On July 23, 2012, Syria—one of seven nations not to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention—admitted owning a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. A foreign ministry spokesman warned that Damascus would use these weapons against any force intervening in its civil war. NATO estimates that Syria produces several hundred tons of chemical/biological (chem/bio) agents annually. […]
After looking at the comments left on my last post, Was Jesus Really Silent on Same-Sex “Marriage”?, I recognized the need to be more explicit on a point. Even though the gospels record only a few statements from Jesus regarding marriage, it is enough to undercut any claim by Christians that marriage should be redefined […]
For awhile my teens were fans of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? They loved the fact that the contestant was earning money for charity, the increasing difficulty of the questions, and the drama of the contest. But I didn’t like the questions which had little educational content. So aside from Jeopardy, which they find […]
With fewer than three-dozen reckless words uttered in a local television interview, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin managed to do what President Barack Obama, erstwhile Obama cheerleader Sen. Claire McCaskill and the entire Democratic Party have struggled unsuccessfully to do for months now: Knock the Republican Party off message and distract voters from their own failed […]
Totus Tuus: a brief, yet brilliant play (Christmas morning, eager child poised in front of tree with one large present, puffy-eyed parents on couch clinging to coffee mugs, How Deep Is Your Love plays softly in the background) Child: Can I open it? Mum: Certainly, dear, it’s yours! (child rapidly tears through wrapping paper, exposing […]
When the Congressman Todd Akin story first surfaced, I regret to admit that I jumped on the growing bandwagon criticizing his statement from both the feminist and scientific perspectives. I said that he was wrong to say that pregnancy from rape is rare, or that it does not really happen. As the controversy exploded, I […]
This is the third of six articles relating the writer’s journey into the bosom of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Having succumbed to spiritual desolation following the rejection of his Adventist heritage, the young seeker investigates various Christian traditions, hoping to discover the Truth. Part I may be found here; Part II here. […]
There is nothing quite like being in love and sharing a loving relationship. You often hear about finding “true love,” but we seldom stop to think about what that means. To consider this properly, you need to know a little something about true love. What makes it true? There is much to say about true […]
A headline caught my eye recently. It read, “Why Elephants Require Legal Personhood,” and was written by Steve Wise, the president of the Center for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights. He was expressing his concern over a zoo’s treatment of three Asian elephants—Billy, Tina, and Jewel. According to a lawsuit, these elephants seem to be routinely […]
A costume party at the GOP convention? Among those protesting this week at the Republican National Convention, representatives from the radical feminist group CodePink are making a strong statement for women (or is that “womyn”?) by dressing up as vaginas to oppose what they’re calling the Republican “war on women.” Talk about a powerful statement. […]
A new study just out from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, shows that girls as young as six are being conditioned by secular media to view themselves as sex objects. Yes, you read that right sex objects. At a time when they should be learning to read and exploring their artistic creativity, they are instead taking […]
I don’t often reread books. As a book reviewer, I always seem to have more good books in my “to be read” pile than I could ever have time for. Therefore, for me to read a book twice, it really needs to be something extraordinary and helpful to my life. A Little Way of Homeschooling […]
Whoever endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22) For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to […]
In the Fall of 2009 we unfortunately found out at 18 weeks that one of our twins did not survive. I had a case of H1N1 a few weeks prior, and it affected one of the babies. Thankfully our remaining child was growing well and was not at any increased risk. We named the son […]
Primum non nocere. First do no harm. This edict has been part of medical ethics since the time of the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, in the fifth century B.C. It is found in the Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of medical writing attributed to Hippocrates. The original Hippocratic oath includes: I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; Psalm 15:2-5; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23) Allowing the Word of God to Transform Our Lives “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) Words, words, words! We live in a very verbal world. Televisions, radios, iPods, tablet computers, newspapers, billboards, books, magazines—they […]
Mr. Fulwiler, how is it going? So, I see you have contributed over at Catholic Exchange. You offered some good thoughts on Libertarianism. I would have to say I agree with much of what you said. I went to your parish this past weekend. It is most beautiful. Mr. Skojec, long time since those Steubenville […]
The UN is in the midst of a multi-year campaign to regularize homosexuality and other behaviors in the scheme of international law. The skirmishes began many years ago with attempts by Brazil to place sexual orientation within a resolution at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. This failed more than once but it was a […]
It is ironic that, as a Catholic, the most difficult part of having a chronic health issue isn’t the health issue itself but is the big question: Should I pray for healing…or should I carry my cross? And it is that question that often keeps us spiraling through a journey that is already burdensome and […]
In the English translation of the Marian Antiphon, the Salve Regina, the word vale is used to indicate our current situation—our existence within a vale of tears. The pronunciation of this word differs between priests, seminarians, consecrated men and women, and the laity throughout the country. I have heard it pronounced similar to the word […]
According to the Compendium issued by the Holy See in 2004, “the primary and fundamental” core principles of Catholic social doctrine are “the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.” All other authentic expressions of Catholic social justice stem from these “permanent and universal” principles. Simple enough, right? And yet, the […]
Every morning, my six month old baby boy looks up out of his crib with wide blue eyes and smiles around his pacifier as I pick him up. I’m his Mama, you see, and he loves me. But I’m not the only mother he has known. For nine months, he grew and was lovingly cared […]
Worried conservatives reacted negatively to the news that Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York had invited Barack Obama to the Al Smith Dinner in October. But the cardinal plainly believes the invitation serves the best interests of the Church—declaring war on the President of the United States by excluding him from this politically tinged festive […]
In the last couple of days, though it remains in the high 90s around here, the hysterical shrieking of feminists around the internet has woken me out of my usual late Italian-summer torpor. Congressman Todd Akin, who is running for the Senate in Missouri, said that in cases of “legitimate rape” the chances of becoming […]
