Bad News For Darth Kennedy & Our Robed Masters

REALCLEARPOLITICS THINKS JUDICIAL ACTIVISM IS ENTERING A PERFECT STORM.

Excerpt:

After six decades of expansion, the tendency of judges to impose their preferences on society, rather than simply interpret the law as written, may have reached its apogee. Judicial activism, as this writing of law from the bench is known, faces a confluence of forces which promise relief for the principles of Constitutionalism, and for the American people they protect. The trend of judicial activism morphing into judicial tyranny faces a perfect storm.

This Week's Show (March 17, 2005)

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

TIDBIT: The show was very kindly guest hosted by John Martinoni but technical difficulties caused us to lose him after the second break and I had to solo-host the remainder of the show.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Wedding attendance (Fact Pattern: Two Catholics, one divorce, no annulment, getting married in front of a Lutheran pastor on a boat). How to explain non-attendance to husband.
  • Is the fact that the Trinity is not expressly stated in Scripture a good argument against sola scriptura? Is there a parallel between the Trinity and our human nature?
  • Should a KofC chapter donate money to build a prayer room in a hospital that does some abortion referrals?
  • Woman had non-conjoined twins, one of whom did not have a head or a heart. The latter was baptized. Friend doesn’t believe it was a human and wants to know why it was baptizaed.
  • Are confirmation names mandatory?
  • What are the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth, and the Annunciation?
  • How to explain going to confession to son who doesn’t want to go?
  • How to deal with a co-worker who is stressing total depravity?
  • Could God have made Jesus pure without Mary being sinless?
  • How do deal with Fundamentalist brother?
  • How do we know if we’re guilty of apostasy?
  • Confused about previous answer regarding the humanity or non-humanity of headless, heartless twin.
  • Priest said Catholics are not bound regarding contraception because it isn’t ex cathedra. How to respond?

This Week’s Show (March 17, 2005)

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

TIDBIT: The show was very kindly guest hosted by John Martinoni but technical difficulties caused us to lose him after the second break and I had to solo-host the remainder of the show.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Wedding attendance (Fact Pattern: Two Catholics, one divorce, no annulment, getting married in front of a Lutheran pastor on a boat). How to explain non-attendance to husband.
  • Is the fact that the Trinity is not expressly stated in Scripture a good argument against sola scriptura? Is there a parallel between the Trinity and our human nature?
  • Should a KofC chapter donate money to build a prayer room in a hospital that does some abortion referrals?
  • Woman had non-conjoined twins, one of whom did not have a head or a heart. The latter was baptized. Friend doesn’t believe it was a human and wants to know why it was baptizaed.
  • Are confirmation names mandatory?
  • What are the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth, and the Annunciation?
  • How to explain going to confession to son who doesn’t want to go?
  • How to deal with a co-worker who is stressing total depravity?
  • Could God have made Jesus pure without Mary being sinless?
  • How do deal with Fundamentalist brother?
  • How do we know if we’re guilty of apostasy?
  • Confused about previous answer regarding the humanity or non-humanity of headless, heartless twin.
  • Priest said Catholics are not bound regarding contraception because it isn’t ex cathedra. How to respond?

Persona a persona

As someone who does freelance editing and who writes business letters in the course of my daily work, there are few things that tick me off more as an editor and writer than a poorly-composed business letter.  A well-composed, thoughtful letter can persuade; a sloppy letter can close hearts and minds.

SAMPLE BUSINESS LETTER.

As a grumpy editor and writer, I picked out about five stylistic points that would have had me winging this letter back to its composer with marks for change.  However, I’ll grant bragging rights to the commenter who can spot the number-one error in this letter that is intended to plead a very important case.

Two hints: One, it’s not a matter of content.  Two, check out the title of this post.

(Nod to Bill Cork of Ut Unum Sint.)

Chronicler of the Culture of Death

I am not a fan of horror fiction because I figure that the front-page of my local newspaper is scary enough, thanks.  However, work sometimes compels me to flip through factual horror books.  Case in point: Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America by Wesley J. Smith, a lawyer and opponent of the euthanasia movement.  After scanning through several chapters, I marched over to see a friend and told her that if I ever was unable to speak for myself she was to tell anyone and everyone that I wanted to live.  The horror stories Smith recounts are scarier than anything Stephen King could envision.

Smith has a blog titled Secondhand Smoke.  Check it out!