Masterpiece Cake Artist Jack Phillips Went to the Supreme Court Yesterday

And now what?

Masterpiece Theater: SCOTUS Debates Cake Baker's Rights

Here's what Jack said outside the courthouse following the 90 minute hearing:

Two Thumbs Up for Jan Brewer of AZ and Sam Brownback of KS

Two Governors Boost Religious Freedom

More on Jan Brewer

More on Sam Brownback

Fr. Tom Pegs It Again! Challenging the HHS Mandate

It isn't enough to exempt the Church from HHS Mandates. As Fr. Tom writes below, that concedes government's "right" to force institutions and individuals to participate in the butchery. Is protecting human life really only a "Catholic" or "religious" question? Was slavery only an issue for people of faith? It's time to defend the civil rights of unborn babies. Stop the genocide of pre-born humans!

From Fr. Tom Collins:

   It will be interesting to see whether the USCCB will be content with an HHS exemption for Catholic institutions from the requirement to provide contraception, abortion and sterilization "services", thus conceding that the HHS has a legitimate "right" to mandate such butchery, just so long as we Catholics do not have to soil our hands by directly participating in it.

In view of the fact that HHS has sought to "rub our noses" in the bloody remains of mutilated babies, the USCCB should demand a full apology for its attempt to violate our basic rights, which are guaranteed by the First Amendment. Likewise, our own bishops in Virginia should demand an apology from both Sen. Warner and Sen. Webb, since they participated in violating our Constitutionally guaranteed rights by giving HHS unbridled legal "power" to redefine the nature of conscience, so as to be permitted to force
us to violate our consciences in direct violation of the First Amendment. Without such clear apologies, the USCCB will be de facto agreeing with the fundamental provisions of Obamacare. This, combined with the ongoing de facto degradation of so much of our catechesis and Church discipline, will perpetuate
the gradual "evolution" of thought among Catholics, to the point where many will also embrace the "compassionate solution" of euthanasia for our infirm and elderly.

Satan's one "virtue" is patience. And so, with the passing of time and with the continuing portrayal of perversion as "sex education" to our youth, Catholics will gradually be "enlightened" (Lucifer means the "bearer of light") to accept the "wisdom" of our government. And, as we live by that "wisdom", we will see it "confirmed" by the unchallenged sacrilegious abuse of the the Eucharistic Christ - in a way that is perceived by most Catholics as a ratification of the "utopian agenda" of the Culture of Death and its unholy trinity of contraception, abortion and euthanasia.

Ironically, while such attacks on innocent human life are increased, the Culture of Death will be increasingly scrupulous about protecting the lives of the guilty from the death penalty.

May God enlighten and strengthen us by the true Light of the World, Jeus Christ, so that we may decisively proclaim the whole truth of His saving Word.

In Christ,
Fr. Tom  

Pope Benedict's Address to the American Bishops

A group of American bishops is meeting this week on their ad limina visit to meet with Pope Benedict. In his address today he made it clear that Catholics have an obligation to involve themselves in the market place, including politics. He also stressed that radical secularism (and the Obama presidency is the epitome of radical secualrism) destroys Christian culture. Here is a segment of the pope's address with my comments in red:

The Church’s witness, then, is of its nature public [Catholics, don't just sit behind locked doors in the Church praying, but evangelize and act in the market place]: she seeks to convince by proposing rational arguments in the public square [Note the word "rational." Catholic truth is based on reason and appeals to those seeking truth. Those who don't care about truth will not listen, but truth-seekers will.] The legitimate separation of Church and State cannot be taken to mean that the Church must be silent on certain issues, nor that the State may choose not to engage, or be engaged by, the voices of committed believers in determining the values which will shape the future of the nation. [Don't let the State cow you into silence with the false separation argument. Fight it as the bigotry it is.]

In the light of these considerations, it is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. [The greatest threat to the Church in America today is the Obama administration. He wants to suppress the rights of Catholics and Christians to practice their faith in the public square. Fight despite the growing persecution.] The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion. Many of you have pointed out that concerted efforts have been made to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. Others have spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience. [Catholics are being squeezed out of many occupations, especially health care. Even wedding photographers and caterers face the hobnailed boot of the Obama/Clinton/Sebelius tyranny.] 

Here once more we see the need for an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society. [Orthodox Catholic bloggers, take heart. You are part of the "articulate and well-formed Catholic laity" countering the "reductive secularism."] The preparation of committed lay leaders and the presentation of a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of man and society remain a primary task of the Church in your country; as essential components of the new evangelization, these concerns must shape the vision and goals of catechetical programs at every level. [Get rid of the marshmallow fluff and teach doctrine!] 

In this regard, I would mention with appreciation your efforts to maintain contacts with Catholics involved in political life and to help them understand their personal responsibility to offer public witness to their faith, especially with regard to the great moral issues of our time: respect for God’s gift of life, the protection of human dignity and the promotion of authentic human rights. [Keep the pressure on those pro-abort Catholics!] As the Council noted, and I wished to reiterate during my Pastoral Visit, respect for the just autonomy of the secular sphere must also take into consideration the truth that there is no realm of worldly affairs which can be withdrawn from the Creator and his dominion (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 36). [Obey God over man.] There can be no doubt that a more consistent witness on the part of America’s Catholics to their deepest convictions would make a major contribution to the renewal of society as a whole. [So all you dissident Catholics get with the program. Are you listening, Doug Kmiec et al?]

Martha Coakley's an anti-Catholic bigot!

Did you hear what anti-Catholic bigot Martha Coakley said about Catholics? When she was asked on a radio talk show about the conscience rights of Catholic health workers who refuse to prescribe the morning after pill what do you think she said?

“You can have religious freedom, but you probably shouldn’t work in the emergency room.”

Take that, you Catholics. Get to the back of the bus!

Now, if you're Muslim, you get special treatment. If you're gay and have AIDS no problem working in the emergency room. But a Catholic who refuses to kill babies? Go back to the ghetto!

Freedom of Choice? Tolerance? Anyone? Anyone?

Judge upholds ruling against photographers who declined work at homosexual ceremony

Everybody has rights these days except Christians living out their moral values. Where is the "freedom to choose" and the "tolerance" of the left? There is none.

As I've said before it is the coercion of evil. Evil will not be satisfied until all are forced to join in the murder of good. Call it the first rule of evil: All must be forced to participate, especially those who oppose it.