Pro-Life: July 2004 Archives

Did you know that 15,000 inconvenient old people died last year in France, and it was completely preventable? It was a hot summer last year, and unfortunately, the country (meaning: the French government) was unprepared for the heat. Family members, who were on their extended summer vacations, couldn't be bothered to retrieve their parents' corpses, so morgues were overflowing with bodies.

This was in the most civilized country on the planet, without whose permission the U.S. cannot act in the world. It might happen again this year, according to a French doctor who was disturbed at the mass death, which received almost no coverage in America. Yet even if it does, you won't hear much about it.

Under a regime where the state (supposedly) takes care of everyone, nobody will take care of their neighbor. Why, when your high taxes are paying for somebody else to do it?

Socialism isn't contrary to the culture of death. Socialism is the culture of death.

Annika, a blogger in northern California, has a response to Yahoo/Planned Parenthood's "I had an abortion" t-shirt. It is funny on many levels.

My crummy local state rep sent out a mailing the other day that included a "survey" of constituents' opinions.

I throw those scare quotes around "survey" because unlike a well-made survey instrument, the form was plainly designed to elicit approval for the rep's positions, the "Yes" answers in each case. It gives me a special feeling to have cheap politicians insult my intelligence at my own expense.

One of the agree/disagree items was: "It is important for the state to fund stem-cell research." (Disclaimer: I don't have it here in front of me.)

Now, what's the correct answer for this? Technically, one could answer "Yes" because if the state funds immoral stem-cell research, that certainly is an important matter. But one should answer "No" because you and I know very well how they meant it.

And that's where Senator Lurch comes in and wins my gratitude today. He made it possible to explain to the rep in the Additional Comments space:

Stem cell research must be conducted within the proper ethical limits. As Sen. Kerry said, life begins at conception.

There. And who says I never have a good thing to say about Democrats?

From the Washington Times: "A Catholic lawyer has filed heresy charges against Sen. John Kerry with the Archdiocese of Boston, accusing the Democratic presidential candidate of bringing 'most serious scandal to the American public' by receiving Holy Communion as a pro-choice Catholic."

This is Pete-bait, if any story be. Pete Vere, if you still exist -- your comments on the merits of the case?

HLI's Fr. Thomas Euteneuer is fighting the good fight for the cause of life, but I think he let his passions get the better of him in his rebuke of Nancy Pelosi.

To be sure, the Minority Leader deserves reproof for publicly promoting her erroneous views on the duties of Catholic politicians, but Fr. Euteneuer goes way over the top when he accuses her of apostasy. After all, that's "a total repudiation of the Christian faith": a total rejection of adherence to Christianity, and merely declaring some false doctrine about morals isn't the same thing.

There are several sins against faith that don't constitute apostasy, and the Catechism paragraph that Fr. cites (2089) makes distinctions between apostasy, heresy, incredulity, and schism. He doesn't seem to notice. Even rejecting the teaching authority of the Church would be heresy but not necessarily apostasy.

It's embarrassing to see a worthy priest stumble into making such an exaggerated charge.

Update: I originally misstated Ms. Pelosi's title in the post, but have fixed the reference. Thanks to TPFKAAC.