Is Waterboarding a Sin?

That's one of the questions which came up on my "Open Line" radio show yesterday. I thought you might find interesting the 8-minute discussion about this issue that I had with the caller. I don't think he got the answer he was hoping for. What are your thoughts on this issue? (Click the picture to launch the audio.)

A New Guide to America's Faithful Catholic Colleges

New Guide Recommends Faithful Catholic Colleges

Entire Contents of Guide Available as a Free Online Resource for Catholic Families

Manassas, Va.—Today The Cardinal Newman Society published a new, second edition of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, a unique resource for parents and students seeking a faithful Catholic education.

This comprehensive Guide recommends 21 colleges and universities in the United States plus eight international, online and unique programs based on the strength of their Catholic identity. In addition, the Guide includes several essays to help families better understand the search for a strong Catholic college.

The culmination of four years of research and hundreds of interviews, this edition of The Newman Guide builds substantially on the successful first edition which was published on All Saints Day in 2007. All told more than 8,000 copies of that edition were distributed to Catholic leaders and families.

“When we published the original Newman Guide in 2007 we did not know what to expect, but we found that families were eagerly searching for help in identifying Catholic colleges that truly embrace their Catholic mission in all facets of campus life,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society and one of the editors of the second edition of the Guide.

“The mission of The Cardinal Newman Society is to help renew Catholic higher education, and we can think of no better way to do that than by offering this edition of The Newman Guide as a book but also as a free online resource. We are doing this so that as many Catholic families as possible are able to learn about the quality academics and faithful campus life available at the recommended colleges,” said Reilly.

Every college or program recommended in the Guide includes a complete profile that examines academics, governance, spiritual life, student activities, and residence life. New additions to this edition’s profiles are a letter to families from each college president as well as information on financial aid packages.

The online version of the college profiles include additional campus pictures and videos, open house and other event details, as well as a form to request admissions or financial aid information directly from the college.

The recommended Catholic colleges are:

§ Aquinas College, Nashville, Tenn.

§ Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Fla.

§ Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, N.C.

§ Benedictine College, Atchison, Kan.

§ The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

§ Christendom College, Front Royal, Va.

§ The College of Saint Thomas More, Fort Worth, Tex.

§ DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa.

§ Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Oh.

§ Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, Conn.

§ John Paul the Great Catholic University, San Diego, Calif.

§ Magdalen College, Warner, N.H.

§ Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Md.

§ Providence College, Providence, R.I.

§ St. Gregory’s University, Shawnee, Okla.

§ Southern Catholic College, Dawsonville, Ga.

§ Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, Calif.

§ The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, N.H.

§ University of Dallas, Irving, Tex.

§ University of St. Thomas, Houston, Tex.

§ Wyoming Catholic College, Lander, Wyo.

A new section in this edition of The Newman Guide recommends international, online and unique Catholic colleges and programs to help provide options to families looking for non-traditional ways to obtain a faithful Catholic education.

The recommended international, online and unique programs are:

§ Angelicum Great Books Program, online

§ Campion College, Old Toongabbie, Australia

§ Catholic Distance University, online

§ Our Lady of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Tex.

§ Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada

§ Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (“the Angelicum”), Rome, Italy

§ Redeemer Pacific University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada

§ St. Bede’s Hall, Oxford, England

In addition to the recommended college profiles, The Newman Guide includes several essays to help families put the search for a Catholic college in context.

The essays are:

§ A foreword by Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.,
co-chairman of The Cardinal Newman Society’s National Advisory Board

§ “The Status of Catholic Higher Education,” by Patrick J. Reilly,
president of The Cardinal Newman Society

§ “Finding God on a Catholic Campus,” by Father C. John McCloskey, Ill,
a well-known spiritual advisor and college chaplain

§ “Why Study Philosophy and Theology,” by Dr. Peter Kreeft,
a well-respected author and professor

§ “The Value of a Catholic Education,” by Eileen Cubanski,
founder and executive director of the National Association of
Private, Catholic and Independent Schools

§ “Can You Afford a Catholic Education,” by Phil Lenahan,
president of Veritas Financial Ministries and Our Sunday Visitor columnist

§ “What’s Catholic About Campus Living,” by Kathryn Jean Lopez,
editor-at-large of National Review Online and a frequent writer on Catholic issues

A study of the first edition’s recommended colleges by The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education found that these institutions were not just faithful to their Catholic missions, but were generally also more affordable than other Catholic and private colleges and universities. That study is available online at CatholicHigherEd.org.

“If last spring’s Notre Dame scandal highlighted that there is still a long way to go to renew Catholic higher education, the colleges recommended in The Newman Guide are a prime example of how it is possible to have a quality academic program while remaining strongly Catholic,” said Tom Mead, executive vice president of The Cardinal Newman Society and one of The Newman Guide’s editors.

“As a Catholic father concerned with helping my children get to Heaven, I am personally grateful that there are so many options for a faithful, liberal arts education at the Newman Guide colleges. Our great hope in publishing this edition of the Guide is that tens of thousands of Catholic families will be introduced to these campuses where strong Catholic identity is a priority.”

The complete Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College is available at TheNewmanGuide.com.

Founded in 1993, The Cardinal Newman Society is dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at Catholic colleges and universities. The Society focuses its work on assisting students, school officials and alumni; urging fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church; and researching activities both on campus and in the classroom. The Society is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization supported by more than 20,000 individuals. More than 367,000 individuals signed its 2009 petition concerning the Notre Dame commencement scandal.

In addition to publishing The Newman Guide, the Society houses The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education which provides research and analysis on strengthening Catholic higher education. The Society promotes Catholic values on life and sexual ethics on campuses through its Love & Responsibility Program and also operates a Campus Speaker Monitoring Project to support the guidelines the U.S. bishops have established to prohibit Catholic institutions from giving opponents of Catholic teachings honors or platforms for their views. Additionally, the Society promotes Eucharistic Adoration and is the national coordinator for the display of the Vatican’s International Exposition The Eucharistic Miracles of the World on college campuses.

Vicious, Venal and Violent

That's how Human Life International's Father Tom Euteneuer characterizes the pro-abortion ideologues who are currently in control of this country's executive and legislative branches and soon, perhaps, its judiciary branch. And he doesn't limit this description just to those in government who promote and defend abortion. It applies, he says, to everyone who, in one way or another, helps run the death machine that devours upwards of 4,000 unborn children each day.

(The Canaanite baby-muncher-god, Moloch, was an amateur compared to the insatiable appetite for destruction that is the pro-abortion movement in America.)

Check out Father Tom's thoughts about this in today's Spirit & Life newsletter. And while you're at it, now would be a good time to click the link at the bottom of his letter and make a much-needed donation to help HLI's important work to defend human life.

Vicious, Venal and Violent

This is really the only title that adequately describes the murderous movement known as "pro-choice" or "pro-abortion." It is now frightening, thought not at all surprising, how absolutely hardened and inhumane our culture has become because of this satanic force that has grown strong through 36 years of wholesale murder of God's precious innocents. The pro-choice movement has made murder just a casual pastime now, part of the general round of things that the news reports routinely. Yet, how surprised should we be at this when we stand back and see the unclean spirit that is behind the movement whose sole motivation is death? The fruits of this movement are universally demonic: a callous disregard for the sanctity of life, the insane promotion of death through lies, distortions and hate-filled propaganda. The nastiness of this movement is no longer able to be contained.

If this were not evident prior to last Friday, then the killing of pro-life activist Jim Pouillon in Michigan on the eighth anniversary of 9-11 should make it clear. Literally every major pro-life organization condemned in categorical terms the killing of abortionist George Tiller immediately as it happened this summer, but we are still waiting to hear an outright condemnation of Pouillon's murder from Planned Parenthood or the National Organization for Women and other organizations that profit from and justify baby-killing. NARAL issued a pathetic "condemnation" which refused to recognize the anti-life motivation for this killing. After all, lies and killing are the business of these organizations: at six weeks, sixteen weeks or sixty-two years in Jim's case, they have no regard for the protection of the innocent if it does not support their anti-life agenda.

The summit of viciousness had to come, however, from the media, the propaganda mouthpiece for the killing industry. A local paper, The Flint Journal, published within 24 hours the entire legal record of the victim, including dismissed misdemeanors and traffic violations. Outside of the fact that this man was arrested and penalized numerous times precisely for his pro-life activism, have we ever heard of such a diabolic mockery of an innocent man's death? As far as I am concerned, Jim Pouillon will be granted a chance to stand up and testify against the editors of The Flint Journal on the day of their judgment. He will convict them of every vicious word. Woe to those journalists of iniquity! Their names will be blotted out of the Book of Life because they are sadistic enemies of life.

The evidence of pro-abortion viciousness is all around us for those who have eyes to see. HLI has documented thousands of cases of abortion violence and published the information on a special website (www.abortionviolence.com). It should convince any reader that the pro-death movement is the most violent and hateful social movement ever known to man, without exception.

Don't forget the social impact of decades of "pro-choice" rhetoric either. If you think it has not had any effect on our youth culture, take a look at a smattering of the comments that appeared the day of the shooting on the NBC 25 (Mid-Michigan) news comment section. The few that I have published below show only a fraction of the hate. That is all I have the stomach to write today. We will pray for the dear pro-life martyr, Jim Pouillon, who literally gave his life for babies; but more than anything, let us pray for these vicious enemies of life who will have a great deal to answer for when they are judged by a more severe force of Justice than the Internet.

---

Some of the comments on the murder of James Pouillon received by NBC-25 Mid-Michigan News

• One way to stop these nuts
• Maybe the rest of these anti abortion nut-jobs will get a hint that people don't want to see these signs.
• I'm glad this kook is gone.
• Oh well
• Just consider it a retroactive abortion on another right wing whack job. No great loss. (This one was posted by a man calling himself Dave Devilish...)
• kooks
• I've never seen this man before, but I've seen others like him. The signs are so offensive that the issue becomes about the sign instead of being about abortion. He hurts the pro-life cause and I'm glad that he's gone.
• Good!
• One less Democracy-hating fundie terrorist to put up with. Did they think Americans would just allow them to go around stalking & murdering people and not face the backlash? He was harassing schoolchildren, and he got what was coming to him.
• Pro-life = Anti-abortion
• Since most "pro-lifers" I've spoken with are in favor of capital punishment, one can't help but marvel at their hypocrisy.
• Religion is poison-a late-stage cancer in our world.

In sum, although these are just a sampling of the reactions of some anti-life Americans, we can be assured that the vicious spirit runs deep in our country. As people of faith it is our responsibility to get on our knees and pray that God will cleanse our national conscience of this evil and restore our nation to a culture of life.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

Hillary Clinton Chides Those Who Sneer at the Town Hall Meeting Protesters

I recently received the following e-mail from a Catholic fellow:

"Your charge that 'those currently in charge of the U. S. government... do not like to hear dissent from the governed' is patently false. What has appalled many Americans is the rude behaviour of those 'dissenters' who have shouted down other citizens, shown extreme discourtesy to Members of Congress, and used a show of handguns and rifles to engender fear. They have attempted to hijack public meetings in order to shut down public discourse. Their behaviour is shameful and should not be defended."

His comments were in reaction to a line from one of my recent e-mails about the upcoming Envoy Institute event in Charlotte on October 8th to pay tribute to Archbishop Charles Chaput. Obviously, it irks him that some Americans are vigorously raising their voices against what they see as serious problems in some of the governments proposals for health care. Well . . .

As this tense and tumultuous national discussion over health-care becomes more tense and more tumultuous (and, sadly, it shows every indication of doing so) I hope that the man who wrote to me, as well as all those like him who are irked by these "dissenters," will listen carefully to the following timley reminder from none other than Hillary Clinton.

And for the record, I absolutely deplore and condemn anyone who would suggest, call for, or carry out any kind ofviolence whatsoever.

But, like the man who wrote me that note, those who show contempt for and try to dismiss and marginalize those concerned citizens who publicly and even angrily challenge government proposals at the recent town hall meetings should pay particular attention to her message.

After all, she is sick and tired of their negativity toward "dissenters."

What Will You Say When God Asks: "Where Are Those Whom I Have Entrusted to You?"

This is an amazing sermon delivered two days ago by an unidentified Catholic priest. He discourses clearly and forcefully on a range of issues, especially the serious obligation we who are parents have before God to safeguard our children from moral dangers. Along the way, he makes a few startling comments about how the evil one tries to subvert children and, in particular, he advises parents to be on guard against letting a certain "strange man" speak directly to their children. Give this a listen. It will be 18 minutes and 44 seconds of your life well spent.

P.S. In case you're wondering, the lion picture pertains to 1 Peter 5:8-9. When you hear this sermon, you'll understand why I added that graphic.

Equip Yourself to Discuss Abortion With Those Who Support It

HLI has some truly excellent, free resources to help you talk sense to those who are on the wrong side of this issue.

Protestant Group Predicts the Rise of "New Charlemagne" in Germany

End-times mania and wild-eyed apocalyptic predictions have long been a staple in certain sectors of the Protestant world. In addition to the more mainstream Protestant prognosticators who have made a very comfortable living off their end-times related books and broadcasts (e.g., Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, and Tim LaHaye, to name but three of the more prominent ones), groups which derive from Protestantism, such as Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses, also spend an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to map out the contours of the rise of the Man of Sin and the dire happenings which shall ensue, as described in the Bible, especially in the Book of Revelation.

Lots of contradictory and conflicting predictions result, but the one thing that all of these groups have in common is a fixation on the Catholic Church as being the fulcrum of end-times activity. This new article by a leader in the Philadelphia Church of God continues in that vein:

Is Germany’s Charlemagne About to Appear?

As I write this article, Germany is just weeks from electing a new chancellor. That election and events to unfold from it are going to bring devastating consequences to this world. A dangerous political structure has been built in the European Union, and it’s about to get a lot worse. History thunders its strongest warning ever! It’s time that people understood that history.

But there is a lot more than history involved in understanding European politics.

What is happening in the European superstate is a mystery to most of the world. But that mystery is beginning to be removed.

Bernard Connolly wrote a bombshell book in 1995 titled The Rotten Heart of Europe. For years he served at the heart of the Exchange Rate Mechanism for the European Union. He headed the commission unit responsible for monitoring and servicing the system. He labels the European superstate as rotten. Since he had a vital job on the inside, his comments deserve our attention.

The Spirit of Charlemagne

“It is the battle for control of the European superstate,” Mr. Connolly wrote, “in which French technocrats confront German federalists, both sides claiming to fight under thebanner of Charlemagne. The ‘collateral damage’ from this battle lies mainly in the future, but it could be ghastly” (emphasis mine throughout).

“It could be ghastly.” That is an understatement!

Who will get control of this great superstate? And just how ghastly is it going to be? The battle can be narrowed down to two nations—France and Germany. Do knowledgeable people really doubt who has already won this battle? The nation that controls the money will reign supreme. Of course, that has already proven to be Germany.

“Across the Rhine, successive German governments have, in their pursuit of a ‘European’ cloak for German ambitions, been prepared to accept an apparent cession of national monetary authority—as long as the new European monetary authority looks, sounds, smells and acts exactly as the German monetary authority now does” (ibid.).

The EU system has already been called a Trojan horse. Mr. Connolly says it is a “cloak for German ambitions.”

Just what are those ambitions? And why should every person on Earth be deeply concerned?

Otto von Habsburg was one of the key figures in creating the European Union. He had this to say about that union: “The [European] Community is living largely by the heritage of the Holy Roman Empire, though the great majority of the people who live by it don’t know by what heritage they live.”

Twenty-seven countries are members of the EU today. Most of them don’t know that they are “living largely by the heritage of the Holy Roman Empire.” It is a mystery to them.

According to Bible prophecy, the number of member nations or groups of nations will be reduced to 10 rulers. There are simply too many nations in the EU now for the Union to be ruled in the spirit of Charlemagne. Only after it has been severely reduced in member countries can the Holy Roman Empire function as it has in its extremely bloody past.

Mr. Habsburg also said, “We possess a European symbol which belongs to all nations of Europe equally; this is the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, which embodies the tradition of Charlemagne.”

Just what is “the tradition of Charlemagne”? It is far from what most people think it is—even Europeans!

Charles the Great

The Franks were the first barbaric tribe to embrace Catholicism, but it was for political gain, not religious reasons. Mostly of Germanic origin, the Franks used the Catholic Church to support their expansionist policies, while the church relied on Frankish rulers for protection. It was a union based on politics alone.

The Frankish kingdom reached the pinnacle of its power during the rule of Charlemagne (Charles the Great). Before Charlemagne’s emergence as world ruler, the political scene in Europe was greatly divided. Germany was sliced into many different tribes. Much of Italy was occupied by the Lombards. Byzantium was recognized as the successor to the eastern region of the old Roman Empire. Charlemagne, in conjunction with the papal throne, eventually changed all that—but not without much bloodshed.

Historians call his rule the First Reich—even though Charlemagne was the second ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Adolf Hitler’s rule became known as the Third Reich.

Charlemagne felt it his duty to defend the church. In 774, at the request of Pope Leo iii, he entered northern Italy and conquered the Lombard kingdom, uniting Italy for the first time in centuries. In 799, he again came to the aid of the pope, who was assaulted, brutally beaten, and thrown into prison by a band of conspirators. With the military backing of Charles and his Frankish troops, the pope was exonerated of all wrongdoing and reinstated to his ecclesiastic office.

The following year, in Rome, while Charlemagne was kneeling in prayer during a Christmas celebration inside old St. Peter’s Church, the pope placed a crown upon his head, pronouncing him “the 73rd emperor of the fourth world empire.”

At this point, we should note that throughout the Middle Ages, many scholars, theologians, even popes, knew the Roman Empire was the fourth world-ruling kingdom.Many of them even identified this fourth kingdom with the one Daniel spoke of in his prophecy (see Daniel 2:37-43). That’s why Europeans and Catholics kept trying to revive the empire! The Bible said there would only be four such empires. However, the fourth empire would have 10 resurrections, according to Bible prophecy. The last seven of those resurrections would be called Holy Roman Empires, because they were ruled by church and state.

As king of the Franks, Charlemagne was able to subjugate every single German tribe but one: the Saxons. The Saxons clung to their own faith and refused, even on pain of death, to submit to Roman Catholicism. Charlemagne determined to force his brand of Christianity on them with the sword. For years the Saxons obstinately resisted. At one point, out of sheer frustration, Charlemagne executed 4,500 Saxon prisoners. This barbarous act angered the Saxons even more.

It took 30 years for Charles to completely extinguish the “Saxon” problem, but not before multiple thousands had been executed for their religious beliefs. After more than 18 conquests against the Saxons, Charles finally prevailed. In the end, Saxons either subjected themselves to the rule of Charles, or their defiance ended in death.

The Holy Roman Empire has never been democratic. It could never be. Even Pope Pius xiisaid the church had twin enemies: the democracies and communism. He was pope at the peak of Communist power.

As emperor of the “Holy” Roman Empire, Charles felt it his duty to spread the Christian faith using whatever means necessary. The New Encyclopedia Britannica says, “The violent methods by which this missionary task was carried out had been unknown to the earlier Middle Ages, and the sanguinary [bloody] punishment meted out to those who broke canon law or continued to engage in pagan practices called forth criticism in Charles’ own circle” (“Charlemagne, Emperor”).

The violence Charlemagne used to enforce the Catholic religion on his subjects was simply unknown in earlier empires! He forced his brand of Christianity on everyone. His empire may have had distinct ties to the ancient Romans, but it was certainly not “holy”—even if there was a great church guiding it.

And yet, for centuries to come, the aim of succeeding emperors was to restore the traditions of Charlemagne in their quest to revive the Roman Empire!

Even today, Germany and a great church are working to restore the tradition of Charlemagne. They have almost completed the structure. Still, it is a mystery to most of the world’s inhabitants.

Let the world beware! That power structure is ready to burst on the world scene—again!

Charlemagne’s bloody conquests were the worst ever in the history of the previous empires. The conquests of the next Holy Roman Empire are going to be the worst suffering ever inflicted on human beings in the history of man! (Matthew 24:21-22; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:1-10).

It will all be done in the spirit of Charlemagne. Most people won’t awaken out of their stupor until it’s too late! . . . (continue reading)