The Winning Strategy (Dr. Peter Kreeft)

[ZDHayden]

We all need to read this article by the brilliant Dr. Kreeft.

To win any war, the three most necessary things to know are: (1) that you are at war, (2) who your enemy is, and (3) what weapons or strategies can defeat him.

To read the rest:
integratedcatholiclife.org/2011/01/kreeft-the-winning-strategy/

 

[Los_Angeles]

I am at war with Dr. Kreeft’s strategy.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anthema.

 

[JimG]

I can’t help but quote this part:

“I don’t mean merely that Western civilization will die. That’s a piece of trivia. I mean eternal souls will die. Billions of Ramons and Vladamirs and Janes and Tiffanies will go to Hell. That’s what’s at stake in this war: not just whether America will become a banana republic, or whether we’ll forget Shakespeare, or even whether some nuclear terrorist will incinerate half of humanity, but whether our children and our children’s children will see God forever. That’s what’s at stake in “Hollywood versus America.” That’s why we must wake up and smell the rotting souls. Knowing we are at war is the first requirement for winning it.”

 

[Los_Angeles]

I can’t help but quote this part:

“I don’t mean merely that Western civilization will die. That’s a piece of trivia. I mean eternal souls will die. Billions of Ramons and Vladamirs and Janes and Tiffanies will go to Hell. That’s what’s at stake in this war: not just whether America will become a banana republic, or whether we’ll forget Shakespeare, or even whether some nuclear terrorist will incinerate half of humanity, but whether our children and our children’s children will see God forever. That’s what’s at stake in “Hollywood versus America.” That’s why we must wake up and smell the rotting souls. Knowing we are at war is the first requirement for winning it.”

If I may critique the quote you quoted: While I agree Hollywood puts out lots of garbage, I don’t think its rational to say the war is against Hollywood, its literally against the Devil.

Hollywood is merely a tool for good or evil.

After all didn’t Mel Gibson use Hollywood to produce the “Passion of the Christ”?

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.

 

[Roman_Korvinus]

You know whats funny about war? When you win you celebrate with pride, vanity and more to the point ego on your tongue. So when you do this how exactly was the devil defeated?

 

[david_friol_1]

excellent article!

 

[ZDHayden]

You know whats funny about war? When you win you celebrate with pride, vanity and more to the point ego on your tongue. So when you do this how exactly was the devil defeated?

Most wars are unjust and immoral, so it goes that sin in the victory results from a sinful war. This, my friend, is the spiritual war for each and every soul. I doubt the saints are proud or vain or egotistical, and they have won. In the words of Fr. John Corapi: “In the end, we will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period.” We either win and be with God where sin cannot be, or lose.

excellent article!

Dr. Kreeft is one of my favorite Catholic thinkers of today; he offers much insight from a philosophical perspective, but puts it in such a way so that the average layman can understand it.

 

[Los_Angeles]

Yeah Dr. Kreeft’s website is great! It has all sorts of stuff for free reading.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.

 

[JimG]

If I may critique the quote you quoted: While I agree Hollywood puts out lots of garbage, I don’t think its rational to say the war is against Hollywood, its literally against the Devil.

Hollywood is merely a tool for good or evil.

After all didn’t Mel Gibson use Hollywood to produce the “Passion of the Christ”?

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.

From the rest of the article it is pretty clear that Peter Kreeft agrees. The enemy is not the media. He puts quotes around the phrase “Hollywood vs America” to indicate that it’s merely a phrase that represents what we sometimes see as a battle in the culture war. But Kreeft agrees, and the article makes it clear–the war is literally against the devil. It seems the devil began winning just about the time that we quit praying Pope Leo XIII’s prayer to St. Michael after every Mass.

 

[mdcpensive1]

ZDHayden, thank you for posting the info on the article. I will use it in my parish and on other forums.

mdcpensive1

 

[JrsyRose]

Dr. Kreeft is a wonderful Catholic philosopher!

I try to listen to his talk “10 Uncommon Insights Into Evil from Lord of the Rings” once a month, as a refresher. Once a week or once a day would be better.

By the way, if any Dr. Kreeft fans can spare the time, I know that Dave Nevins - who manages peterkreeft.com - could use some help adding new tables of contents.

 

[Roman_Korvinus]

Most wars are unjust and immoral, so it goes that sin in the victory results from a sinful war. This, my friend, is the spiritual war for each and every soul. I doubt the saints are proud or vain or egotistical, and they have won. In the words of Fr. John Corapi: “In the end, we will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period.” We either win and be with God where sin cannot be, or lose.

Dr. Kreeft is one of my favorite Catholic thinkers of today; he offers much insight from a philosophical perspective, but puts it in such a way so that the average layman can understand it.

There’s just one problem with that. The war is fought in ones own mind. And second we are all sinners, therefor we cannot be in heaven. I mean after all God cannot erase what makes us us and still say that we deserve to be in heaven, for our experiencees have forged our very being. If we are erased of all sins then we are no better than the psycopaths. And God would have still let evil into heaven. I remind you to remember the second coming. How do you expect this to happen but through birth? Thus reincarnation. Born from the waters as it states. Passing through the gates of heaven, birth. Heaven and hell is on earth. The question is whether or not you are going to make it a place deserving of the title.

 

[ZDHayden]

There’s just one problem with that. The war is fought in ones own mind. And second we are all sinners, therefor we cannot be in heaven. I mean after all God cannot erase what makes us us and still say that we deserve to be in heaven, for our experiencees have forged our very being. If we are erased of all sins then we are no better than the psycopaths. And God would have still let evil into heaven. I remind you to remember the second coming. How do you expect this to happen but through birth? Thus reincarnation. Born from the waters as it states. Passing through the gates of heaven, birth. Heaven and hell is on earth. The question is whether or not you are going to make it a place deserving of the title.

That does not seem the most . . . orthodox . . . stance, but let’s not go into that here. It does explain a bit (minute things explain a lot about each of us).