To flatter his faith-breakfast guests and justify his tax policies, Obama declares good works to be the essence of religiosity. Yet he turns around and, through Sebelius, tells the faithful who engage in good works that what they’re doing is not religion at all. You want to do religion? Get thee to a nunnery. You want shelter from the power of the state? Get out of your soup kitchen and back to your pews. Outside, Leviathan rules.
Apparently, Obama's version of Matthew 25 is broad enough to cover his tax and spending (and "women's health") priorities, but not broad enough to cover the activities that Jesus actually commanded His Church to engage in.
... It is a good question and sometimes confuses Catholics and non-Catholics. The answer to the question is in the very earliest history of the Church. After the ascension of Jesus, the apostles went about the great task of making “apostles of all the nations”, and Christianity began to spread among Jew and Gentile alike. The question quickly arose as to whether Gentile converts would have to be circumcised (the males only of course!) and follow all of the Jewish laws regarding ritual purity...
[...]
Tensions over the issue of whether Gentile Christians should be required to follow all of the Jewish ritual purity laws, were settled doctrinally once and for all at the Council of Jerusalem in 49 AD which issued these decrees:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
The Gentiles were therefore not to be required to live like Jews. They were required to follow the ten commandments and the major teachings of the Old Testament, but the laws of ritual impurity were not to apply to Christians...
My Comments: I don’t believe I have ever seen this issue explained more clearly and concisely. This should be a “must read” and a “must link” throughout St. Blog’s.
Save this one away in your favorites, folks. Keep it handy to access for whenever the topic inevitably rears its head. As Don says in the comments, "The Old Testament laws and their applicability to Christians is an issue that keeps coming up in current debates and Catholics need to know that the answer is a pretty simple one."
(CNSNews.com) –House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that President Barack Obama has shown a “level of patience” in debt limit negotiations with congressional leaders that does not compare to the biblical figure Job, known as the “Man of Patience.”
“I want to commend the president – I have never seen – Job is no place compared to this president in terms of patience,” said Pelosi at a press briefing on Thursday. “He [Job] doesn’t even begin because this president has demonstrated a level of patience, not only during the meetings but as respect, respectful of the suggestions that are made by all parties at the meeting, in his preparation for the meeting, and his coming back to address concerns that are expressed by others.”
No, Job had absolutely nothing on the long-suffering Barry Obama. What a joke.
These loons just can't help themselves when it comes to describing Obama in biblical terms. And it's those of us who point out this nonsense who are allegedly being "blasphemous" when we poke fun at the "Obamessiah"?
Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. ~ Romans 13:11, 12
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. ~ Matthew 24:42-44
Alan Grayson: The Most Despicable Person in Politics [UPDATED]
Back during the Bush years, I can recall debates in the Catholic blogosphere in which Catholics of a certain left-leaning ilk accused those on the right of having questioned the patriotism of anyone who had opposed the Iraq War.
The thing is that I don't recall these instances of anyone's patriotism being impugned (outstide of David Frum's infamous piece at National Review in which he accused conservative Catholic commentators Pat Buchanan and Robert Novak of being "unpatriotic"; but then, any conservative worth a damn doesn't give a rat's patoot what David Frum thinks or says).
And, in fact, the left's protestations about having their patriotism questioned appears to have been nothing more than collective projection, imagining that their political adversaries were doing exactly what they would do if they were the ones trying to overcome opposition to a particular objective of national policy priority. This has been borne out since the election of President Obama: how many times have we seen the words "sedition" (also here, for example), "un-American" (also here, for example), "unpatriotic", and even "siding with the terrorists" (not to mention "racist") applied to critics of the Obama agenda?
But NEVER in my years have I EVER heard someone in politics say about someone in the opposition "He just doesn't love America like I do."
Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida is falsely accusing his opponent of evading the Vietnam War draft, claiming "he doesn’t love this country."
Republican candidate Daniel Webster didn’t "refuse the call to service," as claimed in a vicious TV ad featuring pictures of military graves and the sound of "Taps" being played on a bugle. In fact, the former Florida Senate majority leader was given routine student deferments until he completed his undergraduate degree. He then reported for a military physical and was disqualified for medical reasons...
I thought that disgusing ad couldn't be topped. Boy, was I wrong. I should have remembered we were talking about Alan "Republicans want you to die quickly" Grayson.
The ad, attacking the Biblical beliefs of Christians and comparing them to the Taliban is disgusting enough. But once you learn the context of the remarks of Grayson's opponent, which Grayson twisted ... no mutilated ... completely out of context to make this despicable ad, there can be no doubt of the malicious bad faith on exhibit:
We thought Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida reached a low point when he falsely accused his opponent of being a draft dodger during the Vietnam War, and of not loving his country. But now Grayson has lowered the bar even further. He’s using edited video to make his rival appear to be saying the opposite of what he really said. …
The ad compares Webster to “religious fanatics” in Afghanistan and Iran. It says Webster opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest, which is true. But it also claims that “Webster wants to impose his radical fundamentalism on us,” and to support that claim it blatantly misuses a video clip of Webster speaking at a Christian conference in Nashville in 2009. …
Words fail.
A while back, our friends over at Vox Nova posited a question: "Will demagoguery triumph in 2010?" I don't know. Will it? Or will those allied to Grayson condemn him for this? Of course, Grayson may very well be a hero to them because of his claims during the health care debate that Republicans want people to die quickly ... a sentiment not too far off from one expressed many times over at that blog. That shouldn't stop them from recognizing that his demagoguery is worse than anything we've seen all election season. (Tu quoques arriving in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...)
To read most of the comments over there, it is clear that they believe Republicans and/or conservatives have a monopoly on demagoguery. But I have never seen ANYTHING like the disreputable, malicious, and calumnious demagoguery of Alan Grayson.
UPDATE And now I'm left wondering if the guy is just completely nuts:
Everything is just so over the top when it comes to Grayson that it raises the question of whether he is emotionally and/or mentally stable. I'm no psychologist or psychiatrist, but he seems to me to border on insane.
UPDATE #2 Perhaps insane, but definitely a bad guy.
When even MSNBC calls Grayson out on his lies and distortions (one can only imagine the hate mail Contessa Brewer is receiving right now from the lefties who watch MSNCB and aren't used to seeing their icons called to account), that ought to be a clue that he has gone way too far, even by his own low standards.
Instead, this dirtbag defends his dubious deeds by doubling down on his despicable defamation:
In addition to repeating the lie about his opponent's remarks regarding wives submitting to their husbands, Grayson regurgitates some others that, once again, the left-leaning FactCheck.org has tagged as false:
... the ad’s claim that Webster would “deny battered women … the right to divorce their abusers” is a distortion. The claim is based on legislation he sponsored in the Florida House of Representatives 20 years ago. The bill, HB 1585, would have allowed Florida residents the option of a “covenant marriage,” which would limit their divorce rights. Under the proposal, couples could dissolve a covenant marriage only in cases of adultery. But that would not have applied to anyone who did not choose to enter a covenant marriage. The legislation died in committee in June 1990. Webster has not advocated for covenant marriages as a congressional candidate...
This is a very bad man. The left lionizes him. That's all you need to know.
UPDATE #3 (29 September) I could kick myself for not titling this post "The Devil and Daniel Webster".
UPDATE #4 (30 September) The GOP has released a new ad responding to the Devil's ... errr ... Grayson's tactics:
Written by Bishop Leonard P. Blair Friday, 06 February 2009
... It is one thing to see the "universal call to holiness" depicted in marble. It is quite another to catch a glimpse of it in flesh and blood, as I did on Jan. 21. That evening I was present in the Basilica of the National Shrine for the annual Mass on the occasion of the "March for Life" in our nation’s capital. Several ,hundred members of our diocese, including many young adults, were participants with people from every part of our country.
This event is a living model of the "universal call to holiness" not because the Catholics of every age group, ethnicity and state of life who went to Washington are holier than other people (and in any case, only God knows the true state of any individual’s soul). Rather, what is striking is the public witness that is given to Christian holiness as a call to the "perfection of love" beyond the private sphere. It is a call that leads to "a more human manner of life ... in earthly society." It is a call to work and pray, to speak up and to stand up for our neighbor, both unborn and born, in keeping with the most fundamental truth from God about the dignity and rights of every human person.
For a very long time we Catholics in the United States were raised to keep our faith to ourselves in order to get ahead in a society marked by anti-Catholic bigotry. After the upheavals of the 1960s there was a short lull because it was thought that the church was ready to become "mainstream" by abandoning many of her teachings on faith and morals. Anti-Catholicism is now returning with a vengeance because the church remains steadfast regarding abortion, contraception, divorce, homosexual behavior, etc., not to mention other issues of social justice.
The drama of social change has been unfolding for a very long time. Recently I read a highly acclaimed biography of President Theodore Roosevelt, in which the author offered the following description of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., President Roosevelt’s appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1902, more than a century ago: "In his world," the author writes, "there was neither absolute good nor absolute evil — only shifting standards of positive and negative behavior, determined by the majority and subject to constant change. Morality was not defined by God; it was the code a given generation of men wanted to live by. Truth was ‘what I can’t help believing.’ Yesterday’s absolutes must give way to ‘the felt necessities of the time.’ " (Edmund Morris, "Theodore Rex," p. 130)
This worldview now reigns supreme. And there are many who argue that the call to holiness — including fundamental questions of justice based on right and wrong — has little or nothing to do with a Catholic’s daily life in the world. We should just mind our own business, they argue, and keep our beliefs on these matters to ourselves behind the closed doors of private devotion, personal virtue and religious exercises. Yet, when scoffers look back over 2,000 years to discredit the Christian faith, isn’t it precisely the historical failures of Christians both to denounce and renounce public injustices and evils in society that bolster the false claim that Christianity is either a failure or a fraud? ...
The Diocese of Toledo is focusing its celebration of the Year of Paul from Jan. 25 2009 to June 29 2009.
On the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Jan. 25, an ecumenical prayer service is being celebrated at 3 p.m. at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral. Representatives from other Christian denominations are invited to participate in the liturgy. The service is open to all who would like to participate in honoring St. Paul. Rosary Cathedral is located at 2535 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo, OH 43610.
In addition, six parishes in the diocese are designated as pilgrimage sites:
Rosary Cathedral, Toledo
SS. Peter & Paul, Toledo
St. Paul, Norwalk
SS. Peter & Paul, Ottawa
St. Peter, Mansfield and
St. Paul Chapel, Hamler.
Pilgrimage groups are encouraged to contact these churches to arrange times for visitation and prayer.
Prayer cards for the Year of Paul are being provided to all parishes and institutions in the diocese. Requests for the cards should be directed to the chancery (419-244-6711) and include the number of cards needed.
The observance concludes June 28 with a first solemn vespers for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul at 4 p.m. at Rosary Cathedral.
Faithful who participate in either of the public services or pilgrimage are given a plenary indulgence. A plenary indulgence is the remission of all punishment.
... Now who could the National Geographic be talking about? Why of course it is King Herod the Great!
Herod guided his kingdom to new prosperity and power.
He was all about hope and change.
Yet today he is best known as the sly and murderous monarch of Matthew's Gospel, who slaughtered every male infant in Bethlehem in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the newborn Jesus, the prophesied King of the Jews. During the Middle Ages he became an image of the Antichrist: Illuminated manuscripts and Gothic gargoyles show him tearing his beard in mad fury and brandishing his sword at the luckless infants, with Satan whispering in his ear. Herod is almost certainly innocent of this crime, of which there is no report apart from Matthew's account.
Wow I guess I can forget about the Holy Innocents. Thanks National Geographic!
But children he certainly slew, including three of his own sons, along with his wife, his mother-in-law, and numerous other members of his court. Throughout his life, he blended creativity and cruelty, harmony and chaos, in ways that challenge the modern imagination. [article]
Now I am confused. We know about how Herod murdered his relatives based on only one account by Josephus written around 93 or 94. Yet the account by Matthew written earlier and passed on by people living within living memory of King Herod is not credible. National Geographic also calls Josephus a "hostile biographer " So I guess the one source rule can be used selectively depending on the outcome you want. Besides somebody who murdered many family members out of a paranoid feat of being usurped could not possibly react like the Herod in Matthew's account - oh wait...
The previous post about my Bishop reminded me that I had neglected to post anything from Bishop Blair's monthly column in The Catholic Chronicle, per my usual practice.
Written by Leonard P. Blair, Bishop of Toledo Friday, 07 November 2008
... So when it comes to handing on the Word of God, two closely interrelated "modes of transmission" are at work: Sacred Scripture and Tradition (not any and all traditions, but what pertains to the so-called "deposit of faith" from the Apostles).
The U.S. Adult Catechism states: "Both the living Tradition and the written Scriptures have their common source in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. This is particularly important to understand and believe when one is faced with the postmodern attitude that Tradition cannot be trusted, and that what the Church teaches as Tradition is really just a reflection of particular judgments and biases. Knowing that what Tradition teaches has its ultimate foundation in Jesus Christ helps a person of faith to respond with trust" (page 25f).
Consider the following examples of contemporary prejudice against Tradition.
Many of today’s media stories on the Bible treat it as an object separated from the Tradition exercised by the authority of the apostles and their successors, the bishops. For example, when ancient heretical texts are "rediscovered," they are often reported as authentic voices of ancient Christianity that were suppressed by church authorities for self-serving motives.
However, one can readily see what the New Testament says about false teaching, and the need to discern and reject it. The authority of Tradition has been exercised in these matters from the beginning. That is why not everything in circulation in New Testament times made its way into the Bible.
Also, when I was a seminarian, a weekly Bible Vigil service was introduced in order to celebrate the call of the Second Vatican Council for a renewed appreciation of Sacred Scripture in Catholic life. As the Word of God, the Bible was enthroned, revered and incensed in the chapel.
Now almost a half century later, it is not uncommon to find Bibles marked with hand-written "corrections" by people who think they know what God really meant to say, or would have said had He lived to see enlightened times like ours! God’s Word certainly admits of interpretation, cultural context and the insights of scientific biblical scholarship, but there is often something else at work in modern "Bible wars."
The eminent American theologian Avery Cardinal Dulles, writing about the reservation of priestly ordination to men, says this: "Radical theology adopts a sharply critical attitude toward all the supposedly sacred sources. It criticizes popes and bishops in the light of tradition, but then criticizes tradition in the light of Scripture, and Scripture in the light of the ‘historical’ Jesus. If the historical reconstruction of Jesus does not yield the desired result, Jesus Himself is criticized in the light of whatever seems good and proper to the contemporary critic."
This "Pilate was the Governor, Jesus was a community organizer" meme is monumentally stupid on so many levels, not the least of which is that it demonstrates a total lack of Biblical literacy. Pilate merely voted "present."
Ah yes, the man who couldn't decide what to do with Our Lord, and therefore "washed his hands" of the whole thing. Maybe it was a decision that was "above his pay grade".
Theologically illiterate liberals can't even figure out that Pontius Pilate could be Sen. Obama's patron saint. And my question from the other day remains: Between Gov. Palin and Sen. Obama, which do you think would be more likely to utter the question "What is truth?"
Written by Leonard P. Blair, Bishop of Toledo Friday, 06 June 2008
When I was a seminarian many years ago, amid the social and religious turmoil of the 1960s, some people rejected the New Testament’s language of spiritual warfare to describe the Christian life. Anything that hinted of combat or violence had to give way to “peace and love,” even in the spiritual realm. However, if this viewpoint were to prevail, a significant element of the New Testament would be discarded. In the end, it is always better to let God’s word challenge us, rather than thinking that the time has come for us to change the Bible to suit ourselves.
Amid all the trials and turmoil of history, including today, even in our own diocese, it is important to remember that the life of the church is not one of unruffled calm or of peace and triumph.
The peace that Christ gives is not of this world. He comes “not to bring peace, but a sword.” (Mt 10: 34) Jesus is the strong one who came to overthrow the prince of this world (Mt 12:27ff; Lk 11:18ff). The conflict which Jesus waged against Satan and the world of sin is one that will be prolonged until the end of time, both in the church and in the life of every believer. Indeed, in “the last times” the conflict is destined to grow in subtlety, brutality and intensity.
Christ is already the conqueror of the world and the Lord of history. Only when He comes again, however, will all evil be definitively cast into hell, and perfect peace reign supreme. In the meantime, those who believe in Christ are exposed to the hatred of the world (Jn 15:18-21). The church collectively endures the assaults of the powers of a sinful world in league with the evil one.
Individually, each Christian wages a spiritual battle, not using human violence or worldly tactics, which Jesus renounced, but relying on the power of God. It is when we become totally poor and powerless in the eyes of the world, as Jesus did on the cross, that we are spiritually powerful. A severely ill or disabled person, uniting his or her sufferings to Christ, can be a real “prayer warrior,” and whenever we fight evil with good, even to the point of martyrdom, we are truly conquerors.
*** I said earlier that to reject these images would be a distortion of God’s word, but there also needs to be a note of caution. God can bring good out of evil, and the scourge of war can bring out the best in people and bond them together, but war is always ugly and hard. No one hates war more than those who have actually had to fight one on the front line, and have stared its horrors in the face.
To speak of spiritual warfare is to speak of hard things too: of death to self, of discipline, the patient endurance of moral and physical sufferings that result from original sin, of temptations and trials, and the carrying of the cross. Although victory is assured in Christ, there are many casualties, many wounded in the conflict, which rages not only in the world, but also in the church. Jesus warned us of scandals, failures, of hirelings, false teachers, of houses that collapse and of seeds that wither and die...
My Comments: Another outstanding column by our beloved Bishop.
Ironically, I've been told that Bishop Blair doesn't allow the Knights of Columbus, when donned in full regalia, to carry their swords during Masses or other events at the Cathedral (when Aidan and I attended the Red Mass at the Cathedral last Fall, Aidan asked why the Knights weren't carrying swords; I asked my Grand Knight about it later, and that was the answer he gave).
Acts 2:1-4 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Pentecost Sequence
O HOLY SPIRIT! Lord of light! From your clear celestial height Your pure and beaming radiance give.
Come, thou Father of the poor! Come, with treasures which endure! Come, thou light of all that live!
Thou of all Consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Dost refreshing peace bestow.
Thou in toil art Comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe.
Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit thou these hearts of thine, And our inmost being fill.
If thou take your grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned to ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew; On our dryness, pour your dew; Wash the stains of guilt away.
Bend the stubborn heart and will; Melt the frozen, warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray.
Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and thee adore, In your sevenfold gifts descend.
Give them comfort when they die; Give them life with thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen.
(CNSNews.com) -House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is fond of quoting a particular passage of Scripture. The quote, however, does not appear in the Bible and is "fictional," according to biblical scholars.
In her April 22 Earth Day news release, Pelosi said, "The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' On this Earth Day, and every day, let us pledge to our children, and our children's children, that they will have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature."
Cybercast News Service repeatedly queried the speaker's office for two days to determine where the alleged Bible quote is found. Thus far, no one has responded.
Distinguished biblical scholars, however, cast doubt on the existence of the passage.
Stuff like this only lends credence to the protestant meme that Catholics "don't know the Bible".
Lord, spare me from having to listen to every piece of tripe coming from a left-liberal politican justified by the mantra "for the children".
How did Pelosi and her staff think they were going to be able to get away with this completely fabricated Bible "quote"?
The answer to the last question may be because she's gotten away with using it so many times before:
Interestingly, Pelosi has mentioned the quote before, Mariottini noted.
"In truth, (she) has used this 'passage' in many different ways, and all of those usages have nothing to do with the Bible whatsoever," he said.
Indeed, Cybercast News Service has learned that Pelosi has repeatedly used the quote:
-- In December 2005, in a Christmas message to the U.S. House of Representatives, Pelosi said: "Mr. Speaker, as we leave for this Christmas recess, let us say, 'God bless you' to the American people by voting against this Republican budget and statement of injustice and immorality, and let us not let the special interest goose get fat at the expense of America's children.
"The gentleman from Washington [state], Mr. McDermott, quoted the prophet Isaiah. And as the Bible teaches us, to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship, to ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us. Let us vote no on this budget as an act of worship and for America's children."
-- On Feb. 8, 2007, in remarks before the U.S. House Science and Technology Committee, when it held hearings on global warming, she used the same quote, verbatim, as in her Earth Day release.
-- On April 6, 2007, in congressional remarks before the Easter recess: "In this Holy Week, we are reminded of these words in the Old Testament: 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' We must move quickly to honor God's creation by reducing greenhouse gas pollution in the United States and around the world."
-- On April 25, 2007, in a speech to the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, D.C.: "We are now charging ahead to tackle one of humanity's greatest challenges yet - global warming. We will do this because we hold our children's future in our hands - not our grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, but our own children. "As it says in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'"
-- On Oct. 22, 2007, in a television interview with PBS host Tavis Smiley, she used it in discussion of her roots, attributing the quote to the book of Isaiah: "I'm raised in a family in Baltimore, Maryland, my father was the mayor. He was in Congress when I was born. And we were devoutly Catholic, very patriotic. We love America. Devoutly Catholic, deeply patriotic, proud of our Italian American heritage, and in our case, staunchly Democratic.
"And that faith was related to our Democratic values. That is to say, the gospel of Matthew: 'When I was hungry, you gave me to eat.' You know, the least of our brethren. So that's an inspiration in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, Isaiah says, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the god who made us.'"
But they'd never be caught dead relying on some actual but "obscure passage" in a letter from St. Paul to those members of the Church in the capital of the Roman Empire.
(CNSNews.com) -Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told a crowd at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, Sunday that he believes the Sermon on the Mount justifies his support for legal recognition of same-sex unions. He also told the crowd that his position in favor of legalized abortion does not make him "less Christian."
"I don't think it [a same-sex union] should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognized by the state," said Obama. "If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans."[ED.: So, the Obamessiah gets to decide not only that the Sermon on the Mount gives license to same-sex "unions"/"marriage", but to decide which parts of our Bibles mean something and which parts don't? Never mind the fact that traditional Catholic (and therefore Christian) teaching on the matter is based not merely on Scripture, but also on Natural Law.] (Hear audio from WTAP-TV) St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans condemns homosexual acts as unnatural and sinful.
*** The passage from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, which Obama dismissed as "obscure," discusses people who knew God but turned against him.
*** On the topic of abortion, Obama said his support for keeping it legal does not trespass on his Christian faith.
"I think that the bottom line is that in the end, I think women, in consultation with their pastors, and their doctors, and their family, are in a better position to make these decisions than some bureaucrat in Washington. That's my view," Obama said about abortion. "Again, I respect people who may disagree, but I certainly don't think it makes me less Christian. Okay."(Hear audio from WTAP-TV)
*** Last Thursday, ... as reported by Cybercast News Service, Obama published on his Web site an "open letter concerning LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) equality in America."
In that letter, Obama said he favored same-sex unions that were equal to marriage--including adoption rights--and that he was open to states codifying same-sex marriages.
"As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws," Obama said in the letter. "I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples--whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage."
In Ohio on Sunday, before mentioning the Sermon on the Mount, Obama insisted he was against "gay marriage" and did not mention his support for allowing same-sex couples to adopt children and have the same "family" status as heterosexual couples.[ED.: Of course not. He's still trying to hoodwink ... errrr ... win over Catholic and evangelical voters.]
*** Before discussing his views on same-sex unions and abortion, Obama told the crowd he was a "devout Christian."[ED.: Well then, that makes it all okay.]
As Pope John Paul II wrote in Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth) the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, and through the magisterium, serves as the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), particularly through its teaching of truth regarding moral action.
Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the tragedy of abortion, especially in contrast to where some (but certainly not all) Protestants stand on the issue, including two extremely influential Protestants: Bill and Hillary Clinton.
No president did as much to advance legalized abortion as Bill Clinton, who is now poised to be exceeded in that capacity only by his spouse, who has an exceedingly good chance of becoming our next president, and no doubt will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for 2008.
Their positions on abortion are well-known, though the manner in which they have been guided into those positions by their churches is not. That spiritual misdirection is shocking and appalling, and illustrates the dangers of an ever-proliferating number of Christian ministers and denominations that veer in all sorts of directions as they struggle to ascertain moral truth, all without the guide of the magisterium that eternally benefits Catholics.
First, consider the case of Bill Clinton.
When Clinton was first elected governor of Arkansas in the late 1970s, he joined a conservative Baptist congregation in Little Rock called First Immanuel Baptist Church, where he came under the profound influence of a minister named W.O. Vaught. The two frequently conversed not only about the preacher’s sermons but about how Clinton’s faith should be incorporated into his public life.
How the two dealt with the abortion issue is particularly interesting. The young governor was reportedly troubled, personally ambivalent. Though he sided with the “pro-choice” argument intellectually, and felt the pressure of his wife’s religious-like dedication to Roe v. Wade, something inside of Bill Clinton — his conscience, presumably — was prompting questions, perhaps even second thoughts.
The governor was struggling over the definition of human life. Could his preacher go to his Bible and help out?
*** Of course, at the time of Vaught’s counsel, the Catholic Church was already strongly committed to the pro-life position. It had come to that position not through invocation of a Bible passage proscribing “abortion” but through the means that the Roman Catholic Church has used for centuries to ascertain moral truth.
As a Catholic, I sympathize with Vaught. He may have felt in his heart that abortion was wrong, but it was up to him alone — with the option of consulting other “Bible Christians” — to study his Bible in order to assemble the collection of Scriptural references to eventually point him to the same conclusion as the Church in Rome.
The structure of the Catholic Church is such that determining truth is not a process left to each and every pastor at each and every congregation based on personal discernment of the Hebrew or Greek, or through some form of “private revelation.” But he alone was the magisterium — one man serving as the pope, the cardinals, the bishops — to his 4,000-member flock, an impossible, daunting task, a terrible burden.
His flock awaited his conclusions for instruction. So did the Democratic governor and future leader of the free world.
And what about Hillary Clinton?
Bill Clinton ended up firmly in the camp of his wife on the abortion issue. One day, pro-lifers would dub him, “the abortion president.”
His wife scores a 100% rating from NARAL and a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. While, like Bill, she is willing to compromise on numerous political issues, she will not budge on abortion. It is neither uncharitable nor inaccurate — nor name calling — to say that on the subject of abortion Hillary Clinton is fanatical.
There is no issue that impassions her more. She has not changed her position on any meaningful life issue, from federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research to banning partial-birth abortions to supporting funding for ultrasound machines to backing legislation to protect babies injured in the womb by outside parties.
But here is maybe the saddest part of her intransigence: As a lifelong committed Methodist, Hillary sees no contradiction in supporting abortion. Quite the contrary, she points to her church’s leadership as a source of guidance.
After all, her denomination, the United Methodist Church, is pro-abortion — a member of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, along with a bunch of other Protestant denominations.
*** Her church is not only pro-abortion but has opened its pulpit to no less than the author of Roe v. Wade. Indeed, one day in 1995, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, a fellow Methodist, was invited to address Hillary’s congregation, the historic Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington. He was invited by her pro-abortion pastor — J. Philip Wogaman, president of the American Theological Society, professor emeritus of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Society, and one of the top Methodist theologians in the country.
Hillary’s consistency with her denomination on legalized abortion was emphasized to me by her close friend and former obstetrician-gynecologist, William Harrison, the nationally known Fayetteville, Ark., abortion doctor, who was interviewed at length for my book.
Harrison, also a Methodist, talked of how abortion providers are counting on a President Hillary Clinton. Asked if he would expect Hillary to change George Bush’s pro-life policies, Harrison exclaimed: “Oh, absolutely. … I hope to God she does.”
At this juncture another point occurs to us: that Christ is also betrayed into the hands of sinners when His most holy body in the sacrament is consecrated and handled by unchaste, profligate, and sacreligious priests. When we see such things happen (and they happen only too often, alas) let us imagine that Christ Himself again says to us: "Why are you sleeping? Stay awake, get up, and pray that you may enter not into temptation, for the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." From the example of bad priests the contamination of vice spreads easily among the people. And the less suitable for obtaining grace those persons are whose duty it is to watch and pray for the people, the more necessary it is for the people to stay awake, get up, and pray all the more earnestly for themselves - and not only for themselves but also for priests of this sort. For it will be much to the advantage of the people if bad priests improve.
Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!
I have been thinking about today's Gospel lesson from the 8th chapter of John containing those well-known words of Christ:
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews, who believed him: If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
How many times have we heard some slick politician quote the last part of this scripture completely out of context - "The truth shall set you free" - in order to further their own political version of the "truth"?
I know that I've heard the "Reverend" Jesse Jackson, who should know better, quote this scripture out of context on several occasions, usually to imply that he knows and wants to share with us the "real truth", which the mean old Republicans are trying so desperately to obfuscate.
[In addition, I was reminded today by a friend that the words "The truth shall set you free" appear on the facade of one of the buildings overlooking Thomas Jefferson's monument to secular humanism: "the Lawn" at the University of Virginia (my alma mater).]
What's clear, however, when you consider the Church's teachings and when you read Christ's entire quote in context, is that the Lord is telling us that the only way for us to be truly free is to know the objective Truth, which is Him ("I AM the way, the truth, and the life"). And the only way we can know Him is to continue to follow Him and do, as Our Lady commanded us, whatever He tells us.
Again, we're not talking about some subjective "version of the truth" (i.e. "Well, my truth is ..."), which depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. The Gospel today tells us of the objective Truth - who is and was and forever will be. Know that Truth, and we shall be truly free indeed.
A convert to the Catholic Church who became Catholic because of a belief in and devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. * A graduate of Baylor University and the University of Virginia School of Law. * Former Mayor of the Town of Columbia, Virginia. * Married with four children: two boys and two girls. * Primary interests include the Catholic Church, family, Early American History, and law/politics * Primary purpose of this blog is fostering enlightened discussion about the roles played by the institutions of religion, family, and state in our daily lives. * Under the protection of St. Thomas More, martyr, and patron of lawyers, judges, civil servants, politicians, statesmen, and large families (not to mention troubled marriages).
O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life - the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be able in argument, accurate in analysis, keen in study, correct in conclusion, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, trustworthy with confidences, courageous in court. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients' tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.
Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain -- their good servant, and God's first. AMEN.
Dear Scholar and Martyr, it was not the King of England but you who were the true Defender of the Faith. Like Christ unjustly condemned, neither promises nor threats could make you accept a civil ruler as head of the Christian Church.
Perfect in your honesty and love of truth, grant that lawyers and judges may imitate you and achieve true justice for all people. AMEN.
"Give me the Grace Good Lord, to set the world at naught; to set my mind fast upon Thee and not to hang upon the blast of men's mouths. To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly company but utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of the business thereof."
"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
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"What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by Faith, but also know by Reason: what does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?"
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"The things that we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labour for."
Give me, good Lord, a full faith and a fervent charity, a love of you, good Lord, incomparable above the love of myself; and that I love nothing to your displeasure but everything in an order to you.
Take from me, good Lord, this lukewarm fashion, or rather cold manner of meditation and this dullness in praying to you. And give me warmth, delight and life in thinking about you.
And give me your grace to long for your holy sacraments and specially to rejoice in the presence of your blessed body, sweet Saviour Christ, in the holy sacrament of the altar, and duly to thank you for your gracious coming. AMEN.
"It is necessary to go back to seeing the family as the sanctuary of life... In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life" (Centesimus Annus, #39).
The universal call to holiness
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