Book Reflections: Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire!: Words to Challenge, Inspire and Instruct

I was able to download this book for free over Christmas break.  This is a spiritual guide book that is probably best used as a reference as opposed to reading it straight through like a normal book as I did.  He set up the book by topic and provided numerous helpful quotes from a variety of sources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, popes, and saints.  This book will be a nice one to have on my kindle for times when I want to read some helpful quotes from the great Catholic thinkers on a particular issue.  It is currently selling on Amazon for under $1.  Hard to beat that deal.

Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire!

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: True Freedom: On Protecting Human Dignity and Religious Liberty

True Freedom: On Protecting Human Dignity and Religious Liberty

This is a quick read, but it is perhaps the most clearly spoken and masterful explanation of freedom and the protection of human dignity and religious liberty that I have ever read.  I love Cardinal Dolan.  What an amazing leader and spiritual father!  You can purchase this for just $.99 on Amazon.  Please do yourself a favor and give this a read.  I guarantee it will be an hour well worth your time.  This book is not just for Catholics, but is also for all Christians and people of good will who value freedom.  Also included is an excerpt from one of his other books which is on my short list of next books to read.  God bless you Cardinal Dolan for this timeless treasure.  I am sure that I will be reading this again and I encourage you to do the same.  I give this short book my absolute highest recommendation.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: A Minute in the Church

A Minute in the Church, written by Catholic evangelist and radio host of Seize the Day on The Catholic Channel, Gus Lloyd, is a great reference guide for Catholics who want to be able to defend their faith in a minutes notice, and it is also a great book for those who aren't Catholic but want a greater understanding of what Catholics believe and why they believe.  People today are constantly busy and don't often have a lot of time for deep and thoughtful reflections.  This book is a very quick read, I finished it in about an hour and I'm a slow reader.  I try to listen to Gus Lloyd's radio show every weekday and he is doing great things for the Church.  I think this book would be great for those considering entering the church and going through the RCIA or for anyone who is at all curious about the Catholic faith.  It is also a great book for the practicing Catholic, who would like to be able to evangelize or at least be able to give a quick explanation to someone about some of the common misunderstandings of the Catholic faith.  The book is only $3 on Amazon and although it is a quick read, I imagine you might want to reference this book frequently when different issues or questions about the Catholic faith arise.  Gus ends each of his explanations with biblical passages which deal with the issue, and he encourages those reading to do more research on their own.  It is great to get a quick explanation, but to get a fuller understanding of the faith more research is necessary.

In my opinion, this book along with the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church should be in every Catholic family's household.  We are all called to evangelize.  Jesus said to his apostles to go and preach to all nations.  This book will be a great help for Catholics in accomplishing this task.  I also encourage those not Catholic, especially Christians of other denominations that are open to exploring the Catholic faith, to pick up this book.  It is a short read, but it might answer some of the questions you have about the Catholic faith.  If you like what you hear, I encourage you to explore even deeper into the Catholic faith.

You can find A Minute in the Church HERE, and I encourage you to learn more about Gus Lloyd at his website HERE.

God bless,

Mike

Rick Santorum: Catholic or Conservative… or Both?

In her most recent column, Ann Coulter criticizes Rick Santorum for being a faithful Catholic and not conservative enough for her liking.  Here is a direct quote from Ann Coulter.

“Santorum is not as conservative as his social-issues credentials suggest. He is more of a Catholic than a conservative, which means he's good on 60 percent of the issues, but bad on others, such as big government social programs.”

My response to Ann Coulter’s criticism of Rick Santorum:

In the interest of full disclosure, let me start off by saying that I have never been a fan of Ann Coulter.  I have never ascribed to her brand of conservatism.  In addition, I have always found her to be an argumentative, arrogant, divisive, rude, and in general unlikable person.  However, I believe that I can make an objective response to her criticism of the presidential candidate whom I support.

“Santorum is not as conservative as his social-issues credentials suggest.”

Ann Coulter seems to concede that Rick Santorum is a strong social-issues conservative.  His strong defense of traditional marriage and the protection of the unborn are well known and unparalleled among his peers running against him in the Republican Presidential Primary.  He is passionately pro-family and pro-life, and he is the only candidate who frequently makes the connection between these most important social issues with the issue many voters determine to be most important issue; the economy.  He not only openly and publicly advocates for these social issues, but he shows consistency by living these values in his private life.  He is the father of 7 children, the youngest of which suffers from a very serious condition called Trisomy 18, and he has been married to his one and only wife of 21 years.  I have not met any of his children, but I have heard his oldest daughter and oldest son interviewed and they appear to be very impressive young people.  Rick Santorum and his wife, whom he humbly gives most of the credit, have raised a very impressive, inspiring, and spiritually strong family. 

“He is more of a Catholic than a conservative,”

This is a little like comparing apples to oranges.  Catholicism is a religion whereas conservatism is a political philosophy.   A person can be both a faithful Catholic and have a conservative political philosophy.  The two are not mutually exclusive, and in fact I would argue most often the two align themselves together.  However, Catholicism does not align itself completely with any political party or political philosophy.  Catholicism is the foundation for WHAT Rick Santorum believes, and conservatism is the HOW Rick Santorum believes government best addresses and preserves the “what” it is he and his religion believes.   Faithful Catholics point toward the Nicene Creed and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as guides to what we believe as Catholics.  Conservatism does not have such clear, distinct, and universal guidelines, and therefore it is open to more interpretation.  There are many different forms of conservatism as well; fiscal, social, etc.  Apparently, Rick Santorum doesn’t fit into Ann Coulter’s definition of conservatism.  I will discuss more on this later, but her above comment is more about a comparison between the beliefs of Catholicism and conservatism.  What drives Rick Santorum?  I believe that Rick Santorum does place more importance on being faithful to his religious beliefs than he does in politics or political philosophy.  He has proven this in his private life, public life, and political career.  He is not afraid to take politically unpopular positions on issues that are very important to him, his family, and his faith.  As opposed to this being a point of criticism and contention, I think this is one of the greatest reasons to support Rick Santorum.  His faith, not a political party or philosophy, forms his beliefs.  I believe many politicians and political correspondents such as Ann Coulter make their political philosophy their religion.  Not Rick Santorum, and to that I say bravo!

“Which means he's good on 60 percent of the issues, but bad on others, such as big government social programs.”

I am not sure how Ann Coulter comes up with the 60% number, but apparently she has an awful lot of criticisms of the Catholic Church.  Interestingly, her father was Catholic.  Ann herself is not very religious; she says she has general Christian beliefs but that she does not declare membership to any particular denomination.  I only point this out to get some greater perspective on her comments.  Ann’s conclusion is that Catholicism supports “big government social programs,” and leaves open the inference that there are other complaints she has with Catholicism.  The problem with Ann’s comment is that her insinuation that Catholicism supports big government is untrue.  As I noted earlier, the Church does not take political sides.  The Church is concerned about the poor and vulnerable among us, but the Church remains neutral in how best to serve the poor.  Some faithful Catholics may conclude upon their own deductions that big government social programs are the best way to support the poor.  I would disagree.  The great thing about Catholicism is that this is perfectly ok.  You see, faithful Catholics can disagree on HOW to fix societal ills and problems so long as we acknowledge and agree upon the problems themselves and that our intentions to solve the problems are pure and real.  Rick Santorum believes, as I do, that we can best help the poor by empowering them as opposed to making them slaves to the government through big social programs.  Rick Santorum’s record favorably supports his statements on limited government.  One of his greatest achievements as a member of the U.S. Senate was welfare reform, which encouraged poor people to work and helped lead to some of the lowest numbers of poverty in United States history.  Rick Santorum’s concern for the poor is especially refreshing considering that his party is often criticized for not caring about the poor.  “Santorum's driving interests: more efficient government and a keen interest in helping the poor — the latter motivated in part by his devout Roman Catholic faith” – USA Today.  There are ways to help the poor, such as welfare reform, that are not at odds with the conservative philosophy of limited government intervention.  In my opinion, Ann’s characterization of Rick Santorum as a supporter of big government social programs is a much distorted characterization of the man.  It is also very hypocritical and ironic.

What makes Ann Coulter’s criticism of Rick Santorum for not being conservative so hypocritical and ironic?  She is endorsing perhaps the most liberal Republican running for President; Mitt Romney.  Enough said.

God bless,

Mike

Is Rick Santorum Catholic?

Some Ron Paul supporters are questioning the faith and pro-life credentials of Rick Santorum.  Here are just a few comments taken from Rick Santorum’s Facebook page.

1.) Sylvia  You sir, are no CATHOLIC. Shame on you!

2.) Sylvia  Pro life???????? You gotta be kidding. We are in so much trouble. Ron Paul help us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3.) Jonathan  he's anti god, anti love and he doesnt care if the old or poor has heating

4.) Scott  ‎@Michael Yeah he's a great catholic if youre an american. but if youre muslim, hide your family. He's become just as big of a disgrace to the faith on the right, as pelosi has become to the left.
Sorry, but it had to be said.

Where do I even begin?  First of all, I have nothing against Ron Paul personally.  I disagree with some of his political views, but he seems a like a decent human being.  However, some of his rabid followers and supporters are simply crazy.  I believe the above comments only further confirm this conclusion.  Let me address each of the comments above very briefly.

1.) Sylvia, who are you to say that Rick Santorum is not Catholic?  Was he not baptized into the Catholic faith?  Does he no longer attend mass or profess a belief in Catholicism?  Your statement is untrue.  Rick Santorum is a very faithful Catholic who frequently attends mass, and it is very evident that his faith is a very important part of his life.  It would be one thing to say that in your opinion a couple of his political policies may not be consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.  I would disagree with that assessment, but you would be free to your opinion.  However, to say that the man is not Catholic is both insulting and flat out wrong!  Shame on you, Sylvia, for your false accusation against of Rick Santorum. 

2.) Rick Santorum is pro-life.  I really shouldn’t even have to address this because he has been so clear and outspoken about pro-life issues, but for Sylvia’s sake I will say a few words.  In fact, Rick Santorum is the one presidential candidate that time and again brings up pro-life issues in debates, in town hall meetings, at crisis pregnancy centers, and virtually everywhere he goes.  He is a pro-life champion.  It really is ridiculous to question his pro-life credentials.  Even Rick Santorum’s greatest critics will acknowledge that the man is passionately pro-life.  The plea for Ron Paul to help us really sounds desperate.  It almost sounds like this lady worships Ron Paul.  I hear this a lot from Ron Paul supporters; Ron Paul is the most pro-life candidate because he delivered over 4000 babies.  I think it’s wonderful that he delivered so many babies, and I don’t question that Ron Paul is pro-life, but the fact that he delivered babies does not make him pro-life.  There are  abortion doctors that also deliver babies.  Does that make them pro-life?  Rick Santorum is a father of 7 children.  To me, that is the most clear indication that a man is pro-life.  What are the candidate's policies and how will those policies help protect life?  Ron Paul thinks these issues should be resolved by the state, but Rick Santorum believes that no state has the right to deny any person the right to life.  Which of those beliefs and policies is more pro-life?  Rick Santorum is clearly the most pro-life candidate in this Republican Presidential primary.  

3.) Ok, this one doesn’t even warrant a response.  Next.

4.) Scott is all over the place.  Let me try to respond to each of his points individually.  First, Scott suggests that Santorum is a great Catholic if you are American.  This comment makes absolutely no sense.  I guess I would say to Scott that I am an American, and I believe Santorum to be a good and faithful Catholic.  I am not sure that the fact that I am American has anything to do with it, but other than the fact that his comment makes no sense I don’t really have anything else to say.  Then Scott says that if you are a Muslim, hide your family.  This is just a ridiculous statement that once again makes no sense whatsoever.  Is he suggesting that you are either American or Muslim?  I don’t get it.  I happen to be a Christian living in America, but there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims that are also Americans.  Additionally, it is absolutely ridiculous to say that Muslim families must hide in fear of Rick Santorum.  He has no hatred or agenda against peaceful Muslims.  He is very concerned about the radical element of Islam, which is determined to do any and everything to destroy and kill us who they label as infidels.  The fact that Rick Santorum is aware of this threat and steadfast in protecting the citizens of the United States does not in any way suggest that he hates Muslims.  Rick Santorum believes in the freedom of all people to freely practice their religion.  Lastly, Scott attempts to compare the faith of Rick Santorum to Nancy Pelosi.  This comparison is so off base.  Rick Santorum does not defiantly, openly, and publicly state false beliefs and statements about Catholicism in direct conflict with the USCCB on the foundational teachings of the Catholic Church unlike Pelosi.  Pelosi actively promotes abortion, gay ‘marriage’, and other anti-Christian positions despite the very clear teachings of the Catholic Church against these fundamental issues.  She promotes these things while at the same time trying to justify her evil positions as ‘catholic’ positions.  Pelosi dangerously tries to mislead Catholics and all voters, and she misrepresents the teachings of the Catholic Church even on the most important issues such as abortion and marriage.  Rick Santorum does none of the above.  It is so refreshing to have a Catholic politician like Rick Santorum who actually believes in the essential teachings of the Catholic Church and strives to live a Catholic life both privately and publicly.

 

I have no problem with people who disagree about a candidate’s political positions.  However, it upsets me greatly when people make such false and completely ridiculous statements about a candidate’s faith.  I find it amusing that Rick Santorum, who is the most consistent and passionate pro-life social conservative, is being criticized by some as not being pro-life.  Rick Santorum is a faithful Catholic who actually believes in and promotes the essential teachings of the Catholic faith, unlike many politicians who tout their Catholic faith despite actively promoting agendas that are in direct conflict of essential teachings of the Catholic faith.  My prayers go out to Rick Santorum as he continues his candidacy for the President of the United States.  My God bless him and his family throughout this campaign.  Rick Santorum is a trustworthy, social conservative family man, and I am praying that if it is God’s will that he will be our next President.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Bleeder: A Mystery

My dad once told me that he liked to read a novel in the summer.  Typically I read biographies, inspirational books, historical books, political books, or religious books.  I rarely find time to read novels.  Well I decided that I was going to read a novel on my vacation this past week.  It was a nice break from the routine.  I think I'll have to read novels more often.  I found it to be both fun and relaxing.  I didn't have to think too hard although I liked to try to solve the mystery in my head; I just read the book for enjoyment.  I chose this novel for a couple reasons.  I enjoy a good mystery and it sounded like it had a lot of Catholic themes.  This novel gives some insight on some Catholic teachings and traditions especially regarding saints, but it does so in the context of an interesting story and is not at all in your face preaching.  If you are looking for a good mystery novel to get away from the normal routine, I encourage you to check this book out.  I don't think you'll be disappointed... I must boast a little bit and say that I figured out at least half the mystery before it was fully revealed.  I'm proud of myself!  If you have a kindle and would like to read this book, send me a message and I will loan it to you for free.

Bleeder: A Mystery

God bless,

Mike