Monday, April 20, 2015

DEAR SENATORS

Dear Senators,

In 1857, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Roger B. Taney, wrote that all black people are:
"beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect."
The case was (Dred) Scott v. Sandford. And the court's decision (7-2) was supposed to be the last word on the slavery question. The court had spoken. One race could own another.

Thank God we had lawmakers and civic leaders back then that didn't say what some of your are saying:
"The courts have already made a ruling on this issue and we can't pick and choose when to follow the orders of the court, so let's comply and get back to work." - Senator Michael San Nicholas. Guam Pacific Daily News. April 20, 2015
And P.S. If you believe (as some of you are also saying) that you cannot let your religious (Catholic) views influence your civic decisions, then STOP using Catholic events (funerals, etc.) to campaign.

16 comments:

  1. Politicians who are baptized Catholics yet endorse legislation that clash with Catholic Church teachings are betrayers of the Faith. They have the nerve showing their face in church and pretending to be good Catholics. Shame on them!!

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  2. [I feel like singing]

    RISE AGAIN

    Words by Christy Lane
    Go ahead, drive the nails in my hands
    laugh at me where you stand
    go ahead and say it isn't me
    the day will come when you will see
    go ahead mock my name
    my love for you is still the same
    go ahead bury me
    but very soon I will be free

    Cause I'll rise again
    ain't no power on earth can tie me down
    yes, I'll rise again
    death can't keep me in the ground

    Go ahead say I'm dead and gone
    but you will see that you were wrong
    go ahead oh try to hide the Son
    but all will see that I am the one

    Cause I'll come again
    ain't no power on earth can keep me back
    yes I'll come again,
    come to take my people back.

    And I'll rise.....................
    ~Chrisy Lane

    Even though it's an Easter song, It's worth meditating on the words anytime. Makes me FEAR GOD, not man.

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  3. God laws trump civil laws and Laws God sets are Eternal

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  4. Amen! It's very sad and unfortunate that we claim to be "practicing Catholics." "Look at me! I attend Mass! Look at me! I receive Communion! Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!" And then when issues regarding Catholic teaching surface in the public eye, we go "with the flow" and what society dictates, not what God's law dictates. Our public leaders quickly forget that civil law is based on natural law. Civil law (man made law) is based on natural law (God's law). So senators, are you going to continue going with the flow or are you going to stand up and say, "Look at me! I am standing up for my faith!"
    *God has already made a ruling on this issue and we can't pick and choose when to follow God's law, so let's comply and get back to work. :)

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    1. Great use of the senator's words to point out his error. Looks like these politicians are just giving in to pressure from the media and SOME of the voting public.

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  5. We do pick and choose which of God's laws we follow. I haven't seen any women stoned for divorces lately. We wear hybrid clothing and many of us eat pork! It's hypocritical to say it is against God's law and then not follow God's other laws. I don't believe in gay marriage because I believe the sanctity of marriage is reserved for a man and woman, and I'm gay! However, I do believe we should be alotted the same rights as married couples, through domestic partnerships or civil unions. I attend mass, I worship God together with my catholic brothers and sisters. I pray we look past each others differences and accept one another 'faults', 'tendencies' and all. We are human, God-loving people as well. God bless!

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    1. Dear Friend,

      I appreciate your civility in addressing this. Please permit me to offer some clarifications.

      There never was a law to stone divorced women. The law you probably mean is the Mosaic law requiring adulterers to be stoned. We find this in:

      Lev. 20:10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.

      and

      Deut. 22:22-24 “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die.

      Notice, both are to be put to death, not just the woman.

      The other examples you give recall the Mosaic law (prohibition on eating pork). The Mosaic law was given specifically to the nation of Israel to distinguish Israel from other nations. As Christians we are not bound by the Mosaic law which is of the Old Covenant.

      The “law” that appears to be referred to in this conversation is the “law” relative to the marriage between one man and one woman. This “law” is a natural law because, whether one believes in God or not, all of nature is ordered to make more of itself and this is only possible, save for the few rare species which can self-inseminate, when there are at least two complementary members of the same species.

      So unlike dietary laws and the like, the law of sexual complementarity in the order of creation is intrinsic and immutable.

      Going on.

      You say that you are gay. Saying one is gay has no more meaning than saying one is straight. It really doesn’t matter what our “tendencies” are. What matters is whether we act on those tendencies in a way that contradicts God’s design.

      In the order of creation, men and women are physically designed to be generative. The nation of Israel, based on God’s plan for marriage as found in Genesis, codified and protected marriages in ways the pagan nations which surrounded it did not. Christ elevated the union to a sacrament. Regardless of one’s tendencies, the use of the generative capabilities of our bodies - at least for Christians - outside the sacramental bond of marriage and in a way that is intentionally closed to the actual generation of new life is contrary to God’s design.

      So yes, while we may look past each other’s innate “differences”, we are not only NOT required to look past each others behavior when it contradicts God’s design. In fact, Christ orders us to confront each other:

      "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16"But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.… (Mt 18:15-17.)

      Thank you for considering these facts.

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    2. Thank you for clearing those things up. My point for saying that I was gay, was to show that not all gay people are for pushing this "gay agenda". So as not to have people make it into an issue of us against them (gay people) I struggle daily with my homosexuality and religion, so to go through that kind of persecution from other Christians makes it all the more difficult. Try as I may, I cannot change my "inclinations" and I do try my hardest to follow Christ. Whatever sins I commit are my own, and I do confess them to the Lord and ask for strength and forgiveness. My hope is that people are more considerate and open-minded to the view of gay Catholics, who aware that their lifestyle goes against what the church teaches, and still try their best to go against their very nature to be as Christ-like as possible.

      Thank you as well for taking the time to read and respond.

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    3. Each person is made in the image and likeness of God. Those who believe in Him have been redeemed by the blood of His Cross. The unconditional love of God for each of us is infinitely bigger than the constraints and categories we label ourselves. The important thing is to respond with gratitude to this great gift of love by living lives of dignity, a life worthy of God's affirmation in the life beyond earth. Part of this grateful response requires sharing the goodness of earth with those who come into our lives. Be happy, be joyful, it is Easter! Alleluia! Alleluia!

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  6. Might I remind the Senators a saying of our Lord, "if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father". your choice. Do you really believe?
    And that idea that "my vote doesn't reflect my personal religious views" is a crock of you no what. Time to put your money where your mouth is.

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  7. Mary Lou Garcia-PeredaApril 20, 2015 at 11:19 PM

    From that Other Blog, enjoy the comment by the "Administrator(s)" …

    Diana April 20, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    "Apparently, in today's PDN, Senator Michael San Nicolas feels that Governor Calvo should obey the Attorney General. Perhaps, now one can see why the NCW needs to go into the parishes giving our testimonies to fellow Catholics. Just because one goes to Church does not mean that they follow Catholic teachings as evidence by Senator Michael San Nicolas and many other politicians who attend the Catholic Church." [My emphasis]


    Really? Hearing more "testimonies" of drunkenness, adultery, fornication and masturbation will help guide our Senators to follow Church teaching?!?
    Thanks, but no thanks, "Diana."

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    1. It's a fractured logic at best. For me, it reeks of the arrogance inherent in rhetoric of Fr. Pius as he directs his neo team of "Dianas" in publishing these comments.

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    2. T-E-A-M !! Go, Team Diana!

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  8. Comments by Diana obviously source being Pius , are not only sickening, insulting, dangerous, but causing hatred, distrust, disunity, division in the parish and family.

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    1. That's Pius a.k.a. Wormtongue for sure. Apuron has to grow some balls and give him the boot to show he's the true leader of the flock.

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