Friday, July 8, 2005
G-8 Summit Results

Although the summit completed less than hoped, the leaders of the summit have agree to raise Aid to Africa from $25 billion to $50 billion. This new update along with their decision to elimination all debts owed by the world's poorest nations is tremendous news.

Excerpt:

"Aside from the massive increase in aid for the African continent, leaders signaled support for new deals on trade, canceled the debt of some of the world's poorest nations, pledged universal access to AIDS' treatment, committed to a peacekeeping force in Africa and heard African leaders promise to move toward democracies that follow the rule of law, he said."

(Source: Associated Press)
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Eucharistic Miracles


As Catholics, we believe in transubstantiation where the bread and wine actually become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ at Mass in the Holy Eucharist). After this has taken place the only thing remaining of the bread and wine is the accidents. This philosophical and theological term refers to the sight, taste, smell – those items which concern the senses. There, however, have been occasions where even the accidents have vanished and the Eucharistic Host has visibly changed into human flesh and blood, proving that at Mass, even though our senses deceive us, that the bread and wine actually become the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Several times through history the divinity of Christ in this Supreme Sacrament has shown through the bread and wine in rare but miraculous events. These Eucharistic miracles not only confirm the Real Presence but also that Jesus Christ remains with us. The Miracle of Lanciano, Italy (8th Century); Cascia, Italy (1300s); Turin, Italy (1453), Sienna, Italy (1730) are just a few of these miraculous events. Others have occurred even within the past few decades. 

These stories are just some of the many such miracles that have occurred, and which still defy science. Visit the website of the Real Presence Association. They publish many different PDFs on these miracles. Print some off and share them with anyone you can.

During any Mass that is valid, the host is consecrated, and therefore Our Lord is present under the species of wine and bread, no matter how the reverence of the priest and of the assistants treat Him. This occurs even when the priest himself has doubts as to the Real Presence. 

In fact, Church history shows us that Eucharistic miracles often occur because of doubt or irreverence. At Lanciano, the priest doubted the Real Presence. At Cascia, the priest was irreverent by putting the host in his breviary for a sick call.

Remember, that whenever the mass is valid, Our Lord is present. God freely manifests His power by a miracle to rectify the attitude towards the reality of the Eucharist. May these miracles lead to greater reverence for our Lord in the Eucharist and the conversion of all outside of Holy Mother Church.

Learn more at the Real Presence Association
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Thursday, July 7, 2005
Countries Which Currently Permit Abortion


According to this Abortion Facts :

"54 countries allow abortion, which is about 61 percent of the world population. 97 countries, about 39 percent of the population, have abortion laws that make it illegal according to the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Law and Policy in New York."

Some countries that have outlawed abortion include Poland, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. The map above shows the general picture of abortion laws around the world.

Photo Source: Center for Reproductive Studies
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Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Enter Through the Narrow Gate


"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

It is clear in that segment of the Gospel as well as all other parts of Jesus Christ's teachings that the world is not the answer. Jesus Christ came to destroy sin, Satan, and death, but the world remains His enemy. Unfortunately, the devil controls much of this world (Matthew 4:9). The world that loves sin continues to drift away from God. This is clear in 1 John 2:15-17

"Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17)

We, too, must also walk the road that Christ walked to the Cross; we are to bear our sufferings and remain focused on God. We too must walk the small path that the world doesn't want to see and aid our brothers and sisters that our suffering. We, however, must learn to love the people of the world no matter their condition; we must show unconditional love to all as Christ showed to everyone the Cross when He died our eternal death and replaced it with eternal life.

It will be hard. Each and everyday we will have to choose between doing "fun" activities and praying. We will be assaulted by distracting in prayer. But, remember, you must be God and prayer first. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day at least in the morning and evening. God will provide you with the time needed to complete your daily tasks. But, you must put him first.

The word "holy" comes from the Latin word "Sanctus". And "Sanctus" doesn't mean "perfect" and "innocent" as most people would think. Above all, it means to be "different". For Jesus Christ was different, and for that He was insulted and ridiculed. Know that if you are following Jesus, the world and those that love sin will hate you too.

How can we make a difference?

We can simply pray to God that He make us one nation, "a royal priesthood", and a unified people where the helpless are defended - especially the unborn. We can offer our time and talent in many ways a variety of ways from being an organ donor to giving blood to contributing to the Church in other countries. There are so many choices, but the world always seems to be calling us away. Just keep focused on Jesus and know where your money is going. I always check Charity Navigator and make sure the company doesn't support Planned Parenthood (The largest abortion industry in the US) before I contribute.

There are many, many choices out there but one underlining one:

"Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

"Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it, and right is right even if nobody is doing it." -St. Augustine
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Monday, July 4, 2005
Why Faith-Alone (Sola-Fide) Is A False Doctrine


Faith Alone is Insufficient

While faith is necessary for salvation, the intellectual assent to God’s existence and revelation is not enough, in and of itself, to save a man. “Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble,” says St. James in his Epistle (Jam. 2:19). A man could certainly believe in God, be baptized, and then live a life of sin that would condemn his soul to hell. A man could also live a holy life for many years, but then give in to temptation, commit a mortal sin, and die separated from God. Those who claim otherwise fail to understand the malice of sin and forget that Our Lord will condemn those who merely give Him lip service (cf. Matt. 7:21). More than mere belief in our Divine Redeemer is necessary to save our souls, once again, as St. James testifies: “For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:26). Catholics would do well to familiarize themselves with the Church’s timeless teachings on this matter.

Objective vs. Subjective Redemption

When speaking of the Redemption, we begin with objective redemption, which deals with Christ. Objective redemption began when Christ was conceived and completed in His Resurrection. During that period, He fulfilled the prophecies of long ago and “was offered once to exhaust the sins of many,” that is, “for the destruction of sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:28, 26). Three days later, He rose from the dead, and we, too, believe that if we die in Christ, we also will rise with Him (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11). This is a central truth of the Faith, one that is expressed in the Creed.

Subjective redemption, however, is also vitally important to the Christian faithful in reaching Heaven because even though Christ died for all, not everyone chooses to cooperate with God’s salvific will and thus be saved. In other words, there are people who reject Jesus and the Redemption He won for us. Our Lord Himself alluded to this truth when He instituted the words of consecration for His Precious Blood, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Concerning this reality, St. Thomas comments: “The Blood of Christ has been shed for all concerning its sufficient power (quem ad sufficientam), but only for the elect as regards to its efficacy (quo ad efficiam).”

Christians have an obligation to grow in the Faith by following Christ in obtaining their salvation. We believe that salvation cannot be earned, but we do believe, as Catholics, that we have a responsibility to live a life of “faith that worketh by charity” (Gal. 5:6). Our Lord instructed the Apostles shortly before His Ascension, “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). He never told His followers to merely believe, teach others to accept Him as their “personal Lord and Savior,” then return to their previous ways of living.

By God's grace, we receive the gift of faith that allows us to believe. The works that we do, in turn, demonstrate our faith. Thus, we are saved by God's grace (cf. Eph. 2:8), but His grace in us must not be void (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10). “For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also, faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:26). Everyone, the highest kings and lowest servants alike, must put their faith into action in order to obtain salvation. Simply put, if you are in sanctifying grace you are saved, and grace is given freely by God so only He knows the state of your soul. This is precisely why frequent Confession is necessary because through this sacrament our souls are cleansed and restored to friendship with God.

Some Protestants will counter with Romans 3:28: “For we account a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law.” Notice, however, that St. Paul did not say faith alone. In his German translation of the New Testament, Martin Luther added the word “alone” to the above verse in a shameful attempt to legitimize his heresy of sola fide. Ironically, the only verse in Scripture that features the phrase sola fide (“faith alone” or “faith only”) categorically rejects Luther’s heresy: “Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?” (Jam. 2:24).

Faith and Works: Harmonizing Paul and James

To account for the apparent confusion between the Book of Romans and the Book of James is that St. Paul, in Romans, is talking about the works of the law required by the Jewish faith. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Jews were required to follow hundreds of other legal prescripts ranging from liturgical and dietary laws to the wearing of tassels on their cloaks. According to a strict interpretation of the Mosaic law, something as small as erasing a single letter written on a piece of paper on the Sabbath would break the law. For St. Paul, the former Pharisee, the debate is obviously not about Catholic versus Protestant, but about Jew versus Gentile and the requirements under the New Covenant, which has replaced the Old Covenant. 

Remember the words that Christ spoke during His Sermon on the Mount: “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). So must we, with a sincere heart, have works that glorify God. Our works will be an outward expression of our Faith, for faith without works is indeed dead. Long before the Protestant revolt, St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) asserted inspired words which surely apply to us in the 21st century: “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since He Himself cursed the fig tree when He found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.” 

Scripture Condemns Faith Alone

Besides the above - in particular the Book of James Chapter 2 - our Lord and the apostles always affirmed that mere belief in our Lord was never in itself sufficient to merit Heaven. Faith necessitates a life lived in conformity with His grace and His Commandments. The mere act of Faith does not merit us Heaven. Heaven is only possible to those who die in the state of grace.

"Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither idolaters, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Even if the people mentioned above believe, they shall not be saved!

"Neither fornicators nor adulterers . . . shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9). "You have heard that it was said to the Ancients, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say to you that anyone who so much as looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28). "Keep thyself chaste" (1 Tim. 5:22). "Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).

"For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). And this is in accordance with our Lord's own words in Matthew 25:31-46, where he relates that he will separate those on his right and his left based on their works. Commenting on this passage nearly a thousand years before the protestants came along, St. Augustine remarks how this Gospel passage illustrates the necessity of works accompanying the Faith we claim to profess.


Can faith alone, as the so-called Reformers assert, render man just and save him? The following is written by Fr. Goffine in his work "The Church's Year":
Faith alone, however strong, though it could move mountains, without love, that is, without good works performed for love of God and our neighbor, can never justify or save us. For, when St. Paul says, that man is justified by faith without works, (Rom. 3:28; 11:6; Eph. 2:8, 9) he means to refer to those works which were performed by command of the law of Moses, and which, as they were external and without true charity, were of no avail; he did not refer to those works which are performed in a state of grace with a lively, love-inspired faith.

Therefore the same Apostle writes to the Galatians: (Gal. 5:6) Faith only availeth which worketh by charity; to Titus: (Tit. 3:8) It is a faithful saying: and these things I will have thee affirm constantly: that they who believe in God, may be careful to excel in good works. These things are good and profitable unto men; and he exhorts the Colossians (Colos. 1:10) to be fruitful in every good work.

St. James confirms the same by saying: (James 2:17-24) So faith if it have not works, is dead in itself; by works man is justified and not by faith only. That this is the true doctrine of Christ is evident from His own words, when He says: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire." (Matt. 7:19) At the day of judgment Christ will demand good works from all men, (Matt. 25:35) and will not judge them only according to their faith, but by their good works, which true faith must always produce. (Apoc. 20:12)

Would Christ and His apostles demand good works, if faith alone be sufficient? "The devil's also believe and tremble," (James 2:19) they believe, but they are not saved, and their faith but increases their torments. Therefore, the assertion that faith without good works is sufficient for justification and salvation, is plainly against the doctrine of Christ and His Church, and must of necessity lead man to vice and misery, as shown by the history of the unhappy separation of the sixteenth century.
A Reflection by Father Franz Schmidberger entitled "The Errors of Luther and the Spirit of Today"
2. Sola fides (faith alone, not works)

An important objection against this Protestant error can also be raised here, first of all from Scripture itself.

a) In the Epistle of St. James we read that faith without works is dead; in the Apocalypse the dead are praised, ". . . for their works follow them." And in the Second Book of Maccabees we see the great hero Judas taking a collection for the fallen, that a sin-offering may be made; that it is a good and pious thought to pray for the dead.

b) Human nature itself reveals a connection between faith and works, as it consists of body and soul, whereby the soul is expressed in the body, the body is an instrument of the spiritual soul, and an exchange between body and soul cannot be denied. For example, if I make a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament, I proclaim the faith of the Church, that Christ truly, really and powerfully, with His divinity and humanity, body and soul under the appearances of bread, is present among us. By the same token every outward gesture, every sign of the cross and every bow, helps us to strengthen our faith. The soul is inwardly nourished by these outward signs. In this connection it is not to be forgotten that the separation of body and soul in death is only a temporary arrangement until the last day, when body and soul will again find their unity, yet distinct from one another.

Exactly the same relationship holds between faith and works. Faith expresses itself in works, as works without faith are dead, like the body without the soul. At the same time works are a true prolongation of faith, reflect back upon it, strengthen it and shape it.

c) As works belong essentially to faith, a blinding flash of light occurs in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Godhead; God comes visibly among us; He walks around for thirty-three years in our earthly flesh, He performs miracles and makes use of outward elements as, for instance, a mud plaster in the healing of a blind man, His finger in the healing of a deaf-mute; He cries out and prays aloud for the apostles' sake in the raising of Lazarus.

And thus the Church is His visible Body; the Sacraments are visible signs, which contain and bestow an inner, invisible grace and mediate it through the work itself; works are faith made visible; our cathedrals and churches, processions and pilgrimages, our seminaries and convents, all proclaim the eternal, living Truth which has broken into time.

Because God became man, therefore we bend the knee; because He went down into the dust of the earth, we throw ourselves on the ground in holy fear. All of nature should proclaim His works, all art should be put at His service and sing the praise of the Eternal One.

When we reverence the relics of the saints, we are praying to that uncreated Love which took weak man to Itself, opened Its throne to them and surrounded them with Its grace.

Not to be overlooked in this regard, the Catholic priest binds himself to celibacy and wears the black cassock, in order to show himself to other men as a man chosen from among men, to make visible in the world the presence of God.

It is therefore clear that works are not only a short-term or a long-lasting consequence of faith; they are part of faith and thus also a part of justification. Because parts of Holy Scripture are a direct contradiction to the sola fides theory of Luther, he did away with the Epistle of St. James, calling it an epistle of straw, the Apocalypse of doubtful authenticity, and the Books of Maccabees as definitely apocryphal. He himself not only attacked celibacy, but did not hesitate as a monk with perpetual vows, to marry an ex-nun, and to proclaim up and down the land—quoting the Second Epistle of St. Peter—the general priesthood of the laity to the detriment of the structures which Christ had established with His own Blood.

If we see work therefore as sign and fruit of Christian love, then the sola fides theory must become the gravedigger of that beautiful principle which, according to St. Paul, surpasses and survives faith and hope; and it alone remains, because it is eternal.
Conclusion

St. James makes it clear that simply believing in the existence of God is not enough because the demons do that and they are not saved. We are saved clearly by grace - evident by our faith and the way we live our lives.

"But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God. Who will render to every man according to his works. To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life: But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation" (Words of St. Paul in Romans 2:5-8)

Look at the words of St. John the Baptist: "Produce good works as evidence of your repentance... Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire". And look to Jesus's own words: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16)

We must have good works to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Only the Catholic faith teaches the true importance of good works alongside faith. Good works are essential as by these we show our Faith. Yet we know that is is ultimately God's grace in our soul (or lack thereof) at the moment of death that determines our eternal destiny.
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Sandra Day O'Connor Resigns

Update on Oct. 15, 2005:

Justice John Roberts has already been confirmed to the Supreme Court. Now let us keep the Court in our prayers that they might defend life for everyone from conception to natural death. I am hopeful that he will support life. He is a Catholic so he should support life.

May God bless America, and may America praise God.

Update on July 21, 2005:

I have just read that if Justice John Roberts is confirmed to the United States's Supreme Court, he will be the fourth Catholic on the court at the present time. His position on abortion is a little unsure, but his wife is a member of Feminists for Life. I think that he would serve our country well, but I certainly would like to hear his answers to abortion; I certainly hope he would vote against Roe vs. Wade, which legalized the murder of an unborn child.

Written on July 4th, 2005:

I'm asking anyone that hasn't done this action to please do so very soon.

As of last Friday, Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the US Supreme Court even though rumors suggested Chief Justice Renqheist would retire before her. In light of this announcement by Justice O'Connor, President George W. Bush must appoint a replacement to the High Court.

While on the court Sandra Day O'Connor was the major "swing" vote that could go either way. However, in most cases involving abortion, Justice O'Connor supported abortion, and now a major opportunity for the pro-life movement has opened up.

"She angered social conservatives by re-affirming abortion rights in several abortion-related cases, insisting states place "no undue burden" on those rights. Earlier this week, she sided firmly against Ten Commandments displays in both Texas and Kentucky" (Catholic Online).

Image Source: White House Photo by Paul Morse found on Wikipedia (Public Domain)
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Discussion topic: Contraception

This is Alex's views on the weekly discussion topic:

Besides those reasons already stated, contraception destroys the marital act in two additional concrete ways:

1) One of the most beautiful aspects of sex is fertility--the ability to create life with your spouse through the marital act of love. Contraception would eliminate procreation, holding back the fertility and therefore making the act an incomplete gift of self--a lie. No, the "l" in "love" does not stand for "latex." By holding back fertility, one attempts to diminish the act of love that God created for us--he insults God. He also insults his partner because he is telling her he loves her with all of himself, when in fact he is holding back the most beautiful aspect.

2) The second reason is that contraception is most responsible for making premarital sex as commonplace as it is today. Without the fear of having a pregnancy, or getting sexually transmitted diseases, couples (particularly teenage couples) can have sex any day of the week with little or no pressure and all of the pleasure. And none of the comittment, I might add. After contraception was widely legalized, divorce rates skyrocketed:"

Basically, there are two reasons. Contraception allows for marriage to become less child-centered and more focused on the emotional side of marriage. Therefore, people don’t stick together for the child. They stop seeing marriage as intrinsically linked to kids. When problems arise, people think it’s better to divorce — even if they do have kids — because they see marriage in primarily emotional terms.

Second, the introduction of the pill allowed more women to stay in the workforce after they married in ways that they would not have before. Prior to the pill, women typically would have married, had children and stopped working. Thus, after the contraceptive revolution, married women became more career-focused and economically independent. Women thus felt freer to divorce because they had more economic and social resources."(source: http://ccli.org/nfp/morality/socialscientist.php)"

Studies also show that those who have premarital sex are most likely not to get married and if they do get married; they are more likely to divorce than those who have not had premarital sex."
(source: http://www.marriageromance.com/stories/10802697703.htm)

These are both quite alarming statements--are marriages in society taking a bow to sex? The uprise in teen pregnancy seems to suggest this, as does the legalization of contraception, abortion, and same-sex unions (in some countries). Celebrity marriages don't seem to boost the popularity of marriage, either. Let's face it--sexual prudence is unpopular. But it is necessary if we are to have stable societies and maintain the institution of marriage as it needs to be maintained.

Premarital sex is a knife in your future spouse's back. I would know--I've felt this knife. It hurts. And contraception puts this knife in everyone's hands. That's a dangerous thought.

~AleX
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The Evils of Artifical Contraception


First off, the Catholic Church is opposed to all forms of artificial contraception.

In 1968, Paul VI issued his landmark encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (Latin for "Human Life") which reemphasized the Church’s constant teaching that it is always intrinsically evil to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence. Simply put, artificial contraception is contrary to the will of God.

Contraception is "any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" (Humanae Vitae 14). This includes sterilization, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides, coitus interruptus (withdrawal method), the Pill, and all other such methods.

Artificial contraception is wrong because it is opposed to the natural law of God. Some argue we need contraception to cut down on unwanted pregnancy and abortion. But, there should be no sex outside of marriage - fornication - because it is a mortal sin. Even looking at a woman/man lustfully is a sin (Matthew 5:29). Sex outside of marriage is mortally sinful. Only sexual activity between a husband and wife is permissible, and a husband and wife must be open to the transmission of human life. Artificial contraception destroys marital bonds.

Some forms of contraception (such as the morning after pill) can even produce an abortion. These forms of contraception kill upwards of 12 million lives in the US each year. (Source)

St. Thomas Aquinas, who is considered the greatest theologian in the history of the Church, ranks the evil of contraception immediately after that of homicide, in that the first destroys human nature and the second prevents it from coming into being.  (Source: Contra Gentes 1.3, c. 122)

Scripture also condemns contraception:

Gen 1:28, 9:1,7; 35:11 - from the beginning, the Lord commands us to be fruitful ("fertile") and multiply. A husband and wife fulfill God's plan for marriage in the bringing forth of new life, for God is life itself.

Gen. 28:3 - Isaac's prayer over Jacob shows that fertility and procreation are considered blessings from God.

(See More examples)

What about using condoms to stop AIDS?

We still must not use artificial contraception like condoms.

Artificial contraception damages the gift of self. It destroys marital bonds because it prevents the transmission of life. For those who argue condoms should be supported because they will save lives in the fight against AIDS, condoms will not save lives. What is needed is education to change the lifestyles of these people. They must be taught that chastity is to be valued and sexual relations outside of marriage are wrong. This is a must and if we can teach this we can save more lives.

If condoms are allowed then many countries will begin to support sex outside of marriage and I guarantee that AIDS will skyrocket. People do not realize that the AIDS virus is so small that it can be transmitted through a condom. Condoms are not effective.

From a comment in Catholic News Agency article:
We can see from results in Africa that the use of condoms spreads AIDS rather than stopping it. Tanzia went from 3 cases to over 2 million with condom use, while Uganda went from a 30% AIDS rate to only 6%, after it stopped condom use. Clearly condoms spread rather than stop AIDS transmission. The Church is right in rejecting them.
And again it comes down to our faith in the True Church of Jesus Christ. We should seek to understand everything and we must never go against the Church's teachings on faith and morals. As Paul VI proclaimed in his encyclical, Humanae Vitae, artificial contraception is contrary to the will of God.
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Sunday, July 3, 2005
Are you really Catholic?

Precepts of the Catholic Church:

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
3. You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
4. You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.
5. You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
6. The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his or her abilities.
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How did you find this site?

I just wanted to ask all readers to let me know how you found this site. I'm interested in finding the best way to generate traffic.

Thanks
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