The occasional, often ill-considered thoughts of a Roman Catholic permanent deacon who is ever grateful to God for his existence. Despite the strangeness we encounter in this life, all the suffering we witness and endure, being is good, so good I am sometimes unable to contain my joy. Deo gratias!


Although I am an ordained deacon of the Catholic Church, the opinions expressed in this blog are my personal opinions. In offering these personal opinions I am not acting as a representative of the Church or any Church organization.

Showing posts with label Parental Rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parental Rights. Show all posts

Saturday, August 14, 2021

The Bad, the Ugly, and the Stupid

Reading the news these days has become like a visit to one of those Ripley’s Believe it or Not “museums” where one is confronted by the outlandish, the truly weird, and the absolutely screwy. Things are happening in our nation and in the world, unexpected odd things, irrational things, that make us question the very sanity of many of our human race’s most esteemed members. Let me just toss a few recent headlines your way and perhaps add a word or two of explanation where explanation is even possible.

U.S. Threatens Taliban with Isolation if Kabul Falls. Not only did the U.S. threaten the Taliban with the horror of isolation, but they were joined in this threat by even more forceful words from both the European Union and the United Nations who also threatened global isolation. Let’s see, the Taliban are a vicious, sadistic, self-isolated collection of radical Islamists who could not care less about being isolated by a world they despise. The U.S, the E.U., and the U.N. Represent everything they hate, everything they want to destroy. I can think of nothing they fear less than global isolation. 

“Come get us,” they will cry to the world once they take control of the entire Afghan nation. “Come get us,” just as so many in the past have tried to conquer the Afghan people. They all failed. Who does the E.U. and the U.N. plan to send? Belgian and Norwegian military police, U.N. Peacekeepers, or perhaps a judge from the European Court of Human Rights? That’ll work.

Perhaps we have finally learned — although I doubt it — that we cannot turn an Islamic nation with an ingrained, millennial-long, militaristic, tribal, misogynistic mindset into the mirror image of a modern European parliamentary republic by telling Afghans about the glories of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and the works of Thomas Paine, which most couldn’t read even in translation. 

Scotland: 4-year-olds Can Change Gender Without Parental Consent. Yes, indeed, the Scots, who once stood tall and even fought vigorously for the clan, now cede parental authority to the state. It’s all about the government’s new LGBT inclusivity guidelines, which among other things, allow young children to change their genders and names without parental consent. London’s Daily Telegraph reported that the guidelines claim students of any age can change genders. Schools must also design gender-neutral uniforms and use recommended reading lists promoting transgender inclusivity. Do you think, perhaps, any citizen who voices opposition will likely be accused of a hate crime?

We’re not Scotland, you might say, and you’re right. But, believe me, we’re not that far behind. And if you listen to our modern movers and shakers, they’re already talking about doing exactly what the Scots have done. Just a guess, but I suspect Scotland doesn’t permit home schooling.

Dr. Anthony Fauci Says Criticism of Him Is “Inexplicable”. That’s right, the ubiquitous immunologist and “live-shot” TV star, has expressed concern that some of his viewers have been criticizing him, and doing so openly, in public. This man, the highest paid federal employee, finds such criticism “inexplicable” and says everyone should realize the virus, not he, is the enemy. He said this and much more in an MSNBC interview with Joy Reid who, of course, absolutely loves the doctor. Not discussed was Dr. Fauci’s increased politicization of the “science,” all too apparent by his frequent flip-flops on almost every aspect of how we mere peasants must deal with the pesky virus. Does anyone who really matters still listen to this man? I certainly don’t, although admittedly I probably don’t matter very much. 

Here’s one more, a very sad story that should put all Americans on guard when we hear the left waxing eloquently about the glories of government-run healthcare. 

UK Government to End Life of Two-Year-Old Jewish Girl. I won’t provide a detailed report since you can read the entire story yourself, but here are the basics. This little girl, Alta Fixsler, whose parents are Israeli citizens (The father is also a U.S. citizen.), must not be kept alive by the UK’s medical authorities. This decision by the ironically named European Court of Human Rights declared her parents do not have the right to keep her alive even though treatment is available elsewhere, specifically in the U.S. and Israel. To show how the state has completely usurped the rights and authority of parents, the court stated, “Alta is not of an age, nor in a condition to have knowledge of and adopt her parents’ values.” The parents, of course, are believing, practicing Jews and want to take their child to Israel, but even this is prohibited. 

The Israeli president wrote to Prince Charles in June requesting his help for little Alta. According to Yeshiva News his letter included the following plea:

“It is the fervent wish of her parents, who are devoutly religious Jews and Israeli citizens, that their daughter be brought to Israel. Their religious beliefs directly oppose ceasing medical treatment that could extend her life and have made arrangements for her safe transfer and continued treatment in Israel. 

“I know that representations have been made to HM [Her Majesty’s] Government on this matter, but I feel that the unique circumstances warrant a personal intervention on my part to you. It would be a tragedy if these parents’ wishes could not be accommodated in a way that respects both the law and their religious beliefs.”

Back in June a large number of Republican U.S. senators requested that President Biden ask Prime Minister Johnson to help this little girl. And just last week a group of Democrat senators asked the UK ambassador to “facilitate the travel of Alta Fixsler from the UK to the United Staes, where care for her is waiting.” Senator Schumer even obtained a visa for the little girl’s travel. Wow! It looks as if little Alta Fixsler might actually have led the Senate to some form of bi-partisan agreement.

I pray for this little girl and her family, and ask the Holy Spirit, the “Lord and Giver of life” to move the hearts of those who have become so seduced by the world’s culture of death. I also pray to Blessed Margaret of Castello (if you don’t know of her, look her up) that she intercede for the sake of Alta’s life.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Wars and Numbers

The current administration and its allies have been talking a lot about a supposed "War on Women," but if one looks at the numbers published by this same administration's agencies, it would seem there are some other wars being waged. Knowing how they can be misused to distort reality, I'm not normally a big fan of statistics. But in some instances the numbers are so extreme they can lead to only one conclusion. Here are a few examples.

The War on Black Babies. African Americans make up only 12.6 % of the population of our country, yet they have 46% of all abortions. And in Mississippi black babies are the victims of 78% of abortions. Does the African American community not realize what is being done to them? And why is our first African American president such a champion of abortion, even supporting the killing of babies who happen to survive an abortion? That's right, as a state senator, Barack Obama opposed the "Born-Alive Infants Protection Act" on three different occasions. The bill recognized babies born after attempted abortions as persons and required doctors to give them medical care. To show how extreme his position is, the federal version of this bill passed the U. S. Senate unanimously. Read more here and here.

The War on Parents. The "Obamacare" mandate issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services has generated much controversy, largely because of its requirement that religious affiliated organizations offer services that directly violate their religious beliefs. But did you know that it also demands that parents' healthcare plans include free coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs for minor children? And here's the interesting statistic: in 26 states there is no requirement for parental notification. In other words, a school nurse can't give a child an aspirin without her parent's consent, but that same 12-year-old can get a "morning-after" abortifacient from any physician who's willing to give it to her. Read more here.

War on Christians in Africa. While it hasn't received much attention in the mainstream media, Islamists in many African nations have been waging a war on Christians. In Egypt, the Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent, Islamic fundamentalists have murdered Christians, destroyed churches, burned Christian homes and businesses, all in an attempt to eliminate the Christian community. Remarkably, despite this ongoing persecution, these communities have persevered, setting a wonderful example of faith for the world's Christians. The most interesting statistic out of Africa, though, relates to the increase in its Christian population, which has now surpassed the continent's Muslim population. Christians now make up 46.5% of Africa's population, while Muslims make-up only 40.5%. It is estimated that within 10 years Africa will be the continent with the largest Christian population. This rising tide of Christianity has reportedly disturbed the continent's Islamic fundamentalists.

Massimo Introvigne, the founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) at the University of Morocco, stated:

“This data is still not widely known but they have a profound historical, cultural and political significance. There are now more practicing Christians in Africa than in Europe. In the long run, this will not only change Africa but Christianity as well, as John Paul II had intuited. His attention to Africa was continued by Benedict XVI who has already visited the continent twice.
“Of course, not everyone is happy about this development. Some Islamic ultra-fundamentalists consider it scandalous that there are more Christians than Muslims in Africa and proceed to persecute and kill Christians in countries such as Nigeria, Mali, Somalia and Kenya. The way the ultra-fundamentalists see it, today, the battle which will determine whether the world will be Muslim or Christian is being fought in Africa. And that Islam is losing. This is why they are responding with bombs.”

You can read more here.


Lots of wars taking place in the world today, but too many of them are way under the radar.

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