Saturday, June 26, 2004
Please go to:
I've decided to merge this blog with my previous blog which, as I write, has been banned by the South Korean Government and forced underground because some other foreign blogger posted a link to the Kim Sun-il beheading video.
All the links have been transferred to my other blog and I will continue to post on the same topics, and much, much more.
Psychologically, it has been just to much work to keep up with two blogs. So, for those of you who have bookmarked this page, please update accordingly.
Thank you and God bless.
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Katolik Shinja
I've decided to merge this blog with my previous blog which, as I write, has been banned by the South Korean Government and forced underground because some other foreign blogger posted a link to the Kim Sun-il beheading video.
All the links have been transferred to my other blog and I will continue to post on the same topics, and much, much more.
Psychologically, it has been just to much work to keep up with two blogs. So, for those of you who have bookmarked this page, please update accordingly.
Thank you and God bless.
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Banned in Korea!
My other blog has been banned by the government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea, not North!). To find out why, click Katolik Shinja if you are outside the Korean peninsula or Katolik Shinja if you are within it.
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My other blog has been banned by the government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea, not North!). To find out why, click Katolik Shinja if you are outside the Korean peninsula or Katolik Shinja if you are within it.
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Thursday, June 24, 2004
Norn Iron
Pope 'may visit Northern Ireland': A Catholic bishop has said he is hopeful the Pope will visit Northern Ireland later this year.
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Pope 'may visit Northern Ireland': A Catholic bishop has said he is hopeful the Pope will visit Northern Ireland later this year.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Islam and Beheadings
Re: Reviving a symbol of terror: Historically, beheadings have been used to punish dissenters and display power
The article tries to downplay the link, but the fact that beheadings continue in the Islamic world from Suadi Arabia to the Phillipines cannot be glossed over.
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Re: Reviving a symbol of terror: Historically, beheadings have been used to punish dissenters and display power
The article tries to downplay the link, but the fact that beheadings continue in the Islamic world from Suadi Arabia to the Phillipines cannot be glossed over.
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Kim Sun-il, Requiescat in Pace
Re: Militants in Iraq Kill S. Korean Hostage
Kim Sun-il, may your souild rest in peace, may your family be comforted, and may your murderers soon meet justice, both human and divine.
(NB: For more background and updated information on this tragedy from a Korean perspective, see my other blog, Katolik Shinja.)
While in the post below I express sympathy with the view that the Iraq War was perhaps not justified, the wider War on Terror must be waged and the enemy given no quarter. It is truly a war between civilization and barabarism.
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Re: Militants in Iraq Kill S. Korean Hostage
Kim Sun-il, may your souild rest in peace, may your family be comforted, and may your murderers soon meet justice, both human and divine.
(NB: For more background and updated information on this tragedy from a Korean perspective, see my other blog, Katolik Shinja.)
While in the post below I express sympathy with the view that the Iraq War was perhaps not justified, the wider War on Terror must be waged and the enemy given no quarter. It is truly a war between civilization and barabarism.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2004
In Buffalo, We Call Them Chicken Wings
Re: The Buffalo Chicken Wing Turns 40
All my Korean students know about "Buffalo Wings." In Malaysia at an outdoor food stall I heard waiters shouting orders for "Ayam Buffalo." It is the one contribution that my beloved hometown has made to global cuisine. I'm just waiting for Beef on Weck to be next.
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Re: The Buffalo Chicken Wing Turns 40
All my Korean students know about "Buffalo Wings." In Malaysia at an outdoor food stall I heard waiters shouting orders for "Ayam Buffalo." It is the one contribution that my beloved hometown has made to global cuisine. I'm just waiting for Beef on Weck to be next.
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All-male Priesthood
As pre-Catholics, my wife and I were married by a female Lutheran pastor. Thus, I found this article all the more interesting: Former Lutheran Pastor Debunks Women's Ordination (Part 1): Jennifer Ferrara Was Won Over by the Pope's Theology of the Body.
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As pre-Catholics, my wife and I were married by a female Lutheran pastor. Thus, I found this article all the more interesting: Former Lutheran Pastor Debunks Women's Ordination (Part 1): Jennifer Ferrara Was Won Over by the Pope's Theology of the Body.
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Torture Under Saddam
Here are some of the tortures, listed in New video reveals real torture scandal: Saddam's daily horrors make America's Abu Ghraib abuses seem almost trivial (WARNING: Graphic Images):
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Here are some of the tortures, listed in New video reveals real torture scandal: Saddam's daily horrors make America's Abu Ghraib abuses seem almost trivial (WARNING: Graphic Images):
Medical experimentation
Beatings
Crucifixion
Hammering nails into the fingers and hands
Amputating sex organs or breasts with an electric carving knife
Spraying insecticides into a victim's eyes
Branding with a hot iron
Committing rape while the victim's spouse is forced to watch
Pouring boiling water into the victim's rectum
Nailing the tongue to a wooden board
Extracting teeth with pliers
Using bees and scorpions to sting naked children in front of their parents
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Monday, June 21, 2004
A Reactionary Renegade
I just started reading The Devils by Fyodor Dostoevsky. So far, like all of Dostoevsky's major works, it's been an enthralling read. Before starting, I was intrigued by my edition's back cover, which described the novel like this:
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I just started reading The Devils by Fyodor Dostoevsky. So far, like all of Dostoevsky's major works, it's been an enthralling read. Before starting, I was intrigued by my edition's back cover, which described the novel like this:
"A political drama, it has been both hailed as a grim prophecy of the Russian Revolution and denounced as the work of a reactionary renegade."
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Some Thoughts on the Spanish Civil War
I just finished reading The Spanish Civil War by High Thomas, a very fair and balanced account. While atrocities were undoubtedly committed by both sides, it seems popular mythology has forgotten those of the Republican side. The Nationalists, largely because of the aid they received from Nazi Germany, have been condemned. The Nazis were fair-weather allies, however, and Hitler detested Franco's Catholicism as much as the Republicans' Soviet allies did.
The Republicans burned churches and celebration of the Mass was proscribed under most of their rule. Anarchists among them dug up the graves of nuns and danced with their corpses. Thirteen bishops and 6000 priests were murdered by the Republicans. Why has this been forgotten?
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I just finished reading The Spanish Civil War by High Thomas, a very fair and balanced account. While atrocities were undoubtedly committed by both sides, it seems popular mythology has forgotten those of the Republican side. The Nationalists, largely because of the aid they received from Nazi Germany, have been condemned. The Nazis were fair-weather allies, however, and Hitler detested Franco's Catholicism as much as the Republicans' Soviet allies did.
The Republicans burned churches and celebration of the Mass was proscribed under most of their rule. Anarchists among them dug up the graves of nuns and danced with their corpses. Thirteen bishops and 6000 priests were murdered by the Republicans. Why has this been forgotten?
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Saturday, June 19, 2004
Buffalo, No. 4 after New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Upstate New York City defeats Santa Fe, San Francisco for arts
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Upstate New York City defeats Santa Fe, San Francisco for arts
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Anger in the Kingdom over Beheading
From Shock Turns Quickly Into Anger:
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From Shock Turns Quickly Into Anger:
"'We are ashamed that fellow Muslims have done such an inhuman and repulsive act,' said Abdul Rahman Al-Shahari, a journalist."
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A Muslim Cleric (Finally) Speaks
From US hostage deadline in Saudi looms:
Paul Marshal Johnson, requiescat in pace, and may God give comfort to your wife Thanom and your family.
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From US hostage deadline in Saudi looms:
"Prominent Saudi cleric Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah al-Humaid, in a sermon at Muslim Friday prayers in Mecca's Grand Mosque, denounced hostage-taking and murder as grave sins under Islam, the most senior Saudi cleric to do so.
"'Killing a soul without justification is one of the gravest sins under Islam, it is as bad as of polytheism,' the state-appointed cleric said at Islam's holiest shrine.
"'Whoever kills any person under our protection will not go to heaven. The blood of people under our protection is forbidden... they are on par with Muslims,' he added."
Paul Marshal Johnson, requiescat in pace, and may God give comfort to your wife Thanom and your family.
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As Long As You're a Victim, Anything is Okay
Sadly, these statements were made at a Catholic institution. It shows how far the anti-Semitism and moral relativism of the Left has come.
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"When Palestinians refer to Jews as 'descended from apes and swine' or encourage support for those who 'kill Jews,' they do so with the reasonably justifiable self-image of victim and persecuted, not of victimizer and persecutor."
-Scott Alexander, associate professor of Islam at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, quoted in Seminary Head Regrets Prof's Seemingly Anti-Semitic Remarks.
Sadly, these statements were made at a Catholic institution. It shows how far the anti-Semitism and moral relativism of the Left has come.
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"How Dare You?"
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"To take the years of oppression enforced on the black community and trivialize it because you want to justify your sinful actions, how dare you?"
-Brendan Saunders, a church planter at Freedom Church in Baltimore, decrying the "claim that same-sex 'marriage' is the 21st-century equivalent of African Americans' 19th- and 20th-century struggle for civil rights," quoted in Black Southern Baptists decry homosexual claims.
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Friday, June 18, 2004
Thursday, June 17, 2004
From Iraq
Chaldean Bishop: daily life in Baghdad goes on
Attacks against foreigners and Iraqis are originating from outside Iraq
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Chaldean Bishop: daily life in Baghdad goes on
Attacks against foreigners and Iraqis are originating from outside Iraq
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Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Michael Moore's Ethical Problem
Mr. Moore, as quoted in Documentarian kept quiet after filming U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqis:
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Mr. Moore, as quoted in Documentarian kept quiet after filming U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqis:
"I had it months before the story broke on '60 Minutes,' and I really struggled with what to do with it. I wanted to come out with it sooner, but I thought I'd be accused of just putting this out for publicity for my movie. That prevented me from making maybe the right decision."
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After 400 Years...
El Greco altarpiece and saints together for first time
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El Greco's Virgin of the Immaculate Conception
El Greco altarpiece and saints together for first time
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The Dems and God
From Who will bless the Democrats?:
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From Who will bless the Democrats?:
"[W]hat self-respecting Catholic pastor or evangelical preacher can appear to bless the party of partial-birth abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage?"
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Monday, June 14, 2004
A Great Blog
Basia me, Catholicum sum is an incredible blog focusing on Catholic arts by an eighteen-year-old. I wish I had had my head on as straight when I was that age (or even now); I hope and pray my daughter does seventeen years from now.
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Basia me, Catholicum sum is an incredible blog focusing on Catholic arts by an eighteen-year-old. I wish I had had my head on as straight when I was that age (or even now); I hope and pray my daughter does seventeen years from now.
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Ladino (Judeo-Spanish)
Israelis Hoping They Won't Hear the Last Word on Ancient Dialect: Ladino, derived from Spanish and spoken by Sephardic Jews, is being preserved in academia as well as song, story.
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Israelis Hoping They Won't Hear the Last Word on Ancient Dialect: Ladino, derived from Spanish and spoken by Sephardic Jews, is being preserved in academia as well as song, story.
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Sunday, June 13, 2004
Another Reason I Won't Be Voting for Sen. John Kerry
Kerry Calls on Bush to Reverse Stem Cell Policy
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Kerry Calls on Bush to Reverse Stem Cell Policy
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Saturday, June 12, 2004
Cuba Recants Its "Reagan Never Should Have Been Born" Comments
Cuban Radio Addresses Reagan Editorial
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Cuban Radio Addresses Reagan Editorial
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Thursday, June 10, 2004
I'm Outta Here
Postings might be fewer and farther between for the next few days, as I'm going to Seoul with my family to celebrate the 94th birthday of my daughter's great-grandmother. This amazing woman, born in the same year as Ronald Reagan, helped us immensely after Joy was born. She spent several days with us, and at 93 she could squat down to give a baby a bath better than I could at 33.
She regularly eats lunch at a Protestant church in her neighborhood, but I'm not sure if she's been baptized yet. So if you can, please say a prayer for Joy's great-grandmother.
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Postings might be fewer and farther between for the next few days, as I'm going to Seoul with my family to celebrate the 94th birthday of my daughter's great-grandmother. This amazing woman, born in the same year as Ronald Reagan, helped us immensely after Joy was born. She spent several days with us, and at 93 she could squat down to give a baby a bath better than I could at 33.
She regularly eats lunch at a Protestant church in her neighborhood, but I'm not sure if she's been baptized yet. So if you can, please say a prayer for Joy's great-grandmother.
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Pray for Brian Savio O'Connor
From Saudis Fail to Respond to Indian Episcopate's Plea: Church Appeals for Release of Brian Savio O'Connor:
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From Saudis Fail to Respond to Indian Episcopate's Plea: Church Appeals for Release of Brian Savio O'Connor:
"The Indian bishops' conference have received no reply from the Saudi Arabian Embassy here regarding an Indian citizen being tortured and imprisoned in the Mideast kingdom for his faith."
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An Inside View on Outsourcing
I haven't yet made up my mind on this issue, but this article presents an interesting perspective: Indian priest highlights destructive role of call centres
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I haven't yet made up my mind on this issue, but this article presents an interesting perspective: Indian priest highlights destructive role of call centres
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"It's a funeral. Put on a shirt!"
The first thing I noticed watching the coverage of the President Reagan's state funeral this morning (Korea time) was some joker in the background not wearing a shirt!
I don't care if it's summer and you're a tourist having a good time in the capital, show some respect and decorum!
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The first thing I noticed watching the coverage of the President Reagan's state funeral this morning (Korea time) was some joker in the background not wearing a shirt!
I don't care if it's summer and you're a tourist having a good time in the capital, show some respect and decorum!
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More on President Reagan
Serge at A conservative blog for peace has been posting a lot of great material about the late Ronald Reagan. Check it out.
I've come to realize, much too late, that in the 1980s I was sold a bill of goods. The media told me President Ronald Reagan was a fool. Reading interviews with the man, I'm struck by his wit, intelligence, and inherent goodness. My teenage pride didn't allow me to see this when he was President.
But better late than never. At least I've grown up. Ted Rall hasn't. He's still stuck in the hardcore punk 1980s. In his offensive REAGAN'S SHAMEFUL LEGACY, he still can't get over what he calls Reagan's "clown-like dyed hair and rouged cheeks." Get over it, Mr. Rall.
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Serge at A conservative blog for peace has been posting a lot of great material about the late Ronald Reagan. Check it out.
I've come to realize, much too late, that in the 1980s I was sold a bill of goods. The media told me President Ronald Reagan was a fool. Reading interviews with the man, I'm struck by his wit, intelligence, and inherent goodness. My teenage pride didn't allow me to see this when he was President.
But better late than never. At least I've grown up. Ted Rall hasn't. He's still stuck in the hardcore punk 1980s. In his offensive REAGAN'S SHAMEFUL LEGACY, he still can't get over what he calls Reagan's "clown-like dyed hair and rouged cheeks." Get over it, Mr. Rall.
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On Not Communicating
Fr. Jim Tucker of Dappled Things has a great post entitled Staying in the Pew at Communion Time. In it, among other things, he discusses the differences between Anglos and Hispanics when it comes to receiving the Eucharist. I noticed the same thing he describes last year visiting Chico, California; at and English-language mass almost 100% of the people partake of the Eucharist, while at a Spanish-language mass at least a third stay in the pews. In Korea, where I live, I'd say about a fourth don't receive. We Anglos seem to have forgotten what sin is. A priest I met at a monastery in Vina, California told me that people don't want to confess anymore during the Sacrament of Reconciliation; rather, they seek advice and affirmation.
Oprah and Chopra have already taken over the airwaves and the mass culture; we can't let them take over the confessionals.
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Fr. Jim Tucker of Dappled Things has a great post entitled Staying in the Pew at Communion Time. In it, among other things, he discusses the differences between Anglos and Hispanics when it comes to receiving the Eucharist. I noticed the same thing he describes last year visiting Chico, California; at and English-language mass almost 100% of the people partake of the Eucharist, while at a Spanish-language mass at least a third stay in the pews. In Korea, where I live, I'd say about a fourth don't receive. We Anglos seem to have forgotten what sin is. A priest I met at a monastery in Vina, California told me that people don't want to confess anymore during the Sacrament of Reconciliation; rather, they seek advice and affirmation.
Oprah and Chopra have already taken over the airwaves and the mass culture; we can't let them take over the confessionals.
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Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Cancel my Subscription!
The title of this article, El Salvador Fertile Soil for the Gospel of Christ, Missionary Says, from AgapePress© News, has prompted me to cancel my online subscription to their "Free Daily Updates." The article begins like this:
El Salvador, named after the Savior, is a Christian country, already possessing the "true gospel." The nation has produced fine Christians, like the Archbishop Óscar Romero. It has no need for Evangelical missionaries from the U.S.
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The title of this article, El Salvador Fertile Soil for the Gospel of Christ, Missionary Says, from AgapePress© News, has prompted me to cancel my online subscription to their "Free Daily Updates." The article begins like this:
"A Mississippi resident who has served as a missionary to El Salvador for nearly 20 years says residents of the Central American nation are hungry for the true gospel."
El Salvador, named after the Savior, is a Christian country, already possessing the "true gospel." The nation has produced fine Christians, like the Archbishop Óscar Romero. It has no need for Evangelical missionaries from the U.S.
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Why Abortion is Worse than Capital Punishment
Church opposes abortion, death penalty -- but experts see difference
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Church opposes abortion, death penalty -- but experts see difference
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No Sex Please, We're Catholic
Anyone familiar with the Holy Father's "Theology of the Body" knows the above for the myth that it is. Here's further evidence: Spreading the Pope's Message of Sexuality and a Willing Spirit
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Anyone familiar with the Holy Father's "Theology of the Body" knows the above for the myth that it is. Here's further evidence: Spreading the Pope's Message of Sexuality and a Willing Spirit
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Vive Le Roi!
From French Royalists Stage Funeral for Relic:
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From French Royalists Stage Funeral for Relic:
"SAINT-DENIS, France - French royalists staged a pageant-filled funeral Tuesday for a tiny, rock-hard relic they hailed as the heart cut from Louis XVII, who died at age 10 in a filthy revolutionary prison."
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Wow!
If you do a search for Pope's condolence message to Reagan on Dogpile, this is the first site you'll come up with.
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If you do a search for Pope's condolence message to Reagan on Dogpile, this is the first site you'll come up with.
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Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Biased Headline
Re: Reagan Legacy Has a Dark Side in Central America
While Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas unsurprisingly have nothing good to say (but nothing as bad as what the Cubans said below) about the passing of president Reagan, we do read these words from the above article:
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Re: Reagan Legacy Has a Dark Side in Central America
While Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas unsurprisingly have nothing good to say (but nothing as bad as what the Cubans said below) about the passing of president Reagan, we do read these words from the above article:
- "Reagan does have admirers in the region who say his tough stance halted the communist threat and ultimately brought democracy.
"His 1983 invasion of the Caribbean island of Grenada to oust a Marxist government and rescue stranded Americans was very popular.
"Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos said Reagan was 'a great defender of Nicaragua's return to democracy and all Nicaraguans who believe in democracy recognize that legacy.'
"And in El Salvador, President Tony Saca said Reagan helped the country in 'its most difficult moments.'
"Allies say the proof is at the ballot box -- since the end of the region's civil wars, voters have repeatedly elected conservative, pro-Washington governments."
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Sour Grapes
Re: Cuba: Reagan Should Never Have Been Born
He was in large part responsible for the demise of their sole benefactor after all.
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Re: Cuba: Reagan Should Never Have Been Born
He was in large part responsible for the demise of their sole benefactor after all.
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The Iron Lady
Re: Thatcher, both presidents Bush to eulogize Reagan
Dame Thatcher, another giant of the Twentieth Century, is coming out of her retirement from public life to eulogize her fellow cold warrior, whom she once called the second closest man in her life.
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Re: Thatcher, both presidents Bush to eulogize Reagan
Dame Thatcher, another giant of the Twentieth Century, is coming out of her retirement from public life to eulogize her fellow cold warrior, whom she once called the second closest man in her life.
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A State Funeral
At the risk of sounding overly morbid or even perverse, I'm looking forward to the funeral of President Reagan. (See Down to the Last Detail, a Reagan-Style Funeral.) It's not often that we Americans, usually so informal and adverse to ceremony, have a chance to participate as a nation in something as somber and solemn as a state funeral. It will be a sorely needed opportunity for reflection on something greater than ourselves.
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At the risk of sounding overly morbid or even perverse, I'm looking forward to the funeral of President Reagan. (See Down to the Last Detail, a Reagan-Style Funeral.) It's not often that we Americans, usually so informal and adverse to ceremony, have a chance to participate as a nation in something as somber and solemn as a state funeral. It will be a sorely needed opportunity for reflection on something greater than ourselves.
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Welcome Home!
Paul Schenk, Buffalo's most prominent pro-life activist, has become a Catholic!: Schenck, now a Catholic, wants to join priesthood (Thanks to Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying It! for the link.)
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Paul Schenk, Buffalo's most prominent pro-life activist, has become a Catholic!: Schenck, now a Catholic, wants to join priesthood (Thanks to Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying It! for the link.)
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Similar Thoughts on Reagan
Kathy Shaidle of relapsed catholic has a nice posting detailing her thoughts on the passing of Ronald Reagan, which are very similar to my own: I'm sorry I used to hate you. (Thanks to Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying It! for the link.)
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Kathy Shaidle of relapsed catholic has a nice posting detailing her thoughts on the passing of Ronald Reagan, which are very similar to my own: I'm sorry I used to hate you. (Thanks to Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying It! for the link.)
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Monday, June 07, 2004
Non-PC Translation
Here's my translation of a politically correct op-ed headline:
Original: HOMOPHOBIA AMONG BLACK CHURCHES IS TAKING DANGEROUS TOLL
Translation: TRADITIONAL VALUES AMONG BLACK CHURCHES IS PROVIDING HOPE
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Here's my translation of a politically correct op-ed headline:
Original: HOMOPHOBIA AMONG BLACK CHURCHES IS TAKING DANGEROUS TOLL
Translation: TRADITIONAL VALUES AMONG BLACK CHURCHES IS PROVIDING HOPE
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Buchanan Interviews Nader
Ralph Nader: Conservatively Speaking: The long-time progressive makes a pitch for the disenfranchised Right.
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Ralph Nader: Conservatively Speaking: The long-time progressive makes a pitch for the disenfranchised Right.
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Requiem Mass for Aborted Babies
Foetuses spark Kenya abortion row: Thousands of Kenyans have attended a requiem mass in Nairobi for 15 foetuses - believed to have been illegally aborted - found dumped on a roadside last week.
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Foetuses spark Kenya abortion row: Thousands of Kenyans have attended a requiem mass in Nairobi for 15 foetuses - believed to have been illegally aborted - found dumped on a roadside last week.
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Sunday, June 06, 2004
Nostalgia for the Reagan Years
In addition to the joy of being confirmed by the Archbishop of Daegu, South Korea with over 1000 other people, today has been filled with nostalgia for the 1980s due to the news of the death of Ronald Reagan. He was president during my formative years; I was ten when he assumed the presidency and 18 when he left it.
My grandmother raised me to be a Truman Democrat; therefore, even at ten I was disappiointed at the election of a Rebublican to the presidency. I even wrote a letter of condolence to outgoing President Jimmy Carter. The signed photo he sent me was one of my prized childhood possessions.
The height of the Cold War coincided with the onset of puberty for me. There were many sleepless nights in 1983, when I thought that a nuclear war with the Soviet Union would end any chance for me of finding a girlfriend. To cope, I began buying survivalist magazines and frequenting army surplus stores.
I also spent many cold Buffalo nights listening to Radio Moscow on my shortwave radio; I'll never forget the perfect English of Vladimir Posner. The QSL card from Moscow was another of my prized childhood possessions. Still, I was no commie; I had a sticker on my wall that depicted a muscular American Eagle with the inscription, "Don't Mess with the U.S.!"
Later, with a few more years under my belt, and with Gorbachev, Perestroika, and Glasnost, I was able to relax a bit. But I fell into a less than upstanding teenage lifestyle. Ronald Reagan became a symbol of what I wanted to rebel against. I admired the high school classmate who wore a t-shirt with the slogan, "Reagan Hates Me." "Reagan Youth" and "Jodie Foster's Army" were names of two of the many hardcore punk bands I was familiar with, in addition to the more well-known "Dead Kennedys" and "Black Flag."
We ridiculed his wife Nancy and her "Just Say No" campaign as being simplistic. But I'd later come to realize that like many true ideas, hers was simple; it was an individual decision that was at the heart of the drug problem.
Now, 20 years after "Puberty in 1984," I am able to look back with a bit more perspective. Ronald Reagan was in many ways a great man. He was not a saint, but he was a man of ideas, many of which I now know to be true. He was a man of principle and conviction. And he left the world a better place. With Dame Thatcher and the Holy Father, he helped end what was truly an "Evil Empire."
I now look back and miss those troubled years, even if I'd live them differently now. Ronald Reagan towered over that decade. I miss the man and wish I had been a better citizen and given him the respect he was due. He exemplified leadership, something that has been sorely lacking since. God rest his soul and give comfort to wife and family.
Here are some photos and links:
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In addition to the joy of being confirmed by the Archbishop of Daegu, South Korea with over 1000 other people, today has been filled with nostalgia for the 1980s due to the news of the death of Ronald Reagan. He was president during my formative years; I was ten when he assumed the presidency and 18 when he left it.
My grandmother raised me to be a Truman Democrat; therefore, even at ten I was disappiointed at the election of a Rebublican to the presidency. I even wrote a letter of condolence to outgoing President Jimmy Carter. The signed photo he sent me was one of my prized childhood possessions.
The height of the Cold War coincided with the onset of puberty for me. There were many sleepless nights in 1983, when I thought that a nuclear war with the Soviet Union would end any chance for me of finding a girlfriend. To cope, I began buying survivalist magazines and frequenting army surplus stores.
I also spent many cold Buffalo nights listening to Radio Moscow on my shortwave radio; I'll never forget the perfect English of Vladimir Posner. The QSL card from Moscow was another of my prized childhood possessions. Still, I was no commie; I had a sticker on my wall that depicted a muscular American Eagle with the inscription, "Don't Mess with the U.S.!"
Later, with a few more years under my belt, and with Gorbachev, Perestroika, and Glasnost, I was able to relax a bit. But I fell into a less than upstanding teenage lifestyle. Ronald Reagan became a symbol of what I wanted to rebel against. I admired the high school classmate who wore a t-shirt with the slogan, "Reagan Hates Me." "Reagan Youth" and "Jodie Foster's Army" were names of two of the many hardcore punk bands I was familiar with, in addition to the more well-known "Dead Kennedys" and "Black Flag."
We ridiculed his wife Nancy and her "Just Say No" campaign as being simplistic. But I'd later come to realize that like many true ideas, hers was simple; it was an individual decision that was at the heart of the drug problem.
Now, 20 years after "Puberty in 1984," I am able to look back with a bit more perspective. Ronald Reagan was in many ways a great man. He was not a saint, but he was a man of ideas, many of which I now know to be true. He was a man of principle and conviction. And he left the world a better place. With Dame Thatcher and the Holy Father, he helped end what was truly an "Evil Empire."
I now look back and miss those troubled years, even if I'd live them differently now. Ronald Reagan towered over that decade. I miss the man and wish I had been a better citizen and given him the respect he was due. He exemplified leadership, something that has been sorely lacking since. God rest his soul and give comfort to wife and family.
Here are some photos and links:
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"Rebbe With a Cause"
No Soul Left to Sell: We are indeed in a crisis of soullessness, says Rabbi Shmuley. But there is a way back.
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No Soul Left to Sell: We are indeed in a crisis of soullessness, says Rabbi Shmuley. But there is a way back.
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Ronald Wilson Reagan, Requiescat in pace
Re: Former President Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
I guess this story puts the one below into poignant context. I didn't fully appreciate the Gipper as a young punk in the 80's, but I've grown to appreciate him as a man of conviction. God rest his soul.
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Re: Former President Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
I guess this story puts the one below into poignant context. I didn't fully appreciate the Gipper as a young punk in the 80's, but I've grown to appreciate him as a man of conviction. God rest his soul.
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Saturday, June 05, 2004
The Holy Father's Message to the Gipper
Phil Lawler, editor of Catholic World News, in his latest newsletter, has some nice speculation about the Holy Father's message to Ronald Reagan. Here are the Holy Father's words:
Here is Mr. Lawler speculation:
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Phil Lawler, editor of Catholic World News, in his latest newsletter, has some nice speculation about the Holy Father's message to Ronald Reagan. Here are the Holy Father's words:
- "Our thoughts also turn today to the twenty years in which the Holy See and the United States have enjoyed formal diplomatic relations, established in 1984 under President Reagan. These relations have promoted mutual understanding on great issues of common interest and practical cooperation in different areas. I send my regards to President Reagan and to Mrs. Reagan, who is so attentive to him in his illness."
(The rest of the message cane be found here: UDIENZA AL PRESIDENTE DEGLI STATI UNITI D’AMERICA, S.E. IL SIGNOR GEORGE WALKER BUSH , 04.06.2004)
Here is Mr. Lawler speculation:
- "Do you read that remark as a sign of special affection for President Reagan? I do.
"Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I admit that I'm biased. I worked for Ronald Reagan's election, and I was honored to serve on his inaugural committee. And maybe I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for Reagan this weekend, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day offensive, and remember his magnificent speech in Normandy (in my view, Peggy Noonan's best speechwriting effort) on the same date in 1984.
"But keep in mind that when John Paul II was elected to the papacy, Jimmy Carter was President. The Pope didn't mention his dealings with Carter-- or with George H. Bush or Bill Clinton.
"Friends who were there have told me that there was a special chemistry between John Paul II and Reagan. The two men genuinely enjoyed each other's company, they say. They shared many traits in common-- notably including their remarkable skill as communicators.
"That was years ago, when Pope John Paul was still a vigorous, athletic man. Now as he struggles with Parkinson's disease, I wonder whether he thinks of an old friend in California, suffering from through the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. In their declining years, they share something else: a humbling battle with debilitating disease. It's a poignant story, and I admit that I can't prove it's true. But that's a particular little insight that I drew from the Pope's remarks; take it for whatever it's worth!"
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Was Tolkien a Proto-Granolacon?
Yes, convincingly argues Mark Shea in Tolkien and the Sacrament of Nature, which says this:
Conservationism was initially a conservative issue. It had a chance of succeeding because it was philisophically correct in viewing man as the crown of creation. Environmentalism is doomed to fail because it incorrectly understands man as just another animal.
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Yes, convincingly argues Mark Shea in Tolkien and the Sacrament of Nature, which says this:
- "[I]t is very hard to speak about the sacredness of nature without instantly earning the reputation of a "tree-hugger" or a Gaia-worshiping pagan from many conservative Catholics. And yet, Tolkien was nothing of the kind. He was simply a Catholic who took seriously the sacramental character of the created world while steadfastly refusing to worship it."
Conservationism was initially a conservative issue. It had a chance of succeeding because it was philisophically correct in viewing man as the crown of creation. Environmentalism is doomed to fail because it incorrectly understands man as just another animal.
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On Liberalism, Modernism, Postmodernism, Antihumanism, and Much, Much More
Supremely Modern Liberals: The Unhappy & Abusive Marriage of Liberalism & Modernism by James Hitchcock
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Supremely Modern Liberals: The Unhappy & Abusive Marriage of Liberalism & Modernism by James Hitchcock
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Darwinian Paradox
From Of Pandas & Men: Roberto Rivera on Darwinism & Why We Let the Pandas Live:
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From Of Pandas & Men: Roberto Rivera on Darwinism & Why We Let the Pandas Live:
- "What it has to do with is the qualities that cause humans, alone among the millions of species on Earth, to ponder their obligations to other species. As Leon Kass pointed out in The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis, our capacity to ponder that question proves that we are not just another species."
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Friday, June 04, 2004
Novena Prayer to the Holy Spirit
In order to prepare myself for the Sacrament of Confirmation this upcoming Sunday, I've been praying this Confirmation Preparation Prayer: Novena Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
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In order to prepare myself for the Sacrament of Confirmation this upcoming Sunday, I've been praying this Confirmation Preparation Prayer: Novena Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
- Come, Spirit of Wisdom, dispose our hearts to know and value the things of heaven above the things of the earth and show us the way to salvation. Come, Spirit of Understanding, enlighten our minds to the mysteries of salvation and grant that we may come to a fuller knowledge of you. Come, Spirit of Counsel, guide us in the way of your commandments. Incline us to do good. Keep us from evil and bring us to everlasting life. Come Spirit of Courage, strengthen us in every trail and help us in our struggle against evil. Never let us be parted from you. Come, Spirit of Knowledge, help us to see beyond the passing joys of this world to the glories you have prepared for us. Come, Spirit of Piety, stir up our hearts to true holiness and love of you. May we always seek you in spirit and in truth. Come Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, teach us ever to set the Lord before us and to avoid whatever is displeasing to you. Bring us all one day to the fullness of your love. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
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Confession
I just got back from the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) to ready myself for this upcoming Sunday's Sacrament of Confirmation.
I love Confession! Rather than being a burdon, as I thought it must have been before my conversion, Confession is fantastically liberating. Contrary to the assertions of many Protestants, it is explicitly biblical (see John 20: 19-23), whereas "accepting Jesus into your heart" or "as your personal Lord and Saviour" cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.
Dave Armstrong, in his blog Cor ad cor loquitur, recently provided some valuable Thoughts on Confession by Karl Adam, Karl Keating, and G.K. Chesterton.
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I just got back from the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) to ready myself for this upcoming Sunday's Sacrament of Confirmation.
I love Confession! Rather than being a burdon, as I thought it must have been before my conversion, Confession is fantastically liberating. Contrary to the assertions of many Protestants, it is explicitly biblical (see John 20: 19-23), whereas "accepting Jesus into your heart" or "as your personal Lord and Saviour" cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.
Dave Armstrong, in his blog Cor ad cor loquitur, recently provided some valuable Thoughts on Confession by Karl Adam, Karl Keating, and G.K. Chesterton.
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One God
Re: Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? (Thanks to Gerard Serafin of A Catholic Blog for Lovers for the link).
Possibly, concludes author Jon D. Levenson, professor of Jewish studies at Harvard University. The CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, however, is quite clear in Paragraph 841 that
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Re: Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? (Thanks to Gerard Serafin of A Catholic Blog for Lovers for the link).
Possibly, concludes author Jon D. Levenson, professor of Jewish studies at Harvard University. The CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, however, is quite clear in Paragraph 841 that
- "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
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Thursday, June 03, 2004
“One day they came and asked me to speak with Muslims, that is, to do the impossible.”
from Enemy Islam. An Interview with the Bishop of Rumbek, Sudan
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from Enemy Islam. An Interview with the Bishop of Rumbek, Sudan
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Wednesday, June 02, 2004
From Pluralism to Terrorism
While the following article makes some leaps of logic, it does make a plausible assertion, that a lack of clarity in teaching and doctrine can lead to disastrous consequences: Pluralism personified.
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While the following article makes some leaps of logic, it does make a plausible assertion, that a lack of clarity in teaching and doctrine can lead to disastrous consequences: Pluralism personified.
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"Undue Burdon"
Re: Judge strikes down partial-birth abortion ban, says law places 'undue burden' on women
The judge apparently has nothing to say about the "undue burdon" the placed upon the baby when he or she is murdered. This ruling is a victory for consumerism and the "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" mentality of the West.
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Re: Judge strikes down partial-birth abortion ban, says law places 'undue burden' on women
The judge apparently has nothing to say about the "undue burdon" the placed upon the baby when he or she is murdered. This ruling is a victory for consumerism and the "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" mentality of the West.
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Infanticde
From Judge: Bush Abortion Ban Unconstitutional:
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From Judge: Bush Abortion Ban Unconstitutional:
- "[U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton] agreed with abortion rights activists that a woman's right to choose is paramount, and that it is therefore 'irrelevant' whether a fetus suffers pain..."
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"If you continue to arrest innocent Malays, we will continue to kill innocent Buddhist Thais."
Thai Muslims call for calm after Buddhist beheaded
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Thai Muslims call for calm after Buddhist beheaded
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"If suicide is a legal choice, then it is a moral option."
From ASSISTED SUICIDE GIVES MEDICAL CREDENCE TO SELF-DESTRUCTION
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From ASSISTED SUICIDE GIVES MEDICAL CREDENCE TO SELF-DESTRUCTION
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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
A Truly Disturbing Sign of the Times
ABORTION SOARS IN QUEST FOR PERFECT BABIES:
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ABORTION SOARS IN QUEST FOR PERFECT BABIES:
- "Those with conditions that can usually be corrected medically - such as deformed feet and cleft lips and palates - are instead being terminated.
"And the number of abortions of Down's syndrome babies now outstrips live births, despite the fact that those with the condition can live a long and fulfilling life."
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Unspeakable Tragedy in Buffalo, My Hometown
Re: Arraignment Delayed for North Buffalo Mom Charged with Murdering Daughter and N.Y. mother accused of killing baby had asked for help
Baby Melissa Vanderlinde-Berst, God rest your soul. Kirsten Vanderlinde, Lord have mercy on you.
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Re: Arraignment Delayed for North Buffalo Mom Charged with Murdering Daughter and N.Y. mother accused of killing baby had asked for help
Baby Melissa Vanderlinde-Berst, God rest your soul. Kirsten Vanderlinde, Lord have mercy on you.
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