**Can these be the same men who are fighting a bitter political battle on a matter of conscience? The same two men who are the principal forces behind opposite sides of a landmark lawsuit? If they’re laughing and back-slapping together, the disagreement can’t be all that serious, can it? So maybe that “matter of conscience” isn’t so important after all? Apparently it wasn’t important enough to interfere with a night of fun.**
Your comments welcomed.
“The Pharisee and Herod”, maybe.
A recurring theme -- even an old one, perhaps, depending on one's age.
I am sickened by Dolan's invitation. He may as well have dropped his pants and mooned those trying to be the Catholic faithful.
Is Cardinal Dolan losing his leadership gut? I thought that was a beer gut.
Sorry to say this news is a little demoralizing, if not another scandal outright. To entertain two abortion pushing pols in one more Catholic venue while asking universities for instance to give no platform to the same is confusing coming from an archbishop.
Matthew 5:13
It's much easier to be appalled, than to understand.
If you're appalled, you're victimized. If you understand, your understanding gives you responsibility to act.
Millions of Christians, and millions of Catholics, are appalled that Obamacare apparently forces them to support abortion. They rightly point out that this is forcing them to choose between obedience to law, and taking part in mass murder against the direct teachings of their religions.
Very little, I think, could create a more dire spiritual crisis for so many people. Satanic forces are literally putting the point of a sword to millions of people's throats, and saying - backed by the full destructive force of the government - choose.
I think most would agree to this summation. That I'm not exaggerating.
So why do so many choose to face the sword in ignorance, and protect their non-responsibility, rather than understand, and accept responsibility for that understanding? Do they hope to fool God, when asked if there was anything they could have done? When asked if they were not given the understanding necessary to stop this atrocity in its tracks? Do they actually plan on lying then? Is that how weak what they pass as their "religion" really is to them?
I wonder.
Because if that wasn't true, this would be being shouted from the rooftops of every church - but it's not:
I have decided to look at this from a more spiritual angle. I admit that, in the past, my heavily Irish and rebel flesh has rushed to judge.
Sacred Scripture gives us Wisdom:
Touch not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets. (1 Chronicles 16:22)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
As for me, I have decided not to criticize nor to second-guess what is happening with this. It may well be that Cardinal Dolan has, indeed, prayed about this and moved out of obedience to the Lord. Many people are praying for this man daily and he IS anointed. Therefore, I will continue to pray and remember that all is in the hands of God. Period!
Roman Catholics in America have been highly disappointing in the past few decades. They were, especially, disappointing in the 2008 elections. They will continue to be disappointing...is there any witness to improvement? I pray for a miracle, for nothing is beyond Him. Hasn’t He, already, given America up to reprobate mind? If He has not, I have been fooled.
Romans 1:[28] And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient; [29] Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity, whisperers, [30] Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,[31] Foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. [32] Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.
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There is an old saying that applies to Cardinal Dolan.He is too smart for his own good.We in NY know why the press like Cardinal Dolan.Cardinal Dolan is no Cardinal O’Connor and he is preoccupied with his legacy.Obama has won on this issue,let’s win the election.God bless Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney. This is the day of thr Laity.
Related thoughts.... excerpts from a recent talk given by Archbishop Chaput:
“Critics of the Church have attacked America’s bishops so bitterly, for so long, over so many different issues — including the abuse scandal, but by no means limited to it — for very practical reasons.
***If a wedge can be driven between the pastors of the Church and her people, then a strong Catholic witness on controversial issues breaks down into much weaker groups of discordant voices. ...****
We also need to change the way we act. We need to understand that we can’t “quick fix” our way out of problems we behaved ourselves into. Catholics have done very well in the United States. As I said earlier, most of us have a deep love for our country, its freedoms and its best ideals. But this is not our final home. There is no automatic harmony between Christian faith and American democracy. The eagerness of Catholics to push their way into our country’s mainstream over the past half century, to climb the ladder of social and economic success, has done very little to Christianize American culture. But it’s done a great deal to weaken the power of our Catholic witness.”
Full address here: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/building-a-culture-of-religious-freedom
Watching the AL SMITH dinner and Romney’s remarks.
WOW can he deliver a line!!!!
AND WHAT A BUNCH OF ZINGERS!!!!!!!