The UK Government is rather frightening at the moment. Having decided to take on the God-like status of re-defining marriage and looking into taking on the God-like status of 'helping you to end your life' (the power to kill citizens), as well as storing up human embryos for experimentation and 'fertility treatment', now one Telegraph blogger has spotted the Government's sneaky plan to take to itself the power to dip into your bank account and take what HMRC has decided you owe in tax, without your consent. Going by the comments on the blog post, this policy, which was not formally announced, but was instead discovered by those going through the Budget 2014 with a fine comb, isn't going to be a popular move...
"Politics must be a striving for justice, and hence it has to establish the fundamental preconditions for peace. Naturally a politician will seek success, without which he would have no opportunity for effective political action at all. Yet success is subordinated to the criterion of justice, to the will to do what is right, and to the understanding of what is right. Success can also be seductive and thus can open up the path towards the falsification of what is right, towards the destruction of justice. “Without justice – what else is the State but a great band of robbers?”, as Saint Augustine once said. We Germans know from our own experience that these words are no empty spectre.
We have seen how power became divorced from right, how power opposed right and crushed it, so that the State became an instrument for destroying right – a highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss. To serve right and to fight against the dominion of wrong is and remains the fundamental task of the politician. At a moment in history when man has acquired previously inconceivable power, this task takes on a particular urgency. Man can destroy the world. He can manipulate himself. He can, so to speak, make human beings and he can deny them their humanity. How do we recognize what is right? How can we discern between good and evil, between what is truly right and what may appear right? Even now, Solomon’s request remains the decisive issue facing politicians and politics today."
~ Pope Benedict XVI in his 2011 address to the German Bundestag
I find it interesting that, having left a quote from St Augustine and a quote from Pope Benedict XVI's address to the German Bundestag, my comment on The Telegraph blog article has been met with 51 'likes'. Who would have thought Catholic theology could be so popular! Perhaps the wisdom of Benedict XVI will be appreciated now that he is no longer on the Throne of St Peter. Let's face it, the media never really gave the world 'the real Benedict'.
Pope Benedict XVI - makes it sound easy to speak with reason and faith.
ReplyDeleteHe was the only Pope after Pius XII to caution rather than canonize the UN:
"It is evident, though, that the rights recognized and expounded in the Declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God’s creative design for the world and for history. They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilizations. Removing human rights from this context would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks. This great variety of viewpoints must not be allowed to obscure the fact that not only rights are universal, but so too is the human person, the subject of those rights."
http://www.harvestingthefruit.com/worshiping-at-the-altar-of-human-dignity/
Robbers? Bank accounts? That's the EU for you.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I lost every hope for Britain (even with its murderous abortions and same-sex marriage) when I learned of this in 2011:
"150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years" - The Mail Online -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2017818/Embryos-involving-genes-animals-mixed-humans-produced-secretively-past-years.html
Is there any divine punishment too severe for this abomination?
Robbers? Bank accounts? Invaders? That's only the EU but the US too. With the approval of the US and the rest of Europe, France bombarded Libya and destroyed the entire country. The pretext was that Khadafi was a evil dictator. Months earlier Mr Blair and Monsieur Sarkozy were showing Khadafi woth flowers and praises! What the media never tells you is that they make so much money every time they bomb a country.
ReplyDeleteIn the former Yugoslavia, the EU rushed, and recognised Croatia and played a major role in the war that thorn apart that country.
Later on, during the bombing of Serbia they used the same recipe and misiles with depleted uranium. The Kosovo campaign is another example of the double standards of these bunch of EU apparatchiks. Though, the illegality of the Kosovo campaign was evident, they managed to manipulate the international institutions (UN & et al) declare a legal country called Kosovo. These are the same people that are behind the agenda of abortion and same-sex marriage.
They did it in Iraq and Afganistan and now in the Ukraine. The scenario in the Ukraine is very interesting for a number of reasons. It seems that the US had a different agenda: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37599.htm
The EU also had a different role to play and now many neo-Nazis and oligarchs formed part of the interim government in Kiev. This video shows who is in charge in the Ukraine:
http://rt.com/news/nationalist-mps-attack-journalist-097/
To what extent can we trust the EU? All the colourful fake revolutions?
I am catholic and cannot understand what kind of people are these rulers!
I see the very orthodox Bishop Egan has quite rightly been calling out intemperate bloggers as sinners. Do you plan to mend your ways during Lent, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteThis is a disgraceful slur. You are constantly attacking the defence of the doctrine of the Faith. I hope you are not a priest because you are leading people away from the truth, the deposit of Faith and acting in a most spiteful way.
Delete@Fr. Mark,
ReplyDeleteBlaggers or Bloggers? In any event, who are we to judge? It is possible to be 'intemperate' in one's judgements.
In any event I gather yours is a personal take on what the Bishop purportedly said.
Since 'intemperate blogging' is reputedly a new classification of 'sin' please, put down that stone in your hand and illuminate us on how the word 'intemperate' was defined by His Excellency.
"But Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'" Luke 19:40
ReplyDeletewhat is an intemperate blogger, Fr Mark? And how can blogging the news of the Church be a sin? Are you really a priest? When people blog and have Fr. this or Sr. that, I wonder if it is a true representation of their state of life.
ReplyDeleteat any rate, in a world where Popes and prelates and most priests have apostatized and weekly encourage their congregations to do the same having an opinion blog that sticks to the facts of things is only something Stalin would call a sin.
Is it just me or are Catholics who have given themelves a freepass on being worldlings, issuing to their souls their own self-serving indults to abuse the Faith till the cows come home, the only people allowed to speak up in the church anymore?
What a strange thing to do in a person's living room Father ...telling them off in the presence of others ...
ReplyDeleteThis is abusing religion and your position as a priest.
What Mr. Laurence does for Lent is only his concern and his confessor's...as it seems to me that this was not a joke quip on your part...
I have never seen offensive posts on this blog ..
I hope you don't mind me saying this Mr. Laurence....
Barbara
Father Mark: To whom are you addressing your remarks? There is little point in making these general kinds of accusations. Try and be specific as otherwise people might think that you have a different agenda.
ReplyDeleteWe live in times of Totalitarianism. The EU, the US and the rest of the so called West and Internationa Community want us, the rest to be moulded into their manufacture consensus and some elements of the Catholic Church are also part of this. I feel free in Jesus to expose this views.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr Lawrence for this platform of debate.
Lets pray for St Michael's intercession. This is just the start of heavy Spiritual warfare. Lets us God to prepare us during this Lent.
I have a further offering to this discussion which I believe is on point not only apropos Laurence's original topic, but also the side-swipe taken at him by someone in an earlier comment relative to limiting one's freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteLifeSiteNews - "Former heads of state call on EU to set up state surveillance of 'intolerant' citizens"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-heads-of-state-call-on-eu-to-set-up-state-surveillance-of-intolerant?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=dc544bae0b-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_06_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0caba610ac-dc544bae0b-326240826
viterbo - The good bishop explains what he means about the dangers of intemperate bloggers being in danger of sinning during his recent interview so don't ask me, read it!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, 'the pope and most of the prelates have apostatised' is not plainly not true and imply they are no longer in communion with Rome. Statements like this are schismatic and are precisely what the good bishop warns again./ I think you just proved his point.
Have you seen the young nun in habit performing an Alicia keys song on the Italian version of the voice. absolutely fabulous voice and performance. This is the new evangelisation.
ReplyDeleteFr Mark - you obviously haven't had to attend the Masses I have, or the catechesis, or listened to the lovely real clear Catholicism of our pope. plus you didn't answer my question. are you a priest? 'statements' like this are schismatic - well, I guess Christ was a schismatist since he said there would be a great apostasy. 'scuse me for thinking it's already here.
ReplyDeletefr mark, from now on please refer to me Abbot Viterbo.
ReplyDeletep.s. does anyone else notice the schismatiphobes ask endless questions but never answer any. they just give commands - 'don't ask me, read it'! it's going to be a long road - not only because of the world but because of the blind blogomils trying to poke your pies out with their Widgets.
ReplyDeletenow the hypocritical thing is, my father was protestant, so shouldn't I be getting a schismatic pat on the back and a go ye forth and do as your father did as the pope said to those eastern schismatics? I thought JPII sublated the very idea of schism or apostasy when he theologically twisted the incarnation to be instant universal salvation for everyone forever.
ReplyDelete-
it's a tricky business knowing what the Catholic Fathers knew to be true, however.
@Fr. Mark,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with those who say or otherwise imply it's uncomfortable framing responses to people who style themselves 'Fr.' or 'Dr.' or 'L.L.D.'. I believe the substance of a comment ought speak for itself.
Anecdotally, I once was at a hearing which involved the taking of medical testimony relating to the causation and degree of an injury sustained by a child.
The chief witness for the defence (unchallenged by any voir dire from the prosecution) was introduced to the court as 'Dr. X.' and testimony proceeded apace with 'Dr. X.' offering opinion on various factors medical.
After testimony had gone on for approximately 5 minutes or so 'Dr. X.'s various medical opinions struck me as unusual (to say the least). When I questioned him directly (I was the presiding adjudicator) regarding what his educational background was, he replied he had a Doctorate in Civil Engineering.
That put matters in a slightly different light and, as you might expect, I had a private, rather sharp conversation, with both the prosecution and defence later.
So, 'Fr. Mark' I am inclined to look somewhat askance at those who would impress by implying competence in an area where no such particular competence may exist.
As for your earlier reply to viterbo and your suggestion that he/she read the bishop's remarks, I confess I had an early read of the the bishop's remarks in The Catholic Herald and which account was later revised owing to including reference to some poor (now an enforced contemplative) U.K. Catholic Blogger.
Insofar as you take viterbo's remarks to be schismatic, my opinion is that the real red meat in any blog is what the Blogger has to say on any given issue.
Remarks in the "Com Box" are just those. My guess is that when Our Lord dined with tax collectors and sinners there would have been profane side-chatter of varying degree amongst others at table, some of which may have been less than edifying.
Peace!
@Gloria,
ReplyDeleteAgree. Agree.
Whoa! God save us from a revival of that 1975 "Jesus is Just All Right with Me" (Doobie Brothers) 'Jesus Freak' cum Pentecostal movement.
We've been there done that and some of us even have the moth-eaten T-shirts to prove it.
I've forgotten the words to all of the songs but they did have a nice beat and were easy to dance to.
I think Debby Boone's 1970s version of "You Light Up My Life" is still available somewhere.
Peace!
@Gloria,
ReplyDeleteForgive me, but in my diabetic dotage I overlooked the most important post-Ascension evangelical moment in Christianity: the 1970s "Jesus Christ Superstar". Couldn't keep the converts away after that one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvVr2uks0C8
Just teasing a bit, of course. Cheers.
"does anyone else notice the schismatiphobes ask endless questions but never answer any. they just give commands."
ReplyDeleteO yes Viterbo, you bet - it seems the dialoguing concilar Church will have absiolutely no real dialogue with traditiona Catholic. With EVERYONE ELSE - Yes! including real heretics - but trad-catholics - no way...
I have had this experience of brick-walls - responses many time accompanied of course by the usual labels of integralist, mediaeval, and their favourite "levfvbrian" even if one has never ever met a live member of the Society of St. Pius - like myself!
Very few will anwser your questions about the "modernist problems in the Church" directly...
Why? This is the question...
Barbara
@Liam - I should have put, 'mother superior', rather than Abbot, but I thought I'd get more respect with the latter. See how seductive the title truncheon can be!
ReplyDeleteabout what Liam comment on gehumans.
ReplyDeletewho can conceive of the minds that can desolate the human 'condition' as effectively as those satanic 'engineers'?
some people say that the modernists are like Janus - two faced (forget about seeing the past and the future); but they, like all antiabsolutists, seem unable to look ahead, behind, left, right, up or down. their only vista stops before the end of their nose, and that space is inhabited by Alinsky-ish antichristisms.
but who is any Catholic to judge.