Is Anybody There?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh Sabaoth" Zach 4:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dio di Signore, nella Sua volontà è nostra pace!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin 1759

Sunday, July 31, 2011

NARAL's Worst Nightmare - The 2012 Republican Presidential Hopefuls

The 2011 Iowa Republican Party sponsored Ames Straw Poll is less than 2 weeks away. & it turns out that this year's list of potential nominees in NARAL's worst nightmare. Last Thursday , NARAL policy directors briefed reporters on a new report analyzing the records & statements of 15 current or potential GOP candidates. They listed 12 of them as threats to what they call a woman's right to murder her child. Yes they say abortion, but that is exactly what abortion is, murder. & that is what they are advocating.

1 of the 12 that made the list is Rudy Giuliani. While it is highly unlikely that he will run, for some reason they opted to include him. Not only that, he came off the best fotr them as they said his statements over the years have been conflicting.

The rest didn't get off so easy. Herman Cain hasn't held an elected office so he doesn't have a record. But he has made enough statements to make it clear where he stands, & it is clearly Pro-life.

AS for those who have been in Congress NARAL looked at their voting record. They listed the number of votes each made on "abortion & reproductive rights". But I was unable to find out what those votes were or why they decided they were the important votes. So without those facts, I have to wonder if some of what they consider OK votes (of the few they did) were more on proceedural issues than anything else.

Michelle Bachmann had a perfect Pro-life voting record according to NARAL. Ron Paul was given a 93% "anti-choice" ranking. Rick Santorium voted "anti-choice" in 72 of the 74 votes he made in the US Senate. They also added to that count 27 votes while in the US House of Representatives. Newt Gingrich also was said to have voted "anti-choice" in 72 of 74 votes.

The rest of the candidates they looked at were governors. With the exception of Sarah Palin, everyone of them was considered to have a mixed record by NARAL. But even then, they saw them as strongly Pro-life. & that is exactly what they mean by the term "anti-choice", that the candidate is Pro-life, unlike NARAL.

NARAL knows the tide is turning Pro-life. & they are scared. They realize how important the 2012 Presidential election is. & it is. But the Congressional elections & state elections are just as important in many ways. & now is the time that we need to make it clear that Pro-life is the only acceptable stand for those running. & in Nov of 2012 we must ensure that a strong Pro-life majority is in charge in the US Congress. (As well as Iowa & other states.)


Saturday, July 30, 2011

Planned Parenthood's Latest Statistics, More Abortions Even Fewer Adoptions

Planned Parenthood likes to claim that it fairly promotes all options for a woman including adoption & attacks Crisis Pregnancy Centers because they don't promote abortion. However Planned Parenthood's own stats show how reality varies from their claims.

In fact the stats show that Planned Parenthood is clearly & agressively promoting abortion & the few adoption referrals they do are probably only because teh woman insisted despite all they tried to do to get the woman to have an abortion.

In fact from the 2008 to the 2009 annual report the number of abortions done by PP went up while the number of adoption referrals went down. In the 2008 report PP said they did 324,008 abortions & made 2405 adoption referrals. That comes to 1 adoption referral for each 134 abortions. Now for the 2009 stats:


As you can see PP did 8270 more abortions in 2009 than it did in 2008. but they made 1428 less adoption referrals. That means for each adoption referral they did 333 abortions. Another way to put it is that 3 tenths of 1% (0.3%) of the women who go to PP pregnant chose adoption over abortion.

These numbers explain exactly why PP is so opposed to any law that requires ultrasounds as well as CPCs. They cut into their profits they make from abortions. Abortion is the heart & soul of their business. The money they make from abortion constitutes approximately 37 percent of Planned Parenthood’s revenues. & when the numbers are unskewed as much as possible it turns out that 98 percent of services to pregnant woman are abortions.

& remember folks, it is our tax money that enables PP to make these huge profits from abortion by providing the pipeline into their clutches as well as underwriting basic expenses like rent & utilities that cover all services. It also enables them to continue to cover up rape & incest as well as I have so often pointed out.

So the next time someone tries to point out how wonderful PP is, share a few of their own facts about what they really do behind closed doors.

Ignore Man Behind Curtain, Planned Parenthood is About Abortion
See also: Shocking graphic: Planned Parenthood abortions vs. adoption referrals
Planned Parenthood Like Joe Camel Selling Sex, Abortion to Kids

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Friday, July 29, 2011

DBQ Area Hit With Up to 15 Inches of Rain Wed Nite/Thur AM

This video from KWWL is just a promo but it does give a bit of an idea of the downpour of Biblical proportions that hit DBQ starting Wednesday nite.







Depending on where you were in the area the rainfall ranged from 10.74 inches (official, set a 24 hr record) to 15.1 inches. There are some records you hope never are broken. Given the results, the 24 hour record is 1 of them.

The damage ranged from flooded basements to a couple of fires. Some parts of the Tri-state area had to be evacuated. The governor has declared DBQ a disaster area.

Local law enforcement & fire departments all did their best given everything they had to deal with, now comes the cleanup.

For those who may be wondering, no I didn't suffer any damage as where I live is fairly high.

But what is more important, please keep those who are suffering as a result of this natural disaster in your prayers.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

1 of the Reasons Why the Catholic Church is Right, In Vitro Ferilization Is Wrong

Obviously any method that goes against God's divinely ordained plan for human reproduction is going to b e wrong. When evil is involved it has a way of creating more evil. In the case of IVF, it is the murder of untold millions of unborn babies worldwide. We see here a further devaluing of life plain & simple.

IVF is promoted as providing people an oportunity to have children they otherwise couldn't have. But it does so in a way that is clearly counter to God's plan. So now we are seeing the additional fruit of that evil, that your life only has value if you are useful to fullfill someone elses wants, otherwise you are disposable.

IVF does not promote life, it is a part of the "culture of death" plain & simple. There are plenty of other ways in line with Catholic teaching to deal with infertility, including adoption. (See Pope Paul VI Institute website for more. Interview with Dr. Thomas Hilgers of Pope Paul VI Institute.)


1.5 million embryos killed through IVF since 1991 in Britain
LONDON, U.K., July 27, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Over one and a half million embryonic children have been killed in Britain through IVF procedures since 1991, according to new data from the country’s Department of Health.
The figures, revealed by Britain’s Health Minister Lord Howe in response to a request from Lord Alton, show that over 30 embryos are created for every live birth through IVF.
Doctors have created more than 3.1 million human embryos since Britain passed its Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1991, resulting in only 94,090 successful births. Of the remainder, 1,455,832 embryos have been discarded, 101,605 were destroyed through research, and 764,311 were frozen.
“We are creating and destroying human embryos on an industrial scale,” said Lord Alton, according to the Daily Mail.
He criticized the fact that the government has spent so much money on IVF when there are 600 abortions in the country every day and only 70 babies offered for adoption every year.
Pro-life advocates have heavily criticized IVF, in large part because of the massive death toll that it entails. As the figures reveal, in each round numerous children are conceived to improve the chances of implantation, but those remaining unused are simply “discarded” or frozen.
Critics also argue that the procedure reduces the newly-formed human life to the status of a commodity, and say that the child is meant to be conceived through the mutual love of husband and wife in the conjugal act.
Additionally, research has shown that babies born from IVF have a much higher chance of birth defects, including heart valve defects, cleft lip and palate, and digestive system abnormalities. In 2009, the British government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned that IVF babies have a 30% higher risk of genetic abnormality.

Normally, I'd Say Turn the Other Cheek

World Net Daily is reporting that lawsuit seeking in excess of $50 million has been prepared against MSNBC & its talk-show entertainer Rachel Maddow over statements she made about a Minnesota-based ministry. The suit is being filed by YouCanRunButYouCannotHideInternational ministry run by former rock artist Bradlee Dean. The suit is in response to the way that he says Maddow misrepresented a statement of his on homosexuals.

According to the story he once made a statement on the radio criticizing his fellow Christians for not taking a stronger stand about the "gay" rights lobby promoting homosexuality in schools. According to the ministry announcement, he made a strong reference to Muslims taking the issue more seriously than Christians, referring to Islamic law, but did not condone their practices. It was Bradlee's intent to focus attention on the issue, not to advocate harm to anyone, the statement went on to say.

The announcement went on to say that despite the clear statement by Dean on his ministry's website & elsewhere that he was not calling for the execution of homosexuals. It went on to say "MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and others seized on and accused Dean on her show of supporting the killing of homosexuals, as is the practice in some radical Islamic countries. This seriously has harmed Dean and the ministry, who pride themselves on respect and love for all people."

Given the way I have seen the media twist anything that goes against their agenda, I would not be surprized to find out Maddow did misrepresent, if not outright lie about what he actually said. & when what they say is agenda driven to clearly harm the opposition then the person harmed does have the right to stand up & defend him or herself. In this case, I see Dean & his ministry following in the example of St. Paul in defending himself against false accusations as we saw in Acts. I hope he wins so that the MSM will get the message they can't lie & still claim to be unbiased.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

St. Cyril of Jerusalem - Why the Catholic Church IS the Church Founded By Jesus

From the Jerusalem Catecheses by St Cyril of Jerusalem (Doctor of the Church), #18
22. The Faith which we rehearse contains in order the following, And in one Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; and in one Holy Catholic Church; and in the resurrection of the flesh; and in eternal life. Now of Baptism and repentance I have spoken in the earliest Lectures; and my present remarks concerning the resurrection of the dead have been made with reference to the Article In the resurrection of the flesh. Now then let me finish what still remains to be said for the Article, In one Holy Catholic Church, on which, though one might say many things, we will speak but briefly.
23. It is called Catholic then because it extends over all the world, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches universally and completely one and all the doctrines which ought to come to men's knowledge, concerning things both visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly ; and because it brings into subjection to godliness the whole race of mankind, governors and governed, learned and unlearned; and because it universally treats and heals the whole class of sins, which are committed by soul or body, and possesses in itself every form of virtue which is named, both in deeds and words, and in every kind of spiritual gifts.
24. And it is rightly named (Ecclesia) because it calls forth and assembles together all men; according as the Lord says in Leviticus, And make an assembly for all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of witness. And it is to be noted, that the word assemble, is used for the first time in the Scriptures here, at the time when the Lord puts Aaron into the High-priesthood. And in Deuteronomy also the Lord says to Moses, Assemble the people unto Me, and let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me. Deuteronomy 4:10 And he again mentions the name of the Church, when he says concerning the Tables, And on them were written all the words which the Lord spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the Assembly ; as if he had said more plainly, in the day in which you were called and gathered together by God. The Psalmist also says, I will give thanks unto You, O Lord, in the great Congregation; I will praise You among much people.
25. Of old the Psalmist sang, Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, (ye that are) from the fountains of Israel. But after the Jews for the plots which they made against the Saviour were cast away from His grace, the Saviour built out of the Gentiles a second Holy Church, the Church of us Christians, concerning which he said to Peter, And upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 And David prophesying of both these, said plainly of the first which was rejected, I have hated the Congregation of evil doers ; but of the second which is built up he says in the same Psalm, Lord, I have loved the beauty of Your house ; and immediately afterwards, In the Congregations will I bless you, O Lord. For now that the one Church in Judæa is cast off, the Churches of Christ are increased over all the world; and of them it is said in the Psalms, Sing unto the Lord a new song, His praise in the Congregation of Saints. Agreeably to which the prophet also said to the Jews, I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord Almighty Malachi 1:10; and immediately afterwards, For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My name is glorified among the Gentiles. Concerning this Holy Catholic Church Paul writes to Timothy, That you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth 1 Timothy 3:15 .

A Change In Direction for the CCCB?

While this news is very welcome, there are still a lot of changes that need to take place up there from what I have seen & been told by my reliable sources. However they are steps in the right direction. & as the article points out the type of Bishops to be expected with Cardinal Oullet in charge of the Vatican Congregation for Bishops. For me, the sure sign of a major change for the better will be when the CCCB retracts the infamous Winnipeg Statement. (Check out an excellent look at what is wrong with it here.)

Meanwhile, for us down below, we can only hope that similar types of Bishops will be appointed in the USA. (For me, esp in 2015 for the Archdiocese of DBQ.) Archbishop Chaput's appointment to Phliadelphia is hopefully a sign of things to come.

2 dioceses in particular have Bishops retiring that will be hard acts to follow.

Across the river Bishop Doran is 75 & awaiting the acceptance of his resignation & the appointment of a successor. Hopefully, his successor will build on the excellent leadership of Bishop Doran, esp in the Pro-Life area. The fruit of Bishop Doran's leadership is very apparent, esp in the priests & seminarians that I have met. He has done much to ensure that they are orthodox in their faith. He has been very outspoken when it comes to upholding Church teaching. Something I can avow to having heard him myself.

The diocese has a prayer for his successor on the website home page. Part of that prayer says "Grant us a shepherd who will preach the Word joyfully, teach the faith fearlessly, celebrate the sacraments reverently, doing all in a spirit of love and compassion, for the unborn who have no voice, for the poor who are often forgotten, for the young who seek guidance, for the sick who need healing, for the aged who yearn for hope, and for all your faithful people who come together as one Body in Christ to profess, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Church." All I can add is "AMEN!"

Then there is Bishop Bruskewitz in Lincoln NE who is also 75. You might remember his decree of excommunication a few years ago for Catholics involved in groups like Call to Action. He too has been a strong defender of orthodoxy. Bruskewitz once said that "the orthodoxy, conservatism, and enthusiasm of the clergy, both young and old, bear witness to the splendor of the Catholic priesthood in southern Nebraska."

Their successors will hopefully be of the same mold & a sign of a sea change in the USA as well.

Sea change: three strong pro-life, orthodox bishops appointed in Quebec
Quebec, July 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has appointed three strong pro-life and orthodox bishops in Quebec in the last two weeks. The appointments appear to confirm the beginning of a massive sea change for the province in the wake of Cardinal Marc Ouellet’s appointment as head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops.
On Tuesday, the pope announced that Bishop Luc Cyr of Valleyfield will take over as Archbishop of Sherbrooke. Among other strong statements of his pro-life and orthodox views, Bishop Cyr has travelled to the National March for Life in Ottawa, and has defended the Vatican’s decision to bar men with deep-seated homosexual attraction from the priesthood.
This latest appointment comes after the July 11th appointments of Fr. Christian Lepine and Rev. Thomas Dowd as auxiliary bishops of Montreal.
Rev. Lepine is known to pro-life and pro-family advocates for having attended pro-life conferences and shown support for reparative therapy for those experiencing unwanted homosexual attractions. In the fall of 2009, his parish was at the centre of media controversy in Quebec after they hosted a session for parents on how to instill an integrated sexual identity in their children. He had to cancel the last two sessions of the series after homosexual activists threatened to protest.
Fr. Dowd, whose status as Canada’s first blogging priest has sparked a great deal of media coverage following his episcopal appointment, has shown himself to be unafraid to tackle the key issues of our time, such as abortion and homosexual marriage. He has promoted Humanae vitae, and made headlines when he addressed the concerning debacle over Fr. Raymond Gravel’s election to Canada’s Parliament.
Church watchers had predicted that Ouellet’s appointment last year as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops would have a major positive influence on his home province, where Church leaders have for the last several decades been a leading force in the spread of liberalism throughout the Church in Canada.
Notably, in his first two years Ouellet will have had a hand in naming the heads of nine of Quebec’s 19 dioceses, including four out of its five major ‘metropolitan’ sees, due to the current bishops of those sees reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Before taking up the position last summer, Ouellet had emphasized that bishops “need spiritual discernment and not just political calculation of the risk of the possibility of the message being received.” “We have to dare to speak to the deep heart, where the Spirit of the Lord is touching people beyond what we can calculate,” he said.
These comments came in the wake of a massive backlash against him in Quebec after he reiterated the Church’s teaching that abortion is wrong in all circumstances, even in cases of rape.
Perhaps Ouellet’s most significant appointment to date was of his successor as Archbishop of Quebec City, Gerald LaCroix, who has shown himself to be a valiant defender of life. Ouellet will also soon have a hand in choosing a replacement for Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal, who recently submitted his resignation at the mandatory retirement age.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Contraception Deception

I found this especially interesting in light of the recent speech of Cardinal Sarah to seminarians I reported earlier today:



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If Hans Christian Anderson Wrote "The Emperor's New Clothes" Today



Source: Moonbattery (Open Thread)

Cardinal Sarah to Priests/Seminarians - Proclaim Truth of Gospel Esp About Abortion & Homosexuality or Face Divine Judgement

The more I read about Cardinal Sarah, the more I like what I see. As I previously reported, he has already made it clear to those who run the various Catholic charitable organizations that they need to be uphold Catholic teaching in all they say & do. Now he is making it clear that priests (& by implication, Bishops) MUST uphold authentic Catholic teaching. & that includes speaking out against abortion.

I can see why Papa Benedetto appointed him to head Cor Unum last year as well as made him a Cardinal. From what I see they are on the same page as far as dealing with the problems in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Sarah is not afraid to speak out or worry about who he offends. On 1 September 2010 Archbishop Sarah criticised Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s call for Islam to become the religion of all of Europe. He labelled it disrespectful to the Pope & Catholic Italy.

Cardinal Sarah is from Guinea. He was made Archbishop of Conakry in Guinea in 1979 at the age of 34. He was appointed Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 1 October 2001 by Blessed John Paul II.

I pray that Papa Benedetto will remain with us for many more years. But Cardinal Sarah is fast working his way onto my short list of those whom I would like to see succeed Papa Benedetto. Cardinal Burke is another. Can you imagine the fits Cardinal Sarah (or Cardinal Burke) would give to the social justice, false "Spirit of Vatican II" Catholycs out there if he was elected Pope?


July 25, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Robert Sarah is warning that priests who fail in their duty to oppose the breakdown of morality in modern society, particularly pro-abortion and anti-family policies, will receive the condemnation of God.
In a sermon delivered on June 25 to seminarians of the Community of St. Martin, whom he was about to ordain to the priesthood and diaconate, Sarah admonished his listeners, “if we have fear of proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, if we are ashamed of denouncing the grave deviations in the area of morality, if we accommodate ourselves to this world of moral laxity and religious and ethical relativism, if we are afraid to energetically denounce the abominable laws regarding the new global ethos, regarding marriage, the family in all of its forms, abortion, laws in total opposition to the laws of nature and of God, and that the western nations and cultures are promoting and imposing thanks to the mass media and their economic power, then the prophetic words of Ezechiel will fall on us as a grave divine reproach.”
Sarah quoted the prophesy of Ezechiel found in chapter 34:2-4: “‘Son of man, prophesy against the pastors of Israel to pastor themselves. Should not the pastors feed the flock? You have been fed with milk, you have dressed yourselves with wool. You have not strengthened the weak lambs, cared for those who were sick, healed those who were injured. You have not restored those who have strayed, searched for those who were lost. But you have governed them with violence and hardness.’ (Ez. 34: 2-4)”
“These reproaches are serious, but more important is the offense that we have committed against God when, having received the responsibility of caring for the spiritual good of all, we mistreat souls by depriving them of the true teaching of the doctrine of regarding God, regarding man, and the fundamental values of human existence,” the cardinal added. Click here to read the entire sermon.
Cardinal Sarah, who was appointed to the presidency of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum in 2010, is overseeing a radical restructuring of the Catholic Church’s international development aid programs. These have been criticized for a secular mentality that ignores the spiritual needs of recipients, often promoting values that are opposed to Catholicism, including the legalization of abortion and homosexual unions.
In late May, Sarah gave an address to the Church’s largest coalition of aid organizations, Caritas Internationalis, in which he noted a “serious moral regression and gradual ‘silent apostasy’” in the western world. He also noted that foreign aid for Catholics “is not merely philanthropic and humanitarian assistance aimed at relieving a certain kind of distress, but also and above all it entails giving back to human persons all their dignity as children of God, and promoting an anthropology that also encompasses the religious dimension of human persons, namely their encounter with God.”
In his June 25 address, Sarah notes that in modern society “we no longer know what is evil and what is good. There are a multitude of points of view. Today, we call white what we once called black, and vice versa. What is serious, and make no mistake about it, is the transformation of error into a rule of life.
“In this context, as priests, pastors and guides of the People of God, you should be continuously focused on being always loyal to the doctrine of Christ. It is necessary for you to constantly strive to acquire the sensitivity of conscience, the faithful respect for dogma and morality, which constitute the deposit of faith and the common patrimony of the Church of Christ.”
Related Links:
Robert Cardinal Sarah, Address to ordinands of the Community of St. Martin, June 25, 2011
Related Stories
Catholic charity must be tied to proclamation of Gospel: Cardinal
Vatican Cardinal warns of ‘silent apostasy’; says Catholic charities must evangelize

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Monday, July 25, 2011

New Moon for Pluto

Last week NASA announced that the Hubble telescope discovered a 4th Moon Around Pluto. The new moon is temporarily designated P4 (aka S/2011 P 1 or S/2011 (134340) 1). The moon was officially discovered on 28 June 2011 (Left picture below). Observations on 3 July 2011 (right picture below) & 18 July 2011 enabled it to be verified & declared so on 20 July 2011. (Naturally archival photos, in this case from 15 February 2006 & 25 June 2010, have been found.)

Image credit: NASA/ESA/M. Showalter (SETI institute)

Hubble was observing Pluto in an attempt to see if the planet had any rings. The potential rings, even though they are faint & thin, could potentially harm the New Horizons spacecraft heading toward Pluto. Instead, a new moon was found. The new moon has an has an estimated diameter of 8 to 21 miles (13 to 34 km), smallest of the 4 known moons.


The way P4 was discovered shows us how much our technology has advanced over the last 80+ years since Pluto was 1st discovered & assumed to be a much larger planet than it turned out to be. But it also serves to remind us of the importance of sending spacecraft to other planets as well. I am willing to bet that we will see as many interesting discoveries from New Horizons as there have been as a result of the visits by probes to other planets. & even more questions will be raised as well.


Psalm 19 says that "The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands." Here we are seeing more evidence of that truth.

(editorial comment) While some scientists see the term "dwarf planet" as a designation that planets like Pluto aren't equal to the other planets, the latest discovery tells me that amn attitude like that is wrong. That is like saying the terrestrial planets are 2nd class because they are way smaller & different than the gas giants & ice giants. No, they are just another type.

Source: NASA's Hubble Discovers Another Moon Around Pluto

St. James the son of Zebedee


Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Economic Destruction Caused By Abortion

In a sense, this is a follow up to yesterday's post about the huge number of unborn babies killed by contraceptives that claim to only prevent conception. Last Wednesday LifeNews published an opinion piece entitled The Economic Cost of Abortion: $202 Billion in Lost Taxes. The article looked at 1 of the consequences from the murdering of over 52 million people via abortion since 1972. In this case, how it has affected the economy.


Of course, the reason to oppose abortion is that it takes a human life. It takes a life of a person made in the image & likeness of God. But that doesn't mean we can't look at some of the other consequences of doing so. We need to face up to another dirty little secret, some of the economic problems we are facing today wouldn't exist if those killed by abortion were alive.


For instance, look at the mess that Social Security is in. In all the discussions about how to prevent it from going bankrupt 1 fact has been largely ingnored. & that is why the huge drop of people paying into the system? I say largely because some people have spoken up. But for the most part the message has been ignored.


Interesting enough, according to the article, even USA Today once admitted the effect abortion was having. “If only one-third of those who have been aborted were available to start work on their 18th birthday, the demise of Social Security would be put off for decades.” (David Mastio, “Abortion Altered America’s Future,” USA Today, Jan. 21, 1998, p. 15A.) & if all of them were alive I doubt that concerns about Social Security would even be discussed.


The late Larry Burkett wrote an article on the effects of abortion on the economy that year as well. "Incredible as it may seem,by the time the peak of the baby boom generation reaches retirement age, the number of abortions since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision will equal the number of births in the baby boom." (I am assuming he based his estimates on what was the annual number of abortions at that time & that he was operating on assumption that abortion would still be legal.)


& that is only 1 effect. The loss in tax revenue to Federal, state & local governments is another. The article author points out that given an approximate annual Federal tax revenue of "approximately $8500/citizen, and assuming that those aborted between 1975 and 1990 (approx 23,782,000 lives, based on Guttmacher estimates) would now be productive taxpayers, the U.S. economy is losing roughly $202 billion per year in tax payments as of 2012." & that is only Federal loss. California's current fiscal crisis may well have been avoided had abortion not been legal. (Follow the link above to Burkett's article for more effects.)


While we can't put 100% of the blame for our economic woes, we can sure put a huge amount of it there.


This LifeSite article only takes into account those murdered by abortion, not contraceptives. But the larger the number of those denied the right to life, the larger the unexpected consequences are. The Bible reminds us that we reap what we sow. & it is clear that we are reaping an economic disaster in the name of allowing abortion to remain legal.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Dirty Little Secret About Birth Control As Abortifaceant

When we think of aborting a baby we think that it is done surgically or using RU-486 for a chemical (medical) abortion. But when talking aboutartificial birth control we usually just think of it in so far as how the Catholic Church rightly teaches it is immoral. (see Humanae vitae)

It has long been known, but downplayed by the abortion industry, that most forms of contraception are also abortifacients. Yes, you read that right. The dirty little secret they don't want you to know is that contraceptives don't always prevent conception. When they fail to prevent conception they often cause an abortion instead.

When the Pill, Norplant, Depo-Provera & the Morning After Pill fail to prevent conception they usually prevent the newly conceived child from being implanted in the lining of the uterus. As for the IUD, it doesn't stop conception. It irritates the lining of the uterus thus preventing implantation as well. (Note: some IUDs are made so that the release hormones, but the basis effect is still the same.)

Most people who have long been involved in the Pro-life movement are aware of this truth. & I knew that more unborn babies were being killed above the 1.2 million aborted. But until the other day I didn't know how huge the number of unborn babies being killed because of contraceptives was. But after reading a footnote in an article in the July-Aug 2011 issue of Celebrate Life the reality of how many more babies have actually been murdered hit home.

Before I go on, I have to add that these numbers are best estimates based on scientific study. But, even at the lower numbers, it once again shows how right the catholic Church is to say that artificial birth control is wrong.

As for the numbers, let's start with the Pill. It is estimated that from 2 t0 10% of the time the Pill causes an abortion. & this is a conservative estimate. Studies show that Norplant may cause abortions 50 to 65% of the time. As for Depo-Provera, it may cause abortions 40 to 60% of the time. Taking the lowest numbers I found that means that so-called contraceptions kill at least 5.21 million unborn babies each year. Compare this to the 1.2 million killed by abortion. That means we are killing at least 4 times as many unborn babies than we realized. Each year in the USA we are losing at least 6.5 million lives to various forms of abortion. How much longer can we go on without having to answer tyo God for their lives?

Yes, we must continue to fight abortion. But we must also work to make people aware of the truth about contraceptives as well. & 1 of those facts is how many babies they kill each year.


I Stand With Indiana

As Far As I Am Concerned He Can Have It Back

This is making the rounds. Who am I to not do my part in helping it go viral. Esp since it has been "Hot as hell" & not just in Philadelphia!*
epic win photos - Apropos Sign WIN
see more funny videos, and check out our Yo Dawg lols!
For those of you who don't get the 1776 reference:






or



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Friday, July 22, 2011

Bill Maher is a Sexist Mysoginist Bully That Spreads Hate


Adult Stem Cells Treat Scleroderma Better Than Current "Standard of Care"

Here we go again, another success using adult stem cells, & not 5 to 10 years in the future like those pushing the use of embryonic stems cells like to paint the current state of research. But then to admit adult stem cells for treatments are working now is to admit that they are lying about the need for embryonic stem cell.

But what angers me the most is how many people who should be getting help aren't because they are unaware due to the intentional cooperation of the main-stream media as well as parts of the medical profession as well. Fortunately there are plenty of researchers out there who are doing the right thing & using adult (& umbilical) stem cells & getting people the treatments they need today.


by David Prentice, Ph.D

Dr. Richard Burt and colleagues at Northwestern University have just published a new study in The Lancet that provides more evidence for the success of adult stem cell transplant in treating system sclerosis (scleroderma).
The autoimmune disease causes rigidity in the skin and organs, including lungs, of its victims; it exerts its fatal influence by essentially turning them to stone.
Ten patients were treated with their own adult stem cells, and all improved at or before 12 months after treatment, compared with zero of the nine patients that received cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent considered the “standard of care” for this disease. None of the adult stem cell-treated patients had their disease worsen, while 8 of the 9 chemo-treated patients showed worsening, and eventually 7 of the chemo patients switched to the adult stem cell treatment.
The researchers note that the adult stem cell treatment improves skin and lung function in these patients for up to 2 years (the length of the current study) and is preferable to the current standard of care.
The new report is accompanied by a commentary by Farge and Gluckman that says the Burt et al. study provides “the best data to date for transplantation in scleroderma”, and “Despite the small number of patients and short follow-up of ASSIST, the findings of this trial are important for patients with systemic sclerosis, the medical community, and policy makers.”
Dr. Burt is featured in a recently-released video discussing his ideas for use of adult stem cells to treat patients with autoimmune diseases. Burt and his team are using this technique to help treat patients suffering from some 23 different diseases, and the techniques he has developed are now being used in treatment centers around the globe.
Adult stem cells are helping patients now.

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Ohio Medicaid Fraud

You will have to hear this to believe this"





Project Veritas

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

The 911 Tape An Abortion Mill Didn't Want to Get Out

So what do they do, blame the messenger, any surprize?

The thing the clinic ignores is that in most places, 911 tapes are considered public record & thus they can be released. What they don't like is that this shows how dangerous an abortion can be, as well as the need for some basic health regulations.

New Mexico abortion facility mad about release of 911 call from botched abortion


ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (LifeSiteNews.com) - The release of a 911 tape in which a woman is overheard fighting for life after a botched abortion has angered the facility where the abortion took place.
In a letter to the editor of the New Mexico Daily Lobo, UNM Executive Director of Communications Billy Sparks said the abortion-providing center offers gynecological procedures “in a safe and supportive environment.”
“It is unfortunate that organizations use situations without knowing the facts, especially when discussion and public disclosure may violate the right of all patients to maintain the confidentiality of their medical information,” he wrote.
In the tape, voices can be heard attempting to rouse the woman, who audibly gasps for breath as the caller describes her “grayish” color before she becomes “not responsive at all.” The woman’s age and first name are mentioned.
UNM Center for Reproductive Health abortionist Tony Ogburn also criticized Defending Life, the pro-life group that published the recording and recently opened a pregnancy resource center across the street from the abortion site.
“What they have is not a medical clinic, and they have no licensed health care professionals,” Ogburn told the Lobo. “They have an agenda, and their goal is not to provide legal healthcare.”
Ogburn and another UNM spokesperson told the paper that the patient in the 911 call was not transported to the hospital and was released that day, but would not disclose why the patient was in distress. “People don’t need to know,” said Ogburn.
Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger questioned UNM officials for their backlash in the media.
“It is more likely that they are upset that we found out about this life-threatening abortion complication than they are about patient privacy,” she said.
“The incident raises standard of care issues at UNMCRH and brings attention to the fact that the University of New Mexico, a publicly funded institution, is up to their ears in the abortion business training UNM students and profiting from the taking of innocent human life through abortion.”
New Mexico has virtually no health and safety standards for abortion facilities, something Operation Rescue says has helped cause an alarming number of emergency situations.
Four additional 911 calls from botched abortions were placed within a recent 15-month period from another abortion clinic in Albuquerque, revealing complications such as hemorrhaging and uterine rupture. At least one of those patients was transferred from the clinic, Southwestern Women’s Options, to UNM Hospital for emergency treatment.
“There is a move by abortionists to hide behind the privacy rights of their patients to cover up their own mistakes,” said Sullenger. “They don’t want anyone to know the truth about the real dangers women face during an abortion, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.”

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Chen Guangcheng, Punished for Telling the Truth About China's 1 Child Policy They Don't Want Known


Any Bets That This Is An Attempt by Obama to Stop Any Pro-Life Presence @ Abortion Mills

I am willing to bet that this is the latest bone being tossed to the abortion industry after all their losses of funding in the states. Also that this is the 1st shot in an attempt to deny Pro-lifers their 1st Amendment right to free speech. In fact, I suspect this is an attempt to try & shut down the presence of Pro-lifers at every clinic because they do regularly suceed in their efforts to convince women to not have abortions. (& that includes here in DBQ where at least 6 babies have been saved. NOTE: The DBQ Planned Parenthood site currently just does referals. Still, our presence has helped women to go to a Crisis Pregnancy Center instead.)

I suspect Richard Retta has said “Don’t go in there. Don’t let them kill your baby.” However, I highly doubt he ever shouted it. The fact that he & his co-workers have been so successful in convincing women not to have an abortion has to be a part of it. If this charge sticks, you can be sure that he is only the 1st of many that will face charges.

As I said, I am sure this is the 1st shot being fired that will be aimed at shutting the Pro-life presence down.








WASHINGTON, DC, July 19, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A pro-life activist who has engaged in sidewalk counseling for 14 years has been taken to court by the federal Department of Justice. The complaint to the court submitted by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice alleges that Richard Retta non-violently obstructed a woman and her ‘clinic escorts’ from entering Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, an abortion facility.
When LifeSiteNews.com contacted Retta for comment today, the shocked veteran pro-life activist said that he was unaware that the lawsuit had been filed against him, and that he had not been informed by the Department of Justice. He is seeking legal counsel before making a public statement.
Dick Retta
The Department of Justice is demanding that Retta be fined $10,000, that a permanent 20 foot bubble zone be placed around the clinic barring pro-lifers, and that Retta pay an additional fine of $15,000 in equal parts to the three ‘victims’ of his actions, which the DoJ argues were contrary to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Act (FACE).
Richard, better known as Dick Retta, is an older gentleman who is well known to the pro-life movement for having saved hundreds of lives by offering women assistance and factual information. A video of his activities was made by Peter Shinn’s Pro-Life Unity, in which Retta can be seen in action on a day where the lives of six unborn children were saved. In the video Retta can be seen walking with a woman leaving the clinic, offering what is described as post-abortion help.
Shinn, the President of Pro-Life Unity and Cherish Life Ministries, told LifeSiteNews, “I’ve been out to the Planned Parenthood with Dick a number of times and Dick has always exhibited compassion for the women going in to have abortions and asking them to turn away from what he knows will kill their child and cause emotional harm to them afterwards. He is in no way aggressive nor does he block women from entering.”
The DoJ complaint, however, describes Retta as “among the most vocal and aggressive anti-abortion protestors outside the Clinic.” The complaint takes issue with Retta walking “very closely beside patients as they walk to the clinic” and claims that he yells at them.
The complaint claims that Retta yelled, “Don’t go in there. Don’t let them kill your baby.”

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Another Reason for NOT Supporting Susan G. Komen

It turns out that Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure also funds embryonic stem cell research as well.


The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has long upset pro-life advocates for denying the abortion-breast cancer link and sending millions to the Planned Parenthood abortion business. New information shows Komen also supporting centers engaging in embryonic stem cell research.
As LifeNews.com reported last year, Komen spokesman John Hammarley confirmed 20 of Komen’s 122 affiliates have made donations to Planned Parenthood and, in 2009, those contributions totaled $731,303. The Komen spokesman also confirmed Komen affiliates contributed about $3.3 million to the abortion business from 2004-2009.
Now, Karen Malec of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer has spent time examining Komen’s 990 Forms for the IRS for 2010 and she found that Komen has active relationships with at least five research groups or educational facilities that engage in embryonic stem cell research, which requires the destruction of unborn children in their earliest days for stem cells that have yet to help any patients.
Komen is careful in its documents to state that none of the funds directly support embryonic stem cell research, saying in its Group Return for 2010 under a section entitled “Grant Statement” that “While Komen affiliates do not fund research grants directly, a portion of the funds raised by every Komen affiliate (approximately 25%) go to support the research and training grants program at Komen’s International Headquarters.”
The return shows donations from Komen totaling $3.75 million to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, $4.5 million to the University of Kansas Medical Center, $1 million to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, $1 million to the Society for Women’s Health Research, and $600,000 to Yale University.
Looking at those institutions, Yale not only engages in embryonic stem cell research but, in 2006, came under federal investigation for apparently mismanaging federal stem cell research grants. Also, a Johns Hopkins researcher also came under fire in December 2008 for trashing peer-reviewed research showing abortion’s link to negative mental health issues and problems for women. And the National Cancer Institute has been repeatedly blasted by pro-life advocates for denying the abortion-breast cancer link exists.
“Komen’s Parent Return for 2010 shows that millions of dollars in grants were given to research facilities that have policies supporting experiments on human embryos,” Malec says, adding that the list of schools is only a partial list of the facilities engaging in embryonic research that received grants.
Recent statements from the Catholic Bishop of Toledo, the Most Reverend Leonard Blair, bring up both abortion and the potential of Komen indirectly supporting embryonic research as reasons for Catholics to have misgivings about the breast cancer group. Malec says the statements from Bishop Blair “suggest that local Komen officials may have misled him and his associates with respect to the organization’s practices involving experiments on human embryos.”
“They are open to embryonic stem cell research and may well fund such research in the future,” the bishop noted.
Combined with the millions in donations to the nation’s biggest abortion business, Komen says the new information about the Komen ties to embryonic stem cell research centers makes it so the breast cancer group is not worthy of support. She says Komen needs to be honest with women about the abortion-breast cancer connection.
“It’s more than ironic that Planned Parenthood receives contributions from an organization allegedly dedicated to the eradication of breast cancer,” Malec says. “Abortion and the birth control pill – which Planned Parenthood sells – are risk factors for the disease. It’s certainly bad for business to tell women the truth about the abortion-breast cancer link. Knowledge of that risk would cause some to turn their backs on induced abortion and cut into Planned Parenthood’s profits.”
“On the other hand, warning women about the breast cancer risk of abortion would mean fewer breast cancer patients and, therefore, a reduction in donations for Komen. Telling donors that their previous abortions may have been responsible for their breast cancers is simply not a good fundraising tactic,” she concludes.

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Once Again We See the Anti-Life Anti-Truth Bias of the Main Stream Media



The big news of the past 24 hours is the rumor that Archbishop Chaput of Denver will be appointed the new Archbishop of Philidelphia to replace retiring Archbishop Justin Rigali. As I type this the evidence points to that rumor being true.

I have found it interesting to see how the various media have reported it. The Catholic News Agency story focused on the fact that Papa Benedetto rejected the name put forth on 30 June by the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops that was picked from the "terna" (list of 3 candidates). The story said that after praying over the 4th of July weekend, Papa Benedetto rejected all 3 of those named in the terna & selected Archbishop Chaput instead. The article went on to point out how Archbishop Chaput worked a lot with the Pope during the apostolic visitation of the Legion of Christ between 2009 & 2010 & that Archbishop Chaput also led the visitation of Bishop Bill Morris in the Diocese of Toowomba, Australia in 2007.

Contrast this to the bias shown in the liberal "catholyc" press as well as the main stream media.

The article in the Sacramento Bee is a prime example. That article focused mainly on the current "sex-abuse" scandal in the Archdiocese. While that is a valid story, to make it the centerpiece of the article & especially to ignore the positive steps Cardinal Rigali took to deal with the scandal was just wrong.

But what really showed the anti-Catholic bias in the article was how it described Archbishop Chaput. It was clear that they intended to paint him as a radical conservative. "Chaput, 66, is known as an outspoken U.S. bishop who criticizing Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, speaking out against government playing too big a role in health care and opposing gay marriage and stem-cell research.
In 2010, he defended a decision by a Catholic school in Boulder not to re-enroll two children of a lesbian couple. Chaput said the parents of Catholic school students are expected to agree with church beliefs, including those forbidding sex between anyone other than married, heterosexual couples
." (emphasis mine)

Did you notice what they pointed out? Everything mentioned was clearly intended to paint him as a hardline conservative, something that I have to strongly disagree with. All the Archbishop has done is what he is supposed to do as a bishop, uphold the authetic magesterial teaching of the Catholic Church. But what is worse, he has often lead by example, including praying in front of the then largest Planned Parenthood clinic that opened in the Denver area in 2008. Of course the pro-abort, pro "culture of death" main stream media doesn't want to point that fact out since it opposes the very things the Catholic Church stands for.

But what I found especially egregious is how they lied about his stand on stem cell research by leaving out the term "embryonic". They know full well that the Archbishop has no problem with other forms of stem cell research. But to admit that just wouldn't do. So they pull out the old lie that to oppose embryonic stem cell research is to oppose stem cell research. I've pointed out many other times how the media misrepresents stem cell research so I won't go into all the details here.

I have to say that considering it is the newspaper of record for those working to undermine authentic Catholic teaching, that the "Non-Catholic Fishwrap" story written by John Allen was much more balanced. The liberal "catholyc" vitriol did come out in the comment section however. (more on that later)

Allen describes Chaput as being perceived as "a leader of the church's conservative wing and a tough administrator with a strong work ethic". It goes on to desscibe him "as a prominent lightning rod for controversy." & that "He's seen as a strong voice for doctrinal orthodoxy, and he champions a robust role for people of faith in political life."

The article does point out the problems with the "sex abuse" scandal he will face, but it doesn't dwell on them. Instead it does talk about how he has been that strong voice for "doctrinal orthodoxy".

Where the vitriol come out is in the comments section as I have pointed out. Yes, there are a few positives, but given the fact that most of the NCReporter readers are "catholycs' who oppose "doctrinal orthodoxy" rather than authenticly Catholic, that the majority of commenters would attack him is no surprize.

Among the comments are such things as "The very worst man for the job in Philadelphia." Another said "The Church just plunges itself deeper and deeper into the abyss..." Another accused Chaput of having "a heart of stone". Another person said that Rome felt Philidelphia needed a Bishop who was more "Republican". & of course he was attacked for his part in the Toowomba visitation that showed how far the Bishop had strayed from orthodoxy.
But the one that really got me was this one: "Despite his reputation for orthodoxy, like the rest of the US bishops (save 2), he is guilty of material cooperation with the objective evil of unjust war, and has effectively proclaimed a message of moral relativism when it comes to participation in unjust war. So he's just another cafeteria Catholic, selectively picking and choosing which doctrines of the Faith he preaches and teaches." I had to laugh at how the author, who is clearly an authentic cafeteria "catholyc", tried to paint Chaput as one. Unless the author is totally ignorant, he knows full well that there is plenty of room for debate on whether what he describes as an unjust war is or isn't. I am willing to bet that the author is a prime example of moral relativism in what he speaks out for. BTW, since Papa Benedetto hasn't labeled any of the current wars the US is involved in as unjust, by this guy's standards, does that make him a moral relativist as well?

While there have been times I wish Archbishop Chaput would take a stronger stand in dealing with pro-abort "catholyc" politicians, over all he has been a strong defender of orthodoxy. Papa Benedetto is making it very clear that his prime concern is bringing about the end of the damage done by the false "Spirit of Vatican II" gang ASAP. As for those SVII gang who have their shorts bunched up in a knot, now you are beginning to understand how the Arians, Pelagians & the others who are your spiritual ancestors in heresy felt as the Holy Spirit ensured that their heresies would be rejected. Your views are ending up in the same trash heap as they were always fated to.

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Federal Money Does Fund Abortions @ Planned Parenthood

Monday, July 18, 2011

If Jill June Thinks 2011 Was Bad for Planned Parenthood in Iowa. . .

things may get worse for her (but better for the unborn babies she wants to murder).


According to Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President & CEO Jill June what happenned in the 2011 session of the Iowa General Assembly resulted in "the worst legislative session for women in my 25 years at Planned Parenthood." I suspect that is not because of the Pro-life accomplishments this year, there were almost none. But I suspect it is because she sees the writing on the wall. & it says that Iowa is not going to automaticly support Planned Parenthood's culture of death agenda any more.

The major effort this year was an attempt to ban late term abortions in order to keep Leroy Carhart out of Iowa. But thanks to Senate Majority leadr Gronstal, that ban didn't pass. All that did pass was making it so a woman would undergo an ultrasound 24 hours prior to an abortion procedure. (Her option to see) Also she would receive “informed consent” material to better understand all the options that include adoption, carrying the pregnancy to term & abortion.

That change may be small, but it is a positive step.

What was the big difference this year is that the Governorship & the Iowa House are now controlled by Pro-lifers. The fact that legislation putting limits on abortion readily passed the House proves that. That is what made this a bad year for June. For the past few years Jill June has had the Governor (Culver & Vilsack before him) in her pocket along with the Iowa House under Pat Murphy.

The ban on late term abortions may come up again next year. But unless there is a change in the make up of the Senate due to special elections, it is highly unlikely anything will get passed.

The big question is what will happen in the 2012 elections. Because of the 2010 census, the Senate & House seats have all be redistricted. & because of that all 50 Senate seats are up for grabs instead of the usual 25. If the Republicans can keep control of the House & gain control of the Senate then 2013 may well be Jill June's worst year yet. At that point you can be sure a late term ban will pass & Governor Branstad WILL sign it. That this year portends that possibility is what makes 2011 the worst session in June's mind. But for those of us in the Pro-life movement it is a small glimmer of hope for the future.

Source:Planned Parenthood PAC rates Iowa lawmakers, praises Petersen and Wessel-Kroeschell

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Bringing Out the Heavy Artillery to Battle Demonic Abortion

I have posted many times about the Rockford Abortion Mill & how it is visible evidence of the demonic source at the root of abortion. I have also posted time & time again how our battle against abortion must be rooted in prayer. Last year I shared a video of several priests of the Rockford Diocese praying the Catholic Church's exorcism prayers for a building along with the story of what happenned that day.

Well last Friday a group of 7 priests from the Rockford Diocese showed up to once again battle the demonic forces behind the Rockford Abortion Mill. As you will see, the victory God brought about through His priests was even greater.

Prayer (along with fasting) is our most important & powerful weapon in our arsenal to battle abortion. While God works powerfully through all our prayers, there is a special annointing on the official prayers of the Catholic Church that are prayed by priests who were ordained to be shepherds guiding & protecting the flock given to them by God. Additionally, the Poor Clares from the Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford have a special calling to intercede. The prayers of these priests & nuns is indeed the heavy artillery. Working & praying together with those who regular gather outside the Rockford Abortion Mill, you can be sure that a mighty spiritual battle was won on Friday. We may not know the extent of that victory this side of eternity. But we can be sure it was a victory. I am aslo sure that part of that victory is that 1 day the abortion mill will be permanently closed down.

(Note: 1 of the priests that participated was Fr. James Parker, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church & Nativity BVM Catholic Church in E DBQ. Tommorrow @ 11 am CDT members of the parish will be gathering with Fr. Parker & Fr. Michael Barry [parochial vicar] to pray in front of the DBQ Planned Parenthood for an end of the "culture of death".)



Rockford, IL – (ProLifeCorner.com) – On 7-15-2011 – by James - Last year seven Catholic Priests gathered around the Rockford abortion mill and prayed prayers of exorcism. On that day two mothers choose life; the number of abortions fell by two thirds, and the abortion mill landlord was so unsettled that he stayed outside his abortion mill while the Priests were praying. This year the powers that be inside the mill were taking no chances. Instead of trying to remain open in the face of such spiritual power, they found it easier to close their doors for the day.
Thanks be to God; because of these seven Priests, the Poor Clare Nuns who in the Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford were uniting their prayers with the Priests, and every Christian who prayed this morning, not one child was killed in Rockford today.
A small group of abortion supporters showed up, thinking the mill would be open. When they saw seven Priests and over forty pro-lifers deep in prayer and the abortion mill closed, the pro-aborts appeared even more dazed and confused than usual.
The abortion mill landlord Wayne Webster, who seems to have a pathological hatred for Catholic Priests and has a history of skulking away from the abortion mill grounds when Priests are praying prayers of exorcism outside his killing center, was nowhere to be seen. In his absence he did leave some quite vulgar signs in his abortion mill windows attacking Priests.
On this day in Rockford, the presence of Christ through His Priests and His people could be tangibly felt and experienced outside the building where over 60,000 human beings have been murdered.
On this day in Rockford, Satan fled; Christians stood united in faith and love, and no children had to face a brutal, vicious death inside the Rockford abortion mill.
Those inside the Rockford abortion mill, who have used demonic symbols such as devils masks in its windows, rubber chickens on crucifixes, and signs mocking God and celebrating the deaths of children by abortion, folded under the spiritual power of these men of God.






Please follow the link above to go to the page on the Pro-Life Corner website & use the comment box below to leave a message for the Priests, Pastors, and clergy of Rockford thanking them for leading us in prayer at Rockford's abortion mill

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Keith Olbermann:The Lost Months

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Judge Andrew Napolitano on the Constitution



Cardinal Sarah - Again Reminding Us That Everything the Church Does Is Done to proclaim the Gospel

In May I put up some posts about the Caritas International gathering in Rome & the strong message from the Vatican that what they were doing was not simply social work, but a part of the Church's evangelical mission. Part of that message was given in an address by Cardinal Robert Sarah, President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which oversees the Church’s charitable institutions. This week he wrote an article for L’Osservatore Romano marking the 40th anniversary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. & once again he repeated the same message.

In the article he said that the Catholic Church's charitable efforts must be integrally connected to the proclamation of the Gospel. “Proclaiming the Gospel, which is not proselytism, is an integral part of charitable activity. The witness to charity finds its measure in Christ. The search for justice does not fulfill the task of charity.”

The Cardinal said that when Pope Paul VI instituted Cor Unum on 15 July 1971, he already saw the need to affirm this evangelical witness as a response to “some of the misunderstandings that undermined the proper understanding of charity within the Church and that would unfortunately be confirmed in time.”

He went on to explain that Cor Unum was founded in a “moment of doubt, when the nature of Christian witness in the world was being questioned.” At that trying time, he says, the Church risked a rift that could have “conceal[ed] the evangelical witness and missionary zeal for a limitless exaltation of earthly realities.”

Blessed John Paul, at his 1st meeting with Cor Unum in November 1978 said “We must also take care to set advancement carefully in the context of evangelization, which is the fullness of human advancement, since it proclaims and offers man’s full salvation.”

He said that Papa Benedetto feels the same way as well. He said that the Pope understands “that the absence of God is the most dramatic problem that torments and weakens modern culture.”

In short, what we are seeing is another of the multi-pronged attack on relativism by Papa Benedetto that began even before he was elected Pope. You can be sure that this message isn't welcome by many of those in the agencies like Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Development + Peace & other organizations that have been involved in the recent scandals where it has come out these organizations have funded groups that promote abortion among other things.

It is going to take time to clean up the mess. But is strikes me that Cardinal Sarah is definitely the right man to head up that task. He made it clear that Cor Unum’s activities are concerned with “conveying this inspiration to evangelize towards all of the Church’s pastoral works of charity.” & as head of it he is doing what he can to ensure that mission is carried out.


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Make A Joyful Noise Unto the Lord

These are 6 Dominican novices playing in the garage of St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, OH.





You will notice that St. Dominic is keeping watch.
Source: American Papist (Fun Video: Dominican Novices Hold Jazz Jam Session In Priory Garage)

Friday, July 15, 2011

St. Lucky

Today is the feast of St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (San Bonaventura). He was a Franciscan Friar who studied in Paris where he became friends with a fellow student who was also destined to become a Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas. He is also known for writing the definative biography of St Francis.


Now why do I call him St. Lucky. St. Bonaventure was born Giovanni Di Fidanza & received the name Bonaventure when he became a Franciscan. His name is derived from the Italiano phrase "buona ventura" which means "good luck". A legend says that he received that name because St. Francis is supposed to have healed him as an infant exclaiming "O buona ventura!"



Understanding the Church of England

Funny bit from Yes, Prime Minister, but it does explain a lot about what is going on over there (& to some extent in the Episcopal Church here).





Covering "Of Thee I Zing"

Note: This is the 1st time I have probably reviewed a book cover. I advance ordered my copy & am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I was out at Borders & took a quick look at the book & decided I had to comment on the cover.


Below is the cover of which I speak.





As you can see, it is a riff of the painting by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze with Laura Ingraham as Washington & co-author Raymond Arroyo as the soldier behind Washington who was holding the flag.. & while the polluted water catches the whole point of the book, my favorite part of the cover was the expression on Raymond Arroyo's face. I am not sure if it is one of pure shock, or a combination of shock & how in the theological place of eternal damnation did things ever get to this point?


After scanning the book I vote for the latter. From what I read I am sure the book will live up to my expectations & am even more anxious for my copy to arrive so I can dive into it. & I feel safe in recommending it in advance based on past experience with both authors.


Here is an audio excerpt from the book read by the authors that will give you a good idea of the content of the book:





PS: I figured out what Victoria's secret was a long time ago, Victoria is una putana!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Another Win for Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Another Defeat for Those Trying to Get Rid of Them

Praise God!!!!!!!! This is the 3rd attempt to shut down Crisis pregnancy Centers & the 3rd time the courts have said the attempt is an attack of free speech rights. I suspect the ruling will be appealed & that this will eventually end up in the Supreme Court. This law, like the others was alledgedly passed to ensure women get the truth. But it really was an attempt to keep women from having a true choice by being truly informed rather than only getting the pro-abort side.

NARAL et al, wanted to use government regulations to shut down these places because they do tell the truth & then women can make a real choice, overwhelmingly for life. Then the abortion mills lose out in 2 ways, the money & killing another baby. Also, these same pro-aborts who are up in arms about regulating crisis pregnancy centers oppose even the slightest attempts to ensure basic medical regulations that apply to any medical clinic don't apply to them.

As I said, the battle isn't over yet. There will be more attempts elsewhere. But with each loss in court it will be harder (but not impossible) to convince elected officials to vote for something that will only result in court costs to defend with the assurance of losing in the end as well.

Breaking: District judge halts New York City pro-life pregnancy center gag law





NEW YORK, July 13, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A federal district court judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction blocking a New York City gag law against local pro-life pregnancy centers, which would have gone into effect tomorrow.
In an opinion issued this morning, U.S. District Court judge William Pauley upheld the arguments of the lawyers representing the pro-life centers on all counts, agreeing that the ordinance would likely cause irreparable harm to the centers’ First Amendment rights and that plaintiffs would probably succeed in their legal challenge.
Int. No. 371 would have forced pregnancy centers to prominently state whether they provide abortions at their premises and on their advertising, a mandate hailed by NARAL Pro-Choice New York as a sign of the city council’s “commitment to choice” after it passed in March.
Chris Slattery of Expectant Mother Care/EMC FrontLine Pregnancy Centers called today’s ruling “a complete vindication of our arguments made against this law” since it was first announced in October.
Slattery thanked ACLJ and ADF lawyers for their “outstanding legal defense work for the New York City life centers, that will positively affect the entire country.”
“This is a major overturning of a substantial majority of our city’s government leaders and ... there is justice in a liberal city like New York when we appeal to our constitutional principles,” Slattery told LifeSiteNews.com Wednesday afternoon. “We are optimistic it will be upheld.”
The pro-life leader said that the city, whose leaders had voted 39-9 to enact the ordinance, may seek an emergency appeal to the injunction.
Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Matt Bowman, who represented the pregnancy centers, said that those who argue the ordinance is as legally acceptable as informed consent laws for abortion clinics are misguided.
“It’s really simple: The government can license the practice of medicine, it cannot license free speech,” Bowman told LifeSiteNews.com. “Pro-life pregnancy centers are offering free hope and help to pregnant women and their children; they are not selling a medical procedure which, without consent, would amount to physical assault.”

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From 1st to Last, Columbia to Altantis



These side by side pictures are of Chris Bray and his father Kenneth. The one on the left shows 13-year-old Chris with then 39-year-old dad looking through binoculars at the space shuttle Columbia's first launch on April 12, 1981, from the Kennedy Space Center. Last week they went to the last shuttle launch & recreated the scene at the 1st.

Chris told the Washington Post “We’ve always loved that first photo. Taking a similar one for the last launch seemed like the perfect opportunity to celebrate the shuttle program and our relationship by putting the time passed in perspective, celebrating the interests we share, and illustrating the father/son bond we’ve maintained over the years.”

OK, I'll admit I am a bit envious. I would have loved to attend at least 1 launch of any space flight, not just the shuttle. But what is really at the heart of this story is family. Esp that of fathers doing things like this with their sons. & that is something of value that will last a lifetime.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

"Whatsoever You Do to the Least of My Brethren" Includes the Unborn

Earlier today I put up a post about prenatal screening being used to kill off unborn babies with Down syndrome & other "disabilities". I talked a bit about how we have allowed a "utilitarian" viewpoint determine whether someone should be allowed to live rather than acknowledging the God given right to live that every human being, born or preborn has.

Later on I read the following reflection based on the 1st reading ( Exodus 2:1-15) at Mass today. & while the whole thing hit me as building on what I said, 1 line especially stood out. "We are to honor all members of His body, but the weakest and smallest we must honor with even greater care (1 Cor 12:22-24)." (emphasis mine) Whoa!!!!! By allowing prenatal screening to be used to eliminate these children that are considered disabled we are doing exactly the opposite. & in doing so, we are dishonoring God.

It also reminded me once again of 1 of my favorite lines that is in the book as well as movie version of "The Hiding Place". Corrie ten Boom is being asked by the SS Officer about her work. When she talks about her catechetical work with retarded children he asks her if it isn't a waste of time for her to have done so she comes back with the line "How do you know that in the eyes of God one of them isn't worth more than you or I?"

What we consider the least clearly isn't in the eyes of God. As this reflection points out, the damage done by the murder of 53 million + unborn babies has done far more damage than we realize. The loss goes far beyond the things we usually think of, for example, people working & paying into Social Security that would make it solvent. The worst damage done has been the damage to the body of Christ here on Earth. What those who claim to be Catholic but support abortion forget is that by doing this to these least, we are doing it Jesus. (Matthew 25:40)

& to the extent that the rest of us don't do what we can, we will have to answer as well. We need to remember that the work to build a culture of life has consequences that are not merely temporal, they are eternal.


"I DO NOT NEED YOU" (1 Cor 12:21)

"There was a baby boy, crying!" —Exodus 2:6

When we support the elimination of babies by abortion and artificial contraception, we say to these unwanted members of Jesus' body, "I do not need you" (1 Cor 12:21). Can we even call ourselves Christians if we have so much disdain for Jesus' body that we don't care if millions of members of His body are murdered or never given a chance to exist? Can we call ourselves Christians if we have so little regard for Christ's body that we don't mind if His body is weakened, disfigured, or paralyzed by the absence of many millions of members worldwide?
Powerful, well-financed organizations reach into every corner of the globe to advance the spread of abortion and artificial contraception. If, as St. Teresa of Avila says, Jesus has no hands but ours and no feet but ours, then His body on earth is being more and more crippled with the elimination of each child that would have strengthened His body. We are to honor all members of His body, but the weakest and smallest we must honor with even greater care (1 Cor 12:22-24).
The Catholic Church champions the body of Christ in its teaching. However, far too many Catholics disobey the teachings of their Church. They are pro-choice; they choose to please their own bodies. It doesn't bother them that Jesus' body is broken as long as their own body doesn't suffer. Catholics, repent of disfiguring the body of Christ instead of building it up. Catholics, oppose abortion and artificial contraception. Jesus asks you, "Do you love My body?" (see Jn 21:15) How will you answer Him today? How will you answer Him on Judgment Day?

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