So Matthew Archbold Thought He Didn’t Sign Up For This

He starts his latest post over on the National Catholic Register like a marathoner who has just hit “the wall.”

I’m tired. Are you?

We believers, Catholics, Protestant, Jewish and the rest, we are beleaguered. I don’t know about you, I am tired.

I am tired of having to defend basic morality as if I am some fringe element. This is not what I signed up for.

I am tired of having to make the case, in polite terms lest I be accused of inflammatory or insulting language, that I shouldn’t have to subsidize your sin. I feel like an idiot having to explain such basic things. This is not what I signed up for.

I am tired. I have prayed for years that the bishops would stand up and fight, fight for what is right, so that I wouldn’t have to. I didn’t sign up for this.

This is a battle for things beyond my competency. I am no theologian and no scholar. I am not even a particularly good Catholic. I am a sinner just trying to make my way home.

I am tired. Just leave me be.

And then he realizes that he did sign up for this.

That’s good, because I was fixin’ to go all Colonel Jessup on him, screaming “You can’t handle the truth!” Close call there.

Civilians.

Speaking of spiritual warfare, did you see the piece in National Review Online by Yuval Levin? It’s called Pray for the Mandate and it is the twisted tale of the Administration seeking to call it’s allies together to pray for the Obamacare Bill (big ‘ol long name including “omnibus,” etc.) as it enters the courts soon for arguments over whether it’s unconstitutional or not. In his succinct post on the matter he notes the following,

The New York Times today reports:

“On Wednesday, White House officials summoned dozens of leaders of nonprofit organizations that strongly back the health law to help them coordinate plans for a prayer vigil, press conferences and other events outside the court when justices hear arguments for three days beginning March 26.

Looking over the constitutional arguments offered by the administration’s lawyers in defense of the individual mandate, it is perhaps not too difficult to see why the White House deemed itself in need of prayer. But the irony is pretty stunning nonetheless.”

And then he blasts it accordingly for the hypocrisy that is dripping off such a request. It brings to mind Proverbs 28:9-10,

Those who turn their ears from hearing instruction, even their prayer is an abomination. Those who mislead the upright into an evil way
will themselves fall into their own pit, but the blameless will attain prosperity.

And that chapter ends with the kind of verse that gets me charged with being a reckless fool for believing it.

When the wicked prevail, people hide; but at their fall the just abound.

Once last note, and then I’m off to the fields of sports. Remember the little post I wrote on why the Constitution means a lot to me? Some folks who definitely signed up for this, by which I mean the defense of our Constitution, where our God-given rights are recognized by force of law, are starting to cause a little trouble for understanding what it is they signed up to defend. Enter Sergeant Gary Stein from stage right,

He said he determined he was not in violation and relaunched the page under the shortened account name Armed Forces Tea Party. Last week, he said his superiors told him he couldn’t use social media sites on government computers after he posted the message stating he would not follow unlawful orders of the president.

Stein said his statement was part of an online debate about NATO allowing U.S. troops to be tried for the Quran burnings in Afghanistan.

In that context, he said, he was stating that he would not follow orders from the president if those orders included detaining U.S. citizens, disarming them or doing anything else that he believes would violate their constitutional rights.

Another Marine alerted his command about the statement, Stein said.

Stein said he respects the office of the president, but he does not agree with Obama’s policies. He said he is within his rights to speak up.

“Just because I’m a Marine doesn’t mean I don’t have free speech or can’t say my personal opinion about the president or other public official just like anybody else,” Stein said. “The Constitution trumps everything else.”

Stein said it’s positive when service members are well-versed on the Constitution and what’s going on in government.

Read the whole thing over on the Huffington Post.

Yes, we are living in interesting times.