Bp. Ricken letter to parishioners: Vote pro-abortion and jeopardize your soul

via Jill Stanek quoting Bp Ricken

I would like to review some of the principles to keep in mind as you approach the voting booth to complete your ballot. The first is the set of non-negotiables[time to start using this word]. These are areas that are “intrinsically evil” and cannot be supported by anyone who is a believer in God or the common good or the dignity of the human person.

They are:

1. abortion
2. euthanasia
3. embryonic stem cell research
4. human cloning
5. homosexual “marriage”

… Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party’s or their personal political platform. To vote for someone in favor of these positions means that you could be morally “complicit” with these choices which are intrinsically evil.

This could put your own soul in jeopardy.

The other position to keep in mind is the protection of religious liberty. The recent aggressive moves by the government to impose the HHS mandate, especially the move to redefine religion so that religion is confined more and more to the four walls of the Church, is a dangerous precedent. This will certainly hurt the many health care services to the poor given by our Catholic hospitals. Our Catholic hospitals in the Diocese give millions of dollars per year in donated services to the poor. In the new plan, only Catholic people can be treated by Catholic institutions.

~ Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in an October 24 letter to parishioners, as reported by greenbaypressgazette.com, October 26

 Photo

Turns out Drudge also linked to the Gazette story!

State of Illinois severs foster-care ties with Catholic Charities

Who else will the State of Illinois look to shut down?

The state of Illinois has declined to renew its foster care and adoption contracts with Catholic Charities across Illinois, possibly ending a historic public and private partnership initiated by the Roman Catholic Church a half century ago and potentially severing the relationship between 2,500 foster children and their caseworkers.

Lawyers for three of the Catholic Charities agencies will seek an injunction from a Sangamon County judge on Tuesday.

In a letter sent last week to Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Peoria, Joliet, Springfield and Belleville, the Department of Children and Family Services told all four agencies that the state could not accept its signed contracts for the 2012 fiscal year because “your agency has made it clear that it does not intend to comply with the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.”

“That law applies to foster care and adoption services,” each letter stated. “Thus, there is no meeting of the minds as to the [Fiscal Year 2012] Foster Care and Adoption Contracts.”

Last month, Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Springfield, Peoria and Joliet sued the Illinois attorney general and DCFS for threatening to enforce new policies that accommodate civil unions. The three agencies asked the court to declare that they are legally justified to preserve their current policy of exclusively granting licenses to married couples and single, non-cohabiting individuals and referring couples in civil unions to other child welfare agencies.

the rest at Chicago Trib

La Crosse Diocese celebrates long standing local marriages

La Crosse, Wisconsin (WXOW)-The Diocese of La Crosse sponsored an event today, designed for couples married 50 years or more.

Those couples, some of whom have been married even longer, renewed their marriage vows today.

The Diocese provided a number of locations including Plover, Altoona, La Crosse or Wausau.

More than 700 couples renewed their vows today including 63 in the city of La Crosse.

"Anyone who's been married will say, 'Wow that's a lot of work, and a lot of commitment' and so certainly their children want to celebrate this as well as the couples themselves who as the Bishop shared today in his sermon just the whole idea of God's in the middle and that's what's kept these marriages so strong."

Altogether, today's couples celebrated more than 36,000 years of marriage.

Video at WXOW

Candidate for Open Assembly Seat Says She'll Work To Overturn Wisconsin's Marriage Amendment

Madison - Today, Chris Taylor, candidate for the open 48th Assembly District seat, praised the passage of New York’s Marriage Equality Legislation. When the law takes effect in July, New York will become the sixth state in the nation to allow gay marriage:

“New York has set an example for the rest of the nation about extending full human rights to its citizens. The right to marry is fundamental. No individual should be denied the right to make one of the most personal decisions in their life because of their sexual orientation.

In Wisconsin, we have an awful blemish on our constitution that enshrines discrimination against our fellow citizens because of the gender of the person they love. As the next Representative of the 48th Assembly District, I will work with my colleagues to amend our constitution and remove that discrimination. Too many LGBT families in Wisconsin struggle to hold their families together because of unfairness and discrimination. Working together, we can ensure passage of full marriage equality legislation and other policies that guarantee LGBT families the dignity, respect and legal protections they deserve.

I look forward to a future day when my young sons will live in a Wisconsin that does not tolerate discrimination and has a constitution that protects, rather than denies, people’s basic rights.”

WisPolitics

The marriage amendment passed 60-40% in Wisconsin in 2006.  It would take a great big swing to have any affect on that.  Of course if you're just trying to rally the troops in Madison I'm sure it sounds good.

HT WisFamilyAction

Support for MN Marriage Amendment in Winona Daily News

Recent letters to the editor allege that support for maintaining the traditional definition of marriage in the eyes of the law is based on fear and bigotry, particularly religiously motivated bigotry.

However, a closer examination of the institution of marriage and the reason government recognizes it shows those claims are false.

Man and woman naturally complement each other physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. They were made to give themselves completely and fully to each other, for the two to become one. Marriage is merely one man and one woman making a complete and total gift of self to the other, for the rest of their earthly lives, and this is consummated in the act of sexual intercourse, which reflects and echoes this two becoming one in a physical way.

The two literally become "one flesh" and this one flesh union is the sole means by which human life is transmitted. This procreative capacity of marriage is the reason the government recognizes and bestows financial and legal benefits on it that are not bestowed on any other union. Those benefits are given to bind the husband and wife together, to bind the children to their mother and father, and to help the mother and father financially support their children, because children do best when they grow up in a stable home with their mother and father.

Recognizing marriage and endowing it with government benefits helps guarantee such an environment for children, and government has a compelling reason to do this in virtue of its responsibility to safeguard and promote the common good.

Government is justified in denying same-sex relationships as equivalent with marriage for the simple fact that same-sex sexual acts, such as sodomy and mutual masturbation, are inherently sterile and can never under any circumstances result in the transmission of human life.

Read the rest at : http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/article_eea21848-a1cb-11e0-9e17-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story#ixzz1QmAeoSey

Funny he uses the term "mutual masturbation."  That is precisely how Fr. John Hardon describes married couples who practice contraception(yes, looking at you Evangelical Protestants).  I will be writing a whole post on the subject in the near future. 

HT Bliss

Dane County judge rules for domestic partnership registry

Madison - In a strongly worded decision, a Dane County judge ruled Monday that Wisconsin's domestic partnership registries do not violate the state constitution's ban on gay marriage and civil unions.

Circuit Judge Daniel R. Moeser ruled that Chapter 770, the law that legalized the registries for same-sex couples, does not grant status to domestic partners identical or substantially similar to marriage, according to a copy of the ruling.

"Ultimately, it is clear that (the law) does not violate the marriage amendment because it does not create a legal status for domestic partners that is identical or substantially similar to that of marriage. The state does not recognize domestic partnership in a way that even remotely resembles how the state recognizes marriage," Moeser wrote.

In 2006, Wisconsin voters approved with 60% of the vote a constitutional ban on both marriage and a "legal status identical or substantially similar to marriage" for same-sex couples. Wisconsin Family Action, a group that supports marriage as being between a man and a woman, filed suit against the law in September.

the rest at JSOnline

That fair and balanced Dane County, yeah, I know, a shocker.  "Catholic" Gov Doyle imposed domestic partnerships on the state in complete disregard for the Wisconsin traditional marriage constitutional amendment of 2006.  Taken to the Wisconsin Supreme Court the measure will be overruled.

It's all about adoption.

Remember to support Wisconsin Family Action!

Italy continues its decline

Sadly, far from the widely accepted traditional model of large, boisterous families, Italian society is rapidly becoming one of singles and two-job, one-child married couples.

Much like the sinking, decaying city of Venice, Italian culture is soon to be no more. The older generation has been referred to as the "last Catholic generation."

The United States will soon have more Italian blood than Italy. Photo, left: A copy of the ship manifest of my ancestor's arrival from Italy (Mario Zignego, #14). Found this at Ellis Island.

I should note that U.S. birth rates are declining as well; I posit the only reason U.S. birth rates haven't dropped even further is the resistance of some to the use of birth control and abortion [Planned Parenthood has been targeting Catholics, Hispanics and Muslims for a reason.]

In Italy, abortions are "free" (taxpayer-financed) in public hospitals or in private structures authorized by the regional health authorities. Italy has attempted to raise its birth rate through financial incentives. That hasn't worked for Russia, Germany, etc so why would it work for Italy? When children are a commodity, or something to check off a list, they are not seen as a gift. We are seeing the fruits of the legalization of birth control, sexual freedom, abortion, and so on.

Italy is a popular tourist destination for the obvious reasons. Sadly, it will become more of a Disney World type destination in the years to come, a window into a world that once was and never will be again, preserved simply for tourists to take pictures.

From LifeSiteNews:

The archetypal Italian family, with mamma and papa presiding over a noisy dinner table, surrounded by rambunctious children and grandchildren, has become a cultural artifact of the past. Not only are Italians not having children, they are increasingly not even bothering to get married, according to recently released government statistics.

The decline in marriages is unusually uniform in a country that sees large regional cultural differences between north and south. While Italy still has a relatively low rate of divorce, with only about 10 percent of marriages failing, young people especially are increasingly either delaying marriage for decades, or opting out altogether.

The decrease can mainly be seen in a decline in first marriages, particularly among people under 35. In just two years, the number of first marriages across the country has dropped by 30,000. At the same time, while abortion rates remain relatively low compared to other countries, Italy continues its birth-rate spiral, with only 1.39 children born per woman.

IL issues first gay marriage licenses today

From the Chicago Tribune:

Illinois has issued its first civil union [call it what it is -- gay marriage] license, launching a historic day for same-sex couples across the state.

Janean Watkins and Lakeesha Harris camped overnight outside the Daley Center to be the first in line as the state's new civil unions law kicked in.

The couple has six children [!!! plus how many sperm donors?] who will all be in attendance at a formal civil union ceremony tomorrow.

Couples can obtain licenses starting today, but must wait a day before holding a ceremony. On Thursday, the governor and Mayor Rahm Emanuel will be on hand in Millennium Park as more than 30 couples enter into civil unions.

Illinois is now the sixth state that allows civil unions or their equivalent, and two other states — Hawaii and Delaware — have passed civil union laws that have not yet been enacted.

Illinois' gay marriage law has resulted in Catholic Charities of Rockford withdrawing from adoption work.

State of Illinios forces Catholic Charities of Rockford to shut down adoption work

The Diocese of Rockford has announced that its Catholic Charities offices will no longer offer state-funded adoptions and foster-care services when the new Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act takes effect June 1.

Because the law did not include an exemption allowing religious organizations to refer adoptions or foster-care arrangements involving same-sex or unmarried cohabitating couples to other agencies, “the Diocese of Rockford is forced to permanently discontinue all state-funded adoption and foster-care operations as of June 1,” said Penny Wiegert, diocesan director of communications, at a May 26 news conference.

Get the scoop at American Papist

Some Catholics want to shut us down here in Wisconsin too.   It's what every single gay marriage or civil union legislation has set as it's goal; adoption.

POLL: Minnesotans Favor Marriage Amendment 51%-40%

A new Survey USA poll shows Minnesotans favors the marriage amendment 51 percent to 40 percent. Local ABC News reports:

The vote on the gay marriage amendment in 2012 could be a close one, according to our exclusive new SurveyUSA poll. In our survey of 552 registered voters on May 23 and 24, 51% say they support the amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Another 40% say they oppose the amendment, while 8% say they wouldn't vote on the issue and 2% are undecided. This is a significant change from our last poll in March when 62% favored the amendment banning gay marriage and 33% were opposed. Both sides anticipate multi-million campaigns, including television and radio ads and a major social media effort.

NOM

Obamacare redefines "family"?

The bill begins with an enormous number of definitions, most of which simply pass the buck to other federal statutes for their content. One of those defined in the section, however, is that of "family," and the definition as given should give distributists serious concern. "The term 'family,'" the bill tells us, "means an individual and includes the individual’s dependents."

Surely, this is a curious definition; a family normally involves, at the very least, more than one person. A quick search of a dictionary reveals a number of definitions, all of which involve a group of people of some kind. This one, however, states that a family is "an individual." Certainly, it also includes his "dependents," but doesn't have to. What does this mean for distributists?

First, this definition is perfectly open to, and is conducive of, definitions of the family that distributists should adamantly oppose. By refusing to cite to a married couple, man and woman, it opens the door for literally any type of "family" that our increasingly degenerate society decides to recognize. Cohabiting couples; homosexual couples, whether "married" or not; all of these easily fit into the definition of family as described here, provided that one of them is a "dependent." The definition of "dependent" doesn't help any, either; it is left entirely up to "the Commissioner," the only proviso being that it "includes a spouse." Note that here, too, there is no mention of a spouse of the opposite sex, a pretty glaring omission given the enormous controversy currently ongoing about the subject.

more at The Distributist Review

An older article but I just ran across this tidbit.

MN wins on Marriage Amendment ballot measure!

Voters in the North Star State now have the chance to ratify a Constitutional amendment declaring marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Late last night the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a measure placing the question on the ballot in November 2012. The Minnesota Senate had already approved the measure.

This development represents a dramatic turn of events and underscores the importance of making sure pro-family voters show up on Election Day. In the run-up to last year’s elections, pro-family activists in Minnesota were worried that Mark Dayton would get elected governor (which he did, narrowly). A Dayton win, combined with a Democratic-controlled Legislature would likely mean an effort to redefine marriage in Minnesota.

CatholicVote

Doubtless was the influence of the Minnesota bishops who rightly helped push the measure through the legislature.   

MN Catholic Conference: Come to the Capitol on Thursday to support Marriage Amendment

The marriage amendment is coming up for a vote in the House this week.  There will likely be a full floor vote on Thursday. 

We are asking people to go to the Capitol on Thursday, May 19, wearing red or blue, and holding signs.  It is very important to show legislators that Minnesotans want to preserve marriage and vote on a constitutional amendment!   

We do not know when exactly it will hit the floor, or when the House will be in session.   But we’ll need people standing outside the House chamber with their signs, especially when legislators go into session and during the actual floor hearing (as well as anytime beforehand).  People should come to the Capitol and simply stand outside the House chamber to show their support of marriage.  We need people all through Thursday!  Come any time.  There will be others there all day.   People can call House Information at 651-296-2146 for exactly when the House will meet that day.   You won’t be alone!

We need folks with homemade signs expressing these messages (don’t get creative!):

1.       Minnesotans for Marriage!

2.       Protect Marriage in Minnesota!

3.       Let the people vote!

Every single person who attends makes a big difference.  We need a strong showing in support of marriage.  Bring your kids for a civics lesson!  

Do not engage folks on the other side.  They try to provoke our people.   Always be respectful!  Signs are not permitted in the gallery if you want to sit in on the hearing.

Minnesota Catholic Conference

HT Bliss

Cohabitor Vows

LOL!

HT: The Crescat

Walker moves to withdraw state's defense of domestic partnership law

Catholic Gov Jim Doyle

Gov. Scott Walker does not want to defend the state's domestic partnership law against a legal challenge and has filed court papers to withdraw from the case.

In his motion, filed late Friday in Dane County Circuit Court, the governor also asks that, if Judge Daniel Moeser refuses to grant his motion to withdraw from the case, he be allowed to change the state's position and declare the domestic partner registry unconstitutional.

Cap Times

Wisconsin citizens passed a Marriage Amendment in 2006 by a large margin.  In 2009 Doyle signed a domestic partnership law included in the state budget.  Obviously, the legal implications of then Gov. Doyle ignoring the state constitution brought about challenge in court.

It's all about adoption.  Certain hospital and inheritance protections are reasonable(and really token) requests, but the goal is to take children out of natural families and into homes of same-sex partners.  Every child has a right to a mother and a father. 

HT: WI Family Action

MN Senate approves marriage ammendment

A constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota took a decisive step Wednesday toward ending up on the 2012 ballot.

After more than three hours of often-emotional debate, the Senate approved the proposed amendment by a vote of 38 to 27. The House, which has not yet taken up the bill, is expected to pass it, as well.

Although Gov. Mark Dayton opposes the measure, which defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman, he has no voice in the decision because constitutional amendments do not require a governor's signature to be placed on the ballot and he can't veto it.

State law already defines marriage as the amendment does, but supporters say the amendment is needed to prevent judges, or a future legislature, from overturning the law.

Although DFL majorities have blocked the amendment for years, now that Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature, passage of it seems nearly assured. Opponents dominated the debate, raising objections that ranged across topics that included religion, discrimination and the economic fallout from adopting the amendment.

StarTribune

HT Bliss

More on the Marquette instructor's homosexual adoption commentary

The current legal status in Wisconsin regarding adoption and civil unions.  My comments.

Permits single GLBT individuals to petition to adopt? Yes.
Wisconsin law permits any unmarried adult or husband and wife jointly to petition to adopt. WIS. STAT. § 48.82. [Could it be this was intended for special cases, widows, single aunt/uncle adopting after both parents death. ect.]

Permits a same-sex couple to jointly petition to adopt? Unclear.
Wisconsin courts have never precisely decided the issue, though they have strongly suggested that joint adoptions by unmarried individuals are not available under the current statutes. See In re Custody of H.S.H.-K., 533 N.W.2d 419, 437 n. 41 (Wis. 1995); In Interest of Angel Lace M., 516 N.W.2d 678, 685 n. 14 (Wis. 1994).  

Permits a same-sex partner to petition to adopt partner’s adopted child? No.
Such an adoption would terminate the parental rights of the non-adopting parent. In Interest of Angel Lace M., 516 N.W.2d 678, 683 (Wis. 1994). ("Hence, we hold that . . . a minor is not eligible for adoption unless the rights of both of her parents have been terminated. Because Georgina's parental rights remain intact, Angel is not eligible to be adopted by Annette.") [This issue is what the commentary was referencing.  ]

Details: The state regulations do not address whether sexual orientation or gender identity or expression are factors in adoption decisions. WISC. ADMIN. CODE § 51.07.

HRC

Here is Wis. Stat. 48.92 that Prof. Papke is addressing.

Effect of Adoption. (1) After the order of adoption is entered the relation of parent and child and all the rights, duties and other legal consequences of the natural relation of child and parent thereafter exists between the adopted person and the adoptive parents. [Two single people, as homosexuals would be legally considered, cannot adopt the same child.]

(2) After the order of adoption is entered the relationship of parent and child between the adopted person and the adopted person's birth parents, unless the birth parent is the spouse of the adoptive parent, shall be completely altered and all the rights, duties and legal consequences of the relationship shall cease to exist. Notwithstanding the extinction of all parental rights under this subsection, a court may order reasonable visitation under s. 48.925.

And again, here is a part of Prof. Papke's comments:

The great problem with the statute involves same-sex couples with children.  It is increasingly common for one member of a same-sex partnership to have a child brought into the relationship from a prior opposite-sex marriage, as a result of adoption, or conceived via artificial insemination.  Call this the “pre-existing parent” in the same-sex partnership.  The pre-existing parent might want their same-sex partner to adopt any children brought into the relationship.  In such cases, the second partner might be perceived as a parent by the child or children, and the second partner might be ready and willing to adopt any child from a previous relationship.  However, if this adoption is finalized in Wisconsin, the statute operates to automatically terminate the parental rights of the pre-existing parent -– a patently unwanted result given a hope to achieve some degree of family unification through adoption.  For a judicial confirmation of the absurd result of the Wisconsin statute, see Interest of Angel Lace M., 184 Wis. 2d 492, 516 N.W. 2d 678 (1994).

What could be done to fix WIS. STA.  48.92?  A whole new statute allowing and facilitating adoption by same-sex partners would be the best solution, but one fears the state’s current hostility toward expanding gay rights would make this difficult to achieve.  Alternatively, one could change the existing statute to create an exception for same-sex partners seeking to adopt their partners’ children.  As noted above, the statute already includes a comparable exception for stepparents adopting their spouses’ children.  Stepparents, after all, would also consider it absurd if the act of adopting their stepchildren terminated the parental rights of the pre-existing parent in the relationship.

Although today there is absolutely no legal recognition of a same-sex couple as a legal entity(Gov. Doyle's domestic partnerships will likely be overruled) or their ability to adopt, Prof. Papke is advocating that this non-existent legal "right" be granted.  Although written as a "fix" to a current law, what Papke is saying is that despite the fact that traditional marriage is protected under the Wis Constitution as between one man and one woman, other laws that assume this proper role of marriage should be undermined to accommodate for two homosexuals to bring children into their union.  I don't think the "ship has sailed" on this issue, and the fact that voters passed a marriage amendments proves that the will of the people is to uphold the traditional family structure.  What is clear by the comment "one fears the state’s current hostility toward expanding gay rights would make this difficult to achieve" that this "hostility" is the law of the land.  "Hostility" is not a legal term, he is talking about a political climate.  Prof. Papke is pushing his own personal agenda here.  And he's able to do it under the guise of a Catholic legal perspective. 

MN judge says 1971 state Supreme Court ruling and state law prohibit same-sex marriage

Citing a 40-year-old precedent, a Hennepin County judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to remove legal barriers to gay marriage in Minnesota.

In an order signed Monday, District Judge Mary Dufresne rejected an argument by the group Marry Me Minnesota that the state's 13-year-old Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates same-sex couples' rights to due process, equal protection, religious freedom and freedom of association.

"Unless and until" the state Supreme Court overrules a 1971 decision limiting marriage to a man or a woman or repeals DOMA, Dufresne wrote, "Same-sex marriage will not exist in this state."

Chuck Darrell, communications director for the Minnesota Family Council, applauded the decision. His organization opposes gay marriage and tried unsuccessfully to intervene in the lawsuit. Darrell noted that since the Obama administration stopped defending the federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, Marry Me Minnesota has written letters urging Gov. Mark Dayton, Attorney General Lori Swanson and others to stop defending the state's law.

"This, coupled with several bills introduced in the Legislature last year to legalize same-sex marriage, is why we need to protect marriage with a marriage amendment," Darrell said.

 StarTrib

Packers' Ryan Pickett supports anti-porn group

Packers defensive end Ryan Pickett had hoped to attend National Porn Sunday, a Feb. 6 religious service whose anti-pornography message will be broadcast to 300 churches across the country on Super Bowl Sunday.

But, it turns out, he has a conflict.

Pickett will be suiting up with hopes of taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, about 30 miles from the service in nearby Addison, Texas.

"I would love to have been with you guys today. But fortunately, I'm a little busy," Pickett tells viewers in a video that will be played in the churches as part of the national outreach. Then he adds, grinning: "Go Packers."

Pickett and his wife, Jennifer, who also appears on the video, sit on the board of directors of xxxchurch.com, a Las Vegas-based Internet site that bills itself as the largest online resource for people struggling with pornography addiction and workers in the sex trade.

"We just hope the day is a blessing to you as much as the ministry has been a blessing to us," he says.
Pickett said in an interview Friday in Green Bay that he personally hasn't struggled with pornography but is troubled by its prevalence.

"It's just everywhere. I just felt like it was a good thing to jump on board with," he said of the ministry.

The video includes personal stories of other current and former NFL players, including quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks and Jon Kitna of the Dallas Cowboys. They're seen touting the ministry and its software, which tracks a user's Internet movements, sending a weekly list of sites visited to the user's "accountability partners" - say, friends or a spouse.

Hasselbeck says it's strengthened his marriage and gives his wife "a lot of security."

Josh McCown, who spent seven years in the NFL before signing on with the United Football League, tells viewers he began to deal with his porn problem because he feared it was "taking me someplace I didn't want to go."

"It's a whole lot easier to tell your wife you're struggling with it than to have her walk in on you," he says in the video.

Craig Gross, the founder of Triple X Church, as they call it, won't say whether any of the featured players struggled personally with pornography, though the video suggests some have.

"Not everybody's addicted," said Gross, who presided over the Packers' chapel service on the eve of this month's rout of the Falcons. "And the guys who are really struggling are probably not the guys we could get to be in the video."

Gross will say, though, that NFL players may be more at risk than the average Joe.

"NFL athletes are some of the most disciplined in the world . . . but this stuff is being thrown at them more than most people, so they have to work that much harder.

"The bigger issue," Gross says, "is that these guys have money and time, and they're away from their families."

The rest at JSOnline(also the video message is also available here)


The article goes on to say "Faith communities almost universally condemn pornography. But it's rarely a subject for the pulpit."  Sad but true.  In fact, I don't know that I've ever heard porn talked about from the pulpit during Mass.  What a tragic observation.

HT Dad29 (who has some good comments)

MN GOP takes Senate and House in state legislature

Republicans grabbed control of the Senate and House after making historic gains in the legislature. A distant minority as Election Day began, the GOP engineered a stunning turnaround by defending every incumbent seat and rolling back Democratic territory in rural and suburban Minnesota.

Sen. David Senjem, the Rochester Republican poised to become the new Majority Leader, credited not just an anti-Democratic mood in the country but also the quality of candidates recruited for the 2010 races. 

Pioneer Press

Catholic GOP candidate for MN Governor Tom Emmer is slightly losing with no call yet.  Likely there will be an automatic recount as MN law requires when margin of victory is less than .5 %.  This bodes badly for the GOP since Dems have proven effective and manufacturing votes and were able to legally steal the senate election and place lunatic Al Franken in the senate in 2008.   It's hard to say if the MN GOP has learned from that experience but the next few days will tell. 

Dayton's advantage was less than 10,000 votes out of nearly 2 million cast.

That is virtually certain to require a recount.

In his first public appearance after the polls closed, Dayton told the Democratic faithful at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel at 2 a.m. this morning he was "cautiously optimistic" that he would hang on to win. He noted that ballots were still being counted in St. Louis County, encompassing traditionally Democratic Duluth and the Iron Range. "That should be good for us," he said.

But Emmer was still hoping to close the narrow gap. Appearing at the Republican watch party at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, he said, "We're not quite done yet here in Minnesota when it comes to the governor's race.

Also in Iowa, Republicans retain their senate seat and win the governor's seat.  IA GOP also picked up one seat in the house and lost two close races against incumbent democrats.  In bigger news, three liberal judges were shown the door after legislating from the bench in favor of homosexual "marriage."  Reading today, liberals are really up in arms over this one.