Prayer DOES Close Abortion Clinics

I've said it over & over again that every effort that we do in the Pro-Life movement needs to be undergirded with prayer. It may seem like nothing is happenning. But we need to remain faithful & eventually we will see results. What has been going on in Dallas proves this.

In 1990 Bishop Charles Grahmann began leading a monthly "Second Saturday Rosary" outside Dallas abortion clinics. Then there were 13 clinics. From 1990 to 2001 7 of them closed.

Now an 8th one closed last Saturday. Aaron Women’s Health Center, a late-term abortion facility is now gone. Why? The owners may give a variety of reasons but the facts are simple:

"Members of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee, the Respect Life Ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, maintained a constant presence of peaceful prayer and sidewalk counseling in front of Aaron’s for over a decade."

This was where the second group in the nation undertook the 40 Days for Life campaign They did so in 2004. Nearly 1,000 people from dozens of different churches participate.

""We are overjoyed to hear that this notorious place of death is finally closing," said Karen Garnett, executive director of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee."

She went on to say: ""Not only is this a victory for the pro-life movement, for mothers and for babies, but it is a victory for Dallas as well, as the horrific practice of the killing of unborn children will take place at one less location in our city: Dallas will no longer be the home of a late-term abortion facility.

"We thank God for the many lives that will be saved and mothers spared the agony and regret of abortion with the closing of Aaron's. We stand ready to offer help and healing to those who have made the abortion decision at Aaron's or any other abortion facilities. We mourn the tremendous loss of so many thousands of innocent human lives.""

"Although abortion advocates say women will be left without pregnancy help and resources if abortion ever becomes illegal, Garnett said her group and others are prepared to meet women's needs." (LifeNews.com report)

She also told LifeNews.com: ""We stand ready to offer help and healing to those who have made the abortion decision at Aaron’s or any other abortion facilities.""

"Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Diocese of Dallas welcomed news of the closure of the clinic, saying, "This is the best news I've heard all week." He expressed his personal gratitude to everyone who has offered prayers and sacrifices for an end to the killing." A Mass of Thanksgiving for the closing of Aaron's was celebrated Saturday, 28 June.

This closing follows several recent closings in other states including Kentucky and New York.

Karen Garnett made it clear that they weren't going to stop yet. ""(W)e'll continue to pray and work towards the day when Dallas is an abortion-free city and the blood of innocent unborn children is no longer shed here."" If I were the owner/operator of those clinics, i'd start preparing to close now.

We are facing the possibility of Planned parenthood opening an office in DBQ. Recent evidence that they plan to do so has come to light. There will be no abortions just the rest for now according to the source. In the 90s through prayer & the hard work of groups like DBQ Co. Right to Life PP didn't make it into town. These days they are doing things more stealthily as has been seen elswhere by their creating false corporations as fronts. & they might try that here because they know we are on the watch for them. But there are many of us praying that their plans will be thwarted. & God can bring to light any secret plans they may have to come in under the radar. I am already thanking God that our prayers to keep them out will bear fruit.

Sources: Texas Pro-Life Groups Celebrate Closing of Dallas Late-Term Abortion Business LifeNews.com

Late-Term Abortion Facility in Dallas To Close - Eighth Closure Since Bishop Began Prayer at Clinics LifeSiteNews.Com

Mike Wallace Takes on Margaret Sanger

How times have changed. Today most interviewers would be fawning all over her, not challenging her & her viewpoints. Mike Wallace does go after her & challenges her views. Unfortunately, due to the time limitations he can't follow up as much as I would like, esp when she denies saying something previously that there is documented evidence she did say. Gee, that is another lesson well learned by Planned Parenthood. They deny her racist past is a part of their racist present, depite evidence to the contrary. She lies, denies evades & switches her views to keep the truth from getting out.

Besides not following up as much as I'd have liked, I wish Mike Wallace would have gone after her eugenic & racist views. I suspect she would have denied them despite the books she wrote, etc.

This video also gives an interesting insight into her hatred against God, Christianity & esp the Catholic Church that boils below the surface most of the time, but does pop out. She would fit in well with many of today's New Age Moonbats.

Note: This interview was aired on 21 Sept 1957 on ABC. It contains the ads of the sponsor, Phillip Morris. Again, how times have changed.

The Mike Wallace Interview, Margaret Sanger

I found this via the Priests for Life website. It is on Harry Ransom Center (U of Texas, Austin) website.

But Not Yet Too Late

The Hour Is Late...

I have been celebrating Mass at a local parish while the pastor is away the past few weeks. Many of the readings during that time concerned the prophets and their message and trials. I was moved to reflect once again on the prophetic dimension of our Baptism in Christ-Priest, Prophet and King. Several decades ago, the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “The prophetic voice of Christ has all but been stilled in the Church today.” To the degree we fail in this prophetic mission, the world will sink into oblivion under the increasing weight of its sins.
In my lifetime, the United States has gone from quite a wholesome, rational, and moral country, to one that is largely decadent, irrational, and immoral. Most people seem to be hardened to it, unconcerned that we have a death wish in process.
First it was artificial contraception, then abortion, then partial-birth abortion, then infanticide (all of which have been supported by many liberal politicians at one time or another, even some running for president) not to mention euthanasia, and outright killing of the disabled and sick. Actually, it’s even worse. Terri Schiavo wasn’t sick. She didn’t die from an illness. They killed her by starvation, a very cruel way to die.
Now it’s same sex marriage (no transmission of life, no fruit of natural love) and we call it inclusive and just. It is yet another nail in the coffin of a society that is clearly dying. Every stage of life is under assault by the forces of death. From prevention of life through artificial contraception, to abortion-which is homicide by definition in each case (the taking of the life of an innocent human being), and genocide taken as a whole. Preventing life, ending life from the youngest to the oldest. We call it progress. It is a death wish, and we had better watch what we wish for.
"All that evil requires to prosper is that good men remain silent.” The hour is late. We have had years to change course. Instead, we have obstinately refused and gone from bad to worse. May God have mercy on us, and grant us the courage and strength to act in accordance with that truth.

God bless you,
Fr. John Corapi

Thought for the Day - 28 June 2008

There are 3 kinds of people in the world.

Those that can count.

& those that can't.

(Seen on a friend's grandson's t-shirt)

A Question for Barack Obama

WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN?

WELL???????

Family Research Council Action

As A Proud Iowa Boy This Broke My Heart

But, we need to hear it. Thank you Judie for putting it out there for us.

INCLINED IN IOWA

By Judie Brown
A recent report regarding how women go about choosing the type of abortion they will have includes some interesting facts that could help us more effectively discuss what abortion does to a child with those who think they really want an abortion. I must point out, however, that the study involved 205 expectant mothers, which is not a large number, but they were all women who live in Iowa. Yes, I said Iowa!

Iowa is one of the most pro-life states in America, and yet it was there that well-known abortion advocate James Trussell, of Princeton University; the University of Hull York Medical School; and Tara Schochet, of the University of Iowa's College of Public Health; conducted this study. It was also the state where three Planned Parenthood clinics were most happy to oblige by inviting their clients to participate.

Iowa's state motto, "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain" has been dealt a serious blow because liberty has no viable meaning when divorced from the natural law, and the "right" to kill violates human decency. When I read the full report on this study and realized what the attitudes of those mothers involved in it were, I wondered what in the world the down-to-earth, right-thinking majority of Iowans would have thought, had they seen or heard the reflections of those mothers who chose to have their children killed. Here is the excerpt from the article that causes my sincere concern:

About 71% of the women who chose aspiration and could have chosen medication abortion said they believed aspiration would be quicker, while 35% believed it would be less painful and 27% said they did not want to be at home for the abortion. Among women who selected medication abortion, 34% said they wanted to be at home for the abortion, 20% wanted to avoid aspiration and 20% believed medication abortion was less invasive. Another 20% believed medication abortion would be less painful, while 19% said medication abortion is less frightening or more natural.

For those of you new to my blog or to the pro-life movement, "aspiration" means sucking the baby out of his mother. "Medication," on the other hand, simply renders the preborn child dead, and the only way the expectant mother knows that her child has died is when she expels his body, which could occur at home and at any time.

I have never had an abortion, so I am not sure how painful one manner of killing is versus another, but I do know that the pain is real for the preborn child during his last moments of life.

The fact that some mothers wanted to experience the death of their child by a less invasive or more natural means frightens me more than words can say, for such comments make it perfectly clear that the average American who is experiencing pregnancy at a time that is inconvenient or irritating, in her opinion, is someone who has no idea who she is carrying. She is perhaps unaware that she already is that child's mother or perhaps nobody has ever explained to her what the act of abortion really means in terms of killing the child. And this is why I am bringing this sad report to your attention.

Judie Brown is president of American Life League and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

The nation has been slowly desensitized to the reality of what abortion does, and reports like this make it clear that we are not doing a very good job of educating the public, our friends, our relatives and those with whom we have an opportunity to speak. I would encourage you to get a copy of our DVD, Baby Steps, and study it. Familiarize yourself with the identity of this person who, according to this most recent study, is merely a problem similar to an infected tooth.

When a person thinks about taking an innocent person's life in terms of what sort of pain she will experience, without a thought for her baby – because perhaps she does not think her problem is actually a baby – we must realize we have our work cut out for us. Let's get to it!

Playing Midwives to an Egg

This is the day in 1776 that the Declaration Committee presented the final draft to the 2nd Continental Congress. On 11 June 1776 a committee was formed to write the declaration. On that committee were John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, & Robert R. Livingston. On 12 June, at the request of the other members Jefferson began writing it. When he finished the draft he presented it to the rest of the committee. Only Adams & Franklin offered suggestions that were incorporated. Somehow or other I don't think Jefferson, Franklin & Adams spent the period during the reading debating what our national symbol should be. When it was actually debated, Franklin did push for the turkey for the reasons given.




& debate on the text didn't actually begin until after Congress officially declared independence on 2 July. $ July was the date of approval of the final draft. What we think of as the Declaration (above left) wasn't actually presented to Congress until 2 August. & no, not everyone signed it that day. Some of the signers weren't in Congress at the time of the vote but signed when they joined. Others who did were no longer a part of Congress by the time this copy was ready to sign. & for some reason Colonel McKean didn't sign it til many months later. Still the musical 1776 is reasonably accurate in its potrayal of the events.

Congratulations Archbishop Burke

The Vatican's gain is America's loss. It was officially announced this morning that Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis is appointed to be Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura.

From the Vatican website:

NOMINA DEL PREFETTO DEL SUPREMO TRIBUNALE DELLA SEGNATURA APOSTOLICA
Il Santo Padre ha nominato Prefetto del Supremo Tribunale della Segnatura Apostolica S.E. Mons. Raymond Leo Burke, finora Arcivescovo di Saint Louis.

The Signatura is the highest judicial authority other than the Pope himself. In a sense it is the Supreme Court of the Catholic Church & Archbishop Burke is the equivelent of the Chief Justice. It deals with conflicts between two or more Vatican offices; appeals against decisions by diocesan bishops and Vatican offices; and appeals against decisions by the Roman Rota.

The position is usual includes the red hat, so it is fairly certain that Archbishop Burke will become a cardinal (probably cardinal-deacon) at the next consistory. Archbishop Burke is the 1st American to head the tribunal.

Archbishop Burke had the following to say about his appointment: "I am deeply humbled by the trust which His Holiness has placed in me, and, in priestly obedience, I have pledged to serve our Holy Father to the best of my abilities. Although you will no longer pray for me as your archbishop, especially during the celebration of the Holy Mass, I ask your prayers for me, that I may faithfully and generously cooperate with God's grace in fulfilling my new responsibilities."

This will not be his 1st stint in Rome. In 1989 he was appointed Defender of the Bond for the Signatura. He reamined in this position until his appointment as Bishop of LaCrosse in 1995. In 2003 he was appointed to his position at St. Louis. In 2006 he was appointed a member of the College of Judges for the same tribunal.

The appointment comes as no real surprize. He is considered 1 of the World's foremost experts on Roman Catholic Canon Law. Unfortunately, the loss for the American hierarchy is huge. Archbishop Burke has been a very vocal defender of authentic Catholic doctrine. I know there is a group of people in the St. Louis area who won't miss them. They are the peopel who are disidents from various aspects of Catholic teaching like women's ordinations & abortion. Let us pray that Archbishop Burke's replacement will be as strong a defender of the faith as he is. & give these disidents just as much agita.

An interesting aside to all this is that Archbishop Burke will be 60 on 30 June. So, this comes as a birthday present. For me, the appointment is a statement by Papa Benedetto of Archbishop Burke doing his job well & faithfully. The Vatican has need of his talents & I am sure he will fulfill this position of service to the Church as faithfully & as well as he has his other positions of service.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY AS YOU MOVE INTO YOUR NEW ROLE SERVING CHRIST & HIS CHURCH!

A Star-Spangled Spectacular & No Rain

This Summer has definitely been a wet 1 for the Tri-State Wind Symphony. Their 1st performance was rained out, their 2nd was moved to their new rain site at Westminister Presbyterian. Yesterday, despite some threats by the weather, they were finally able to give their 1st performance at Eagle Point Park.

Last night's concert (26 June 2008) was their annual Star-Spangled Spectacular. That means that certain pieces are guarenteed to be played. Also, that certain composers will be featured. & that the others have a very definite American flavor. This year was no exception.

The concert got off to a different start this year with the participation of American Legion Dubuque Post 6 Color Guard. They Presented the Colors at the start of the concert. Having them participate was an excellent way to honor the flag as well as those who have served in the various branches over the years. As soon as the Colors were presented the TSWS opened with The Star Spangled Banner.

Next up was A Copeland Portrait. This was a medley of Copeland compositions adapted by Clare Grundman. It began with Fanfare for the Common Man, then El Salon Mexico, Appalachian Spring & concluded with Rodeo. Of course, by the end of the piece almost everyone was hungry for a huge juicy steak. (Brian Hughes made sure were remembered, as if he needed to, the use of Rodeo to promote beef.)

1 of the things I look forward to is hearing something new at every concert. This was no exception. Invictus is a march by Karl L. King (1891-1971). Karl King spent the early part of his adult life with various circuses before settling in Ft. Dodge, IA in 1920. He spent the next 51 years conducting the municipal band. King is best known for Barnum & Bailey's Favorite.

Next up was another new one for me Bayou Breakdown by Brant Karrick. This is a fairly new piece that was written in 2003. He is Director of Bands at Northern Kentucky University.

Like I said earlier, there are certain pieces that are definitely a part of the annual program. The next piece is 1 of them. But before they did so, the Color Guard returned. That was because the next piece was the Armed Forces Salute (arr. Bob Lowden). As the official song for each of the 5 branches of the service was played, the veteran from that branch stepped forward to present the branch flag & members of the audience from that branch stood up & were applauded.

George Gerswhin had to make an appearance on the program. This time in the form of his Prelude No 2 from Three Piano Preludes (arr Calvin Custer). This was another new piece for me.

At this point there was a pause to make a plug for the "pass the hat". & as Brian Hughes is wont to point out, "No donation is TOO LARGE!!" While their is no admission charge, there are expenses. They have to buy copies of the new pieces they perform. 1 this year cost $85. Then there are the ASCAP & BMI licensing fees (royalties) they are required to pay so they can perform their pieces. & while they have received some grants, they don't cover all the expenses.

The next piece was The Music of Disney (arr Jerry Brubaker). It included Zip-A-See-Doo-Dah, Mickey Mouse March & It's a Small World. I don't know if it was my age showing, but I remembered every word of the Mickey Mouse March.

Another guarentee is something by John Phillip Sousa. This year there were 2 pieces. 1st up was Fugue on Yankee Doodle. The piece was arranged by Keith Brion & Loras Schissel. Loras Schissel is originally from New Hampton, IA & works at the Library of Congress.

Naturally the last piece on the program was Sousa's The Stars & Stripes Forever (arr Keith Brion). The audience took its part of clapping along at the right points. & the piccolo playing was perfect. (As an aside, there are lyrics for the tune.) There is always 1 question that comes to mind everytime I hear this. Why the clapping? i.e. How did it get to be a traditional part of any performance?

The encore was America (My Country 'Tis of Thee).

Needless to say, the performance was excellent. Some of these pieces are difficult to perform. Yet the TSWS handled them very well. The TSWS's next performance will be 17 July with a program celebrating DBQ's Terquasquicentennial.

Unborn Baby Parts for Sale

CAUTION: Intense subject matter about the horrific use of murdered unborn baby parts.




Priests for Life

Life Dynamics


_____________

There are times when I cringe at the facts I hear in these videos. But I won't let that stop me from posting them. The truth of the abortion industry & the evil that pervades it MUST get out. It must be battled with the truth, prayer, protest, working for Pro-Life candidates, providing alternatives & other positive measures.

This evil cannot go on, lest we reach a point where God will be left with no alternative but to punish us for our sins as He did Sodom & Gommorah. We are in a time of mercy where it is not too late for our country to repent & turn away from this evil. It is not too late, but the hour is!

Take the Pledge - Uphold Humanae Vitae

Why A Pledge on Humanae Vitae?

To [Christian married couples] the Lord entrusts the task of making visible to men the holiness and sweetness of the law which unites the mutual love of husband and wife with their cooperation with the love of God the author of human life. [Pope Paul VI, Humanae vitae, ¶25].
It may seem odd to take a pledge to do what we are supposed to do anyway—follow the teachings of the Church. By our baptism and confirmation we are already vowed, at least implicitly, to do so. But we are living under special circumstances in a secular society where many Catholics have, knowingly or unknowingly supplanted their faith with another code by which they live, deeming it more “realistic.” But nothing is more realistic or “practical” than eternal salvation and living this life in accord with God’s designs.
So why do we pledge to assent to something as beautiful as God’s natural designs? Something, which in a less darkened world that ought to go without saying? For two reasons, at least: First, as an act of reparation for forty years of public dissent that led so many people astray by treating this ignorance of our Church as some kind of “enlightenment” or “liberation.” Second as an act of witness and assent to counter the anti-witness of this dissent, which brought so much incalculable damage to our Church and world, and indeed the witness of the Church. We stand up as confessors of the Faith. In the ancient Church, after the great martyrdoms ceased, those who stood for the Faith in a hostile climate were known as confessors of the Faith.
In taking this pledge we stand with the martyrs and confessors of the past in giving public witness not only to the Truth of our Church but her beauty.
Human Life International has an ongoing campaign of collecting this Pledge from clergy members and seminarians. This week we announce and offer a similar pledge to members of the lay faithful.
To sign the Pledge electronically, click here. To download a pdf copy of the Pledge to sign and distribute to others to sign please go here. [Laity Pledge in PDF]
We recommend pastors include it as a bulletin insert and lay people distribute it among friends and family.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,

President, Human Life International

Clergy Pledge of Assent to Humanae vitae

This Would Explain A Lot About the Current State of the Democratic Party

H/T: Fr. Erik Richtsteig

Mission to Magadan Update - June 2008

I recently received the latest newsletter, so it's time for another update about what is going on at the Magadan Mission sponsored by the Archdiocese of Anchorage. It has been a while since I 1st started talking about the work they are doing there.

Why do I keep talking about the work they are doing there? Aren't there many other things you could report on?

Yes, it is true there are many other groups out there that are doing similar work. & occasionally I will report on what they do. However, there are certain groups & their work that I am esp called to support & this is 1 of the ways I can do so.

Obviously, the most important part of their work is to see to the salvation of souls. As a part of that they have started a new program called Catholicism 201. Each session includes a meal, music, prayer & a lecture followed by small group discussion. The recent series had 35 people participate. Topics include The One Holy & Catholic Church, The Sacraments of Initiation, The Sacraments of Healing, The Sacraments of Vocation, Moral Foundations & Thorny Moral Questions (abortion, euthenasia, gay marriage, just war, death penalty, stem cell research & many others).

Like so many other areas of the world, 1 of the biggest battles they face is abortion. They do so many things to provide alternatives. Recently a couple from the Eveni tribe showed up with nothing. thanks to the work of the Mission they now have an apartment, medicine, baby clothes for their newborn daughter, food for the mother & a baby bed. The situation was a little different from the usual situation of a mother who was abandoned by the father. He is ready & willing to do all he can to help support the child.

A sad incident has led them to start a new program. Part of the training the people who serve there receive is to speak about how they view life & save children. Recently Lyuba, their parish director, was on the way to the maternity hospital. She talked to the taxi driver about their work. The driver was young, married & poor. As Lyuba shared he was shocked to find out the truth that abortion kills a child, that it is not just a piece of tissue. He was also saddened because the info about their work came too late to have prevented an abortion his wife recently had. They didn't feel they could feed the child. If he had known about the Mission's work they wouldn't have had the abortion. As the article says: "He was disturbed by what he now knew to be a lie. One innocent child could have been saved if he had known more."

As a result of this encounter the Mission is beginning a new program to get the truth out. Part of this is to get a website up with the truth of abortion. It will also include info about post abortion syndrome & help to bring healing to those who are suffering as a result of abortion. Part of their hope for the website is that it will bring more people to the parish for counciling & help, saving more children. The only limit for this is the lack of money. They have people ready to translate flyers, videos etc into Russian as soon as they have the funding.

Yes, this will take money, plenty. There may be someone out there who could provide the major funding needed. If you can & are reading this & have the money please pray about helping. However, that doesn't mean you can't help if you don't. Most of us don't have more than a few dollars to help out. It doesn't matter if it is $1, $5, $10, $100 or any other amount. Yes, the individual amount is small. But a few dollars here, a few there from a large number of people does add up.

So please prayfully consider helping to financially support the Mission at Magadan.

Monetary contributions need to go to the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

By check:

Make it out to Magadan Russian Mission & send it to

Mission to Magadan
225 Cordova Street
Anchorage AK. 99501-2409

Or you can donate online at the Archdiocesan webpage. Click on this link: Magadan Russian Mission.

How to Judge SIN Properly

THE SIN OF PERMISSIVENESS

"Stop passing judgment." —Matthew 7:1

Jesus commands us not to judge. The misunderstanding and misrepresenting of this command in the last few generations has led to a permissiveness which has warped and/or destroyed millions of people. Permissiveness is not love; it is either ignorance, the selfishness of apathy, or cowardice.
When Jesus commands us not to judge, He means we should not judge without having first removed the plank of sin from our own eyes (Mt 7:5). Then we should judge what is sinful according to the teachings of the Church and the Bible. Thus we know what needs to be removed from others' eyes. We call others to repentance by speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15). We must love others enough to correct them to keep them from harming themselves further (see Lk 17:3; Mt 18:15). We hate the sin because we love the sinner. We must not stand by idly while people hurt themselves (see Lv 19:16).
Permissiveness is not avoiding the sin of judging others, but is committing sins of apathy and cowardice. Not judging sins as sinful is committing another sin. Refusing to call a sin "a sin" is also a sin. Refusing to correct a sinner is yet another sin.
Don't judge others without first repenting yourself. Don't condemn others, but certainly love them enough to correct them. Don't judge sinners, but do judge sin so as to help sinners become saints.

Prayer: Father, may I love sinners so much that I hate sin intensely.
Promise: "Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men." —Ps 60:13
Praise: Cathy keeps advocating chastity even when she is laughed at for doing so.

Source: One Bread, One Body

Bring Back The Real Hippocratic Oath

In the 4th Century BC Hippocrates wrote an oath that all doctors took for centuries. In recent years some parts have been deleted/changed. Why? Well read the English translation of the original text 1st:

" To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.

Nor will I give a woman a pessary* to procure abortion."

A more modern translation: "I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy."

Interesting, isn't it. The original oath pretty much made it a no-no to give out any medicine that will cause an abortion (or be used for euthenasia for that matter). To do so was considered harmful to the patient. These lines are omited from the modern versions of the oath. & what does the AMA have to say about those pharmicists who take the old oath seriously & refuse to dispense birth control drugs?

For millenia the accepted morality was that it was harmful to dispense drugs that cause abortion. It was never in the best interest of the patient. Now it is? Only to those who have sold out to evil. The AMA is definitely on the wrong side of this issue. They have jumped on the "culture of death" bandwagon.

While a large number of doctors & pharmicists have sold out, denied what natural law says about the evil of abortion & euthenasia & become "High Priests" for the "Culture of Death", there are still plenty of pharmicists & doctors who know what was right 2400 yrs ago still is right & what was wrong still is wrong.

The sound you hear is Hippocrates turning over in his grave!!!!!

* Pessary: A pharmaceutical pessary is used as a very effective means of delivery of pharmaceutical substances easily absorbed through the skin of the vagina or rectum. The ancient equivelent of the Pill &/or IUD. (Source: Pessary)

American Life League

Pharmacists for Life International

(Note: There are several Pro-Life organizations for physicians, While they all oppose abortion, they take a variety of stands on the pill.)

Festa di San Giovanni il Battista - Fr. Corapi (2008)

John the Baptist reminds us that the Church is supposed to be endowed with the prophetic spirit of Christ in every age.
Jesus said of John the Baptist that no man born of woman was ever greater. John was a prophet in the tradition of Elijah and the other great prophets of the Old Testament. He was indeed a voice crying in the wilderness, making straight the paths for the Lord. As such he knew the Heart and Mind of God through long years of intense prayer in solitude and the penance that went with it. He, like Elijah, was zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. He was a champion of truth and of God.
Like all of the true prophets, St. John was not afraid of the evils of the times or the most powerful people who caused them and gave bad example to others. He spoke fearlessly to Pharisees and kings alike, unconcerned for his own welfare in the process. He was martyred for truth in the end. I wonder what John would have to say today? I wonder if he would give the evil rulers of the day a pass despite the blood on their hands, the blood of the most innocent—the unborn from abortion, the long ago born from euthanasia, the chronically sick because no one will take care of them? Or, would he bring down the wrath of nature and God alike on them, like Elijah did? The prophets, unlike most men of their day, could see clearly in the pure light of the God who is truth. They were not blind to that which is grossly immoral, nor were they concerned more for the glitter of silver and gold than the right to life for all human life.
I wonder who St. John the Baptist would vote for? Would gasoline prices, or anything else imaginable, be more important than the slaughter of the innocent through abortion, euthanasia, and other such crimes against humanity? What “proportionate reason” would he consider weighty enough to vindicate voting for those who condone and promote what is clearly tantamount to genocide? I wonder?

God bless you,
Fr. John Corapi

Now He has the Answer About the "Pork Chops"*

George Carlin died Sunday night 22 June 2008 of heart failure. Given some of the routines he did I suspect he has some "splaining to do" to God. He could be funny & irreverant without lapsing into the dirty language he felt he needed to use. & I'm afraid he is in for a few surprizes. In the 70s the Supreme Court ruled that his Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television routine was "indecent but not obscene" & that the FCC could ban it from air play.

Anyhow, as I said, he did have some great routines without resorting to the smut. Among those were his Wonderful WINO routines in which he made fun of local radio stations. Then there were his local newscast routines. The faux newscasters he created were unique. My favorite was Al Sleet - the hippy dippy weatherman.

From 1966:

Wonderful WINO

From 1967:

When he grew a beard & let his hair grow long he came up with a poem about his long hair he called The Hair Piece. he followed this up with his short The Beard. here is an appearance on The Flip Wilson Show (1972) where he did the routine:

* A reference to his 2004 book entitled "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" that he intentionally entitled that to offend Jews, Christians & Muslims.

Who Was Gabriel Gregorio García y Moreno y Morán de Buitrón?

According to Frank M. Rega, S.F.O. he was only The Greatest Catholic President that there ever was. I don't know if that is true, but his story does make for interesting reading. Esp since it seems that Rega's arguement for this is supported by 1 of the highest authorities there is, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Apparently, his presidency of Ecuador was predicted by Mary (appearing under the title of Our Lady of Good Success) in an apparition to Venerable Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres a Conceptionist nun in Quito, Ecuador, on January 16, 1599. Before I continue I have to state that these apparitions have received the approval of the Catholic Church.

According to the article: "On that date, Our Lady revealed to Venerable Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres details of the life of a future president of the Republic of Ecuador – a country which did not even exist at the time. Our Lady of Good Success, whom the Archdiocese with the permission of Rome would crown Queen of Quito, spoke the following oracle:

“In the nineteenth century a truly Christian president will come, a man of character whom God our Lord will give the palm of martyrdom on the square adjoining this Convent of mine. He will consecrate the Republic to the Sacred Heart of my Most Holy Son, and this consecration will sustain the Catholic Religion in the years that will follow, which will be ill-fated ones for the Church. These years, during which the accursed sect of Masonry will take control of the civil government, will see a cruel persecution of all religious communities, and it will also strike out violently against this one of mine.""

This IS exactly what happenned.

At the time of the apparition (1599) Ecuador was still a part of the Spanish Empire. It did not gain independence until 1822. & it didn't become a republic until 1830. García Moreno was born in 1821.

García Moreno was only 37 when he 1st came to power. He was part of a 3 man junta. In 1861 he was appointed interim President by the Assembly. Later that year he was elected president for the 1st of 3 times.

After his 3rd victory in 1875 he wrote Pope Pius XI asking for his blessing: "I wish to obtain your blessing before that day, so that I may have the strength and light which I need so much in order to be unto the end a faithful son of our Redeemer, and a loyal and obedient servant of His Infallible Vicar. Now that the Masonic Lodges of the neighboring countries, instigated by Germany, are vomiting against me all sorts of atrocious insults and horrible calumnies, now that the Lodges are secretly arranging for my assassination, I have more need than ever of the divine protection so that I may live and die in defense of our holy religion and the beloved republic which I am called once more to rule." He was to be innaugurated for his 3rd term on 30 August 1875. But, on 6 August 1875 he was assasinated.

For the whole story of García Moreno's life & how he fulfilled Mary's prophecies I would recomend following the link to Rega's article. It makes for interesting reading. In this day & age when we have so many Catholics In Name Only (CINO) in politics it is refreshing to see someone who can do his job faithfully as an elected official without comprimising his faith.

OK, I will admit that a Catholic President of the USA might not get Congress to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Then again, a faithful Catholic President might be able to get the US Bishops to do so. & he would fight for the unborn.

“My Saviour, Jesus Christ, give me greater love for Thee and profound humility, and teach me what I should do this day for Thy greater glory and service.” Prayer composed by García Moreno & found on his body after his assassination.

___________________

Frank M. Rega, S.F.O. is the author of Padre Pio and America, and St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims published by TAN Books.

VERRRRYYY Interesting!!!!!!!

Source: Saving Europe: More Talledega, Less Sorbonne By Austin Ruse via Dad29 (A Story Which You Will Remember)

This will definitely blow the mind of those who want complete seperation of Church & State (read completely silencing any voice for Christianity).

I once heard the only possible hope for the future of Europe and it came from the mouth of an orthodox Jew. He was responding to the sophisticated and erudite proposal of the elegant Italian statesman Marcello Pera. Pera, who was then president of the Italian Senate and published a book last year with Pope Benedict, spoke at a conference in Vienna sponsored by Cristophe Cardinal Schoenborn.
A non-believer, Pera proposed what Europe needs is a civic religion that is not overtly Christian but that has Christian attributes with which everyone can agree: civility, tolerance, compassion, dialogue. You will recognize these as the attributes par excellence of the modern secularist. Professor Joseph Weiler was asked to respond.
Weiler is an orthodox Jew. He is the Joseph Straus Professor of Law and European Union Jean Monnet Chair at New York University. He used to be the Manly Hudson Professor of Law and European Union Jean Monnet Chair at Harvard University. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Weiler is not a Bible thumper of either Old or New Testament. Yet the orthodox Jew Weiler rose that day in Vienna and said: "What Europe needs are more Europeans proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ."

Yup, you read it right, an ORTHODOX JEW speaking just like an AMERICAN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN.

FYI The sound you hear is Christopher Hitchins, Barry W. Lynn & Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, People for the American Way, et al having a massive group coronary.

Anyhow, in case Pera forgot, civil religion was tried during the French Revolution. & we all know how well that turned out. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Democrat to English Dictionary

Courtesy of Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI-11), House Republican Policy Chairman

“Speaking Democrat:” A Primer

Speaking “Local Democrat”

“PROGRESSIVE” = “REGRESSIVE”
“Democrats are progressive.”
Translation: “Democrats are regressive.”
“CHANGE” = “THE 1970s”
“Democrats will bring you change.”
Translation: “Democrats will bring you the 1970s.”
“GOVERNMENT” = “SOCIALISM”
“Democrats support proactive government.”
Translation: “Democrats support proactive socialism.”
“ENHANCE REVENUES” = “RAISE TAXES”
“Democrats will enhance revenues.”
Translation: “Democrats will raise taxes.”
“THE RICH” = “YOU”
“Democrats will only tax the rich.”
Translation: “Democrats will only tax you.”
“INVEST” = “WASTE”
“Democrats will invest your money.”
Translation: “Democrats will waste your money.”
“ENERGY” = “LETHARGY”
“Democrats have an energy policy.”
Translation: “Democrats have a lethargy policy.”
“GREEN COLLAR JOBS” = “UNEMPLOYMENT”
“Democrats will replace your blue collar jobs with green collar jobs.”
Translation: “Democrats will replace your blue collar jobs with unemployment.”

Speaking “Global Democrat”

“DIPLOMACY” = “MAGIC”
“Democrats will protect America from Iranian nukes through tough, principled diplomacy.”
Translation: “Democrats will protect America from Iranian nukes through tough, principled magic.”
“ENGAGE” = “APPEASE”
“Democrats will engage America’ enemies.”
Translation: “Democrats will appease America’s enemies.”
“END” = “LOSE”
“Democrats will end the Iraq War.”
Translation: “Democrats will lose the Iraq War.”

Contextually Construing “Electoral Democrat”

(i.e. Walking the Party Plank)

“As a progressive party, Democrats will bring you change by using government to enhance revenues from the rich to invest in the production of energy and green collar jobs; and by using diplomacy to engage America’s enemies and end the Iraq War.”
Translation: “As a regressive party, Democrats will bring you the 1970s by using socialism to raise taxes from you to waste in the production of lethargy and unemployment; and by using magic to appease America’s enemies and lose the Iraq War.”

Source: "Speaking Democrat:" A Primer

Philadelphia Cardinal Rigali On Receiving Communion

One Must Believe What the Church Teaches to Receive Communion

By John-Henry Westen

QUEBEC CITY, June 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Justin Rigali, the Archbishop of Philadelphia is in Quebec City for the International Eucharistic Congress - a week-long event focusing on the Catholic belief that Christ Himself is present in Holy Communion.

Cardinal Rigali, who is also the President of the Pro-Life Committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, discussed with LifeSiteNews.com the issue of worthiness to receive Communion in the context of Catholics who support abortion and same-sex "marriage", contrary to Church teaching.

"We're talking about the very life of the church when we're talking about the Eucharist and participation in the Eucharist," said Cardinal Rigali. "St. Paul tells us that anyone who receives the Eucharist must be prepared. This is the apostolic catechesis."

"St. Justin in the second century tells us: 'The only people who are to go to Communion are people who believe everything we believe'. So it's a question of our faith."

The Cardinal referenced St. Paul warning that, "Anyone that approaches the body of Christ has to examine himself to see where he stands, because if you're not worthy then you're heaping condemnation on yourself."

The Cardinal noted that there are "many people who are confused on the faith, many people are confused on the issue of life." That is why, he said, "the Church has been putting in so much effort to try to clarify the absolute necessity to support, to promote, to cherish human life, and not to do anything to destroy it."

"We invite people to come to the Eucharist," he said, "but we are constantly reminding them 'just a moment now' this belongs to our tradition - the Eucharist is not just something we just receive; it's the body of Christ."

"We have to accept the teachings on the body of Christ and we have to accept the teaching of the body of Christ, which is the Church, on other things to be fully worthy," he said.

While he said that the prime responsibility is that of the person to examine himself before God regarding his worthiness to receive Communion, Cardinal Rigali added that "obviously the Church has an obligation to safeguard the Eucharist against abuses."

"We teach children who prepare for first Holy Communion to be worthy, to be in the state of grace," he said. "That's what we tell everybody - you have to be in the state of grace."

He concluded: "To be in the state of grace you must embrace what the Church embraces, you have to embrace the faith of the Church, and you're not free to receive the Eucharist if you don't embrace the faith of the Church. This is St. Paul, this is St. Justin, this is the whole history of the Church."

Cardinal Ouellet Praises Humanae Vitae -

Abortion the Consequence of the 'Culture of Contraception'

Says controversial encyclical "was not taught enough" and because "we have not followed it, we have seen the consequences."

By John-Henry Westen

QUEBEC CITY, June 19, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Quebec City Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Primate of Canada, is in the midst of hosting a massive international gathering of Catholics that was five years in the making - the International Eucharistic Congress. The Cardinal nevertheless took time to sit down with LifeSiteNews.com for an interview.
In keeping with the theme of the Congress, Ouellet spoke of the link he sees between the Eucharist and respect for human life, noting the fact that the Eucharistic Congress occurs just a month before the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humane Vitae" ("On Human Life").
The controversial 1968 document was a restatement of the Church's official opposition to contraception, and a call for married couples to remain open to life. The document is now regarded as prophetic, having predicted with uncanny accuracy the progress of the Culture of Death and the devaluation of women that would follow the widespread acceptance of contraception.
Cardinal Ouellet said, "Humanae Vitae was a great document…People should reread it carefully and see how beautiful the description of human love is in this document."
"Openness to life," he said, "is the key of the document, that the act of mutual gift of the spouses must remain open to life."
The Primate of Canada told LifeSiteNews.com, "This message was not properly received by the population," adding, "it was also not taught enough."
"The consequences of the culture of contraception," he said, "are visible in the culture with abortion and with the question of marriage."
"I think we have to revisit it (Humanae Vitae) and reopen our hearts to the wisdom of this document."
Ouellet noted that Pope John Paul II, with the development and preaching of his theology of the body, "further developed the inner logic" of Humanae Vitae.
Tying the issue back to the Eucharist, the highest ranking Canadian prelate said, "Obviously the welcoming of the Risen Lord and the Gift of His Body calls for the respect of human life, and I think it will foster in the future more commitment for the respect of human life."
He concluded: "The anniversary of Humanae Vitae is an opportunity to discover that the Church was wise to reaffirm the value of human love and its openness to life. We have not followed it, we have seen the consequences, but there is still time to recapture the fruit."
With this interview Cardinal Ouellet is the second major Canadian prelate to speak out forcefully in support of Humanae Vitae, on this 40th anniversary year. The first was Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, who said, "The encyclical (Humanae Vitae) gives the Church a deeper understanding into the beauty of married love and responsible parenthood. It offers a clearer understanding of the harm of contraception and the great value of Natural Family Planning (NFP). Further, it challenges married couples, healthcare professionals and clergy to live and teach these profound truths about human sexuality and dignity."

See the exclusive LifeSiteNews.com coverage here:
Archbishop: For the Clergy, Obedience to Church "Requires Preaching About the Moral Evil of Contraception"http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08051302.html

Who Says Notre Dame Doesn't Have A Prayer?

Apparently it does! With a little coaching from Fr. Pablo Straub C.Ss.R. & a cheerleading team such as you have never seen it may just finally get itself back on track as a 100% orthodox Catholic College. *

Touchdown Jesus - University of Notre Dame

Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at ND

* For those who don't get this read What About Notre Dame? from The Cardinal Newman Society for an explaination of the problems there.

Jane Roe: Roe v Wade was The Biggest Mistake of My Life

& Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) is publicly admitting it. She is doing so in a TV ad made by VirtueMedia & licensed to Right to Life Groups for them to air. She attacks some of the myths about her involvement in Roe v Wade.

She tells what really happenned. "Back in 1973, I was a very confused twenty-one year old with one child and facing an unplanned pregnancy. . . . At the time I fought to obtain a legal abortion, but truth be told, I have three daughters and never had an abortion."

After telling a little about how she changed & the truth about the damage done by abortion, she concludes the spot by saying: "You read about me in history books, but now I am dedicated to spreading the truth about preserving the dignity of all human life from natural conception to natural death.”

She speaks in a quiet, peaceful voice that gets across her regret & her desire to put an end to this horrific practice. You can hear the loving concern that she has for those that are harmed by abortion. & you know that she has made her peace with God for her past mistakes in this area.

This video will be a powerful tool in putting an end to legalized abortion. Christ will work powerfully through this short testimony. It will be very difficult for pro-choice/abortion persons to honestly refute this. They will try, but if they do so by playing fair, they will fail.

This video with Norma McCorvey is just 1 of many videos & radio spots that VirtueMedia has done since they began in 1998. I have seen many of them over the years. & they deliver on their promise of providing powerful messages. According to their website these spots have resulted in "thousands of babies saved from abortion and countless post abortive mothers offered hope and healing." Thank God for VirtueMedia & the wonderful work they are doing in helping to promote the Pro-Life message.

Source: Norma McCorvey of Roe v. Wade Abortion Case Makes First Pro-Life TV Ad

Brideshead Revisited Revisited

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about a movie version of Brideshead Revisited coming out this Fall. So, I decided to get the DVDs & watch the 1981 TV series done by Granada Television. I'll admit that part of me was already wondering "Perche?" & after rewatching the series I am now wondering "PERCHE?????????"

I can only think of 1 reason why, to make money. Otherwise, it makes no sense at all to do a 100 minute remake of a book that took 11 episodes & 659 minutes the 1st time.

& it is clear from what the producer had to say to justify the major rewrite of the storyline that he clearldy doesn't get the novel at all. According to 1 report: "Producer Robert Bernstein has defended the decision, insisting most of the changes were necessary to cut the production down to a two-hour movie." OK, sometimes minor changes are needed when you cut the story down. But wait until you hear what he sees as the heart of the story: "It is important for us to get to the heart of what was, essentially, a (love) triangle."

Funny, but that isn't Evelyn Waugh's take. & if the author doesn't know what is at the heart of his own novel, who does?

& what was Waugh's take? There is an answer & it is in his own words. In 1947 there were Hollywood negotiations to make Brideshead into a movie. At the time Waugh wrote a memo to help "the Californian savages" (as he called them) know what was the right way to make a film version of the novel.

His memo starts out stating the theme plain & simple: "The theme is theological." He goes on to say: "The novel deals with what is theologically termed, "the operation of Grace", that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by which God continually calls souls to Himself." He adds: "God has a separate plan for each individual by which he or she may find salvation. The story of Brideshead Revisited seeks to show the working of several such plans in the lives of a single family." (emphasis mine) Notice, it is not about a love triangle.

I don't think he would be surprized with Hollywood's missing the point. Remember he called the savages. & in explaining why he wrote the memo about the theme & how to approach it for the script he said something that is just as true today as it was then, even more so. "(T)hey are antithetical to much of the current philosophy of Hollywood. It is for this reason that I venture to restate them briefly here. " (emphasis mine)

As I said earlier, sometimes you have to make a few small changes because you have to cut out huge parts of a novel. But what Bernstein has done is called a major rewrite. & he claims it has the approval of the family. Either the family has forgotten what Waugh wanted. Or, as I suspect knowing the track record of Hollywood, they were duped. Hollywood has a repuation for totally jettisoning the plot of a novel. A prime example is the Louis L'Amour Western The Broken Gun. It ended up a comedy, Cancel My Reservation, starring Bob Hope that had almost nothing to do with the novel.

This isn't the 1st time that an unneeded remake has been done. & I admit it won't be the last. I am still trying to figure out the recent remake of The Forsyte Saga. the 1967 version was an excellently done, perfectly cast version. OK it was in black & white, so what? But Granada Television went ahead & did a new version. It stopped after the 1st 3 books, Thank God.

Don't get me wrong. There were some things done very well, such as the costumes. It was the casting that left more than a little to be desired. The worst offense, the casting of Gina McKee as Irene Forsyte nee Heron. Irene was blond & could best be described as a classic beauty like that of Helen of Troy. Unlike Nyree Dawn Porter, Ms. McKee was neither. It wasn't believable that so many men would feel about her the way they were supposed to about Irene. I couldn't make it through the 1st series let alone even try to watch the 2nd series.

I don't know if the new version of Brideshead Revisited will be a success. It looks like Berstein is ignoring the heart of the novel. Given that fact, it deserves to fail. I am fairly certain Berstein has not read Waugh's memo. I fear Emma Thompson has made a huge mistake in starring in this 1. Given Hollywood's strong anti-Christian, & even stronger anti-Catholic, slant, I suspect it will even turn this into an attack on Christianity. At best it will leave vestiges of it in, but present it in a very poor light. At worst, make Catholicism the real villian ruining everyone's happiness in 1 way or another.

My suggestion, skip the movie when it comes out. Rent, or buy, the 1981 DVDs of the series instead. It cannot be topped. & Hollywood should never have tried.

The script remained faithful to the novel. It made a few minor changes that do no violence to the story. They are mainly cutting out unneeded scenes or making minor adjustments to fit in the demands of film v the written word.

The casting, as I said, was perfect. & at the top was Sir John Gielgud as Edward Ryder. He captured perfectly the complete lack of love & detatched view that Edward had for Charles. Jeremy Irons was excellent as Charles. He took Charles from a young outsider to a man who lost everything but found his very soul. Anthony Edwards is Sebastian Flyte. I could go on & on.

The casting was perfectly complimented by the locations, esp the use of Castle Howard as Brideshead. It was ideal fitting in very well with how Waugh saw the estate.

& I add the same for The Forsyte Saga. The 1967 series is near perfect. Like Brideshead, the script stuck close to the novels. Yes it took a few liberties, but nothing fatal. Casting was perfect, the settings flawless. Both series are well worth watching again & again.

Take the Cannoli, Leave the Refineries

House Democrats have come up with an offer we definitely can (& must) refuse.

What is it? They want to nationalize the oil refineries.

I was watching Neil Cavuto interview a Democratic spokeswoman on Your World Wed afternoon (18 June) about this idea. Neil pointed out over & over how well the Federal government hasn't done in the past. She danced arround that fact, ignored it & never admitted that the government has almost never done anything right when it comes to nationalizing an industry. The only thing he failed to do was to put it this was: "ARE YOU PAZZO????" He came back to this proposition in his Common Sense segment & succeeded in totally demolishing any claims that the government could or should nationalize the oil refineries.

PS Paisan, save a few cannoli for me. Per favore! Grazie!!!

Be Careful What You Wish For, Congress

Well it seems like House Democrats have found a president they can believe in.
Not Barack Obama, who wants the job.
And certainly not George Bush, who has the job.
But Hugo Chavez, who as far as I know, doesn't qualify for the job.
But Chavez qualifies for something else. Something Democrats have increasingly been demanding in the United Sates. Something Chavez has been doing in Venezuela.
Nationalizing the oil companies.
Specifically, some House Democrats want to nationalize oil refineries. This way the government could better control the flow of the oil supply.
Marvelous. So they're opposed to more drilling.
But not opposed to more government.
Shocking. Please cue a FOX News Alert.
And given the government's impeccable record taking over so many aspects of our lives, why shouldn't it just take over our oil refineries.

That government lockbox has done wonders to shore up social security.
Trillions spent on the war on poverty, and still a lot of poverty.
And who better to lecture an industry on properly spending money than a government that can't keep track of its own?
Given their scrupulous attention to financial detail and cost controls, who better to police gas gouging than the very folks who perfected tax gouging?
So that's their response. Let the government handle it.
That's like me guarding a bake shop to make sure someone doesn't steal the cannolis. News flash! Not wise.
Just like this isn't wise. Because be careful what you wish for, Congress.
When you own the refineries, you own them — lock, stock, and eye-popping barrel.
Because when you own the refineries, you're responsible for the refining.
And the costs of that refining, and maintaining, and distributing, and supplying, and trading.
But I guess if Hugo Cavez can do it, why shouldn't you?
Never mind he's just a petty dictator.
You're just petty politicians, who'd sooner sign onto the wisdom of a tyrant in another country, than the demands of ticked off voters in your own.

Never Put Off Until Tommorrow

What You Can Put Off Until July 15th.

& maybe hope the furor will die down so you don't have to do anything. In this case though it won't.

What am I talking about? The Batavia Library Board of Trustees was supposed to decide Wed. nite whether or not to pull a link for TeenWire from the library website. (TeenWire is sponsored by Planned Parenthood aka Murder Inc.) They decided to delay the decision until their 15 July meeting.

& while I started out by saying that it may be that they hope the furor will die down, I suspect it may be to give those who are Pro PP a chance to organize so that the Board will have an excuse to keep the website up.

Among the various things that the website claims to do is give accurate info about various forms of birth control. Yet, it doesn't. Why do I say that. When it talks about various methods, it gives the success rate when used correctly. Sadly, & they know this, most forms of birth control rarely are. But they don't mention the real success rate, which is much lower. The only info that is complete accurate is where it talks about abstinence. Given that abstinence means just that, it is 100% effective always.

They will say that a condom is 98% effective (ideally). In reality is is only 88-90% effective. That is a 500 to 600% difference. The female condom is presented as 95% effective, but the reality is it is only 79% effective. I could go on & on. Why don't they tell the real rates? Because they know that by not doing so more people will have a false sense of safety & will get pregnant & then be again misled by PP into having an abortion. which they will gladly provide. PP doesn't want the truth out there. It wants to make money by destroying lives & families.

Please pray that the truth about PP & their many lies gets out there. & that the Batavia Board does the right thing next month.

Source: Standing room only at Batavia Library Board Meeting

30 Years Later & Just As Fat As Ever

On this day in 1978 the world's fattest cat made his debut on the comics page. & while he has lost his Rihard Nixonish jowls he is still as fat, still as lazy, still as ornery, still as sarcastic & still as big a lover of lasagna as ever.

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY

GARFIELD!!!!!

(& thank you Jim Davis for creating him!)

I Wonder If He Is?

Oh, posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.

- John Adams

H/T: Paul, just this guy, you know

(Given that he ended up as a Unitarian, I'm afraid he may not be, at least not from Heaven.)

Porn or Teen Education?

According to the Batavia Public Library it is merely providing an educational web site for teens on sexual issues. Which sounds all fine & good. That is, until you find out who is behind it. The website is TeenWire, the sponsor, Planned Parenthood. & despite its claims, PP is not a reliable source of accurate info, esp when it comes to things like how well birth control methods really work. & they don't exactly promote abstinance either.

Needless to say, this fact has gotten out & many parents in the Batavia area are up in arms. & rightly so. Kerry Knott discovered the TeenWire link a few weeks ago. With her husband Dean she launched a protest. & just so you don't hink she is an uptight mother, Kerry Knott is an experienced sexuality educator. She had this to say: “The library is endorsing a Web page that has bad information and is crudely presented.” "It's very pro-sexual activity for teens."

Knott also said: "I'm all about making an informed decision. But we expect to see Web sites that are accurate and present this information in an effective manner. The library's held to a different standard."

Concerned Families for Batavia was formed to deal with this problem of undermining a parents right & responsibility to be the primary source of accurate information for their children.

Sadly, but not surprizingly, the library staff committee formed to look into it recommended keeping the site up. George Scheetz, the Batavia Library's director had this cop out to justify keeping it: "They seem to think the Web site is pro-sex, anti-parent. That's a value judgment I'm not sure it's possible for us to address. From our research, it is accurate."

So now they are appealing to the Library Board.

The Batavia Library Board Meeting to discuss this is tonite, Tuesday, 17 June 2008 @ 6:30 p.m. It will be held at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. Dean Knotts has prepared a powerpoint presentation to support their side.

If you are from the area please try & attend to show your support for the removal of the website's link. Otherwise, please pray that the right decision will be made tonite. I know I will when I am at Mass at 5;30 pm tonite.

Sources: Batavia parents outraged about library link

Family group fuming over library's sex ed Web link

Pro Life Action League

Barry Alan Pincus is 65 Today

We know him as Barry Manilow. He graduated from Julliard. His big break came accompanying Bette Midler in the early 70s. He even co-produced here 1st 2 albums. Eventually he recorded his 1st album. The rest is history. He had hits like Mandy, Weekend in New England, Looks Like We Made It, Can't Smile Without You & I Write The Songs. But most people who didn't get his early albums or attend a concert are unaware of some of his greatest hits. He would perform them as his VSM (Very Strange Melody). Here it is, the music that 1st put food on his table (& my most favorite of anything he ever did):

You Can't Impose Your Morality on Me But. . . . .

I can impose mine on you according to the Pro-Choice camp. Do they not see their hypocracy?

The simple answer is NO!

They tell us we can't make abortion illegal because we are imposing our morality. They say we can't ban birth control because we are imposing our morality. In other words a -pro-abortion, pro-death morality is sacrosanct. But if you are Pro-Life & feel that dispensing birth control is immoral than too bad. Pro-choicers say it is OK for them to do what they decry in Pro-Lifers.

Over the last few months the debate has raged as some states have debated conscience laws to allow Pro-life pharmacists the right to refuse to do something that they see as immoral.

Now the latest Pro-Life salvo is being fired. Pro-Life drugstores are starting to open up. & the pro-aborts are screaming bloody murder.

"I'm very, very troubled by this," said Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center. "Contraception is essential for women's health. A pharmacy like this is walling off an essential part of health care. That could endanger women's health."

Besides the fact that contraception IS NOT essential, the claim that it endangers a woman's health seems very specious.

Then there is this: "Why do you care about the sexual health of men but not women?" asked Anita L. Nelson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "If he gets his Viagra, why can't she get her contraception?"

While I don't approve of the abusive uses of the drug, there is a huge difference in the purpose behind Viagra & birth control. Viagra can help a man to procreate, birth control doesn't. (Check out Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body for a full explanation of how birth control hurts not helps a marriage.)

So, who are some of these brave Pro-Lifers that are doing the right thing & taking a stand against the "culture of death" that permeates our society?

1 place is Lloyd's Remedies in Gray, La run by Lloyd Duplantis, a permanant deacon in the Catholic Church. "We try to practice pharmacy in a way that we feel is best to help our community and promote healthy lifestyles. After researching the science behind steroidal contraceptives, I decided they could hurt the woman and possibly hurt her unborn child. I decided to opt out." Not only does he run a Pro-Life apothecary, he is also closed on Sundays.

This Summer DMC Pharmacy opens on Route 50 in Chantilly, VA. DMC is a part of Divine Mercy Care in Fairfax, VA. They also run the Tepeyac Family Center, an obstetrics-gynecology practice in Fairfax that offers "natural family planning" instead of contraceptives, sterilization or abortion.

1 comment that brought the biggest laugh to me, as well as the biggest tear, because of the pure hypocricy was this: "If you are a health-care professional, you are bound by professional obligations," said Nancy Berlinger, deputy director of the Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank in Garrison, N.Y. "You can't say you won't do part of that profession." Does she remember the Hypocratic Oath & its Pro-life portions that have resulted in today's health care profession dropping it because it reminds them what they are doing is wrong?

On the other hand this made me cheer: "If I don't believe something is right, the last thing I want to do is refer to someone else," said Michael G. Koelzer, who owns Kay Pharmacy in Grand Rapids, Mich. "It's up to that person to be able to find it."

"We may find ourselves with whole regions of the country where virtually every pharmacy follows these limiting, discriminatory policies and women are unable to access legal, physician-prescribed medications," said R. Alta Charo, a University of Wisconsin lawyer and bioethicist. "We're talking about creating a separate universe of pharmacies that puts women at a disadvantage." What Ms. Charo misses is the point of why this may happen. The reason is simple. It is simple economics. These people find what see wants as immoral. & thus they will support Pro-life pharmacies. As Robert Semler who will run the DMC Pharmacy put it: "We're not threatening anybody. We're just trying to serve a niche market of like-minded individuals." That's how capitalism works.

By Ms Charo's ethical standards evil is OK, good isn't. But this isn't surprizing as she also is in favor of embryonic stem cell research. Lord have mercy on her soul.

Thank God there is a growing group of people who know they can't leave their faith at the door. According to John Bruchalski, Chair of Divine Mercy Care's board of directors: one of the organization's major goals is helping needy, uninsured patients obtain health care. "We're trying to create an environment where belief and professionalism come together."

Then there is Pharmacists for Life International. (PFLI) According to their website they are the only website serving the profession of pharmacy as a totally 100% pro-life philosophy! So far there are only about 7 pharmacies listed on their site. But according to Karen Brauer, president of PLFI: "It's just the tip of the iceberg. And there's new ones happening all the time." Pro-abortion, pro-birth control forces may try & impose their will but there are many people out there who know what is right. & just like the early Christians in the Roman Empire, they are willing to stand up for WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS MORAL!!! NO MATTER WHAT THE COST!!!

Source: 'Pro-Life' Drugstores Market Beliefs

I have to add a comment about how the Washington Post handled this story. It showed their pro-choice, pro-"culture of death" mindset. I found it interesting that the only ethicists they talked to were those who support the pill. There are plenty of Pro-Life ethicists out there. But then to use them would be to imply that what these Pro-Life pharmicists are doing IS ETHICAL. & in their culture of death, anything that is Pro-Life can't be ethical.