On Lying and the Media

Zenit has an interview with Archbishop Migliore, Vatican Observer to the UN concerning the media and its role in promoting the truth.

Lying is also one of the sins spoken of in the final chapter of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, which bars liars from the heavenly Jerusalem: ”Outside are… all who love falsehood” (22:15).

Lying is linked to the tragedy of sin and its perverse consequences, which have had, and continue to have, devastating effects on the lives of individuals and nations.

We need but think of the events of the past century, when aberrant ideological and political systems willfully twisted the truth and brought about the exploitation and murder of an appalling number of men and women, wiping out entire families and communities.

After experiences like these, how can we fail to be seriously concerned about lies in our own time, lies which are the framework for menacing scenarios of death in many parts of the world.

Any authentic search for peace must begin with the realization that the problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman; it is decisive for the peaceful future of our planet.

More on the Decent into Depravity

 

More on the Dutch and proposals to allow for sex with minors and animals.

Norbert DeJonge, secretary of the political party PNVD, a Dutch acronym that translates into “brotherly love, freedom and diversity,” told Cybercast News Service that there is nothing wrong with pedophilia or bestiality, the latter of which is legal in the Netherlands, as long as the child or the animal involved, demonstrate consent.

“[L]et’s take a child that isn’t able to speak. Just like an animal — even a baby is able to smile or to cry when it respectively doesn’t like something or does like something,” DeJonge said. “So the question is not whether an animal or a child can show its resent[ment] or give its consent. The question is whether the adult will notice the expression of the animal or the child and what its feelings are.”

A baby that is unable to speak.  Imagine. Once again, the slow creep of depravity and deviancy into society continues.  Sex with pre-verbal children (infants) and animals.  God help the Dutch, God help us all.

Benedict XVI and the War on Terror

From the Vatican Information Service

VATICAN CITY, JUL 23, 2006 (VIS) – At midday today, before praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims and local residents at Les Combes in the Italian region of Valle d’Aosta where he is spending a brief vacation, the Pope renewed the appeal he launched last Thursday for a cease-fire in the Middle East. 

After recalling how, following the worsening of the situation in the Middle East, he had proclaimed this Sunday as a special day of prayer and penance, inviting pastors, faithful and all believers to implore from God the gift of peace, the Holy Father said: “I forcibly renew my appeal to the conflicting parties to begin an immediate cease-fire, to allow the passage of humanitarian aid and, with the support of the international community, to seek ways to begin negotiations. 

“I take this opportunity,” he added, “to reiterate the right of the Lebanese to the integrity and sovereignty of their country, of the Israelis to live in peace in their State, and of the Palestinians to have their own free and sovereign homeland.” 

The Holy Father expressed his particular closeness to the “defenseless civilian population, unjustly involved in a conflict of which they are only victims: both those in Galilee who are forced to live in shelters, and the great multitudes of Lebanese who, once again, are seeing their country destroyed and have been forced to abandon everything to seek refuge elsewhere. 

“I raise a sorrowful prayer to God that the vast majority of people’s aspiration to peace may be realized as soon as possible, through the harmonious commitment of leaders. I also renew my appeal to all charitable organizations to bring those people the concrete _expression of shared solidarity.” 

Benedict XVI then recalled that Saturday marked the liturgical memory of St. Mary Magdalene, “the Lord’s disciple who occupies a leading role in the Gospels,” and that today is the day of St. Bridget of Sweden, “one of the patrons of Europe who lived in Rome and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.” Let us, he added, “ask her to help humanity today to create great spaces for peace, and especially to obtain from the Lord peace in that Holy Land towards which she had such profound affection and veneration.” 

“I entrust humanity entire to the power of divine love,” the Pope concluded. “And I invite everyone to pray that the beloved people of the Middle East may be capable of abandoning the path of armed conflict and of building, through the courage of dialogue, a just and lasting peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!” 

Israel on the Front Line in the War on Terrorists

 

An excellent piece by Benjamin Hetanyahu in the WSJ concerning the war for civilization being waged by Israel.

In order for the global terror network to be dismantled, its support by sovereign states must end–whether that supports comes in the form of actively perpetrating terror attacks (as in the case of Iran and the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority), providing safe havens for terror groups (as in the case of Syria) or not acting against terror groups within their borders (as is the case in Lebanon). A world in which the international community does not hold states accountable for the terrorism that emanates from within their borders is a world in which the war on terror cannot be won.

That is why any cease-fire or diplomatic effort that does not have as its objective the disarming of Hezbollah will only strengthen the forces of terror. And that is also why the world should fully support Israel in disarming Hezbollah–for Israel’s sake, for Lebanon’s sake and for the sake of our common future.

This is what the left does not understand.  The world will have to deal with the current facists just a certainly as previous facists.  The conflict in Lebanon is but one front in the war.

Huron Lighthouse

 

Here’s my destination again this weekend.

 

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Major Hezbollah Acts of Terrorism and Violence

 

From Michelle Malkin regarding Hezbollah:

* Bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia killing 19 U.S. servicemen (1996)
* Bombing of Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires killing 96 (1994)
* Bombing of Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires killing 29 (1992)
* Abduction, torture and death of CIA Station Chief in Lebanon (1985)
* Hijacking of TWA Flight 847 killing one U.S. Navy diver (1985)
* Bombing outside U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut killing 24 (1984)
* Car bombing of U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut killing 241 U.S. servicemen (1983)
*Car bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut killing 63 people, including 17 Americans (1983)
* Car bombing of French military barracks in Beirut killing 58 French paratroopers (1983)

Remember these acts of murder the next time a Hezbollah apologist appears on your TV or radio and expresses outrage with the Israeli action in Lebanon.

Ted Strickland, Pro-Abortion Candidate

 

From the Ted Strickland website and as advertised on his radio spots:

 After Ted Strickland was first reelected to Congress, he placed a plaque in his office with the following quote from Scripture:

“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”—Micah 6:8

Throughout his service as a minister, a psychologist, a professor and a Member of Congress, Ted has worked to exemplify those simple, powerful words.

Ted Strickland, candidate for the Ohio governor’s race has come out with an ad marketing his Christian upbringing and lifeview.  The spot also suggests that Ted has problems keeping a job.  Putting his employment history aside, where does Ted stand on the social issues of our day and does Ted walk humbly with God? 

I’ve sent an email to the Ted Strickland campaign requesting some clarification regarding Ted’s stand regarding various social issues including abortion, same sex “marriage,” racial preferences and tax relief for State of Ohio residents and businesses.  I’ll post any reply received, but in the meantime, I’ve done a bit to Googling to get some history on his stands.  Here’s a great site which summarizes his positions.  Regarding abortion here’s the record:

• Voted YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
• Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)
• Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
• Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
• Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
• Voted NO on funding for health providers who don’t provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
• Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)
• Voted NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
• Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)
• Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)
• Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)

I would suggest that Strickland, dispute his rhetoric, is a social liberal and not the social conservative that he would like one to conclude after listening to his religiously based ad.  His record is admittedly mixed but he supports embryonic stem cell research, and except for late term abortions, is an unapologetic pro-abortion candidate.  Expect the employment of the mask of “religion” by liberals to “sell” a candidate to become a staple tactic in the Democratic races.

I’ll post on Ted’s other issues soon.  Check back here.

Less Room for Propaganda

 

Too bad from the New York Times:

The New York Times Co. plans to narrow the size of its flagship newspaper and close a printing plant, resulting in the loss of 250 jobs, the company said in a story posted on its Web site late on Monday.

The narrower format, offset by some additional pages, will reduce the space the paper has for news by 5 percent, Executive Editor Bill Keller said in the article.

Interestingly, the article fails to mention the reason for the change which is that the paper is bleeding from loss of subscriptions.

A Theology of Unbelief

 

A theology which denies the historicity of nearly everything in the Gospels to which Chriistian life and affections and thought has been fastened for nearly two millenium…if offered to an uneducated man can produce only one of two effects. It will make him a Roman Catholic or an atheist.

C.S. Lewis, Fern Seed and Elephants (1959)

Descent into Depravity Continues

From The Hague:

A Dutch court refused Monday to ban a political party whose main goal is to lower the age of sexual consent from 16 to 12. The judge said it was the voters’ right to judge the appeal of political parties.

The party has only three known members, one of whom was convicted of molesting an 11-year-old boy in 1987. Widely dubbed the “pedophile” party, it is unlikely ever to win a seat in parliament. The group would need around 60,000 votes, and pollsters estimate it would get fewer than 1,000.

In cultures where sex is endorsed as something other than the unitive and procreative force that it is intended to be, the variety and depravity of sexual agendas will continue.  This new political party exists only to satisfy their style of sexual gratification.  Expect to see more of the same.