Do Your Homework Instead of Spouting the Party Line of the Liberal Culture

I lurk and occasionally comment on a Catholic mom's board where I'm sure I'm the oldest person. Almost all the women are young enough to be my daughters. So I'm definitely the granny of the group. The women are very interesting and the conversation is generally respectful. Many are well-versed in the faith. The purpose of the board is for a group of faithful Catholic moms to support and encourage one another in the authentic faith. There are some great discussions on Church teaching about the hard issues, like birth control and divorce.

Occasionally an antagonistic cafeteria Catholic who wants to attack the Church pops in, but she usually won't stay for long. The board accepts searchers seeking to learn and understand, but will respond pretty quickly when someone shifts to attack mode. (I.e., "I think for myself and make my own decisions rather than act like a mindless drone listening to a bunch of men in skirts!" will get some sharp and astute replies along with a little admonishment and invitation to go to another board where she'll feel more comfortable.) I love it!

But every now and then a comment is thrown in that shows how much the hate-the-Church secular culture has influenced the young. One of those comments was posted on a thread discussing the differences between the Tridentine Mass and the Novus Ordo which branched out into abuses, liturgical music, the nature of beauty, Church architecture, the meaning of priesthood, lay "ministers", etc. One young woman commenting on abuses threw out an offhand statement about how she doesn't pay much attention to the abuses, after all they've always happened in the Church and then gave the examples of the Crusades and the Inquisition. I heaved a sigh and wrote a response.

Why do young people believe this nonsense? Because it's been repeated so often by liberals who attack the Church for its bloody violence but hold up Mau and Che Guevara as heroes, men who butchered their own countrymen without qualm. The entire Spanish Inquisition executed about 2500. Che Guevara, Fidel Castro's henchman, personally murdered tens of thousands and Mau killed millions. Here's a typical Guevara quote: "We reject any peaceful approach. Violence is inevitable. To establish Socialism rivers of blood must flow!" And he acted literally on that belief, personally giving the coup de grace to many executed prisoners.

Of course, comparing the sadistic violence of socialist revolutionaries doesn't justify other violence. Like our mom's told us, "Two wrongs never make a right." But were the Crusades wrong? Certainly not the First Crusade called by Pope Urban II (1096-1099) to take back the Holy Land and repel the invasion of the Muslim Turks who threatened to overrun Europe. It was a defensive action to protect the Christians lands. Think of the peasants of Europe facing the scimitars of the Muslim warriors. I sure would have liked to see an army defending my home. Not to mention the fact that, had the First Crusade failed, we would all be saying our prayers on rugs facing Mecca.

It's high time people stopped throwing out "facts" about historical events they know nothing about. Get  Warren Carroll's History of Christendom and use it as a reference. Then when someone makes an ignorant statement about a historical event, check the facts and be prepared to gently correct them. Those who are ignorant of historical reality, are easily duped. The Church is under attack by atheists like Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass), and faux Christians like Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code). Their attacks on Christianity are ignorant, but in our dumbed-down culture many swallow their sweet tasting hemlock and let it poison their faith. Fight back with the truth.