A New Vision of Globalization

Undoubtedly, one of the most important events of this year was the long-anticipated release of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI's third encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). This is the first social encyclical to emanate from the Vatican since Pope John Paul II published Sollicitudo Rei Socialis in 1987. Pope Benedict's first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love), drafted by John Paul II a few months before his death, had been completed and released in December 2005 within the first year of the new pontificate. Two years later in November 2007, Pope Benedict had issued his second encyclical, the first written entirely by him, Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope). This led some observers at that time to wonder whether a reverse pattern of the theological virtues was being set: with the new pope's first encyclical on love and a second about hope, would the third deal with faith? The late Father Richard John Neuhaus said in an EWTN interview with Raymond Arroyo that he did not think this would be the case. Although Father Neuhaus did not live to see the release of our present Holy Father's third encyclical, it turned out that he was correct.

Early in 2007, Vatican sources informed the press that Pope Benedict XVI had begun working on his second and third encyclicals. The topics of these documents engendered various surmises ranging from marriage and family life to religious fundamentalism--areas in which His Holiness was devoting considerable energy at the time. Meanwhile, curial officials close to the Pope soon confirmed that the third encyclical letter would apply Catholic social teaching to globalization and poverty. A cardinal in Rome also made clear in the summer of 2007 that His Holiness was not in a rush to write and release this particular document, but that because of the complexity of the subject matter, the Pope was devoting much time to prayer and study as he drafted the piece.

Indeed, I am glad that the Holy Father took his time in preparing this document, to ensure that it would carefully address all of the modern interrelated global social issues. To synthesize these multifarious issues into a coherent perspective would be a challenging task for anyone given the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. Yet in Caritas in Veritate, our Holy Father has aptly set globalization and its effects within the clear perspective of Catholic social doctrine. Furthermore, in a few concise lines he has laid out for the Church of this era the theological basis for Catholic social teaching, in itself an invaluable treasure. With this landmark encyclical, Pope Benedict has accomplished even more: in a simple, orderly fashion, he has placed social teaching and issues within the context of love and truth, faith and reason, life, marriage and the family. Indeed, there is hardly a single aspect of the Catholic faith that is not woven into this beautiful tapestry. Caritas in Veritate is like the key to a code or the instruction manual of a celestial telescope kit in which the Holy Father shows how everything fits together and works. It is a long document, but to the point and jam-packed with information. As a papal encyclical, it presents the infallible magisterium of the Church on a subject of hard-to-exaggerate significance; as a work of theology, it is a distillation of Joseph Ratzinger's theological riches mined over the past sixty years; as a rationally sound philisophical treatise, it offers one of the finest examples of our Holy Father's intellectual giftedness; as a blueprint for the Church's social mission in the twenty-first century, it offers not just theoretical groundwork for the hierarchy but practical tips for the laity; as a letter from a spiritual father to his children, it is touched with the childlike humility and charming graciousness for which Pope Benedict has come to be known; as a work of literature, it must surely rank among the great classics of human history. Caritas in Veritate may have been long-awaited, but the wait was well worth it.

Public anticipation of this encyclical was certainly heightened by unstable economic conditions worldwide, leading to the economic crisis that struck the globe like an asteroid in 2008. Just as the United States nonchalantly reveled in its seeming indestructibility prior to 9/11, a widely accepted notion held that the new post-Cold War global economy was immune to recession and failure. In both cases, when the popular myth collapsed, people were left with a sense of disillusionment and started hunting for truthful answers to the question of "what went wrong." In the current case, Catholics and non-Catholics around the world expected that the new social encyclical in the works would have some answers regarding the shortcomings of our contemporary globalization system and how these flaws might be remedied. Thus they looked forward with respectful eagerness to whatever words of wisdom our Holy Father would impart on this complicated issue. Caritas in Veritate does not disappoint at all in this respect either, as we will see.

Critics of Pope Benedict (who are a phenomenon unto themselves, as they have no rational basis for their criticism) foretold that this encyclical would be chiefly a condemnation of Communism or unrestrained capitalism, or both. But these folks ought to know by now that scolding and reviling are not the trademarks of Benedict XVI. While taking accurate and forthright account of the major problems with the current system of globalization, Caritas in Veritate is primarily a positive document. It is an exciting document, because here for the first time we have a truly insightful and accurate analysis of the phenomenon of globalization, enlightened by the full splendor of the Catholic faith, together with a vision of the vast potential that worldwide interdependence has for building a true human family on the basis of charity in truth. It is nothing less than a new vision of globalization that Pope Benedict is presenting to the Church and the world.

The introductory paragraphs of the encyclical, numbers 1 through 9, constitute the solid foundation on which Pope Benedict builds his thesis. In these passages, the Holy Father defines charity and truth, and succinctly explains the link between the two. Both have their origin in God, Who is Eternal Love and Absolute Truth, and both are fully revealed in Jesus Christ. Thus "to defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are... exacting and indispensable forms of charity" (no. 1). In paragraph 2, Pope Benedict says that charity "is the principle not only of micro-relationships (with friends, with family members or within small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic and political ones)." In subsequent chapters of his encyclical, the Pope makes abundantly clear the importance of both the "micro-relationships" and the "macro-relationships" to human society, and that as Catholics we have a responsibility to promote charity and truth in both spheres. Charity and truth are two sides of the same coin: "Truth needs to be sought, found and expressed within the 'economy' of charity," says His Holiness, "but charity in its turn needs to be understood, confirmed and practised in the light of truth." Furthermore, this light is lit by both reason and faith (no. 3). In paragraph 5 the Holy Father defines charity as "love received and given" (note the order of the words: love is first received from God and then given to others), and then points out that this dynamic of charity gives rise to the Church's social teaching, "which is caritas in veritate in re sociali: the proclamation of the truth of Christ's love in society."

In paragraphs 6 and 7, Pope Benedict examines two of the criteria that govern moral action which are relevant to human development in our increasingly globalized society: justice and the common good, respectively. First he deals with the interconnection between charity and justice, noting that we cannot be charitable to others unless we are first just towards them. Moreover, he says that "justice is inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it" (no. 6). The pontiff quotes Pope Paul VI in calling justice the "minimum measure" of charity. In other words, to give people the basic requirements of justice is not a separate issue from charity, but an integral part of it. Then he explains that besides the good of the individual person, there is the good linked to living in society, the common good. "To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity" (no. 7).

But how do we strive towards the common good? In these same two paragraphs, the Supreme Pontiff weaves his answer to this question into a beautiful "theology of the city." Here the Pope is using the word "city" to mean "human community," and he identifies charity and justice as essential ingredients in building this community. He says in number 6 that the earthly city is built up not merely by relationships of rights and duties (justice) but "by relationships of gratuitousness, mercy and communion" (love). Pope Benedict explains what striving for the common good means: "To take a stand for the common good is on the one hand to be solicitous for, and on the other hand to avail oneself of, that complex of institutions that give structure to the life of society, juridically, civilly, politically and culturally, making it the pólis, or “city” (no. 7). He says that every Christian is called to practice charity "in a manner corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of influence he wields" in public life. He then adds: "This is the institutional path — we might also call it the political path — of charity, no less excellent and effective than the kind of charity which encounters the neighbour directly." Putting politics and charity together in the same breath might strike some people as odd, but after all the whole business of politics is to promote the common good. Here the pontiff also confirms the error of some misguided Catholics who have chosen to opt out of political life altogether, and he proclaims that active citizenship is a duty of charity. Thus the Pope echoes the Catholic bishops of the United States, who maintain that "responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation" (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, no. 13). In an increasingly interconnected world, says our Holy Father, the concept of the common good and efforts to obtain it must be broadened in corresponding measure to embrace the entire human family, "that is to say, the community of peoples and nations." Pope Benedict goes on to say that "man's earthly activity, when inspired and sustained by charity, contributes to the building of the universal city of God" in unity and peace (no. 7); it is a prefigurement of the heavenly city, the ultimate goal of human existence.

(This article remains to be continued in a future post.)

Rollin' Along with the Newsboys

The newsboys have been one of my favorite Christian pop/rock bands ever since I was introduced to their music in 2004. My family and I are relatively latecomer fans compared to the legions of music lovers who have been enjoying this group since the 1990s. Perhaps there are also a few Australians who remember the 'boys' independent first release on cassette tape in 1987, He's Coming Back, before they left for the States to sign their first record deal. It was the 1992 release of Not Ashamed on the Star Song label that catapulted the newsboys to fame in the Christian music world. A string of Dove Awards followed, and subsequent albums sold like hotcakes, with many number one hits such as "Shine," "Spirit Thing," "Beautiful Sound" and "Breakfast." In 2002, the year of their CD release Thrive, the newsboys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Next year their first worship album, Adoration, was the third to top the Christian music charts. The favorably reviewed GO album of 2006 was followed by three national concert tours, all of which were very popular. During those tours, the newsboys released a compilation entitled The Greatest Hits. Continuing the theme of motion, in 2008 the band recorded and released a spectacular live concert DVD in Houston, Texas called Houston We Are GO. While I have not yet purchased this album, it is definitely on my list.

What is the secret to the newsboys' phenomenal success in such a highly competitive field as modern Christian music? In answer, I would simply say that the newsboys have been doing their best to proclaim the Gospel message in their music, and to believe and live it in their offstage lives as well. Through the years, their music has sounded consistently positive, uplifting, inspiring and entertaining. Moreover, the newsboys differ from many other pop and rock groups who call themselves Christian but do not faithfully proclaim the Gospel in their music, or do not live as disciples of Jesus. And although the group does not share the fullness of the Christian Gospel truth found in the Catholic Church, it is almost like a Catholic band in its joyful spirit and the peaceful demeanor of its members.

For this ground-breaking, chart-topping, multiple-award-winning contemporary Christian music group, 2009 has been a remarkable milestone year. First, in March band founder and longtime lead vocalist Peter Furler publicly announced his decision to retire from center stage, while continuing his work as producer and songwriter for the band. He also nominated a good friend of the newsboys, Michael Tait, the accomplished leader of dc Talk, to take his place, and Mr. Tait gladly accepted. Then in May, the newsboys' final album recorded before Peter's resignation, In the Hands of God, was released nationwide. In the following weeks it was snapped up by millions, becoming the band's first number-one bestselling Christian album in the United States since "Adoration" had achieved that ranking in 2003. Finally, in October "the new newsboys" took their show on the road with "The Way We Roll" tour, featuring Michael Tait along with veteran band members Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips and Jeff Frankenstein.

When I first heard that Peter Furler had quit his lead role, I considered the newsboys to be disbanded as far as I was concerned, and resolved not to follow them any more or purchase any of their future recordings. However, my opinion and resolution have fortunately changed, and the success of "The Way We Roll" tour has rekindled my enthusiasm for the band. Michael Tait couldn't have been a better choice to carry on the mission of the newsboys. While I still miss Phil Joel and Peter, Duncan and Jeff are familiar faces. Additionally, the return of Jody Davis (the only Catholic member) to the band is a pleasant surprise, and certainly a plus that helps balance out the recent losses. I am now looking forward with genuine interest to the release of the newsboys' first album starring their new lead singer, Michael Tait.

Good luck, 'boys.

Simplify, Simplify

(Continued from previous post)

But despite the grave flaws in Thoreau's philosophy, there are precious nuggets of sound doctrine and timeless truth in his writings. Take, for example, his favorite motto, "Simplify, simplify," a message that the bewilderingly complex modern world would do well to heed. Most of us, most of the time are far too busy for our own good. Allow me to quote from the biography of Thoreau in the book I am reading: "He believed that civilization creates artificial needs, that luxuries become necessities, that men hurry forward in a feverish existence until they lose all purpose in life." (Roy J. DeFerrari et al, ed., American Literature, Seton Press, 1998) Isn't this true of us today? We work so hard for so many years just to make a profit so that we can buy more and more material things that we want, and as a result our whole goal in life becomes to satisfy our never-ending whims and desires. This vicious circle leads to weariness and feelings of emptiness and unhappiness, even to the point where "life is not worth living." The successful billionaire CEO materialist finds to his bitter disappointment that his life has no meaning. Why? Because God created us for more than just material things. He designed our lives for a spiritual purpose, and therefore only spiritual goods--love of God and love of neighbor--can make us truly happy on earth.

But how do we love God? One way we can do this is to enjoy the gifts He has given us, such as the beauty of nature. Thoreau was correct in his appreciation for this gift, which moved him to build a small home amid natural surroundings. I wouldn't recommend living perpetually in the wild as Thoreau did, and most of us couldn't even if we wanted to. However, we can all take a little time now and then to enjoy some natural beauty, and often we don't have to go far from home to find it. It might be a fishing trip to a nearby lake, a nature trail hike, a vacation to a national park or even a birdwatching session in your own backyard. Whatever it is, an experience of God's creation always leaves us with a sense of awe and wonder; it refreshes our spirit; and it refocuses our attention on what matters most in life. We come to realize the truth that God's creation is more important and meaningful than our handheld video games or the milion and one things we can do with our iPhone. Man-made products should improve, complement and enhance our lives, not turn into replacements for what God has made.

One way we can love our neighbor is by sharing some of our excess money and goods with those who are less fortunate. This is where charitable and humanitarian agencies, cordially despised by Thoreau, come in. From the local food pantry to diocesan relief programs to the Missionaries of Charity and Catholic Relief Services to the Boy and Girl Scouts, Red Cross, other Christian charities and even nonreligious organizations such as the Relay for Life, charitable institutions play a very important role in society. They enable those who have everything they need and then some to help those who lack even the basic necessities. Furthermore, many for-profit corporations are now donating a share of their income to programs that benefit people in the poorest parts of the globe. The key to loving your neighbor in this way is to realize that you do not need everything you have or wish to have, and then you find yourself free to give some of that to another person. If instead of unlimited greed and materialism we learned to set limits for ourselves and be content with less, our human civilization would be very different and our world would be a much happier place.

A tantalizing glimpse of this next best thing to paradise on earth is available in the award-winning film Into Great Silence. This intrepid two-hour masterpiece from German film director Philip Groning takes you inside a cloistered Carthusian monastery situated high in the French Alps. The monks who inhabit this enclosure live according to the most strict rule for a Catholic religious order in the world, which demands rigorous lives of prayer, work and contemplation, with conversation virtually prohibited altogether and no CD players, radio, TV or visitors. Yet in spite of their "stern and more than Spartan simplicity of life" (Thoreau), the monks are happy, as evidenced by their laughter during Sunday recreation and their playful games in the winter snow. Why? Because the monks possess spiritual treasure in their exalted love of God and neighbor. Moreover, the movie itself is almost exclusively a succession of candid scenes as it contains no music, no digital special effects, no discernible plot, no explanations of mysterious scenes, almost no dialogue and, as the title suggests, a bare minimum of sound. Yet this film somehow managed to pack theaters across Europe and also has enjoyed significant popularity in the United States. Why? For the same reason the monks are happy: because materialism has failed to satisfy people even in the modern age, leaving them empty and hungry for spiritual goods. Into Great Silence is truly a feast for the spirit that satisfies their hunger.

In the midst of this chopping sea of civilized life such as the clouds and
storms and quicksands and thousand and one items to be allowed for, that a man
has to live, if he would not founder and go to the bottom and not make his port
at all, by dead reckoning; and he must be a great calculator indeed who
succeeds. Simplify, simplify. --Henry David Thoreau

...Such As Literature

After four posts about my book and three about health care reform, it's a pleasure to introduce a new subject to my blog, that of literature. Last night, I was browsing through an old collection of American literature when I came upon some selections from Henry David Thoreau. This unusual writer offers a good example of what happens when a person overreacts to one extreme by swinging to the other. Thoreau was painfully aware of the evils of his day in social institutions, politics, and American society in general, but his response was to withdraw from society altogether and become a hermit on the shore of Walden Pond. This reaction was based on Thoreau's own pessimistic philosophy of life and his excessive distrust of human nature. Human nature is indeed weak, but Thoreau went so far as to assert that no human organization or group was of any value or could contribute any real benefit to humanity.

Such a cynical view is incompatible with Christianity. The Christian believes that Jesus, by the power of his Cross and Resurrection, has adopted us as his sons and daughters and shared with us the power of His Grace, so that we can build a society of true love and faithful service to one another. While the Christian fully realizes that human nature is still weakened due to the effects of original sin, and that these effects have led and will always lead to disorders in society, he hears the voice of God constantly calling him to participate in society precisely to remedy the evils that are present there. We each have a responsibility to work for the common good and for the reform and strengthening of social and civic institutions so they can better fulfill their missions.

Now, I'd like to point out that Thoreau's reaction of abandoning society to its wickedness is fundamentally different from when a person chooses to enter a cloistered convent or a monastery. The Christian who follows God's call to religious life is not turning his back on the cruel world and sardonically wishing it good luck. On the contrary, he is convinced that he and his fellow members of the religious community can do the world even more good by a life of prayer and sacrifice than if they were out in the world. Then a mysterious thing happens. The closer they come to God, the closer monks and nuns are spiritually to all their brothers and sisters outside. And God works through their prayers to bring spiritual blessings to people all over the world.

(To be continued)

Just A Footnote, And Then On To Other Things

I'd like to add a brief footnote to my previous post about the U.S. health care debacle. In this article, I explained that the massive public scrutiny being given to our government's health care reform effort is due to the Obama administration's agenda to increase federal funding of and expand public access to abortion. This is certainly a major reason for this scrutiny, as a result of the fine public awareness efforts of Cardinal Justin Rigali and our Catholic bishops. However, I neglected to fully account for the massive public opposition to President Obama's health care plan expressed at town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks. The foremost reason why Americans are rejecting the health care bills is that they would have to pay for them--and right now, they can't even afford to pay their existing taxes.

We Americans don't want a system of socialized medicine. Yet our Democratic representatives in the House, Senate and White House have been attempting to build just such a system by marketing it to us as "reform" of the current system. However, the American people are not fools. They understand that a government-run health care system costs money. The hundreds of millions and billions of dollars that federal health care would cost is going to have to come from somewhere. Where will it come from if not from the pockets of the American people and their children and grandchildren? In the long run, the only way to support any new federal government program is through tax increases. The economy is on eggshells as it is. If the Obama administration dares to raise taxes on the American people, the economy will grind to a halt.

Of course, many Americans have fortunately wised up to the fact that Democrats (before elections) routinely talk about lowering taxes, and then (after election) break those promises and raise taxes. I would like to ask President Obama: Where is the tax cut you promised for 95 percent of working families? Before election, then-Senator Obama remarked that "the folks out on Main Street" need a hand, and government should extend them a hand with a stimulus package. That much-vaunted stimulus package appears to have instead been a temporary stimulus for Wall Street. Sorry, but I and most other Americans would rather have the government extend us a real, true helping hand--not the greedy open hand of Uncle Sam, but a hand in the form of generous and permanent tax cuts.

One year ago, then-Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin said:

We do need tax relief and Barack Obama even supported increasing taxes as
late as last year [2007] for those families making only $42,000 a year. That's a
lot of middle income average American families to increase taxes on them. I
think that is the way to kill jobs and to continue to harm our economy.

I couldn't agree more, and I think this statement rings even truer now.

Americans in general are opposed to abortion, but they are more strongly opposed to any expansion of it, and they are overwhelmingly against it when it is to be funded with their own hard-earned tax dollars.

My next post will be about a different topic--I promise!

Hurried, Corrupt and Evil Health Care Reform

While I hope to continue to make this blog an interesting and enjoyable place, I feel compelled at this time to express some strong personal convictions about what is happening in the United States right now with health care reform. In recent months and especially in the last few weeks, this has swelled into a big issue, almost rivaling the economic crisis in media attention and in many Americans' minds. Why?

Well, for one thing, everyone recognizes that the U.S. health care system is in dire need of reform (and frankly, just about every other system in this country run by the federal government is in the same boat). The percentage of Americans who lack health insurance has grown substantially in recent years, medical costs have skyrocketed, and many people are not getting the health care they need. Health care is a complex multifaceted issue that involves both the public and private sectors and directly affects all Americans sooner or later. Thus, reform of this system is a big project likely to draw wide attention.

But more than that, health care reform is in the spotlight right now because the administration of President Barack Obama has made it a priority. "Health care reform can not wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year," as President Obama famously declared near the middle of his first year in office. The president has been pushing Congress to quickly pass new legislation that would supposedly deliver better and more accessible health care to the American people.

I have to wonder, though: Why such a rush to health care reform? You can't fix a broken system overnight, whether it’s the economy or health care. Reform is a major undertaking that requires careful research and accurate analysis of the situation, together with a generous period of honest public discussion and debate concerning short-term, medium-term and long-term measures that should be taken to correctly address the situation. Moreover, these elements of reform need the foundation of common moral and ethical guiding principles.

None of these requirements are being met in the current rush to draft and pass health care bills. As a result, U.S. health care reform is on the road to disaster.

So again, why this hurried effort by the Obama administration to enact health care reform? The administration has its reasons for hurrying. One is that they have a semi-secret agenda to accomplish, and this agenda collides head-on with the will of the American people. Whether the mainstream media will acknowledge it or not, there is in fact a fundamental issue even more important to Americans than the twin heavyweights of economic recovery and quality health care. That issue is the right to life of every human being, especially the most innocent and defenseless--the unborn child in the womb.

In Washington, health care reform is being touted merely as a ruse. It serves as a convenient vehicle to advance the Obama administration’s ever more urgent hidden agenda. That agenda is to increase federal funding of, and expand public access to, abortion. And this is the most important reason why health care reform has drawn the scrutiny of Americans right now.

The urgency of this semi-secret agenda from the viewpoint of its proponents becomes clear when we look at trends in recent years. Since 1993, the annual number of abortions and abortion providers in the United States has been in steady decline. U.S. voters across this country (a majority of whom are women) have built and continue to support a vast infrastructure of state restrictions on abortion, from parental notification laws to bans on state funding for abortions to sonogram viewing and waiting period requirements for pregnant girls prior to their scheduled abortion procedure. These laws, together with adoption, crisis pregnancy care centers and various outreach programs, have been wonderfully beneficial for women, for their unborn children and for society itself. Meanwhile, polls have confirmed that an increasing percentage of American citizens oppose the legalization of abortion through the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. As of this writing, survey reports indicate that a majority of the American people are pro-life.

However, in Congress the overall trend with abortion has been moving in the opposite direction, especially since a Democratic majority came to power in 2006 in the House and Senate. In 2007 Representative Jerry Nadler and Senator Barbara Boxer introduced an infamous joint resolution deceptively named the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). The contents of this revolting abortion bill are so evil and frightening that it could only have come straight from Hell and been conceived by the Devil himself. It would have, at one stroke, demolished all state restrictions on abortion. Moreover, this draconian bill would have far surpassed Roe v. Wade in elevating abortion to the status of a “fundamental human right” subject to unlimited government funding and support. Apparently our Congressional representatives intended to remove every legal barrier and provide every possible incentive for Americans to murder their offspring.

So a rift has opened up between the American people and their federal government on the issue of abortion, and in the past few years this rift has been growing increasingly wider. The Obama administration may have given up on FOCA due to massive public opposition (thank God), but it is still bound and determined to enact at least some of FOCA’s provisions into law—for example, the sickening concept of “abortion coverage” as a “health benefit”—whether the American people support them or not.

And what is driving this wicked agenda to ram abortion down our throats? The answer is money. Abortion is still a big, $100 million-per-year business that makes a handful of people and companies in the U.S. quite wealthy. But with the gradual nationwide decline in demand for killing “services” and a fervent pro-life ethic among the younger generation of Americans, abortion providers face the real threat of going out of business altogether sometime within the next decade or two. Thus to salvage a sinking enterprise, the multimillion-dollar abortion industry has turned to the rich and powerful federal government for a hand--just as the financial institutions have turned to the same government for rescue from annihilation since late last year. In both cases, the government has generously responded with legislation and fiat money. This administration is not serving our interests but the interests of rich and powerful lobby groups on Capitol Hill. In my estimation, the Obama administration is the most corrupt administration in American history.

This is another reason for the race to health care reform: President Obama and his cronies don’t want Americans to find out the truth behind their new health care policies. In a democracy, corruption has to hurry or else it can’t achieve its ends. Too much research, analysis, discussion and debate—essential for proper reform and healthy for democracy—would expose this corrupt agenda and result in its doom. The “hurried” and “evil” aspects of health care reform both result from the driving force of corruption. Transparency and accountability are crucial for the correct functioning of democracy, yet little of either is evident with our government’s rapidly coalescing health care plan.

So given the divergence between American respect for life on the one hand and governmental obsession with death on the other, our leaders are forced to pretend that they are representing the wishes of the people while they pursue an agenda contrary to those wishes. How long they can keep up this charade remains to be seen in these uncertain and unpredictable times. However, a few things are certain. The American people want affordable health care reform that respects life. Their elected representatives want a health care plan that pads their own pockets and funds murder. Sooner or later, either the abortion industry or its puppet government or both will cave in. But the pro-life movement in this country is strong, it is steadily advancing, and it is destined to win.

Attention: "FOCA-by-Stealth" At Work

Yesterday I received the following press release from the Catholic League via email that merits much wider attention:

HEALTH CARE BILL:
FREEDOM OF CHOICE ACT BY OTHER MEANS?

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the proposed health care legislation favored by the Obama administration:

On July 17, 2007, President Obama told his pro-abortion fans at Planned Parenthood that “the first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).” Two years later, FOCA has yet to be reintroduced. But there are no signs that Planned Parenthood is disappointed, and that’s because Obama is delivering FOCA by stealth.

The principal reason why FOCA was not reintroduced was due to opposition from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Under the tutelage of Francis Cardinal George, head of the USCCB, and Justin Cardinal Rigali, head of the pro-life committee of the USCCB, the bishops made it clear that they would fight tooth and nail any attempt to get FOCA signed into law. Obama got the word, as did the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Jerry Nadler and Sen. Barbara Boxer. But that didn’t derail the pro-abortion forces from trying some back door maneuvering.

The USCCB believes, as does the Obama administration, that health care is a human right. The health care bills that have been served up by supporters of Obama, however, have provisions that mirror the most draconian elements found in FOCA. To be specific, in the past week, an amendment by Sen. Mike Enzi explicitly denying abortion coverage was defeated. When Sen. Orrin Hatch asked Sen. Barbara Mikulski if she would clarify her amendment so that abortion services would not be mandated, she said no; the amendment passed.

In other words, stealth politics is at work. No, FOCA is not on the table, but central provisions of it have made their way into the health care reform bills. What is most disturbing about all of this is that the public is being hoodwinked: most have no idea of the games that are being played. All the more reason why a national discussion on this issue needs to begin immediately.

###

First of all, thank you to our bishops for their moral strength and fortitude in courageously defending the right to life of the unborn.

I would like to add to this, that another principal reason why the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) has not been reintroduced in the U.S. Congress is due to overwhelming opposition from the American people! As of this writing, more than 700,000 people have signed the Fight FOCA Petition (at www.fightfoca.com), a project of Americans United for Life (AUL). Why? Because Americans do not want all restrictions on abortion nationwide removed. They do not want abortions to be carried out by non-physicians (which would be extremely dangerous for women!) They do not want religious hospitals and health care facilities to be forced to kill unborn babies against their belief (doesn't sound like any freedom of choice there). And they do not want Big Government using their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to pay for other people's abortions, with the economy going down the tubes to boot.

As a result of this opposition to their bill, FOCA advocates have reverted to a more subtle strategy which AUL dubs "FOCA-by-Stealth." This involves slipping key provisions of FOCA into Congressional bills that deal with health care reform, such as the one mentioned above. If this bill passes Congress and gets signed into law by the president, every family in the United States would have access to free abortions paid for under the law by American taxpayers through Washington, D.C. I don't think Bill Donohue was exaggerating when he referred to this measure as draconian.

If this bill makes you unhappy, then this post has served its purpose. The more Americans become aware of FOCA-by-Stealth, the easier it will be to defeat. I will continue to expose FOCA-by-Stealth in future posts as the occasion arises.

Radio Interview

I have some exciting news to share with all of you! On July 8 I received an invitation from the local radio station WCIT 940 AM in Lima, Ohio, to give an interview about my book America's Back-Door Enemy. My marketing agent informed me of the invitation through email and I accepted it yesterday.

The interview will be on Talk with Ron Williams this coming Wednesday, July 15, at 3:05 PM Eastern time. It will be conducted over the phone, so I won't even have to leave the house. Wonderful!

If you are not in the Lima area, you can listen to the interview live by logging onto WCIT's website, http://www.940wcit.com/, and clicking on the "Listen Live" icon. If you happen to miss the live broadcast, you can still listen to the interview by clicking on "Talk with Ron Williams" and then "Hour 1 of the July 15 Show."

I look forward to talking about my book with Ron, and I gladly appreciate your prayers that all goes well!

Breaking News: Book Officially Released

On June 23, my first book America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists was officially released by Tate Publishing & Enterprises. This was a proud day for me as a young author, and roughly coincided with my four-year anniversary of beginning to write the book. (I started the first draft manuscript in early June 2005, although I cannot remember the exact date.)

From my viewpoint as author, the release date represents the culmination of a long and involved process that includes researching, writing, rewriting, submitting, finding a publisher, editing, and getting a book published. But for the staff at the publisher, things are only just beginning. They accepted the manuscript, helped me prepare it for publication, printed the book, prepared it for distribution, and developed a marketing strategy to get bookstores interested in the book. Now, finally, Tate Publishing can begin marketing and distributing the book to thousands of bookstores across the United States, giving it a chance to succeed.

There's a lot more to it than that, but it all boils down to this: As of June 23, America's Back-Door Enemy is now widely accessible through both traditional and online bookstores.

1. The book is available from Borders, Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore if that store is plugged into the Ingram/Spring Arbor distribution system (more than 25,000 bookstores in the U.S. are part of this system). If this store does not happen to have the book in stock, you may order it through them and expect delivery within a few weeks.

2. The book is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Target.com and other websites.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions regarding the book and my blog.

...And Here Is My First Book!

(Photo courtesy Tate Publishing)

I'm excited to inform you that my first book, America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists, has finally been published! It is now available from Tate Publishing & Enterprises at http://www.tatepublishing.com/. It is also available in the form of an audio book (set of CDs) and as an electronic book (e-book) that you can read on your computer.

Based on two years of extensive independent research, America's Back-Door Enemy offers a fresh look at terrorism and America's response to it. Starting with the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it begins to explain what terrorism is, what Osama bin Laden is really up to, how the Taliban sheltered al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan, why the United States invaded Iraq, and much more. Also, as the title implies, this book lifts the lid on a conspiracy involving certain members of the U. S. and Israeli governments--a conspiracy in which terrorism is exploited to serve their own political and financial ends. All this and more is discussed from the clear moral perspective of Catholicism and America's Founding Fathers.

Stay tuned for more information about the book in upcoming posts. In addition, I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the book.

Introduction: This Is My First Post, On My First Blog!

Well, it took me four years to start my own blog, but here it is, finally. I have long dreamed of starting my own "real" website, but was always deterred by the monthly costs and time involved. I've since come to realize that a blog site is the next best thing--especially for a writer.

I am what may be described as a very traditionally-minded young person. When I first heard of "blogs" about seven years ago, I thought they were exotic, outlandish or a waste of time. But since then, the popularity of blogs and blogging on the Internet has exploded exponentially (just like the Internet itself and every other invention of the Digital Age). I resisted getting my own blog because I felt strongly that the "blogosphere," as it has come to be called, was just another symptom of modern cultural decay. The few blogs I had visited confirmed my generalized opinion: they were full of banal, meaningless chatter ridden with twenty-first-century slang that actually passed for "writing" about immoral subjects or topics that did not interest me in the slightest. Well, generalized negative opinions are often wrong, and this one was no exception. The realm of blogs is not uniformly dark. At best, the type of blog I just described can serve purely educational or recreational purposes; at worst, it is simply (like the Internet itself) another agent of the culture of death.

As the blogosphere expanded, I gradually got to know, and occasionally even visit, some really good blogs (which I will be recommending here). It dawned on me that the instrument of the blog can be used for good or for evil. So why not use it for good? After all, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have given us a challenge: They have called on us to use all the modern means of social communication available to evangelize the world, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and to foster a renewal of the Christian culture that gave birth to our Western civilization. I'm ready to answer that challenge right here on my first blog.

The main topics I currently plan to write about here are my first book, abortion & the pro-life movement, American politics and elections, the economic crisis, U.S. and world news stories that grab my attention, the Catholic Church, and anything else that interests me.

Enjoy the site, and feel free to post your comments below.