Confusion in the Church Contributes to Confusion in the Culture

This morning I was having a "stop the world I want to get off moment." Watching the Democratic convention can certainly do that to you. There's something downright diabolical about the whole thing: the worship of Obama including the statue made of salt (oops...sand), the sale of items that make Obama out to be a "prophecy fulfilled" and compare him to Jesus, the removal of God from the platform, the celebration of child-killing and sodomy. And then there is the upcoming head shaker of Cardinal Dolan scheduled to give the closing prayer. Wow!
What a confusing moment for Catholics. Does anyone really think his prayer will be allowed unless it is approved and vetted by the godless Democrats? What can he be thinking? I'd like to be wrong and hope it will turn out to be a Mother Teresa moment, but, well, with all due respect, Cardinal Dolan is no Mother Teresa.

Michael Hichborn at American Life League wrote an article that captures the sense of confusion I'm talking about. Here's a bit of it:T

Today, there are many sources of confusion for Catholics all across the nation, leaving many wondering about where to turn or what to believe. Catholic Relief Services has apparently been giving money to organizations expanding the culture of death. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, even in the midst of an investigation by the Vatican, gave a speaking platform to notorious occultist Barbara Marx Hubbard. And even though the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is in the middle of a lawsuit against Obama for attacking the religious liberty of Catholics, the Al Smith Foundation has invited Barack Obama to keynote its annual fundraising dinner.

This kind of cavorting with entities and individuals who very clearly hate the Church and would sooner see Her transformed or destroyed is terribly confusing to Catholics, perhaps even scandalous. Just imagine if St. Polycarp, a direct pupil of the apostle John, had justified and rationalized the offering of a mere pinch of incense to Caesar as his lord, instead of suffering death by burning alive at the stake? Or consider the fate of all of Christendom had St. Athanasius invited the heretic Arius to speak at public functions, rather than rebuking him, even to the point of being deposed. And think about what state the Church would have been in had Pope Pius XII dined and shared a joke with Adolph Hitler.   

Chapter 12 of the Book of Sirach in the Old Testament says, “No good comes to those who give comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of mercy that they do.” In fact, while the entire chapter speaks directly to those who continue to justify the recent scandals in the Church, verses 10-18 explain perfectly what is wrong with giving money to pro-abortion organizations, giving occultists a place to speak, or dining with such a clear enemy of the Church as Barack Obama.

Hichborn goes on to quote the chapter and I think I'll make that my meditation for adoration tomorrow morning in my 2:00-3:00 a.m. hour. Sirach is part of the Bible's wisdom literature and we can all sure use a little more wisdom. There isn't much at the Democratic National Convention this week, but that isn't too surprising. After all, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and those who arrogantly champion mortal sins show not the least evidence of it. Let's pray they find some before it's too late. They would do well to reflect on the words of Thomas Jefferson. "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."