Starting the Day with a Gloomy Picture from Imprimis

Reading Imprimis first thing in the morning is a little unsettling. Did I say "a little?" In the January issue Brian Kennedy, president of the Claremont Institute, wrote about the twin threats to America of the rise of Islam within our shores and the growing nuclear power of Iran, Russia, and China outside. He paints a gloomy picture. While the average Muslim may not be seeking the destruction of America, there is a small percentage that is committed to jihad. Since there are anywhere from 3-7 million Muslims in the country, 100,000 radicals who advocate terrorism and suicide bombings is a significant danger. While the administration spouts rhetoric about the "religion of peace," organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) seek a "global Islamic state." Kennedy quotes an MB document obtained in 2007 during the Holy Land Trial which reads:

The Ikhwan [the Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Allah's religion is made victorious over all other religions.

If that isn't enough to spoil your breakfast, Kennedy goes on to describe the growing nulear threat from China, Russia, and Iran. All three either already have, or soon will, the capability of dropping a nuclear warhead on Los Angeles and any city in the U.S. if launched by sea. Because we are a major export market for China, policy makers believe there is little threat. That said, Kennedy warns that "China's military thinking is openly centered on opposing American supremacy, and its military journals openly discuss unrestricted warfare, combining traditional military means with cyber warfare, economic warfare, atomic warfare, and terrorism." And China has "over two million men under arms." What will we do if China decides to annex our ally Taiwan? China believes "we would not trade Los Angeles for Taipei -- that is, that we would have to stand by if China attacks Taiwan, since China has the ability to annhilate Los Angeles with a nuclear missile."

Meanwhile Russia is busy modernizing its ballistic missile system, while we have let ours languish. Arms reductions through the New Start Treaty also leave us vulnerable with no missile defense system to protect our homeland. I.e., we are sitting ducks.

As I read this gloomy picture I couldn't help thinking of the Blessed Mother's warnings at Akita, which sound very much like an all out nuclear war:

If men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead.

But then I also remember Abraham's negotiations with God and am cheered somewhat. Would the Lord not find the equivalent of ten just men today -- in front of the Blessed Sacrament, at daily Mass, sidewalk counseling and praying outside abortion mills, visiting nursing homes, praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, teaching their children to love God, serving the sick and suffering? Our times are indeed evil, but many faithful men and women are struggling to do God's will. I don't think it foolish to live in hope that faith and love will hold back the wrath of God and give mankind more time to repent.  And I'm confident that Our Lady is praying for that too.