Restless Waters

A Wild West Adventure

2012-01-24T19:46:00.000-08:00

On January 13, 2012, my eldest son and I made a college visit to the University of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa. The University of Dubuque is one of the colleges my son is interested in attending for a degree in aviation. While we were having lunch in Dubuque before the visit began, I jokingly told my son that we should drive out to South Dakota after the college visit to see Mt. Rushmore. To this day, I'm not sure why I thought of Mt. Rushmore. It just popped into my head. Even though I was joking, my son thought it was a great idea (naturally!).

During breaks in the college visit, my son and I continued to joke with each other about driving to South Dakota. As we talked about it, my son became more and more serious about making the trip, and I became more and more afraid of how my wife would react if we did it.

After the college visit was over, my son and I continued to talk about South Dakota. After much agonizing, we decided that we would go for it. We agreed that we would do everything we could to minimize the cost of the trip, like eating peanut butter sandwiches for meals. We decided on peanut butter sandwiches because peanut butter and bread are cheap, and don't require refrigeration. The only clothes we had were the ones we were wearing, but we decided it would be worth it to wear the same clothes for the few days we would be gone. One of the bigger expenses would be lodging. We toyed with the idea of sleeping in the car, but the thought of dying of hypothermia didn't appeal to us, so we decided against it. As an alternative, we decided to seek out inexpensive motels.

After picking up some supplies at Wal-Mart, we pointed the nose of our car westward. Using the GPS, we determined that the closest city to Mt. Rushmore was Rapid City, South Dakota. We programmed Rapid City as our destination into the GPS, and the GPS estimated that we would arrive in Rapid City at about 2:30 AM local time. The thought of driving into the wee hours of the morning didn't appeal to us, but we decided to do it anyway, to save both money and time. We decided that once we got to Rapid City, we would find a motel and catch about 4 hours sleep, and then head to Mt. Rushmore first thing Saturday morning.

After leaving Dubuque, the highway took us north and west for a few hours, and then eventually headed straight north into Minnesota. Shortly after crossing the Minnesota border, the highway turned to the west. We continued to head west into South Dakota, all the way to Rapid City. Most of the trip was in the dark. The light, blowing snow that we drove through for most of the trip made driving difficult for my son, who ended up being my chauffeur for the trip. Like his father, my son loves to drive.

After many hours, we arrived in Rapid City on schedule at about 2:30 AM. We checked into the hotel and promptly hit the sack. About four hours of fitful sleep later, we woke up. After a continental breakfast, we got in the car and headed south towards Mt. Rushmore.

One of the fears I had as we were driving the night before was that the weather at Mt. Rushmore would be bad. It was the middle of January, after all. I had visions of explaining to my wife that we decided to drive all the way to Mt. Rushmore, but couldn't see it because it was shrouded in rain, fog, snow, or a combination thereof. It wasn't a pleasant vision. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded. On the morning we drove to Mt. Rushmore, the temps were chilly, but the cloud-free sky was a crystal clear shade of blue.

Mt. Rushmore was just as beautiful as I remember it to be when I saw it in 1968 with my family when I was eight years old. Since I didn't have my DSLR camera with me (dang it!), I had to take pictures of it with the camera in my Palm Pre phone. My son took pictures with the camera in his iPod Touch.

After experiencing Mt. Rushmore, we decided to explore Custer State Park, which is a massive area right next to Mt. Rushmore. The park was absolutely jaw-dropping gorgeous. We enjoyed driving the curvy, mountainous roads, and driving across the prairie. The weather continued to be fantastic. While we were there, we saw antelope and bison. One of the highlights of our visit to the park was when we stopped next to a herd of bison grazing in a field. As we were watching the bison, I was amazed by how quiet it was. We couldn't hear any man-made sounds. All we could hear was sounds that the bison occasionally made as they grazed. It was a fantastic experience.

As the day progressed, we started thinking about when and how we would head back home. If we went back home the way we came, we would have to go all the way back to Dubuque, and then three and a half hours south to our house. Rather than go back the same route, I suggested that we go home via Colorado. The distance home would be about the same, since we would have to go south to Denver, and then straight east to our home, rather than straight east to Dubuque and then south to our home. My son readily agreed to the plan (big surprise!). We decided to spend the rest of the day driving to Denver, then spend all of Sunday in the Denver area, and then drive home on Monday.

Later that day, we headed south towards Denver. We followed a route that took us through the southwestern corner of Wyoming. The scenery was pretty flat, but it was still interesting. The weather was good, making for a pleasant drive. We decided to make Colorado Springs our destination. Colorado Springs is about an hour south of Denver. We arrived there at about 8 PM that evening.

The first thing we did on Sunday morning was go to Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Colorado Springs. I was impressed by the pro-life display near the entrance to the Church parking lot. Mass was wonderful, and it rejuvenated us after our long journey.

After Mass, we decided to drive to the top of Pike's Peak, a 14,110 ft. high mountain near Colorado Springs, just west of our motel. The drive up the mountain was incredible. The skies were partly sunny, and the views were to die for. The ranger station at the base of the mountain asked us to crack open our car windows before we drove up the mountain. We asked them why, and they said that the winds at the top of the mountain were currently 40 miles per hour, but if they got up to 60 miles per hour, enough pressure might build up inside our car to blow our windows out. Yikes!

After spending time at the summit of the mountain, and experiencing 40 mph continuous winds, we drove back down the mountain and had lunch at the Hell's Kitchen Pizza restaurant in Steamboat Springs, a touristy town at the base of the mountain. The pizza was heavenly.

After lunch, we went to a beautiful park called the Garden of the Gods. The park was donated by an oil baron to the city of Colorado Springs at the turn of the last century, with the stipulation that the public would be allowed to enjoy the park free of charge. How cool is that? My son and I spent the rest of the day exploring the park, enjoying the jaw-dropping views. We did a lot of rock climbing on the reddish colored rock formations that are all over the park. Once the sun went down, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the end of our wild west adventure. After dinner, we went back to our motel room to unwind before retiring for the evening.

We departed Colorado Springs at about 5 AM on Monday morning and headed for home. The trip was pretty uneventful. The weather was good for almost the entire trip, except for the last half our before we got home. On our way through Kansas, we spotted an unusual billboard that was a painting of Jesus standing in a field of wheat, holding up some wheat in his right hand. It was so unusual, we had to go back and take pictures of it. The story of how this billboard came to be can be found here.

We arrived home at about 10:30 PM Monday night. Taking the trip was kind of a crazy thing to do, but I'm glad we did it. My son will be going to college in the fall, and I won't see him much after that, so it was important that we spent this time together. I will always remember it in my heart.

To see the photos I took during the trip with my Palm Pre's humble camera, click here.

Enduring Hatred for Opposing Same-Sex "Marriage"

2011-12-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

Earlier today, a same-sex "marriage" supporter on Twitter informed me that I have been featured on a blog called be[4]marriage (http://be4marriage.com/). The blog is written by another person I've had discussions with on Twitter regarding the same-sex "marriage" issue.

After a quick look at the posts on the main page of the blog, it is obvious that the purpose of the blog is to support same-sex "marriage" by attacking those who oppose it. At the top of the home page, you'll see a menu link called "The People". Hover your mouse cursor over the link and a list of people who oppose same-sex "marriage" will be displayed. One of the people on the list is yours truly.

If you click on my name in "The People" list, you'll be taken to a post that features me (http://be4marriage.com/the-people/paul-schlenker). In the post, the author does his best to portray me as a hater of gays. He starts out the post by calling me an "anti-gay activist and online bully". The rest of the post consists of references to several tweets I made on Twitter regarding the same-sex marriage issue. The funny thing is that the author misquotes or distorts most of my tweets that he references, and then provides a link to the actual tweets that prove that he misquoted or distorted what I said. For example, the author accused me of saying that gay people harm society, but if you look at the actual tweet, you'll see that I said that "homosexual behavior" harms society. That's totally different than saying gay people harm society, but I'm sure the author knows that.

If you take the time to read the rest of the tweets that the author links to, it will become apparent that the author is twisting what I said in an attempt to incite hatred towards me among the gay community. While it's never enjoyable to be hated, I am willing to endure it because what I said is true, and I stand by it. No amount of hatred will force me to stop sharing the truth about same-sex "marriage" and other moral issues facing our society.

Where Charity and Love are, God is There

2011-11-20T07:44:00.001-08:00

I was listening to my "PS - Celtic" radio station on Pandora this morning, and heard a song by Connie Dover called "Ubi Caritas". After a little research, I discovered that "ubi caritas" is the opening words to a Catholic hymn. Here is a YouTube video of the song:

Here are the words to the hymn in Latin:

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:
Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.
Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.
Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,
Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:
Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,
Saecula per infinita saeculorum.
Amen.

Here is the English translation:

Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ's love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
As we are gathered into one body,
Beware, lest we be divided in mind.
Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,
And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
And may we with the saints also,
See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:
The joy that is immense and good,
Unto the ages through infinite ages.
Amen.

Abortion Doula - Killing With Compassion

2011-11-18T10:06:00.001-08:00

Several times during my discussions with abortion rights supporters on Twitter I heard the term "abortion doula". I had never heard the term before, and didn't know what it was. Earlier today I came across a post on the Jill Stanek blog about abortion doulas. The post provided a link to an article on the New York Observer web site called "The Rise of the Abortion Doula". After reading the article, I discovered that abortion doulas work at abortion clinics, attempting to provide comfort and support to women who are in the process of aborting their unborn child, or who have just had an abortion. The abortion doula tries to convince the women that they made the right decision when they decided to kill their unborn child via abortion. The article doesn't use the terms "killing an unborn child" when referring to an abortion, however, but instead refers to abortion as "choosing not to take a pregnancy to term". It sounds much nicer that way, doesn't it?

Anyone who is pro-life who reads the article has to wonder how anyone can consider abortion doula work or any other work related to abortion a good thing, but it is obvious that some people do. The article features a class that trains people on how to become an abortion doula, and the training includes instruction on how to respond to a woman who has had an abortion who remorsefully says something like "I just killed my baby." The trainees are told to tell the woman that the abortion procedure is legal because "the fetus is not a baby, it just has the potential to be one." That statement pretty much sums up how people can justify abortion. They justify it by denying that the unborn is a baby, a living and distinct human being.

As I said in a previous post, people can refer to the unborn as a "potential human being", a "clump of cells", or whatever they want, but the undeniable fact remains that if a pregnancy is not terminated, a human being will be born. That "clump of cells" or "potential human being", if allowed to continue to develop, will be born a human being. Therefore, the termination of a pregnancy via abortion prevents a human being from being born. People can sugar coat it as much as they want, but the fact remains that abortion ends the life of an innocent human being. The killing of innocent human beings can never be justified, is not a good thing, and should be illegal.

A Wealth of Inspiration

2011-10-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I participated in a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic not too far from where I live. When I arrived at the clinic at 7 AM, no other vigil participants were present. I prayed by myself outside the clinic for about an hour. During this time a few people arrived at the clinic. I couldn't tell for sure why they were there, but I suspect that they might have been clinic employees. One lady was dropped off by a man who flipped me off as he drove by on the way out of the clinic parking lot. Nice.

About an hour after I arrived at the clinic, a woman appeared across the clinic parking lot carrying some sort of abortion protest sign. She spotted me, and gave me a friendly wave. I waved back in a show of pro-life solidarity. After praying a while longer, I decided to join her and some other vigil participants who had gathered with her. As I approached, I could see that she had several signs with pro-life messages, and a knapsack slung over her shoulder, bulging with various pamphlets of information. Everyone in the group took a few minutes to introduce themselves. The woman with the knapsack said that her name was Joy. In addition to Joy, there were several Catholic college students from the Newman center at a nearby university, and a couple of non-Catholic Christian women who said that they were involved in a crisis pregnancy center in the area. I believe one of the women said she was a director of the center. The photograph above shows Joy on the left, and a vigil participant named Lisa. Lisa works in the library at a nearby university. Everyone in the group was at the clinic as part of the 40 Days for life vigil, but Joy mentioned that she prays and ministers at this clinic all year. She is also the director of pro-life ministries at her Catholic parish.

After chatting briefly, we continued praying. The women from the crisis pregnancy center took up station across the parking lot, at the exit where I originally was, and Joy, the college students, and I remained where we were. The technique we used to connect with the people entering and exiting the clinic was similar to a military operation, as strange as that may sound. In a military operation, ground troops enter enemy territory, while friendly aircraft fly overhead to provide air support. At the clinic, Joy was the "ground troops", engaging not the "enemy", but rather those who have been deceived by the enemy, who is the devil. Rather than "air support", the rest of us provided "prayer support". When Joy saw someone entering or exiting the facility, she would ask us to start praying for them, and for her, as she engaged them in conversation. She would then call out a friendly "Hello!" to the person to get their attention. Once they looked her way, she would call them over. What surprised me was that most people actually responded and came over to her, instead of ignoring her. I believe it was God's hand guiding them to her. As they approached her, she would say something to them that would break the ice, like "You have a nice outfit", or something similar, to show them that she was friendly, and not some loony protester. She was very sincere in what she said, and I could tell that it put them at ease.

Once the person reached her, she would begin a conversation with them. She asked them about their situation, and why they came to the clinic. As she talked to them, she shared information with them about the harmful effects of abortion, and provided information about the facility they were about to enter or had just left. She often shared a story about a friend of hers who aborted her first child, and became sterile as a result of the procedure, never able to have children. She told them about the grief and heartache that her friend experiences every day because of the abortion. Even if the person was coming to the facility for a service other than abortion, she would direct them to other facilities in the area that provided those services without doing abortions. She did everything she could to save lives by taking business away from the abortion mill. The clinic was undergoing renovation, and she even tried to convince the contractors working on the clinic to stop working there and take their business elsewhere.

What was really inspiring about the way Joy ministered to people at the clinic was her sincere caring and compassion for them. She simply loved them where they were, and didn't make any assumptions about their situation. She shared information with them that enabled them to make an informed decision. Abortion proponents who think pro-life activists are nothing but crazed fanatics need to watch Joy in action. She is a shining example of what it truly means to be "pro-life". May God bless her and all those like her who work tirelessly to educate people on the hurt that abortion causes women and men.

A Proper Birthday Celebration

2011-10-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I took part in an event near my home called a "Life Chain", where people protest abortion by standing side-by-side along a busy street holding signs with pro-life messages. I especially wanted to take part in the Life Chain today of all days, because it's my birthday, and what better way to celebrate my birthday than to show support for the right of unborn children to have a birthday? On this day, I received the best birthday present I've been given so far: both of my sons took part in the Life Chain with me. It was definitely a "proud papa" moment.

A Human Being Exists at Fertilization

2011-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

The fact that a human being comes into existence at the moment of fertilization isn't religious dogma. It is an embryological fact:

"Fertilization is a sequence of events that begins with the contact of a sperm (spermatozoon) with a secondary oocyte (ovum) and ends with the fusion of their pronuclei (the haploid nuclei of the sperm and ovum) and the mingling of their chromosomes to form a new cell. This fertilized ovum, known as a zygote, is a large diploid cell that is the beginning, or primordium, of a human being."

[Moore, Keith L. Essentials of Human Embryology. Toronto: B.C. Decker Inc, 1988, p.2]

God's Ways are Above Our Ways

2011-09-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 55:6-9 ~ Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,

call to him while he is still near.

Let the wicked man abandon his way,

the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,

to our God who is rich in forgiving;

for my thoughts are not your thoughts,

my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.

Yes, the heavens are as high above earth

as my ways are above your ways,

my thoughts above your thoughts.

The Undeniable Facts About Abortion

2011-09-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

You can call the unborn a child, a baby, a fetus, a foetus, a clump of cells, a blob of flesh, or whatever you want. What is undeniable is the fact that if the unborn child, baby, fetus, foetus, clump of cells, or whatever you call it, is allowed to continue developing, it will be born a human being, and will continue to develop through childhood into adulthood. Another undeniable fact is that if the unborn child, baby, fetus, foetus, clump of cells, or whatever you call it, is aborted, it will not be born a human being, and will not grow through childhood into adulthood. Whether you support abortion or not, you cannot deny these facts. Abortion prevents the birth of a human being.

Learning About and Sharing Jesus Without a Bible

2011-09-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

If you were a Christian in the third century, long before the printed Bible was widely available, how would you learn about Jesus if you didn't have a Bible? Once you learned about Jesus, how would you share your knowledge of Jesus with others if you didn't have a Bible to quote from?

How Do We Know the Bible is Inspired?

2011-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

When I talk to other Christians, I sometimes ask them how they know the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I've had several Christians tell me that they know the Bible is the inspired Word of God because the Bible itself says it is. Do you agree? If not, and you're a Christian, how do you know that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?

A Living Stuffed Toy

2011-08-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

While visiting a farmer's market in South Haven, Michigan, my wife and I came across a little dog that looked like a living stuffed toy. The dog's owner said his name is Simon. He was so cute, I had to take a picture of him. Unfortunately, the picture I took was slightly out of focus. I almost deleted the picture, but decided instead to try to take the lemon of a photograph and turn it into lemonade. I edited the photo in Photoshop Elements and added some effects that made it look like a painting. Here is the result:

Thinking Good Things

2011-08-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

In the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians, the Christian community is encouraged to think of good things:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." ~ Philippians 4:8

Thinking about good things isn't always easy, especially when watching the news and hearing of the bad things that are happening in our world. One of the best ways I've found to think of good things is to listen to Christian music. When I was younger, I used to listen to a lot of secular pop and rock music. After a while, I realized that my mind was focusing more on the instruments than on the words. That's probably because the lyrics of many pop and rock songs are a bit random.

When I was living in San Diego in the early eighties, I started listening to contemporary Christian music. I quickly discovered that Christian music has a very positive and uplifting message. As I listened to more Christian music, I found myself thinking good thoughts more often. I actually listened to the lyrics of Christian music, not just the instruments.

At the end of 2007, I discovered a wonderful website called Pandora (http://www.pandora.com). Pandora enables users to create their own radio stations, and customize them to play the music they want them to play. To create a radio station, you choose a song or an artist that exemplifies the type of music you want the radio station to play. For example, if you want to create a radio station that plays 1950's era rock-a-billy, you might create a radio station based on Elvis Presley, or on one of the songs he wrote. I've found that it is best to base a station on a particular song, rather than basing it on a particular artist. Once the station is created, it starts playing songs like the song you based the station on, or songs that are like the songs played by the artist you based the station on. As each song plays, you can give it a "thumbs up" to indicate that the song is the type of song you want the radio station to play. If the song doesn't match the type of music the radio station plays, you give the song a "thumbs down". As you "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" songs, you "train" the radio station to play the type of songs you want it to play.

So far, I've created 38 radio stations that play a very wide variety of musical genres. One of my favorite radio station creations is my Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) radio station. If I'm in the mood to get my ancient Christian music groove on, I listen to my Gregorian Chant radio station. Both of these radio stations help me to think good thoughts, even when I'm feeling down in the dumps. When you get a chance, check them out. I hope they lift your spirits as much as they lift mine.

Here is an example of the music played by my CCM radio station. It's a song by Christian music artist Chris Rice, called Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus):

Here is an example of the music played by my Gregorian Chant radio station. It's a chant called "Veni Creator Spiritus", which is Latin for "Come, Creator Spirit":

Well Adjusted Children

2011-08-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting when people say that children raised by same-sex couples are as "well adjusted" as children raised by heterosexual couples. I wonder what they mean by "well adjusted"? The term is subjective, to say the least. I firmly believe in my heart that it is best for children to be raised by a mother and father.

Eucharistic Adoration: Adoro Te Devote

2011-03-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is sharing my Catholic faith on the social networking site called Twitter. This afternoon I was on Twitter sharing the Catholic Church's teaching on the sacrament of the Eucharist with a person I met. While I was talking to him, a friend of mine, a Catholic nun named Sister Lisa, noticed the conversation. When she saw that the topic of the conversation was the Eucharist, she sent me a link to a beautiful YouTube video of a Catholic hymn called Adoro Te Devote. It is a hymn that is usually sung during Eucharistic adoration. It is one of my favorite hymns. I shared the video with the person I was talking to, and now I share it with you:

Here is another version of Adore Te Devote that is equally awesome:

Thank you, Sister Lisa! :)

Book Preview: Theology of the Body - Explained

2011-03-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

The following is a book preview of "Theology of the Body - Explained", by Christopher West. It is described as a "clear and profound commentary on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, which 'breaks open' the Holy Father's thought regarding the human person and sexuality."

The Humanity of the Unborn, in 3D

2011-03-10T04:19:00.000-08:00

Time and time again I hear stories of pregnant women who decided against having an abortion after they see an ultrasound of their unborn baby. As I was getting ready for work this morning, I wondered how many women would decide that abortion is wrong if they could see an ultrasound of an unborn child before they even get pregnant?

Budgeting 101: How Taxpayer Money Can Indirectly Fund Abortion

2011-03-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

Most people have a budget. They budget their income for expenses like clothing, food, medical expenses, etc. When they receive income, they set aside money for each of the different types of expenses. If an unexpected windfall of money is received, it can free up budgeted money to be used elsewhere. Consider the following scenario:

A husband and wife budgets $500 a month for college expenses for their daughter. They would like to budget money for medical expenses, but after setting aside the $500 for college expenses, there isn't enough money left over. At the beginning of the school year, they receive a government grant to help pay for their daughter's college expenses. When the grant is divided up over the 9 month school year, it equals $300 per month. If they apply the $300 towards their $500 monthly college expense budget, it frees up $300 that they can use to budget for medical expenses.

Even though the purpose of the grant is to pay for college tuition expenses, does it not indirectly fund the couple's medical expenses? If the couple didn't receive the grant, they wouldn't be able to budget money for medical expenses.

Republicans in the House and Senate are currently trying to pass H.R. 217, which is a bill that would prohibit federal grants from being awarded to family planning organizations that provide abortion services, like Planned Parenthood. Opponents of the legislation claim that the federal grants aren't used to provide abortion services. They claim the federal funds are used to provide family planning services, such as the dispensing of contraceptives, cancer screenings, pregnancy tests, etc. Even if this is true, wouldn't the federal grants free up money that these organizations could use to fund abortions services? Of course they would. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. The less money organizations like Planned Parenthood need to spend on family planning services, the more money they have to spend on the abortion part of their business.

The purpose of H.R. 217 isn't to prohibit all family planning organizations from receiving federal grants. It would only prohibit grants from being awarded to family planning organizations that also provide abortion services. If the opponents of H.R. 217 are concerned that H.R. 217 will prevent Planned Parenthood and other organizations like it from providing family planning services, maybe they should try to convince these organizations to drop the abortion part of their business. Then they'll have nothing to worry about, right?

Someone is Wrong on the Internet

2011-03-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

If I didn't know better, I'd think that someone wrote this comic about me. I'm confident that my wife would wholeheartedly agree. :) (Comic entitled "Duty Calls", courtesy of XKCD.com)

There is Life After Having a Child

2011-03-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Dr. John Bruchalski is an ob/gyn physician who used to perform abortions, but now he offers hope for women experiencing crisis pregnancies. The pro-life group Live Action posted a link on Twitter to an article about Dr. Bruchalski on LifeSiteNews.com. The following is an excerpt from the article that provides insights into how to reach abortion-minded women:

Dr. Bruchalski said his experience working with abortion-minded women has shown him the need to focus on offering women hope for life with their child, rather than emphasizing adoption or images of fetal development.

“You can show women fetal development and many of them it doesn’t phase,” he said. “Remember the fetus, the baby, the unborn child is an adversary to the woman, it’s going to cramp her life.”

Abortion-minded women see adoption, on the other hand, as a “double negative,” he says. “Not only are you not qualified to be a mother and care for the child, but you have to give the child up,” he explained. “They hate that choice, so for them the abortion becomes the best alternative, the least terrible of those options.”

“You really have to focus on [the fact] that there is life after having a child, that there is a way out of your predicament,” he said. “Just meeting women where they are by being able to listen to their pain and their agony and their suffering, and then love them so much that we walk them through this."

This is a really important message for people in the pro-life movement to hear. I think we're too quick to offer adoption as the only alternative to abortion. As Dr. Bruchalski says, it's important to help abortion-minded women to know that it is possible for them to keep their baby. Having a baby doesn't ruin a person's life. It completes it.

Please take a moment to read the entire article about Dr. Bruchalski:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-abortionist-spreads-gospel-of-life

Relativism and the Abortion Issue

2011-02-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

If you held up an apple in your hand, and I looked at it and said "That's an orange!", would I be right? What would you think if I said that the object you held in your hand is whatever I believe it to be? If I believe it's an apple, it's an apple. If I believe it's an orange, it's an orange. Would you agree with me, or would you think I'm a few bricks shy of a full load?

How you answer these questions depends on whether you think truth is relative, or absolute. If truth is relative, the apple is whatever a person thinks it is. If truth is absolute, the apple is an apple, regardless of what anyone thinks it is.

While the apple analogy is extremely simple, the principle can be applied to complex moral issues. Let's take the abortion issue, for example. People usually take one of the following positions in regards to abortion:

Abortion is always bad.
Abortion is always good.
Abortion is good for some people, and bad for other people.
Abortion is good in certain circumstances, and bad in others.

A person that takes position #1 believes that abortion kills an innocent unborn human being, and that killing an innocent human being is always wrong. A person that takes this position identifies themselves as pro-life, and denies any association with the pro-choice movement. A person that holds this position believes that abortion is wrong at any stage of the pregnancy.

A person that takes position #2 believes that abortion is always good, because it provides a way for a woman to avoid having a baby when she doesn't want one. A person that takes this position identifies strongly with the pro-choice movement, and believes that it is acceptable to perform abortions at any stage of the pregnancy, right up to the point of birth. Like position number one, position number two is an absolute position regarding abortion.

A person that takes position #3 believes that the morality of abortion is up to each individual. People who take this position are the ones who say "I personally wouldn't have an abortion, but I'm not going to prevent someone else from having one, if they feel it's right for them."

A person that takes position #4 believes that the morality of abortion depends on the situation. People who take this position believe that abortion is wrong except in certain situations, such as pregnancies due to rape or incest, or pregnancies that endanger the mother's life.

Which of these positions is correct? Positions 3 and 4 can be taken out of the running right away. Why? Because they are both relative positions, and truth is absolute. An apple is an apple, regardless of what people think it is, or the circumstance. The same applies to abortion. To say that abortion is right for some people and wrong for other people is as ridiculous as saying that an apple is an apple to some people, and an orange to others. To say that abortion is wrong in all situations except for certain ones is as ridiculous as saying an apple is an apple except when you play catch with it.

Since positions 3 and 4 have been eliminated, all that's left is positions 1 and 2. Which of these is the correct position? The answer depends on when a human being comes into existence. The only logical point at which a human being comes into existence is at the moment of fertilization. To think that a human being comes into existence at some arbitrary point between fertilization and birth is unreasonable, and not in accordance with human embryology (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/abortion/ab0027.html). Therefore, position 1 is the only position that can be correct. Abortion is always wrong, because it ends an innocent human being's life, regardless of how the human being came into existence. Abortion is always wrong, whether a person thinks it's wrong or not. Abortion is always wrong, regardless of the situation.

How Would You Handle the Planned Parenthood Sex Trafficking Scenario?

2011-02-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

While I was driving home from the grocery store, I was thinking about the Planned Parenthood sex trafficking scandal. In case you haven't heard about it, you can read about it on the Live Action web site. Many people on both sides of the abortion issue would agree that what the manager of the Planned Parenthood clinic did was wrong, but I wonder what we would do if we were in her situation, or one similar to it? If you were the manager of a Planned Parenthood clinic, and a person you believed to be a real pimp came in and asked you if you would provide "health services" (including abortion and contraception) to under age girls that he is sex trafficking, how would you respond?

Obviously, your view on abortion and contraception use would affect how you would respond (I would hope). For the sake of this discussion, I'm going to assume that an abortion opponent wouldn't be in this situation, because they wouldn't take a job at a Planned Parenthood clinic. But what if you support abortion and contraception use? How would you respond? Would you:

Politely excuse yourself from the room and call the police, and refuse to provide abortions and contraception to the girls he's trafficking?
Politely excuse yourself from the room and call the police, and then provide abortions and contraception to the girls he's trafficking if you think they need it?
Inform the pimp that sex trafficking is illegal and ask him to leave, but not report him to the authorities?
Offer to provide abortions or contraception to the girls he's trafficking without informing the authorities?
Respond in some other way?

What if the pimp really has an underage girl that got pregnant while he was trafficking her? If you choose option 1, aren't you denying her what is currently a legal medical procedure? If the pimp really has an underage girl that is pregnant, and you had the clinic give her an abortion, would you inform her parents?

Why I Support Abstinence-Only Sex Education

2011-02-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

Many people on Twitter are amazed when they find out that I advocate abstinence-only (ab-only) sex education. They tell me that ab-only sex education doesn't work, because people are going to have pre-marital sex regardless.

While some people are against ab-only sex education all together, most people advocate sex education that provides information on abstinence and the use of artificial birth control as a means of preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). While this may sound reasonable to most people, as a Catholic, I cannot advocate sex education that teaches people that it's ok to have pre-marital sex, as long as they use "protection" (artificial birth control). Here's why:

The Catholic Church teaches that pre-marital sex is wrong (see http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=724&page=1). It would be a sin for me, as a Catholic Christian, to tell a person that it is ok to have pre-marital sex, whether it's protected sex or not.
The Catholic Church teaches that the use of artificial birth control is wrong (see http://www.catholic.com/library/Birth_Control.asp and http://www.ewtn.com/library/marriage/shouldbe.txt). It would be a sin for me, as a Catholic Christian, to tell a person it is ok to use artificial birth control, no matter how good their intentions are for using it.

Since I believe that pre-marital sex and the use of artificial contraception is immoral, I cannot advocate sex education that teaches that it's ok to have pre-marital sex, or that it's ok to use artificial contraception.

I imagine that some people who read this post will say "that's fine for you to believe that way, but I don't have to believe that way because I'm not Catholic." I believe that each person is free to believe whatever they want to believe, but I also believe that truth is absolute. In regards to pre-marital sex, I believe it is wrong for everybody, not just for those who believe it's wrong. I don't ascribe to the belief that what's wrong for one person can be right for another person. An apple is an apple, regardless of what a person may think it is. Pre-marital sex is either wrong for everyone, or right for everyone. It can't be right if you believe it's right, and wrong if you believe it's wrong. I believe pre-marital sex is wrong for everyone because the Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus Christ himself, and the Bible that came forth from the Church, teaches it is wrong. I believe Jesus when he said that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church to all truth, including the truth about pre-marital sex.

Video Series: Introduction to Theology of the Body

2011-01-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

The following YouTube videos by Christopher West provide an introduction to the famous series of talks on human sexuality given by Pope John Paul II called "Theology of the Body".

Video #1: "The Language of the Body"

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

Video #2: "Celibacy for the Kingdom"

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

Video #3: "Is the Theology of the Body all about Sex?"

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

Video #4: "How Can the Body have a Theology?"

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

Video #5: "The Playboy and The Pope"

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

Book Preview: Catholicism and Fundamentalism

2011-01-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

Are you a Catholic whose beliefs have been challenged by a "bible Christian"? If you had difficulty answering their challenges, I strongly suggest that you read the following book by Karl Keating called "Catholicism and Fundamentalism". The book does an excellent job at answering the many questions that fundamentalist Christians ask Catholics.

If you'd prefer to preview this book on the Google Books web site, click here.

Book Preview: The Faith of Millions

2011-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

When I was single, I read a book called "The Faith of Millions", by John A. O'Brien. The book is an easy to read overview of the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic faith. It is an excellent refresher for Catholics, and is a good book for non-Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic Church. I gave a copy of the book to a good friend of mine, who eventually became a Catholic priest. He told me that the book inspired his calling to the priesthood.

Below is a preview of a book. If you'd rather view the book on the Google Books web site, click here.

Book Preview: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

2011-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Below is a preview of a book called "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic", by K. D. Whitehead. Here is an overview of the book from the Google Books web site:

"Very often in the history of Christianity, "reformers", by whatever name, have aspired to return to "the early Church". The Church of their own day, for whatever reason, fails to live up to what they think Christianity should be] in their view there has been a falling away from the beautiful ideals of the early Church. Kenneth Whitehead shows in this book how the early Church has, in fact, not disappeared, but rather has survived and persisted, and is with us still. "Reformers" are not so much the ones needed by this Church as are those who aspire to be saints -- to follow Christ seriously and always to fulfill God's holy will by employing the means of sanctification which Christ continues to provide in the Church. Whitehead shows how the visible body which today bears the name "the Catholic Church" is the same Church which Christ established to carry on and perpetuate in the world his Words and his Works -- and his own divine Life -- and to bring salvation and sanctification to all mankind. Despite superficial differences in certain appearances, the worldwide Catholic Church today remains the same Church that was originally founded by Jesus Christ on Peter and the other apostles back in the first century in the ancient Near East. The early Church, in other words, was always -- nothing else but -- the Catholic Church."

If you'd like to view the book on the Google Books web site, click here.

What Catholic Christians Believe - The Nicene Creed

2011-01-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Nicene Creed is the profession of the Christian faith. Background information on the Nicene Creed can be found here. The video below is a musical setting of the Nicene Creed, recorded by Musica Sacra. Other musical settings of the ordinary of the Mass can be found here.

Beautiful Seed

2010-12-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

In the title song to her latest album, Corrinne May says that no matter how insignificant we may think we are, each one of us has the potiental to make a tremendous difference in this world. All we need is faith, and we can move mountains.

Please take a few moments and enjoy this live performance of "Beautiful Seed", by Corrinne May:

As Corrinne says in the song, there is hope in every heartbeat.

Music Video: 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes, by Corrinne May

2010-12-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here's another inspirational music video by Corrinne May that I stumbled across on You Tube:

I did a little research on Corrinne, and discovered that she is Catholic and pro-life. :)

Music Video: The Answer, by Corrinne May

2010-12-16T03:13:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Pandora last night, and heard a beautiful and inspiring song of faith by Corrinne May called "The Answer". Here is a music video of the song I found on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it.

Lyrics: I believe You are the answer to every tear I’ve cried. I believe that You are with me, my rising and my light. Give me strength when I am weary. Give me hope when I can’t see. Through the crosses I must carry, Lord, bind my heart to thee. That when all my days are over and all my chores are done, I may see Your risen Glory, forever where You are.

If you are having difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

"I personally think abortion is wrong, but..."

2010-12-12T03:52:00.000-08:00

As I've talked to people on Twitter about the abortion issue, I've encountered three basic types of people:

People who think abortion is wrong for everybody.
People who think abortion is right for everybody.
People who think abortion is wrong for them personally, but believe that other people shouldn't be prevented from having one if they feel abortion is right for them.

The people that I find the most fascinating are the ones that fit type #3. Whenever I encounter someone that holds this belief, the first thing I ask them is why they think abortion is wrong for them personally? I posed this question to a person on Twitter last night, and she said she was personally against abortion for "religious reasons". I then asked her why her religion was against abortion. She responded that her religion is against abortion because "it's considered murder". I then said to her, "You're against abortion because you believe it's murder, but you don't want to take away other people's right to murder?" She responded "Yes, I believe it's a woman's choice." I then asked her "Do you support laws that prevent women from murdering born people?" It doesn't surprise me that I never received a response. If the woman responded that she supports laws that prevent women (and, obviously, men) from murdering other born people, she would appear hypocritical because of her stance on abortion. How could she support laws that prevent others from murdering born people, but not support laws that prevent others from murdering unborn people?

In Germany in during World War II, when the holocaust was occurring, it would be interesting to know if there were Germans who said "I personally think killing Jews is wrong, but I don't think it's right for me to prevent other Germans from killing Jews, if they think it's right for them." I wonder...

Read All About It: Announcing the Roamin' Catholic Daily

2010-12-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I discovered a cool web site called Paper.li where you can create a free online newspaper that generates its content from Twitter. You can create a newspaper based on content from a particular Twitter user and the people that he or she follows, from a Twitter hash tag, or from a Twitter list.

I created a newspaper today called the Roamin' Catholic Daily. Catchy name, huh? The content of the paper consists of articles tweeted by myself and the people I follow. So, if a person I follow posts a tweet with a link to an article on LifeSiteNews.com, for example, the article will appear on my newspaper. Way cool. I was quite pleased with the first edition. The quality of the articles featured reveals the quality of the people I follow.

If you'd like to check out the newspaper, go to http://paper.li/Beatidude. If you like it, feel free to subscribe. :)

Abortion and Self-Sacrifice: A Contradiction in Terms

2010-04-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

It isn't possible for the killing a defenseless unborn human baby via abortion to be a valid solution to any problem. There are alternatives, but they require something called self-sacrifice. The concept of self-sacrifice is foreign to many people in society today. We live in a society in which hardship is something to be avoided at all cost, not embraced. The idea that "good things are hard to come by" seems almost ridiculous to many people.

If a woman were to be required by law to endure a nine month pregnancy for the sake of her unborn child, there are people who would claim that the woman is being "forced" through the pregnancy, or forced to be an "incubator" or "broodmare". These terms are used to put a negative spin on laws that would make abortion illegal. The simple truth of the matter is that a woman required by law to endure nine months of pregnancy would be required to perform an act of self-sacrifice by enduring nine months of pregnancy to spare her unborn child's life. Sure, she's being forced by law to do something she may not want to do, but it is to save a human life. It would be unfortunate if any woman would have to be legally required to spare her own child's life, but not everyone realizes the intrinsic value that each human life has.

Abortion rights supporters make nine months of pregnancy sound like an eternity, but fail to realize that nine months is a relatively short time compared to a lifetime. This isn't to say that nine months of pregnancy is a walk in the park, either. After witnessing my wife go through four pregnancies, I'm well aware that pregnancy is a hardship for women. I am also aware that there are women that are in extremely difficult circumstances, such as those who are pregnant as the result of rape.

So what is the solution? Is the solution to abort the child, ending not only the child's life, but the lives of an entire line of human beings? Or is the solution for us as a society to rally around such a woman and provide her with support that will enable her to endure 9 months of pregnancy to give life to her child? I propose that the solution is the latter, not the former. Ending a human being's life is never, ever, a valid solution to any problem. With life, there is hope, and anything is possible.

Video: "Why I Became Catholic"

2010-04-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

I found this very well done video about the reasons why a person became a Catholic. I hope you enjoy it.

If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

The Catholic Bible Has More Books Than the Protestant Bible

2010-04-15T04:06:00.000-07:00

Did you realize that the bible that Catholics use has more books in it than the bible that Protestants use? The Protestant reformers threw out several books that had always been held as inspired by the Catholic Church.

Here is a video that explains how this came to be:

If you are unable to view the video, click here.

Becoming Catholic - Kirsten's Story

2010-04-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

I met a person on Twitter who wrote a series of posts on her blog that tell the story of how she became a Catholic. She is an excellent writer, and her story is both inspiring and informative. It is a must read for both Catholics, and those interested in the Catholic faith.

Thank you, @Kirsten116, for sharing your journey of faith. I am honored to share your story here.

Becoming Catholic, Part 1

Becoming Catholic, Part 2

Becoming Catholic, Part 3

Becoming Catholic, Part 4

Nothing Justifies Abortion

2010-04-13T03:14:00.000-07:00

In my many discussions with abortion rights supporters on Twitter, I've heard a variety of reasons why people think that abortion is justified. Surveys have shown that there are many reasons why people have abortions, but the following reasons are the

A Sinful Catholic Does Not a False Religion Make

2010-04-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Many individuals and news agencies have been attacking Pope Benedict XVI recently over his treatment of the child sexual abuse scandals. While I'm not surprised when people attack the Catholic Church, I am surprised by Catholics that leave or threaten to leave the Church over the scandal.

I firmly believe that the Pope did the best he could to handle the situation given the information he had at his disposal at the time, but even if he didn't handle the situation properly, it doesn't mean the entire Catholic religion is false. People who leave the Catholic faith because of the sins priests commit lack an understanding of the nature of the Church.

The Catholic Church is composed of human beings. The only human beings that were without sin is Jesus Christ, and his mother Mary. All others sin. That includes priests, bishops, archbishops, and even the Pope. The apostle Peter sinned when he denied Christ three times.

When members of the Catholic clergy sin, it doesn't mean the Catholic religion is false. It means that the church is made up of imperfect, sinful human beings. In spite of sin, the teachings of the church remain true. When people leave the Catholic Church over the child sexual abuse scandals, I'd like to ask them what church they switch to. Any church that is made up of sinful human beings is susceptible to this problem.

Being a Catholic isn't easy because of the strict moral guidelines Catholics are expected to follow. Many Catholics don't want to follow these guidelines, and look for excuses to leave the Catholic faith. It wouldn't surprise me if many of the people that leave the Catholic Church over the child sexual abuse scandal are using the scandal as an excuse to leave the Church.

Video Documentary: Mother Teresa - The Legacy

2010-03-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick one person that I find the most inspiring, that person would be Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She had a simple yet powerful love for Jesus. Her life was a prime example of what it means to be a Catholic Christian. If she isn't canonized a saint someday, I don't know who would be. She was Christianity personified.

A friend of mine on Twitter posted a link to a video documentary on the life and passing of Mother Teresa. The video was so excellent, I decided to post
the entire six part documentary below. A special thanks to my Twitter friend @StMotherTheresa for posting a link to this documentary.

Part 1:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Part 2:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Part 3:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Part 4:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Part 5:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Part 6:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Pray the Rosary Using Rosary Podcasts

2010-03-10T03:04:00.000-08:00

A rosary is a string of beads containing five sets with ten small beads. Each set of ten is separated by another bead. It also contains a crucifix. It is used in saying special prayers, usually to Mary where the rosary is used to count the prayers. Below are links to the different prayers of the rosary in MP3 podcast format, courtesy of http://www.rosaryarmy.com/. If you have a cell
phone with a QR Code scanner, you can scan the accompanying QR Code to
listen to the podcast on your cell phone.

Joyful Mysteries – Prayed on Mondays and Saturdays

QR Code:

Luminous Mysteries – Prayed on Thursdays

QR Code:

Sorrowful Mysteries – Prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays

QR Code:

Glorious Mysteries – Prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays

QR Code:

Oprah Winfrey and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

2010-03-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine on the Pro-Life committee at my church sent me links to the four part video series below about a convent of Dominican nuns who were featured on the Oprah Winfrey television show. It was very refreshing to see how full of the love of Christ these nuns are. It was also refreshing to see a secular television show do such a nice job in showcasing their work and faith. I hope you find these videos as inspiring as I did.

Part 1:

If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

Part 2:

If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

Part 3:

If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

Part 4:

If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

The Problem With "A La Carte" Catholicism

2010-03-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

If you were to ask 10 Catholics what it means to be a Catholic, you would probably receive 10 different answers. I would hope that they would be 10 minor variations of the same answer, but I'm not so sure they would be. There seems to be a lot of confusion in modern society as to what it means to be a member of the Catholic Church. Before we delve into that, let's first take a look at the definition of the Catholic Church:

Catholic Church
- noun Roman Catholic Church
A visible society of baptised Christians professing the same faith under the authority of the invisible head (Christ) and the authority of the visible head (the pope and the bishops in communion with him).

An important point to glean from this definition is that members of the Catholic Church share the same faith. What does it mean to share the same
faith? That means Catholics share the same beliefs and values. Catholics are united with other Catholics in what they believe about God, and what it means to live as a Christian.

One of the most beautiful explanations that I have ever heard of what it means to be Catholic can be found in a highly publicized letter written by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I., to U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy regarding the congressman's support of abortion rights. Here is an excerpt from that letter (the full letter can be found here):

What does it mean, really, to be a Catholic? After all, being a Catholic has to mean something, right? Well, in simple terms – and here I refer only to those more visible, structural elements of Church membership – being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.

Notice that Bishop Tobin says that being Catholic means that you "believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals". If that is true (and I believe it is), why do so many Catholics think, like Congressman Kennedy, that they can violate Catholic Church teachings and support laws that are in opposition to Church teachings and still consider themselves Catholics in good standing with the Church? Such Catholics are deluding themselves. The Catholic faith isn't like an a la carte menu at a restaurant where you can pick and choose which doctrines you want to believe, and which ones you don't. If you profess to be a member of the Catholic Church, and go against Church doctrine, you are not being "progressive", you are being sinful.

Catholics need to understand the difference between theological rules, and dogma. Theological rules can be changed, but dogma cannot change. An example of a theological rule is priestly celebacy. The Catholic Church currently requires priests to take a vow of celebacy before they are ordained. This rule could be done away with at any time by the Church. It is not unchangeable. Dogma, on the other hand, cannot be changed. An example of Catholic dogma is the belief that the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is not possible for the Catholic Church to one day change its mind and declare that the Eucharist is only a symbol of Jesus Christ, and not his actual body. For a list of the dogmas of the Catholic Church, go here.

Catholics that disagree with a dogmatic teaching of the Church needs to seek deeper understanding of the teaching. They might come to agree with the teaching if they know more about it. Unfortunately, many Catholics think it's OK to disagree with dogmatic Catholic teachings, and take an "a la carte" approach to determining what teachings they believe and don't believe. The problem with being an "a la carte Catholic" is that it not only puts their salvation in jeopardy, but it causes scandal, both inside and outside the Church. When a Catholic publicly declares "I'm Catholic, but I support a woman's right to abortion", uninformed listeners might think that the official position of the Catholic Church is that it is ok for Catholics to support abortion rights, when in fact it is not.

If you are a Catholic, and disagree with a Catholic Church teaching, seek deeper understanding of the teaching. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can pick and choose what teachings you want to believe of not believe, and remain in good standing with the Catholic Church. If you do, you're putting your salvation in jeopardy, and causing damage to the body of Christ, which is the Church.

They Have Ears, But They Do Not Hear

2010-03-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

The Gospel reading from today's Catholic Mass reminded me, in a way, of some of the people I've met on Twitter that support abortion rights (Pro-Choice). In the reading, Jesus tells a parable about the lives of a rich man, and a poor man named Lazarus. The rich man lives a life of wealth, and Lazarus lives a life of poverty. After they die, the rich man finds himself in hell, and Lazarus finds himself in eternal happiness with God in heaven. The end of the story is what reminds me of many of the pro-choice people I've encountered. The rich man calls out to God and asks him to send Lazarus to his brothers' house and warn them so they don't suffer the same fate as he did when they die. God responds by telling him that his brothers can listen to Moses and the prophets. The rich man basically tells God that his brothers won't listen to Moses or the prophets, but if God would send someone from the dead, the brothers would listen to him. Here's the kicker: God says to the rich man, "If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead."

This reading reminds me of my discussions with many pro-choice people because the stark truth about abortion can be presented to them, and it's as if they didn't hear a word that you said. For example, it is extremely obvious to me and others who oppose abortion that a human being exists from the moment of conception, but pro-choice people refuse to see this simple reality. How can they not see something so obvious? It's as if they have ears but do not hear.

Here is today's scripture reading from Luke 16:19-31:

Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.” ‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them..” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’

"Personally I Think Abortion is Wrong, but..."

2010-02-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

I find it interesting when I hear a person say "Personally, I think abortion is wrong, but I'm not going to prevent others from having one." The first thing I wonder is why they personally think abortion is wrong? Why is abortion a wrong choice for them? What do they think is so wrong or bad about an abortion that they wouldn't have one?

The second thing I wonder is why they wouldn't want to prevent someone else from having an abortion? If they think abortion is bad for them personally, wouldn't they want to protect others from abortion? It would be interesting to know if people that hold this viewpoint support laws that prevent born human beings from killing other human beings. If they do, aren't they're preventing others from committing murder? Why do they think it's ok to legally prevent born human beings from killing other born human beings, but think it's wrong to legally prevent born human beings from killing preborn human beings?

Are people that hold this viewpoint being open minded, or are they straddling the fence on the abortion issue? What do you think?

Every Life is a Miracle

2010-02-05T03:53:00.000-08:00

No matter what the circumstances are in which a human life is conceived, each life is a miracle from God. Even though it might not be immediately apparent to us, God has a plan and purpose for each human life. Children that may not be what we consider "normal" are still special, and are a blessing from God. Nobody should assume that such people are going to have a bad life. Only God knows what is in store for them. Many people don't realize that children and adults with special challenges often times help others to grow and become better people.

The following is a music video by Bruce Carroll called "Sometimes Miracles Hide". It's a beautiful song about how children are miracles, even though we may not see it or realize it. I hope the video touches your heart, as it did mine. A specal thanks to my Twitter friend Stephanie for sharing this video with me.

Not All Women's Rights Are Right

2010-01-27T03:41:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of some of the rights women should have:

The right to have any job that a man can have, and get paid the same amount for it.
The right to work outside the home, if she so chooses.
The right to be a stay at home mom, if she so chooses.
The right to breastfeed in public.
The right to be treated equally with men.
The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In 1973 in the United States, women were granted a right that is outright wrong, and that is the right to kill her unborn child via abortion. This right is just as wrong as the right Americans were given many years ago to own slaves. Americans finally came to realize that slavery was wrong, and made slavery illegal. Americans, and the entire world, need to realize that nobody should have the right to take anyone's life, no matter what their stage of development. Women, men, and children, both born and unborn, have the right to life, liberty, and the the pursuit of happiness. Women who experience unwanted pregnancies are in very difficult circumstances, without a doubt, but disposing of an unborn child is never a viable solution.

The Effect of Artificial Contraception on Society

2010-01-22T03:54:00.000-08:00

I've been having discussions with several people on Twitter recently concerning artificial contraception (birth control). As a Roman Catholic, I believe that the use of artificial contraception is wrong. If people want to avoid or regulate pregnancies, I believe that Natural Family Planning (NFP) should be used. NFP takes advantage of the natural cycles of fertility and infertility that are built into a woman's body to avoid or regulate pregnancy, and can even be used to achieve pregnancy. Artificial contraception, on the other hand, is only used to avoid pregnancy. Some types of artificial contraception have serious possible side effects. For example, one of the possible side effects of using the birth control pill (BCP) is stroke. I personally know of a woman who suffered a stroke as a direct result of using BCP's.

Yesterday someone said that they could understand my opposition to the use of BCP's (presumably because of the aforementioned side effects), but they couldn't understand why I'm against the use of condoms. While I can see the benefit of using condoms to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like AIDS and STD's, I am against condoms and other forms of artificial birth control because of the effect that artificial birth control has on society. The easiest way for me to explain what I mean is this: imagine what the world would be like if artificial birth control was never invented. Some people might say that STD's would be rampant, and our world would quickly become overpopulated. I believe that the result would be different. If there was no artificial birth control, people would think twice about having sex outside of a marital context. This would result in a decrease in divorces due to marital infidelity, a reduction in STD's, a reduction in the number of unwanted pregnancies, which in return would result in a reduction in the number of abortions. NFP could be used to regulate the number of births to avoid a population explosion.

So, to answer my friend's question about why I am against the use of condoms, I say that it is not so much because it is bad for me, but because of the negative effect the use of condoms and other forms of artificial birth control have on society. I feel the same way about the use of alcohol. If I had it my way, the use of alcohol would be banned. I can drink alcohol responsibly, but I can see that there are many people in society who can't. Some people become addicted to it. Many people die every year at the hands of drunk drivers. I feel alcohol consumption should be banned for the good of society.

While I feel artificial contraception should be banned for the good of society, also, I do realize that if we just ban artificial contraception, and do nothing to instill morality in people, we will run into a lot of problems. In addition to telling people not to use artificial birth control, I also share with people the benefit of only having sexual relations within a marital context. It will be difficult to eliminate the use of artificial birth control until we can find a way to infuse morality into our society.

If people can begin to see the "big picture" of sexual morality, this world will quickly become a much healthier and happier place to live.

More information:

Papal Encyclical Humanae Vitae (Catholic teaching on the use of contraception)

FamilyDoctor.org (Natural Family Planning Information)

The Catholic Catechism on Contraception

Contraception: Humanity's Rebellion Against God's Plan for Life

U.S. Representative Trent Franks on Abortion, Slavery, and Personhood

2010-01-20T03:50:00.000-08:00

U.S. Representative Trent Franks of Arizona gave a talk recently regarding abortion, slavery, and personhood. He made several excellent points in his talk, especially how people dehumanize the human fetus in order to make abortion seem morally acceptable. He was also right-on when he referred to abortion as a "holocaust".

When it comes to the abortion issue, Representative Franks "gets it". Do you?

Music Video: Breathe, by John Tesh

2010-01-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

The song entitled "Breathe" is one of my favorite worship songs. One of my favorite versions of the song was sung by John Tesh, who used to co-host the Entertainment Tonight show. Here is a recording of John singing Breathe at Red Rocks. I hope the video brings you closer to Jesus, and to those in the world around you. Peace be with you.

Fernando Ortega - Give Me Jesus

2010-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful musical tribute to Billy Graham's wife Ruth by singer and song writer Fernando Ortega. The song is called "Give Me Jesus". I hope it touches your heart.

How Do You Distinguish Right from Wrong?

2010-01-17T04:47:00.000-08:00

Most people have a general sense of right and wrong. For example, people who drive automobiles know that it is right to stop for a red traffic light, and know that it is wrong to drive through (run) a red traffic light. Most people realize that it is wrong to steal from another person, and that it is right to help other people who are in need. But where does this sense of right and wrong come from? Are all human beings born with it, or is it learned?

In order to be able to determine whether a given action is right or wrong, a person has to have some sort of rule or guideline by which to judge the action. What rules or guidelines exist in the world that people can use to distinguish right from wrong? One guideline that immediately comes to mind is civil law. For example, a person can decide that stealing is wrong because it is against the civil law. Another guideline that some people follow is religious law. Many people believe that murder is wrong because their religion tells them it is wrong. Some people distinguish right from wrong by what society considers right and wrong. Some people believe that cheating is wrong because most people they know think it's wrong.

Unfortunately, the different rules and regulations in existance in the world don't always agree with each other on all issues. Take the issue of abortion, for example. As it currently stands on January 17, 2010, federal law in the United States says that it is legal for a woman to have an abortion. Some religious organizations, like the United Church of Christ, agree with U.S. federal law and teach members of their church that abortion is right. [1] Other religious organizations, like the Roman Catholic Church, disagree with U.S. federal law and teach that abortion is wrong. [2] There are other religious organizations that leave it up to their believers to decide if abortion is right or wrong.

How do you know which law to follow regarding the abortion issue? Hopefully, you want to follow the law that is right. Unless you believe in moral relativism, they can't all be right. In other words, you can't say that abortion is right if you belong to the United Church of Christ, but it's wrong if you belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Abortion is either right, or it is wrong, regardless of who teaches what. Either the United Church of Christ and the U.S. federal government is right in their support of abortion, or they are wrong. Either the Roman Catholic Church is right in its opposition to abortion, or it is wrong.

This brings us to the key question: How do you know which law is right regarding abortion? It is a difficult question indeed. I am not going to tell you how you should determine whether abortion is right or wrong, but I will share with you how I determine whether it is right or wrong. It is totally up to you to decide if what I'm saying is true or not. I'm not trying to force you to believe anything.

As a practicing Roman Catholic, I believe that I must follow God's laws above or before any other law. If God's law says that abortion is wrong, I believe it is wrong, even though the civil law says abortion is right. Since there are other religions that interpret God's law to mean that abortion is right, how do I know the Catholic Church is interpreting God's law correctly? I believe that Catholic Church is right about abortion and other moral issues because Jesus Christ, when he founded the church, promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide the church to the truth regarding moral issues. Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, meaning that the church will always exist, and will never lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Since the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is wrong, as a member of the church, I am bound to believe that it is wrong. Catholics that believe they can go against church teaching and support abortion are wrong. They mistakenly believe that the Catholic Church is a "Burger King® Church", where they can pick and choose what teachings they are going to follow, and which ones they aren't. If a Catholic disagrees with the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion, they should either seek deeper understanding of the teaching, or find another religion to belong to. That may sound harsh, but I must believe that way or fall headlong into the abyss of moral relativism.

How do you distinguish right from wrong?

[1] http://www.ucc.org/justice/advocacy_resources/pdfs/reproductive-health-and-justice/reproductive-health-and-justice.pdf

[2] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm#2271

NOTE: A reader by the name of ProChoiceGal made some serious accusations against the Catholic Church in a comment she left below, and my response was longer than the comment text box would allow to be entered. Since I believe it is important for the readers of this post to see my response in its entirety, I'm going to include it here in the body of the post. I can do that, because I own this here blog. :) Anyway, here is my response to her comment:

ProChoiceGal - Thank you for your response. The first link you provided was to an article by a group called "Catholics for Choice" (CFC). According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholics for Choice "is not a Catholic organization, does not speak for the Catholic Church, and in fact promotes positions contrary to the teaching of the Church as articulated by the Holy See and the NCCB." Their first president was a Jesuit priest that was eventually kicked out of the priesthood. I wouldn't give a lot of validity to what they say regarding Catholic history and teaching.

There are a couple things you need to understand about infallibility:

1. An act does not need to be declared wrong or evil via infallible pronouncement to be considered wrong or evil. According to www.catholic.com, an infallible pronouncement—whether made by the pope alone or by an ecumenical council—usually is made only when some doctrine has been called into question. Most doctrines have never been doubted by the large majority of Catholics.

2. The pope is not the only one in the Catholic Church that can make infallible pronouncements. The bishops can make infallible pronouncements also. According to the Vatican II council, "Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they can nevertheless proclaim Christ’s doctrine infallibly. This is so, even when they are dispersed around the world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among themselves and with Peter’s successor, and while teaching authentically on a matter of faith or morals, they concur in a single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively. This authority is even more clearly verified when, gathered together in an ecumenical council, they are teachers and judges of faith and morals for the universal Church. Their definitions must then be adhered to with the submission of faith" (Lumen Gentium 25).

The Catholic Church's teaching regarding abortion can be considered infallible because Pope John Paul II, while he was writing the papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae, took a survey of all bishops around the world as to whether they thought abortion was wrong, and that all agreed that abortion is wrong. Since all of the bishops believe, in union with the pope, that abortion is wrong, the belief can be considered infallible.

For a clearer understanding of the Catholic Church's teaching on infallibility, see http://www.catholic.com/library/Papal_Infallibility.asp. For more information regarding the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion and the value of human life in general, refer to the Catholic Catechism (http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm) and the papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae (http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/__PQ.HTM).

The second link you provided was to the ReligiousTolerance.org web site. The accuracy of the information provided by this site regarding the Catholic faith (and other faiths) is questionable at best. Your quote from this web site would have given a more accurate view of the Catholic Church regarding the subject of abortion had you included the statement from John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, which followed immediately after the text you quoted. Here it is:

"Pope Paul Vl declared that the teaching of the Church about the morality of abortion 'has not changed and is unchangeable.' Although some people point out that Saint Thomas Aquinas thought the soul did not come to the fetus ('ensoulment') until sometime after conception, the fact is that he considered abortion gravely sinful even before this time. He taught that it was a 'grave sin against the natural law' to kill the fetus at any stage, and a graver sin of homicide to do so after ensoulment."

The Catholic Church has always believed that the killing of human being, born or unborn, is evil and morally wrong. What has changed over the centuries is the Catholic Church's understanding of the point at which the fetus becomes a human being (is "ensouled") and has the right to be protected. As science and technology has advanced, the Catholic Church's understanding of when the fetus becomes a human being has become clearer. The Catholic Church now firmly believes that the fetus becomes a human being worthy of protection at the moment of conception, which occurs at fertilization (not implantation).

God bless you.

Pro-Life and Pro-Choice - Can't We Just Get Along?

2010-01-08T03:40:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of bickering, back-biting, and name calling on Twitter these days between people in the pro-life and pro-choice movements. As far as I can see, these are the primary goals of the pro-life and pro-choice movements:

The goal of the pro-life movement is to protect unborn human life.
The goal of the pro-choice movement is to protect the rights of women experiencing unwanted pregnancies.

Believe it or not, these are both noble goals. Although many people in the pro-choice movement might think so, I seriously doubt that there are many pro-life people who would say their primary goal is to take away the rights of women who are experiencing unwanted pregnancies and "force" them to have their babies. Although many pro-life people might think so, I seriously doubt that there are many pro-choice people who would say their primary goal is to murder unborn babies.

Let's keep this in mind, pro-life and pro-choice people, as we engage each other in debates over the abortion rights issue. If we do, our discussions might be productive, rather than destructive.

To all pro-life and pro-choice people, I leave you with the first reading from today's Catholic Mass. It is one of my favorite scripture readings from the first letter of John, in the Christian (New) testament:

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

1 John 4:7-10

Peace be with you, and with your spirit!

Everything Starts from Prayer

2010-01-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

"Everything starts from prayer. Without asking God for love, we cannot possess love and still less are we able to give it to others. Just as people today are speaking so much about the poor but they do not know or talk to the poor, we too cannot talk so much about prayer and yet not know how to pray." ~ Mother Teresa

The Mother of All Christian Churches

2010-01-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

Many people don't know this, but for the first 5 centuries after Christ, there was only one Christian Church. In approximately the 2nd or 3rd century, that church became known as the Catholic Church. The term "Catholic" is not a label, like "Methodist", "Lutheran", or "Baptist". The term "Catholic" refers to what the church is, which is "universal". For more information regarding the name "Catholic", please click here.

I found an interesting diagram on Wikipedia that graphically illustrates when the various branches of Christianity began. To view the chart and accompanying article, click here. It is interesting to note that before the Assyrian Church broke off and became a separate branch of Christianity in the year 431, the church prior to that point was referred to as "Early Christianity". In reality, the church that existed from the time of Christ was the Catholic Church. As was mentioned above, the term "Catholic" began to be applied to the church in the 2nd or 3rd century, but the church existed before that. The Assyrian Church broke away from the Catholic Church, not some generic Christian community. Further proof that the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus himself, and was the first Christian church, can be seen in the list of Catholic Church leaders (popes), which began with the apostle Peter and continued in unbroken succession to the current pope, Pope Benedict XVII. For a complete list of popes, please click here.

This post provides just some of the reasons why I am a Catholic. If you are a non-Catholic Christian, why do you belong to the particular Church you belong to? If you consider yourself "non-denominational", why? Please provide any comments you might have in the comment box below. God's peace be with you!

Paul's Profession of Faith

2010-01-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

I believe that God exists, and that God created the universe. The universe could not create itself. Even if the beginning of the universe started with a big bang, something made the big bang go boom. Further evidence of the existence of God is the complexity and intelligence of creation.

I believe that God became a man like us in the person of Jesus Christ. During his life, Jesus set the example of how we should live our lives. In sacrificing himself on the cross, he redeemed us, making it possible for us to enter heaven when we die.

While Jesus was on Earth, he established a church to carry on his ministry after his death. The church is the body of believers that would later be known as the Catholic (meaning "universal") church. He appointed the apostle Peter the first head (pope) of the church. The apostles became the first "priests" of the church. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide the church to the truth, and promised that the church would always be true. Jesus also gave the apostles the ability to forgive men's sins. This ability has been passed down from the apostles to what is now known as the priesthood of the church.

During and after the life of Jesus, men wrote books and letters about Jesus. These books and letters, along with the hebrew scriptures (old testament), were eventually compiled into what is now known as the bible. It was the Catholic Church that decided which books and letters should be included in the bible.

By dying on the cross, Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us. I believe that if I follow Jesus to the best of my ability, I will be saved. The way I follow Jesus is by obeying his teachings, which are passed down to me through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition by the Catholic Church.

Even though I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior and have been redeemed by his sacrifice on the cross, I believe my salvation is not guaranteed. My salvation depends on the state of my soul when I die. Because of the free will God gave me, I can turn away from him at any time and lose my salvation. I can lose my salvation by committing a serious sin, also known as a mortal sin, and not repent of it before I die. I cannot lose my salvation by committing minor sins, also known as venial sins. When I do sin, and am truly sorry for having committed them, I can receive forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I am a Catholic because I want to belong to the church that Jesus himself founded. I know that Jesus founded the Catholic Church because the leadership of the church can be traced from the present pope all the way back to the apostle Peter. No other church has a leadership that dates back to Christ. I could not belong to a Christian church that wasn't founded by Christ.

This is what I believe. I am not telling you what you should believe, or trying to force you to believe anything. If you disagree with or don't understand anything I've said in this post, please leave a comment in the box below, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

For more information about the Catholic faith, please check out the Catholic web site links on the right-hand side of my blog.

Peace of Christ be with your spirit!

A Prayer for Christians

2010-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." ~ Ephesians 1:17-21

Your Boyfriend Supports Abortion and Premarital Sex, and You're OK With That. What?

2010-01-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

Consider this scenario:

A single woman "Jill" is living with her boyfriend "Jack". Jack and Jill share an apartment together. Jill is a stong believer in abortion rights, and Jack supports her pro-abortion beliefs. Jill thinks it's wonderful that Jack is so supportive of her "right to choose" abortion if she so desires. Jack doesn't want to wait until marriage to have sex with Jill. That's OK with Jill, so Jack and Jill walk up the hill to their apartment and enter into an active pre-marital sex life.

If Jill was my daughter, this is what feedback and advice I would share with her:

Jack's support of your pro-abortion beliefs seems noble, and may very well be, but the fact that he is unwilling to wait until marriage to have sex with you casts doubt on the nobility of his support. Is it possible that he supports your pro-abortion beliefs so that it he gets you pregnant, he won't need to worry about the complications of having a child out of wedlock because he's confident you would abort the child?
Why isn't Jack willing to wait until marriage to have sex with you? Doesn't he think you're worth waiting for? Is it possible that his unwillingness to wait until marriage to have sex with you is a sign of a lack of commitment to you? He might not want to wait until marriage to have sex with you because he doubts that he will ever marry you.
If Jack really loves you, and is committed to be with you, he should be willing to wait until marriage to have sex with you. If he is willing to wait, you can rest assured that he isn't interested in you primarily to receive physical pleasure from your body.
Do you really want a boyfriend that supports abortion rights? What if you get pregnant, and you really want the baby, and he doesn't, and he pressures you to have an abortion? If Jack was pro-life (against abortion rights), you wouldn't have to worry about being in that situation.

I would also have a separate conversation with Jill as to why she is pro-choice/pro-abortion, and why she thinks pre-marital sex is OK, but I'd rather limit the scope of this post to the pre-marital sex and abortion rights aspects of Jill's relationship with Jack.

If Jill was your daughter, and you were fully aware of the arrangement mentioned in the scenario above, what would you say to her? What advice would you give her? Would you approve of what she is doing? If so, why? If not, why not? Please use the comment box below.

A Prayer for the New Year 2010

2010-01-01T04:35:00.000-08:00

I pray that the year 2010 is a year filled with:

Peace
Hope
Prosperity
Love

for you and your family. May every person you meet in the year 2010 walk away a better person for having known you. May every person you meet in 2010 treat you with the love, compassion, and dignity that you deserve as a child of God.

"The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." ~ Numbers 6:24-26

Happy New Year!

Paul

Abortion is a Black & White Issue

2009-12-30T04:10:00.000-08:00

After I went to bed last night, a person on Twitter sent me a post stating that the abortion issue is not black and white, which I interpret to mean that abortion is a very complex issue. Here is my response:

I believe that abortion is black and white issue that people do their best to complicate. The abortion debate boils down to one simple question: Is the human fetus a human being that has the right to life? If the fetus is a human being, killing it is a crime. It's a scientific and logical fact that a fetus is a human being in an early stage of development. To say that a fetus is anything else but a human being has no basis in science, reason, or logic. It is a fact that the killing of a human being is murder. Therefore, abortion is murder and should be made illegal.

There are a variety of reasons why women seek abortions. I'm certain that many, if not most, women who seek abortions are in very difficult situations, and I feel for them. However, no matter how difficult the situation is, the fact remains that the fetus inside the woman is a human being that has the right to live, just as much as the mother has the right to live. Nothing justifies killing the unborn child. Nothing. The rights of both the mother and the unborn child can and should be respected. Rather than allow abortion to remain legal, we need to make it illegal and find ways to help women with unwanted pregnancies.

Sounds pretty black and white to me.

Caitlin Jane's "Unborn" Music Video

2009-12-29T03:40:00.000-08:00

Live Action Films provided a link to a beautiful pro-life video on YouTube called "Unborn". The video is very well done, and does a great job at illustrating the beauty of all life, especially the unborn. I hope the video touches your heart, as it did mine:

If you have difficulty viewing this video, click here.

Does Conception Occur at Fertilization, or Implantation?

2009-12-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I was chatting with a pro-choice friend of mine about the terms "fertilization" and "conception". To me, these two words are synonymous. When the sperm and the egg unite, the egg is fertilized, and conception occurs. To my friend, however, these two words have very different meanings. When I asked what the difference was, she said that fertilization occurs when the sperm and the egg unite, but conception doesn't occur until the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine wall. I asked her where she got this information, and she said that she got it from "medical books."

After doing some research, I discovered that the distinction between fertilization and conception isn't as clear cut as my friend wanted me to believe. According to Wikipedia, "Fertilization (also known as conception, fecundation and syngamy), is the fusion of gametes to produce a new organism." [1] According to About.com, "Conception is when the female's egg is fertilized by a male's sperm." [2] According to the Merck medical manual, "For conception (fertilization) [to occur], a live sperm must unite with an ovum in a fallopian tube with normally functioning epithelium" [3] However, according to Ovulation-Calculator.com, "cell division and implantation of the egg must take place for conception to be successful." [4] According to Guttmacher.org, a pro-abortion organization, "A pregnancy is considered to be established only when the process of implantation is complete" [5]

So why all the confusion as to whether fertilization and conception occur at the same time, or not? According to PhysiciansForLife.org, conception "was redefined by contraception & abortion promoters in the 1960’s to mean 'implantation in the uterus', not 'fertilization'. " [6] After further research, I discovered that it was the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) that redefined conception in 1965. ACOG is a known supporter of abortion rights. Even though ACOG redefined the point at which conception (pregnancy) occurs, it appears that many people in the medical community didn't get the message, and still believe that conception occurs at fertilization. Results of survey taken by the Louisville Ob/Gyn Society showed that 73% of the respondents indicated that conception occurs at fertilization.[7]

So what difference does it make if conception occurs at fertilization or implantation? It makes a big difference in regards to hot button reproductive issues such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), cloning, stem cell research, and the use of so called pregnancy prevention drugs such as Plan B. If conception (pregnancy) occurs at implantation, the disposal of the fertilized egg after fertilization but prior to implantation can be considered contraception, instead of abortion. By saying that conception occurs at implantation, abortion rights supporters can claim that the use of drugs like Plan B prior to implantation does not result in an abortion. If conception occurs at fertilization, Plan B would be considered an abortifacient, which would most likely deter many women from using it. If less women use Plan B, the drug companies that make Plan B make less money.

Since there appears to be ambiguity in the medical community as to whether conception occurs at fertilization or implantation, how can a person decide which is the case? For a person that only has the civil law and secular culture to gauge what is true or not, it is a difficult question to answer. As a Catholic, I can defer to the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding when life begins. According to the Catholic Church, "Pregnancy, in fact, begins with fertilization and not with the implantation of the blastocyst in the uterine wall" [8]

References:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_fertilization

[2] http://contraception.about.com/od/contraceptionoverview/p/conception.htm

[3] http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec18/ch258/ch258a.html?qt=conception&alt=sh

[4] http://www.ovulation-calculator.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-conception.htm

[5] http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/08/2/gr080207.html

[6] http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/1170/2/

[7] http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a907299020&db=all

[8] Statement on the So-Called "Morning After Pill" http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdlife/documents/rc_pa_acdlife_doc_20001031_pillola-giorno-dopo_en.html

The "My Body, My Choice" Fallacy

2009-12-26T05:31:00.000-08:00

The battle cry of the pro-choice/pro-abortion movement is "My body, my choice!" In other words, they are saying that a woman is the owner of her body, and only she can decide what can or cannot be done with or to her body. They believe that no person or law should force a woman to do something to or with her body that she doesn't want to do, or prevent her from doing something to or with her body that she wants to do. This belief has its roots in the feminist and women's rights movements.

In regards to the abortion issue in particular, members of the pro-choice movement say that a woman is justified in having an abortion performed on her body to remove a fetus (unborn baby) from her womb because she owns her body, and can choose to do whatever she wants to her body. Whenever I'm discussing the abortion issue with someone who uses this argument, I ask them if they support laws that prevent people from ingesting or injecting narcotics like cocaine and heroin into their body? More specifically, I ask them if a woman should be able to take narcotics legally, since they believe a woman has a right to do whatever she wants to her body? This question usually poses a quandry for abortion rights supporters. Most people, including most pro-choice supporters, are against narcotics use. The reasons for being against the legalization of narcotics is because narcotics can harm people. People can become addicted to narcotics. People who are high on narcotics can harm other people, especially when they are operating large machinery, like automobiles.

So why does the narcotics legalization question pose a quandry for some people with the "My body, my choice" mentality? If such a person supports laws that prevent women (and men) from ingesting or injecting narcotics into their body, they are, in effect, preventing women (and men) who want to take illegal narcotics from doing what they want with their body. They are against a woman's (and man's) "choice" when it comes to narcotics use, but for a woman's (and man's) "choice" when it comes to abortion. The conflict this situation sets up is obvious.

When I ask abortion-rights supporters if they support laws that prevent women from taking narcotics, they often respond that they think narcotic use should be legalized, or that the restrictions on narcotics use should be relaxed. Although this may shock you, it shouldn't really surprise you. They probably feel it would be hypocritical to support a law that upholds a woman's right to choose abortion, and at the same time support a law that takes away a woman's right to take narcotics. Rather than risk being accused of hypocrisy, they say they support the legalization of narcotics.

Some abortion rights supporters say that they oppose the legalization of narcotics because narcotics harm people. The same could be said for abortion. Many women are physically, emotionally, and mentally harmed by abortion. Abortion also results in the death of another human being, the unborn child that is forcibly removed from the mother's womb.

If a woman's right to do what she wants with her body is not an absolute right that applies to all situations, the possibility exists that there are some situations where a woman does not have the right to choose what she wants to do with her body. This reduces the "My body, my choice" argument to mere opinion. If you are pro-life, and a person tries to use the "My body, my choice" argument to justify abortion, respond by saying "That's your opinion, and I disagree with it."

Peace be with you!

Paul

P.S. - This post only addresses the "My choice" part of the "My body, my choice" argument. The "My body" part of the argument is really a separate issue. I believe that a woman doesn't own her body. God owns her body, because he created it. Hmm, that sounds like a good topic for another blog post!

Is Forced Pregnancy the Same as Forced Child Support?

2009-12-24T02:10:00.000-08:00

Consider the following two scenarios:

Scenario #1: A woman named "Kathy" has consentual sex with her partner and gets pregnant. Not wanting to have a child at this phase of her life, Kathy is faced with a dilemma: should she carry the child to term, give birth, and give the child up for adoption, or should she have an abortion? Kathy decides to have an abortion, because she doesn't think she should be forced to endure nine months of pregnancy for a child she doesn't want.

Scenario #2: A man named "John" fathered a child with his wife. When the child was one year old, John decided he didn't want to be a father or a husband at this phase of his life, and decides to divorce his wife. He moves out, and leaves his wife and his child. John is faced with a dilemma: should he pay child support to his wife for the child they had together, or not? John decides to not pay his wife child support, because he doesn't think he should be forced to pay child support for a child he doesn't want.

If these scenarios took place in the United States, John would be committing a crime, but Kathy would not. In the United States it is illegal for a father to not financially support his child, but it is legal for a woman to kill her unborn child via abortion. Why is that? Why is it ok to force a man to live up to his responsibilities as a father and force him to pay child support for up to 18 years (until the child turns 18), but it's not ok to expect a mother to live up to her responsibilities and force her to remain pregnant for nine months?

I propose to you that what we have here is a massive double standard. Both Kathy and John knew what they were getting into. Kathy knew when she had sex that there was a risk that she might get pregnant, and John knew that when he decided to have a child, that he was responsible for supporting that child. Both Kathy and John are responsible for the children they conceived. If it is ok to legally force John to pay child support, it should be ok to legally force Kathy to endure 9 months of pregnancy and give birth to her child. John shouldn't be able to shirk his responsibility to his child, and Kathy shouldn't be able to shirk her responsibility to her child.

If you don't think Kathy should be forced through her pregnancy, but think John should be forced to pay child support (in other words, you chose answer B), please provide the reason you think that way in the comment box below.

Is a Fetus a Blessing, or a Violation? Take the Poll!

2009-12-22T03:32:00.000-08:00

A Pro-Life Version of a Pro-Choice Analogy

2009-12-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here is an analogy written by Judith Jarvis Thomson which is used by pro-choice people in an attempt to show that it is ridiculous to expect a woman who is experiencing an unwanted pregnancy to carry the child for 9 months and give birth, against her will:

"I propose, then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception. . . . But now let me ask you to imagine this. You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist's circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. The director of the hospital now tells you, 'Look, we're sorry the Society of Music Lovers did this to you -- we would never have permitted it if we had known. But still, they did it, and the violinist now is plugged into you. To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it's only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.'

Is it morally incumbent on you to accede to this situation? No doubt it would very nice of you if you did, a great kindness. But do you have to accede to it? What if it were not nine months, but nine years? Or longer still? What if the director of the hospital says, 'Tough luck, I agree, but you've now got to stay in bed, with the violinist plugged into you, for the rest of your life. Because remember this: all persons have a right to life, and violinists are persons. Granted you have a right to decide what happens in and to your body, but a person's right to life outweighs your right to decide what happens in and to your body. So you cannot ever be unplugged from him.'

I imagine you would regard this as outrageous. . . ."

-Judith Jarvis Thomson

Below is my pro-life version of the same analogy. I have modified it so that it is a closer analogy to a women who experiences an unwanted pregnancy after having consentual sex, which is how the vast majority of unwanted pregnancies occur.

"I propose, then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception. . . . But now let me ask you to imagine this. You go to a concert and meet a famous violinist, who is a hotty. After the concert, you invite the violinist back to your house. As you are sitting on the couch chatting with him, he tells you that he has a fatal kidney ailment. He tells you that he's having a very hard time finding someone with the blood type that can help him. You like him so much that you volunteer to have your blood type checked to see if you can help him. The next day, you have the blood test, and it is determined that you have the right blood type to help the violinist. When you call the violinist and tell him the good news, he is overwhelmed with joy.

The next week you go to the hospital with the violinist for the procedure. You both meet with the doctor, and he tells you the procedure (called a "quicky") normally takes about 15 minutes, but he makes you fully aware that the procedure might take up to nine months if a particular complication occurs during the procedure. You like the violinist so much that you are willing to risk being connected to him for up to nine months. You tell the doctor that you are fully aware of what you're getting into, and tell him you want to go through with the procedure.

You and the violinist are then taken to the room where the procedure will take place. The violinist's circulatory system is plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. Several minutes into the procedure the doctor informs you that the complication he had mentioned earlier has occurred, and the procedure is going to take up to nine months to complete. He says that if the violinist is unplugged before the nine months have passed, it will kill him. After the nine months have passed, the violinist will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you. The doctor looks into your eyes and says, "I know that this is a very difficult situation for you to be in. Because of this situation, your life is going to be radically different for the next nine months. However, by enduring it, you will be giving this violinist the gift of life."

I pray that you would regard this as an opportunity to do something extremely heroic, to take responsibility for your actions . . . ."

- A modified version of an analogy by Judith Jarvis Thomson (with extensive meaning-changing alterations by Paul Schlenker)

I'd like to emphasize that in my version, the woman and the violinist were made fully aware before they had the procedure that they might have to be connected to each other for nine months. Whenever a man and woman have consentual sex, they are fully aware that the act might result in the conception of a child, even if they are using contraception. Contraception is not 100% effective. When a man and woman conceive a child, it is their responsibility to give birth to the child. If they don't want the child, it is their responsibility to allow someone to adopt the child, and give it the love and life that all human beings deserve.

I hope that you can see after reading my version of the analogy that it is an act of extreme love and heroism for a woman to endure nine months of pregnancy and give birth to a child that she doesn't want or is unable to take proper care of. It is not outrageous for society to expect her to do such a thing.

Is God Pro-Choice?

2009-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

In my discussions with people who support abortion rights, there have been several times when I've been told that God is pro-choice, and supports abortion. How can a person possibly think that? The very thought of God looking favorably on abortion is 100% the opposite of what I've learned and believe as a Christian. All throughout my Christian upbringing I've been taught that God is the creator of all life, and loves his creation. I've been taught that God created each human being, and knew each of our names before we were even in our mother's wombs. Above all, I have been taught that the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" means that God forbids us to kill any human being, even an unborn human being. How could God possibly support the killing of the most innocent and helpless of his creations?

I watched a video this morning that gave me insight into how pro-choice people might think that God supports abortion. In the video, Reverend Rebecca Turner, a minister from an allegedly Christian religion, attempts to explain to women who are thinking of having an abortion that God supports them if they choose to go through with the abortion. At one point in the video, Rev. Turner says "Whatever you decide to do, I want you to know that God is with you. God is with you right now in the abortion clinic, and God's going to be right there by your side throughout the procedure. The bible says that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God." Rev. Turner is correct in that God is always by our side, no matter what we do, and will always love us. God is with us when we sin, and when we don't sin. He doesn't abandon us when we're sinning, and then return to our side once we stop sinning. That doesn't mean, however, that God always supports or condones what we are doing.

What Rev. Turner is basically saying in the video is that a person can commit whatever sin they want to commit, because God will love and support them no matter what. She is saying that you can commit any sin you want, even murdering an unborn child, because God will continue to love you in spite of it. This is a major distortion of the nature of God's relationship with humanity. If what Rev. Turner is saying is true, there would be no need for a hell. If people can commit any sin they want to commit, and remain in God's favor, who would be condemned to hell? The truth is that God gave us a free will. We can choose to follow his commandments, or we can choose to go against his commandments and commit sin. If the sin we commit is serious enough, and we do not repent, our salvation is in jeopardy. In other words, we might spend an eternity in hell after we die. It is also wrong to believe that a person can commit any sin they want to commit, as long as they apologize to God afterwards. God will not be mocked. God loves every human life, and wants everyone to be with him forever in heaven, but he gave us a free will so that we can freely choose to be with him. If we turn away from God of our own free will, it is possible that we might spend an eternity separated from the love of God. That is what hell is.

I was tempted not to show the video because of how wrong its message is, but decided to show it because it is a classic example of how deceptive the pro-choice movement and abortion industry can be. The pro-choice movement deceives people into thinking that abortion is such a good, even healthy, thing to do. In the video, Rev. Turner uses a peaceful, sedate, and compassionate tone of voice when she speaks, which serves to fool women into thinking the abortion industry really cares about them. The reality is that the abortion industry makes billions of dollars a year off of women who are in a difficult situation. It is deceptive videos like this one that tricks thousands of women into aborting God's gift to them, their unborn child.

Here is the video:

If you have difficulty viewing the video, click here.

The Humanity of the Unborn

2009-12-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

The following scripture passage is the gospel reading from the Catholic Mass for Sunday, December 20, 2009. I particularly like this scripture because it clearly shows the humanity of unborn children. It also causes me to contemplate how pro-life Mary was. May you be filled with a profound love for the unborn and all life this Christmas season.

"Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’"

Luke 1:39-44

Gianna Jessen - Abortion Survivor

2009-12-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

Gianna Jessen is a person who survived a saline abortion. In the following videos Gianna tells her story, and a powerful story it is. I hope these videos touch the heart of every person who watches them, and convinces them that each and every human live is precious and deserves protection.

Part 1:

Part 2:

The Life-itudes

2009-12-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

Blessed are they who believe that human life must be protected from the moment of conception until natural death.

Blessed are they who believe an unborn child is a human being that deserves full protection under the law.

Blessed are they who are called names, like "misogynist", "woman hater", and "antichoice", because of their efforts to protect the lives of the unborn.

Blessed are they who believe all human beings have the right to live, not just those who have already been born.

Blessed is the woman who experiences an unwanted pregnancy and chooses to give her child the gift of life, even though people around her are urging her to abort.

Blessed are those in public office who work to enact legislation that protects the lives of innocent and helpless unborn children.

Blessed are they who believe every life is special, and has dignity, regardless of how that life came into existence.

Blessed are they who provide assistance to mothers with unwanted pregnancies, so that they may choose life for their child.

Blessed are those who offer the multitude of abortion alternatives to women with unwanted pregnancies.

Blessed are the unborn children, growing in their mother's womb. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Celebrate the Birth of Every Child This Christmas

2009-12-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

The following text is the introduction to Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life), the papal encyclical of Pope John Paul II. I wanted to share it with you because it is particularly relevant this Christmas season. Not only are we celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, but those of us who are pro-life are fighting to protect the rights of those yet to be born.

"The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture.

At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:10-11). The source of this "great joy" is the Birth of the Saviour; but Christmas also reveals the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world (cf. Jn 16:21).

When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that "new" and "eternal" life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this "life" that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance."

To read the Evangelium Vitae encyclical in its entirety, go here.

Healthcare Reform without a Conscience Clause = Doctor Shortage

2009-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

If the U.S. healthcare reform bill is passed without a valid conscience clause, Catholic health care providers will have no choice but to shut down.

This video was provided by the St. Michael Society. If you have difficulty viewing the video above, please click here.

Catholic and Pro-Choice - A Contradiction in Terms?

2009-12-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a Catholic and pro-life advocate, one of the most difficult things for me to understand is how some Catholics think that they can be pro-choice, and remain in good standing with the Church. A high profile example of such a Catholic is Rep. Patrick Kennedy (http://bit.ly/7Ao89b). There are even pro-choice Catholic organizations, such as Catholics for Choice (http://bit.ly/7JvGqV). Catholics for Choice not only supports abortion rights, but they advocate contraception use, another violation of Catholic Church teaching.

The only thing I can surmise from people and groups like this is that they must take a "pick and choose" approach to their Catholic Faith. In other words, they pick and choose which church teachings they are going to believe and follow, and disregard the teachings that don't align with their personal beliefs. While this practice appears to be somewhat accepted in non-Catholic Christian churches, it is not accepted in the Catholic Church.

As far as I know, Catholics are expected to follow all church teachings to the best of their ability. If they disagree with a teaching, it is their duty and responsibility to learn why the church teaches it. The sad fact of the matter is that sometimes when Catholics disagree with a church teaching, they don't take the time to find out the reason for the teaching. They just disregard it.

Of all the teachings of the Catholic Church, one of the core teachings is the teaching that abortion is wrong. It is a core teaching because life is sacred, and to destroy life or support the destroying of life is to commit a grievous sin against God, who is the author of life. To support abortion in any way, shape, or form is in direct contradiction to the message of Jesus Christ.

If you are a Catholic who supports abortion rights, I strongly recommend you do some research into why the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is wrong, and pray to God for deeper understanding. The Catholic Answers web site is a good place to start: http://www.catholic.com/library/Abortion.asp.

It is my prayer that everyone in the world will come to know and believe that all life is sacred and deserves protection, from conception until natural death. Peace be with you.

Life Begins at Home

2009-12-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

"We must remember that life begins at home and we must also remember that the future of humanity passes through the family." ~ Mother Teresa

Abortion - Treating the Root Cause, Not Just the Symptoms

2009-12-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

People are spending a lot of time and energy these days trying keep abortion legal, or to make it illegal. I wish we would spend more time trying to figure out how to help women avoid the unwanted pregnancies that often lead them to have abortions. We also need to find ways to empower/encourage women to carry their babies to term and give birth when they experience unwanted pregnancies.

How can we reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies? One way would be to encourage people to wait until marriage to be sexually active. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 64.4% of all abortions are performed on women who are not married. Encouraging people to not have sex if they definitely do not want to have a child, or aren't in a financial position to support a child will also help to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

How can we empower/encourage women who experience unwanted pregnancies to carry them to term and give birth? Above all we need to find ways to help them realize the value of all human life, especially helpless unborn life. In addition, we need to provide encouragement when they feel apprehensive about pregnancy and childbirth. We need to provide financial aid if needed to help her afford the pregnancy, childbirth, post natal care, and beyond.

If we can find ways to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies, and help women with unwanted pregnancies to choose life for their unborn child, abortion will soon become a moot issue.

The Prolife/Prochoice Communication Gap

2009-12-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

Many conversations I've had with people who support abortion rights go absolutely nowhere. The same is true for many conversations I've witnessed on Twitter between pro-life and pro-choice people. Why is that? Why are both sides unable to have productive conversations with each other? I believe there is one major factor that causes this communication gap. It is what I call the life vs. rights factor.

When a pro-life person discusses the abortion issue, they approach it from the standpoint of the life of the unborn child. The focus of their argument is to prove the unborn child is a human being that deserves to live. When a pro-choice person discusses the abortion issue, they approach it from they standpoint of women's rights. The primary goal of the pro-choice person is to ensure that women have the freedom to choose what they want or don't want to do. This goal is not limited to abortion rights.

Conversations between pro-life and pro-choice people usually start out with a debate about the personhood of the fetus. Even if the pro-life person can get the pro-choice person to admit that the fetus is a "baby", the conversation eventually stalemates. Why? Because the pro-choice person will not agree that abortion should be illegal, because that would mean that women don't have the right to do anything they want. The notion is in direct opposition to the radical feminist version of the women's rights movement that many pro-choice people belong to. On the other hand, the pro-life person will not agree that a woman has the right to do anything she wants with her body, because that would give her the right to kill her unborn child.

So, how do we get beyond this impasse? I'm still looking for the answer. One thing I do know is that the pro-life and pro-choice forces might come to a better understanding of each other if they learn to follow these simple rules:

1. Treat each other with respect and dignity.

2. Don't use inciteful words. If you don't like it when someone uses words that tick you off, don't do the same thing to others.

3. Share with the other person what you believe. Don't tell them what they believe. They know much better than you what they believe.

4. If the person you're talking to makes a valid point, have the humility to acknowledge it.

5. If the person you are talking to is being nasty to you, try being extra nice to them. If you do, you might win them over. If you fight nasty with nasty, I'll guarantee that you won't get anywhere.

I really believe that most people in both the pro-life and pro-choice movements feel they are doing the right thing. I doubt that there are many pro-choice people who support abortion rights so that fetuses can be brutally dismembered. Likewise, I doubt that there are many pro-life people who want to make abortion illegal in order to take away women's rights and force women to do things they don't want to do.

Let us all put the rhetoric and hatefulness aside and treat each other with dignity and respect. If we do so, we might actually make progress towards a solution to the abortion issue.

Beautiful Holiday Song Featuring Yo Yo Ma and Chris Botti

2009-12-13T03:38:00.000-08:00

A beautiful song from Yo Yo Ma's latest holiday album called "Songs of Joy and Peace":

If you have difficulty viewing the video, click here.

Peace and blessings to you and your family this holiday season!

My Favorite Christmas Carol - Star Carol

2009-12-13T03:01:00.000-08:00

This is a YouTube video of one of my most favorite Christmas carols of all time, Star Carol. What makes this particular version of Star Carol so incredibly special to me is that it is the very same recording I listened to on my parent's record player (remember those?) when I was a child. This recording was done by an artist named Anna Maria Alberghetti on a Goodyear Christmas album. In this recording you can hear the same pops and clicks that I remember hearing when I used to listen to LP records. The noise is caused by the diamond needle coming in contact with dust on the record. Kids that have never listened to music on LP records have no idea how good CD's really are! A special thanks to my sister Linda for giving me the link to this video. I tried to find it a week or two ago, but couldn't. I hope you enjoy the beauty and tenderness of this wonderful carol.

If you have trouble launching the video, click here.

Fear This!

2009-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

The concept of fear has negative connotations in modern society. To fear is considered a sign of weakness. Christians are called to "fear the Lord", but fear in this sense means "wonder" and "awe". I pray that you experience the wonder of God in your life today, and stand in awe of his greatness.

Fear of the Lord is glory and splendor,
gladness and a festive crown.
Fear of the Lord warms the heart,
giving gladness and joy and length of days.
He who fears the Lord will have a happy end;
even on the day of his death he will be blessed.
The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord,
which is formed with the faithful in the womb.

Book of Sirach 1:9-12

Restless Waters Blog Grand Opening

2009-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the grand opening of the Restless Waters blog. I will be posting articles very soon, so stay tuned!