Disrupting the Narrative of the New Left, its allies in Academia, Hollywood and the Establishment Media, and examining with honesty the goals of cultural Marxism and the dangers of reactionary and abusive political correctness.
THE NARRATIVE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”-George Orwell
Both Pope Francis' Good Friday service at the Vatican and the Stations of the Cross held at the Colosseum later in the day zeroed-in on the plight of persecuted Christians around the world.
"In you, Divine Love, we see again today our persecuted brethren: beheaded, crucified, for their faith in you, beneath our eyes, or often with our complicit silence," he said in a brief reflection April 3 following the Way of the Cross.
The Pope's remarks come one day after the massacre of 147 students – mostly Christian, separated from their Muslim colleagues at the start of the attack – at Kenya's Garissa University College at the hands of Somalian Al Shebaab gunmen.
Earlier today, Pope Francis condemned "this act of senseless brutality," in a letter of condolence to the Kenyan Bishop's conference, praying "for a change of heart among its perpetrators."
According to the letter which was signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father called on authorities to increase their efforts in bringing an end to violence, promoting justice and peace.
Earlier in the day, during celebrations for the Passion of Our Lord in Saint Peter's Basilica, papal preacher Father Raniero Cantalamessa also touched on the Kenya massacre, and other recent examples of Christian persecution.
Speaking also of the 21 Coptic Christians killed by ISIS last February, Fr. Cantalamessa said Christ gave them "the strength to die whispering the name of Jesus."
Muslim wholesale slaughter of Christians struck again on April 2 in Kenya. Gunmen from the Somali Islamic group, Al Shabaab - "the youth" - stormed Garissa University, singled out Christian students, and murdered them, some beheaded. A total of 147 people were killed in the attack - making this jihad more spectacular than the 2013 Al Shabaab attack on a Nairobi mall, which left 67 people dead (then, Islamic gunmen also singled out Christians for slaughter).
According to eyewitnesses present at Garissa University, the Islamic gunmen were careful to separate Christians from Muslims before they began the carnage of the former. After all, although Kenya is 83% Christian, it is approximately 11% Muslim. Joel Ayora, who survived the attack, said gunmen burst into a Christian service, seized worshippers, and then "proceeded to the hostels, shooting anybody they came across except their fellows, the Muslims."
Collins Wetangula, vice chairman of the student union, said he could hear from inside his room where he was hiding the gunmen opening doors and inquiring if the people inside were Muslims or Christians: "If you were a Christian you were shot on the spot. With each blast of the gun I thought I was going to die."
In fact, Al Shabaab has a long history of singling Christians out from among Muslims for slaughter. The following are just a few examples from Kenya that took place in the last few months, most never reported on any mainstream media:
December 2, 2014: Al Shabaab gunmen launched an early morning raid on quarry workers sleeping in their worksite tents near the city of Mandera, along the Somali border. Christians and Muslims were separated before the Christians, thirty-six of them, were beheaded or shot dead.
August 24, 2014: Al Shabaab abducted a group of traders near the island of Lamu. The militants eventually released three of them, because they were Muslims, but beheaded the fourth, a Christian.
June 15, 2014: Approximately 50 militants from Al Shabaab went on a killing spree in Mpeketoni, a predominantly Christian town on Kenya's coast. They chanted "Allahu Akbar,"killed whoever could not recite verses from the Koran, and went door-to-door asking residents their religion, killing those who answered "Christian." More than 57 people were killed, including six children of church pastors.
As the New York Times reports, Al Shabaab was happy to take credit for the gruesome attack and explain its purpose:
In a statement early on Thursday, the Shabab said that its fighters had attacked the university early in the morning, separating Muslims from non-Muslims in an "operation against the infidels."
In an audio message soon after, a Shabab spokesman, Ali Mohamoud Raghe, said the attack had been carried out because "the Christian government of Kenya has invaded our country," a reference to the Kenyan military's 2011 incursion into Somalia to oust the Shabab from its strongholds.
He said the university had been targeted because it was educating many Christian students in "a Muslim land under colony," a reference to the large Somali population in a part of Kenya that Somalia once tried to claim. He called the university part of Kenya's "plan to spread their Christianity and infidelity."
There is speculation that Al Shabaab is trying to spark a civil war between Kenya's Christian population and it's Muslim minority:
Like ISIS, Al Shabaab wants to force civilians into political extremism, delegitimize civil governance, destabilize society, and thus increase its own base of support. While Kenya won't fall for the terrorists' plot, its Christian population clearly faces a growing threat.
Widespread indifference to the violent persecution of Christians and other communities suggests the world is full of Pontius Pilates who eagerly wash their hands of all responsibility, the papal preacher said.
How many times the world witnesses other examples of "ecce homo" -- "behold the man" with so many "prisoners that find themselves in the same situation as Jesus in Pilate's Pretorium: alone, shackled, tortured, at the mercy of rough soldiers filled with hate," Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said during the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion.
"Jesus is in agony until the end of the world in every man and woman who is subjected to his same torments" he said in his homily during the April 3 service in St. Peter's Basilica.
Presided over by Pope Francis, the service commemorates Christ's death on the cross.
The pope began the rite after a silent procession down the central nave. Two assistants helped him kneel to lie prostrate on the floor before the main altar in silent prayer, a sign of adoration and penance.
During the veneration of the cross, after the homily, the pope removed his red chasuble and, in a sign of penance, placed a red stole over his shoulders, bowed three times and kissed the cross. Deacons, cardinals, bishops and religious then processed before the cross to genuflect and then kiss Christ's feet.
Following tradition, the homily was delivered by Father Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household.
He said the continued carnage in the world, including the "homicidal violence" against Christians and others shows the continued cruelty of which humanity is capable.
The Capuchin priest recalled that one Italian commentator had "the courage to denounce the disturbing indifference of world institutions and public opinion" concerning the current wave of people being persecuted for their faith.
"All of us -- organizations and people of the western world -- risk being Pilates who wash their hands," he said.
"Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the coming decades, but the vast majority of believers will be neither white nor European, nor Euro-American," writes scholar Philip Jenkins of Baylor University, author of The Next Christendom.
A few examples: Christianity grew from 40 million African members in 1900 to 100 million in 2000, and hasn't stopped; India has five times as many Catholics as Ireland, and China will be the country with the largest number of Christians in the world by the year 2050.
Secular scholars see this: Books like God's Century by Monica Duffy Toft of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and God Is Back by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge of The Economist are trying to figure out what that will mean. British geneticist Steve Jones sees sceptics dying out and religious people on the rise.
2. Believing Christians are Replacing Nominal Christians.
Meanwhile, in America, research showing Christian numbers in decline is a little misleading. Ed Stetzer points out that the data shows a decline in "cultural Christians" and "congregational Christians" but a rise in "convictional Christians."
In other words: The total number of people claiming they are Christians is dropping; the total number of people saying they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is growing.
3. Catholics are rediscovering Confession and Mass.
Meanwhile, among Catholics, there is a rise in interest in the sacraments. Many parishes that rarely offered confession have returned to regular schedules and the Church has gone through a long process of renewing the Mass.
In 2005, RealPresence.org's president, Mike Mortimer, estimated that there were 715 perpetual adoration chapels in America. The Vatican now estimates that there are 1,100 perpetual adoration chapels in America. More people are spending more time with the Lord than they have for years.
I don't remember encountering Eucharistic Adoration ever as a child or teen in the faith; now it is part of every youth activity my children attend from a variety of different groups.
5. Catholic youth movements are huge…
A movement's future is only as strong as its next generation, and so for Catholicism to have a future it has to have a youth movement. Catholicism does. Our most recent World Youth Day attracted 3.7 million - one of the 30-year event's largest gatherings ever.
At home, we see a pro-life force largely led by young American Catholics, which dwarfs almost every other activist movement.
I love the startled reaction of Nancy Keenan of NARAL when she stopped at Union Station in Washington, D.C., during the March for Life. She saw the young pro-life protesters and said, "There are so many, and they are so young..."
I encourage you to follow the link and read the rest of the list!
Shame on me: I assumed this WaPo editorial titled "Candidates who mock the law" was about Hillary. http://t.co/BP0ZMglhWl
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) April 2, 2015
Which statement most infuriates liberals?
1. Death to America!
2. Death to Israel!
3. I wouldn't cater a gay wedding.
— Dr Hugo Hackenbush (@MangyLover) April 2, 2015
Today begins the holiest and most important time of the Church year -- the Easter Triduum. It commemorates the heart of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Sacred Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, which marks the end of the forty days of Lent and the beginning of the three-day celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday.
The Triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.The richness of the rituals and symbols help us to experience the mysteries of Jesus' final hours, His passion, suffering -- and His rising from the dead.
In a special way, during these three days, we come together as God's people to remember the saving act of Jesus, the miracle of His resurrection – and to celebrate our faith and identity as Catholics.
Because Christ was willing to die for our sins and was raised from the dead, death is no longer the end of life for us. It is the beginning of a new life in Him.
If we are learning anything from the most baseless, absurd, and vile display of indignation to consume national attention in some time, it is precisely the opposite of the mob's message: Events in Indiana are demonstrating that religious liberty is more important than ever.
Presumably having trawled her pocket of Indiana unsuccessfully for someone willing to go on the record, Alyssa Marino, a reporter with the local ABC affiliate, published late Tuesday night a story about the O'Connor family, proprietors of Memories Pizza in Walkerton, Ind., population: 2,248.
Contrary to false headlines, Crystal O'Connor did not declare homosexual individuals unwelcome in her establishment, or declare her support for Westboro Baptist Church. She said, simply: "If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no." Saying that she supported Indiana's newly passed state Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Ms. O'Connor explained, "I do not think it's targeting gays. I don't think it's discrimination. It's supposed to help people that have a religious belief."
Because of her statement of belief, the O'Connors' establishment has become Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of a great many Americans. On Google Maps, Memories Pizza has been changed to "Gay Memories Pizza," with hundreds of reviewers posting single-star reviews and berating the O'Connors' "bigotry" and "hate." The same is happening on the crowd-source review site Yelp, where thousands of reviews have poured in from across the country (and even outside it), many with content that's NSFW.
In addition to the reviews, Memories Pizza's Google Maps result includes not a link to its website, but one to a gay dating website. And www.memoriespizza.com (again, NSFW) has been commandeered with pictures of phallic-shaped pizzas and links to the parlor's "app" - which takes you to the gay hookup app, Grindr.
That was enough for the O'Connors to close the doors of their shop until 4 p.m. Wednesday. But chatting with The Blaze radio host Dana Loesch, the O'Connors said that they are considering closing down permanently and leaving town, because of the number of death threats they have received. One of those came from a Concord (Ind.) High School golf coach, who tweeted, "Who's going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me?" That coach, Jess Dooley, has been suspended pending an investigation...
Thank you Oman for an amazing sold out show. Easily one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries I’ve ever been to.
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) April 1, 2015
@AndrewStilesUSA So is the apology real or an April Fool's joke on its own? I'm trying to put together my "Outrage! of the Day" piece.
— Barton L. Jacka (@bljacka) April 1, 2015
So Lois Lerner can:
1. Target conservatives for scrutiny
2. Lie to Congress
3. Destroy evidence
& walk away.
#TedKennedyAwardWinner
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) April 1, 2015
I doubt I'm alone in being sick and tired of the left spouting baseless accusations when they themselves commit the behavior. @ChadPergram
— Cindy Cooper (@CindyCoops) April 1, 2015
What we learned today:
Do what the White House wants (Lois Lerner) = No charges.
Go against the White House (Sen Menendez) = Charges.
— Tyler Demski (@TylerDemski) April 1, 2015
Gov. Scott Walker, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, is calling for Americans to join him in telling President Obama to walk away from the negotiations with Iran because it's a bad deal, will not keep Americans safe, and will endanger key allies.
He said, "These negotiations often seem highly technical, but it is important to remember why they affect the safety of all Americans."
Walker posted an online message on Facebook for Americans to deliver a strong message to President Obama – walk away from Iran.
The deadline for reaching an agreement with Iran passed Tuesday. The Obama Administration granted another extension for the talks, but according to Walker, there are new reports that officials are granting concessions to Iran that are substantial enough to harm American allies like Israel.
Walker warned that President Obama's deal could provoke a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, one of the most volatile areas of the world, causing more terrorism and aggression toward allies and America's homeland.
"Look at the worsening conflicts in Yemen and Syria, and just imagine if nuclear weapons were added to the mix. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it will take greater risks in the region and internationally."
"I hope the president listens to us," added Walker.
BREAKING: Hillary Clinton used her personal iPad & her BlackBerry to email her staff while being secretary of state http://t.co/hvZ8clARtJ
— News_Executive (@News_Executive) March 31, 2015
Revise & extend his remarks? Gov. Pence announces news conference at 11 AM ET on the religious freedom law he signed Thursday.
— Susan Page (@SusanPage) March 31, 2015
A law prof who supports gay rights explains why He believes everyone should probably calm down about the Indiana law http://t.co/bgZJwPseY9
— Billy Hallowell (@BillyHallowell) March 30, 2015
All I know is that in 99% of the coverage about the RFRA / Indiana thing, the only side of the story I heard was from the those opposed.
— RB (@RBPundit) March 31, 2015
Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration act is gay discrimination, pure and simple. You can frost a dog turd, but it's still a dog turd.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 31, 2015
