Tradition (in the U.S.),comments re Phil Roberts

What a wonderful blessing than we live in country that was founded on Christian principles and values.The founding fathers turned to the religious writings of the day in forming our founding documents.I know our revisionist history missed that point deliberately.A great country in which we believe we are endowed by our Creator with the gift of life. I do know it's had a checkered past but we have come so far in a short time. I think what i love most about our country is how we used to protect the unborn,the vulnerable and the aged. Today,some are becoming too wrapped up in themselves.We can't see beyond ourselves.I also loved then how Christian beliefs were the glue of our communities.

Now I will admit that, like Phil Robert,s I was very much influenced by the 60's. You could not have told me the consequences of the cultural shift at that time would lead to the country we have today. On a personal level I can tell you how destructive that cultural shift was.I did NOT have a road to Damascus moment.It was more of a St Augustine moment.It took 30 yrs for him to convert and that was through the tears and prayers of his mother,St Monica.

At the age of 21 I had a baby out of wedlock. My parents were let down-know they were heartbroken-but they were also very supportive. I managed to go to church the day before son came into the world.I actually prayed. I was a long shot from a religious person but i did tell God in this prayer whatever condition my baby was born in I would accept. I hadn't had a sonogram.It wasn't a time when they typically offered them and you never knew what gender the baby would be or if there were probmes. I would have been fine with a disabled or ill baby.I gave God my word and meant it. As religious as I was going to get at the time.

On the exact due date the doctor picked, the baby decided to come into the world and 14 hr later he was born.Dad was pretty nervous but he tried not to let on and drove all(mom,an aunt and uncle,baby on the way and me) of us to the hospital. He also picked us up when we were discharged.I was beaming.It was the most miraculous and wonderful moment of my entire life the day he was born.You don't forget do you? Nothing has compared since.I had one sad moment in the hospital though. Just one. It dawned on me that I really had no one to share the joy of the event with or this wonderful little bundle-you couldn't help but love him.

A word to anyone who is pregnant and unmarried. There's no need to have an abortion.If you're in a situation you can raise the baby and you have support-do not have an abortion.If you're not in such a situation someone out there will give the baby all the love that is necessary.I know people will try to convince you to have abortion rather than adoption by giving you all these what if's? Most people who adopt are decent,loving people.Not everyone is a monster.The bigger what if is that your baby doesn't have a chance at all. At the least PLS do not consider abortion. A human being as beautiful and innocent as a baby should not be killed.

I was a decent mother for a long time but ended up being selfish and self centered. When i had the Augustinian moment it was only by the grace of God. I'm sure Phil also had that moment where grace touched him and he accepted. How can anyone put down a man{Phil] who decides to make something of his life and become a REAL man accepting responsibility for himself and his family? This is where our country is really going wrong.We're willing to embrace the most radical behaviors in the name of tolerance but not the time tested traditions of our country.Further we are very permissive when it comes to destructive behaviors but intolerant and bigoted towards people of faith.

I made plenty of mistakes even after the conversion back to the Catholic faith. Still do. I haven't had a relationship with my son and his family for years. I made another mistake by not attending my mother's funeral.I won't go into a lot of detail as to why. I will say though-and my son may find this hard to believe-i regret MORE that i did not go to visit mom the night before she died. I had no idea what was coming that following day-no idea it would be her last day.I so regret not going over to see how she was doing. The other regret i have is that they were terrific parents and i wasn't grateful enough.I could have treated them the way they deserved when i was growing up. I regret those 2 things far more than anything.I do wish i could have made her funeral but I wasn't well.Yes,I regret that too. Add that onto all the other horrid mistakes I made. I live with it but there isn't a day that goes by i don't think of the folks.NOT one.

I'm sorry there wasn't one person who stepped into our life for us. Someone out there missed out on raising one wonderful little guy[ if any one guy would have been unselfish enough to consider it.] A lot of men these days are like that. Not all men mind you. Maybe it's our culture today? I'm not sure why but i do know someone missed out. In spite of his background he turned out to be a good husband,father and made a very decent life for himself & his family he can be proud of.

Unfortunately some people-like our current President-have not had that come to Jesus moment or realized what has made our country great. From what I've seen he doesn't really care. He had too many influences in his young life that leaned toward communism. Sorry but it's true.His parents for one.Frank Marshall Davis for another.He admits himself in his autobiography he sought out the radicals.(You can't tell me he wasn't drawn to the friendship of one William Ayers then)

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Thankfully people like Phil Roberts and myself (and probably many many others) realized how devastating the views of the 60's were. Other people took these failing ideas and went into our institutions,media,politics and other areas of influence.A shame.

If only we'd have another cultural shift.I think people ARE beginning to see the consequences. I also heard James Carville say we should keep religion out of the public square.He may have meant well but he's wrong. Our freedom that is protected is freedom of religion.Not freedom of worship. What he was saying is that religion is ok behind closed doors.I hope we haven't come to that point.If we have-we're in trouble. Religion-as it was in the foundation of our country- should be at the center of our public square.