Saddle up to stop Obamacare - beware deception!
I originally posted this last month, but it needs to be brought to the forefront again. This bill is going to pass within the next month, and WITH abortion coverage, unless there is a deluge of phone calls and E-mails to your senators and representatives in Congress. The latest is that Pelosi is going to try to ram through a version of the bill containing abortion before people can react to it. Let’s not let that happen.
Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric. Even the left-leaning factcheck.org comes to the conclusion that the health care bill currently being proposed WOULD have coverage of abortion.
Don’t be fooled by Obama’s misleading statement in his speech to Congress that “no federal funds will pay for abortions” either. Many seem to have been fooled by this, including some elements within the USCCB. This DOES NOT mean that the plan does not COVER abortions (though that’s what he would like you to believe). It simply means (again from the factcheck.org article linked above):
The Capps amendment does contain a statement…that prohibits the use of public money to pay for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. That would still allow the public plan to cover all abortions, so long as the plans took in enough private money in the form of premiums paid by individuals or their employers.
In other words, abortions ARE covered by the plan, but they are paid for using the premium revenues rather than the money that the government chips in. Very deceptive indeed, and probably an outright lie, since premiums, once received, are also federal funds. With this, any tiny bit of good will and honesty that I’d have liked to presume that this Administration had is gone. Go here for more details about this deception.
PLEASE get involved and let your senators and congressmen know how you feel. The “Contact” tab on our main site will get you to the right place. It is vitally important to the future of our country that we derail this plan.
For the best Catholic perspective I’ve seen on this health care bill, and health care issues in general as they relate to Catholic teaching, I HIGHLY recommend that you read the statement of Bishops Finn and Naumann of Kansas City. It is quite debatable whether this plan is the right plan for our country even if the legislation did not provide coverage for abortion, but as long as it does include abortion, we Catholics MUST oppose this with all of our might!
The 13th Day - New Fatima Movie
Two days ago was the 92nd anniversary of the final appearance of Our Lady at Fatima, and the Miracle of the Sun. A beautiful new movie about the events at Fatima has been produced entitled The 13th Day - do whatever you can to see it, as it will inspire you to prayer.
As a reminder to us all, here were the words of Our Lady at that final apparition - the words that were given as the tens of thousands of onlookers were witnessing the Miracle of the Sun:
I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it everyday.
Help Belmont Abbey!
If you haven’t heard, the EEOC has found Belmont Abbey College, a small Catholic school near Charlotte, NC, in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws because its health plan does not pay for oral contraception. They are discriminating against women, according to the EEOC, since only women take birth control pills.
No, that’s not a joke, though it seems like one. Everyone needs to step up and help Belmont Abbey as much as possible. If we don’t, this sort of bullying totalitarian nonsense will spread, and our religious freedoms will be lost. Protest to the EEOC, and stand ready to help Belmont Abbey if and when this goes to the courts.
Notre Dame post-mortem
Now that a couple days have passed, I’m ready to pass on to you the truly MUST-READ commentary regarding the Notre Dame scandal.
First, from Anthony Esolen, a brilliant summation of the moral problem with abortion. A small excerpt:
What we need, of course, is not to reduce “unintended pregnancies,” but to grant children what we owe them, which is, at the minimum, a married mother and father. We want, in other words, to reduce unwed motherhood, not by killing the children, but by persuading people to get married before they start acting as if they were married. But that is quite impossible if one accepts the tenets of Sexual Roulette — a thrill for everyone, and everyone for a thrill. And President Obama cannot reject the sexual spin-the-revolver of our times without leaving his party, which is committed to it, lock, stock, and barrel.
Also, check out the following expose by William McGurn, who shows Notre Dame to have been a willing pawn for the pro-abortion movement for the last 40 years. The latest episode this weekend is only the most obvious manifestation of this mentality.
Another hero here at Rosaries for Life, is Archbishop Chaput, who bluntly calls out Fr. Jenkins, the President of Notre Dame.
Finally, George Weigel describes the arrogance of Pres. Obama in essentially insinuating himself as the new “Pope” of American Catholicism.
By the way, over 80 bishops have now spoken out against Notre Dame’s decision.
Annunciation as Holy Day of Obligation?
I have long felt that the Feast of the Annunciation should be held in much higher importance than it currently is. In fact, given the dearth of Holy Days of Obligation right now, and our cultural needs, I’d propose adding the Feast as a Holy Day of Obligation. Yes, it falls within Lent….so be it.
It’s a very important feast day for the pro-life movement. Was Jesus Christ present within Mary’s womb from the moment of conception? Yes, he was! Elizabeth, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sensed his presence. She said, “who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” She did not say, “that clump of cells will someday become my Lord.”
The feast is also important in that it provides us an opportunity to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary for following God’s will, and pondering….praying that we too will have the grace to be aware of, and to do the Will of God in our lives.
Notre Dame Scandal
If you somehow missed the news, the University of Notre Dame has invited President Barack Obama to give their commencement speech this year. On top of that, they are awarding Pres. Obama an honorary law degree.
OUCH! Why is a supposedly Catholic school bestowing high honors on a man that holds a viewpoint diametrically opposed to that of the Catholic Church on a key moral issue (and indeed against natural law and common sense)?
This could be a key battle for the future of life issues, and even more so against the Catholic universities in our country that have so badly watered down and even betrayed their Catholic identity.
Please sign the petition protesting Notre Dame’s actions here.
Abp. Chaput for Pope! (or at least Cardinal)
Check out my latest at Southern Appeal. Archbishop Chaput is a mensch. We need many, many more bishops like him in order to turn back the culture of death. Please pray for our bishops and priests!
Troop Update - March 2nd
God is good! Thanks to donations and the Holy Spirit’s leading, the website is undergoing a complete redesign. If there is any special content you’d like to see on the site, please suggest it via E-mail or by commenting here.
Prayer is needed more than ever, as the current Administration in DC, and in state houses across the country are trying to enshrine abortion on demand and destroy the Church. The Obama administration has taken an even more offensive turn, selecting “Catholic” governor Kathleen Sebelius, who has been cozy with the infamous abortionist George Tiller, to be his secretary of Health and Human Services. In the same article, it is mentioned that President Obama rescinded the conscience exemption put in place by the Bush Administration.
This has convinced us more than ever that we need to expand our operation, to get more visibility both online and offline. We would like to have parish representatives taking pledges from every parish, as well as a lot more visibility online. We will need everyone’s help with that, but we are waiting until the site relaunch to start the push.
Troop Update - February 7th
First of all, I must apologize. I have been somewhat scarce lately. We have been having a critical problem at work for which I am the main person assigned to solve it, and this has been going on since mid-December. We’ve also got enough health problems for two or three families, and have been spending a lot of time in doctor’s offices the past month or so. All of this is no excuse, though. I should have been able to manage to at least update the main site, but I fell short of even that quite a few times. The good news is that things have improved somewhat on both the work and family front, and I am still 100% committed to this.
I thank those who are still around, still praying with us, and still concerned about this effort. My next step is to send out an E-mail to everyone who registered for any of the novenas, to see if they are interested in expanding this as I outlined in my previous E-mail. I would also like to update the site to a more modern, readable look. The original site was put together quickly by two relative novices. If anyone knows anyone who could help us make the site more readable and expand it, please let me know.
We are up to almost 44,000 rosaries pledged now! God bless you all!
Troop Update - January 9th
It’s been a while since the last update….I hope all of you have had a very joyous Christmas season! We are nearing the end of the road on our novenas, whether we are praying the Inauguration Day Novena or the Conversion of America novena, and I hope that everyone is persevering, whether or not circumstances caused you to miss a few days…
Before I announce some plans, I’d like to ask everyone to pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Richard John Neuhaus. He was a great man, and a great Catholic leader. We feel his loss keenly, and now we can (privately) ask for his intercession. Please see the First Things website for more details on Fr. Neuhaus and his life.
Now….for the plans….it’s been great to see almost 40,000 rosaries pledged, and I’m sure that our pleas have been heard, through Our Lady’s intercession. However, to save America, with all of her current problems, will require much more. To this end, I’d like to announce two plans, one short-term and one long-term.
1) Another 72 day Conversion of America novena will START on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and end April 6th. Join this effort, if you feel so called. Try to get others to sign up!
2) Wouldn’t it be great to have an organized effort in parishes across America to get people to pray the rosary and/or offer Masses for the twin intentions of converting America, and the triumph of the Culture of Life?!?! (Of course, other intentions could be included as well) If you think so, let me know…I’d love to have a representative in EVERY parish in America trying to recruit for this campaign. Many already pray the rosary for these intentions every day and just need to be counted. Many others feel fear about the direction America is taking, and we are already feeling the effects of God’s protection being withdrawn. These just need a gentle nudge to join. Others still need to know about the powerful effects of the Rosary….and all too many need a spiritual wake-up call. The exact shape of the effort is still very much open to your input, and of course the success, or even the beginning of the effort, depends on the response of many here.
I don’t presume to speak for God, or that this effort is any better or worthier than any of many efforts that people are making. God will determine, via the response, whether this is something that should go forward or not. Please just say a short prayer to ask God’s will, and together we’ll discern whether this is something worthy of pursuit!
God bless you all - it has been a privilege to pray with all of you!
