When MSNBC’s Chris Matthews suggested in Denver that Barack Obama earned his present elevation in American politics, unlike “showcase appointments” like Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, he reminded the world of the peculiarity of liberalism. John McCain’s selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate underlined it. Liberals find no joy when Republicans select […]

Anyone who has lived in a minister’s house knows that  middle-of-the-night telephone calls often bring bad news.But for many pastors there is one kind of call that is uniquely  painful.
There are times when the shock of death is easier to handle  than questions about eternal life.
“It happens like this,” noted the Rev. J. Gerald Harris, […]

As host of Catholic Spotlight (not to be confused with CE Spotlight), it was my privilege to talk with producer/director Greg Willits about his new video That Catholic Show.  Greg and his wife, Jennifer, have developed a new way of creating a catechetical video that will inform and entertain at the same time.Chris Cash: What is it […]

For two years now, we’ve heard Barack Obama’s media allies telling us how he was a somehow Not A Politician, that he was the pragmatic soul of civility who was “uniquely qualified to nudge the country toward the color purple.” (So said Newsweek.) If that myth hadn’t died under tons of weight to the contrary […]

When Sen. John Kerry arrived in Boston for the last Democratic convention, the TV news stars thought they’d died and gone to political heaven. Dan Rather said Kerry’s speech drove the crowd in Boston into “a three-thousand-gallon attack about every three minutes,” and Newsweek’s Jon Meacham was comparing Kerry to Abraham Lincoln on MSNBC. If […]

Hollywood is always reminding us of its rosy vision of the future where there are absolutely no limits to sexual adventurism and gender confusion. Seldom is heard a discouraging word about the next new frontier of tolerance. “If it feels good, do it” isn’t merely a T-shirt slogan. In California, it should become the state […]

Doug and Annie Brown became a hot topic of conversation in June when his book came out, called “Just Do It.” The married couple from Denver made a decision to do something dramatic to their marriage, and have sex for 101 days in a row. They called it a “sexpedition.”
They expressed surprise at how much […]

America’s Olympic athletes should make every one of us stand a bit taller this week.  They have definitely done us proud.
We watched as 41-year-old Dara Torres, in the stressful minutes leading up to her historic 50-meter free style semi-final, noticed and responded to the needs of one of her competitors.  While the rest of the […]

For a dozen years, they hunted Europe’s most notorious war criminal.
Investigators knew exactly where they thought they would find former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, the man accused of masterminding the
1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica.
After his July 21 arrest, most media reports echoed vague statements in The New York Times […]

A newly released study by Dartmouth College experts reveals that movie ratings are ineffective when it comes to barring minors from R-rated (18+)  films.Dartmouth researchers found that approximately 22 million of America’s young people between the ages of 10 and 14 (12.5%) have viewed one or more restricted films. The most alarming numbers were recorded […]

As a parent of 8 living children, I was floored the other day when I read a fresh statistic by a Solutions Research Group.  They stated that consumers aged 12 and older will spend an average of 6.1 hours a day on video based entertainment.  6.1 hours a day!
Let’s see, most kids that age sleep […]

It’s a topic of conversation that’s become all too frequent among parents and non-parents alike: what in the world is going on with these disgusting new ads?
It was bad enough that parents have to shield their children from what Hollywood calls entertainment. Now they have to be equally vigilant with the messages and visuals put […]

At a screening of a forthcoming HBO documentary honoring liberal journalist Helen Thomas in Washington, Thomas was asked whether most White House reporters are liberal. “Hell no!” she thundered. I’m dying to find another liberal to open their mouths [sic]. Where are they?”
Is this Grande Dame of Journalism serious? The answer, of course, is yes. […]

According to an article in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal, Random House has reneged on an agreement to publish a novel about Aisha, Muhammad’s young wife. The Jewel of Medina, written by Sherry Jones, allegedly has some racy material, enough to provoke one of the writers who vetted the book, Denise Spellberg, to warn the publisher […]

Before leaving for Beijing today, President George W. Bush will give a speech in Bangkok, Thailand that cites the lack of religious liberties, as well as other human rights, that exist in China.
In his speech, Bush will say that “America stands in firm opposition to China’s detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious […]

The YouTube era has produced a few Catholic stars, priests whose performances have inspired scores of web surfers to pass along emails full of grief or glee.
Who can forget “The Barney Blessing,” with the priest who traded his vestments for a purple dinosaur suit before the final prayer of a Halloween Mass? Then there was […]

“If we are what we eat,” asks Abbot Placid Solari, OSB, “then do we really want to ‘super-size it’?” 
So begins a one-minute episode of The One-Minute Monk,  which premiered on Catholic radio across the nation in June and July.  In short segments of just sixty seconds, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey (a 132-year […]

Federal District Court Judge Larry Alan Burns, ruled July 29th that the giant cross atop Mount Soledad, the center piece of a national veterans’ memorial and subject of a 20 year legal battle, can stay as it is where it is.
Judge Burns wrote: “The Court finds the memorial at Mt. Soledad, including its Latin cross, communicates the […]

As we enter the height of the Atlantic hurricane season, disaster preparedness is very much on our minds at Catholic Relief Services.
CRS is known for our efficient and effective response to disaster. But a key aspect of emergency response is working with high-risk communities before a disaster so they will be better able to cope […]

Today, July 31st, at 10:00AM EST, a New Jersey Federal Court will hear oral arguments in a legal challenge to a public school district’s policy totally banning Christmas music, including simple instrumentals without words, during year-end celebrations in its schools. 
The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan […]

John McCain has figured out that one way to build enthusiasm among conservatives is to confront his former best friends in the liberal media. As the media glorify Barack Obama the “statesman” on his trip abroad, with the three network anchors lining up for interviews like a gaggle of smitten fan-club presidents, the McCain campaign […]

For the second time this year, a federal court has ruled against the Federal Communications Commission and ruled in favor of shattering every barrier of decency on television. A few months ago, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled in favor of fleeting profanities thrown carelessly on network TV. Given that Hollywood […]

An ad criticizing the Catholic Church for its teaching on contraception was placed today in Italy’s largest newspaper, Corriere della Sera. The “Open Letter to the Pope” is the work of Catholics for Choice and was signed by many dissident Catholic organizations.
Here’s what Catholic League president Bill Donohue had to say about it:
“There are several […]

The Chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMN) released a statement today regarding the intentional desecration of the Eucharist by Professor Paul Z. Myers. “I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible,” said Jacqueline Johnson. Importantly, she added that the school’s […]

Catholics around the world were outraged earlier this month when an American academic exhorted his readers on his weblog to steal a consecrated Host from a Catholic Mass so that he might then desecrate it. Despite protests from Catholic organisations and hundreds of individuals contacting him personally, Professor Paul Zachary Myers has written that he […]

In the groves of academe, studying popular culture is often the preserve of nutty left-wing professors performing exotic Marxist autopsies on the imperialist dynamics of Donald Duck comic books. Academic conservatives are teaching and writing about Homer the Greek poet, not the cartoon, which is important but oftentimes leaves their audience without a learned guide […]

After a week-long celebration throughout Sydney, local World Youth Day organisers say they are thrilled with a final mass attendance of more 400,000 people at Randwick Racecourse today.
Chief operating officer Danny Casey said World Youth Day in Sydney has been a success for the host city and the Catholic Church in Australia.
“It was an extraordinary […]

“My Fair Lady” opens with Henry Higgins and his friend Colonel Pickering coming out of the opera.  They are met by a street vendor selling flowers.  Her atrocious accent and Professor Higgins’ response to it constitute both the opening song and the underlying premise of the musical.  Professor Higgins decries the effect that language has […]

Two Christian missionaries, arrested by Norwegian police in May for spreading the gospel during an Oslo parade celebrating the birthday of the country’s constitution, have been found guilty by a Norway trial court.US evangelist Larry Keefer from Tampa, Florida, and Norwegian evangelist, Petar Keseljevic were attending the May 17 national event in Oslo, celebrating the […]

When our culture merchants calculate how to exploit societal attitudes toward the homosexual lifestyle, one factor doesn’t enter into the equation. Frankly, they don’t give a damn about people who believe it’s a sin against God. Those religious people with their religious hang-ups aren’t likely to watch MTV, so why bother with their silly complaints.
Religious […]

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reported last month that a teenager who has been depressed in the past year was more than twice as likely to have used marijuana than teenagers who have not reported being depressed (25 percent compared with 12 percent). The study said marijuana use increased the risk […]

Conservatives across America mourned at the news of the death of Senator Jesse Helms, a man credited with impeccable conservative credentials in the U.S. Senate, a conscience of a movement devoted to the defeat of communism abroad and the defense of liberty at home. He was the staunchest of social conservatives as well, unflinching in […]

On June 29, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an editorial on the papal appointment of St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke to head the Vatican’s highest court, the Apostolic Signatura. The mostly favorable editorial ended with a startling paragraph that cited accusations made by Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). The group charged that […]

Many pilgrims are taking advantage of the global gathering of young people during World Youth Day Sydney 2008 (WYD08) to hold large national and community gatherings.
From 12 to 26 July, over 30 gatherings will take place across Sydney with the largest expected to be:

the multi-nation Neo-Catechumenal Way lay movement at The Domain (up to 25,000)
the […]

For Americans the Fourth of July marks national independence, but the holiday has become symbolic of a more universal cause: human liberty. The development of human freedom, in theory and in practice, is in large measure the story of Christianity.
How we understand the past influences how we live in the present, which is why debates […]

t’s becoming more and more dangerous for preachers to use the words “sex” and “sin” in the same sentence.
Consider this question: Is sex outside of marriage a sin?
Say “yes” and millions of believers who are sitting in pews will say “amen.” But that same affirmation of centuries of doctrine will offend just as many believers […]

In [last Wednesday’s] Human Events, writer John Gizzi reported that Speaker Pelosi and the entire Democratic Caucus are actively seeking a return of the Fairness Doctrine. When asked whether she would allow Congressman Mike Pence’s Broadcaster Freedom Act (BFA), which would kill the Fairness Doctrine, onto the floor for a vote, the Speaker without hesitation said, “No.” […]

Trying to sell mayonnaise has turned messy for Heinz, the US food giant that has found itself in a public relations pickle as pro-family and homosexual organisations both are threatening boycotts. The controversy is over a British television advert that appeared to use mayonnaise as spread for the gay agenda.  As part of an advertising campaign […]

Everyone loves a person who makes you laugh, and you naturally mourn when a comedian passes away. George Carlin made a lot of people laugh with his observational humor, and we’re saddened by the loss. But the media appreciations of Carlin hailed him for his daring in “crossing the line” of good taste. This was […]

The funeral Mass for Tim Russert was held at Trinity Church in Georgetown a week ago today. Attending was Sally Quinn. She is a Washington Post journalist and founder and co-moderator of On Faith, a Washington Post and Newsweek blog.
Quinn, who was an atheist most of her life, posted on Monday why she decided to […]

Is our popular culture morally upside down? If not, why do good people have to make for terribly boring television? By contrast, why are bad people endlessly fascinating? It’s because Hollywood’s creative geniuses are obsessed with turning morality on its head. Once upon a time on TV, there were series like “Dragnet” and “The FBI” […]

Registrations for World Youth Day Sydney 2008 (WYD08) have been rolling in, with just under 200,000 in the system, organisers said today.
“Our estimations for the event have always been based on 125,000 international and 100,000 domestic registered pilgrims,” said WYD08 Chief Operating Officer Danny Casey.
“The internationals have registered early to ensure they’re well-prepared for their […]

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented yesterday on the most glaring double standard among comedians:
“Lewis Black’s new book, Me of Little Faith, has a chapter titled, ‘Islam. All I’m Saying Is, I Got Nothing to Say.’ The chapter is three paragraphs long, beginning with the following: ‘I have nothing to say. Nothing. And let’s leave […]

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will personally confirm 24 young people at the World Youth Day Final Mass on Sunday 20 July.
The 24 candidates for confirmation - 14 Australians and 10 internationals - will receive the sacrament that marks the completion of baptismal grace.
During the confirmation rite, Pope Benedict will invoke the gifts of the […]

Bugs. They want us to eat bugs.
I speak of a recent article in Time that explains why eating bugs is good for the environment.
As it goes, bugs require “little room and few resources to grow.” Bugs are cold-blooded invertebrates, you see. They are efficient. Much more of the grub they eat is converted into edible […]

It’s axiomatic that people who’ve disgraced themselves are the last to realize it, or maybe the first to pretend they don’t know. Take longtime CBS anchorman Dan Rather, who shredded his own reputation by smearing President Bush’s military service with phony documents.
He’s still at it, still in shameless self-denial, raging against the world, still pontificating […]

[On June 18], Pope Benedict XVI [welcomed] a group of Jewish Holocaust survivors. Arranged by the Pave the Way Foundation, the group will personally thank the pope for the Catholic Church’s intervention in saving their lives in Italy during World War II.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this event today:
“Despite attempts by embittered ex-priests and […]

The day after Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama in Detroit, MSNBC kept repeating the allegedly big news with the on-air question “Will Gore Help or Hurt Obama?” Left out of that question: Who cares? Does Gore’s endorsement matter at all?
Pundits usually declare in today’s media-saturated world that endorsements from major politicians or movie stars just […]

QUEBEC,QC,CA - It is probable that few at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) have as deep an understanding of the meaning of its theme as do a group of young men from St. Augustine, Florida.  The theme proclaims, “The Eucharist, gift of God for the life of the world.”  These men of Comunita Cenacolo […]

The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC), which has come under fire for trampling on religious freedoms and freedom of expression, has announced that it has launched a comprehensive policy review of how best to address “hate messages” on the Internet.The Human Rights Commissions, which have in the past deemed hateful Biblical passages dealing with homosexuality, […]