Politickles

“Husband” and “wife” are out and “partner” is in. Also out: “man” and “woman.” “Gender” is the word of choice today. Want to say “contraception?” Try “reproductive health.” With these and similar word games, combined with an extreme interpretation of “anti-discrimination,” international institutions are imposing ideologies across the globe . . . – Zenit

When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less. — Humpty Dumpty

In Crime and Punishment, famed Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky despicted with brilliant insight the criminal’s compulsion to confess. It is not surprising that the Communists, the greatest mass murderers in the history of the world, share this compulsion — though their moments of candor have more the air of braggadocio than of penitence. To a man, the Soviet leaders from Lenin to Gorbachev have boasted of their intentions to enslave the world. Unlike the common criminal, however, who expects to be punished for the crimes to which he confesses, or to be restrained from the commission of those he has acknowledged plotting, the Communist who publishes his evil deeds and evil plans seems confident that he will go unchallenged. – F.R. Duplantier, 1986

Obama is merely the last of a long line.

The unprecedented decision by the Vatican to undertake an apostolic visitation to assess the quality of religious life in orders of sisters in the United States came as a big surprise to many people when it was announced in January. That surprise was doubled with the news two months later that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) will be conducting a doctrinal assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which represents most of the leaders of US women religious.

But people who have been closely watching the deterioration of many of the women’s religious orders in this country were not at all surprised that the Vatican initiated these assessments. Indeed, many sisters themselves have asked and prayed for Vatican attention to the condition of women’s religious communities. – Catholic World Report

Do they want to be Catholic, or don’t they? If not, they should stop calling themselves Catholic.

It could be construed as a black day for the English language — but not if you work in the public sector. Dozens of quangos and taxpayer-funded organisations have ordered a purge of common words and phrases so as not to cause offence. Among the everyday sayings that have been quietly dropped in a bid to stamp out racism and sexism are “whiter than white”, “gentleman’s agreement”, “black mark” and “right-hand man”. – London Times

How will we communicate when there aren’t any words left?

Can I still say “idiocy”?