So often in our culture, and maybe even in our own magazine, we rage against what’s wrong with society.   Now, in Salvo‘s defense, we here at the magazine have always thought that we need to point out what’s wrong with living a life of moral relativism because the ugly needs to be exposed just so others learn why to avoid it and how to combat it.  But sometimes it’s nice to focus on the beautiful so that people understand not what they are giving up, but what they are truly searching for. 

In a bit of positive news, there is a video circulating the web and Facebook today, made out of Chicago I believe, that is stylized off the Master Card “Priceless” commercial.  It’s nice to see high school and college students investing their time and talent in promoting purity.  Of course, the majority of Americans, (what is it, close to 90%?), no longer wait until their wedding night to give themselves entirely to their beloved.  Salvo has discussed, numerous times, the biological dangers of the hook-up culture and how sexual intimacy literally bonds two individuals together chemically. 

All this is to say that more commericals need to be done like the one above.  And also, a better explanation to all folks–whether they are in the “hook-up” culture or in a committed relationship–about why virginity is priceless, and why, even if you aren’t a virgin anymore, one can regain that sense of purity of heart and purity of desire.  To quote the hippy 60′s song, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” But for our modern, 21st century era, what we as a culture need is real, honest to goodness old-fashioned love: the kind that sacrifices, the kind that is honorable, and the kind that doesn’t use another…whether that other be in a bar, on a college campus, or someone you purport to love. 

Virginity IS priceless–rock on to the high school and college students who made the video!

Salvo’s contributing editor, Marcia Segelstein, will be interviewed on Fox News “Strategy Room” this Friday, June 11th; The topic: her latest article in Salvo titled, “Timid Parents & The New Anger They are Facing.” Click here to watch it live on Friday, 10:00 a.m. EST. This is only available via
the internet, so if you’d like to see Marcia talk about her piece, you
must click on the link above.

Here is a clip from the show, if you missed it this morning. An informative interview.

Andrea Bocelli–sigh–is a famed Italian singer with a voice that melts the heart and helps the soul to fly.  Whether or not you enjoy the type of music he sings, one can objectively say that his voice is truly beautiful.  Here's something that is just now coming out in the news: Andrea Bocelli's mother went into the hospital for appendicitis while she was pregnant with Andrea and the doctors recommended she abort her offspring because he was going to be disabled.  Bocelli talks about the experience at a recent concert in order to give hope to other young women who might find themselves in a similarly frightening situation like his mother had been in so many years ago. 

We here at Salvo often talk about why abortion is bad for the woman and for society.  But here's Andrea Bocelli–telling you in his own way. 

Ideas have consequences. Elections DO matter. And voices that cry out the Truth are critical.

Yet it's just not enough for people to think well—when called upon, they must act well.

And that's why The Fellowship of St. James publishes Salvo: to help form people's minds so that they can go out into the world better informed and ready to act with honor and dignity.

Now, you've probably heard> the phrase that "ideas have consequences" but why is the concept so important? Because the ideas that permeate a country—ideas propagated by the media, the entertainment industry,academia, churches, and politicians—either lead a nation to a thriving future or to a barely surviving one.

Ideas lead to behavior—and unfortunately, there's been quite a bit of bad
ideology—secularism, atheism, liberalism, and moral relativism—filling the
20th and 21st century atmosphere and leading to atrocious and deadly
behavior.

And that's why your financial involvement with Salvois so important. You are assisting the magazine in a twofold mission: shedding light in the darkness and calling readers to public virtue.

Salvo approaches readers with natural law and scientific arguments, which is necessary when talking to our brothers and sisters who have either lost
their way or don't KNOW the way!

Salvo has two major fund-raising drives a year. Right now, the ministry of The Fellowship of St. James is in the throes of raising $175,000 by June 30th. Thanks to many generous readers, the publishing company has already raised over $22,000. That leaves about $153,000 left to go and seven short weeks to do it.

Will you send in a generous gift to Salvo today? Will you assist the magazine in continuing to shed light in this culture? Just click here to make that contribution.

I truly hope that by subscribing to Salvo you've felt comforted in knowing there are thousands of other folks across the country and around the world who share your values and that you've been emboldened to share some of the hard-hitting
facts on the culture we've covered in the pages of the magazine.

If you've benefited from the publication, then prayerfully consider at what level you can donate to this worthy magazine!

The importance of having a solid magazine that promotes truth, logic,
morality, and virtue can not be overstated. I hope that you agree with
me and are able to bless the magazine with a financial gift today.

Spring into action and grab that credit card right now and make your gift to Salvo today!

Seasonal/holiday films were a big deal growing up in the Grisolano household.  The seasons of Fall, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and the Fourth of July had certain movies that the family would watch–and in all seriousness–were not allowed to watch out of that season.  Who knows how this trend began, but it was a wise one made by the parentals since it ensured that their children never tired of certain family classics since they were only viewed once a year. 

Easter season films were often some of the best since their epic-ness corresponded to the epic nature of what we were celebrating as Christians.  Leadng into Holy Week, the family would begin watching the annual "Easter Season films" like The Ten Commandments, The Robe, Quo Vadis, A.D., King of Kings, and Ben Hur.  As an aside, epic films always produce some of the best movie quotes for those long-car-ride games you do as a child. (Name the film with the line, ""Were you…(long pause)…OUT there?")

And so this Holy Thursday, I wanted to share with you a clip from the Grisolano Family Classic Archives: Ben Hur–A Tale of the Christ.  As a child, I just didn't appreciate the meaning of the film.  Judah Ben Hur is a rich Jew living in the time of Christ.  As a child, his best friend was a Roman Gentile named Messala.  They are separated as friends when Messala's Roman family goes back to Rome.  In adulthood, Messala, now a high-level Roman Tribune, comes back to Palestine, where he and Judah Ben Hur attempt to rekindle their childhood friendship.  It takes about all of 3 scenes to determine that the noble and virtuous Ben Hur (played by Charlton Heston), is nothing like the self-absorbed and cruel Messala.  Tragedy happens–and without going into too many details, Ben Hur loses everything:  his family, his home, his freedom, his girlfriend, and his spirit.  In the height of his miserable despair, as he being shipped off to the galley of a boat to work as a slave, Ben Hur encounters a man who offers him water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6LHWyaeEHY

Years later Ben Hur runs into this man again, except it's Ben Hur who offers the man water as the man is being beaten in the streets of Jerusalem.  The man is Jesus of Nazareth and it's Good Friday–the day that Jesus, the Christ, was executed.

Ben Hur is so much more than just an epic Chuck Heston film—one of the many that he did over the course of his long career.  It's a story of love reaching into the soul of an embittered, hardened, and angry man who was struggling with his loss of hope.  I highly recommend going out and renting the film–it's message is as relevant today as ever it was in the 1950's. 

There's no avoiding suffering–struggles will happen.  But on this Holy Thursday know that there is hope–even in the struggle. 

Pax!   

As I stood outside the other day shoveling my car out of a foot of snow, an image of my Grandma Grisolano popped into my head.  She used to wear galoshes on her feet and liked to refer to them as "rubbers", obviously not realizing that the word had taken on a whole other context.  It's funny how the brain works in the freezing cold while you're shoveling, because from there I mulled over the fact that global warming was utter rubbish; how I should be grateful that it was only one foot of snow, and not the 2 feet of snow my friends in DC were buried under; how it was a good thing the media is now calling global warming "climate change" since global warming is utter rubbish; and how Grandma used to call galoshes, rubbers.  Call it a state of delirium.  But during the last stages of my shovel hitting what seemed like an abyss of snow, a question kept popping into my head: Are "rubbers" recyclable? 

Well, they're not really.  After doing some research I learned that "rubbers" are primarily made out of latex, which is NOT biodegradable.  "Rubbers", aka, condoms, merely occupy space in landfills, and further, can be a significant problem for those concerned about their carbon footprint.  If people are worried so much about their carbon footprint, being green, and making sure humans don't damage Planet Earth and cause even more "climate change", then what is being done about recycling the vast amounts of contraception being pumped into our environment?  And I'm not just referring to rubbers here…but to an even greater and more serious threat: hormonal contraception. 

There are of course, moral reasons why one could argue that contraception is dangerous to the body—and to the soul.  (Ken Brown did a great piece for Salvo a few issues ago on this topic.  Click here to check out the article.)  For instance, contraception is utilitarian–you're using someone for your own physical enjoyment since the altruism of procreation is being completely removed in this type of "sterilized" sexual intimacy.  And whether it's conscience or not, there is a very real possibility one is not really open to God's will.  And I quote Canadian physician, author, and lecturer, Dr. John Patrick when he says, "When you contracept and you're a Christian, why are you willing to allow God into every aspect of your life, except in regards to your fertility?" 

But not everyone believes in God or thinks about their relationship to Him, so the moral side of the argument is unconvincing or unimportant.  In what I'd like to call a "Salvo" argument then, I'm going to appeal to science to make the case that contraception is bad for the environment.  According to recent studies, Planet Earth is not only polluted with rubbers, the water supplies we drink are becoming permanently damaged by birth control pills.  And for those who love PETA…the little fishies in our streams where our waste is dumped are so overloaded with estrogen, that the fish are turning into females at a grossly high rate AND are themselves suffering from an inability to reproduce.  WHY?  Because artificial/synthetically produced estrogen can NOT be filtered out of the water supply.  Click here to see for yourself. 

If folks are concerned with their carbon footprint, then why not take a look at one's sexual habits as a way to help save Planet Earth?  If people won't be convinced by morality, can science make some headway?