tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94379372011-12-13T20:57:26.703-07:00This blog presents ideas on American culture and world affairs from an Catholic and Christian perspective.GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.comBlogger201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1160530896497395692006-10-10T19:38:00.000-06:002006-10-10T19:47:49.520-06:00

Kansas bishops remind us of the moral duty to vote, and to vote in accordance with our consciences. As they rightly point out, conscience is formed by the truth. John's Gospel constantly calls us to explore the Truth.Check out the link to the Colorado Catholic Conference's discussion of our duty to form our vote deep within our consciences, and not from bumper stickers.

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1154747780991995892006-08-04T21:14:00.000-06:002006-08-04T21:16:21.003-06:00

This is an excellent explanation of what a stem cell is, and how it works. An educated citizen is the key to protecting human life.http://science.howstuffworks.com/stem-cell.htm

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1153891937506235892006-07-25T23:18:00.000-06:002006-07-25T23:32:17.523-06:00

Senate Bill 403 was passed by a margin of 65-34 "to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions." Of the 24 Catholic Senators the following 7 supporting this pro-life legislation:Brownback (R-KS), Dewine (R-OH), Kohl (D-WI), Landreiu (D-LA), Salazar (D-CO), Santorum (R-PA), Sunnunu (R-NH) and Voinovich (R-OH). Of

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1153887484646415912006-07-25T21:51:00.000-06:002006-07-25T22:18:04.656-06:00

"What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground," the Lord said to Cain in Genesis 4:10.Are we like Cain; do we ask "Am I my brother's keeper?" In his landmark encyclical, the Gospel of Life, the late Pope John Paul II reflected on this passage and applied it to our society today. How does the voice of our brother's blood cry out to the Lord? Abel was an

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1153801241465645632006-07-24T21:57:00.000-06:002006-07-24T22:22:23.723-06:00

On the recent EMBRYONIC stem cell legislation vetoed by President Bush, there were 24 Catholic senators who cast a vote. It would be easier to list those who voted in accordance with their Catholic faith: Brownback, Dewine, Sunnunu, Santorum, and Voinovich. That's right, 5 were faithful to what all 24 of them profess as deeply held, personal values. Dewine and Santorum put their money where their

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1153799369846888662006-07-24T21:24:00.000-06:002006-07-24T21:49:29.860-06:00

The mainstream media has a penchant to label pro-lifers as "anti-abortion extremists." Politicians are labeled pro-choice or anti-abortion based on their votes on whether or not to fund the multi-million dollar corporation, Planned Parenthood. But the abortion question is such a small portion of the pro-life agenda.Take, for example, Senator Orin Hatch. A self proclaimed pro-lifer, he's now

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1132851112697742062005-11-24T09:43:00.000-07:002005-11-24T09:51:52.723-07:00

Today's Washington Times carries a story that seems to echo what many in the pro-life movement have predicted for years. The times article talks about the demographic crisis that is looming in Europe caused by decades of declining birthrates--which today stands at 1.48 children per woman. Check out the article at http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20051124-121045-6980r.htmAccording to the

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1130820127045767052005-10-31T21:36:00.000-07:002005-10-31T22:15:29.700-07:00

October 31st marks the end of the Catholic Church's recognition of "Pro-life Month." Pro-life means much more than the abortion issue. 2005 was a mixed ba--let's recap:- Terri Schindler (Schiavo)--legally starved to death as the world watched her die over a two week period...does anyone see the irony of her maiden name?+ Congress attempted to intervene by requiring judicial review of the

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1129644590463160932005-10-18T07:57:00.000-06:002005-10-18T08:09:50.470-06:00

Certain Republicans and Conservatives that want it both ways. In the past five years Republicans have argued until they were blue in the face that the the pre-eminent authority in nominations was the president. The Senate provides advice and consent only, the framers said. True enough, until the president didn't pick someone off their short list. The president ran on his judicial philosophy,

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1125685207228400042005-09-02T12:05:00.000-06:002005-09-02T12:20:07.266-06:00

Words do not do justice to the emotions we all feel. Let our words unite people around a single cause--helping the victims--and not divide people over something much less important--politics. These victims are real. This is not a Spielberg movie. Many have lost literally everything. They are Americans. They are neighbors. It will take more than the federal, state, and local governments to

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1125027420390539332005-08-25T21:27:00.000-06:002005-08-25T21:37:00.396-06:00

The New York Times and CNN are promoting the single sided version of pro-abortion doctors' research that shows a child, oops fetus, can not feel pain until 29 weeks of gestation. NYT failed to research the researchers--apparently the fact that one researcher runs an abortion clinic and the other worked for NARAL was not news fit to print. CNN did mention it as an aside, at the end of the segment.

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1122986161400819092005-08-02T06:36:00.000-06:002005-08-02T06:36:01.430-06:00

The rich and powerful like Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland and 6 members of that city's council, aided by the 5 of the 9 most powerful and unaccountable Americans on the Supreme Court, have sided with powerful building developers in virutally stealing the property of two hard working business owners in an economically downtrodded section of the city. All for tax dollars. Read about this travesty

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1121741160474182122005-07-18T20:25:00.000-06:002005-07-18T21:30:58.076-06:00

CAFTA, the son of NAFTA...arguments abound on both sides. The mainstream media has not framed the question from the perspective of Catholic social justice teaching (which I don't expect them to), so let me try.The Central American (CA) Free Trade Agreement is being debated by Congress. Opponents argue it will export US jobs. Proponents argue it will open US goods to Central American markets that

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1120931504761453012005-07-09T11:39:00.000-06:002005-07-09T12:06:52.120-06:00

The July 6, 2005 issue of the Colorado Springs Catholic Herald carries an article on the relationship between Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood that bears interest to conscientious pro-life parents.As a parent of two Girl Scouts, the insidious relationship PP makes with Scouts is troubling. Locally, Colorado Springs School District 11 has been under fire for outsourcing its sex education

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1117424071195078802005-05-29T21:20:00.000-06:002005-05-29T21:39:24.720-06:00

llinois Gov Rod Blagojevich (D) has written an executive order mandating pharmacists to fill abortifacient prescriptions or risk legal action. The executive order is in effect for 150 days pending public review.The governor displays a blatent disregard for the First Amendment rights of citizens to practice their religion freely. Laws, including licensing laws, can not discriminate against people

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1116985152148721422005-05-24T20:28:00.000-06:002005-05-24T20:42:43.873-06:00

The House affirmed the Gospel of Death once again in a 238-184 vote on stem cell research funding. Many fair weather Pro-life politicians joined the in supporting the destruction of human life for scientific adventuring, all in the name of "compassion." They just didn't get the "values voter" thing last Fall did they?Stem cell research must be divided into two types--moral and immoral.

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1116632275352644042005-05-20T17:37:00.001-06:002005-07-09T21:09:54.470-06:00

All eyes are on the Senate these days. A minority of Senators seek to side rail the nomination of two judicial nominees. So how can we expect "Catholic" Senators to stand on this issue? It might be worth checking out this report produced by one of those Senators, Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, found at http://durbin.senate.gov/~durbin/new2001/press/2004/06/2004602A39.htmlIn the heat of last

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1116301943597207492005-05-16T21:37:00.000-06:002005-05-16T21:52:23.600-06:00

To quote President Reagan, "Well there they go again." Six months after the Rathergate debacle, Newsweek has joined the fray. I can remember the mantra from our first year of journalism studies back in the 1980s: check your facts, two or more sources, corroborate, and check your facts again. Our profs taught us we only had one chance to screw up a story and ruin our credibility--and

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1115468213589736932005-05-07T06:16:00.000-06:002005-05-07T06:19:35.200-06:00

There has been a lot discussed in the national media on the role of the Catholic Church in the political process, especially since the Elections of 2004. One of the most articulate Catholics on this subject is Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver. Here's a link to a speech he gave to the Denver Club, which lays out the role of the Church, and of individual Catholics in the political process. http:

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9437937.post-1115346859981397822005-05-05T20:30:00.000-06:002005-05-05T20:34:19.986-06:00

This adventure in blogging was inspired by radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt (found at http://www.hughhewitt.com). Hugh's book, aptly named BLOG, is one of the most insightful and informative writings on the history and future of mass communications. It is a must read for every journalism student and professor serious about the art of communicating. As a former journalist, I believe the blog is

GroovyIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276556121892186255noreply@blogger.com0