How Should I Feel

When I went to see the last movie I saw in the theater, I saw the trailer for this movie. As I watched it, I felt like it was going to be a movie that will win all sorts of awards and recognition while being an awful movie - kind of like the movie where there was a fish... "The Shape of Water" or something like that ... everyone thought it was a great movie and it took every ounce of my resolve to stay awake for its duration. Based upon what Ben Shapiro says in the video below, I will probably watch it when it's on a streaming service, like Netflix, but I don't plan to go to the theater on a Tuesday evening and see it.

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https://youtu.be/ RChu9XnmRhg - Catholics Should Be PISSED at This Movie

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https://youtu.be/RChu9XnmRhg

Interesting to Read

Cohabitation - For Your Marriage

Flashback to 2015

This came up as a Facebook memory.

You Are God and I am Not

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FOSJ

On the second Wednesday of the month, I attend the Fathers of Saint Joseph meeting in Iowa City. I cannot embed the video so here's the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW4au9xeJ_I

This is NOT my Opinion

Do I believe that the Catholic church should abolish the Priesthood?

No, I do not believe the priesthood should be abolished within the Catholic church.

The following link was shared by a woman I know. I read the article because it was an interesting idea, NOT because I believe in the prescription. That said, I tried to approach the article with an open mind. Here's the link: The Catholic Church Should Abolish the Priesthood

I Thought I Was The Only One

My Newborn Son's Name is . . .

In an alternate reality, I didn't go to Mount Mercy College in the fall of 1988. Instead, I went to the University of Iowa. I would still be Catholic and go to the Newman Center. I would live in an apartment above Gabes and immerse myself into the Iowa City music scene. I would learn to love Slayer almost immediately so that when Megadeth / Slayer / Anthrax / Alice in Chains played the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids in summer 1991, I would be there, thrashing around in the mosh pit. I would have hair down to my ass because playing drums in countless bands would barely cover my rent. Then, someday, I would find a woman and have a son. We would name him Slayer because in that alternate reality, I would be the idiot described in the following tweet:

Try not to giggle when imagining the wedding vows for that alternate reality son because you know with a name like Slayer he would have to be the most-Christian man alive to combat the blatant non-Christian values proclaimed by the band. Hearing "I Slayer take you ... to be my wife..." in a Catholic church? Awesome sauce!

The Biggest Threat

For a few years, I would have said that Erick Erickson is my favorite Conservative writer. His words are put in the right order and he has a clarity in his writing that I strive to insert into my own writing. His book You Will Be Made to Care sits on my bookshelf in the den and I have actually read it.

More recently, a writer by the name of Drew Holden has caught my attention. Rather than quote his articles, I encourage you to read these: 

• The Biggest Threat to American Christianity comes from Within
• We Need Room for Grace, Growth and Forgiveness in the Digital Age

Former Abortionist Dr. Levatino Destroys Pro-Choice Arguments

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A Reminder to Stay Strong

God Doesn’t Always Translate to CCM*

Vile

From SNL's Pete Davidson: Supporting Catholic church 'same thing' as being R. Kelly fan
Pete Davidson said on "Saturday Night Live" that supporting the Catholic Church is the "same thing" as being an R. Kelly fan.
“Before I continue, this guy is a monster and he should go to jail forever," Davidson said during on SNL’s “Weekend Update” segment.
“But if you support the Catholic Church isn’t that like the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan?" he continued.
“I don’t really see the difference, except for one’s music is significantly better,” Davidson added.
Davidson went on to argue that it's possible to appreciate the art or institution without condoning the behavior of the artist or priests.
The 52-year-old R. Kelly pleaded not guilty last month to 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
Three of the women were under the age of 17 at the time of the alleged incidents, which prosecutors say spanned from 1998 to 2010.
The singer was released from jail for a second time on Saturday after posting bail for failing to pay child care support.
The Catholic church has been embroiled in a child sexual abuse scandal for years that include bombshell reports accusing hundreds of priests of abuse in states such as Pennsylvania.

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And repercussions... Brooklyn Diocese demands apology from 'SNL' over 'disgraceful' joke about church sex scandals

Boo

Cardinal George Pell, Vatican Treasurer, Convicted Of Child Sexual Assault

What Irks Me

Happy Wednesday! Following the path laid out by New York, Democrats in Virginia [are] Push[ing] For Legalizing Abortion During Child Birth. What is this world coming to? Like, seriously? What irks me is how the Governor of NY is a Catholic. Why would a Christian support abortion?!?
Here's the text from the link:

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This really is unreal. Democrats in the Virginia House, led by Kathy Tran, wants to pass a bill that would make last minute, not just late term, abortions the law. It is actually infanticide. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can hear it from the sponsor of the legislation who admits her legislation would allow abortion even after dilation and delivery begin.

Democrats claim Donald Trump is a monster, but they keep showing how monstrous they really are.

Gabriella noted earlier that, once she was exposed, she deleted her Twitter account to avoid encountering outrage from Virginia voters. Under her proposed law, she could probably just abort them.

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Editor's Note: This is the link to what "Gabriella noted earlier" that was a link in the middle of a sentence, which is a detested practice on this blog.
Pro-Choice Virginia Delegate Member Deletes Twitter Account After Pushing Late-Term Abortion Bill

What To Do?

This article is worth reading: What Can a Christian Do When Up is Down, Right is Wrong, and Boys are Girls?. At the bottom of the article are these comments, which are also worth reading:

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pilot83


Well Peterheck, you nailed it better than I have ever seen you do in the complete article. We are getting closer to that day and the opening of the first seal. Get ready Christians, He is getting this world ready and as Christians, we know His Word that shows us what is really happening.

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TimCooper

It seems there has been a shift in how we as a society views morality...where we get our moral code. In the past, our social moral code was something that we got from outside ourselves. Our higher power if you will. In the US it was rooted in the 10 commandments and reflected our deep judeo christian roots. People certainly fell short of the code, but it was there none the less.

Now it seems our social moral code now comes from within ourselves. We each decide what is right and wrong for ourselves and how dare anyone else question that. We have replaced THE truth with our truth.

We see the implications of this all around us. For instance, there used to be rules for what is a marriage. Two people, one male...one female, not married to other people. When you remove one of the underpinnings of this....say two men can now be married, it becomes so much simpler to remove the rest of the underpinnings. We are seeing the removal of these long held moral social underpinnings.

It boils down to pride. I love this line from the movie "The Devil's Advocate" from Al Pacino's depiction of the devil....

You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically connect the world to every eager impulse; grease even the dullest dreams with these dollar-green, gold-plated fantasies, until every human becomes an aspiring emperor, becomes his own God... and where can you go from there?...

Pride....I think its the devil's favorite sin...it gets em everytime.

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It made me realize I have never seen the movie "The Devil's Advocate."

Classifying Beliefs of Many by One Trait

Classifying people as being 'this' or being 'that' based upon a single trait is dangerous and inaccurate. I just read these articles today, which alarm me:

1. 61% of Democrats Thinks the GOP is Racist  
2. Fans react as former One Direction star Zayn Malik says he no longer considers himself Muslim: 'So disappointed'.

I'll address what I think about "racist" and "GOP" being associated with each other first and then dip a little into stereotypes about musicians.

To me, if I say that "All [pick a nationality] are [pick a trait]," I'm making a judgment about a group of people based upon a single trait.

I think some racists are members of the GOP, but I do not believe that ALL members of the GOP are racists. I think judgments like that are dangerous.

My beliefs tend to align, politically, with the GOP on multiple issues, but I take pride that I can often see the counter argument to my beliefs in ways that surprise me sometimes. For example, I believe that America is a great country and that because of our greatness, we should not allow anyone to go to bed naked or hungry. We should be able to figure out how to help people who need help. There's a phrase that's been thrown around when discussing this - 'a hand up, not a hand out' - and that's where I sit.

At the same time, I strongly believe that abortion is murder. I marvel at how some can claim that a pregnant woman can choose to end their pregnancy and not be charged with murder. If a pregnant woman is murdered or in a car accident, I'm pretty sure I've seen there be double homicide charges brought against the accused. Why a double homicide if a woman can 'choose' to end her pregnancy? I'm a simpleton, really, when it comes to this. Does it really matter if a pregnancy is ended due to "fatally shooting a pregnant woman" or an abortion if "the pregnancy is ended" becomes the end result? Both acts result in a dead baby.

I also strongly believe that if I want to own a gun, I should be able to own a gun. I don't believe that one gun is 'more dangerous' over another - I just don't accept that logic. I think if a bullet pierces your aorta, then you have a problem, whether it was fired from a gun that has the ability to fire multiple bullets in one squeeze of the trigger or not. I think that if a gun is purchased legally, it does not mean that person is NEVER going to kill someone. I think it comes down to choice we, as humans, make. It's God's precious gift to me. If I own a gun, I have a choice to not shoot someone or to shoot someone. I don't own a gun. I make a choice. Thus, all legal gun owners are not murderers. There seems to be a belief that if you own a gun, you are not able to use it or to care for it properly. A sweeping generalization about gun owners has parallels to a sweeping generalization about members of the GOP being racists.

Then, there's fans of heavy metal music, like me. Over the years since becoming a fan of heavy metal music, I've heard statements like "All heavy metal drummers have no musical talent" or "All heavy metal fans worship Satan" - both are untrue. I never dispute that there are some heavy metal drummers have less musical talent than other drummers in other genres and I believe that some heavy metal fans worship Satan, but I do not believe ALL heavy metal fans do those two things. For example, I do not worship Satan - I am Catholic.

This just occurred to me. Tool's drummer, Danny Carey, is an amazing drummer, but he has different religious beliefs than I do, per Wikipedia. That does not make me judge his drumming in a negative light, though I recall reading an article, possibly, it could have been Modern Drummer magazine but it could just as easily have not been Modern Drummer magazine with feedback about the article including comments from readers saying that because of his beliefs, those readers with different views will no longer support Carey or his music. It's not just heavy music. I saw an example of some fans vacating support for a musician due to their spirituality. I am not grouping Tool with One Direction in the same group other than pointing out that after a musician stated that he no longer considers himself Muslim, fans are disappointed. Read the full article below.

My point to all of this?

As a society, we are stronger when we are united. If 61% of Democrats authentically believe that GOP is racist, that's not good.

Boo!

Yahoo News Explains: Is the Vatican doing enough to address sexual abuse in the church?

Terrible

Nuns Killed Children, Say Former Residents Of St. Joseph’s Catholic Orphanage https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinekenneally/orphanage-death-catholic-abuse-nuns-st-josephs?utm_term=.syLLeN27oE#.syLLeN27oE

K of C Statement

August 21, 2018 Worthy Chaplains and Dear Brother Knights,  The issues that have come to light concerning sexual abuse by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report are cause for grave concern among Catholics and Brother Knights. Many feel deeply betrayed by those whom they long held in high regard. Such concerns are shared not just in the United States, but in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere. These sins of commission and omission have sent the Church we love, the Church we serve and the Church that Jesus Christ established into convulsions. Sadly, the disgrace not only is borne by the perpetrators, it hurts us all, as does the silence of shepherds who have ignored the cries of their flocks. There are many wonderful and faithful laborers in the vineyard of the Lord among our priests and bishops. However, it is clear that in addition to devastating criminal acts, we have seen many other moral failings by clergy that represent a crisis of commitment to the Gospel.  Too often the needs of victims have been subordinated to a distorted sense of mercy toward the perpetrators or an instinct for clerical self-preservation. The sexual acts — both criminal and non-criminal — highlight the need to recover a respect for and a renewed commitment to the priestly promises of celibacy. The Knights of Columbus has supported the pastoral and charitable work of our bishops and priests since our founding by the Venerable Father Michael McGivney. We understand that the priest should lead the parish and the bishop should be the center of unity in a diocese.  But we — like all Catholics — are painfully aware of the wreckage that ensues when elements of this leadership are abdicated by evil actions whether directly perpetrated or covered up. Now, the Knights of Columbus — laymen, priests and chaplains together — will have an important role to play in rebuilding the Church. We must commit the Knights of Columbus to work for repentance, reform and rebuilding of the Church. Repentance should include a full accounting of the misdeeds by those who have committed them. Archbishop McCarrick and others at fault owe us a full account of their actions, motivations and cover-ups. After years of having us confess to them, it is now time for them to come clean about what they have done and what they have failed to do. This will also help increase the recognition that clerical sexual abuse is a global problem that must be addressed at the highest levels of the Catholic Church. Moreover, priests and bishops who refuse to live according to their promises of celibacy should be removed from public ministry, not out of retribution, but for the protection of the faithful and to prevent future variations of the scandal we now suffer. Reform must include many good ideas that have been proposed, such as a full and complete investigation of sexual abuse led by an independent commission that includes laity; complete transparency by the Catholic hierarchy into all matters of criminal sexual misconduct past or future; an expansion of the zero tolerance policy to include sexual activity or misconduct by clerics including bishops, and by seminarians; and a call for faithfulness by all members of the clergy, including bishops. There must also be an independent ethics hotline for reporting of criminal and other conduct at odds with Catholic teaching on the clerical state of life; and there must be protections against retaliation. Such reforms will be difficult for a Church largely unused to them, and we must support our bishops and our priests in embracing these reforms in order to rebuild. We can help to rebuild our Church in several ways. Above all else, Knights — and our chaplains — must embrace love of God and love of neighbor. This is Christ’s great commandment and the founding mission of our Order. It is also exactly the opposite of the rejection of God and exploitation of neighbor that our Church has witnessed in these scandals. Shortly before becoming Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger decried the “filth” in the Church “even among those, who in the priesthood, ought to belong totally” to Christ. He also provided the antidote, stating at other times that what the Church needs now more than anything else is “saints.” Pope Francis reiterated Pope Benedict’s sentiments in his letter on Aug. 20. In the days ahead, the Knights of Columbus will help renew our Church on a national level through a Novena of Masses in reparation for these sins that have so grievously wounded the Body of Christ. I take this opportunity to ask that you offer this Novena of Masses for our Church at your earliest opportunity. Beginning in November, the Knights of Columbus will sponsor, in cooperation with the Shrine of St. Jean Vianney in Ars, France, a national tour of the relic of the heart of this great patron saint of priests. In the coming weeks, I will share more details with you about this initiative. We will also continue to strengthen and rebuild our Church at the level of our families and parishes through our Building the Domestic Church program. Its twin elements of imbuing families with faith and strengthening parish life are critical to providing a Catholic Church that rebuilds based on the Gospel principles of love of God and love of neighbor. Together with our recently announced “Faith In Action” initiative, we will strive to make our parishes truly become, in the words of Pope Francis, “a family of families.” Now is the time for all brother Knights to stand steadfast in faith, as Catholics and as gentlemen. We will assist priests, bishops and our fellow Catholics in helping the Church chart a course for the future that puts Christ at the center, so that truly we may say, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is the moment in which Knights — including in a special way our priest members — can be part of a great renewal for good in our Church. And as we strive to follow the Lord more closely in the days ahead, may he deliver us from every evil and in his mercy graciously grant his Church peace and unity. In closing, know that your faithful witness and sacrifice can bring inspiration and hope to millions of your fellow Catholics. It will be needed in the days ahead more than ever before.  And to every priest and bishop whose commitment and dedication to our Order and to our Church has been faithful and exemplary, please accept my gratitude in both a personal way and on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. Let each one of us prayerfully invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that in the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe, our hearts would be cleansed and themselves become immaculate, similar and like unto her own heart. Fraternally, Carl A. Anderson Supreme Knight

What to Do When Doing is

The Catholic Church Scandal And the Herd Mentality of the Press