Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Notes: Tuesday, August 11-Tuesday, September 29, 2015

1. "A CNA [(Catholic News Agency) ]investigation has found that millions of dollars have been poured into efforts to combat religious freedom exemptions in the United States."

The quotation, excluding my square-bracketed interpolation, in that headline comes from the article "LGBT grant-maker wants to win religious liberty fight within three years", by Mr. Kevin Jones, dated July 29, 2015, downloaded from CNA's website:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/lgbt-grant-maker-wants-to-win-religious-liberty-fight-within-three-years-96064/

(That article came to my attention via the "In Brief"—"UNITED STATES" article headlined "Benefactors turn against religious freedom", on p. 3 in the "NEWS" pages of the Sydney Catholic Weekly, August 9, 2015, Vol. 73, No. 4787, published by The Catholic Press Newspaper Company Pty. Ltd.)

Labels: G.L.B.T.

2. Australian "taxpayer funding of the International Planned Parenthood Federation" includes "$651,801 for “core funding to strategic plan (Asia)”, $769,800 “Contribution to IPPF (global)” and $30 million to “Pacific Regional Partnerships for Reproductive Health Program (Pacific)”."

The quotations in that headline come from the opinion piece "Miranda Devine: Planned Parenthood scam shows us evil has a way of creeping into the world", by Ms Miranda Devine, dated July 25, 2015, downloaded from the Sydney Daily Telegraph's website:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/miranda-devine-planned-parenthood-scam-shows-us-evil-has-a-way-of-creeping-into-the-world/story-fni0cwl5-1227456749468

(That article is also available as a blog post at Ms Devine's blog and it came to my attention via the opinion piece "Children are more than the sum of their parts" by Monica Doumit in "The Catholic Talk Column" on p. 19 ("COMMENT") of the Sydney Catholic Weekly, August 9, 2015, Vol. 73, No. 4787, published by The Catholic Press Newspaper Company Pty. Ltd., available online under the same headline, in the same column, with the same author, but dated August 6, 2015, here.) This might be the source for what Ms Devine wrote:

http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/corporate/Documents/contracts-for-the-period-1-january-2014-31-december-2014.pdf

(That report came to my attention via the comment by Nick Barnes of 6.8.15 / 4pm in the combox at this blog post by Mr. Muehlenberg.)

Labels: abortion, contraception, feminism, foreign affairs

3. Some recent information on morbid propaganda in Australian public schools

3.1 Beginning in 2016, the thirty minutes each week which is currently devoted to, or at least is available for, non-compulsory Special Religious Instruction in Victorian public schools (Prep to Year 10) will instead be devoted to, or at least available for, compulsory indoctrination of pupils in "healthy, respectful relationships" ideology (presumably a blend of sodomy, Feminism, Moral Relativism, and Multiculturalism)

See the media release "New Curriculum Supports Students To Build Healthy Relationships And Understanding", from The Hon. James Merlino M.P. (Victorian Minister for Education) and The Hon. Fiona Richardson M.P. (Victorian Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence), dated Friday, August 21, 2015, downloaded from the official Premier of Victoria website:

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-curriculum-supports-students-to-build-healthy-relationships-and-understanding

(That media release came to my attention via the print version of the article "Relationship advice to replace religious instruction", by Ms Natasha Bita, dated August 21, 2015, downloaded from The Australian's website:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/relationship-advice-to-replace-religious-instruction/story-fn59nlz9-1227492123139

The same website also has a much shorter article ("Vic religious education classes axed", no byline (though the stated source is the A.A.P.), same date) on that topic:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/vic-religious-education-classes-axed/story-fn3dxiwe-1227492687675)

See also
  • the article "State to axe religious education", by Mr. Robert Hiini, on p. 6 in the "Catholic education" pages of the Sydney Catholic Weekly, August 30, 2015, Vol. 73, No. 4790, published by The Catholic Press Newspaper Company Pty. Ltd., available online under the headline "Victoria axes state religious education", with the same author, dated August 26, 2015, downloaded from The Catholic Weekly's website:
    https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/state-to-axe-religious-education/
  • the opinion piece "NSW wolves baying at Vic move", by Mr. Jude Hennessy (director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for The Diocese of Wollongong), on p. 23 in the "News" pages of the Sydney Catholic Weekly, September 6, 2015, Vol. 73, No. 4791, published by The Catholic Press Newspaper Company Pty. Ltd., available online under the headline "Wrong to compare state religious education programs", with the same author, dated September 2, 2015, downloaded from The Catholic Weekly's website:
    https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/nsw-wolves-baying-at-victoria-sre-move/
Labels: education, feminism, G.L.B.T., morals, multiculturalism, relativism, Victoria

3.2 Australian "education ministers agreed yesterday[, that is, the 18th instant.,] to change the[ national] curriculum again, to introduce teaching of “respectful relationships’’."

The quotation, excluding my square-bracketed interpolations, in that headline comes from the article "Phonics, faith and coding for primary school kids", by Ms Natasha Bita, dated September 19, 2015, downloaded from The Australian's website:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/phonics-faith-and-coding-for-primary-school-kids/story-fn59nlz9-1227534083014

(That article came to my attention via the version printed under the headline "Phonics, faith and coding for primary kids as schools go back to basics", by the same author, on p. 1 (continued on p. 10 in "THE NATION" pages under the headline "Phonics, faith and coding as schools go back to basics") of The Weekend Australian, September 19-20, 2015, Second Edition, No. 15837, ISSN 1038-8761, published by Nationwide News Pty. Limited.) That development came less than a week after the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported that
The Minister Assisting the PM for Women, Michaelia Cash, has written to Education Minister Christopher Pyne to encourage programs in the school curriculum that promote respectful relationships.
["Domestic violence: Abbott Government to offer panic alarms and security upgrades to women at risk", by Renee Viellaris and Steven Wardill, dated September 13, 2015, downloaded from The Daily Telegraph's website:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/domestic-violence-abbott-government-to-offer-panic-alarms-and-security-upgrades-to-women-at-risk/story-fnii5v71-1227525367267
Follow that link for more details—I don't want to infringe copyright by quoting too much.
(Other versions of that article are available via the following two links:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/domestic-violence-abbott-government-to-offer-panic-alarms-and-security-upgrades-to-women-at-risk/story-fni0cx12-1227525473657
http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/domestic-violence-abbott-government-to-offer-panic-alarms-and-security-upgrades-to-women-at-risk/story-fnii5v6w-1227525367267)]
Shortly after that report, The Australian reported that
The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Michaelia Cash, has written to the chairwoman of the Education Council, Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones, on behalf of her state counterparts expressing support for additional measures in schools.
["Schools to tackle domestic violence", by Rosie Lewis and Sarah Elks, dated September 15, 2015, downloaded from The Australian's website:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/schools-to-tackle-domestic-violence/story-fn59nlz9-1227527187249
(The "additional measures" are presumably of the 'respectful relationships' variety—see the fourth-last paragraph of that article (which (paragraph) also reports Mr. Pyne's action in response to Sen. Cash's letter to him).)]
And now, in the latest development,
$5 million will also be provided as a longer-term measure to change the attitudes of young people to violence, through expanding the Safer Schools website to include resources for teachers, parents and students on respectful relationships.
["Release: Women’s Safety Package to #StoptheViolence", dated September 24, 2015, downloaded from the electorate website of The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull M.P. (Prime Minister):
http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/release-womens-safety-package-to-stoptheviolence
See also the "Transcript of joint press conference: Women’s Safety Package to Stop the Violence", also dated September 24, 2015, downloaded from Mr. Turnbull's Prime Ministerial website:
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015-09-24/transcript-joint-press-conference-womens-safety-package-stop-violence]
Labels: education, feminism, G.L.B.T., morals, multiculturalism, relativism

3.3 What Safe Schools Coalition/Wear It Purple Day events look like

See
  • the opinion piece "Purple has become the colour of thought control", by Mr. Mark Powell ("a Presbyterian minister from the Cornerstone Church in Strathfield" who was involved in opposing the planned pro-sodomite activities), on p. 52 in the "OPINION" pages of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, Thursday, September 3, 2015, ISSN 1038-8745, published by Nationwide News Pty. Ltd., apparently not available at the Tele's website. In that article, Mr. Powell relates that a Burwood Girls High School parent told him by e-mail that
    on Friday the 28th of August classes for all years would be cancelled for two periods and everyone was instructed to wear pur-ple clothing as well as eat purple cup-cakes and then join in a special parade “under the rainbow flag.”
    (the dashes resulted from words spanning two lines)
    It seems that "Initially there was no “opt out.”", but "Later the school sent out another communi-cation saying you could “opt out” of viewing the film but not regarding participation in the rest of the day."
  • the article "NSW Education Minister bans schools from screening gay film" by Mr. Eryk Bagshaw, dated August 26, 2015, downloaded from The Sydney Morning Herald's website:
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/nsw-education-minister-bans-schools-from-screening-gay-film-20150826-gj7sid.html?skin=text-only
    Mr. Bagshaw reports therein that
    The NSW Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli, has banned every public school in the state from screening a documentary about children with gay parents during school hours.

    […]

    Up to 50 schools across Australia, including 20 in NSW had organised a simultaneous broadcast of the film as part of a nationwide Wear it Purple day campaign of sexual inclusion in schools.
  • the article "Purple rain: true coulours shine after ban", by Mr. Eryk Bagshaw, on p. 3 in the "NEWS" pages of The Sydney Morning Herald, Weekend Edition, August 29-30, 2015, Issue No. 55500, published by Fairfax Media Publications Pty. Ltd., available online under the headline "Gayby Baby uproar: Schools defiant on Wear It Purple day", with the same author and date, at The Sydney Morning Herald's website:
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/gayby-baby-uproar-schools-defiant-on-wear-it-purple-day-20150828-gj9pr6.html?skin=text-only
    In the online version, Mr. Bagshaw reports that
    At Burwood Girls High almost 2000 purple cupcakes were consumed while principal Mia Kumar spoke of the tough week the school had endured.

    The girls had come out stronger because of it, she told the 1000-strong crowd that included NSW police officers in bespoke purple uniforms.
    and that Mr. Piccoli "has been a vocal supporter of Wear It Purple day in the past." (In another article by Mr. Bagshaw—"Gayby Baby: Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and Premier Mike Baird ban film without seeing it", dated August 27, 2015—he says similarly that Mr. Piccoli "has previously been a vocal supporter of the inclusiveness of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) issues in schools", and Miranda Devine describes Mr. Piccoli as "driving the Proud Schools program" (see her opinion piece "DENIALS, FEAR AND A LACK OF REAL TOLERANCE", dated August 28, 2015, at the Tele's website or at her blog.)

Labels: education, G.L.B.T., N.S.W.

4. A man who regards himself as having three parents is "calling on NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton to allow for changes to the Status of Children Act 1996 (NSW) to reflect that a child might have more than two parents."

See the article "Hugo Atkinson's fight to have three parents recognised on his birth certificate", by Lucy Cormack, dated August 27, 2015, downloaded from The Sydney Morning Herald's website:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hugo-atkinsons-fight-to-have-three-parents-recognised-on-his-birth-certificate-20150827-gj9anp.html?skin=text-only

Labels: polyamory

5. Mr. Webster on Mr. Turnbull's "support of last year's Bingham Cup in Sydney": "He donated personally to the tournament - he was one of the top 15 individual sponsors - and lent his considerable presence to a score of functions, including a pledge from the chief executives of the major sporting codes to implement anti-homophobia and inclusion policies."

The quotations in that headline come from the article "NRL finals 2015: Sydney Roosters wary of Canterbury Bulldogs' tackling style", by Mr. Andrew Webster, dated September 17, 2015, downloaded from The Sydney Morning Herald's website:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-finals-2015-sydney-roosters-wary-of-canterbury-bulldogs-tackling-style-20150917-gjopyo.html?skin=text-only

Labels: G.L.B.T., sport

6. A couple of items concerning the death penalty

6.1 More from H.H. The Pope on capital and custodial punishment

On capital punishment:
… The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.
[from the Address of the Holy Father to the U.S. Congress, Thursday, September 24, 2015, downloaded from the Vatican's website:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa-francesco_20150924_usa-us-congress.html
also available at the U.S. Congress's website here:
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2015/09/24/house-section/article/H6191-8?loclr=twtho
and here:
https://www.congress.gov/crec/2015/09/24/CREC-2015-09-24-pt1-PgH6191-8.pdf]
On custodial punishment:
This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society. All of us are part of that effort, all of us are invited to encourage, help and enable your rehabilitation. A rehabilitation which everyone seeks and desires: inmates and their families, correctional authorities, social and educational programs. A rehabilitation which benefits and elevates the morale of the entire community and society.
[from (a translation from Spanish of) the Address of the Holy Father to detainees at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, U.S.A., Sunday, September 27, 2015, downloaded from the Vatican's website:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa-francesco_20150927_usa-detenuti.html]
Labels: death penalty, Francis Bergoglio, morals

6.2 Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Paul II., respectively, on the death penalty:
  • We may add that frequent punishments are always a sign of weak-ness or remissness on the part of the government. There is not a single ill-doer who could not be turned to some good. The State has no right to put to death, even for the sake of making an example, any one whom it can leave alive without danger.
    [the first dash there occurred because the word "weakness" spanned two lines,
    p. 212, in an extract from The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right (from The Social Contract and Other Discourses by Jean Jacques Rousseau, translated by G. D. H. Cole, Everyman's Library; the quotation in question comes from (the translation of) Book II, Chapter V, "The Right of Life and Death") which (extract) was printed in Society, Law, and Morality, edited with introductions by Frederick A. Olafson, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1961]
  • It is clear that, for these purposes[ (apparently retribution, defence, and rehabilitation)] to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

    In any event, the principle set forth in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church remains valid: "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority must limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person".
    [my square-bracketed interpolation,
    paragraphs two and three of §56 of (a translation of) the Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, March 25, 1995:
    http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html
    This is the official Latin version of the two paragraphs in question:
    Patet tamen omnia ut haec impetrentur proposita, modum et genus poenae diligenter omnino aestimanda esse decernendaque neque ad exstinguendum extremo consilio reum descendere licere nisi absoluta instante necessitate, cum videlicet aliter prorsus non potest defendi societas. Atqui hodie, propter convenientiorem institutionis poenalis temperationem, admodum raro huius modi intercidunt casus, si qui omnino iam reapse accidunt.
    Quidquid id est, valet etiamnum in novo Catholicae Ecclesiae Catechismo significatum principium, ex quo: « Si instrumenta incruenta sufficiunt ad vitas humanas defendendas ab aggressore et ad ordinem publicum tuendum simulque personarum securitatem, auctoritas his utatur instrumentis, utpote quae melius respondeant concretis boni communis condicionibus et sint dignitati personae humanae magis consentanea ».
    italics in the original,
    p. 464, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 87, A.D. 1995:
    http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-87-1995-ocr.pdf
    The official Latin version of Evangelium Vitae is also available here:
    http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/la/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html]
Labels: death penalty, John Paul II. Wojtyla, morals

Reginaldvs Cantvar
Michaelmas, A.D. 2015
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