Proof that the post-Vatican II seminarian screening process has left a lot to be desired...

While it's always fun to see liberals turn on one of their own (how dare Hillary continue to defy "His Electability," anyway?), as a Catholic one can't help but be profoundly disturbed by the fact that this man answers to the name "Father".

Semantic Nonsense

One of the most infuriating aspects of political correctness is the tendency of its adherents to distort the meanings of words and then banter those words about as though they are the only ones who truly know what those words mean. If it stopped there, it wouldn't be such a big problem. Unfortunately, their virtual stranglehold on academia and television and print media allow them the opportunity to impress these distortions upon young and impressionable minds. After two generations of such impressment, we now find ourselves in a society where a disturbing number of our youth can barely pronounce the words they speak, to say nothing of understanding the meaning behind them. For instance, I overheard my teenage sister the other day speaking with one of her friends about "pimping" the appearance of her Myspace page. I don't know how much cannabis was involved in leading someone to conclude that it was a good idea to teach children that the word "pimp" could ever be used in a positive context, but I could only shake my head at the sheer horror on my sister's face when I explained to her what the word "pimp" really means.

I have had similar struggles trying to explain to some of my younger relatives the difference between what they "want" and what they "need." Ditto for my attempts to properly define the words "freedom," "tolerance," "dialogue," "equality," and "discrimination" in my debates with liberals. At the risk of sounding condescending, I think it is important to understand the distinctions between the real meanings and the politically correct meanings of these and countless other words before one can engage in an intelligent and fruitful discussion about their proper application.

Just some thoughts for starters. I plan to devote entire blog posts to exploring the meaning and proper application of a number of these words in due time. In the meantime, feel free to comment and share your thoughts. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Bobby Jindal for Vice-President?

I have to admit, this is about the only thing John McCain could do right now to get me excited about - as opposed to merely being resigned to - the prospect of voting for the Republicans at the top of the ticket come November. I'll probably do it anyway, because the thought of Barack Obama selecting the next two or three Supreme Court justices sends cold shivers down my spine. Still, the thought of having the devoutly Catholic young Governor of Louisiana as the Republican heir apparent in 2012 or 2016 would be a very exciting prospect indeed. Michael Medved apparently agrees.

As time goes along, I'll post more and more about this remarkable young politician. There are very few politicians I respect, much less admire; but the more I see of Jindal the more impressed I am with him. I just pray that more politicians like him come along in the near future. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Day 2 in the life of a blog...

OK, I still haven't gone public with this blog, which is just as well because I'm still trying to decide what exactly I want to blog about. Or rather, what topic I'd like to start with. As the name of the blog suggests, the posts you read will be written from the perspective of a devoutly orthodox Catholic. But believe me, this orthodox Catholic has opinions on a wide range of subjects. You will see plenty of theology discussed here, but you will also find posts and discussions dealing with philosophy, the classical liberal arts, history, politics, sports, science, literature, and whatever else happens to strike my fancy on any given day I'm able to post. Stay tuned, and I'll promise you two things: 1) there will be a method to the madness, and 2) there will be a madness to the method.

In the meantime, take care, be safe, and God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

And, We're Off....

Well, it will be some time after this gets posted before I'm ready to start announcing the presence of this blog, as I'm still working on the other aspects of the website. I've been wanting to do a blog for quite some time, but have always lacked the drive and the energy to do it. Hopefully, now that I've started the blog I'll be motivated to maintain it.

Of course, anyone who comes across this blog can feel free to post comments or e-mail me with questions or requests (I do, of course, reserve the right not to respond with what you want to hear :-).

Since this is cutting into my bedtime, and my day job isn't particularly sympathetic to the sleep deprived, I shall take my leave for now. For those who are reading this, I bid thee good night, and God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald