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.
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.
“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 saw that last night. Thanks for posting it!