Saturday 31 July 2010

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

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

Friday 30 July 2010

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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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.

Thursday 29 July 2010

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!

Wednesday 28 July 2010

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)

Tuesday 27 July 2010

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!

Monday 26 July 2010

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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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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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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Monday 19 July 2010

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!

Sunday 18 July 2010

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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Saturday 17 July 2010

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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Friday 16 July 2010

United States of America: Oil Stops Flowing into Gulf: For Now



United States of America: Oil Stops Flowing into Gulf: For Now


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(World Tainted Green)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"The 3 month oil leak which has caused America’s worst ever environmental disaster, may finally be over.

BP says it has at least temporarily stopped the flow in the Gulf of Mexico, raising hopes it has been plugged for good."
(EuroNews [Secular; Independent: but officially contracted as a bridge between the EU and public; European] 16 / 07 | July / 2010

The New York Times (Secular; Independent; American; Liberal; accused of being part of a conspiracy against the Catholic church by Vatican vetted Jesuit paper La Civiltà Cattolica [reference]):

"Live video from the seabed Friday morning showed that all was quiet around the top of the well, suggesting the test assessing the integrity of the well was continuing. Earlier in the week, Kent Wells, a senior vice president for BP, had said that the longer the test continued the better, because it would indicate that the pressure inside the well was holding.

The oil stopped flowing around 2:25 p.m. Thursday when the last of several valves was closed on a cap at the top of the well, Mr. Wells said.

The announcement that the oil had stopped flowing into the Gulf came after a series of failed attempts to cap or contain the runaway well that tested the nation’s patience. Mr. Wells emphasized that pressure tests were being conducted to determine the status of the well, which is now sealed like a soda bottle. BP and the government could decide to allow the oil to flow again and try to collect all of it; they could allow the oil to flow and, if tests show the well can withstand the pressure from the cap, close the well during hurricanes; or they could leave the well closed permanently.

The last option seems unlikely, but whatever the decision, the cap is an interim measure until a relief well can plug the leak for good.

“I am very pleased that there’s no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico,” Mr. Wells said, “but we just started the test and I don’t want to create a false sense of excitement.”"
labelled as 17 / 07 | July / 2010

While getting good press from Catholic Agencies, for their use of Catholic Charties, an America Catholic arm of Caritas Internationalis, in order to help those affected, and for application of the principle of subsidiarity, BP has also gained international notoriety, for the use of chemical banned elsewhere to clean up the oil spill in the beginning. The chemicals are reportedly toxic to human beings, and British financial agency, Reuters was informed that it would have been better for the environment if the oil had simply been kept out to sea, as the burning and use of chemicals was not necessary to clear up the light grade of oils. BP had been listed on a stock exchange of companies acceptable for Christians to invest in (vetted by Vatican officials and others) prior the oil spill.

BP (British Petroleum) itself was not managing the oil rig at the time of the accident, having let it out to another company, the rig, being a vessel was not registered in America. BP's safety record in the past has also been questioned. The Obama administration, had decided not to further regulate the offshore drilling industry in the United States of America, in order to pursue Cap and Trade and other anthropological climate change theory efforts. The people most affected, seem to support continued drilling, as their livelihood often depends on oil. A ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf, which the White House desired, was ruled as against the public interest in an American court, something the White House chose to appeal.





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Thursday 15 July 2010

American Teens having a lot less sex than may be expected : American Life League ALL Stats about teens found correct results


Article by Marc Aupiais


"Table 3 shows that 36 percent of 15–17-year-old males had had vaginal intercourse with a female; 28 percent had given oral sex to a female, and 40 percent had received it; 8.1 percent had had anal sex with a female, and 46 percent of 15–17-year-old males had had no sexual contact with another person.
Among males 18–19 years of age, 66 percent had had vaginal intercourse with a female, while 52 percent had given oral sex to a female, 66 percent had received it, and 15 percent had had anal sex with a female. About 22 percent of 18–19-year-old males had not had sexual contact with another person.
Table 4 contains statistics on the proportions of females 15–24 years of age with these same types of sexual contact. Among 15–17-year-old females, 39 percent had had vaginal intercourse at least once, 30 percent had given oral sex to a male, and 38 percent had received it from a male. Nearly one-half (49 percent) of 15–17-year-old females had not had any sexual contact with another person. At ages 18–21, the proportions of females who had had vaginal intercourse were about the same as the proportions who had had oral sex. At age 18–19, 17 percent of females had not had any sexual contact with another person, compared with about 22 percent of 18–19-year-old males."
CDC Advance Data No. 362 + September 15, 2005 11


I noted Yesterday a question as to the statistics provided, only relating to 15-19 year old's, and how accurate they were if they were only with 19 year old's or 18 year old's. I did a quick medical fact check, and found some old statistics from 2005. As it is claimed that the statistics continue to remain relatively constant, I thought it adequate to show these CDC statistics. From what I have read, Americans seem much less immoral that I had thought. We all watch the television, and think: THAT NATION, but it does not seem as bad as I had believed.



Marc Aupiais is the editor of South African Catholic News Service, while also penning the results of collaborative research and articles, he at times pens his personal views, as well as quick note articles or more personal ones. This article is a follow-up to a quick note article, that is: to a less researched work.





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I think the Terre'Blanche killer will be let off

Quick note by Marc Aupiais

As a personal and not a legal opinion I think the Terre'Blanche killer, Chris Mahlangu, will get off. The Magistrate reportedly is letting him get bail based on merit of his provocation argument. Yet the Eadie (hocky stick road rage) case precedent by a higher court clearly states that provocation is no defence any longer in South African law- and must be dealt with under sane automatism- with medical evidence. That this case has been ignored despite the fact magistrates have to follow the precedent of higher courts, I would say I expect the alleged "murderer" or Eugene Terre'Blanche will be let off. Mahlangu admits to the killing, but claims it was a pre-emptive strike- out of fear of Terre'Blanche.

So far right wing extremists, the AWB (Afrikaaner Resistence Movement) have not violently avenged the death, but as the Johannesburg Star states, they are furious- saying "he is no longer a suspect" but a "murderer".

Thousands of whites (Caucasians) have been killed on farms, since the government created a controversial land reform program with some similarities to the catastrophic programme in Zimbabwe, where farms, like in South Africa were given by the government to blacks not educated adequately or resourced adequately in farming techniques and management.

Under BEE, white South Africans are severely discriminated against, including white orphans or disabled, as companies are encouraged to rather give jobs, or charity to blacks over whites by law, and government processes and policy.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

CDC Finds Most Teens are Virgins, Contrary to Planned Parenthood: ALL


Quick Note Article by Marc Aupiais


CDC Finds Most Teens are Virgins, Contrary to Planned Parenthood: ALL: "Washington, D.C., July 14, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study last month showing that most teens are virgins – which American Life League (ALL) has said contradicts propaganda disseminated by sex-education giant Planned Parenthood.

'This study has huge significance for our nation's public and even private schools - many of whom have been regurgitating Planned Parenthood's dangerously inaccurate sex-education curriculum,' said Judie Brown, president of ALL.

In the 2006-2008 period, 58 percent of never-married teen girls and 57 percent of never-married teen boys between the ages of 15 and 19 reported that they had never had sexual intercourse.

The numbers did not substantially change since a similar report was released in 2002. The reason most often cited for abstaining was that it is 'against religion or morals.'"


The study here mentioned by LifeSitenews (A service relied on by the Vatican), shows something substantial, it notes further down a seeming connection between abstinence education and a radical decline in sexual activity of teens, about 4 in 5 of those surveyed had not had sex in the past month.

"The report also revealed that "the vast majority of never married teenagers had not had intercourse in the month before the survey (76% of females and 79% of males, unchanged from 2002.)""


Of course if the study were reduced to only 19 year old's, I would be interested to see the possible change in results. Still, the amount of sexually active teens has been reducing over the past few decades in America.

"The number of "sexually experienced" teens peaked in 1988 at 51%. The steady decline in sexually active teens coincides with the popularity and availability of abstinence education in the 1990s and into the 2000s"


Morals and religion are the main reasons for abstinence cited.







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Good news about the police and army

Good news about the police and army

ImageImage 
Image of policeman and of amphibious transport: Microsoft Clip Art.


Quick note by Marc Aupiais

Zuma has claimed we are keeping the world cup police.

This is good, especially as France helped train them. DefenceWeb has meanwhile reported that the government is soon expected to implement the expected raises in military salaries, a good thing given the alleged conspiracy to kidnap our defence minister some time ago.

The South African police have always been severely under staffed, says France 24. Our army also is aging and under resourced, but the pay rise and move to protect our boarders should help our military improve.

Xenophobia in the Cape

Quick note by Marc Aupiais

In the Western Cape, foreign nationals, refugees, and legal immigrants as well as unlawful immigrants have had their human rights severely violated. Independent Newspapers quotes one victim as saying that he and his fellow human beings were evicted from one of the informal settlements "they chased us like dogs".

Shops are looted- that is to say these people are robbed, their property and livelihood damaged or destroyed. These weak scapegoats are hurt, or threatened and evicted.

In noting threats by the ANC Youth League that they would shortly make the Western Cape ungovernable, DA leader Helen Zille claimed that the street committees of old had been resurrected, and that her attempts to investigate had been interrupted, her right to freedom of movement restricted.

The last time ANC activists made South Africa ungovernable it was via the witch hunts where old women and their families were burnt to death in the North of the Nation. When "traitors" were necklaced (burnt to death, with a tyre around their neck) in the shack towns of that era. When children were intimidated into marching and when women were threatened to have many children.

The situation in the Western Cape has many of the marks of a conspiracy to make the nation ungovernable, or else one to murder, but by whom? These perpetrators firstly waited for the Football games to end, and foreigners to leave, impressed by our government's success.

The attacks and threats aren't only in the Western Cape, but oddly it is there where they are most focused. It may be claimed it is because the internal refugee dwellings were kept open, or that these were trouble areas. It may be suggested that comments against the opposition government or some lack in that province is the case. Or perhaps, that when it is acceptable to use violence against the opposition, South Africans- as ANC supporters reportedly did last election: if it is legitimate to say "I will kill for Zuma", then it is socially acceptable to murder the weakest of born people in our nation.

Where a person was born is a mere accident. Even the illegal foreigners have as much right to South Africa as any other person here. This is my view. An African Nationalist culture where discrimination against non-blacks and foreigners only leads to violence.

Sunday 11 July 2010

Archdiocese of Johannesburg: St Therese Relics: Communion at midnight mass in the Cathedral


(Southern African Catholic Dispatches)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"More than 300 people were present for Mass which was followed by a healing service at 02:00."


According to a release to us by the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, Archdiocesan News:


"Midnight Mass was celebrated during the all-night vigil at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Saturday/Sunday 10/11 July, the eve of the final match of the World Cup.


More than 300 people were present for Mass which was followed by a healing service at 02:00.

The vigil was opened by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale and began with the Litany of St Therese followed by public veneration. There were talks on the teachings of the church on saints and relics and on the life of and spirituality of St Therese, confessions and music by the Malawian and Charismatic Choirs and singing by the congregation. The vigil ended at 5 in the morning with benediction.

St Therese's relics travel to Tzaneen diocese for a week on 12 July. They will stay overnight at St Francis of Assisi, Yeoville on 19 July en route to Aliwal North, KwaZulu-Natal and finally Cape Town before returning to Johannesburg on 23 August."






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