Nancy Pelosi Pretends She’s a Catholic Theologian (Again)

Posted on August 4, 2010 by KHernandez

Because we haven’t written on Nancy Pelosi in awhile and because the things the supposedly Catholic Speaker of the House says are too ridiculous not to bring to your attention, here we go.

Nancy Pelosi said earlier this year, when talking about the massive healthcare bill, that she wanted to pursue policies “in keeping with the values” of Jesus Christ, the “Word made Flesh.” Which is why she passed a bill that allowed for government funding of abortion of course.

At a press briefing last week, a CNSNews.com reporter reminded Pelosi of her previous statement and of the very fact that the bill takes life rather than saves it.

Pelosi, the quick Catholic thinker that she is, declined to say when Jesus obtained the right to life.

“Whenever it was,” said Pelosi, “we bow our heads when we talk about it in church, and that’s where I’d like to talk about that.”

That part where we “bow our heads” is during the Nicene Creed when we profess how Jesus came into this world:

by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.

In other words, we bow because we acknowledge that extraordinary miracle of the Incarnation, the moment of Christ’s conception when God became man, yet still retained his divine nature.

The reporter followed up with a question about Christ’s conception and if that was when Jesus got the right to life. Through her press secretary, the answer was: “The speaker answered the question. Thanks.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, along with science, also makes it very clear when life begins: “From its conception, the child has the right to life.” (2322)

CNS News has the full story here with the audio clips and the line of questioning – http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/70445.

Catholic Professor Fired for Teaching Catholic Doctrine in Catholicism Class

Posted on July 13, 2010 by KHernandez

The Creative Minority Report has a story today about a college professor who was fired because he taught Catholicism…in his Catholicism 101 course.

It’s got to be a joke, right? Unfortunately not.

University of Illinois adjunct professor Kenneth Howell was fired after a student complained about his teaching of the Catholic Church’s doctrine that homosexual acts are gravely wrong.

Nothing to see here people, move on. The Catholic Church has always taught that and it seems to be along the lines of the natural progression of a basic Catholicism class that that particular teaching would be taught.

The anonymous student who complained to the school said that Howell was teaching “hate speech.” Howell has been an adjunct professor at the school for 9 years and was the director of the Institute of Catholic Thought, part of St. John’s Catholic Newman Center on campus and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

From the News-Gazette story:

”My responsibility on teaching a class on Catholicism is to teach what the Catholic Church teaches,” Howell said. “I have always made it very, very clear to my students they are never required to believe what I’m teaching and they’ll never be judged on that.”

The Creative Minority Report blog says that the school basically wants to put a warning-label on the class to say it doesn’t reflect the school’s thinking. Read more here on what the school thinks.

This is not only an awful case of political correctness gone wrong but also a lack of a serious backbone in academia. Not really surprising but still outrageous and disappointing.

Faith and Science – War or Peace

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Probbio

Jon Stewart does a nice job interviewing Marilynne Robinson about her new book Absence of Mind. She tries to dial down the attacks between faith and science. There is a nice exchange where Stewart compares acceptance of science to the acceptance of God.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Marilynne Robinson

www.thedailyshow.com

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Pro-Life Groups Document Kagan’s Pro-Abortion Record As Nomination Fight Looms

Posted on June 24, 2010 by GMueller

Americans United for Life has been on the frontlines, documenting day in and day out, President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan’s, pro-abortion record. For detailed information from AUL on Kagan’ activist, pro-abortion record, go here.

This morning, the National Right to Life Committee released the following the letter to U.S. Senators announcing the organization’s opposition to President Obama’s liberal, pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan. Letter featured on NRLC front page.

Other good sources for detailed information documenting Kagan’s liberal activist record are SCOTUSReport and Judicial Crisis Network.

Please call your Senator, but also SMS hopes you take the time to call Democrat Senators Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln and tell them to Vote No on Kagan. All Senate offices can be reached at 202-224-3121.

From the Lips of Walter Dellinger to the Ears of God

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Probbio

What was probably a publicity stunt to energize pro-abortion activists on the eve of the nomination hearings of Obama’s latest Supreme Court pick Elena Kagan, former acting Solicitor General Walter Dellinger predicted Tuesday night that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision that brought about the murder of millions of children. The POLITICO today reports:

The noted liberal scholar said the 1973 decision has become a “trophy” that the court’s conservative bloc could overturn if a Republican president chooses a replacement for Justice Anthony Kennedy.

“I absolutely believe it,” Dellinger said during a forum cosponsored by POLITICO.

“For a while I thought that one could simply chip away at a lot more and more regulations that sort of protected access (to abortions) for the most affluent women but really made it impossible for women who were vulnerable to geography, poverty (and) youth,” he added. “But now I think that, actually, it is such a symbol of a kind of jurisprudence that conservatives have set themselves in opposition to.”

Catholics need to be engaged. Information on Elena Kagan found here and Students for Life has organized a petition. Sign it here.

Praying That Your Favorite Sports Team Wins

Posted on June 9, 2010 by KHernandez

A local news station has a story about a Catholic priest in Chicago who is praying that the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. The priest, Fr. Marty Michniewicz, says that he doesn’t want to be in prayer competition with the Flyers so instead he prays that “God gives the Blackhawks players the will to win.”

This priest loves hockey. His office is adorned in the Blackhawks color of red and black and he has a statue in his office of Jesus playing hockey with children. And he tends to invoke hockey in his homilies if applicable.

“It’s is just like a hockey team, I’ll say. I’ll say you need your goalies, your finesse players. They all form a team. As a parish, we all have something to offer and something to form the body of Christ, the church, the team, whatever,” said Fr. Marty.

Have you ever been so intensely watching the game of your favorite sports team and instinctively prayed to God to let them score just one more goal or make that 3-pointer or run back a punt for a touchdown?

Do you think God hears our prayers for a win? God loves each one of us with a love that we can never fathom and he wants us to be happy but does that mean he’ll help our favorite sports teams?

What do you think?

UPDATE 6/10/10: Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last night!

Andrea Bocelli: Almost Aborted, Devout Catholic

Posted on June 4, 2010 by COBoyle

Award-winning pro-life blogger Jill Stanek has posted a great piece “Almost Aborted: Tenor Andrea Bocelli .” Her story links to video of the esteemed opera singer sharing his personal connection to abortion, which is both moving and beautiful:

This is a powerful reminder that every life truly is special and worth fighting for despite difficulty, pain, risk and even “expert” opinion. I’m inspired by Mrs. Bocelli having the courage to continue with her pregnancy even while knowing her child may have a severe disability. Only God could have foreseen that her child would bring so much joy – to her and to millions of people around the globe – through the gift of his voice.

It’s sad to think of how many people like Andrea we are missing today because parents feared a disability for their child and thought it was better to abort. There are so many friends, colleagues and family members we should have in our lives, but don’t. Let Andrea’s story inspire those facing difficult pregnancies, and remind us to encourage and support those who parent children with disabilities. God blesses each child with gifts, talents and the ability to touch so many lives regardless of their ability or disability.

This isn’t the first time Bocelli has publicly stood for what he believes in. As a devout Catholic, he declined the invitation from friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holms to sing in their wedding ceremony in 2007 because of his faith. He attended the post-ceremony festivities, but did not join them for the Scientology wedding “because I’m Catholic. I didn’t think it was respectful for my religion to be there.”

What a class act. Bocelli follows his faith and his heart in a respectful yet assertive way. Hollywood could stand to benefit from a whole lot more than singing lessons from him.

Pelosi Fills “The Word” With Whatever She Wants

Posted on June 3, 2010 by KHernandez

As you readers know, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a self-professed Catholic, loves to flaunt her faith erroneously any chance she gets. As this blog is dedicated to defending the Catholic faith in the public square, this issue is right up our alley (again). Since Pelosi is such a public figure, what she says about the faith reaches more than her immediate audience and could very well be interpreted by some people as the truth, which is unfortunate.

In her latest escapade to show the world how very Catholic (and apparently a part-time theologian) she is, while speaking at a Catholic conference recently said that:

“They ask me all the time, ‘What is your favorite this? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite that?’ And one time, ‘What is your favorite word?’ And I said, ‘My favorite word? That is really easy. My favorite word is the Word, is the Word. And that is everything. It says it all for us. And you know the biblical reference, you know the Gospel reference of the Word.”

“And that Word,” Pelosi said, “is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word. The Word. Isn’t it a beautiful word when you think of it? It just covers everything. The Word.

“Fill it in with anything you want. But, of course, we know it means: ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.’ And that’s the great mystery of our faith. He will come again. He will come again. So, we have to make sure we’re prepared to answer in this life, or otherwise, as to how we have measured up.” [emphasis ours]

Oh Nancy, you can’t just fill the Word with whatever you want. As the New York Daily News so eloquently put it – “This isn’t Morally Relative Mad Libs. That’s not how it works – but while we’re at it, how about “The Hypocrisy”? Now that has a ring to it. The Word is not something you can use interchangeably to bear witness for whatever strikes your fancy. Any devout Christian knows that.”

Maybe Pelosi sees the polling numbers are rapidly dropping for her party and figures she has to start appealing to moral values. Whatever the reason, where are the bishops? They must be compiling a long list of Pelosi’s public comments on the faith that are outright wrong and an affront to the faith before they make their move, hopefully.

If you’re so inclined, here’s the video of her speaking at the conference:

Guest Post: Pregnancy Centers Fight Back Against NARAL Attacks

Posted on June 2, 2010 by KHernandez

Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International

Attacks against pregnancy help centers have been occurring since the 1980’s, led by NARAL, the leading pro-abortion political force and ally of Planned Parenthood. In fact, for years, the pregnancy help movement has been brushing away the slander attacks like we fan away returning swarms of hornets. But, at the same time, we have been developing a much stronger network of centers and friends and we are now ready to fight back and even take the sting out of the pests! A good offense often makes for a great defense, and this one provides us all a few positive things to do.

NARAL’s strategy is outlined in womensenews.org (12-2-09), a feminist newsletter. First, publish “studies” that show that centers “mislead” women. Second, identify “sympathetic lawmakers” who will pass legislation restricting the free speech of pregnancy help centers in order to close them down. No matter that the “studies” rely on “evidence” gathered only by NARAL members who act as fake clients and try to trip up the centers they visit. This is proving embarrassing for NARAL, however. When such a study was brought into hearings on a law to muzzle centers in Virginia, the expert witness for NARAL was forced to admit that their study contained “methodological flaws”! In hearings on a similar bill in Washington state, four of the six women who testified against our centers, upon close questioning by lawmakers, had to sheepishly admit that they were employed by either NARAL or Planned Parenthood! So, who is misleading whom?

Like a nightmarish game of “whack a mole” these attacks keep popping up. In three places now, restrictions on center advertizing have been rushed into place: Austin, Baltimore, and Montgomery County, Maryland. In case you missed it, two small pregnancy help centers in these targeted areas are suing to have the reputations of all our centers cleared! The Washington Post and Washington Times recently covered one of the lawsuits, just filed in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, close to Washington, D.C., by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of a small Spanish language center, Centro Tepeyac. The other suit has been filed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore on behalf of Baltimore’s Center for Pregnancy Concerns. Yeah! We are not sitting still in this attempt at strangulation through regulation.

What do these proposed laws have in common? They all restrict the freedom of speech of our centers by requiring them to advertize what they do NOT provide. They must post disclaimers on their doors indicating that they do not provide or refer for contraceptives or abortions. One law even requires the size of the sign and that it be in English and Spanish. Another needs to say “Montgomery County Health Officer encourages women who are or may be pregnant to consult with a licensed health care provider.” All define fines to be levied if the required advertizing is not prominently displayed. Some have suggested “common ground”: we will comply if Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics will post signs saying, “We do not provide professional counseling or after-care, medical or emotional. Once we kill your child, we don’t know your name.”

Why are the hornets attacking more furiously now than ever before? Over 2,000 plus pregnancy help centers and pregnancy help medical clinics and maternity homes means several thousand women every week no longer turn to abortion because they feel they have “no choice.” The pregnancy help movement, fueled by Christian charity and equipped by the leadership training and support of Heartbeat International and our partners, and providing ultrasound proof of the humanity of the preborn, is lowering abortion sales and tilting the culture toward life. Therefore, in the eyes of NARAL and Planned Parenthood, we are now a threat. We must be stopped. (For the Family Research Council’s excellent report on the effectiveness of pregnancy centers and our contribution to maternal and child health in the USA, see www.heartbeatinternational.org/apassiontoserve.)

You would think that before accusing our centers of deceiving and damaging women, NARAL would collect some real evidence, say, a few hundred affidavits from among the hundreds of thousands of women served over the past 40 years in the thousands of pregnancy help ministries across the land. If NARAL accusations were true, then there must be tens of thousands of women willing to testify that they went to pregnancy help centers and were damaged by the caring volunteers who gave them free pregnancy tests, or the nurses who provided them with ultrasounds and confirmed the presence of their own babies, alive and beautiful in their own bodies., Truth is, it is impossible to find mothers who will testify, “I came to this pregnancy help center and they deceived me into having this beautiful baby! My life is ruined!” We have one powerful, slander-busting weapon that abortion advocates do not have – precious BABIES with happy Mothers! NARAL’s regulatory proposals are self-serving and insulting to women, who are fully able to determine who they seek help from and decide if it is offered in good faith. Using the powerful testimonies of our mothers and their babies, we intend to fight back. We welcome your help and participation in defending and commending the pregnancy help movement.

Peggy Hartshorn is the president of Heartbeat International, a worldwide network of over 1,100 pregnancy resource centers – www.heartbeatinternational.org.

Face of Christ

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Probbio

Last week one of the St. Michael Society editors had the privilege to see the Shroud of Turin, arguably the Church’s most holy relic. The shroud is controversial but I will leave that discussion to the scientists. I believe it is the burial cloth of Jesus but if you want a good review of the science and history of the shroud I suggest these two books:

Stained with blood, sweat and tears as well as the remnants of an unknown “radiation” the shroud allows us to meditate about our faith as no other relic. The face, clearly visible, calls to mind the humanity of Jesus. The blood, dispersed in a pattern consistent with a man that has been scourged, crowned with a head dress of thorns and crucified with nails, is a lasting reminder of the suffering our Lord endured for our sake. The illumination markings on the cloth, impossible to reproduce and unexplained to this day, are signs of His resurrection; the most important miracle of Jesus.

All four Gospels mention the shroud. The garment left behind by Jesus as he broke open the gates to our salvation offers us a physical sign of the incarnation, passion and resurrection. Meditating on the shroud allows us to reflect on the greatest events in the history of mankind.

After Pope Benedict XVI prayed before the shroud he spoke eloquently about Holy Saturday, “the day a great silence was upon the earth. Great silence because the King sleeps.”

The most obscure mystery of faith is at the same time the most luminous sign of a hope without limits. Holy Saturday is the “no man’s land” between death and resurrection, but into this “no man’s land” has entered the One, the Only One, who has crossed it with the signs of his passion for man: “Passio Christi. Passio hominis.” And the Shroud speaks to us precisely of that moment; it witnesses precisely to the unique and unrepeatable interval in the history of humanity and the universe, in which God, in Jesus Christ, shared not only our dying, but also our remaining in death. The most radical solidarity. In that “time-beyond-time” Jesus Christ “descended into hell” (“agli inferi”) What does this expression mean? It means that God, made man, went to the point of entering into the extreme and absolute solitude of man, where no ray of love enters, where there is total abandonment without any word of comfort: “hell” (“gli inferi”). Jesus Christ, remaining in death, has gone beyond the gates of this ultimate solitude to lead us too to go beyond it with him.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Turin said more than 1.7 million people had made reservations to view the shroud up close and countless more without reservations will view the shroud from a distance in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It is unknown when the shroud will be on display again.

The same day that we visited the Shroud our group joined seminarians from Washington, DC in mass celebrated by Father Carter Griffin. During his homily he encouraged us to allow our time with the cloth that is renowned for touching Jesus to renew our devotion to the Eucharist.

The mystery represented by the shroud; the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection, should be a source of great hope to us all. God with love so complete enters history, shares in our pain and suffering, defeats death and invites us to join Him in everlasting life. I pray that the Face on the Shroud inspires you to draw closer to Jesus Christ.

St Michael Society

Defending and Promoting the Faith in the Public Square

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