A Catholic Critique of the American Founding: James Madison, The Federalist, Nos. 10 and 51

I'm sure many of you are aware of those apologists out there like George Weigel, Michael Novak and now [?] John Zmirak who hammer on the greatness of Americas founding and the egalitarian joys this country celebrates.  If you love their work the following video is not for you [fyi]

The synopsis:

James Madison and The Federalist Papers were both instrumental in creating and achieving confirmation of the American Constitution. Dr. Bond shows how the ideas they expressed are very problematic for the Catholic world view. One special difficulty is, once again, their Lockean presumption that order is built upon maintaining and encouraging the disagreement and factionalism of many warring groups in society. Taken from: Regalism, Revolution, the Reign of Terror and the Assault on Catholicism (1648-1799) - 1998 VonHildebrand Institute

 h/t Matthew Olson @ Answering Protestants

Great to see Larry D back btw

Sunday Humor

A little bit of comedy to finish Sunday with:

When in doubt the Muppets are a good bet....

oh and I will upload some of the pics from my trip to Washington DC soon...because Im a narcisist...j/k

Who wants to be a Swed when you can sing "And Im Proud to be an American" at every Independence Parade?

Begging the question again and again and again….

There are a few great joys in my life.

Daily Mass at the Gesu with Jesuits (from time to time frustrating, but St. Stans daily masses are at 12pm)

Eucharistic Adoration at Mary Queen of Heaven or St. John the Evangelist

A solid beer

But I would be remised to not say I don’t love watching and listening to The Glenn Beck Program every weekday.  It’s like an addiction, he delves into technology, politics and the occasional spiritual bit.  Glenn is an apostate Catholic, now referring to himself as a Mormon.  In general, as I have said in the past, I think he is a decent person with a good heart, but as Chesterton says, “a heart in the wrong place”. 

People along the lines of Beck or Rush Limbaugh appeal to many Americans because they speak to their crowd appealing to the common denominators.  Specifically speaking they appeal to the ideals of America in how they were founded and the culture that developed around it. 

Well every once in a while Mr. Beck will get into an emotional mood and start down the way mixing his religious views with his American views (which is common in Mormonism, mind you they see the US constitution as a divinely inspired document).  Today was no different and I figured I’d run through a couple things that were said and add my own commentary to it. The context of the words spoken is in a dialogue with a protestant pastor from Washington state. So enjoy:

“We all wanted America to succeed and we all believed in America, but it is so troubling at this time.”

- First I think it is reasonable to want America to succeed since most of us were born and grew up here.  We have attached a certain fondness to the American way of life, the flag stands now for something greater then a bobble on ones desk.  We attach meanings to this country, freedom, the American Dream and the joys of Capitalism.  All of these things are neutral and shouldn’t offend anyone.  There might well be many people in other countries that attribute such things to their own homelands.  Yet I don’t really believe in America like Mr. Beck does.  To him America is a country set apart by God with divine providence as its guide.  To me America is a great country but if tomorrow it would all come to an end like Rome did during St. Augustine’s time then oh well.  America has no divine promise of prosperity.  Mother Teresa reminded people of this when she said a country where mothers kill their own children will not survive.  I dont know whether or not abortion will ever be ended in this country but I know that the contraceptive mentality will not end.  It is this contraceptive mentality, which even Catholics can fall into with NFP, which really destroys life on a generational scale making abortion look like child’s play. 

“Pastor Hutchinson has the truth and America needs to listen because he is being lead by the spirit”

- I want to give you as the reader some background here.  Mr. Beck though not an outward anti-Catholic clings to the typical list of lies told about the church (ie: inquisitons, crusaides, evil Popes, burning of witches), so he is not interested in hearing a Catholic view point of authority.  The few Catholics that he has had on only addressed things vaguely.  But back to the statement.  The claim that Pator Hutchinson has the truth might well be true to a degree.  It is Catholic teaching that other religions might well hold to Catholic truths and proclaim them loudly, yet such truths are not their own but they are first Catholic truths.  Second it would be a falsehood to say that this protestant pastor/laymen has the truth since he rejects the whole of Christian truth.  Now the question of whether someone is worthy of being listened to because they have the “spirit leading them”.  One has to ask what authority does Mr. Hutchinson have in the so called church?  Who gave him authority?  Is it because people like what he says because he challenges them?  Is it because he proclaims Christ crucified for all?  And what with the lead by the spirit comment?  What spirit?  If he has the truth then why would Beck not leave his Mormon beliefs and embrace Protestantism?  If he is lead by the spirit can he err?  Will the spirit allow him to err when he is giving his teachings?  Just like with all protestant beliefs there is a lack of substance to what they proclaim.  Their stances might well be emotional and appeal to the masses, but they lack an objective presentation of the faith that can be traced all the way back and that can be supported with evidence.  One has to ask both people two questions by what objective authority do you preach?  What objective reason do we have to believe that every book in scripture is actually infallible?

Tired of heresy yet? James 5: 19-20

+JMJ+

Are many in the US destined for damnation?

So I was sitting at work and came across an article by the apologist Jimmy Akin on the issue of whether it is fair to say many in the US are hell bound.  Im convinced that this issue is continuously being brought up due to the diabolic trying to maintain its drive since after the council.  Theologians like Von Belthazar and Rayner were well known advocates of the issue and in a recent encyclical Pope Emeritus Benedict brought up the issue of semi-universalism and didn’t outright condemn the notion but maintained a somewhat ambiguous possibility can be afforded to advocates of the matter.  Such a statement is generally taken by Neo-Catholics as a broad papal mandate that should not be questioned whats-so-ever. 

I don’t propose to say anything new with this post, others like Michael Voris have done most of the leg work putting together magisterial teachings on the matter prior to the spirits takeover of Vatican II.  I have posted it below.  Instead I wish to take issue with Mr. Akin.  His main point is that most Americans don’t necessarily meet the criterion for a mortal sin so there shouldn’t be so much worrying going on.  A very nice pastoral approach.

Problem is even if most people are ignorant of the Catholic faith in all of her teachings they are not somehow less culpable then those that lived before them were.  Consider that you and I today have access to vast amounts of information about what the church teaches and why the Church teaches it.  Those who wish to ignore the teachings do so at their own peril.  So too those that wish to reject the teachings after learning of them do so at their own peril.  Im not saying that they are damned, I know not their heart but to play games like “well its highly unlikely that such people are bound for hell because of culpability issues”.  Mr. Akin saying that there are many hard teachings in the bible on the issue but also hopeful ones overstates the matter.  Jesus spends the greatest amount of time talking about hell and how to avoid going there.  He doesn’t talk about separating the goats and sheep at the end to tell a tale tale.  He doesn’t call it the wide and easy path for any reason.  People can have hope in their salvation and the salvation of others but that hope is not a blind one.  We have an intellect, an ability to know truth, to pursue it to its final end.  If we so choose to ignore it we do so at our own peril.  That there is one Church, the Catholic Faith is not a matter of dispute.  If people reject her they reject Christ.  They fail to preach him to others, so he will not speak for them to his father.  This notion that we can stretch invincible ignorance to the farthest ends of the universe is a sham, and its creating complacency among people of good will. 

Bishops, Priests, Religious and lay alike need to Preach Christ and him Crucified otherwise expect no more than what St. Paul received upon meeting with the Greeks in Athens.  Pray for Francis that his ecumania will not draw him away for his true responsibility to bring all to Holy Mother Church without compromise.

http://youtu.be/fExTlLZ2fcs

+JMJ+