Dear President Obama... Stay Out Of My Religion!

Here's another CatholicVote.org video that rises to the occasion and hits a home-run.  In this video a young girl asks President Obama, very politely, to stay out of her religion.  It's kind of like Cindy Lou Who asking the Grinch why he's stealing the Christmas tree...but this Cindy Lou Who is not so naive.  She knows all about the HHS mandate forcing catholic hospitals and schools to fund birth control and abortion drugs, and she knows who's behind it all.

Even Father John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame University, who boldly gave President Obama an honorary degree and allowed him to give their graduation commencement address, has signed his name to the letter presented by the USCCB to the president expressing opposition to the HHS mandate.

MUST READ!!! Another Great Speech From Archbishop Chaput: 'Being Human In An Age Of Unbelief'

These days I seem to only find the time to blog when I am extremely inspired by something... like a news occurrence, a new movie coming out, a great speech, or an enlightening homily.  The most recent speech given by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput (SHAP-yu) at the University of Pennsylvania is one such example.  It has a copyright at the Witherspoon Institute, which explains why the length of it on this post has been reduced to a few paragraphs, rather than the whole speech.  Ryan Anderson contacted me today  (11-14-11) and very politely requested I limit my usage to excerpts rather than the entire item.  Seems they want readers to click on the link and come see the rest of it at Witherspoon.  Fair enough.  I have linked to them for almost two years now because they publish such great material.  Please visit them online and donate if you can.  They are a largely undiscovered treasure trove of great finds.

It's very hard to pick just a couple of paragraphs, as the Archbishop was making FOUR important points in defense of human dignity.  But here are a few paragraphs to whet your curiosity:

America could afford to be secular in the best sense, precisely because its people were so religious. The Founders saw religious faith as something separate from government but vital to the nation’s survival. In his Farewell Address, Washington famously stressed that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” for political prosperity. He added that “reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” For John Adams, John Jay, James Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Carroll, George Washington, and most of the other Founders—including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin—religion created virtuous citizens. And only virtuous citizens could sustain a country as delicately balanced in its institutions, moral instincts, and laws as the United States.

Here’s my purpose in mentioning this. The American Founders presumed the existence of natural law and natural rights. These rights are inalienable and guaranteed by a Creator; by “nature’s God,” to use the words of the Declaration of Independence. Such ideas may be out of fashion in much of legal theory today. But these same ideas are very much alive in the way we actually reason and behave in our daily lives.

Most of us here tonight believe that we have basic rights that come with the special dignity of being human. These rights are inherent to human nature. They’re part of who we are. Nobody can take them away. But if there is no Creator, and nothing fundamental and unchangeable about human nature, and if “nature’s God” is kicked out of the conversation, then our rights become the product of social convention. And social conventions can change. So can the definition of who is and who isn’t “human.”

How's that for a tease?  There's a lot more to read by clicking on the links above or right HERE.  Okay, one more paragraph.  This one is really important:

It’s important for our own integrity and the integrity of our country to fight for our pro-life convictions in the public square. Anything less is a kind of cowardice. But it’s even more important to live what it means to be genuinely human and “pro-life” by our actions—fidelity to God; love for spouse and children; loyalty to friends; generosity to the poor; honesty and mercy in dealing with others; trust in the goodness of people; discipline and humility in demanding the most from ourselves.

There.  That should be enough to get you interested.

Milton Friedman Explains The Virtues of Capitalism To Donahue... 31 Years Ago

Thirty-one years ago Milton Friedman appeared on Donahue and explained the necessity of capitalism to a hushed audience.  He spelled it out so clearly as to leave Phil at least somewhat speechless.  And what he explained is what President Obama and conspirators on the Left will never understand:  Capitalism is the ONLY thing that works.  This video is priceless.

Hat Tip to Dauckster's Posterous.

All Souls Day

A good explanation for All Souls Day, and a website to visit! 

Also, if you live in or are passing through the Chicago area you might wish to stop by St. Odilo's church in Berwyn, IL where the National Shrine of Lost Souls is located to offer a prayer for deceased friends and/or relations.  St. Odilo is the patron saint of lost souls.  Fr. Anthony Brankin is the pastor and gives impressive homilies.

Feast Day of St. Luke the Apostle

Catholic Posters by Pater Eddie Dwyer

"Holy and learned, great St. Luke, we praise you, closely you followed in the steps of Jesus;  as supreme witness to His life and teaching, shedding your life-blood.

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you left in writing, for all time to study stories unrivaled for their depth and beauty, Christ's love revealing.

Yours are the records which we read with pleasure of the beginning of the Church to fervent, under the impulse of the true and living Spirit of Jesus.

Paul's earnest helper, sharer in his travels, zealous as he was, with a heart as loving;  make our souls also steadfast and devoted to the Lord Jesus.

Tender physician, use your gift of healing, comfort our weakness with a faith unswerving, so that rejoicing we may praise forever God the Almighty.  Amen."   ---Pausibus Luca canimus  (Hymn from today's Lauds in the Breviary.)

We Must Choose Our Nominee Carefully To Save Us From An Orwellian Present

We are knee deep in this Orwellian nonsense now.  We'll be up to our ears in it soon when power companies start shutting down, as Obama promised.  It is imperative that we consider our choice of candidates very carefully, that he/she can win... and that he/she will do what is necessary upon winning to save us from a new dark age.

Newt Gingrich On International Affairs (Videos)

He made this speech to the American Enterprise Institute back in July of last year,  but I have only just watched the whole thing, all videos, on You Tube today.  Why did I wait so long to watch them and then post the best here?  For the same reason most of you haven't seen them yet.  The first thing I thought of when I found out Newt Gingrich was running for President was that he had no business doing so, that he could never win, and all because of his personal baggage sabotaging any attempt at victory.

But now, after seeing these videos and watching him in the debates, I am so glad he's running.  Not because I want him to win.  I'm not sure I do.  The reason I'm glad he's thrown his hat in the ring is because he is drawing attention to issues that are important, and stating opinions in a convincing manner that should be considered in the greater lexicon of the national debate on the direction this country is headed.  Like him or not, consider him a possibility or a hopeless long-shot, he is well worth listening to.  And if nothing else, I hope he influences the platform of the Republican party at their convention next year.

I've included four parts of his speech here.  You can see the whole speech by clicking HERE.

Highly Anticipated Film, OCTOBER BABY, To Be Released This Month! Preview Included

Where to begin...  Okay, there is a new movie called October Baby that's being released October 25th in Mississippi and Alabama (early release) and then nationally in the Spring of 2012 that is certain to make waves and bring a lot of attention to the abortion issue.  This at a time when so much attention has been directed to that topic since the '08 presidential election.  The movie is about a teenage girl who finds out she was adopted as a baby after barely surviving an abortion attempt by her birth mother.  So she decides to seek out said birth mother and find answers.  In the process she learns many life lessons, as we can well imagine  (but there must be surprises here), and learns how to forgive.  

If the story rings a bell, you might be thinking of Gianna Jessen, to whom we were introduced during that '08 presidential campaign as an abortion survivor, herself, as she campaigned against then-Senator Obama, who worked against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (both as Illinois State Senator, himself making a speech against the bill on the floor of the Illinois legislature, and as Senator from Illinois in Washington DC for the national version.  Both bills passed and were signed into law.) which also brought Jill Stanek national attention, but I digress...  The film is loosely based upon Gianna's personal story, and it is a film that has, by her own account, been very cathartic for her.  Thank God.

A big hat tip goes to Lisa Graas, who is a contributor to Live Action.  Be sure to watch the preview below (expect to have your heartstrings pulled, THIS IS A POWERFUL FILM), and please stick around for the message from the two producers of this film.

Racist Skeletons In Democrat Party's Closet: Yesterday and Today

It is important to be reminded that the racially-self-righteous Democrat party has a warehouse of skeletons crammed in their closet, and that today's Democrat party has only become more subtile in its racism toward blacks and other minorities.  Not to sound redundant to the video, but you don't have to look hard to find liberal Democrats showering conservative blacks with old racial slurs like "Sambo," "house nigger,""welfare queen," and others.  Just ask Allen West, Condoleezza Rice, Alan Keyes, and a whole host of other conservative blacks about the abuse to which they've been subjected, merely for having opinions that differ from Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, Al Sharpton, and other race-hustling pimps that lace the Democrat party.

21 Bishops and Cardinals Can't Be Wrong. (Official Statement of Fr. Frank Pavone)

From Father Pavone's blog...

Official Statement of Fr. Frank Pavone:

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, has issued the following statement:

“For the past several years, my Ordinary, the Most Reverend Patrick Zurek, Bishop of Amarillo, has given me permission to do the full-time pro-life work that I have done since 1993. In 2005, I made a public promise in a Church ceremony in Amarillo, presided over by a Vatican Cardinal, that this full-time pro-life work would be a lifetime commitment. That’s a commitment I promise to fulfill without wavering.

“This past week, however, I received a letter from the Bishop insisting that I report to the Diocese this Tuesday, September 13 and, for the time being, remain only there.

“I am very perplexed by this demand. Despite that, because I am a priest of the diocese of Amarillo, I will be obedient and report there on the appointed date, putting the other commitments that are on my calendar on hold until I get more clarity as to what the bishop wants and for how long. Meanwhile, I continue to retain all my priestly faculties and continue to be a priest in “good standing” in the Church. The bishop does not dispute this fact. Rather, he has said that he thinks I am giving too much priority to my pro-life work, and that this makes me disobedient to him. He also has claimed that I haven’t given him enough financial information.


“Now, although Bishop Zurek is my Ordinary, he is not the bishop of Priests for Life. Each of our staff priests has his own Ordinary, and the organization has an entire Board of Bishops. We keep them all informed of our activities, and of our financial audits.

“I want to say very clearly that Priests for Life is above reproach in its financial management and the stewardship of the monies it receives from dedicated pro-lifers, raised primarily through direct mail at the grassroots level. To this end, Priests for Life has consistently provided every financial document requested by Bishop Zurek, including annual financial audits, quarterly reports, management documents—even entire check registers! Priests for Life has been completely transparent with Bishop Zurek and any other bishops who have requested information regarding our management and finances. Indeed, we have 21 bishops and cardinals who sit on our Advisory Board, and they are kept fully informed about our finances.

“Therefore, in the interest of preserving my good reputation as well as protecting the valuable work done by the Priests for Life organization, I have begun a process of appeal to the Vatican. This process aims to correct any mistaken decisions of the bishop in my regard and to protect my commitment to full-time pro-life activity for my whole life. We are very confident that the Vatican will resolve this matter in a just and equitable fashion. Because of this confidence, we are not currently making any changes in any positions at Priests for Life, or in any of our projects and plans.


“I also want to point out that, according to the canon law of the Catholic Church, because I have begun this process of appeal to Rome, the Bishop’s order that I return to Amarillo has been effectively suspended. Nevertheless, because of my great respect for this Bishop and my commitment to be fully obedient at all times, I am reporting to Amarillo this Tuesday, in hopes that I can sort this problem out with the Bishop in a mutually agreeable and amicable way.


“I would like to note that, unlike other organizations, which have sometimes been critical of the Church hierarchy or other institutions within the Church, Priests for Life has always remained 100% supportive of the Bishops, never criticizing any Church official, and always acting as a megaphone for the Bishops’ pro-life statements. Moreover, we serve dioceses and their priests and laity without asking for any speakers’ fees, and distribute millions of pieces of pro-life literature to dioceses completely free of charge. We do not seek parish collections, and we work to reinforce in each diocese the local pastoral plan which the bishop wants to implement for pro-life activities.

“We are committed to going forward with that same spirit, regardless of the recent action taken by Bishop Zurek.

“In the interest of full transparency, I would like to make it known that I do not receive any salary or financial remuneration from either the Diocese of Amarillo or from Priests for Life. Priests for Life, as a Private Association of the Christian Faithful, does provide for my residence and the expenses associated with the ministry, but these expenses are very small. Though, as a diocesan priest, I have never taken a vow of poverty, I have basically chosen to live in that fashion in solidarity with the pre-born children we are trying to protect—who are the poorest of the poor.

“I want to be clear that I do not harbor any ill will towards the Bishop of Amarillo, nor do I foster suspicions about his motives. I am merely confused by his actions. It is impossible for me to believe that there is no place in the Church for priests to exercise full-time ministry in the service of the unborn. We do it for the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the imprisoned. But where in the Church is the place where a priest can exercise the same kind of full-time ministry for the children in the womb? That is the question that is at the heart of my own calling.


“I am confident that we will be able to resolve this difficulty soon, without any harm to either my own reputation and without any slowdown of the valuable pro-life work we do at Priests for Life.”

The Official Statement from Bishop Zurek can be found on LifeSiteNews, HERE.  It would seem that the Bishop's complaint is based entirely on what he perceives as a lack of control over his priest.  Is it an issue of obedience?  Or pride?  If pride, then whose pride?  The dirty laundry is being aired and I don't much care for it, but since aired we must get to the truth as quickly as possible!

2011 Rally Against The Ground Zero Mosque....VIDEO

These women, along with anyone else who opposes a mosque at Ground Zero, have been called intolerant. The truth is that the only intolerance these people possess is and intolerance to more attacks, like the ones against their sensitivity...

There are other mosques already in NYC, including Manhattan.  No one attacks them or calls for their removal.  The real purpose of THIS mosque is to stand as a victory monument for the cause of extremist Islam.  Those who support the building of this anathema lack tolerance or sensitivity for the survivors of 9-11, much in the same vein as those crackpots who protest military funerals do.  They may have legal rights to do so, but are trampling on the spirits of others.

This video comes from Blazing Cat Fur, with a hat tip from Atlas Shrugs.  Visit them both for more information.

Remembering 9-11...From A Distance, This Time.

At the 2008 Commemoration most of the first responders here had to stand outside with no view of the stage, like today.

As you all know today was the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks against our country, specifically on The World Trade Center towers, The Pentagon, and who-knows-exactly-where which was thwarted by the heroic passengers of Flight 93 which went down in Shanksville, PA.  I had planned to show up at any one of the three to cover events in person, but plans fell through.  Due to unexpected personal expenses and worrisome weather reports, I did not go anywhere today.  Warnings about car bombs had nothing to do with it, as I refuse to let those people dictate where I go and when I go there.  The coverage would have been lengthy with much photography.  So all I am left to do is make a few passing comments and link to here and there.

First I want to say that first responders have entered what I like to refer to as the forbidden zone at each of the 9-11 Commemorations, but only in small numbers.  I have photos of the 2008 Commemoration in which I acquired a press pass and sat with the privileged that morning.  But many more first responders had to stand out of view behind the obscuring trees and only listen to events in that zone.  I have a photo of THAT, too.

We have been told that religious and first responders have never been officially invited in the past 8 Commemorations, so "why now?"  And, "the precedent has been set for the past 8 Commemorations that no religious attend,"  and that their attendance would cause problems.

I draw your attention to the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance that took place at the National Cathedral in Washington D. C. on 9-14-01, a mere 3 days after the attacks occurred.  A Muslim Imam, Billy Graham, a rabbi, and an Archbishop all prayed aloud, delivered sermons, homilies, etc... and no one complained.  After all, there were many muslims killed in the twin towers who had nothing to do with hijackings.  And it was there at that Cathedral where the true precedent was set.  IMHO, it has been broken by NYC every year since.  And Mayor Bloomberg sees no reason to get it right.

From 2008:  Some first responders who got inside the forbidden zone.

If you saw the documentary film by those two french brothers entitled "9-11" then this picture should mean something to you.  Again, from the 2008 Commemoration.