LETTERS
1999 LETTERS
November
October
September
July/August
June
May
April
March
February
January
ARTICLES
NEWS
ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
Contents © 1999
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
FEBRUARY 1999
QUESTIONABLE PRO-LIFE TACTICS
I was struck by the news article on page 10 of your December 1998 issues about what the "apparent reasons" are as to why the new California Legislature is more pro-abortion than before [See News, December 1998].
The reasoning as presented in the article left out the absolute fact that the California Pro Life Council and the California Right to Life Political Action Comittee (CRLPAC) were willing to support and did give their support to two pro-abortion candidates in an expedient manner so as "to ensure" a better chance to obtain funding and votes on the partial birth ban. Dan Lungren presented himself as a practicing Catholic and yet was for abortion in the cases of rape and incest; and Matt Fong supported abortion in the first trimester. These two candidates were presented in the California Pro Life Voters Guide as PRO-LIFE.
I believe if the CRLPAC had gone fully with support only for fully pro-life candidates, those candidates may not have had enough votes to get into office; but the CRLPAC would have had God's support and helps in a profound way which it does not have now. We must ask God's forgiveness for all of those babies given away to death by this ugly compromise.
Also, we voters did not sit "out the election because they were not given real choices among candidates," as Mary Ellen MacCaffrey of the CRLPAC is quoted as saying. What we did was to vote our consciences before God, and so we voted Libertarian for Life.
Claudia M. Person
Sacramento
Editor: the following were received in answer to a mailed solicitation to join Friends of the Mission.
While I believe many of your writers are dedicated to the truth and to the true orthodox Catholic beliefs, I am sometimes appalled at a tone of sarcasm when they are writing about religious figures or liturgies. Even though I also don't like or approve of many outrageous events and actions within our church (or any other church) I would never recommend sarcasm for a critique. Jesus was very blunt with the Pharisees; however, He cold read hearts. We cannot. We need "watchdogs" like your staff. However, never let us forget that there are sincere (but misled) people involved in some "unorthodox" and "disrespectful" activities.
Barbara Murphy
Santa Monica
MAYBE SOMEDAY...
Someday when/if you use your wealth and organization to dialogue in a spirit of Christian charity with those who do not hold all you views, I'd be glad to support you.
Anonymous
I READ YOUR PAPER, BUT...
I read your newspaper because I believe that, as a Catholic, I should view all viewpoints. However, I must let you know that: I believe in ecumenism ("Ut Unum Sint"); I believe in liberation theology, as I understand it; I am troubled over what the church does to (or not to) minister to homosexuals and am in contemplation on that subject; I believe that the annulment process appears to be a charade; I like the inclusiveness of the liturgy and hope that the church gets more inclusive (I still go to Latin Masses); I want so badly to see the world respect life (abortion is a great evil), but I'm not sure how to come to a resolution!
I could go on.
Thomas M. Whaling
Lake Forest
EXPAND YOUR FORMAT
Enclosed is a one time contribution to help ensure the progress of a very commendable project.
I would like to suggest you consider moving in the direction of the Wanderer format, combining articles that teach with news reports on local events. I have written to remind the Mission staff that the habit of long discussions which never settle anything is pernicious. An interview with a professor at Loyola, for example, merely served to spread his confusions on Catholic teaching concerning the death penalty when his errors were not even noted, much less, rebutted. Something of that pernicious habit led to a favorable review of ecumenical Scriptural courses, only offset by letters to the editor which pointed out how this approach ignores the Church's pivotal role in understanding Scripture. The failure to review Church teaching to see the truth clearly indicates a Great Books mindset like that of Allan Bloom, who, for all his immersion in the Greats, had not decided the question of God's existence.
Dr. Richard George
Santa Paula
MEAN AND NASTY
You are mean, nasty, unchristian. If I had never heard of Jesus Christ and read your newspaper, I would keep on walking.
Anonymous