Cardinal Says Liberals and Islamists are 'Beasts of the Apocalypse'

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HCTC said:
In my humble opinion, this is one of the best discussions that I have read on this forum because there is some consideration expressed about the emotional content of communication. I believe that the purpose of communication should be increased understanding and that increasing understanding requires mutual respect as well as an appreciation of the authenticity of the differencing beliefs and emotions of others.

I understand that Bishop Sarah’s audience for his remarks that we are discussing was the Synod fathers and in that venue were appropriate. However, I find them lacking in discretion, nuance, and understanding. If the cardinal were to use the same broad-brush characterizations in his pastoral communications, I would feel disrespected, devalued, and not understood - and I might not welcome his company on my spiritual journey. I understand that others clearly would welcome his very emotional equivalencies because he validates their closely held beliefs and fears. I think that we could probably agree that communications like Cardinal Sarah’s are substantially divisive - even for people who love and profess the same Faith.
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By the same token, a tone like his is needed to reach some people. Many in the faith are put off or do not respond to softer tones (for lack of a better way to describe that concept), and thus it is a disservice to them to not speak in ways they respond to. It is seen as forthright honesty by those who like it, and unnecessary bombast by those who don’t.

I am not sure the Church can speak in a universal tone IMO and reach everyone, as your post demonstrates. It doesn’t make the approach you respond to better or worse, simply different.
 
In the article the Cardinal is quoted as saying “the secular western world’s way of thinking” threatens to destroy the family, and here he is speaking to the synod on the family. He is further quoted in the article as saying, “Theological discernment allows us to see in our times two unexpected threats–almost like the Beasts of the Apocalypse…” In the article, and before the actual quote is provided, this becomes not “almost like” a threat but a threat posed by "the twin ‘Beasts of the Apocolypse’. (emphasis added)

The headline reads, "Cardinal Says Liberals [and not the secular western world’s way of thinking] and Islamists are ‘Beasts of the Apocalypse’, but the Cardinal certainly doesn’t say it. It would be but a short leap to then conclude the Cardinal said liberals are ‘Beasts of the Apocalypse’. He did not. It is “the secular western world’s way of thinking” that he see as the difficulty, the very problem described in Laudato Si. Western culture is a manifestation of a thing more fundamental, and it is an epistomological paradigm.
 
Thomas_White said:
The headline reads, "Cardinal Says Liberals [and not the secular western world’s way of thinking] and Islamists are ‘Beasts of the Apocalypse’
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Liberalism is the secular western world’s mode of thinking.
 
About time someone brought us around to actually mentioning Satan and his ways. God Bless Cardinal Sarah. :amen:
 
gilliam said:
From the article

“What Nazism-fascism and communism were to the 20th century, western ideologies on homosexuality and abortion and Islamic fanaticism are to today,” the cardinal said in comments made last week in the closed-doors synod and published Tuesday by several Italian media outlets.

Sarah reportedly said the secular western world’s way of thinking threatened to destroy the family through "quickie divorces, abortion, homosexual unions: look at gender theory, Femen (a feminist group known for topless protests), the LBGT lobby.

"On the other side, there is the pseudo-family of an ideological Islam which legitimizes polygamy, sexual slavery, child marriage: look at al-Qaida, IS, Boko Haram.

“Certain keys allow us to discern the same demonic origin of these two movements: they both advocate a universal and totalitarian law, they’re both violently intolerant, destroyers of families and the Church, and openly anti-Christian.”
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Well said Cardinal Sarah! :).

N[SIGN]:sad_yes::sad_yes::sad_yes::sad_yes::sad_yes::sad_yes:[/SIGN]
 
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