SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS: Of Judie Brown's latest book, one reader writes, "God bless Judie Brown for having the courage to write this book! I wish every bishop could be given a copy to read prayerfully, asking the light of the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire them!"
TO ORDER: "Saving Those Damned Catholics" is available from ALL in hardcover or paperback. Call 866-LET-LIVE or purchase online at http://www.all.org/savingthosedamnedcatholics/.
SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS
Moderators: Johnna, MarieT, Denise
SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS
Devotion to the souls in Purgatory contains in itself all the works of mercy, which supernaturalized by a spirit of faith, should merit us Heaven. de Sales
The Forum: Hitting nails on heads
by Phil Lawler
special to CWNews.com
May. 2, 2008 (CWNews.com) - When a master carpenter drives in a nail, he doesn't take a long windup with his hammer. Quick, short strokes will do the trick. The important thing is to hit the nail directly on the head. Then hit it again. And again. And-- especially if you are dealing with hard wood-- again and again.
Judie Brown may not share my interest in carpentry, but she certainly does know how to drive home a point. In Saving Those Damned Catholics she hits the nail on the head so many times that the argument should penetrate even the thickest skull.
And that is roughly how the author herself might put it. After years at the forefront of pro-life activism, as head of the American Life League, Judie Brown is not shy about controversy. On the contrary, her approach is deliberately provocative. Her prose style is straightforward, her tone conversational, and her approach disarmingly candid. No reader will be left in doubt as to what she thinks about any of the subjects covered in this book.
Just for example, consider the very first sentence of the Preface: "Far too many Catholic bishops and priests-- perhaps even a majority-- are doing a lousy job of shepherding their flocks and saving souls." See what I mean? The message isn't confusing.
The task of saving souls is uppermost in Brown's mind throughout this book. The title was obviously chosen to make readers begin thinking, even before they opened the front cover, about the possibility that some Catholics may forfeit their opportunity for salvation. Judie Brown takes that possibility seriously, and every page testifies to her frustration over the failure of Church leaders to take it seriously, too.
Saving Those Damned Catholics examines the pro-life struggle in the United States, and more specifically on the treasonous behavior of many Catholics who have failed to condemn abortion or, far worse, actually promoted the slaughter of the unborn. Thousands of unborn lives are being lost each week, she reminds us, and hundreds of Catholic politicians are risking damnation by supporting the butchery.
"Pro-choice" Catholic politicians are not alone in their guilt, of course. The argument against killing the defenseless unborn child is built on the framework of natural law, which anyone can apprehend; this is not a sectarian issue. But Brown devotes special attention to the Catholic proponents of abortion because she, as a devoted Catholic, is appalled by the scandal created by her co-religionists.
She is equally horrified by the failure of Church leaders to exercise effective pastoral discipline over their flocks. The Church has condemned abortion repeatedly, unequivocally, energetically. The Vatican has also offered clear guidance on the moral obligation of Catholic politicians to oppose abortion. Yet on a practical level, in the United States the most prominent Catholic political figures have continued to support unrestricted abortion on demand, with no effective pastoral response from the hierarchy. Judie Brown doesn't understand, and neither do I.
This book will not win Judie Brown any new friends within the American Catholic hierarchy. But she hasn't set out to win friends. This book is designed to win arguments. But even that is a secondary purpose, really. Ultimately the author wants to save souls.
(Saving Those Damned Catholics is available in paperback directly from the American Life League.)
by Phil Lawler
special to CWNews.com
May. 2, 2008 (CWNews.com) - When a master carpenter drives in a nail, he doesn't take a long windup with his hammer. Quick, short strokes will do the trick. The important thing is to hit the nail directly on the head. Then hit it again. And again. And-- especially if you are dealing with hard wood-- again and again.
Judie Brown may not share my interest in carpentry, but she certainly does know how to drive home a point. In Saving Those Damned Catholics she hits the nail on the head so many times that the argument should penetrate even the thickest skull.
And that is roughly how the author herself might put it. After years at the forefront of pro-life activism, as head of the American Life League, Judie Brown is not shy about controversy. On the contrary, her approach is deliberately provocative. Her prose style is straightforward, her tone conversational, and her approach disarmingly candid. No reader will be left in doubt as to what she thinks about any of the subjects covered in this book.
Just for example, consider the very first sentence of the Preface: "Far too many Catholic bishops and priests-- perhaps even a majority-- are doing a lousy job of shepherding their flocks and saving souls." See what I mean? The message isn't confusing.
The task of saving souls is uppermost in Brown's mind throughout this book. The title was obviously chosen to make readers begin thinking, even before they opened the front cover, about the possibility that some Catholics may forfeit their opportunity for salvation. Judie Brown takes that possibility seriously, and every page testifies to her frustration over the failure of Church leaders to take it seriously, too.
Saving Those Damned Catholics examines the pro-life struggle in the United States, and more specifically on the treasonous behavior of many Catholics who have failed to condemn abortion or, far worse, actually promoted the slaughter of the unborn. Thousands of unborn lives are being lost each week, she reminds us, and hundreds of Catholic politicians are risking damnation by supporting the butchery.
"Pro-choice" Catholic politicians are not alone in their guilt, of course. The argument against killing the defenseless unborn child is built on the framework of natural law, which anyone can apprehend; this is not a sectarian issue. But Brown devotes special attention to the Catholic proponents of abortion because she, as a devoted Catholic, is appalled by the scandal created by her co-religionists.
She is equally horrified by the failure of Church leaders to exercise effective pastoral discipline over their flocks. The Church has condemned abortion repeatedly, unequivocally, energetically. The Vatican has also offered clear guidance on the moral obligation of Catholic politicians to oppose abortion. Yet on a practical level, in the United States the most prominent Catholic political figures have continued to support unrestricted abortion on demand, with no effective pastoral response from the hierarchy. Judie Brown doesn't understand, and neither do I.
This book will not win Judie Brown any new friends within the American Catholic hierarchy. But she hasn't set out to win friends. This book is designed to win arguments. But even that is a secondary purpose, really. Ultimately the author wants to save souls.
(Saving Those Damned Catholics is available in paperback directly from the American Life League.)
Devotion to the souls in Purgatory contains in itself all the works of mercy, which supernaturalized by a spirit of faith, should merit us Heaven. de Sales