Archbishop Chaput and Advent

Hugh Hewitt has posted an advent talk that was given at a recent prayer breakfast. Archbishop Charles Chaput must have impressed Hugh. Hugh obtained a copy of the “homily” and has posted it in its entirety on his website. Here are a few excerpts from the archbishop:

Words like “tolerance” and “consensus” are important democratic working principles. But they aren’t Christian virtues, and they should never take priority over other words like charity, justice, faith and truth, either in our personal lives or in our public choices.

Whenever you hear loud fretting about an irrational fear of an Established Church, somebody’s trying to forcereligious believers and communities out of the public discussion of issues.

Second, the American Experiment — more than any other modem state — is the product of religiously shapedconcepts and tradition. It can’t survive for long without respecting the source of that tradition. A fully secularized public life would mean policy by the powerful for the powerful because no permanent principles can exist in a morally neutral vacuum.

Finally, secularism isn’t really morally neutral. It’s actively destructive. It undermines community. It attacksthe heart of what it means to be human. It rejects the sacred while posturing itself as neutral to the sacred. Itignores the most basic questions of social purpose and personal meaning by writing them off as privateidiosyncrasies. It also just doesn ‘t work — in fact, by its nature it can’t work — as a life-giving principle for society.

And despite its own propaganda, it’s never been a natural, evolutionary, historical result of human progress.

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is the messiah of Israel, the only Son of God, the Word of God made flesh. We believe that He was born in poverty in Bethlehem in order to grow and preach God’s kingdom, and suffer, die and rise from the dead – all for the sake of our redemption, because God loves us. Christmas is a feast of love, but it’s God’s love first that makes it possible. Christmas begins our deliverance from sin and death. That’s why St. Leo the Great called it the “birthday of joy.” What begins in the stable ends in our salvation. That’s why we celebrate Christmas, and it’s the best and only reason the human heart needs.

The archbishop’s words are a good Advent reflection. Read the entire piece.

Global Warming and the Media

Here’s a congressional hearing that the MSM is not reporting. The Senate is conducting hearings on the role of the media in inducing the near panic concerning “global warming.” Don’t expect to see any mention of the hearings in your local newspaper; the MSM may not want their dirty laundry seen in public. Included in the testimony are some revealing thoughts.

“I was particularly interested in testimony by Dr. Daniel Schrag of Harvard University, who believes that manmade emissions are driving global warming. Dr. Schrag said the Kyoto Protocol is not the right approach to take and agreed it would have almost no impact on the climate even if all the nations fully complied,” Inhofe added. Currently 13 of the 15 EU nations are failing to meet the requirements of Kyoto.

Wait. I thought that the Kyoto Protocol was the answer to the problem of global warming! You mean the Bush was correct in his assessment of the value of Kyoto?
The Washington Times reports on the proceedings:

Sen. James M. Inhofe, in one of his final actions as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, yesterday held a hearing to investigate whether press accounts have “over-hyped” predictions of global warming.
“The media often fails to distinguish between predictions and what is actually being observed on the Earth today,” the Oklahoma Republican said. “Rather than focus on the hard science of global warming, the media has instead become advocates for hyping scientifically unfounded climate alarmism.”

Dan Gainor, director of the Business and Media Institute, testified that 30 years ago reporters tried to convince the public “we would all freeze to death” in a predicted new ice age.
“In more than 100 years, the major media have warned us of at least four separate climate cataclysms,” he said, adding there is a “media obsession” with former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”
Australian climate-change researcher Robert M. Carter said the press employs “Frisbee science” that is “invariably alarmist in nature.”
Naomi Oreskes, a professor of science studies at the University of California at San Diego, told the panel yesterday that while scientists still argue over the details, “there is a consensus” the climate is changing.
David Deming, a geologist at the University of Oklahoma, disagreed.
“There is no sound scientific basis for predicting future climate change with any degree of certainty,” he said. “It would be foolish to establish national energy policy on the basis of misinformation and irrational hysteria.”

Let’s see…We’re running out of oil and should deplete our supplies in the 1990’s, we’re going to freeze to death since the Earth is cooling, silicone breast implants destroy the health of women, and now? Well of course the Earth is warming at an alarming rate and we need to junk our cars and ruin our economy to prevent cataclysmic disaster. Yea right.

Addendum: Download “SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO DEBUNKING GLOBAL WARMING”

Iraq Study Group: “Can’t We All Just Get Along?”

We’ve waited for months for this?  Take note.  The Iraq Study Group has released their report, the work of dozens of individuals lead by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.  I don’t think there was a military man included in the core group.  What a mess this thing is.  My grade school kids have deeper thoughts on their book reports.  The report has a flare for stating the obvious.  They take a child-like attitude regarding those promoting the violence in the region. 

The policies and actions of Iraq’s neighbors greatly affect its stability and prosperity. No country in the region will benefit in the long term from a chaotic Iraq. Yet Iraq’s neighbors are not doing enough to help Iraq achieve stability. Some are undercutting stability.

The United States should immediately launch a new diplomatic offensive to build an international consensus for stability in Iraq and the region. This diplomatic effort should include every country that has an interest in avoiding a chaotic Iraq, including all of Iraq’s neighbors. Iraq’s neighbors and key states in and outside the region should form a support group toreinforce security and national reconciliation within Iraq, neither of which Iraq can achieve on its own.

The Iraqi government should accelerate assuming responsibility for Iraqi security by increasing the number and quality of Iraqi Army brigades. While this process is under way, and to facilitate it, the United States should significantly increase the number of U.S. military personnel, including combat troops, imbedded in and supporting Iraqi Army units. As these actions proceed, U.S. combat forces could begin to move out of Iraq.

What an amazing waste of time.  The group seems to be most proud of the fact that they reached a consensus.

“We reached a consensus, which in itself is remarkable.”

What is remarkable is that this report brings us no closer to peace in the region and resolution to the conflict.