A religion like the other great religions? A Christian heresy? A totalitarian political ideology masquerading as a religion? A hybrid political-religious ideology?
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What is Islam?
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Negativity: The Spirit of the Left
The spirit of the Left is the spirit of negativity. Any intellectually honest person following current events can see that the tendency of leftists is mindlessly to destroy for the sake of destruction what it has taken centuries to build. Transgressive of tradition and its wisdom, these 'progressives' are both hobbled and enabled by their presentism. Hobbled, because they know nothing of the past. Enabled, because their ignorance allows them to imagine themselves to be free of the moral limitations of humanity. Punks and know-nothings for the most part, they are unwitting agents of the demonic.
In Faust, Goethe gives Mephistopheles the following lines:
Ich bin der Geist der stets verneint!
Und das mit Recht; denn alles was entsteht
Ist werth daß es zu Grunde geht;
Drum besser wär’s daß nichts entstünde. So ist denn alles was ihr Sünde,
Zerstörung, kurz das Böse nennt,
Mein eigentliches Element. (V. 1338–1344)I cannot improve upon Walter Kaufmann's translation:
I am the spirit that negates.
And rightly so, for all that comes to be
Deserves to perish wretchedly;
'Twere better nothing would begin.
Thus everything that your terms, sin,
Destruction, evil represent —
That is my proper element.Vito Caiati (7/24) responds:
In yesterday’s post “Negativity: The Spirit of the Left,” which includes an excerpt from Goethe’s Faust and which terminates with the statement, “Punks and know-nothings for the most part, they are unwitting agents of the demonic,” you obliquely suggest a lien [Vito slips into French here: link, connection] between the ongoing leftist annihilationist campaign [against] the Western cultural, historical, and religious heritage and malevolent supernatural forces or entities. Am I right in assuming that this was your intention? Or are you employing the adjective “demonic” in a more generic, figurative sense to speak of evil?
I mean 'demonic' literally. It is not that the vandals are themselves literally demons, but that they are being used by demonic forces, the "principalities and powers" that St. Paul speaks of. Here is a short video by N. T. Wright on the meaning of the phrase. Leftism at bottom is nihilistic, and this nihilism has a metaphysical source in the rebellious spirit who "always negates" and can accept no legitimate authority. So what is playing out before our eyes is something very deep and metaphysical: Unseen Warfare. Or is that OTT, to use a going abbreviation?
Your question also raises the question whether there can be evil without agents of evil. Aquinas held that evil is a privation with no positive entitative status, a lack of good, privatio boni. A stock example is blindness in the eye: the blindness is a lack of sight. But it seems to that there is a positivity about evil that could only be accounted for by evil agents, with evil free wills, for example, the Antifa or BLM thug that blinds a police officer permanently by shining a laser in his eyes, as happened the other night.
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Is Grammar Racist?
It has to be. Whatever blacks and other 'people of color' are not good at is racist; blacks and other 'people of color' are not good at grammar; ergo, etc. This also explains why logic, mathematics, natural science, chess, self-control, self-reliance, deferral of gratification, pulling up your pants, etc. are all racist.
It is also clear that in this Age of Pan-Racism, when everything is racist, grammar, etc. is racist. Racism is itself racist!
Seriously, the Rutgers English Department is in dire need of 'cancellation' or at least fumigation. Here:
In short, the Rutgers English Department wants to make sure that students who come to Rutgers with a poor grasp of standard written English not only remain in that state, but come to believe that learning standard English is a concession to racism. I remember when keeping "people of color" ignorant was considered part of white supremacy.
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An Unedifying Spectacle
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Protesters?
BLM and Antifa members are 'protesters' in the same sense in which Rodney King was a 'motorist,' Trayvon Martin was 'a child on the way to the candy store,' Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri was an 'unarmed teenager,' and Adolf Hitler was a 'statesman.'
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What Black Lives Matter and Antifa are About
Matt Rowe (Headings added):
Black Lives Matter: Marxist to the Core
The three co-founders of BLM are Marxists to the core. According to the Capital Research Center, all three worked for front groups of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, one of the largest radical Left organizations in the country. Opal Tometi actively promotes Socialism and anti-Western socio-economics, while Patrisse Khan-Cullors has publicly stated that the leaders of BLM are “trained Marxists.” Even so, it is highly likely that most active members and supporters of BLM are not Marxists at all, but simply believe they are fighting for social justice. The various chapters and voices of BLM don’t always share consistent goals, but what they have in common is a general anger toward the government and its most visible arm, the police.
Antifa: Culturally Marxist
In the United States, Antifa is an anarchist group of mostly young people dissatisfied with various political and economic issues. Like BLM, they have espoused a wide array of objectives across the country and through time. They nominally believe that the country is heading toward Fascism and tout the election of President Trump and his “America First” platform as an example of that. Their initial radical anti-globalism and anti-capitalist rhetoric in the 1980’s, however, only got them so far into the public’s awareness. In joining the anti-racist cause, they greatly legitimized their movement and expanded their opportunities for activism. Antifa is not shy about its Marxist roots either; they have merely modified the traditional conflict of workers versus the owners of capital to “identity conflicts” based upon race, gender, sexual orientation, and the like.
The cynical manipulation of "useful idiots" by people whose concern is not black lives but socialist revolution
The organizers who manipulate these groups are without a doubt dedicated to their Socialist movement. They are sustained by people who may or may not support—or even know—their true objectives. It doesn’t matter what the masses believe, as long as they can be worked into a frenzy as needed. The leaders don’t really care whether the police are targeting black Americans—it’s only important that their supporters believe it.
In essence, the vast majority of BLM and Antifa members, as well as vocal celebrities, college and high school activists, and, yes, Bishop Doherty, make up what are commonly known as the “useful idiots.” That is, they are propagandizing for a cause without really understanding the cause’s objectives. They are cynically used by shrewd leaders to achieve an end state that they may have never intended. This is especially dangerous as we get closer to our national elections. The goal is to keep these people blind to the truth for as long as possible, or better yet, to eventually indoctrinate them into the cause as true Socialists. They are evil, and they are doing exactly what Father Rothrock stated in his message.
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The Priorities of Comrade Bozo de Blasio
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Defunding: The Most Effective Weapon in Our Arsenal?
When it comes to resisting the depredations of the Left, the best tactic is defunding/divestment.
- It's easy: just refuse to give money to your alma mater, say. When their bean counters make an appeal you simply ignore it, or explain why you will not fund opposition to your values.
- It costs nothing. No check to write!
- It is vastly more effective than any verbal protest. Money, or the withholding thereof, gets people's attention. But go ahead and write another blog post or letter of protest if it makes you feel better. It will be ignored by those who need to read it.
- No one, apart from the parties affected, need know about your refusal to play the chump. No worries about getting doxxed or otherwise harassed. But that ineffectual online protest you lodged could cost you your job. People have been cashiered for a Facebook 'like.' I kid you not.
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Did the Catholic Church Change its Doctrine on Usury?
A useful article on an intriguing topic. I take no position on its content, but merely note it for future reference, in keeping with my motto, "Study everything."
Did the Church’s change of teaching on usury constitute a doctrinal change? No. What changed was our understanding of the nature and function of money, neither of which has doctrinal status. Once the understanding of money changed, the sin of usury ceased to be identified in any simple way with charging interest on money. This is development, not substantial change.
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Do You Value Your Health?
Then you must be a white supremacist.
This Unsinn is beneath refutation, but you ought to be aware of it. It supplies further reasons to divest the so-called 'universities' and to never vote Democratic.
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Half-Way Cultural Appropriation
You appropriate our science and technology, why not then appropriate the values, virtues, attitudes, and behaviors that led to the science and technology? Here are some of them: hard work, self-control, self-knowledge, deferral of gratification, focus, protracted study, objectivity, rational thinking, coherent speech, respect for legitimate authorities, and so on.
Why the half-way cultural appropriation? Go all the way, and you will benefit yourself enormously.
There is nothing 'white' about the above values and virtues, attitudes and behaviors. After all, Asians implement them as well as Caucasians, if not better. They are normatively universal and good for everyone.
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‘Liberals,’ Graffiti, and Art
A 'liberal' is someone who has no problem with the defacing of public and private property with graffiti, which he considers 'art,' while holding that true art is 'racist.'
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‘Conservative’ Andrew Sullivan Gets the Boot
The defenestration of Andrew Sullivan by New York Magazine shows once again that for the Left one cannot be too far left. This is rich:
The latest study of Harvard University faculty, for example, finds that only 1.46 percent call themselves conservative. But that’s probably higher than the proportion of journalists who call themselves conservative at the New York Times or CNN or New York Magazine. And maybe it’s worth pointing out that “conservative” in my case means that I have passionately opposed Donald J. Trump and pioneered marriage equality, that I support legalized drugs, criminal-justice reform, more redistribution of wealth, aggressive action against climate change, police reform, a realist foreign policy, and laws to protect transgender people from discrimination. I was one of the first journalists in established media to come out. I was a major and early supporter of Barack Obama. I intend to vote for Biden in November.
My best Sully post, which attracted some very good comments: The Left Eats its Own: Andrew Sullivan.
I stand with Sully despite his mindless anti-Trumpery which is so extreme that he will, horribile dictu, vote for Biden come November! Can a puppet be a weathervane? That's creepy, sleepy, lunchbox Joe, man of the people, coal miner, and good Catholic.
Free speech! Open inquiry! Down with the Left! Long live the Republic!
We conservatives are the new classical liberals. The times they are a'changin'.
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Don’t Give Money to Your Alma Mater!
With few exceptions, the universities of the land have become leftist seminaries. Why give ammo to the enemy? Charlie Kirk makes the case for divestment in DivestU, a very short YouTube video.
Kirk explains his divestment initiative to Laura Ingraham in this two-and-a-half minute interview.
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Red Bull ‘Wokesters’ Purged
Here:
Red Bull just reminded their ‘wokest’ employees who calls the shots in a total massacre of “social justice warrior” employees.
Not only were the top two North American executives fired, but so were entire marketing teams and “culture” teams that were dedicated to pushing the lie of systemic racism.
Red Bull has just shown the way forward for all who want to prevent a total Marxist-style takeover of business and government in America. There is no appeasing these people, the only way forward is to fire them as quickly as possible, and with no mercy. Err on the side of firing everyone, if need be.
What this country needs, at every level of society, academia, and government, is a total and complete purge of ‘woke’ revolutionaries, before the blood starts running in the streets.
A step in the right direction. To fire is better than to fire upon.
Bill, One final complicating observation: The pacifist interpretation of Matt 5:38-42 has been contested in light of Lk 22: 36-38…