Patten: "Pope in UK, an extraordinary spiritual experience"

YouTube - Patten: "Pope in UK, an extraordinary spiritual experience": ""

Take a tour of Rome's Sistine Chapel

I get lots of emails but this one is fabulously beautiful.

I always look up when I enter homes, buildings, events ... ceilings have always grabbed my attention. Its like a blank canvas to me, if I look towards the sky I feel that's the way to heaven when I pray and when I am day dreaming with my eyes open.

Its cool to watch the fluffy clouds change forms and storm clouds always moving across the sky, like a magnificent ceiling with no limits that's constantly giving me a personal show of change, like a kaleidoscope. I love to lay on my lounger or on the grass and watch them slowly move by, it creates a peace inside me.

I love art and paintings created by the famous artists like Michael Angelo has done on the ceilings, it amazes me the talent he had.

Olld homes with plastered ceilings with swirls of design in each and every ceiling above my head, fascinate me. If ceilings are flat I post posters above my children's beds of maps of the world, yes they think I'm odd at times, but smile.

Attached is a link or virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel which is just incredible. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and always remember to look up and dream. Or put something on your ceiling and think of me :).

Apparently this was done by Villanova at the request of the Vatican. Technology is amazing. To view every part of Michael Angelo's Masterpiece just click and drag your arrow in the direction you wish to see.




http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html





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As an internationally collaborative: initiative to provide a more transparent, accurate view of the world: This service is brought to you by the Scripturelink Search Engine (quotations, or confers in this service/initiative, are provided to give perspective independently, or reference some external sources: and do not imply collaboration, or any kind of affiliation, or co-operation with other services, or initiatives, which are quoted or noted in articles)



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Gigaba to fast-track porn law | DefenceWeb

Note by Marc Aupiais

"Deputy Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba intends to fast-track the passage of a yet-to-be drafted law that will compel Internet service providers (ISP) to filter content provided to users to ensure it does not contain any pornography South African Press Association reports the Film and Publication Board (FPB), an agency of the dysfunctional Department of Home Affairs, held a symposium this week to look at ways of protecting children from porn. "Despite recent amendments of the law and other efforts to stop the devastating effect on children of their access to pornography, it's not enough," FPB legal affairs manager Dumisani Rorwana said in a statement yesterday. "The law as it stands is not working, so we've no choice but to take it to the next level." Technology had advanced to a point where ISPs would be able to filter out around 95% of the content in a "highly cost-effective way", he said. Similar programmes to safeguard children from pornography were currently in place in China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. "We expect resistance from those who claim the freedom to access pornography as a fundamental right," Rorwana said."However, it is well established in legal circles that the rights of children are paramount. By comparison, viewing pornography remains a peripheral right." Gigaba would now meet with his counterparts at Cabinet level to determine where the bill would best fit. The symposium also agreed on the need to block certain gaps in the broadcasters' code that had seen instances of "unsuitable content being aired during the past few months going unpunished", Rorwana said. "

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9130:gigaba-to-fast-track-porn-law&catid=3:Civil%20Security&Itemid=113

While the "Freedom of Expression Institute" claims that there are lessor means of blocking such as parental blocking software, the fact is porn can easily be bought elsewhere. The Internet is the public realm. And the restriction in my opinion will stand firm. Australia is also pursuing something similar. It will certainly benefit productivity, and parental software is a civil means not a legal means. This law would be good in supporting the measures in the 2007 amendment on sexual offences, which has already been violated by tv services.

Google claims that the system being fronted in Australia might make internet slightly slower. Google makes about a third of their profits from porn searches or a similar figure.

Software is actually able to recognise sexually explicit images on the internet. South Africa already has an effective internet firewall allegedly of course. Freedom of speech is not absolute. Rights of children are paramount. Child porn is justly restricted and banned by legislation despite what the CC calls the constitutional right to it. This would fall into the same category.

Jesus as Dog food Anglican apologises

The Anglican Woman "priest" who gave a dog communion, has apologised: for sensibilities, not for what she's done, says Catholic News Agency. Fortunately, as an Anglican, she likely has no apostolic line, and as a woman, she certainly has no apostolic line, so it wasn't actually Jesus that the dog ate. Isn't there a parable about giving things to dogs and pigs? In any case, the situation upset Anglicans and Catholics alike, and the apology was not for the act itself. Fortunately even Anglicans are insulted by such sacrilege.

Apparently Christianity is too stupid for Anne Rice

Note by Marc Aupiais

Allegedly, according to OSV: Anne Rice (likely realising the Twilight Cash Cow she missed) has quit Christianity. She was sure to blaspheme a bit, call Christians anti-gay, anti-life, anti-democrat (those people who want an abortion for every woman) etc in the alleged posting on her facebook. Really? Anyone really surprised? Except OSV and the Lemmings? Anyone not think she just did it to cash in? I'm sure there are more democrats in hell than republicans. I don't wish her luck.

Its ironic

Note by Marc Aupiais

I love debate dearly, especially Godly debate and discussion. And SACNS used to have much of it and two main faces. Now its mostly me who does the writing for our news team- I'm scary to answer to- though our other main voice can stand up to me. Anyway, I have decided that as SACNS is Scripturelink News division, we shall finally forsake that last little bit of independence between the internationally acclaimed Scripturelink search engines, apologetics brand and our news sites. We are finally accessible exclusively under the scripturelink name brand. Blogger will redirect, as we still find the Google blog the best tool for a news service: we are maintaining our blogger engine, under a scripturelink domain on our more than 20 blog based news services, just about!

Sacns is now a scripturelink product, and thus under that name. And we may add other blogs or services to that brand, even if hosted elsewhere. Prayerfully we will have more faces soon. My scary image as a tough editor, may be combated if only articles selected go on the main service. Really, I don't bite that much... Okay, maybe I do! Still, I hope one day we will have many voices under the scripturelink Catholic banner, for now we may soon be publishing from a few, or just one more, if the brilliant blog/article author and friend of mine says yes, and no: unlike me she's not infamous: I've been the only SACNS author to ever use his real name. As a result: I have received terrible threats from powerful and weak alike. And have my name gracing an anti-Catholic hate site, where they ask violence against Catholics- mentioning my name as an example of a Catholic, of the type deserving violence. It is not the only time hat has happened to me, but is a time when for once I did not have it removed. I am proud of it. That said, because of this, our authors are anonymous mostly, expect that if we have more voices again. Its always easier to hide behind me and often wiser. We are also looking for that kind of staff, and for the type who write, perhaps in future. None the less, hopefully a recognisable voice from our past will write for us again. Pray for that please. I miss their writing gracing our pages!

An interesting article by Gerald Warner of the Telegraph

Note by Marc Aupiais

It has been noted by C.S. Lewis that a Liberal in South Africa is a conservative in Great Britain, this still remains true, as Labour more closely mixes with the ANC, than Liberal DA, which could likely run under a conservative banner in Great Britain, or for that matter the United States of America. In Australia, a similar situation is existent, Abbot's Liberals, stand conservative against the Labour government in Australia. A liberal in South America, stands conservative also, as with a Democrat, in stark contrast to the socialistic tendencies of America's Democrats.

I don't necessarily agree with Gerald Warner, or consider Damien Thompson anything near a papist, but the article is interesting precisely because it correctly notes, the huge danger of the one size fits all approach to politics, and the difference between conservatives and traditionalists. But by his definition, every minority party must be liberal., in that they aim to change the status quo, or in the least: traditionalists of one or other grouping.

I certainly could debate quite heatedly with all partakers in such an article including Gerald Warner, but I will leave that to my readers.

P.s. Vatican II was no Catastrophe, but a brilliant work of Orthodoxy, the catastrophe was pastoral and at a later date. If anything Benedict XVI is restoring Vatican II, something he helped to engineer.

In South Africa, conservative has more meaning, as the truly liberal or leftest, are also the most Traditional: or are perceived as that, given the ANC's Africanist, Nationalist tendencies!

in reference to: Scrap the meaningless terms Left and Right and reclaim the honourable title 'reactionary' – Telegraph Blogs (view on Google Sidewiki)

Family of woman who died after injury at Lourdes sue tour group

Family of woman who died after injury at Lourdes sue tour group

Quick note by Marc Aupiais

HCPT: The Pilgrimage Trust and Disabled Together, is facing legal action after a reportedly (Telegraph) devout Roman Catholic woman in her 60's fell 4 feet, at Lourdes and allegedly broke her left leg three times and her right leg once in the fall. The woman was born with disability: Cerebral Palsy and had never worked in her life, she survived breast cancer and the death of her husband Ian Mitchell, but widowed Patricia Mitchell, died shortly after the ill fated trip according to the UK Telegraph.

According to HCPT, the matter is being dealt with by their insurers currently, and therefore they have decided not to comment yet.

Patricia Mitchell had on several occasions visited Lourdes, in hope of healing.

Editorial advice:

It is always advisable to be accompanied on any Pilgrimage by relatives or close family, especially if something happens, or where one's needs and interests may be in danger, often pilgrims are short changed in what they get, or expected to survive sub standard or not luxurious conditions. Whether it is so that the group HCPT was negligent or not, our service has often uncovered dangerous bad elements in Catholic groups, such as that of corruption, pseudo-Catholicism or inadequate service. It is always important to insure one gets taken care of, and not to select any group or trust a group simply because they offer pilgrimages, or claim to be Catholic, or seem similar in culture to one's own. Most importantly, one must always be accompanied by people who have their best interests at heart when in any vulnerable situation, including when seeking medical treatment. A nurse assessed the deceased before she left to return to Great Britain / The United Kingdom, and said she had sustained no injuries, British Doctors claimed her legs were broken, and feared an urgent need to amputate, though there does not seem to have been any amputation.

in reference to:

"HCPT: The Pilgrimage Trust and Disabled Together"
- Cerebral palsy sufferer broke both legs on 'healing pilgrimage' - Telegraph (view on Google Sidewiki)

"Vatican unveils 'new Caravaggio' – but art experts say it's an impostor" - Independent

Quick media bias note by Marc Aupiais

"But on Monday, the newspaper reversed itself with an article by the Vatican's top art historian shooting down the claim. Under the front-page headline "A New Caravaggio? Not really", Vatican Museums chief Antonio Paolucci wrote that the work was not of Caravaggio's quality"

- The Independent adds. Really that little paragraph says it all, the title hardly says it all.

L'Osservatore Romano is the Vatican newspaper as much as the Telegraph is the Tory newspaper. It may be sold in the Vatican, but isn't an official Vatican vetted paper, really the editor, has the say, a very controversial man to say the least, who has raised many eyebrows. Official Vatican institutions include Vatican Information Service: a text service which would be there for official announcements to any such art if it were so. ANY credible service looks there for the Vatican's real stances.

The Independent admits that the article itself does not claim it is definitively a new Caravaggio. Perhaps their alleged historic and present day secularist anti-Catholic bias makes them as likely to use a misleading headline as any other paper. As it is, unlike The Catholic Civilization paper, the L'Osservatore Romano, no more represents the Vatican, than the Telegraph represents Great Britain or England! Try again Independent. Actually, don't!

in reference to:

"Vatican unveils 'new Caravaggio' – but art experts say it's an impostor"
- Vatican unveils 'new Caravaggio' – but art experts say it's an impostor - News, Art - The Independent (view on Google Sidewiki)

I couldn't help myself

Article by Marc Aupiais

What does that phrase denote? Helplessness, or giving up! It denotes giving up! Not- I failed at helping myself- but a statement of despair- I couldn't! Even if it is said with joy- it admits something! That we should help ourselves! To not help ourselves to sin, but to do righteousness, in any case! It is always choice! Laugh at sin! Try! Laugh at what it suggests. If you say: I don't want to! That is the key! I - ego- me! Choice!

Wikileaks and the US intelligence quagmire

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais



View Larger Map


"Summary

25th July 2010 5:00 PM EST WikiLeaks has released a document set called the Afghan War Diary, an extraordinary compendium of over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.

The reports, while written by soldiers and intelligence officers, and mainly describing lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related detail.

The document collection is available on a dedicated webpage.

The reports cover most units from the US Army with the exception of most US Special Forces' activities. The reports do not generally cover top secret operations or European and other ISAF Forces operations.

We have delayed the release of some 15,000 reports from the total archive as part of a harm minimization process demanded by our source. After further review, these reports will be released, with occasional redactions, and eventually in full, as the security situation in Afghanistan permits.

The data is provided in HTML (web), CSV (comma-separated value) and SQL (database) formats, and also was rendered into KML (Keyhole Markup Language) mapping data that can be used with Google Earth. Please note that the checksums will change."

Wikileaks (a clandestine organization which is known for its use of advanced technological and legal techniques in order to leak top secret government documents to the general public)

26 / 07 | July / 2010

Wikileaks, a site which many journalists wished they worked for, and many others: especially world governments: fear, has done it again. Someone within the US government has downloaded thousands of classified files, which they uploaded to the whistle blower organization: the bane of intelligence and counter-intelligence everywhere.

The site revealed allegedly from the intelligence documents of the US government that US special forces have allegedly been ordered to kill or capture suspected Taliban heads with no form of trial, that Pakistani intelligence has allegedly helped the Taliban in planning their attacks on the coalition efforts, and that over 100 Afghani civilians have allegedly accidentally been shot by US troops' mistakes. PR coups by the coalition claiming that they are ultra-cautious, firing warnings before shooting, and even purposely missing, have thus been called into question. US President Barack Obama, has understandably attempted to call into question Wikileak's ethics, the same man had in the past, amidst controversy asked US citizens to forward him any emails they received seemingly of those with questioning or critical views against him a while ago.

The US is allegedly concerned over US lives due to the wikileaks leak, not seemingly mentioning non-coalition lives. Prior Pakistani intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Hamid Gul (Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]), says accusations against him are false. Pakistan is internationally known for human rights abuses and other alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

Up to 91 000 (Ninety-one Thousand) documents were leaked by the transparency activists at Wikileaks. Starting in 2004 to about 2010.

Many journalists find the service indispensable, and believe it vital to protecting democracy, other subscribe to its services.

Important quotes:

"The United States has condemned as "irresponsible" the leak of 90,000 military records, saying publication could threaten national security.

The documents released by the Wikileaks website include details of killings of Afghan civilians unreported until now.

Three news organisations had advance access to the records, which also show Nato concerns that Pakistan and Iran are helping the Taliban in Afghanistan."

BBC World News (Secular; Governmental; United Kingdom/British)

26 / 07 | July / 2010

"The papers contain specific claims that Pakistani intelligence helped the Taliban plan attacks on NATO, United Nations and Indian targets.

One refers to an alleged meeting between insurgents and the former Pakistani intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Hamid Gul.

He says the allegations are false."

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Governmental; Australian; Secular)

27 / 07 | July / 2010

Barack Obama, has vastly escalated the US war on Al Qaeda, and others, from the much smaller wars fought by an anti-"terror" crusading George W. Bush. Guantanamo Bay, is still open for business, and America, has increasingly been continuing associations with shifty regimes. The Afghan regime is one which has fronted a strong belief is a need for legally enforced marital rape, and which has allowed the arrest of those who convert away from Islam. A report by French Propaganda station: France 24, shows Afghan soldiers being used as human de-mining tools, being made to walk in front of vehicles, to detonate IEDs, it also alleges massive corruption, and shows an Afghan army hardly capable of putting on its own helmet, never mind fighting a war, and one where many desert having completed training, going to who knows which forces or armies around which could use their skills. It is thought the Taliban will regain Afghanistan the moment the international troops leave the area. Wikileaks has called the leak a hero for their actions.

Wikileaks claim they do not verify sources, but documents. They have purposely created a system they claim to make whistle-blowers untraceable even to themselves.

Many have viewed the leak here:

http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary,_2004-2010




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1) Not another "Christian" movie! "Letters to God" - don't watch 2) Notes on Romano and Beezus- a must watch

Media Study Opinion Article by Marc Aupiais

"Though its underlying theology is evangelical, Catholic viewers -- and Christian believers of every stripe -- will welcome the inspirational and touching drama [will we now: being preached Evangelical theology, please don't tell me the world is 6 000 years old next] "Letters to God" (Vivendi). That's because director David Nixon's family-friendly tale of courage and conversion celebrates the power of Gospel values to transform lives in a way that transcends denominational divides [Okay then? Because it doesn't have to, we can support Catholic films instead, send a message to Hollywood on that?]."

USCCB Film Office

Review

"Seriously, it looks nice and all and I like the story concept. I do fear it is a hit you over the head Christian movie of which I am not a fan. Since it comes from the same folks as Fireproof and Facing the Giants it would seem to be."

Patrick Archbold, Creative Minority Report (Catholic; Independent; American; Conservative)

06D / 03M | March / 2010Y

I often like to see what Patrick Archbold has to say of a matter, his blog notes the word pithy as an important word to note in writing, and he often is pithy.

You see, when I left church on Sunday morning, I was bombarded with a pamphlet to a movie, from people I had never seen before. It was a joint effort by NuMetro, and CUM books. Personally I know of CUM books for such classics as The Whore of Babylon, and besides the spelling of the book store's name, and the books they sell, it isn't pornography (although I'm going to have to disable comments on this post for using that word). Cum, despite the sms language meaning something else is pronounced coo-m according to someone I used to know who got a job there. The Whore of Babylon is the Holy Roman Catholic Church, according to the Chick Publishers' book sold there, one of many odd books the former Dutch Reformed Church store sells. Of course, the Vatican isn't built on 7 hills, Rome is, and the Bible referred to 7 hills or mountains, at a time when it was seen as Rome or Jerusalem, and the Vatican is Landlocked, and running a deficit etc, none of which is noted by CUM books customers, when they get to read why the Catholic Church is the organ of Satan. The Dutch Reformed Church p.s. created apartheid.

So anything which is banked into by CUM books, I am instantly suspicious of, even if the lemmings press is lauding this as a wonderful thing, yet another "Christian" movie, like Sedevacantist Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, which despite his anti-Semitism, and denial of papal authority was picked up and mass marketed in the Catholic and Christian worlds.

In any case, on the American side, they are very pleased that the American Cancer Association (aren't they funders of abortion firm Planned Parenthood?) is on board, and yes they want to convert you... to something:

"Nixon has worked hard to reach an audience he says might not enter a church but, “…maybe we can first reach their hearts and minds inside a theater and realize that God is real.”

Divine Appointments

While making the movie, Nixon said the cast and crew experienced many coincidences, “I call them ‘Divine Appointments.’ Each day we started with 10 minutes of prayer and had special prayer warriors on the set. We were bathed in prayer during the making of this movie.”

[Ok, just a little freaky, no? Prayer warriors, hmm]


For some, like Jeffrey S.S. Johnson who plays Brady McDaniels, the conflicted mailman, Nixon says this seemed very odd and out of place. “But gradually after the second week Jeffrey felt tremendously changed spiritually. He will tell you he never, ever experienced that before while making a movie.”

[Will he now? I hope no one was fired for not being prayed over!]

By the ending of the filming Nixon says the entire cast and crew were asking the prayer warriors for specific requests and everyone was onboard with the “Christian” part of their work environment. “That was a miracle in and of itself,” added Nixon.

[Pay-check... religious freedom... pay-check]

Out of the Mouths of Children

The movie is a story of hope and prayer through the eyes of eight-year old Tyler Doherty, played by Tanner Maguire. Even when the adults around him seem to lose their faith, or not practice it, their rock of faith is Tyler. In spite of the fact that Tyler is slowing dying from a rare brain cancer; his death eventually lifts their spirits and brings them closer to God.
Nixon hopes the movie will serve as a catalyst for families with young children especially going through the agony of cancer. “We’ve got the American Cancer Society on board and we will have resources both medically and spiritually that we will be able to share through the movie website” ([let's exclude said website, just in case someone wants to use those resources]).

Letters to God is a sad but wonderful story of faith [in?] and hope [gotta be hope when people are happy some kid died.]. It is by the public support of movies like this that the message seems to be getting through to Hollywood that these kinds of movies have a strong and growing audience worth paying attention to [called preaching to the choir: and they usually have really bad pathetic plots if you ask me.]."

Catholic Exchange (Catholic; Independent; American)

07 / 04 | April / 2010

Now, I have no objection to actors praying before they work, my favourite Disney actress (a Catholic) is often noted as praying, and getting others to before work, but I do think that this institutionalised praying is a bit odd, I personally would be insulted if made to pray by my boss.

So, if you want to watch a really boring film by a "Christian" director:

"Synopsis:
Tyler Doherty is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy armed with strong faith and courage as he faces his daily battle against cancer. Surrounded by a loving family and community, Tyler’s prayers take the form of letters he sends to his ultimate pen pal, God, on a daily basis. These letters find their way into the hands of Tyler’s postman, Brady, who is at a crossroads in his life searching for meaning. Brady at first is confused over what to do, but his decision ultimately is a testament to the power of Tyler’s shining spirit, bravery and grace. Inspired by a true story, Letters to God delivers a message of hope, faith and courage that others can apply to their own personal struggles regardless of what they may face in their everyday lives.


Featuring moving performances from Robyn Lively (“Saving Grace,” “30 Rock”), Jeffrey S.S. Johnson (“Criminal Minds,” “Burn Notice”), Tanner Maguire (“Lost,” “Brothers & Sisters”), Bailee Madison (An Invisible Sign of My Own, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark), Michael Bolten (Flipped) and Ralph Waite (“Days of Our Lives”), the film is a stirring “tribute to faith, hope, and love through the eyes of a child” (TBN) [When they quote them Evangelicals at Trinity Broadcasting Network, you know to turn and walk away].

From one of the producers of Fireproof [yawn] and Facing the Giants [double yawn], and inspired by a true story [inspired, or true?], Letters to God received the highest Dove Approval Rating and an endorsement from the Parent Television Council. [Glad we all know who they are] "

Catholic.net (Catholic; Independent; American)

Unspecified Date

It is likely to feature all the ups and downs of a made for television (tv) movie, with a bit of pushy shallow American "Christianity", and remember, everyone's happy when the kid dies, its uplifting? But its your money to waste. If I'm going to watch a boring movie like that, it would have to have a really hot girl, and not be preaching some Hollywood Christianity, about Some God.

But its your money to waste! Really! It is! I mean, its not like there are children starving, and if you want to torture yourself we do have Opus Dei, and that has a purpose, much better than this! But as i said! Your money, really, it is yours! But if you convert to Evangelical, bible bashing, evolution trashing whatever it is, don't blame me, blame Mel Gibson for starting the trend of commercializing Hollywood style Some God.

Instead of wasting my time with a movie without a pretty girl, where I may be in danger of not converting, I instead am watching what truly is a movie to span across denominations and cultural divides, especially after Decent Films gave it thumbs up:

"Traditional values and close-knit family relationships reign in director Elizabeth Allen's squeaky-clean adaptation of Beverly Cleary's best-selling series of children's books, the first of them published -- viewers will hardly be surprised to learn -- more than 50 years ago.

So when irrepressible 9-year-old Ramona Quimby (Joey King), on whom the slightly static story centers, warns her parents, Robert (John Corbett) and Dorothy (Bridget Moynahan), at the dinner table that she has to say a terrible swearword to vent her numerous frustrations with life, the term she eventually produces is so mild, it makes Wally and the Beaver's oft-repeated "Gee whiz!" sound blue.

While good-hearted and imaginative, Ramona is also accident-prone and her minor misadventures, which leave her feeling misunderstood, tend to antagonize her straight-teeth-and-straight-A's teen sister, Beezus (Selena Gomez). Indeed, much to her annoyance, senior sis has been burdened with that ungainly moniker as the result of Ramona's childhood inability to pronounce her real name, Beatrice.

Besides their tiffs, the only source of worry or conflict on the girls' native Klickitat Street -- a real-life address that Cleary's tales have made iconic -- arises from Dad's loss of his accounting job. (Add to that the aggravating factor that the family has just embarked on an expansion of their home, a project they might not have the funds to finish, and this aspect of Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay's script begins to feel very much of the moment.)

Unemployment leads to mild marital tensions, and Dad finds himself spending a night on the couch. But, like the prospect of the bank "taking the house" -- an expression Ramona overhears and interprets with a comic extreme of literalism -- the specter of divorce seems quite distant along this boulevard of unbroken dreams.

Lightening the mood is the swiftly rekindling romance between Ramona's favorite aunt -- and Beezus' namesake -- Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her high school true love Hobart (Josh Duhamel). Ever the ramblin' man, Hobart is off to Alaska and floats the idea of Bea coming with him. But anyone who fears she might do so before exchanging marriage vows has clearly not been paying attention.

Beezus, too, has an affair of the heart under way, having fallen for childhood friend Henry Huggins (Hutch Dano, not Rex Harrison). In keeping with the delightfully innocent atmosphere of la rue Klickitat, it takes this bashful young pair the better part of 90 minutes to work their way up to a first kiss.

Though some fussy adults with short attention spans may object that nothing very momentous happens as "Ramona and Beezus" unspools, as should be obvious by now, what does take place transpires in the nicest possible way.

So just you wait, Henry Huggins, just you wait."

USCCB Film Office

Ramona and Beezus

And guess what, Joey King and Selena Gomez (a Catholic actress) prayed daily, I hear... except their bosses didn't force them to!

Here's the trailer: really cute:



[Romano and Beezus trailer]





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South African whale nightmare- in the foreign press

(World Tainted Green)

Article by Marc Aupiais




South Africa always makes it into the world news for all the wrong reasons, after we added to the numbers of our police, another threat has emerged, that of potential tourists having a whale of a time. That is to say, a whale torpedoing their boat, jumping up and landing on it. Previously its mostly been similar actions by Great White Sharks in South Africa, which have gained such attention. Video was shot off in the Ocean near the Mother City, Cape Town, apparently there was a couple on the boat, one would assume from the lack of mention of any fatalities that they survived the big whale of a surprise. Their trip certainly wasn't a white elephant. But the yacht may need repairs. South Africa is famous for whale watching, which the couple, says EuroNews no comment tv, were doing.





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As an internationally collaborative: initiative to provide a more transparent, accurate view of the world: This service is brought to you by the Scripturelink Search Engine (quotations, or confers in this service/initiative, are provided to give perspective independently, or reference some external sources: and do not imply collaboration, or any kind of affiliation, or co-operation with other services, or initiatives, which are quoted or noted in articles)



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Benedictine French Catholic nuns, make music album

(Chastity South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais



Catholic spirituality is increasingly being latched onto by the music industry, and not simply in the sacrilegious sense, although Universal Records was very likely part of that sense, being the label of Lady Gagga, and Amy Winehouse. With the success of the Priests, and other albums, Universal went looking for nuns. The Benedictines won't be touring the world, they are secluded, and will remain that way until death, in their one little monastery, which proceeds from the album would help. The record label had to give the cameras and equipment to the nuns for the exercise. They also simply saw it as more daily prayer, and as helping people to pray or find God. These nuns certainly won't be gaining riches even if their monastery is kept open for years to come due to the exercise.

Given that Catholic monks created the concept of written music, this is a beautiful turn-around trend. That said, I won't personally be buying their album, I'm still just a little suspicious of Universal Music, after all they are the one's who produced the alleged "papal" cd 05 / 08 | August / 2009, by buying recordings of the pope and mixing it up a bit. Even if this record is by Decca Records, not Geffen, both owned by the same company.

Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation outside Avignon, certainly could remind one of the Sound of Music, much more than the nuns who have opened a massage parlour in Great Britain.





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The Vatican's not really PR disaster

Article by Marc Aupiais

When recently, already long in practice, but yet to actually be codified norms on dealing with sex abuse of minor's by the church's priest's, agents, were added to the official books permanently, giving the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith a permanent and greater authority over the issue, next to this, the Vatican published new rules also only formalising what was already practice, and in fact taken accurately in Canons already present. The Second issue, the excommunication of those partaking in an alleged woman priest ordination, was added. Catholic commentators accused the Vatican of another Public Relations disaster, and thought they needed PR skills training school. As someone who knows that the Vatican does their homework (we often get visits to our SACNS service from the Vatican), I highly doubt that the juxtaposition by the Vatican was in any way a mistake. In fact, the Vatican almost always knows exactly the message it is sending, even when they later send out clarifications as Lombardi seems to call them.

By putting the two issues together, the church firstly pointed out to whom they answer: God, both were nothing really new, the norms and law over the heretical, schismatic act of woman "ordination", and the norms involving sex abuse were in practice old news. The church was showing that it was not bowing to public pressure, that it was God, and not what the Vatican sees as the anti-Catholic New York Times club that they answered to.

Secondly, they were equating the issues, as media rightly realized. Woman's ordination is in the Vatican's opinion likely even worse than once off sex abuse. It is a direct denial of papal infallibility, and an instant separation of those partaking from the church. The Vatican was telling Catholics, that in their view this issue was equally important. After all, the formalisation wasn't required, the law already excommunicated these people just fine. It was a veiled and purposeful statement: one which meant that the Vatican could create a coup de tat against the liberal forces in the church. By accompanying a move that pseudo-Catholics had focussed on so much, with one that conservatives would see a pointless but a nice thought, the Vatican was showing their independence, and their unwillingness to compromise.

I always call the church a mirror, criticise it, and the world can see your own weaknesses.

We are of the world? No, that is not how the Vatican sees things. The eternal life is more important than present justice. While the soul of abuser and abused may be lot in a few seconds, it is easily regained, as long as they remain within the church. Those involved in woman's ordination instantly deny a statement of papal infallibility and the entire tradition of the church, as well as the fact that the bestowing of sacraments is a privilege and not a right- that the gifts of God cannot be bought and sold. This is the way the Vatican sees things. It cares first for Catholics before caring for the world, for our salvation before the goodwill we desire. The Vatican made no PR mistake, but rather a purposely thought out statement.

I've read enough Vatican statements, and researched around them to know, the Vatican does not generally make a move without looking into it first. The SSPX issue was unfortunate, but since then I have often had the Vatican access our service, to check up on people working for it, and the like. The Vatican is no longer the helpless lamb it was on the internet.

There was no mistake in the purposeful juxta-position, as the church changed nothing, but made two poignant statements: we are dealing ourselves with the internal; structural issue of sex abuse, of those who disobey our authority, and betray us, as well as with the equivalent disobedience of those who very publicly deny our authority - divinely over the church. Personally, I think they view woman's ordination as a much more serious threat than sex abuse ever was. The Vatican lost more in Protestantism, than it ever did to many abusers of its love. It has not forgotten the lessons of Trent: the structure must prevail, and it will: independent of the braying of the world.

One need not forget who started this revealing process: the same man who almost destroyed sex abuse in the church when he lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. To Benedict XVI, the eternal soul matters much more than the bodily integrity. He also knows that the negative press would not disappear in acquiescing. The Vatican, answers to the Vatican. Wherever Catholics should win against it by force, those dissidents, will also lose in what they gained. After all, the changes announced were already de facto practiced. Nothing, almost nothing, changed in the juxtapositioned statements.

And now that nothing has changed, the world press has picked up on another story. Panorama, owned by the family of Silvio dear Silvio, the Italian Prime Minister, found three actively gay priests who wondered around looking for sex at gay night spots. Their names aren't revealed of course. The fact that dear Silvio has had some recent clashes with Mother church in Italy is not noted. That one of his family's newspaper's wrongly accused a man who had been editing L'Avvenire, the Catholic bishops' paper in Italy of homosexuality, is not really noted. Instead, that three priests in all of Italy are gay club sex fiends is what the world is told. The Italian bishops condemned the alleged priests, who Dear Silvio's family propaganda machine says are real. After all, Vatican regulations forbid anyone currently inclined to strong attraction sexually to the same sex, from service as priests.

When one scandal loses its tang, another must emerge. 3 of 1.1 billion Catholics are sex crazed homosexual priests. Now, that is worth the headlines across the world press.

Remember, my fellow Vatican watching monsters, the church focusses on its mandate: salvation: first. Dealing with sex abuse in the church is an internal issue, as with treatment of abusive priests within the hierarchy. The Vatican already insisted on the contacting of the police by victims et al. Whether a man is a priest, and whether he is in jail are two separate issues. Both announcements were of internal structures, neither were about civil matters. After all, it is already demanded that civil authorities be contacted, what is done with a criminal by an organization is a separate issue, than what is to be done to him by the authorities.

Both announcements while making huge splashes, were really small stones. Neither really changed anything. Both were the Vatican scheming and speaking. Both were strategic nothings. How the church usually acts, when attempting to gain things that the world did not know it was giving.

I personally think the Vatican has achieved exactly the aim it was aiming for. Whether the world knows it or not.





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Clarification on condoms

Quick note by Marc Aupiais


The Catholic Church teaches masturbation and artificial contraception are always intrinsically evil, as demonstrated in the case of Onan, as we know- his other crimes did not deserve death. We hold to this teaching- what we were demonstrating is that the purpose of condoms educators, or their claimed purpose is better achieved by abstinence education- the heart of which is responsibility.

I affirm, it is better that one abstain or one's partner die of disease, than one's soul and their partner's soul be condemned to hell for all eternity. The use of artificial contraceptive is always a mortal sin.

Fertility awareness up to at least 98 percent effective per year via one church endorsed modern method, in any case does away with an argument for ease of raising children. As for HIV/AIDS prevention. The use of a condom or promotion of condoms, remains a mortal sin, the second more serious- as the causing of another to sin mortally is the most serious sin there is.

If anything a comparison of South African and Ugandan approaches shows that promotion of condoms does not help fight the disease. So I clarify- our service has not now, nor in the past- nor will it ever promote the use of condoms, which is the very matter of mortal sin, as their production and use is intrinsically evil, according to every overlap of the Dogma of the Divine Magisterium, and of the Bible on the very serious matter- the eternal death of a soul- should it not be spared by ignorance, lack of capacity or confession! Contraception- excepting fertility awareness- in itself denies the very substance and nature of God! There are few more serious sins!

I’m just…. [a story of truth, honesty and true embarrassment]

(Chastity South Africa)

Article originally appeared at:

Marianna Irene Kalabakas's blog:

http://marikalabakas.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/im-just/

Article by Marianna Irene Kalabakas

Have you ever found yourself in a position, where you pretend to be something, your not? Where you lie to the one you love because you just don’t think you are good enough for them? What about the times you do something that is morally wrong, yet you do it for all the wrong reasons, just to get their attention?

Sometimes you find yourself in a position you’ve never been before. You need advice. Your friend seems to just know a bit about the situation you in, or might of the opposite sex, someone that might have some sort of insight as to what to do when it comes to them. But what if, you end up doing what they tell you to do in that situation? What if you do it and in the end you feel so guilty that you want to crawl in a hole and disappear never to be seen by that person again. Don’t get me wrong, getting your friends advice is absolutely fine, but following it to the letter…perhaps not such a great idea.

If you think about it, lets say you really like someone. You don’t know what to send in the message to them, you think your friend who does have a stable relationship might know what you should do. So you send the message they advise, and you realize that you just made a fool of yourself. It might even work and you end up living a lie with the individual thinking that you had the courage to say such a thing. But what if it has the opposite effect? What if that silly little message that was meant to help the situation made things so much worse that you doubt you would be able to fix the situation and that, that half a chance you had just got ruined? What if you seem so desperate that they just want to get rid of you that they scold you? In all the above situations you can say that you just did not follow your intuition, that you just rushed things and didn’t let fate sort it out. Sometimes after that situation and your feelings so strong, you can do nothing else but wish upon a star and anything else that just might change things.

What about the times you lie to the one you love cause you think they wont accept you for you? You know deep down they will find out but you do it anyway, just so they can look at you, then you really loose your chance, then the possibility of actually sorting things out is very unlikely.

What about the times you do something your friend does, like make out with someone you shouldn’t just to make your ex jealous? You end up getting a bad name. As for that friend, its best to stay away from them your reputation goes down the drain with theirs. You end up being pulled into because they making out with someone they don’t even know.

Basically, love and life is like your very own book. You write what has already happened, the rest of it you finish off yourself. If your friends try help and solve it, the story…just wont end up how you want it to. Take your friends advice just make sure it doesn’t contradict your own ideas, cause it might complicate things. No matter what be yourself, and if your ideas don’t work, you might find someone that they will work on. Every chance you get at love is a learning experience so as to not make the same mistake again, provided you open yourself to love and be loved.


About the author (by Marc Aupiais ):

Marianna Irene Kalabakas, is Greek Orthodox by faith, a non-Catholic religion which maintains the apostolic line, and a supporter of the African National Congress's leader Jacob Zuma, in contrast to our editor's support of the Southern Hemisphere liberal, Northern Hemisphere conservative Democratic Alliance (DA). She is currently studying a bachelor of laws at the University of the Witwatersrand. She writes from life experience and from theory, and her views may be looked at, at her blog:

http://marikalabakas.wordpress.com/

Editor's note: I personally find her views interesting and intriguing and well written in a fun way to read, even if I sometimes disagree deeply with her point of view on matters, we both understand the importance of academic freedom, at least as far as having differing views from one another goes. I also find that our religions' similarities and difference often are what shifts our views on life and politics, I read almost everything Marianna writes. Even if as a Catholic I must oppose the ANC and some other things she has shown support for. She is a very capable student of life.





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A New terror movement gains graduation in Northern Ireland Riots

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais




Sinn Fein cannot control dissidents, who have increasingly been carrying out bombing attacks, and are beginning to overcome technical aspects

'Sinn Fein are yesterday's men' - Telegraph: "'Intelligence chiefs have warned ministers that splinter groups like the Real and Continuity IRA are on the verge of a wave of killings. We believe a new generation of republican fanatics are planning a campaign. The hardcore are in their twenties and they are building bombs from designs pioneered by the PIRA. Recent bombings, like the bridge at Cullyhanna, show they are overcoming their technical problems with detonators. Our big fear is an attempt to emulate the 1984 Brighton bomb attack. And those preparing for the Conservative conference in Birmingham in October have factored the threat into their security preparations.'"

Protestant celebrations of the defeat of a Catholic king, turn ugly


Northern Ireland dissident bombings, have broken into petrol or other flammables bomb, brick and stone ... hurling rioting, where rioters have used YouTube and mobile/cellular phones in hope of mimicry and support. Almost 100 police officers have been injured.

Dissident IRA splinter groups gain momentum, as first time terrorists are recruited on the spot, while girls allegedly dressed to the 9's for the occasion, encourage every violent act, as though a bizarre flirtation, a price to pay with immodesty for their violent cause. In the eyes of those in Northern Ireland, these riots, where the youths ignore their parents, and are pushed forward, into the chasm, and swirled down beyond boundaries: may be the equivalent of South Africa's June 16, where activists similarly used Youth and peer pressure to build up a movement.

Propaganda and Social Networking, help build on discontent by each malcontent | This problem is more than Northern Ireland

Youths, who like the (surprisingly largely pro-nuclear) Iranian Green movement are using technology, especially YouTube, create pseudo-hero videos of their exploits, in a sort of propaganda. Powerful Laser lights were used to blind police by protesters, sometimes as young as eight years old (Daily Mail 14 / 07 | July / 2010).

How will the more liberal than Yesteryear Tories, and their LibDem partners deal with this, after all, while Northern Ireland has its own parliament, this is up to them? Especially as the former political partner of the cause of the IRA, is no longer such a legitimate force to control the violence, as it did in Yesteryear. And the rioting is only to spread, as with the bombings, given that Sinn Fein and the IRA have no control over the riots!

Verbal attacks from Britain against the pope by Britain's leaders, and press and state officials, mocking Catholic identity probably have not helped the peace efforts either. His visit to Great Britain may well accompany more fuel for the fire, which was also hurt by British comments on Irish sex abuse, seen internally in southern Ireland as an Irish problem. This may be so, even if the Church has always condemned the terrorist attacks of those fighting to be free of Britain in Northern Ireland, where a Catholic culture remains, even if its moral standing in some quarters may be a bit fuzzy.

What had been a number of small attacks by a new, terrible splinter actions alliance of a Real and Continuity Irish Republican Army, without the same efforts to reduce deaths that the IRA had taken in the past: has now turned into a new fully fledged movement. The likely causes cited by the Telegraph are a despair over the direction of their cause, belief that their parents compromised for weakness, and stifling poverty only spurred on by the terrible recent depression. A depression which one may say was: if not in the markets, in their psychology, and their stomachs, and certainly stirred their alleged bigotry or at least their political beliefs or sentiments.

In South Africa, where the poor have begun to feel betrayed by their own parents, and the struggle partners including the ruling ANC, similar scapegoat violence has also begun, largely with foreigners and random persons as the targets, certainly not the ANC, though senior members have been treated much as Sinn Fein leaders, by protesters/rioters. Likewise, a youth which feels left out of hope, has terribly seen hope in the flames of scapegoating the forces of order, perhaps a deathly reminder that peace is not an achievement but a journey.

The Catholic church condemned fully the IRA during its fight for Irish independence in Northern Ireland against Great Britain. A Catholic priest, says the Telegraph, called this "recreational rioting", as though it were some entertainment for bored youths- in order it seems to condemn it as pointless. South Africa's anti-apartheid movement had just as many recreational followers, as did the original IRA.






This violence, while sparked by yet another Protestant celebration, is not a new violence, but one which has been stirred by gradual bombings... and mainly two terrorist groupings. Whether by thugs, as one politician called it, as low class youth often are described as, or by other factors, the violence, condemned by the political spectrum, the violence and new violent cultures do not look to be disappearing soon, all the more if it is to become a pass-time.

Police are looking through pictures and surveillance and have warned that those who showed recognisable features, would be arrested. Likely not the societal saboteur terrorists who had planned for the previously more peaceful protests, to erupt into disorder.

Given the treatment of former IRA Sinn Fein leaders by protesters, it is unlikely that talks will prevent a recurrence of the violence. The Real and Continuity IRA do not it seems have a political voice, and it is uncertain as yet should they seek to gain one. Certainly not if their violence continues to manipulate, and grow: by fear, and social media.





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USA: Montana: 5 years old's to be taught Sex Ed; "Graphic Images in art help people understand sexuality"

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Katie Walker, Communications Director for American Life League, appears on CBN News Morning Edition, to discuss Montana's plan to introduce graphic sex curriculum to public school children as young as five."

[ALL talks on the shocking decision on CBN]

From telling high-school kids that graphic sexual images in art help us understand our sexuality "Erotic images in art help understand Sex"- CBN, to graphically describing all sorts of sexual acts verbally to fifth graders, to telling kids in grade 1 about gay's "people can love people of the same gender", a Planned Parenthood Sex Education backed sex education program in Montana, USA, starting with 5 year olds, and up, has sparked controversy.

Planned Parenthood, while paid to teach sex education, makes billions off of abortions, and contraceptive every year. Their funding in education, and abortion has gained much since Barack Obama took the presidency, given the US president's prior relationship with the abortion firm.

The curriculum is also from SEICUS (possible error by ALL in spelling of the acronym) Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, another similar group. The program being which is part of the curriculum put forward by the Montana school board, especially upsets American Life League, as it is believed that by bringing graphic sexuality into the lives of pre-puberty children could cause very negative side effects on teen pregnancy, and on learning ability. ALL calls it child abuse. Allegedly it is an attempt to disrupt children's sexual latency period. Recent research has found that abstinence only education is more effective than contraceptive education, and that children who are exposed to abstinence only education are more likely to use a condom if they do have sex.

In South Africa, it is a statutory crime to purposely expose children to real, or simulated sex, meaning that such a program would likely be termed exposing a minor to pornography in South Africa's strict sexual laws.


CNN, a liberal news network also notes the story, saying that the 5 year old's are taught about correct terms for private parts:



A Blog Also carrying the video





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UNICEF: Islamist Terrorism, Abortion, Contraceptive, surgical sterilizations and Free Love for Teens?

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(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Article summary: article looks into media across the left/right divide and secular/religious divide to explain why funding to UNICEF promotes a leftest agenda which includes promotion of sexual freedom among teens, contraception, abortion, sterilization, and other political agendas which divert from helping children including alleged funding of terrorist propaganda in Palestine.

A reader wrote to our service, to paraphrase:

your article on Selena Gomez was harsh, she's put so much into her fashion line, and wants to do what hundreds of girls fail to do, she wants to succeed in a tough business, and is UNICEF, which sales will help fund really that bad?

This is our service's response.

"Several years ago the Vatican withdrew its support for UNICEF and later Renato Cardinal Martino, then Vatican representative at the UN, asked Catholics to cease donating to the organization."

LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; used by the Vatican recently to gain accurate information on Catholic organizations funding abortion)

05 / 06 | June / 2009

While the speech of Renato to the United Nations is hard to find on the only recently existent Vatican website, it does note something similar as well as elaborating on our first issue: promotion of contraceptive and "birth control":

"Among other organizations, we may also mention UNICEF and UNHCR as particularly significant. The former has for some time launched contraceptive and sex education programmes; as is known, the Holy See has suspended its symbolic contribution to UNICEF in the light of the latter’s refusal to guarantee that this contribution would not be used for programmes contrary to Catholic principles.

[...]

The international bodies most affected are, in the UN system, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNDP and the UN Economic Commissions ECA, ECLAC and ESCAP. In particular, UNFPA, together with the [abortion promoting alliance] IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation), has programmes in 157 countries lobbying to change laws and to implement programmes of birth control, with reserves of 335 million US dollars."

Vatican

11 / 02 | February / 2000

American Life League is more direct:

"Until the mid 1960's UNICEF fulfilled its mission and performed a great service to many of the neediest children in the world. However, as the world and the UN began to change, more unscrupulous programs replaced these worthy works and the original mission was lost to population control euphemisms and "reproductive health issues". A recent series of articles in the British medical journal, The Lancet, on the growing number of preventable childhood deaths worldwide provide a clear indication that UNICEF needs to redirect its "emphasis [on] its traditional mission of child survival". (1)

[...]

UNICEF promotes itself and raises funds at Halloween by having children carry its donation boxes door-to-door. It is also financed in large part by U.S. purchasers of UNICEF's Christmas Cards. While contributions may help to provide food, clothing, medicine or the like, chances are they may also go toward various forms of birth control, abortion and sterilization."

Americal Life League (ALL) (American; Independent; Catholic)

05 / 10 | October / 2005

The British Guardian paper, notes UNICEF's direct entry into promoting sexual education, and prevention of pregnancy:

"According to the United Nations agency Unicef, women born into poverty are twice as likely to stay that way if they have their children too soon. They are more likely to be unemployed, to suffer from depression and to become dependent on alcohol or drugs.

[...]

Unicef's explanation is pretty unequivocal. Sweden, for example, radically changed its sex education policies in 1975. "Recommendations of abstinence and sex only within marriage were dropped, contraceptive education was made explicit, and a nationwide network of youth clinics was established specifically to provide confidential contraceptive advice and free contraceptives ... Over the next two decades, Sweden saw its teenage birth rate fall by 80 per cent." Sexually transmitted diseases, in contrast to the rising rates in the UK and the US, declined by 40% in the 1990s.

"Studies of the Dutch experience," Unicef continues, "have concluded that the underlying reason for success has been the combination of a relatively inclusive society with more open attitudes towards sex and sex education, including contraception." Requests for contraceptives there "are not associated with shame or embarrassment", and "the media is willing to carry explicit messages" about them that are "designed for young people". This teeming cesspool has among the lowest abortion and teenage birth rates on earth.

America and the UK, by contrast, are "less inclusive societies" where "contraceptive advice and services may be formally available, but in a 'closed' atmosphere of embarrassment and secrecy". The UK has a higher teenage pregnancy rate not because there is more sex or abortion, but because of "lower rates of contraceptive use"."

Guardian (UK/British; Independent; Secularist; liberal)

11 / 05 | May / 2004

Unfortunately, the opposite trend was recently shown to be more accurate in a modern world: whereby research has found abstinence education both more effective in causing teens to use contraception, as well as successful in causing teen abstinence: Archive 24 / 02 | February / 2010- either way, UNICEF is promoting an accepting atmosphere to extra-marital sex among teens.


To then quote a more conservative group [note, the poor formatting is their's, not ours]:

"UNICEF also helps to fund organizations that promote abortions. One such organization is the Population Council, the group which holds the U.S. patent for the "abortion pill" RU-486. Another is a South African group called LoveLife, which actively encourages teenage girls to have abortions.

LoveLife provides a toll free number to Marie Stopes International abortion clinics, recommending abortion "... if you are happy to pay for the services. Remember, it is your right to get counseling [and] an abortion. If people are unhelpful, don¡¯t get discouraged. Keep trying. You don¡¯t need permission from anybody to have an abortion." LoveLife, which describes an abortion as a "gentle suction," encourages girls to "Talk to someoneþua health worker, a counselor, or someone you can trust." Afterwards, LoveLife tells girls, "You will feel a sense of relief. Some people like to do a ritual to end the processþulight a candle, plant a flower, write a poem or go for a long walk." No mention of post-abortion trauma here, one is merely "ending a process," not taking the life of the child.2"

Population Research Institute (Catholic; Independent; American; pro-life; one of the organizations researching the ageing population problem)

18 / 10 | October / 2010

The Liberal guardian, several years later again quoted UNICEF to promote contraception:

"A report by the United Nations agency Unicef notes that in the Netherlands, which has the world's lowest abortion rate, a sharp reduction in unwanted teenage pregnancies was caused by "the combination of a relatively inclusive society with more open attitudes towards sex and sex education, including contraception". By contrast, in the US and UK, which have the developed world's highest teenage pregnancy rates, "contraceptive advice and services may be formally available, but in a 'closed' atmosphere of embarrassment and secrecy"."

Guardian (UK/British; Independent; Secularist; liberal)

26 / 02 | February / 2008

A UN Lobby, C-FAM, notes that once again, UNICEF has then ignored the plight of children to a degree in their annual report for 2009:

"NEW YORK, NY, January 30, 2009 (C-FAM) - The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, launched its annual report this week claiming that, “Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide,” and dedicated the 168-page flagship publication to the issue of maternal mortality, virtually ignoring the agency’s mandate of child survival. The report recommends increased global financing of UN initiatives aimed at “family planning” and “reproductive health services” as the primary way to reduce maternal deaths, but also provides extensive evidence that there is no reliable data to substantiate its claims.

Entitled, “The State of the World’s Children 2009: Maternal and Newborn Health,” the study addresses the problem of 536,000 maternal and 4.7 million newborn annual deaths worldwide, focusing on Africa, Asia and Latin America. Yet, the report undercuts at length the validity of its own statistics, stating that a “high degree of uncertainty for maternal mortality ratios indicates that all data points should be interpreted cautiously,” and saying “The [UN’s] 2005 maternal mortality estimates are far from perfect,” merely reflecting “a strong commitment on the part of the international community to continually strive for greater accuracy and precision.” And while it argues that “more than 99 per cent” of maternal deaths “occurred in developing countries,” it goes on to call “commonplace” the absence of data to make such a claim.

In fact, the report admits that only 35 percent of the data used to create the 536,000 number in 2005 was based upon “complete/good” data. A full 35 percent of the 171 countries surveyed to create the number had “no data.” Another 20 percent of the total maternal mortality figure was from “estimates” and “uncertain/poor data.”

Another contradiction in the report is its discussion of abortion. According to the report, abortion complications are the smallest contributor to maternal death in every one of the three developing regions studied. By contrast, hemorrhaging is the cause of nearly 30 percent of maternal deaths in all three regions, followed by hypertension and sepsis. Undefined “other causes” account for nearly a third of deaths in Africa and one fifth of the deaths in Asia and Latin America.

Contradicting this evidence, the report calls for a “continuum of care” that promotes “reproductive health services,” a term used by some UN officials to include abortion. It then puts at the top of its eleven recommended interventions for reducing maternal deaths “promoting access to family planning services, based on individual country policies,” with skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care mentioned as lower priorities.

The report also claims that in 2005, heads of state created “a specific target on reproductive health: Millennium Goal 5, Target B,” which seeks to “Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health” and includes “contraceptive prevalence rate,” and “unmet need for family planning,” as indicators of attaining the target. The UN Population Fund, contradictorily, claims that such a target was created in 2008. In fact, the heads of state rejected the target in 2005, and have never voted on or adopted such a target."

C-Fam (Catholic; Independent; American based: New York, located near the United Nations

30 / 01 | January / 2009

Continuing a policy of pro-abortion efforts in the developing world, a representative UNICEF in June 2009 called any Catholic who opposes its efforts radical:

"PAHO and UNICEF both promote "reproductive health" that is an acknowledged euphemism at the United Nations for the promotion of abortion, abortifacient drugs, artificial contraception and sterilization. UN groups, while stating that their reproductive health policies are in conformity with local laws, also engage in heavy pressure tactics, particularly through committees such as that of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to change national laws to allow abortion on demand. Earlier this year, UNICEF published a 168-page report that called for massive increases in "reproductive health services," in developing countries.

Several years ago the Vatican withdrew its support for UNICEF and later Renato Cardinal Martino, then Vatican representative at the UN, asked Catholics to cease donating to the organization.

Asked if UNICEF would be willing to give up promotion of their anti-life policies in order to form a partnership with the Catholic Church, Dr. Manrique said that it is only "radicals" in the Catholic Church who oppose those things, not the Church as a whole.

"Well, that may be the recommendation of the Cardinal, but along with the recommendation of the Cardinal there are many other opinions," he said. "There are radicals that do not help the advancement of organizations."

Asked if the promotion of condoms for AIDS prevention, the "reproductive right" of abortion and contraception, and "gender ideology" are in conflict with the Church, Manrique responded, "These three issues ... are perfectly in tune with the Catholic Church.""

LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; used by the Vatican recently to gain accurate information on Catholic organizations funding abortion)

05 / 06 | June / 2009

As for a secular source to close off our review of Unicef, we chose major American News Source, the National Review Online:

"Americans mostly know UNICEF through the “trick or treat for UNICEF” campaigns. The “trick” is on the donors who think that UNICEF is all about helping poor children.

UNICEF has been a major financier of Palestinian “summer camps” which encourage children to become suicide bombers. One such camp is named for Wafa Idris, a female suicide bomber.

[...]

UNICEF’s focus on politics and political correctness has come at the expense of saving the lives of the approximately ten million children under the age of five who die each year from preventable causes.

According to UNICEF, the major cause of child poverty in the world is the free market—even though countries with free markets have vastly lower levels of child poverty than do the kleptocratic, statist economies extolled by UNICEF.

A 2003 report praised the North Korean dictatorship:
the particular strength of the DPRK’s policy framework lies in its comprehensiveness, integration and consistency in addressing the interests of children and women. It has been aligned with the collective production system. The Government has proactively broadened and updated its laws and policies on an ongoing basis, also making an effort to harmonize with international innovations and standards.

Given UNICEF’s affinity for the extreme left, it should be no surprise that UNICEF helps fund the gun- prohibition lobby in Brazil.

The Executive Director of UNICEF is traditionally chosen by the United States (although nominally appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General). All of the abuses described above took place during the tenure of Executive Director Carol Bellamy, who was selected by President Clinton in 1995. In May 2005, President Bush chose former Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman as executive director.

While there is no reason to believe that Veneman shares Bellamy’s extreme Left agenda, it would be fair to say that she has a long way to go to fix UNICEF. The organization today stills promotes the Brazilian gun prohibition lobby Viva Rio, and funds the pro-terrorist Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation as one of its “partners” in what it calls “occupied Palestinian territory.” UNICEF also “partners” with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which uses ambulances to transport terrorists and their weapons, and whose personnel have participated in suicide bombings.

UNICEF’s executive board includes China (whose forced abortion policy is neither pro-life, nor pro-choice, nor pro-child) and Bhutan (where children are among the many victims of the regime’s human rights abuses). UNICEF has doled out unaccountable money to the North Korean regime.

Under Veneman, UNICEF is not as bad as it was under Bellamy, and even under Bellamy, the organization performed some good works. However, most people who give money to groups which help children would prefer that none of their donations be used to finance terrorism, the destruction of civil liberties, or tyranny. "

National Review Online (NRO) (American; Secular; Conservative)

26 / 10 | October / 2007

Whatever the conservative write for the National Review Online says, many of UNICEF's projects for promoting abortion, and also contraception come under the new leadership. SImply because a previous leader was appointed by a Democrat, does not make a Republican any better for the job.

On 8 March 2009 she said in "Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman on International Women’s Day 2009":

"In places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where five million people have died in the conflict, sexual violence leaves many survivors with horrific injuries, emotional wounds, HIV and AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. It can inflict devastating long-term consequences on the lives of the affected women and girls, and on entire societies. "

UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund

08 / 03 | March / 2009

But Unicef has changed leadership again, likely once again swinging further left:

"Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Anthony Lake, who served as national security adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has been endorsed by the Obama administration to head the United Nations Children’s Fund, a U.S. official said.

[...]

During President Barack Obama’s campaign for the White House, Lake served as a foreign policy adviser to him."

Bloomberg (Secular; Independent; American)

18 / 02 | February / 2010

Lake was linked to a campaign scandal during his serving under Clinton, according to Time Magazine (American; Secular; Independent; liberal)

24 / 02 | February / 1997

.

He has also continued UNICEF advocacy for girls' "empowerment" and "education" in re "health", possibly a reference to their programs promoting contraception and abortion, and saying that saving mothers' lives is the most important part of saving children, and reducing global poverty:

"Admitting that some progress is being made to save both child and maternal lives, Mr Lake pointed out that the Countdown Decade Report is important in that it reveals the startling truth: “We are not making enough progress: 19 million children and women have died because of treatable causes since the last Countdown report (in 2008).” Mr Lake emphasized that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were inter-connected, linking girl’s education and empowerment to health of women and children: connection between saving mothers’ and children’s lives: “I know that saving mother’s lives (MDG5) is the single most important factor in saving children (and achieving MDG 4)...and reducing global poverty (MDG1).” He concluded by applauding the health care professionals’ work and action: “We can do this, but only by working in partnership with governments, civil society...and most of all, families who are most affected. We have a tremendous responsibility to do what we must do—now!"

WHO World Health Organization

08 / 06 | June / 2010

Countdown Decade Report takes special note of contraceptives, and advocates an increase in funding for "family planning services", also looking into maternal deaths due to abortion.


Although Anthony/Tony Lake does seem to now emphasize the need for skilled birth attendants:

"“Saving women’s lives is an important factor in saving children’s lives, just as improving women’s status in the world may well be the single most important factor in reducing global poverty.

“UNICEF strongly supports the Muskoka Initiative’s emphasis on strengthening health systems to improve maternal and child health. Prenatal care, skilled birth attendants, early and exclusive breast feeding, better primary medical care – these are key interventions we know can prevent the causes of most neonatal and many maternal deaths. To make a sustainable difference, we also need to work together to scale up integrated, community-based services that can save many child lives and are not only cost-effective, but also well designed to reach those in greatest need.

“Today, the G8 countries have renewed their commitment to maternal and child health, and we must all hold ourselves accountable for achieving greater progress on this critical challenge.”"

UNICEF

25 / 06 | June / 2010

The Muskoko Initiative which he praises, once against uses language that makes clear what was already known about G8 efforts, given the controversy of Canada not wanting to fund abortion:

"2. Scope: The Initiative is related to MDGs 4 and 5, as well as elements of MDGs 1 (nutrition) and 6 (HIV/AIDS, malaria). The Initiative is focused on achieving significant progress on health system strengthening in developing countries facing high burdens of maternal and under-five child mortality and an unmet need for family planning. Improving maternal and under-five child health requires comprehensive, high impact and integrated interventions at the community level, across the continuum of care, i.e., pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth, infancy, and early childhood.

3. This Initiative includes elements such as: antenatal care; attended childbirth; post-partum care; sexual and reproductive health care and services, including voluntary family planning; health education; treatment and prevention of diseases including infectious diseases; prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; immunizations; basic nutrition and relevant actions in the field of safe drinking water and sanitation."

Muskoka Initiative

G8 Summit, June 2010

""For American children and parents, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF offers an impactful way to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children," says Selena. "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was created to support UNICEF, which has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world.""

Seventeen Magazine (American; Secular; Independent)

01 / 07 | July / 2010

Selena may believe her claim on more lives saved, and that may be the case, the problem lies with lives lost due to UNICEF. Her direct linking of buying Dream Out Loud to UNICEF, means that those who buy her product will be supporting UNICEF's efforts in the world. After all, she says her fans can make a difference via Dream Out Loud's support of groups such as Unicef. I do hope she is not intentionally supporting such an organization. Her association with pro-abortion groups, and other issues, are of some concern, although I have never read or seen or heard her directly support abortion, although she linked to a video on her twitter of Pink's Dear Mr President, which was addressed to George Bush, Although Selena linked during Obama's presidency: the song advocates abortion and de jure homosexual "marriage". She is also performing at this year's Lilith Fair, which is concerning given the tour's history with abortion. I do believe our service was justified in our "harsh tone" article, none the less, the reader comment was more than welcome, and enabled this long response, precisely because we so value their opinion, and desire to show our reasoning why we warned our readers.








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