schools.
2) Destablization: Over the course of about five years essentials are attacked: the economy, foreign affairs, defense, etc. Marxist/Leninist ideas are promoted with government intruding into more and more areas. This is very advanced in the U.S. and the Obama administration has put destabalization on the front burner doubling the debt in his first year and removing all obstacles to immorality.
3) Crisis: Bring a country to crisis where the free market is destroyed, government takes over more and more elements of the society, etc. Leaders promise loads of cures to placate the populace as they put more controls in place. Haven't we seen this in spades since Obama was elected? Crisis in housing; government takeover. Economic crisis in auto and banking; government takeovers. Continuous hysteria over all kinds of things: global warming, the flu, etc. The leftists, including the intellectuals, participate in the destabalization, but are no longer needed once the process is in place. They think they will come to power and often become bitter enemies of the Marxist/Leninist society they help put in place when they are marginalized. They are often imprisoned or executed.
4) Normalization: Cynical expression for the takeover under tyranny. It's shown literally by the history of Soviet tanks moving into countries and dictators taking over. Sometime the country becomes a "benign dictatorship." Can it happen here? Study history!
This is a small excerpt from a long interview which you can watch in a fascinating nine part series on YouTube.
As one wag at Free Republic said, "If you tweet it they will come." Apparently the enthusiasm for Christine O'Donnell following her decisive victory over Mike Castle in Delaware is such that the National Republican Senatorial Committe is reconsidering their support. Texas Senator John Cornyn now says they will give O'Donnell $42,000, the max in direct support they can give candidates. But in Florida and Colorado, NRSC has pledged $2.5 million.
Christine O'Donnell's primary win in Delaware has thrown establishment Republicans for a loop. Falling all over themselves attacking her, they promise not to support her candidacy despite her stunning win. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign, a group that recently solicited me for cash, won't put any money in O'Donnell's battle. She hasn't got a chance, Republican pundits say, and are busy making sure their prediction of defeat is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Karl Rove, who solicited tea party support last year for establishment nominees, is having a tantrum over O'Donnell's win and engaging in personal attacks. Why? Because the party machine would rather help Democrats win (like Dede Scozzafava did in New York) than work for candidates who actually support the conservative principles outlined in the Republican Party Platform.
Jim De Mint, who did endorse O'Donnell, called the attacks "Republican cannibalism." Others have picked up on a comment made that her win represents "Delaware crossing the Washington." The O'Donnell win is a shot across the bow of the Republican establishment's yacht. Two thumbs up for freedom lovers in that tiny state who trounced Castle 53% to 47%. It certainly was no cliffhanger like the tea party win in Alaska when Murkowski, another liberal in Republican clothing, fell to Joe Miller, a little known lawyer from Fairbanks.
Let's take a look at Mike Castle, the career Republican defeated by O'Donnell, who is so beloved by the Republican establishment. He's pro-abortion, pro-gun control, boasts of increasing school-based health clinics (notorious for promoting contraception and abortion), favors embryonic stem cell research, opposed restricting the transportation of minors across state lines for an abortion, voted against banning abortion in foreign aid funding, supports gay rights. Need I go on? What exactly is "moderate" about this man? It would clearly be better to have an open Democrat in the seat than this RINO who would be working to expand his "moderate" positions for bi-partisan agreement with his anti-life comrades across the aisle.
Now let's take a look at Christine O'Donnell, the candidate the Republican establishment is calling a "nut." She's pro-life across the board and pro-family, an unapologetic Christian. She opposes gun control and favors control of our borders. She opposes pornography and has called masturbation "a sin." O'Donnell is a pro-abstinence Catholic and a fiscal conservative.
As a voter, who do you resemble more - Mike Castle or Christine O'Donnell? The fact that this traditional young woman is being attacked as a "nut job," not only by Democrats but by Republicans, shows exactly how out of touch they are with the American people. Christine O'Donnell looks like me and many of the voters I know. She is a common sense, principled conservative who believes morality matters. That's why she's such a threat to the hill where morality equals pragmatism, where the most important issue is reelection.
The Republican establisment says nominating conservatives is useless if they can't win in November. They quit before they begin. And they are patently wrong! The only way to change the Republican party is to refuse to nominate their "moderates" who often favor positions that would have horrified voters in the 1950s. Is a pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage Republican any good to us? No. It just gives us one more vote for Planned Parenthood and homosexual rights. Principles are important and fundamental principles cannot be compromised. And if it takes some election losses to get that message to the Republican pharisees, so be it. If they want to win, they will learn to back conservatives.
Pray for Christine O'Donnell and help her make up financially for the lack of support from the Republican Party. Never give to the party hacks who use your cash to support morally bankrupt candidates like Mike Castle. Give to candidates and to groups you can trust to support only pro-life, pro-family candidates. You can donate to Christine O'Donnell here.
The article excerpt below appeared in 2001 in Catholic Family News as part of a longer piece. Randy Engel sent it to me after I posted about Fr. Sparks speaking in the Diocese of Orange, CA. If you're interested in seeing the complete article leave a comment. If Bishop Tod Brown were really serious about "protecting children" he would follow his own policies. The diocese publishes a flyer called Respecting the Boundaries. Here's a bit of the content:
Either sexual exploitation or sexual abuse can include physical contact from the church leader or representative such as:
􀂃 Sexual touch or other intrusive touching (i.e. tickling, wrestling, or other physical contact) that causes uneasiness or discomfort
􀂃 Inappropriate gift (such as lingerie).
􀂃 A prolonged hug when a brief hug is customary behavior.
􀂃 Kissing on the lips when a kiss on the cheek would be appropriate.
􀂃 Showing sexually suggestive objects or pornography.
􀂃 Sexual intercourse, anal or oral sex.
Sexual exploitation or sexual abuse can also include verbal behavior such as:
􀂃 Innuendo;
􀂃 Sexual comments;
􀂃 Tales of sexual exploits or
􀂃 Making sexual proposals.
There's no doubt that Fr. Sparks explicit sex talk about women's breasts and the size of his organ and his blasphemous remarks about Jesus and the saints violates boundaries. If Bishop Tod Brown really means to create a safe environment for children and adults in his diocese he needs to ban Fr. Sparks permanently!
Homo-Church Invades the Catholic Kindergarten
By Randy Engel
[Editor’s note: Certain sections of Harcourt Religious Publishers’ Growing In Love are too explicit to be printed in a Catholic family newspaper. However, any adult reader of CFN wishing to verify these texts may contact the author using addresses provided at the conclusion of this article.]
Introduction
Leave it to the Church’s Lavender Lobby! Just when the moral stench of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair has begun to disperse and the air made breathable again, and the crimes of the clerical homo-peds have moved from nightly network news to the more discrete shadowland of out-of-court settlements in chancery offices, along comes the Homosexual Network within the Catholic Church to up the scandal ante with a third generation of sexual catechetics specifically designed to bring the Homosexual Agenda into the Catholic home and grade school.
With the American hierarchy firmly in tow, and after having successfully colonized virtually every seminary, diocese and religious order in the United States, Homo-Church is moving into parish life with a vengeance. And with the parish comes the parochial school with its endless supply of potential new recruits and fresh meat. Forget the old motto of the Rene Guyon (pedophile) Society “sex by eight, or it’s too late.” Now its “start at five, why deprive.”
Harcourt Anti-Life Publisher
Growing in Love (GIL), hereafter referred to by this writer as, Growing in Filth (GIF), is the successor to the infamous New Creation sexual catechesis published by William Brown and Co., now called Harcourt Religion Publishers (HRP), who made the rounds of Catholic schools in the 1980s.
A kook Florida pastor's plan to burn qu'rans has stirred up a number of breast beaters among the Catholic bishops. They are quick to jump on the bandwagon to condemn the violence against the Muslims' holy book. You know who they are: usually the same bishops who can't bring themselves to discipline politicians who advocate burning and dismembering innocent babies in the womb.
One, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, recently participated in an ecumenical press conference to address "bigotry against Muslims" resulting from plans to build the mosque at Ground Zero in New York City. When asked whether Muslims have the right to convert to Christianity he responded with a bob and weave and never directly answered the question, unlike a Christian pastor who answered clearly and unequivocally:
CNSNews.com asked McCarrick, “Americans believe there is a God-given right to the free exercise of religion, which is enshrined in the First Amendment. Does a Muslim born and raised in Mecca have a God-given right to convert to the Roman Catholic faith, in your mind, and freely exercise his religion there?”
“As an American, I believe that we all have a right to practice what God tells us is his message to us, and if, therefore, if someone is--if someone sees the Gospel as the truth of God’s presence in our world, that person should embrace the Gospel,” McCarrick responded.
“If a person sees the Quran as proof of God’s presence in the world, then I cannot say, ‘Don’t embrace the Quran.’ So that I think we are, we should always be willing to talk to people and we should always be willing to love them and we should always be willing to allow them that freedom of conscience which comes from God.”
The press conference where Cardinal McCarrick delivered this wishy-washy answer was sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). There apparently was no discussion of anti-Christian violence by Muslims such as the recent murder of a man in Egypt because of a rumor that the Coptic Christian had a relationship with the Muslim murderer's sister. The killer doused the man with gasoline and set him on fire. When his father arrived at a rally later the Muslim crowd stabbed him to death. Have you heard about this? Not likely, but you've heard about plans to burn the qu'ran ad nauseum. One can only conclude that, to the media, burning a book is more serious than burning a man to death.
According to The Christian Post, "In Egypt recently, sectarian violence has been on the rise as Christian-Muslim relations have been strained by conversions to Christianity and government opposition to recognizing the conversions." Muslims are perfectly happy to accept converts from Christianity but woe betide the Muslim who accepts Christ!
Cardinal McCarrick needs to answer the question. Do Muslims have the right to convert to Christianity? And there are a few related questions as well. Do Christians have the right to wear the crucifix and cross and publicly practice their faith in Muslim countries? (In Saudi Arabia, for example, non-Islamic religions may only be practiced in private.) Do our soldiers have the right to freedom of religion when they serve in Islamic-ruled nations? As for the ISNA and McCarrick's participation with the group, it has radical roots and connections to the militant Muslim Brotherhood. Federal prosecutors named the group an unindicted conspirator in the 2008 Hamas terrorist financing trial. ISNA conferences also often feature radical speakers.
It's amazing to see how much hoopla has been generated by one crank pastor threatening to burn the qu'ran, and almost no media condemnation of Muslims burning people to death or issuing fatwas (legal rulings) calling for violence, such as those against Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses and Danish illustrator Kurt Westergaard for a dozen cartoons depicting Mohammed as well as others against journalists calling for women's emancipation.
One of the most offensive acts in this drama over the qu'ran burning occurred at the Catholic Cathedral in Sacramento where an ecumenical group came together to put "roses of love" on the qu'ran, a book that advocates killing infidels, i.e., Christians and others who don't embrace Islam. The service included releasing 18 "peace doves" and singing Let there be peace on earth. That a Catholic pastor (Fr. Anthony Garibaldi) would bless the qu'ran is a disgrace. One doesn't have to agree with the Florida pastor's actions to oppose blessing a book that portrays God as a maniacal tyrant who authorizes his "prophet" to convert by the sword, cheat and lie to non-Muslims, and kill those who blaspheme, commit adultery, or write unflattering books.
Cardinal McCarrick and others of his ilk have illustrated time and again how little they honor or accept the doctrines of the Catholic Church. His actions are no less offensive to believing Catholics than those of the book-burning pastor in Florida.
Do the scandals never end? Where are the shepherds?
Today at Mass we had the reading of the prodigal son. The father is the image of God who watches and waits for the repentance and return of his beloved son. Our shepherds are supposed to be like that father urging those in sin to repentance. But no, many of our shepherds are urging the prodigal son to revel in his sinful lifestyle.
Here's an upcoming example. St. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish in Huntington Beach (Diocese of Orange under Bishop Tod Brown) is hosting the infamous Fr. Richard Sparks on September 17 (They're advertising him on their website). For those unfamiliar with this disgraceful excuse for a priest, you can read some of his blasphemiesby visiting the websites linked at the end. These outrages include suggesting that Mary and Joseph may have "fondled" each other and Jesus may have necked with Mary Magdalene. He also tells audiences he likes women's breasts and he's got a bigger thing than Mel Gibson. He says, "I'm not anti-choice," which in my interpretation of the English language means he's pro-choice! He calls the Catholic Church a "denomination" and idolizes dissenters Fr. Charlie Curran and Fr. Richard McBrien.
Even worse than his blasphemous talks to adults is his sex ed series, Growing in Love, which is aimed at children. It includes teaching third graders about mutual masturbation, fourth graders about oral sex, and seventh graders about sado-masochism, sex toys, anal sex, and bestiality. Fr. Sparks' fixation on sex and his desire to teach children about its most depraved practices is chillingly reminiscent of the actions of priests engaged in child abuse. If a dirty old man in a raincoat gave children the information in Fr. Sparks' books, they could be arrested for abuse.
Fr. Sparks' talk at St. Simon and Jude is titled "Being Catholic, Christian, and Moral Today." In view of his history, those who listen to his views are likely to learn little about Catholic morality but be fed plenty of poison.
Please take action by protesting this upcoming talk:
Bishop Tod Brown 714-282-3000
Pastor – Fr. Michael Harvey 714-962-3333 mharvey@ssj.org
Nancy Cunningham – Director of Parish Faith Formation 714- 963-0014, x223
Last Friday two articles in the Washington Post addressed higher education in a way that made me shake my head and laugh. The lead article in the Style section asked, "Is College Overrated?" It went on to describe the escalating cost of higher education and the many successful individuals who either never attended college or dropped out. They include "Microsoft's Bill Gates, Apple's Steve Jobs, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, computer magnate Michael Dell and DreamWorks' David Geffen." One could also add Domino's Pizza King Tom Monaghan to the list as well as Thomas Edison, Woody Allen, Jane Austen, and plenty of others who have achieved fame, if not fortune.
Today, kids are graduating from college in serious debt, often the equivalent of a home mortgage. Try paying off $100,000 in college loans on a teacher's salary and still have the financial independence to marry, buy a house, and start to raise a famly. And the reality is that many college graduates are working at low paying jobs, the result of graduating during a recession when employment opportunities are scarce and competition is high.
So is college financially smart these days? I think it depends.... What do you hope to do? Obviously a brain surgeon needs specialized training. So do engineers and others in technical fields. But is a liberal arts education worth the cost? Again, that depends... what are you getting for your money?
Which brings me to the second Post article featured on the front page of the Metro Section. This described a course at the University of Baltimore on zombies! Yes, I said zombies. English 333 "[looks] at how the character of the zombie changes and evolves over the years and how it reflects our culture," according to Professor Arnold Blumberg who teaches the course. In a laughable ending, the Post quotes Steven Schlozman, professor at Harvard Medical School, who writes about the neurophysiology of zombies and thinks a college course is appropriate:
There's this kind of raging debate about what are the more appropriate zombies to discuss, the slow-moving zombies, as in "Night of the Living Dead," or the fast-moving zombies, as in "28 Days Later" or "I Am Legend." How do you define consciousness? How do you define human? There's whole philosophy classes on it.
This isn't the only ludicrous class. A student I knew at George Mason signed up for a course in the Communications Department that studied the communication medium of grafitti. I read the beginning of the "textbook" which contained an interview with a grafitti"artist" (laced with numerous profanities) who spray-painted water towers in the dark of night. I asked the student why he signed up for such a stupid course. Because it was one that fitted into both his and his girlfriend's schedule. Duh!
I found it amusing that these two article made it to the same issue of the Post. The first casts into serious question whether attending college for many students is worth the money. The second illustrates pretty clearly that it isn't. Because the zombie course is typical of what passes for serious study in most English/Communications Departments around the country. It's a trend that caused Phyllis Schlafly, head of Eagle Forum, to write an article in 2007 titled, "Advice to College Students: Don't Major in English." The Department has become home to all things weird and wacky. Besides the college professors I know, who lament the ignorance and lack of seriousness of students sitting in their classrooms, would no doubt say their students already know about zombies from first-hand experience.
My personal advice to parents these days is keep your kids home for the first two years. Let them attend community college (Check their course choices carefully because they aren't likely to get good advice from their "advisors.") and work on the basics. They can get a job, save, and grow in maturity. Then for the last two years they can complete their education at a four-year institution. It makes a lot more sense than parents and/or kids going into major debt.
Millions of children around the country started school this week and some even earlier. But many millions of children did not join their peers. I wish I could say it's because they are schooling at home, but they aren't. These children, about a third of the student body, never saw the light of day because they were murdered before birth.
The children attending school are the survivors of abortion. But many of their classmates just didn't make it. Some of those classmates would have been your children's best friends, teammates, scout buddies. What they would have become as adults we can only guess. It's mind boggling to consider what has been lost through their untimely end.
We mourn the loss of life from an auto accident or plane crash, but the loss from abortion is so staggering it's almost beyond comprehension.
Keep that in mind as you watch your young ones go off to school and pledge to pray and sacrifice for an end to this terrible atrocity.
Life Chain is October 3rd. Stand up in memory of those lost in your local community. Find one near you at LifeChain.net.
Fr. Z has an excellent post today that everyone in the country who believes Islam is a "religion of peace" needs to read. In fact, the building at ground zero is not a mosque or "cultural center" (There is no such thing as a cultural center in Islam which a religion practiced by many clutures.) It is, in fact, a "rabat." A rabat is a "point of contact" (one can think of the point of a spear). After each raid, Mohammed ordered the building of a rabat in the heart of the territory which included a place to train future raiders for their next attack. Fr. Z quotes from an article by Amir Taheri:
In fact, the proposed structure is known in Islamic history as a rabat—literally a connector. The first rabat appeared at the time of the Prophet.
The Prophet imposed his rule on parts of Arabia through a series of ghazvas, or razzias (the origin of the English word "raid"). The ghazva was designed to terrorize the infidels, convince them that their civilization was doomed and force them to submit to Islamic rule. Those who participated in the ghazva were known as the ghazis, or raiders.
After each ghazva, the Prophet ordered the creation of a rabat—or a point of contact at the heart of the infidel territory raided. The rabat consisted of an area for prayer, a section for the raiders to eat and rest and facilities to train and prepare for future razzias. [The "athletic" component I alluded to earlier.] Later Muslim rulers used the tactic of ghazva to conquer territory in the Persian and Byzantine empires. After each raid, they built a rabat to prepare for the next razzia.
Fr. Z. ends his post by quoting again from Amir Taheri. who describes the increasing in-you-face activities of Islam including closing down city streets during rush hour for "prayer."
This thirst for visibility is translated into increasingly provocative forms of hijab, notably the niqab (mask) and the burqa. The same quest mobilized hundreds of Muslims in Paris the other day to close a whole street so that they could have a Ramadan prayer in the middle of the rush hour. [These open demonstrations are escalating.]
One of those taking part in the demonstration told French radio that the aim was to "show we are here." "You used to be in our capitals for centuries," he said. "Now, it is our turn to be in the heart of your cities."
Before deciding whether to support or oppose the "Cordoba" project, New Yorkers should consider what it is that they would be buying.
The video below shows the prayer blockade being conducted in Paris every Friday. For an accompanying article go here. There's also an email making the rounds that ostensibly shows such a demonstration every Friday in Manhattan. It shows pictures that actually come from an annual Islamic parade that includes a prayer event. Can it happen here, however? Absolutely! Islam maintains a low profile until it has the power to make demands. What is happening in Paris and in Great Britain is a warning. So is the reality in Islamic lands. Examine the persecution of Christians in the Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait. We ignore the truth at our own peril.
Th opinion column below was originally printed in the Iosco County MI News Herald on June 9, 2010. It's been circulating on the Internet and is a brilliant comparison of issues. If you go here you can see the column and the comments. I think Tuber has put his finger on the pulse of the country. He illustrates the hypocrisy and double standard that has polluted not only the body politic, but our social discourse. How can you hold civil conversations between those who advocate killing babies and those who want to protect them. How do you reach agreement between those who want to teach teens homosexual sex practices and those who tell them "true love waits." We either restore the moral compass of America or we fade into the same oblivion as pagan Rome, if not the annhilation of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Editor,
Has America become the land of special interest and home of the double standard?
Lets see: if we lie to the Congress, it's a felony and if the Congress lies to us its just politics; if we dislike a black person, we're racist and if a black person dislikes whites, its their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child, but it is wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don't burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of communist and socialist threats by renaming them progressive; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.
You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it is wrong to use an animal.
We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.
And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who's at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.
What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?
Today the Church celebrates the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother! If you have any special needs, this is a good day to put them at the feet of Mary and beg her intercession.
Why not give her a rosary as a birthday present and let her know you have conficence in her maternal protection and intercession. She can't help but be pleased by the compliment.
Mary, you know the two special intentions I'm praying for: a healing for my brother John and the sale of our daughter's house so her family can move back to Virginia. I wrap them up today for you and beg for the gift of a favorable answer in honor of your birthday if they are pleasing to your Son. Jesus, please show the power of your mother's intercession on this, her birthday!
All for Jesus through Mary!
(This beautiful statue of the Holy Family is in the building that houses the dining hall at Mt. St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, MD.)
We're known as the Church Militant, not the Church picnic. And the crusader battling under the sign of Christ carrying both his sword and rosary is a powerful image.
The First Crusade prevented the Islamic Turks from overrunning Europe. Had the Turks succeeded, Christian civilization in the West would have died out. All the women of the West would be veiled and subjugated as second class citizens. It is a fate we may yet come to experience.
I hope we're never eager to fight physically, but always quick to take up spiritual arms against evil. The arms of charity are always preferable to the arms of weaponry. And reflect on this, the only time Jesus took up "arms" was when he used a cord to drive the animals out of the temple and overturned the moneychangers tables. When He Himself was taken by the temple guards He told Peter to put up his sword and He healed Malchus whose ear had been cut off, His last miracle.
We are a little too eager to fight and usually wars line the pockets of politicians and the captains of commerce. How many have really been necessary?
Wow! I love this woman. She took on the liberals after the Glenn Beck Rally in D.C. Listen to her answer the woman who raises the issue of pregnant slaves on the ships coming to America. Huh? What the heck does that have to do with anything?
Notice the caring liberal try to deflect the issue by asking her how many black children she's adopted. I've had that thrown in my face so many times. Even if you'd adopted a dozen it wouldn't matter to them. How many have the "compassionate" liberals adopted? And they call us hypocrites! Their solution to poverty is to kill the children of the poor. That's the one thing the liberals and the country club Republicans have in common. Keep those nasty poor minorities out of their clubs unless they're waiting tables (or are in positions of power). Kill their babies and exploit them with slave wages in dead end jobs. Make sure their education is so bad, they'll vote out of ignorance. That's liberalism!
This articulate school counsellor has LBJ and Obama pegged. Control the people by destroying the family. How to destroy the family? Put in place welfare policies that drive dads out of the home. Penalize families in the tax code. Force families to put their children in failing public schools that enslave kids in ignorance.
We've got to eliminate federal control over almost everything. The Church teaches subsidiarity. Keep control at the lowest level possible beginning with the family. If the family can take care of it, let the government butt out! If the family needs help, let the lowest level of the community do the assisting - first churches and independent groups like free clinics established by the community. Government should always be the helper of last resort? Why? Because of the strings attached. If government runs it, government controls it. The woman in this video recognizes the truth. God bless her and may she convert many who recognize her common sense, starting with the little boy in the background. Liberals are poison and, as this video shows, they can't even argue rationally.
This is too funny. I love this wonderful lady and hope I can be as sharp when I'm her age which is creeping up on me in another decade. But don't expect me to tell you how much I weigh!
The phrase "homosexual Catholic parish" should be an oxymoron. Unfortunately, it's not. In fact, as New Ways Ministry's website shows, there are hundreds across the United States including two in my home diocese of Arlington, VA, Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) in Arlington and St. Francis in Triangle. OLQP is well known for its dissent as well as its promotion of the gay lifestyle. A former pastor, Fr. James Healy, died of AIDS a few weeks after "coming out" although his public profession was anti-climactic since everybody knew it already.
Some of the churches listed on the New Ways' list are well known for their scandals: St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, Holy Redeemer in the Castro section of San Francisco, the Paulist Center in Boston, and St. Francis Xavier in New York City. That these parishes are allowed to continue to scandalize the faithful is shocking! That their pastors openly work to advance the kingdom of Satan (who loves sodomy and lust) is scandalous. These parishes aren't encouraging chastity for those afflicted with same-sex attraction. Rather they encourage them to wallow in lust because gay "love" is good.
One of the most egregious of these men is Fr. Steve Meriwether, the pastor of Most Holy Redeemer. The scandals coming out of that parish are legion. For the latest about the former vice president of the pastoral council who is the "master" in a master/slave homosexual relationship go here.
If you really believe the sex scandals in the Catholic church are over, you aren't paying attention. Whether children are being physically violated, they are definitely being spiritually scandalized and emotionally damaged by the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle as "normal" and "good." It's high time these flagrant pastors are disciplined. If they can't get with the program (i.e., the teachings of Holy Mother Church) let them get out. Pray for priests, especially the bad ones. They will have a heavy accounting on Judgment Day if they do not repent.
Comment on New Ways Ministry:
If you're unfamiliar with New Ways Ministry, it's the faux Catholic, gay group started by Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent that promotes the gay lifestyle as a positive good. Their website affirms their involvement in the notorious document Always Our Children released in 1997 that was so bad the Vatican ordered alterations. It was issued in the bishops' names without a single bishop approving it and is filled with so much misleading material that, even after correction, it is a dangerous document. Bishop Bruskewitz issued an excellent commentary warning against it. In 1999 Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent were ordered by the Vatican to sever their ties to New Ways Ministry. The disciplinary document reads:
The ambiguities and errors of the approach of Father Nugent and Sister Gramick have caused confusion among the Catholic people and have harmed the community of the Church. For these reasons, Sister Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Father Robert Nugent, SDS, are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons and are ineligible, for an undetermined period, for any office in their respective religious institutes.
New Ways ministry continues to do its evil work as do homosexual parishes that promote the gay lifestyle.
.....We must not oppress each other and we must help those being oppressed....Faith hope and love are not dead in America. We still trust in God." Dr. Alveda King
The niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Alveda King, is being attacked for daring to walk off the liberal plantation and work with conservatives to restore honor to this country. Pray for this courageous woman of God. Below is her speech at the rally held at the Lincoln Memorial on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
It's official. pro-abort Lisa Murkowski lost the Republican primary to Joe Miller. Woo-hoo! One more RINO bites the dust. And it ends a thirty year dynasty of the Murkowski family. Lisa was chosen by Daddy to fill his seat after he was elected governor. Talk about chutzpah! He's the one who was unseated by upstart Sarah Palin who went after the good-ole-boys network. Murkowski is no conservative and has voted with liberals on most issues. For a comparison chart between her and Joe Miller go here. It's pretty clear that her defeat is one more victory for the tea party message of reform in government.
A big two thumbs up for Joe Miller. Here's what he has on his website about life issues: "I am unequivocally pro-life and life must be protected from the moment of conception to the time of natural death. The family is the foundation of a free society." Amen!
Visit the website and if you like what you see why not send this man a donation. Putting real conservatives in the senate can make a big difference -- especially when you consider the Kagan debacle. Let's make sure that those who "advise and consent" will oppose liberal judicial activists who will legislate from the bench! Joe Miller looks to be one of those.
When we visited Texas a few weeks ago it was over 100 degrees almost every day. I never appreciated air conditioning so much in my life! It's hot in Woodstock this week too. Yesterday it got up to 98 and the next few days offer more of the same. Hot weather invariably gets me thinking about another very hot place -- much hotter temps than even Texas can boast. If you haven't guessed, I'm talking about hell. St. Robert Bellarmine, who wrote a treatise on the subject, thought priests should preach about hell at least once a month. When was the last time you heard the warning trumpet blaring from the pulpit? You can't remember ever hearing about it? Me neither.
I received a letter from an old friend today saying she had passed around the article on hell I did in the Spring issue of the Les Femmes newsletter. She wrote about the reaction from her family and friends:
I sent copies to my nephew, a priest in the Dominican Republic, my three children so my ten grandchildren would read it. (I sent a checkoff list so they could sign off.), a graduate student at G.W. University from China, a liberal lawyer (was Jewish now Buddhist - she was most impressed!).
The five grandchildren at my oldest daughter's and all the boys' friends wanted to read it also. These were boys who had just graduated from high school and were off to college. One is in graduate school. They were so impressed. Ten young men signed off on your article!... What a powerful message - "snowflakes into hell."
I'm not the one who impressed these folks, but the message of truth which comes from the Lord. Hell is real. We all know it instinctively no matter how much we try to delude ourselves with drugs, sex, false message of universal salvation, happy talk, etc. The human heart was made for God and he draws it like a magnet. When we defy the natural law embedded in our souls, deep down we realize there are consequences. Somebone needs to prick their consciences and offer prayers and sacrifices for their salvation. Will you be that someone today?
President Obama is invoking the name of Jesus these days. At an Albuquerque town hall on Tuesday he claimed that the teachings of Jesus inspired him in his life of public service. Moving on.... he defended killing Christ's babies. Obama's words about following Christ, "the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead - being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me," are a clanging cymbal set against his actions. 
