Let’s Keep This in Perspective

Chelsea2008 Election, AbortionLeave a Comment

Rebecca, at Mary Meets Dolly, explains why a wrong position on the dignity of the unborn and the elderly taint a person’s perspective on other matters related to social justice:

Abortion is not the only issue that is important, but let us keep this in perspective. The 48 million Americans ripped from their mothers’ wombs since Roe vs. Wade is the worst atrocity in human history. Any politician that supports the killing of the smallest and most innocent of our species on such a massive scale cannot possibly make life better for the rest of us humans.

Seems easy enough to understand, right? I am always sad to see how many people, even those who consider themselves pro-life, just don’t get this.

It’s going to be a long two weeks…

Let’s Never Find Out

Chelsea2008 Election, Abortion, Stem Cell Research, videoLeave a Comment

Ad from Let Freedom Ring (h/t: Mary Meets Dolly):

What happens when we elect a president who has disregard for human life? Please, America, let’s never find out.

See:
“The Vortex”
Barack Obama: Dangerous Values
Sacrifices for Life
Attention Roman Catholics for Obama
Gianna Jessen’s “Gift of Cerebral Palsy
Barack Obama and Infanticide: Indefensible
Barack Obama “Will Not Yield” on Abortion
Obama and Infanticide
Barack’s Disturbing Defense of Infanticide
Obama Facts

In Love and War: A Soldier Armed with the TOB

ChelseaTheology of the BodyLeave a Comment

1st Lieutenant Trevor Needham is a Combat Engineer Platoon Leader with the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment deployed to the Diyala Province, Iraq. He is also a student of JPII’s Theology of the Body. He and his wife Becky attended a Head & Heart Immersion Course (an intensive 5 day study of TOB) in June and Lt. Needham has been able to apply that knowledge in an unlikely place:

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Kuwait was all of the graphic graffiti in the port-a-johns. General Order #1 bans all pornography in theater; however, there was no shortage on soldiers’ computers, or even drawn on the latrines. I quickly began to understand the struggle our soldiers were experiencing — the majority of my soldiers had never had to be in control of their sexual desires. It was something they had never experienced, and it made them very vulnerable to addiction. I suppose it has been the same for every generation, as I think back to the pin-up girls from WWII. The combination of high stress, separation from loved ones, and physically exhausting conditions creates an environment of vulnerability to any means of release or temporary escape, lust being a major temptation.

However, the deployment has been marked by small victories, and the TOB has helped me in my work and in my leadership role here in Iraq. You will talk about anything when you are on 8-to-12-hour patrols stuck inside a vehicle day in and day out. I have been asked a full spectrum of questions regarding morality, Catholicism, and God. Sometimes we have Bible studies on Sundays and it always turns into a Q&A session by the end. While I know that many of my soldiers will continue to be stuck in their habits, I take some comfort in having possibly planted a seed in their heart that there is something more out there.

Not only has TOB helped Lt. Needham educate our men and women overseas, but it has also helped him and his wife have a more meaningful and intimate relationship even from a distance:

The Theology of the Body helped us to discover intimacy beyond physical sexual contact, to really love the whole person and rejoice in her personhood, not just in the momentary pleasure the world would have us pursue.

He says that TOB and “understanding and living out the unity of man and wife” has helped him endure is “time in the desert” and look forward with greater anticipation to coming home to his family (this Nov.) – a family that includes a baby son whom he will be meeting for the first time. Read more from Lt. Needham and check out What is the Theology of the Body & Why is it Changing so Many Lives?

Americans Favor Abortion Restrictions

Chelsea2008 Election, AbortionLeave a Comment

A recent nation-wide poll shows that an overwhelming majority (84%) of Americans favor restrictions on abortions. Even 71% of pro-choice respondents said they would significantly restrict abortions.

Meanwhile, the candidate who is leading every major election poll so far is the one who wants to sign a law that will remove all current abortion restrictions and enshrine unlimited abortion-on-demand into American law.

See:
“The Vortex”
Barack Obama: Dangerous Values
Sacrifices for Life
Attention Roman Catholics for Obama

“The Vortex”

Chelsea2008 Election, Abortion, Vocation1 Comment

Michael Voris has an excellent commentary on FOCA:

Another good one to take a look at – Abortion and the Economy:

See more episodes of the Vortex at the Real Catholic TV YouTube channel

Previous posts:
Barack Obama: Dangerous Values
Sacrifices for Life
Attention Roman Catholics for Obama

Barack Obama: Dangerous Values

Chelsea2008 Election, Abortion, Freedom of Choice Act1 Comment

A new ad from the Family Research Council highlighting Obama’s promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (h/t Jay):

According to this story the ad will run in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan and Washington DC television markets. Hopefully they will eventually run this ad here in MO as we are one of the coveted “swing states” and traditionally very pro-life. Not only do we have several abortion restrictions that would be overturned by this dangerous act, but our partial birth abortion ban was the model for the federal ban upheld by the Supreme Court last year.

Previous posts:
Sacrifices for Life
Attention Roman Catholics for Obama

Sacrifices for Life

Chelsea2008 Election, Abortion, Activism, Prayer2 Comments

Everyone is turning to prayer this election year. That includes the new group Sacrifices for Life whose purpose is to promote the making of daily sacrifices to establish a culture of life in America – to help turn the tide against abortion and other anti-life practices that are threatening to destroy the family, and ultimately, society itself. They are specifically concerned about the election next month of pro-life representatives who will “fight to uphold our family values.”

SUGGESTIONS FOR SACRIFICES

Abstain From:
* sweets and/or unhealthy snack food
* soft drinks/soda or coffee
* eating between meals or eating out
* video games, television, recreational Internet use
* complaining
* anything you can do without
* anger, bitterness, or resentment

Increase:
* prayer
* fasting
* quality time with family and friends
* walking or biking instead of driving
* patience while driving
* volunteering or charitable works
* generosity, kindness, mercy

Sign the pledge if you are willing to offer up sacrifices until the elections on Nov. 4. SFL also offers a bulletin flyer and suggested letters to send to your pastor, school or other Christian organization.

As many feel that America is on her way to being severely judged by God, Sacrifices for Life is a much needed appeal to His infinite Mercy. We say it every election year, but it really does seem like there is a lot at stake in this election when it comes to protecting innocent human life – especially when you consider that the leading candidate has promised to sign a law validating and expanding the scope of Roe v. Wade. An act that would not only eliminate every state and federal abortion restriction (partial birth abortion ban, 24 hr. waiting period, parental notification, etc…) on the books today but also render the courts completely irrelevant on the issue, forever ensuring the “right” to abortion in our country (unless we someday get a Congress and a president who are serious about passing a human life amendment).

God help us: “Most merciful Jesus, I beseech You through the intercession of Your dearest Mother who nurtured You from childhood, bless my native land. I beg You, Jesus, look not on our sins, but on the tears of little children, on the hunger and cold they suffer. Jesus, for the sake of these innocent ones, grant me the grace that I am asking of You for my country.”

Join Us in Prayer

Chelsea2008 Election, Cloning, Embryo Experimentation, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Prayer, ReligionLeave a Comment

rosary.jpgToday Bishop John Gaydos will lead the Rosary to safeguard embryonic human life at St. Joseph Cathedral (my parish) in Jefferson City, MO. I know that most of you can’t physically be there, but I hope you can join us spiritually by praying with us today in your own homes.

The Rosary Crusade to Safeguard Embryonic Human Life was started in 2006 by then St. Louis Bishop Raymond Burke as a response to the campaign to enshrine into our State Constitution the right to clone and kill human embryos for medical research. Because the measure (barely) passed, many would like for the cloning debate in MO to be over with, but as I mentioned here, that is not the case. And although pro-lifers have so far been unsuccessful in getting our own measures on the ballot, even our losing efforts have proven effective. Our unwillingness to concede defeat has caused the powerful cloning leaders who bought their own Constitutional amendment to so far abandon many of their efforts to build research facilities in our State citing a “hostile environment” toward research on human embryos (they’re also holding out for more state funds).

This prayer is not just important for Missouri. Three other states will be voting on stem cell issues in a few weeks. Not only that, but both men running for president are in favor of research on human embryos and will almost assuredly both expand federal funding for such research when they are in office.

Thankfully ethical stem cell research continues to prove to be more effective at being used to treat disease and disability, causing many scientists to abandon their work with embryos. But, there’s more to ESCR than just therapies and cures and some scientists are finally admitting to what the real future of embryonic stem cell research is.

So we’ve got to keep the pressure on against this life destroying research and using our tax dollars to fund it. We’re not standing in the way of scientific progress. We’re standing up for ethics and human dignity.

Consider Trials a Joy

ChelseaSufferingLeave a Comment

Inspiration from today’s Evening Prayer:

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Previous posts

Abortion Survivor Melissa Ohden

Chelsea2008 Election, Abortion, video4 Comments

When abortion fails a child is born…alive. Some are put on shelves to die, some live to tell the tale (h/t Conservatism With a Heart):