D is for Democrat…and Death

I haven't posted anything about the recent Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade -- not because of a lack of interest...far from it. We simply had a few health crises to deal with in our normally peaceful home. Diane fell and broke her wrist, and last Thursday, the same day the court released its decision, she underwent some rather complex surgery that includes screws and metal plates. She came through it all very well and we hope she's on a fast track to full recovery. This morning she had a post-op appointment and initial therapy session, and all was good, so God be praised! I'm happy and thankful. On Friday, I underwent some oral surgery which left me grumbling about the resulting pain until Diane pointed to her wrist. Yep, she has it far worse than I, so the state of our relative suffering is now clearly understood, making me the primary caregiver. Please pray that the quality of my cooking doesn't add malnutrition to her problems.

Anyway, here a few thoughts about the current chaos. I try not to get too political on this blog, at least not too often, but in today’s world few issues are purely political since most also encompass faith and morality. A perfect example is the United States Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to overturn its earlier (1973) Roe v. Wade decision. The chaos in the streets, the violent attacks on pro-life centers, and the scurrilous claims and offensive comments by politicians, members of the mainstream media, Hollywood celebrities, and the professional pro-abortion crowd...well, it all typifies the ironic lack of choice desired by those who insist on labeling themselves "pro-choice." 

I am, of course, pleased and thankful about the decision, but I'm also disgusted with the hypocrisy, lies, and hatred we’ve had to witness these past few days. In truth, we’ve witnessed all of this for weeks, ever since the leak of the draft majority opinion and the resulting intimidation and threats aimed at the Court’s justices. So…what are we to make of it all?

First of all, the Court's decision did not ban abortion in the United States. It merely stated that the Constitution does not include a "right" to abortion. The earlier 1973 decision was based on a Constitutionally non-existent right to privacy invented by the earlier court; therefore, the current Court ruled that, when it comes to abortion or anything else not specifically included in the Constitution, the 10th Amendment holds; that is: 

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Constitutionally, therefore, the Court considered abortion a state issue, and the people of each state can decide on its legality. This, of course, really upsets the pro-abortion folks because they know if will lead to open debate in state legislatures and the public revelation of the truth about abortion. It will lead people to understand the inherent violence of abortion, a horrendous, barbarous act that destroys the lives of the most innocent among us. So long as Roe v. Wade was considered "law," abortion became an issue that could be pushed aside: "It's been decided; there's no need for further discussion." But now, the discussion, and the truth, will enter the public square and I believe the inherent goodness of most Americans will become evident. We shall see. 

Sadly, though, the Democrat Party is almost exclusively pro-abortion. They have become the party of both death and racism. How many people know that the leading cause of death among Black Americans is abortion. Why? Because Planned Parenthood, an organization that financially supports so many Democrat politicians, was formed by Margaret Sanger, a racist who wanted to eliminate the "lesser races." Why do you think so many Planned Parenthood "clinics" are located in minority communities? And how many Americans realize that it was the Democrats who were the party of slavery? Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Republicans were far more united than Democrats in support of civil rights legislation, while many Democrats voted in opposition. You won't hear that taught in our "woke" public schools.

For the past few days, in advance of the November elections, the Democrats have been trying to shift focus from inflation to abortion, hoping the people will forget about the nation's crumbling economy, climb aboard their sinking ship, and vote instead based on their support for abortion "rights." Yesterday I saw the results of a poll asking Americans what their #1 issue would be in the ballot box. 28% said abortion, while 60% said inflation. The news commentator believed abortion would, however, climb and eventually become the major issue. Of course, he assumed those 28% were all pro-choice. I disagree. For example, I and most of my pro-life friends have always given priority to abortion. For over forty years, I've considered abortion my #1 concern when it comes to voting. Indeed, I have never voted for a pro-choice politician, and actually voted for several Democrats because they were pro-life, and their Republican opponents were not. And I've been a registered Republican since I came of age. 

I may be wrong, but I believe the pro-abortion position will show itself as a big loser politically, especially if the radicals continue to demonstrate their terroristic tendencies. America is a nation of hard workers and entrepreneurs and creators and innovators. We are a nation of builders; a nation that strives to build up, and not tear down. We are a God-fearing nation, not one that tries to cast God out of the public square. We are also a nation of life-givers, live-savers, and life-believers, not a nation of life-destroyers. Too many of our politicians, self-isolated in their D.C. cocoon, simply don't understand this. Perhaps they'll come to appreciate it in November.

In the meantime, sisters and brothers, pray for life and let the world know it!

A Christian Society?

So often we hear people, particularly religious people, speak of our nation as a "Christian Society." Of course, I've never heard one of these folks actually define what that means. To be fair, I suppose it's not a particularly easy thing to define. 

For example, is a Christian society simply a society in which a majority of its citizens call themselves Christians? In the United States this was certainly the case for most of its history, although I'm not sure it remains so today. Anyway, just because a citizenry calls itself Christian, doesn't mean it believes and lives the Christian faith. Such contradictions are apparent with individuals, so why not with nations as well?

Or perhaps a Christian society means the nation is governed by what we consider to be Christian principles; that is, principles based on the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus Christ. Well, if we actually examine the policies and laws of our current government at local, state, and federal levels, the presence of Gospel values seems to be rather rare. Not only are the Ten Commandments increasingly ignored, but the Beatitudes? Well...they're considered irrelevant, certainly nothing on which to base legislation.

These thoughts popped into my aging brain the other day as I re-read the Gospel according to Mark for an upcoming Bible Study session. Mark, who likely wrote the Gospel while in Rome, must have experienced first-hand the persecutions instituted by Emperor Nero. He and the Christians in Rome, who lived under the Empire's totalitarianism and the personal tyranny of Nero, suffered from a level of persecution probably not seen again until the 20th century. I suspect many of these early Roman Christians hoped for a day when the empire might actually be motivated by Christianity. 

Today we have a world in which Christianity is by far the most persecuted religion in the world, By some estimates Christians are actively persecuted in over 160 countries. And I expect this doesn't count the more subtle denigration, social exclusion, and media attacks of Christians increasingly common in the countries like our own.

True Christianity, of course, cannot abide any form of totalitarianism, an ideology  which demands complete control of all aspects of human life by the state. Here in the good ol' USA, a nation populated by those who have historically prided themselves on their love of freedom from all forms of tyranny, we are witnessing a movement toward a form of authoritarianism wielded by those who have forgotten that "we the people" are sovereign. Constitutional rights -- rights endowed by our Creator -- are considered expendable when national crises arise and push those who represent the people to the limits of their authority and capability. And so, they try to exceed both and assume essentially unlimited powers. Although freedom, once lost, is hard to regain, far too many citizens today don't seem to care. 

Some wise sage, I can't recall who, once said that when we give up our freedom we soon forget its value. Even those who regain it often find freedom too much of a challenge and let it slip away once again bit by bit. And those whom we empower? Although they publicly express a loathing of totalitarianism, they privately admit much admiration for its supposed efficiency. I guess it's just the way of the world, really nothing new, simply a symptom of a fallen, sinful people.

Last evening I turned to a volume I hadn't read in a dozen years and was struck by the wisdom of the author. The book was published in the UK in 1940. This was a  time when Great Britain was at war with Hitler's Germany and yet was also aware of the threat posed by another totalitarian state, the Soviet Union. What follows are a few pertinent passages I think worthy of sharing.

"To speak of ourselves as a Christian Society, in contrast to that of Germany and Russia, is an abuse of terms. We mean only that we have a society in which no one is penalized for the formal profession Christianity; but we conceal from ourselves the unpleasant knowledge of the real values by which we live."

Today, sadly, many in both the UK and the USA, are "penalized" for their profession of faith, especially by the technocrats who run social media, which has become perhaps our primary means of interpersonal communication. 

The author went on to write: 

"...a society has ceased to be Christian when religious practices have been abandoned, when behavior ceases to be regulated by reference to Christian principle, and when in effect prosperity in this world for the individual or for the group has become the sole conscious aim."

The author, speaking of the UK of 1940, asks if his society is still Christian simply because it had not yet become something else. He seems to believe that, yes it is, because it wasn't completely pagan. I suppose 80 years ago he was correct. Although I would disagree with his use of the word "pagan" when really we are faced with something quite different from traditional paganism. The growing tendency, at least today in the United States, is to become a-religious, which is certainly not a pagan trait. I suppose this, though, is just a matter of semantics.

The author then turns to one of my heroes, Christopher Dawson, who wrote that non-dictatorial states stand not for traditional liberalism but rather for democracy. Dawson continues "to foretell the advent in these States of a kind of totalitarian democracy." To many this would seem a contradiction, but it's not. Democracy, unchecked by constitutional limitations, inevitably becomes a dictatorship of the majority, often an emerging majority, in which minorities -- for example, Christians -- suffer persecution. 

We then read the following, which should give us pause today as we witness the rapid deterioration of our constitutional rights:

"By destroying traditional social habits of the people, by dissolving their natural collective consciousness into individual constituents, by licensing the opinions of the most foolish, by substituting instruction for education, by encouraging cleverness rather than wisdom, the upstart rather than the qualified, by fostering a notion of getting on to which the alternative is hopeless apathy, Liberalism can prepare the way for that which is its own negation: the artificial, mechanized or brutalized control which is a desperate remedy for its chaos."

As all of this happens, as Liberalism brings about its own destruction, we still "insist upon the preserves of 'private life' in which each man may obey his own convictions of follow his own whim: while imperceptibly this domain of 'private life' becomes smaller and smaller, and may eventually disappear altogether."

Where does this most easily happen? According to the author materialism is both a symptom and a cause.

"The more highly industrialized the country, the more easily a materialistic philosophy will flourish in it, and the more deadly that philosophy will be...And the tendency of unlimited industrialization is to create bodies of men and women -- of all classes -- detached from tradition, alienated from religion, and susceptible to mass suggestion: in other words, a mob. And a mob will be no less a mob if it is well fed, well clothed, well housed, and well disciplined"

And so, today many of the institutions that define our society have left neutrality behind and become openly anti-Christian. Should this trend continue, and I can think of no strictly human effort that will stop it or slow it down, eventually Christianity and Christians will be considered and treated as enemies of the state. In our author's words, the course for the Christian then becomes "very much harder, but it is simpler."

As you can see, even from the few passages I have quoted, the author was prescient in his understanding of where Western society was headed 80 years ago, and where it is today. The essay, written by the poet, T. S. Eliot, is included in the book, "Christianity and Culture." It's one of those books I turn to every decade or so just to remind me that God is in charge and that, without His guidance, humanity will make a mess of pretty much everything. I addressed only a few of Eliot's thoughts, those that set the stage for his major thesis. Read the book. You'll enjoy it. 

Descending Into Democracy

Every once in a while I surprise myself. While observing the current political landscape, I happened to recall having written something a few years ago about the perils of democracy. I know...to most Americans this sounds like political heresy, but it's actually very much in tune with the thinking of our founding fathers. These brilliant, prescient men founded not a democracy but a constitutional representative republic designed to protect the people from both their government and themselves.

Somewhere in his wonderful work (I don't have the time to search for his exact words), Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville, said, in effect, that only two types of equality can exist: the equality of all, or the equality of none. Once we chip away at the sovereignty of all, political power will ultimately be wielded by only one or perhaps a few. In speaking of the equality and sovereignty of all, he was not equating either to democracy, for democracy results in the grasping of power by the majority and if uncontrolled becomes only another form of tyranny.

After a brief search, I discovered I had posted these thoughts eleven years ago on December 30, 2009. Anyway, I thought it particularly applicable given what's been taking place in our country during the past decade. I won't repeat it all here since it's much easier simply to provide a link, should you be inclined to read it:

Democracy? No Way!

Pray for the U.S.A., folks.

COVID-19 Bible Study Reflection #18: Blessed to Be Americans

How blessed we are to be Americans!

A little over 231 years ago, on March 4, 1789, our Constitution, drafted by our founders and ratified by the states, went into effect. In the first ten amendments to that Constitution, what we call our Bill of Rights, the God-given rights of the people are protected from the government. That’s right, the Bill of Rights limits the government, not the people. It was designed to be a document, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “of the people, by the people, for the people.” The Constitution does not celebrate the government; it celebrates the American people.

When we look at the Bill of Rights, we discover something else that reveals the priorities of the founders. To ensure future generations understood its importance, the very first of the rights guaranteed by the founders is the right of religious freedom.

The First Amendment begins with the words:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

According to our Constitution, then, we have the right to worship freely without the threat of government interference. But because it is our Constitution, you and I, indeed all Americans, must ensure that the government we elect to do the work of the people, to do our work, must never usurp or trample on those God-given rights protected by the Constitution.

We are truly blessed to be Americans, but as the citizens of this nation, we are sovereign, and must never abdicate our sovereignty by allowing politicians and bureaucrats to rule in our stead. As Americans we are not ruled; we are represented. Those in government are called to do our work. As Christians, though, we must also live under the authority of God who is the true sovereign, the Creator of the cosmos. For us, then, His Law supersedes all human law.

It might seem like an odd choice, given the theme of this reflection, but I’d like you to turn to Matthew’s Gospel and read Mt 8:28-34. I’ve included the passage here:

When He came to the other side, to the territory  of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met Him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with Him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And He said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town, they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their district" [Mt 8:28-34].

This visit by Jesus to the land of the Gadarenes is a remarkable incident, a rare event in His public ministry. Jesus, who spent most of His public life among the Jews, here does something very different. He crosses the Sea of Galilee and enters the province of Gadara, a place populated largely by pagans. Gadara is depicted as a district especially under the sway of the Evil One – God’s name is not invoked there, His law is not obeyed – and so, we shouldn’t be surprised to find demoniacs dwelling there in their natural habitat.

It must have been a disturbing visit for the apostles, as evidenced by the fact that we hear absolutely nothing from them during the visit. We sense, however, that Jesus is showing them the kinds of challenges they will later face when they go out into the world to “make disciples of all nations” [Mt 28:19]. Until now they’ve been accustomed to people coming to Jesus for healing and instruction and forgiveness. Indeed, only moments before, as they crossed the Sea, the apostles themselves had begged Jesus to save them from the freak storm that had arisen [Mt 8:23-27].

Yes, they had heard many people pleading with Jesus for help; and had even uttered some of those pleas themselves:

Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean [Mt 8:2].

"...only say the word and my servant will be healed [Mt 8:8].

Lord, that I might see…[Lk 18:41].

Lord, save us, we are perishing [Mt 8:25].

How different were the cries they heard this day in this strange place…

What have you to do with us, Son of God? [Mt 8:29]

A remarkable question by these demons, isn’t it? How darkly urgent is their need to separate themselves from Jesus. And how do they do it? By denouncing him as the Son of God! Imagine that! Yes, in spitting out their hatred, their poison, they who lie so easily can do nothing but proclaim the truth.

We sense some tiny remnant of goodness in their nature, but one that is exclusively intellectual. They know who Jesus is. But knowledge isn’t love – something we who engage in Bible Study must always be wary of. We study Sacred Scripture not simply to expand our knowledge of our God, but rather to deepen our love for Him so we can live the life He wants for us.

The demons, though, through their own choice, have totally disfigured the beauty of their souls, a beauty created in the beginning by God. Now, no beauty remains. No moral order remains. Is it any wonder, then, that this acknowledgment of Jesus’ identity should escape from them, just as everything else does, with destructive violence?

What have you to do with us…?

What indeed can the spirit of evil have in common with the Son of God? In a sense, this question, what have we in common, is the same question the centurion asked of Jesus when he uttered, “Lord I am not worthy…” [Mt 8:8] But for the demons it’s not a matter of unworthiness, but rather a question filled with hollow pride. It’s as if they sneer at Jesus:

“How dare you come to us. Don’t you, Son of God, have better things to do? Leave us alone.”

You see, the demons can lie to everyone except to God.

“Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” [Mt 8:29]

These demons can’t believe that Jesus has entered this place among the tombs of the dead where evil believed itself safe from God’s Word. But now…now they know that Jesus’ redeeming work knows no boundaries. The Word of God must spread throughout the earth, and no place is exempt. How does the Apostles’ Creed put it? “He descended into hell…”

They know, too, that their hold over a portion of humanity is only temporary, for they scream at Jesus, reproaching him for coming before the kairos, before the appointed season of definitive judgment and the expulsion of the forces of evil. How odd. While they clearly know who Jesus is, and hate him for it, they appear pathetically misinformed about the extent of their authority. But in Jesus’ presence, they resign themselves to being cast out.

Unlike the centurion who saw his servant’s illness as an evil that needed Jesus’ healing intervention, these demons, having made evil the cause of their very being, find only torment in their Healer. Rather than surrender to Jesus’ healing presence, they beg Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs – a choice that reveals their true condition.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus offers each one of us healing and life. There is just one other choice, and it leads only to death. How humiliating this incident in Gadara must have been for Satan. Satan, the pure spirit, is routed by the mere presence of this Divine Person who has inexplicably humbled Himself by embracing the weakness of our human physical and psychological nature.

Yes, Satan still lurks about seeking souls who will admit him. But at the same time, in the presence of Jesus Christ, he is powerless. When Jesus is present, in our individual souls, in our community, in our nation, Satan has no power. He can do nothing.

But when a people and a nation turn away from Jesus Christ, when a people decide that the presence of God, the name of God, is an embarrassment, that the sovereignty of God is an insult to their intelligence and freedom, then they create a vacuum that Satan is only too ready to fill.

Although our nation is far from perfect, for most of its history it turned openly and willingly to God for help and guidance. “In God we trust” is still embossed on our currency. And we still pledge ourselves as “one nation, under God.” But sadly, although religious freedom is a fundamental human right, one that comes not from man but from God, much of recorded history is the story of men trying to deny it, to take it away.

Throughout our nation’s history many have given their lives so you and I can reap the benefits of religious freedom and the other rights enumerated in our Constitution. Like those who came before us and sacrificed so much to guarantee the freedoms we so often take for granted, we too are called to defend these rights. But today the greatest threat to these rights is not from foreign adversaries, but from many of those we have elected to represent us or appointed to exercise judgment.

The Church – and brothers and sisters, that’s you and me – is under attack. We face real threats to our religious liberty. Many in Congress want to force us to accept and even pay for that which violates our deepest religious and moral convictions.

The most obvious and egregious example is abortion, an evil like no other. To accept the slaughter of the most innocent among us, our own unborn children, by torturous dismemberment…well, it is simply beyond comprehension. And yet, as a nation, we have done exactly that to over 60 million Americans since 1973. Can anything be more unjust than the slaughter of these innocents?

Perhaps, as a nation, we should turn to the prophets, who repeatedly called the people of another nation, Israel, to return to the Lord before they experienced divine judgment. Amos, for example, chastised a wealthy Israel, a nation that practiced a religion without justice, pleading with all:

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; then truly the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you as you claim. Hate evil and love good, and let justice prevail at the gate; then it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will have pity on the remnant of Joseph. [Am 5:14-15]

"Seek the Lord that you may live..." [Am 5:5] God expects us to seek Him in all that we do. He expects us to act, so justice will prevail! You and I may think we’re not important enough for our voices to be heard, but that’s simply not true. Just consider how God has called on the weak and the obscure to be His messengers. Amos was a simple sheep herder and pruner of sycamore trees [Am 7:14], and yet, chosen by God, he courageously confronted the hypocritical and unjust leaders of Israel.

Isaiah and Jeremiah were both called from the womb to be God’s great prophets [Is 49:1; Jer 1:5]. David, the young shepherd, raised up by God to be King of his people [1 Sam 16:12]. And John the Baptist, dwelling in the desert, was destined from the moment of creation to be the herald of Jesus Christ [Mt 11:9-11].

Brothers and sisters, we too are called by God, just as Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, John, the apostles, and so many others were called from obscurity to take God’s Word to the world. Like that tiny mustard seed of the Gospel, wondrous things can come from even the smallest voice.

Today, as we face so many challenges to the most fundamental of our rights, we, you and I, must plant and nourish that seed. We must speak up. We must defend our right to religious freedom in both the public square and the ballot box. To do so is a responsibility, an obligation that derives not only from our citizenship, but even more so from our faith.

Satan would love to turn us into today’s Gadarenes, but believe me, that will not happen if we, as the People of God, as the Body of Christ, as a nation of free men and women, remain true to the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. Pray for the Spirit, dear friends, for the presence of the Holy Spirit as the guide for our nation. Where the Spirit is, so too is Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yes, how blessed we are to be Americans. Let us pray that our children and grandchildren will always be able to say those same words.

“The Evil One Is At Work Here”

The words in the title of this post are words spoken by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone who has had to cope with a mayor and a governor that seem to be doing all in their power to shut down churches, especially Catholic churches, in San Francisco and throughout the state. Of course, Archbishop Cordileone and his brother bishops in California are not alone. Almost all American bishops, and many others throughout the world, have had to cope with some level of anti-religious control from local and state governments. It’s as if the political forces were just waiting for an opportunity to separate the people from the practice of their faith. Evil will, of course, fail at this, but in the meantime the faith of many will be challenged.

The celebration of Mass has been effectively banned in many cities and states. The same is true of most other sacramental rites. To understand how specifically anti-religious these controls are, one need only look at other permitted gatherings. Here’s just one example, In San Francisco even the celebration of an outdoor Mass, regardless of the size of the venue, must be limited to only 12 people, including the priest. And yet Black Lives Matter “protesters” can congregate in the streets, with no separation whatsoever, and are encouraged to do so by local politicians.  

In a recent interview, Archbishop Cordileone stated that there is a definite “spiritual” connection between these Mass restrictions and the defacing and destruction of Catholic statues that recently plagued His archdiocese. He went on to say, “I performed a minor exorcism at the site of the statue of St. Junipero Serra in Golden Gate Park because statues of holy saints are sacramentals; their destruction is a sacrilege. The Evil One is at work here.” The photo below shows the Archbishop blessing the site.

The Archbishop continued by addressing what this means to us as Americans: “To take something as beautiful and holy as the face of Our Mother and desecrate it? What demons these poor, battered souls must be fighting. In the midst of all our troubles, to be deprived of the Eucharist is both a serious imposition on our rights as Americans and a serious spiritual deprivation.” He went on to say, “I’m not sure the governing authorities here in San Francisco really realize the pain they are imposing on people.” The Archbishop is much kinder than I am, for I believe they know exactly what they’re doing and the effect it has on the Catholic faithful. Yes, indeed, there is evil at work here. 

As for the Catholic faithful, Archbishop Cordileone tells them to “Pray, fast, say the rosary. Focus on living your Catholic faith in the home, with your family, praying the rosary as a family, reflecting together on the Scripture readings for Sunday Mass, watching good Catholic programming together. Reach out to help your neighbors. Let your priests know you care about them. And if you must attend Mass via livestream, don’t just ‘watch’ the Mass: worship.”  

Personally, and I am speaking here only as an American and a Catholic, I honestly believe all the restrictions placed on religious activity by government authorities are unconstitutional. Nowhere in the U. S. Constitution does the government have the power to restrict the religious activity of the people. Indeed, exactly the opposite is true. The primary right of the people, the first God-given right mentioned in the Constitution, is the right of the people to worship freely, as specified in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”

Can anyone not see that those who wield governmental power are preventing American citizens of the right to freely exercise their faith? While I certainly respect Archbishop Cordileone for what he is doing, or attempting to do, as he battles the power of evil that confronts the Church today, I believe it's time for our bishops to resist this evil strongly and openly. We are a Eucharistic Church and, as the fathers of the Second Vatican Council declared, the Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life." Because of the interference of secular government, most Catholics today are deprived of the Eucharistic Bread of Life, as well as the graces that flow from the other sacraments.

It’s time for our bishops to stand tall for religious freedom. "Blessed are the meek," Jesus promised, but the meek are not the indifferent. We don’t need the government to dictate how we may worship, and should resist their attempts to do so. The Church can care for its own people and devise safe conditions to ensure the health of the faithful. Our bishops should demand the freedom to exercise the Church's First Amendment rights and do so safely. They should also be willing to suffer the consequences, even if it means imprisonment and fines. Over the past 2,000 years, beginning with the Apostles themselves, many bishops, in a spirit of courageous meekness, have paid a far greater price for such courageous acts of faith.

Remember, too, how Jesus completed the Beatitudes, this time speaking personally to His disciples:

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me..." [Mt 5:11]

Years ago I used to conduct a course on negotiating for businesspeople, and one of the more effective strategies was that used by those who were perceived as powerless: the power of no power. If you are willing to accept whatever consequences your opponent can inflict, you have just given yourself significant power, especially in the court of public opinion. Here's a wonderful example...

Perhaps our bishops and all Christian churches should look to Evangelical Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles County (photo at left). Pastor MacArthur has been threatened with jail time and fines because he refuses to accept Governor Newsome's restrictions that prevent his church from conducting in-person services. 

According to the pastor, "We believe the governor, the county, the city, and the health department are going against the Constitution. And just to remove one obvious question, the rate of COVID in California is 1/100 of 1% of 40 million people...and that eliminates freedom of worship from the entire state?"

The pastor went on to explain that his church has "been meeting together now for weeks and weeks and weeks, and...nobody in our congregation has ever been to the hospital with this...There's another virus loose in the world and its the virus of deception, and the one who is behind the virus of deception is the arch-deceiver, Satan himself. And it's not a surprise to me that, in the midst of all this deception, the great effort that is going on is to shut down churches that preach the Gospel." How did Archbishop Cordileone put it? "The Evil One is at work here."

Pastor MacArthur then added, "We received a letter with a threat that we could be fined or I could go to jail for a maximum of six months. Of course, my Biblical hero, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, is the apostle Paul...so I don't mind being a little apostolic if they want to tuck me in jail. I'm open for a jail ministry. I've done a lot of other ministries and haven't had the opportunity to do that one, so bring it on."

You have to love the man. And as Catholics we should join hands and minds and hearts with other Christians, with men and women like Pastor MacArthur, as we fight the battle against the powers of the world. I really believe that it will be through our common suffering and persecution that the unity Jesus Christ longs for will come about.

What Are They Saying?

I keep hearing people say some very odd things, sometimes stupid things. I'm sure many don't realize how strange their words sound, but maybe if they actually thought about what they're saying, they'd stop saying it. For example:

"We're all in this together." 

No, we're not. The protected classes certainly aren't. These include the multi-millionaires and billionaires, the Wall Street denizens, most professionals, tenured academics, government bureaucrats at all levels, media talking heads, and of course, members of Congress, state legislators, mayors, and city council members...and so many more. All of these well-protected people are pretty much isolated from the more dire effects of the coronavirus panic...at least its short-term effects. These are also the people who make most of the decisions that affect the hard-working citizens of the USA.

Another group includes the non-working poor; that is, those who receive regular welfare payments, food stamps, Medicaid, and all the rest. They, too, have been largely unaffected by the pandemic, at least financially. Their checks have continued and they've even received a nice big bonus. I know this because I've spoken privately with a lot of these folks, my soup-kitchen friends, and most are very content with the current situation. Interestingly, several told me they are receiving even more meals and other food and household products since the pandemic, largely because charitable contributions and governmental assistance have increased dramatically. Yes, there are some exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.

 
Another group includes me; that is, those of us who are retired and receive monthly checks from the U.S. Treasury. My income isn't very high, but it certainly didn't drop. Indeed, it experienced a nice rise when my bank account received that government bonus check. Other than experiencing a little "cabin fever," most of us have weathered the pandemic fairly well.

There are a few other unaffected groups, but let's turn our attention to those who have been hammered most by the coronavirus debacle: the working poor and the middle class. Also included here are the entrepreneurs, the folks who create jobs and keep our economy going. Unfortunately, these are the people who, disproportionately, have lost their jobs and income and may well lose their businesses. 

The leftist totalitarians, who demonstrate an insatiable desire to run every aspect of our lives, consider businesses, especially small businesses, so very non-essential. Big businesses are generous with campaign contributions, but most small businesses reinvest their profits where they will do the most good: in their businesses and employees. The fact that small businesses employ 50% of American workers means nothing. The left, you see, wants everyone to work for the government; that is, they want socialism. If you're a barber in Michigan, if you own a bar in Chicago, a gym in New Jersey, a restaurant in Manhattan, or a gun shop in LA, and if you decide to reopen your business, you can expect special treatment from the dictator wannabes who lead these states. How about a hefty fine or a cozy bunk in one of their jails? After all, they've made room for you because they've freed so many child molesters, rapists, and other criminals. Lifelong politicians don't have a clue. Remember that when you cast your next ballot.

Then there's this one:

"Join us in supporting America's essential workers."

I heard these words during a commercial aired by some company that wanted us all to know they provided material, moral, and emotional support to healthcare workers, fire and police, and other key "essential" workers. The commercial included a rapid-fire series of images of the kinds of people who fit their narrow criteria. It was one of those "pat ourselves on the back" commercials by a company that has furloughed a bunch of their own "non-essential" employees.

My problem relates to the essential vs. non-essential designation. It really boils down to decisions made by politicians or government bureaucrats who likely have never worked in the private sector or had to invest sweat equity in a business they owned. We see the result when power-hungry governors and mayors fine or order the arrest of owners of small businesses who actually believe the Constitution was written to protect them from tyrants. 

These same un-Constitutional decisions are too often influenced by political considerations. For example, why is a Walmart employee essential, but a local deli worker non-essential? Why is a Planned Parenthood abortionist essential, but an orthopedic surgeon who performs knee, shoulder, or hip replacements non-essential? Why is a news reporter more essential than a priest, minister, or rabbi? After all they're all protected by the First Amendment. And why is a member of Congress, who really does very little, essential, but a barber, who provides a needed service, non-essential? Believe me, my barber, a wonderful man named Salty, has done far more for me than my congressman. When it comes to the economy, pandemic or not, every job that feeds families and keeps people employed is essential...period!

And how about these words...

"You are violating the governor's orders..."

These were spoken by a police officer and addressed to the owner of a gym in Bellmahr, NJ. 

Colonel Patrick Callahan, New Jersey State Police Superintendent, stated that in addition to a summons for violating Governor Phil Murphy's stay-at-home order, the owners of Atilis Gym were charged with making a public nuisance. Gym owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti had stated that they intended to remain open. They took every necessary precaution to protect their members from the coronavirus. They followed all the guidelines to ensure social distancing, as well as proper cleanliness and disinfecting of equipment. One of the owners correctly stated that it was primarily a Constitutional issue, that the governor's executive orders violated the Constitutional rights of American citizens. They had broken no laws. 

At this point I intend to write something that will upset many of my readers, but I really don't care, because it is the truth.

The gym owners, because they are willing to sacrifice their livelihood and their freedom, to place it all on the line in support of their Constitutional rights, are men of courage. As someone who wore the uniform of the United States Navy for several decades, I swore an oath "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." I also swore to obey the orders of those "appointed over me." But if an order violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- i.e., if it were illegal -- I could not legally obey it. The New Jersey State Police also take an oath and it too requires that they defend the Constitution of the United States; indeed, that's the very first element of their oath.

Although the governor has shown himself to be a power-hungry little dictator, the people of New Jersey can handle him through the electoral process, assuming they are wise enough to discern what's he's doing to their freedoms. My real problem, though, is with the police. The police, according to the NJ State Police General Order #1, may arrest or issue a summons only when someone has violated the law. The governor's orders, however, are not laws. Laws can only be enacted by the state legislature. Why, then, are the police acting as they are? I can think of only two reasons: (1) They are simply ignorant and don't realize what does and does not constitute a law. In other words, they do not understand the U. S. or New Jersey Constitutions and the rights of citizens; or (2) They fear the consequences of disobedience, should they fail to summons or arrest those who violate the governor's illegal order. In other words, they don't want to be fired or otherwise punished by the governor.

The upshot? The gym owners have shown themselves to be courageous men with a deep respect for our Constitutional freedoms. And the police who are involved in this injustice? Watching some of the interactions between police and those asserting their freedoms, one senses the officers are somewhat embarrassed to challenge these law-abiding citizens. One also hopes they are merely ignorant, because I'd hate to think of them as cowardly.

I have always had tremendous respect for our law enforcement officers at every level, local state, and federal. But when they encounter corruption at the highest levels, they are faced with a choice. They can go along, hoping it will go away. Of course, it won't, not until it is openly confronted. They can refuse to take part and either be fired or perhaps allowed to resign. Or they can fight it using whatever means available to them. Sadly, most seem to choose the first option.

Many of these governors are currently being sued for taking such draconian, un-Constitutional actions. As these suits move through the courts I expect the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against the governors. I simply can't imagine the justices agreeing to set aside the Bill of Rights because of a virus.

"You can't save everyone. You're gonna lose people. That's life."

No, Governor Cuomo, that's death. 

New York's governor, Andrew "Liveshot" Cuomo, uttered these words when questioned about his order demanding nursing homes accept patients infected by COVID-19. This order, which the average 10-year-old would realize was idiotic, resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of New York's senior citizens, those most vulnerable to the effects of this virus. I actually take this decision by the governor personally because, at the age of 75, I'm right there in the mix with all these elderly people who are no longer with us. 

Why did this happen? The governor told us: "You're gonna lose people." And if "you're gonna lose people," I suppose you might as well lose those who count the least. This is how today's leftists think. Sanctity of life means absolutely nothing to them. Not only are some jobs more essential than others, so too are some lives. 

The unborn, for example, are essentially meaningless. They simply don't count. For some on the left, who strive to limit the effects of humanity on the planet, the best approach is to stop humans from being born. If contraception doesn't do the job, just snuff 'em out in the womb. The aged, too, have become unnecessary. Not only do they no longer contribute much to society, but it also costs far too much to keep them alive. The numbers tell the story. They're living so much longer now. Social security, government pensions, Medicare...it all adds up. Just send a bunch of infected folks into those nursing homes and let nature run its course.

Of course, creating a culture of death that supports abortion and euthanasia also helps undermine the left's most powerful enemy, organized religion, especially those faiths that actually cherish God's gift of life. And while I'm on the subject, thank you, Mr. President, for encouraging the states to open up our churches. It's about time. Let's hope they listen.

Some church leaders have been courageously defying governors' orders that blatantly violate the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the amendment that bars government from prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Here's a recent article addressing the issue: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/religious-leaders-weigh-defiance-if-theyre-asked-to-close-church-doors-again

And kudos to the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota who decided to allow parishes to celebrate Mass with parishoners present despite the order banning services by Governor Tim Walz. Their action obviously put the pressure on the governor who then rescinded his order. See the story: https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/after-minnesota-bishops-plan-to-defy-mass-restrictions-governor-eases-rules