The following comes from an Aug. 1 posting in Crisis magazine by Austin Ruse.
A few weeks ago Lisa Fullam, a featured blogger at dotCommonweal, the blog of the politically liberal magazine Commonweal, posted “Hobby Lobby and Science” in which she clarifies for us how the “science” does not support the claims made by the Hobby Lobby plaintiffs and, incidentally, the Catholic Church.
She writes, “In medical terminology, a woman is not considered pregnant until the developing embryo implants in the uterine wall, approximately a week after fertilization, (so on average about 7-10 days after ovulation). Since one can’t have an abortion until one is pregnant, by medical standards contraceptives that block implantation by changing the uterine lining are not abortifacient.”
Fullam then says, “Roman Catholic magisterial teaching on the other hand, holds that the developing embryo should be treated as a person from conception.” Have you ever noticed it is usually those with a thing about the Church who use “Roman” rather than just “Catholic?”
Having established the fact that pregnancy begins not with fertilization but with implantation, Fullam explains how none of the contraceptives objected to by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood—Plan B, Ella, and two forms of IUDs—could cause abortions because each of them only inhibits ovulation and none of them harm the implanted embryo.
She states that she is not a “pharmacologist or an MD” and neither am I but about ten seconds of Internet research shows Fullam is simply wrong. Any layman can read the Wiki article on pregnancy, “The event of fertilization is sometimes used as a mark of the initiation of pregnancy….”
Don’t like Wikipedia, try WebMd which explains the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) can be detected within the first week after conception. This hormone “is a pregnancy hormone present in your blood from the time of conception.”
Just consider the experience of any woman getting the news she’s pregnant. Do she and her doctor begin counting her pregnancy from implantation? Actually, they begin counting from her last menstrual cycle. As to actual conception, it is calculated as two weeks after that and up to two weeks prior to implantation. It would be absurd for him to suggest she had a baby in there for two weeks but she’s only been pregnant since yesterday.
Fullam insists the medical establishment agrees with her when in fact it is mostly the highly politicized American Association of OB-Gyns (ACOG), a group that has been campaigning since before the dawn of the abortion age for the definition of pregnancy to change from conception to implantation. The Guttmacher Institute, the research group founded by Planned Parenthood, joins them in this fight.
Nearly 50 years ago, as the sexual revolution was revving, three years before Humanae Vitae, ACOG wrote in its first Terminology Bulletin that, “Conception is the implantation of a fertilized ovum.”
In 2005, a Guttmacher publication said, “The medical community has long been clear: Pregnancy is established when a fertilized egg has been implanted in the wall of a woman’s uterus.”
Do ACOG’s members even agree with their position on implantation? Not according to a 2011 study.
A professor at the University of Chicago surveyed 1,000 ob-gyns and the results were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He found that 57 percent said pregnancy begins when the sperm fertilizes the egg. That would be 31,350 of ACOG’s own members disagree with ACOG and Fullam. Only 28 percent said pregnancy begins at implantation. The rest were not sure.
Dr. Farr Curlin, senior author of the study said, “People say the medical profession has settled on this. And what our data show rather clearly is that it is not at all settled among the medical profession.”
….Besides blogging for dotCommonweal, Lisa Fullam is an associate professor of moral theology at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley [now part of Santa Clara University]. She holds graduate degrees from Cornell University and also the Harvard Divinity School. She teaches courses in sexual ethics, moral theology, and virtue and vice, among others.
In 2010 at dotCommonweal she wrote approvingly of embryo destructive research. Her only qualm was that the research was being done by a private company rather than a university and therefore ethical considerations come into play. Once more she mocked Catholics and Catholic teaching. She says Catholics who hold to the teaching of when life begins “will be in a difficult spot if these therapies prove successful.” She says even these faithful Catholics will want to avail themselves of all the treatments and cures, none of which have panned out.
In an article on virtue ethics, she said some of the Church’s teachings on masturbation, fornication, contraception, adultery, and homosexuality are “grounded in bad biology, bad psychology, or bad theology and should be discarded….”
To read the entire story, click here.
Just another member of the chattering class we can ignore.
We can’t ignore these evildoers……they are brainwashing our young and bringing them to slaughter. We must speak up, speak out and fight for their souls.
The Jesuit Order is simply inviting its total collapse, and eventual death (hell) to the souls of its evil priests, who are destroying Christ’s work in this world, and misleading and corrupting the world hopelessly– with HORRIFIC SIN!! They are NO LONGER EDUCATORS and NO LONGER CATHOLICS, NOR CHRISTIANS– NOR EVEN MORALLY DECENT PEOPLE!! EXCOMMUNICATE THEM ALL!! (But of course– keep the good and holy Jesuit priests, and then start over again!) This horrible woman, “Lisa,” (also, unfortunately— a lesbian!) is not even a Christian! She is not a follower of Jesus Christ! She is obviously near-Satanic, and should be fired immediately and also expelled from her field, and never again be given a job in any school at all, period! Such HORRIBLE false, immoral “professors,” should NEVER be allowed any graduate studies, at any college, anywhere– and they all should be disqualified from higher academics! It is because they are IMMORAL– and use their degrees and jobs to spread false concepts of God, religion, and morality, and corrupt evilly, everything they touch! Since the corrupt, FILTHY 1960’s, the Church and society, worldwide, have nearly been totally destroyed, by handing evil power to such corrupt, lying, near-Satanic, false “professors,” who claim to be “experts” in their fields!! Meanwhile, very good, morally-excellent Catholic, or even just Christian talents, in these same fields, that could truly be excellent leaders, are denied their rightful roles! With such evil leaders, good talent cannot develop nor flourish!! Both Catholic and secular universities, as well as Christian colleges of various denominations, are so HORRIBLE– for DENYING GOD, and WORSHIPPING SATAN, cultivating “Satanic” leaders, and then putting them up there, in front of the Church and Society— as corrupt, false “professors” and “experts!”
Your invective against Fullam, the Jesuits, the 1960s, and satanic professors is impressive.
PJT, I’d love to know how impressed you are with Jesus’ invective tone with regards to the Pharisees. Jesus was very INTOLERANT of those hypocritical leaders.
Well said, Linda Marie
When Catholic academics abandon the unborn, THEN THEY ARE NO LONGER CATHOLIC, and must be treated as heretics or schismatics. This plainly means, we must stay away from these near occasions of sin.
Yes.
https://www.ehd.org/movies.php?mov_id=214
Endowment for Human Development – scientifically speaking.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;” – Jeremiah 1:5
Acts and means which end life in the womb abort the developmental process of human life and the natural course of pregnancy, regardless of whether medical pin-heads arbitrarily define pregnancy as implantation. Even granting the arbitrary definition of pregnancy, the crime of abortion is fundamentally about violation of a life, not pregnancy per se, and life begins at conception, not implantation.
“Fullam then says, ‘Roman Catholic magisterial teaching on the other hand, holds that …'”
_____
“Roman Catholic” is a Protestant term, invented by Anglicans who consider the “Church” to have three wings: “Roman Catholic”; Eastern Orthodox”; and Anglican.
There is of course no such thing as “Roman Catholic” – the term appears nowhere in any official document of the Catholic Church – but the term is useful to betray the heretical Protestant leanings of those who use it.
and your point is…..?
Read the last phrase, after the hyphen. :P
juergensen, I did not know that. Thank you for the information.
Yes, thank you for the information. It is important that we reclaim our history.
From the time of the Apostles the true followers of Christ have been called Catholics. The meaning of this appellation has always been that they belong to the One, Holy Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church. The term Catholic has always distinguished them from every heretical sect. They were known by this term in every part of the world. Within the few last years, however, Catholic clergy prefer the term Christian; I am Catholic in belief and hopefully Christian in behavior
“Furthermore, there is no religion called Christianity and there never has been such a religion. There is and always been the Church, and various heresies proceeding from a rejection of some of the Church’s doctrines by men who still desire to retain the rest of her teaching and morals.” (Hilaire Belloc). When St. Peter appointed Ignatius Bishop of Antioch (A.D. 69) the Church was still called but the Church, as in “And he is the head of the body, the church” Colossians 1:18. Bishop Ignatius wrote a letter in Greek to the faithful, and in contradistinction to dissidents existing even at that early time, he addressed it to the Church Universal — the Katholikos Ecclesiam –the Catholic Church. So from then until now there exists but the Colossians 1:18 Body of Christ Church and separate non-Catholic religions.
Except that it was at Antioch that they were first called Christians (Acts of the Apostles). The New Testament word ‘ecclesia’ means ‘the gathering’ (of Christians), and Ignatius (also of Antioch), used the term “catholic” to modify the word ecclesia, not to modify the individual Christians. Catholic meaning the whole universal body of believers as opposed to the local ecclesia. Ignatius contribution was in important revelation in ecclesiology, as it emphasized the universality of the faith. Today, we refer to the “particular churches” (more commonly known as Dioceses, whether Latin or Eastern) and the “universal church” meaning the particular churches together with the See of Peter. Thus, I am an individual Christian, I’m a member of a particular Church (the Archdiocese of San Francisco), AND thus I am a part of the catholic church.
YFC – Except because you refuse to adhere to the teachings of the Church on homosexuality, and homosexual marriage – you are not a Catholic, but a Catholic heretic and schismatic. So to be honest you must call yourself a Catholic heretic and schismatic.
And you may not receive Holy Communion without committing Sacrilege against the Body and Blood of our Lord.
CCC: ” 2089 Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”
Anonymous (very courageous to hide behind your anonymity): why don’t have YFC excommunicated?
And “YFC” is not anonymous? He’s “courageous”, right? Only sodomites can comment anonymously; Catholics can’t; right?
As for excommunication, there is no need to excommunicate apostates or heretics, as they incur the penalty of automatic excommunication (CIC 1364:1).
YFC: So they were called Christain, so what? That doesn’t change what i wrote.
Merely to say that I doubt the accuracy of what Belloc wrote, that there has never been a religion called Christianity. The Church herself recognizes that there are Churches not in communion with Rome (the Orthodox) who nonetheless possess the fullness of truth and the full set of Sacraments. It also recognizes that there are ecclesial communities who have some of the truth and some of the Sacraments, but lack communion with Rome and a full set of Sacraments. All three, Romans, Orthodox, and Protestants are all Christians.
It’s not a hugely important point, except to say that the term Christian emerged in the earliest days to describe the burgeoning new faith, not simply a sect within Judaism. However, young Catholics themselves are vulnerable to prostelyzation (sorry for the spellyng) by other denominations who prey on them by asking them to become “Christian”. I have heard young Catholics ask whether they are Christians or not, having been subject to this. (Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord?? Well, yes of course we have, but just don’t put it in those terms.) So I think it is important for young Catholics to be told that they are indeed Christian. That Jesus is our Savior and Lord. We’ve lost many to other faiths by not educating the difference between Catholic and Christian.
Thanks for listening.
Lisa Fullam is a heretic (if she is Catholic), and teaches several different Theology classes.
https://www.scu.edu/jst/academics/faculty/fullam/index.cfm
If she is not Catholic or is a heretic, or teaches anything that violates specific teachings of the Church – this is an absolutet violation of: the Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15081990_ex-corde-ecclesiae_en.html
Someone needs to notify the correct Diocese Bishop.
This is so tragic– but in Vatican II– the Church’s leaders no longer wanted authority roles, and Catholic schools and all other institutions, are no longer subject to the local bishop! Church leaders wanted “collaborative” roles for all– including collegiality of the Holy Father with his bishops. They also desired unrealistic, irresponsible “freedom” for all, in the Church, to do as they please! When Christ first called His Twelve Apostles, they went obediently, in good faith, to learn from the great and Loving Master, the Son of God! They subjected themselves to His teaching and discipline, as disciples— NOT “collaborators!” And He died for them, and for us all, to redeem us of sin! Christ established His Church to continue in St. Peter, our first Pope. As Catholics, we are all called to obedience, in good faith— to our beloved Christ, in our daily “pilgrim’s journey,” out of the corrupt world of darkness and sin, to the holy, beautiful, sublime, and eternal realm of Heaven—- where God dwells! But where is the responsible Church leadership, teaching, authority, and discipline– to ensure success?
The “correct” diocese bishop? Wow, what a suggestion. Fullam works out of the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, which in recent years is affiliated with, or under control of, Santa Clara University, also Jesuit. SCU is in the San Jose Diocese, headed by Bishop McGrath, who has never shown any interest whatsoever in opposing the extraordinary apostasy which has spewed forth from SCU for decades, so forget about him. Berkeley, in the diocese of Oakland, is under the jurisdiction of Bishop Barber, a Jesuit, the 1st American bishop appointed by Pope Francis, also a Jesuit, as everyone knows. This isn’t about Fullam, this is about the Jesuit order. I personally am unaware of any bishop in the country who has taken on any aspect of the apostasy endemic for decades throughout the Jesuit American network of 28 colleges and 48 high schools (but maybe some bishop somewhere has, albeit with no discernible effect.) Why don’t YOU contact Bishop Barber, SJ and ask him to take down the JSTB?? Because nothing short of razing the place will take care of the problem at JSTB. Fullam is just the tip of the iceberg, and JSTB had all the information about her before they hired her, and that’s precisely why she got the job! Get it?? Good luck, and get a clue.
The Berkeley JSTB has been hopelessly immoral, apostate, and heretical, for many long years, along with the rest of the Jesuit Order! I do not understand why the Vatican does not launch a total investigation into such religious orders, and excommunicate faithless priests! The Jesuit Order, and many others– are very dangerous to the Church, with their immoral, heretical, apostate seminaries and theology programs!
It’s very simple why the Vatican doesn’t do what you suggest – because the Vatican, if not controlled by the same forces you complain of, is at least deadlocked by them. Is this news? No it’s not. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII wrote in his prayer to St. Michael, “Even in the holy place where the See of Blessed Peter and the chair of truth what set up to enlighten the world, they have raised the abominable throne of their impiety with the iniquitous hope that the Shepherd may be stricken and the flock scattered abroad.” That’s from the long form of the prayer, which is not popularly said in the mainstream parishes. The only thing holding us together is the Holy Spirit, and that’s the good news, because as Christ promised, the gates of Hell will not prevail.
Thanks for the reminder, F. Suleau!
Hyperbolic Traditionalists
https://www.catholic.com/blog/karl-keating/hyperbolic-traditionalists
Irenaeus
“In the Church God has placed apostles, prophets, teachers, and every other working of the Spirit, of whom none of those are sharers who do not conform to the Church, but who defraud themselves of life by an evil mind and even worse way of acting. Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace” (Against Heresies3:24:1 [A.D. 189]).
“[The spiritual man] shall also judge those who give rise to schisms, who are destitute of the love of God, and who look to their own special advantage rather than to the unity of the Church; and who for trifling reasons, or any kind of reason which occurs to them, cut in pieces and divide the great and glorious body of Christ, and so far as in them lies, destroy it—men who prate of peace while they give rise to war, and do in truth strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel. For they can bring about no ‘reformation’ of enough importance to compensate for the evil arising from their schism. . . . True knowledge is that which consists in the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient constitution of the Church throughout all the world, and the distinctive manifestation of the body of Christ according to the successions of the bishops, by which they have handed down that Church which exists in every place [i.e., the Catholic Church]” (ibid., 4:33:7–8).
Cyprian of Carthage
“Whoever is separated from the Church and is joined to an adulteress [a schismatic church] is separated from the promises of the Church, nor will he that forsakes the Church of Christ attain to the rewards of Christ. He is an alien, a worldling, and an enemy. He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother” (The Unity of the Catholic Church 6, 1st ed. [A.D. 251]).
St. Jerome
“Heretics bring sentence upon themselves since they by their own choice withdraw from the Church, a withdrawal which, since they are aware of it, constitutes damnation. Between heresy and schism there is this difference: that heresy involves perverse doctrine, while schism separates one from the Church on account of disagreement with the bishop. Nevertheless, there is no schism which does not trump up a heresy to justify its departure from the Church” (Commentary on Titus 3:10–11 [A.D. 386]).
Pope Francis is a Jesuit. That order has earned the present distrust of believing Catholics. No Jesuit, regardless of educational attainment, can equal the level of brilliance of Angelic intelligence. Satan is obviously manipulating many in the Jesuits, and those that work with them, into doing his bidding. Much, much smarter of the Devil to hide under his cloak of myth and disbelief than in coming out — at least for now — where all can see him and his works. But, the Vatican, which should be focusing on salvation and confronting each and every event of apostasy within the Church, and disbelief in society, instead focuses on representing nothing more than another “flavor of belief” that, under Vatican II, has no more right to demand allegiance than any other. Did the Pope really apologize to the evangelicals? Really? And did Ireland’s Abp. Martin really criticize a local young priest (one of the very few) who, as a “conservative” young priest, was deeply troubled by many recent statements of Pope Francis? Men of little Faith, just has Men of great hubris, have no chance seeking to explain or limit Satan with argument or logic — it just does not work. Ms. Fullam’s position is patently weak, and faithless. Pray for her and all who are influenced by her (and the Jesuits). And, pray for Pope Francis, who seems to be ignoring the Holy Ghost. Perhaps it is time for another retirement?
Oh St. Christopher, you question whom God has placed as Vicar of Christ? You, a mere creature…..stay steady and yes, keep praying for Our Pope.
that’s because That Christopher sets the tone that he is not in union with Rome. That is where he is in great danger and in great error! Don’t be fooled by those that may be well versed with Catholicism, yet they publicly bash being in union with Rome. Steer clear from those. Having been on this website for a while, we already can discern who are the ones who blame everything on V2 and who are not in union with Rome! We can’t deny that!
Jesus is a perfect gentleman, He knocks on one’s door and waits to be invited in. But the devil is clever, he just waits for a tiny little opening/crack to any entry and he forces himself in!
We contain the wholeness of the truth, seek it inside without the chaos of those always looking at the church being half way wicked, but those who keep their eye’s on Jesus, see that the church is Christ’s body, it contains the whole truth and are not lead by gossip and magnifying glass of man’s imperfections but in the whole picture, that Christ promised us that He would be with us till the end of times, even if some men turn away from God, the church is still the truth, pure and it brings salvation to those whom desire Jesus and invite Him in. With the prayers/intercession of our Lady, we pray!
Sorry, all — it is not a sin, not wrong, to question the Pope, except to the extent that he speaks Ex Cathedra. Let’s see, look at the history of the Church, there have been some pretty bad popes, correct? The mere election of a Pope does not mean that the particular pope will listen to the Holy Ghost at all, or that he may fail here and there in doing so. Just look at poor Paul VI — truly inspired by the Holy Ghost when issuing Humanae Vitae, which took enormous courage and strength. But, completely and utterly wrong by following the seduction of Msgr. Bugnini and foisting the N.O. on an unsuspecting Church. Popes are men, and are influenced by their training, their order, and their simple geography. Pope Francis is not turning out very well, although the pagan world loves him (clue No. 1). Just look at what Francis did recently, by lifting the canonical censure on Fr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, who had been publicly reprimanded — and punished — by St. John Paul II for accepting the position of Foreign Minister in Nicargua’s then-Sandinista government. Sure, he is old now, but unrepentant, likening Castro to a Christ-like figure. Yes, he said that he only wanted to say Mass again before he died, but is he going to die? Was he barred from saying Mass privately? Pope Francis may believe in mercy, but his views are often short-sighted regarding the impact they carry to non-Latin Americans (who then run around saying things like, “the Church now says that it does not condemn homosexual behavior” — who am I to judge — and that we need to restructure capitalism). Nope, OK to respectfully state the obvious regarding the Holy Father, although it is agreed that it is much, much more efficacious to hammer bishops, who really run things since Vatican II (and they are almost uniformly awful).
Just because someone who is a devout Catholic criticizes the Pope for his “goofs,” does not mean he does not also support the Pope, and pray for him! Prayer can help– but also, we need much more! We need to do all we can, to fight corruption, evil, and weakness in the Church, and to really stand up strongly, for Christ, when others are too weak! Some Popes in history, have been weak, but were also faithful Catholics, with good intentions. In our post-Vatican II and post-1960’s era— the Church has lost a great deal, and has been turned upside down, with evil, heresy, immorality and apostasy! We desperately need holy, orthodox, inspired, uncompromisingly strong and firm Catholic leadership, who can set things right, by God’s grace, for our Church!! These excellent and holy, inspired Church leaders, need to face the Devil squarely, unafraid, in total confidence– and courageously attack and destroy him, and all his works of Evil!! Then, they need to build a very strong, orthodox, and faithful “practicing Catholic” Church, for Christ, by God’s grace!! With a strong guard, against all future Evils!
Linda Maria I appreciate your sweet note, I know you say it in charity. I being what you call post V2 era, can clearly say to you that it is during these times, where saints can be created. As you have read about history, bible times, saints etc. This is not first time we have gone through troubles, we should not fret like Luther did and start your own church or separate neither. That would be wrong. Also honestly, I have seen more great work done too. Just the church is having to deal with these modern times, we have media, Facebook, Hollywood computers etc all which are great contributes to the harsh wicked times we are facing. We are all by-products of these times, unfortunately but praise God for His truths to help us see and endure.
The elders that I see today who are causing this modern scandals are many born before V2. I get in shock because I say, they should know better. They in turn influenced these current generations But praise God, good souls are fighting the good fight and correcting the errors that those elders have brought on in by their disobedience to follow V2, the way it was meant to be. I disagree with you in how you view on partial of things because I feel that your opinion has been concluded due to harmful gossip and propaganda from those who oppose V2 and key word “not in union”. I don’t deny that problems have occurred but look who where here before V2, they where the ones who dissented, they wanted to rebel and used V2 to carry their dissent by not following it faithfully. If they had, we would not be in this mess but why focus on what we longer have control over. The past is the past, today is where Christ is and today is where we should do our part. Write to our Pope and tell His holiness your concerns. Then go and kneel and pray, ask Jesus to help you discern what is truth and what are rumors, (I did) then say a rosary for our Pope and for the conversion of all sinners. After all sin complicates things.
It is precisely men born prior to Vat II who internally engineered its ambiguity for the specific purpose of preparing a gateway for all the apostasy that has followed in its wake. It’s well documented that the revolt started pre-Vat II so it could find its fulfillment later. (And these same men rejected Humanae Vitae 3 years later.) It’s never been clear how Vat II “was meant to be” followed. Meant by whom? There are endless opinions (and books written) on what the Vat II documents actually mean, all enabled by the ambiguity of the documents themselves.
Abeca, Karl Keating, Michael Matt and Christopher Farrara are all contributing to the crisis by their denial of true Faith and water Baptism being necessary for salvation.