Where the Rubber Hits the Road

U.S. plan gives Jerusalem holy sites to Vatican

Here Comes Polygamy: Utah Federal Judge Strikes Down Much of the Prohibition against Polygamy - U.s. - Catholic Online

Pope Francis: He's Popular But Not Boosting U.S. Church Attendance | TIME.com

JFK After 50 years | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Over at SoCon or Bust , you can find an article questioning whether or not it's appropriate for Cardinal +Dolan (NY) to address the upcoming DNC convention in Charlotte, NC. He agrees with Dr. Jeff Mirus who says that +Dolan should not ... unless he uses the opportunity to give them hell. I disagree. IMHO +Dolan is IMHO doing exactly the right thing. First, he has been invited to lead the convention in prayer… not speak to them. Prayer must NEVER be done with a political intention other than to fulfill the great commission. It transcends the left/right framework of the American political system and super-imposes the imprint of the heavenly kingdom. It should be something that recognizes that we are all sinners and are all in need repentance and forgiveness. This is the role of prayer. If he were invited to give a speech, he would be obliged to do as his critics suggest. This however is not the case. Secondly, +Dolan espouses a brand of Catholicism which describes as affirmative o...

How does that saying go? There are lies, damned lies and then there's statistics! Too early in the morning an not yet enough coffee to completely understand this article... but people keep saying that 98% of women use contraception so I thought it might interest folks. PolitiFact | Keeping facts straight on 98% of Catholic women

The drum beat of war is getting louder and louder and..... Panetta: 'Strong possibility' Israel will strike Iran's nuclear installations in spring - U.s. - Catholic Online

Finally some good economic news from below the border! U.S. jobs: Numbers blow past forecasts | Investing | Financial Post

Can a government force a Church or individual to do something that violates their principles and convictions? Here are two articles that look at the issue in the USA where Obamacare regulations will force Catholic institutions to provide free contraceptive coverage. Irrespective of the specifics of this issue (birth control) which according to most polls Catholics support individually, it does seem to violate the principle of separation of Church and State. What do you think? Catholics cross with Obama over birth-control coverage - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com White House denies health-care mandate violates Catholic consciences

Let's see... how did that go again? "States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." (G.W. Bush: State of the Union Address, 2002) He was talking about Iraq, Iran and North Korea. We may need to remind our American neighbors that just because their national game gives every player 'three strikes' before they must 'step away from the plate' doesn't mean that they can assume that we Canadians will agree to give them another chance to come up to bat. We are a nation of hockey fans. We understand that a game can end 0-1, irrespective of whose considered the 'home team'. Most of us believe that the game has been played, and while we stand 1-0 in military terms, it was a Pyrrhic victory when we assess the real losses our team suffered in terms of 'career ending injuries and deaths.' It was like this weekend when poor, battered Vancouver won but got mugged when they played in...

And now the war chant begin to build to a casus belli, the opening movement of a symphony that will climax with the kettle drums of war. I wonder how many people understand what's happening: that they are being seduced by a siren song that will lead again to spilled blood and coin , leaving both they and us weaker whether we win or lose? We almost participated in this dance once before to our regret when the US tried to convince us to join in the invasion of Iraq. We indirectly assisted the US by taking up their legitimate enemy in Afghanistan, freeing their forces for Iraq. Do we honestly believe that we will enjoy this performance any more than the last time if we join the US into another Middle Eastern country? Just because we label it as a war against terrorism doesn't mean that we should all dance off to war against other countries. Neither Iran nor Syria have done anything to threaten Canada. Unless they do, we have no grounds to wage war against them. Yet, the signs a...

An interesting companion article to go along with Martin's 'Gentle Reader' Series. Archdiocese criticized for implementing Courage : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

I appreciate this story is about the American election, but its message applies to Canada as well in as much as we too are plagued with politicians who espouse one set of values when the campaign but fail to live up them once elected. I happen to agree with Mr. Santorum's values because they are Catholic values. I appreciate his openly professing them faithfully. It is refreshing in these troubled times. However I have no idea whatsoever whether or not he'd make a good president and am not taking a position on an election in another country. But it is unique to see a politician on either side of the border so forcefully and completely present the Catholic proposition in an election campaign. Santorum is doing exactly what the Church asks the laity to do... to live out their lives as a only then can uniquely do. He is BEING a Roman Catholic Christian in running for President. He is not just a person running for President who happens to be Catholic and Christian. It's hard...

The drumbeat of war is getting louder. If Noam Chomsky is correct, we might see the start of hostilities between Iran and the West within months. I believe it was he who postulated that when a nation's media starts to pay up another country as a threat, it puts into process a series of events that usually leads to armed conflict within a year. It is a process that is marked by a steady drumbeat of more and louder voices making the argument that force is the only effective option to 'protect ourselves'. Somehow they convince the majority to actually buy into an argument that essentially concludes that 'war is the best tactic to prevent war'. After suitable noise has been made demanding steps Iran must take to change its ways (allowing inspections etc.) along with the establishment of deadlines that ultimately Iran will either ignore or fail to comply with, Chomsky would predict that the West will go to war again in the next phase of a battle to control the earth'...

If this story is accurate, it reveals an amazing change in public policy. Up to now, governments offered (directly or indirectly) financial support for the procreation of the generation to follow. Now it is doing the opposite. Strange when you consider the requirement of a sufficiently expanding population to maintain pension and other social programs. Demographic trends demonstrate that the past two generations have failed to have enough children to accomplish the task. It makes little sense to implement a policy which will serve to discourage couples having children into the future. Secret Planned Parenthood Memo: Stop Maternity Coverage | LifeNews.com

What constitutes beauty in music? What gives it such force to influence our emotions? It has the capacity to move and put us in touch with a primal well of inner joy. We are 'connected' through music. It transcends the existential isolation of the human condition.  One such example: national anthems. The fact that these national 'hymns' unite citizens in a common experience of connectedness in which they, while even though 'separated' from from others, share a common experience of being 'moved' by the same event. The music becomes the medium by which we are united. To explore this, I turned to the one nation that does anthems better (and worse... remember Roseanne?) than anyone else, the USA. Here are two examples. Listen to them and look within yourself to become aware of what wells up within you. (The 3rd example is only for those who are into self-flagellation!)

Attacking an Amish man!!! That's the equivalent to kicking and killing a puppy! Western culture has certainly fallen a long way if members of this peace-loving religion are targeted for violence. I sincerely hope that a judge throws the book at these goons. The Associated Press: 4 arrested in Ohio Amish attack

When the Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine (see previous post: "Why Catholic Bishops are Targeting Obama in Religious Freedom) begin to raise the issue of religious freedom, I think it's safe to say that it is not a case of claiming that the Churches are 'whining' over some loss of privilege or status, but a genuine growing concern for the Churches. What do you think? Michael W. McConnell: Washington Wants a Say Over Your Minister - WSJ.com

Well I guess this is one way to get bodies into pews. Don't think it would work for most Churches though... the pews are too hard to be comfortable! Arizona church is house of prostitution, police say - CNN.com

Probably an assessment written by the same folks who assured the world that Sadaam had weapons of mass destruction ready to launch at the west! Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : 2005 WikiLeaks cable: Ratzinger ‘lacks enough support’ to become Pope