Is the US a Christian Nation?

I know I haven't written here in a while, but this post is way too long for me to post to my Facebook without my friends getting upset at me.

So, to begin with: An article was posted on WND yesterday, which one of my cousins posted the link to on Facebook. I then posted it to my page. In the article, some people claiming to be Democrats, who obviously don't hold to the tenets of their party, told a group of children, their parents, and their teachers that they will all "burn in hell" for having the children sing "God Bless the USA". They said, "The kids don't know what they're singing!" "You Republicans come go to a Republican area and do that, we don’t do that here!" The protestors were bordering on religious and political bigotry, promoting segregation, and inferring that parents and teachers have no right to teach children about the roots of their country, religion, or religious tolerance.

What I posted was, "Yes, the kids DO know what they're singing. No, they don't have to go somewhere else to sing that song, it's a free country, we have freedom of religion and politics - not freedom from! Telling kids, parents, and teachers that they're going to burn in hell for singing a song about blessing our country is seriously un-American. Less than 10 years ago, everyone was singing this song. Suddenly it's damnable to do so? What changed? I'm sure some schools still sing this song, along with God Bless America, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, America the Beautiful, We Shall Overcome, etc."

One friend of mine posted something about this being a Christian nation, and another posted a link to this CNN opinion piece stating that we are not so.

Here is my rebuttal:
There is no official religion, and the United States was not founded upon the Christian religion, or, rather, no specific Christian religion, but we were founded upon the principles of many different Christian religions, and our country has Christianity in her roots. I believe Zorach v. Clauson and Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, both Supreme Court cases, establish as much.

If you read the letter by the Danbury Baptists, which Thomas Jefferson was responding to when he wrote of it, the Wall of Separation is about keeping the State out of the Church, not the Church out of the State. The law keeping the Church out of the State, didn't come into play until 1954, when the Johnson Amendment was added to the federal tax code by then-Senator, later-President Lyndon B. Johnson to keep a couple of non-profit groups in Texas from talking about the fact that he had dealings with the Communist Party. The Johnson Amendment actually restricts the political speech of both churches and non-profits, which includes Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood just paid $1.4 million to aid in Obama's campaign, and no one is saying anything - not even the right-wingers.

The Treaty of Tripoli was signed to convince the Barbary pirates to release the American sailors they were holding hostage and selling into slavery, and to keep from going to war with them. The pirates then broke that treaty a few years later, and we descended into war with them (although that's not one that gets covered by high school history classes). There were several treaties, and all were broken. Therefore, it really doesn't actually have much to do with whether we're a Christian nation or not.

President George Washington stated in his Farewell Address, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens." On June 14, 1973, he wrote to the Governers of every state, "I now make it my earnest prayer that God...would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of Whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation."

President John Adams, our second president (the one before Thomas Jefferson), was the one who established the National Day of Prayer. He also wrote to Thomas Jefferson, "The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their address, or by me in my answer. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.
"Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System."

Even the Library of Congress states that this is a religious nation, that we were founded upon the principles of non-denominational, non-polemic Christianity, even establishing days of prayer, sponsoring the publication of a Bible, and imposing Christian morals on the armed forces.

Given all of this, the word of the L of C, the words of our founders, and the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States, it seems evident that we are a religious nation founded upon Christian principles.

As for the song, it does not say "Christ bless the USA" but "God bless the USA". Being that we are obviously a religious nation, the song should be allowed, because it just says "God", and doesn't specify any term other than that. Meaning, it doesn't specify a religion, and, therefore, Separation of Church and State does not apply, because it doesn't make mention of any specific religion, and the title God can be a general term for any deity.

Pro-Life: The Ultimate in Spiritual Warfare

In honor of the season premiere of Paranormal State tonight, and 40 Days for Life this month, I would like to bring up this topic.

I'm an empath, and I have the Spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. I feel what others feel, and I feel what they don't. I sense spirits. Spirits come to me for help. Although I can't usually hear them or see them the way I hear and see fully physical people, I can feel what they need from me. Non-human entities, a.k.a. demons, threaten me for this.

I have studied the paranormal my entire life, only learning spiritual warfare within the past few years. Before that, I had no clue on how to deal with my gifts. Learning to deal with my gifts has helped me a lot, and helped me to better discern.

That said, every day is a spiritual battle, not just for me, but for all of us. Spiritual activity surrounds us in all that we do. Why do you think sin is so rampant? Demons whisper in the ears of us all, keeping us from Christ. We have to learn to fight them. We have to learn to live for Christ, and not let anything or anyone get in the way of our relationship with God.

Demons do not like that we live, or protect the lives of others. Abortion is not only a sacrifice to idols, but to demons. Anytime someone worships something/someone other than God, they are worshiping demons. Anything that goes against God is something that the devil rejoices in.

Since becoming active in the pro-life community, I have noticed the spiritual activity surrounding the debate. The angels and saints surround the side for life, and demons surround the side for the so-called "choice" for abortion. Yes, there are some people on the side for life who have been taken by the devil, such as whenever there is a shooting or some other sort of violence, or when people start screaming at others, calling names, etc. However, I can tell you that I sense the evil one wherever someone is fighting for abortion. He has the advantage when a human being takes the life of another human being.

Therefore, let us follow what St. Paul tells us in Ephesians, chapter 6 (paraphrased): Let us draw our strength from the Lord and from His mighty power. Let us put on the armor of God so that we may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil, that we may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold our ground. Let us stand fast with our loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and our feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, let us hold faith as a shield, to quench all flaming arrows of the evil one. Let us take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, let us pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, let us be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones, for ourselves, and for each other, that speech may be given us to open our mouths, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which we are ambassadors in chains, so that we may have the courage to speak as we must.

We need to pray, pray, pray! Ask Mother Mary, St. Michael, and St. Benedict for help in this fight.

I wear the St. Michael, St. Benedict, and Miraculous medals to protect myself (I also have the Infant of Prague/Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Dymphna medals. The first was a gift from Heaven (I found it in my mom's car, and she said she didn't know where it came from, but that I should wear it), and the second was a gift from a friend to help with my depression and anxiety). For protection, and to help me fight for God and do God's work, I try to pray the rosary every night, and have been told to pray St. Patrick's prayer The Deer's Cry, and the St. Michael prayer in Latin. While I do miss some nights (okay, a lot of nights - no one is perfect), I really need to make this an every day ritual.

Anyway, every day is a spiritual battle. Let's not lose focus. Let's fight for God, and all that He stands for. Let's stand for, and fight for life!

The Bible on Abortion - Part Deux

Here are a few other passages of the Bible which condemn abortion. Note that most Bibles will use the word "hell" instead of "Gehenna". However, there are other forms of "hell" that are used in the Bible, not all of them being a deadly, fiery, abortive hell, so I used The New American Bible, which specifies the type of hell, using the word Gehenna, or Hinnom, where needed.

The Book of Leviticus, chapter 20, "1 The LORD said to Moses, '2 Tell the Israelites: Anyone, whether an Israelite or an alien residing in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall be put to death. Let his fellow citizens stone him. 3 I myself will turn against such a man and cut him off from the body of his people; for in giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 Even if his fellow citizens connive at such a man's crime of giving his offspring to Molech, and fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who join him in his wanton worship of Molech.'"

The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 12, "29 When the LORD, your God, removes the nations from your way as you advance to dispossess them, be on your guard! Otherwise, once they have been wiped out before you and you have replaced them and are settled in their land, 30 you will be lured into following them. Do not inquire regarding their gods, 'How did these nations worship their gods? I, too, would do the same.' 31 You shall not thus worship the LORD, your God, because they offered to their gods every abomination that the LORD detests, even burning their sons and daughters to their gods."

The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, "9 When you come into the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of the peoples there. 10 Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, 11 or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. 12 Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is driving these nations out of your way."

The 2nd Book of Kings, chapter 17, "16 They disregarded all the commandments of the LORD, their God, and made for themselves two molten calves; they also made a sacred pole and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 They immolated their sons and daughters by fire, practiced fortune-telling and divination, and sold themselves into evil doing in the LORD'S sight, provoking him 18 till, in his great anger against Israel, the LORD put them away out of his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left."

The 2nd Book of Kings, chapter 23:10, "The king also defiled Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, so that there would no longer be an immolation of sons or daughters by fire in honor of Molech."

The 2nd Book of Chronicles, 28:3, "Moreover, he offered sacrifice in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, and immolated his sons by fire according to the abominable practice of the nations which the LORD had cleared out before the Israelites."

The 2nd Book of Chronicles, chapter 33, "1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down, erected altars for the Baals, made sacred poles, and prostrated himself before the whole host of heaven and worshiped them... 6 It was he, too, who immolated his sons by fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced augury, divination and magic, and appointed necromancers and diviners of spirits, so that he provoked the LORD with the great evil that he did in his sight."

The Book of Psalms, chapter 106, "34 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, 35 But mingled with the nations and imitated their ways. 36 They worshiped their idols and were ensnared by them. 37 They sacrificed to the gods their own sons and daughters, 38 Shedding innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, desecrating the land with bloodshed."

The Book of Jeremiah, chapter 7, "30 The people of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes, says the LORD. They have defiled the house which bears my name by setting up in it their abominable idols. 31 In the Valley of Ben-hinnom they have built the high place of Topheth to immolate in fire their sons and their daughters, such a thing as I never commanded or had in mind. 32 Therefore, beware! days will come, says the LORD, when Topheth and the Valley of Ben-hinnom will no longer be called such, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. For lack of space, Topheth will be a burial place."

The Book of Jeremiah, 32:35, "They built high places to Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, and immolated their sons and daughters to Molech, bringing sin upon Judah; this I never commanded them, nor did it even enter My mind that they should practice such abominations."

The Book of Ezekiel, chapter 16, "20 The sons and daughters you had borne me you took and offered as sacrifices to be devoured by them! Was it not enough that you had become a harlot? 21 You slaughtered and immolated my children to them, making them pass through fire. 22 And through all your abominations and harlotries you remembered nothing of when you were a girl, stark naked and weltering in your blood. 23 Then after all your evildoing--woe, woe to you! says the Lord GOD."
Note: whenever the word "woe" is used in the Bible, it's a curse. The fact that it's used twice in this passage means it's multiplied by 2.

The Book of Ezekiel, chapter 20, "30 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers? Will you lust after their detestable idols? 31 By offering your gifts, by making your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I let myself be consulted by you, house of Israel? As I live! says the Lord GOD: I swear I will not let myself be consulted by you."

The Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 18:
1 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in My name receives Me.
6 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.
10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

Note that in this passage from St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is holding a child, and talking about sin. Then He mentions that those who sin against children will be, themselves, thrown into the fire of Gehenna, which as I mentioned in the previous writing on this topic, is ALWAYS code for abortion in the Bible. In other words, He is saying that if you cause abortion, you will be aborted.

And people say that there is no violence or destruction in the New Testament. Ha!

In my previous post on this subject, I mentioned the Gospel of St. Luke chapter 1. Here's the entire passage from the Douay-Rheims Bible, "41 And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy."

The word used twice in there for "infant" is the Greek word brephos. In the passage above, it is used to describe an unborn child. However, it is used also in chapter 2, when the angel is proclaiming the joyful news to the shepherds that Christ has been born, and when the shepherds see Jesus lying in the manger. "11 For, this day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." "16 And they came with haste: and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger." So, the word for infant in the Gospel of St. Luke, brephos, can be used to mean both a born and unborn child. Meaning, you can't distinguish the two! An unborn child is the same as a born child! St. Luke knew this!

The previously mentioned passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 18, has a parallel in the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 18, where he again uses the word brephos to describe the children, "15 And they brought unto him also infants, that He might touch them. Which when the disciples saw, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to Me and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Amen, I say to you: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child shall not enter into it."

You can't be Christian and not be pro-life! It just does not work that way. It cannot work that way! Those who are not pro-life are just kidding themselves. Either that, or they haven't studied their Bible - at least not very well.

The Catholic Church and the Death Penalty

Here is what the Roman Catholic Church has to say, officially and not taken out of context, complete with footnotes, about the death penalty:

Legitimate defense
2263 The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional killing. "The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the preservation of one's own life; and the killing of the aggressor. . . . The one is intended, the other is not."65

65 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,64,7, corp. art. (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3064.htm – see Article 7)

2264 Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow:
If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful. . . . Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one's own life than of another's.66

66 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,64,7, corp. art. (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3064.htm – see Article 7)

2265 Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.

2266 The efforts of the state to curb the spread of behavior harmful to people's rights and to the basic rules of civil society correspond to the requirement of safeguarding the common good. Legitimate public authority has the right and duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense. Punishment has the primary aim of redressing the disorder introduced by the offense. When it is willingly accepted by the guilty party, it assumes the value of expiation. Punishment then, in addition to defending public order and protecting people's safety, has a medicinal purpose: as far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party.67

67 Cf. Lk 23:40-43.

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically nonexistent."68

68 John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 56. 69 Cf. Gen 4:10


Cross-References:
2263
1737 An effect can be tolerated without being willed by its agent; for instance, a mother's exhaustion from tending her sick child. A bad effect is not imputable if it was not willed either as an end or as a means of an action, e.g., a death a person incurs in aiding someone in danger. For a bad effect to be imputable it must be foreseeable and the agent must have the possibility of avoiding it, as in the case of manslaughter caused by a drunken driver.

2265
2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.45

[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners. . . . They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws. . . . So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.46
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."47

45 Rom 13:7.
46 Ad Diognetum 5,5 and 10; 6,10:PG 2,1173 and 1176.
PG: J.P. Migne, ed., Patroligia Greaca (Paris, 1867-1866)
47 1 Tim 2:2.

2266
2308 All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.
However, "as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed."106
106 GS 79 § 4.
GS: Gaudium et spes

1897"Human society can be neither well-ordered nor prosperous unless it has some people invested with legitimate authority to preserve its institutions and to devote themselves as far as is necessary to work and care for the good of all."15
By "authority" one means the quality by virtue of which persons or institutions make laws and give orders to men and expect obedience from them.

15 John XXIII, PT 46.
PT: Pacem in terris

2234 God's fourth commandment also enjoins us to honor all who for our good have received authority in society from God. It clarifies the duties of those who exercise authority as well as those who benefit from it.

1898 Every human community needs an authority to govern it.16 The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. It is necessary for the unity of the state. Its role is to ensure as far as possible the common good of the society.

16 Cf. Leo XIII, Immortale Dei; Diuturnum illud.

2267
2306 Those who renounce violence and bloodshed and, in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death.104
104 Cf. GS 78 § 5.


Footnotes:
John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 56, 69
56. This is the context in which to place the problem of the death penalty. On this matter there is a growing tendency, both in the Church and in civil society, to demand that it be applied in a very limited way or even that it be abolished completely. The problem must be viewed in the context of a system of penal justice ever more in line with human dignity and thus, in the end, with God's plan for man and society. The primary purpose of the punishment which society inflicts is "to redress the disorder caused by the offense".46 Public authority must redress the violation of personal and social rights by imposing on the offender an adequate punishment for the crime, as a condition for the offender to regain the exercise of his or her freedom. In this way authority also fulfills the purpose of defending public order and ensuring people's safety, while at the same time offering the offender an incentive and help to change his or her behaviour and be rehabilitated. 47

It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

In any event, the principle set forth in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church remains valid: "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority must limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person".48

69. In any case, in the democratic culture of our time it is commonly held that the legal system of any society should limit itself to taking account of and accepting the convictions of the majority. It should therefore be based solely upon what the majority itself considers moral and actually practises. Furthermore, if it is believed that an objective truth shared by all is de facto unattainable, then respect for the freedom of the citizens-who in a democratic system are considered the true rulers-would require that on the legislative level the autonomy of individual consciences be acknowledged. Consequently, when establishing those norms which are absolutely necessary for social coexistence, the only determining factor should be the will of the majority, whatever this may be. Hence every politician, in his or her activity, should clearly separate the realm of private conscience from that of public conduct.

As a result we have what appear to be two diametrically opposed tendencies. On the one hand, individuals claim for themselves in the moral sphere the most complete freedom of choice and demand that the State should not adopt or impose any ethical position but limit itself to guaranteeing maximum space for the freedom of each individual, with the sole limitation of not infringing on the freedom and rights of any other citizen. On the other hand, it is held that, in the exercise of public and professional duties, respect for other people's freedom of choice requires that each one should set aside his or her own convictions in order to satisfy every demand of the citizens which is recognized and guaranteed by law; in carrying out one's duties the only moral criterion should be what is laid down by the law itself. Individual responsibility is thus turned over to the civil law, with a renouncing of personal conscience, at least in the public sphere.

46 Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2266. 
47 Cf. ibid.
48 Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2267.

The Bible on Abortion

I'm so sick of reading comments on other pages by these self-righteous jerks who think that the Bible is silent on abortion. They obviously haven't done their research, and have, at best, skimmed through the Bible.

The Bible is very clear on abortion: No way, no how. It is an abomination. It is a grave sin. We are all God's children. We have no right to take the life of another, even if that other is still growing in her or his mother's womb.

God knew us before He formed us in our mothers' wombs, "Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5. I've heard some people say that this passage is about a prophet, so it is a special case. Well, first off, how do you know that the child you're carrying is not going to be a prophet? In fact, we are all baptized priest, prophet, and king. To say that this verse is about an extraordinary person is doubting the greatness God has destined in each of us.

Everyone has a soul from the time of conception. Psalms 51:5 says, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." You can't be sinful if you don't have a soul. The Letter of James reminds us that, "...the body without the spirit is dead," (James 2:26). Being that an embryo must be living because she/he is growing, means that she/he is living, which means that she/he has a spirit!

"And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb... 'For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.'" Luke 1:41,44. How could St. John the Baptist recognize The Lord if he was not a conscious being? Yes, all creation bows before the Lord. Yes, St. John the Baptist was a prophet. Does that make this a special circumstance? Other than the recognition of the Lord, no.

Onto a darker topic: Hell. Well, Gehenna. In the Valley of Hinnom, there was a group of people, the Ammonites, who sacrificed to their god, Moloch/Baal. This sacrifice was of both born and unborn children. They were taken from their mothers' wombs, cut open, their blood drained, and then their bodies burnt. Any time these things are brought up in the Bible, it is referring directly to abortion and infanticide.

Gehenna is first mentioned in the book of Joshua, but does not have the meaning it does until it is mentioned again in 1 Kings, chapter 11.

However, Moloch is first referred to in Leviticus, 18:21: "You shall not give any of your seed to be consecrated to the idol Moloch, nor defile the name of your God. I am the Lord." This is directly correlating to the type of sacrifice that Moloch is given by the Ammonites in the Bible. Here, "seed" does not hold the meaning it does elsewhere in the Book of Leviticus, but means "offspring". It defiles the name of the Lord to give such a sacrifice.

"Thus saith the Lord: For three crimes of the children of Ammon, and for four I will not convert him: because he hath ripped up the women with child of Galaad to enlarge his border." Amos 1:13. This vivid description of the sacrifices given to Moloch in Valley of Hinnom parallels today's description of abortion. It is a brutal sacrifice to an idol, and is a grave sin.

I will add more later, but this is just a basic note on how the Bible is AGAINST abortion. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar and blasphemer.

Independence

We just got done with Independence Day in the US. Patriotism for the country I live in. Well, I also have patriotism for countries which my family has come from (except britain).

I just was on Live Action Films' blog, and found that on their most recent blog post, someone had the gall to say that Youth Defence, a sister pro-life organization in Ireland, has been "discredited". The ONLY bad things I've ever heard said about YD is people calling them "fascist" and other unsuitable terms for being pro-life, Catholic, and Irish.

Youth Defence is not fascist. The people who call them this are pro-abort, anti-Catholic, anti-children, loyalist snobs. Youth Defence is about fighting for the right to live.

I'm a unionist/nationalist. I am Catholic and politically moderate. Being that I'm Catholic, I'm pro-life. If I lived in Ireland, I would be part of the Sinn Féin party.

I believe in life, liberty, and happiness for all! I fight for the right to believe, I fight for the right to live, I fight for the right of a people to govern themselves, to be free from tyranny and oppression. That's what being Irish and American is all about! Being free and standing up and fighting for what you believe in!

I can't wait until Ireland is finally free. Then there will be two Independence Days to celebrate.

Live Action Films: Rosa Acuna Project, video 2

A video released today by Live Action Films continues their Rosa Acuna Project in that project's second video. The Rosa Acuna Project is exposing the lies that Planned Parenthood purpetrates through it's counselers. The advice and information given is medically and scientifically inaccurate and completely misleading. Exposing these lies is something Live Action Films works to get into the public eye to stop this monstrosity of a company which has taken over our world. They give these lies to everyone at the clinics, at PP events, at public events, and in schools - grammar schools, high schools, colleges, and universities.

On September 9, 2009, Live Action Films went undercover into a Milwaukee, WI Planned Parenthood clinic, hoping to catch the liars in the act. Guess what? They did. Getting a pregnancy test, the undercover girls posing as a pregnant woman named Sara and her friend went for a "counseling" session for information on abortion.

After getting the positive results to the test, Sara asked, "So what comes out?" The counseler answered, "Well, you'd miscarry at home, so the entire - whatever fetal matter is there."

First lie exposed: "Fetal matter."
Before 9 weeks gestation, the child is an embryo, not a fetus. Therefore, the term "fetal matter" is incorrect.

Then Sara asked, "So you see the baby?" The counselor answered, "There's not a baby at this point. You wouldn't be able to identify any of the parts of the fetus whatsoever."

Second lie exposed: "There's not a baby at this point."
A zygote, embryo, and fetus are all classified under the term "baby". A little semantics and science lesson for you all:
Baby means "young child".
Child means "any person or thing regarded as the product or result of particular agencies, influences, etc.," as well as, "a human fetus," and, "an unborn or recently born person."
A zygote, which becomes an embryo, which later becomes a fetus, is the product of sexual intercourse.
A person is a human being.
Louis Pasteur's Law of Biogenesis says that a species can only procreate after it's own kind.
In other words, a zygote, embryo, or fetus of humans is also human.
Therefore, a zygote, embryo, and fetus can all be categorized as, "An unborn or recently born person," which defines them as a child. Since they are at a young stage of childhood, they can be categorized as a baby.

Sara asked, "What's a fetus?" The counseler answered, "The fetus is the developing embryo inside of you. But at this point, there's nothing developed at all. There's no legs, no arms, no head, no brain, no heart. At this point it's just the embryo inside of you."

Third lie exposed: "There's no legs, no arms, no head, no brain, no heart."
The video shows the image of a seven week old embryo, which has legs, arms, and a head, and any medical text book can tell you that there is a brain and a heart.

Then the video shows a quote from Abby Johnson, a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas. She said, "They are really trying to increase their abortion numbers, because that is the most lucrative part of their business." Earlier in the video, they reported that the Wisconsin state government provides $5 million to Planned Parenthood every year.

The counseler then explained that, "You know, there's midnight feedings, diapers, money. I mean, the state can help you with insurance, but after that babies do cost a lot and right now the economy's pretty bad, so -" Sara's friend said, "It's expensive to have a baby?" The counseler answered, "Mmhm." Sara said, "Yeah, I don't have a job or anything," to which the counselor answered, "Yeah, if you don't feel financially stable or you don't feel emotionally ready to have a baby, then I would go with abortion. But if you feel you can wing it, and do it, and you want to continue with the pregnancy, that's something you'd really have to think about, you know. And as soon as you have your decision, that's when you call the clinic and let them know."

Fourth lie exposed: "The state can help you with insurance, but after that babies do cost a lot."
Telling women this is a scare tactic. There are crisis pregnancy centers that help women with the financial burden of having children. They provide them with food, shelter, clothing, baby items, education, job training, medical, etc. Not referring to these services for these sort of things is wrong for PP to do.
Fifth lie exposed: "That's when you call the clinic and let them know."
This is hinting that the girl should have an abortion. You don't call the clinic to tell them you're going to have the child. Calling the clinic means setting up an appointment to get an abortion.

The counseler continued, "There's adoption available, there's abortion, or continuing the pregnancy - continuing the responsibility. And what I say to people that are against abortion I say you know, are you willing to take in all these aborted children and raise them yourself? You know, that's a burden that somebody's financially responsible for and you're raising another person for 18 years."

Sixth lie exposed: There are more couples looking to adopt babies than are available for adoption each year. Live Action Films points out that the Center for Disease Control states that about 555,000 couples try to adopt each year, and the National Council for Adoption states that only about 22,000 babies are adopted.

The counseler continued, "The earlier you make the decision, the better, you know. It won't stress you out as much, and it won't cause any, you know - and it actually does affect the price of the procedure, too. It's cheaper the earlier along you are. But I mean, the matter - I know that the commercials, and the pictures, and everything that are out there are just, like, horrible, and they make it out to be this terrible thing, like we're throwing babies out the back door into the dumpster. It's nothing like that."

Live Action Films then placed on the screen, "Instead, the bloody parts are dumped in a bin and trucked away." So that's lie number seven exposed.

The counseler continued, "It's uh - it's a real quick procedure and women are early enough along that there is no real - real, um - fetal matter. It's not like arms and legs and, you know - it's not. It's just embryos."

This is a repeat of lie number three.

So, seven lies, seven "you know"s (she really needs to take a speech class), and a LOT of misinformation, given out to millions of people. This is an international organization which has infiltrated governments, churches, hospitals, the media, and schools. It's time we put a stop to them. I'm glad Live Action Films is around to expose the lies.