lifesitenews--2020-09-21--Catholic bishops are pushing anti-Catholic sex education for British kids

September 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Two weeks ago , on the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary , I knelt with two others in front of Westminster Cathedral , the magnificent Byzantine-style mother church of the premier diocese of England and Wales , and the seat of Britain ’ s only cardinal , Vincent Nichols .
We prayed the rosary together for our bishops .
We had already written to them : we , and supporters or our three organizations , which have come together for this cause — the Society for the Protection of Unborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Latin Mass Society , of which I am the chairman — and we received formulaic responses from most of them , telling us that everything will be fine .
But it is already not fine , and we can all read for ourselves the legislation and official guidance , which will before long be enforced on schools under our bishops ’ authority , which will make things even less fine .
For this legislation is imposing a program of “ Personal , Health , and Sex Education ” ( PHSE ) that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child in the womb is just one acceptable option among others , and that Christian marriage is just one lifestyle choice alongside same-sex unions and every other possibility .
We know from the lesson plans , produced not only by the government , but by the bishops ’ own agency , the Catholic Education Service , that children in schools claiming to be Catholic and funded in part by Catholic offertory collections are already bullying , browbeating , and shaming children who dare to give voice to their instinctive regard for natural marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enforced with greater and greater rigor when the new legislation comes into force next year , after a delay caused by the coronavirus .
It is time for Catholic parents to wake up to the problem .
I set out some concerns about this back in 2009 : things have become immeasurably worse since then .
They have worsened , indeed , even since a deplorable 2017 document was published by the Catholic Education Service , which was roundly criticized .
The details of the new law and its implications are given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some schools will manage this problem better than others , and parental interest and involvement have the potential to make an important difference .
But even the best schools are going to be hamstrung by the new rules .
With Catholic schools , the buck stops with the bishops .
Why have the bishops been so reluctant even to talk about the issue — even to alert Catholic parents about the problem and engage their support in putting a Catholic point of view to the government ?
I can ’ t probe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few things are clear .
One is that they have surrounded themselves with functionaries who support the sex education agenda , who have contributed to a consensus in the Catholic education establishment that the people opposing this agenda are extremists .
Another is that the bishops do not like being drawn into public controversies .
It would be tempting to think that this is because they ’ d like to see themselves as establishment figures like Anglican bishops , who wield influence behind the scenes but are publicly friendly to everyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy to jump into public controversies .
Over certain issues , they have arguably even made fools of themselves in doing so , but at any rate , they aren ’ t setting an example of political neutrality .
Perhaps the most important factor is that this is an issue on which the weight of the establishment and elite opinion is very firmly against Catholic principles .
When some Muslims in Birmingham began to protest about sex education , the criticism they received was like nothing I have seen before .
After an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commons , John Bercow , then speaker of the House , who is supposed to keep the order of debate , decided to break precedent in order to make his own contribution , so strongly did he feel that all the other condemnations of the Birmingham parents would be incomplete without his own .
In the meantime , their local Labor Party M.P.
, who had supported them , ended up condemning them .
The reason for this is that what started out as a program to stop teenage girls getting pregnant has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ homophobia , ” a concept being given wider and wider meaning .
It is today far from clear that to quote the Bible or the Catechism on the subject of homosexual sex acts in public in the U.K. would even be lawful .
In the USA , Cardinal Tobin , for his part , has described the Catechism ’ s language as “ very unfortunate.
” This is not the situation one would wish for in beginning a campaign of opposition to government policy .
Perhaps the bishops regret not being more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
But our children are going to school now , and we lay people don ’ t have the option to pretend the issue isn ’ t there and wait for better times .

September 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Two weeks ago, on the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, I knelt with two others in front of Westminster Cathedral, the magnificent Byzantine-style mother church of the premier diocese of England and Wales, and the seat of Britain’s only cardinal, Vincent Nichols. We prayed the rosary together for our bishops. We had already written to them: we, and supporters or our three organizations, which have come together for this cause — the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, Catholic Man UK, and the Latin Mass Society, of which I am the chairman — and we received formulaic responses from most of them, telling us that everything will be fine.
But it is already not fine, and we can all read for ourselves the legislation and official guidance, which will before long be enforced on schools under our bishops’ authority, which will make things even less fine. For this legislation is imposing a program of “Personal, Health, and Sex Education” (PHSE) that demands that choosing not to kill the child in the womb is just one acceptable option among others, and that Christian marriage is just one lifestyle choice alongside same-sex unions and every other possibility. We know from the lesson plans, produced not only by the government, but by the bishops’ own agency, the Catholic Education Service, that children in schools claiming to be Catholic and funded in part by Catholic offertory collections are already bullying, browbeating, and shaming children who dare to give voice to their instinctive regard for natural marriage. This approach will be rolled out and enforced with greater and greater rigor when the new legislation comes into force next year, after a delay caused by the coronavirus.
It is time for Catholic parents to wake up to the problem. I set out some concerns about this back in 2009: things have become immeasurably worse since then. They have worsened, indeed, even since a deplorable 2017 document was published by the Catholic Education Service, which was roundly criticized. The details of the new law and its implications are given in this helpful document by the SPUC.
Some schools will manage this problem better than others, and parental interest and involvement have the potential to make an important difference. But even the best schools are going to be hamstrung by the new rules. With Catholic schools, the buck stops with the bishops. Why have the bishops been so reluctant even to talk about the issue — even to alert Catholic parents about the problem and engage their support in putting a Catholic point of view to the government?
I can’t probe the hearts of the bishops, but a few things are clear. One is that they have surrounded themselves with functionaries who support the sex education agenda, who have contributed to a consensus in the Catholic education establishment that the people opposing this agenda are extremists.
Another is that the bishops do not like being drawn into public controversies. It would be tempting to think that this is because they’d like to see themselves as establishment figures like Anglican bishops, who wield influence behind the scenes but are publicly friendly to everyone. However, Anglican bishops are often quite happy to jump into public controversies. Over certain issues, they have arguably even made fools of themselves in doing so, but at any rate, they aren’t setting an example of political neutrality.
Perhaps the most important factor is that this is an issue on which the weight of the establishment and elite opinion is very firmly against Catholic principles. When some Muslims in Birmingham began to protest about sex education, the criticism they received was like nothing I have seen before. After an extraordinarily one-sided debate in the House of Commons, John Bercow, then speaker of the House, who is supposed to keep the order of debate, decided to break precedent in order to make his own contribution, so strongly did he feel that all the other condemnations of the Birmingham parents would be incomplete without his own.
On the strength of experience, we cannot appease bigots and homophobes; we have to confront them and defeat them. My strong sense is that there is unity across the House in that conviction.
In the meantime, their local Labor Party M.P., who had supported them, ended up condemning them.
The reason for this is that what started out as a program to stop teenage girls getting pregnant has turned into a program to stamp out “homophobia,” a concept being given wider and wider meaning. It is today far from clear that to quote the Bible or the Catechism on the subject of homosexual sex acts in public in the U.K. would even be lawful. In the USA, Cardinal Tobin, for his part, has described the Catechism’s language as “very unfortunate.”
This is not the situation one would wish for in beginning a campaign of opposition to government policy. Perhaps the bishops regret not being more assertive about the issue twenty or more years ago. But our children are going to school now, and we lay people don’t have the option to pretend the issue isn’t there and wait for better times.
Follow Joseph Dr Joseph Shaw has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also gained a first degree in Politics and Philosophy and a graduate Diploma in Theology. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and is the editor of The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and Secretary of Una Voce International. He teaches Philosophy in Oxford University and lives nearby with his wife and nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-21--‘APOCALYPSE NOW’: America braces for bitter Supreme Court confirmation fight weeks before election

September 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18 has raised the stakes of the 2020 presidential election even higher than they were before , with just weeks to go before election day .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already promised that the U.S. Senate will vote on President Donald Trump ’ s nominee .
If the Senate does indeed vote , this will be the third Supreme Court vacancy President Donald Trump will fill – or attempt to fill – during his first term .
Commenting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the doors of the Supreme Court before Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in , “ It was madness in Washington , ” Fox News host Laura Ingraham said on her show The Ingraham Angle Friday night .
Quipping that summer 2020 has been a “ summer of love ” filled with riots and civil unrest , she then grimly said , “ I don ’ t know what the ‘ fall of love ’ is going to look like.
” During a rally in North Carolina on September 19 , Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg was the second woman to be nominated to the high court .
Amy Coney Barrett is often the first name pro-lifers bring up in the context of Trump ’ s next Supreme Court appointment , but she is far from the only possibility .
Barrett , a Catholic mother of seven , became famous when Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA ) interrogated her about her Catholic faith during her confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 .
“ The dogma lives loudly within you , ” Feinstein told Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Notre Dame law professor .
On September 9 , Trump released another list of people he ’ d consider nominating to the high court .
Among them are pro-life Senators Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) , Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) , and Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) , although it ’ s unlikely any of them will be nominated .
Hawley tweeted Saturday morning that he will only vote to confirm Supreme Court nominees “ who understand and acknowledge that Roe [ v. Wade ] was wrongly decided.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Allison Jones Rushing and Barbara Lagoa .
The former , who is evangelical , previously interned for Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ) and now sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit .
The latter was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Florida .
Rushing ’ s connection to ADF and her youth – she ’ s in her late 30s , a full 10 years younger than Barrett – make her a stalwart social conservative candidate .
Lagoa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not seem to have much of a record on abortion , but her nomination could galvanize the swing voters of Florida to turn out for Trump once again .
Also on Trump ’ s new list of possible nominees is Sarah Pitlyk .
Pitlyk , a Catholic , was part of the defense team for Center for Medical Progress head David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood ’ s case against him for exposing the abortion giant ’ s sale of organs from aborted babies .
It is worth noting that Catholic Supreme Court justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the late Antonin Scalia , are far from guaranteed to rule on or express in their dissents support for the side of unborn children and natural law .
Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy , a Catholic , infamously paved the way for legal recognition of homosexual unions , ultimately as “ marriages.
” Obama appointee Justice Sonia Sotomayor , who always sides with the court ’ s liberal wing , including on abortion , homosexuality , and transgenderism , is a non-practicing Catholic .
Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh are also Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobby in June Medical Services v. Russo this past summer and upheld pro-abortion , pro-contraception Obamacare .
Although Kavanaugh dissented from Bostock v. Clayton County , which wrote transgenderism into 1964 civil rights law , he nevertheless praised its outcome , saying he merely disagreed with the court ’ s reasoning in getting there .
Justice Neil Gorsuch was also “ raised Catholic , ” according to CNN – and therefore presumably baptized Catholic – yet he authored the Court ’ s opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County .
Three Republican senators whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has become increasingly anti-Trump and liberal during his time in the Senate , and pro-abortion Susan Collins ( R-ME ) and Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) .
Also of note : Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) – Joe Biden ’ s running mate – is on the Senate Judiciary Committee .
Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) is a key member of the Judiciary Committee .
As of press time he has not yet shared his thoughts on the timing of a vote on a nominee , instead tweeting about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yard .
Supreme Court must ‘ reckon with its own sins against human rights ’ Pro-life and conservative leaders expressed their condolences to Ginsburg ’ s family and emphasized the significance of this moment in American history .
“ May God have mercy on her soul , ” said John-Henry Westen , co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of LifeSiteNews .
“ Justice Ginsburg was known for her friendship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia , a pro-life Catholic who attended the Traditional Latin Mass .
We hope that his faith had an impact on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she repented of her pro-abortion activism at the end.
” Penny Nance , CEO and president of Concerned Women for America ( CWA ) , commented , “ CWA women pray for God ’ s comfort over Justice Ginsburg ’ s family .
We appreciate her role as a trailblazer for women , even as we disagreed with her judicial philosophy .
May she rest in peace.
” Nance continued , “ At the same time , our happy warrior women are battle-tested and know what to expect from the left on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stake when it comes to the U.S. Supreme Court , and we are ready to withstand the left ’ s radical attacks on any nominee .
If there is one thing we learned from what they did to Justice Brett Kavanaugh , it is that it doesn ’ t matter who the nominee is , nor his or her record .
What matters to the radical left is that it is President Donald Trump ’ s nominee .
Not even truth mattered to them with the nomination of Kavanaugh.
” Marjorie Dannenfelser , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said this is a “ turning point.
” “ We offer our sincere condolences to Justice Ginsburg ’ s children , grandchildren , extended family , friends , and colleagues , ” said Marjorie Dannenfelser , President of the Susan B. Anthony List .
“ This is a turning point for the nation in the fight to protect its most vulnerable , the unborn .
The pro-life grassroots have full confidence that President Trump , Leader McConnell , Chairman Graham , and every pro-life senator will move swiftly to fill this vacancy.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Life of America , said Ginsburg ’ s death underscores just how important the U.S. Supreme Court is .
“ The pro-life movement has been waiting since 1973 to reverse the callous and intellectually bankrupt decisions found in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton .
Those two infamous cases have made the deaths of more than 60 million baby boys and baby girls possible and allowed a predatory abortion industry to end life through all [ nine ] months of pregnancy.
” Live Action president and founder Lila Rose said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own sins against human rights.
” “ Like Dredd Scott , Plessy v. Ferguson , and Korematsu , Roe v. Wade casts a dark shadow on America 's justice system , which enshrines equal protection under the law for all people , ” said Rose .
“ It is time for the Court to uphold the rights and dignity of preborn children guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution .
Because when the right to life is disregarded , all other constitutional rights fall prey to the abuses of arbitrary power and tyranny.
” Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been waiting for since the first state decriminalized abortion in 1968 .
This is the moment that President Trump ’ s decision can shift the Court away from its current pro-abortion bent .
With this nominee , he can literally save millions of innocent lives throughout future generations and restore a respect for human life that has been deteriorating in our culture .
It is likely the most important decision he will make as [ p ] resident .
Operation Rescue calls on President Trump to act quickly to select a pro-life nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principles .
We call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold hearings on that nomination at the earliest possible moment – preferably before the November election .
We also call on Senate Republicans to put aside differences and unite behind President Trump ’ s nominee for the sake of our country and our posterity .
Elections have consequences , and the fact that President Trump has every legal right to appoint a Supreme Court nominee at any point during his term , whether it is an election year or not , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply not acceptable .
The pro-abortion left used similarly strong language in their statements on the death of Ginsburg Ginsburg , a pro-abortion feminist icon , but suggested that a possible “ apocalypse ” is here .
“ APOCALYPSE NOW , ” the Huffington Post ’ s masthead blared on September 19 , with an image of a coat hanger , a reference to the “ backalley abortion ” myth that before abortion on demand was imposed on America , unborn humans were killed via coat hangers .
Alexis McGill Johnson , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business Planned Parenthood , said , “ this is not an understatement : The fate of our rights , our freedoms , our health care , our bodies , our lives , and our country depend on what happens over the coming months.
” Johnson also said , “ To be very clear , it would be an absolute slap in the face to the millions of Americans who honor and cherish Justice Ginsburg ’ s legacy if President Trump and Mitch McConnell were to replace her with someone who would undo her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rights and freedoms for which she fought so hard , ” as if it would be unthinkable for Ginsburg ’ s seat to be occupied by anyone other than a pro-abortion feminist .
“ We must fight like hell to prevent Mitch McConnell , Donald Trump , and Senate Republicans from stealing yet another Supreme Court seat , ” said Illyse Hogue , president of NARAL .
“ They have been chomping at the bit waiting for this moment , and their end goal ― to end the legal right to abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of the values of a vast majority of Americans : that politicians have no place in personal decisions about pregnancy.
” As has been the case during ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and high-profile liberal events , leftists once again ignored their much-touted “ social distancing ” guidelines Friday night to gather on the steps of the Supreme Court , singing John Lennon ’ s “ Imagine ” and placing flowers on the steps .
If their public statements about the confirmation process are to be believed , though , they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Daily Wire reported that on Friday , “ After a number of speeches and an impromptu memorial , protesters called up the location of Mitch McConnell ’ s D.C. home and marched over.
” People also gathered at the Supreme Court on Saturday night , taking a more political tone .
Some on the left have began calling for a “ revolution , ” “ court packing , ” and to “ burn it down ” ( language warning for one of the following tweets ) :

'The pro-life grassroots have full confidence that President Trump, Leader McConnell, Chairman Graham, and every pro-life senator will move swiftly to fill this vacancy.'
ANALYSIS
September 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18 has raised the stakes of the 2020 presidential election even higher than they were before, with just weeks to go before election day.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already promised that the U.S. Senate will vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee.
The Senate and the nation mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the conclusion of her extraordinary American life. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/NOwYLhDxIk — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 19, 2020
If the Senate does indeed vote, this will be the third Supreme Court vacancy President Donald Trump will fill – or attempt to fill – during his first term.
Commenting on the widely-viewed video footage of leftists banging on the doors of the Supreme Court before Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in, “It was madness in Washington,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham said on her show The Ingraham Angle Friday night. Quipping that summer 2020 has been a “summer of love” filled with riots and civil unrest, she then grimly said, “I don’t know what the ‘fall of love’ is going to look like.”
During a rally in North Carolina on September 19, Trump said his nominee will be a woman. Ginsburg was the second woman to be nominated to the high court.
Amy Coney Barrett is often the first name pro-lifers bring up in the context of Trump’s next Supreme Court appointment, but she is far from the only possibility. Barrett, a Catholic mother of seven, became famous when Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) interrogated her about her Catholic faith during her confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017.
“The dogma lives loudly within you,” Feinstein told Barrett, who at the time was a University of Notre Dame law professor.
On September 9, Trump released another list of people he’d consider nominating to the high court. Among them are pro-life Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Tom Cotton (R-AR), although it’s unlikely any of them will be nominated.
Hawley tweeted Saturday morning that he will only vote to confirm Supreme Court nominees “who understand and acknowledge that Roe [v. Wade] was wrongly decided.”
Two months ago, I pledged to vote only for #SCOTUS nominees who understand and acknowledge that Roe was wrongly decided. I stand by that commitment, and I call on my fellow Republican senators to take the same stand — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 19, 2020
In addition to Barrett, two female possibilities are Allison Jones Rushing and Barbara Lagoa. The former, who is evangelical, previously interned for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and now sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The latter was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Florida.
Rushing’s connection to ADF and her youth – she’s in her late 30s, a full 10 years younger than Barrett – make her a stalwart social conservative candidate. Lagoa is in her 50s, and does not seem to have much of a record on abortion, but her nomination could galvanize the swing voters of Florida to turn out for Trump once again.
NEW: Source familiar with WH vetting process tells me WH would like to announce #SCOTUS nomination in the next ten days, before 1st Presidential debate & these 3 judges are getting serious consideration: Judge Amy Coney Barrett
Judge Barbara Lagoa
Judge Amul Thapar @CBSNews — Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) September 19, 2020
NEW — Trump told McConnell in a conversation last night that he liked Amy Coney Barrett (7th Cir) and Barbara Lagoa (11th) as a potential RBG successor, per people familiar. McConnell didn't throw out names, only promised Trump a floor vote https://t.co/JCeQbuNcBP — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 19, 2020
Also on Trump’s new list of possible nominees is Sarah Pitlyk. Pitlyk, a Catholic, was part of the defense team for Center for Medical Progress head David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood’s case against him for exposing the abortion giant’s sale of organs from aborted babies.
It is worth noting that Catholic Supreme Court justices, with the exceptions of Clarence Thomas and the late Antonin Scalia, are far from guaranteed to rule on or express in their dissents support for the side of unborn children and natural law.
Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Catholic, infamously paved the way for legal recognition of homosexual unions, ultimately as “marriages.”
Obama appointee Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who always sides with the court’s liberal wing, including on abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism, is a non-practicing Catholic.
Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh are also Catholic. The former sided with the abortion lobby in June Medical Services v. Russo this past summer and upheld pro-abortion, pro-contraception Obamacare. Although Kavanaugh dissented from Bostock v. Clayton County, which wrote transgenderism into 1964 civil rights law, he nevertheless praised its outcome, saying he merely disagreed with the court’s reasoning in getting there.
Justice Neil Gorsuch was also “raised Catholic,” according to CNN – and therefore presumably baptized Catholic – yet he authored the Court’s opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County.
Three Republican senators whose votes will be crucial are Mitt Romney, who has become increasingly anti-Trump and liberal during his time in the Senate, and pro-abortion Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Also of note: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) – Joe Biden’s running mate – is on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is a key member of the Judiciary Committee. As of press time he has not yet shared his thoughts on the timing of a vote on a nominee, instead tweeting about finding a dead bird in his front yard.
If u lost ur pet pidgin /it’s dead in front yard my Iowa farm JUST DISCOVERED here r identifiers Right leg Blue 2020/3089/AU2020/SHE ///LEFT LEG GREEN BAND NO PRINTED INFO. Sorry for bad news — ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 19, 2020
Politico reported:
Several Senate Republicans in competitive elections — McSally and Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, both of whom were appointed to their seats — immediately called for the Senate to vote on Trump’s nominee to the court. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina joined them on Saturday, saying in a statement that he will support a Trump nominee. Other senators released statements praising Ginsburg’s life and service to the country, but did not say where they stood on replacing her prior to the presidential inauguration next January.
Supreme Court must ‘reckon with its own sins against human rights’
Pro-life and conservative leaders expressed their condolences to Ginsburg’s family and emphasized the significance of this moment in American history.
“May God have mercy on her soul,” said John-Henry Westen, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of LifeSiteNews. “Justice Ginsburg was known for her friendship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a pro-life Catholic who attended the Traditional Latin Mass. We hope that his faith had an impact on her later in her life, and that she repented of her pro-abortion activism at the end.”
Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America (CWA), commented, “CWA women pray for God’s comfort over Justice Ginsburg’s family. We appreciate her role as a trailblazer for women, even as we disagreed with her judicial philosophy. May she rest in peace.”
Nance continued, “At the same time, our happy warrior women are battle-tested and know what to expect from the left on this issue. They understand what is at stake when it comes to the U.S. Supreme Court, and we are ready to withstand the left’s radical attacks on any nominee. If there is one thing we learned from what they did to Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it is that it doesn’t matter who the nominee is, nor his or her record. What matters to the radical left is that it is President Donald Trump’s nominee. Not even truth mattered to them with the nomination of Kavanaugh.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said this is a “turning point.”
“We offer our sincere condolences to Justice Ginsburg’s children, grandchildren, extended family, friends, and colleagues,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List. “This is a turning point for the nation in the fight to protect its most vulnerable, the unborn. The pro-life grassroots have full confidence that President Trump, Leader McConnell, Chairman Graham, and every pro-life senator will move swiftly to fill this vacancy.”
We gotta hit those Rosary beads for the Supreme Court!!! — Dr Taylor Marshall ������ (@TaylorRMarshall) September 19, 2020
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said Ginsburg’s death underscores just how important the U.S. Supreme Court is. “The pro-life movement has been waiting since 1973 to reverse the callous and intellectually bankrupt decisions found in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Those two infamous cases have made the deaths of more than 60 million baby boys and baby girls possible and allowed a predatory abortion industry to end life through all [nine] months of pregnancy.”
Live Action president and founder Lila Rose said the Supreme Court must “reckon with its own sins against human rights.”
“Like Dredd Scott, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Korematsu, Roe v. Wade casts a dark shadow on America's justice system, which enshrines equal protection under the law for all people,” said Rose. “It is time for the Court to uphold the rights and dignity of preborn children guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Because when the right to life is disregarded, all other constitutional rights fall prey to the abuses of arbitrary power and tyranny.”
Rose added:
As our President and Senate now look to the great responsibility of swiftly confirming a new justice, we the people must insist the Supreme Court uphold the principle of equal protection under the law guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which declares that no person shall be deprived of life without due process. For nearly 50 years, the Supreme Court has twisted the U.S. Constitution to permit the lawless killing of 60 million children in the womb. Every day in our nation, 2,363 children with a beautiful future ahead are poisoned, dismembered, and suctioned to death by abortion. This is the greatest injustice of our day. It is time to end the bloodshed. We urge President Trump to ensure the next Supreme Court justice acknowledges that all human beings have the right to life – no matter their race, sex, age, size, or dependency status.
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said:
Now, this is a moment we have been waiting for since the first state decriminalized abortion in 1968. This is the moment that President Trump’s decision can shift the Court away from its current pro-abortion bent. With this nominee, he can literally save millions of innocent lives throughout future generations and restore a respect for human life that has been deteriorating in our culture. It is likely the most important decision he will make as [p]resident. Operation Rescue calls on President Trump to act quickly to select a pro-life nominee with an unshakable commitment to our founding principles. We call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold hearings on that nomination at the earliest possible moment – preferably before the November election. We also call on Senate Republicans to put aside differences and unite behind President Trump’s nominee for the sake of our country and our posterity. Elections have consequences, and the fact that President Trump has every legal right to appoint a Supreme Court nominee at any point during his term, whether it is an election year or not, is enshrined in law. Any delay is simply not acceptable.
‘Burn it down,’ ‘pack the courts’
The pro-abortion left used similarly strong language in their statements on the death of Ginsburg Ginsburg, a pro-abortion feminist icon, but suggested that a possible “apocalypse” is here. “APOCALYPSE NOW,” the Huffington Post’s masthead blared on September 19, with an image of a coat hanger, a reference to the “backalley abortion” myth that before abortion on demand was imposed on America, unborn humans were killed via coat hangers.
Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the country’s largest abortion business Planned Parenthood, said, “this is not an understatement: The fate of our rights, our freedoms, our health care, our bodies, our lives, and our country depend on what happens over the coming months.”
Johnson also said, “To be very clear, it would be an absolute slap in the face to the millions of Americans who honor and cherish Justice Ginsburg’s legacy if President Trump and Mitch McConnell were to replace her with someone who would undo her life’s work and take away the rights and freedoms for which she fought so hard,” as if it would be unthinkable for Ginsburg’s seat to be occupied by anyone other than a pro-abortion feminist.
“We must fight like hell to prevent Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and Senate Republicans from stealing yet another Supreme Court seat,” said Illyse Hogue, president of NARAL. “They have been chomping at the bit waiting for this moment, and their end goal ― to end the legal right to abortion in this country ― flies in the face of the values of a vast majority of Americans: that politicians have no place in personal decisions about pregnancy.”
We’re shutting this country down if Trump and McConnell try to ram through an appointment before the election. — Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) September 18, 2020
May her memory be a revolution. — Amanda Litman (@amandalitman) September 18, 2020
As has been the case during ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and high-profile liberal events, leftists once again ignored their much-touted “social distancing” guidelines Friday night to gather on the steps of the Supreme Court, singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” and placing flowers on the steps.
If their public statements about the confirmation process are to be believed, though, they do not plan to remain peaceful for long.
The Daily Wire reported that on Friday, “After a number of speeches and an impromptu memorial, protesters called up the location of Mitch McConnell’s D.C. home and marched over.”
People also gathered at the Supreme Court on Saturday night, taking a more political tone.
Some on the left have began calling for a “revolution,” “court packing,” and to “burn it down” (language warning for one of the following tweets):
I have no more fucks to give and no reserves in my “be polite to traitors and scumbags” tank. Burn it down. — Eric Racy (@EricJRacy) September 19, 2020
6:43pm in front of the Supreme Court. Already 500 people here. Rally starts at 8pm. pic.twitter.com/BhfHjclgKi — Charlotte Clymer ���� (@cmclymer) September 19, 2020
Pack the courts. Abolish the filibuster. AND VOTE THEM OUT. (also, read this thread). https://t.co/zPHYq5m2Pd — Eliza Orlins (@elizaorlins) September 19, 2020
And the scene tonight as thousands gather for a vigil on the steps of the Supreme Court #RBG https://t.co/F0zvGR7X2b pic.twitter.com/7M0KhVYnVj — Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) September 20, 2020
Second Line across the Brooklyn Bridge for #RBGRevolution pic.twitter.com/IDzGeVOhxT — Sandi Bachom (@sandibachom) September 20, 2020
At the Court honoring the life and vision of a giant and committing to make her legacy a revolution. Starting tonight. #RBG pic.twitter.com/u9fcmtGcVu — ilyseh (@ilyseh) September 20, 2020
Cool. Vote. Abolish filibuster. Make DC and Puerto Rico a state. Pack the courts. Y’all gotta focus. https://t.co/5LGxs7uOtd — Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) September 19, 2020
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lifesitenews--2020-09-21--To protect your marriage, cut back on idealism

September 21 , 2020 ( Community in Mission ) — Those who seek to strengthen Holy Matrimony and stem the tide of failed marriages propose many remedies , among them better catechesis , improved marriage preparation , and greater emphasis on the sacrament in sermons .
All of these are fine ideas and necessary steps , but let ’ s also ponder a deep but often unexplored root of the trouble with marriage today : idealism or unrealistic expectations .
Although we live in cynical times , many people still hold a highly idealistic view of marriage : that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and happy all the time .
It is an ideal rooted in the dreamy wishes of romantic longing , but an ideal nonetheless .
Amor omnia vincit !
( Love conquers all ! )
Surely , we will live happily ever after the way every story says !
Here ’ s the problem : Many want their marriage to be ideal , and if there is any ordeal , they want a new deal .
Yes , many are wandering about thinking , “ I still haven ’ t found what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrow from a U2 song .
There is no such thing as an ideal marriage , only real marriage .
Two sinners have been married .
A man and a woman with fallen natures , living in a fallen world that is governed by a fallen angel , have entered into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony .
Like the graces of any Sacrament , those of Holy Matrimony are necessary not because things are wonderful , but because they are oftentimes difficult .
Marriage is meant to sanctify .
Like baptism , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graces unfold to the degree that , and at the speed with which , the couple cooperates with God ’ s work .
It takes a lifetime of joy and challenge , tenderness and tension , difficulty and growth , in order for a husband and wife to summon each other to the holiness that God gives .
Some of God ’ s gifts come in strange packages .
Struggles and irritations are often opportunities to grow and to learn what forgiveness , patience , and suffering are all about .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
Frankly , if we don ’ t learn to forgive we are going to go to Hell ( see Mt 6:14-15 ) .
Even the best marriages have tension ; without tension there is no change .
This may not describe the ideal , happily-ever-after marriage , but it describes the real one : full of joy , love , hope , and tenderness , but also sorrow , anger , stress , and disappointment .
Cultural expectations — Our notion of an ideal ( happy , fulfilling , blissful ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our culture which has gotten very good at supplying comfort : air conditioning , medicines , indoor plumbing and electricity , nearly instant communication , vast numbers of consumer products that are reasonably affordable , etc .
This all creates the expectation that everything should be comfortable and everything should be just the way I want it .
There is also in our culture an impatience and need for instant gratification culture that that comes from an efficient economy : “ Rush shipping , ” “ Have it delivered today !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Download now.
” If the ideal marriage is not evident very soon , the disappointments and resentments along with impatience come very quickly .
There is a saying that “ unrealistic expectations are premeditated resentments.
” How quickly unrealistic notions of the picture-perfect marriage are dashed on the shoals of reality .
Somewhere , not only in the Church ’ s marriage preparation programs but also in our work of assisting personal formation , we need to teach that unrealistic expectations are ultimately destructive .
Our ideals are not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more sober about our conception of these ideals through the lens of expected comfort in everything and instant gratification .
Growth takes time .
Life moves through stages .
Marriage is hard , but so is life .
Cutting and running from the imperfect marriage — as some do rather quickly today — is not the solution .
Sure enough , one imperfect marriage leads to another and perhaps yet another .
In the past , even the relatively recent past , people tended to stick things out , to work through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
We would do well to regain something of this appreciation that earthly life is a mixed bag , that there are going to be challenges .
Marriage is no different .
Though we may idealize it , we should be aware that we are setting ourselves up for resentment and disappointment if we don ’ t balance it with the understanding that marriage is hard because life is hard .
Clearly there are many other problems that contribute to today ’ s high rate of divorce , but an overlooked root @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yes , many want their marriage to be ideal , and if there is any ordeal , they want a new deal .
( We would do well to remember that in a world full of adults behaving like this , it is the children who really get a raw deal . )
This is a deeper and less discussed cultural root of our divorce problem , a deep wound of which we should become more aware .
This article originally appeared at the Archdiocese of Washington ’ s website .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s permission .

Many want their marriage to be ideal, and if there is any ordeal, they want a new deal. That's a recipe for disaster.
September 21, 2020 (Community in Mission) — Those who seek to strengthen Holy Matrimony and stem the tide of failed marriages propose many remedies, among them better catechesis, improved marriage preparation, and greater emphasis on the sacrament in sermons. All of these are fine ideas and necessary steps, but let’s also ponder a deep but often unexplored root of the trouble with marriage today: idealism or unrealistic expectations.
Although we live in cynical times, many people still hold a highly idealistic view of marriage: that it should be romantic, joyful, loving, and happy all the time. It is an ideal rooted in the dreamy wishes of romantic longing, but an ideal nonetheless. Amor omnia vincit! (Love conquers all!) Surely, we will live happily ever after the way every story says!
Here’s the problem: Many want their marriage to be ideal, and if there is any ordeal, they want a new deal. Yes, many are wandering about thinking, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for,” to borrow from a U2 song.
There is no such thing as an ideal marriage, only real marriage. Two sinners have been married. A man and a woman with fallen natures, living in a fallen world that is governed by a fallen angel, have entered into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Like the graces of any Sacrament, those of Holy Matrimony are necessary not because things are wonderful, but because they are oftentimes difficult. Marriage is meant to sanctify. Like baptism, it offers graces that unfold gradually. The graces unfold to the degree that, and at the speed with which, the couple cooperates with God’s work.
It takes a lifetime of joy and challenge, tenderness and tension, difficulty and growth, in order for a husband and wife to summon each other to the holiness that God gives. Some of God’s gifts come in strange packages. Struggles and irritations are often opportunities to grow and to learn what forgiveness, patience, and suffering are all about. These are precious things to learn and to grow in. Frankly, if we don’t learn to forgive we are going to go to Hell (see Mt 6:14-15). Even the best marriages have tension; without tension there is no change.
This may not describe the ideal, happily-ever-after marriage, but it describes the real one: full of joy, love, hope, and tenderness, but also sorrow, anger, stress, and disappointment.
Cultural expectations — Our notion of an ideal (happy, fulfilling, blissful) marriage is also seen through the lens of our culture which has gotten very good at supplying comfort: air conditioning, medicines, indoor plumbing and electricity, nearly instant communication, vast numbers of consumer products that are reasonably affordable, etc. This all creates the expectation that everything should be comfortable and everything should be just the way I want it. There is also in our culture an impatience and need for instant gratification culture that that comes from an efficient economy: “Rush shipping,” “Have it delivered today!” “Buy it with one click,” and “Download now.” If the ideal marriage is not evident very soon, the disappointments and resentments along with impatience come very quickly.
There is a saying that “unrealistic expectations are premeditated resentments.” How quickly unrealistic notions of the picture-perfect marriage are dashed on the shoals of reality.
Somewhere, not only in the Church’s marriage preparation programs but also in our work of assisting personal formation, we need to teach that unrealistic expectations are ultimately destructive. Our ideals are not the problem per se; but we must become more sober about our conception of these ideals through the lens of expected comfort in everything and instant gratification. Growth takes time. Life moves through stages. Marriage is hard, but so is life. Cutting and running from the imperfect marriage — as some do rather quickly today — is not the solution. Sure enough, one imperfect marriage leads to another and perhaps yet another.
In the past, even the relatively recent past, people tended to stick things out, to work through some differences while agreeing to live with others. We would do well to regain something of this appreciation that earthly life is a mixed bag, that there are going to be challenges. Marriage is no different. Though we may idealize it, we should be aware that we are setting ourselves up for resentment and disappointment if we don’t balance it with the understanding that marriage is hard because life is hard.
Clearly there are many other problems that contribute to today’s high rate of divorce, but an overlooked root is the expectation of an ideal marriage. Yes, many want their marriage to be ideal, and if there is any ordeal, they want a new deal. (We would do well to remember that in a world full of adults behaving like this, it is the children who really get a raw deal.) This is a deeper and less discussed cultural root of our divorce problem, a deep wound of which we should become more aware.
This article originally appeared at the Archdiocese of Washington’s website. It is published here with the author’s permission.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-21--10 sins of the tongue to watch out for, and how to avoid them

September 21 , 2020 ( Community in Mission ) — In the pastoral guide of St. Gregory the Great , the opening line reads : “ A spiritual guide should be silent when discretion requires and speak when words are of service.
” This is not easy .
Indeed , self-mastery in speech is among the rarer gifts and usually comes later in life !
Some of the most common sins we commit are related to speech : gossip , idle chatter , lies , exaggerations , harsh attacks , and uncharitable remarks .
With our tongue we can spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread misinformation , cause temptation , discourage , teach error , and ruin reputations .
With a gift capable of bringing such good , we can surely cause great harm !
The Book of James says this : We all stumble in many ways .
Anyone who is never at fault in what he says is perfect , able to keep his whole body in check .
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us , and thus we can turn the whole animal .
Or take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are so large and are driven by strong winds , they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go .
Likewise , the tongue is a small part of the body , but it makes great boasts .
Consider how a great forest is set on fire by a small spark .
The tongue also is a fire , a world of evil among the parts of the body .
It corrupts the whole body , sets the whole course of one ’ s life on fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell .
All kinds of animals , birds , reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind , but no human being can tame the tongue .
It is a restless evil , full of deadly poison .
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father , and with it we curse human beings , who have been made in God ’ s likeness .
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing .
My brothers and sisters , this should not be ( James 3:2-18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s grace one may conquer many sins , those associated with speech are usually among the last to be overcome .
It almost seems as if there is a separate , baser part of our brain that controls our speech .
We can be halfway through saying something before we even realize how stupid and sinful we are being .
Scripture speaks very artistically of the sinful tongue .
Here is a list of ten sins of the tongue from James Melton [ 1 ] .
Although the list is his , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these !
• The Lying Tongue — speaking false things with the intention to mislead The LORD detests lying lips , but he delights in people who are trustworthy ( Proverbs 12:22 ) .
• The Flattering Tongue — exaggerating the good qualities of others in order to ingratiate ourselves to them , a form of lying May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue ( Psalm 12:4 ) .
• The Proud Tongue — There is a saying that a proud tongue comes with two closed ears .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what it says .
Those of proud tongue are not easily corrected and do not qualify or distinguish their remarks as they should .
Those who say , By our tongues we will prevail ; our own lips will defend us—who can lord it over us ?
( Psalm 12:5 ) are condemned .
• The Overused Tongue — saying far too much , especially concerning things about which we know little … a fool ’ s voice [ comes ] along with a multitude of words ( Ecclesiastes 5:2 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should , before we even have all of the information Be not rash with your mouth , and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God ( Ecclesiastes 5:1 ) .
Everyone should be swift to hear and slow to speak ( James 1:19 ) .
• The Backbiting Tongue — talking about others behind their backs , the secretive injuring of a person ’ s good name .
Calumny is outright lying about another person .
Detraction is calling unnecessary attention to the faults of others so as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a north wind brings rain , so a gossiping tongue causes anger ( Proverbs 25:23 ) .
• The Tale-bearing Tongue — spreading unnecessary ( often hurtful ) information about others .
Tale-bearers spread personal information about others that should not be shared .
He that goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets , therefore keep no company with one who opens his lips ( Proverbs 20:19 ) .
Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people ( Leviticus 19:16 ) .
• The Cursing Tongue — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually that they be damned He loved to pronounce a curse—may it come back on him .
He found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him ( Psalm 109:17 ) .
• The Piercing Tongue — speaking with unnecessary harshness and severity Proclaim the message ; persist in it in season and out of season ; rebuke , correct , and encourage with great patience and teaching ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ) .
Do not rebuke an older man harshly , but exhort him as if he were your father .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ women as mothers , and younger women as sisters , with absolute purity ( 1 Tim 5:1-2 ) .
• The Silent Tongue — not speaking up when we ought to warn people of sin , call them to the Kingdom , and announce the Truth of Jesus Christ .
In our age , the triumph of evil and bad behavior has been assisted by our silence as a Christian people .
Prophets are to speak God ’ s Word .
Israel ’ s watchmen are blind : they are all ignorant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not bark ( Isaiah 56:10 ) .
So our speech is riddled with what it should not have and devoid of what it should .
How wretched indeed is our condition !
Well , James did say , Anyone who is never at fault in what he says is perfect !
There are many cautions to be guided by when it comes to speech .
Here is another list of Scripture passages concerning speech , most of them taken from the Wisdom Tradition .
Read and heed !
• Be swift to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you have the knowledge , answer your neighbor ; if not , put your hand over your mouth .
Honor and dishonor through talking !
A man ’ s tongue can be his downfall .
Be not called a detractor ; use not your tongue for calumny ( Sirach 5:13-16 ) .
• He who repeats an evil report has no sense .
Never repeat gossip , and you will not be reviled .
… Let anything you hear die within you ; be assured it will not make you burst .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is in labor , like a woman giving birth to a child .
… Like an arrow lodged in a man ’ s thigh is gossip in the breast of a fool … every story you must not believe … who has not sinned with his tongue ?
( Sirach 19:5-14 varia ) • Do not be quick with your mouth , do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God .
God is in heaven and you are on earth , so let your words be few .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you into sin .
… Much dreaming and many words are meaningless .
Therefore fear God ( Eccles 5:1-6 ) .
• In the end , people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery ( Proverbs 28:23 NLT ) .
• Wounds from a friend can be trusted , but an enemy multiplies kisses ( Prov 27:6 ) .
• He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity ( Prov 21:23 ) .
• He who guards his lips guards his life , but he who speaks rashly will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• A gossip betrays a confidence ; so avoid a man who talks too much ( Prov 20:19 ) .
• A false witness will not go unpunished , and he who pours out lies will perish ( Prov 19:9 ) .
• A false witness will not go unpunished , and he who pours out lies will not go free ( Prov 19:5 ) .
• A man of knowledge uses words with restraint , and a man of understanding is even-tempered .
Even a fool is thought wise if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds his tongue ( Prov 17:27-28 ) .
• When words are many , sin is not absent , but he who holds his tongue is wise ( Prov 10:19 ) .
• Fools ’ words get them into constant quarrels ; they are asking for a beating ( Prov 18:6 ) .
• Drive out the mocker , and out goes strife ; quarrels and insults are ended ( Prov 22:10 ) .
• The LORD detests lying lips , but he delights in men who are truthful .
A prudent man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heart of fools blurts out folly ( Prov 12:22-23 ) .
• The tongue of the wise commends knowledge , but the mouth of the fool gushes folly ( Prov 15:2 ) .
• The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life , but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit ( Prov 15:4 ) .
• A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions ( Prov 18:2 ) .
• Some people make cutting remarks , but the words of the wise bring healing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor , but a man of understanding holds his tongue .
A gossip betrays a confidence , but a trustworthy man keeps a secret ( Prov 11:12-13 ) .
• The lips of the righteous know what is fitting , but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse ( Prov 10:32 ) .
• The heart of the righteous weighs its answers , but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil ( Prov 15:28 ) .
• The prudent man does not make a show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their foolishness ( Prov 12:23 ) .
• Set a guard over my mouth , O LORD ; keep watch over the door of my lips ( Psalm 141:3 ) .
• Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies ( Psalm 34:13 ) .
Help me , Lord .
Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth !
Put your Word in my heart so that when I do speak , it ’ s really you speaking .
This article originally appeared at the Archdiocese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is published here with the author ’ s permission .

September 21, 2020 (Community in Mission) — In the pastoral guide of St. Gregory the Great, the opening line reads: “A spiritual guide should be silent when discretion requires and speak when words are of service.”
This is not easy. Indeed, self-mastery in speech is among the rarer gifts and usually comes later in life!
Some of the most common sins we commit are related to speech: gossip, idle chatter, lies, exaggerations, harsh attacks, and uncharitable remarks. With our tongue we can spread hatred, incite fear and maliciousness, spread misinformation, cause temptation, discourage, teach error, and ruin reputations. With a gift capable of bringing such good, we can surely cause great harm!
The Book of James says this:
We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what he says is perfect, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and thus we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider how a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be (James 3:2-18).
Yes, though by God’s grace one may conquer many sins, those associated with speech are usually among the last to be overcome. It almost seems as if there is a separate, baser part of our brain that controls our speech. We can be halfway through saying something before we even realize how stupid and sinful we are being. Scripture speaks very artistically of the sinful tongue. Here is a list of ten sins of the tongue from James Melton [1]. Although the list is his, the commentary is mine. Beware of these!
The Lying Tongue — speaking false things with the intention to mislead
The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy (Proverbs 12:22).
The Flattering Tongue — exaggerating the good qualities of others in order to ingratiate ourselves to them, a form of lying
May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue (Psalm 12:4).
The Proud Tongue — There is a saying that a proud tongue comes with two closed ears. The proud tongue is boastful and overly certain of what it says. Those of proud tongue are not easily corrected and do not qualify or distinguish their remarks as they should.
Those who say, By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who can lord it over us? (Psalm 12:5) are condemned.
The Overused Tongue — saying far too much, especially concerning things about which we know little
… a fool’s voice [comes] along with a multitude of words (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
The Swift Tongue — speaking before we should, before we even have all of the information
Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Everyone should be swift to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19).
The Backbiting Tongue — talking about others behind their backs, the secretive injuring of a person’s good name. Calumny is outright lying about another person. Detraction is calling unnecessary attention to the faults of others so as to harm their reputations.
As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger (Proverbs 25:23).
The Tale-bearing Tongue — spreading unnecessary (often hurtful) information about others. Tale-bearers spread personal information about others that should not be shared.
He that goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets, therefore keep no company with one who opens his lips (Proverbs 20:19).
Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people (Leviticus 19:16).
The Cursing Tongue — wishing that harm come to others, usually that they be damned
He loved to pronounce a curse—may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him (Psalm 109:17).
The Piercing Tongue — speaking with unnecessary harshness and severity
Proclaim the message; persist in it in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2).
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (1 Tim 5:1-2).
The Silent Tongue — not speaking up when we ought to warn people of sin, call them to the Kingdom, and announce the Truth of Jesus Christ. In our age, the triumph of evil and bad behavior has been assisted by our silence as a Christian people. Prophets are to speak God’s Word.
Israel’s watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark (Isaiah 56:10).
So our speech is riddled with what it should not have and devoid of what it should. How wretched indeed is our condition! Well, James did say, Anyone who is never at fault in what he says is perfect!
There are many cautions to be guided by when it comes to speech. Here is another list of Scripture passages concerning speech, most of them taken from the Wisdom Tradition. Read and heed!
Help me, Lord. Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth! Put your Word in my heart so that when I do speak, it’s really you speaking.
This article originally appeared at the Archdiocese of Washington’s website. It is published here with the author’s permission.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-21--Trump admin moves to close abortion funding loopholes overseas

WASHINGTON , D.C. , September 21 , 2020 ( C-Fam ) — The Trump administration is taking additional steps to ensure foreign organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning do not receive U.S. taxpayer funding .
Last week the U.S. State Department proposed a new rule that further expands so-called Mexico City Policy to federal government contractors and subcontractors .
Currently the policy , which blocks U.S. funding to abortion-promoting groups overseas , is limited to foreign organizations receiving global health assistance grants .
Under the new rule , federal contractors would also be prohibited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with funds from other sources .
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the impact to be significant , as 40 % of global health funding to foreign organizations goes through government contracts .
U.S. registered contractors remain exempt .
However , they are required to apply the policy to all foreign-based subcontractors .
In addition to prohibiting the direct performing of abortion the policy also restricts lobbying to change abortion laws and conducting public information campaigns about abortion as a method of family planning .
Mexico City Policy ( referred now as Protecting Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instituted in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan .
It has been instituted by all Republican presidents and rescinded by every Democrat .
Before the Trump administration , it applied only to family planning funding totaling approximately $ 600 million annually .
Trump expanded it to the entire global health budget .
Under President Obama international family planning services were integrated with HIV/AIDs programs .
Now eligible for HIV/AIDs funding , this allowed abortion groups to supplement their budgets with an additional $ 6 billion annually .
President Trump put an end to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just family planning to the entire global health budget , restricting nearly $ 9 billion annually .
In March 2019 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced plans to eliminate additional loopholes , what he referred to as “ backdoor funding schemes ” whereby foreign organizations bound by restrictions could give money to other organizations that conducted abortion activities .
Shortly thereafter , the U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID ) provided additional information on this broader restriction — foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance can not provide any funding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in abortion activities .
In January Republican lawmakers penned a letter to Secretary Pompeo asking for even further expansion .
Specifically , the letter was critical of U.S. organizations involved in overseas abortion activities yet exempt from the policy .
Lawmakers cited incidents of U.S. organizations restructuring their foreign affiliates so they could continue abortion activities .
The letter also noted concern that U.S. groups were integrating U.S. global health programs with their overseas abortion programs .
Population Services International ( PSI ) , known for the distribution of medical abortion pills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in U.S. global assistance in 2018 .
PSI noted they would open “ branch offices ” under their U.S. NGO whereby they could provide services .
Abortion and LGBT groups have been strong critics of the expanded policy , claiming vulnerable populations have suffered due to the closing of clinics and disruption in healthcare delivery , especially where health programs have been integrated .
Yet a government report released last month examined the impact of the expanded policy on healthcare service delivery and found minimal disruption .
U.S. agencies found near universal compliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant recipients and 47 sub-recipients rejecting funding awards .
The proposed rule requires a 60-day comment period before it can be implemented and is not expected to take effect unless President Trump receives a second term .

These additional steps to ensure that taxpayer dollars don't go to foreign abortions will likely not take effect unless the president wins a second term.
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 21, 2020 (C-Fam) — The Trump administration is taking additional steps to ensure foreign organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning do not receive U.S. taxpayer funding.
Last week the U.S. State Department proposed a new rule that further expands so-called Mexico City Policy to federal government contractors and subcontractors. Currently the policy, which blocks U.S. funding to abortion-promoting groups overseas, is limited to foreign organizations receiving global health assistance grants.
Under the new rule, federal contractors would also be prohibited from performing or promoting abortion, even with funds from other sources. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the impact to be significant, as 40% of global health funding to foreign organizations goes through government contracts.
U.S. registered contractors remain exempt. However, they are required to apply the policy to all foreign-based subcontractors. In addition to prohibiting the direct performing of abortion the policy also restricts lobbying to change abortion laws and conducting public information campaigns about abortion as a method of family planning.
Mexico City Policy (referred now as Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance) was first instituted in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. It has been instituted by all Republican presidents and rescinded by every Democrat. Before the Trump administration, it applied only to family planning funding totaling approximately $600 million annually. Trump expanded it to the entire global health budget.
Under President Obama international family planning services were integrated with HIV/AIDs programs. Now eligible for HIV/AIDs funding, this allowed abortion groups to supplement their budgets with an additional $6 billion annually.
President Trump put an end to this when he expanded Mexico City Policy from just family planning to the entire global health budget, restricting nearly $9 billion annually.
In March 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced plans to eliminate additional loopholes, what he referred to as “backdoor funding schemes” whereby foreign organizations bound by restrictions could give money to other organizations that conducted abortion activities.
Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided additional information on this broader restriction — foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance cannot provide any funding, including non-U.S. funds to a foreign organization involved in abortion activities.
In January Republican lawmakers penned a letter to Secretary Pompeo asking for even further expansion. Specifically, the letter was critical of U.S. organizations involved in overseas abortion activities yet exempt from the policy. Lawmakers cited incidents of U.S. organizations restructuring their foreign affiliates so they could continue abortion activities. The letter also noted concern that U.S. groups were integrating U.S. global health programs with their overseas abortion programs.
Population Services International (PSI), known for the distribution of medical abortion pills in Africa, received $123 million in U.S. global assistance in 2018. PSI noted they would open “branch offices” under their U.S. NGO whereby they could provide services.
Abortion and LGBT groups have been strong critics of the expanded policy, claiming vulnerable populations have suffered due to the closing of clinics and disruption in healthcare delivery, especially where health programs have been integrated.
Yet a government report released last month examined the impact of the expanded policy on healthcare service delivery and found minimal disruption. U.S. agencies found near universal compliance, with just eight of 1,340 prime grant recipients and 47 sub-recipients rejecting funding awards.
The proposed rule requires a 60-day comment period before it can be implemented and is not expected to take effect unless President Trump receives a second term.
Published with permission from C-Fam.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-22--Bishop apologizes for invalid baptisms in his diocese, warns of more cases

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock !
Sign the petition here .
FORT WORTH , Texas , September 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Following two instances in recent weeks of “ priests ” who found out they were never validly baptized in the first place – and therefore they were not validly ordained priests – Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth , Texas , has issued an apology to all Catholics for ministers deviating from the proper formula for baptism .
“ It is possible that we will learn that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Baptism may have occurred more often than we know right now , ” Olson cautioned .
Father Zachary Boazman of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , discovered earlier this year that his “ baptism , ” conducted by Deacon Philip Webb in the Diocese of Fort Worth , was not a real baptism .
Webb had used the words “ We baptize you , ” rendering the baptism invalid , instead of “ I baptize you.
” Shortly after making this shocking discovery , Boazman was properly baptized , confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ordained both a deacon and a priest on the same day , September 12 , to finally engage in parish ministry as a real priest .
The bishop of Fort Worth admitted that Boazman ’ s “ invalid Baptism had horrible effects on the lives of those who thought that they were validly receiving sacraments administered by a man whom they thought to be a priest , and who thought himself to be a priest , but was in fact neither a priest nor even a Catholic.
” Due to the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baptisms administered by Deacon Webb , Bishop Olson said anybody baptized ( or thought to be baptized ) by him needs to be conditionally baptized and conditionally confirmed .
The term “ conditional ” refers to the fact that it ’ s not a second baptism , but a first real baptism , in case the first “ baptism ” was actually invalid .
However , a conditional baptism , if performed on a person who has already been validly baptized , doesn ’ t have any effect .
Bishop Olson offered some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validity of their baptisms , as well as restating the teaching of the Church on the sacraments .
“ St .
Thomas Aquinas consolingly reminds us that ‘ God did not bind His power to the sacraments , so as to be unable to bestow sacramental effect without conferring the sacrament , ’ ” he wrote .
“ Regarding Baptism specifically , the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us ( 1257 ) : ‘ God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism , but He Himself is not bound by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Grace and He will never fail us even when we fail in our stewardship of the sacraments in their appropriate celebration.
” At the same time , “ Christ instituted the sacraments as the ordinary way by which God gives us His sanctifying grace and has instructed us in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in the stewardship of these treasures.
” Olson told Catholics to “ presume the validity of your Baptism and the subsequent sacraments you have received unless you can establish positive and probable doubt in its validity .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ e.g.
, a video recording of the ceremony , an affidavit provided by an eyewitness , or the established fact of the regular and aberrant practice by a specific priest or deacon—as in the case of Deacon Webb ) that his or her Baptism was not validly administered.
” If this is the case , the specific person needs to contact the parish priest , or the pastor of the parish where the baptism took place .
Olson said what all Catholics , not to mention deacons , priests , and bishops , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water , and the proper formula , “ I baptize you in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Spirit.
” “ I apologize to all those whose lives have been adversely affected by the discovery that the sacraments they thought that they had received they , in fact , did not receive .
Our priests and deacons stand ready with me to rectify these injustices to the best of our ability.
” “ I recognize that the priests and deacons who committed these grave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were even attempting to do good , ” Olsen said .
“ Nevertheless , the Church requires of her ministers not just good intentions but also sufficient knowledge of what is expected and necessary in the administration of the sacraments .
Let us always bear in mind that the People of God have a right to receive the sacraments in the form that the Church has prescribed them to be administered.
” Apart from Boazman , it was Father Matthew Hood who had a similar experience in the Archdiocese of Detroit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his “ baptism , ” realizing it was invalid .
In order to rectify the situation , he was “ baptized , confirmed and received the Eucharist on Aug. 9 , ordained a transitional deacon on Aug. 15 and a priest on Aug. 17 , ” as reported by Detroit Catholic .
Reflections on the necessity for widespread access to conditional baptism

The invalid baptism of one ‘priest’ had ‘horrible effects on the lives of those who thought that they were validly receiving sacraments.’
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock! Sign the petition here.
FORT WORTH, Texas, September 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Following two instances in recent weeks of “priests” who found out they were never validly baptized in the first place – and therefore they were not validly ordained priests – Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, has issued an apology to all Catholics for ministers deviating from the proper formula for baptism.
“It is possible that we will learn that this aberrant practice of changing the valid formula for Baptism may have occurred more often than we know right now,” Olson cautioned.
Father Zachary Boazman of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, discovered earlier this year that his “baptism,” conducted by Deacon Philip Webb in the Diocese of Fort Worth, was not a real baptism. Webb had used the words “We baptize you,” rendering the baptism invalid, instead of “I baptize you.”
Shortly after making this shocking discovery, Boazman was properly baptized, confirmed, and received Holy Communion. He was ordained both a deacon and a priest on the same day, September 12, to finally engage in parish ministry as a real priest.
The bishop of Fort Worth admitted that Boazman’s “invalid Baptism had horrible effects on the lives of those who thought that they were validly receiving sacraments administered by a man whom they thought to be a priest, and who thought himself to be a priest, but was in fact neither a priest nor even a Catholic.”
Due to the “positive and probable doubt” regarding all baptisms administered by Deacon Webb, Bishop Olson said anybody baptized (or thought to be baptized) by him needs to be conditionally baptized and conditionally confirmed.
The term “conditional” refers to the fact that it’s not a second baptism, but a first real baptism, in case the first “baptism” was actually invalid. However, a conditional baptism, if performed on a person who has already been validly baptized, doesn’t have any effect.
Bishop Olson offered some practical advice for Catholics confused about the validity of their baptisms, as well as restating the teaching of the Church on the sacraments.
“St. Thomas Aquinas consolingly reminds us that ‘God did not bind His power to the sacraments, so as to be unable to bestow sacramental effect without conferring the sacrament,’” he wrote. “Regarding Baptism specifically, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us (1257): ‘God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but He Himself is not bound by his sacraments.’ God is always giving us His Grace and He will never fail us even when we fail in our stewardship of the sacraments in their appropriate celebration.”
At the same time, “Christ instituted the sacraments as the ordinary way by which God gives us His sanctifying grace and has instructed us in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in the stewardship of these treasures.”
Olson told Catholics to “presume the validity of your Baptism and the subsequent sacraments you have received unless you can establish positive and probable doubt in its validity. This means that one must have evidence (e.g., a video recording of the ceremony, an affidavit provided by an eyewitness, or the established fact of the regular and aberrant practice by a specific priest or deacon—as in the case of Deacon Webb) that his or her Baptism was not validly administered.”
If this is the case, the specific person needs to contact the parish priest, or the pastor of the parish where the baptism took place.
Olson said what all Catholics, not to mention deacons, priests, and bishops, should know, namely that baptism requires water, and the proper formula, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
“I apologize to all those whose lives have been adversely affected by the discovery that the sacraments they thought that they had received they, in fact, did not receive. Our priests and deacons stand ready with me to rectify these injustices to the best of our ability.”
“I recognize that the priests and deacons who committed these grave errors of judgment did so without malice and were even attempting to do good,” Olsen said. “Nevertheless, the Church requires of her ministers not just good intentions but also sufficient knowledge of what is expected and necessary in the administration of the sacraments. Let us always bear in mind that the People of God have a right to receive the sacraments in the form that the Church has prescribed them to be administered.”
Apart from Boazman, it was Father Matthew Hood who had a similar experience in the Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan.
Hood had watched a video of his “baptism,” realizing it was invalid.
In order to rectify the situation, he was “baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist on Aug. 9, ordained a transitional deacon on Aug. 15 and a priest on Aug. 17,” as reported by Detroit Catholic.
RELATED:
Reflections on the necessity for widespread access to conditional baptism
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lifesitenews--2020-09-20--‘APOCALYPSE NOW’: America braces for bitter Supreme Court confirmation fight weeks before election


lifesitenews--2020-09-23--Scandal-plagued WE Charity shuts down Canadian operations, will leave ‘endowment’

September 22 , 2020 ( Parents as First Educators ) — Over the last couple months PAFE has been keeping you informed about the ethics scandal involving WE Charity and the Trudeau government .
Despite the charity ’ s close ties to Trudeau and his family — including family members being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak at WE events — the Trudeau government awarded WE a lucrative contract to administer a student grant program .
The fallout from the scandal included school boards and provincial governments reviewing their relationships with WE and in some cases terminating partnerships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cancellation of the charity ’ s flagship event known as “ WE Day.
” Now , WE has announced it is shutting down its Canadian operations .
According to a statement released by WE , “ the organization will be selling its assets to establish an endowment fund to sustain the charity 's existing international humanitarian programs and digitize its Canadian educational resources for long-term access.
” WE states that it no longer has staff “ to support educators to inspire and equip the next generation of community leaders , including no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , educational speaking tours , or the celebration-of-service event , known as WE Day.
” However , while WE staff will no longer be going into Canadian schools to spread WE ’ s message of “ social change , '' the endowment fund will “ ensure existing WE Schools resources will be available digitally to teachers for free with curriculum focused on causes , service campaigns , and youth mental health resources.
” The shutting down of WE ’ s Canadian operations is a massive blow to the organization ’ s ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ social change ” and to institute what it calls a “ revolution in education.
” However , it appears WE is attempting to remain a force in Canadian schools by keeping its educational resources active and available for teachers .
It remains to be seen how this plays out at the school board level given boards have been distancing themselves from WE since the scandal broke .
Parents should be aware though that their children may still be taught from WE resources .
Meanwhile , there are several ongoing investigations into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue once Parliament resumes next week .
Published with permission from Parents as First Educators .

The charity came under intense scrutiny after a suspect deal was revealed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
September 22, 2020 (Parents as First Educators) — Over the last couple months PAFE has been keeping you informed about the ethics scandal involving WE Charity and the Trudeau government. Despite the charity’s close ties to Trudeau and his family — including family members being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak at WE events — the Trudeau government awarded WE a lucrative contract to administer a student grant program.
The fallout from the scandal included school boards and provincial governments reviewing their relationships with WE and in some cases terminating partnerships with the charity, as well as the cancellation of the charity’s flagship event known as “WE Day.”
Now, WE has announced it is shutting down its Canadian operations.
According to a statement released by WE, “the organization will be selling its assets to establish an endowment fund to sustain the charity's existing international humanitarian programs and digitize its Canadian educational resources for long-term access.”
WE states that it no longer has staff “to support educators to inspire and equip the next generation of community leaders, including no new curricular resources, youth service coaches, educational speaking tours, or the celebration-of-service event, known as WE Day.”
However, while WE staff will no longer be going into Canadian schools to spread WE’s message of “social change,” the endowment fund will “ensure existing WE Schools resources will be available digitally to teachers for free with curriculum focused on causes, service campaigns, and youth mental health resources.”
The shutting down of WE’s Canadian operations is a massive blow to the organization’s ability to engage young people in its cult-like movement for “social change” and to institute what it calls a “revolution in education.”
However, it appears WE is attempting to remain a force in Canadian schools by keeping its educational resources active and available for teachers. It remains to be seen how this plays out at the school board level given boards have been distancing themselves from WE since the scandal broke.
Parents should be aware though that their children may still be taught from WE resources.
Meanwhile, there are several ongoing investigations into the Trudeau government We Charity scandal which will continue once Parliament resumes next week.
Published with permission from Parents as First Educators.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-23--Democrats’ actions looking more and more like a plot to steal the 2020 election

September 22 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — It comes as a stark and frightening realization that the Democrats are not the idiots they appear to be .
Stark , because they tried to use the Steele Dossier , a folder full of ridiculous and easily debunked rumor and imaginative narrative , to at first steal an election and then , depose a president .
And they are now trying to convince Americans that “ law and order ” Trump , who has decried the riots from the beginning and offered federal support to Democrat-run cities and states to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all the destruction and violence .
It is obvious they think Americans are the stupid ones .
It is frightening because the realization comes with an understanding that the Democrats have a many-faceted plan to steal the Presidential Election , now less than two months away .
They tried everything in Trump ’ s first term , from the aforementioned dossier to the “ phone call ” impeachment .
None of it worked .
Then , the disease from the despicable Chinese befell America .
It was a tragedy for America but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They have used the pandemic to so frighten the nation into serial semi-permanent shutdowns intended to so immiserate Americans through the destroyed economy as to cost Trump the election .
And mephitic Dems have tried to blame their intention to maintain perpetual lockdowns on Trump ’ s mismanagement of COVID .
The rioting was another fortuitous opportunity for Dems .
With the coopting of the BLAME ( Black , Latin , Antifa , and Minority Excluded ) agenda as their own , they hoped to keep support for the rioting high enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Dems to use the rioters as stormtroopers at the polls in November to deny Trump voters their right to vote .
Of course , they mistook sympathy for a cause as support for the violence and destruction and are only now coming to the epiphany that would seem to have obvious non-epiphany status to non-morons : People don ’ t like their lives , families , property , and livelihoods threatened by violent anarchists who will never be pleased no how much they are given .
Oh… and Americans as a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and burning their stuff as they prosecute bodily harm to their loved ones .
And now that the polls are turning against the rioters , it may seem idiotic that the Dems are trying to blame Trump for the riotous havoc laying waste to our cities they have fomented and excused for months , if not years .
Yet , it is all part of their plan .
Apart from having Antifa intimidate at the polls , the Biden Campaign has hired hundreds of lawyers to supposedly prevent Trump from stealing the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are intended to muck up with legal technicalities and lawsuits what is looking more and more to be a Trump landslide .
At least until they “ find in someone ’ s trunk ” or manufacture enough votes to turn the election .
Republicans have always seemed remarkably flaccid in their response to these “ lost ” and “ found ” votes always being cast for the Democrat .
“ Consider the 2020 election .
In July , the Democratic National Committee engaged some 600 lawyers to litigate the outcome , possibly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such litigations is needed to set off a systemic crisis .
The existence of the litigations themselves is enough for one or more blue state governors to refuse to certify that state ’ s electors to the Electoral College , so as to prevent the college from recording a majority of votes for the winner .
In case no winner could be confirmed by January ’ s Inauguration Day , the 20th Amendment provides that Congress would elect the next president .
Who doubts that , were Donald Trump the apparent winner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this would be likelier than not to happen ?
” COVID is essential for this as well because Dems are going to maintain that since Democrats believe in science and the Chinese flu is more dangerous than ever , most Biden supporters will elect to vote by mail and with the vote totals known early on Election Day , Dems will know exactly how many votes they will need to “ harvest ” in the days succeeding the election to steal the election .
In addition , look for the fabled “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NY attorney general will probably attempt to charge Trump with some imaginary crime before election day .
It is common knowledge a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich , and there is no bigger ham than Trump -- all they need do is make the sandwich .
If they have problems vote-harvesting enough votes to steal the election , Dems will , as they did in 2016 , roll out media heads , celebrities , and prominent Democrats to convince members of the Electoral College not to award their votes to Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , violence , economic intimidation , tweetstorm , and social media ostracism to impel electors to award their votes to Biden .
Of course , they will facilitate illegals voting as well as people illegally voting more than once .
And then , there are the Democrats ’ strongest supporters , the dead , and the almost dead , whose ballots they will complete and deliver for them .
Talk about vote harvesting… Americans need to be aware of the harassment they will receive from Democratic Party paramilitary members at the polls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan in place to fight for this victory and organize a resistance to the Democrats installing Joe Biden as president .
The author can be found on Twitter @ williamlgensert .
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker on August 7 , 2020 .
It is published here with permission .

Doxing, violence, economic intimidation, tweetstorm, and social media ostracism are just some of the cards the Democrats may play between now and November.
September 22, 2020 (American Thinker) — It comes as a stark and frightening realization that the Democrats are not the idiots they appear to be. Stark, because they tried to use the Steele Dossier, a folder full of ridiculous and easily debunked rumor and imaginative narrative, to at first steal an election and then, depose a president. And they are now trying to convince Americans that “law and order” Trump, who has decried the riots from the beginning and offered federal support to Democrat-run cities and states to stop them, is somehow now responsible for all the destruction and violence. It is obvious they think Americans are the stupid ones.
It is frightening because the realization comes with an understanding that the Democrats have a many-faceted plan to steal the Presidential Election, now less than two months away.
They tried everything in Trump’s first term, from the aforementioned dossier to the “phone call” impeachment. None of it worked. Then, the disease from the despicable Chinese befell America. It was a tragedy for America but a stroke of luck for Democrats.
They have used the pandemic to so frighten the nation into serial semi-permanent shutdowns intended to so immiserate Americans through the destroyed economy as to cost Trump the election. And mephitic Dems have tried to blame their intention to maintain perpetual lockdowns on Trump’s mismanagement of COVID.
The rioting was another fortuitous opportunity for Dems. With the coopting of the BLAME (Black, Latin, Antifa, and Minority Excluded) agenda as their own, they hoped to keep support for the rioting high enough to continue through the election, thereby allowing the Dems to use the rioters as stormtroopers at the polls in November to deny Trump voters their right to vote. Of course, they mistook sympathy for a cause as support for the violence and destruction and are only now coming to the epiphany that would seem to have obvious non-epiphany status to non-morons: People don’t like their lives, families, property, and livelihoods threatened by violent anarchists who will never be pleased no how much they are given.
Oh… and Americans as a group are loath to surrender to outsiders breaking and burning their stuff as they prosecute bodily harm to their loved ones. And now that the polls are turning against the rioters, it may seem idiotic that the Dems are trying to blame Trump for the riotous havoc laying waste to our cities they have fomented and excused for months, if not years.
Yet, it is all part of their plan.
Apart from having Antifa intimidate at the polls, the Biden Campaign has hired hundreds of lawyers to supposedly prevent Trump from stealing the election, but who, in reality, are intended to muck up with legal technicalities and lawsuits what is looking more and more to be a Trump landslide. At least until they “find in someone’s trunk” or manufacture enough votes to turn the election.
Republicans have always seemed remarkably flaccid in their response to these “lost” and “found” votes always being cast for the Democrat.
As Angelo M. Codevilla warned:
“Consider the 2020 election. In July, the Democratic National Committee engaged some 600 lawyers to litigate the outcome, possibly in every state. No particular outcome of such litigations is needed to set off a systemic crisis. The existence of the litigations themselves is enough for one or more blue state governors to refuse to certify that state’s electors to the Electoral College, so as to prevent the college from recording a majority of votes for the winner. In case no winner could be confirmed by January’s Inauguration Day, the 20th Amendment provides that Congress would elect the next president. Who doubts that, were Donald Trump the apparent winner, and were Congress in Democratic hands, that this would be likelier than not to happen?”
COVID is essential for this as well because Dems are going to maintain that since Democrats believe in science and the Chinese flu is more dangerous than ever, most Biden supporters will elect to vote by mail and with the vote totals known early on Election Day, Dems will know exactly how many votes they will need to “harvest” in the days succeeding the election to steal the election.
In addition, look for the fabled “October Surprise.” For instance, the NY attorney general will probably attempt to charge Trump with some imaginary crime before election day. It is common knowledge a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich, and there is no bigger ham than Trump — all they need do is make the sandwich.
If they have problems vote-harvesting enough votes to steal the election, Dems will, as they did in 2016, roll out media heads, celebrities, and prominent Democrats to convince members of the Electoral College not to award their votes to Trump. This time they will coerce through doxing, violence, economic intimidation, tweetstorm, and social media ostracism to impel electors to award their votes to Biden.
Of course, they will facilitate illegals voting as well as people illegally voting more than once. And then, there are the Democrats’ strongest supporters, the dead, and the almost dead, whose ballots they will complete and deliver for them. Talk about vote harvesting…
Americans need to be aware of the harassment they will receive from Democratic Party paramilitary members at the polls and be prepared.
Trump must have a plan in place to fight for this victory and organize a resistance to the Democrats installing Joe Biden as president.
The author can be found on Twitter @williamlgensert.
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker on August 7, 2020. It is published here with permission.
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