The host Doug Keck of EWTN Bookmark interviewed Ellen Edmonds who wrote a book called “Embracing Dementia”. Ellen Edmonds wrote this book after haven taken care of her husband when he had dementia. She wanted to help others who are taking care of mothers, fathers, husbands, wives or grandparents who have dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. I know SR has been helping her dad take care of her mom who has Alzheimer’s Disease. It can be rough or tough to see a parent or spouse going through these diseases, not remembering who you are or their thinking you’re still a child in their minds. When I was in high school my Pop Pop had Alzheimer’s Disease. When we would visit my grandfather he would think my dad was his brother and would call my dad his brother’s name. I could see the how much this hurt my dad. This is an extremely tough disease for everyone, the person that has the disease and the people taking care of those who have this illness. We are called to love, and specifically sacrificial love. Just remember God is with you as you go through this. He will give you the strength to get through this tough time. This was a great interview, well worth the half-hour listening time. Here is the website for the book Embracing Dementia. I hope listening to the interview helps SR and all those who are experiencing the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease. This book sounds like it would be very helpful for those who are taking care of loved ones with either dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. My thoughts and prayers are with SR, her family, everyone who has dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, and all those taking care of family members who have dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. God Bless.
Archive for the ‘Morality’ Category
EWTN Bookmark — Embracing Dementia
Posted in Books, Catholic, Christian, faith, God, health, Health Care, Morality, Theology, tagged Alzheimer's Disease, book, dementia, Ellen Edmonds, Embracing Dementia, EWTN, EWTN Bookmark, God, illness, love, sacrificial love, sick, suffering, tough on May 20, 2013 | 5 Comments »
Women, the Catholic Church, and the Therapeutic Use of the “Pill”
Posted in Catholic Church, Catholic Church Doctrine, Catholicism, Christian, Christianity, encyclical, Ethics, Health Care, Morality, Pro-Life, Theology, tagged conditions, contraception, endometriosis, female health problems, health issues, helps, Humanae Vitae, the pill, therapeutic use, treatment, treats, women on April 27, 2013 | 6 Comments »
I feel a bit of umbrage when someone who hasn’t experienced problems with female health issues makes the assertion that the pill, ”contraception for women were NEVER designed to improve their health.” This gives the implication that the pill can never be used to help with more severe female health issues when that isn’t the case. As a female who has severe endometriosis I have experienced the good of the “pill”, it helping with me severe pain. Maybe I’m being a little touchy on this subject but it is so disappointing when men or women who have had no experience in this area, as far as experiencing major female problems, insinuate or claim that the “pill” can never improve your health. Obviously the intention of the creator of the “pill” and other contraceptives was to prevent conception. The pill was designed particularly for this purpose. With the exception of the above issue which ruffled my feathers Fr. Jason Smith at Biltrix wrote a great post called What Every Married Couple Should Know About the Truth of Sex and the Lie of Contraception which I encourage everyone to read.
Last year when I struggled in making a decision of whether it was licit to take birth control pills if it was for a severe health condition I wrote a post called Women’s Health, Conscience, and Humanae Vitae asking for people’s’ opinions and advice on the matter. Unfortunately, in the end “the pill” didn’t help and I needed a hysterectomy. When taking the “pill” for a medical condition the woman needs to weigh the risks of the side effects with the need to take the pill for the medical condition. There are some serious side effects that can occur when taking the ” pill” – blood clots in legs and brains and breast cancer – but then again, every medicine has side effects so women just need to make informed decisions. Now, there may be better health care options to treat certain female conditions which are more aligned with Catholic teaching but I’m not sure whether there is or not.
I will leave you with a quote from the encyclical Humanae Vitae:
15. On the other hand, the Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever. (19)
So taking the “pill” for therapeutic reasons is NOT illicit and is in line with teachings of the Catholic Church.
Thoughts and Links
Posted in abortion, Catholic Church, Conservatism, Culture War, Ethics, Jesus, Links, Morality, prayer, Pro-Life, tagged abortion, blackout, Catholicism, coverage, infanticide, Jesus Christ, Kermit Gosnell, Margaret Thatcher, media, morality, murder, Pope Francis, post birth, pray, The Ten Commandments, Trifecta on April 17, 2013 | 4 Comments »
I am having a good bit of pain today so I am trying to unite my pain with Jesus on the Cross.
In St. Faustina’s Diary she states that Jesus told her that He was going to punish a beautiful city in her country like he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.
Question: Do you think God punishes nations which allow and propagate evil? Or do you think God allows natural disasters to occur for purposes of cleansing? To have people feel the love of others as they are being helped? God could come into peoples’ lives as others follow Jesus’ example to help people who are in need.
Here are some links:
If Abortion Is Not Murder, Why Is Gosnell On Trial For Murder?
Until recently there has been a blackout by the media on this news story. Why? Could this be due to this story would highlight the gruesome nature of abortion? And that abortion is unsafe for both baby and mother?
Five Things I Want My Cradle Catholic Friends To Know
The Ten Commandments, Moral Anarchy, and the Secular State
Pope: “Where there is calumny, there is Satan himself.”
Pope Francis is a humble man of the people.
Please God change peoples hearts and souls so all of our children are protected both inside and outside the womb. No person should have a right to kill an innocent human being. Every life is precious.
Love Thy Neighbor
Posted in Bible, Catechetics, Catholic, Catholic Church, Christian, faith, Morality, prayer, Pro-Life, Theology, tagged Catholic Faith, faith, Fr. Murray Bodo O.F.M., Franciscan charism, love, love thy neighbor, prayer, pro-life, respect for life, Song of Sparrow, The Golden Rule, truth on April 14, 2013 | 2 Comments »
In “Song of the Sparrow” Fr. Murray Bodo O.F.M. explained that “the Franciscan charism is intimately tied up with loving those who are seemingly unlovable or who return love with hatred and contempt.”
It is easy to love our friends, family members who are easy to get along with, and those who share our same beliefs. It can be extremely tough to love people who trust us horribly, people who are insensitive, those who are grumpy or angry, someone who holds opposite beliefs as we do, and family members who are rub you the wrong way.
Expressing our love through actions is very important. Helping the needy, visiting the sick, being friendly to cantankerous relatives who you may not see eye-to-eye with, and teaching the Faith to kids in Faith Formation or adults in RCIA are all ways to show love for others.
We are called to follow The Golden Rule, treating others as we would want others to treat us.
Loving individuals doesn’t mean abandoning Truth to please others. It does mean loving the person as a human being while also being respectful if there is a disagreement. We are called to teach the fullness of the Faith: from the Sacraments, Saints, the Mass, the Ten Commandments, Catechesis, Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic Doctrine, Morality, to Respect for Life.
Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Were a Piece of Puzzle that Led Us to Bin Laden
Posted in Bible, Catholic Church, Catholic Church Doctrine, Foreign Policy, God, history, Morality, scripture, Theology, tagged Bin Laden, Catholic Church, enhanced interrogation techniques, history, Panetta, physical and moral violence, Rev. Brian Harrison O.S., Secretary of Defense, torture, waterboarding, Zero Dark Thirty on February 5, 2013 | 8 Comments »
H/T Breitbart
Secretary of Defense Panetta said: “The real story was that in order to put the puzzle of intelligence together that led us to Bin Laden, there were a lot of pieces out there that were a part of that puzzle. Yes, some of it came from some of the tactics that were used at that time, interrogation tactics that were used. But the fact is we put together most of that intelligence without having to resort to that.”
After much introspection and because of a discussion on the topic of torture I have come around full circle to my original position on enhanced interrogation techniques. Our government may have overused these techniques but I think that these enhanced interrogation techniques are a necessity. It may be necessary to use some of these techniques more frequently than others but I believe they are all needed to one degree or another in order to obtain and/or verify information from the terrorists. In addition I don’t see these techniques as constituting torture. Plus, there is no consensus or clear-cut definition of torture.
I know that the president takes an oath to defend and protect citizens from harm and in the discussion on a blog some of the commenters acknowledged this but, then they went onto to say that the president could authorize the use of what they call “torture”, the enhanced interrogation techniques, in order to save lives but then they continued the discussion by emphasizing that the president should have to accept the consequences. They suggested court-martial. It’s not possible to court-martial a president. It’s too late to impeach Bush, since that’s probably the president that they were referring to. I disagree with this vehemently. Either the president has the obligation to protect the American people or he doesn’t. Since he takes a pledge the president does have an obligation to protect us and he should have every reasonable type of interrogation technique available for his authorization so that those who carry out the interrogations – those responsible for getting information to stop attacks – are able to have the best possible ways to stop future terrorist attacks.
Then I read a superb article by Rev. Brian Harrison, O.S., M.A., S.T.D. where he explains the Church’s history on torture and Biblical references to torture which pertains to the torture debate today and the enhanced interrogation techniques used by our government.
The nasty subject of torture, not normally a headline-grabbing topic in the twentieth century, has recently been catapulted to a much higher level of prominence in public debate throughout the world in the heightened atmosphere of tension following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
What are we Catholics to think about this subject? While recent magisterial statements (none of them definitive and infallible) have reprobated torture, Catholic theologians and apologists still face a challenge. The overall testimony of our authorities — Scripture, Tradition and the magisterium — over three millennia is by no means very clear, or even obviously consistent, in regard to the morality of intentional infliction of pain.
Even deciding what exactly we mean by torture is not easy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes it as “physical or moral violence” (CCC 2297); the definition given by the 1984 United Nations Convention on Torture is “the intentional infliction of severe pain.” The words violence and severe are themselves somewhat vague. Who draws the line — and where? — as to which specific practices are harsh enough to correspond to those words? What has become clear in the contemporary debate is that while many shudder-evoking practices (which needn’t be spelled out here) are recognized by everyone as meriting the name torture, there is no consensus about whether other less extreme interrogation techniques really count as torture: for instance, sleep deprivation, being kept under harsh temperatures or in uncomfortable positions, or “waterboarding” (which causes a brief, panic-inducing sensation of being about to drown but no pain or injury). Since no Catholic magisterial intervention so far offers any real guidance for resolving this controversy, the only methods we can be sure are included under “torture,” when that word appears in Church documents, are those in the former group. CONTINUED
Like I said in one of my comments where the discussion on torture took place, abortion much more clearly falls under the definitive description of torture than any of the interrogation techniques mentioned above. Abortion is an apt example of “physical and moral violence” taking place. So therefore IMO besides abortion being murder it also falls under the Church’s definition of torture. But these same people who are so outspoken on what they perceive to be torture are totally okay with abortion being legal. This is so sad especially because abortion involves the killing of an innocent human being who hasn’t done any harm to anyone while the other involves a person who is more dangerous than the average criminal, is threatening violence against innocents and is withholding information that is vital to stopping a terrorist attack. Some people are so backwards with their thinking and have a screwed up sense of morality.
Five Crucial Truths To Remember, Especially in Turbulent Times
Posted in abortion, Catholic, Christian, Culture Clash, faith, God, Jesus, Morality, tagged crisis, debt, evils, follow Jesus, Lord's will, sexual immorality, The Integrated Catholic Life, truths, turbulent times, uncertainty on January 31, 2013 | 2 Comments »
With the debt crisis causing financial woes for households, the mortgage crisis, and the Federal debt surpassing the $16 Trillion mark their is looming uncertainty and gloom and doom in the air. In addition we need to continue to fight the good fight against evils such as abortion, contraception, pornography, and sexual immorality. We are called to look to the Lord for guidance and trust in His will as we go through these turbulent times. Deacon Mike Bickerstaff of The Integrated Catholic Life gives us five ways in which we can turn ourselves and the world around and get on the right path.
- First – Remember that Jesus Christ came to rescue us from sin and its division. He is in charge and we who obey Him are under His care. Be not afraid. Be not afraid to do the right thing, no matter the consequences. Trust in the Lord always. Remain in Him in prayer and sacrament. I mean it. These are not simply nice words. They reflect a reality and have force. Wait and see what St. Paul has to say in the last bullet point!
- Second – Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and called each of us to be responsible members of that Kingdom. He gave us a new beginning at personal holiness and holiness as a people. The solution to our problems begins with each of us. Only from our personal conversion (conformed to His love) will come the transformation of society. Political parties are not our salvation, Jesus is. Be involved with proclaiming the Gospel to the captives and the blind. It is not only material matters, but also spiritual matters that should concern us. But remember that no matter how much we abhor the conditions of our times and how hard we work for change, God’s change will come only through us as we surrender in trust and obedience to Him.
- Third – We cannot sit idly by while so many suffer and die. Our feelings of compassion must lead each of us to acts of mercy… for the unborn, for the elderly, for the vulnerable, for the hungry and the naked and homeless… for those who are alone, for those who are ill, for those who are captive. We must work within our society for true justice. We are made for heaven, but our present place is in this world. We must embrace this reality and call upon the Lord to guide us as we seek both our personal sanctity and the fulfillment of our duties and responsibilities as members of society. These responsibilities bring with them the difficult choices before us to get our fiscal house in order. Whether you are for limited government or expanded government, it is immoral to spend beyond our means today and saddle future generations with our debt which they have no hope of paying off. We can help no one if we are bankrupt.
- Fourth – We must teach our children of the great gift that Jesus has announced and pass on to them the sense of responsibility that is needed. Monitor and limit your children’s access to TV, music and internet. Teach them to love and honor the Lord. Teach them manners and civility, honor and fidelity. Teach them to live simply. Teach them the value of work and sacrifice. Don’t forget, if our children see us practicing the virtues joyfully and faithfully, our words of wisdom will not appear to them as hollow lies.
- Lastly – In today’s first reading at Holy Mass from Nehemiah, we hear the instruction that we must take to our hearts if we are to find strength, peace and the power to make a difference. Do not allow discouragement to lead to despair. Fix your resolve and hope in the Lord, “Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” Friday was the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Let his words strengthen your resolve, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
“The church’s teachings are timeless”
Posted in Catholic Church, faith, Morality, Religion, tagged Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Catholic Church, Catholics, Christians, faith, teachings, timeless on January 26, 2013 | 1 Comment »
Here is a piece called Acting On Faith by Cardinal Donald Wuerl:
The Catholic Church is no stranger to criticism from those who disagree with its teachings, but the petition posted recently on the White House Web site to label the church a “hate group” is beyond the pale, even in an age when an aggressive secularism seeks to marginalize the influence of religious belief.
The church has long been criticized as “too dogmatic.” Demands are constantly made that it change its 2,000-year-old teachings on marriage, family, sexuality, morality and other matters related to the truth about human beings. But even if others do not agree, the church understands that what it proclaims is revealed truth — the Word of God. The church’s teachings are timeless. They cannot be changed, even though adherence may be upsetting to some. That the church is built on a rock with fixed beliefs is a positive feature, both because it can withstand the shifting winds of public opinion and because of the cherished content of our faith itself, which fosters love among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Although these precepts may be misunderstood by many today, the fundamental vocation of the Catholic Church is to provide the witness of love and truth to the world, including offering the voice of an informed conscience. Catholics are taught to respect the fundamental, inherent dignity of every person, each made in the image of God, and to work to establish a just society. The church teaches that it is our obligation to manifest love of neighbor, to provide charitable service to others, and to promote truth, genuine freedom and authentic humanism. We work for the poor, the oppressed and the suffering, because that is what our faith teaches we must do. There is thus a positive side to being dogmatic: The teachings and works of the church advance the common good throughout civil society. Just as our dogma is constant, so is the work it commands. CONTINUED
Is abortion permissible to save a baby from suffering?
Posted in abortion, adoption, Catholic, Christian, Culture War, faith, God, Morality, Pro-Life, tagged abortion, abortion is murder, Alexander Tsiaras, baby, Catholic Answers, faith, Godlessness, help, human being, human development, innocent, Mother, pro-choice, pro-choicers, pro-life, suffering, unborn child on January 22, 2013 | 3 Comments »
A caller attempts to make the case that because a baby may be born into a bad situation where the mother or parents have all sorts of problems it would be better to murder the baby, it would be better that the child never be born. I will let you listen to the exchange then comment below the video.
I really don’t understand how pro-choicers first go-to position is murder the baby. Not to help the mother and baby with their situation? Not to assist her in getting help for her problems? The mother could give her baby the chance to survive, thrive, and overcome adversity.
I have noticed that persons who are pro-choice don’t seem to understand the concept of sacrifice, sacrificing of themselves so that another person may have a better life. The birth mother could sacrifice out of love for her child. Out of selflessness the mother could give her baby the opportunity to be cared for by loving adults who desire to raise a child but are unable to conceive.
Killing an innocent human being is something that will stick with person who has committed the act of killing the rest of their life. Having an abortion causes emotional problems and may cause physical medical problems as well. Women and teenage girls need to think real hard before having an abortion because this will greatly affect them in the future. It may bring the person temporary solace but it is highly likely that it will bring long-lasting consequences filled with agony.
The lack of faith comes into play here as well. The killing of innocent unborn babies is a prime example of Godlessness wreaking havoc in our society. This is a sign that Satan is winning over the weak of faith by getting people to rationalize the acceptability of sin, to accept a sin which goes against one of God’s Ten Commandments, which we are called to follow.
Here is a video by Alexander Tsarias which shows amazing imagery from conception to birth.
Terri Schiavo’s Brother is Trying to Save Patient From Being Starved and Dehydrated To Death
Posted in Ethics, Health Care, Morality, Pro-Life, tagged Bobby Schindler, brother, Chemung County Supreme Court, food, Gary Harvey, human dignity, life, New York, social services, Terri Schiavo, vulnerable, water on December 31, 2012 | 6 Comments »
In 2006 Mr. Gary Harvey sustained a profound brain injury from a home accident. His wife Sara Harvey sought guardianship but the Chemung County Supreme Court denied her request. What right does Chemung County have to take away a spouses guardianship of her husband? Even it was a matter of money the state has no right to take away a wife’s guardianship when her husband becomes ill. The Chemung County Supreme Court appointed the Chemung County Department of Social Services as Harvey’s guardian. Now the Chemung County Department of Social Services in New York State wants to deprive Gary Harvey of food and water. This whole situation sickens me. Our society thinks nothing of the vulnerable in our society. Some people see these people as less than human and not worthy of living. This ticks me off to end. Would these same people want to be starved and dehydrated to death if their lives were affected similarly because of an accident or injury? Now Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo’s brother, has filed a request with the Supreme Court in NY to serve as guardian for Mr. Gary Harvey. It is great that Schindler is standing up for the vulnerable, who are unable to speak for themselves. God Bless him as he tries to save Gary Harvey’s life.
“I have raised the question many times, ‘How can Chemung County, Guardian of Mr. Harvey, be acting in his best interest when they, in fact, tried to kill him?’ From all indications, it appears that Mr. Harvey has been warehoused and denied the opportunity to receive the care and rehabilitative services that would benefit his condition,” Schindler told LifeNews.
More information at Terri Schiavo’s Brother Hopes To Save Patient From Death
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