Fighting Gay Marriage is a Waste of Time
Posted: January 11, 2012 in CatholicTags: gay marriage, gay priests, homosexuality, gays in the military
Apparently this was big news for the Catholic world: Romney Against Gay ‘Marriage’ But OK With ‘Domestic Partnerships,’ Gay Adoption, Gays in Military
As a person with common sense I inherently think that “gay marriage” is an oxymoron. Marriage is a legal recognition of what men and women were already doing before any laws were founded on the issue. They were staying together and raising children. As long as government doesn’t try to force religious institutions to perform or recognize gay marriage then who cares.
Gay adoption? I don’t think it’s a good idea. Time and again we have seen that children do best when raised by a father and a mother. It only makes sense as that is the way God through nature set up the situation.
On the other hand, I think they we are inordinately concerned with the issue of gay marriage. I don’t think it is as big of a deal as it is being made out to be. I don’t think it is the major threat to marriage that it is proposed to be. If we wasted half our energy on strengthening traditional marriage and building skills in those seeking marriage I think we would be putting our resources in a much better place. If people in the Church started a war on strengthening families and marriages what would be the result? Why the overfocus on ‘gay marriage’ when traditional marriage divorce rates are so high?
Gays in the military? Who cares. Is it really valid to say to someone that they cannot serve their country because they have same sex attraction? I think that is preposterous. What are people so afraid of? If your life is being saved by someone are you going to stop to ask them if they are homosexual? If you are about to be run over by a bus because you fainted in the middle of the road and a gay person drags you off to the side and saves your life are you going to tell them to put you back in the road when you find out they are gay?
I also don’t think it is an issue if someone with same sex attraction wants to enter the priesthood. Again, who cares? They have to take a vow of celibacy the same as someone who is heterosexual. Inevitably they will both have to deal with the same temptations and challenges of celibacy. I don’t really care if the person has same sex attraction and feels called to the priesthood. I don’t think it should be a barrier. I don’t think it has anything to do with their inevitable effectiveness or lack as a pastor.
As Catholics, I think we could be placing our energies into much more important issues. Issues such as abortion, strengthening marriage, and fighting poverty. Leave the gays alone they really aren’t hurting anyone. If anything they need love, prayer, and respect.
Answering the pagan origins of Christmas garbage.
Posted: December 23, 2011 in CatholicTags: Catholic Apologetics, Christmas Tree, Pagan origins of Christmas, War on Christmas
It’s the time of year when we see a war on Christianity. Atheists and new age goofballs both come out of the woodwork to attack Christmas. Christmas is not pagan and doesn’t have pagan origins. Sure, some customs like the Christmas Tree come from pagan sources but that is not the point. Since the earliest days of Christianity Christians believed that local customs, celebrations, and traditions could be sanctified through the process of Christianizing them. Here are two good links to help defend the faith. They offer two different views but I think the truth is a combination of the two.
http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=39
http://www.defendingthecatholicfaith.com/is-christmas-and-easter-pagan-holidays
Power of the Rosary: Personal Testimony
Posted: December 17, 2011 in CatholicTags: 15 promises of the Rosary, breast cancer, healing prayer, Holy Rosary, miracles, Power of the Rosary
There are many graces in my life that I would attribute to the Holy Rosary and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I would like to talk about two instances of healing that can only be attributed to the Rosary. My Mother has had breast cancer twice. Both times required a full mastectomy. Before each surgery we prayed the Rosary with specific healing intentions before each decade. We also said a specific prayer that God guide the surgeons hand. After the surgery my Mother experienced no pain. Not just slight pain but NO pain. The nurses kept encouraging her to use her pain medication but she told them she didn’t need it. The could hardly believe her. The kept asking her if she was sure and she would just tell them she felt fine. She was sent home from the hospital with a prescription for pain medication that went unfilled. I know this isn’t a miracle but it was certainly a personal miracle for us and isn’t that what really matters? I thank Holy Mother Mary for her intercession and the healing power and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Fifteen Promises to Christians Who Faithfully Recite the Rosary
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
3. The rosary will be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. Those who recommend themselves to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
From today’s first reading:
Thus says the LORD:
Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,
to the tyrannical city!
She hears no voice,
accepts no correction;
In the LORD she has not trusted,
to her God she has not drawn near.
If this doesn’t speak directly to the current state of America and Europe then I don’t know what does. Abortion, gay “marriage”, debauchery on every TV show, relativism, and no sense of truth or right and wrong. Atheists calling the nativity and Jesus an insult. I truly believe we are headed into a time where we will be persecuted vehemently for our faith. The time to sit back and be the quiet Christian is gone. It is time to stand up loud and proud for our faith and the eternal truths therein. Pray the Rosary.
On The News : The Pope’s aching joints; the Vatican’s odd silence – Catholic Culture
Posted: November 12, 2011 in CatholicTags: Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, suffering
On The News : The Pope’s aching joints; the Vatican’s odd silence – Catholic Culture.
These poor modern day popes seem to be called by God to be united to the suffering of Christ. Look how long Blessed Pope John Paul II publicly suffered. It seems to be an indication of God’s understanding of the rest of the world. He is giving us these suffering servants to lead us towards Him who suffered greater than any.
Woman Wins $12 Million – Gives It All Away
Posted: November 10, 2011 in CatholicTags: Fire Within, Fr. Thomas Dubay
I was watching a program today featuring the late Fr. Thomas Dubay in which he related a story about a woman who won $11.8 million in the lottery. The woman was retired, drove a thirty year old car, was never married, and lived alone. She gave every single penny away. Half was given to her local parish, a large chunk to the local volunteer fire department, and the rest to other charities. This woman would rise every morning at 5:30 a.m. to do morning prayers. Then she would get ready to go to daily mass where she would arrive one hour early to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
What a wonderful example of a woman living a life of prayer and sacrifice. This fits right along with my theory that it is the prayers of those saintly old ladies sitting in the pews praying before Mass that keeps the Church alive and the world held together.
Excellent book by Father Thomas Dubay, S.M. Fire Within
It is about freakin’ time someone spoke up about this. You know it has gotten really bad when the Vatican feels the need to speak up about this. How much will this reach the average parish priest? I’m not sure but I’m hopeful. I have long felt like the homilies I hear lack any real call to conversion and completely avoid the “uncomfortable” aspects of the Gospel readings. For the most part the homilies I hear every Sunday don’t call people to some higher level of being but usually state some crap about how we all are on the journey together and need to draw closer to Christ (which is true). The funniest part of the homilies is that when we are presented with a gospel reading that talks about hell and its realities, the priest simply skips over that and talks about whatever old or new testament letter was paired with it. Are these priests wimps? What are they afraid of? The collection plate dwindling? It is high time we call everyone out on their bull. There are simply too many cultural and cafeteria Catholics filling the pews. Stop catering to them and start trying to really help them. Think my statement is too judgmental? Take a look at a confession line at your average parish on the day they offer the sacrament. There is a large disconnect between the people living their faith and those who want to appear in church on Sunday and pretend they are Catholic. Enough is enough.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Freemasonry – Same Heresy
Posted: November 4, 2011 in CatholicTags: AA heresy, Freemasonry, indifferentism
It really bothers me that many in the Church (Priests, Bishops, and lay people) are so quick to recommend AA as a viable program for Christians. This article will ignore the fact that Bill Wilson was “channeling” while he was composing the main AA text and that he participated in seances and spiritualism. I don’t know of any Priest of Bishop that would tell someone it is ok to join a Masonic lodge but the same people are likely to tell someone to go ahead and attend AA. This is patently absurd as both Freemasonry and AA promote the same heresy of indifferentism. Indifferentism is defined as the belief that any religion is just as pleasing to God and man has no particular duty to practice the one true religion. It is the third step of AA where this heresy is first expressed: 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our live over to the care of God as we understood him. God is not to be taken as every individual decides to understand him. God has revealed himself in a very specific and dramatic way in history. We are not free to just make up anything about God we wish and think that we are paying him the proper and due respect. AA literature and the writings of Bill Wilson go to great lengths to stress the point of the third step. It is told to new initiates that anything can be their God. God can even equal Group Of Drunks! Bill Wilson suggests that someone can use the AA group itself as their higher power. What if I understand God to be Satan? Well, that is perfectly ok by the standards set up by AA. God solved the problem of addictions over 2,000 years ago on the cross. AA has no special insights that aren’t revealed by Christ’s death and resurrection. Let’s stop pretending that AA is somehow compatible with the Christian faith. It isn’t.
References:
http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-does-the-church-say-about-freemasonry
