Comments for Catholic Exchange

Comment on Cultural Problem: Can the Government Help Us Out? by Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum!

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum! — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

How true. And this is the core issue of our time that no one talks about (i.e., the corruption and hijacking of our language). The secular-progressives, as well as the “Catholic Christian” progressives (including many in the clergy, and especially the Jesuits) have been using the “re-definition of language” to push their agenda for many decades and no one ever questions them. As a matter of fact, many in the culture just adopt this “newspeak” without even realizing they are doing so. For instance, has it ever occurred to anyone that one is being “politically correct” when using the expression “politically correct”. That is to say, the label “politically correct” in nothing more for a nice euphemism for “censorship”, but no one dares use the word censorship. I would highly encourage everyone to see the movie 1984 as well as read-up on the relationship between “thought and language”. In it, George Orwell brilliantly captures the essence of this truth: “whoever controls your language, also controls your thoughts”. God help us all.

Comment on Can a Priest Ever Return to the Lay State? by laywoman, mother

laywoman, mother — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:29:00 +0000

Yes. I think if we met Christ now we would honor him with fine garments, which in our long history were once considered appropriate to be very fine; now we would prefer clean and hansdomely made perhaps, rather than hand him something coarse. Most of the clerics I know are wonderful representatives of our real faith. They don’t have your holier than thou attitude. The Church has over a billion people now. Jesus would be a kind pastor and much of the “pomp” is for the self expression of those of us who love our pastors, it reflects all of our love of Christ, as does the beautiful church music created, beautiful atmospheres, etc.

Comment on The Big Same Sex Marriage Lie by QuoVadisAnima

QuoVadisAnima — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:32:00 +0000

We love you enough to try to stop you from hurting yourself and endangering your immortal soul, but we also respect your dignity as a human being and your right to choose for yourself.

We have no choice but to draw the line when your beliefs are being forced on the rest of us – even to the point where we are being deprived of our Constitutional rights to free speech (people are being penalized for saying that homosexuality is wrong) and the free practice of our religion (people are being penalized for refusing to facilitate the celebration by two people that they are engaging in a mortal sin and calling it marriage). Furthermore, our children are being taught in public school with our tax dollars that homosexuality is fine and therefore sending the message that what their Church and parents are teaching them is wrong & bigoted. That’s not exactly leaving us alone.

Comment on Cultural Problem: Can the Government Help Us Out? by CE User

CE User — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:14:00 +0000

The words “…unmarried, and still celibate…” comes directly from the “department of redundancy department”. I do believe you mean chaste; and this is a primary cause of the problem. We have allowed, through poor education, of the youth, and intellectual sloth, by the adults, the language to be corrupted. What does anything mean, if words and ideas, become so readily interchangeable? Thus we have “pro-choice” and homosexual marriage (yes, gay was once a perfectly honorable word, and I still attempt to use it, in context), where neither has any meaning beyond that foisted upon the unsuspecting by the unscrupulous. You can easily identify this in both protestantism and modernism; each person can well decide what they want the words to mean. Orwell’s newspeak engulfs us; we must teach ourselves, and our children, to think critically.

Comment on Relevant Rock: The Inadvertent Catholicism of Jim James by Rosemary58

Rosemary58 — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:44:00 +0000

The artists cannot separate their efforts from who they are. They cannot be honest and dishonest at the same time without appearing to be hypocrites.
Instead of skirting the issue, they should either dive into the deep or leave the pool area but not bask in the sun at the vineyard where others are deeply committed and working so hard to tend the Lord’s vines.
Sorry about all the metaphors but my grown daughter’s favorite is, well, do it or get off the pot.
Either you are committed to something or you are not but you can’t be both committed and not committed at the same time. Don’t throw Christians a bone and at the same time assuage your conscience and still sell records.
What are the fruits of their efforts but money?

Comment on Relevant Rock: The Inadvertent Catholicism of Jim James by Richard III

Richard III — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:47:00 +0000

I have to agree with you here, Dan, because although I am honestly not familiar with the music of Jim James, My Morning Jacket, or Mumford & Sons, I’ve noticed this phenomenon a few Sting songs, but never knew quite how to describe it until now.

Sting was born and raised Roman Catholic and is currently agnostic (how, when, where, and why lost his faith, and what his thoughts and feelings on this subject are now I do not know), but he’s not afraid of occasionally singing an openly religious Christmas Carol or “drinking from the font” for some of his own compositions.

The best example of this is 2009′s “If On a Winter’s Night” album. Only 2 of the 15 tracks are original compositions, but the remaining 13 are a variety of lesser-known carols ranging from the 16th to the 19th or early 20th centuries, and 6 of them are not just explicitly religious, they’re explicitly Christian, and they’re not just explicitly Christian. They’re explicitly Catholic. “Gabriel’s Message” is more about the 1st Joyful Mystery than the 3rd, but it mentions Mary and (obviously) St. Gabriel. “The Burning Babe” is St. Robert Southwell’s poem literally jazzed up. That is, it’s given a jazzy tune and orchestration, but not a single word is altered. The other 4 songs are “Balulalow”, “Cherry Tree Carol”, “There is No Rose of Such Virtue”, and the classic “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”.

Sting’s most religious-minded original composition is probably “Sacred Love” from the 2003 album of the same name. The subject of the song is given no name other than that of the song’s title, but all the saints, angels, and stars up in heaven are cited as honoring her. Another song from the same album, “Dead Man’s Rope” is about a sinner on the verge of despair who is redeemed and it is the saddest and most moving song I know.

Thanks so much for this article, Dan, and thanks for giving voice and form to something I had witnessed but could not bear witness to until now.

Comment on Give Us Barabbas by Gloria Schotten

Gloria Schotten — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Sorry I erred on Enda Kenny’s email address.
taoiseach@taoiseach.gov-ie

Comment on Give Us Barabbas by Gloria Schotten

Gloria Schotten — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:02:00 +0000

Here is Enda Kenny, the Irish Prime Ministers email address.
I wrote him and sent him the horrific photos of the aborted babies and gave him a serious lecture and to stay away from Boston College, the so called kathlik’ Boston University, and take his snakes with him, I did not mince words, no mealy mouth rhetoric, just the terrible pics of the aborted little ones.
We laity have to take thing into our own hands I asked him, aren’t you glad your mother did not let this happen to you.
taoiseach@taoiseach.com

Comment on Relevant Rock: The Inadvertent Catholicism of Jim James by Dan Hart

Dan Hart — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:24:00 +0000

Thanks for the responses. I agree that it is unfortunate that these artists are publicly disassociating themselves with Christianity while at the same time “drinking from the spiritual font” – I can see how this seems dishonest.  

However, my goal with this piece wasn’t simply to point out this contradiction. It was to get at the root of why these artists are still drawn to spirituality and sacredness despite the misgivings of their minds. I would argue that the fact that they continue to “drink from the font” is a sign that they are at least being honest during the songwriting process, if nothing else. And I think the fruits of their efforts say more about the power, mystery and mercy of God than it says about the artists themselves.

Comment on Give Us Barabbas by Cathi Massey

Cathi Massey — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:22:00 +0000

“The Bishops cannot even force such colleges to stop using the Catholic brand name…”
Agreed. I’ve often thought it was a pity that we did not trade-make that name when the trademark laws were first established.