What's in Store With the New Administration

1. Doug Johnson of National Right to Life, one of the most respected lobbyists around, gives his assessment of what's in store in the new Administration. Rather than FOCA (which is not likely to move soon and may not even have enough votes to pass in the House), it appears that the initial legislative problem for pro-lifers will be in piecemeal attacks, primarily on funding issues (e.g., the Hyde Amendment).

2. There have been so many tributes to Fr. Neuhaus that First Things was good enough to collect many of the links in one place, along with links to many of his talks and books.

3. At first blush, it appears to be good news -- a baby is born who has been genetically screened to ensure that she does not carry the hereditary pre-disposition to cancer that runs in her family. On second thought, though, you get the subtext, particularly from this chilling quote (from a person who does genetic testing for a living, characterizing the attitude of parents): "Enough of this. Let's prune this out of our family tree forever". In blunter terms, if this girl had been found to carry that flawed gene, she would have been killed. This is nothing more than eugenics with a "respectable" face.

4. Let's see, let's try something different. How about a robust presentation of the truths of the faith, lots of traditional devotions, public witness by the new vibrant religious communities, and an intense Eucharistic emphasis? Hey, presto chango, and we get more conversions and vocations. On the other hand, we're still waiting for that surge of conversions and vocations from clown ministry.

5. The Archbishop of Dublin (who is embattled right now over the latest flare-up of the Scandal) is asked in a television interview if persons who do homosexual acts are engaged in an intrinsic moral evil. Unfortunately his response fell short of the necessary degree of clarity. It appears that His Excellency was fumbling to convey the important point found in CCC 1861: "although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God". But it really would have been helpful to everyone if he had simply said, "Yes, homosexual acts are always intrinsically morally evil".

6. What's really disturbing about this report on the pervasively sexualization of girls at a young age, is what is not talked about. Do people think that this is not at all connected to the extent of teen sexual activity? Or to the horror of sexual abuse of minors?

7. Well, we're one week into the new Congress, and already we can agree with H.L. Mencken: "Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons." Okay, it didn't take the whole week to figure that out.