If you think I’ve been a bit overwrought in the past when I’ve called the current state of freedom in the United Kingdom “Gulag UK,” try reading excerpts from Lord Carey’s submission to the European Court of Human Rights.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury pulls few punches in rightly assailing attacks on religious freedom in the UK from courts and governments.
My only qualm is I would not feel comfortable submitting anything to the EU or EU courts. I think the EU should be told to bug out rather than intervene in British affairs.
But, sadly, UK authorities are utterly failing to protect religious freedom. “Human rights” have become “Human rights for me, not for thee,” a club which secularists and gay activists are using to pound Christians into submission. Lord Carey is courageous and right forthrightly to convey this sorry situation. So get thee hence to read the excerpts from his submission.
And wait for the attacks on Carey for telling it like it is in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Shoot the Messenger!
The reaction of the DC and Obama regimes to the need for Voter ID being graphically illustrated, on camera no less, is to attack the messenger, of course.
The DC Board of Elections has opened an investigation . . . against Project Veritas. And that even though the makers of the Project Veritas video made a point not to falsely identify themselves nor to take a ballot. The video shows only that they could have easily done so, even using Eric Holder’s name.
Yep, shoot the messenger.
As for the Injustice Department of said Eric Holder, an unnamed spokesman (Cowards!) has dismissed the incident as “manufactured” fraud: “It’s no coincidence that these so-called examples of rampant voter fraud consistently turn out to be manufactured ones.”
What kind of rubes do they take us for? Again, if election fraud is this easy to commit, are we to believe that politicians do not then take advantage of that to win “election”? Heck, Al Franken is in the U. S. Senate due to election fraud, particularly all those dead people who voted for him. And that is a big reason we have Obamacare.
No, vote fraud does happen. It historically has been very consequential. And those who combat efforts to reduce vote fraud are enabling vote fraud themselves with all its poisonous progeny.
And kudos to Project Veritas for exposing the need to protect the integrity of our elections and for being willing to take attacks from fraud-enabling Demorats in power.
The DC Board of Elections has opened an investigation . . . against Project Veritas. And that even though the makers of the Project Veritas video made a point not to falsely identify themselves nor to take a ballot. The video shows only that they could have easily done so, even using Eric Holder’s name.
Yep, shoot the messenger.
As for the Injustice Department of said Eric Holder, an unnamed spokesman (Cowards!) has dismissed the incident as “manufactured” fraud: “It’s no coincidence that these so-called examples of rampant voter fraud consistently turn out to be manufactured ones.”
What kind of rubes do they take us for? Again, if election fraud is this easy to commit, are we to believe that politicians do not then take advantage of that to win “election”? Heck, Al Franken is in the U. S. Senate due to election fraud, particularly all those dead people who voted for him. And that is a big reason we have Obamacare.
No, vote fraud does happen. It historically has been very consequential. And those who combat efforts to reduce vote fraud are enabling vote fraud themselves with all its poisonous progeny.
And kudos to Project Veritas for exposing the need to protect the integrity of our elections and for being willing to take attacks from fraud-enabling Demorats in power.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Nope. No need for Voter ID here.
You’ve got to hand it to the late great Andrew Breitbart’s boys. They know how to blow up bull s**t. Eric Holder and other Voter ID opponents have said that vote fraud is rare and not a problem. Oh really?
Well, the boys have put out a brilliant video showing that without Voter ID, it is easy to commit vote fraud . . . using Eric Holder’s name.
And if it is this easy to commit vote fraud without Voter ID, are we really to believe that crooked politicians don’t take advantage of the absence of Voter ID and other safeguards to steal elections? Do the Democrats really think we are that stupid?
Again, those Democrats who oppose Voter ID do so in order to continue to steal elections. That this nation’s Attorney General is among them is an outrage.
Well, the boys have put out a brilliant video showing that without Voter ID, it is easy to commit vote fraud . . . using Eric Holder’s name.
And if it is this easy to commit vote fraud without Voter ID, are we really to believe that crooked politicians don’t take advantage of the absence of Voter ID and other safeguards to steal elections? Do the Democrats really think we are that stupid?
Again, those Democrats who oppose Voter ID do so in order to continue to steal elections. That this nation’s Attorney General is among them is an outrage.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Pope Benedict’s Easter Vigil Homily . . . and BEES!
On this Easter Monday, I commend to you Pope Benedict’s Easter Vigil homily.
I am impressed by his using the vigil liturgy to preach. His use of the Paschal Candle is particularly insightful:
On Easter night, the night of the new creation, the Church presents the mystery of light using a unique and very humble symbol: the Paschal candle. This is a light that lives from sacrifice. The candle shines inasmuch as it is burnt up. It gives light, inasmuch as it gives itself. Thus the Church presents most beautifully the paschal mystery of Christ, who gives himself and so bestows the great light.
That had not occurred to me. I appreciate Pope Benedict for his passion for the liturgy. And that passion clearly is not just for ceremony and the right words but for using it to teach the people, including me.
But what most excites me about his homily is a matter of great import – he mentioned the BEES of the Exsultet, not once, but twice!
The great hymn of the Exsultet, which the deacon sings at the beginning of the Easter liturgy, points us quite gently towards a further aspect. It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. So the whole of creation plays its part. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church,. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees.
Thanks BEE to God for Pope Benedict!
I am impressed by his using the vigil liturgy to preach. His use of the Paschal Candle is particularly insightful:
On Easter night, the night of the new creation, the Church presents the mystery of light using a unique and very humble symbol: the Paschal candle. This is a light that lives from sacrifice. The candle shines inasmuch as it is burnt up. It gives light, inasmuch as it gives itself. Thus the Church presents most beautifully the paschal mystery of Christ, who gives himself and so bestows the great light.
That had not occurred to me. I appreciate Pope Benedict for his passion for the liturgy. And that passion clearly is not just for ceremony and the right words but for using it to teach the people, including me.
But what most excites me about his homily is a matter of great import – he mentioned the BEES of the Exsultet, not once, but twice!
The great hymn of the Exsultet, which the deacon sings at the beginning of the Easter liturgy, points us quite gently towards a further aspect. It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. So the whole of creation plays its part. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church,. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees.
Thanks BEE to God for Pope Benedict!
Thursday, April 05, 2012
The Last Supper, the Mercy of Christ and Judas (and us)
I have an odd habit of reading old sermons – really old sermons. I have found that preachers and scholars of the early and pre-plague medieval church had a talent for digging jewels out of scripture that we easily overlook today.
I’ve come across one such jewel while reading the Passion sermons of Pope Leo the Great. Leo takes note that Jesus showed mercy to Judas Iscariot to the last. (And this can be found in Sermon LVIII on vol. 12, p. 169 of the reprinted 2nd Series of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. And, lo, it is online as well.)
For at the Last Supper Jesus did not harshly confront or expose Judas, but instead avoided even naming him, giving the “mild” warning, “Verily I say to you that one of you is about to betray Me.” And before that, he did not even withhold the sacrament of the body and blood from him. Jesus gave Judas gracious and ample room to repent, even though the betrayer had already sold the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.
Having pointed this out, St. Leo then engages in a passionate discourse addressing Judas, beginning, “Why, unhappy Judas, dost thou not make use of so great lovingkindness?” He exhorts the betrayer, “Return to thy right mind; lay aside thy madness and be wise. Mercy invites thee, Salvation knocks at the door, Life recalls thee to life.”
It had not occurred to me that at the Last Supper Jesus was showing mercy to Judas and giving opportunity for repentance. But indeed he was. St. Leo has opened my eyes.
And what could have been if Judas had not so given himself over to Satan’s designs and then to despair? For Peter denied the Lord in the very hour of His Passion, not once, not twice, but three times. Yet Jesus gently gave him opportunity for repentance, and Peter availed himself of it and was restored and more. What could have been even with Judas?
In his Last Supper and Passion, Jesus gives us also opportunity for repentance and for life. Let us not be foolish like Judas. But let us follow the way of Peter, though also foolish numerous times (like us), nevertheless grasped hold of the mercy of Jesus, repented, and then followed Christ faithfully to the end.
I’ve come across one such jewel while reading the Passion sermons of Pope Leo the Great. Leo takes note that Jesus showed mercy to Judas Iscariot to the last. (And this can be found in Sermon LVIII on vol. 12, p. 169 of the reprinted 2nd Series of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. And, lo, it is online as well.)
For at the Last Supper Jesus did not harshly confront or expose Judas, but instead avoided even naming him, giving the “mild” warning, “Verily I say to you that one of you is about to betray Me.” And before that, he did not even withhold the sacrament of the body and blood from him. Jesus gave Judas gracious and ample room to repent, even though the betrayer had already sold the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.
Having pointed this out, St. Leo then engages in a passionate discourse addressing Judas, beginning, “Why, unhappy Judas, dost thou not make use of so great lovingkindness?” He exhorts the betrayer, “Return to thy right mind; lay aside thy madness and be wise. Mercy invites thee, Salvation knocks at the door, Life recalls thee to life.”
It had not occurred to me that at the Last Supper Jesus was showing mercy to Judas and giving opportunity for repentance. But indeed he was. St. Leo has opened my eyes.
And what could have been if Judas had not so given himself over to Satan’s designs and then to despair? For Peter denied the Lord in the very hour of His Passion, not once, not twice, but three times. Yet Jesus gently gave him opportunity for repentance, and Peter availed himself of it and was restored and more. What could have been even with Judas?
In his Last Supper and Passion, Jesus gives us also opportunity for repentance and for life. Let us not be foolish like Judas. But let us follow the way of Peter, though also foolish numerous times (like us), nevertheless grasped hold of the mercy of Jesus, repented, and then followed Christ faithfully to the end.
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The Collect for Wednesday in Holy Week
Assist us mercifully with thy help, O Lord God of our salvation; that we may enter with joy upon the meditation of those mighty acts, whereby thou hast given unto us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
While consulting my library this morning, I was surprised to learn that this collect is something of an innovation. It is very different from the Sarum collect for Holy Wednesday. And Cranmer, for reasons unknown to me, declined to have special collects for Monday through Thursday in Holy Week. That continued to be the case in the 1559 and 1662 BCPs.
It is the 1928 US BCP that added this collect for Wednesday. Massey Shepherd’s American Prayer Book Commentary notes that it is based upon a Sarum collect for Vespers on Holy Monday. Before that, it was in the Gelasian Sacramentary for Sexagesima.
Personally, it has become one of my favorite collects, and I think it perfect for Wednesday in Holy Week. Right when we are about to enter the depths and the heights of the Passion, we ask God to help us to meditate upon “those mighty acts.” This prayer well expresses that we know we are about to enter into a suffering and a redemption too holy for us to comprehend.
And for me, the Triduum is indeed a time to meditate upon the Passion. I am glad that my parish is among those that provide ample opportunity for that with vigils. I am also thankful for the example of the medieval English church, which placed a great emphasis on meditation on and devotion to the details of the Passion, even making a point to reflect upon the instruments of the Passion as one can see in illuminated manuscripts of the time.
May God indeed help us to remember and to meditate upon the Passion for our good and to His glory.
While consulting my library this morning, I was surprised to learn that this collect is something of an innovation. It is very different from the Sarum collect for Holy Wednesday. And Cranmer, for reasons unknown to me, declined to have special collects for Monday through Thursday in Holy Week. That continued to be the case in the 1559 and 1662 BCPs.
It is the 1928 US BCP that added this collect for Wednesday. Massey Shepherd’s American Prayer Book Commentary notes that it is based upon a Sarum collect for Vespers on Holy Monday. Before that, it was in the Gelasian Sacramentary for Sexagesima.
Personally, it has become one of my favorite collects, and I think it perfect for Wednesday in Holy Week. Right when we are about to enter the depths and the heights of the Passion, we ask God to help us to meditate upon “those mighty acts.” This prayer well expresses that we know we are about to enter into a suffering and a redemption too holy for us to comprehend.
And for me, the Triduum is indeed a time to meditate upon the Passion. I am glad that my parish is among those that provide ample opportunity for that with vigils. I am also thankful for the example of the medieval English church, which placed a great emphasis on meditation on and devotion to the details of the Passion, even making a point to reflect upon the instruments of the Passion as one can see in illuminated manuscripts of the time.
May God indeed help us to remember and to meditate upon the Passion for our good and to His glory.
Monday, April 02, 2012
Schori’s Easter Message sans Jesus
Presiding “Bishop” Schori’s Easter Message is out . . . if one can call it an Easter message.
There is much mention of, you guessed it, the UN Millennium Development Goals.
But there is not a single mention of Jesus.
I did not know Jesus is the one who must not be named.
As Peter Ould points out, Schori’s Easter is an “Easter without Jesus.”
What can one say about such a “church” and such a “bishop” except . . .
Anathema.
There is much mention of, you guessed it, the UN Millennium Development Goals.
But there is not a single mention of Jesus.
I did not know Jesus is the one who must not be named.
As Peter Ould points out, Schori’s Easter is an “Easter without Jesus.”
What can one say about such a “church” and such a “bishop” except . . .
Anathema.
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