http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers RSS Feed for DN Col Christine Flowers en-us Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT 2012-05-25T07:00:00Z en-us http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120525_Onward__Christian_soldiers__against_Obama_rsquo_s_birth-control_mandate.html Finally, my church spoke truth to power, and fired a legal — and most likely lethal — shot against an oppressive, unconstitutional requirement that Catholics be forced to subsidize sin. True, not everyone thinks that artificial birth control is sinful, and that would include about the 98% of Catholic women who use it. But it’s one thing to say that you as an individual disagree with a fundamental church principle, and quite another for your government to threaten you with all the power of the executive branch if you don’t fall in line. Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120525_Onward__Christian_soldiers__against_Obama_rsquo_s_birth-control_mandate.html 2012-05-25T07:00:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120518_Same-sex_marriage__Who_says_it_rsquo_s_a_right_.html The love that “dare not speak its name” started chattering rather loudly last week through a new presidential megaphone. Barack Obama announced that he was personally in favor of same-sex marriage, thereby energizing his somewhat-disgruntled base and alienating his already disgusted opponents. The real issue is whether this announcement, which has absolutely no legal importance, will move the undecided middle in either direction. There are a lot of reasons why people oppose what some call a “civil right” and others call “an abomination.” Obama knew that he was never going to win the vote of those who think homosexuality should be hidden from public view, not celebrated on top of a three-tiered cake. He also knew that he had the LGBT vote locked in, even if he kept dancing around the marriage issue. Who else were they going to vote for? Fri, 18 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120518_Same-sex_marriage__Who_says_it_rsquo_s_a_right_.html 2012-05-18T07:00:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120511_In_Europe__they_love_to_hate_us.html I REMEMBER WHEN President Obama went on what some conservatives (including this one) called the “apology tour.”It was shortly after he took office three years ago, and provided his critics with a lot of snarky material. Karl Rove wrote in the Wall Street Journal that “A superstar, not a statesman, today leads our country.” He was referring to the fact that foreign audiences loved the image of an American president distributing mea culpas for what the vast majority of his compatriots viewed as making the world a safer and more-prosperous place. The crosses at Normandy come to mind. Sun, 13 May 2012 21:58:37 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120511_In_Europe__they_love_to_hate_us.html 2012-05-13T21:58:37Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/150121235.html LIVE BY THE SWORD, die by the sword. Or in the case of state Rep. Babette Josephs, by the (gay) blade. The longtime Philadelphia politician, who had a stranglehold on her legislative seat and was seeking an unprecedented 15th term in office, was beaten by her own political baggage. Fri, 04 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/150121235.html 2012-05-04T07:00:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120427_Under_the_law__the_unborn_don_rsquo_t_matter.html If you want to exercise dominion over someone, strip him of his humanity. In some cases, it’s not just a metaphor. Africans were brought here naked, in chains. But that’s rare. Usually, the dehumanization has little to do with exterior insults and more with intangibles, like abusive psychologies and oppressive laws. Blacks were still slaves under Jim Crow, even though they were clothed. Women were second-class citizens until we obtained the right to change government, that precious vote, but even before the 18th Amendment we were fashion plates. No, the real way to debase and demean another human is to tell him through our laws and customs that he doesn’t matter. And this is what we have done with the unborn. But that’s changing. And while the steps are incremental, they are leading towards a glorious summit. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120427_Under_the_law__the_unborn_don_rsquo_t_matter.html 2012-04-27T07:00:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120420_Christine_M__Flowers__This_nutty_universe_simply_Trumps_logic__Go_ask_Alex_.html MY NEPHEW is a very smart 3 1/2-year-old with an unassailable sense of logic. Like most toddlers, he sees the world in a linear way, without the usual adult contortions. Here is a recent conversation I overheard between Alex and his mother: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120420_Christine_M__Flowers__This_nutty_universe_simply_Trumps_logic__Go_ask_Alex_.html 2012-04-20T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120420_Christine_M__Flowers_.html philly.com/flowers Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120420_Christine_M__Flowers_.html 2012-04-20T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120413_Flowers__Why_Santorum_rsquo_s_values_matter.html A LOT OF PEOPLE were smiling Tuesday afternoon. People who excel at irony and sarcasm, especially when writing about a certain breed of conservative. Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:25:40 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120413_Flowers__Why_Santorum_rsquo_s_values_matter.html 2012-04-13T11:25:40Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120406_Christine_M__Flowers__ON_THIS_GOOD_FRIDAY__IN_PRAISE_OF_TRUE_WARRIORS_FOR_THE_FAITH.html THERE HAS never been a time when I didn't think of myself as Catholic. When my father died at the age of 43 from a virulent form of cancer, and a lady at our local parish sternly said, "It's God's will, you need to accept it," I wasn't tempted to leave the church. I just left that parish. Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120406_Christine_M__Flowers__ON_THIS_GOOD_FRIDAY__IN_PRAISE_OF_TRUE_WARRIORS_FOR_THE_FAITH.html 2012-04-06T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120330_Christine_M__Flowers__The_week_s_big_storywas_in_Philly__Scout_s_honor_.html THERE WERE a lot of newsworthy things that happened in the city and the country over the past few weeks, including protests in memory of (and anger about) Trayvon Martin, the start of the trial against Monsignor Lynn (who, let's be honest, is standing in as proxy for the Catholic Church), the health-care debates before the U.S. Supreme Court, the pope's visit to Communist (but increasingly religious) Cuba and Rick Santorum's win (in Louisiana, not at the bowling alley in Wisconsin). Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:18:45 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/christine_flowers/20120330_Christine_M__Flowers__The_week_s_big_storywas_in_Philly__Scout_s_honor_.html 2012-03-30T21:18:45Z