Notre Dame and the Catholic Controversy - Leisure Lad - Justin Benedict

I am not pro-life, though if my mother had had the benefits of a sonogram and abortion laws in 1965--she might have seen my cleft palate--and it might have been over for me. So I have some sympathy for those who believe that the fetus is a living thing.

After all, when a woman WANTS her child, she doesn't refer to the contents of her womb as "the fetus" but as "the baby". Certainly if babies were being killed after being born we'd all be up in arms--not that I'm saying that's the case with abortion,but you might be a bit more broad-minded...or are you only allowed to be broad minded if you're a liberal?

The good people at Notre Dame have as much right to object (non-violently) to Obama speaking there as anyone has to cheer him. I approve of civil disobedience on the right as well as the left, as well as the protest of a peaceful petition. Rock on, Cardinal Newman Society!

Mocking the Pope

The Catholic Church has tried to stop the MTV cartoon "Popetown" from being shown in Lithuania through legal action. It has failed.

Banning speech is generally not an effective way of suppressing it. And let's not forget You Tube, Blogger, etc as a means of getting around any local restriction. In effect, there is no way to prevent a message from reaching an audience if you're determined enough.

All this makes the stance of the Lithuanian Catholic Church puzzling. Why fight for something that will only promote a message you don't like? Somebody get those priests Blackberrys.

Click on the title to this post for the free one paragraph summation.