Isn't it time to learn from the left how to respond to people who attack the church?

[annem]

For about 60 years we’ve been told not to bring attention to films like “Habit” which stars Paris Jackson playing a “lesbian Jesus” by protesting. For 60 years there has scarcely been a squeak from Catholics about TV shows that mocked our religion and portrayed priests and Christians as idiots or vile abusers, laughed at the idea of chastity, and undermined even the concept of decency.

And how has that worked out? Oh, right, by a vast numbers of Catholics leaving the church. By countless numbers who do inhabit pews being ignorant of even the real presence in the Eucharist.

On the other hand, what has the other side been doing? If anyone dares to utter even the slightest, most pathetic bleat against their views, then that person is hounded, cancelled, fired, browbeaten into submission, perhaps even threatened.

Catholics would hardly want to be that vile, but, clearly, it’s time to rethink the old “don’t bring attention to films, etc.” Any suggestions?

 

[umamibella]

For about 60 years we’ve been told not to bring attention to films like “Habit”… by protesting.

Who told us that?

 

[blackforest]

The film came out as a work of shock value, and most of us are numb to that. I actually like that approach of not giving the attention-mongers what they want.

 

[Mythicalbio]

It is false to inherently relate not giving attention to those films and such and the loss of faith. Unless you can prove with certainty they are related. It’s not like people didn’t blaspheme before. I simply think God has let the faithless he faithless, nothing more, nothing less, for the reason of many leaving.

 

[puer.dei]

And how has that worked out? Oh, right, by a vast numbers of Catholics leaving the church. By countless numbers who do inhabit pews being ignorant of even the real presence in the Eucharist.

I don’t think either are the fault of movies. There’s been a huge societal shift, and a failure of catechesis.
If you’re going to leave the Church because of a movie, you already had one foot out the door.

 

[annem]

This is also the standard response. But is it right? Of course there has been a vast societal change, but what caused it? Surely the media has been leading the charge, hasn’t it?

If Catholics won’t even respond to those who attack the church by so much as a letter, what is going to happen?

 

[annem]

Unless you can prove with certainty they are related.

Of course they are related. Of course the constant anti Catholicism in newspapers, television, movies, universities, etc. have had an effect. People don’t change for no reason. And if Catholics don’t point out the hatred and bigotry being practiced against us, who will?

 

[Mythicalbio]

Survival rate says nothing about the horrific effects on the body of surviving, or if those who survive are immune, or who isn’t surviving, or really anything about how bad it is. Also if doesn’t mean individuals have that survival rate in specific places. The bishops know what they are doing. One is saved by God.

 

[ZemD]

I have to agree with you. The time to laugh off what I think is an absurdity or stay silent on something controversial is over, for myself at least. I think a lot of people have been “scared” into just going along with whatever the “mainstream” belief is (I wish I could come up with a better phrase for what I am trying to get across), because to speak up could mean having to defend your point of view to some who becomes hostile, being called names, or even worse, losing friends. Now it’s so bad people can lose their jobs or have their name, address, and phone number posted online to open them up to endless harrassment.

I don’t think their is anything wrong with posting on an online forum, “Don’t see this movie, please consider signing this petition against it.” If anyone is intrigued to see it because it appears scandalous, that’s not my problem they want to seek out something sinful.

 

[hvizsgyak]

In the past (prior to the 1920 or so), the best response would have been to protest against such things because the general public would have been mainly against such a blasphemous thing. Now though, the rottenous of people has it that they do anything to get a person angry. It gives these people happiness to tick off people to make a point. So by letting them get to you and many of us who love God, we are opening the door for others to want to see “what all the fuss is about”. If you look back on many of the controversial movies put out by Hollywood, they made little money and are forgotten to time - almost an embarrassment to bring up in conversational now because the movie was so disgusting to others.

 

[hvizsgyak]

I actually came to the Media Category to get away from all the political mess thats happening in the news. I see its here too.

 

[annem]

So by letting them get to you and many of us who love God, we are opening the door for others to want to see “what all the fuss is about”.

I respect your opinion, but where is the evidence of Catholics pushing back in, say, the last 40 years? There has hardly been any push back at all.

If we don’t respond, all the evidence we do have suggests the left will simply pull down more statues, reduce more churches to rubble, perhaps burn down the California missions, publish more smears about the church, and the TV and movies will be filled with more scripts denigrating the Catholic church.

We should all mail out a polite letter decrying the hatred and bigotry against our church whenever we see it. At the least.

We should insist that outright lies or attacks on the church in the news have a response. There are hundreds of articulate intelligent Catholics who could be called upon for a response. Why aren’t we demanding news shows put them on?

We should write the advertisers of any TV show that denigrates the church and tell them we will never buy their product again.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve actually now read more about “Habit” on this website than I have anywhere else on the Internet. It must have 6 or 7 threads here. Great job promoting the film.

 

[annem]

I’ve actually now read more about “Habit” on this website than I have anywhere else on the Internet. It must have 6 or 7 threads here. Great job promoting the film

You’ve read about it here because you should read about it on a Catholic forum. It’s exactly where we can discuss how to try and stop films like this being made.

One thing we know for sure: the tactic of not responding has not only not worked, it has been proven - proven by the last 40 or so years - to be harmful to Catholics and the Catholic religion.

 

[hvizsgyak]

The best way to respond is to share your faith in God to others so they come to believe in His Truth and Word. In turn, they too will reject the garbage that comes out of Hollywood these days.

 

[Pattylt]

From my agnostic point of view, I can’t see any reason to give this movie a second thought. It was made to be “edgy”. It was made to rile people up. So who’s going to see it? Not atheist/agnostics…they could care less. Not Christians as it’s so offensive. It seem to me, it was made to be a tax write off…guaranteed to not be watched except for a very few oddballs. What is even the point!

And I agree with @Tis_Bearself, I haven’t read anything about this movie except here.

 

[Hume]

For about 60 years we’ve been told not to bring attention to films like “Habit” which stars Paris Jackson playing a “lesbian Jesus” by protesting. For 60 years there has scarcely been a squeak from Catholics about TV shows that mocked our religion and portrayed priests and Christians as idiots or vile abusers, laughed at the idea of chastity, and undermined even the concept of decency.

And how has that worked out? Oh, right, by a vast numbers of Catholics leaving the church. By countless numbers who do inhabit pews being ignorant of even the real presence in the Eucharist.

On the other hand, what has the other side been doing? If anyone dares to utter even the slightest, most pathetic bleat against their views, then that person is hounded, cancelled, fired, browbeaten into submission, perhaps even threatened.

Catholics would hardly want to be that vile, but, clearly, it’s time to rethink the old “don’t bring attention to films, etc.” Any suggestions?

Your primary prophets seem to suggest “weaponizing” the fruits of the spirit.

“They will know us by our love”

You can’t argue someone into the faith. Apologetics is a defense-only game.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

On the other hand, what has the other side been doing? If anyone dares to utter even the slightest, most pathetic bleat against their views, then that person is hounded, cancelled, fired, browbeaten into submission, perhaps even threatened.

Catholics would hardly want to be that vile, but, clearly, it’s time to rethink the old “don’t bring attention to films, etc.” Any suggestions?

Bringing attention is what makes them more popular than they are. What are you going to do anyways since you don’t have the power to prevent things like that from happening?

It’s exactly where we can discuss how to try and stop films like this being made.

That’s not possible.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

But if we are “rigid” Catholics today and talk about hell, we may offend some liberal in pew that is living in sin and rejecting church dogma. The real question is if we are even about saving souls anymore?

Even if you did do that they wouldn’t be saved anyways.

 

[c4csp]

Yeah, it’s just tough luck to the 0.3% who die.

We are going to die from something. Why are we so scared to die? Do we have such little faith? The only problem we should be concerned with is being in a state of grace when we die. Having the churches closed does not help.