Please help me make sense of the world today

[Colorad007]

I’ve noticed that there are some astonishingly contradictory trends in contemporary culture–globally, nationally, and locally. On the one hand, I want to just throw my hands up and abandon a commitment to cultural renewal and transformation. But other things going on out there make me feel like, perhaps, things may actually be getting better.

Globally, Bl. Pope John Paul II proclaimed a “springtime of the New Evangelization,” but if you look at the Americas and Europe, it seems like we’re entering a period of savagery and barbarism, utter secularism and even paganism. Latin America is embracing liberal social policy just like we are here in America, and Europe is an absolute moral and spiritual mess. Yet Africa and Asia are quite alive with the faith.

Nationally, the Church is becoming, in its hierarchy, very passionate, evangelical, and it is quite orthodox. The pro-life movement is clearly making big gains throughout the country. Frank Newport, president of the Gallup Organization, notes that the country could be on the verge of a religious rennaissance in his new book, God is Alive and Well: The Future of Religion in America. Teens appear to be living more chaste lives. Abortion rates are dropping. And, yet, same-sex marriage is romping through America. We just had a campaign for president where free access to contraception was a major part of the debate. Birth rates and marriages rates are way down. Young people are clearly doing away with institutional religion. The president of this country has tried stripping the Church of its religious liberty–by forcing it to dispense birth control (or all things) to employees in various employment settings. Our culture is a mess, and a lot of smart people seem to think that America is on a big decline, mirroring the Roman Empire. A local priest quoted Cardinal George in Chicago who said something like, “I’ll die in my bed. My successor will die in prison. And his successor will die a martyr.” It’s getting bad out there. Really bad.

Finally, locally here in Denver, we have an archdiocese that is known around the country for being a hub for evangelization and orthodoxy. We’ve had Archbishop Chaput and bishops Conley and (now LA Archbishop) Gomez, and Archbishop Aquila appears to be following the same line of passionate orthodoxy. The Denver area is home to the college evangelization group FOCUS, as well as Personhood USA. We have a new Catholic graduate school and our seminaries are doing extremely well compared to other dioceses–and the priests in the archdiocese are relatively young, too. There is so much vibrant, devout Catholicism here. And, yet, Colorado just legalized marijuana and will likely, barring God doing something to stop it, legalize same-sex civil unions this year.

So what’s going on? Has it always been like this? There is so much great stuff going on in the Church, but it looks like everything outside the Church is getting way, way worse, and that the Church’s influence is minimal. I know, by faith, that the Christian apostolate matters in deep, supernatural ways, even when we don’t see it, and it matter in and out of the Church. But, what’s happening today? Are things really getting worse, or are we really in the infancy of a New Evangelization?

What are your thoughts?

 

[Rich_C]

Look up “Modernism.” It was not always like this, though there was always sin. Western civilization has been growing more and more astranged from Christ for hundreds of years, but only last century did the worst of it filter down from the intelligensia to the common people, through Mass media and public education.

Probably the West will continue down this road to the point where Christianity is not tolerated anymore. I think God is giving our society what it deserves. We reap what we sow. In the meantime, we have to do our best as Catholics to live the Gospel, so we can bring as many souls as possible to God, and perhaps turn things around. I don’t put much stock in the “New Springtime” outlook. The Church was gutted by the 1970s and 80s and we are just rebuilding what we recently lost.

Things are bad and will get worse, but this can be the crucible that makes saints out of people who might have been lukewarm otherwise. I think we need to focus on prayer and penance, and that’s my new year’s resolution.

 

[MarcoPolo]

It’s a fallen world into which grace was sent. Good battles evil. Without delving into minute detail, that’s kind of the gist of it, I think.

 

[Robert_Sock]

As St Paul states: “And we know that in all things God works for the good.” God has everything under control, and He alone has the power to change things. As stated on our American currency: “In God we trust!”

 

[Robert_Sock]

It’s a fallen world into which grace was sent. Good battles evil. Without delving into minute detail, that’s kind of the gist of it, I think.

You have got to be careful here. We do not live in a world of ‘good vs evil,’ which presuposes two Gods, but we live in a world of good and evil.

 

[MarcoPolo]

You have got to be careful here. We do not live in a world of ‘good vs evil,’ which presuposes two Gods, but we live in a world of good and evil.

Ok, but I don’t think my wording implies there are two gods. Pope Pius XI used similar language in his encyclical:[T]he struggle between good and evil remained in the world as a sad legacy of the original fall. (Pius XI, Divini Redemptoris, 2, 1937)

 

[kelner]

There is so much vibrant, devout Catholicism here. And, yet, Colorado just legalized marijuana and will likely, barring God doing something to stop it, legalize same-sex civil unions this year.

What did Jesus say something on marijuana and sexuality? What are the core beliefs of the Catholic church? Is the stance on homosexuality a core belief? Why the obsession on something, which should be at most a disciplinary issue of tertiaty importance?

Are your faithful rediscovering Jesus? Are your hierarchs too busy playing politics to see that?

“I’ll die in my bed. My successor will die in prison. And his successor will die a martyr.”

Put “Cloyne report” into Google for a different perspective on these words.

What are your thoughts?

The Church is eternal, but its form is not.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I don’t think what is happening in the west is strange at all. If we look at church history it becomes apparent that it thrives during periods of persecution and darkness. Yes, many leave and even turn against it, but the church becomes stronger from the inside. What is happening in the west today is pretty bad and I am not optimistic about its renewal any time soon, but it is hardly the first time that it has faced a massive crisis. As a European I see it as just another phase that demonstrates human stupidity, while Americans probably have a different view because the country’s history has been quite different and not so long in comparison.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Yet Africa and Asia are quite alive with the faith.

I’m honestly curious to know what sources you can cite to back this up. Actually living in an Asian country (one highly populated by Catholics) and experiencing it more up front, the cultural images we have of our own country and of our neighbors is still quite different.

Our oriental neighbors in the north and northwest are still dominated by paganism. The media influence that extends their popular culture to the rest of us is not something I’d immediately recommend to or discuss with conservative Westerners (particularly those of a traditionalist bent).

Here in the southeast, birth control polices are taking root and liberal support of them is only fueled by the PR incompetence of our religious leaders. Whatever political support we gain shoots itself even harder in the foot. It’s almost conspiratorial. Meanwhile, another nation close to us is regarded as a transgender capital. Meanwhile, our BPO rival India is still just as poor and still just as pagan. I’m starting to doubt if religion really has anything to do other than encourage the skewed perception that poor countries are spiritually richer.

I can’t speak for Africa but I am more unsure than you regarding Asia.

Then again, this is all due to just observations as an Asian Millennial. I simply base everything I’ve said on what I see on local TV, walking the streets, and making the occasional glance at daily headlines. Thus, I would really like to know where this idea of Asia’s Catholic religiosity is stemming from.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I would really like to know where this idea of Asia’s Catholic religiosity is stemming from.

Perhaps the poster meant that the Catholic church in Asia in general is alive with faith. I also think that, based on my experience of living here for just under a year. The number of converts is growing, Catholics who attend church have a sense of community and the faith does seem vibrant to me. All that you mention is true and the church is still a minority, sometimes a very small one, dealing with a lot of hostility. But it seems quite strong despite its size. Just my observation, I have no data or an indepth study to back this up.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Perhaps the poster meant that the Catholic church in Asia in general is alive with faith. I also think that, based on my experience of living here for just under a year. The number of converts is growing, Catholics who attend church have a sense of community and the faith does seem vibrant to me. All that you mention is true and the church is still a minority, sometimes a very small one, dealing with a lot of hostility. But it seems quite strong despite its size. Just my observation, I have no data or an indepth study to back this up.

Small but vibrant is still another image I find problematic, not admirable. It leads to another bad assumption that once persecution ends, the Church will stagnate. And if it will not stagnate, it will become oppressive.

This is something our opposition will take advantage of (and it has, given my exposure to the never ending flak RH Bill supporters here are firing). I may also suspect it is the reason why Catholicism remains to have a, er, eccentric image among our richer yet pagan neighbors.

Finally, let’s face it man. The idea of missionaries gaining ground in poor countries is another image that has not done us any favors.

 

[Porknpie]

I’ve noticed that there are some astonishingly contradictory trends in contemporary culture–globally, nationally, and locally. On the one hand, I want to just throw my hands up and abandon a commitment to cultural renewal and transformation. But other things going on out there make me feel like, perhaps, things may actually be getting better.

What are your thoughts?

Colorado-

It’s all about thoughts and secular society feeding themselves - thoughts - that do not involve or evoke God. Secular society either ignores God or rejects God. Arguments can be made which is worse but the fruits are disconnecting us from why we were created, to know, love and serve The Lord. Absent of God, man fills himself wth all kinds of thoughts outside of God. These thoughts fuel their beliefs (and of course attitudes are a function of beliefs) which are largely self-centered, and their actions which likewise are largely self-centered.

Hence the call to Catholics to evangelize and be witnesses to the faith, to spread the Word of God and the Truth in Christ that the Catholic Church holds. We need to help society change their thoughts…and give them some God focused things to think about.

 

[GratefulFred]

Well, we know two things for sure. First, the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Christ established. His Church as been attacked time and time again from without and even from within. It survives and thrives over time. It is the oldest by far and the largest by far of all the Christian churches that felt they needed to follow Christ in their own way.

Second, from time to time the branches of the vine must be pruned. The unproductive are pruned away. We may be seeing many unproductives pruning themselves away. We are under no obligation to follow their example.

I too worry about the changing world, about the steady march away from Christ to secularism. But, for me, the thing is that I STAY WITH CHRIST. I try to go one step further, I try to encourage my family and friends to come closer to Christ. Come what may, eternity in Heaven is my goal.

Don’t give up and do not worry. Be not afraid. Focus on Christ and the Sacraments.