6/21/08
Body Literacy
A good post on ProwomanProlife:
"I support pro-choicers who support body literacy. Because the ultimate in body literacy is knowing that the fetus growing inside you is not a blob of tissue that is easily disposable. They aren’t of the same opinion. I know that. But these are the pro-choicers with whom I share some common ground even if we have not come to the same conclusions..."
6/20/08
Quebec Connects with Reality
Suzanne reviews Quebec's new perinatal policy:
"..When I read government or medical documents dealing with abortion, I’m using to seeing a “neutral”, bureaucratic tone that presents abortion as a neutral event. The usual euphemisms are used. The usual assumption is that it will not cause any damage. It’s just like any other operation.
That’s not how this policy treats medical abortions. And by the way, we’re usually talking about abortions in the second trimester—possibly the third, although much rarer..."
"..When I read government or medical documents dealing with abortion, I’m using to seeing a “neutral”, bureaucratic tone that presents abortion as a neutral event. The usual euphemisms are used. The usual assumption is that it will not cause any damage. It’s just like any other operation.
That’s not how this policy treats medical abortions. And by the way, we’re usually talking about abortions in the second trimester—possibly the third, although much rarer..."
Obamaland
William Katzpresents "Barack Obama's First Hundred Days" ...
(January 21, 2009)
Newly installed Secretary of State Jimmy Carter announced that the entire State Department budget for 2009 will be paid by Saudi Arabia. Standing beside his wife, Carter hotly denied that this would influence American foreign policy. Mrs. Carter wore the new burka given her by the Saudi ambassador, and said that wearing it made her feel liberated. "I don't feel like a sex object anymore," she said.
Secretary Carter also opened a new exhibit in the State Department lobby: "Sixty years of progress - the Story of North Korea."
At the White House, Press Secretary Scott McClellan said that President Obama wasn't aware of Carter's views, and didn't agree with them. "But it's wrong," McClellan said, "to define Secretary Carter's entire career by this one day."
McClellan also rejected rumors that Michelle Obama tried to make a citizen's arrest of former President Bush right after the inauguration. He claimed that Michelle's words addressed to Bush - "You're under arrest for war crimes, you Zionist tool and imperialist slob" - were actually words of affection, reflecting Chicago street talk.
The president announced the appointment of Cindy Sheehan as chief of Central Command, which covers Iraq and Afghanistan. "I want a new perspective," the president said.
Secretary of Melting Al Gore announced his first foreign trip. He will go to Antarctica to issue a formal apology to penguins. "Bush was anti-penguin. We're pro-penguin. It's as simple as that," Gore said. A penguin stood beside him at the press conference and thanked him for his support.
(I think I'll be checking back on this one...!)
Planned Parenthood
Apparantly in a bid to find 'Unconditional Love', a group of teenage girls from Gloucester Highschool became pregnant ON PURPOSE.
This is not really unusual, except for the 'pact' that they made with each other. We've heard of intentional pregnancies for this reason before.
The interesting feature of this story is that public health workers who had been lobbying unsuccessfully to distribute contraceptives at the highschool, somehow link the pregnancies to 'proof' that contraceptives are necessary!
HELLO! THEY GOT PREGNANT ON PURPOSE!
What might have helped, is a little Christian education on where to find 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE'. And maybe just a little bit of work on 'How to love yourself, because GOD loves YOU. '
Somehow, I don't believe the distribution of contraceptives helps with either finding love, or loving oneself. The motivation of the health workers is NOT the welfare of the girls, but rather a promotion of a contraceptive mentality - a removal of love from the discussion.
This is not really unusual, except for the 'pact' that they made with each other. We've heard of intentional pregnancies for this reason before.
The interesting feature of this story is that public health workers who had been lobbying unsuccessfully to distribute contraceptives at the highschool, somehow link the pregnancies to 'proof' that contraceptives are necessary!
HELLO! THEY GOT PREGNANT ON PURPOSE!
What might have helped, is a little Christian education on where to find 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE'. And maybe just a little bit of work on 'How to love yourself, because GOD loves YOU. '
Somehow, I don't believe the distribution of contraceptives helps with either finding love, or loving oneself. The motivation of the health workers is NOT the welfare of the girls, but rather a promotion of a contraceptive mentality - a removal of love from the discussion.
6/19/08
"Canada IS Insane"
Quebec: Father's parenting overturned by court - grounding too mean.
Ontario: Priest and Catholic magazine sued by government for publishing Catholic beliefs.
BC: Journalist and magazine sued for quoting book quoting Iman.
Alberta: Preacher sued for writing preachy 'Letter to the Editor'..
Nova Scotia :Schoolboard fired by province for discerning appropriate curriculum.
Manitoba: Hospital suing to kill man by starvation.
Now, let's review. Canada, the great north strong and FREE, does not allow freedom of religion, speech, education, parenting or even life.
Like the Arrogant Worms sing...we got 'trees and rocks, and rocks and trees, and trees and rocks, and rocks and trees...and water!'
6/18/08
About Time!
Apparantly some OTHER Canadian writers have realized that, in spite of how they might feel about Mark Steyn, Ezra Levant et al, and what they have to say, the HRC's are going to impact THEM ALSO! FINALLY!
PEN takes a stand here.
(h/t black kettle)
Frankly,...
Jay has found a gem of an article at Regular Guy Paul:
"...Nearly 50 million innocents have been lost to abortion in the U.S., and your primary effort as Catholics is to do your utmost to distract Catholics from their efforts to fight abortion. You don't pray rosaries at abortion clinics, you don't write about the evils of abortion in your columns, blogs and websites, and you certainly don't trouble yourself to vote against candidates who support abortion rights. No, you tell people that they cannot oppose abortion in their way, but only in your way. And what's your way of opposing abortion? Doing nothing other than telling pro-lifers not to fight abortion, as though nothing can be done at all unless everyone adopts your ineffectual methods.
As Archbishop Naumann recently wrote, if every Catholic Democrat in America objected to the pro-abortion plank in the Democratic Party platform, it would change tomorrow.
But there is no credible effort in the Democratic Party to eliminate the pro-abortion plank..."
Douglas Kmiec needs to spend some time in a locked room with this 'regular' guy!
"...Nearly 50 million innocents have been lost to abortion in the U.S., and your primary effort as Catholics is to do your utmost to distract Catholics from their efforts to fight abortion. You don't pray rosaries at abortion clinics, you don't write about the evils of abortion in your columns, blogs and websites, and you certainly don't trouble yourself to vote against candidates who support abortion rights. No, you tell people that they cannot oppose abortion in their way, but only in your way. And what's your way of opposing abortion? Doing nothing other than telling pro-lifers not to fight abortion, as though nothing can be done at all unless everyone adopts your ineffectual methods.
As Archbishop Naumann recently wrote, if every Catholic Democrat in America objected to the pro-abortion plank in the Democratic Party platform, it would change tomorrow.
But there is no credible effort in the Democratic Party to eliminate the pro-abortion plank..."
Douglas Kmiec needs to spend some time in a locked room with this 'regular' guy!
More Good Works
Ryan Anderson atFirst Things posts on "The War on Abstinence":
"...And yet few people seem aware of the coordinated effort to achieve all this that the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have undertaken (working in conjunction with such local groups as Advocates for Youth and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States). In this year’s Planned Parenthood annual report, the group boasts success in getting governors to reject federal funding for abstinence: “The tide is shifting in America, and last year 10 governors refused” federal funding. On their website, you’ll find hyperlinks where you can “help Planned Parenthood bring vital information about birth control and responsible decision making to the classroom” and “tell your elected representatives it’s time to end dangerous abstinence-only programs and to stand up for real sex education!”
The motivations for the campaign are probably legion. Planned Parenthood and their allies stand to make millions of dollars: The federal funding that goes to abstinence education is funding that they would like to be receiving. But the financial interests are secondary. The war on abstinence is the latest battleground in the culture wars. Arguing that it is “one of the religious right’s greatest challenges to the nation’s sexual health,” Planned Parenthood insists that abstinence is “only one tactic in a broader, more long-term strategy” in the conservative arsenal. And Planned Parenthood sees itself as the great opponent to this supposed assault on sexual freedom..."(h/t dawn eden)
Yep. That sounds like they have my kids' best interests at heart.
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall
RedCardigan writes (very well):
"Imagine an American Christian family in the not-too-distant future. Like many families today, they're unhappy with the public school their children attend, but can't afford private schools, either. They've thought about homeschooling, but since the passage of the Educational Diversity Act of 20--, they know that even homeschoolers must use "approved diverse" textbooks and materials, which include units on homosexual families, pictures of gay men and lesbians with the children they are currently raising, and even "sex ed" materials that include discussions of heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender, and other "options" which the child is encouraged to explore in order to discover "hyser's" orientation..."
This kind of curriculum is already in place in parts of Canada and the UK. Homeschoolers are already facing more and more restrictions. Small businesses are already being sued, employees already being intimidated, Christian churches already being stifled. This future is THIS AFTERNOON!
We still sleep.
"Imagine an American Christian family in the not-too-distant future. Like many families today, they're unhappy with the public school their children attend, but can't afford private schools, either. They've thought about homeschooling, but since the passage of the Educational Diversity Act of 20--, they know that even homeschoolers must use "approved diverse" textbooks and materials, which include units on homosexual families, pictures of gay men and lesbians with the children they are currently raising, and even "sex ed" materials that include discussions of heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender, and other "options" which the child is encouraged to explore in order to discover "hyser's" orientation..."
This kind of curriculum is already in place in parts of Canada and the UK. Homeschoolers are already facing more and more restrictions. Small businesses are already being sued, employees already being intimidated, Christian churches already being stifled. This future is THIS AFTERNOON!
We still sleep.
Just For Some?
William McGurn WSJ:
"Barack and Michelle Obama send their children to an upscale private school. When asked about it during last year's YouTube debate, Sen. Obama responded that it was "the best option" for his children.
Several hundred low-income parents in our nation's capital have also sent their children to private and parochial schools, with the help of a federal program that provides Opportunity Scholarships. Like Mr. and Mrs. Obama, most of these parents are African-American. And like Mr. and Mrs. Obama, they too believe the schools they've chosen represent the "best option" for their children.
Now these parents have a question for Mr. Obama. Is Mr. Change-You-Can-Believe-In going to let his fellow Democrats take away the one change that is working for them?..."
Free Choice. Is it so hard to accept when NOT KILLING BABIES?
"Barack and Michelle Obama send their children to an upscale private school. When asked about it during last year's YouTube debate, Sen. Obama responded that it was "the best option" for his children.
Several hundred low-income parents in our nation's capital have also sent their children to private and parochial schools, with the help of a federal program that provides Opportunity Scholarships. Like Mr. and Mrs. Obama, most of these parents are African-American. And like Mr. and Mrs. Obama, they too believe the schools they've chosen represent the "best option" for their children.
Now these parents have a question for Mr. Obama. Is Mr. Change-You-Can-Believe-In going to let his fellow Democrats take away the one change that is working for them?..."
Free Choice. Is it so hard to accept when NOT KILLING BABIES?
MYTH: Religion Opposed to Science
Father Thomas D. Williams handily rebuts Dawkins and Hitchens :
"Far from being an obstacle to science, Christian soil was the necessary humus where science took root...
...A closer look at the facts reveals a much different reality than that painted by the atheists."
1812
Pro Ecclesia reminds us how important this date in history is...
For a uniquely Canadian perspective we have the 'Arrogant Worms'
DISCLAIMER: OBNOXIOUS BUT HARMLESS
For a uniquely Canadian perspective we have the 'Arrogant Worms'
DISCLAIMER: OBNOXIOUS BUT HARMLESS
How Will The CCCB Respond?
Human Life Int'l is asking all Catholic clergy WORLDWIDE to sign a document in explicit support of 'Humanae Vitae':
"HLI President Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer said, 'In the face of a whole generation of silence and dissent to this most critical of all papal encyclicals, HLI is endeavoring to form a new generation of assent, both from the ranks of the existing clergy and among those who are studying for Holy Orders.'"
One wonders how the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will respond to this challenge, having yet to rescind their infamous 'Winnipeg Statement'.
I'm also interested to know whether they feel any personal responsibility for the moral morass that now exists in Canada, most specifically the deplorable actions of 'Catholic' politicians over the last 30 years!
Maybe now would be a good time to make amends?
"HLI President Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer said, 'In the face of a whole generation of silence and dissent to this most critical of all papal encyclicals, HLI is endeavoring to form a new generation of assent, both from the ranks of the existing clergy and among those who are studying for Holy Orders.'"
One wonders how the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will respond to this challenge, having yet to rescind their infamous 'Winnipeg Statement'.
I'm also interested to know whether they feel any personal responsibility for the moral morass that now exists in Canada, most specifically the deplorable actions of 'Catholic' politicians over the last 30 years!
Maybe now would be a good time to make amends?
BAD Doctors
Doctors in Winnipeg are refusing to work in effort to force the death by starvation of a handicapped, responsive patient whose family opposes killing him:
"'It appears that the doctors are intentionally pressuring the system into a crisis in order for them to get their way and stop providing treatment for Samuel Golubchuk,' Mr. Schadenberg said.
He further explained: 'The legal system clearly gives the institution the advantage. Grace hospital has hired, at taxpayers' expense, the best legal team in Manitoba to represent their position while the Golubchuk family is left to their own limited resources to protect the values of their father. Clearly the system leans heavily towards supporting the hospital's agenda.'
'It is also too bad that the physicians and Grace Hospital in Winnipeg continue to refuse to respect the orthodox Jewish faith perspective of the Golubchuk family. The circumstances of this case are not common and require a special sensitivity to solve,' Mr. Schadenberg concluded.
Golubchuk's family is continuing to fight for the 84-year-old man's life, arguing that he is not in a vegetative state and that he is only receiving the most basic care of artificial nutrition and hydration. "
Note: These 'doctors' are listed as faculty at the University of Manitoba, so we have a lot to look forward to! Not only is there a shortage of doctors, but they're being taught how to kill off patients that aren't worth the space. Very efficient.
REAL Doctors - Ecuador
Ecuadorian Obstetricians and Gynecologists Issue Thundering Manifesto Against Abortion
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR, June 17, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At a recent meeting held to discuss abortion, Ecuadorian obstetricians and gynecologists issued a declaration denouncing abortion as "not only an illegal act, but a criminal one" and stating that "under no circumstances should abortion be decriminalized" (see full English translation at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08061714.html).
The Ecuadorian Federation of Societies of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FESGO), made the statement at a "workshop" on the subject of abortion held in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The document begins by stating that "we are not in agreement with any form of induced abortion; life is inviolable from the moment of conception. The elimination of an innocent human being is always unacceptable, ethically and medically speaking."
"We are against induced abortion because it is not only an illegal act, but a criminal one...Under no circumstances should abortion be decriminalized in Ecuador," the document continues. "To the contrary, policies and strategies must be established to strengthen moral values and defend the basic principles of universal bioethics."
The members of the Federation note that the humanity of the embryo is not a matter of religion, but of medical science.
"Science teaches that human life begins at conception," the declaration states. "If it is also true that it is affirmed by religion, it does not for that reason cease to be a strictly scientific truth, to be transformed into a religious opinion. He who denies that human life begins with conception does not need to contend with religion, but science. To deny this certainty of biology is not to express a lack of faith, but a lack of basic knowledge of human genetics, something that is even known by the general public."
more...
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR, June 17, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At a recent meeting held to discuss abortion, Ecuadorian obstetricians and gynecologists issued a declaration denouncing abortion as "not only an illegal act, but a criminal one" and stating that "under no circumstances should abortion be decriminalized" (see full English translation at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08061714.html).
The Ecuadorian Federation of Societies of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FESGO), made the statement at a "workshop" on the subject of abortion held in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The document begins by stating that "we are not in agreement with any form of induced abortion; life is inviolable from the moment of conception. The elimination of an innocent human being is always unacceptable, ethically and medically speaking."
"We are against induced abortion because it is not only an illegal act, but a criminal one...Under no circumstances should abortion be decriminalized in Ecuador," the document continues. "To the contrary, policies and strategies must be established to strengthen moral values and defend the basic principles of universal bioethics."
The members of the Federation note that the humanity of the embryo is not a matter of religion, but of medical science.
"Science teaches that human life begins at conception," the declaration states. "If it is also true that it is affirmed by religion, it does not for that reason cease to be a strictly scientific truth, to be transformed into a religious opinion. He who denies that human life begins with conception does not need to contend with religion, but science. To deny this certainty of biology is not to express a lack of faith, but a lack of basic knowledge of human genetics, something that is even known by the general public."
more...
Plague of 'Best Interests'
Bobby Schindler comments on the common medical practice of starving and dehydrating handicapped patients:
Factors such as what is being taught in our medical schools, the breakdown of our health care system, the powerful influence of assisted suicide organizations, and the propaganda of our mainstream media have taken their toll.
As a result, the physically and mentally “inferior” are being denied the most basic care—food and water—in our nation’s medical facilities every day. (Thank goodness we have laws making it a felony if we do the same to an animal, although I would expect there would be a greater outcry if it were the family pets at risk.)
"Equally as disturbing is the fact that our politicians, including our two presidential candidates, ignore this issue and because of it are failing in one of the most important responsibilities they have as leaders—to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Perhaps our general public doesn’t have a clue as to how widespread this problem is in our nation today. This ignorance is in large part because of a stealth and powerful lobby who support patient dehydration based on quality of life judgments. This has slowly but surely changed our laws regarding food and water. Nutrition and hydration through a feeding tube, once considered basic care, are now recognized as 'artificial nutrition and hydration'—and therefore a form of 'medical treatment...'"
DO NOT let anyone you love, go to hospital without your constant and vigilant 'watch'. Especially if they are elderly, unconcious, or 'handicapped'!! And even with your advocacy, they are still at risk of being detemined 'not competent to live'.
I guess doctors are vying to be the new 'deity' in the religion of secular humanism.
6/17/08
"The Meaning of NO"
Irene Lagan at Inside Catholic explains the recent rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by Ireland:
"Most Lisbon experts, including the document's creators, agree that the reformed treaty is a re-heated version of the failed European constitution, which was firmly rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
One of the chief architects of the failed constitution, former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, acknowledged that 'the difference between the original Constitution and the present Lisbon Treaty is one of approach, rather than content.' This new strategy, he explained, 'is to keep a part of the innovations of the constitutional treaty and to split them into several texts in order to make them less visible.'
According to d'Estaing, the result would be that 'the public opinion would therefore unknowingly adopt the dispositions that it would not accept if presented directly.'"
Hmmm, I wonder why the only people asked, said NO!?
"Most Lisbon experts, including the document's creators, agree that the reformed treaty is a re-heated version of the failed European constitution, which was firmly rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
One of the chief architects of the failed constitution, former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, acknowledged that 'the difference between the original Constitution and the present Lisbon Treaty is one of approach, rather than content.' This new strategy, he explained, 'is to keep a part of the innovations of the constitutional treaty and to split them into several texts in order to make them less visible.'
According to d'Estaing, the result would be that 'the public opinion would therefore unknowingly adopt the dispositions that it would not accept if presented directly.'"
Hmmm, I wonder why the only people asked, said NO!?
JPII Remembered
(Catholic News Agency):
"Polish congressman Artur Gorski has asked the country’s Minister of Sports, Tomas Lipiec, to name the new soccer stadium being built for the Eurocup 2012 tournament in Warsaw after Pope John Paul II.
During a press conference, Goriski said, “The presence of the Holy Father will remind fans of their obligation to behave correctly during sporting events and not riot.”
“There is no other public figure as important as John Paul II,” the congressman said. His Law and Justice Party has proposed that the venue be called the John Paul II Stadium, the EFE news agency reported.
Construction of the stadium has not yet begun, although officials in Warsaw are confident the venue will be ready in time for the 2012 soccer tournament.'
A Letter From Karl
CANADIAN “HUMAN RIGHTS” THUGS ATTACK A PRIEST AND HIS MAGAZINE
You may have heard about the “human rights commissions” in Canada. These are extra-judicial bodies set up to make an end run around judicial niceties. The commissions are staffed by left-wing activists who, unable to win election to provincial legislatures, try to impose their will by coming down hard on people who are not left-wing activists.
The main purpose of the commissions is to squelch free speech. This is done by dragging before the commissions people who speak their minds and whose minds are not in accord with left-wing views.
The commissions have been styled by commentators who are not left-wing activists as “kangaroo courts.” This is imprudent talk, because it probably will result in some poor Canadian writer being brought before a commission on a charge of hating marsupials.
The best-known case now before a human rights commission concerns Mark Steyn, a Canadian journalist who, in Maclean’s magazine, wrote an article (actually, an excerpt of his book America Alone) alleging, more or less, that Muslims are not friendly to Western culture and that Western culture is to be preferred to Muslim culture.
This did not sit well with Muslims in Canada. One of them filed a complaint against Steyn and Maclean’s, asking the human rights commission in British Columbia to penalize them for “hate speech.” The goal is to cow the magazine—and other periodicals in Canada—into silence, making it too onerous and expensive to run articles that counter left-wing sensibilities.
How can this happen, you ask? In Canada there is no equivalent of our First Amendment. In America you can write pretty much what you please, and the government can’t do anything about it. In Canada (as in Europe), you don’t have that liberty. Saying the “wrong” thing can get you in a lot of trouble.
(Which reminds me of a joke that made the rounds when Nikita Khrushchev ruled the Soviet Union. Johnny and Ivan guarded opposite sides at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. They daily exchanged brags about their respective countries. One day Johnny thought he had come up with proof of the superiority of the American system: free speech. He said, “I can stand in front of the White House and yell, ‘President Eisenhower is a fool,’ and nothing will happen to me.” Ivan thought for a moment and then replied, “So what? I can stand in front of the Kremlin and yell, ‘President Eisenhower is a fool,’ and nothing will happen to me either.”)
The Canadian human rights commissions are not elected bodies. They do not have established rules of evidence. The government picks up the legal bills for people who prosecute complaints through the commissions, but the accused have to cover their own expenses. Naturally, this is a disincentive for the defense.
Mark Steyn and Maclean’s have the wherewithal to cover their costs, but many accused persons do not. Unable to afford to fight the charges, they cave. This, of course, tends to encourage additional frivolous complaints.
But some people and groups without deep pockets choose to fight back. Case in point: Fr. Alphonse de Valk and Catholic Insight magazine.
The Catholic priest, well known for his pro-life activities, wrote in defense of the Church’s teaching on marriage. Specifically, he wrote against “gay marriage,” citing the Bible, the catechism, and the writings of John Paul II. He wrote nothing that you or I would consider inflammatory; he simply restated constant Church teaching: marriage can exist only between one man and one woman.
What Fr. de Valk got for his troubles was a complaint filed by homosexuals who accused him of fostering “extreme hatred and contempt.” So far, the legal expenses for the priest and his magazine have exceeded $20,000. They are sure to rise.
Catholic Insight is a small-circulation, orthodox Catholic magazine. (That is almost tautological. All orthodox Catholic magazines have small circulations.) If its legal bills pile up enough, the magazine will have to fold—which is probably the goal of both the complainants and the activists on the human rights commission.
Fr. de Valk and Catholic Insight deserve our support because they support Catholic teachings. The magazine’s web site has an appeal for help in covering the legal bills. There are instructions about how to write a check or how to contribute through PayPal.
A few days ago, I donated $500 to the magazine’s legal defense fund. I hope a good many of you will choose help too. I’d like to see Fr. de Valk have a kitty large enough for him to do whatever it takes to defend his magazine and, derivatively, the Church, because the complaint filed against him and Catholic Insight really is an attack on the Catholic Church and Catholic moral teaching.
Until next time,
Karl Keating
(questions for Karl may be directed to Catholic Answers)
You may have heard about the “human rights commissions” in Canada. These are extra-judicial bodies set up to make an end run around judicial niceties. The commissions are staffed by left-wing activists who, unable to win election to provincial legislatures, try to impose their will by coming down hard on people who are not left-wing activists.
The main purpose of the commissions is to squelch free speech. This is done by dragging before the commissions people who speak their minds and whose minds are not in accord with left-wing views.
The commissions have been styled by commentators who are not left-wing activists as “kangaroo courts.” This is imprudent talk, because it probably will result in some poor Canadian writer being brought before a commission on a charge of hating marsupials.
The best-known case now before a human rights commission concerns Mark Steyn, a Canadian journalist who, in Maclean’s magazine, wrote an article (actually, an excerpt of his book America Alone) alleging, more or less, that Muslims are not friendly to Western culture and that Western culture is to be preferred to Muslim culture.
This did not sit well with Muslims in Canada. One of them filed a complaint against Steyn and Maclean’s, asking the human rights commission in British Columbia to penalize them for “hate speech.” The goal is to cow the magazine—and other periodicals in Canada—into silence, making it too onerous and expensive to run articles that counter left-wing sensibilities.
How can this happen, you ask? In Canada there is no equivalent of our First Amendment. In America you can write pretty much what you please, and the government can’t do anything about it. In Canada (as in Europe), you don’t have that liberty. Saying the “wrong” thing can get you in a lot of trouble.
(Which reminds me of a joke that made the rounds when Nikita Khrushchev ruled the Soviet Union. Johnny and Ivan guarded opposite sides at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. They daily exchanged brags about their respective countries. One day Johnny thought he had come up with proof of the superiority of the American system: free speech. He said, “I can stand in front of the White House and yell, ‘President Eisenhower is a fool,’ and nothing will happen to me.” Ivan thought for a moment and then replied, “So what? I can stand in front of the Kremlin and yell, ‘President Eisenhower is a fool,’ and nothing will happen to me either.”)
The Canadian human rights commissions are not elected bodies. They do not have established rules of evidence. The government picks up the legal bills for people who prosecute complaints through the commissions, but the accused have to cover their own expenses. Naturally, this is a disincentive for the defense.
Mark Steyn and Maclean’s have the wherewithal to cover their costs, but many accused persons do not. Unable to afford to fight the charges, they cave. This, of course, tends to encourage additional frivolous complaints.
But some people and groups without deep pockets choose to fight back. Case in point: Fr. Alphonse de Valk and Catholic Insight magazine.
The Catholic priest, well known for his pro-life activities, wrote in defense of the Church’s teaching on marriage. Specifically, he wrote against “gay marriage,” citing the Bible, the catechism, and the writings of John Paul II. He wrote nothing that you or I would consider inflammatory; he simply restated constant Church teaching: marriage can exist only between one man and one woman.
What Fr. de Valk got for his troubles was a complaint filed by homosexuals who accused him of fostering “extreme hatred and contempt.” So far, the legal expenses for the priest and his magazine have exceeded $20,000. They are sure to rise.
Catholic Insight is a small-circulation, orthodox Catholic magazine. (That is almost tautological. All orthodox Catholic magazines have small circulations.) If its legal bills pile up enough, the magazine will have to fold—which is probably the goal of both the complainants and the activists on the human rights commission.
Fr. de Valk and Catholic Insight deserve our support because they support Catholic teachings. The magazine’s web site has an appeal for help in covering the legal bills. There are instructions about how to write a check or how to contribute through PayPal.
A few days ago, I donated $500 to the magazine’s legal defense fund. I hope a good many of you will choose help too. I’d like to see Fr. de Valk have a kitty large enough for him to do whatever it takes to defend his magazine and, derivatively, the Church, because the complaint filed against him and Catholic Insight really is an attack on the Catholic Church and Catholic moral teaching.
Until next time,
Karl Keating
(questions for Karl may be directed to Catholic Answers)
Socialists and Eugenics
Michael Coren has an excellent article today in the National Post, on the historial support of eugenics. (Hint: socialists are not for the 'little guy'):
"It is deeply significant that few if any of Douglas's left-wing comrades in this country or internationally were surprised or offended by his proposals. Indeed the early fascism of 1920s Italy, while unsavoury and dictatorial, had little connection with social engineering and eugenics. The latter German version of fascism was influenced not by ultra conservatism in southern Europe but, as is made clear in the writings of the Nazi ideologues, by the Marxist left..."
(h/t prowoman prolife)
"It is deeply significant that few if any of Douglas's left-wing comrades in this country or internationally were surprised or offended by his proposals. Indeed the early fascism of 1920s Italy, while unsavoury and dictatorial, had little connection with social engineering and eugenics. The latter German version of fascism was influenced not by ultra conservatism in southern Europe but, as is made clear in the writings of the Nazi ideologues, by the Marxist left..."
(h/t prowoman prolife)
Summer Signs
Fall Out
Linda at The Great Pumpkin posts a timely reprint of a Michael O'Brien article on Bill C-250:
"Is it so far-fetched to consider the possibility that we are in a downward slide toward totalitarianism? Few people would go so far as to maintain that we are living in the early phase of an Orwellian 1984 or alternatively a softer form of totalitarian government such as Huxley’s Brave New World, yet the elements of State-enforced social reconstruction are now in operation. We should also consider the fact that in just over one generation we have been shifted from a society in which homosexual acts were a crime under the then existing law, to a society in which homosexual acts have become a government-protected and fostered activity, while voicing criticism of it 'publicly' has become the crime. Call it by any name you like, but this is Thought Crime. As Orwell predicted, we have arrived at a situation in which 'some of us are more equal than others.'"
The fall-out is here folks. You can't keep the blinders on forever without falling in a ditch...
"Is it so far-fetched to consider the possibility that we are in a downward slide toward totalitarianism? Few people would go so far as to maintain that we are living in the early phase of an Orwellian 1984 or alternatively a softer form of totalitarian government such as Huxley’s Brave New World, yet the elements of State-enforced social reconstruction are now in operation. We should also consider the fact that in just over one generation we have been shifted from a society in which homosexual acts were a crime under the then existing law, to a society in which homosexual acts have become a government-protected and fostered activity, while voicing criticism of it 'publicly' has become the crime. Call it by any name you like, but this is Thought Crime. As Orwell predicted, we have arrived at a situation in which 'some of us are more equal than others.'"
The fall-out is here folks. You can't keep the blinders on forever without falling in a ditch...
Catholic Carnival #177
Catholic Carnival is up at snoring scholar. Check out the new articles AND the new sites! Lots to Ponder!
6/16/08
Vocation Witness
Johanna Whittaker writes about her realization of a vocation with the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate:
"During Adoration on the Friday of that week, I was granted a small insight into the depth of God's infinite love for me. Before the creation of the world, before time began, He knew me and loved me. Before He created man, He foreknew the Fall and the Cross and accepted both. He didn't need to create anything; He could have done everything differently, redeeming us without the cross, but He didn't. It still fills me with awe. Then and there, I was filled with such a desire and love for God and I wanted to give Him my whole mind, heart and soul. I abandoned myself to Him saying whatever you ask of me Lord I will try to do..."
(h/tHeart Speaks)
Pretty Lame
Douglas Kmiec makes pretty-talk and Jay Anderson comments:
"This was an unprecedented sit-down for any political figure, let alone a much-in-demand presidential candidate. Why would the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party devote so much time talking faith rather than politics? Quite simply, because it is the senator's deep personal faith [ED.: Which somehow posits that it's okay to kill the unborn.] that explains his audaciously positive hope [ED.: Please kill me now so I don't have to hear that crap all the way until November and, heaven forbid, beyond that.] for his country..."
Sparks of Joy
Catholic Sentinel posts an article about 'Downs' children and their families:
"About four years ago, when she was 6, Megan Scheidler had to get jabbed. She was not happy about it.
While the nurse gave the injection, Megan objected vigorously. It was such an ordeal that the girl, who has flaming red hair to match her face that day, got a sticker as a reward.
On the way out of the doctor’s office, still-sniffling Megan saw a dejected elderly woman in a wheelchair, face in hands. The girl stooped low to catch the suffering woman’s eye and offered the hard-won sticker as a gift of consolation..."
"About four years ago, when she was 6, Megan Scheidler had to get jabbed. She was not happy about it.
While the nurse gave the injection, Megan objected vigorously. It was such an ordeal that the girl, who has flaming red hair to match her face that day, got a sticker as a reward.
On the way out of the doctor’s office, still-sniffling Megan saw a dejected elderly woman in a wheelchair, face in hands. The girl stooped low to catch the suffering woman’s eye and offered the hard-won sticker as a gift of consolation..."
Hysterical Fits = Political Expediency...Truth Not An Issue
From his own mouth, Beckel proves himself a liar. What? He didn't know it was on tape?
Most of the conservative bloggers I read, made a point of disbelieving that such a tape existed and yet hadn't been shown. They mistrusted the source - which wasn't them, BTW!
EU:America Overrun With Small Invaders
Creative Minority Report:
"A sociologist from Sweden postulated that America had been taken over by a race of small undisciplined savages and they seem to have enslaved the big people with some mind-twisting technology. “When these small people drool there’s typically an adult jumping up and wiping their chin. And I hate to say it but when these very small people defecate, the big people change them within minutes and are even sometimes forced to joke about it. And most horribly, some of the little people seem to drink the life right out of the American female’s breast.
One economist marveled at how the economy of America was still so strong while supporting an invasion of little tyrants..."
Save the Date: Humanae Vitae Today (Sep. 20)
AmericanPapist promotes what looks to be an excellent seminar coming in September at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit. Link to the list of presenters, which includes Bishop Robert Carlson .
6/15/08
Dads in My Life
My son, Shane, with wife Rebekah and our first grandchild, Maria!
My husband Peter, hard at work on his 'History of St. Peter's Cathedral' (Charlottetown)
My Dad and Mom, and Peter's Mom, at Maria's baptism (first GREAT grandchild!)
Fr. Alban Westin, my father-in-law (fall 2006)R.I.P.
It is my privilege to know and love these guys, and to have them love me.
Happy Father's Day!
Sts, Peter and Paul, Charlottetown, PEI
Mural in Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, painted in memory of Fr. Alban Westin, known as 'Grandpa', my husband's father. Fr. Alban passed away a year ago this past Easter Sunday, March 23 2007. In the picture are shown: Margaret Westin (mom), my son Joseph , Fr. Stephen Allen (parish priest) and the artist.
Alberta, Land of the Wuss
Ezra Levant lambastes the Alberta HRC:
"The Alberta human rights commission -- in other words, the Government of Alberta -- is trying to persuade newcomers to Alberta to support their grievance industry, and become little race hustlers, little Al Sharptons, just like Khurrum Awan of the Canadian Islamic Congress. It makes sense; complaints are down 15% year over year in Alberta; if all of those professional race hustlers in Ed Stelmach's government are going to keep their jobs, they need new complaints, and fast..."(h/t the black kettle)
I'm with Ezra...it just isn't as great to admit I was born there anymore! My grandfather was an ACTUAL pioneer, and he would have no more complained about bad manners to the gov't than he would expect them to pay him for not working!
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