Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Catholic Church and the Case for an American Pope

The Pope has resigned. Some may question whether he was forced to resign. The lightning strike of the Vatican shortly after the announcement made people stop and think. Then there is the association being with the last Popes that resigned 600 years ago, yet those Popes (at one point three different Popes claimed legitimacy at the same time) were deposed. Perhaps de-Poped would be a better term. It was not too far afterward that the reformation, a response to a corrupt religious hierarchy, brought reform to Christianity and forced reform in the Catholic Church.

Could the latest Pope have been force to resign? I don’t believe that likely. Could there have been looming and newly manifesting issues that the Pope felt he was not best suited to deal with at his age or that his opinions on stood in contradiction with other forces in the church? That is far more likely though the official line that the Pope is simply getting too old for the burdens of the position has not been competently contested.

The only previous Pope who ever legitimately resigned was Celestine V in 1294. He was imprisoned shortly afterward by the new Pope Boniface VIII. This illustrates an ever looming flaw with the Catholic Church; absolute authority. The flaw can also be a strength if that absolute authority is truly united with God’s will, at least the will for his time.

Pope John-Paul II was an example of one that led in this world and was a powerful force in the liberation of those imprisoned behind the Iron Curtain. Pope  Benedict XVI was left with the task of dealing with pedophiles in the church. We could simply call them homosexuals but that would be a misrepresentation. The root of this problem, and most all historical problems in the Church, can be linked to absolute authority, including the holier than thou aura placed upon the Priesthood. How the church has handled this crisis is yet to be judged.

The conservative orthodox message of the church may appear to be in contradiction to the dark realities found in America, Ireland and other places around the world, but the conservative orthodox message is the Church’s position and its strength. It is where conservative views and orthodoxy reign that the Catholic church has grown and been most vibrant. These same views are held by the leading Cardinals in the United States.

Some have claimed that there is no hope that an American could be elected Pope. The logic is that a Pope from a superpower would be too much influence for a single nation. This logic does not stand under current circumstances.

The Catholic Church stands in stark opposition to the pop culture the United States embodies and propagates throughout the world. Abortion and now the homosexual agenda are just some of the false ideals that have become part of United States diplomacy. What better spokesman to confront worldwide depravity being endorsed by the most influential nation in the world than someone from that very same nation speaking the very same language representing and empowering the good and upright citizens thereof?

Even the former greatest threat to the world, the communist block, held its people to moral standards. They claimed moral superiority in the traditional sense. They supported family. They sowed the seeds of immorality here to destroy our society in the quest for world dominion. It is the Russian Republic, formerly the Soviet Union, that is the only free nation taking a stand against the homosexual agenda. Ironically as their strategy to destroy the United States and turn it into a communist state come to fruition, the fruits of their tactics threaten to plunge the whole world into social and economic collapse, including the Russian Republic.

Despite the Church’s flaws they have not allowed those flaws to influence the true message. Where John-Paul II brought down atheistic communism starting with his own native land of Poland can a Pope from the United States bring an end to the mainstreaming of immorality in the world? Someone has to.

Africa is also very important to the Catholic Church and to the world. Human rights abuses are rampant on one hand and on the other good people are being besieged with the immorality of the Western World. Strong direct leadership on a continental scale is required. A native speaker of English, the International language, may hold some bond of familiarity with the people. French, the old International language, being widely spoken throughout Africa would be an argument for a French speaking Pope.

The world is entrapped in moral confusion. The simplest concepts of integrity and honesty are absent in our politics and secular culture. It will take far more than the Pope to turn this world around. It will take nothing short of a worldwide Christian revival. John-Paul II was far from solely responsible for the fall of communism but he was an integral, perhaps indispensible part. Where will the next Pope take the Church and what will he bring to the world?

Monday, February 04, 2013

Reverent

Reverent - feeling or showing deep and solemn respect

Generally reverent, or reverence is restricted to God or some representation thereof, or to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of ideals we value to a similar degree; expressions of the divine or greatest good.

At least that is the implied definition that I was raised under when I was a child, and part of my childhood included being a member of the Boy Scouts. Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.

Attributes of the Boy Scouts considered valuable in making young men good and productive members of society. Important attributes; at least attributes that our society formed from the Christian tradition have considered important. Attributes best taught in disciplines and an environment that are free from sexual diversions. Now president Obama is encouraging the Boy Scouts to condone homosexuality as a right as part of what the Boy Scouts represent.

What is missing as we fight to regain the founding values and principles of this Christian nation? A recognition of what our society stands for and even more importantly how this society and at what cost was it established.

Now to set the tone of my piece; If one condones homosexuality, does not consider it a sin, a perversion, and if one allows the homosexual culture and agenda relevance in our society one, perhaps you, do not really believe in God.

This is an unnatural act that is clearly defined as a sin or perversion of the natural order in all religious traditions. And the advancement of all societies into civil, orderly and good societies are founded on these religions, and the ideals and laws codified therefrom.

In the Judea-Christian tradition in particular, it is the very sin of the angels that rebelled against God (Jude 6-7) Hence those Christian denominations that have embraced homosexuality do not truly believe in God. God is a concept to them at best. They bow to man, the fallen man and the father of fallen man, the devil, and their will is to do there father’s (the devil) desire. (John 8:44, Matt. 23:33…, Matt. 3:7) As Jesus said in Revelation to the Church of Sardis “You have the name of being alive but you are dead.”

How was this pinnacle of Judeo-Christian faith, the United States, a nation that has brought blessing and liberty to much of the world, established on this earth? It was established over generations upon generations of saints and martyrs who were tortured and murdered for their faith and the words that embodied that faith. They denied the flesh and set standards of discipline so the greater society could be liberated from base sexual desires which all understood Satan works through. They built a foundation upon which we could enjoy a good prosperous society, living as upright families as God intended. We hold these people in reverence, or we used to. How few among us, who enjoy the fruits of all those previous sacrifices, are willing, brave enough to speak out against this abomination of homosexuality and the moral decay of this nation?

As conservatives like myself fight to win back this nation, represented in many ways by talk radio and institutions of conservative values like The Heritage Foundation, none shy away from the fight against corruption, lies, the socialist/communist agenda in government and our schools, divorce and the break down of the family, or even abortion. But when it comes to homosexuality the conservative cause avoids the subject at best.

It is like the common caricature of the man with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Who will he listen to? Arguments are presented by the forces of evil and good and the man must judge which course of action is most beneficial to him. At some point after responding in the positive to one side several times in a row, the representative of the other side vanishes in a puff of smoke. In regards to homosexuality far too many of the spokespeople in religion politics and among those promoting the conservative cause have feared opposing the homosexual agenda and have accepted faulty premises to the point where their conscience, that small voice of God, has been defeated in this regard.

God created the act of love as a beautiful union which bears fruits of love beyond what any single individual consumed in the pursuit of self serving desire can ever imagine. Marriage between a man and a women encompasses the wonders of His love on every level all embodied in the traditional family.

Homosexuality is unnatural, perverse and serves only one purpose, self gratification. One takes this precious tool through which God empowers one to create life and sticks it up another’s butt hole. Oh crap! And then I have heard some talk of a train. I have come to some idea about what they means from the television, the same television your children watch.

Homosexual is not the way God made them. Homosexual parenting is not the same as a traditional family; it is detrimental. Studies that suggest otherwise claim the differences inconsequential not that there are not differences, though not all agree the the differences are inconsequential. And you know if they could have gotten away with claiming there were no differences they would have done so…

Homosexuality is far more of a choice than anyone wants to admit. Or perhaps a persuasion, as Eve was persuaded by the serpent who questioned the word of God; vilifying God’s intentions. Where’s the science to suggest that it is not a choice? It was being pursued, yet no one even asks what came of it. If homosexuality could truly be traced to genetics, epigenetics, hormones or some psychological cause it could be overcome; treated. What other causes could there be? …The choice to alter ones persona to fit the latest fad? Why does not anyone even ask anymore? But we all know the science of manmade global warming has been settled.

In our local talk show market here in Milwaukee I have not heard anyone take a stance against homosexuality. (the ones I hear the most are all single) Rather I have heard comments of acceptance. These local talk stars, like their national counterparts, associate the lies and misdeeds by Bill Clinton as President and others as the source of the profusion of lying, even under oath, and other deviant acts in society. How is it that the acceptance of homosexuality by them does not equate to similar negative consequences for our society?

Yes, some will boldly claim that they believe God created this world in six days. Then they will exalt themselves by testifying to the negative e-mails they will receive on the subject, as if that makes them special. I guess speaking out against the abomination of homosexuality and the reaction it would produce doesn’t make you feel special enough.

To all those talk show hosts and others, any who have accepted homosexuality as a reality, is it that you don’t believe in God, are spiritual morons or are you all just plain cowards. Oh! Have I offended some of you. Perhaps you have friends and acquaintances that are gay and know them to be good people. “How could I force my values on them?” you ask yourself. Well, if you believe in God which I question, if your friend doesn’t repent he’s going to rot in hell. What kind of friend are you?

The Christian culture has brought man to the point where we value every human life, including the unborn. People are no longer stoned and burned at the stake for their sins, or alleged sins, any longer in the Christian sphere. But that does not change the nature of good and evil. It does not mean that we can surrender to sin in some delusional vision of our own goodness as if it does not matter any longer. It is God and His ways we need to hold reverent, not the ways of man. …“What difference does it make?!” cannot be the new motto for the United States.

Neither does hypocrisy negate the truths of right and wrong. This scourge on our society all began with the sexual revolution. The baby boomer generation turned against the values and ideals of those who came before. They justified their deeds in many ways by pointing to the hypocrisy of the standard bearers; the propagators of traditional values. They engaged in free sex that divulged in lusts far beyond the weaknesses of their parents generation. They called those fighting for the freedom of peoples around the world murderers so they would not have to serve themselves. The result of their protests ultimately cost millions of lives and enslaved millions more. Now they call our brave men and women torturers. But that will all change when homosexuals, transgender and every other orientation the mind can imagine are accommodated for in the military, and we put women on the front line. Well, …at least we will have a military that wont think twice about taking our guns away.

Our society is in moral confusion. With the sexualization of our youth, the promotion of abortion, the acceptance of sex outside of marriage as the standard, the support of single parenthood, the acceptance of divorce, the destruction of the traditional family under the homosexual agenda and who among us can claim to be blameless. But bestowing acceptance upon what appears to be the greater sinner does not make ones own sin any less severe.

I do not advocate invading peoples bedrooms or forcing one’s values on another. The right of association is guaranteed in our nation and we cannot stop groups from their freedom of expression within reason. That does not mean we are required to legitimize their cause.

Homosexual marriage should be outlawed. Homosexuals, as well as single people in most cases, should not be allowed to adopt children. We should not have homosexual literature in our schools. Sexuality has no place in elementary schools and abstinence should be taught in middle and high school. Are we to allow our children to be indoctrinated in a minority view that the majority considers sinful and deviant? Are we to standby and do nothing while the values of this nation are being destroyed?

Is it right to outlaw homosexuality? I believe most everywhere in the United States the acts are already outlawed. Four States including Virginia and Florida have laws against co-habitation of men and women outside of marriage. Why are they looking to change the law? We have lost an understanding of how important values are to maintaining a society. We no longer hold God reverent.

I wrote in my last piece about the human rights violations of the Russian Republic. Now they are proposing laws to ban the teaching of homosexuality in schools and public demonstrations in support of gay rights. I say, “God Bless the Russian Republic!”