Prolife common ground with Obama Administration?

This just aired on Thurs night (5/28/2009) and I randomly stumbled upon it on CSPAN (which I don't normally watch at all!)

It's a public exchange of views (not really a debate) at Catholic University of America with the topic: “The Obama Administration and the Sanctity of Human Life: Is There a Common Ground on Life Issues? What is the Right Response by ‘Pro-Life” Citizens?”

It's interesting since one of the presenters is Dr. Doug Kmiec who argued publicly and strongly that faithful Catholics can vote for Obama in the last election and is seen here still generally supportive of Obama and his administration. Both presenters are Catholic lawyers and professors and even though it's not a debate, it's interesting to see both sides articulated so clearly before each other. Take a look, it's only about an hour. And yes, this matters for you still in high school because you SHOULD be voting in the next presidential election in 4 years! And Catholic or not, as residents of the US, we're all under the administration of President Obama.

Catholic University School of Law presentation

A Conversation with Peter Kreeft

I was really touched by this interview with Peter Kreeft. Some of you might recognize that name as the author of many of the books that we young adults recommend you to read.

As usual, Kreeft is extremely thoughtful and accessible at the same time. Sure, you might have to set aside 10 minutes to read it, but it's definitely worth it. I love how he doesn't always answer the questions posed to him in its immediacy, but takes time to look behind the assumptions. If you don't have time to read all of it, make sure to check out his response to the questions about cafeteria Catholics, reconciling the Church's teachings with personal beliefs, hook-up culture, and gay marriage.

Who You Are When No One's Looking

I've never been one to really follow golf, but this yahoo blog post caught my eye.

JP Hayes is a professional golfer who basically disqualified himself from a year of exempt status for the entire 2009 PGA season because he was honest enough to admit that he mistakenly broke a few rules regarding ball use. What is crazy and a bit unnerving is that he could have easily gotten away with it and if no one raised a big stink about it, people may not have cared. Hayes is a golfer who has already pulled in $7 million of career income and so as the blogger writes, "Knowing you're taking yourself out of the running for a year of career stability and wealth takes some serious situational ethics." In an age where professional athletes are so vilified for being selfish, egotistical cheaters, an athlete who stands up for the integrity of his sport, but more importantly, his personal integrity is quite refreshing. It's gotta be that this guy lives for something more important than money and comfort because if that was his top priority, my guess is that he would have taken a chance just to let things "slide" or else just blame his caddy, which he didn't.

How often do we let things "slide" in our personal life? Things that we know are "technically wrong," but no one would really care about, seem to be the toughest things to work out (read: illegal downloading, cheating, speeding??). I'm not saying these are mortal sins or anything (I couldn't even if I wanted to), but it makes me wonder how much clearer we would be able to hear Jesus speaking to us without all this rationalization, get-ahead attitude junk muddying up the waters.

which side are we on?

From this NEWSWEEK ARTICLE, it seems there's a line not between Dems and Reps, nor Catholics and non-Catholics, but between prominent Catholics themselves within the Catholic Church! But the line seems to be between the bishops and some theologians and politicians!

I think it's a very well written and thought-out article by George Weigel who also wrote the late John Paul II's biography, Witness to Hope (I HIGHLY recommend EVERYONE to read it).

I don't mean to be all political AGAIN on this blog, but it IS George WEIGEL!!!!

Separation of Church and State?? Really??

On the flip side (or actually on the SAME side as the hate-mail-writing-fellow-human-being-condemning Christians) here's a public figure who's unashamed of her (and I mean literally, in the possessive sense "HER very own version of") Catholicism completely misrepresenting our faith and confusing the public even more.... I just hope the public listens to the Bishops (who actually have teaching authority) and not a politician, even IF she is the speaker of the house.

I'm SO ANGRY!!!!

http://zenit.org/article-23474?l=english

HELLO?! "Since the FIRST century..." !!!!!

The Dems REALLY need to live up to what they're supposed to stand for and represent the unrepresented like they did back in the civil rights movement, but this time, for the MOST unrepresented!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY&feature=related

Can humans ever really separate Church and State that definitively??

"The task of witness is not easy. There are many today who claim that God should be left on the sidelines, and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals. This secularist vision seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator. It presents itself as neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone. But in reality, like every ideology, secularism imposes a world-view. If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image. When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the “good” begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world."
Pope Benedict XVI, Message at welcoming celebration at WYD2008, Sydney, 17, July, 2008.


And what's a "godless image"? If Heaven is eternity with God, then what's it called when we fashion a world that's "godless"?? And who's church would something like that be called?
Is that going too far? hmmmm.....