Punditry

I think the pundits have missed what was really wrong about Obama’s “Just words” speech. The charges of plagiarism don’t really seem to stand because of his cozy relationship with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and it just isn’t plagiarism when you have permission.

What was the real problem is that he was using his speeches focusing predominately on hope and change and comparing them to “I had a dream” and “We hold these truths to be self evident.” This is rather egotistic in the first place and there is a great difference between his words and those words. For one Martin Luther King’s words and activism were founded on action where his words matched something substantive with his movement of nonviolence and civil disobedience where he was willing to go to jail in face of these racial injustices. The words of the Declaration of Independence were also based on action and people willing to lay down their lives to defend the new country and the ideas in the declaration.

So for Obama using this as a tactic to deflect criticisms that he was all talk with no actual plans by quoting rhetoric that was backed up by plans and action doesn’t really do much. Though I guess the irony is that he was using empty rhetoric to defend himself against the charge of empty rhetoric. Another thing I don’t get about the Obama fascination is all the praises for his speeches when what he is doing is giving a good reading of a prepared speech. When he had to give a talk without a teleprompter and he didn’t want to be reading from a prepared speech it gave a much better idea of Obama the speaker with him bashing President Bush, Karl Rove and former FEMA head Michael Brown and using much more of the language of political liberalism today.

I do think it is pretty cool how far Christopher Blosser’s Is Obama the Messiah? blog has taken off and how much traffic he is getting.

One thing though – with Jesus we got The Beatitudes, with Obama we get The Platitudes. Besides doesn’t the Bible have strong words about the Obamanation?

Dutch Catholics have re-branded the Lent fast as the "Christian Ramadan" in an attempt to appeal to young people who are more likely to know about Islam than Christianity.

The Catholic charity Vastenaktie, which collects for the Third World across the Netherlands during the Lent period, is concerned that the Christian festival has become less important for the Dutch over the last generation.

"The image of the Catholic Lent must be polished. The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent," said Vastenaktie Director, Martin Van der Kuil.

Well this only follows since Dutch Bishop Tiny Muskens earlier asked Catholics to use Allah for the name of God. Funny how more than a generation of reaching out and conforming the Gospel to secular culture with such products as the infamous Dutch Catechism results in young people knowing more about the Muslim than the Catholic faith.

Just think of all the Muslim comparisons we can use to teach Catholics the faith. Turning towards Mecca is similar to turning towards liturgical East at Mass. Praying five times a day is similar to the practices of the Litugy of the Hours. Prayer rugs are similar to kneelers. Beheading those who insult Islam is simlar to, I guess, notifying the Catholic League.

Hat tip to Happy Catholic and John C. Wright.

 

Christopher Blosser has come up with a
great new site that chronicles people describing Obama in Messiah-like terms called
Is Barack Obama the Messiah?  He uses real quotes,
stories, Hollywood/rap-star sing-a-long video to Obama, and though he
tweaks some of the posters via Photoshop for added effect, the posters
are also real. 

As I am currently rereading The Lord of
the Rings I came across a quote from the book that when I read it
instantly reminded me of Obama.  In a conversation about Frodo
and his initial distrust of Strider he says “I think a servant of the
Enemy would look fairer and feel fouler.”  This described
exactly my feelings about Obama.  He looks and sounds so fair
and you really want to like him as you listen to his high sounding
rhetoric.  He has charisma to spare, but when I look at his
record in regards to Illinois’ “Born Alive Infant Protection Act” and
his willingness to support infanticide to protect abortion “rights” and
having the most liberal record in his short time in the Senate I see
Obama as feeling fouler.  No I don’t think we need to shave
his head and look for 666, but his agenda surely makes him a servant of
the enemy and some calling him Moloch Obama seems to be to be quite
accurate.  But hey he seems like such a nice guy that you
wouldn’t mind sitting down and having a beer with, so let us just put
aside our differences.

Obama has been deluding people using his
technique I call “Hope-a-Dope.”   His constant references to
hope effectively disarm his opponents when he is hiding his real extreme liberalism and advocacy of the culture of death.  Hillary has launched many blows against him and this has been a losing tactic, thus “Hope-a-Dope” is working to help him win.

SOUTH BEND A theological seminar for
Roman Catholic bishops that had been scheduled for the University of
Notre Dame will be moved off campus because of a planned performance of
the play “The Vagina Monologues.”

The Catholic bishops made the decision because they disagree with the
university administrations decision to allow a student performance of
the controversial play.

“Because of the likelihood of the presentation of the play The Vagina
Monologues at Notre Dame this year, the bishops made a collective
decision to move the seminar off campus,” the Most Rev. John M. DArcy,
bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, said today in
a written statement. The bishop declined a request for an interview.

The seminar, which includes Notre Dame faculty speakers and is
co-sponsored by the universitys Institute for Church Life, had been
scheduled for Monday through Wednesday on campus. Instead, it will be
at the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis in Mishawaka.

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown confirmed that the bishops moved the
gathering off campus and that the decision was related to “The Vagina
Monologues.”

The university issued the following written statement:

“We understand that not all are in full agreement about the propriety
of allowing performances of this play on a Catholic campus. Because of
concerns about the play and its potential performance, we have worked
collaboratively with the bishops to move the conference out of respect
for everyone involved.

So I guess moving the Bishop’s conference
off campus makes so much more
sense than moving VM off campus.

A nun in Silver Springs is making waves
as an author, but don’t judge her book by it’s cover just yet.

By day, Sister Christine Kresho studies scripture with lady friends at
leisure world, talking about God and how to be holy.

By night, she writes novels about wicked priests, sex, and murder
stories.

“They might not read an essay, something serious, they might not read a
theology book. But if they read a novel, my hope is it would be in the
grocery store and they would see it and pick it up!”

She says she purposely pushes the envelope to get people to talk about
issues facing the Catholic church.

Her latest work, “Sacred Betrayal,” is about an archbishop threatened
by a progressive group in the church and his evil assistant father who
she says will “Go as far as raping and murdering the archbishop’s
sister, who’s a leader in this group, if that’s what it takes.”

Sister Kresho joined the convent when she was just
17-years-old.  She’s been a teacher, principal and now
Pastoral Associate at our Lady of Grace Church in Silver Spring.

ABC 7 News myTAKE – What’s Your Opinion?”If you really follow the
gospel and you’re really a disciple of Jesus, you have to be a
radical,” Sister Kresho says.

Her lurid novels, the first about two murdered priests, aim to somehow
get those ideas out and talked about.

Her boss says he’s had no complaints. “It’s her private work and it’s
her private thoughts. The church allows people to publish without
imprimaturs or permission and that’s a good thing,” says Father Peter
Sweeney.

Her leisure world ladies support her too, “She took vows, but her vows
didn’t prohibit her from thinking. So why not,” says Adeline Loftus.

In fact, Sister Kresho is already praying about her next, equally
provocative paperback, working title, “My Priest, my Husband!””

Sister Christine Kresho  I guess
by the topics of her books (printed via a vanity press) is trying to be
the female equivalent of Fr. Greeley. 

“The Washington Archdiocese dismisses
her
works as poorly written and say they do not reflect reality but has no
plans to take any action against her.”

What you mean to tell me there aren’t evil
priest assistants out to rape and murder the leader of a progressive
group who happens to be the Bishop’s sister?  I guess albino
monk assassins were already taken.

Last week in the bulletin for the St.
Augustine Church which is the
Catholic Student Center for the University of Florida.

MAGDALENE PLAY AT ST. AUGUSTINE!!
St. Augustine is pleased to sponsor a very special theater presentation
on the first Friday of Lent, February 8, 2008.  This will be
an original play providing a perspective on Jesus life, death, and
resurrection as seen through the eyes of Mary Magdalene.  In
the play, an angel appears to tell Mary Magdalene her life on earth is
near its end, and she offers her reflections on what she has come to
know of Jesus and the early Christian community.  It is a
one-woman production by Thelma Ann Jones who has traveled across the
United States and Europe.  Read more about the production on
the bulletin board across from the office.  Tickets are on
sale in the parish office for $5.00 per person.  This will be
one night
only, and promises to be a unique way to begin our Lenten
season!  Buy your tickets now!  Child care will be
provided in the main nursery.

This week this blog reports that
in
the
bulletin is a notice from my bishop Victor Galeone.

Bishop Galeone has decided that the
Magdelene Play should be canceled. In his opinion, certain lines of
the monologue call into question the Churchs position on two
sacraments. Accordingly, such a performance in a Catholic setting would
be a counter-witness to important Church teaching.

I don’t know what exactly what was in the
script since there is really no information available about this play,
but you can probably guess since the hosting parish is not exactly
known for orthodoxy and their celebration on the feast day of St. Mary
Magdelene is a hotbed of women’s ordination supporters.  Regardless
thanks to Bishop Galeone for stepping in.

In spite  of Bishop Frank
Dewane’s ban on Fr. Charles Curran speaking on
Catholic property, Curran will be hosted by VOTF of SWFL as a guest
speaker in their 6th Annual Speakers Forum. Currans topic will be his
recent memoir, Loyal Dissent. Curran, one of the most influential
Catholic
theologians in America is a priest of the Diocese of Rochester NY. In
its
review of the book Commonweal stated “For an intellectually gifted young
man like Curran, there could be no going back to a time when theologians
simply submitted to ecclesiastical censorship.  Whether one
ultimately
agrees with Curran or not, his story is a reminder that when ideas lose
their intrinsic power to command assent, authority can only do so much.”

The presentation will take place at St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church,
7100 Airport-Pulling Rd. N., Naples, FL, at 7:00 PM.  An open
Q & A
session and a book signing will follow his lecture.

VOTF of SWFL’s next speaker will be Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend who will
speak on her latest book, Failing America’s Faithful. Kennedy-Townsend
will speak on February 28, 2008, at 7:00 PM at a venue that is yet to be
announced. For more information call Peg Clark @ 239- 417- 3077.

 Last spring, Dr. Anthony Padovano was the first Speakers
Forum guest to
be banned in the history VOTF of SWFL’s then 5 year history. 
The Diocese
of Venice’s new bishop now vets every speaker invited to speak on
Catholic
property in the diocese.

All are welcome to listen and learn from our renowned Catholic
speakers. A
free will donation will be collected.

  Peg Clark, President of VOTF of SWFL

Wow bravo to Bishop Frank
Dewane for vetting speakers in his diocese! The choice of a Greek
Orthodox Church as the venue is appropriate since VOTF is virtually in
schism.  One of the most ironically named organizations
continues to display what a joke they are by bragging about defying
their bishop and by inviting Fr. Curran who questions the
Church’s teaching premarital sex, masturbation, contraception,
abortion, homosexual acts, divorce, euthanasia and a politician like
Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend who supports abortion, same-sex marriage, and
embryonic stem-cell research.

Yes promoting acts that are intrinsically
evil is really the act of the faithful.

Sen. Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama cracks
me up

“And since that time, I have marveled
at his grit and his grace as he
traveled this country and inspired record turnouts of people of all
ages, of all races, of all genders, of all parties, of all faiths to
get fired up and ready to go,”

Wow,
all genders!  Imagine a candidate that can bring both men and
women to vote for him.  And I thought it couldn’t be done. Wow
and all faiths also.  I though I saw signs that said
“Zoroastrians for Obama” and “Pagans for Obama.”  People of
all ages is also quite amazing I didn’t know that the world’s oldest
person supported Obama or that babies in the crib were rooting for him
also, at least the ones born alive and not allowed to be killed due to
Obama’s support of infanticide.

Though it does make me wonder if Sen. Kennedy would endorse his own brother today considering JFK’s tax cutting, and strong foreign policy with a military arm, and opposition to abortion.

American
Papist has exclusive photographs of the pulpit, lectern, and chair that were chosen to be used for Pope Benedict’s U.S. visit in DC. Below is the winning design.

Makes me wonder how bad the losing designs were? I could try to describe what my first impression was of the Pope’s chair and the image that came to mind, but I think it is better to show you what came to mind.

The chair immediately reminds me of what I think would be the perfect chair if Captain James T. Kirk was elected Pope. Surely he would feel right at home in such a chair. I have commented on Kirk chairs used as celebrants chairs in the past, though this is the first Papal Kirk chair I have noticed. Maybe IKEA is now designing liturgical furniture?

Now the design is not exactly ugly, but beauty does not come to my mind when I look at this rather cold and stark set. The designs on the pulpit and lectern are kind of interesting, but incongruent and they bring nothing to mind of the Church. They could easily be used in any non-liturgical setting without looking out of place in for example an auditorium.

It does make me wonder about Captain Kirk as Pope on the U.S.S. Vatican. Currently though we do have theologians who have gone where no theologians have gone before
In fact I think many bishops have a Prime Directive towards theologians in their diocese – that is a non-interference policy – I guess in hope that one day they might develop intelligent life.

I would like to see a Star Trek movie
developed along Kirk as Pope lines – surely if the Enterprise could
visit one planet with Cowboys and another with Gangsters, and so surely there is a parallel world that is explicitly Catholic.

How about “The Wrath of Kung”?

Pope Kirk: Kung is denying my Papal authority again! We must return to Switzerland. Scotty give me warp factor nine and your opinion on Kung’s latest treatise.

Cardinal Scotty: Captain, I am engineer not a theologian!