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For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then
” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘ For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
-Luke 23:29-31

I shudder to think what will now happen after 30 years of relative prosperity with the preaching that women are blessed not for having children, but careers - now that careers and wealth are being washed away.

I often wondered just what he meant by saying that the people will ask the hills to cover them and the mountains to fall on them - it is a reference to Hosea 10. Follow the links in the passage below to see how it relates to today.

1 Israel was a spreading vine;
he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
he built more altars;
as his land prospered,
he adorned his sacred stones.

8 The high places of wickedness will be destroyed—
it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles will grow up
and cover their altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

The collection includes the entire Summa Theologica, 5 books by G.K. Chesterton, The Imitation of Christ, The Confessions of Augustine, Story of a Soul, and the Little Flowers of St. Francis - just to name a few. Full details, including the complete contents and a video, can be found at www.DigitalCatholicLibrary.com.

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PickAFig users and Aquinas and More customers can now recommend books and products to others with ease, as I have done with this recommendation of Christopher West’s Theology of the Body for Beginners.

When “picking” a product, be sure to take the time to write why you recommend that particular product or book.

If you happen upon a product that you like that has already been “picked” you can simply add your vote!

Books and products can be posted in PickAFig to either the category the product belongs or to the “Books and Products” category.

“…and you shall be like God…”
-Genesis 3:5

There was only one actor in that ancient drama [Eden] who seems to have had any real talent of salesmanship. He seems to have undertaken to deliver the goods with exactly the right preliminaries of promise and praise… He not only took up the slogan of Eat More Fruit, but he distinctly declared that any customer purchasing his particular brand of fruit would instantly become as gods. And as this is exactly what is promised to purchasers of every patent medicine, popular tonic, saline draught or medicinal wine at the present day, there can be no question that he was in advance of his age. It is extraordinary that humanity, which began with an apple and ended with the patent medicine, has not even yet become exactly like gods. It is still more extraordinary…that the record ends with some extraordinary remarks to the effect that one thus pursing the bright career of Salesmanship is condemned to crawl on his stomach and eat a great deal of dirt.

-G.K. Chesterton, in G.K.’s Weekly, March 23 1929

Might I humbly add, these same promises are made to women in regards to birth control, and the side effects on the packaging are even dire. Oddly enough, both theological and pharmaceutical language refers to the chance of death as “mortality.”

Original Painting: Cranach’s Eve

I’ve never seen the Speed Racer cartoons as a kid. In fact, when I first heard of the movie I was more intrigued by the writing/directing team of the Wachowski brothers. A kid’s movie to be done by the creators of The Matrix and V for Vendetta? The thought made me shudder.

But when the chance came to see it on DVD for free, I snapped it up to see just how bad it would be. Keep in mind, I appreciate the Wachowski’s cinematography and writing, I just could not fathom what they would do to a children’s cartoon.

In a nutshell, it blew me away. Sure, multiple plot twists, CG special effects, more action than the eye could actually take in - that was all expected and delivered spectacularly. What shocked and surprised me was the family values that were expressed.

Without giving away too much of the plot, there is one scene that particularly expresses ideals and an example I have long ceased to expect from Hollywood, and much less the Wachowskis. Pop Racer confronts his second son, Speed, as the young man is about to leave home - in exactly the same manner his brother Rex had 8 years earlier.

His father, who had exploded in rage at the eldest son’s departure, invites Speed to sit down with him before he leaves, and says:

Pops Racer:I went to Cortega because I was afraid what happened to Rex was gonna happen to you, and I couldn’t take that. But once we got there, I realized something. I didn’t lose Rex when he crashed, I lost him right here. I let him think a stupid motor company was more important to me than he was. You’ll never know how much I regret that mistake. It’s enough that I’ll never make it again. Speed, I know every child has to leave home. I just want you to know that that door is always open. You can always come back. ‘Cause I love you, son.
…
Pops Racer: I couldn’t have been more proud of you, son. Not because you won, but because you stood up, you weren’t afraid, and you did what you thought was right.
Speed: It didn’t amount to anything. It was completely meaningless.
Pops Racer: How could it be meaningless? I saw my son become a man. I watched a man with courage and integrity drive the pants off of every other driver on that road. This is not meaningless. This is the reason for a father’s life.
(Thanks to IMDB users for typing up the quotes)

The overarching theme of doing what is right, and the importance of family in a 21st century major motion picture was completely unexpected.

I should mention that there is still some language, rude gestures, and what they now refer to as “sci-fi violence” (Aka bloodless violence) in the film, so parents should still preview before showing it to the kids.

A product of such teaching, P.Z. Myers, a biology teacher at a Midwest university, has formed a cult following now infamous for their hatred for religion. And while I do not agree with him, I am grateful to P.Z. Myers for several things:

In desecrating Eucharistic Hosts and the Quar’an because he believes them worthless,
He has proven that ‘Holy Wars,’ defiling of sacred grounds and objects, and persecution of people based on one’s religion are not based on belief in God.

In fostering a vehement following who make violent threats against those he denounces,
He has proven that religious terrorism does not require belief in God.

In the repetitive babbling and regurgitating of the same insults, phrases, and words by his followers,
He has shown that no belief in God is necessary to form a cult.

By their sheltering of Myers, despite the above,
the University of Minnesota Morris has proven that even secular, state-funded, progressive schools can be theocracies in open support of terrorism.

In conclusion, I am grateful to P.Z. Myers for being just the sort of person that proves that it is not God, or belief in God, that makes men violent, contemptible, ignorant bigots, but religious fanaticism. For even his science-based, secular message is a body of beliefs shared by his followers - a religion in and of itself.

In other words, P.Z. Myers has exonerated God, and those who profess belief in him, of the very charges he makes against them.

Atheism is, I suppose, the supreme example of a simple faith. The man says there is no God; if he really says it in his heart, he is a certain sort of man so designated in Scripture. But, anyhow, when he has said it, he has said it; and there seems to be no more to be said. The conversation seems likely to languish.

The truth is that the atmosphere of excitement, by which the atheist lived, was an atmosphere of thrilled and shuddering theism, and not of atheism at all; it was an atmosphere of defiance and not of denial. Irreverence is a very servile parasite of reverence; and has starved with its starving lord. After this first fuss about the merely aesthetic effect of blasphemy, the whole thing vanishes into its own void. If there were not God, there would be no atheists.

-G.K. Chesterton, Where All Roads Lead

In that case, I am truly grateful for the example of P.Z. Myers.

May God bless him.