has been posted!

JS story about a Milwaukee-area district: "Sex ed oversight approved: Elmbrook parents, board get larger role"

Based on the article, though, it's not clear that official approval has already been given. And it remains to be seen, I guess, whether the new process (if/when approved) will result in better content. What's perhaps most disconcerting is the superintendent's comment. Chastity isn't a distinctively Christian thing. Shouldn't someone who recognizes that be in charge of developing these classes?

Of course, this risk isn't the only - or most basic - reason to oppose IVF, period. But it's still worth keeping in mind. And a problem with this way of solving the problem is that human persons will still be created and killed (or allowed to die) as part of the embryo-selection process. One sees no real moral progress here.

CNS reports:

The brief policy statement on embryonic stem-cell research that is to come before the U.S. bishops at their June 12-14 meeting in Orlando, Fla., is designed to set the stage for a later, more pastoral document explaining why the Catholic Church opposes some reproductive technologies.

"While human life is threatened in many ways in our society, the destruction of human embryos for stem-cell research confronts us with an issue of respect for life in a stark new way," says the statement drawn up by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Although the topic of embryonic stem-cell research has been raised in several broader USCCB documents and has been the subject of testimony and many letters to Congress, there has never been a formal statement on the issue from the full body of bishops, said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the pro-life committee, in an introduction to the draft document.

"The issue of stem-cell research does not force us to choose between science and ethics, much less between science and religion," the document says. "It presents a choice as to how our society will pursue scientific and medical progress."

The policy statement seeks to refute three arguments made in favor of permitting stem-cell research that involves the destruction of human embryos. ...

A reader responds to my post:

There are three parishes in my town, with a single priest at each of them. All three priests take Monday off, so no Mass is available to the public on Monday (or on Saturday for that matter, excluding the vigil Mass); one parish holds a communion service on Monday morning. The parish I attend on weekdays (aside from Monday, of course) will offer a communion service when the pastor is out of town or otherwise unavailable. The communion services are led by one of the permanent deacons, at least, and not a lay person.

As far as the day off starting with an early morning Mass, I don't know what the other priests do, but our pastor heads out on Sunday for his condo in the city 20 miles up the road. Considering he is 60-something and running a 1000+ family parish and helps with the school jointly sponsored by all three parishes, I don't begrudge him some down time, but it would be nice if they could coordinate their schedules better.

I came across an article that stated that the Vatican's chief astronomer made the comment that it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.  Not sure what all the implications of this are, but interesting none the less. 

Any thoughts on this from our resident theologians?

Here is the story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_aliens

For years, I somehow never managed to get regular exercise into my schedule.  But in the last few months, I've been swimming twice every week for forty minutes -- it is a firmly established habit.  This morning as I hurried back from the gym so my husband could leave for work, I was thinking about the typical advice in women's magazines about how to find time for fitness.  They always have lots of tips, but those tips never worked for me.  The tip that did work -- the one I'll share below the jump -- I can just about guarantee you'll never see in a mainstream women's or fitness magazine.

The usual tips aren't bad, but they're incomplete, and they're not always compatible with very intensive parenting or with large families.  "Wake up a half hour earlier."  (Good luck, with co-sleeping nurslings.)  "Use the childcare at the local gym."  (Fine... if none of your children will be so sad you can't bear to leave.)  "Put the baby in the sling or stroller and go for a walk."  (Not in a Minnesota winter, and it's hard to keep your heart rate up when you've also got a 7-year-old who is very interested in every bug on the sidewalk and a 4-year-old who tires quickly and needs a lot of coaxing.)  "Run with a friend."  (Oh, so now I have to coordinate two mothers' schedules?)

The recent posts about the benefits and joys of reading aloud and as a family have been good.  However, the authors of Freakonomics, will tell you it doesn't matter what you do.

Written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, these economists tackle everything from reading aloud to murder to abortion (an interesting spin) from a numbers point of view.  Matt read it recently on his train commute and we would have great discussions when he finally got home.

According to the authors, they say the numbers (test numbers that is) don't make a difference when it comes to reading aloud to your kids.  They speak more of the quality of their education, school system, etc., but not reading to kids.

However, Greg's post and my own experiences (Michael's as well) would beg to differ.  I also grew up in a family of readers.  Many a night, my Mom would be cooking dinner w/ one hand and holding a book in another.  It is remarkable that none of those made into the pot of boiling spaghetti.

As a result, while not all of my siblings (there are 10 of us) are readers but most of us are. With my own children, all those that can read, do w/ arguments and discussions about books, authors, books to movies a regular activity.  I don't read aloud to the older children as much as I would like to or perhaps should, but the younger kids are read to every day.  With the older children it is often a sharing of books w/ three of us currently trying to read the newest Percy Jackson and the Olympians book at once, The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan.

This is absolutely outrageous - Reproductive "Health" Reality Check website ran an essay contest on the benefits of Plan B for folks age 14 - yes, that's FOURTEEN - to age 24. 

Holy smokin' cow!!!!

The winner was in fact....gulp...FOURTEEN!!!

Read the "winning" essay here.   And file this in the What Is the World Coming To file.  Or just go straight to Hell In a Handbasket file and get right to the point.

Our new show, Fully Alive! with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak  begins airing next Monday, May 19, from 10pm-Midnight Eastern (7-9pm Pacific).

We're very excited to see how it is taking shape. Regular listeners to HMS Radio will be able to enjoy the same opportunity to call in with their questions about marriage, family, and personal issues.

But additionally, Fully Alive! listeners will have the opportunity to hear interviews and interact with some of the leading experts in clinical psychology, pastoral ministry, and marriage and family studies who will join us as our guests.  Here are some of the people who will be appearing in our initial weeks.

Dr. Alan Kazdin--President: American Psychological Association, Author: The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child With No Pills, No Therapy, No Contest of Wills.

Dr. James McKenna--Director: Mother-Infant Behavioral  Sleep Lab, Notre Dame University.  Author: Sleeping with your Baby:  A Parent's Guide to Co-sleeping

Dr. Bill Doherty--Director:  The National Registry of Marrage-Friendly Therapists.

Diane Sollee--Executive Director: SmartMarriages

Bill Urbine--President, National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers.

And many more.  I hope you'll tune in, and by all means, whether or not you subscribe to Sirius, please feel free to call in (1-888-3CATHOLIC / 1-888-322-8465) with your questions about finding faithful answers to your marriage, family, and personal questions and unlocking the secrets to living Fully Alive!

Greg's post below regarding the benefits of reading to kids.  Kevin commented on his mother reading to him and the impact that made on his own reading.  These two posts got me reminiscing: I'd like to put foward another example which was my parents habits of reading books together rather than being reglar TV viewers.  I can still picture them reading in the family room, each with their own books, but together sharing a love of reading.  While I don't remember being read to (I'm sure I was read to), I do remember growing up in a reading household and typically was many grades ahead of my peers in reading in great contrast to other subjects. 

The practice of reading books as a family is also a wondeful past time - even though the littler kids might not grasp all of the details and concepts in a Narnia book or even Lord of the Rings, they will still enjoy the story time with the family.  As a final side not, Tolkein was a linguist and his Lord of the Rings is a far better book read aloud than read silently.

Read the whole thing!

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that breastfeeding babies is more popular than ever in the United States. But even as more families choose to give their children the infection protection and many other benefits of breast milk, the culture change to breastfeeding acceptance comes slowly.

I was reminded of that earlier this week, when I watched as a young man was so scandalized by a friend of mine nursing her child (with a cover over the activity) that he attempted to tell her to stop. This happened at a family-oriented facility here in Rochester, where he was working.

Fortunately, my friend, Alexandra Polikowsky, is a certified lactation counselor and well-versed in the rights she is afforded by law to nurse her child in public. ...

Alex is from Brazil, where breastfeeding is the absolute norm, which is not something yet achieved in the United States. But Minnesota has some of the best laws regarding the practice. Beside saying women can nurse their babies in any public or private place, the state also has laws regarding nursing in the workplace and exempting nursing moms from jury duty. The state has worked to promote breastfeeding with education campaigns.

So it's surprising to find the lack of knowledge and comfort level displayed during this incident.

What does it say about where we are as a society when 16-year-old girls get breast implants for their birthdays -- and flaunt the change -- but a young man is so disturbed by the minimal exposure of the breast of a nursing mother that he feels obligated to ask her to alter her behavior?

Vatican Information Service item:

The photographic service of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper has produced two versions of a calendar for 2009, each containing 13 photos. One version has photos from the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the other from that of Servant of God John Paul II.

The photographs (42 x 30 cm) are not associated with particular events or identified by a specific time and place. Rather they represent - according to a communique accompanying the release of the calendars - a small gallery of the finest available close-up images of the two Popes, which may even be cut out and framed.

The calendars have been produced by the Vatican Publishing House, they cost five euros each and may be purchased in the offices of the photographic service of the "Osservatore Romano", in the Vatican, or in the main newspaper kiosks and bookshops nearby. They may also be ordered by e-mail by contacting the address: photo@ossrom.va.

CNS: "Archbishop Naumann: Kansas governor should stop receiving Communion"; Zenit: "Prelate Asks Governor to Forgo Eucharist: Cites Her Cooperation in Procurement of Kansas Abortions"

So far, Naumann isn't ordering ministers to deny Communion to her.

Also, CNS: "N.Y. bishop ends practice of Communion at celebration of the word"

I must say that I'm very skeptical about "the practice of offering celebrations of the word with the distribution of Communion ... in order to allow priests to have a day off during the week." Why can't that "day off" start with an early-morning parish Mass?

"End the Welfare Marriage Penalty"

Give it a read. I tend to wonder, though, whether this problem - and others - wouldn't be even more effectively addressed by taking more seriously the Church's teaching about the limits of the welfare state.

Two headlines about the same papal comments:

CNS: "Pope defends church's teaching on artificial birth control"

Zenit: "Benedict XVI: 'Humanae Vitae' as Relevant as Ever: Says Love and Dignity Need Defending"

I wonder whether the pope actually used the word "artificial." I don't see any evidence that he did. I doubt that he did. The Church contrasts, not "artificial" birth control with "natural" birth control, but, rather, "contraception" with "Natural Family Planning" or "periodic continence." The moral problem with contraception isn't its artificiality, and at least one contraceptive method - withdrawal - isn't exactly artificial, but is still wrong. And NFP is "natural" not in the sense that it isn't "artificial" (though it isn't), but in the sense that it's in harmony with "natural law" (as Pope Benedict reaffirms).

When animals (e.g., penguins) exhibit what looks like homosexual behavior, you hear that this proves that (human) homosexuality is "natural" (i.e., biologically determined). I wonder if anyone will claim that this proves that cross-species sex (e.g., human-animal sex - bestiality) is "natural" (and okay)? (And if not, why not?)

What do they have to do with each other? See Dave Andrusko's column yesterday.

That doesn't surprise me. My parents - my mother especially - read to me a lot, starting well before I began school. I know it helped me learn to read.

A reader emails:

Yuval Levin, quoting from a Nature Reports: Stem Cells article, had a nice post on Friday about how induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are quickly becoming the preferred approach to stem cell research, because they are easier and cheaper to obtain and use, as well as being ethically unproblematic. A few quotes:

The enthusiasm with which the highest-tier ES cell scientists have turned to reprogramming speaks volumes ...

The ten-year head start human ES cells got on human iPS cells has effectively shrunk to zero, says [stem cell pioneer James] Thomson ...

For generating person-matched cells, iPS cells may be not only easier to use but perhaps superior, as they would share both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA with the original patient, whereas cells derived by somatic cell nuclear transfer carry only the same nuclear DNA.

David Freddoso followed with a post on how California's Proposition 71, which set up a $3 billion investment in stem cell research, is now losing the rationale behind it. In fact, "if the science continues to progress as it has, away from embryo-killing, then CIRM's [the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine] explicit, constitutional charge of funding only science that is not eligible for federal funds will prevent it from doing the most up-to-date science" (emphasis in original).

A reader responds to one of the other reader emails I blogged:

I thought of that too - that perhaps the angel sent her back because she would die in the desert. However, when I looked more carefully, I discovered that when the angel stops her, Hagar is next to a well! (The well is afterwards called "The Well of Seeing.") So she obviously wasn't dying of thirst out in the wilderness ...

I'm still trying to figure this out ...

Patrick had been sick with a cold, and to help relieve his symptoms he'd been given a cold medication that contained pseudoephedrine. As it turns out, pseudoephedrine is a medication that cancels out the effects of the ADHD medication that Christopher and Patrick take.

"It was just plain old children's cold medicine, but it was horrible," Jason Cunningham said. "They were the same kids that three years ago were getting yelled at."

As it turns out, the pseudoephedrine was just one factor. Other things the boys were taking, eating or drinking were playing a role too. Vitamin C? Guilty. Allergy medication? That too.

Dr. Oluwole "Wally" Olusola, an Owensboro psychiatrist who has treated Jason and Patrick Cunningham for their ADHD, said it highlights a need for parents to be informed.

"If you don't know (what medication interactions are possible), you're definitely going to have an unexpected effect from those medications," Olusola said. "There's a lot of things parents should be aware of."   MORE

The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education invites you to attend:

UNDERSTANDING THE CLASSICAL CURRICULUM
Academic Retreat for High School Teachers & Principals

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In this week-long retreat, you will:

• Explore the foundations of classical liberal education


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Discussions include:

• Monday: Christopher Dawson and the History of Western Education


• Tuesday: Sr. Miriam Joseph and Th e Trivium


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• Friday: “Wisdom” Subjects: Literature with Newman, History with Dawson, Th eology with JP II

PLUS: Seminars on Sophocles and Shakespeare, Lectures on Poetry and Music Directed by: Andrew T. Seeley, Ph.D. - Senior tutor at Th omas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California
with: Dave Fleischacker, Ph.D. - Chairman, Department of Philosophy & Th eology, University of St. Francis

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Registration includes room, board and all materials for the entire week:

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Young children whose parents read aloud to them have better language and literacy skills when they go to school, according to a review published online ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Children who have been read aloud to are also more likely to develop a love of reading, which can be even more important than the head start in language and literacy. And the advantages they gain persist, with children who start out as poor readers in their first year of school likely to remain so.

In addition, describing pictures in the book, explaining the meaning of the story, and encouraging the child to talk about what has been read to them and to ask questions can improve their understanding of the world and their social skills.  MORE

Here's a resource for you.

Care with a modern midwife is truly an art form - combining the guiding, healing hands of one's most trusted advisor and nurturer with today's knowledge, science and medicine. This fusion is what sets midwives apart from most doctors.

Midwife's care is based on the idea that the woman is the central decision maker in matters regarding her birth and her child. Midwives respond to mothers as a caring and collaborative partner, highly trained to work with each unique situation individually. Her goal is the health and well being of mother and baby. She has the resources, wisdom and professional training to safely guide the journey of pregnancy.

A qualified midwife provides comprehensive prenatal care, guides labor and birth, and cares for newborns. However, her unique value is revealed as she connects with a woman and her family to offer a deeper level of care. During pre and postnatal visits that are three to ten times longer than standard doctor visits, the midwife listens to what is needed at each step of the process. She can then offer appropriate information, physical, emotional or clinical support, and options.

The safety and benefits of midwife care have been proven again and again in countries across the world. World Health Organization statistics show that births attended by midwives have lower infection rates, lower C-section rates, fewer complications, and healthier outcomes - thus, lower overall medical costs - than physician-attended hospital births. In addition, there is no difference in infant mortality between midwife-attended and physician-attended births for low-risk women.

Long-term breastfeeding makes the difference!

Women who breastfeed for more than a year reduce their chance of rheumatoid arthritis by half, research suggests.

Sweden's Malmo University Hospital compared 136 women with the condition to 544 without for the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases study.

They found women who had breastfed for 13 months or more were half as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never breastfed.

Those who breastfed for between one and 12 months had a 25% decreased risk.

The study also found that simply having children and not breastfeeding did not seem to protect the women against developing rheumatoid arthritis.  More...

Robert, your family sounds so lovely - thanks for sharing this.  Wow.  It does restore faith in the new generation, to think that somewhere, somehow, a family might actually celebrate this way together this day and age.  Your post gives me hope that someday our family could bring more culture home like that.  Go Gotchers!!!

Our one cultural accomplishment this week was that our toddler Jonathan started singing along to the family's evening rendition of "Dona Nobis Pacem," which we just learned and added to the end of our family prayer time each evening last fall when we started the Latin reading program Lingua Angelica.  Last fall, before he developed leukemia, the older boys and I would sing, Dad would hum along, and Jonathan would just listen, and then at the very end, he would add his own line - a line from a Veggie Tales movie about Joseph and the multicolor coat, The Ballad of Little Joe .  We would finish "Dona nobis pacem" and he would sing, "Oh, lit-tle JOOOO-OOHH!"  (Anyone with a kid under 10 should know the song I'm referring to.)   And we would all laugh.  I guess the tune of the Latin song reminded him of the tune of that phrase.  So it became a family joke that Dona nobis pacem ends with "Oh, Little Joe".

Anyway, in January, Jonathan went to the hospital with leukemia and was quite sick for the first two months and he completely forgot Dona nobis pacem and his addition of "little joe".  Occasionally one of us would add it but he didn't seem to remember he used to do that.  And then last night, he just started joining in with the actual Latin.  It was kind of heartwarming to us. 

Research shows that some teens are using drugs to alleviate feelings of depression ("self-medicating"), when in fact, using marijuana can compound the problem. The report, released to coincide with May's Mental Health Awareness Month, shows a staggering two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year, and depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to have used marijuana during that same period. Depressed teens are also almost twice as likely to have used illicit drugs as non-depressed teens. They are also more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on marijuana. Marijuana use is associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.

"Marijuana is not the answer. Too many young people are making a bad situation worse by using marijuana in a misguided effort to relieve their symptoms of depression," said John P. Walters, Director, National Drug Control Policy. "Parents must not dismiss teen moodiness as a passing phase. Look closely at your teen's behavior because it could be a sign of something more serious."  MORE

A 7.8 quake hit the Chongqing region of China.  Longtime readers know that Lily is from Chongqing.  We had a wonderful time when we were there last year.  The people are lovely. Please keep them in your prayers.

I can't resist posting this beautiful rendition of "Exultate iusti in Domino" by some wonderful young people in our area, some of whom I know. 

What made me think of it was a family party we had at our house last night.  Spontaneously my four oldest sat down at the piano and began to work out (beautifully, I might add) Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus." My four oldest are a perfect SATB quartet. 

This was after we spent a couple of hours waltzing, polkaing, foxtrotting, rumbaing and swinging to a ballroom dancing CD set my wife had bought. 

The night was capped off by our family rosary. 

JS coverage. R.I.P.

Unfortunately, the article indicates, the group doesn't have a problem with other hormonal contraceptives, which also have risks, let alone with contraception per se, which has nothing to do with health.

Washington Times article: "A move toward religion"

By canon lawyer and (former?) blogger Pete Vere. As you'll see, he interviewed yours truly for the article's section on FUS.

Via BotW: "School challenge: Transgender student is age 9"

Also, from NPR, a two-part series on kids with gender-identity "issues."

Also, from Massachusetts: "‘Sex-change’ treatment for ‘transgender’ kids? Hospital clinic draw moral criticism"

Also, an AP piece: "Massachusetts Prison Opposes Convict's Sex-Change Demands"

Thank heavens for the opposition to this craziness. By the way, I assume that a 9-year-old with these issues may not - yet - actually be "mentally ill." But he's at least confused, and does need real help.

A reader emails:

You mentioned in a recent post that you are in the midst of wrapping up the semester. I trust you have not found it necessary to sue your students for causing you "intellectual distress." But then, at Franciscan, I'm sure you don't have to deal with students' "fascist demagoguery" in opposition as you "problematize" scientific learning.

Two other readers respond to a reader's question. The first says, at some length, that God wills that we accept some crosses, and that disobeying will result in worse suffering. Agreed (and I thought that my initial answer to my earlier reader indicated subtly that I agree that one needs to obey God). One also needs to remember, though, that God is reasonable. Can one see the intrinsic reasonability of what God required of Hagar?

The other reader takes a shot at showing that intrinsic reasonability:

Perhaps the angel told Hagar to go back because, being pregnant, she was in a vulnerable state and she and her child would not have been able to survive in the desert. By telling her to go back, God was affirming the life of her child, difficult as that life would be. He told her that, just like Abraham, Ishmael would have descendents as numerous as the stars. There was a place in God's plan for him.

I'm a new reader of this blog and enjoy it very much.

We appreciate the kind words about the blog. And the proposed explanation seems possibly helpful, though one assumes that God could, if it had been his will, have taken care of the pregnant Hagar and her baby in the desert, just as he later took care of Hagar and the boy when Sarah later ordered Abraham to drive them away, and God told Abraham to do it.

And God bless all mothers - physical, spiritual and mothers-to-be!!