Are Catholics REALLY born for combat?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maxirad
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
St. Paul also exhorted us to put on the breastplate of truth, etc… I should hope so.
 
From Rev 12: “17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

I would say yes.

Now we could ask “Do most Christians realize they are in a battle?”. Many, I would say, don’t act like it.

Thanks for the question.
 
Well, maybe not actually from birth, but from the personal age of reason we should be prepared/preparing for moral combat.

I am a great fan of prayers for discernment. Know your enemy from your friend. 👍👍
 
Personally, I would say no.

Leon Podles wrote a book, The Church Impotent, The Feminization of Christianity. Sadly, Catholic Churches and the clergy do not know that boys have to be masculinized. That is not happening.

In almost every sermon, love is preached. The constant preaching on love has effeminized the American Catholic. I have a saying:
**“Even Good done to the wrong proportion does evil”. **
Click to expand...
In the book of Titus, the bishop is charged with “urge the younger men to control themselves”. (2:6) And in St. Peter’s letter, he says to “Supplement the Faith with Virtue”. (II Peter, 1:5)

What is Virtue?

What is the first three letters of the word ‘virtue’?

“V-I-R”. ‘Vir’ is the Latin for Man. Virtue literally means “to be a man”. The first virtue is Andreia (Greek), it is often translated as ‘courage’ but it also means Manliness. One of the aspects of manliness is the ability to “give and take a punch”. I remember an Old Catholic movie where Bing Crosby, dressed as a priest, runs across two boys arguing. He grabs them, takes them to the gym, puts gloves on them and lets them fight it out. That is how you masculinize boys. That is VIRTUE. That is Manliness.

If you can’t fight in the physical sphere, the principle of macrocosm/microcosm, (a natural law), that you can’t fight in the spiritual sphere. One has to learn to compete, fight, to struggle in the real physical world and that prepares them to fight the spiritual, intellectual battles in the metaphysical world.

Boys have to be masculinized. The Spartans did this in their agoge. They were great intellectuals. What is said to be the Socratic elenchus is really the Doric elunchus where there where verbal battles. The elunchus was where what people said was brought up against the principle of identity, the principle of consistency, and the principle of non-contradiction in order to purify speech. The looking for essences and such.

Just like you must train a boy into manhood, a boy into a warrior physically, you must also train them to be so in the intellectual world.

Absolutely NONE of this is going on in the Church. When is the last time a priest gave a sermon on just Virtue? …on Manliness? When is the last time the Bishop went with the Boy Scout troop and helped the boys into Manliness? Where is the physical toughness and skill in combat in Catholic private schools?

Nowhere.

Are Catholics REALLY born for combat?

NO.

They are being pussified by a pussified liberal clergy.
 
Clinias said:
If you can’t fight in the physical sphere, the principle of macrocosm/microcosm, (a natural law), that you can’t fight in the spiritual sphere. One has to learn to compete, fight, to struggle in the real physical world and that prepares them to fight the spiritual, intellectual battles in the metaphysical world.
Click to expand...
How is the “principle of macrocosm/microcosm” (whatever it is) a “natural law”? One’s mind can simply relate the perceptions and their associated impression and ideas of a given phenomena (whether it is experienced directly through the human senses or understood through the lens of a scientific theory and observed through scientific experiences) to a similar phenomena occurring at a different level. For instance, one can relate Bohr’s understanding of electrons to astronomical phenomenon. It does not necessarily relate to the ontology of phenomena, but how one’s mind understands two seemingly disparate phenomena and associates them together. Furthermore, there are the fallacies of division and composition that prevent from inducing confidently the properties of a “higher-order system” from the known properties of its constituents (and vice versa).

What does it mean to be “intellectually masculine”? Does it require physical and emotional masculinity? Would you consider modern secular (analytical) philosophers to be masculine, even though they do not affirm Catholic moral convictions, church dogma, and Aristotelian metaphysics?

Would you consider nominalism and radical empiricism to be “feminine”?
I do not know what is the connotation of “masculine virtues”. One facet certainly involves the ability to resist the temptations of vice and self-indulgence for upholding a more noble and upright end. It may involve disregarding one’s sentiments and personal interests in order to uphold some obligation to one’s group, including one’s family, friends, and country, such as physically endangering one’s self to defend the group from aggression or seize important resources. While this is inherently altruistic towards one’s in-group, it may manifest itself as prejudice and hostility to prevent infiltration, influence, and assimilation from other individuals and groups whose interests are incompatible with the interests on one’s in-group. This also elucidates the exclusionary aspect of masculinity motivated by the preservation of one’s material interests in the midst of a world of finite resources and intergroup hostility. Even within one’s group, status, defined as holding positions of influence or superior access to the group’s resources, is also important, since one would need to establish one’s position through a demonstration of physical or social dominance, which is another aspect of masculinity.

However, some, myself included, may value the virtues of natural benevolence more than masculinity or adherence to a pious system. This relates to a broad range of human faculties encompassing the capacity to consider others interests in addition to one’s own, and sympathy and empathy towards others, and see the value in cooperation. For those who regard such benevolence highly, they may deem those who embrace masculine virtues and culture as repulsive since they usually exhibit hypocrisy, bigotry, and prejudice due to the inherently exclusive nature of masculine virtue.​

Men usually do “masculine” things; females do “feminine” things, unless when compelled to. For example, I recently read that some Soviet women served in combat function against the Wehrmacht at Stalingrad.

As for myself, I have a fairly masculine intellect and associated interests. This does not imply superior capacity for abstraction (which I do have), but it also means a penchant for abstract subjects and intellectual inquiry as opposed to more interpersonal and emotional subjects. Moreover, it also means a genuine intellectual curiosity, engagement, and immersion, not merely an intelligent women (of which there are plenty) that are fairly conscientious succeed academically. (I was the opposite: I was a young woman who spent much of her free time in college watching anime and reading in the library while often procrastinating on assignments and studying, but I relied too much on my intellect and memory to receive decent grades).
 
Since Satan has declared war on all of mankind, I think it only self evident that with our baptismal vows we have declared the power of righteous resistance against Satan wherever his will is manifest in other men throughout the world.

Matthew 10:34 ►

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
 
Latias wrote:
*How is the “principle of macrocosm/microcosm” (whatever it is) a “natural law”? *
Click to expand...
When you look at the other Natural Laws, they all repeat; meaning that they are found in different spheres. Macrocosm/Microcosm is wrapped up in this proverb, “As Above, so Below”. It is what Nature teaches. It runs the cosmos so it is a Natural Law. It doesn’t exist by itself but is behind all the other Natural Laws. It is the system of the Natural Law. You can find an exposition of it here: Macrocosm/Microcosm in Doric Thought

One of the virtues is to be “The Cause of Victory”. This virtue means that a man is ready to do things, to them competently and win. To be a cause of Victory is part of being a man. The failure of much of the Catholic Church can be seen is that not many men have this virtue.

It is funny that all you hear in the Church is on Peace. I knew a Catholic homeschool mom who forbid her boys to play war. My Catholic mom forbid guns in the house and when I went to Boy Scout camp forbid me from going to the rifle range. Many Catholics think that Christianity is about pacifism.

But is that who God is? In the Masoretic Text, it says, “The Lord God is a Man of War”. In the OT, God is the Hebrew War God. The title “Lord of Hosts” is the Lord of the army; it is war title. God lead His people into War.

In the Orthodox side of the Church they have a teaching they stress a lot and that is theosis. It is translated as “to be like God”. If we as Christians are to seek theosis, doesn’t that mean we are to be warriors as well? The essence of a man is to be a warrior. Are we educating our young men to be warriors? To be “causes of victory”?

St. Peter says we are to “Command and Teach”. Christians are to be warriors. To be a warrior, a soldier,
 
Clinias said:
Latias wrote:

When you look at the other Natural Laws, they all repeat; meaning that they are found in different spheres. Macrocosm/Microcosm is wrapped up in this proverb, “As Above, so Below”. It is what Nature teaches. It runs the cosmos so it is a Natural Law. It doesn’t exist by itself but is behind all the other Natural Laws. It is the system of the Natural Law. You can find an exposition of it here: Macrocosm/Microcosm in Doric Thought

One of the virtues is to be “The Cause of Victory”. This virtue means that a man is ready to do things, to them competently and win. To be a cause of Victory is part of being a man. The failure of much of the Catholic Church can be seen is that not many men have this virtue.

It is funny that all you hear in the Church is on Peace. I knew a Catholic homeschool mom who forbid her boys to play war. My Catholic mom forbid guns in the house and when I went to Boy Scout camp forbid me from going to the rifle range. Many Catholics think that Christianity is about pacifism.

But is that who God is? In the Masoretic Text, it says, “The Lord God is a Man of War”. In the OT, God is the Hebrew War God. The title “Lord of Hosts” is the Lord of the army; it is war title. God lead His people into War.

In the Orthodox side of the Church they have a teaching they stress a lot and that is theosis. It is translated as “to be like God”. If we as Christians are to seek theosis, doesn’t that mean we are to be warriors as well? The essence of a man is to be a warrior. Are we educating our young men to be warriors? To be “causes of victory”?

St. Peter says we are to “Command and Teach”. Christians are to be warriors. To be a warrior, a soldier,
Click to expand...
I am too much of a political realist to be a pacifistic, but it certainly is not because I value traditional masculinity.

Men could be “masculine” in different ways without engage in any physically competitive activity or being in a martial setting. For instance, most poker players are men (and also people who play any strategy game, such as Magic: the Gathering, too)

–

I heard a few talks from a traditionalist priest who generally is sympathetic to masculinity for men, although he was discussing mortal sin and damnation, and his talks had the effect of putting me “on tilt” regarding my spiritual life instead of inspiring me into deeper devotion and piety. It seemed to precipitate, although it did not directly cause, my present state of spiritual lukewarmness. Even though I am a female, I am not emotionally masculine, which I suppose such a concept conveys stoicism under adversity, nor do I have any conscientiousness (but women have higher average conscientiousness than men). I assessed that I do not have the psychological stamina necessary to persevere in the spiritual life; it is a stark contrast during my period of catechesis when I always had a strong fervor (which eclipsed my innate lack of conscientiousness) to praise and pray to God and feelings of peace and reassurance (even though for a period of about two months before my Confirmation I was extremely fatigued and had polydipsia). All I have now is apathy and self-doubt and little confidence in my ability to struggle to please and trust God.
 
I thought I was born to do poo-poo in my diaper.

Then after being born again in baptism, ready for basic training.
Then being confirmed ready for combat 🙂
 
Perhaps Eminem’s “Like Toy Soldiers” would be a good song for Catholics (assuming it is the clean version).

(I don’t listen to much Eminem, and my knowledge of his music only extends to that song and “Mockingbird”)
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers
Click to expand...
I’m supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
I ain’t never supposed to show it, my crew ain’t supposed to know it
Click to expand...
But really, it seems like that a good priest or spiritual director would be like General Patton when he is slapping that soldier suffering from battle fatigue in Sicily. I feel like that I do not want to fight anymore.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top