New Covenant

Only in California (v. 8) UPDATED

A la carte Catholics need a la carte priests
Or, Doctrinal statements are there for a reason.

Remember the recent incident where a lesbian was denied Holy Communion at her mother's funeral? From the OC Register comes an example of personal preference attempting to force its way into Christian belief. In Do Catholics love and accept others? Not this priest, we read (emphasis added),

I'm what you'd call an a la carte Catholic.

Too convenient? Maybe.

Especially in times like these, when a priest like Rev. Marcel Guarnizo uses his position in the church to deny someone like Barbara Johnson, who happens to love another woman instead of a man, communion during her own mother’s funeral.

Now, there are many reasons I’m an a la carte Catholic, one of which is that I see nothing wrong with homosexuality; nor do I believe in a God who would turn his back on his own children just because of their sexual orientation. Dare I say that a large portion of the heterosexual marriages among us don’t put the whole man-woman union thing in the best light. Besides, who are we to deny anyone the experience of looking at their husband or wife 10 years in and wondering, “Was I high as a kite the day I committed my life to you?”

And captioning a photo of the Holy Sacraments (emphasis added),

To me, Holy Communion is symbolic of God's love for us; a priest has no right to deny that to anyone who comes searching for it

Now, the writer of this piece is certainly entitled to her own beliefs. And she's certainly entitled to attempt to push her beliefs on others. But she's sorely lacking doctrinal knowledge and clear thinking by proposing that Catholics - or even this particular Catholic priest - do not love others simply because they follow the tenets of their faith. That she disagrees with the tenets of the Catholic faith is irrelevant.

You see, the issue of faith - religious faith - in our culture has become not one of objective reality but of subjective experience. When someone makes claims or statements such as "I see nothing wrong with..." or "nor do I believe in a God who..." or "who are we to deny..." or "To me..." we are seeing the expression of personal preference as the determining factor in one's belief system. As I stated above, there is nothing inherently wrong with such a worldview and, as the tolerant individual I am, I believe people are certainly free to think that way.

But if they consider themselves to be tolerant, then they need to stop pushing their views into realms that are inconsistent with their own. The Catholic church, via the Word of God, has declarative statements on the meaning of Holy Communion. What you or I happen to want it to mean is irrelevant. Taken a step further, God, through His Word, has made declarative statements regarding His character, who he is, what he is owed, etc. Whether or not you or I agree with him, or would want to believe in a God like him again, is irrelevant.

UPDATE:

Lo and behold, the priest in question has come forward with his account of what transpired. From Crisis Magazine (HT: Joe Carter),

A few minutes before the Mass began, Ms. Johnson came into the sacristy with another woman whom she announced as her “lover”. Her revelation was completely unsolicited. As I attempted to follow Ms.Johnson, her lover stood in our narrow sacristy physically blocking my pathway to the door. I politely asked her to move and she refused.

...

If a Quaker, a Lutheran or a Buddhist, desiring communion had introduced himself as such, before Mass, a priest would be obligated to withhold communion. If someone had shown up in my sacristy drunk, or high on drugs, no communion would have been possible either. If a Catholic, divorced and remarried (without an annulment) would make that known in my sacristy, they too according to Catholic doctrine, would be impeded from receiving communion. This has nothing to do with canon 915. Ms. Johnson’s circumstances are precisely one of those relations which impede her access to communion according to Catholic teaching. Ms. Johnson was a guest in our parish, not the arbitrer of how sacraments are dispensed in the Catholic Church.

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And, the rest of the Lesbian vs. Catholic Church story
Not an Only in California story, but related. It seems that the lesbian-denied-holy-communion is a practicing Buddhist as well as a gay rights activist. Hmmm.

 

Only in California (v. 7)

‘God help anyone who would …get in the way of TBN’
This is truly scary stuff. From the OC Register,

We told you last week that the granddaughter of Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Paul and Jan Crouch has accused the world’s largest Christian broadcaster of unlawfully distributing charitable assets worth more than $50 million to the company’s directors.

...

On Thursday, Feb. 9 — the same day that our story ran online — Paul Crouch and his son, Matt, were having a live chat on TBN’s “Behind the Scenes.” Paul was reminiscing about how TBN began back in 1973 — God spoke to him as he was driving on MacArthur Boulevard — and the conversation took a turn that Koper’s attorney finds somewhat menacing.

“You know what’s funny Dad?” Matt said (at minute 8:38 on the video). “There have been a few attempts in the TBN history to upset TBN, to stop TBN, to — there have been a few fools in the 38, 39 year history, coming up on 40 years, and you know what, any attempt at stopping TBN — they have no idea who they’re actually pushing into the corner. You and Mom get pushed in a corner, God help you. That’s a lesson I’ve learned from you, seriously.”

Paul Crouch responded: “God help anyone who would try to get in the way of TBN, which was God’s plan. … I have attended the funerals of at least two people who tried….

I wonder what Crouch's rationale was for attending the funerals of people who, supposedly, stood directly against God?

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Slab City
From the article,

Slab City..., is a squatters' camp deep in the badlands of California's poorest county, where the road ends and the sun reigns, about 190 miles southeast of Los Angeles and hour's drive from the Mexican border. The vast state-owned property gets its name from the concrete slabs spread out across the desert floor, the last remnants of a World War II–era military base. In the decades since it was decommissioned, dropouts and fugitives of all stripes have swelled its winter population to close to a thousand, though no one's really counting.

Flickr photos here.

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Entire school staff removed at Miramonte Elementary School
after two teachers arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct.

About three dozen parents and supporters protested in front of the main doors of the school earlier Monday, some carrying a banner that read, "We the parents demand our children be protected from lewd teacher acts."

Sounds like a reasonable request to me.

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CORRECTION - It is still LEGAL to toss a frisbee on a beach in Los Angeles County

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Lesbian couple - basis for California's Propostion 8 - are getting divorced
Well, gays and lesbians have stated that they are just like heterosexuals.

Only in California (v. 6)

Your call is very important to us... [click]
It seems that the recession has hit California so hard that calls to the Employment Development Department sometimes go unanswered - to the tune of 9 out of 10 call! From the OC Register,

More than nine out of 10 callers who wanted to talk to a state Employment Development Department agent were unable to get through on the phone at the peak of layoffs in 2008-09, according to a state audit released Thursday.

Callers got so frustrated that they dialed in an average 23 times — and sometimes as many as 80 times — trying to get through to an EDD agent, according to a customer satisfaction survey last June.

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Man arrested after weapon is fired at apartment complex
What's particularly interesting to note about this story is that, evidently, the man is had a restraining order prohibiting him from being at the apartment complex, and he is a felon - which prohibits him from possessing a firearm. But, hey, since when do criminals care about the law?

Meanwhile, it's next to impossible for a law-abiding citizen to obtain a concealed carry weapon permit in southern California.

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Two men arrested after cache of weapons is found in their home
But owning weapons (of the legal variety) is not against the law. Oh, read further into the story and you'll find out that both of these guys were also barred from possessing firearms. Dang! Are we noticing a pattern here? From the OC Register,

The search turned up a variety of weapons, including an AK-47, high-powered rifles, at least one assault rifle that had been altered to be automatic, a baton, flak jackets and ammunition, Bertagna said.

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Well, at least we're safe from sex offenders
Nope. Not in Rancho Santa Margarita, anyways. Again, from the OC Register,

City officials on Wednesday approved an ordinance to keep sex offenders out of parks.

The ban, based off the County's Child Safety Zone Ordinance developed by District Attorney Tony Rackauckas in April, is tailored for the city and its privately home owner association-owned parks. The ordinance would require sex offenders to receive written permission from the city's chief of police to enter a park. A specific location, time and date would be required before permission could be granted. The city's proposed draft has received approval from the District Attorney's office.

The City Council unanimously approved the ban even though it may be largely unenforceable unless local HOAs come on board, City Attorney Greg Simonian said. All 25 parks in the city are privately owned. City officials have contacted the individual HOAs about the proposed ordinance but have been turned down.

 

 

Only in California (v. 5)

Potentially good news for the defense of marriage Proposition 8

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Daytime Curfew for youth > 18 years-old;  Gov't Protection or Big Brother interference?
In San Luis Obispo County an ordinance is being proposed for a daytime curfew for those under the age of 18. From HSLDA,

If passed, this curfew will affect the flexibility and freedom of homeschool students to be in public places during school hours. Homeschool children, even those from outside San Luis Obispo who are just visiting, could be stopped to verify who they are and that they have a valid excuse to be in a public place. HSLDA recently settled a lawsuit against Los Angeles for false arrest of two homeschool students under a similar law.

From the San Luis Obispo Tribune,

Students do have a number of valid reasons to be out and about during the day. They may be homeschooled; enrolled in independent study or work experience programs; on the way to or from a doctor’s appointment; or they may attend an alternative school that has half-day sessions.

The ordinance includes exemptions for such cases, but here’s the rub: How is a law officer supposed to know whether or not students have a valid reason for being out of school unless they stop and talk to them?

...

The fact is, California already has truancy regulations on the books. Parents can face fines and even jail time if their children repeatedly skip school. The students themselves can lose their driver’s licenses.

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Republican Latinos in California? Yes!

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Ex-wife of Los Angeles Lakers' player gets to keep 3 mansions
which are worth $18.8 MM (approximately). Not a bad deal.

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Compare CCW Permit issuance: Urban vs. Rural
Red - Yellow = no issue; Dark Green = will issue for personal protection

Only in California (v. 4)

Boy's Locker Room; Girl's Locker Room; Boy's & Girl's Locker Room?
From CBS Los Angeles,

Sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), AB 266 would require schools to allow students to play on sports teams according to their “gender identity” and not their biological sex.

...

However, revised language in the proposed bill would mandate that students “shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs, activities, and facilities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records”.

Yet another reason to homeschool.

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Cereal Killer - FAIL

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3 Vehicle Ferry - FAIL
From the OC Register,

NEWPORT BEACH – A collision on board the Balboa Island Ferry shoved a minivan into the water on Friday morning, starting the clock on a rescue of two young children and their parents as the vehicle went under.

Witnesses said the family – visiting from Taiwan -- had only a few minutes to escape before the van sank in about 15 feet of water. A ferry worker jumped into the water and swam to help as two boaters pulled alongside the sinking van and helped the family out.

The "ferry" only holds 3 vehicles, in series, as shown in the map image below. Evidently the minivan was the # 1 vehicle to board and, before the driver could engage it into Park, the # 2 vehicle accelerated too fast, pushing the minivan into the drink.

View Larger Map

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University of California system bans Chaw, among other things
In yet another instance of nanny-state nonsense, the University of California system is banning tobacco products from its campuses, including the advertising and sales, and including even chewing tobacco. Now, while I can recall sitting in university classes (with the California State system) and having an instructor or student light up, do we really need to government's muscle in this area? From CBS Los Angeles,

The University of California has banned smoking and the use of chewing tobacco on all ten of its campuses.

...

The ban will also prohibit tobacco sales and advertising in all buildings owned or rented by the university.

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Are you too drunk to homeschool?
Oh, no... wait... Are you too drunk to teach 3rd graders in a public school?

A third grade teacher in Winchester was arrested after allegedly showing up to class drunk.

Theresa Davis was removed from her classroom by administrators at Susan LaVorgna Elementary School just after noon Thursday when co-workers discovered she was seemingly intoxicated.

Let's hope it was a medication mix-up and not alcohol related.

 

Only in California (v. 3)

Paramedics equipped with oxygen masks for... pets?
From the OC Register,

Every fire engine and truck operated by the Orange County Fire Authority will now carry oxygen masks for household pets – thanks to a donation from an Anaheim pet owner whose rescued dog was displaced in a wildfire.

Is this merely a sign of compassion in our society, where we acknowledge the soulish qualities of higher mammals? Or does it reflect a potentially twisted view which places certain species of the animal kingdom on a higher plane than warranted? Or... is this merely another indicator of a society so immersed in peace and prosperity, that we are able to allocate resources to such an end?

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Church Food Bank donations - picked up by limo?
A tad much to expect your food donations for an elderly couple will be picked up by their limo? From the article,

An email sent out to members of the Crystal Cathedral congregation requesting meals for founder Robert H. Schuller's wife Arvella, who is ill with pneumonia, is creating mixed feelings of sadness and outrage among members.

According to longtime member Jim McDonald, an email was sent out by administrators to Bible study groups as well as church elders, asking that meals for the reverend's wife be dropped off at the cathedral's Tower of Hope where the Schullers' limo drivers will be waiting to pick them up at the designated time.

Sigh.

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Ahhh, Disneyland - the happiest place on Earth... even for coyotes
Seriously, folks, you've got to watch out for these critters just about all over the country or, even in pump tunnels.

A coyote wandered onto the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel last month and somehow got into a pump room in the tunnels beneath the hotel.

Disneyland Resort security personnel contacted Orange County Animal Care at 10:13 a.m. on Oct. 10 to see if they could come out and help.

They may not always get the roadrunner, but they get just about everything else.

I suppose Disney Security had to call Animal Care because they were too busy surrounding 10 year-old girls and elderly ladies in motorized wheelchairs. What? Didn't hear about that one?

 

 

Only in California (v. 1)

Only in California is a new link spotlight to some of the weirdness found on the Left Coast.

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Stop the Killing! (of coyotes)

After a coyote (or coyotes) began to make dinner out of small dogs and cats in one Anaheim neighborhood, local residents decided to have the animal caught and euthanized. Sounds like a common sense approach, right? Not to animal-rights activists and certain American Indians (aka Native Americans). From the OC Register,

"We want Anaheim and all of Orange County to know that we have lived in harmony with coyotes and other wildlife for generations, and killing coyotes with poison, traps or GPS devices is unfair and upsets the balance of nature," said Randal Massaro of Victorville, a representative for Union Members for Preservation of Wildlife Worldwide. Massaro describes his organization as an "underground movement of union members" trying to protect nature.

"I am here for nature itself," said Apache Daklugie Running-Hawk, who said he is a spiritual leader for the Tarasco Nation band of Indians and is based in Lucerne Valley.

"These are our four-legged friends, and this is their land," he said. "Now they are trying to drive them out, like they drove us (Native Americans) out generations ago. We need to live among them and learn from them."

Running-Hawk played a song on a Native-American wood flute in a show of "respect and peace" during his comments before the council.

There is some sense in all this nonsense, though. By effectively separating humans from the rest of the animal kingdom (e.g., "this is their land"), there is a blanket admission to the distinctiveness of the human species and, I would argue, the imago Dei.

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Gun Control Marches On

Governor Brown, reportedly a gun owner himself, had 4 anti-gun bills on his desk recently.

AB 809 expands gun registration to include long guns, SB 427 effectively initiates ammunition registration, SB 819 redistributes current gun registration fees, and AB 144 would ban the open carrying of an unloaded handgun.

Unfortunately, he signed three of them into law: AB 809, SB 819, and AB 144. He vetoed SB 427, but only because of a lawsuit against the bill's predecessor, which was deemed unconstitutional.

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Government doesn't belong in your home... unless you're having a Bible Study

A southern California couple is faced with a legal battle after being fined for hosting a Bible Study in their home.

So much for the "separation of church and state."

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Achoo! - God Bless You

A California student was penalized for uttering the words "God bless you" after someone sneezed.

“The blessing really doesn’t make sense anymore,” Cuckovich explained. “When you sneezed in the old days, they thought you were dispelling evil spirits out of your body. So they were saying, ‘God bless you,’ for getting rid of evil spirits. But today, what you’re doing really doesn’t make sense.”

I wonder if Mr. Cuckovich has ever told anyone good-bye?