This book is better than its sequel, The Thieves of Faith.   It's still wildly implausible, but it's an exciting story.   Its's a good escapist adventure and not so many amazing escapes from death as the...  I lost the keys.   No, I can't just blast 'em open.  Haven't had my coffee this morning  Give me a couple minutes and we'll have it working again."  Um, yes, irreverance is apparently hereditary.

I would like to begin with a quote from a homily given by a bishop.  He said this: "According to Catholic doctrine, there are doubtless commandments which are not binding when obedience to them..."    And what is his diocese?   It was Archbishop Clemens von Galen of the Diocese of Munster, Germany, quoting a statement by the German Catholic bishops, speaking from the pulpit, on August 3, 1941.

Some of you might ahve heard me in recent weeks mention Michael Savage. My mom during Fall Break was tlaking about what he is doing in trying to start a "Conservative" Party. It sounded like a great idea...in some areas. He had some very good ideas. He had some very good ideas like clause L in the domestic issues. I guess I am looking though for a Catholic Conservative Party. Maybe I should start one....

So it will shortly be All Hallows Day. Um, I know I haven't been talking much anyway, but, um, All Hallows is a very important time for me...I don't know if I should be doing this, since I'm dead anyway...believe All Hallows is a day for the dead...for remembrance...um... ...this isn't going well... What I'm asking is...would anybody like to join me to remember the people they've lost? Maybe? Um..

I had a meeting with my adviser today. One issue has been rendered moot: my diocese insists, unless you've suffered a grievous head injury with extensive brain damage, that all seminarians will earn the...Patrick's down right now. How many Catholics in California would protest? How many of them would care? How many of them would say it serves them right for teaching hateful things like abortion is murder

Joe Biden, abortion and the Catholic vote The following was written by Frank K. Flinn, Ph.D., adjunct professor of religious studies in Arts & Sciences and author of the Encyclopedia of Catholicism (2007). Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden is telling the Catholics in his audiences that St. Thomas Aquinas had a different teaching on abortion than the current pope and his...

St. Theresa's Prayer May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you...things were progressing nicely.  Now it's three weeks later and we've taken 3 steps back.  I rarely bump into him;  I'm awkward around him; He seems uninterested.  Time to move on OR make a move?

Resurrection Church in Aptos is hosting a very moving memorial to the Americans and Iraqis who have died in Bush/Cheney's misbegotten war. It is in the cemetery, facing Soquel drive. You can sort of see...representing all of the dead (based on US numbers, so imagine many many more). I am proud of my church for hosting this. I gotta say, they walked the bloody edge of endorsing Obama and No on 8 today ;-

In college, Marisol, a friend from Puerto Rico, informed us that during Mass in Spanish, you have to be careful during the renewal of the baptismal vows. In English, you just automatically say "yes" to...beliefs. I'm always having to question every little thing. I'm guessing, if it weren't for all the babies, Sarah Palin would sleep a lot easier at night than I do. She shouldn't, but I bet she does

In essence, what is being argued in some circles is that because Veritatis Splendor does not align with personal interpretations of Church history and previous practices, the encyclical can't mean...what it plainly says. One could call it a hermeneutic of "The Last Encyclical Loses." It might be convenient for polemical purposes to label the hermeneutic of continuity as "The Last Encyclical Wins.