Agreement of sorts

March 4, 2009 by Be Holy

This came in my email. I’m actually for a moral, reconciled and united nation, but this does appeal to me:

DIVORCE AGREEMENT

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950’s, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don’t like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we’ll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O’Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We’ll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We’ll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO’s and rednecks. We’ll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we’ll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we’ll help provide them security.

We’ll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N., but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We’ll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We’ll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We’ll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I’m sure you’ll be happy to substitute Imagine, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.

We’ll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we’ll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I’ll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall
Law Student and an American

Obama Silencing the Voice of Conscience

March 4, 2009 by Be Holy

Obama silencing the voice of conscience? Not!

“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt 22L 21, Mark 12: 17, Luke 20: 25

When something is repeated in the Gospel as this is by three Evangelists, it means this is supremely important. Of course, when you don’t like what the Gospel says, you simply leave the Church or come up with a version of church that makes you the Magisterium. In other words, you become the Voice of the Holy Spirit. Convenience, but not conscience!

Repealing this rule is, of course, one more issue of conscience vs. having none.

Here’s the NY Times report:

The rule prohibits recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or assist in abortions or sterilization procedures because of their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.” Its supporters included the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association, which represents Catholic hospitals.

Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican minority leader in the House, said, “This is the third action taken by Washington Democrats in the past 38 days to weaken American rules that are meant to safeguard the sanctity of human life.”

Archbishop Charles Chaput put it this way in his address: Rendering unto Caesar: The Catholic political vocation

“The “separation of Church and state” does not mean – and it can never mean – separating our Catholic faith from our public witness, our political choices and our political actions. That kind of separation would require Christians to deny who we are; to repudiate Jesus when he commands us to be “leaven in the world” and to “make disciples of all nations.” That kind of radical separation steals the moral content of a society. It’s the equivalent of telling a married man that he can’t act married in public. Of course, he can certainly do that, but he won’t stay married for long.”

A Prayer For Quiet

March 4, 2009 by Be Holy

While I busy myself, beating at the wind, You, My Lord, are content with a Cross; hands bleeding and unbusy, nailed to Your Father’s Will, unresisting and uncomplaining.

Silence my hurried breathlessness. Be all stillness. I surrender all.

Talk Matters

March 3, 2009 by Be Holy

In Is Talk Cheap? Thomas Sowell warns that talk matters, words matter, and the ability to express oneself in speech matters tremendously. He calls to mind the gripping power of Winston Churchill and the enormity of the impact his powers of speech and expression had on history. With will and words, Churchill carried the Britons to heights of hope and endurance against Hitler and his juggernaut.

Sowell’s thoughts:

“Talk matters for good reasons as well as bad…..Unfortunately, people on the make seem to have a keener appreciation of the power of words, as the magic road to other power, than do people defending values that seem to them too obvious to require words.

“The expression, “It goes without saying. . .” is a fatal trap. Few things go without saying. Some of the most valuable things in life may go away without saying– whether loved ones in one’s personal life or the freedom or survival of a nation.”

Sowell points to the shell game Obama and his new administration play with words. Cloaked in vocabulary, this administration hides the blatant reality of legislation that would take away workers’ right to a secret ballot by calling it, “Employers’ Freedom of Choice Act.” “Choice” what a lovely word. Where have we seen it go wrong before?

Obama’s budget of deficits is labelled “A New Era of Responsibility.” Sowell says of Obama, “You want responsibility? He’ll give you the word “responsibility.” Why not? It costs nothing.

Those of you who want your country back, be on the lookout for a Presidential candidate who can handle the language without speaking in the “patrician style of country club Republicans.” Look, too, for someone with a good non-apologetic offensive.” According to Sowell, “General Douglas MacArthur gave a one-word definition of defensive warfare: defeat!”

Last and most important! Look out America! I believe that the gift of gab that got Golden Mouth elected won’t stop with words. Deception breeds deception, whether in word or deed.

Rhythm of My Life

March 3, 2009 by Be Holy

Thoughts from the Quiet:

If I can’t find my balance, Lord, at least help me set a rhythm to my life. Let me return to You each day as though I’d never been away. Flow in upon me, wash over me and carry away the debris of daily life. Flotsam and jetsam too much for me, float like foam upon your waves. My sands pristine and ready for tomorrow. With eyes of faith, I see Your footprints on the shore.

I wrote these lines this morning and just a bit ago thanks to the Anchoress found this from Zoe at InsideCatholic.com that goes beyond my thoughts.

From Flannery O’Connor’s letter to Alfred Corn on May 30, 1962:

Even in the life of a Christian, faith rises and falls like the tides of an invisible sea. It’s there, even when he can’t see it or feel it, if he wants it to be there. You realize, I think, that it is more valuable, more mysterious, altogether more immense than anything you can learn or decide upon in college. Learn what you can, but cultivate Christian scepticism. It will keep you free — not free to do anything you please, but free to be formed by something larger than your intellect or the intellects of those around you.