Fr. Joseph Jenkins
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Advocates for assisted suicide will surely try again in the future, even as the limits of “comfort care” are tested in certain hospitals. Stay alert! (CLICK the picture to read the article.)
Filed under: Catholic, Commandments, Links, Morality, News, Politics, Pro-Life, Right to Life, Sin, Social Justice | Leave a comment »
Former president of APA says organization controlled by ‘gay rights’ movement
Further support for a new organization to bypass the APA’s liberalism. I suspect a similar problem infects the NEA. The politicization of America continues.
Iconic science fiction writer Ray Bradbury dies at 91
We have lost a great author and a dreamer of dreams. He and his stories meant a lot to me; this is like losing piece of one’s soul. He was not just another science fiction writer; he was a great short story author and an insightful authority on the human condition. Rest in peace.
Head injury turns man into musical savant
Okay, I never thought I would say this but, somebody, hit me in the head!
Same-sex ceremony on Army post draws fire
Here it comes. There is trouble ahead.
Greatest Church Soon To Be Mega Mosque?
Instead of apologies for stealing Christianity’s greatest church, there are just threats. Can there really be dialogue and cooperation with growing militant Islam?
Tunisian Muslims sever the head of convert to Christianity
“Dear God, we ask you to remember your servant who refused to deny you, even at the cost of his life. Rest in peace.” This happens at a time when the State Department has expunged the section on religious liberty in its world status report. What does it mean? We are next, take courage and keep the faith.
Filed under: Links, News, Obituary | Leave a comment »
Snake-handling preacher dies from rattlesnake bite in West Virginia
He handed the snake to a parishioner and then his mother, sat down and got bitten. He died so I guess he did not really believe after all. Death is always a real possibility. I bit a snake one time, and sure enough it died. Now let all us saved folks go out and play with recluse spiders, agitated pit bulls, and murderous drugged out skinheads… while holding snakes, of course! Where’s the tasty poison?
The Church is mounting its most massive civil-religious rights campaign since the 1950’s and 60’s.
Awful woman sentenced to jail for viral racist rant
Offensive for sure, but jail time? Was it because she might have caused a riot on the subway, endangering lives (like crying fire in a crowded theater)? Or is it just a case of limiting speech that we find repugnant? I would give the devil his rights under law, knowing that such would safeguard my rights.
Teen wins right to wear ‘Jesus Is Not a Homophobe’ T-shirt to school
Does this mean that kids are also free to wear pro-life and traditional marriage shirts? I tend to doubt it.
Evangelicals respond to Catholic lawsuits: ‘We are all Catholic now’
There are so many frightening issues facing us: government incursions against religious liberty, the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex unions (polygamy will be next), the arming of robotic drones over American cities, the squeeze against tax-exemption for religious institutions, etc. We have to keep our heads about us but it is a dangerous time. What hurts the most is that many of those targeting our values are supposed to be Catholics. We must keep praying for the Church and our Country. Instead of hateful rhetoric, we should also pray for the President and his administration. The litigation, signature campaigns and other activism is necessary; but, I hope civility can be preserved.
Romney Pharmaceutical Chief’s Fundraiser Doesn’t Seem to Faze Pro-Lifers
Where do pro-lifers turn when both Democrats and Republicans resort to blood-money? It makes me weep.
Filed under: Links, News | 2 Comments »
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism.html
The PATHEOS portal advertises itself as “hosting the conversation of faith,” however— it does more than this, it seeks to reframe and/or to delineate religious truth. While several good Catholic blogs are hosted; it seeks neutrality with other religious or non-religious systems that is not possible without compromise and contradiction. For instance, while admitting that Catholicism “traces its history to Jesus of Nazareth,” which it defines as merely an “itinerant preacher,” the quick facts given stipulate the following:
While the nomenclature of “Roman Catholic” and “Pope” develops over time, the Church is directly instituted by Jesus Christ, God-made-man. The apostles were bishop-priests. There was no generic first and second century Christianity. Those who accepted Christ in faith and baptism were Catholic Christians. All the apostles and disciples were Catholic. The Virgin Mary was a Catholic. Jesus calls Simon ROCK or Peter and says that he will build his Church on this ROCK. He gives Peter the keys to the kingdom and universal jurisdiction as his visible shepherd. While there is certainly development, all the important elements go back to Christ and the apostles. Anti-Catholic critics have long contended for the late institution of the Church. Revisionist Catholics, even in academia, spout similar nonsense. These are not credible historians, no matter what alphabet soup follows their names. It seems to me that while individual voices at PATHEOS are orthodox, the site is tainted by a religious relativism that spills over into the section about Catholicism. Might this represent the wrong type of ecumenism about which Pope Benedict XVI has warned us? I think so. There is no sense of the supernatural nature of Mother Church. Dissenting voices are given as much legitimacy as those which speak the truth. There is no imprimatur or protection to insure against misleading statements. Attempting to appease many authorities, there is a definite religious indifferentism and denominationalism. Both are contrary to Catholic teaching and are affronts to the truth.
Mark Shea has a good article on his blog (hosted at PATHEOS) entitled, “Why it’s Our Ruling Class vs. the Rest of Us.” It alerts us to media consolidation and control of information, even religious information. I did not even know that PATHEOS existed until after I looked at the post and had my eye drawn away to the ads and links. I found it very unsettling and confusing. I hope over time the problems can be fixed, but I fear a continuing tension and struggle over what is or is not genuine Catholicism.
Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Apostles, Bishops, Catholic, Church, Evangelization, Faith, Links, Magisterium, Patheos, Pope, Priests, Religion | 4 Comments »
‘Exorcist’ Author, Georgetown Alumni Preparing Canon Lawsuit
Maybe it is time to exorcise Georgetown University?
White House Appends Obama Policies to Online Presidential Biographies
Ah, boys and girls, things are heating up! I wish the stakes were not so high, I used to find political campaigns rather entertaining. Remember, this is the U.S., we have the best politicians that money can buy! (Of course, as a priest I have to settle for the sidelines and my own confidential vote, in the great state of Moretaxesland.)
Obama’s literary agent says he was ‘born in Kenya’. How did the mainstream media miss this?
Five other sites with this story locked up my computer. Is this cyber sabotage to kill the story? Ah, pleeeease, tell me the conspiracy nuts are not right! The question of birth aside, why would he allow a personal and professional booklet to be published that listed the false place of birth? I can’t say… but I still think there are more important issues during this election season.
Rome to US Eastern Catholics: New Priests Should “Embrace Celibacy”
I suspect what we shall see is a better enforcement of the celibacy rule for Eastern Catholic priests working in the United States and Canada. The allowance for individual exceptions, as with the new personal prelature for Anglican-Catholics, will probably have to be approved directly by the Pope. This is as it should be. Clerical celibacy will remain the norm in the West and for those Eastern churches joining us in the New World.
It begins: Catholic university drops all health-insurance coverage in response to HHS mandate
The administration’s plan is beginning to backfire and the kids will be hurt. But the matter of religious liberty is not negotiable. Collaboration is mortal sin. We Will Not Comply!
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AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC PRIEST SECRETLY MARRIED A YEAR
Given the impediment of holy orders, he may have attempted marriage but in truth he has merely excommunicated himself and endangered the soul of the woman he says he loves. He seems oblivious of the fact that he will not be celebrating Mass this Sunday and that his days as a Catholic pastor have ended forever. The discipline of the Church will not be changed by the commission of mortal sin. Indeed, if the rule of celibacy is ever changed, there will be no retroactive element for those men who broke their promises. Goodbye sir, and don’t let the church door hit you in the butt on the way out!
IRISH GOVERNMENT THREATENS SEAL OF CONFESSION
A knee-jerk answer to evil is not the answer. I was party to the removal of a priest many years ago who only suggested that he would break the seal in such cases. More than excommunicated, a priest who breaks the seal is damned. Priests would sooner be put to death before violating this sacred trust in the sacrament of penance. We all want to protect our children, but destroying the Church and the ministry of reconciliation is not the answer.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHER SUES CHURCH FOR FIRING OVER IVF
Here comes another salvo against the Church’s religious liberty! It is one thing after another… how dare you withhold communion to a Buddhist and Lesbian… how dare you not pay for abortifacients and artificial contraception… how dare you discriminate and resist same-sex marriages… how dare you oppose IVF and measures which treat a child like a commodity… how dare you expect teachers in Catholic schools to witness the values of the Catholic faith and the right to life! There is plenty of sympathy for the other side, but the rhetoric against the Church in the media and from groups that hate real Catholicism is brutal.
CROSSES BANNED IN UK WORK PLACES
The attack on religious liberty is not just an issue in the U.S., but globally. Here is a story about the UK where the wearing of a simple cross is being outlawed.
Filed under: Links, News | 6 Comments »
Parents Reject Baby Girl, Want a Boy Instead
I vote that this selfish, sick couple receive NEITHER child. Their little girl should be adopted out to a couple that will love and cherish her. Every year there are around 11 million abortions in India and most of these poor babies are female. It got so bad that sex-selection tests were recently outlawed.
Man Who Became Woman Competes in Miss Canada
Okay, what is next? DNA tests for applicants for the seminary and priesthood to insure male gender? She was born a boy. Her DNA says she is male. But surgery and hormone therapy gave her the outward appearance of a female. This reminds me of the silliness on Oprah a few years ago about a man having a baby. It was not a man but a woman altered to look like a man (with her reproductive organs still intact). As for the Olympics, is it fair that so-called women can now compete even though they may have muscles which reflect their true male biological identity? I may imagine myself as a gazelle, but no wishful thinking will make me one. Oh well, this is all just a new variation on the secular lie that “you can be anything you want to be.” We are not the final arbiters; rather it is nature and it’s God.
Okay, maybe you can be what you want to be? My back hurts just watching her. Amazing!
Choking Dog Dials Emergency Services
My cat would have eaten through the cord, called pizza delivery and have bitten the delivery boy! But this news story is not bad… the dog dialed emergency services on a rotary phone. They still make rotary phones?
The Soap Sisters of New Jersey
Go, Sisters, go! Contemplative and practical, great!
Cardinal Dolan, Right Man in the Right Place
Cardinal Dolan is the right man in the right place at the right time.
Anti-Catholicism in Politics & Against Santorum
Not funny, just anti-Catholic bigotry in the Huffington Post.
9 Year Old Gives Birth in China
Somebody should go to jail! And yet this is not even the youngest. A five year old child gave birth in Peru back in 1939.
Vatican Approves a Blessing of the Unborn Child
Excellent!
Filed under: Links | Leave a comment »
Much of our religious inheritance is available online:
Filed under: Links | 3 Comments »
THE PEACE OF MARY OR ROAD RAGE?
‘Our Lady’ Seeks To Curb Road Rage On 95
wamu.org – On the side of Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, travelers zooming down the highway toward the Delaware border may catch a glimpse of a shrine to “Our Lady of the Highways.”
PROFITS OR PROPHECY & FAITH?
Black Friday: Thousands petition Target to ‘Save Thanksgiving’
latimesblogs.latimes.com – Target is the target of an online petition urging them to resist the urge to open the doors earlier than ever this year — midnight — in a bid to compete for scarce holiday dollars.
Lots of stores are beginning Black Friday sales at midnight on Thanksgiving Day and Walmart is opening its doors at 10 PM. Just as with Sunday business hours, workers miss church services and family time because of the demands of work. Convenience for consumers is stripping God of his due and damaging the rights of people compelled to work all week long. Days of rest and the sabbath should be respected. Maybe it is time to restore the blue laws? When I was a boy, employment was limited on Sundays… mostly a few drug stores and police/fire/emergency services. Was it really so bad?
How much do you want to bet that there will be a lot more people lined up for Black Friday sales in the stores than there were for Thanksgiving Day Mass at church?
An estimated 152 million of the US population of 312 million (which includes babies and the infirmed) are estimated to take advantage of Black Friday. Goodness, I think I really was the only one who stayed home. The news said that electronic items were big sellers. $200 notebook computers and $200 40 inch tvs. I think Target or Walmart offered a 50 plus inch tv for $400. If they can still make a profit, how much scalping was going on earlier? Happy Holidays everybody, oops, I mean have a joyous and holy Advent and Christmas!
ARE WE ASHAMED OF CHRIST?
Cross removed at base in Afghanistan
http://www.politico.com – The incident has prompted outrage from some American service members stationed there.
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody… and never forget the one who is the object of our prayerful thanks!
THE YOUTH ARE OUR HOPE OF TOMORROW?
Flash mob in Silver Spring ROB 7-Eleven: 50 teens storm convenience store in Maryland
http://www.dailymail.co.uk – A group of about 50 teenagers stormed the convenience store in Silver Spring, Maryland at around 11.20pm this past Saturday, the second such incident in recent months.
50 teens robbing a Silver Spring convenience store makes international news… ah, our youth… the hope of tomorrow? Bah humbug! (In declaring war against God and religion, our society has also failed to transmit meaningful values and virtue!)
Filed under: Links | 2 Comments »
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