Putting some bite into the decree on women priests. Bravo, Cardinal Levada!
May 2008 Archives
Here is a good article from the Smithsonian Magazine on the alleged Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia you may be interested in. The reporter didn't extract any more information about what the ark looks like (nor did he see it) but it's got some interesting background information.
A court case is being closely watched involving two lesbians who were refused fertility service by Christian doctors. A court initially ruled in their favor but an appeals court overturned the ruling. Lots of organizations are taking sides; the American Civil Liberties Union, California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the National Health Law Program and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association all back the lesbians, while the Virginia-based American Civil Rights Union, the Islamic Medical Association of North America, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the California Catholic Conference, the American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Americans United for Life all back the doctors. The California Medical Association originally backed the doctors but wimped out under pressure from gay rights groups. The case is going to be heard by the California Supreme Court.
Personally I see this as another example of the sacredness of conscience being violated. I don't think people should be forced to do something they consider to be immoral. We are going to see more and more of this I think. Of course, this is similar to the case of pharmacists filling orders for birth control pills, and I know some Christians disagree about whether they have the right to refuse service on moral grounds, prime examples being Muslim cabbies who refuse to transport alcohol or Muslim cashiers who refuse to check it out. But I think I'd rather put up with having a tough time finding a cab to bring my bottle of wine home than forcing doctors to perform abortions or other objectionable medical procedures.
Britain has approved hybrid human-animal embryos, an absolute horror that no one would have considered doing not too long ago. Fortunately the law requires that the hybrids be destroyed within 14 days of creation, and prohibits their implantation. But how long is that going to last?
Apparently there is an organization called "Roman Catholics for Obama" who are trying to change Obama's position on abortion. They cited Archbishop Chaput of Denver as part of their justification, which prompted him to write a very friendly column clarifying his position and that of the church, and relating in a very personal way his own story. You go, Your Excellency, I say. Here is a ZENIT summary of the letter.
Here is a little cheat sheet for finding various topics of interest in Scripture for encouragement or exhortation.
China is making an exception for qualified applicants to their one-child policy for earthquake victims. This is of course scant comfort to the sterilized or menopausal parents who lost their only child in the quake, but it is better than nothing. I figured they would end up doing this. Thanks be to God.
... for a contemporary Christian music artist who is near and dear to my heart (Chapman's first album was the first album I owned; I won it on a radio show), Steven Curtis Chapman and his family, especially their 15 year-old son. They suffered a tremendous tragedy on Wednesday when the son inadvertently ran over his five year-old sister in the driveway. How terrible the pain must be for them, and the anguish in the heart of the 15 year-old.
(Thanks to G.C.)
'It seemed like an almost literal answer to their prayers. When two New Zealand pilots ran out of fuel in a microlight airplane they offered prayers and were able to make an emergency landing in a field coming to rest right next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord."'
The Vatican astronomer (who, of course, speaks only for himself, not for the Catholic Church in an interview admitted the possibility of extraterrestrial life and stated that he saw no conflict with church doctrine. Predictably, the media attributed the view to the Vatican and by extension to the Church.
Be that as it may, he has a point: There really isn't anything in the faith that would rule out aliens. Except for the matter of angels, the bible of course is totally silent on the matter, as is church teaching. The only thing I think I'd rule out is the idea that the Word became incarnate in their race, because, presumably, if he was incarnate in ours, he couldn't be incarnate in theirs, though even that might be up for debate. He could of course redeem them (if they were fallen) without becoming incarnate. Ultimately, I think the question has little bearing on our faith. If they exist, we know he loves them.
(Thanks to PittCaleb)
The pope today observed the fortieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the 1968 document prohibiting artificial contraception. He reiterated the Church's teaching on contraception and alluded to her prohibition on artificial reproduction technologies, such as IVF. He averred that following the Church's teaching is difficult, but it has been borne out by scientific research. "Forty years after its publication, that teaching not only shows itself to be unchanged in its truth, but it reveals the farsightedness with which the problem was tackled," he said.
I do think HV turned out to be prescient. We've seen a number of Paul VI's predictions unfold. Unfortunately we're pretty far down the road right now and it's unclear how we get back on track.
The pro-life movie Bella is now on DVD. It's very popular on Amazon; the best selling DVD in its category and #5 overall. I encourage you to tell your friends about this.
Newsweek has an article on how Obama is reaching out to religious people to address their concerns, one of which is his association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. Apparently Obama, who before overlooked Wright's peculiar opinions as he would a crazy relative's, has definitively severed ties with him and denounced his rantings, seeing what a liability they were to his campaign. It's about time, I say.
I got the following from the American Family Association:
Procter & Gamble wants to know if you approve of its support of the homosexual lifestyle
Company establishes toll-free number to call
May 2, 2008
Dear Eric,
Procter & Gamble wants to know if you approve its efforts to promote the homosexual lifestyle. It has established a toll-free number for you to call and vote to approve or disapprove its support of homosexuality.
P&G has added homosexual lovers to its soap opera "As the World Turns." It has also added scenes of homosexuals with open mouth kissing. The motive behind P&G's push is to desensitize viewers, especially younger viewers, to the homosexual lifestyle. The ultimate goal of homosexual activists is homosexual marriage.
Thousands of homosexual activists are already calling P&G.
Take Action!
* Call the toll-free number P&G has set up for the public regarding its promotion of the homosexual lifestyle. Call 1-800-331-3774 and click on option 2. Following the recording, click on option 2 again. There is not a live person at this number.
* Forward this e-mail to family and friends and urge them to call and vote.
* Reproduce this letter and distribute to others — Sunday School class, church, coworkers, etc. Ask your pastor to put this information in the church bulletin and newsletter.
