Mark,
I for one will really miss you while you're away writing your book. I will indeed keep you and your family in my prayers.
Mark,
Blessings to you and yours. You will be greatly missed, but I look forward to reading your book when it comes out. Thanks for all your contributions to the Body of Christ.
Ok so we pray for God to give you the wisdom required to finish and the speed to get it done quickly. That takes the time we usually spend here and gets you back faster... Right?
Dang, I'm sorry to hear it -- though of course I wish you well with the book!
I don't know how you find the time to write so many posts to your blog Mark...I hardly have enough time to just read them.
When you come back you should try to keep it down to just the 4 or 5 best posts per day. It might help you with your time management.
Happy Advent, begins tomorrow! This will be my first Christmas since coming back to the Church! I'm excited that the liturgical cycle begins anew this year and I'll be able to study and follow it from the beginning. Can't wait.
I also apologize to any and all I've offended, insulted, irritated, or otherwise ticked off. Even Chris Sullivan.
Prayers and best wishes for your book, Mark.
I agree with BillyHW on the amount of posting you do - I suggested several months ago that you keep to 8 or 10 topics, because we just don't get the time to check them, and with the more complex issues on some, to make a valid contribution via comment.
No wonder you grow a beard - you just don't have time to shave 
Or is that just to look more Chestertonian?
BTW, a can-kick is on the way.
aw, rats. Write quickly, OK? write well, but quickly
you're my first stop in blogdom.... sigh. Now I'll have to find another first stop.
SB
If the book is anything like your article in crisis, I can't wait for it! May Our Lord give you the grace and stamina to complete a wonderful tribute to Our Lady. Look forward to stopping by your blogspot when you get back.
What they all said.
Nice to be in such good company, great minds think alike, birds of a feather and all that.
Mark, you've got my prayers. Now go love your family offline.
God bless ya, Mark!
Go if you must Mark, but could you post your phone number here on the Blog in case anything exciting and/or interesting happens while you are gone and we want to get your take on it?
Makes perfect sense. Always tough to squeeze a few more minutes into a 24-hour day. May the Spirit continue to guide your typing fingers and move you further back here soon.
you will be missed...
however, a suggestion: how about letting somebody guest-blog like you did last time?
I'll miss you, Mark, but your reasons for taking a break are very understandable. I hope your book comes out well, and be sure to have some good times with your family!
Hey, do you think you could have Elliot Bougis (I hope I spelt his name correctly) fill in for you? I liked reading his stuff when you took your last break. (You know, I get most of my knowledge about current events from this blog. Without reading entries from Mark or a fill-in, I'll be in the dark about what's going on in the world and what I, as a Catholic, should be pissed off and concerned about.)
God bless,
Godspeed, Mark
Advent like Lent is also a time of preparation, and we can all take this break to ready our hearts for the coming of our Savior.
Let's all pray for each other, to build up the Body of Christ, His Church.
We'll miss you Mark! In your absence, I will attempt to say in my blog exactly what you would have said on a given day. Except of course I will say it in a more clerical manner. I am also changing my name to Fr. Mark Shea so that I can rename my blog "Catholic and Loving it", or something similar.
JonathanR,
I doubt Mark will do it. If he has a guest blogger, he'll have to keep tabs on him (or her) and probably on the comments as well. That too would distract him from his book.
Jennifer,
Unfortunately Elliot has done the same thing as Mark!
May God be with you as you complete your project. I have been wondering myself about all the time I spend peeking through blogs and I cannot imagine how much time you spend at it. Good decision and, while we'll miss you, you'll have our prayers.
And I'll give you and me a Christmas gift by finally buying those books of yours that I have been considering for a while.
I wish you well. Forgiveness accepted as I certainly have need of it.
Write well, Mark, that's a book I'd love to read (and buy).
Mark,
May God use your hiatus to increase your productivity, as it will almost certainly increase mine. Funny I was just reading in John of the Cross's Ascent of Mt. Carmel that those who feel themselves drawn to prayer should take their eyes off the things of this world as much as is possible so that they can be more mindful of God. (On the correct premise that the mind cannot attach itself simultaneously to what is and is not God). May God speed your flight up Mt. Carmel as well as your progress on your book.
Mark,
You will be missed.
May the Holy Spirit guide you in writing about the Virgin Mary.
Thomas
"I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
Don't put on the ring! In addition to its more well known evils, it causes writer's block. Make it a short very productive and "natural" absence.
Peace to youa nd blessings on the endeavor.
Mark:
I second the motion of having you nominate a stand-in.
The good man who ran Traditional Catholic Reflections at one point decided to "retire" but agreed to set up a "read-only" archive.
His many supporter used this as a "bait-and-switch" to eventually reactivate the site and get him back in the swing.
Yo, Troops!!
Let's lauch a Draft Shea camopaign, so as to assure that he will indeed return to his blog apostolate.
In the meantime, I will, in my increasingly gratifyingly less "liberal" parish (St. Joan of Arc in Toronto) emulate Mark Shea as the resident Chestertonian and general purpose Catholic intellectual wise-ass.
But now I, as an IT contractor, will have find some other venue to advance my theory that the historical St. Joseph was not merely a village carpenter, but, of economic necessity, would have had to been in the building trades as a carpentry sub-contractor, putting up with problematic clients and project managers, scope creep and fuzzy requirements, deadlines, deliverables, milstones and dependencies, issuing invoices and hustling the next contract.
In other words: St. Joseph the Worker - yes, but also St. Joseph the Consultant.
With Mark gone (even if temporarily) who can I enlist as postulant in this worthy cause?
Mark - you'll be back.
God bless you, your family and your endeavors. I understand completely. Since we've been parents of two toddler boys, especially since the baby is now walking, I barely have time to skim headlines a few times a week, much less get into the Catholic morality on economics and the poor.
In Christ,
Peggy
Mr. Shea,
I have enjoyed your blog since I have discovered it (via www.canonlaw.info). Your words are clear and charming. As priest of your own "domestic church", it is time to tend to your immediate flock. "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
I'll miss the blog. Hope the book comes along well.
God Bless
Mr. Shea,
I have been blessed more than you know through this blog and look forward to the day when you have the time to invest in it again. I, too, have been putting off things regarding this blog; namely, throwing some money your way. So, I am taking this opportunity to follow your lead and do what I have been avoiding. May God grant you and your family every blessing.
Thank you for all that you do,
Where will I go now? All my other bookmarks mean nothing! I will greatly miss the best blog ever! Looking forward to the book.
Mark,
I'll miss your wit, humor and insight - but like so many others, I support your decision 110%. Just be sure to let us know where we can buy your book when it's done!
My prayers are with you, and may the peace and blessings of Christ be with you always.
Godspeed -- you will be missed, but the Holy Spirit has higher precedence than your readers!
'thann
HRE Marcus:
The parish of St. Charles Borromeo will be so happy to learn that you are getting around to the great work on the BVM, the outline of which you so glibly and graciously shared with us last May Day. Be assured of our prayers for you in this most holy endeavor.
And folks: my guess is that he won't be gone that long. He already has done such tremendous work on this topic, the book will write itself, under the inspiration of Her gaze and example and intercession.
Best wishes on the book. Do your best!
Sorry, that was supposed to be a sad face, not a mad face.
I'll miss your blog while you're gone.
Same here.
Now what am I going to do when I'm supposed to be working? You and all the commenters who frequent these parts always give me plenty to think about.
Looking forward to the book.
Good luck with the book! Am very much looking forward to it.
Mark, are you done with the book yet? Can you come back now? It's been 2 days too long!
Publius,
Elliot's taking a break as well? What's this world coming to? Ha!
Fr. Matthew "Shea,"
Your post to Mark made me laugh! I'll have to stop by your blog sometime.
God bless,
Good luck Mark, and thank YOU for the great stuff I've been feeding on. :D
May God bless your project, your family and all your endeavors!
I suspect Mr. Shea will not disappear completely from cyberspace. Like me I don't think he can keep a thought about our religion to himself once it has occurred to him, and I recall much mitigation of his blogging fast last Lent in other fora. I look forward to future spirited exchanges, and trust the BVM won't mind.
Mark,
Ugghh!--I did it again ... I emailed you with a link before reading your request not to do so. Stoopid, stoopid!
Best of success with your book and (far more importantly) taking care of your family.
Mark,
You are right to put your family first.
Good luck with your book. I will keep you in my prayers.
May you find the one about whom you write. May she guide your work and lead you into her kingdom of love and peace.
God Bless
fenwick.
Try Publius
Hey Mark, I will miss reading you on a daily basis, but I am looking forward to your book! May our Blessed Mother bless your efforts so that this work will be a great gift to our Church.
My friend searches far,
On misty narrow mountain paths,
For our heart's true home.
I wish you success in your writing and a speedy return to your blog. In the meantime, I hope you'll have time to keeping reading mine.
Good luck, Mr. Shea, and I look forward to seeing you again.
Mark,
I add my 2 cents worth in support of those who have suggested less items posted on CAEI.
Perhaps if you posted more items on the faith and less on culture and politics then we might lean more and argue less ?
God Bless
Ite in pacem ad munerem.
It's quite okay Mark... in 50 to 100 years from now you will have plenty of time to get to know "many" of us better.
In the meantime, and much more importantly, it's now obviously the time for you to honor Our Lady... and to do your "best" to make her more loved and better known throughout the world.
So, hey Mark, no major pressure, but I'm sure her Son will be watching what you write very closely!!! [wink]
Peace be with you my friend...
==
ED
Good luck with your book Bilbo Baggins
Hooray! A new Shea book!
Thanks Mark - I'll miss your insight but I'll probably get more work done too . Can we pre-order?
Mark,
I'm really going to miss reading your blog! "CAEI" and "Church of the Masses" are my regular blog stops. Thank you so much not only for taking the time to write all that you have, but especially for being willing to listen to others' comments, and even say "I blew it and I'm sorry" out loud. I have learned a lot on this blog, and enjoyed the cyber-fellowship, as well.
That being said, way to go on dropping something you enjoy in order to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit! God's grace fill you with all you need to do His will.
(I really would send money, except that I'm a horribly poor grad student at the moment. As soon as that changes, I'll send something your way.)
Grace,
Jeepers! I go away for a couple of days and look what happens.
Trust me on this, you'll have withdrawls for a few weeks, but once that's over it'll be ok...
Take care of the kiddoos first and if I win the lotto I'll but yur tin cup.
Thank you for your fantastic coverage of political and church related events. I'd read your blog before I'd read CNN or Fox News. Thank you.
Arrgh! I keep stopping by to see if Mark might just change his mind. I do miss this blog. Godspeed and bless your book work.
Quite right, Mark. Your first responsibility is to the family. This will be an opportunity for the regulars to get out and about more, and discover other blogs.
All the best to you & your work Mark. Your ministry has taught me so much! I'll pray for you & I can not wait to read this new book!
He's had three days to finish that book! I thought for sure he'd be back by now!
Godspeed, laddie!
Mark, return as soon as possible. Your witty little notes and comments, though sour to some, are sweet me: even when you are being sarcastic, I can see the love of Christ, a zeal for Truth, informing your words. You may or may not recall that I converted to Christianity, in part, because of you and writers like you: the good Lord does more work through you than you know.
BTW, the truth is that I have not explored many other Catholic blogs. Would anyone be willing to recommend a blog or two I could frequent in this CAEI-ian interim?
Thanks,
Margo
Margo, scroll down the left-hand margin of Mark's blog. There are some very good Catholic blogs there. Mark doesn't separate them into categories so though, but you probabaly will recognize many of the folks who run the ones like Mark's blog. Maybe start with these:
Heart, Mind & Strength
Envoy Encore
Jimmy Akin's blog (jimmyakin.org)
Amy Welborn
You're bound to fins a few that you'll like.
Also, check the homepages of folks who've been lamenting above. There are some really great blogs run by Mark's readers! Some are online journals or personal websites while others are actual blogs that might focus more on faith or politics & culture or all of the above. Happy hunting!
Mark,
I love your style of writing. Although you will not be blogging, I console myself with the fact that there will be another hard-copy writing of Mark Shea's to cherish, along with your book on the Eucharist and your book on Tradition. (I guess I ought to buy the "Making Senses out of Scripture" book before you finish the Marian book!)
We'll miss you, and eagerly anticipate your return!
Hurry up and write that book, Mark! Not only do I want to see you back here, I'm realllly curious about the book. As a former evangelical, I really want to learn more about how to deepen my relationship with the Holy Mother.
Write well!
Gene,
Thank you!
Mark,
I'll carry on your tradition in the interim, as best I can.
Have you considered posting just a few times a week? You could feed your habit as well as ours, then, without making it a major time commitment. And it would give you a chance to consider blogrolling me, too.
+J.M.J+
Hope you return soon, there's a lot happening while you're gone. Like a planned Broadway musical called "Spamalot" based on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". See:
http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/
In Jesu et Maria,
Mark,
A good show all around. Thanks for being a bit of a foster father for the plucky greener bloggers. If you want to interview a fabulous and faithful couple from Fort Worth Fundamentalism that converted after struggling with their understanding of Mary, e-mail me. They are a fabulous couple with a great sense of humor and would love to help.
Mark,
If you were blogging, I would ask you for a plug!
http://www.margaretsanger.blogspot.com/
Whoops! Until I saw your page, I thought your were the DEFEND Abortion guy! A felicitous error.
Sad to see you go. Do come back now, y'hear.
By the way, I should mention that if anyone wants to continue checking a somewhat humorous, somewhat biting, somewhat conservative, and whats-what Roman Catholic they should go to Down to the Piraeus and bookmark it. Posts are regular, the conversation ranges from fun to fiery and it is designed and engineered for your reading pleasure and enrichment.
Click on the hyperlink for "Homepage" below.
Okay. Is the book done yet?
Okay. Is the book done yet?
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Oh, uh... I mean,
Is the book done yet?
Is the book done yet?
How are we going to know when you're back?
Maybe someone can hack into Mark's blog and change the name to "Beans up our noses, and Enjoying It!". Then we can just merrily chat about whatever in his comments boxes.
For example, the luster is starting to show a little wear on the Steelers rookie QB but Big Ben is still coming through in the clutch and winning. We may be heading for a Pittsburgh/New England rematch in the AFC Championship game. Naturally the Colts (i.e. Manning and the Pips) may have something to say about that, and the Chargers are playing well now also.
The NFC is basically an exhibition season for the Eagles now. The only team I see beating them in the NFC is themselves.
Jon, that's *funny*! Not a bad idea....the rest of us hang around together in cybertime/space while waiting for Mark to return...
Sporting update.
Our All Blacks (Rugby) returned last week from a triumphal tour of the Northern hemisphere - soundly beating Italy, a close victory over the Welsh, and soundly thrashing the much vaunted French on their home turf in Paris. Then a clean sweap beating the Barbarians - a combo of Aussie, South African, a couple of ex All Blacks and I think Italian players - convincingly.
We're currently locked in mortal combat with our trans-Tasman brothers, the Aussies, in cricket - they flogged us in the Test matches, but we're one up in the three game series, game two starting as I type, in Sydney.
I presume you guys in America are presently following your football as well.
That's the tree game series of one day matches - test matches last 5 days.
Only the English could invent such a game
Grrrr...
THREE game series...
anyone would think I'm Eyerush -
I mean Irish
Are there actually rules to Rugby?
(Ducking for cover...)
Mark.
You deserve a severe beating.
You're in Texas aren't you? They play rugby somewhere in the Lone Star state, but don't ask me where
Haven't checked here for a while. It's been interesting to see what folks are discussing in this Mark-less thread.
Rugby. Ah, yes. Rugby - the sport of, well, Rugby College in the UK - um, it's been said that rugby is a ruffian's sport played by gentlemen while soccer is a gentleman's sport played by ruffians. Rather makes sense, that. (Where's our friend Gerard E. when we need him?!)
At a college party once I saw 2 rugby players, drunk out of their minds, head butt each other so hard - I reckon it's a rugby thing to do - that one of the fellas had to shake his head to get his eyes to focus again!
See . . . this is why I follow baseball!
Beans in our Noses, and Enjoying It.
That's great.
Of course, as has been suggested above, you could also look at other blogs in the meantime, what with diversity being so important and all.
HMS is good, as is Little Jimmy Akin.
I'm trying, as well. Check me out at lensoffaith.blogspot.com - I'd really like to know what you all think of my post on families who celebrate their last child for being last, and freeing them from the bonds of parenthood.
Mark may be gone, but the legend lives on, through a comments section that is still active for nearly two weeks after announcing his hiatus. As his followers are left stranded in the blogosphere, prayers and fasting are in order.
Hurry up and finish the darn book, Mark. I don't know how long these folks can hold out. And while you're at it, I can still remember the fun we had when I breezed into Seattle two years ago. Blessings of the season to you and yours.
Now, the rest of you -- don't you have some shopping to do?
Mike E.
Are you related to Gerard E.?
Gene.
Having watched some Baseball and the antics of some of the players, they don't differ much from rugby players.But rugby players don't wear protective clothing (apart from the VITAL are), so it is generally looked on as a hard physical game for real men 
. And yes, a degree of consumption of the amber fluid occurs in either celebration or commiseration, usually shared by both teams together. And of course,when I was young and a fine player of the game, we never imbibed to the extent that you sugest rugby players do - Yeah, right!!
"the luster is starting to show a little wear on the Steelers rookie QB but Big Ben is still coming through in the clutch and winning. We may be heading for a Pittsburgh/New England rematch in the AFC Championship game. Naturally the Colts (i.e. Manning and the Pips) may have something to say about that, and the Chargers are playing well now also."
Um, is this some kind of sports fan code?
No, Don, Mike E. and your humble scribbler do not share genetic codes- but flattered by the comparison. Meanwhile in sports- amused to hear that the Rev. Father Malloy was not pleased by the ouster of Tyrone Willingham as ND football coach. Well hey Father, why didn't you put your foot down and tell boosters/subway alums/AD Kevin White that we honor contracts at this joint and Tyrone's our coach and that's that? Messy, messy. Guess they'll have to settle for some poor soul- like ND alum/Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Tom Clements. On the pro side- wonderful year to be an Iggles fan. Not just for Sunday's 30-point pasting of Green Bay Packers. But sad state of NFC as a whole- Bears coach Lovie Smith, presiding over QB of The Week Policy, proclaiming his team as a playoff contender? The hated (around here) Dallas Cowboys, slouching toward season's end with a 41-year-old QB? The NFC West, where the Rams and Seahawks are competing to stay home after New Year's Day? Oy. Happy trails.
Gerard E.
Your Iggles are doing very well this year. I'm also enjoying their success a bit because I have McNabb on my fantasy football team. Perhaps there will be an all-Pennsylvania SuperBowl between your Iggles and my Stillers. I'm sure the "rematch" would be another good game.
Cheers,
Don-
That must be something they do down in Austin. There's lots of strange things goin' on down there. Still, compared to Australian Rules Football, rugby makes a lot of sense.
Mark
[You can't even read about college football without running into a Klansman. The author's name and email address are above FYI.]
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such chief elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms … To all of those wringing their hands and shaking their fists in the air at the idea that Notre Dame somehow is now only interested in winning, making money and other things associated with big-time college athletics while betraying the school's core principles, do a little research on the history of the Catholic church. In fact, the ruthlessness and greed provides the exact model needed to create a big-time college football powerhouse."
Hilary.
Yes, its the "Invinci(ble) Code"
as opposed to the "Da Vinci Code", as all sports lovers know - the former making a lot more sense than the latter.
And BTW, Rugby is the game that's played in Heaven
When they're not playnig harps, that is.
Mark.
You're correct.
Aussie Rules is based on Gaelic football, but with the oval ball rather than the round ball.
Gimme Rugby anyday - even gridiron is easier to follow.
mark, come back as soon as you can. i need evidence that there are catholics somewhere still 'enjoying it.'
blessings.
Mark,
Sorry to hear we'll be missing your blog--but very glad to hear about your book. I logged on to try to find a copy of your latest Crisis article about Mary, since my daughter just threw up on it and my husband hadn't read it yet. Thanks for all your hard work and God bless!
Justine
Persecution, Kidnapping and Forced Conversions of Christians in Egypt
by Robert Spencer
Posted Dec 9, 2004
The latest outrage in Egypt has been, like all the others, almost universally ignored by the international media and human rights groups. Wafaa Constantine Messiha, wife of a Coptic priest in Egypt, was abducted by jihadist Muslims and forced to convert to Islam. The Mubarak regime has done nothing. This is no isolated incident: Wilfred Wong of the Jubilee Campaign, a Christian human rights group, notes that "the attempts to force Christians to convert to Islam in Egypt are on the increase and the methods are getting increasingly varied and well organized. Some of these forced conversions are carried out by Muslim individuals, with the help of their friends, while others are being conducted by well funded groups."
The situation has gotten so bad for Copts in Egypt that Pope Shenouda III, the leader of the Coptic Church, recently spoke out boldly about one common method of abduction and forced conversion: "I have received so many letters about what's happening to the Christian girls who go to supermarket stores to shop. At the store they tell them that they have won and have to go upstairs to receive their award or prize. After that we don't know what's happening to these girls upstairs. There is a lot of talking going on about this matter, and I see that what's happening will create a religious clash in the country. I'm urging the police to take a serious action against what's happening."
But the police did nothing, and the Copts are getting increasingly fed up. According to Emil Zaki of the U.S. Copts Association, "The situation in Egypt is exploding every minute for the last three days. Muslims are regularly attacking Copts, and they kidnapped the wife of a priest to force her to convert to Islam." Three thousand demonstrators gathered last Sunday and Monday in four Egyptian provinces to protest the Mubarak regime's inaction in the Wafaa Constantine Messiha case and its general indifference to the persecution of the Copts. Says Michael Meunier, president of the U.S. Copts Association: "Mubarak's regime has not only ignored, but in many cases contributed to the alarming increase in anti-Coptic violence."
Actions against Christians not only in Egypt, but all over the Middle East, are usually ascribed these days to anti-U.S. sentiment in the wake of the invasion of Iraq -- when they're reported at all. But such incidents are far older than the U.S. presence in Iraq; they have been going on for decades, even centuries. According to the Jubilee Campaign, in the late 1990s Coptic Christians uncovered evidence of houses in which "different teams of Muslims were working to pressure or force Christians to convert to Islam." They found "a very organized and systematic approach by these Muslims to waylaying and forcing Egyptian Christians to convert to Islam."
(continued)
This is just one manifestation of the discrimination and harassment that Christians and other non-Muslims still face all over the Islamic world. Even though the laws of many Muslim-majority nations guarantee equality of rights and freedom of conscience, in practice Christians face discrimination and harassment -- and even, on occasion, penalties derived from Sharia, Islamic law. Sometimes the secular law gives way to Sharia even if Sharia is not on the books. One notorious example was the case of Robert Hussein Qambar Ali, a Kuwaiti who converted from Islam to Christianity in the 1990s. He was arrested and tried for apostasy, even though the Kuwaiti Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion and says nothing about the traditional Islamic prohibition on conversion to another faith. One of Hussein's prosecutors explained: "With grief I have to say that our criminal law does not include a penalty for apostasy. The fact is that the legislature, in our humble opinion, cannot enforce a penalty for apostasy any more or less than what our Allah and his messenger have decreed. The ones who will make the decision about his apostasy are: our Book, the Sunna, the agreement of the prophets and their legislation given by Allah."
As Islamic radicalism increases, Muslims grow increasingly less tolerant toward their non-Muslim neighbors. But the world continues to take no notice, either of poor Wafaa Constantine Messiha or of the larger situation. The "white man's burden" of colonial days has now been reversed, such that in the conceptual framework of the UN and the international media, only Westerners can do evil, and Christians cannot possibly play the role of victim. The sooner the world casts off these blinkered Chomskyite/Saidist fantasies, the better off we'll all be.
OK to civil unions makes "sad day" for New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand, Dec. 10 (CNA/CWNews.com) - WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Dec. 10, 2004 (CNA) - With the passage of the Civil Union Bill into law today in New Zealand, the pro-family group Family Life International New Zealand called it a "sad day" for the country and said that the parliamentary decision "makes an absolute mockery of due democratic process and will have many negative implications for future generations."
The group said, "Because of the drastic changes that this law will bring about, those who proposed this legislation had the obligation to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it will not be detrimental to traditional marriage, the foundational relationship of all healthy and thriving societies."
It continued, "Instead of satisfying this obligation the supporters of this legislation set about a campaign of miscommunication in regards to the actual design and implications of this bill, by falsely claiming that it would grant legal rights that it simply does not grant."
FLI-NZ said that the Select Committee ignored or dismissed the thousands of submissions opposing the law as either homophobic or plagiarized copies of previous submissions. By doing so the committee "displayed nothing but totalitarian contempt for proper democratic process and the people of this country who made a conscientious effort to have their voice heard."
Family Life said that the accusations of "bigoted fundamentalist Christian" leveled at opponents of the bill by many Members of Parliament were "nothing more then a vitriolic smokescreen that has been used to avoid answering important questions and to ignore genuine concerns about civil union legislation."
"There will be four victims in the wake of the new Civil Union law," said Family Life:
"Homosexual people wishing to extract themselves from the gay lifestyle.
Traditional marriage: This law devalues the foundational relationship of any healthy and socially prosperous society by setting up a counterfeit version of marriage which studies have shown to last an average of 2 years.
Future generations of New Zealanders, many of whom will without doubt find themselves the children of homosexual parents.
New Zealand society: All of the once great societies who have long since passed away have the erosion and blurring of the traditional family as one of the major reasons for their downfall."
The statement concludes with a call to all New Zealanders concerned about traditional and moral values to use their vote at the next General Election to support politicians with similar concerns "ahead of morally, democratically, and socially bankrupt minority agendas."
Yop!
It is indeed a sad day for NZ.
There is a growing groundswell of resentment against this current government for its social manipulation and experimentation over the past few years, including the recent Prostitution Reform Bill, which legalizes prostitution, and - amazingly for a left wing feminist government - enshrines in law and extends the abuse of women.
The Ministers of this current Labour Government include at least 4 homosexual ministers, 2 Marxist left wing ministers, and 3 who wish to legalise marijuana and other drugs.
The vast majority of Kiwis were against this Civil Unions Bill, and many are now complaining that their Labour Members of Parliament (MP's) are voting, on a concience vote - which advances their own personal agendas rather than the wishes of their constituents, which, as elected members in the House of Representatives, their voting is supposed to reflect.
And our MMP proportional electoral system is being abused by those members who have been appointed by their parties rather than by the voters, and consequently claim no liability to vote according to the wishes of the people.
Democracy is shrinking in this country - a change of government is inevitable next November.
GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark Shea is no LONGER A BLOGGGER?
Have you lost your senses son? Or do you need a quality jar of guava jelly and Cuban Coffee and some more Florida food you cannot obtain elsewhere?
I have multi-tasking skills. I can blog and write a book.
Last one to finish owes me and the nearest church all of all the Florida food they can eat.
Best wishes and have a holy laugh.
Jeanne in Florida "who else"
Ps. Does this mean I can take over thy spot or does that still go to Amy W, the chief of blogs!
I say we keep Mark Shea on the map by keeping this thread alive until it becomes the longest thread in blogger history? What do you say, guys? Guys? Hellllo?
Odd, isn't it, Don? Here in Nevada, where prostitution is legal (keeps it "safe" you know - whatever that truely means), I've heard a feminist sentiment that the legalization of same is actually "empowering" to women! Somebody needs to 'splain me that one. Guess to some, sex is power. Whodathunkit?
"Guess to some, sex is power. Whodathunkit?"
It is, isn't it? But like any power you can use it well or badly.
I wonder if the post 6 up .."a sad day for NZ" is Mark, being unable to resist.
Gene.
How prostitution is empowering escapes me. A woman (generally) selling her body, to me, is enslavement, and perpetuates the sexual abuse of women.
And in a secular sense sex may be percieved as power, but this is a corruption and perversion of the true purpose of sex.
Downto.
Everyone needs to just keep commenting - last year over a weekend when Mark was away for a few days, we hit 216 comments IIRC.
Go for it, team! 
How do you do the thumbs up sign?
You do the thumbs up sign like this:
Sorry, couldn't resist. Type the following without spaces between the characters:
: + :
Jon,
Thanks.
Keep it going folks...
Yip yip yip yahoo. ND found its football coach- Charlie Weis, class of '78. But decidedly on his own terms- 6-year deal at $2M per, can hire his own staff while he wraps up his old job with Super Bowl Champeens New England Patriots (who will go down hard at the hands of my Iggles at the upcoming classic in Jacksonville. But I digress....) But the spin is that at least Charlie's a Notre Dame man. Who made all the right noises yesterday about retiring in South Bend. Been there twice- outside of the university, not too exciting....
Does anyone find it obscene that a college football coach makes $2mil a year? I guess I just don't understand.
I'm just posting here for the hell of it. I have nothing to say.
"who will go down hard at the hands of my Iggles at the upcoming classic in Jacksonville. But I digress..."
Gerard E.
I wish your Iggles the best of luck in the NFC playoffs. However, I feel compelled to point out that the Iggles won't be taking out the Pats in Jacksonville. My Stillers will be doing that (again!) a couple of weeks earlier.
Cheers,
Eagles, Steelers, Pats. All fodder for the Colts.
Forget the Colts. This year, it's about the Bolts (SD).
Ben (Jim)
So.....what's new?
(ducking for cover)
BTW Ben
How's your little girl?
My grandson is a real bruiser.
(For the benefit of all, Jim & Rosemarie's little girl was born a day after my grandson, back in January
- something in common to celebrate, even half a world away.
As a point of interest, my second son had a daughter (his second) while I was away in Russia, and my daughter is due in June to have her second child.
Gotta keep them Catholics sprouting
+J.M.J+
Don(Kiwi): Charity is fine, thank you. She's trying to stand, pulling herself up on the side of the crib. So far everything seems to be going well with her, thank God.
Somewhere up above, David L Alexander writes:
>>>Now, the rest of you -- don't you have some shopping to do?
Not really, I like to do my Christmas shopping earlier in the year so I can relax during December and appreciate Advent. When I was in college I heard my roommates talking about how much they hated Christmas because all the shopping was so hectic and wore them out! I vowed that would never happen to me.
One minor drawback to early Christmas shopping is that you have to store everything somewhere until December, and there is always the possibility something will be misplaced. This unfortunately seems to have occurred this year; I can't find three little gifts. But I'm praying to St. Anthony and still have a few places to look, so I'm hopeful. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated. God bless all.
In Jesu et Maria,
Mark,
COME BACK!!!
And with that I throw in my two cents (also thereby extending this thread.)
LATIN LOVERS (uh... I mean lovers of the Latin language, the lingua vitae.)
I'm a Canuck teacher up north, teaching English and religion in a Catholic school. I'm trying to sweet-talk my principal into letting me teach high-school Latin. Any of y'all teachers? Specifially in a school that offers Latin? You don't have to teach it yourself, I'm just looking for some testimonials aobut how well it is received.
Thanks.
-Stefan
Does anyone know when the Church adopted the liturgical calendar that we use today?
I was listening to some program the other day talking about the origins of Christmas such as choosing Dec 25th, tie-ins to the winter solstice, pagan worship etc.
Non-Catholics don't have a clue about the liturgical year celebrated in the Church and the large number of feast days and other special celebrations we hold beyond Christmas and Easter.
I thought I would throw this out to thinking Catholics:
I am extending the blog by inaugurating a discussion of the Pro-life march in Washington DC this winter. I want to set up an educational node at the march directing people to go pressure their Senators and Congressmen to restrict the Supreme Courts jurisdiction. Every year the protestors march up to the supreme court and pray and chant etc. The SC is THE federal body designed to be unaffected by protest or the will of the people. We need to push the buttons of the legislatures who love the fact that we get angry at the SC when the legislature actually has the power to stop the whole thing with an up or down majority vote.
Hiyall - I just want to put in my two cents and not about baseball or rugby.
Mark I will be praying for you and your family. Also I could send a few bucks your way for a merrier Christmas. Please write a good book ok.
Much love and respect,
Hannah
Nice to come back and find *more* comments How many comments can a comment box hold w/o imploding?
Margo
Last year it got up to about 216 comments on one thread.
(133)
This morning the Sapphire Princess came into port here in Tauranga. She is the largest cruise ship to come to these waters - 116,000 tons, carries 2700 passengers and 1100 crew. The entrance to Tauranga harbour is quite narrow, with a flat sandy island on the western side, and a 1000ft extinct volcano on the eastern side. What a magnificent sight it was - the ship being so big dwarfed the buildings on the shore and on the dock.
If you want, you can check it out on www.citynews.co.nz and go the the Harbour Cam - its a bit slow if you're on dial-up - maybe 1 - 2 mins.
Fourth Sunday in Advent.
The operative word today is 'Hagioi'
Anyone??
Just thought I should post something here for no reason...again.
There are five most important things a woman should do when looking for a man.
The first most important thing is to ensure that the man is hard-working, and has a reasonable income to be able to provide security and a home for her.
The second most important thing is for the man to be prepared to help around the home - help out at times with cooking, keeping the home tidy etc.
The third most important thing is that the man is kind and considerate to her, prepared to support and defend her and be strong and manly.
The fourth most important thing as that he should be a good lover - who will be tender and grant her wishes.
The fifth most important thing is that these four men should not know each other.(heard today on talk-back.)
"My friend Jack eats sugarlumps."
And then he makes video like this.
Don(Kiwi),
216?! Great!
And on the "oh-wait-that's-four-*different*-men" blurb. g'grief!
"Hagioi" - does that have anything to do with the saints? (I'm thinking 'hagiography'....?)
Anyone: Our archdiocese (St. Paul / Mpls) has begun a 4-year Evangelization Initiative, which Abp. Flynn has strongly encouraged every parish, every Catholic to take part in. My parents have been telling me about something similar beginning in the Diocese of Lansing. Is this a Midwest thing, a United States thing, or bigger...? It's part of a response to John Paul II's call re: the New Evangelization, but I'm curious how many Catholics are being called to respond in this way. Anyone know?
Peace, ~MB
Quadlib.
I can't get your link to work. But - hey - I'm 10,000 miles away - maybe its not supposed to
Margo.
Yep, you're onto it. Our new brilliant young priest in his Sunday homily explained how Paul's letter to the Romans - the 2nd reading - when he spoke about us being saints, used the Greek word 'hagioi' when he wrote his letter, which means that we are 'called to be saints'.His name is Fr. Gerard Boyce, and previously, Gerard E. has commented what a cool name he has. This young man is the epitomy of the new priesthood - orthodox,articulate and strong in their homilies, and I am honoured to be in his company.
Hey - isn't Christmans geting close.
Mass in the morning in accordance with the Pope's call for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Holy Land. I'll have to forego the beer with my brother after work ( that's why I had it this afternoon)
Don- first and foremost A Blessed Christmas to you and all y'all in NZ, particularly with Father Gerard B. Anyway- prime example of how messing with First Commandment is not a pretty sight. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth here in my City With All Its Works/Pomps over sad physical state of Mr. Terrell Eldorado Owens, pass catcher for our Phila. Iggles. Twisted ankle in horrific fashion Sunday against archfoe Dallas Cowboys. Will need surgery/large pin in affected area/much rest and rehab. Possibly interfering with Birds' travel plans to Jacksonville FL on 2/6/05 for The Big Game (NFL judicious about use of officially trademarked handle.) Triggers that easiest and most common emotion among Iggles fans- self-induced despair. But numerous other weapons at QB Donovan McNabb's disposal- first and foremost DM his own self. And rest of NFC smells putrid this season- no team in NFC West has strong desire to play after 1/3/05, for example. Anyhoo- blessed Christmas and 2005 to all y'all in St. Blog's and thanks for another fun year of communicating in cyberspace.
Gerard,
I could be wrong, but I suspect you don't need to do the sackcloth and ashes bit over TO's injury. Look on the bright side though, your Iggles are in the NFC so they won't play anyone tough until the Falcons in the NFC championship game, and even then Vick is so inconsistent that it still may not matter that Owens is out. Now if y'all were in the AFC where all the really good teams are...
On a related topic since you are an Eagles fan, I have a question I want to run by you. How much will McNabb be playing against the Rams now that the Eagles have home-field in the playoffs wrapped up? He's my star QB for my fantasy team and I have a semi-final game this week.
Thanks,
Happy Christmas to all, and all the best for the new year!
Jon- Would probably see Donovan gone by the 4th quarter. Rams are clearly playing badly enough to get Mike Martz fired. More concerned about physical nature of final regular season game on 1/2/05- against a Cincinnati Bengals team that can play toe to toe with anyone in the league. Iggles should order extra body bags for that scrum. Mr. and Mrs. Reid did not raise a fool for a football coach. Andy Reid's future has been inextricably tied to Donovan- by design- since they joined the team in 1999. Number 5 will not stay in either the Rams or Bengals' games more than absatively, posilutely necessary. Maybe- just maybe- the Iggles can slide into J'Ville without T.O. With Koy Detmer or Jeff Blake calling the signals- cue sound of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Hello and Merry Christmas to all!
Mark, I miss you too, and hope to see you back soon with a brilliant new book to flog. (or blog?)
Don (Kiwi): You said somewhere above that rugby is the sport played in heaven. I disagree; the sport in heaven will be good Canadian hockey.
(After all, it CAN'T be played in hell, can it? We all know how long it takes for hell to freeze over . . . maybe that is hell, waiting and waiting for the ice to freeze . . .)
Must go--kids are both out, so my chance to wrap some presents before Saturday.
Merry Christmas to all.
Karen.
Canadian Hockey can't be the game they play in heaven - there's unlikely to be any ice - let alone Canadians - in Heaven
(bolting out the door, hands over ears)
May our God Bless you all.
BTW
Remember that today Wednesday 22nd is the day that the Holy Father has asked all Catholics to pray and FAST for peace in the Holy Land.
God Bless.
The Denver Post
Catholic lawyers' awards create rift with archbishop
By Eric Gorski
Denver Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 21, 2004 -
Each November, members of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Colorado gather for a "Red Mass" commemorating the martyrdom of St. Thomas More, a lawyer who was beheaded in 1535 after refusing to renounce his faith to the king of England.
Next year, the fraternal organization probably will need to find a new venue and a new celebrant.
The Denver Roman Catholic Archdiocese is distancing itself from the group after its board of directors, in an emotional meeting Nov. 30, decided not to give Archbishop Charles Chaput final say on who receives its two annual awards.
Chaput made it clear to the group that he was upset that Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar was chosen in 2003 for an award named for More, said Laura Tighe, the guild's incoming president.
Salazar, a Democrat and Catholic who will become a U.S. senator next month, supports abortion rights, in conflict with church teaching.
In the end, a consensus of board members voted to seek Chaput's guidance in future award-selection processes but the group would ultimately select the winners.
"Our group felt we wanted independence," Tighe said.
"We are obviously very distinctively Catholic, but there's a great difference on how we exercise our Catholicism. We understand the ramifications of our decision, and we will go on."
Even before 2005's Red Mass, the lawyers will face some repercussions. The archdiocese has pulled Auxiliary Bishop Jose Gomez from saying Mass at the guild's annual dinner next month and told the group it could not use the archdiocese's John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization for the event, Sergio Gutierrez, the archdiocese spokesman, said.
He said it's up to individual priests whether they want to celebrate the Mass.
For the archdiocese, the issue is the responsibility of people who call themselves Catholic to defend the church's teachings in the public square, a subject Chaput has emphasized for years but with increased force in this past election year.
U.S. bishops staked out a clear position in June in Denver when they approved a statement on Catholics in public life that said the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not give "awards, honors or platforms" to Catholics "who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
Gutierrez said Chaput was less concerned with vetoing nominees than wanting a dialogue about finding people who are "true examples and authentic examples of exemplary Catholic lawyers."
"It's reasonable to expect a Catholic organization to be consistent with Catholic teaching," Gutierrez said.
Tighe said Chaput also wants the guild to take a more vocal public stance on issues dear to the church, particularly opposition to abortion and the death penalty and support for school vouchers.
But in a Dec. 13 letter to Chap
But in a Dec. 13 letter to Chaput, current guild president Terry Webber said the guild voted against that out of concerns about its tax-exempt status and the code of conduct governing judges.
Several judges, he wrote, worried about taking stands on issues that might come before them in court.
The letter concluded with hopeful words about maintaining a close relationship with the diocese.
Chaput, in a response Friday that a guild member provided to The Denver Post, wrote that the tone of the guild toward the archdiocese over the past year "has not been promising."
He concluded: "We need an organization of attorneys who will offer a vigorously Catholic witness in the public square."
The lawyers group, which is independent from the archdiocese, has a mailing list of about 125 and 20 to 30 board members. Among its past honorees for the St. Thomas More Award is Bill Ritter, the outgoing Denver district attorney.
Michael Carrigan, a guild board member and former president who was recently elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents, said the group does not look at someone's abortion position in handing out awards, and he hopes that continues.
"As a lifelong Catholic, I have come to recognize that the Catholic Church's calls for social justice encompass more than one or two issues," said Carrigan, who supports abortion rights and enthusiastically introduced Salazar at the 2003 awards.
Staff writer Eric Gorski can be reached at 303-820-1698 or egorski@denverpost.com
Historical Christian Site Said to Be Found
Tue Dec 21, 4:13 PM ET
By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer
CANA, Israel - Among the roots of ancient olive trees, archaeologists have found pieces of large stone jars of the type the Gospel says Jesus used when he turned water into wine at a Jewish wedding in the Galilee village of Cana.
AP Photo
Slideshow: Anthropology & Archaeology
They believe these could have been the same kind of vessels the Bible says Jesus used in his first miracle, and that the site where they were found could be the location of biblical Cana. But Bible scholars caution it'll be hard to obtain conclusive proof — especially since experts disagree on exactly where Cana was located.
Christian theologians attach great significance to the water-to-wine miracle at Cana. The act was not only Jesus' first miracle, but it also came at a crucial point in the early days of his public ministry — when his reputation was growing, he had just selected his disciples and was under pressure to demonstrate his divinity.
The shards were found during a salvage dig in modern-day Cana, between Nazareth and Capernaum. Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander believes the Arab town was built near the ancient village. The jar pieces date to the Roman period, when Jesus traveled in the Galilee.
"All indications from the archaeological excavations suggest that the site of the wedding was (modern-day) Cana, the site that we have been investigating," said Alexander, as she cleaned the site of mud from winter rains.
However, American archaeologists excavating a rival site several miles to the north have also found pieces of stone jars from the time of Jesus, and believe they have found biblical Cana.
Another expert, archaeologist Shimon Gibson, cast doubt on the find at modern Cana, since such vessels are not rare and it would be impossible to link a particular set of vessels to the miracle.
"Just the existence of stone vessels is not enough to prove that this is a biblical site," and more excavations are needed, he said.
Based on the shards, Alexander believes the vessels found at her site were 12 to 16 inches in diameter — or large enough to be the same type of jars described in the Gospel of John.
Other evidence that might link the site to the biblical account includes the presence of a Jewish ritual bath at the house, which shows it was a Jewish community. Locally produced pottery was used at the simple house, showing it could have been from the poor village described in the Scriptures.
Stephen Pfann, a Bible scholar in Jerusalem, said that while the American dig has generally been accepted by scholars as the true site, the shards found in modern-day Cana raise new questions.
"I think there is ample evidence that both sites are from the first century, and we need more information to correctly identify either site," Pfann said.
Alexander has be
Alexander has been digging in modern Cana since 1999.
The current find came in a last-ditch "salvage dig" before a house is built on the site. A Christian Arab family financed part of the excavation, in accordance with Israeli law, before construction can begin.
Alexander believes that with more substantial investment, the site could became a major tourist attraction and pilgrimage destination.
"We're really working very hard to save some of this site because what we do have here is a village of Jesus," she said. "And it was here that he carried out the first miracle."
20 December, 2004
SRI LANKA
Catholic church set on fire near Colombo
Buddhist extremists are suspected. “They might destroy the building, but not our faith”, said the parish priest. Faithful will still celebrate Christmas in nearby grotto.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – A Catholic church was set on fire Sunday night in a village 24 kilometres east of Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo.
Six men burst into St Michael’s church, ransacked the building and torched the tabernacle, the altar and the Crucifix. They then set the whole building on fire.
Police investigating the arson are certain the attack was planned. Two levers used to break the church’s door open were found on the crime scene as were two gas tanks.
St Michael’s is a small church and has no resident clergy. Local Catholics manage it as part of the larger Christ the King parish in nearby Pannipitiya village whose priest, Fr Ignatius Varnakulasingham, does not exclude possible political involvement by Buddhist extremist groups.
This is second time that the small church becomes the target of arsonists. Last January 15, ten people broke in and set it on fire. A few weeks earlier, a Buddhist mob tore down the cross and raised a Buddhist flag on its top.
Following these attacks police posted guards outside the building but they were removed just a few days ago.
“We believe the same group that attacked the church earlier was responsible for today’s incident,” Fr Chaminda Wanigasena, the local assistant parish priest, said.
He estimates that damages amount to about a million rupees (around US$ 9,500) and said that Milroy Fernando, a Catholic and Minister for Christian Religious Affairs, promised compensation for the church’s reconstruction.
“Those guilty,” Father Varnakulasingham said, “might as well know that they might burn our church to the ground, but they cannot destroy our faith”.
St Michael’s was built in the early 1960s and was an immediate cause of controversy because local Buddhist monks objected to its presence and the arrival of Catholic priests in the area.
About 130 Catholic families live in the area and the small church provides them with pastoral care.
“This mission has always suffered persecution,” Father Wanigasena said, “but persecution has always strengthened the Catholic community and the parishioners”.
A local Catholic who was threatened in the latest episode of violence said: “We are against violence, but no one can stop us from meeting here”.
Although the church cannot be used, St Michael’s parishioners are planning to celebrate Christmas in the nearby grotto of Our Lady. (LF)
Copyright © 2003 AsiaNews
All rights reserved
Prayer and Scripture Reading During Gay Celebration Could Cost Christians 47 Years in Prison
"Stalin would be proud", says lawyer for defendents
PHILADELPHIA, December 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of eleven Christians were arrested on October 10 for praying, singing, and reading scripture during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia. The members of the group were charged with three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges.
An appeal to a federal appeals court to stop the prosecution was denied Tuesday. Further, charges were dropped against seven of the men and women. However, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ordered four of the group members to stand trial on the charges. If convicted, they could face up to 47 years in prison.
Since the federal courts did not intervene to halt the state prosecution, the last route for the four in question would be an appeal to the Supreme Court according to their attorney Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy.
"First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square, now, Christians are facing years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud," Fahling said.
The federal appeals court in Philadelphia denied emergency relief despite video footage Fahling calls "undisputed evidence" that shows the Christians cooperating with police and continually being harassed by the Pink Angels, a group of homosexuals organized to impede the Christian group.
The Philadelphia city prosecutor in the case, Charles Ehrlich, attacked the Christians as "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as "fighting words." The judge agreed.
"The Philadelphia case represents another example of discrimination toward Christians," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association national headquarters. "The past month has poured forth cases of Christian persecution seen in the higher education institution, public school systems, and the judicial court system."
New Decemberween 'toon on HomestarRunner.com! And there's a nifty snow globe time-waster!
What's with alla the Anon posting? Someone's tryin' to ursurp the general frivolity of this thread in Mark's absence.
Had not heard about the fast for the Holy Land, Don - thanks. Been living under a rock. Actually, piles of paper at work! I'll have to do it tomorrow since I've already blown it for today. Rats!
A very Happy & Holy Christmas to all!!
Death Knell of the West
By Robert Spencer
FrontPageMagazine.com | December 22, 2004
Two Christian pastors in Australia have been found guilty of religious vilification of Muslims. The decision threatens us all.
One of the pastors, Daniel Scot, is Pakistani. He fled his native land seventeen years ago when he ran afoul of the notorious Section 295(c) of the Penal Code — which mandates death or life in prison for anyone who blasphemes “the sacred name of the holy Prophet Muhammad.” It’s a treacherously elastic statute that has been and is often used to snare Christians: cornered and made to state that they don’t believe Muhammad was a prophet, they then find themselves charged with blasphemy.
Scot went to Australia, only to run afoul of that nation’s new religious vilification laws. Last Friday, Judge Michael Higgins of The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found him guilty of vilifying Islam in a seminar hosted by his group, Catch the Fire Ministries. The judge noted that during the seminar, Scot stated that “the Quran promotes violence, killing and looting.” In light of Qur’anic passages such as 9:5, 2:191, 9:29, 47:4, 5:33 and many others, this cannot seriously be a matter of dispute. Muslims have pointed to verses in the Bible that they would have us believe are equivalent in violence and offensiveness, or have claimed that the great majority of Muslims don’t take such verses literally; but it takes a peculiarly strong resistance to reality not only to deny that such verses are there, but to charge one who pointed them out with religious vilification.
Yet Higgins wasn’t finished. He also scored Scot for contending that the Qur’an “treats women badly; they are to be treated like a field to plough, ‘use her as you wish,’” and that in it, “domestic violence in general is encouraged.’” He charged Scot with saying that the Qur’an directs that “a thief’s hand is cut off for stealing.” Yet the idea of the field and “use her as you wish” are from Sura 2:223 of the Qur’an. Husbands are told to beat their disobedient wives in 4:34. Amputation for theft is prescribed in 5:38. What Qur’an is Higgins reading?
Higgins got not just the Qur’an, but Scot’s own statements wrong. The judge charges that Scot called Muslims “demons”; but according to human rights activist Mark Durie, who was deeply involved in the case, “Scot at one point in the seminar that in the Qur’an there were jinn (spirit beings) which became Muslims in response to the message of Islam. However, in his summary the judge appears to interpret this as Scot saying that Muslims are demons. So ‘Some demons are Muslims’ becomes ‘Muslims are demons’!”
There are some hints that the outcome of the case was virtually predetermined. When during the trial Scot began to read Qur’anic verses that discriminate against women, a lawyer for the Islamic Council of Victoria, the organization that brought the suit, stopped him: reading the verses aloud, she said, would in itself
There are some hints that the outcome of the case was virtually predetermined. When during the trial Scot began to read Qur’anic verses that discriminate against women, a lawyer for the Islamic Council of Victoria, the organization that brought the suit, stopped him: reading the verses aloud, she said, would in itself be religious vilification. Dismayed, Scot replied: “How can it be vilifying to Muslims in the room when I am just reading from the Qur’an?”
With religious vilification laws now coming to Britain and no doubt soon also elsewhere in the West, Scot’s question rings out with global implications, and must be answered. If it is inciting hatred for Muslims simply when non-Muslims explore what Islam and the Qur’an actually teach, then there will be a chill on reasonable public discussion of Islam — a public discussion that is crucial to hold in this age of global jihad terrorism. Such laws actually make Muslims a protected class, beyond criticism, precisely at the moment when the Western republics need to examine the implications of having admitted into their countries people with greater allegiance to Islamic law than to the pluralist societies in which they’ve settled.
To criticize is not to incite. The courageous ex-Muslim Ibn Warraq calls upon Muslims to “admit the role of the Qur’an in the propagation of violence.” If they do not do this, what end can there possibly be to the jihad terrorism that is inspired, according to the terrorists themselves, by the Qur’an? What will keep jihadists from continuing to use the Qur’an to recruit more terrorists, right under the noses of fatuous Westerners like Judge Higgins who would prefer to pretend that what they use in the book isn’t really in there?
When Judge Higgins signed the guilty verdict on Daniel Scot, he may have been signing the death warrant for free Australia — and maybe even the entire Western world.
The common thread running through the vast majority of areas in the world where there is conflict, denial of civil and human rights and terrorism is Islam.
"Scot went to Australia, only to run afoul of that nation’s new religious vilification laws."
One minor quibble: this was a State law and decision, applicable in Victoria only -- Australia is a Federation, and some States are less mini-Berkeleys than others, thank heaven. Also, our High Court has recently discovered an implied freedom of political debate in the Constitution, less extensive than the US First Amendment, but possibly useful for striking down this sort of censorship since it binds State as well as Federal legislators.
There is also a Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, but it only binds the federal govt. A referendum seeking to amend the Constn to extend this guarantee (and others) to bind the States too was defeated in Sept 1988 -- largely because of Pentecostals ranting about how it would usher in bar codes on the forehead, allow the UN to sell condoms in schools, etc etc etc. It is therefore sadly ironic that the lack of such legal protection has now meant they first came for the Penties. "Catch the fire", indeed.
Merry Christmas to all!
John Derbyshire, NRO columnist
2004 Sing Along:
God rest you, Yasser Arafat
You've gone to your reward.
We're sorry it was not your fate
To perish by the sword.
But nonetheless we're very glad
Your passing to record.
O tidings of comfort and joy!
Frosty the candidate
Was a chilly kind of soul.
With his lantern jaw
And his pompadour,
And his icy self-control.
Frosty the candidate
Was a decorated vet.
With a Senate seat
Where he couldn't be beat,
He just looked like a safe bet.
There must have been some magic
In the way that he campaigned;
For when it came convention time,
Nomination he'd attained!
Frosty the candidate
Came on strong in the debates;
And out on the trail
Seemed he couldn't fail
To swing some crucial states.
But then his wartime comrades,
Feeling cheated and betrayed,
Showed us how he'd lied,
Slandered men who'd died,
In that long-ago decade.
Frosty the candidate
Started slipping in the polls.
By election night
He'd slipped out of sight,
With his story full of holes.
Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Look at Frosty go.
Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Goodbye, gigolo!
The steroid abuse is frightful
But the games are so delightful!
Since the ball players thrill us so —
Let them grow! Let them grow! Let them grow!
Now Giambi and Bonds are admitting
There's more than just skill to their hitting,
And baseball is just a freak show —
Let them grow! Let them grow! Let them grow!
I saw mullahs making atom bombs
In a bunker deep beneath Tehran.
They didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep.
They thought that I was tucked up at the U.N. fast asleep.
I told IAEA about those bombs;
They said the French and Germans had a plan.
Alas, that plan's main ends
Are to enrich Jacques Chirac's friends.
Mushroom clouds are in our future now!
Oh, you'd better not kneel,
You'd better not pray;
Don't mention the Lord on "Holiday" —
The ACLU's coming to town!
They're making a list
They're checking it twice;
They're gonna find out
Who's mentioning Christ —
The ACLU's coming to town!
Let's have no star or manger,
No crosses, babes, or sleighs;
The Republic is in danger
Till the Boy Scouts let in gays!
Oh, you'd better not kneel,
You'd better not pray;
"Merry Christmas!" is now
"Happy Holiday!"
The ACLU's coming to town!
Archaeologists identify traces of ‘miracle’ pool
Siloam Pool was where Jesus was said to cure blind
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:11 p.m. ET Dec. 23, 2004
JERUSALEM - Archaeologists in Jerusalem have identified the remains of the Siloam Pool, where the Bible says Jesus miraculously cured a man's blindness, researchers said Thursday — underlining a stirring link between the works of Jesus and ancient Jewish rituals.
The archaeologists are slowly digging out the pool, where water still runs, tucked away in what is now the Arab neighborhood of Silwan. It was used by Jews for ritual immersions for about 120 years until the year 70, when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple.
Many of Jesus' acts are directly linked to Jewish rituals, and the miracle of the blind man is an example. According to the Bible, the man was undergoing ritual immersion in the Siloam Pool for entry into the Temple compound, and Jesus used the occasion to cure his blindness.
'100 percent sure'
In the last four months, archaeologists have revealed the pool's 50-yard (50-meter) length and a channel that brought in water from the Silwan spring. In the past week, a section of stone road that led from the pool to the Jewish Temple was uncovered.
"The moment that we revealed and discovered this four months ago, we were 100 percent sure it was the Siloam Pool," said archaeologist Eli Shukron.
"We know today that the Siloam Pool is connected to the Temple Mount. There is a road that connects the two elements. The entire system is clearer today," Shukron said.
Stephen Pean, a Bible scholar, said the pool's waters were considered so pristine they could purify even a leper.
Pean said Jesus likely chose to cure the blind man using the purest water available, because people with any disabilities were barred from the temple.
"The whole point is that people will not only be healed physically but also healed spiritually," he said. "This discovery helps bring the Gospel alive in the context of Jewish practice."
Artifacts confirm identification
The archaeologists excavating the site are with the Israeli government's Antiquities Authority. They found biblical-era coins marked with ancient Jewish writing, along with pottery shards and a stone bottle cork — helping them confirm the area was the Siloam Pool.
The stone-lined pool has steps leading into it from all sides, said Ronny Reich, a University of Haifa archaeologist. One side of the pool, two corners, a part of the esplanade around it and the water channel leading to it have been uncovered, he said.
Jesus, according to the New Testament, put clay on a blind man's eyes and then sent him to wash them out in the pool's purifying waters, giving him sight.
Jews, who traditionally made three pilgrimages a year to Jerusalem, would immerse themselves in the Siloam Pool before heading down the stone pathway to the temple. They also used the pool for drinking water and camped around it
"Jesus was a pilgrim in Jerusalem ... so this would be a natural place for him to be ... enjoying the water supply," Reich said.
The Israeli Antiquities Authority is negotiating with the Greek Orthodox Church, which owns the land, to continue the dig. Archaeologists believe the pool is under the thick green covering of an overgrown vegetable garden and several large trees.
Nine-foot-tall (3-meter-tall) stone walls topped by old sewage and drainage pipes separate the new discovery and the pool's stone steps, uncovered in the 1960s. Now archaeologists hope to remove the old pipes and connect the esplanade and water channel to the steps that lead into the pool.
"Here we can judge and see how large it is — the grandeur of the city in those days," Reich said.
U.N. worker caught in DR Congo sex scandal
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A French United Nations aid worker in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been arrested for manufacturing pornographic videotapes of young girls.
The unidentified logistics expert worked at Goma airport near the country's east border as part of the U.N.'s $700 million-a-year effort to rebuild the war-shattered country, the Times of London reported.
Acting on a tip, police set up a sting operation using a 12-year-old girl as bait. When they raided his home, they discovered he had turned his bedroom into a studio for videotaping and photographing sex sessions with young girls.
The bed was surrounded by large mirrors on three sides with a camera operated by remote control on the remaining side, a senior Congolese police officer said.
Officers also seized three homemade porn videos and more than 50 photographs.
U.N. insiders told the newspaper a Ukrainian and a Canadian had to leave their U.N. posts and the country after getting local women pregnant.
Arafat's successor: Palestinian state will replace Israel
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, December 22, 2004
The new leader of the ruling Fatah movement said the Palestinians want to replace Israel with a state of their own.
Fatah chief Farouk Khaddoumi said the Palestinian strategy toward Israel was two-fold. In the first stage, he said, the Palestinians would accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel. In the second stage, the Palestinians would seek to eliminate the Jewish state.
In November, Khaddoumi replaced the late Yasser Arafat as leader of Fatah, Middle East Newsline reported.
"At this stage there will be two states," Khaddoumi told Iran's Al Aram television. "Many years from now, there will be only one."
Khaddoumi, who regards himself as Palestinian foreign minister, said he was confident that Israel would be eliminated. He said he always opposed Israel's existence and cited the Arab numerical superiority over the Jewish state.
"[There are] 300 million Arabs, while Israel has only the sea behind it," Khaddoumi said.
Khaddoumi said his platform was endorsed by the PLO in 1974. He said the strategy called for a phased plan that would establish authority over any territory obtained from Israel, concluding with an Arab war to destroy the Jewish state.
[On Thursday, the Palestinian Authority launched the first municipal elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in more than 25 years. The PA has been promising such elections since 1996.]
The Fatah chief played down the powers of PA ministers. Khaddoumi said the Fatah Central Committee marked the source of authority for the PA and Cabinet.
"The Palestinian Authority is a partial authority," Khaddoumi said. "It is a local government, just like any local government in any country. We shouldn't delude ourselves that these 'ministers' are actually ministers." [On Thursday, Palestinian gunners fired 30 mortar rounds into the Gush Katif community in the central Gaza Strip. The attack was launched from the Khan Yunis refugee camp hours after Israeli forces left the area.]
Merry Christmas, all you CAEI folk who've been checking back here now and then! God's grace fill your lives and your families.
Moralizing Environmentalist Dogma Is Immoral
Deadly Consequences of Green Policies Often Ignored
E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D.
Rabbi Daniel Lapin
The moral high ground is often claimed by and granted to “environmentalist” groups that tend to push a partisan agenda. But citizens need to take a much closer look at the credibility of organizations pushing such dogma before accepting it at face value.
The Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, and other eco-activist groups insist, for example, that the Bush administration isn’t just misguided, it’s immoral. Whether “gutting” environmental laws, “waging war” on the environment, or colluding with “polluters,” the dogmatic gist is that “W” stands for “World-killer.” One might expect unimpeachable ethical standards from “white hat” critics like these. However, their notion of ethics leaves many of us scratching our heads.
They oppose oil drilling virtually everywhere, for example, and say we should just drive smaller cars. Unfortunately, reducing the size and weight of cars to help meet mileage standards costs lives: an additional 1,300 to 2,600 fatalities every year, and ten times that many injuries, than if people had been driving bigger cars, according to the National Academy of Sciences.
Even if every car on the road were economy-sized, we’d still get thousands of needless injuries and deaths every year in collisions with buses, trucks, trees, and walls. Even worse, the impact is felt most by the poor, who can least afford safety features found in late-model luxury cars. They’re forced to buy older, less high-tech, less safe cars.
It’s curious how environmentalists demand lower arsenic levels in drinking water to prevent a dozen theoretical cancer deaths a year. But they ignore this very real carnage on our roads and demand even tougher mileage standards and the elimination of sport utility vehicles, even though many Americans choose to drive bigger vehicles to give them an extra margin of safety, or to haul boats, kids, or construction tools.
As for global warming, which radical environmentalists claim is exacerbated by SUVs, our planet has warmed a degree since 1900. But catastrophic global climate change theories are supported only by unreliable computer models and ground temperature gauges that are contaminated by urban heat. They are not backed by satellite or weather balloon data, which show little recent warming, or by 18,000 scientists who have signed a petition saying they see “no convincing evidence that humans are disrupting the earth’s climate.”
The Kyoto climate treaty and other “solutions” would do almost nothing to stabilize greenhouse gases or reduce global warming. However, they would send energy prices soaring. In future cold snaps and heat waves, thousands could die because heating and air conditioning would become unaffordable for many, especially minorities and the elderly.
Studies by the U.S. government and a coalition of minority business groups found that the treaty could cost over 3 million American jobs, including 800,000 in black and 500,000 in Hispanic communities. Minority family incomes could plummet by $2,000 or more.
The payoff for all this misery? Average global temperatures would rise by 0.2 degrees less than if the treaty had never been implemented, according to studies reported in Nature magazine and by the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
Our planet’s poorest and most powerless people are already imperiled by policies intended to prevent theoretical climate change. Over two billion Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans still do not have electricity, and activists tell them they must be content with wind generators or little solar panels on their huts, because fossil fuel plants would cause global warming, hydroelectric plants would dam up scenic rivers, and nuclear power is simply taboo.
“Socially responsible” organizations like the World Bank, Citigroup, and Bank of America have succumbed to these claims and now refuse to fund such projects. So millions of people continue to die every year in these countries from lung diseases, because they have to burn wood, grass, and animal dung. Millions more die from drinking contaminated water, because they lack electricity to purify and transport safe water, or to operate clinics.
“Ethical” greens also oppose pesticides that could slash malaria rates, preventing progress against a disease that infects 300 million people yearly, killing 2 million of them. They also battle biotechnology, ignoring the productivity gains that such technology brings with it. Meanwhile, malnutrition strikes down millions of children every year, and leaves others too weak to survive other diseases.
These are bedrock ethical issues. Why do environmentalists rarely discuss them?
“Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.” Healthy, well-off First World activists and politicians repeatedly violate this version of the Golden Rule, to ward off distant, speculative, relatively minor dangers, while preventing Third World citizens from addressing very real, immediate threats that are literally killing them and their children.
Environmentalists who disregard the unintended consequences of the policies they advocate fail to assess adequately the ethical implications of those policies. We need to bring honesty, ethics, and humanity back into our environmental debates. A first step toward helping the poorest among us take their rightful place among the Earth’s healthy and prosperous is rejecting Green authoritarianism, both at home and abroad.
Dr. Beisner is associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Rabbi Lapin is president of Toward Tradition.
Grieving comrades pray with guns in their hands
Tony Koch and Patricia Karvelas
December 24, 2004
FOR men who carry guns as part of their every working day, and face danger from people who are also armed, the murder of a mate is keenly felt.
One hundred police and 30 soldiers went to church on a hot and humid day to honour the memory of their fallen comrade, Adam Dunning.
The police men and women wore Glock pistols on their hips. The soldiers - including a New Zealand contingent with a heavy Maori presence - carried Steyr automatic rifles into the church.
They knelt, stood, sang and joined in prayer - but the weapons never left their hands.
The seating at the front was occupied by the makeshift choir - the police from the Pacific Island contingent - huge men with arms the size of tree-trunks, and voices blessed with harmony.
The refrain of "Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war" had seldom sounded so heartfelt.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Allan Kemakeze, an imposing and solemn figure, paid tribute to the young police officer and the job done by the combined Regional Assistance to the Solomon Islands forces, and asked that his family be remembered in this time of loss and grief.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty extended his condolences to Dunning's parents.
"We have lost one of our fellow officers; Mike and Christine have lost a son, and Sara and Emma have lost a brother - a dedicated, professional young man committed to serving at the will of the governments of both nations," Mr Keelty said.
"He died for peace, law and order for future generations of the Solomons. That is why he lived and died here."
Three thousand kilometres away and hours later, Dunning's sisters wept uncontrollably as their brother's body was lowered off the plane.
Arm in arm, Dunning's elder and younger sisters were confronted with the cruel reality that the brother they loved was lying lifeless in the coffin draped with the Australian flag.
Dunning's coffin was carried by a stoic group of eight pallbearers.
All were police and soldiers who were his close colleagues and mates.
Most were Australian Protective Services officers who had worked with Dunning during his time on duty at Parliament House and two had worked with the young man in the RAAF.
Dunning's parents and his girlfriend, Elise Wiscombe, stood arm in arm watching as his coffin was slow-marched to the hearse.
A line of Dunning's close mates, a mix of men and women, stood just behind them, hugging and crying as they watched their mate receive a hero's welcome back to the city he called home.
Mrs Dunning thanked them for the love and friendship they had given her son, and then walked away.
+J.M.J+
>>>The ACLU's coming to town!
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In Jesu et Maria,
ummm...
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