The poor in Haiti will continue to suffer. Above a man collects dried mud cookies to sell in Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince.

The promised land for Haitians looking for escape is not the nearby Dominican Republic or Cuba,  but 700 miles away, in the United States.   Illegally or legally, they mostly come to Florida, Miami in particular.    On Lincoln Boulevard in South Beach Miami, a can of Coke  can cost you north of $10.00.   As you sip the Coke, please consider that a fellow human being  700 miles may be eating dirt to survive.   I know I do.

Not to knock the tremendous Haiti relief efforts, but did an earthquake that killed 200,000-plus people have to happen to get us to really address their chronic situation?  Perhaps so.  God works in mysterious ways.

Many people have a lot of criticism of the Catholic church. But the simple fact remains, no organization in the entire world does more for the poor with regard to education, providing nourishment, building shelter, giving hospital care, etc than the Catholics. It is, by far, the largest non-profit organization in the world.  If you do not believe me, google it.

For years, the church has been helping the poor in Haiti on a quiet, steady basis while Western governments trumpet yearly announcements of  funds heading to Haiti, funds which have been grabbed by many sticky fingers before ever reaching those in need.

Last year I was fortunate enough to see Catholic outreach in Port au Prince. Mother Teresa’s nuns, the Missionaries of Charity, have around ten houses that provide aid to the poor in Haiti. In one of these homes, the good sisters take in malnourished children and care for them until they are strong enough to live with their families again. This work is performed without fanfare and has been going on for years, as it will for years to come.

I read one week after the Haiti earthquake took place,  a cruise ship docked 60 miles away from Port au Prince and the people were jet skiing and having a grand old time.   News like this that should sicken us.  Okay, you say.  Some countries “have” and some simply “do not have”.   Maybe that’s fine with you.  Maybe you have “charity fatigue” and can give no more.

Mother Teresa has an answer for that: “If you can not feed one hundred people, feed one”.

Well? Am I my brother’s keeper? I pose the question.   If a category 7 earthquake killed 200,000 Americans along the Carolina coast, how would it feel if vacationers on a cruise ship anchored offshore jet skied for the day before they cruised on?   Are you on that jet ski as the world’s poor eat dirt?

To learn more about giving, visit Immaculate Heart Missions – NYC .  By the way,   Mother Teresa is set to be honored with a postage stamp this year, and a group opposing it on church vs. state grounds has of course sprung up.    To that I say what St. Francis said:

Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.

Children in Calcutta, India.

I recently returned home from my third journey to Calcutta to serve the poor alongside the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns).  Each time I go to Calcutta, the trip has something different to teach me.  At the heart of it, that “something” is what continues to call me back.

Mother Teresa said that material poverty is easier to eradicate then spiritual poverty. She would go on to say that material poverty is met by giving out bread but the solution to spiritual poverty runs much deeper. Before I expand on this concept, I first would like to pose a  simple question.  How many people do you know that are satisfied with what they have? Be honest.

Here in the United States, many of us do not suffer from material poverty. We have air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. We eat well, exercise, drive nice cars and benefit from good educations. With all that being said, why are so many unsatisfied?

On this particular trip to Calcutta, a  key incident made me think long and hard about that question. One evening, I was assisting the sisters in transporting handicapped children on a bus ride home from the annual Christmas play they perform at the various centers the Missionaries of Charity run. The traffic was in grid lock and our bus was at a stand still. Directly next to us, was a commuter bus filled with working men and women traveling home from a hard day’s work. The children and sisters on our bus were all singing, clapping, and laughing. Directly across from us, the other bus was filled with blank stares, no one was smiling, nor were they speaking to each other. They all seemed to be looking in at our bus with a sort of curiosity.  This interesting juxtaposition seemed to hit me between the eyes.

Fulfillment, joy, love and happiness come in many forms, but I think the question remains, are we looking for them in the right place here in the good old U S of A? Mother Teresa,who traveled all over the world in her mission to serve the poorest of the poor would say, “Calcutta is everywhere, find it first in your homes, then in your neighbor, your workplace, your community and most importantly in yourself.”

This Christmas season, tables across the United States will be filled with delicacies. Families and friends will gather, wine will be poured, and gifts will be exchanged. While all of these things are good, maybe there is something better, something that is missing, something that will satisfy the heart and soul in a deeper and lasting way?

It is my wish for you this Christmas that you receive that “something”, the “gift” that keeps giving well beyond the “Holiday Season”, the gift that leads to eternal life!

Merry Christmas!

Led by advocates of gay marriage, the vote yesterday was 188-186 against amending the bill to insure religious liberty protections in New Hampshire.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed what happened:

Leading the fight for gay marriage in New Hampshire is Rep. Steve Vaillancourt. He proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt, why champions of religious liberty must resist gay marriage: he worked to kill the bill because it insulated religious institutions from its reach.

In other words, it was not good enough for Vaillancourt to secure a win on gay marriage—he had to have it all. And having it all means denying the right of religious institutions not to sanction homosexual marriage. Indeed, he said the religious liberty amendment would “enshrine homophobia into the statutes of the New Hampshire legislature.”

So this is what we’ve come to in America: religious objections to homosexuality, rooted in the Bible, natural law and the teachings of most religions, is nothing more than a pernicious phobia. Not too long ago, such objections simply constituted common sense.

One of the driving principals that the United Sates of America was founded upon was the right to Freedom of Religion. Between the years 1629 and 1640 nearly eighty thousand Puritans fled England for fear of religious persecution. Many of these Puritans were from all over England, and nearly twenty-one thousand immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Eventually, in the 1700’s, there were nearly one hundred thousand Puritan immigrants who had escaped persecution and achieved religious freedom and were living in the colonies and settlements of the New World.

This right to Freedom of Religion was held to be so fundamental by our Founding Fathers that it was placed in the First Amendment of our constitution. Its ironic that now in the very place where our country began “NEW” England, this right to freedom of religion is being encroached upon. Its almost ironic, we are coming will circle as a nation!

I can’t help but think of the old high school novel we all had to read, entitled Animal Farm. In it, the humans in the house treat the animals in the barn very poorly. Eventually, the animals take control and when they do, the pigs prove to be the dominant animal. Before you know it, the pigs are living in the house and wearing the human suits and making the rest of the animals live in the barn!

Maybe we were made to read books like Animal Farm by George Orwell for a reason at such a young age. Maybe they were intended to teach us something about human nature and not just provide us with an entertaining story. Apparently, the intent on the part of the educational system fell on deaf student ears.

I have never been a dooms day guy and frankly, I never will. But I will say this, the door is beginning to crack open towards religious persecution in this country. To what extent this slippery slope progress, only time will tell. If people of faith don’t wise up and step up soon, just like in George Orwell’s famous novel, we too may find ourselves banished to the barn!

Euthanasia in the US: Wash. woman first to die under new law

Linda Fleming was diagnosed with terminal cancer and feared her last days would be filled with pain and ever-stronger doses of medication that would erode her mind. The 66-year-old woman with late-stage pancreatic cancer wanted to be clear-headed at death, so she became the first person to kill herself under Washington state’s new assisted suicide law, known as “death with dignity.”

“I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death,” Fleming said in a statement released Friday. “The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death. And I knew I would have to increase them.” With family members, her physician and her dog at her side, Fleming took a deadly dose of prescription barbiturates and died Thursday night at her home in Sequim, Wash.

In Oregon, pro-life advocates point to abuses of the assisted suicide law. Oregon resident Barbara Wagner found out Oregon health officials would pay for a suicide but not medication to treat her cancer…. [a] report also indicates that 59 physicians wrote 88 prescriptions — indicating some doctors are writing more than one lethal prescription for patients. That leads pro-life advocates to wonder if they are truly finding better alternatives for their patients or just encouraging them to seek death as a solution.

(American Papist Blog)

The truth is that there is no such thing as a “right to die.” A right is a moral claim, and we have no claim on death—death has a claim on us. Some people see the “right to die” as a parallel to the right to life, but this is based on faulty reasoning. The right to life is based on life being a gift we can neither destroy nor discard, whereas the “right to die” is based on the idea that life is a thing we possess and may discard when it no longer meets our satisfaction.

To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom (Evangelium Vitae 20).

Assisted suicide is a failure of medicine, not an achievement.

Clearly, by my commentary above you know where I stand on Euthanasia from the standpoint of its lack of moral credibility. Let’s now look at the issue from the dollars and cents prospective. Do you actually think with the current state of health care as it is in this country that insurance companies, when given an alterative to expensive treatment will not opt for a cheaper solution i.e. euthanasia? Or at the minimum, look for loopholes in legislation to do so? Think about what happens when you get into a little fender bender with your car. You could have a perfect driving record for years and if you suddenly need the insurance company to pay repair fees, regardless if it is not a result of your negligence, it’s like pulling teeth. That fact is, insurance companies are in the business of saving money, like every other business and if they can get out of paying a bill, you had better believe they would at least try to do so. This situation is already happening in Oregon, the other state in our country that Euthanasia is legal.

Open your eyes people! When you allow the laws of our country to empower the medical profession and insurance companies to determine who can live and who can die, the most basic freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will be taken away from us.

Whether you agree with my moral position on Euthanasia or not, at least consider the potential dangers surrounding such legislation. The bottom line is this, no one wants to suffer and die but unfortunately, it’s a reality of life. Death is the great equalizer, for the rich and poor alike. Maybe if we come to grips with that reality now, we will come to grips with the fact that we are not in control and God is. Just knowing that can enable us to face anything, including the last hours of our life with both peace and acceptance.

The sword belongs in its’ sheath!

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33697

The abortionist Dr. George Tiller, who remained one of the nation’s few providers of late-term abortions despite decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher.

The Pro-Life Movement rejects intentional abortion because every procured abortion is the killing of a member of our human family. The dignity of that little human person in the first home of the whole human race cries out for changing the unjust approach to giving protected status to intentional abortion in America. However, this dignity is present in all human persons, even those with whom we disagree and those whose actions we decry. The reason Catholics and other Christians insist on a love of preference for the poor is because they have human dignity. The reason many of us reject capital punishment is because of the human dignity of even those who have committed crimes. The reason we insist that any act of war must fit a criteria of what is called a “just war analysis” is because we recognize the dignity, even of our enemies.

What a sad day for the Pro-Life Movement. Yes, you heard that right, one of the most notorious abortionists in America is gunned down in cold blood and the day of his death is deemed to be a tragedy by pro-lifers around the country. Committing a “wrong” to justify a “right” is never the way to go about things and that is just what the gunman did when he killed Dr. Tiller. When someone claims to be Pro-Life, that means every life, regardless of the persons beliefs or diabolical actions. Jesus Christ died on the cross for everyone, especially for the greatest of sinners. Sacred scripture states that Christ was the great physician who came for the sick, he did not come for the “righteous”. Why, because no one is righteous accept for God. We are all sinners and we have no right to judge anyone. That’s God’s job!

What makes this incident sadder is how the pro-choice media is using the murder of Dr Tiller to advance their cause. The National Organization for Women (NOW) stated “the anti-abortion cause” was behind Tiller’s murder and other actions against abortion centers and practitioners even though members of pro-life groups have never been behind any such incident. They went on to claim that bringing the person who killed Tiller to justice is “not enough,” NOW called on the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to “root out and prosecute as domestic terrorists and violent racketeers the criminal enterprise that has organized and funded criminal acts for decades.”In addition, the New York Times quotes Dave Leach, an anti-abortion activist from Des Moines who runs a newsletter who stated “To call this a crime is too simplistic.” He added, “There is Christian scripture that would support this.”

How someone could even make such claim is nothing short of ridiculous and for the New York Times to report it is just par for their anti-Christian course! Just as Christ weeps for the murder of every aborted child, yesterday Jesus Christ wept for the murder of George Tiller, for he was a child of God too!

Benedict declared his intentions in the clearest of terms. “First, to those who still dispute Israel’s right to exist as a state, Benedict stated: “Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders.” Yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had requested that the Pope denounce Iran on Israel’s behalf, especially regarding Iran’s repudiation of Israeli statehood. While avoiding mentioning Iran by name, Benedict lost no time in doing just that. Moving on, he stated: “Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream.”

Benedict made an impassioned appeal: “No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing.”

The three great religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all share Abraham as their common father. In Catholic circles, Abraham is remembered as the “Father of our Faith”. Like in all “big families”, sometimes members disagree and do not get along. So sad, when we all share a common humanity and will all one-day return to the same Creator that made and loves each us all.

Lack of forgiveness is at the center of the Middle East problem. So many times the world has looked to a multitude of people and things to solve the tensions between the three great religions, all sharing Jerusalem. Instead of looking to were the source of the hatred lies, in the hearts of men. Each person must find forgiveness in his or her heart. I believe the Pope’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land stressed the importance of this needed forgiveness between all people in Israel and the Middle East.

In the Christian faith, Christ tells the faithful:

“Father, forgive us our trespass, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

May God bless all three great religions sharing the Holy Land; Christians, Jews, and Muslims. May we all learn to live in peace and love one another as God loves each of us personally.

Protestant Pastor: ‘I Saw Catholics Arrested for Being Catholic’

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33580

They almost broke the arm of a priest who appeared to be in his 80s, by dragging him on the ground.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Christian Newswire) – Vision America President Pastor Rick Scarborough said he was sickened by what he saw when those protesting Obama’s speech at Notre Dame were arrested on the campus.

“I wept when I saw my friends arrested and taken to jail,” Scarborough disclosed. “They almost broke the arm of a priest who appeared to be in his 80s, by dragging him on the ground.”

Scarborough, who’s a Southern Baptist preacher, said he was in South Bend in solidarity with Catholics who are protesting the upcoming commencement speech at Notre Dame by the most anti-life president in history.

“Millions of Catholics who were persecuted in their countries of origin came to these shores for religious freedom,” Scarborough said. “These hard-working folk built institutions like Notre Dame to educate their children and strengthen their Church.”

“Now Notre Dame is honoring Barack Obama, a man Catholics and other Christians should shun, as many of the Catholic bishops have.”

When asked why he wasn’t arrested, Scarborough explained: “This was a Catholic demonstration, As a Baptist, I had to respect that. I did not want to intrude. At the same time, I wanted to support a group of people I’m so proud of for standing up for Judeo-Christian morality.”

It’s bad enough that the president of Notre Dame asked the most radically pro-choice president in the history of the United Sates to speak at the University’s most recent graduation commencement but the police, then added insult to injury, and arrested Catholics praying peacefully in protest. To describe the entire situation in a word, Disgraceful!!!

Frankly, it’s just so sad. The protestors were not being violent, nor did they hurt anyone. In fact, the Catholic protestors were praying the Rosary on a Catholic Campus! Shocking! Scandalous! Throw them in jail and throw away the key!!

I was under the impression that we lived in the United Sates of America, where a person could voice their opposition to the establishment as long as they did it peacefully? I guess not. I assume protesting is now qualified to what is “trendy” or “what is in” according the dictates of our relativistic society. Let’s just stick to protests about Freeing Tibet and the prohibition of fur coat wearing Hollywood stars. However, when it comes to killing children, I guess we must draw the line! President Obama promised us “CHANGE” if he was elected president. Well my friends, we now have it!!

Are You Really Catholic?

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33587

“Are you Catholic because your parents were Catholic, because their parents were Catholic because their parents were Catholic? Is it your culture or your faith? Is it your present choice or your history? Is it your conviction or a “hat” you put on for baptisms, weddings and funerals? ”

“It is our Christian duty to call our culture to reform. We’re not supposed to blend in and “adapt” our faith to the changing times! We’re supposed to be showing our lost culture the way of true and lasting peace, which can only be found in Christ. It is our responsibility to be firm in defense of the natural and moral law even when it makes us unpopular or hated. If we’re not willing to do that are we worthy to be called Catholic?”

“Either live as a Catholic Christian or don’t, but stop trying to remodel the Church to make it more appealing to the world. Learn your Catholic faith, understand it correctly and LIVE IT out in public without apologizing. Stop compromising the truth. Quit trying to rewrite Church teaching to bring it “up to speed” with modern times. The Church is not out of step with society; society is out of step with the Church. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and thus His Church is timeless, ageless and always perfectly relevant. It is not the Church who needs to change her thinking; it is society that needs to CORRECT its thinking.”

“You are free to decide where and with whom you stand. You do not, however, have the right to try to change the Catholic Church to suit your opinions or wishes. No matter how brilliant you are, you are not above the Magisterium. No matter how persuasive the political position, you cannot ignore the law of the Church and the Natural Law. Doctrine and Orthodoxy may be distasteful words in this age of personal freedoms, but if you call yourself Catholic, you need to know what Catholic doctrine actually says and follow it. All of it – not just this or that particular idea that suits your preferences. The Church is not a cafeteria. You are not free to take some things and leave others.”

In the wake of the Obama commencement speech at Notre Dame, this article could not have stated it better! If we who are baptized into the Catholic Church call ourselves Catholics, do we even know what it means to be Catholic? Is it just a name or is it something we check off when we register for the US government census? At every Catholic mass, the Apostles Creed is said before the faithful receive communion. Let me remind you how it goes:

“I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hells. On the third day He rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

This is done for a purpose. The meaning behind the faithful stating the creed is, if you do not believe in the Catholic beliefs, all of them, you are not free to receive communion. Notice it says, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church”. It does not say, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church SOMETIMES.”

This is not my personal opinion, its Church doctrine, and has been from the beginning. The Apostle’s Creed was written in the 2^nd century.

Our present society is slowing embracing secularism. The time is now for people of faith, all faiths, to stand up and be counted! History has proven time and time again that when a civilization losses it moral compass, it goes into decline. America was founded on Judea-Christian ideals. Anyone who has taken US History 101 cannot deny this, if they are being honest with themselves that is. If we continue to ground our culture in the relativistic principals of the status quo, the old slogan “History repeats itself” will ring true once again! Remember, Rome burned while Nero fiddled!

Ask yourself this question: Has the “ways of the world” worked? Look around you. Poverty, crime, war, greed, should I go on? How about trying it Gods’ way?

Remember the old story of Adam and Eve? God gave them everything, they lived in a paradise, they were perfectly happy. He just asked them to do one thing, do not eat from the tree of Good and Evil. So what did they do, they ate from the tree and what was the result, paradise lost!

Believe it or not my friends, God’s ways work! It might be a tougher road to travel but the walk is full of interior peace and happiness. Isn’t that what we all want to be, happy? Look around you is the world at peace? Is it happy? Lets break it down even more, how many people do you know at work who are completely content?

“Too late have I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within, and I abroad, and there I searched for you; I was deformed, plunging amid those fair forms, which you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you. Things held me far from you—things which, if they were not in you, were not at all. You called, and shouted, and burst my deafness. You flashed and shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors and I drew in breath—and I pant for you. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for your peace” (St. Augustine, Confessions).

Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator Patrick Leahy have introduced a hate crimes bill that parallels the House version. Catholic League president Bill Donohue wrote to them today about his concerns. The following is the text of his letter:

The driving force behind the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Prevention Act is the desire to provide additional penalties to criminals who assault homosexuals because of their sexual orientation. Without commenting on the propriety of hate crimes legislation in general, the central problem with this bill is its chilling effect on religious speech.

To be specific, the bill would criminalize religious speech that was critical of homosexuality if it were linked to a crime against a gay person. How do I know this? Because when the bill was considered in the House, that is exactly what Rep. Louie Gohmert was told when he raised this issue. While assaulting anyone, independent of sexual orientation, is rightly considered a criminal offense, the prospect of criminalizing religious speech that proscribes certain sexual practices is beyond worrisome—it is downright dangerous.

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and religious liberty, both of which are jeopardized under this bill. The chilling effect this legislation could have on the right of the clergy to address sinful behavior flies in the face of the spirit of the First Amendment. Surely there are ways to protect homosexuals from being singled out by anti-gay thugs without trespassing on the constitutional rights of priests, ministers, rabbis, imams and others. Accordingly, language that would accomplish this end should be included as an amendment.

First let me state that the Catholic Church, without question upholds the human dignity for all men and woman who actively live, as well as who have homosexual tendencies. With that said, the homosexual lifestyle is viewed by the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faithful worldwide as not being in accordance with the Natural Law and amoral. There is a big difference between voicing disapproval of ones behavior and respecting the humanity of the person. This fact is nothing new and is common knowledge but that is not the central issue surrounding the bill Senators Kennedy and Leahy recently proposed. The issue is while homosexual men and women without question should be offered protection under the law from acts of violence, the idea that religious speech, which condemns homosexual practices, should also be protected under the First Amendment. If we as Americans believe in freedom, it has to be a belief that spans across the board.

President Obama does not attend the National Prayer breakfast

I find it very interesting that Christian citizens represent 76% (as of 2008) of the American population and the President of the United States, choose to blow off an invitation to National Prayer Day, as well as did not take part in a formal early morning service this past week. Mr. Obama stated that he would be celebrating the day in private prayer.

The first Thursday in May as been set aside for this event since 1952 and the Chair of the National Day of Prayer is Shirley Dobson. Mrs. Dobson stated her group was “disappointed by the lack of participation by the Obama administration.” Referencing a remark the president made at a recent press conference in Turkey that Americans “do not consider themselves a Christian nation,” she added: “That was projecting his own beliefs, but not reflecting what the majority of Americans feel. It is almost like Obama is trying to remake America into his own image. This is not a rejection of Shirley Dobson; it’s a rejection of the concept that America is a spiritual nation and its foundation is Judeo-Christian.”

In years passed when Bill Clinton was in office, the keynote speaker of the National Prayer breakfast was Mother Teresa, a Noble prizewinner, respected by both religious and non-religious alike for her work with the poorest of the poor in India. To Mr. Clinton’s surprise, Mother Teresa used the opportunity to lector him and his administration directly to their face for their anti-abortion policies. Her speech was carried all over the world and was greeted at the breakfast with a standing ovation. (See an unabridged copy of that speech in the link here)

I believe the only two people not standing that day were Mr. and Mrs. Clinton. Something tells me based on Mr. Obama’s recent anti-abortion legislation, it was no coincidence he did not attend. In addition, Obama also passed up the 5th annual National Catholic Prayer breakfast, which took place the following day. So much for reaching out to the opposition! So much for Mr. Obama’s victory speech proclamation in Chicago, “For those who did not support me, I’m your president too’! How was this little fact not carried by any of the major media periodicals? Christians represent three-quarters of the American population, the president breaks with tradition and blows off the National Day of Prayer, states in Turkey that Americans do not consider themselves a Christian nation and not a peep by the press. Shocking or is it???

Obama Calls for Condom Funding to Replace Abstinence Education

The President recommends that Congress eliminate funding for abstinence education and instead pour funds into condoms.

WASHINGTON, D.C., (LifeSiteNews.com) – In President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2010 Proposed Budget, the president recommends that Congress eliminate funding for abstinence education and instead pour funds into condoms and contraceptive-based sex education.

The proposed budget calls for an additional $150 million for contraceptive-only education, which includes competitive grants, research, evaluation and authorization for $50 million in new mandatory condom grants to states, tribes and territories, according to an Abstinence Clearinghouse press release.

The budget eliminates the $133 million set aside for CBAE (Community Based Abstinence Education) and Title V Abstinence Education Program, the two main federal abstinence-education initiatives.

Pregnancy centers and other charitable organizations throughout the country would be among those affected by the elimination of CBAE funds.

“At a time when teens are subjected to an increasingly sexualized culture, it is essential that common-sense legislators from both sides of the aisle reject this extreme attempt to defund the only approach that removes all risk,” said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association.

“Members of Congress would be well-advised to listen to youth and parents in their districts who overwhelmingly support these valuable programs.”

Leslee Unruh, President and Founder of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, said she believed there would be “political backlash” for elected officials if they oppose abstinence education.

February’s Omnibus Appropriations Bill also slashed abstinence program funds to $95 million, $54 million less than previously received.

Christians have always condemned contraceptive sex. Both forms mentioned in the Bible, coitus interruptus and sterilization, are condemned without exception (Gen. 38:9–10, Deut. 23:1). The early Fathers recognized that the purpose of sexual intercourse in natural law is procreation; contraceptive sex, which deliberately blocks that purpose, is a violation of natural law. Every church in Christendom condemned contraception until 1930.

Pope Paul VI predicted grave consequences that would arise from the widespread and unrestrained use of contraception. He warned, “Upright men can even better convince themselves of the solid grounds on which the teaching of the Church in this field is based if they care to reflect upon the consequences of methods of artificially limiting the increase of children. Let them consider, first of all, how wide and easy a road would thus be opened up towards conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality. Not much experience is needed in order to know human weakness, and to understand that men—especially the young, who are so vulnerable on this point—have need of encouragement to be faithful to the moral law, so that they must not be offered some easy means of eluding its observance. It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-conceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and, no longer caring for her physical and psychological equilibrium, may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion” (HV 17).ⁱ Couples who want what’s best for their relationship or future marriage will wait. Beyond their own relationship, premarital sex frequently causes tension within families because of the dishonesty that usually accompanies the hidden intimacies. Relationships with friends are often strained, and when things turn sour, the gossip and social problems often become unbearable.ⁱⁱ Another young person said, “I slept with many, many people trying to find love, to find self-worth. And the more people I slept with the less self-worth I had.”ⁱⁱⁱ

No one can doubt the fulfillment of these prophetic words. They have all been more than fulfilled in this country as a result of the widespread availability of contraceptives, the “free love” movement that started in the 1960s, and the loose sexual morality that it spawned and that continues to pervade Western culture.

Indeed, recent studies reveal a far greater divorce rate in marriages in which contraception is regularly practiced than in those marriages where it is not. Consider how premarital sex can affect relationships. One study showed that the average high school relationship will last only twenty-one days once the couple has sex. Furthermore, couples who sleep together before they are married have a divorce rate three times as high as couples who saved that gift for the wedding night.

One high school girl wrote, “I am sixteen and have already lost my virginity. I truly regret that my first time was with a guy that I didn’t care that much about. Since that first night, he expects sex on every date. When I don’t feel like it, we end up in an argument. I don’t think this guy is in love with me, and I know deep down that I am not in love with him either. This makes me feel cheap. I realize now that this is a very big step in a girl’s life. After you’ve done it, things are never the same. It changes everything.”

Everyone talks about how hard it is to say no, but no one tells you how hard it is when you say yes.

Letter of Catholic leaders to Obama over anti-Catholic Harry Knox

Here is the text of the letter signed by 20 catholic leaders sent to Obama over the outrageous appointment of anti-Catholic bigot Harry Knox to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships:

On April 6, you named Harry Knox to your Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. You claim to have created this Council, among other things, to “bring everyone together – from both the secular and faith-based communities.”

Harry Knox is the hate-filled antithesis of this noble objective. Knox is a virulent anti-Catholic bigot, and has made numerous vile and dishonest attacks against the Church and the Holy Father. He has no business on any Council having to do with faith or religion.

We do not know if you or members of your Administration were aware of Knox’s deplorable, abusive attitude towards the Church and Pope Benedict XVI when you named him to the Council. We assume you were not. But since then, there have been numerous press reports on Knox’s loathsome, and clearly bigoted rhetoric, so there no longer is any excuse for your failure to act. We can remain silent no longer.

As Catholics, we call on you to remove Mr. Knox from his position and to formally disassociate yourself from his militant anti-Catholicism. Failure to do so will result in the tainting of your Faith-Based Council—and indeed, your entire administration—as anti-Catholic. We urge you to give this matter your immediate consideration.

Instances of Harry Knox’s Bigotry

• On March 17, two weeks before his appointment to the advisory council, Knox published a statement on the Human Rights Campaign Web site in reaction to Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks concerning condoms and AIDS in Africa. The statement partly reads: “The Pope’s statement that condoms don’t help control the spread of HIV, but rather condoms increase infection rates, is hurting people in the name of Jesus. …On a continent where millions of people are infected with HIV, it is morally reprehensible to spread such blatant falsehoods. The pope’s rejection of scientifically proven prevention methods is forcing Catholics in Africa to choose between their faith and the health of their entire community. Jesus was about helping the marginalized and downtrodden, not harming them further.”
• In reference to a bishop’s instruction that a lesbian couple in Cheyenne, Wy., could not receive communion at the Catholic Mass, Knox, in an Apr. 6, 2007 statement on the HRC’s Web site, wrote: “In this holy Lenten season, it is immoral and insulting to Jesus to use the body and blood of Christ the reconciler as a weapon to silence free speech and demean the love of a committed, legally married couple.…The Human Rights Campaign grieves with the couple, Leah Vader and Lynn Huskinson, over this act of spiritual and emotional violence perpetrated against them.”
• In reaction to the Vatican’s refusal to sign a U.N. agreement that called for decriminalizing homosexuality and equating all sexual orientations, Knox and the HRC signed a statement with other pro-homosexual groups that read, in part: “As faith leaders we were shocked by Vatican opposition to this proposed initiative….By refusing to sign a basic statement opposing inhumane treatment of LGPT people, the Vatican is sending a message that violence and human rights abuses against LGBT people are acceptable. Many are speaking out against this immoral stance in the name of religion.”
• In March 2009, the HRC launched a new, interactive Web site called EndtheLies.org designed “to confront right-wing lies and distortions repeatedly used to defeat LGBT equality measures.” The wall features an image of Pope Benedict XVI and this statement: “Pope Benedict XVI has called same-sex relationships ‘a destruction of God’s work,’ opposed a U.N. resolution decriminalizing homosexuality, and claimed in March 2009 that the use of condoms increases HIV infections.”
• Mar. 19, 2009: The Bay Area Reporter in San Francisco quoted Knox as following, “The Knights of Columbus do a great deal of good in the name of Jesus Christ, but in this particular case [Proposition 8], they were foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression.
• The newspaper further reported: “Knox noted that the Knights of Columbus ‘followed discredited leaders,’ including bishops and Pope Benedict XVI. ‘A pope who literally today said condoms don’t help in control of AIDS.’”
• Knox told CNSNews.com that he “absolutely” stands by his criticism of the pope. “The Pope needs to start telling the truth about condom use,” Knox said on Monday, Apr. 6. “We are eager to help him do that. Until he [Pope Benedict] is willing to do that and able, he’s doing a great deal more harm than good – not just in Africa but around the world. It is endangering people’s lives.”

What’s next? Is the Obama Administration going to try to pass legislation to throw all practicing Catholics to the lions? One can conclude one of two things based on his slew of recent anti-catholic appointments. Either his staff is not doing their due diligence properly when making selections or they just do not care about the views of the practicing Catholic faithful in America.

“India’s Censor Board has asked that a disclaimer be put in ‘Angels & Demons’ saying the movie is a work of fiction. It has also asked that certain scenes be deleted from the movie. The Board explained its position by saying ‘It has its guidelines and its duty, and if it thinks a film, any film, disparages a religious community or hurts religious feelings, it should take action under its code.’

“The Catholic League would like to see the same disclaimer inserted everywhere the movie is shown. The disclaimer is needed because director Ron Howard, drawing on the book by Dan Brown, is playing both sides of the street: he, and Brown, alternate between promoting their work as fact and fiction. Thus, to set the record straight they need to come clean and do for the rest of the world what they have already agreed to do in India—insert a disclaimer indicating its fictional nature.

“The Catholic League believes that cutting scenes is an infringement on the artistic rights of those associated with the film and therefore does not endorse this approach. But a disclaimer is different: it is nothing more than a variant of truth in advertising.

“India is only two percent Christian. If Sony, the film’s producer, and Howard have no problem putting in a disclaimer in India, they surely should be prepared to do the same wherever the movie is shown. When Sony released ‘The Merchant of Venice’ it opened with a disclaimer condemning anti-Semitism. Howard opened ‘A Beautiful Mind’ with a disclaimer noting how the film contains fictional aspects not found in the book by that name. Catholics, obviously, expect the same degree of respect.

“This is where the rubber meets the road: Howard says he is not anti-Catholic. Let’s see what he says about my request.”

see Catholic League web-site to follow this story: http://www.catholicleague.org/

“India’s Censor Board has asked that a disclaimer be put in ‘Angels & Demons’ saying the movie is a work of fiction. It has also asked that certain scenes be deleted from the movie. The Board explained its position by saying ‘It has its guidelines and its duty, and if it thinks a film, any film, disparages a religious community or hurts religious feelings, it should take action under its code.The Catholic League would like to see the same disclaimer inserted everywhere the movie is shown.

The disclaimer is needed because director Ron Howard, drawing on the book by Dan Brown, is playing both sides of the street: he, and Brown, alternate between promoting their work as fact and fiction. Thus, to set the record straight they need to come clean and do for the rest of the world what they have already agreed to do in India—insert a disclaimer indicating its fictional nature. The Catholic League believes that cutting scenes is an infringement on the artistic rights of those associated with the film and therefore does not endorse this approach. But a disclaimer is different: it is nothing more than a variant of truth in advertising.India is only two percent Christian. If Sony, the film’s producer, and Howard have no problem putting in a disclaimer in India, they surely should be prepared to do the same wherever the movie is shown. When Sony released ‘The Merchant of Venice’ it opened with a disclaimer condemning anti-Semitism. Howard opened ‘A Beautiful Mind’ with a disclaimer noting how the film contains fictional aspects not found in the book by that name. Catholics, obviously, expect the same degree of respect.”

Why would Ron Howard object to this request if Hollywood does not have an agenda behind the debut of this film in the United States? Since the film is admittedly a work of fiction, the United States public should not be mislead into thinking that it is an accurate depiction of the Catholic Church. The same courtesy was given to the Jewish faith, so why shouldn’t Catholics be treated the same way. Its only fair! Then let the public decide if they want to see the film for what it is, FICTION, not some big secret that Hollywood recently uncovered in the Vatican archives.

see Catholic League web-site to follow this story: http://www.catholicleague.org/

Kathleen Sebelius the Right Choice?

“Kathleen Sebelius’ tenure as Kansas’ governor is mired in scandals tied to her relationship with abortionists, from her hand-picked attorney general resigning in a sex-soaked scandal to using her office to benefit a controversial late-term abortionist. Sebelius vetoed every common sense bill to regulate abortion – including safety regulations on clinics to ensure women are not harmed – and held a private party in the governor’s mansion for notorious abortionist George Tiller. Not surprisingly, the number of abortions increased in Kansas during Sebelius’ time as governor,” stated Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA).

Presently, George Tiller faces 19 charges of breaking a state late-term abortion law that requires an unaffiliated, second doctor to confirm that a woman needs a late-term abortion for serious health reasons. According to planned parenthood statistics 48 million abortions were committed since 1973. That figure includes partial birth abortions as well. When I consider that large number, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the unlimited potential of those 48 million lives snuffed out by Roe V Wade. In essence, a generation has been legally wiped out by our court system! Who knows what those babies could have accomplished when they grew up to be adults? The diseases they could have cured, the Olympic records they could have broken, the art that could have been created? During the 2009 Super Bowl, NBC & CNN banned a commercial ad entitled “Life – Imagine the Potential”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

Maybe this ad was banned for the same reason abortion is tolerated in America. It forces our citizens to face a truth that is way to inconvenient for them to face. In the meantime, one child is murdered every 26 seconds in this country. All I can say is this, “Life – Imagine the Potential”.

Opinion: Embryo Stem Cell Research – Why divide the country when there is an alternative?

Although the Catholic Church recognizes that stem-cell research can lead to life-saving medical breakthroughs, the Church has been among the opponents of embryonic research because fertilized eggs are destroyed in the process. But research using amniotic stem cells “doesn’t require harming anyone or destroying life at any stage,” says Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of pro-life activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as reported in The Washington Post.

Phil Gingrey is a Georgia Republican and obstetrician who objects to embryonic stem-cell research. Regarding the news about amniotic stem cells, he says, “We don’t have to split the nation on this if we’ve got an alternative,”

The amniotic stem-cell study performed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine was hailed for scientific reasons, too. The study found that both embryonic and amniotic stem cells have the ability to grow into many types of tissues.

Anthony Atala, leader of the Wake Forest study, says if 100,000 women donated their amniotic cells to a “bank” for storage, there would be enough genetic diversity to provide immunologically compatible tissues for virtually everyone in the United States, The Washington Post reports. Since these cells can be found in amniotic fluid as well as in the placenta, Atala says it wouldn’t take long to collect 100,000 specimens.

In addition to amniotic cells being easy to retrieve during routine prenatal testing, they are easier to maintain in lab dishes than embryonic cells.

In December 2008, the United States Catholic Bishops conference addressed a central question on this matter. I will conclude with both the question posed and the answer given. Do the cautions or negative judgments on such developments indicate a suspicious attitude toward modern biotechnology in general? On the contrary, the document says that in making use of these new technological powers the human being “participates in the creative power of God” and acts as “the steward of the value and intrinsic beauty of creation.” It is because this power carries with it great responsibility that we must never misuse technology to demean human dignity, but always to serve the value and dignity of every person without exception. Misuse of genetic technology may make possible new forms of discrimination and oppression of the weak by the strong, in which some human beings exert ultimate control over others – creating and destroying them for supposed benefit to others, manipulating them to make the “better” human being, or denying them their most fundamental rights because they do not measure up to someone’s standard for human perfection. Because science and technology have a great potential for doing both good and evil, they must be guided by an ethic grounded in human dignity.

For more information on the Catholic Church’s position on ethical issues arising from biomedical research, see the below link:

Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of a Person)

With all the issues that seem to divide this country currently, why would President Obama side with embryonic stem cell research when there is an alternative which would ultimately have the same result? I seem to remember when Mr. Obama was giving his victory speech in Chicago, he said, “And for those of you who did not support me, I’m your president too” This seems to me to be the very issue that could apply to his claim. Its a win / win for both sides. Instead, the promises of “Hope” for the unborn go unheard once again and the culture of death grows and grows!

“The financial penalty resulting from the decision to honor the most pro-abortion president in our nation’s history will be enormous.”

Read the story here: http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33372

Thoughts?

All joking aside, atheists have a right to “not believe” just as much as Christians, Jews, and Muslims have a right to “believe” in this country. However, unlike the European Union, which is a secular democracy, the United States of America is a Republic founded in Judeo-Christian beliefs. To prove my point just look at each states Constitution.  Every preamble contains the word God in the first sentence. In addition, when Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America, Mr.Obama placed his right hand on the Bible. In fact, it was the same Bible Abraham Lincoln placed his hand on when he was sworn in as the 16th president in 1861.

I have no problem with atheists, let me make myself clear. In fact, I feel sorry for them. They are children of God too, they just have not realized it yet, and I sincerely pray they do. The problem I do have is when atheists try to take God out of the equation for the rest of us just because they do not believe. For example, during the month of December when its Christmas time, as well Hanukah for our Jewish brothers and sisters, do not tell me I can not recognize the season by stating Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah! Like I said earlier, I have no problem with the fact that you are an atheist, but don’t you dare tell me I can’t be a Christian because you say its offensive to you. Presently there is a mainstream movement that is pushing the culture towards this idea that religion should be completely pushed out of the American lexicon altogether. Its ironic because one of the main reason’s why the United States was formed by our Founding Fathers was because of religious persecution. It was so important to them in fact that the first amendment begins with the freedom of religion for all.

I think in the year 2009, the United States of America is at a crossroads. This is not necessarily a Democratic or Republican crossroad either. Its time for us to take a good hard look at how we are living and the set of priorities we are establishing for the next generation. Our current President has made the claim that we have to build a culture on “solid rock and not sand”, which by the way is another reference to our Judeo-Christian beliefs due to the fact that the reference itself comes from the book of Matthew in the Bible. I completely agree with Mr. Obama, however, the solid rock foundation the president is referring to better be more then just a charming personality and a big smile.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

In 1864, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which placed “In God We Trust” on our currency. According to a 2003 Gallup poll, 90% of the United States approves of this inscription. When we start allowing the minority of the population of this country belonging to the “Church of the Spaghetti Monster” to start dictating its terms to the rest of us, our country will be truly headed for the greatest crash in its history. Maybe then the New York Times will find something more relevant to report on. I can see the headline now, “Lady Liberty kneels down at the alter of pasta and her torch lighting our way goes out for good”!

Some reported post-abortion symptoms:

• Depression
• Guilt
• Intense grief / sadness
• Anger / rage
• Emotional numbness
• Eating disorders
• Lowered self esteem
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Nightmares and sleep disturbances
• Difficulty with relationships
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Fear / ambivalence of pregnancy

Rachael’s Vineyard is an organization within the Catholic Church, which helps women who have had abortions heal emotionally. A good resource indeed.

The woman in the landmark Roe V Wade case in 1973, Norma McCorvey, is now pro-life and regrets her abortion. Mrs. McCorvey has become outspoken against abortion.

Some other pro-life thoughts:

Madonna – “I was stunned when I saw on the ultrasound a tiny, living creature spinning around in my womb. Tap-dancing, I think. Waving its tiny arms around and trying to suck its thumb. I could have sworn I heard it laughing.” - (“World Magazine” December, 1996)

Brooke Shields, Actress and Supermodel: “Too many people use abortion as a form of birth control. And that’s very wrong. I could never, ever have an abortion.” (Source: Redbook Magazine, 8/91)

Eric Clapton: Musician: “It sounds strange for me to be saying this, but I’ve come around to the idea that sex really is for procreation.”(Source: You! Magazine, 8/95)