When religion and politics clash!
Today the Catholic Church issued an order to Senator Patrick Kennedy to skip communion due to his stance on abortion. He is in essence on restriction from receiving the Eucharist for the past
three years. The platform of the Catholic Church has always been the preservation of life. Not only is the church anti-abortion but it is also anti-death penalty. The church has consistently remained committed to these positions.
Senator Patrick Kennedy, the son of Ted Kennedy, is a lifelong Catholic (as all the Kennedy clan are). In addition to being Catholic the Kennedy’s are lifelong members of the Democratic Party. A party that advances a platform that includes the right to abortion. As recent as last weekend, the Democrats moved forward its healthcare bill which includes provisions for abortion in its Government run healthcare plan. Kennedy voted for the Senate bill.
Bishop Thomas Tobin wrote Kennedy in 2007 asking him to refrain from receiving communion. In his letter Bishop Tobin stated:
“If a Catholic in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly and obstinately to repudiate her definite teachings on moral issues, he or she would seriously diminish his or her communion with the Church. Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation would not accord with the nature of the Eucharistic celebration, so that he or she should refrain.”
The request was in accord with the then recent statement issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bishop Tobin is displeased that Kennedy would make this private matter public. He has issued a statement that can be read here: http://tinyurl.com/ybmywm3
Is Senator Kennedy wrong for going against the teachings of his faith in order to appease the platform of his political party? Is Bishop Tobin wrong for asking that Senator Kennedy not take the Eucharist since he is not abiding to his faith. Is Senator Kennedy wrong for making this issue public? Is Bishop Tobin wrong for being upset with Kennedy for releasing this issue to the media? Tell us what you think.
Let the Games Begin
On Sunday, Iran began large-scale air defense war games aimed towards protecting its nuclear facilities from attack as an air force commander boasted the country could deter any military strike by Israel. It said the five-day preperation will disguise an area a third of the size of Iran and spread across the central, western and southern parts of the country. General Ahmad Mighani, head of an air force unit in charge of resplying to risks to Iran’s air space, said Saturday the war games would cover regions where Iran’s nuclear facilities are located. Israel hasn’t ruled out military action to stop Iran from gaining any nuclear weapons. The commander of the Guard’s air force, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, meanwhile sought on Sunday to play down the connotation of Israel’s threats against his country, saying they aggregated to psychological warfare. Also on Sunday, Iran’s defense minister, General Ahmad Vahidi, said Iran arranged to accompany contriving and producing its own air defense missiles. His statements were apparently in response to the interval in the delivery from Russia of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, meant to be a key component of Iran’s air defense. Rest of the story.
Have any opinions, facts, or statements? Share them with us! We would love to hear what you have to say.
Credit to Foxnews for the information and the picture.
Democratic Lawmaker tells Americans: ‘Quit Complaining’
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri) has called for ‘Quit Complaining Wednesday’ next week a day before the Thanksgiving holiday. Americans are voicing their concerns about the Health Reform, the wars in the Middle east, and the economy. BWC’s question is, these Americans are expressing their 1st Amendment rights, so why tell them to be quiet? Polls do show majority of the Americans are against Health Care, and some are disapproving of Mr. Obama’s polices. Rep. Cleaver went on to say;
“From time to time, we all experience anxiety, frustration, stress, and regret. And often, we respond to these feelings with a criticism or complaining,” Cleaver wrote to his colleagues, seeking co-sponsors. “Regrettably, complaining keeps people stuck on current problems, inhibiting them from thinking constructively to find solutions. Research has also shown that complaining can be harmful to one’s emotional and physical health, relationships and can limit professional career success.”
Conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, owner and founder of Breitbart.com calls this “silly” as expressed on Biggovernment.com. Rep. Cleaver’s spokesman said this is no way shape or form is attacking first amendment rights, but I beg to differ.
What do you think about this? Is it okay? Is it taking away first Amendment rights? You decide.
Irish Want a World Cup Qualifier Rematch With France Over Handball
Ireland has ‘thrown down the gauntlet’ to France Thursday to replay a World Cup qualifier match after Les Bleus striker Thierry Henry handballed before an essential goal. The retired Arsenal player conducted a ball with his fingers to help his teammate William Gallas score an extra-time header in Saint Denis, near Paris, on Wednesday. That goal achieved France a 2-1 aggregate win and kicked Ireland out of the tournament, to be held in South Africa over the summer. But the foul play angered Irish fans and their team’s assistant manager Liam Brady has now challenged the French to another game. He told Sky News: “I would request (Fifa president Sepp Blatter) Blatter to take a look at this, I would ask the French (Soccer) Federation to have a look at this, I would ask Thierry Henry to have a look at this and say, ‘Do you want to play the game again in Paris?’ We’ll play in Paris.”
Credit to Foxnews for the information and the picture.
U.S. Soldiers Among First to Tour Ancient Iraqi Temple
The Ziggurat of Ur has stood for 4,000 years in the desert close to Nasiriyah in southeastern Iraq, but this one of a kind historical site had been almost totally off limits to guests under Saddam Hussein. All that has alternated since the old regime was overthrown in 2003, and now, U.S. soldiers are some of the site’s most accessible visitors. The temple-pyramid is a part of the ruins of an antediluvian Sumerian city. Dhair Muhsen, an Iraqi tour guide, said Hussein made it challenging for tourists to visit the sites, arranging strict checkpoints with Iraqi soldiers and informing people they couldn’t take pictures. The majority of people who visit the site now are U.S. soldiers, who are transported over to the site from close by Camp Adder. Another site, near the Ziggurat of Ur, is contemplated even more historically convincing. It is affirmed to have been the home of Abraham, a central figure in the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Rest of the story.
Have any comments, statements, or opinions? Share them with us!
Credit to Foxnews for the information and the photo.
Anchor Lou Dobbs departs from CNN
Long time CNN anchor Lou Dobbs leaves CNN for quote on quote “other opportunity’s.” He officially left after broadcasting his show “Lou Dobbs Tonight” and releasing a 2 minute statement. Here is some of what he said as his departing statement;
“Tonight, I want to turn to a personal note if I may and address a matter that has raised some curiosity.
This will be my last broadcast here on CNN, where I have worked for most of the past 30 years and where I have many friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.
I’m the last of the original anchors here on CNN, and I’m proud to have had the privilege of helping to build the world’s first news network. I am grateful for the many opportunities that CNN has given me over these many years, I’ve tried to reciprocate with the full measure of my ability and my energy.
Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us. And some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.
I’ve talked extensively with Jonathan Klein; Jon’s the president of CNN, and as a result of those talks, Jon and I have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable me to pursue new opportunities.”
You can read more of his statement, here.
Lou Dobbs signed on with CNN in the early 1980s and was a successful business man, and his ratings went through the roof for many years. After 2001, things began to change has he became very opinionated on some things. This caused him to make many enemies, and his ratings spiked during this time. He then began to get complaints from immigration groups after opposing illegal immigrants, calling for CNN to fire Lou Dobbs. Dobbs, now 64, says this has been going on behind the scenes for months, and today was the right time to go.
Now, BWC asks, where will he go next? Rumors sprang up a few months back about him joining the Fox lineup, and becoming an anchor, these rumors where false but now that he has been cut loose, will he? Or will he do something else? We will stay on the story.
For more information on this suprisings story, click here.
Pause to Remember at the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
For 90 years, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month has been a recognition of those who served America in time of war. But the November 11 Veterans Day commemoration began as a day to celebrate peace — the silencing of the guns of World War ”The Great War,” which took the lives of more than 15 million soldiers and civilians. On that day in the yeae 1918, at the 11th hour, Germany initialed an armistice with the Allied Powers — including the United States, France, Britain, Japan and Italy — ending major hostilities in a war that nearly extinguished an entire generation of men. A full peace was achieved the next year in France at the Palace of Versailles, and the first Armistice Day was announced and celebrated by President Woodrow Wilson on the anniversary of the ceasefire: November 11, 1919. Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are some 23.2 million veterans in the United States. That accomodates 2.6 million who served during World War II, 2.8 million who served in the Korean War, 7.8 million in the Vietnam War, 5.2 million in the Gulf War and about 1.7 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just one American veteran who had served in World War I is still alive today: 108-year-old Frank Buckles, who drove ambulances in England and France after enlisting at the age of 16. Buckles also fought in World War II and was taken prisoner by the Japanese. Rest of the story.
There you have it, folks. Have a wonderful Veterans Day!
Credit to Foxnews for the information and the picture
Prepare for War With Colombia
President Hugo Chavez on Sunday instructed Venezuela’s military to adjust for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying his country’s soldiers should be prepared if the United States tries to generate a war between the South American neighbors. Chavez said Venezuela could end up going to war with Colombia as tensions between them rise, and he addressed that if a conflict broke out “it could extend throughout the whole continent.” There was no sudden reaction from either the Colombian or U.S. government, but in the past they have rejected intentions to start a war with Venezuela and said the base deal is needed to fight the war on drugs and insurgents in Colombia, which is a major cocaine producer having trouble with a decades-old internal conflict.
Four men on motorcycles shot and killed two Venezuelan National Guard troops at a checkpoint close to the border in Venezuela’s western Tachira state last week, prompting Chavez’s government to temporarily close some border crossings. And last month, Venezuelan authorities arrested at least 10 people in Tachira alleging involvement in paramilitary groups. The bullet-ridden bodies of 11 men, nine of them Colombians, were also discovered last month in Tachira after being kidnapped from a soccer field.
Elsa Cardoso, a professor of international relations at the Central University of Venezuela, advised that Chavez’s heated rhetoric — coupled with the recent military deployments — are directed at turning the public’s attention away from pressing domestic problems ranging from rampant crime to electricity and water rationing. Rest of the story.
It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out. If you have any comments/statements, please share them with us. We would love to hear what you’ve gotta say!
Credit to Foxnews for info. and the photo.
Pelosi’s Healthcare Bill – “Buy $15K Policy or Go To Jail”?
A new report has been posted that was authored by the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation which confirms that noncompliance with the Pelosi Healthcare bill could land people in jail. Accordingly, Americans who do not maintain the undefined “acceptable” level of health insurance would be subject a tax mandate of 2.5% of income, are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties which includes monetary fines up to $250,000 and a 5 year prison term. This requirement to maintain acceptable insurance may be a challenge for some; the lowest cost plan being advanced by Pelosi would cost a mere $15,000 per family by 2016 as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.
Of course everyone is able to pay for the low-cost plan of Pelosi since all likely have that kind of money stuffed in a mattress. Hopefully, through many amendments, Congress will figure out what “acceptable” health insurance is and will offer it at a cost less than $15,000 in 2016 should they pass the bill.
The JCT letter: http://tinyurl.com/ybs74q7
Lawyer: Orlando Shooter is Mentally ‘Ill’
Jason Rodriguez, seen in the picture above, is responsible for killing 1 and injuring 5 others after going into a former place of employment where he went on a shooting rampage. He is now being held without bond and is being charged with first degree murder. Orange Country Police department has put this man under suicide watch, as they think he may commit suicide at any point in time.
His family isn’t taken it well, as they have released a statement saying they are very sorry and sent condolences out to the families that were hurt in this tragic shooting. His lawyer is calling him extremely mentally ill after going through unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and divorce. His problems shouldn’t have come at the expense of other people’s lives.
One major question that BWC is asking – did the Fort Hood shootings influence this man to go and take his grievances out on other people? Remember, this shooting happened a day after the Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead and about 38 injured. Though reports haven’t come out, and it is unlikely that he will ever admit it, it may be that the Fort Hood shootings influenced him to carry out a similar crime in Orlando. This is absolutely horrible and our condolences go out to the families of this horrific crime.
He may face a death sentence if he is found competent to stand trial and is found guilty. If you want anymore information..go to this link.
