Now that the election is over and Christmas is rapidly approaching, we are seeing efforts made to fight those ignorant, intolerant Christians.

The Humanists are doing their part by putting ads on DC buses that suggest Christmas without Christ is rational. I can’t wait to hear my kids’ reactions to “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”

But attacking Christmas makes sense. Over 90% of Americans claim to believe in a god. And a good chunk of them lean toward the God of the New Testament. But probably half of them don’t go to church, read the Bible, or have any idea about what it means to be Christian except that God loves you even if you aren’t perfect, and you can go to Heaven if you side with the Big Guy. If only the Humanists could get these Christian-in-name-only folks to admit that their winter holiday celebrations are mere sentimentality and an annual nod at a Supreme Being, then real head-way could be made to get rid of all public forms of prayer, cultural references to God (“Bless you” at every blasted sneeze), and other offenses.

Admittedly, the whole lack of eternal life puts a damper on that worldview, since most people think immortality of one kind or another, is appealing. But a huge bonus to taking a god out of the picture is, apparently, lowered stress. As the British Humanists advertised: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

I’m not so sure even the Brits would be willing to bet their immortal soul on a “probably.” That’s like playing Russian Roulette with a gun you just found. It’s “probably” unloaded isn’t going to convince most people to pull the trigger, and my guess is that many people (perhaps over 90%?) wouldn’t do it even if you said it’s “definitely” unloaded.

So, while the Humanists try to get the quasi-Christians to go whole hog and renounce God, the media, bored with the dearth of post-election news stories (especially since the Democrats won and they want to project hope in the coming changes) will turn to their perennial ultimate villain: the Catholic Church and other strict faiths.

The goal here is to marginalize anyone who is devout. Devotion is bad because it induces guilt in those who are not devout.

Recently, I casually mentioned something about the possibility of having more children (my uterus is still intact, and I’m not even 40 yet). “More? You want more?” was the reaction. And I found myself somewhat apologetically calming the listener with the assurance that it was merely a possibility and not an intent. To say, “My faith teaches…” is to claim piety, and nobody likes a Goody Two-shoes.

So the secular media, on behalf of all those who don’t want to look bad when compared to all those next-door neighbors who are trying to follow their religion all the time, is hell-bent (yes, a pun) on portraying people who go to church weekly as evil. The Catholic Church is the easiest target because it is so unwieldy and because they have held the same old “truths,” unchanging, for 2000 years.

First of all, they love to report that over 50% of Catholics voted for Obama. This means, they imply, that there are tons of Catholics ready to align themselves with Secular Truths. It also means, they hope, that there are many more who might be willing to ignore their bishops if only those bishops could be exposed for their sins.

What’s the biggest sin against Secular Truths? Intolerance. “In an impassioned discussion on Catholics in public life, several bishops said they would accept no compromise on abortion policy.” Only tyrannical institutions would be unwilling to soften their stance on such a commonplace procedure, right?

“And several prelates promised to call out Catholic policy makers on their failures to follow church teaching.” It’s downright mean-spirited to ex-communicate politicians just because they champion women’s rights over those of a clump of cells. Worse yet, to pressure politicians in such a way, threatening their immortal soul, is undemocratic and violates separation of church and state, doesn’t it? It would be one thing if they lobbied Congressmen, using money and gifts to garner support, but to call them sinners? Over the top. What’s next? The general congregation? Will they haul out scarlet letters and force people to wear them (never you mind that it wasn’t the Catholic Church who did that)?

In America, the Catholic Church has always been the dog that everyone can kick. We’ll tiptoe around the Muslims, and don’t dare say anything bad about the Jews. But if you want to vilify religion, go for the Catholics (evangelicals are second in line).

Watch for a rehashing of the priest sex scandal. Watch how the media covers the March for Life on January 22nd (two days after the Inauguration…do you think Obama will sign FOCA on the 22nd?). Watch for more news stories about how the church (wrongly) spends its money, who the bishops are attacking in the public eye, prominent mention of the Catholic identity of pro-abortion politicians or other public figures, and feature stories of the common person whose main thesis is “Why I left the Catholic Church.”

In other words, there’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Well, it’s been nearly 48 hours since the end of the voting. Despite perhaps two mornings of grumbling into our coffee, complaining on our blogs and maybe even shedding a tear or two, most of us are looking for the good (and wondering just how long four years will feel). There have been no riots, no bloodshed. Nobody’s packing their bags to move to…uh, where?

I love democracy.

But of course, in the last 48 hours, about 5000 babies have been aborted, and about 5000 women have had their lives changed immeasurably.

Sadly though, had McCain won, that statistic would not have changed. Yes, I believe he could have appointed Justices who could have hastened the demise of Roe v. Wade and thrown these laws back into the states’ jurisdiction. But true results would have been a long time coming.

And given the results of more than a few pro-life ballot questions – utter failure – I am doubting the efficacy of fighting these battles through the courts and legislatures.

Don’t get me wrong: I firmly believe that unborn children should have their rights protected under the law. I am thoroughly convinced that pro-abortion laws have, in effect, given women little choice but to abort. And I know that if FOCA passes, (and it would not have a chance of passage under McCain), there will be virtually no restrictions on abortion, not even for minors who are legally not responsible enough to make any other medical decisions for themselves.

But in the effort to save lives – and I don’t mean just unborn children, and I don’t mean just preserving a body, I’m talking about a whole person, body and soul, and two victims, mother and child – in an effort to save the life of a child and to preserve the dignity, the mental and physical health, and the immortal soul of a woman, I have no confidence in politicians or judges, nor in laws or mandates, nor in marches or protests.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7

I’m not sure of all the things that go through a person’s mind when deciding for whom to vote, but of one thing I am convinced: abortion is not a paramount issue for most voters. And it is that, not any other disagreement with someone’s politics, that gives me a sickening feeling. If the Dems want to raise taxes (and they will, despite the rhetoric), if they want to give all my money away to my neighbors, if they want to try to pacify rogue nations with summits, if they want to re-define the family, and tell me that I’m full of hate because I have strong convictions about morality, and criminalize my expression of this opinion – all this, I can bear.

But the apathy to the unborn? Dear God, have mercy!

The technology is there, showing itty bitty babies doing cute things in the womb. We’ve all seen it. And yet we insist “it” is sub-human. We turn a blind-eye and a deaf-ear because to admit our inhumanity in our actions is too difficult. To admit that an unborn baby is human and worthy of the same inalienable rights as the ones who were (intentionally) born, would be to admit that we are monsters, because only monsters could allow such a slaughter.

Ending slavery required a war. Ending the Holocaust required a war. I can not accept that ending abortion requires a war. But I am admitting defeat in ending it through legal means.

Instead, we are left with the hardest road. Prayer. Sacrifice. Sackcloth and ashes. Educating the ignorant. Counseling the doubtful. Charity in thought, word and deed.

And being filled with joy despite the carnage in which we live, because nobody loves a dour saint.

I believe that God is in control. I don’t believe that He is pleased that infanticide is sugar-coated as “choice.” But I believe it is His will that we struggle. Perhaps had McCain won, we would have all gone back to our cushy lives comforted that we did our part in voting for pro-life politicians, and that would be the end of it until the next election.

But now we all know that we have a LOT of work to do. We will have no help from the government, so we can stop placing our hope there and turn to Him who can do all things.

Some of us might get pumped up at a political rally. Some of us may feel patriotic flipping switches at a polling station. Some of us may work for a campaign and get thrilled at the prospect of making a difference.

And some of us may get all warm and fuzzy feeling inside after committing misdemeanor theft and squelching somebody else’s free speech:

In his blog post, Busse said “yanking out the signs and running like a scared rabbit back to my idling car was one of the single-most exhilarating and empowering political acts that I have ever done.”

Several days ago, Billy asked his dad if he could take some Obama signs down. He’s 8. We can excuse him for not understanding fully the right to freely support any person and the right to tell the world for whom you plan to vote and the right to try to convince others that “your guy” is the best person for the job. I will consider myself a failure as a mother if he reaches adulthood and thinks stealing yard signs is acceptable, let alone “exhilarating and empowering.”

Silly me. I thought that money we donate at church would be used by Catholic organizations to help the needy and disadvantaged.

Note to self: collections slated for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) should be avoided.

The CCHD sent $1,037,000 to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in 2007, including a $40,000 grant to an ACORN affiliate in Las Vegas that was raided last month by the Nevada attorney general’s office in a voter-fraud probe.

The Catholic aid agency has given more than $7.3 million to ACORN over the past decade for about 320 projects, according to the Catholic News Service.

If I want to donate money to ACORN, I will donate money to ACORN. If I don’t want to donate money to ACORN, then I can’t donate to the CCHD either.

What other non-Catholic organizations are getting my money?

A middle school in New Jersey allowed the students to dress up yesterday. One boy dressed as Jesus. He got sent home.

The school says the costume was a disruption and denies its religious nature had anything to do with it.

You know, serious academics were going on that day. The regular repertoire of witches, ghouls, vampires, ninjas, Indiana Joneses, hippies, Grim Reapers and Sweeny Todds were not in the least bit distracting from the strict regime of core subjects. And the school’s Halloween party was also not in the least bit distracting from school work. The “games” were actually spelling bees, and geography bees and history Jeopardy and pin-the-latin-root-in-the-derivative-box.

But Jesus was a disruption.

Do you think anyone dressed as the Devil?

“I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was president, to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” Clinton said recently.

Excuse me? Did the former President just say that partisan politics might have played a role in today’s economic crisis? Please note that he doesn’t say he himself played any role.

This is what is absolutely despicable about politicians who play these games. They would rather see their country suffer than stoop to cooperate with the “enemy.”

It’s not supposed to be this way. Really, it’s not.

Note: I can’t get the hyperlink thingy to work. I’ll try again later.

I didn’t watch the debate (it just doesn’t matter), but I did think this “fact check” article was interesting.

From there, I went here. I have concluded that, no matter what their personal beliefs (left, right or in between), people who leave comments on news articles are among the stupidest people on the planet. I realize that my blunt language is not very nice, but I challenge anyone to find me a comment thread where the majority of the respondents write with correct grammar and spelling, use logic to make a point, avoid broad (erroneous) generalizations, accept that someone may disagree with them without being the embodiment of evil, and cite valid sources for their “facts.”

I don’t know which is worse: wasting my time actually looking at those comments or wasting my energy getting annoyed by them.

A third of electorate could vote before Nov. 4

My Florida absentee ballot arrived yesterday.

{Don’t even ask how I ended up registered in Florida…and my husband registered in New Jersey. That reminds me of last month when I was pulled over by a Maryland trooper for speeding. Jersey tags, Jersey registration, Florida license with a Kansas address…the officer asked why and I said “military.” He said, “Oh.” I got a warning.}

For me, Election Day might be today. Or maybe next week.

{Maybe I should wait until after the debates? Perhaps something will be said which will change my mind about the best choice? Of course, that would mean I’d commit myself to actually watching the debates. I think more Americans watched the Olympics than will likely watch the debates…and I didn’t watch the Olympics.}

The Florida ballot has SIX proposed amendments to the (state) Constitution, including one to require the Legislature to levy a tax to support community colleges. I think that one will be a no. The others, I honestly can’t figure out what they’re trying to say. “delete a provision…to prohibit possession…” I think that means we’re allowing possession, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. When I voted in New Jersey, ballot questions such as these were accompanied by a plain language translation. That was nice.

My Florida ballot is a computerized fill-in-the-bubble form. No more hanging chads. What irked me most about that 2000 presidential election was the attempt to discern a voter’s intent. It’s one thing to count a hanging chad as a vote, but to count the “dimpled” chads was flat-out wrong. And I was most amused by the media’s marveling over ballots with no apparent vote for either candidate. I think we should require ballots to have a “NONE OF THE ABOVE” bubble.

I know it may seem odd to some, but I would rather take the time to vote for nobody than to not vote. I really don’t care who is the North Okaloosa Fire Commissioner, so I’ll probably leave it blank. And if I’m not sure about if my vote will prohibit or allow possession of property to aliens (LGMs?), then I’ll leave that blank too.

But one thing is for sure. Once I fill out this ballot and mail it in, I am DONE. I will cease to pay the slightest bit of attention to politics until the ballots close when I’ll watch to see who wins.

Happy voting.

Britain Adopts Islamic Law, Gives Sharia Courts Full Power to Rule on Civil Cases

The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

This is seriously scary stuff. What do they do if one party doesn’t want to use the sharia court system? What do they do when the sharia courts begin to expand their jurisdiction?

What are we going to do when our Supreme Court Justices jump on the bandwagon?

It was a poor choice of words, but for the McCain camp to act like it was directed at Gov. Palin is silly. Really, that phrase is used so much in government/military circles that it’s a cliché.

Sen. Obama is merely proving himself to be of the Washingtonian mindset by using the insider jargon readily and without realizing that the majority of Americans don’t talk like that. He did the same thing when he said that the question of when life begins is “above his pay grade.”

Fault him for talking and thinking like a Washington insider, not for calling Palin a pig.