Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The transgender agenda in elementary school

Yet another reason to homeschool and keep the government out of your children's mind.


Do you remember the kid from the movie Kindergarten Cop?  He knew what boys and girls have.


Parents Must be Vigilant in all Schools and in all States! Watch this:

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Bikes, Birthdays, Bookcases, and scars

The Boy came to me and said, "Dad, I can balance, you take off my wheels?"  Non-stop ever since.

Whats been going on lately.  Finished the bookcase - finally, the Boy turned 5, the Boy learned how to ride his bike without training wheels, and I cut my arm and needed 9 stitches.
Turnin 5

It only took 6 months.

Finally, they have a home to go to.  Now just to organize.

Scars.  Its a Jeep thing.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

More on "Safe Enviroment" - Bishops to Vote on Revision of Charter at June Meeting in Seattle




This should be the time for revisions to many of the so-called "safe environment" programs for children. Revisions that would bring the "Charter" into line with the Church document: "The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality"!

 

Bishops to Vote on Revision of Charter at June Meeting in Seattle

WASHINGTON (May 24, 2011)—The U.S. bishops will vote on revisions of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People at their meeting in Seattle, June 15-17.
           
The Charter was adopted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 in response to the crisis of sexual abuse of minors by clerics. It was revised previously in 2005. 
           
The proposed revisions would bring the Charter into line with the most recent Vatican instructions in this area, including specifically mentioning child pornography as a crime against church law and holding that abuse of someone who habitually lacks reason, for example, someone with mental retardation, is equivalent to child abuse.
           
The Charter guides the handling of allegations of abuse and is accompanied by the Essential Norms, Vatican-approved norms for the United States.
           
The Spring General Assembly of U.S. bishops will be held at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Hotel in Seattle. The meeting will begin with Mass at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 15.
           
The bishops also will debate and vote on a document on physician assisted suicide called "To Live Each Day With Dignity." The agenda also includes a presentation on the Defense of Marriage efforts of the USCCB, including a Spanish-language video,  and a report by Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington on Anglicanorum coetibus, the Vatican guideline for allowing communities of Anglicans to enter into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. The bishops also will vote on two liturgical items pertaining to the Spanish translation of the USA Propers and Adaptations to the Roman Missal, Third Edition, and the inclusion of a collection of Mass prayers for major patronal feasts from Spanish-speaking countries.
             
Coverage of the meeting is open to credentialed media. Sessions open to the media will be Wednesday, June 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time and Thursday, June 16, until 10:30 a.m. Pacific time. There will be media conferences after all open sessions. Reporters seeking to cover the meeting can download a credential application form at www.usccb.org/comm/credentialform.pdf and submit it by June 3, by fax to (202) 541-3173, or mail to:
June Meeting Credentials
Office of Media Relations
3211 4th St. NE
Washington, DC 20017-1194
---
Keywords: Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, child pornography, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, U.S. Bishops, Essential Norms, assisted suicide, Anglicans

# # # # #

 

HT Catholic Parents Online

Corrupt Icons?

Found this while on Defend us in Battle's Blog.  May have to check into this more, I was considering buying some of their work - will have to reseacrh more.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

We will no longer use or post "Monastery Icons"

I am almost ashamed that I have never heard about this before, and that I have continually used icons by the company: "Monastery Icons." They apparently have some rather suspect beginnings and are really not Christian.

Here is info from the
Orthodox Christian Info Center:
The following comments concern a business called Monastery Icons (http://www.monasteryicons.com). This company offers "icons" and other religious content that has a veneer of Orthdooxy, but which in fact is associated with Hinduism. Their products are spirituallly dangerous, and so Fr. Anthony Nelson, a Priest in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, sent me these remarks.

They have one “iconographer” there who paints all their pictures (please, not icons). All are “blessed” with one of their occult rituals before being shipped, and they support themselves to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars per year selling the demonic things. Many Roman Catholic bookstores sell them but, happily, most Orthodox sellers of religious items have discovered who and what they are and no longer do business with them.

Please don’t buy their pictures—they are spiritually very dangerous.
+ + +
The following additional information was found on the Catholic Answers forum. Links are omitted because they would improve Google search engine rankings.

“Some books by the abbot of Light of Christ Monastery.

Magnetic Therapy: Healing in Your Hands
An Eagle’s Flight: Autobiography of a Gnostic Orthodox Christian
An excerpt from the above book can be read here: http://www.kalimandir.org/library/l...em=07_imeet.xml
There is a conversation with the Abbot (audio) available here: http://www.aaple.com/bookstore/
“A quote from this conversation:

“Abbot George is the founder and guiding spiritual source for the Light of Christ Monastery in Borrego Springs, Ca. He and Dr. Netherton sat together to discuss the Abbot’s views and beliefs with regards to the many faiths and religions that exist on the planet today. Abbot George is widely held to be one of the leading authorities on theology, philosophy, and spiritual constructs in today’s spiritual community. Among other dynamics, he discusses reincarnation as an established fact within the Christian faith and the presence of spiritual guidance as defined by the teachings of St. Thomas, one of the founders of the eastern Christian churches. His knowledge is extensive and deep and his presentation is inspiring.”

Another person sent me the following information about the alleged connection with ashram:

“My guess is that the folks selling the so-called “icons” don’t really want to advertise the connection between that and the ashram, for understandable business reasons. When I posted about the group at http://catholiclight.org, a reader explained that the “icon” biz had been taken over by a supporter in Ohio.

“At a Hindu forum, a member says he found out about the sect’s name change from “Abbot” Burke himself: http://p203.ezboard.com/fsrfwalrusfrm33.showMessageRange?topicid=50.topic&start=21&stop=40 (see bottom of page, a post dated 4/9/04).”

Please respect this decision, and please consider yourself the idea of not using these icons even in online postings. Icons are very spiritual items. They are not paintings, they are not painted or drawn. Icons are written, and just like the written word, the written image should explain and convey the Sacred and Holy. When something is not written properly, it can convey and deceive. I too would call these spiritually dangerous.

Please know that Icons are not paintings. I would always do research on any religious items I buy. This post goes to show you that sometimes we have to take the time to do things properly. The quick and easy can come back to haunt us... maybe literally.

For proper Icons please visit:
Skete.com
http://www.thehtm.org/catalog/index.php

FW: Obama White House criticizes Minnesota traditional marriage amendment



Our President doesn't want the people of MN to have "the opportunity to have an important conversation about the future of marriage..." he disagrees with allowing the people to vote!

Obama White House criticizes Minnesota traditional marriage amendment

ST. PAUL, May 25, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Obama administration has condemned a traditional marriage amendment proposal in Minnesota in a statement issued Tuesday.
The amendment, passed by the state legislature on Saturday in a 70-62 vote, would allow Minnesotans the opportunity to vote during the 2012 election to enshrine traditional marriage in the state constitution.
When the gay news source Washington Blade asked for comment on the amendment, White House spokesman Shin Inouye issued a statement. It read:
"The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples or to take such rights away. While he believes this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also believes that committed gay couples should have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country."
Obama's disapproval of the amendment was matched by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who symbolically "vetoed" the marriage amendment Wednesday. Dayton called the measure "mean-spirited, divisive, un-Minnesotan and un-American." Dayton's veto has no power to prevent the amendment from appearing on the ballot, however.
The amendment states: "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota."
The initiative has caused considerable friction in the state: state patrol officers reportedly had to restrain homosexualist activists, angry over the passage of the amendment, who arrived at the Minnesota State House of Representatives to heckle pro-family supporters.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the group of bishops led by Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis, expressed gratitude for the opportunity for the public to vote on the marriage question. 
"Today, the voters of Minnesota, like those in 30 other states, have been given the opportunity to have an important conversation about the future of marriage," said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Conference, following the legislature's vote.
 
Guess I am still a bigot...............I will assume that to be a compliment from the president.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Oooppps, I meant October 21st...........

So - you missed the Rapture a few days ago.  Well, you get another chance in October to be a real Christian.  I hoped I picked this time. 

The NEW and UPDATED Rapture guess

Ok, now its for real.

Did you know....

..............a flex spending account will reimburse you for an abortion, but not an ultrasound.  Interesting, very interesting.  What's the logic there.?...."We'll pay to kill it, but not help keep it alive - that may cost more money in the long run." 

Brought to you, in part, from the most pro-abort, radically anti-life, anti-family president in history.  Thanks, keep that change we need a-comin.

Do you think that if Catholics actually lived, knew, practised, and owned their faith this could be possible.  I fear many of us who claim the faith will have to answer for these offences against Our Lord.  I am praying for Mercy.

Fr. Hardon on Homeschooling

In response to Fr. Peter Stravinskas, concerning homeschooling ("Will the Real Vatican II Please Stand Up?" July-August 2003), I would like simply to quote from a well-known Catholic priest, the late Fr. John Hardon:


"I have been encouraging homeschooling under the strong advice of the Holy See. There is a passage in Pope John Paul II's historic document Catechesis in our Time: 'In places where widespread unbelief or invasive secularism makes real religious growth practically impossible, then the Church of the home remains the one place where children and young people can receive authentic religious instruction.'"


Fr. Hardon continues: "Homeschool Catholic education is defended and encouraged by the Vicar of Christ. He is saying that in secularized countries like our own, homeschooling may be necessary. Why should Catholic parents home-educate their children? Why not send them to Catholic schools? First, most of our once-flourishing Catholic schools in America have closed because thousands of consecrated women religious have abandoned these institutions. Second, because the religious instruction—even in catechetical programs in Catholic parishes—is sadly deficient. This is confirmed by the frightening report given by the chairman of the bishops' commission on catechetics. He recites a litany of doctrinal errors and defects in the religion textbooks used to teach children in parishes in our country."


These comments are taken from a tape of a talk given at the Michigan Catholic Home Educators conference July 1997.



from Catholic.com

Monday, May 23, 2011

A way to tally sin.........

actually...........not a bad idea.

Catholics Confess It


Welcome to CatholicsConfess.it,

An online Examination of Conscience to help prepare for the sacrament of confession. CatholicsConfess.it was developed in hopes that it would make an examination of conscience easier and allow for more faithful to frequent the sacrament.

Don't forget to create a "printer friendly" version of your examination by clicking "Print Examination" just below the Print Options.

Please UPDATE your bookmarks, the official domain is - http://CatholicsConfess.it.

Notice No information you type in is ever collected or stored. It's only arranged into a printer friendly version to take with you into the confessional


You go through, check you sins, print it out and bring it to confession.  Great for practising Catholics - don't think it will be a big hit with the C and E er's though.  PLUS an examination of conscience.  I like it - its cute - not terribly practical - but cute.  I think I'll use it.

Gamehaven Boy Scout Council Fundraiser

Over The Edge


Want to send your Scoutmaster, District Executive, or someone else Over The Edge? Check out this opportunity! This event will be held during Rochesterfest in Rochester, MN on June 21st and June 22nd. Those sent Over the Edge will be rappeling off the Broadway Residenceand Suites building.

 Flyer.

Over the Edge Website.

Gamehaven Council's Over The Edge Webpage

Find out how to donate to this event or sign up to go "Over The Edge".

Photos of past events


 
 
Hope to see you there - seems like a great way to raise money for a worthy cause.  Also, a big kick in the pants.  The building in Roch is 26 stories.  Should be a great trip down.

Verso L'alto !!..............or rather.....Toward the bottom.

FW: Named: 15 U.S. Catholic colleges that featured anti-life/family commencement speakers

Named: 15 U.S. Catholic colleges that featured anti-life/family commencement speakers
 
3
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fifteen U.S. Catholic colleges invited abortion or gay 'marriage' supporters to give addresses to graduates this year, according to the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS).
CNS, a watchdog group seeking to ensure Catholic colleges live up to their Catholic identity, issued its annual report on commencement speakers and honorees Friday. 
They argue that the invitations of the speakers contravene the 2004 instruction issued by the U.S. Catholic Bishops called 'Catholics in Political Life,' which forbade Catholic institutions from granting honors and platforms that might suggest support for opponents of Catholic teaching.
"Catholic colleges have a choice of speakers and honorees," said CNS.  "And when they make a choice — especially when selecting someone to serve as a role model for graduation — the choice should be for speakers and honorees who best exemplify the standards of a Catholic college education."
The colleges identified in the 2011 report are:
Georgetown University
University of San Francisco
St. Mary's College of California
Fordham University
St. Vincent's College
Salve Regina University
Seton Hall University
Benedictine University in Illinois
St. Catherine University
University of St. Thomas in St. Paul
Villanova University
St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia
Xavier University of Ohio
University of San Diego
Regis College in Massachusetts
CNS notes that it does not condemn the politicians and famous figures given the invitations. "Good people who compromise morality to do bad things — harmful things — deserve our compassion and counsel, but not our honor," says CNS. "We certainly do not want Catholic college graduates following the same path, expecting the future admiration of their mentors."

See the full CNS report here.

 
H/T Catholic Parents Online

Sunday, May 22, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR - Winona Daily News

Peter Martin: Defense of marriage law is not anti-gay

Bigoted, weak-minded, chickens. Mean spirited, hateful, malicious, Nazis. The majority of us in southeastern Minnesota have been labeled as such in the past few weeks.


Why?

Because we support marriage as it always has been. We recognize that marriage between a man and a woman is what is best for society. Even if we didn’t have the psychological studies to back us up, it’s common sense that a child needs a father and a mother.

And to call us anti-gay?

We have no hatred here. We’re not taking away anyone’s rights. People with same-sex attractions are our sisters and brothers. They should not be deprived of their authentic human rights, including the most fundamental rights of all — the right to life and the right to love. However, meeting authentic human needs does not require changing society’s definition of marriage.

Nope, last I checked, we’re still Minnesota nice — and we’d like to keep it that way.

H/T and emailed to me by the Author. On a side note, if you read the comments attached to this article you will find the same old tired retorts one would expect. One person wrote -


".......Aside from that, what is this "common sense" thing Peter speaks of? Common to whom? Where does it come from? Are we born with certain knowledge pre-installed like a "new" computer?........"

YEAH - It is called NATURAL LAW. The rational these people come up with...its hard for a thinking person to process. I mean really, do they think about what they say, do they take any time to actually read or study the research that has been professionally done that proves a child is best with a Mother and a Father. Come on....STOP living off your emotions like a 5 year old and do some grown up thinking. Their arguments remind me of a movie I saw and logic that was used by a character in said movie. The movie was well produced, morally it was a disaster, but nonetheless .............

"Why shouldn't I work for the N.S.A.? That's a tough one, but I'll take a shot. Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. Maybe I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself, 'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never met, never had no problem with, get killed. Now the politicians are sayin', "Oh, send in the Marines to secure the area" 'cause they don't give a sh*t. It won't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it wasn't them when their number got called, 'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some kid from Southie takin' shrapnel in the a**. And he comes back to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his a** got his old job, 'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile, he realizes the only reason he was over there in the first place was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And, of course, the oil companies used the skirmish over there to scare up domestic oil prices. A cute little ancillary benefit for them, but it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty a gallon. And they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back, of course, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and fu*k*n' play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain't too long 'til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So now my buddy's out of work and he can't afford to drive, so he's got to walk to the fu*k*n' job interviews, which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his a** is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin', 'cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat, the only blue plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what did I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. I figure fu*k it, while I'm at it why not just shoot my buddy, take his job, give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president."

Here endith the rant. C YA......wait.....
 - don't club the baby seal...abort your baby.....but don't touch the SEAL.

Follow up to "Safe Enviroment"

Friends, below is an interesting article... 55 of 188 dioceses may not be in compliance with the "National Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People". 
In a recent email I mentioned the "silence" concerning the "Safe Environment" children's programs. I wondered if parents are satisfied with how their parishes/schools are handling this program?

Well, 55 dioceses are not satisfied... is it because the parents and some clergy continue to object to the age innapropriate "safe environment" children's programs? We know most of these programs are no more that "sex education".
Can the USCCB really MANDATE  these programs and take away the Rights of Parents? Well not according to this: 
Pope John Paul II approved a document from the Pontifical Council on the family (1995) entitled "The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality" which states:
Sex education, which is a basic right and duty of parents, must always be carried out under their attentive guidance, whether at home or in educational centers chosen and controlled by them. In this regard, the Church reaffirms the law of subsidiarity, which the school is bound to observe when it cooperates in sex education, by entering into the same spirit that animates the parents. [No. 43]
God bless you,
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has reported that 55 of the 188 dioceses which participated in a USCCB-mandated survey needed to make improvements or risk being out of compliance with the national policy.
This was more than double the number of dioceses who were found lacking in 2009, the Washington Post notes.
"The church cannot afford to relax its standards," the authors of the study warned.
However the report also noted that current instances of sexual abuse of minors continues to decrease, with seven credible allegations against seven priests reported in 2010, according to the 2010 Survey of Allegations and Costs done by the  CARA, a USCCB statement says.
At the same time diocesan audits are uncovering weaknesses in audit compliance and finding reports of boundary violations short of abuse, such as inappropriate hugging, the report continued.
The survey by Georgetown University-based CARA collects numbers from the dioceses and coincides with the annual audit of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, conducted by the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection.
All dioceses responded to the CARA survey except the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, which has refused to participate in the compliance audits process since 2004. The U.S. bishops enacted the Charter in 2002 and have conducted national compliance audits annually since 2003.
In addition to the seven cases of abuse of minors in 2010, CARA also found hundreds of accounts of sexual abuse from decades ago that were reported to dioceses only last year. The "number of alleged offenders increased by a fifth, from 286 alleged offenders reported in 2009 to 345 alleged offenders reported in 2010," CARA reported. Almost 60 percent of these offenders had been identified in earlier allegations and three quarters of the offenders are now dead or laicized.
CARA also noted that two thirds of these allegations (66 percent) are old and occurred or began between 1960 and 1984. The most common time period when these allegations reportedly occurred was 1970-1974.
Costs to dioceses and eparchies (Eastern rite dioceses) related to clergy sexual abuse increased between 2009 and 2010 by more than $19 million. "More than half of the payments by dioceses and eparchies in 2010 (57 percent) were for settlements to victims." Costs for settlements paid out by dioceses and eparchies in 2010 were $70,375,228. This was an increase of 28 percent over the previous year's payments for settlements. Legal fees increased by 18 percent.
CARA also noted that "in addition to allegations-related expenditures, at least $20,954,405 was spent by dioceses and eparchies for child protection efforts such as safe environment coordinators, training programs, and background checks."
The audits of Charter compliance, as reported by the Gavin Group, found that "all dioceses/eparchies that participated in the 2010 audit process were found to be compliant with the Charter." At the same time 55 dioceses received management letters expressing concerns about procedures which could result in non-compliance. This number exceeded the number in the 2009 audit, which was 23.
The chief concern which resulted in the majority of these management letters centered on safe environment programs. "Reasons for the management letters include parishes or schools failing to offer classes for children, new pastors or directors of religious education failing to understand diocesan requirements to train students, accepting parent training as parish training, or simply counting absent students as opt-outs. Several dioceses reported receiving verification from pastors that training had taken place, only to have auditors discover it was not offered," the report noted.
In evaluation of compliance with safe environment criteria, the audits found that "over 98 percent of clerics were trained" as were "98 percent of employees and volunteers."
Dioceses that refused to participate in audits included the Diocese of Lincoln, Diocese of Baker, Oregon; the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle for Chaldeans; Eparchy of Newton for Melkites; Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in New York for Armenian Catholics; Eparchy of St. Josephat of Parma for Ukrainians; Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark for Syriacs. Based on their refusal all were declared non-compliant.
Since the audits began in 2003, the Philadelphia archdiocese has passed every review, including this latest one. Teresa Kettelkamp, the bishops' national child protection officer, said church leaders are looking into how that happened.
"We will figure this out and fix whatever needs to be fixed," Kettelkamp told the Washington Post.

H/T Catholic Parents

Proud Papa moment......

brought to you by God.

The setting -
Storm warnings all over SE Minnesota - the children are a bit scared. 

So I'm sitting in the office, blogging, when I here the Boy in his room praying to St. Michael..........

"St Michael, I am going to take you with us to the basement so you can protect us....come on....lets go...."

Soon after the boy goes whizzing by holding a Holy Card and calling for Wheatsie saying, "....wait, wait....we're comin...."


All I can say is, "Thank you God, for all your blessings." ;)

Guess I am a bigot........

Gay marriage supporters opt to intimidate
  • Article by: KATHERINE KERSTEN
  • Updated: May 21, 2011 - 8:36 PM
That's why they trot out words like 'bigotry' and generally distort the issue.

In recent weeks, the issue of who gets to define marriage -- Minnesota citizens or a handful of judges or legislators -- has been on the front burner.
The debate has generated lots of heat but not much light. Now that the Legislature has endeavored to let the people vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage, I suggest a few ground rules to ensure a fair and open exchange of views.

First, we must reject the name-calling that has marred the debate to this point. Same-sex-marriage supporters' constant mantra has been that Minnesotans who support one man-one woman marriage are motivated by bigotry. Gay-marriage proponents make this claim even about people who merely support letting Minnesotans vote on the issue.
The Star Tribune's recent editorial on the marriage amendment was typical. "Don't put bigotry on the ballot," its headline ran.

But people who support one man-one woman marriage are not bigots. They argue, very reasonably, that marriage is rooted in nature -- in male/female sexual complementarity -- and that children need both a mother and a father. They say that's why it has been the bedrock institution of procreation and social order in virtually all times and places.
Same-sex-marriage supporters' attempt to tar this view as "bigotry" seems designed to shield them from tough questions as they campaign to redefine the world's fundamental social institution. Labeling your opponent a "bigot" is the ultimate rhetorical mudball--a classic slur intended to silence and intimidate rather than to facilitate an exchange of ideas.
My second recommendation: We know the precise constitutional amendment language the people will be voting on, so don't distort it.

Marriage has won in every state where the people have had an opportunity to vote on it. To date, citizens in 31 states have voted to enshrine one man-one woman marriage in their constitutions, including, most recently, the deep-blue states of California and Maine.
Yet very often, preelection polls in these states have predicted that marriage would lose. In California, an Oct. 30, 2008, poll showed the pro-gay marriage vote leading by 5 points. In Maine in 2009, the story was similar. Yet on Election Day, Californians voted 52 to 48 percent to preserve traditional marriage; in Maine the vote was 53 to 47 percent.
Why do polls consistently fail to predict voters' behavior? There are several reasons. First, many polls use misleading language. They ask people if they want to "ban" same-sex marriage instead of using the amendment language that voters will actually encounter in the polling booth. (In our state, that language is: "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota.")

"For years, the 'ban same-sex marriage' language in polls has produced about a 6 to 10 percentage point undercount on support for traditional marriage," says Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage. "If you want to get the least favorable result on marriage, this is the language you choose for your poll."

One reason for the undercount is that some people interpret the "ban" language as implying that same-sex marriage or homosexual relationships will somehow be criminalized or made illegal, according to Gallagher. The "ban" language also casts traditional marriage supporters in a negative light. It compels them to say they are against something, rather than allowing them to articulate what they are for.

Most important, people often hesitate to tell a pollster their true beliefs about marriage when traditional marriage supporters are routinely demonized as bigots and haters.
The Star Tribune poll released on May 13 is a case in point. The poll asked people if they "would favor or oppose ... amending the Minnesota Constitution to ban same-sex marriage." Fifty-five percent answered "oppose."

Yet, the final day that pollsters were asking this question -- May 5 -- a Star Tribune editorial was denouncing Minnesotans who support traditional marriage as bigots. Who's surprised at the poll's result?

One last point: In the coming debate, we must have zero tolerance for intimidation tactics. Bullying has become standard operating procedure for many same-sex marriage activists. Their attack last year on Target Corp. is now held up as a national model by those attempting to silence same-sex marriage opponents.

In California, support for Prop 8 has cost some people their jobs. The latest casualty is Olympic gold medal winner Peter Vidmar, who resigned as chief of mission for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team on May 6, after his support for Prop 8 became public. McCarthyism of this kind threatens to undermine Americans' cherished freedom to engage politically without fear of personal reprisals.

Here in Minnesota, we can expect a vigorous debate over marriage in coming months. But personal slurs, distorted push-polling, and intimidation tactics have no place in the civil discourse of democracy.
Katherine Kersten is a senior fellow at the Center of the American Experiment. The views expressed here are her own. She is at kakersten@gmail.com.

H/T Catholic Parents Online

FW: Praise God! The People can Vote!



Dear Friends,

Praise God! Last night at the MN State Capitol the proposed constitutional amendment to define Marriage as the union of one man and one woman passed! Voters will decide the question in November 2012!
 
Now, the work begins for us! Please do all you can to defend and support the Sancity of Marriage so your family members, neighbors, co-workers will truly understand the importance of what this means! 
 
An excellent place to learn how to address this issue is the National Organization for Marriage - this link has great "Talking Points: http://www.nationformarriage.org/site/c.omL2KeN0LzH/b.4475595/k.566A/Marriage_Talking_Points.htm
 
Educate, educate, educate... we must, always in charity, help others come to know the TRUTH... the Truth of Jesus Christ and our beloved Catholic Church!
 
A Church Document that is critical for people to read is "The Truth and Meaning Of Human Sexuality" . As many of you know we produced the excellent film based on this Document "A Parent's Guide: Teaching the Truth & Meaning of Human Sexuality"  
 
Our film has been aired on EWTN and people across the globe have been tremendously grateful for our video. Please take a moment and read one woman's testimony to see how her husband had a change of heart!

Dear Catholic Parents OnLine,
 
I wanted to thank you for your wonderful DVD: A Parent's Guide: Teaching the Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality. I wanted to share with you how your DVD was a blessing in a situation that recently came up with my family.
 
I had just completed the Family Honor semester course on the Truth and Meaning of Sexuality, which was life changing for me. During my study my dad received your DVD from Fr. Michael Freihofer in Winter Park, CO after mass while on a golf trip. Knowing I was taking this course, he gave it to me. Months later I sat down and viewed the DVD. I found it to be very inspirational and covered many of the important points from the Family Honor course. I thought the DVD would be a great tool to communicate this beautiful and desperately needed message.
 
A few weeks past, a permission slip came home from our Catholic school to allow our 5th grader, our oldest child to attend a talk on puberty. Immediately a yellow flag went up. I knew I was uncomfortable with our daughter hearing this information. Two thoughts kept coming through my mind. First, that I knew I wanted to protect her little soul from early exposure to any sexual content. Second, that this was my right, my duty and my privilege to share this information with her when the timing was right for her. I strongly believe that even though the content was very light, I wanted to be the one who discussed these things with her because it gives me an opportunity to develop our relationship as mother and daughter laying a foundation for future discussions.
 
I told my husband I was uncomfortable and I didn't want her attending the talk. He thought I was being oversensitive about the issue and recommended I get the details of the talk from the teacher. I was frustrated because I felt so strongly about this issue. But still being very new to concepts of The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, I had difficulty persuading even my own loving husband. I asked him to view your DVD and then weigh in on the decision. We sat down together and viewed the DVD. His response was, "Now I understand."
 
I plan to share the DVD in my community to help convey this godly message.
 
With heartfelt thanks,
k****** 
Friends, let's make it a priority, this year and next,  to work for the TRUTH, so that in November of 2012 people will vote for the Sancity of Marriage between one man and one woman to be upheld!
 
God bless you and yours,
Colleen
Catholic Parents OnLine
www.catholicparents.org
 
"Maintain the Truth Lovingly and always Love Truthfully"  Blessed John Paul II

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Hello...Rapture....

I'm still here.....must not be a real Christian.  Dang it.

FW: "Safe environment" programs... why the silence?

Dear Friends,
Well, 5 years have passed since the implementation of the so-called "Safe environment" programs in Catholic schools and parishes throughout the U.S.  As you know many of these programs were of a secular nature, age-inappropriate, extremely explicit and we heard from many parents who were outraged by this assault on their young children's innocence!
I ask the question: "Why has there been such a noticeable silence surrounding this critical issue?" Have things really changed that much in the past 5 years? Are parents now satisfied with how their Catholic schools/parishes are handling the "Safe environment"programs? Have some parents just given up?

 
The fact remains that many dioceses continue to use the same secular, age-inappropriate and extremely explicit programs. Take a moment to review… "SAFE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS USED BY DIOCESES/EPARCHIES for 2010"   (see the PDF file) and you will see many of the same ineffectual or harmful programs being used across the U.S.

 It has been reported that the "USCCB Office of Child and Youth Protection" addressed concerns expressed by parents and made a number of improvements, perhaps that is the case. However, no matter how the programs and resources appear on paper… "a skunk by any other name still stinks".  It can be a different scenario in every classroom and numerous problems still exist. What are the moral beliefs of the teachers? Do they understand the "latency period" in children? I recently heard how a first grade teacher beamed with pride that she taught her first graders (boys and girls together) to use the word "vagina" to describe the girl's "private parts"… sounds more like "sex education" for a 6 year old than a "safety" program, and how is this kind of instruction going to keep them from being sexually abused?!
Your thoughts please?!
God bless you and yours,
  
Catholic Parents OnLine
www.catholicparents.org
"Maintain the Truth Lovingly and always Love Truthfully"  Blessed John Paul II


As a thought, the Diocese of Lincoln does not require this for it's Priests - I can't speak for the laity.  The Bishop believes that with good formation, proper leadership and example from him, and faithfulness to the teachings of the Church, - the Priests and faithful will do what they ought to do.  KNOW WHAT?  HE'S BEEN RIGHT.  None of the shenanigans out there that I see in so many other places.  And no questions of WHO is the author of the curriculum.  Too many rumors and questions not fully answered about who actually is behind these programs.  Government, Planned Parenthood, the list goes on.  I don't know, I have not done an extensive amount of research into this..........but I do know one thing - I have had to take these "classes" on how to be a good teacher and they SUCK.  Sorry - no other way to put it.  They do not teach a person to be good, holy, or better at their job.  They teach people how NOT to get caught.  That kinda remeinds me of Planned Parenthood.  HMMM have to think abou that one for a bit and write more.

Two things that just don't quite go together......

Come, O Holy Spirit, Come - (Veni Sancte Spiritus) to the tune of Ode to Joy (so far, so good)

with

a good ole boy type guitar accompaniment.

For some reason the two just didn't mix well.  And so...we start a new label....liturgical mutiny.

Mutiny is defined as "rebellion against any authority".......can't say it much better than that.

OH Yeah, when did they take the word "men" out of the Creed?  Ya know, ".....for us men and for our salvation..." seems the women folk sitting around me didn't like that word. 

Rant, rave, rant, rave...............................She's a big ship to turn...I hope the Captain's got a steady hold.

On Active Participation..........

........here's a hint - holding hands, saying many words, and dancing is NOT part of the instruction.

From St. Agnes' website.....

by. Msgr. Richard Schuler

With the constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, issued in 1965 by the Second Vatican Council, everyone became very conscious of personal participation in the sacred liturgy, particularly in the Mass.

But active participation in in the liturgy was not a concept created by the Second Vatican Council. Indeed, even the very words actuosa participatio can be found in the writings of the popes for the past one hundred years. Pope Pius X called for it in his motu proprio, Tra le sollecitudini, published in 1903, when he said that "the faithful assemble to draw that spirit from its primary and indispensable source, that is, from active participation in the sacred mysteries and in the public and solemn prayer of the Church."

Pope Pius XI in his apostolic constitution, Divini cultus, wrote in 1928, that the restoration of Gregorian chant for the use of the people would provide the means whereby "the faithful may participate in divine worship more actively." Such participation was to be achieved both by singing and by an appreciation of the beauty of the liturgy which stirs the heart of the worshiper, who thereby enters into the sacred mysteries.

In his encyclicals, Mystici corporus in 1943, and Mediator Dei in 1947, Pope Pius XII used the term but carefully insisted that true participation was not merely external but consisted in a baptismal union with Christ in His Mystical Body, the Church.

In 1958, the Sacred Congregation of Rites issued the instruction, De musica sacra, which distinguished several qualities of participation:

The Mass of its nature requires that all those present participate in it, in the fashion proper to each.

This participation must primarily be interior (i.e., union with Christ the Priest; offering with and through Him).

b) But the participation of those present becomes fuller (plenior) if to internal attention is joined external participation, expressed, that is to say, by external actions such as the position of the body (genuflecting, standing, sitting), ceremonial gestures, or, in particular, the responses, prayers and singing . . .

It is this harmonious form of participation that is referred to in pontifical documents when they speak of active participation (participatio actuosa), the principal example of which is found in the celebrating priest and his ministers who, with due interior devotion and exact observance of the rubrics and ceremonies, minister at the altar.

c) Perfect participatio actuosa of the faithful, finally, is obtained when there is added sacramental participation (by communion).

d) Deliberate participatio actuosa of the faithful is not possible without their adequate instruction.

It is made clear that it is baptismal character that forms the foundation of active participation.

Vatican II introduced no radical alteration in the concept of participatio actuosa as fostered by the popes for the past decades. The general principle is contained in Article 14 of the constitution on the sacred liturgy:

Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious and active participation in the ceremonies which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.

Such participation by the Christian people as a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people" (I Pet. 2:9; 2:4-5) is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true spirit of Christ . . .

The word "full" (plena) refers to the integrally human fashion in which the baptized faithful take part in the liturgy, i.e., internally and externally. The word "conscious" (conscia) demands a knowledge of what one is doing on the part of the faithful, excluding any superstition or false piety. But the word "active" (actuosa) requires some greater examination.

A true grasp of the meaning of participation in the liturgy demands a clear understanding of the nature of the Church and above all of Christ Himself. At the basis of so much of today's problems in liturgy lies a false notion of Christology and ecclesiology. Christ, the incarnate Word of God, true God and true Man, lives on in this world now. "I will be with you all days until the end of the world." Even though He has arisen and ascended into heaven, He lives with us. The Church is His mystical Body, indeed His mystical Person. We are the members of that Body. Its activity, the activity of the Church, is the activity of Christ, its Head. The hierarchical priesthood functions in the very person of Christ, doing His work of teaching, ruling and sanctifying. Thus the Mass and the sacraments are Christ's actions bringing to all the members of His Body, the Church, the very life that is in its Head. Participation in that life demands that every member of the Body take part in that action, which is primarily the liturgical activity of the Church. The liturgy is the primary source of that divine life, and thus all must be joined to it in an active way. Baptism is the key that opens the door and permits one to become part of the living Body of Christ. The baptized Christian has not only a right to participation in the Church's life but a duty as well. It is only the baptized person who can participate.

The difference between participation in the liturgy that can be called activa and participation that can be lablled actuosa rests in the presence in the soul of the baptismal character, the seal that grants one the right to participate. Without the baptismal mark, all the actions of singing, walking, kneeling or anything else can be termed "active," but they do not constitute participatio actuosa. Only the baptismal character can make any actions truly participatory. Let us use an example. LEt us say that a pious Hindu attends Mass, takes part in the singing and even walks in a procession with great piety. In the same church is also a Catholic who is blind and deaf and who is unable to leave his chair; he can neither sing nor hear the readings nor walk in the procession. Which one has truly participated, the one who is very active, or the one who has confined himself solely to his thoughts of adoration? Obviously, it is the baptized Catholic who has exercised participatio actuosa despite his lack of external, physical movement. The Hindu even with his many actions has not been capable of it, since he lacks the baptismal character.

Granting then the absolute necessity of baptism, it still is imperative for the Christian to take part in the liturgy actively by a variety of actions. This means that the internal actuosa participatio, which the baptismal mark empowers, must be aided by those external actions that he is capable of. He should do those things that the Church sets out for him according to his role in the liturgy and the various conditions that age, social position and cultural background dictate. He must join participatio activa to his participatio actuosa which he exercises as a baptismal person.

What are those actions that make for true active participation in the liturgy? These must be both internal and external in quality, since man is a rational creature with body and soul. The external actions must be intelligent and understood, sincere and pious internally. The Church proposes many bodily positions: kneeling, standing, walking, sitting, etc. It likewise proposes many human actions: singing, speaking, listening and above all else, the reception of the Holy Eucharist. They demand internal attention as well as external execution.

One of the most active and demanding of human actions is that of listening. It requires strict attention and summons up in a person his total concentrative effort. It is possible, for example, to walk without really knowing that one is walking or advert to where one is going. It is possible even to sing, especially a very familiar tune, and not be conscious of actually singing. But one cannot truly listen without attention. Especially in our day of constant radio and TV broadcasting, we are able to tune out almost every sound we wish. To listen attentively demands full human concentration. Listening can be the most active form of participation, demanding effort and attention. Truly, as the scriptures tell us, faith demands hearing, fides ex auditu.

With that in mind, surely the baptized Christian who listens with care to the proclamation of the gospel or the singing of the preface at Mass truly has achieved participation, both activa and actuosa.

The Church does not have the entire congregation proclaim the gospel text, but rather the deacon or the priest does it. It is the duty of all to listen. The cannon of the Mass is not to be recited by everyone but all are to hear it. Listening is a most important form of active participation.

There is a variety of roles to be observed in the public celebration of the liturgy. There is the role of the priest, deacon, reader, cantor, choir and congregation, among many others. Because each office has its own purpose and its own manner of acting we have the basic reason for a distinction of roles. If the reader or the cantor is to read and sing, certainly the role of the others is to listen. If the choir is to sing, someone must listen and in so-doing participate actively in the liturgy, even if during the period of listening he is relatively inactive in a physical way.

Every age has participated in the liturgy through baptism, as members of the Church and part of the mystical body of Christ. All ages have shared in the right and duty of actuosa participatio. If, as Pius X insists, the liturgy is the primary source of the Christian life, everyone must take part in it to achieve salvation. Active participation is not an invention of our day; the Church throughout the ages constantly shared the life of Christ with its members in the Mass and the sacraments, the very actions of Christ Himself working through His Church and His priesthood. For each age the activities deemed by it to be useful in promoting that participation have varied according to the needs and ideas of the period. One cannot say that because the medieval period developed a chant that was largely the possession of monastic choirs, the congregations who listened were not actively participating. Perhaps not according to post-Vatican II standards, but one must carefully avoid the error of judging the past by the present and applying to former times criteria that seem valuable in our own times. Because Palestrina's polyphonic Masses require the singing of trained choirs, can one assume that non-choir members in the renaissance period were deprived of an active participation in the liturgy? No age could permit such a thing to happen and thus be deprived of the primary source of the spiritual life. The sixteenth-century baptized Roman did participate through listening along with other activites, as no doubt an eighteenth-century Austrian did when he heard a Mozart Mass performed by a choir and orchestra.

We must then carefully consider the roles of each individual, and we must consider the cultural and personal conditions of each one who must find in the liturgy the primary source of his spiritual life. A variety of opportunities for liturgical activity is needed, and good pastoral direction will supply the need. The Church herself does so by the very rubrics of the liturgical books, directing what is to be done. The Vatican Council taught the need of various functions and various roles to carry out completely the liturgical actions.

Surely the spoken and sung responses and acclamations in the liturgy are the right and the duty of all present. But the practice of calling the Sanctus an acclamation is without foundation; it is a hymn, found in the Old Testament and sung by the angels. It is not the exclusive prerogative of the congregation as it might be thought to be if it is labelled an acclamation. As a hymn it can be given to a trained group and sung in a more elaborate setting. The same is true of the parts called the ordinary of the Mass, including the Credo, which may be listened to and consented to with great faith without having to be spoken by the congregation. The proper parts of the Mass, because of the great variety of texts and settings, fall of necessity to trained and practiced groups. One may, of course, never exclude the congregation totally from participation by singing, but the variety of methods allows for many possibilities for participation by singing or by listening to singing. The possibilities of participation are almost infinite.

Important too for any participation in the liturgy is the elevation of the spirit of the worshipper. Ultimately, liturgy is prayer, the supreme prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, petition and reparation. Prayer is the raising of the heart and the mind to God as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. The means to achieve such elevation of the spirit in prayer onvolve all the activities of the human person, both spirit and body. Such means produce true actuosa participatio. Thus beauty, whether it appeals to the sight, the ear, the imagination or any of the senses, is an important element in achieving participation. The architectural splendor of a great church or the sound of great music, or the solemnity of ceremonial movement by ministers clothed in precious vestments, or the beauty of the proclaimed word - all can effect a true and salutary participation in one who himself has not sung a note or taken a step. But he is not a mere spectator as some would say; he is actively participating because of his baptismal character and the grace stirred up in him by what he is seeing and hearing, thinking and praying.

The Church has always promoted Gregorian chant. Especially during this past century, the popes have fostered the music of the renaissance polyphonists. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica with the Vienna orchestra and singers doing Mozart's Coronation Mass. Anyone who was present on that memorable occasion in that great church experienced true participation.

Thus to limit participation to singing impoverishes seriously the opportunity of the Christian to take part in the most essential means for his salvation. One does not have to sing to save his soul. But one must be active (actuosa participatio) in the liturgy, through baptism and other actions according to his ability, state, culture and disposition, in order to enter into the mystery of the redemption wrought by Christ, outside of which there is no salvation.

We can conclude with this definition of participatio actuosa:

(It is) that form of devout involvement in the liturgical action which, in the present conditions of the Church, best promotes the exercise of the common priesthood of the baptized: that is, their power to offer the sacrifice of the Mass with Christ and to receive the sacraments. It is clear that, concretely, this requires that the faithful understand the liturgical ceremonial; that they take part in it by bodily movements, standing, kneeling or sitting as the occasion may demand; that they join vocally in the parts which are intended for them. It also requires that they listen to, and understand, the liturgy of the word. It requires, too, that there be moments of silence when the import of the whole ceremonial may be absorbed and deeply personalized. (Colman E. O'Neill, "The Theological Meaning of Actuosa Participatio in the Liturgy," in Sacred Music and Liturgy Reform after Vatican II. Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae, Rome, 1969. p. 105.)

Rev. Richard J. Schuler

Rev. Richard Schuler, a frequent contributor to SACRED MUSIC, is pastor of St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Church Music Association of America.

IMPORTANT vote for MN TODAY!!!!!

IMPORTANT

The Vote on the Marriage Amendment will be TODAY, May 21!

It's imperative that many people go to the MN Capitol... bring signs - "Let the People Vote!!"

There will be buses leaving all day until 5:00pm from St. Agnes Parish, Lafond, just east of Dale, on the half hour, to and from the State Capitol. Plenty of parking at St. Agnes.

Please pass this on ASAP!

Thanks and God bless you!

Catholic Parents Online

St Agnes Traddy's - God love 'em

Friday, May 20, 2011

Cardinal Burke says liturgy must shift focus away from self and back to God

By Conor Gilliland

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke delivered a lecture on what he calls a nearly 50-year trend of self-centered liturgy last week at the Thomistic Institute in Washington, D.C.

“In the time since the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, but certainly not because of the teaching of the council, there has been exaggerated attention on the human aspect of the sacred liturgy,” said the high ranking Vatican official in his May 11 address.

Cardinal Burke acknowledged upfront that the topic could seem redundant because the liturgy is, by its very essence, God-given and God-directed.

“Is not the Church by its very nature divine? That is, called into being and sustained in being by God, and therefore centered in God. Are not the Church herself and her worship by definition directed toward God?” he asked.

But, the American cardinal said, in the last 50 years undue attention has been given to the “human aspect of the sacred liturgy, which has overlooked the essence of the sacred liturgy as the encounter of God with us by means of sacramental signs. That is, as the direct action of the glorious Christ in the Church, to give to us the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

The over-emphasis on the human dimension, said Cardinal Burke, has raised the need to discuss this important topic.

Cardinal Burke drew on Old and New Testament scripture passages to demonstrate that God is the first and last object of worship in liturgy.

“He founded the covenant of faithful and enduring love between himself and his people on the Decalogue – the Ten Commandments.”

The Vatican-based cardinal said that the first three of the Ten Commandments establish the jus divinum – or “the divine right of God to be worshiped by us, in the manner in which he wishes to be worshiped.”

Cardinal Burke continued, saying that the first three commandments establish God as the only rightful recipient of worship. Following these first three commandments are the regulations about making sacrifices at the altar. About these regulations, Cardinal Burke reiterated that they were not man-made, but rather “the gift of God to man, in which God makes it possible for man to offer the sacrifice of communion with him.”

He went on to draw several parallels between Old Testament worship and the New Testament, where God's unique right to be worshiped finds its ultimate fulfillment.

“In the Sermon on the Mount, in which our Lord Jesus communicates the law of the New Covenant – the fulfillment of the covenant on Mt. Sinai – the first beatitude is poverty of spirit, which recognizes the Lord as the source of our being itself and of every good.”

In Jesus' affirmation that he came to fulfill the Old Testament law, rather than abolish it, Cardinal Burke said, “The words of the Lord confirm the fundamental service of the law, which is to honor and to safe-guard the jus divinum, the divine right, and thereby to honor and safeguard the order written by God in his creation.”

The cardinal argued that the Old Testament sacrificial code commanded by God is fulfilled in Christ's commandment at the Last Supper - “Do this in remembrance of me.” This command, he said, brings the rightful worship of God full circle in the Eucharist we celebrate today.

He also asserted that it is clear from Jesus' teaching that “faith in him as messiah, as God the son … is expressed first of all, and most perfectly, in the worship owed to God.”

Cardinal Burke summarized his talk by saying: “All of the norms of the Law are directed to the just relationship between God and his people upon which depends the salvation of the world. And thus they must be respected as the commandment of God and not the invention of man.”

EWTN and the Badger Catholic

Anything that points out the obvious, and yet overlooked fact, that we tend to worship ourselves more than God cries out to be copied and pasted.  BTW - does this mean we should get rid of the terrible "hymnals" we have that are overflowing with self- worship songs?      HMMMMMM?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

To all my friends....

Shall we have a big ragin' "we missed the Rapture" party on May 22nd? 



The Bible guarantees it?  One word to drive home the point. ( repeated several times )


Maybe I am being a bit sarcastic here, but really?  Come on.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Argument of the Month Club - South Saint Paul, MN

A few nights ago, I had the opportunity to take a trip with friends up to St. Augustine Catholic Church in South Saint Paul, MN for the Argument of the Month (AOTM).  Lemmie tell ya, these guys got it.  After being told to go to this for several years, I finally took the plunge- after being lured in with promises of meat, wine, desert, more meat, more desert, and great apologetics.  Everything I was promised was there.  (Except the wine - legal thing, I guess - but they have plenty of beer)  You start by giving the folks $12.00 for the night, then you find a seat, get some hors d'œuvres, grab a beer or soda pop and talk with other Catholic men who actually care about their faith.  Novelty.  Then after a bit you get in line with 300-400 other men of like faith and morals to feast on whatever manly meal they have planned.  This specific event was pulled and Jamaican Pork, beans, coleslaw, and cornbread.  All totally unhealthy and gloriously prepared.  It was very much like a firehouse meal.  Then ya grab another beer or sodie, and eat.  Onto the presentation that is given, in this case, by a very intelligent Father Keating from the University of St. Thomas.  (and he was actually Catholic - I know - another novelty.) Then a break, beer, desert, and a Q and A session.  Great night, just a great night.  I have wanted to so something like this (on a smaller scale) for years.  Get authentically Catholic men together and learn more about the faith, eat well, and just be men to build each other up.  Can't rave about this enough.  Go, for goodness sake, GO.  You will not be disappointed.  Some links below.  OH by the way - I hear tell that a certain Michael Voris will be the guest speaker one month next winter.  Yeah - going for that one for sure.

http://www.aotmclub.com/

http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/mens_groups_come_of_age/

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/69993082.html?source=error