Monday, October 31, 2011

Our Lady: An Introduction To Coredemption

Bishop Gregori of Let The Truth Be Known did a beautiful and awesome post on Our Lady of Fatima so I thought I would share an introduction to Mary as coredemptrix.


Coredemption Introduction - Dr Miravalle: MCast 44 by AirMaria

Dr. Miravalle takes on the three objections to the Mary being considered the coredemptrix.


Three Objections to Coredemption - Dr Miravalle... by AirMaria

Powerful Santorum Ad Features Miracle Daughter

This is amazing.  Santorum is the real thing.  He is a faithful Catholic  and is what a Catholic politician should be. God Bless him and his family.  


H/T Creative Minority Report 

Sexy and Halloween are a Great Mix




Bishop Lori Defends Religious Liberty In Front Of House Judiciary Committee

Here is Bishop Lori's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. 



 Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, allow me to 
thank you for the invitation and opportunity to be with you today to offer testimony 
on religious liberty.  Let me also express my appreciation to you for calling this 
hearing on a topic of fundamental importance to our Church and to our Nation.
I am here today representing the United States Conference of Catholic 
Bishops (USCCB).  I serve as Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, and as the 
newly appointed Chair of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. 
I will summarize my remarks and ask that my full written testimony be entered into 
the record.

I hope to address three topics today.  First, I would like to offer a few brief 
reflections on the Catholic vision of religious freedom for all, as rooted in the 
inherent dignity of every human person, and this vision’s deep resonance with the 
American experiment.  Second, I would like to identify certain threats to religious 
liberty that have emerged with particular urgency in America today.  And third, I 
would urge you to action in support of particular legislative measures that would 
secure religious liberty against these threats.

I.
Religious liberty is not merely one right among others, but enjoys a certain 
primacy.  As the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI recently explained: “It is indeed 
the first of human rights, not only because it was historically the first to be recognized 
but also because it touches the constitutive dimension of man, his relation with his 
Creator.”   (Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Diplomatic Corps, 10 Jan. 2011.)   The 
late Pope John Paul II taught that “the most fundamental human freedom [is] that 
of practicing one’s faith openly, which for human beings is their reason for living.”  
(Pope John Paul II, Address to Diplomatic Corps, 13 Jan. 1996, No. 9.)   Not 
coincidentally, religious liberty is first on the list in the Bill of Rights, the charter of 
our Nation’s most cherished and fundamental freedoms.   The First Amendment 
begins: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or 
prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”   It is commonly, and with justice, called our 
“First Freedom.”

Religious liberty is also prior to the state itself.  It is not merely a privilege 
that the government grants us and so may take away at will.  Instead, religious 
liberty is inherent in our very humanity, hard-wired into each and every one of us by 
our Creator.  Thus government has a perennial obligation to acknowledge and 
protect religious liberty as fundamental, no matter the moral and political trends of 
the moment.   This insight as well is reflected in the laws and traditions of our
country from its very inception.  The Declaration of Independence boldly 
proclaimed as a self-evident truth that our inalienable rights are “endowed by our 
Creator”—not by the State.

Religious freedom is most commonly understood as an individual right, and it 
certainly is that.  Religious freedom proceeds from the dignity of each person, and 
so protects each person individually.   “[T]he exercise of religion, of its very nature, 
consists before all else in those internal, voluntary and free acts whereby man sets the 
course of his life directly toward God” (Second Vatican Council, Dignitatis 
Humanae, No. 3).   Therefore individuals are “not to be forced to act in manner 
contrary to [their] conscience,” nor “restrained from acting in accordance with [their] 
conscience.”   (Ibid.)   Congress has shown special vigilance in protecting these 
individual rights of conscience, for example, in the form of the Religious Freedom 
Restoration Act (RFRA), which forbids the federal government from imposing any 
“substantial burdens” on religious exercise absent the most compelling reasons.

But religious freedom also belongs to churches and other religious 
institutions, comprised of citizens who are believers and who seek, not to create a 
theocracy, but rather to influence their culture from within.  The distinction 
between Church and State, between God and Caesar, remains “fundamental to 
Christianity” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, No. 28).  We look to the State 
not to impose religion but to guarantee religious freedom, and to promote harmony 
among followers of different religions.  The Church has “a proper independence 
and is structured on the basis of her faith as a community the State must recognize”
(Ibid.).   An indispensable element of this independence is the right of churches
“not to be hindered, either by legal measures or by administrative action on the part 
of government, in the selection, training, appointment, and transferral of their own 
ministers” (Second Vatican Council, Dignitatis Humanae, No. 4).  We are grateful 
that federal courts in the United States—at least to date—have uniformly 
recognized this core protection under the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment.

Finally, the Church teaches that these rights of religious freedom—prior to all 
other rights and even to the State, and protecting both individuals and 
institutions—are held not just by Catholics, but by all people, by virtue of their 
common humanity.   Government has the duty “to assume the safeguard of the 
religious freedom of all its citizens, in an effective manner, by just laws and by other 
appropriate means” (Second Vatican Council, Dignitatis Humanae, No. 6 (emphasis 
added)).  Even in societies where one particular religion predominates, it is 
“imperative that the right of all citizens and religious communities to religious 
freedom should be recognized and made effective in practice” (Ibid.).   The United
States stands strongly for the principle that these rights of freedom are also rights of 
equality—that government should not impose any special civil disadvantages or 
otherwise discriminate against its citizens based on religion.  And although it may 
not have always lived up to this or other religious freedom principles in practice, our 
country’s unique capacity for self-correction has always provided avenues to repair 
to these principles that have made it a great nation.

II.
Regrettably, now is the time for such self-correction and repair.  In the 
recent past, the Bishops of the United States have watched with increasing alarm as 
this great national legacy of religious liberty, so profoundly in harmony with our 
own teachings, has been subject to ever more frequent assault and ever more rapid 
erosion.

As I mentioned previously, I am the Chair of the USCCB’s new Ad Hoc 
Committee for Religious Liberty, which was instituted precisely to help resist these 
assaults and reverse this erosion.  The Bishops of the United States decided in 
principle to institute a committee like this in June of this year, based on 
developments over the months and years preceding that date.   That I am already 
appointed as Chair represents action at near light-speed in Church time, and attests 
to the urgency of the matter from the Bishops’ perspective.

Although the Bishops’ decision was based on facts arising before June, I am 
here today to call to your attention grave threats to religious liberty that have 
emerged even since June—grim validations of the Bishops’ recognition of the need 
for urgent and concerted action in this area.   I focus on these because most of them 
arise under federal law, and so may well be the subject of corrective action by 
Congress.

· In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued 
regulations to mandate the coverage of contraception (including 
abortifacients) and sterilization as “preventive services” in almost all private 
health insurance plans.  There is an exception for certain religious 
employers; but to borrow from Sr. Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health 
Association, it is so incredibly narrow that it would cover only the “parish 
housekeeper.”  And the exception does nothing to protect insurers or 
individuals with religious or moral objections to the mandate.   The 
“preventive services” mandate is but the first instance of conscience 
problems arising from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
enacted in March 2010 – an act whose goal of greater access to health care the 
Bishops have long supported, but that we had persistently warned during the 
legislative process did not include sufficient protections for rights of 
conscience.

· In May, HHS added a new requirement to its cooperative agreements and 
government contracts for services to victims of human trafficking and to 
refugees who are unaccompanied minors, so that otherwise highly qualified 
service providers, such as USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), 
will be barred from participation in the program because they cannot in 
conscience provide the “full range” of reproductive services—namely, 
abortion and contraception.   This requirement is exactly what the American 
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has urged HHS to adopt in a lawsuit 
challenging the constitutionality of MRS’s longstanding contract with HHS
to serve victims of human trafficking.  Ironically, ACLU has attacked the 
Church’s exemplary service to these victims as a violation of religious 
liberty.   Already, HHS has taken its major program for serving trafficking 
victims away from MRS and transferred it to several smaller organizations 
that frankly may not be equipped to assume this burden.

· The State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development 
(USAID) is increasingly requiring contractors, such as Catholic Relief 
Services (CRS), to provide comprehensive HIV prevention activities 
(including condom distribution), as well as full integration of its programs 
with reproductive health activities (including provision of artificial 
contraception) in a range of international relief and development programs.  
Under this new requirement, of course, some of the most effective providers 
helping to prevent and treat AIDS in Africa and other developing nations will 
be excluded.

· The federal Department of Justice (DoJ) has ratcheted up its attack on the 
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by mischaracterizing it as an act of 
bigotry.  As you may know, in March, DoJ stopped defending DOMA 
against constitutional challenges, and the Conference spoke out against that 
decision.  But in July, the Department started filing briefs actively attacking 
DOMA’s constitutionality, claiming that supporters of the law could only 
have been motivated by bias and prejudice.  If the label of “bigot” sticks to 
our Church and many other churches—especially in court, under the 
Constitution—because of their teaching on marriage, the result will be 
church-state conflicts for many years to come.

· DoJ has also undermined religious liberty in the critically important 
“ministerial exception” case now pending before the Supreme Court, 
Hosanna Tabor v. EEOC.   DoJ could have taken the position that the 
“ministerial exception,” though generally providing strong protection for the 
right of religious groups to choose their ministers without government 
interference, didn’t apply in the case before the court.   This would be 
consistent with the uniform judgment of the federal Courts of Appeals for 
decades, as well the DoJ itself until now.   Instead, DoJ needlessly attacked 
the very existence of the exception, in opposition to a vast coalition of 
religious groups urging its preservation through their amicus curiae briefs.

· At the state level, religious liberty protections associated with the redefinition 
of marriage have fallen far short of what is necessary.  In New York, county 
clerks face legal action for refusing to participate in same-sex unions, and gay 
rights advocates boast how little religious freedom protection individuals and 
groups will enjoy under the new law.   In Illinois, Catholic Charities has been 
driven out of the adoption and foster care business, because it recognizes the 
unique value of man-woman marriage for the well-being of children.

III.
These are serious threats to religious liberty, and as I noted previously they 
represent only the most recent instances in a broader trend of erosion of religious 
liberty in the United States.   The ultimate root causes of these threats are profound, 
and lie beyond the scope of this hearing or even this august body to fix—they are 
fundamentally philosophical and cultural problems that the bishops, and other 
participants in civil society, must address apart from government action.  But we 
can—and must—also treat the symptoms immediately, lest the disease spread so 
quickly that the patient is overcome before the ultimate cure can be formulated and 
delivered.

As to the “preventive services” mandate, and related problems under the 
health care reform law, there are three important bipartisan bills currently in the 
Congress:  the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358), the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act 
(H.R. 361), and the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179).  All three go 
a long way toward guaranteeing religious liberty and freedom of conscience for 
religious employers, health insurers, and health care providers.   United with my 
brother bishops, and in the name of religious liberty, I urge these three bills be 
swiftly passed by Congress so they may be signed into law.   We welcome the fact 
that H.R. 358 was recently approved by the House in a bipartisan vote, and that the 6
text of H.R. 361 has been included in the House subcommittee draft of the 
Labor/HHS appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2012.

As to the illegal conditions that HHS and USAID are placing on religious 
providers of human services, this may call for a Congressional hearing or other form 
of investigation to ensure compliance with the applicable conscience laws, as well as 
to identify how these new requirements came to be imposed.  Additional statutes 
may be appropriate, possibly to create new conscience protections, but more likely 
to create private rights of action for those whose rights under the existing protections 
have been violated.  Unfortunately, the authority to enforce the applicable 
conscience protections now lies principally with the very federal agencies that may 
be violating the protections.
As to the attack on DOMA, this body should resist legislative efforts to repeal 
the law, including the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 1116).  We also applaud the 
decision of the House to take up the defense of DOMA in court after DoJ abandoned 
it, and we urge you to sustain that effort for as long as necessary to obtain definitive 
confirmation of its constitutionality.  Moreover, DoJ’s decisions to abandon both 
DOMA and the “ministerial exception” seem to warrant congressional inquiry.

The religious freedom threats to marriage at the state level may fall beyond 
the scope of authority of Congress to control—except to the extent that state 
adoption and foster care services are federally funded.  We believe this avenue for
protecting the religious liberty of faith-based service providers should be explored 
more fully.

Thank you for your attention, and again, for your willingness to give religious 
freedom the priority it is due.  

Friday, October 28, 2011

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.
Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/wallpapers/new_images/thanksgiving-day-wallpaper.jpg

http://www.christianbackgrounds.net/backgrounds/thanksgiving-bb.jpg

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/Alex5248/Alex52480709/Alex5248070900026/1779933-thanksgiving-day-traditional-symbols-of-thanksgiving-day.jpg

http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/turkeyday.jpg

http://www.topsofts.com/festival/thanksgiving/imgs/thanksgiving-dinner1920-1200.jpg

http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20080124/Thanksgiving-Day-591213.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving Messages

http://www.gifs.oriza.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/thanks2.gif

http://www.gifs.oriza.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/thanks1.gif

http://www.recados.oriza.net/ip-byoriza-thanksgiving1.gif

http://www.messages.oriza.net/rp-romantic2.png

http://rightvoices.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/happy-thanksgiving.gif

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6L1zG1h82pqysid2uAtwJ_MnCvpcK4DPvFvkpgJ1ngJ4pueADJE-ufudLwyyxs7Vw98ZkG9L4AymMx9r6o61B2bxsF2mfvVMOxHhWe_mVZTmuRzqNk6TbJGadiBrGVMkxm97NKsq08Q/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg.gif

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-xf4pkGxS1zDO2PqPxWfiX26KB-gJatn8VkH4Yzfg2qVe2uMh4OSwh2vCfdj04aGFMTPIRbxV6x5OpzXoOJXOO_0QYi3TeXGJtF07mDtGs9Fg5cgjVcWD1xzJlELnMiEcdilJcvuETkN/s400/Happy-Thanksgiving-Cards.jpg

http://www.diyminishoppes.com/shoppes/hillcountrycraftshoppe/images/thanksgiving3.gif

Happy Thanksgiving Greetings

http://printstationary.net/school/images/freethanksgivingcards1.jpg

http://images.zaazu.com/img/Happy-Thanksgiving--thanksgiving-holiday-greetings-smiley-emoticon-000327-large.gif



http://rlv.zcache.com/happy_thanksgiving_greeting_card-p137860760498038797zvhz2_400.jpg

http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20090930/Happy-Thanksgiving-1336802.jpg

http://funnyillustration.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/funny-happy-thanksgiving-day-pictures-greeting-cards-turkey.jpg

http://www.writeawriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Happy-Thanksgiving-Verses-Poems-Greetings.jpg


http://www.funxite.com/media/6727-happy-love-thanksgiving.jpg

http://i.123g.us/c/enov_thanks_wishes/card/105961.gif

http://i.123g.us/c/enov_thanks_formal_bus/card/105925.gif

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

On Foreign Policy, Ron Paul, and Missionaries

Before starting this post I want to let everyone know that my entire family will be getting together to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary so from tomorrow through Sunday I will be taking a break from blogging.  Hopefully next week my blogging will return back to normal, including Eagle Freedom Links and a rule 5 post returning next Saturday and Sunday.

Our foreign policy is so muddled right now that its mission needs to be much better defined and more limited in nature.  While I do think that Ron Paul's foreign policy is isolationalist to a degree (not trade policy) he makes some very good points about the U.S. needing to be less comingled/intertwined in other country's affairs.  While I still believe that it was right for us to enter both Iraq and Afghanistan to stop both perceived and imminent threats, I also think that in the case of Libya, Egypt, Africa, and other Middle Eastern countries' uprisings that we should stay out of those countries' affairs and Ron Paul is correct in saying that we should stop policing the world unless a country would be subjected to a Rwanda-style massacre.  In the case of Afghanistan we were responding to an act of war - 9/11 - just like we did after Pearl Harbor was attacked during WWII.

I do think that it is good if the United States influences other nations but should that necessarily include our military involvement?  Missionaries take care of the needy all over the world.  Their mission is to evangelize, help educate, assist with medical care, and bring the message of Christ around the world.  Maybe missionaries would have more success at converting individuals in foreign lands into a more civilized lifestyle where people are tolerant of all religions, so that those of different faiths could coexist as equals in civil society rather than U.S. militarily try to change the countries and its people?  Maybe we should leave the changing of minds, hearts, and souls to missionaries instead of having the military try to influence these peoples?

Now, if there is an imminent threat to our nation's national security I do think it would be necessary for us to respond militarily.






Is Anti-American Anti-War Film Propaganda Supporting and Reinforcing the Jihad Way?

In the article called U.S. Soldier Who Faced Jihadist Assassin in Germany: "When I looked up, the pistol was in my face. I heard the words 'Allahu Akbar' and the pistol went 'click'"  the U.S. airman recalled seeing the "hate in his eyes" when Arid Uka shot and killed 2 servicemen in Germany.  He claims that he was "radicalized" when he saw a video of U.S. soldiers raping a Muslim girl.


From Jihad Watch:  He gave a teary confession at the trial’s opening in August, saying that the night before he had seen a video on Facebook that purported to show American soldiers raping a teenage Muslim girl. It turned out to be a scene from the 2007 Brian De Palma anti-war film “Redacted,” taken out of context.
Uka has told the court that the video prompted him to do anything possible to prevent American soldiers from going to Afghanistan. Before opening fire, he asked if the group of airmen were heading for Afghanistan, and was told they were.

I got to thinking as I was reading this and came up with some thoughts and specifically one question on this matter:  Is Anti-American anti-war film propaganda  supporting and reinforcing the jihad way?

I know these films are supposed to be fictional or based on fiction but many of the war films in recent years are life-like and look real.  Should these life-like war films have some plausibility of reality or truth to them in the real world?   I am almost positive that Arid Uka was predisposed to a pro-jihad mentality prior to seeing the film "Redacted".  I believe that this was the key factor in his killing the servicemen and that the film supported his view of "evil" servicemen overseas.  It is my contention that Hollywood is doing America at the least a great disservice and possibly even harming the United States by promoting and putting out this and  other anti-American antiwar propaganda films which distort reality and shows a dark, false image of our servicemen serving overseas.


I don't have a problem with freedom of speech but I am concerned for our nation and don't want the movies in Hollywood to work toward the detriment of the United States.  

Maybe boycotting these types of films and the businesses which support this Anti-American propaganda is the answer? 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Some Worship Music: Shine Jesus Shine and Worthy Is The Lamb



Ginni Thomas Interview with Rev. C.L. Bryant Part 1: His Conversion to Conservatism, Liberals Hijacking of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream

He's right when he states that race hustlers such as the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have turned Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream into a scheme.  They have made it their political and personal careers to benefit off of race, race baiting, and causing divisiveness between the different races.  Their financial and personal success has been primarily based on using the plight of the blacks and poor for their personal gain.  How any black person could actually think they care about them is beyond me when they and their policies have enslaved a good many people over the past 40 or more years.  They don't empower people to better themselves but rally them to be feeders off of other peoples' successes.  We need to stop this culture of dependency which is being perpetuated by the Left.  Martin Luther King did not advocate for the spreading of the wealth. He did not advocate for equal outcomes.  HE DID ADVOCATE FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.  He wanted each person to have the opportunity to succeed in life.  The thing that intrudes and inhibits a person's ability to succeed the progressives promote - BIG GOVERNMENT and big government intrusion into our lives.  



As a black pastor and former leader with the NAACP, did you pay any personal price for leaving the stronghold of the Democratic Party and joining the tea party?
“It is very difficult. Why? Because the people who are your peers are, let’s say, still on the plantation. They are very much embracing the idea that you have just been liberated from.”







Do you believe Rev. Martin Luther King’s dream and movement have been hijacked?
“King would not recognize what has happened to the civil rights movement if he were to come today. King had a dream, and there are those who came after him who had a scheme — to extort money from large corporations, and that is exactly what has happened.”








Why did you move from the left to the right, politically?
“I was a true believer in the liberal cause … I was flipping through the AM dials, and I came across a fellow by the name of Rush, and I’m here with you today. The rest of it’s basically history.”




H/T   The Daily Caller 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

53% vs "99%" - Personal and Financial responsibility versus entitlement mentality and dependency

The "99%" has made a claim that they represent the rest of the Americans who aren't rich in this country.  Is this true?  No. Absolutely not!  These people represent a fringe of this country who believe capitalism or free-markets are bad.  For the record the United States economy is not purely capitalistic.  If anything we live in a quasi socialist capitalist state.  If we didn't have medicare, medicaid, social security, food stamps, and welfare then we would be living in a purely capitalistic state.  And, that is what the Church objects to.  I do believe that everyone should pay their fair share.  But I am not talking about the rich or wealthy.  The rich, wealthy and those in the middle class already pay ALL of the federal taxes in this country and that in and of itself isn't fair.  My proposal includes that anyone who is able to pay for internet access or cable/satellite/Fios should also be able to make the plunge into accepting personal responsibility for their households and pay $250 worth of income taxes for the year.  These two things are amenities - extras which are not a necessity but contributing to our society is a duty each individual or family has a responsibility to do. In addition those that have cell phones, internet, cable which is being paid by our government - the taxpayers of America - should accept personal responsibility and pay for all of those non-essentials and if they can't afford those items then find a job or an additional job.

The liberal Democrat vision has expanded the government dependent rolls over the past 50 years.  Now this is mostly because the Democrats love big government and they need more people to be dependent on the government for them to be re-elected.  These Democrats are self-indulgent users who are in actuality against the common good and welfare of those poor individuals.  If they really cared about the poor they would help them become financially independent and not keep them on the government dole.

We should fix the loopholes that allow big corporations to pay zero taxes.  Corporations that pay no federal taxes should at least pay 4 X as much as those who would be required to pay $250 per year in federal income taxes. Herman Cain's plan would eliminate these loopholes. This is one reason I like Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan or 9-0-9 plan, whichever it may be now.  I am against crony capitalism.  Some of the "OWS" protesters may be only against crony capitalism too.  I'm sure many are confusing crony capitalism with true capitalism.  I believe in order to be on welfare the person should be required to get a job and/or further their education so that they can achieve financial independence by going off of welfare and avoiding becoming permanently dependent on the government.  There needs to be a time limit for those receiving benefits from the government, with the exception of social security since the person paid into this program. Although this may change if the social security program changes.

I believe that welfare and other social safety nets should be run similar to that of unemployment.  The unskilled poor should be able to go to school and earn a living (minimum wage?) while receiving welfare checks.  As the person moves up the ladder his/her welfare payments should be decreased by 25%, then 50%, and then eliminated.  I don't think that staying on or getting off of welfare should be an all-or-nothing deal.  Keeping welfare as an all-or-nothing program only acts as a disincentive for the person to get off of welfare.

Morning's Minion is in a huff over at Vox Nova complaining that the 53% is waging a "war on the poor".  Some of the poor who survive solely on welfare, food stamps and other social safety nets and are not employed may in fact be "freeloaders".  Now there are people who pay those medicare taxes et al on their paychecks but the fact remains that these people do not pay any federal income taxes.  Is it really fair for these people to pay zilch and demand others to pay even more than they already do?  I believe in charity but not forced charity.   Plus in the past when Congress has passed legislation which forced the rich to pay more but the tax revenues from solely the rich or wealthy wound up not being enough to meet the tax burden so taxes ended up being raised on everyone.  This is because increased taxes do not create more revenues.

Conservatives want to help the financially poor to help themselves.  Standing on your own two feet gives a person a sense of pride and accomplishment.  There is a clear difference between helping those who are needy and keeping them dependent on the government.  Conservatives believe in the former and progressives believe in the latter.  Conservatives believe in empowering the individual to be the best they can possibly be while liberals believe in keeping the chains on the individual and classifying them on groups so they receive preferential treatment.

Morning's Minion says "The richest one percent gets about 20 percent of the income and pays about 20 percent of the taxes."  But this isn't true. The National Taxpayers Union has broken down how much each person or family pays toward federal taxes according to their gross income and they show that the top 1% pays 38% of the total federal tax income and the top 10% pays 70% of the total tax burden.


Here are some examples of those 53%ers who believe in hard work, personal responsibility, and financial responsibility instead of the Occupy Wall Street protesters who believe that they are entitled to whatever simply because they want it.  The class warfare and war against the innovators, inventors and producers needs to stop.






H/T The Blaze for pics 

Cross-posted @ Catholibertarian 




Saturday, October 22, 2011

Back from hospital and will be taking it easy

I had surgery on Monday and then on Thursday I started to have bleeding problems so I was admitted into the hospital on Thursday evening.  All the doctors, nurses and staff were so nice and treated me very well.  Thank goodness they didn't find anything that was seriously medically wrong with me so they let me go home yesterday evening.  Now I know that my endometriosis was only part of the problem and that gastro intestinal issues is the other part of the problem too.  At least I only have about a quarter the amount of pain that I did before my surgery.  If I didn't have surgery I don't think that my other medical issue would have flared up as it did and it may have gone undetected for who knows how long so I really do think that how this all happened is a blessing in disguise. I definitely think that this was a God thing.  I am going to be relaxing and taking it easy for at least today.

Here are a few songs. Enjoy!







Have a wonderful and blessed weekend my friends.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Lions, Tigers, and Bears Oh My!


The Owner of a wild animal reserve was found shot to death and several wild animals escaped and are/were on the loose in Zanesville, OH.  About 31 of them have been accounted for and put down, sadly and the authorities aren't sure how many more are on the loose.  Jack Hanna has been brought into help with the rescue efforts.  But as Jack Hanna points out human safety is the top priority.  The residents of Zanesville have been urged to stay inside their houses and schools have been closed.





I hope they catch all the animals soon and all the people stay safe.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Eagle Freedom Linkarama



Instead of doing my Eagle Freedom Links today I have decided to do something a little different.  This is partially due to my not having enough time to do my links and due to my health situation.

John from Sentry Journal has posted an important message that Judge Napolitano had for the Occupy Wall Street Protesters.  The only thing I disagree about is Judge's implication that if people are for the defense of our nation when there is an imminent threat or even a perceived imminent threat to our freedom and people are for defending those threats by having wars in those countries which threaten our freedom that that makes a person anti-liberty or anti-freedom.  What would have happened if we had ignored Hitler?  I would equate the threat of Muslim extremists with that of Hitler.

The Lonely Conservative highlights some good aspects of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 Plan.  Overall I like his plan but I do have concerns with starting a new tax, a national sales tax.

Atlas Shrugs informs us that Con Ed is will evict the Mosqueteer. This is great news!  The Ground Zero Mosqueteer is a deadbeat who has failed to pay back loans, back taxes and pay his rent.  He tried to get taxpayers to foot the bill but thank goodness didn't get what he requested.  The man obviously needs to find a new line of work, one where he can pay his own bills.

The Daley Gator lets us know that the Nazi Party has endorsed the Occupy Wall Street Protest.  I have seen evidence of anti-semitism at the protest.

Not too far from where I live here in Pa we had a steel bridge stolen.  Your probably thinking how did someone or someones steal a whole bridge.  I thought the same thing when I first heard about this.  Yes, really a whole bridge was stolen.  Apparently two brothers used a blow-torch to steal the bridge and scored over $5000 by selling the scrap metal from their thievery.

Leaders of 20 Catholic organizations have signed a letter which was sent to both Congress and the Obama administration which declares that Obamacare needs to be reformed in order to protect conscience rights.  Thanks for standing up for everyone's conscience rights Catholic organizations.  This HHS mandate needs to be changed because it is against our religious liberty and civil rights.

More Than 2000 Military Chaplains Say "No" To Homosexual "Marriage"  

There is no such thing as homosexual "marriage".  It is against the natural law.

Christian students at Messiah College react to Frances Fox-Piven's address.   I couldn't believe what she actually admitted about the Tea Party at the end of the video.

Matt of Conservative Hideout shows a video showing a great moment in civil discourse.  The Tea Party meets Occupy Wall Street.  The way Occupy Wall Street protesters react shows just how much they truly believe in "diversity" and "tolerance".

A Catholic friar calls Catholic politicians who do nothing to stop abortion "liars"  I love it. Go Fr. Gregory CoiroO.F.M.Cap!!!  He called out "Catholic" politicians who don't vote like Catholics at all.  Keep on speaking up Father.  I'm behind you 100%. 


Ann Barnhardt responds to a death threat.  Her response is pure gold.  May God Bless her and keep her safe.  
 The Conservative Lady shows us that Obama knew about the troubles with Operation Fast and Furious earlier than Holder has admitted knowing of the fiasco.  Eric Holder is either a liar or is utterly incompetent, or both.  He's probably both.  He needs to resign.  


I am having my surgery tomorrow so I won't be around the next few days.  Have a great week, my friends. 


I will leave you with Ron Paul's powerful pro-life ad. 





H/T The Blaze 



Victoria Jackson Visits "Occupy Wall Street"





H/T Patriotupdatereport

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Rule 5 - Hillary Scott











More Rule 5 

Proof Positive - Friday Night Babe 

Eye Of Polyphemus - Adrianne Curry

Maggie's Notebook - Paris Hilton  

Randy's Roundtable - Thursday Nite Tart 

Reaganite Republican - Marilu Henner 

The Other McCain - Rule 5 Monday 

Woodsterman - Ella Richie 

American Perspective - Julianne Hough 

The Camp Of The Saints - Rule 5 Saturday 


Thursday, October 13, 2011

History of Our United States Navy During the American Revolution

On this date in 1775 the Continental Congress authorized construction and administration of the first naval forces in America, what later became our United States Navy.  Here is a video on the beginnings of our Navy during the American Revolution.

Pot Meets Kettle: Michael Voris Says Ya Gotta Be Kidding!

This is going to be a little controversial for those who aren't Catholic.  I just want to say that as a Catholic I respect others' beliefs and the beliefs of the various religions.  Regardless, Michael Voris makes an excellent point in this video.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Hank Williams Jr. Has Some Fightin' Words for Fox & Friends and ESPN



Glenn responds to the Hank Williams Jr. controversy where people falsely accused him of comparing Obama to Hitler.  Glenn, Stu, and Pat point out the hypocrisy in the MSM - in that at least one other employee at ESPN wasn't penalized for comparing Bush to Hitler. Such hypocrisy..... The liberal biased ESPN should not have fired Hank Williams Jr. for his statement.  Let's boycott ESPN!!  And anyone or any company who supports ESPN.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Occupy Wall Street Protesters: Are they Astroturf Useful Idiots Who Represent The Bums Of America?

I don't normally watch that channel called CNN but my friend Erin Burnett has a new show called Outfront on CNN which is pretty good.  It is actually a "we report, you decide"  kind of show. In a segment called  Seriously?! she paid a visit to the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Manhattan.  From what I've heard and seen from pictures and some speeches the vast majority of these people seem to be like zombies and clueless idiots.  I wonder how far, wide and the length of time she had to search to find a protester who had a clue as to why they were protesting and was coherent in his complaints.  She found that most of the outrage from the protesters comes from the belief that TARP had hurt the economy.  But, Erin actually debunks that false notion. To my surprise I found out that we, the taxpayers, actually made money off the bailouts, with the exception in the case of GM.  The taxpayers lost money bailing out GM.  So, are the protesters a "mixed bag" as she asserts or are they useful idiots? 


Well, we have one protester who decided to defecate on a police car.



                                 Is this the caliber of persons we are dealing with at OWS? 


Here is an example of those enviroweenies not being so environmentally friendly. 
















http://www.mediaite.com/tv/erin-burnett-outfront-debut-travels-the-world-but-finds-it-soul-on-wall-street/


Are these protesters astroturf? 


At the Occupy DC protest we even have an organizer who admits to paying some protesters to be there. 





The protesters in Manhattan have garnered the backing of AFL-CIO's 56 unions, the SEIU as well as support from the Obama administration, Democrats and the DNC.   Billionaire George Soros does more than sympathize with the protesters but in fact has his grubby fingers all over this.  The original "Occupy Wall Street" ad came from the magazine Adbusters which is paid for by the Soros-funded Tides Foundation. 


In the video below we have the Communist Frances Fox Piven supporting the Occupy Wall Street protesters and you can hear the zombie chants from the protesters. Whoa! That's scary.... 



While I sympathize with the protesters sentiment against the bailouts I vehemently oppose their class warfare rhetoric and anti-capitalistic or anti-free market philosophy.  These people are clueless when it comes to economics. 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Rick Santorum at Values Voter Summit: Partial-birth Abortion, DOMA, National Security, "0-0-0" Plan, and an Emotional Personal Story About His Son Gabriel



Eagle Freedom Links - Halloween Scary Movies Edition - October 9, 2011


                                                 EAGLE FREEDOM LINKS 








American Perspective - Social Justice Versus Charity, What Does God Want?

America's Watchtower - Gunrunner: Eric Holder Digs in His Heels 

Amusing Bunni's Musings - This is a Very Special Month! 

ARRA News Service - Congressman Asks Holder To Resign Amid New Fast and Furious Details 

Atlas Shrugs - Obama Admin Offers Condolences to Khan Family for Killing Al-Qaeda Traitor Samir Khan 

_It Don't Make Sense_ - Not The Sharpest Pencil In The Pack 

A Catholic View - Notre Dame Prez To Obama On Contraception Mandate: What Happened To The 'Sensible Approach'? 

A Conservative Teacher - Mitt Will Be Hammered By Ghosts Of Races Past 



A Patriotic Rottweiler - Agenda 21 For Dummies 

A Pissed Off Irishman - Michelle's Staged Photo Op at Target 

A Western Heart - 'Pure Racism' : Signs Depicting Obama as Crying Baby in Diaper has Neighbors, Councilwoman Upset 

Abigail and Dolley - Dating The Candidates 

Acts Of The Apostasy - What Would the Saints Drive? 

Adrienne's Corner - The Story of Adlai Grace 

Allied Liberty News - BHO's Cop Killer Connections! (More than you knew!)

Always On Watch - Limits On Use Of Private Property? 



Anonymous Political Scientist - Looking for New Places to Answer Questions? Check Out Conservative Political Forum 

Barking Spider - New Facebook: Barack Obama is Spying on You

Barracuda Brigade 2012 - Video: 11 Year Old Benched for Scoring TOO MANY Touchdown!!!

BBCW - Petition @ White House.gov To Remove IB from Our Public Schools 

Beer, Bicycles, and VRWC - College and Debt 

Beers with Demo - Great Moments in the history of Statism 

Biblical Conservatism - Rick Perry "Racist" Hunting Camp is a Grasp at Straws by the Left 

Black or White Is A Choice - Yep, It's Lot's Cheaper than Drones 

Blog de King Shamus - Sarah Palin Bows Out of the 2012 Presidential Race 



Blowing San #1 - "Your Religious Beliefs Be Damned!" 

Bluegrass Pundit - New Islam Book: Islam Supports Killing All Those Infidel Women and Children 

Bread Upon the Waters - How Many Nobel Laureates Did It Take To Give Solyndra $1/2 Billion?

Can We Keep Our Republic? - Operation Fast and Furious - How High Does It Go? 

Catholic Moms For Santorum - Exclusive Interview With Karen Santorum

Catholic Once Again - Catholic Flash Fiction  

Commentarama - DOJ: "Cartels Control Border Access" 

Common Cents - Yet More Liberal Racism and Hatred: GOP Black Candidate Called "N*gger and Uncle Tom" 



Conservative Perspective - 2011 Iran Defense Week (Don't Ask and Definitely Don't Tell,,,Too Late) - Wide Open Thread 

Conservative Hideout - Herman Cain Educates Clinton on Economics in 1994 HC Townhall Forum 

Creative Minority Report - Bishops: Abortion Should Guide Election 

Deacon For Life - Botched Abortion Crisis Deepens 

DeanO - Heartwarming Nick Vujicic Music Video - 'Something More' 

Domine, da mihi hanc aquam! - Coffee Bowl Browsing 

Don't Tread On Us - Podcast Episode 1 

Down Under On The Right Side - The Problem With Leftards 



DRScoundrels - USDA and Government To Determine What Americans Can Eat! 

Economy Politics - Challenger Job Cuts Triple as US Army and Bank of America Lay off en masse 

Eye Of Polyphemus - Steve Jobs (1955-2011) 

Faith Of The Fathers - ZENIT- Anti-Christian Censorship and New Media 

Feed Your ADHD - The List of Demands for the Unwashed Goons of Occupy Wall Street 

Fuzzy Logic - Obama's Disastrous Presidency By The Numbers 

Generational Dysfunction - Hitler Discovers AttackWatch is a Joke! 

Hack Wilson - Ray Comfort's 180: A Perfect Argument Against Abortion 



HolyCoast.com - Tea Party Won't Back Brown in 2012 

Hyphenated-American - Two Articles, A Few Days Apart...

Innominatus - The Funniest Thing You Ever Saw

Jo-Joe Politico - The Bully Pulpit 

Just a Conservative Girl - Herman Cain on Fox News Sunday 

LandShark 5150 - "Truth Is Treason in the Empire of Lies" 

Laughing Conservative - Fascists 1, Ketchup 0 

Left Coast Rebel - The Latest From Our Narcissist-in-Chief 



Let The Truth Be Known - Part F_ How Did America Sink So Low:

Legal Insurrection - Herman Cain Occupies #OccupyWallStreet 

Libertarian Republican - Burka-clad Muslim Woman Refuses to Respect U.S. Law and Courtroom Decorum 

Logan's Warning - Muslim Parade ~ Muslim Girls Sing, "For You (Allah) I Give My Life" 

Lone Star Parson - Your Money or Your Life! 

Lonely Is the Nights - Jax's First Gun 

Maggie's Notebook - Bruce Bellott: We Ain't Goin' Away Video: New 'We The People' Song 

Mind Numbed Robot - Radical Islam Infiltrates Federal Government 



Motivation Truth - SarahPAC Video: Restoring America Together 

My Daily Trek - Morgan Freeman: Tea Party Is Racist, They're Out To Get Obama 

Nonsensible Shoes - Keeping a Watchful Eye on Those Occupy Wall Street Efforts 

NoOneOfAnyImport - On Rockgate and Writing Candidates Off 

Obama Cartoons - List Your Blog and Make Obama a One Term President 

Pathetically Incorrect - Mr. Obama... Save Our Country...Resign Now!

Pedaling Fast & Trying To Keep Up - The Last of Warm Weather 

Political Realities - The Debate Over Debit Card Fees 



Proof Positive - Steve Jobs - R.I.P. 

Pundit & Pundette - Free Contraceptives and Morning-after Pills for All? "Darn Tootin'!" 

QUICKWIT - Can You Hear Me Now???????

Randy's Roundtable - Friday Funnies (Afternoon Edition) 

Rational Nation USA - Understanding "Occupy Wall Street"... An Independent Conservative's Perspective 

Reaganite Republican - Get Past the MSM's Bright Candy Coating and You'll Gag on the Stench of Marxism...

Robbing America - America New One-Year Plans 

Saber Point - Steve Jobs, On Living Life To The Fullest 



Sancte Pater - Rick Santorum: Imagine this Family in the White House 

Say Anything Blog - Al Sharpton Doesn't Know That Republicans, Not Democrats Passed The Civil Rights Act 

Standing On My Head - Individualism and Institutions 

Sentry Journal - When Will Traditional Democrats Wake Up and Realize Their Party has Changed? 

Matt of Conservative Hideout at Sentry Journal - Some Thoughts on the "Occupy Wall Street" Protests 

STOP MARXISM - Message To Obama 

That Mr. G Guy's Blog - NY Protester Defecates On Police Car 

The Audacity Of Logic - Facing Execution for the 'Crime" of Being a Christian in Iran 



The Bitter Americans - Thursday Night Links 

The Blog - Charles Napier 1936-2011 

The Catholic Key Blog - Just the Facts - A Review of 'The Way' 

The Catholic Knight - ACTION ALERT - Call Up The Tea Party!!! 

The Conservative Lady - Newsmax Interviews Rick Perry Today - Much Better Performance Than Last Debate

The Country Thinker - At The End of the Tunnel - October 1, 2011 

The Daley Gator - *Videos* Ten Arizona Sheriffs Blast Obama Administration's Murderous Gun-Smuggling Operation 
The Empress Is Naked - Obama's Albatross 



The Hermeneutic of Continuity - Catholic blogging and blogging Catholics 

The Last Tradition - Herman Cain Says OWS Protesters are Picketing the Wrong Place - Try the White House 

The Libertarian Patriot - Come and Get Me Coppers - Federal Reserve To Monitor Social Media 

The Malcontent - Chris Christie Slams Obama During Speech at Reagan Library 

The Observatorium - Infiltration Of Government? 

The Oracular Opinion - Class Warfare - Here We Go Again 

The Other McCain - PAULBOT-MANIA: Ron Paul Supporters Buy Victory in 'Values Voters' Straw Poll

The Republican Mother - Lemon Trees are Now Against the Law 



The Right Guy - Palin Isn't In It

The Scottcarp Dream - Alinski Rules Return for Obama 

The Wisdom Of Soloman - Arizona Diamondbacks Honor Fallen Fan 

The Wyblog - Herman Cain to #OccupyWallStreet Bozos: Get Off Your Butts and Get a Job 

Theblogprof - Video: Maddow Gets It Wrong On GOP Debate Audiences 

TOTUS - Rick Perry's "Niggerhead" Place 

Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia - Natural Law 

Virtual Mirage - Perjury and Holder's Guns 



Warning Signs - Who are You Calling "Soft"? 

We The People... - Toon of the Day - Sad but True 

Western Hero - Got Bank Card Fees? Thank The Duban Tax!

What Does The Prayer Really Say? - MN Catholic Conference: Catholic Leaders Will Not Be Silenced 

Why I Am Catholic - For Pro-Life Thoughts Inspired By a Food Critic 



Wisdom Of Dave - Obama Committed To America's Decline 

Wolf Files - President Ron Burgandy? 

Woman Honor Thyself - Yom Kippur 

Woodsterman - Hi Jack! 

Zilla Of The Resistance - Grover Norquist's Islamic Supremacist Chicken Have Come Home To Roost 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...