America - Can You Handle The Truth?

American Revolutionary War Flag

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Patrick Henry is famous for penning the great American Revolutionary motto: 'Give me Liberty, or give me death.' He is revered as one of our greatest founding fathers for this, but Patrick Henry also gave us a warning. He warned us about the excessive dangers of abandoning America's original government -- The Articles of Confederation -- for a national Constitution that centralised and consolidated power in what would eventually become Washington DC. If you call yourself an American, you MUST read Patrick Henry's warning, and ask yourself, did he not predict everything that would happen 224 years in advance???

(Constitution.Org) -- The Confederation, this despised government [Articles of Confederation], merits, in my opinion, the highest encomium -- it carried us through a long and dangerous war; it rendered us victorious in that bloody conflict with a powerful nation; it has secured us a territory greater than any European monarch possesses -- and shall a government which has been thus strong and vigorous, be accused of imbecility, and abandoned for want of energy? Consider what you are about to do before you part with the government. Take longer time in reckoning things; revolutions like this have happened in almost every country in Europe; similar examples are to be found in ancient Greece and ancient Rome -- instances of the people losing their liberty by their own carelessness and the ambition of a few. We are cautioned ... against faction and turbulence. I acknowledge that licentiousness is dangerous, and that it ought to be provided against. I acknowledge, also, the new form of government [The Constitution] may effectually prevent it. Yet there is another thing it will as effectually do -- it will oppress and ruin the people....

Patrick Henry, Virginia 1788

read full source here

Most American's do not know their own history, nor do they stop and consider that the government that fought for independence from the British Empire was disbanded within seven years after attaining that independence.  What replaced it was the Constitution of the United States of America, a much more centralised and consolidated federal republic.

On the political Right of American politics today are those who enshrine the Constitution as Holy Writ.  Some will literally say they believe it to be a divinely inspired document on par with the Bible.  They believe the Constitution is our sacred founding document, that there was no 'America' prior to it, and that everything that is good about America flows from it.  They are strict constructionists, consistent with their point of view, believing the Constitution never changes, and must be followed and obeyed by both the government and the people.

On the political Left of American politics today are those who believe the Constitution is a 'living and breathing' document, again, a different way of interpreting Holy Writ, meaning something new to each successive generation.  It is a document that is flexible, able to be moulded and applied to fit the needs of the day.

Both the political Left and political Right of American politics are religious zealots, but each in their own way, with their approach to the Constitution mirroring their approach to the Bible, or whatever other scriptures they hold as sacred, if any.  Can there ever be a reconciliation between them?  No.  Never.   They will forever hold each other in enmity.  For religious zeal is their driving principle.

I submit to you here that both are wrong.  Both have made a critical error in reason.  Both have consigned themselves in perpetual conflict which can only result in the destruction of the nation they both hold dear.  Both must repent of their wicked religious zeal for a man-made secular document.  'The Catholic Knight' is about to call a spade a spade, and say something that is sure to make both the political Right and the political Left a little uncomfortable...

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT DIVINELY INSPIRED.

Get that through your thick skulls now before it's too late!  When was the last time you read the U.S. Constitution anyway?  Is it not this same Constitution that originally denied women's suffrage, enshrined slavery into federal law, and counted a slave as three-fifths of a person?  Well, I suppose three-fifths of a person is better than half a person, or no person at all, but still, does this sound divinely inspired to you?  Maybe it depends on the kind of divinity you worship.  I don't know about you, but I worship the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - who teaches through his Holy Catholic Church that rights come from God, that women have the same legal rights as men, and a slave is just as much of a person as a freeman.  Maybe you disagree with my interpretation of the U.S. Constitution here.  That's fine, since neither you nor I have the authority to interpret it anyway.  That authority is reserved explicitly for the United States Supreme Court.  You know, that same Supreme Court that gave us the Dred Scott decision, 'Separate but Equal' racial segregation, the banning of prayer in public schools, and of course Roe v. Wade.  The Constitution makes it clear that only the Supreme Court has the right to interpret it authoritatively, and this is how the Supreme Court has interpreted it.  Divinely inspired?  I think not.

I submit to you here that both the political Left and the Right are wrong in America.  Both are guilty of idolatry.  Both have ascribed too much to a secular document that many of America's founders opposed.  Maybe it's time Americans take a second look at the Articles of Confederation, imperfect as that document is, it nevertheless enshrines some of the principles of a truly free and equitable Union between states, wherein the states may govern themselves and solve their own problems, without interference from 'Uncle Sam' and an all-powerful federal government.  Maybe Patrick Henry and the Anti-Federalists were right.  Maybe after 224 years Americans may come to see the prophecy of Patrick Henry came true, and our own federal government (which our Constitution creates) has become our own worst enemy, a nemesis rivalling that of King George III.  Maybe, just maybe, Americans will finally wake up and realise that we have become slaves to an instrument of our founders' own making.  Maybe, just maybe, Americans will once again realise that America and The Constitution are not synonymous, that they are not one in the same, that Americans lived without it before 1789, and indeed gained our independence from England without it.  Maybe, Americans will finally remember that the men who fought the American Revolutionary War never heard of a U.S. Constitution, and those who survived wouldn't hear of it for some time.  Maybe, just maybe, Americans will stop idolising a document that is enslaving us to a federal government that WILL NEVER STOP GROWING until it has consumed everything there is and left us with nothing.  Maybe, just maybe, Americans will finally WAKE UP and understand that true freedom in our Union can only be realised when states are given the ability to govern themselves, solve their own problems, and let people vote with their feet which system is best.  Maybe, just maybe, this 224 year experiment in federal tyranny will finally come to an end, and the people of the states will rise up to the occasion and save us from the brink of our own self-destruction.  Maybe just maybe.  Then again, maybe not.

(This article may be freely copied and distributed without permission from the author -- The Catholic Knight.)

Right Of Return - Southerners Come Home

Obama is not the first Caesar to rule America, and he may not be the last either.

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I have run all the numbers for the 2012 election, and now with a fair degree of confidence, I think I can safely say two things...

1. Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.  Rick Santorum's strategy of stealing enough delegates away from Romney to cause a brokered G.O.P. convention will not work.  His window of opportunity closed yesterday.  He's a lame duck candidate now.
2. In a head-to-head battle between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, Mitt Romney loses hands down.  He does not energise the base of the party.  Primary voter turnout numbers are dropping by the week as it becomes more apparent that he will be the nominee.  A socially conservative Romney is viewed as a fraud by the Christian right.  It's over.  Mitt Romney will not (indeed cannot) win.  This means Barack Obama will be re-elected, and we can look forward to another four years of him in the Whitehouse.

So as we prepare for another four years of Obama, the question begs to be asked: "What now?"

The United States is about to go into a period of 'heavy executive oversight' -- i.e. dictatorship.  Fortunately, it looks like this particular dictator -- Obama -- is just a temporary one.  He will hand his seat over to another in Janurary of 2017, but that one will be a dictator too.  This dictatorship period is inevitable and predictable.  Not to worry.  People live under dictatorships all over the world, and some of them live fairly well.  Americans will too.  This however, is the final gasp of the American empire before it crumbles.  When it does crumble, it should happen rather quickly, considering how much federal debt Washington DC has accrued.  The fall of the American empire will be primarily over money, but I would expect a botched foreign war to play into this as well, sucking what little there is left out of the coffers.  We are going the way of the ancient Roman empire.

Within our lifetimes, perhaps sooner than we think, the secession movements in the United States will gain steam and become quite credible.  It is not likely they will move to secede while the American empire is still standing, but as soon as Washington DC loses its grip on things, look for these secession movements to spring into action, taking the lion's share of political attention.   So my question to you is this.  WHEN these secession movements gain steam, and it looks like the former United States is about to be broken up, where do you want to be???  What region of the continent do you think you would do well in?

There are multiple peaceful secession movements across the United States, however the one I am particularly interested in is the American South (Dixieland).  The time has come for all of the sons and daughters of the South, and their descendants, who now live in other parts of the United States, to come home.  When the American empire crumbles, you don't want to be caught in an area where the culture is not your own.  If you're a Southerner by culture, then you know who you are.  You want to be in an area that is ready and eager to rebuild according to the Christian culture and values you hold dear.  Start getting your things in order.  It's time to move back home.

If you're neither a Southerner, nor descended from the South, but you share the values of the Southern people -- Faith, Family and Christian Culture -- then you may want to consider a relocation to the South (Dixie).  Catholicism is growing at a rapid rate in the South.  In fact, it's the only part of the United States where dioceses are building parishes and schools instead of closing them down.  You will also be pleased to know that the Southern states of Dixie are still vigorously fighting gay-marriage, while many states in the North and West have given in to it.  My home state of Missouri has passed a constitutional amendment banning gay-marriage outright.  Many other Southern states have done the same.  This makes the South more hospitable to Catholic Charities while other states in the North and West are causing them to shut down.  Homeschooling is protected in the South as well, encouraging family-based traditional education.  Housing is very affordable and so is Catholic school tuition.  The only advice I would give you is this.  When you come to live here, leave your Northern and Western mentalities behind.  With a little help, you will assimilate into this region easily, and you'll be glad you did. 

St. Joseph, patron of home sellers, pray for us all!

Another Santorum Reality Check

Rick Santorum

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I know many of my readers are rooting for Rick Santorum. I've pointed out the problems with Santorum here on this blog, but I realise he is no worse than Obama on many issues, so it's pretty much a wash. Santorum's appeal to many conservative Catholics and Evangelicals is almost exclusively along social issues. The purpose of this post is not to debate the merits of Santorum's candidacy. The purpose of this post is to introduce a healthy dose of reality to the conversation.

The fact is, it is a statistical impossibility for Rick Santorum to gain enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. Santorum's ONLY shot is to deprive Romney of enough delegates to force a brokered convention. A lot of that chance will likely evaporate today as it is suspected that Santorum will lose Illinois to Romney. Illinois is a 'must-win state' for Santorum, and it doesn't look like that is going to happen. The nomination is Mitt Romney's to lose. So if he just plays his cards right, he will win the nomination.

Mitt Romney is an unexciting candidate to say the least.  He is an undeniable Pro-Life fraud.  He has a favourable record toward gay-marriage.  It will be difficult to motivate Christian Republicans to turn out to the polls to vote for him.  When it comes to Romney, only hatred for Obama, and disdain for Obama alone, can garner enough GOP votes to give Obama a serious challenge in November.   Will such negativity be enough to propel Romney into the Whitehouse.  I doubt it.  As a result, The Catholic Knight is preparing his family for another four years of the Obama administration.

Maybe Catholics Should Just Stop Voting

(Ethika Politika) - What then is the best Catholic strategy for the present? In 2004 I wrote an article for New Oxford Review arguing that if we Catholics really wanted to have an impact on U.S. politics, the best means would be a strategy selectively to abstain from voting, so as to serve notice to politicians that until they come to us with a platform reasonably in comformity with the entire range of Catholic teaching, they could not expect our votes. Play hard to get and let them come courting, I argued. There are enough of us so that we should make them earn our votes, not run after one politician or the other who mouths agreement with Catholic teaching on this or that issue.
Is this still our best hope for influencing American politics? Much depends, I think, on whether any of the current legal or political efforts to overturn the administration’s health care mandate will succeed. If they do not, if there are not enough active and faithful Catholics to make this politically feasible, then perhaps the best strategy for the Church is to forget about electoral politics entirely for the time being and simply preach the whole Gospel, both those parts that resonate with the left and those that resonate with the right. After all, was this not the mission given to the Church at her origins? In any case, no compromise with either political bloc will serve the interests of the Church in the long runs, interests which are ultimately not of this world anyway, but simply the sanctification and salvation of souls....
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THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In the upcoming presidential election, I am going to propose the following.  Since the GOP race now seems to be solely between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, I am going to say that Mr. Santorum is worth a try, in spite of his short comings, because he may be influenced by his Catholic faith just enough to do the right things while in office.  In other words, it may be worth giving another Catholic a crack at the Whitehouse just to see what happens.

Now I want to clarify. Rick Santorum is probably one of the worst anti-liberty candidates in the Republican primaries. He is the political antithesis of everything every freedom-loving Southerner stands for. However, in comparison to Obama on that issue, he is no worse, so when it comes to freedom, a race between Santorum and Obama is a wash. We pretty much break even. The only thing that's worth a darn about Santorum is his Pro-Life position, coupled with the fact that he (as a supposedly conservative Catholic) will have his feet held to the fire on that one. If he takes the dictator-in-cheif position in favour of the unborn, than perhaps an ounce of good can come from his administration. Though I'm sure it will be short-lived. Just as soon as a Democrat regains the Whitehouse, after his 'reign,' all the benefits will be lost.

Another 'good' Rick Santorum might accomplish is to finally decouple freedom-loving Southerners from the Republican Party. Right now people associate the Republican Party with the TEA Party and conservatism. A Santorum administration would once and for all put an end to the notion that constitutional restraint can be realised within the Republican Party. The G.O.P. is the author of American dictatorship through its infamous hero -- Abraham Lincoln.

If however, Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination, I am going to say that we have no truly Pro-Life candidate running for president this year.

Without a truly Pro-Life candidate in the race, I think it might be wise to not vote for president, or vote third-party, or do whatever it takes to rob both the Democrats and Republicans of our vote entirely.

Maybe in the absence of any real political solution, this is the only answer. Maybe we should just stop voting, perhaps limiting our participation to state and local politics if we vote at all, until the national political parties start courting us again. Your thoughts?

CATHOLICS WIN DEEP SOUTH !!!

The St. Andrew's Banner of Dixie Papists

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: History has just been made. For the first time ever, the Deep South of Dixie has just voted for two Catholic candidates for president. South Carolina and Georgia voted for Catholic convert Newt Gingrich, while Alabama and Mississippi just voted for traditional Latin Mass Catholic Rick Santorum.

Catholic Convert
Newt Gingrich

Traditional Catholic
Rick Santorum

While I suffer from no illusions about either of these two candidates -- they are both big government Republicans who have compromised their conservative principles -- I am compelled to point out to my readers that history has just been made. The Deep South of Dixie has just demonstrated a willingness to shed its anti-Catholic history and support a Catholic for the highest office of the land. (They just can't decide which one yet.)

When you couple this with the fact that Catholics are taking leadership roles within the New Southern Nationalist movement, it can safely be said that what we are witnessing in the Southland of Dixie is a profound paradigm shift crossing all religious lines. The South is coming out pro-Catholic, and as far as this strongly Evangelical part of the United States goes, they say the more traditionally-conservative Catholic the better. (Now if we can only find one that believes in Subsidiarity.)

How To Break Up America's Political Establishment

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Many of my readers in the United States have written me to lament the current two-party (Democrat - Republican) political monopoly. They have rightly assessed the hopelessness of the situation and the virtual impossibility of establishing a viable third-party. They ask me what they can do, if anything, to change the system.

I am now going to reveal to you the way in which the two-party political monopoly in the United States can be broken up permenantly. The strategy is really very simple, and it's a whole lot easier than trying to establish a nationwide third-party. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? Here it is...

ESTABLISH LOCAL STATE PARTIES INSTEAD.

That's right, if your state doesn't already have one, then look toward establishing one. For example, I live in Missouri, and we don't currently have a state party. I would propose that some folks in my state get together and create the 'Missouri Party' or something akin to that. The goals and objectives of this party are simply to preserve and protect the best interests of Missourians against any threat to our state sovereignty from within or without. The state party should avoid controversial social and fiscal issues, focusing instead on what best preserves the sovereignty of the state, which of course protects the rights of Missouri voters. We would want to run state and local candidates for office, but we would limit our activities to that. We would not run federal candidates. In time, as each state party gains traction among their state population, the Democrats and Republicans will slowly lose their grip in those states, eventually losing their grip on federal politics as well.

State parties should avoid endorsing federal candidates from the Republicans and Democrats. If however, they feel they simply must endorse somebody, than the criteria should be based entirely on one thing. Which candidate will do more to preserve and protect the sovereignty of that state, and the right of that state to manage its own affairs.

If this strategy were enacted tomorrow, in at least half the states in the Union, than I predict by 2016 the Republicans and Democrats would begin losing control. By 2020, they would be bowing to kiss the rings of each state party chairman. As a result, local voters would have far more control over their local governments, and considerable more control over the runaway federal government. That is, if the federal government still exists in 2020.

Maybe We Should Let The Mormon Win

If Elected, Mitt Romney Would Become America's First Mormon President

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I realise this may sound incredibly selfish so please forgive me. Considering the likelihood that America is headed for another economic catastrophe in the not-too-distant future, including the possibility of a crippling war as well, I'm almost glad Mitt Romney (a Mormon) has taken the lead for the GOP presidential nomination. I would hate for a Catholic (Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich) to be at the helm when this ship goes down. People hate Catholics enough already. We don't need the sinking of America on our backs too.

The Sinking Titanic Draws Many
Parallels to America's Future

I'm just saying, the way people usually write the history books, Catholics almost universally get blamed whenever something goes wrong in society, whether the connection is real or just perceived. So I would hate to see the Catholic Church get blamed for the sinking of America in the not-too-distant future. This ship is going down. I say, let the Mormon have the wheel. Catholics should be readying the lifeboats.

Now the Mormons have a prophecy which many (not all but many) hold to be true, and it goes something like this.  'Joseph Smith, the prophet, was inspired to affirm and ratify this truth, and he further predicted that the time would come, when the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread, and that the Latter-day Saints above all other people in the world would come to the rescue of that great and glorious palladium of our liberty' (Conference Report, October 1912, p.10).  As I said, not all Mormons agree on this, but a fairly large number of them do.  Mitt Romney has been asked about this specifically, in reference to the notion that he might be the representative of the "white horse" of Mormonism that Joseph Smith referred to in his so-called 'white horse prophecy.'  Romney wisely dismissed the notion that he thought of himself in any such way.  He did not however dismiss the prophecy itself.  Undoubtedly, if elected, many Mormons will view Romney as the fulfilment of the 'white horse prophecy' and see our current times as those Joseph Smith spoke of 'when the Constitution would hand by a thread.'  Of the latter portion about the Constitution we cannot deny.  Indeed it is hanging by a threat and has been for some time.  As for Romney being some kind of 'white horse' representative of Mormonism that is destined to save America from the abyss, well perhaps it's time the Mormons had their way to see if their so-called 'prophecy' comes true.  Perhaps if America sinks with a Mormon at the helm, they may come to question some of the other teachings of Joseph Smith as well.

Many things may happen in the next president's term, regardless if it is Romney or Obama in the Whitehouse.  A middle-eastern war between Israel and Iran seems almost certain to play out now, either under Obama's administration, or Romney's administration, depending on if/when Obama takes us to war before the election.  While Iran will certainly take a beating like nothing its ever seen before, we have to remember, these are the Persians we are dealing with here.  It's going to be a little different than Iraq.  These people aren't going anywhere, and they sure as hell are not going to easily submit to some Western power (especially the Zionist state).  There is going to be some blow back, and there are no time limits imposed on that.  The Persians may have the means to react quickly, say within a year, or slowly within ten years, but they will hit back and it will be hard.  Nine-eleven 2001 was a direct Sunni Fundamentalist response to the Persian Gulf War.  It took them an entire decade to pull off their revenge on the United States for interfering in Arabian politics.  Likewise, the Iranians will do the same, but I don't think it will take them nearly as long to pull it off.  Meanwhile, the war itself will cripple the United States financially, while Israel will find itself in even a more vulnerable position as the entire Arab world will be enraged by their attack on an Islamic Republic.  The eventual fall of Israel is almost certain, if not sooner than later.  It will cause a Second Holocaust in that region, which is unthinkable, but here at home it will disrupt the Dispensationalist faith of millions of American Evangelicals.  This of course provides a huge missionary opportunity for Catholics in the Midwest and South (Dixie) but that can't happen if a Catholic is at the wheel of this sinking nation, and the Israeli Holocaust happens under his watch.  He will be blamed for the catastrophe, and the Catholic Church will be seen as the agent behind it all.  This is the typical Evangelical tripe we get from them all the time.  Remove a Catholic president from the equation, and all of this goes away.  Either Romney (the Mormon) or Obama (the ???) will get the blame, while Catholics are free to do what Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been calling us to do all along -- EVANGELISE!!!  

Obama Is The Symptom Not The Problem

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  I want to make something perfectly clear to my readers.  I DON'T HATE BARACK OBAMA.  I don't even dislike him.  Truth is, if I met him in a pub, and didn't know he was the President of the United States, I would probably have a few drinks with him.  I might even make a friend.  The same is true with G.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

In American politics we tend to get personal, even to the point of hating our leaders.  I have tried to avoid that, and I've tried to teach my kids to steer clear of that as well.  Truth is, while much of what our political leaders do is evil, that doesn't mean they themselves are evil people.  I have friends who are ardent Obama supporters, even to the point of trying to defend his indefensible HHS mandate.  I don't 'unfriend' them just because of their flawed political views.  They're good people and I know they mean well.  It's just that so much of what they 'know' is wrong.

I'm going to tell my readers now that there is a fifty percent chance that Obama may lose the election, and if he does, there is a seventy-five percent chance that nothing big will really change.  Oh sure, a Republican president may get rid of some of the more offensive features of Obamacare, including the insidious HHS mandate, but don't expect the principles of Obamacare to disappear, and you certainly shouldn't expect anything to get better in the healthcare industry.  I would say there is probably a strong chance they will continue to get worse, especially under a Republican president.  Under Obama we may go to war with Iran.  Under a Republican president we WILL go to war with Iran.  Under Obama the federal government will continue to get bigger and more intrusive.  Under a Republican president the federal government will continue to get bigger and more intrusive.  Under Obama the federal debt will continue to grow.  Under a Republican president the federal debt will continue to grow.  I make it a point not to drink the Kool Aid of either the Republicans or the Democrats.  One of the ways the parties poison are minds is by personally attacking their opponents.  They get us thinking that it's all about the personality of the man in office, and in the process, we forget the real problem is a common theme echoed by both parties --  each in their own way.  That theme is Subsidiarity -- or rather the lack thereof.

Neither party believes in Subsidiarity any more.  The Republican party candidates occasionally give lip service to it, but almost none of them abide by it, with of course the exception of Ron Paul in this presidential race, who has been blackballed by the GOP because of it.  The problem is that Americans have literally forgotten what the United States of America was originally about.  They have forgotten our very identity....

1. Americans have forgotten that they are citizens of their respective states BEFORE they are citizens of the United States.  Case in point; I am a Missourian first, and an American second.  To say such a thing is probably the single most 'American' thing I could possibly say, because America is about a state's right to sovereignty and self-determination.  That's what the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution were all about.
2. Americans have forgotten that their most important political ties are the ones made closest to home.  I'm talking about city and county government.  Even state government to some degree, while federal government ties are the farthest and least important.  
3. Americans have forgotten that our rights come from God not government, and the reason why God has given us those rights is to exercise certain benevolent responsibilities.  That without those responsibilities, those rights often become subject to abuse, eventually leading to unjust laws that restrict them.  
4. Americans have forgotten that our first political duty is local and it is to take care of our own people in need.  So long as we abdicate this responsibility to the state and federal governments, we are inviting the very political abuse that is destroying this nation.
5. Americans have forgotten that without Subsidiarity there can be only tyranny.

No I don't hate Barack Obama.  He's just the latest link in a long chain of federal abuse going all the way back to the American Civil War.  Politically speaking, he's not much different than the rest of them, as far as presidents go really.  He's just a symptom.  He's not the disease.  WE ARE!  When Americans begin to return to the principle of Subsidiarity, then and only then will things begin to change for the better, regardless if who sits in the Whitehouse's Oval Office.

The Date Has Been Set

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I cannot tell you how I have come about this information, but it's plain to see when looking at the national headlines today. Nothing I say here is new, but I will try to convey here what I have learned in a concise and succinct way.

The oil corporations, along with the military-industrial alliance, have given the Obama administration a date. I do not know exactly when that date is, but I speculate it is sometime this summer. On or before that date, the Obama administration must have the United States committed to war with Iran, or else these major campaign financiers will pull their support of Obama and hand it over to the Republican challenger, whoever that may be, thus insuring a Republican victory in November, effectively making Obama a one-term president.

So now we will see exactly what kind of metal Barack Obama is made of. Will he sacrifice American lives and bring the horrors of modern total-war to the Iranian people, just for reelection purposes, or will he stand up to the corporate elitists who obviously don't have American best interests in mind? Watch the president. The answer comes very soon. One way or another however, either this year or next, Democrat of Republican in the Whitehouse, this nation WILL BE at full scale war with Iran very soon.

Barack Obama = The Corporate Whore

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Always follow the money trail. Obama wants to get re-elected. That can't happen without campaign contributions from big corporations with lots and lots of money. Keep that in mind as you read this next story...

(The Daily Beast) - The Obama administration’s mandate that all health insurance companies must provide coverage for contraceptives has set off an explosive debate about religious freedom and women’s health issues. The attention has been focused on the administration’s insistence that religious institutions, such as Catholic hospitals and schools, would be required to offer the benefit for their employees, even though it contradicts church teaching. But completely ignored is the more fundamental problem: this mandate is not only about the bedroom, it’s about the boardroom. You’ve heard of crony capitalism? Well this is America’s first example of crony contraceptives.

Forget for a minute the religious question and look at who wins big here: Big Pharma. This mandate is not really about condoms or generic versions of “the pill,” which are available free or cheap in lots of places. This is about brand-name birth control drugs and other devices that some consumers swear off because they are too expensive. The Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requires health-insurance companies provide contraceptive coverage for all “FDA approved contraceptive methods.” It does not insist on generics. And it does not offer any cost containment.

What’s more, the mandate prevents health-insurance companies from having copays or deductibles for the benefit. This is the perfect set up for Big Pharma. Since the drugs will be paid for by a third party (insurance companies, who will pass the cost on to employers and the rest of us), the consumer won’t worry about the price. Expensive brand names will no doubt see demand rise. Ask more health-care analysts why the cost of medical services continues to rise so rapidly and near the top of the list is the fact that a third-party payment system won’t contain costs.

Back in 2009, many observers were surprised when Big Pharma came out in favor of President Obama’s health-care reform bill. The industry spent millions running television ads in favor of the law and industry lobbyists pushed hard for it. One important reason they did so was the promise that with the new law they would have a new market of millions of new customers. The contraceptive mandate is a perfect example....

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Secularism Is More Dangerous Than Radical Islam

(Catholic Insight) - In a meeting with various U.S. Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI said that the consensus which once existed in America supporting “ethical principles deriving from nature and nature’s God,” has faded. “Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such,” he said.

The Pope was emphatic in insisting that the threat posed by current trends threatens not only Christianity but “humanity itself.” He said: “To the extent that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the proclamation of these truths, whether constricting it within the limits of a merely scientific rationality, or suppressing it in the name of political power or majority rule, they represent a threat not just to Christian faith, but also to humanity itself and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate vocation, our relationship to God.”

The Pope used strong language to describe the grave situation he perceives in America. “(I)t is imperative, he said, “that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realise the grave threats to Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres.” He continued, “The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life.”

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THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  Pope Benedict XVI has now warned Americans against the dangerous trend of militant Secularisation in the United States.  It is, in my own estimation, a trend far more dangerous to us than radical Islam, and threatens to do more harm to our Christian culture than Muslim jihadists could ever do on their best day.  Pope Benedict ought to know a thing or two about this.  He has lived his entire life in Europe, where he has watched first hand the horrors of Nazism, followed by the post-war Secularisation of European society.  Today, Europe is spiritually lost, just as Our Lady of Fatima warned the three seer children almost a century ago.  That once great Christian civilisation is no more.  The twentieth century killed it.  What was the cause of Europe's demise?  Was it Nazism?  Was it fascism?  Was it communism?  While all of these things certainly played a role in preparing Europe for her rapid apostasy, it was none of these things that finally brought it about.  No.  What caused Europeans to give up their faith was nothing more or less than Liberal Progressive Secularism!  With mind-blowing speed, Europe was returned to an era where practising Christianity occupied a percentage of the population so shockingly small, that numbers of this type haven't been seen since the days of the ancient Roman Empire.  Their embrace of the Secularist mindset brought about this immediate and dramatic decline of Christianity in Europe -- IN LESS THAN ONE GENERATION!!!  Radical Secularisation proved to be more effective at eliminating Christianity than Nazism, fascism and communism combined!!!

Now the Secularists have set their sights on North America.  They have infiltrated our schools, media, government and courts.  They occupy the highest offices in the land and sit on the United States Supreme Court.  They have been present among us for just as long as the European Secularists, if not longer, and their works are evident.  Many of them have ties to known hate-groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis.  Yes, some are in our federal government, and even some have sat on the United States Supreme Court.  I encourage you to listen to this short audio clip from Constitutional lawyer and radio talk-show host Mark Levin.  (I'm not his fan, but I give credit where credit is due.)  He will tell you where American Secularism came from and it will shock you.  The anti-Catholic bigots are still running America, and they have been for a very long time.  Think of it for just a moment.  While I am no fan of the former President John F. Kennedy, and he was certainly no paragon of Catholic virtue by any stretch of the imagination, he could not be elected president in this country without first RENOUNCING his faith in public life.  This is why I predict that Rick Santorum WILL NOT be nominated for president by the GOP.  While the man has many flaws, not as serious as Kennedy's but flaws nonetheless, he has refused to renounce the influence of his Catholic faith on his public life.  That killed his campaign right there.  Santorum will fizzle in the weeks ahead.  Mitt Romney, on the other hand, did renounce his Mormon faith in public life back in 2008.  So having bowed to the sterile gods of Secularism, just like J.F.K., he will get his party's nomination.  Whether or not he wins the presidency is another story.  That depends on different issues.

The Secularisation of the United States and Canada have now reached an unstoppable speed.  The Obama administration's recent HHS mandate is just a symptom of this much greater problem.  Word has it that another HHS mandate compromise is in the works.  We shall see what comes of that, but it changes nothing as far as I'm concerned.  Even if the U.S. Catholic Church wins this battle hands down, the fact that they had to fight that battle in the first place clearly signals that the United States of America, I was taught to believe in as a child, does not exist and clearly has not existed for a very long time.  The flags, the anthems, the mottos, the pledge, all of it; they are an illusion.  The religious freedom these things claim to represent does not exist.  Anti-Catholics have been running this federal Union for a very long time.  This is why I have joined the League of the South, an organisation heavily influenced by Catholic thinking in regards to freedom of religion, and have become a full-fledged secessionist and Dixie Nationalist.  Their Core Beliefs Statement and Statement on Racism were formulated with the help of Catholics and present a future vision of our homeland that no good Catholic can honestly object to.  The League's Statement on Obama's attack on Christians demonstrates a clear stand with the U.S. Catholic Church against the Obama administration's recent HHS mandate.  The biggest reason why I have joined the League of the South however, is its blatant and unapologetic stand against militant Secularism.  There is no other viable political organisation in the United States that takes such a strong stand against the Secularisation of our society.  Admittedly, the League of the South is a geographical organisation, representing mainly the sixteen Southern states of Dixie, thirteen of which seceded in 1860 - 61 to form their own nation.  One doesn't need to be a Southerner to join the League, but admittedly, the League's interest concerns the South.  Catholics in other parts of America are more than welcome to support the League, but I would also encourage them to form their own geographical organisations in opposition to the militant Secularism now promoted by the District of Columbia, otherwise known as 'The Columbian Empire' or 'Washington D.C.'  I would strongly encourage Catholic involvement in the Second Vermont Republic and the Third Palmetto Republic.  Both of these growing state secession movements will need strong Catholic influence to become successful and prevent an infestation of anti-Catholicism within their ranks.  Between the Second Vermont Republic and the Third Palmetto Republic, one will immediately observe two very different ways of addressing social problems, but both can be easily guided by the wisdom of Catholic teaching on Subsidiarity, each in its own way.  Catholics should also look into forming new state organisations in other parts of the United States.  Why?  Because in order to fight back effectively, we must bring into question the authority of Washington D.C. over us.  It's the Church's job to transform the faithful, and yes, the laity do have a role in that process.  However, when it comes to the political affairs of this world, it is not the Church's job to transform our political institutions.  That is specifically the job of the laity.  So if you think the Catholic Church is ever going to transform anti-Catholic Washington D.C., you can just get that silly notion out of your head right now.  IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!!  Rick Santorum, for example, would transform Washington D.C. about as effectively as John F. Kennedy did -- which is nill.  The nation's capitol is un-reformable.  It's not just the District of Columbia that needs transformation, (a transformation that will never happen), but increasingly we are beginning to see anti-Catholic sentiments in many U.S. states as well.  Basically, wherever one sees a strong political push for homosexual 'marriage,' there one will also find a latent anti-Catholic bigotry just beneath the surface.  Again though, it's not homosexual 'marriage' that is the problem here, it's just another symptom.

THE PROBLEM IS MILITANT SECULARISM.  That's because Secularism and Christianity are two opposing world views, at odds in every way, having virtually nothing in common.  Indeed, Christianity and Islam have more in common than Christianity and Secularism.  If one believes that Christianity and Islam can never coexist in peace, an assumption sometimes accurate and sometimes not, than the dichotomy between Christianity and Secularism is even greater.  THE TWO SYSTEMS CANNOT COEXIST IN PEACE AT ALL.   One will always devour the other.  The only question is which one will pursue the more aggressive position.  For the last sixty-plus years, the more aggressive party has been Secularism.  It has destroyed Europe at a mind-blowing speed.  North America is next, and the Secularists are well on their way.  The momentum is gathering.  Christians in North America have this one last window of opportunity to make our last stand before the coming Chastisement of God.  We must break the hold that Secular institutions (governments) have upon us.  We must deny them their power to govern us.  We must make it crystal clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, in no uncertain terms, that we will not submit to the sterile gods of Secularism any more.  They have no power over us.

Like it or not, America's Roman Catholics will play a central role in this struggle.  The Church has given her marching orders insofar as she is authorised to give them.  We, the Roman Catholics of the United States, have been instructed to disobey any government law or diktat that violates Catholic conscience.  Most recently, such an edict has manifested itself in Obama's HHS mandate on artificial contraception, sterilisation and abortion-inducing drugs.  What will become of this edict we cannot know right now but it does not matter.  Because even if the Catholic Church wins this battle, more will soon follow, and it won't just be against the federal government, but against state governments too.  Sadly, most of these state governments are in what is historically known as Yankee or Western territories.  So far, the Old South (Dixie) has been the only region that remains legally friendly to the Catholic Church.  Catholics must seize on this opportunity while it still lasts -- before this window closes and all is lost.

In addition to what the Catholic Church advocates, which amounts to limited civil disobedience against unjust laws, as a Catholic layman working in the political realm, I am advocating a counter punch against Secularism, which has not been seen since the advance of this evil since the middle twentieth century in Europe and North America.  Nobody thus far has called out militant Secularism for what it is -- EVIL.  Since it is evil, we must stand against it.  We are morally obligated to do so.  Thus we must also stand against those private and public institutions that promote it, and this includes not only various state governments, but the United States federal government itself.  After more than half a century, the time has finally come to fight back!  We are a Christian people, and WE WILL NOT voluntarily submit to a government that opposes our faith.  We cannot be expected to submit to militant Secular law any more than we can be expected to submit to Islamic shariah law.  Both of them oppose us and both of them are hell bent on devouring us.  Therefore, we will not voluntarily submit to them.  They must be forced upon us, and indeed they have been in various places, and we have had enough!  In the east Christians must deal with Islam, but in the west we must deal with Secularism, and in the west not only is Secularism more dangerous, but we still have a fighting chance against it.  This is why I advocate peaceful secession movements, not just in America but in Canada too, and the creation of benign Christian Republics that respect the rights of all without infringing upon our Christian faith or historic Christian culture.

My fellow Catholic readers, you cannot say that anything I've written here is untrue.  You know what is happening.  The signs are all around us.  You know the window of opportunity is closing, and if you stand idly by and do nothing, you have only yourselves to blame.  We are Christians, and we are bound by Christ's law of peaceful activism.  Let us exercise this law to its fullest extent.  Let us peacefully declare the reign of Secularism over!  Let us take back our land and our institutions where we can, and let us make our last bold stand as we wait for God to deliver us from evil.

U.S. States Begin To Prepare for Collapse Of Federal Government

Sinking of the Titanic

(Trib.com) - State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into what Wyoming should do in the event of a complete economic or political collapse in the United States.

House Bill 85 passed on first reading by a voice vote. It would create a state-run government continuity task force, which would study and prepare Wyoming for potential catastrophes, from disruptions in food and energy supplies to a complete meltdown of the federal government. 

The task force would look at the feasibility of Wyoming issuing its own alternative currency, if needed. And House members approved an amendment Friday by state Rep. Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, to have the task force also examine conditions under which Wyoming would need to implement its own military draft, raise a standing army, and acquire strike aircraft and an aircraft carrier.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. David Miller, R-Riverton, has said he doesn’t anticipate any major crises hitting America anytime soon. But with the national debt exceeding $15 trillion and protest movements growing around the country, Miller said Wyoming — which has a comparatively good economy and sound state finances — needs to make sure it’s protected should any unexpected emergency hit the U.S.

Several House members spoke in favor of the legislation, saying there was no harm in preparing for the worst...

read full story here

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: This is very intelligent, and if you live in the United States, you need to forward this story to your state congressmen, urging them to support similar measures in your state. As the article says, there is no harm preparing for the worst, and I'm afraid that in all likelihood, the worst will indeed happen, with the only question being 'when?'

Yes, the United States federal government in Washington DC, what many are beginning to call 'The Columbian Empire,' will collapse eventually. With a federal debt surpassing the GDP, combined with over a trillion dollars in annual deficits, and matched by a trade deficit that is just as large, it is clear that America's eventual demise is inevitable. Combine this with political and social unrest in the Union, and these problems are just compounded all that much further.  Just as sure as I am writing this, that day will come. What we don't know is when it will come. Will it be sooner (within 20 years) or later (beyond 20 years)? That is unpredictable right now, but it WILL happen. That much is sure.  The watery grave of history demands it.

WHEN it does happen, it will be kind of like the sinking of the Titanic, and it will be hard for the world to watch. When the USA goes down, it will likely take Canada and Mexico with it. Much of North America will be thrown into economic, social and political chaos. The effect of this will reverberate outward economically, bringing great harm to America's primary trading partners. Other regions of the world will be thrown into economic upheaval as well. The European Union will not likely survive such upheaval, that is, if it still exists at all by the time this happens. China and the Pacific rim will also be negatively effected, as well as South America. However, the effects of America's sinking will vary on different regions, directly related to their economic dependency on the United States. I suspect the worldwide economic upheaval (when it finally happens) will last approximately five years, before the world settles down into a new economic-political paradigm. This upheaval will likely include war in some places. Hopefully, it won't be a world war. Of course, there is always the chance that the United States could go out with more of a whimper than a bang. The upheaval may simply be localised to North America, while the rest of the world seeks ways to manage the new world paradigm without the United States. The first order of business however, would be moving the United Nations out of New York and into some other international metropolitan. It may involve changing the charter of the UN as well. Who knows how the world will handle this. The best advice I could give to people of other nations is that if you want to reduce the effect of this catastrophe on your nation, pressure your leaders to get your nation less dependent on the United States.

As for Americans, our time has come to get ready, and the smart people of Wyoming are on the right track. With just a handful of exceptions, most U.S. states are economically solvent, or very close to it. Many states, including my own (Missouri) are energy independent when it comes to electricity. We actually sell our electricity to other states. Most states have access to coal and natural gas as well. Then of course there is crude oil. States liberated from the restricting powers of Washington DC (The Columbian Empire) will have unhindered access to their own oil reserves and the ability to sell it or build refineries as needed. Timber is abundant in many states, and then of course there are farmlands that can be used to sustain our local population. Yes, for the most part, many states do have what they need to not only survive, but even flourish and thrive, in the absence of the United States federal government. As for military defence, this will not be a problem either. The emerging independent states of America will have the finest retired military veterans to draw from, including leftover equipment from the imperial arsenal, and that will include nuclear weapons. Of course these will have to be secured somehow, and it is highly unlikely that the independent states of America will allow some foreign power to do that for them. So you see, unlike the Titanic, the sinking United States of America has plenty of lifeboats available for everyone. The sinking process will be painful to be sure, but when it's finally over, there will be a new beginning. Yes, it will be the end of an era, but not the end of the world. Personally, I believe the sinking of America actually began in September of 2008. That's when we hit the iceberg, so to speak, an iceberg of economic collapse thanks to reckless government policies, and the chambers of the ship have been flooding ever since. However, thanks to the Federal Reserve, we have good pumps that are keeping the ship afloat for now, but just barely. Those pumps WILL fail eventually. It is inevitable. Sooner or later, we are all going to have to get on the lifeboats.

Those states, like Wyoming, which are officially exploring this, are getting ready in advance. They are inspecting the lifeboats, so the speak, which is a restoration of power to state governments, and securing the supplies they need from the ship before the inevitable happens. Of course, it would be wise for such independently thinking states to start looking at alliances with neighbouring states with a similar culture. Cultural alliances (based on language, values and religion) have historically proved to be much more reliable than proposition alliances (based entirely on economics and politics) as currently exist in the United States and the European Union. Proposition alliances (such as USA and EU) have a history of falling apart sooner or later.  Sometimes they even result in civil war. Cultural alliances have a long-enduring history. Fortunately, besides what we know to be the obvious cultures in America, there have been studies of the dominant cultural make up of the North American continent. The following is a map created in 1981 by Joel Garreau and was published in a book entitled 'The Nine Nations of North America' (read more here).  It is a map of culture. This is not a prediction of political divisions. As we know politics will likely produce different results than what is seen here. However, it would be wise for the future political entities of the independent states of America to use cultural maps such as these to help them determine what will produce the most lasting and reliable long-term alliances....

As I said, this is a cultural map.  It is not intended to represent future political boundaries.  Rather, it is designed to outline the cultures that already exist as expressed in religion, values, music, art, dispositions and temperaments.  You will notice that much of this has to do with how North America was settled by European immigrants.  For example; the Germans and Swedish settled much of the green area labelled as 'Breadbasket,' while the Scots and Irish settled much of the red area labelled as 'Dixie.'  The English settled much of the light blue area labelled as 'New England,' while the Spanish originally settled much of the brown area labelled as 'Mexamerica.'  The area labelled as 'Empty Quarter' simply means there is currently no dominant culture there, and so it's open to whatever culture wants to settle it.  As you can see, Mexico is not labelled, simply because Mexico is already established as a dominant Spanish culture.  This in no way insures the survival of the political entity known as 'Mexico.'  Who is to say what will come of that?

Whatever balkanisation comes from the fall of the United States will inevitably be drawn up somehow along these cultural lines.  Of course, political boundaries will likely look a bit different than the general cultural boundaries we see here.  For example, I cannot, for the life of me, imagine the State of Texas allowing itself to be divided three ways.  Texans will fight and die to keep their borders intact.  Missouri on the other hand, is a different story.  Missourians are less particular about political boundaries, and are more inclined to 'go along with whatever works,' as the state has a long history of political compromise.  That being said, I can easily see a cultural split between the German north, and the Scottish south, turning into a political division if Missourians are so inclined to go that route, and I can guarantee, based on cultural temperaments, that such a split would not only be peaceful but agreeable as well.  With Missouri however, you never know.  Missourians may simply decide to stay together in spite of their cultural differences, as they do have a lot in common, and there has never been any significant problems between them.

In the mean time, before the sinking is complete, individuals states would do well to imitate Wyoming and simultaneously explore interstate alliances in the absence of The Columbian Empire (Washington DC).  In my own region of Dixie, the League of the South and the Southern National Congress are designed to do just that.  It would be wise for other regions of the United States to explore the creation of similar organisations.  The time has come to start thinking outside the box.  The ship is sinking and it will go down eventually.  The damage is too great to repair, and the pumps keeping us afloat will fail eventually.  Start getting the lifeboats ready.  Talk to your local state congressmen.  Tell them to imitate Wyoming.  Then start exploring interstate alliances based on cultural similarities.

Artificial Contraception - Why Is It Wrong?

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: It's one of the more 'inconvenient' teachings of the Catholic Church, but all Christians would be wise to remember that prior to 1930, every single Christian denomination in the world taught that artificial contraception was immoral and a sin. It just so happens that the Catholic Church is the only one that didn't change. One by one, all the Protestant denominations caved in, and here are the results...

Santorum Reality Check

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Readers of this blog know I am not a Libertarian. Nor do I fully subscribe to the Austrian theory of economics. I am a Distributist, which means I believe the Austrian theory must be restrained, and the purpose of government is to support smaller government through Subsidiarity, rather than stand aside and do virtually nothing. In this respect, I find myself at odds with our Libertarian friends, even though I do find myself having more in common with them on other things. The truth is, Libertarians are people we can work with, to some degree, whereas supporters of big-government are nearly impossible to work with.

Senator Jim DeMint is right. The debate in the Republican Party should be between Libertarians and Conservatives, and I think by Conservatives he means to say those of a more Traditionalist and Distributist mindset. Or at least, that's what I THINK he means to say. Who knows?

The problem here is that the vision of Reagan Conservatism has always been an aberration in the Republican Party, one of very recent origin. Historically, the Republican Party has always been about radical Modernism and empire building. The only thing that is different about the modern era, is that in the last eighty years, the liberal Democrats have out-radicalised the radicals! The Democrats have beaten the Republicans at their own game, so in came Ronald Reagan to redefine the game based on the Barry Goldwater model. What the Reagan-Conservative Republicans seek is to turn back the clock on financial matters to the days prior to the New Deal. Personally, I don't think this goes nearly far enough, as I would advocate a more Mediaeval economic model pre-dating anything the Libertarians have to offer, but it's all a moot point anyway. The problem is, top Republicans have for the most part rejected the Reagan Conservative (Austria-Libertarian) approach to economics anyway! Leading Republicans (like Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney) have embraced the big-government New Deal model. Sorry, that's just the facts, and like it or not, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. It is reality.

If you were looking for a fiscal conservative in this presidential election cycle, you're not going to get one. The one and only candidate that has embraced Reagan-style economics is Ron Paul, and the Republican Party has rejected him! So this is what you get. Regardless of who wins the G.O.P. nomination (Santorum or Romney) what you will get in November is a choice between two big-government politicians. Granted, I think both Romney and Santorum will likely spend less than Obama, but both of them will run large national deficits -- mark my words! Both of them, like Obama, will seek to expand the American empire overseas. Both of them are just as likely as Obama to take America into another major war. Both of them, like Obama, will look to the federal government FIRST for all the answers to America's problems. The only difference is, both of them will likely be less offensive to Christians (at home) than Obama. That's about all. Sorry, that's just the facts. Don't shoot the bearer of bad news.

Republicans now get to choose between two variations of the G.W. Bush presidency, because both will carry on the G.W. Bush legacy -- like it or not. We can choose between a Catholic version of G.W. Bush in Rick Santorum. Or we can choose a Mormon version of G.W. Bush in Mitt Romney. Take your pick! Personally my hope is the Catholic version of G.W. Bush (Santorum) might actually listen to the pope on some things. So there is a little hope there I guess.

Perhaps we will be lucky and Ron Paul will gain enough delegates to broker some kind of deal at the convention. I just find it sad that the Republican Party has rejected him outright. In doing so the G.O.P. has helped consign America to the ash heap of history. Our time is short. Americans would do wise to start thinking about what kind of nations they want to build after the fall of the United States.

The Declaration of Independence - What Does It Mean?

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security...

-- The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: There is a lot of talk these days about the Constitution of the United States. Indeed some have enshrined the Constitution as if it were some sort of Holy Writ. In fact, not only does the U.S. Constitution have nothing to do with the founding of the United States, but it wasn't even our first form of government! The 'Articles of Confederation' (1777 - 1787) was the first document outlining the function of American government. That document was eventually replaced by the Constitution which has since served as our SECOND attempt at self-governance. Neither of these documents, not the Constitution nor the Articles of Confederation, were the founding documents of the United States. That designation is reserved for one document alone -- The Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson

The above words, originally penned by Thomas Jefferson, declare the basic premise and concept behind the United States of America. The founding principle of our nation was one simple concept. That concept is that when people are systematically abused by their government, they have the God-given RIGHT to secede from that government and form for themselves their own government, especially if such a local government already exists.

As in the case of the thirteen British colonies in America, each of them had their own local state government. Likewise, these state governments frequently sent representatives to a regional 'Continental Congress' which in many ways functioned as a precursor to an independent government. Yes, the principle America was founded on was the notion that people (organised in the states they reside) have the right, to pull away (secede) from one form of government, become independent, and even reorganise under another form of government of their own making. It was a revolutionary idea to say the least, and one the king of England did not agree with. After a long and bitter war with the British crown, the king signed thirteen separate agreements to end all hostilities with each of the thirteen colonies. It was called the Treaty of Paris, and it was signed on September 3rd, 1783. After all the platitudes about 'freedom' and 'liberty' as well as what that means to various people, in the end, America was founded on just one thing -- the right to secede!

Some eighty-five years later, something happened that turned all of this on its head. It was called the American Civil War. We can debate the circumstances and causes of the Civil War ad nauseum but it will not scratch the surface of this issue. To debate the causes of the Civil War is to miss the point entirely. The point is; do states have the right to secede or don't they? Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers said 'YES' and they fought a war to defend it.  Almost a generation later, as the New England states were seriously considering secession from the rest of the United States over the Louisiana Purchase, Thomas Jefferson was asked what he thought of New England secession.  He responded with the words 'they will all be our children' pointing out that they had the right to leave America, and even if they did start their own country, they would do so in the spirit of the American Revolution and remain Americans by common heritage.  New England secession never happened, but the movement itself, along with Jefferson's response to it, underlines the position of America's founding.  People (organised in the states they occupy) have the right to lawfully secede.

Abraham Lincoln

Exactly thirty-five years after Thomas Jefferson's death, one of his presidential successors, Abraham Lincoln said 'NO' to the right of secession, and he fought a war to defend his position.

So which is it? Who is right? Is it Jefferson or Lincoln? It has to be one or the other, but it cannot be both.

Before addressing this issue in the comments section below, please keep in mind this is not about the alleged 'causes' or 'circumstances' leading up to the American Revolution and American Civil War. Any comments disparaging one side or another, concerning these alleged 'causes' or 'circumstances' will likely be moderated. This is solely about the principle enshrined in the document above. DO STATES HAVE A RIGHT TO SECEDE OR DON'T THEY????

First They Came for the Catholics...

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Catholic Church has always suffered persecution. That is indeed what makes her strong, for the blood of the martyrs are the seeds of the Church. Catholics had gone a long time in America without any significant institutionalised persecution. Oh sure, there have always been Klansmen, Freemasons and Know Nothings, but as far as the government attacking the Church, we just haven't seen anything like that in a hundred years. That is perhaps why the U.S. Catholic Church has gone soft. That is perhaps why some 50% of Church members are 'Cafeteria Catholics.' That is perhaps why so many Catholic politicians not only resist Church teaching on key social issues, but actually work against it. That is perhaps why the bishops and priests have been so lax in their duties to call the faithful to a self-sacrificing faith for our Lord. That is perhaps why our shepherds have neglected to protect us from the wolves in sheep's clothing by failing to formally excommunicate those politicians and celebrities who bring scandal to the Body of Christ. Those days are over now.

The Obama administration's HHS mandate, and supposed 'accommodation,' are a carefully played hand, designed to split the Catholic Church against herself, pitting Cafeteria Catholics against Faithful Catholics, diminishing the strength of the Church in public life and preparing her for the next phase of her persecution. Not to worry, other Christians are affected by this as well, but the liberal modernists running the show know full well that once you strike the shepherd the sheep will scatter. The goal is to take down the largest Christian denomination in the United States first -- the U.S. Catholic Church -- and then going after the smaller denominations is 'easy pickings,' kind of like 'shooting fish in a barrel.'

The U.S. Catholic bishops, along with the priests under them, are not entirely without blame in all of this. Some of them would probably admit to that if you asked them. They made a deal with the devil by supporting Obamacare to begin with. Of course they did so in the interest of helping the poor, but in the process, they unwittingly signed their own arrest warrants. They assumed, wrongly, that Obama was an honest man. They assumed he would keep his word to preserve the conscience of religious institutions. They assumed too much! I submit to you however, that something like this HHS mandate was inevitable anyway, regardless of the character of the man behind it. Even if Obama had kept his word, sooner or later a man would enter the Whitehouse who wouldn't. I say, better now than later. We might as well lay out all the cards on the table before Obamacare goes into full force.

I submit to you that in making their deal with the devil, the U.S. Catholic bishops' fatal mistake was not in trusting Obama. That was just a minor mistake. Their fatal mistake was in trusting big government in general!  In doing so, they forgot the most important element of Catholic Social Justice -- Subsidiarity! They turned to big-government for the solution. They ignored the most prime ingredient of a truly Christian approach. Instead, the made the same mistake as the European and Canadian bishops, by abdicating the role of the Church to the state, ignoring Subsidiarity, and in the process creating a monster that would soon come back to devour them. We shouldn't blame the victims though, for these bishops are not solely responsible for Obamacare, and they will soon pay more than their fair share in penalties. Should Obama remain in office, or should his Republican successor fail to repeal this mandate, many of these bishops will find themselves behind bars by this time next year, and I dare say, half of all U.S. Catholics won't even care.

This whole affair is not really a critique of the U.S. Catholic bishops, though I am pleased to see them finally standing up to tyranny within the United States. In truth, the whole affair is actually an indictment of the U.S. federal government in addition to the Obama administration. Good luck getting a bill through Congress that will stop this thing. Even if enough votes can be mustered to pass such a bill, there will not be enough to override Obama's veto. Good luck relying on the federal courts to stop this thing. Even if successful in the lower courts, it is highly unlikely the Supreme Court will uphold it. Obama's 'accommodation' has been carefully crafted to pull the decision away from the churches and puts full responsibility into the hands of insurance companies. This battle will be lost in the courts before it ever has a chance to be heard.

The problem is not so much Obama as it is Washington DC. We have a system of government that is so consolidated and centralised that it knows nothing of Subsidiarity any more. Federalism is a thing of the past and it's never coming back. The normal political processes (campaigns and elections) will not bring it back. Something radical has to happen now, and until the people realise that secession/independence movements are the only political option left, this problem will continue to get worse year after year.

The whole thing is a critique on big-government in general. It's an experiment that has failed wherever it's been tried. Why should it be any different here?

The U.S. Catholic Church will remain at the forefront of this battle for the long haul. This news story is not going away. Regardless of what happens in the world, even the advent of World War III, this story will continue to simmer in the background. Religious freedom is coming to an end in America. The government has separated religious conscience from religious worship. What that means is, you can worship God in any kind of religious ceremony you want, but you just can't believe in anything that has an effect on your behaviour in public. You can give academic assent to the notion that abortion is murder, but in practical reality, you must provide for it in the medical insurance policies you offer. The same goes for contraception and sterilisation. Mark my words, it won't be long before a similar mandate is made to accommodate gay marriage. Obama's mask was already pulled back months ago when he attempted to force churches to hire religious school teachers based on government standards rather than religious standards. (see story here) Thankfully, the Supreme Court swatted him down on that pretty hard in a 9 to 0 ruling against his argument. Nevertheless, the mask was pulled back a little and we got a peak at what was underneath. Yes, Obama is a tyrant, but it is the political system in Washington DC that gives him the power to actually be one. We can get rid of Obama in November, Lord willing, but that does not guarantee our safety. If we are lucky the man who replaces him will reverse his policies and give us four to eight years of peace. Again, that is if we are lucky. Who is to say however that the next man who occupies the Whitehouse will not do something worse than Obama!?! We have no guarantees. Why? Because we have created a system of government that makes corrupt politicians into tyrants, because it gives them all the necessary power to become this. We have created a system of government that can rule us with a iron fist. All it takes is a man in the Whitehouse willing to do it.

That the American experiment has failed there is no doubt. Just look at us! We have become everything our founding fathers despised and fought a bloody revolution to escape. We are their worst nightmare. The only question that remains is where do we go from here? Obviously, to remain on the course we are on is suicide. To my faithful Catholic readers, if you have tracked anything I've been writing for the last few years, you know what is to come eventually. After a period of trial the Great Monarch will come and give us some temporary relief from these sufferings until the advent of Antichrist. However, this does not absolve us from our responsibility to act in accordance with our beliefs now, in whatever limited way we are able. Lest we end up becoming like the dispensationalist Evangelicals who sit on their thumbs waiting for the mythical 'rapture' to sweep them away, we must act in accordance with our beliefs and become engaged in the public square. I point to Hungary as a recent example. For better or worse, Catholics in that country have seized control of their republic, much to the shock and condemnation of the Secularist European Union. They have instituted strict immigration laws (especially against Muslims), declared the place of Christianity in the founding of their culture, and made abortion and gay-marriage illegal! (read story here) Yes, it can be done here, and it should be done here, but anyone reading this knows it can't happen under the Secularised federal government in Washington DC. Any American reading this knows the cultural difference between various regions within the United States make this impossible for it to occur on a national level, and the Secularist federal government would never let it happen anyway. Any American reading this knows it CAN'T happen in the United States, unless some states take it upon themselves to secede and start over independently.

My regular readers know that I am a Catholic monarchist at heart, but they should also know that a truly godly monarchy is something that is given, not something that is made. By that I call into contrast the Biblical examples of David and Saul. King Saul was the first king of Israel. He was effectively 'elected' to be king by the people. In other words, they created a monarchy for themselves. The result of that was disastrous. King Saul went insane and led his kingdom into economic and military ruin. God then replaced him with a king of his own election. King David was elected by God, not the people, and he was given to the people by God. He was a king that was given and not made. So until God gives us a king of his own election, we are forced to deal with the republican system that currently exists in our present world. The Catholic Hungarians have chosen to tackle this problem head on. They have taken over their republic and are now in the process of trying to correct its course. Likewise, the people of Scotland are soon going to hold a secession referendum, in which the public will vote on whether or not to stay within the United Kingdom. We do not know what the outcome of this secession referendum will be, or even if successful, will it produce a country more conservative and traditional? Who knows! We can't fault the Scottish people for trying however. They know the problems are too big for the normal political processes (campaigns and elections) to fix. At least they are thinking outside the box. At least they are trying something different. The whole thing may go down in flames, but at least they are trying. That's more than I can say for most Americans. Until we start getting a little radical in dealing with radical Secularism, these radical Secularists are going to walk all over us. It's a fact. It's happening. Look around!

Until then, let us offer this suffering of our bishops up as a sacrifice to God. Many of them may soon go to prison for the Gospel's sake, and I thank God for every one who has the courage to do it. Yes, mistakes were made on their part that contributed to the problem, but they are making atonement for it right now, and before this is over, they will pay more than their fair share. I can only pray we all have the courage to stand with them during this time of suffering, and that if faced with prison ourselves for the Gospel's sake, we will have the courage to join them.