extreme Catholic

Solidarity with Denmark (and Norway)

The idea of cartoons causing a worldwide attack on all things Danish ought to give the world pause that this is a religion of peace. And that's actually the Norwegian embassy being attacked.

I have been hearing all over the radio how terrible those cartoons were.

The usually sensible Ralph Peters in the New York Post almost sounds as if the cartoons justified the deadly response.

First, consider the Europeans. The Danish newspaper that first published the cartoons last September was not standing up courageously for freedom of expression. The editors and cartoonists were so oblivious to any reality beyond their Copenhagen coffee bars that they just thought they were pulling an attention-getting prank.

So is there a death penalty now for cartooning oblivious to reality?

Peters adds "with freedom comes responsibility", that doesn't mean that we let a government sponsored mob in Teheran or Damascus determine the consequences with some lapse in responsibility.

Where in the unfree Muslim world was there a peaceful protest against these cartoons? It really recalls to mind the images of fascism and anarchy to see this slideshow.

Can Europe be expected to take notice that the only difference between the situation on their streets and the streets where these attacks against are taking place is the numbers are not quite there yet, except perhaps in the slums around Paris.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:34 PM Permalink

Without Roots

I just returned from the book introduction for Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam by Pope Benedict and Marcello Pera, President of the Italian Senate. David Schindler, a Communio editor, and George Weigel who wrote the forward of the book was there as well -- at my Alma Mater, Columbia University. (MS, School of Engineering, 1980)

Europe is in a death spiral because it's rejected the reality of its own history and the one, true Faith.

It's time to pray and make room for the refugees.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:12 AM Permalink

Mastermind of USS Cole Attack Escapes : AFP

A man considered a mastermind of the USS Cole bombing that killed 17 sailors in a Yemeni port in 2000 was among 23 people who escaped from a Yemen prison last week, Interpol said Sunday.
The international police agency issued an "urgent global security alert" for those who escaped Friday from the prison via a tunnel. It called the escapees "dangerous individuals."
A Yemen security official announced the escape of convicted al-Qaida members Friday but did not provide details.

Where's the steady improvements that Pope John Paul II spoke of? The words of Evangelium Vitae are still in my head:

Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases [justifying the death penalty] are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

It's taking a while for these improvements to reach Yemen.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:59 PM Permalink