Yes, and not just Catholics. Charleston originally had not other churches besides Anglican. The ordinance that allowed for other denominations was precursor to Bill of Rights for the whole country.

This survey also ignores the history of Catholics migrating to the US to escape persecution, especially Maryland (Mary's Land) the seat of our first Diocese. Maybe it didn't show up in this survey because we Catholics spread out all across the land and had our impact more or less equally dispersed?

I like the British way for tow things.

1) There is a healthy class distinction with mutual respect in both directions, whereas we have self-proclaimed elitists, in a class all by themselves constantly trying to make us believe we are a classless society, all the while fueling class warfare.

2) British military bands perform only for the Monarch, not the politicians. The only way the PM gets military musical honors is at his/her funeral. US military bands only perform for whatever professional politician resides in the White House!

Speaking of bands - ahh! the thrill of pipes and drums.
And speaking of pipes, I believe that it is still the custom for a piper to serenade below the queen's window every morning.

Yes, I do know that. But they still must perform, on command, for just another damned politician, and I pity them for it. And I realize that it's more for the Office than the person, but that's like a good Catholic musician fulfilling Sunday obligation at a clown Mass!

Yes, I do know that. But they still must perform, on command, from just another damned politician, and I pity them for it.

Not so. They give public school concerts and perform in other places, too. I have a good friend who is in one of those bands. That friend has gotten a superb musical education funded by that band.

Yes. Yes! I know. I love them and they are great musicians. I would love my son to get a position in one, even if he has to perform occasionally at the White House! But that is also less likely to happen if the Democrats remain in control of the military purse strings. Serving in our military has become a second or third class thing to do. All the emphasis, especially from the Democrats, is getting everybody in university somewhere, studying most anything, and for free! We're down to families with military background providing the majority of military personnel, I believe. It's not something the current generation has any interest in, and we even have public high schools kicking JROTC units out! With impunity and school board approval.

"But they still must perform, on command, for just another damned politician"

Because he/she is Commander in Chief. Which is also true of governors of each state vis-a-vis their respective state militias, and you will find cognate military bands for them.

The oldest continuously extant American military unit is the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, dating to the 1630s. And the oldest National Guard units are the two units of Middlesex County, Massachusetts (whence the original Minutemen).

Yes, I'm biased. I'm totally sick of politicians, and that we have to constantly listen to their drivel, even after they've been elected and take their oath of office. I'd love to see something change about American politics, but I can't hold my breath that long.

The other silver lining to my son possibly getting a position in a professional military musical unit is that he would NOT be forced to belong to a musicians' union! That has been the one thing I've dreaded since encouraging my youngest to pursue music performance.

Jackson had to compromise,...

Did I do this?
I must be slipping.
When was it, Liam?

Probably that time you had to cover for a Roman Rite liturgy and had to use The Grail rather than Coverdale.

I heard he once did a SINGLE CHANT rather than a double.

If Clinton gets elected say good bye to your church and your church jobs. You might need to move that precious pipe organ to a place it won't be destroyed.

http://m.ncregister.com/daily-news/about-those-unthinking-backward-catholics#.WAEDgl9OLCQ

What would a liturgical reform look like, guided by the principles of Mrs. Clinton and her ilk; by Mr. Trump and his ? ( I keep trying to get a concrete answer to this.....)

A) cf. Unitarian Universalism

B) cf. Palmarian Catholic Church

Vilyanor

The problem is there is no time left to consider the option above. This would have had to be a driven plan months ago so that everyone could get on board.

We really are reduced to choosing the lesser of two evils and that is an
obvious choice.

But Carl, I thought a vote for anyone other than Trump was a vote for Hillary? (And vv.)

OK, here's the most thoughtful analysis I can muster, then I'll go back to being quiet. It's REAL hard to promote a viewpoint in public these days.

Our country, for whatever reason, has two predominant parties. The candidate from one side is promoting Evil A. The candidate from the other one is promoting Evil B. We can debate about which evil is worse than the other, but in either case we are contributing to the promotion of an evil if we vote for it.

Satan rubs his hands with glee, happy with the fact that we've created a black-versus-white world where both choices lead us to moral decline.

But there are choices. In my state, I understand that there are 21 presidential candidates on the ballot. And I also have the choice of write-in or to leave the spot blank. 23 choices, and not all of them lead me to moral decline. Do any of the other candidates realistically have a chance of winning? Quite unlikely. But still, by expressing a vote for someone who promotes an evil, I am placing myself in that camp.

There's another powerful reason for voting for a candidate without a D or R after their name: The current system of power won't change if we don't have alternatives that get significant votes. The Rs and the Ds WANT us to believe that those are the only choices, because it greatly benefits them to win 50% of the time rather than to have to deal with other points of view. What would happen if a third party candidate gets, say, 15% of the vote? I would like to think that it might send a scare through the two main parties who see a serious siphoning of their power.

I will also point out that the power of the Executive Branch is limited. Not as much as I'd like, but there are very real limits. Many of the things these candidates are promising can't happen without help from the Legislative, and sometimes Judicial Branch. It's not perfect by any means, but it's much more balanced than we give it credit for.

And, as devout Christians, we are asked to call upon our hope and faith that God is helping to guide humanity. If we pay attention to Him.

The problem, Carl, is that the balance is becoming skewed as two of the branches overreach unchecked. So much is wrong right now that there is only one solution- short of divine intervention, which doesn't appear to be forthcoming - and I won't say the word lest I appear to be fomenting. When the people get painted into a tight enough corner, watch out, I think....

Yes, Jani, that is indeed a significant problem. But a couple of choices at the top of the ticket seem MUCH MORE likely to continue abusing that power. Which is another reason to look seriously at alternatives.

I too am sickened by our state of affairs, Dad.

Over this side of the pond, for many years we had two choices... Labour (a workers party that has socialist leanings) and the Conservatives... Well not anymore, the Labour party to our great amusement has been shooting itself in the foot, first it elected Blair as its leader... then it told the Scots to vote for the Union, the canny Scots saw that the Labour party was only interested in the money in London and not Scotland so have voted them out... further the working class have noticed that the Labour party is more interested in wasting money on benefits and other pointless government spending and not in helping the working class, and so they have been voting UKIP. Also a group of communists etc. have decided to rejoin the Labour party. So now we have a one party system... It remains to be seen if this is an improvement!

I suspect that with an uneducated electorate a two horse race is a very likely outcome. Voting for the 3rd or 4th is just a protest vote that can be ignored... The other turkeys will continue to vote for Christmas Thanksgiving.

I have recently been chided for FaceBook postings that were too negative about the election. So I recently posted this more positive reflection:


OK. Here's another idea for everyone to sit back, calm and cool, and think about. Yes. Just lean back and close your eyes. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Rested? Now imagine living in the US with Mr. Trump accomplishing just 25% of what he has promised. Take your time picking which of his promises means more to you, or which you think he will be more able to pass. Take your time. Breathe some more and clear your mind. Now imagine living in the US with Mrs. Clinton accomplishing only 10% of what she promised. Again, take your time picking the most or the least draconian, whether they are concerns that reach to your faith community or otherwise. Keep breathing slowly and deeply. When you feel like it, open your eyes - slowly - and wake up.

I sit here corrected. Still, I believe the former were both better. In the US this is part of the reason, in my view, that we have life-long career politicians rather than more or less regular citizens stepping up to take a turn helping govern.

I think our Prime minister has far more power than potus... Imagine being able to pass your own spending plans... declare war... etc. without asking Parliament! Oh and being able to tell the members of your party what to do...

As for the House of Lords it was a good idea having unelected oversight, but sadly this does not fit well with the modern worship of demos / democracy and the insane hatred directed to the upper classes. Sadly the worshipers of this misguided cult have not noticed that the drop in the turnout of voters over the years.

single issue not reasonable?

think of voting that clinton murders millions of babies and paves the way to make that happen even MORE than it is now.

God - "So, you voted for clinton in the 2016 election? And you KNEW that she was out for 'women's reproductive rights. You knew that she was going to facilitate the murder of millions of innocent children. You voted to have my children murdered? What say you for yourself?

You - "uh... uh... uh... mercy?"

God - Been there done that. Now is time for justice. Step that way please.

there's much less purpose for states to have senates.

Yes, but what would we do with those unemployed senators? They can't do any honest work, since they have forgotten those skills. Where would we put them? LOL