Random thoughts and how we got here

When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is…in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control.
----Theodore Dalrymple





When my mother was girl, you had to go find the freak show. Sometimes that meant going into the tent that said "adults only"  at the carnival or  getting in to your truck and going in secret three counties over to a shack in the woods . When I was a girl it meant going to red light district downtown. By the time I was in college you could comfortably go to the back room of the video store and find the freak show. Now, it's on our computers and in the check out line at the grocery store. Not only can you not avoid it but since the freaks are feted, petted and adored you will lose your job, your business or your "friends" if you say in the mildest terms that you don't want to stand and cheer. 




I have two problems with the Benedict Option and "podding". First, is a practical consideration. If you are all in one place it makes it easy for the bad guys. Second, the whole thing seems like it could turn cultish in a second. 



I was listening to a good, solid, bread and butter priest who mentioned in passing that he sees a lot of disrespect these days. He wasn't talking about heretics, or C&E Catholics, He meant people who consider themselves good Catholics. Are you the parish busybody? Are you an inadvertent stalker? You may mean well but following your priest around the Internet is a bit much....  Are you on the liturgy committee (get off now!) and have no problem instructing the priest how you want him to celebrate Mass?  Have you started acting like your "ministry" is the most important thing in the parish?  Do you corner the priest after Mass and spend 20 minutes lecturing him while everybody stands around waiting for you to leave? Have you ever tried to start a parish group without the priest's permission or even though he said "no"? A lot of people were burned by bad priests. That does not give you the right to make every priest miserable.