lifesitenews--2020-06-09--Colorado moves to erode parents’ choice to exempt kids from vaccination

June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Legislation that critics fear will weaken Colorado ’ s existing exemptions for vaccinating minors will proceed to the House floor for consideration after a 7-4 vote this weekend by the state ’ s House Health and Insurance Committee .
Senate Bill 163 would task the state health department with annually reviewing and updating the state ’ s immunization practices , setting a goal of 95 percent vaccination for the student body of every school .
It is controversial partly for a provision that would recategorize exemptions for non-medical reasons under general exemptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ personal exemption ” categories .
While the bill doesn ’ t eliminate any exemptions , critics fear that the decision to stop spelling out these specific justifications in the law is a precursor to ending them .
“ It is the incrementalism , ” Theo Wilson , an opponent of the bill , testified at the hearing .
“ It is the way in which they slowly remove this choice and that choice .
And before you know it , there is no choice.
” Another contentious provision would require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to either produce a certificate signed by a physician or complete an online course about vaccines , raising questions as to who will write such a course .
“ In my 16 years I learned not to trust public health because they are not good sources of information , ” testified former Republican state Rep. Kevin Lundberg .
“ They are not the good guys .
They are the bad guys.
” Mandatory vaccination , which is a hot topic again thanks to COVID-19 , is controversial for a number of reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who oppose vaccines based on hotly-debated fears over side effects , they tend to overlook another group that supports vaccines in general while having an ethical conflict with vaccines derived from aborted babies ’ cells .
As of June 9 , the United States is estimated to have seen more than 2 million COVID-19 cases , with more than 113,000 deaths and 782,000 recoveries .
More than 40 percent of those deaths have come from nursing homes .
The lockdowns instituted across the country in response have led to the loss of hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 million Americans filing for unemployment , fears that tens of thousands of small businesses will never reopen , and a range of other physical and mental health woes , due to everything from delayed medical procedures to social isolation to anxiety over being unable to work .
Fortunately , Various states lifting or softening their lockdowns last month led to the U.S. Labor Department announcing Friday that a record 2.5 million jobs were restored in May .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact @ @ @ @ @

PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Legislation that critics fear will weaken Colorado’s existing exemptions for vaccinating minors will proceed to the House floor for consideration after a 7-4 vote this weekend by the state’s House Health and Insurance Committee.
Senate Bill 163 would task the state health department with annually reviewing and updating the state’s immunization practices, setting a goal of 95 percent vaccination for the student body of every school.
It is controversial partly for a provision that would recategorize exemptions for non-medical reasons under general exemptions, rather than distinct “religious exemption” and “personal exemption” categories. While the bill doesn’t eliminate any exemptions, critics fear that the decision to stop spelling out these specific justifications in the law is a precursor to ending them.
“It is the incrementalism,” Theo Wilson, an opponent of the bill, testified at the hearing. “It is the way in which they slowly remove this choice and that choice. And before you know it, there is no choice.”
Another contentious provision would require parents claiming a religious or personal exemption to either produce a certificate signed by a physician or complete an online course about vaccines, raising questions as to who will write such a course.
“In my 16 years I learned not to trust public health because they are not good sources of information,” testified former Republican state Rep. Kevin Lundberg. “They are not the good guys. They are the bad guys.”
Mandatory vaccination, which is a hot topic again thanks to COVID-19, is controversial for a number of reasons. While the media often fixate on parents who oppose vaccines based on hotly-debated fears over side effects, they tend to overlook another group that supports vaccines in general while having an ethical conflict with vaccines derived from aborted babies’ cells.
As of June 9, the United States is estimated to have seen more than 2 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 113,000 deaths and 782,000 recoveries. More than 40 percent of those deaths have come from nursing homes.
The lockdowns instituted across the country in response have led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, more than 33 million Americans filing for unemployment, fears that tens of thousands of small businesses will never reopen, and a range of other physical and mental health woes, due to everything from delayed medical procedures to social isolation to anxiety over being unable to work. Fortunately, Various states lifting or softening their lockdowns last month led to the U.S. Labor Department announcing Friday that a record 2.5 million jobs were restored in May.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--Texas Lt. Gov: ‘Loving God’ is the only answer to America’s riots, unrest

AUSTIN , Texas , June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick of Texas has said that “ loving God ” and not “ commissions ” or “ more laws ” is the key to uniting America in the midst of riots around the country , following the death of George Floyd .
Patrick told Fox News @ Night last week : “ You can not change the culture of a country until you change the character of mankind , and you ca n't change that unless you change the heart .
And for billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe you ca n't do that unless you accept Jesus Christ or unless you accept God.
” Patrick said there is racism in America , and it won ’ t be solved without God .
“ It ’ s loving God — you can not love your fellow man if you don ’ t love God , ” he said .
“ And we have a country where we ’ ve been working really hard , particularly on the left , to kick God out , ” he continued .
“ God has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of this and we need tremendous healing .
We can not heal through commissions and blue-ribbon panels and more laws .
We can only heal ourselves if we really reach out and love one another.
” PETITION : Yes to reform .
No to riots & revolution !
Sign the petition here .
Last week in Washington , D.C. , Monsignor Charles Pope led a rosary procession in reparation for recent events .
“ We wanted to gather just as people of prayer , who don ’ t want to have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Msgr .
Pope said .
“ We wanted to come out in a very non-partisan , non-political way and just say ‘ we care for our brother ’ and we care for the fact that there is racism in this country , ” he continued .
“ It has gone on a long time and it ’ s something that we have to think about and repent of in our own life .
We also have to accept the fact that sometimes we ’ re victims of it , sometimes we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to pray and make reparation because it ’ s a community problem .
”

The real way to address racism is for Americans to accept Jesus Christ, said Dan Patrick on Fox News.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas has said that “loving God” and not “commissions” or “more laws” is the key to uniting America in the midst of riots around the country, following the death of George Floyd.
Patrick told Fox News @ Night last week: “You cannot change the culture of a country until you change the character of mankind, and you can't change that unless you change the heart. And for billions of us on the planet, we believe you can't do that unless you accept Jesus Christ or unless you accept God.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick: The real way to address racism is for Americans to “accept Jesus Christ” https://t.co/bYbgvgrCUO pic.twitter.com/Dtv7K3T5mL — Disrn (@DisrnNews) June 5, 2020
Patrick said there is racism in America, and it won’t be solved without God.
“It’s loving God — you cannot love your fellow man if you don’t love God,” he said.
“And we have a country where we’ve been working really hard, particularly on the left, to kick God out,” he continued.
“God has been left out of this equation through all of this and we need tremendous healing. We cannot heal through commissions and blue-ribbon panels and more laws. We can only heal ourselves if we really reach out and love one another.”
PETITION: Yes to reform. No to riots & revolution! Sign the petition here.
Last week in Washington, D.C., Monsignor Charles Pope led a rosary procession in reparation for recent events.
“We wanted to gather just as people of prayer, who don’t want to have any politicization…just pray and make reparation,” Msgr. Pope said.
Amid #DCProtests over the death of #GeorgeFloyd yesterday, a rosary procession with #Catholic lay/religious in #DC prayed for healing from #racism. @MsgrPope says it’s “something that we have to think about and repent of in our own life…it’s a community problem” pic.twitter.com/YTKLIZDvtd — Mark Irons (@MarkIronsMedia) June 7, 2020
“We wanted to come out in a very non-partisan, non-political way and just say ‘we care for our brother’ and we care for the fact that there is racism in this country,” he continued.
“It has gone on a long time and it’s something that we have to think about and repent of in our own life. We also have to accept the fact that sometimes we’re victims of it, sometimes we’re perpetrators, but we all need to pray and make reparation because it’s a community problem.”
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--How the Church’s greatest philosopher explains and defends marriage

June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Each year , the summer is the season of ( most ) weddings .
This year , celebrations of marriage may have a very different appearance from what they would have had pre-coronavirus .
Nevertheless , as long as time goes on , with or without plagues , Christians will be throwing their lots together for life and endeavor to imitate the fruitful and indissoluble union of Christ and the Church .
The Catholic Church ’ s “ Common Doctor ” or universal theologian , St. Thomas Aquinas , has many beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve to be better known as guiding principles in marriage preparation , catechesis , preaching , and ongoing education .
The friendship spoken of here is a friendship of virtue , premised on the most proper human goods and a sharing in the totality of the life of the household — not a mere friendship of pleasure or of utility , which would reduce the other ’ s value to gratification or benefit .
As Aristotle explains , a friendship of virtue does contain pleasure and utility , but it essentially goes beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person for his own sake , as one for whom we will the possession of the good — indeed , the greatest good .
Regarding the act of fleshly intercourse , St. Thomas comments , on Hebrews 13:4 , “ Let marriage be held in honor among all , and let the marriage bed be undefiled ” : Considered as a sacrament of the New Law , marriage between the faithful is a genuine cause of grace , indeed a continual cause , argues St. Thomas ( In IV Sent .
d. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
1 , qa .
2 ; the same point is made more extensively in In IV Sent .
d. 26 , q .
2 , a .
3 and ST III , q .
65 , a .
1 .
Cf .
Cf .
In IV Sent .
d. 26 , q .
2 , a .
3 , sc ) .
Although marriage does not confer a sacramental character ( In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
1 , a .
3 , ad 5 ) , it establishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a permanent spiritual nexus between spouses , which “ operates dispositively to bring grace by the power of divine institution ” [ 1 ] .
This nexus is an ever-flowing source of actual graces for spouses who remain in the state of grace .
Moreover , “ from the fact that Christ represented it in His Passion , ” marriage has power to sanctify the spouses , even as His Passion sanctifies the Church ( In IV Sent .
d. 26 , q .
2 , a .
3 , ad 1 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body , but , more importantly , in soul , in spirit ( In IV Sent .
d. 42 , a .
1 , sc 2 ; ibid.
, ad 3 .
In IV Sent .
d. 27 , q .
1 , a .
1 , qa .
2 , ad 3 ) ; it empowers them to live their common life in the friendship of charity .
Finally , marriage supplies new members for the Church , the populum fidelium or fidelium collectio , even as it replenishes and expands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marriage is given “ as a remedy ... against the decrease in numbers that results from death , ” while on the supernatural plane , it has the privilege of “ bringing into being the recipients who approach the sacraments ” ( ST III , q .
65 , a .
1 , corp. and ad 3 ) .
SCG IV , ch .
78 : The sacrament obliges and equips husband and wife to bring back to God , through Christ and his Church , the gift of children they receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of marriage is offspring brought up for the worship of God ( proles ad cultum Dei educanda ) ” ( In IV Sent .
d. 39 , q .
1 , a .
1 ) .
The married , in a way properly theirs , help build up the human race into the body of Christ , the true goal of humanity .
When treating of the sacraments of the New Law , St. Thomas makes a distinction between agents and recipients in “ hierarchical actions ” and notes the obvious but still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there could be no giving of sacraments by their agents ( ST III , q .
65 , a .
1 , ad 3 ) .
We tend to pass over too quickly the enormous privilege granted to Christian men and women of , as the saint puts it , “ bringing into being the recipients who approach the sacraments ” ( ibid . )
, and so , assisting Christ in providing spiritual nourishment for His people .
Upbringing , says Thomas , has to take into account the bodily nourishment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it has much more to do with “ nourishment of the soul ( nutrimentum animae ) ” ( In Super I Cor .
7 , lec .
1 ; see In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
2 , a .
3 , ad 1 ; In IV Sent .
d. 33 , q .
1 , a .
2 , ad 5 ; In IV Sent .
d. 39 , q .
1 , a .
2 ; SCG III , ch .
122 ; SCG IV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most special about Christian marriage is its unique and proper signification : “ since wedlock ( conjugium ) is a sacrament , it is a sacred sign , and of a sacred thing ” [ 2 ] — namely , “ the mystery of the conjoining of Christ and the Church , ” “ which is made in the freedom of love ( secundum libertatem amoris ) .
” So important is marriage ’ s sign value that Thomas can say : “ In every way , ‘ sacrament ’ is the foremost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it pertains to marriage insofar as it is a sacrament of grace , whereas the other two [ goods , viz.
, offspring and fidelity ] pertain to it insofar as it is an office of nature — and the perfection of grace is nobler than the perfection of nature ” ( In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
1 , a .
3 .
In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
1 , a .
3 , sc 2 ) .
As Marc Cardinal Ouellet explains in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trinitarian Anthropology of the Family ( Eerdmans , 2006 ) , St. Thomas sees the sacramentality of marriage as a perfection that God introduces from without , so to speak , rather than something that wells up immanently from human nature , the way offspring and fidelity do .
Thus , to the question “ What is most essential to marriage ?
, ” there must be two answers : one from the vantage of its natural function , namely to promote the human race by “ increasing and multiplying , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supernatural function , which emanates from and concerns itself with the nuptial union of Christ and the Church .
Nevertheless , St. Thomas says that if by “ offspring ” or “ fidelity ” one means not the thing itself but the intention thereof — the intention to have a family and the intention to remain faithful — then either of these is more essential to marriage than sacramentality , inasmuch as the nature of a thing precedes its elevation by grace .
If there is no man , there is no saint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no permanent sexual relationship ordered to offspring , there is no indissoluble grace-giving bond ( see In IV Sent .
d. 33 , q .
1 , a .
1 ) .
That is the basic reason why there can be no such thing as “ gay marriage , ” nor a marriage between man and woman if either of the parties refuses , in principle , to be open to children .
While more recent authors on marriage write many more words , often enthusiastic and poetic in tone , they seldom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those we can find in the writings of the Angelic Doctor .
He provides us with those mustard seeds of understanding that can mature into mighty trees .
[ 1 ] See In IV Sent .
d. 26 , q .
2 , a .
3 , ad 2 .
Formally speaking , marriage confers a specific power “ for bodily acts ” — namely , those ordered to the suitable and dignified procreation of children , which includes the power to bring them up well .
This is why marriage does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered to “ spiritual acts ” ( see In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
1 , a .
3 , ad 5 ) , as can be seen in the sacraments that do confer it — baptism , confirmation , and holy orders .
Put differently , since character is a metaphysical participation in the high priesthood of Jesus Christ , only those sacraments confer a character that confer the ability to share in the very activity of Christ , and marriage equips earthly spouses to do something other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously not anything inherently incompatible with what he does ) .
Some Thomists speak of a “ quasi-character ” conferred by Christian matrimony .
[ 2 ] For these three points : see In IV Sent .
d. 26 , prologue ( it is a distinct sacrament because it uniquely signifies a determinate sacred thing : In IV Sent .
d. 31 , q .
1 , a .
3 , ad 2 ) ; In IV Sent .
d. 26 , q .
2 , a .
2 , one among a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ marriage signifies the conjoining of Christ to the Church , which is made in the freedom of love .
Therefore it can not happen by coerced consent ” ( In IV Sent .
d. 29 , a .
3 , qa .
1 , sc 2 ) .

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, marriage is a friendship of virtue, premised on the most proper human goods and a sharing in the totality of the life of the household.
June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Each year, the summer is the season of (most) weddings. This year, celebrations of marriage may have a very different appearance from what they would have had pre-coronavirus. Nevertheless, as long as time goes on, with or without plagues, Christians will be throwing their lots together for life and endeavor to imitate the fruitful and indissoluble union of Christ and the Church.
The Catholic Church’s “Common Doctor” or universal theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas, has many beautiful things to say about marriage, which deserve to be better known as guiding principles in marriage preparation, catechesis, preaching, and ongoing education.
St. Thomas considers marriage an optimal instance of lifelong friendship:
The greater the friendship, the more stable and lasting is it. Now, between a man and his wife there seems to be the greatest friendship; for they are made one not only in the act of fleshly intercourse, which even among beasts causes an agreeable fellowship, but also as partners in the whole of domestic life (ad totius domesticae conversationis consortium). (SCG III.123)
The friendship spoken of here is a friendship of virtue, premised on the most proper human goods and a sharing in the totality of the life of the household — not a mere friendship of pleasure or of utility, which would reduce the other’s value to gratification or benefit. As Aristotle explains, a friendship of virtue does contain pleasure and utility, but it essentially goes beyond them by taking in the value of the person for his own sake, as one for whom we will the possession of the good — indeed, the greatest good.
Regarding the act of fleshly intercourse, St. Thomas comments, on Hebrews 13:4, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled”:
Contrary to [the opinion of] certain heretics, this verse shows that the marital act can exist without sin. “If a virgin marries, she does not sin” (1 Cor. 7:28). Hence, the Lord, in order to show that the marital act is good, worked His first sign during a wedding and ennobled marriage by His bodily presence there, and, moreover, willed to be born of a married woman. (Super Hebr. 13, lec. 1; Marietti ed., n. 732.)
Considered as a sacrament of the New Law, marriage between the faithful is a genuine cause of grace, indeed a continual cause, argues St. Thomas (In IV Sent. d. 2, q. 1, a. 1, qa. 2; the same point is made more extensively in In IV Sent. d. 26, q. 2, a. 3 and ST III, q. 65, a. 1. Cf. Cf. In IV Sent. d. 26, q. 2, a. 3, sc). Although marriage does not confer a sacramental character (In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 1, a. 3, ad 5), it establishes something like a character — namely, a permanent spiritual nexus between spouses, which “operates dispositively to bring grace by the power of divine institution” [1]. This nexus is an ever-flowing source of actual graces for spouses who remain in the state of grace.
Moreover, “from the fact that Christ represented it in His Passion,” marriage has power to sanctify the spouses, even as His Passion sanctifies the Church (In IV Sent. d. 26, q. 2, a. 3, ad 1). It joins spouses not only in body, but, more importantly, in soul, in spirit (In IV Sent. d. 42, a. 1, sc 2; ibid., ad 3. In IV Sent. d. 27, q. 1, a. 1, qa. 2, ad 3); it empowers them to live their common life in the friendship of charity.
Finally, marriage supplies new members for the Church, the populum fidelium or fidelium collectio, even as it replenishes and expands the human race. On the natural plane, marriage is given “as a remedy … against the decrease in numbers that results from death,” while on the supernatural plane, it has the privilege of “bringing into being the recipients who approach the sacraments” (ST III, q. 65, a. 1, corp. and ad 3). SCG IV, ch. 78:
Since the people of the faithful (populum fidelium) were to be perpetuated even to the end of the world, it was necessary that this be done by generation, through which also the human race is perpetuated. … Now human generation is ordered to several ends: the continuation of the species; the securing of some political good, such as the preservation of the people in some civic body; it is, moreover, ordered to the perpetuity of the Church, which consists in the assembly of the faithful (fidelium collectione).
The sacrament obliges and equips husband and wife to bring back to God, through Christ and his Church, the gift of children they receive from God. “The foremost good of marriage is offspring brought up for the worship of God (proles ad cultum Dei educanda)” (In IV Sent. d. 39, q. 1, a. 1). The married, in a way properly theirs, help build up the human race into the body of Christ, the true goal of humanity.
When treating of the sacraments of the New Law, St. Thomas makes a distinction between agents and recipients in “hierarchical actions” and notes the obvious but still wonderful truth that without suitable recipients, there could be no giving of sacraments by their agents (ST III, q. 65, a. 1, ad 3). We tend to pass over too quickly the enormous privilege granted to Christian men and women of, as the saint puts it, “bringing into being the recipients who approach the sacraments” (ibid.), and so, assisting Christ in providing spiritual nourishment for His people. Upbringing, says Thomas, has to take into account the bodily nourishment of one’s children, of course, but it has much more to do with “nourishment of the soul (nutrimentum animae)” (In Super I Cor. 7, lec. 1; see In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 2, a. 3, ad 1; In IV Sent. d. 33, q. 1, a. 2, ad 5; In IV Sent. d. 39, q. 1, a. 2; SCG III, ch. 122; SCG IV, ch. 58).
What is most special about Christian marriage is its unique and proper signification: “since wedlock (conjugium) is a sacrament, it is a sacred sign, and of a sacred thing” [2] — namely, “the mystery of the conjoining of Christ and the Church,” “which is made in the freedom of love (secundum libertatem amoris).” So important is marriage’s sign value that Thomas can say: “In every way, ‘sacrament’ is the foremost of the three goods of marriage, for it pertains to marriage insofar as it is a sacrament of grace, whereas the other two [goods, viz., offspring and fidelity] pertain to it insofar as it is an office of nature — and the perfection of grace is nobler than the perfection of nature” (In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 1, a. 3. In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 1, a. 3, sc 2).
As Marc Cardinal Ouellet explains in his book Divine Likeness: Toward a Trinitarian Anthropology of the Family (Eerdmans, 2006), St. Thomas sees the sacramentality of marriage as a perfection that God introduces from without, so to speak, rather than something that wells up immanently from human nature, the way offspring and fidelity do. Thus, to the question “What is most essential to marriage?,” there must be two answers: one from the vantage of its natural function, namely to promote the human race by “increasing and multiplying,” and the other from the vantage of its supernatural function, which emanates from and concerns itself with the nuptial union of Christ and the Church.
Nevertheless, St. Thomas says that if by “offspring” or “fidelity” one means not the thing itself but the intention thereof — the intention to have a family and the intention to remain faithful — then either of these is more essential to marriage than sacramentality, inasmuch as the nature of a thing precedes its elevation by grace. If there is no man, there is no saint; so too, if there is no permanent sexual relationship ordered to offspring, there is no indissoluble grace-giving bond (see In IV Sent. d. 33, q. 1, a. 1). That is the basic reason why there can be no such thing as “gay marriage,” nor a marriage between man and woman if either of the parties refuses, in principle, to be open to children.
While more recent authors on marriage write many more words, often enthusiastic and poetic in tone, they seldom express truths as profound and fruitful as those we can find in the writings of the Angelic Doctor. He provides us with those mustard seeds of understanding that can mature into mighty trees.
[1] See In IV Sent. d. 26, q. 2, a. 3, ad 2. Formally speaking, marriage confers a specific power “for bodily acts” — namely, those ordered to the suitable and dignified procreation of children, which includes the power to bring them up well. This is why marriage does not confer a character, which is always ordered to “spiritual acts” (see In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 1, a. 3, ad 5), as can be seen in the sacraments that do confer it — baptism, confirmation, and holy orders. Put differently, since character is a metaphysical participation in the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, only those sacraments confer a character that confer the ability to share in the very activity of Christ, and marriage equips earthly spouses to do something other than what Christ Himself actually does (although obviously not anything inherently incompatible with what he does). Some Thomists speak of a “quasi-character” conferred by Christian matrimony.
[2] For these three points: see In IV Sent. d. 26, prologue (it is a distinct sacrament because it uniquely signifies a determinate sacred thing: In IV Sent. d. 31, q. 1, a. 3, ad 2); In IV Sent. d. 26, q. 2, a. 2, one among a hundred such texts; the full statement: “marriage signifies the conjoining of Christ to the Church, which is made in the freedom of love. Therefore it cannot happen by coerced consent” (In IV Sent. d. 29, a. 3, qa. 1, sc 2).
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--Texas bishop reminds Catholics of Vatican doc affirming right to receive Communion on tongue

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock !
Sign the petition here .
TYLER , Texas , June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – While some bishops claim to have a right to ban Communion on the tongue during the coronavirus pandemic , Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler , Texas , pointed to a letter issued by the Vatican amid the 2009 swine flu pandemic which proves the opposite .
In 2009 , the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments responded to a lay Catholic ’ s questions about restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the swine flu .
“ This Dicastery observes that its Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum ( 25 March 2004 ) clearly stipulates that ‘ each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue ’ ( n. 92 ) , nor is it licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ ’ s faithful who are not impeded by law from receiving the Holy Eucharist ( cf .
n. 91 ) , ” the letter affirmed .
According to Redemptionis Sacramentum , which was published in 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Discipline of the Sacraments , the reception of the Eucharist on the tongue , as it has been practiced for centuries , is essentially the default way for Catholics to receive Communion .
However , “ if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand , in areas where the Bishops ’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission , the sacred host is to be administered to him or her.
” The 2004 document also hinted at abuse that could take place when Communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister , so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand.
” “ If there is a risk of profanation , then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful , ” Redemptionis Sacramentum warned .
In 2009 , the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments “ assured ” the lay Catholic who asked about the reception of Communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacts will be made , ” suggesting that the priests and bishops who banned Communion on the tongue were reprimanded .
Bishop Strickland , in his June 8 tweet , did not comment further on the letter .
He only retweeted a picture of it and wrote , “ This is important… ” In a follow-up , he said , “ Sadly law ignored leads to chaos ... .we are seeing this on many levels of society ... law when ignored becomes even more important ... let us return first to God ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from there.
” For the 2009 swine flu pandemic , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “ estimated there were 60.8 million cases ( range : 43.3-89.3 million ) , 274,304 hospitalizations ( range : 195,086-402,719 ) , and 12,469 deaths ( range : 8868-18,306 ) in the United States.
” The same government agency is reporting under 2 million cases of coronavirus , but significantly more deaths – more than 110,000 .
There is no indication that a fundamental right of the faithful , as it was forcefully stated by Redemptionis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a pandemic that is deadlier than previous pandemics .
Nevertheless , several bishops in the United States and across the world , for instance in Germany and Austria , ordered their priests not to distribute Holy Communion directly on the tongue .
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile , Alabama , warned his priests that they are not allowed to celebrate public Masses if they want to distribute Holy Communion on the tongue .
“ If any priest can not follow archdiocesan regulations , it will be necessary for him to refrain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Rodi wrote in a May 20 letter obtained by LifeSiteNews ( see full letter HERE ) .
“ This matter is too serious for us to take any other approach than one of extreme caution for the safety of others.
” “ Social distancing must be maintained during the Mass and the only way to maintain social distancing when distributing Communion is by the communicant receiving on the hand , ” Rodi argued .
Following the publication of that article , a source in the Archdiocese of Mobile told LifeSiteNews that Communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least some places there .
The archdiocese does not appear to have made a formal announcement about it .
Similarly , Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville , Tennessee , wrote in a May 8 tweet that the priests of his diocese “ will not give Communion on the tongue as per my instruction.
” Additionally , Stika said that if anyone “ makes a scene ” asking to receive Holy Communion on the tongue , “ they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return [ until ] this passes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomistic Institute guidelines on the “ Phased Restoration of Public Masses ” recommended by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops .
The Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington , D.C .
The guidelines were prepared not only by theologians , but also by medical experts , including Timothy P. Flanigan of Brown University , and Aaron Kheriaty of the University of California , Irvine .
According to the Thomistic Institute , receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Opinions on this point are varied within the medical and scientific community : some believe Communion on the tongue involves an elevated and , in the light of all the circumstances , an unreasonable risk ; others disagree , ” the document pointed out .
“ If Communion on the tongue is provided , one could consider using hand sanitizer after each communicant who receives on the tongue .
”

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock! Sign the petition here.
TYLER, Texas, June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – While some bishops claim to have a right to ban Communion on the tongue during the coronavirus pandemic, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, pointed to a letter issued by the Vatican amid the 2009 swine flu pandemic which proves the opposite.
In 2009, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments responded to a lay Catholic’s questions about restrictions on receiving Holy Communion on the tongue due to the swine flu.
“This Dicastery observes that its Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (25 March 2004) clearly stipulates that ‘each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue’ (n. 92), nor is it licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful who are not impeded by law from receiving the Holy Eucharist (cf. n. 91),” the letter affirmed.
According to Redemptionis Sacramentum, which was published in 2004 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the reception of the Eucharist on the tongue, as it has been practiced for centuries, is essentially the default way for Catholics to receive Communion.
However, “if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her.”
The 2004 document also hinted at abuse that could take place when Communion is received in the hand. Thus, “special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand.”
“If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful,” Redemptionis Sacramentum warned.
In 2009, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments “assured” the lay Catholic who asked about the reception of Communion during a pandemic “that the appropriate contacts will be made,” suggesting that the priests and bishops who banned Communion on the tongue were reprimanded.
Bishop Strickland, in his June 8 tweet, did not comment further on the letter. He only retweeted a picture of it and wrote, “This is important…”
In a follow-up, he said, “Sadly law ignored leads to chaos….we are seeing this on many levels of society…law when ignored becomes even more important…let us return first to God’s law and then seek to rebuild from there.”
For the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “estimated there were 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (range: 195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (range: 8868-18,306) in the United States.”
The same government agency is reporting under 2 million cases of coronavirus, but significantly more deaths – more than 110,000.
There is no indication that a fundamental right of the faithful, as it was forcefully stated by Redemptionis Sacramentum, would no longer be valid during a pandemic that is deadlier than previous pandemics.
Nevertheless, several bishops in the United States and across the world, for instance in Germany and Austria, ordered their priests not to distribute Holy Communion directly on the tongue.
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Alabama, warned his priests that they are not allowed to celebrate public Masses if they want to distribute Holy Communion on the tongue.
“If any priest cannot follow archdiocesan regulations, it will be necessary for him to refrain from the celebration of public Masses,” Rodi wrote in a May 20 letter obtained by LifeSiteNews (see full letter HERE). “This matter is too serious for us to take any other approach than one of extreme caution for the safety of others.”
“Social distancing must be maintained during the Mass and the only way to maintain social distancing when distributing Communion is by the communicant receiving on the hand,” Rodi argued.
Following the publication of that article, a source in the Archdiocese of Mobile told LifeSiteNews that Communion on the tongue has resumed in at least some places there. The archdiocese does not appear to have made a formal announcement about it.
Similarly, Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, wrote in a May 8 tweet that the priests of his diocese “will not give Communion on the tongue as per my instruction.”
Additionally, Stika said that if anyone “makes a scene” asking to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, “they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return [until] this passes.”
Both bishops were directly contradicting the Thomistic Institute guidelines on the “Phased Restoration of Public Masses” recommended by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. The guidelines were prepared not only by theologians, but also by medical experts, including Timothy P. Flanigan of Brown University, and Aaron Kheriaty of the University of California, Irvine.
According to the Thomistic Institute, receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue is possible “without unreasonable risk.”
“Opinions on this point are varied within the medical and scientific community: some believe Communion on the tongue involves an elevated and, in the light of all the circumstances, an unreasonable risk; others disagree,” the document pointed out. “If Communion on the tongue is provided, one could consider using hand sanitizer after each communicant who receives on the tongue.”
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--America was founded by revolution. Today’s riots are simply evil and wanton anarchy

June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – There is a question that is forming on the lips of many in this country which asks how violent anarchy and insurrection might be justified .
It is not a question uttered seriously , but ironically and incredulously .
Taken seriously , it is a question that is standard fare for any American ; we are founded on revolution , and that may certainly involve a period of anarchy and insurrection .
Our justification for it is second nature to us , and the answer to why it is sometimes justified is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes the American War for Independence to be a decision , fundamentally , about “ whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves ; whether they are to have any property they can call their own ; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed , and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.
” The poignancy of helplessness as private property is destroyed by the current riots is particularly apt considering the circumstances , and if applied objectively can be invoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State in general .
Although conservatives are often cautious to defend the State , we often forget its most essential and lauded function : to protect those very liberties we value from being violated by others .
But amid this discord , there is nothing so slightly resembling the articulate manifestos of revolutionary America , for it is anarchy and insurrection without revolution and without a clear path toward resolution .
It is voiceless and slightly barbaric ; the pulsing reflex of a nerve which knows nothing at the moment but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maim .
It has failed utterly to resemble a noble cause ; it is an ignoble conflagration alien to Washington and alien even to more ruthless revolutionaries like the French Robespierre and the Irish Wolfe Tone , whose fire and brimstone shocked later Americans .
But even these men tempered their aggression by solemnly communicating their grievances and designating their enemies with unerring accuracy .
Innocents were not their target , and chaos was not their policy .
And so the right and unironic question to ask is just how banditry has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guise of revolution , and the answer is that a predictable stream of haphazard and careless rhetoric has buttressed its flimsy foundations .
From the nation ’ s most widely disseminated news networks to the top of the democratic party , these bandits have a roster of eminent enablers jeering them on and courting the favor of public opinion .
Their inane words have lent considerable weight to each and every weightless criminal undertaking which has marked the regrettable first week of June in America , 2020 .
And so it somehow falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and conjured opacity , and to answer those questions that should otherwise need no clarification .
Innocents have been the exclusive target of a deluge of banditry , rendering these events unquestionably evil and wanton—cut and dry , one might say—but here to fog-up this unambiguous affair is Anderson Cooper , one of the sophists who continues to dub the shoulders of insurgents with the blade of knighthood : “ Trump seems to think dominating black people is law and order .
He calls them thugs ?
Who is the thug here ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suit ?
Who is the thug ? ''
It 's worth noting here that many of the rioters are , in fact , white .
It is important to observe as well , amid this inferno of lawlessness , what an arbitrary feature the skin color of the rioters is .
They are , foremost , rioters .
This fact is anterior to their skin color , not posterior .
But not to Cooper , who insinuates the opposite .
His words are deliberately confusing and dishonest ; by suppressing anarchy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever “ skin-color ” those anarchists inhabit .
The suppressing of this race or that amid any crackdown on riots is , therefore , an extraneous and unavoidable effect .
You can not throw a rioter in jail who is without any skin color , thus , if a purple-skinned rioter is arrested , people like Cooper are given license to say that purple people are being oppressed .
It is a remarkably deceptive tactic that is used to modulate the wail of the insane into the cry of the oppressed , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taint the forces of good with the stain of evil .
Cooper then appears to confuse the rather uncontroversial definition of a thug , by suggesting that a person who hides from thugs in a bunker is in fact a thug themself , and those who force innocents into hiding by violent barbarism are not .
One should avoid even calling this dishonest rhetoric ; it is a complete reversion of the order of things , an insulting falsification of truth .
Rhetoric may artfully subvert truth at times while remaining false ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within Cooper ’ s words .
We do not need to labour our minds to unspin them ; they merely require a sense of what direction up and down are , such that you may know , when someone tells you that down is up and vice versa , that it is simply not true .
Another example comes from Cooper ’ s colleague , Jim Acosta , who , after Trump ’ s widely publicized crackdown on violent and illegal rioting , asked this of the president : “ President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a further attempt by CNN to lend the immutably benevolent connotations of the word democracy to insurrection , looting , assault , and arson .
Acosta suggests that the violent mobs which have unsettled the nation in most major U.S. cities during the past week are endowed with some kind of democratic legitimacy , presumably by way of their magnitude and some degree of popular consent .
The suppression of such riots , to Acosta , is therefore undemocratic .
He is using his entirely reductive and generous definition of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular movements .
He invokes the word democracy in the same way that Cooper invokes skin color : the word carries with it an insuperably numinous and righteous quality that no amount of malevolent quality can apparently undo .
CNN is by no means the only party in all of this that is resorting to casuistic tricks , but their well-known figures are easy to criticize .
Relatively few people , on the other hand , know of the Democratic party in Fairfax , VA , who has eschewed the guise of rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releasing a statement on Twitter : “ Riots are an integral part of this country ’ s march toward progress.
” This requires fewer words to rebuke ; it is an open and direct exhortation to the destruction of innocent lives and to violent anarchy .
Evil could scarcely take a clearer form .
Several staffers from the Biden campaign have donated money to the anarchists in Minneapolis as well , which we know about from their boasting on social media .
Julian Castro , the former U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election , has described Trump ’ s resolve to use force against the violent riots as the actions of a “ dictator ” .
No definitions of that word exist which could substantiate his claim .
Force is not in and of itself dictatorial , only the misuse of force , and right now there is ample justification for its use , namely the protection of innocent people from a blatantly violent mob .
Continue , Americans , to ask that ironic question to yourself : “ what could justify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most basic sense of human dignity and ethics has put this question on your tongues .
Free yourselves of that deceptive paradigm which renders the State unable to qualify as a victim itself , and which fails to recognize the potential for the people to exert tyranny .
As things stand presently , the police and the U.S. Armed Forces , which CNN would have you believe are the instruments of such tyranny , are in fact laboring to protect innocents from the tyranny of the mob .
One final echo of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered an example about when the State may “ repel force with force ” : “ It is a true old saying that make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you : to which I may add another , God helps them that help themselves.
” We must have the courage , therefore , to designate accurately those that are wolves , and those that are sheep , and it is not by watching CNN , or listening to Democrat politicians , that you will find the answer .
Trevor Chase is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergraduate in Washington State .
He is an avid reader of history .
His traditionalist perspective has recently prompted him to join the Catholic Church .
He spends some of his leisure time writing about history , politics , and economics .

PETITION: Yes to reform. No to riots & revolution! Sign the petition here.
June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – There is a question that is forming on the lips of many in this country which asks how violent anarchy and insurrection might be justified. It is not a question uttered seriously, but ironically and incredulously.
Taken seriously, it is a question that is standard fare for any American; we are founded on revolution, and that may certainly involve a period of anarchy and insurrection. Our justification for it is second nature to us, and the answer to why it is sometimes justified is best explained by Washington himself as he describes the American War for Independence to be a decision, fundamentally, about “whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.” The poignancy of helplessness as private property is destroyed by the current riots is particularly apt considering the circumstances, and if applied objectively can be invoked in favor of the police and of the State in general. Although conservatives are often cautious to defend the State, we often forget its most essential and lauded function: to protect those very liberties we value from being violated by others.
But amid this discord, there is nothing so slightly resembling the articulate manifestos of revolutionary America, for it is anarchy and insurrection without revolution and without a clear path toward resolution. It is voiceless and slightly barbaric; the pulsing reflex of a nerve which knows nothing at the moment but to scream, destroy, loot, and maim. It has failed utterly to resemble a noble cause; it is an ignoble conflagration alien to Washington and alien even to more ruthless revolutionaries like the French Robespierre and the Irish Wolfe Tone, whose fire and brimstone shocked later Americans. But even these men tempered their aggression by solemnly communicating their grievances and designating their enemies with unerring accuracy. Innocents were not their target, and chaos was not their policy.
And so the right and unironic question to ask is just how banditry has been able to cloak itself in the false guise of revolution, and the answer is that a predictable stream of haphazard and careless rhetoric has buttressed its flimsy foundations. From the nation’s most widely disseminated news networks to the top of the democratic party, these bandits have a roster of eminent enablers jeering them on and courting the favor of public opinion. Their inane words have lent considerable weight to each and every weightless criminal undertaking which has marked the regrettable first week of June in America, 2020.
And so it somehow falls to us to punch through this annoying and conjured opacity, and to answer those questions that should otherwise need no clarification. Innocents have been the exclusive target of a deluge of banditry, rendering these events unquestionably evil and wanton—cut and dry, one might say—but here to fog-up this unambiguous affair is Anderson Cooper, one of the sophists who continues to dub the shoulders of insurgents with the blade of knighthood:
“Trump seems to think dominating black people is law and order. He calls them thugs?Who is the thug here? Hiding in a bunker? Hiding behind a suit? Who is the thug?”
It's worth noting here that many of the rioters are, in fact, white. It is important to observe as well, amid this inferno of lawlessness, what an arbitrary feature the skin color of the rioters is. They are, foremost, rioters. This fact is anterior to their skin color, not posterior. But not to Cooper, who insinuates the opposite. His words are deliberately confusing and dishonest; by suppressing anarchy, you must, by coincidence, suppress whatever “skin-color” those anarchists inhabit. The suppressing of this race or that amid any crackdown on riots is, therefore, an extraneous and unavoidable effect. You cannot throw a rioter in jail who is without any skin color, thus, if a purple-skinned rioter is arrested, people like Cooper are given license to say that purple people are being oppressed. It is a remarkably deceptive tactic that is used to modulate the wail of the insane into the cry of the oppressed, to lend ignoble actions nobility, and to taint the forces of good with the stain of evil.
Cooper then appears to confuse the rather uncontroversial definition of a thug, by suggesting that a person who hides from thugs in a bunker is in fact a thug themself, and those who force innocents into hiding by violent barbarism are not. One should avoid even calling this dishonest rhetoric; it is a complete reversion of the order of things, an insulting falsification of truth. Rhetoric may artfully subvert truth at times while remaining false; there is no clever device at play within Cooper’s words. We do not need to labour our minds to unspin them; they merely require a sense of what direction up and down are, such that you may know, when someone tells you that down is up and vice versa, that it is simply not true.
Another example comes from Cooper’s colleague, Jim Acosta, who, after Trump’s widely publicized crackdown on violent and illegal rioting, asked this of the president: “President Trump, is this still a democracy?” This is a further attempt by CNN to lend the immutably benevolent connotations of the word democracy to insurrection, looting, assault, and arson. Acosta suggests that the violent mobs which have unsettled the nation in most major U.S. cities during the past week are endowed with some kind of democratic legitimacy, presumably by way of their magnitude and some degree of popular consent. The suppression of such riots, to Acosta, is therefore undemocratic.
He is using his entirely reductive and generous definition of the word democracy to mean any and all popular movements. He invokes the word democracy in the same way that Cooper invokes skin color: the word carries with it an insuperably numinous and righteous quality that no amount of malevolent quality can apparently undo.
CNN is by no means the only party in all of this that is resorting to casuistic tricks, but their well-known figures are easy to criticize. Relatively few people, on the other hand, know of the Democratic party in Fairfax, VA, who has eschewed the guise of rhetoric and instead bared its shame nakedly, releasing a statement on Twitter: “Riots are an integral part of this country’s march toward progress.”
This requires fewer words to rebuke; it is an open and direct exhortation to the destruction of innocent lives and to violent anarchy. Evil could scarcely take a clearer form. Several staffers from the Biden campaign have donated money to the anarchists in Minneapolis as well, which we know about from their boasting on social media. Julian Castro, the former U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, and an unsuccessful candidate for the 2020 presidential election, has described Trump’s resolve to use force against the violent riots as the actions of a “dictator”. No definitions of that word exist which could substantiate his claim. Force is not in and of itself dictatorial, only the misuse of force, and right now there is ample justification for its use, namely the protection of innocent people from a blatantly violent mob.
Continue, Americans, to ask that ironic question to yourself: “what could justify all that is happening?” Your most basic sense of human dignity and ethics has put this question on your tongues. Free yourselves of that deceptive paradigm which renders the State unable to qualify as a victim itself, and which fails to recognize the potential for the people to exert tyranny. As things stand presently, the police and the U.S. Armed Forces, which CNN would have you believe are the instruments of such tyranny, are in fact laboring to protect innocents from the tyranny of the mob.
One final echo of a real revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin, who offered an example about when the State may “repel force with force”: “It is a true old saying that make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you: to which I may add another, God helps them that help themselves.”
We must have the courage, therefore, to designate accurately those that are wolves, and those that are sheep, and it is not by watching CNN, or listening to Democrat politicians, that you will find the answer.
Trevor Chase is pursuing a career in genetics as an undergraduate in Washington State. He is an avid reader of history. His traditionalist perspective has recently prompted him to join the Catholic Church. He spends some of his leisure time writing about history, politics, and economics.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--COVID-19 contact tracker training: Quarantine ‘may be mandated and enforced’

PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus .
Sign the petition here .
WASHINGTON , DC , June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Despite U.S. Attorney General William Barr having stated unequivocally that stay-at-home orders are “ unprecedented burdens on civil liberties , ” it appears that the liberties of U.S. citizens are increasingly at risk due to extraordinary COVID-19 contact tracking measures being put in place by liberal politicians .
More and more , the oft-repeated mantra of many government officials that contact tracking , quarantine , and isolation are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie , hinting that similar assurances that vaccinations will be voluntary may be non-credible as well .
The lockdowns demanded by governors and mayors across the nation have indeed fed their authoritarian appetites .
The pandemic response has been used “ as a splendid rationale to accumulate power , and then to persecute , harass and prosecute Americans who are anxious to get their lives and freedom back after months of lockdown , ” according to David Krayden , writing at Human Events .
Johns Hopkins University ’ s online training for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking programs are a “ public good ” that must be balanced with “ rights of privacy , confidentiality , and autonomy.
” LifeSiteNews is providing screenshots from the Johns Hopkins course to show that the coming government encroachment on privacy and personal liberty is not drawn from inferences , but from the required course material for those seeking certification as competent contact trackers .
Trainees are taught that once they ’ ve identified persons who have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 , they are to advise them to self quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually have the virus , they are to be counseled to self-isolate for 10 days .
However , “ in some circumstances , these requests may be mandated and enforced.
” Enforcement is not a hypothetical threat .
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has already indicated that people who refuse to cooperate with contact trackers or refuse COVID-19 testing won ’ t be allowed to leave their homes .
And if they don ’ t do so voluntarily , Inslee said they will face sanctions in either civil or criminal court .
Moreover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation via court order , individuals face fines of up to $ 2,000 per day .
Kentucky residents who refuse to quarantine themselves have been outfitted with ankle bracelets , identical to those criminals must wear who are confined to house arrest .
When social distancing and quarantine rules were first implemented in late March , states exerted muscle to enforce their new regulations , mostly established by the governor ’ s executive order : • Maryland and Hawaii residents were subject to up to one year in jail and up to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be fined up to $ 1,000 and up to 180 days in prison .
• Alaskans could face one year in jail and be fined up to $ 25,000 .
• Canada has threatened its residents who violate the Quarantine Act with up to a whopping $ 750,000 fine in addition to jail time .
Washington State already has more than 1,000 contact tracers in place ; New York plans to hire 17,000 ; California aims to hire 20,000 .
The Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) ask but do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing for COVID-19 webpage , under “ Operational Questions to Consider ” : • Under what circumstances will quarantine be mandatory ( under public health orders ) as opposed to voluntary ?
• How will contacts be monitored for self-quarantine compliance ?
• What steps will be taken for contacts under self-monitoring who do not report as required ?
How intensive will the outreach be ( e.g.
, same-day home visit ) ?
• What steps will be taken if a contact is unwilling or unable to be interviewed or can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation , and contact tracing are not voluntary .
Right to privacy gone Every American who has been a patient at a doctor ’ s office or hospital is well aware that their medical history is guarded by Hipaa ( the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ) , but COVID-19 contact tracing appears to toss that right-to-privacy out the window .
Information about one ’ s COVID-19 status will most likely not only get entered into a centralized database .
Some states and local jurisdictions currently share COVID-19 health status with local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients in Denver , Boulder , El Paso , Adams , Douglas , Arapahoe and Jefferson counties have been given to 911 centers so the dispatchers can warn police officers and first responders who are called to the addresses that there are confirmed novel coronavirus cases within .
Proponents of the practice say it gives first responders an important heads up to be particularly careful and to don enhanced protective gear when responding to addresses with confirmed cases , while critics say it ’ s an unnecessary disclosure that ’ s ripe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s public health department has sent more than 1,000 addresses to dispatchers denoting COVID-19 patients ’ homes .
The list , updated daily , also includes addresses where patients have recovered enough to be allowed out of isolation , according to a statement from the city ’ s joint information center .
Interestingly , the Johns Hopkins training course longingly calls attention to Communist China and South Korea ’ s system of maintaining “ centralized national databases of phone numbers and locations , ” to deal with COVID-19 .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big tech are working together to develop COVID-19 tracking phone apps that could open up a brave new world of tyranny based on “ health ” and “ safety.
” Pointr , a company which focuses on “ indoor location technology ” excitedly promoted Apple and Google ’ s partnership to deliver “ technology for contact tracing across the world via smartphone apps .
Johns Hopkins training course diagrams how that would work .
A person with a contact tracing app on their smartphone goes through a typical workday , including being in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coming into close or physical contact with others while commuting on a bus or train or while at work , later discovering that he or she is developing COVID-19 symptoms after returning home .
As shown in the graphic below , each of the persons who came into close proximity with the infected person would be alerted via their smartphone to quarantine for 14 days .
In this example which depicts the daily movements of tens of millions of Americans , scores or even hundreds of people might be required to quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the course of a day .
What if you are one of the people who had been tagged as having been on a bus with an infected person , and after having emerged from 14 days of quarantine and having gone back to your job , were notified that someone in your office has come down with COVID-19 ?
You would have to go right back into 14 days of quarantine .
The pattern could be repeated time after time after time , essentially trapping you in perpetual quarantine .
It wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be mandatory , enforced by health officials and law enforcement .
And if you refused to comply , you could be subject to onerous fines and prison .
The only way out of perpetual quarantine ?
All of this , of course , leads to the solution that the way out for those trapped in perpetual quarantine in their homes will be COVID-19 vaccination , if and when it becomes available .
Inoculation against the virus would then become , for all intents and purposes , necessary ; that is , if one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would provide the only ticket to freedom from what amounts to house arrest .
However , acquiescing to the vaccination could prove hugely problematic ––especially for pro-life Christians–– if the vaccine is derived from aborted fetal cells , as some of the vaccines now being fast-tracked are .
On top of that , any rushed vaccine or medication has inherent safety risks due to unknown side effects .
An even more chilling scenario is also emerging .
While President Trump has indicated a potential future COVID-19 vaccine would be voluntary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some to force it on citizens .
In May , a committee of the New York State Bar Association ( NYSBA ) asked the association to recommend that the COVID-19 vaccine be deemed mandatory when it becomes available .
The committee ’ s report argued that the alleged gravity of the coronavirus pandemic “ presents compelling justification for State legislatures and Congress to mandate a COVID-19 vaccination.
” You have no constitutional right to endanger the public and spread a disease even if you disagree , you have no right not to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear a mask .
You have no right to open up your business … you absolutely [ have to be vaccinated ] and if you refuse to be vaccinated , the state has the power to literally take you to a doctor ’ s office and plunge a needle into your arm , if the vaccine is designed to prevent the spreading of the disease .
Dershowitz made a distinction : “ If the vaccination is designed to prevent the spreading disease ; If the vaccination is only to prevent a disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a disease that will kill you , you have the right to refuse that .
But you have no right to refuse to be vaccinated against a contagious disease .
Public health … the ‘ police power ’ [ found in ] the Constitution gives the state the power to compel that .
”

It appears that the liberties of U.S. citizens are increasingly at risk due to extraordinary COVID-19 contact tracking measures being put in place by liberal politicians.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus. Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, DC, June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Despite U.S. Attorney General William Barr having stated unequivocally that stay-at-home orders are “unprecedented burdens on civil liberties,” it appears that the liberties of U.S. citizens are increasingly at risk due to extraordinary COVID-19 contact tracking measures being put in place by liberal politicians.
More and more, the oft-repeated mantra of many government officials that contact tracking, quarantine, and isolation are “voluntary” appears to be a blatant lie, hinting that similar assurances that vaccinations will be voluntary may be non-credible as well.
The lockdowns demanded by governors and mayors across the nation have indeed fed their authoritarian appetites. The pandemic response has been used “as a splendid rationale to accumulate power, and then to persecute, harass and prosecute Americans who are anxious to get their lives and freedom back after months of lockdown,” according to David Krayden, writing at Human Events.
Human contact tracking
Johns Hopkins University’s online training for COVID-19 trackers explains at the outset that contact tracking programs are a “public good” that must be balanced with “rights of privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy.”
LifeSiteNews is providing screenshots from the Johns Hopkins course to show that the coming government encroachment on privacy and personal liberty is not drawn from inferences, but from the required course material for those seeking certification as competent contact trackers.
Trainees are taught that once they’ve identified persons who have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, they are to advise them to self quarantine for 14 days. For those who actually have the virus, they are to be counseled to self-isolate for 10 days. However, “in some circumstances, these requests may be mandated and enforced.”
Enforcement is not a hypothetical threat. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has already indicated that people who refuse to cooperate with contact trackers or refuse COVID-19 testing won’t be allowed to leave their homes.
And if they don’t do so voluntarily, Inslee said they will face sanctions in either civil or criminal court. Moreover, if government officials pursue quarantine or isolation via court order, individuals face fines of up to $2,000 per day.
Washington State Department of Health website screenshot
Kentucky residents who refuse to quarantine themselves have been outfitted with ankle bracelets, identical to those criminals must wear who are confined to house arrest.
When social distancing and quarantine rules were first implemented in late March, states exerted muscle to enforce their new regulations, mostly established by the governor’s executive order:
Maryland and Hawaii residents were subject to up to one year in jail and up to a $5,000 fine;
Texas residents could be fined up to $1,000 and up to 180 days in prison.
Alaskans could face one year in jail and be fined up to $25,000.
Canada has threatened its residents who violate the Quarantine Act with up to a whopping $750,000 fine in addition to jail time.
Washington State already has more than 1,000 contact tracers in place; New York plans to hire 17,000; California aims to hire 20,000.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ask but do not answer inherently troubling questions on their contact tracing for COVID-19 webpage, under “Operational Questions to Consider”:
Under what circumstances will quarantine be mandatory (under public health orders) as opposed to voluntary?
How will contacts be monitored for self-quarantine compliance?
What steps will be taken for contacts under self-monitoring who do not report as required? How intensive will the outreach be (e.g., same-day home visit)?
What steps will be taken if a contact is unwilling or unable to be interviewed or cannot be located?
Bottom line? Quarantine, isolation, and contact tracing are not voluntary.
Right to privacy gone
Every American who has been a patient at a doctor’s office or hospital is well aware that their medical history is guarded by Hipaa (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), but COVID-19 contact tracing appears to toss that right-to-privacy out the window.
Information about one’s COVID-19 status will most likely not only get entered into a centralized database. Some states and local jurisdictions currently share COVID-19 health status with local law enforcement officials.
The Denver Post reports:
The addresses of COVID-19 patients in Denver, Boulder, El Paso, Adams, Douglas, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties have been given to 911 centers so the dispatchers can warn police officers and first responders who are called to the addresses that there are confirmed novel coronavirus cases within. Proponents of the practice say it gives first responders an important heads up to be particularly careful and to don enhanced protective gear when responding to addresses with confirmed cases, while critics say it’s an unnecessary disclosure that’s ripe for abuse. … In Denver, the city’s public health department has sent more than 1,000 addresses to dispatchers denoting COVID-19 patients’ homes. The list, updated daily, also includes addresses where patients have recovered enough to be allowed out of isolation, according to a statement from the city’s joint information center.
Interestingly, the Johns Hopkins training course longingly calls attention to Communist China and South Korea’s system of maintaining “centralized national databases of phone numbers and locations,” to deal with COVID-19.
Big brother in your pocket
In addition to contact tracing person-to-person, states and big tech are working together to develop COVID-19 tracking phone apps that could open up a brave new world of tyranny based on “health” and “safety.”
Pointr, a company which focuses on “indoor location technology” excitedly promoted Apple and Google’s partnership to deliver “technology for contact tracing across the world via smartphone apps.
Pointr explains:
Pointr screenshot
Johns Hopkins training course diagrams how that would work.
A person with a contact tracing app on their smartphone goes through a typical workday, including being in close contact with family members at home, coming into close or physical contact with others while commuting on a bus or train or while at work, later discovering that he or she is developing COVID-19 symptoms after returning home.
As shown in the graphic below, each of the persons who came into close proximity with the infected person would be alerted via their smartphone to quarantine for 14 days.
In this example which depicts the daily movements of tens of millions of Americans, scores or even hundreds of people might be required to quarantine because of exposure to a single person over the course of a day.
Perpetual Quarantine
What if you are one of the people who had been tagged as having been on a bus with an infected person, and after having emerged from 14 days of quarantine and having gone back to your job, were notified that someone in your office has come down with COVID-19? You would have to go right back into 14 days of quarantine.
The pattern could be repeated time after time after time, essentially trapping you in perpetual quarantine. It wouldn’t be voluntary: It would be mandatory, enforced by health officials and law enforcement. And if you refused to comply, you could be subject to onerous fines and prison.
The only way out of perpetual quarantine?
All of this, of course, leads to the solution that the way out for those trapped in perpetual quarantine in their homes will be COVID-19 vaccination, if and when it becomes available.
Inoculation against the virus would then become, for all intents and purposes, necessary; that is, if one wants freedom to move about in society. It would provide the only ticket to freedom from what amounts to house arrest.
However, acquiescing to the vaccination could prove hugely problematic ––especially for pro-life Christians–– if the vaccine is derived from aborted fetal cells, as some of the vaccines now being fast-tracked are. On top of that, any rushed vaccine or medication has inherent safety risks due to unknown side effects.
An even more chilling scenario is also emerging.
Government compelled mandatory vaccination?
While President Trump has indicated a potential future COVID-19 vaccine would be voluntary, there is a strong move afoot by some to force it on citizens.
In May, a committee of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) asked the association to recommend that the COVID-19 vaccine be deemed mandatory when it becomes available.
The committee’s report argued that the alleged gravity of the coronavirus pandemic “presents compelling justification for State legislatures and Congress to mandate a COVID-19 vaccination.”
Celebrity attorney, Alan Dershowitz, previously posited similar sentiments in a video interview:
You have no constitutional right to endanger the public and spread a disease even if you disagree, you have no right not to be vaccinated. You have no right not to wear a mask. You have no right to open up your business … you absolutely [have to be vaccinated] and if you refuse to be vaccinated, the state has the power to literally take you to a doctor’s office and plunge a needle into your arm, if the vaccine is designed to prevent the spreading of the disease.
Dershowitz made a distinction: “If the vaccination is designed to prevent the spreading disease; If the vaccination is only to prevent a disease you will get, for instance if it is a disease that will kill you, you have the right to refuse that. But you have no right to refuse to be vaccinated against a contagious disease. Public health … the ‘police power’ [found in] the Constitution gives the state the power to compel that.”
Follow Doug Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist. He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs. Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-09--Child drag star’s mom claims cross-dressing ‘like mental health care’ for 8-year-old

DROP Disney+ : New teen film 'Out ' features openly homosexual main character !
Sign the petition here .
DENVER , June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Colorado mother is pushing back against criticism of her decision to allow her eight-year-old son to immerse himself in the world of drag , going so far as to claim exposing a child to the sexually-charged profession is therapeutic .
Mill Blackburn is a “ nonbinary ” ( according to his parents ) child who began performing in the Denver drag scene in August 2019 under the stage name “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackburn , claims the boy ’ s interest in drag began at age two , when seeing RuPaul ’ s Drag Race on TV inspired him to don a “ pink fluffy dress ” and declare “ I ’ m a drag queen.
” As the years went on , Mill would wear both male and female clothes while playing dress-up , but his entry into “ professional ” drag came when his family attended an LGBT “ pride ” parade .
“ We walked past a booth which offered kids the chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a local drag house , and Mill was determined to get involved , ” his father , Cameron Blackburn , recalled .
“ When Mill has their mind set on something , there 's no changing it , so we let them get paired up with a drag artist who spent the next hour or so transforming them . ''
The crowd enjoyed Mill ’ s subsequent stage performance , and he was invited to perform regularly .
Manige insists she is “ not the driving force behind this , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children pursue what interests them ” until it “ fizzles out — in this case it has n't yet . ''
Responding to objections that letting her son participate in drag is harmful to him , she claims that “ drag is like protective armor .
It protects children as they explore their gender .
I honestly classify it as mental health care for Mill .
The big purple wigs , the make-up and the new name — it 's all so cathartic . ''
She also denies that drag is “ sexualized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone is gay , they are going to be gay regardless of whether they dabbled in drag as a kid . ''
At the same time , however , she says her son recently told her , “ I do n't know if I 'm a he , a she or a they , ” and admits his gender confusion “ never would have happened so organically without being part of Denver 's drag scene . ''
A body of social science literature indicates that indulging a child ’ s gender confusion can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2017 , the University of Cambridge ’ s Stonewall report found that 96 percent of trans students in Scotland attempted self-harm through actions such as cutting themselves , and 40 percent attempted suicide .
Forty percent in the United States have attempted suicide , as well , according to a 2016 survey from the National Center for Transgender Equality ( NCTE ) .
According to a 2011 study out of Sweden , trans people remain 19 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population , even after surgery to reconstruct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drag is infamous for its heavy sexual content , as are the stories of other child drag stars such as Nemis Quinn Mélançon Golden ( a.k.a .
“ Lactatia ” ) and Desmond Napoles ( a.k.a .
“ Desmond is Amazing ” ) .
Another trend , Drag Queen Storytimes directed at children in public libraries , have been described by performers themselves as intended to give children “ unabashedly queer role models ” and facilitate “ the grooming of the next generation .
”

The nonbinary child told his mom, 'I don't know if I'm a he, a she or a they,' and that his gender confusion resulted from 'being part of Denver's drag scene.'
DROP Disney+: New teen film 'Out' features openly homosexual main character! Sign the petition here.
DENVER, June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Colorado mother is pushing back against criticism of her decision to allow her eight-year-old son to immerse himself in the world of drag, going so far as to claim exposing a child to the sexually-charged profession is therapeutic.
Mill Blackburn is a “nonbinary” (according to his parents) child who began performing in the Denver drag scene in August 2019 under the stage name “Salt Qween.” His mother, Manige Blackburn, claims the boy’s interest in drag began at age two, when seeing RuPaul’s Drag Race on TV inspired him to don a “pink fluffy dress” and declare “I’m a drag queen.”
As the years went on, Mill would wear both male and female clothes while playing dress-up, but his entry into “professional” drag came when his family attended an LGBT “pride” parade.
“We walked past a booth which offered kids the chance to drag up and perform on stage with a local drag house, and Mill was determined to get involved,” his father, Cameron Blackburn, recalled. “When Mill has their mind set on something, there's no changing it, so we let them get paired up with a drag artist who spent the next hour or so transforming them.”
The crowd enjoyed Mill’s subsequent stage performance, and he was invited to perform regularly.
Manige insists she is “not the driving force behind this,” but merely “let(s) my children pursue what interests them” until it “fizzles out — in this case it hasn't yet.”
Responding to objections that letting her son participate in drag is harmful to him, she claims that “drag is like protective armor. It protects children as they explore their gender. I honestly classify it as mental health care for Mill. The big purple wigs, the make-up and the new name — it's all so cathartic.”
She also denies that drag is “sexualized” on the grounds that “if someone is gay, they are going to be gay regardless of whether they dabbled in drag as a kid.” At the same time, however, she says her son recently told her, “I don't know if I'm a he, a she or a they,” and admits his gender confusion “never would have happened so organically without being part of Denver's drag scene.”
A body of social science literature indicates that indulging a child’s gender confusion can be harmful in the long run. In 2017, the University of Cambridge’s Stonewall report found that 96 percent of trans students in Scotland attempted self-harm through actions such as cutting themselves, and 40 percent attempted suicide. Forty percent in the United States have attempted suicide, as well, according to a 2016 survey from the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). According to a 2011 study out of Sweden, trans people remain 19 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, even after surgery to reconstruct their bodies.
Further, the world of drag is infamous for its heavy sexual content, as are the stories of other child drag stars such as Nemis Quinn Mélançon Golden (a.k.a. “Lactatia”) and Desmond Napoles (a.k.a. “Desmond is Amazing”). Another trend, Drag Queen Storytimes directed at children in public libraries, have been described by performers themselves as intended to give children “unabashedly queer role models” and facilitate “the grooming of the next generation.”
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