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Sunday, June 10, 2018

Someone commits suicide, so you trash talk them

...how very unChristian of you.

I'm not talking about the issue of euthanasia here and anyone's "right" to "legally" kill themselves.

I'm talking about common decency for the dead person's grieving families who had no idea this was going to happen. And that mental illness hits people of all types.

Catholic hot-shot Bill Donohue from Catholic League writes:
"If Anthony Bourdain had been a religious man, would he have killed himself? Probably not. The celebrity chef was found dead today in his hotel room in Strasbourg, France."

Atheists put their hope in science and medicine and when that fails they feel hopeless. For people who don't know God...it is all too easy to fall into despair when you are suffering depression or other mental illnesses with no hope, no knowledge of God.

Yet mental illness kills religious and non-religious alike.

Researcher Ning Hsieh, funded by the National Institute of Health, released a report based on data from 42 countries in seven regions, and found the following...

Quote: "...although religion is linked to lower suicide rates in Latin America, eastern Europe, northern Europe, and English-speaking countries, it is associated with higher suicide rates in East Asia, western Europe and southern Europe.
According to the study, evidence that religion protects against suicide is strongest in Latin America, where a one percent increase in religious participation is associated with 3 percent decrease in suicide rates."

Whatever you think of the person who committed suicide...how about some compassion for their families and friends trying to cope with the sudden loss of their loved one?

Where has compassion and come decency to not speak ill of the dead (especially when the body is still warm) gone?

Donohue wasn't the only one showing a cold heart to the deceased family, David Leavitt (a generally nasty person on any given day) stormed Twitter with his unkind thoughts upon the death of Bourdain (clearly these two never liked each other, but one is dead and the other can't refrain from attacking a dead man).

What the hell is wrong with people? A person, doesn't matter who they are, commits suicide and people trash talk them with ZERO thought for their grieving families left behind.

The sudden death of a loved one is gutting to families. You can't wrap your head around it and the very last thing you need are people like Donohue and Leavitt sitting in judgment of your deceased loved one. You're probably already worrying about their souls. What you need are prayers and support to get through this tragic time. Suicide is a tragedy.

These dim-witted men sit in judgment of the deceased as if they know what mental illness Bourdain may or may not have been suffering to do such a horrible thing.

And since Leavitt mentioned "purgatory" in his tweet, I should share the Catholic Church's thoughts on suicide.

Catholic Catechism #2282 If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.

Catholic Catechism #2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

Can't we just PRAY for the dead and their suffering families?

Would that really be too much to ask for in today's society?

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

***To be clear, I've never watched a show with Anthony Bourdain in it, but I have seen commercials for his shows over the years. I don't really know anything about this man, my point in writing this was mostly about compassion for his family and friends who are grieving now.

Links:

https://twitter.com/David_Leavitt

https://www.catholicleague.org/would-religion-have-saved-bourdain/

http://dc.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2017/07/05/new-study-suggests-religion-affects-suicide-rates-differently-around-the- world/#sthash.9evBo1m2.dpbs

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Papal Visit to the United States...what were they thinking?

My over all thoughts on this papal visit are very mixed.

The good...

(Image from: http://www.sltrib.com/home/2994776-155/story.html )

-I love seeing the pope with children and the disabled. This man clearly has a love for them and it shows- and I don't believe he's doing it to be showy or put on a false image. I believe he truly loves children, the poor and the disabled and has a big heart for their sufferings.

-I loved seeing the very liberal MSNBC cover every single step of the papal visit- even more coverage then EWTN had!

-I am hopeful that someone in all of this has returned to the Church or are now on their way to becoming Catholic. I think the Pope had that kind of effect on a great many people- and that's a good thing.

And the bad...

-The cheering, clapping, standing ovations, clergy snapping photos during Mass because they are so blinded by the "superstar" pope that they ignore/forget/dismiss God on the altar. Shameful, disgraceful and disgusting. This was intolerable.

-Holy Communion passed out into hands to large crowds. I am 100% opposed to this whether during a papal visit such as this, or World Youth Days.

-The insane, stupid and ridiculous comments of the "Catholics" who helped co-host the media coverage of this papal visit.

People like Fr. Rosica sitting with Anderson Cooper on CNN talking about how Pope Francis has changed the annulment process so people whose "love failed" with a first marriage, now have a "another chance" at love in a new marriage because Pope Francis is all about that sort of "mercy".

*I believe CNN Transcript means "previous SYNOD in 2014" not "Senate". I think this is a typo*

I buried my face in my hands a lot during this papal visit.

- The choice of Mo Rocca, an openly gay man who rejects Catholic teaching to do the readings at one of the Papal Masses.

-The choice of Mark Wahlburg...?

Who exactly made these choices? What were they thinking?

Now the over-all pure annoyance factor. Cardinal Dolan.

(Image: Photo By CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS )

I just couldn't wait for the Pope to move on and get away from Cardinal Dolan. This man acts like the class clown in middle school. I really can't stand watching him.

That is the good, the bad and the annoying in my opinion. I'd love to hear what other Catholics thought of this papal visit.

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

Source: CNN Transcripts of Fr. Rosica: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1509/24/acd.01.html

Dolan image: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/photos/alien-creature-mystery-solved-in-south-africa-1373865179-slideshow/cardinal-timothy-dolan-winks-pope-francis-gives-him-photo-234636880.html

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Do you know what's in your attic?

I live in an old house, over 100 years old. While finding nothing more interesting in the walls and eves of the house than old Nazi coins and paper money from everywhere the previous owner (an army soldier) had been stationed in years past.

I grew up in an even older house, built in 1745. Over the years, during renovations, we'd find all sorts of oddities. Walls full of corn cobs, glass bottles, horseshoes, newspapers and old tools. The most unusual find was in the basement. The house was held up by an enormous tree- bark still on it! Apparently they just chopped off the top of the tree and used it as a support for the center of the old house.

While finding assorted skeletal remains of past rodent pests, we never found anything like Mike Lopez in Florida.

Mr. Lopez found a skeletal hand in a case with some sort of treasure map and some old coins!

Source: CNN

Now that's weird!

In Christ (and afraid to look in my attic),

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
;)

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Don't allow our police to be out gunned again!

By Connecticut Catholic Corner

Some people in the media, on the ground, around the nation and across the blogosphere are voicing their objections to local police departments arming their officers with military grade weapons (and some are crying over a curfew -boo hoo- see my comments at the bottom of the article).

I am not one of them. Apparently I have a much longer memory than others.

CNN has created a scare propaganda video to make the public think our police force are “over armed” with too much fire power because of the 1033 program (you’ll see mentioned in the CNN video here) which allows the Pentagon to relocate weapons to local police forces. This program was first created for the ‘war on drugs’, but soon after it was expanded when this nation (oh how forgetful we are) saw firsthand why our police MUST have these weapons.

I can’t possibly be the only one to remember the horrors of February 28, 1997 when two gun men robbed a bank in North Hollywood armed to the teeth with illegal military weapons, who then walked out of the bank and began to “prey spray” (shoot anything that moves) the streets of California.

The police force were out gunned- totally. Their guns .9mm hand guns could not penetrate the military grade armor the bank robbers were wearing. The gun men on the other hand had illegal military weapons with ammunition that pierced standard police Kevlar vests and shot threw concrete walls “like butter”.

Out gunned and out armored.

Police and civilians were shot and bleeding in the streets while the gun men walked spraying bullets in every direction completely unfazed by the police bullets that didn’t harm them.

Police officers RAN into gun shops up and down the street to BORROW weapons and ammo from gun store owners that could take down these ruthless gun men- all because the police were not armed to face such opponents. They were out gunned- not unlike the Kurds in Iraq facing ISIS today and begging the U.S. to give them weapons.

Take a moment to remember February 28, 1997 in North Hollywood California and think about how different it might have been if the police had been better equipped with military weapons…

With police down, the S.W.A.T team was called in…they arrived 18 minutes after the second officer was down.

Now the battle was even.

The police with the help of military weapons finally ended the bloody street battle against a mere TWO MEN who for a time had out gunned them.

Now jump to today… we’ve got more threats coming at us than back in the 1990’s- not just from ISIS promising to raise their Islamic State flag at the White House, but also from our own home grown terrorist who ARE as well armed at military soldiers.

You have to be a COMPLETE IDIOT to oppose our local police not having access to the BEST weapons available to them.

These men and women kiss their family’s goodbye each day and go off to work not knowing if they will return. They knowingly and willingly put their lives on the line EVERY DAY to protect and serve their towns and cities. They deserve the BEST our country can offer them, so they are NEVER AGAIN out gunned in the face of such evil. So they can return home to their families in one piece.

I wonder how differently people would feel if it was THEIR son, daughter, husband or wife who was out gunned, shot, and bleeding to death in the streets because they didn't have a gun equivalent to guns the criminals were using...?

Would that change your mind about the weapons local police should have at their disposal?

Since it is the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO that has kicked started this topic... how about the poor store owner when Michael Brown roughed him up while stealing from him?

Had the store owner flashed a gun in Brown's face would things have been different? Would Brown have continued to bully, intimidate and shove the store owner like he was nothing or would a gun have gotten an entirely different response? It's hard to tell with bullying thugs- and YES, I am calling Brown a bullying disgusting thug.

I am guessing the families of all the brave officers in North Hollywood on February 28, 1997 would have supported their loved ones having the proper equipment to better defend themselves and other innocents that day.

Well 'that day' will happen again.

When its YOUR ASS being shot at you see things a bit differently.

When "that day" comes- and it will come... you'll wish for all the protection in the world to keep you and your loved ones safe- lets just hope our police are still properly equipped to keep us all alive.

Keep our police well armed so they won't be out gunned by criminals, terrorists or thugs.

In Christ and standing with our police,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

***Another case of the good guys being "out gunned" by the bad guys was in 1986 when the FBI were not as well equipped as bank robbers- this time some of them died because of it. HERE.

UPDATE SUPPORTING MY VIEWS:

Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer whose fatal shooting of Michael Brown touched off more than a week of demonstrations, suffered severe facial injuries and was nearly beaten unconscious by Brown moments before firing his gun, a source close to the department's top brass told FoxNews.com.
“The Assistant (Police) Chief took him to the hospital, his face all swollen on one side,” said the insider. “He was beaten very severely.”
According to the well-placed source, Wilson was coming off another case in the neighborhood on Aug. 9 when he ordered Michael Brown and his friend Dorain Johnson to stop walking in the middle of the road because they were obstructing traffic. However, the confrontation quickly escalated into physical violence, the source said.
“They ignored him and the officer started to get out of the car to tell them to move," the source said. "They shoved him right back in, that’s when Michael Brown leans in and starts beating Officer Wilson in the head and the face."
The source claims that there is "solid proof" that there was a struggle between Brown and Wilson for the policeman’s firearm, resulting in the gun going off – although it still remains unclear at this stage who pulled the trigger. Brown started to walk away according to the account, prompting Wilson to draw his gun and order him to freeze. Brown, the source said, raised his hands in the air, and turned around saying, "What, you're going to shoot me?"
At that point, the source told FoxNews.com, the 6-foot-4, 292-pound Brown charged Wilson, prompting the officer to fire at least six shots at him, including the fatal bullet that penetrated the top of Brown's skull, according to an independent autopsy conducted at the request of Brown's family.
Wilson suffered a fractured eye socket in the fracas, and was left dazed by the initial confrontation, the source said. He is now "traumatized, scared for his life and his family, injured and terrified" that a grand jury, which began hearing evidence on Wednesday, will "make some kind of example out of him," the source said.