SUNDAY
March 4, 2001
volume 12, no. 63

    This series, appropriately titled "Herod's Heroes," is intended to separate the wheat from the chaff by revealing those men and women whom we have voted and who are not upholding the ideals God expects of His children. We cannot condone sin, and they are promoting the most vile of sin by being accomplices to the slaughter of millions of innocents in the womb. That is why, like the Judean king of Christ's time, who, out of political expediency and jealousy, tried to eliminate the Messiah by killing the first-born of every family, so also they are helping satan in killing God's precious ones sacrificed at the altar of the convenience of modern life. These "Herod's Heroes" are under the totally false misconception that a woman has the right to do with her body as she wants. Wrong! It is not hers, but rather God's. The body we have is merely a shell to hold our soul. The soul is forever; the body, as we are reminded on Ash Wednesday, will return to dust. Christ has said in Matthew 10: 28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather be afraid of him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

    Fifth on this list of "Herod's Heroes" is the Democratic senator from Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. As an ally of satan through his uncompromising pro-abortion stance, he is enabling lucifer to "destroy both soul and body in hell." Through his actions he has become an enemy of God and the Roman Catholic Church. This is not a political statement on Harkin, but rather a moral statement. One he and his bishops should take very, very seriously.

    In his biography at his web page the opening line is a lie. "Tom Harkin is a product of small town Iowa who has not forgotten his origins." He was born into a Catholic family and raised a Catholic. But his voting record is abysmal when it comes to upholding God's Laws for the right to life. And therefore he has forgotten his origins by continually voting for pro-abortion measures. Doesn't he realize that his origins are also based on Jeremiah 1: 5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you"? Evidently not from his stubborn insistance of promoting the culture of death.

    Here is a man from the heartland of America who should stand for the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He strives for that in his own life with his wife Ruth Raduenz and his two daughters Amy and Jenny. Why would he deny others? He did by voting against the partial-birth abortion ban and having a 100% pro-abort voting record.

    This is a man who is not only a cradle Catholic, but was educated at Bishop Dowling High School in West Des Moines, Iowa and who, along with his wife, graduated from the prestigious Catholic University of America with a Law Degree. Do the people he represents in Iowa really agree with him that the unborn should be slaughtered in the womb? We doubt that considering most are farm people who are the salt of the earth and care greatly for human and animal life. We've seen their dedication. We don't believe his constituents are part of the culture of death for they provide life to so many as the bread basket of America. Iowans are hearty and God-fearing people. They cherish life. We beg them to convey this to Tom. We beg them to write Archbishop Jerome Hanus of the Archdiocese of Dubuque which has jurisdiction over Harkin's home residence in Ames. We beg the reader to write or call Cardinal Theodore McCarrick in Washington D.C. to counsel Senator Harkin and issue an ultimatum of Mercy before Justice must be rendered. For Senator Harkin must be held accountable before God for being an accomplice to the murder of over 40 million unborn. How can he live with himself?

    We ask him to repent of his ways, help turn the Democratic Party away from the culture of death and the immoral organization it has come under the evil leadership of Bill Clinton. We ask him to help bring the Party back to the glory days when the Party stood for decency and right. Today it is so far Left that its members, who continue to promote abortion - murder in the womb, could very well be left out at the Heavenly gates when their time comes.

    Is Senator Harkin truly aware of that? We call on all to help him see the grave error of his ways and we call on his bishop in Iowa and in Washington D.C. to take firm, responsible action to assure that if he continues to persist in the sin, he will be banished from the Church for remaining a Catholic while carrying on the sin with no sign of repentance is a slap in God's and His Church's face. As we wrote in our Ash Wednesday OPEN LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF AMERICA we respectfully, but strongly recommend this time of Lent and Easter as a time for the bishops to extend the warning - a time of Mercy - for these wayward 'Catholics' who promote abortion to repent of their ways. If they stubbornly refuse, then after Pentecost Sunday it's time to take action and dismiss them as apostates. Do you really want that, Senator Harkin?

    You can e-mail Senator Harkin and, in love, ask him yourself. Beg him to repent of his ways. Remind him what Jesus asserts in Matthew 16: 26-27, "For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will render to everyone according to his conduct." Is his political career more important than the welfare of his soul? Ask him. His e-mail is tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov

    Like the prodigal son, we will gladly welcome him back and be proud to number him as a loyal Catholic - as a Paul who once was Saul. But if he refuses, if he ignores God's commands, then so be it. He has sold his soul to the devil and Christ has made it very clear in Matthew 19: 15-18 of how to treat one who turns his back on His teachings. Our bishops MUST follow Our Lord's teachings, they MUST stand up for Christ and His Church. They MUST not only speak out without reservation, but they MUST issue the ultimatum to these pro-abort politicians who bring so much scandal to the Church by continuing to call themselves 'Catholic.' If he fails to heed the Church, let him be anathema. If, by Pentecost Sunday, Senator Harkin refuses to repent, then he must be notified that he has interdicted himself by his actions, incurred automatic suspension (latae sententiae), and thus has been EXCOMMUNICATED! (cf. Canon Law 1329, 2; 1397 and 1398).