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Friday, May 23, 2003

Happy Memorial Day

For us Catholics, of course, every day is pretty much a Memorial Day -- we call them Feast Days. Have a good one!

Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix
A.M.D.G.

Thursday, May 22, 2003

Well Excuse Him for Being Catholic

Cardinal Arnize's remarks about homosexuality during a Georgetown graduation ceremony draws fire.

Ed Ingebretsen, a professor of English at Georgetown and a priest in the American Catholic Church, said on Wednesday that Cardinal Arinze's remarks were in line with Catholic doctrine, but nonetheless seemed out of place at the commencement ceremony.

"These things are exactly what he's paid to say," Professor Ingebretsen said. "[But] it's a graduation; why he decided to do the pro-family thing no one seems to know."

Professor Ingebretsen said he was compelled, as a writer, to post a short apology on the email subscription list "on behalf of Catholics" for Cardinal Arinze's "insensitive remarks", which he termed "un-Christian".


Could someone please explain to me how Cardinal Arinze's remarks can be consistent with Catholic doctrine on the one hand, yet "un-Christian" on the other? What the heck are the Jesuits smoking?

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

SCOTUS Punts Sectarian Prayer Case

Last year, a California state appellate court ruled that a city council sponosored invocation in which Jesus Christ was referred to was unconstitutional. On appeal, the California Supreme Court refused to review the matter, and now the SCOTUS has done the same. That's too bad, since I believe there is sufficient case law to uphold the constitutionality of a government sponsored "sectarian" prayer/invocation (See, e.g., Marsh v. Chambers).

Monday, May 19, 2003

Lookism?!

There are apparently several pending employment lawsuits that have been filed by people who claim they were discriminated against on the basis of their attractiveness, or lack thereof. One guy is even claiming his obese appearance makes him eligible to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
With Apologies to Relapsed Catholic, From Our Bulging "Aw, Lighten Up!" Files

A supermarket chain in Denmark has withdrawn from sale sandals with the images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary on them after criticism from religious groups.

What's the "problem"? The images are on the portion of the slipper that the bottom of your foot normally covers.

SCOTUS Will Review "Vouchers Part II" Case

To a large extent, the case of Davey v. Locke may be more significant than the Cleveland vouchers case the Court ruled on last year. In Davey, the state of Washington has asserted its "Blaine Amedment" law as justification for denying a state scholarship to a college student who wanted to study theology and become a minister. "Blaine Amendments," of course, are laws that specifically prohibit a state government from directly funding any program that is religious in nature, or connected to a religious institution. Several states have these laws, including California, and they were originally fueled by widespread anti-Catholic sentiment during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although I am not confident that the SCOTUS, as a whole, will address the bigoted origins of "Blaine Amendments", I expect that individual justices like Scalia and Thomas will.