If a law is being interpreted in ways you did not intend and doing harm, then its a bad law and you need to change it. That’s legislator 101. According to Sir Alan Beith, former deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and chair of the Commons Justice Select Committee, Britain has some bad laws floating around concerning religion. So far as I know, he doesn’t address whether or not British lawmakers intend to change these laws. He says that “Christians... Read more
Every year at the beginning of session, I find a note on my desk on the House floor from someone I don’t know. “I am (name)” it says, “I will pray for you every day.” I keep these notes and treasure them. When the votes get tough and the debate gets nasty, I pull them out of my desk drawer and look at them. I went through a bad patch in my work as a legislator a few years back... Read more
Mention of the devil offends people. They don’t like to hear about him, any more than they want to hear about hell. The devil and hell are not a real entity and a real place we are told. They are the boogeyman and the boogeyplace that we Christians use to scare people into conversion. Many Christians also dismiss the devil and hell. Back when I was a protestant, I was often corrected by my various pastors about my belief in... Read more
Here is my (totally pew-sitting laity) opinion of how bishops should deal with their differences of opinion with the Pope. Read more
I’m sure he didn’t mean it this way. I’ve had quotes in newspapers come across differently than I intended many times. But this does need clarifying. Bishop Tobin of Rhode Island gave an interview to the Rhode Island Catholic in which he almost sounded as if he was questioning Pope Francis’ commitment to the sanctity of human life. His comment concerning the touching moment when the Holy Father reached out and embraced Dominic Gondreau, (photo above) who is from the... Read more
Albuquerque became the first city to put a ban on late-term abortions on the ballot Monday. The Albuquerque city council voted to place a referendum outlawing abortion after 20 weeks within the city limits on the ballot. The ballot initiative is a result of the lobbying of the pro life group Operation Rescue. It will be voted on November 17. From Reuters: (Reuters) – A bill banning abortions in Albuquerque after 20 weeks of pregnancy will be put to voters... Read more
In his homily at morning mass, Pope Francis described the Church this way: The Church is a widow, seeking her bridegroom. He went on to say some beautiful things about our mother and how we should seek her, Read more
The press has jumped all over another errant remark from the Vatican, this time about married priests. I’m not going to hold my breath until the Vatican decides to do away with the celibate priesthood. The reason is that I like breathing. However, I am game to, just for fun, look at as a proposition. Let’s consider for a moment how doing away with the requirement for celibacy for our priests would affect our Church. So far as I know,... Read more
To join the discussion about Atchison Blue, or to order a copy, go here. Life is hard. Life for Americans is not only hard, it is usually frantic. We are frantic, almost driven, people. I did not realize this until I went to a country where people live by a different internal clock. The contrast was stunning. Americans are certainly not the only people who race from deadline to goal to commitment to task. And we have a sense of... Read more
I’ve voted two times against giving people who rape children the death penalty. I authored a bill to put them in prison for life without parole. That pretty much sums up my attitude toward people who sexually abuse children. I don’t want to kill them, but to say I have no use for them is an understatement. I’ve also written several times about the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. I point to all these things now in hopes... Read more
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