Amendment 2 Supporters - Ignorant or Liars?

Michael J. Fox was in the state yesterday to stump for Claire McCaskill and to promote passage of Amendment 2 which requires the cloning of humans for research and killing.

"I'm a one-issue guy. I'm about stem cells," Fox said Thursday in an interview before joining state Auditor Claire McCaskill here at a restaurant...

Noticably absent was the adjective "embryonic" in describing stem cells...

To him and millions of others, Fox said, stem cell research offers the hope of potential treatment and cure.

Again, conveniently missing from the article is any distinction of embryonic and adult stem cells. This seemingly deliberate attempt to cloud the issue by suggesting that all stem cell research is the same is a disservice to the readership of the Post and the citizens of the State of Missouri.

Fox said he was aiding McCaskill because "she's very much a champion" of stem cell research - including Amendment 2...

Michael J., by such comments, has revealed that he is either a deceitful liar or an ignorant shill regarding both Amendment 2 and the "champions of stem cell research"...Hopefully, the latter is the case.

All of us, including the Church, are true and enthusiastic supporters and "champions of stem cell research", provided innocent human life is not destroyed in the process. While McCaskill and company might be "champions" of immoral embryonic stem cell research, it must be noted that she and her "party" are also "champions" of the culture of death.

It should come as no surprise then, that while she has zero regard for the inviolability and dignity of human life at its very earliest stages, she also has no regard for the health of women whose lives will be endangered by "egg harvesters."

Her position on Amendment 2 also demonstrates that she advocates usurping the rights of of the state, its citizens and taxpayers by denying them a voice in the funding of the "Clone and Kill" amendment.

It must be noted that those who support Amendment 2 have no problems giving public monies to private enterprises for unethical and immoral purposes, from which Missourians will receive nothing (except a request for more money).

Fox said he respects those who oppose the research for religious reasons, but added, "I don't respect the manipulation of them" by those who use the word "cloning." Fox also objects to opponents' claims that women's eggs would be harvested. Fox noted that Amendment 2 would include bans on cloning and egg harvesting.

Fox apparently hasn't lost his ability to read from a script...

Bets are that Fox has not a clue what deceptions lie hidden in the Amendment language; that is, we hope that he is woefully ignorant of the issues. It's either that - or - he is a blatant liar. Those are the only possibilities for speaking in such a manner.

Perhaps, because of his disease, his following of leaders of the culture of death is due to his diminished capacity for understanding the facts. We can only pray that the Lord opens his eyes to the horror being done to his and our unborn brothers and sisters.

Let us not forget that each one of us began our life journey as an embryo - let us not forget, as well, that our Lord, too, began His human nature as one these little ones.

For all the Theologically Inclined...

Hello bloggers,

Katerina and I have started a competition on our blog to go along side the Major League Baseball playoffs: The World Series of Catholic Theologians. The purpose is to have some fun while encouraging the study of theology among our readers. We picked theologians representative of the whole theological spectrum, the criteria being: 1. theologian claims to be doing Catholic theology; 2. theologian has had a large influence, for better or worse, on Catholic thought.

We were hoping you would help us out with this, perhaps by encouraging your readers to vote and, of course, by voting yourselves or leaving comments. We'd like this to be as big as possible. Thanks in advance!
Peace and blessings,
Michael

Harry Crocker- Message to Islamists:Don't Tread on Me

As we (or the better informed among us at least) celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto (*) this Saturday, marking the date in 1571 when the navy of Pope Pius V's Holy League turned back the Ottoman Turks from one of their recurrent jihads, it might be opportune to consider how the Islamic world has advanced politically over the last half century.
. . .
As far as our national interest is concerned, it doesn't much matter what Islamists and Baathists and Fatahists do to one another as long as they leave us alone -- and by leaving us alone, I mean not only not attacking us (or developing means to attack us), but deferring to our right to befriend whom we choose to befriend, to trade with whom we wish to trade, and to broadcast our ideas to whoever wants to listen, to be ourselves in the world, and to be true to our unofficial motto of Don't Tread on Me.

Click here to read the article.

(*)Saturday is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had prayed the Rosary for victory.

Lepanto, perhaps the most complete victory ever gained over the Ottoman Empire, on October 7, 1571, is commemorated by the invocation "Help of Christians," inserted in the Litany of Loretto. At Belgrade the Turks were defeated on the Feast of Our Lady ad Nives in 1716. A second victory gained that year on the Octave of the Assumption determined Pope Clement XI to command the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. Leo XIII added the invocation "Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us," to the Litany of Loretto. The Feast is in reality a great festival of thanksgiving for the signal and countless benefits bestowed on Christendom through the Rosary of our blessed Queen.

More information is available from Catholic Culture here.

Former Priest and Loyola Professor Breaks Silence on new book The Rite of Sodomy

This was a press release which I received via email...No link available.

Date: October 4, 2006
From: New Engel Publishing, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania .
To: Chicago Media Contacts
Archdiocese of Chicago Contacts
U.S. Religious and Diocesan Publications

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 25, 2006/New Engel Publishing/ - Former priest and Loyola Professor Emeritus Eugene C. Kennedy broke the silence surrounding the controversial book The Rite of Sodomy – Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church by Randy Engel with a scathing commentary on Religion News Service in Washington, D.C. on August 31, 2006.

Engel says that Kennedy’s attack on her book, which documents 100 years of intergenerational homosexuality and pederasty in the American Catholic hierarchy, was specifically aimed at Engel’s disclosure of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin’s role in securing a stronghold for the Homosexual Collective within the Catholic Church in America (AmChurch).

According to Engel, in the original version of his commentary “Abbott More Like Costello in Attacks on Bernardin,” (8/30/06), Kennedy mistakenly attacked columnist Matt C. Abbott (www.renewamerica.us) for his alleged comments on Bernardin’s connections to the clerical homosexual network in the United States . This error was later remedied in a revised commentary after RNS confirmed that Abbott’s column ‘“Remembering’ Joseph Cardinal Bernardin” (8/18/06) was based on quotes from Engel’s book, The Rite of Sodomy.

“It is unfortunate that Kennedy puts himself in the untenable position of condemning a book he has never read,” Engel says. “For example, he would be hard pressed to find any justification for the charge that I blame homosexuals ‘for all the ills of society,’” she notes.

“What I do claim,” says Engel, “is that the Homosexual Collective to date has successfully infiltrated, colonized and metastasized the Catholic priesthood and religious orders in the United States as well as the Catholic hierarchy.” “Indeed, the main focus of my 1312-page book is the identification of homosexual prelates in AmChurch starting at the turn of the 20th century with William Cardinal O'Connell and Francis Cardinal Spellman and ending with Cardinal Bernardin and other American prelates,” Engel explains.

According to Engel, “The ongoing sex abuse scandal in AmChurch, that includes the systematic cover-up by members of the American hierarchy of criminal acts of Catholic priests and religious who prey on young boys, takes on new meaning when viewed within the context of a long-existing network of homosexual bishops and cardinals in AmChurch.”

“Bernardin's role in accelerating the rise of the Homosexual Collective in AmChurch cannot be overstated,” Engel states. “He was instrumental in giving the Collective a strategic foothold in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference (later renamed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) in Washington , D.C. , beginning with the bureau’s founding in 1966/1967.”

Engel notes that Kennedy charged her with wrongly linking Bernardin "in some way to the 1984 murder of a church organist in Chicago ." “Actually,” said Engel, “it was the cardinal who linked himself, indirectly, to the police investigation of the murder of Frank Pellegrini, a defecting member of the Chicago clergy homosexual/pederast ring known as the “ Bo ys’ Club,” when he (Bernardin) showed up at the murdered man's house on the evening that Pellegrini's body was discovered. The cardinal said he did not know the victim,” reports Engel.

“News of the existence of the “ Bo ys’ Club” is not new,” she asserts. “In the paperback version of Father Andrew Greeley's non-fiction book Furthermore! Memories of a Parish Priest published in 1999, the priest-writer made reference to the same ring and implied that it was capable of criminal actions to protect its own,” she says.

According to Engel, Bernardin’s involvement in the homosexual network that operated out of Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona , Minn. was less-well known.” “Had he taken the time to read The Rite of Sodomy Kennedy would have seen that the groundwork for these charges was carefully laid in Chapter 14 that precedes my chapter on Bernardin, in the section describing the misdeeds of Bishop Robert H. Brom of the Diocese of San Diego, formerly Bishop of Duluth, Minn.”

“Regarding the charges against Bernardin made by Steven Cook in 1993,” says Engel, “the observation of writer-therapist Richard Sipe comes to mind.” According to Sipe, "Cook never retracted his allegations of abuse (against Bernardin) by anyone's account other than Bernardin’s.” “As to my charge that Bernardin made a (well-laundered) pay-off to Cook in the seven-figure range,” said Engel, I will stand behind that charge.” “Cook did not recant. He settled,” she says.

Engel states that Kennedy’s defense of Cardinal Bernardin did not surprise her. “Kennedy, was Bernardin’s long-time friend and biographer,” said Engel, “and a well-known supporter of pseudo-Catholic pro-homosexual groups like Dignity and New Ways Ministry.” “He dismissed my charges against Cardinal Bernardin as ‘hilarious’ and ‘illogical,’ she concludes, “but, sadly, he appears to be the only one laughing.”

- End -

Contact Information
Randy Engel, author
Randy.Engel@riteofsodomy.com
724-327-8878
www.riteofsodomy.com

HT to Patte G for the update.

A Prayer in Defense of Life

Almighty God, You have blessed us with the gift of human life, made in Your own image and likeness, and redeemed by the Most Precious Blood of Your only-begotten Son.

You have entrusted human life into our hands as the first of Your gifts to us, so that we may serve You by serving our brothers and sisters, especially those in most need.

We beg you to assist us, by Your grace, so that we may do all within our capacity to defend the inviolable dignity of every human life, from the moment of its inception to the moment of natural death.

In the present crisis which we face, bless us, dear and all-merciful Lord, with wisdom and courage to defend the right to life of our brothers and sisters at the embryonic stage of development.

Help us to proclaim the truth with love, so that our State of Missouri may fulfill its most fundamental duty, to promote the common good by protecting and promoting all human life, without limits or boundaries.

We ask this, all-loving Father, through Christ, your Son and our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Prayer by Archbishop Raymond Burke, at the Rally of Christians Against Human Cloning, August 28, 2006.

The full remarks of Archbishop Burke to the Assembly may be read here.

Gospel for Friday, 26th Week In Ordinary Time

From: Luke 10:13-16

Jesus Condemns Cities For Their Unbelief

(Jesus said,) [13] "Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. [14] But it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [15] And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to Heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

[16] "He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."
_________________________

Commentary:

16. On the evening of the day of His resurrection, our Lord entrusts His Apostles with the mission received from the Father, endowing them with powers similar to His own (John 20:21). Some days later He will confer on Peter the primacy He had already promised him (John 21:15-17). The Pope is the successor of Peter, and the bishops the successor of the Apostles (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 20). Therefore, "Bishops who teach in communion with the Roman Pontiff are to be revered by all as witnesses of divine and Catholic truth [...]. This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak "ex cathedra" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 25).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

This ought to be good...

...(sarcasm now off)

Canadian Bishops' Discussion on Catholic Politicians and Abortion to Include Address by Cardinal McCarrick

Do the bishops of Canada really need to hear from a man who failed to divulge Cardinal Ratzinger's memo to his brother bishops?

"Catholics in the Public Square"

[On October 7, Phoenix] Bishop Olmsted will launch his new booklet “Catholics in the Public Square.” As faithful Catholics, we have certain responsibilities and moral standards that we need to uphold to ourselves, our family, community and our nation. This booklet explains what is appropriate in our modern, secular world and how we should seek to influence persons involved in the political process. All are encouraged to attend the launch of this booklet. Admission and breakfast is free but you must RSVP. Call Genny Jones at (480) 503-1843 to reserve a seat.

Source.

Mental Prayer for the First Friday of October

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

The Sacred Heart - Symbol of Love

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: To understand why Christ asked to be honored as the Sacred Heart.

The Idea: When I look at Christ's heart, I remem­ber that it is a human heart that grew (as I did) through boyhood, "in wisdom and age and grace." His heart felt all that it takes to build a man: age, eyes, but grace and wisdom more. I have grace in His sacraments, wisdom in His Sacred Heart, if I look to see it there.

I see that the true Man has a tireless, giving heart; He came more to serve others than be served. He has a gentle, understanding heart; He gave a widow back her son, He cured cripples and lepers, forgave sinners, drew little children to Him, and yet could drive a whole market place from the temple by the force of His voice and eyes. He never blasted anyone except the hard­ened, righteous Pharisees.

I see true Man can suffer and even have a sad and troubled heart; it's no shame to have a fearful heart if it still can say, "Father, thy will be done." And though He could weep at a friend's grave, He bore spittle and blows and scourging and thorns and nails and death without a cry or sound. This heart bore these for me. Could any man suffer so much for me?... and not love me?

My Personal Application: Could even God have done more than He has done to prove that He is real?... to prove that He has a sensitive human heart and wants to be treated as one who is human? And yet do I not often treat Him as if He did not exist, as if He were not real at all? When Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary to spread the devotion to His Sacred Heart, He said, "Behold this heart that has so loved men and received so little love in return." Until I come to think of Him in terms as real as my parents and friends, He will still be able to complain this way of me.

I Speak to the Sacred Heart: (Reread the idea slowly, telling Christ how you understand each phrase).

Thought for Today: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore that I may love you more and more.
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Too Good not to Share: Clerical Contraception

From Spirit and Life by Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer:

The beloved founder of Human Life International, Fr. Paul Marx, was not known to mince words when it came to what he called the "conspiracy of silence" from the pulpits of our Church on the issue of contraception, but his insights of twenty and thirty years ago were right on target and remain true to this day: "Future generations," he said, "will wonder why so many Catholic bishops and priests in the West didn't see contraception as a seminal evil and the chief cause of the Church's swift decline." There is the core issue. Priestly silence about contraception is deadly both to the Church and to our society.

To this day the vast majority of Catholic clergy refuse to talk about contraception despite their moral obligation to do so. I can tell you that it is not only in the United States that this is the case; it is true in every part of the world. The reasons for this negligence range from outright heresy to lack of moral courage to inexcusable ignorance of the subject matter. Whatever the reason, the effect is the same: something I call clerical contraception.

Contraception itself is a rejection of God's sovereignty over one's marriage and a refusal to obey the Lord's command to "be fruitful and multiply." The priest, though not married, analogously contracepts the life-giving seed of truth when he refuses to preach the Catholic Faith - all of it. Faith comes through hearing, says St. Paul, and it is through the priestly ministry that Christ transmits the Faith to His bride, the Church, so that she can be fruitful and multiply the souls who are brought to salvation.

This is probably the main reason why so many Catholics today contracept or sterilize themselves and see absolutely no contradiction in receiving the Eucharist every Sunday and believing themselves in perfect communion with the Church. They've never been admonished that it is a mortal sin to use contraception or get sterilized. They've never been told of the physical and spiritual danger of these practices, and they've never been made aware of the magnificent, life-giving alternatives that the Church offers to the Ideology of Infertility.

Priests who are silent about the teaching on contraception also forget two very important things: first, priestly vocations generally come from large families. Failure to preach openness to life and generosity with children has a direct effect on how many men will be standing in the trenches with us later on.

Contracepting this teaching has the same effect as contracepting the marital act: sterility. The persistent sterility of priestly vocations in the West is caused by priests who are silent about the plague of contraception among the laity and forget that their own vocations are the result of their parents' generosity with life. Overworked priests will be reaping the fruits of their silence on contraception for a long time.

Secondly, priestly silence about contraception has eternal consequences. The price of that silence is the loss of souls.

Contracepting men and women who are not warned of their sin and who therefore do not repent of it risk the death of their immortal souls, and that is a scandal of immense proportions. To be warned is to be forewarned, especially about something so crucial. Perhaps the only danger of greater consequence is the danger to the priests themselves who don't do their job: they risk their own spiritual deaths because in the end they will be held accountable for preaching the Church's full message "in season and out of season."

All priests should read the Lord's message to the prophet Ezekiel to know the high stakes of failing to preach the fullness of Christ's teaching: "If I say to the wicked man, You shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his wicked conduct so that he may live: that wicked man shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death" (Ez 3:18). May every priest take this warning to heart!

Throwing Rational Thinking by the Wayside

That's what we witness in reading this letter to the Post:

I have read the proposed Stem Cell Initiative from cover to cover and I am convinced it is a good thing for Missouri.

Opponents of the measure who claim stem cell research is a form of human cloning are just plain wrong.

Opponents? It is an indisputable scientific fact that Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer is a "cloning" procedure...So, Mr. Thomas, is "science" just plain wrong?

A single human cell is not a human. Yes, a single human cell is a form of life, but those who claim that stem cell research is tantamount to "taking a life to save a life" are as clueless as the day is long, or they simply want to mislead others. Human cells are routinely used in many forms of scientific and medical research other than stem cell research. Where's the outcry in that regard?

If Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) amounts to destroying a "potential human being" as some opponent's claim, then every sperm cell is also a potential human being as well. I don't see a ground swell of support to save every sperm cell, do you?

Most Pro-Life advocates never refer to a "potential human being" but rather a "human being with potential". The phrase "potential human being" has been used routinely by those who promote the culture of death - refusing to recognize the inherent dignity of any human life, save their own.

It's painfully obvious that Mr. Thomas is the "clueless" one here as his depth of basic biological knowledge is clearly demonstrated to be non-existent.

This is what happens when one relies on the use of code words and phrases in a vain attampt to make a point - a point which can be refuted by even the most basic of rational thinking.

The simple fact of the matter is that many people in this country are afraid of any controversial issue they don't understand.

The fact of the matter is that those who truly understand the dangerous ramifications and deadly effects of Amendment 2 rightfully fear its passage. Those who now fail to understand what Amendment 2 is, will eventually come to understand its insidious nature, but then, it will be too late.

Because stem cell research is a complicated issue, many voters don't want to take the time to fully understand the issue, so they simply oppose it. Based on a recent Journal article, some of Jefferson County's politicians fall into this category.

Amendment 2 is about more than "stem cell research" and those who oppose it do so precisely because they fully understand what is at stake, especially when it comes to amending the constitution to enshrine evil.

Yes, it's true that stem cell research has not produced any cures, yet. But many other forms of research that have produced cures started out as controversial issues pitting science against the so-called "moral majority."

It's true that embryonic stem cell research has produced nothing but problems, tumors and cancerous growths, while adult stem cell therapies have treated over 70 different diseases and conditions. This is not a "moral majority" issue. It is an agenda driven attempt to obtain public funding and private profits for unethical scientific research - nothing more, nothing less. When the source of private funding for sinister research dries up, the next option is to look for naive and gullible individuals to fleece, either privately or publicly.

As a draft report from California's $3 billion dollar stem-cell institute released Tuesday indicated, it is unlikely to develop cures for diseases or other ailments any time soon (within the next 10-15 years)...Are Missourians supposed to fund this kind of research as the behest of private industry, to say nothing of its moral implications?

Perhaps, if Mr. Thomas and like-minded voters did a bit more research, they would not be as eager to jump on the Amendment 2 bandwagon?

The language of the Stem Cell Initiative clearly prohibits cloning a human being. Furthermore, fertilization of cells use in stem cell research is not required.

Another voter has bought into the lies of Amendment 2.

I dismiss the rhetoric of narrow-minded religious zealots who twist the facts to suit their own narrow-minded agenda.

I will vote "yes" on Amendment 2.

Bill Thomas
Fenton

While Mr Thomas might feel good about "dimissing the rhetoric of Religious zealots", there are a number of scientists and doctors who are equally opposed to Amendment 2 for ethical and scientific reasons. Others are opposed for financial reasons. Some are opposed for moral reasons. These can all be easily dismissed if one is ignorant of the issues or if one has been deceived by the "rhetoric" of those whose hidden agenda is one of greed and deceit.

We have precious little time before cloning and killing at public expense might become enshrined in the Missouri constitution. A major effort of education is needed. An even more important effort of prayer and sacrifice is needed to ask for our Lord's mercy and assistance in defeating this evil.

Pray the rosary daily!

Source.

Amendment 2 - Requires Cloning

Despite all of the deceitful claims to the contrary, Amendment 2 actually requires cloning using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, the same procedure used to "clone" Dolly the sheep...Another letter in the Post emphasizes the fact that Amendment 2 really is about cloning and killing while successful Adult Stem Cell Therapies are ignored:

To the editor:

There are two types of stem cells: adult stem cells, and embryonic (ES) stem cells. Adult stem cells can be obtained from a patient's own body, and from donated umbilical cords, placentas and amniotic fluids of recently delivered babies. Adult stem cells have been successfully used in bone marrow transplants, and in treating numerous diseases including sickle cell anemia and leukemia, and have the potential to treat many more; a source of true hope for those suffering from currently incurable diseases.

Embryonic stem cell research involves the cloning of a human embryo, then destroying that embryo by extracting the stem cells. I don't know anyone who is against stem cell research; only the use of embryonic stem cells.

Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative says ES cells could provide cures for many diseases and injuries that cannot be cured with adult stem cells. Where is their reasoning for this statement? Ironically, given all the hype, embryonic stem cell research offers NO treatments or cures and in fact has proven to produce defects such as tumors.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) is cited as a recent medical breakthrough using a patient's own cells and an unfertilized human egg. Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative says that ES cell research does not use or harm an embryo or fetus in a woman's uterus. Where do they get this egg? Embryos created by somatic cell nuclear transfer are human clones. It's clone-then-kill.

If you wish to be informed, wade through the hype (and there is a lot of hype) before you vote. For the truth, look up either of the following websites: www.moroundtable.org or www.nocloning.org

Jackie Friedeck
Crestwood

Source...

Amendment 2 - A Raid on the Public Treasury

The media has failed miserably in its coverage of the "Phony Cloning Ban", according to this letter from a local resident:

To the editor:

Forget about all of the religious, moral and political arguments for and against Amendment 2 on the November ballot. Where is the media on this one? Those watch dogs of the powerful and the "special interest groups," the protectors of we, the underdogs.

Could it have escaped their notice that a bunch of politicians and special interests who stand to profit from publicly-funded stem cell research, promising nothing but grandiose speculation, are being allowed to define the status of fertilized eggs from invitro fertilization (IVF) and human cloning to suit their own interests and needs?

And, because it seems to further suit their agenda, they conveniently omit a procedure from their cloning definition, somatic cell nuclear transfer, where controversial, is generally recognized by the scientific community as a cloning procedure.

Then to define as useless, therefore suitable as "raw material" for their research, surplus human fertilized eggs from "IVF."

Finally, to propose an amendment to the Missouri Constitution to enshrine and protect their funding, their definitions and their procedures; when did that last happen, perhaps Dred Scott?

It should be clear to everyone that Amendment 2 is not a ban on human cloning, as it is being presented nor is it a quest for miracle cures. But rather, it is little more than a raid on the public treasury by special interests and a pre-emptive effort against any legal challenges to their funding or the methods they use to secure and use their "raw materials."

This whole matter of seeking to protect commercial processes and research techniques by constitutional amendment, and government-funding of private research, too speculative to attract funding from the private sector, is a dangerous precedent that should be seriously questioned by the media.

I've seen and heard all manner of arguments and speculations from advocates, opponents, various luminaries, and endless "opinions" on "Op/Ed" pages, but what I haven't seen is an "objective analysis" by a credible reporter of the specifics of this constitutional amendment.

One would think that, in order to have an informed electorate, a subject as important as this would receive something more than "opinion" from the media and questionable advertisements and testimonials from advocates and opponents.

And a kiosk at the Science Center trying to explain to the general public incredibly technical matters that neither they nor the biology community fully understand, contributes nothing but confusion to the discussion.

Tom Rieser
Concord

Emphasis above added....

Source

Secular Christmas Play Banned - Might Inspire Thoughts of Religion

The kids at Windmill Point Elementary were into their second day of rehearsals for “A Penguin Christmas” when they got word the show would be canned because it mentioned Christmas and its secular symbols made people think of the holiday. Janice Karst is a spokesperson for the school district.

“We’re a very diverse and very inclusive community and we have to consider every child every day.”

Except those who are Christian or those who enjoy the "Christmas season." All for "Diversity and inclusivity" - code words for intolerance of anything even remotely Christian. Pity the poor children who are being fed such poison by a paganized school district. The next generation of American children is being indoctrinated in the same way as others who hate and loathe America. Here attempts are being made to kill American traditions and spirit while abroad, children are being taught to kill the American person.

As far as I can tell, there is little difference between the two - both groups are hate-mongers. The school districts, however, are being paid to brainwash our children...What a perversion of freedom.

Gospel for Thursday, 26th Week In Ordinary Time

From: Luke 10:1-12

The Mission of the Seventy Disciples

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come. [2] And He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. [3] Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; [9] heal the sick in it and say to them, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you.' [10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,[11] `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near.' [12] I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town."
______________________

Commentary:

1-12. Those who followed our Lord and received a calling from Him (cf. Luke 9:57-62) included many other disciples in addition to the Twelve (cf. Mark 2:15). We do not know who most of them were; but undoubtedly some of them were with Him all along, from when Jesus was baptized by John up to the time of His ascension--for example, Joseph called Barrabas, and Matthias (cf. Acts 1:21-26). We can also include Cleopas and his companion, whom the risen Christ appeared to on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:13-35).

From among these disciples, our Lord chooses seventy-two for a special assignment. Of them, as of the Apostles (cf. Luke 9:1-5), He demands total detachment and complete abandonment to divine providence.

From Baptism onwards every Christian is called by Christ to perform a mission. Therefore, the Church, in our Lord's name, "makes to all the laity an earnest appeal in the Lord to give a willing, noble and enthusiastic response to the voice of Christ, who at this hour is summoning them more pressingly, and to the urging of the Holy Spirit.

The younger generation should feel this call to be addressed in a special way to themselves; they should welcome it eagerly and generously. It is the Lord Himself, by this Council, who is once more inviting all the laity to unite themselves to Him ever more intimately, to consider His interests as their own (cf. Philippians 2:5), and to join in His mission as Savior. It is the Lord who is again sending them into every town and every place where He Himself is to come (cf.Luke 10:1). He sends them on the Church's apostolate, an apostolate that is one yet has different forms and methods, an apostolate that must all the time be adapting itself to the needs of the moment; He sends them on an apostolate where they are to show themselves His cooperators, doing their full share continually in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor cannot be lost (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58)" (Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 33).


3-4. Christ wants to instill apostolic daring into His disciples; this is why He says, "I send you out", which leads St. John Chrysostom to comment: "This suffices to give us encouragement, to give us confidence and to ensure that we are not afraid of our assailants" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 33). The Apostles' and disciples' boldness stemmed from their firm conviction that they were on a God-given mission: they acted, as Peter the Apostle confidently explained to the Sanhedrin, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

"And the Lord goes on," St. Gregory the Great adds, "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.' Such should be the confidence the preacher places in God that even if he is not provided with the necessities of life, he is convinced that they will come his way. This will ensure that worry about providing temporal things for himself does not distract him from providing others with eternal things" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 17). Apostolate calls for generous self-surrender which leads to detachment; therefore, Peter, following our Lord's commandment, when the beggar at the Beautiful Gate asked him for alms (Acts 3:2-3), said, "I have no silver or gold" ("ibid.", 3:6), "not so as to glory in his poverty", St. Ambrose points out, "but to obey the Lord's command. It is as if he were saying, `You see in me a disciple of Christ, and you ask me for gold? He gave us something much more valuable than gold, the power to act in His name. I do not have what Christ did not give me, but I do have what He did give me: In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk' (cf. Acts 3:6)" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc".). Apostolate, therefore, demands detachment from material things and it also requires us to be always available, for there is an urgency about apostolic work.

"And salute no one on the road": "How can it be", St. Ambrose asks himself, "that the Lord wishes to get rid of a custom so full of kindness? Notice, however, that He does not just say, `Do not salute anyone', but adds, `on the road.' And there is a reason for this.

"He also commanded Elisha not to salute anyone he met, when He sent him to lay his staff on the body of the dead child (2 Kings 4:29): He gave him this order so as to get him to do this task without delay and effect the raising of the child, and not waste time by stopping to talk to any passer-by he met. Therefore, there is no question of omitting good manners to greet others; it is a matter of removing a possible obstacle in the way of service; when God commands, human considerations should be set aside, at least for the time being. To greet a person is a good thing, but it is better to carry out a divine instruction which could easily be frustrated by a delay ("ibid.").

6. Everyone is "a son of peace" who is disposed to accept the teaching of the Gospel which brings with it God's peace. Our Lord's recommendation to His disciples to proclaim peace should be a constant feature of all the apostolic action of Christians: "Christian apostolate is not a political program or a cultural alternative. It implies the spreading of good, `infecting' others with a desire to love, sowing peace and joy" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 124).

Feeling peace in our soul and in our surroundings is an unmistakable sign that God is with us, and a fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22): "Get rid of these scruples that deprive you of peace. What takes away your peace of soul cannot come from God. When God comes to you, you will feel the truth of those greetings: My peace I give to you..., peace I leave you..., peace be with you..., and you will feel it even in the midst of troubles" ([ST] J. Escriva, "The Way", 258).

7. Our Lord clearly considered poverty and detachment a key feature in an apostle. But He was aware of His disciples' material needs and therefore stated the principle that apostolic ministry deserves its recompense. Vatican II reminds us that we all have an obligation to contribute to the sustenance of those who generously devote themselves to the service of the Church: "Completely devoted as they are to the service of God in the fulfillment of the office entrusted to them, priests are entitled to receive a just remuneration. For `the laborer deserves his wages' (Luke 10:7), and `the Lord commanded that they who proclaim the Gospel should get their living by the Gospel' (1 Corinthians 9:14). For this reason, insofar as provision is not made from some other source for the just remuneration of priests, the faithful are bound by a real obligation of seeing to it that the necessary provision for a decent and fitting livelihood for the priests are available" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 20).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for October 5-Steppingstones to God

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: My God, teach me this golden rule which tells me how to use creatures to get to you.

The Idea: Jim wants to be a first-string quarter­back. That is his goal. To get it, he knows he'll have to work hard. So he sweats through calisthenics and spends hours on the blocking dummies. Practice drills and pinpoint passing take up Jim's free time. He knows too that he'll have to give up many things. And so he passes by beer, smokes, and late night hours. Is it worth all this? Sure, says Jim. That first-­string spot is worth all the work and all the sacrifice.

Now our goal in life is God. To serve Him we must use a world of creatures, some pleasant, some difficult. How do we use them? Jim here shows us how to put into practice the golden rule: use creatures insofar as they help you to the goal: rid your of thems insofar as they hinder you from the goal. The goal is God.

My Personal Application: Do I have a solid grasp of the deep common sense of this rule? What creatures should I use to get to God? How about my personal training schedule of prayer and growth in faith and love of God?... frequent Mass and Communion?... examination of con­science and confession?... daily mental prayer?

Do I rid myself of the things that hinder me from God?... sin and all that leads to sin?... bad companions?... questionable literature? Isn't my goal - God - worth all the hard work and sacrifice?

I Speak to God: Lord, I want you more than any­thing else in the world. Help me to use the best means to get to you, no matter how hard or diffi­cult. With your help it will be easy. Show me what creatures I must avoid to reach you and then give me the grace to drop them from my life for good. Lord, I want to do your will.

Thought for Today: Lord, teach me to use all things - to get to you.
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

How Do the "Phony Cloning Ban" Supporters Respond to This?

Stem cell institute predicts at least 10-year wait for cures

To the dismay of some advocates for the disabled and sick, a draft report issued today by California's $3 billion stem-cell institute says the agency is unlikely to develop cures for diseases or other ailments any time soon.

...the plan -- which must be approved by the institute's board -- cautions that stem cell science remains in its infancy and that much of the agency's time, energy and money will be consumed trying to understand the cells' basic biology. Consequently, the plan concludes, the institute will still be doing early-stage studies on potential treatments by the time its money runs out in about 10 years.
. . .
"One of the points really is to try to educate people about what a long process it is to get any `therapeutic' approved," said [Zach] Hall, [the institute's president], who predicted it might take 15 years before the institute's research results in a medical product.

So how are all those who have been duped into thinking that Danforth and company have "cures" right around the corner going to feel when they see their tax dollars being thrown into a bottomless pit to further careers and research instead of cures and treatments - to say nothing of the grotesque and macabre immorality of killing human life?

People are in for a rude awakening if Amendment 2 passes. Snake oil salesmen are still thriving in Missouri in the 21st century, yet many are too blind to notice. After thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings are murdered; countless women suffer the ill effects of having their eggs "harvested" for money; and millions of public dollars are siphoned off to fill the pockets of the greedy - only then might we see a return to sanity in our state.

Why would any state want to become a clone of Kalifornia?

>

Displays of Secular "Tolerance"

Pro-Life Life-Chain participants pelted with eggs

About 1,175 people stood along major roads and intersections Sunday, including College Road, Oleander Drive and Market Street, to protest abortion, according to local organizer Freddy Justice.

They held up signs that read "Abortion kills children" and "Adoption: The loving option." The local event was part of a nationwide movement called Life Chain that takes place every year. Wilmington was one of 29 North Carolina cities involved.
. . .
But some people unhappy with the message of the local anti-abortion groups hurled eggs at people on Market Street, said Justice, director of the Wilmington Life Chain.

None of the eggs hit anyone, but one of them landed in front of a woman and splattered on her, he said.

Perhaps Christians can be thankful that the ever-so-tolerant pagans have not yet adopted the "convert or die" attitude of other fanatics...they only murder those who can't resist or fight back (the unborn, the nearly born, the old and elderly, the crippled)...

As we approach the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7, we must, as Archbishop Burke reminds us,

"recall the power of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of her children at the Battle of Lepanto and in so many other desperate situations. Let us not fail to call upon her help in our urgent need. Please pray the rosary or, at least, some part of the rosary every day, asking our Blessed Mother to intercede for the safeguarding of embryonic human life."

And, he would add, of all innocent human life...let us not forget to make DAILY acts of reparation for the conversion of those who have exalted themselves as gods - determining who is worthy and unworthy of life. The forces of evil surround us and reasoning and dialogue are rendered impotent against those whose intellects and wills have been handed over to the father of lies. Our hope is in the name of the Lord. And seeking the intercession of His Beloved Mother, may He hears us and have mercy on us all.

What Foley learned in Congress: Play the Blame Game

Mark Foley, the Congressional homosexual pervert, is now claiming to have been molested when he was a youngster...What convenience! Having discovered that his seeking treatment for alcohol abuse was not helping, he needed another way to juxtapose his position from molester to victim. And what better way is there to do that? Blame a priest (preferably a dead one who cannot defend himself) and the Church!

I sincerely hope that his claim of abuse by a priest is fully investigated so that it can be determined whether Foley is a slimy, pathetic, perverted, lying reprobate or if, by chance, there might be some truth coming from his lips...

But then, that seems to be quite it stretch considering statements like this, from his attorney:

[Attorney David Roth], the lawyer [representing Foley] said Foley, who is now in treatment for alcohol abuse, never had any inappropriate sexual contact with a minor.

One can only wonder what the Clintonesque phrase "inappropriate sexual contact" really means...perhaps he can also tell us what "appropriate sexual contact" with minors would be.

More on the November Bishops' Meeting

The agenda will include:

approval of a reorganization plan for their national conference;
approval of a revision of the Lectionary for Mass for selected days in the season of Advent, and a directory for music and the liturgy for use in the dioceses of the United States;
approval of two documents from their Doctrine Committee- a proposed statement on receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist worthily, and proposed guidelines for ministry to persons with a homosexual inclination;
and a document from the Pro-Life Committee offering pastoral guidance on the Church’s teaching concerning contraception, linked with a culture of life.

Gospel for Oct 4, Memorial: St Francis of Assisi

From: Luke 9:57-62

The Calling of Three Disciples

[57] As they were going along the road, a man said to Him (Jesus), "I will follow you wherever You go." [58] And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." [59] To another He said, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." [60] But He said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." [61] Another said, "I will follow You, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." [62] Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God."
_______________________

Commentary:

57-62. Our Lord spells out very clearly what is involved in following Him. Being a Christian is not an easy or comfortable affair: it calls for self-denial and for putting God before everything else. See the notes on Matthew 8:18-22 and Matthew 8:22.

[The notes on Matthew 8:18-22 states:
18-22. From the very outset of His messianic preaching, Jesus rarely stays in the same place; He is always on the move. He "has nowhere to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). Anyone who desires to be with him has to "follow Him". This phrase "following Jesus" has a very precise meaning: it means being His disciple (cf. Matthew 19:28). Sometimes the crowds "follow Him"; but Jesus' true disciples are those who "follow Him" in a permanent way, that is, who keep on following Him: being a "disciple of Jesus" and "following Him" amount to the same thing. After our Lord's ascension, "following Him" means being a Christian (cf. Acts 8:26). By the simple and sublime fact of Baptism, every Christian is called, by a divine vocation, to be a full disciple of our Lord, with all that that involves.

The evangelist here gives two specific cases of following Jesus. In the case of the scribe our Lord explains what faith requires of a person who realizes that he has been called; in the second case--that of the man who has already said "yes" to Jesus--He reminds him of what His commandment entails. The soldier who does not leave his position on the battlefront to bury his father, but instead leaves that to those in the rearguard, is doing his duty. If service to one's country makes demands like that on a person, all the more reason for it to happen in the service of Jesus Christ and His Church.

Following Christ, then, means we should make ourselves totally available to Him; whatever sacrifice He asks of us we should make: the call to follow Christ means staying up with Him, not falling behind; we either follow Him or lose Him. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus explained what following Him involves--a teaching which we find summarized in even the most basic catechism of Christian doctrine: a Christian is a man who believes in Jesus Christ--a faith he receives at Baptism -- and is duty bound to serve Him. Through prayer and friendship with the Lord every Christian should try to discover the demands which this service involves as far as he personally is concerned.]

[The notes on Matthew 8:22 states:
22. "Leave the dead to bury their own dead": although this sounds very harsh, it is a style of speaking which Jesus did sometimes use: here the "dead" clearly refers to those whose interest is limited to perishable things and who have no aspirations towards the things that last forever.

"If Jesus forbade him," St. John Chrysostom comments, "it was not to have us neglect the honor due to our parents, but to make us realize that nothing is more important than the things of Heaven and that we ought to cleave to these and not to put them off even for a little while, though our engagements be ever so indispensable and pressing" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 27).]

We see here the case of the man who wanted to follow Christ, but on one condition--that he be allowed to say goodbye to his family. Our Lord, seeing that he is rather undecided, gives him an answer which applies to all of us, for we have all received a calling to follow Him and we have to try not to receive this grace in vain. "We receive the grace of God in vain, when we receive it at the gate of our heart, and do not let it enter our heart. We receive it without receiving it, that is, we receive it without fruit, since there is no advantage in feeling the inspiration if we do not accept it [...]. It sometimes happens that being inspired to do much we consent not to the whole inspiration but only to some part of it, as did those good people in the Gospel, who upon the inspiration which our Lord gave them to follow Him wished to make reservations, the one to go first and bury his father, the other to go to take leave of his people" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 2, Chapter 11).

Our loyalty and fidelity to the mission God has given us should equip us to deal with every obstacle we meet: "There is never reason to look back (cf. Luke 9:62). The Lord is at our side. We have to be faithful and loyal; we have to face up to our obligations and we will find in Jesus the love and the stimulus we need to understand other people's faults and overcome our own" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 160).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for October 4-The Use of Creatures

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask : To understand the purpose of the creatures in my life; to make right decisions about their use.

The Idea: Karl Marx and Hitler: "You, as an individual are worth nothing." God: "You are... a lord of the universe!" This means that every creature that comes into my life - education, talents, sports, food, clothes, money, jobs, time, sacraments, hardships, all my relations with other people - should aid me in attaining the goal for which I was made.

My Personal Application: My life is filled with decisions to make: how can I use these gifts of God to help me get to heaven? Some creatures I have little or no choice about - the weather, suffering, failures, this particular home and neighborhood, these limited talents. The key question is: what's my reaction to them? They still have an important purpose to serve in my life. Do I take what comes - and use it as best I can - or do I grumble and complain that others have things easier?

Do I possess creatures or do creatures possess me? I want to be free to take or leave alone any creature - depending on how it serves my big purpose in life.

I Speak to God: I guess I've let some creatures get too strong a hold on me. I haven't stopped to make a decision about what part they should play in my life. I promise to try and use them only for my greater good and your greater glory... with the help of your grace.

Thought for Today: I am a lord of the universe!
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

And to the North, Wisconsin's "catholic" Governor Promotes Killing Embryos

To the Editor:

Gov. Doyle visited Hudson to promote human embryonic stem cell experimentation and extermination. There have been no cures with human embryonic experimentation and extermination, even with the millions of taxpayer dollars thrown away on these false promises.

Adult stem cell cures are abundant and ethical. Those who promote the killing of human embryos are no different than those who slammed their doors in the faces of Holocaust victims who begged for help. We were all human embryos at one time. If we accept the killing of our defenseless brothers and sisters who cannot speak for themselves, who will protect us when someone decides our own lives not worthy of life?

Will we be churchgoers who Just Sang Louder as the screams of the Holocaust victims came through the open windows of their churches? As the train of human destruction rolled through Hudson with the visit of Gov. Doyle and his promotion of the killing of these small babies, are Hudson residents Just Singing Louder to drown out the screams of these vulnerable children?

Pope John Paul II is quoted as saying: "Vast sectors of society are confused about what is right and what is wrong, and are at the mercy of those with the power to "create" opinion and impose it on others."

Gov. Doyle and those who spew false promises of human embryonic stem cell experimentation and extermination are "creating" opinion and are forcing taxpayers to pay for created false opinion and promises. Never Again!

Darla Meyers
Hudson WI

The above letter is in response to the so-called "Catholic" governor's promotion of killing the innocent while in her hometown...as reported here:

Doyle in Hudson promoting stem cell research

Gov. Jim Doyle met with Maureen and John Fassbinder in Hudson Monday, who have a personal stake in stem cell research because their daughter Molly lives with diabetes.

Doyle discussed the state's $750 million strategy to invest in biotechnology and stem cell research and promised to veto legislation the state legislature is expected to send him next year that would restrict the research.

"Wisconsin - the birthplace of stem cell research - is giving millions of families hope that one day diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Juvenile Diabetes may be conquered," Doyle said.

Molly Fassbinder was diagnosed with diabetes when she was six years old. Now in high school, she carries her blood glucose meter with her at school so she can test her blood sugar during the day. She will be insulin dependent until a cure for diabetes is found.

The Governor also vowed to continue to veto any legislation that makes is way to his desk that would be harmful to stem cell research in Wisconsin. In 2005, Governor Doyle vetoed attempts by the Wisconsin State Legislature to criminalize, what he called, the most promising techniques used in this research.

Over the last three years, Doyle has vastly expanded the state's investment in stem cell reseach and set a goal that the state should capture 10 percent of the stem cell market by 2015. He also launched a $750 million initiative to develop stem cell research in Wisconsin. The centerpiece of this effort is the planned construction of the Institutes for Discovery in Madison.

Last week, Doyle announced a stem cell research partnership agreement that will pave the way for thousands of stem cell research jobs in Wisconsin. The Governor also announced new state financial incentives to help lure companies to Wisconsin in an attempt to achieve his goal of capturing 10 percent of the stem cell market by 2015.

Specifically, the Doyle administration has reached an agreement with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which holds patents and royalty rights on some of the most promising stem cell lines in the world. Under this agreement, all companies conducting research at non-profit and academic institutions located in Wisconsin will receive a free non-exclusive research license under the stem cell patents held by WARF for that sponsored research. In other words, they will not have to pay royalty fees to WARF for that research that would be required if the research was conducted in another state. The agreement will give the state a significant competitive advantage over California and other states.

Experts predict that the market for stem cell products could reach $10 billion over the next 10 years, translating into more than 100,000 jobs -- high-end biotechnology jobs.

Currently, Wisconsin has a biotechnology workforce of 22,000 that generates nearly $7 billion for the economy.

Published 16:54 Oct-02-06

Stem cell amendment poses many problems

There are so many problems with the proposed "Human Cures Initiative" Amendment No. 2 that they can't all be adequately presented in this limited space.

Ask yourself why 95 percent of the funding of the promotion of the amendment comes from the Stower family, whose company stands to benefit the most from the public funds that would result from the passage of the proposed amendment.

The truly sad part of the amendment's promotion is that it "hypes hope" of an imminent cure of so many diseases from embryonic stem cell research. The deception of the hype is that embryonic stem cell research has not yielded a single cure or treatment even in animals despite more than 20 years of trying. Adult stem cell research, on the other hand, has yielded at least 72 human treatments or cures, and the list continues to grow larger every year.

If this amendment passes, it could actually cause a delay in the development of cures, because the state will be forced to divert funds away from successful adult stem cell research to fund the unsuccessful embryonic stem cell research. What a pity to see that the result of the amendment's passage would be to prevent the very cures and treatments that the supporters of the amendment claim it would achieve.

Gerard A. Nieters
O'Fallon

A Letter to the Editor of the Post Dispatch

Stem cell initiative raises many questions

Another letter in the Post Dispatch:

Regarding the Missouri stem cell research initiative, have you read it? The length and complexity of the proposed initiative ensures that it will change the Missouri Constitution in ways related to cloning and taxation unforeseen by the voters.

The proponents want to place in the Constitution the right to clone and destroy human embryos for research purposes. These human eggs will be needed in great numbers. Where will they come from? Would you approve of labs offering payment to young, healthy college girls?

The proponents want an entitlement to taxpayer funding, which can never decrease and will be in the Constitution until and if another amendment is passed to end it. Do you want a tax slapped on you in perpetuity?

Section 7 states, "All state and local laws, regulations, rules, charters, ordinances, and other governmental actions shall be construed in favor of the conduct of stem cell research and the provision of stem cell therapies. No state or local law, regulation, rule, charter, ordinance, or other governmental action shall (i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or (ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies."

If you want to see the exact wording of the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, contact the office of the secretary of state for a copy.

Jerry Sigmund
O'Fallon

Another source to read the Amendment language is here...

Stem cell amendment ads misleading

An that is an understatement - I would classify the ads as outright lies, perpertrated by either ignorant fools or calculating thieves...

Here we have another Letter to the Editor of the Post which points to more problems...

Missouri voters are being courted by a slick, high priced advertising campaign to support a constitutional amendment called the "Missouri Stem Cell Research And Cures Initiative."

The advertising campaign is presented in a way that implies that without the initiative for embryonic stem cell research, Missourians will not have access to cures for several devastating diseases that plague mankind. The advertising also implies that researchers are not allowed to do any of this research in Missouri. Nothing is further from the truth.

The truth is, any research with either embryonic or adult stem cells is allowed in Missouri, and any results from such research approved by the FDA is available to all Missourians.

The truth is that, by law, your tax dollars cannot be used to fund this research.

The truth is, the backers of this amendment don't want to risk their own money to fund such risky research. Instead, they want your money, and this amendment will allow them to reach into the public coffers for that money.

If this amendment is passed, our legislature will be hamstrung. The amendment is written in such a way that the legislature will not be allowed to place any restrictions or guidelines on this industry, including the control of public funds. Just read the language of the amendment and you can verify this for yourself.

Without a doubt, this is the most self-serving initiative since the casino gambling debacle of a few years ago.

I don't believe that private industry should be allowed to take control of our Constitution and public money. That is why I am going to vote no on Amendment 2.

Charles Davis
Barnhart

Source...

Gospel for Tuesday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Luke 9:51-56

Some Samaritans Refuse to Receive Jesus

[51] When the days drew near for Him (Jesus) to be received up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem. [52] And He sent messengers ahead of Him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him; [53] but the people would not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. [54] And when His disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do You want us to bid fire come down from Heaven and consume them?" [55] But He turned and rebuked them. [56] And they went on to another village.
____________________

Commentary:

51. "When the days drew near for Him to be received up": these words refer to the moment when Jesus will leave this world and ascend into Heaven. Our Lord will say this more explicitly during the Last Supper: "I come from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father" (John 16:28). By making His way resolutely to Jerusalem, towards His Cross, Jesus freely complies with His Father's plan for His passion and death to be the route to His resurrection and ascension.

52-53. The Samaritans were hostile towards the Jews. This enmity derived from the fact that the Samaritans were descendants of marriages of Jews with Gentiles who repopulated the region of Samaria at the time of the Assyrian captivity (in the eight century before Christ). There were also religious differences: the Samaritans had mixed the religion of Moses with various superstitious practices, and did not accept the temple of Jerusalem as the only place where sacrifices could properly be offered. They built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, in opposition to Jerusalem (cf. John 4:20); this was why, when they realized Jesus was headed for the Holy City, they refused Him hospitality.

54-56. Jesus corrects His disciples' desire for revenge, because it is out of keeping with the mission of the Messiah, who has come to save men, not destroy them (cf. Luke 19:10; John 12:47). The Apostles are gradually learning that zeal for the things of God should not be bitter or violent.

"The Lord does everything in an admirable way [...]. He acts in this way to teach us that perfect virtue retains no desire for vengeance, and that where there is true charity there is no room for anger--in other words, that weakness should not be treated with harshness but should be helped. Indignation should be very far from holy souls, and desire for vengeance very far from great souls" (St. Ambrose, "Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").

An RSV footnote after the word "rebuked" in verse 55 points out that other ancient authorities add "and He said `You do not know what manner of Spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them'". These words appear in a considerable number of early Greek MSS and other versions and were included in the Clementine Vulgate; but they do not appear in the best and oldest Greek codexes and have not been included in the New Vulgate.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for October 3-Serving God, the Way to Heaven

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: Lord, help me to make the service of God the practical purpose of every day.

The Idea: Heaven is my goal in life. I want it more than anything else. But how do I get to God?

In this life there is but one superhighway that goes to God. And God has clearly marked for all to see in huge letters the name of this highway: THE SERVICE OF GOD.

If I want to reach the happiness of heaven, this way alone leads me there. And so if I'm at all intelligent, serving God or doing His will must become the chief purpose of every day of my life, of every action of my day.

My Personal Application: Do I realize that doing God's will or serving Him is the practical goal of every day?... that it's the way God points out? Where is God's will for me? How about the Commandments?... my state of life now as son or daughter, father or mother?... the sufferings God sends me? I can take other highways - six lanes with glorious scenery - but they won't lead me to God. If I miss His high road and travel any other, I've wasted my life; I've doomed myself to unhappi­ness forever. Serving God alone brings real happiness and the sense of daily success.

I Speak to God: Lord, I see that there is only one sure way to you and that is to serve you and do your will. I want to do your will. I owe it to you who created me and who are my master. Help me to obey your will. Help me avoid the things you forbid. Lord, never let me take a wrong turn and go into a blind alley. I want you.

Thought for Today: Lord, all else is vanity but to serve and love you.
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Gospel for Oct 2, Memorial: The Guardian Angels

From: Matthew 18:1-5, 10

The "Little Ones" and the Kingdom. The Lost Sheep

[1] At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" [2] And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, [3] and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

[5] "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.

[10] "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in Heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father who is in Heaven.
_______________________

Commentary:

1-35. The teachings of Jesus recorded in chapter 18 of St. Matthew are often called the "discourse on the Church" or "ecclesiastical discourse" because they are a series of instructions on the way in which His Church is to be administered.

The first passage (Matthew 18:1-5), addressed to leaders, that is, the future hierarchy of the Church, warns them against natural tendencies to pride and ambition: even though they have positions of government, they must act with humility. In verses 6-10 Jesus emphasizes the fatherly care which pastors of the Church should have for the "little ones"--a term which covers everyone in need of special care for whatever reason (because they are recent converts, or are not well grounded in Church teaching, or are not yet adults, etc.)... God takes special care of the weak and will punish those who harm them.

Our Lord shows similar concern for those who are experiencing spiritual difficulties. Every effort, even an heroic effort, must be made to seek out the "lost sheep" (verses 12-14). If the Church in general and each Christian in particular should be concerned to spread the Gospel, all the more reason for them to try and see that those who already embraced the faith do not go astray...

Thus, the whole of Chapter 18, the "discourse of the Church", is a survey of the future history of the Church during its earthly stage, and a series of practical rules for conduct for Christians--a kind of complement to the Sermon on the Mount, (Chapters 5-7), which is a "magna carta" for the new Kingdom established by Christ.

1-6. Clearly the disciples still suffer from human ambition: they want to occupy key positions when Jesus comes to establish the Kingdom on earth (cf. Acts 1:6). To correct their pride, our Lord shows them a child and tells them that if they want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they must decide to be like children: children are incapable of hating anyone and are totally innocent of vice, particularly of pride, the worst vice of all. They are simple and full of trust.

Humility is one of the main pillars of the Christian life. "If you ask me", St. Augustine says, "what is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ, I shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility" ("Letter 118").

3-4. Applying these words to our Lord's virtues, Fray Luis de Granada makes the point that humility is superior to virginity: "If you cannot imitate the virginity of the humble, then imitate the humility of the virgin. Virginity is praiseworthy, but humility is more necessary. The former is recommended to us, the latter is an obligation for us; to the former we are invited, to the latter we are obliged [...]. And so we see that the former is celebrated as voluntary sacrifice, the latter required as an obligatory sacrifice. Lastly, you can be saved without virginity, but not without humility" ("Summa De La Vida Cristiana", Book 3, Part 2, Chapter 10).

5. Receiving a child in Jesus' name is the same as receiving Jesus Himself. Because children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity and tenderness of our Lord, "In children and in the sick a soul in love sees Him" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 419).

10. Jesus warns that giving scandal to little children is a very serious matter, for they have angels who guard them, who will plead a case before God against those who led them to commit sin.

In this context He speaks of children having guardian angels. However, everyone, adult or child, has a guardian angel. "By God's providence angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers [...]. Our Heavenly Father has placed over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we are" ("St. Pius V Catechism", IV, 9, 4).

This means that we should have a trusting relationship with our guardian angel. "Have confidence in your guardian Angel. Treat him as a lifelong friend--that is what he is--and he will render you a thousand services in the ordinary affairs of each day" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 562).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Alter Christus - The Reign of Christ

In this month of October: the Rosary, our Guardian Angel, St Francis of Assisi, the two Teresas, St Margaret­ Mary... We might stop at any of these names and find ample matter for a fruitful recollection.

But let us look farther ahead still: at the end of the vista, Christ King... Perhaps this may decide our choice. Every priest's heart vibrates at the mention of that name. It evokes the memory of all he lives for, of all he has been ordained for: "Ut Regnet Christus". Then, what greater source of fervor for the whole month than to keep our eyes fixed on that vision of Christ King and to prepare for His feast by working zealously for the furtherance of His reign.

IN THE WAR-TORN WORLD

And surely, in the present state (1) of the world, the first thought that comes to us is the desire to see the reign of Christ replace the appalling chaos into which Armageddon has plunged a great part of the world and is threatening to engulf the rest of it.

The situation may seem to be beyond human remedy: innumerable millions in the grip of fierce fighting, of harrowing persecution, of hated oppression, or of agonizing fears and dreadful forebodings. We may also be baffled by the currents and counter-currents of diverse motives that fiercely agitate the opposing camps... But through it all and above it all, for us a dominant factor lights up the whole scene: we know, unmistakably, that a titanic struggle is on between the powers of darkness and the kingdom of God.

Therefore we may not remain passive onlookers; we must work with all our power for the "Pax Christi in Regno Christi". Therefore, also, we can and must rely on God's help, remain optimistic and have confidence in the final victory of Christ's cause.

* To contribute directly to it by external action there may be few opportunities for us; but we can encourage others, train Christian lay leaders in every field of civic and social action, help various movements working for the triumph of truth over error, of the Christian ideal over the forces of evil.

We can also keep up the morale of the people, and direct the minds of our Catholics to the proper channel by making them turn their preoccupations and sufferings and labors into explicit intercession with God for the "Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ".

Above all, we our­selves can offer, increasingly, our sacrifices and supplica­tions, that Christ, in His mercy, may prove indeed the "Salus in Te sperantium", the "Rex et centrum omnium cordium".

IN THE WORKERS' FAMILIES

All the recent Popes, chiefly from Leo XIII down to the present Pontiff, have stressed in a particular manner the need of making Christ reign in the families of the workers: surely a point of crucial importance in our battle for Christ King. Who is not aware of the danger threatening the faith of Catholic workers and the morality of all workers in the present-day world? Atheistic communism, relativism, materialism and other forms of modern anti-Christian ideologies loom menacingly at the workers' horizon; with what dire consequences for Christ's cause we know too well. Has not "the great scandal of the 19th century" been" the apostasy of the working class" throughout the Christian countries of Europe (Pius XI)?

Then if we want to work for Christ's reign, we must fight for the workers' souls, shield them against, or rescue them from, the snares of Christ's enemies.

* Let us resolve to neglect no opportunity in that direction: every form of social action that lies within our sphere and to which we might devote ourselves;

proclama­tion of Catholic social doctrine, fight against injustices;

personal contact with the worker, kindliness and sym­pathetic understanding, material and spiritual help whenever possible;

fervent prayer to the Sacred Heart: "that He may reign in the workers' families".

IN MY OWN PRIESTLY LIFE

But my most pressing concern is the reign of Christ in my own soul, even from the point of view of my apostolate: the fruit of my zeal for others depends so much upon the degree in which Christ lives and reigns in me! No doubt my priestly ministrations will bring Christ to souls, in some degree, by the mere administration of the Sacraments. But how much - beyond this - I could do, if Christ radiated from my whole personality. Let me not trust too much in my priestly character alone: how many priests fail to influence the lives of their people in any appreciable degree! On the other hand, what magnetic power to draw souls to Christ has been exercised for centuries, is still exercised now, by the Saints mentioned above (St Francis of Assisi, the two Teresas, St Margaret Mary), none of them priests!

What matters, then, for me is to be, not any priest, but a priest according to the Heart of Jesus: reproducing His feelings and His words and His actions and His whole attitude, a priest in whom Christ truly reigns.

* Let me examine my way of behaving at the altar, in the confessional, in the pulpit, at prayer times, in my conversations, in the various occupations of my daily life: can I really hope that onlookers have the impression of seeing an "alter Christus"?

If not, what results can I expect from my exhortations to others to make Christ reign in their lives?

Let my sincere desires and earnest en­deavors, this month, be embodied in the aspiration: "O bone Jesu, fac ut sim sacerdos secundum Cor tuum." (Cf. the Mass of Christ the King.)

1. October 1940. But the outlook now is scarcely less gloomy. International and internal conflicts are prolonging the war, and fear continues to haunt mankind.
________________________
Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 10.
###
Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.

Mental Prayer for October 2-Monthly Check-Up

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Monthly Check-Up for October
On Prayer

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: To recall the essentials of prayer to test myself on my faithfulness.

Check-up: I have been meditating for a number of days now on prayer, learning more about it, trying to put it into daily practice. Quietly now, in the consciousness that God and I are alone, let me talk over my prayer life with Him.

First of all, am I really trying to pray mentally, for a definite period of time? If I haven't given mental prayer a chance, why not? Not enough courage? No, that isn't it, God. I know plenty of reasons why I should pray... Do I have a definite time to pray each day? and do I reserve this time for mental prayer alone? Very important!

A book makes prayer a lot easier to understand and put into practice. I can speak to you simply about the ideas and scenes and apply them to myself... What distracts me most during prayer?... moving my hands?...curiosity about other things?...looking at different objects?

I Speak to God: O God, sometimes I find prayer a pleasure and very easy, and sometimes I find it dull, difficult, and discouraging. But I won't give up! I'll keep on trying. I am going to get to know you personally and intimately the way I can only in mental prayer. Reveal yourself to me. Draw me closer to you, and make me one with you.

Thought for Today: "Lord, teach me to pray."
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Missouri Farm Bureau Board of Directors Votes to Oppose Amendment #2

Did the local media report on this?

Based upon the policy adopted at the annual meeting of its membership, the Missouri Farm Bureau Board of Directors at its September meeting voted to oppose Constitutional Amendment #2, the so-called stem cell research and cures initiative.

The policy adopted by the Farm Bureau members at its last annual meeting reads as follows:

"We are opposed to the cloning of human beings. We support adult stem cell research. We are opposed to the creation and use of human embryos or blastocysts for research purposes in which they are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."

Farmers and those who support our farmers understand when elitists and shysters try to "pull the wool" over their eyes...they understand that Amendment 2 is a LIE and the deliberate killing of human life - a deception of that will have untold negative consequences for the State of Missouri. We need to pray that others come to understand this as well.

The press release is here.

Imitation which isn't flattery, but deception...

Fake 'Catholic Voters Guide' Published by Former Aide to John Kerry

From LifeSiteNews:

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An attempt to recapture the Catholic vote has been launched by Democratic supporters. A new 2006 Voter Guide has been put out by "Catholic in Alliance for the Common Good" (CACG) a group headed up by Alexia Kelley who in 2004 worked as a religion advisor to John Kerry in the closing weeks of his campaign.

An initial printing of one million copies of "Voting for the Common Good: A Practical Guide for Conscientious Catholics" will be distributed nationwide through on-the-ground organizers and partner networks in all 50 states, says CACG. The groups admits in a press release that the new voter guide is a response to the original "Catholic Voters Guide" issued by Catholic Answers last year.
. . .
Commenting on the new 12-page booklet, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said "The voter guide is a slick attempt to get the abortion albatross off the necks of Catholic Democrats, but it's a failed effort-the noose is still there. Instead of listening to James Carville and Paul Begala, who have counseled Democrats to drop their opposition to parental notification laws and their support for keeping partial-birth abortion legal, the best Catholics in Alliance can do is say it is opposed to abortion. But it makes it painfully clear that it will never join any effort to ban any abortions, including partial-birth."

These people continue to follow the example of the father of lies...What would be really interesting is to see if any dioceses in the U.S. opts to use this trash.

Perhaps, I'm reading it wrong since I am so skeptical of Catholic News Service, but a recent article discussing "voters guides" seems to favor the "deceptive" guide from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, probably because Catholic News Service is just as confused about the "non-negotiable" life issues.

Gospel for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Being the Servant of All

[38] John said to Him (Jesus), "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." [39] But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. [40] For he that is not against us is for us."

Scandal

[41] "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.

[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
___________________________

Commentary:

38-40. Our Lord warns the Apostles, and through them all Christians, against exclusivism in the apostolate-- the notion that "good is not good unless I am the one who does it." We must assimilate this teaching of Christ's: good is good, even if it is not I who do it. Cf. note on Luke 9:49-50.

[The note on Luke 9:49-50 states:
49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles. St Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his imprisonment in Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice" (Philippians 1:15, 18). "Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace. Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it's the only way for you" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 965).]

41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which they are done: "A little act, done for love, is worth so much" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, however small: "Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy soul gives to a poor person for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", book 2, chap. 2).

42. "Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit sin" ("St Pius X Catechism", 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly. Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but especially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of the young.

43. "Hell", literally "Gehenna" or "Ge-hinnom", was a little valley south of Jerusalem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehenna was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to explain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.

43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to others, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of "occasions of sin"--situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin itself; as God already put it in the Old Testament: "Whoever lives in danger will perish by it (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.

The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum" , IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.