Posted on 10/27/2008 8:05:57 AM PDT by NYer
How many winds of doctrine we have known in recent decades, how many ideological currents, how many ways of thinking… The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves – thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth. Every day new sects are created and what Saint Paul says about human trickery comes true, with cunning which tries to draw those into error (cf Eph 4, 14). Having a clear faith, based on the Creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas, relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and “swept along by every wind of teaching”, looks like the only attitude (acceptable) to today’s standards. We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.
I felt led by the Holy Spirit to pray in this way the last couple of weeks.
I am praying with you to Our Lord!
Let’s do get a grip. First of all, the history - let’s not forget that the Byzantine Empire, which was the remnant of the Roman Empire, itself pretty corrupt and decadent, was mortally wounded when it was sacked and conquered by Christian crusaders.
Let us also not forget how corrupt the Catholic Church had become by the mid 16th century, which was why the heresies started in the first place. Then there was the Inquisition, under which innocent people suffered horribly.
There were two evil political structures at each others’ throats. It all worked out OK, because, as a result of the Turks closing off the Mediterranean to Christian traffic, Columbus discovered America, and it was gold from the New World that helped finance the Christian fleet at Lepanto.
Eventually, America, specifically, the United States of American, became a beacon of morality and of liberty, which led much of the world to freedom.
Back to your metaphor, if Obama is the Turks, does McCain represent the Inquisition?
Let’s do get a grip.
May I suggest we spend our time in Eucharistic adoration while O is mesmerizing the world with his half hour speech?
That is a superb idea. When is Hussein making his speech?
Pray the Rosary... Our Lady’s intervention is our best and last hope in these times. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
O sanctissima, O piissima,
Dulcis Virgo Maria.
Mater amata, intemerata,
Ora, ora pro nobis
Tota pulchra es, O Maria
Et macula non est in te
Mater amata, intemerata,
Ora, ora pro nobis.
Sicut lilium inter spinas,
Sic Maria inter filias
Mater amata, intemerata,
Ora, ora pro nobis.
In miseria in angustia
Ora Virgo pro nobis
Pro nobis ora in mortis hora
Ora ora pro nobis.
“The Holy League’s fleet, at about two-hundred galleys, was large, but still outnumbered by the Turkish fleet having about 60 more ships.”
The Holy League had six huge Venetian Galeass’ amongst their 200 ships which collectively carried close to 480 cannons which gave the Holy League nearly a 2:1 firepower advantage over the Turks. A typical Mediterranean shallow draft war galley carried two forward mounted cannons. Ali Pasha’s ships carried roughy 520 guns whereas Don Juan D’Austria had nearly 870 guns. Nonetheless this victory was still miraculous as the Holy League’s rout of the Ottoman Fleet was so complete with far fewer losses and caualties of their own. God blessed the outnumbered Holy League forces leaders with confidence and a superior strategy which caused great confusion among the enemy and put them in postions where the Holy Leagues forces were able to inflict the maximum damage quickly where their numerical advantage was not able to come into play. Lepanto is one of the greatest naval battles of all time.
I replied to a post that compares an election between two liberals to a naval battle between two evil empires, and you call ME a drama queen?
I saw that last night. Thanks for posting it!
Excellent suggestion for Halloween evening — I believe that’s the time, correct?
Civilization in the Balance: The Battle of Lepanto and Election ‘08
A Call To Prayer: This Lepanto Moment [Repost]
Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe
Celebrating the Battle of Lepanto
Clash of civilizations: Battle of Lepanto revisited
Lepanto, Bertone e Battesimo, Oh My!
Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval (A Mini-Lepanto in the Philippines)
Swiss Guards at the Battle of Lepanto, 7 October 1571
LEPANTO, 7 OCTOBER 1571: The Defense of Europe
I read Oct. 29th-primetime. I haven’t seen it firmed up yet.
Most people don’t know a darn thing about the Inquistion or the Church, it’s a handy, quick way to bash Catholicism, the stories of it have become so twisted as to be about as accurate as “The Da Vinci Code.” Which Inquisition? There were two, one led by the Church which was extremely benign (accused criminals would beg to be tried by a Church Court rather than the Civil Courts because they knew they would get a less severe sentence), and the later one, led by the State, the government of Spain, which is the one notorious for torture. Of course, because there was not separation of Church and State as we have today, I’m not completely exonerating the Church from cooperation with the Spanish authorities, and there were evil bishops then just like now, and also many who would not participate in evil.
I’m a Jew. I should mourn the Turkish loss at Lepanto. Spain, and rest of Catholic Western Europe threw us out, while the Ottoman Empire welcomed us with open arms. Furthermore, since the Spanish Inquisition was the bad one, and it was Spain that led the Naval coalition at Lepant, I should wish for the destruction of the Spanish fleet, as we did when reading about the battle in the English Channel in 1588. But it was what it was. Two civilizations, both of which would be considered monstrous evils by the standards of the USA of our lifetimes, fought a decisive battle. It was not the high water mark of the Ottoman Empire, the siege of Vienna perhaps marked that, it may have been the high water mark of the Spanish Empire.
To celebrate the victory of one side, because it labeled itself with a C, while the defeated side labeled itself with an M, is to place a moral superiority of the C over the M, which, at the time, it did not have.
Then to say that the election of 2008 is our modern day equivalent is to denigrate all the sacrifices in the real, shooting wars of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, in which we turned back real evils.
If there is any historical comparison of the 2008 election to Lepanto, it is that we have an evil candidate facing an even more evil candidate. At Lepanto, take your choice, in 2008, I don’t think you have any doubt.
I guess, then, it would be sort of pointless to say to you that it is a popular Catholic belief that the victory at Lepanto was won due to the power of God through the intercession of Our Lady of Rosary. But that’s what I personally believe, and I also believe that that the Catholic side WAS morally superior to that of the evil of Mohammedanism.
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