Thursday, July 30, 2015

Links: Camille Paglia, New Atheism, Andy Warhol, Pope Benedict XVI



Camille Paglia has had two articles about her in Salon, recently.

In one, she underscores that men and women are different. It's such a basic premise but it's still widely ignored, even among Catholics. I was just debating the point some days ago.

RU-486 Approved in Canada

Babies like these risk being killed by RU486


Very bad news. This could increase the number of abortion providers because you don't need a to be a surgeon to commit the abortion. The danger, though, is that complications can occur and women need access to a surgical abortionist to extract retained tissue, which occurs in something like 5% of cases. You just know that women in the furthest reaches of rural Canada are going to be prescribed this drug and then will need to get to a surgical abortionist. And they won't be able to. This could lead to calls for more surgical abortionists. I see this could also lead to more abortions. Doctors might recoil at the prospect of piecing together a dismembered fetus after a surgical abortion, thus preventing their entry into the abortion industry, but they might be perfectly fine with issuing a prescription and having the mother deal with the "products of conception."

And what might that look like? I blogged one feminist's traumatic experience with it:


I didn’t realize the horrible truth of that statement until I lay awake at night in fits of unbearable pain, bleeding through sanitary napkins by the hour. When I was in the bathroom one night, clumps of bloody tissue and embryonic remains fell into the toilet. I was overcome with tremors, my body shaking with a burst of heat resembling fever. My cheeks flushed as sweat bled into my hairline. Dragging my feet on the cold alabaster floor, I went back to bed and hid under the covers. Eyes open and bloodshot, knees to my chest, I felt tears sting my swollen cheeks. After hours of pure exhaustion, I finally fell asleep.
Returning to the clinic several days later for a scheduled follow-up, I learned that the gestational sac was still intact. I was given another dose of Mifeprex and Misoprostol. That night, I stared in horror as a clump of tissue the size of a baseball escaped from my body. I held this bloody mass in my hand, feeling the watery red liquid drip from my fingers. The tissue was soft and pliable. Poking at the flesh, I imagined the life that it embodied. The sac looked like a bleeding pig’s heart. For several months after, I was unable to look at blood without vomiting.


One Australian feminist complained RU-486 is not safe.

The approval of RU486 opens up the possibility that it will be improperly administered, as in this case. But of course, self-abortion is not a crime in Canada, so no worries!

The silver lining is that Ru486 abortions can be reversed if caught in time.

And as more women have chemical abortions, they will know the truth: that abortion kills a human being.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Links: Liberals, Abortion, Planned Parenthood, Trump, Lying,Bullying,



Peter C. Newman rails against Liberal arrogance. This sounds about right:

I first became aware of their institutionalized arrogance when, as an Ottawa columnist for Maclean’s, I found myself researching a profile of Jack Pickersgill, then a senior Liberal minister in the Pearson government. “It is not merely for the well-being of Canadians, but for the good of mankind in general, that the present Liberal government should remain in office,” Pickersgill told me with a straight face.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Links: Trump, Planned Parenthood, Abortion, The Benedict Option

Photo Credit


Rex Murphy nails it on Donald Trump:
My own view on Trump is fairly plain — he is a boor and a hyper-egotist, a shallow and avaricious blowhard, whose candidacy can almost stand as a rebuke to the idea of a democracy. But it is not Trump who should bear the responsibility for his success. It is the practice of politics itself and the political class (which includes, more and more, the news media) that has for so long abandoned honest representation of ideas, facing difficult issues with real language, which has so professionalized campaigns and elections that the sound of a human voice saying something it actually means is so rare.
It is the toxic atmosphere of political correctness that suffocates so many voices that enables a Trump, when he rants with full stream-of-consciousness abandon, to be seen as a plain speaker, authentic and different.

I like the fact that Donald Trump says things that nobody has the guts to say and won't apologize for it. I don't necessarily want him to be president. I just wish someone with a bit more gravitas had his bravado.

Slightly related: Donald Trump says wants to defund Planned Parenthood.

(Planned Parenthood issue starts around 2:49)






Jonathon Van Maren explains Why the Right is anti-intellectual:

But I make those points in order to make this one: Conservatives, especially social conservatives, have very good reason to be suspicious of academics. Being healthily suspicious of many intellectuals has unfortunately evolved in many ways into suspicion of intellecutalism in general is because for years, many universities and other intellectual establishments have been busily attempting to destroy the influence of Christianity, discredit the traditions that have served Western civilization for centuries, mock those who insist on “clinging to their guns and religion,” and serve as institutions that function as places for secular humanists to cultivate their own ideology rather than institutions of higher learning.

His advice:

The secular Left is going to scorn social conservatives, and they are going to demonize us—but we don’t have to provide them the ammunition to do so.
(...)
I see Christians and pro-lifers time and time falter and retreat in the face of the ridicule of the secular Left, and many people swayed by feeble arguments painted over with a patchy veneer of tolerance and intellectual respectability. We need to study, to read, to educate ourselves, and be prepared to defend the truth—because we’re going to have to do so in order to prevent more people from buckling under the pressure of the relentless mockery and condescension coming from those who believe our views are not only false, but repulsive and stupid. Our children, especially, will need this education in order to grow up in a culture hostile to Christianity. Those who still understand the most basic truths about human dignity, human life, and human well-being must be prepared to defend those beliefs.

I would like to add that one of the reasons why abortion is institutionally accepted in our country, and fetal rights are not, is that our fields of knowledge are imbued with abortion propaganda, but we don't inject our point of view. Where is the pro-life history of the unborn child? Where is the pro-life legal scholarship? Where is pro-life anthropologist explaining the nature of humanity or the pro-life sociologist explaining the nature of crisis pregnancy? If we want to convert everyday people, we need to prepare that terrain for the harvest, and we do that by discussing by researching and writing from our point of view.


Austin Ruse talks about the Escriva option as an alternative to the Benedict Option.

I agree with Austin Ruse that lay people can seek perfection, but I have a quibble about the underlying idea that the religious life and the lay vocation are equivalent. They are both valid, but the religious life is better suited for the quest for perfection. God calls people to various vocations according to his plan, but there's nothing wrong with wondering if a pious young man is destined for the priesthood. We want the most religious to be our clerical leaders.

That being said, I think, like him, that withdrawing from the world would be a huge mistake. We don't need fewer Christians in the public sphere, we need MORE of us. That doesn't mean we shouldn't think about creating a stronger Catholic/Christian community. Our isolation is one of our big weaknesses.


Court: Family-run pharmacy must carry Plan B despite religious objections. It's constitutional because the law doesn't actually target any religion. *eyeroll*.


14-Year-Old Indian Girl Allegedly Raped by Doctor Denied Abortion... because the baby is at 24 weeks gestation, and India's abortion law prohibits abortions after 20 weeks. The victim's father is said to be too poor to raise the baby. Here's an idea: instead of spending all this money to kill him, why don't they give it to the father to help him raise the child?


Portugal passes a restrictive abortion law that would require women to get counseling and pay up to $55 per abortion. I'm very curious to see whether it will have any effect on abortion rates.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Today's Links: Mark Steyn on Planned Parenthood, Ezra, Pot, Gay Pride, Abortion, Euthanasia, No2Trudeau



Mark Steyn commetns on the Planned Parenthood Baby Parts Scandal.

The Rebel Media is raising $25 000 for Life Issues Journalism. So far they have only raised $1856 as of posting. You really need to contribute? Do you want more pro-life journalism or no? If yes, then you have to fund it!

And another good cause: Ezra Levant will be prosecuted by the Alberta Law Society for calling the Human Rights Commission "crazy". Please contribute to his legal defense.






This was me two decades ago when I was in the NDP:
I support social justice. We need to combat racism, sexism, poverty, and all other social injustices. I do not bring up these organizations to disparage the good work they are doing. Rather, I am showing that in the case of abortion, the social justice movement abandons its core values and instead participates in the oppression of the unborn. The key idea of the social justice movement is equality and justice for all, which is why I find it puzzling that the movement denies equal rights for the unborn.

The unborn are the youngest members of the human family. They are weak, voiceless, and completely defenseless. It is clear that the unborn are vulnerable, and one value of social justice is protecting the vulnerable from abuse from the powerful. Yet, the social justice movement is not protecting the unborn; rather its leaders are advocating for the “choice,” to kill them.
(And in case that wasn't clear: no, I didn't write that.)

I thought his op-ed on euthanasia from a medical doctor was actually kind of scary:


For an example of this, consider the views expressed by Pope Benedict XVI on physician assisted dying. According to this pope, “the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit.”
From the viewpoint of public policy, this claim should have no standing, not because it comes from a pope, but because there is no clear evidence to support it nor in any obvious way to disprove it. It is grounded in religious beliefs of a supernatural kind, such as the existence of God or the soul, the idea of divine guidance, or the veracity of revealed texts.
The view that people should kill others is the bedrock of civilization. And he doesn't understand that. And he's a doctor. He makes me think of an abortionist. And that's scary. How about you don't kill people because human beings are intrinsically valuable? But that's what happens when a society slides into atheism. When you stop beliving in God, you stop believing in man.

This is the intriguing story of the Servant of God Carlo Acutis, a very devout Brazilian teen who died in 2006 of leukemia. There is cause for his beatification. He was something of a computer geek and built websites. He would be an obvious choice as patron saint of programmers should he ever be canonized.

A (mostly) pro-life atheist and post-abortive dad shares his powerful story about his involvement in multiple abortions, some he wanted and some he didn't. Very moving.

Conservative support among voters jumps as child care cheques land on doorsteps poll finds. I would love to survey Conservative Party members and see if the majority support this statist measure.

Coca-Cola, Ford and Xerox: We No Longer Donate to Planned Parenthood Abortion Business. Good news. Fewer corporations want to be associated with Planned Parenthood and abortion.

Pot Death: Teen Leaps 4 Stories After Eating Marijuana Cookie. Legalize marijuana. What could go wrong? Reefer madness, I'm sure.

Slightly related: Horse may have been fed marijuana before Surrey wedding accident. How much pot do you need to feed a horse before it starts affecting him? Just wondering.

Swedish nationalists plan a gay pride march through a Muslim area, hoping for trouble. Swedish gays will show they have, um, balls.

Jonathon Van Maren, Thoughts on the reactions to the No2Trudeau Campaign:


Amanda Marcotte goes on to say that while abortion imagery and exposes are very potent, that the impact of them is not long-lasting. Why? Because, she writes with hilarious immaturity, most things in life are gross—sex, going to the bathroom, surgery—and we all get over those things, don’t we? So surely abortion pictures will also be forgotten.
She’s forgetting something—abortion pictures aren’t powerful because they’re “gross.” Abortion pictures are powerful because they show the results of abortion—a dead, butchered human being. The power in the imagery is that people recognize that, and something in them responds to this injustice. It’s why even the people angry with our postcards have responded to the media by talking about the postcards depicting the “dead babies” or the “slain babies” or the “torn-up babies.” No-one thinks that what they’re looking at is a removed appendix. No one thinks that what they’re looking at is bodily waste. Everyone knows, almost immediately, that what they’re looking at is a dead human.

I'm ambivalent about the tactic of sticking graphic postcards in mailboxes, but he has a point here.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Give Father Rosica Credit Where Credit is Due


I really appreciated Fr. Rosica's op-ed in CNN on Pope Francis and how seriously he takes the devil, and we should too.

VIDEO: Voris Lays in On the Homosexual Agenda in the Church

This is a symptom of what I call modernism by omission. Modernists today don't spread modernism through overt heresy, but by what they refuse to teach.

There's nothing wrong with a ministry to gays. Except that ministry almost never reminds people that sodomy of sin, nor do they offer counsel on how to live a chaste lifestyle.

The more we try to appease, the worse it's going to get. By all means, by nice and understanding to homosexuals. Just do it for God, not for any political advantage, and never forgetting the whole of Church teaching.




UPDATE on July 23: Kathy Schiffer makes an important point about Sacred Heart Seminary. She says that Michael Voris didn't exactly get the story straight.

Today's Links: SJW's, LGBT, Unborn Victims of Crime, Pope Francis



ENOUGH! ENTIRE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SAYS ‘NO MORE’ TO SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS A sampling of resistance to political correctness. I think it's a small sampling. I think the entertainment world is as committed as ever to progressivism. The question is: why don't more Christians reject this culture? Just a thought.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Gay Man Denied Communion at Mother's Funeral




From the It Shouldn't Be News file:


According to The Advocate, Ardillo was denied communion by Rev. Mark Beard, the priest overseeing his mother’s funeral mass, for one controversial reason – homosexuality. It has been reported that Ardillo, a married gay man, was denied the right to partake in the Holy communion because of his sexual orientation. Needless to say, the long-time Catholic was highly displeased by the directive. But how did the priest learn of his sexual orientation?

Ardillio believes the priest learned the information after reading his mother’s obituary where it clearly stated that he was married to a man. Although not confirmed, the obituary may have contributed to Rev. Beard’s decision.


The Donald Trump Phenomenon Succinctly Explained


Photo Credit


Dave Carter:

Donald Trump owes his political viability to the cowardice of Republican politicians who keep promising one thing and delivering the opposite. Voters have watched Trump speak plain truth, as opposed to the marble-mouthed equivocations and double-speak of the Republican leadership, and they’ve seen him lose valuable business as a result. They compare his resolute defiance with Republicans who won’t even risk a committee assignment or a frown from the Washington Post, and prefer the chance, however slim, that Trump has come around to their way of thinking over the certainty that Republicans will betray them yet again.

I don't think Trump is the right candidate for president-- I think he should aim for a lower office before trying his hand at the presidency. That being said, I do find his candour refreshing, even if I'm not entirely convinced he's a genuine Republican. There are a lot of people fed up with the current leadership and they are hungry for someone who speaks to their issues and their mindset in an unequivocal fashion. 


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Links: Unborn victims of crime, No2Trudeau, Religion in the Public Square, Reality Bites...



I just wanted to give you an update. You may have noticed I've been a little quiet on this blog. Right now, at this point, blogging is difficult for me. I have four kids at home for the summer break, my youngest won't nap any more, and I've had to give up caffeine for health reasons (it's very bad for my digestion.) So I don't exactly have the drive to write up a post on a daily basis.

I think my blogging patterns may change in the future. I still want this blog as a platform, but I'm not sure where I'm going with it.

That being said, here are some links that have grabbed my attention.

Thursday, July 09, 2015

She's 13, She's Had 2 Abortions, But Child Protection Was Never Contacted



From the Abortion is a Shady Business File:​

A legal and human rights expert wants to know how a Winnipeg girl could have been impregnated by her stepfather twice and had two abortions before she was 13, yet not have been deemed a victim of sexual assault.

The offences took place in 2011 and 2012, but only came to light after the stepfather, now 35 years old, was arrested for assaults against two other people.
(...)

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16, but Busby said if both partners are younger and both agreed to it, it's unlikely criminal charges would be laid.

She added even if that was her explanation, officials should have investigated it further.

"If two kids end up having sex together, probably neither of them would be charged unless someone was an aggressor," she said. "[But] if it was your boyfriend, it's still a child in need of protection. The question is, 'Is this a child in need of protection?'"

Did anybody bother to ask her if she had a boyfriend. Did they check out the story?  Abortion at freakin' age 12! Whatever side of the abortion debate you are on, you gotta agree that that's a sign that social workers need to be called!

Maybe there should be a law that if a kid age 12 or younger has an abortion, a social worker needs to be called in. Something is wrong, something needs to be looked after. She needs some serious counseling. She needs someone to turn to!



Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Report: Vatican Creates Orders For Perpetually Outraged Catholics


I was going to look into this Order, but it looks like the Vatican just pulled this out of its butt and didn't follow canonical procedure.

Is anybody going to suffer excommunication over this? Of course not.

Thursday, July 02, 2015

ProLifer Attacked Outside Australian Abortion Clinic



Suffers fractured jaw.

There will be no victory without martyrdom. Just remember that.

Pro-Abortion Blogger Calls Down Syndrome Children "Defective"

Anonymous blogger  and abortion activist Fern Hill calls Down Syndrome Children "defective".






Isn't interesting. In one breath she says "why would anyone want a defective, costly, sick child?" (Love maybe?) 

In the next she says individuals with Down Syndrome can be lovely. (see http://tinyurl.com/o68lbah).

And yet she sees no contradiction!

Completely un-self aware of how disdainful she is of people with Down Syndrome, reducing their worth to their "fitness". 

Yes, those people are lovely. But defective.

The eugenic mentality does that. It makes you measure a human being's worth by their physical qualities. But don't tell Fern Hill she shares that mentality with the Nazis. That's "going Godwin." No analogy to be made whatsoever! 

Hashtag Love Wins.


Catholic? Don't Label Yourself "Gay" Says Former Homosexual



Joseph Sciambra:


We saw being “gay” as the answer – the promise of happiness embodied in the rainbow flag; once we know Christ – to claim to still be gay is hold onto that false ideology and all it stands for; because we must be made anewand leave behind all those old ways of thinking and those old “labels.” ~ “And no man putteth new wine into old bottle: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles, and it will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”

I was having this very conversation with some younger Catholics. They all objected to this idea.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Why There Won't Be a Backlash Against Gay Marriage: Lessons from Canada

The lady is right in that abortion provoked a backlash because human beings are the victims.

Whereas nobody dies from gay marriage.

Gay marriage has been legal in Canada for ten years now. And there has been no real effort to re-define marriage again.

Canadian social conservatives are far too focused on fetal rights. There are too many issues to battle, so you have to pick the most important ones.

Plus I think social conservatives come to terms with the situation by simply keeping to the traditional definition of marriage in their minds. They tell themselves: What the state proposes isn't real marriage; it's sham marriage.

If people want to take part in this sham, that's their business. The relevant injustice in the eyes of social conservatives is being forced to act against their faith.

I think this issue draws more attention than the abortion issue. There are a lot of lazy self-identified pro-lifers who lift a finger for the unborn, but people tend to act more when their personal interests-- in this case religious freedom-- are at stake.


In Which I Commit the Heresy of Disagreeing with Mark Steyn



Mark Steyn wrote:


Even if one takes the somewhat reductive position that Canada as a sovereign entity dates only from the 1867 British North America Act or the 1931 Statute of Westminster, that would still make us one of the oldest nations in the world.

I agree with the premise that Liberals manipulate history.

But the basic premise that Canada is a young country is correct.