Deo Adiuvante

Going Back

2010-03-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

I’m going back to my GLACC roots. The important thing I’ve learned about having a blog name, is that it reflects at least some part of you. Even this though this blog’s title totally reflects my view that I am always in need of God’s help, I do have to pause when…I can’t even say the darn word.

Yep, that’s right folks, I can’t really speak Latin. I just play a Latin speaker on blogger.

Seriously though, I do miss the fun I had back when I originally wrote GLACC. I even miss writing my GREAT AMERICAN LOONEY TUNES pieces, as crude as they could be. So, I’m moving. New blog (for the third? Fourth?…time), same knuckle dragging, blue collar, know nothing Catholic in search making myself a better follower of Christ.

And having a little fun in the process.

Our Lord, Adoration, and...Fabric Softener?

2010-02-20T02:08:00.000-08:00

I had my first hour of adoration yesterday morning at about 4 am. It was the first time I had been alone with out Lord in that sort of setting. The experience was humbling. Nothing like it. There is a powerful sense of fulfillment praying before our Lord in the wee hours of the morning.

I can’t say I’ll ever be the type of Catholic that hones in prayer and contemplation like a well calibrated laser beam. Despite all my attempts to master my ever wondering mind, I couldn’t help but think about the strange banners hanging from my Church’s ceiling. “They look like large…purple….sheets of fabric softener” I thought to myself before mentally slapping myself on the wrist. More discipline next time. Hopefully those silly banners --Holy Fabric Softeners--will be taken down by that time. I’m sure it makes…somebody…think of the holiness of Lent. Makes me think of non static laundry.

Lord give me discipline and a sharp mind!

Lurking Monsters

2009-09-14T03:23:00.000-07:00

No, nothing under the bed. Nothing in the closet. Nothing hiding in the dark. It’s a common conversation you have with your kids. Children seem to have the greatest sense that monsters lurk in the shadows, just waiting to pounce. As parents, we role our eyes, pat them on the back or give them a hug, and tell them there are no such things as monsters. The boogey man is a thing of legend. We’ve been fooling ourselves.

Do I mean the devil? In a way, I think that evil bastard may have something to do with it. Not directly, but in a way I think he has his hands in it all. What I’m talking about are the cowards who prey on our children. Monsters waiting till it’s dark to strike on the most vulnerable.

Cowards.

Almost every month there’s a new story of child abuse on the news networks. Child taken by a convicted child rapist and murdered, baby brutally tortured and killed by her homicidal parents, missing girl found after being abducted and raped for years, boy seduced and raped by his teacher.

Child…missing…never to be found.

The news is chalk full of these stories. Each one, a nightmarish horror. Who could possibly prey on a child. A CHILD! These countless news stories are just the tip of the iceberg. All to common are the stories never reported. The kid who’s too scared to tell anyone that he or she is being raped by someone they know. Kids beat to a living pulp by drunkard parents. We live in a society that preys on it’s children. We live in a society where even the most vulnerable, the sweet child dependant on his or her mother inside the womb, is thought by ‘progressive’ thinking people to be an acceptable loss as long as the mother and/or father find comfort in it. If that is progressive, than I want to be backwards.

I’m in a funny mood. Just watched this video.

I can’t remember feeling much rage for any news I’ve heard in my life. Maybe I’m desensitized…maybe we all are. The one news story that did make me howl in rage and hit my steering wheel was the recount of how Jessica Lunsford died. Clutching the small stuffed animal that her father had given her while she tried to free herself from the plastic bag that she was placed in. She suffocated. Suffocated so an animal--not a man--could have his evil pleasures. I yelled. I hit my steering wheel. If that man was in front of me, I would have killed him with my bare hands. God help me, I would have.

I’m sick of it all. Sick of little kids being victims. Statistically, one of my four girls is supposed to be a victim. For what? What the hell did they do to anybody? They were born? Do I have to wait till one of my girls are preyed upon? I have a friend who’s already going threw that nightmare. How she has her sanity, I have no idea.

There are monsters, folks. Like most, they prey upon only those who can’t fight back.

The Legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-29T10:37:00.001-07:00

No matter what we say about Ted Kennedy, it always has to be said that it is only threw the grace of God that anybody finds their way toward Him rather than away from Him after death. We will never know, until perhaps we too pass, whether or not Senator Kennedy deserved God’s final reward. He was a man, and like all men, was a slave to sin. To proclaim that he could not find favor with God in his last days is to deny God’s mercy.

That being said…

Senator Ted Kennedy was one of the most powerful voices in the most powerful country in the world. While some would claim leadership of the Democratic Party, it was often his powerful voice that laid the tempo for Democrat support or opposition to various policy issues. Unlike most men and women, his moral choices, his opinions, and his discrepancies, spoke for millions. Call it a burden of leadership….call it whatever you want. For many, he was an example. That’s a fact.

So, it is only right to scrutinize the kind of legacy he left behind.

For Democrats, you couldn’t get a better advocate for what the party stood for than Senator Kennedy. Towing the party line, his thunderous voice in the senate chambers shook many opponents. His penetrating personality championed his convictions.

And that’s where we come to an impasse.

For Catholics, a mixed message. Said about Senator Ted Kennedy was his work for the poor. For his work of the ’little guy’. For his opposition to unjust aggression. Yet let us not forget his advocacy for the right for children to be terminated by their parents.

Abortion.

Senator Kennedy wasn’t just silent about the issue, he was a proponent of a barbaric practice that has killed millions upon millions of little babies. How could you be for the poor, as Mother Teresa called those in the womb ‘the poorest of the poor’, when you discriminate those without any kind of wealth? How could you be for the ‘little guy’ when your for the death of those without a voice? How could you be for the opposition of unjust aggression when your for the unjust mutilation of the most innocent beings in our world?

I don’t know what he said before he left this Earth. I don’t know the conversation he had between himself and his confessor. But his legacy? Justification of those who call themselves followers of Christ yet, are not only for the brutal killing of infants, but are strong advocates of it.

May God have mercy on his soul, and may he rest in peace.

ELCA chooses. No to Christ. Yes to world.

2009-08-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

And so it’s done. After a majority vote, the ELCA has decided to stop being a denomination following Christ in order to be an organized mob celebrating the world. Yes, as promised years before by the leftists who were outraged that they didn’t get their way when this came up in the last major synod vote, time was on their side. I truly think the leadership of the ELCA has betrayed it’s flock.

You might be thinking that because it was a synod council vote, that the vote was a direct reflection of the faithful. I disagree. I’ve always held church councils made up of congregants (lay people) suspect. It seems to be an attractant to dissenters, ‘progressives‘,and people with an axe to grind. Faithful servants of the Lord seem more reluctant to attain that sort of status. I’m not saying all councils are full of unfaithful leftists--and there are some holy people in some councils--, but in this case I think the deck was stacked. It’s only been a couple of years since the last vote, and I’m sure hearts and minds weren’t changed by that large of a margin in that short of time.

Interesting article by Deacon Keith Fournier on the matter.

Why I Care About The ELCA

2009-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

So, why do I care so much with what happens to the ELCA concerning…anything? Why not wave goodbye to a dying denomination and hope for the best for those who have an honest relationship with Christ? I can not, in good conscience, wish for the destruction of the ELCA. It’s one thing to see a vast liberal church entity from a distance as just a corrupted organization who’s ideas barley qualify as the intent of it’s long dead founder. It’s another thing to have met and worshiped with the actual people in an ELCA affiliated congregation.

When I came to St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, I barley knew a thing about Jesus Christ. I guess you could say I was an agnostic. Lutheranism was the faith of my father and his parents. At the time my dad and his parents went to church, they belonged to an American Lutheran Church congregation. Eventually the ALC, along with other Lutheran church bodies, merged to form the ELCA. Because I wanted my kids to grow up in a church that meant something to my own people, I had decided to give St. Mark a try. I think I choose pretty good. It was a great, welcoming place to worship.

Unlike the ‘new church’ banners, it wasn’t just about being ‘welcome’.

Some of the most profound and eye opening moments in my life, aside from discovering the Catholic Church, came from Pastor Rick’s bible studies every Sunday evening. They weren’t your average, protestant bible studies. It was more like diving deep into the depths of theology. Rick was a great guy, who opened my eyes to a lot of things. It seemed to me that Pastor Rick was more concerned with truth in Christ rather than pampering people’s egos. He, along with the friends my wife and children had made, made it a gut wrenching move to progress toward Catholicism and leave the church we came to love.

So, I can not wish the destruction of faith on the folks at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran. Before I left, there was already talk of splitting if the then vote on ordination of openly homosexual pastors passed. Now the issue has come up again, and I’m sure feelings are pretty much the same at St. Mark. More and more, the ELCA isn’t standing for anything remotely Christian. Faith in Christ is second to political correctness. The ELCA leadership would say that they are acting out of love, yet wouldn’t acting in love also mean correcting in love? Love doesn’t have a thing to do with it. No, it’s not acting in love to cower to leftist political interests. It’s a sign of cowardly self preservation. I don’t want to see the people of St. Mark scattered… the ELCA couldn’t give a flip. The less bible believing folks in the masses, the less they may have to stand up for any sort of teaching.

In closing, here’s a letter from the late Fr. Neuhaus explaining his leaving the Lutheran Church to Catholicism, addressed to Lutheran friends and clergy. May God help the faithful of the ELCA. And if they are to scatter, let us welcome them with open arms.

On Saturday, September 8, 1990, the Nativity of Mary, I was received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. In the months ahead I will be preparing to enter the priesthood of the Catholic Church. With the full support of my bishop, John Cardinal O'Connor, I will continue to serve as director of the Institute on Religion and Public Life and as a member of the Community of Christ. This decision is the result of many years of prayer, reflection,study, conversation, and, I firmly believe, the leading of the Holy Spirit. Especially over the last five years, I have resisted with great difficulty the recognition that I could no longer give an answer convincing to others or to me as to why I was not a Roman Catholic. Over the last 20 years and more, I have repeatedly and publicly urged that the separated ecclesial existence of Lutheranism, if it was once necessary, is no longer necessary; and, if no longer necessary, such separated existence is no longer justified. Therefore, cooperating with other evangelical catholics who shared my understanding of the Lutheran destiny and duty according to the Augsburg Confession, I devoted myself to the healing of the breach of the sixteenth century between Rome and the Reformation. This meant and means ecclesial reconciliation and the restoration of full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome. That is a consummation for which I continue to pray, and to which I earnestly hope my present decision will contribute. At the same time, I have been brought, reluctantly but surely, to the recognition that this understanding of the Augsburg Confession and the Reformation has been rejected--in institutional fact, and frequently in theological principle--by the several jurisdictions of the Lutheran communion. With respect to the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America of which I was a pastor) the evidence compelled me to the conclusion that its operative understanding of the Church is in formed not by the ecclesiology of the New Testament, nor by that of the Fathers, nor that of the Augsburg Confession, but by American denominationalism. I can no longer persuade myself that Lutheranism is an evangelical catholic movement of Gospel reform within and for the one Church of Christ. It now seems to me that Lutheranism is a Protestant denomination among Protestant denominations, and is determined to remain so. I have always understood that, as I was baptized into Christ, so was I baptized into His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. It was therefore my desire and duty, as a western Christian formed by the Reformation tradition, to be in full communion with the fullest and most rightly ordered reality of that Church through time. I am persuaded that that reality subsists in the Roman Catholic Church. I can readily attest that, in the words of the Second Vatican Council, "many elements of sanctification and of truth can be found outside the Church's visible structure." Lumen Gentium continues, "These elements,however, as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, possessan inner dynamic toward Catholic unity." The inner dynamic of the catholic substance I knew in Lutheranism has compelled me to become aRoman Catholic.I know well the claim of some Lutherans that separated ecclesialexistence is necessary for the sake of the Gospel--as the Gospel is understood in terms of justification by grace through faith because ofChrist. I beg such Lutherans to consider that the Gospel can be proclaimed today in the Roman Catholic Church, and in fact is so proclaimed. Moreover, it is by no means evident that the Lutheran denomination of our time does, as a matter of fact bear witness to that Gospel.The Reformers rightly insisted that the Church lives from the Gospel and for the Gospel. Lutheranism, however, has not understood that the Church is an integral part of the Gospel. The Church is neither an abstract idea nor merely a voluntary association of believers, but a divinely commissioned and ordered community ofapostolic faith, worship, and discipleship through time. "I delivered to you what I also received," said St. Paul (I Cor.15). Under the guidance of the Spirit promised to the Church, apostolic Scripture is joined to apostolic order in the faithful transmission and interpretation of revealed truth. The Gospel is the proclamation ofGod's grace in Christ and His body in the Church. It is for the sake of that Gospel, and the unity of the Church gathered by that Gospel, that I am today a Roman Catholic. I cannot begin to express adequately my gratitude for all the goodness I have known in the Lutheran communion. There I was baptized,there I learned my prayers, there I was introduced to Scripture and creed, there I was nurtured by Christ on Christ, there I came to know the utterly gratuitous love of God by which we live astonished. For my theological formation, for friendships beyond numbering. for great battles fought, for mutual consolations in defeat, for companionships in ministry--for all this I give thanks and know that I will forever be in debt to the church called Lutheran. Most especially am I grateful for my 30 years as a pastor. There is nothing in that ministry that Iwould repudiate, except my many sins and shortcomings. My becoming a priest in the Roman Catholic Church will be the completion and right ordering of what was begun 30 years ago. Nothing that was good is rejected, all is fulfilled.

Richard John Neuhaus

More Troubles For the ELCA

2009-08-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

A new controversy is heading toward the ELCA by liberal change agents . I’m glad I left when I did. To be honest, I’m not sure what has kept the slowly dying mainline protestant churches alive for as long as they have. The problem with CORE’s argument is that when you rely on sola scriptura, it isn’t simply a matter of what biblical truth is as much as who’s perspective of biblical truth has the most votes in the next synod meeting. There are some good, very faithful people in the ELCA. They deserve our prayers and support.

Coninueing Facebook Debate

2009-08-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

First, a little history. Instead of writing on my blog I have--brace yourselves--been busy doing the face book thing. I know, I know, horrible. Hey, short quirky posts and responses might be a stupid way to avoid writing out long posts full of meaning, but it’s the only way I could do any sort of writing what so ever this summer.

Anyway, I’ve come across an interesting conversation while on face book. If your familiar with the service you’ll understand the vast amount of silly little polls that come along with great frequency. One such poll was about the abortion issue. An evangelical friend of mine participated in the quiz, and she got an interesting response. Well, I got involved, and the debate started. Since Face book is an awful venue for deep discussion, what better place than the ‘ol blog? Anyway, below is a copy of how the debate has gone so far. Now, I will keep this open for discussion. I simply ask for civility. This guy I’m having this conversation with is an old friend and neighbor. In other words, have some charity! I’ll initial his name so as to keep his identity secret. Other participants in the back and forth exchange on Face book will be kept as discrete as possible as well.

J.W.: (referring to face book page owners poll choice) I tend to have no opinion on it whatsoever. I don’t have a womb and, as such, will never have to make that decision.

The real question is, with your vote of “Never”…do you support the death penalty for capital offenses?

Commenter 2: (J.W.), babies have not committed a capital offence or any offence for that matter

J.W.: (Commenter 2)…seriously??

The statement “ALL life is precious. What about the lives of people who committed capital crimes?

Face book page owner: No, I don’t support the death penalty on any offence. It is not my right to choose who should live or die no matter what they have done.

Babies can’t choose whether they live or die in their mother’s womb. There are so many people who can’t have kids. People can give their kids up for adoption instead. It is sad that children have to die because people are so selfish.

J.W.: Thank you for answering the question, (F.P.O). It’s a very consistent and level headed approach.

Daniel C.: (J.W.),

The term “life is precious” indeed means more than a simple slogan of the anti-infanticide movement. Though, in a just society the killing of the young, no matter what their developmental state is, is a moral tragedy. With your comment “I do not have a womb, and as such, will never have to make that decision”, you would also be comfortable in saying “Because I am not a Jew or a Nazi, and have no opinion on the holocaust”? Or how about “I’m not elderly, therefore I have no opinion on involuntary euthanasia.”? At what point does a society stand up for moral convictions even if they are a third party? At what point to you shove aside gutless relativism and do what’s right?

J.W.: Daniel, my official stance is that every living being deserves the right to live. And not just humans.

But, you have to realize that morality *is* relative. Look for the justification for war throughout history-both “holy” and otherwise-and to this day. The small decisions you make day to day-those that don’t end a life-are based on inconsistently-enforced morals. What may be good one time may not be good the next. You say it gutless; I say it’s reality.

When a woman has an entopic pregnancy, what do we do-abort the pregnancy (which is doomed to fail) and save the mother, or pray and let God figure it out? Inaction would indeed be the more heinous crime. Therefore, a blanket statement like “abortion is NEVER acceptable” is immoral.

Daniel C. :

(J.W.),

First, thank you for the conversation. Engaging in civil debate is a virtue lost to too many. Despite our philosophical differences I think that may be something we both agree on? And perhaps I should invite my old neighbor to my friend list so we could continue this conversation off [F.P.O] post? I’m not sure this post is any longer the proper venue for this debate.

Relativism. You have to realize that for a person of faith, unless you’re a Unitarian Universalist, the term “everything is relative” is contradictory. Most faiths, for instance my Roman Catholicism, have an amount of truths that for the follower can not be bent for the sake of bending. It would be as if I told you that an apple is an orange, simply because I will it to be an orange. It is a contradiction. An apple is an apple--an orange is an orange. So too, truth and moral foundation based on faith can not be changed simply because I have resistance to it or will it to be changed. Truth is truth. What that truth is may be debatable, but to say that everything is relative is to say there is no truth! Perhaps we have a differing view on what relativism is. I think that may be a debate for another time. But it is important you understand where I am coming from for further discussion.

On that note, I have to go to work! I’m not going to dodge your last question, and I promise I’ll return to it once I get to work. Ha, there’s another truth! I can not reset the time I want to go to work simply because I disagree with my employer when 8 am is!

So there’s the primer. More to respond to when I get off of work (I’m doing lunch right now).

Prayers Please

2009-06-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

I found out today that a friend, and a woman who I admire, may have cancer. She has had a rough journey lately, and deserves God's mercy. Please join me in prayer that she sees this through.

Saint Peregrine, Pray for us!

Classless Warfare

2009-03-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Carrot sticks. A couple of homemade cookies. Small bag of barbecue potato chips. All in a brown lunch sack that, if I was lucky, wasn’t decorated by my stepmother with frilly flowers and cute eyes in the double o’s of my last name (Coon with eyes in the middle instead of the letters). This was my lunch for most of my elementary school days growing up in Delta Junction, Alaska. Right now, looking back, it was a pretty good lunch. My step mom had to make six lunches all together, and usually all of them would have some pretty funny decorations on the outside of the otherwise plain brown paper lunch sack. Looking back, I can appreciate the time it took to fix those lunches, and the amount of money it also took to provide the food--healthy food I might add--that went into those sack lunches.

Back when I was a kid I saw things a little differently than I do now.

In the eighties the boob tube, and the box office were full of shows and characters millions of kids idolized. Knight Rider, The A-Team, Transformers, GI Joe, and Indiana Jones were just a few of those very shows. Each of these awesome shows would often produce a lunch box. A low end box would be made of plastic and have a simple action scene on the front. For instance, a knight rider lunch box of this sort would have a mural of Michael Knight’s face on the front with KIT in the background. A high end lunch box would often be made of tin. The entire lunch box would have these almost three dimensional action scenes around the entire box. An Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom lunch box of this high end quality would sport pictures of brave Indiana Jones wielding a machete on the front, and other images from the movie on the sides. For a kid with a corny brown lunch sack, these amazing lunch boxes were something I longed for.

It wasn’t only the lunch boxes. A lot of the kids who came to school with the high end lunch boxes would also have some pretty good stuff inside. There potato chips would come in there own cool little mini bag instead of a sandwich bag like mine. The sandwich would have ham or bologna, not the peanut butter and jelly that sometimes became mushy by the time I got to it. Most of all, they’d have that thermos. Oh baby…that thermos. It matched the lunch box, and held anything from kool-aid to orange juice. And if it had hot soup in it, more than likely the kid was given an ultra special treat…the juice box! Yep, unlike my flavorless school milk, these kids would have either a hi-c or caprison juice.

The jealousy I had for these kids and there lunch boxes seems pretty absurd, but it’s also a pretty common human state of mind. He/she has, I want. No matter how good things are for you. One thing I’ve learned in my struggle to provide for my family is that there just simply isn’t enough money, and there never will be. There will always be things I see other people having that I want. Little do I recognize that while they have this stuff that I obsess about, they too are looking forward at a piece of riches that another person may have that they also do not.

I ultimately believe that if you want what another person has, you have to work for it. If I want that boat, or skis, or Indiana Jones lunch box, I better find a way to make it happen. I can’t simply expect theses things to be given to me. Heck, sometimes it’s probably better I concentrate in what I do need rather that what toys I long for, isn’t it? And maybe, just maybe, if I took a step back and took account of everything I do have, I’d be thankful for the many blessings I have been given. I have four wonderful daughters, a great wife, a van that I can drive with my family, an outstanding job, food in my pantry. I’m in pretty good shape, even if I don’t have that lunch box. If I looked back instead of forward, I’d recognize that there are some folks who long for what I have, and this life of mine is pretty damn sweet. I’m no fat cat, but things could be worse.

If wanting these things were bad enough, it get’s worse. Jealousy has a tragic way of getting quite nasty. There are many, and I’ll include myself at times, who feel resentment for those who have what they don’t. Somehow they are guilty in our eyes of actually possessing something we can not have. How dare they, right? Who the hell are they to have a four bedroom house? Who the hell are they to have that nice car? Who the hell are they to be so damn happy? Not realizing of course that the reason they’re so happy and the other guy isn’t is that the other guy is obsessing and hating that person who has that thing they think will bring them that happiness.

It’s not healthy, and what’s more is that this feeling is sinful. The Church teaches us that lust for what other people have--envy--is destructive and against God‘s will. This teaching can be found in the tenth commandment; You shall not covet. Envy leads to a hatred for those who have, and a joy for their failure. If this is a sin, than what does that say about those who incite these feelings on others? Class warfare anyone?

I suppose the question that’s been burning in my brain for these past couple of months is how can I, a man who wants to follow Christ, justify a class of people paying for expensive government programs that are supposed to ‘benefit’ me simply because they make a combined household income of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? I keep hearing that “Your taxes won’t raise, as a matter of fact you’ll see tax cuts. It’s only the wealthiest Americans who will see a tax increase.” as if I’m supposed to feel relieved that someone else is carrying the burden of massive dept for me. It’s ridicules that in order to justify spending, we have a government who has to vilify successful people. And it’s called populist for a reason. People around this nation are eating it up. Folks like the idea of the ‘rich’ getting their just deserts. After all, they have what few don’t.

Yeah, I can already hear the cries of justification. Cries about crooked bankers and wall street pimps who ignored their morality and lusted for greed so much it blew up the economy. About AIG officials getting million dollar bonuses. If that’s the argument in punishing someone--charity at the tip of a bayonet--I’m afraid I just can’t buy it. I can not, and will not, except that there are ‘classes’ of Americans who have more or less rights than another…poor or rich.

I never got that lunch box. The feelings of jealousy about who had what at the lunch table ended after about the fifth grade. Looking back I can appreciate what I did have. Some kids I grew up with didn’t even have a sack lunch. I guess being grateful for what you already have is a problem in this country. Used to be that you worked for dreams. Instead, folks nowadays are clamoring toward hope in a government absent of morality. A government not interested in what’s good for the people, but what makes the mob happy.

Archbishop of Anchorage: FOCA “Contrary to our faith..."

2009-01-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

Archbishop Schwietz of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and his stance on the FOCA legislation was the focus of the newest Catholic Anchor. It’s a good thing to see that our shepherd here in the north is taking a stand along with the rest of the USCCB to encourage Catholics to voice strong opposition against this frightening legislation. While I do sometimes wish he’d speak out more often on important and current issues facing the church before waiting for an official position from the USCCB, I’m greatly encouraged by his leadership at this pivotal moment in our nations history. It’s obvious that, despite other’s assurance that FOCA is some sort of boogey man hyped up by the right to throw flames at Obama, the Archbishop sees this as a grave and quite real threat.

Rather than cut and paste the article, I’ll try to highlight some important points that the article by, Patricia Coll Freeman, had. I’ll do it Core style…maybe doing so will encourage him to blog again.

Here’s some points and actions taken from the Archbishop in the article:

+ Along with other bishops of the USCCB, is committed to a “Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign”. He is hopeful for a great turnout by Alaskan Catholics.
+ Has asked the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters of America to set up tables inside the parishes to distribute postcards.
+Warns that the bill would threaten existing laws in Alaska like ones designed to warn mothers of the medical risks of abortion, as well as alternatives to the procedure.
+Says that such legislation would “Jeopardize the conscience rights” of health care workers, and would also jeopardize institutions, like Catholic hospitals, who are opposed to pro-death practices like abortion on demand and embryonic destructive research.
+Is hopeful that our representative and two senators, including Senator Mark Begich, will vote against the FOCA legislation.

On that last point: There will be little hope Senator Begich will see things the Archbishops way. He knows quite well that abortion legislation is secondary to the people of Alaska when compared to government pork and natural recourses legislation. He will be on the side of the majority--if not all--of Senate Democrats on this issue. The article also mentions his not so stellar positions on right to life issues.

As for the now senior senator, Murkowski is pretty close to an upcoming election. Voting for FOCA will damage her in the eyes of the base of the Republican party despite her already shaky position on the issue of abortion. Unless she’s really asking for it, I’d say she more than likely will vote against it…though I’m not sure by looking at her record if it would be due to political expediency or conviction.

And there you have it. Something good coming out the Anchor besides some excellent articles by Fr. Michael Shields. Like I said before, I’m proud that the Archbishop is planning a campaign against FOCA, and is speaking out about it’s disastrous effects.

Letters from Catholic Alaska: 'Politicizing the Eucharist'

2008-12-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes all you can do is laugh. Yeah, we’ve got some pretty ignorant folks up here in Alaska. From the latest Catholic Anchor comes this letter:

After witnessing the attempts of some Catholics at politicizing the Eucharist during the recent election, I began to wonder if maybe Jesus’ message wasn’t: “Stop abortion at all costs; practice only natural family planning, and forever ban stem cell research” instead of “love one another.”

Maybe this guy isn’t a Catholic? I mean, what Catholic would call stopping abortions a form of politicizing the Eucharist? What Catholic would rail against natural family planning in favor for what I could only assume from the letter as ‘better’ methods? What Catholic would appose embryonic stem cell research? I know the letter writer only said “forever ban stem cell research”, but it a typo of ignorance on his part. Catholics--those of us who take seriously Christ’s call to love one another--appose the destruction of life not only for an unproven scientific method, but for any unjust reason. What Catholic would ask all these questions and pompously say that those issues he listed above were ‘politicizing the Eucharist? Would a Catholic be such a moron to write a letter to a Catholic newspaper and display his ignorance?

Yep. Welcome to Catholic Alaska.

The Morality Of Blade Runner

2008-11-30T04:07:00.001-08:00

It’s probably the most important work of science fiction made on the big screen. Blade Runner, which is the movie version of the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep”, is a movie that is not only visually stunning and full of clever story telling, it’s also an epic of morality. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t want to see this movie. By far, Ridley Scott’s most important film, and the best Rutger Hauer ever acted in. The music, by the synth genius Vangelis, is amazing. All around, excellent film, and one of my all time favorites.

But everything aside, the morality of the film is very important. It asks very basic questions about the sanctity of life. In this film we follow a character played by Harrison Ford named Deckard. Deckard is a blade runner, a man entrusted to hunt down and kill rogue androids. The synthetic ‘humans’ are made as slaves, given tasks often deemed too dangerous for humans. Four of those androids make it to Earth, including a dangerous soldier model. They had already killed one blade runner, and it was up to Deckard to eliminate them.

So for most of the film, it’s a cat and mouse game. Deckard continues to hunt and kill the androids one by one, while the leader named Roy, played by Rutger Hauer, is attempting to confront his maker…and demand of him a way to live past the four years that he has been programmed for. In this quest he brutally goes about his business. He finely catches up to his maker, and when he is told the condition is irreversible, kills him in a mixture of grief and rage.

In the end, his life fading, Roy spares Deckard’s life after an intense reversal of the hunt that finds them both on a towering rooftop. The Android could have easily killed the man who had terminated three of his fellow android friends. Instead, he catches him as he is about to fall.

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time…like tears in the rain. Time to die.”

It’s a frightful moment, because it is then that you realize Roy, and the other androids, was a living and breathing person. Though synthetic, they felt…they held life within them. Humanity had used these beings as slaves, limiting them to only four years of life before the irreversible programming manufactured in them at the time of creation shut them down. At that moment you can feel the frustration Roy and the other’s must have felt. The pain, the anguish, and even the murderous anger. Roy, who had seen so much--who had marveled at the beauty in his life--only wanted to live, and break free from the slavery humanity had thrust against him. It’s a very strange moment of empathy for a character who till that point had been a murderous lunatic.

Like many serious science fiction novels, like Ender’s Game, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and A Brave New World, this story gives us a view of a future that isn’t so far fetched. Humanity, powered by a secular sense for the ‘common good’, is a dangerous thing indeed. In Ender’s Game, it’s destroying an enemy at any cost to avoid the horrors of past invasions, only in the end to realize that humanity became what it feared. 1984 shows us the dangers of complete government control, a place where even thinking the wrong thoughts is a crime. Fahrenheit 451 deals with the dumbing effects that the media has on the people, and --though disputed by Bradbury himself--shows us the dangers of censorship. At last, A Brave New World gives us a glimpse of an Earth where sex is merely a recreational activity, where individual thought is looked down upon, and where humanity is geneticly seperated into different working classes whose job is bred into them.

All these works, including Blade Runner, are by people who saw something in there own time that caused them to think of these fascinatingly horrific versions of the future. Blade Runner’s theme speaks to us even today…maybe even more so than when it was first made into a film. As the question over human cloning continues, what says we can’t engineer a class of people to do our dirty work? Even today in our own country, our government turns a blind eye to those people entering our country “illegally”, all the while collecting social security money that they’ll never see and providing a cheap labor force for work that‘s to dirty for ’regular’ Americans .

The thing about many science fiction novels and moves that deal with scary versions of our future, is that those ideas are very plausible given people’s willingness to let secular governments decide for them what is right or wrong. The common good is a phrase that can be easily manipulated to excuse immoral actions in the hopes of bringing about social change for the so called benefit of humanity. Yet, when we do sacrifice a piece of our morality for what we perceive as a greater cause, we tear out a part of our soul as a society. And when that part of us is gone, what says we can’t bend the rules again and purge another part of our morality for more 'good'? It’s a dangerous and irreversible cycle that can perhaps only be corrected as Rome when it was sacked and destroyed by the savages from the north, or the optimistic ending of Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 when the city is nuked…out of the ashes a new society must be built.

So, I encourage you all to watch Blade Runner. If you don’t remember the movie being so deep…well, pay attention this time. Look for the imagery, the subtle hints about Decker’s true nature, and the deep moral questions that the movie asks.

The USCCB reacts to the election of Obama

2008-11-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

A letter from Cardinal George representing the USCCB:

Dear President-elect Obama,

I write to you, in my capacity as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to express our congratulations on your historic election as President of the United States. The people of our country have entrusted you with a great responsibility. As Catholic Bishops, we offer our prayers that God give you strength and wisdom to meet the coming challenges.

Our country is confronting many uncertainties. We pray that you will use the powers of your office to meet them with a special concern to defend the most vulnerable among us and heal the divisions in our country and our world. We stand ready to work with you in defense and support of the life and dignity of every human person.

May God bless you and Vice President-elect Biden as you prepare to assume your duties in service to our country and its citizens.

Sincerely yours,

Francis Cardinal George, OMI
Archbishop of Chicago
President

Our prayers, indeed, need to be with our new president. President elect Obama has already shown, with his speech to planned parenthood in '07, that he is on the side of liberalizing abortion law. Much talk by other bloggers have excused his support for FOCA without explanation...one even accusing worries about the law "hype". And while some people are going to hold those bloggers feet to the fire if FOCA passes, I would encourage first that we pray that the hope they saw in a man who once said he wouldn’t want to "punish his children with a baby" is the reality of what happens in the next four years.

Will FOCA pass? Likely if Obama goes along with a majority of congress that is of the same party. Will the Catholics who denied an Obama presidency would mean more abortions in the United States call themselves wrong when it does? Unlikely. I learned a long time ago that being on the left means never having to say your sorry. I predict a lot of deflection and blame going elsewhere if and when that day comes. I'll pray though, very hard, that they are the ones that are right and I'm just a victim of the "hype".

Election Impressions

2008-11-05T10:21:00.001-08:00

My impression of the elections can be found at the new GLACC blog.

My Beautiful Gift From God

2008-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Gabrielle

2008-10-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

My forth daughter, Gabrielle, was born today! 8lbs 2 oz. Very beautiful little girl. I'm on cloud nine right now. Another post with pics soon to come!!!

FOCA, and the Truth About The Abortion Rate

2008-10-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Did you really think I could keep my mouth shut for so long? Well, short break from my break…I did try! Anyway, I’ve been reading some Obama apologist blogs, and there seems to be some confusion with the reasons behind the abortion rate drop and how FOCA would affect that number. Laughably, there’s been a theory floating around for quite a while in the poisonous world of bloggers that less regulation on abortion, mixed in with some good old fashioned socialism, will reduce the number of abortions even more. Hey, make a deal with the devil to reduce death is still a deal with the devil…and legitimization of death! And the sad truth is, the theory that regulation of abortion will have no affect on the number of abortions is a lie!

Richard Doerflinger, who is the Associate Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities for the USCCB, sees it differently . He points out that it hasn’t been the deregulation of abortion that has contributed to it’s drop. It's been the regulation:

The reality is this: In 1980 the Supreme Court upheld the Hyde amendment, and federally funded abortions went from 300,000 a year to nearly zero. With its decisions in Webster (1989) and Casey (1992), the Court began to uphold other abortion laws previously invalidated under Roe. States passed hundreds of modest but effective laws: bans on use of public funds and facilities; informed consent laws; parental involvement when minors seek abortion; etc.Â Dr. Michael New's rigorous research has shown that these laws significantly reduce abortions. In the 1990s, debate on partial-birth abortion - kept in the public eye, ironically, by President Clinton's repeated vetoes of a ban on this grisly late-term procedure - alerted many Americans to the violence of abortion and shifted public attitudes in a pro-life direction, just as growing concern over AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases was giving new force to the abstinence message for teens. Now the Court has upheld a partial-birth abortion ban, and signaled that other laws to save unborn children and their mothers from the horrors of abortion may be valid. If Roe is reversed outright, that will allow more laws that can further reduce abortions.

And he adds about FOCA:

By contrast, a pending federal "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA) would knock down current laws reducing abortions, and require public programs for pregnant women to fund abortion. No one supporting that bill can claim to favor reducing abortions.

Read the rest of his article here.

I don’t expect that anybody who’s already in the tank for Obama to give Mr. Doerflinger’s words much thought. Just like there are many who would ignore Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Martino on the issue. There has been an overwhelming number of bishops who have had to correct the assertion that voting for a pro-abortion candidate is optimal…but it won’t matter. It’s about partisanship and believing their own crap to justify it. As long as you wrap it up in pretty rhetoric, it’s got to be true, right? Heh.

But hey, if we’re going to deregulate abortion in order to drop the rate, how about deregulating rape? If you made it legal, wouldn’t that drop that rate right off the scales? How about murdering your parents or grandparents because they’ve become a burden in their old age? Killing off the mentally handicapped...could reduce their numbers, why not? C’mon, if it’s good enough for abortion, why not some other evils?

Breaking Till After Elections...

2008-10-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

Going to break from blogging till the elections are done. I’ve pretty much given up on reading the blogs for now. Too much crap being posted, too little time for me to stomach it. Anyway, hopefully things will get a little more civil once this is over.

Prediction: If McCain wins, expect the same partisan whining, maybe even more. If Obama wins, expect the apologetics who voted for him be in full force defending his every move…yeah, that includes the Freedom of Choice Act you Obama morons want to ignore (But hey, all worth it if he brings us tax funded health care...that pays for abortions! Whoo!). Anyway, when that day happens, expect some well deserved nose rubbing.

Bye for now! See you after November!

Good Article by Deacon Fournier

2008-09-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of very stupid comments around the internet concerning Governor Palin’s oldest daughter, Bristol, and her pregnancy.

Anyway, read this article by Deacon Keith Fournier concerning the matter. Put a lump in my throat.

Temporally Dumping a Linked Blog

2008-09-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to temporarily remove Vox Nova from my links. This isn’t meant as an insult, in any way, toward the blog itself. Though I disagree with many of it’s bloggers, Vox Nova has been a great source for me to consider the opinions of it’s writers view points on Catholic social teaching. Lately, the blog has gotten quite a bit pointed. The reason I read Vox Nova is to understand differing view points related to Catholic social thought, not to read spin pieces by it’s members favoring or disfavoring a political party. Granted, before this election cycle the preoccupation by some of it’s members toward the political was always there…but as the presidential elections near, so does the classiness of some of it’s posters disappear.

Yeah, I’ll still check it out every now and then, but when I read things in the comboxes that make me want to throw my laptop across the room…it’s time for me to stop being so preoccupied with it. I’ll probably add it back on after the election cycle. Perhaps by then charity will find it’s way back into (not sure much was there anyhow) Vox Nova. And for now I may add some of the personnel blogs of those contributors I find intriguing rather than those I find absolutely horrid.

What about some of the other….colorful…blogs that I have links too? To be honest I don’t really consider them to be provocative, and it doesn’t seem their writers seek to be so. Well…save for Mark Shea’s blog. The nice thing about Mark, though, is that he can’t stand any political party, and actively points to the stupidity of both Republicans and Democrats. He makes my blood boil sometimes, but at least he’s honest.

Please Pray for the Gulf Coast

2008-08-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Please pray for those in the path of Hurricane Gustav. There are some Catholic blogs written by Louisianans that might provide some insight into what going on: For the Greater Glory, and Opinionated Catholic. God bless, guys. And may God protect everyone in the Gulf Coast from this potential disaster.

Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

First, congratulations to Governor Sarah Palin. As an Alaskan I am truly excited. I hope the people of America get to know Sarah Palin as we here in the forty ninth state have. Despite some bitter belt way talk about her “lack of experience”, Governor Palin is a remarkable leader. She boldly took on the corrupt establishment here in Alaska, and didn’t cave in when it came to dealing with the big three oil companies in this state. She is a woman of impeccable integrity and heart. She is, and always has been, the best choice for Vice President in these times of bitter partisan politics.

There will of course be great disappointment here in Alaska. We are loosing the best governor this state has seen in at least a generation. I’m not sure if I can put into words the demoralization we here in Alaska have had in our own politicians. Governor Palin became a shining light in our state government. Despite the fact we Alaskans are so scared to loose seniority in the senate and congress that we’d reelect a senator incitement in a corruption scandal, Palin was the face of a newly emerging Alaskan Republican Party…A party that isn’t in the pockets of VECO and special interest. Loosing her now in this pivotal struggle to reshape Alaskan politics will feel to many like a step backward.

Alaska’s loss, however, would be America’s gain. It’s a good sign that any leader is so loved by the people he/she governs that they don’t want to see them go. It's testament about the enormity of character Sarah Palin possesses that she fits into that mold. Over eighty percent of my fellow Alaskans feel very favorably about Sarah Palin. It’s not because she’s a populist, or “good old boy”, or a Washington insider. Alaskans love Governor Palin because she believes her office’s purpose is to serve the people, and not to serve self. It’s the same attitude she would carry to the White House the Vice President of the United States of America. For that, despite the loss of a great woman in Alaska’s shattered political atmosphere, I am greatly optimistic about this pick and the thought of her serving our nation as a whole.

The next two months will be quite the trial for Governor Palin. Already I’ve heard grumblings from pro-choice “Catholics” and other liberals, belt way insiders, and--surprise, surprise-- some Republican establishment types. I’ve also heard plenty of lies, including one fronted by Democrats that she’s in the pocket of big oil. The game is a little bigger, but the players are all the same. I will say that it is encouraging that Senator Obama congratulated her and acted like a gentleman the day she was announced to be Senator McCain’s running mate, despite some knee jerk comments by members of his team. It was a classy thing to do.

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2008-08-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

Mosaic from Saint Mary of the Assumption in Baltimore, MD

Dim Bulb has a darn good summery about this wonderful feast day.

And Ma has a very heart warming post at Vox Nova about the powerful faith in Jesus and Mary that knows no borders.

Masab Yousef

2008-08-15T21:21:00.001-07:00

Wow! Praise be to God!

Corrupt Legacy

2008-08-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

I’ve been avoiding writing about Senator Stevens’ indictment for a while now. The main reason being I didn’t want emotion to be the deciding factor in how I wrote about the situation. Like many in this state I’m greatly saddened the Senator has been indicted on Federal charges for failing to report gifts from VECO. And like one Alaskan blogger noted, this, instead of the years he’s worked for Alaska, will be his legacy.

We Americans pride ourselves for having peaceful elections. Despite our polarized politics, leaders are elected by the people without violence. Though the process is only practiced by a low percentage in our municipalities (20% in the last municipal elections in Anchorage) states, and the nation as a whole, it’s still our right as Americans to vote in an election if we want to.

Yet, despite our celebrated right to elect our leaders, we’ve never overcame the blight of democracy, corruption. In the past couple of years we’ve seen our fair share of it. Nationally it seems there aren’t many of our senators and congressmen who aren’t being accused of corruption of some sort. Former Rep. Denis Hastert (R-IL) and the Prairie Parkway, Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) and the “freezer money”, and Former Rep Randy Cunningham (R-CA) and the dealings with MZM Inc. are just a few of the many who legislate in the Capitol Building. States and cities aren’t immune to the power of corruption and failure of ethics either. Votes for crack and/or money in Alabama, the thug like mentality of Mayor Kilpatrick of Detroit as he assaulted a police officer arresting one of his friends and lying under oath in another case , and of course the terrible taint of corruption we here in Alaska have seen with our own legislature and VECO.

When Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became Speaker of the House, she proclaimed that the majority taken away from the Republicans was due to a “culture of corruption” that was elevated because of GOP leadership . It was an unfortunate statement by a woman who also proclaimed a new era of bi-partisan unity. Corruption and the overall lack of ethics knows no party, Republican or Democrat. Her statement denies such, and in my opinion her partisan blindness will only elevate the problem.

So back to Senator Stevens.

The feds slapped seven counts of accepting unreported gifts--$250,000 worth of remodeling for his Girdwood home-- from VECO on the eighty four year old Senator Stevens. For Alaskans this is just another kick in the stomach for what has been an exhausting couple of years filled with corruption investigations and trials that have totally destroyed our confidence in our elected leaders here in this state, especially the “old guard” republicans. This kick in the gut is a little harder then the rest though, because of who Stevens is to this state.

Many Alaskans regarded, and still do, Stevens as one of the greatest Alaskans in our history as a state, so much so that he was named Alaskan of the century in 2000. His name is also associated with the airport in Anchorage, renamed the Ted Stevens International Airport also in 2000. His seniority in the senate meant money from the federal government to Alaska, and Ted knew how to deliver. To say Stevens was a giant in this state is an understatement. He’s an icon. And by the sheer amount of huge billboards I see around my own city, it’s evident that many will continue to support Stevens no matter the outcome of the September 24 trial. I too, at one time, would have felt the same way.

One of the biggest arguments to keep Ted Stevens is the fact that he’s been their for so long. Alaskans are almost paranoid when it comes to federal money coming to this state. Stevens, with over forty years in the senate, did a good job of doing just that. It’s for that reason I still believe if Stevens doesn’t get elected again then the nod will go to Mark Begich (D) who can possibly deliver our fix for federal money even without seniority because he can better deal with the Democrat heavy senate. If it wasn’t for the indictment, Stevens would have won hands down.

What does this have to do with my faith?

Plenty. Like I said above, in the past I would have voted for Ted Stevens almost without thinking about…well, anything. As long as he’s got an R behind his name on the ballot, he would have been for me. Not anymore. Now I must, because I believe I must make the most moral choice possible, choose a little more carefully. And because I believe that there is no way I could vote for Ted Stevens. Granted, he still has his day in court and is innocent till proven guilty, my own observations about the man prove that he not only can be bought off, but is a downright liar as well. His best interest stopped being Alaska when he accepted gifts from VECO. If only his love for Alaska was as big as his ego.

No, this does not mean I will be voting for a Democrat anytime soon. Their recent plunge to the left concerning abortion and marriage pretty much counts many of them out. Could I vote for a pro-life democrat? Possibly, if he or she was running against a republican like Lisa Murkowski, who’s pro-life record is lacking. Does such a democrat exist? Well, if they do, they’re a dying breed. I certainly hope others who want to promote a pro-life platform in the Democrat party are successful in winning hearts and minds. They have my prayers.

It’ll be interesting to see how things turn out this year in Alaska’s senatorial race. Will we re-elect Ted Stevens despite his shortcomings? Could be. Either way a once great man has tarnished his reputation and legacy all in the name of greed. He won’t have my vote ever.

My Run-In With A Radical

2008-08-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I got the great pleasure of FINELY meeting a woman who’s blog I read just about every day. Radical Catholic Mom, or Mamma as I like to call her, came down to the peninsula for a retreat at a local B&B. We had emailed back and forth about my dropping something off for the family she was sponsoring threw Catholic Social Services. The time was set to 1pm on Saturday.

Mr. Murphy has a way of finding me and ruining all set plans.

It just so happened my parents were coming up from Homer on the same day. Of course my Dad and step mom come first in terms of visiting. We figured we could still meet with them early, then find out where Mamma was staying at and head down there just in time…HEH! Well, we finely got with my parents at around noon. We talked for what I thought was a half hour…

…When I checked my phone it was 1:04!

We quickly said goodbye to my parents who had to go grocery shopping anyway, and headed out to find RCM.

On our way threw North Kenai, my wife asked me, “ Do you even know where your going?”

I looked at her with the of course I know where I’m going, I’m a guy look. “Uh, yeah.” I coolly said.

We got lost.

After about thirty minutes of taking the wrong road, we arrived over an hour late at the place where Mamma was having her retreat. I crept in the driveway. A lot of cars, but certainly nobody waiting for us. Go figure…I told her one and here it was past two.

“ Are you going to knock on the door?” my wife asked.

I looked at her like a crazy man “ No! Are you nuts!”

“Why? You scared?” she teased.

“ Okay. I’m not scared. They’re probably in there doing…retreat stuff. I don‘t want to interrupt anything because we were late.” I said. “Look, there’s a van with bumper sticker written in Spanish. She speaks Spanish, that’s got to be hers. We’ll just dump the stuff we got there. I’m sure she’ll get it.” I said.

“ You can’t just leave it outside in the rain!”

“ It’s shower stuff…it’s meant to be wet.”

“ Your stupid. I’m going to find out where she is. Chicken.” she left the car.

Well, she found her, and I’m glad she did.

The first impression you get from RCM when you meet her is that she's got quite a lot of energy. It’s not the annoying “I drank way to much coffee” type of energy, it’s much different. She’s very engaging, personable, and downright warm. You can tell she doesn’t have any problems making friends.

What I found the most relieving is that, in a way, she talks and acts the same way she blogs. What I mean is that when you are reading what she writes, your getting the real deal, not some fake fluff. And that’s pretty important in my opinion. It speaks volumes about a person’s honesty. I’m not a fan of bloggers, for instance, who are rude little trolls on the blogoshere, but are reportedly the “nicest guy/gal” in real life. You don’t have that problem with RCM.

I think all in all I greatly enjoyed the short time my wife, kids, and I talked to Mamma. I feel a little guilty for not talking more (believe it or not I’m kind of shy), hopefully RCM will forgive me on that. We got a sense of genuine kindness from Mamma threw our meeting. She was also very encouraging when she talked to us about being converts, and the rough road she too has traveled both in being a convert herself and facing some of the controversies in our archdiocese. It was a great relief.

So thank you Radical Catholic Mom…Mamma…for a great meeting. We look forward to when we can meet you again, and we‘d love to meet your husband and daughter as well. And if you’re an Alaskan blogger and have the chance to meet RCM, do it! You’ll be glad you did.

Here we Geoff again

2008-07-26T01:20:00.000-07:00

Geoff Kennedy, The Catholic Anchor’s resident “Shame on America” gunslinger, is at it again. In an opinion piece almost mirroring his past writings on the Anchor, Mr. Kennedy reminds us of our nations darkest moments, and cries for "communal" reconciliation. His remedy for righting these wrongs of the past? In order to right our wrongs of the past, Mr. Kennedy hints to opening a “commission of truth and reconciliation” by rehashing slavery, unjust treatment of Native Americans, the sending of Japanese Americans to camps during World War II, and many more of the ills that have been in our nations past.

Another such National sin he mentions is our invasion of other countries ( I assume he means Iraq and Afghanistan) and murdering their democratically elected leaders…what democratically leaders in which country I have no idea. Iraq had mock elections that gave Saddam power, and Afghanistan was held in the grip of the Taliban. In the case of Saddam, he was given a trail by his own people and killed, likewise, by his own people. If there’s another country we invaded, or leader we have successfully assassinated, would someone not drinking leftist Kool-Aid please let me know?

Now, before I make Radical Catholic Mom’s head spin, I will fully admit that ours is a nation with much to be ashamed of. From manifest destiny to mission accomplished, we’ve had many skeletons in our closet. We, in the name of defending the world from the evils of communism, became in more instances than I’d like to admit, as bad as the barbarians we were trying to defeat. We’ve made friends of despots, armed tyrants, and helped bring down innocent movements in fear they’d spawn into another Russian Revolution. We traded our morality for safety. And now that tendency we had to do those things in the past, in the name of defending ourselves from the Bolsheviks, may be repeated if we’re not careful in our struggle against world terrorism.

These are pivotal times.

Even admitting we’ve been a morally imperfect society, I’m still proud to be an American. We’ve done a lot of good. I know this falls into Mr. Kennedy’s eight excuses that he highlights in his article, but I fail to see any other country in the world that has done more good than the United States…can he? The people of the United States, though fallen like the rest of the world in sin, are a giving and caring people. Yet this doesn’t fit into Geoff Kennedy’s formula of guilt. Yes, we must put ourselves on trial, regardless of past apologies for our national sins, to make right our wrongs. And after that? Oh, I’ve a feeling folks like Mr. Kennedy will have plenty more things to rage and feel guilty about till the end of times…till we finely do see perfection in God’s glory. Until that day comes though, how many more times do we need to say we’re sorry in order to please the left in this country?

What Mr. Kennedy forgets, as many social justice crusaders on the left often do, is our biggest national sin: our utterly horrible mass killings of the innocent in the womb. This sin by far outweighs those we’ve done in the past. We’ve killed hundreds of thousands in the name of reproductive freedom in this country alone. I can’t read Geoff Kennedy’s mind--and as far as I know he hasn’t written one word on the Anchor for or against this so called “reproductive freedom"--but his omission of this truly horrible national sin is telling.

I invite you to read Mr. Kennedy’s article. It’s not very well written at all, as a matter of fact it reads more like…a blog entry….rather than an opinion article on even a small time Catholic newspaper. What will Geoff Kennedy write about the next time he whips up an article? If you need me to answer that for you than perhaps you really would enjoy his writings after all!

Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage. We humbly ask you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of you favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable endeavor, sound learning and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitude brought here out of many nations and tongues. Endow with the Spirit of wisdom those to whom in your name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to your law we may show forth your praise among the nations on earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble do not allow our trust in you to fail. We ask all of this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -National Prayer from the Diocese of Syracuse, New York

World Youth Day Opportunity

2008-07-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

From the CNA:

A Sydney court has overturned a law that would prevent protesters from “annoying” pilgrims at World Youth Day, ruling that it limited free speech. Bishop Anthony Fischer, who is in charge of facilitating the youth event, has suggested the overruling of the law would reduce the interest of those who were “cranky” with World Youth Day, saying such protestors will be overcome by the joy of pilgrims.

The New South Wales law had threatened fines of up to $5,500 against anyone causing “annoyance” to pilgrims at the massive Catholic event.

Activists said they plan to hold a rally on Saturday to demonstrate against the Church’s teaching on homosexuality and contraception. They say they will wear “provocative” T-shirts and hand out condoms.

Immediately following the decision Rachel Evans, one of the two protesters from the “No to Pope” group who took the case to court, started handing out condoms to pilgrims while wearing a shirt that read “The Pope is wrong, put a condom on,” according to the Times Online.

The Catholic Church had no comment on the decision and the New South Wales government said it would not appeal.

World Youth Day Coordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher suggested that the ruling would reduce interest in the weekend protest “because they won’t be protesting against the laws any more.”

“Even people who have been a bit cranky with World Youth Day… will be swept along by the beauty and joy of these young people and they’ll just want to be part of that,” Bishop Fisher said.

Now, before I get into my rant, let me just say that if this was anything but a Christian event, I’m pretty sure the court would have ruled to protect that event from harassment. I’m not an expert on the Australian judiciary by a long shot, but if it follows the trend of other western judicial systems, my comment would be very true. Let’s say there are a bunch of Christians outside of a --I don’t know-- homosexual rights rally in Canada, not only would the courts there protect the participants but they would also slap hate speech charges on any protesters via the Gestapo…I mean the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Usually I would be focused on the bigoted trend our law makers in western society have toward Christian beliefs. Buy hey-

-This is the Pauline Year!

In Act of the Apostles 9, we see God knock Paul (then Saul) from his high horse…literally.

1 Meanwhile Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorize him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he might find. 3 It happened that while he was traveling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light from heaven shone all round him. 4 He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 5 'Who are you, Lord?' he asked, and the answer came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'

Further in chapter nine, the Lord chooses Ananias to find and heal Paul. The surprised Ananias is just a tad confused why God would be using someone who was persecuting the followers of Christ.

15 The Lord replied, 'Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for my name.'

Remember the Paul was no push over. He was a very educated Jew, and zealous enough in his faith to want to hunt down and persecute the Christians in Jerusalem and Damascus. The power of the Holy Spirit overcame Paul, and he became the greatest evangelizer of the faith the Church has ever known. Now, if the Holy Spirit can bring in a man like St. Paul…imagine what it can do with a little “Pope is Wrong” tee-shirt wearing twit handing out condoms at World Youth Day.

This is also a great opportunity for the leaders at the World Youth Day event to minister to the youth about the many challenges they’ll face for their faith. On one side they’ll see the hopelessness of a immoral society stuck in the morose of relativism, and on the other the joy and awesomeness of Christ threw the Church.

Is There Room For TWO Deo Adiuvante blogs?

2008-07-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well you bet there is! I ran into this wonderful blog, also named Deo Adiuvante, while trying to find my own blog on Google . The blog belongs to Father Leo McDowell, a priest in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana. Like some of the priests here in Alaska, he’s got a lot of territory to cover to reach his flock. Here’s an excerpt of his blog that explains his life in Montana quite well:

As we begin a new year, I'm off on a new adventure of trying to follow through on hosting a blog. My plan is to share a little about what is going on in the parish and some of the other activities with which I am involved. These include being a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, serving as an EMT on the local ambulance service and as a volunteer wildland firefighter with Garfield County in the summer. Of course, the ambulance and firefighting take place when I don't have Mass or other parish obligations.

Living as I do in a rural area, I don't have a lot of people constantly knocking at my door. Garfield county, which makes up most of the area of my parish, has a population density of .24 people per square mile. That's about 4 square miles to a person. If you take the town of Jordan out of the picture, the other people are even further apart. It creates some unique opportunities for ministry and also some challenges as one tries to be where they are needed when they are needed.

Pray for me and my endeavors as I strive to serve the Church in Eastern Montana.

Interesting, yes? Check out his blog!

Excitment for the Pauline Year

2008-06-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

Rome, Jun 28, 2008 / 02:11 pm (CNA).- During the homily at the first Vespers of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in which the Pauline Year was inaugurated, Pope Benedict XVI stressed that Saint Paul is still a “teacher, apostle and herald” to the world today, a saint whose experience of Christ’s love freed him to love God in return.

At 6 pm Roman time at the Roman Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls -- where the remains of the Apostle have been kept for centuries -- the Holy Father, in the company of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I and representatives of other Christian denominations, arrived in procession to the atrium. In front of the famous marble statue of St. Paul, they lit the candles that will remain burning during the entire Pauline year.

Read the rest of the article here.

I’m very excited at the start of the Pauline year. St. Paul’s writings are joyous and instrumental. They are also the most misunderstood of any of the writings in the bible. St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, for instance, was regarded by both Luther and Calvin as the bedrock of their theology. And though now many mainline liberal protestants cherry pick even St. Paul’s letters, he still stands as a very important figure in all of Christendom.

I’ve decided to start my own study of St. Paul. With the help of my handy dandy Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, internet, and most importantly the Holy Spirit, I hope to gain a greater understanding of this apostle of the gentiles. One great site I will be visiting is the Divine Lamp. Mr. Dim Bulb has many great recourses on his blog, as well as good commentary. Also, check out Terry Allen’s commentary on Catholic Exchange regarding if St. Paul was alive today would he evangelize on the internet…an additional great companion for his commentary would be this article by Jennifer Fulwiler on InsideCatholic.com titled Google and Ye Shall Find.

Fear of Neo-Modernism

2008-06-27T00:22:00.000-07:00

Why do people think they are smarter than God? I mean really, this drives me absolutely nuts. Let me breath a little bit to calm myself before writing any further…

…Okay, all good. Kind of a funny question, isn’t it? Who in their right mind would think they were smarter than God? The question in itself is absurd, or at least it would be if it didn’t reflect a trend that I’ve become all to familiar with: the neo-modernist movement.

The neo-who? Dan, what the heck are you jiving about now?

Neo-modernist. Folks who believe the church’s teaching on the nature of God and the religion that worships Him should change with the times. The same types Pope Pius X warned us about. Many mainline protestant denominations have already dramatically altered their theology in order to justify a progressive agenda, and there are plenty of “Catholic” groups (here, here, here, here, here, and here ) who would love to turn the Vatican into a center of populist heterodoxy.

I’ve ranted about this before. To say this is heavy on my mind is an understatement. Every once in a while I have to deal with this idiocy at my own parish. When I do run into it, I fear for my little girls, who may inherit the a Church full of contradiction, conflict, and false teaching…the very reason I left the ELCA. How do I show my children the true faith when there are so many bone headed agents of rebellion mucking around hoping to “shape” a new generation of dissenters?

Take this last Sunday for instance. For the second time since I became a Catholic I heard the Creed the way it’s said in an ELCA church--devoid of masculine references to God--spoken loudly and proudly by a female member of the laity. The same with the Eucharistic prayer. And not just loudly, but blatantly so. Before you decide that this was merely a non-Catholic visiting…well, perhaps she shouldn’t have taken communion?

When my children hear this act of defiance at Mass, what am I supposed to tell them? It was hard enough discussing with my wife why it is against Catholic teaching not to take birth control after she was told:

“ Yeah, it’s sort of against the Catholic church. But, it’s not a big deal. I take it.” While we were in the process of entering the Church. Not one word about NFP from that person...if she even knew about it.

These people don’t care, not a flip, about God. God is to harsh. God is to restrictive. God is to unfair. Why praise the God of Abraham when you can invent your own, non-judgmental, golden calf? It’s an illusion I want no part of, yet have to fear every time I bring my kids to Mass. Lord have mercy, it’s a cross to heavy to carry!

This problem has shaken me to the core of my being. I thought that this shadow--this weight--would be lifted over time. It’s only come on stronger and heavier than before. I’m at an impasse, unsure where to turn. I ask you, reader, what should I do? Where do I turn?

To the neo-modernist I ask: WHY? Why is our God, our Church, not good enough for you? Is your intellect so large it denies what our faith and Catholic principles have laid out before you? Do you feel more than the rest of us? What is it that you know that the Church doesn’t? Why the arrogance? I fear not only for my own soul, but yours as well. God help us!

Good Bye Gerald

2008-06-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Cafeteria is Closed used to be a daily read for me. Gerald Augustinus had a funny way of pointing out some of the lunacy happening by those forces that want to change the Church from within to suite there own special interest. Woman priests, democracy Catholics, liturgical dancers, you name it and he’d put a spot light on it. Recently, Gerald has shifted his alignment to something that I feel is damaging to the Church and the sacrament of Marriage. Gerald feels very strongly pro-gay marriage. His “coming out” about this view started in a post about the pro-homosexual group DignityUSA. His views, that match those of Dignity, shocked many, including myself. His blog’s name after all is a direct attack at those Catholics who pick and choose what they believe regarding Church dogma. With this cherry picking and even full decent on the Catholic teaching of Marriage, Gerald has become exactly what he built his blog to fight against.

So it pains me that I’m dropping his blog from my sidebar. Lately the blog is either fronting his view on homosexuality or slamming Democrat presidential candidate Barrack Obama. The variety is gone, as is his focus on those who want to change the church to reflect social trends. It’s just not the same blog anymore. Heck, it’s not the same Gerald anymore. So why even bother reading it? And if I don’t read it, why promote it?

I hope Gerald puts the pieces back together. Compassion, while important, doesn’t trump standards and principles. The Church doesn’t view homosexual people as a bigoted white supremacist does a black. We believe in compassion for those who have such same sex attractions. We also believe, however, that sexual union is a holy institution. The Church will never change it’s view, no matter how many times She goes against the grain of pop culture. I’ll pray for Gerald, and I hope you do the same.

Roman Catholic Blog has more than likely the best response to Gerald’s points. Give it a good read…hmm, now that I have a space open on the side bar…

UPDATE: Gerald has officially closed The Cafeteria is Closed/Food Fight in the Cafeteria. He does have a new blog he is working on that will be focused less on Catholicism, all for the better.

- Daniel Coon 7/1/2008

The Last Isabel Update. Happy 1st Birthday!

2008-06-17T00:55:00.001-07:00

There are two things, I believe, that will effect your life more than anything else in this world. Death and having children. Thankfully in this case I’m talking about the latter of the two. Sunday was Isabel’s first birthday. For Amber and I it was a very welcomed milestone to what has been a gut wrenching period in our lives. Isabel’s seizures are non life threatening, thank God. When she first had them, more than five episodes a day, we were in a dark world of uncertainty of whether this mystery illness would take our daughter or not. The doctors had no clue, and the only thing they could tell us was what it wasn’t.

Seeing a new born, especially one that’s yours, strapped to a hundred different wires and subject to blood drawings and spinal taps will have one heck of an effect on you. Seeing your helpless kid lying in a hospital makes you feel just that, helpless. I can only imagine the thousands of parents who see their children lying in a hospital bed knowing that the cancer or other life threatening disease that has a grasp on their young one could spell the end of that life they care so much for. For those who’ve prayed for Isabel in the past, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you thank you THANK YOU.

Since she’s doing so darn well, this’ll be the last Isabel Update. From now on she’ll have as much space on this blog as the rest of my daughters!

Calumny Online

2008-06-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

When I first started this blog, I told of my disgust on how certain other Catholic blogs operated, becoming more of a hate mill then anything else. The phenomenon of the blogosphere has, in my view, hampered discussion rather than promote it. Instead we see a bickering, very polarized jabber fest full of people who will much more likely call someone a name rather than respectively criticize a differing point of view. Reading some of the comment boxes, one gets the idea that some of the nasty comments are posted by somebody who more than likely wouldn’t have the intestinal fortitude to talk the way they do to another person face to face, especially when an anonymous name is used.

It’s easy for someone to operate on an anonymous name and be a pretty tart little turd without having to worry about facing those who they’ve slandered. There are good reasons, of course, to keep your name out of your blog. Sometimes it’s better to keep your name out of things to protect your loved ones from your own big mouth (I‘m being playful about the big mouth bit, but not about the protecting family part…There are some malicious folks out there). Sometimes, if being critical of inter-Church politics, it’s best to keep your name secret as to not be treated like a leper at your own parish. I have some favorite blogs who’s authors are anonymous, and thankfully there pretty respectful in their posts.

Fr. Michael P. Orsi has written a good article from Homiletic and Pastoral Review that’s been transplanted to Catholic Online. In it he talks about how writing entries filled with calumny and detraction in a blog is a grave sin, and could warrant damnation. The article brilliantly reflects the dangers we face when going overboard in blog writing that is far beyond overly critical. For the most part he is talking about non-Christian blogs, but warns that Christian blogs are not far from the reach of such dangerous sin. A very good read, with a lot to reflect on.

New Catholic School in Kenai Good or Bad?

2008-06-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

I just read in the Anchor that some parishioners on the Peninsula want a Catholic school. Your thoughts? If there’s horrible formation as I’ve heard with RCIA, could a Catholic School that teaches a watered down liberal version of our faith really be that good?

By Jen Ransom
Anchor Writer

Catholics from the Kenai Peninsula met earlier this month in Anchorage with Archbishop Roger Schwietz to discuss the possibility of opening a new Catholic elementary school.

Shortly after the meeting, Adrian Dominican Sister Ann Fallon, the superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Anchorage Archdiocese, drove down to the peninsula to meet with nearly 20 parents during the year-end celebration of the independent Catholic homeschool co-op, St. Michael’s Academy.

Based out of Kenai and Soldotna the co-op of four families was celebrating five years of homeschool success.

But the year-end barbeque was abuzz with discussions about how the co-op might evolve into a full-fledged school of the Anchorage Archdiocese.

"Anything can happen, but you have the answers. I can help, but ultimately it will happen from within," Sister Fallon explained to the group.

She added that the archdiocese is committed to commencing a study of the possibility of opening a school on the Kenai Peninsula. The study will begin after Labor Day.

Currently, the homeschool academy uses the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Connections Home School Program to provide the core curriculum and testing outside the Catholic realm. This is added to a Catholic curriculum which includes regular participation in the sacraments, an active prayer life, Mass three to five times a week, perpetual adoration, and service opportunities such as altar serving and lector duties.

The origin of the co-op stems from a local family’s desire to provide Catholic education for their two youngest daughters.

"We wanted them to be with other Catholic kids, we were all using Connections (curriculum) and this co-op allowed us to share a teacher and have our kids get a good Catholic education," said Diane Hileman. "We were just trying to fill a need that wasn’t there, at least for my kids."

Certified teachers, usually educated at Catholic universities, are hired each year to teach the students. One or two teachers provide instruction each year, depending on current needs and ages of students. The five students in the 2007-2008 school year were all junior high and senior high age, which meant that only one classroom was needed.

Nestled nicely in a small home directly on the Kenai River, the academy serves as both the classroom and the teacher’s lodgings. While the homeschool co-op is successful, Parent Travis Penrod said he and his fellow home school parents want an official Catholic school within the Archdiocesan School System.

Penrod recently co-authored a book, "The Worst Day Fishing," in order to raise funds for the continuation of the co-op. He expressed hope that an archdiocese-supported school would open within a couple years.

Oblate Father Andy Sensenig also attended the barbeque, and had words of encouragement.

"I find the possibility of the school a good thing, and it’s exciting to see people here so interested," he said. "But I also know things like this take one step at a time… so we will be pilgrim people and follow this pilgrimage."

Sister Fallon listed many of the steps that need to take place for a school to open, including logistics such as finding or building a school facility.

The upcoming study will utilize many of the same techniques executed before this year’s opening of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School in Wasilla. Sister Fallon emphasized that it is important to determine whether there is a broad support base for the endeavor."We have to have the full support of all parishioners, not just people with children. When you send a child to Catholic school there is a tuition involved, but nobody pays the full amount," she said. "That’s where the stewardship of the whole parish comes in."

I’m not so sure this is a good idea. There seems to be a liberal rebellious streak, from my observation, in the laity here. A Catholic School that teaches that the fundamentals of our faith are simply relative, can do far more damage that not having a Catholic School. There also seems to be a controlling aspect of the laity here as well. I’m not a fan of Church councils, and the idea of everything being run by laity who seem to think democracy is the standard of the Church scares the hell out of me. What would be their influence on this proposed school?

You could learn a lot from Johnny

2008-05-06T20:43:00.001-07:00

Good old Johnny Cash was one heck of a guy. Not only was he a great musician, but he was a man who was very steady in his faith. Anybody who’s listened to his many gospel albums would know that God was a big part of Johnny’s life. A great example of that was his visiting prisons, free of charge, to sing to inmates.

It’s one of the roughest and scariest things to do, but it’s something we are called to do. Visiting those who are imprisoned is a calling many of us don’t have the stomach for. There are plenty of men and women, though, who could use a little light in their life. I often wonder when my brothers were behind bars if they had anyone that wasn’t a criminal they could talk to.

Thanks Johnny.

Another great trip to Anchorage

2008-05-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Anchorage yesterday. I had the great pleasure of seeing my buddy Sean graduate from UAA. He just got his associates degree in accounting, and is either crazy or brave enough to trudge threw another exhausting round of schooling to get his bachelors degree. I think in the end he’ll easily prove my philosophy that if you want something in life, you have to go threw the pain and work for it. Handouts will only get you so far.

While in Anchorage I got to go to Holy Family Cathedral for mass. It was a great experience. I’ve always loved the priests there, though I’ve not gotten to know the two younger ones, they seem in keeping with the same spirit as Fr. Donald and Fr. Gary before he left. Speaking of Fr. Donald, I got to shake his hand and talk with him for a second. What a great priest. I’ve heard recently that he’s got Parkinson’s disease, and also that he’s moving to Las Vegas. May God aid him threw his illness and grant him a safe journey.

The liturgy at Holy Family was pretty darn good. Hey, they even sang a little bit of Latin before mass started. While it would have been cool to include Latin within the mass as part of the liturgy, I’ll be thankful for the little taste before hand. All in all the music was done very well compared to what I’m now used to. Thumbs up to the music department.

There are a couple of other things I like about the Cathedral. First, the bulletin. It is well written, thick, and full of information. They don’t use flimsy copy paper, but a sturdy paper that can actually survive an episode of my youngest daughter chewing on it and waving it around like a flag. Kudos to the folks organizing the bulletin.

The last thing that I appreciate about Holy Family is the active Knights of Columbus there. They seem to always be doing something. And if they aren’t having a donut breakfast downstairs, then you’ll at least see them acting as ushers during mass. Great involvement from the Knights. I’m not even sure if they have Knights here, since I don’t really see or hear about anything they are doing in Soldotna or Kenai.High five to the Knights of Columbus.

Great trip, had a wonderful time. Maybe next time I’m in town I’ll stop into another parish and give a report.

Isabel Update

2008-05-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

For anybody who hasn’t read my old blog, Gun Lovin’ Alaskan Catholic Club, I have a daughter that has been plagued with seizures since she was a new born. After a little more than a week of tests, we were told that there was no explanation why Isabel had her seizures. The human brain, her pediatric neurologist explained, was a part of the body we still knew very little about. Her symptoms fell into the very broad category of non-epileptic seizures.

She was prescribed phenobarbitol. The medicine helped her not to have any seizures, but it’s never a fun feeling when you have to give a little baby medicine that warns of drowsiness twice a day. Honestly, the stuff smells like some sort of stiff alcohol. And if you think giving an infant bad tasting medicine is hard…heh!

Well, her pediatrician in Anchorage has had us slowly wean her off the phenobarb. It’s taken more than a month of slowly lessoning her dosage, but the final results are so far very promising. Isabel is now seven days without her medicine. No seizures! It’s a great feeling, but we’re still watching her very closely. She’s one heck of a kid, and growing up so fast. I pray that this is the end of her seizures.

You know, God has really blessed us. We may struggle from time to time, but threw having my three daughters I’ve found what real wealth is.

A prayer to my patron saint on his feast day

2008-05-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

O blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector of thy chaste spouse, the virgin Mother of God, I choose thee this day to be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor thee all the days of my life. Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction, to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus, and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen.

The Poorest of the Poor

2008-04-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

It always seems that when my wife is pregnant with another child, I always get zealous about the abortion issue. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a twenty four hour a day seven days a week opponent to the slaughter of our youth inside the womb. I will admit, however, that it takes a defenseless life in my wife’s womb to remind me that in the nine months it takes for my newest child to develop before birth, thousands of others are aborted.

My newest baby will be born around election time…November of 2008. I’ve pretty much kept out of politics for the most part on this blog, and I have no intention of turning this into a branch of Vox Nova or Catholics in the Public Square (both very political blogs). It does, though, strike me with horrible confusion and grief when you have Catholics who support a man like Barrack Obama, who is very pro-abortion. One only has to look at his speech to Planned Parenthood to see his take on pro-life issues. While some adore the man like some sort of pseudo godlike prophet and rally to his chant for change, they have no idea what this man really stands for. The only thing many think they know is that he will indeed be the first (sort of) black president in the history of our nation. Political correctness trumps principle yet again.

Deacon Keith Fourier has a good article on the subject at Catholic Online. I’m not always in agreement with Deacon Fourier and his articles, but in this case I couldn’t agree with him more. Deacon Fourier reflects that though there are key social issues that he has agreement with Obama, his inability to see the worth of the “poorest of the poor”, as Mother Teresa would put it, is the defining key in why he can’t vote for such a man. I urge you to read his article.

Blessed Mother Teresa said in her 1994 National Prayer Breakfast speech:

“ But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?”

Those words are important when we hear others tear down the argument that their politician, while being a pro-choice candidate, is more worthy of a leader because he or she is morally against the war. To me someone who is morally against a war while being privy to the far left notion that life that can’t defend itself isn’t worth saving is downright hypocrisy. While the war has taken the lives of over four thousand servicemen and women, and perhaps tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis, the war on the innocent in the womb have taken the lives of almost fifty million in our country alone since the passing of Roe vs. Wade.

I hear from some that in order to tackle abortion, we must first rid the world of poverty. The notion that it is only the poor getting abortions is absurd. Sweden, with some of the most liberal abortion laws in the world, is one of the top countries in Europe for it’s rate of abortions. And don’t blame it on teenage pregnancy either. Swedish abortions were the highest among the ages twenty to twenty four, followed by women twenty five to thirty. Teen abortions were third, well behind both groups. And you won’t get far if you argue Sweden of all places is a place of poverty. Sweden has one of the most extensive socialist programs that insures no bellies go empty.

Sweden is a great example of why simply implementing a grand social welfare system does nothing to stem the rate of abortions, and in some cases even encourages it. This seems to also follow a trend that as a country becomes more socialist, it also becomes more secular. I can not find a singe example of a country who offers large scale social welfare programs that provide any rights for the unborn. The truth is that when countries except a premise that the government can and should provide the people with everything, God is left behind. Christian ethics are replaced by artificial morals that celebrate relativism, materialism, and multiculturalism. And since the left has already established that the feelings of a woman are more important than the life of an unborn child, things will not change as long as their ideology is prevalent in any government in any land.

So how do we change things? How can we hold to an ethic of life that Christ calls us to? If I knew how to stop all abortions right now, I’d do so in a heart beat. The truth is that I, too, am searching how best to defeat this idea that we can rid ourselves of unborn life as frivolously as we throw away trash. Perhaps the first and most important thing we can do is pray. Pray not just for the unborn, but for the mother. Pray also for the change of heart of the abortionists who perform such horrible and gruesome operations. I don’t think we pray enough…I don’t pray enough.

So I sit here, six months to go till my fourth child is born. I can’t say he or she came at the most opportune time for my family. We have, though, welcomed this gift God has blessed us with. And while I wait for my next kid to be born, I wonder how many thousands of children will die in country alone. People go absolutely nuts when genocide is happening in some far, distant part of our world. Meanwhile, a genocide has been happening right under our noses for decades.

Cardinal Arinze on Pro Abortion Politicians

2008-04-13T17:50:00.001-07:00

I love that man!

The video from CNA

2008-04-04T13:21:00.001-07:00

Wedge Issue?

2008-04-04T13:16:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles, Apr 3, 2008 / 06:35 pm (CNA).- The Advocate, a student newspaper at UCLA that ran an investigation about Planned Parenthood’s acceptance of racially-motivated donations, has released another video from its series of investigations into the organization’s fundraising practices.
In February, the Advocate released the recording of a call to an Idaho Planned Parenthood Director of Development in which the caller pretended to be a racist donor who wanted to reduce the number of black people. The Planned Parenthood employee said she was “excited” to take the donation.

Read the rest of the story here.

Margie Sanger would be proud.

Easter Pilgramage to Anchorage: Good Saturday/Easter Vigil

2008-03-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

A little late in posting this, I know. My short vacation allowed me some great gaps in time to write on the blog. Now that I’m back home I’m finding the same old struggle to find time to jot down my thoughts. I can’t complain to much though.

Holy Saturday was taken up with my visiting my best bud, Sean. After a couple of hours I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Easter Vigil at St. Benedict. The plan was originally to inlcude going with the whole family. My wife called me from her friends to tell me she was feeling to ill to go, and that she needed to lay down. I was more than sympathetic, and told her to take it easy.

You see, she’s pregnant with our forth kid. We found out on Maundy Thursday.

I met my friend over at St. Benedict. The mass was awesome. Again, Fr. Moore did a great job. More than anything the mass was a good shot in the arm. I’ve been hitting sort of a dark time faithfully. I hadn’t realized how much I was in the hole till I felt the overwhelming joy of God’s love starting with the mass on Maundy Thursday and climaxing on that wonderful Easter Vigil. Though I hate to admit it, I needed that breath of fresh air to rejuvenate my spiritual life.

Three new Catholics were baptized and confirmed at St. Benedict. It was wonderful seeing the ceremony from the pews. It also gives me great hope for the future of the Church to see three folks, two of them who looked like they were in their late teens or early twenties, come to find faith in the Catholic tradition. Can this small tide of new converts overwhelm the amount of Catholics who leave the Church? I’m not to confident it can, after hearing stories about poor catechesis in CCD classes by Catholics who wish to push a watered down version of the faith down to young developing minds. It does mean that despite a secular movement in western culture and a relativistic movement from within the Church herself, the Holy Spirit finds a way to bring those in who seek and are open to truth.

Christ has risen. For our sins, He died on the cross for all of us. Not a chosen few, every single one of us. It’s up to us now to accept the call to follow He who rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father. The work to be a disciple is a process with no end. Constant, never ending hurdles cause us to stumble on our way to be spiritually perfect. Though hard, it’s a journey we must undertake with the utmost urgency. God has given me a booster shot to continue on this journey, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Easter Pilgramage to Anchorage: Good Friday

2008-03-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

First off, Maundy Thursday was great. Fr. Moore over at St. Benedict did an outstanding job. The liturgy was very well done. He’s definitely not the one to hold back on the incense. Deacon Dez was there, as was another priest who’s name I can’t recall right now. I believe he’s another canon law guru like Fr. Moore. Unbelievable night with a masterful homily by Fr. Moore.

It was the first time I had gone to St. Benedict parish since I left Anchorage. I saw plenty of familiar faces. One face missing was that of Carole Miller. She was on of my RCIA instructors who died a couple of months after Easter last year. I can remember her Texan humor, and her wonderful stories about spending time in the Holy Land with her husband. She seemed very happy that my family was making the trip toward Catholicism. We miss her dearly.

Today kicked off with us meeting our very good friends who helped us come over to the Church. We spent about two hours or so together. It was nice to see them again. My children absolutely adore them, and think of them as more than just friends. Plus they give them some pretty good (and frugally fun) gifts. It was a great visit.

You’ll remember that I mentioned in my previous post that my wife and kids decided to go swimming with some friends while I went to mass on thursday. When I came back from mass to the hotel, I found my wife and kids itching. They all had rashes from something in the pool. So I went out and got some Benadryl. I hoped that would take the skin irritation away.

WRONG!

So I was going to take my daughter to mass today. We decided to let her wear her dress. All that day she didn’t complain once about any itching or skin irritation. That all changed when we sat down in our pew. Almost right away she started to complain about her side itching.

“ My dress is itching! I just want to go home!” She quietly cried to me.

I’d itch her side for her. “ Just a little longer.”

I wanted to finish the mass, but my daughter had other ideas. After hearing some muffled sobs, I moved out and took her into the bathroom. I found that her sort of pinkish skin where her rash was before was now bright red. Needless to say I couldn’t let her suffer any longer. We drove to the store and picked up some topical ointment. After I had her take a bath, I put the ointment on her very red skin. Hopefully this clears it up before Easter.

If it’s not one thing it’s another, right? Still a very nice day, though.

By the way, you may want to visit Et Tu. Jennifer has a wonderful video posted about Good Friday. Very inspirational.

Easter Pilgramage to Anchorage: Maundy Thursday

2008-03-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

We started yesterday at about noon. The roads were nice all the way to the junction of Highway 1 and 3. After that, almost total white out conditions. That lasted just before we got to Girdwood. Almost like a flick of the switch, it turned from almost no vision white out conditions to a mild slushy road. Once we hit Potters Marsh, the road was as dry as a bone. I think we’ll be flying if we have to do this trip in the winter again.

So why a mini-pilgrimage to Anchorage of all places? Why not just stay in Kenai for Holy Week? It turns out I’m a sentimental sort of guy. Since it’ll be one year since we were welcomed into full communion with the Holy Church, I thought it fitting we commemorate that time with celebrating the Easter Vigil Mass at the very place my wife and I took out first communion. This may or may not be a regular thing with us. I’d like to keep the Holy Week and Easter a very special time for my kids, so we’ll see.

Today at three I’m going to confession (I’m already starting to feel that knot in my stomach). After I’m going to get dressed at head to Mass. I believe the wife and the girls already have plans to go swimming with their friends, so I’ll be going by myself tonight. I did manage to run up to Daily Bread in Eagle River and buy a new rosary. I wish there were more Catholic stores. Daily Bread is a great place though, and I forgot how much I like to spend money there.

Cowards

2008-03-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

From the Anchorage Daily News:

Vandals dumped a bucket of red paint on a downtown veterans memorial this morning, the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, in what police suspect was a symbolic act of protest. Passers-by spotted the blood-toned paint on the Anchorage Veterans Memorial, in the Delaney Park Strip off I Street, during the morning commute and reported it to police. The soldier's helmet was blood red, with the paint dripping down to the ground below.

Read the rest here.

Cowards. I know this blog wasn't going to be about anything political, but I had to post it since I didn’t see it on any other Alaskan blog that I read. There is of course a lesson to be learned from this: Don’t take the self righteous left seriously. I’ll tell you what, I’ve read and heard the most bitter and hate filled crap from the left. Those folks who are so called “peace activists” are quick to use their own form of violence when it suits them. In this case the moron who did this act of vandalism wasn’t even brave enough to take credit for his “protest”. Nope, throw paint on a memorial celebrating men and women who courageously died for their country, then turn tail and run like a coward. Despicable.

Comfort Vs. Truth part 2

2008-02-25T01:12:00.000-08:00

I remember the first day I talked to Sean. He was a guy I saw a couple of times before at work, but had not spoken to. One day, I noticed the crucifix he wore around his neck. I had asked him if he was a Catholic, and from there it took a little more than a year for the family and myself to be welcomed members of the Church. Sean and his wife were with us the whole way, our sponsors and the new God parents to our children.

My friend wasn’t ashamed to proclaim his discipleship to our Lord Jesus Christ. He proudly wore his crucifix around his neck. Willing to take on criticism, Sean was a true defender of the faith. He is also an evangelist in the true meaning of the word. In a secular world where religious faith is looked at with suspicion and intolerance, we find ourselves less like Sean and more like St. Peter at the court of Caiphas (Matthew 26:69-75). Our fear of being set apart from our peers, to be branded as “one of those Christians”, silences us in times we should be the most vocal. We deny Christ as did Peter. Though he did it three times, we do it much more.

It’s not comfortable to be a follower, to proclaim Christ as our King. We all know the pressures the world and the media in general has on our ability to be a disciple. Our views are branded bigoted, intolerable in a secular politically correct world. Abortion, the sacredness of marriage, male priesthood… The list could go on and on. We are not the popular alternative for many who break the first commandment by worshipping themselves and their possessions. Instead we are in the way of a pretend world where what feels good matters.

We can see the effects of some denominations caving into secular pressure. Homosexual ordination and a watering down in the belief that life begins in the womb are just a few ways some have strayed. Liberal interpretation has molded the scripture to fit their beliefs. Argument to counter the spiral of liberal theology using scripture has been blocked by wails of “CONTEXT!”. With no Tradition to back up the Holy Scripture, those who’s agenda it is to shape the mainline protestant churches into a politically correct bastion of self worship have little resistance in their cause. The new reformation called by John Shelby Spong has already began to chew it’s way into the fabric of these protestant denominations.

Can we be far off? The Catholic Church has long stood against the many tests of time. Persecution, heresies, reformations, and sex scandals. Threw all this the Church remains solid in it’s teaching. Yet there are still those who would like to break the back of the Church from within. Groups such as Call to Action and Dignity USA have an interest in seeing a new “liberal” direction for the Church. The battle cry of progressive narcissism has long ago been sounded. Yet many of us seem asleep, or unwilling to stand up for the faith given to us by God.

I wonder if we stood by our Catholic principles and beliefs how many more we could encourage to do the same. How hard would it be to bow or genuflect before taking communion? How hard would it be to pray and give thanks before your meals, even if your in a public restaurant? How hard would it be to share your love of Christ with those who hunger for such a relationship? How hard would it be to speak out and share with others issues concerning your beliefs as a Christian? It doesn’t take much to evangelize. It only took my friend wearing a simple crucifix and the willingness to openly talk about this faith to get me headed toward the right direction.

Free Organ Concert In Anchorage

2008-02-21T00:51:00.000-08:00

If you’ve read my second post on this blog, you’re more than likely aware that I’m a fan of organ music. It wasn’t always so. To me organ music represented “snore” music. When I went to St. Mark for the first time, I was impressed by the awesomeness of the large pipe organ there. The music from a pipe organ is something I think anybody, especially those who suffer with music directors armed with rain sticks and a passion for hippy dippy music from the ‘70s, should witness.

If you want to see a wonderful display of organ music, there is a free concert at St. Mark staring Paul Jacobs of the Julliard School of Music. Time for the concert is 4 PM this Sunday. Though it is free, there will be a collection going around to help pay for the costs of bringing this talent up to Alaska.

This is not a religious service, or a secret Lutheran mind control technique to lure in unsuspecting non-Lutherans to convert. It’s just a FREE concert.

Did I mention it’s FREE?!

Comfort Vs. Truth part 1

2008-02-19T03:09:00.000-08:00

It put a smile on my face when I checked my old Lutheran church’s website the other day. It’s a place I used to go frequently when I was a practicing Lutheran, and a place I still go every now and then to check on old friends. Things don’t look all that different, and those that do look pretty swell. Pastor Cavins took a group to the Holy Land, and my other good friend Pastor Bimen Limbong has a picture of his family on the site with his new baby…I can’t believe they already have three!

The hardest thing about becoming a Catholic was, without a doubt, leaving St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was the first church my wife and I went together. It was the place where we got baptized with two of our oldest daughters. It was a place also where I found the joy of knowing who Christ was and worship him. When I left, so did most of my connection with St. Mark. Those days after I left and began my journey toward the Catholic faith was the most heart breaking yet exciting time in my life.

It would have been very easy to stay. Things were quite comfortable. We had friends who studied the bible with us, a pastor who knew us and loved us, a congregation that stood by each other, and a sense of place. Yeah, things were great all right. Then the Holy Spirit came in and really messed things up.

Did I mention they had very cozy padded pews?

Comfort is a short price to pay for truth. I could go into a whole tangent about how very uncomfortable the experience of leaving a church you called home is. I could also go on (and on and on) about the frustration of finding the same lefty, naive morons with the narcissistic call for “change” in the Catholic Church as there is in the Lutheran Church. Of course for pity sake I could include my own personnel struggles with sin and piety. No…If I start writing about all that negative junk I’ll drive myself nuts.

Plus I need all that material for later posts. That’s besides the point.

No matter how dark and nasty things are, and no matter how great I thought things were back when I worshipped at St. Mark, I have the TRUTH. God never said it was going to be easy, and indeed it hasn’t been. To know that Christ loves you enough to show you the way to his Father threw the Holy Spirit…that’s all the joy I think we need as converts. The rest will come with time. Threw all the trials I have to remember that God is with the family and myself. It’s a reality that I often forget, but can’t afford to loose sight of.

Unexspected Lessons

2008-02-10T22:02:00.000-08:00

An aspect of my job is that you get to meet all kinds of interesting people. Most of the time how they react towards me determines what kind of day I can have. It seems that the people who have the biggest impact on how I feel during the day are those who display a negative attitude for either the company I work for, or myself personally. The only thing you can do is your job diligently, and keep an outwardly positive attitude. In the end, these folks usually make you feel horrible for the rest of the day. I’ve learned the hard way that attitude, either given or received, has a powerful impact on ones personnel state of mind. I’ve also learned that it’s the negative that is perhaps the easiest to receive from another person. In turn, it’s also the easiest to give back.

It was a couple of weeks ago that I had a day that was going horribly wrong. I was behind in my work, and I had already met one or two customers who’s negative attitude and complaining about the company had set my mood on a low. My next ticket was a repeat call. I knew already that this job was a tuff one. Multiple calls had gone out to this location, all of them failing to diagnose why the customer wasn’t able to receive HBO threw his cable. Not that anybody failed to do anything. New cable lines were run, as well as boxes replaced. A lot of work had gone into this place without much change in serviceability.

In this situation, the customer is understandably upset that their channels, which they pay for (and we credit back to them since they DON’T work), are unable to come in. Though we are there with the intent to resolve the issue, sometimes the customer has the uneasy suspicion that we’re there to blow smoke up their rear. Promises of getting to the bottom of the problem are usually met with a role of the eyes. This is what I thought I was going to get when I knocked on the door of this particular customer. I was wrong.

I was called inside the garage. There a man in an automated wheel chair greeted me. He explained that I was one of about five technicians who had come out to fix the problem he was having in receiving his HBO channels. I told him I would get the issue resolved. Rather than a role of the eyes or funny look, he smiled and said that if I needed anything not to hesitate asking.
Okay, good start so far. I still had the problem to take care of. If I couldn’t find the issue, and reported to the customer that we’d be back out later with more equipment and man power to trace the problem, I was sure the guy would switch to the dish (evil and dreaded). Again this man threw me a curve ball. While going in and out of his house to test signal, he offered me something to eat. Seeing how it was cold, he also offered a place by his heater so I could warm up. He was friendly and hospitable, more than I expected from someone who was having problems with his service.

I did find the problem…but it was, in my mind, a secondary issue. I was intrigued by this man who was so warm and friendly. We talked about his cable problem (his son brought back a device he had with him in Georgia while he was in the Army. The device was causing a back feed of noise into the system all the way back to the tap on the utility pole), we talked about family, of weather, and of his passion. Fishing.

I learned that he had broken his neck while surfing years before, paralyzing him. Rather than give up on life, this man found a new love fishing in the waters of Alaska. He said that he is more skilled now in his automated wheel chair than he ever was when he was able to walk. The gentleman told me that he now guides on the Kenai River. When he was telling me about his love for fishing on the river, I saw something in his eyes I didn’t quite expect.

Joy.

This man, despite a major accident that would have put many people in despair, was enjoying life. It was that spark, coupled with his good natured hospitality, that caught me totally off guard. He was radiating. To beat it all, he offered me his business card.

“If you have any questions about buying a boat, or fishing, give me a call.” he said. “ And if you don’t have anyone to fish with this year, give me a call and I’ll take you out.”

This man had made my day, and helped bring me out of a dark place I was sinking into since I moved to Kenai. All he did was offer kindness, hospitality, and friendship. That day I learned one heck of a lesson about life. Our actions certainly do effect others, and it’s how we treat each other that can achieve a great good.

Lesson learned, and then forgotten.

Though the memory of the nice man and his gratitude had not lapsed from my memory, it certainly was not forefront in my mind after about a week. I had planned to write about this experience almost three weeks ago. Things happened to put my mind elsewhere, and the post that was to be was put in the place at the back of my mind labeled “post that should have been but never will”. That was, till last night.

I came home from work Saturday to find my wife chatting away with our next door neighbor. Since we had arrived we really didn’t associate with them. I suppose we were just to busy to introduce ourselves. Never the less we were strangers. That was till my wife made the first move by simply saying hello to a woman she had never met.

Later Amber told me that the woman next door was facing a ruff situation. Her boyfriend and father of her three children was in jail. With him gone, she had no way to make ends meet. She was without a drivers license, and a job. She had applied for almost every sort of social program available, and was going to be interviewed by the local grocery store for a job paying only seven dollars an hour. Worst yet, she was alone. There was no family here on the peninsula. No one to help watch her kids while she was out trying to provide for them.

In an action that would again rekindle memories of the gracious customer from weeks past, my wife offered to help the woman watch her kids while she worked. I think my wife could relate to the situation of not having anyone you could count on to be free or trust to watch the little ones. She also asked me if we could pick up any groceries for the woman if she needed any if we were on our way to the store anyway. I said yes. And though I grumbled a little bit about my wife offering her help so fast, I couldn’t deny the swelling of pride I had in my lady. Though she is having some difficulty in our new found faith, she has shown me one of the most important aspects of it. She may not understand it, but she certainly lives it.

I would ask you to ponder. How do your actions, manors, and attitude effect those around you? Do we live up to Christ’s call to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31)? Would it hurt to, at the very least, smile to one person a day and say hello? Certainly if we do these things more often we’ll find that not only do we give joy to others, but to ourselves as well.

Moving Blues

2008-01-25T02:50:00.000-08:00

Remember when I said I wasn’t going to be in a hurry to post because I have a pretty busy life. Well, I meant it, though I didn’t plan to be gone this long. What can I say? A lot has happened since my initial post on this blog.

First off, I moved to Soldotna with my family. The company had another opening over here, and I jumped on the chance to get my girls out of the city. Most of my extended family lives around this area as well, so it’s not to far of a drive to see aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and a wonderful great grandmother whom my girls have absolutely fallen in love with. The ability to learn things I wouldn’t get the chance to learn working in Anchorage was another motivation for the move, as was the almost four dollar raise.

So on the last day in November we moved, so I could report to work December 1^st. Since I accepted the job mid November, we had only two weeks to move. Long story short, it was quite the adventure getting things together to move down here from Anchorage.

Life down here was supposed to be better and less complicated, at least that’s what I had imagined when I accepted the job. Things, and not for the first time, were quite different than I had thought. The “easy” transition at work wasn’t. It took me up till maybe last week to adjust. Then I fell to pneumonia, taking me out of work for a week. My wife and children also fell ill, making our transition that much more difficult. All that combined, however, would match the most disappointing change: Our new parish.

I’m not going to go into much detail about the parish here, or why it’s been causing me worry. I will say that I’m so far more than a little disheartened with the way the liturgy is presented. Could this be some sort of bias do to the fact I came from a parish that did things different? Could be, and that’s why for now I’m going to keep silent on the subject. It has though, made be long for St. Benedict in Anchorage.

Query: Do Catholics have something against pipe organs? I understand if there isn’t enough room for a good pipe organ than there ISN’T enough room for a pipe organ. But if a parish spent uber money on a new parish building, and supplied it with …an electric key board, doesn’t that make you go hmmm?

Anyway, I’m back to bloging again…for now. The great thing about taking some time off is that you have plenty of new material when you come back.

The destruction of GLACC, and the death of Cableguy

2007-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

My name is Daniel Coon. Some of you that have stumbled on to this little blog of mine might remember me as Cableguy from the blog “Gun Lovin’ Alaskan Catholic Club”. It had been about a year since I started GLACC, and in that year I learned a lot about blogging, and bloggers in general. I also learned a lot about myself, and my journey to become a more faithful person. GLACC, though fun to write for, had to come to an end. With that I’ve also shed off the pen name I wrote with: Cableguy.

To understand why I deleted my much loved blog, and created this new one, we must first look at the reasons I created GLACC in the first place. Gun Lovin’ Alaskan Catholic Club, and the very start, was going to be a blog I could have fun with. My conservative nature, under the guise of Cableguy, would explore the world of Alaskan politics, Catholicism, and firearms. Sort of a strange mix, eh? Well, you’d have to be Alaskan to understand the combo. But that was it, my baby, GLACC.

I had every intention to be a good blogger, and post the most amazing and startling responses to issues concerning the three themes of GLACC. One of the first lessons I learned about the “blogosphere” is that in order to have a huge amount of posts on a blog, one needs a huge amount of time. That was something I just don’t have a lot of. I work for a living, and not by a computer. Though even if I did work with a computer all day I’m not sure I’d be using all that company time for a hobby. I also have a family whose time comes before everything else. My blog writing usually was restricted after the kids were in bed. Even then I would try to spend as much time with the wife as I could.

So I had sabotaged my own blog from the start by picking multiple themes that I would in no way be able to write about at all times. Instead of three themes, GLACC seemed to center around only two: Alaskan politics and Catholicism. I tried to blog about my love of firearms and my belief that every American has the right to carry them, but I actually found that subject the hardest to blog about. Overall it was Catholicism that I primarily wanted to write about anyway, since most of the other blogs I read were written with a Catholic theme to them.

And that brings me to perhaps the largest reason I destroyed GLACC and killed off Cableguy. I was becoming too much like a product that was already out there. A product that wouldn’t help me grow as a Christian, but instead suck me into a pit of uneasiness and despair.

Some Catholic blogs are fantastic, and quite enlightening to read. Honesty, when presented in the blog, was the greatest strength of the authors who wrote them. Most of these blogs are written by those whose theme revolves around a spiritual journey. Et Tu is a fine example of this. It’s a diary of a former atheist who converted to Catholicism. It’s sweet, sincere, and honest. It’s a pure delight to read when you yourself are on a journey of faith.

Other blogs, however, were anything but enjoyable. I’ve found that what could have been a fountain of knowledge is more of a poisoned well. The most damaging aspect of the blogosphere is the inability of bloggers to hash out disagreements rationally. Instead, difference of opinion is followed by slander and name calling. Comments are often misread by others, further damaging understanding and logical debate. The inability to look another person eye to eye has given some people license to be rude little trolls.

I won’t name any blogs or authors, but the guiltiest of being uncharitable and rude are those that narcissistically proclaim to have an error free understanding of Catholic social teaching. Dangerous is the blogger who claims this, and in the same breath say they are not partisan towards a left or right ideology…because in most cases they are, but are just to full of themselves to admit such a thing. All the while they are the worst offenders at sniping at other blogs. Because, you see, they are on the moral high ground, and the others are not. Their quest for holiness is complete, and nobody can tell them anything different. And though what they say is truth, it’s not the whole truth. Bloggers seem very skillful at giving you just enough to justify their position, and leave out the parts that hurt it.

Now before you think I am being a bad representative of these kinds of blogs, let me tell you that I myself, under the guise of Cableguy, was a nasty little blogging troll too. GLACC could be quite nasty some times. I wanted, after all, to be read. In order to attract readers you sometimes have to be a little controversial. Though I didn’t really get as mean as some other Catholic blogs out there, I still could be pretty nasty in some of my posts. I realized after a while that having this kind of blog wasn’t healthy towards my growth as a follower of the Catholic Church. My posts started to change. More than a few times I called for a little sanity in the Catholic blogosphere. I’m not sure that many people read those posts. I’m not sure they’d care either way. What I did know is that I didn’t want to be like the other guys and girls who blogged. I wanted a blog that reflected my own search to become more holy.

At first I created a whole new blog in addition to GLACC, called “Swimming Upstream”. The theme of that blog was to chronicle my journey to read and understand great Catholic works, starting with the new book about Mother Teresa. While a good idea, I found that with my already limited time writing on another blog while at the same time maintaining GLACC was an impossible task. So, I had to make a decision. What kind of blog, if any, would help me grow as a Christian? I then made the very hard decision to delete everything that I had written under the guise of Cableguy, and start fresh.

Deo Adiuvante, which is Latin for “with God’s help”, is a blog that I hope will reflect my quest to become more holy. In a way it’s what I had pictured “Swimming Upstream” to be, but it’s going to be a little more than that. This journal will be alter-ego free. No more Cableguy…just Daniel. That’s perhaps the most dynamically different aspect of this blog; I’m just going to be myself.

So if you’ve stumbled here, I invite you to share my journey. I will not guarantee I’ll be a super poster…I might not even blog every week. I will, though, be honest and forthcoming about my struggles to understand this crazy thing we call faith.