6 Degrees of Pope John Paul II

Newt Gingrich

2012-01-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this guy is such a player?

It was with great pleasure that I received the news that Newt Gingrich had converted to Catholicism. Now he's running for president. With South Carolina under his belt, he may well be the Republican nominee, but it is doubtful that Mr. Gingrich has what it takes to be president. His dirty laundry is being aired, and it ain't sweet smelling!

He has spoken out powerfully about traditional family structure, but requested an open marriage from the second of his (as of yet) three wives. He's not handled his personal finances well, leading a life where he is perpetually broke. He also tried to write an apologetic tell-all book, but was stopped by aides. He also had a torrid High School affair with his math teacher. Newt also has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth.
This leads to awkward headlines, like this one, "Newt Gingrich: Child labor laws are stupid"

What's truly amazing about Gingrich's success in South Carolina is that he probably won because the Evangelical Protestants probably voted for him because they'd rather have a Catholic than a Mormon. Now that's just sad! Appealing to racism and religious prejudice seems to be par for the course for Gingrich, but his new found religion won't stand for it. 45 Catholic leaders wrote an open letter to the two Catholic Republican candidates for president, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. The letter was published January 21, 2012 and reads as follows.

An Open Letter to Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum
As Catholic leaders who recognize that the moral scandals of racism and poverty remain a blemish on the American soul, we challenge our fellow Catholics Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum to stop perpetuating ugly racial stereotypes on the campaign trail. Mr. Gingrich has frequently attacked President Obama as a “food stamp president” and claimed that African Americans are content to collect welfare benefits rather than pursue employment. Campaigning in Iowa, Mr. Santorum remarked: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” Labeling our nation’s first African-American president with a title that evokes the past myth of “welfare queens” and inflaming other racist caricatures is irresponsible, immoral and unworthy of political leaders.
Some presidential candidates now courting “values voters” seem to have forgotten that defending human life and dignity does not stop with protecting the unborn. We remind Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum that Catholic bishops describe racism as an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. At a time when nearly 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, charities and the free market alone can’t address the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. And while jobseekers outnumber job openings 4-to-1, suggesting that the unemployed would rather collect benefits than work is misleading and insulting.
As the South Carolina primary approaches, we urge Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum and all presidential candidates to reject the politics of racial division, refrain from offensive rhetoric and unite behind an agenda that promotes racial and economic justice.

For the 45 signatures and the original posting of the letter, click here. I'm sure that many of the 45 have met Pope Benedict XVI and perhaps some would have met Blessed John Paul II.

Etta James

2012-01-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

The angels are singing "At Last" as their Etta James enters the Kingdom. May her memory be eternal.
Perhaps I'm a bit partial to Ms James. This was the first dance for my husband and me. No doubt some of you had the pleasure of this being your first song as well. Let's explore Etta James and link her to Blessed John Paul.

If you're letting this video play while reading the blog, you are realizing that Etta James is more of a jazz singer than strictly a pop or R&B singer.

Reckoning #1, Bloodline and an underworld

Etta's mother, Dorothy Hawkins, was 14 in 1938 when she gave birth to Jamesetta (Etta took her first and last stage name from this original name). Though she never really knew who her father was, she speculated it was Minnesota Fats, the famous pool player. Fats never admitted his age, but he was probably born within the first 15 years of the 20th century. That would make him about 20 years older than Dorothy when Etta was conceived. Do you see a resemblance?

Here's Minnesota Fats talking smack and shootin' pool, what he did best. I remember him on TV in the 70s. My parents got such a kick out of his smack talk and amazing pool shots.

Both Etta and Minnesota had movies made about them. Etta was played by third degree, Beyonce Knowles. Her possible father, Minnesota Fats, was played by Jackie Gleason in the 1961 movie, "The Hustler." Gleason won an Academy Award for that role. In the 60s, he made this campaign ad for Richard Nixon. We have a bad connotation with Richard Nixon's name now, but, in light of the shenanigans our current government is getting up to with SuperPacs, insider trading in Congress, and swinging Republicans for family values, Nixon is looking more and more like a boy scout!


Nixon and Pope Paul VI

In 1957, before becoming president, Richard Nixon met Pope Pius XII. Later, as president, he met Pope Paul VI from whom Blessed John Paul II got half of his name.

Reckoning #2, The Artist

When Etta was 14 her life changed, she was taken under the wing of Johnny Otis, The Godfather of Rhythm and Blues. Otis' and James' age difference mirrored that of Minnesota Fats and Dorothy Hawkings, but, instead of sexual exploitation, Otis mentored the young girl.

Otis was born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, the son of Greek working classimmigrants.

Otis' older brother became a diplomat. He was US Ambassedor to Jordan and then to Egypt, where he knew and worked with First Degree, Hosni Mubarak.

Otis produced hundreds of albums and discovered scores of artists. He produced the original version of the Lieber and Stoller tune, Hound Dog, a song later made famous by Elvis Presley. Here is the original version by Big Mama Thornton. Guess who met second degree, Richard Nixon?
To recap, Etta James is four degrees from Pope John Paul II.

Etta to Beyonce to Zahi Hawas to George Bush to Pope John Paul II
Etta to Johnny Otis to Ambassador Veliotis to Hosni Mubarak to Pope John Paul II

She is 5 degrees by these reckonings.

Etta to Minnesota Fats to Jackie Gleason to Richard Nixon to Pope Pius XII and Paul VI
Etta to Johnny Otis to Elvis Presley to Richard Nixon to Pius XII and Paul VI to Pope John Paul II

The "Church" of Scientology

2011-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Doyle Mills, a Scientologist Auditor met Blessed John Paul II.
I must inform Mr. Mills that the Pope is weilding a much more
powerful "e meter" than you've ever been hooked up to!

Have you ever taken one of those Cosmo quizzes to find out which personality type you are? Have you ever read your horoscope and believed it? Do you believe that these diversions are just insightful entertainment? You may have primed yourself to take a "stress test" or "personality test" by a practitioner of Dianetics (Scientology).

Many years back, I had a friend who was an ex-Scientologist. Her family had paid big bucks to get her out of the cult and deprogrammed. A bunch of us in a dorm sat down and heard her explain Scientology for a few hours. It blew our minds! I'll give you a thumbnail sketch of what I learned.

How to become a Scientologist

Take a personality test

Like many cons, this test makes everyone a "winner". Since people like to be part of the "in crowd," they are pleased to "pass" the Oxford Capacity Analysis test (OCAT), the main recruiting device of Scientology.
If you don't "pass" the test you an an "S.P." My friend (we'll call her Heidi) said that if you are approached by a Scientologist, just tell them you're an s.p. and walk away.

Get Audited

This woman is attached to an e meter. The Scientologist
Auditor would be with her. This is a kind of cross between
psychotherapy and lie detection. The irony of this being the
cornerstone of Scientology is not lost on me. Scientology
is adamant that modern Psychiatry is a lie.

This is the most ironic part of Scientology! After you pass the OCAT, you pay for auditing sessions. In these sessions an e reader machine measures your electrical output and various waves of energy while you talk about your history and your problems with a Scientology Auditor. The concept is a mix of psychotherapy and lie detection.
Every bad thing that has ever happened to you or you in a past life is stored on you in the form of an "engram" on your mind. In order to be happy and live up to your potential, you must rid your mind of engrams. Auditing is how this is done.
As a bad experience is discussed, the auditor reads the e meter. Through this kind of talk therapy, the cult member gradually eliminates the engram through self-empowerment, a bit like ironing wrinkles from a shirt with multiple strokes of the iron.
Evidently, confession to the engram of homosexual attraction is a standard part of all members' auditing experience. Auditors lead subjects into their present and past lives to find engrams and discuss the experiences in detail.
Did I mention that auditing sessions are recorded? If you try to leave the group, they use confessions to keep you in.
Once all engrams have been eliminated from your mind, you are "clear." This might be likened to a state of Nirvana among the Buddhists, but instead of becoming jolly and serene like Buddah, you turn into Tom Cruise!

Learn more

Once clear, the new Scientologist begins to learn more about the story of Xenu (their god who is L. Ron Hubbard in another form) and other elements of the story of Dianetics.

Recruit

This goes without saying.

I believe that the practice of Scientology is antithetical to the practice of Catholicism. You cannot be a Catholic Scientologist! While the Vatican has yet to make a pronouncement about Scientology, many Catholics, both clergy and laity have stood up to Scientology. The Sisters of Saint Paul have courageously published a book that exposes abuses within the cult. Cardinal Marc Oulette has been strong in his stance against the dangerous cult.

Scientology has stuck by its policy of offensiveness. It is suing constantly. Scientology is currently suing an Orthodox Church in Russia because the church had criticised Scientology and warned members about their tactics and stress tests. They are also seeking a civil judgement against Paul Haggis, a former leader of the "church." Oh, did I mention that they are suing the Sisters of Saint Paul?

I think it's time for the USCCB and The Vatican to make an official statement.

Frosty The Snowman

2011-12-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

The story of Frosty the Snowman is a kind of miniature of the Gospel. Not the story of Jesus, but His promise to us of the resurrection. Frosty prances about with the children, having fun and singing. When he begins to melt away, he promises a return. One imagines a glorified Frosty who is even stronger, happier, and even more of an adventure.

The song was recorded in 1950 by Gene Autry. Autry had struck gold with his hit Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer in 1949. This was indeed the hayday of classic Christmas music. Silver Bells, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, Jingle Bell Rock, Santa Baby, Nuttin' for Christmas, and Let it Snow all had their first hit recordings in the 10 years following the war.

A variety of artists have recorded Frosty the Snowman. The Beach Boys, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, The Jackson 5, and even Burt Reynolds have recorded Frosty's song. Second Degree, Bing Crosby recorded a version of the song too.

Now, we've already done the post on Bing Crosby (click above link), but I wanted to share some unsettling things I discovered while reading Bing's obituary on the Holy Cross Cemetery website. I had heard that he was a stern father who had disowned his gay son and was harsh with his other children as well. In his final requests he writes

"Except as otherwise provided in this will and the trust, I have intentionally and with full knowledge omitted to provide for my heirs, and I have specifically failed to provide for any child of mine whether mentioned in this will or in said trust or otherwise."

Okay, so he probably continued the disavowing of his son through the trust. Perhaps he excluded the others as well, but trust records are not public, so he may have left his straight children or grandchildren something. You have to admit that the wording is harsh, distant, cold, and final. He goes on

"my funeral services be conducted in a Catholic church; that they be completely private with attendance limited to my wife and the above-mentioned children; that a low Mass be said and that no memorial service of any kind be held. I further direct that, insofar as possible, services be held without any publicity, other than that which my family permits after my burial, which shall be in a Catholic cemetery."

The obituary continues

After his death, several of his sons painted a picture of Crosby as a cold and distant father, who severely punished his children. Son Gary Crosby wrote a controversial tell-all biography titled, "Going My Own Way" in 1983. Two other sons, Lindsay and Dennis, committed suicide.

Here he is singing with his wife and three of the seven he would eventually have. Notice the extreme awkwardness of the family dynamic. Did one of these boys end up taking his own life?

Does anyone else see a disconnect between the insistence on a Catholic burial and the hateful will? What about the two suicides and (we read in the article) two marriages. Do you think Bing is currently being praised for his Catholic faithfulness or suffering purification for the abandonment of souls he was blessed to have as children and charged to raise? Can a Catholic parent disown a child because they struggle with or are plagued with a sin? Perhaps Bing should have taken his character from White Christmas' advice and counted his blessings.

Penn State Football: Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice's sake

2011-11-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

Jerry Sandusky, Penn State, and the Cover-up

The Thanksgiving football were on and I just couldn't help but look at all the "manly" and "masculine" men with the Motorola headsets and the men with very tight pants who are probably hopped up on testosterone and think, wow, which ones are raping boys when they think nobody is looking? It's the same way the world is looking at priests since the abuse scandal broke almost ten years ago.

Human beings want to find order and predictability in their world. If they hear about a scandal like this, they want to find ways that this would be impossible in their own sphere of influence.

In Massachusetts, at a basketball camp, some older students put "bodily fluids" on an oreo and forced a younger student to eat the oreo as part of a "hazing ritual." Here is a link to the news video. Here is an incident in Idaho of sexual hazing in sports. Is it any wonder that Jerry Sandusky was able to sodomize children for decades and not be caught? Let me rephrase, he was caught, he was not reported and the behavior was not considered unusual enough to consult the police or to EVEN STOP IT RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

The sheer masculinity of American football's image makes the rape of boys by a famous coach very shocking. Isn't masculinity defined by protecting women and children, by honor and dignity, and by truth and justice? No! Christian masculinity is all those things. Relativist masculinity is power, might, use of others for sex, sexual conquest, porn, and fame. Jerry Sandusky had all these things. Let's learn more.

Before his discovery as a child rapist, he was interviewed about his project to "help" underprivileged children, The .

Here is the interview with on the NBC show "Rock Center." Note a few glaring tells of lying.

repeating the question and otherwise delaying an answer
NO OUTRAGE
evasive answers, hesitation
"I have hugged them.. I have touched their legs." Attempts to minimize the damage.
lack of affect. Mr. Sandusky is being accused of horrendous offenses and is cool and unphased by this. The ONLY way he could be unsurprised or unoffended by these allegations is if he had thought about them before.

With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Jerry Sandusky Phone Interview

www.thedailyshow.com

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So, is Jerry Sandusky innocent? Not likely. If you would like more information on liespotting, check out the post, "blessed are the clean of heart." Will football be tainted by this scandal for the foreseeable future? Yes. Will innocent men be looked at with hatred and suspicion? Probably. Is this a natural consequence of sin? Yes!

Jerry Sandusky is not someone who is persecuted for justice's sake. All the other coaches who are not guilty, but must forever change the way they are around kids are making those changes "for justice's sake." I hope public outrage does not wane before those changes are made.

3 Degrees

Sandusky outraged The Devil who tempted Jesus Christ, the boss of Blessed John Paul II.

Liespotting: Blessed are the Clean of Heart

2011-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Liespotting

Who are the clean of heart? Those who rejoice in the truth? Those who avoid lying? According to Pamela Meyer, we all lie. Now, while it's important to not be a rude person who just blurts out painful truths and covers up cruelty by saying, "I was just being truthful," it is also important to remember that real love "rejoices in the truth." If we are to serve God, He who is Love, we must rejoice in truth too. I saw this Ted Talk and it blew me away. I decided to make it the focus of this post on the Beatitude, "Blessed are the Clean of Heart."

Let's practice our new skills. I've embedded some videos of untruthful interactions and then tied the liars to Pope John Paul II. Enjoy!

repeating the question and otherwise delaying an answer

NO OUTRAGE

evasive answers, hesitation

"I have hugged them.. I have touched their legs." Attempts to minimize the damage.

lack of affect. Mr. Sandusky is being accused of horrendous offenses and is cool and unphased by this. The ONLY way he could be unsurprised or unoffended by these allegations is if he had thought about them before.

In this video: Duping delight (inappropriate smiling): This is especially evident when he defends waterboarding and "extraordinary rendition," (kidnapping of suspects).

Evasive answers (not answering the question but making unrelated statements that don't answer the question that was actually asked): "My job is to protect the American people" is never an answer to one of Mr. Lauer's questions. "Within the law" is another favorite of President Bush. Overly formal yet unspecific phrases such as "within the law" and "within the constitution" are used, but the actual laws and passages in the Constitution are never quoted. "We had lawyers look at it and say, Mr. President, this is lawful," this is buck-passing. Rather than use his own judgement or accept responsibility for a decision, he pawns the decision off on a nameless "lawyer."

Sporadic outrage: A person telling the truth is outraged at false accusation throughout an interview. They directly attack the arguments against them and work cooperatively with the interviewer to clear their name. The President does none of that. The most inflammatory accusation, that there is "a blurring of the line between ourselves and the people you are trying to protect us against."

Also, appreciate the physical mirroring that Matt Lauer does in mimicking the President's gestures and aggressive body language. This mirroring is common to all primate communication. It's great when you are in an argument with someone to mimic their body position. If you want them to stop crossing their arms and leaning back you must first cross your arms and lean back. After a while you can begin to open up your own posture and the other person, even when angry, will begin to unconsciously mimic you and open their own. Pretty soon you have helped the person be less aggressive and more open to your argument and you did it physically. I love watching Matt Lauer do this. It's really impressive.

One Degree!
George W. Bush and Blessed John Paul II

This video is rich with head tells. There are so many, I need to number them!

Varied blink rate. As A-Rod thinks of answers and considers his story, his brain is working overtime to come up with something plausible.
But somehow his brain didn't give his neck the memo, he says "No" but nods "yes" enthusiastically. This is seen throughout the interview.
shoulder shrugs during poorly constructed lies
Duping delight, the half-smiles toward the end of the interview are little smirks. He got away with it, at least at this point. Another interpretation is that this is a look of contempt. Why should drugs be such an issue? He's annoyed with the constant questioning.
Check out his later apology for using steroids and other drugs, lots of duping delight there!

Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez's Cutest Couple Moments

4 Degrees
Alex Rodriguez was boyfriend to Cameron Diaz
Ms Diaz was admired by President Clinton
President Clinton Met John Paul II

Here we need to pay attention to the verbal cues for lies. He dodges the question. "I believe they have not been proved to be unsafe." He uses overly formal language such as "injurious" and distances himself from victims by using the word, "human". Smoking doesn't kill people, it "has not been proven to be no injurious to human health." Now that's linguistic gymnastics! Oh, and don't miss the little zinger at the end about women wanting smaller babies!

Connecting smoking to any pope is easy, smokers visit him all the time.

Here is another video from our beloved tobacco industry. Try not to laugh.

Hmmm, applesauce, really?! Let's see if our little friend is lying, shall we?
Evasive language: "at concentrations which would be considered harmful," this doesn't answer the question.
Stiff upper body: "People don't eat much applesauce," is given as the reason people don't die from excess apple consumption. Again, try not to laugh.
Duper's Delight: smiling as he says, "they're not eating that much." It's so ridiculous, he is even laughing.
Lying eyes: Varied blink rate which is faster when formulating the lie and slower when telling it. Blink rate speeds up again when formulating the next lie. Subject tries not to blink and to look interviewer in the eye to check his believing the lie. Also, note the eyebrows raising when he says "everybody dies" and following. That look says, "you don't believe me, do you?"
Shoulder shrugs: "Anything can be considered harmful," with the shoulder shrug he's actually saying, "look out, big load of bullshit coming your way!" He then says, "applesauce can be harmful." Look toward the end when he says "people who eat sugar die..." Here he is combining a variety of tells simultaneously.

Here we see Ruth Madoff, Bernie Madoff's partner in crime and her surviving son.

The son shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, negating what he is saying at the beginning of the interview. He talks without affect about his parents' "attempted suicide," but his facial expressions and tone do not match the words he's using. There is a flash of contempt on the word "thinking" in "what were they thinking," his lip snears. He also smiles when recounting his questioning of his mother, "what were you thinking, I don't understand." I don't know if this son was a con artist like the rest of his family, but he may have been less involved in his family's business than his late brother.

Ruth Madoff claims to have attempted suicide and have been very depressed, but her language and her face tell a different story. "We decided to kill ourselves" at 59" she shakes her head, exactly as her son did in the previous clip. She uses a very perky tone that doesn't match the meaning of her words. Duper's delight, a lovely smile on "we took pills and woke up the next day." "It was so horrendous, what was happening." while flitting little smiles.

The Madoffs defrauded many famous people, among them the great Sandy Koufax. Mr. Koufax met President Obama. President Obama met Pope Benedict XVI who was one degree from Blessed John Paul II.

Oh Bill! Why must you lie? Again, so many, they need numbering. I got most of these points from Pamela Meyer's video that heads this post.

Overly formal language, "I did not" rather than "I didn't. And "sexual relations" instead of...
Qualifying language, "I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again."
Fist pounding and unusual body gestures for him
"that woman" distances himself from the victim or object of the lie, dehumanizing her and making Bill look less horrible
Overly adamant denial, "not a single time, never."

Now look for THE EXACT TELLS as Clinton on Richard Nixon. OMG, this is too much!

The Marshall Plan: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy

2011-11-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

There is universal agreement that the major reason for World War II were the crippling reparations on Germany imposed at the close of World War I. These reparations not only brought Germany down, but the financial aftermath of the war plunged the world into The Great Depression. After the defeat of Germany, the world did not want to plant seeds for World War III. General George Marshall came up with a plan to rebuild Germany so that it would be an economic force and not a drain to the world. His proposal was known as The Marshall Plan.

Today Germany is the most solvent and solid of EU countries. Mercy was shown to Germany by the world, especially The United States. No matter the political stripes of Americans, there is a great pride that we have in The Marshall Plan. We answered evil with justice and mercy. The Nuremberg trials brought the guilty to justice. The Marshall Plan brought mercy.

There was no similar plan for Japan. As a result, Japan did not become an economic power until the 1970s. Now, we are drowning in Japanese cars and electronics. Their economy is booming and our manufacturing jobs are gone. If we had had a Marshall Plan for Japan, the 1950s would not have been so prosperous, but we would not have had the bubbles and bursts that have plagued us either. With a world that had been rebuilt earlier, it is quite possible that alternative energy sources would be discovered and replacing oil at this point. When mercy is extended, the people we ultimately save are ourselves. Kindness coats the world in balance and peace.

We linked General George Marshall to John Paul II in a previous post. The three degrees are...

General George Marshall to FDR to Pope Pius XII to Pope John Paul II

State Sponsored Terrorism: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

2011-11-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Peace sculpture outside The United Nations

All atrocities are rooted in sin. We all sin. When we are children, our parents correct our behavior and point out our sins. They introduce us to God with their love and loving correction. Later, it is confession, friends, spouses, workmates, and neighbors who help to guide and direct us to righteousness. For countries, it is other countries and the international community. The only authorities that officially stand up to the United States and many other powerful countries are The United Nations, The Church, and The International Court at The Hague. The Church and The United Nations are both one-degree from Pope John Paul II.

Many have said, "Nobody can control the United States, the UN doesn't stand up to them" or "The church has no weapons, how can they effect change?" Without faith, these statements are perfectly true. Recent events make me fear for the future of my country. I see my president not standing behind the precedents of The Geneva Conventions, and the Nuremberg Articles. I see a rise of The Tea Party, a group claiming to be Christian that is steadfastly against love of neighbor and forgiveness. History tells us that "absolute power corrupts absolutely," and The United States has more absolute power with each passing day.

The International Court

In the face of their daunting task, members of The U.N., The Vatican, and The International Court persist in their mission of justice. Let's examine their struggles using a few examples of injustice in our world.

Torture
Under the Bush administration (W,) various "enhanced interrogation techniques" or "tortures" were approved. They include water boarding, sleep or food deprivation, walling, and placing a person in a box with insects.

Water boarding is defined as torture by The United Nations. Pardoning or not prosecuting torturers because they were acting under orders of superiors is indefensible according to the Nuremberg articles. The particular act of pardoning for this reason is commonly known as The Eichmann Defense. Adolf Eichmann was a torturer under Hitler and used this defense at his Nuremberg trial for war crimes following World War II. If this defense was not acceptable then, it is not acceptable anytime! Here is a portion of Eichmann's trial in Israel in 1961.

In the light of news of torture by Americans, American religious leaders, lead by a Roman Catholic Cardinal, signed a statement denouncing torture. This was widely reported in THe New York Times and has been revisited by American bishops and other religious and lay faithful since.

Torturers using The Eichmann defense were pardoned by Obama, denounced by International law, denounced by The Church.

2 Degrees

Torture to International Court or The U.N. or American Cardinal who was elevated by John Paul II.

Oh, by the way, The Pope spoke against this too!

Rape

Rape is a horrible distortion of our bodies. The body is a gift from God, meant to be given to one another in love and service. The most intimate form of love is reserved for husbands and wives and involves genitals. When this same act is forced and becomes violent it is an abomination to the image of God. Just as it is an abomination to take a beautiful tree, which is given for fruit and shade, and use it to crucify God's Son, it is an abomination to take a body, which is an icon of Jesus Himself, and use it as a means of torture and violence. Yet rape in war and as a tool of torture and ethnic genocide is common in our world.

In Congo, rape has been a tool of war, victimizing hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children! Not only has an entire generation of child fighters been habituated to rape as soldiers, but they are also victims of rape when captured. The entire country is demoralized and bleeding from these atrocities.

Congolese man who works for
Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services is on the ground in Congo. They have rape crisis counselors working with victims as you read this. CRS will not abandon the people of Congo, but they could use your help. Why not donate or support a missionary. Also, write your Congressmen (Senate and House) and tell them you care about Congo and violence in Africa.

John Paul II, one of the popes to honor
Catholic Relief Services.

Catholic Relief Services has been honored by all popes since CRS has existed. Pope John Paul II honored the head of CRS in 2000.

Financial Robbery, My Congress at Work!

Why the hell do men and women spend millions to gain a job that pays $140? They are crooks! Last night's 60 Minutes episode exposes the corruption. They write the laws (definition of "legislature") and they control business and know information before it is public. That is why they sold stocks in September of 2008. That is why they bought stocks before the health care bill passed, before we knew that it would, in health insurance companies. They make millions from these trades. This is wrong. My congressman is chair of the House finance committee. I'm sickened by this! It doesn't surprise me, but it sickens me. How can we stop this!

They profited when the rest of us were losing our savings!

My own congressman, Barney Frank, is heavily invested in health care stocks. In his last report, he has accepted trips to The Virgin Islands on a private jet, and to Los Angeles at NBC's expense. The value of these trips are reported far below what they would have actually cost. Mr. Frank also did not lose money in the 2008 financial drop, he broke even, "wisely" having invested heavily in municipal bonds. I wonder why his portfolio was so well managed. Did he know something that we didn't? OF COURSE HE KNEW! He was chair of the House Finance Committee. He knew about the collapse several months before anyone else and acted accordingly. He sold his Washington residence just months before the housing collapse. He now lives in an apartment. This whole thing stinks to high heaven!

I used legistorm.com to find documents of financial disclosure for Congressman Frank. You can look up your own representatives. I urge you to write about what you find, write letters to the editor, and generally embarrass these politicians. Then, find people who will represent our interests. I think we should pay congressmen $1,000,000 per year, give them health care in keeping with comparable earners, and take away their ability to flout the laws we are supposed to abide by.

4 Shameful Degrees

Congress imitating Judas who betrayed Jesus to Peter to The Popes

Steve Jobs, Blessed are those who mourn

2011-11-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

As I write this post, Steve Jobs has recently died. By all accounts, he is an acceptional human being. He is missed and he is an example of good corporate leadership and inspiration. Jobs saw death as a great gift for a well-lived life. Perhaps without death we cannot truly know joy.

Those who die a good death give us the love and the tools to live our life well. Please take this day and listen and enjoy those who surround you. The joys you experience with them today are the comfort they give you and the comfort you give them.

In this hysterical satire we link two degrees to John Paul II. Embedding has been disabled, so please take 4 minutes to click and enjoy. Fantastic! Humor is often a great comfort to those who are mourning.

3 Degrees

Steve Jobs to MadTv to George Bush to Pope John Paul II

Julia Bacha, Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the land

2011-11-02T05:05:00.000-07:00

h Arab Spring was a phenomenon this year when oppressive Middle Eastern regimes were peacefully overturned, one after the other. Now, millions of Arabs are peacefully discussing and deliberating their futures and setting the stage for a peaceful world for their children and grand children.

An idea vs an army

Wait a minute! Aren't Arabs supposed to be uneducated, war-mongering, terrorists? How could such an Arab Spring be possible? Isn't that kind of peace against the nature of such barbarians?

We've been lied to! Many of those lies are lies of omission! Arabs are not what they've been made out to be. Can one assume that Americans are murderers, psychopaths, and godless materialists? Certainly not, yet the majority of school shooters, legendary serial killers, and celebrities are! Just as we cannot be know through our wacko or hedonistic citizens, so to Arabs cannot. Yes, those who attacked us on 9/11 were Arab, but they were not a representative sample.

The vast majority of Arabs are meekly demonstrating and claiming their God-given freedom. Blessed are they, for they ARE inheriting their lands at long last! A lone voice, that of Julia Bacha is crying in the wilderness. She is hoping that someone will listen. Let's take fewer than 10 minutes to hear her speak.

Queen Noor of Jordan (tall in a light blue gown) with Julia Bacha
at the 2009 Dubai film festival

Queen Noor has been acquainted with many first-degreers. Among them...

Bono

and

Nelson Mandela

let's see

3 Degrees

Julia Bacha to Queen Noor to Bono to Pope John Paul II

Julia Bacha to Queen Noor to Nelson Mandela to Pope John Paul II

The Uncreated Light, Blessed are the poor in spirit

2011-10-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

Moses and The Burning Bush

This post begins a series that I'm dedicating to Jesus' Beatitudes. The first offering in this series is The Uncreated Light. This miracle is an annual event that announces the Risen Christ EVERY EASTER! This unconsuming flame has appeared without ceasing every year to encourage the faithful that The Trinity has not abandoned them in this valley of tears. Both Eastern and Western traditions incorporate new flame and the lighting of candles in a darkened church to commemorate and celebrate this beloved Kiss From God that he bestows on his bride's expectant face each Pascha (Easter).

Iconography of The Transfiguration always
has this stylized light. Could this painting be
more realistic than previously thought?

The Uncreated Light, the Flame that Does Not Consume, the Bright Light that blinded the apostles on Mount Tabor and appeared above their heads at Pentacost, is a sure sign of God's Love.

Friends, it is only from The Crucifixion that we have The Resurrection. It is only through becoming lost that we are found. It is only by losing our life that we gain life eternal. The Uncreated Light of God that we see on earth each Pascha (Easter) is a glimpse of Heaven. Note that most people who are surrounded by the flame are completely unaware of its presence. We all ignore blessings and squander opportunities to encounter the divine. God is continually forgiving us these oversights (but we should still confess them.) We should never lose hope but know that God will continue to reach out to us without fail, even as we take our last breath. Enjoy these films.

2 Degrees

Holy Fire to Apostles to Pope John Paul II
or
Holy Fire to Moses to Jesus to Saint Peter to Pope John Paul II

The Prophet Muhammad

2011-10-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

Did the title of this post make you bristle? Did you wonder, is this going to confirm my beliefs? Is it going to be hype? Is it going to be hate-mongering? Is it going to be politically correct?

There is precious little information about the Arab world before The Prophet. In fact, among non-Muslim sources, the very existence of The Prophet Muhammad is often questioned. As with many Christian texts, original documents regarding Muhammad (peace be upon him [pbuh],) may be incomplete or lost. But many careful and faithful copies of Muslim texts, including the full version of The Qur'an, were completed after the death of the original authors. This does not mean that the original documents never existed, it is merely a hazard of history, war, the elements, and mobility. During the Protestant Reformation, 7 books of the bible were taken out of the canon of scripture because of original versions being lost to time. Coult this be a grave mistake that has done a severe disservice to Protestant spirituality? The historical Church sure thinks so!

The Catholic Church and The Orthodox Church have NEVER doubted the historical Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]. In fact, Christians have enjoyed a treaty with the founder of Islam for centuries. This treaty is known as The Achtiname of Muhammad and its authenticity has not been questioned since Muhammad's [pbuh] lifetime by Christians or Muslims. In fact, the treaty has been renewed with Islamic leaders over the centuries. Would this mean that The Prophet Muhammad's [pbuh] words became invalid upon his death? Certainly not. That would invalidate the Qur'an. The renewal of the treaty simply showed new generations of Christians and Muslims that The Prophet's words would be respected and upheld, much like the way U.S. presidents swear to uphold The Constitution or witnesses swear on The Bible.

Here is a translation of The Achtiname of Muhammad.

"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.

No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."

English translation from 'Muslim History: 570 - 1950 C.E.' by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq, ZMD Corporation. P.O. Box 8231 - Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8231 - Copyright Akram Zahoor 2000. P. 167.

Similar language and sentiment is recorded in Persia in The Chronicle of Seert.

I have seen many videos and heard speeches by online personalities, who are otherwise not idiots, talk about Muhammad with hatred and a complete lack of respect. While it is true that one cannot hold Christian and Muslim beliefs together, it is not true that hateful and disrespectful language toward Muslims is acceptable to God. If our aim is to convert the world and give His creation back to Him, we must love one another. Only through Love can the Holy Spirit work toward conversion in the heart of another.

St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai

3 Degrees

The Prophet Muhammad signed the above treaty at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt.

El Greco was a painter of The Spanish Renaissance.

El Greco painted St. Catherine's on the back of his Modena Triptych

He also painted Pope Pius V.

Pope Pius V, portrait by El Greco in the 17th Century

Muhammad to El Greco (via St. Catherine's Monastery) to Pope Pius V to Blessed John Paul II

Justin Bieber

2011-09-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

5 Degrees

Tween idol, Justin Bieber and fourth degree, Kim Kardashian are friends.

Here they pose together in a photo reminiscent of the Dustin Hoffman
film, The Graduate

Kardashian (front row toward the right in a blue dress) and third degree, Beyonce Knowles (blue cigarette pants and yellow shoes front row toward the left) at 2012 Fashion Week for Vera Wang's show.

We already read in a previous post how Beyonce went to Egypt and met Zahi Hawass to give her three degrees. Let's take a different tack here to link to Blessed John Paul II.

In January of 2011, Vera Wang was invited to a state dinner at the White House to greet
Chinese President Hu Jintao

Jackie Chan was also on the guest list

Yo Yo Ma was awarded the Medal of Freedom at
the Chinese State Dinner. He also performed at Senator
Ted Kennedy's funeral with first degree, Placido Domingo.

This is another picture of the Kennedy funeral. Note first degree,
President George W Bush and first degree Jimmy Carter. Cardinal O'Malley is also
a first degree.

Blessed John Paul II and President Jimmy Carter at the
beginning of JP's pontificate

At Castel Gandalfo

4 Degrees

Bieber to Kardashian to Vera Wang to Placido Domingo to Pope JP2

5 Degrees

Bieber to Kardashian to Beyonce to Dr. Hawass to Laura Bush to Pope JP2

Bieber to Kardashian to Vera Wang to Yo Yo Ma to Jimmy Carter to Pope JP2

Bieber to Kardashian to Vera Wang to Yo Yo Ma to Cardinal O'Malley to Pope JP2

The Saints and Heroes of 9/11

2011-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

May their memory be eternal. I'd like to tell the story about brave and loving people who were cut down by self-righteousness and judgementalism. The terrorists who used planes as bombs on 9/11 were certain that they were right and just in their actions. They were wrong. The people they murdered were some of the finest that mankind has to offer.

Even in death, Father Mychal saved lives

The man who has since been called, "the saint of 9/11" was a Franciscan friar and chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. His name was Father Mychal Judge. His death saved the life of every man in this picture. If he had not died, these men would have been in the towers, trying to save victims, when the towers collapsed. Father Mychal's was the first death recorded on 9/11.

For a biography on Father Mychal, click here. Here is a trailer for the film, The Saint of 9/11. A documentary film was being made on 9/11 and Father Mychal was captured staring out a plate glass window with his lips moving. He was absolving people as they fell to their deaths. Moments later there was an explosion and Mychal Judge was blasted to his death. As members of his flocked carried his body out of the tower, the tower fell. For the NPR story remembering Mychal Judge, click here.

1 Degree

The plane that started the fire that killed Father Mychal tipped off the passengers of Flight 93. Through a series of plane-to-land phone calls, the passengers figured out that their plane was being hijacked to be used as a bomb and that they needed to act in order to save others and possibly themselves. This past week some tapes were declassified. These tapes give a clearer picture of what happened on that flight. Families of those heroic passengers have requested that the final 30 minutes, the portion after "Let's roll," not be released. That struggle and the impact are private and making them public would not be appropriate. The 9/11 Commission heard them however, and used the knowledge from them in their report.

Here are some videos and audio clips. May their memory be eternal.

For a transcript of the above video, click here.

The passengers formulated a plan, voted and ratified it, and implemented it in 30 minutes. They rammed drink carts into the cockpit door. In response the terrorist rocked the plane from side to side to knock the passengers down and stop them. Finally the terrorist flying the plane said "should I put it in" and another said "yes" and the plane was crashed into the earth. Here is a link to a story which describes that from the tapes.

Priorities and Frequency

2011-08-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I love writing this blog, but I need to slow down a little bit. Posts won't be as regular or as frequent. I need to attend to Fantasy Bishball until Advent because I said I would. Also, and this is the main reason, I need to concentrate on weightloss and focus on that. I'm cutting out Tiny Tower and blog posts I don't need to write to make time for workouts and maybe starting a Catholic/Orthodox weight loss blog.

Please continue to read older posts, there are almost 200 of them! I'll add more as things hit the news.

Random O.C. Christian

Margaret Sanger

2011-08-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

4 Degrees

Margaret Sanger's life's work is at odds with that of Jesus Christ. But I think it only fair that Ms Sanger be allowed to speak for herself. Here is an interview with Mike Wallace from the early 1960s.

Take a moment now to jot down the reasons why you believe abortion should be legal. Even if you are a Catholic in step with The Church, go ahead, write them down. Fewer poor people, fewer people born into instability, economic power for women might be among your reasons.

I think that abortion is still legal because Christians have not really put their heart into the issue. Some distinctly annoying and distasteful Christians scream and yell on sidewalks and put gruesome pictures of baby pieces on their front lawn. Some Christians hold long discourse with pro-choice friends over glasses of Merlot and agree to disagree. Most just leave the fight to someone else, their view on the topic an ambivalent mix of understanding and revulsion.

In this Freakanomics piece, we see how the explosion of abortion in the 1970s made for far fewer criminals in the 1990s.
Back to Ms Sanger. Did you know she was the darling of the KKK lecture circuit?

Guess who drank Ms Sanger's cool-aide?

Second degree Barack Obama is carrying on the Aryan crusade of Margaret Sanger. I don't believe that President Obama is ultimately comfortable with his public support of abortion. Father Robert Barron thinks so too.

So think about it, is racism, classism, or a dislike of children keeping you from actively opposing abortion? What about guilt for having an abortion or fathering an aborted baby? Statistics from Planned Parenthood and The National Organization for Women say that between 30-40% of American women have an abortion in her lifetime. Sure, shame comes from sin and abortion is a sin, but there's a cure for that, CONFESSION! Just go to confession and get on with it. Quit wasting your time sitting on the fence.

If you need help recovering emotionally and/or spiritually from abortion, contact Project Rachel.

Rupert Murdoch

2011-08-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Rupert is only two degrees from John Paul II as evidenced by the following photos.

Rupert Murdoch and Second Degree, Tony Blaire, check out the clenched smile
of the Prime Minister

A much more relaxed Tony Blaire

Murdoch on left and his wife in red next to President George W Bush.

Mr. Murdoch runs the most prolific media empire in the world, but he's an absolute idiot. Well, he claims to be an idiot. In his "humble" testimony before British Parliament, he claimed not to know about his most successful newspaper's journalists tapping the phones of politicians and celebrities.

Prince Charles was tapped by Murdoch's
organization. Charles is shown here with
Pope John Paul II

This guy was also tapped by Murdoch's minions.

But it's the suicides and inhuman cruelty that surrounded News of the World that we'll remember. When a reporter hacked into a phone system and deleted messages so that more calls to a dead kidnapping victim could be recorded, Murdoch's organization was finally caught. After years of treachery, he's been caught. Only now, he's turned into Sgt. Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

Embodying evil?

Bearing false witness, it's considered a lightweight commandment by many, but it's actually one of the biggies. We lie routinely, we gossip for entertainment, we think nothing of it. But as we've seen in these past few posts, lying destroys the work of the good and facilitates the work of The Evil One. To falsely accuse a priest of abuse means that children are less safe and a good man is ruined. To cook up stories about people for ratings or paper sales drives the subjects of stories to despair and rips lives apart.

I remember learning that gossip was considered a sin when I was in High School. I decided to cut it out of my life and didn't talk for over a week! Before that, you could never shut me up. I'll never forget how amazed I was that all my vocal impulses were gossip. I was ashamed. Try it, you might be surprised too.

Michele Bachman

2011-08-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Michele Bachmann is making headlines because she is a Tea Party candidate for the 2012 election. It's highly improbable that a Republican can defeat Obama and Michele's threat to the president's job is beyond unlikely. It's impossible. That having been said, let's have some fun.
Please, don't let someone who is so misinformed or disinterested in facts become a nominee. Please, if you are Republican, push for a qualified candidate.

7 Degrees

Michele, the history L'Enfant terrible, the only woman who could make Sarah Palin look like the president of Mensa, is married to "Dr." Marcus Bachmann.

Separated at birth are Marcus (methinks the "gentleman" doth protest too much) Bachmann and Chastity (Chas) Bono.

Chas is the offspring of Sonny and Cher.

Cher appeared on Sex and the City alongside 4th degree, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Father John Corapi

2011-07-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

1 Degree

Father John Corapi

A funnel cloud of garbage is swirling around Father John Corapi and hundreds of other priests accused of sexual sin with adult women. This matter is very personal to me, not because I know Father John, but because the man who married me (to my husband and The Holy Spirit) was also accused of sexual sin with an adult woman.

My priest's charges were leveled by a single "victim" over the course of the past few years. Father M left the cathedral where he married me and where he spent decades as a priest because of these charges. The community has suffered a great loss. Father has suffered a professional and personal pain of an extreme degree.

How do I know that Father M is innocent? Well, ultimately, I don't, but I do know a few things.

the propensity to be violent and a sexual preditor generally does NOT begin later in life, these sins tend to be strongest when one is younger.
Father M's temperament is very mild, it's not like him to become violent
with all do respect to Father, he just doesn't isn't strong enough to do what he's accused of doing with a compliant partner, much less with someone being forced. He just could not have pulled it off
the scene described by the victim is very similar to scenes in The Exorcist. Maybe she is suffering from a "recovered (false) memory". It doesn't add up.
the DA admitted that evidence could not support the rape charge and the charges were reduced and may be reduced further.

John Corapi is at retirement age and is just now being charged with sexual misconduct. It seems that such charges or, at the very least, gossip, would have followed him throughout his ministry if this were true. We were all better looking in the 90s, heck, it's 20 years ago! Things are continuing to unfold with Corapi. I will say that Father Corapi's response to his troubles has been less than Christlike. He's disobeying his bishop and continuing to preach and perform priestly duties before the investigation is conducted. I understand his frustration, but his actions make him appear guilty. For help clarifying the situation and what is going on, check out this post of The Deacon's Bench blog. There you'll find two interviews that shed light on what's going on and what it all means.

Here are Father John and Father Michael in better days.

When we take away civil rights in order to achieve security, we have neither civil rights nor security. We're finding this in post 9/11 laws like The Patriot Act, and we're learning this in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church. If we keep true to the ideals of American justice, we can protect and defend all citizens, children, adults, the mentally ill, the unborn, clergy, laity, everyone! We cannot let fear throw the baby out with the bath water.

Amy Winehouse

2011-07-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse died this week, apparently another victim of heroine and other drugs. We learned about the power of heroine to take great talents from our midst in the John Belushi post. I think the only way to examine this situation and link her to Pope John Paul II is through addiction, submission to Christ, and confession. Let's get started!

The Priory Clinic in London

Ms Winehouse entered rehab for the last time this past May. She checked into the Priory Clinic on her doctor's advice. The Priory is not a rehab facility but a mental health institution. As mentioned in the Belushi post, the success rates for rehab are very low, less than 10%. We know that certain neurotransmitters are at work, but we don't know how to effectively treat the craving for these highs.

Scottish singer, Susan Boyle spent time at the London Priory clinic
immediately following the extreme stress of her meteoric rise to fame
a few years back. As we learned in her post, she sang for
Pope Benedict XVI. Boyle is a second degreer.

Autism, learning disabilities, Schizoaffective disorder, alcoholism, eating disorders, drug addiction, Aspergers, depression, and a host of other problems are treated at the Priory. Celebrities from the late Amy Winehouse to Susan Boyle, Kate Moss, Lisa Marie Presley, and Courtney Love have been treated there.

When we look at the mental health treatments of 50 years ago we are horrified. Back then, lobotomies were all the rage.

Lithium had just been discovered as a treatment for Bipolar and other mood disorders, and electroshock and insulin treatment were cutting edge. This clip from A Beautiful Mind, (a flick I highly recommend,) shows what an insulin treatment was like around 1960.

The "religion" of Scientology is centers on a hatred of psychiatry. We'll get more into that in a future post. As a rational Catholic, I know that the scientologists are on the WRONG track. The answer to mental health is not denying that it can go wrong or attributing mental illness to demons or engrams or sins of the fathers. The answer is in research, funding, prayer, compassion, love, and all the tools given to us by God. He gave us the sacraments and amazing brains. Let's use them together.

Let's fund mental health in parity with physical health. Let's get national healthcare so that treatment is accessible to all. Let's strengthen our families and our friendships to prevent more minor mental illnesses. Let's put on Christ and be his hands, ears, eyes, and voice!

Anders Behring Breivik

2011-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

4 Degrees

"Christian" terrorist, Anders
Behring Breivik

There has been a horrific terrorist spree in Norway. In the past 24 hours a bombing and a mass murder shooting on an island. So far the teen death toll at the camp is over 90, the bombing may have killed an accomplice. This is thought to be the work of Christian terrorists.

The decidedly evil work of Breivik's hands was commented on by one of his victims, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Stoltenberg's office was in the blast radius.

Anders Behring Breivik was arrested and charged with the bombing and the mass shooting. According to The Atlantic, Breivik was "a conservative, right-wing Christian" with views that concentrated on "lowering taxes and a much stricter policy on immigration."

In the center, (second degree) Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the UN with
(third degree) Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway

(first degree) Pope Benedict and Ban Ki Moon

Hmmm, when I last read about a radical conservative Christian, he was being lambasted for telling us we'll go to hell if we don't care for the poor, we should support the infirmed, give birth to children even if they have genetic abnormailities, and be more compassionate with our immigration.

Archbishop Chaput giving communion to a little
boy.

He is Charles Chaput, the soon-to-be archbishop of Philadelphia.

So which one of these men is the actual Christian? The murderer for lower taxes and sealed borders? The monk who's a stickler for life and compassion and who took a vow of poverty?

I'll let you make up your mind. Until then, I'll be praying with my friend Chaput for the victims in Norway. May God make their memory eternal and may the good people of Norway bring the compassion of Christ to the survivors.

Lord Voldemort

2011-07-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Lord Voldemort is 4 degrees from Blessed John Paul II because Harry Potter is 4 degrees from Blessed John Paul II. Why the same? Because they WERE the same person, remember *SPOILER ALERT*, Harry is a horcrux. Part of Voldemort's soul was with Harry from the time he was 14 months old. Since the two were separated after Harry and Kingsley Shaklebolt were acquainted, the degrees remain the same.

If he had made different choices,
perhaps Voldemort would have grown
into a handsome and playful guy
like Ralph Fiennes

Instead, Tom became this ugly fellow, the embodiment of evil.

J. K. Rowling

2011-07-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

The two wealthiest women in the world regard one another. The lady on the left has helped keep the free world free,
the lady on the right helped keep the children of the world reading.

The Queen and the Vicar

Harry Potter

2011-07-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

4 Degrees

Harry to Kingsley to John Major to Queen Elizabeth

The boy wizard knows and works with....

Kingsley was the bodyguard to then Prime Minister,

The guy on the right was Prime Minister when
Voldemort got his body back.
The lady on the left was Prime Minister when Harry
began at Hogwarts

ALL prime ministers serve at the pleasure of the Queen. This lady was queen during Harry's entire life!
She still is the Queen.
Blessed John Paul II and Her Majesty
If you ask me, they both knew Kingsley too, but they never said.

This movie is excellent. I highly recommend it. It helped me to understand why England has a monarchy at all.

Harry, I'm sorry that you had to die. The manner in which you did shows the true, Christian roots of your soul and of your story. Wherever you are, thanks!

Steven Tyler

2011-07-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

The quickest way to connect Steven Tyler to Pope John Paul II is via first degree, Bono.

Tyler and Bono

But this is the month of fathers, so let's connect Steven Tyler through fatherhood.

Steven Tyler in the 1970s with his teenage girlfriend. He refers to her as "Diane" in his autobiography. I'll
use that name here too. She was 14 years old when her parents gave Tyler guardianship of Diane. She had
several abortions, it is not clear if Tyler was the father of all the aborted babies. There was one abortion that Steve mentions in his books.

“It was a big crisis. It’s a major thing when you’re growing something with a woman, but they convinced us that it would never work out and would ruin our lives. . . . You go to the doctor and they put the needle in her belly and they squeeze the stuff in and you watch. And it comes out dead. I was pretty devastated. In my mind, I’m going, Jesus, what have I done?”

Actually, this is a misquote. The part about Diane was,

"It's a major thing when you’re growing something with a woman, but they convinced us Diana was too young and it would never work out and would ruin our lives."

Weather you abide by the pro-choice Salon.com article or the pro-life National Review article, it is clear that this abortion was disturbing to Tyler and a deep injustice to the teenage Diane. She never should have been sexually active at that age. She should not have been given to Tyler as a sexual plaything by her own parents. She should not have been used by Tyler (an adult) because she was a child.

Sex with underage children has been romanticized in our culture. Here is an example that I grew up with.

At the time that "Big" came out, I didn't think much of it. Now, as an adult and a mother, I'm appalled by the "love scene" with Tom Hanks (a 14 year old in a 25 year old body) and Elizabeth Perkins (a professional 20-something woman.) This movie wasn't controversial when it came out in 1988. The moral of keeping one's innocence to become the best adult version of yourself was universally accepted. Did the character of Susan become pregnant after her encounter with the character Josh? Did she greet him around Christmas time with the news that he'd be a father when he turned 14? Did the character of Josh discover he had contracted a disease from Susan? What a way to begin High School.

Here is another example of romanticizing sex with underage children, Lolita with Jeremy Irons. Note how the girl is shown as the aggressor and the adult man is doing what he does against his better judgement. We don't know if this 13 year old Lolita conceived. I would imagine that she would within a few months of this relationship beginning. What of that? What of her heart? What about her body? What about her soul?

One source said that after Tyler broke up with Diane, Diane was suicidal. In any event, he took up with a model after Diane and fathered fourth degree, Liv Tyler with a new girlfriend.

Liv Tyler was Arwen in The Lord of the Rings, a film adaptation
of the epic by J.R.R. Tolkein

Third Degree, J.R.R. Tolkein was a colleague and admirer of G.K. Chesterton. We met Mr. Chesterton in the Charles Dickens post. Dr. Alison Milbank wrote the book, "Chesterton and Tolkien as Theologians." In it she analyses both men's works and their intellectual, literary relationship with one another. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Dr. Milbank.

Tolkien refers several times to Chesterton’s essays in On Fairy-stories, and I argue that these references show he knew a posthumous compilation of Chesterton’s writings, The Coloured Lands, edited by Maisie Ward in 1938, just before Tolkien’s lecture on which the fairy-story essay was based. Maisie Ward actually introduces the idea of sub-creation that is so important an aspect of Tolkien’s understanding of his literary project. It’s interesting that Tolkien is anxious to state that his view of the role of fantasy goes beyond that of Chesterton – this shows to me how closely influenced he feels himself to be. So Tolkien says that Chestertonian fantasy shows you the actual world from a new angle but thoroughgoing fantasy is like opening a box that allows out new things and releases them from our ownership of them. This is a really philosophical statement. The Enlightenment philosopher Kant said we have no access to things in themselves, and all we have is our own perception of the world. This leads to an alienated form of knowledge. Tolkien, following Chesterton, is a realist in a philosophical sense, because he thinks that we can be aware of a world beyond our own perceptions. Paradoxically, fiction – creating your own fantasy world – is not a way ofowning your own private reality but setting the things in that world free – like Tom Bombadil putting the contents of the barrow-wights’ hoard out on the hillside.

As mentioned in the Dickens post, Pope Pius XII sent condolences to G.K. Chesterton's family upon his death.

Hell, Purgatory, and The Body
According to Salon.com, Tyler was guilty and remorseful about his relationship with Diane and the abortion that resulted.

"It affected me later when I tried to get my real wife pregnant. I was afraid. I thought we'd give birth to a six-headed cow because of what I'd done with other women. The real life guilt was very traumatic for me."

Tyler did not sire a "six-headed cow". All of his children, who were allowed to be born, were healthy. God doesn't punish people with deaths and diseases any more than He rewards people with good health and riches. God loves all of us, sinners and saints.

Pope John Paul in peaceful conversation with the
man who shot him

So what happens to someone like Mr. Tyler at death. Is he forgiven? Well, if he wants to be forgiven, he is. It appears as though he does want that forgiveness. Being right with God does not mean that all consequences for sin are forgiven here on earth. People who are sorry for rape, murder, theft, etc. can still be prosecuted and punished through the legal system. Even when sentences are served, victims can still suffer ongoing damage from the sin. A good example of this is the subject of this blog, Blessed John Paul II. He was shot in 1981. The Pope forgave the man who attacked him but, like Jesus, his body bore the scars for the rest of his life.

Let us imagine a person who was NOT repentant. Perhaps someone who is an adult and is currently sexually involved with a minor. This could be part of a plural marriage, a family molestation, or a consensual student/teacher relationship. In any event, under common sense and the laws of most countries, it is wrong. More importantly, it is wrong in the eyes of God. As Catholics see it, children cannot give consent to a lifelong sexual union and therefore cannot have lawful sexual relationships under natural Christian law. If a person has given his (or her) sexuality and genitals to sin, he (or she) has disallowed God to be part of that aspect their human life.

Nothing sinful or imperfect can be in heaven. If part of a person's body has been whole-heartedly given over to sin, how can it be resurrected in the second coming? If the soul intends to use the body's members for sin, how can God allow that soul to enter Heaven? How can God burn off the sinfulness and keep the good of a person if they've given over whole parts of themselves to sin WITHOUT RESERVE.

We cannot forget that death is not the end of the journey. We are soul/body beings. We will be reunited with our bodies which will be glorified. If a fundamental part of our bodies cannot be resurrected, how can we be resurrected? Giving one's alimentary canal over to sin via alcoholism, gluttony, popping pills, etc. means that, unless we are sorry for what we've done with our bodies, that system must die forever. Christ ate with his apostles after his resurrection. Our glorified bodies might have all the systems of our current ones. The same would be true for giving one's brain over to substances and evil thoughts, our likeness over to vanity and self-worship, and our words and senses over to evil, we cannot bring those things to heaven and to the life to come.

A spiritual Father can help you get to Heaven

The fact is, we do not know how God could save someone with this kind of Swiss cheese soul and body. I think the best that we can determine is that, with unrepentance comes the very real possibility of damnation. We have to realize that not repenting can result in our inability to be saved because we refuse salvation.

Both the Orthodox East and Catholic West believe in a purification for souls after death. We Catholics pray for the repose of the souls of the dead. Only when circumstances make clear that a particular soul is definitely in the company of Jesus Christ do we venerate the dead as saints. We NEVER imagine or determine who is not saved.

Confession in the Russian tradition

What to do? Only speculate about the repose of your own soul. Get to confession often. Pray a little more every year. Work with one confessor and try to find your spiritual father. Examine your life, your body, your soul, and determine how you can begin to make yourself better. Notice when you are tempted to judge others. Use judgement and discernment in your choice of friends, colleagues, and influences. Learn the difference between good judgement and judgementalism. This difference is as subtle as the difference between evangelism and proselytism.

Marie Joseph

2011-07-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

Marie Joseph and one of her children in the Lafayette pool
on another occasion. Can you see her feet?

This story is disturbing. It happened just a few miles from my home in Fall River, Massachusetts. This story has done nothing to improve the grizzly reputation of Fall River, home to notorious alleged murderess, fifth degree, Lizzie Bordon. This story is more disturbing than even that because the victim, 36-year-old Marie Joseph, could have been any of us.

Facts of the case continue to unfold and I will update the blog. Please keep in mind that Odiogo, the audio version of the blog, does not update after the original post.

Here is what we know so far.

June 26, 2011
Marie Joseph, mother of 5, is cooling herself with friends at the Lafayette Park Pool, a State pool in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her cell phone, wallet, towel, and other effects were found at the pool that night by lifeguards. Friends had waited for Joseph at the pool, but then assumed she had left on her own. No missing persons report was ever filed. Then, Wednesday morning, we have this news story.

Later, we learn that the body may have been there since Sunday. Hundreds of swimmers were possibly swimming around and over the corpse of Marie Joseph. Ewwwwwwwwww. The creep factor just exploded.

But how is it that she drown in a crowded pool without anyone knowing. As it turns out, someone did know. He told lifeguards, but they blew him off. The first one was "on break" and didn't want to be bothered. The second said "there would be a pool inspection in a few minutes." Perhaps this young mother of 5 could have been saved with CPR if something had been done immediately!

Grandmother says boy warned lifeguard of drowning woman: MyFoxBOSTON.com

4 Degrees

Joseph to Patrick to Obama to Benedict XVI to John Paul II

4th degree, Marie Joseph slides down this yellow slide
into a pool in Fall River and sinks to the bottom.

Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick (right) spoke
at a press conference about closing all state pools
during the investigation. Here is Mr. Patrick with another
famous politician, second degree, Barak Obama

The Donald

2011-07-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

"The Donald is a caricature,
with his helmet of combed-over
blonde hair, white eyes (from
tanning booths), and blue-collar
accent."

Everyone is all a-flutter about Donald Trump, "The Donald", toying with the idea of running for president in the 2012 election. Mr. Trump craves attention and demands to be the center of it. He's a bit of a caricature with his helmet of combed-over blonde hair, white eyes (from tanning booths), and blue-collar accent. He's never been politically active in the past, but he has supported Democratic candidates to help grease the wheels of his real-estate empire. He doesn't seem to have media chops, nor does he have political chops. In my opinion, Mr. Trump is far less of a contender than Jerry Springer. Yes, Jerry Springer. If we're going to go for crass, reality stars, let's go for the one who could actually do a decent job. First, let's track The Donald's 4 degrees.

4 Degrees

The Donald and his current wife, Melania Trump. Here he is doing what
he does best, opening his mouth and ranting.

The Trumps (left) and Howard Stern and his wife (right)
Melania appeared on Howard's radio show, a move which boosted her star
power.

As mentioned in a previous post, Howard Stern is friends with The Catholic Guy on Sirius Satellite radio.

So, Jerry Springer, when I first heard that Jerry was a serious contender for governor of Ohio in 1980, I was shocked. Later, when I read some of the things he had written and saw some of his political ads and interviews, I was amazed.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Back in Black - Trump 2012

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Dr. Phil

2011-06-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Phil and his wife
icons of self-help

Dr. Phillip McGraw is a PhD holding self-help guru who is extremely popular. Here he is counseling youngsters. He's being a father to these "brats". He's gentle and calm but consistent and firm.

Dr. Phil with 5th Degree Nadia Suleman
on this show, Dr. Phil confronted Suleman
with the moral issues of IVF

People either love or hate Dr. Phil. I have a personal liking for the guy, but my husband can't stand watching his show. I like how he tells people truths that they need to hear in order to be better and more tolerable people. He helps people become the people they really want to be. Unfortunately, Dr. Phil serves the roll of confessor for the guests on his show. Human beings have a need for confession, counsel, redemption, and a fresh start. The only place to get this is in the sacrament of confession, but millions turn to people like Dr. Phil instead. While Dr. Phil can give excellent confession, counsel, and a fresh start, he cannot give redemption. Only Christ can do that.

It is my fervent prayer that people will discover the joy of confession. Hey, let's start with those who are practicing Catholics. If you haven't been to confession in a while, GO. It's amazing how a tongue-tied, awkward priests can become eloquent and give the true words of Jesus to a penitent. HE really works through priests. Come home to the forgiving arms of Jesus. Go to confession this week!

3 Degrees

Dr. Phil and his wife Robin were on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power.

Second Degree, Dr. Robert Schuller is a member of The Reformed Church in America. It is the oldest Protestant denomination in the United States. Dr. Schuller always seemed like a denomination unto himself. He doesn't sound like a Calvinist, does he?

First Degree, Billy Graham has appeared on The Hour of Power several times. Here is one where he espouses the same sentiment as Schuller. They speak as pastors for a Universal Church. Are they reletivists? Unitarians at heart? Or is this Christian love?

Pope John Paul II and Billy Graham in 1981

James "Whitey" Bulger

2011-06-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

James (Whitey) Bulger and his girlfriend
Apprehended at last!

4 Bloody Degrees</div>Ding dong, they finally caught the bastahd!  Mob mass-murderer, James "Whitey" Bulger has been apprehended in Santa Monica, a couple blocks from the beach.  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G0Zyf1cXUQ8" width="425">

Third degree, Jack Nicholson played the character modeled after Whitey Bulger in the 2006 film that finally won Marin Scorsese the Best Director Oscar, The Departed. Here is a clip of a documentary about the connection of the Hollywood film to the real-life Bulger.

Here is the official trailer for The Departed and some fun clips from the movie. THERE IS STRONG LANGUAGE AND EXTREME VIOLENCE IN THIS FILM. I had a pretty vivid nightmare last night about running into Whitey Bulger last night. You see, when he first moved to California, I was living there, just a few miles from him, down the beach!

Mr. Nicholson also played the main character in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 master horror movie of Stephen King's novel, "The Shining".

Stephen King is two degrees from Blessed John Paul II as we learned in the post that bears his name.

Sam Giancana, The Godfather

2011-06-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

, The Godfather

There are good fathers, and there are godfathers. Vito Corleone was modeled after fourth degree, Sam Giancana and other mob bosses. He died 36 years ago today. Here is part 3 of a 4 part series on Mr. Giancana, it shows his connection to Frank Sinatra, Jack Kennedy, and many more.

Giancana was closely associated with Frank Sinatra. Giancana helped resurrect Sinatra's career by arranging Sinatra to appear in various night clubs along the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s. Sinatra favored The Sands, as it was the only hotel his good friend, Sammy Davis Jr., a black man, could stay. The following documentary is a wonderful ride through the making of the original Oceans 11. Get some popcorn popped, pour yourself a tasty beverage, and enjoy!
Watch more free documentaries
President Kennedy met Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. Here is a clip of Kennedy meeting Paul VI.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY MEETS POPE PAUL

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Andy Griffith

2011-06-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Andy Griffith, iconic widowed father
in the popular fiction TV series, The Andy Griffith Show
from the 60s
is 4 Degrees from
Pope John Paul II

Third degree, Don Knotts starred with Andy in the show

Ron Howard (middle) with Don Knotts and Andy Griffith

Ron Howard directed "Apollo 13", the movie story about the near-failed
mission to the moon.

Pope Paul VI lead prayers for the Apollo 13 crew when they were in crisis.
He also met President Kennedy, who also received the astronauts after
their safe landing back on earth.

Robert Young

2011-06-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

4 Degrees

Born to an Irish immigrant father, one can only assume that Robert Young, the "father who knew best", was Catholic. Here he is in a clip from the series that made him famous, Father Knows Best.

He began his career in silent films, doing bit parts. One of his first talkies was in the Charlie Chan film, "Black Camel."

Third degree, James Brolin starred with Young in the 1970s series, Marcus Welby MD.

James Brohlin as Ronald Reagan

Brolin played Ronald Reagan in the TV adaptation of the book, The Reagans, by second degree, Anne Edwards. I was unable to find video of that TV movie, but I do have a link to the author discussing her book on CSPAN. Read the book by clicking here.
First Degree, Ronald Reagan is a paternal figure for many Americans. He was a fine president and, by all accounts, a great person with an impressive intellect. He had a warm and wise way about him, the kind of manner we wish all our grandfathers possessed.

Two fathers sharing thoughts

The Reagans and Blessed John Paul II in The Vatican

A sense of humor in Reagan

A sense of humor in John Paul

The Three Tenors

2011-06-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti

Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti were the three greatest tenor voices of their generation. In 1990, as I sipped celebratory beer in a German pub after the World Cup victory, we watched this historic performance.

The tenors laughed and sang their way through the evening. The power of their song was felt by me in Germany and is still felt by all who hear them sing.

Placido Domingo: 1 Degree
My personal favorite was Spanish singer, Placido Domingo. A devout Catholic, Mr. Domingo made an album inspired by the writings of Blessed John Paul II. Here is a Reuter's film about the album. This album also gets Josh Groban, Vanessa Williams, and others into "first degree" status.

Jose Carreras: 1 Degree
Catalan, Jose Carreras is a dynamo. He sang at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II in celebration of the Jubliee year, 2000. The video of that concert is available on Netflix, but not for purchase. Here is Carreras singing from Puccini's "Turandot."

Luciano Pavarotti: 1 Degree
Although Domingo was my favorite, Pavarotti is the one who is most like me. He loved the opposite sex, a good meal, a good laugh, and a good bottle of wine. Mr. Pavarotti was all about pleasure and joy. I wish I had his musical accumin, but we definitely shared a personality! Here he is singing for Blessed John Paul II when he visited the United States in 1979.

Anthony Griffith

2011-06-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

4 Degrees

Fourth Degree, Anthony Griffith was on
Third Degree, Johnny Carson's show. So was
Robert Kennedy who met
Pope Pius XII.
Pope John Paul II is 4 popes removed from Pius XII.

Jokes.com

Anthony Griffith - Baptist

comedians.comedycentral.com

Jokes

Joke of the Day

Funny Jokes

Anthony Griffith is not a Catholic, but his love and care for his daughter will touch your heart. Listen to this ONLY IF you are in a place where you can cry. Pray for those who have a child in the hospital. May God bless the soul of Anthony Griffith's little girl. God bless all the great fathers out there!

Anthony Griffith: Best Of Times, Worst Of Times by The Moth on Mixcloud

Name that Bishop

2011-06-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Since our bishops are called "fathers" and it's the month of fathers, let's have a quiz, Name that Bishop! These men are all bishops in North America. This is a first on the blog. Let's see how you respond.

Note: The quotes below are made up by me, not the Bishops. They are therefore NOT subject to point awarding for Fantasy Bishball.

Scoring: (1 correct) You keep abreast of what's going on in our culture at least knowing the most influential bishop in your area of the country.
(2-4 correct) You probably are trying to be a practicing Catholic, go to confession a few times a year, mass each Sunday. Great job!
(5-8 correct) You either play Fantasy Bishball or you are really into apologetics. You might want to get out more, see a movie, maybe loosen up.
(9-10 correct) You are a bishop. I hope you enjoyed the quiz, Your Excellency!

Answer location at the end of the post!

"I'm the most famous bishop in America. I'm jolly but shrewd. I was featured on 60 Minutes a few months ago. Who am I?"

"If a pro-choice politician tried to receive communion from me, I'd kick him a mile high! I'm also wise to the Atheistic message of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass movie. Some of my seminarians do the podcast, Catholic Stuff You Should Know. Who am I?"

"I got quite a bit of flack over Christmas when I ended a hospital's 115 year affiliation as a Catholic Hospital because investigation showed that it performed abortions. I did the investigating myself and am very saddened that I had to officially excommunicate the abortionist. Who am I?"

"I bet you thought that Catholics tended to be white. Well, did you know that a very black Cardinal was short-listed for pope at the last election. It's true, millions of Catholics are black, and that's just in the United States! I should know, I'm chairman of the USCCB's Committee on African-American Catholics."

"I was head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops when the sex abuse scandal escalated. Under my leadership, we drafted and implemented the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. It was tough, but we'll make it through as a family. Who am I?"

"I have the most diverse Catholic flock on the United States. I'm lactose intollerant and praise God that tequila is not a dairy product. My initial degree was in business, so I never shy away from financial issues. I live in a sunny state, but love the Green Bay Packers. Who am I?"

"I had a word with Patrick Kennedy when he professed untruths about Catholicism and Catholic life. I'm very adamant in defense of marriage as it has always been defined in The Catholic Church. I don't care who I have to stand up to for Christ, I say what needs saying and I say it with firmness and love. Who am I?"

"I've served in the Roman Curia, I've battled cancer, and yet I have the strength to encourage my diocese to accept Pope John Paul II's initiative for new media. I have worked with my Mormon brothers and sisters on issues we both support. Together we stand against pornography, poverty, and for marriage. Who am I?"

"I'm American, but not from the United States. After Vatican II, I became a frequent contributer to Communio, a theological journal. I have spent my career as Archbishop fighting the relativism that plagues our society. While I'm a Bishop Emeritus, I've only been so less than a year. I still write for and defend the faith in English and French. Who am I?"

#10

"When I took my vows I thought I'd be a quiet monk serving in a poor village in Africa at this stage of my life. Instead I'm known as 'The Blogging Cardinal' and the Vatican sends me all over the world to help heal the wounds of clergy sexual abuse. I just got back from Rome where I served at the Beatification of Blessed John Paul II. That was a great joy for me. Who am I?"

Good luck!

Answers are in the comments on the Archbishop Fulton Sheen post. Peek if you must.

Saint Joseph

2011-05-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

The foster father to Our Lord is often overlooked by faithful Christians. This is unfortunate indeed. Tradition holds that Joseph's wife, the mother of Jesus' brothers and sisters, had died. Joseph was in the line of David and so he was entitled to mothering of his children via the temple. He was betrothed to a consecrated virgin, Mary, who would care for his household and mother his children. He never intended for their relationship to be a sexual one.

When Mary was discovered to be pregnant, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly. This means that he was not vindictive. He did not want her publicly punished or stoned. Joseph's complete love of his deceased wife, his openness to God, and his humble heart, made him the perfect spouse for Mary and earthly father of Our Lord.

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of a "good death" because his own death was so beautiful. Jesus suffered the loss of Joseph before the beginning of His ministry. When Jesus wept, we can only imagine him remembering the loss of his own beloved father.

May God bless you as you mourn and support others who mourn. Please avail yourself of this prayer to Saint Joseph. This chaplet of Saint Joseph is short and sweet. For more prayers and devotions, click here. There are also prayer apps that include chaplets and prayers to Saint Joseph available for free or a few dollars.

Marge Simpson

2011-05-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Marge Simpson is voiced by Julie Kavner. Julie's career goes back to the early 70s. Here she is playing Brenda Morgenstern on the sitcom, Rhoda.

Marge Simpson appeared in Playboy, sixth degree, Hugh Heffner's rag.

Are the Simpsons Catholics?

Behold, the catachesis of the Simpsons via Liam Neeson.

We can definitely call the Simpsons "Catholic curious." Let us pray for all the Protestants who get all up in arms over their lack of humor.

Catholics laugh!

Gianna Beretta Molla

2011-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

She gave her life for her child

First Degree, Gianna Beretta Molla is a patron saint of problem pregnancies. She gave up her life to carry her child to term. She was beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.

Pam Tebow faced a choice when she was pregnant with her son, Tim. Doctors urged her to abort her fetus because she was on medications that "would have damaged" her baby. She refused and Tim was born. This pro-life superbowl ad was highly controversial. For the pro-choice view of Pam Tebow's story, click here.

Archbishop Dolan holds a baby in the Gianna Center, named for Saint Gianna

100th Post

2011-05-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger

2011-05-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Governator the year he was expecting
at least two children, one with his wife.

The Governator is in the news, but don't let this glitzy, flash-in-the-pan, titillating story distract you from the real meat of the issue. We'll examine the real tragedy of the Schwarzenegger situation and connect Arnold to Blessed John Paul II simultaneously.

News broke this week that the first couple of California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver were separating because of a recent disclosure of a "love child" conceived by a housemaid by Mr. Schwarzenegger in the mid-90s.

The legal members of the Schwarzenegger family

The Schwarzenegger family, the Kennedy family, and the family(s) of extra-marital children fathered by Arnold are all experiencing shame, pain, and stress. Why? Because the great joys and pleasures of sex were treated as entitlements, not blessings, by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead of praising God for his beautiful family, he praised himself for his fame, power, and magnetism. Babies are made by sex. We keep forgetting that in our culture. Here's a reminder!

When sex is taken out of the context of the spousal relationship, it's not only hurtful, it's tough to comprehend. Even in this College Humor piece, babies and sex cannot be separated from one another, even when discussing group sex!

Arnold and Maria married in 1986 when they were all
dewy and cute and gorgeous. They married in a church, but
I don't know if theirs was a sacramental marriage.
Perhaps a future tribunal will try to assess this relationship.
Were they open to life from the beginning?
Did they both intend a faithful union from the beginning?
Did they withhold information from one another at the beginning?

Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a mockery of fidelity.
If he's so disrespectful of his church's teaching on that,
why should he uphold another teaching that marriage
is between one man and one woman?
Answer: No reason at all. As a result, article after article
are attacking the former Governor's policy against same-sex unions.
On many levels, Arnold's actions have weakened the very idea of marriage.

Second Degree Eunice Shriver and her husband, Sargent Shriver
at the wedding of Arnold and Maria Schwarzenegger in 1986. Photo
in the New York Times.

As she lay dying, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She was a saintly woman. I wrote about hers and the Kennedys' degrees of separation from Blessed John Paul II in the Abraham Lincoln post.

Pope sends message to Shriver's family: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Sex makes babies. Not always, but every baby that is born was made sexually. Yes, there's IVF, but to get a fetus via IVF somebody has to self-pleasure into a cup and that's sex too. Humans reproduce sexually. We can divorce the bodies from conception, but we still need a male and female body to get the gametes.

Supernanny, Jo Frost

2011-05-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

3 Degrees

Third Degree, Jo Frost is The Supernanny. You do not have to have biological children to be a parenting influence. Jo Frost knows this quite well. She has over 20 years of experience with children, parents, and families. Childcare is very taxing and mothers and fathers need all the help they can get. We often overlook the single person when we think about mothers. Many single women have taken on the role of mom when caring for cousins, siblings, or neighbors. Here is Jo at work. This sort of behavior is common in our culture.

Jo appears frequently as a guest on talk shows. She has appeared several times on second degree, David Letterman's show.

Dave had first degree, Father Guido Sarducci, (character from Saturday Night Live) on. Father shared his "interview" with Pope John Paul II.

A word on Catholic parenting
Children are NOT the center of a Catholic home, God is. The marriage of mother and father is the second priority. The children are the third priority. In too many homes, children are the focus. This is wrong.

Divorce breaks children's hearts

When parents' needs are not met, their bond becomes looser and discord begins to develop between them. Over time the parents become estranged in their own home. If the relationship becomes too diseased, divorce happens. Divorce shatters the foundation of a child's home. Divorce is enmity between mother and father, that enmity is not shared by the children, who are confused that people so loved cannot love one another. The children lose their trust in love. God is love. Children lose their trust in God.

The divorce epidemic directly corresponds to lowering church attendance. Coincidence?

Catholic men's conferences are very inspiring

Have a talk with your spouse and make sure your needs are met. What are your spiritual needs? Do you need to go to adoration every week? How about a men's or women's prayer group? Quiet time to read scripture each day? A family decade of the rosary after supper?

Everyone needs
affection and cuddling

What are your physical needs? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising enough? What can be done to get the family more physically fit? Is the family eating well? Do you want to commit to fasting on Fridays? Do the spouses show enough physical affection to one another to satisfy their need to be held and cuddled? Is the sex life of the couple satisfying and strong? How often do the spouses need to date?

This couple is not sharing the
chore of paying the bills.
This can lead to resentment over time.

What are your financial needs? Do you need to get your credit cards under control? Are the spouses on the same page financially? How are the investments going? What are the causes of concern and celebration?

Don't neglect your friendships

What are your personal needs? Is there a friend or group of friends that you have neglected? Have you had a boys' or girls' night out lately? Are you nurturing your friendships enough so that your spouse is not carrying the load of your personal needs completely on their shoulders? Do you have time to talk to your spouse as friend and confidant? How can time be managed in your family such that your friendships can be nurtured and strengthened?

Look at the list of needs above. Is it right that children be responsible for satisfying any of them? CERTAINLY NOT! Can you see how God and marriage need to be the center of the home? When all these needs are being met, children are in a secure environment, one where they can just be kids.

Florence Henderson

2011-05-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Florence Henderson is the youngest of 10 children. She was raised Roman Catholic in Indiana and Kentucky. She is a supporter of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. One of the sisters was Florence's childhood teacher. Here is Florence raising money for the Sisters on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Here's an episode.

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Third Degree, Florence Henderson has had a long friendship with funny woman, Carol Burnett. The two women have teamed to raise money for various charities, among them, SHARE for Children. Here is second degree, Carol in my favorite skit.

First Degree, George W. Bush awarded Carol Burnett with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To see that ceremony, click here (windows media).

Burnett and Bush at Medal of Freedom ceremony in 2005

George W. Bush and Pope John Paul II

Nadya Suleman, "Octomom"

2011-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Nadya became a tabloid flash in the pan instead of a
National sweetheart. A miscalculation that cost her.

In January of 2009, Nadya Suleman gave birth to 8 babies. She was an instant celebrity and was given the name, "Octomom." She was unmarried and used artificial means of pregnancy. I will discuss these issues more fully at the end of the post.

Nadya is an Assyrian Iraqi American. Her heritage is in the ancient and persecuted church in the Middle East. To read more about that persecuted church, click here for the Barak Obama post.

5 Degrees

Fourth Degree: Denis Beaudoin, purported father of the octuplets, gave an interview with Good Morning America in 2009. He is an ex-boyfriend of Nadya. Here he is interviewed by third degree, Chris Cuomo.

Second Degree, Andrew Cuomo is a parishioner to first degree, Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Here is the CBS piece on Archbishop Dolan for 60 Minutes.

The absence of a father
There are a couple of issues regarding the absence of a father/husband in this situation that bear discussion.

1. The financial and physical needs of these children are not sufficiently taken care of without a father in their lives. This might not be the case if Nadya had become the sympathetic celebrity that she had wanted to become. Her press ended up being a mockery of her life instead of a sympathetic tribute to it. As a result, Miss Suleman is relying on the state and federal governments for support of her child and help with child care. This is not responsible parenting.

2. Nadya Suleman was married. She divorced after attempts to become pregnant did not result in a child. Her husband, Marco Gutierrez, was against In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and the couple divorced. One of the blessings that marriage bestows is the temperance of the spouses of one another.

"No, getting those hair plugs is a bad idea."

"Maybe we should hold off on doing over the bathroom until our credit card debt is gone."

"Perhaps gastric surgery is not the right choice for you. Let's sit down and figure out how to be a more active family."

"Let's sleep on this decision."

Nadya was obsessed with becoming a mother, but was going too far with her fertility desires. Rather than accept her husband's objections, she rejected him! In any friendship, especially that of spouses, submission to a less radical view helps us make right decisions. Nadya did not accept her husband's temperate view.

The Immorality of IVF

The Catholic Church is opposed to the practice of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for several reasons. These reasons include

the divorce of physical love from the creation of new life
going outside the marriage (using technicians) to create life
selecting genetic traits such as gender
taking a man's responsibility for his children away from him
taking fatherhood away from men
single parenthood
pruning of implanted fetuses to reduce the number of babies in the womb
freezing unused embryos with no plans to implant them
letting frozen embryos thaw

The human body cannot have more than 4 babies naturally.
Pregnancies with 5 happen once in a billion!

creating pregnancies that are beyond human capacity to sustain

Frozen embryo overload

Miss Suleman began her journey down the IVF road without giving the matter full consideration. Once she had created many embryos and had several pregnancies, she was left with 8 frozen children. She did not have the funds to have more than one implantation and she did not want to thaw (kill) her remaining babies. These are the reasons, (bold type above), why she had all 8 implanted and carried all 8 to term.

Nadya saw the wisdom of the Catholic (which includes the Chaldean Church) view was right after she had disobeyed that view. That disobedience lead to her divorce, the stressing of her body, the freezing of children whose lives were under constant threat, and their birth into a fatherless family.

Nadya's situation is extreme, yet not uncommon.

Mother Angelica

2011-05-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mother Angelica

We've talked about Our Blessed Mother, Mother Theresa, and now a fiesty American girl, Mother Angleica!

Mother Angelica was a televangelist before there was such a thing. She never fell into scandal or greed, she just loved people and tried to save souls. Her Eternal Word Television Netowrk (EWTN) is still going strong. She's in frail health now, and we wish her well. I have a feeling that, when she does meet Jesus, she'll be the patron saint of new media. I don't know any Catholic who doesn't swell with pride and love when thinking of Mother Angelica.

Here is Mother talking about Lent and the mortification of the flesh. Go Mother!

1 Degree

First Degree: Pope Benedict honored Mother Angelica with the Papal Cross of Honor recently. See a picture of Mother Angelica with Pope John Paul II in this news story.

Mother Theresa

2011-05-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

Let's begin the month of mothers with Mother Theresa.

1 Degree

Mother Theresa with another servant of Christ

with Princess Diana

Pope John Paul II and Indian Catholics at the beatification ceremony for
Mother Theresa of Calcutta

with first-degreers, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan

With Pope Paul VI, the man who elevated
the future Pope John Paul II to cardinal.

Praying next to a future pope.

Who admired who more?

Osama Bin Ladin

2011-05-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Osama Bin Ladin is dead. May he be fairly judged by Jesus Christ.
You can figure out that he is 2 degrees from John Paul II without
my help.

These celebrations of Bin Laden's death are inappropriate, uncivilized, insensitive, and unChristian. I am ashamed of my
countrymen who have indulged in this hateful conduct. Look at the faces, these people were children when the 9/11 attacks occurred. These are not victims' families. They are yahoos.
Death, especially of someone who was unrepentant, is not a celebratory affair.
This is not a
sporting event, this is a mass murderer who died.

Sending a care-package to a service man or woman, caring for families of
the victims of Bin Laden, giving blood like we did on 9/11, making our
communities cleaner and safer, these are things we can do to make our world a
better place. Mr. Bin Laden made the world worse for his presence. We can
serve the memories of the dead by taking this opportunity to make the world better.
Instead, people have chosen to get drunk, vandalize, and celebrate death.
Soldiers suffer greatly when they see battle. Making sure the VA has adequate funding
is a far better use of time than drunken celebrations!

War is not a birth or a wedding. Nobody wins a war, there is always sadness
and horror. This little child is growing up in a country at war. No matter what,
he suffers. We need to pray for him, for the soldiers, and for the conversion
of all souls. Let's make Jesus proud of our conduct!

Terrorists treat the bodies of their victims horribly. By burying bin Laden's body with respect and by NOT releasing the photos of his corpse, President Obama is behaving like a Christian leader. It is my sincere hope that he will expand this behavior to all life issues as well. Here's praying!

Mary The Mother

2011-05-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Mary, Miriam, The Most Holy Blessed Mother, Theotokos, Panagia, Our Mother, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, Full of Grace, Advocate of Eve, Star of the Sea, Seat of Wisdom, Cause for our Joy, Our Hope, She who shows the Way, Mother of Mercy...

the list goes on and on.

Protestants are confounded by Catholic devotion to her. Catholics cry to her again and again in the rosary. Orthodox Christians allow her to be the only woman in their alters and on the Holy Mountain.

What is it about this woman that so compels billions to love and adore her?

God chose her to be the mother of His Son. He told her about His choice and she said, yes.

Above, you will find the first in a series of videos by Archbishop Fulton Sheen on Our Mother, the reason for Mother's Day. She held the creator of the universe in her womb. She gave flesh to God and brought him into a temporal world to live as one of us. She cared for him and loved him. She suggested His first miracle. She stood by the cross. She committed his body. She rejoiced in His resurrection. She was at Pentecost. She was assumed into Heaven. She is with Him now.

I'd like to reflect on her motherhood. This is the month of mothers, and I've been quite miffed at several commentaries made by men with regard to the birth of Our Lord.

I have heard several Catholic speakers discuss Mary's birth experience. They describe it as "painless" and "making no physical difference." It is quite difficult for women to listen to this and maintain their faith in these priests! (Our faith in Jesus remains.) In this post, I call on all men, who wish to speak authoritatively on the sensations of childbirth, to take a moment and realize that they will never have a woman's body. No man will ever be privy to the culture of women. No man will ever posses a feminine genius! Perhaps such speculation should not be made by men.

My experience with childbirth is quite limited. I've had one child and only been at the birth of one other. Mary was much more experienced than I. As a small child, she would have helped with simple preparations for births in her family. As a temple virgin, she would have been called to many births. She would be well-acquainted with the process, description of sensations, and the mental process of giving birth.

We must assume that Mary's relationship with her own body was the most healthy. For an American woman, this is practically impossible to imagine. She had no shame, guilt, dissatisfaction, fear, anxiety, or loathing of her body. She accepted herself and her physical being as a gift from the Lord. Her outlook on her body was a major reason why she did not fall into sin. It was also a major reason why she was chosen to be The Mother of God.

When Mary was pregnant, she did not experience implantation cramping, round ligament pain, kicking, and Braxton Hicks contractions as pain, but as joy. I myself enjoyed these pains of pregnancy because of my joy to be a mother after a lifetime of waiting.

Just because something is painful, does not mean it is negative. Pain can be glorious and wonderful. There is good pain and there is bad pain. Mary had no fear or anxiety about the birth of Jesus, her sensations during birth were welcomed and therefore not experienced as pain. As to the hymen of Mary, it's not beyond God's power to keep it in tact, but it offends me that men talk about it at length. Such talk seems disrespectful of Our Lady. If She were here, would we ask for an internal exam as Thomas put his fingers in the wounds of Jesus? Certainly not! We can assume that Mary's body was kept safe and miraculously whole for her entire life.

I dedicate this month to my own mother, whom I recently lost to death.

1 Degree

As mentioned in the Anonymous Girl post, Pope John Paul II had a great devotion to Mary. He gave his life to her care and loved her with all his heart. On this, the day of John Paul The Great's beatification, I celebrate Mary.

Kate Middleton

2011-04-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

Click here to see a replay of the big event!

Kate Middleton will soon be married to Prince William of England. She is currently 3 degrees from Pope John Paul II, but in two days, she will be 2 degrees away.

Prince William (top) with his mother, Princess Diana
and brother, Prince Harry

Princess Diana met the Holy Father several times during her reign

Prince William's mother was married by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The current Archbishop of Canterbury,
the officiant at Kate and William's wedding,
and
Pope John Paul II

Kate is now two degrees from John Paul II!

Here is part of Queen Elizabeth's wedding in November of 1947.

And here is the Queen Mum's wedding in 1923. It's silent film. Enjoy!

A word about the abdication, divorce, and the Anglicans.

"I do believe you'll be queen over Churchill's dead body.
This is my fondest wish, Wallis."

Edward VIII abdicated the throne because of his relationship with Wallis Simpson, a woman who had previous marriages. The traditional story is that, as a divorcee, Ms Simpson was unsuitable to be queen of England. This was not the actual reason for absolutely and entirely rejecting her. Ms Simpson was a Nazi! She was friends with Adolf Hitler, a Eugenist, and general white supremacist. In the 1930s, many countries toyed with the ideas which became Naziism. Indeed, the concepts of Eugenics, superiority of the white race, were born in The United States. England and America could have easily turned to the right. Instead, we elected FDR, and England forced the abdication of Edward VIII and had King George VI consecrated as their king.

The abdication happened when the then Princess Elizabeth was barely 10 years old. It must have made quite an impression upon her. The government serves at the pleasure of the king and queen, but the king and queen ultimately serve at the pleasure of their people. It is Elizabeth's integrity, love of country, and love of personal and societal freedom, that have kept the monarchy strong during her reign. While I don't understand the need for the royal family, I respect the British institution and understand that Britain's need for the royal family goes very deep and bears much fruit. I wish them well and pray earnestly that their church will reconcile with their Roman brothers and sisters soon.

I am just itching to read this book. It is a highly acclaimed novel imagining what the world would have been like if Charles Linberg had defeated FDR in 1938. I heard it recommended on NPR and read a review in The New York Times Book Review Section. Check it out!

Laurel and Hardy

2011-04-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

3 Degrees

Third Degree, Stan Laurel and Fourth Degree (through Stan), Oliver Hardy were comedy stars of the 20s, 30s and 40s. They were lifelong friends and wonderful comedians.

Here is an interview with third degree, Stan Laurel shortly after the death of Oliver Hardy.

Second Degree, Jerry Lewis was a protege and admirer of Mr. Laurel.

First degree, Michael Jackson performed on Jerry's telethon in 1974.

Michael Jackson, Mikail Gorbachev, and Pope John Paul II were honored at the 2002 World Awards. Here is Mikail Gorbachev meeting Pope John Paul II in December of 1989. Mr. Gorbachev was baptized into the Russian Orthodox faith as an infant, but claims to be an atheist to this day.

GoRemy, Habib Abdul Habib

2011-04-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Upper left corners make him happy.

One of my students made me aware of this comedy sensation today. I laughed so hard. I don't know his real name, but I'll go with his youtube name and character name. I hope you enjoy the videos.

4 Degrees

GoRemy was interviewed by third degree, Anderson Cooper recently.

Chris Kattan,
Iraqi American

A word about Arab Americans

Ralph Nader,
Lebanese American

I am one. My family is mostly French Canadian and arrived in this land in the 17th Century. There is some Syrian in my family as well. I am not alone. There are millions of Americans who trace ancestry to the Middle East. AND MANY OF US ARE CHRISTIANS!!!!!

Maronites, Melkites, Chaldeans, Copts, Antiochians, and dozens of other Christian churches which are descended from the 12 apostles, have churches and congregations in the United States.
Jesus' first miracle happened in Lebanon at Cana!
Christians were first called "Christian" in Antioch, present-day Syria

Cana in Lebanon was Jesus' first miracle

To love Jesus and the ancient church is to love people from the Middle East!

Here are some Arab Americans of note.

Jamie Farr

Marlo and Danny Thomas

John Sununu

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

John Sununu

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Christa McAuliffe

Steve Jobs

But honestly, how can you have this in your family tree and not poke fun?

Here is a documentary that you may find edifying. It is an hour long, work appropriate, and heart opening.
Watch more free documentaries

Don Knotts

2011-04-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

You may remember Don Knotts as the loveable Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. But he did many other gigs. In the 70s and 80s he made many guest appearances on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Matlock, and scores of others.

Don's legacy is long and far-reaching. He has given millions of people laughter and smiles. Read here how he inspired a teenage boy recovering from a spinal injury.

In this clip, see Don plugging tax preparation services and appearing on that Saturday's episode of Fantasy Island. Note also second degree, Warren Beaty. This is a blast from the past, so get your bellbottoms, Tab, and hairspray ready!
Don Knotts appeared on the first season of The Love Boat in the episode, Who killed Maxwell Thorn? So was Barbi Benton, a lover of fifth degree, Hugh Heffner. Find full episodes of Love Boat here.

3 Degrees

I was unable to find footage of third degree, Don Knotts on The Love Boat, but here he is in a wonderful clip from The Ghost and Mister Chicken.

Second degree, Fred Grandy was a core cast member of The Love Boat. He had a career change later in life to become a member of the United States Congress for four terms, most of them during the presidency of first degree presidents Bill Clinton, H.W. Bush, and W. Bush. President Clinton is mentioned in the Gabrielle Giffords, Jimmy McMillan, Asia Cottom, and George Stephanopoulos posts. President George W. Bush was mentioned in the King Tut #1 post, the Glenn McDuffie post, and the Beyonce Knowles post.

Fred Grandy is a centrist Republican. If you care to hear a good interview with him, here it is. Enjoy.

Eric Cartman

2011-04-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Mr. Garrison, Mr. Hat, and Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman is a nine-year-old, lovable scamp in the charming town of South Park, Colorado. He was first created as a character in a Christmas message for friends of his creators. This is that message. Enjoy this Christmas card on the opposite side of the year!

Mr. Garrison is the Third Grade teacher at South Park Elementary School, Eric Cartman's alma mater. It appears as though Mr. Garrison does NOT have a Catholic world-view. Perhaps Mr. Garrison believes in Intelligent Design pseudo-scientific paradigm. What do you think?

Mr. Garrison seems to have been patterned after William Lloyd Garrison, the great abolishionist from New Bedford, Massachusetts we first met in the Susan B. Anthony post.

Mr. Garrison's grandson, Oswald Garrison Villard, was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP has had many notable degrees to Pope John Paul II, among them W.E.B.DuBois (6 Degrees) and Martin Luther King.

Martin Luther King marched with Archbishop Iakovos by his side.

Archbishop Iakovos doing what was right. He got a lot of flack from his flock, but he lead
them anyway.

Archbishop Iakovos is mortor in the corner stone for Orthodox-Roman reunification.

Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Iakovos

John Belushi

2011-04-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

John and Gilda Radner

Third Degree: John Belushi
John Belushi was an original member of the cast of Saturday Night Live. Here he is with Jane Curtin, Dan Akroyd, Lorraine Newman, Bill Murry, and Gilda Radner in "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger."

John Belushi partied with Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams at the Marmont Hotel the night he died. Here is Williams saluting DeNiro with an AFI lifetime achievement award.

After Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro left John Belushi, his dealer shot Belushi up that night with a speedball (cocaine and heroine,) he died a little while afterward.

Second Degree: Kevin Bacon
Here's another classic from 1978, Animal House. Here John has a scene with second degree, Kevin Bacon.

First Degrees, Bill Clinton and Bono were in the 2002 documentary, "Elvis Lives" with Kevin Bacon. This also gets Cher, Mary J. Blige, Eric Clapton, John Corbett, and Jon Bon Jovi closer to Pope John Paul II!

Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II

Sasha Baron Cohen

2011-04-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome a month of fools! Let's start with Borat!

Degree: Sasha Baron Cohen
What month of tricksters would be complete without a mention of Borat, the Kazakstani traveler character who starred in the movie which bears his name. Here's a clip from the movie.

Fourth Degree: Jason Isaacs
Sasha Baron Cohen went to the Haberdashers' Aske's Boy's School as did Jason Isaacs and Mark Kermode. You may know Mr. Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies.

Third Degree: Harry Potter
Mr. Isaacs has made appearances in Lucius Malfoy's body, take a look at this outtake from Chamber of Secrets.

Second Degree: Graham Norton
Jason and Graham are long time friends. Here is Jason on Graham's show discussing his role as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

First Degree: Roberto Benigni
As mentioned in a previous post, Roberto is one degree from Pope John Paul II. Here is a video from that original post. Check it out and take a look at the original post to see clips from Life is Beautiful.

Bill Maher

2011-04-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

2 Degrees

Bill Maher and an actor

Second Degree, Bill Maher has made a good living poking fun of well-meaning, misguided Protestants who take the bible as scientific fact. Are the subjects of his segments the fools, or is it Maher himself. Take a look at this video (which I could not embed, sorry,) and see what happens when Maher has an intellectual Christian on, in this case, an astronomer priest from the Vatican.

First Degree, Father George Coyne is the Neil Degrasse Tyson of the Vatican. Though retired, he still makes astronomy understandable to us. What's more important, he helps us figure out where science leaves off and faith comes into play. In this culture that demands a choice between faith and science, Father George Coyne helps us choose truth instead.

Pope John Paul II examines a model of the Large Binocular Telescope with its designer, Dr.Roger Angel of the University of Arizona, and Fr. George Coyne S.J., director of the Vatican Observatory, in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1987.

Here is Father Robert Barron giving a Catholic perspective on the bible as science.

Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong and Gene Kelly

2011-04-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

2 Degrees

Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney
in "Mandy, the Minstrel Number" from
White Christmas

Danny Kay to Rosemary Clooney to John Paul II

See the post on Bing Crosby to find Rosemary's connection to Pope John Paul II. Rosemary Clooney was connected to Danny Kaye through the film White Christmas. Here's one of the numbers from that film. Rosemary Clooney is seated by the window on the left as your watch this clip.

Danny gives an extra degree to Louis Armstrong and Gene Kelley who are thus...

3 degrees from Pope John Paul II.

Click to see "Make 'em laugh," the most awesome routine in the history of musicals on film. Danny Kaye gets Gene Kelly and Louis Armstrong a degree closer to Pope John Paul II! We're not only in the month of fools, but the month of April showers. Why not sing in the rain? Enjoy!

Gene Wilder

2011-04-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Fourth Degree, Gene Wilder is seen here as Willy Wonka.
Third Degree, Gilda Radner, late wife of Gene Wilder

Second Degree: Barbara Walters

First Degrees:
Fidel Castro, also featured on the post that bears his name.

Boris Yeltzin

Michael Jackson is connected to JPII in the Kevin Bacon post.

Barbara Walters interviewed scores of second-degreers. I'm sure we'll see Ms Walters mentioned in future posts.

Charlie Sheen

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Charlie Sheen

It's April, the month of fools. Foolishness can manifest itself in many ways. Most of the posts this month will be about comedians, but some will be about people who behave in a foolish manner. As I write this, Charlie Sheen and his antics have become the laughing stock of the United States. Jimmy Fallon did a remarkably good impression of Charlie for the mock cologne, "Winning." Take a look.

Note the eyes, disheveled look, and extensive aging
in a relatively short time period. All signs of substance
abuse.

To see an extended interview with Charlie on The Today Show, click here.

Sheen's alcoholism and drug abuse is tragic, but sadly, not uncommon. Charlie insists that he is in control of his substance use, but his life and looks don't agree. Charlie is blind to the reality of his life, this makes him a tragic fool indeed.

Two sins plague Americans, sloth and gluttony. I myself struggle furiously with both of these sins, but they manifest themselves in a lack of exercise and overeating. When we laugh at Charlie, we are avoiding looking at our own sins.

Charlie was born Carlos Estevez. He has a famous brother, Emilio Estevez, and his father, Martin Sheen are famous actors too. Martin took the surname, "Sheen" out of love for the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Martin Sheen is a devout Catholic and asks for prayer for his son.

Carol O'Conner lost his son to a drug overdose

Several years ago, Martin Sheen turned to his friend, Carol O'Conner, to help Charlie get off of drugs. Carol, who lost his own son to drug addiction, was instrumental in that episode of recovery for Charlie.

Charlie Sheen's life is far from "winning" at the moment. He's lost his job, his wives, his children, and now the respect of the general public. I will endeavor to refrain from poking fun of this guy. He thinks he is a king, but is a fool of the most tragic sort. I hope you will do the same.

This blogger makes a pretty compelling case for Charlie being under the influence of The Evil One. What do you think?

A word about Heroine

infected track marks on a heroine user

When you think of heroine, think "Winning!!!," and Charlie Sheen's gaunt and crazed expression. That sense of invincibility and godlike grandeur is what heroine is known for. It is why it has the name, "heroine." When you do this drug, you feel like a superhero. This and all illegal drugs are not regulated for potency and purity. It is easy to overdose on them with ONE DOSE.

If you are offered this or any other drug (that is not prescribed and is "recreational"), think of Charlie Sheen. Do you want to be a "winner" too?

Charlie is very right about one thing. Rehab is notoriously ineffective for longterm success against drug addiction. Just don't start!

Susan B. Anthony

2011-03-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Susan B. Anthony

Men - Their rights and nothing more

Women - Their rights and nothing less

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her
daughter

- Susan B. Anthony

I grew up with this woman's profile on my dollar coins. I knew that she was a feminist, but I am just now learning what Susan B. Anthony brought to my world. A Quaker, Mrs. Anthony was dedicated to all people living with dignity. While not quite as enlightened as her good friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony fought for the downtrodden, especially women. Both women were married. Both women became mothers. Both women were champions for women's suffrage. And both women were staunchly pro-life.

As we teach our sons and daughters about the founding mothers of feminism, let us teach how they fought for the dignity of women's bodies, and their natural ability to bear children.

"When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit." - Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Letter to Julia Ward Howe, October 16, 1873, recorded in Howe's diary at Harvard University Library

"Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive (for abortion), love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"

- Susan B. Anthony

11 Degrees

Let's link the founding mothers of American feminism to Pope John Paul II via degrees of good works! I realize that 11 is more than usual, but they are wonderful degrees and I learned a lot while writing them. Enjoy!

(11th Degree,) Susan B. Anthony and (10th Degree,) Elizabeth Cady Stanton
late in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Cady Stanton worked closely with
(9th Degree,) Frederick Douglass
to end slavery and promote the rights of all Americans

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland via ship. He came to New Bedford, Massachusetts
by way of New York. He then connected to the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, becoming a public speaker. He had a close association with a Quaker and fellow abolishionist,...

William Lloyd Garrison. (8th Degree,) Mr. Garrison
published a book by the former slave woman,

Sojourner Truth. (7th Degree,) Ms Truth is shown here in a portrait with (6th Degree,)
Abraham Lincoln.
We linked President Lincoln to Pope John Paul II
by 6 and 7 degrees in February. Here is that post.

Where did your Christ come from?

"Ain't I a woman?" - Sojourner Truth
and
The Theotokos!