But what if...?

When in debate about the morality of homosexuality, one of the most common things that is meant to silence opposition  is the question "What if your son/daughter/etc was gay?"  Naturally, for many of us this would in fact be a difficult and shocking situation, and certainly one worth considering.  However, it isn't nearly as difficult to deal with as many people think.
What would we do if one of our loved ones were an alcoholic?  Would we shun them, keeping them out of our lives because of this fault, this burden that they bear?  Most likely not.  We would love them, pray for them, help them find their way out of their sin and at least get to the point where they can manage the struggle.  Homosexuality can be treated in much the same way.  We continue to love those who suffer from Same Sex Attraction and to pray for them.  Where possible, we can help them with their struggle.
Naturally, this will not satisfy those who see nothing wrong with homosexuality.  But it does serve to illustrate that we are in fact thoughtful people who are not capable of loving those who disagree with us, that we can in fact hate the sin and love the sinner.

Registration!

Greetings!  The conference is quickly approaching and we have secured funding and the work is certainly getting out.  All we need is your participation!  To that end, we have placed the registration form on the site.  Just hit the tab at the top of the site, print it out and send to the address on the form.  Or you can email it to kofccultureoflife@gmail.com

An Ecumenical Conference

People who attended or have looked into the previous culture of life conference might notice one or two differences.  One is that the first speaker is a Protestant and another is that the venue is at a Christian Reformed Church.  This is in contrast to the previous conference which featured all Catholic speakers at a Catholic venue.

The truth is that we always wanted to be ecumenical and yet not compromise our Catholic teaching.  There are numerous areas where this is not easy.  However, the major culture issues that have plagued our nation for several decades now provide an area where Catholics and Protestants of many kinds can find common ground against the militant secularism that surrounds us and with the push for homosexual marriage and the HHS contraception mandate threatens some of our most cherished liberties.  As such it is important for all Christians to offer a response to these challenges.  And it is our firm belief that that response should not only be negative in the sense of stating our opposition and some reasons for that opposition.  Rather our response should also be positive, reminding our culture of the beauty of Christian marriage and family life lived in its fulness as Christ intended and the positive effect it has on the wider society.

With all of this mind, we invite all Christians and non-Christians who wish to understand the Christian teaching on marriage and family for fully to come North St. Christian Reformed Church in Zeeland this November 2.  There we will get beyond the slogans and sound-bites and into the real roots of Christian teaching on marriage and family, the cornerstones of civilization.

What is the Purpose of this Conference?

As things finally are falling into place for the next Culture of Life Conference, I thought it might be a good idea to think about just why we've spent so much time and effort trying to get this together.

Seeing a conference on Marriage and Family in the present climate, one may well be forgiven for thinking that the primary purpose is political, attempt to energize the faithful to go out an influence elections.  Or perhaps it is an attempt to circle the wagons, a last attempt to hang onto outmoded teachings before the force of law and external societal pressures force an inevitable retreat.
As anyone reading this post might well imagine though, this is far from the whole picture.  Certainly, we hope that there is a political consequence of this conference and certainly there is a great need to protect Christian teaching on matters of marriage and family due to the nature of the culture right now.  But this is only part of it.
This conference is actually the second in a series of conferences meant to look at the most controversial topics of our day from a perspective rooted less in the present controversies and more in the roots of doctrine as taught by the Catholic Church and some of the more conservative and orthodox Protestant denominations.  The goal is to reach beyond the sound bites and get to heart of the matter.  What do we really believe as Christians and why?  Where does this teaching come from?  How has it developed over the centuries?  What has been the effect on society?  These are the questions we hope to touch upon, if not fully answer with this conference.  At the end of it we hope that you come away better informed about how great the teachings of our faith are and how when lived out fully they help to build a just a peaceful society, how they truly are the foundations of a Culture of Life.

Conference Postponed

Greetings and a blessed Holy Week to all.

We regret to inform you that we are moving the Culture of Life Conference back to the fall of this year.  The reason for this is simple - funding or rather a lack of it.  Due to a number of reasons and unforeseen complications we were simply not left with enough time to properly promote this event.  We hope to reschedule for September of this year.
Also, if you have already registered, you will be contacted in the coming days to determine if you would like a refund or would like for your registration to count for the fall.

God Bless!

Culture of Life Conference - More Details

Here some of the basic details of the upcoming conference.  First off the where and when.

The conference will be held in the Ballroom of the Wege Center at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI.

The date is Saturday, April 20 and the doors open at 8 AM with the conference beginning at 9AM and going until 2PM.  In addition to lunch there will of course be basic refreshments available.

Now of course, you will want to know the speakers and the topics they'll be speaking on.  And in order, we have:

• President of the American Family Association, Gary Glenn - The Modern Attack Against Marriage and Family   
• Father Vincent O'Malley of St. Lazare's Retreat Center - Christ's Teaching on Family and How it  Built Western Civilization
• Dr. Dennis Marshall of Aquinas College - The Church's Teaching on Marriage and Family Since Vatican II   
• Mark Shea - The Family as an Image of the Trinity

 And there you have it.  Don't forget to click on the registration link to the right to sign up before April 10th to secure your spot! 

Registration and a Major update!

We've been working hard make this conference even better than the last one and to that end, we've secured a fifth speaker, Monica Miller!  She is a growing voice in the Pro-life community and a welcome addition to our conference!.  We'll be posing a bio of her and all our speakers in the coming weeks.

So, you've probably been wondering how to sign up for the Culture of Life Conference.  Well, at long last, here is the answer. 

Simply send a check payable to KofC 7115 to 165 Lake Forest Dr. Holland, MI 49424

Include your name, how many will be attending and what your menu choice is and you'll be all set!.

Menu Choices

The Saint:  A sandwich with turkey, cheddar cheese, avocado and dijonaise, lettuce and tomato.

Portabella Wrap:  Portabella mushrooms, red peppers, provolone cheese, and vegetable spread.

Caesar Salad:  Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, romano cheese Caesar dressing.

And of course pricing.  If your payment is sent before April 10 the price is :

Adults:  $30

Students: $15

Clergy:  Free

If after that or at the door, the price will be

Adults:  $40

Students:  $20

Clergy:  Free

Lunch also is not guaranteed if you pay late.  We'll order some extras but they'll be offered on a first come-first-serve basis.  So, as you can see, it is a good thing to register early!

For any questions, call Eric Postma at 616-566-7932

We're Back!

Greetings everyone!  Vivat Jesus!  It has been more than a little while since the blog here has been active.  But we are finally recharged and in fact have been working hard behind the scenes organizing the next Culture of Life Conference. 
As a matter of fact, this post serves to provide the first major update for the conference.  So, scroll down for the goods.

2nd Annual Culture of Life Conference:  Marriage and Family - Cornerstone of Western Civilization

Date:  April 20, 2013

Place:  Aquinas College, Wege Center

Speakers:  Former Senatorial Candidate Gary Glenn - The Modern Attack Against Marriage and Family

                 Father Vincent O'Malley of St. Lazare's Retreat Center - Christ's Teaching on Family and How it
                                                                                                        Shaped Western Civilization

                 Dr. Dennis Marshall of Aquinas College - The Church's Teaching on Marriage and Family Since
                                                                                 Vatican II

                 Blogger and Author Mark Shea - The Family as an Image of the Trinity

Price:  Adults - $30

          Students - $15

          Clergy - Free

And yes, lunch will be provided.  Details on that to follow soon.

So there you go!  Stay tuned for more.