Category Archives: secularism

Deacon Roger & Helena Cartier–A Catholic Love Story for Us All to Honor

March 7, 2017catholic, christian, commentary, permanent diaconate, Pope Francis, secularism, St. John Paul IILarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

St. John Paul II said, “Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family – a domestic church.”

The sainted Holy Father was referring to people like Roger and Helena Cartier when he made that statement. That is because this couple did, in fact, create a domestic church when they took their marriage vows so long ago. These two people, this man and woman, are a Catholic love-story not only for today but for all time. That is because they made the ultimate commitment to each other, emptied themselves for each other and never looked back.

Secularism has convinced many the world over that marriage is what “you” want it to be, with whomever you want to be with. It also proclaims those of the Judeo-Christian faith have NO love in their cold hardened hearts. This secularistic atmosphere has cut deeply into the very fabric of our society and wounded it severely. That fabric is the family. And the family is the very nucleus of a nation.

Spread across the landscape of our society are many well-springs of marriage and family. These homes have one predominant thing in common. God is the essence and focal point of their lives. Roger and Helena are the patriarch and matriarch of one of those families.

Roger is a retired letter-carrier. He is also an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church. This past February 12, Roger and Helena celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. Roger will be 91 years old in June and Helena trails him by a few years.

The Deacon is a World War II veteran. He got into the post office after he and Helena were married. A few years after that he became quite active in the Knights of Columbus. He rose to the position of District Deputy giving him oversight of many K of C councils in the Connecticut area. Then his good friend, Father Kuzdal, suggested to Roger that he should apply to the Permanent Diaconate. Roger was horrified. He believed he was highly “unqualified” to do this.

What Roger and Helena did not realize at the time was that God had chosen both of them. Just as Mary Magdalene was there to help the apostles, Helena would be there to help her husband in a ministry that required ordination into the Sacrament of Holy Orders. They had embraced themselves with each other’s love and wrapped their Catholicity around it creating the “domestic church” that St. John Paul II spoke of. God wanted the two of them because without each other, this would never have worked.

Deacon Roger told me how close he was to leaving the diaconate program. All the other candidates were college graduates, seemingly well versed in scripture and well spoken. He was sure he had no business being in such “lofty” company. He went to Father Kuzdal and voiced his concerns. Father looked at him and said, “Roger, you have a quality these other fellas do not have. You are a natural listener. You have a gift. You do belong here.”

The final confirmation came from his partner in love and life, Helena. She agreed with Father Kuzdal and in 1986, L. Roger Cartier became Deacon L. Roger Cartier. He was ordained in the Diocese of Norwich, CT and remained there for a year. Then it was on to Pinellas County, Fl where he served until his recent retirement from ministry.

Deacon Roger assisted quietly and efficiently over the years always being there when needed. He was the spiritual director of The Legion of Mary, the spiritual director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, he was always Santa Claus at the Christmas parties, he visited the school frequently, talking to the kids about “being Catholic”.

He was always available for Stations of the Cross, or Benediction and novenas. Roger visited the funeral homes when folks passed, did internments at the cemetery and always spent time with the families. He was a constant fixture at the local hospital and nursing homes. He also presided over weddings, (mine included), and performed Baptisms.

The one thing that was most noticeable (at least to me) was the “one on one” conversations he always seemed to be having with someone. This is where Father Kuzdal, so many years earlier, had profiled Roger Cartier perfectly. The man was a “listener”. People sought him out specifically for that reason. And they still do.

Deacon Roger and his Helena have three daughters, nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. They are truly a “domestic church” within our midst. As for me, it is my honor and privilege to know them. As for all those who do not, comfort in the fact that people like Roger and Helena are always among us. Goodness does exist and it holds in its arms many a “domestic church”.

“The union of man and woman in marriage [is] a unique, natural, fundamental and beautiful good for persons, communities, and whole societies.”

Pope Francis: Rome, Italy, November 17th, 2014

Valentine’s Day is Overshadowed by Pride

February 13, 2016God, hate, Jesus Christ, Judeo/catholic/Christian, love, love and forgiveness, NO, pride, secularism, valentine's DayLarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

Valentine’s Day is here. It is supposed to be all about Love. Yet beyond the heart covered Valentine cards, the flower bouquets and candy and all of that, we must, as unpleasant as it may be, recognize what we truly have going on this Valentine’s Day of 2016. Yes, make no mistake, Love is under attack this Valentine’s Day and hatred seems to overshadow the Lovein the air.

Love is all about “Giving”, isn’t it? Christ loved us and GAVE His life for us. Now that is some serious “Giving”. Most followers of Christ do their feeble best to follow His message. But—enter the deadly sin of pride. There is the demon that can grab us in its powerful grip and oftentimes, never let go. The great sin of pride is characterized by all those who seize onto words such as, hurt, libel, disrespect, impolite, mocked, uncivil, rude and the list can go on and on and on.

How sad it is that pride can destroy so much, from family relationships, to friendships, to nations. Whenever our “personhood” is offended by someone else, all that Love can vanish like a puff of smoke in a windstorm. (Have you seen the “Love” extended by the candidates toward each other in the presidential debates?)

Oh well, it is part of God’s gift of free-will allowing each and every one of us to make choices. Some of us can forgive and “turn the other cheek”. Others—no way.

Today it seems that Pride* has filled the hearts of many to a point where these people, so consumed, now HATE unconditionally. What many of them hate most is one word and what it means. That word is made up of only two letters. That word is NO. They want no-one dare telling them what to do or how to behave. They have embraced secularism (defined as: a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship).

Here is their problem: Judeo/Catholic/Christian has boundaries. Christianity tells us what God wants us to do and what NOT to do…why, the NERVE of Him! So, many Secularists (not all) take it to another level in their personal, selfish requests to abolish the influence of institutions that have the temerity to say NO to certain behaviors. They even reject “natural law” for their own personal agendas.

Catholic/Christians are the most persecuted people on earth. Why is that? Why is there such hatred by so many toward something that is all about goodness and love? All Christians (including 1.2 billion Catholics and 800 million Protestants of varied denominations) follow Jesus Christ. That is 2 billion people or two thousand million people who follow His teachings and His promise of Eternal Life. What is the crux of His teachings? Well now, the bottom line is this, LOVE your NEIGHBOR & FORGIVENESS. Yeah, yeah, I know that many who proclaim to follow Jesus do not even make an attempt to Love their Neighbor or Forgive anyone for anything. How powerful is the sin of pride?

The Prideful rant against Christmas which is all about “giving”. They rail on about using the name of God in schools and at sports events. They want Crosses at cemeteries taken down from the graves of fallen soldiers. In many cases those who hate Christians kill them. Men, women and children die every day in different parts of the world simply because they are followers of Jesus. How can Love & Forgiveness be things to hate? How powerful is the sin of pride?

Well, nothing has changed since Jesus walked the earth two thousand years ago. He preached Love & Forgiveness so they beat Him, tortured Him and killed Him. The loving crowds who screamed “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday turned fickle and screamed “Crucify Him” the following Friday. The list of people murdered for following Jesus over the centuries (including his own apostles) is countless. Being a Catholic and Christian was never supposed to be easy. Jesus Christ did nothing but Love us, each and every one of us. Look what happened to Him. How powerful is the sin of pride?

So, on this Valentine’s Day, the question to be considered might be this. What is Love? The answer can be found in the Bible in the First Letter of John; Ch 4: 16-17. “We have come to know and believe in the love God has for us. God IS Love, and whoever remains in Love remains in God and God in Him.

Sadly, on February 14, 2016, the war on Love increases in intensity.

*Pride: There are two kinds of pride; negative pride and positive pride. This column references negative pride aka ‘selfishness’ or ‘meism’. Positive pride is the good pride we take in working hard to do our best while loving our neighbor.

Why Do Some People Hate God? Because God has Rules

January 10, 2016catholic church, commentary, faith, Fall of Roman Empire, God, Jesus Christ, Pope, Satan, secularism, Secularo, seven deadly sins, St. Paul, the BibleLarry Peterson

It Makes Sense To Me

By Larry Peterson

How did this principle of ethics and morality based on the Ten Commandments and Natural Law somehow become a pariah to so many? Why would anyone want to remove the words, “under God”, from the Pledge of Allegiance or the name of God from our coins or government buildings? What has happened in America? How did these principles ever become inverted? God is GOOD, right? God is LOVE, isn’t HE?

There are many of the self-absorbed who do not agree. They hate God because God has RULES. The primary one is called The Golden Rule.

In today’s self-indulged secular world anyone who might suggest that a particular behavior is “immoral” or “sinful” is branded and vilified as intolerant and uncaring. This progressive slander has climbed the “selfish” ladder reaching as far up as to the Pope, the Vicar of Christ on Earth. How pompous and pride-filled this is.

Fall of the Roman Empire

Only the new age secularists would have the audacity to spin a narrative proclaiming their inverted “virtue” is GOOD and the concept of self-denial is SINFUL. This is the work of fools who have allowed themselves to be dragged down into a world of hedonism. (They may want to look into the history of the collapse and Fall of the Roman Empire).

If any of you remember the comic book version of Superman, on occasion, the “Man of Steel” used to get stuck in Bizarro World, a place where everything was backwards. Up was down and hello meant good-bye. Even the planet, Htrae, (Earth backwards), was shaped like a cube. The world was inverted. It is the same with the insanity of inverted secular virtue. I call this new, hedonistic world where self-gratification and self-indulgence are the rule, “Secularo”. The favored rule on Secularo is the “Anchor Rule”. It just drags you down and down.

On Secularo killing is “Good” and if you stand against it you are bad. For instance, take abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and partial-birth abortion. The church says NO! On Secularo the Church is now bad. Fornication and people “hooking up” for one-night stands is heralded as “Good”. The church says NO and is declared intolerant. Same-sex marriage is honored as a sacred right. On Secularo, if people disagree, they are declared homophobes. Many are convicted of “hate” crimes and incarcerated

Eventually, most of these “problems” cease to exist on Secularo. For example, there is no longer an issue concerning divorced and remarried Catholics who want to receive the Holy Eucharist.Why? Because there is no church. It has been outlawed as un-Secularistic. It has gone underground and attending Mass can result in imprisonment or even execution (see China). Finally, the existence of these things is removed from all Secularo historical references. The following generation has no clue as to their past.

The pre-cursor to Secularo is our very own Earth. Many today consider the church as intolerant and insensitive and out of touch with the modern world, needing to become part of the 21st century. Homosexuals demand to be married in the Church. The Church says NO! That marriage is between a man and a woman ONLY. Satan screams from his evil world to his followers,’Say YES! YES! YES!” And there are even some clergy within the church who parrot the “YES! YES! YES!” Bottom line, Secularo World is ruled by hate. Satan is Hate

There are other Christian denominations that have succumbed to outside pressures and reworked their “teachings” to accommodate the demands from future Secularo. They have been praised as “progressive” and “in touch” with the needs of the progressive citizens of their time. Their mission was to save souls for Christ and guide these souls to their Eternal Reward in heaven. They have failed in this mission joining the ranks of those marching dow
n the path to perdition.

But the Catholic Church has not caved into the demands and pressures of pre-Secularo World. Satan HATES this more than any of us can imagine. That is why the Catholic Church is Satan’s immortal enemy.

The Catholic Church still teaches that there are Seven Deadly Sins. They are pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth aka laziness. Note the key word in describing these sins is the word “deadly”. The Church teaches that these sins can destroy the soul of anyone who might indulge these human appetites. On Secularo, these seven deadly sins are honored and rewarded. Therefore the Church is the enemy of the state.

On Secularo the church will be mocked and laughed at for suggesting these actions offend God. The rationale is simple; the act(s) are acceptable because the individual committing one of these sins is just being human and God made us that way and wants us to be “happy”. It follows that the acts are NOT sinful. See how inverted one can get. If you subscribe to that concept SATAN wins. But never forget that the church also offers forgiveness for falling prey to these sins and redemption is always a contrite, heartbeat away. Satan hates this more than anything.

It is time to start looking hard at the Bible. And we might start by going to St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Chapter 6: 16-17.

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,

To quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit,

which is the word of God.

The World; Yesterday and Today–The Bible Covers It All

August 31, 2015abortion, cathechism, catholic, commentary, euthanasia, gospel, marriage, meism, Planned Parenthood, same-sex marriage, Scripture, secularism, St. Matthew, the Bible, transgenderingLarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

As a cradle Catholic who went to twelve years of Catholic school “waaaaay” back in the ’50s and ’60s, I can say without hesitation that my education in the Bible and about the Bible and of the Bible was almost non-existent. The Catechism with its nays & yays and right & wrong dominated the conversation. However, over the past ten years or so I have come to honor and respect the Bible. It took me all those decades to realize how profound and so magnificently in our faces with truths this book, written so long ago, is. The seven Wisdom books alone are worth more than all the jewels on Pharaoh’s crown.

Back to the ‘truths’ I mentioned. The other day, August 26, the gospel reading was from Matthew 23: 27-32. I believe this gospel actually references today’s world and the egotistical and self-centered mindset that so many people have embraced. Countless people have stomped on the goodness within God’s creation by choosing to grasp onto the secular banner of “meism.” The Bible has their number–literally. It had it then and it has it now.

For me, as a writer, the Bible also has the best writing prompts…especially if you are having trouble getting the words to flow from your brain to the screen or paper. The Gospel reading from August 26 is a prime example of how my brain can get ‘jump-started’. This jolt came from Matthew 23: 27-32. (I’m just using 27 -28.) Here it is:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”

There are actually seven “Woe to you” paragraphs in Chapter 23. I quoted number six because it was part of the Gospel reading for the day. Anyway, the first thing that came to mind was Planned Parenthood. Think about it: “beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.” I immediately thought of the people destroying the lives of babies and joking about it. I thought of all those defending this organization and insist that those who would vilify it are taking away women’s health protections. There are many in high places that certainly appear beautiful on the outside and, since I do not get to look inside, I can only imagine. I do know this: abortion is the Holocaust of the last four decades.

In America, marriage between a man and a woman is being denigrated by the beautiful, sophisticated, upscale and highly civilized secular community. Same-sex “marriage” is hailed as a right and the enhancement of freedom. Rejecting one’s God-given sex and deciding to change to the opposite sex is hailed as heroic and courageous. Legalizing euthanasia has taken root in Europe and in America. In Belgium they now permit childhood euthanasia. I could go on and on but you all know what has and is happening. And many of those who proclaim Catholicism as their faith approve of these practices.

I am amazed that it has taken me so long to realize the magnificence and page-to-page wisdom the Bible holds. So much of Scripture defines the present. It describes us and our world. It tells us how and where are journey began, where it has taken us, and where we are going. It is a great gift and I shall never ignore it again. It is also the one and only book I will reference when seeking out writing prompts. The Bible has it all. If you have not tried you should check it out. It is a GREAT READ.

Childhood Euthanasia: IsThis Secularism's Final Nail into the Casket of God's Natural Law?

October 1, 2014Belgium, catholic, child euthanasia, commentary, Death with Dignity Act1997, euthanasia, God, King Philippe, Natural Law, secularismLarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

by Larry Peterson

I think that the plague of secularism that has engulfed the entire world possibly reached its optimal success last February. The highly civilized country of Belgium passed a law allowing children to choose to euthanize themselves. The final seal of approval was placed on this bill by none other than King Philippe himself. Yes, the Roman Catholic King of Belgium, Philippe Louis Leopold Marie, signed the bill making it official. Belgian children can kill themselves if they have “good reason”. (They also need a physician, a psychologist, and the parent(s) to approve their request).

I, like King Philippe, am also a Roman Catholic. I know many people who are Roman Catholics . You know what? Ironically, much of the anti-Catholic sentiment comes from those who say they are Catholic. Many approve of abortion, contraception and gay marriage. Heck, Belgium is a 75% Catholic country and they voted by a 2 to 1 majority for the Child Euthanasia Law. But you cannot pick & choose what parts of the faith you like and do not like, especially when it comes to the sanctity of life.

It is NOT easy being Catholic and God knows that. So all He asks us to do is try, try every day. We Catholics have confession for a good reason and that is because we are always messing up. But then you have the secularized Catholics, an oxymoron if ever there was one. You cannot truly “love your neighbor” if you, conditions permitting, would sanction death whether through abortion or euthanasia. The sanctity of life is God-given. God has the power to give life and to take life. Whenever did so many of our species get so smart that laws were enacted giving people the individual “right” to end the God-given life of someone else?

This, my friends, is an abomination of the Natural Law which was established by God and is “naturally” ingrained in each of us. We instinctively know what is right and what is wrong. C’mon, you know you do. But how many of us go against the Natural Law because we have been desensitized to the point that we delude ourselves into thinking something ‘unnatural’ is okay because it has been legalized. Adhering to Natural Law often times involves self-denial. However, secularism is the twisted religion of self-gratification. To hell with self-denial.

There are many high profile secularized folks who also call themselves Catholics. Let us start with King Phillipe of Belgium. He calls himself a Catholic but signs a law allowing children to kill themselves. Sorry King, you cannot have it both ways and you are supposed to set example. The church you belong to rejects euthanasia as intrinsically evil. You, therefore, have rejected Catholicism. You are a secularist and so are all those who helped pass the bill that you signed. End of story.

The State of Oregon passed the “Death with Dignity” Act in 1997. Washington, Montana and Vermont have also passed Euthanasia laws. Belgium passed their euthanasia law in 2002, the second highly civilized nation to do so (The Netherlands was first). In 2011, 1133 cases of euthanasia were reported in Belgium. In 2012, 1432. That figure represents 2% of all deaths in that country. Statistics show that the suicide rate of those who have undergone sex change surgery is as high as 31%. Why such despair? Why such hopelessness?

I really believe it is because many have the misguided and illogical notion that our happiness depends on “things”. Good health, money, position and material goods have become the god that never satisfies. Worshipping those things are the violation of the God’s First Commandment. Secularism honors the god of hopelessness and despair. The God of mercy and love has been rejected for a false god. And, after all those self-inflicted deaths, they pass a euthanasia law for children. How sad this is.

King Philippe is one of many highly placed people who have embraced secularism and then pretend that they are being virtuous by giving approval to all things for all people. Legalization of drugs, of abortion, of euthanasia, of same-sex marriage, are all the result of a civilized society that has deluded itself into a false happiness. This false happiness is never attained and ultimately leads people off a cliff into a sea of misery. Those that might have the “temerity” to say “NO” are branded as intolerant. At least those folks can still sport a truthful smile even though it might have cost them defilement and persecution to keep it.

One final thought. Imagine a child of seven or eight years old who has a terrible disease that can lead to long term disability, many surgeries and no human guarantee of survival. Yet, many children with the same disease have survived and led full lives. Now imagine the doctor advising the parents that their child will have to endure years of torment and that they have an option. How hard would it be for those parents to talk their child into accepting euthanasia because, “you will never hurt again and mommy and daddy will be with you through the whole thing.”

How far we have come in our civilized world.

Another Attempt to Break Down the Doors of the Confessional

July 18, 2014Absolution, catholic, commentary, confession, Father Jeff Bayhi, Natural Law, penitent, priest, Sacrament of Penance, Seal of Confession, secularismLarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

by Larry Peterson

The Sacrament of Penance is a magnificent gift we Catholics have been given and the beauty of its effectiveness is encapsulated into what is known as the Seal of Confession. Anyone who goes to confession has the absolute certainty that whatever he or she confesses to the priest will NEVER, no matter what, leave that confessional. Confession is between the penitent and Christ. The priest represents Christ and is able to talk to the penitent, advise and counsel them, or simply listen to them. When the person is finished confessing the priest asks that person to say an “Act of Contrition”. This is when the person expresses their sorrow for the sins they have confessed. Then the priest imparts Absolution . It is one of the most beautiful prayers there is and this is where God is called upon to give pardon to the sinner.

Not all judges, politicians and lawyers are secularists; but there are many who are. It seems that many of these folks are ideologically bent and have become true Machiavellians (people that believe that the “end justifies the means”). Forget “Natural Law”, cast out common sense, trash the Ten Commandments, because none of that matters anymore. As long as the needs of those demanding “change” are satisfied we have attained “virtue”. This is “hogwash” but the Supreme Court of Louisiana thinks differently. It has ruled that Father Jeff Bayhi, a priest for 35 years, a man who has served the poor and downtrodden and worked hand in hand with Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, may have to testify about an “alleged” confession.

Apparently, a girl who was 14 in 2008, says she went to confession to Father Bayhi at the time and told him that she was abused by a now dead parishioner. The girl’s parents sued Father Bayhi and the Diocese of Baton Rouge for failing to report the abuse. The parents won their case in district court which said that Father Bayhi must testify. Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision but then the State Supreme Court once again sided with the parents. The state’s highest court said that Father Bayhi may be subject to “mandatory reporting” laws regarding sexual abuse and cannot invoke the privilege of “confidentiality”. There you have it; the “virtue of secularism”. It is not enough to have this young woman, who is now 20 years old, tell the police and state’s attorneys her story. It is not enough to have years of the documentation on hand that is required to even pursue the case. The accused abuser is dead. SO–let’s get the priest to violate the “Seal of the Confessional”. The accused abuser never confessed and, even if that were the case, the Seal of the Confessional is inviolate. The priest is bound to silence, silence forever.

Our nation is founded under the Judeo-Christian principle which is followed by Natural Law. Our First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Religion. A foundational doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, which has been in effect for two thousand years and is part of a Sacrament instituted by Christ Himself, mandates that the “Seal of Confession” is absolute and inviolable. A priest must NEVER break the Seal. He cannot even admit that someone went to confession to him. No-one, not even the Pope himself, can mandate a priest violate this oath. The priest would have to suffer the civil and criminal consequences, even death if necessary, rather than betray this most sacred of trusts.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge explained in their statement that, “a priest is under the gravest of obligations NOT to reveal the contents of a confession or if the confession even took place. He cannot do so even under threat of imprisonment or civil penalty, and incurs automatic excommunication if he breaks the “seal of confession”. The Church takes this pretty serious, don’t you think?

The secular world has grown not only intrusive into the world of Catholicism but it has become overly obnoxious, nasty, vitriolic and downright hateful. Under the banner of “virtue” secularism honors abortion, euthanasia and sexual promiscuity as a right and a necessity akin to breathing and eating and sleeping. These secularists, some who claim to be Catholic, support these behaviors and are against any kind of “moral” boundaries. Sadly, many court decisions support their beliefs. One thing they need to understand–they can NEVER nullify, invalidate or strike down the magnificence and profound power of the “Seal of Confession”. Do not be surprised if this case winds up in the United States Supreme Court.

On Valentine's Day a War on LOVE is Raging

February 13, 20141 John 4: 16-17, Catholics, Christ, Christians, commentary, crosses, forgiveness, hatred, Jesus, love your neighbor, murder, persecution, pride, saints, secular, secularism, valentine's DayLarry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

by Larry Peterson

Valentine’s Day is here. It is supposed to be all about Love. Yet beyond the heart covered Valentine cards, the flower bouquets and candy and all of that, we must, as unpleasant as it may be, recognize what we truly have going on this Valentine’s Day of 2014. Yes, make no mistake, Love is under attack this Valentine’s Day and the war is brutal and bloody.

The Catholic News Agency (CNA/EWTN News) reported today that Christians are the most persecuted people on earth. Why is that? Why is there such hatred by so many toward something that is all about goodness and love? The word “CHRISTIAN” comes from the name of Christ, Jesus Christ. Okay, is that a BAD thing? I don’t think so.

All Christians (including 1.2 billion Catholics and 800 million Protestants of varied denominations) follow Jesus Christ. That is 2 billion people or two thousand million people who follow His teachings and His promise of Eternal Life. What is the crux of His teachings? Well now, the bottom line is this, LOVE your NEIGHBOR & FORGIVENESS. Yeah, yeah, I know that many who proclaim to follow Jesus do not even make an attempt to Love their Neighbor or Forgive anyone for anything. They let that old, deadly sin of pride rule their roost. Oh well, it is part of God’s gift of free-will allowing each and every one of us to make choices. However, the vast majority of Catholic/Christians do their feeble best to follow His message. For those that do it is a life-long work in progress and this was true even for the saints.

So, why the hatred? Why the persecution? Why were more than 100,000 followers of Christ murdered in the past year alone? The problem is the aforementioned deadly sin of pride. Why? Because pride has filled the hearts of many and these are the people who now HATE. What they hate most is one word which is made up of only two letters. That word is NO. They want no-one dare telling them what to do or how to behave. They have embraced secularism (defined as: a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship). Christianity establishes boundaries. Christianity tells us what God wants us to do and what NOT to do…why, the NERVE of Him! So, many Secularists (not all) take it to another level in their personal, selfish requests to abolish the influence of institutions that have the temerity to say NO to certain behaviors. They even reject “natural law” for their own personal agendas.

They rant against Christmas which is all about “giving”. They rail on about using the name of God in schools and at sports events. They want Crosses at cemeteries taken down from the graves of fallen soldiers. In many cases those who hate Christians kill them. Men, women and children die every day in different parts of the world simply because they are followers of Jesus. How can Love & Forgiveness be things to hate?