Ascent of the "Quasi-Catholics"

Within the context of asking who might speak for the quasi-religious in America, David Brooks in the New York Times today notes the correlation of how Catholics in America have ascended to economic prosperity by essentially becoming less committed to their faith. In reading this, Mark 8:36 immediately came to my mind.

Anaheim vs. Ottawa

I suspect this will be a ratings nightmare.

Thud

The sound I heard during the last scene of the "24" season finale. I did think for a split second, though, that Jack might jump off the cliff.

The Fat Lady is Tuning Up

I personally wasn't going to support John McCain in the GOP presidential primaries anyway, but his central role in pushing through the Senate what can only be regarded as an amnesty bill for illegal aliens, as well as his highly intemperate behavior toward anyone who disagrees with him, has got to be the beginning of the end for McCain's campaign.

Jerry Falwell Passes

An intriguing and controversial public figure he was, and who I will probably most remember as the main player in one of the most significant free-speech cases ever decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Update: Ah, the intolerant Left arises to express its, uh, condolences. How utterly predictable and sad.

Knowing What Roe v. Wade Really Means

As Ed Whelan finds, it makes a big difference on whether most Americans favor overturning this atrocity of a ruling.

Documenting "Choice"

Check out the website for this new documentary about abortion in a "pro-choice" world.

I especially found interesting a comment by a black woman in the trailer who says that abortion clinics mostly target and are located in minority communities. I think that this is probably true, as within a 1 mile radius of where I used to work in the city of Santa Ana, which has a fairly large population of Spanish speaking people, there were at least three Spanish speaking "family planning" clinics that I was aware of. (via)

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

Just as the Church welcomes back Francis Beckwith, somewhat prominent blogger Bill Cork has announced his departure and return to Seventh Day Adventism. Wonder if that will be the next stop for former disgruntled Catholic convert and now Catholic basherRod Dreher. Reading the link, logic dictates that Dreher will be leaving the Orthodox Church soon, right? Right? Bueller?

Welcome (Back) to the Party, Pal!

Looks like Francis Beckwith, who used to teach at my law school, has come back to the Church. Given his relative prominence as an academic, maybe the MSM will start talking to Dr. Beckwith about all matters Catholic rather than tired liberal heterodox yahoos like John Dominic Crossan and Fr. Richard McBrien.

Yeah, it's wishful thinking, but all things, no matter how crazy, are possible.

Update (5/5/07): Dr. Beckwith posts comments on the news of his return to the Church.

BTW, the Jimmy Akin post I link to above makes reference to a post by James White, an anti-Catholic Christian apologist who has found it necessary to publicly pooh pooh all over Dr. Beckwith's reversion. Especially worth noting about Mr. White, in case you already don't know, is that he has a sister named Patty Bonds, who is a Catholic convert and last I saw, a contributing writer to the Envoy Magazine blog.

Low Lives

The bad apples of the legal profession come shining through again with their high profile moral stupidity.

Rudy is Toast

At least as far as getting any kind of support from the socially conservative Republican Party base is concerned. The logically contradictory answers he gave to the abortion question was brutal.

BTW, what kind of a moron is Chris Matthews for asking Mitt Romney what he would say to Catholic leaders who would deny Communion to those Catholics who support abortion rights? The utter stupidity of the question, which is actually pretty normal for Matthews, was illuminated by Romney's clever response: "I don't have anything to say to them. They can do whatever the heck they want!"

Sliding Down the Slippery Slope

Lawrence v. Kansas, the Supreme Court case which basically made consensual sex of any sort a constitutional right, will forever be the Pandora's Box of Justice Anthony Kennedy. Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby provides the latest example of why this is so. (via)

Crazy People in High Places

Ed Whelan has the latest on "distressed" anti-Catholic law professor, Geoff Stone.

Will someone at the University of Chicago fire this guy already?

WTF?!

St. Ignatius of Loyola is rolling over in his grave over this:

The BBC has announced that tomorrow it will broadcast a “gay Mass” held last October at Most Holy Redeemer parish in San Francisco. Father Donal Godfrey, a Jesuit on staff at the University of San Francisco, said he was pleased the BBC is “exploring how gay people fit into the perspective of the Christian narrative.”

Godfrey told the London Daily Mail, “Being gay is not special. It's simply another gift from God who created us as rainbow people.”

Coming to America

No, not the Prince of Zamunda (dang, it's been almost 20 years!), but Christ's earthly Prime Minister.

Last "Acceptable" Bigotry in America Indeed

Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer after the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Federal ban on partial birth infanticide. (via)

College Life and Sports

The two seem to be so intertwined in our culture that when something like the Virginia Tech massacre occurs, you see reports of them in the sports section of the newspaper and ESPN.

Oh, Good Lord!

The MSM not so subtly tries its very darn best to connect the Virginia Tech murderer to the Bush Administration. (via)

Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Upheld by SCOTUS

By a narrow 5-4 vote with Justice Kennedy playing his usual role as the key swing vote.

Although today's ruling doesn't do anything to stop the senseless killing of children while they are still fully in-utero, it is something that pro-life advocates can be happy about. Small steps.

As a side note, the very short but to the pointconcurring opinion by Justice Thomas is just the latest example of why I think he, and not Scalia, is the smartest Justice on the Court.

Update (4/19): Jonathan Adler takes note of the inherent contradiction in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comments about the Court's ruling. Also note the post below Adler's regarding a possible Commerce Clause challenge to the federal PBA ban.

WMD Found in Iraq

This would probably be more widely reported in the MSM if not for the horrific events at Virginia Tech today...maybe. (h/t)

Update (4/17): Yay! The Catholic blogosphere's own version of Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell basically blames America for the VA Tech massacre.