SUNLIT UPLANDS

Former British Policeman Backs Barack Obama 'Birthers' Conspiracy Theory

2009-11-23T22:07:00.010-05:00

A former British policeman is using his Scotland Yard training to help the Birthers, a group of conspiracy theorists, in trying to unseat President Barack Obama.

From The Telegraph

Neil Sankey, who has almost 20 years experience serving in Special Branch and the Bomb Squad, is now devoting his energies to proving that Mr Obama is not a natural born US citizen.

He joined the Birthers after meeting Orly Taitz, one of the leaders of the group, which disputes Mr Obama’s claim that he was born in Hawaii.

Over the past year, Mr Sankey has been integral in some of the most aggressive efforts to remove him from office by claiming that his presidency is illegitimate.

He tried to block Obama's inauguration last year by contacting all 538 electoral college representatives who formally elect the president.

Mr Sankey has also carried out an investigation into Mr Obama's personal identification history which he claims shows a suspicious number of social security numbers

He has refuted allegations that his attempts are racially motivated, claiming that he disagrees with Mr Obama’s politics and is convinced that he is not genuine.

Mr Sankey, who moved to California in the 1980s to set up his own private detective agency, told the Guardian: “The objection is not Obama's colour but his politics.

“I like him as a person, I just wish he was genuine.

“It's quite obvious to me — America is heading towards a socialised state just as has happened in Europe. Socialised medicine, everyone on the dole, and when everything collapses you tip the scales into Marxism."

Mr Sankey joined Hampshire Police in 1961 before being seconded as a detective sergeant to Scotland Yard. During the 1970s he tracked left wing political groups and the IRA. He became a naturalised American in 1985.

He believes that his British police training is proving crucial to the work he is now pursuing for the Birthers. He said he uses the same techniques he employed to analyse the IRA's associations, to trace Mr Obama’s past.

Taitz added: “He has had superb training. I have the greatest respect for Scotland Yard.”

Most recently, Mr Sankey carried out a search of databases that he claims produced 140 different identification numbers and addresses for "Barack Obama". He admits the findings prove nothing — there is nothing to link the entries to the president — but he believes it raises further doubts that need investigating.

He told the Guardian that his fascination with Mr Obama’s heritage began with the realisation "that this man wasn't what he said he was. He wasn't an ordinary Democrat — he was far more extreme than that."

During the 2008 US presidential election, rumours began to circulate on the internet that Barack Obama had not been born in the US, and was therefore not eligible for the presidency.

Mr Obama's campaign rebutted the claims, publishing his birth certificate proving that he was born in Hawaii, however, conspiracy theorists have dismissed it as a forgery.

Doubters believe that Mr Obama was born in Kenya and that he cannot be president because the US constitution states that "no person except a natural born citizen... shall be eligible to the office of President".

Meet the President of Europe

2009-11-22T16:41:00.007-05:00

From The Brussels Journal
By Paul Belien

Herman Van Rompuy. Get used to the name. He is the first President of the European Union, which with the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon by all the 27 EU member states in early November was transformed into a genuine United States of Europe.

The President of Europe has not been elected; he was appointed in a secret meeting of the heads of government of the 27 EU member states. They chose one of their own. Herman Van Rompuy was the Prime Minister of Belgium. I knew him when he was just setting out, reluctantly, on his political career.

To understand Herman, one must know something about Belgium, a tiny country in Western Europe, and the prototype of the EU. Belgians do not exist as a nation. Belgium is an artificial state, constructed by the international powers in 1830 as a political compromise and experiment. The country consists of 6 million Dutch, living in Flanders, the northern half of the country, and 4 million French, living in Wallonia, the southern half. The Belgian Dutch, called Flemings, would have preferred to stay part of the Netherlands, as they were until 1830, while the Belgian French, called Walloons, would have preferred to join France. Instead, they were forced to live together in one state.

Belgians do not like their state. They despise it. They say it represents nothing. There are no Belgian patriots, because no-one is willing to die for a flag which does not represent anything. Because Belgium represents nothing, multicultural ideologues love Belgium. They say that without patriotism, there would be no wars and the world would be a better place. As John Lennon sang “Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do, nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.”

In 1957, Belgian politicians stood at the cradle of the European Union. Their aim was to turn the whole of Europe into a Greater Belgium, so that wars between the nations of Europe would no longer be possible as there would no longer be nations, the latter all having been incorporated into an artificial superstate.

A closer look at Belgium, the laboratory of Europe, shows, however, that the country lacks more than patriotism. It also lacks democracy, respect for the rule of law, and political morality. In 1985, in his book De Afwezige Meerderheid (The Absent Majority) the late Flemish philosopher Lode Claes (1913-1997) argued that without identity and a sense of genuine nationhood, there can also be no democracy and no morality.

One of the people who were deeply influenced by Dr. Claes’s thesis was a young politician named Herman Van Rompuy. In the mid-1980s, Van Rompuy, a conservative Catholic, born in 1947, was active in the youth section of the Flemish Christian-Democrat Party. He wrote books and articles about the importance of traditional values, the role of religion, the protection of the unborn life, the Christian roots of Europe and the need to preserve them. The undemocratic and immoral nature of Belgian politics repulsed him and led to a sort of crisis of conscience. Lode Claes, who was near to retiring, offered Herman the opportunity of succeeding him as the director of Trends, a Belgian financial-economic weekly magazine. It is in this context that I made Herman’s acquaintance. He invited me for lunch one day to ask whether, if he accepted the offer to enter journalism, I would be willing to join him. It was then that he told me that he was considering leaving politics and was weighing the options for the professional life he would pursue.

I am not sure what happened next, however. Maybe word had reached the leadership of the Christian Democrat Party that Herman, a brilliant economist and intellectual, was considering leaving politics; perhaps they made him an offer he could not refuse. Herman remained in politics. He was made a Senator and entered government as a junior minister. In 1988, he became the party leader of the governing Christian-Democrats.

Our paths crossed at intervals until 1990, when the Belgian Parliament voted a very liberal abortion bill. The Belgian King Baudouin (1930-1993), a devout Catholic who suffered from the fact that he and his wife could not have any children, had told friends that he would “rather abdicate than sign the bill.” The Belgian politicians, convinced that the King was bluffing, did not want the Belgian people to know about the King’s objections to the bill. I wrote about this on the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal and was subsequently reprimanded by the Belgian newspaper I worked for, following an angry telephone call from the then Belgian Prime Minister, a Christian-Democrat, to my editor, who was this Prime Minister’s former spokesman. I was no longer allowed to write about Belgian affairs for foreign newspapers.

In April 1990, the King did in fact abdicate over the abortion issue, and the Christian-Democrat Party, led by Herman Van Rompuy, who had always prided himself on being a good Catholic, had one of Europe’s most liberal abortion bills signed by the college of ministers, a procedure provided by the Belgian Constitution for situations when there is no King. Then they had the King voted back on the throne the following day. I wrote about the whole affair in a critical follow-up article for The Wall Street Journal and was subsequently fired by my newspaper “for grievous misconduct”. A few weeks later, I met Herman at the wedding of a mutual friend. I approached him for a chat. I could see he felt very uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact and broke off the conversation as soon as he could. We have not spoken since.

Herman’s political career continued. He became Belgium’s Budget Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives and finally Prime Minister. He kept publishing intellectual and intelligent books, but instead of defending the concept of the good, he now defended the concept of “the lesser evil.” And he began to write haiku.

Two years ago, Belgium faced its deepest political crisis ever. The country was on the verge of collapse following a 2003 ruling by its Supreme Court that the existing electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV), encompassing both the bilingual capital Brussels and the surrounding Dutch-speaking countryside of Halle-Vilvoorde, was unconstitutional and that Parliament should remedy the situation. The ruling came in response to a complaint that the BHV district was unconstitutional and should be divided into a bilingual electoral district Brussels and a Dutch-language electoral district Halle-Vilvoorde. This complaint had been lodged by… Herman Van Rompuy, a Flemish inhabitant of the Halle-Vilvoorde district.

In 2003, however, the Christian-Democrats were not in government and Herman was a leader of the opposition. His complaint was intended to cause political problems for Belgium’s Liberal government, which refused to divide the BHV district because the French-speaking parties in the government refused to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court. The Flemish Christian-Democrats went to the June 2007 general elections with as their major theme the promise that, once in government, they would split BHV. Herman campaigned on the issue, his party won the elections and became Flanders’ largest party.

Belgium’s political crisis dragged on from June until December 2007 because it proved impossible to put together a government consisting of sufficient Dutch-speaking (Flemish) and French-speaking (Walloon) politicians. The Flemings demanded that BHV be split, as instructed by the Supreme Court; the Walloons refused to do so. Ultimately, the Flemish Christian-Democrats gave in, reneged on their promise to their voters, and agreed to join a government without BHV being split. Worse still, the new government has more French-speaking than Dutch-speaking ministers, and does not have the support of the majority of the Flemings in Parliament, although the Flemings make up a 60% majority of the Belgian population. Herman became the Speaker of the Parliament. In this position he had to prevent Parliament, and the Flemish representatives there, from voting a bill to split BHV. He succeeded in this, by using all kinds of tricks. One day he even had the locks of the plenary meeting room changed so that Parliament could not convene to vote on the issue. On another occasion, he did not show up in his office for a whole week to avoid opening a letter demanding him to table the matter. His tactics worked. In December 2008, when the Belgian Prime Minister had to resign in the wake of a financial scandal, Herman became the new leader of the predominantly French-speaking government which does not represent the majority of Belgium’s ethnic majority group. During the past 11 months, he has skillfully managed to postpone any parliamentary vote on the BHV matter, thereby prolonging a situation which the Supreme Court, responding to Herman's own complaint in 2003, has ruled to be unconstitutional.

Now, Herman has moved on to lead Europe. Like Belgium, the European Union is an undemocratic institution, which needs shrewd leaders who are capable of renouncing everything they once believed in and who know how to impose decisions on the people against the will of the people. Never mind democracy, morality or the rule of law, our betters know what is good for us more than we do. And Herman is now one of our betters. He has come a long way since the days when he was disgusted with Belgian-style politics.

Herman is like Saruman, the wise wizard in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, who went over to the other side. He used to care about the things we cared about. But no longer. He has built himself a high tower from where he rules over all of us.

Paul Belien is the author of A Throne in Brussels – Britain, the Saxe-Coburgs and the Belgianisation of Europe, Imprint Academic, Exeter (UK), Charlottesville, VA (US).

King's College Choir - "I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me" - Sir Hubert Parry

2009-11-22T14:10:00.002-05:00

Solemnity of Christ the King - A Homily by The Rev. George Rutler, S.T.D.

2009-11-22T06:45:00.004-05:00

Homily of Father George Rutler

Pastor

Church of Our Savior

New York, New York

November 16, 2008

To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King

2009-11-22T06:40:00.001-05:00

To Jesus Christ, our Sov'reign King,
Who is the world's salvation,
All praise and homage do we bring,
And thanks and adoration.

Refrain:
Christ Jesus Victor, Christ Jesus Ruler!
Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

Thy reign extend, O King benign,
To ev'ry land and nation,
For in Thy kingdom, Lord divine,
Alone we find salvation.
(Refrain)

To Thee and to Thy Church, great King,
We pledge our hearts' oblation,
Until before Thy throne we sing,
In endless jubilation.
(Refrain)

An Anglican Bridge Across the Tiber

2009-11-21T10:34:00.006-05:00

A Bob Jones University Graduate, former Anglican Vicar, and now a Catholic Priest Reflects on the Apostolic Constitution

From The Times (UK)
By Father Dwight Longenecker

Last Monday I was traveling to Tampa, Florida for a week long retreat with other Catholic priests who were once Anglican priests. In the airport I got an email with the news that the new Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus had been published. Suddenly the rest of the week’s program was decided. My brother priests and I spent time studying the document and discussing its implications.

The wider implications of Pope Benedict’s invitation to Anglicans to come into full communion are genuinely historic. It impacts discussions not only with Anglicans, but with all of the churches derived from the Protestant Reformation. It is a popular past time among traditionalist Catholics to throw dirt at ecumenism. Catholic triumphalists trumpet the truth of the Catholic faith and denigrate discussions with Protestants. They point out the false premises, the artificial camaraderie, and the fickleness of their ecumenical partners. The ecumenical movement is not without its faults, but it is also not without its accomplishments. Through the ecumenical movement Catholics and Protestants really have learned from one another. Over the last 40 years astounding progress has been made. Old prejudices have disappeared. Historic misunderstandings have evaporated. New formulas for old truths have been discovered and agreed.

Some commentators have reported the end of the old ecumenism. In one sense this is true. Through the new Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is following up her warnings with action. For over a decade now the Vatican has had a consistent message to the Anglican Church, and the message can be summed up as, "Please don't do that. It puts yet another obstacle in the path of Christian unity." Time and again the Anglicans have gone ahead anyway. Each item on the progressive agenda has been another wound to the body. Now Rome has acted and with Anglicanorum coetibus, directed the ecumenical journey in a radical new direction. No doubt the old style ecumenical meetings will continue, but they will lack urgency. It is as if the Catholic Church has sent a butler with a bell into the hall where the pre prandial cocktail party was going on to announce that dinner is served. The drinks are over. Dinner time has begun. Are you coming in to dinner or not?

Ecumenism isn’t over. It has taken a new direction. To understand the wider implications of Anglicanorum coetibus one needs to look further than the shores of England and Europe. Most people have rightly focussed on the troubles within Anglicanism, and the new relationship between the Catholic and Anglican churches. However, we sometimes forget that the rest of Protestantism is struggling with the same conflicts that besiege Anglicanism. It is said that “where Anglicanism goes the rest of the Protestants soon follow." Here in the United States, where Anglicanism is just one of many Protestant groups, the Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists and Evangelicals are all battling over the same issues of modernist theology and relativist morality.

In England, the Anglican Ordinariate will benefit the small rump of Anglo Catholics who are still in the Church of England, but elsewhere in the world I believe it will eventually become a bridge into full communion with the historic Church for Protestants of many different backgrounds. In the United States there are large numbers of Evangelical Christians who are attracted to the historic liturgical churches. They hold to the historic faith, but they want to move away from the sectarian and often shallow worship and theology of the large Evangelical churches. They admire Catholic liturgy and spirituality, but they are repelled by the progressive political and moral agenda of the liturgical Protestant churches like the Lutherans and Episcopalians. They admire the Pope and much of Catholicism, but for most of them the step into the Catholic Church is still a step too far.

If the Anglican Ordinariate includes 'broad church Anglicans' as well as Anglo Catholics, then these other Protestants may also find a way to 'come home to Rome.' If this is the way the Ordinariate develops, then it will provide not only a bridge across the Tiber for Anglicans, but an Anglican bridge across the Tiber for many other Christians, and if this happens, then the harvest from the ecumenical discussions over the last forty years will be rich indeed.

Fr Dwight Longenecker is Chaplain to St Joseph's Catholic School in Greenville, South Carolina. He is a former Anglican priest, and the author of ten books on the Catholic faith. He blogs at Standing on My Head .

U. S. Navy Ceremonial Drill Team at Norwegian International Tattoo

2009-11-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

Pope to Honor Cardinal Newman During British Visit

2009-11-20T22:35:00.007-05:00

John Henry Cardinal Newman

From the Daily Mail
By Simon Caldwell

The Pope is to waive his own rules so he can preside in person over the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman during the papal visit to Britain next year.

In an unprecedented decision, Benedict XVI will take charge of the ceremony which will confer the title 'Blessed' on the Victorian convert from Anglicanism.

The Pope has previously insisted that all beatifications - the last step before sainthood - are carried out by a Vatican official in the diocese in which the candidate died, which in Newman's case is Birmingham.

But because the Pope has such a strong devotion to Cardinal Newman and his theological writings he has decided to beatify the cardinal himself.

With one rule already set aside, Vatican officials may now agree to the ceremony being held in London, the city of Newman's birth, rather than Birmingham, say Roman Catholic sources.

This would enable the beatification to take place at Westminster Cathedral - or even before a congregation of 80,000 in Wembley stadium.

Vatican sources say the Pope will preside over the ceremony in September.

The beatification comes as some fear the Church of England is breaking up over the ordination of women bishops and homosexual priests.

And the timing will prompt speculation that it is designed to persuade Anglicans to follow Newman into the Catholic Church.

But Father Ian Ker, a biographer of Newman, said: 'The problems in the Church of England are nothing to do with it.

Many popes have been anxious to canonise Newman. They look to him as a man who welcomed modernisation but in fidelity to Church authority.

'By breaking his own rules Pope Benedict clearly shows he regards Newman as a completely exceptional case, one of the great theologians of the Catholic Church.'

Pope Benedict announced the beatification in July after Vatican theologians ruled the healing in 2001 of Jack Sullivan, an American with a severe spinal condition, was a miracle brought about by praying to Cardinal Newman.

Newman was born in London in 1801 and converted to Catholicism at the age of 44 after leading a movement to try to unite Anglicans with their Catholic roots.

He was made a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879 and died at the age of 89.

Outing Priests and Bishops

2009-11-20T15:50:00.006-05:00

One of my wisest brothers in Christ must surely be Terry Nelson at the Abbey-Roads blog. Following is his post on plans by homosexualists to "out" closeted homosexual priests and bishops. Were such efforts aimed at the defiantly heterodox, we would rejoice that "all things work together for good to them that love God." Indeed, the sodomites would be performing a service to the Church in shining a light on the corruption. But invariably, as Terry points out:

Many same sex attracted men have struggled to live according to the teachings of the Church, and as all of us sinners, many fall - and rise again. Priests are not perfect, to preach the truth about homosexuality is not hypocrisy - even if a priest fails to live up to his vows from time to time. If he repents and strives to live accordingly, in time he will be victorious.

From Abbey-Roads

Activists in D.C. intend to begin outing closeted homosexual priests and bishops in retaliation for Archbishop Wuerl's anti-same-sex marriage efforts as well as a USCCB pastoral letter, which has been perceived as an 'anti-gay attack' - when in actual fact it is a defense of marriage, defining Catholic teaching on issues of faith and morals. From the website,

ChurchOuting.org press release: .

ChurchOuting.org is a clearinghouse for reports of priests who are openly gay men in social settings yet professionally closeted in their parishes. The campaign will also accept reports of heterosexual priests who are involved in romantic or sexual relationships, yet support the Archbishop’s efforts to harm lesbian and gay families. - Source .

Our local gay activist Michael Bayly joins his support to the organization's efforts: .

I should say from the start that I support efforts to out the hypocrisy of those Roman Catholic bishops and priests who live secretive gay lives while at the same time either publicly support the official anti-gay rhetoric and efforts of the church’s clerical leadership to strip gay people of civil rights protections, or remain silent in the face of such un-Christlike behavior. Indeed, I resonate with ChurchOuting.org’s founder Phil Attey’s hope that this campaign in Washington, D.C., will “inspire similar campaigns in every archdiocese across the country.” - Source .

Nothing new. .

Didn't Act Up launch a campaign to out closeted public figures way when? Most recently Larry Craig pretty much outed himself when he was caught with his pants down in a MPLS airport. Gay activists like Michael say that type of behavior wouldn't happen if everyone was out and being gay was on equal terms with heterosexuality. In response I like to cite people such as George Michael who seems to prefer that type of sexual adventure even though he lives in a domestic partnership - he famously and unashamedly defended such behavior saying, "It is what gay people do." Yet activists maintain such sleazy behavior is motivated by shame - although in the case of closeted 'bi-sexual' predators who may struggle against such sins, it is just hypocrisy. .

Washington gay activists may be placing all their bets on these tactics of detraction since they appear to have worked so well in the Church of England:
Furthermore, "outing" (or the threat of "outing") may help persuade some homophobic closet gays to stop doing damage to other gay people, and thereby prevent considerable suffering. It can also very effectively pressure homophobic institutions to reconsider their anti-gay policies. .

This is what happened when OutRage! named ten Anglican Bishops last November. Suddenly, for the first time ever, the Church of England began high-level dialogue with the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. In January, the Bishops held a previously unscheduled re-examination of their stance on homosexuality, which resulted in a strongly-worded condemnation of homophobic discrimination and anti-gay violence. Church officials have privately admitted that none of these developments would have occurred if OutRage! had not "provoked a crisis" by naming the Bishops. .

However, perhaps the most significant effect of calling on the Bishops to "Tell The Truth!" is that the whole homophobic establishment is now aware that "outing" is not just an idle threat. OutRage! has ripped open the closet doors of the Church of England. We can, if we decide to, also expose hypocritical and homophobic closet gays in politics, business, the military, judiciary and the police. These people now understand that all those who abuse their power to harm other lesbian and gay people are potential targets. This will probably encourage at least some of them to think twice about being homophobic in the future. - Source .

I thought blackmail was illegal? .

Well, it is certainly not honorable. I suppose all is fair in love and war, and never forget, this is war. Consider as well that 'the sin of the Gentiles is they lack charity', therefore these kind of threats should not surprise anyone. 'Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed,' right? .

. "Fornicator I always was, heretic I never was." - St. Andrew Wourters, Gorcum Martyr .

The fact is, many same sex attracted men have struggled to live according to the teachings of the Church, and as all of us sinners, many fall - and rise again. Priests are not perfect, to preach the truth about homosexuality is not hypocrisy - even if a priest fails to live up to his vows from time to time. If he repents and strives to live accordingly, in time he will be victorious. On the other hand, perhaps there are 'bad' priests living duplicitous lives, and exposure could perhaps bring them to repentance? I don't know. I do know that some priests will suffer for the faith if this happens. Priests wrongly accused, priests who have reformed their lives, and priests actively struggling, as well as priests who reject their homosexual inclination and who have never acted on it. Priests and Bishops who preach the truth despite their failings are not hypocrites. .

If indeed there are active homosexualist priests living duplicitous lives, I strongly suspect their lifestyle is already known by many of those around them - think liberal priests in liberal parishes - therefore I suspect such outings will have little to no effect. Publicising it will only confirm that Perez Hilton is not some odd aberration of gay culture, but typifies an essential weakness of the immature homosexual personality: to complain, to attack, to wallow in self-pity, to gossip, to detract, to calumniate, to mock, to scorn. .

Jesse Jackson? Color Him Ridiculous!

2009-11-20T10:52:00.006-05:00

Day Gardner, National Black Pro-Life Union Comments on Remark Made By Jesse Jackson at Congressional Black Caucus Reception:

At a reception, held by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation as part of a series of events revolving around the 25th anniversary of Jackson's run for president, Jesse Jackson stated: "We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill," He said. "You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."
What a dumb thing to say. I don't pretend to know the reasons why Rep. Arthur Davis, (D-AL) voted against the health care bill earlier this month and I'm not implying that he is pro-life, but at least he's not drinking the same flavor kool-ade as Mr. Jackson.

All Americans should question the health care monster!

The sad thing is that Jesse Jackson is a man that I once looked up to--way back when he was a power house for human rights, especially the right to life for unborn children.

Jesse once identified himself as a person who would have been aborted if medical counsel had been followed. Jesse Jackson once wrote: "Human life begins when the sperm and egg join . . . and the pulsation of life takes place." He said, "From that point, life may be described differently (as an egg, embryo, fetus, baby, child, teen-ager, adult), but the essence is the same.''

I remember way back--when he spoke at the 1977 March for Life asking the question: ''What happens to the moral fabric of a nation that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience.''

Back in the day, in an ''Open Letter to Congress'' Jesse Jackson stated "as a matter of conscience" he must "oppose the use of federal funds for a policy of killing infants."

Wow! Where is that guy?

I believe the Jesse Jackson--the civil rights leader from way back--would be leading the pack today against the funding of abortion as health care.

Black children are specifically targeted by the abortion industry which places most of its abortion killing centers in minority and urban neighborhoods. They are denied their civil rights including the most basic right to life; a right which Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, our ancestors and others so proudly worked for, marched for and many of them died for.

Sadly, today, Jesse Jackson is just a mere shadow of the man he once was. He is no longer a power house--instead he is a bought off, shriveled, and empty shell.

I remember a much younger, and wiser "Reverend" Jesse Jackson leading the thunder of children's voices shouting..."I AM SOMEBODY!" And Mr. Jackson, though you have lost your way, I pray that one day you will remember that each and every unborn child is somebody, too!

The National Black Pro-Life Union is an organization founded to serve as a clearing house to coordinate the flow of communications among all African American pro-life organizations and individuals in order to better network and combine resources.

We realize that if we are to be successful, it is necessary to share information and/or resources as well as "who gets the credit." We acknowledge that the real credit for any good thing always goes to GOD-not man.

www.NationalBlackProLifeUnion.com

Will 2010 Be the Perfect Storm?

2009-11-19T23:21:00.003-05:00

From American Thinker
By Bruce Walker

Seven different indicators suggest that 2010 will be a very tough year for the Obama administration's plans to turn America into a People's Republic. If some of these indicators pointed one way and others pointed the other way, projections might be murkier. But all the winds seem to be blowing in the same direction, and the result may be a perfect storm to benefit Republicans. What are these seven indicators?

1) Public opinion polls, led by the reputable Rasmussen Poll, have shown in the summer a clear line in the "strongly approve" and "strongly disapprove" of Obama. Although the figures waggle from day to day, the trend is clear: not only is Obama less and less popular, but the intensity of support for and against Obama, which will be critical in the low-turnout midterm elections, shows a huge negative gap for Obama.

The generic congressional ballots, which usually understate the size of the Republican vote in general elections, have shown a consistent Republican lead in Rasmussen since mid-June. This lead has now climbed to six points, and Gallup now shows a four-point lead for Republicans as well.

This dovetails with polls showing Republican candidates doing well in a number of individual races around the country. Almost everywhere and in almost every poll, Democrats are doing worse than in recent history and worse than would have been expected if 2010 was a normal mid-term election.

2) Elections corroborate polling data. This means more than just the dramatic Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey this November. Republicans have been winning special state legislative elections all over the nation, often by wide margins in districts that Democrats had held comfortably for many years. Even recent municipal elections in Democrat strongholds like Albuquerque have produced stunning Republican upsets.

But elections mean more than just the election of candidates for office. Democrats have yet to explain the stunning defeat of the establishment-backed propositions in California in May, which showed the Sacramento politicians losing for some of the propositions in every single county in California. There is a pattern to ballot initiatives. Maine voters surprisingly defeated gay marriage, taking a stand directly contrary to their elected officials'. All this suggests that fiscal and social conservatism are robust and alive in the hearts and minds of voters.

3) The polling data and election results seem to have had an effect on recruiting candidates. Mike Castle, a former governor and incumbent congressman in Delaware, was the only Republican who had a prayer of winning Biden's old Senate seat. Republicans persuaded him to run for that seat in 2010, giving Republicans an excellent chance to pick up a Democrat seat. Mike Kirk, a Republican congressman from the northern metropolitan area of Chicago, is the strongest candidate the GOP could recruit, and Democrats are still floundering for a viable competitor. John Kasich has an excellent chance to recapture the Ohio governorship, having passed up a run for the office in 2006.

4) Recruitment is also helped by the enthusiasm of conservatives. The spontaneous uprisings at Tea Party and other gatherings show that there should be no problem getting campaign workers and small contributors in 2010 for candidates running against Obama. Doug Hoffman's campaign in New York took off largely because of the tremendous grassroots support of conservative voters from throughout the nation. The percentage of Americans, according to Rasmussen, who "strongly disapprove" of Obama is at very high historic levels for this young a presidency.

Leftist advocates, by contrast, see President Obama continuing (as everyone not on the far left understood) the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq. They see him compromising on health care issues, perhaps allowing some limitation on abortion in the bill. They listen to his rhetoric, which inevitably is less radical than they had hoped, and their enthusiasm melts noticeably.

5) Closely related to enthusiasm is the composition of the electorate who are supporting Republicans versus the composition of the Obama voters. Senior citizens, who vote in nearly all elections, are alarmed by Obama's plans regarding Medicare. The young voters and the black voters who turned out in record numbers to elect Obama were conspicuously absent in November 2009. Obama will not be on the ballot in 2010. Instead, there will be a lot of old, white, rich Democrat candidates trying to appeal to the center -- trying, in many cases, to sound more Republican than Republicans. As a consequence, the electorate in 2010 will almost certainly be much more conservative than in 2008, and that will affect results.

6) Beyond all these factors, President Obama is showing an increasing tendency to fumble and grope. The inexplicably silly remarks that he made when Cambridge police arrested Professor Gates in July revealed a highly parochial political instinct in which pummeling white police officers is considered good tactics. His bowing before foreign heads of state is another amateurish mistake. Obama went to Copenhagen to get the Olympic Games in Chicago and came back humiliated. The jobs putatively created by his stimulus bill now appear to have manifested in nonexistent congressional districts. The cumulative impact is to make Obama look more and more like Jimmy Carter, a man who could not lead.

7) The seventh and deadliest problem for Obama in 2010 will be that he owns all the bad political problems of our country. Ft. Hood was the first terrorist attack on American soil since September 11, 2001, which means that Obama has not been able to do what Bush did. If there are more attacks, Republicans will force Obama to acknowledge the obvious: he is weaker than Bush on terror. Unemployment is at very high levels. Democrats are increasingly embroiled in scandals.

2008 may well prove to be the perfect storm for Democrats, united as they are behind a smooth, handsome young black man and running against the last dying days of a much-maligned George W. Bush Republican Party. Yes, 2010 may prove to be the complete unraveling of an overstretched Democratic Party who have yet to learn that conservatives are the huge majority of Americans.

Bruce Walker is the author of two books: Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie and The Swastika against the Cross: The Nazi War on Christianity.

NJ School Board Halts Student's Pro-Life Ministry as Too "Religious"

2009-11-19T22:29:00.003-05:00

From LifeSiteNews
By Kathleen Gilbert

A New Jersey student is suing the Bridgeton Board of Education after officials at Bridgeton High School prohibited her from expressing a religious viewpoint on the 6th annual Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity.

The lawsuit was filed in New Jersey's U.S. District Court Friday on the student's behalf by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, who had distributed a legal memo last month offering to legally defend students across the nation kept from participating in the event by school officials.

"Pro-life students shouldn't be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman.

"The Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity is a non-disruptive, student-led event occurring outside of instructional time. The event provides the opportunity for students to exercise their constitutional right to express their viewpoint on abortion, just as other students have the right to express their views."

The student was prohibited from participating in the Stand True Ministries-sponsored event by distributing pro-life literature during non-instructional times and wearing a red arm band with the word "LIFE" written on it.

According to ADF, school officials told the student that nothing "religious" is allowed in public schools.

"Cumberland County has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the state of New Jersey, yet Bridgeton High School censors students' pro-life speech opposing abortion," commented Cortman. "Government-run schools say that students need to be educated on these issues, but many times they only want to allow one side to be presented."

Michael W. Kiernan of Marlton is serving as local counsel in the lawsuit, C.H. v. Bridgeton Board of Education.

We're Taking Back America in 2010!

2009-11-19T09:24:00.003-05:00

Here's hope and a great anthem for freedom fighters. I think we will be hearing this often in the crucial year ahead.

Massive Changes Needed in EU Family Policy to Avoid Demographic "Catastrophe": Report

2009-11-18T22:02:00.001-05:00

From LifeSiteNews
By Hilary White

The news about abortion, marriage, divorce and the birth rate in Europe is bad and only getting worse, a report recently presented to the EU said.

According to the report by the Institute for Family Policies abortion rates in Britain have leaped by a third among unmarried teenage girls and abortion is helping to age the population of Europe. Without a massive shift to family-friendly policies, the pattern of increased abortion and increasingly aging population will inevitably lead to the collapse of social welfare benefits, and, ultimately, to the bankruptcy of Europe's cradle-to-grave socialist welfare state.

Presented to the European Parliament on Wednesday, the report said that the situation of the family in Europe is "a desolate panorama."

"Europe is plunged in an unprecedented demographic winter and has become an elderly continent, with a large birth deficit, fewer marriages and more of them broken, homes emptying."

"The aging population, critical birth-rate, escalating abortions, the collapse of marriage, the explosion in family breakups and the emptying of homes are the main problems of Europeans," the 2009 Report on the Evolution of the Family in Europe said.

The study found that the annual number of abortions in the EU equals the entire combined population of its ten smallest member states, with the three top aborting countries being Britain, France and Romania. In Europe there is one abortion every 25 seconds, for a total of more than 1,200,000 abortions a year. 19 percent of all European pregnancies end in abortion and 28 million children have been killed by abortion since 1990, making abortion the main cause of death in Europe.

The population over 65 years in all European states already exceeds the population under 14 years. The EU under 14 population has fallen from 89 million in 1993 to 78.4 million in 2008. Over-65s have risen from 68.3 million in 1993 to 84.9 million in 2008 - an increase of 16.5 million elderly people. The average age of EU citizens is 40.3 years, with Italy and Germany having the highest populations of elderly people.

The dropping European birth rate, the report says, with its concomitant increasing health and pension costs, will lead to increases in public expenditure to care for the aging population and the eventual collapse of public revenues, leading finally to the bankruptcy of the welfare state. The average birth rate of EU countries is now 1.38 per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman, even in relatively fertile countries like France.

Without a significant shift in family policies in all EU countries, the report predicts the result will be "catastrophic." Starting in 2010, the population of Europe overall will begin to fall from 499 million to 472 million by 2050 and every third inhabitant will be over 65.

According to the study, Britain is the "abortion capital of Europe" with rates that last year pulled ahead of France. Its abortion rate is fifth in the world, behind Russia, the U.S., India and Japan. Among these countries, Britain can least afford such a high rate, with a population less than half that of Russia and Japan, a fifth that of the US, and 1/19 that of India. The median age of women in Britain is also rising, at 41.3 years, making recovery even more difficult.

The population of the 27 EU nations reached 500 million last year with most increases in population (78 per cent) attributable to immigration, not births. The natural increase of Europe's population is 12 times lower than the US. Spain has immigration 9 times greater than its internal birth increase and Italy's native population fell (-0.14 million) and had 23 times more immigrants than births (+3.28 million). Poland, Romania and Bulgaria are losing citizens by emigration and Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria have falling populations due to low immigration rates.

Only France, Holland, Finland and Slovakia have internal rates of population increase higher than their immigration figures.

Other indicators show the number of marriages, especially first marriages, is down and divorce rates are up. There are 1 in 4 fewer marriages than in 1980 and the marriage rate has fallen in 9 out 10 countries. One out of every 3 children (36.5 per cent) is born outside marriage. In some countries the fall in marriage rate has been around 50 per cent since 1983 and there are over one million divorces a year, the equivalent to one marital breakdown every 30 seconds.

More people (55 million) are living alone than ever before. One in four households in Europe has a single dweller and two out of three households have no children. Of the households with children, 50 per cent have only one child.

The report recommends the creation of a European Union ministry of the family, laws to increase flexibility of working hours to accommodate families, increases in tax benefits for families and an emphasis on family welfare programs over welfare for individuals.

It calls for governments to recognize the rights of families, including the right of parents to reconcile work and family life; to have the number of children they want; to choose the type of education their children receive and the right of children to live in a stable home.

DC Mayor Refuses Citizens a Vote on Marriage

2009-11-18T20:57:00.002-05:00

In a hearing today on "Greater Autonomy for the Nation's Capital," Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty stated he does not believe citizens in his city should have the right to vote on marriage.

Asked if he would be in favor of a vote on a referendum against same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia, he responded, "The short answer is 'no.'"

Most states in the U.S. have held referenda on marriage, voted on by the citizens.

The question was posed by Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah,) who reminded Mayor Fenty that 31 states have already allowed citizens to vote on the definition of marriage. In every case, traditional marriage was preserved.

Mayor Fenty went on to say that the D.C. Council was capable of making a decision regarding same-sex "marriage" since the council was elected by the citizens of the District of Columbia.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, also on the panel of witnesses, echoed that sentiment.

Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, said, "The D.C. Council reeks of rank hypocrisy. For years they have demanded that D.C. citizens should have the right to vote for congressional representation, which is in direct contradiction to the Constitution. Yet now they are denying D.C. citizens the right to vote on marriage, an institution so fundamental to America's well-being that territories were not allowed to become states unless they kept marriage between one man and one woman.

"D.C. officials are proving, once again, why they need congressional oversight. They need to be reminded that citizens are not serfs."

Hustler from ACORN Oversees $98 Billion in Improper Payments in 2009

2009-11-18T09:34:00.006-05:00

From CNN
By Tom Cohen

The federal government made $98 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2009, and President Obama will issue an executive order in coming days to combat the problem, his budget director announced Tuesday.

The 2009 total for improper payments -- from outright fraud to misdirected reimbursements due to factors such as an illegible doctor's signature -- was a 37.5 percent increase over the $72 billion in 2008, according to figures provided by Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

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US Bishops Issue Pastoral Letter on Marriage, Condemn Contraception, Homosexual Unions

2009-11-18T09:10:00.006-05:00

From Catholic World News

The bishops of the United States have issued a 60-page pastoral letter on marriage that offers an overview of Catholic teaching on the sacrament while addressing the challenges posed by contraception, same-sex unions, divorce, and cohabitation.

The draft of the document, which earned praise from pro-life and pro-family leaders, underwent nearly 100 changes before it was approved by a 180-45 margin. For example, in the section on contraception-- which cites Humanae Vitae seven times-- the sentence “this is an intrinsically evil action” was changed and expanded to

This is objectively wrong in and of itself and is essentially opposed to God’s plan for marriage and proper human development. It makes the act of intercourse signify, or speak, something less than the unreserved self-gift intended in the marriage promises.

The draft’s key paragraph condemning the legal recognition of homosexual unions remained unchanged:

The legal recognition of same-sex unions poses a multifaceted threat to the very fabric of society, striking at the source from which society and culture come and which they are meant to serve. Such recognition affects all people, married and non-married: not only at the fundamental levels of the good of the spouses, the good of children, the intrinsic dignity of every human person, and the common good, but also at the levels of education, cultural imagination and influence, and religious freedom.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

The Illegitimate Administration Makes Illegitimate Claims of Success

2009-11-17T11:43:00.006-05:00

Jobs 'Saved or Created' in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist

From ABC News
By Jonathan Karl

Here's a stimulus success story: In Arizona's 15th congressional district, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that's what the Web site set up by the Obama administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says.

There's one problem, though: There is no 15th congressional district in Arizona; the state has only eight districts.

And ABC News has found many more entries for projects like this in places that are incorrectly identified.

Late Monday, officials with the Recovery Board created to track the stimulus spending, said the mistakes in crediting nonexistent congressional districts were caused by human error.

"We report what the recipients submit to us," said Ed Pound, Communications Director for the Board.

Pound told ABC News the board receives declarations from the recipients - state governments, federal agencies and universities - of stimulus money about what program is being funded.

"Some recipients clearly don't know what congressional district they live in, so they appear to be just throwing in any number. We expected all along that recipients would make mistakes on their congressional districts, on jobs numbers, on award amounts, and so on. Human beings make mistakes," Pound said.

The issue has raised hackles on Capitol Hill.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc, who chairs the powerful House appropriations Committee, issued a paper statement demanding that the recovery.gov Web site be updated.

"The inaccuracies on recovery.gov that have come to light are outrageous and the Administration owes itself, the Congress, and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes."

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Airport Rules Changed after Ron Paul Aide Detained

2009-11-17T10:42:00.005-05:00

From The Washington Times
By Stephen Dinan

An angry aide to Rep. Ron Paul, an iPhone and $4,700 in cash have forced the Transportation Security Administration to quietly issue two new rules telling its airport screeners they can only conduct searches related to airplane safety.

In response, the American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its lawsuit on behalf of Steve Bierfeldt, the man who was detained in March and who recorded the confrontation on his iPhone as TSA and local police officers spent half an hour demanding answers as to why he was carrying the money through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

The new rules, issuedin September and October, tell officers "screening may not be conducted to detect evidence of crimes unrelated to transportation security" and that large amounts of cash don't qualify as suspicious for purposes of safety.

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A Homily by The Rev. George Rutler, S.T.D. - "The Widow's Mite"

2009-11-15T07:00:00.003-05:00

Homily of Father George Rutler, S. T. D.

Pastor

Church of Our Saviour

New York City

November 8, 2009

MS Baptist All-State Youth Choir & Orchestra 2008 - "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"

2009-11-15T06:45:00.001-05:00

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."

George Schultz on 'Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Wall: Reflections from Yesterday, Lessons for Today'

2009-11-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

From a conference at the Reagan Presidential Library on November 6, 2009.

Christian Defense Coalition Concerned about the Role of the FBI Under the Obama Administration

2009-11-13T11:05:00.004-05:00

The Christian Defense Coalition wonders why their Director, Rev. Patrick Mahoney, was visited and questioned by FBI agents for leading a peaceful prayer vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Yet Major Hasan, who contacted Islamic terrorists multiple times, made threatening comments to the American military and considered himself a "Soldier of Allah" was never visited or questioned by the FBI.

Is it possible that Rev. Mahoney was targeted because he has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's record on human rights and social justice?

Federal agents came to the home of Rev. Mahoney to question him about laying roses and praying in front of the Chinese Embassy on June 4th of this year.

The purpose of the prayer vigil was to honor and remember the heroic students who were brutalized in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago and to call upon the Chinese government to protect human rights and honor religious freedom. (View Pictures here.)

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney comments,

"I was deeply troubled to have agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation come to my home and question me about my peaceful activities at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

"Those activities included conducting a prayer vigil and laying roses at the Embassy to honor the students who were killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre 20 years ago. We also wanted to pray that the Chinese government would honor and protect human rights and civil liberties in their country.

"It is even more troubling to realize that I was visited at my home by the FBI for peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights, yet Major Hasan received no such visit by the FBI for contacting Islamic terrorists multiple times and making threatening comments to the American military.

"How is it possible that a Christian minister is investigated and questioned by federal agents for holding a peaceful prayer vigil and a person who killed 13 people and had numerous contacts with terrorists was never visited or questioned?

"Is this the new policy of the FBI under President Obama? If you are a Christian minister and pray and speak out against the human rights abuses of the Chinese government and challenge the President on his human rights policies, you will be investigated by the FBI. However, if you are a Muslim who is in regular contact with terrorists and makes hateful comments against the American military you will be granted a free pass."

D.C. Archdiocese Threatens to Axe Social Service Programs over Same-Sex "Marriage" Law

2009-11-12T20:35:00.002-05:00

From LifeSiteNews
By Peter J. Smith

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. has said it will be forced to end its government contracts for social services in the nation's capital, if the D.C. Council does not broaden a religious exemption in a bill to legalize same-sex "marriage." Without the exemption, says the archdiocese, the Church would be required to do such things as extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples, in violation of its core teachings.

The bill under consideration by the district council would legalize same-sex "marriage," but it has a narrow provision that states religious groups would not have to perform same-sex "marriages" or provide their facilities as venues for the novel nuptials.

An earlier version of the bill exempted religious groups from "the promotion of marriage that is in violation of the entity's religious beliefs." However the current legislation whittles down that exemption to just the "promotion of marriage through religious programs, counseling, courses, or retreats," making religious groups and individuals far more subject to persecution via anti-discrimination lawsuits for holding fast to their consciences.

The archdiocese has strongly objected to the legislation, insisting that in all other cases the legislation would put "religious organizations and individuals at risk for adhering to the teachings of their faith."

In areas not exempted by law, individuals and religious organizations will have to obey D.C. laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, which will then include "married" same-sex couples. This could mean that individuals - from wedding photographers to caterers - will face charges of unlawful discrimination if they refuse their services to same-sex couples for reasons of conscience.

Religious groups and churches, including the Catholic archdiocese and its affiliates, would also have to open up their services to homosexual couples, including: adoption and foster-care services, spousal benefits for "married" same-sex couples, and church halls requested for non-marriage functions.

Despite the archdiocese's having asked for a broader exemption, the D.C. Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary rejected on Tuesday any amendment to that effect.

That provoked the archdiocese to warn that the D.C. government's relationship with the Catholic Church's social services arm, Catholic Charities, which serves 68,000 city residents every year through 93 social programs carried out by 40 parishes, would be dramatically altered by the legislation if changes were not made.

"It is our concern that the committee's narrowing of the religious exemption language will cause the government to discontinue our long partnership with them and open up the agency to litigation and the use of resources to defend our religious beliefs rather than serve the poor," said Edward Orzechowski, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

The Archdiocese told the Washington Post on Wednesday that failing to broaden conscience protections for religious groups and individuals would force them to cancel its social services contracts with the city. That in turn would affect the tens of thousands of people seeking help with adoption, homeless shelters, and health services.

The Catholic Church in D.C. nevertheless would continue its social ministries that are not contracted with the D.C. government, and therefore would not fall under the district's regulations.

The Washington Post reports that D.C. council members are thus far unmoved. Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) derided the Archdiocese and its concerns as "somewhat childish." David A. Catania (I-At Large) also told the Post he would rather see the city's relationship with the Church ended before accommodating its demands on conscience protections.

A vote on the D.C. same-sex "marriage" bill is expected sometime in December.

An ecumenical pro-family coalition, Stand4Marriage Coalition D.C., led by Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church and fellow black pastors is lobbying, along with the Catholic archdiocese, to put an initiative banning same-sex "marriage" on the ballot for 2010.

Feds Move to Seize 4 Mosques, Tower Linked to Iran

2009-11-12T20:13:00.005-05:00

By Adam Goldman, Associated Press Writer

Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.

In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets.

The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York.

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