I have only just begun to read news about The Ghastly Mrs. Pelosi’s machinations, or the single-mindedness of the president who flinches at the slightest criticism but seems not to care about the CIC part of his job, and the passing of the monster bill, and also about some of the troubling rumbles coming out of Europe. While reading, I had the overwhelming image of the shadow of a jackboot, poised just above our nation.
Socialism is an opportunistic infection of the body politic. It occurs when defenses are low.
-Glenn Reynolds
and
Look, liberty is not lost in a day. It is lost in increments and inches. Today you will not smoke in a pub – or smoke at all – even though those in charge might. Tomorrow the government will set your house temperature for you, while keeping their own set to their comfort levels. They will tell you how much money you may fairly earn, while “they” are not quite so limited. Next year your son will be forced to participate in mandatory volunteerism, and so will your mother. Soon you will be advised to abandon your hate-filled intolerant church for the approved and correct one. Someday, you may be asked to bow before someone and you will have to say “yes” and then live with yourself, or say “no” and live with those consequences. The banality of slavery…it is almost a tedious thing.
– Me, here
We’d best prepare ourselves for an America we could not have imagined even 9 years ago, and a world besieged by an ideology that seems to be heading to a victorious ascendancy.
“Seems” being the operative word.
Remember what I said back in November; sometimes bad things have to happen, have to be allowed to happen, before something great can happen in response. This is one of the lessons of the crucifix. Sometimes wholly unjust and destructive things will happen, but it is never the end of the story. The resurrection would not have happened, had the crucifixion not been allowed; not just allowed, but surrendered to and embraced by Jesus.
This morning at mass, I made my thanksgiving, praying, “thank you, Lord, for coming into our world.” And in a moment I understood the silliness of that simple prayer, given the constant reality of Christ. I no sooner said the words than I was powerfully reminded that Christ has not “come into” our world, that He was in the world; through Him the world was made. He does not penetrate our world so much as draw us into His Divine Reality, which looks nothing like what we think we know.
Remember this, too:
“Everything” is about nothing.
Everything ended with the sacrifice of the Lamb.
All is consummated.
We are forever and always at the Last Supper, at the Crucifixion, at the Resurrection.
Time ended with the tearing of the veil and the rolling back of the stone.
The rest is illusion and catching up.
There is nothing to be afraid of.
Even that jackboot, whose shadow seems poised so directly over North America, it is an illusion, because it is a shadow of worldly, earthly power, which is fetid, transient and finite. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
Or, as Buster so ably put it, in wide-eyed innocence, a few years back:
Christ gave himself to us – freely – of his own free will. A Gift freely given. If someone takes the Gift and spits on it or whatever – they’re only destroying what was given to them, they are destroying what is “theirs.” They don’t in any way destroy the Giver of the Gift, or lessen the Giver…OR the Gift. So they have no power over it, they can’t dominate it. All they can do is destroy themselves within themselves.”
We who are surrendered to Christ and thus exiled have already freely given ourselves over to the Constant Reality of Christ, therefore while we may suffer the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” reflected -often painfully and frighteningly- in our material circumstances, we are nevertheless untouched in our deepest selves, which belong to God alone; it is there we exist in freedom and peace, and where we persevere. The very real power that comes from the interior life -from prayer, quiet and contemplation- is a most subversive and devastating weapon. It will, in the fullness of time, “awake the dawn.”
Remember these words offered by our excellent pope, Benedict XVI, in almost prescient fashion:
It begins like this: “In aeternum, Domine, verbum tuum constitutum est in caelo… firmasti terram, et permanet”. This refers to the solidity of the Word. It is solid, it is the true reality on which one must base one’s life. Let us remember the words of Jesus who continues the words of this Psalm: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”. Humanly speaking, the word, my human word, is almost nothing in reality, a breath. As soon as it is pronounced it disappears. It seems to be nothing. But already the human word has incredible power. Words create history, words form thoughts, the thoughts that create the word. It is the word that forms history, reality.
Furthermore, the Word of God is the foundation of everything, it is the true reality. And to be realistic, we must rely upon this reality. We must change our idea that matter, solid things, things we can touch, are the more solid, the more certain reality. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount the Lord speaks to us about the two possible foundations for building the house of one’s life: sand and rock. The one who builds on sand builds only on visible and tangible things, on success, on career, on money. Apparently these are the true realities. But all this one day will pass away. We can see this now with the fall of large banks: this money disappears, it is nothing. And thus all things, which seem to be the true realities we can count on, are only realities of a secondary order. The one who builds his life on these realities, on matter, on success, on appearances, builds upon sand. Only the Word of God is the foundation of all reality, it is as stable as the heavens and more than the heavens, it is reality. Therefore, we must change our concept of realism. The realist is the one who recognizes the Word of God, in this apparently weak reality, as the foundation of all things. Realist is the one who builds his life on this foundation, which is permanent. Thus the first verses of the Psalm invite us to discover what reality is and how to find the foundation of our life, how to build life.
If you are feeling undone by recent events -and that is not unreasonable- do yourself a favor and read the whole message, which is not long, and then marvel at how well the Creator attends to his creation, providing the perfect teacher at the perfect time. Pray in thanksgiving, seeking wisdom.
Do not let a good crisis “go to waste;” put it through the wringer of faith, and see what comes.
And, in the words of the angels, and of Benedict’s holy predecessor: Do not be afraid.
Welcome: Michelle Malkin readers! A Malkin-lanch! Cool, thanks! Check out my post on The Good Ol’ Stasi!
Related:
“What it all means”
Additional thoughts On Benedict’s words
Trust is always difficult, always rewarded
Trust brings the reality
Fatima and the Rosary
Thank you. I needed that. God is on His throne indeed.
Again, you’ve posted exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.
We’d best prepare ourselves for an America we could not have imagined even 9 years ago, and a world besieged by an ideology that seems to be heading to a victorious ascendancy.
“Seems” being the operative word.
Remember what I said back in November; sometimes bad things have to happen, have to be allowed to happen, before something great can happen in response. This is one of the lessons of the crucifix.
I’ve been watching for the crumbling of the Church in America (and elsewhere); only good can come of that particular renewal. But the upheaval that this administration and their ilk are going to cause to the country and ultimately to the world is going to be staggering. I can’t comprehend it and I’m not sure how to live within a social system that is abhorrent and alien to me – and pretty much everyone else I know.
How do we reconcile cross and country?
Suffering for your faith is one thing – suffering the demise of your country, relying only on your faith to fall back on seems incomplete – not that the faith is incomplete but we can’t just lie down and die while our country goes to shit, can we? Or are we all to die martyr’s deaths for both God and country? I’m not praying for that, but I’d do it.
Do not let a good crisis “go to waste;” put it through the wringer of faith, and see what comes.
But what practical measures can we take?
Someone help me out here with the development of this thought – I’m not getting it quite right, I know. I know Christ and our faith is essentially enough – maybe it’s the practical I’m worrying about?
And, in the words of the angels, and of Benedict’s holy predecessor: Do not be afraid.
I admit it. I’m afraid.
[Jan- What I find helpful, when I am undone, is to read John's Gospel. Also, pick up a copy of God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald. It gives you such a sense of the longview, and of God's utter trustworthiness...you'll sleep better!
-admin]
Bless you, girl, always the right word at the right moment.
Amen. Thank you for this.
Anchoress – please add fasting – even if it’s from something as simple (and infinitely enjoyable) as coffee. Our country and the souls of our fellow citizens are worth the sacrifice. The peace I felt after the election (yes, even holy joy) was because of the fasting and praying that I had done prior. I’ve slipped and this has been a real wakeup call.
Thank you – as always, you help keep us on track.
Your previous post mentioned the need to stay focused and not to not read the blogs so much (my words here so forgive me for not being complete). You may be pleased to know that I’ve taken that advice, and have completed a jumper for darling daughter, pajamas for a refugee child and am working on a shirt for me and dear son. Husband is next. They are all thrilled to have Mom being productive. Thank you, too for that. I’ve heard your advice in my heart but “addictions” are hard to moderate. Thus, I’m here today -
Elizabeth:
I wish – and I am serious, and think this is rather important – that you would directly take on the progressive Catholics at Commonweal and America who are holding up support of this legislation as a Catholic necessity, and excoriating those who oppose it as nothing more than GOP tools who are indifferent to the common good, hateful toward the poor and near-heretics who think more of self-interest than the Gospel.
I would like to see a dialogue, for example, between you and Michael Sean Winters from America.
[Actually I did a little of that here, but honestly, I don't know if I have the energy for the sort of all-out fighting that would likely occur. Debate is a nice thing, when it's done in good faith, but too often -particularly when one side believes they hold all the "tolerance and compassion" cards and therefore do not need to rethink a single position (and is also entitled to mischaracterize those who disagree)- it all seems rather pointless. Michael Sean Winters and the folks at Commonweal are good folk who -in my humble opinion- have been fooled into thinking there is a pro-life victory, here. If this health care bill passes the Senate and goes back to committee and congress, I'm sure all of the abortion coverage will be restored. Then we'll be told "we've come too far..." to let it all fall apart now.
Catholics who supported Obama even though he had 100% approval from NARAL say they did so because they bought his convoluted rhetoric about his commitment to reduce abortion. Nothing he has done has indicated their faith was well-placed in him, and yet, they believe this bill will go forward without covering abortion. Forgive me, I just don't believe it. Bottom line, beyond abortion: The fact that the Congress will not submit itself to the same healthcare it wants to order for the rest of the country speaks volumes about justice, well over and above the million other points/arguments one can take up. -admin]
It needs to be said, over and over. We,indeed, are in a crisis and are powerless if we forget from whence our power comes. Thank God for this opportunity to unite and be grateful, and do something we have been avoiding. VOTE!!!!
What a tremendous blessing to read this at the end of a weekend that I have found troubling personally and as a citizen of this great nation! A wonderful reminder of what–and Who–is truly important.
Today our family was unable to attend Mass together at the same time, so we split up and went to different Masses at different parishes. At Parish #1 the Homily centered on the parish’s budget deficit and why all should be more generous in these trying financial times. Not a word, even in the prayers for the faithful, about the Ft. Hood tragedy. Parish #2 Homily started out promising, focused on the upcoming Veterans’ Day and the sacrifice of those who go all in. But not a word about Ft. Hood in the Homily or in the prayers. Have the bishops issued some sort of edict forbidding priests from mentioning this terror attack?
The post above reminds me of Merton’s comment about the place in ourselves
“which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is so to speak His name written in us, as our poverty, as our indigence, as our dependence, as our sonship. It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely.”
I have not had the opportubity to comment recently but all praises for a wonderful and thoughtful article.
A quick observation on the theme that ” sometimes bad things have to happen”.
I may have placed it on a post here but I was fully rooting for the skinny snake oil salesman to win the Presidency because I thought and I believe (as events have shown) correctly that he had to win to stop the “one step forward, two steps backward” movement of conservatism of the past 40 years.
For 40 years the left have taken over the media, Hollywood and the academic world while incramentally advancing their agenda. Every time we conservatives get a little aware we stand up then go complacent again while the liberals have moved forward methodically to capture more and more ground.
Elections have consequences and America needed to put in charge the coldest, most un American, leftist incompetent willing to do anything to advance his liberal agenda before conservatives would finally wake up to the loss of their civilization. Even the Republican have their infameous RINOs , persons cloaking themselves in conservative garb while espousing liberal policies within the cocoon of the Beltway.
Unfortunately many are going to suffer as a consequence. The massive borrowing, the creation of the dependency class, the destruction of the entrepreneural class, the collapsing of the dollar, the takeover of so much of the economy is going to cause massive inflation, a permanent unemployed class and a permanent recession level economy.
Already the left has made many quiet inroads on social legislation and as you have pointed out are so emboldened that they are willing to pass legislation to control our Church.
But this would have happened anyway on an incremental basis if Obama did not come along.
He is “the bad thing that had to happen” and I think that next year in the 2010 elections we will have the chance to see if America has woken up to this walking evil.
Taking on the progressive Catholics at Commonweal and America –
I don’t read America, but reading the posts and comments at Commonweal, it is all too clear that theirs is a politicized, ideologically-informed faith, that is, their politics determines their faith, rather than the Faith informing and helping discern their politics (frequently true at Inside Catholic as well). Especially in areas of the Faith such as the Church’s social doctrine, they have hijacked and twisted the Church’s teachings for their own political ends.
Hence, to try to converse with them is to engage in a political debate. And more than that, rarely are you even on the same page with them, speaking the same language.
For example, right now, they are raging against the Church being hostile to women. One can try (as I have) to point out that the Church actually teaches about the inherent and transcendent greatness of woman, and that Pope John Paul II spoke and wrote often in favor of authentic feminism, but they reflexively reject any attempt at moving away from their narrow-minded political power concepts, which only weigh them down. To them, “solid things, things we can touch, are the more solid, the more certain reality.” They cannot begin to wrap their minds around the idea that the Word is the true reality (at least that’s the way it seems from their commentary). One can try to speak to them about the absolute joy of the Faith, but they insist on looking for ways to have distain and contempt for the Faith and the Church, both mystical and institutional.
You really cannot turn most of them from their chosen path. As bitter as “the fruit” is, they keeping on chomping away at it (yes, that fruit). But occasionally they do say or write something that one is compelled to object and sound a note of dissent against the dissent. It may bounce off most of them, but at least the record is kept straight and, who knows, maybe there is one in a million out there who see that glimmer of the light of truth and are led to move toward it.
So, if only as a spiritual act of mercy, notwithstanding the fact that you will end up with clumps of pulled-out hair if you go over to such sites, everyone should go over now and then, not only our dear Anchoress, and post a comment or two admonishing, instructing, counselling. If nothing else, it might dissuade them from their delusion that the rest of the Church thinks like they do.
are we all to die martyr’s deaths for both God and country?
God and the World is excellent, as is, of course, the Gospel of John. But at the risk of loading down our dear Cheerleader with a mountain of reading (I recommended a whole boatload of things previously), I have been quite taken by Spe Salvi, where Benedict writes of authentic and true hope, not the counterfeit species that was foisted on us last year and this.
I take comfort as well in reflecting on the martyrs and, if one has the patience to put the puzzle pieces together, the Book of Revelation, which is above all a book about hope in the midst of persecution and hardship. If they hate you, and they do (and if they do not now, they will), remember they hated Him first.
Jesus promised us, not a happy party, but persecution and hardship. So, expect for things to get bad. Indeed, for most of human history things have been bad for most people.
Things will very likely get worse in this country, and not only economically. Even with our best efforts, I thought previously that the chances of Iran, and thus radical Islam, getting a nuclear bomb were probably pretty significant. And now, with the “reset button”? The chances of them getting a nuke are substantially greater. And if they get it, they will almost certainly use it. I’ve said it before, there is a very real possibility, if not probability, that one day I’ll see a flash of light outside my window as D.C. disappears, with the resulting fall-out landing on my home.
But the martyrs faced death as well. And they faced it with joy in their hearts. From Lawrence to Perpetua to Felicity to Ignatius to Cecilia to Sebastian and countless nameless others, these “witnesses” could not be defeated. And they were not. Their blood is the seed of the Church.
That does not mean we should necessarily run into the arena, rather than fight against the oppression. We should fight. But whether we prevail in the fight and overcome oppression today, or whether we “fail” today and the oppression continues or gets worse, in the end, love and truth will be victorious. In the end, the beast and the dragon are defeated. Those who remain faithful will have their robes made white by the Blood of the Lamb and they shall know everlasting joy.
Rejoice in hope at this promise of the Lord, and be not afraid.
(I recommended a whole boatload of things previously)
…and she lost every damned one of them.
She would be grateful if you would resend them, much as she didn’t want to ask…
Thank you, Anchoress. And all this while “Germany celebrates the tearing down of the Berlin wall.”
Ah, The Commonweal/America crowd (who have, by the way, noticed this post)
What is most aggravating about them is that they fancy themselves the leading intellectual lights of the Church, but are apparently unable to speak in anything but vague assertions. There are a couple of good eggs over there – Peter Nixon, Father Imbelli – but most of the rest are, as Bender says, reactive ideologues who really don’t seem to believe in much of *anything.*
On this health care business – I’ll bet that hardly a one who is crowing this morning about the bill’s passage through the House can tell you one meaningful specific about the legislation other than the term “public option.” They cannot discuss the process, the costs, the specific programs that are being proposed.
It all comes under an assertion that this bill – simply because it *is* apparently – is all about the “common good” and if you oppose it you are nothing but Deal Hudson’s bootlicker, which makes you a double bootlicker because he serves no one but the GOP and National Review.
It wouldn’t be difficult to engage them. Just keep asking about specifics in the bill. They don’t know, so it wouldn’t take long.
Bender’s Etymologist, in addition to the Anchoress’ recomendations, I’d add the works of C.S. Lewis: “Mere Christianity”, “The Screwtape Letters” and, in addition to the “Chronicles of Narnia”, his space trilogy too!
And fasting, yes, that helps. Orthodox Advent begins a week from today; maybe that would be a good time for everybody to start fasting, and praying more.
Yes, prayer—prayer always helps, too.
Anchoress-
I am also concerned about the creeping loss of civil liberty in our nation.
However, I find it odd that when you write about the loss of lberty you write with such alarmist words (“the jackboot poised above our heads”) yet the examples you cite are so trivial as to be almost comical (you dare not smoke in a pub!).
What I am concerned about is the enlargement of government power that truly has the power to oppress us.
My examples would be the programs of government surveillance whereby the government can wiretap your phone, read your email, rifle though your bank account, all with little or no judicial oversight.
Or the assertion by government lawyers that the President has, during a time of war, nearly unlimited power- the power to suspend habeas corpus, and place American citizens in prison without a trial or even charges.
Or the assertion that the government has the authority to torture those who are in its custody.
Wouldn’t you agree that these are somewhat more a threat to liberty, more of a “shadow of a jackboot” than the than not being allowed to smoke a cigarette in a restaurant?
[The big liberties get lost after all of the small ones have been lost. If the inability to smoke in a pub seems trivial to you (I do not smoke, btw), it is not trivial to the pub owner who does not have the freedom to determine his own clientele by his own lights. Seems to me if you want to own a pub, and welcome smokers, then as long as you can make a suitable non-smoking recommendation to people, you should have that freedom. As I said, liberty is lost in inches, and increments. You get used to losing small freedoms, and suddenly, you've lost the large ones, too-admin]
We will have our opportunity between now and November 2010 and I highly recommend that we make it our business to eject all 435 of the members of the House of Representatives, all of whom I am sorry to say have been bought and paid for in some form or fashion, and 33 of the U.S. Senate who are up for reelection. In another 2 years we can eject a socialist hand puppet of a President and an additional 33 Senators. 2 years after that, the last 34 can go from the Senate. In the meantime, term limits MUST BE IMPOSED on the House and the Senate. There is just too doggone much temptation and these are, after all, only fallible human beings experiencing a sense of some power.
Wield a mighty broom, oh ye American electorate, and free yourselves from the shadow of the jackboot!
Leave our President with the “mop” he claims to be using [to no effect except some serious damage] until such time as we can eject him from his undeserved office and return him to the justified obscurity from whence he came. And remove his handlers (Axelrod, Jarrett, Soros, Buffet, et al.) from any ability to affect our national lives.
Hope your husband is feeling better, A. I was similarly affected over the weekend, as were a couple of my friends. We’re all fine now – having had a weekend of non-achievement pass us by. I still need to go grocery shopping, alas! My least favorite chore!
Thank you for this article and all the links (I love resources). It mirrors exactly the thoughts I’ve been rolling over of late.
My question, as a mother of young (and in utero) children, has become: When do we leave? How long do we fight? For me, the last straw will be when the jackboot comes down on homeschooling and forbids us to teach our children the faith and morals of the Church. If it was just me, I would stay and fight. But it’s not.
Where can we go? Under the thumb of the Tudors, English Catholics fled to France so that their children could be raised in the faith. Will there be anywhere left for us to flee?
Dark thoughts at night. Thanks for reminding us of the Light, too!
Thanks for the tips Anchoress and Rhinestone, although I’ve read the Lewis works. Maybe a re-read is in order, once I get through Bender’s homework.
And you are right – we don’t fast enough, although I pray almost constantly. Problem is, it’s fearful entreaty, not hopeful. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m having a real hard time with “Thy Will Be Done” right now, because I can’t imagine the demise of our country is God’s will.
Here’s the new thing with me – I’ve always been a survivor – I can make do with what I’ve got. I’ve always been able to just go with the flow – but this is a torrent unleashed. The closer we come to a national Armageddon the less able I feel I can cope with it.
Gayle is right – the government needs to be turned out.
Anchoress, another home run…sure you don’t play for the Yankees?
Seriously though…I hold on to what came to me during the Consecration one day in July of 08. I was troubled about Obama’s winning–as I felt he would–and these words came to me. “This is right for American at this time; painful as it will be, this President will force much to the surface that has been supressed for decades. When Americans are forced to deal with the consequences of an Obama victory, good will come…even though many will be troubled”.
Well, nothing that has happened since January has made me think any differently. Sorry if this was somewhat unclear…blame the translator (me).
I’ve got my eye on Italy. If I have to live in a country in which my life is controlled by an incompetent bureaucracy, it might as well have historical architecture, pretty landscape and a matchless food culture. And three hour breaks in the afternoon.
the examples you cite are so trivial
Reason60 — even if that were the case, which I do not concede, you really cannot take and read a single posting in isolation and complain that it is lacking in substantial examples.
The Anchoress has been citing the substantial examples you ask for for well over a year now. Must she cut and paste all of those prior comments into each and every new post? Of course not. Read the blog as a whole and you will have such examples.
But then, by reading the examples that you provide, we can see where you are coming from, so even if serious and substantial examples were cited here, you would no doubt downplay those as well.
I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you, Reason60, about those “programs of government surveillance.”
Even when they do spy on folks — for example, learning that radical Muslim Army majors are searching the Internet for al-Qaeda contacts, attending the same mosque at the same time as 9-11 attackers, and trying to recruit Muslim soldiers to the cause while proselytizing to wounded non-Muslim soldiers and singing the praises of suicide bombers — even when government surveillance does find out these things, it is apparent that they don’t bother to do anything about the information.
On the other hand, if you are a pro-lifer or something, then the Secretary of Homeland Security will send out memos labeling you as a probable terrorist.
It really depends upon who you are and what you think and say. That being so, like I said, I don’t think that you have anything to worry about.
** **
\ /
Look! I made pom-pons! Well, sort of.
Those are for Anchoress, Erika, Rhinestone, Mark, Gayle, and Bender.
Okay, time to stop playing and get busy…
Bender’s Cheerleader, do re-read Lewis! He’s one fo those writers you can read again and again, and always find something new.
And, as my father used to say, “Nihi illegitimi corobundum est,” which is Latin (or maybe pig Latin) for “Don’t Let the Bastards get you down!”
Thanks… made me want to cry. Feeling undone is an understatement. We are living totalitarianism- by its very definition. But I was just telling my boyfriend- this will all not matter at the end of the day. It’s like having cancer. We’ll lose the battle in life- although the battle is worth fighting, we may very well lose it. But the problem is the problem of the people of this world. I am saved, and it won’t be my problem.
I prayed and thanked Him that I stumbled on this today. He wanted me to read this. Made me want to cry, knowing He meant for me to read this.
Thanks alot, and God Bless you, and the rest of us believers.
Bender-
I am a new reader to the Anchoress, so if she has been sounding the alarms over government surveillance and illegal detention and torture, then bless her heart.
I just didn’t see any of that in this post.
But to address your point about the possible persecution of pro-life adherents; I agree, this is a concern. When the government has unlimited power, who knows who they will persecute?
So wouldn’t it be wise to demand a limitation on government power? For example, the government used to need a warrant before spying on Americans; isn’t this a good idea?
It used to be that American citizens could not be imprisoned without being able to protest their imprisonment; Isn’t this also a good idea?
It used to be held that torture was an affront to human dignity, that it was intolerable in and of itself. Isn’t this still a good idea?
Thank you so much for writing this post. It was a very lifting and inspiring piece of work. Thank you again.
So wouldn’t it be wise to demand a limitation on government power?
We used to have one. It was called the Constitution. But as we saw as recently as Saturday, and everything else the government has done the last nine months, it no longer applies.
Linked here thru Malkin.
What a great message. Thanks for the perspective.
Another one referred by MM. Hat tip to Michelle. I too needed the reminder that the, ” things that are seen are temporary, but that which is unseen is eternal. “
To be fair, if you look at the volunteering legislation, it seems volunteering is not mandatory. Having a volunteering program is mandatory for recipients of a certain type of grant.
SEC. 122. NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE FOR PROGRAM ASSISTANCE.
(a) Required National Service Corps- The recipient of a grant under section 121(a) and each Federal agency operating or supporting a national service program under section 121(b) shall, directly or through grants or subgrants to other entities, carry out or support the following national service corps, as full- or part-time corps, including during the summer months, to address unmet educational, health, veteran, or environmental needs.
Having said that, most of your other points seem to be valid, and Obama really is taking the country in a very bad and dangerous direction towards less freedom.
I get serious flack when I propose this idea to my fellow Conservatives: Let them have it. All of it. Let them pass this Health Kill bill, Cap & Tax…anything they throw at us: The People.
Then….when it has all been in place for years and the Country is going to pieces….we can firmly point at these Fascists and ask all our fellow Countrymen….See? Who did this?
And then we throw them in the gutter where they belong and repeal ALL OF IT
[You don't throw away a country to save it -admin]
Reason60, we were told that, when Obama came into office he’d stop torture, and repeal all the allegedly bad thngs Bush did, when he was in office. He’s been in office nearly a year, now; your complaints might be better directed towards him, and Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi.
(I believe the Anchoress probably has archives, by the way, so you can read those for the many times she’s talked about this subject.)
Malta. That’s where to go, save, of course, for the fact that they have a very restrictive immigration policy.
A Catholic nation that outlawed abortion in 1981. Yep, OUTLAWED.
Italy? Fuhgeddaboudit. Malta’s where you want to be.
The problem with your plan, Alan, is that once these people take power, it’s very difficult to get them out. Throwing them in the gutter may not be an option, and there might be no way to repeal any of their legislation.
The country’s already going to pieces. We can’t save it by speeding up the process.
Bender, you’re right; our limitation on power used to the Constitution. However, some progressive souls decided it was a “living document”, so its power to protect citizens has been sadly diminished.
(And, as you pointed out earlier, if Ft. Hood teaches us anything, it’s that the FBI doesn’t act on the information it gets.)
Maybe we are getting the leaders we deserve. I have no doubt that abortion on demand has alienated us as a nation from God; and now circus freaks like Pelosi are trying to make us all pay for it. I shudder to think what is in store for us if things keep going down this Obama road.
Rhinestone-
You are correct, in that Bush is history; responsibility for what transpires now on the torture/ illegal detention/ surveillance front rests squarely on Obama’s shoulders.
Well….his shoulders, and the shoulders of Congress, the Courts, the punditry class, bloggers and all those who defend and promote it.
If Catholics or any person of faith sees this health bill, this government as compassionate or Christian, they have a very troubling idea of what it means to be Christian. There are two big issues here for me, first the greatest gift God gave us is free will. Without free will the resurrection never would have happened, we never would have sinned in the first place. To take that away from other people and force them to buy health insurance because it is good for them (in somebody else’s opinion good for them), is doing the devil’s work. Second to even try to justify your deciding for someone else what is best for them, you have to think that your opinion, nay, your knowledge, your wisdom, is far superior to those whom you are helping. You must also believe that they can NOT help themselves, and without YOUR help and YOUR wisdom they will suffer and die. Where is Christ in that? Where is God’s help, God’s wisdom, God’s grace? When you truly believe in God, you often have to get out of the way, and show the patienceof true faith.
Thanks for an excellent post. And I’m thrilled to have found a post w/ comments that are thoughtful and respectful. Thanks for the resources, too. My question is to Gayle:
… I highly recommend that we make it our business to eject all 435 of the members of the House of Representatives, all of whom I am sorry to say have been bought and paid for… and 33 of the U.S. Senate who are up for reelection.
And will we have a pool of 468 talented pro-life candidates from which to replace all those we vote out of office next Nov? Wouldn’t that be great!
some progressive souls decided [the Constitution] was a “living document”
It ain’t living no more. It’s a nice piece of paper, to be argued over by dinosaur, out-of-touch conservatives who don’t know that it is a new day. But it is now as alive as Marley.
there may be the shadow of a jackboot, but someone better remind its owner that there are a helluva lot of nails down here waiting to be stepped on, and tetanus can be fatal.
Molon Labe.
I see a duality here. On the one hand disagreeing with the Obama administration (or at least this “healthcare” bill) on somewhat Catholic principle, and referencing one of the most liberal popes of all time; Benedict XVI, A.K.A Joseph Ratzinger, friend to such wacked out theologians as Hans Kung and other periti who contaminated the documents of Vatican II and supplanted Catholicism with Liberalism.
[I fear you make an unjust accusation re Benedict and Ratzinger. As Pope, he has to reach out. Clearly, that has not translated into listening- admin]
And, as I said, Reason60, your complaints might be better made to them, than to the Anchoress (who really has gone into detail on a lot of this stuff.)
I don’t know, Bender, at least Marley gets to run around and howl a bit, and put the fear of God in his old partner, Scrooge!
That’s something more than being a piece of paper that gets argued endlessly over. Poor old Constitution. . .