Our American Brothers and Sisters go to the polls in November. Catholic voters have recently put aside their consciences and voted for people, some of whom claim to be Catholic, who support abortion, redefinition of marriage, and the taking away of constitutional freedoms.
The Catholic faith is not a smorgasbord, where you pick and choose what you want. In truth you are either a Catholic Christian committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your heart, or you are not really Catholic, more what we would call a cultural Catholic. A cultural Catholic pretends that being Catholic matters, but believes that he/she is the maker of his/her own destiny.
This attitude should never have come to the fore, but frankly our bishops and priests fell asleep along with us, and did not provide the teaching that would form our consciences to a hardness that is necessary to wage war against the vagaries of secular humanism and moral relativism.
It's a new day, Baby. Time to wake up and smell the scorching flesh, before it is yours.
Here is a video that should inspire Catholics and all Christians of good will, because abortion, marriage and religious freedom are not Catholic issues. They are issues for all people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=D9vQt6IXXaM
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Why Does A Loving God Let Evil Happen?
Interesting Question, But Is It the Right One?
That evil occurs is a fact. It comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes, often when least expected, and nobody is immune from it. The rich can't prevent it; the poor can't hide from it. It does not discriminate between the young and the old. The evil that visits you is not unique in the world, though its occurrence might be unique in your life. You are not the first to have ever experienced the particular brand of evil that has come your way, but your response is uniquely yours. You have choices to make when evil comes calling at your door.
This is actually an essay about injustice, at least in man's eyes, and more particularly about the injustice visited on Father Gordon MacRae. Father Gordon was convicted and is imprisoned in New Hampshire State Prison For Men for offences that did not occur, except in the mind of the accuser (and then only as a means to a financial windfall), and because of an over zealous detective, an equally over zealous prosecutor, a judge determined to prove that justice is blind, and worst of all a bishop and his staff who turned a blind eye to the false railroading of one of their own.
There was a lot of blindness present in what transpired to put a faithful Catholic priest in the New Hampshire State Prison for Men. And blindness is in lock step with injustice. Without blindness, injustice would be toothless.
How then does a loving God let things like this happen in our world, such clear injustice? And in this case, it lingers, and lingers and lingers.
In 1981, conservative Rabbi Harold Kushner released a well received book entitled "When Bad Things Happen to Good People", in response to the death of his 14 year old son from a genetic disease. Rabbi Kushner did not call his book "Why", but "When" bad things happen. Kushner watched his son die of progeria, a premature aging disease, so his son died at 14 of old age. He explored what it all meant as part of his grieving process, and subsequently discovered that it all made him a better rabbi, husband, father, and person, all of which we would have bypassed if only he could have kept his son alive. He learned what we, his Christian brothers and sisters have scripture to remind us of that "all things turn to good for those who trust in the Lord."
Back to Father MacRae. There is little doubt in my mind that Father Gordon MacRae is a holy priest. Yet, he has spent 18 years imprisoned wrongfully for sexual abuse of a minor. You would think that this kind of adversity would breed anger, hatred, self pity, and a whole lot of not good things, particularly if the person was incarcerated with murderers and rapists and other miscreants, there not being a lot of confirmed saints in prisons these days. If, of course, at some time, Father MacRae did not feel those things, he would not be very human, for in their proper place they are all the feelings of a grieving process, and when one's life is taken from them unjustly, or even justly, there is a great loss that needs to be dealt with.
The things that led up to his imprisonment, the perfect storm of real sexual abuse by Catholic Clergy, a detective who knew the answer without having to ask the questions, or verify the information he received, a judge who had blinders on, and believed that a lack of credible evidence was still grounds for a guilty verdict came together marvelously.
Saint Theresa of Avila once opined in conversation with her Lord and Savior that "If this is the way you treat your friends Lord, it's no wonder you don't have more of them."
Father MacRae might be able to echo that sentiment.
But, the reality is that if Our Dear Lord was not spared the ultimate suffering of a heinous death on a cross, should we be spared sufferings concomitant with His love for us, if those sufferings would. Make us more like Him, and better witnesses of His Abundant Love for us?
Father MacRae is very human. I have no doubt that he engaged in some anger, some self pity, and other emotions that humans feel when their world is turned upside down. But, I also have no doubt that he ultimately offered them up to the Lord to be used for His Glory, as He (God) saw fit, not as Father MacRae would have deemed.
If Father MacRae had not been wrongfully imprisoned, his witness to the inmates in the New Hampshire Prison for Men would never have happened, and some men who are on a path of working out their salvation in wonder and awe might not have had the opportunity to witness the love of Christ working in one of their own.
And how many of us who have been regular visitors to These Stone Walls, where Father MacRae writes of his life of faith would have had the opportunity to witness in the person of an alter christus suffering like the Apostle Paul who too was imprisoned wrongfully, and more so the sufferings of Jesus himself, as manifest in Father Gordon.
We are blessed to be witnesses, even if vicariously, to the life of Father MacRae, and to be inspired to take up our own crosses daily as he takes up his. We look forward to Father MacRae's resurrection hopefully on this earth, but surely in heaven. When Father passes from this life, he will be met face to face by the Jesus that he has re-presented for us here on earth, who will say to him, "Well done good and faithful servant."
So, the question I think is not really How does a Loving God let evil happen, but how could a God who professes abundant love for all of His Creation not let these things happen?
That evil occurs is a fact. It comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes, often when least expected, and nobody is immune from it. The rich can't prevent it; the poor can't hide from it. It does not discriminate between the young and the old. The evil that visits you is not unique in the world, though its occurrence might be unique in your life. You are not the first to have ever experienced the particular brand of evil that has come your way, but your response is uniquely yours. You have choices to make when evil comes calling at your door.
This is actually an essay about injustice, at least in man's eyes, and more particularly about the injustice visited on Father Gordon MacRae. Father Gordon was convicted and is imprisoned in New Hampshire State Prison For Men for offences that did not occur, except in the mind of the accuser (and then only as a means to a financial windfall), and because of an over zealous detective, an equally over zealous prosecutor, a judge determined to prove that justice is blind, and worst of all a bishop and his staff who turned a blind eye to the false railroading of one of their own.
There was a lot of blindness present in what transpired to put a faithful Catholic priest in the New Hampshire State Prison for Men. And blindness is in lock step with injustice. Without blindness, injustice would be toothless.
How then does a loving God let things like this happen in our world, such clear injustice? And in this case, it lingers, and lingers and lingers.
In 1981, conservative Rabbi Harold Kushner released a well received book entitled "When Bad Things Happen to Good People", in response to the death of his 14 year old son from a genetic disease. Rabbi Kushner did not call his book "Why", but "When" bad things happen. Kushner watched his son die of progeria, a premature aging disease, so his son died at 14 of old age. He explored what it all meant as part of his grieving process, and subsequently discovered that it all made him a better rabbi, husband, father, and person, all of which we would have bypassed if only he could have kept his son alive. He learned what we, his Christian brothers and sisters have scripture to remind us of that "all things turn to good for those who trust in the Lord."
Back to Father MacRae. There is little doubt in my mind that Father Gordon MacRae is a holy priest. Yet, he has spent 18 years imprisoned wrongfully for sexual abuse of a minor. You would think that this kind of adversity would breed anger, hatred, self pity, and a whole lot of not good things, particularly if the person was incarcerated with murderers and rapists and other miscreants, there not being a lot of confirmed saints in prisons these days. If, of course, at some time, Father MacRae did not feel those things, he would not be very human, for in their proper place they are all the feelings of a grieving process, and when one's life is taken from them unjustly, or even justly, there is a great loss that needs to be dealt with.
The things that led up to his imprisonment, the perfect storm of real sexual abuse by Catholic Clergy, a detective who knew the answer without having to ask the questions, or verify the information he received, a judge who had blinders on, and believed that a lack of credible evidence was still grounds for a guilty verdict came together marvelously.
Saint Theresa of Avila once opined in conversation with her Lord and Savior that "If this is the way you treat your friends Lord, it's no wonder you don't have more of them."
Father MacRae might be able to echo that sentiment.
But, the reality is that if Our Dear Lord was not spared the ultimate suffering of a heinous death on a cross, should we be spared sufferings concomitant with His love for us, if those sufferings would. Make us more like Him, and better witnesses of His Abundant Love for us?
Father MacRae is very human. I have no doubt that he engaged in some anger, some self pity, and other emotions that humans feel when their world is turned upside down. But, I also have no doubt that he ultimately offered them up to the Lord to be used for His Glory, as He (God) saw fit, not as Father MacRae would have deemed.
If Father MacRae had not been wrongfully imprisoned, his witness to the inmates in the New Hampshire Prison for Men would never have happened, and some men who are on a path of working out their salvation in wonder and awe might not have had the opportunity to witness the love of Christ working in one of their own.
And how many of us who have been regular visitors to These Stone Walls, where Father MacRae writes of his life of faith would have had the opportunity to witness in the person of an alter christus suffering like the Apostle Paul who too was imprisoned wrongfully, and more so the sufferings of Jesus himself, as manifest in Father Gordon.
We are blessed to be witnesses, even if vicariously, to the life of Father MacRae, and to be inspired to take up our own crosses daily as he takes up his. We look forward to Father MacRae's resurrection hopefully on this earth, but surely in heaven. When Father passes from this life, he will be met face to face by the Jesus that he has re-presented for us here on earth, who will say to him, "Well done good and faithful servant."
So, the question I think is not really How does a Loving God let evil happen, but how could a God who professes abundant love for all of His Creation not let these things happen?
Friday, May 25, 2012
HHS - What's a Beleaguered Bishop to Do?
Silence is Golden Except When It Is Not
Yesterday, over at Socon or Bust, which is a social conservative, Catholic focused, popular blog site here in Canada, John Pacheco referenced a LifeSite News article with the title "Catholic Leaders Outraged Over Media Silence on HHS Mandate Lawsuits" linked here. He opined:
I think he is seriously wrong, as without religious freedom, the bishops will not have a pulpit to speak the truth about contraception and abortion, a truth that we should have been told about regularly and faithfully since day 1, even if you want to move day 1 forward to the Humanae Vitae encyclical from Pope Paul VI in 1968, and if you want to read some truth, with no fluff or pretence, here is a link.
Now, this morning over at Sancte Pater, a fine Catholic blog site, Ann Barnhardt in an article with the title "The Bishops are Being Played. Like Cheap Fiddles." goes off like a roman candle on the bishops accusing them of folding their tents.
Frankly, I like the way Ms. Barnhardt has written her article. Her wit is acerbic, no punches were pulled, and there is a slight possibility that there is a degree of truth in what she has said, a large degree of truth. She starts out with:
I was disappointed to see a few Catholic institutions folding on HHS, by withdrawing health care programmes from students or workers, though there might be more to the withdrawal than meets the eye. Quite possibly, there is not an insurer in the country prepared to underwrite a health care package that obviously flies in the face of the US President and his cronies and denies the birth control and abortion services so desperately needed by the women of America. If there is not, then how about the Catholic Church creates one, or get the Knights of Columbus to upgrade their insurance company to provide group health care.
I am not sure that 40 something lawsuits and counting filed against the Obama administration over HHS is tent folding and skulking away in the night. But, I do concur in general with her conclusion, and have one of my own to add at the end. Ms. Barnhardt concludes with the following:
Though I think that Ms. Barnhardt and Mr. Pacheco are guilty of some bloviation, they are voicing the concerns of many faithful Catholic men and women in the world.
I honestly think that the bishops are standing and fighting and that Cardinal Dolan is the right man to be the head of the USCCB for this time and place. Under the normal succession methods of the USCCB, it was Bishop Gerald Kikanas, of our winter home diocese in Tucson, who was next in line. Bishop Kikanas is a kind and gentle shepherd, whom I had the occasion to meet on one occasion at a pro-life event to conclude 40 Days for Life in Tucson a few years back. For him to be jumped by an Archbishop, and now Cardinal in Cardinal Dolan is no slight to this holy man, but Cardinal Dolan, like Ann Barnhardt does not pull punches, though his language might be a little less colorful than Ms. Barnhardt.
I think Cardinal Dolan knows what the crosier is to be used for, which Ms. Barnhardt so eloquently described in the quote above from her, but he and all priests throughout the world are in dire need of our prayers, not our indignation and judgement. Judgement prevents the graces that God calls us to generate for them by our prayers to be generated in the first place, and to flow where the need is so great.
So, I recommend that we take what Mr. Pacheco and Ms. Barnhardt have written as a call to action, since the fight going on is ultimately our fight. Our call to action is to pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, who has a special love for all priests, particularly for their role as alter christus, or another Christ, in imitation of Her Beloved Son. We must also pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that we might direct our prayers and offer up our daily joys, works, trials and tribulations in unity with Our Dear Saviour to the Father for these precious sons of God who are the heart and soul of our Church.
Father, in heaven, we lift up all your priests to you, called to holiness, and to lead the people of faith to the foot of the cross of Your Beloved Son, Our Saviour Jesus Christ. We join our prayers for their continual growth in holiness and commitment to the Gospel, on their behalf with our Blessed Mother and her Immaculate Heart. We implore Jesus to cover them with the Precious Blood which flows from His Sacred Heart, and to present them to you along with ourselves as living sacrifices at your altar. Father, Your Will be done. Amen.
Yesterday, over at Socon or Bust, which is a social conservative, Catholic focused, popular blog site here in Canada, John Pacheco referenced a LifeSite News article with the title "Catholic Leaders Outraged Over Media Silence on HHS Mandate Lawsuits" linked here. He opined:
Religious freedom is important and it must be defended, but the real issue here is contraception. If the bishops start talking about THAT, it will get coverage because the media THINKS it can win on that topic. But if the Church actually provides a defense – ANY DEFENSE – it will win. Why? Because people think contraception is like apple pie, so any criticism of it is at least going to gain some convertsSo, in John's opinion the lack of news coverage is because the bishops won't call the issue what it is, (at least in his mind) a fight over birth control, not a battle over religious freedom.
I think he is seriously wrong, as without religious freedom, the bishops will not have a pulpit to speak the truth about contraception and abortion, a truth that we should have been told about regularly and faithfully since day 1, even if you want to move day 1 forward to the Humanae Vitae encyclical from Pope Paul VI in 1968, and if you want to read some truth, with no fluff or pretence, here is a link.
Now, this morning over at Sancte Pater, a fine Catholic blog site, Ann Barnhardt in an article with the title "The Bishops are Being Played. Like Cheap Fiddles." goes off like a roman candle on the bishops accusing them of folding their tents.
Frankly, I like the way Ms. Barnhardt has written her article. Her wit is acerbic, no punches were pulled, and there is a slight possibility that there is a degree of truth in what she has said, a large degree of truth. She starts out with:
I do not understand how it is that this isn't glaringly, beat-you-over-the-head obvious, but whatever. I'll explain it. Listen up. Especially if you have a hat shaped like the blade of a posthole digger in your wardrobe, and people actually call you "Excellency."
Withdrawing health insurance (like Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio), shutting down schools, closing adoption agencies, soup kitchens or ANYTHING ELSE in "protest" of ObamaCare and the HHS "mandates" is EXACTLY, PRECISELY, TOTALLY and COMPLETELY what the Obama regime wants.
Further, the reason why the "press" has OBVIOUSLY been given the order to keep all of this quiet and to not report in any way on the lawsuits filed by the dozens of various Catholic organizations this week against the Obama regime - the largest religious legal action ever taken against the U.S. government by a long shot - is obvious.
The Obama regime is sitting back and watching all of you cowardly fools fold your own tents. None of the stupid bread-and-circus addicted crowd knows anything about any of this. You have to break out of your narcissistic little world and understand that even though these things are earth-shattering to you, uh, most people in this country don't even know that their "government" has declared war on the Church.
I was disappointed to see a few Catholic institutions folding on HHS, by withdrawing health care programmes from students or workers, though there might be more to the withdrawal than meets the eye. Quite possibly, there is not an insurer in the country prepared to underwrite a health care package that obviously flies in the face of the US President and his cronies and denies the birth control and abortion services so desperately needed by the women of America. If there is not, then how about the Catholic Church creates one, or get the Knights of Columbus to upgrade their insurance company to provide group health care.
I am not sure that 40 something lawsuits and counting filed against the Obama administration over HHS is tent folding and skulking away in the night. But, I do concur in general with her conclusion, and have one of my own to add at the end. Ms. Barnhardt concludes with the following:
Listen, you fools. YOU DON'T SHUT ANYTHING DOWN. You keep going exactly as you have been, and you force those dirty rotten SOBs to literally storm your hospitals and shut YOU down at gunpoint. And I'm not kidding. Make them physically shut down your hospital by dragging you out at gunpoint. Make them physically shut down your schools. Make them shut down your university by force because you won't cover abortions in your student health plan. Make them physically shut down your soup kitchens. Make them shut down your adoption agencies because you won't hand a baby boy over to two men who like to jam various and sundry body parts up each others' rectums.
In other words, STAND AND FIGHT.
The only proper course of action is total non-compliance with these totalitarian edicts of the regime, and FORCING THEIR HAND.
Anything less than that, and you LOSE. MEN fight wars. If you refuse to do your duty and act like MEN, then the war is already lost. And make no mistake, cowardice is a grave sin, and you will answer for it.
Every bishop is given a crosier upon his ordination to the episcopacy. A crosier is a shepherd's staff. It is a six to seven foot long staff that a shepherd uses to beat the crap out of wolves. That's your job. Beating the crap out of the wolves - not killing all of the sheep yourself so that there is nothing left for the wolves to eat.
MAN UP!!!! FIGHT, YOU FOOLS!!!
Though I think that Ms. Barnhardt and Mr. Pacheco are guilty of some bloviation, they are voicing the concerns of many faithful Catholic men and women in the world.
I honestly think that the bishops are standing and fighting and that Cardinal Dolan is the right man to be the head of the USCCB for this time and place. Under the normal succession methods of the USCCB, it was Bishop Gerald Kikanas, of our winter home diocese in Tucson, who was next in line. Bishop Kikanas is a kind and gentle shepherd, whom I had the occasion to meet on one occasion at a pro-life event to conclude 40 Days for Life in Tucson a few years back. For him to be jumped by an Archbishop, and now Cardinal in Cardinal Dolan is no slight to this holy man, but Cardinal Dolan, like Ann Barnhardt does not pull punches, though his language might be a little less colorful than Ms. Barnhardt.
I think Cardinal Dolan knows what the crosier is to be used for, which Ms. Barnhardt so eloquently described in the quote above from her, but he and all priests throughout the world are in dire need of our prayers, not our indignation and judgement. Judgement prevents the graces that God calls us to generate for them by our prayers to be generated in the first place, and to flow where the need is so great.
So, I recommend that we take what Mr. Pacheco and Ms. Barnhardt have written as a call to action, since the fight going on is ultimately our fight. Our call to action is to pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, who has a special love for all priests, particularly for their role as alter christus, or another Christ, in imitation of Her Beloved Son. We must also pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that we might direct our prayers and offer up our daily joys, works, trials and tribulations in unity with Our Dear Saviour to the Father for these precious sons of God who are the heart and soul of our Church.
Father, in heaven, we lift up all your priests to you, called to holiness, and to lead the people of faith to the foot of the cross of Your Beloved Son, Our Saviour Jesus Christ. We join our prayers for their continual growth in holiness and commitment to the Gospel, on their behalf with our Blessed Mother and her Immaculate Heart. We implore Jesus to cover them with the Precious Blood which flows from His Sacred Heart, and to present them to you along with ourselves as living sacrifices at your altar. Father, Your Will be done. Amen.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Bishop Takes Pawn: Plundering The Rights of a Prisoner Priest .
Ryan MacDonald
The case of Father Gordon MacRae, of the Diocese of Manchester New Hampshire stinks. Father MacRae was convicted, in the absence of any evidenc,e in what essentially amounts to part of a pogrom against Roman Catholic priests over allegations of sexual abuse of minors. That some Catholic clergy committed egregious offences against children whose trust they destroyed is not in dispute. But, that some opportunists saw a chance to fleece the suckers (diocesan leadership) by advancing trumped up claims of abuse is also not in dispute.
Father MacRae has served over 17 years in prison simply because he will not admit guilt, and show remorse for something that he continues to claim he did not do, and evidentially could not have done. Had he admitted guilt, he would be free to roam the streets of America. He would not be a Catholic priest, of course, and that seems to matter to him, as it should. He would also have to admit to having been a liar for proclaiming his innocence, which for him would be a more grave lie.
Ryan MacDonald has periodically written solid pieces of journalism, as new evidence has come forth, and as his research has uncovered long buried evidence. In the piece linked below, he paints a picture of the railroading of Father MacRae, by the most unlikely of sources, the Bishop and leadership of the Diocese of Manchester.
Be prepared to be astounded, and after that wears off, keep Father Gordon and the Bishops of Manchester in your prayers.
A Ram In The Thicket: Bishop Takes Pawn: Plundering The Rights of a Pris...: By Ryan A. MacDonald Bishop John B. McCormack, Aux. Bishop Francis J. Christian and Fr. Edward Arsenault, announce names of accused pr...
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
What's it all about Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
The whole HHS deal going on here in America is not about women having access to birth control, though the media spin would have those do not dig a bit believe it so.
The best take I have read on it comes from the Testimony of Most Reverend William E. Lori Bishop of Bridgeport, On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform United States House of Representatives
On February 16, 2012.
Bishop Lori is both a bishop and the spiritual leader, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. He is a gentle man, a prudent and holy one as well. As a shepherd he is not above using a parable to get his point across, much like the originator of our faith, Jesus Christ. This s his concise testimony.
The whole HHS deal going on here in America is not about women having access to birth control, though the media spin would have those do not dig a bit believe it so.
The best take I have read on it comes from the Testimony of Most Reverend William E. Lori Bishop of Bridgeport, On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform United States House of Representatives
On February 16, 2012.
Bishop Lori is both a bishop and the spiritual leader, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. He is a gentle man, a prudent and holy one as well. As a shepherd he is not above using a parable to get his point across, much like the originator of our faith, Jesus Christ. This s his concise testimony.
For my testimony today, I would like to tell a story. Let’s call it, “The Parable of the Kosher Deli.”
Once upon a time, a new law is proposed, so that any business that serves food must serve pork. There is a narrow exception for kosher catering halls attached to synagogues, since they serve mostly members of that synagogue, but kosher delicatessens are still subject to the mandate.
The Orthodox Jewish community—whose members run kosher delis and many other restaurants and grocers besides—expresses its outrage at the new government mandate. And they are joined by others who have no problem eating pork—not just the many Jews who eat pork, but people of all faiths—because these others recognize the threat to the principle of religious liberty. They recognize as well the practical impact of the damage to that principle. They know that, if the mandate stands, they might be the next ones forced—under threat of severe government sanction—to violate their most deeply held beliefs, especially their unpopular beliefs.
Meanwhile, those who support the mandate respond, “But pork is good for you. It is, after
all, the other white meat.” Other supporters add, “So many Jews eat pork, and those who don’t should just get with the times.” Still others say, “Those Orthodox are just trying to impose their beliefs on everyone else.”
But in our hypothetical, those arguments fail in the public debate, because people widely recognize the following.
First, although people may reasonably debate whether pork is good for you,
that’s not the question posed by the nationwide pork mandate. Instead, the mandate generates the question whether people who believe—even if they believe in error—that pork is not good for you, should be forced by government to serve pork within their very own institutions. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.
Second, the fact that some (or even most) Jews eat pork is simply irrelevant. The fact remains that some Jews do not—and they do not out of their most deeply held religious convictions. Does the fact that large majorities in society—even large majorities within the protesting religious community—reject a particular religious belief make it permissible for the government to weigh in on one side of that dispute? Does it allow government to punish that minority belief with its coercive power? In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.
Third, the charge that the Orthodox Jews are imposing their beliefs on others has it exactly backwards. Again, the question generated by a government mandate is whether the government will impose its belief that eating pork is good on objecting Orthodox Jews. Meanwhile, there is no imposition at all on the freedom of those who want to eat pork. That is, they are subject to no government interference at all in their choice to eat pork, and pork is ubiquitous and cheap, available at the overwhelming majority of restaurants and grocers. Indeed, some pork producers and retailers, and even the government itself, are so eager to promote the eating of pork, that they sometimes give pork away for free.
In this context, the question is this: can a customer come to a kosher deli, demand to be served a ham sandwich, and if refused, bring down severe government sanction on the deli. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.
So in our hypothetical story, because the hypothetical nation is indeed committed to religious liberty and diversity, these arguments carry the day.
In response, those proposing the new law claim to hear and understand the concerns of kosher deli owners, and offer them a new “accommodation.” You are free to call yourself a kosher deli; you are free not to place ham sandwiches on your menu; you are free not to be the person to prepare the sandwich and hand it over the counter to the customer. But we will force your meat supplier to set up a kiosk on your premises, and to offer, prepare, and serve ham sandwiches to all of your customers, free of charge to them. And when you get your monthly bill from your meat supplier, it will include the cost of any of the “free” ham sandwiches that your customers may accept. And you will, of course, be required to pay that bill.
Some who supported the deli owners initially began to celebrate the fact that ham sandwiches didn’t need to be on the menu, and didn’t need to be prepared or served by the deli itself. But on closer examination, they noticed three troubling things. First, all kosher delis will still be forced to pay for the ham sandwiches. Second, many of the kosher delis’ meat suppliers, themselves, are forbidden in conscience from offering, preparing, or serving pork to anyone. Third, there are many kosher delis that are their own meat supplier, so the mandate to offer, prepare, and serve the ham sandwich still falls on them.
This story has a happy ending. The government recognized that it is absurd for someone to come into a kosher deli and demand a ham sandwich; that it is beyond absurd for that private demand to be backed with the coercive power of the state; that it is downright surreal to apply this coercive power when the customer can get the same sandwich cheaply, or even free, just a few doors down.
The question before the United States government—right now—is whether the story of our own Church institutions that serve the public, and that are threatened by the HHS mandate, will end happily too. Will our nation continue to be one committed to religious liberty and diversity? We urge, in the strongest possible terms, that the answer must be yes. We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to answer the same way.
Thank you for your attention.
Monday, March 12, 2012
An Uplifting Story
From Godvine
Godvine is a site that presents videos and stories that are uplifting. More often than not in our lives real uplifting directly requires God, though many claim to be in charge of how and when and where they are uplifted.
Jesus wants to speak to you and to me, and so often we are too busy to listen to Him.
Godvine is a site that presents videos and stories that are uplifting. More often than not in our lives real uplifting directly requires God, though many claim to be in charge of how and when and where they are uplifted.
I Found Jesus ThereThis may not be a "true" story, but it is a story of Truth, and also of the Way and the Life. God loves each one of us so much that He sent His Son to earth to redeem us, and the Son, Jesus, has not quit on us, and never will.
"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..." "You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.
The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, "to see how much damage has been done..." "But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there."
The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up and I'll plan what to do next."
"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."
The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."
"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there."
The surgeon left. The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bedrest. Prognosis:, " here he paused, "death within one year." He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"
The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow."
The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"
The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for he has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb."
The surgeon wept. The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him.
The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?" "Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the boy. "I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.
Jesus wants to speak to you and to me, and so often we are too busy to listen to Him.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Does God Exist?
Some find it hard to believe in a God they cannot see. In this world we inhabit, we have come to such an intellectual place that if it is not within our own imaginings, or cannot be seen, touched, felt, tasted, or smelled it does not exist.
Some would even tell you that "I am God, the master of my destiny." That is a load of mallarkey, though other descriptive words more readily come to mind.
So, the world was created by this Big Bang, right? And then out of the nothingness that existed before this Big Bang, stuff started to happen randomly, right? And voila!! We have the world we live in as it is now. Believing that takes a lot of faith.
But the God who actually created this world, and everything in it speaks quietly, often in silence, where his creation speaks for him.
When you look at the video linked below called "The Life of Flowers", and see the array of colour and majesty in just a few of the flowers of our universe, as they open up to show their beauty to the world, can you really put that all down to a Big Bang?
I will put My God up against your Big Bang any day of the week?
Go to this URL and see "The Life of Flowers"
http://vimeo.com/vorobyoff/flowers
Some would even tell you that "I am God, the master of my destiny." That is a load of mallarkey, though other descriptive words more readily come to mind.
So, the world was created by this Big Bang, right? And then out of the nothingness that existed before this Big Bang, stuff started to happen randomly, right? And voila!! We have the world we live in as it is now. Believing that takes a lot of faith.
But the God who actually created this world, and everything in it speaks quietly, often in silence, where his creation speaks for him.
When you look at the video linked below called "The Life of Flowers", and see the array of colour and majesty in just a few of the flowers of our universe, as they open up to show their beauty to the world, can you really put that all down to a Big Bang?
I will put My God up against your Big Bang any day of the week?
Go to this URL and see "The Life of Flowers"
http://vimeo.com/vorobyoff/flowers
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The New Old West - Only East
Let the Zaniness Begin. Oops I Mean Continue.
As I sit here in Tucson, enjoying the winter sunshine, I come across daily reminders that I am in one of the two craziest countries in North America, which is pretty easy since there are only two. You could easily conclude that we are in some third world region where rule of law is whatever the political leader de jour says it is. I am not as close to the zaniness going on in Canada currently, only because I am 2,200 miles away, and have the buffer of the heart of America to block it out. Besides, down here nobody has ever heard of Canada (kidding - That's where they ski all year, and live in igloos).
But, you can hardly live in a conservative part of America and not have unfettered access to loons, goons, and baboons making new laws out of whatever tickles their fancy, and forgetting that the USA has the history of a beautiful and profound Declaration of Independence as its foundation, and a pretty solid Constitution, complete with many meaningful Amendments.
The First Amendment states:
The judge in a case of an attack by a Muslim man on an atheist dressed up as a Zombie Muhammad. He happened to be beside another atheist dressed as a Zombie Pope.
Judge Mark Martin is an Iraq war veteran, and a convert to the religion of peace. So, be might be a bit biased. Besides that, he does not seem to know much about American jurisprudence.
The judge declared that the plaintiff, our Zombie Muhammad atheist, was a "doofus." Well, he was correct on that one, but that was his best shot. In that article linked here, "Judge Martin stated that the First Amendment of the Constitution does not permit people to provoke other people. . . . In effect, Perce was the perpetrator of the assault, in Judge Martin's view, and Elbayomy the innocent. The Sharia law that the Muslim attacker followed trumped the First Amendment."
If the Catholics had attacked the other "doofus", the case for assault would have prevailed, since we don't have Catholic sharia law, or its equivalent, I guess.
The law is the law, except where I don't want it to be, and have enough power to make it be something else.
It does get better, so read the article.
As I sit here in Tucson, enjoying the winter sunshine, I come across daily reminders that I am in one of the two craziest countries in North America, which is pretty easy since there are only two. You could easily conclude that we are in some third world region where rule of law is whatever the political leader de jour says it is. I am not as close to the zaniness going on in Canada currently, only because I am 2,200 miles away, and have the buffer of the heart of America to block it out. Besides, down here nobody has ever heard of Canada (kidding - That's where they ski all year, and live in igloos).
But, you can hardly live in a conservative part of America and not have unfettered access to loons, goons, and baboons making new laws out of whatever tickles their fancy, and forgetting that the USA has the history of a beautiful and profound Declaration of Independence as its foundation, and a pretty solid Constitution, complete with many meaningful Amendments.
The First Amendment states:
But, if the Commander in Chief will not respect that, as we have seen with the recent HHS mandate, how can we expect a lowly judge in Pennsylvania to do differently."Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The judge in a case of an attack by a Muslim man on an atheist dressed up as a Zombie Muhammad. He happened to be beside another atheist dressed as a Zombie Pope.
Judge Mark Martin is an Iraq war veteran, and a convert to the religion of peace. So, be might be a bit biased. Besides that, he does not seem to know much about American jurisprudence.
The judge declared that the plaintiff, our Zombie Muhammad atheist, was a "doofus." Well, he was correct on that one, but that was his best shot. In that article linked here, "Judge Martin stated that the First Amendment of the Constitution does not permit people to provoke other people. . . . In effect, Perce was the perpetrator of the assault, in Judge Martin's view, and Elbayomy the innocent. The Sharia law that the Muslim attacker followed trumped the First Amendment."
If the Catholics had attacked the other "doofus", the case for assault would have prevailed, since we don't have Catholic sharia law, or its equivalent, I guess.
The law is the law, except where I don't want it to be, and have enough power to make it be something else.
It does get better, so read the article.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Who is the Prisoner Here?
Father Gordon MacRae/You/Me
A prisoner is defined as:
As his blog These Stone Walls attests, the Poem, "To Althea, from Prison" by Richard Lovelace, an English poet, cavalier of the 17th century, who experienced prison himself rings true, especially in its final stanza.
In prison, he has shared his faith, in the midst of trials with those around him, living it daily, and not faltering. As a result, some have wanted to share in the peace he lives in prison, and have become lovers of the one Who loved them first.
But, some time back, he embarked on These Stone Walls, and has shared with those of us who have come in contact with this blog, what living a life of faith means in trying times.
He is maintaining a ministry in prison and outside with his written word and witness of faith. Would he be more free if he was not incarcerated, and would the good he has done for those in prison, and others falsely accused had he not been wrongfully imprisoned?
But, the main question I have to ask is: Are you and I as free as he is, even though we are are on the outside, as it were?
A number of years ago, I had a vision that has come more clear to me with the passage of time. In the vision, I was in a one room prison. There were barred windows on all four sides, and I could see beautiful green fields, and hills, with mountains in the background. A short ways off, I saw my wife, and our parish priest beckoning me to come and join them in the fields. How could I do that? I was in a prison. In a flash, the walls and bars and roof disappeared and I stood where I had been, but now there was nothing between me and them.
I was terrified. I had only known the prison of my own making that I lived in, and so to have this immense freedom was traumatic to me, at the time.
Over the ensuing years, I have come to embrace to a certain extent the freedom I have, to live life more fully, to reach out to the God who loves me, and to become more authentically who I have been created to be. But, only to a certain extent. I find that I am still caught up in prejudices and fears from time to time.
Recently, we spent considerable time with a friend, and observed how this friend operated for several days. Though lip service was paid to the desires and needs of others, this friend worked hard during our time together to get personal wishes met, through various manipulative techniques. At the end of the time we spent together, we knew nothing more of our friend than we had on first arrival. Walls protected our friend from being penetrated, and therefor truly known.
I can observe this not as a judgement of our friend, but because I have my own tricks for doing the same things myself often. So, it is not a judgement that I make, but an observation that I am very well qualified to make, as one who has and probably will in the future do many of the same things. It is in fact a grace given us to look not at our friend, but at ourselves.
Again, I ask, who among us is really free?
A prisoner is defined as:
- A person legally committed to prison as a punishment for crimes committed or while awaiting trial.
- A person captured and kept confined by an enemy, opponent, or criminal.
As his blog These Stone Walls attests, the Poem, "To Althea, from Prison" by Richard Lovelace, an English poet, cavalier of the 17th century, who experienced prison himself rings true, especially in its final stanza.
Stone walls do not a prison make,While in prison, Father Gordon has been free to speak truth to lies, love to hatred, and kindness to prejudice. He has taken his imprisonment, as horrid and wrong as it has been to be a blessing, and one that he can share with others.
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above
Enjoy such liberty.
In prison, he has shared his faith, in the midst of trials with those around him, living it daily, and not faltering. As a result, some have wanted to share in the peace he lives in prison, and have become lovers of the one Who loved them first.
But, some time back, he embarked on These Stone Walls, and has shared with those of us who have come in contact with this blog, what living a life of faith means in trying times.
He is maintaining a ministry in prison and outside with his written word and witness of faith. Would he be more free if he was not incarcerated, and would the good he has done for those in prison, and others falsely accused had he not been wrongfully imprisoned?
But, the main question I have to ask is: Are you and I as free as he is, even though we are are on the outside, as it were?
A number of years ago, I had a vision that has come more clear to me with the passage of time. In the vision, I was in a one room prison. There were barred windows on all four sides, and I could see beautiful green fields, and hills, with mountains in the background. A short ways off, I saw my wife, and our parish priest beckoning me to come and join them in the fields. How could I do that? I was in a prison. In a flash, the walls and bars and roof disappeared and I stood where I had been, but now there was nothing between me and them.
I was terrified. I had only known the prison of my own making that I lived in, and so to have this immense freedom was traumatic to me, at the time.
Over the ensuing years, I have come to embrace to a certain extent the freedom I have, to live life more fully, to reach out to the God who loves me, and to become more authentically who I have been created to be. But, only to a certain extent. I find that I am still caught up in prejudices and fears from time to time.
Recently, we spent considerable time with a friend, and observed how this friend operated for several days. Though lip service was paid to the desires and needs of others, this friend worked hard during our time together to get personal wishes met, through various manipulative techniques. At the end of the time we spent together, we knew nothing more of our friend than we had on first arrival. Walls protected our friend from being penetrated, and therefor truly known.
I can observe this not as a judgement of our friend, but because I have my own tricks for doing the same things myself often. So, it is not a judgement that I make, but an observation that I am very well qualified to make, as one who has and probably will in the future do many of the same things. It is in fact a grace given us to look not at our friend, but at ourselves.
Again, I ask, who among us is really free?
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