KKK and Catholics

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The KKK (to my limited understanding) would like to see all races kept separate. I have a family member who sees nothing wrong with this mentality and believes segregation should be a state issue. I try to avoid discussions with him regarding this because I know no matter what I say, he won’t change his mind and I’ll end up upset. We have very limited contact but I can’t avoid him altogether. My question is: What is the Catholic view on the KKK and are there any suggestions as to how to handle this situation more effectively?
 
I am unaware of any official Church view on the KKK specifically. The Klan is fully anti-Catholic, so common sense is that no Catholic would cooperate with them. As far as segregation as a topic, I would just avoid the subject with this person.
 
The KKK is an anti-Catholic organization. They have changed their charter to de-list Catholics as one of the groups they oppose, but they haven’t changed their behavior.

My grandfather, Captain Jack Clooney, and his brothers stood off the KKK at gunpoint in Lake Charles, LA. The church I attended when I was in high school, Saint Mary’s in Batesville, Arkansas, was desecrated and burned by the KKK in the 1970s.
 
Scottgun said:
I am unaware of any official Church view on the KKK specifically. The Klan is fully anti-Catholic, so common sense is that no Catholic would cooperate with them. As far as segregation as a topic, I would just avoid the subject with this person.
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It is probably little known, but the KKK were not just a Southern institution. The Clan was active in many of the Northern States as well.When I joined the Knights of Columbus just forty some years ago, there were active members, older guys obviously, who told stories about fights between the Clan and the Knights here in central Wisconsin in the 30"s. As a movement the Clan was and is extremely anti-Catholic, anti-Black, anti-Jew and I expect anti any of our more recent immigrant groups. Does it sound like a group the Catholic Church would like one to join?
 
More information for the thread.The KKK are not be-membered by the brightest bulbs.They are not known to be the sharpest knives in the drawer either.In KKK meetings the elevator does not go to the top floor.They are quite often known to be a hamburger short of a happy meal too.Speaking of meals,their tables are one place setting short of the dinner party.One can short of a six-pack, a deck of 50,a fork shy of a place setting.
I should know, I live just down the road from what is supposedly the last bastion of klandom in my state.
To be charitable though, they are some of the best conspiracy theorists around.They are also unparalelled in visciousness.and hatemongering.
 
sawman said:
More information for the thread.The KKK are not be-membered by the brightest bulbs.They are not known to be the sharpest knives in the drawer either.In KKK meetings the elevator does not go to the top floor.They are quite often known to be a hamburger short of a happy meal too.Speaking of meals,their tables are one place setting short of the dinner party.One can short of a six-pack, a deck of 50,a fork shy of a place setting.
I should know, I live just down the road from what is supposedly the last bastion of klandom in my state.
To be charitable though, they are some of the best conspiracy theorists around.They are also unparalelled in visciousness.and hatemongering.
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You left out the part about them being sneaking, back-shooting cowards.😃
 
Dear vern,
Thanks for the back-up.As my sons say,“My bad!” This a true story,when I was about ten,we lived in Georgia.Near Alanta.My Dad was an F.B.I. agent,and one day I over heard him speaking about the klan in Alabama,he said that the feds had so penetrated them that undercover guys were the only guys paying their dues!Without the undercover agentsthe Alabama klan would have dried up from lack of funds.Crazy world huh?I hope these undercover guy didn’t have to like,prove their bonefides too!
 
sawman said:
Dear vern,
Thanks for the back-up.As my sons say,“My bad!” This a true story,when I was about ten,we lived in Georgia.Near Alanta.My Dad was an F.B.I. agent,and one day I over heard him speaking about the klan in Alabama,he said that the feds had so penetrated them that undercover guys were the only guys paying their dues!Without the undercover agentsthe Alabama klan would have dried up from lack of funds.Crazy world huh?I hope these undercover guy didn’t have to like,prove their bonefides too!
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Well, you know a story broke a few years ago about a British mole in the IRA. To prove his bona fides, he had to kill a British soldier – so the British set up one of their own, and he was killed.😦
 
FYI, this site memorializes a little-known priest who was murdered (martyred?) by a KKK member (and Methodist minister, as I understand it) in Birmingham, Alabama in 1921:

The Father James E. Coyle Memorial Project

Back then, membership in the Klan was not socially unacceptable, and in the South, many civic and religious leaders were members. This incident, and the aftermath (the killer was acquitted at trial by a Klan-sympathetic jury) did not play well with the average citizen of Birmingham, and the Klan lost power after that.
 
I’m sure there is something in the Catechism which shows the Church rejects racial supremicism, persecution, etc. The Second Vatican Council, many Popes before and after, and many regional bishops conferences have all spoken against this issue.

As for segregation, as it’s commonly understood, the Church would reject it as it is grounded in the above grave errors. But not all segregation is always unjust–for example, those who harm public peace and the common good (like many members of the KKK do) can be justly segregated from the rest of society (this is usually done by imprisonment, but in past times they were sometimes sent to islands, etc.) However, simply being a particular race is never a just reason for forced segregation.
 
Genesis315 said:
I’m sure there is something in the Catechism which shows the Church rejects racial supremicism, persecution, etc. The Second Vatican Council, many Popes before and after, and many regional bishops conferences have all spoken against this issue.

As for segregation, as it’s commonly understood, the Church would reject it as it is grounded in the above grave errors. But not all segregation is always unjust–for example, those who harm public peace and the common good (like many members of the KKK do) can be justly segregated from the rest of society (this is usually done by imprisonment, but in past times they were sometimes sent to islands, etc.) However, simply being a particular race is never a just reason for forced segregation.
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I wonder how this teaching applies to segregation by choice? It is well known that races especially are far more comfortable in their own company.One only need to look at any locality that has a more than one race living in it.Blacks tend to congregate around blacks,whites with whites etc.This by choice and comfort of relations more than any other reason.Not racial animosity.
 
sawman said:
I wonder how this teaching applies to segregation by choice? It is well known that races especially are far more comfortable in their own company.One only need to look at any locality that has a more than one race living in it.Blacks tend to congregate around blacks,whites with whites etc.This by choice and comfort of relations more than any other reason.Not racial animosity.
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People tend to to congregate with others of like mind, etc. I think this is a freedom human beings can have. I think if one did it due to hatred or pride, then it would be sinful of course.

That however raises the question of forced de-segregation, as often happens in schools. I can see just reasons for it (to eliminate segregation due to unjust attitudes) especially since children who’s parents choose public school don’t usually get to choose the school anyway. But overall, I’m uncertain.
 
I can very easily see segregation by race in education being an action not associated with racial hatred. My alma mater was an all black school,and proud of it.To have been forced to segregate would have destroyed the character of the school.To no point I might add.
 
Was your alma mater an all black school because they refused white/hispanic/asian/native american students or because it was a black neighborhood and a neighborhood school?

Regarding another post, don’t you think people should be able to choose to live where they want and can afford to live? If they choose to live with ‘their own kind’ or not would be up to them. There’s an inherent freedom in being able to choose where you live according to your means. And, yes, you do see populations of ethnic/racial groups living close to each other…but then you see mixed areas, too. I think it should be up to the family or individual.

Regarding schools, in a perfect world where people were free of biases and every school had excellent teachers, involved parents and excellent resources, kids could just go to their neighborhood school and receive an good education.
 
So how would you handle it if your close relative (father, mother, brother,sister…) were in the KKK (or at least expressed similar beliefs)?
 
Nope…he was raised as a Southern Baptist. Now he goes to a non-denominational church, I believe…he’ll go to Mass with me when he visits. He has no affiliations to anything, that I can tell.
 
lwest said:
So how would you handle it if your close relative (father, mother, brother,sister…) were in the KKK (or at least expressed similar beliefs)?
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The way I do it everytime my grandfather comes around, dismantle him with wit and facts. Seriously, just keep your cool and deal out your beliefs/counter-arguement (the truth), they usually lose theirs.
 
Nope…he was raised as a Southern Baptist. Now he goes to a non-denominational church, I believe…he’ll go to Mass with me when he visits. He has no affiliations to anything, that I can tell.
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That explains a lot.

Do you know that the Klan used to send people to steal consecrated hosts for defacing them in their private meetings?
 
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