Bueller?

Ben Stein's documentary on scientists being ostracized for their belief in Intelligent Design looks like it might be pretty good.

Thanks to RM for the heads up.

Check out the TRAILER.

one Naton under God

Many people - including myself - didn't know the true reasons our country began celebrating Thanksgiving. I found out today (thanks Fr. James!) and am still astounded:


Following the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress issued a proclamation on October 11, 1782:

By the United States in Congress assembled.

PROCLAMATION.

IT being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf: Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States:----- Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend to all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence, the seventh.

JOHN HANSON, President.

Charles Thomson, Secretary.

Thanks be to God

I want to wish all of you a most blessed Thanksgiving. With our first child due only 9 days from today, this will be a very special Thanksgiving for us.

In the spirit of the holiday, may you all first give thanks to God for his many blessings upon you and your family; and especially for your life.

Don't forget your special intentions before digging into that sacrificial bird tomorrow! Maybe "saying grace" can become commonplace in your families before all meals. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden!

Pax et Bonum!

Election Day 2007

The Pro Life Union of Southeastern PA now has their voter's guide up on their site. Make sure you take it with you to the polls!

It shows the following:

Judges on the Pa. Supreme Court & the Pa. Superior Court make decisions that have significant impact on the sanctity of human life & marriage. Two of the seven seats on the Pa. Supreme Court and three of the 15 seats on the Pa. Superior Court judges face a yes or no vote on retention for another ten year term.

PA Supreme Court (vote for two)

Maureen Lally-Green -prolife

Mike Krancer -prolife

Debra Todd- pro-abortion

Seamus McCaffrey - pro-abortion

PA. Superior Court (vote for three)

Cheryl Lynn Allen -prolife

Bruce Bratton-prolife

Jacqueline Shogun-prolife

Christine Donnohue-pro-abortion

Ron Foling -pro-abortion

John Younge-pro-abortion

Retention Votes(vote yes or no)

Pa. Supreme Court ~ Thomas G. Saylor voted to overturn existing state law & created a 'legal right' for homosexual couples to adopt children

Pa. Superior Court

Joan Orie Melvin -pro-life

John L. Musmanno -prolife

Correale Stevens -prolife

Commonwealth Court

Bernard L. McGinley -prolife

Bonnie L. Leadbetter/proabortion Doris Smith-Ribner/proabortion

Philadelphia

Al Taubenberger-prolife

Michael Nutter - pro-abortion

Delaware County - The following candidates have pro-life positions

City Council: Tom McGarrigle, Christine Fizzano Cannon

District Attorney: Michael Green

Common Pleas Court: Mary Alice Brenan, Greg Mallon

Common Pleas Court Retention: Ann Osborne, George Pagano, James Proud

Haverford Township Commissioner

Jim McGarrity, Jeff Heilmann, Cathy Kovach, Bill Wechsler

Bucks County

County Commissioner (vote for two)

Jim Cawley -prolife, Jay Russell - prolife, Charles Martin -unknown

Daine Marseglia: pro-abortion, Steve Santarsiero: pro-abortion

Common Pleas Court: Diane Gibbons - prolife

Common Pleas Court Retention (vote yes or no)

David Heckler: pro-abortion

Warminster Township Supervisor: Donna Marie Davis: pro-life

Montgomery County

County Commissioner (vote for two)

Bruce Castor -prolife, Jim Matthews -prolife

Ruth Damsker: pro-abortion, Joseph Hoeffel: pro-abortion

The following other countywide candidates have a pro-life position or record.

District Attorney - Risa Vetri Ferman

Clerk of Courts - Marcy Toepel

Recorder of Deeds - Nancy Becker

Sheriff - John Durante

Treasurer - Garrett Page

Retention Votes for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court

Thomas M. Del Ricci: prolife, Stanley R. Ott: prolife

Calvin S. Drayer - In July 2002, he issued a decision that allowed Steven Brighams abortion chamber to continue to commit abortions even though the Upper Merion Township Zoning Board had operated in violation of existing law. This chamber later closed.

Post-Bella

I got a chance to check out the movie Saturday night with my wife. Whether it was good or bad, I wanted to make sure I supported the film. I now offer my review on the flick...

MPAA Rating
PG-13

Rating System
1 - 5 Rocks, 5 Rocks being the best.

Pace (3 Rocks)
There was a point in the movie where I glanced at my watch. Nearly 45 minutes of the movie had gone by and I was waiting for it to speed up. It did (thankfully). After that 45 minutes, Bella really began to take form.

Character Development & Acting (3 Rocks)
I thought Jose's (Eduardo Verastegui) character was a little ho-hum, although he was likable in the movie. I did not care for Nina's (Tammy Blanchard) character, or her acting, at all.
Bella did a great job of introducing Jose's family, which showed why Jose was the man he was. The character development of his family was flawless. Jose's parents really stole the screen.

Family Friendly (5 Rocks)
Definitely. Some heavy life situations, but a great opportunity to introduce them to children: life, death, and the repercussions of both.

Should you see it? (Don't bother, Rent it, Go see, Must see)
GO SEE - Definitely worth your time. Did not live up to the expectations, but worth 100 minutes of your life. It's nice to see a wholesome movie in the theaters for a change. Hopefully Hollywood catches on and begins bringing us more.


Next movie up for review? Into Great Silence.

St. Paul of SEPTA

Now that we've moved out of center city and I take the train to work every day, I've found a new, more discrete way to evangelize.

I'd prefer Lauds and Vespers, but my schedule doesn't permit me to recite them, so Magnificat (the Hours for People-on-the-Go) suits my life pretty well for Morning and Evening Prayer on the train.

My bookmarks, other than the ribbons from my leather cover (thank you RM), are prayer cards of Christ and the Blessed Mother, so when I read they are plain as day so anyone to my left or right can see them (I've noticed on trains that everyone - myself included - will always look at what a person is reading), in hopes of starting dialogue.

The SEPTA ticket-collectors, usually the most unloving of all the passengers, get a special treat.

When they come around to check tickets and passes, I put my pass right next to the prayer card of Christ (or Mary as I did today), so when they look at my pass it is IMPOSSIBLE for them not come face to face with the Savior or the Mother of God.

And that's how it's done.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
Matthew 3:2

FORTY

October 22, 2007: 40 days left until my first child is due! It is hard to believe time has moved so quickly. I am so thankful to Our Creator, who has granted my wife and me the ability to produce human life. Thank you, Father.

In recognizing the meaningful number of days ahead of us, my wife and I declare more prayer and fasting for our baby's coming. I am like Easter-excited!

Lots of prayers for this child. And soon, he/she comes...

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry.
He brought me right out of the pit,
out of my miry clay.
I will sing a new song,
How long to sing this song?
He set my feet upon a rock,
and made my footsteps heard.
Many will see,
Many will see and fear.
I will sing, sing a new song.
How long to sing this song?

Pre-Bella

Well, the opening weekend of Bella is just one week away. I have a lot of close friends that attended private screenings, I've read a ton of reviews and it sure seems that it will fall in line with The Passion, as a movie that will/has change(d) lives.

It's playing in KOP and if it does well, Center City theaters will pick it up, so I urge all of you to check it out or even buy tickets - knowing you won't be able to make it - to get this movie greater attention so LIFE can be brought to all.

Bella won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

True love goes beyond romance.

Keepin' the Pace

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:32)


It's always interesting to me that secular society can call people of God "bigots" for not agreeing with conduct in opposition to the Gospel, such as homosexuality. My wife said it best when talking about such issues: People want to justify their actions, however wrong, by getting as much public support so that they can feel better about their choices and suppress the voices telling them it's immoral.

This all was prompted from a news article I read last night. It isn't often that I'll read or listen to secular media, but I discovered a man who acknowledged God before the entire nation and did so with courage. Thank you, General Peter Pace.


From the Associated Press:

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, caused a stir at a Senate hearing Wednesday when he repeated his view that gay sex is immoral and should not be condoned by the military.

Pace, who retires next week, said he was seeking to clarify similar remarks he made in spring, which he said were misreported.

"Are there wonderful Americans who happen to be homosexual serving in the military? Yes," he told the Senate Appropriations Committee during a hearing focused on the Pentagon's 2008 war spending request.

"We need to be very precise then, about what I said wearing my stars and being very conscious of it," he added. "And that is, very simply, that we should respect those who want to serve the nation but not through the law of the land, condone activity that, in my upbringing, is counter to God's law."

Anti-war protesters sitting behind Pace jeered the four-star general's remarks with some shouting, "Bigot!" That led Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to abruptly adjourn the hearing and seal off the doors.

The hearing resumed about five minutes later in which Pace said he would be supportive of efforts to revisit the Pentagon's policy so long as it didn't violate his belief that sex should be restricted to a married heterosexual couple.

"I would be very willing and able and supportive" to changes to the policy "to continue to allow the homosexual community to contribute to the nation without condoning what I believe to be activity — whether it to be heterosexual or homosexual — that in my upbringing is not right," Pace said.

Pace's lengthy answer on gays was prodded by Sen. Tom Harkin, who said he found Pace's previous remarks as "very hurtful" and "very demoralizing" to homosexuals serving in the military.

In March, the Chicago Tribune reported that Pace said in a wide-ranging interview: "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."

Harkin, D-Iowa, said he wanted to give Pace a chance to amend his remarks in light of his retirement.

"It's a matter of leadership, and we have to be careful what we say," Harkin said.

Pace noted that the U.S. Military Code of Justice prohibits homosexual activity as well as adultery. Harkin said, "Well, then, maybe we should change that."

General Pace, may God bless you.

Jobu

The 2008 Election Coverage is getting into full swing and tons of polls show likely candidates. The Democrats are not giving us any pro-lifers and except for Giuliani and Romney, the Republicans are giving us plenty (as usual).

I want to mention one in particular: Hillary Clinton.

It was always rumored that Hillary was quietly running the country, and her household, during Bill Clinton's two terms in the White House. A friend sent me two interesting articles that should concern all of us:

Religious Devotion to Abortion

Hillary the Abortion Decision-Maker


A bit scary to say the least.

All Saints, pray for us!