A procession of 'normal' German townspeople
touring Buchenwald after the liberation in 1945
to view the Nazi atrocities they 'didn't know about'.
[Although Hitler promised to cleanse Germany and rid
the Fatherland of untermenschen.]
Some thoughts which distracted me yesterday ...
I imagined many people walking to a designation - ordinary people walking at dusk - silhouetted against a hazy, orange sky, men women and children, nicely dressed, casually dressed - leisurely walking, speaking softly, smiling slightly, none were outwardly sad or suffering. Nevertheless there was an eerie silence and an ominous sense of impending doom - which only I could feel. I sensed something awful was going to happen to all of them. Where were they going? I imagined it to be a place like a concentration camp, a death camp, for lack of a better metaphor. At any rate, they were going willingly, casually, to their destruction. Little, by little, almost imperceptibly.
During the night many people were killed in a terrorist attack at a gay bar. The music was so loud, the bar crowded for last call, and no one knew what was happening ... when it started.
This afternoon I noticed a news story claiming "an imam speaking in Orlando in April said that killing gays according to Islamic law should be done 'out of compassion.'" That is obviously not related to the attack early Sunday morning, but jihadists have brutally executed gay men, many times torturing them and throwing them from rooftops to their death. Three days ago ISIS relased a statement on plans to attack Florida.
I think things will get worse.
Some people will blame Islam. Some will see Islam as God's scourge. Others will blame the LGBTQ agenda. Many will go with all three.
Speaking of Orlando as a gay playground, one blogger wrote: How did we normal people ever let this happen? How and WHY did we let perversity take over normalcy?
There is going to be a huge backlash - not just against jihadists either.
Triomphe de la mort (1944)
Felix Nussbaum
Hi, Terry:
ReplyDeleteYour reflection or daydream reminds me of Franz Jagerstatter's dream of the Nazi train: 'Well before the Anschluss, Franz had been an anti-Nazi, but the event that brought his aversion to a much deeper level was a remarkable dream he had in January 1938. Perhaps it was triggered by a newspaper article he had read a few days earlier reporting that 150,000 more young people had been accepted into the Hitler Youth movement.
In the dream he saw “a wonderful train” coming round a mountain. The gleaming engine and carriages seemed especially attractive to children, who “flowed to this train, and were not held back.” Then a voice said to him, “This train is going to hell.” He woke Franziska to tell her of his dream and continued to think about it long afterward. The train, he realized, symbolized the glittering Nazi regime with all its spectacles and its associated organizations, Hitler Youth being one of the most important and spiritually corrupting.
The dream seemed to Franz a clarifying message from heaven. The Nazi movement — with its racism, its cult of violence, its elimination of those members of society regarded as unfit, its efforts to suppress Christianity — was satanic. It was nothing less than a gateway to hell.' (Jim Forest: http://jimandnancyforest.com/2008/09/jagerstatter/ - quote is almost half-way down the rather lengthy post).
Yesterday, at a prayer group I attended, I brought up the idea that the Christianity-versus-secularism culture wars were now over, and that the fight now was between secularism and radical Islam. This would be a right-wing secularism, purged of any sense of obligation to moral limits or mercy. And I said that Daesh (the more accurate name for ISIS) saw the West as utterly morally degenerate and in need not of mercy, but damnation. It would be worth destroying life on earth to purge it of the evil of the West.
There is however, another view, expressed interestingly enough by a Muslim saying: that in the days before the Last Judgment, things would be so evil and corrupt that anyone who adhered to even one-tenth of the moral law would be saved (whereas in the age of faith, anyone who failed one-tenth of the moral law would not be saved). This is more in keeping with what people like Sister Faustina and Pope Francis say.
And there's this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQzn2gVGjQ
I'm unfamiliar with your term "right-wing secularism" and how it differs from what could be called left-wing secularism which appears to have no moral limits or mercy with regard to abortion, or the detrimental effects of a restrictive secular state. Maybe it doesn't differ with right-wing secularism. Maybe I would understand better if you could give examples of right-wing secularism and identify some of those who promote it.
Deletehogtowner - that's it. That's what my meditation meant - I'm sure. I never read that about Bl. Franz. Thanks for repeating it here. I think now the this is a very correct observation - as you present it - in this age of mercy 'things would be so evil and corrupt that anyone who adhered to even one-tenth of the moral law would be saved' - we desperately need to have recourse, and confidence in the Divine Mercy.
DeleteI think it was St Augustine who said, and I paraphrase, that he contemplated the problem of evil in this world and got nowhere. Evil always seems to revolve around political and economic struggles. The mistreatment of people, the dehumanization of people is always for someone else's material gain. Pope Francis has reminded us of the grave sin of greed and materialism. There is no turning back, but there is hope for change. We are traveling blindly ahead. I have no time nor inclination to judge or condem the sexual activities of others. I have my own life to get in order. I do however have the time and inclination to condem behavior that promotes racism and violence and unbridled greed. We know that God desires only good for us while the powers of darkness only evil. In the end we have the intellect and power of free will to choose.
ReplyDeleteI've been so agitated by all the bad news lately. I went to Mass this morning thinking I'd find relief. I think it only opened up my heart even more so I could pray and beg for mercy. I was so unsettled I pulled out my embroidery (a repetitive action that soothes and distracts) and found the Divine Mercy chaplet being sung on youtube. Played that twice and felt a little better. Can't imagine what it's like for those in the thick of every crisis unfolding in the world right now. Fast and pray, fast and pray...
ReplyDeleteNote: pulled out the needlework after Mass, not during! Sounds confusing above.
DeleteThank you Angela for your prayers and sacrifices. I sometimes think it is the comtemplative orders and people like you who are getting us through these trying times.
DeleteAngela, I found this rendition of the Chaplet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL8Xzj76kh0 and it's so beautiful and haunting, it sticks in my head and I find myself praying it throughout the day.
DeleteWallace - you are too kind. SAHMmy - She has a beautiful voice but I've been listening to the chanted version for so long I'm not sure I can switch over :)
DeleteTerry, are you saying that there will be a reverse jihad where people will take firearms or bombs against Muslims?
ReplyDeleteSecond question? Do you foresee Latin Mass attending radical traditionalists being those to pull the holy war trigger, or other Catholics of the theo-political stripe?
Hi Julian - I'm not saying those things.
DeleteKeep praying, remain constant in prayer, devotion and good works. God love you!
The other thing I was trying to say - or what my imagination was suggesting to me - is how oddly life goes on as people warn and even prophecy how bad things are getting and how the world is in collapse - in effect - they've been saying this for decades - yet everything remains the same - no one seems to change - they are sort of like Stepford people - they go along, appear to be respectable, and so on - never changing - but the world gets worse. They buy and sell and get married and divorced, have kids or abort them, and the status quo remains unchanged.
DeleteThat's not exactly it - but it's the best I can do.
The friend of a friend just got a job in Minneapolis and is planning to be here for Pride weekend. I hope he has a bullet proof vest or rethinks his partying on that weekend. Someone in LA was caught with guns and ammunition on his way to shoot up the LA Pride parade.
ReplyDeletePlease note that I'm not in favor of homosexual acts but I don't think that murder is the answer.
Julian Barkin, Backlash doesn't have to mean taking up firearms or bombing people. It can mean voting for those who have traditional values and are convinced that biology is accurate. It can mean objecting to men being in the ladies room and electing those who will change the laws in their state if necessary to conform to that. It can mean electing a president who will enforce immigration laws on the books, build a wall and boot people out who have come here illegally. It can mean requiring companies to prove their employees are legal and proving citizenship before voting.
Do you really think the so-called "rad trad" Catholics are the only ones upset about the way this country is going and the pandering of the mentally ill and Muslims? Unless we know who they are and their background, people shouldn't be allowed to come here. If they support ISIS, their visas or citizenship should be revoked; that's treason as ISIS is fighting against us and plans to continue to do so on our soil by immigration jihad.
Nan I get your argument but respectfully disagree. In good conscience neither candidate this year offers any real solutions. Assault weapons have no place in a civilized society. The second amendment smoke screen is ludicrous in this argument. Our Congress refuses to take real action preferring moments of silence sponsored by the biggest special interest lobby we have; the gun lobby. There in lies the root of this problem. Terry's blog mentions the "good people" of Germany being forced to witness the work of the concentration camps. They claimed ignorance. They were not believed and were forced to help bury the dead. Are we today much different? We know assault weapons are for one thing: killing people on a mass scale. Forget the wall these evil people are our own citizens, our neighbors, perhaps co workers. Our politicians who stonewall this one issue are
Deletemisleading us.
You got my point about the 'good people' of Germany - thanks wallacehamilton.
DeleteThe Church has warned of this already:
ReplyDeleteBut the proper reaction to crimes committed against homosexual persons should not be to claim that the homosexual condition is not disordered. When such a claim is made and when homosexual activity is consequently condoned, or when civil legislation is introduced to protect behavior to which no one has any conceivable right, neither the Church nor society at large should be surprised when other distorted notions and practices gain ground, and irrational and violent reactions increase. - CDF http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en.html
As "distorted notions and practices gain ground, [...] irrational and violent reactions increase."
I don't condone it either - nor does the Church - but there is a backlash and there will be more. The Catholic Church does not condone or approve it - but obviously some fundamentalists do, and Islamic teaching definitely does.
All I'm saying with this post is that I have a gut feeling things are going to get much worse. I'm sure others have the same feeling.
Terry, You are not alone in believing things are gonna get worse. Already, the LGBT crowd is saying they are not going to allow hate to destroy them or their way of life. I fear for them if there are more like this guy who will just take upon themselves to condemn and punish. It can be any one group to be honest. They may start to come after Christians or Jews here on US soil or just come after anyone who is American.
DeleteHeck ... they already have.
I should probably shut up now - as Melvin Udall said about people like me - "People who speak in metaphors should shampoo ... his ... ____"
ReplyDeleteI'm simply expressing my fears I suppose - or trying to figure out why people hate one another so much. I've felt contempt, rage, and hatred recently - it's pretty awful.
Terry the problem in shutting up is that it perpetuates the problem. Remember the devil and his minions laugh and dance when we fear speaking up against their handiwork. Your comments are interesting, provocative and thought provoking. Sorry about your recent negative experiences. Could it be retaliation for a particularly fruitful prayer life? You know how Padro Pio was attacked and many others in efforts to scare them into silence. I vote for more not less.
ReplyDelete.... Little, by little, almost imperceptibly....
ReplyDeleteYes, like so much of what you write on this blog, this resonates with me. It's like a slow-rising flood. 6 months ago it was up to our ankles. It's over our kneecaps now......
I have always had a good laugh at conspiracy theorists.......I'm skeptical about everything. That being said, can anyone doubt that something biblical is brewing in this world? I'm praying for mercy like never before. This culture of death is rising like those flood waters. Those of you with teenagers will probably agree that it feels like the video game "tetris". No one ever wins at tetris. You just lose a little bit later than everyone else!
Christ and his mercy is this worlds only hope.
There is rage everywhere these days isnt there? The problem with religion is that it gives unhinged and angry people an outlet to lash out and an excuse for their hatred. The Church firmly stands against this kind of behavior, but if you read some of the trad rad blogs you can see the underling tension, anger and a barely concealed "thirst" for violence. I used to think that it was a lark to read these people but I see that "some" of them have more in common with fundamentalist Islam then they would care to admit...scary stuff indeed.
ReplyDeleteNot that I would compare the blogger you mention to that kind of nuttiness, but I think it is interesting that the blogger you mention is more focused on the tut-tutting the gay stuff (and throwing in some concern that the people there might have died in a state of mortal sin) then a mass shooting at a soft target, which could happen anywhere. Her simple statement of proclaiming herself as "normal" (I wouldn't exactly call her that...) and by that definition, the gays as freaks...the first step on dehumanizing others...she earlier posted a tittering post from a friend of hers who goes to gay pride parades and takes pictures of..gasp..drag queens, and not only that, taking pictures of two fully clothed frumpy gay guys and their kids..without their approval, as if they were animals at a zoo...(apparently gay people's kids rate less then straight people's kids so they can have their pic taken without anyone's consent...) Not even close to the level of this insanity and I am not comparing them, but it the tone of ridicule and superiority of this type of thing is the first step in dehumanizing and demonizing others. We are all sinners, but for some reason a certain segment of religious folks like to focus on others sins rather then their owns, (that includes me) especially if those sins involve.."sex".
I do agree with Wallace...I come from a hunting family and we have guns all over the house...(locked in a safe) and there is NO reason someone should just waltz into a store and buy an assault rifle, especially one who was under investigation for terrorist threats. I am totally a 2nd Amendment supporter (though personally I HATE guns and wont do anything more then target practice with them...) and this is outrageous.
I'm a bit blown away by all of this. I have read a couple trad pieces - such as the weirdly demented Ann Barnhardt - who happens to have a lot of readers. These people are indeed fundamentalists and most likely see this event as simply an act of God's wrath.
DeleteOthers see it about gun control or building walls or closing borders and all of that crap.
It was an act of terror by a fanatic fundamentalist.
The people killed were people, individual persons. The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God. No one knows the state of their soul. No one. Most were probably Catholics, going by the names. Not all were gay or bi or better put - lgbtq. As you know, gay bars - esp. big clubs host a variety of people - often tourists out for great dance music and an exotic experience or entertainment. These were people.
Remember Paris when the Stepford fundamentalists focused upon the name of the group and the so-called satanic connection in the name "Eagles of Death Metal"?
You are right Mack - their responses so far have the same 'tone of ridicule and superiority' and it arises from their habit of 'dehumanizing and demonizing others.' It's an insular coping mechanism, which allows them to go back to their normal life, assured that they are not like the rest of sinful humanity, many reassured by the sentiment Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted you "reap what you sow".
Guess who has come to town?
Delete~ACLU lawyers say Christians caused the Orlando shooting~
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-aclu-says-christians-caused-the-orlando-shooting-57439/
Leave it to these folks to twist things around.
How in any stretch of the imagination is anyone responsible for the shooting other then the killer himself..least of all Christians? I just heard his father on the news this a.m. saying that the club should have had better security and its their fault? Uh, no..its your son who picked up the gun and started killing people.
DeleteAnd now we find out that the guy was a closet Mo! Hmmm a closet case with some religious conflicts...recipe for disaster. At least Voris just is all hot air and prop swords..
Mack, I just read a post (lauded by the stepford wives on FB) that those responsible are the people with gay friends who don't defend them in public, the pastor who preaches 'hate' in the pulpit, the mother who 'kicked out' her gay child, the closeted gay politician who promotes 'anti-gay' legislation, the mother who doesn't want her young daughter using public restrooms with adult males all the while her own pastor is a grabby perv, and anyone who does not 'stand up' for gay rights. THOSE are the people with blood on their hands, not islam.
DeleteEverything happening just makes it easier for me to detach from the things of this world and train my eyes and my heart on God. I've never prayed like this before in my life. All glory to God.