feminine-genius

Praying for unity

Father Stephanos, OSB, a most wise and holy man, writes about the background to the Feast of the Visitation, which we celebrate today:

Pope Urban VI began the work of setting up today’s feast for the the whole Church. The year was 1389, the last year in his life. He became pope in 1378.

Later that same year a faction of cardinals proceeded to elect a rival who took the title “Clement VII,” the first in a row of false popes who challenged the true popes for thirty-nine years.

In 1389 Pope Urban prepared to institute the feast of the Visitation as a way of praying for the unity of the Church. Pope Urban died while preparations were underway, but his legitimate successor, Pope Boniface IX, carried through the plan of Pope Urban.

Today’s feast is a good day to pray with the Blessed Virgin Mary for the unity of the Church.

Amen, amen! Considering many forms of factionalism in the Church today, one being the tension over the liturgy, another being the intractable rift within the Mystical Body of Christ in Eastern Europe, in particular the Ukraine, which was highlighted in a poignant and hopeful piece on EWTN this afternoon. Mary must weep over the divisions among her children, and the forces of history have exacerbated the residual defects of fallen souls. Start with your families, and draw them to yourselves with prayer and sacrifice.

[Lot more of essential projects here when you've finished praying for your dear ones.]

Some choices are better than others

This story laments the choices some women make -- specifically, the choice to devote themselves even temporarily to the good of another. Feminists are wailing, of course.

With two high-profile [Australian] women announcing their decisions to sacrifice part or all of their professional lives for family members, it was surely only a matter of time before a wounded chorus of "how could they" was taken up in earnest.

Instead, Federal MP Jackie Kelly's decision to quit politics to spend more time with her two young children was met with "regret" by Prime Minister John Howard, who described her as "a great character and a great contributor".

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie went a step further than that yesterday afternoon. He called businesswoman Therese Rein a "role model" after her announcement that she would sell the Australian arm of her $170 million job placement company to avoid a conflict of interest that could arise if her husband Kevin Rudd became prime minister at the next election.

Not everyone agreed with him, though. One female commentator argued Ms Rein had opted for the path of least resistance: "The suggestion a woman must give up her successful business career for her husband is not only abhorrent but throws away every hard-won advance for equality," she wrote. Another contributor to a website was similarly critical.

"It doesn't matter what Kevin Rudd says about the modern wife being in business and not hanging around the neck of a man in his middle age, his wife may as well have been a stay-at-home mum if she has to give it up just so he can try and get the top job," she said.

Now choices are choices, and these are intelligent women who know the span of a day, the amount of energy they bring to each day, the value they place on their families -- and the ethical problems two careers sometimes occasion.

Certainly Ms Kelly is not the first woman to walk away from a high-profile political career citing its "harsh, unforgiving, relentless" nature as the reason for doing so.

South Australian Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja has done it, while former NSW education minister Carmel Tebbutt left the ministry in the week following the NSW election in March to spend more time with her six-year-old son.

She argued the Rein situation was different to the Kelly retirement, because gender played less of a role in it. Anyone who stood to benefit from his or her spouse's political connections would be duty-bound to do something about it, Ms Lomas said.

So a combination of factors say that now, it would be a prudent time to step away from the office because of the confines of reality. Bosh, according to feminists. Any decision not to think of "me, first" is a cop-out and a retreat to women as chattel, women as baubles, women as help-meets, women as second-class citizens.

"Might as well have been a stay-at-home mum" was the ultimate insult, doncha know? They are the dead-beats who have "never tried anything beyond husband, family and good works." Good works don't bring down a paycheck, help break glass ceilings, or round out the quotas in necessary arenas. Get thee to a cubicle and let the taxes provide the services. That's the heart of the feminist message.   

This will ultimately burn itself out, if feminism requires that women come first. Not according to chivalric standards when men offered their lives for their safety and honour, but according to women themselves, who will come first, damnit, and children and menfolk can make do in their wake. We've seen what the welfare state has done for families and what state employees offer as advice to lonely children. No wonder there's so much bitterness and ill-will from all quarters, but regardless, only some choices are allowed, says the sisterhood.

A reunion of sorts

As we rejoice in the feast of Pentecost, we should have in mind what is possible with God. All things, as Our Lady discovered through her docility, courage, and faith. As a vessel of honour, a singular vessel of devotion, she shows us that the Almighty can do great things for us if we allow Him. His plan is worth embracing, even at the expense of our own flimsy ideas to which we cling at times.

One dimension of this feast in light of the Virgin Mary is the thought that the descent of the Holy Spirit was not a new experience to her. She had known the Spirit from the time of the Annunciation in a way that no other person ever would, and I imagine when the Wind rose and the Tongues alighted, it was a delight and a joy which resonated uniquely in her after so many challenging years.

I don't think a creature can ever be familiar with God, but Mary certainly came the closest -- and the intimacy of the Annunciation surely made a lasting impression, which Pentecost only enhanced and deepened.

Pope John Paul II offered this all-encompassing prayer to Mary which suits beautifully, emphasising our mission to spread the Good News to all end of the earth:

[Mary] with you we give thanks to God "whose mercy is from generation to generation," for the exalted vocation and the many forms of mission entrusted to the lay faithful. God has called each of them by name to live his own communion of love and holiness and to be one in the great family of God's children. He has sent them forth to shine with the light of Christ and to communicate the fire of the Spirit in every part of society through their life inspired by the Gospel.

O Virgin of the Magnificat, fill their hearts with a gratitude and enthusiasm for this vocation and mission. With humility and magnanimity you were the "handmaid of the Lord;" give us your unreserved willingness for service to God and the salvation of the world. Open our hearts to the great anticipation of the Kingdom of God and of the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole of creation. Your mother's heart is ever mindful of the many dangers and evils which threaten to overpower men and women in our time. At the same time your heart also takes notice of the many initiatives undertaken for good, the great yearning for values, and the progress achieved in bringing forth the abundant fruits of salvation.

O Virgin full of courage, may your spiritual strength and trust in God inspire us, so that we might know how to overcome all the obstacles that we encounter in accomplishing our mission. Teach us to treat the affairs of the world with a real sense of Christian responsibility and a joyful hope of the coming of God's Kingdom, and of a "new heavens and a new earth."

You who were gathered in prayer with the Apostles in the Cenacle, awaiting the coming of the spirit at Pentecost, implore his renewed outpouring on all the faithful, men and women alike, so that they might more fully respond to their vocation and mission, as branches engrafted to the true vine, called to bear much fruit for the life of the world.

O Virgin Mother, guide and sustain us so that we might always live as true sons and daughters of the Church of your son. Enable us to do our part in helping to establish on earth the civilization of truth and love, as God wills it, for his glory. Amen.

Speaking of patriotism

I'd like to shift from patriotism which, we remember, is a virtue, to the patrimony of the Christian West, which has provided the foundations for common law, education, and rich and varied cultures. Perhaps I'm a little defensive about this, but it's hard to endure attacks by those who are so willfully obtuse.

This blog mentioned an upcoming event in Minnesota, which seemed interesting enough, but I couldn't understand what the masses would gain from one speaker in particular, Lisa Killinger. Ah, but there's Google, which gave me an eyeful, including a few clips such as this one.

She defends polygamy, which she insists is better than suffering through adultery, to which men are prone (I'm not sure why so many women are stoned for it in the Middle East). At least in Islam she reminds us, a man cannot take a second wife without the express permission of his first wife, and she and he discuss it at length to make sure it's fair and according to the law. She reminds us that monogomous marriages in the West mostly end in divorce so she endorses multiple wives as a more honest way of living. She also notes the supremacy of Islamic cultures which have given women an equal part in contracts and politics (i.e. voting) for 1400 years, whereas American women have only voted since the early 20th century.

It's hard to believe that she honestly believes what she is saying, but she looks quite earnest. I'm not sure if she's reading the same newspapers, books, and articles I am, but I'm also familiar with the fact that religion often doesn't get a fair press.

Maybe it's the disparagement of one culture for the sake of another which I find so unattractive -- but in that sense maybe I need to do some soul-searching in the way I promote Christianity as a boon to women, to families, to mankind. Interestingly, one of Ms. Killingly's arguments is that women themselves have to speak out about how wonderful their Islamic faith is for them. I've always said the same for Catholic women. Not only do we have a message of love and fulfillment, but our lives should be witness to the truth of our liberation.

(Btw, I'm half-way through this marvelous book and should finish over the long weekend. As long as we're comparing cultures, I've encountered wife-beating, intimidation, wide-spread book burning, destruction and chaos. Perhaps this is an aberration, but I'll trust the author who's lived there.)

Duty, honour, country

As usual, Anthony Esolen has found an excellent example of chivalry, and expanded with his own commentary. The piece he found concerned an encyclopedia entry on Teddy Roosevelt:

"While at college he taught a Sunday School class.  One day one of his students came to class with a black eye.  He owned up that he had got it in a fight and on a Sunday at that.  He confessed to his teacher that during the morning service a boy, sitting next to his sister, had pricked her all through the hour, so after church he waited outside and they had a good 'stand-up fight,' and he 'punched him good,' although he got a black eye in exchange.  'You did exactly right,' said his teacher and gave the lad a dollar.  To the class it was ideal justice, but when the church authorities heard of it they were scandalized.  Young Roosevelt was dismissed and took himself and his ideals to another Sunday School.

He reminds us that this isn't a "turn the other cheek" episode, because a man cannot turn his cheek when those who are entrusted to his care are abused. I would suggest that in that case, "charity" becomes neglect, which is quite uncharitable, and in extreme cases actually blasphemes the name of fatherhood. (Consider the legitimate wounds of many women, and their resulting rage against men and God the Father.) With the mixed messages now from women, there is no doubt that men are confused about expectations, which we can begin to clarify by our own understanding of the issue.

As we consider what Memorial Day is about, we have to weigh Christian charity with the necessity of defending the good, the true, and the beautiful. Christianity doesn't demand passivism, but we have to parse that for which we fight, or more specifically, for what our men first and foremost will defend.

One of the responses to the original post, notes another TR quote:

"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as his own wife."

Remember, patriotism is a virtue which has to be combined with other virtues, so this cannot devolve into vice. But still, men know manliness and women have to allow them to sort this out. There is the historical fact that Protestant Americans were suspicious of Catholics for thinking their faith demanded patriotism to the Vatican, which is not true. This would be a good weekend to sort out the following:

• What exactly is chivalry? How is it manifest in the personal and public spheres?
• How is masculinity diminished when we do not allow men to be chivalrous?
• How should we distinguish between patriotism and jingoism?
• How does chivalry manifest itself in Islam, communism, or post-modernism (or doesn't it?)
• How do schools encourage chivalry in young boys (at least Son 2's school makes boys hold open doors for the girls, teachers, etc.)
• How do we teach our sons the difference between what is worth defending and what is to be endured?

Taking down the bullies (take two)

UPDATE: I'm reposting this piece because of the work of Judicial Watch. Please note these three deaths were NOT reported. Outrageous.

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil.  Three deaths were related to the vaccine. One physician’s assistant reported that a female patient “died of a blood clot three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine.”  Two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting. 

As of May 11, 2007, the 1,637 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 371 serious reactions. Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities.

Side effects published by Merck & Co. warn the public about potential pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching after receiving the vaccine.  Indeed, 77% of the adverse reactions reported are typical side effects to vaccinations.  But other more serious side effects reported include paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures. 

“The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.  “Any state or local government now beset by Merck’s lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports.  It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug.”

____________________

The tremendously talented Jill Stanek combines her love of women, her love of truth, and her investigative genius and contributes to the take-down of the HPV vaccine initiative.

A great source of excitement for me has been blogging on the pharma industry's lucrative idea earlier this year, which foolish legislators - almost all liberal - ran with, to mandate the HPV vaccine for all 11- and 12-year-old girls. The New York Times even disparaged one of my HPV posts, which is always a badge of honor.

The enthusiasm for the vaccine was at giddy proportions despite the lack of firm evidence.

Gardasil was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June amid cheers that it could largely prevent cervical cancer among vaccinated women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly recommended that all girls and women ages 11 to 26 receive the vaccine.

The American Cancer Society seconded the recommendation, although it concluded that there was "insufficient evidence" of benefit among women ages 19 to 26 because so many had already been exposed to the virus.

At least 24 state legislatures have introduced bills calling for mandatory vaccination of girls in their early teens or younger.

Yet now, Congress and the New England Journal of Medicine (thanks to writers like Stanek beating the drums) agree that the much-touted vaccine wasn't really effective. Again, more money, more hand-wringing, and more money to be made from the fodder of women's lives -- to no end. The LA Times reports:

New data on the controversial HPV vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer have raised questions about its efficacy, researchers are reporting Thursday, undercutting efforts in many states to make vaccination mandatory.

Although the Merck vaccine, called Gardasil, blocked nearly 100 percent of infections by the two HPV strains it targets, it reduced the incidence of cancer precursors by only 17 percent overall.

Part of the reason was that many of the teenage girls and young women in the three-year study already had been exposed to the virus, according to the report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Overall, the new results indicate that the vaccine is not living up to its initial prospects. The findings show that 129 women would have to be vaccinated to prevent one precancerous lesion....

And now we know that that not only did it not work, it was lethal.

Frequent flyer miles?

I wonder if Planned Parenthood has ever thought of a "mile high club" or a "gold star association" plan for their best customers. They sell a service and some folks count on that service over and over. Maybe there could be at least a free T-shirt for those who come in a lot. From their teen-wire service online:

Dear Experts,

I had an abortion a little over a month ago and now I'm pregnant again. What are the risks of having a second abortion?

Leann7123, 03.30.07

The Answer:

Dear Leann7123,

Abortion is a very safe procedure. It's about twice as safe as having tonsils removed, and is much safer than giving birth.

The risks for the second abortion are generally the same as for the first, if they are both performed at the same stage of pregnancy. There is no evidence that having more than one abortion causes any health problems.

However, the risks increase the longer a pregnancy goes on. That's why the most important thing is not to delay the abortion procedure. Generally, the earlier the abortion, the safer it is.

The need for abortion can be prevented by proper use of birth control. Call 1-800-230-PLAN for information about birth control and abortion services at your nearest Planned Parenthood.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

No doubt another Planned Parenthood customer service agent is manning that phone line as well, and they can get this girl fixed up in no time. (All items are money makers when the customer is bound to behaviours that require such services.) How helpful is that information?

[They provided] 264,943 abortions in 2005, an increase of over 100,000 from the year before. Those abortions generated an estimated $99 million profit for Planned Parenthood.

So sales are up, thanks to "expert" advice at the ready. In case that's not enough, tax-payers provide $272 million each year to make sure Planned Parenthood has enough to keep those websites up and available, and there's more:

A number of companies also donate large amounts of money to the pro-abortion organization including Walt Disney Co., Bank of America, Johnson and Johnson, Cole, Levi Strauss, Nationwide Insurance, Prudential, Unilever, Wachovia and Whole Foods. Between taxpayer dollars, corporate monies and other donations, Planned Parenthood had over $882 million in total revenue in 2005.

No wonder the pro-choice lobby limits choice (i.e. adoption, abstinence, medical regulations in its clinics) because the way they package choice, it guarantees choice profits. There's no money in virtue, and no business in life -- but we pay for vice, both through the societal toll and through our wallets. Mammon certainly has its own golden rule.

Parsing Motives

Forget principles. Forget philosophy. Forget theology Heck, we won't even operate with the vague term "values." What makes young women go into a field so that they can dismember small children and feel useful to society?

Lederer, 30, can't relate to the images that drew an older generation of physicians into abortion work. She can barely picture it when they talk about life before legal abortion: the blood-spattered apartments, the women racked with infection from stabbing sticks into their wombs.

But she and other young doctors-in-training have found their own motivation to enter a field that they know will put them at risk of isolation, harassment and hatred. For them, doing abortions is an act of defiance — a way of pushing back against mounting restrictions on a right they've taken for granted all their lives.

"It's like when your big brother says you can't do something," Lederer said. "That just makes you want to do it even more."

I think kids operate like that when they're immature, hormonal, or simply defiant. But to choose to be an abortionist because you're discouraged by others from being one is ... tragically silly. Another aspirant was jolted into a change of career because of the protests against abortionists.

Listening to news of the Supreme Court's ruling, third-year medical student Lysie Cirona, 24, found herself shouting at her radio in frustration. Then she took a hard look at her career plans. She had always been interested in psychiatry, but now she envisioned herself flying to North Dakota or Nebraska a few times a month to perform abortions.

"It wasn't on my radar screen" a year ago, Cirona said, but her priorities have changed as she's learned more about the history and current state of abortion rights. Cirona has taken to badgering her professors to include information about abortion in their lectures. She attended workshops on how to respond effectively to antiabortion protesters.

Somehow, I know that pro-lifers don't think that they're in the ascendency, and yet, in the minds of these young women, it is becoming "counter-cultural" to push for abortion rights and information. And they're the ones supposedly on college campuses, in the young adult scene, and immersed in the popular culture. Obviously the pro-life message is penetrating to a degree we cannot calculate. Too bad that the response is determined belligerence rather than thoughtful reflection.

Even a notorious abortionist brought them his own thoughtful reflections, which show the degree to which the "profession" is troubled:

Hern, 68, practices in Boulder, Colo...Abortion is so stigmatized, Hern said, that his fellow physicians shun him. Even his patients often regard him with disgust: "They've absorbed so much antiabortion rhetoric, they feel a sense of revulsion that they have to come into my office and seek treatment."

Hern specializes in late second- and third-trimester abortions; his patients come to him from around the world, many with late diagnosis of fetal deformity. Though he feels certain he's doing right by the women, Hern still feels conflicted when he steps into his basement surgery.

He once wrote that "the sensations of dismemberment flow through the forceps like an electric current" — and after three decades, he is not inured to that feeling. "We are hard-wired as a species to protect small, young, helpless creatures," he said. "The fetus is not a baby, but it's close. Some are very close. It's difficult."

Didn't affect Lederer, who was given a book on Gloria Steinem when she was two, feels "empowered" when encountering protests, and describes her stint at an abortion clinic as an "incredible, life changing experience." I'll bet. Just ask the kids. I suppose she needs more prayer than condemnation. Imagine the conversion story she could tell one day...