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Catholics and Satan

By on 2.22.12 @ 2:39PM

All of this “Satan” talk is completely out of context. There is absolutely nothing wrong with somebody in a religious context talking about Satan being loose in the world. There is almost nothing that Rick Santorum said that wasn’t in line with the fictional but theologically sound take on the forces of eveil that C.S. Lewis described in The Screwtape Letters. And there is absolutely nothing that isn’t standard Catholic doctrine. Consider that for years every Catholic Church recited, ever week, the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, pasted below, and that many Catholic churches still do. This includes the Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA that is the home parish for a host of leading conservative Catholics in the DC area. Here is the prayer as regularly recited (the link above is to the long version and the history thereof):

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

To complain about what Santorum said is to show an appalling lack of perspective and understanding of Catholicism, of Christianity, and of religious faith in general. Those complaining should be ashamed of themselves — it, that is, they had any shame.

View all comments (52) |

Ryan| 2.22.12 @ 2:56PM

"For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

I think I may have mixed my versions there, but Ephesians 6 still holds true.

Of course, how we define those may be different at times...

Mike| 2.22.12 @ 3:14PM

Plain and simple, Catholics are hated in this country and it's increasing.

C Bowen | 2.22.12 @ 4:35PM

How much did Catholic Charities make off the Federal and State governments, that is, the tax payers last year?

Hated? I'd say Catholics are the swing vote the politicians compete for--they are the most coveted.

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:58PM

Say rather their vote is coveted, their financial backing coveted.

But Roman Catholicism is itself hated by the world.

"No servant is better than his master.... as they have hated me, they will hate you....." "You will be turned over ... on account of my name...."

C Bowen | 2.22.12 @ 6:34PM

Christ is hated; his people are hated.

The Roman Catholic Church as a supra-entity has political responsibilities that are sometimes in our interest, sometimes not. Hated, coveted, is a fine line.

Why hasn't the RCCatholic church excommunicated these pro-abort Catholics politicians? The pro-wars for democracy and women's rights (we all know what the means, right?) Catholics like Santorum?

When Santorum rejected his Roman Catholic Church (and it wasn't the first time he had rejected RCC teaching as he said he was pro-choice before getting into politics) and supported invading Iraq, he didn't seem to care what happened to Christ's people in Iraq--it was more important to enforce UN laws, so he said.

Clint| 2.22.12 @ 7:20PM

"Nationally, Catholic Charities is the largest private provider of social services to children, families, and individuals impacted by poverty. While its mission is based in Catholic Social Teaching, it honors and respects all of the religions and beliefs of the very diverse people it serves. 92% of all expenses are for program services, the remaining 8% is for supporting services."

How Much Did Catholic Charities Charity Service Work Save the Federal and State governments, that is, the tax payers last year?

albert constantine jr| 2.22.12 @ 7:32PM

Good point on the taxpayer savings. By "privatizing" these functions, not only is their the charitable clientele that are provided for, but the staff doesn't get civil service jobs for life with expensive pension and benefits packages (though the President did just raise the cost somewhat of the health insurance).

C Bowen | 2.22.12 @ 7:35PM

It is not Constitutional to fund the services Catholic Charities provides, and worse, has compromised the power of the Church who fears loss of such funding.

Worse, the refugee settlement racket which Catholic Charities and the mainline protestant churches profit from, is a tremendous burden on local communities (let alone an emerging national security issue.)

Clint| 2.22.12 @ 7:58PM

When The Federal Government buys services from religious organizations, it is not buying religion. It is buying a specific public service, just as it does from “secular” groups. In fact, charitable choice guidelines explicitly state that no public funds can be used for activities such as worship services or discipleship classes.

C Bowen | 2.22.12 @ 8:18PM

What services is the Federal Government purchasing, from Catholic Charities, Mainline Prots or secular organizations, that are Constitutional?

Secondly, 501C status for Churches is another rock to overturn. That should be done away with--not just for churches, but all charities (sic). It is not fully a charity if you get a tax right off for it.

I want to encourage the older tradition of 'church militants' and the only way to do it is to get them off the federal teet.

And to be clear, when an institution goes into business with the federal government, it is owned. VMI, Bob Jones, case in point.

Mark| 2.22.12 @ 3:20PM

Well said Quin. As a Catholic who attends a traditional Catholic Church at which we pray the "Prayer to St. Michael" at the conclusion of EVERY Mass, Senator Santorum's comments are neither unusual nor extraordinary. In fact, as you and many AS readers know, when Catholics repeat their baptismal vows each year they are asked if they "reject Satan and all his works...and all his empty promises..." The faithful respond, ""I do," thus affirming the belief that Satan exists and works in the world. Again, Senator Santorum's views on Satan "targeting" the United States, specifically our culture and our civic institutions would be accepted by the overwhelming majority of traditional Catholics (and most Christians), as obvious and completely in accord with their beliefs.

Garfield| 2.22.12 @ 3:24PM

Santorum's bashing Protestants actually upsets me more than the argument of good and evil.

bugless| 2.22.12 @ 3:37PM

It didn't sound to me like so much bashing Protestantism as bashing MAINLINE Protestant denoms (there's an anagram in there), many of whose leaders have traded any concern for the transcendent for a hefty dose of progressivist social claptrap.

Quin| 2.22.12 @ 3:39PM

He didn't bash Protestants. He said most mainline Protestant churches in the U.S. are in shambles. He's right. They are. Almost all of them have been bleeding members for two decades. The Episcopal Church of the USA, into which I was baptized, is a shadow of its former self, in terms of total adherents. It is divided by schism, and plagued by lawsuits. It is my church, and I can say with absolute certainty that it is a total, unadulterated mess.

W| 2.22.12 @ 3:51PM

You are looking for reasons to attack Santorum because you favor Newt. We are doing a better job of attacking our candidates than the Dems.
You know that Santorum did not bash Protestants.

W| 2.22.12 @ 3:52PM

PS: directed to Garfield

Tom| 2.22.12 @ 4:33PM

The "mainline", or more accurately, DEADline, Protestant churches merit nothing but utmost contempt. They have rejected each and every element of the historic Christian faith as taught in the Word of God. They have repudiated the funadamental principles of that great work of the Holy Spirit known as the Protestant Reformation. They have squandered the rich spiritual heritage bequeathed to them in exchange for the folly of modern liberalism.

Speaking as a true Son of the Reformation, I intend to support the Roman Catholic Rick Santorum in any way I can. Of all the current Presidential options, he is the only one who will provide this country with sound leadership.

WL| 2.22.12 @ 4:50PM

You really should check that anti-"everbody but the Catholics" approach...

1st - According to that Bible of yours, you should be "wise as a serpant, harmless as a ..." That is not the way to lead...and right now the Catholics and Protestants need to lead. I can stomach your stupidity (YOURS, as in YOU) while still knowing at this moment in time...we all should stand with the Catholics, but you will turn off millions and that church can't afford that right now because of your judgemental IDIOCY.
2nd There are many of our protestant church's who try to abide by the Bible the best way we know how and are constantly attacked and put down by Catholics and Other Protestants for not being in the "main stream"...well how is that "main stream" America crap working for you now?

So save it Mr. Holy Toilet Bowl Floater.

WL| 2.22.12 @ 4:52PM

You are probably a fraud anyway...a real Christian doesn't act like that...

If you read that Good Book of yours...it says "you will know them by their fruit"...

And yours is Rotten

Tom| 2.22.12 @ 6:02PM

Sir, may you repent of the false and lying accusations you make against me. I stand on the Word of God against modern liberal apostate churches. If you don't like it, that is YOUR problem, not mine.

Tom| 2.22.12 @ 5:59PM

Your mindless rant is beyond ignorant. I make absolutely no apology for opposing modern liberal churches. They are apostate synagogues of Satan who have rejected the Light of God's Word and have plunged into the darkness of their own depraved minds.

All throughout Scripture, we are commanded to stand against false teachers. If you don't like the fact that I have chosen to do so, that is YOUR problem, not mine.

Tom| 2.22.12 @ 6:13PM

Let me also say this; I am a Reformed Presbyterian Calvinist. According to the doctrinal standards which I uphold, the Roman Catholic Churchhas corrupted Christinaity to such an extent that the Protestant Reformation was an aboslute necessity.

Yet, I stand by the Romanist Santorum--NOT because we united in Christian doctrine, because we are not. But because he represent the best available option as the next President of the United States. If I though that supporting Santorum would necessitate me comprising my theological principles, then I would repudiate him in a heartbeat, and without giving it a second thought.

And your opinion in the matters carries no weight with me whatsoever.

Brrent| 2.22.12 @ 6:25PM

You are right. Catholics are a threat to this country. They are not in line with the Constitution.

Clint| 2.22.12 @ 7:41PM

WTF ?

Nock| 2.22.12 @ 4:01PM

Uh, Satan is superstitious mumbo jumbo. So we have this nut who believes supernatural hocus pocus who wants to be our leader. That's a problem Quint.

Bob Grant| 2.22.12 @ 4:14PM

So nock,

Was JFK - another Catholic - a nut? ...how about John F. Kerry? ...the Cuomo's?

Is he a nut because he adheres to it's teachings?

Bob Grant| 2.22.12 @ 4:14PM

So nock,

Was JFK - another Catholic - a nut? ...how about John F. Kerry? ...the Cuomo's?

Is he a nut because he adheres to it's teachings?

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:54PM

BOB,

there is far more proof of the reality of evil, and the lord of evil, the devil, than there is for the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes.

Chaucer| 2.22.12 @ 4:15PM

So our current President believes in what, exactly?

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:48PM

Now we could hit political pay dirt if Senator Sweater Vest were to come out swinging and make the jerk in chief's beliefs the issue.

But Senator Sweater Vest/Church Lady doesn't seem savvy enough to do so.

I find myself agreeing with BEN SHAPIRO, who said of Santorum that he agrees with much of what Santorum is saying, but that he is "awful" at saying it.

And this is a former prosecutor too!

Tom| 2.22.12 @ 4:35PM

The only "superstitious mumbo jumbo" is the utter nonsense of modern secularism.

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:50PM

Concur.

And don't forget the body count, upwards of a hundred million, all dead, because of the Left.

The Left is responsible for more humans killed than all those killed prior to them that were killed by war, by hatred, by religious dispute. That's one hell of a record...........

Makes one kinda' wonder if there weren't some entity, some personage, some creature who has haunted man on all this paths behind it all.........

"Could it be ----------------------------- SATAN!"

Actually it could be, and was!

Oldefarte| 2.22.12 @ 4:16PM

'....RUSH: I mentioned earlier in the program that Santorum, people have dug deep and they found a speech that he gave back in 2008 in Ave Maria, Florida, at Ave Maria University. Drudge has this plastered up. The Democrats have found it. It's all over the place. Think Progress and whatever leftist think tanks have dug this up, and it's part of the predictable attempt to impugn Santorum as an absolute religious nut and wacko. But he did say these things and he'll to have an answer for these things when queried. Let's play these sound bites. We have three of them. This is where Santorum has said that Satan has set his sights on America. Again, this is at Ave Maria University, August of 2008, in Ave Maria, Florida.

SANTORUM: The Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country -- the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age? There is no one else to go after other than the United States, and that's been the case for now almost 200 years, once America's preeminence was sown by our great Founding Fathers.

RUSH: Okay, so he said it. Can we take you back to the United Nations? What was it, 2000... I don't know, three or four or five or six. Hugo Chavez shows up, he speaks either the afternoon Bush spoke earlier or the next day, but he gets to the microphone at the United Nations and the General Assembly and starts sniffing around. (Sniffing) He says, "I can still smell the sulfur. The Devil was here," and he had accused Bush of being the Devil. And the assembled monsters that look like they're out of Star Wars bar scene that made up the UN General Assembly all started laughing. So we're back to the double standard. Hugo Chavez can show up and call George W. Bush Satan. "Hey, hey! You know what, that's right! That's great. Let's laugh about it. Let's applaud it." Santorum gives a speech in Ave Maria, Florida, back in 2008. "Oh, my God, we're dealing with a nutcase! Oh, wow, what a fanatic weirdo. What are we gonna get next, an exorcism?" So the double standard does exist. Here's more from the same speech from Santorum.

SANTORUM: Satan has done so by attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity, and sensuality as the root to attack all of these strong plants that have so deeply rooted in American tradition. He was successful. The place where he was, in my mind, the most successful and first successful was in academia. He understood pride of "smart" people. He attacked them at their weakest, that they were in fact smarter than everybody else and could come up with something new and different, pursue new truths, deny the existence of truth, play with it, "because we're smart;" and so academia a long time ago fell.

RUSH: Satan conquered academia: Rick Santorum, August 29, 2008. And it was in 2006, September 20th, to be exact, where Hugo Chavez strode confidently to the microphones of the UN and was sniffing around and said, "The Devil came here yesterday. It still smells of sulfur today." And let's not forget, ladies and gentlemen, Saul Alinsky, who's the primary mentor of "Barack Hussein Obama! Mmm, mmm, mmm!" Saul Alinsky, the author of the book Rules for Radicals -- a book about which Hillary Clinton wrote her masters or doctoral thesis, whatever it was, when she was at Wellesley. Saul Alinsky, who Obama has studied and implements to this day and whose tactics he taught while ostensibly teaching law at the University of Chicago.

Saul Alinsky dedicated his book that all these leftists love to Lucifer, the Devil! Here's Alinsky's dedication: "Lest we forget, at least an over the-shoulder acknowledgement to the very first radical from all our legends, mythology and history -- and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins or which is which? The first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom: Lucifer." Saul Alinsky made that dedication in his book Rules for Radicals. So Santorum is just joining the crowd here in discussing this. Here is the final sound bite.

SANTORUM: The next was the church. Now, you say, "Well, wait. The Catholic Church?" No. We all know that this country was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic, but the Judeo-Christian ethic was a Protestant Judeo-Christian ethic. Sure, the Catholics had some influence, but this was a Protestant country, and the Protestant ethic. Mainstream, mainline Protestantism. And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country, and it is a shambles.

RUSH: That's Rick Santorum August 29, 2008. That stuff is out there. It's headlined on Drudge and the left has it, and Santorum will have to deal with it. He'll have to answer it. I don't know. It's just not the kind of stuff you hear a presidential candidate talk about. It's not ordinary in that sense. Snerdley says, "Yeah, yeah, it's kind of refreshing." Snerdley likes devil stuff. I mean, he watches movies about it. He has The Exorcist on a loop at home and it helps with his sciatic pain.....'

Oldefarte| 2.22.12 @ 4:58PM

http://youtu.be/fVa5B_TFRFM

Vern Crisler| 2.22.12 @ 4:35PM

Ugh, Quin, a prayer to Michael the Archangel? That's about as Satanic as you can get. Prayer should only be directed to God in the name of Christ our Lord, not to mere creatures. You Catholics slay me sometimes.

Vern Crisler| 2.22.12 @ 4:39PM

Okay, so you're Catholic-lite, an Episcopalean.

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:52PM

And don't you think the prayer gets passed along as it were, to the ultimate party so to speak?

A cramped, limited view of the Almighty simply won't cut it....

Vern Crisler| 2.22.12 @ 5:16PM

I'm sure that's what idol worshippers say, too -- just gets passed on to the ultimate party.

John - TMF| 2.22.12 @ 5:22PM

Ok.. time to teach, gently.

Catholics do not "pray" to Saints in the sense that they pray to God. There are many forms of prayer in Catholic Theology. Requesting intercession with the Almighty of saintly souls is a part of the mix. It IS NOT worship. It is communication and petition.

If I pray the Fatima prayer after the Lord's Prayer in a recitation of the Rosary, I am praying to God directly for help in being saved from the fires of hell.

"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to
heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."

If I pray the Hail Mary, or the final Hail Holy Queen, I am petitioning Mary for her Blessed petition on my behalf to God. She is, after all, the only child of man, born without the stain of original sin.

And for those people who don't believe that Satan and Hell exist; what Satan most desires is that you don't believe that he exists.

Peace and His blessings be with you.

John

Vern Crisler | 2.22.12 @ 6:54PM

I've heard it all before. The question that needs to be asked is whether Moses or Jesus or the Apostles would have understood all these fine distinctions.

John - TMF| 2.22.12 @ 9:15PM

Short answer... Yes they and He do.

When Moses asked God, what name (very significant thing in the ancient world, meant more than just the sound that you say "What?" to.) he, Moses should tell His people to call Him.

The translation that seems to have been the most common...

"I AM that AM"

Nothing more. Nothing less. God IS. Everything we do, or say is a product of His design. God knows.

Peace Vern.

John

Clint| 2.22.12 @ 8:11PM

Do Your Homework Anti-Catholic Asshole , Vern Baby.

" The historic Christian practice of asking our departed brothers and sisters in Christ—the saints—for their intercession has come under attack in the last few hundred years. The practice dates to the earliest days of Christianity and is shared by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, the other Eastern Christians, and even some Anglicans—meaning that all-told it is shared by more than three quarters of the Christians on earth."

Clint| 2.22.12 @ 8:16PM

"The intercession of fellow Christians—which is what the saints in heaven are—also clearly does not interfere with Christ’s unique mediatorship because in the four verses immediately preceding 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul says that Christians should interceed: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and pleasing to God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:1–4). Clearly, then, intercessory prayers offered by Christians on behalf of others is something "good and pleasing to God," not something infringing on Christ’s role as mediator. "

Vern Crisler | 2.22.12 @ 10:27PM

Oh, blow it out your ear, Ron Paul worshipping, Israel-hating, Jew-hating, idolater.

Quartermaster| 2.22.12 @ 4:39PM

Yeppers! Mainline protest denominations are an unadulterated mess. Only the UMC is fighting hard to keep the liberals at a distant and they've lost some serious battles that will eventually kill the denomination fi they can't walk the cat back.

The truth simply is. This accusation is much like racism. The truth, as we well know, is just raaaaacist, or seeeeexist, or aaaaanti-gay, or whatever you don't like so you can misdirect and deceive to keep people from seeing the truth.

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 4:45PM

Quin,

the issue isn't whether as a theological matter, Senator Sweater Vest was right.

And you know it.

So who are you kidding?

The issue is how this is politically going to play out for his candidacy, and for the GOP if we let ourselves get saddled with a guy who when he isn't branding himself as Senator Sweater Vest,
decides to our himself as Senator Church Lady.

TGWWS | 2.22.12 @ 4:54PM

Thank you, thank you Quinn for saying this out loud! No, not everyone believes in Satan, but there are plenty of intelligent, well-educated people who do ... it's hardly a fringe concept.

Dan| 2.22.12 @ 5:47PM

Let's go check out what the former Prefect of the Faith has to say on this exact issue, the guy that was formerly head of that office which occupies first place in order of the Congregations of the Roman Curia because it deals with "questions of greatest importance," that office formerly known as the "Roman and Universal Inquisition."

Chapter 10 of The Ratzinger Report is headed "On some "last things," the devil and his trail.....

After acknowledging an interest of the public in the issue, which many regard as a vestigal piece of folklore, it goes on to note that no other issue unleashes such a storm of indignation among the mass media of secularized society as does the devil.

Recalled then were the comments made by Pope Paul VI in 1972 when reviewing the situation of the Church: "I have the feeling that the smoke of Satan has penetrated the Temple of God through some crack or other." But the furor that awoke then was as nothing to that triggered later by his statement:

"The evil that exists in the world is the result and effect of an attack upon us and our society by a dark and hostile agent, the devil. EVIL is not only a privation but a living, spiritual, corrupt and corrupting being. A terrible reality, mysterious and frightening. The testimony of both Bible and Church tells us that people refuse to acknowledge his existence; or they make of him a self-subsistent principle not originating in God, unlike all creatures; or he is explained away as a pseudo-reality, a fantastic personification of the unknown grounds of evil within us."

He continued: "The devil is the ENEMY NUMBER ONE, the source of all temptation. Thus we know that this dark and destructive being really exists and is still active; he is the SOPHISTICAL PERVERTER of man's moral equipoise, the malicious seducer who knows how to penetrate us through the senses, the imagination, desire, utopian logic, or disordered social contacts in order to spread error."

One of his key jobs is to sow ERROR.

The Pope urged the Holy Office to take up the teaching.

Which it did in the following year, 1973: "Teaching concerning the devil is an undisputed element of the Christian awareness... IF the existence of Satan and the demons has never been made the object of dogmatic declaration," that was because it was always seemed superfluous, since it was a common assumption integral to the constant and universal Faith.

Prior to his death, Pope Paul VI returned to the topic: "It is no wonder if our society is disintegrating when Holy Scripture sharply warns us that the 'whole world' {in the pejorative sense} is under the power of the evil one who is called "the prince of this world'."

To each comment of the Pope the response was an uproar.

And an uproar by those supposedly sophisticated worldlings who should have viewed the whole discussion with bemusement.

Now then Cardinal Ratzinger:

"Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as the Christian is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not merely symbolical presence. He is a powerful reality {'the prince of this world'}, a baneful superhuman freedom directed against God's freedom. This is evident if we look realistically at history, with its abyss of ever-new atrocities which cannot be explained by reference to man alone. On his own man has not the power to vie with Satan, but the devil is not a second God, and united with Christ the Christian can be certain of vanquishing him" by escaping his clutches and gaining Heaven. "Which is why the Gospel is really 'the good news.' "Furthermore, the atheistic culture of the modern western world is still surviving thanks to the liberation from fear of demons which Christianity brought about. If this redeeming light of Christianity were to fail, the world with ALL ITS KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY would sink back into an inescapable fear in the face of the alien impenetrability of being. There are already signs of the return of these dark powers, and Satanic cults are spreading more and more in the secularized world.

Those writing the devil out of the modern world don't base their attitudes on the Bible, but on "the weltanschauung they hold to be contemporary. They are therefore speaking as philosophers or sociologists, and their philosophy consists merely in a banal, uncritical assent to the convictions of the present time, which are always provisional." Additionally, "we must not yield to the mentality of so many believers nowadays who think it is enough to act more or less like the majority and everything will automatically be all right."

Stan| 2.22.12 @ 7:23PM

Santorum should have been the church lady from SNL.

Drek| 2.22.12 @ 7:57PM

If he gains the nomination, before all of this is said and done, the media will have most Americans thinking he was.

We need an outsize ego, a guy so much larger than life, so dazzling, that despite the media's attempt to pigeonhole him, he rises about them and above it all. And then takes it right at obama.

Obama only moves forward by being carried, be it by affirmative action or the media. On his own, ---------------- junior varsity all the way.

And yet our Republican leadership is actually frightened of this guy!

Amazing.

mjs_pa| 2.22.12 @ 8:05PM

Can America return to a Constitutional government? Can we re-establish limited government and properly re-balance the powers and responsibilities of the federal government and the states? Can we restore free market capitalism? Can we avoid municipal, statewide and national insolvency long enough to achieve fiscal sanity?

These are just a few of the questions that face our 'nation in crisis' in 2012.

Talking heads say we need to set aside 'social' issues and focus like a laser on these 'higher priorities'.

However, in attempting to treat these symptoms, are we failing to cure the underlying diseases?

What cancers lie beneath the surface? What malignancies exist that waste away at the fabric of our society, rot our Founding Principals, attack our liberties and freedoms, and burden our relationship with the God who gave us the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Can we truly pursue limited government, fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, and American Constitutionalism by turning our backs on the Author of Life and Liberty or living as though our immoral conduct does not affect our moral compass with regard to to these 'higher priorities'?

'Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. (John Adams October 11, 1798.)

'Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.' (Benjamin Franklin.)

In 2012, we will be challenged with new leadership responsibilities. Will we tend to the symptoms and affect a cure or will we only gauze over visible sores and ignore the internal hemorrhaging?

Almost every ill we suffer as a people can be linked to a vicious cycle of relying upon a government solution to an individual, familiar, or local problem. Growing federal involvement into every aspect of our lives, families, communities and commerce have snowballed the size of government and exacerbated the very problems they were 'intended' to relieve.

The war cry of Saint Michael the Archangel is: WHO IS LIKE GOD? In fact his very name, Michael, is his war cry!

In looking at the size, scope and intrusiveness of the federal government, it is not hard to make the argument that we as a country have replaced God with government.

Instead of relying upon the common sensibilities of our Founding Fathers, we have delegated our individual responsibilities to the federal government and have attempted to strip from God his role as Deity.

Saint Michael must be bellowing his war cry as we turn from the Divine.

'Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath?' (Thomas Jefferson - 1782.)

'Where it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor....' (George Washington.)

Without addressing the immoral underpinnings which fertilize the growth of government, any attempt to shrink the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy will only lead to chaos and collapse.

More than ever, we as a people need to turn to God and from both government and our evil ways. This includes both our fiscal and social sins.

In reality, God has already provided us with the only road map needed:

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land.

May God Bless America!

Oldefarte| 2.23.12 @ 1:43PM

IMHO, Santorum's earliar remarks regarding Satan can be seen in the following example:

'....Lesbian Federal Worker Wins Case for Spousal Benefits Thursday, February 23, 2012 07:44 AM....The government cannot deny health benefits to the wife of a lesbian court employee by relying on the 1996 law that bars government recognition of same-sex unions, a federal judge has ruled.In Wednesday's ruling on a San Francisco case, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said the government's refusal to furnish health insurance to Karen Golinski's wife is unjustified because the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples.Golinski, a staff lawyer for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has been trying to secure spousal benefits for her wife, Amy Cunninghis, since shortly after the couple got married during the brief window in 2008 when same-sex marriages were legal in California. Her boss, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, approved her request, but the Office of Personnel Management ordered Golinski's insurer not to process her application.After Golinski sued, the Department of Justice originally opposed her in court but changed course last year after President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder said they would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act."The Court finds that DOMA, as applied to Ms. Golinski, violates her right to equal protection of the law ... by, without substantial justification or rational basis, refusing to recognize her lawful marriage to prevent provision of health insurance coverage to her spouse," White wrote in a 43-page decision that marks the third time in less than two years a federal court has declared the act unconstitutional.When White heard the case in December, the head of the Justice Department's civil division, Tony West, joined her lawyers from the gay rights legal group Lambda Legal in arguing on Golinski's behalf, leaving the job of defending DOMA to a lawyer hired by a House of Representatives group. The lawyers representing the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group convened by House Speaker John Boehner did not immediately respond to an email to their offices sent after business hours Wednesday.Former speaker and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying White's ruling demonstrated "that the House is not united in this case, that the BLAG lawyers do not speak for Congress, and that BLAG's intervention remains a waste of taxpayer resources."Wednesday's ruling is the latest in an unbroken string of judicial setbacks for the Defense of Marriage Act, which Congress approved when states first started considering allowing gay and lesbian couples to get married. The law defines marriage as a union between a man and woman, and prohibits the government from granting benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid to same-sex couples.A federal judge in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2004, ruled in July 2010 that the law is unconstitutional because it interferes with the right of a state to define the institution. A year later, 20 of the 24 bankruptcy judges based in Los Angeles ruled that the act violated the civil rights of a married gay couple who were denied the right to file a shared bankruptcy plan.Last week, the Obama administration said it was extending its decision to stop defending the law to issues affecting actively serving military personnel and veterans in same-sex relationships.In ordering the government to allow Golinski to enroll her wife in a family health plan, White rejected all of the arguments the House group advanced in defense of DOMA, such as that it was necessary to foster stable unions among men and women, and for Congress to act slowly on an issue on which the public remains divided.White's decision "acknowledges that DOMA violates the Constitution and that my marriage to Amy is equal to those marriages of my heterosexual colleagues," Golinski said. "This decision is a huge step toward equality."....'

More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/02/22/catholics-and-satan

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