A View From the Pew

Well duuuuh!

"THE country's most influential Catholic has offended Islamic leaders for the second time in a month by declaring Islam more warlike than Christianity."

Supposedly Cardinal Pell said something controversial--- for the second time! I don't know---- from my point of view it seems his Eminence was just saying aloud what most of the rest of us know--- but are too timid to say.

Yes--- I do know that there are good, peaceful Muslims but there is no fudging the fact that, as Cardinal Pell said earlier, "the Koran was riddled with "invocations to violence", and Islam was not a tolerant religion." To which I would say both its past and recent history provide plenty of proof of Islam's attitude towards non-Muslims--- or as we are "affectionately" (tic) known --the infidels. In an Islamic world we would have three choices. We could choose conversion (impossible -- Jesus is Lord and Savior and there is no way I will deny Him). So that leaves submission (and living as a lower class without rights) :

"Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of truth, from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), until they pay the jizya (tax payed by non-Muslims) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." (Sura 9:29)

And finally the third "choice" which is death. The majority of Koranic texts insist fighting the unbeliever is mandatory. "Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and Allah's religion shall reign supreme." (Sura 8:39). Also Sura 4:84,89 says:

"fight in Allah's cause...and rouse the believers. It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of the unbelievers. ... They only wish you would reject the faith as they do, and thus be on the same footing as they. So do not take friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah from what is forbidden. But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them..."

Those wishing to obscure the violence advocated by Allah and his Prophet point to the rare passages in the Koran like "There shall be no compulsion in religion" (Sura 2:256) but the few such seemingly tolerant passages were written early in Muhammad's career when he still had hope that he could sway Jews and Christians to follow him. As it became evident to Muhammad that that was not going to happen the directives to subdue or slay those who refuse to convert quickly overwhelmed in numbers the few early verses to the contrary. History shows in every era violence towards and conquest of of non-believers has been the hallmark of Islamism. Eras of peaceful, tolerant coexistence with other religions is what is rare.

What is sad is that those moderate Muslims who do seem to seek to live peacefully appear to be held hostage by those who do not. How often have we heard the moderate Muslim leaders speaking out against those who perpetrate violence and war? How often have we seen the same moderate Muslim leaders publicly denounce acts of terror and and carnage? Not very often.

It was an eye opener for me when I heard that after the big terrorist bust in Canada over the weekend--- (CANADA??? home of the liberal and tolerant---refuge of draft dodgers and peaceniks--- land of near porous borders---open to all) that a group of moderate Muslim leaders called a news conference--- not to condemn those who planned to blow up buildings and kill hundreds if not thousands of Canadian citizens--- not to deny any link between their community and that of the terrorists--- nope--- they called a news conference to complain of intolerance because someone had thrown a brick through their front window......

Retrospective

I have been 'reverted' for almost ten years. As I navigated the internet in the early days searching for every morsel of information I could glean about the Catholic Church sometimes I would stumble upon this or that saint's prophecies. I'd read them with some interest--- probably more akin to curiosity--- and being unable to make any pertinent sense out of them I just left them floating in the far reaches of my mind.

Every once in awhile a particular one would resurface in relation to a current event but mostly they seemed like cryptic messages about things to come at some vague distant time in the future.

There are many similar themes---- warnings, tribulations, persecution, fire from the sky, darkness, rampant apostasy, heresy, terrible crises in the Church--- and of course finally renewal and triumph as the Church rises from the ruins--- smaller, more humble and radiant ----drawing many converts ----then a time of peace before the final battle with the anti-Christ and then the end of the world when Jesus returns in glory. 

While straightening out my book shelves recently I ran across Trial, Tribulation and Triumph by Desmond Birch. I read it years ago and most of it just flew past me. Just five or six years ago I found it interesting but not relatable to the times I was living in--- funny how that has changed in just those few short years. I have now reread most of it-- and this time I found myself thinking --- we seem to be living through many of these things right now--- or at the very least it is obvious the stage is being set for them.

For example--- back in the 1990's it still seemed implausible that the Church would suffer persection at the hands of our American government (religious freedom was what we were founded on---right?)--- I couldn't imagine the scenario leading up to it--- today it is obvious--- atheistic secularism and homosexual activism are feeding the anti-Catholic bigotry that has always remained just below the radar--- since the the days of "Knownothingism" when churches, convents and Catholic schools were burned. Just read the news--- Catholic charities and adoption, Catholic hospitals and abortion, Political leaders publicly threatening Church leaders to stay out of politics or else lose the tax exempt status--- Christianity and Catholicism particulary are slandered, misrepresented and shown in the most unflattering way possible in mainstream media and entertainment venues (Madonna for instance), celebrities attack the Church publicly--- like Elton John's recent (and completely ludicrous) statement that the Church, due to her teaching on contraception was responsible for the AIDS deaths of sixty of his friends---  (they were such good Catholics they apparently listened to the Pope's teaching in regards to contraception and condoms but somehow forgot the part about extramarital and homosexual relations!). We are even at war among ourselves in many places ("bishops against bishops---cardinals against cardinals")

I don't know about anyone else out there but each day that goes by I cannot help but see that we are living in very extrordinary times---dare I say prophetic times... I know one question that keeps nagging at me lately is IF these are the times Jesus spoke of (see Matthew 24) and prophets have warned about why did God want me here now at this particular time...

----that's a lot to think and pray about....

April 20, 1823

"I had another vision of the great tribulation. It seems to me that a concession was demanded from the clergy which could not be granted. I saw many older priests, especially one, who wept bitterly. A few younger ones were also weeping. But others, and the lukewarm among them, readily did what was demanded. It was as if people were splitting into two camps."

April 22, 1823

"I saw that many pastors allowed themselves to be taken up with ideas that were dangerous to the Church. They were building a great, strange, and extravagant Church. Everyone was to be admitted in it in order to be united and have equal rights.'

I saw the Holy Father surrounded by traitors and in great. distress about the Church. He had visions and apparitions in his hour of greatest need. I saw many good pious Bishops; but they were weak and wavering, their cowardice often got the upper hand... Then I saw darkness spreading around and people no longer seeking the true Church.".

April 23 1823

"I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church: I saw it increase; I saw heretics of all kinds flocking to the city. I saw the. ever-increasing tepidity of the clergy, the circle of darkness ever widening. And now the vision became more extended. I saw in all places Catholics oppressed, annoyed, restricted, and deprived of liberty, churches were closed.

...."I saw deplorable things: they were gambling, drinking, and talking in church.... All sorts of abominations were perpetrated there. Priests allowed everything and said Mass with much irreverence. I saw that few of them were still godly...

...the Catholic religion fell into complete decadence. Most priests were lured by the glittering but false knowledge of young school-teachers, and they all contributed to the work of destruction. In those days, Faith will fall very low, and it will be preserved in some places only..."

"But I saw also that help was coming when distress had reached its peak. I saw again the Blessed Virgin ascend on the Church and spread her mantle [over it]. I saw a Pope who was at once gentle, and very firm....  I saw a great renewal, and the Church rode high in the sky. 

Anne Catherine Emmerich 18th century