The Catholic Monitor

By Fred Martinez Professor Allan Bloom, a philosopher who wrote "The Closing of the American Mind," thought that Friedrich Nietzsche was the father of modern America. He said, "Words such as 'charisma,' 'lifestyle,' 'commitment,' 'identity,' and many others, all of which can easily be traced to Nietzsche ... are now practically American slang." But the most important Nietzschean slang word is "values." "Values" are the death of Christian morality because values simply mean opinions. If opinion is how things are decided, then might makes right. One must remember that whenever someone talks about values in modern America – family values or religious values or place-the-blank-in-front-of values – they are saying there is no real or objective right or wrong – only opinions of the self and its will to power. Nietzsche's philosophy is summed up by Bloom as Commitment values the values and makes them valuable. Not l...

Many things are being shaken in the world, and within the Church there is much sifting. For example, the media's desperate straining to find evidence of Pope Benedict's complicity in a sexual abuse cases is so very interesting, and very revealing. That he is entirely innocent of cover-up or lack of prudence in these matters is ignored, while the little shreds of nuanced inference are whipped up into a global crisis without any basis in fact. It is innuendo, circumstantial "evidence." If such groundless allegations were brought into a courtroom, any sane judge would immediately dismiss the case and fine the accusers for contempt of court. The unjustly accused could easily file a libel suit. Whenever the media goes into a shark-feeding-frenzy against the Church, their own radical bias is exposed. For example, the number of school teachers accused of sexual abuse of the young, during any given year, is usually about 10 to 20 times higher (one recent article claimed the ...

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36362 Anti-Catholicism and the Times by Patrick J. Buchanan 04/06/2010 "Anti-Catholicism," said writer Peter Viereck, "is the anti-Semitism of the intellectual." It is "the deepest-held bias in the history of the American people," said Arthur Schlesinger Sr. If there was any doubt that hatred of and hostility toward the Catholic Church persists, it was removed by the mob that has arisen howling "Resign!" at Pope Benedict XVI. To American Catholics, the story of pedophile priests engaged in criminal abuse of children, of pervert priests seducing boys, is unfortunately all too familiar. That some bishops covered up for pedophiles and seducers and enabled corrupt clergy to continue to prey on boys was equally disgraceful. But to American Catholics, this is an old story. The priests have been defrocked, some sent to prison, like John Geoghan, who was strangled in his cell. Bishops have been removed. "Ze...

"It is innuendo, circumstantial "evidence." If such groundless allegations were brought into a courtroom, any sane judge would immediately dismiss the case and fine the accusers for contempt of court. The unjustly accused could easily file a libel suit." "Whenever the media goes into a shark-feeding-frenzy against the Church, their own radical bias is exposed. For example, the number of school teachers accused of sexual abuse of the young, during any given year, is usually about 10 to 20 times higher than the number of accusations against priests. It would be interesting to know the statistics about sexual abuse by journalists." Commentary by Michael O'Brien Note: Michael O'Brien is a Catholic visual artist and author of numerous novels, including "Father Elijah" and "Strangers and Sojourners." March 29, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The media's desperate straining to find evidence of Pope Benedict's complicity in a sexual a...

Democrats for Life Sole Pro-Life Group Defending Pro-Abortion Bill, Stupak by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor March 22, 2010 Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Just one pro-life organization has issued a statement applauding the pro-abortion health care bill the House approved Sunday night and the executive order deal Congressman Bart Stupak stuck with President Barack Obama to get enough votes to secure its passage. Democrats for Life of America is the national organization for pro-life Democrats who were once respected by have become the laughingstock of the pro-life movement thanks to Stupak's deal. The organization's executive director, Kristen Day, sent LifeNews.com a statement praising the deal, Stupak and Obama. "We applaud President Obama for his bold leadership in agreeing to an executive order that bans taxpayer-funded abortions in the health care reform bill that passed the House,' Day said. "We are proud to support this historic health care legislation...

http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/the-saint-michael-prayer.html Can a prayer be inspired by a battle? Pope Leo XIII (pictured at right) wrote the Saint Michael prayer, printed below, in 1884, after supposedly seeing a frightening vision: evil spirits, trying to fulfill Satan’s boast to destroy our Lord’s Church within a century, were engaging in fierce attacks against it. Although the Pontiff also saw St. Michael casting Satan (also known as the devil) and his demons back into Hell in his vision, he was so horrified by what he had seen he felt compelled to help defend our faith in this struggle. In the Saint Michael prayer he throws down the gauntlet to “the father of lies” as Jesus calls the devil in John’s Gospel (8:44), by enlisting the help of a very special Archangel: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power ...

By Dick Morris 02.24.2010 These thirty Democratic Congressmen all voted for Obamacare the first time around. But Pelosi cannot count on their votes again as Obama tries to jam the bill through using reconciliation in the Senate. These members are all vulnerable and are frightened of the voter backlash their support for Obamacare has kindled. The League of American voters is running ads in each of their districts to press them to vote no on Obamacare. See their ad on the screen at left. And give us money to run the ad! But also, pick up the phone and call these swing Congressmen. Let them hear from you! Here’s the list: PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 Jim Hines (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630...

This is it. Congressional Quarterly is reporting that the final health care proposal is going to be released by the White House "as early as Feb 21," just three days from today. Democrats are aggressively putting together a coalition to get a health care bill passed. With a final version coming out as early as Sunday, it is clear that Democrats know they are on the verge of having the votes they need to move forward, and they have a way to do it that is filibuster-proof: "The most likely way forward is for the House to clear the Senate’s health care bill (HR 3590) and for the Senate to pass a package of changes to it, using the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process. That set of changes would incorporate the deals struck with the House, which would then send the new package to the White House. Obama would first sign the original Senate bill, then the “corrections” package. The last measure signed into law would be the one that dictates the final shape of the over...

http://www.doeshellexist.com/blog/?p=35 “While I was at prayer one day, I found myself in a moment, without knowing how, plunged apparently into Hell. I understood that it was Our Lord’s will that I should see the place which the devils kept in readiness for me, and which I had deserved by my sins. It lasted but for a moment, but it seems to me impossible that I should ever forget it even if I were to live many years. “The entrance seemed to be by a long narrow pass, like a furnace, very low, dark, and close. The ground seemed to be saturated with water, mere mud, exceedingly foul, sending forth pestilential odors, and covered with loathsome vermin. At the end was a hollow place in the wall like a closet, and in that I saw myself confined. All this was ever pleasant to behold in comparison with what I felt there. There is no exaggeration in what I am saying. “But as to what I then felt, I do not know where to begin if I were to describe it; it is utterly inexplicable. I felt a fire in ...

http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2009/Obama-Strange-Rise3jan09.htm The Strange Rise of Obama Progressive Review 3jan2009 As we have noted, one of the unanswered questions about Barack Obama is how a young politician of such little achievement got so far so fast — from state senator to president in four years. Bill Blum provides new light on the subject. To understand this phenomenon, it is important to recognize that if a young Obama was vetted or otherwise used by the CIA, it was not all that unusual. From the 1950s on, the agency repeatedly interfered in the education of the talented young by recruiting or co-opting them for its own purposes. Yale's Skull & Bones Club, for example, was a classic case of a recruitment camp for future intelligence types. The purpose — for the short run — is more information, and — for the long run — a supply of US future government officials whom the agency trusts and can use. And it often begins with a bright college student an insider thinks ...

http://kandylini.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/the-tequila-trap-the-real-story-behind-the-illegal-alien-invasion/ THE TEQUILA TRAP: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE ILLEGAL ALIEN INVASION Posted by kandylini on March 16, 2008 Here’s an excerpt from The Web of Debt. A nice refresher into what happened in Mexico, and good to keep in mind when we want to blame “them” for our economic problems when in fact they were manufactured by our own government. By 1994, Mexico had restored its standing with investors. It had a balanced budget, a growth rate of over three percent, and a stock market that was up fivefold. In February 1995, Jane Ingraham wrote in The New American that Mexico’s fiscal policy was in some respects “superior and saner than our own wildly spendthrift Washington circus.” Mexico received enormous amounts of foreign investment, after being singled out as the most promising and safest of Latin American markets. Investors were therefore shocked and surprised when newly-elected President Ern...