tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post5557750992559341836..comments2024-03-25T06:39:42.081-04:00Comments on Bonfire of the Vanities: This Astonishing MomentFr Martin Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-75300460536322937832012-03-08T13:35:13.469-05:002012-03-08T13:35:13.469-05:00Father, Thank you for not waiting to post this. It...Father, Thank you for not waiting to post this. It is very powerful. I think it is what many are thinking/feeling. We must do everything we can to teach, evangelise, convert those around us. And we must pray. My family has joined in the Memorare Army( Benedictine College) for the intention of bishops, priest and all the people-courage, strength and faith are needed as only the Holy Spirit can give them.Ann Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13019490406284045153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-91382239981136505862012-03-07T21:22:10.111-05:002012-03-07T21:22:10.111-05:00The real question is it too late to put the toothp...The real question is it too late to put the toothpaste back in the tube? We are 65 years into the carefully planned assult on America. We had defeated the Nazi's and made the world safe from evil. But many learned a lot from the Nazi party. First step is to give the state control over religon. 1947 Everson radically changed the words and meaning of the first right in the first amendment of the bill or rights. Who today accepts that the framers of the constitution and bill of rights wanted to protect government from religon by a high wall of separation becuase their intent was a secular government with religion prohibited from the public square? The intent of the founders and wording in the bill of rights was specifically designed to build a wall around government designed to protect religion from the government. In fact they said that without this important pillar of a protected relious liberty, the government they built would not stand. The letter from Jefferson was written to assure that Baptist Church that the rumor they heard that the state was going to make the Anglican Church the state religion was not only not true, but not possible because a wall of separation had been built to protect all religious liberty from government. <br /><br />By 1962/63, the lie of separation wall protecting government from religon was so accepted as true, that the state went into full gear and removed prayer from schools. But this was not some simple morning prayer being eliminated, but a book burning nazi raid on every aspect of God from the schools and the public square because the state religion had been determined as part of the coup and it was a godless secualar humanist religon. No God was allowed meant that every textbook had to be purged. History had to go because anywhere you looked in American history exposed the lie. Washington farewell addrss if taught would declare that religious liberty protected from the government was essential. By saying no God, about half of Washington farewell address had to be edited out or not taught at all. Bibles in the classrooms, once a major part of all lessions, had to be removed. Pictures of Christ had to go. Social studies created a replacement for history and could be made to teach what the secular humanist wanted free of the problem of God. <br /><br />So today is the cleaning up of the last vestiges of the complete takeover by the state religion of our godless country and that is to put the Catholic Church on full attack. the bishops so long sleeping and even supporting the agenda have been slapped in the face and seem to be confused as to how we got here. Take a look at every dioceses with a social justice office and you have your answer. Didn't social justice trump abortion allowing Catholics to be lied to and sent down the path of their own distruction. <br /><br />Bishops, if you want a good start, sack all those in the social justice wing and use the hires to boost up the pro life wing in the diocese offices and then have them write a voter guide. Where you find dioceses controlled by social justice bishops you will find the must abuse and cover up. They are also the ones that set up this trap to force Catholics to accept the secular humanist government religion. Same thing happened in Germany with the State appointed Reichbishop Mueller over the German Christian Church that sore alligience to Hitler, not Christ. they helped Hitler kill people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. <br />Fight now like America depended on it because if Obama wins a second term, the battle is lost.Gretahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11277481992746685122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-37843046480579114042012-03-07T10:54:13.564-05:002012-03-07T10:54:13.564-05:00First and foremost, we must keep in mind that the ...First and foremost, we must keep in mind that the issue with Obama is about more than contraception – it is about religious freedom under the first amendment – and about being forced to pay for abortion. We should first of all make our public argument about our first amendment rights - as that is a battle we should win.<br />Secondly, I agree that we Catholics need to do a far better job of explaining our stand on contraception and ALSO promoting alternatives. In the past we simply said “don’t contracept”; but women say “what else am I supposed to do?” A deacon at our church and gave a great homily on natural family planning as the alternative. After contracepting for a short time early in our marriage, my wife and I started practicing NFP and it has been an incredible blessing to us – and our four children! Several secular studies from renowned secular universities have shown that contraception is the number one cause of poverty among single mothers. The studies make great sense and the Church should be utilizing them to promote its contraception message in a secular world. In other words, “do it for yourselves, your health, and for the good of society, not just because the Church says so”. And we should also be pointing out the strong link between contraception and breast cancer - there is strong evidence that the reason 30 year old women are suddenly having a high incidence of breast cancer is because of contraception.<br />I agree that this whole thing could backfire on Obama and the femi-nazi “catholics” that have publicly betrayed the Church’s teaching to support his/their cause. Let us pray! - but also get active and work hard on one of the most important battles in one of the most opportune times of our lives to make a difference!Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06915083202820459620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-88552933792300490302012-03-07T09:52:20.560-05:002012-03-07T09:52:20.560-05:00I agree with you, Father. It seems something supe...I agree with you, Father. It seems something supernatural is going on here with contraception at the center of the controversy. Contraception, really! Most Catholics do not even realize there is a teaching about contraception out there, much less what that teaching is. Most non Catholics never give the subject a thought or think for a moment that in using it they are doing something wrong. <br />I was touched when I heard about JPII’s encyclical in the early 90’s reiterating the Church’s teaching. I remember my thought at the time was: The Church still cares about that??? Oddly enough, I heard about the encyclical by listening to an NPR piece! I had never heard anything about it in a Catholic Church, never saw a pamphlet addressing the issue, never heard people talking about it, even though I have been an involved, Mass-going Catholic my whole life. Hearing the NPR piece made me look into it further. Thank God for groups like Couple to Couple League who have been courageously getting the word out for years. Their booklet “Birth Control and Christian Marriage” was eye-opening to me. The book presents a lovely down-to-earth explanation of Humanae Vitae, the purpose of married love, and a good case that many of the evils we are fighting today come directly from ignorance of the Church’s teaching on BC.<br /><br />I think an interesting statistic being tossed around lately is that 98% of American Catholic couples “have used” artificial contraception. If 98% “have used,” I sense that some “have stopped”. Why? Many couples stop using bc in their child-bearing years once they read and learn something describing the Church’s teaching on married love. I hope the Church – priests, bishops, and laity - uses this opportunity to teach about the beauty of the Catholic teaching concerning the meaning and purpose of marriage. We need to educate people that there is much more to it than “no! no!”.<br />“FREE in Christ” - interesting observation. We have many more faithful bishops now than we have had in the last 40 or so years, bishops who are willing to respond and lead. It’s odd to me -- the issues of abortion and homosexual marriage seem like no-brainers – and you could have convinced people much more easily of the evil of those things in 1973 than you can now. But yet, now, at this time, the issue of contraception is coming to the fore?? The Church’s teaching on Contraception? Really? A teaching that is so confused and misunderstood and hard to explain? At a time when people are so thoroughly out of touch with the purpose and meaning of marriage that they think homosexuals can be married and women have a right to kill their own children? It boggles my mind. It’s like the Lord is patiently saying, “OK, you guys are all really confused, let’s go back to square one and start to clear things up. First topic: Contraception. First reading assignment: Humanae Vitae.”<br /><br />I pray for you, Father, and for all of our priests and bishops. I truly wept for you and for us all that day in January when the bishops’ response to the HHS mandate was read at Mass.Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749806015472780805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-41228290350704418702012-03-06T17:55:06.299-05:002012-03-06T17:55:06.299-05:00Father:
you said "I don't claim to know ...Father: <br />you said "I don't claim to know really how to understand these events. This post was a first attempt."<br /><br />Pretty impressive attempt!<br />This was one of the most insightful posts on this issue I have read, and I have followed the issue avidly.<br /><br />While I welcome the Bishops attempt to oppose this vile and unconstitutional mandate, I think the real focus needs to be on defeating Obama and replacing the Democrats in the Senate. Obama is not going to reverse himself and a Senate controlled by Democrats will not change the law. A different President could repeal the mandate. Obama quite clearly intends to marginalize the Church, except for those Catholics who are willing to comprimise its teachings. I am afraid that the current efforts of the Bishops may be too little, too late. One indication of how Catholics as a group have lost any sense of identity is that for the first time in perhaps history, we have a sincere orthodox Catholic running for the Presidency in former Senator Santorum who clearly views political issues through a Catholic political philosophy and he can not win the Catholic vote! In fact he has been attacked preceisely over the fact that in his personal life he takes seriously Catholic doctrines like the immorality of contraception or the existence of the Devil. I am saddened that no one sees this for the Anti-Catholic crusade it is. <br /><br />Great post Father, hope folks take it seriouslymdepiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01198479261950345634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-25345452445773481432012-03-06T13:05:17.117-05:002012-03-06T13:05:17.117-05:00It stands to reason that if the founding of God...It stands to reason that if the founding of God's Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church started with persecution it must thus end that way. "if the world hates you, know it hated me first" "Rejoice and be glad for your redemption is near."<br /><br />The Church will be cleansed and only the faithful will be left they be be a small band but the harvest of souls will be great. The Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church<br /><br />Long live Christ my King. I hope I will be faithful I'm a coward but Christ is not!mansfield1721https://www.blogger.com/profile/00059171671325921621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-58494015453022235712012-03-06T12:43:30.853-05:002012-03-06T12:43:30.853-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.mdepiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01198479261950345634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-15152168718736187122012-03-06T10:20:52.460-05:002012-03-06T10:20:52.460-05:00To those who asked...
I don't claim to know r...To those who asked...<br /><br />I don't claim to know really how to understand these events. This post was a first attempt.<br /><br />Certainly others are likely to see things I didn't see.Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-5519565533601936432012-03-06T08:57:39.313-05:002012-03-06T08:57:39.313-05:00Father, that's a very fine post, but have you ...Father, that's a very fine post, but have you ever considered how this fits perfectly with the warning Our Lady gave at Fatima. Not to descend into an argument over the Consecration of Russia, but it is curious that this is one of the errors of Russia, and HH<br />Pope Benedict XVI is suffering greatly.tim mccarthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00881425971387526869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-53644435349023505772012-03-06T06:38:19.334-05:002012-03-06T06:38:19.334-05:00Father,
As a recent convert who really feels like...Father, <br />As a recent convert who really feels like a gentile who converted to Judaism as Nebuchadrezzar's forces were coming towards Jerusalem, I have to say a couple words here that are going to somewhat disagree with you. <br /><br />Do you not think abortion to the Lord is as bad as contraception? You say the Lord picked this moment, but I think the Lord didn't pick the moment but the bishops did. This would have been a show-down, a moral Armageddon in 1973 if the bishops had stood up then against abortion. This would have been a moral showdown if the bishops had chosen to make a huge deal about same-sex marriages a few years ago. <br /><br />Our country has been sliding into relativistic chaos and the bishops have been watching from the sidelines. This isn't God choosing, it is the bishops. They have waited until God has turned up the heat from underneath them and our land is scorching with moral decay before they have put their foot down. This failure and chaos you are predicting? I think you are about four decades too late. THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING!! <br /><br />When the priest from my dioceses walks into our RCIA class and his first statement is "don't confess how many times you have said f*#!! (and when he said this to all the PROTESTANTS who were there thinking of converting and the priest says words they have never let come out of their mouth?... ) We are SMACK DAB into the middle of Catholic church meltdown. <br /><br />I agree with much of what you said, but time to awaken and smell the burning of Rome.FREE in Christ!https://www.blogger.com/profile/01268818381705989828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-40705150047856261872012-03-05T22:58:33.595-05:002012-03-05T22:58:33.595-05:00Donn4bill:
All I can suggest is, write your bisho...Donn4bill:<br /><br />All I can suggest is, write your bishop and tell him what you think.Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-50819467490434420862012-03-05T21:55:44.419-05:002012-03-05T21:55:44.419-05:00Dear Fr Martin,
Great words, God bless you
F...Dear Fr Martin, <br /> Great words, God bless you<br /><br />Fr Tom KoysFr Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11016205947914245685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-45993204298933071782012-03-05T21:54:58.962-05:002012-03-05T21:54:58.962-05:00Father can we encourage our Bishops to come up wit...Father can we encourage our Bishops to come up with better criteria for voting in the fall. The last proclamation by the bishops in 2008 did not encourage voting for pro life candidates.<br />Billdonn4billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241326439528303571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-41599832622719432402012-03-05T21:34:56.289-05:002012-03-05T21:34:56.289-05:00Thank you Father, much of what you say I've he...Thank you Father, much of what you say I've heard at various times from other sources, i.e. we're in for a time of persecution. <br /><br />May God's will be doneSubvethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13523683273450353313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-68676225688145130432012-03-05T21:03:36.440-05:002012-03-05T21:03:36.440-05:00Isaac Asimov created a literary device that he use...Isaac Asimov created a literary device that he used in his Foundation series of novels. He called it a "Seldon Crisis".<br /><br />A Seldon Crisis usually involves both an external pressure (such as threat of attack) and an internal pressure (such as threat of revolt). Both pressures will come to a head simultaneously, and be resolved with the same action.<br /><br />Check it out on Wikipedia and see if it doesn't remind you of the present situation.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seldon_Crisisjandoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00828014658879306740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-74716938929358168372012-03-05T20:02:07.066-05:002012-03-05T20:02:07.066-05:00Another convert here; I agree with Kirsten that th...Another convert here; I agree with Kirsten that there has been some very bad catechesis in many U.S. parishes. When I began RCIA, a priest sad to me, "Why do you want to become Catholic? Being an Episcopalian is so much easier?" I looked at him and was so shocked I could not speak. But I persevered, in spite of the fact that certain key teachings of the Church, (especially in regard to marriage), were not clearly communicated, or were never communicated at all. I had to look elsewhere, mostly on EWTN and the internet, to discover a lot of what I now know. I believe that what we are seeing is forcing some Catholics to get a "crash course" in Catholic teaching on sexual morality, if only to understand what is going on. Bravo, Father Fox, for the stand you have taken on your blog and in your homilies. May you and all who love the faith be strengthened by the gifts received in Baptism and in Confirmation. May we all continue the battle -- on our knees. --- Rosemarytruthfinder2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02677700018308197978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-90823654890793209972012-03-05T17:01:24.083-05:002012-03-05T17:01:24.083-05:00Thank you, Father. I believe this is a great momen...Thank you, Father. I believe this is a great moment for the Church in the US. We are finally worthy of some suffering and we can learn from it.<br />At mass this morning we got a homily on not being judgmental, that is the most frequently violated command. Really? <br />Thanks, I needed this.Anneghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12858120820470784593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-84549837215347061192012-03-05T16:23:20.444-05:002012-03-05T16:23:20.444-05:00God does not sit back and watch the Catholic Churc...God does not sit back and watch the Catholic Church being tried by evil forces. God is with each and everyone of us at all times ready to help us. So get off your rear and do something (God's Will) about it rather than just shoot your mouth off about what you think God is doing. Remember God causes the sun to shine on all regardless of who you are.jayeveretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06226557343805556434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-31243553391162190672012-03-05T15:10:40.750-05:002012-03-05T15:10:40.750-05:00I am a convert. i say this because i often have......I am a convert. i say this because i often have...well unknowingly dragged in old views, bad teachings, etc..but at the same time i came as an adult, i read the official teachings of the church, and even if i disagree on some point i understand what the teachings ARE sometimes more than my fellow Catholics born and raised in the Church.<br /><br />i have witnessed first hand the TERRIBLE catechism that passes for education. The silence of Priests on some topics (or worse the active heresy!) my own RCIA class had a priest try to tell us that married priests were soon to be thr norm and womenbpriests were "inevitable" in the church, and was shocked when the three protestant children of ministers united in saying "NO WAY".<br /><br />i have also seen people driven from the church by people who stridently upheld the (true) church position, but without charity, or explanation, or even an attempt at anything but "OMG! you are not a REAL CATHOLIC! get off our forum!" (which almost lost ME from the church , but for the grace of the Rosary.....<br /><br />there are several things i see that MUST be done:<br />1. dont water down the teachings in RCIA or church school. but be prepared for the person who needs to discuss, or learn, or doesnt understand. but DO NOT avoid the topic for fear of discussion.<br /><br />2. emphasis a daily prayer and study life. its not emphasized enough in education here. the Rosary, Bible reading, study grroups (with a well catechized leader) but especially the Rosary...<br /><br />3. for the love of heaven, when one who claims authority (like a sister, a priest, or a brother) preaches heresy.. actively TEACHES heresy.. get them off the public stage! fair enough to give them a warning, but if they will not at least SHUT their mouth, then excommunicate them . to do otherwise divides the authority of the church at the time we need it unified the most.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06284484376016369930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-91384878875751512792012-03-05T13:48:16.368-05:002012-03-05T13:48:16.368-05:00I agree with you Father. But I must say that the ...I agree with you Father. But I must say that the liberal wing of the Church has helped to bring us to this point. The problem here is government run health care. In a private health care system, providers and patients have liberty. A Catholic provider can provide the services it deems moral and ethical. If people don't like it they can go elsewhere. <br /><br />But when the government runs healthcare (which the Supreme Court will I hope hold unconstitutional), decisions are political, not moral, ethical or economic. And for too long, the Church has been a ready arm of the socialists and statists. This has been in the guise of providing to "the needy". But never forget, the socialists absolutely despise us, the Church and all of her teachings. At best, they treat Catholics as useful idiots, helping to bring around their own demise. <br /><br />Also, Obama's contraception mandate is NOT about contraception. It is about control. Free contraception is readily available in this country. Go to any "family planning" office and you can get all the condoms, birth control pills, abortions and all of it gratis! <br /><br />No, this is about control. The Obama administration believes that religious organizations must serve the state and do as they are told. The Obama administration recently lost in its efforts to use employment law to force a Lutheran to reinstate a minister it had dismissed for teaching false doctrine. See Hosanna-Tabor.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334846548157432495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-63444545810404275352012-03-05T13:26:43.019-05:002012-03-05T13:26:43.019-05:00Well said, Father. You've articulated well wh...Well said, Father. You've articulated well what I've been thinking. Thanks.aimeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00085197204868089329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-81946083276562764662012-03-05T13:20:53.558-05:002012-03-05T13:20:53.558-05:00True indeed...40+ years of bishops, priests, and l...True indeed...40+ years of bishops, priests, and lay-people avoiding to communicate the Church's clear and beautiful teaching against contraception; Our Lord seems to be allowing this trial to, in part, make the issue unavoidable. The time for fence sitting and 'playing nice' on the subject is hopefully over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-15876232472376481962012-03-05T13:14:24.223-05:002012-03-05T13:14:24.223-05:00"Why do we allow others to dishonestly frame ...<i>"Why do we allow others to dishonestly frame the argument for the government mandating insurance coverage of “artificial birth control & abortion inducing drugs” as “women’s rights” or “women’s health care?"</i><br /><br />Because majority of Catholics place transient things before the truth that has been revealed to us by the hand of the Father through Holy Mother Church. Unless society acknowledges God as Lord over all things and seeks His ways first then society will be left to the vomit it has produced.Ikedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13540787797137978805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-14790085300958382472012-03-05T12:39:45.966-05:002012-03-05T12:39:45.966-05:00While I agree that Religious Freedom is the key is...While I agree that Religious Freedom is the key issue here, the Catholic Church has always championed “women’s health care” through natural birth control, either by abstinence or “Natural Family Planning”. <br />Which is healthier for women? Taking artificial drugs that have potentially life threatening negative health consequences or using natural means that are just as effective, without any negative side effects?<br />Why do we allow others to dishonestly frame the argument for the government mandating insurance coverage of “artificial birth control & abortion inducing drugs” as “women’s rights” or “women’s health care?”Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10267902235773796019noreply@blogger.com