The usual Open Thread rules apply: be concise, be charitable and, above all, be amusing!
Open Thread
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Lots of vain but successful attempts at dismantling in the last month. My guess is the next thing is women deacons, not ordained at first…. of course.
Quite a menu of regrettable decisions and events in France between 1789 and 1815. One was the 22 year long effort by a succession of regimes to conquer much of Europe. Another was the success of the slave revolt in St. Domingue. Another was the Vendée. Another was the mass seizure of ecclesiastical property in 1789. Another was the ‘civil constitution of the clergy’. Another was the incorporation of local governments with (on average) miniscule populations and a denuded ability to provide useful services, which in turn was fuel for excessive centralization. Another was the decapitation mania in Paris during 1793 and 1794 (which claimed the deposed King and his wife) coincident with weird excursions like the ‘revolutionary calendar’ and Robespierre’s deist cult.
There is much wrong with France right now (e.g., its embrace of Muslim immigration, its continued rejection of its Catholic heritage, etc.), just as there is much wrong with the United States. And yes, we did defend France (and all of Western Europe) against Germany twice and Soviet Russia once. But when it comes to nuclear energy, the French are doing it right. 70% of its electric grid is independent of fossil fuels and useless, worthless so-called renewables. Framatome (France Atom) is a major nuclear fuel supplier in the United States, offering stiff competition against GE Verona for BWRs and Westinghouse for PWRs. The fuel handling system at my place of work – Neutrons ‘R Us – is designed and developed by Framatome, and so are our half-height nuclear fuel assemblies. France is providing integral support to Brazil in its development of an indigenous nuclear powered fast attack submarine (which I think for political reasons is foolhardy, but they’re French). Yes, France lost the fast attack submarine deal with upgrading Australia’s diesel electric Collin class, hence we now have the AUKUS initiative to equip Australia first with American nuclear powered Virginia class fast attacks, and then with a British developed design. If France had offered Australia nuclear as it has Brazil, then things might be different (FAUKUS –> France, Australia, UK, US –> what an acronym and how appropriate!). But by and large, I wouldn’t count the French out of the game. However, they got to stop voting for soy boys with an Oedipal Complex (i.e., Emmanuel Macron), and come to realize that the Battle of Tours is upon them once again.
Mea sententia peculiaris sicut civis liber.
My personal opinion as a free citizen.
The countries in western Europe wherein popular sentiment is most antagonistic to population replacement are Italy, France and Austria. Not quite enough in these places and nowhere near enough in other places.
I had an interesting experience on Thanksgiving. My parish had a Mass for the anniversary of the dedication of the church. I’ve never been to one before, which doesn’t make sense to me statistically. I mean, any opportunity for incense and the long Eucharistic Prayer is a win, particularly midweek, but it’s just something I’d never run across before. Does anyone know if this is rare? or new, in terms of its priority? Or was this simply the pastor taking advantage of the opportunity?
Economist Thomas Malthus predicted that the human race would starve to death by 1970.
The computer was invented, man set foot on the moon and genetically engineered rice with Vitamin A reduced the blindness in China. There are many more good tidings about divine Providence, the trust in God, countless.
To population control maniacs, your lust for power and fame added to the crimes of population control will get you nowhere.
The Priest in the Sacrament of Penance has the authority, acting in persona Christi, to forgive his murderer and my murderer without incurring any guilt in complicity after the fact…because Jesus Christ died for all men and God forgave all men. Therefore the priest acting in persona Christi, through the power of attorney of Jesus Christ grants forgiveness; the forgiveness that is before all ages in eternity. The Throne of Justice has been satisfied.
I can forgive my murderer. I cannot forgive your murderer without becoming complicit after the fact; even as Saul held the robes of those who stoned Stephen, in being one with the murderers.
Deterrence of homicide through the death penalty is Justice for those of us who would prevent your murder; for those of us who do not intent your murder.
I cannot forgive your murderer because I am not a priest. Jesus Christ said that anyone who scandalizes one of these little ones (innocent ones)ought to have a millstone put about his neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea…the death penalty.
You’re probably thinking of Paul Ehrlich.
I have a lot of respect for Malthus, but not for the so-called Malthusians or neo-Malthusians like Ehrlich. Malthus argued that food production over time could increase linearly, but population would tend to increase exponentially. Three forces could keep population down: misery, vice, and moral restraint. Malthus may have underestimated the potential growth in food supply (although he was right over long stretches), but he was right about population. I’d love to say that the declining population growth is due to moral restraint, but let’s be honest, it’s primarily due to vice.
Pinky:
Thomas Malthus was warning us. Ehrlich is threatening us…and from the Vatican’s congregation for life. Ehrlich’s lack of respect for human dignity borders on obscenity.