Abuse of Girls Done Clinically

Those of us who research and follow developments that examine contraception and abortion, those women’s health issues that correlate to both, and the cultural disintegration that is the product of the assault of the feminine are alarmed by the growing “forced contraception” against pre-teen and young teen girls.

This is clinical abuse of the girl child. It inevitably leads to sexual abuse. The child is implanted with a contraceptive device or medication that she cannot control. And, typically, the medication is long lasting–up to three years. There are serious side effects to such medication, but the simple truth is that the abusers–parents, local governments and family planning agencies fear a potential pregnancy more than they fear injury to the girl’s health or her use and abuse by men who know no impregnation will result.

A corollary is that depression is a frequent side effect of Norplant and Depo-provera –favored long-term contraceptives. These powerful progestin hormones added to the hormones of puberty make depression in the young particularly acute.

When Humane Vitae was written, Pope Paul VI predicted that women would be hideously devalued.

"the man" will lose respect for "the woman" and
"no longer (care) for her physical and psychological equilibrium" and will
come to "the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish
enjoyment and no longer as his respected and beloved companion."

Tragically, his prophecy has been borne out.

So too has Paul VI’s prediction that government power would be used against women:

“dangerous weapon… in the hands of those public
authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies.

[In a related trend, Genevieve Kineke at Feminine Genius has a post on the "gay baby boom" that is grim reading, but necessary information for those who fight the good fight to recover the culture]

May Heaven have mercy on us.

The Culture War: To recognize evil, first know good.

Note: Blog Stats indicate many readers of this blog click on the post about the Inquisition. There is a fine new article on the Inquisition by Fr. Brain Van Hove, S.J. at Ignatius Insight, here.

Note: New column at Inside Catholic.com on the how the U.N. robs the poor is here

I’ve been thumbing through Peter Kreeft’s How to Win the Culture War: A Christian Battle Plan for a Society in Crisis.

Each time I revisit this book I am struck by some pithy observation that jerks me up short with an “of course!” exclamation. This time the point was: When we sin, we do the devil’s work. (p.30) –and by extension that to recognize evil, one must know the good.

Does that stop you in your tracks? We too often think of our sins as minor failings. We think of it as simply “falling short of the mark.” We are out of the habit of thinking of sin as an objective evil. But where I sin, I aid Satan. (”He who is not with me is against me.”)

It seems to me that the culture war is more than bringing morals (Not “values”) back to the public square. Hard reality check: Most people, including Christians, no longer know what is good. They know longer know the WHO who is Good. No wonder the culture war is such a sticky morass.

To win this war in whatever corner of the public square in which we fight, we must first show others what good looks like. IN a culture where the “good” is “the freedom to do my own thing” too few know what an actual tangible good is!

How to do this? First of all, sin less. Don’t “go easy on yourself” when you “sin a little bit.” Then our own attitudes and behavior will be demonstrably different. People will notice.

Next, I think, we must make beautiful things. Grow a beautiful and productive garden. Promote good cultural events–art, music, ballet. Form a book club and introduce others to great literature. Organize a movie night once a month for friends and family. Discuss themes of sin and grace, good and evil, acts and their consequences. Sponsor symposiums on topics of interest–perhaps about local history, or local heroes. Help build healthy community identity.

Visit the ill, the elderly, the lonely. Impress upon them that they are part of the community still–that their prayers are what helps sustain those at work, school, home. A neighbor invites women recently released from jail to come to her home to cook and share a dinner and a movie. Reinstate a family Sunday and invite other families for some games.

Our every engagement need not be overtly “religious.” Christians can evangelize by spreading what is truly beautiful. We can build a taste for, a desire for the “higher things.”

Plagiarism, Writers and Conscience

[ NOTE: Discussion of Catholic Fiction at InsideCatholic.com]

* * PLAGIARISM

I have received several emails from readers ( in the few weeks that Properly Scared has been up) asking if I knew that a Canadian editor was fired due to his plagiarized work, including material from one of my articles.

Yes, I know of Robert Sibley’s confession–after he was tagged for multiple instances of plagiarism. The editor and board member of the Ottawa Citizen wrote:

Finally, on Nov. 12, 2000, I included a 23-word sentence in the second part of my nine-part series on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage that should have been attributed to an article entitled “Pilgrimage to the Stars” by Mary Jo Anderson that appeared in the February 2000 edition of the Catholic magazine, Crisis. Her sentence reads: “As the pilgrims streamed across Europe, converging on the ‘Road of Stars,’ they exchanged ideas about architecture, fashion, ballads, politics, food and philosophy.” I wrote: “As the pilgrims trekked across Europe, converging on the Road of Stars, they exchanged ideas about architecture, fashion, science, politics, food and philosophy.”

While I did not personally receive an apology from Mr. Sibley, I am happy to report that he did apologize to the professional community and his readers:

“My errors may have been, in part at least, the consequence of gathering or trying to impart too much information; to be sure, I like to think my essays, columns and editorials bring to the reader’s attention ideas that can help them better understand the world. Nevertheless, while I was not intentionally trying to appropriate the words or ideas of others as my own, I must acknowledge my failures in attribution. And it is for this that I wholeheartedly apologize — to the authors whose words I used, to my colleagues and, most particularly, to Citizen readers, who have every right to expect better of me.”

I want to make a couple of points. First, Mr. Sibley was not technically fired, rather, he was given a new job description. And, he outlined how and why the instances of his plagiarism happened. I am sympathetic with his explanation.

There is a vast, vast amount of material available now via the Internet. Add to that the pressure to meet ever-shorter deadlines as print tries to keep up with online material and you have a recipe for both deliberate and inadvertent plagiarism. I do not excuse it, but at least in the cases of inadvertent use of material I can see how it happens. When you research an article, it is easy enough to forget where you read what. It takes time that deadlines do not permit to carefully catalog where you found each idea–and the clip and store functions of computer programs adds to the difficulty. I have had to create a system for my own research, but it is a time gobbler.

I am told that it is not rare for professors to “appropriate” the work of their better students. And corporate America has its share of managers who take the credit for and idea, a marketing plan, or a job done by subordinates.

As in any discipline, writing requires a sense of justice and a well formed conscience.

I’d welcome comments from other writers.

CARDINAL EGAN and Giuliani’s Catholicism

By John-Henry Westen

NEW YORK, April 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The decision by several prominent pro-abortion politicians to publicly receive Holy Communion at papal Masses during the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI, despite clear Church teaching that says that their reception of Communion would constitute a grave sacrilege, may have backfired.

While at first it seemed like it would be business as usual, today Cardinal Edward Egan of New York issued a statement condemning the reception of Holy Communion by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The Archdiocese informed LifeSiteNews.com that the issue is being brought forward publicly at this time “because it has become a public issue and a public question.”

“The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God,” said Egan. “Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind.”

He continued, “Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion.”

“I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York,” said Egan, “and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.”

Responding to the matter in the press, Giuliani said that his faith “is a deeply personal matter and should remain confidential.”

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, responded, “The Catholic faith is not simply about one’s private and confidential relationship with God. It’s public, as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Giuliani received Communion in public. Mr. Giuliani’s support of legal abortion is also public. That’s why Cardinal Egan’s remarks are entirely appropriate, as is his expectation that Mr. Giuliani abide by those remarks.”

The Pope, just prior to his elevation to the pontificate, issued a document to the US Bishops which outlined that in keeping with Church teaching, pro-abortion politicians who present themselves for communion even after being warned not to “must” be denied communion.

LifeSiteNews.com asked Joseph Zwilling, Director Office of Communications at the Archdiocese of New York, if there had been any communication on the matter between the Pope or Vatican and the Archdiocese. Zwilling replied, “No

THERE WAS A MAN!

NOTE: Pope Couture Continues–click here for The Red Shoes

I wrote “Wisdom in the Ruins” earlier this month about the Tocqueville Forum award that Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. of Georgetown received on April 10th. Here is a link to the very fine comments by the Professor McInerny ( “THERE WAS A MAN”) that evening–a look at education at America’s colleges and a tribute to an incomparable professor–it’s a treat! You won’t regret taking the time to read this.

The day after Fr. Schall received the award he invited me to attend one of his classes ( On Plato!) –which I did with great relish. The students clearly adore this wise and witty octogenarian. No wonder that they lauded him just a week later–the students of Georgetown voted Fr. Schall their favorite! What I particularly noted was how the professor respected his students, and they returned the favor.

I am near to gushing here, so let me simply remark that two of Father Schall’s favorite descriptives are “winsome” and “lightsome” and he is both. He is a priest who is alert to the beauty of God’s creation, the exquisite order of things, and our happy task to discover this ordered beauty. An encounter with Fr. Schall changes you angle of view—the world takes on a a new hue.

Nothing would please me more than if some of you who are not familiar with his work would reward yourselves with one of his “lightsome” books.

I routinely give copies of Fr. Schall’s ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING as graduation gifts. A series of short essays that are a frolic through the wonder of life, yet have a kernel of deep theology embedded. A young person who reads these essays will effortlessly, eagerly ingest great wisdom. For everyday delights there is his Idylls and Rambles. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

For the more erudite or academic sorts who chance upon this blog, there is Roman Catholic Political Philosophy.

Many families are making choices about colleges –here is another good article on choosing “Catholic” by Fr. Kenneth Baker.