Notes: Friday-Monday, January 7-10, 2011

1. Some figures on attitudes of Jews living in the State of Israel towards non-Jews

http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35446

Labels: Jews, State of Israel

2. Ms Keneally is pro-abortion?

I was surprised to read the following in the on-line version of an article from last Sunday's Sydney Sunday Telegraph:

[The Hon. Kristina Keneally M.P., N.S.W. Premier] said she disagreed with the Catholic church on some points and with some of its social teachings, including the church's views on abortion.
[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/premiers-unholy-row-with-cardinal/story-fn6bm90q-1225984274530]

My understanding was that Catholic teaching on abortion was one of the teachings to which she assented. Was this understanding incorrect?

Labels: abortion, Kristina Keneally, Magisterium, morality

3. More from Mr. Pearson on euthanasia

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/right-of-reply-on-right-to-die/story-e6frg6zo-1225983866944

Excerpts:

Ina Borger of Marion, SA, suggests the editor tell me "the inquisition happened a long time ago" and says she doesn't need me "or the pope to make my mind up". This is a gambit known in contemporary politics as "playing the secularist card". It invites disdain towards a policy position because of the advocate's religious affiliation, without entering into debate about the merits of the (in this case, rational rather than faith-based) argument.

[...] Last May the Canadian Medical Association published two important articles on recent experience in the Flemish region of Belgium. The first surveyed doctors involved in euthanasia and found that 66 cases out of a total of 208, or 32 per cent, were without explicit request or consent of the patient.

Of course some of the patients were babies with profound disabilities, as well as other categories, including dementia sufferers. In 77.9 per cent of cases of death without consent or explicit request, the decision was not discussed with the patient. The second study, involving nurses in the same region participating in euthanasia, found that 120 of 248 cases, or 45 per cent, were without explicit request or consent.

Labels: euthanasia, morality, secularism

4. Mrs. Livingstone on, among other things, Sunday Mass attendance by Australian Catholics and Australian Sees to get new Ordinaries as early as this year

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/church-calls-the-unfaithful-home/story-e6frg6zo-1225983253582

Excerpt:

... The most recent Australian survey of mass attendance, in 2006, found the number of Catholics attending weekly had fallen to 13.8 per cent.

The episcopal chess board is set for big changes this year with three senior archbishops - John Bathersby in Brisbane, Adrian Doyle in Hobart and Barry Hickey in Perth - turning 75, the retirement age for bishops. A replacement will also be appointed for Sandhurst bishop Joseph Grech, 62, who died in December.

Labels: liturgy

5. Mrs. Shanahan on, among other things, The Greens' policy on relationship recognition

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/greens-are-the-biggest-catastrophe/story-e6frg6zo-1225983252139

Excerpt:

So, for example, with gay marriage - which will obviously take up a fair bit of parliamentary time and effort and popular anxiety, and is meant to cement the Greens' credentials as the party of forward-looking tolerance - there is actually a different agenda. Again, according to the official website, the policy encompasses a bizarre demand that all sexual permutations be given legal relationship status.

In fact, so many sexual permutations are mentioned in this policy - intersex, intrasex and transsexual, up down and round about - that this average heterosexual mum finds it difficult to follow, or to take seriously.

Does the policy include polygamy, I wonder?

Labels: G.L.B.T., Greens, marriage, morality, polyamory

6. "Shock: 41% of New York City Pregnancies End in [surgical] Abortion"

http://www.angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=393796&sid=473c6f23a2aaeeba69db224013743e02

Labels: abortion, morality, N.Y.C.

Reginaldvs Cantvar
Feast of St. Hyginus, Pope, Martyr, A.D. 2011