"Live Baby Good, Dead Baby Bad", J. Folger/U of P and homosexuality

Dear All, I had the pleasure of attending each of the college talks given by Janet Folger. A couple of insights, before you experience the events through the eyes of expert observers and writers in their fields: two adults and two students. I admire the students in attendance. Their questions showed what they're dealing with in their respective universities and the Culture of Death in particular. Questions to Janet included, the typical "Why do you eat meat and are against abortion?" to the more disturbing "How can you tell if something is human?" Kudos to the Freethinkers of Reed College who are challenging their administrators by asking non-politcally correct speakers to their gatherings. We thank Sara Thompson and Fr. Ron Wasowski for their faithfulness to Life at the University of Portland, and prayers and thanks go to the two new pro-life groups at PSU and OSU. These young people are modern martyrs and great examples to the older generation. Here's a virtual thermometer on the Culture of Life our children/grandchildren/children we love, are experiencing. LIFE IN OREGON Sunday, February 12, 2006 David Reinhard The Oregonian "Live Baby Good, Dead Baby Bad." Oh, this was going to be good. Not only was Janet Folger coming to Oregon, but America's liveliest pro-life champion would be at college campuses in a state that uniquely embraces the culture of death from pre-cradle to pre-grave, with its wide-open abortion laws and doctor-assisted suicide. I'd seen the then-legislative director of Ohio Right to Life in front of a friendly crowd years ago. She was the spunky life of the pro-life movement. But the crowd wouldn't be any too friendly at Reed College, Oregon State University, Portland State University and the University of Portland. There was a chance for real fireworks. Yes, this would be good. And it was -- but not in the way I expected. I caught her last week at Reed and PSU. She was everything I recalled -- fast-talking, well-informed, passionate -- and more. The president of Faith2Action and author -- "True to Life," "What's a Girl to Do?" -- is still a great storyteller and public-policy comedienne. She tells of being at a table with a fetal model and being harangued by an abortion-rights advocate over her use of the term "unborn" baby. While the woman was telling her "fetus" would be a better term and Folger was noting it means "unborn child" or "young one," the woman's 3-year-old ran up and said, "Look, Mommy, babies." No word on how long it took the abortion-rights mom to "re-educate" the child, Folger noted. She told of one legislator who recognized a model 8-week-old fetus sucking its thumb from an ultra-sound but felt we should get "government out of the issue." On the legislator's desk was a framed Jefferson quotation that read, "The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government." Folger believes human life begins at conception. She challenges the students to go to their libraries and find embryology textbooks that say otherwise. It's a baby. She reads statements of abortion-rights fans who now acknowledge this (they just don't care, says Folger) on her way to setting out her mantra: "Live baby, good. Dead baby, bad." Folger has a gift for making the pro-life position at once accessible and compelling. Aren't there more important issues? Isn't it out of whack to be a single-issue pro-life advocate so with many other issues around? Folger asked the PSU audience to list those many issues on one side of a chart and the right to life on the other. She, then brought up contestants for a "Let's Make a Deal" game show. Contestants could select their dream desires from the first column -- a Harvard education, a million-dollar annual income, a lifetime of unlimited health-care -- but they would forfeit their right to life. Her point: "Life is a prerequisite to every issue we have. It's a fundamental basic right." And she doesn't discriminate based on the age or address (womb or nursery) of that life. They all deserve protection. She makes this point with a mock trial of man who's murdered his 3-year-old. His defense lawyer, Folger, offers up a litany of mitigating circumstances that abortion-rights advocates give for women having abortions. It's devastating. I had seen this Janet Folger before. What was new, for me at least, was the Janet Folger who engaged the abortion-rights champions, young and old, in the audience. She was unbending, often confronting, but took up their often edgy challenges with a charming, even loving, directness. In the end, the only fireworks were the fire of her pro-life witness. Also striking were the students themselves. At Reed and PSU -- and, I'm told, the other campuses -- they were respectful and interested. Folger appealed to their sense of tolerance, and they responded. They listened, often quietly, as she described the often unknown facts of fetal development and the brutality of abortion. They laughed at her stage capers and wisecracks. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. Folger likely had something to do with this. But maybe it also has something to do with the fact that longitudinal polls now show young people have become more pro-life over the last decades. Maybe they'll be able to answer the question she thinks future generations will one day ask parents and grandparents in revulsion -- a question Folger has answered for herself and is helping more folks to answer: "Where were you when they were killing babies?" David Reinhard, associate editor, can be reached at 503-221-8152 or davidreinhard@news.oregonian.com. ©2006 The Oregonian -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Janet Folger: Passionate, Powerful & Fearless At Reed February 7, 2006 If you ever wanted to see and hear someone who was sold out to Jesus Christ, His purpose and message on the earth, and fearless...like Stephen in the Book of Acts, you need to attend a presentation by Janet Folger of Faith2Action! Profile in Courage One of America's premier pro-life, pro-family Christians and March 3-4 Restoring Northwest America Conference Speakers, Janet spoke in Portland and Corvallis, Oregon yesterday at both Oregon State University and Reed College. Having experienced attempts on her life in the past because of her pro-life and biblical commitment to follow and honor Christ, several of us attended her presentation at Reed last night to provide support. In an effort to bring balance to the college where President George Bush and Secretary of State Condolezza Rice have been called 'fascists' by members of the faculty, Janet was invited by the Reed College Freethinkers . In a standing room only meeting hall, Miss Folger courageously and fearlessly presented irrefutable evidence and proof of the humanity of the child in the womb and the gross inhumanity of taking innocent human life while in the mother's womb. She argued without refutation the necessity of reversing Roe v. Wade and protecting our right to speak out as Christians on the important issues of our day. While not rude, the question and answer session which followed was scintillating, and clearly demonstrated our young are torn between the liberal bent of their teachers and professors (who didn't have the courage to show up) and existing facts about partial birth and late term abortion as well as proof that human life begins at conception. Miss Folger, who will speak at the Restoring Northwest America Conference in Tualatin, Oregon both Friday, March 3rd and Saturday, March 4th, speaks twice again today at the following locations in Portland: Portland State University Tues., Feb. 7th, 12:00 pm Smith Bldg. Rm. 329 Info: 503-705-0938 Sponsored by: PSU Students for Life University of Portland Tues., Feb. 7th, 7:30 pm Buckley Center Rm. 163 Info: 503-285-1150 Sponsored by: UP Voice for Life Janet has debated Planned Parenthood president, Gloria Feldt, National Organization of Women (NOW) president, Kim Gandy, former NOW president, Patricia Ireland, Jack Kevorkian, as well as spokespeople from the ACLU, The Human Rights Campaign, NARAL, GLSEN, and Atheist Organizations. She has appeared on 20/20, Hannity and Colmes, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Inside Politics, Nightline, CBS This Morning, Hard Copy, and Extra. David Crowe Executive Director The Restoring Northwest America Conference, March 3-4, 2006 in Portland, Oregon, is the most important Conference of its kind in Oregon history. Copyright © 2005, Restore America. All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- email: dcrowe@restoreamerica.org http://www.restoreamerica.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY - VANGUARD Anti-abortion student group emerges on campus New group Students for Life jumpstarts membership by inviting noted Christian speaker By Christie Toth February 09, 2006 A new anti-abortion student group has formed at Portland State, and though it is small, it is also active. Although Students for Life has only held two meetings so far, they have already brought a high-profile anti-abortion speaker to campus in conjunction with the College Republicans. Groups supporting abortion rights such as Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX) have been active on Portland State’s campus for several years, but until now an organized anti-abortion group has not been a major presence at PSU. Not surprising for a group addressing one of the most politically charged debates in the country, though not all students have reacted positively to the new group’s appearance. “We’ve encountered a lot of support, but some hostility,” said Nathan Sheets the group’s founder and president. “Most people who don’t agree with us don’t say anything, they just give his disapproving glances. Someone crumpled up a flyer and through it in my face once.” Students for Life sponsored the appearance of Janet Folger, a national Christian radio celebrity, “family values” activist and one of the major forces behind Ohio’s partial-birth abortion ban, which led to the national restrictions on partial-birth abortion in 2003. A highly controversial national political figure, Folger has been alternately described as “the adrenaline in the body of Christ” (Craig Roberts, KFAX San Francisco) and a “hate-mongering homophobic Christian bigot” (skeptictank.org). Folger addressed an audience of more than 60 people at Portland State on Tuesday, many of them from the larger community. “We had one or two challenging questions, but the PSU audience was pretty friendly. The audience was much more hostile at Reed,” Sheets said. Sheets, 20, has been a pro-life activist since he was 16. He is well-known in online activist communities for several blogs that he maintains, which deal primarily with his Christian faith, anti-abortion activism, and experiences as a self-described “ex-gay follower of Yeshua.” According to its mission statement, the group “exists to educate Portland State students about abortion, support women who are pregnant and promote diversity in the pro-life movement.” In order to reach out to the student body, has been tabling in Smith Center and posting flyers about campus. “We’ve gotten a good response from the flyers,” Sheets said, “The pro-life people are showing up. At our first meeting, I was surprised at the number of people who showed up.” The fledgling organization currently has 15 members, and is officially nonpartisan. “Not all of are members are Republican,” Sheets said, “and we don’t want them to be ... part of our mission is to break the stereotypes that people have about pro-life activists.” One of Students for Life’s major objectives on campus is to create an alternative to the Women’s Resource Center. “We’d really like to get a pregnancy resource center on campus. We have the Women’s Resource Center, but the literature I found there is very pro-abortion,” said Sheets. “We want women to be presented with all the options, because we feel that women will choose life ... there are many resources in the community for those who have just given birth. We want to hook students up with those resources.” Aimee Shattuck, coordinator for the Women’s Resource Center, disagreed with Sheets’ characterization of the WRC. “The Women's Resource Center has a wide range of resources and options to share with students, including adoption services, health care, childcare and parent groups,” Shattuck said. “We believe in access to health care, resources and options for pregnant women and mothers; and that given options, they will make the decisions that are best for them. A large number of the staff and volunteers are mothers, and the coordinator will be giving birth soon, neither of which we suspect [Sheets] will be doing in the near future.” “Bridge Gorrow, the coordinator of the returning women students program, went to midwifery school, and we have two volunteers who coordinate peer support for student parents,” Shattuck explained. “For these reasons, we feel that we are in a great position to go over resources and referrals with a student and would respect their beliefs and decisions regarding their bodies.” According to Sheets, he was “yelled out of the office” of Josh Gross, editor of the leftist alternative student monthly, The Rearguard. “We handed him a flyer for Janet Folger's lecture in case he would be interested in coming to the event. The flyers say ‘“Choice” is a Euphemism for “Abortion,”’ at which point he proceeded to yell at that ‘Life is a euphemism for ignorance.’ It was disappointing that, while we showed him respect he couldn't show it to us. I thought it was rather unprofessional.” Gross remembered the encounter somewhat differently. “I didn't yell at him in the slightest. He, and another girl that was with him wanted me to advertise for their ‘choice is a euphemism for abortion’ speaker, and I laughed at them. And then I think I said something to the effect of ‘Life is a euphemism for you're an asshole.’” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND - THE BEACON Pro-life speaker inspires, divides with views by Jana Jorgensen Thursday, February 09, 2006 Despite many challenges and much intense opposition, Roe v. Wade has stood the test of time for over 30 years. As one of the most controversial decisions ever handed down by the Supreme Court, the abortion issue remains at the forefront of every political debate since 1973. Every cause has its warriors, and Janet Folger is at the head of the pro-life’s defense. Folger, a nationally renowned author and radio-show host, lectured at the University of Portland Tuesday night, drawing a very energetic and divisive crowd of 75 to 80 students, faculty and community members. Brought to UP by the Voice for Life group, headed by senior Sarah Thompson, Folger gave a two-hour speech filled with a mock game show, trial and a question-and-answer session. The center of her discussion focused on the validating principles behind the pro-life agenda and on her contention that the pro-choice agenda is immoral and murderous. “We are going to win because we have the truth,” Folger said. “The other side is beginning to realize that, and we are going to win.” As the author of Criminalizing Christianity and the host of the daily radio show “Faith to Action,” Folger lobbied for the nation’s first partial-birth abortion ban and helped to remove funding for abortions in Ohio. Folger engaged her audience with stories of how she snuck into various pro-choice events and disrupted a filming of former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, and mocked the words of her opposition in detest. Though most cheered during these “war” stories few around the room sat with blank faces or looks of disgust. “Folger cannot be reasoned with- her position on abortion is cut and dried- absolutely no abortions,” junior political science major Eric Zimmerman said. For her interactive bit, the pro-life lobbyist played her version of “You Bet Your Life” by drawing a line down the center of a flip chart and labeling the two sides curtain number one or curtain number two. Behind curtain number one was the right to life. Behind curtain number two were various other rights protected in the Constitution. Along with curtain number two, Folger threw in a trip to Hawaii, free U.S. health care and a car for good measure. As she asked the audience to vote on which curtain they chose, she informed them that those who had chosen curtain number two would then have to be killed. “Life is a prerequisite to all these other issues, what good is health care if you’re dead?” Folger asked. After the game show, the tone continued on its comical note as she put one of the audience members on trial for the murder of his three-year-old girl. Though no reasons were given for the murder of the three-year old, Folger had the rest of the audience list some reasons why women choose abortions such as age, financial circumstances, failure of birth control, and disability. Folger skirted the issues of rape, incest and the threatening of the physical health of the mother but promised to return to the issue later in speech. After listing off these issues she then refuted these claims and had the audience vote guilty or not guilty, the audience voted guilty. Despite declaring that she has no party affiliation, there were a number of obvious ties to the Republican Party in her speech, such as her support of George H.W. Bush in 1988 and her disgust with President Clinton. She stated that the democratic party is not open to diverse views. Folger named Clinton the “most pro-abortion president ever and the reason why Justice Ginsberg and Justice Breyer are on the Supreme Court.” This, according to her, explains Roe v. Wade’s continued existence. Throughout the speech Folger spoke to her opposition, stating that pro-choice supporters care do not care about women, only about abortions and that “pro-aborts” hate life. Her most basic argument for the imminent success of the pro-life agenda based on the fact of numbers. Because pro-life supporters are not engaging in abortion they will always have more support on their side. “Blue states kill their babies and Red states have their babies,” Folger said. Folger then turned the discussion to religion, citing Psalm 139 as part of her foundation for her pro-life view. Pslam 139 states that God has a plan exceedingly and abundantly greater than anyone could dream of and a result we as humans should not interfere with God’s plan. “I see my life as a movie – God is the producer and the director of my life, he has also written the script.” Folger said. Folger was met with tough questions b y both pro-cvhoice and pro-life supporters. “I was excited to hear her talk because I’m pro-life,” said Morgan Harkins, a sophomore Spanish and political science major. “But due to her hypocrisy, I was disappointed. She wasn’t open to any other viewpoint.” While Folger’s subject is a sensitive one, it is an important one and one that will continue to be debated in the foreseeable future. Being the bearer of hope for some and an ominous vision of the future for others, Folger is committed to her faith and as long as there is a war like abortion there will always be warriors like Janet Folger. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At two of the campuses, Reed and U of P, questions of homosexuality arose. It is becoming clear that there is a definite pro-abortion / pro-homosexual alliance that was evident at these two schools. Case in point, Metro-Pro Life was unable to get a pro-life ad in The Beacon until the administration got involved. We are spending approximately one million dollars a month in lawyers fees from the bankruptcy due to homosexuality issues and our only "Catholic" university has homosexual propaganda on bulletin boards and homosexual lifestyle newpapers in the cafeteria lobby. The adults in control at U of P are failing in their job to protect their students and Catholic Church teachings removing this from the school.. Parents of University students should see what their money is going to promote. We have to believe that the U of P is indeed a homosexual friendly place as posted on the www.catholiclesbian.org website. Where are the truly caring priests and administrators? This seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. Posted on bulletin board at Buckley Hall. The University of Portland GLBTQ Confidential Group A safe group for students who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning. We are a confidential group that supports students who are exploring or living alternative sexual identities. We are dedicated to celebrating individuality and personal growth within a safe community Why are we confidential? We in no way wish to convey a sense of shame around issues of alternative sexual identity. We recognize that in our current societal climate, many do not feel safe being open to all about alternative sexual feelings. We are not an advocacy 9rouP. We recognize the need for advocacy and education in the wider university community. Advocacy can compromise confidentiality, so we see it as an activity separate from this group. How is confidentiality preserved? Prospective group members must first meet with one of the faculty/staff group coordinators before membership to the group can be granted. How is community created? Meetings are generally held in places where the atmosphere is fun and conducive to conversation and getting to know one another. We want to provide an alternative to the bar scene and provide the opportunity for students to mentor one another. What kinds of activities do we do? First and foremost, we have fun. Examples of past activities include: .:·Movies ·:·Dinner .:.Barbeques ·:·Coffee ·:·PSU Queer Week (lectures, etc.) ·:·Networking with GLBTQ groups on other Portland campuses ·:·Confidential online campus chat room and calendar What do GLBTQ students have to say about participatina in the 9roup? "The group has been a safe place to visit and meet people who face similar issues ... everyone in the group is considerate and respectful of people's level of openness. If you are looking to meet people without the risks of losing confidentiality this is the place to do it." --Student member Faculty/Staff Coordinators Anissa Rogers: Anissa teaches in the Social Work Program; one of her main interests is in promoting a more welcoming and equitable world for GLBTQ and other minority groups. rogers@up.edu 943-7304 Tim Crump: Tim is a Nurse Practitioner at the University Health Center. He enjoys being part of the GLBTQ group for the student contact that it allows. He hopes for a world for his children where they will not be afraid to be the person they feel inside of them. crump@up.edu 943-7134 Resources http://www.hrc.org (anti-Church propaganda) http://www.pflag.org/ (homosexual "marriage") http://www.binetusa.org (Bi sexual) http://www.hrc.org/local/ port land/ supporthrc.asp http://www.iustout.com/ www.pridefoundation.org Pride Foundation connects, inspires and strengthens the Pacific Northwest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in pursuit of equality. We accomplish this in rural and urban areas by awarding grants and scholarships and cultivating leaders. http://www.glaad.ora/ "Always our children: A pastoral message to parents of homosexual chi Idren and suggestions for pastoral ministers." (1997). A statement of the Bishops' Committee on Marriage and Family, National Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1-800-235-8722 or www.nc:cbusc:c.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also at the University of Portland, a student spoke of a Jesus that we would not recognize. This "passive, fearful to offend" Christ, is unrecognizable. This e-letter from Bishop Vasa was too timely not to use. For those who would like to get his e-letters, to go vasa-ecolumn@sentinel.org Bishop Robert F. Vasa February 17th. CHRIST IS REASSURING AND HUMBLE, AS WELL AS POWERFUL, MIGHTY BEND -- We live in an age which places a very strong emphasis on tolerance, mutuality, and acceptance. I have heard repeatedly over the years that "Jesus never judged, condemned or excluded anyone." I wonder if Peter would agree as the words of Jesus, "Get behind me you Satan," rang in his ears. I wonder if the Scribes and the Pharisees would agree as they rankled at being called whitened sepulchers or broods of vipers. I wonder if those who heard Jesus say, "Whoever leads one of these little ones astray, it would be better if he had a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the sea," nodded approval and said, "He is so tolerant and accepting." This verse is included, virtually verbatim, in each of the three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. I certainly have no qualms about the image of Jesus as kind and gentle, or with Jesus' own description of Himself as "meek and humble of heart." I see and appreciate the great appeal of one of the most recent devotions fostered so powerfully by our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, that of Divine Mercy. Each of these attractive and reassuring aspects of Jesus needs to be remembered. These are aspects of Jesus that we cannot afford to forget and to which we can and must cling. At the same time we do well not to forget that the Lord is also a "God of power and might." Jesus stood up to the guards who came to arrest him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He stood courageously before Pilate. He bore His cross with noble, unflinching determination. He is not a God of weakness. He is strong and He defends His people. This accounts for the strong language used when the "little ones" of His flock are put at risk. In our "compromising age" we are loath to name something too strongly. If we do, we are accused of harshness, judgmentalism, perhaps arrogance, certainly intolerance and possibly pharisaism. While it is always necessary to speak the truth with love, the Church also believes and teaches that it is also necessary to speak the truth with strength. It is necessary to defend truth and not be too quick to rationalize, justify or excuse misleading teachings or teachers. There is a point at which passive "tolerance" allows misleading teachings to be spread and propagated, thus confusing or even misleading the faithful about the truths of the Church. There is a very strong word, which still exists in our Church, which most of us are too "gentle" to use. The word is "heresy." We perhaps think that heresy is a thing of the past. We think perhaps of the Arian heresy or the Pelagian heresy or the Manichaen heresy. We might even maintain that there are no longer any heretics because that conjures up images of inquisitions and burnings at the stake. I do not, in any way, seek to validate or justify any kind of "vigilante" theology, but we do need strong words to combat erroneous and fallacious teaching. As a point of information, the present Code of Canon Law does include a couple of canons on heresy. Canon 751 defines heresy as "the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt, after the reception of baptism, of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith. . . ." There are a number of teachings of the Church that must "be believed by divine and Catholic faith." We must believe, for instance, that Jesus is true God and true man. To deny or doubt this, with obstinacy, is heresy. We must believe the God exists in Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We must believe that Jesus rose from the dead. We must believe that He ascended into heaven. These phrases will all be familiar because they constitute the Creed that we recite each Sunday. It may come as a bit of a shock, but there are a number of Catholic theologians who now seriously call into question these basic teachings, these Creedal tenets. There are also moral teachings that constitute a part of the deposit of faith that must be accepted and adhered to, "firmly embraced and retained." Canon 750 concludes: "therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church." It is certainly necessary to exercise a great deal of caution and care in arriving at a founded conclusion that someone accepts or teaches heresy. There is something terribly harsh about calling a person a heretic. This is not something that is ever done lightly or capriciously. Nevertheless, there are those of the household of Faith who obstinately deny some truth that is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith. There is some question, for instance, about whether those who openly profess to be "pro-choice" are, in fact, holding to a heretical position. The teaching of the Church in the area of life is clear and unequivocal. Human life must be respected and protected from conception to natural death. Those who maintain that any and all decisions about the disposition of pre-born human beings are exclusively the right of the mother or the parents, at least implicitly, reject the clear and consistent teaching of the Church. The truth is that God charges each of us with the duty to protect and defend innocent human life. This is clearly stated in the Fifth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. In our society, this attempt to protect innocent human life is done through legal legislative processes and is accomplished, or fails to be accomplished, by those whom we elect. It would not be proper to imply that anyone who votes for an anti-life politician is denying some truth of divine and Catholic faith. Yet, if that candidate receives the vote precisely because he maintains that he has no duty to protect or defend innocent human life in the womb, then a vote cast for him is a type of declaration that the teaching of the Church, indeed the validity of the Fifth Commandment itself, is rejected. One brave soul has termed this present rejection of responsibility for one's pre-born brother or sister the right-to-murder heresy. When our Lord said it was time for Him to go to Jerusalem, there to suffer and die, Peter contended with Him quite strongly and rejected this intention of his Lord. For this Peter incurred the blunt and definitive, "Get behind me, you Satan. You are thinking as man thinks and not as God thinks." Our kind and gentle Lord will certainly receive us and help us when we cry out to Him for He is "meek and humble of heart," but I suspect he will likewise not mince words with those who reject His Way and His Truth. ************* May we have the courage to persevere, all for the Love of God. God Bless you and yours, Carolyn "What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." - Mother Teresa- VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 Member of Catholic Media Coalition - "Inline with the Church, online with the world"

Starfish Story / Children +++ He would have died for even one.

Dear Friends,

When does pro-life become pro-abortion? That was the subject line of my last letter. The comparision was to point out that, in some cases, being scrupulous could be a matter of life and death. It's like the starfish story.

*****

It needed to be pointed out that Mary Starrett, no matter how well meaning and pro-life she is, testified against good pro-life bills with pro-choice arguments. The pro-aborts don't want any movement away from their "no compromise, no excuses" view on abortion either. BOTH KEEP THE STATUE QUO in Oregon and still more unborn children will die.

It also needed to be pointed out that Ron Saxton does have pro-life values and is being misrepresented by the opposition. I'm sure that politics did play a part of him looking into our world. He changed his heart and mind not just with talk, but with action. To say he is being untruthful is an unfair judgement call.


When I was grappling with the question if I could vote someone not 100% pro-life, I asked Bishop Robert Vasa. He suggested reading #8 of Father Pavone's new booklet "Ten Steps to Voting with A Clear Conscience." It reads in part: "In this context, the question also arises as to whether one is required to vote for a third candidate who does not have a strong base of support but does have the right position. The answer is, no, you are not required to vote for this candidate. The reason is that your vote is not a canonization of a candidate. It is a transfer of power. You have to look concretely at where the power is really going to be transferred, and use your vote not to make a statement but to help bring about the most acceptable results under the circumstances."

The entire booklet can be downloaded or you can order copies (see attachment) http://www.priestsforlife.org/vote/votingwithclearconscience.htm#choosing copy or cut and paste.

Voting for a candidate is a prudential judgment and as Catholics we make our decisions with an informed conscience. I would only ask those who feel that by voting for a third party candidate it would send a message to a political party, etc. To THINK again. Think of the babies lives they are gambling with.

Christ is coming back. Will we stand before Him and say, "well, I thought it would work". Will we see the faces of the children whose lives were lost because of the gamble of our vote or not voting at all?

By the Grace of God, abortion rates are dropping in Oregon. Hearts and minds are softening and lives are being saved. It will many years to get back to the point where "Catholic" was synonymous with "pro-life". (That's what I thought when we joined the Church in 1984) But, to paraphrase a wise Bishop, "Incrementally evil was added in and incrementally it is being removed." In our Church and State.
________________________________________
The Starfish Story
The old man awoke just before sunrise, as he often did, to walk by the ocean's
edge and greet the new day. As he moved through the morning dawn, he focused on a faint, far away motion.

He saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin. As he approached, he realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea.


He asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea."

As the youth explained, the old man surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear and the old man countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to the old man, he said,
"I made a difference to that one."

God Bless you and yours

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name" (Psa. 147:4)
"and even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matt. 10:30)

Great Opportunities to Save Unborn Babies, Parental Rights and our Soul!

Happy Advent All, The end of the year is fast approaching and there is a way you can help save unborn babies and parental rights in Oregon. Believe it or not, one out of every four abortions are paid for with your tax dollars. Now, you can actually use some of your taxes to help prevent abortion rather than pay for them. You can do this by using the "Political Tax Credit". This allows a married couple to give up to $100 to a qualified political committee (singles can give up to $50) AND receive EVERY PENNY BACK when your tax return is filed. The deadline is December 31st, the same amount will simply go to the state government, if you don't act. I would suggest that a wonderful place to guarantee the best results for the Culture of Life is to Help the OREGON RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. They are one of the most effective political groups in the state and they only work for candidates who are pro-life. In addition, ORTL-PAC is sponsoring a statewide Parental Notification ballot measure for the November 2006 election. Your political tax credit is an excellent way to help this ballot measure. IT'S EASY - Just mail a check for $100 or $50 to Oregon Right to Life PAC before Dec. 31st. You can add your occupation or when they get your check they'll just contact you. (The Secretary of State is asking for this). Mail it to ORTL 4335 River Road N., Salem OR 97303. You'll have a great New Year supporting a great organization who loves LIFE. Now about saving our Souls. There's still time to wash them clean! Pope authorizes plenary indulgences marking Vatican II anniversary VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To mark the 40th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council, Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence for taking part in any public or private devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Benedict XVI authorized the special Dec. 8 indulgences to encourage the faithful to carry out the council's teachings on peace, justice and charity, said U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with indulgences and matters of conscience. The pope expressed his hopes that all the church would be united with him and their "common mother," Mary, on Dec. 8, so that the faithful "may be strengthened in their faith, follow Christ with greater dedication, and love their brothers and sisters with more ardent charity," said the cardinal. The Vatican published the cardinal's statement announcing the indulgences and outlining the requirements for receiving them Nov. 29. Dec. 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment due for sins committed. "A plenary indulgence is the full remission of all temporal punishment (time spent in purgatory) due to sin in one's entire lifetime up to that point. It may be applied to oneself or to the dead by way of suffrage." http://www.nationalshrine.com The gift of plenary indulgence may be obtained under the usual conditions: sacramental confession Eucharistic Communion prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work; it is, however, fitting that Communion be received and the prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff be said on the same day the work is performed. The soul must be completely removed from attachment to any form of sin, on the forthcoming solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, by the faithful if they participate in a sacred function in honor of the Virgin, or at least offer open testimony of Marian devotion before an image of Mary Immaculate exposed for public veneration, adding the recitation of the Our Father and of the Creed, and some invocation to the Virgin." The document concludes by recalling that faithful who "through illness or other just cause" are unable to participate in a public ceremony or to venerate an image of the Virgin, "may obtain a plenary indulgence in their own homes, or wherever they may be, if, with the soul completely removed from any form of sin, and with the intention of observing the aforesaid conditions as soon as possible, they unite themselves in spirit and in desire to the Supreme Pontiff's intentions in prayer to Mary Immaculate, and recite the Our Father and the Creed." It's been interesting to look up ways to receive this wonderful grace. Here's one site that might be of interest. http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/plenary.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POPE BENEDICT XVI - INTENTIONS FOR DECEMBER 2005 Missionary - For people all over the world searching for God and truth: may they encounter the Lord Jesus. General - For all men and women: may they come to an ever deeper understanding of their dignity, granted them by the Creator in his plan. God Bless and Happy Gaudete (Gaw-day-tay) Sunday (Latin pronunciation for the word that means Rejoice!) The Lord is Coming! Carolyn " Stop entertaining those vain fears. Remember it is not feeling which constitutes guilt but the consent to such feelings. Only the free will is capable of good or evil. But when the will sighs under the trial of the Tempter and does not will what is presented to it, there is not only NO fault but there is VIRTUE." Padre Pio (Saint Pio of Pietrelcina) VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 Member of Catholic Media Coalition - "Inline with the Church, online with the world"

Oregon Catholic Money Being Used Unjustly

Everyone, This Sunday, the Solemnity of Christ the King, Oregon Catholics will be asked to give money to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

 The recipients of this campaign usually don't have any religious affiliation, but there do seem to be radical leftist affiliations that continue to receive funds year after year. Many of these groups are part of the INDUSTIAL AREAS FOUNDATION (IAF) whose founder, Saul Alisky, dedicated his 1940's Rules for Radicals with this inscription: "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer." (Not to point out this information would be a sin of omission and a rejection of the Kingdom that Christ died so we could share it with Him.) 

In the beginning Saul Alinsky envisioned an "organization of organizations," comprised of all sectors of the community - youth committees, small businesses, labor unions and, most influential of all, the Catholic Church......The event was revolutionary in American history because it was the first time an entire community was organized. The union, the community and the Church became one and the same.

 In 1940, institutionalizing the concepts he had learned from John Lewis (Chicago), Alinsky formed the Industrial Areas Foundation - the IAF - an umbrella organization out of which new campaigns would be run. In 1940, Alinsky elicited a generous grant from liberal millionaire Marshall Field III, who provided funds to establish the Industrial Areas Foundation, which has remained Alinsky's primary base of operation.

 By the late Sixties, Alinsky was leaving most of the field work to his aides and concentrating on training community organizers through the Industrial Areas Foundation Training Institute, which he calls a "school for professional radicals." Funded principally by a foundation grant from Midas Muffler, the school aims at turning out 25 skilled organizers annually to work in black and white communities across the nation. "Just think of all the hell we've kicked up around the country with only four or five full-time organizers," Alinsky told newsmen at the school's opening session. "Things will really move now."

Beyond the IAF, dozens of community organizing networks are actively practicing Alinsky's techniques. Among the most prominent are Pacific Institute for Community Organizing (Oakland, CA), the Catholic Church's Campaign for Human Development (Washington, D.C.), Citizen Action (Chicago, IL), Organizing Training Center (San Francisco), National Training Institute for Community Organizing (Chicago, IL), Direct Action and Research Training Center (Miami, FL), The Gamaliel Foundation (Chicago, IL) and National Organizers Alliance (Washington, D.C.)

 A conservative church journal wrote that "it is impossible to follow both Jesus Christ and Saul Alinsky."

Barron's, the business weekly, took that odd logic a step further and charged that Alinsky "has a record of affiliation with Communist fronts and causes." And a top Office of Economic Opportunity official, Hyman Bookbinder, characterized Alinsky's attacks on the antipoverty program (for "welfare colonialism") as "outrageously false, ignorant, intemperate headline-seeking." "The leaders and organizers of the Industrial Areas Foundation build organizations whose primary purpose is power - the ability to act - and whose chief product is equitable social change.

The IAF is non-ideological and strictly non-partisan, but proudly, publicly, and persistently political. Through local affiliates, the IAF builds a political base among voluntary institutions that includes religious congregations, labor locals, homeowner groups, recovery groups, parents associations, non-profits, immigrant societies, schools, seminaries, orders of men and women religious, and others. Our leaders use that base to compete at times, to confront at times, and to cooperate at times with leaders in the government and market sectors. The heart of IAF's work is its commitment to identify, recruit, train, and develop leaders in every corner of every community where the IAF works. The IAF affiliates are radical ("root") organizations because we have a radical belief in the potential of the vast majority of people to grow and develop as leaders, to become full members of the body politic, to speak and act with others on their own behalf. And IAF affiliates do indeed use a radical practice: the face-to-face, one-to-one individual meeting whose purpose is to initiate a public relationship and to re-knit our frayed social fabric.

Industrial Areas Foundation Northwest "

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Because of the Church scandal, we have to be even more careful of our stewardship. Giving to the "good" part of an organization or charity can make sure that there is money freed up for less honorable activities, this is called "fungible funding" and many groups rely on this. Many radical groups are gearing up for the elections in 2006 and most importantly 2008. Since more about the IAF is being revealed to Catholics in the pews, and their displeasure is becoming more apparent, the names are changing.

In Oregon the new IAF Northwest organization is Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Ground (MACG). http://www.iafnw.macg.org/ becomes www.macg.org The members have a large Catholic presence. The Catholic Churches are CATHOLIC CAUCUS Christ the King Parish (Milwaukie, OR) Immaculate Heart Parish (Portland, OR) St. Alexander Parish (Cornelius, OR) St. Andrew Parish (Portland, OR) St. Charles Parish (Portland, OR) St. Clare Parish (Portland, OR) St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Portland, OR) St. Philip Neri Parish (Portland, OR) Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary (Marylhurst, OR) COMMUNITY-BASED INDEPENDENT CAUCUS Central City Concern (Portland, OR) Centro Cultural (Cornelius, OR) PHOENIX RISING Transitions (Gresham, OR) Recovery Association Project (Portland, OR) Rose Community Development Corporation (Portland, OR) FAITH BASED INDEPENDENT CAUCUS First Unitarian Church (Portland, OR) Havurah Shalom (Portland, OR) Kol Shalom Community for Humanistic Judaism LABOR CAUCUS Carpenters Local 247 (Portland, OR) Carpenters Local 2154 (Portland, OR) Cement Masons, Local 555 (Portland, OR) Columbia-Pacific Building Trades Council (Portland, OR) East Multnomah County Uniserv Council, OEA (Gresham, OR) Operating Engineers Local 701 (Gladstone, OR) LUTHERAN CAUCUS Bethel Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) King of Kings Church (Portland, OR) Redeemer Lutheran/Vernon Presbyterian/Enterbeing (Portland, OR) UNITED METHODIST CAUCUS First United Methodist Church (Portland, OR) Lake Oswego United Methodist Church (Lake Oswego, OR) Metanoia Peace Community United Methodist Church (Portland, OR) {Ventures: A Publication of the Sisters of the Holy Names Oct. 22nd MACG Caucus meeting, St. Clare's, Portland Oct. 22-23rd Marylhurst Univeristy Alumni Days Nov. 17th Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG) Annual Assembly 7pm}

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 The CCHD committee chooses the organziations to be helped. Like the secular United Way, Catholics give campaign money to be distributed, but unlike the United Way, who the money goes to is known before hand so people can decide if they want to give their funds. CCHD promotional literature states, "We believe the poor themselves know best how to change their circumstances." This seems to be a hopeful statement, but not a just one. "Self -reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-determination" is a goal for recipients, however, faith formation is not. CCHD encourages Catholics to work for justice, through prayer, but not one mention of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to help these folks, their they can do it by them "self". Sadly, the name of Jesus is not even mentioned in the promotional piece. It also says that the "CCHD provides support where other charities and philanthropic organizations will not." The Public Welfare Foundation founded in 1951. This foundation is extremely supportive of many leftwing organizations, among which are groups advocating for radical environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, abortion rights, Third World immigrants' rights, prisoners' rights, illegal aliens' rights, welfare rights, anti-gun policies, and anti-nuclear agendas. Funds groups that promote leftwing visions of radical environmentalism; feminism; gay rights; taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand; illegal immigrants' rights; welfare rights; and anti-gun and anti-nuclear advocacy Assets: $412,834,102 (2003) Grants Awarded: $17,992,990 (2003) Has granted monies to ACORN, VOZ (CCHD recipients) Director Peter Edelman's son, Jonah Edelman has founded "Stand for Children" out of Portland and during the Interfaith Advocacy Day 2005 stood up for Same Sex marriage. Peter Edelman's wife, Miriam Wright Edelman is the Director of the Children's Defense Fund, an organization that also received monies from this group. I was told by David Carrier, Director of Justice and Peace that groups given money were checked out to make sure they did not go against Church teachings. Here are the recipients for 2005 CCHD Archdiocese of Portland announces the 2005 Catholic Campaign for Human Development Grants The Archdiocese of Portland has announced the awarding of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grants for 2005. A total of $196,000 in national and local grants was awarded to local community-based projects that seek to end the root causes of poverty. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic anti-poverty program sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. CCHD is the largest private funder of anti-poverty program initiated and led by poor people in the United States. Founded in 1970, the CCHD is supported by an annual collection taken in Catholic parishes. The criteria for funding include: * At least 50% of those benefiting from the project must be from the low-income community. * Members of the poverty group must have a dominant voice in the project. * Projects must work to bring about institutional change by attacking the basic social, economical and political causes of poverty and powerlessness. * Projects may have a focus on community-based ecologically sustainable economic development with business efforts that ensure family wages, meaningful work and participatory respect in the work place. * Projects should empower low-income people to gain access to community decision-making structures. Projects awarded national CCHD grants for 2005 were: Project: Full Inclusion Organization: Lane Independent Living Alliance Contact: Carole Patterson Location: Lane County Funding award: 2005 $30,000; 2004 $40,000; 2003 $25,000 National Grants - 2002 $4,600 Local Grant LILA's mission is to increase access, voter participation, and protect the civil rights for people with disabilities in Lane County. Project Full Inclusion increases the involvement of people with disabilities on local boards and commissions so that they are "at the table" in local decision-making processes. People with disabilities have an important role to play in identifying issues of concern and actively participating in community life to resolve those concerns, including assisting with drafting of new legislation. Project: Predatory Lending Education and Reform Organization: Oregon ACORN Contact: Andrew Maxim Ginsberg Location: Portland area Funding award: 2005 $25,000; 2004 $25,000; 2003 $30,000; 2002 $27,500; 2001 $30,000 National Grants ACORN (The Association of Community Organization for Reform Now) is a grassroots association that creates progressive social change by promoting policy reforms that improve the lives of low-income and minority families. Member-chosen issues include ending community apathy, securing fair and affordable housing, community control of urban renewal funds, equal urban infrastructure (road paving, increased lighting, more traffic controls, etc.), and equal community policing and credit and loan policies. The Predatory Lending Education project focuses on improving banking CRA statistics and ending the predatory practices of certain lenders. Project: Tenant Organizing Project Organization: Community Alliance of Tenants Contact: Ian Slingerland Location: Portland area Funding award: 2005 $30,000; 2004 $25,000; 2002 $30,000 National Grants Community Alliance of Tenants is a tenant-controlled membership organization that educates and empowers lower-income tenants to organize and develop leaders who can advocate for better housing policies and practices. Through tenant organizing and collective negotiation with landlords, policy makers, and government officials, the organization seeks to improve the quality of affordable housing, change rental housing standards, and make low-income housing more widely available. Organization: Clackamas Community Land Trust Project: Low Income Homeownership Contact: Nancy Yuill Location: Clackamas area Funding award: 2005 $35,000 Clackamas Community Land Trust (CCLT) is a member-based organization that provides permanently affordable homeownership opportunities to low and moderate income people for generations to come. A CLT removes land from the speculative market and holds it in trust for the benefit of the community. The CLT holds title to the land and the homeowner leases the land from the CLT through a long-term renewable lease. CLTs balance the needs of individuals to build wealth through homeownership with the needs of communities to steward their investment in the land. Organization: Hacienda Community Development Corporation Project: Hacienda Native Plant Nursery Contact Person: Alan Hipolito Funding award: 2005 $35,000 The Mission of Hacienda CDC is to improve the quality of life for low-income Latino families by developing a permanent resource of affordable housing, education, economic development, and related activities that benefit low-income Latinos. Hacienda CDC acquired and rehabilitated several apartment complexes and now manages 321units of affordable housing. Hacienda CDC’s economic development program engages Latinos in new business development that provides economic opportunity for residents. The Native Plant Nursery will be a worker-owned cooperative that provides nursery stock and landscaping services throughout the Portland area. Project: Latino Caucus Organization: Portland Schools Alliance Contact: Barbara Willer Location: Portland Funding award: 2005 $20,000; 2004 $20,000 National Grants/ 2003 $5,000 - 2002 $2,750 Local Grants The Latino Caucus focuses on training and organizing Latino parents to be leaders in the school community and their children's education. Parents and educators build partnerships and political voice to advocate for concrete changes in school policies and practices that will improve the quality of education for Latino children. Projects awarded local CCHD grants for 2005 were: Project: PhotoVoice Project Organization: Sisters of the Road Location: Portland area Funding award: 2005 $5,000 Local Grant Sisters of the Road Café supports community-led solutions to homelessness and poverty by serving low cost nutritious meals that can be purchased with cash or in exchange for work. The PhotoVoice Project provides cameras to people experienced with homelessness to document their day-to-day lives. Through displays of the photographs and Sisters’ speakers’ series, the project provides a means to educate people about conditions faced by the homeless. The project could also become a source of income for the photographers through sales of photographs. Project: Community Cottage Industry Organization: Pioneer House Shelter Location: Astoria Funding award: 2005 $5,000 Local Grant Pioneer House Shelter assists the working poor and homeless by helping to meet basic needs like housing, food, and advocacy. To promote economic self-sufficiency, low income people will be empowered to recycle donated clothing into swatches. Buckles, zippers, and buttons will be retrieved and later re-fabricated into boutique-style clothing. Participants are from a partnering state agency which reimburses $6.25 of the $7.25/hr. minimum wage for participants. Other community partners will assist with space, marketing, and business skills. Project: Thick Chick Fashion Organization: Casa de Belen Location: Roseburg Funding award: 2005 $5,000 Local Grant Casa de Belen is a transitional home and community for homeless families and teens. Thick Chick plans to recycle used clothing into plus sizes comparable to popular styles and fashions. The goal is to provide a sense of positive self-image for plus size women who have difficulty finding fashionable designs at a reasonable price. The Project started with a group of women who wanted to learn business skills and to prepare a business plan. Community volunteers are working with the team to teach marketing, business management, and the craft of transforming donated clothing into wearable art. Project: Disabled United in Direct Empowerment Organization: Organizational Consolidation Location: Medford Funding award: 2005 $3,000; 2004 $3,000 Local Grants DUDEs is an organization of disabled people and their families and caregivers who assist with counseling, advice, and advocacy for disabled people whose rights to adequate health care are being denied. They engage in political action, help draft legislation, and educate legislators regarding the conditions of the disabled, and raise public awareness about the needs and problems faced by the disabled community. Project: Immigrants Rights Workshops Organization: VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project Location: Portland area Funding award: 2005 $3,000; 2004 $5,000; 2003 $5,000; and 2002 $5,000 Local Grants - 2002 $25,000 National Grant- special grant to support immigrant rights work. VOZ is a worker-led organization of day laborers that develops leadership and empowers members to build constructive relationships with employers and authorities. VOZ members gain control over their lives and working conditions and improve relations with businesses and the community by conducting educational workshops and dispelling stereotypes about day laborers. VOZ established a living wage of $9/hour, recovered over $80,000 in unpaid wages, and trained workers in computer use and the English language. Catholic Campaign for Human Development Grants are awarded on the basis of need and not religious affiliation. (FYI : Attached is the Justice and Peace Newsletter for November).

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Catholic monies should at least be used for organizations that are not anti-Catholic: that is true justice. More Catholics are speaking out about these abuses throghout the United States. When the Pro-Life ministry of Oregon Catholics has less than $5,000 to save the lives of unborn children, we have truly failed to see the poorest of the poor. May God Bless and Give Us Courage.

Bishop Vasa's Curriculum for The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality from Rome

“The purpose of this program is to offer assistance to

parents based on the science of child development to form healthy and secure relationships with their children. The secure attachment relationship assures that children will develop with empathy, self-control, and harmonious personalities. The most important protection children have against developing aggressive and violent behaviors, including sexual abuse, is the empathic and nurturing secure attachment to their parents beginning in the first year of life. In turn, this same relationship protects children from becoming victims of abuse.”

- The Most Reverend Robert F. Vasa

In the quest to honor children and their parents and Our Lord.  There has been created "Healthy Families - Safer Children..  http://securechild.org/

Table of Contents

 Program I. Changing the Culture

Section One: The Crisis of Culture
Section Two: The Development of the Child
Section Three: Proactive Parenting for Safe and Moral Children

Program II. Child Development

Section One: Secure Attachment
Section Two: Insecure Attachments and Healing
Section Three: Adult Attachment Relationships

Program III. Authoritative Parenting

Section One: Discipline and Emotions
Section Two: Styles of Parenting
Section Three: The Marriage-Centered Family

Program IV. Moral Development

Section One: Moral Formation in Early Childhood
Section Two: Moral Emotions
Section Three: The Adolescent and Morality

Program V. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality

Section One: Educating for Love and Chastity
Section Two: Sacred Parental Responsibilities
Section Three: Subsidiarity and Parents’ Rights

Program VI. Healing the Family, the Community, and Culture

Section One: Healing the Broken
Section Two: Healing the Parish and the Home

Section Three: Healing the Children

The way the Church teaches about love and intimacy is tangibly felt by reading the curriculum that our Archdiocese has chosen and the currculum of dignity in Healthy Families - Safer Children the Power of Relationships.  Catholic families can share a wholistic approach to teaching children .

Please read at least a little of this writing by Pope John Paul II. 

The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality

"Sex education, which is a basic right and duty of parents, must always be carried out under their attentive guidance, whether at home or in educational centers chosen and controlled by them. In this regard, the Church reaffirms the law of subsidiarity, which the school is bound to observe when it cooperates in sex education, by entering into the same spirit that animates the parents.

Bishop Vasa: Bastian of Common Sense & Good bye to Laurie Miller/Calendar Additions

Dear All, Continuing the effort to protect children and uphold the rights of parents. Here is Bishop Vasa's latest column. You can make sure are always informed by him weekly, just go to the websites and request this. Web: http://www.sentinel.org/ecolumn/ Email: vasa-ecolumn@sentinel.org ************************ E-Column by Bishop Robert Vasa ************************ REVISING STATUTES, SEX ABUSE CONCERNS AND PROMOTING VOCATIONS BEND -- The work at the Annual Presbyteral Assembly centered on the revision of the diocesan statutes and guidelines. I found the discussion to be animated and lively, interesting and interested. It seemed to me that the priests took the work we were engaged in very seriously and recognized that it was important not only for them personally but for the diocese as a whole. I found myself wonderfully energized by and grateful for their conscientiousness in tending to details that at times were nothing but tedious. Having heard the comments and suggestions of the priests and continuing to hear the comments and suggestions of the laity, I am now in a much better position to script the next revised draft. My hope is that the next draft can be ready in the next few months and that it can be reviewed once more at the deanery level and then put into final form for official adoption prior to the end of 2006. There are several sections that require further very serious review and at least one, relating to clergy health care benefits and retirement, that still needs some rather major work. I am most hopeful, at this time, that the document ultimately produced can serve the Church of Eastern and Central Oregon at least as well as its predecessors have served the diocese in the past. Pray that it is so. That used up a significant portion of the week. Another thing that occupied a lot of time was trying to respond to all the folks across the nation who wrote and mostly emailed with expressions of concern about "safe environment" programs for children. My public expression of my own concerns and questions seems to have created a kind of locus to which a significant number of concerned parents have gravitated. I am not ready at this time to pursue publicly the questions I raised in a past column, but I do want to engage in as thorough a study of this issue as necessary to allay, if possible, my own fears and concerns. A number of people have sent links to articles and websites as well as their own questions and concerns, and I appreciate the level of interest in this topic. It shows me that there are many folks out there who share my fears and concerns and whose concerns are so grave that they have withdrawn their children from such programs, refused to offer these programs to the children of others and objected to participation in them themselves. It seems to me that this is a very serious issue that needs to be weighed and considered most assiduously from a Catholic perspective to try to determine if the fears presented and questions asked have any validity. Proceeding to mandate programs of questionable value or origin under the guise that we hope they will be an effective means of keeping children safe in the future just does not sound right. At the very least, I have an obligation to assure myself, after some kind of due diligence, that these programs do not violate basic Catholic principles, unduly usurp parental rights or contradict basic common sense. It seems to me that the questions are serious enough to receive serious consideration, and a knee-jerk reaction that this is simply a group of "radical right organizations . . . working feverishly to keep our children in the dark about their sexuality and their right to make determinations about their own lives" is simply too dismissive. Many of the same objections which are raised about the highly questionable sex-education programs offered or mandated in schools for children of all ages may be applied legitimately to "safe environment" programs. I certainly do not want to confuse the two issues, for they are different, but some of the principles are certainly the same. I hope to continue to pursue this issue with the hope of coming to some fuller understanding of the dynamics involved. The study of these dynamics needs especially to extend to the children themselves. In 1995 Focus on the Family published a report on an organization known as SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States), which has, among other even more disturbing citations, these two. The first by an original SIECUS board member: "Incest between adults and younger children can prove to be a satisfying and enriching experience." The second by a SIECUS co-founder: "The major effects of [child sexual molestation] are caused not by the event itself but by outraged, angry, fearful, and shocked reactions of the adults who learn of it." Unfortunately, this same organization, and others like it, actually endorse some of the programs supported and promoted and mandated for our Catholic children under the guise of keeping them safe. One such program was actually designed by the purveyors of such tripe. Ever hear of a wolf in sheep's clothing? This is an area where parents have a most serious personal obligation to ensure that their children are not inadvertently exposed to principles and values that may be contradictory to those held by the parents or at a time not of the parents' choosing. At the same time I want to reiterate that I endorse the safe-environment programs sponsored for adults and those in positions of responsibility for children in our parishes and schools. I encourage all parents to take the valuable time to view the available materials so that you can be better instructed in the very real risks that face your children and from which, I am convinced, only you can protect them. My weekend travels took me a short piece up the road to Grass Valley and Wasco where I celebrated a Confirmation Mass. The three youngsters could not hide in the crowd as I questioned them, and I suspect there was this sweet and sour mix of both loving and hating the rather personalized attention focused on them. They did extremely well. The three topics that I have committed myself to promote worked their way into the Confirmation sermon, namely, vocations to the priesthood and Religious life, evangelization and adult religious education. In keeping with the promotion of vocations theme, one young man told his pastor that he had thoughts of being a priest. I subsequently sent an encouraging card, to which the young man reportedly reacted negatively. His response, "Dad, I was just being nice; I did not really mean it." I suspect that even "just being nice" may be a sign of a future vocation to the priesthood. Pray it is so. ****************************************************************************************************** To have a child die seems so "out of order". It doesn't seem fair somehow. May Laurie's short and sweet life make us thankful for our years and do our best to glorify our Creator and work for His Kingdom with the time He has given us. Rest in His Perfect Peace, dear Laurie. Laurie N. Miller March 2, 1994 - October 15, 2005 Laurie N. Miller, 11, of Turner died Oct. 15 after a two-year battle with cancer. She was born in Salem to Thomas and Christy (Rose) Miller. She lived near Salem for a short time before moving with her family to the Turner area. She was a sixth-grade student at St. Mary Catholic School in Stayton. She designed a Nike tennis shoe that was sold to raise money for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. She was the honorary hostess for the “Walk with Laurie” that was held in August in Stayton to raise funds for Doernbecher and the Livestrong Foundation. She enjoyed playing soccer and softball as well as doing arts and crafts. She also enjoyed spending time with her family. She was preceded in death by two great-grandfathers and uncles, Rob Miller and Ernie Kuenzi. Survivors include her parents; siblings, Lee, Clayton, Michael, Maria, Karen, Melissa and Dorathy, all of Turner; grandparents, Valentine and Dolores Miller of Brooks and Eugene and Karen Rose of Turner; and great-grandparents, Irene Rose of Albany and Dora Gilbert of Burns. Remembrances: St. Mary Catholic School, Stayton, or Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland. Side Note: To help the family in a more tangible way, Laurie's god-mother, Mary Belleque, would be happy to receive any donations to help the family with necessities she observes. Her address is 3405 Deerpark NE., Salem 97305 or call 503-390-6921. ******************************************************************************************************** Thursday, Friday, Saturday - October 20-22 - 74th Annual Catholic Medical Assn. Conference, PDX "The Biological and Spiritual Development of the Child" This promises to be an excellent conference at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Portland. All clergy, educators, parents as well as doctors, nurses, etc., are invited. Dr. Lynne Bissonnette-Pitre, local Portland Physician, is coordinator. Total information about the conference can be obtained at www.cathmed.org Tuesday, October 25th - Vicarate Celebration, Church of the Ressurection, Tualatin Quarterly vicariate celebration of the chaplet of Divine Mercy for Life at the Church of the Resurrection in Tualatin from 5:30 to 7 p.m. . It will be a mass with a Litany for Life, part of the vicariate observance of prayer, remembrance and fasting for life. Friday, Saturday, Sunday - October 28-30, Mother/Daughter Retreat, "Falling in Love, Mary and the Eucharist, Mt. Angel Abbey Sister Therese Improgo, O.S.F. - Retreat Facilitator Sister Therese Improgo is currently on staff at Our Lady of Peace Retreat Center in Beaverton, OR as a spiritual director and private retreat director. In past years, she has been principal, vice principal and teacher in the Catholic School Systems of Oregon and California. She holds a Masters Degree in Theology from the University of San Francisco, enjoys reading, hiking, singing and has traveled to Europe, the Holy Land, Southeast Asia and the Far East. "In today¹s society much of our time is spent in 'hurry-up-and-wait' situations. How do we make this precious time an adventure with God? Come and See!" For reservations contact Mount Angel Abbey Retreat House St. Benedict, OR 97373 /503-845-3025 Retreat begins with registration on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and ends on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. $180.00 for Mother/Daughter sharing a room; $200.00 for Mother/Daughter in separate rooms; $60.00 for each additional Daughter Fee includes meals, lodging, use of facilities and retreat program $35.00 DEPOSIT REQUIRED ********************************************************************************************************** If you have a daughter, maybe it's time to make this retreat. Life and time is too precious to waste. God Bless you all until the end of time, Carolyn The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6 VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 Member of Catholic Media Coalition "Inline with the Church, online with the world"

"Abusing God's Children" part two

EXAMPLE LESSONS

During the introductory meetings at which "Talking about Touching" was presented in Norwood, the parents were given examples of lessons that would be presented to students.
In a 3rd grade class, the students would be given the following story:
This is Kerry. She is worried about something that happened to her last week when she spent the night with one of her friends. Her friend's older brother came into the bedroom, put his hand under the covers of the bed Kerry was sleeping in, and touched her vagina (private parts). She said, "Stop that!" in an assertive voice. He stopped, but then he told her to keep it a secret. Kerry is wondering what she should do. Question: How do you think Kerry felt when her friend's brother touched her vagina...

In the 1st grade, children would receive this instruction:
Cole and Mai are playing at the beach. When they go to the beach, they wear bathing suits. Their bathing suits cover up the private parts of their bodies. On boys, the bathing suit covers his penis in front and buttocks or bottom in the back. Those are his private body parts. The girl's bathing suit covers her vulva, vagina, and breasts in front, and buttocks or bottom in the back. These are her private body parts.

A 2nd grade class would be presented with this example:
This is Alex. He was visiting his aunt and uncle. Alex and his uncle were watching television and eating popcorn. His uncle told Alex that he had a special game he could play. He called it the "touching game." He said, "Let's take off our clothes and touch each other's private body parts." Alex knew this game wasn't safe, so in a strong voice he said, No, I don't want to do that." Then he got off the couch and left the room. When he got home he told his mom and dad what had happened. Alex's parents were glad that he said "No" to his uncle. They were also glad that Alex had told them what his uncle said to him.

The objection might be raised that the last scenario itself imparts a false lesson. The situation may or may not be "safe," but it is unquestionably wrong. Most children would feel a natural revulsion toward the uncle's actions, but rather than affirm that revulsion and engage in moral discourse, the children are instead presented with the vague secular idea of "wellness."

The "Talking about Touching" material could also frighten young students, parents suggested, because the case studies could encourage them to see familiar adults as threats to their innocence. In several of the scenarios presented in the curriculum, the perpetrators of attempted abuse are a mother's boyfriend or foster parents. "Their minds don't need that," said Pauline Irwin, mother of three girls at the school. "You start putting these things into kids' heads."

When several parents questioned the program's emphasis on the use of explicit terms for reproductive organs, they were advised that this terminology was necessary so that the children could be "good witnesses" for prosecutors if abuse did occur. That answer provoked two objections.

First, it seemed grossly unrealistic to suggest that a prosecutor could not make use of testimony in which a child referred to his "private parts." Second, and far more important, the children were being trained as witnesses in abuse cases, a seeming admission that such cases are inevitable at the expense of their own innocence. In other words, the "Talking about Touching" campaign was pushing the children into an unwanted position as the first line of defense against abusers, putting children at risk in the name of protecting children!

THE COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN
The genesis of the "Talking about Touching" curriculum provides a fascinating case study in how secular forces - and highly questionable forces at that come into play within a Catholic-school curriculum.
The curriculum was funded by the State of Washington and produced by the Seattle-based Committee for Children. This committee is a non-profit organization that grew out of 1970s group called Judicial Advocates for Women, which itself originally grew out of Seattle COYOTE, and whose initial mission was to "educate the public about the realities of prostitution." In fact, COYOTE is an acronym for "Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics;" the group was founded in 1973 "to work for the repeal of the prostitution laws and an end to the stigma associated with sexual work." As of 1997, Seattle COYOTE's executive director was Catherine LaCroix, who billed herself as a "Dianic Wiccan priestess" and a "Shameless Sacred Whore."

The curriculum itself consists of lesson plans for children from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade and will cost each parish about $2,500 for the complete set. Sales of this program as well as other child-safety curricula netted the Committee for Children more than $8 million in revenue in 2001, according to its filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

"Talking about Touching," while recommended by numerous groups including SIECUS, an organization known for promoting the breaking down of taboos against adult-child sex, was proposed for use by the Archdiocese of Boston by the blue-ribbon Commission for the Protection of Children. The commission set up by Cardinal Bernard Law in 2002 amid the firestorm of criticism against the cardinal and the archdiocese for the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations against priests over several decades. Its overall mission was to recommend policies for the prevention of child abuse.

The commission's members included a dozen business leaders, mental health professionals, and educators, but no theologians, official representatives of the archdiocese, or even Catholic parents. As one Norwood parent observed, it seemed odd that the cardinal, who had excused the shuffling of predator priests from parish to parish by saying that the Church relied on psychiatrists and doctors, would turn to the same secular "experts" to come up with a program to prevent child abuse.

THE LIABILITY ISSUE
One of the primary reasons for implementing a curriculum that was available immediately, rather than developing an original program that could take Catholic moral principles into account, may have been the requirements of the archdiocese's insurers to decrease legal liability. In fact, "Talking about Touching" was accepted by the commission on the recommendation of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group (NCRRG), an insurance group formed in 1988 by the US bishops, which has also developed a companion program for training of adult parish leaders, called "Protecting God's Children." That group's primary mission is "financing and managing the liability risks of the Catholic Church" through "cost-effective excess liability programs."

In the end the Archdiocese of Boston has made it clear that the "Talking about Touching" curriculum will be implemented in schools and parish religious education with or without parents' support - although Father Coyne, the archdiocesan spokesman, has conceded that the mandatory requirement of the program for all parochial school children will be reconsidered.

Still, many of the concerned parents in the Boston archdiocese are unwilling to wait and see whether their children will have to endure these lessons in their schools during the next academic year. "We will be homeschooling my daughter next year," William Germino said, adding that he knows of at least one other parent who has already pulled his child out of the school. John Bettinelli added, if nothing changes in relation to the program, "We will have to homeschool. We'll have no option at that point." And the controversy shows no sign of abating, as parents with children in other Boston-area Catholic schools are joining the Shared Concerns of School Parents group at an increasing pace, and national media attention is being focused on what could be a model program for other US dioceses.


Even if they do choose to homeschool their children, the parents may be faced with another crisis in a few years, when those children are ready to receive the sacraments. If the parents cannot in good conscience send their children to parish religious-education programs that include the "Talking about Touching" curriculum, will the children be able to receive First Communion, or to be confirmed? At this point none of the parents in Norwood can answer that question. They only know that today, they may have no other options.
Author, Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. is the Managing Editor of CWR (Catholic World Report).
The Shared Concerns of School Parents web site is at (www.germino.biz/scsparents/).

"Abusing God's Children"

Background Information on Programs for Oregon Catholic Children

Guest Commentary
Abusing God’s Children - Part 1, 2, and 3
By Thomas Augustine
www.MichNews.com
Sep 14, 2005

Talking about Touching 

By Domenici Bitingly, Jr.
A controversial, mandatory child-abuse prevention program in Boston parochial schools
has alienated parents who simply want to assert their rights.

June 1, 2003 (CAR) - In March, a group of parents of students at St. Catherine of Siena school in Norwood, Massachusetts, gathered at their suburban Boston parish for a presentation on a new curriculum that will be taught to all students. The program was to be inaugurated this year for children at the class levels from pre-kindergarten to the 4th grade; next year it would be expanded to cover the 5th through 8th grades at all parochial grammar schools in the archdiocese.

Although the program is billed as a broad-based "personal safety" curriculum, in practice the focus is more specific. The course is entitled "Talking about Touching," and it is primarily a response by the Archdiocese of Boston to the clergy sex-abuse scandal.

As the parents were given their first exposure to the curriculum through an introductory video, some of them were shocked at what it contained. The video opened with the tableaux of a young child of about 5 years old asking his mother, "Mommy, what is sex?" And the mother responds, "Sex is when two people get undressed and rub their private parts together."

At that point John Bitingly, a father of three boys who are students at the school (and the brother of this writer), knew something was wrong. "There was no mention of chastity or love, that the two people should be married, or even that they should be of the opposite sex," he said. Referring to the video itself, he said, "And whether the child (in the video) was an actor or not, I knew that the child had just been sexually abused."
Some of the parents in Norwood were concerned that such a troubling, secular understanding should be at the heart of a curriculum being taught in a Catholic school and touching on such a sensitive topic.

But when they asked whether they would be able to have their children excused from the lessons, they were first challenged, "Why would you want to?" When they pressed, they were told that this year their children could be exempted, but that the Archdiocese of Boston had decided that every child in parochial schools and religious-education programs would be required to receive training in the sex-abuse program beginning next fall.

So these parents--all of them loyal and orthodox Catholics, active members of their parish--began to organize, and to inform themselves about their rights as parents of Catholic-school children.
The parents had several significant concerns:

• Their parental authority, as outlined in Church teaching and canon law, was being usurped;
• The program's contents violated their children's innocence;
• There were secular, worldly principles being fostered in the program that were inimical to their own Catholic principles; and
• The curriculum placed their children as the first line of defense for the archdiocese against legal liability.

PARENTAL AUTHORITY
Several fathers first approached the pastor of St. Catherine's parish, Msgr. Cornelius McCrae. The pastor urged them to organize the parents who were concerned, which they did, forming the group that took on the title "Shared Concerns of School Parents."

Msgr. McCrae proved friendly and helpful, but he made the revealing statement that, as a priest in Boston in the current climate, he could not publicly oppose the program, because he could not risk being seen as an opponent of any measure that might conceivably protect children from clerical abuse. So the parents, he said, would have to undertake their own campaign.

The Norwood parents did exactly that, organizing a meeting at which the cadre of concerned parents would present their objections to other members of the parish. This meeting was originally to be a lay-run affair, but then Msgr. McCrae changed his mind, and said that the meeting would be run by school administrators and archdiocesan officials, including Deacon Anthony Risotto, the director of the Boston archdiocese's newly formed Office of Child Advocacy, Implementation, and Oversight.

At that April meeting, the parents confronted the deacon with their dismay at being required to involve their children in a program that would, in their informed opinion, expose their children to harmful material. In asserting their rights, they presented the Church's teaching, including Pope John Paul It's words from his 1981 apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio:

Sex education, which is a basic right and duty of parents, must always be carried out under their attentive guidance, whether at home or in educational centers chosen and controlled by them. In this regard, the Church reaffirms the law of subsidiarity, which the school is bound to observe when it cooperates in sex education, by entering into the same spirit that animates the parents.

Deacon Rizzuto's response, reported by several of the parents who attended the meeting, was that he had not read any of the Church documents to which they were referring, including Familiaris Consortio and Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, a 1995 document of the Pontifical Council for the Family. In fact the deacon, a retired Air Force officer, had no particular claim to expertise in the fields of family life or child protection; he had been chosen to head the new archdiocesan office from his most recent post as overseer of the archdiocese's cemeteries.


And Deacon Rizzuto replied simply that the unhappy parents should trust the teachers and the archdiocese. Rizzuto added that alternative programs and "making this program more Catholic" were options that could possibly be considered, but unless there were "enough concerned families," nothing was likely to change. And it was not clear how "enough concerned families" could be mobilized, if loyal parishioners were being encouraged to set aside their concerns and trust their teachers.

The Norwood parents were not to be so easily dissuaded from voicing their concerns. William Germino, father of a 5-year-old girl in a pre-kindergarten class, said he was concerned that the way in which sensitive material was presented in the "Talking about Touching" program would do more harm than goo--that use of explicit terms for male and female reproductive organs in front of a 5-year-old, and examples of "You put your hand in my pants and I'll put mine in yours," could very well "upset or frighten small children." He added, "It has the potential to undermine their innocence."

Despite such concerns, the Boston archdiocese has decided that parents will not be able to have their children exempted from the lesson plans. Nor will parents even be allowed to monitor the classrooms in which their children are exposed to this sensitive material. In an interview with the Associated Press, Father Christopher Coyne, the official spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, reasoned that parents are not forced to send their children to Catholic schools, or to keep them in parochial schools if they object to particular programs.

He did not address the fact that the same curriculum will be implemented in religious-education classes for those students who do not attend Catholic schools, so that students may not be considered qualified to receive the sacraments if they do not take instruction in the "Talking about Touching" program.

Echoing the advice presented by Deacon Rizzuto, Father Coyne said that the parents of schoolchildren should trust their teachers and administrators. "At a certain point, you buy a program," he told the Associated Press.
But what is it, exactly, that parents of Boston schoolchildren are being asked to "buy into?" It is important to recall that the "Talking about Touching" program was brought into the Boston parochial schools in response to public outrage over the sexual abuse of children by priests of the archdiocese. Should concerned parents now "buy into" a program that they recognize as abuse in a different guise?

Moreover, the sex-abuse scandal that has shaken the Boston archdiocese was perhaps caused, and certainly aggravated, by the failure of chancery officials to respond to parents' complaints. When lay people complained about the behavior of abusive clerics in the past, they were ignored, or kept at arm's length, and assured that the clergy knew how to deal with the situation.

Now, after having seen the grotesque consequences of that approach, Boston's parents are again being advised to trust the "experts." And in a direct clash with the teachings of the Church, which clearly teaches that parents are the best "experts" in the formation of their own children, in this case the "experts" recognized by archdiocesan officials are psychologists, teachers, and administrators.

EXAMPLE LESSONS

During the introductory meetings at which "Talking about Touching" was presented in Norwood, the parents were given examples of lessons that would be presented to students.
In a 3rd grade class, the students would be given the following story:
This is Kerry. She is worried about something that happened to her last week when she spent the night with one of her friends. Her friend's older brother came into the bedroom, put his hand under the covers of the bed Kerry was sleeping in, and touched her vagina (private parts). She said, "Stop that!" in an assertive voice. He stopped, but then he told her to keep it a secret. Kerry is wondering what she should do. Question: How do you think Kerry felt when her friend's brother touched her vagina...

In the 1st grade, children would receive this instruction:
Cole and Mai are playing at the beach. When they go to the beach, they wear bathing suits. Their bathing suits cover up the private parts of their bodies. On boys, the bathing suit covers his penis in front and buttocks or bottom in the back. Those are his private body parts. The girl's bathing suit covers her vulva, vagina, and breasts in front, and buttocks or bottom in the back. These are her private body parts.

A 2nd grade class would be presented with this example:
This is Alex. He was visiting his aunt and uncle. Alex and his uncle were watching television and eating popcorn. His uncle told Alex that he had a special game he could play. He called it the "touching game." He said, "Let's take off our clothes and touch each other's private body parts." Alex knew this game wasn't safe, so in a strong voice he said, No, I don't want to do that." Then he got off the couch and left the room. When he got home he told his mom and dad what had happened. Alex's parents were glad that he said "No" to his uncle. They were also glad that Alex had told them what his uncle said to him.

The objection might be raised that the last scenario itself imparts a false lesson. The situation may or may not be "safe," but it is unquestionably wrong. Most children would feel a natural revulsion toward the uncle's actions, but rather than affirm that revulsion and engage in moral discourse, the children are instead presented with the vague secular idea of "wellness."

The "Talking about Touching" material could also frighten young students, parents suggested, because the case studies could encourage them to see familiar adults as threats to their innocence. In several of the scenarios presented in the curriculum, the perpetrators of attempted abuse are a mother's boyfriend or foster parents. "Their minds don't need that," said Pauline Irwin, mother of three girls at the school. "You start putting these things into kids' heads."

When several parents questioned the program's emphasis on the use of explicit terms for reproductive organs, they were advised that this terminology was necessary so that the children could be "good witnesses" for prosecutors if abuse did occur. That answer provoked two objections.

First, it seemed grossly unrealistic to suggest that a prosecutor could not make use of testimony in which a child referred to his "private parts." Second, and far more important, the children were being trained as witnesses in abuse cases, a seeming admission that such cases are inevitable at the expense of their own innocence. In other words, the "Talking about Touching" campaign was pushing the children into an unwanted position as the first line of defense against abusers, putting children at risk in the name of protecting children!

THE COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN
The genesis of the "Talking about Touching" curriculum provides a fascinating case study in how secular forces - and highly questionable forces at that come into play within a Catholic-school curriculum.
The curriculum was funded by the State of Washington and produced by the Seattle-based Committee for Children. This committee is a non-profit organization that grew out of 1970s group called Judicial Advocates for Women, which itself originally grew out of Seattle COYOTE, and whose initial mission was to "educate the public about the realities of prostitution." In fact, COYOTE is an acronym for "Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics;" the group was founded in 1973 "to work for the repeal of the prostitution laws and an end to the stigma associated with sexual work." As of 1997, Seattle COYOTE's executive director was Catherine LaCroix, who billed herself as a "Dianic Wiccan priestess" and a "Shameless Sacred Whore."

The curriculum itself consists of lesson plans for children from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade and will cost each parish about $2,500 for the complete set. Sales of this program as well as other child-safety curricula netted the Committee for Children more than $8 million in revenue in 2001, according to its filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

"Talking about Touching," while recommended by numerous groups including SIECUS, an organization known for promoting the breaking down of taboos against adult-child sex, was proposed for use by the Archdiocese of Boston by the blue-ribbon Commission for the Protection of Children. The commission set up by Cardinal Bernard Law in 2002 amid the firestorm of criticism against the cardinal and the archdiocese for the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations against priests over several decades. Its overall mission was to recommend policies for the prevention of child abuse.

The commission's members included a dozen business leaders, mental health professionals, and educators, but no theologians, official representatives of the archdiocese, or even Catholic parents. As one Norwood parent observed, it seemed odd that the cardinal, who had excused the shuffling of predator priests from parish to parish by saying that the Church relied on psychiatrists and doctors, would turn to the same secular "experts" to come up with a program to prevent child abuse.

THE LIABILITY ISSUE
One of the primary reasons for implementing a curriculum that was available immediately, rather than developing an original program that could take Catholic moral principles into account, may have been the requirements of the archdiocese's insurers to decrease legal liability. In fact, "Talking about Touching" was accepted by the commission on the recommendation of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group (NCRRG), an insurance group formed in 1988 by the US bishops, which has also developed a companion program for training of adult parish leaders, called "Protecting God's Children." That group's primary mission is "financing and managing the liability risks of the Catholic Church" through "cost-effective excess liability programs."

In the end the Archdiocese of Boston has made it clear that the "Talking about Touching" curriculum will be implemented in schools and parish religious education with or without parents' support - although Father Coyne, the archdiocesan spokesman, has conceded that the mandatory requirement of the program for all parochial school children will be reconsidered.

Still, many of the concerned parents in the Boston archdiocese are unwilling to wait and see whether their children will have to endure these lessons in their schools during the next academic year. "We will be homeschooling my daughter next year," William Germino said, adding that he knows of at least one other parent who has already pulled his child out of the school. John Bettinelli added, if nothing changes in relation to the program, "We will have to homeschool. We'll have no option at that point." And the controversy shows no sign of abating, as parents with children in other Boston-area Catholic schools are joining the Shared Concerns of School Parents group at an increasing pace, and national media attention is being focused on what could be a model program for other US dioceses.


Even if they do choose to homeschool their children, the parents may be faced with another crisis in a few years, when those children are ready to receive the sacraments. If the parents cannot in good conscience send their children to parish religious-education programs that include the "Talking about Touching" curriculum, will the children be able to receive First Communion, or to be confirmed? At this point none of the parents in Norwood can answer that question. They only know that today, they may have no other options.
Author, Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. is the Managing Editor of CWR (Catholic World Report).
The Shared Concerns of School Parents web site is at (www.germino.biz/scsparents/).