The Cistercians Are Back at Zirc; Christian couple sentenced to death in Pakistan...more

The Cistercians Are Back at Zirc
...When we’re tempted by the fear that the Church will be “swept away by the forces of history” — abortion, gay marriage, suppression of Catholic charities and businesses — we should remember that there was a time when rich and powerful forces conspired with the intellectual elite of Hungary to suppress the Cistercians and destroy them entirely. They were reputed to be “stuck in the Dark Ages,” doomed to be “left behind by history,” whereas their oppressors were thought (even by some Catholics) to represent the future: something bright, shining, and new. “We will bury you,” they said (not realizing that resurrection has always been Christ’s special gift to the faithful).

But where are those utopian reformers now? They’ve been swept into the trash heap of history, in that place we reserve not only for the departed, but for the cads and thugs and cowards. They’re not only dead, their memory is despised.

And the Cistercians? The Cistercians are back at Zirc – not to mention in Spring Bank and Dallas. Praying. Teaching. AS they have been for centuries. Proving once again that, despite the latest machinations of the Enemy...Excellent!

Facing the Porn Plague
‘“Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions.’”

Christian Couple Sentenced to Death in Pakistan over Alleged Text Message Insulting Prophet Mohammed ...
“The defense lawyer said that the couple had suspected rivals of implicating them into blasphemy case to settle personal scores and that they had ties with the complainant,” AFP wrote.

Under Pakistani law, the death penalty can be handed down for insulting the prophet Mohammed; however, the BBC noted that “Pakistan has a de facto moratorium on the death penalty so it is unlikely the couple will be executed.”

“Critics argue that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are frequently misused to settle personal scores and that members of minority groups are also unfairly targeted,” the BBC reported...

Marriage, Reason, and Religious Liberty: Much Ado About Sex, Nothing to Do with Race
Whatever one’s views of marriage and however the state defines it, there is no compelling state interest in forcing all citizens to facilitate, participate in, or celebrate a same-sex relationship as a marriage. Believing that marriage is the union of man and woman is a reasonable position held by many. Bans on interracial marriage, by contrast, were grossly unreasonable. Protecting religious liberty and the rights of conscience does not restrict anyone’s freedom to enter into whatever romantic partnerships he or she wishes. Americans should remain free to speak and act in the public square based on their belief that marriage is the union of a man and woman without fear of government penalty. No one should demand that government coerce others into celebrating their relationships.