This election was not a defeat but a catastrophe. We on the Christian Right had hoped to save the natural law for our fellow Americans. Increasingly, it seems that they’ve refused our offer, that the U.S. has leaped 20 years closer to becoming just another fractious, Western, post-free country in decline — a vast, self-bankrupting Belgium.
Worthy voices are speaking up to remind us that cultures are not saved by governments, that we must rebuild and purify the Church before she can change the world, that our first task remains attaining holiness at home. Bravo to that. I don’t know anyone personally who neglected his family or faith to campaign for Republicans, but if that’s you, then cut it out. Go spend more time on your knees.
We face much graver challenges than U.S. Catholics have in a hundred years. This time, all other orthodox Christians are under siege alongside us. We’ll have to teach our children — despite our country — what real marriage is, that life is truly sacred, that parenthood is more than a side-effect like herpes.
This will be harder than ever, once the HHS mandate is applied, and Catholic parochial schools have either shut down or sold out. The drive to homeschool will be stronger, even as rising taxes and stagnant wages goad more mothers into the workforce.
When Catholic hospitals close, we will have to hope that pagan nurses will call in priests when we are dying, that bloodless doctors don’t look to the bottom line and pull the plug.
As the state takes more of our money and restricts our religious activities, we will ever more start to resemble the dhimmi Christians of the Muslim world — not free in any meaningful sense, but “tolerated,” like Protestants in Franco’s Spain.
As we crawl back into an ever-narrowing ghetto, we must remember that the devil is sure to follow. The first thing we’ll have to remember is this: Being a Catholic, even an activist one in a fiercely resistant subculture, doesn’t exempt a man from original sin. Just because someone checks off the same doctrinal boxes as you does not mean you can trust him. (Nor he you.) Nor, regretfully, does the fact that he’s wearing a collar or even a miter — as one recent event reveals a bishop’s serious failure to act swiftly and decisively to root out wrongdoing.
Think you can winnow out every impure motive by imposing a stricter standard of doctrine or worship? So have thousands of earnest, prayerful, naïve Catholics in the recent past — from the traditionalist Catholics in Pennsylvania who tried to start a “Catholic city” to those who enrolled with or trusted their children to a burgeoning, perfectly orthodox religious order that flaunted its contacts in Rome. There are many more examples, but you get the point.
The Catholic subculture, just like the rest of fallen mankind, has its share of sociopaths, con men, parasites and bullies — the “wolves” whom Our Lord warned would come for the “lambs.” Like the rest of the non-profit sector, we attract more than our fair share of loafers, who gravitate to us because they sense that our standards are lower. Maybe they get that idea from the way we dress for Mass.
For too long and far too often, we have winked at mediocrity, malfeasance, even malice on the part of our fellow “faithful Catholics,” reasoning that each culprit was “one of us.” (I won’t name the major archdiocese that has a “blue book” of overpriced contractors it uses exclusively, because those owners are kin of clergy.) There’s a word for this kind of behavior, whether it’s practiced by Wall Street bankers, union leaders or orthodox Catholics: It’s called “corruption.”
If we will be the leaven in a disintegrating society, we must reject the tribalist habit of premature forgiveness and pre-emptive moral amnesia. Instead of holding Catholics to lower standards than we would pro-choice secular humanists, we must demand more of them — and of ourselves. We have the help of the sacraments. Our bar should be that much higher.
Whatever Catholic institutions the federal government tolerates must be managed more transparently than their secular counterparts, must respect the human dignity of their employees and customers, must honestly balance their books and tell donors the truth — not comforting stories wrapped in pious rhetoric. Those of us who are donors are simply negligent if we fail to see how our money is being spent—for instance, by checking the balance sheets of the groups we’re giving to. Thoughtlessly sending one’s widow’s mite to wastrels is like buying a forged indulgence. Our Lord is not impressed.
We must work harder than the pagans, and expect more of ourselves and of each other. We must “test the spirits” of those who claim a divine mission, as rigorously as the Church tests the claims of a private apparition. If someone has shown himself dishonest or incompetent, we cannot afford to leave him in place, no matter how sad his sob story.
We must flee his evil company, and send him off to work on something less urgent than saving souls. When you call the cops on a crook or fire a drone, you aren’t avenging yourself — you’re protecting his next potential victim. Mother Angelica wisely warned us against our age’s reigning sin — “misguided compassion.” And Christ never told us to turn someone else’s cheek.
Christians are more vulnerable than ever. The world is watching us keenly, seeking the chance to shrink our apostolates even further. Every time we give in to corruption — either by practicing or enabling it — we make the Enemy’s job just that much easier. We are told to be “wise as serpents” for a reason.
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So I just read this and I’m wondering why… one of the flattest analysis of our present situation that I have seen. What exactly is the point of this article?
You may have a point. Or not. Hard to tell as the loose rambling that this ended up sounding like made it difficult. Also, which major diocese?
No, this is no time to go into ghettos. And what ghetto? Maciel’s ghetto? Bishop Flynn’s ghetto? At the start of His mission, Christ was alone against the sinful world. He forged ahead. He made friends. He converted scores of people. He also made enemies. This is no time to go into seclusion. Why? Just go to any “secular” combox for fun. The level of argumentation is paper thin. On an individual basis, it’s not hard to break barriers. How many inane television episodes can one watch, how many issues of Madison avenue sponsored pulp can one read, how many “no strings attached” relations can one go into, before the emptiness sets in? Anomie cannot last. God created us to believe, the Holy Spirit is in charge. It is up to us to imitate Christ.
But in order to achieve this, I agree that we need to raise the bar, in our conduct first. As adults, it is time for us to learn our faith. It is time for us learn again to respect the meaning of words, to let go of 20th century sloganeering and easy double speak. Rigorous though requires rigorous use of language. Its is time to return to theological and natural virtues, as paths that bring us closer to God. It is time to form true Catholic thinkers and scientists. Its time to restore the Office of Promoter of Faith, that is accountable in the canonizations of whom, as humans, we consider to be saints. It is up to us to lay the ground so that the next Saint Thomas Aquinas can come one day, this or next century.
It is time to let go of the ghetto, with “cult” like mentalities and methods, introduced in the 20th century, because, arguably, it is because of these ghettos that we, as Catholics, are in current mess. The next con artist is just waiting in the next such ghetto. Lets not despair, lets move ahead, with God’s Grace.
Ghetto in this means an actual Christian community, not the weak sort of parish life with which we are accustomed. Ghetto, in which the order of charity is properly observed, rather than the compartamentalization of life, with religion being separate from our friendships and so on. Ghetto, in which we embrace a simpler way of life in order to live charity better. This may require even greater sacrifice; certainly it will require discernment as to whether we should relocate so as to be able to drop out of the rat race and to regain some measure of freedom.
“Christianity in spite of certain local appearances is not and cannot be within measurable time, ‘official’. The world is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail, but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us, to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the world from suicide.”
T S Eliot, 1931
Just a thought…
One big reason for the election loss, is that the uber “holier-than-thou”, “ecclesiastic movement for the new evangelization of the super rich”, home schooled, gated community, “we love Ayn Rand” Catholics, looked down on Catholic Hispanics. Lets face facts. Just look the “Voices from the blogs” on this web pages. Wow, Christian “Truth” now only comes from anglos (just like their cousins, the “progressives” on NRC). If the Catholic right wants to win, they will have to go after the Catholic Hispanic vote. Many Hispanic are naturally conservative, they are self reliant, family oriented, hard working, often with a deep, direct Faith. Here in GA, nobody would do their job.
But that is not going to happen if people hide in their ghettos. Ghettos are just an easy cop out.
“
One big reason ... “holier-than-thou”, “ecclesiastic movement for the new evangelization of the super rich”, home schooled, gated community, “we love Ayn Rand” Catholics, looked down on Catholic Hispanics. ....
“
Tom, you sir, are heartily deceived. Marc Rubio and the governor of New Mexico are two very public examples of lavish support Hispanics receive from the groups you disparage above. Are you watching CNN and liberal MSM for your news and opinion? Remove the plank from your eye before trying to remove the splinter… For those others of you who could not follow the meaning and point of this article, maybe your reading comprehension skills need some attention? Forgive my harsh criticism, but I’m tired of the garbage sheeple regurgitate from the MSM. I think Mr. Zmirak is right on. I think that the marxists need to be purged from the Church. Social justice is not the same as socialism, nor is it big government. Too many absolve themselves of responsibility by demanding that the federal government become the nanny. Be careful what you wish for because the big government’s values are seculatist and relativistic. Giving government control over christian responsibility is one cause of the government taking control of religion.
Great article. I got it and agree with it. This is from a conservative Catholic Hispanic.
Tom ATK ,
There’s some truth in what you say but I don’t think it’s that simple.We’re not reaching out enough to Hispanics, period.Baptists & Pentecostals are.They’re mostly white, hardly known to be politically liberal.And many homeschool.But they make the effort.
The big elephant in the room is that the deplorable situation of Catholic life at the parish level. 60 years ago, C.S. wrote a book called “Mere Christianity” explaining the core tenets of Christianity that most Christians agree on and believe. The average Catholic parish will not even teach that. Instead, you will be taught social justice, feel good Oprah style New Age, and how there was a rupture in 1962 where the church finally came into being.
The average Catholic parish can be a place where people are often corrupted. I met one young man who attends and plays the piano at mass and at the same time is all for gay rights and same sex marriage. He tells that “father” told him that Jesus was inclusive and did not turn anyone away.
Not only with the current and oncoming persecutions of the faith, it will be harder to be a Catholic with the lack of support and apathy at the parish level.
CW, I am no fan of “progressives”. This is a direct quote from the National Review “If Mitt Romney had received the 44 percent of the Hispanic vote that George W. Bush obtained in 2004, he’d be moving into the White House…” The Catholic right can not just appeal to Florida Cubans. In the mean time, the “progressives” are taking over the Hispanic vote, the same way they did the African American vote (who often are quite conservative, at least in the South). The anglo pro-abort “progressives” don’t give a hoot about Hispanics or African Americans; they want them to abort their next generation. In regards to parish life, its up to us to make a difference, not wait for things to fall from the sky, the bishop, the priest. ..so, yes, that may mean getting together with like minded people to get things started…but ghetto implies shutting one self off from the outside. That is too easy, it seems to me. How will one reach out to Catholic Hispanics, if one is in a ghetto, for example? Just my opinion…
Could it be the large majority of Catholics are disillusioned about Catholicism? Afterall, name me ONE democratic premise in Catholicism. Priests are assigned to parishes; bishops and cardinals are appointed. Popes elected by the appointees. Which one of these is democratic in nature? In a day and age where Americans are attempting to spread democracy throughout the world, Catholics still cling to the most backward forms of government known to man: The dictatorship of the Vatican.
Perhaps, that is the problem:Catholics do not know how to operate in a democratic society. After all the clamoring against AHA and abortion etc.the Catholics by and large have not realized the Constitution prevents the establishment of religion by the government. Think about it: aside from theft and murder (of persons out of the womb), which of the 10 commandments is enforced by civil law? No civil law can punish me for having a different god, dishonor my parents, working on the sabbath, committing adultery etc. And judging on what the local police did after my house was broken into, not much happens when one steals either.
I have said here before: until there is indisputable proof that a zygote/fetus is a person, abortion is not murder. Simply saying GOD or JESUS said so with NO BIBLICAL REFERENCE whatsoever is not proof. Again see 1st Amendment. Besides, as mentioned here ad nauseum, there are many GOD-less folks out there and the constitution prevents government from imposing God on them. The sooner Catholics realize this, the better off they will be.
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Catholics, you really need to figure out what you want to do. You cannot be against the senseless deaths of the unborn while allowing the senseless deaths of those born alive who die of starvation, of war, or diseases that come with living in poverty. You cannot complain about “illegal aliens” and be upset that you are not embracing the Hispanics.
Dear starzec Re: “proof that a zygote/fetus is a person”
Of course there is proof, not based on religion, but simple 101 biology.
-The baby in the womb has own DNA distinct from parents.
-The baby has own immune system, blood groups, etc, distinct from the mother (and both are protected from rejecting one an other by the placenta).
-At 8 weeks (when most abortions occur), babies in the womb have hands, feet, etc.. all the features of an adult. Funny how doctors at the Mayo clinic call the baby in the womb at that stage, simply a baby. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-care/PR00112
-At 12 weeks the baby weight is the same as a cat at the same gestational age, looks similar, but cats are born at that stage, because cats are smaller mammal. Its against the law to kill cats, but not humans of same gestational age and appearance. Go figure. Simple 101 biology shows how frigging stupid and selfish adult humans can be.
But according to 60’s irrational, self serving dogmas, a baby becomes a baby only by magic, “poof”, when born. Pro-abortion believe in spontaneous generation, something that was disproved centuries ago. There is nothing magical about birth. Birth is just a developmental phase in the life of a child, like puberty later on. Read and learn. Don’t put blinders on your brain, because it is convenient. Abortion is pure absolute discrimination, reverse ageism.
BTW, according to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus
“Origin of FETUS Middle English, from Latin, act of bearing young, offspring; akin to Latin fetus newly delivered, fruitful”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7o5L3CaRU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq-ZGktYWWA
Dear starzec Re: “unborn while allowing the senseless deaths of those born alive who die of starvation”
Poor nutrition plays a role in about 5 million childhood deaths in the entire world.
There are about 40 million abortions in the world each year, 1.2 million in the US alone.
So are you saying the way to “control” poverty is killing them pesky “poor”, that speak these funny languages and look funny? That is your idea of “social justice”?
What amazes me is how people say the same dim things over and over and over gain (especially on the National Catholic Reporter web site), when it takes 30 seconds to Goggle to get actual data. Just makes me very depressed…
Posted by Tom ATK on Thursday, Nov 15, 2012 8:29 AM (EDT):
One big reason for the election loss, is that the uber “holier-than-thou”, “ecclesiastic movement for the new evangelization of the super rich”, home schooled, gated community, “we love Ayn Rand” Catholics, looked down on Catholic Hispanics. Lets face facts. Just look the “Voices from the blogs” on this web pages. Wow, Christian “Truth” now only comes from anglos (just like their cousins, the “progressives” on NRC). If the Catholic right wants to win, they will have to go after the Catholic Hispanic vote. Many Hispanic are naturally conservative, they are self reliant, family oriented, hard working, often with a deep, direct Faith. Here in GA, nobody would do their job.
But that is not going to happen if people hide in their ghettos. Ghettos are just an easy cop out.
_________________________________________
A deep, direct faith that allows them to vote pro abortion. Uh huh.
Tom ATK ,
Enjoyed reading your comments. Thanks.
I used to live in GA & know there’s a huge population of Hispanics in the Atlanta area.
Just curious, what’s being done-or not being done, regarding Catholic outreach to Hispanics where you live?
I remember years ago in a former parish we had a weekly Spanish Mass for the Hispanic folk who worked in the poultry processing plant.The English speaking pastor complained about having to say the Mass in Spanish, the “choir”(3 Anglos with a guitar) was also non-fluent in Spanish & who knows how those Hispanic folk ever made confessions.It was kind of embarrassing & the priest really looked like he didn’t want to be there.
Where I live now there are far less Hispanics but they’re still a presence.If I was the bishop I think I’d visit the trailer parks, mercados, & construction sites where Hispanics actually live ,shop, & work in our diocese & ask them what they needed & how I could better serve them.
Posted by starzec on Thursday, Nov 15, 2012 8:48 PM (EDT):Could it be the large majority of Catholics are disillusioned about Catholicism? Afterall, name me ONE democratic premise in Catholicism. Priests are assigned to parishes; bishops and cardinals are appointed. Popes elected by the appointees. Which one of these is democratic in nature?
*******************************
None,and you won’t find democracy in the armed forces, either.Same priciple.
TOM ATK, 40 Million world wide? Since the article speaks to the US why are not try to fix the US problem of 1.2 million/ year? While California leads in abortions performed, most of the abortions in the US occur in CONSERVATIVE STATES (www.abort73.com). 28% of all abortions are by women who identify as Catholic(www.abort73.com). We need to fix the problem at home before we start going around the world to fix things. Put simply, in deference to you, if your home’s plumbing is leaking are you going to go over to your neighbor’s home to help him with his leaky faucet? If you do elect to help your neighbor instead of fixing your issue, what are the consequences?
While abortion is tragic and sad, I happen to believe it is more tragic to have Americans suffering from hunger. Contrasted with 1.2 million abortions, 16.7 million American Children go hungry. Have you ever seen someone who was starving that was not on TV in some far away land? My guess is you have not. My guess is the thought of helping at the local soup kitchen has never crossed the mind of those protesting at planned parenthood. They have luxury of being able to take a day and stand in front of clinic; Takes alot of guts to do that. Come down to the soup kitchen sometime. Most cannot handle it. It is the difference being an infantryman and bomber pilot: one actually looks into the eyes of the souls on the ground and the other just drops bombs hoping to make a difference.
Kathleen, several people do not serve in the military because of that reason. I served my country and blindly followed those whose rank was higher than mine; rank that was based on time in grade NOT actual knowledge of military strategy or of anything really. The difference is Jesus actually fought against the priests who thought they were holier than the rest. Just because the Pope decided to become a priest in the 40’s does not make him better than you or me. That is the difference.
starzec ,
I have a cousin who did not serve in WWII because of his beliefs.He was a Catholic pacifist & served time in prison.
It sounds like you have issues with authority more than taking up arms.That can be legit, but seldom works well on the battlefield.
Post more on this issue, John. As Solzhenitsyn reminds us, we humans are prone to becoming that which we abhor. Human nature is in all of us, after all. The diligence one keeps(with Christ and His saints) to avert such natural tendencies, strengthens us but does not completely perfect us on earth. Humility is the gift of a sinner. Hence, none of us escapes the need for humility.
With this type of armor we can reform ourselves and lead by example. Love is the ultimate test of how we are to stand for Truth in a tide of justification of contracting to next of kin or amputating for Rome because they just are not as good as you. What arrogance and, ultimately, what lack of love!
This emotional sentimentalism is not getting us very far. That is why the church embraces Faith and Reason. I have known enough wolves in sheeps clothing to last a lifetime, but alas, I think they may be lurking still. In fact, I am sure of it. I encourage all of us to declare a fiat and work tirelessly to its fulfillment. That fiat of course, is all done according to God’s will.
And with a little effort maybe we can do this task with a sense of humor. Thank you John for your example.
LaDawn Wilson
Dear starzec
As I said, please learn how to read. To say that 16.7 million children are starving is just false. There is no such data. The 16.7 million children you quote comes from a recent USAD survey (9/12). It represents the number of children that live in households where children OR adults reported “food insecurity”. Household were classified as “food insecure” if they reported three or more food-insecure conditions (out of 18 questions). This is a quote from page 7 of the report: “Children were food insecure at times during the year in 10.0 percent of households with children (3.9 million households), essentially unchanged from 9.8 percent in 2010. These households were unable at times during the year to provide adequate, nutritious food for their children.”
These 3.9 million households represent 8.7 million children, not 16.7 (one has to go to Table S-3 to find this). So suddenly we are not talking about 16.7 million starving children. We are talking about people reporting that they are having a hard time getting proper food at times during the year. That may be a real problem. However on thing that bothers me with this study, is that they did not ask actual weights and the heights of those they surveyed, to calculate BMIs (they only asked “In the last 12 months, did you lose weight because there wasn’t enough money for food?” without asking how much). My guess would be that many in these households are obese, because that is part of “food insecurity” in the US (I don’t want to go into a big discussion about this, there was a very good HBO documentary about this recently). They completely ignore this important issue. In that sense this report is potentially misleading. Is there a connection between the date of this report and the presidential election? or pressure from government subsidized farm/processed food lobby?
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/884525/err141.pdf
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/884603/apn-058.pdf
Dear Katheleen
Thank you. Regarding Hispanics in the Atlanta area, I know of about half a dozen families that were broken apart in the last 2 years, because one parent was deported. In all cases it was a traffic violation (in one case, the mother was taken straight out of the hospital, after an accident). Usually these parents spend weeks in local ICE detention hold, and then are shipped for weeks to months to Texas, before deportation. During that time, they have limited access to phones, and those are expensive. In all cases, parents were about 10 or more years together in the US. They all worked at honest jobs that no one else would do. From what I understand, they paid taxes. They went to Church, and were caring parents (usually 4+ children per family, with several children under 10). All these children are US born citizens. These have recurrent nightmares about the deportation of their parent, they miss them and they are extremely afraid that something will happen to the other parent. They have depression (I mean real depression in small children). In one family, the two parents were deported, so the 20 + year old sibs are raising the best they can the younger sibs (all US born citizens).
These parents (you, know, them nameless brown skinned folks that lay cables or cut “real” catholic gated community golf course lawns, in 100+ heat) are often the cream of the crop from where they come from. They are the ones that had the guts to leave the squalor of their villages and come make a better life in the US. Our Governor, Nathan Deal, soon after he was elected, passed a law that forbade the hiring of “illegals”, and gave power to the police to detain them for minor violations. Almost immediately crops in GA started to rot and fail. Agriculture is a big business is GA (something Atlantan’s often don’t realize). Farmers have established working relations with pickers. It is not that easy to pick crops productively in 100+ degrees. Its takes a certain skill set, and framers know that. When the governor sent convicts, they lasted 1 or 2 days.
In Atlanta several parishes have large Hispanic congregations, with own masses, own choirs, own priests, confessions, youth groups, traditional ceremonies, etc… Its almost like 2 different churches. Hispanics are not a single block, even people from different parts of Mexico (the majority) have own customs. One parish has two Hispanic groups: a blue collard mainly Mexican “mission”, and a second one, with more educated members, from places like Columbia, that have their separate mass in the main Church. The Parish pastor once told me that part of his job was to keep peace between them!
I don’t have an answer to the immigration issue. But it seems to me that parents of US children that have a long, established track record of honest living should be able to be sponsored by their US citizen children. I have not heard of any diocesan ministries to these ICE holding pens full of Catholics, but it’s possible that some priests go there. To me, these families are not much different of the people that moved out West 150 years ago or from Norway to Minnesota. Self reliance is in their blood. So, yes, they would be natural allies to conservatives. But the current “right” seems just too demagogic to realize this, apparently.
.
Speaking of literature, I heard Tolstoy quoted twice in the last 48hrs, on NPR of all places, because a film maker had the courage to quote a life and love affirming passage, to promote his new movies. He quoted the character Levin, from Anna Karenina.
“An impure love is not love, to admire an other man’s wife is a pleasant thing, but sensual desire indulged for its own sake is greed and a misuse of something sacred. It is given to us so that we may choose the one person with whom to fulfill our humanness. Otherwise, we might as well be cattle.”
Pope JP2, instead of writing the sprawling, barely readable and inelegantly titled “Theology of the Body”, while closing his eyes on child abusing clerics under his nose, could have saved himself some time, and used instead this short quote (yes, yes, I know, Tolstoy was Russian, Poles are smarter, the ones that really invented Vodka, but still…).
In fact, I hope that Prof Zmirak (½ slave himself), learns some Spanish, and comes spend a sabbatical in GA, where he could meet these “other Catholics”, write a NYT best seller, as a “new evangelization” project (I am not joking). Good literature is about telling the truth. Being with like minded people to stay sane is understandable, but to retreat in a cave at this point, is a cop out, as far as I am concerned.
Dear Katheleen
Thank you. Regarding Hispanics in the Atlanta area, I know of about half a dozen families that were broken apart in the last 2 years, because one parent was deported. In all cases it was a traffic violation (in one case, the mother was taken straight out of the hospital, after an accident). Usually these parents spend weeks in local ICE detention hold, and then are shipped for weeks to months to Texas, before deportation. During that time, they have limited access to phones, and those are expensive. In all cases, parents were about 10 or more years together in the US. They all worked at honest jobs that no one else would do. From what I understand, they paid taxes. They went to Church, and were caring parents (usually 4+ children per family, with several children under 10). All these children are US born citizens. These have recurrent nightmares about the deportation of their parent, they miss them and they are extremely afraid that something will happen to the other parent. They have depression (I mean real depression in small children). In one family, the two parents were deported, so the 20 + year old sibs are raising the best they can the younger sibs (all US born citizens).
These parents (you, know, them nameless brown skinned folks that lay cables or cut “real” catholic gated community golf course lawns, in 100+ heat) are often the cream of the crop from where they come from. They are the ones that had the guts to leave the squalor of their villages and come make a better life in the US. Our Governor, Nathan Deal, soon after he was elected, passed a law that forbade the hiring of “illegals”, and gave power to the police to detain them for minor violations. Almost immediately crops in GA started to rot and fail. Agriculture is a big business is GA (something Atlantan’s often don’t realize). Farmers have established working relations with pickers. It is not that easy to pick crops productively in 100+ degrees. Its takes a certain skill set, and framers know that. When the governor sent convicts, they lasted 1 or 2 days.
In Atlanta several parishes have large Hispanic congregations, with own masses, own choirs, own priests, confessions, youth groups, traditional ceremonies, etc… Its almost like 2 different churches. Hispanics are not a single block, even people from different parts of Mexico (the majority) have own customs. One parish has two Hispanic groups: a blue collard mainly Mexican “mission”, and a second one, with more educated members, from places like Columbia, that have their separate mass in the main Church. The Parish pastor once told me that part of his job was to keep peace between them!
I don’t have an answer to the immigration issue. But it seems to me that parents of US children that have a long, established track record of honest living should be able to be sponsored by their US citizen children. I have not heard of any diocesan ministries to these ICE holding pens full of Catholics, but it’s possible that some priests go there. To me, these families are not much different of the people that moved out West 150 years ago or from Norway to Minnesota. Self reliance is in their blood. So, yes, they would be natural allies to conservatives. But the current “right” seems just too demagogic to realize this, apparently.
Finally, speaking of literature, I heard Tolstoy quoted twice in the last 48hrs, on NPR of all places, because a film maker had the courage to quote a life and love affirming passage, to promote his new movies. He quoted the character Levin, from Anna Karenina.
“An impure love is not love, to admire an other man’s wife is a pleasant thing, but sensual desire indulged for its own sake is greed and a misuse of something sacred. It is given to us so that we may choose the one person with whom to fulfill our humanness. Otherwise, we might as well be cattle.”
Pope JP2, instead of writing the sprawling, barely readable and inelegantly titled “Theology of the Body”, while closing his eyes on child abusing clerics under his nose, could have saved himself some time, and used instead this short quote (yes, yes, I know, Tolstoy was Russian, Poles are smarter, the ones that really invented Vodka, but still…).
In fact, I hope that Prof Zmirak (½ slave himself), learns some Spanish, and comes spend a sabbatical in GA, where he could meet these “other Catholics”, write a NYT best seller, as a “new evangelization” project (I am not joking). Good literature is about telling the truth. Being with like minded people to stay sane is understandable, but to retreat in a cave at this point, is a cop out, as far as I am concerned.
Tom ATK ,
Thank you for your comments. They seemed to have duplicated themselves.
Tolstoy was a great writer, but I think I’d choose JPII for orthodoxy.
The U.S. will not “force” you into a ghetto—the idea is totally idiotic.
Most Catholics on this site would be diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenics.
Well, Tom, I’m half SLAV, not slave. (The Austrians didn’t enslave us Croats—in fact they treated us rather well, hence my ongoing Habsburg sympathies.) As for illegal immigrants, I’ve already written very extensively on this, recommending that AFTER we secure the border AND enforce workplace verification—to end the border chaos and our exploitative underground economy) we offer non-voting permanent residence to otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants. But they shouldn’t “earn” the right to vote (for pro-choice Democrats) by sneaking into our country. That’s a much better deal than Mexico offers Salvadoreans who sneak into Mexico…. It would avoid breaking up families, and honor our sovereignty.
Sorry, John, I can’t spell.
I am not saying that everyone is a saint, but for the most part, they are pretty hard working. I think the way things are now in GA, in farm/poultry areas, where the farm lobby is strong (they are no bleeding heart democrats, but hard nosed businessman), people ignore the Deal law. In suburbs, it’s the contrary. Your suggestions are reasonable. Bush tried, its time for practical, sensible solutions. Breaking up families causes such a mess, for current and future generations.
One big favor, can you please remove my pompous and silly posts regarding Tolstoy and JP2?
Posted by Tom ATK on Sunday, Nov 18, 2012 6:10 PM (EDT):
Posted by Tom ATK on Sunday, Nov 18, 2012 10:37 PM (EDT):
Thanks in advance.
..if you want to leave, its fine, up to you all. Peace.
Please consider supporting the Hobby Lobby lawsuit HHS suite, and the brave Green family.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jMgz0jKQy6X01PY8MQAU3o6xiEnw?docId=0f89001dfe504df7b0be8f565e9537fe
(I love your blog. The following was seen on the web. Any reactions?)
THE REAL CREATORS OF THE SUBURBS
( I experienced all this while trapped in a large American city.)
The suburbs are booming, but not fast enough. Yessir, you ghetto folks
in inner cities have started a good thing, but there are still lots of acres
outside the cities without any houses on them. So you’ve gotta move into
“untouched” city blocks and do the following:
Throw trash everywhere. You’ll insure that your friends who pick up trash
and distribute free rat poison packets will keep their jobs. And folks can
predict the weather by the direction the trash is blowing!
Walk down the street. Better yet, rhythm down it. And when I say street
I don’t mean sidewalk. Save sidewalks for your friends on cycles. Besides,
it’s hard to fit many cursing, screaming, drinking, pot-smoking kids on a
sidewalk, and it’s also hard to spot keys and other things left in cars when
you’re walking on a sidewalk!
When walking down a street, turn your head when you hear a car coming
and stare at the driver. For all you know, it might be one of your enemies
out to get you. On the other hand, it might be only your neighbor and all
that hateful staring might make him want to move out.
Be sure to beget lots of unloved, unsupervised, unwashed two-legged
“Obama welfare meal tickets” - either through wedlock or (preferably) out of
wedlock. And let them often ring doorbells, begging for money.
Turn quiet streets into noisy jungles. Have a blast - a
long blast with your car horn under your neighbor’s window at
3:00 a.m. Let folks know who the real honkies are! Blow your horn when (1)
you see the police coming (2) you want to buy some dope (3) you want to sell
some dope (4) for any other reason. Play your stereo so loudly that folks can’t
hear sirens going to the latest holdup or arson. Be noisy, man, noisy!
Be cruel to animals, especially “man’s best friend.” Tie your dog on a
short chain under a blazing sun with no water or food or love or license or
dog shots. Make him as mean as you are. Better yet, let your dog run loose.
Neighbors love to find freshly killed cats (after hearing their screams) and
other goodies on their lawns. Pit one dog against another in bloody “canine
cockfights” while friends lounge on car hoods and cheer and make bets! And
what madness is it where folks move out and abandon pets in the house,
leaving them nothing to eat but their own droppings? This happens often in the
ghetto, and almost no one will help the animals.
Keep a good supply of Saturday Night Specials - also Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Night Specials. Your criminal
presence will improve your neighbor’s light bill; when he isn’t watching you
at night (with his lights off), he will be able to read books at night by
the light of the police helicopter searchlights!
Here’s more insanity: Uncle Sam spends millions of our tax money to
move you into our neighborhoods where we lose much when we sell our homes.
So you have your nerve when you glare and swear at us when we don’t move
out quickly; but you’re the reason we can’t find good buyers! I really wonder
what you and Uncle Sam will do when lots of folks move to the wilderness and
live off the land and consequently don’t have to pay taxes to support such
sickness!
Finally, spread the rumor that all of your troubles are associated with
skin, even though you and I know that your problem isn’t skin. It’s sin!!!
What makes a ghetto? It’s not the paint on a house (or lack of it) but all
of you two-legged pains in the neck!
(anyone is free to copy and air this paper)
If you have any suspicion at all that your husband may be involved in pornography you must not sit idle. Waiting around for evidence is just one form of denial. If your husband has nothing to hide then he should have no problems with your desire for accountability.
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