Margaret Sanger, an American Adolf Hitler

Margaret Sanger was one of the most dangerous and damaging women ever to live in the United States. See the ALL video at my blog and read a little bit about the history of this evil woman.

What Does "The Common Good" Really Mean?

Bill Luckey has the solid answer, from a timeless Catholic perspective.

In Italy's Terri Schiavo Case, Hospice nuns refuse to kill Eluana!

The nuns caring for Eluana Englaro in an Italian hospice have refused to carry out a recent court order allowing her father to starve and dehydrate the young woman to death. Eluana has been in a state of minimal consciousness since an auto accident in 1992. The highest Italian court recently gave her father the right to kill her the same way Terri Schiavo was murdered in a Florida hospice in 2005. Read more here. The nuns want to continue to care for Eluano. Will the woman's father let them do it or will he insist, like Michael Schiavo, that his daughter would be better off dead? Pray that the dear sisters, who love her like a family member (let me rephrase that), who love her like a member of God's family, may succeed in taking on the guardianship of Eluana -- not only for her own sake, but for her father's. There is something particularly evil about a father, who should be willing to lay down his life for his child, wanting to kill her instead. But that's the way of the world in the culture of death.

Pious Catholics: Sentire cum Ecclesia!

My friend, colleague, and proprietor of this blog, Mr. Christopher Manion, has written well--as is his custom--in the November 6, 2008 edition of The Wanderer. In his weekly column, "From Under the Rubble..." he starts where all thought should start: with first principles. As if knowing that the election would turn out the way it did, Manion, in Sheen-like fashion, dissected the essential worldview of the Marxist and the principles from which he operates. A solid knowledge of the vocabulary of the Marxist is essential to deal with the upcoming administration and its policies. Why? Am I being paranoid? Is this just a knee-jerk reaction to right-wing talk radio? Certainly not. Obama has been very candid about his affinity for Marxists, the left-leaning professoriate, structural feminists, etc. Now more than ever is it essential for Catholics to intellectually engage our culture and elected officials and combat those philosophies and governmental policies that are contrary to Christ and his Church.

The Catholic can only do that effectively if he knows how to think rightly--about God and everything else. It is troubling to me that there are many "faithful Catholics" whose theology is as unclear as their public statements. I make no judgement as to the state of their souls nor to their motives, however, based upon their statements and lack of precision, one must wonder at the true health of the faithful. What occasioned this thought was a recent posting on Fumare which called for prayers through the intercession of aborted children. The author of the post claimed to have received this message during prayer from "the Heavenly Father." He then claims that there "has been a great deal of confirmation that God is asking us to pray through these aborted babies." What confirmation? From whom? The author then claims that it is "a powerful prayer." How does he know? Whence his authority? There seemed to be a great deal of support as indicated in the comment boxes. Likewise, there were some dissenters questioning the whole effort.

The true Catholic position was that of the dissenters. While praying to aborted babies may be emotionally satisfying, it is intellectual sloth and leading others into error and of dubious efficacy. The Church has flatly stated that we entrust infants who have died without baptism to the mercy of God and that there are good reasons to hope that they are with God. Any more than that is incorrect. This is not "hard-hearted" it is honestly adhering to the Magisterium. In the end, I am confident that the purported message to pray through the intercession of these children came from someone other than God. Perhaps the well-intentioned interlocutor.

The point of all this is that if we plan on changing the culture and winning the war for the souls of our neighbors and fellow Americans, we must know first principles. We must know the basic tenets of our faith and know how to communicate them effectively. Saccharine spirtituality and pseudo-mysticism does much to undermine the Church and her reasonableness and credibility. Catholics must start thinking rather than feeling. For Catholics, true pious practices are essential along with the intellectual life. There are no greater examples than John Paul II and Benedict XVI of those who truly live(d) this.

Color of Skin or Content of Character?

Diogenes brings us this gem from an Archbishop in this country:

Archbishop Gregory, who in 2001 became the first African American to head the US Bishops Conference, serving for three years, said that the election of Mr Obama was "a great step forward for humanity and a sign that in the United States the problem of racial discrimination has been overcome".

A great step forward for humanity? Racial discrimination overcome? Tell that to the unborn black kids who will not live to see the world outside the womb.

And so it begins...

Barack Obama wasted no time in naming a radical pro-abort as extreme as himself to serve as his chief of staff. Rahm Emanuel, representative from Illinois, has a zero rating on pro-life legislation. He favors taxpayer funding of abortion and supports Planned Parenthood, he voted to fund the U.N. agency involved in China's forced abortion program. He opposes parental consent/notification before a minor's abortion and wants to force military hospitals to commit abortions. Like his extremist crony he supports partial birth abortion. No surprise really. Murdering babies is the mantra and the defining characteristic of this new era and Obama is wasting no time in rubbing America's nose in it. He will do what he promised -- sign the Freedom of Choice Act to revoke every shred of protection to the babies. And the crowds will cheer their leader as long as they get their tax cut.

The day after the election we heard all about how Obama will bring us together as a nation. How is that possible? Can pro-life Christians take the bloody hands of a modern-day Hitler who embraces the genocide of the "unwanted" unborn? I certainly cannot. Nor can I congratulate him on his win like Archbishop Wuerhl and Cardinal George. America chose a tyrant. Did Cardinal von Galen congratulate the Nazis on their win? I seriously doubt it. I cannot wish Obama well; I pray for his conversion. He does not bring "change" but bloody business as usual and more of it. As for "hope," what hope is there in the mangled dead body of an innocent baby and the mutilated body of his mother?


As Joshua said to the Israelites, "Choose this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I recommit to the battle to defend the unborn. I urge all to put on the armor of God and be determined to fight and not grow weary. Become informed and be an effective footsoldier for the Blessed Mother with a rosary in one hand and the sword of the spirit, the word of God, in the other.

A Model for Engaging the Culture War

Remarkable! But, yes, the LA Times blog "Babylon and Beyond" recently profiled Fr. Paul Shaughnessy, S.J. A good look into a tough priest, the likes of which we need in these troubling times. It is especially appropriate to call to mind the good and essential work done by our military chaplains as today is All Souls Day. The military chaplain, oftentimes, is the last person that a young man will see before meeting Christ. (Hat tip: Some Wear Clerics)

Some may also remember Fr. Shaughnessy's essay from the November 2000 issue of Catholic World Report entitled "The Gay Priest Problem." Priests like Fr. Shaughnessy are a reminder to Catholics--especially Catholic men--of the duty to wage and win the culture war. Part of that duty is having courage to go to the front lines of the battle.