Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

Happy Birthday, America!

sowell In honor of the nation’s two-hundred and twenty-eighth birthday, the ultra-cool Thomas Sowell devotes a pair of columns to a couple of interesting subjects.

In part one, he poses the question: “What has made American society one to which people are fleeing from other societies around the world”? No matter how much America-bashing one hears overseas or right here on our own shores from Americans who think it’s hip to wallow in self-criticism (y’hear that, Michael Moore?).

In part two, Sowell picks up on the latter folks and asks the question: “Ever wonder why some people hate America so?” The answer, he concludes, involves the following:

If one word rings out, and echoes around the world, when America is mentioned, that word is Freedom. But what does freedom mean?

It means that hundreds of millions of ordinary human beings live their lives as they see fit — regardless of what their betters think. That is fine, unless you see yourself as one of their betters, as so many intellectuals do.

Fascinating stuff.

Majorly worth reading.

EXPERTS: Ditch IE

For some time experts have been warning that there are unacceptibly large security holes in Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer (MSIE). I myself have been aware of these warnings for years and am not using MSIE, significantly because of these reasons.

After reading the reports, I suggest that you consider ditching it as well.

If you’re looking for an alternative, you might check out the current iteration of the Mozilla browser (the core of Netscape) at www.mozilla.org. It has lots of cool extensions that enhance its functionality.

You also might check out the Opera browser.

RATZINGER: Pro-Abort Politicians Should Be Denied Communion

ratz The following is reported by journalist Sandro Magister to be the complete text of Cardinal Ratzinger’s recent memorandum that was confidentally circulated among U. S. bishops. Note the portions I have highlighted. The bracketed ellipses in #2 and the bracketed nota bene at the end are Ratzinger’s, not mine.

Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles

by Joseph Ratzinger

1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgement regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: “Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?” The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction “Redemptionis Sacramentum,” nos. 81, 83).

2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a “grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. […] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propoganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’” (no. 73). Christians have a “grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. […] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it” (no. 74).

3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

4. Apart from an individuals’s judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).

5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

6. When “these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,” and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it” (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration “Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics” [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

[N.B. A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.]

WIRED: Stopping Bullets With Style

Excerpt:

The right suit can make a guy feel invincible – especially if it’s bulletproof. Colombian fashion designer Miguel Caballero specializes in Euro-style men’s ready-to-wear that’s light, elegant, and can stop a 9-millimeter slug. “Colombia is an ideal place for this business,” Caballero says. “First, because of the high quality of its leather, and second, because of its high index of violence.”

I think that the second reason is actually the first.

Now if Caballero would just come out with a line of western wear. . . . (Heck,his name even means “horseman”)

WIRED: Stopping Bullets With Style

Excerpt:

The right suit can make a guy feel invincible – especially if it’s bulletproof. Colombian fashion designer Miguel Caballero specializes in Euro-style men’s ready-to-wear that’s light, elegant, and can stop a 9-millimeter slug. “Colombia is an ideal place for this business,” Caballero says. “First, because of the high quality of its leather, and second, because of its high index of violence.”

I think that the second reason is actually the first.

Now if Caballero would just come out with a line of western wear. . . . (Heck,his name even means “horseman”)

COSBY: African-American Community Must Take Responsibility

cosby-jackson This is a really positive sign.

For too long the African-American community has been victimized by its leaders, who have encouraged a culture of victimization among African-Americans, basically, to ensure their own positions of authority.

These leaders have betrayed the ideals of independence and self-reliance that where hallmarks of the Civil Rights movement and have instead fostered a cycle of dependency on societal handouts and outward-directed rage.

African-American intellectuals such as Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams have been pointing this out for a long time, but their analysis has fallen on deaf ears. But for the last few months Bill Cosby has been pointing it out.

This of itself–that a voice of unquestioned popular credentials within the African-American community would champion the need to take responsibility for the problems within the community–is itself a sign of great hope.

What is even greater is the fact that Jesse Jackson, one of the very leaders who has exploited African-Americans for his own benefit, is endorsing Cosby in the effort.

Read the story.

Orbiting the Lord of the Rings

planets-saturn-small QUESTION 1: How cool is this? In gravity-breaking around Saturn, the Cassini space probe plunged through the ring plane around the planet (even though it was through a gap).

ANSWER 1: Wicked awesome!

QUESTION 2: How do you top a stunt like that?

ANSWER 2: Drop the Huygens probe to Titan on Christmas!

Read this article to find out what I’m talking about.

NOVAK: Civil war looms for Republicans

California Republican Representative Bill Thomas has thwarted an attempt to remove the political gag order on churches.

According to Bob Novak, Thomas is part of the secular Republican faction that despises the Christian element in the party and this move signals a coming “civil war” within the Republican party between the Christians (who have given the party the majorities it has needed to achieve parity with the Democrats) and the secularists.

READ IT.

NOVAK: Civil war looms for Republicans

California Republican Representative Bill Thomas has thwarted an attempt to remove the political gag order on churches.

READ IT.

To Repair or Not To Repair?

A correspondent writes:

On May 4th of this year, the electrician servicing my parish backed his truck into my parked car. The damage appeared minor, but two estimates for repair came up with the same amount, $1518.00. The electrician’s insurance company mailed this amount to me, plus $150.00 for a rental car.
The car is old, the damage is minor, and the money would be helpful to clear up debts. Would it be an ethical
issue, if I opted not to have the repair done at this time? I would return the $150.00 for car rental to the insurance company.

The money that the insurance company sent you is yours to do with as you wish. This includes the money for the rental car. You can use the money on anything you want. That is why they sent you money rather than a voucher for car repair and a voucher for a rental car. The money is to compensate you for the damage and the trouble you have incurred by the accident, and if you choose to live with the damage and use your compensation on something other than car repair and car rental, that is your business.

You have no obligation to use the money in any particular way, so do with it whatever seems best to you, including the $150 for the rental car. People spend their insurance settlements on other stuff all the time, and if you tried to return any of it, it would probably only confuse the insurance company, and they might well return the check to you again.

Hope this helps, and God bless!