Rand Paul - Using Roe v Wade's Words In the Ruling to Overturn It

In the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade that made abortion the law, the cop out used by Justice Blackmun in writing the decision to allow it was claiming that science didn't know when life began "We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins . . . the judiciary at this point in the development of man's knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer."

This was despite the fact that science had long held that life began at conception which was defined as the moment when an egg & sperm were joined together. (Note: These days those who want to promote birth control have tried to redefine conception as the moment the fertilized egg is implanted in the lining of the uterus. This is done to avoid admiting that many forms of contraception actually cause abortions.)

Knowing that he was misrepresenting things, Blackmun included another statement intended to cover his backside while still saying abortion was OK. "If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case [i.e. "Roe" who sought the abortion], of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."
Notice that it says that if personhood is established, then the so-called right of abortion is trumped by the preborn child's constitutionally guarenteed right to life. That also means that, despite abortion supporters claims to the contrary, abortion is NOT a Constitutionally guarenteed right.
Over the years many personhood efforts have sprung up, mostly on the state level. They were based on the quote above as the reason. Unfortunately none of them have yet to suceed. In part because of the lack of support it should have gotten from Pro-lifers, especially from the Catholic Bishops. The cop out used the that the Supreme Court could overrule it, despite the Court's own words, making things worse than they are now. Given how the Supreme Court doesn't always rule correctly (like it should have in the 1st place for Roe v Wade or Dred Scott v. Sandford), the reluctance isn't totally without validity. But IMHO, the effort still must be made, if only to educate more people about the truth.
But the move is growing, both in many states & on the national level as well. In the 112th Session of Congress, Pro-life Members of Congress introduced Life at Conception Acts, both in the House of Representatives & in the U.S. Senate. In the Senate,  Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Life at Conception Act, S. 91. In the House 2 Acts were introduced. Congressman Paul Broun, introduced H.R. 212, & Congressman Duncan D. Hunter introduced H.R. 374.
Congressman Broun, the author of H.R. 212, is a medical doctor who was ist elected in 2007. Congressman Broun has used his medical expertise to legally establish the scientific fact that conception marks the creation of a genetically unique human being, who should be guaranteed Constitutional protection under the 14th Amendment.
I know that some people are saying that even if these bills pass, currently unlikely in the Senate, & the even more unlikely thing happens, Obama signs it or it has a veto-proof majority, the sourts could still overthrow it. Well, there is a solution to that as well, the Sanctity of Life Act of 2011 [H.R. 1096].  This act is based on Article III, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It states: "The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make."
Even so, many members of Congress, Democrat or Republican, are doing all they can to avoid going on the record about when they feel life begins. Now, many of them can play both sides.
As I have already pointed out, many of those in the Republican party want to marginalize the Pro-lifers. This vote would force them to take a stand they don't want to take because they still want the Pro-life vote. In short, either they come out as the pro-aborts they really are or they are forced to admit that Pro-life isn't as divisive & dangerous to support as they claim.

As I pointed out in the title, 1 of those supporting the effort to bring up for a vote. He recently recorded a message for the National Pro-Life Alliance (NPLA), talking about the legislation. (Note: This is also a message seeking support for the NPLA as well.)



The only concern I have is that the law ensures that conception is defined as the point when the egg & sperm join.
In the end, we may still have to pass a Constitutional amendment. But if this can do it, then we need to try. With the Senate & Obama being pro-abort, it won't be easy. We must continue to pray. We must also continue to educate more people to the truth of what abortion really does. In doing so, the pressure on elected officials will grow, forcing them to act as well.
The one thing we cannot do, is nothing.

Source: Rand Paul promotes bill to ‘end abortion on demand once and for all’

The Turning Obama Into a False God Continues

Here is the latest, a30″ x 54″ acrylic painting, by Michael D’Antuono, entitled “The Truth.”  The title is a reference to John 14:6, "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life."

 

 

You have to wonder how long it will be before we reap the whirlwind like that I showed in this post? We might see a fullfilment of Jeremiah 23:19 if we don't repent. "Behold the whirlwind of the Lord's indignation shall come forth, and a tempest shall break out and come upon the head of the wicked." We can't say we haven't been warned.

 

Source: Blasphemy Is in the Soul of the Beholder

Stormy Weather - Saturn Style

For most people, when they think of Saturn they think of this, a beatiful peaceful looking planet with the most majestic ring system in the solar system.

 

 

NASA, taken Oct. 6, 2004, by the Cassini Saturn Probe

 

As always, what we think & how God designed things are a lot different as these photos from Cassini taken 2 days ago show.

 

 

Saturn's mysterious northern vortex, a vast hexagon-shaped storm, dominates this photo taken Nov. 27, 2012, by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. This image is a raw and unprocessed view. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

 

Here is a closer view of the hurricane-like storm at the center:

 

This image from NASA's Cassini mission was taken on Nov. 27, 2012, with Cassini's narrow-angle imaging camera. The camera was pointing toward Saturn from approximately 248,578 miles (400,048 kilometers) away. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

 

 

"And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it." - Ezekiel 1:4

It Seems the Republican Elite Have a Death Wish for the Party

A few days after the November 6th election I put up a post that looked ahead to what might or might not happen. As a part of that  post I warned the Republican leadership that it wasn't the social issues that sunk Romney, it was ignoring them. I concluded by saying "The Republicans have to take an honest look at why they lost. It wasn't the embracing, it was the abandoning of the social issues, like abortion, that is a huge part of the reason they lost. & if they continue to abandon us, it will be the reason they lose in 2016 as well."
I also warned that those of us in the pro-life movement won't put up with being marginalized much longer. I pointed out the history of the Republican party & how it sprang from the rejection of those opposing slavery in the Whig party. It didn't take too long for the Whig party to die out & many of those left joined the Know Nothing Party. & we see how that lasted as well.
I said that we could be heading for a similar split that would destroy the Republican party as well.
I honestly didn't expect the party VIPs to listen to little old me who was a lone voice. But I am seeing others in the Pro-life movement speak out the same way I have.
Some of this has been in response to statements made by Sen. John McCain who lost against Obama in 2008. He said said pro-life conservatives should state their position on abortion, then “leave the issue alone.” As for elected officials, he said that they should enact no new legislation to protect the unborn. Apparewntly McCain doesn't get it, that part of why he lost was that he wasn't as strong on the Pro-life issues as he should have been. Or maybe he does, & this is his way of getting revenge for Pro-lifers saying the truth about his stands, rather than having to admit the truth, that the blame lies with him.*
One of those speaking up is Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List She said that McCain & others in the Republican Establishment should stop treating abortion as a political football. “We’re talking about defending vulnerable human life. If it’s not about that, it’s not about anything.”
Frank Cannon & Jeffrey Bell at NRO agree. “(T)o hold pro-life beliefs while opposing any governmental action to protect the innocent unborn is not the position of a man of honor, which throughout his long life John McCain has always been.”
They added that McCain’s advice to become “a pale social-issue copy of the Democrats” would be counterproductive. & refusing to “lift a finger on behalf of human life” would tell voters that “whenever Republicans express a principle, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether we care enough to act on it.”#
But the most interesting comment to me came from  Jennifer Mason, communications director of Personhood USA.  Looking at McCain's statements & the actions of others to silence or marginalize the Pro-life movovement in the Republican party she said “There is a Civil War brewing in the GOP, and it’s not pretty.”
I agree, we are heading for a Civil War in the party. That alone should serve as a warning to the Republican leadership that things are similar to what they were in the 1850s. (The secessionist petitions, agree or not, are another sign that this country is on the bring of a similar collapse that brought on the Civil War.^)
Mason said that McCain's comments “made me wonder: instead of dropping the abortion issue, why not drop John McCain?”
She also gave a warning similar to mine. “If McCain and his ilk are successful, we are looking at a major defection to a third party, and the ultimate death of the Republican Party.”
Yes, the Republican party is at a turning point. They can learn from their past, or become extinct like the Whigs. & those inside the beltway who thought driving us out would let them keep power, will find out that they lost everything instead.

_______________
* As a matter of full disclosure, in the 2008 campaign, I began by supporting Sam Brownback & after he switched, to Ron Paul. Both Romney & McCain were at the bottom of the list as the least desirable for me as a Pro-lifer. I held my nose in 2008 & did so again in 2012. But as I said in my post, 2016 may be a different story if another candidate in the mold of Romney/McCain is nominated. Then I porbably will look elsewhere.
# This same thing can be seen in the recent attacks on the Tea Party by the Republican establishment & the way many Rebublicans in Congress are running away from promises to not raise taxes. & not demanding definite spending cuts either.
^ I am not trying to simplify things as these petitions don't mention abortion. There aren't pro-abortion states & Pro-life states like there were pro-& anti-slavery states. But they do mention states rights, which was a huge part of why the Southern States seceeded in 1860-61. & as Ron Paul points out, there are wothwhile questions being raised. I may not agree with all of them, but they do need to be discussed.

Source: ‘There is a Civil War brewing in the GOP’ over abortion: Pro-life leader

The Promoting Obama As the False Messiah Continues

At the Soul Train Awards aired Sunday nite Jamie Foxx said the following "First of all, give an honor to God and our lord and savior Barack Obama. Barack Obama."

I am sure he reflected the opinion of many people, including Obama himself. That this belief is allowed to continue by Obama may explain a lot of why he is so anti-Christian & especially anti-Catholic (faithful ones that is). He wants people to see him as the Messiah. The problem is, he is acting more like an antichrist*, not the real Messiah.

 

______________

* Note, i said "a antichrist" not "the." I want to make that clear. In his 1st Epistle, John tells us that there will be many of these antichrists befor the end. (1 John 2:18) & Obama is probably just 1 more. (See also 1 John 4:3)

Source: Jamie Foxx: "Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama"

POP 101( #6) The Truth About Urbanization

Population Research Institute

Thought for the Day - 25 November 2012

 

 

"Since it is lawful to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, it is lawful also to pray for the coming of the revolution that shall restore the Kingdom."

- G.K. Chesterton.

 

H/T Matt @ Badger Catholic for posting this.

Thought for the Day - 24 November 2012

Source: Open Thread

Buona Festa di Ringraziamento

I received the following in an e-mail from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception who run the National Shrine of Divine Mercy at Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA.

 

In addition there was a link to a reflection entitled How to Give Thanks as Sister Faustina Would. It gives us some good insight as to what we should be thankful to God for. Of course, pre-WW II Poland did not celebrate a Thanksgiving holiday. But Sister Faustina did write many passages on giving thanks to God. & as I said, we can gain much from what she wrote. I recommend following the link for the complete article, but I want to share her canticle of Thanksgiving that is a good prayer for us to use as well:

 

"Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces
Which You have lavished upon me unceasingly through life.
My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises,
When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory."

(Diary 1286)

 

I pray that no matter what your struggles or problems may be this Thanksgiving Day, God will extend His Divine Mercy to each & every one of you in a special way. May He give you the graces you need as well as meet each & every one of your needs, especially those that are most urgent.

 

May He give you a heart of true gratitude for all His has done for you.

 

Finally, may you experience His Divine Mercy in a special way on this Thanksging Day.

 

 

 

BUONA FESTA di RINGRAZIAMENTO!!!!

 

Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving Becoming Black Thursday

 

Many people are upset with the fact that many storeas are now going to be open on Thanksgiving Day in order for people to shop. & many store employees are unhappy that they will now have to work on Thanksgiving instead of being home with their families.

I have to say that I sympathise with those employees & know what it is like to work retail on Thanksgiving. But to explain why, we have to go back to the 1980s.

 

 

At that time I worked at the DBQ Zayre, a discount department store chain. Zayre was open for part of the day on Thanksgiving. I worked several of those holidays. Some years it was busy in the afternoon, others it wasn't. & it was mostly women who didn't want to stay home while the men watched football.

I will admit that those of us who did work would have prefered the day off. But since it wasn't all day, we still had plenty of time for family. & we all dreaded what is now known as "Black Friday". FYI: Black Friday gets its name from the fact that it is the Christmas season sales that ensure a retail store will end up the fiscal year in the black.

When I started in '79 the chain was open 24 hours a day for the last week or 2 before Christmas. By the time the chain was bought out in 1989 they openned on Thanksgiving & stayed open 24-7 until Christmas Eve.

This was in the 80s, so this was the exception rather than the rule. Now being open on Thanksgiving is becoming the rule. & Black Friday has devolved to beginning earlier & earlier, even as early as Midnite.

Given the economy, I can't say as I totally fault the stores for wanting to ensure they make a profit. With the problems with the economy, despite claims to the contrary, people just don't have the money to spend like when the economy is good. So retailers do need to try harder to draw in more sales. 

But the entire blame can't be put at their feet. Much of it must be blamed on the customers. who are demanding the earlier openings & the better prices so their money can go farther.

In some places, customers are already camping out for those sales. Why? Because they know that many of the bargains have a limitted supply. So, because Christmas has become more about material goods, than the celebration of Christ's birth, greed gets the better of many people & they are more concerned about keeping their children from whining & acting like spoiled brats than teaching them the true meaning of both Thanksgiving & Christmas.*

But we also have to go back to the 1940s & earlier to see the roots of how we have got to where we are today. Before 1939 Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday in November in the USA. This date was set by presidential proclamation, not law. (It is currently the 2nd Monday in October in Canada but was scheduled on various dates in October & November before 1957. Does anyone know whay the 2nd Monday in October was chosen, other than more often than not it was that date before 1957? TH2???) At that time the Christmas shopping season began the day after Thanksgiving. Why do you think Santa closes the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade? While most Novembers had 4 Thursdays this wasn't a problem. But for some, like in 1939 there were 5, making the Christmas season shorter. That is why, in 1939, FDR made it the 4th Thursday instead of the 5th it would normally have been. He did so because of the continuing effects of the depression on retail sales.. (Sound like history is repeating itself.) The next 2 years ('40 & '41) Roosevelt moved it up to the 3rd Thursday. In response to that, Congress passed a law in '41 permanently setting the holiday on the 4th Thursday in November. (& if the economy continues as is, I fully expect a push to move Thanksgiving to the 3rd Thursday, a-la Roosevelt.)

So, while Black Thurdsay is wrong, it is a sympton, not the root cause of what is really wrong with America & how we celebrate Thanksgiving.

We must get back to making Thanksgiving the holiday it was meant to be. But that won't be done unless we return this country to its Christian roots so we see the real purpose behind the holiday, giving thanks to God for the blessings He has bestowed on us, not the start of the Christmas shopping season.*

To understand what Thanksgiving is really supposed to be, we have to go back to the start of Thanksgiving in America.

Hopefully, everyone knows the story of the 1st Thanksgiving. & no, it was not in 1921 at Plymouth Plantation.

The 1st Thanksgiving was held on 8 September 1565 in St. Augustine FL. It included a Catholic Mass. (see sketch below) There was also a feast of thanksgiving with Timucua Indians. They dined on bean soup.

 

 

So, from the 1st, we see that there has been a religious note to the celebration. & that the 1st celebration included Mass & the Eucharist should be no surprize either. Eucharist comes from the Greek noun εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), meaning "thanksgiving".

Starting in 1607, Thanksgiving celebrations were held in the colony of Virginia. The Berkeley Hundred charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God.

Then in 1621 at Plymouth Plantation we had what was their 1st Thanksgiving. Over the years, various days of Thanksgiving to God were declared by various colonies.

The Continental Congress declared the 1st day of Thanksgiving in 1777. The 1st draft was written by Samuel Adams. The final version said the following:

"FOR AS MUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of: And it having pleased him in his abundant Mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable Bounties of his common Providence; but also to smile upon us in the Prosecution of a just and necessary War, for the Defense and Establishment of our unalienable Rights and Liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased, in so great a Measure, to prosper the Means used for the Support of our Troops, and to crown our Arms with most signal success:

It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please GOD through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance; That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty GOD, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, INDEPENDENCE and PEACE: That it may please him, to prosper the Trade and Manufactures of the People, and the Labor of the Husbandman, that our Land may yield its Increase: To take Schools and Seminaries of Education, so necessary for cultivating the Principles of true Liberty, Virtue and Piety, under his nurturing Hand; and to prosper the Means of Religion, for the promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consisteth "in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost.

And it is further recommended, That servile Labor, and such Recreation, as, though at other Times innocent, may be unbecoming the Purpose of this Appointment, be omitted on so solemn an Occasion."

Something tells me that they wouldn't look too kindly on how comercialized the holiday has become.

Throughout the war, several more days of Thanksgiving to God were appointed by Congress.

On 25 September 1978, Congressman Elias Boudinot from New Jersey proposed that the House and Senate jointly request of President Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving for “the many signal favors of Almighty God”. Boudinot explained why, saying that he “could not think of letting the session pass over without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining, with one voice, in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had poured down upon them.” On 3 October 1789, President Washington did so. The next declaration came in 1975. John Adams issued similar declarations in 1798 & 1799.

The next Thanksgiving was declared in 1814 by President Madison at the end of the War of 1812. He did so in response to resolutions from Congress. He made a similar declaraion in 1815.

From 1816 to 1859 no national days were declared. However from 1817 on state governors began to do so. It grew to the point where, by 1858 proclamations appointing a day of thanksgiving were issued by the governors of 25 states & two territories.

The next national declaration was made by President Lincoln in 1863. He set it on the final Thursday in November. In it he said "I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

From then on we have seen an annual Thanksgiving day.

I know those who try to drive God out of the public square may not like it, It is very clear that from 1656 that Thanksgiving day has been meant to be a day to give thanks to Almighty God for all of the blessings He has bestowed on us.

But it is also clear that, from the start of this country as an independent nation, this day is also meant to be a day of repentance & penance. We see that in the 1777 declaration where Congress asked "the good People" of the United States to not only give thanks, but that "they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please GOD through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance."

Lincoln echoed this when he called on his fellow citizens in every part of the USA & abroad to "with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

Penitant Confession of manifold Sins along with humble penitance for our national perverseness & disobedience sounds exactly like what we need today.

Our nation has turned its back on God. We allow over 1.2 million abortions a year. This country is rejecting God's definition of marriage & family as well as promoting all kinds of immorality.

Yes, the crass materialism that we are seeing turn Thanksgiving from what it was meant to be is a part of the modern national perverseness & disobedience. But it is only 1 part.

We must turn back to God, doing as our founding Fathers said. We must penitentially confess the manifold sins of this nation. We must repent of them & sincerely ask God's forgiveness for the sins of our nation. We who are God's people must lead the way. "And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14, Douay-Rheims)

In addition to the already mentioned sins, we should add our lack of gratitude for the blessings God has given us. & then, after truly repenting, make this Thanksgiving Day truly una FESTA di RINGRAZIAMENTO.

& that means no shopping on Thanksgiving Day for gifts of any kind.

 

_________________
* I want to make it clear that I am NOT opposed to shopping for gifts to give friends & family for Christmas. But we have made this about how much we get, not giving them as a symbol of the gifts of the Magi, nor about showing our love & affection in many cases. & yes, as I pointed out, this goes back many decades to the 1930s at least. But back then, for the most part, there was still a strong religious aspect to Christmas that has been pushed out over the decades since. I won't go into detail here, but much of this can be laid at the feet of those who have secularized our nation by doing all they can to push religion out of the public square.

Dissident Nuns Awarded Prize by Group Founded by Dissident Priest to Undemine Authentic Catholicism

The Leadership Council of Women Religious was awarded the Herbert Haag Prize for 2013 for Freedom in the Church. The fact that these heritical habitless hussies have won it should come to no surprize to anyone who knows who Herbert Haag was & why he established the foundation he did to award this prize.

 

Herbert Haag (l) w/ Hans Kung

 

Fr. Herbert Haag (d 2001) was a Swiss liberal Roman Catholic theologian.  He was born in Singen, Germany. In 1940, he was ordained as a priest for the diocese of Basel. From 1948 until his retirement in 1980 he taught theology at universities in Lucerne and then in Tübingen, Germany.

He taught that ''apostolic succession'' was an untenable concept. Additionally, he held the position that ordained priests were not needed to celebrate the Eucharist. In 1981 he was the co-author of an open letter in Swiss newspapers. In it, he contended that a wrong had been done to another Swiss Catholic theologian, Hans Küng, who had challenged church doctrines.

In response to what he taught, the Swiss Bishops Conference issued a declaration officially withdrawing its confidence in him. Kurt Koch, the bishop of Basel, Switzerland, the diocese he was incardinated in, called his views ''self-centered and destructive.''

In 198, he established a foundation to foster his idea of openness in the church. Thus foundation has given awards to organizations opposing vows of celibacy & the exclusion of women from the priesthood.

Like I said, that the LCWR is the latest recipient of this prize should come as no surprize.

The Haag Foundation said that the 2013 prize was awarded to the LCWR in recognition of its extensive efforts in helping the poor, the marginalised & people in difficult circumstances. Additionally, it was done in recognition and of “their careful reflection of the signs of the times in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council,” making the nuns “a pillar of the Catholic Church in the United States of America.”

It went on to say in its announcement of the award that “the accusations of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith are without any substantial foundation and are the result of an unsatisfactory investigation process that lacks transparency.” Also “the intervention of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith  (CDF) is looked upon as a scandal by many Catholics, especially in the United States.”

& that is only a part of the false & misleading claims made by the Haag Foundation. They tell those lies to make it sound like the LCWR are heroines & the Catholic Church heirarcy are the bad guys. 

But what they fail to say is just as telling. 1st of all, what they mean by the "spirit of the Second Vatican Council." Their use of the term has nothing to do with the authentic "Spirit of Vatican II", the Holy Spirit. & it has everything to do with the false "spirit of  Vatican II" that Bishop Walker Nickless of Sioux City said needed to be exorcised.

As for those scandalized, what about all of us faithful Catholics who have been scndalized for years by the heretical, dissdenting behavior of the LCWR? That is the real scnadal. Those who are upsect by the CDF actions are the very ones who support the what the LCWR stand for. They are unhappy that the truth is getting out & that the Catholic Church will not tolerate the false doctrines they promote any more than it tolerated past heresies like Arainism, Pelagianism or the various forms of gnosticism.

As for  the "lack of transparency" on the part of the CDF claim, what a joke. They know full well that the LCWR did everything it could to hide what the truth from those sent to investigate. If those LCWR gang had nothing to hide, then why the lack of cooperation? You would think the LCWR would want the truth out in the open. Unless what they were promoting was wrong & contrary to authentic Catholic teaching.

Also, I wouldn't call the LCWR a pillar, rather I would call them a quagmire of heresy & dissent leading people to put there souls at risk of eternal damnation who get caught up in what they are doing & teaching.

The Haag Foundation & the LCWR don't want freedom, they want license to promote their heresies without contradiction. Well, the Catholic Church is not founded on that. It was founded on the truth revealed to the Apostles by Jesus & given the charge to defend it against all those who would say otherwise. & no matter what these dissidents may say to the contrary, the Catholic Church never will change to suit them. The Church will maintain faithfulness to the truth against all attacks until Christ returns.

 

Sources: “Rebel” nuns receive religious freedom award

Herbert Haag, 86, Priest Who Challenged Vatican

You Think Things Are Scary Now With Obama-Biden

Source: Open Thread

Thought for the Day - 15 November 2012

Judge Rules Against Those Who Would Force Elisa Bauer to Have an Abortion

I have been following the story of 32 year old Elisa Bauer who suffers from epilepsy, bipolar disorder & mental impairment. Her parents & legal guardians were taken to court to try & force her to have an abortion against her wishs & those of her parents.

On 1 Nov the court heard testimony* from two obstetric experts, Dr. Robert Slotnick and Dr. Stacy Mellum, both of Reno.   Dr. Slotnick, the obstetric expert called by the court, said that regardless of her parents’ wishes to the contrary, the best thing for her would be to “end this pregnancy and tie her tubes.”

Dr. Mellum testified on behalf of Elisa’s parents, told the court that the standard medical protocol for a high-risk epileptic pregnancy is careful monitoring and management of medication, not abortion. He told the court “I’ve managed very many patients with similar type epilepsy and they’ve done very well with no complications.”

As a part of the hearing proceedure, Judge Walker assigned another attorney, Karen Sabo, to serve as a guardian ad litem to speak on Elisa’s behalf. Sabo made her intentions very clear & didn't mind lying about the facts to do it.  “We’re here because this woman’s guardians have attempted to deny her right to choose.  There’s a reason it’s called Roe versus Wade.”  There is 1 huge problem with her arguement, Bauer's parents were appointed guardians in the 1st place because she was mentally incapable of making decisions as serious as this.

Bauer family attorney Jason Guinasso pointed this out. He called Sabo's claim “preposterous.” He told Judge Walker “[The right to choose] is an umbrella over the guardians as well as Elisa, and this court by intervening pierced that right.”

He went on to say “Those health care decisions are supposed to by statute be made by the guardians.” Then he reminded the court that “in 1998 Elisa … was already declared incompetent.” He added that the “petition specifically says that it was being made so that decisions about her living arrangements could be made and an informed consent could be given toward health care decisions.”

The transcript shows that Judge Walker agreed with Guinasso’s assessment, saying, “Sure.”

Guinasso continued. “And so both by the Court’s order and by the statute, this couple has been given the right and the responsibility to make decisions about all aspects of her health care, including her pregnancy.”

Dr. Mellum's recomendations as well as what Guinasso said lines up with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG’s) published recommendations, They state that “when a cognitively disabled person becomes pregnant, there should be an investigation to ascertain if there is abuse.” (There has been no abuse has been alleged in the Bauer case.) “If a patient cannot give her own consent for decisions concerning a pregnancy, a meeting with her family or caregivers is indicated to discuss all the aspects of the pregnancy.” Abortion is not mentioned anywhere in their recommendations. & her family/guardians were consulted. They talked to Elisa & they all agreed to keep the baby. Notice that Elisa was given the opportunity to make a choice as best she could, not denied it.

To repeat what Guinasso said about Sabo's claim:  “preposterous.” Sabo isn't concerned about Elisa. It is clear that all she cares about is pushing the abortion inustry agenda. &, as I said, lying to do so.

The next hearing was scheduled for today. At it Judge Walker announced that abortion was no longer an option. The court-appointed attorney & guardian ad litem said they had been able to determine that Elisa did in fact want to carry the baby.  Something tells me that Sabo didn't have too much choice to push her view that would force the abortion as there were witnesses who would show it was her, not the parents, denying Elisa to make the choice.
The judge also announced that the rest of the hearings would be closed to the public so they can be less adversarial. They will focus on Elisa’s well-being and future plans for her & the baby. That could still include having her tubes tied against her parents wishes. Her parents have already ligned up 6 possible couples to adopt the child. I suspect the court will agree to allow the adoption to go on.
This is a huge step in the right direction, protecting Elisa & her preborn child from having an abortion forced upon her against her choice to carry the child to term.
Now we must hope & pray the judge will reaffirm the rejection of forced sterilization of the mentally impaired by American society in the 70s.

____________

* The Bauers attorney appealed to the Nevada state Supreme Courtthe next day, but the court allowed the hearings to continue. 

 

Sources: BREAKING: Forced abortion no longer an option in case of pregnant disabled woman, judge rules

Judge Rules Against Forcing Mentally Disabled Woman’s Abortion

‘End this pregnancy and tie her tubes,’ says doctor in forced abortion trial: transcript

 

 

Skyfall

I made it to see Skyfall Saturday night, & as promised, here is my review. But before I do, I have to explain a little about how I will handle a few things to avoid spoilers. When there is something that I want to say that involves a spoiler, I will put it in as a footnote (1) so you can avoid reading it if you like.

1st of all, it did deserve to be the top box office draw of the weekend. With an $87.8 million box office, it did better than the rest of the top 10 combined. It was also the biggest US openning for any Bond film.

Part of the reason it did so well is simple, most of the movies out there any more are junk. So when a truly good movie comes out, it will do as good as Skyfall. & while one reviewer said she expected a best picture nomination for the Oscars, I won't hold my breathe. This movie is not the PC type that has resulted in much of the garbage that they have a tendancy to nominate. But IMHO it is 1 of the best movies of the year.

Now on to the movie itself.

I do have to start with a couple of complaints. I know MGM owns United Artists & that Sony owns MGM. But the Bond movie rights are Eon & UA. Please return to having UA at the beginning. & while I am at it, could you also have the Gunshot logo to the beginning as well. I will admit, without trying to give anything away, that for this movie it did make some sense because of the ending. 

As this is the 50th anniversary of the 1st Eon produced Bond movie, many things in it pay homage to the earlier movies as well as the books by Ian Fleming. I will mention a few.

The pre-credit scene takes place in a typically exotic location that Bond has been in before, Turkey From Russia With Love). He was there to recover a computer hard drive stolen from a murdered MI6 agent that contains details of almost all undercover NATO agents in terrorist organisations. He & a female assistant chase the killer, mercenary Patrice, attempting to recover the disk. The early part of the chase has Bond in the passenger seat while his assistant drives. Later he gets a seperate vehicle. He is shot in the shoulder by Patrice. Later, while fighting Patrice on the top of a moving train, Bond is accidentally shot by his assistant when she is ordered to try & hit Patrice by M. Bond is later considered "missing, presumed killed" (You Only Live Twice, book).

The opening credits tied in very well to the movie. Various parts even had more than one meaning that became clear as the movie went on. It wasn't the best openning credits as a couple times it was difficult to read the names as they were obscured by what was going on behind. As I said before, the theme was performed by Adele. It is the 1st time since Die Another Day that the song actually shared the title with the movie.

The movie proper starts with M (Dame Judy Dench) writing Bond's Obit (You Only Live Twice, book & movie). We only see the 1st line. In it Bond still has his CMG (Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George), but rather than being a RNVR (Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, he is full blown RN (Royal Navy).

M then meets with the Intelligence and Security Committee Chairman, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Feinnes). At that meeting she is pressured to resign because of the loss of the list of NATO agents, but she vows to continue the fight until the infor is recovered & whoever is behind it is caught.

On here way back to MI6, her computer is hacked into & an explosion is set off in the building. It is at this point we find out what happenned to Bond. He used his death to retire (You Only Live Twice, end of book sans amnesia).

At this point we see a totally different Bond, one who is burnt out, drinking & very much looking aged & haggard. Something we have not seen in the movies, but have seen variations on in a couple of the books, like the later part of Casino Royale & the start of You Only Live Twice. Bond returns to London. He 1st approached M in her apartment. She forces him to undergo evaluation before being restored to active duty. This was similar to what happenned when Bond returned in the book version of The Man With the Golden Gun, but with some variations since Bond didn't have amnesia. We see more evidence of how much Bond has deteriorated. But M gives the OK to return him to active duty.

Bond meets the new Q (Ben Whishaw). It is not explained what happenned to the previous Q. Bond takes an instant dislike to the new Q since he is so young, but he soon wins Bond's trust & Bond starts calling him Q. Q supplies him with a new Walther PPK that hand palm print recognition. He also provides Bond with small location signal (shades of Goldfinger, sort of).

Bond ends up in Shanghai where he finds Patrice. This leads him to Macau (Man With the Golden Gun) where he is joined up with his female assitant. Eventually the trail leads to the main baddie, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent who worked under M. Part of the finding him involves a visit to Macau that has several echos of the movie version of The Man With the Golden Gun. The rest of the story involves defeating Silva. The last act takes place in Scotland in the home where Bond grew up. In doing so, we learn a little more about what makes Bond, Bond.(1)

Since everyone knows that Bond always suceeds in his mission, jumping to the final scene of the movie won't give anything away. Bond is called to the new office of M. There he finally meets up with Eve Moneypenny, M's new secretary. This is the 1st time in the movies that Moneypenny is given a 1st name. After the usual banter, we see Tanner coming out of M's office. The door & the office go back to the look in the early movies rather than the more modern look of late.

With Q & Moneypenny in place & the return to the original office, the reboot that started in Casino Royale is now complete.

Overall the movie was well done. There were a couple times I felt it dragged a bit. But the acting & storyline were excellent. Of course there are the usual chases, & several deaths, both villians & those with Bond, including 1 of the Bond women.

Daniel Craig gives his best performance as Bond. We really believe Bond is burned out at the start. We also see how Bond is revitalized by the end. It is done in a very believable way. The chemistry between him & Q holds some great promise. The same can be said for that between him & Moneypenny. Daniels also gives a human side to Bond rarely seen in the books or movies. He shows a wide range of emotions.(2)

Dame Judy Dench gives her best performance ever as M. In it we see her commtment to her job, ensuring the safety of the UK. But we also see her softer side & how she does care about her agents. We also see her in much more serious danger of her life. The final part of the movie, really gives her a chance to show her abilities as she works with Bond to defend herself to being at times helpless in the face of danger.(3) FYI: This is her 7th appearance as M.

Javier Badem is excellent as Silva. He is scary & creepy, a bit like Blofeld in You Only Live Twice, combined with Rosa Kleb in From Russia With Love. In fact his Silva & Kleb share a certain sexual prediliction. He gives the right hint of the psychopath hiding just under the surface of Silva.(4)

I think Ben Whishaw will be excellent as the new Q. He plays Q as the techo-geek expert that is needed for these days. The scenes between him & Bond worked well. It is clear he earned Bond's respect, but you can also see how they will have their clashes as did previous Bonds & Qs. I will admit that the new Q will have to grow on me. For one reason, his age. Whishaw is 31. That is an adjustment I will have to make.

Ralph Fiennes also is excellent as Gareth Mallory. His character goes from seeing M as a dinosaur to the real leader of MI6 she is. He also has very little respect for Bond at the start as well. But when he sees Bond in action, he also sees the value of 007. He has been signed to return & it will be interesting to see how they develop his character & relationship with 007 especially.

Naomie Harris as the new Moneypenny promises to be interesting for several reasons. From the banter of the closing scene, it is clear that the chemistry is there.(5)
As I said earlier, with this movie the reboot is complete. Daniel Cgraig has grown in the role & made it his own. With the new Moneypenny & Q.(6) Graig has been signed for 2 more movies. They will have a plot connection like the 1st 2 Craig movies did with Quantum. From the little I know sounds like something else will be the link. Hopefully they will live up to this one. The 1st is scheduled for 2014. & since there are no financial problems looming with MGM that caused the delay of this movie being made & released.
The other hope I have is that Felix Leiter will return & that they will do more to develop the friendship along the lines of the books than they have in the past.

________________________

CAUTION: These be spoilers

1. Bond's family estate is called Skyfall, hence the movie name. The only person still there is Kincade, the gamekeeper to the Bond family estate. For those who are unaware, Bond was made Scotish in the books in honor of Sean Connery who is Scotish. There had been some talk of getting Connery to play Kincade. Instead they wisely got Albert Finney. In discussing the movie afterwords, my friend & I agreed it would have been too much of an inside joke & ruined the ending.
2. We see the deep love as well as respect for M with how he handles her death scene & his mourning afterwords. We also see some of his sofer side during the scenes at Skyfall as well as hints at the pain it holds due to the death of his parents, Andrew Bond, & his Swiss mother, Monique Delacroix. The deaths are not explained, but there is some hint that the circumstances were possibly tied into MI6.

3. This is Dench's last appearance as M. At the end we find out that she is replaced by Mallory. He is the M Bond reports to in the new (old) office. Dench is suffering from Age-related macular degeneration (AMD. In 1 eye it is wet AMD, in the other dry AMD. She is being treated for it with injections

4. There is also a hint of Norman Bates as well. Both the friend I was with & I thought that there was also a little too much of the Joker from the Dark Knight movies in how he was written, especially how he was disfigured.  Something that is revealed after he is caught by Bond.It did work though.

5. Part of it is due to the fact that she was Bond's assistant throughout the early part of the movie. In the movie we are not told her name, 1st or last until the end. She is with M at the end because in the later part of the film she has left field work & is working with Mallory. So when he takes over as M, Moneypenny takes over as his secretary.
6. & M.

Skyfall Tonite

I was planning to go see Skyfall last nite, but because the friend I was going to see it with had a schedule conflict, my seeing it has been delayed until tonite. In has received great reviews. That includes the film critic for the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, who gave it a rave review Skyfall declaring it to be one of the best Bond films in history. Lisa Johnson Mandell, who is the reviewer for Mike Huckabee's radio show also gave it a great review.
The movie will introduce  (finally) a new Q & Miss Moneypenny. I know the new Q looks young, but from what I have seen & heard, it sounds like he will be good. & it makes sense.
Adele does the title song. They return to having the song title be the same as the movie. I like it. As my friend said, & I agree, this is a throwback to the earler Bond movies rather than the more recent.
I will admit I am doing my best to keep from building up my expectations. But from the trailer as well as the other clips, this promises to live up to them. I have heard there will be some homage to past Bond movies as well.
As I said, I will be seeing it tonite. & I will let you know if it is as good as it looks. & what flaws there may be as well.








 

 

 

 

NOTE: It has been announced that Daniel Craig has signed up for 2 more movies. Bond 24 & 25 will be written by John Logan. They are supposed to have a tie-in with each other, like Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace.

 

 

In short:

 

 

BOND WILL RETURN

The Dust Still Hasn't Settled From Last Tuesday's Election, But the 2016 Campaign Is Already Being Tauted

I just came across 2 articles that didn't surprize me, but already have me saying BASTA!!!!! This is too early to seriously start looking at who will run.

1 of theses articles talked about the 1st primary state, New Hampshire (Clinton, Christie Lead First Polls Of 2016 N.H. Primaries) The other is closer to home as it looks at my state of Iowa, the 1st caucus state (Mike Huckabee Leads GOP for 2016 in Iowa, Hillary for Dems).

In both states Shrillary Clinton is the leader on the Democratic side. Of course, she currently has the greatest name recognition. & the talk is already beginning that she will step down as Secretary of State in January after the inauguration (Pro-Abortion Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Step Down) But will she run is another matter. In Iowa she had 58% support & in New Hampshire she had 60%. So for now it looks like she has the best chance to win. But let us not forget, the conventional wisdom had her winning over mostly unknown Obama back in 2007. & we saw what happenned in 2008.

As for the Republicans, 21% of those in New Hampshire support Gov. Chris Christie. In Iowa it is Gov. Mike Huckabee with 15%. Christie is tied for 2nd place with Paul Ryan & Florida Sen. Marco Rubio @ 12% each. However in New Hampshire Huckabee isn't even in the top 5.

So what does this mean????
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only reason I am mentioning it is to show what we can expect from the media who will be doing their best to manipulate what happens in 4 years.

The reality is, a lot can & will happen between now & then that will do more to determine the nominee than these polls.

We have no idea who will really run. & what may come out between now & then that might bring someone else to the forefront, in both parties.

Right now the Republican Party leadership has got to quit shooting itself in the foot by continuing to marginalize the Pro-life (aka social conservation) members of the party. Of course they are doing it through the pundits to give themselves cover.

The fact is, except for selecting Paul Ryan, Romney did very little to get the support of the Pro-lifers/social conservatives out there. In fact, his campaign did just the opposite. Starting with what I call the "Palin"ization of Ryan. Rather than letting him get out there, they pushed him to the background & silenced him, just like McCann did to Palin. Instead they should have turned Ryan lose.

While I hate to use this example, it best shows the point I am making. Despite how he is painted as a conservative, Richard Nixon was much more of a moderate. For all his faults & crimes Nixon did do one thing right in the 1968 campaign. He knew he needed a strong appeal to the conservatives. So he selected Spiro Agnew who, despite being somewhat moderate himself, knew how to reach the conservatives. Unfortunately, he too later turned out to be a crook. But he was a strong voice for the conservative wing. & Nixon turned him lose to speak out.

Not only did Romney not turn Ryan lose as he should, he totally avoided the social issues, the very thing the pundits had been saying all along. But now that that strategy lost, those same pundits are trying to cover their posteriors by trying to blame the social conservatives.

Well guess what? We know better. & we aren't going to be silent about it.

Lets start with what Romney actually did or didn't do.

What he didn't do is really campaign on the life issues.

What did he do? As Austin Ruse, president of C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), points out in an article for Crisis Magazine, Romney’s Abandonment of Social Issues Contributed to His Defeat. He says "What ads did he run? Perhaps they were thinking of the Romney ad meant to quell pro-choice concerns, the one telling folks they shouldn’t worry because he still favored abortion for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother? And perhaps these conservatives could show us the ads Romney ran supporting historical marriage, because I missed those and I live in what was one of the hottest of swing states, Virginia.

I might be able to understand these comments if Romney had actually run as a social conservative, but his race was first, last and always about the economy, smaller government, lower taxes, things to warm the cockles of almost any fiscal conservative. But where and when did he actually campaign as a social conservative?"

The answer is, he didn't. & those saying he did can't back it up. & they know it.

Ruse goes on to point out more evidence that Romney had followed their plan. & that is the real reason he failed.

When asked about the social issues Romney "would parrot some ill thought out talking points. He said while he was against abortion he favored the exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the mother. He was so unpracticed on this issue that he seemed not to know that the health exception in Doe v Bolton was what got us to abortion on demand in the first place."

Additionally "He also said he had no legislative plans on the life issues but that he would reinstate Mexico City Policy and defunding of UNFPA. Is this really what his adviser gave him to say? I dare say that most rank and file pro-lifers have never heard of either Mexico City Policy or UNFPA. Such easy promises are held out as the tiniest of sops to pro-life leaders but in no way give anyone pro-life credentials.

Romney did say he would defund Planned Parenthood but he never said why. He could have pointed out that there are several thousand Title X clinics not connected to Planned Parenthood that do everything Planned Parenthood does except abortions. He could have pointed out that Planned Parenthood raises a billion dollars a year and in time of fiscal crisis perhaps our money is spent better elsewhere. He could have said Planned Parenthood does not do mammograms no matter what they say. He could have said losing federal funding would hardly close Planned Parenthood down. But he didn’t say any of these things."

Not exactly the hardline social conservative these people would like to paint Romney as. In fact, for many of us, this was 2008 all over again, holding our noses to vote for what we hoped would be a better opportunity to get our voices heard than we have now.

In fact, for many of us, myself included, it was very hard to not vote for the Constitution Party candidate, Virgil Goode. Their party had an even stronger pro-life stand as well as even stronger stand on the other social issues than the Republican party. But many of us felt the best chance was to go with Romney.

& if Romney had been strongly pro-life, enough of those Pro-lifers who didn't show up very well might have, giving Romney the win.

I suspect things will be totally different in 2016 if the leadership of the Republican party doesn't stop trying to marginalize us. They think they can get away with it because we have stayed with the party for now.

But, maybe they better learn a little lesson from their own history. The Whig party was divided on the social issue of its day, slavery. By trying to avoid the issue through compromise with the pro-slavery contingency, the leadership drove the anti-slavery members to the Republican party, thus ensuring its death. The same could happen if the Republican leadership continues along a similar path of self-destruction. I know many people say otherwise, the 2 major parties are too ingrained. But aren't these mostly the same people who want to shut up the social issues people? Sounds to me like they aren't exactly unbiased on this issue.

Another reason I hear for saying we need to stick with the Republicans is that it would take too long for a new party to build strength. Again I point to the Whig/Republican story. The Republicans began in 1854 & Lincoln was elected just 6 years later. With the Constitution party already in existance, it could happen just as quickly.

Pro-life is an issue that will not go away any more than that of ending slavery did in the 1800s. The only real difference is that there is no free state/slave state equivalent.

The battle for 2016 has begun. In some ways it needs to. The Republicans have to take an honest look at why they lost. It wasn't the  embracing, it was the abandoning of the social issues, like abortion, that is a huge part of the reason they lost.  & if they continue to abandon us, it will be the reason they lose in 2016 as well.

1st 2012-2013 Supreme Court Ruling Defends Pro-Life Activist’s Free Speech Rights

It is only a small victory. But it is a positive one. & given the current attack on free speech for Pro-lifers by the Obama administration, we can hope it is a sign of things to come that the Supreme Court will actually do the right thing when these attacks continue.

In 2005 pro-life activist Steven Lefemine (above), sued the police department of Greenwood County, South Carolina. The police had stopped him & his band of 20 pro-life activists with Columbia Christians for Life from displaying graphic images of abortion at a busy intersection. Police maintained the group was creating a disturbance after receiving several complaints.

After thepolice threatened him again at another protest, Lefamine decided to sue them in 2008 on the basis that his First Amendment right to free speech was being violated. Lefamine won his case in federal district court. But, the judge denied Lefemine’s request for reimbursement of attorney fees. This despite the  Civil Rights Attorneys Fees Act of 1976.

As the  Los Angeles Times pointed out, that in the Act "Congress said civil rights lawyers who sued and won cases involving constitutional rights were entitled to claim “reasonable attorney’s fees.” The law was intended to bolster civil rights advocates who filed suits in that era over issues such as school desegregation."

You may remember that the ACLU & Americans United for Separation of Church and State have often exploited this law. The use it to intimidate local governments, schools, etc., who fear monetary reprisal if a case against them is successful. They give in to the ACLU blackmail rather than defend themselves, thus often surrendering their rights instead of defending them.*

Monday, the Supreme Court had something to say about this denial for reimbersement. According to the Chicago Tribune:

"In its first decision since the 2012-2013 term officially began last month, the court reversed a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals against Steven Lefemine and Columbia Christians for Life, which had sought to recover the fees…..

A federal district court permanently barred the police from imposing content-based restrictions on Lefemine’s signs but refused to award attorneys’ fees.

The 4th Circuit later upheld the fee denial, saying the permanent injunction did not make Lefemine a “prevailing party.”

But in its unsigned decision, the Supreme Court said he was because the injunction had changed police behavior in a way that directly benefited him.

“Before the ruling, the police intended to stop Lefemine from protesting with his signs; after the ruling, the police could not,” the court wrote. “That ruling worked the requisite material alteration in the parties’ relationship.”

The Supreme Court returned the case to a lower court to decide if any “special circumstances” might make the award unjust.

Steven Fitschen, a lawyer for Lefemine, said attorneys’ fees in the case may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that other protesters should welcome the decision.

“Protesters of all stripes, whose civil rights were violated by law enforcement, would have been at risk of losing fee awards,” Fitschen said in a phone interview."

It isn't completely over. & depending on the lower court ruling on "special circumstances" it may end up again in the Supreme Court. For now, the Supreme Court has protected free speech. But this is another reminder of how precarious things are in the USA & why we must continue to pray as well as be dilligent to do all we can to defend those rights.

___________________

You may also remember that Planned Parenthood tried to use a similar attack against Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League. In his case he won in the Supreme Court.

Source: Supreme Court Upholds Pro-Life Activist’s Free Speech Rights



St. Paul on Being a Good Citizen & Faithful Christian in the Midst of a Perverse Generation

This was the 1st reading from Mass today (Roman Rite). When I read it, I couldn't help but think how appropriate it was for where we are today. IMHO, it shows how the Holy Spirit was working back in theearly 70s when the new lectionary came out. Back then God knew we would need to hear these Divinely inspired words given the current state of our nation.   

My beloved, obedient as you have always been,


not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent,

work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For God is the one who, for his good purpose,

works in you both to desire and to work.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning,

that you may be blameless and innocent,

children of God without blemish

in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,

among whom you shine like lights in the world,

as you hold on to the word of life,

so that my boast for the day of Christ may be

that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

But, even if I am poured out as a libation

upon the sacrificial service of your faith,

I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.

In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.

-- Phil. 2:12-18

[Pray for] all those in authority....(I Timothy 2:1-2)

This morning when I turned on the radio to listen to Laura Ingraham, I came in on the middle of something she was sharing that was written by Eric Metaxas. It caught my attention as it expanded on my call for us to continue to pray. He also said, as I did, that the attacks on Christianity will intensify. It also looked into what I have said yesterday & at other times about the basis for our country's founding & what is needed for it to continue to exist.

So here is what he wrote along with Laura's introduction:

Through the ups and downs of American politics, it is sometimes very difficult to maintain hope for a God-centered America, where our country's Judeo-Christian heritage is respected, not insulted. Freedom without virtue is not freedom at all--it ultimately results in a self-centered chaos, where momentary pleasures give way to the reality of a nation that spends too much,parties too much, and produces too little. We demand blessings from God without listening to Him in prayer. So how to process this when all seems lost? My friend and author Eric Metaxas speaks and writes on matters of faith and policy and thought his post-election reflections were worth sharing:

Whether you voted for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, whether you're

recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from

your pillow, today is a good day to heed these words of the Apostle Paul:

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and

thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in

authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness

and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Now that the election results are in, our President needs our prayers,

because he and his administration face huge, serious challenges to the

health of our nation and to peace in the world -- challenges that we

cannot overcome without divine aid.

Think about it. At home, our economy is still sluggish. We face the

so-called "fiscal cliff" and sequestration. Economists and

politicians on both sides of the aisle are telling us this would be an

economic disaster for the nation. And speaking of disasters, there is

the national debt.

Overseas, America's foreign policy seems, to put it mildly, confused,

even as Iran seeks nuclear weapons, as Islamists have either grabbed

or are on the cusp of grabbing power in countries throughout the

Middle East, and as we struggle to figure out what in the world to do

about the war in Afghanistan.

How has America come to this point? Why is our economy on the brink

of disaster? And why is our culture so utterly depraved?

Chuck Colson asked these questions the day after the last presidential

election four years ago. And his answer was spot on. Chuck cited

what Russian author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic

consequences of the Russian revolution. "I recall," Solzhenitsyn

said, "hearing a number of older people offer the following

explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: Men have

forgotten God; that's why all this has happened."

Solzhenitsyn was right. And Colson was right. The best explanation

for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we are in is that to

some extent we have forgotten God.

We have also forgotten that American democracy -- indeed Western

Civilization itself -- is the product of the Judeo-Christian

understanding of God and humanity. As Chuck said, "Without that

revelation that man is created in the image of God, our founders never

would have recognized the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the

pursuit of happiness."

Make no mistake, regardless of last night's election results, the

attacks on Christianity are not going away. They will only intensify.

So we have to continue, as Chuck said, "to make a winsome witness" to

the truths of the Christian worldview, because those who would banish

Christianity from American public life are risking the very survival

of American society.

So, if your presidential candidate or your congressional candidates

won yesterday, keep the celebration short. If they lost, don't head

for the hills. We have got work to do. This is a time for Christians

to stay involved. So by all means pray for our President and his

administration. Pray for our nation. But most of all be salt and

light in a culture, in a country, that is in danger of forgetting God.

--Eric Metaxas