Thomas More Law Center

The Sword and Shield for People of Faith

Uncategorized

West Point Graduate and Army Chaplain Gives Unusual Gift to the Thomas More Law Center

by

Last week, Father Michael Cerrone, a West Point graduate and military Intelligence officer who later became a priest and Army chaplain, personally donated a statue of Joan of Arc entitled the “Saintly Soldier of Christ” to be placed in the Thomas More Law Center office.
 West Point Graduate and Army Chaplain Gives Unusual Gift to the Thomas More Law Center
We were honored to receive this gift.  In a unique way, this statue symbolizes the strength and dedication of the women of TMLC, both lawyers and support staff, who are indeed warriors in the current culture war which threatens to tear our nation asunder.Winston Churchill described Joan of Arc as:
“A being so uplifted from the ordinary run of mankind that she finds no equal in a thousand years. She embodied the natural goodness and valour of the human race in unexampled perfection. Unconquerable courage, infinite compassion, the virtue of the simple, the wisdom of the just, shone forth in her.”

Mark Twain said of her,

“Whatever thing men call great, look for it in Joan of Arc, and there you will find it.”

West Point Graduate and Army Chaplain Gives Unusual Gift to the Thomas More Law Center

After years of constant humiliating defeat and the demoralization of France’s military and civil leadership, Joan’s urgent request to be equipped for war and placed at the head of the army was granted.  So this illiterate farm girl who claimed that the voice of God instructed her to take charge of her country’s army and lead it to victory, in fact did lead the French military forces to victory after victory.

However, in 1420 Joan was captured and placed on trial for heresy. On May 30, 1431, she was burned at the stake and her ashes were scattered in the Seine River. She was 19 years old. The Church later declared Joan a martyr and canonized her as a saint in 1920.

 West Point Graduate and Army Chaplain Gives Unusual Gift to the Thomas More Law Center

Fr. Michael Cerrone was raised in a devout Catholic army family and graduated from the Military Academy at West Point in 1968. He served in the Vietnam War and in Germany and Italy. He left active military service after finishing his 5 year obligation with the Army. He subsequently entered into the seminary and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1981. He returned to the Army as a Chaplain and retired as a Lt Colonel after 20 years of active duty and having served as an infantry chaplain in Iraq.
Fr. Cerrone’s own personal devotion to St. Joan of Arc was born when it was noted that he was ordained a priest on her feast day, May 30th.

After his service in the military, Fr. Cerrone began to study St. Joan of Arc in earnest.  Eventually, his research and devotion culminated in the authoring “For God and Country” a book about how prayer and the Church’s sacramental life gave St. Joan of Arc the strength to overcome.

The artist who sculpted and casted the statue is Julia Levitina, a young Ukrainian woman currently living in Philadelphia. She has received numerous awards in figure modeling and her sculptures are recognized for “uplifting the human spirit.”

A group of sisters from the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist capped the spirit of the occasion with an impromptu performance of  “Salve Regina.” (see video below)

I can think of no better conclusion to this Blog than to quote from Mark Twain’s own Conclusions to Personal Recollection of Joan of Arc:

“Love, Mercy, Charity, Fortitude, War, Peace, Poetry, Music–these may be symbolized as any shall prefer: by figures of either sex and of any age; but a slender girl in her first young bloom, with the martyr’s crown upon her head, and in her hand the sword that severed her country’s bonds–shall not this, and no other, stand for PATRIOTISM through all the ages until time shall end?” 

Salute to Our American Heroes this Memorial Day Weekend

by

This Memorial Day Weekend is a time to remember the fallen heroes throughout our nation’s history “who gave the last full measure of devotion” to their nation.

 

 

“As we honor their memory today, let us pledge that their lives, their sacrifices, their valor shall be justified and remembered for as long as God gives life to this nation.”  Ronald Reagan

Mere words cannot capture the enormity of their sacrifice or the anguish of loved ones they left behind.

On this Memorial Day weekend remember and pray for our troops who are now in harm’s way. And pray for their families and loved ones as they endure the hardship and uncertainty of deployment. Always remember:

“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”   George Orwell  

 

I close this Memorial Day message with a favorite poem by Marine Chaplain Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, which pays tribute to our courageous soldiers for their service in protecting the fundamental liberties guaranteed by our Constitution:

It is the Soldier

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Sincerely,

Richard Thompson

President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center

Quarterly Report – 2014 3rd Quarter

by

October 23, 2014
These are indeed tumultuous times.  And I want you to know we remain steadfast in our fight to maintain our Judeo Christian heritage and moral values.  This Third Quarter Report is a small representation of the work our staff is doing.  We plan on filing several new cases in the Fourth Quarter
As you know, all our services are without charge.  We depend on the generosity of people like you to continue our Battle to Save America.  So, please consider making a tax deductible donation by clicking here.
God bless you.  God bless America.
Sincerely,

 

Click the Links Below to Read the Full Story

A Game Changer—Thomas More Law Center Reveals National Strategy to Defend Traditional Marriage (Click here for Video)

Thomas More Law Center Petitions Supreme Court—Stop Retaliation against Christian Police Captain Who Objected to Islamic Indoctrination


Common Core State Standards a Threat to Personal Liberty — Thomas More Law Center Develops Opt-Out Form for Parents


Dallas, Texas Silences “Impeach Obama” Message; Thomas More Law Center Files Lawsuit


See this Video: Full Military Honors Burial Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery of True American Hero, Rear Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.

VIDEO: Imam Educates the President on Islam: The Koran Promotes Terrorism and the Killing of “Innocents”


ISIS, James Foley and the President’s Tepid Response to the “Religion of Peace”


Detroit ISNA Conference – Stealth Jihad for The Subjugation of America


Thank you for your Service — You’re Fired; Pink Slipping our Army Captains a Threat to National Security

US Military’s War on Christians Continues …

by

US Military’s War on Christians Continues … 
We learned today of an Air Force Officer whose simple statement of Christian faith was expunged after a complaint from the virulently anti-Christian organization, Military Religious Freedom Foundation headed by Mikey Weinstein.  
After a phone call from Weinstein, the post was removed from the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio National Guard.
 
Below is a screenshot and a link to the removed post (emphasis mine): 

Imam Educates the President on Islam: The Koran Promotes Terrorism and the Killing of “Innocents”

by

In the beginning of his speech last week on the threat of ISIS (or ISIL), President Obama told Americans:

“Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents…” 

He is wrong on both counts.  And he knows it.  He is doing a disservice to the American public and our “war” effort.  If our Commander-in-Chief refuses to honestly identify the enemy, we are not going to win this war in the long run.  That’s because even if we destroy ISIS there will be other Islamic organizations to take its place. 

The reason: Islam is a religion of violence.

I can only conjecture that the President’s comments were meant to pander to American Muslims and anesthetize the American people to the true internal threat posed by Muslims within our gates.

But British Imam Anjem Choudary set the President and the American public straight in this short video clip. 

In the clip from a recent interview on RT’s (formerly Russia Today) Worlds Apart, Choudary, told the world the truth about Islam that so called “moderate” Muslims in America have been trying to hide.

When asked if the beheading of American journalist James Foley was justified under Sharia law, Choudary said:

“Every action for a Muslim must be based on the Koran, the word of Allah and the teachings of the messenger Mohammad … But those who are already Muslim must know that Allah mentions in the Koran, in fact if you look at Chapter 8 Verse 60, he said prepare as much as you can the steeds of war to terrorize the enemy. So, terrorizing the enemy is in fact part of Islam. I mean, this is something that we must embrace and understand as far as the jurisprudence of jihad is concerned.”

Regarding “innocents” there are none.

The Imam explains:

“The thing that people need to appreciate is that in war the Muslims are not distinguishing in general between civilians and military because those very civilians are those who put the people in charge and those people in charge like Obama and others are sending the troops to Muslim countries so they don’t making (sic) that distinction; let alone between people who are journalists, who are considered to the right hand in fact and the propaganda machine of the Obama Administration.”

The Koran commands Muslims to engage in a holy war (Jihad) in order to impose Islam and Shariah Law on the entire world.

 “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.” (Koran 9:5)

Interestingly, the President’s counter terrorism advisor, John Brennan (now Director of the CIA), during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the terms “jihadist” or “jihad” should not be used to describe America’s enemies.  His reason: jihad is a holy struggle and a legitimate tenet of Islam.  It sure is. And jihadists are America’s enemy.

 See the video below.

 

Remembering 9/11 is Not Enough … We Must Destroy Radical Islam

by

 

 

September 10, 2014

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the horrific September 11, 2001 attack on America and the God-given freedoms we so cherish.  We remember with anger and anguish the nearly 3,000 Americans murdered by Islamic terrorists. We also remember and honor those first responders, many of whom lost their lives trying to save others.

 Interactive timeline of events on 9/11

This is also a time to remember the thousands of American soldiers who were killed, wounded or are still suffering, in the ensuing wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and places unknown. We honor those who answered our Nation’s call to Arms.  We also remember the sacrifices made by their families.

But this is a time for more than just remembering.  This is a time to rekindle the flame of retribution until the threat of Islamic terrorism is wiped from the face of the Earth.

In his speech from the Oval Office, on the evening of the September 11th attack, President George W. Bush proclaimed:

“Today, our nation saw evil — the very worst of human nature — and we responded with the best of America.” 

Yet, the evil President Bush spoke about still exists, and in many ways it is getting stronger.   Moreover, the internal threat posed by radical Islam is greater than ever.

 

Our government just doesn’t want to admit that the 9/11 attacks and the barbaric massacres committed by ISIS are sanctioned by the Koran’s mandate to wage Jihad (holy war) against non-Muslims. 

 

In December 2005, four years after 9/11, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace explained to an audience at the National Defense University,

 

 “To talk about how we are going to proceed, we need to understand the nature of the enemy. And clearly, the nature of this enemy is different than any we have faced in the past …. Our enemies had declared war on us years before, but the attacks in New York, in the skies over Pennsylvania and here in Washington, D.C. brought home very clearly to us that we were at war.”  

 

 

General Pace went on to warn,

 

“I say you need to get out and read what our enemies [Islamists] have said. Remember Hitler. Remember he wrote Mein Kampf. He said in writing exactly what his plan was, and we collectively ignored that to our great detriment. Now, our enemies have said publicly on film, on the Internet, their goal is to destroy our way of life. No equivocation on their part. They’re not saying if you stay home, we will not come after you. They are saying their goal is to rid the Middle East of all foreigners. Then, overthrow all governments that are not friendly to them, which means every single one of those governments. Then, to use that base as a way to spread their terrorism and their oppression across the globe to include a map that shows 100 years from now that the entire globe will be under their domination.”

 

 

 Islam is a religion of violence: 

  • “[D]ismember [the American] nation, tear them apart…destroy their embassies…shoot down their planes…kill them on land, at sea, and in the air.  Kill them wherever you find them.”
  • Islamic cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman (The Blind Sheikh)
  • Muslims must “destroy those who follow democracy, and we must take their followers as enemies — hate them and wage a great jihad against them.”

  • Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, Palestinian theologian

     

  • “The real matter is the extinction of America.  And, God willing, it will fall to the ground.”

  • Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar

 

Our government dishonors the memory of those killed in the 9/11 attacks when it refuses to clearly identify the enemy:

 

  • Numerous Islamic terrorism experts who gave hundreds of presentations on Islam’s true threat to America are now banned from speaking at government counterterrorism classes and conferences.

  •  When Muslim U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” killed 13 fellow soldiers and wounded 30 in the Fort Hood massacre, the government called it workplace violence. 

  • The FBI purged 876 pages and 392 presentations that were deemed offensive to Islam.

  •  The Pentagon ordered all training material used by military professional colleges and combat units scrubbed of any content offensive to Islam.

Ever since 9/11 the Thomas More Law Center has been fighting against the internal threat to our nation posed by Radical Islam.   And we will continue to do so.   


Please pray for our Armed Forces who stand guard against the threat of Radical Islam, and their families waiting for a their safe return home.

God bless America!

THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER

President and Chief Counsel