Friday, November 30, 2012

Organic Society: Treating People Like Humans Not Like Machines


Written by Plinio Corrêa de Oliviera

What is meant by “organic” or “inorganic” can be understood by comparing a living organism, such as a man or an animal, and a machine.

A man and a machine have some things in common. Each is made up of different parts that form a single whole. In both, every part carries out a function which contributes to the common purpose of each.

Yet, despite these analogies, the differences between the two are so great that one could almost call them unfathomable. The principal difference is that the machine is inert, static and dead; the organism is warm, agile and alive.

We can compare this difference in the following ways:
 
I – The movements of the organs of a living body come from the life present in them; they spring from the very depths of their being. The parts of a machine are unable to move by themselves. All their movements must come from outside. They do not actually move but are moved.

II – Living organs have a great capacity to adjust and adapt to new circumstances. This is usually a slow and delicate process of adaptation (as might be seen in the mending of a wound or in any growth) that usually takes place bit by bit but with great precision and durability. A machine remains as it was made and does not adapt to anything by itself. When someone wants to adapt it for some other purpose, it can be drastically changed since its matter cannot sense anything and one need not take its feelings into consideration when casting a piece of metal or working some other materials to modify the machine.
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III – The parts of a body develop with a certain life of their own and independently of others. Thus, no one can impose a desired shape or size on one’s arms or legs. However, that which is artificial and mechanical is absolutely subject to man. A cripple can, for example, determine the weight, shape or color of a wooden or rubber leg to suit his taste or convenience.

IV – A living being is a part of nature, which is the direct work of God. A machine is a more direct work of man. Thus, everything organic is much more perfect, even though all things mechanical are much more subject to science. For example, no matter how much science perfects mechanical arms and legs — and it has done wonders in this area — any man will still prefer his own natural leg or arm, though impaired, to one of these “wonders.”

V – All parts in a machine obey like slaves the will of the one who turns on and operates it. The most important thing is the will of the machine’s operator. There is only one possible way of running a machine: dictatorship. When a machine malfunctions, the only solution is to open it up, take it apart, remove the defective part, and fix it with tools. Fixing a machine with mechanics is always much more effective that surgery in a living being. In the human body, human activities depend, not upon the slave-like obedience of the organs, but on the natural, living, and to some extent “free” (note the qualifier) cooperation from each part.

Thus, we have presented the difference between the concepts of “organic” and “mechanical” or “inorganic.”

Adapted from an article by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, published in Catolicismo, November, 1951.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Video: "Magic Mass" by Salesian Father


The video is a scandalous Mass celebrated in 2011 by the Salesian Italian priest Fr. Silvio Mantelli. He travels the world promoting what he calls Gospel Magic. His stage name is Mago Sales (Magician Sales) and he claims to use magic during Mass as a catachetic tool. This is evidently not according to the spirit of St. John Bosco, the Salesian founder, who would never do something like this during Holy Mass.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Painting Depicts Obama as Crucified Christ | Conservative Byte


A painting that features President Obama posed as Jesus Christ crucified on is on display at a community college art gallery in Boston.
The painting by Michael D’Antuono is part of a larger exhibit called “Artists on the Stump – the Road to the White House 2012.” It’s on display at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery until Dec. 15th.
The painting is called “Truth” – and shows the president with his arms outstretched. A crown of thorns rests on his head.


Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2012/11/painting-depicts-obama-as-crucified-christ/#ixzz2DXZAeHrQ


A painting that features President Obama posed as Jesus Christ crucified on is on display at a community college art gallery in Boston.
The painting by Michael D’Antuono is part of a larger exhibit called “Artists on the Stump – the Road to the White House 2012.” It’s on display at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery until Dec. 15th.
The painting is called “Truth” – and shows the president with his arms outstretched. A crown of thorns rests on his head.


Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2012/11/painting-depicts-obama-as-crucified-christ/#ixzz2DXZAeHrQ


A painting that features President Obama posed as Jesus Christ crucified on is on display at a community college art gallery in Boston.
The painting by Michael D’Antuono is part of a larger exhibit called “Artists on the Stump – the Road to the White House 2012.” It’s on display at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery until Dec. 15th.
The painting is called “Truth” – and shows the president with his arms outstretched. A crown of thorns rests on his head.


Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2012/11/painting-depicts-obama-as-crucified-christ/#ixzz2DXZAeHrQ

A painting that features President Obama posed as Jesus Christ crucified on is on display at a community college art gallery in Boston.

The painting by Michael D’Antuono is part of a larger exhibit called “Artists on the Stump – the Road to the White House 2012.” It’s on display at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery until Dec. 15th.

The painting is called “Truth” – and shows the president with his arms outstretched. A crown of thorns rests on his head.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Few Female Marines Step Forward for Infantry - Washington Times

 unlikely to join the infantry anytime soon, in part because of a lack of volunteers for the Marine Corps‘ Infantry Officer Course, which was opened to women in September.
Only two of about 80 eligible female Marines have volunteered for the course — a grueling, three-month advanced regimen conducted at Quantico, Va., that was opened to women to research their performance.
Of the two female volunteers, one washed out on the first day, along with 26 of the107 men, and the other dropped out two weeks later for medical reasons, a Marine Corps spokesman said.


Read more: Few female Marines step forward for infantry - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/25/few-female-marines-step-forward-for-infantry/#ixzz2DSoj83nH
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
Female Marine officers are unlikely to join the infantry anytime soon, in part because of a lack of volunteers for the Marine Corps‘ Infantry Officer Course, which was opened to women in September.
Only two of about 80 eligible female Marines have volunteered for the course — a grueling, three-month advanced regimen conducted at Quantico, Va., that was opened to women to research their performance.
Of the two female volunteers, one washed out on the first day, along with 26 of the107 men, and the other dropped out two weeks later for medical reasons, a Marine Corps spokesman said.


Read more: Few female Marines step forward for infantry - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/25/few-female-marines-step-forward-for-infantry/#ixzz2DSoj83nH
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter


Female Marine officers are unlikely to join the infantry anytime soon, in part because of a lack of volunteers for the Marine Corps‘ Infantry Officer Course, which was opened to women in September.

Only two of about 80 eligible female Marines have volunteered for the course — a grueling, three-month advanced regimen conducted at Quantico, Va., that was opened to women to research their performance.

Of the two female volunteers, one washed out on the first day, along with 26 of the107 men, and the other dropped out two weeks later for medical reasons, a Marine Corps spokesman said.

Female Marine officers are unlikely to join the infantry anytime soon, in part because of a lack of volunteers for the Marine Corps‘ Infantry Officer Course, which was opened to women in September.

Read more: Few female Marines step forward for infantry - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/25/few-female-marines-step-forward-for-infantry/#ixzz2DSoxNzTg
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
 For more details see below

Few female Marines step forward for infantry - Washington Times

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Long Shot: Artillery Battery Sets Record

A Marine unit that recently returned from Afghanistan killed a team of Taliban insurgents with a record-setting artillery strike.

Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., dropped the 155mm M982 Excalibur round on insurgents 36 kilometers away — more than 22 miles — in Helmand province. The strike was launched Feb. 12 from an M777 howitzer on a mountainside at Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, in Kajaki, to neighboring Musa Qala district, Marines said.

It marks the longest operational artillery shot in history for the Marine Corps, said Capt. Joshua Kling, the battery commander.

It also was the longest operational shot using the Excalibur round, said David Brockway, an official with Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., one of the companies involved in its development.

For more click below


Long shot: Artillery battery sets lethal record - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Monday, November 19, 2012

Gen. David Petraeus, Shattered Dreams and Hearing the Bells of Honor

Gen David Petraeus, Shattered Dreams and Hearing the Bells of Honor

by Norman Fulkerson
For many years, General. David Petraeus was the public face of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was seen as a battle-hardened veteran, a four-star general who enjoyed what many called a “storied career.” Thirty six year Marine Corps veteran General John Allen had a similarly illustrious career and was about to be nominated Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Both of these warriors were seen as men of honor.

This image has been crushed: first by the admittance of General Petraeus to an extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell which has now wrecked his career and could destroy a 37- year marriage: then by the voluminous email exchanges, now being scrutinized for wrongdoing, between General Allen and what the media is labeling as Broadwell’s archrival, Jill Kelley.

Unanswered Questions
We now find ourselves standing in the glow of a giant media spotlight that is turning this story into juicy soap opera. Political pundits are raising reasonable suspicion that all this is merely a smokescreen to take attention off the Benghazi attack which left a U.S. ambassador and three other

Americans dead and a lot of unanswered questions. Others still are raising national security concerns over whether or not General Petraeus shared classified information with his paramour. While these are valid concerns, there are others that those shining the spotlight have conveniently overlooked.

Thankfully there are many who question the morality of Paula Broadwell, a married woman and mother of two, being “embedded with the troops” which set the stage for this particular scandal.  Sexual scandals, however, be they consensual or by way of assault and harassment, are lamentably becoming all too common in our modern military.[NJF1]

According to the Army’s own “Gold Book,” a report on wartime personnel stress made public by the Center for Military Readiness, sexual assaults have increased in all branches by 22 percent since 2007 and violent rape has doubled since 2006.

This should naturally lead a person to recognize the obvious pitfalls of a mixed Armed Forces and the now hotly contested issue of women in combat. This is a blatant denial of man’s human frailty, a consequence of our fallen nature. Whereas we should be praying with renewed fervor for God to “lead us not into temptation,” we turn a blind eye towards the wrecking ball of social experimentation wreaking havoc on our military. One sad consequence is the disgrace which Mrs. Petraeus, Mrs. Allen and their families now have to endure.


General John Allen is considered by many to be a man of impeccable character.

A similar question has yet to be raised with the case of General Allen. There was mention early on that he could stand trial for adultery which is a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This manual, the foundation for military law in the United States, also holds sodomy to be a crime, yet during the debates concerning repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” this manual was never mentioned.

The so-called upholders of morality were initially holding Gen Allen’s feet to the fire for what, thankfully, is still considered unacceptable behavior (adultery), yet they gushingly embrace the unnatural vice of sodomy.

Homosexuals are allowed to live side by side with the men of honor who still exist in our military. They are allowed to make a political statement–stringently denied other servicemen—by marching in homosexual parades in uniform. They kiss their same-sex lovers upon returning from oversees, and these flagrant violations against the UCMJ and basic morality are never mentioned.

Shattered Dreams
The biggest concern however is the deleterious effect such scandals have on Americans who yearn to see men of honor. There are many people, for example, who consider General John Allen to be a man of impeccable character. John Ullyot who served with him said he “was known as a warrior monk.” Is this a mere chimera?

In a society which appreciates the value of honor, appropriate actions would have to been taken, but any disgrace would be kept discreet, not continually aired for all to see like the proverbial “dirty laundry.”

At the writing of this article, General Allen has forcefully denied inappropriate behavior. We pray this is the case, but even if he is totally exonerated of wrong doing, his career is very likely over. Worse yet, his image as a man of honor is irreparably smeared and there will be no New York Times’ article to sufficiently repair the damage done to him and those who loved what he represented, even if he is proven innocent.

Those who had looked upon him with pride are left to pick up the pieces of the marvelous dream he embodied and hold their breath for fear that others might suddenly meet the same fate. Can a nation continue to exist without such dreams?

Those in search of dreams and those who destroy them are much like the sons of Noah who survived God’s punishing deluge. The noble prophet had unintentionally become intoxicated with wine and was reduced to a state of disorientation. Scripture describe how two of his sons preserved their father’s dignity by walking backwards with a cloak to cover his nakedness. Such was their appreciation for what their father represented. The other son took an entirely different attitude, laughed at his father’s drunken state and was subsequently cursed.

One cannot help but see a parallel to the scandals that are unfolding before us. While we cannot compare the central figures in this drama to a man of Noah’s stature, we can identify the two opposing attitudes of his sons with two types of Americans and how they see our military. There are those who love the military and cannot help but admire its member’s daily sacrifices and heroic service.

They recognize that we sleep comfortably at night because our brave servicemen faithfully stand watch. There are others, however, who seem to take joy in finding examples of dishonor and deserve the same punishment meted out to the bad son of Noah.

"Ship of Honor"
The Ship of Honor
This all leads an admirer of honor to wonder if the institution of the military has not suffered the same fate as the Titanic which sank 100 years ago. Has the proverbial ship of honor sunk?
There is a very beautiful legend famous among the people of Brittany in France called la Cathedrale Engloutie (“The Submerged Cathedral”). It speaks of an old city that was submerged by a mysterious cataclysm in the Atlantic Ocean, not too far off the coast of Europe. On certain nights when the moon is full and the tide is low, one can see the majestic steeple of the town Cathedral among the waves.
From time to time, it is said, angels ring the cathedral’s bells at the bottom of the sea. Those beautiful sounds then rise all the way to the surface, allowing fishermen going by, on a calm evening with a tranquil sea, to hear them. Those same fisherman say that one day the cathedral will return to dry land even more beautiful, as it has been kept unscathed under the waves.

While this is only a story, we could say this legend describes our beloved military which sometimes appears to be like a sunken ship of honor. Those who love honor in our day also experience moments like the calm evening on a tranquil sea. They know that this ship of Honor will also return to dry land even more beautiful because it also remains unscathed under the waves.

We can hear the “bells of honor” in men like Marine Corps Colonel John Ripley, Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace. They allow us to hear the bells of honor because they kept their honor clean.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Case Against Secession

by



I can understand the angst of many Americans after the last elections. There is the growing sensation that government is not responsive anymore to the needs and desires of countless citizens in the vast red-state heartland.

Many want out and see secession from the Union as a way to leave the problem behind. Others simply want to register their protest and as a knee jerk reaction signed one of the numerous petitions asking for secession. All this is understandable – although if one’s problem with the government has reached the point of asking for secession, the last place I would want my name is on a petition lodged on the databases of the White House’s computers.

While I can understand the frustration, I take issue with secession for several reasons. The first is because I do not think it will resolve the problem. I am only too willing to admit that the federal government inside the beltway leaves much to be desired. However, our federal legislators come from the states. The main problem lies with the insufficiency of our whole political class and it extends across state lines. The dearth of leadership we experience is universal. I do not see any guarantees that the problems that are the cause of so much frustration on the federal level will not repeat themselves on the state level. Exchanging one set of federal unresponsive leaders for a set of similar state leaders hardly seems a solution.

The second reason is the fact that our American states are not nations. Any declaration of secession would be artificial. A nation like ours is not a corporate conglomerate that can spin off companies at will. A nation is formed organically when a collection of social units coalesces into a clearly distinctive whole. It forms an ethnic, cultural, social, economic, and political unity unable to be included or federated into any other one. Our American states do not yet form such unities since they are so intertwined culturally, economically and politically as to render this division extremely difficult.

Moreover, the duties of a nation are to safeguard the common good, provide for the common defense and foster the general prosperity. While I admire the courage of the Pennsylvania National Guard in the state where I live, I do not confide in their limited abilities to safeguard me against nuclear attack, global threats… or more powerful neighboring states. There are a number of duties that belong to the nation alone that our states are unprepared to assume. Nor do I see state leaderships with the moral courage to form new nations and inspire virtuous life in common.

The final reason I am against secession is that I do not identify with a state as I do with the nation. As a native Kansan, I have deep roots in the Midwest. However, like so many Americans I have lived in numerous states yet have no special link with any of them. While I have a great esteem for my present state of residence and also my state of birth, it is not the same as that for my country. Try as I might, I cannot awaken in my soul the same patriotic sentiments for Pennsylvania that I feel for America.

Like it or not (and I like it), we are Americans and we identify with America because it is our native land with a common history and culture. I have always been proud to be an American. For me, the American flag means something. And I would be willing to sacrifice myself for this nation that I love, have always loved, and which God has so blessed.

I realize that there are those with an agenda that are destroying my country. But my reaction should not be to abandon my country in its time of need but to come to its aid. It should be an attitude of “love it, don’t leave it.”

The real solution is to identify and address the problems. What we need now are unifying principles that will bring us back together and help us weather the crisis that looms upon the horizon. We need a return to order that will allow us to find organic, not artificial, solutions to the very real problems that plague us. This is an important theme of my book, Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society – Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here and Where We Need to Go.

If we have problems, then let us, as in time past, solve these problems not by running from them but by facing them. Let each state contribute its part, but let us face this crisis together like proud Americans.
The Case Against Secession - Return to Order

Friday, November 16, 2012

OUTRAGE -- PROTEST Horrible Depiction of Our Lady At The Annunciation

Sign An Urgent Request To The National Gallery To Immediately Cease The Display Of “The Passage of the Angel to the Virgin”
 
This Is A Blasphemy Of The Most Pure And Holy Moment
Of The Incarnation During The Annunciation

Send Your Instant E-PETITION NOW
Say A ‘Hail Mary’, Then Read With Caution.
                                                            ***
The Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of the Immaculate Conception, during the event we reverently entitle The Annunciation, is publicly and notoriously mocked and blasphemed at the world famous National Gallery in London, England, in a horrendous “art” display entitled “The Passage of the Angel to the Virgin” by Richard Hamilton.

Mimicking the famous medieval monk / painter Fra. Angelico’s famous work “The Annunciation,” Mr. Hamilton depicts, photographically and digitally mixed for the illusion of a “canvas painting,” Our Lady sitting totally without clothes and exposed while a nude, female “angel Gabriel” hovers nearby.

Send Your Instant E-PETITION NOW

The Incarnation has been called the single most important event in history.
It is solemnly celebrated with hushed awe by faithful Catholics every year in March on the feast of The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The rights of God and His Commandments and of His Most Holy Mother are universal, even as His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is universal.

So just because this blasphemy is in England, do not hesitate to petition.
The National Gallery is attempting to honor a man, Richard Hamilton (deceased), who their web site describes as “one of Britain’s most influential artists.”

Tell The National Gallery this is UNACCEPTABLE.

Depicting holiness as impure does not honor the man or the country. The display, entitled “Richard Hamilton: The Late Works,” with its many nudes and this blasphemous piece called “The Passage of the Angel to the Virgin” (the object of our protest), is scheduled to run for three months.


PULL THIS PIECE FROM THE DISPLAY.
And pray your daily family rosary for the triumph, in our days, of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Contact:
The National Gallery directly (please be polite, but firm):
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 2885
Fax: +44 (0)20 7747 2423
Email: information@ng-london.org.uk
An additional word of courage:
In spite of perceived recent setbacks, America Needs Fatima looks for and expects the real solutions to the crisis of Faith and Morals in America to come from Our Lady and Her Divine Son! A prolonged discouragement in face of earthly setbacks can be equaled to lack of trust in Divine Providence. We invite you to gather with us at the foot of the Cross with the Mater Dolorosa and pray ever more fervently. With God's grace and help we will move forward and continue to use every peaceful and legal way at our disposal to fight for the coming of the Reign of Mary and the Reign of Christ the King over the world. Confidence! Confidence! Confidence! The only problem would be if we lost Confidence.
Courage! Calm! Confidence!
Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Ground-Breaking New Book: Return to Order


  The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) will be publishing a new book in February titled:  Return to Order— From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society — Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need To Go by John Horvat II.

Special 30% Presale Discount Now Available, Plus FREE Shipping

Get a glimpse of the new book and pre-order now.

1.  Understand the Problem
Based on twenty years of exhaustive research, John Horvat II traces the source of our economic problems to a restless spirit of intemperance that throws our economy out of balance. He identifies a frenetic drive found in certain economic sectors that seek to rid themselves of restraint.

The result: “frenetic intemperance,” which is pushing the nation towards economic collapse.

2.  Discover the Solution
By applying the timeless principles of an organic socio-economic Christian order, we can produce an economy that is wonderfully adapted to our human nature and full of exuberant vitality, but also tempered by the calming influence of those natural regulating institutions such as custom, family, community, the Christian State and the Church.

Horvat’s original insights into both the present crisis and remedies for the future thrust Return to Order into the center of the debate over how to restore America to prominence.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

Early Praise for Return to Order
The central theme of frenetic intemperance is original, interesting, and compelling. The diagnosis of contemporary social maladies must focus on moral failings, and Return to Order rightly does so. Its insightful thesis deserves wide circulation and consideration.

-- Kevin E. Schmiesing, PhD
Research Fellow at Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Book Review Editor for the Journal of Markets & Morality

Like the true cultural conservative he is, John Horvat takes on the idols of technological, economic, and political power. These powers exacerbate the human tendency toward frenetic intemperance. Return to Order demonstrates that we must be ever vigilant about the institutions we create lest they lose their moral compass.

-- Richard Stivers
Emeritus Professor of Sociology
Illinois State University

An ambitious book that calls for a major shift in the attitudes of those of us who live in a fast-paced world. Horvat calls for an order that combines the virtues of tested traditions with the creative potential of the free economy: a combination of a structured order based on traditional values and the spontaneous order of economic systems based on private property. He uses the term “frenetic intemperance” to describe the type of life which does not leave room for family, creative leisure, and prayer. A call for more balance in our economies and our lives.

-- Dr. Alejandro Chafuen
President of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

Poetically written, John Horvat II’s Return to Order elevates the argument about what is truly important. It’s rare that a book of this depth is also such a pleasure to read. Mr. Horvat’s critique of contemporary America’s “frenetic intemperance” rings true, laying bare modern man’s confusion and anomie amid plenty. An erudite cultural sculptor, Mr. Horvat chisels away materialism’s false promises and points toward God as the source of the higher revelation that makes beauty, heroism, nobility, sacrifice and true vocation discoverable and meaningful.

-- Robert Knight
Columnist and author

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Real Thérèse of Lisieux and Those Letters that were Tampered With

Thérèse of Lisieux
Thérèse of Lisieux

A documented volume by Italian theologian and writer, Gianni Gennari, shows how the saint's sisters gave a reductive image of her and her "doctrine" and even managed to mislead four Popes

ANDREA TORNIELLI
It is a story of true holiness and manipulated documents that told by Gianni Gennari in his new book “Teresa di Lisieux, il fascino della santità. I segreti di una “dottrina” ritrovata” (Thérèse of Lisieux, The appeal of Sainthood. The secrets of a rediscovered “doctrine” – Lindau publishers, 616 pages, 38 Euros). And one recounted in meticulous detail and inspired by documents that remained unpublished until now. The volume reconstructs the life of an extraordinary woman. Saint Thérèse of the Child of Jesus is remembered by faithful as the “little saint” and is identified with the “spiritual infancy” described in Matthew’s Gospel: “If you do not change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Click here for more

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Despite Obama Win, Pro-Lifers Win Big at the State, Local Level | LifeNews.com

While most of the post-election analytical focus has been on the presidential campaign and Congressional losses, pro-life advocacy groups tell LifeNews they fared well when it comes to races for the state legislature.

In many cases most all of the candidates they supported and endorsed won and they say the results set up state legislatures to make more pro-life gains with bills that limit abortion — after two record years which saw abortion advocates complain tat more pro-life legislation was proposed and passed than in years prior.


The untold story of the November 6th election is how well pro-life candidates performed throughout Pennsylvania, adds Maria Gallagher, Legislative/PAC Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. She told LifeNews:

Pro-life Congressional candidates swept to victory.   All the incumbent Congressmen endorsed by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Political Action Committee won their races.  In addition, pro-life Keith Rothfus scored an upset win against incumbent Mark Critz (D-12), who had a mixed voting record on pro-life issues.Likewise, a pro-life majority remains in the state legislature.

For more news, click below.

Despite Obama Win, Pro-Lifers Win Big at the State, Local Level | LifeNews.com

Monday, November 12, 2012

Sexual orientation Ordinances in Kansas Soundly Defeated!

After a year of on-and-off, at times contentious debate, Hutchinson turned back a drive to give gays, lesbians and bisexuals protection from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.

With all precincts counted, unofficial results showed 13,893 votes had been cast with 58.4 percent against the proposed ordinance and 41.6 percent in favor.
 
Also In Salina, 54 percent voted to repeal a newly enacted sexual orientation provision of the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.

For more details, although with a pro-homosexual slant, click below

Sexual orientation anti-discrimination ordinance defeated

Friday, November 9, 2012

What Happened on Election Day

What Happened on Election Day
Usually we go to polls to decide which of the two parties will best represent us as a nation. However, on this Election Day, it was as if two nations battled it out and we decided on which one would rule over the other.

This is something that has been building up for decades. The red and blue states have solidified into defined regions to the point we have grown accustomed to seeing maps of our vast red heartland and our blue-spotted urban seaboards. In addition, a Culture War has long divided the nation over the hot button issues of abortion and homosexuality.

However, in past elections, there was a concerted attempt to patch over these differences. Back then, we had recourse to an American consensus that says that despite our differences we must all get along. It used to be that everyone tried to speak in a common patriotic language and follow a vaguely universal American culture. It was always believed that if everyone could just rally in their own way around the triple banner of God, family and country, we could happily remain one indivisible nation.

But in 2012, something of this national consensus was broken and we became not one nation but two. Perhaps a defining moment was when God was thrice denied at the Democratic National Convention. Another point of contention is the increasingly irreconcilable gap between those who revere our traditional American family and those who seek to redefine marriage or abort future generations. And then there was the provocative HHS mandate that forces employers to violate their consciences and offer contraception and abortifacients to employees as part of their “health benefits.”

All of these have contributed to a climate of tension that has reached the point that we no longer speak the same language or share the same apple pie. Everything has become so controversial that eating a chicken sandwich or drinking a cup of coffee can make a political statement. Two opposing positions have now coalesced, and the elections leave us divided with the impression of two battling nations and not two political parties.

There have been many attempts to label these two nations inside America. One nation is Republican, conservative, religious and self-reliant. The other is Democrat, secular, liberal and government-dependant. However, such labels only give a superficial idea of the two nations, and do not get down to the root of the problem. The old categories of Democrat and Republican no longer serve us since neither nation feels fully interpreted inside these parties.

In times past, both nations pursued their goals within the broad framework of the American get-along consensus. The 2012 election shows how this framework is now unraveling.

The future of our nation depends on how we can articulate a new unifying vision for America. This is the central theme of the soon-to-be-released book, Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Order—Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here and Where We Need to Go.
 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Our Lady of Breezy Point: Hope Amid Disaster

Last week, The Wall Street Journal ran a photograph of the damage the monster storm Sandy had inflicted on the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. This beachfront community had been hit hard by air, water and fire, leaving the fourth classic Greek element, earth, strewn with rubble and ashes. 

The front-page photo, reproduced five columns wide, was taken by Natalie Keyssar. Its most striking feature was the centered presence of a wholly intact and upright sculpture of the Virgin Mary, still placed in an equally unharmed shell-crowned niche. Spread out behind the statue were blocks of devastation where private homes had once stood.

The stunning survival of this statue soon earned it the name of the Virgin Mary of Breezy Point. The sculpture and its setting of ruins were also featured on news coverage by Fox, CNN and NBC, among others. Not surprisingly, this statue's dramatic appearance has been linked to the discovery of the "9/11 Cross," the horizontal and vertical beams found standing amid the ruins of the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. 


Click below to see this impressive picture.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204349404578100720297180506.html

Monday, November 5, 2012

Caught on Video: Vandals Trash Traditional Marriage Signs in Maine



During a recent tour for traditional marriage in Maine, volunteers with The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) saw pro-marriage yard signs get unlawfully removed or destroyed by pro-homosexual advocates.

Some of the unsettling incidents occurred on Congress Street, downtown Portland, from October 29—31 and were caught on video.

The blue and yellow yard signs read:  “Don’t redefine marriage.  Vote NO on question one.  Marriage = 1 man + 1 woman.”

Same-sex “marriage” advocates ignored state law which protects such signs:  “A person who takes, defaces or disturbs a lawfully placed sign bearing political messages relating to a general election, primary election or referendum commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of up to $250 may be adjudged.” (§1917-A. Unlawful removal of political signs)


Marriage sign vandal in Maine
Pro-homosexual
man trashes signs.
“Free speech is just about dead in some parts of Portland,” said TFP Student Action Director John Ritchie. 

“Every time our volunteers put up yard signs in favor of traditional marriage on Congress Street, pro-homosexual advocates damaged or destroyed them.  In less than five minutes, the signs were all vandalized. When new ones went up, those were trashed too,” he said.  “We found zero tolerance.  Zero fairness.  Zero free speech.”

However, TFP volunteers were very well received in other cities including Augusta, Auburn, Lewiston, Scarborough, Saco, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach where they held rallies in defense of marriage between one man and one woman and distributed 10 Reasons Why Same-Sex "Marriage" Is Harmful fliers.






Caught on video: Vandals trash traditional marriage signs in Maine

Friday, November 2, 2012

Confidence in Our Lady Amidst the Storm

2012 TFP National Conference, Confidence in Our Lady Amidst the Storm

The last weekend of October was supposed to be another routine National Conference for the American TFP, similar to the many conferences hosted in years past. However, several factors coincided to make this year’s conference an event far from the ordinary. The approach of Hurricane Sandy, along with news of snowstorms to the west, gave a powerful backdrop for this year’s events, providing many parallels which the different speakers alluded to throughout the conference. In a sure sign of Divine Providence, the threatening weather did not begin until well after most guests had departed at the conference’s conclusion.
2012 TFP National Conference


Over 200 supporters, members, and friends of the American TFP gathered October 26-28 at the TFP’s national headquarters in Spring Grove, Penn. As guests arrived Friday evening, lively discussions soon filled the medieval-style tent as the wonderful aromas of wood-fired brick oven pizza enhanced the ambience. Students from St. Louis de Montfort Academy were on hand to serve meals, and helped assure things ran smoothly throughout the conference. The conversations lasted long into the night as the guests continued to arrive, from Pennsylvania locals to visitors from as far away as Brazil and Hawaii.

Persecution of the Church — Why Our Lady Weeps
The theme of the conference coincided poignantly with an important anniversary: “40 Years after Our Lady’s Miraculous Weeping in New Orleans: Reflection, Reparation, and Action.”
TFP National Conference, Meeting, Spring Grove, Penn
Mr. John Horvat II introduces his new book “Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to
an Organic Christian Society — Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go.”

In his opening remarks Saturday morning, Mr. Michael Drake related to participants the different storms threatening our culture, the approaching Hurricane Sandy serving as a chilling reminder. Mr. Mario Navarro da Costa, director of the TFP’s Washington Bureau, continued the morning with “Reflections on Why Our Lady Weeps,” giving the comments of Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1972 after Our Lady wept in New Orleans, then covering a series of recent news stories accentuating reasons Our Lady has reason to weep today. His talk was followed by Mr. Luis Solimeo explaining the history of liberation theology and the crisis within the Church, with Mr. Gustavo Solimeo offering the solution to the Church’s crisis: always looking to the perennial teaching of the Church, and having absolute confidence in the Queen of Heaven.

Following a break for lunch, Mr. Rex Teodosio presented “The Islamist Persecution of the Church Around the World,” highlighting the plight of Catholics around the world in the midst of persecution by Muslims, along with clearing many misconceptions regarding Islam in general. Mr. James Bascom next spoke regarding “Communist and Secularist Persecution Against the Church,” detailing the plans of radical environmentalists for the destruction of society. The afternoon concluded with Mr. Michael Chad Shibler speaking of “The Imposition of a Civilization Contrary to the Catholic Ideal,” explaining the dangers in modern technologies and media, which are being used to destroy man’s capacity for contemplation and deep thought, as well as being a barrier to the spiritual life.

Our Lady’s Graces and Blessings
Breaks between the various talks provided opportunities for refreshments and the renewal of old friendships, while simultaneously giving time for making new friends amid discussions of the topics covered by the different speakers. Though these moments seemed all too brief, Our Lady’s blessing on the gathering could be felt during the lively convivium, as participants savored the chance to talk with like-minded Catholics from around the country.

After many more conversations during a festive dinner, Saturday concluded with the traditional candlelight rosary procession. TFP members in full habit marched in procession before the American TFP’s life-sized statue of Our Lady of Hope, Macarena, carried on the strong shoulders of supporters. When the procession reached its destination, the melodious chants of the Salve Regina, Litany of Loreto, and Ave Maris Stella resounded in the cool autumn air, enchanting all present and giving fitting honor to the Queen of Angels.
TFP National Conference, Rosary Procession, Spring Grove, Penn
The traditional candlelight rosary procession accompanying the life-size statue of Our Lady of Hope, Macarena.

The evening concluded with an inspiring video presentation on the life of Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio, a fourteen year old boy who bravely suffered martyrdom for Christ the King during Mexico’s Cristero War. Conversations afterward continued long into the night as the gentle light of the full moon illuminated the fall landscape, clearly a sign of Our Lady’s maternal protection.

A Return to Order
Sunday’s talks and events centered on introducing the TFP’s new book titled: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society — Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go.

Mr. Norman Fulkerson began the day with an inspiring talk titled “Signs of Hope, Grace, and Reaction,” telling of the importance of the action of angels in the life of grace, and how myth forms a powerful means for shaping public opinion and individual perceptions. In a unique fashion, Mr. Fulkerson concluded his talk by emphatically thanking the angels present, which received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience.

The author of Return to Order, American TFP Vice-President Mr. John Horvat II, gave a detailed introduction to the book’s scope and contents, garnering much enthusiasm and anticipation in his audience concerning the book’s imminent release in 2013, after some 20 years of work on the project. This was followed by Mr. Michael Whitcraft giving a preview of a portion of the book regarding organic solutions to today’s problems, both moral and economic.

On Sunday afternoon, the final talk introducing the book was offered by Mr. Robert Ritchie, delving into practical ways in which supporters can help the campaign to promote Return to Order, and the importance of the ideas contained in the book as a Catholic solution to our nation’s problems. Throughout the presentation, Mr. Ritchie was certain to emphasize how the campaign for promotion of Return to Order can be considered the American TFP’s most important campaign.

Christ the King and the Reign of Mary
The afternoon concluded with Holy Mass in the nearby city of York, with music provided by a choir of TFP members accompanied by Mr. Philip Calder on organ. Fittingly, the celebration began with a magnificent chant popular since the days of Charlemagne, “Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!” (Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands!) Mass for the Feast of Christ the King underscored the recurring theme of the need for Our Lord to reign over temporal society.

Upon return to TFP Headquarters, many marveled at the transformation which had taken place in their absence. The tent for meals had been taken down entirely, and the indoor meeting room had been transformed into a medieval banquet hall. Amid great mirth, the highlight of the evening, and, as many would remark later, of the conference as a whole, was the keynote address given by Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza, who spoke on “Return to Order and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” So important was the speech to him, that for the first time in his many years of attending the American TFP’s conferences, his remarks were given entirely in English. Summing up what those before him had alluded to, Prince Bertrand encouraged all to have confidence in the Mother of God, who said at Fatima, “Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
TFP National Conference, Prince Bertrand Keynote Address, Spring Grove, Penn
Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza gives the keynote address of the 2012 TFP National Conference.

Refreshed physically and spiritually after a very busy weekend, conference participants returned home, fully aware of the different types of storms on the horizon, but trusting in the solution to both: absolute confidence in the Mother of God. Through the many graces given, may Our Lady use all those who attended to implant the reign of her wise and Immaculate Heart in America and throughout the world.