Malachi, Chapter 2, verse 5
My covenant with him was the life and peace which I gave him, and the
FEAR he had for me, standing in awe
of my name.
Margaret Sanger, whose American Birth Control League became Planned
Parenthood, was the founding mother of the birth-control movement. She is today
considered a liberal saint, a founder of modern feminism, and one of the
leading lights of the Progressive pantheon. Gloria Feldt of Planned Parenthood
proclaims, “I stand by Margaret Sanger’s side,” leading “the organization that
carries on Sanger’s legacy.” Planned Parenthood’s first black president, Faye
Wattleton — Ms. magazine’s
“Woman of the Year” in 1989 — said that she was “proud” to be “walking in the
footsteps of Margaret Sanger.” What Sanger’s liberal admirers are eager to
downplay is that she was a thoroughgoing racist who subscribed completely to
the views of E. A. Ross and other “raceologists.” Indeed, she made many of them
seem tame.
Sanger was born into a poor family of eleven children in Corning, New
York, in 1879. In 1902 she received her degree as a registered nurse.
In 1911 she moved to New York City, where she fell in with the
transatlantic bohemian avant-garde of the burgeoning fascist movement. “Our
living-room,” she wrote in her autobiography, “became a gathering place where
liberals, anarchists, Socialists and I.W.W.’s (Industrial Workers of the World)
could
meet.” A member of the Women’s Committee of the New York Socialist Party, she
participated in all the usual protests and demonstrations.
In 1912 she started writing what amounted to a sex-advice column for
the New York Call, dubbed “What Every Girl Should Know.”
The overriding theme of her columns was the importance of contraception. A
disciple of the anarchist Emma Goldman — another eugenicist — Sanger became the
nation’s first “birth control martyr” when she was arrested for handing out
condoms in 1917. In order to escape a subsequent arrest for violating obscenity
laws, she went to England, where she fell under the thrall of Havelock Ellis, a
sex theorist and ardent advocate of forced sterilization. She also had an
affair with H. G. Wells, the self-avowed champion of “liberal fascism.” Her
marriage fell apart early, and one of her children — whom she admitted to
neglecting — died of pneumonia at age four. Indeed, she always acknowledged
that she wasn’t right for family life, admitting she was not a “fit person for
love or home or children or anything which needs attention or consideration. ”Under
the banner of “reproductive freedom,” Sanger subscribed to nearly all of the
eugenic views discussed above. She sought to ban reproduction of the unfit and
regulate reproduction for everybody else. She scoffed at the soft approach of
the “positive” eugenicists, deriding it as mere “cradle competition” between
the fit and the unfit. “More children from the fit, less from the unfit — that
is the chief issue of birth control,” she frankly wrote in her 1922 book The
Pivot of Civilization. (The book featured an introduction by
Wells, in which he proclaimed, “We want fewer and better children…and we cannot
make the social life and the world-peace we are determined to make, with the
ill-bred, ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens that you inflict on us.”
Two civilizations were at war: that of progress and that which sought a
world “swamped by an indiscriminate torrent of progeny.” A fair-minded person
cannot read Sanger’s books, articles, and pamphlets today without finding
similarities not only to Nazi eugenics but to the dark dystopias of the
feminist imagination found in such allegories as Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale.
As editor of The Birth Control
Review, Sanger regularly published the sort of hard racists we normally
associate with Goebbels or Himmler. Indeed, after she resigned as editor, The Birth Control Review
ran articles by people who worked for Goebbels and Himmler. For
example, when the Nazi eugenics program was first getting wide attention, The Birth Control Review was quick to cast the Nazis in a positive
light, giving over its pages for an article titled “Eugenic Sterilization: An
Urgent Need,” by Ernst Rüdin, Hitler’s director of sterilization and a founder
of the Nazi Society for Racial Hygiene.
In 1926 Sanger proudly gave a speech to a KKK rally in Silver Lake, New
Jersey. One of Sanger’s closest friends and influential colleagues was the
white supremacist Lothrop Stoddard, author of The
Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy. In the book he offered his solution for
the threat posed by the darker races: “Just as we isolate bacterial invasions,
and starve out the bacteria, by limiting the area and amount of their food
supply, so we can compel an inferior race to remain in its native habitat.”
When the book came out, Sanger was sufficiently impressed to invite him to join
the board of directors of the American Birth Control League. Sanger’s genius
was to advance Ross’s campaign for social control by hitching the
racist-eugenic campaign to sexual pleasure and female liberation.
In her “Code to Stop Overproduction of Children,” published in 1934,
she decreed that “no woman shall have a legal right to bear a child without a
permit…no permit shall be valid for more than one child.” But Sanger couched
this fascistic agenda in the argument that “liberated” women wouldn’t mind such
measures because they don’t really want large families in the first place. In a
trope that would be echoed by later feminists such as Betty Friedan, she argued
that motherhood itself was a socially imposed constraint on the liberty of
women. It was a form of what Marxists called false consciousness to want a
large family.
Sanger believed — prophetically enough — that if women conceived of sex
as first and foremost a pleasurable experience rather than a procreative act,
they would embrace birth control as a necessary tool for their own personal
gratification. She brilliantly used the language of liberation to convince
women they weren’t going along with a collectivist scheme but were in fact
“speaking truth to power,” as it were.
This was the identical trick the Nazis pulled off. They took a radical
Nietzschean doctrine of individual will and made it into a trendy dogma of
middle-class conformity. This trick remains the core of much faddish
“individualism” among rebellious conformists on the American cultural left
today. Nonetheless, Sanger’s analysis was surely correct, and led directly to the
widespread feminist association of sex with political rebellion. Sanger in
effect “bought off” women (and grateful men) by offering tolerance for
promiscuity in return for compliance with her eugenic schemes.
In 1939 Sanger created the “Negro Project,” which aimed to get
blacks to adopt birth control. Through the Birth Control Federation, she hired
black ministers (including the Reverend Adam Clayton Powell Sr.), doctors, and
other leaders to help pare down the supposedly surplus black population. The project’s
racist intent is beyond doubt. “The mass of significant Negroes,” read the
project’s report, “still breed carelessly and disastrously, with the result
that the increase among Negroes…is [in] that portion of the population least
intelligent and fit.”
Sanger’s intent is shocking today, but she recognized its extreme
radicalism even then. “We do not want word to go out,” she wrote to a colleague,
“that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man
who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more
rebellious members. “It is possible that Sanger didn’t really want to
“exterminate” the Negro population so much as merely limit its growth. Still,
many in the black community saw it that way and remained rightly suspicious of
the Progressives’ motives. It wasn’t difficult to see that middle-class whites
who consistently spoke of “race suicide” at the hands of dark, subhuman savages
might not have the best interests of blacks in mind.
This skepticism persisted within the black community for decades.
Someone who saw the relationship between abortion and race from a less trusting
perspective telegrammed Congress in 1977 to tell them that abortion amounted to
“genocide against the black race.” And he added, in block letters, “AS A MATTER
OF CONSCIENCE I MUST OPPOSE THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR A POLICY OF KILLING
INFANTS.” This was Jesse Jackson, who changed his position when he decided to
seek the Democratic nomination.
Just a few years ago, the racial eugenic “bonus” of abortion rights was
something one could only admit among those fully committed to the cause, and
even then, in politically correct whispers. No more. Increasingly, this
argument is acceptable on the left, as are arguments in favor of eugenics
generally.
In 2005 the acclaimed University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt
broke the taboo with his critical and commercial hit Freakonomics (co-written with Stephen Dubner). The
most sensational chapter in the book updated a paper Levitt had written in 1999
which argued that abortion cuts crime. “Legalized abortion led to less
unwantedness; unwantedness leads to high crime; legalized abortion, therefore,
led to less crime.” Freakonomics excised
all references to race and never connected the facts that because the aborted
fetuses were disproportionately black and blacks disproportionately contribute
to the crime rate, reducing the size of the black population reduces crime. Yet
the press coverage acknowledged this and didn’t seem to mind.
In 2005 William Bennett, a committed pro-lifer, invoked the Levitt
argument in order to denounce eugenic thinking. “I do know that it’s true that
if you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose — you
could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go
down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing
to do, but your crime rate would go down.” What seemed to offend liberals most
was that Bennett had accidentally borrowed some conventional liberal logic to make
a conservative point, and, as with the social Darwinists of yore, that makes
liberals quite cross. According to the New
York Times’s Bob Herbert, Bennett believed “exterminating blacks would be a most
effective crime-fighting tool.” Various liberal spokesmen, including Terry
McAuliffe, the former head of the Democratic National Committee, said Bennett
wanted to exterminate “black babies.” Juan Williams proclaimed that Bennett’s
remarks speak “to a deeply racist mindset.”
Margaret's Mark on Education[2]
Ann Winfield has noted in her book, “Eugenics
Education in America” that education was designed to organize, classify, and
sort students according to a definition of ability and human worth provided by
a racialized scientism known as eugenics - an ideology whose ultimate goal was
the establishment of a superior White race. Eugenicists targeted entire ethnic
groups, the urban poor, rural «White trash, » the sexually «deviant, » Blacks,
Jews, Native Americans, Asians, Latino/as, and anyone who did not fit with the
pseudo-scientifically established «superior» Nordic race. Education leaders,
complaining of children of «worm-eaten stock, » established an enduring system
to organize and sort students according to perceived societal worth.
Little Sisters of the Poor[3]
My Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, at a word from you the devil and his minions flee in
terror. You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength. By
the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord To extend your
saving arm and to send your holy angels. To defend us as we do battle with
Satan and his demonic forces. Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses your
Bride, The Church, So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our
dioceses, and our nation. We may turn fully back to you in all fidelity and
trust. Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done. Give us the perseverance
for this mission, we pray. Amen
Our
Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St.
Joseph ... pray for us
St.
Michael the Archangel ... pray for us
(the
patron of your parish) ... pray for us
(your
confirmation saint) ... pray for us
"Freedom
from Treason" by Fr. Jim Altman
Dear
family, the very word "treason" stirs a fundamental loathing within
us toward the traitor. Nobody likes a traitor, a betrayer. Indeed, as to the
greatest traitor of all time, the betrayer of the Son of God, Jesus Himself
said "... woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It
would be better for that man if he had never been born." Mt 26:24
The
common understanding or definition of traitor is criminal disloyalty, typically
to the state. It is a crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against
one's nation or sovereign. Perhaps the most ancient figure that exemplifies
treason is Brutus, who betrayed Julius Caesar, through whom Shakespeare had
utter the famous words "et tu Brute?" - "and you, Brutus" -
even you, Brutus, my friend? Remember such similar, chilling words, spoken
2,000 years ago, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a
kiss?" Lk 22:48.
As
Americans - at least before the current historical revisionism - we have known
since schooldays what to think of treason. We were taught what to think through
classic examples that, like every good parable, imparted to us the sense of
right and wrong. On the one hand, we learned of the betrayal by Benedict
Arnold, whose name has become synonymous with treason. Benjamin Franklin wrote
that "Judas sold only one man, Arnold three million." On the other hand,
we learned of the glorious sacrifice of Nathan Hale who, as he stood before the
British gallows, uttered the renowned words "I only regret that I have but
one life to lose for my country."
Who
can forget the brave witness of Faith of Bishop St. John Fisher who refused to
apostatize himself before the malevolent King Henry VIII, whilst the rest of
the cowardly episcopacy bent to the will of a mere human. Who can forget the
more recent brave witnesses of the Mexican clergy-martyrs, like Blessed Miguel
Pro, or the incomprehensibly brave 14-year-old boy, St. José Sánchez del RÃo.
It
all fits together ... the secular revulsion we have toward the "Benedict
Arnolds" of the world, and the revulsion we have toward the
"Judases" who betrayed us in the Faith. It certainly explains the
revulsion that the faithful had for the grave betrayal of the abuse scandal. It
was bad enough that abuse occurred in the first place; it was immeasurably worse
when certain members of the hierarchy covered it up, it was much worse than
that when others who knew stood by and did nothing, and worst of all when some
of the hierarchy themselves were perpetrators. The grave consequences to the
faith of the faithful is well known.
But
it is easy to blame those we readily identify as Judases. It is a lot easier
to point the finger at other particularly evil traitors, but what about us? Let
us never forget the parable Jesus taught about those who were convinced of
their own righteousness. How often are we like the Pharisee who took up his
position in the Temple "... and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O
God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity-greedy, dishonest,
adulterous-or even like this tax collector." Lk 18:11
The
fact is that we all have been traitors. In fact, we all are traitors, to a
greater or lesser extent, maybe, but traitors nonetheless, every single time we
betray the Sacrifice on Calvary, every time we sin, in what we have done and in
what we have failed to do. We betray the Cross of Christ every time we refuse
to pick up our cross and follow Jesus to our own personal Calvary. For today,
let us look at what might be the most insidious way we betray Jesus in what we
have failed to do.
As
the great Archbishop Charles Chaput once said: "For Pope Benedict, lay
people and priests don't need to publicly renounce their Catholic faith to be
apostates; they simply need to be silent when their baptism demands that they
speak out, to be cowards when Jesus asks them to have courage." So, what
about us? What about our own treason?
Dear
family, in our PC-poisoned culture, we are stigmatized, chastised and
ostracized when we try to live out our Faith publicly. We are hammered by the
proposition that we are being "judgmental" when we stand up for the
Truths of our Faith. Yet, if we speak the unchanged and unchangeable Truth
about sin, and endure the repercussions for speaking up and speaking out,
should we not have the same attitude as Jesus to the temple guard, "If
I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why
do you strike me?" Jn 18:23
Let
us pray this day to be free from treason - from highest treason -
against Jesus our Lord, in what we do, but perhaps even more, in what we have
failed to do, by remaining silent when our baptism calls us to arms, to stand
up and speak out against sin in the world. Indeed, dear family, we will know we
have gone spiritually blind when we can see nothing significantly wrong with
something that God has called sin.
Prayer
of Reparation
My
Lord and my God, we have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts
to move our hearts toward treason. We have fallen into treason when we have not
lived up to the call of our Baptism by not acknowledging You before others. We
fear the persecution in every aspect of our lives, especially those things that
impact on our income, or on our social relationships. In our weakness, we have
been weak in Faith, and betrayed You like Peter in the courtyard, denying You
far many more times. In so many ways, we fear the ill-will of man more than we
fear the loss of Heaven. We turn to You Lord, in our weakness, and beg Your
forgiveness for our countless betrayals. We love You, Lord, and we beg for the
courage to say to others, "yes, I know Him Who is Lord of Heaven and
Earth." We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You,
we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever.
Prayer
of Exorcism
Lord
God of Heaven and Earth, in your power and goodness, you created all things. You
set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the
strength of your arm and Word of your mouth Cast from your Holy Church every
fearful deceit of the Devil Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that
oppress us and beckon us to faithlessness and fear. Still the lying tongue of
the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to your will.
Send your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in
charge of fear have planted in your church. Free us, our families, our parish,
our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the
Devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in your goodness Lord, we know if you
will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God
for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany
of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ,
hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God,
the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Blood
of Christ, only-begotten Son
of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, etc.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb
of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb
of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb
of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Thou
hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Let
us pray:
Almighty
and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of
the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that
we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be
safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its
fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Daily Devotions
·
Trust in God in the midst of troubles.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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