A Litmus Test By Any Other Name…

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Apparently, conservatives don't own dictionaries. They seem utterly oblivious to the definition of "litmus test" as well as "irony" and "hypocrisy". I've received a number of alarmist emails from various conservative groups with in this vein:

"Write to your Senators and let them know you don't support any litmus test demands!"

How are demands for so-called strict constructionists who will overturn Roe v. Wade not litmus tests?! Everyone knows that if Bush hadn't nominated a "solid conservative", the loyal base that got him elected twice would have eaten him alive. That wasn't a suggestion. That was demand – a political debt to be paid.

These kinds of hypocritical political tactics will only hurt the pro-life cause. I'd like to see abortion on demand ended as much as the next pro-lifer, but this is not a productive way to go about it. As long as this battle remains Us versus Them, hearts will not be changed and lives won't be saved. Why should we be forced to accept any Supreme Court nominee – or political candiate for that matter – based solely on his position on abortion rulings? Worse yet, in this case, we don't even know for certain what his position is!

Chicken Little, the sky is not falling. There are other ways to reduce abortions than loading the courts with pro-lifers. Also, Supreme Court appointments are for life and there a lot of ways a justice could screw up constitutional law. I'd like to know how a nominee feels about a lot of issues aside from abortion before hounding my senators to accept his appointment. Besides, demanding pro-life strict constructionists is just as much as litmus test as demanding pro-choice "living document" nominees. It makes pro-lifers just as hypocritical as the pro-choicers they demonize, if not worse, and it undermines the pro-life cause.

In the name of the modern Holy Innocents, I beg you to stop.

Welcome Red Nova Readers! :)

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Apparently, someone submitted my blog as a Red Nova Red Hot Blog today (albeit with an incorrect spelling – Alex Rarus). Welcome to all those who found their way here via that plug and thank you to whoever nominated Ales Rarus. 🙂 For the record, the sample post shown was not written by me, but a good friend who is a guest blogger here, edey.

I was unfamiliar with Red Nova until today. I suspect many of my readers are in the same boat. Since they were kind enough to plug me, I'll return the favor. Here's some info from their About Us page.

"Red Nova, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, was founded in November 2002. The web site, RedNova.com, was launched in May 2003, with the goal of creating the largest, most unique internet community, with the strongest consumer brand, in the most underserved niche on the Web. RedNova.com has since become the premier internet destination for science, space, and technology enthusiasts around the globe."

"RedNova.com is committed to providing stimulating, original content and presentation, with over 100,000 pages covering the vast ideological spectrums of science, space, and technology. The beautiful and engaging forum created at RedNova.com promotes a friendly and open environment, enhancing user loyalty and community, while advancing RedNova's goal of providing the world with a virtual Utopia for intelligent, curious minds."

"RedNova.com averages over 5 million unique visitors per month, more than double that of other sites with similar content. With subject matter a bit more intellectually oriented than most, the average RedNova.com visitors tend to be well educated, between the ages of 25 – 55, with a median income significantly higher than that of Internet users as a whole."

"Red Nova, Inc. has positioned itself perfectly to excel in the current Internet climate and well into the 21st Century. "

Ultratrad Schismatics to Speak With Pope

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I wonder if anything productive will come of this meeting. While I do not much sympathize with SSPX, I do hope that their possible return to the Church is at least a partial antidote to the poisonous "Spirit of Vatican II".

Meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Lefebvrists could initiate path towards reconciliation

"Vatican City, Aug. 23, 2005 (CNA) – The schismatic branch created by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre might begin path to return to the heart of the Catholic Church during next encounter that will be held by Pope Benedict XV, with the current schismatic leader, Bernard Fellay."

….

"According to sources close to the Society, Fellay will present two demands to Pope Benedict in order to return to full communion with the Church: the withdrawal of the excommunication and the possibility to celebrate the Saint Pius V mass in Latin in any part of the world without having to ask for permission of local ecclesiastical authorities, as it is currently required by Church norms."

I'm sure the pope will have some demands of his own, such as the acceptance of Vatican II as valid.

On a less serious note:

The Society of St. Pius I

"Welcome to the fledgling website of the Society of St. Pius I (SSPI). Unlike other so-called 'traditionalist' Roman Catholic groups, we adhere to the ORIGINAL Roman Catholic Mass of A.D. 40-200, and described by St. Justin Martyr and the Apostolic Constitutions, and used by Pope St. Pius I of happy memory."

Pat Robertson Does Not Speak For Me

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Pat Robertson does not speak for me. He should not speak for you, either. I used to merely sigh when people spoke as though Robertson is or ought to be representative of Christianity, like some kind of Protestant pope. Now, I will shudder.

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The Great Blog Hype

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Bene Diction is annoyed by the current state of the blogosphere. Frankly, I can’t blame him. As he points out, there’s too much hype, too much spam, too much noise, too much propaganda, too much rhetoric, too much partisianship, and too little meaningful content. Fortunately, there is reason to be hopeful.

"Blogging isn’t going away, nor is the hype, the scams and the scramble to learn to find readers. Most bloggers aren’t in this for the money or the acceptance into perceived power circles. And there will always be media who don’t get this. In the three + years I’ve blogged, I’ve been challenged, taught, mentored and helped. I’ve made friends I never would have otherwise. I’ve seen solid sense, wisdom, kindness. And I have had some terrific shared laughs. [Main stream] Media can’t give me those benefits the way blogging can. We’ll keep doing what we do because it’s a privilege, it’s available and it’s fun. But overall, I think the bubble needs to burst." (emphasis mine)

Amen.

I don’t have time in my life to do and say as much through my blog as I’d like to. However, I try hard to make what I do have time for interesting and provacative. I enjoy fostering discussions between people of very different backgrounds and biases. Too many blogs devolve into echo chambers for propaganda and rhetoric. I think after the newness of blogging wears off a bit and bandwagoners get bored, blogs that are platforms for intelligent discussion and debate will earn greater prominence. Just as the dot-com crash weeded out most of the wannabes, blogging will lose its fad status and I believe most of the survivors will be those who have something worth saying and to whom people will listen and respond.