Monday 31 December 2012

The Crusade of Prayer



Catholics Unplug your Televisions (C U T) are dedicated to making people aware just how dangerous the television and most of the media can be, especially for our souls. Our prayer wing the Crusade of Prayer engages in spiritual combat for the souls of celebrities and all those who are badly influenced by their often poor example. In doing this we also acknowledge our own weakness and tendency to sin for when we pray for any celebrity we know that only by the grace of God can we pray for them.

Members of CUT are largely anonymous, the opposite of celebrities; we do sometimes correspond and have contact with the media. However, we are always courteous, if any letter is written on behalf of CUT it should to be cleared by CUT at the address below before sending.

CUT has been in existence since 2003 and has had some support from the Catholic press in the past. Prayer is our main action but sometimes we ask people to send letters to the broadcasting corporations, especially if there has been an instance of blasphemy (but only if the Crusader wants to take this action). We also ask members to put the newsletters in churches or pass them on to anyone who will listen. The threefold work of a Prayer Crusader is 1) Prayer, 2) Work, and 3) Sacrifice. However, only prayer is required to be a member, even if some days they can only manage a Glory Be. We are currently on our eleventh prayer Crusade which is dedicated to making people aware how damaging the television is to the environment, both natural and spiritual. We also pray for the Pope’s intentions and also for our local bishops.
Everyone who joins CUT is added to our Little Litany of the Prayer Crusade, and sent an Aide Memoire of Spiritual combat, some CUT Newsletters (for them to put distribute if they can), a Prayer Card with membership of the Crusade of Prayer and CUT. Any member can request a Prayer Crusade or write for our website, Blog and newsletter.

Per year we usually produce two newsletters and two briefings and an aide memoire on spiritual combat. The newsletters are our main campaigning material. We sometimes ask everyone to pray on the same day or time if we know of a media event that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus and His Church. The Crusade of Prayer is basically to counter the influence of the cult of celebrity. Members are asked to keep an eye on the website/Blog and to join in Prayer with other Crusaders. Those who do not have internet access will be contacted by phone or letter (if there is time).
Prayer Crusaders are usually only known to other Crusaders by their saint and location. They are all asked to pray for the other Crusaders. Please remember the Devil does not like us to work for Jesus and His Church (this work includes the distribution of our Newsletters and the Prayer Crusades).  Therefore, you may need to use spiritual defences such as making a good confession, receiving Holy Communion, regular prayer, saying the rosary, Holy Water, etc. Pray also to your Guardian Angel for protection and also to our patron saints, Our Lady Mother of Good Council and St Michael the Archangel. Prayer Crusaders also have their own intercessor saint or ‘battle buddy’ for want of a better expression!

The Prayer Crusader's threefold work:


1) Prayer, prayer is most important and very powerful it is compulsory for all members.
2) Work, distribute our newsletters, point out, when you can that the TV and the actions of celebrities are quite often incompatible with Christianity.
3) Sacrifice, time and work can be a sacrifice, making a donation to a charity or to CUT (this is not at all compulsory), fasting (we use the Churches guidelines on this although some members will regularly do more and one does a 24 hour fast every week). Attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we can dedicate the Mass to a specific cause.
Please send us information you may come across on the TV and the media if you wish. Please excuse any delay if corresponding for we try to answer each one. We would rather use email if you have one however, if not we will try and write a reply to every letter we receive.

Support Catholic television


No matter what happens to the BBC over the Jimmy Savile scandal (which will probably be nothing) the television is here to stay. Therefore, the Church should use this medium to proclaim the Gospel as the Vatican II document Inter Mirifica has instructed us; therefore, we say get involved, don’t just sit on the sidelines, give Catholic TV stations your support and feedback. CUT has always supported EWTN the largest Catholic broadcaster which has a global reach but they need your support, EWTN has now a world audience second only to CNN.

Spiritual Combat – choose a saint as a ‘battle buddy’

If you would like to join the Crusade of Prayer choose a saint as your spiritual ‘battle buddy’, please apply to CUT at St Winefride’s House, Mynd Close, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5RA, UK. However you may ask what do we mean by having an intercessor aid and a spiritual ‘battle buddy’? Prayer Crusaders engage in spiritual combat to counter the bad effects of the media and the Cult of Celebrity. Let us know which saint you would like (or we can allocate you one that has not been taken). We will enroll you in the Crusade and send you a prayer card etc.
We are now on our 11th Prayer Crusade which is for the environment and that the television's role in damaging the environment be fully understood.
The Catechism says: ‘The saints are our models of prayer. We also ask them to intercede before the Holy Trinity for us and for the whole world. Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s Plan. In the communion of saints, throughout the history of the Church, there have developed different types of spirituality that teach us how to live and to practice the way of prayer.’ (364, Catechism of the Catholic Church – Compendium)


Happy New Year to all our members and supporters

Thursday 27 December 2012

The Holy Father denounces Gay Marriage in the strongest terms


Pope Benedict XVI has denounced homosexual marriage saying that it is threatening the foundation of family life and that it destroys the 'very essence of the human creature'.
He took the opportunity of one of his most important speeches of the year, his Christmas speech to the Vatican officials to call for a stop of this latest attack on the family. He is also calling for a multi-faith response to so called 'Gay Marriage'.

Archbishop Nichols speaks out
In Britain Archbishop Vincent Nichols used his Christmas sermon to call on the British government not to legislate in favour of Gay marriage, pointing out that the government have no mandate to legalized so called 'Gay marriage'. In fact we know as Christians that homosexual marriage although supported by much of the media in against God’s Law. Homosexual acts are forbidden in both the Old Testament and the New Testament and also in the Traditions and teachings of the Catholic Church from the time of Christ to the present day. Remember to write or email your local MP on this matter.

The countries leading the way down blind tunnel to family oblivion are Britain, the USA and France. However, of these countries leading family destruction only France has seen large demonstrations against 'Gay' marriage perhaps there is still some common sense left in France supported her Catholic history.

Well done the Catholics of France, keep it up.

The Holy Father is the one world leader that makes any sense these days.

Sunday 23 December 2012

St Nicholas, a gentle reminder of Christmases past


St Nicholas was born in Patara (Lycia) in about 270 and died c.343. He was bishop of Myra Asia Minor in what is now Turkey. His parents were said to be wealthy Christians and the young Nicholas was very religious from an early age. After his parents died of the plague he was taken in by his uncle who was the bishop of Myra.
                His cult is early and his reputation as a miracle worker very strong. His reputation spread widely from about the 6th century and became widely known in the West from about the 10th century. When the Muslims invaded Myra in 1078, his relics were translated by Italian sailors to Bari, Italy, where many Greeks had taken refuge. He is particularly venerated in Russia where his name is popular to this day and many Russians make a pilgrimage to Bari. Each year on his feast day there is a strange oily secretion emanating from his shrine.  This was noted before his translation and continued afterwards in Bari. This substance known as manna is said to have healing qualities .
                St Nicholas has a wide patronage, he is patron of children, sailors, unmarried girls, merchants, pawnbrokers, apothecaries, perfumers and perhaps surprisingly prostitutes. It is his patronage of children and prostitutes which we will look at here, for sadly they are linked.
                St Nicholas’s patronage of children is well known but he became the protector of children after his death, for on the eve of his feast there were celebrations in Myra when a band of Arab pirates raided the church and kidnapped a young boy to make him a slave.  He was made the servant of the local Emir but St Nicholas appeared and intervened and whisked the young boy away and home to his parents in Myra. He is known as the patron of prostitutes because of his help to a father of three girls who were being sold into prostitution by their father who had fallen on hard times and could not provide endorsements for his daughters. St Nicholas provided three bags of gold for the girls. This is where pawnbrokers gets the three balls that signify their trade.
                Catholics celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas on 6th December. The Orthodox celebrate it on 19th, and Protestants also honour him. Even the secular world seems to wish to claim him, with their assertions that Father Charismas is really a pre-Christian custom of rewarding good children and punishing bad ones, but despite these assertions I can’t find any hard evidence for this. However, Father is the title the English speaking world gives to a priest, and his red robes predate popular myth that it was all started by Coca-Cola in the 1930s. Santa Claus is obviously an abbreviation of St Nicholas. This actually came from the low countries’ version of St Nicholas (Sinterklaas) where he was depicted in art in a red chasuble.
                Where children should be looking to St Nicholas as a guide to lead them to Jesus this Advent tide, sadly the media of today give children celebrities. Often these celebrities are pop stars, or actors on programmes they see during primetime television, whose antics on the screen are little more than selling their bodies along with sexual lyrics and dialogues. St Nicholas is their saint as well for all can find redemption by turning to Jesus.                       
               Catholic parents, if you do not already do so, tell your children the true story of St Nicholas this Advent and Christmas.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Are the BBC attempting to homo-sexualise Children?

Are the BBC attempting to homo-sexualise Children?

  • BBC report wants' more 'Gays' on children's TV

  • This would 'validate' the feelings of 'Gay' children (we believe the word 'validate' should be substituted by 'make').

  • It said it was important for the young in their formative years

  • It also wants even more 'gay' characters in dramas and soaps

 After the appalling revelations about Mr Saville and others associated with paedophilia and sexual relations with minors another bombshell has come from the BBC.  Are they attempting to homo-sexualise children by promoting the homosexual way of life on children’s TV? I suppose if it was not the BBC one could say that any such suggestion on any other media would be one to encourage and groom children for homosexually inclined paedophiles.

In articles both in the Daily Telegraph 13th. Decemberand The Daily Mail 14th. December stated that a panel of experts at the BBC believe that there should be more homosexual and transgender people on Children’s TV to ‘validate’ that way of life. Or are they really trying to promote a ‘Gay’ life-style among children? Personally, and many parents would agree with me, that the sexualisation of children via children’s TV programmes is possibly one of the sickest things one has ever heard. Who made up this panel?  Were they fully aware of the implications of their proposals or to give them the benefit of the doubt were they so hypnotised with media gabble they don’t realise the full horror of their proposals.

I can only surmise that at least some of them were anxious to evangelise the homosexual way of life. I suppose if you have to perform unhygienic and disgusting physical acts every day, you have to be assured that more of the future generations will be joining you. Therefore, you will have a little less self –hatred, because the more that joins your perversion the more normal you will feel. It is a very strong element within the homosexual community to gain recruits. At present the media, members of the government and celebrities are doing everything in their power to encourage the homosexual way of life. What they are all trying to do is to make homosexual lifestyle appear perfectly normal and in some way superior to married heterosexual relations. This of course can never be right however much the establishment promote it. On the other hand we must accept that some people become homosexual possibly through media exposure.  Whilst we must not encourage it we need to show compassion. However, we can never support in any manner the promotion of the homosexuality among adults and certainly not children.

Most parents, myself including, wish to protect children’s innocent state. It seems outrageous and totally irresponsible that a public broadcaster such as the BBC wish no longer to protect and preserve children from early sexualisation.

An organisation such as the BBC has an enormous duty of care towards young minds and to try and pervert them into unnatural sexualisation is actually beyond belief.

By RIGBY

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Gay Marriage and Satan’s Useful Idiots

It is perhaps not surprising that the majority of the British population support so called ‘Gay’ Marriage when the secular media, lead by the BBC have been brain washing people into accepting homosexuality for the last 45 years. The media particularly our illustrious public dis-service broadcaster have been softening the population up to support this latest perversion of society by a barrage of programmes that depict homosexuals as nice and normal, at the same time labelling anyone who speaks up against homosexual acts as homophobic or ‘Gay’ bashers. No one wants to be labelled as having a phobia or being a ‘basher’ so they cower under this pro-homosexual browbeating.
            Virtually all TV programme genres have been used, from the Wednesday play of the late 1960s to the soap operas of the last two decades. In Britain we have had East Enders and Coronation Street vying for the accolade as being the most ‘Gay’ friendly programme on Satan’s box of tricks, the TV. Although they have not managed to show simulated ‘Gay’ sex (they have left that for other drama programmes transmitted after the so called ‘watershed’ when children never watch do they?)  These primetime prompters of perversion have used the ‘Gay Kiss’ as their major battering-ram on the human conscience. Using the nefarious tactic of proclaiming all love as good love they have use the ‘Gay kiss' as the pinnacle of this progressive propaganda they have battered the viewer’s sensibilities into submission. To consolidate their attack on anyone who may be put off by this, they have also inserted storylines that portray people who are against homosexual acts as thuggish Gay bashers picking on innocent young Gay people. Therefore to be a fully formed, warm, and well rounded human being you have to accept homosexuality as normal and even a greater good. If on the other hand you do not accept homosexuality as normal, you are labelled a Nazi or even worse, a homophobe!
            Yet despite all this it is our duty out of love and charity for the homosexual person to point out that his way of life is against God law and the teachings of the Church. Not to point this out is negligent and is lacking in true Christian charity.

Who are the real homophobes?
The homophobic label given to anyone who stands up to homosexuals and their sycophants needs to be better explored and those who use it have really over stated their case. It is now almost impossible to say that sex should only between a man and a woman, and if you are a Catholic only after marriage.
            If you say Gay Marriage is wrong or impossible despite any legislation you are labelled homophobic, if you mention the fact that there is a higher than usual incidence of child sex abuse among homosexuals you are labelled as homophobic. If you say that the homosexual form of sex is not only unnatural but very dangerous to health, you are labelled as homophobic. The relentless pro-‘Gay’ propaganda goes on and on.
            But we ask who are the real homophobes? The Christian who speaks out and proclaims the Gospel and the teachings of the Church or the obsequious public figure or brain washed minion who has spent his life as media fodder?

Homophobic or Compromised?
Why are so many people in power and the establishment in favour of homosexual marriage? Are they so afraid of the ‘Gay’ lobby that they are not able to speak up for common decency and normality? Perhaps they are the real homophobes for they have an un-natural fear of homosexuals that they will go along with anything the militant ‘Gay’ activists demand. Or perhaps they are compromised?

Satan’s useful idiots
Believing that ‘Gay’ marriage is a manifestation of evil we should ultimately blame Satan. But he can’t bring about this inversion of God’s own holy institution of marriage on his own he needed to trick or compromise people in power, to do so therefore these so-called leaders of the British establishment are really only Satan’s useful idiots.

Sunday 9 December 2012

CUT - Winter 2012/13 Newsletter on the Media's Destruction of the Religious and Natural Environments


Is the TV destroying the environment?

There have been many studies that point out the detrimental effect the television is having on society. Violence on TV has had a direct effect on violence in society, while sex on television has sexualised people including young people and children. However, media studies professionals do not like the word ‘effect’ in relation to the media; they prefer to say that ‘people take media themes and make them their own.’ The word ‘ownership’ is the buzz word nowadays; for people to claim ownership of a media theme and to ‘run with it’ appears to make everything fine!
                One of our themes for CUT’s campaign over the next year will be to make people aware of the damage being done by the TV to the environment, both spiritual and physical. The TV and the computer screen are all pervasive in modern life. You need them to do many things; to get better deals on goods and services and to buy on line is more often than not cheaper. Therefore damaging the High Street environment, but when they have destroyed the shopping centres what will happen to on-line prices? And what about those who do not have a computer, - mostly low income and in particular older people. The philosopher Habermas has coined the term ‘re-feudalisation of the people’, and states that modern society has caused this. The television and the computer have caused a feudalisation of society. Those who are on TV and the owners of services are the masters of today. The politically correct left-liberal elite brought up on a diet of Telly Tubbies and East Enders are today’s opinion formers. They have the power to control what people think and what they do. The television itself is a destroyer of natural resources. Not only does it drain the earth’s resources to keep it going; ten percent of the household electricity bill is spent when the TV and its ancillaries are on stand-by, let alone being used. It encourages an unnecessary materialism that does not help the economy in the long run, fuelling an external debt that runs to 9 trillion dollars1 in the UK alone. In fact countries that have the greatest addiction to the TV also have a large external debt, - the USA with 16 trillion, Germany and France with four trillion. The only way to feed this debt is ever greater growth. Growth is important; however, growth at all costs fuels materialism and environmental damage.
Reference - 1, United States Central Intelligence Agency, 29th of June 2011

In last winter’s newsletter we asked ‘Is there a Child Abuse Cover-up at the BBC?’ Now we know there was.

In our Winter 2011/12 newsletter we asked the question ‘Is there a Child Abuse Cover-up at the BBC?’. We did not have at this point any inside information or names etc. We asked this question because of the numbers of child abuse cases reported in modern secular society - running at 60 per day1 in Britain - and the number of celebrities and performers who had either been convicted and who had regularly visited the BBC. We also pointed out that there is a tendency on the part of the BBC to protect the homosexual community; studies have found a higher than usual incidence of child sex abuse among homosexuals.  The Family Research Council found that by looking at the reports produced by studies in the Journal of Child Psychiatry2 and the Medical Aspect of Human Sexuality3 and many other academic studies they came to the conclusion that ‘Male homosexuals commit a disproportionate number of child sex abuse cases’.  
References:
1, NSPCC figures for 2010/11.                 2, Watkins and Bentovim, p. 315. Journal of child Psychiatry 33 (1992)
3, Robert L. Johnson, "Long-term Effects of Sexual Abuse in Boys," Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality (September 1988):


Thursday 29 November 2012

Natural Law versus the BBC

Natural Law versus the BBC

Going hand in hand with the TV’s destruction of the natural environment is the destruction of the moral and spiritual environment. As Catholics we believe in Natural Moral Law. Of this St Thomas Aquinas says ‘The natural law is nothing other than the light of understanding placed in us by God; through it we know what we must do and what we must avoid. God has given this light or law at the creation’. 1 Therefore as Catholics we know in our hearts what is true and what is false, and there is a responsibility for us to act in accordance with God’s law. If we see that there is surfeit of views and themes expressed on BBC or any other channel that are contrary to Natural Moral Law can we support it? The answer of course is no, we cannot. However, another question will be asked of us:

Q: Surely we need to watch the television in order to know what they are up to.?

A: Using the Thomist sense of reasoning we can say we know what they are up to for anyone who has watched the TV or listened to the radio for even just a few days will know. It is the inversion of God’s Natural Moral Law; therefore should we place ourselves within an occasion of sin in order to gain a knowledge of themes that are good and evil? 2 Satanic TV puts good and evil on the same level and make good seem evil and vice versa.
              
Q: What are these issues and themes supported by the BBC that are contrary to God’s Natural Moral Law?

A: Sin.

Q: What is sin? 

A: Sin is an utterance, deed or a desire contrary to the eternal law and therefore an offence against God.3

Q: What specific sins are you talking about?

A: All sin; but, in particular, the BBC in its support of abortion, contraception, euthanasia and homosexuality etc. is inverting natural law and therefore, together with the positive depictions of adultery, fornication and even occasionally pornography has made the TV an occasion of sin.

Q: Aha, aha - you are being judgmental and you lack charity?

A: The most charitable act is to point out where a person is in grave sin for not to do so would be negligent and a cause of my own sin. There are ‘sins that cry out to heaven’ like sodomy4 and the blood of Abel, killing. 5 St Paul says to the Galatians ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell to you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.’ 6
              
Q: But where does love come into this? and didn’t St Paul say the greatest virtue is love7 - shouldn’t we love the sinner and didn’t Jesus come to save sinners?

A: Following St. Thomas, a better word for Christian love is charity, for love on its own can be selfish but charity is a love that is giving. We should love the sinner but hate the sin. And God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son8, sent as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.9     
              

It is the unchaste selfish love that has been championed by the BBC that demands human rights but forgets the rights of God. The left-liberal tribe of the politically correct broadcaster has abandoned natural law for a sort of rough justice that is neither reasonable nor charitable. To proclaim this message we have BBC radio. You really cannot miss this for it almost completely dominates the airwaves particularly the spoken word, - radio such as Radio 4 and Radio 5, with World Service to bring the ‘best’ of these stations to the world.
References:
1, St Thomas Aquinas, Dec. Praec. 1. Quoted  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1955
2, Cf. Genesis 3:5   3, St Augustine, Contra Faustu. St Thomas Aquinas and CCC 1850. 4,  Genesis 18:20    5, Genesis 10:4   6, Galatians 5:19-21   7, 1 Corinthians 13:13   8, John 3:16   9, 1 John 4:10  - Douay-Rheims Bible