Catholics Reject Rudy on Abortion

The other night, Laura Ingraham and Kate O'Beirne, (author of "Women Who Make the World Worse" and frequent guest on "The World Over" on EWTN) conservative pundits for whom I have a lot of respect, sorely disappointed me when they agreed on her radio program that conservatives will just have to settle for Rudy, despite his pro-death opinions, oh, wait . . . he's coming around on Partial-Birth infanticide. . . Laura said we should be happy he's converting on that issue. Puuuuleeeeze!
Be happy he's starting to back off the slaughter of the nearly-born in an election year?! Just who is she kidding?! Convert, my foot, there are no converts in election years, only slippery politicians! Rudy has half of the Republicans thinking he's pro-life, however the more saavy Republican bloggers are on to him, and support Sam Brownback. Do your homework, people!
Thank Heavens, it seems that faithful Catholics have no such illusions about Rudy. I like what he accomplished in New York too, it is a much safer place, but he doesn't have any type of moral authority. In fact, the ladies accurately pointed out that, of the leading Republican candidates, the Mormon Romney was married the fewest times!
We can do better than Guiliani. We can support Sam Brownback for president. He was out in front as a pro-life leader before the national spotlight was on him as a presidential candidate. He supports human rights across the board, whether, the unborn, the elderly infirm, the disabled (here he is at the Blogs for Life Conference with my daughter). He has fought against the international trafficking of humans, and was among the first to raise his voice for the suffering in Sudan and Darfur, again, BEFORE it was the thing to do. See my letter to the editor of the National Catholic Register this week, as well as the support voiced by the newspaper's editor, Fr. Owen Kearns.
He has been called "the William Wilberforce Republican" for his outstanding moral character and courageous activism. He takes the Church's position on every social issue, whether or not his party does. His actions are prompted by his conscience, NOT the polls!
" In the 1990s, Brownback began to read everything he could find on Wilberforce, who used his public office to promote Christian morals. For Brownback, the attraction to Wilberforce and abolitionism was only natural: The senator grew up near Osawatomie, Kan., the town from which John Brown launched murderous attacks on pro-slavery men a century and a half ago, earning the pre–Harper’s Ferry nickname “Osawatomie Brown.” When Brownback learned that forms of slavery were still being practiced in Sudan and elsewhere, it outraged him. “I couldn’t believe this was going on,” he says. “It was just wrong, and we needed to do something about it".quotes John J. Miller of the National Review Online in May 2006.
Sam Brownback is endorsed by Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, and Tom Monaghan of Ave Maria University. He is the only Catholic candidate.

Review of "Amazing Grace"

“William Wilberforce’s life and commitment is an example to all of us of the power of one man to change the course of human history,” said Traditional Values Coalition Chairman, Rev. Louis P. Sheldon. “His life was spent on the noble cause of ending the horrid slave trade in Britain – and his work inspired 19th century Americans to begin fighting against slavery in our own nation. He left a powerful legacy for all of us to emulate.”
On the 200th anniversary of the historic vote to end the slave trade in Great Britain, I saw "Amazing Grace", and learned history in a manner which was never taught in school. The nun who taught us US History in 11th grade told us, "you think of American history of John Wayne on his white horse, I'm going to tell you the REAL American history". She then began a course revealing the selfish motives, and personal flaws of America's leaders, such as the Thomas Jefferson's liaison with his slave, Sally Hemmings. The danger with teaching methods like this, so prevalent in education today, is that the student comes away quite cynical about human motivation, and has no positive role models.

In "Amazing Grace". William Wilberforce, the 18th century Member of the British Parliament, is presented as a war-weary champion of the oppressed, depleted in health and spirit. The film then flashes back to an exuberant 'Wilber', as he's known by his friends, in the springtime of his conversion to Christ. He's fascinated with the wonder of creation, and is carefully considering how to serve God best, when his good friend brings over some unusual dinner guests, who suggest that one can serve God and man by being active in the public square, using his influence in Parliament. They reveal to him in the horrors of the slave trade, and he's thrown into a crisis; he is aware that God is calling him to oppose the 300 member majority who favor, and profit from the selling of human beings. Although his abolitionist friends are faithful, his political friends are more fickle, causing him to lose heart just as the battle is about to turn in his favor. How he regains his sense of mission, and ultimately stops the trafficking in human beings from Africa, makes riveting viewing.
Wilberforce's struggle, a study in heroism, is an outstanding history lesson. Abraham Lincoln stated that every American schoolboy knows the name of William Wilberforce. This would be a healthier society if it were again true.
With the intensity of Ioan Gruffodd, who plays William Wilberforce, and the raw emotion of Albert Finney, who played John Howard the slave trader turned minister who wrote the hymn, "Amazing Grace", the story progressed in a manner that literally had me on the edge of my seat. Gorgeous cinematography, and historical detail added to the authenticity of the film

Take your older children(some frightening scenes of slavery and mild profanity) to see "Amazing Grace" and help them to find their voice for justice. According to the website, the struggle to end human trafficking is far from over; over 27 million men, women and children are still in slavery across the world. An outreach on the movie website will tell you how to get involved.

Prolifers take heart from "Amazing Grace"

While watching the movie, I was impressed at the overwhelming odds Wilberforce faced at the outset, the MPs were stacked 300 to 2, most of them owed their fortunes to the slave trade, and yet he and the abolitionists began with the grassroots campaign to change the minds and hearts of the British public, something which had never been tried before. And, after twenty years of hard work,and numerous apparent setbacks, they succeeded.
We are the third wave in the pro-life movement. We follow in the auspicious footsteps of the abolitionist, and civil rights movements, in the struggle against grave injustice in the world. Do you know what these three movements have in common?
They were all products of Christian faith. William Wilberforce was the classic Christian liberal; compassionate to the downtrodden, yet unwilling to sacrifice civil order when his more extreme friends, like Thomas Clarkson suggested revolution, in the footsteps of the American and French Revolutions. His calm, reasoned, lawful efforts prevailed, and so will ours.
Onward to victory!!

Biography of William Wiberforce as a follow up to "Amazing Grace"

To mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, HarperSanFrancisco and Bristol Bay Productions have joined together to commemorate the life of William Wilberforce in the feature film, Amazing Grace, and in a companion biography, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, written by Eric Metaxas. Eric is the author of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (but were afraid to ask). He is founder and host of "Socrates in the City" in New York City, where he lives with his wife and daughter. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, Mars Hill Review, and First Things. He has written for Veggie Tales and Rabbit Ears Productions, earning three Grammy nominations for Best Children's Recording.

Top Republican Picks are CODs

When the three top Republicans in the 2008 presidential race are Culture of Death politicians, it's time to reach back into the bag, and pick another one.

This is my Lenten Fast

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling in them.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.
Almighty God, during this season of fasting,
gift us with Your amazing grace, so we can carry out Your work.
Amen.

Who Was William Wilberforce?

Abraham Lincoln called him " the hero of every American schoolboy", he's the father of the anti-slavery movement, and was responsible for halting the British slave trade 200 years ago today, yet so many of us aren't familiar with his story, and remarkable faith.
Idle Speculations will enlighten us.
Now, go and see Amazing Grace, and learn some more about this true Christian hero!

Now, this is something I would have said!

ABC news is starting to think with the pro-lifers. Really!
Charles Gibson, in opening teaser:"Welcome to World News. Tonight, a baby born after just 21 weeks in the womb survives. A tiny miracle that raises big questions in the debate over abortion." (see that discomfort on his face!)
We pro-lifers have known that each time a child survives at a younger gestational age, our position that this child is a person deserving protection is strengthened, but to hear the other side recognize the significance of this tiny child's survival outside the womb from 21 weeks gestation, that is good news!
Of course, we'll be criticized for publicizing little Amilia Taylor's survival at 21 weeks, 6 days, but we've got them on the run!

St. Anselm's just broke my heart!

When I was 18, I had many options for higher education. My SAT scores got me letters from Ivy League schools, and my father urged me to accept an intvitation to be one of the first women at West Point, but what I longed for was an authentic Catholic, liberal arts education, integrated with, and not embarrassed by the Catholic Faith.
I searched long and hard, as options were scarce in 1980, and finally found small St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Steeped in the Benedictine tradition, proud of it's Catholic heritage, with an exceptional two year integrated Humanities Program, St. Anselm's was a jewel in the crown of the Church. I had a wonderful education there Freshman and Sophomore years, until illness forced me to study closer to home, but I have always been a proud Anselmian. Until now.

I read at Bettnet that St. Anselm's will begin co-ed dorms, due to the high number of students enrolling. How sad, since, for many of them, the main reason they are enrolling is because of the relatively strong Catholic identity there. This identity may now be on the wane. How tragic!

I remember the parietal system, which flushed out the opposite sex from the dorms after visiting hours on weekends (1 AM), so the dorm occupants could sleep. Did I ever break the rules? Naturally, many students did, but we still benefited from them. I never had to find a place to sleep while my roomie entertained a boyfriend, or left a shower in my robe to run into a guy in the hallway. I felt safe and enjoyed the company of other women, until the PA system would call down a happy girl who had a caller. We could focus on study, with no one to flirt with at 'home'. And if we needed to study with guys, there was a great library and coffee shop.

I remember studying for my Methods and Materials of Literary Analysis final with some friends in the library till it closed at midnight, and continuing our studies over pancakes at Bickfords. We had plenty of healthy interactions with men, but when we needed to have our privacy, we could. I'm so sorry this opportunity will be lost for many students at St. Anselm's College. I hope they will reconsider, and preserve their Catholicity.

American Papist on "Bella" the movie

Causa Nostrae Laetitiae has an early (rave) review of it (with some general thematic spoilers). She talks about it more here (though the site seems to be having some picture formatting difficulties). Some revealing words about the producer, Leo Severino:
He told of leaving a prosperous career as Latin American business mangaer at Fox studios to begin Metanoia Films (Greek for conversion). "I wanted to make films that if the Virgin Mary sat next to me during the screening, I wouldn't have to cover her eyes."
This film will be released in April, and we will be covering the premieres, as part of doing our best to promote this great, warm life-affirming story.

Cardinal Pell denounces, "global warming zealots"

Cardinal Pell of Sydney denounced the "nonsense about climate disasters" and the
"semi-religious" zealotry of those worried about global warming.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Australia wrote to his flock that
“doomsayers” and “zealots” who worry about global warming have subjected their
listeners to “a lot of nonsense about climate disasters”.

Noting that some opinion page editors and others have called for “Nuremberg-style
trials for global warming sceptics, while a USA television correspondent
compared sceptics to ‘holocaust deniers’”, Cadinal George Pell said “Christians
don’t go against reason although we sometimes go beyond it in faith to embrace
probabilities. What we were seeing from the doomsayers was an induced dose of
mild hysteria, semi-religious if you like, but dangerously close to
superstition.”

Writing on the Sydney Australia website on February
18, Cardinal Pell said that he is “deeply sceptical about man-made catastrophic
global warming, but still open to further evidence.” He noted that global
climate change, such as the Ice Age, had come about with or without human
intervention and that he would be surprised, however, if man-made pollution had
no ill effect at all."

HT Lifesite News

I've always admired the Cardinal's guts. Global warming is the liberals Holy Grail, and they are incredibly intolerant about it.

William Wilberforce Honored by Senator Brownback

A resolution honoring the life of William Wilberforce, who was instrumental in
the abolition of slavery in Britain, will be considered in the U.S.
Senate.
"Wilberforce's passion and commitment to end the British slave trade
and renew the culture solidified the inherency of human dignity and sanctity of
human life," said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., a co-sponsor of the resolution.
"As the 200th anniversary of British slave-trade abolition approaches, we should
celebrate Wilberforce's victories and use his legacy as an inspiration to renew
our culture."
Wilberforce spent 20 years the British House of Commons
fighting slavery. On Feb. 23, 1807, Parliament banned the slave
trade.
"William Wilberforce's unmatched determination to end the British
slave-trade practice continues to inspire leaders and communities throughout the
world," said Sen. Mark Pryor, R-Ark., also a co-sponsor. "However, we
cannot turn a blind eye to how the slave trade has evolved into trafficking of
women and children."
The U.S. State Department estimated 600,000 to 800,000
people were trafficked internationally in 2006, Brownback noted.
"We must continue to follow Wilberforce's example and fight for the dignity and freedom of every person," he said. "It is intolerable that 200 years after Britain
banned its slave trade, there are still hundreds of thousands of victims of
human trafficking who are used as bonded laborers, sex slaves, and in other
horrifying capacities."
The story of William Wilberforce is told in the motion picture Amazing Grace, which opens in theaters Friday. The film, produced by Walden Media and The Samuel Goldwyn Company, focuses on the lives of Wilberforce and slave-ship-captain-turned-pastor John Newton, who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace".
Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying that evey American schoolboy knows of William Wilberforce. I hope, with the release of this movie, this becomes true again. This generation needs true heroes. Senator Sam Brownback has been compared with William Wilberforce, not only for his opposition to human trafficking, but for his desire to serve God through his elected office.

Meanwhile. . .a nightmare is happening in Italy

A thirteen year old girl is undergoing a forced abortion, forced by her parents and the courts. This coercion happens here in America as well, but at least if it gets to the courts, the girl prevails, and the baby is saved.
Are you fasting with us this Lent to end this nightmare?

The Church's Guidelines on Fasting

Are at Women for Faith and Family.
Let's do a good job of fasting this Lent. A group of bloggers from Texas are fasting on Fridays, for an end to abortion. "It began here, let it end here." they say, since Norma McCorvey who was shamefully used by abortion activists to push for a legalization of abortion in Roe v Wade in 1973, was fromTexas, they want Texas to be the place where it all ends. Good idea.
I will join this worthy cause, and if you want to, please leave a comment.
Remeber, Our Lord warned that some demons can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.
If abortion isn't demonic, I don't know what is.

Mother Teresa was right

I'll never forget when Blessed Mother Teresa said that the greatest poverty of America was spirtual poverty, as evidenced in the loneliness of the elderly.
A recent story in the local news is a shocking example of this; a 70 year old man's mummified body was found in his home this week in Hampton Bays, NY. He had been dead one year when they found him, yet his TV WAS STILL ON!!
Lesson here: if your electric bill is paid, nobody bothers with you.
How sad this story is, yet, I wish it were unique. My Latin American students were horrified when I told them about it, and agreed unanimously that this would NEVER have happened in there poverty striken villages in Central America and Mexico. Their poverty is different, and perhaps easier to remedy.

Secularism is Not the Answer for War on Terror

Great article by Dinesh D'Souza, who truly understands the nature of the clash of cultures. "Islamic radicals like Bin Laden make their case against America and the West on the grounds that these cultures have abandoned Christianity. In his May 2006 letter to President Bush, Ahmadinejad faulted America not for being Christian, but for not being Christian enough. Many years earlier, the radical theoretician Sayyid Qutb made the same point. The main reason for the West’s moral decay, Qutb argued, is that in the modern era “religious convictions are no more than a matter of antiquarian interest.”

I have no argument here: when you consider the filth of American culture which is pumped out of our country via TV, Hollywood, and the Internet, and that this is all the radical Muslim sees of our culture, and how this offends his religious sensibility, what reaction do you expect? Would that Americans could see how offensive we are to traditional cultures which respect the modesty of women, fidelity in marriage, the sanctity of human life, and the glory of large families.

I attended a series of lectures given by the priest who married my husband and I. He's laicized and married now, and a liberal college professor touting the greatness of Islam. He was defending the tradition of the man walking ahead of the woman, saying that, in the desert where brigands abound, this tradition arose to protect the woman from ambush. The room was full of liberal Catholics and conservative Muslims. I saw an opportunity and stood up, and said,
"that is why traditional Catholics represented by the Vatican at the Cairo Conference, stood together with the Muslim countries against the UN's attempt to force abortion upon them.We have our traditional morality in common, which is potrayed by the left as oppression of women, but is truly apprecitation of the sacred role of motherhood, and protection against their exploitation as sexual objects."
I sat down to smiles from the Muslims who surrounded me to congratulate me, and a very uncomfortable speaker. Liberals who think they embrace Islam don't share the morality of home and family. If a radical Islamist government ever takes over this country, they would be the first to be lined up and beheaded.

Letter to a Stupid Atheist

Mary Grabar has made my Sunday with this piece written to the author of "Letter to a Christian Nation" who propports to tearn down the last vestiges of Christendom in his New York Times bestseller. My librarian, a former traditional Catholic, proudly bears this book on her shelves, but when I requested Bill O'Reilly's bestseller, "Culture Warrior" which represents the other side of the debate, she refused to purchase it for the library. How long, O Lord, will the atheists, and former Catholics be the gatekeepers of culture in this society?
Wait, I think I hear the response. . ."as long as you let them without resistance. . ."

Time Magazine Cover is Pro-life?!

" Despite some examples of bias in the news story -- it erroneously says childbirth is riskier than abortion -- Care Net’s Vice President of Communications Kristin Hansen told LifeNews.com the article was a good start in acknowledging their positive work.
Hansen called the Time story a “long overdue recognition of the growth and impact of pregnancy centers."
"We’re encouraged to see the society at large take notice and ask tough questions," she said.
There are more than 2,300 pregnancy centers across the United States -- significantly more than the number of abortion businesses. Unlike abortion facilities, these centers help pregnant women with baby and maternity resources, parenting classes, adoption, medical and educational needs."
LifeNews.com

I would change that to numerous examples of bias, they allowed the pro-aborts to get away with all sorts of ridiculous statements, such as the whopper by the abortion clinic owner who,' turns away women who are unsure they want abortions'. Puuleeeeze!!
A recent statistic states that the majority of womena feel coerced into having an abortion, not necessarily by economics, but by loved ones. No one interviewed brought up the possibility of adoption, so underused as an option, that the average wait for adopting a white infant can be ten years. How many women go public saying they wish they'd aborted, versus those who regret their abortions? The best thing about this article is that it shows we have pro-aborts on the run, or they wouldn't have enlisted TIME to schill for them. Already crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion mills in this country. Truth will win out, as it did in the case of slavery. Here is a small example from my life.

I have two of the larger fetal models pictured on the magazine cover in my purse, of two different races, in case the subject of abortion comes up. Once, at the Baptism party of the sixth child of friends, I sat across the table from a 'zero-population growth' couple, who were aghast at such an affront to Planned Parenthood's marching orders.
Meanwhile, my daughter Isabella, who was 4 at the time, was playing 'baby' with the fetal model, giving 'Freddie', as we called him, a sip of tea. The woman was caught up watching her, and grew very quiet. I believe she learned a lesson in the humanity of the unborn that day.
And a little child shall lead them. . . .

Fr Tom Euteneuer's Lessons from Portugal

Spirit & Life
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)Human Life International e-NewsletterVolume 01, Number 55 Friday, Feb. 16, 2007
...................................................................................
www.hli.org
Lessons from Portugal
As many of our readers know, the Portuguese referendum to legalize abortion failed to do so last Sunday due to small voter turnout. Had suppression of voter turnout been a strategy of the pro-life movement (like it was in Italy for the stem cell vote last year) it would have been a logical way to handle the situation. However, that was not the case here. People didn't turn out to vote pro-life in sufficient numbers either because they were apathetic or because they just didn't understand what was at stake. Either way, that lack of turnout could be a fatal mistake for one reason alone: namely, when the abortion demon knocks, you have to shut the door in his face and get him off your property or he just declares victory, pushes his way in the door and sets up shop. Then an unsuspecting public is left to deal with the consequences of their apathy.
This is exactly what happened in Portugal. The ink was hardly dry on the ballots when radical pro-abortion Prime Minister Jose Socrates declared that the people had spoken and wanted abortion. Hello? No, there were not enough votes to actually legalize it, but that did not matter to Socrates or his fanatical socialist party: Socrates will give the babies of Portugal his cup of hemlock anyway. Parliament will vote sometime in the near future to legalize abortion through legislation because the people have shown that there is no real political liability to being a pro-abortion politician. This is what happens when a nation refuses to reject abortion outright.
Then, the day after the referendum, plans were announced by a coalition of abortionists for the building of a huge $3.5 million abortion facility right in the center of Lisbon. Abortion is not legal yet but the world's baby-killers don't waste any time do they? This is also what happens when a life-loving culture will not insist on the right to life.
The first lesson from Portugal, then, is that apathy kills. If the people are not willing to stand up and reject abortion lock stock and barrel, then that is a vote for the other side. Whoever said that he was neutral on abortion was lying. Anything but a firm "No!" to abortion plays right into the abortionists' hands.
The second lesson is that abortion is rarely if ever asked for by the people of a country; it is almost always imposed by an arrogant elite who are servants of a fanatical ideology if the people don't resist their advances. Nations that haven't legalized abortion yet would do well to look carefully at these dynamics and prepare for battle.
Finally, while the Portuguese pro-life movement responded heroically to this challenge, there is simply no substitute for people of conscience standing up to face the problem of abortion as a people. We often complain that the leadership is lacking in our Church on this issue, but in Portugal this was not the case. Church leaders spoke out valiantly and the pro-life activists on the front lines were well-organized and dynamic. What was lacking? A passion for life. Contrast this situation to the almost visceral response of the Nicaraguan people to removing abortion from their criminal code last October, and you see the passion.
The moral of the story: a nation has to want to exorcise the abortion demon from their midst. Otherwise, even the best seeds of life planted by its leaders will fall on the footpath and be scooped up by the devil's servants.
Portugal's battle is not over. In some senses it has just begun. Let us accompany the people of Portugal with our prayers still longer.
Sincerely Yours in Christ, Rev. Thomas J. EuteneuerPresident, Human Life International

Preview of "Amazing Grace"

Take a look at this riveting scene from the upcoming movie, Amazing Grace, based upon the faith and leadership of William Wilberforce, the British member of parliament who began the abolitionist movement which outlawed slavery in Great Britain, on February 23, 1807. In honor of the bicentennial of this event, the movie will open in theatres next Friday, February 23rd.
Here is a review by the International Herald Tribune: Europe.

Michael Medved- Nationally syndicated radio host"A movie that dazzles the eye, touches the heart, and stirs the soul. Elegantly crafted and superbly well-acted, AMAZING GRACE is a remarkably uplifting, substantive contribution to the popular culture -- and to our crucial understanding of freedom's history."

There is a promotional event, "Amazing Grace Sunday" to be held this Sunday, February 18th, in Christian Churches throughout the US and Europe, to sing the hymn, "Amazing Grace" and learn the history behind Thomas Newton, the slave ship owner, who had a conversion to Christinanity, became a minister and wrote the "Amazing Grace". The intention, besides promotion of the film and it's namesake hymn, is to pray for the end of racism and modern day slavery.