Holy Priests, Batman!

May the Lords bless us with holy priests!

Natural Family Planning Week

Hey! NFP Week is coming up in July, if consulting my mental calendar is accurate. So maybe I should do some NFP stuff around here. After all, NFP led me to where I am now and I wouldn't go without it. Let's start with a quiz.

Which method of NFP is right for you?

Having been in the trenches for a while, I forget what people don't know. There are a variety of methods out there to fit your personality and attitude. The quiz is a good starting point. Try it out!

Summer Drawing Club

I've always wanted to learn to draw. It wasn't on the top of my goals for this year but Simcha is doing something cool so I'm in with my family.

Dispelling Myths

The Middle Ages are not what you have been led to believe!

Simple Idea

I love the power of simple ideas. Dynamic Catholic's parish book program might just be a miracle. I need to work to bring it to my parish.

Changing Minds

I've been curious about how other people change their minds on issues. It feels like a long time since I have changed my mind on an issue. Thanks to thinking with the Church, I feel that I get on the right side of the issue whenever one comes up. So I am intrigued to learn how people make about-faces on issues, hearing about John Lennon consistently surprises me. I never heard of Gavin McInnes before this article from LifeNews but it seems like marriage and children changed him; the same way it changed John Lennon. I suppose in the end it takes a dramatic event to really change someone's mind. I'm ever more thankful for my re-evangelization and I pray for all men to turn to the Lord.

Love the British

It's wonderful to see truthful reporting. Why does it seem that only Britain produces real journalists?

You Love Me; You Really Love Me

Looks like I won a Valentine's Day contest, thanks to the loving inspiration of my wife!

Gamer Parents

I like how this guys writes. Games are an important part of our humanity.

Of Fun and Funnel Cake

Publishing here with the Knights of Columbus.

Game Over, Man

I found this article thought-provoking. It is a healthy reminder that addiction can come in many forms and self-control must be practiced to be an effective human being. I guess that I have to put some limits on my Skyward Sword time.

Not religious liberty after all

An interesting and informed perspective on how the HHS mandate fight should not be about religious liberty but about forcing me to pay for someone's Class 1 carcinogens.

NFP Conference

 Wondering about all the hubbub over the HHS mandate? Curious about why every Catholic bishop in the U.S. is outraged? Come learn what the Church teaches about contraception at the PNFPN Annual Conference!

Business Advice

Great article on the Catholic Business Journal about how to care for your clients.

Still Writing

Just not in the blogosphere. Check out the latest at Phaith magazine.

Still Writing

So, I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy with lots of things. I'm still writing but now I have an article that was sent to the entire Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Go read it at Phaith Magazine if you live far away. If you are in Philly, read Phaith Magazine when it hits your mailbox!

College Scam

I knew there was a reason that I love John Stossel. He has a great article on Fox News contemplating the value of a college education. It seems totally unnatural to me, now, to have a society where the best years of a person's life are spent mostly on vacation with some time spent sitting in classrooms to take exams.

NFP Awareness Week

This week is NFP Awareness Week. A week I typically do not remember until after it is over. Looks like I'm catching the wave this time. Natural Family Planning blog's author Jessica Smith is featured at Fathers for Good. Check it out.

Habemus Archbishopem!

If I ever had to move, there are two dioceses that I would have picked: Arlington or Denver. Now it seems that the Good Lord is bringing Denver to me! Welcome Archbishop Chaput! May your time serving this flock be as blessed as your time serving Denver.

High Culture

We had the privilege of attending a great art show and gourmet buffet for an amazingly talented friend. It was simply marvelous. Good food. Spectacular location. A grand mingling of people from all different walks of life. And fireworks on the waterfront! Visit her page, buy something!

Matches made in Heaven

A book review of: Come My Beloved by Ellen Gable Hrkach and Kathy Cassanto

I often think that everyone is just like me, similar inside if not on the outside. I thought all Catholics who married would meet in college and get married after graduation like myself and most of my friends. I assumed they would follow a similar path of coming to better love God by learning to love another. Come My Beloved shows that Catholic marriages are not all the same and have as much beautiful variation as the glorious art which has decorated cathedrals over the life of the Church.

The true love stories in this anthology are each unique and inspiring. God’s ways are truly amazing and refreshing to my faith. There are the college stories, like mine. There are stories of widows and widowers finding each other. There are stories of conversion. There are stories of long time friendships blossoming. Each story shows the hand of God in a special way, working to create a new married life by bringing together those who will help each other grow.

King of Prussia Car Show

I might even become a car guy, once I learn how to change my own oil, thanks to this great event:

The King of Prussia Car Show

There is still time to enter if you have a car to show off. I promise to come by and stare as if I know a distributor cap from a manifold valve.

Too pertinent

Our Holy Father could be speaking directly to me with this item. Doing the math, either my wife or I was out of the house every night this week. It's terrible but hard to stop with our many and sundry activities and it keeps us from our deepest mission which we believe is to be social and have families over for dinners and parties and random hanging out. There is a huge dearth of social capital that has been brought about through TV and Entertainment destroying social bonds and through the home becoming a place to stop and refuel and sleep before running to meetings and games and events. We feel it is critical to be home-bodies and build ties of affection but that is a daunting task in this day of constant connection.

Metre Traitor

Never, thought I, will I betray
the rhyme and rhythm of my day.
Learned in my first class of grammar
I would smash poetic traitors with a mighty hammer
and crush all in a manner of Thor
‘til they would rhyme forevermore.
And lo’ upon this aged time
I picked up a classic book of rhyme
a slim tome of Canterbury Tales
at the close of winter, to warm my entrails.
written long ago by wizened Chaucer,
who may have drunk his tea from a saucer,
I discovered that rhyme, though classically executed,
can still be a horror worse than a sky polluted.
English being a poor language to rhyme in
with phrases adjusted, as if the time in
English grammar was for naught, since
all the words seem to do is mince
across the page and carry
onward and do tarry
taking an inordinate amount of space and time
to complete what should be a shortened rhyme
slave to a meter and a rhyming pattern which
I though older and modern, am unable to ditch.

Cognitive Dissonance

I thought that the scandal had already come as close as it could to my life. With this announcement, it comes even closer. I am familiar with at least one of the accused. I am saddened and confused and somewhat ambivalent depending on the current train of my thought.

I pray for the victims and the accused and any who are wrongly accused. I pray for the cases, that the truth may come out and just resolution accorded.

Open and Shut

I love being on the various e-mail lists of good organizations. Just received this gem which was written by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

Look at Me!

The March for Life made it to the WaPo and there I am in the background!

Fix It

A great post over on There I Fixed It. Part of the Natural Life I crave to live is a self-reliance for basic repairs of basic appliances. This struck a chord with me after I finally repaired the dryer. It has been serving us well for 8 years now and its scratch-and-dent price tag was very favorable. I hope to work my way up to basic automotive repairs like oil changes but for now I am satisfied to tinker with appliances, carpentry, and electrical. I feel like I'm finally starting to own this new house because I don't believe that sweat equity simply improves the bottom line. I believe that everything that I claim stewardship for on this Earth deserves my sweat.

You had me at cheapest

A great article by Ellen Gable for anyone who is trying to convince people that NFP is what their marriage needs.

Via Media

Sad, depressed, think you need more to be happy? Thanks to Get Rich Slowly, I saw this great article tying financial measures to happiness. Read it and celebrate!

A More Beautiful World

I have just discovered a hidden reserve of beauty in the world, thanks to one of my blogroll. These Girls with Glasses give me hope that children can grow up instead of just growing old. I pray that my girls will know of them and emulate them.

Hood Robbin'

Get Rich Slowly has a post on how credit cards help the rich get richer, mainly through rewards programs and the stores having to boost prices to cover the fees for using the credit card machine. And here I thought that they just crush small businesses.

Opportunity

This recovery summer may have created some great opportunities. Glad that I have been studying real estate investing for some time now.

Shout out to Suzy Jo

Today I bought Suzy Jo donuts, the best donuts in the known universe and the closest four parallel dimensions, in order to celebrate all my co-workers who actually came to work instead of taking a four-day weekend. On the way, my turn signal burn out. I was irritated at having another thing to do today before an increasingly busy weekend. I took the car to Phoenixville Tire & Service and asked them to replace the bulb and check a slow leak in the tire and they discovered a nail! So donuts saved me from getting a flat on Labor Day weekend.

"Donuts, is there anything they can't do?" - Homer Simpson

Die Hard Catholic

I just watched Die Hard again; it was a great movie purchase. Like a good book read and re-read, I saw and learned more this time than any time before. Firstly, John McClane prays at least once explicitly and once implicitly, thanks to the sisters who taught him in elementary school no doubt. Secondly, as a recent issue of First Freedoms compared the guns used by John and Hans as a way to reveal their characters, I kept comparing the two of them. The scene which struck me most was the close-up of Hans polished shoe stepping on the cigarette that John gave him while John's filthy bare feet are walking away from him. John is the rough, tumble guy who is just trying to get by in this life while Hans has all the answers, all the goods, and all the power. This is a great Christian lesson, I believe. Humility will triumph, the meek will inherit the earth. And pride goeth before the fall from the 30th story of Nakatomi Plaza.

NFP Awareness History

As always, being among the few NFP teachers in the state, I was way behind the NFP Awareness Week curve. Here is a great post on the subject.

A Reporter I Could Like

I just got the tip on a great article about NFP a secular press article that fairly gives representatives of the Church a chance to speak their mind and present NFP in a positive light.

So Hard to Build

It is so hard to build something, anything really. A house can take months to go up. A house with "delayed maintenance" can take years to whip into shape. Even a blog can lapse into disrepair without proper attention. To paraphrase Chesterton, you can never have an old white post; you need to paint it routinely to keep it white.

I've recently been missing my blog so I'm back to take care of all that delayed maintenance. I've cleared some old links and added some new ones: Fallible Blogma and Engaged Marriage should make the list after their excellent articles in Family Foundations.

I always wanted to be a janitor. Maintenance is in my blood. Hopefully, I will be able to maintain more than a blog. Like my patron, St. Francis of Assisi, I work towards fixing His Church.

Wild Life

In my spare time, when I dream of all the great ministries that I would do if I had infinite time and money, I dreamed of learning martial arts as a way to learn manhood like the Crusaders of old. The King's Men have done me one better by teaching wilderness survival skills as a way to become holy men. Although I won't be going this time, I can't wait for the opportunity to head Into the Wild with other men who are dedicated to growing in holiness.

The True Rebels

A refreshing reminder from the TFP that being Christian is counter-cultural and it is the only way to protect the innocence of our children so they can freely grow to be the best version of themselves. Mainstreaming virginity and chastity will not be an easy task. Unfortunately, many people will have to be broken by their sins before they are ready to accept salvation. I'm thankful that I was.

A Bitter Pill

The PNFPN is up to good things again, with a conference on May 1. Learn the truth about hormonal contraception with Brian Gail, Author of Fatherless and Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., Director of Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.

Once you have learned all about the damage of artificial steroids and their interference with healthy fertility, join us for our next class of NFP instruction on May 28 at Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia.

Look at that Dashing Family

I know it sometimes feels like we are the only family in the Archdiocese who practices NFP. Now we have proof! Confirmed by the Family Life Office.

Back from the Dead

So here is the requisite, "I'm not dead yet" post. I would like to keep blogging, but things have been crazy. Politics has obviously been mucking with my head. However, other surprises have also come to pass: a Pre-Cana NFP struggle, success in my home-based business, job uncertainty, more attention to real estate investing, an interesting little work project of my own initiative. My sitemeter reports a group of dedicated followers, and I graciously thank you for checking in.

Pax et bonum.

Relevant and Fun

I love this videos on "over-population."

A Gripping Story to Follow

The guys at CMR are surprisingly serious this week as they chronicle the journey of a mother and her unborn child.

Christians are always underdogs

But the guys at CMR are celebrating after this week's victory. I just pray that Scott Brown doesn't run for President.

Hey, I know her!

Looks like a former PNFPNer is up to good things in women's health!

How to be a Man

Because all men should know how to wear a hat.

Happy New Year

So, here I am, posting again. I know I wasn't the most regular writer last year. As far as I can tell, I will be posting even less regularly in the upcoming year. I'm having a lot of activity in my Reliv business. I've got a support group set up for REI where I am the only one who hasn't bought a house. We are finally ready to post our next class for CCL on the new on-line registration. Knights is booming with volunteer opportunities and so far I have avoided the hideous Chinese finger trap that is Farmville.

But if the rest of the year goes as well as today, its gonna be a great 2010 for me.

I pray that it is great for you as well, dear reader.

May Saint Joseph, patron of Fathers and workers, intercede on your behalf to multiply the work of your hands.

Sabbatical

Though I am currently not prepared to take a sabbatical from the job, I am prepared to take a hiatus from blogging. Things are crazy here at Albatross Manor. We are undergoing renovation. I am getting closer to doing some REI. I am trying to get back to my business. And we desperately need to teach some NFP to this starved area!

I really never hoped it would come to this, but it is time for a break. I will be back and re-charged soon.

Pro-Mom

Because pro-lifers in the Philly area are too awesome for words.

How to protect yourself from the Flu

...without getting stuck in the arm. Sardonic Catholic Dad has some great advice on avoiding the flu through homeopathy and nutrition.

NFP Class

Learn NFP in New Jersey

November 3, 2009

7 - 9:30 PM

St. John Neumann

Mt. Laurel, NJ

Way to go, Camden Diocese, even if you are in NJ.

Regulations hurt the little man

So, I finally set aside time and remembered to go to Prosper.com to set myself up as a micro-lender. I was hoping to make a better rate than my savings account and help some troubled people get out of dire straits. Instead, I find out that Prosper is not licensed in my state. I hope this situation is remedied soon.

Why forced vaccination is evil

I've pretty much stayed out of the Gardasil debate, since it falls in my general bin of, "I'm not going to inject my children with infectious agents unless I am totally convinced of the benefits." I'm certainly not going to do it because some doctors' group, that probably gets kickbacks from the manufacturer, recommends it.

Now, I know that Merck is on my side in pointing out that the vaccine is almost useless. I wish they would talk to their marketing department.

Local TOTB

Mother of Divine Providence Parish in King of Prussia will have speakers from the Theology of the Body Institute at 8pm on Wednesday. Although I have heard Christopher West speak, I'm thrilled to see what type of students come out of this Institute. I'm always looking to improve my marriage. Speaking of which, I better go help with the little one.

Financial Freedom Tour

Ask me how this night could change your life!

October 28, 7:00 pm

Parsippany, NJ
Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales Ryan Montgomery
Presidential Gold Ambassadors Les and Joyce Ferguson
Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
199 Smith Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973-515-2000

Proof is in the Powder

I'm thankful that my company cares enough to invest in studies to show the success of our products. I'm hoping this will break the unfair stereotype that nutrition companies are bamboozlers who are out to scam people in an unregulated industry. Our company cares enough to run the Kalogris Foundation; we are not in it for a scam. If I scam you, take your money elsewhere!

Long have I waited

I have been hoping to own the musical work of Nick Alexander for over a year now, patiently awaiting a brave soul to order them for me. My wife obliged for my most recent birthday and I have been basking in the Catholic "Weird Al" glow ever since. Since I received his entire discography, it is hard to pick a favorite but, "Nahum, Zephaniah, Malachi" (parody of 867-5309) is far and away my most listened to. As "Weird Al" includes a token polka, Nick includes a praise song. It is an awesome way to close an awesome album.

Respect Life Month

And what a great way to start Respect Life Month, A Baby's Breath held Johnny's Run today with an excellent turnout. Congratulations to all those who finished!

Also in Pro-Life news, 40 Days for Life is going strong, helping women save their babies' lives.

Real Hope

I wish I had been as mature as these two in college, then I could have a successful Plan B already in place. Instead I have to work to build a Plan B while re-directing energy from Plan A.

Samurais and Cowboys

I have needed a good movie list for a long time. While perusing the usual suspects, I came across a great archive of movies for boys at MommyLife. I'm off to Netflix to update my queue.

Lessons in the Pages

I am usually self-conscious about crying while reading bedtime stories to my girls, but Angel in the Waters is definitely worth it. It is a beautiful telling of birth from the eyes of the child; but it is more than that. It passes on spiritual and eschatalogical truth in a way that is both simple and deep. The art is well above most children's book art and is a pleasure to see. Read this to your kids, they will ask for it, and don't be afraid to cry.

Much to my relief

SherryTex is back! Visit her and cheer her on! She has written a great blog for a long time, I'll forgive her the brief hiatus since I desperately missed her. Her pieces are most excellent humor, distilled from family living, with the occassional serious piece so that a reader can see her soul.

Link me, link me!

Why an Engineer should have Kids

Although the common engineering reason to become a father is happiness in having a woman, in the Earth's gravity well, who actually tolerates being married to an engineer, the most convincing argument for an engineer to have kids is efficiency.

This was confirmed by my recent post-birth conversation with a fellow engineering bud from Penn State. When I asked him what he thought about fatherhood, his first comment was that he couldn't believe how much time he wasted before children.

From an engineer's perspective, child-induced efficiency occurs in: reduction of TV hours (tv/7) unless you want your kid quoting C.S.I., falling asleep faster (z^4) if sleep is to be had at all, reading dozens of books (12b) in a 9-month window to decide how to be a parent, completing laundry in 1/3 the previous time (t/3) despite the fact that the load doubles (2L) with kid clothes, countless hours of free entertainment (1/E-> 0) by watching your newborn try to find his fist, and handyman skill increasing (12h) to keep the house safe.

But the best part is love growing in your home (3L). Nothing makes life better than that.

Radiant Home

Enough is enough. It is a beautiful, cool night after a brief but necessary rainfall and I have to keep all my doors and windows shut for a radon test. I despise this crazy money-making scheme. Paying to pump air out of my house because miners got lung cancer. At least I can still choose not to have my future home tested.

What's missing?

A Christian, homeschooling, parody songwriter who is for limited government; what's not to like about Tim Hawkins?

Painting the Nursing Picture

The Art of Breastfeeding was a good read on the whole picture of breastfeeding. The science was very well covered, including both the nutritional content of mother's milk and the physiology of the mother's and child's bodies. Even though I have plenty of experience with breastfeeding, I learned quite a bit about the underlying biology. I do wish the book had more further covered lactational amenorrhea , since that is of particular interest to me. A good read, I'm glad that I bought it.

Defining Me

Jen over at Conversion Diary is full of great ideas for us bloggers to get known, so welcome to all who travelled here from her "defining blog post" post. Let me know what you think of my vaguely organized pile of me.

Response to Friend Two

Friend Two from Facebook, "Actually, now that we're steaming ahead on this discussion, let me pose the matter in another light as I'm curious for your view from this angle: For a moment, divorce the parenting issue from the gay marriage issue. Not all couples (straight or gay) want to be parents. For many couples, marriage is a commitment to each other that basically acknowledges that "now it's harder to walk away, so we will work together to make this work," you know, the whole richer-or-poorer bit. This is a commitment to each partner, and is not directly related to God's view or consent. I'm talking marriage as a social matter, not a religious one. Consider also the fact that making/keeping gay marriage illegal or illegitimate doesn't make "gayness" go away. It just doesn't.

So, for gay couples that would be gay whether they can be married or not, and who don't want kids, answer this: What's the harm? Why not let them commit to each other the same way straight couples do?"

My response is that I have never brought God into any of my arguments so far, so I will gladly leave Him to defend Himself. The marriage commitment as you describe does not exist. Due to no-fault divorce, marriage means almost nothing in legal terms. It is currently easier to legally break a marriage contract than it is to break a bicycle warranty. The social approval of childless marriages only dates back to about the 1920s and the advent of feminism and mass produced contraception. The social and legal benefits of marriage were designed to create a family, not to allow two people to be DINKs.

I never claimed that "gayness" would go away. We still have thieves, even though there are laws against stealing. We still have drunkenness, even though there are an assortment of preventative laws. Laws enforce social norms and teach what is acceptable and not for a civilized society. The anti-social behavior is wrong, regardless of whether the law prohibits it.

Marriage is about love and sex. Sex is about procreation and love, even Freud agrees. The two can not be separated any more than nutrition and pleasure can be separated from eating. If they are separated, the act is perverted, much as bulimia perverts eating.

"What's the harm?" is not a sufficient argument to overthrow hundreds of years of social custom and the only stable arrangement to raise the next generation. The harm is that a counterfeit is passed as the real thing. Two men can not express love the way a man and a woman can. It is a lie that men and women are interchangeable. The love of a man and a woman is fruitful; the love of two men or two women is sterile (I also maintain that contracepted sex is a lie, even in marriage).

I counter with a question. What's the harm in allowing a brother and sister to marry if they are not going to have kids?

My Health Business

I really thought that real estate investing was going to be the path for me, but I am so thankful that I chose a nutrition business. With results like these, we are doing our part to improve health care.

Unconstitutional

I suppose that I have diverted far afield of the Natural Family Life, but there won't be much of a natural family left if this unconstitutional power grab happens.

What I'm up to

Ok, three unrelated items to record for posterity:

I just watched Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog on Hulu. I think I adored it.

John C. Wright wrote a thorough explanation of non-religious arguments against homosexuality. I haven't read it all but I plan to.

With great sadness, I witness the end of Chocolate for Your Brain. May SherryTex move on towards more inspiration and sell a book sometime soon.

Beating around the Bushel

A book review of The GEO Principle by Tom Bengtson

I purchased this book after hearing the author speak about God in the workplace at a CCL Convention. As a budding entrepreneur, I've been striving for more meaning in my work than pushing papers across my desk and climbing the ladder at the expense of time with my family. I have been working, rather poorly, to incorporate God into my work life with various levels of success over the last 9 years of my career and this book is an excellent summary of many of the points that I discovered on that journey. It didn't offer any dazzling insight but it was a confidence boost that I'm on the right path. Most importantly for my development, it contains a list of actions and suggested readings which is very helpful. In the "self-improvement" and "career development" sections of my bookstore it is often difficult to separate the gold from the dross, so I tremendously appreciate a listing of books which do not insult my morals or my religion. I wish I had been handed this book at my college graduation; I might have saved much time and improved my faith by removing the bushel from my candle more often.

Head of the House

Jennifer at Conversion Diary has a great take on the whole "man as the head of the household" issue. It is great, of course, since it generally matches my own opinions and understanding of the issue. I am constantly amazed at the sparks that this issue brings up, even among people who are faithful to the teachings of the Church. I have to say that people of the more common, "everyone is exactly equal" opinion have ceased to amazed me and earn only the nod and smile response. I always feel they are just parroting back some idea that they have never actually processed like a kid in class who is just saying what the teacher expects.

Feisty old people

Man, I love the elderly. They totally rock. It's gonna be a great mid-term election.

Looks like Specter's gonna have great luck on the other side.

Marky Mark

The Catholic Church scores another Big Hit with the sacramental marriage of Mark Wahlberg.

Since it was Roman Catholic, it must have been an Italian Job!

A Healthy Business

I admit that this whole Reliv thing had gotten shoved to the back burner and almost forgotten about with the arrival of my son and preparing my house for the market. It's amazing how when I need a sign to continue, God provides one. I got an e-mail from an old contact who is interesting in buying from me since her old distributor is incommunicado. I am diligently following the ethical guidelines from Reliv to ensure that she travels up her line of sponsorship to find a distributor to work with her. It's good to know that other distributors would do this for me, if the roles were reversed. It's also good in the current health care "crisis" to be providing a solution.

NFP Week Round-up

Since I completely wiffed on NFP Week, I deciced to provide a round-up of the great posts by more diligent bloggers.

Chocolate for Your Brain - Sherry writes a touhcing post with a polite exchange in the comments

Inside Catholic - A very interesting read

And some others.

Eat It

From Yeoman Farmer, comes this great article on urban farming. I suppose that growing a significant portion of my own food is a dream that I will never realize, but it would be awesome to provide for for myself and my family while working from home as a small business.

Small business, local food.

Good Morning DSA!

Here is a clip from Good Morning America which has Tory Johnson talking about direct selling. After my nice paternity leave to adjust to my son, I have to say I'm much more motivated to work from home. Now, if only I can start turning that into action.

Families Support

I am dumbfounded by the gratuitous generosity of our family and friends. The freezer and fridge are stuffed with yummy meals. The promises of food and assistance extend well into the future. And our latest addition is going to be stylishly clad for the next three months.

Response to Friend One

Friend One, exported from a Facebook exchange on same-sex marriage, "Sorry for not being clear earlier. Of course we need rules, laws, and the like. The point I was trying to make was based on the assumption that gay marriage was legal. If we have equal rights, than I can choose whether or not to participate, I can choose to belong to groups who may or may not participate, and so on.

To be honest, my position is largely based on my own experience. I have several friends from the GLBT community. These are all people who are gay in the same way you and I are straight. It is not a choice for them. But it ends there -- beyond the fact that they desire a partner of the same gender, they are the same as you and I. They are not bad people. They are not committing a crime by being together. And in the example of my friends, having them marry would give us all so much more to celebrate. Why would we want to restrict their rights? Why would we go out of our way to change our laws to exclude this group of people from being able to marry? If any given Church decides not to recognize gay marriage, then they do not have to.

You made a point in one of our earlier discussions that incest and polygamy are illegal, so gay marriage should also be illegal. To me, that illustrates our difference in opinion. If you group gay marriage in with incest and polygamy, then unfortunately I do not know of a way to explain why it's different other than to just say "it's different.""

My Response:

I find it very interesting to assume that homosexual marriage is legal. The fact that a debate is occurring disproves that point. I would appreciate a definition of the "right" being restricted. I shall assume it is the right to marry the person I love, something which is already severely restricted in law. I can marry the person I love provided that person is: over the age of consent, not related to me closer than second cousin, and unmarried. Of course, I must be over the age of consent and unmarried as well.

Friend, your assertion, that I may join groups which choose to participate or not, is not one that is shared by the majority of the "same-sex marriage" movement. When the governor of New Hampshire said he would veto same-sex marriage legislation unless it included explicit protection for churches, he was ridiculed by the bill's proponent. When the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage was a right, the Catholic Charities adoption program was forced to close unless it placed children with same-sex couples in direct violation of Catholic teaching. I believe that you and I would both be indignant at the idea of a group discriminating against couples based on their inter-racial status, and the "same-sex marriage" movement is using all the same civil rights legal precedent to frame the issue. It follows, therefore, that organizations will be forced to accept same-sex marriage or be closed.

I have not called anyone a "bad person." No person is a bad person, however, their actions may be bad. I decry anorexia, not anorexics; drunkenness, not alcoholics. I was friendly with a priest while I was in high school, he was a nice guy. In my experience, he was a normal guy except that he was a attracted to adolescent boys. Why should their love be illegal? Wouldn't we have more to celebrate if they weren't forced into a closet? Clearly, I am not arguing to legalize pedophilia but my experience could have led me astray if I didn't know the truth.

"Why would we go out of our way to change our laws to exclude this group of people from being able to marry?" The fact that no reason is given, as to how same-sex marriage is different than polygamy or incest, exactly captures my concern. Why do we exclude anybody from marriage? Because marriage means something, something which began to be eroded by no-fault divorce and is further eroded by ignoring the difference in the sexes.

I have tried to present my response as best as I can, Friend. Thank you for the thoughtful exchange. I hope that we can continue in all civility.

Happy Fourth!

Since I won't be able to attend a TEA Party in person, I publish this link and offer my support to those who are fighting to keep my money in my pocket. I also pray that the fiscal conservatives will not abandon the social conservatives in the next election, like they did in the last one. I also pray that fiscal conservatives will not abandon their principles in office, like President George W. Bush did.

I'm TEA'd, too!

I've been busy

Dear Reader, thank you for your persistence in reading my work. I do certainly enjoy it. I've been a little preoccupied as of late so posts may be spaced even further apart than usual. I shall return soon, after all, I apparently have a troll to feed.

Out of the Park

David Warren does it again. He penned an amazingly concise article on feminism and fatherhood, with reference to some books that I am extremely interested in reading. Back to my duties, as overheard at a very special wedding Mass this weekend, to love and serve my wife. Until death.

How to be a Family

Jen over at Conversion Diary has a spectacular article on how to survive the years of small children. I hope that I can take it all to heart. I will especially comment on the support network. Fortunately, I found a job near my boyhood home so we have been blessed to live near many of my friends and family. We have even encouraged other friends and family to move to the area! This is simply the biggest help imaginable at an amazingly affordable price. Having family and friends who help with the kiddos, in exchange for returning the favor and paying for take-out, is a great example of subsidiarity. Well, except for the take-out.

More on The Issue

Homosexuals were born that way, no wait, ignore our previous statements. Retractions like this, or more appropriately, the original unfounded assertion, make me sad about the current state of psychology. If scientists aren't dedicated to the truth, who can be?

Still true

This is a nice summary article on what Gandhi, Freud, and Pope Paul VI have to say about contraception. And I thought Freud said nothing redeeming.

Hobbyists rule

Only in the USA could three grown men have enough time and money to develop something like this. I wish they could get into MOMA.

Tried a Response

Well, I finally tried to formulate a concise response as to why "same-sex marriage" should not be legal. I posted it in response to the Facebook poll which has been floating around for a few days. Here's hoping that the Tolerance Gestapo don't hunt me down and silence me for further defining a natural family life.

"Marriage is for children. Children have the right to be raised with a mother and a father who spend their whole life together raising their children in a loving environment. Biology clearly indicates that only a man and woman can create new life and that children are not fully, mentally developed until well into their 20s. Society provides benefits to marriage so that there is incentive to sacrifice for the next generation who need much guidance to reach maturity. Hopefully, they will have a chance to make it there."

Facebook failed to post it the first time I clicked. Interesting.

Idolatry is gross

I'm going to have to keep this site in mind.

How to cut your taxes, English

This article is awesome and it shows me how to finally avoid the entitlement taxes which will give me nothing in return.

Casual Dating

Dr. Gregory Popcak mentioned the dating hierarchy in his most recent Family Foundations article and it conveniently matched the one which I discovered in college: casual dating, exclusive dating, engagement, and marriage. It seemed eminently logical to me, once I started thinking things through instead of following what felt good.

I loved casual dating a lot. Hanging out with a girl with no commitment to future dates, just a chance to get to know a fellow human being, was a great experience to develop important marriage skills like friendship, communication, and listening. The girls I dated seemed to react to this in odd ways. One treated it like an interview and started firing questions. Another was almost mute as if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can only guess that they assumed I would try to get myself invited to their rooms or something. Dates ending at the door to the dorm are the best for personal growth. Friendships can develop and last beyond these dates.

Exclusive dating was awesome once it followed the previous step. It indicated an increasing commitment to one woman. In the past when I jumped right to this step, it was forced and fake, as if I were acting a part. Once it followed casual dating, the work of breaking off ties to casual dates further emphasized the commitment to one woman.

Engagement was the most confusing since there were certain traditions to follow for the proposal but nothing besides Pre-Cana and wedding planning beyond that day. Fortunately, I was bright enough to realize that I better make this future marriage work and devoured relationship books by Gary Smiley and John Grey. I wish I'd known about Dr. Popcak back then.

Marriage at the end of this chain was spectacular because I spent years committing myself to it. It was a culmination of practice, study, and ultimately sacrament, since the grace of the Lord flowed into me to further perfect my love so that I can make a better gift of myself to my bride.

Thanks for the support Dr. Popcak.

Primary Search

I found out that the PA primaries were to occur on Tuesday at 11pm the night before. A twenty minute web search got me all of the state-wide information, and the endorsements. At least the information is making it to the web and becoming more accessible.

When I got to the polls, I was number 98 for the day at 1pm. That is a sad turn-out. I'm betting I could get myself elected next year. Watch out Jury Commissioner!

The Blogger Who Wasn't There

This story demonstrates yet another reason why I distrust the traditional media. However I completely trust blogs. I take that back, I trust blogs as much as I trust people. I try to assess their character and I take to heart exactly as much as I assess to be true. However, the 24 hours news cycle and the need for sensationalism to draw crowds and sell advertising have corrupted much of the free press, not to mention the regurgitation of AP stories making the news totally homogeneous and uninformative. I'm hoping that the success of smaller local papers, like The Bulletin, will lead the future. I think it might, if the government doesn't "bail out" newspapers. Hmmm.... the government spending scads of money and getting control over some portion of the press. I wonder if there would be an uproar if a Republican President tried to pull that off?

Nah, I must be a right-wing conspiracy theorist. If I exist at all! Wuuuaahhhhaaaahhaaaa!

"Is this your first?"

We've been getting that question a lot lately since we've been privileged to attend a few social events without the kids. The reactions to our answer exactly characterize the difficulties that the pro-life movement faces. Everyone has been bright and smiley while asking the question, but as soon as we say, "No we have two at home," their faces drop faster than the market after a stimulus package. We've even been treated to marital disputes, "I want another but my husband says no way." I'm expecting someone from the Voluntary Extinction Movement to club me over the head next time.

I'm starting to grasp the snarky responses that big families have built up over the years. Perhaps I am not ready to be a good witness to the Gospel of Life, but so far I have refrained from saying, "No. Now where did I leave those other kids?" so maybe there is hope for me yet.

Featured Author

Ellen Hrkach has been interviewed at Time with Tannia and covers lots of my favorite topics: NFP, books, entrepreneurship, and marriage. Maybe one day she can guide me through writing a novel, especially if I keep buttering her up with free links and reviews and advertising...

Subsidiarity in Practice

I hope to dwell more on this topic as I consider small businesses, the economy, and Catholicism. Actually, I better read more about the topic before I open my yap. But here is a Sardonic Catholic Dad with less compunction.

Conveniently, here is the Curt Jester with some actual research on sudsidiarity. It is my sincere prayer that this idea be embraced by all members of society and we get back to doing the work that needs to be done, instead of buying the Homer Simpson campaign promise, "Can't someone else do it?"

At Least I Can Advertise

I just realized that I haven't posted for almost two weeks, sorry for that, dear reader. Now that I am posting, I only have a few minutes to get out the word about the King of Prussia 10 Miler. My parish is sponsoring a ten mile race through King of Prussia. It is a challenging course, since King of Prussia is almost as hilly as Manayunk. The Knights will be there to support it, and my business will be there to sponsor it. So come and run or, if your are in shape like me, walk the 1 mile fun run or the 5K but whatever you do, please visit the sponsors who make the day a success!