They’re coming for the Knights of Columbus

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Has anyone questioned the original premise, or notice there is no evidence provided, and no indication of who “they” are? I do not doubt that there might be some extremists who hate all people of faith, but I do not look for this to be an issue in my lifetime. Even if it is, that day is not this day.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34
 
If they’re coming for the KofC I say:

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Did someone say KFC?

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Oops, this belongs on the syrup thread… 🙃
 
The Knights of Abba Moses. I do believe it would be impossible to find a person who would complain about him being our patron.
 
Hear, hear. What I see here is a lot of outsiders who dare to tell the Knights of Columbus what is good for us, and how to run our affairs.

If any Brother Knight says we should change our name, then the path is clear: draft a resolution and pass it through your local Council, to the State jurisdiction, where it will be laughed out of plenary session, I mean voted up to the Supreme Convention. Stop kibitzing on a forum where your words have no effect other than insulting faithful Knights who have given our lives in service to God and to Holy Mother Church, in the name of Columbus, for almost 140 years.

Venerable Father McGivney knew exactly what he was doing when he took Christopher Columbus as a namesake. The Order was founded during a time of fierce anti-Catholicism. “No Irish Need Apply” was a household phrase. The Know-Nothing party held sway in government. Father McGivney knew exactly what it is like to be persecuted and hated, and he knew we are better than that. Plenty of people laughed at Columbus and told him he would never make it and be eaten by a dragon or fall off the edge of the world. And still they laugh, and we turn the other cheek.
 
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TheBomb.Com said:
Honestly, why not just change the name to that of a saint?
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Well, if I put forward Christopher Columbus’ cause for sainthood, and he were eventually beatified in the future, this wouldn’t solve the problem.

We’re Knights of Columbus, not Knights of St. Michael or St. Augustine. Our patron namesake was chosen very carefully for his role in American history which no one else shares. We find our identity as a Catholic American fraternity in our very roots, and for our particular mission, no other patron will do.
 
Anesti33 said:
If any Brother Knight says we should change our name, then the path is clear: draft a resolution and pass it through your local Council, to the State jurisdiction, where it will be laughed out of plenary session,
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Yeah, this is really making joining the Knights appealing…

It’s fine if people disagree, but if the vibe is “lol look at these oversensitive snowflakes” and dismissing concerns out of hand, then, yeah. Not an organization I’d want to join.
 
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RolandThompsonGunner said:
Yeah, this is really making joining the Knights appealing…

It’s fine if people disagree, but if the vibe is “lol look at these oversensitive snowflakes” and dismissing concerns out of hand, then, yeah. Not an organization I’d want to join.
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It’s not for everyone.
 
I don’t know the history of Columbus. From what I understand, he’s either a really really bad guy, or a really really good guy. If the latter I don’t see the point of changing. If the former…then I don’t see why changing is bad.

Also, is KOC tied to the States somehow? When I googled it just seems to be about charity, faith etc. Things that are universal.

I would have preferred it to not have any ties to Columbus as Catholicism is universal and I wouldn’t mind KOC to be worldwide. Would be better imo, if it had ties to a Saint rather than an American figure who’s controversial, but I guess this is an American thing. I’m not losing sleep over it, although I do find that this is just another example of how American Catholicism is a tad different to what I’m familiar with.
 
Lea101 said:
I don’t know the history of Columbus. From what I understand, he’s either a really really bad guy, or a really really good guy. If the latter I don’t see the point of changing. If the former…then I don’t see why changing is bad.

Also, is KOC tied to the States somehow? When I googled it just seems to be about charity, faith etc. Things that are universal.

I would have preferred it to not have any ties to Columbus as Catholicism is universal and I wouldn’t mind KOC to be worldwide. Would be better imo, if it had ties to a Saint rather than an American figure who’s controversial, but I guess this is an American thing. I’m not losing sleep over it, although I do find that this is just another example of how American Catholicism is a tad different to what I’m familiar with.
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The Knights have become an international fraternity, but in the beginning it was a strictly American one. Catholics at the time of its founding were still discriminated against and being accused of being un-American, and so the decision to make Columbus our namesake was largely in part to establish our American selves in relation to Christopher’s own Catholicity.

We’re not “just” about charity. We’re also about unity, fraternity and patriotism, and so the name of Columbus is incredibly important to us. Losing our identities as sons of Columbus will not help to make us more patriotic, more unified, or more charitable, nor will it strengthen our brotherhood.
 
I’m sitting here wondering bow many of the same people protesting the current push to remove statues and change names were cheering (or at least indifferent) when the Betlin Wall came down, when Leningrad changed to St Petersburg or when statues of Saddam were falling in Iraq?

Throughout history people seem to have felt this need to draw a line underneath certain events or periods of their history in these ways. It seems to be a way of saying ‘never again’ to the bad of what is represented.

Columbus? The man was controversial in his own lifetime.

He brought a mess of suffering and trouble to the natives of the lands he explored - in the name of enriching Spains coffers. He did not discover America, nor even set dainty foot on the manland US, and lived and died believing he had found a route to India rather than a new continent.

I can think.of a whole lot of better people to set up as role models.
 
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To be fair I’ve decided to read The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy by Kirkpatrick Sale.
 
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