After the last postings will it be a better world? I wonder? But according to this writer -"Building a Better World" has just begun.

Gay Bashing-the Pope? Will he be arrested too?

Asking the Pope to tone down his language and teaching on homosexuality? What? Will he be arrested and fined too in France?

France's "NEW LAW"

And so IT begins!
France has stepped it up finally in the passing of their "NEW LAW".

Of things to come?!

BE NOT AFRAID.

As I prepare today for a Christmas "Open House" in my home I will indulge a little more of these goodies today and not feel so totally bad in doing so. Enjoy the holidays, each other, and remember to thank all those that are a part of your life. And of course offer GREAT THANKSGIVING to GOD OUR FATHER for sending HIS SON TO US! A child. A child to hold close to our hearts, to listen to HIS heart beat, to snuggle next too, to breathe in the smells of HIS skin and lastly to love. Remember HE is the reason for the SEASON!

Signs?!

Signs!? In this last week of preparation for the BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST there are lights! Could it BE?! The wonders never cease. Thank you LORD for those wonders and most especially in the birth of YOUR SON.

The USCCB Annual Plenary Meeting November 2004

Back to the USCCB annual plenary meeting last November. Helen Hull Hitchcock editor of "Adoremus" has penned her opinion of the what the Bishops did or failed to do at their last meeting: "Bishops Send Mixed Signals at USCCB Meeting".

"But the divisions within the conference are increasingly visible, as revealed in the conflicts over the Liturgy; even more starkly in the sex-abuse crisis; and this year, in the bishops' divergent responses on Catholics and political responsibility. This situation cannot easily be resolved."

No it CAN NOT! Only when they convert and become HUMBLE & FAITHFUL servants of OUR LORD!

Christian Protestors Face 47 Years in Jail for Encounter at 'Gay Pride' Event

"First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square; now, Christians are facing 47 years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud," Fahling concluded."

See-- IT'S ALREADY HERE! Persecution!

Parents Television Council (PTC) is in the news again this week-Television's increasingly negative treatment of religion.
That's a big DUH! And IT WILL get worse!

Cybercast News Service is reporting on disturbing developments down-under in Australia.

Christian Pastors Found Guilty of Vilifying Islam
"Pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot were found to have breached a section of the state of Victoria's controversial hate law, which says a person must not incite "hatred against, serious contempt for or revulsion or severe ridicule of" another person or group on the basis of religious belief or activity. The complaint arose from a seminar on Islam run for Christians by Nalliah's evangelical Catch the Fire Ministries in Melbourne in 2002."

What will stop this from taking place here in the U.S.? This is "JUST THE BEGINNING"!
We all need to pay attention here.

In light of the news this week of the Vatican's plans to visit U.S. seminaries in 2005 let's revisit this issue too. And remember there's a priest shortage because of this behavior.

A letter to Archbishop Flynn from Rainbow Sashers. I don't even want to "go there".

"The Rainbow Sash is never worn as a sign of protest. Others have promoted this idea, but we say, we wear the Rainbow Sash as sign of identification."

FOR WHAT? Do you get this?

Our Lady please help us.

More on the Christian Chocolate ban in France: French Religious Symbols Ban Cuts Two Ways
"Catho-phobia""Christianophobia""Christophobia"--& now my newest entry--"Christ-Cocoa-phobia"
Thanks to Carrie Tomko at "Running off at the Keyboard" for the phobia list.

Where do those nuns go when they retire? And do they really retire? I always imagined them sitting in big halls together working on altar linens-repairing them or making them. And by the way where ARE THE YOUNGER nuns? Why aren't they taking care of their own? Where's the social justice in this situation? Aren't the younger nuns required to care for those that aren't able to care for themselves? Hmmm! This doesn't make sense. Let me get this straight--the younger nuns in the order go around the world protesting wars, teaching & practicing "new age" techniques & beliefs-like enneagrams & yoga while the older nuns watch from the sidelines? This makes sense? I don't think so. These Benedictines don't look like they are too worried about the older nuns in their order. They're busy making schedules for Yoga, massage therapy, and Centering prayer. WOW! Those poor older nuns what they have to put up with. What happened to sacrifice? So very sad. I pray for those older retired nuns, how they must be so discouraged. And to think that the older nuns were my teachers in the local Catholic High School. I'll continue to pray for all of you.

Social Doctrine Touted as More Than "a List of Good Feelings"
Vatican Official Warns of Its Weak Use by Catholics
I love this quote by Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi: "When Catholics are incapable of accepting their own faith as truth, Christianity as 'religio vera' [true religion], they will not be able, either, to appreciate the universal value of the social doctrine itself and will interpret it only as one more contribution," lamented the secretary of the Vatican dicastery.

Again in Rome an interesting new book has been released on the West and Islam-"The West and the Rest" by Roger Scruton, an English philosopher and easiest, formerly a professor at Birkbeck College in London and at Boston University.
I really believe that Sandro Magister at Chiesa is a very good reporter. I enjoy reading her articles as they are quite informative. I would mark this site for broad reading. It's helpful information concerning the Vatican and the hierarchy.

A busy week in Rome: Court rules against bid to remove crucifix. (Have to give credit to a new site I just found for this GOOD NEWS--The Catholic-Spectator. I like the title and the site seems to be pretty much on the straight path.)
"Italian state-run schools are fully entitled to hang crucifixes in their classrooms, an Italian high court ruled on Wednesday, thus rejecting a legal challenge raised by a non-Christian."

This is a good win FOR GOD!

And at the opposite of the spectrum: Rome Gets Rael-World Atheism Convention, held here Dec. 11-13.

Good and evil it's always sooo very close together. Notice what the Pope also had to say about good and evil today too.

Just as St. Paul spoke to the Romans: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Church teaching on babies that die before Baptism.
Fr. Gumpel answers the question.

My "activist friends" check this site out Parents Television Council.
Maybe you can go here and register a complaint against ABC-Disney for their newest show I was so unlucky to have seen last week..."Life as We Know it"...TOTALLY DISGUSTING. I have never seen such trash or heard such trash. I guess this is a version of "SEX in the CITY"--"SEX IN THE CLASSROOM".

Free Market Project Follow-Up Finds Media Obsessed With Obesity

I am so glad to see this item most especially today since I have Christmas cookies in the house. = )
I have always wondered what the big deal is over "super-sizing". When my family eats out at our local fast food restuarant we super-size so that we can share or split the item with each other. I noticed it keeps me from "pigging out" with my own serving. Now if I can exert some self-control with these cookies sitting here in my kitchen and more Christmas baking ahead of me.

LORD give the strength not to pick up that cookie today.

cnsnews.com reports :UK Gov't Tries to Ease 'Backdoor Euthanasia' Concerns As Bill Passes
Will this help? How long before we have to deal with a bill like this?

"A key concern of pro-lifers relates to the fact that, in terms of an earlier legal decision in Britain, food and water are defined as "treatment" and therefore would also be withdrawn, along with what is more conventionally considered medical treatment, such as the administration of drugs."