Occasionally I just feel like commenting on the news of the day with brief little snippets from my Catholic and personal worldview. Today is one of those days.
We start in France: Tax hikes and spending cuts.
75% tax rates on the rich as they are on the brink of recession? Huh. Can’t think of anything that could go wrong there…
We move to Spain: Spending cuts and increased taxes.
Spain’s on the brink of disaster, and there are rumors of secession of provinces and a rise in the power of Basque separatists. Increasing the Value Added tax isn’t as extreme as France’s move, and the government spending is going down 7%. At least they’re trying.
There’s no way that the Jewish vote can go Obama’s way after being the most anti-Israeli President since the establishment of Israel, right? Wrong. Jewish support for Obama is at 65%.
I fully confess that I can’t wrap my mind around this one. I guess since I’m not a Jew, I don’t appreciate how the American Jew weighs the different issues when determining who to support for President. But quite honestly, on just about every issue I can’t figure out how they weigh Obama higher than Romney. But I guess my bias is showing.
In a sad commentary of our times, an offensive, anti-Catholic work of ‘art’ is back on display.
Do Christians and Catholics storm the museum and vandalize it? Do we call for the head of the artist? No. And we should not. We should pray for conversion. We can take proper action: peaceful protest with proper license, letters to appropriate people to discourage display, and voting with pocketbooks is always an option. Prayer for conversion of those who would create this and display it is simply best, though. But, to be blunt, seriously… what idiot considers this kind of thing, in any way, artful? Art used to be for the purpose of beauty. When that is not its goal, it ceases to be art and instead simply becomes a political or religious statement.
Those who lament the mixture of religion and politics aren’t paying attention. Politics interjects its way into religion and morality and then those who do so pretend to be aghast at the response of religious individuals. But can the Democratic campaign be any more morally unconsionable? Obama e-cards about birth control.
It is worth quoting one of the e-cards here: “Dear Mom,” the card reads. “Mitt Romney says he would repeal the Affordable Care Act. So here’s a quick question: Can I borrow $18,000 to help pay for my birth control? Thanks!”
Wow.
I read all this and see a world in trouble. I see America in trouble. And this is exactly why our hope ultimately lies in something beyond men, politics, and even our own comfort and personal freedoms. We fight for these things because it is good and right to fight for them. We get involved in politics because it is our obligation. But when the tide of society is against you, there is one place to turn. And A LOT OF US need to be doing some turning!
Catholic Diatribes 