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The Catholic Underground

Learn the Paternoster (Our Father) – neat vid… Via The New Liturgical Movement.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while. The Curt Jester is hysterical.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while. The Curt Jester is hysterical.

Poll Finds Rising Antipathy Toward Jews and Muslims in Europe

Via The New York Times

Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish feelings are rising in several major European countries, according to a worldwide survey released on Wednesday.

The Washington-based Pew Research Center’s global attitude survey found that 46 percent of Spanish, 36 percent of Poles and 34 percent of Russians viewed Jews unfavorably, while the same was true for 25 percent of Germans, and 20 percent of French.

The figures are all higher than in comparable Pew surveys done in recent years, the report said, and “in a number of countries the increase has been especially notable between 2006 and 2008.”

This is fascinating data. It would seem that as Europe rejects Christianity in spite of overwhleming logical reasons not to, they are also rejecting all ancient religion.

In 2002, about three out of four Lebanese Muslims said such attacks could often or sometimes be justified, but the figure dropped to about one in three in the latest poll.

Majorities in Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria say they are concerned about Islamic extremism, the poll found.

This is jaw-dropping… 1 in 3 Lebanese Muslims believes that suicide bombings are often or sometimes justified. Yes, it’s down from 75% to 33%, but geez! And majorities are against terrorism… These are the peace-loving Muslims… They sure do seem to be the stereotypical majority populations who are supportive of terrorist actions against the ‘great white beast.’ And this is coming from one of the most liberal newspapers out there… Wow.

40+ Hits on Saturday

According to my click tracking program, I got 47 hits yesterday. This is totally shocking as I figured about 5 people read this blog… It’s not a lot of hits compared to let’s say yahoo.com, but I’m happy all the same. Thanks for stopping by, but mostly, stay classy.

From a wonderful little book I’m reading

This is an extended quotation from Bible History, out of print now, but originally published by the inimitable Benzinger Brothers.

To make converts, Catholicity has ever appealed to reason; Protestantism, like Mohammedanism, to force and violence. In England and Scotland, Protestantism was forced upon the people by fines, imprisonment, and death; in Germany and Prussia, Sweden and Denmark and Norway, the same. In America the Puritans acted in like manner.

Protestantism began with “an open Bible and free interpretation,” and has ended in division and disbelief. By this principle every one becomes judge of what he will or will not believe. Hence, amongst Protestants there are almost as many religions as there are individuals, the churches divided and torn into pieces, ending in infidelity. On the other hand, Catholicity remains ever the same; because Catholicity is truth, and truth changes not.

It’s amazing what clarity can come with absence of cowardice and political correctness…

UPDATE: An old friend of mine mentioned to me that this post comes off as very harsh… I think some commentary may help. Thx to Mark for the heads up.

The author’s real point is that back in the day, it wasn’t the people of Germany\England\etc that believed the Catholic Faith should be abandoned in favor of Luther\Zwingli\Calvin, it was a few aristocrats. They forced the people to change their long held beliefs. They destroyed Churches and forced conversion and launched propaganda campaigns and created Protestant states when the people didn’t want it. These were the same people who had been converted 500 or 1000 years earlier by saintly anonymous people who brought the gospel to them in peace and in humility. That culture was destroyed in the name of “Protestant Religion.” It’s a sad reality that most of the Protestant Reformation was exactly that, a Reform imposed on the faithful christians, not a conversion or change of heart. That is what infuriates the author about the Reform itself.

His other concern is that the Protestant theological framework of individual interpretation is logically flawed. This, of course, says nothing about the profound faith and love of God that individual Christians have. I know a whole lot of protestants whose faith and love put me to shame every day… But logically speaking, the idea that the bible can be interpreted rightly by people who cannot read the actual languages, who cannot really understand the historical\cultural\religious contexts in which the texts were written, who cannot follow the fairly complex arguments St. Paul is making in his letters and who simply cannot pray for hours and hours every day for lifetimes like the early spiritual masters… The idea that every Christian soul, regardless of training, intelligence or holiness can rightly interpret the scriptures is absurd. Now, does the scripture have profound value for each person to glean – absolutely. The smartest and dumbest do well to read the holy scriptures often. Timothy is crystal clear, every syllable of the scriptures is useful for teaching, etc. But what the Protestant reformers were saying is that everyone interprets the truths of the bible for himself… Which means that if I read the psalms and it says that God rewards the faithful – It’s ok for me to think and believe that I deserve lots of money for being a Christian… Which is wrong. It’s also ok for me to believe that the Holy Spirit comes with the gift of tongues and if you don’t have it, you don’t have the Holy Ghost, etc etc. And if the book of Numbers says to smite the unfaithful, then that’s ok too.

So at the end of the day, the author is slamming the first Reformers who were disingenuous and brutal in bringing abut the reform and the philosophical roots of early Protestantism where each man is a religion unto himself and every man’s opinion is truth.

Of course, modern protestant theology has repaired a lot of those holes and understands scriptural interpretation very differently than the early Protestant Reformers did – which is why the Catholic Church and the various Protestant communities have made so much progress in the inter-religious dialogues which are taking place in our time… Because people are realizing that while Luther & Calvin had some good things to say, some of it was straight up crazy.

My comment is directly largely to current rift in the Catholic Church where one large progressive group – which has been in power since 1965 has used force, fear tactics and, to a degree, violence to keep the more traditional and more docile group oppressed. It’s a long story, but it’s very similar to what happened to the ordinary Catholics in the Pews at the time of the reformation. Someone marches in and says “what you’ve been doing for the last 20 generations is wrong and evil and it all has to change today. No dissent is acceptable. No explanation is needed. You’ll change or you’ll be kicked out.”

Some Links to the TLM Mass Propers

All too often, it’s a pain for me to find the readings or the propers for the Traditional Latin Mass. I know it’s ideal for everyone to have a missal of their own, but this is transitional time and I want to provide for ordinary people who are just coming to see what the fuss is about. I want them to be able to hear not only the readings, but also the beautiful antiphons and prayers… This is one of my favorite parts of the TLM. Those things must be mediated – they are sacred and just to hear them blabbed out in my own language doesn’t convey that, it can’t.

Anyway, here are several of the links I use.

WARNING: Some of these sites contain heretical (or at the least schismatic) views of Catholicism. Sadly, very few sites exist which actually make the Johannine Missal accessible yet. It’s sad but true.

• Una Voce’s Website (Good Guys)
• The Tridentine Latin Rite Missal Project
• DailyCatholic.org (Very, very schismatic – just get the readings and run ?)

UPDATE: Here is another via the twitter from Deacon John Giglio who is one of the good guys. His blog of daily readings is here.

More on the Real Story of the Pro-Abortion Battleplan

More on the Real Story of the Pro-Abortion Battleplan
“Presently… legislation is pending in the province of Ontario in Canada and in the state of Victoria in Australia to force medical professionals to participate in abortions and other anti-life activities. If they refuse, they will lose their medical licenses; it’s as simple, and diabolical, as that. And do not delude yourself – pro-abortion groups in the United States have been pushing such laws in state legislatures for years.” Scary Stuff

Make Your Own Menubar SSB With Fluid

Make Your Own Menubar SSB With Fluid
This makes Fr. Ryan Humphries very, very happy