Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Filed under Uncategorized
I Was Waiting for the Perfect Video… – Patheos
This is a great rebuttal to the “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” video.
Filed under Apologetics, Catholic History
Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus — The Smackdown
There are lots of reasons why this young man is wrong in hi assessment of religion (Catholic Church). He, sadly, represents “Pseudo-Christianity” at it’s best (worst).
Hopefully, he will live long enough to be embarrassed by this video. Also, to repent…
Below the video is a great rebuttal…
It’s worth beginning with this: I agree with this guy on a lot of points. He reminds us Catholics of a striking truth; that without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, religion is a joke. He speaks the truth that Christ died for our sins, once and for all. I can’t help but think, in the midst of all this, that this hating-religion-loving-Jesus thing is the logical consequence of Protestantism.
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But nevertheless, there are two main problems with this video. 1. Jesus Christ would strongly disagree with it. That is to say, the creator of this video is very, very wrong. 2. He’s very, very wrong with some great video editing, good background music, a strong emotional appeal, catchy rhyme, and all in relatively well-timed YouTube moment.
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So onto the first bit of silliness — the idea that Jesus came to abolish religion. Unforgivable. He literally said the opposite: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” What were the Law and the Prophets? Judaism. What is Judaism? A religion. What did Jesus specifically say he was NOT going to abolish? That’s right. A religion. (Aaand you just got Kris Kringled.)
This is made apparent not only in the words, but in the actions of Jesus Christ.
Filed under Catholic interest
Newt Rips Media For Bias & Bigotry Against the Church
Newt Gingrich, once again, calls the media on their bias – this time on their bias against the Catholic Church. There are supposed to be protections for conscience. Where are those protections? We live in a country that was formed largely to protect religious freedom – where is that protection? As has often been said, religious freedom applies to everybody but Catholics and other Christian denominations. It’s time to get back to the reason people came here in the first place – to practice their faith without having to worry about somebody throwing you in jail or fining you for doing so.
Filed under Catholic News
Silent Night in Gaelic/O Holy Night – Celtic Woman
Merry and Blessed Christmas, everybody…
Filed under Catholic History
Homosexuality and the Church Crisis – Brian Clowes, Catholic Lane
Abstract: Due to clergy sex abuse scandals centered primarily in the Northern hemisphere, the moral authority of the Roman Catholic Church has been subjected to an opportunistic siege by prominent individuals and organizations who see the chance to advance their goals, including the ordination of women and the suspension of the requirement for priestly celibacy.
There is also a strongly defensive element to this strategy. Opponents of the Church know that there is a well-documented and strong correlation between male homosexuality and child sexual abuse, but claim that there is no evidence supporting this connection.
And, of course, those who are currently attacking the Church hope that they can undermine its moral authority to preach on the sinfulness of homosexual behavior and weaken its opposition to ersatz homosexual “marriage.”
Introduction
A very small number of Catholic priests and other leaders have taken advantage of their positions of authority and influence in order to gain sexual favors or to take advantage of the helpless. The problem of clerical child sexual molestation, particularly in the United States and Europe, has been widely exposed and publicized over the past decade.
During the crisis currently being discussed, homophile activists within and outside the Catholic Church have done everything they can to divert attention away from even thepossibility that there may be a higher percentage of homosexuals among the priesthood than in the general public, and that this may be the root cause of the problem of child sexual molestation within the Church. These activists particularly seek to deny the link between homosexuality and child sexual molestation.
For example, the dissenting organization “Dignity USA” kicked off its “Stop Blaming Gay Priests” campaign in 2002. The group said “DigntyUSA [sic] is calling on the U.S. Catholic bishops to stop blaming gay priests for the clergy sexual abuse scandal. All credible evidence discounts any link between the molestation of children and homosexuality.”[1]
More recently, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, suggested that there is a link between homosexuality and child sexual abuse. “Gay” groups all over the world reacted with horror and fury, and echoed what Dignity USA had said years before. As one example, Rolando Jiminéz, president of Chile’s Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, said that “No reputable study exists to support the cardinal’s claims.”[2]
The situation has become so charged that anyone who even suggests that there may be a connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse is instantly and reflexively labeled a “homophobe” and a “gay basher.” The powerful homosexual lobby reacts instinctively to negative publicity and information by “ritually defaming” those who dare raise their voices. Organized homosexual groups and their supporters first attempt to ignore the evidence, or, if it simply cannot be disregarded, aggressively smear and discredit those who produced it.[3]
Such wholesale dismissal of documented facts, and the accompanying refusal to evendiscuss the possibility of a link between an active homosexual lifestyle and child sexual abuse, is a grave disservice not only to the victims, but to society at large. Obviously, a proven link between homosexual orientation and child sexual molestation would badly damage the carefully crafted public relations image of the “gay rights” movement. Therefore, instead of calmly and rationally discussing the issues, homosexual rights leaders subscribe to the axiom “the best defense is a good [and loud] offense.” They remain in a permanent attack mode.
…
In fact, a number of studies performed over a period spanning more than half a century — many of which were performed by homosexuals or their sympathizers — have shown that an extremely large percentage of sexually active homosexuals also participate in child sexual molestation.
This is not “homophobia” or “hatred.” This is mere scientific fact.
For example:
- Homosexual Alfred Kinsey, the USA’s preeminent sexual researcher, found in 1948 that 37 percent of all male homosexuals admitted to having sex with children under 17 years old. [7]
- A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that “The best epidemiological evidence indicates that only 2 – 4% of men attracted to adults prefer men. In contrast, around 25 – 40% of men attracted to children prefer boys. Thus, the rate of homosexual attraction is 6-20 times higher among pedophiles.” [8]
- Another recent study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that “… all but 9 of the 48 homosexual men preferred the youngest two male age categories.” These age categories were fifteen and twenty years old. [9]
- A third study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that “Pedophilia appears to have a greater than chance association with two other statistically infrequent phenomena. The first of these is homosexuality … Recent surveys estimate the prevalence of homosexuality, among men attracted to adults, in the neighborhood of 2%. In contrast, the prevalence of homosexuality among pedophiles may be as high as 30 – 40%.” [10]
- A study in the Journal of Sex Research noted that “… the proportion of sex offenders against male children among homosexual men is substantially larger than the proportion of sex offenders against female children among heterosexual men … the development of pedophilia is more closely linked with homosexuality than with heterosexuality.” [11]
- A study of 229 convicted child molesters published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that “eighty-six percent of [sexual] offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual.” [12]
- A study by The Institute for Sex Research, which was founded by Alfred Kinsey, determined that 25% of white homosexual men have had sex with boys sixteen years and younger. [13]
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Is Celibacy the Problem?
Many opportunists claim that, if the Catholic Church would simply relax its rules on celibacy, the sexual abuse crisis would be greatly ameliorated. This assertion simply makes no sense.
Those priests who sexually molest boys have just as much access to adult women as other men. In fact, since priests are admired and respected professionals, we might reasonably say that they have more ready access to women than do other men.
The most certain proof that there is no correlation between celibacy and child molestation comes from the fact that married men commit child sexual abuse at about the same rate as Catholic priests.
There are about 260 reports each year of children under 18 being sexually abused by Protestant clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members. By comparison, 4,392 priests (out of 109,000) were accused of sexual abuse during the time period 1950 to 2002, an average of 84 per year. [42]
These numbers are backed up by a comprehensive study by Professor Philip Jenkins of Penn State, which found that between 0.2 percent and 1.7 percent of priests are pedophiles, and 2 to 3 percent of Protestant clergy are pedophiles, a somewhat higher rate. [43]
Since Protestant clergy are free to marry, it is obvious that allowing priests to marry will not solve the problem.
…
In summary, there are many attacking the Pope specifically, and the Roman Catholic Church generally, because of the sex abuse crisis. However, these individuals and organizations are not motivated by a desire to enlighten mankind or protect the innocent, since the crisis has already largely subsided, and stringent means have been enacted to prevent the abuse from reoccurring. Rather, the motivation appears to be more one of bigotry and a desire to muzzle and sideline the Church’s moral opposition to the “gay rights” movement.
Filed under Catholic interest
My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Left The Gun And Taken The Cannoli? – Pat Archbold, National Catholic Register
So, what DID Jesus mean when he said “My God, My God, why have thou forsaken Me?”
I was working overnight on a major systems upgrade. Some colleagues and I were sitting around while the systems engineers did their voodoo. Somehow the conversation turned to religion. A colleague of mine said he didn’t believe. After a little discussion, he dropped what he thought would be a trump card on another fellow in the group.
“If Jesus was God, why did he say ‘“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?’ Doesn’t that prove that even Jesus didn’t think he was God.”
…
“I can answer that. Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”
I got the desired reaction, blank stares.
“Let me clarify. Take it to the mattresses.”
More blank stares.
“When I say these things to you, what am I quoting?”
“The Godfather,” they all responded at once.
“How do you know?”
“We just do. Everybody knows those lines.”
Filed under Apologetics, Catechesis
