On Identifying Yourself Solely by Your Sexuality

Edited to add on 6/16/2013: As I write this, it is Father's Day in the United States and other locations around the world. Our president offered his usual Sunday address, and somehow he thought it necessary to include sexual attraction in the mix. If you are a parent, you are a parent. If you are a father, you are a father. Not sure why Dad's (or Mom's) sexual interests need to be an important part of well wishes.

Obama's Father's Day message to straight AND gay parents

President Obama and the LGBT Community on the Whitehouse website. Because after all, we need to pay very close attention to the sexual attractions of all Americans. Where's the page for fetishism?

Irony: When the Abortionist is Forced to Sign Your Birth Certificate

I first posted about Gianna Jessen back in October of 2008 HERE. What makes Gianna's story extraordinary, is that she survived a saline abortion at seven months gestation. If you are not familiar with her story, please read my previous post and watch her testimonial videos. The abortionist had not yet arrived at the Planned Parenthood clinic where she was expected to be exterminated, when she was born alive. The man later had to sign her birth certificate.

Gianna Jessen

The new film October Baby was inspired by Gianna's story. In the film, a young woman discovers that she was a survivor of an attempted abortion, and goes on a journey of discovery and healing. I went to see October Baby on opening weekend, and recommend that all go see it as well. Find it in a theater near you by searching HERE. Even if you happened upon this post with a pro-choice mindset, I ask that you open your heart and mind to the story. As you can see on Rotten Tomatoes, there is a giant chasm between Hollywood critics and what the ticket-buyers long to see. At the time of this post, only 7 out of 30 critics enjoyed the film, yet a whopping 91% of the audience (9,492 reviewers) enjoyed the film. Even the New York Times was pressed to acknowledge the film's success - though in the linked article you'll find that the article has a definite bias against the pro-life movement. Many critics have gone so far as to discount the story in the film, believing it impossible that anyone would survive an abortion. Of course, many people still deny that the Holocaust happened - so, there you go.

The soundtrack for October Baby is now available on iTunes and Gianna Jessen performs the song Ocean Floor. Give it a listen and support the project. The entire album is only $9.99 and contains some of the most enjoyable new music I've heard in a very long time.

_______________________________________________

*Read about another abortion survivor in this NYT article HERE. Learn about late term abortion methods HERE, including 'saline amniocentisis' (the method Gianna survived), and President Obama's record on the Infant Born Alive Protection Act HERE. Why don't we hear of more survivors of abortions? Find the answer HERE.

$1 Mandatory Abortion Surcharge - 'Accounting Procedure'

If you have a cellphone, you've probably griped at some point about the insane surcharges that are added onto your bill. You cannot opt out, unless you are willing to get rid of your cellphone. In New York,  we have paid $1.20 every month for over a decade into a state mandated fund intended to assist counties to update their 911 programs. In 2010, $190 million was collected and only $9.3 million was actually disbursed to the counties in New York. I cannot imagine anyone being against having an emergency response service in our communities. Most of us have benefited at one time or another by having police, ambulance, or fire services just a few moments away thanks to an efficient 911 dispatch system. Governments are important for a civilized society, but why do we sit idle when we are being forced to pay, or overpay, for things that do not benefit us as they promised? HERE is the legislation calling for a repeal in NY.

Once something becomes law in the U.S., like most places, it may take decades to repeal. This includes legislation that is unpopular with the vast majority of voters, but the officials we elect sponsor the programs. If they received the majority of votes by constituents, certainly those elected are much wiser and more experienced than the voting public. Right?

Enter PL 111-148, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or the less-than-affectionate moniker, Obamacare. Open the linked document if you must, but consider yourself warned; it is a 906-page .pdf file. On page 53, you'll find that the secretary of Health and Human Services has a lot of power to determine what will be paid for and the cost of services provided. Those of us enrolled in the healthcare program won't be charged more than $1 per month for abortion coverage so that others may exercise the their right to abortion. But - but - we won't have to pay for abortions, right? That is what we are promised by the government. This cannot be right - Kelly and others are stupid, know-nothing-right-wing-woman-hating-homophobic-ignorant-pigs, right?



Accounting procedure. If I had withheld a few numbers on my 1040 form this year, or moved numbers from the income field to the expense field, it would have been an 'accounting procedure.' Just pay the surcharge to a 'special account' and hide your head under your pillow. You'll be paying for 'services' that won't deny women their rights, but you won't be told what the services are just in case it might make you feel uncomfortable.

Only a dollar. Human flesh is still cheap.

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree, 
They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary; 
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep, 
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap. 
--From When Jesus Came to Birmingham by G. A. Studdert-Kennedy 



More on the story HERE and HERE.


Let the government know what YOU think about the HHS mandate and Obamacare by filling out the form HERE. I did.

More HHS Mandate Insanity

The U.S. government's vicious attack on religious liberty continues, and the Obama administration punts the HHS Mandate. Click on the links for the latest stories about the HHS Mandate you won't hear about in the mainstream media.

Free Sterilizations Must be Offered to All College Women, Says HHS | CNSNews.com

United for Religious Freedom - A statement of the Administrative Committee of the USCCB - March 14, 2012

Citizens Prepare to Rally for Religious Freedom Across the U.S. - Rallies to be held this Friday, March 23!

The Latest Mandate Announcement from Obama - We'll think more about it AFTER November elections...

*Read previous +Ponderings+ about HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius by clicking HERE. There is a very good reason Kansas was referred to as "Bleeding Kansas" while she served as their governor. 

Catholic Women Can Speak for Themselves, Thanks!

From WomenSpeakForThemselves.com:

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, SECRETARY SEBELIUS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

DON'T CLAIM TO SPEAK FOR ALL WOMEN

We are women who support the competing voice offered by Catholic institutions on matters of sex, marriage and family life. Most of us are Catholic, but some are not. We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Many, at some point in our careers, have worked for a Catholic institution. We are proud to have been part of the religious mission of that school, or hospital, or social service organization. We are proud to have been associated not only with the work Catholic institutions perform in the community – particularly for the most vulnerable -- but also with the shared sense of purpose found among colleagues who chose their job because, in a religious institution, a job is always also a vocation.

Those currently invoking "women's health" in an attempt to shout down anyone who disagrees with forcing religious institutions or individuals to violate deeply held beliefs are more than a little mistaken, and more than a little dishonest. Even setting aside their simplistic equation of "costless" birth control with "equality," note that they have never responded to the large body of scholarly research indicating that many forms of contraception have serious side effects, or that some forms act at some times to destroy embryos, or that government contraceptive programs inevitably change the sex, dating and marriage markets in ways that lead to more empty sex, more non-marital births and more abortions. It is women who suffer disproportionately when these things happen.

No one speaks for all women on these issues. Those who purport to do so are simply attempting to deflect attention from the serious religious liberty issues currently at stake. Each of us, Catholic or not, is proud to stand with the Catholic Church and its rich, life-affirming teachings on sex, marriage and family life. We call on President Obama and our Representatives in Congress to allow religious institutions and individuals to continue to witness to their faiths in all their fullness.

Helen M. Alvaré JD Associate Professor of Law George Mason University (VA)*

Kim Daniels JDFormer CounselThomas More Law Center (MD)

As a woman, were you born inferior due to your fertility and require fixing with a birth control pill? If that repair doesn't take, does your inferiority need to be repaired with surgery? Mr. Obama and his administration, along with other Planned Parenthood supporters, say that you are broken without their intervention. Does that make sense to you?


Ladies, you may click HERE to add your name to the growing list of women who wish to let Mr. Obama, Mrs. Pelosi, Ms. Fluke and Ms. Sebelius that they don't speak for us! Help spread the word!


Where are the women? The question should be "where is the media to report on the women who are not being heard?"  The Catholic Information Center hosted a panel of women in opposition to the HHS Mandate. It is lengthy, but I urge you to watch the video linked HERE. If indeed you are opposed to the HHS Mandate, it will be worth your time. Legal and constitutional implications of the mandate is discussed and you will be educated on various points that have not been discussed elsewhere.


Does this woman speak for you?

HHS Mandate Updates March 7, 2012

The fight to retain our religious liberty continues to mount. In the media, Catholics are referred to as outdated, anti-choicers, oppressors, and totally barbaric in our treatment of women. This is the Garden of Eden all over again. The serpent taunting Eve, insisting that she needs to be enlightened and will be much better for eating the forbidden fruit. It is difficult to sift fact from the enormous amount of fiction circulated by the secularists. I wanted to give you some updated information and will continue to post new information as it is available. The more we educate ourselves on the situation, the better we will be prepared to act.

Cardinal Dolan

Timothy Cardinal Dolan released a new letter to all U.S. Bishops on March 2, 2012 and it may be found HERE.

Some highlights of the four-page memo:

• We will once again dedicate ample time at our Administrative Committee meeting next week, and at the June Plenary Assembly, to this critical subject. We will continue to listen, discuss, deliberate and act.
• We have made it clear in no uncertain terms to the government that we are not at peace with its invasive attempt to curtail the religious freedom we cherish as Catholics and Americans. We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it.
• We are grateful to know so many of our fellow Americans, especially our friends in the ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, stand together in this important moment in our country. They know that this is not just about sterilization, abortifacients, and chemical contraception. It’s about religious freedom, the sacred right of any Church to define its own teaching and ministry.
• In the coming weeks the Conference will continue to provide you, among other things, with catechetical resources on the significance of religious freedom to the Church and the Church’s teaching on it from a doctrinal and moral perspective. We are developing liturgical aids to encourage prayer in our efforts and plans on how we can continue to voice our public and strong opposition to this infringement on our freedom.
• The White House already notified Congress that the dreaded mandates are now published in the Federal Registry “without change.” The Secretary of HHS is widely quoted as saying, “Religious insurance companies don’t really design the plans they sell based on their own religious tenets.” That doesn’t bode well for their getting a truly acceptable “accommodation.”
• At a recent meeting between staff of the bishops’ conference and the White House staff, our staff members asked directly whether the broader concerns of religious freedom—that is, revisiting the straight-jacketing mandates, or broadening the maligned exemption—are all off the table. They were informed that they are. [...] Instead, they advised the bishops’ conference that we should listen to the “enlightened” voices of accommodation, such as the recent, hardly surprising yet terribly unfortunate editorial in America. The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching and so, taking a cue from its own definition of religious freedom, now has nominated its own handpicked official Catholic teachers.
•  ...our bishops’ conference, many individual religious entities, and other people of good will are working with some top-notch law firms who feel so strongly about this that they will represent us pro-bono. In the upcoming days, you will hear much more about this encouraging and welcome development.

Ms. Fluke testifies about her right to birth control.
Washington Post

Unless you've been living in a cave (and who could blame you?), you have heard and/or seen the testimony before Nancy Pelosi and her committee teary-eyed individuals, touched beyond compare. Ms. Fluke shared the horrendous burden of paying for her own birth control pills. 

As with all radicals targeting the Church today, Ms. Fluke's story proved to be much more interesting upon further investigation. As reported by Stephen Gutowski:

However, as I discovered today, birth control is not all that Ms. Fluke believes private health insurance must cover. She also, apparently, believes that it is discrimination deserving of legal action if "gender reassignment" surgeries are not covered by employer provided health insurance. She makes these views clear in an article she co-edited with Karen Hu in the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law.  

It seems that Ms. Fluke is a radical prop embraced by the sex-obsessed left, and not the financially barren birth control deprived law student the media and radical left wing sold her to be. Read the entire article by Mr. Gutowski HERE.

Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

Many have been filed lawsuits against the mandate, including Priests for Life. They have asked others to add their names to a Citizens Amicus Brief in Support of Priests for Life vs. Sebelius. You may do so HERE.

President Obama and Kathleen Sebelius, HHS Secretary

You may contact Ms. Sebelius and tell her to Stop the HHS Power Grab by going to Catholicvote.org HERE.

Did you know that there is going to be a nationwide rally in defense of religious freedom? Please click HERE to learn more. In Buffalo, it will take place at Senator Schumer's office (contact info. HERE) and in the Diocese of Rochester, it has been reported that one will take place in Canandaigua (further info. will be found in comments on the Cleansing Fire post HERE). 

Did you sign the petition yet? Go HERE to learn more and add your name.

________________________________________________

Edited to add: I came across an article written by law professor Robert K. Vischer in First Things. He argues that the current trend to fight against sharia law in some of our states is a fight against religious freedom. The article is very interesting and one I find important to consider as Catholics and other groups are engaged in a fight to retain our own religious liberty.

March 12, 2012: This just in from Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life:

The eight lawsuits so far, arranged by the date they were filed, are as follows:

November 10, 2011 Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius 
December 21, 2011 Colorado Christian University v. Sebelius 
February 9, 2012 Eternal Word Television Network v. Sebelius 
February 15, 2012 Priests for Life v. Sebelius 
February 20, 2012 Louisiana College v. Sebelius 
February 21, 2012 Ave Maria University v. Sebelius 
February 21, 2012 Geneva College v. Sebelius 
February 23, 2012 Bruning v. Sebelius (This is the one whose plaintiffs include the states of Nebraska, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.)

President Obama and the Church

"Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he's also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he's also a wonderful teacher. I think it's important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history." --President Obama





"This has not been a fight of our choosing.  We’d rather not be in it.  We’d prefer to concentrate on the noble tasks of healing the sick, teaching our youth, and helping the poor, all now in jeopardy due to this bureaucratic intrusion into the internal life of the church.  And we were doing all of those noble works rather well, I dare say, without these radical new mandates from the government.  The Catholic Church in America has a long tradition of partnership with government and the wider community in the service of the sick, our children, our elders, and the poor at home and abroad.  We’d sure rather be partnering than punching." --Timothy Cardinal Dolan


"Practically, we’re told that the majority of Catholics use artificial contraception. There are properly medical reasons, in some circumstances, for the use of contraceptive pills, as everyone knows. But even if contraceptives were used by a majority of couples only and exclusively to suppress a possible pregnancy, behavior doesn’t determine morality. If it can be shown that a majority of Catholic students cheat on their exams, it is still wrong to cheat on exams. Trimming morality to how we behave guts the Gospel call to conversion of life and rejection of sin." -- Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.


"The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage nevertheless are opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban it. Religious leadership need not accept such wisdom in counseling their flocks, but they should recognize this wisdom in their politics." --President Obama


"Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation" --President Obama


"I also know that Islam has always been a part of America's story." --President Obama




Did you take the +Ponderings+ poll on President Obama yet?  Click HERE.


Stand up for religious freedom! VISIT THIS SITE

Take Action to Defend Religious Liberty

Find other ways to take action by clicking HERE.

Don't buy what the mainstream media is selling. This is not about birth control or "those crazy Catholics."





UPDATE: "Senate votes, 51-48, to table the Blunt Amendment, which would have allowed employers and insurers to opt out of parts of the Obama health care law -- in particular, birth control -- on moral or religious grounds."


Click HERE to read the USCCB News Release


How did Catholic Senators vote? Read about it at the National Catholic Register.

Buffalo Area Catholics Confront Rep. Kathy Hochul

A line has been drawn in the sand, and President Obama and his supporters have made their contempt for religious freedom known by proceeding with the HHS Mandate. Sadly, many such supporters are among the nearly 70 million American Catholics. The outstanding turnout of over 100 Catholics from the Diocese of Buffalo at a town hall meeting with Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) was due to the concerted efforts of  WLOF Catholic radio, the Catholic Men's group MOJC, and Fr. Leon Biernat. With only two days notice, they were able to move Catholics to attend this meeting which took place last Friday morning. It must also be mentioned that WGRZ News in Buffalo is very supportive of the local Catholic community and did an excellent job providing coverage.

Click HERE to view all footage provided by WGRZ.

Did You Vote for Obama? Will You Again?

Call to Action: Respect for Rights of Conscience Act

UPDATE 2/2/12 and URGENT:  Have you signed the petition on the White House website yet?  CLICK HERE to SIGN.


Under the fine leadership of Cardinal designate Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the USSCB, an unquestionably quick call to action has been heralded against the recent attack against the rights of every Catholic in the United States.   

Dated January 20, 2012:

WASHINGTON—The Catholic bishops of the United States called “literally unconscionable” a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. Today's announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.

“In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The cardinal-designate continued, “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable.It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty."

The HHS rule requires that sterilization and contraception – including controversial abortifacients – be included among “preventive services” coverage in almost every healthcare plan available to Americans. “The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs,” added Cardinal-designate Dolan.At issue, the U.S. bishops and other religious leaders insist, is the survival of a cornerstone constitutionally protected freedom that ensures respect for the conscience of Catholics and all other Americans.

“This is nothing less than a direct attack on religion and First Amendment rights,” said Franciscan Sister Jane Marie Klein, chairperson of the board at Franciscan Alliance, Inc., a system of 13 Catholic hospitals. “I have hundreds of employees who will be upset and confused by this edict. I cannot understand it at all.”

Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, voiced disappointment with the decision. Catholic hospitals serve one out of six people who seek hospital care annually.“This was a missed opportunity to be clear on appropriate conscience protection,” Sister Keehan said.

Cardinal-designate Dolan urged that the HHS mandate be overturned.“The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand,” he said. “The Catholic bishops are committed to working with our fellow Americans to reform the law and change this unjust regulation. We will continue to study all the implications of this troubling decision.”

To take action, go HERE.

Read other +Ponderings from the past about the Obama administration and Ms. Sibelius HERE. 

*See also USCCB January 23, 2012 News Release HERE

"So here's to the women leaders in Congress -- and to the nuns -- "

Heretics among us are receiving thanks from the leader of Planned Parenthood, each of them requiring our prayers - each of them needing to be fitted for asbestos suits - just in case. From Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood President, on our recent Health Care Reform bill, now law:




"Some ask why didn't we yell even louder than we did? Why didn't we overturn the Hyde amendment, which has unfairly prevented poor women from having their health insurance -- Medicaid-- pay for abortion? The simple and discouraging truth is that we have an anti-choice House of Representatives. With the help of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund's political action committee, things got better in 2008, with the election of 28 new pro-choice members of the House and, more importantly, eight new pro-choice U.S. senators. But if you're scoring, when the House voted for the first time on the Stupak abortion ban, 64 Democrats voted in favor of the ban. There are way too many members of Congress who are opposed to women's rights and who vote that way every session -- Republicans and Democrats.

...

And in the last days, when Congressman Stupak and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops threatened to bring down health care reform completely over their narrow demands, the true heroine for women's health was Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She never blinked. In the final hours, when congressional leadership and the White House were scrambling for any vote they could get to reach the magic 216, Speaker Pelosi put herself in the way of the anti-choice steamroller. In private and in public, she vowed that there would be no health care bill if it included the Stupak abortion ban.

And in the final days before the bill was passed, it was the Roman Catholic nuns who most importantly broke with the bishops and the Vatican to announce their support for health care reform. This brave and important move, demonstrating that they cared as much about the health care of families in America as they did about church hierarchy, was a critical demonstration of support. Bart Stupak may not ask the nuns for advice, as he recently announced to the press, but maybe next time he should.

...

It has been a long and difficult process to get health care passed, and the work isn't over yet. But we need more than health care; we need women and men elected to office who will stand up for our health and our rights, even when it's hard. So here's to the women leaders in Congress -- and to the nuns -- and to the women everywhere who were counting on them. They need our gratitude and our support."--Huffington Post

"Sister" Simone Campbell

____________

When Catholics are given a pat on the back by the leader of Planned Parenthood, everyone must take notice.  Obviously, the one receiving congratulatory 'warm fuzzies' has strayed far from the Shepherd. 

Allah, Terrorists, War & Muslim: What's in a Word?

Allah.  

One small word which scores of people around the world use to identify their god.  Arabic in origin, Muslims have adopted the word as their own.  Christians in certain parts of the world refer to God as Allah, including indigenous tribes in Malaysia.  The fact that I wrote the word within this blog entry could result in bloodshed.  My own.  What's in a word?

________________

Early this morning, three churches were bombed in Malaysia, thankfully no one was injured.  Not yet.  The reason for the attacks?  A Catholic newsletter which is available in both Chinese and Malaysian editions petitioned a Malaysian court to be allowed to use the word Allah in the Malay edition.  The plea was approved (and then stayed upon appeal) and protests, some violent, immediately ensued.  The majority of Malaysian Muslims were outraged.  What's in a word?

Mark Baker, AP   

____________________

On one of the most important Christian holy days, Christmas, United States was attacked by a young Nigerian man.  A terrorist.  A warrior for Islam.  Four days later, the President of the United States finally responded. The individual who was caught with his underwear on fire and loaded with explosives was referred to by our leader as a 'suspect' five times.  Christian holy day, Muslim, terrorist and war were words that were never mentioned.  He referred to it as an 'attempted attack'.  What's in a word?

Photo by Joaquin Siopack-Pool/Getty Images

Mr. Obama made remarks again on January 5th about continuing 'security reviews'.  Still nothing about the Muslim terrorists committing an act of war on America.  Meanwhile, the terrorist was 'lawyered up' and secure in the American legal system.  Rumors of a potential 'plea-deal' began to circulate.  Just yesterday, Mr. Obama made remarks from the State Dining Room the White House refers to as 'on Strengthening Intelligence and Aviation Security'. The President began using some words which made my ears perk up.  Following are quotes which probably shocked millions of Americans:

"The immediate reviews that I ordered after the failed Christmas terrorist attack are now complete."

"our government failed to connect the dots in a way that would have prevented a known terrorist from boarding a plane for America."

"that terrorist boarded a plane with explosives that could have killed nearly 300 innocent people, and how we'll strengthen aviation security going forward."

"directing our embassies and consulates to include current visa information in their warnings of individuals with terrorist or suspected terrorist ties."

"In the never-ending race to protect our country, we have to stay one step ahead of a nimble adversary." (it is difficult for our president to say enemy)

"We are at war.  We are at war against al Qaeda, a far-reaching network of violence and hatred that attacked us on 9/11, that killed nearly 3,000 innocent people, and that is plotting to strike us again.  And we will do whatever it takes to defeat them. (Wow!  Baby steps, Mr. Obama.  Baby steps)

"And we know that the vast majority of Muslims reject al Qaeda." (We do?  Where are the voices of the billion Muslims who reject al Qaeda?)  But it is clear that al Qaeda increasingly seeks to recruit individuals without known terrorist affiliations ... And that's why we must communicate clearly to Muslims around the world that al Qaeda offers nothing except a bankrupt vision of misery and death – including the murder of fellow Muslims..."  (I'm sure they really, really care deeply about the words you say.  Not.)

He goes on to mention how he has sought new beginnings with Muslims around the world, most likely internally reflecting upon how he inherited the mess he is in.  His vocabulary is not as limited as one would think, but let us consider what he DID NOT say.  What he DID NOT order as the leader of our nation.  What IS in a word, anyway?

He did not address:

• The attack was on Christianity as well as the U.S.  Christmas Day, Mr. Obama.  Christ.  Christian.
• That the terrorist was allowed to lawyer up in a U.S. court instead of being held as an enemy combatant
• The former Gitmo terrorists we returned to be further trained in Yemen. 
• The Muslim violence across the world against Christians
• The Muslim violence which has been taking place for decades right here in the U.S., including honor killings.  
• The FBI statistics on hate crimes which indicate high level attacks upon Jews in the U.S. and Catholics in a distant second.  Anti-Muslim violence is low.  

___________________________

Today, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab will appear in Federal Court in Detroit.  As it stands now, he will be treated as a common criminal in the U.S. courts.  Presumed innocent, he was not questioned at length and intelligence officials stand to gain no information from the Muslim terrorist.  No leads.  No recruitment specifics.  No potential list of other trainees.  Our President refers to the terrorist as a suspect.  He will be treated like an American and have three square meals a day in the security of a U.S. federal prison.  There will be no 72 virgins for the terrorist - not yet anyway.  His mission failed, but he is merely one warrior in a growing list of Muslims seeking to murder Christians. 

Our nation has chosen to protect this man and treat him like a kid who pulled a knife in a fight.  Our President has no backbone and we face another three years under his administration.  The religion of peace, which now outnumbers the number of Catholics in the world, has ignited a visible fuse and Barack Obama is not showing any signs of stomping out the flames.  I wonder if he would dare say 'Allah' in future remarks.  Mr. President, what's in a word?

_______________

Past +Ponderings+ about Islam may be found here. 
For the Malaysian Prime Minister's response, read here.  

USCCB : Bishops Use the Obama Method When Choosing Advisors

Mary Kay Henry's Bio:

[Emphasis Mine]

Mary Kay Henry was named one of the nation's "Top 25 Women in Healthcare" for 2009 by Modern Healthcare. For nearly 30 years, Henry has represented healthcare workers at the Service Employees International Union, where she helped lead the fight to expand healthcare for millions of children and strengthen the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Henry has devoted her life to helping America's healthcare workers form unions, improve their jobs and the quality of care, and advocate for a more rational and humane health care system. Her faith and values as a practicing Roman Catholic led her to pursue union organizing as a vocation.

...

An active champion of healthcare reform, Mary Kay envisions a U.S. healthcare system that provides universal coverage and gives front-line caregivers a real voice in patient care. She is a member of the executive board of Families USA, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. She is also a labor adviser to and member of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops' Subcommittee on Catholic Health Care.

Mary Kay is also active in the fight for immigration reform and gay and lesbian rights. She is a founding member of SEIU's gay and lesbian Lavender Caucus. She and her partner, Paula Macchello, have been together for 20 years.

_______________________________

Go ahead, 'Google' Mary Kay Henry and the phrase 'marriage' and see what you find.  Then give the Bishops the same treatment - see what they say about marriage.  Could the Bishops NOT find a Roman Catholic in the entire United States of America who adheres to Church teaching that could advise the USCCB on health care?

______________________________

Update December 7, 2009:

It seems that persons at the USCCB are taking the temperature of this story as this blog has been visited by individuals directly from the USCCB mail server.   A link to +Ponderings+ is obviously circulating.  

They recently responded to Catholic News Agency in regard to the scandal:

On Monday, Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, media director for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke with CNA, clarifying the role of Service Employees Union executive and gay rights activist Mary Kay Henry with the bishops' conference.


Sr. Walsh noted that in the past, Mary Kay Henry was chosen by the unions to take part in a dialogue with the USCCB but left in 2006.

She was not appointed by the bishops, Sr. Walsh explained.

Last Friday it was discovered that Henry is listed on the USCCB website as a member of the Subcommittee on Justice, Peace, and Human Development who helped produce the working paper, “A Fair and Just Workplace: Principles and Practices for Catholic Health Care.”

The same day, CNA had asked Sr. Walsh about Henry's involvement with the USCCB, and she replied via email, “She is not a consultant.”

Henry, the international executive vice president for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was recently named one of the nation's "Top 25 Women in Healthcare" for 2009 by Modern Healthcare.  Her biography at the SEIU website explains that she is “active in the fight for immigration reform and gay and lesbian rights.”

As far as clarification goes, I don't think Sr. Walsh's e-mail cuts the mustard. Ms. Henry thinks she is an adviser to the USCCB in regard to health care according to the SEIU website.  If she is or is not remains to be seen.  We know that she served the USCCB in the past and according to Sr. Walsh, it was the union and not the Bishops who chose her.  Outstanding plan to have unions choose our advisers!  

Instead of 'googling' to see what the folks in the pews are saying about the issue, perhaps time would be better spent simply stating the facts of the matter.  No wonder so many faithful fail to go to the confessional - it seems the USCCB has a difficult time with confession themselves.  Hopefully, a self-inflicted penance of vetting all advisers and consultants in the future will be considered - and it would be a wonderful step on the path of reforming the USCCB.

Washington Continues Challenge of Eighth Commandment

It seems that the truth-challenged (politically correct term for liar, just so as not to offend anyone) leader of the United States does not approve of the Stupak Amendment in the Health Care Bill which recently passed by a narrow margin in the House of Representatives. This story was reported in many media outlets, but I wanted to be certain to link to a 'news' site which is not wholly offensive to the leftists (ie: FOX News). From CNN:

In an interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Obama adviser David Axelrod reiterated the president’s position on how abortion should be handled in the debate over health care reform.
“The president has said repeatedly, and he said in his speech to Congress, that he doesn’t believe that this bill should change the status quo as it relates to the issue of abortion,” Axelrod told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “He’s going to work with the Senate and the House to try to ensure that at the end of the day the status quo is not changed.”
Asked specifically whether the Stupak amendment changed the status quo, Axelrod replied “I think it’s fair to say the bill Congress passed does change the status quo. But I believe there are discussions ongoing as to how to change it accordingly.”
King asked Axelrod whether the president would sign a final health care bill that contains the Stupak amendment. Likening it to Obama’s position on the public health insurance, Axelrod said Obama “believes both these issues and can and will be worked through before [the final bill] reaches his desk.”

You may recall his address to Congress on September 9th. He stated with great conviction
"And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up -- under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."

Will the real President Obama please come forward?

"A bad name and disgrace will you acquire: 'That for the evil man with double tongue!'" -- Sirach 6:1b

'Religion of Peace' Attempts to Exterminate Catholicism in the Middle East

What of those Christians in Iraq? Are there any left?

Pope Benedict XVI announced in September 2009 that there will be a Synod of Bishops in the Middle East to address the current crisis in the region. The eastern 'lung' of the Church is on a ventilator and most people in the world are turning a blind eye. Under the guise of political correctness, many world leaders, including Mr. Obama, are more concerned about avoiding 'hurt feelings' among the Muslim world, than the bodies of Christian martyrs piling up.



Below, an appeal from the Bishops and Priests in Iraq:


(Click to enlarge)

What now? A new documentary has been produced by the Charity and Justice organization. Part one is available and here is a description of An Open Door:

The most important aspect of this documentary is to show Iraqi Catholics in their true light, conveying to the world that Catholics in the Middle East are neither terrorists nor refugees. They are people – individuals with a deep faith, rich heritage, and courage. Episode One covers health, with episodes on spirituality, education, contributions of Iraqi Catholics, and employment to follow.

For Catholics to to stay in Iraq, to thrive, and foster positive relations with their Muslim neighbors, and for those who have already migrated due to persecution or poverty to stay connected to their religion and roots, the global Catholic community must work together to provide the opportunities that will enable Iraqi Catholics to shed their refugee status, and become fully participating Iraqi citizens once again.

This will occur through the construction of Catholic schools and hospitals, and development of industry. This is something Iraqis long for and are ready to work for, and a gift for which Iraqi Catholics will be forever grateful to those who can help them.

View part one of An Open Door below:

Irena Sendler: No Nobel Prize Required

Irena Sendler, born in 1910, was raised by her Catholic parents to respect and love people regardless of their ethnicity or social status. Her father, a physician, died from typhus that he contracted during an epidemic in 1917. He was the only doctor in his town near Warsaw who would treat the poor, mostly Jewish victims of this tragic disease. As he was dying, he told 7-year-old Irena, “If you see someone drowning you must try to rescue them, even if you cannot swim.”

In 1939 the Nazis swept through Poland and imprisoned the Jews in ghettos where they were first starved to death and then systematically murdered in killing camps. Irena, by than a social worker in Warsaw, saw the Jewish people drowning and resolved to do what she could to rescue as many as possible, especially the children. Working with a network of other social workers and brave Poles, mostly women, she smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw ghetto and hid them safely until the end of the war. Sendler took great risks – obtaining forged papers for the children, disguising herself as an infection control nurse, diverting German occupation funds for the support of children in hiding. She entered the Warsaw ghetto, sometimes two and three times a day, and talked Jewish parents into giving up their children. Sendler drugged the babies with sedatives and smuggled them past Nazi guards in gunny sacks, boxes and coffins. She helped the older ones escape through the sewers, through secret openings in the wall, through the courthouse, through churches, any clever way she and her network could evade the Nazis.

Once outside the ghetto walls, Sendler gave the children false names and documents and placed them in convents, orphanages and with Polish families. In 1942 the Polish underground organization ZEGOTA recruited her to lead their Children’s Division, providing her with money and support. Her hope was that after the war she could reunite the children with surviving relatives, or at least return their Jewish identities. To that end she kept thin tissue paper lists of each child’s Jewish name, their Polish name and address. She hid the precious lists in glass jars buried under an apple tree in the back yard of one of her co-conspirators.

In 1943 Irena Sendler was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death by firing squad. She never divulged the location of the lists or her Polish underground contacts. At the last moment she was saved by ZEGOTA which bribed a guard to secure her freedom. After the war, the Communist government suppressed any recognition of the courageous anti-fascist partisans, most of whom were also anti-Communists. Irena’s story and those of other courageous Poles, were buried and forgotten. Her courage and resourcefulness were recognized by Israel in 1965 when she was awarded the Yad Vashem medal given to Righteous Gentiles who risked their own lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In 1983 a tree was planted in her honor in Israel. But in general, the world was silent about Irena Sendler.

Silent until 1999, when three Kansas teens uncovered Irena’s story. Liz Cambers, Megan Stewart, and Sabrina Coons (a fourth, Jessica Shelton, joined later), students at rural Uniontown High School were looking for a National History Day project. Their teacher, Norm Conard gave them a short paragraph about Irena Sendler from a 1994 U.S. News and World Report story entitled “The Other Schindlers” and they decided to research her life. According to the article, Irena Sendler smuggled 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto just prior to its liquidation in 1943. (An internet search turned up only one web site that mentioned Irena Sendler. Now there are over 300,000.)

With the help and inspiration of their teacher, they began to reconstruct the remarkable achievements of this forgotten hero of the Holocaust. The three Kansas girls assumed Irena Sendler must be dead and searched for her burial site. To their surprise and delight, they discovered that she was still alive, 90-years-old, living with relatives in a small apartment in Warsaw. They created a play about her rescue efforts called Life in a Jar, which has since been performed more than 200 times in the U.S., Canada and Poland. In May 2001 they visited Irena in Warsaw and began a friendship that has inspired other Polish Righteous Gentiles to break their silence. The visit also made Irena's story known to the world, through the international press. They have visited Irena and Warsaw on four different occasions. Irena is now a Polish national hero and Poland is coming to terms with the painful legacy of the war and the Holocaust. Irena last visited with the Life in a Jar students on May 3, 2008. She died on May 12, 2008, at the age of 98.--Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 but lost to former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore, poster boy for global warming alarmists. Mr. Gore joined a long list of admirable persons including Blessed Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. Now the current U.S. President, Barack Obama, has been awarded the great prize. Nominations for the prize were due 11 days after Mr. Obama took the oath of office. Clearly, the Nobel Peace Prize has an increasingly diminished value and is not based upon what someone has done to spread peace; it is now a political award, not given based upon merit, but on an individual's popularity.

Thankfully, as Christians, we know that we are not of this world. We are here for a short time and we have great hope for life eternal with God. That is the prize which counts, and one of which I am fairly certain Mrs. Sendler has been awarded. Irena Sendler, pray for us.

***Irena Sendler Film Now in Previews!*** -- will provide clip if/when available. For now, watch the video below which shares a bit of Irena's story.