Virginia's Rising Star, Ken Cuccinelli, Addresses RightOnline

Attorney General of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli, demonstrates the move toward states' rights and gives me a lot of hope. Go, Ken!

A few salient points made during his talk:

"Americans, Virginians, are waking up to what's happening to their country."

"Federalism is reemerging."

The Virginia case against forcing people to engage in commerce by buying health care is "about liberty not health care."

"The only science [of global warming] is political science."

"It is a huge economic advantage [to be a right to work state]."

"Freedom is breaking out everywhere."

On the lawsuit against EPA. "We are pushing back on the Federal Government on other fronts....When I send [the EPA] a letter saying 'If you do this, I'm going to sue you,' they believe me."

"[Federal Government agencies] have violated their own federral laws numerous times....the NRLB, the Office of Surface Mining, the EPA, the EPA, the EPA over and over."

"They've showed utter disdain for the one institution...that is supposed to be the neutral referee of all these contests, [the courts]....For the President of the U.S. and his administration to so completely and across the board attack the rule of law itself is unprecedented in our lifetimes....It's hard to overstate the historical importance of that."

"When the Founders set up the federal government, it wasn't the states they were worried about. And, boy, were they right!"

"The long-term battle is changing hearts and minds."

Pray for Ken and his wife Tiero. They have seven beautiful children so is it any wonder he gets choked up at the end of this powerful presentation when he quotes Ronald Reagan about the legacy we will leave our children.

God bless you, Ken, and may Virginia lead the second revolution to free America from a tyranical government. Sic Semper Tyrannis.

Why Are You Working so Hard?

Sunday's Washington Post featured an article about the big boom for folks with section 8 vouchers, .Housing vouchers a golden ticket to pricey suburbs. The woman featured in the article, who drives a pearl-white Dodge sedan...with huge pink plastic eyelashes over the headlights" has a section 8 voucher worth $1,032 that could go higher depending on the home she chooses and whether utilities are included. She's researched the best areas in the country and has settled on Charlotte, NC. What is she looking for? At least three bedrooms, hardwood floors, and an open kitchen. Her share of the rent? $200. About 2 million people are on Section 8. Work the figures.

This boon for her also benefits landlords. As David Benham told the reporter,  “It’s guaranteed money. It has a great accountability program with the renters. I love Section 8. I wish every one of my properties was Section 8.” Many of the homes on the market, available now for Section 8, are foreclosures snapped up by investors and turned around as rentals. Where are the original owners? Apparently, nobody cares about them.

I look at my immediate and extended families struggling to make ends meet and wonder why they are working so hard. I see family and friends in upside down mortgages whose nest egg was destroyed by the government forcing banks to make affirmative action loans to people who couldn't afford them. The artificial price bubble in housing benefitted a few, but decimated many.

This government no longer serves the people. It is committed to social engineering and forced redistribution of income and it's doing a bangup job accomplishing it. After reading an article this morning in Chronicles about secession, I'm all for it. The only way Leviathan can be tamed is through states' rights. The anti-federalists were right. A strong federal government is tyrannical. Founding Father George Mason refused to sign the Constitution because it lacked an explicit statem

ent of states' and individuals' rights to control the tendency toward an oppressive central power. Which is why we need the tea party. Uncle Sam has become an emperor enslaving the people he is supposed to serve. "We the people" need to do once again what the English Lords did when they forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. There is no divine right of presidents, despite Obama's messianic impulses. And there's no free lunch. Somebody has to pay for those millions of Secion 8 vouchers and somebody is paying --- You!

God Save Us From Our Bishops!

I visited Ireland in the early 90s and the collapse of the faith was evident even then. This episode of The Vortex helps explain why. As for the bishops of New York -- well, as Dante said in The Inferno, the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who are silent in times of moral crisis. The bishops of New York better get asbestos suits!

It isn't just the Church that opposes birth control pills!

The "Cancer-Causing Convenience" All Women Should Avoid

Here are some of the risks a woman faces from use of oral contraceptives according to this article:

Cancer: Women who take birth control pills increase their risk of cervical and breast cancers, and possibly liver cancer as well.

Thinner bones: Women who take birth control pills have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women who have never used oral contraceptives.

Heart disease: Long-term use of birth control pills may increase plaque artery buildups in your body that may raise your risk of heart disease.


Fatal blood clots: All birth control pills increase your risk of blood clots and subsequent stroke. And if your prescription contains the synthetic hormone desogestrel, your risk of fatal blood clots nearly doubles!

Impaired muscle gains: A recent study found that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains from resistance exercise training in women.

Long-term sexual dysfunction: The Pill may interfere with a protein that keeps testosterone unavailable, leading to long-term sexual dysfunction including decreased desire and arousal.

Migraines Weight gain and mood changes Yeast overgrowth and infection

Since there is no conflict between God's moral teachings and science, this information is not surprising to Catholics. You can't fool Mother Nature because her laws were made by the Creator.

Obviously I don't agree with the recommendation for all the other gadgets offered as "safer" alternatives that directly attack the good of pro-creation, but it was encouraging to see Natural Family Planning presented positively. It is the only method that enhances a couple's relationship while they remain open to life. It is morally legitimate to use when there is a serious reason to delay pregnancy or avoid it altogether. Couples who practice NFP rarely divorce, which is certainly not true of other birth control methods.  

Follow Catholic teaching for a healthier, happier life!

Obama the Whining Comedian...

President Obama is blaming Congress for the debt. He blames both parties, but really, none of it is his fault. He must think we are all brain dead. But when I read some of his comments I couldn't help laughing. Here's a sample (My comments in red):

“This isn’t a situation where Congress is going to say ‘okay we won’t buy this car or we won’t take this vacation.’ They took the vacation, they bought the car and now they’re saying ‘maybe we don’t have to pay or we don’t have to pay as fast as we said we were going to pay.’ That’s not how responsible families act. And we’re the greatest nation on earth and we can’t act that way." [Hmm...isn't this the president who hops in Airforce One to go to New York for a night out or to London with the family, whose wife takes the girls for an outing to Spain or on an African safari. I'd like to see the tab for the Obama's vacations since the great one took office.]

“Democrats have had to accept some painful spending cuts that hurt some of our constituents and that we may not like. We’ve shown a willingness to do that for the greater good." [Oh really, like cutting Planned Parenthood and pork barrel projects? Let's get specific here about the "painful cuts" Democrats have supported.] 

“If everybody else is willing to take on their sacred cows and do tough things, then I think it will be hard for the Republicans to stand there and say that the tax breaks for corporate jets is sufficiently important that we’re not willing to come to the table and do that.” [LOL! And what about all the first class travel by "civil servants" and the accommodations at five star luxury hotels, and travel to "trade shows" and "retreats" in resort areas - See here -, not to mention Nancy Pelosi's lavish rides on Air Force planes which even provided chocolate covered strawberries on her birthday.. -See here..Oh...but government employees are worth it.] 

 Obama: Congress to Blame for Debt — It's Not My Fault

Cheer up, things could get worse...

And economically they will.

The Deficit Is Worse Than We Think

Most people in our dumbed down culture have no idea of economic realities. Remember when our moms said to us as kids when we were asking for something -- "Money doesn't grow on trees!" Well, a lot of people today would say, "Of course it doesn't; it comes from 'Obama's stash.'" But the piper is coming demanding to be paid and what happens when the treasury is empty? The piper takes the children. In a way, that's exactly what's happening. We've indebted our children and our grandchildren and the debt load is so heavy that they will be wage slaves of an out-of-control government that sees them as nothing but "taxpayers, consumers, and cannon fodder." (Thanks to Clyde Wilson and Chronicles for that insight.)

Society precedes government and the purpose of government is to protect, not control, society. We've created (or allowed) a monster to live among us and terrorize us, literally eating our children through funding Planned Parenthood's murderous agenda. We've got to take back government before it totally destroys us.

Ora et labora.

Vatican launches news site

Check out the Vatican's new website here. Pope Benedict launched it with a tweet. Here are a few of the items currently available:

The most important moment of my life - Sixty years ago, 29 June 1951, Joseph Ratzinger was ordained a priest

The Ambassador of Israel to the Holy See recalls Pius XII helped the Jews of Rome

Nothing is more essential - Eucharist and Priesthood

Editorial: A single love   "Virginal love and conjugal love cannot but spring from one fount and have a single model, which is Christ."

Inspiring Story of Love for Life

"If my babies were going to die, it was going to be in my arms.”

Conjoined Twins and Their Parents Glad They Refused Abortion

More TSA Insanity!

Dying Woman Undergoes Additional TSA Security Screening, Says Family

Remind me again, how many 95-year-old women have hijacked or blown up planes?

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/26/dying-woman-undergoes-additional-tsa-security-screening-says-family/#ixzz1QVmNl0aR

Any Excuse for a Brawl!

The fight shown in the video below took place in front of Howard University during the D.C. Caribbean Fest this past weekend. Add it to the flash mob robberies occurring with increasing frequency around the nation and the description by the head of a citizens association in Peoria about the increasing violence there. (See here.)  Remember the words of John Adams:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Humpty Dumpty Was a Liberal or Who Controls the Dictionary?

A well known scene in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass involves a conversation about words between Alice and Humpty Dumpty. Here's how it goes:

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’ ” Alice said.


Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!’ ”

“But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument’,” Alice objected.

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master---that’s all.”

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. “They’ve a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they’re the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!”

"Would you tell me please," said Alice, "what that means."

I thought of this exchange today after writing about "gay pride" yesterday. Pride, according to a "gay" Humpty Dumpty means public enthusiasm for one's sexual identity and practices which happen to be unnatural and perverse. If, on the other hand, a heterosexual tries to use the word "pride" as in "straight pride," to mean pride in his sexual identity and practices, the "gay" activist protests. According to the "gay" the word, in that context, means hatred, intolerance, and racism. (Just read the article I linked to in the previous post.)

Just wondering....

What do you think would happen if people started wearing "Heterosexual Pride" t-shirts? Just wondering...

Actually, you don't have to wonder. It's already been done. See here. It's interesting that "gays" feel justified in proclaiming pride in their sexual preferences, but if heterosexuals do it, they say it proves we're hateful and discriminatory. These folks need to remember the old saying, "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander." If they can celebrate pride in unnatural and deviant sexual relations, why shouldn't  heterosexuals proclaim pride in natural sexual relations? Hmmm?

.

Common Sense from Dymphna on the Collapse of Marriage

My fellow blogger Dymphna wrote today about the origins of the marriage collapse. It began, not with the homosexuals, but with heterosexual abuse of marriage. The homosexuals are pushing an envelope that's already full of adultery, divorce, promiscuity, lustful thoughts, pornography and other abuses she doesn't mention like contraception. Read Dymphna's post for a healthy dose of common sense.

When a civilization fails

Silencing the Truth: No Free Speech for Backers of Traditional Marriage

Breaking: Sports anchor fired over true marriage tweet taking Rogers to human rights tribunal

Another defender of traditional marriage has been fired for daring to express his opinion. The paragons of tolerance and compassion demand his annhilation for pointing out that the emperor has no clothes. Got to shut him up and others like him! You know -- those folks who dare to say that traditional marriage, which has been society's norm supported throughout the ages, should continue to be...well...society's norm. (Let's pray he wins his lawsuit.)

The common good is upheld by honoring the building block of a culture: the traditional family. The artificial coupling of two men and two women pretending to be husband and wife cannot uphold a society. The youngsters raised in such an environment cannot learn what it is to be a real man or a real woman because their role models don't know. They apparently believe there is no such thing, that "gender" is whatever you say it is -- all 23 of them. So how do children raised in such a confused environment develop a healthy view of maleness and femaleness? They don't! You can't give what you don't got! Sexual confusion is no blessing.

So we can expect a future where more children grow up to be "gay" because they were taught to be. There is no evidence whatsoever that there is a biological cause for same-sex attraction. (Although with all the birth control hormones in the drinking water, it may become so in the future. Male fish are showing female characteristics. Why would the same not happen to humans?)

In the meantime, the intolerance against those who defend morality is growing and becoming more virulent. When people can be robbed of their jobs for daring to defend marriage between a man and a woman, we are in dire straits indeed. The persecution is upon us. And with New York's recent vote in favor of "gay" marriage, we are one step closer to collapse.

Hold your children and grandchildren close and prepare them to suffer. How much longer before those who speak out aren't just fired from their jobs, but are jailed for their "bad thoughts" and "hate speech." The schools have already become reeducation camps with sex ed, gay/straight clubs, and anti-bullying programs used to reorient the attitudes and thoughts of the young. ("You're parents know nothing; listen to us!) Short of a miracle, a new world is coming that's as old as Sodom and Gomorrah. And you know what happened to them. Pray and watch for you know not the day or the hour.

Offer Prayers of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I hope many will respond to Mike Voris' call for acts of reparation for those working to replace the Judeo-Christian ethic with the "gay pride" celebration of sodomy and other perversions. May God have mercy on us.

Have you noticed we live in loonyland?

Thanks to Ray for alerting me to this story about the growing police state. If it weren't so pathetic it would be hilarious -- like one of those old melodramas. You can almost see the Animal Control Officer and the Keystone Cop ramping up against the scourge of Georgia and his family. The moral of the story -- just leave the wife and kids in the car and take the dogs into the store.

How I Learned The Truth About The State

Baby Murder: It's not just for the unborn anymore.

The stories of mothers/parents disposing their newborns in dumpsters, down laundry chutes, stabbing, etc. are becoming so common they have spurred special laws in some states. Mothers can drop off their babies anonymously at hospitals within a week or so of birth if they don't want them. No questions asked no charges.

What are we seeing here? The inevitable result of a sex-crazed culture that preaches lust without consequences. Hey, you get pregnant, kill the kid. Well for some, the distinction between killing before birth and killing after has blurred. And why not? If it is perfectly fine to kill a child before birth why should anyone have qualms about killing a newborn? It's just a question of a few minutes between legal and illegal. The sexual revolution has unhinged many young people from fundamental morality. Their moral code is "I can do whatever I want." And that's what's happening. Read it an weep and understand why it is so important to fight abortion, contraception, and sex ed. They are the unholy trinity of lust. And there is a strong connection between sexual immorality and violence. The stories below are a fraction of those popping up all over the country. We have reached the ultimate disposable society. Relationships are disposable and so are the babies conceived as a result of them.

16-year-old North Carolina teen Rebecca Blackmore stabbed newborn, left body in her closet: cops

Parents Throw Newborn Baby Into Dumpster

18-Year-Old Hides Pregnancy, Then Allegedly Throws Newborn Down Trash Chute in Florida While on Vacation

Police locate mother of baby found alive in Emporia dumpster

Mother Throws Newborn Into Snowbank

Mike Voris on Fr. Corapi and the Attack of the Catholic Bullblogs

Go, Mike, go! We saw the same thing with the tsunami of vitriol against Fr. Tom Euteneuer. Even after Fr. Tom confessed his sin publicly and publicly repented, they heaped it on thicker with innuendo of more to come and hints of inside knowledge. But Fr. Tom is old news now and can't increase their blogcount so they've laid off him to go after a new target. Fr. Corapi's story is definitely of interest to many people. The best we can do is pray for all involved that the Lord will bring about the best outcome.

Praise the Lord in the Market Place!

Imagine the impact on society if this was done in every city and hamlet in the country. We need more Eucharistic processions, public prayer, and, yes, holy flash mobs. Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! (And thanks, Kathy, for pointing me to it.)

Can you guess who the traitorous priest is?

If you want to find out who the traitorous priest and his institution are, watch the CIA episode. I think I know, but I haven't seen it yet so I'll keep mum.  Go here to watch.

Jailed Priest Comments on Fr. Corapi Case

Fr. Gordan MacRae is priest convicted of abuse and incarcerated for years. He insists he is innocent and is a victim of an unjust system. It's hard to believe he isn't innocent in view of the fact that he refused release 14 years ago because it would require him to admit guilt. He would rather face an ongoing jail term than swear to a lie. Fr. MacRae knows what it is to be falsely accused and to suffer because of it. I think his comments on Fr. Corapi's situation are particularly valuable from the perspective of a man living the cross of unjust accusation.

Here's part of what he says:

If [Fr. Corapi] is to defend himself at all, he must be able to do so publicly with statements that clearly and decisively refute what is claimed of him. That is not only his right under both the U.S. Constitution and Canon Law, it is also what Catholics expect of him.
But if Father Corapi is barred from presenting himself publicly as a priest, then he is effectively barred from presenting himself publicly at all. Does anyone really expect that Father Corapi is to offer a defense and address this case in public as “Mr. John Corapi” as though Catholics won’t know who he is? Does anyone really expect him to treat the accusations against him as unconnected to the fact that he is a priest? It is, today, his very priesthood that makes him and all priests vulnerable to false accusations. Being forced to pretend otherwise is to be effectively silenced.

I have heard from several people that they are concerned at the lack of “anything new” on this subject. They point out that [until this week] Father Corapi has remained silent since his initial statement, and there is a growing, uneasy feeling that his silence itself gives credence to the claims against him. I believe it is a mistake to interpret his silence as anything more than acquiescence to the bishops’ policy, but in effect his silence leaves him vulnerable to further false claims. A rolling stone gathers no moss, but administrative leave requires Father Corapi to be more like a sitting duck than a rolling stone.

I commend Father John Corapi for his obedience and fidelity to legitimate authority in the Church, but that authority must also recognize Father Corapi’s “Catch-22.” If he is a priest falsely accused, he also has a moral obligation that may be commanded by a higher law. He has a moral obligation to the truth....

There are only two people who know the truth in the “she said / he said” situation faced by Father John Corapi, and one of them has been effectively silenced. If Father Corapi cannot present himself as a priest, then he cannot defend himself as a priest. If he cannot defend himself within the very context in which the accusation against him arose, then he cannot defend himself at all. That’s what makes this case a “Kafkaesque Catch-22.” It is one person’s word against another’s, and one of them now has no word at all....

By being placed on administrative leave, and barred from presenting himself as a priest, Father Corapi is prevented from participating in his own defense in public. This fact causes too many people to interpret silence as guilt. It is sad, but true, and will only worsen over time.

Fr. MacRae brings a perspective to the table that needs to be heard. Fr. Corapi is in a no-win situation at present. Many of those who believe he's innocent recommend that he go to the cross without defending himself. Others support what he's doing. I've vacillated on both sides of the debate. And those who presume his guilt have attacked him for everything from dying his beard to driving a BMW to living an opulent lifestyle (Gosh -- The second two points sound like most of the bishops!) At any rate, read what Fr. MacRae wrote and pray for our poor battered Church and for the priests who serve her. They are all vulnerable to false accusations from those seeking to silence their voices or get revenge for some real or perceived slight.

Read the rest  of Fr. MacRae's article here.

Feast of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher

St. Thomas More is better known than his fellow Englishman, Bishop John Fisher. The play and film, A Man for All Seasons, have made St. Thomas and his courageous refusal to submit to Henry VIII beloved of many. St. John Fisher, the sole bishop to oppose the king, is another giant of courage. I took the information about him from SperoForum's Saint of the Day. Pray for St. John to intercede for our U.S. bishops many of whom resemble his cowardly confreres on the English bench of bishops. May God prepare us all to be martyrs, even as we pray not to face the trial.

John Fisher of Rochester BM (RM)
Born at Beverley, Yorkshire, England, 1469; died on Tower Hill, London, on June 22, 1535; canonized in 1935; feast day formerly on June 13 (Roman calendar) and July 9 (locally).

Kudos to Catholic University for a Common Sense Policy!

Catholic University is reinstating men and women's dorms. Let's hear it for common sense! They are already being threatened with a lawsuit. Common sense these days is so foreign it must be attacked in court.

I remember the first time we visited our daughter at UVA where she lived in a co-ed dorm with single sex floors (only choice). It was a Saturday morning and as we walked down the hall to her room we passed a guy in his boxers coming out of one of the girl's dorm rooms heading to the girls' bathroom. Did I mention the reek of vomit as we entered the building? No wonder UVA had a rep as a "party school," orgy school would have been more accurate from our observation. Our son, who joined his sister two years later, ended up with a roommate who woke him up one night humping his girl friend across the room. When he called us about it distraught, he begged me not to contact the school. I acquiesced and told him to let his roommate know if it happened again he would turn on the lights, open the door, and tell his roommate he was going to sell tickets.

College administrators used to take seriously their role in loco parentis. They established policies for the protection of their students. Dorms had rules. Opposite sexes were restricted to the public portions of the dorms. Students had to sign in and out from campus so their whereabouts were known. If someone didn't return by curfew, somebody was concerned and looking for them. Now, young people, who may never have been away from home, before are considered instant adults with no supervision because they happen to be in college. And many become casualties of the license (which they call "freedom") they are not ready to handle.

So kudos to Catholic University. I haven't dropped a nickle in the annual diocesan collection for years. Maybe this year, with cautious optimism, I'll write a check.

The Delightful Daylily

I went to the lily farm today to pick out some daylilies for my garden. If you've never planted lilies, you are missing the easiest garden perennial around - much easier than roses. You plant them and pretty much just enjoy them for 5-10 years with very little effort including weeding. Lilies spread and the foliage is dense so weeds get crowded out. My lily beds require much less weeding than other flowers. And when you finally have to separate them, you have wonderful gifts to share with friends or to transplant in other parts of your yard. I love to see the plants in my garden that came via the largesse of other gardeners and I love to share with them as well. I also love the freebies I get when I thin and separate and transplant. My lily beds are growing and I hope to have a wave of coloful lilies filling my side yard. Right now I have eight varieties but plan to keep adding and expanding.

If you live within driving distance of Winchester, VA give yourself a treat and visit Thumper's Daylily Farm. They have hundreds of varieties to choose from and half the fun is the delightful country ride to get there. And the proprieter, Patsy Simpson, is an encyclopedia of information on daylilies. Enjoy!

This is a hoot! The way liberals argue...

I don't agree with everything in this video, but it's absolutely on target about the way liberals argue.

Bishop Gracida's Blog Post on Fr. Corapi

I have great regard for Bishop Rene Gracida, so I think his comments on Fr. Corapi's situation are
worth reading. Let us continue to pray for God to use this terrible situation for good.

A FEW THOUGHTS ON FATHER CORAPI’S ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY

The Double Standard on Affirmative Action

Do you support more diversity on college basketball teams? Over 90% of players are black. Watch these affirmative action supporters change their standard when it comes to athletics. It's okay to ditch diversity on the basketball court because of talent, but there must be affirmative action in academics despite more qualified students being dumped because they are the wrong color. If you are the better student whose worked harder and received better grades, is it fair to not get into the school of your choice because of affirmative action that rewards poorer students because of their color?

Think about it. Affirmative action is discrimination. Wouldn't you love to think the doctor who is operating on you tomorrow, got into medical school over 75% more qualified students just because of his skin color? Wouldn't that give you confidence that you were getting the highest quality care?

Someohow I think quality in academics will matter more to me than whether my college team makes the playoffs. So if we're going to have affirmative action, let's make it across the board. Diversity in sports! No more preference for talent -- race quotas first!

National Catholic Register Reports on Fr. Corapi Exodus from Priesthood

Father Corapi’s Bombshell

One item not mentioned by NCR is the fact that Fr. Corapi registered The Black Sheepdog trademark (Thanks to Matt Abbott for that info.) over a year ago, on April 8, 2010 to be exact. Is it possible Father had another idea for this before the fat hit the fan? Was he at work on his book about a "sheepdog" whose primary ministry is going after the "black sheep?" Or was he already preparing to be the "black sheepdog" and leave the priesthood over a year ago, almost a year before the accusation of sexual impropriety went public on Ash Wednesday of 2011?

The situation is sad and another blow to dear Holy Mother Church.

Please pray for Fr. Corapi. I've never really followed him and have never attended one of his conferences, but I'm sad when any priest flees the cross and instead chooses the way of the world. Will his new ministry as a layman working outside the Church bring more blessings to the people of God or will it be one more alternative magisterium?

And will it be more beneficial to his soul?

I don't know; I'm just asking. But when I look at the saints, I see men and women who chose suffering, even unjust suffering to the point of martyrdom, rather than the road of personal gain and expediency.

It's a hard choice. After all, who likes to suffer? But in the end I would rather follow laymen like St. Thomas More and Margaret Clitherow than "The Black Sheepdog." Lord, give me the grace to do it. You know well what a coward I am.

Respect your body: Don't use Splenda!

Do you use Splenda on a regular basis as part of your diet strategy? Think again! All artificial sweeteners are unhealthy especially if used regularly. There are no long-term safety studies to show the health impact of using these things on a regular basis for years. Take notice. They can cause serious health problems. Ninety percent of 92 independent studies of aspertame found complications and dangers from using it. Over 70 studies funded by the manufacturers showed ZERO problems. Conflict of interest? (If you have migraines and use artificial sweeteners regularly, try eliminating them and see if things improve.)

From Dr. Mercola:

Of course, they [the artificial sweetener manufacturers] claim these are "three smart new ways to sweeten" your food and drink. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it's sheer unmitigated nonsense! Splenda (sucralose), which is an artificial sweetener like aspartame, is likely to push your health in the wrong direction, and there's nothing smart about that…

Consuming artificial sweeteners can cause distortions in your biochemistry, and if you drink diet soda in an attempt to lose weight, they won't help you. Instead, most studies looking at this show very clearly that diet soft drinks actually double your obesity risk by stimulating your appetite, increasing carbohydrate cravings, and stimulating fat storage!

Listen to Dr. Mercola's report here:

Pullitzer Prize Winning Author, David Mamet, Nails Obama and Liberalism

From an article at Newsmax.com:

“My lesson is that the three branches of government, having failed to uphold the Constitution and the press having failed to uphold its responsibility to tell the truth, there’s nobody home but us chickens.

“Us chickens are the votership and we citizens are going to have to make up our minds and vote according to the understanding of our responsibilities.”...

Barack Obama] comes from a long line of presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, “who have never worked a day in their life.”

“It’s the vision of the anointed, that they had somehow been anointed and they know better than everyone else around them,” he said.

Do they really hate God so much?

NBC dumps 'under God' from Pledge at U.S. Open



Is this just a one-time accidental omission? I don't think so. Check out the links at the bottom of the article. Christians, and even non-Christians who believe in a nation "under God," are under assault. Our Judeo-Chrisitan heritage is an embarrassment to the secularists and they are working hard to drop it down the memory hole. God help us if we fail to teach our children the truth about this country's founding and its godly history. 

Unbelievable! County Shuts Down Kids' Lemonade Stand

Happy Father's Day!

There's something especially appropriate about celebrating Father's Day on the Feast of the Holy Trinity. After all, the family is the best image on earth for the reality of the Holy Trinity. The love of a father and mother generate new life like the love between the Father and the Son generates the Holy Spirit. What a blessing that we lowly humans can participate in the creative love of God Himself. What an incredible delusion the devil has spawned to convince people to destroy their capacity to be "like God" in creating new life!

I am especially grateful today for godly men and husbands who "love their wives as Christ loves the Church" with a sacrificial love that puts their families ahead of their own selfish inclinations. I am so blessed to be married to one! And I have two sons and three sons-in-law who are great daddies to their combined nineteen children! Thanks, dads from a grateful gramma.

I am also most grateful for the other fathers I know who gave up marriage and family to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the flock. When I think of the good priests I know (and have known) who not only serve but suffer for their people, I'm edified and humbled. I want to imitate their self-sacrificing love.

May St. John Vianney intercede for all priest-fathers today and may St. Thomas More, that so faithful Catholic layman and father, intercede for all daddies. Mother Mary, I place all their needs at your feet and ask for your powerful intercession for them before the throne of God. "Hail Mary, full of grace...."

Sometimes you need a normalcy check - Hurrah for good, wholesome fun!

Today I saw lots of families having a good time. You know -- "families" -- moms and dads hanging out with their kids and loving it.

My husband and I were up on the Skyline Drive at Skyland where they were having a summer fest complete with pony rides, face painting, watermelon seed spitting contests, and one of my favorite pasttimes -- square dancing.

Our caller and club were invited to participate with a square dancing demo and so we rounded up two squares worth of dancers, donned our petticoats or western shirts and dancing shoes and squared up outside under the trees. It was hot but that didn't keep us from kicking up our heels with enthusiasm as we "bowed to our partners and circled left."

A demo is lots more fun if you get the audience involved and we did with some line dances and basic square dancing instruction. I had one little boy as a partner who looked about eight who was eager to get in on the fun. He told me had done it at school and really liked it. He was there for the morning demo and turned up later in the afternoon for our second show eager to dance again. Lots of folks came back.

We all had a great time, but the best part was seeing all these FAMILIES together enjoying each other's company. One dad told me they'd taken a five mile hike, but they still had the energy to get up and line dance with us. I didn't see any Heathers with two mommies, but watched moms and dads making plans together for their afternoon. One mother said they were supposed to be at a Navy graduation but their young officer friend didn't pass one of his exams. So they took off for a weekend camping trip instead and were having a great time tent camping in the park and taking advantage of the summer fest!

I danced with one little gal named Michaela. Her sister was on the opposite side of the square with their mom while another sister stood in the background smiling. What a happy group!

The day reminded me of how much joy there is in the simple things of life and that many parents are engaging in wholesome activities with their kids. There's a lot of goofy stuff out there, but that's only part of the story. Do something fun with your kids or grandkids as a family -- even if it's just throwing rocks in the river. And pray for the family. It's under such an assault today!

Weiner's Pension: Fit for a KIng!

How much is your pension worth? A lot less than Anthony Weiner's I bet. But then, our "public servants" are really the U.S. aristocracy. Do you think your congressman and senators fly coach?

Weiner's Pension Worth a Whopping $1.2 Million

The Latest on Fr. Corapi, "The Black Sheep Dog"

Fr. Corapi expects to be suspended indefinitely. Judging from the priests I've known who've experienced adversarial relationships with their bishops, he is probably right. Bishops hold all the cards. Accused priests have few rights. I don't know whether Father is guilty or not, but I do know priests have a right to face their accusers and know what they are accused of. What Fr. Corapi is describing in terms of the procedures squares with what happened to Fr. Haley. The injustice of it cries out to heaven.

Check out The Black Sheep Dog for "John Corapi's" statement. Sad ending.

Welcome to the new kid on the block: Virginia Family Foundation's Truth With Courage blog

Virginia was the birthplace of freedom and our state flag exhibiting what is also our state seal shows exactly what we think of tyranny. Sic Semper Tyrannis, Thus always to tyrants. The Virginia Family Foundation has launced a new blog, called Truth With Courage and we look forward to seeing the truth shouted from the rooftops there regardless of the left's false accusations of bigotry and intolerance. We will speak the truth in love and charity and our faith will not be silenced by those who are anti-Christian bigots intolerant of traditional moral values.

And here's one piece of great news I found linked from the blog. Giles County School Board voted to keep the Ten Commandments in a display of important historical documents in their schools. Good for them. Pray that the ACLU loses this round because they've promised to sue.

Blacks picket NAACP in Harlem!

Harlem parents don't care what color the teachers are or whether they belong to the NEA or AFT; they just want a quality education for their kids. Good luck, folks! Unless you are willing to deep six the liberal establishment that embraces union thugs (and their money), expect failing schools. They don't care about you as long as they can keep you on their liberal plantation pulling the democrat lever. It used to be illegal to educate blacks for fear they would take over. Liberals have the same mindset although they talk the talk of equality. Just look at the inner city schools for proof. Keep 'em dumb and democrat. (N.B. Don't construe this comment as support for Republicans. I'm with Chesterton who had little respect for either Hudge, the liberal, or Gudge, the conservative.)

See Blacks Picket The NAACP
Here's a taste from the article:

Apparently, a huge number of parents in Harlem believe the quality of education their children are getting is more important than the color of the skin of their teachers. They were demanding better schools — even if that meant a bunch of black teachers lost their jobs.... 

Officials in New York City decided to do something about this sorry situation. They announced plans to close 22 of the worst-performing schools in the city. That was enough to get the teacher’s union riled up. But what really put the union on the warpath was when those same city officials said they would permit charter schools to operate in some of the buildings that would soon be vacant.

But charter schools don’t hire members of the teacher’s union. They don’t guarantee teachers jobs for life or steady increases in pay and benefits every year, no matter how badly the teachers do their jobs. Charter-school teachers get paid based on results — not on tenure or political clout....

And if you really want to see some positive changes in our schools, end the monopoly by union thugs and their political buddies. Open up education to competition. Give more money to those who do a better job and less to those who don’t or can’t.

Have They Started Smearing Her Yet?

I like this lady!

Libya?

Can someone please explain to me what the heck we're doing in Libya?

Boehner gives Obama Friday deadline on Libya

Federal Auditors Say 22% of Federal Spending Does No Good!

Check out Washington's dirty little spending secrets.

Then sign the open letter to Congress to cut wasteful spending. They can start with the popcorn machines in their offices and the perks for their office staffs. When was the last time your boss gave you a Liz Claiborne cellphone pouch?

Whose to Blame for the Rot in the Church?

Mike Voris puts the blame squarely where it belongs -- at the door of bad and cowardly bishops.

Canadian Hockey Fans Go Berserk!

Hey, your team loses, doesn't that give you the right to set cars on fire, break into stores to loot, and throw bricks at the police? Look at the glee on the faces of these barbarians. And there were tens of thousands involved. This is what happens when you throw God out of a culture. Canada's been in free fall for years. See the first video of this week's riots and then see the 1994 riots after another Stanley Cup loss and the 2010 Olympic riots. All this reminds me of Matthew 24. Read the signs of the times and follow the words of Our Lord:

Stay awake....You cannot know the day your Lord is coming....You must be prepared in the same way. The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect. ...Happy that servant whom his master discovers at work on his return!

And here's what happened in 1994.



And then there's the 2010 Olympics riot in Vancouver.



These guys remind me of the Weather Underground and Barrack Obama's buddies Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. You can know people by their fruits. If the fruits are rotten so are the orchard keepers.

"Early Signs of State Agression Against the Church"

"Civil union laws springing up around the country are not about equality or freedom or love. We know this because the secular state is using these laws to force the Catholic Church to violate its beliefs or shut down its services. Thus, it seems that these laws are hostile, that they are an early sign of state aggression against the Church and anyone who stands in the state's way. I hope and pray that Catholics have the courage to stand up to those in our state legislatures who would turn our government against its people and the Church"

Catholic Charities Forced to Shut Down Services around the Country

New York Legislature to Vote on Same Sex Marriage

I received the following email today from John Vennari of Catholic Family News and am passing it on. Many don't understand the ramifications of redefining the family. It will be sad if we all have to learn the hard way!

As many of you know, a vote on so-called same-sex "marriage" is scheuled for this week in New York. Here is a letter our own Dr. Bonnette quickly typed and sent to the NY Senate. Dr. Bonnette is a Thomistic philosopher who co-founded the Aquinas School of Philosophy with Dr. Raphael Waters. - jv

As a professional philosopher who taught at Niagara University for over 36 years, including many courses in ethics, I urge you to vote to preserve traditional marriage.

Calling a horse a cat does not make it a cat. Marriage is a natural institution which is the very foundation of our society. Redefining it will have massive impact on our nation, and must not be done in the haste of political polling or phone call inundations.

Against the alleged "right" of homosexuals to marry stands the inalienable and undoubted right of men and women to enter traditional marriage.

A right is not merely something we want. It is the moral power to fulfill an obligation. Procreation makes parents obligated to raise children, and hence gives them certain rights others do not share. It is because marriage is the natural institution which assures the continuation of society that society gives a special privilege to married couples in the form of marriage recognition. Homosexuals do not naturally procreate, and thus do not, by nature, merit this same privilege. Anyone can adopt, but that does not mean that they can enter a union which naturally gives rise to the next generation.
Homosexuals have the exact same rights as heterosexuals already, namely, the right to marry a person of the opposite sex. Thus the traditional institution in no way violates laws against descrimination.

If you fail to protect traditional marriage, a new and coercive form of descrimination will befall those whose consciences cannot condone homosexual acts, even though they may love people who happen to be homosexual. Then it will be too late to protect the conscience rights of the majority who do not personally approve of this behavior.

Please do not betray your oath to preserve and protect New York society. Vote no on same sex marriage.

Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D.
Youngstown, NY

The Dissent Fest in Detroit - Priest Thumbs Nose at Bishop

When priests are ordained they put their hands between the bishop's and promise obedience. Of course, there are some situations where priests can legitimately disobey. Obviously a young priest would not owe obedience to a homosexual bishop who ordered him to engage in sodomy with him. Not only does a subordinate have the right to refuse obedience in such a situation, he has a moral obligation to disobey. An order to sin is immoral and must NEVER be obeyed.

But we aren't talking about that. Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit was acting totally within his authority when he ordered the priests of his diocese NOT to be involved with the Mass at the American Catholic Council event held in Detroit last weekend. Fr. Bob Wurm (well named) a retired 78-year-old priest, did it anyway and made it clear that he doesn't think the bishop will do a thing about it.  Essentially he thumbed his nose at his bishop and dared him to do anything about it. According to the organizers, dozens of local priests and deacons attended the Mass, but they would say that. Liberal liars are as common as bedbugs in New York.

Whatever the truth of other clergy attending, Fr. Wurm participated for sure and I hope the Archbishop follows through on his threats and removes his faculties. We need faithful servants of God in the vineyard; not those who imitate Lucifer's non serviam.

Read more about the ACC event here. Don't miss the slide show. The meeting could have been organized by the AARP. I think Fr. Wurm was one of the younger folks there. I'd love to see photos from the Call to Holiness conference held the same weekend. My bet is it attracted a much broader spectrum of the Church. What is it with these heretical old geezers? Isn't age supposed to bring wisdom? They just appear ridiculous. See Fr. Z's post for some of the other silliness. I hate to say it, but the saying immediately jumped into my head, "There's no fool like an old fool." Pray for these folks to retrieve their sanity.

Looking for the Smoking Gun on Sarah Palin

The media is looking for the smoking gun in the recently released emails of Sarah Palin. There must be some scandal amidst those thousands of messages that will provide the stake-in-the-heart finish to this woman they hate with such passion. Unfortunately, so far the worst they can say is the emails are "banal, hypocritical, and smug." (It's laughable to hear a liberal columnist talking about someone being "hypocritical and smug.")

But the one email that's going viral on the internet is a "letter from God" that Palin wrote to explain to family and friends the special gift of their coming son Trig. I confess tears came to my eyes as I read it and I hope all those considering aborting a Downs Syndrome child will read, reflect, pray, and experience a change of heart. Sarah Palin is a mother, a courageous mother with a heart for God. She's grounded in the most basic truth of all -- God is the giver of life and no one else has the right to take it.

May God bless her and her family. He will not abandon one who acknowledges His lordship over her.

And here's the email from God:

Are These the People You Want Teaching Your Children?

Calif. High School Rejects Bible-Verse Bricks, Bails on Fundraiser

You've seen them -- donor bricks. It's an easy way to raise money. And this school was in high gear until two women decided to inscribe personal messages that included scripture passages. Out came the censors talking about separation between church and state -- but that doesn't apply to personal messages. So what's going on here? Either the school principal hates Christianity -- or he is totally ignorant of the Constitution. In either case it calls into question his competency. Where is the often touted call for tolerance and diversity? You rarely see any of it for Christians. The folks involved in cancelling this fundraiser and banning the Bible quotes explain the origin of the expression "dumb bricks."

BBC Joins Assisted Suicide Cheerleaders with Propaganda Piece

BBC Showing Documentary Depicting Man Dying in Assisted Suicide

Remember before abortion was legalized the shameless propaganda promoting it? I remember the two-part episode of Maude with Bea Arthur that ran in 1972 promoting abortion. In fact, a group of about 60 of us picketed channel 9 in D.C. There was a smaller counter picket of a few people and guess who got the coverage? Some things never change.

And now its the BBC shilling for assisted suicide. Hey, the baby boomers use up too much medical care. Kill us off to save money. And if they can talk us into killing ourselves, all the better. When Obamacare goes into effect, they'll just refuse us care. It's already happening. A friend told me about an older relative who couldn't get heart surgery approved recently and he finally paid for it himself out of pocket. But won't it be wonderful when all those uninsured have the same right to be refused treatment as this gentleman?

A Pentecost Blessing on these new workers for the harvest!

We pray in the morning offering for the "reunion of all Christians." A big "Welcome Home" to these formerly Anglican priests. May they serve Holy Mother Church faithfully. What a Pentecost blessing!

Did You Know? There's an Approved Marian Apparition Site in the U.S.

When was the last time you went on pilgrimage? Why not make a plan to visit the only site of an approved Marian apparition site in the United States where she appeared to Adele Brise, a young woman living in the Wisconsin wilderness. What did Mary say? "What are you doing here in idleness. Teach the children." It's a message for our day when most young Catholics know more about Harry Potter and Hogwarts than they do about the faith. If you aren't "teaching the children" (your own, your grandkids, your nieces and nephews, your godchildren), you're missing the boat. You don't have to be in the classroom to teach the children. That little three-year-old grandson is a captive audience, Grandpa. Take him fishing and stop in the church on the way to visit Jesus who chose fishermen among his apostles. Hike with your kids and stop for "rosary rests" where you say a decade before moving on. Let's teach the children every day in every way that Jesus Christ is King!

Pour out the Breath of the Holy Spirit on us, Lord, this Pentecost that we may be worthy teachers of your precious little ones.

Vaccines From Aborted Baby Stem Cells

Want to know what vaccines were developed by cannibalizing unborn babies and using their stem cells? Here's a great resource.

Want more?

http://www.cogforlife.org/vaccinebook.htm

The Worst is Yet to Come!

I remember speaking about life issues back in the late 1970s and '80s and warning that once abortion was accepted euthanasia would follow as inevitably as night follows day. But I was too short-sighted to realize the even more evil and degrading results of the culture of death.

Belgian Doctors Boast of Harvesting Organs After Euthanasia

But wouldn't it be a sinful waste not to harvest their organs? Just think, maybe we could make lampshades from their skin. The possibilities are endless including soylent green for starving people in poor nations.

Rick Santorum for President?

An interesting interview with Rick Santorum. What do you think about him for president?

Faithful Catholics Fighting Back through their "Virtual Online Parish"

Another home run for Mike Voris!

Bad Bishops' Role in Undermining the Faith

Linda Gibbons is Out of Jail in Canada, praise God!

If you don't know who Linda Gibbons is, you should. She's Canada's Joan Andrews squared. Linda has spent the last eight years in jail because she won't stay away from abortion mills where she warns women about the devastating consequences of killing their babies. Here's some background on this courageous white martyr. Chances are she won't be out of jail for long. Please pray for her and for those to whom she witnesses. How many will be saved from the fires of hell by her actions -- both those she meets and those for whom she suffers?

Breaking: Prisoner of conscience Linda Gibbons freed from jail

Great Pro-Life Champion!

Virginia is the birthplace of liberty and we have some great politicians fighting for the re-birth of this great nation. Here's one of them.

Virginia Attorney General is Rising Pro-Life Star

Love for God's Creation

Saint Francis would love this guy!

Are you still flying?

I used to enjoy flying. Not anymore. Between the invasive X-rays whose safety is unproven (airline professionals are warned by their unions to decline to go through them) and the offense and indignity of being forced to be felt up by TSA, I'm done. I'd rather spend three days driving than getting on a plane. And it appears I'm not the only one. Let's hear it for one more successful job-killing strategy of the Obama administration. Is this nonsense really making us safer? What really amazes me, though, is the number of sheep who will go along with this.

Are Ridiculous Airport Security Measures Killing Airline Profits?

Another "Gay" Priest Caught in the Act

I keep waiting for evidence that the scandals are behind us. Thank God if fewer children are being raped and otherwise diddled, but the problem of active "gays" in the priesthood goes on. See here for more. Every time I see one of these stories I'm angry all over again about Fr. Haley being booted for exposing the "gay" priest problem in the Diocese of Arlington. Where is Fr. Haley, Bishop Loverde? And how many of our "gay" diocesan priests who've left are being supported by the diocese?

The Diabolical Traffic in Baby Body Parts

"Love of money is the root of all evils."

Abortion isn't just about the money the serial killer gets for eliminating women's "problems." It's also about the side business in baby body parts. And what a business it is where a "fetal normal brain" can rake in between $215 and $1035. Read about it here.

If you're "pro-choice" you aren't just willing to tolerate the murder of babies, but selling their body parts for experimentation as well. But, hey, they'll be killed anyway so why not make use of them.

Haven't we heard that argument before? Dr. Mengele, your lab tech is on the phone. He's found some twins for you.

Cal Thomas has it right on Anthony Weiner

"Weiner's 'crime' is that he is a sinner like the rest of us."

Here's more:

[The first truth is that ] despite the posturing of some Republicans, no one should claim he (or she) would not do the same thing, or something worse, given similar circumstances and opportunity. Weiner's "crime" is that he is a sinner like the rest of us. The pictures illustrate a personal moral failing. The lying about it was a breach of trust and offense to the House of Representatives and to the people of his district who put sufficient faith in him to elect him to office and pay his salary and benefits. His colleagues and his constituents have a right to expect honesty and some self-control from someone placed in high office.

The second truth is that the expectations of our culture are now so low that we no longer honor and value people of integrity, only celebrity. It matters not how one becomes famous. It matters only that they are known outside their circle of family and friends. Have you noticed any magazines at the supermarket checkout line that honor long marriages, people of character and commitment? It's the same with television. A nation gets more of what it promotes and less of what it debunks.

Read the full article here.

Flee the Cities -- Part 2

Serious Mob Attacks in Downtown Chicago

Like I said the other day when describing the mobs going into stores and looting:

FLEE THE CITIES!  Can't hear me? FLEE THE CITIES!!

The Biggest Bullies on the Block!

Every time I read "gay" propaganda about anti-bullying, I shake my head. Homosexual activists are the biggest bullies on the block. They terrorize those who oppose them, even making death threats. Here's what a  reader sent me about pastor Chuck McIlhenny who was a minister in San Francisco in the 1970s before the murder and secular canonization of Harvey Milk.

Rev. McIlhenny fired an organist on a morals charge for being a practicing homosexual. The man sued and the minister won the case. Later Rev. McIlhenny's house and church was fire bombed and threats were made to sodomize his son. No one was ever charged with the crimes. I heard this minister talk back then on a pro-life radio station and he was no fanatic who hated homosexual men. He just spoke out calmly against the behavior. Needless to say, he left the state and took his family. After that all hell broke loose in San Francisco, and the AIDS epidemic came. He wrote a book about his experience called "When the Wicked Seize a City4." That should tell you something about how bad it is down there at times.

Now that's bullying!

But it was a long time ago, you say. So let's look at some more recent examples from the Alliance Defense Fund:

Florida Family Association Warns Against Disney Gay Day

The Florida Family Association hired a plane to drag a banner warning about Disney's Gay Day June 4th. They believe attendance by mainstream families was down 50 to 60 percent as a result. See article and photos here. Send them a few bucks if you can spare them for a job well done.

Archbishop Vigneron Warns Catholics to Avoid Heretics' Meeting in Detroit

In a strongly worded letter issues June 3rd, Archbishop Vigneron has warned his priests and flock to avoid the upcoming meeting of the American Catholic Council to be held this weekend in Detroit. The dissent fest of heretics on parade is filled with groups and speakers who  promote abortion, contraception, and the homosexual lifestyle -- all things they justify according to "primacy of conscience." The archbishop refused permission for the group to celebrate Mass and explained his reasons in the letter:

To confirm the legitimacy of what they had planned, the ACC had been asked to provide details regarding this liturgy. The response received was ambiguous, and there are good reasons for believing forbidden concelebration will take place by the laity and with those not in full communion with the Church.

According to LifeSite News:

Archbishop Vigneron emphasized that he has not given permission for the conference’s “Eucharistic Liturgy,” as required by Church law. He said that concelebrating in the liturgy may result in “dismissal from the clerical state.”

Wow! A bishop who isn't afraid to call evil evil! Thank you, Your Excellency!

The ACC is just one more gathering of the same old dissenters from Call to Action, Voice of the Faithful, Dignity, Women's Ordination Conference, etc. Their message is warmed over modernist claptrap condemned for over a century. Their "Catholic Bill of Rights" is a travesty claiming the right of all to engage in "ministerial leadership" whatever that means. Judging from past action, one has to presume that everybody can be a priest or that no priest is necessary because the laity can celebrate the Eucharist without one. The Bill of Rights also sanctifies "informed conscience" (never defined) which, to them, means throwing out whatever Church doctrines you don't happen to fancy and saying your conscience made you do it. They also demand the right to choose their own leaders. (Martin Luther clones would no doubt be high on the list.)
 
Let's face it. ACC is unrecognizable as Catholic because it isn't. And Archbishop Vigneron has unmasked them. Good for him!

Please pray in thanksgiving for a bishop who takes seriously his obligation to teach, sanctify, and rule in his diocese. And also pray for these poor deluded slaves of the evil one. When you shake your fist at the Church, you shake your fist at God.

Small Town, USA: Where Have all the Children Gone?

The birth dearth is starting to impact small town USA and the results aren't pretty. Pro-lifers have  described the disastrous impact of a declining birth rate for decades. Finally, the secularists are beginning to catch up. USA Today's weekend edition (June3-5) carried a front page cover story about the impact of the birth dearth in Levittown, PA and other suburban communities around the U.S. It begins:

In 1960, the year Helen Cini gave birth to one of her five children, 15 other kids were born on her block here in this quintessential post-war American suburb.  The local obstetrician was so busy he often slept in his car.

Kathy Bachman felt like an oddity when her family moved to Cherry Lane in the Crabtree section of Levittown when she was 5. She was an only child, and "everybody had five or six kids in every house."

Weiner fesses up: He sent the dirty pictures

Ah the liberal democrat admitted it. After denying that he did it, Anthony Weiner now admits -- he did it. What's the "it?" He sent lewd photos of himself via Twitter and Facebook to at least six women. (See here.) And he not only lied about it, but he smeared Andrew Breitbart at Biggovernment.com who exposed Weiner's perverted behavior. Weiner says he won't resign. No doubt he will go on to bigger things and higher office. That seems to be the norm for liberal sex addicts. And you can't blame a guy for trying. Lying seemed to work for Bill Clinton and Barney Frank. You know it all depends on the creativity of your definitions.

Interesting...Republicans who do this kind of thing generally resign, Democrats glue their pants to their seat and try to tough it out. Let's hope the voters have something to say about that. How can you trust a liar? But then liberals never seem to have a problem with liars. Look at their love affair with the Clintons. Or maybe they never lie in their own mind because what they believe right now changes in 24 hours or 24 seconds. I know some folks like that. It's hard to have an intelligent conversation with them because they can take three or four different and conflicting positions all in the space of ten minutes. After all, they have their own truth and when they say something it means what they say it means even if it means something different a few minutes later. "You have your truth; I have mine." Who needs a roller coaster ride if you know a liberal?

Watch Weiner lie...and lie...and lie.



If you want to see the apology after he couldn't get away with his lies any more, go here.  Would you buy a car from this guy? Do you think he'll get reelected? Hey, he's from New York City. The 9th District hasn't had a Republican representative since 1923. Pray for them to come to their senses and throw this guy out. He's not only an embarrassment; he's unethical. He made many of his calls from Congress at taxpayer expense.

Beach Interlude

My favorite beach is the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It's very much a family community. If you want honky-tonk glitz head to Atlantic City, NJ. You won't find it on the Outer Banks. We used to go almost every year when our kids were little, camping until we got hit by a hurricane, renting a cottage after that. Unfortunately we don't go so often now. In fact, we hadn't been to any beach for three years. I only realized how much I missed the sound of the surf and the sea breezes when our youngest asked if we would go to the Outer Banks with her family.

What a beautiful week! We had continuous sunny days and mostly clear nights and almost always a refreshing breeze off the ocean. A wildfire on the mainland which is only 80% controlled because of burning peat in the bogs, only made its presence known a few times when the wind blew from the land. We delayed a trip to the sand dunes at Jockey Ridge one night because the smoke was eye-stingingly unpleasant and who wants to inhale all that smoke, especially when one of your party is pregnant?

Larry and I rented bikes and rode to morning Mass since the church in Kitty Hawk was only a mile and a half from our cottage. Speaking of the cottage, it was only a short walk to the beach and since it was early season the shared cost per night was about the same as staying at a cheap motel. We drank our morning coffee sitting on the front porch swing with a little almost-three-year-old chirping between us. And speaking of chirping, our morning entertainment was a mother cardinal who kept trying to chase away her rival in the car's side mirror. The birds were a pleasure all week -- a great blue heron along our bay bike ride, mocking birds shouting the news from the highest tree tops and a little finch who sat on the telephone pole every morning warbling so loud we could hardly believe so much music could come from such a tiny body.

Sitting on the beach and watching the waves is one of the most conducive atmospheres for meditation. "Come away with me to a quiet place," Jesus said to his disciples. I felt that personal invitation as we walked or sat on the beach praying our rosary. I brought a book to read, but often just sat quietly watching and listening to the waves saying with Samuel, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

Too often we let the busyness of life at home distract us from what's important -- living for heaven. The Outer Banks is a little bit of heaven on earth. If you've never been there, I highly recommend it. Fly a kite, visit the Wright Brothers Museum and Jockey's Ridge, eat some wonderful seafood, ride a bike to Duck Doughnuts for a great treat, and praise God for the wonders of His world. Despite so much madness in our world, there is still so much good. You can see it on the Outer Banks.

For more photos of our beach interlude go here.

Porn is up, Rape is down: So what's the point?

I was on a website recently that commented on the fact that rape was down. The author of the article didn't attribute a reason, just made the observation. But the comments were amazing. People claimed that porn is up so that must prove that porn use causes a decline in rape. Why should a man who can have his perfect imaginary woman, rape a woman who may be ugly, pimply, etc.

Well, aside from the fact that rape is more about power than sex, the link between rape and pornography is well documented. Using pornography also causes changes in the brain that make the user require more explicit and harder core pornography as the weaker stuff stops giving the same high. It's like a drug, but even more powerful.

Also, the fact that something happens after something else doesn't prove the first thing caused it. That's a fallacy in logic. But who studies logic these days and how many people are critical thinkers?

Here's the comment I posted on the blog -- probably pointless. Many people these days will believe whatever they want to believe and facts don't make a bit of difference.

The link between pornography and rape has been well documented. http://www.drjudithreisman.com/archives/2006/09/pornographys_li.html

James Dobson interviewed serial rapist/killer Ted Bundy who described the serious impact pornography had on his crimes. http://www.pureintimacy.org/piArticles/A000000433.cfm

It's counter intuitive to think pornography, especially S&M doesn't contribute to the problem. If violent video games can be linked to increased aggression and violence in those who play them (http://www.slate.com/id/2164065/) why would porno movies, especially those showing forced sex, not have the same impact? Those who don't think there is a link need to provide some evidence to back up their opinion.

I think the decline in rape is more likely due to the fact that the population is aging and that over the last two decades men's testosterone levels are declining. http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/reproduction/2006/2006-1210travisonetal.html

If there are fewer younger men, there will be fewer rapes. Dirty OLD men may expose themselves amd be peeping Toms, but many can't do much else.

Oh those clever legislators! Shafting the taxpayers while lying about it.

How does when get around a law that requires voter approval to raise taxes? Call the tax a fee. If the Colorado legislature isn't stopped, what "fee" will they impose on the voters next? Sounds like the taxpayers need a class action lawsuit against the legislature.

Can't raise taxes? Just call it a 'fee'
Colorado grabbing $100 million more though voters never asked for increase

Ah sweet justice: Couple forcloses on bank for legal fees

Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It

"Flee the Cities!"

War Zones: As The Economy Dies, Murders, Shootings, Robberies And Looting Erupt All Over America

At the risk of being labeled a racist I'm going to point out the obvious about the two flash robbery videos at the link above. The convenience store robbery appeared to involve one white girl and a majority of male black teenagers. The robbery of the men's store appeared to be all black male teenagers. Whenever the mainstream media report on the number of minorities in jail, they generally imply it's because of racism. Maybe, just maybe it's because a higher percentage of minorities commit crimes relative to their numbers in the population.

But I wonder how much of the problem of rampaging black youngsters has to do with fatherlessness, a situation produced in large part by liberal government policies that destroyed the intact black family through insane welfare policies. Johnson's "great society" transformed a culture of mostly intact black families into a culture of single moms, many little more than children themselves, having babies out of wedlock. One of the biggest predictors for crime among black teens is the lack of dad in the home.

But not to worry, the equalizers are at work. The policy of no-fault divorce is at work now to do to the white family what was done to the black family. It won't be long before we see fatherless white males on the rampage as well. In the meantime, you'd be smart to follow the Biblical admonition to "flee the cities." Things are likely to get even worse as the economy continues to sink.

More here and here and here.