I am hot...

it just comes in flashes.

Something to Ponder

Posted By on February 2, 2007

The majority of abortions are performed for the convenience of men, not for the convenience of women.

Women suffer more of the emotional consequences. Women suffer all of the physical/health side effects. Women suffer the brunt of judgment. Yet it is men who pressure women to have abortions more often than not, to alleviate their own responsibility. I’ve seen men drag their sexual partners forcefully into abortion clinics, with the assistance of the “pro-choice escorts.” I’ve heard men talk women into getting abortions. I’ve heard parents talk their children into getting abortions; and I’ve known parents who tried to trick or force their offspring to abort without their consent.

I’ve read studies that back up what my own observations tell me, but I don’t have the data at hand right now. Do any readers happen to have or know where to find the evidence?

Catholic Carnival 104

Posted By on January 31, 2007

Jay over at Living Catholicism is hosting this week’s Catholic Carnival, and it’s a good one. Head on over and take a look!

Let’s Call a Spayed a Spayed

Posted By on January 27, 2007

I’m sick of being called a fascist. Anyone else who is tired of being called a fascist merely for having opinions that differ with those of the far left, raise your hands. OK, now you’re in the stick-em-up pose they prefer from you.

What really gets me about the word fascist is that it is so widely used that it’s come to be taken for assumed truth. Someone who opposes abortion: A, is trying to push his religion on others. (Women are presumed to be pro-“choice”); B, must be a fundamentalist who thinks women should be barefoot and pregnant and that believing in evolution should be a jailable crime; C, therefore is a fascist and is consequently guilty of killing 20 million Jews in the Holocaust.

But if you examine these “truths” that are so widely taken for granted as common knowledge, what you find is that the examination does not uphold the statement. In fact, quite the opposite.

First, let us examine the idea that abortion is a religious issue. Yes, it is true that my Church teaches that abortion is a sin. It also teaches that intentionally abusing the earth is a sin, and shoplifting is a sin. Nobody would ever accuse me of being a fascist for recycling. That is, I suppose, because recycling is something that most people who throw around the word fascist approve of. You’re only a fascist if they disagree with you.

Let’s move on to the stereotypes of Fundamentalists. I will be honest, I have some theological differences with many of the denominations (and nondenominations) that would typically be called “Fundamentalist.” But these theological differences should never be confused with an idea that I think Fundamentalists are stupid, backward, or afraid of science or education. Some are. Some Catholics are, too. So are a lot of Atheists. The truth is that a stereotype is just a stereotype… and something I would think the so-called left ought to be ashamed of engaging in. Would these liberals be proud to stereotype black people as eating nothing but collard greens and watermelon? Would they approve of spreading the image of the Native American as a savage scalping warrior who kills any white man he can find? How about the telling of “fag” jokes? If they find such things abhorrent, then they should also examine their bigotry against those who have religious convictions different from their own.

Finally, let’s move on to the real issue, the one that all the others are leading up to: fascism. Are pro-life people fascists? The reality that any truly logical person must face is that you cannot answer that question without first learning the definition of the word fascism. To call someone something without knowing what that something means would be, in a word, dumb.

Dictionary.com defines fascism as follows:

a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

Evidently those who support abortion stop at the word dictator and refuse to read farther. They’ve decided that anyone who opposes abortion supports a dictatorship. Fingers go in ears. Nanana, they’re not listening anymore, nanananana

But do read the rest of the definition. Let’s look at the part about forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, for example. It is the abortion industry that has repeatedly attempted to suppress not only opposition and criticism, but even knowledge. They have opposed the right of a woman to have a sonogram before deciding whether to have an abortion. They have opposed bills that would require clinics to tell mothers the stage of their babies’ development. They have opposed the rights of those who disagree to peacefully assemble. It sounds like it is the pro-abortion movement that wishes to forcibly suppress opposition and criticism.

But surely the regimentation of industry is an anti-abortion tactic, right?

Think again. The pro-abortion lobby has pushed through laws that forbid — yes, forbid religious groups to practice their faith if it does not support abortion. State after state, under pro-abortion pressure, is requiring Catholic employers to provide insurance that covers abortion and contraception. State after state is passing laws, again under pro-abortion pressure, to require pharmacists to dispense abortifacients, even if such dispensing brings about automatic excommunication from their Church.

Wow. It’s the pro-abortion side that’s working at the regimentation of industry, too.

And, as it happens, it is the pro-abortion side that has had pro-life people arrested for racketeering, merely for peacefully protesting. It is the pro-abortion side that constantly cites freedom, choice, and equal rights to show that supporting abortion is the only American thing to do.

Did I mention that the majority of abortions are committed upon minorities? Did I mention that Margaret Sanger, the founder of the organization that performs the largest number of abortions in the United States (Planned Parenthood) planned it that way? To quote: “The campaign for birth control is not merely of eugenic value, but is practically identical with the final aims of eugenics.”

Let me repeat the Dictionary.com definition of fascism:

a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

The Pro-Abortion camp forcibly suppresses opposition and criticism, seeks to regiment all industry and commerce, emphasizes aggressive nationalistic values, and promotes the extermination of minority people.

There’s only one question left to ask: Who’s the fascist?

Ping to Samantha Burns.

Sidebar Addition

Posted By on January 25, 2007

Thanks to Covarr for the new sidebar graphic. Ain’t he talented?

Who’s Really Benefitting?

Posted By on January 23, 2007

Dawn Eden, in her usual delight of words writes a brief exposition of the lyrics of a song, in “From Bed to Verse.” I highly recommend the read.

In it, she describes a feminist discussion about the meaning of the song, being the way men use women. Dawn describes the ache of sleeping with a person when words of love have not been expressed. All I could think was how very sad… not that men are using women in such a way, but that today women are asking to be so used. It’s a “right” to be used and tossed. A right guaranteed by everyone from the abortion industry to many state governments.

I really cannot understand how people who purport to stand up for the “rights” of women can so highly recommend their emotional bruising and physical using as an expression of emancipation. If that’s freedom, I’ll pass.

A Catholic Meme

Posted By on January 22, 2007

Catholic Meme

PBXVI tagged me, so … ready, set, wheeee!

1. Name a Catholic book that you want to share so much that you keep giving away copies: The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Jesus. (St. Teresa of Avila)

2 Name a work of religious art you’d like to live with: Madonna of the Streets

3. Name your favorite Catholic artist: I’m not sure.

4. Name a work of Catholic fiction which has penetrated your real life: The Great Divorce

5. Name your favorite Catholic Musicians – male & female: Michael John Poirier

6. Name your favorite musical: The Sound of Music

7. Name a punch line that always makes you laugh: [during a written driving test]
“Reverend Jim” Ignatowski: Pssssttt… what does the yellow light mean?
Bobby Wheeler: “Slow down.”
“Reverend Jim” Ignatowski: What… does… the… yellow… light… mean?
Bobby Wheeler: “Slow down”!
“Reverend Jim” Ignatowski: Whaaaat… dooooeeees… theeeee… yeeeel-looowwww… liiiiight… meeeeaaan?

New Sidebar Item

Posted By on January 22, 2007

Thanks to WardWideWeb who pointed me to it, and to Uncool Mommy for providing it. She’s looking for someone to help host the ticker, because it’s using a lot of her bandwidth. If you’re able, please click on the image and offer your help.

More prayers needed desperately

Posted By on January 21, 2007

Please storm heaven for little Mary Claire. They biopsied her tumor, and it is cancerous. It has grown a lot since last week. They are checking now to see what kind of cancer it is, to determine whether it will respond to chemotherapy, but it’s inoperable.

It is looking like her only real hope is a miracle. She’s only five years old… please pray for her.

prayer request

Posted By on January 17, 2007

Please pray for my second cousin, Mary Claire. She’s five years old and has been diagnosed with a spinal tumor that stretches the length of her spine. She’s going in for surgery today. Thank you.

Note to Hypertot

Posted By on January 16, 2007

While I’m pleased that your language skills are developing, I think you’re missing some basic concepts. “Will you open it?” is a well-constructed question, but I don’t think your brother will be able to help you open that fork, no matter how many times you ask.