Monday, September 29, 2008

VATICAN: Democratic Party = "Party Of Death"

(CNS) -- The Democratic Party in the United States "risks transforming itself definitively into a 'party of death,'" said U.S. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Vatican's highest court.....

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In a stunning rebuke of the U.S. Democratic Party, a high ranking Vatican official (Archbishop Raymond Burke) has accused it of becoming a "party of death," leaving no doubt how some Vatican officials view this American institution. It's a serious blow with long lasting effects. The Prefect of the Apostolic Signature, which is comparable to the "chief justice" on the Vatican's "supreme court," (to use an American analogy), is the archbishop who overseas all matters relating to the ecclesiastical court system. His position in the worldwide Catholic Church is extremely significant and powerful, and makes him a serious future contender for the papal throne. Ergo, his condemnation of the U.S. Democratic Party is very damning. 

Rarely do Vatican officials take such strong stands of condemnation against political parties. This condemnation effectively puts the U.S. Democratic Party in a rare and distinguished "Hall of Shame," accompanied by such organizations as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the Nazi Party of Hitler's Germany. In comparison to such extreme examples of political thuggery, it seems shocking that a high ranking Vatican official would characterize the U.S. Democratic Party this way. Why would he do this?

It's important to note that the good archbishop prefaced this characterization by stating that the Democratic Party "risks becoming" a party of death, and he did not say it had "already become" this. That's important, because the good archbishop is leaving room for a way out - an "exit strategy" if you will - for the Democratic Party to cease supporting the "culture of death" and mend it's wicked ways.

That being said, the reasons for his condemnation should be clear to anyone who knows the slightest bit about Church teaching on the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage.
  1. The Church teaches that abortion is a "grave sin" tantamount to murder and terrorism, while the Democratic Party asserts it is simply a matter of "personal choice."
  2. The Church teaches that euthanasia is also "murder" comparable to the eugenic programs of Nazi Germany, while the Democratic Party asserts it is simply "death with dignity."
  3. The Church teaches that embryonic stem-cell research is "baby farming," and "murder," similar to the kinds of human experiments performed by German doctors during the Third Reich, while the Democratic Party asserts it is simply "for a good cause."
  4. The Church teaches that gay-marriage is a "perversion of the natural law," and an "abomination before God," while the Democratic Party asserts it is simply a matter of "civil rights."
  5. The Church teaches that homosexual behavior is "perverse sin," and that young children should be sheltered from seeing it, while the Democratic Party asserts that it's "normal" and children should be taught to "embrace it" and be "tolerant" of it.
With such a dichotomy outlined like this, it becomes a bit more easy to understand why some Vatican officials might be inclined to think of the U.S. Democratic Party in such a negative light. Suspiciously absent is the voice of Pope Benedict XVI, which has been strangely silent, as high ranking Vatican officials make claims such as this. Those who are familiar with the nuances of "vatican-ese" (the diplomacy of Vatican words and actions) realize this could only mean one thing. The pope approves of the message. There are some things a pope simply cannot say in public. That should be well understood after the fallout following the pope's comments on Islam at the university in Germany a couple years back. Dozens of Christians lost their lives in Muslim riots after the pope quoted a medieval emperor simply in a rhetorical sense. A slip of a Vatican official's lips, exposing a message the pope does not endorse, is almost immediately followed by a disclaimer from the Vatican press office. Such is not the case following Archbishop Burke's comments harshly criticizing the U.S. Democratic Party. It simply leads one to believe the pope agrees.

"The Catholic Knight" also agrees, but as is typical of my character, I would like to take it a step further. In my opinion, the U.S. Democratic Party does not "risk" the possibility of becoming a "party of death," it instead already has, and there may be no turning back now.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Hitler's Pope

(Philadelphia Evening Bulletin) - ...Hitler's Pope has been criticized for its accuracy and dedication to objective history, and Mr. Cornwell admits that since its publication, his views have undergone revision.

"While I believe with many commentators that the pope might have done more to help the plight of the Jews, I now feel, 10 years after the publication of my book, that his scope for action was severely limited and I am prepared to state this," he said....

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Ten years after the bombshell book, hyper media criticism, and forty years after the communist propaganda first hit the American public, Pope Pius XII has finally been vindicated....
(ANSA) - Vatican City, September 17 - New research clears controversial wartime pope Pius XII from the accusation that he did not do enough to save Jews, Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday.

It is the first time the pope has come out publicly to defend the record of his WWII predecessor, who is moving towards sainthood despite accusations of keeping silent about the Holocaust....

.... The pope thanked the Pave the Way Foundation, made up of Catholics and Jews, for uncovering the evidence in favour of Pius.

He voiced the hope that further studies can reinforce ''the historical truth, overcoming all remaining prejudice''. Benedict's statement on the new research - which has not yet been made public - follows last year's assertion by his No.2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, that people ignore evidence disproving Pius was indulgent towards Hitler.

Pius was the victim of a ''black legend'', said Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State....

read full story here

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(CWNews.com) - The Vatican has confirmed the existence of a directive from Pope Pius XII, asking Catholic clergy and religious to shelter Jews from the Holocaust.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio - news), the Vatican Secretary of State, acknowledged in short April 19 announcement that Pope Pius XII issued instructions for all religious institutions to open their doors to Jewish people. The catacombs of Rome were also made available for shelter....

read full story here

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(CNA).- A former high-ranking officer with the KGB claims that the Kremlin and the Russian intelligence agency in the 1960s were set on executing a smear campaign against the Catholic Church, and the main target was Pope Pius XII.

In a recent issue of the National Review Online, Lt. General Ion Mihai Pacepa, who eventually defected from the former Soviet bloc, recounts how the KGB and the Kremlin designed the deliberate campaign to portray the Pius XII “as a coldhearted Nazi sympathizer.”

“In February 1960, Nikita Khrushchev approved a super-secret plan for destroying the Vatican’s moral authority in Western Europe,” writes Pacepa. “Eugenio Pacelli, by then Pope Pius XII, was selected as the KGB’s main target, its incarnation of evil, because he had departed this world in 1958. ‘Dead men cannot defend themselves’ was the KGB’s latest slogan.”

The code name for this operation against Pope Pius XII was “Seat-12.”

read full story here
There was no "Hitler's Pope." The whole thing was a fabrication, a lie, invented by the Soviet KGB, in a plan called "Seat 12," devised for the sole purpose of undermining the moral authority of the Catholic Church over the western world. It was enthusiastically embraced by the enemies of the Catholic Church on both sides of the political spectrum. The Secular Left loved it! The Religious Right used it. (I even had a Jehovah's Witness at my door preach it to me.) Oh how eager so many where to believe the lie! Even some Catholics jumped on the bandwagon. The criticism from the Left-wing biased media was unending. We heard it from all the major television and cable networks. After Cornwell's 'Hitler's Pope' was published, literally dozens of knock off books followed. The television preachers, oh how many television preachers, included it in their sermons. Some Evangelical authors included it in their own books on apologetics and eschatology.  Millions upon millions of unsuspecting Evangelicals were subjected to this lie, many of whom still believe it, because they trust the television preacher who told them. (I can't even count the number of times I've been confronted about it by misinformed Evangelicals.) It was perhaps one of the greatest lies of our time - the whopper of the century!

We can learn a lot about those who enthusiastically embraced it, who went out of their way to spread it around, and took every opportunity to rub it in the face of any Catholic who would dare defend the Church on anything. Shall we call it "prejudice?" Perhaps "bigotry" might be a better word. So what are we to say of those Catholics who actually embraced it, using it as an excuse to rationalize their opposition to the Church on this issue or that? What shame! What scandal! What embarrassment! Shame on all those who engaged in this nonsense! Dishonor and disrepute upon those who eagerly embraced such a lie, that so seriously defamed the Church, without even questioning it!

So what are we to say of the mainstream news media? Do we see primetime retractions in their news broadcasts? Do we get so much as an inkling of regret for having slandered the Church for so many years? No. Not a peep out of them. How about the Secular Left-wingers out there? Any apologies? None. There is nothing but silence. What about the Religious Right-wingers? I'll give them credit. At least some have apologized.  A few (especially those who understand what it's like to be slandered) never believed it to begin with.  To them I give thanks. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not holding a grudge here, and I wouldn't advise that any of us do. Rather, I would like to use this whole thing as an object lesson for Catholics, Protestants and non-religious people alike. Prejudice can just as well be defined as eagerly embracing bad news about somebody (or some people) without ever questioning the validity of the news itself, or even the credibility of the source who reported it.

The fabrication of "Hitler's Pope" is the epitome of this. The KGB introduced this lie to the western world in 1963 via a German author and playwright named Rolf Hochhuth. The play, entitled "The Deputy," was introduced as fiction. The pope in the play was never mentioned by name. The incriminating accusations against the pope were made by suggestion and insinuation. Hochhuth himself was raised in Nazi Germany and was a member of Hitler's Youth. While that itself is not incriminating, since service was compulsory, his refusal to talk about it, combined with his defense of those who deny the Holocaust, does tarnish his reputation a bit. It is not known if Hochhuth was directly hired by the KGB to write the play, or if the KGB simply used his material as an opportunity. Only two things are known as fact. The first is that the KGB was authorized by the Soviet Kremlin to smear the reputation of Pope Pius XII after his death in a plan named "Seat 12." The second, is that Rolf Hochhuth wrote the play that started the job. Beyond that we can surmise that Soviet involvement helped to promote the ideas of the play throughout Europe and North America, eventually coming to a climax in John Cornwell's 1999 bombshell book "Hitler's Pope." It can be reasonably assumed that Cornwell was simply operating on the momentum of the propaganda itself, and was probably not working for the KGB, since the Soviet Union fell almost a decade earlier. By this time the KGB's lies had taken on a life of their own, that outlived those who originally promoted them. Cornwell might be considered a victim of this by some, but the obvious distortions in the book causes 'The Catholic Knight' to question his culpability. It would seem to me that Cornwell may have been a victim of Soviet propaganda, but it was his own prejudice that caused him to write his book the way he did. Just to cite a small example of this, the cover of the book features a black and white photo that appears to show the image of Pope Pius XII being saluted by a Nazi officer. In fact, the photo is doctored. A comparison of the original photo with the book cover, reveals that the supposed Nazi officer is actually a civilian cab driver. Deception begins even before the book is opened, while the fables and inaccuracies written therein have been exposed and rebuffed by many historians. Cornwell is responsible for his own libel against Pius XII. Thankfully, for his sake, he is finally starting to admit his error.

Soon Pope Pius XII will be canonized as a saint, and when he is, all of this will be drudged up again for a public to see. This time, however, they'll be given the other side of the story, the whole story, and the world will see just how low the enemies of the Church will sink to slander the name of a good man in the hopes of tarnishing the Church's moral authority. A word to the wise for critics of the Catholic Church, especially those in the mainstream media. You've been played! You've been suckered! Nearly half a century ago a lie was concocted by communists on the other side of the world, and you bought it! They used you. You fell for it, and now it's come out that you unwittingly cooperated with communists to spread KGB propaganda. Are you feeling a little sheepish now? You should. If you don't, you should be worried about yourself. So the lesson is this. Next time you hear a supposed "fact" about the history of the Catholic Church, you might want to do a little research before you believe it. Maybe you ought to check the sources. Maybe you should allow a little skepticism to enter your mind, the next time somebody tells you a "scandalous" tale about the world's largest Christian organization.  It's just a little friendly advice.  Take it for what it's worth.

Vatican Take On U.S. Financial Crisis

(CNS) -- The current financial crisis pummeling the United States and beyond is a sign that the so-called "new economy" and its risky investments have failed, the Vatican newspaper said.

The booming growth of financial markets did not correspond to real growth or concrete development for society because it created an artificially robust gross national product, said a Sept. 24 article in L'Osservatore Romano.

The only real growth registered in this crisis has been "the commissions, profits of the banks and bonuses for the managers," it said.

The article, with the headline "A costly illusion," was written by Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, an Italian economist and professor of financial ethics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy.

The U.S. financial meltdown has been blamed on "the greed of managers and lack of regulations. But curiously, no one ever refers to the indirect responsibility of the government's economic policy" which, he wrote, tried to cover the lack of any real economic development with a booming Wall Street.

He said the U.S. government's proposed bailout may stave off any worst-case scenario for its troubled financial markets, but it will not repair the root causes of the crisis....

read full story here

Does Financial Bailout Harken To One World Government?

(Spirit Daily) - Lost in the hullabaloo over the economy is the trend toward global consolidation. Astonishingly, the United States has taken over private financial institutions and may now send hundreds of billions into additional private interests on Wall Street, as it absorbs debt and assumes a degree of control. It is a "soft" socialism -- something that would have been unthinkable just a couple years ago and places tremendous power in the hands of the Federal Reserve, which long has been feared as a behind-the-scenes player that will control the economy and work toward a consolidation (first of businesses, then of nations) which in turn would lead to a new world order, and perhaps even a single world system of finance and governance.

For many years, this has seemed in the realm of wild conspiracy, but to increasing numbers, it is not quite so wild any longer. No one here is saying that a single small group of strategists is controlling the world, but terms like "secret governing" directed by a relatively small number of officials are a consideration that has grown more acute in recent days. We have long said the conspiracy is more a spiritual one -- a spiritual trend -- than the work of any single brilliant Geneva-or-Brussels-based cabal. Many different entities, some large, some small, some open, some secretive (see: "Bohemia Grove," or the Bilderberg Group), are moving in the same direction: consolidation first of finances, then of governments. One sees this most starkly with the United Nations, the European Union, and now the move (at least at the level of finances) to dissolve borders too in the Western Hemisphere (a former leader of Mexico even used the term "North American Union" as a goal for his nation; and a number of U.S. presidents -- including Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush (Sr.) -- have employed the term "new world order"). Recently, former British leader Tony Blair, a Catholic, was at Yale speaking of the need to merge faith with globalization.

Now, we believe that one can go too far with all of this. Not everything is a conspiracy. But something about what is occurring on Wall Street (and at the Treasury) does not seem right. In the wake of the reputed financial crisis (no one is really sure what is occurring), we see headlines to the effect that "global firms" (as one article put it) are "set to move in." That's disquieting. Do powerful financiers actually manipulate developments and markets to such a degree as to change the landscape almost single-handedly, and for the strategic goal of a single governance (and perhaps also a single spirituality)? This is the fear because a single system could be controlled, then, or at least decisively influenced, by a personage of evil....

read full story here

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Fall of American Christianity

(Christian Post) - While many Christians today are closely monitoring the growth and activity of Islam, especially after 9/11, another religious movement has been steadily growing “under the radar” and could become among the largest religions in the United States in less than five years.

“Wicca is the fastest-growing religion in America, set to be the third largest religion by 2012,” claims Marla Alupoaicei, who co-wrote the recently released book “Generation Hex” with fellow Christian author Dillon Burroughs.

“The numbers of adherents are doubling every 30 months,” she says.

Furthermore, every major city in the United States has networks of Wiccans, adds Burroughs.

“Certain parts of the country, such as the Pacific Northwest, the mountain states (New Mexico and Colorado) and areas near Salem, Mass., are the strongest in the U.S.,” he says. “However, I live in Tennessee and have found pockets of Wiccans in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia to interview. I didn't have to travel far or even outside of the so-called Bible belt to find Wiccans....

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: This trend is extremely important to monitor because it signals the beginning of the end for Christianity in the United States. It is virtually identical to the trend that existed in Europe during the middle of the 20th century. The rise of occultism is the result of the vacuum created by Secular Humanism. When governments and media push Secular Humanism upon a population, the effectively create a spiritual vacuum. Nature abhors a vacuum, and seeks to fill it as quickly as possible with anything it can. First to fill the void are unorganized natural religions, such as Wicca (pronounced as "wick-ka" or "witch-ah"), formerly known as "Witchcraft." Wicca is a naturalist religion, in which adherents worship nature and a spiritual "goddess." There is a strong sexual component to Wicca as well, which makes it very attractive to young men as well as women. Unlike spiritism, the New Age, and other forms of the occult; Wicca is highly successful, and has a history of an extremely fast growth rate. It mostly attracts young people who are disillusioned (or bored) with traditional Christian religion. This is the first generation of Wiccans.

Besides the obvious problems associated with Wicca's occultism, there is another serious problem that has become quite obvious in Europe, but completely ignored by the secular media. Wicca has a short half-life. By that I mean, it has the same problem as all unorganized religion. It doesn't last but two generations before it weakens enough to give way to the aggressive proselytism tactics of more organized religions. In Europe we see this happening with Islam. The children and grandchildren of European Wiccans are acutely aware of the problems associated with unorganized occultism, and seek a deeper meaning of existence in the spirituality of a more organized eastern religion - Islam. Try as they may to hold on to their children, European Wiccans have discovered that their unorganized spirituality is exactly everything Muslims claim it is; a form of Paganism that Allah (the God) abhors. As Europe enters it's third generation of occultism, massive conversions of Europe's native population to Islam are underway. The trend has become so prevailing, that some European countries (such as the U.K. for example) are instituting state enforced versions of Sharia (Islamic) Law to those who want to live by it. Europe has discovered, as a matter of historical fact, that Wicca cannot withstand the aggressive proselytism of Islam. In the end, little 'Harry Potter' always bows the knee to Allah.

Now we are witnessing the same trend emerging in the United States. Take a good look at these Wiccan communities, because that is the pool from which Islam will soon draw it's newest converts. It will happen within one or two generations at most. By the time the infants of today reach adulthood, we can expect to see a native Muslim population that is thriving in the United States.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

MILESTONE: Catholic Knight Reaches 100K Readers

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: It happened late in the afternoon on September 21st, 2008. The 100,000th visitor logged on to 'The Catholic Knight' blog...

100,000

I remember starting this blog just three years ago and thinking it would be a milestone to gain just 1,000 readers. Little did I know then.

Known readers of 'The Catholic Knight' now include the following distinguished regular visitors...
  1. Two Vatican officials,
  2. Some U.S. Congressmen,
  3. At least one bishop in the U.S. Catholic Church,
  4. Multiple priests from around the world,
  5. Religious brothers and sisters from various locations,
  6. At least one editor from a major online Catholic publication,
  7. The editors of several Catholic blogs,
  8. A good number of U.S. soldiers fighting overseas,
  9. Somebody from the Chinese government who seems very interested in just about everything I publish here,
  10. Last but not least - you.
Thanks for reading.  God bless!

The Jewish Roots Of Catholicism



Want to learn more? click here

Evangelicals are well aware of the Jewish roots of Christianity, but they are mostly oblivious to how deeply this manifests itself within the Catholic Church. Many of the mysteries within Catholicism cannot be adequately explained without going back to the Jewish roots of the faith. Indeed, when Evangelicals learn of this, they gain a special appreciation for Catholicism, and some of them even convert over to Catholicism directly because of this. Catholics miss a huge window of opportunity for ecumenical relations with Evangelicals by glossing over the Jewish character of Catholicism. Emphasis on this element in Catholicism would not only help Evangelicals better understand the Catholic Church, but would also result in more Evangelical conversions to the Catholic faith.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Joe Biden May Cost Obama The Election


THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In nominating Senator Joe Biden as the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama hoped Biden's "Catholic" identity would help him net the Catholic swing vote. However, in nominating a backsliding Cafeteria Catholic, Obama made a catastrophic miscalculation, and now that just may cost him the Catholic vote entirely.

The idea that Obama was specifically targeting the Catholic vote with his V.P. nominee pick is almost indisputable. During the selection process, news agencies across the nation reported Obama's probable short list - the overwhelming majority of those on it being "Catholic." All of them, however, would have backfired this year, because of the Vatican's crack down on pro-abortion "Catholic" politicians. However, the selection of Biden was quite possibly the worst pick imaginable at this time.

This is the fist presidential election held in the United States during the reign of Pope Benedict XVI, and he is definitely having an impact. Indeed, it is no secret that the current pontiff wants to influence the world's social politics - especially on matters of human life. In short, he wants Catholics to put aside their partisan politics, and start voting like Catholics. That means Catholic voters must be educated, and communion must be withheld from them when they knowingly vote for pro-abortion politicians. It also means that bishops must take an aggressive stand against Catholic politicians who espouse heresy in a public setting (such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Joe Biden) and deny them communion so long as they fail to uphold the Church's teachings on life. It also means that Catholic organizations, like the 'Knights of Columbus' must aggressively work toward educating the general population about authentic Church teaching, and squarely oppose Catholic politicians who misrepresent it. All of these things, Pope Benedict XVI has aggressively pushed for during the last few years, and he's indicated he'll continue to push harder.

If Senator John Kerry thought he had it rough in his run for president in 2004, he had better thank his lucky stars that his name isn't Joe Biden who is running for Vice President this year. Indeed, Obama miscalculated severely, and picked a supposed "Catholic" who only irritates more Catholic voters than he draws. The last two elections has done nothing but prove that the selection of ANY pro-abortion Cafeteria Catholic (like John Kerry or Joe Biden) has become more of a political liability than an asset. This doesn't just apply to Democrats. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also a pro-abortion Cafeteria Catholic, discovered this during the Republican primary season. Obama's pick of Biden, in this Benedictine papal era, may very well cost him the election.
(WorldNetDaily) - Members of the Knights of Columbus Catholic organization have taken out ads to appear tomorrow in USA Today, the Washington Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Delaware News Journal asking Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden to correct his statements about abortion.

Reminding him that under Catholic teaching, "abortion is a grave sin to be avoided at any time during a pregnancy," the organization attributes to Biden a "unique responsibility" to be correct when making public statements about the faith.

"Sen. Obama stressed your Catholic identity repeatedly when he introduced you as his running mate, and so your statements carry considerable weight, whether they are correct or not. You now have a unique responsibility when you make public statements about Catholic teaching," the letter says.

The issue of abortion has become a flashpoint in the 2008 presidential election for the Democratic nominees, Sens. Obama and Biden, at least in part because Obama is an ardent abortion proponent who has gone beyond the desires of even the National Abortion Rights Action League in advocating for the controversial procedure....

read full story here

Thursday, September 18, 2008

McCain Gets Catholic Vote

(NewsMax) - The McCain-Palin ticket may be locking its huge lead on a crucial voting bloc: church-going Catholics.

The development — contained Thursday in a poll by the Pew Research Center and backed by other polls — could be crucial to victory in November.

Why? Catholics are the ultimate swing voters and make up as much as one-third the population of battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Moreover, some 40 percent of U.S. Catholics have no affiliation with either party.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain now has opened a 16-percentage-point lead over Democratic rival Barack Obama among observant Catholics, according to the Pew poll. The lead began to widen with the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate, who, unknown to most voters, was baptized in the Catholic Church but raised in primarily Protestant evangelical churches....

read full story here

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

OFFICIAL: Vatican Insists Theory Of Evolution Is Acceptable

(CNA) - The president of the Pontifical Council for Culture has said that evolutionary theory is “not incompatible” with the teachings of the Catholic Church, insisting that the theory of biological change over time was never condemned by the Church.

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi made such remarks while presenting the new interdisciplinary conference to mark the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species. The conference, which is a Vatican initiative to promote dialogue between scientists and theologians, is scheduled to take place in Rome in March 2009.

“Evolutionary theory is not incompatible a priori with the teaching of the Catholic Church, with the message of the Bible and theology, and in actual fact it was never condemned,” Archbishop Ravasi said....

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I've written on this extensively. The teaching of the Church is that God created - period. Beyond that, most scientific theories are acceptable provided one acknowledges the basic premise that God created. How God created things is another matter. The Biblical accounts of creation should be taken as truth, but they don't have to be taken as literal scientific truth. The Bible is not a scientific textbook. The truth contained in the Biblical accounts of creation can be taken as moral truth and theological truth. Meaning these texts are designed to convey an important moral and theological message, not necessarily a literal scientific one. I say "accounts of creation" in plural, because there are three. The first is in Genesis 1, the second in Genesis 2 and the third is more general in John 1.

The most important thing for Catholics to remember is what separates humanity from the animal kingdom. Our bodies may be fashioned of the same stuff animals are made of. Our genetic code may have indeed evolved from lower forms of ape like creatures. However, our souls are NOT the product of evolution at all. They are a direct gift from God, complete from the beginning, and in no need of "evolution." The second creation story accounts for this in Genesis chapter 2. Therein we learn that God created the man out of the "slime" of the earth. One could take this as a literary reference to evolution if one wants to. But then God blew his breath (Hebrew: "Rauch" meaning spirit) into the nostrils of the man, and the man from then on became a living soul. This is a reference to the "divine spark" if you will, the moment when mankind ceased to be a member of the animal kingdom, and became a member of the spiritual kingdom. It is when man turned into a creature that could have an actual relationship with the living God, something animals can never have (read more here). That's the difference. That's what we must remember about ourselves, no matter what we learn about scientific theories and fossil evidence.

I've written on this topic extensively here, and here. They are excellent articles on the subject, and I think they give a much more balanced view on science from a Catholic perspective. Those links again are here...

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Britain Falls To Islam - Sharia Law Enacted - The Queen Must Be Mad!

(Times) - ISLAMIC law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases.

The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

Rulings issued by a network of five sharia courts are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through the county courts or High Court....

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Behold the beginning of the end for Western civilization. Liberal Secular Humanism has finally reached it's logical conclusion. The fruit of Liberalism is Islam! 'The Catholic Knight,' along with many others, has been warning of this for three years now. As Liberals try to sterilize society of all Christian influence, as Secular governments continue to aid and abet them in this endeavor, and as churches compromise their morality to accommodate this trend; the final result is a spiritual vacuum in the collective society. Once that vacuum exists, the laws of nature take over.

Nature abhors a vacuum. That's a fundamental law of this universe. Wherever a vacuum exists, nature seeks to fill it as quickly as possible - with literally ANYTHING! The same holds true with human conscience and man's religious nature. When a society becomes devoid of religious conscience, human nature (which is very much a part of mother nature) seeks to fill it as quickly as possible - with literally anything. Thanks to liberal Secular Humanism, Europe has been devoid of it's historic Christian conscience for nearly half a century now. This is especially true in Great Britain, where the number of practicing Christians, who attend a church weekly, has now been reduced to a mere 10% of the British population. This Christian decline, spanning four decades, was accompanied by a dramatic increase in occult practices in the U.K..   It appeared that even in a religiously sterile environment, a good number of Brits still found a way to exercise their natural need for spirituality. Witchcraft (Wicca) and New Age occultism blossomed in England during the latter half of the 20th century. But that eventually gave way to a something much bigger and more organized - the rise of British Islam!

How could this happen!?!

With all civil remnants of Christianity having been neutered, and the churches of England having debased themselves with elements of Liberalism, the English population was ripe for the picking. Foreign immigrants from Africa and Asia were imported to the British Isles (as well as many other European nations) to shore up the population gap created by the Liberal exercises of abortion and artificial contraception. This was necessary to keep the country's social security system afloat. (In order for social security to work, you have to have an increasing population.) Since you can't force a liberal society to make babies, you've got to get your future taxpayers from somewhere, and immigrants from Africa and Asia were more than willing to fill the gap. Unfortunately, these immigrants also brought their religion with them - Islam.  Muslim immigrants to Britain reproduced at four to five times the rate of native British. So while the practice of British Christianity was shrinking, the practice of British Islam was expanding at an exponential rate. As Islam was introduced to a spiritually hungry British population, a growing number of native Brits began to convert, thus increasing the exponential growth of Islam in the British Isles to include home-grown "White Muslims" (as they were sometimes called). Currently, the number of practicing Muslims in the U.K. now exceeds the number of practicing Christians. Along with this demographic shift came a growing clamor for Sharia Law. That's because English Common Law, steeped in Christian morality and watered down by Secularism, is not good enough for the average Muslim. They demanded to be accommodated, and treated differently than the average Brit. They wanted their women to submit to Islamic laws, and their children to be raised and disciplined according to Islamic practices. A growing fear of social unrest (i.e. "Muslim Riots") has been driving the British government's quiet moves to pacify them. The institution of Sharia Law across the entire country, to those who want to submit to it, was not the first step toward this goal, and it certainly won't be the last.

The queen must be mad!!!

Yes, she is, but it's not just her. It's her Prime Minister and the entire British Parliament, as well as much of the political elites in the U.K..   Anyone who would surrender the sovereignty of one's national laws, to the religious institutions of a foreign culture, is perfectly insane, without a doubt. 

They're mad with Liberalism, to the point where they've gone beyond Secular Humanism, allowing it to be abandoned and replaced with Islamic Sharia Law. Yes, the queen could have stopped this from happening. Though mostly thought of as a figurehead monarchy, the queen still reserves some constitutional powers which can be exercised at her discretion. One would think that if the entire House of Lords and Commons had gone completely mad enough to allow this, the queen herself might have stepped in to save England from this catastrophic historical blunder. No. Instead, she quietly sat in her palace and did nothing - absolutely nothing. Sadly, the English monarchy has just proved it's worthlessness - again.

So now the birthplace of our culture, the cradle of English civilization, has given itself over to Islam - not just culturally, but legally too. Currently, submission to Sharia Law in the U.K. is voluntary, but as the Islamic population of Britain continues to explode at an exponential rate, and the influence of Christianity continues to subside, how long can we really expect it to remain voluntary? How long before Muslims gain control of the Parliament? How long before they gain control of the Prime Minister's office? How long before they gain control of the English crown itself!?! When they do, what can we expect? I think a quick look at other nations that use Sharia Law will give us the answer to that question.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Human nature demands a religious conscious - some form of spirituality. Liberals love Secular Humanism, because it gives license to their sexual liberation. But Secular Humanism seeks to purge human society from all influences of the Christian religion. History is now demonstrating to us that the fruit of Liberalism is Islam. That's because when Liberals get what they want, Secular Humanism wipes all remnants of Christianity from public view. When that happens a spiritual vacuum is created, and as we all know, nature abhors a vacuum. It seeks to fill it with anything it can find, and Islam is more than ready to rise to the occasion. So Liberals eventually find themselves forced to embrace Islam, partly because of politically correct nonsense, and partly because they fear what Muslims will do if they don't. It's a natural progression, just as natural as nature itself. The only thing standing between Liberals and Islam is a healthy and robust Christianity. Eliminate Christianity from the scene, and it won't be long before it's a public call to prayer five times a day, and our daughters are forced to cover their faces.

We know that other European nations are already going down the same path, but I'm interested in who's next in the English-speaking world. Will it be South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada!?! What about the United States? Thankfully, the U.S.A. has a steady flood of illegal aliens from Mexico streaming into the nation - most of them Catholic. These people may be illegal now, but many of their children will eventually be taxpayers, and that may help keep the social security system afloat without having to import Muslim immigrants from Africa and Asia.

Liberalism has it's price. With the rise of Sharia Law in the U.K., we've now seen what it is. The only question that remains is, are we ready to pay it?  Believe it or not, there is a way out of this, even for Britain.  We must return to our Catholic roots, and take ALL the sexual ethics of the Church seriously.  Only then can there be a Christian revival in Europe, and the Islamic threat can at least be contained for the short term, and hopefully overcome in the long term.  Outside of this, there is no other way.  

Barack Obama Supports Infanticide

"We are blessed in the 21st century with crystal-clear photographs and action films of the living realities within their pregnant mothers. No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb. In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live.... They are not parts of their mothers, and what they are depends not at all upon the opinions of theologians of any faith. Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being “chooses” to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name."

Edward Cardinal Egan
Archbishop of New York
August 26, 2008

Saturday, September 13, 2008

OFFICIAL: Catholics May Not Vote For "Pro-Choice" Candidates

(LifeSiteNews.com) - During the opening day of the Catholic Leadership Conference yesterday, Baker Oregon Bishop Robert Vasa clarified the teaching of the US Bishops Conference regarding voting in favor of pro-abortion politicians. The question of whether Catholics may remain in good standing with the Church while voting for pro-abortion politicians was raised.

Bishop Vasa responded referencing the document of the United States Catholic Conference titled "Faithful Citizenship", noting a pro-abortion stance disqualifies candidates from consideration by faithful Catholics...

read full story here

Friday, September 12, 2008

BREAKING! Catholic Vote Goes Overwhelmingly To McCain/Palin

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Polls are coming in from multiple sources. Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin, has won the Catholic vote! McCain benefits from this, and Obama loses with his VP pick of a pro-choice, cafeteria Catholic (Joe Biden), who defies the Church's teachings, and cannot lawfully receive communion.

Obama's pick of Biden irritated a lot of Catholics. The man represents everything that is wrong in the U.S. Catholic Church today. Then McCain gave us a pro-life, pro-family, school-choice mother of five as his running mate. Catholic voters went wild. Catholic support of Barack Obama had been declining for months, and saw no recovery after his pick of Biden for VP. Now, with Sarah Palin on the McCain ticket, Catholic support for Obama/Biden has plunged to an all time low, while Catholic support for McCain/Palin sores to new heights. All of this comes on the heels of what appears to be an unofficial Vatican approval of Sarah Palin as an American Vice Presidential nominee. Here is a small sampling of what's going on...
(NewsMax) - Sarah Palin’s firm opposition to abortion and her status as a mother of five prompted a Vatican official to describe the Republican vice president nominee as a “dream candidate.”

“I couldn't be more happy,” a U.S. church official at the Vatican told Newsmax on the condition of anonymity. “She is, in many ways, a dream candidate, at least among Americans here....

read full story here
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(The Campaign Spot) - Fritz Wenzel, a spokesman for the Zogby polling organization, is on XM POTUS08 right now, and he says that according to their numbers, McCain's surge in the polls started during the Democratic convention... which strikes me as rather odd.

Then he says that Sarah Palin is helping McCain by "double digits" among Catholic voters, particularly in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Michigan. While I don't find that impossible, it's interesting that a non-Catholic political figure would move the dial for Catholic voters. (Having said that, it's easy to picture her "hockey mom" style playing with Catholic voters in those states...

read full story here
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(Huffington Post) - Catholics are the ultimate swing voters. No other large group has switched sides so often -- or been so consistently aligned with election winners. Catholics have backed the winner of the national popular vote for the last nine presidential elections: they've helped elect five Republican presidents, three Democratic presidents, and the popular-vote-winning but presidency-losing Democrat Al Gore.

Not only because of their winning track record, but also because they make up nearly a quarter of all registered voters in the United States, Catholics could determine who wins the White House in 2008.

That's why I'm curious to hear what young, traditional Catholics -- Generations X and Y -- think of Sarah Barracuda. Is Palin winning their support?

Thomas N. Peters posted that question online at AmericanPapist.com, winner of "Best Political/Social Commentary Site" in the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards. Peters, 23, who runs the site, has appeared on CNN, BBC World News, and The Today Show. AmericanPapist.com attracts visitors who are disproportionally in their 20s, and disproportionally traditional in their religious beliefs.

"My poll saw a 19% net increase in support for Sen. John McCain because of his choice of Gov. Sarah Palin," Peters told OffTheBus. "Plenty of my Catholic friends got swept up in palinmania. Many had pro-Palin Facebook statuses the day of the announcement, and even more had pro-Palin Facebook statuses after her convention speech. It's nice to have an attractive figurehead for our ideals, as opposed to someone from our grandparents' generation."

With 605 votes tallied after Palin was chosen to be McCain's running mate, here is the breakdown among mostly 20-something Catholics who adhere to the moral teachings of the pope...

read full story here

Nine Bishops (And Counting) Respond To VP Nominee's Heresy

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Obama's Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Joe Biden, has earned the rebuke of at least nine U.S. Catholic bishops so far...

1. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver
2. Bishop James Conley of Denver joined him
3. Bishop Robeert Morlino of Madison devoted his Sunday homily to it
4. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, DC
5. Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa
6. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia
7. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, CT
8. Bishop Fran Malooly of Wilmington, DL (Biden's diocese)
9. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo

The gist of their rebuke is over Senator Biden's heresy that one's views on abortion are a "private religious matter," and should not be imposed on the general public. The bishops rightly point out that human life is a public matter of civil rights. It has nothing to do with religion, and that any public figure who would endorse the killing of helpless innocent babies is not worthy of public office in a civilized society. Senator Biden is a "Cafeteria Catholic" who opposes the Church's most important issues of Social Justice and defies the authority of the pope and bishops. He has been officially banned by automatic Vatican interdict from receiving communion in every Catholic diocese throughout the world.

Democrats Abandon Obama - Plan To Persecute Christians

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In a strange twist of events, the Democrats in Congress have calculated the risk of the Obama campaign, as his poll numbers continue to drop. Realizing that convention delegates may have made a huge mistake in nominating this "newcomer" to national politics, they are now planning to distance themselves from Barack Obama. Simultaneously, Congressional Democrats are trying to shore up their reelection chances by appealing to their radical Left-wing base. Legislation is now being introduced that would make it a criminal act to criticize homosexuality or read Bible Scriptures aloud that condemn homosexuality as sin. Read stories below for details...
(NewsMax) - ....One Democratic fundraiser said some congressional candidates are planning to distance themselves from Obama and refrain from attacking McCain.

“If people are voting for McCain, it could help Republicans all the way down the ticket, even in a year when the Democrats should be sweeping all before us,” the fundraiser told the Times.

“There is a growing sense of doom among Democrats I have spoken to....

read full story here
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(WorldNetDaily) - A federal "hate crimes" plan to criminalize speech or thoughts critical of homosexuality – dropped from Congress' agenda earlier because of a veto threat from President Bush – may be resurrected before the election, according to an opponent of such advocacy laws.

"Here's ultimately what we expect," Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University School of Law, told WND today. "The hate crimes plan is to be offered as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Department of Defense reauthorization bill. That's what the word is, that it's going to be offered as an amendment."

Pro-homosexual advocates long have sought such a law but opponents fear it would be used to crack down on those who maintain a biblical perspective that condemns homosexuality as sin. Observers note that it would criminalize speech and thought, since other criminal actions already are addressed with current statutes.

Canada already has an aggressive "hate crimes" law, and there authorities there have gone so far as to tell a Christian pastor he must recant his faith because of the legislation that bans statements that can be "perceived" as condemning another person...

read full story here
The so-called "hate crimes" bill, which would criminalize certain types of Christian speech and practice, is to be attached to the 2009 Defense Reauthorization Bill. It's an old congressional trick - as old as Congress itself. Bush has promised to veto such legislation, but by attaching it to funding for national defense, it's designed to put President Bush in an awkward situation, which would force him to veto funding for national defense. This legislation is unconstitutional and un-American.  'The Catholic Knight" challenges the patriotism of anyone who would support restricting freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  Only a massive national outcry against this kind of political trickery, can stop it in it's tracks. 'The Catholic Knight' provides the following link for your convenience. Please forward this message to an many people as possible...

Thursday, September 11, 2008

News Media's Take On Palin

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  After watching some of the interview of Governor Sarah Palin by ABC's Charles Gibson, and taking in everything the mainstream news media has said about Governor Palin over the last two weeks, I have come to two conclusions.

One, Governor Palin holds up well to some of the worst media anal exam ever dished out in recent memory.  And two, the mainstream news media really, really, REALLY hates her - almost as much as the Democrats hate her.  When you consider how anti-Catholic and anti-Evangelical the mainstream news media is, that in itself is enough reason for me to like her.

Prepare for things to get worse, much worse. Already reports are coming in about journalists cruising bars in Alaska, offering money for any dirt on Palin. At this rate, it won't be long before people start making things up. As we've seen on the Internet, some people are more than willing to manufacture stories just for political reasons. Throw money into the mix, and no telling what kind of whoppers will come next.

Pope Says Politics Is Extremely Important For Laity

(Zenit.org).- A big part of the vocation of Christian laypeople is their participation in politics, says Benedict XVI.

The role of the laity in the temporal order, and especially in politics, is key for the evangelization of society, the Pope affirmed today when he received in audience the bishops of Paraguay. The prelates have been in Rome since Sept. 8 on their five-yearly visit...

read full story here
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In a related story, the bishops of Kansas City elaborated on what that vocation and role specifically entails...
(LifeNews.com) -- Two leading Catholics bishops have issued a statement making it clear that pro-life issues like abortion and euthanasia must be the top priority for Catholic voters. While not endorsing any candidate, the Catholic leaders say those issues should guide the choices Catholic voters make in November.

Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City - St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn address the questions in a joint pastoral letter released Thursday.

"With the approaching general election this November, we believe this to be an important moment for us to address together the responsibility of Catholics to be well informed and well formed voters," they say.

While Catholic voters should be concerned with "a wide range of issues" about which there is disagreement as to the best public policies.

But when it comes to pro-life issues, the Church strongly believes a pro-life policy is necessary without compromise, they say.

"There are, however, some issues that always involve doing evil, such as legalized abortion ... as well as public policies permitting euthanasia ... or destructive human embryonic stem cell research," they write.

"A properly formed conscience must give such issues priority even over other matters with important moral dimensions. To vote for a candidate who supports these intrinsic evils because he or she supports these evils is to participate in a grave moral evil. It can never be justified," they say.

They go on to say they can envision no reason why a pro-life Catholic voter would support a pro-abortion candidate....

read full story here

Knights of Columbus To Promote Christian Fatherhood

Click image above to learn more.

How To Keep Your Kids Catholic

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Many of my readers are concerned about the two-front assault our children are receiving on their Catholic faith. On the one hand Catholic children, like all Christian children, have become the direct targets of Secular Humanism. The assault on their faith bombards them from television, movies, music, literature, public schools and peer pressure. On the other hand, Catholic children also receive competition from some of their Christian brethren in conservative Protestant churches. While most Evangelicals and Pentecostals are open-minded about Catholic Christianity, a small (but loud) minority still subscribe to Protestant Fundamentalism.  By this I mean they believe Catholicism is a "cult" and Catholic Christians need to be converted. So our kids are being assaulted from all sides.

To help parents keep their kids Catholic in an increasingly hostile world, 'The Catholic Knight' offers some suggestions that should help...

First, understand the real threat. Secular Humanism poses a much greater threat to your kid's faith then Protestant Fundamentalism. Protestant arguments can be easily repelled, with a little education, and temptation to sin does not usually accompany them. Protestant Fundamentalists are genuinely confused about Catholicism. They may be assertive in their attempts to convert, but when confronted by an educated Catholic, who offers sound responses to their questions, they usually back down. After all is said and done, the Protestant Fundamentalist is a sincere person, who is sincerely concerned about a Catholic's soul, but just happens to be sincerely confused and sincerely wrong. On the other hand, a Secular Humanist does not share this sincerity. Secular Humanists could care less about a Catholic's soul, and the reason for their aggressive tactics is to console themselves and their own insecurities. It comes down to that old adage; "misery loves company." Therefore, when confronted with an educated Catholic, who offers sound responses to their questions, they usually resort to shame tactics. By this I mean when they can't confuse a Catholic with trough questions, they attempt to humiliate him any way they can. This might be done by pointing out embarrassing episodes in Church history, or poking fun at the child himself in some ways. What's worse is that a Secular attack on a child's Catholic faith is quite often accompanied by a temptation to sin - which may be very attractive.  Sin is often the root of Secular attacks on Catholicism, because the Catholic faith is the biggest force in the world convicting people of sin.  So in order to eliminate the "guilt" of sin, Secularist seek to eliminate the world of Catholicism.  This is best done by tempting Catholics to leave their faith behind.  Typically, sex if the biggest temptation offered to Catholic teenagers.  So it's important to recognize these things, and emotionally prepare your child for what to expect. Make sure he knows the difference between Protestant anti-Catholicism and Secular anti-Catholicism, as well as the difference between their attacks and intentions.

Second, practice Catholic traditions in your home habitually, and make sure your child is getting some joy out of them.

Third, educate, educate, EDUCATE!!! I cannot stress this enough. You cannot give your children that which you don't have yourself. If you want to educate your children on Catholicism, and it's been a while since you've been educated, then it's time for a refresher course. Study your faith, and then help your kids do the same. My children are fairly young, but that doesn't mean they can't understand some complex subjects. I use the "friendly defenders" flash cards as a resource. They help my kids (and me) memorize Scriptures and come up with quick answers to typical questions. I would recommend them for any Catholic home. I've provided some quick links here for your convenience...

VP Nominee Advocates Killing Babies To Reduce Disabled Children

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: How long must we endure this man, who is a disgrace and a scandal to our Catholic faith?...
(LifeSiteNews.com) - Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden has been accused of "sinking to a new low" by suggesting that critics of embryonic stem-cell (ESC) research have less compassion for developmentally disabled children.

During a campaign event in Columbia, Missouri, when asked what the Obama/Biden administration would do for disabled American children, Biden said, "I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have...the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect. Well guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?"...

read full story here
Biden was referring to embryonic stem-cell research, not adult stem-cell research, because Republicans support adult stem-cell research. In fact, nobody opposes adult stem-cell research, not even the Catholic Church. In fact, every promising cure from this technology is derived from adult stem-cells, not embryonic stem-cells. The problem the Catholic Church, and the Republican Party, has with embryonic stem-cell research, is that in order to get the stem-cells for research, you have to destroy a human embryo. Since the Catholic Church teaches that human life begins at conception, and the Republican Party backs this teaching in it's official platform, neither the Church nor the Republican Party can advocate what is clearly the intentional killing of human babies for scientific research. It's no different than abortion, and borders on the same kind of human experiments done on Jews during the Holocaust. The premise behind both is the same. That premise being that certain types of human beings have no rights and are therefore expendable.

Senator Joe Biden is a self-described "devout Roman Catholic," who has received an automatic interdict from the Vatican, and is no longer allowed to receive communion in the Catholic Church lawfully. Biden joins the ranks of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator John Kerry, and Senator Ted Kennedy; all supposedly "Catholic" politicians whom the Church effectively disowns by denying communion. Later this year, after the election, the U.S. Catholic Bishops will debate a resolution that will call upon all U.S. bishops to deny them communion more aggressively. Until now, many of these politicians have been sneaking into communion lines, and receiving the sacrament unlawfully, as a photo op for the press.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Democrats Crack Up - Compare Barack Obama To Jesus Christ, And Sarah Palin To Pontius Pilate


THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: This insane analogy was uttered by Representative Steve Cohen, Democratic congressmen from Tennessee, on the floor of the U.S. Capitol House of Representatives. I'm sure these sentiments are shared by many people on the political Left. Representative Cohen just happened to articulate them.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Senator Barack Obama has been likened to a messianic figure since the early days of his campaign for president back in 2007. It began with fainting spells at his rallies. Followed by depictions of him in photographs and artwork with glowing halos of light or a cross in the background. His supporters began to refer to him as "The One," and the frenzy only escalated from there. Barack Obama did nothing to distance himself from this kind of stuff, but in many ways allowed it to flourish.  His triumphant entry came with his magnificent descent from Mount Olympus unto the 'Obamacropolis' stadium in Denver Colorado. Only a massive temple, complete with Greek columns, surrounded by uncountable throngs of adoring worshippers, would be fitting for such an occasion. So it was, and the world witnessed the sensation of America's first political cult.

If Obama was to be "America's messiah," then his political undoing could only be the work of Pontius Pilate himself - or maybe I should say "herself" - in the form of the beautiful and charming governor of Alaska. Congressman Cohen's comments make perfect sense when you really think about it. They were inevitable. If you're going to have a political messiah, as the Democrats so desperately want - then it only stands to reason that his political crucifixion would soon follow.

On the night of Obama's nomination acceptance speech, a Thursday, he took praise from the masses, and gave thanks to those who supported him.  The following day, a Friday, McCain's nomination of Governor Sarah Palin was announced.  "The One" fell quickly, but unlike Jesus, in three days this "messiah" did not rise again.  His poll numbers went down, and stayed down. 

'The Catholic Knight' warned of the dangers associated with political messianism (read more here and here). Obama has been treading on thin ice with this for over a year. Now he's paying the consequences for it, and in the process, he's taking down the whole Democratic Party.

Episcopal Church Defends Gay-Marriage In California

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Here we have yet more evidence the Episcopal Church U.S.A. has taken a central role in the formation of the anti-church. California Episcopal bishops are rallying to defend gay-marriage; while Catholics, Evangelicals and a coalition of other faith groups rally to stop it through a measure called "Proposition 8." Now that the Anglican Communion no longer exists, and the feeble Archbishop of Canterbury has proved his office powerless, the Episcopal Church U.S.A. appears to be moving forward with it's pro-homosexual agenda, without any fear of backlash or consequences...
(LifeSiteNews.com) - The Episcopal Church in California is taking up arms against Proposition 8, an amendment that would change the California constitution to preserve the integrity of marriage as being between one man and one woman. In the process the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion is clashing with a huge interfaith coalition, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Hindus and Sikhs, which is simultaneously launching a campaign to promote the proposition.

Voters will have an opportunity on the 2008 California General Election ballot in November to support Proposition 8, which will reinforce the wishes of 61% of California voters who supported true marriage in 2000. The California State Supreme Court overturned the popular vote earlier this year by legalizing same-sex "marriage," outraging Californians who complained that a handful of activist judges managed to hijack the democratic process...

read full story here

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Democratic VP Nominee, Joe Biden, Condemned By U.S. Catholic Bishops

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Well, our favorite self-loathing cafeteria Catholic - Senator Joe Biden - has stepped in it again. Now he joins Pelosi on heresy row over heretical statements he made over the weekend to NBC's Tom Brokaw. See the video below...


The gist of Senator Joe Biden's heresy is relativism, plain and simple. The premise of his argument is that there are no moral absolutes on the issue of abortion. His "morality" may be different from somebody else's morality, therefore he can't impose his views of abortion on anybody else.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have issued the following statement in response...
WASHINGTON-Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman, U.S. Bishops Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:

Recently we had a duty to clarify the Catholic Church’s constant teaching against abortion, to correct misrepresentations of that teaching by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on “Meet the Press” (see www.usccb.org/prolife/whatsnew.shtml). On September 7, again on “Meet the Press,” Senator Joseph Biden made some statements about that teaching that also deserve a response.

Senator Biden did not claim that Catholic teaching allows or has ever allowed abortion. He said rightly that human life begins “at the moment of conception,” and that Catholics and others who recognize this should not be required by others to pay for abortions with their taxes.

However, the Senator’s claim that the beginning of human life is a “personal and private” matter of religious faith, one which cannot be “imposed” on others, does not reflect Catholic teaching. The Church teaches that the obligation to protect unborn human life rests on the answer to two questions, neither of which is private or specifically religious.

The first is a biological question: When does a new human life begin? When is there a new living organism of the human species, distinct from mother and father and ready to develop and mature if given a nurturing environment? While ancient thinkers had little verifiable knowledge to help them answer this question, today embryology textbooks confirm that a new human life begins at conception (see www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/fact298.shtml). The Catholic Church does not teach this as a matter of faith; it acknowledges it as a matter of objective fact.

The second is a moral question, with legal and political consequences: Which living members of the human species should be seen as having fundamental human rights, such as a right not to be killed? The Catholic Church’s answer is: Everybody. No human being should be treated as lacking human rights, and we have no business dividing humanity into those who are valuable enough to warrant protection and those who are not. Even this is not solely a Catholic teaching, but a principle of natural law accessible to all people of good will. The framers of the Declaration of Independence pointed to the same basic truth by speaking of inalienable rights, bestowed on all members of the human race not by any human power, but by their Creator. Those who hold a narrower and more exclusionary view have the burden of explaining why we should divide humanity into the moral “haves” and “have-nots,” and why their particular choice of where to draw that line can be sustained in a pluralistic society. Such views pose a serious threat to the dignity and rights of other poor and vulnerable members of the human family who need and deserve our respect and protection.

While in past centuries biological knowledge was often inaccurate, modern science leaves no excuse for anyone to deny the humanity of the unborn child. Protection of innocent human life is not an imposition of personal religious conviction but a demand of justice.

source
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Public Servants and Moral Reasoning:A notice to the Catholic community in northern Colorado

To Catholics of the Archdiocese of Denver:

When Catholics serve on the national stage, their actions and words impact the faith of Catholics around the country. As a result, they open themselves to legitimate scrutiny by local Catholics and local bishops on matters of Catholic belief.

In 2008, although NBC probably didn't intend it, Meet the Press has become a national window on the flawed moral reasoning of some Catholic public servants. On August 24, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, describing herself as an ardent, practicing Catholic, misrepresented the overwhelming body of Catholic teaching against abortion to the show's nationwide audience, while defending her "pro-choice" abortion views. On September 7, Sen. Joseph Biden compounded the problem to the same Meet the Press audience.

Sen. Biden is a man of distinguished public service. That doesn't excuse poor logic or bad facts. Asked when life begins, Sen. Biden said that, "it's a personal and private issue." But in reality, modern biology knows exactly when human life begins: at the moment of conception. Religion has nothing to do with it. People might argue when human "personhood" begins - though that leads public policy in very dangerous directions - but no one can any longer claim that the beginning of life is a matter of religious opinion.

Sen. Biden also confused the nature of pluralism. Real pluralism thrives on healthy, non-violent disagreement; it requires an environment where people of conviction will struggle respectfully but vigorously to advance their beliefs. In his interview, the senator observed that other people with strong religious views disagree with the Catholic approach to abortion. It's certainly true that we need to acknowledge the views of other people and compromise whenever possible - but not at the expense of a developing child's right to life.

Abortion is a foundational issue; it is not an issue like housing policy or the price of foreign oil. It always involves the intentional killing of an innocent life, and it is always, grievously wrong. If, as Sen. Biden said, "I'm prepared as a matter of faith [emphasis added] to accept that life begins at the moment of conception," then he is not merely wrong about the science of new life; he also fails to defend the innocent life he already knows is there.

As the senator said in his interview, he has opposed public funding for abortions. To his great credit,he also backed a successful ban on partial-birth abortions. But his strong support for the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade and the false "right" to abortion it enshrines, can't be excused by any serious Catholic. Support for Roe and the "right to choose" an abortion simply masks what abortion is, and what abortion does.

Roe is bad law. As long as it stands, it prevents returning the abortion issue to the states where it belongs, so that the American people can decide its future through fair debate and legislation. In his Meet the Press interview, Sen. Biden used a morally exhausted argument that American Catholics have been hearing for 40 years: i.e., that Catholics can't "impose" their religiously based views on the rest of the country. But resistance to abortion is a matter of human rights, not religious opinion. And the senator knows very well as a lawmaker that all law involves the imposition of some people's convictions on everyone else. That is the nature of the law.

American Catholics have allowed themselves to be bullied into accepting the destruction of more than a million developing unborn children a year. Other people have imposed their "pro-choice" beliefs on American society without any remorse for decades. If we claim to be Catholic, then American Catholics, including public officials who describe themselves as Catholic, need to act accordingly. We need to put an end to Roe and the industry of permissive abortion it enables. Otherwise all of us - from senators and members of Congress, to Catholic laypeople in the pews - fail not only as believers and disciples, but also as citizens.

+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver

+James D. Conley
Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

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Barack Obama's Religion

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Much has been said about the religion of Barack Hussein Obama, and most of it is very controversial. It is no secret that 'The Catholic Knight' is no fan of Obama, and I have been quite critical of him. However, on this issue I want to try to be as fair as possible. Rumors abound about Obama's religion. Some say he's a secret Muslim. Obama describes himself as a Christian, except in a gaffe in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, where he said "my Muslim faith." Stephanopoulos corrected him - "Christian faith?" Obama quickly corrected himself - "yeah.. my Christian faith." See the video here...


It was a huge gaffe, on the worst possible issue. Or was it a Freudian slip? The American people MUST know the answer to this question. Unfortunately, 'The Catholic Knight' cannot give you the mind of Obama. I cannot tell you what the man is thinking, or what he really believes. Only Obama himself can do that, and then we must ask ourselves if we believe him.

The problem is with Obama's childhood history and his family heritage. As a youth, all signs point to Obama as a Muslim. If this was the case, Obama could have easily defused it's political controversy by admitting it. "Yes, I was raised as a Muslim," Obama could have told America, "but I converted to Christianity." The American people would have loved it! Even pundits on the political Right would have difficulty using it against him. But that didn't happen. Instead it appears that Obama tried to hide the issue, and it would seem his campaign released blatantly false statements regarding the matter. A story on Newsmax shed some light on what we know about Obama's early childhood religion...
(Newsmax.com) - In the wake of the controversy over Obama's Muslim upbringing, The Los Angeles Times sent a reporter to Jakarta to ferret out the truth.

The Times report, published on March 16, 2008, revealed:
  • A close boyhood friend of Obama, Zulfin Adi, said Obama "was a Muslim. He went to the mosque."
  • Obama's first-grade teacher at a Catholic school, Israella Dharmawan, said: "Barry (Barack's nickname) was Muslim. He was registered as a Muslim because his father was Muslim."
  • In the third grade, Obama transferred to a public school, where he was also registered as a Muslim. At the school, Muslim students attended weekly religion lessons about Islam. 
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So we are now faced with a choice. Who do we believe? Obama or his boyhood acquaintances? The Obama camp reiterates that he was never a Muslim. So if we are to believe the Obama campaign, then we must assume that Obama was never a Muslim, even though his father was a Muslim, his step-father (who helped raised him) was a Muslim, he was enrolled and registered as a "Muslim" in both a Catholic school and a public school in Indonesia, his childhood acquaintances say he was a Muslim, and he regularly attended a mosque, and took religion courses on Islam. Okay, even though all the evidence contradicts Obama and his campaign statements on the matter, I suppose we could concede that even though Obama was clearly identified as a Muslim in his childhood, perhaps we could say he was never a "practicing Muslim." But then, we must ask why, oh why, does Obama continue to deny that? Why not just say, "I was raised to be a Muslim, but I chose Christianity instead." Again, this would defuse any political fallout, because the American people would see it as an act of independence on his part. That didn't happen though. Instead we have this constant denial that he was never a Muslim; even though he was registered as a "Muslim," regularly prayed at a mosque, and studied Islam in school religion classes.

Okay, let's give Barack the benefit of the doubt. If he says he's not a Muslim, and never has been, then fine. He's not a Muslim and never has been.  Here we have Barack Obama the Christian. So let's take a look at exactly what kind of Christianity Barack Obama decided to be a part of as an adult....


Obama attended this Church for 20 years. According to Obama, Rev. Wright was his personal spiritual advisor for almost as long. He married Barack and Michelle Obama, and baptized their children. Witnesses at 'Trinity United Church of Christ' have testified that Barack Obama attended many of these controversial "sermons" by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and never showed any visible sign of disgust or apprehension. Nor did he ever get up and walk out. Why? The whole thing goes a lot deeper than just the wild anti-American rants of an unhinged pastor. Listen closely to the following FoxNews interview with Rev. Wright...


Did you catch that? Obama's pastor said it. Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama's home church for 20 years, subscribes to and promotes the doctrine of "Liberation Theology." Exactly what is Liberation Theology? Let's find out....
Question: "What is Liberation Theology?"

Answer: Simply put, Liberation Theology is an attempt to interpret Scripture through the plight of the poor. It is largely a humanistic doctrine. It started in South America in the turbulent 1950s when Marxism was making great gains among the poor because of its emphasis on the redistribution of wealth, allowing poor peasants to share in the wealth of the colonial elite and thus upgrade their economic status in life. As a theology, it has very strong Roman Catholic roots.

Liberation Theology was bolstered in 1968 at the Second Latin American Bishops Conference which met in Medellin, Colombia. The idea was to study the Bible and to fight for social justice in Christian (Catholic) communities. Since the only governmental model for the redistribution of the wealth in a South American country was a Marxist model, the redistribution of wealth to raise the economic standards of the poor in South America took on a definite Marxist flavor. Since those who had money were very reluctant to part with it in any wealth redistribution model, the use of a populist (read poor) revolt was encouraged by those who worked most closely with the poor. As a result, the Liberation Theology model was mired in Marxist dogma and revolutionary causes.

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Liberation Theology originated in the Catholic Church - particularly in Latin America. (Speaking as a Catholic, I'm sorry to report that Liberation Theology is our baby.) Gradually it found it's way into certain Protestant sects, and apparently, 'Trinity United Church of Christ' in Chicago is one of them. Liberation Theology is Marxist Socialism given a Christian facelift - plain and simple. It has been officially condemned by the Vatican. Pope John Paul II, (and now Pope Benedict XVI), has come down very hard on it, issuing excommunications and bold public rebukes. It may have been invented WITHIN the Catholic Church, but it's been officially condemned BY the Catholic Church.

The brand of Liberation Theology promoted by Trinity United Church of Christ is a blend of typical Marxist Liberation Theology combined with a highly charged racial component. This is called "Black Liberation Theology." As you can see by the rants of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, it is very potent stuff. As for the effects of it on his congregation, we need look no further than Barack Obama's own wife Michelle...


"For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm proud of my country..." That's a pretty extreme statement, and she made it not once but twice. It's really not too hard to understand however. When you consider that Michelle has been attending Trinity United Church of Christ for her entire adult life, with the kind of teaching that goes on there, we can easily understand why she wouldn't be proud of her country.

But the bigger question in all this is Barack Obama's Christianity. People usually don't regularly attend churches they don't agree with. Obama initially defended his relationship with Rev. Wright, but then later had to distance himself from him after much media pressure. Yet he's never distanced himself from the Marxist Liberation Theology upon which Trinity United Church of Christ is built.

Let's face it, anyone who subscribes to the basic idea of Liberation Theology is a Marxist - at least in principle. There can be no doubt about it, since the doctrine is the epitome of Marxist theory. The real question here is this. Does Barack Obama subscribe to the Marxist Black Liberation Theology upon which 'Trinity United Church of Christ' is built? If he doesn't support the Church's foundational doctrine, then what the hell has be been doing there for the last 20 years!?!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Sarah Palin's Religion


THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Sadly, some members of the media have now decided to go after Sarah Palin's religion. Why not? They've slandered everything else. So once again, it's up to 'The Catholic Knight' to do the media's job for them and report the facts in a reasonable and accurate way. Hopefully, the above video filmed by Fox News will serve as a good primer to this article, and perhaps begin to dispel the media hype and Internet propaganda surrounding Governor Palin's religion.

Let me begin by pointing out what so many of my readers already know. 'The Catholic Knight' is a former Evangelical, who converted to Catholicism in the year 2000. In fact, I was more than just a member of an Evangelical church. I headed up some ministries within my former church, and was in training to become a full-time pastor. My pastoral training in Church history is actually the very thing that led me into Catholicism, but that's another story. I'm divulging this information for the purpose of establishing my credentials as somewhat of an expert on Evangelicalism.

Left-wing bloggers on the Internet, along with the biased mainstream media, have focused like a laser beam on Governor Palin's upbringing in the Assemblies of God. Already we can find articles and videos that can be described as nothing less than hatchet jobs, not only on Sarah Palin's childhood church, but the Assemblies of God denomination  and Pentecostalism in general. Assemblies of God Pentecostals are being depicted as radical maniacs, who worship God in ecstatic frenzies of emotional orgasm, behaving in strange ways, and acting as if they've lost their minds.   The media also showcases their conservative Protestant doctrine as if it was some kind of freak show in and of itself.

That's the media spin anyway.  Now here is the voice of reason.  Pentecostal churches vary in practice from congregation to congregation, and this is particularly true in the Assemblies of God.  Some are quite old fashioned and traditional.  Others are contemporary and modern.  Some do engage in high charged emotional worship, others do not.  In fact, you really never know what a particular Pentecostal congregation is going to be like until you actually walk in, sit down, and watch the show.  These so-called "news" stories on Pentecostalism are hit pieces designed to link Governor Palin to an erratic religion, which their creators hope will frighten voters away from the Republican presidential ticket this November. In the end, their efforts will backfire, but it looks like they're going to have to learn that lesson the hard way.

So let's get into what we know about Governor Sarah Palin's religion. Sarah Louise Heath was born to Catholic parents in the confusion and turmoil immediately following the Second Vatican Council. She received the sacrament of baptism while an infant, but her parents left the Church shortly thereafter. They were converted to Pentecostalism and made their new home in the Wasilla Assemblies of God. Though baptized a Catholic, Sarah was raised as a Pentecostal. Like many conservative Protestant movements, Pentecostalism does not recognize the validity of infant baptisms. Therefore, Sarah was re-baptized, according to the Pentecostal tradition, at around the age of 13. In 1988 she married her high school sweetheart Todd Palin. She continued in the Assemblies of God until 2002, when it appears she made a break from her parent's Pentecostalism, choosing to join Wasilla Bible Church, an independent Evangelical organization. Today, both Sarah and Todd consider themselves "nondenominational Christians" - an identity more consistent with the Evangelical mindset.

For those readers who may not be familiar with the differences between Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism, allow me to elaborate. Both traditions fall under the socially conservative wing of Protestantism. When it comes to morality, their teachings are strikingly similar to what one might find in the Catholic Church. They value the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, uphold traditional marriage between a man and a woman, while advocating school-choice for parents. When it comes to theology, their teachings fall somewhere between those espoused by the Reformation fathers John Calvin and Conrad Grebel. Their eschatological views are usually a form of Dispensationalism. Politically, they are usually social conservatives, though their views on fiscal matters may vary between conservative and liberal. In both Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism there is a heavy emphasis on missionary work, and bringing the gospel to the world, as well as every aspect of social life.

Where Pentecostals and Evangelicals differ is in their take on the Azusa Street Revival, which took place in the early 20th century in Los Angeles. Pentecostals credit this as the beginning of their movement, and because of that, they place a heavy emphasis on the "signs and wonders" of the Holy Spirit, along with the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, particularly the one of "speaking in tongues." Strict Pentecostals emphasize "speaking in tongues" as a sign that one is truly saved.  Most Pentecostals have a more moderated take on this, though "speaking in tongues" is always considered important to them. If you think all this is strange, you're not alone, but don't think for a second that it's foreign to Catholicism.  A charismatic renewal exists within the Catholic Church as well, which includes "speaking in tongues," and was endorsed by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II.  The U.S. Catholic Bishops, in their pastoral letter to the American Church on the Charismatic Renewal, wrote in 1984: "… the Charismatic Renewal is rooted in the witness of the gospel tradition: Jesus is Lord by the power of the Spirit to the glory of the Father."  The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, as it's called, does not emphasize "signs and wonders" to the degree that Pentecostals do, but it does acknowledge the existence of such things, and encourages those who claim to have such spiritual "gifts."  In contrast with Pentecostals, Evangelicals (like most mainstream Catholics) downplay these displays of overt spirituality and mysticism, without denying their authenticity.  They prefer instead to emphasize the teaching of scripture, evangelism and personal growth toward spiritual maturity.  So when it comes to the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit anyway, Evangelicals tend to be a bit closer to Catholic teaching.

What many of the left-wing pundits in the media, and on the Internet, seem to be missing is that Governor Palin is no longer a Pentecostal. She may still have fond memories of her childhood church, and may still occasionally visit when convenient, but she hasn't been a Pentecostal for the last six years. She's been an Evangelical, which is much closer to traditional Protestantism as it existed about a hundred years ago. The core of Sarah Palin's religious beliefs are expressed in the Statement of Faith from Wasilla Bible Church....
  1. We believe in the Bible as the only inspired inerrant Word of God authoritative for faith and practice. 2 Tim 3:16,17; Heb 6:12; 2 Pet 1:19,20
  2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Who is the creator and sustainer of all things and worthy of our worship and praise. Mt 28:19; Gen 1:1,2; Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:1-3
  3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death for our sins by His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal visible return in power and glory. Jn 1:1-18; Lk 1:26-35; Rom 3:24,25; 1 Pet 2:24; Jn 11:1-45; 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; Heb 6:14,15; 7:26; 9:11-14; Rev 19:11-16
  4. We believe that based upon Christ's death for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. We believe that all people are lost and without God in their natural state; but by the grace of God those who exercise genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved - justified, baptized into his death and born again, from above, by the Holy Spirit. Jn 1:12,13; 3:1-21; Rom 3:23,24; Eph 2:8,9; 1 Pet 1:23
  5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. By His indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life, and is spiritually gifted for ministry to others. Acts 2:1-4; 17-21 (cf.Joel 2:28-30); 1 Cor 6:19,20;12:7
  6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life to be forever with God, and they that remain lost unto the resurrection of judgment and damnation. Mt 25:31-46; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess 1:4-10; Rev 20:11-15; Jn 3:17-19
  7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, having been baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the responsibility of all believers to love and minister to one another. 1 Cor 12:13; Jn 13:1-17; 17:20-26; Eph 1:13-18; 1 Jn 4:7-11,20-21
  8. We believe in our responsibility to be disciples of Christ, to love all people and to fulfill the Commission of Christ to go and make disciples of all nations by bearing witness of Christ through life and word in the power of the Holy Spirit. Lk 9:23-26; Mt 22:36-40; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom 1:16
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What we have here is very typical of mainstream Evangelical doctrine. It is very Protestant. There is nothing on the fringe or radical about it. This is what most Evangelicals believe. The same goes for most Pentecostals. The difference between them is mainly in detail and practice.

Catholics may take exception to some of the beliefs enumerated above, as well we should, but we should understand that nothing in them is unusual for conservative Protestants. This is the norm. From a Catholic perspective, Evangelicalism is a small step closer to Catholicism than Pentecostalism. So I suppose we could say that in 2002, Sarah Palin took her first step back toward the Catholic Church. Only God knows if she'll ever complete that journey, but one thing is certain. By leaving the Pentecostal religion of her parents, she has asserted herself as her own woman, with her own thoughts on religion, and her own ideas of how things ought to be. She may not be a Catholic anymore, but she's no longer a Pentecostal either. Governor Palin has joined the mainstream of Evangelical Americans.

As Catholics we must remember the teachings of the Second Vatican Council toward Protestants. While we Catholics are expected to oppose Protestant teachings that contradict Catholicism, at the same time we are expected to embrace our Protestant brethren as "brothers" and "fellow Christians" even when they don't return the favor. That's because anyone who has been baptized in the Trinitarian formula IS a Catholic in at least some imperfect sense. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church...
818 "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers .... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."

819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth" are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements." Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him, and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity.
As for Evangelicals, the seventh point of Wasilla Bible Church's Statement of Faith expresses a view that is extremely common among most Evangelical churches. It reads as follows...
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, having been baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the responsibility of all believers to love and minister to one another. 1 Cor 12:13; Jn 13:1-17; 17:20-26; Eph 1:13-18; 1 Jn 4:7-11,20-21
While Catholics can, and should, take issues with the way this statement is written, and the lack of recognition of the visible element of the Church, we can also agree with the premise that the Holy Spirit does play a central role in our unity as Christians by virtue of our common Trinitarian baptism. When Evangelicals use the phrase "spiritual unity," they are acknowledging that the Church exists beyond the visible borders of their own denominations, and one can find fellow Christians in non-Evangelical churches. Most Evangelicals would agree this includes Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, and yes, even Catholics. Though Evangelicals are more likely to discern whether one is truly a Christian not on a person's profession of faith alone, but rather the level of commitment and enthusiasm one shows toward that profession of faith. Case in point, it is fairly common for Evangelicals to refer to practicing Catholics as "real Catholics," and cafeteria Catholics as "fake Catholics." They would regard "real Catholics" as their Christian brethren, and "fake Catholics" as non-believers who need to be "saved."  This judgement may be crude, but it is effective, and perhaps one that many practicing Catholics would have a hard time disagreeing with.

As a further example of their ecumenical nature, Evangelicals show a fairly significant partiality toward Jews, Judaism and the modern Nation-State of Israel. Part of this has to do with their eschatological beliefs about end-times prophecy, but it would be unfair to say that is the only reason. Evangelicals acknowledge the particular Jewish character of the Christian religion, and because of this they feel a kindred spirit with the Jewish people and their religion.  Ironically, this is something that is deeply manifested in the Catholic Church by the way. While most Evangelicals are unaware of the Jewish roots within Catholicism, they do acknowledge that both Jesus, and all of his apostles, were Jewish. Catholics miss a huge window of opportunity for ecumenical relations with Evangelicals by glossing over the Jewish character of Catholicism. Emphasis on this element in Catholicism would not only help Evangelicals better understand the Catholic Church, but would also result in more Evangelical conversions to the Catholic faith.

Like Pentecostals, Evangelicals are diverse in practice. Some are very traditional. Most are very modern. Some cling to Fundamentalism. Others do not. Some communities are introverted, others are extroverted. Some prefer to worship using old gospel music. Others prefer contemporary praise music, and some prefer pop and rock music. It's hard to easily categorize them, or predict exactly what to expect in an Evangelical church. The major difference between Evangelicals and Pentecostals is the emphasis on "signs and wonders" of the Holy Spirit, and this effects the way they conduct their church services. As a result, Evangelical churches are less concerned with exciting emotional experiences, and prefer to emphasize teaching and instruction instead.

Make no mistake about it, the media and Internet assault on Sarah Palin's religion is nothing short of a direct assault on the religion of all Pentecostals and Evangelicals. The wild and bizarre accusations made against Palin's religion directly reflect the level of fear and ignorance people on the political Left have toward the Christian religion and those who practice it. Their inability to distinguish between Pentecostals and Evangelicals, along with their inability to differentiate between radical and mainstream forms of each, again demonstrates their level of ignorance toward the Christian religion. We have finally reached a point in our national history where we can honestly say that the political Left no longer knows Christianity, and does not understand even the most basic concepts of it. Ignorance leads to fear, and fear leads to bigotry. That's what we're witnessing in the Left-wing media and Internet today. Because of Governor Sarah Palin's nomination to the office of Vice President of the United States, she has become a lightning rod for this kind of anti-religious bigotry. We Catholics should remember that the people who are attacking her religion, are often the very same people who attack ours.