Tag Archives: politics

Examination of Conscience

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This should be expanded to include other issues that affecting Catholic consciences,
such as fair justice, feeding hungry, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, etc.
Unless the Church gets tough on all the issues, we’ll look like an organization
of hypocrites.

I have a weird deja vu feeling right now, as if I blogged about this kind of thing
a looooong time ago. I tried looking back in the archives, but I couldn’t find a
match. *shrug*

Defiant
Catholic Voters Shouldn’t Receive Communion, Say 2 Bishops
Prelates in Colorado and Oregon Extend Warnings Beyond Politicians

“COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, MAY 14, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Michael Sheridan says
that Catholics should not receive Communion if they vote for politicians who defy
Church teaching by supporting abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia or stem-cell
research.”

Science (and Budget) Fiction

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In yet another feeble attempt to copy Reagan’s policies (like trickle-down economics),
Bush is trying to create his own version of the Star Wars (SDI) program. The first
one was science fiction created to scare the Soviet Union into spending itself to
death. This one might spend us to death.

Current Status
of Missile Defense Program, May 2004
Author: John Isaacs

Administration’s latest budget request

The request for fiscal 2005 is $10.2 billion, the largest single Pentagon weapons program and a 13% increase over the fiscal 2004 program. About $3.2 billion of that would go to the ground-based mid-course system (GMD) that is slated to be deployed later this year. If the Space Based Infra-Red System-High (SBIRS-high) is included, the total request for missile defense for the next year is $10.7 billion.

Go to National Priorities and check out the budget trade-offs related to SDI.

Jihad

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Agape Press Commentary & News Briefs
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Compiled by Jody Brown

"…A Washington-based Muslim advocacy group is condemning the beheading of American businessman Nick Berg in Iraq as a cold-blooded murder. Rabiah Ahmed of the Council for American-Islamic Relations says Muslims are especially horrified that Berg's killers shouted 'God is great!' and claimed to be acting in the name of Islam. The killers are shown on the Internet declaring that 'the dignity of the Muslim men and women' abused by U.S. troops in an Iraqi prison cannot be ';redeemed except by blood and souls.' Ahmed says Berg's beheading was 'in opposition with what Islam stands for.' She adds that American Muslims wish to extend their prayers, condolences and support to Berg's family. On Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham said the killing shows that America is fighting an enemy that 'behaves like animals in the name of God.' Senator Rick Santorum, from Berg's home state, made the following statement from the Senate floor on Wednesday: 'If anybody wants to know what we're fighting, and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a very good example of it.' Pennsylvania's other U.S. senator, Arlen Specter, described Berg's death as 'unfathomable brutality' and 'a barbaric atrocity of the highest magnitude.' [AP/Jody Brown]"

I'm ashamed to say Santorum is one of my state's senators. It seems the irony of his statement regarding the recent beheading didn't occur to him. He says, "If anybody wants to know what we're fighting, and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a very good example of it." It seems to me there must be a great number of Arabs, particularly in Iraq, saying, "Look at the way these barbarians treat prisoners of war! It's an outrage! They do such evil things and then continue to wonder why we hate them!"

Shape Up or Ship Out

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It’s sad that Senator Kenny has turned his back on the Church, but at least he’ll
no longer be scandalizing it. I wonder if Governor McGreevey will continue to seek
communion in private. Either way, he has taken the honorable step of ceasing his
public dispute with the Church.

Agape
Press Commentary & News Briefs
Monday, May 10, 2004
Compiled by Jody Brown

” ..New Jersey’s State Senate majority leader has decided to leave the Roman Catholic
church after 57 years rather than vote in accordance with Catholic doctrine. Democratic
Senator Bernard Kenny, who supports permissive abortion laws and research on human
embryos, says he was given a last warning by church officials to repent or stop
seeking communion. Kenny says he told his pastor Saturday that he is quitting the
church. Last week, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey took the rare step of saying
that he will not receive communion at public services. McGreevey’s announcement
came after Newark Archbishop John Myers declared that supporters of legal abortion
should not receive communion, and the Camden bishop said he would refuse communion
to the Democratic governor. [AP]”

Way of Life vs Way of Death

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When will we get beyond this poor excuse for justice?

BTW, this guy is pretty old. If he should die or retire while Bush is in office,
Dubya will get to replace him. That could be good news if a pro-life judge is installed.
That could be bad news because Bush’s idea of pro-life doesn’t include abolishing
the death penalty.

Stevens:
U.S. Doesn’t Need Death Penalty
Wed May 12, 4:15 PM ET

“CHICAGO – Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (news – web sites) says that he
believes the death penalty is constitutional, but that the country would be better
off without it.”