The NYT Public Editor, Bryan Calame, has revealed that a recent story about a woman sent to prison for “abortion” in El Salvador was, in fact, sent to prison for strangling her newborn to death. HotAir, amongst others, provided this vetting about a month ago.
Nice to see Calame calling one of his reporters on such a poorly-researched story.
Well, that’s what they say. I’ll point out this particular glaring passage:
“It would be impossible for our association to crack down on illegal or underground churches,” Liu [Bainian, vice-chairman of the Catholic Patriotic Association] said. “China has always provided education and assistance for underground priests.”
“All we do is send them to facilities (prisons) where they can fully appreciate the assistance (torture) and education (brainwashing) the CPA offers. How can you argue with that?”
Rep. John Conyers has acknowledged ethics violations in making 
his official staff work on his campaign.
No word from Nancy Pelosi about it.
Now, if you think Democrats are corruption-free, you’re silly. If you think Republicans just have a “few bad apples”, you’re equally silly.
Politics breeds corruption. Politics is power, and power corrupts. If you really want more honest politicians, make them institute term limits — 6 terms for Representatives, 2 terms for Senators, and 3 terms for the President. Twelve years each.
PuffingTons Host contributor Angela Bonavolgia is all bent out of shape about the “mass excommunication” in the Lincoln Diocese. The excommunication is aimed at Catholics who are members of Call to Action, a “progressive” organization dedicated to “Church reform”.
First, you need a little background on the story. Bishop Bruskewitz said that membership in an organization like Call to Action (and that includes support of Planned Parenthood, Catholics for a Free Choice, the Hemlock society, among others) is anathema to the faith and shows a conflict of the soul– one cannot believe in abortion and that life starts at conception, for example. So he did what he’s supposed to do– excommunicate those who introduce dangerous views to Church teachings.
Your initial reaction might be, “Hey, that’s unfair! Those people were just expressing an opinion! The Church should listen to what they have to say….” After all, that’s Angela’s position.
I think it’s healthy to question your faith. However, I don’t think Call to Action is a healthy organization. Not so long ago, somebody else had an idea about changing the Church and he nailed 95 Theses to the door of his chapel.
Call to Action is similar in its contradiction of dogma. Angela highlights it in her piece, although she means to present it as some of the organization’s good points:
Independent of the church today, CTA supports a broad range of issues, many favored by the majority of U.S. Catholics, like ending clerical celibacy, ordaining women, greater lay power in church affairs, and lifting the illogical and indefensible ban on birth control.
Angela unwittingly highlights the major flaw in her thinking and the thinking of the leadership of CTA. “Independent of the church today…” starts her paragraph. Angela, if you want an organization that’s independent of the Church and supports married priests, women priests, homosexuals, birth control, and even abortion (because we know Angela’s big into “reproductive rights”), then here’s an idea: join the Anglicans. Don’t try and change the Church to suit your short-sighted social agenda.
Celibacy I understand. It’s not a big deal, and you can even find married Catholic Priests. I don’t think it’s what’s causing the excommunication. Female ordination? Again, another minor quibble. Same with “greater lay power”, although some laity think they can “exorcise” people. The last one is a huge deal-breaker. Ban on birth control? These people don’t understand the fundamentals of why the Church is opposed to birth control.
Let me explain it this way. Man and woman have sex and that creates a new life. Who’s the Creator? God. So if you and the missus decided to have a child, you have to involve the Creator. If you interfere with that process, you’re effectively thumbing your nose at God. It’s a crime of hubris and it’s a crime of lust, two of the Seven Deadly No-Nos.
If you want to know who’s backed by CTA, just look at their webpage. Guess who’s on the front? That’s right. Mama Moonbat herself, Cindy Sheehan. Divorced. Abandoned her children. Chillin‘ with Dictators Cindy freakin‘ Sheehan.
So, who are these people, you ask? Why is CTA getting singled out?
Let’s look at their mission statement and history from their web page:
Then in 1971 Pope Paul VI emphasized that it is the laity who have received the primary “Call To Action” to create a more just world. That same year the international synod of the bishops issued an unusually brief and clear document. It declared that “action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world appears to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the gospel.” And, cautioned the synod, “The church recognizes that anyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in their eyes; hence, we must undertake an examination of the modes of action, of the possessions, and of the lifestyle found within the church itself.”
I don’t have a problem with a “more just” laity. Fine. More power to them. But where does priestly celibacy, female ordination, anti-birth control, and other such programs come into the important scope of justice? They don’t. But they are the major rallying cries for CTA, and that leads me to believe that CTA has been hijacked by people who want to impose their liberal beliefs upon the Church.
Look at the topics on the “ChurchWatch” portion of the CTA website. With such topics as “Speaking out against a dictatorial Vatican”, we can only surmise the leadership of the CTA is interested in imposing their own social views upon the Vatican, and they have taken a rather antagonistic stance towards the Vatican.
The major issue I have with Angela and her CTA buddies is that their social beliefs are driving their religious beliefs, not the other way around. Under particular assault is the sacrament of Marriage. CTA wants to allow divorce and remarriage in the Church. They also want to allow contraception. Many Catholic scholars have clearly explained why both of these practices would be devastating to the Church.
CTA is no longer an institution which seeks justice. It’s an organization which seeks change, unjust or just, but change which conforms to beliefs that are not rooted in Catholic dogma or Tradition. It’s no surprise that CTA members were excommunicated in Lincoln. IMHO, I think such an organization, especially one that’s lost its way like CTA, should be excommunicated, not just in Lincoln, but everywhere they attempt to imprint their wayward views upon centuries of solid Catholic teaching.
Hung by the very people he once controlled as a dictator. (Although Benito was shot a few times first.)
I won’t be watching the execution. Although I’m sure “The Autopsy” and “Saddam Hussein” will get me a lot of traffic from the search engines.
I didn’t know much about him or his Presidency, mainly because it was so abbreviated and I was 5 when he left office.
Ford’s Presidency was relatively uneventful. The public wasn’t happy than an unelected official was President, especially one who was appointed after his boss (Nixon) resigned in disgrace.
I think the biggest lesson we can learn from the Ford Presidency is how to deal with hysteria, especially “The World Is Gonna End” hysteria. During the Ford Presidency, there was a concern that the “swine flu” was going to cross over from pigs and start obliterating people at a rate not seen since the influenza epidemic of 1918. Ford recommended immediate vaccinations, and scared people lined up to get vaccinated. The program cost millions. The number of people who died of the crossover swine flu? Less than ten. The vaccinations killed 25 people. (Gee, sounds kind of like the Bird Flu, doesn’t it?)
One other side note– current justice John Stevens is a Ford appointee. Souter is an George HW Bush appointee. I’d like to take this moment to point out that two of the four liberals on the current court were Republican appointees. If that’s the case– why is it always a battle royale to confirm Republican justices? Just a thought….
Nancy Pelosi is throwing a four-day-long party to celebrate her elevation to the Speaker position.
Now, compare that to the party Bush threw in ‘04. Or Reagan. Or Carter in ‘76. Even Clinton in ‘96 had the decency to limit his inaugural party to a day-long celebration. Not four days worth of events. That’s excess. And isn’t that one of the things the public hates about politicians?
Now, a classy soiree would have been a 1 day celebration with 3 days of showing up a charity functions, soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, all that good stuff. Not planning Tony Bennett’s arrival to serenade you for orchestrating a political coup.
It reminds me of the Wellstone memorial. There’s a proper service, then there’s over the top. What we’re seeing is far, far over the top.
But I expected it. And I’m sure we’ll see two years of over-the-top Speakerhood. We’re already seeing it in the Senate, where Democrat Senators are already taking it upon themselves to fly to many different countries and undermine US policy.
Now that there’s two hours left in Christmas, let me be the first to wish that the next two hours find you very well and I sincerely hope your Christmas was as chock-full of quality family time as mine.
I got myself a trackball for my new laptop. I’m sorry, but those touch-pads are a nuisance.
And I also got another Christmas wish– this one from the PuffingTons Host.
Here’s a roundup of their Christmas contributors and a short description of their pieces:
Chris Kelly– I hate Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip.
John Brockman– Have an Edgy Christmas (hawking his website by showing famous atheists hanging around Christmas trees).
John R. Bohrer — The world is a violent, depressing place.
Steven Weber– No more sucky presidents!
Patt Morrisson– A good piece about Christmas– until the very end where it’s the attack of the BU$$$HITLER.
Nina Burleigh– Dear Santa, please censor Tom Friedman, and then at the same moment, give children books instead of computer games. So, what I’m really saying is, Santa, please make sure the Children read only the people we agree with. Thanks!
Chris Durang — I went caroling with my neighbor, but didn’t like singing about Christ during Christmas. Those Christians take the fun out of everything, even Christmas Carols!
John Seery — A very Merry Pointy-Headed Christmas to you! Hey, and why doesn’t anyone read my blog?
John Ridley– Michael Richards needs a fruitcake. (A worthwhile snippet, but a Christmas headline? Hardly.)
Trey Ellis– This is a story from my book! It’s boring, kind of out of context, but it’s about Christmas. Well, it’s about stuff that happened on Christmas.
John McQuaid — Global Warming will destroy Christmas. (Start the reactor, Quaid!)
Danielle Crittenden — You Christians are missing out. Hanukkah is far better. But, I do *miss* Christmas. Isn’t that enough? I’m fearless! I like Hanukkah because it doesn’t involve the months of preparation and short Christmas present-opening that it all culminates in. And the boring Church ceremonies. And the fact they don’t talk about Global Warming. What do they talk about? Some spiritual redemption. Big deal! I’m happier being a cynic.
Warren Berger– Jack Murtha saves Christmas! And Iraq!
Carl Pope — Bush and lackeys are bad! Lumps of coal!
And what did Arianna say this Christmas day?
However difficult this year may have been — and it certainly had more than its share of suffering and strife — this is the day to focus on our blessings. And as we all bask in the grace of this day, we have one last gift for you to unwrap: a special line-up of holiday-inspired posts. Feel free to re-gift them to someone you love!
How can I enjoy a litany as depressing and spiritually void as those? Evidently they didn’t get the memo from the boss. (”Write about Christmas and about your blessings!” “Oh, I give thanks I’m an atheist!” “And I give thanks I’m no longer a Christian!”)
But, for all that’s bad, there were some people who got the message. Etan Thomas and Susan Madrak, to you, you get your own Yuletide Aquanet Moments, because you’d have to be crazy to write about Christmas on a liberal blog at Christmas time.
Merry Christmas!
I think Time totally blundered here. If everyone is the person of the year, what are they going to do next year? Or any year after that?
Next year the person of the year is Tony Blair. You know what? I can tell him he sucks because he was person of the year after I was. Seriously. “Hey Tony, I was recognized as awesome long before you were.”
And what if Hillary gets elected and is selected as the 2008 person of the year? Big deal! So was her opponent, and that was two whole years ago.
There is nothing that totally invalidates the worth of any award if the specialness of the award is neutralized. It’s like a college degree. Imagine you have a B.S. in Physics. You’re pretty cool, right? Well, imagine if everyone, upon completing 3rd grade math, gets a B.S. in Physics. People would say, “You have a B.S. in Physics? Yeah, so do I, pal!” And they’d mean it!
Or suppose Nobel gave the Peace Prize to everyone on earth. Everyone gets 1/30th a cent or whatever it comes to. What of the Peace Prize winners after that? I’m a Nobel Laureate, just like Li Wang, the taxi driver in Hong Kong. What did we do for world peace? Well, we surfed the internet. And used an iPod. Yes, we are truly made in the form of Ghandi and Mother Theresa.
What am I going to do with my award? Lord it over everyone, of course. I’m a Person of the Year. I can put that on my tombstone, along with “processed oxygen” and “made out with Paris Hilton” (because at her current rate, statistically, everyone will have made out with Paris Hilton by the year 2060).
Two of my favorites blogging about it: Hot Air & Michelle Malkin.
Update: I scooped this HotAir segment. Hah! I’m relevant! (granted, they scooped me before that, but trust me, I was thinking about writing this piece all weekend long while babysitting my kids).
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