Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 300

The Deadly Seven

I have a weekly series for Lent on Catholic Online on the Seven Deadly Sins.  Here's the first article on Greed and Envy.

How Feminists Kill Themselves

Excuse me for the shocking headline, but this is what it means: this article in the Daily Telegraph reports that in the UK abortionists are performing abortions according to gender. This goes by the euphemism of "family balancing." Don't want another boy and the blood test shows your baby is a boy? Poison him, dismember him, use a chemical to flush him from your womb.



But of course, it is more often girls than boys who are unwanted. Asian cultures value sons rather than daughters and so it is the little girls who are more often killed than the little boys. Some balancing act.



I realize that the feminists are horrified that girls are chosen for the slaughter just because they're girls, but they must see that behind the gender selection is another horror--the devaluation of human life, and the biggest cause of the devaluation of human life in our society today is abortion--which is one of the main campaigns for the feminists. In their campaign for "reproductive freedom" they destroy both reproduction and freedom.



They may be horrified that little girls are being killed just for being little girls, but the pro abortion crowd are content for an unborn child to be killed because the "college aged mom needs to finish her education" or because "another child would complicate her career plans" or "we can't afford another child at this time" or a whole range of other reasons for her "choice". Indeed, for the radicals the woman's "choice" to kill her own child is so sacrosanct that she need not even have a good reason. Her freedom of choice is her reason, and so despite the weasly words we have abortion on demand for any reason at all. If these other utilitarian reasons (which no doubt seem very important to the mother at the time) are valid, and if the woman's "choice" is all that matters, then it is just as valid for a mother to kill her unborn child because it is the "wrong" gender. Why should any pro abort be upset?



Thus, feminists kill themselves. In other words, by supporting abortion they are killing the future feminists. The culture of death will die because it supports killing. Any culture of death will die out because it kills the next generation.



The problem with this is that it take time. The culture of death in Nazi Germany didn't die before millions were killed in concentration camps and a terrible war. The culture of death in Stalin's Russia didn't die until millions died in the Gulag and through starvation and miserable poverty.



We have to face the grim reality that through abortion the culture of death reigns in our Western society too, and if it prevails, our society will also die.

Series for Lent

I have a four part Lenten series starting over at National Catholic Register. It looks at four sets of modern "ism's" that are countered by the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith. Here is part one.

...To Dust and Ashes in Its Heat Consuming

Anglican hymns are the best hymns:




Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,
And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.

The Economics of Contraception

Tony Layne blogs here on the coming economic disaster as profligate living crashes into a plunging birth rate.

Gargoyle Code Excerpts

Crisis Magazine are running as series of excerpts from my book, The Gargoyle Code for Lent. The first one is up today. Go here.

Lent in a Tent

From the archives: Lent in a Tent.

Reasons for Renunciation

Hermit's Cave

Several times in my journey through this vale of tears I have been summoned to make a crazy sacrifice in order to follow Christ.



One of those times was when I left the Anglican priesthood to become a Catholic. We had a large house in a sleepy English village, two beautiful thousand-year old churches, a quiet life and a secure living. I could have hunkered down and stayed there for a very long time, walking the dog, reading books, raising a family and serving the Lord.



But I had to become a Catholic. So we left it all. We moved across the country where I had a job with a video production company that went bust soon after I joined (it wasn't my fault) and so I was unemployed. We lived in a little duplex. More kids came along. Things were not easy.



I'm not telling this to toot my horn, but to mention something bigger. It's this: when persecution comes to the church the only ones who will survive are those who have already learned renunciation.



If you just once give up everything for the Lord Christ you will never again be in chains. If you walk away from everything--just once in your life-- you will be able to do it again.



I have no recipe for how each other person should face renunciation, it may come to you voluntarily when you have to choose between your conscience and your job, or when you have to choose between being enslaved to a boss and an institution that has compromised the faith, or it may come to you through life's circumstances.



You may lose your job. You may lose your health. You may lose your marriage. You may lose your security. You may lose everything. Embrace it. This is your chance for renunciation. This is your chance to learn how to rely on your wits, your wisdom, your faith and your God, and you will find an inner freedom you did not know was possible.



What are the benefits of such renunciation. First of all, your own courage and self esteem and personal power will flourish. If you make an act of renunciation of your own free will you are given a new and amazing power and energy.



Secondly, through renunciation you claim authority over whatever it is that enslaved you. This is where renunciation of worldly goods through crazily generous giving will set you free. When you give an amazingly stupid amount of your money away you are telling your money who's boss. You are taking charge. You are no longer enslaved to money and the things and security you think it can buy.



Thirdly, renunciation reverberates. When you renounce something (even if it is in secret) that action of strength and generosity reverberates in the world. Other people notice your new found freedom. Other people follow your example. Other people live like you do, or at least they want to.



I said to my fifteen year old son the other day, "You know what? I don't care about material things. I really don't. We have a nice house and cars and nice stuff, but I could walk away from it all tomorrow. I really could." He thought for a moment and said quietly, "I'm like that too." See? Live the life even a little bit and it reverberates.



Fourthly, renunciation sharpens your spiritual life. When you renunciate immediately your true values snap into place. Suddenly you can listen to God's voice because a lot of the other clutter and noise has been thrown away and turned off.



Finally, through renunciation--freedom. This is why the friars and monks and sisters and nuns and priests are supposed to be poor--not because there is any particular virtue in being impoverished, but because through renunciation they are free. They can serve God not mammon. They can serve Christ the King and not their boss or their bank account.



This is why, when persecution comes only those who have already been practicing renunciation will survive. Only those who have already been living sacrificially will be able to make the ultimate sacrifice. Only those who have already broken their slavery to material things, to power and to worldly security will stand. That is because the earthly power will discover that they have no power over these brave souls. The earthly power will not be able to take anything from them, for they already have nothing to lose.



How will Americans stand when they have become so soft, so self indulgent, so egotistical, so enslaved to their material wealth and worldly pleasures? How will they be able to give up everything for the truth when they cannot even give up a little of their wealth and security and pleasure for the sake of God's kingdom now?



This is the real reason for renunciation during Lent--not just to give up some little pleasure or to enact some personal discipline.



It is to practice renunciation, for the purification of our souls and for the encircling gloom.

Heaven and Hell from a Bad Catholic

I'm kind of jealous because Bad Catholic over here writes in such a cool way and seethes with passion and uses language which I can't use 'cause I'm a priest and he makes me realize again why blogging is vital because stuff is written and published and read through blogs which would never before have been published by some boring editor somewhere who only  has his eye on what would attract the most readers in order to sell more advertising.



So read Marc on heaven and hell. Good stuff.



Meanwhile, here is an archived article from the Anchoress on how persecution emerged in the Chinese church, and what to look out for today. I especially liked this quote from a sermon by Cardinal Kung Pin Mei, who resisted the Chinese and was imprisoned for years.



"So we must not be surprised when persecution comes because it is a normal event for the Church to suffer persecution. Once, when Pope Pius XII received a group of seminarians in audience, he asked them how many special signs distinguished the true Church of God. They answered immediately without further thinking, "It is one, holy, catholic and apostolic." The Pope said, "There is still a fifth sign." The seminarians did not know how to answer. The Pope said, "Persecution." So, if the Church enjoyed peace all the time without any persecution, it would be very abnormal. It would be a reason for us to worry and examine ourselves lest anything was going wrong. Perhaps we were not living as faithful disciples of Christ? As persecution must be expected, it comes as a special sign of the Church and we should not try to make compromises or concessions of any kind in order to bring the persecution to an end quickly. We ourselves cannot take the initiative to create or arouse persecution. But if it comes to us one day, not only should we accept it readily from the hand of God but we should even rejoice and be glad. As the Acts of the Apostles records, ."… after they were beaten, the apostles left the Council, full of joy that God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." (Acts 1:41)"



And Elizabeth wrote: Look, liberty is not lost in a day. It is lost in increments and inches. Today you will not smoke in a pub – or smoke at all – even though those in charge might. Tomorrow the government will set your house temperature for you, while keeping their own set to their comfort levels. They will tell you how much money you may fairly earn, while "they" are not quite so limited. Next year your son will be forced to participate in mandatory volunteerism, and so will your mother. Soon you will be advised to abandon your hate-filled intolerant church for the approved and correct one. Someday, you may be asked to bow before someone and you will have to say "yes" and then live with yourself, or say "no"and live with those consequences. The banality of slavery…it is almost a tedious thing.

Just be ready, is all I am saying. And practice prayer – which is the most subversive of liberties; it can never be taken from you, and is a source of power and strength. Train yourself in prayer. Begin now, so that you are a fit, skilled practitioner when the need arises.





Good advice as we look forward to Lent.

Gargoyle Code - Day One

Here is an excerpt from The Gargoyle Code--the entry for tomorrow--Shrove Tuesday. There is a Screwtape type letter for each day in Lent.



So you have seen the excesses of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and got all excited have you? How amateurish of you to start frothing at the mouth with anticipation! How little you know your own patient! I have checked the files on him Dogwart. A lily livered Catholic boy in his mid twenties is not going to suddenly descend into serious decadence. Having gone to that Catholic High School, the enemy's agents have unfortunately honed his moral sense. As a result he's likely to feel guilty just thinking about a girl in a bikini, and your hopes of him getting 'down and dirty' as you so crudely put it, are nothing but ridiculous fantasy.





You don't seem to realize that little brats like him are actually repulsed by the more extreme forms of fun. The flamboyant decadence enjoyed in San Francisco and New Orleans is a bit rich for the little greenhorn. It's an acquired taste dear boy! Too much too soon and they run away. You need to lead them downward slowly but surely.



Ignore Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday—whatever you want to call it. You may get him to take a few risks at a party or overindulge in some way, but the most predictable result of your bringing Fat Tuesday to his attention is that he will most certainly remember that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and what we don't want him to do is attend Mass and go through that ridiculous ceremony where they smear ashes on their heads.



Block the whole thing out of his head Dogwart. Remind him of a television program he wants to watch, then get him to sit there all night and watch whatever banal trash comes on the screen. Make sure he has a big bag of snacks and a half gallon of ice cream. Once he's sated he might sit there for hours simply hopping from one channel to another. Get him into this state of mind Dogwart, and keep him there, and he'll be yours forever. Make sure he does this alone. Before long he'll be in a downward spiral of loneliness and depression, and then you can really have some fun.



In my younger days I had several patients who might have accomplished great things for the enemy, but I succeeded in getting them to fritter away literally years of their lives watching mindless drivel on television. In the end their brains were fried very nicely and they not only stopped having creative thoughts, they stopped thinking altogether. Both of them grew enormously obese, missed the chance of marriage and one of them eventually descended into depression and blew his brains out. Messy for the cleaning lady, but satisfying; very satisfying indeed.



I know this sort of tempting is boring at first Dogwart, but persistence yields great rewards. Babylon wasn't built in a day! We must learn to accept some drudgery as part of the price of our freedom. I realize that these souls are utterly boring, and when they finally make it onto our menu they are bland and tasteless. Never mind; we must all earn our bread and butter dear boy.



If you order today you won't get it in time to start with Lent, but you can catch up real quick! Go here.