Who is being intolerant now

On Sunday Boston held it's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. This year the one group who probably most closely represents St. Patrick's ideals decided not to participate. It seems they were subject to a smear campaign by other groups participating in the parade.

I am referring to the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization that promotes "charity, unity and fraternity". This has led to some infighting between the Knights and the Massachusetts Catholic Action League. I could get into the fight but that is not the point of this post. (You can read the Knights statement here) What is the point is that a parade honoring a Catholic saint has alienated all Catholic groups. For years now we have heard the same thing, "If this group is included then we won't march." And yes, I am referring to the various Catholic groups.

The KofC wanted to march in the parade to help spread a message of pro-life and traditional marriage, two issues important to what I'll call "real" Catholics (I'll get into that in a minute) yet another Catholic group who decided they are more Catholic thinks that they are wrong and allegedly started a smear campaign. I guess they have decided to lower themselves to the level of some of the same groups they are against and who use the same tactics.

The left is always preaching tolerance and inclusiveness while at the same time attacking any one who is against their particular agenda, isn't  the Catholic Action League doing the same thing? Unfortunately for most people they have absolutely no idea who St. Patrick was and what he did. This is only an excuse to drink and party to excess, It is also an excuse for many non-Catholics and "nominal" Catholics to profess their love for a saint who they probably have no idea about.

“Boston Mayor and nominal Catholic Marty Walsh should be proud of himself. With this afternoon's spectacle, he has retired his campaign debt to the homosexual community, and he created a new, de-Christianized Saint Patrick's Day Parade, which is welcoming and inclusive to everyone, except of course, the followers and spiritual children of Saint Patrick.” - Catholic Action League

As promised here is what I mean by "real" and "nominal" Catholics. A nominal Catholic is one who claims they are Catholic in their beliefs, yet fails to follow the teachings of the Catholic< font-family: inherit;"> Church.  They pick the teaching they want to follow while ignoring those they don't, Right here in Massachusetts we have many "nominal" Catholics we can choose from. Our new Governor who during his campaign claimed to be a good Catholic yet in one ad told how he was pro-choice. John Kerry, Pick a Kennedy, Marty Walsh, all nominal Catholics, who change their views in order to get elected.

Okay. I'm wandering, it's an age thing. The point is the Catholic Action League, if they did carry out the alleged smear campaign, is lowering itself to the same level as the groups they are against use. We will never get anywhere that way.

Thursday Thoughts

Here are some random thoughts from my daily perusal of the news:

He is just like any other black man

Are we really meant to believe what NPR is trying to tell us in this passage:

At the time Obama told reporters, "You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." More than a year later, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who shot Martin, Obama said, "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."

That very personal statement is an example of how, in his second term, Obama seems less reluctant to highlight race and to discuss his own experience as a black man in America. - NPR News Obama Returns to Selma

No, not that our president could have been Trayvon but that he really experienced what many black Americans experience in this country. Did he grow up in poverty? Did he have little or no education? Just wondering.

Freedom of Religion under attack again.

It seems that at least in one town in Florida that churches have come under more control of the government. A Christian church that was holding services in their own coffee house, was infiltrated by an undercover enforcement officer and told they had to cease and desist.

Churches in Lake Worth, population 36,000,  have been ordered to acquire a business license. As if the church has to get the government’s permission to preach and pray? - Fox News

I wonder if it had anything to do with this (from the same article):

Pastor Mike Olive told me there had not been any problems until early last month, when he had an encounter with Andy Amoroso, a city commissioner.

“After we opened up the coffee bar and started doing services, I heard that he told people we were anti-gay,” Olive said. “So I went to his shop to ask him about that.”

You don't think the LGBT lobby had anything to do with this, do you?

Were any of these Hilary's?

It seems the Justice department had made some arrests regarding a billion stolen email addresses.

US authorities Friday unveiled charges against two Vietnamese nationals and one Canadian in connection with a computer fraud scheme to steal over one billion email addresses. - The Guardian

I can't help but wonder, how many of these belonged to Hilary Clinton?

Republican or Democrat?

I guess there was an election way up there in Vermont and a dead guy won.

A Vermont man who died the day before a town meeting vote was elected to serve on the select board after officials withheld information about the death, citing state campaign laws. - Guardian US

I have heard of many dead people who vote, but never one running for office? What party to you think he belonged to?

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

It seems that contrary to what Hilary Clinton tells us over and over again, maybe the glass ceiling hasn't really been broken?

In late February, Hillary Clinton, a self-proclaimed champion of women's rights and gender equity, came under fire for a Washington Free Beacon analysis that showed women on Mrs. Clinton's staff during her tenure in the Senate were paid an average of 72 cents on the dollar compared to male staff. Now, an analysis of the latest IRS filing for the foundation that bears her name, the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, shows a similar compensation disparity between men and women employees. Although compensation figures are available for only a limited number of Foundation personnel, the 2013 Form 990 filed with the IRS shows that out of eleven highly compensated individuals listed, the top eight are all men. - Weekly Standard

Could it be a case of “Do as I say, not as I do?”

That's it for now, see you next time. 

O

nce again honest, hardworking citizens are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. While it appears that some groups are free to practice their beliefs, others are threatened with boycotts, lawsuits, property seizure and even jail.