Book Notes

I mentioned the book Embryo - A Defense of Human Life by Robert George and Christoper Tollefsen some weeks ago. I still haven't read it, but it is in the on deck circle.

One review on Amazon says this (in part):

Finally, a book that confronts the dishonesty directly--by challenging those who continue to deny the humanity of the early human embryo. Drawing from science, philosophy, and the law--but not religion, George and Tollefsen make a compelling case that the early human embryo is not a "potential" human being, or a "pre human being" or a clump of unformed cells, but rather an individual member of the human species--deserving of respect and protection.

But I mention the book today because there is a debate on going about it. It started with a NY Times book review and continues on NRO (here) - with the authors replying. Check it out.

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Speaking of books, I am reading now Swords Around the Cross: the Nine Years War. I am not very far in, but note this passage already:

The Nine Years Ware 1594-1602 was certainly a war of Gaelic independence, but primarily and most importantly a war fought in defense of the Roman Catholic Faith. When negotiations were opened and terms discussed, inevitably the first article demanded by the Confederates was the free practice ofthe Catholic, Apostolic, Roman religion....

Religious belief, when deep, is undoubtedly the strongest felling in the soul of man. It can endow a nation steeped in it with a fiery, unconquerable strength. History has shown time and again that Catholicism can be for a nation a profound emotion, capable of uniting a people and transcending their previous limitations.

Dr. O'Donnell credits the Nine Years War with keeping Belgium Catholic-that Elizabeth (or should we say, William Cecil) did not have the resources to assist Protestants in the low countries (Belgium) due to the the ongoing struggle in Ireland.

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Finally this morning, in reading a book we are trying to secure reprint rights to, I found a piece of paper marking a page in the book. The paper listed (from the 1963 Congressional Record) "current Communist goals". I found a more complete list online here. Read:

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health
clinics, etc.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.(No, just give it to the control of Red China-ed.)

There are others on the list, but this is a sufficient cross-section. Some may say, "So what! Communism died in 1990." But, Red China is getting stronger.

While I believe Red China is a big threat, the means of their conquest will be our own weaknesses. We have increasing apathy and laziness about what we eat, and about how what we consume (food or otherwise) is produced. We care less about whose backs our consumption is breaking, as long as we can have what we want NOW and cheaply. A little economic hardship around here would do our souls a bit of good. We also allow a continued secularization of our society as demonstrated by the Communist goals listed above which are reality today in America.

When the crash comes-we will have no soul left: no God to cry to. He will not exist for many in a real way. Of course this is the great opportunity both sides of the struggle: for evangelization and for the economic takeover by China.

Eventually, (I believe) there will be a worldwide struggle between Communist China and Islamic Europe. Devote Christians will have no partner in the party (just as we increasingly have a hard time finding a date in the political workings of America today). But we will be there to pick up the pieces of the disillusioned and rebuild Christendom. Until then we should work on personal holiness.

Onwards! Oremus pro invicem!