Post by Charles1952 on Nov 14, 2015 20:56:25 GMT -6
adjensen
Dear Hernandos,
I just finished a letter to the newspaper for the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. (I've tagged Adjensen as he and I are both within the Archdiocese's boundaries.) The paper is The Catholic Spirit. They have an online presence at thecatholicspirit.com (I've sent them comments on other issues.)
I'm posting this one in particular because I'm having difficulties understanding the place of the Church in the World. I thought I had such an understanding, but now I am confused. My basic belief had been that the Church was set into a world which was corrupted by Original Sin. The Church's purpose was to lead men out of that sin and into a relationship by offering love, forgiveness, and the truth which Christ promised to His Church. "Be not conformed to the world." (Romans 12:12, if you care.) Yet, global warming, gay marriages, divorce and remarriage, women priests, married priests, and more are all under discussion. I don't think, but here I'm probably wrong, that the Church is completely avoiding the pressures that the World is using to get the Church to conform.
Anyway, here is my letter:
Over the last five days, The Catholic Spirit has reported comments from the Holy Father, which in retrospect, can most politely be described as "remarkable."
1.) "I don't understand . . . how human beings can do this."
How can that be? He's been a Priest and now the Bishop of Rome. He knows what terrible and ugly things are in men's hearts. He spent forty years in Argentina during which he experienced among, other things, the "Dirty War," which caused the deaths or disappearances of tens of thousands of people.
Of course, that may have been just a reflexive comment which slipped out without thought. The Holy Father does that from time to time. Or, maybe he doesn't understand how Muslims could slaughter the innocents in France.
The Vatican's Secretariat of State runs the largest, most wide spread, intelligence agency in the world. Granted, I don't think they're known for Martinis, ridiculously expensive cars, and the latest handguns, but they are everywhere and very good.
Pope Francis put his own man in charge of the Secretariat in 2013. Either, the office has closed down, cancelled their subscriptions to newspapers, and disconnected their TVs and radios, they're not informing the Pope, or the Pope pays as much attention to security briefings as president Obama does (nearly none). From an easily obtained article:
"Last February, the Islamic State boasted it would soon flood Europe with as many as 500,000 refugees. And the Lebanese Education Minister recently said that there were 20,000 jihadis among the refugees in camps in his country. Meanwhile, 80% of migrants who have recently come to Europe claiming to be fleeing the war in Syria aren’t really from Syria at all.
So why are they claiming to be Syrian and streaming into Europe? An Islamic State operative gave the answer when he boasted in September, shortly after the migrant influx began, that among the flood of refugees, 4,000 Islamic State jihadis had already entered Europe. He explained their purpose: “It’s our dream that there should be a caliphate not only in Syria but in all the world, and we will have it soon, inshallah.”
These Muslims were going to Europe in the service of that caliphate: “They are going like refugees,” he said, but they were going with the plan of sowing blood and mayhem on European streets. As he told this to journalists, he smiled and said, “Just wait.”"
2.) "The pope also “vigorously condemns violence, which cannot solve anything, and he asks God to inspire thoughts of peace and solidarity in all.”"
The idea that violence cannot solve anything is the sort of idea you tell your children when Billy is beating Suzy over the head with a toy hammer. It can be found in families with small children, public schools, and University campuses. But certainly that idea has no place in adult thinking. It's obviously, provably false, and is used nearly exclusively by people with an agenda they can't sell on logical grounds.
"Violence can't solve anything?" I think I'll let Robert Heinlein answer.
Add to Mr. Heinlein's examples, those of our War of Independence, and War of Secession (Civil War), and you will never, I hope, tolerate anyone saying violence cannot solve anything.
3.) In a November 10 article, the Pope urges Christians and the Church to face reality. I hope he was referring to reality in every area of life, not just experiences in sex, marriage, and divorce. I will wait expectantly for a call to face Paris, the Twin Towers, beheadings of Christians, suicide bombers, etc. realistically.
4.) Indeed, let us pray. First for the victims of religious violence. Second let us pray for the people of France and the world who are mourning the loss of their innocent loved ones. (Yes, a 20 year old Californian has been confirmed killed.) Third, let us pray for the protection of Western Civilization and the Church as they are being attacked without offering a meaningful.
Then, full of prayer, desirous of preserving the lives of the innocent, and without hatred; let us call on the governments of the world to destroy anything related to ISIS and kill any member who does not surrender and change his ways. Whatever country they may be in, whatever force may be required to locate and kill them.
If Al-qaeda then wants to step into the role of international terrorists and would be religious dictators, we'll have the experience with ISIS and can apply it as needed.
Individual Christians may be called upon to be martyrs. They may be called upon to kiss and bless those who torture and kill them. But Christians are also members of society and society should not allow it's members to be killed, have its freedom and laws discarded, and doom all of its posterity to slavery.
A society which refuses to defend itself, its citizens, and its children from foreign attack is only a training camp for producing slaves. If the Pope would like to do something practical for the Faithful in this area, he should prepare and distribute instructional materials on how to form underground church groups. The US won't need them in the next 10 years, but I'm nearly certain that many countries in the world will need them in the next 30.
Is this insulting to the Pope, the Church, or both? Have I allowed myself to entertain and encourage non-Christian thoughts? Have I allowed hatred a foothold in my heart? Never mind if it's justifiable or understandable, am I going wrong here?
Dear Hernandos,
I just finished a letter to the newspaper for the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. (I've tagged Adjensen as he and I are both within the Archdiocese's boundaries.) The paper is The Catholic Spirit. They have an online presence at thecatholicspirit.com (I've sent them comments on other issues.)
I'm posting this one in particular because I'm having difficulties understanding the place of the Church in the World. I thought I had such an understanding, but now I am confused. My basic belief had been that the Church was set into a world which was corrupted by Original Sin. The Church's purpose was to lead men out of that sin and into a relationship by offering love, forgiveness, and the truth which Christ promised to His Church. "Be not conformed to the world." (Romans 12:12, if you care.) Yet, global warming, gay marriages, divorce and remarriage, women priests, married priests, and more are all under discussion. I don't think, but here I'm probably wrong, that the Church is completely avoiding the pressures that the World is using to get the Church to conform.
Anyway, here is my letter:
Over the last five days, The Catholic Spirit has reported comments from the Holy Father, which in retrospect, can most politely be described as "remarkable."
1.) "I don't understand . . . how human beings can do this."
How can that be? He's been a Priest and now the Bishop of Rome. He knows what terrible and ugly things are in men's hearts. He spent forty years in Argentina during which he experienced among, other things, the "Dirty War," which caused the deaths or disappearances of tens of thousands of people.
Of course, that may have been just a reflexive comment which slipped out without thought. The Holy Father does that from time to time. Or, maybe he doesn't understand how Muslims could slaughter the innocents in France.
The Vatican's Secretariat of State runs the largest, most wide spread, intelligence agency in the world. Granted, I don't think they're known for Martinis, ridiculously expensive cars, and the latest handguns, but they are everywhere and very good.
Pope Francis put his own man in charge of the Secretariat in 2013. Either, the office has closed down, cancelled their subscriptions to newspapers, and disconnected their TVs and radios, they're not informing the Pope, or the Pope pays as much attention to security briefings as president Obama does (nearly none). From an easily obtained article:
"Last February, the Islamic State boasted it would soon flood Europe with as many as 500,000 refugees. And the Lebanese Education Minister recently said that there were 20,000 jihadis among the refugees in camps in his country. Meanwhile, 80% of migrants who have recently come to Europe claiming to be fleeing the war in Syria aren’t really from Syria at all.
So why are they claiming to be Syrian and streaming into Europe? An Islamic State operative gave the answer when he boasted in September, shortly after the migrant influx began, that among the flood of refugees, 4,000 Islamic State jihadis had already entered Europe. He explained their purpose: “It’s our dream that there should be a caliphate not only in Syria but in all the world, and we will have it soon, inshallah.”
These Muslims were going to Europe in the service of that caliphate: “They are going like refugees,” he said, but they were going with the plan of sowing blood and mayhem on European streets. As he told this to journalists, he smiled and said, “Just wait.”"
2.) "The pope also “vigorously condemns violence, which cannot solve anything, and he asks God to inspire thoughts of peace and solidarity in all.”"
The idea that violence cannot solve anything is the sort of idea you tell your children when Billy is beating Suzy over the head with a toy hammer. It can be found in families with small children, public schools, and University campuses. But certainly that idea has no place in adult thinking. It's obviously, provably false, and is used nearly exclusively by people with an agenda they can't sell on logical grounds.
"Violence can't solve anything?" I think I'll let Robert Heinlein answer.
""Anyone who clings to the historically untrue — and thoroughly immoral — doctrine that "violence never solves anything" I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and of the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon.
Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms." -Robert Heinlein
Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms." -Robert Heinlein
Add to Mr. Heinlein's examples, those of our War of Independence, and War of Secession (Civil War), and you will never, I hope, tolerate anyone saying violence cannot solve anything.
3.) In a November 10 article, the Pope urges Christians and the Church to face reality. I hope he was referring to reality in every area of life, not just experiences in sex, marriage, and divorce. I will wait expectantly for a call to face Paris, the Twin Towers, beheadings of Christians, suicide bombers, etc. realistically.
4.) Indeed, let us pray. First for the victims of religious violence. Second let us pray for the people of France and the world who are mourning the loss of their innocent loved ones. (Yes, a 20 year old Californian has been confirmed killed.) Third, let us pray for the protection of Western Civilization and the Church as they are being attacked without offering a meaningful.
Then, full of prayer, desirous of preserving the lives of the innocent, and without hatred; let us call on the governments of the world to destroy anything related to ISIS and kill any member who does not surrender and change his ways. Whatever country they may be in, whatever force may be required to locate and kill them.
If Al-qaeda then wants to step into the role of international terrorists and would be religious dictators, we'll have the experience with ISIS and can apply it as needed.
Individual Christians may be called upon to be martyrs. They may be called upon to kiss and bless those who torture and kill them. But Christians are also members of society and society should not allow it's members to be killed, have its freedom and laws discarded, and doom all of its posterity to slavery.
A society which refuses to defend itself, its citizens, and its children from foreign attack is only a training camp for producing slaves. If the Pope would like to do something practical for the Faithful in this area, he should prepare and distribute instructional materials on how to form underground church groups. The US won't need them in the next 10 years, but I'm nearly certain that many countries in the world will need them in the next 30.
Is this insulting to the Pope, the Church, or both? Have I allowed myself to entertain and encourage non-Christian thoughts? Have I allowed hatred a foothold in my heart? Never mind if it's justifiable or understandable, am I going wrong here?
