Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 1357

What Can I Say?

Kevin O'Brien is perfectly right. Listen to him.

You Know What's Wrong with Me?

I'll *tell* you what's wrong with me. I just *will* not stop making excuses for Lila Rose! A reader over at the Register chews me out for calling her "great and heroic" before I go on to take issue with her lying:

You know what, I DON'T think Lila Rose is "great and heroic." She deliberately seeks out people (on the "Evil Heathen Team") with the sole purpose of lying and deceipt, in order to catch them--perhaps even to provoke them into--doing wrong.

What would the people on Team Pro-Life say if a young woman (from Team Evil Heathens) decided to pretned to be pregnant and do stings on crisis pregnancy centers?

Even more fitting, what would Team Catholic say if a young man (perhaps one who looked like a teenager) infiltrated a Life Teen program with the intent of catching the priest saying something inappropriate/sexual?

The mandatory reporting laws put anyone in a tough spot, and I'm sure that there are people (*GASP* even people on The Right Team) who have failed to report. (Remember that these laws bind nearly anyone in an occupation or role that deals with the public... which is a lot of folks.)

Frankly, I see a lot of potential for PP to GAIN support from the Live Action stings. They can fire the offending counselors, and then show their supporters how hypocritical and deceptive The Other Side is. The pro-life movement claims, aboves anything else, to have the moral high ground, often going beyond just the issue of abortion. If the so-called "hero" of the movement (Ms. Rose) got there through lies and deceipt, can we really expect hearts and minds to be changed by an example of hypocrisy?

If pro-lifers are going to claim to have the moral high ground, shouldn't an attempt be made to try and hold it?

I'm glad that's cleared up and I stand chastened under this sharp rebuke. I am really really sorry for overlooking the fact that lying is bad and heaping such uncritical praise on these dangerous tactics. Seeing any good in Lila Rose at all is *obviously* to endorse lying completely. I look forward to future rebukes for my dull inattentiveness to torture and consequentialism and for my slavish devotion to the American system of political parties. It's good to have readers who keep me in line. :)

The Creed

One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.

John Beeler Bait

A reader writes:

Here's coverage from the blog of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, MN of an annual event known as "Monte Cassino"

Here's the link to the blog post, complete with pictures, and it is certainly worth your while.

Monte Cassino basically transforms the Center for Catholic Studies into a 1950's era faux-Catholic casino. It's a really cool event!

Frank Weathers Mulls over Ash Wednesday...

and manages to work in a tune by Kansas. What's not to like?

Martin Kelly stands stalwart...

against the forces of evil that can't wait to slaughter the weak in the UK.

Tell it, Martin! May God raise up many more like you to restore the Countries that Used to be England and Scotland.

Yessiree

The whole "appeal to undercover cops to justify adopting the tactics of the enemy" argument is watertight.

My friend Bill Dodds

has written a new novel called Pope Bob.

You can also get it on Kindle.

Check it out!

Spiritually adopt...

a radical liberal for Lent. Your chance to do an odd spiritual work of mercy.

The Oracle of Bacon

is not infallible, I am shocked to report.

A friend informs me that I have a Bacon number of 3 according to the Oracle, but in fact, I am a 2: (Me->Teresa Denton (who was Lieutenant Dan's bride in Forrest Gump as well as in the cast of Manalive)->Tom Hanks (who was in Forrest Gump and in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon, America's greatest living actor).

It's vital to get these matters right. So much depends on it.