More Info On the Would-Be Detroit Bomber

I heard on the radio today that Robert Gibbs said that there were over 500,000 names on the terrorist list, as if that were an excuse.  It doesn't take a computer that long to scan through a file of that size.  However, let's say, just for argument's sake, that Gibbs was right.  Were there other clues that might have tipped off the security people that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a threat?  Let's see..

1. His father, a high-ranking Nigerian official who suspected his son's radical proclivities, called the local American embassy to warn them.  Should that have raised red flags?
2. He paid for his ticket with cash.  For most sane people, alarm bells would have sounded loudly; why not in this case?
3. His ticket was "one-way".  That is a classic sign of a potential threat.
4. He had no luggage.  Why did that not raise suspicions?

Items 2-4 above suggest that Abdulmutallab was a fairly stupid individual, and that might be why his fellow passengers are alive today.  Unfortunately, Homeland Security and its partner agencies were equally brain-dead, if not more so.

So now that we see how our Federal tax dollars were hard(ly) at work with regards to security, can we just imagine this joyous scenario that will most assuredly occur should the Hell Bill pass?  Let's say we have a government-appointed doctor who examines a patient..

Doctor:  "Good morning.  What are your symptoms?"
Patient: "I'm short of breath.  I have a tightness in my chest and pains going down my left arm and up my jaw."
Doctor: "Indigestion.  If that doesn't work, call the goverment office next week and maybe you can be seen in a month or so."
Patient never calls because he drops dead from another heart attack the next day.

Yep!  That's coming soon to a family near you if this mess passes!   Hello, USCCB and MCC - are you awake yet??

Homeland Security - Hard(ly) Working to Keep You Safe!

By now we're all aware of the Christmas-day miracle that thwarted a bombing attempt of Northwest Airlines Flight 253.  The would-be perpetrator, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was already on a terrorist watch list - yet he was allowed to board.

Not to worry, though! Our intrepid administration of Hope and Change was on the job!  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured us, "The whole process of making sure that we respond properly, correctly and effectively went very smoothly.. That's part of what I keep saying, is security is everybody's responsibility.  The passengers and the flight crew deserve our praise, and the system went into full alert mode leaning forward, literally, within minutes, an hour of the incident occurring in the air."

Got that?  The system went into full alert mode after the incident.  Golly-gee-whiz!  Isn't it supposed to go into alert before these incidents occur?  Later on, Napolitano conceded that the security goofed bigtime.

Of course, the Obama administration quickly "reassured" us all that it is not part of a terrorist plot - even though Abdulmutallab claims Al Qaeda affiliation.  Amazing, isn't it, that they immediately know that's the case?  They had that same kind of "reassurance" right after the Fort Hood massacre.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are the same people who want to take over your health care!  Now that we have yet another example of their complete incompetence, do we want to put our lives into their hands?

Catholic Conferences Have Strange "Social Justice" Ideas

Our friends at "A Washington DC Catholic" posed some excellent questions on December 23rd that merit repetition and elaboration.  As mentioned before in my own postings, one can easily get the impression that the Obama Hell Bill will be just peachy-keen with both the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Maryland Catholic Conference if only the abortion funding provisions were eliminated.  Assuming that such elimination were to occur, let's examine other troubling aspects about the Hell Bill.

1. The Death Panel provision (Independent Medicare Advisory Board) is intact in the Senate version that just passed.    Oh, by the way.  Language in this bill attempts to make it illegal for future Congresses to repeal it.  Here's HR 3590; see it on page 1020.  Do the USCCB and MCC believe that this panel constitutes Catholic social justice?
2. The Hell Bill renders it mandatory for each citizen to purchase health insurance.  The Senate version levies fines of $750/person.  The House bill goes so far as to broach the possibility of imprisonment.  Do the USCCB and MCC believe that such draconian imposition of health care purchase on pain of criminal penalties constitutes proper Catholic social justice?
3. Taxes (17 of them!) abound in this monstrosity.  They include:
1. A new "marriage penalty tax" on couples earning more than $50,000
2. Increase in the Medicare tax rate from 1.45% to 1.95%.  Again, how does this comport with Catholic social teaching?
4. Go to page 569-585 of the monstrosity and notice that those deemed to be in high-risk areas may be subject to "home visitations".  USCCB and MCC, is this Catholic social teaching, or is this the Gestapo?

I urge all, particularly those ensconced within the bureaucracies of the USCCB and MCC (and other state conferences) to watch the video below from RealCatholicTV.



I don't completely share Voris's bleak opinion at this point, simply because the legislative fight is far from over.  However, we are close to the precipice, thanks in no small part to the socialistic proclivities of the various Catholic Conferences.

Christmas Greetings for Everyone!

To All The Liberals/Atheists and PC-Brainlocked Lackeys Who Watch this Blog:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society
have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country
nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Christian/Conservative/Independent Thinking Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

USCCB & State Catholic Conferences - Dupes of the Cloward-Piven Strategy

We first have to understand just what is the Cloward-Piven Strategy.  I direct you to a December 14th article, "Cloward-Piven Strategy (CPS)" .  I urge its careful study, as I think this helps to connect many dots.  This strategy is the brainchild of two sociology professors from Columbia University: Richard Clowen and Frances Piven.  Not surprisingly, they acknowledge Saul Alinsky as an inspiration.

They were revolutionaries who contrived to recruit poor people by pretending to help them materially.  Their objective was to overwhelm the welfare system and other social service structures so as to cause massive unrest and social upheaval.  Again, I urge you to read this for yourselves.

The sane person will realize that the Obama Hell Bill might very well be intended to be one of those Trojan Horse programs detailed in the article.  It is being ballyhooed as the healthcare salvation of the lower classes.  Of course, this Hell Bill will lead to the ultimate destruction of the American health care system.  No doubt that will cause significant unrest, perhaps leading to violence.  Is that the ultimate aim?  Remember who sits in the White House, with his radical ties, who sat in the church of Jeremiah Wright as the latter screamed, "God damn America!"



So who are some of the dupes helping to wheel that Trojan Horse into our society?  I have described in earlier posts that the USCCB is one of them.  Now I must point out that the Maryland Catholic Conference has swigged down that stupifying koolaid.  I received today an email from their Catholic Advocacy Network, entitled "Tell Senate not to move health care bill forward until it is morally acceptable"   The action it urges at the bottom is "Please click the "take action" link in the top right corner of the page to urge our U.S. senators not to move the health care reform bill forward until its fundamental flaws are corrected and urge them that if those changes are not made, the bill should be opposed." (italics mine)

In other words, up until now, they haven't been opposing it, but merely have been trying to put the proverbial lipstick on the rattlesnake.  The fact is that many in these "Catholic Conferences" are infatuated with socialism, in disobedience to Pope Pius XI.  I had occasion, two years ago, to write "Marxist Influence in Writings of Maryland Catholic Conference".   In it, I link to a very strange statement that appears on the MCC website.  Note the timing of that statement in relation to one of the biggest tax hikes in Maryland's history.

I know there are some who might suggest that I'm being uncharitable in calling the USCCB and the MCC "dupes" for supporting the Obama Hell Bill.  In truth though, the use of the term "dupes" is the charitable path.  The fact is, if the USCCB and MCC aren't being blinded by gross stupidity, then in all likelihood they are being motivated by something quite sinister.

The USCCB STILL Doesn't Get It!

According to this press release that the USCCB announced in the wake of the recent Senate vote, they believe that "essential changes are needed before moving forward".

Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, please sit down and read this closely.  The only direction in which this health reform nonsense should be heading is straight towards hell.  The only "essential change" that will suffice is shredding.  Socialized medicine will not work.  It will not bring health care to the needy; it will simply make us all equally needy and craven.  Please, for heaven's sake, wake up!

Guess Who Pooh-Poohed the Population Control Myth?

Granted it was over 30 years ago, but you may not believe it, given their liberal proclivities.



Note how Lennon rightly rebuked those who think they can decide who lives and who doesn't.

USCCB an Accomplice to Hell Care Bill - And We Should Be Silent??

When I first started this blog three months ago, a colleague suggested that I keep posts to 200 words or less.  Given the complexity of this topic, I may not be able to implement that suggestion in this post.  However, I ask you to bear with it and follow along.  The topic is crucial and calls for more than just a perfunctory treatment.

On page 7 of the December 17th issue of the Catholic Standard is a column by Archbishop Wuerl ("Believing What the Church Believes") speaking on the bishops and their authority.  As I read the last four paragraphs of the article, I wonder if this article runs afoul of the canonical rights and responsibilities that are proper to the laity.  The following is one quote that caused me to raise my eyebrows:

"Yet, when it comes to matters of faith and morals, when it comes to giving necessary practical prudential guidance, it is the responsibility of the bishops to lead. It is also the responsibility of the clergy and faithful to recognize that leadership."  I've no problem whatsover when it comes to giving obedience to the bishops regarding faith and morals when they teach in union with the Holy Father; the Magisterium has always taught that.  However, when it comes to matters of prudential matters, even the Magisterium recognizes that these are matters over which good Catholics can (and often do) disagree.  There seems to be an overlooking of the rights of faithful laity to their legitimate opinions, particularly in matters regarded as secular - such as the health care debate being waged in Washington at this very moment.

In the last paragraph, His Excellency comments on the oath uttered by the newly-installed pastor to the Pope and College of Bishops, he states "so should every member of the faithful make the same profession. We are called to adhere with an internal acceptance to what the Church teaches because it is the Spirit guiding the teachers of the Church, the bishops, in their proclamation of the faith."  Some care might be required here, lest there be confusion between the "College of Bishops" and the "United States Conference of Catholic Bishops".  I don't know if these two terms are meant to be used interchangably, but if they are, the expectation of obedience of the laity to the USCCB is frought with many problems.

It has been demonstrated on this blog, by the writings of the Catholic Media Coalition and others that the USCCB's leadership has shown dangerous predelictions towards quasi-socialistic goals for society.  Previous entries on this blog and those of like-minded blogs have documented quite extensively that the USCCB's so-called "charitable arm", the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, have funded dangerous socialistic, atheistic and pro-abortion "community-organizing" groups that have helped the most pro-abortion politiican in US history, Barack Hussein Obama, ascend to the White House.

As a corollary to Obama's seizure of the White House, he also wants to grab control of the health care of each and every person in this nation and bring it under draconian governmental control.  And yes, it will allow for unfettered abortion.  Sadly, but not surprisingly, the USCCB supports the Hell Bill, sans abortion funding.  They state that if the abortion mandates are removed, that this health bill will be in compliance with Catholic social teaching.  See my previous post on that.  I also posted on the Maryland Catholic Conference and their trolling for the Hell Bill.

Two excellent articles have been written on this topic and I'll now link to them.  One, posted on the website of the Catholic Media Coalition, is entitled, "For Whom Does the USCCB Speak in the Health Care Reform Debate?"  The other is entitled, "Subsidiarity: Where Justice and Freedom Coexist".  Both are worthy of thoughtful study.

Both of these authors emphasize the need to understand the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.  They point out correctly that those wielding power in the USCCB hold this fundamental principle in contempt.  The first article quotes from 1 Samuel 8:10-18.  I urge you to read it, as it states quite clearly God's displeasure with centralized government, as often that government usurps His role in society.  Our Founding Fathers understood it.  However, as we have rushed towards abandonmnet of God and of Christian morals (particularly in matters of life and sexual ethics), we have looked to the government to be our task-masters.  We have become morally weak and flabby and crave a "nanny" to care for our needs in our laziness.  As history tries to teach us, there will always be some smooth-talking tyrant who is all-too-willing to oblige such a deadly request.

The author of the second article states where a Catholic News Service (a branch of the USCCB) columnist twisted the principle of subsidiarty with this quote:"The Church’s teaching of subsidiarity insists that higher levels of government and social organizations must take action and do what individuals and smaller groups cannot do for themselves." Of course that's not true.  I remember having an almost identical conversation with a staffer at the Maryland Catholic Conference, where he flat out pooh-poohed the principle of subsidiarity.  He has since moved on to the USCCB; I don't know if he is still there.  At any rate, have you noticed that "advocacy for the poor", at least in the eyes of these socialism-adoring "Catholic" agencies really means badgering the government to throw money at whatever the concern may be? 

That's exactly what the USCCB is attempting to do with the Hell Bill - to take our money and throw it towards the government, ostensibly to solve a problem.  In reality, they are turning a blind eye to the babies and to the elderly and other vulnerable individuals who will be killed outright or have their care rationed away from them.

I'll close this with anothe quote from the first article, which in turn is a quote from Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville: “A man’s admiration for absolute government is proportionate to the contempt he feels for those around him.”   That does sum up the USCCB's attitude towards us.  They've even gone so far as to attack Rush Limbaugh for speaking out against liberal malfeasances (read my earlier post).

I think it's way past time to dismantle the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black?

During the hearings at the Montgomery County Council on December 1st, we kept hearing from those who favor the de facto strangulation of the crisis pregnancy centers their "concerns" about the status of the cpcs.  They seem very intent on emphasizing that cpcs are "non-medical".  Please watch some of the clips in earlier postings to observe.

I do recommend that you review closely the testimony of Elisabeth Sowecke that was posted last Saturday.  I posted that testimony in its entirety.  In light of the almost perjorative usage of the term "non-medical" to describe the cpcs, I do find some pieces of Ms. Sowecke's testimony to be rather curious.  Listen closely to these excerpts.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



She states that it is her "duty to provide patients with accurate information".  Well, isn't that what the volunteers of the cpcs do?  Obviously there are differing opinions as to what constitutes "accurate information".  Now what are her qualifications for offering this "information"?

She states that patients trust her word as a "health care professional".  Now here is where questions start to arise.  What constitutes a "health care professional"?  An online search of official state licensing boards will make evident that Ms. Sowecke has no medical license, nor is she licensed as a social worker, nor a psychologist.   Moreover, a resume that she posted on Linkedin does not indicate any license.  In fact, it does not indicate any preparation for a career in a medical setting.  According to the resume, the highest degree she seems to have attained is a bachelor's in creative writing and fines arts.  That's nice, but how would that qualify her to assume the mantle of "health care professional"?

It seems safe to assume that she may have undergone some "on-the-job" or inservice training, either at Potomac Family Planning or at one of her previous pro-abortion jobs.  In other words, it does not appear that she has had any more training than the average cpc volunteer.  We heard quite a bit from the directors of the cpcs (all four testified) of the extensive training that they require of their volunteers.

Now contemplate this.  Ms. Sowecke, who apparently has had no professional education leading to licensure is holding herself out as a "health care professional".  Yet she joins the gaggle of those who sit in derision over the cpc and their volunteers - some who have had professional training!  Does pro-abortion arrogance know no bounds?

Another Georgetown Dissident Priest

As the DC City Council was getting ready to legalize same-sex "marriage" (it's in quotes because same-sex unions are NOT marriage, despite what secular governments say).   Father Joseph Palacios, a Georgetown University sociology professor joined DC Clergy United for a rally in support of the messure.  I refer you to the article and will note below some logical fallacies in some of his statements.

He likens his own homosexual orientation to his Latino ethnicity.  That's flat wrong.  The Magisterium plainly teaches that the homosexual orientation is intrinsically disordered and is sinful if one acts upon it.  Father states that he is celibate.  Be that as it may, he does advocate for the promulgation of the gay lifestyle.  That is inherently sinful.

He also states that he opposes the stance of the Archdiocese of Washington on this whole mess.  That stance?  It's merely to request that individuals and private business owners be free to refuse goods and services related to same-sex "weddings".  As far as I'm concerned, that stance is rather wimpy.  However, even that doesn't pass the rarified muster of this dissident.

However, as they say, "a broken clock is right at least twice a day".  One statement of his merits close examination. He says, "And it actually doesn't help the church accept dollars for its services. i'm of the generation that lived in the church where everything was separate. Now we're so dependent on the government that Catholics don't have to practice charity". 

His last sentence is spot-on correct.  We Catholics are called upon to practice the works of mercy - both corporal and spiritual.  Matthew 24 and 25 seem to indicate that the Catholic who fails to do so may not attain eternal salvation.  The practice of charity cannot be "subcontracted" out, as it were.  It's not sufficient to chuck a few dollars into the collection basket for the Catholic Charities collection and to think that your charitable obligations are satisfied in some sort of surrogate fashion.  Each of us must get off our duffs, roll up our sleeves, step out of our comfort zones and perform these salvific works. 

The collection basket, though, cannot pass us by.  It is we who must financially support the Church's charitable works.  The Church simply must stop collecting monies from the government.  Else, it becomes a de facto participant in socialistic income redistribution, as it becomes just one more piglet attached to some governmental teet.  Such governmental largesse comes with plenty of strings attached, such as discouragement from preachin on matters of life and sexual ethics. 

Of course, before we fill the collection basket, we scrutinize it carefully.  As we saw last month (and the preceding months to that), the CCHD collection continues to funds organizations harmful to the Church and to the Culture of Life.

As a start to cutting the governmental tethers, our bishops must start to discipline the colleges within their boundaries.  That includes Father Palacios and Georgetown University here, Notre Dame in South Bend, etc.

And Now, A Song! In Honor of the Messiah Most Miserable and Minions!

My fellow blogger at Les Femmes posted last month about school children chanting the praises of Barack HUSSEIN Obama.  I suggest that you read it.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's not be "right-wing zealots" about this!  Let's dispense with this, this, hate speech!  Golly gee, now I feel that I must atone for such negativity!  Therefore, let me offer my own humble contribution to the education of our children regarding the wonder of what's sitting in the White House at this moment.  This little jingle that I concocted can be sung to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm".  So grab the kiddies and sing along!

Obama says we're all victims.
We need Hope and Change!
We Great Unwashed obey the word
Of the Dopes Deranged!

We are victims here, they are victims there.
Here a victim, there a victim, everyone's a victim!
Liberals we will adore,
'Cause they're the Dopes Deranged!

There, now!  I hope that, in some small part, makes up for all that mean-spirited right-wing talk.  You folks at the National Education Association better put this in your pipelines and cram this educational masterpiece into the brains of the children in your charge -right now!

Be Careful Whom You Cite as Reliable Sources

Three posts down (posted two days ago), we watched the testimony of Elisabeth Sowecke of the Potomac Family Planning Center.  Perhaps you'll recall how we chuckled when she cited the National Abortion Federation as an authority to debunk the harm done to women by abortion.  You may also recall from other news sources that an abortion mill in Englewood New Jersey, Metropolitan Medical Associates settled a lawsuit brought against them for a botched abortion.  The settlement amount was $1.9 million; the woman had suffered massive hemorrhaging, stroke, coma and hysterectomy.  She nearly died.  State inspectors, after the incident, found dirty forceps, rusty crochet hooks and red "dirt" under an examination table.  Lovely!  Oh, by the way - this abortuary is affiliate with - you guessed it! - the National Abortion Federation.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, in 2006 bought a vacated abortion facility that had also been associated with the NAF.  Blood-stained carpets and roach infestation were just a few of the goodies that the abortionists left behind for Newman et al to clean up.

So much for the "credibility" of the National Abortion Federation!

Maryland Catholic Conference Swallows Health Bill Koolaid

I received an email alert today from the Maryland Catholic Conference that confirms that they are still being willingly blinded by the socialisitic smoke of the Obama Hell Bill. They think if only those nasty little abortion-funding blemishes just go away, why, the Hell Bill will be the dream of the poor!  It's more like putting lipstick on a rattlesnake.

Oh, one more little blemish needs to go, according to the MCC.  All immigrants, and I mean all, should have access to the Hell Bill - according to them.  Here's one snippet from the letter.
"Please also consider asking your Senators to vote against amendments being offered by Senators Ensign (R-NV) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) that would create barriers to immigrants from obtaining health care coverage for which they are eligible."

Sessions' amendment would merely have stated that the identities of immigrants must be verified to prevent fraud.  It stipulates also a 5-year waiting period so that they will have paid into the system.  Ensign's amendment would merely have assured that citizens have the same health care choices as immigrants.  Just what is the MCC's problem with these?

I am against these amendments only because I'm against the whole rotten stinking Hell Bill.  No amendment will pretty up that debacle-in-waiting.

When will the legislative arms of the American Church wake up to fact that they are being played for suckers by socialists?  Or are they in cahoots with them?  These State Conferences claim to exemplify the social teaching of the Magisterium.  But all they do is agitate for governments to throw money at social problems rather than exhort the Catholics in the pews to get off their derrieres and minister to the needy.  Gee - they almost sound like Alinskyan community organizers, don't they?

Happy News! Extraordinary Rite of Mass Spreading in the Archdiocese

I was pleasantly surprised to see in today's parish bulletin a call for altar boys to come to a special training session.  This is being held to teach the proper responses for the Traditional Mass.  Of course the boys would have to learn the Latin and learn the movements, where to go, when to genuflect, etc.  The announcement made clear that there was no set agenda for instituting the Mass, but wanted altar boys to be prepared to implement this.  Also noteworthy was that the announcement made clear that "out of respect for the tradition, this is only open to boys."

If and when that Mass comes, I'll be there and be sure to announce it here.

Mongomery County "Full Service Clinics" In Action

You saw below the malfeasance of two abortuaries: one in Wisconsin and the other in North Carolina.  On December 1st, we heard testimony from representatives of two local clinics that they are pure as the driven snow.  Public record does NOT corroborate such claims.

Laura Meyers is director of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington DC.  She may not have been director when the September 2006 botched abortion happened, but surely she was aware of it when she testified.  On September 7, 2006, a 13-year old girl who was raped was brought to the PP on 16th Street by her mother.  In this "safe and legal procedure", the girl's vagina, uterus and small bowel were slashed.  Moreover, much of the dead baby was left inside her uterus.  She became severely ill, suffering from peritonitis and profuse bleeding.  She was treated the next day at a real medical facility, but she's now permanently infertile.  In February 2008, a lawsuit for $50 million was filed.  It is interesting to note that the lead attorney for the plaintiff is none other than Thomas V "Mike" Miller.  Maryland residents will recognize him as the Maryland Senate Majority Leader.  Miller himself is rabidly pro-abortion.  However, he must smell enough potential for money that he would disregard any prior relationship with an abortionist outfit. 

Not to be outdone is Potomac Family Planning Center in Rockville, MD.  Its owner and one of the abortionists is Earl McLeod.  On December 20, 1997, Jennifer Hallner came for an abortion.  She underwent general anesthesia - from which she never awoke.  His anestheseologist (who flunked the anestheseologist exam at least 4 times) administered the drugs and McLeod did the baby-murder.  They called Rockville Volunteer Fire and Rescue paramedics.  These paramedics reported shock at the substandard emergency preparation on premise.  To make a long story short, on November 17, 1999, his license was suspended for 3 months (is that all??).  The case is now off the website, but that case number is 98-0472 for anyone who would care to do further research.

With that, I present to you now the testimony of Elisabeth Sowecke, who works at Potomac Family Planning Center.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



In the beginning, she states that "we have provided compassonate care safely and confidentially to generations of women.."  Can it be that she is simply unaware of her employer's chequered past with Mrs. Hallner?  She gripes about "undue stress" from crisis pregnancy centers; what of the undue stress suffered by the Hallner family?  I cannot help but notice how the eye contact between her and the council members during the bulk of her testimony is non-existent.  Only towards the end does she look up when she states that she welcomes question - but the tone of her voice at that point exudes all the charm of a barracuda.  Now why was that? 

She makes the point that "the yellow pages have classified non-medical pregnancy centers as abortion alternatives, since the early 1990s, specifying they do not provide abortion services or abortion referrals.  Medical family planning clinics are classified as abortion providers who perform abortion services or refer clients to businesses that do."  For heaven's sake!  She's corroborating the testimonies of the directors of the pro-life centers, who have all stated that they do make clear their stances on abortion!  So why is the Council trying to cram this sham of punitive legislation down our throats?  Why this de facto kangaroo court?

The chuckle from us that you hear shortly after that is because of her quote from the National Abortion Federation stating that the well-proven harms to women occasioned by abortion are myths.  That's like taking the word from the "Fox's Labor Guild" that fox attacks in the hen house cause no harm to the hens being devoured by the foxes!

She does state later on that she has witnessed "safe abortions procedures for over 4 years", so the Hallner disaster may well have predated her tenure at this death mill.  Elisabeth, if you're reading this, I'd strongly advise you to do some research independently on your employer; the case number is cited above.  Please do so before you claim that Potomac Family Planning Center is "a medical facility providing dignified care".  Whatever else "dignified care" means, it does not mean having a non-certified anestheseologist putting a patient into a sleep from which she'll never awake and then not having the proper equipment on hand to revive her.  For Ms. Myers: "dignified care" does not mean slashing the guts of a teenager so that she'll never be a mother in the future.   

She states that "there is a need to clearly specify the differences between services offered by non-medical cpcs and procedures provided by medical family planning clinics." Well, here's one crucial difference never touched upon by the so-called pro-choicers - including those on the Mongomery County Council.  When a woman walks into a cpc, she walks out under her own power.  She never has to run the risk of being taken away in an ambulance, perhaps with a sheet over her head.  Such are the "full services" that cpcs don't provide!

Let's take another look at the NARAL fundraiser program.  Notice that Allie Harper of the Potomac facility is listed there.  Notice that her donation level appears to be higher than the bulk of them.  Now there is reason to believe (as Gail Tierney noted) that this legislative attempt is being inspired in part by NARAL.  I'll have more on that within the next day or so.

Why the Democrats Control the USCCB

Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV.com gives an excellent historical perspective on the historical connection between the Democrat Party and Catholics - starting from the days of mass Catholic immigration to this country.  He makes plain why so many bishops want to find "common ground" with the party that has now come out in favor of baby murder, all manners of debauchery and draconian statism.  Please watch.



Note how he said that a main historical link has been the labor movement.  I've no intention of distracting from Mr. Voris' focus on SEIU, but I must make mention of a former president of the AFL-CIO named John Sweeney.  I mentioned him in my December 4th posting on why the USCCB should be dismantled.  Go to that post and read the comment from one of my fellow bloggers.  His blog is in the right sidebar.  Apparently Archbishop Wuerl decided that Sweeney needed more honors, so he gladly obliged.

I again reiterate my position that it's way past the time when the USCCB should be dismantled.  Maybe then some of the Democrats' stranglehold over the bishops might be weakened.

Watch a "Full Service Women's Clinic" in Action - God Have Mercy!

Pro-abortion factions state that they want clinics to offer a "full range of options" to women.  Watch below to see one such "option" that occurred at A Preferred Women's Health Center in Charlotte, NC this past week.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



Since the Montgomery County Council won't dream of dictating that abortuaries tell the whole truth about their offerings, we display it now for all to see.

As you'll note in the video, there is ample reason to believe that this woman was dead as she was carried to the ambulance.  May God have mercy on her soul, and those who influenced her decision to abort her baby - and herself in the process.  May God have mercy on those who would cavalierly dissuade a woman from seeking real help and who would put her in real harm's way.

Action Alert for the Montgomery County Council!!

Alrighty then, members of the Montgomery County Council - you intrepid crusaders for justice and truth!  Word has come out that MORE FAKE WOMEN'S CENTERS are deceiving women - those dastardly fiends!  Yes, these hyenas in wait are called - Planned Parenthood.  Watch them in action below!  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



In all seriousness, this is all too common in Planned Parenthoods throughout the country.  Granted that the above scenario occurred in Wisconsin; however, Live Action has documented similar patterns in Planned Parenthoods throughout the country.  We have no reason to believe that the Planned Parenthoods in Maryland are any different!  When will they be subject to the same scrutiny to which the pro-life pregnancy centers are subjected?

Of course the answer is when there are new faces on the Montgomery County Council.  The pro-abortion business will continue to thrive in Maryland (where abortions are on the increase as opposed to most of the United States) as long as their puppets are in positions of power in Montgomery County and in Annapolis.  I've already detailed the all-too-cozy relationships that exist between current Montgomery Council members and some of the most rabid pro-abortion cartels around.  The good news is that they're all up for reelection in 2010.

A Climate-Gate Christmas

This comes courtesy from Minnesotans for Global Warming.  I'm sure they wish they had some "global warming" right now!  Anyway, sit back and enjoy!

Attempted Baby-Slashing in Suitland - "Morally Correct" in Mikulski's Eyes?

I just read of a horrific situation that happened in Suitland, MD.  That's not too far from me, and within the Archdiocese of Washington.  A pregnant woman was kidnapped as she left a Missionaries of Charity facility by another woman.  The kidnapper, after keeping her for a few days, bound the woman up and cut into her stomach to remove the baby.  You can read the link for the details.  Happily, the mother and baby survived and the kidnapper is in custody.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue noted that the police called the baby a baby.  Had a similar thing gone on in an abortion mill, the baby would have been dehumanized and would have been dead.  Moreover, if it had occurred in an abortuary, Senators Feinstein and Mikulski would have insisted that government funding of such murder would be "morally correct"!

I'm assuming from Senator Feinstein's name that she is not Catholic.  However I urge Archbishop O'Brien to instruct his priests and deacons not to administer Holy Communion to Senator Mikulski until her moral compass is brought into alignment with the Magisterium.

When, Oh When, Will the Bishops Take Off Their Rose-Colored Glasses??

While the bishops voiced "disappointment" that the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment was defeated, they insist on clinging to the fairy-tale hope of the Hell Bill as constituting "much-needed reform."  Cardinal George said, ""Failure to exclude abortion funding will turn allies into adversaries and require us and others to oppose this bill because it abandons both principle and precedent."

Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, please open your eyes and your ears and put your brains in gear!  Listen to what Senators Mikulski and Feinstein are saying about abortion funding being "morally correct."  For all their other odious faults, at least these two pro-aborts are up front about what their Democrat colleagues are going to put on the Senate floor.  Can the USCCB really be so obtuse regarding this situation?  Surely they must realize that even if a phony funding ban goes through, that it will be quietly removed later.  I fear they really aren't that naive - that in many ways, the abortion funding is not high on their radar screen.

Nelson/Hatch/Casey Amendment Killed. So What???

I am truly baffled by the crying, whining, kvetching and moaning about these so-called "pro-life amendments."  This Senate amendment, and the Stupak amendment are really nothing more than opiates tossed to us in an attempt to fool us into thinking that the Obama Death Care bill is not so bad after all.  It is truly galling to think that if the Stupak Amendment hadn't passed, then the whole damned thing might have gone down in flames where it belongs.

Of course, the USCCB (Undercover Socialists Cleverly Camouflaged as Bishops) would be breathlessly panting after these amendments, as too many of them really do think that government is the answer to everything (subsidiarity, anyone?).  But why are so many pro-life groups guzzling that koolaid?

I for one thank God Almighty that the charade is over.  We need to get on with our real job of making sure that the Obama Death Care Bill is defeated in its entirety.

Baltimore City Pregnancy Centers Are Now Official Targets for Persecution

As expected, Baltimore's Mayor Sheila Dixon has signed Bill 09-0406, that passed by a vote of 12-3.  The Council shot down an amendment that would have made abortuaries post signs saying they don't inform of abortion alternatives.  Councilmen James Kraft and Bernard Young, with Councilwoman Agnes Welch voted for decency; all the others voted to cripple centers offering truly life-affirming assistance.  Baltimore City is the first city in the United States to enact such malicious legislation.

The fight is now being waged in Montgomery County.  I'll keep you posted on that.

More on Montgomery County Council Hearings - A Pro-Abortion Escort "Testifies"

The clip below shows the testimony of Colin Fleming, a volunteer with the Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force - WACDTF, for short.  He states that he has volunteered at the Planned Parenthood in Silver Spring, MD.  That is true enough; I myself am a sidewalk counselor in front of that death mill and do recognize him.  Here he is.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



He alleges that we deceive women into going to pro-life pregnancy centers.  We do ask them to go, and often take them there, but by no means do we engage in deceit.  We make clear to the ladies that when they go, they'll be given help to carry their baby to term and to help them with their practical needs along the way.  Again, never do we engage in deceit, and I challenge him to produce any evidence of these false allegations.  Of course he cannot; no such evidence exists because no such deceit occurred!

Mr. Fleming has given his version about the state of affairs in front of the Silver Spring Planned Parenthood, and I have called his testimony into question, being one of the "anti-choice" people he so perjoratively portrays.  Let me state for the record that we seek only to warn women of the very real physical and spiritual dangers of abortion, and to offer help.  WACDTF and other agents of Planned Parenthood have made it their mission to keep us from offering real aid to these ladies.  Again, it can be our word against theirs - or is it???  They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  If that's so, then a video clip must be worth a million words.  Watch a "few million words" below! (Note - the WACDTF folks are in the orange vests.)  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



We hope this helps put Mr. Fleming's testimony in perspective.  We point out, too, that this Silver Spring office is a branch office of Planned Parenthood of Metro DC.  A few days ago, I posted the testimony of Laura Myers, Director of Planned Parenthood of Metro DC.  To be fair to Ms. Myers, the events on the video clip are two years old; I don't know whether or not she was director at that time.  I do know, however, that WACDTF states plainly on its website that it acts as agents of the clinics.  That means that the mills bear legal responsibility for WACDTF actions on their property or behalf.  So who might be implicated (at least partially) in the shenanigans that you just watched?

The answer is obviously Planned Parenthood.  To give you some more perspective on the "thinking" (using the term loosely) of Planned Parenthood in general, I'm going to show yet another video; this one is produced by a PP in San Francisco.  As you watch, notice how a pro-death predisposition reduces their thinking to an adolescent level. Warning!  Crudity alert!  But what else would you expect from PP??  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



So Planned Parenthood and their cronies (such as WACDTF) obviously relish the thought of pro-life people being drowned, blown up and decapitated!  Such are the people who want these regulations passed.  What they cannot accomplish by thuggery on the sidewalk, they want to accomplish by unconstitutional and draconian fiats.  Unfortunately these people seem to have control of a majority of the Council members, as evidenced by these members' public support of NARAL last October.

I echo Msgr Brennan's exhortation to the Council members - to do the right thing regardless of their personal proclivities.  Will they?

Yet Another Reason to Dismantle the USCCB

Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV discovered and exposed the travesty of Mary Kay Henry's affiliation with the USCCB.  Rather than rehash Mr Voris' work, I'll let you hear from him.



Here is the page from the USCCB site that plainly shows Ms Henry's affiliation with the subcommittee (on the list, she's the second from the bottom).  I found some more links on Ms. Henry.  Here's one from "prideatwork.org", detailing some supporting statement that she gave.  By-the-by: as you read her statement, look to the left, in that green sidebar.  Notice that John Sweeney also cozies up to the gay rights movement.  You might recall several years ago that we picketed a Catholic Charities gala in DC where he was honored as co-chair (the other chair was Cardinal McCarrick - surprised?).

It goes without saying that no practicing gay person has any business advising bishops about anything, let alone health care.  It's like letting a drug kingpin advise the DEA how to do its job.  The bishops in turn should be admonishing her to repentance, not bestowing adulation upon her.

I share Mr. Voris' disgust at the shenanigans that are so epidemic at the USCCB.  It is high time that this colossal waste of Church dollars was dismantled, so that bishops could go about being bishops and not be bogged down by that thinly-disguised liberal cabal.

Mikulski - "Abortion Is Preventative Care"?

What do you think when you hear the term "preventative care"?  Don't you think of measures taken to prevent disease?  Common-sense people might think of weight-loss programs or smoking-cessation programs or just a proper healthy lifestyle when the term "preventative care" is mentioned to them.  However, that holds true only for folks with common sense.  Common sense is not so common within the halls of Congress these days.

The latest demonstration of the rarity of common sense comes from Maryland's own Senator Barbara Mikulski, a pro-abortion disobedient Catholic who has roamed the Senate halls for far too long.  As if the Obama-Death-Scare bill weren't enough of an abomination, Mikulski went and added her own special touch of depravity to it.  Yesterday the Senate voted 61-39 to pass her Amendment 2791.  It deals with "preventative care" and would make all-too-possible the categorization of abortion as "preventative care".  It would be up to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to nail down that definition.  Since we all know just who that Secretary is, Kathleen Sebelius (another who disgraces the name Catholic), we know that will happen in a heart beat.  Moreover, private insurance companies would be required to cover this "preventative care".  (They already are in Maryland, but this would become nationwide.)

Don't you just wonder just what "disease" this new "preventative care" is supposed to prevent?  The only thing that will be "prevented" is the birth of precious babies.

Ladies and gentlemen, take heart!  Mikulski is up for reelection in 2010!  On the Republican side, there is actually a decent candidate who is not some bland RINO-type that the Maryland Republican honchos like to stuff down our throats.  His name is Jim Rutledge, and I urge you to seriously consider supporting him.  His website makes clear that he is conservative on moral values and he acknowledges God as creator of life.

Report on the Montgomery County Council Hearing

As previously announced, the Montgomery County Council held a public hearing on its proposed regulations thinly disguised to cripple pro-life pregnancy centers in the county.  I arrived 20 minutes early, but even at that time, the hearing room was already full and some of us were directed to the cafeteria where a closed-circuit television was set up to allow us to watch the hearings.  The audience in that cafeteria was largely pro-life.  Personnel from the Archdiocese of Washington and the Maryland Catholic Conference were present, as were a few priests.  That will explain some of the background noise that you might hear in the videos.  I must say that some of the ridiculous statements made by supporters of the regulations did promote understandable laughter amongst us.

The hearing was lengthy.  I caught an hour of it on my camcorder.  When that was filled to capacity, I had to switch to a digital voice recorder and cell-phone camera.  With these electronic toys, I did manage to capture the majority of the hearing.  It is taking a while to go through the raw data, make my selections and to organize everything.  Some of the clips are uploaded to youtube and some still are yet to be.  However, to keep my report timely and relevant, I'm not going to wait until the data is all processed.  Other items will be in forthcoming postings.  The postings and comments do not necessarily occur in chronological order.  I will also apologize in advance for the black band that you'll see running across the video clips; that can happen when one electronic device (camcorder) records another electronic device (tv).   So now the report begins.

As stated previously, a similar attempt on the pregnancy centers was made at the state level two years ago; happily, that was thwarted.  One of the speakers was MD State Delegate Roger Manno (D-19).  As are most of the Montgomery County delegates, Manno is a pro-abortion politician.  However, when one testifies, they may have to tell the truth, albeit reluctantly.  Watch the following clip to see how Manno has trouble acknowledging the simple truth that a pregnant woman carries a baby.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



See how these pro-abortion people have such trouble admitting common-sense truth?  By the way - go to Manno's website and take a look at the logos of groups endorsing him.  I see NOW's logo, as well as NARAL's.  Some other interesting ones are those of Equality Maryland and the SEIU (as in the thugs who intimidated several townhall attendees throughout the nation).  But - I digress!

As I said, I'm going to jump around a bit.  Anyone could sign up to testify.  Those who did so were asked to come up in groups; these groups had pro-abortion folks and pro-life folks intersperced.  In the upcoming clip, you'll hear Laura Myers of Planned Parenthood of Metro DC followed by Gail Tierney of the Rockville Pregnancy Center.  Listen to Myers try to convince listeners that plain medical truths are lies.  Her comment that women going into pregnancy centers "are walking into a trap" is simply perjorative.  Then she complains that "the sole intent of a cpc is to dissuade women from terminating a pregnancy."  Substitute "killing her child and scarring herself for life" for "terminating a pregnancy" and she just might have that right.

When Gail testifies, you'll hear her remark about "fake clients" (to which we do chuckle).  NARAL alleges that they sent young women to scope out several cpcs.  In the report to which we linked earlier, their "findings" were presented; however, such findings lacked interesting details - like dates of visits, name of cpc personnel, etc.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



I'll close this installment with another video.  This one is of Msgr Mark Brennan.  Currently, he is pastor of St. Martin of Tours in Gaithersburg.  He was on the board of directors of Shady Grove Pregnancy Center.  Notice that his testimony directly refutes pro-abortion lies, as he testifies to the reality of post-abortion stress syndrome that he found in people whom he counseled.  He makes plain his awareness of the pro-abortion bias of the majority of the County Council, yet he appeals to their civic consciences.  (Click here if you can't see embedded videos)



I'll close this segment of my report.  I invite comments, particularly from those who also attended the hearing.

See What Happens When One Dares to Question A Kennedy About Abortion

At a "town hall" meeting back home in Rhode Island, Christopher Young, a candidate for mayor of Providience, challenged Patrick Kennedy regarding his support of bably-murder.  Here's what happened to Mr. Young.



If I lived in Providence, RI, Mr Young would get my vote in the mayoral election.  Encourage your Providence RI friends to support him.

The Real Reason Behind Baltimore City's Rush to Gag the CPCs?

As most know, the Baltimore City Council, on November 23, approved their Bill 09-0406 that is designed to cripple the prolife pregnancy centers in Baltimore City.

At this time, I haven't heard if Mayor Sheila Dixon signed it yet (her signature is expected).  However, I've learned of a possible reason why Baltimore City was so antsy to cram this bill so hastily.  It seems that Her Honor the Mayor may soon be taking up residence behind bars.  She may also be removed from office.  Some details of this are found in today's Washington Times.  She somehow got a hold of $525 worth of gift cards designated for poor children and used them.  She claims that they were an anonymous gift from a married man, with whom she admittedly had an affair.  Who knows the ins-and-outs of that?  Ms. Dixon is a Democrat; were she a Republican, there would be a deafening uproar for her immediate removal and imprisonment.  With the exception of the Times, it is the silence that has been deafening.  When you're a pro-abort liberal, the mass media lets you get away with murder - sometimes literally.

The aiding and abetting of murder is what Bill 09-0406 is all about; make no mistake about that.  So Her Honor better get her "John Hancock" on this last piece of legislative crap, before she's taken to the pokey!

Reminder to Montgomery County MD Readers - Council Meeting on Pregnancy Centers Dec 1st

As mentioned in previous posts, the pro-life pregnancy centers in Maryland are under blatant attack.  Pro-abortion tethers are drawing tight around the throats of the cpcs in Baltimore City.  Now they have their sights trained on those in Montgomery County. These people on the County Council are barely making any pretense at impartiality.  It is being held Tuesday, Dec 1st (tomorrow, that is) at 7:30 pm at the County Council office buildings.  Here are directions:

From Rockville Pike (Rt. 355), northbound:
• Turn left on East Jefferson Street
• Turn left on Monroe Street
• Immediate Right turn into Public Parking garage (may cost)
• Walk out of garage, and go left/up hill on East Jefferson
• Turn left at Maryland Ave. (1 short block)
• Office building on the left, #100 Maryland Ave. Building says, "Council Office Building" over front door.
From 270 (Gaithersburg, Damascus, etc.)
• Take 270 Southbound
• Take Exit for Route 28 (may be called W. Montgomery Ave.), going Eastbound
• From Rt. 28/W. Montgomery, turn Right onto East Jefferson St.
• Pass Maryland Ave.
• Turn Right on Monroe St.
• Immediate Right turn into Public Parking garage (may cost)
• Walk out of garage, and go left/uphill on East Jefferson St.
• Turn left at Maryland Ave. (1 short block)
• Office building on the left, #100 Maryland Ave. Building says, "Council Office Building" over front door.

As reported in a previous posting, five of the nine Councilmembers had their names listed on the program of NARAL's last fundraiser (October).  In other words, they had contributed money.  As did pro-abortion members of the MD State Legislature before them, they are attempting to justify their attack based on this sorry excuse for research put out by NARAL.  The obvious question is how can NARAL have any claim at all to the impartiality needed to accomplish any credible research?  The answer is likewise obvious - they can't!

We need to be there.  Most of the council is most likely in the backpocket of pro-abortion money.  The good news is that every one of them is up for election in 2010.  See you there!

Climategate and the Catholic Church

Most people are aware of the recent hacking of emails within the servers of the Climate Research Unit of East Anglia University.  Regardless of how these emails were obtained, they are what they are.  They reveal much deceit on the part of proponents of the "global warming" theory - a hoax upon which the quasi-socialists in DC, including the Messiah Most Miserable, are basing their schemes to seize our money and control over our lives.  Watch the interview below where a retired climatologist discusses the implications of the hacked emails.



Did you notice that he said that some of the emails were between the scientists and a reporter at the New York Times?  Now do we know why they (and their mass-media colleagues) have been absolutely silent on this matter?  Oh, by the way.  This is the same New York Times that published private emails of then Vice Presidential candidate Governor Palin when her yahoo account was hacked, so their attempt to claim moral high ground here is laughable at best.  Anyway, we have further proof that this so-called "global-warming" is a gigantic concocted hoax.

So why does this discussion appear on a blog that ostensibly deals with things Catholic?  That's a good question, and the answer is simple.  There are bishops that have glommed onto the global-warming schtick, hook-line-sinker.  On the website we reported how "Cardinal McCarrick went green" - and prayed before an iceberg (first item).  In fact, the USCCB seems to have been hoodwinked by this, as evidenced by this statement.  We've known all along that there is no "growing challenge of global climate change", so maybe they will now stop getting all atwitter over it and start proclaiming the True Faith and True Morals.

The Myth of the "Good Enough" Catholic

There's no doubt that many of us have wondered how the Catholic Church today has been reduced to a pathetic shadow of what she was a mere hundred years ago - or even fifty.  I've spent some time reading about the matter to try to understand the myriad influences, both internal and external, that have contributed to the Church's obvious decline (and western civilization's too, for that matter).  On the website, I've listed some books to read and now repeat those recommendations.  In addition, please examine the Land O'Lakes Statement that has provided the game plan for undermining Catholic higher education and the various versions of the Humanist Manifesto (the first one was signed by John Dewey, reputed "father of American public education").  I also recommend the book "Behind the Lodge Door" by Paul A. Fisher.  Google the title and many sites (including Amazon) appear, from where you can order the book.  In that book is discussed the many ways that Freemasonry has had detrimental impacts on American culture.  I'd also recommend the dvd movie "Maafa 21" that details the rise of the pro-death movement in America.  Hint: watch the movie and read Fisher's book together; there are common linkages!

So now that I've described some detrimental and even demonic influences upon American and Catholic culture, did all that mean we were doomed sitting ducks?  I think not, but that means more questions must be answered.  Consider the generation that fought in World War II, the so-called "Greatest Generation."  Now let me be clear; they did indeed, at great sacrifice, fend off and defeat some of the worst totalitarians ever to walk the earth.  Because of them, civilization was saved - for the time being.  Yet we must admit that much mischief happened just a few years later, when this Greatest Generation had laid aside its military uniforms and weapons and took their places in political offices.  Under their watch, Lyndon Johnson foisted the so-called "Great Society" with its destructive welfare system on us.  Crime skyrocketed.  To top things off, the Roe v Wade decision came down, courtesy of justices appointed by presidents who were WWII veterans.  We can only conclude that they were indeed asleep at the switch.  It seems that many (not all!) forgot that "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance" - with emphasis on the word "eternal".

While I think that much can be explained by Carlin's book (again, check the website book list), something more fundamental went awry.  In the December issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review is an article written by John Young entitled "From Order to Chaos in Ten Years".  (It's not online yet, but when it is, I'll post the link.)  He points out that the current problems in the Church didn't just magically appear during the turbulent 1960s.  He mentions that Pope St Pius X understood the problem of modernism and issued Pascendi Dominici Gregis.  His encyclical was followed by Pope Pius XII's encyclical Hamani Generis. (Go to the side bar to see encyclicals from Leo XIII onward).

He then talks of his experience of Catholicism in his life and his fellow Catholics.  I was a child during that time, but a fairly observant one.  I can corroborate what Young says based on my own observations.  He points out that while the "rank and file" Catholic during the 1950s generally didn't question what they were taught, they really didn't have a deep grasp of the truths of their faith.  They (like I) could recite the Baltimore Catechism, but couldn't give answers that represented intellectual depth and integration of the truths into their personal lives. They didn't take it seriously.  They did not strive for the highest level of sanctity that they could achieve.  In a word, they didn't make the Faith to heart and make it their own.  In fact, while they may have accepted the directives of the Magisterium in matters of faith and morals, many of them chafed under what they thought were joy-robbing restrictions.  This was particularly true in matters pertaining to sexuality.

At that time, the 1930 Lambeth Conference had already occurred - that conference in which the Anglicans shamed themselves by admitting the usage of contraception.  After the Vatican II conference (and the various misinterpretations regarding it), many matters of discipline were relaxed (fasting before Communion, etc).  There was talk of the Church admitting the usage of contraception.  Of course, that didn't happen - Humanae Vitae happened instead.

I write all this to explain what I believe are the reasons for the faith of Catholics melting like snow in hell during the 1960s: how fairly loyal Catholics could just fall like dominoes into rebellion against the True Church and ultimately against Our Lord Himself.  They did not make heaven their ultimate aim in life.  They did not make holiness a prime personal goal.  I think Mr. Young's lessons are worth the read.

Advent started today, as did a new liturgical year.  This would be an excellent time to take stock, to make the Kingdom of God our ultimate aim.  There is no such thing as a "good enough" Catholic.  The minute anyone thinks he or she is "good enough", that may well be a warning sign of complacency or worse.

CINOs O'Malley and Kaine Hold Joint Foot-In-Mouth Conference

It's the eve of Thanksgiving and our thoughts are geared towards preparations for tomorrow's feast.  However, because Catholic-bashers take no holidays, neither can we.

I read in today's Washington Times that the governors of Maryland and Virginia, both Catholics-in-name-only, O'Malley and Kaine, took umbrage at the Archdiocese of Washington because the latter announced that it would be constrained by the draconian DC city regulations that would compromise the Church's ability to carry on its social services.  Snorts O'Malley, "It would be very, very sad for all concerned. I don't understand how they can possibly do this."  "They", however, means the Archdiocese.

Dear Governors, let me explain some common sense and your own faith to you.  It is the Archdiocese that is having the proverbial screws applied to it.  We as the Church serve the poor and perform other works of mercy because we act in obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ.  However, we obey ALL of the commands of Our Lord, not just the ones deemed "politically correct" by the liberal Democratic establishment.  It is that obedience to the Magisterium that defines who we are and thus what we do.  Our service to the poor stems from our obedience to the Magisterium in all things pertaining to faith and morals.  We serve on God's terms, not on the the terms of those who would eject God from public life.  To put it succinctly, without faith and morals, there are no works of faith.  We must serve God rather than the whims of political wonks.

Again, we as a Church will serve as we can without compromising who we are and the God whom we serve.  Dear Governors, do you understand English?  By the way, are these the same liberals who so often gripe and moan about "separation of church and state"?  Yet here are these government officials trying to dictate to the Church what they want us to do?  My!  That "wall" certainly seems to come and go at the whims of select people, doesn't it now?  But we do notice the basic strategy here.  The Democrat libs in the DC City Council make it impossible for the Church to carry out her mission in its entirety, then these Dem libs from Maryland and Virginia swoop in for the kill by mocking the Church for being unable to render the services in accord with its identity.  In other words, they say to the Church, "You will be and do what we dictate, or else!"

Speaking of government officials, do remember that 2010 elections are around the corner.  We can say anything we want, as we are not a 501c3 charity.  These two CINOs really do need to receive their pink slips asap.  (An after-the-fact correction.  Kaine DID receive his during VA's special election.  Now O'Malley and many more of these people need to be relieved of their offices.)

We also remind you of a tool we developed last year - Wisdom on Windshields.  You see, you might see on a car at your Catholic church a bumper strip or other decal stating support of a pro-abortion politician or candidate.  However, you might also be rushing into Mas and/or not see the car owner.  No problem!  Just deposit a Wisdom on Windshields flyer under the wiper or in the car door (make sure it can't blow away).  You can download it here and have it handy on your own computer.  Print it out and always carry a supply with you to Church, as you'll never know when an opportunity will arise to educate an ignorant fellow Catholic.  Those of you in other areas of the country should feel free to copy the language to your own letterhead, as your politicians may not be impressed with our Maryland address.

Baltimore Catholics! You Must Be Doing Something Right!

A source who must remain unnamed forwarded a snippet of communication received from the Archdiocese of Baltimore:  (begin snippet)

Office of the Neumann Vicar
1) Parishes that received envelopes from the CCHD collection without money in them, but with notes or “coupons” protesting the CCHD should send them directly to Bishop Madden’s office at the Catholic Center.

(end snippet)

Now what does that mean?  Will you be receiving "guilt trip" letters?  If so, I'd suggest that you point out your support of authentically Catholic charities: those that actually perform the Works of Mercy (both corporal and spiritual).  You might also point out these most serious gaffes of the Baltimore CCHD office: funding a prisoner-advocate group to have a child molester lobby against landlord rights (our November 9th posting) or, the funding of the Baltmore ACORN from local funds so that they can tell pimps how to engage in sex trafficking of underage girls (our September 23rd posting).

Or just put it in the trash.  If any other fallout occurs, please advise via the comment box.  Thank you, and again - congratulations!  You have made your concerns known to the Archdiocese CCHD, and they have taken note!

More on Manhattan Declaration

I've done some more digging into the "Manhattan Declaration".  I learned that the three principal draftors were Robert George, Timothy George (I don't know if they're related) and Chuck Colson.  I've no doubt that these are fine, well-intentioned gentlemen.  I believe only Robert George is Catholic.  I also downloaded the declaration into a Word document to do a little looking.

In response to inquiries I made to people who are enthusiastically promoting this effort, all they could, or would, tell me is that "Bishop So-and-so or Mr. Prominent-Prolife-Leader signed it, so it must be ok!"  Some of them even implied that I had sprouted an extra eye ball in the middle of my forehead for daring to question what appears to be a herd-mentality stampede towards who-knows-what.  This highlights one of the big concerns that I have regarding this, well, fad.  How do we, as thinking, rational Christians and Catholics, arrive at our decisions?  If we say that a course of action is the way to go simply because some prominent people are going that route, then we are in effect letting them do our thinking for us.  That sort of abdication of personal responsibility cannot be morally acceptable in my opinion.  Now understand that I'm not questioning the decision per se as much as I'm wondering about the decision-making process. 

I am a Catholic and a pro-life activist, and have long been going out in front of abortuaries to offer witness along with some good friends.  We go out in all kinds of weather.  Occasionally we're mocked, assaulted and even threatened with arrest.  We're no strangers to the rough-and-tumble; we aren't wimps.  I agree with the statements in this declaration that we may have to engage in civil disobedience, as we cannot obey laws that are inherently contradictory to those of God.  I will point out, though, that such statements are to be found in Evangelium Vitae. 

I do find serious fault with this declaration, though.  That fault lies more with what it doesn't say.  It lists many social and moral ills: abortion, divorce, gay lifestyle.  But what is the lynchpin to these sins?   Hint: Humanae Vitae.  As I said, I downloaded it into Word and did word searches.  There was no mention of the words "contraception", "contraceptives", "birth control".  Why this omission?  Please don't tell me that "opposition to contraception is peculiar to Catholics".  That is patently false!  Until as recently as 1930, all Christian denominations understood the intrinsic evil of contraception.  That ended with the 1930 Lambeth Conference.  Even the Washington Post, in an editorial during that time, lamented the resulting societal destruction that the embrace of contraception would bring (back then, there must have been sane people at that helm).  If this document is being touted as some statement of foundational principles, it is seriously wanting.  As far as I'm concerned, the omission of the contraceptive mentality as a precurser to all the other problems is a deal-breaker for me.  I've no bones in saying that those who hold contraception to be a "minor detail" are very short-sighted.

"But all the pro-life leaders say it's ok!" (I can just hear some say).  Do they?  If we insist on playing "who's who" here, shall we look at the whole picture and notice who didn't sign it?  Some names that we all respect are missing.  I don't see Fr Euteneuer of Human Life International.  I don't see Fr Pavone of Priests for Life.  I don't see any of the Scheidlers from Pro-Life Action League.  Nellie Gray's name is absent, as is Judie Brown's and Pat Buchanan's.  Realizing that what I downloaded is a few days old and that they could have signed between now and then, I checked their respective websites and saw no mention whatsoever of this Manhattan Declaration; I interpret that as a sign of them not being on board.  I'd suspect that they were approached for support.  Do we not see support because of the gloss-over of contraception?  That possibility shouldn't be lightly dismissed.

As I said earlier, I certainly believe the drafters have the best of intentions.  However, I would advocate some independent reasoning here.  The Manhattan Declaration is somewhat problematic and is certainly no silver bullet.

Protect Montgomery County Pregnancy Centers! Act Now!

Our efforts to save the pregnancy centers of Montgomery County MD from a draconian attack by pro-abortion members of the County Council are underway.  We will need the fullest participation and cooperation possible from every pro-life person in order to succeed.

The text of the bill has been updated slightly, so please read this; of course we would expect amendments throughout the process.   The Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government, who led last year's fight against granting special rights to "transgendered" individuals, has developed an excellent, two-sided flyer that you can use to educate your friends about this imporant matter.  Download it, print it, email it to your contact list, distribute it - just get the word out.

Let's not put our heads in the sand when it comes to stating quite plainly that the Montgomery County Council is composed of rabid pro-abortion afficiandos.  Maryland NARAL conducts its annual fundraiser in October in Rockville.  In its 2009 List of Sponsors, five of the nine councilmembers are listed; see for yourselves (by the way - Ike Leggett is there, too).   Duchy Trachtenberg, who introduced the bill, is up to her eyeballs in her entanglements with the National Organization of Women (NOW).  This past June, Terry O'Neill, Tractenberg's Chief of Staff, was elected national president of NOW  Upon her election, O'Neill did resign her position with Trachtenberg.  By the way - while O'Neill apparently saw a contradiction in occupying both positions, such compunctions didn't seem to bother Trachtenberg - at least if I read this NOW webpage correctly.  It states that in January 2007, Trachtenberg was both the at-large Councilperson AND president of Maryland NOW!  We now examine this article, written by Dana Beyer, a current staff member of Trachtenberg's; in it, Dr Beyer denigrates good people (us) who dared to exercise our rights as citizens to combat the transgender-rights bill.  It looks like I learned something new.  Whereas I was quite aware of Beyer's affiliation with Equality Maryland, I was unaware, until a few minutes ago, that the good doctor was "Maryland NOW Action Vice President."  Like I said, the entanglements are many and dense.

I could go on and on, but I think we can see that most of the council has vested interests in seeing this bill passed.  Their duplicity is plain.  Even the Washington Post, a newspaper that can usually be counted upon to jump on the pro-abortion bandwagon, took issue with this bill and made plain its opinion that it should be defeated.  The Post takes issue with the inherent duplicity of the bill when it writes, "the proposed disclosure is too cryptic to be an effective alarm bell for many women and yet is suspect because it singles out pregnancy centers while absolving abortion clinics of any disclosure requirements regarding adoption or parenting options."  They've got that right!

Again, please distribute that flyer.  Contact the council (we'd suggest doing so by addressing Phil Andrews, the Council president; all communications to him will be diseminated to the other councilmembers).  Attend the hearings on December 1st; and consider testifying.  Write letters to the editors of newspapers.  And above all, please pray!  We'll keep you posted.

Messiah Most Miserable Does Obeisance to Islam

Watch the video below.  What more needs to be said?

Diocese of Wilmington: Pay Defrocked Priests, But Not Just Debts

From yesterday's Washington Times, we read of some very skewed priorities of the Diocese of Wilmington (DE).  Some commentary is in order.

The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month.  It had been paying retirement benefits to six priests who were removed from ministry because they were confirmed child sex abusers.  They had agreed in court not to pay such benefits without court approval; but they are arguing for that approval.

In a Chapter 11 case, the debtor files for protection because it ostensibly is unable to pay its just debts.  The creditors are barred from making attempts to collect monies due to them.  The intention of these measures is to let the debtor reorganize itself so it can one again become viable and solvent. 

In this case, we must question how on one hand the Diocese of Wilmington can claim that it is unable to pay its just debts while on the other hand pay pederast priests to do essentially nothing.  One of the priests in question, Francis DeLuca, was actually defrocked after serving a jail sentence for abusing his own nephew; yet the diocese is intent on paying him.  Attorneys for the diocese wrote, "corporal works of mercy such as the provision of charity to Mr. DeLuca are fundamental to the Christian faith."  Wrong, dear attorney!  It is NOT a "corporal work of mercy" to essentially steal from creditors to pony the proceeds over to a criminal who most likely helped put the archdiocese in its financially-precarious position (let alone rape his own blood relative).  It is no "work of mercy" to violate the Seventh Commandment!

Barbara Dorris, an official with SNAP, writes, "it is morally wrong for a church official to put helping child predators ahead of helping child victims."  I don't find myself agreeing with SNAP often, but I do in this case.

Manhattan Declaration - Caveat Emptor!

I'm getting all kinds of emails, gushing over this website http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/.   When I go to it, though, I can see no signs of its origins.

Warning flags are flying all over the place regarding this website. I did a "whois" search on it, as I am always leery of these highfalooting-sounding things that seem to bear no names nor signs of ownership. It is registered to a fellow named Reuel Sample of Knoxville TN. I found his personal web page http://rsample.com/about/ He is now director of something called Fellowship of Ailbe in "the Celtic Christian" tradition. Here's that website http://myparuchia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2675&Itemid=214 It does bill itself as a parallel to Roman Catholicism.

So those who've signed this so-called "Declaration" have just given over their information to a very questionable contact data base. As far as I'm concerned, this is a rotten apple.

Remember when, right after the Obama election, we had "petitions" popping up out of the woodwork, claiming that if you didn't sign their particular petition, we'd go to hell in a handbasket? At that time, I could count on receiving at least 4 of them every week. They were only attempts to collect contact information for databases. Now think - just what tangible, essential good will this "manhattan" thing bring us that nothing else can? Folks, I don't care who signs it; their prominence or their fame is irrelevant to the merit of the manhattan thing. If anyone can show me where they've done due-dilligence research (as I have) and can show me tangible proof that this thing is worth all the hoopla it's getting, I'm game to listen. Until then, I'd advise folks to start taking a more skeptical look at these things and not to glom onto any old thing out of fear and desperation.