Brethren: Peace and Good to you in Jesus’ Name.
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Brethren: I greet you all in the love of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Recently I had another dream. I dreamt that I saw a young girl standing at night on an open field with tall grasses. The girl looked Native American, dark skin, long black hair. She wore a seamless dress, of a light earth color, although the image shifted and she appeared naked, though I could only see her back and as my field of vision moved to her front, her torso. The night was filled with stars and a soft, warm breeze blew upon the prairie. I too felt its warmth. Her hair moved ever so slightly in response to the warm breeze.
Then I noticed that she was holding what appeared to be a firefly in her cupped hands. Then firefly began glowing more and more until it look like one of the stars as if plucked from the very sky. Its luminosity increased until the light began to glow through the little girl’s very skin, between her fingers and through her hands and fingers. At this point the girl acquired an iridescence about her as she contemplated the star in her hands, her face completely serene, immobile, impassive, you may say even in ecstasy. She began to glow with the star’s light all around her, as my field of vision circled her slowly. She was completely focused on the star she held between her hands, as in voiceless communication. There my dream ended.
The only thing close to the dream-image that I could find on the net that even approached its feel is the one I picture here, minus the boy on the right.
I think I know what it means, but I want to know what you think…
A reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (Mark 6, 17-29):
For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her. For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Brethren, peace and good to all of you in the name of Jesus. I want to present to you the scene of St. Peter’s martyrdom as portrayed by Omar Sharif in the TV miniseries, St Peter. It is beautiful, and iconic. Additionally, in the end, you will see where his death took place, and where he was interred, as these places look like today.
Widow; born of Christian parents at Thagaste, North Africa, in 333; died at Ostia, near Rome, in 387. We are told but little of her childhood. She was married early in life to Patritius who held an official position in Tagaste. He was a pagan, though like so many at that period, his religion was no more than a name; his temper was violent and he appears to have been of dissolute habits. Consequently Monica’s married life was far from being a happy one, more especially as Patritius’s mother seems to have been of a like disposition with himself. There was of course a gulf between husband and wife; her almsdeeds and her habits of prayer annoyed him, but it is said that he always held her in a sort of reverence. Monica was not the only matron of Thagaste whose married life was unhappy, but, by her sweetness and patience, she was able to exercise a veritable apostolate amongst the wives and mothers of her native town; they knew that she suffered as they did, and her words and example had a proportionate effect. Three children were born of this marriage, Augustine the eldest, Navigius the second, and a daughter, Perpetua. Monica had been unable to secure baptism for her children, and her grief was great when Augustine fell ill; in her distress she besought Patritius to allow him to be baptized; he agreed, but on the boy’s recovery withdrew his consent. All Monica’s anxiety now centred in Augustine; he was wayward and, as he himself tells us, lazy. He was sent to Madaura to school and Monica seems to have literally wrestled with God for the soul of her son. A great consolation was vouchsafed her — in compensation perhaps for all that she was to experience through Augustine — Patritius became a Christian. Meanwhile, Augustine had been sent to Carthage, to prosecute his studies, and here he fell into grievous sin. Patritius died very shortly after his reception into the Church and Monica resolved not to marry again. You answered her prayers, O Lord, you did not disregard her tears which fell upon the earth wherever she prayed.- Antiphon from today's Morning Prayer's Benedictus.
Because I am a frienf of Israel,The right of the State of Israel to exist, a priori. The right of the State of Israel to exist right where it is, west of the Jordan River. The right of the State of Israel to be, and to remain, a Jewish State. The right of the people of Israel to live in peace and security with all of its neighbors. The right of Israeli people and Jewish people to live in peace and security wherever they are with full civil rights and respect for their personal dignity.
The Iranian regime - and they do not like to be called "regime" but that's what they are - is one built on hatred against the Jews. This hatred flows from two sources: the Koran, which establishes a theological and political enmity between Muslims and Jews, and the peculiar beliefs of the Shi'a Muslim sect which glorify blood, violent emotions, and uncontained hatred to enemies. Along with the North Korean, Cuban, and "bolivarian" Venezuelan regime, the Iranian regime is one of intense narcissism, in love with every thing they believe, say, and proclaim. Underneath this crust, the ancient Persian obsession for world domination still festers, now amplified by Koranic and Shi'ite imperatives of worldwide Islamic domination and the destruction of Israel and the domination of Jewish and Christians.I have the privilege to be frank and hones, and provide constructive criticism whenever I think is necessary to give it. My criticism of Israel will be informed by the prophetic Sacred Scriptures we both share in common, as well as a common legal, cultural, and civilizational patrimony. My criticism of Israel will in no way lead to measures undermining its existence, location or Jewish identity. My criticism of Israel will also be informed by the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church.
Author: Rev. Enzo Bianchi, Prior of the Monastery of Bose |Source: L'Osservatore Romano via EWTN
There are many different forms of prayer in the Christian tradition with which believers have wished to renew and confirm their communion with the Lord. However, there is no doubt that all Christian prayer has a centre represented by the liturgy, the summit of all the activity of the Church and the source of all her power (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 10) and in which "the Church of Christ is built" (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica III, q. 64, a. 2). For this reason, Christians know that the prayer of the Church, constituted by the Eucharistic liturgy and the Liturgy of the Hours, shapes their life as believers and provides them with the daily nourishment of the Word and of the Eucharist (cf. Novo Millennio ineunte, n. 34). As John Paul II recalls, this requires that "listening to the Word of God ... become a life-giving encounter, in the ancient and ever valid tradition of lectio divina, which draws from the biblical text the living Word which questions, directs and shapes our lives" (ibid., n. 39).
Rosary, support of the liturgy, school of personal prayer
After respecting this primacy, Christians—so that liturgical prayer may be prolonged so as to become unceasing prayer, developing and refining the art of conversation with God—can turn to other forms of prayer. Among these, in the Western tradition of the second millennium, the Rosary is the chief form. Many saints indeed prayed the Rosary and found it an effective means of renewing their way of close union with the Lord. However, John Paul II precisely reminds us, as did Paul VI, that the Rosary is a support for the liturgy, it is ordered to it and by it; can never replace the liturgy, since it really wishes to be a pedagogy of personal prayer (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 4).
How has the Rosary developed in the Christian spiritual tradition over the centuries? The Book of Psalms closes with the verse: "Let everything that breathes, praise the Lord" (Ps 150,6). Rabbis like to interpret this as an invitation to glorify the Lord in many different ways: let every breath of living beings express praise to the Lord! In his teaching on prayer given by Jesus to his disciples there resounds the exhortation to "watch at all times, praying..." (Lk 21,36), "always to pray and not lose heart" (Lk 18,1) and the Apostle Paul also recommends this need to the Christians of the communities he founded (cf. I Thes 5,17; Eph 6,18). Certainly, these exhortations do not require an external attitude of prayer, which would be impossible, but to keep an attitude of heart, ready to listen to the Lord and ready to speak to him.
Continuous prayer of the monks
For this very reason, the fathers of monasticism applied themselves to the memoria Dei, remembrance of God tending to a permanent attitude of prayer that would enable them to renew constantly their communion with God. St Basil in particular, insisted strongly on this form of prayer: "We must persevere in the holy thought of God through ceaseless, pure remembrance of him, impressed upon our souls as an indelible seal" (Long Rule 5,2). He also said: "We must cling constantly to the memory of God, as children to their mother" (ibid., 2,2). Within monastic life an ascetical journey was gradually elaborated in order to attain continuous prayer: the observance of the commandments, spiritual combat, the custody of the heart and vigilance lead the monk to such attendance upon God that he himself becomes a living, continuous prayer. And to pursue this path effectively, the Desert Fathers—in an age when books and codices were rare and people who could read equally scarce—would start by practising melete, meditation or rumination of a verse of Holy Scripture which they had learned by heart, or the repetition of an invocation to the Lord. Indeed, this was a simple form of prayer, perhaps even "rudimentary", but such as could be prayed in the variety of activities and moments of the day: during manual labour, on a journey, at quiet times of rest.... These invocations asked for help, implored mercy, or were shouts of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Above all, they practiced the invocation of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Name that God, through the Angel, gave to the Child who was to be born of the Virgin Mary: "Ieshoua", "IHWH is salvation"! This beautiful Name invoked by Christians (cf. Jas 5,14), this Name above every other name (Phil 2,9), the only Name in which there is salvation (cf. Acts 4112) has become for Christians what the Name of the Lord, IHWH, was for the Jews.
Use of the name of Jesus as personal prayer
From the fifth century, in monastic circles in the East, the invocation of the name of Jesus was highlighted as a personal prayer in the conviction that through the saving Name it would be possible to overcome temptation and unify the whole being in the strong tension of communion with God. Invocation and meditation were combined and alternated, harmonizing the lips and the mind, so that the person succeeded in experiencing the Lord's presence in the depths of his heart: "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Col 1,27). This is the "monologhistic" (monologhistos) prayer which was to be practised by generations of Eastern monks and which gradually developed almost exclusively into the invocation "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me!", excluding other forms of supplication or meditation. When a novice makes his monastic vows he is given a Rosary, known as "the spiritual sword", and he learns to pray the Jesus Prayer night and day. This was to be the characteristic prayer of hesychasm (a spiritual trend that developed at Mount Athos in the 13th century), in which the elements of a psychosomatic technique with the intention of involving the body in prayer were combined with the invocation of the name of Jesus. So this was the practice of the Christian East: the repetition of an invocation to Jesus, a short prayer with a biblical content and a deep theological and spiritual meaning for those who practise it. Indeed, it instills in the heart of the person praying a sentiment of humility and an experience of Jesus' merciful presence, making possible the unification of the whole person in contact with the Lord, which is a humanly possible form of "continuous prayer".
Jewish tradition of the veneration of the Holy Name of God
In the Hassidean Jewish tradition, veneration of the Holy Name of God has also used a method of repetition. When someone, through pure grace, succeeded in formulating it, this person—called baal Shem, "lord, possessor of the Name"—invoked it repeatedly, becoming a contemplative and an intercessor.
Non-Christian, Eastern methods of prayer
Nor should we forget that the method of repetitive and meditative prayer is not unknown in other religious approaches: in them can be found similarities with the Jesus Prayer and with the Rosary itself, but they should be understood as a means, as human instruments, in the search for closeness with God. However, a fundamental difference remains: whereas in the prayer techniques of the non-Christian East, the primacy belongs to the method that aims at creating a condition for contemplation, in Christian prayer the primacy belongs to the action of the Holy Spirit, "it is the Spirit who prays in us" (cf. Rom 8,15.26; Gal 4,6), without whom there is no genuine Christian prayer.
For example, in the quest for God of the peoples of India, there is practiced a form of prayer which consists in repeating many times throughout the day, with the help of a string of beads, a very brief invocation to the divinity, a mystical formula (mantra), sometimes associated with psychosomatic techniques (ajapamantra). This is a prayer to achieve inner peace and to reach a penetrating vision of reality, a prayer which has also been attested in Chinese (10th century) and Japanese (12th century) Buddhism as an invocation to Buddha Amida, and widely practised in our day in Tibetan Buddhism: lamas always wear the Buddhist rosary (mala) on their left wrist.
Islamic forms of prayer
A form of prayer present in the spiritual tradition of Islam should also be mentioned: the dhikr, in which, precisely with a view to unceasing remembrance of God, his Name is repeatedly spoken and an effort is made to forget everything that is not God. This practice emerged in Sufism in a relatively late period, the 11th-12th century, and it is well described in a text by al-Ghazali: "Having sat down in solitude, the Sufi will not cease to say with his mouth: Allah, Allah, continually, with the presence of his heart". Thus it is a way of remembering God, triggered by the recitation of the Name of God (Allah) or his ninety-nine names, as many as the beads of the Muslim rosary (sebhaa): this practice is both individual and collective (at least in Sufi confraternities) with a view to communication with God. It also sometimes makes use of psychosomatic techniques, which, however, remain purely a vehicle because, as al-Ghazali teaches, "it is not within the power of the Sufi recollected in dhikra to attract to himself the mercy of God, the Most High".
Influence of Christian East on West
If it is useful to compare the Rosary with these forms of repetitive prayer which exist in other religions, the most significant similarity remains that of the "prayer of the heart" of the Orthodox East, mentioned above. The two "practices" have undoubtedly influenced each other in the past. Thus in the second millennium, the use of "aspirations" (invocations to God, vibrant as a javelin dart, iaculum) and of litanies, repetitions of names and attributes of the Lord or of the saints, with requests for their intercession: among these we find the systematic repetition of the angel's greeting to Mary.
Greeting to Mary, Jesus, petitions
Now, if we take a closer look at the Rosary, this Western "prayer of the heart", we see that it is divided into a twofold movement: the first part in which the praise and joy of the Incarnation are lived in the repetition of the Angel's greeting to Mary and which culminates in enunciating the Holy Name of Jesus, followed by the invocation of the second part. The two essential "themes" of Christian prayer—praise and salvation—are therefore present, and at the centre is the Name of Jesus, the one name in which there is salvation, the Name of the "precious Christian memory". Nor should it be forgotten that the Hail Mary is in itself an ecumenical prayer, since the theology of the Reformation never condemned calling on Mary to pray and intercede for us.
Biblical roots of Hail Mary
The evident biblical matrix of the Hail Mary, which is repeated in the first part, are the Angel's words ("Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you": Lk 1,28), and Elizabeth's words of rejoicing ("blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb": Lk 1,42) which are reminiscent of the promises/blessings of the God of the Covenant (cf. Dt 28,4). So at the origin of the Hail Mary there is simply the twofold biblical greeting to Mary which is expressed in the invocation of the Name of Jesus, namely, in a "prayer to Jesus". The faith of the Church then felt the need for the invocation "pray for us", pray for us "now", for us poor "sinners", and pray for us at the eschatalogical "hour", the hour "of our death", of our exodus from this world to the Father.
Universal appeal of Rosary
Our experience says that the Rosary is a prayer that is "precious" also by virtue of that simplicity, that "poverty" which has been mentioned: to nourish our spiritual life, it is not always possible to use a prayer that is nourished by the reading of Scripture, whereas it is easy everywhere and in every situation to recite the Rosary, even if only part of it, one "decade" or one "mystery"… It is a prayer that brings peace and predisposes us to the inner unification of our whole being—body, mind and spirit—through the joyful praise of the Mother and of the Holy Name of Jesus, and by the invocation of a prayer of intercession.
With the Rosary, therefore—in the communion of all the saints, who always intercede for us—we pray to the Mother of the Lord and ask her to pray for us: "ora pro nobis", pray for us, for us all. And through this formula it is possible to meditate on the great mystery of salvation brought about in Jesus Christ, from the Incarnation to the merciful and glorious coming. In this way in the Rosary meditation, prayer and contemplation are interwoven around the Holy Name of Jesus: "it is at heart a Christocentric prayer" John Paul II wrote (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 1), and this is precisely why it can be a prayer of ordinary people and of intellectuals, of the elderly and of children, a prayer of all who have a longing for continuous prayer and know that they are poor sinners.
Read the whole piece here.If a small group of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, among them an expert who for years worked as a consultant to the American bishops in the cases of priests abusing minors, is successful in promoting its thesis during a conference in Baltimore this week, pedophiles may play a role in having pedophilia erased from the list of mental disorders currently listed in the “Sacred Book” of the American Psychiatric Association, that is from the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, which will be subject to an important revision in 2013. Critics of this operation are concerned and say that this could lead to a de-criminalization of pedophilia.
The conference that is taking place in Baltimore is sponsored by B4U-ACT, a group of pro-pedophilia mental health professionals and activists that agree with the movement’s ideas. According to the presentation of the event, “methods that will allow people attracted to minors to become involved in the revision of the Manual” will be examined. Researchers from Harvard, John Hopkins, and Louisville universities will be participating at the event. B4U-Act criticizes APA’s definition of pedophilia because its description of people attracted by minors “is inaccurate and misleading” and it ties pedophilia to criminality.
Judith Resiman, a Child Advocate and professor at Liberty University’s School of Law, stated that the conference is part of a strategy to condition public opinion to accept pedophiles. The first thing they do is switch the thought of people from what a pedophile does from a criminal point of view, to what a pedophile feels emotionally, in order to inspire empathy and sympathy. A notion cannot be changed straight away; it can be changed with progressive conditioning.”
Our mode of transportation was this aswesome looking Mercury Sable station wagon that belongs to my mom, even though she does not drive she keeps it fully functional and insured and she won't part with it because it belonged to my dad. 
Source: The Baltimore Catechism, no. 3, Lesson 4 via EWTN
35. What do we mean when we say that God is the Creator of heaven and earth?
When we say that God is the Creator of heaven and earth we mean that He made all things from nothing by His almighty power.
(a) Only God can create, that is, make something from nothing, because creation requires infinite power, which God alone possesses.
(b) All things except God depend on a cause for their existence and hence must have been created by God.
(c) God did not have to create the world; He did so freely.
(d) God preserves all creatures; otherwise, they would at once return to nothingness. He also governs all things, and in the divine government of the world nothing does or can happen unless God wills or permits it.
(e) Evil is the lack of some perfection. God does not will physical evil in itself but only insofar as it is connected with some good.
(f) God wills or permits the physical evils of life in order to punish sin, to make sinners repent, to try the just and make them worthy of everlasting reward, or to be the occasion of some other greater good.
(g) God permits but does not will moral evils.
36. Which are the chief creatures of God?
The chief creatures of God are angels and men.
(a) It is a matter of faith that God the Creator produced out of nothing creatures both spiritual and corporal, angelic and earthly.
37. What are angels?
Angels are created spirits, without bodies, having understanding and free will.
(a) Reason alone cannot prove that the angels exist. Reason indicates, however, that just as there are purely material creatures, and creatures composed of both matter and spirit, so also it is fitting that there should be purely spiritual creatures.
(b) Angels are spiritual beings inferior to God and superior to man.
(c) Sacred Scripture frequently speaks of the angels and mentions three by name: the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
(d) The nine "choirs" of angels are the Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
(e) The exact number of angels is unknown, but Sacred Scripture indicates that their number is very great.
38. What gifts did God bestow on the angels when He created them?
When God created the angels He bestowed on them great wisdom, power, and holiness.
(a) God bestowed upon the angels supernatural grace by which they could gain eternal happiness.
(b) The angels were given the opportunity to merit the reward of heaven by remaining faithful to God.
39. Did all the angels remain faithful to God?
Not all the angels remained faithful to God; some of them sinned.
(a) We do not know the exact nature of the test to which God put the angels that they might prove themselves worthy of eternal happiness.
(b) The angels who were unfaithful committed a serious sin, for which they were punished.
40. What happened to the angels who remained faithful to God?
The angels who remained faithful to God entered into the eternal happiness of heaven, and these are called good angels.
41. What do the good angels do in heaven?
In heaven the good angels see, love, and adore God.
42. How do the good angels help us?
The good angels help us by praying for us, by acting as messengers from God to us, and by serving as our guardian angels.
(a) The Old and the New Testament refer frequently to the work of the good angels among men. A good angel was the "rude of God's chosen people (Exodus 23:20); the protector of Tobias was a good angel (Tobias 5 ff.). The Archangel Gabriel announced the glad tidings of the Incarnation to Our Blessed Mother (Luke 1:28).
(b) Although angels are pure spirits, they can be seen by man when on special occasions God permits them to take on bodies or the appearance of bodies, which are visible to the human eye.
43. How do our guardian angels help us?
Our guardian angels help us by praying for us, by protecting us from harm, and by inspiring us to do good.
(a) It is a matter of faith that angels are deputed as the guardians of men.
(b) It is commonly held that each individual has a special guardian angel.
44. What happened to the angels who did not remain faithful to God?
The angels who did not remain faithful to God were cast into hell, and these are called bad angels, or devils.
(a) The devils, or the evil spirits, were created by God, not as bad beings but as good beings. By their own free acts, they chose evil and thereby became bad angels.
45. What is the chief way in which the bad angels try to harm us?
The chief way in which the bad angels try to harm us is by tempting us to sin.
(a) Devils are sometimes permitted to enter the body of a man and to exercise power over his faculties—a state known as diabolical possession; or the,, are permitted to torment a person from without—a state known as diabolical obsession.
(b) Diabolic possession and obsession are permitted by God to show forth His glory, to punish sin, to bring sinners to repentance, or to give occasion for the exercise of virtue.
(c) When the devil uses the body of a possessed person to say or do evil things, the person is not guilty of sin, provided he does not freely consent.
(d) Exorcism is the act of driving out or warding off evil spirits from persons, places, or things possessed or infested by them. The Church received from Christ the power of exorcism.
(e) An exorcist is one who has power, conferred by a bishop, to exorcise demons. The order of exorcist is the third of the four minor orders of the Western Church. Only with the permission of his bishop is a priest allowed to use his power of exorcising evil spirits.
46. Do all temptations come from the bad angels?
Some temptations come from the bad angels; but other temptations come from ourselves and from the persons and things about us.
(a} The bad angels, the persons and things about us, and we ourselves can excite the senses and be an inducement to sin.
47. Can we always resist temptations?
We can always resist temptations, because no temptation can force us into sin, and because God will always help us if we ask Him.
(a) God does not demand the impossible; however He warns us that in our efforts to overcome temptation we must not rely entirely on ourselves but must seek His help.
(b) God permits us to be tempted in order to make us realize our weakness, to test our faith, and to help us by His grace to strengthen virtue by practice and to obtain the reward of eternal life.
(c) The most effective means of overcoming temptation are prayer, mortification, frequent Confession and Holy Communion, and avoiding idleness and the near occasion of sin.
Brethren, this, according to the Catholic League:
The mainstream media never tire of lambasting the Catholic Church for not responding strongly enough to allegations of the sexual abuse of minors, yet these very same people show absolutely no interest in reporting on attempts to legitimate pedophilia. Many in the mental health profession who seek to normalize pedophilia met last week in Baltimore, an event that was summarily ignored by the media. Fortunately, attorney Matt Barber, Vice President of Liberty Counsel Action, and Dr. Judith Reisman, a visiting law professor at Liberty University School of Law, were in attendance. To read a summary of their findings, click here.
B4U-ACT is the driving force behind this movement. Its goal is to reconceptualize our thinking about what they politely call "Minor-Attracted Persons." If they had it their way, sex between adults and minors would no longer be taboo, and pedophilia would no longer be listed as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. So where is the outrage? To be specific, where is the outrage from those who are fixated on priestly sexual abuse?
Put this first-hand account of the B4U-ACT conference with the Catholic League's first-hand account of the SNAP conference (see today's earlier release), and what emerges is a two-pronged attack: the pedophilia-friendly psychiatrists want to undermine traditional standards of morality, and SNAP (and its allies) want to undermine its most prominent voice, namely the Catholic Church. To say they represent twin devils is to understate the issue.
And this is what Matt Barber and Dr. Judith Reisman’s heard at the conference:
Pedophiles are “unfairly stigmatized and demonized” by society.
There was concern about “vice-laden diagnostic criteria” and “cultural baggage of wrongfulness.”
“We are not required to interfere with or inhibit our child‟s sexuality.”
“Children are not inherently unable to consent” to sex with an adult.
“In Western culture sex is taken too seriously.”
“Anglo-American standard on age of consent is new [and „Puritanical‟]. In Europe it was always set at 10 or 12. Ages of consent beyond that are relatively new and very strange, especially for boys. They‟ve always been able to have sex at any age.”
An adult‟s desire to have sex with children is “normative.”
Our society should “maximize individual liberty. … We have a highly moralistic society that is not consistent with liberty.”
“Assuming children are unable to consent lends itself to criminalization and stigmatization.”
“These things are not black and white; there are various shades of gray.”
A consensus belief by both speakers and pedophiles in attendance was that, because it vilifies MAPs, pedophilia should be removed as a mental disorder from the American Psychiatric Association‟s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), in the same manner homosexuality was removed in 1973.
Dr. Fred Berlin acknowledged that it was political activism, similar to that witnessed at the conference, rather than scientific considerations that successfully led to the declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder: The reason “homosexuality was taken out of DSM is that people didn‟t want the government in the bedroom,” he said.
Dr. Berlin appeared to endorse the politically maligned clinical practice of “reparative therapy” for homosexuals and pedophiles alike, saying, “If someone, for their own reasons, doesn‟t want to live a homosexual lifestyle, I tell them that it‟s hard but I‟ll try to help them.”
The DSM ignores that pedophiles “have feelings of love and romance for children” in the same way adult heterosexuals and homosexuals have romantic feelings for one another.
“The majority of pedophiles are gentle and rational.”
The DSM should “focus on the needs” of the pedophile, and should have “a minimal focus on social control,” rather than obsessing about the “need to protect children.”
Commentary. Pedophiles are justly “demonized by society” because what they do and advocate is exactly that: DEMONIC. Also, look at how they admit that homosexuality was dropped from the list of psychiatric disorders for political – not scientific – reasons and how they intend to emulate the homosexualist movement to gain recognition for poor, misunderstood “MAPs.” Also note how they take direct aim at Judeo-Christian morality under the euphemism “cultural baggage of wrongfulness.” Notice to the connection gay activist Jacob Breslow made between homosexuality and child sexual abuse.
Of course, you didn’t see this in the press because this wasn’t a conference of disaffected Catholic priests, but of voices representative of our social vanguards.
I hope the place was crawling with cops and that every affirmative attendant was photographed for future line-ups. And if one these predators were to hurt any of my babies, well, I’ll leave it there.
by Mark Laaser, at Amazon.