LITTLE NOTES

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Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LITTLE NOTES
June 2005

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According to one attendee, "All she spoke about was a bunch of fluff, repeating the term 'good energy' over and over again. She talked about the 'good energy' that we create which helps us do good works for God. She even said that the disciples in the upper room after Jesus' ascension got 'good energy' to go forth and make more disciples. She never once mentioned the Holy Spirit. Anybody who knows anything about St. Ignatius of Loyola knows that he teaches us to discern between the human spirit, evil spirits, and the Holy Spirit. There was none of that here. She also said that Jesus Christ's good energy created all his miracles."

The attendee went on to describe Sister Wente's talk as "not just insulting to our faith, but to our intelligence as well."

Only about 15 people showed up. "I couldn't believe what she said about Mother Hill, the Sacred Heart Nun who founded the women's college that became USD. She actually said that because Mother Hill got 'good energy' she was empowered to go forth and start the college. I asked her, 'Didn't she have a conviction that it was her mission and vocation to start this college?' One of the people approached me when it was over and told me that they sensed that what she had to say was not true Church teaching and asked me where to go to get the truth."

POWAY HIGH SCHOOL pulled its jazz and hip hop dance teams out of their planned participation in Gay Youth Pride's May 13-14 "Operation Queer Freedom" event at the Hillcrest Gay and Lesbian Center. The decision to pull the dance teams came a day after ex-gay Christian activist, James Hartline, issued one of his "James Hartline Report" email newsletters on April 26 urging county Christians to call or email their objections to Poway High School.

On April 26, Hartline spoke to assistant principal Lynell Antrim "who informed me that school officials have made several demands of the Gay Youth Pride organization to pull all advertisements of Poway High School's participation from their event announcements and promotions."

Later that day, Gay Youth Pride issued a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Poway High School's jazz and hip hop dance teams will not be participating in the upcoming Youth Pride events on May 13-14. Please take note and remove them from any calendar and/or entertainment lineup listings on your websites."

BIBLICAL FAMILY ADVOCATES outdid itself again this year at the Annual Earth Fair, held in Balboa Park on Sunday, May 1. While last year's outreach at the environmental festival was larger than any previous effort (40 participants), this year's was even larger, with at least 20 churches represented. "Something to consider: there were 60,000 in the park and there were 60 of us — a one to 1,000 ratio," director Phil Magnan observed. "Isaiah 30:17 says, 'A thousand will flee at the threat of one ... till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill.'"

Magnan expressed gratitude to attorneys Michael Kumeta and Bill Trask, as well as Steve Klein, for their legal assistance, which secured a location at a bottleneck near the United Nations Village in the park, where thousands passed by their tables. At last year's event, Biblical Family Advocates sponsored five booths. This year they had seven, dealing with proper Biblical stewardship of the earth, abortion, homosexuality, Islam, creationism, evangelism, and Mormonism.

"What truly blessed and encouraged me so greatly was the way that the 60-plus participants dealt with the public and police on site," Magnan commented. "The scripture 'correcting those in opposition with gentleness and meekness' definitely came to mind as I watched each booth's apologists engage even the most cantankerous individuals with grace and style. Even the San Diego police commented on how well our people dealt with the public."

The children's evangelism table featured a volunteer dressed in a Mr. Incredible suit who asked the public, "Who will save the earth?" Volunteers explained tos parents and children that it was Jesus Christ, Son of God, who was sent to save the earth.

Steve Klein, Christians United director and an expert on Islam, manned the Muslim outreach table. He was assisted by a Christian couple originally from Egypt, who, Magnan reports, "put to shame those who made a feeble attempt at defending Islam as a peaceful religion, since they have read the Koran and can speak Arabic."

Theresa Ellis, Immaculate Heart of Mary parishioner and director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, and Saint Louise parishioner Allyson Smith offered information on the destructive nature of the homosexual lifestyle and presented Christ as the way out of its enslavement. Among the volunteers engaged in evangelism were long-time pro-life activists Skip and Eileen Scipione of Chula Vista. "The list [of volunteers] goes on and on with so many who simply wanted to make a difference in so many lives," Magnan reported. "Truly this event also touched our lives and encouraged us to stay on the course of proclaiming the Master who came with grace and truth. May God be praised for His faithfulness in His people! We look forward to next year's outreach...."

For more information on Biblical Family Associates visit www.bfamilyadvocates.com, call 619-933-1839 or e-mail: bfamilyadvocates@cox.net.

THE EFFORT TO SAVE THE MOUNT SOLEDAD CROSS received a colossal boost on March 17 when the city council voted to let the city voters decide whether to transfer the land and monument to the federal government which will make it a national war memorial, thereby assuring that the cross will remain. This latest vote to save the cross will coincide with the July 26 special election to replace Mayor Dick Murphy.

EVEN THOUGH POPE BENEDICT XVI described other religions as "gravely deficient" in his 2000 document Dominus Iesus, many Protestants are pleased with the election of our new pope. Father Karl Hess (not his real name), an Episcopal priest in North County who asked not to be identified, was among the most enthusiastic.

A former Catholic, Hess would qualify himself as a member of the orthodox branch of the Episcopal Church whose members consider themselves close to Catholics in their beliefs. Of the new pope, he says, "I'm thrilled! He's a fascinating guy. He has a huge mind, he's an awesome theologian, and he combines all of that with an extremely personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

One of the things that makes Hess hopeful is the report that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, not only attended the pope's inaugural Mass (a first since the Reformation) but met with Benedict within hours after his election.

Another event that gives Hess hope is a letter sent by Ratzinger in 2003 to a meeting of the American Anglican Council, a coalition of traditional Episcopalians who met in Plano, Texas to discuss the ordination of an active homosexual as a bishop. "The letter was sent directly to them, bypassing the normally prescribed protocol. It normally would have been sent to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. That's the kind of thing that slips under the radar of the New York Times and other people. They don't get what that meant. Ratzinger wasn't just some guy, he was a Vatican official, and that was very, very significant. He has also been engaged in Evangelical-Catholic dialogue. He is also quoted in the book that Charles Colson and Fr. John Neuhaus wrote together (Your Word is Truth) about Evangelicals and Catholics. He is quoted in length. He has been in the forefront and this guy, I really believe, is going to try to reach out in important ways for a more unified Church."

Hess has no illusions that the new pope will solve all of the differences between the fragmented Anglican Church and the Catholic Church, but he believes this is the best opportunity Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox have ever had for unity. "I don't think he's going to try to get the ball across the goal line too quickly because that's been a problem in the past. The thing with Ratzinger is that he has articulated his positions so clearly that even people who do not like him are at least willing to enter into a dialogue with him. Because of his clarity, serious people are going to be drawn to him and want to dialogue."

One Episcopal sect that Hess thinks is ripe for Catholic unification is the Traditional Anglican Communion. "They broke away around the time [the Anglican Church] started ordaining women. Their nearest church near us is St. Mary of the Angels in Hollywood. A collateral benefit, I think, is that this could be a way of back-dooring married priests into the Catholic Church, although I know this is already happening in select cases. There is a quiet excitement among certain Episcopalians in particular who are orthodox and are watching what is going down here."

Whatever happens, Hess is convinced that Ratzinger's election was the work of the Holy Spirit. "I have felt for a long time now that the Holy Spirit was going to move in a very unusual and unique way and create some sort of extra-denominational — what should I say — convocation, confraternity, let's get it together, whatever, for these people of like faith. When I see the Holy Spirit moving in a Church in a way that provides that Church with John Paul II and Benedict XVI, it's very attention-getting. I look at that and I think, 'Man, I wish he was the captain of my team.'"

OUR REGION'S TWO PRELATES offered differing reactions to Pope Benedict XVI's election. San Diego's Bishop Robert Brom told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was surprised by Cardinal Ratzinger's election, "particularly because of his age."

The former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith turned 78 just before his election. Bishop Brom added that, upon meeting Cardinal Ratzinger, "I was very impressed by the depth of his spirituality and love for the Lord."

Tijuana's Bishop Rafael Romo responded, "For me, the logical choice was Cardinal Ratzinger." He described Pope Benedict XVI as having great clarity and a tremendous intellect. Bishop Romo asserted that the new pontiff's clarity will strengthen the Church in Mexico, help it to provide firm guidance to the laity and produce more priests. The Union-Tribune reported that, after the papal election was announced, bells rang in downtown Tijuana and Tijuana seminarians cheered.

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