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I know we tend to keep to pretty pedestrian topics here but still. How about a word about martyrdom?

In the first century Nero successfully blamed one of the many burnings of Rome upon the Christians. He had them crucified and burnt their bodies to light the way for an all night party. The message was clear as Jesus Himself had warned "In the world you will have trouble". Martyrdom has been expected by faithful Christians since the beginning. Lest you think it doesn't happen any more please note that the 20th century was the bloodiest century for Christians in history. More martyrs were made in that century than all others combined. Officially tyrants have tried to cover over their murderous rampages by calling Christians, and for most of history that means Catholic, as traitors. The fact of the matter is that the Catholic Church is the only institution on earth that stands against the tyrannies of this world. The recent debate over the inclusion of the word "God" in the Democratic platform is just one little glimpse of the struggle that is going on. The Church has always been suspect by all political parties. No earthly institution today completely aligns with God's plans for us.

I don't know what you think of Glen Beck, but I think God has given him a gift of prophecy. I don't understand why he hasn't come back to the Catholic Church yet but we are praying that he does. Whatever you have been conditioned to think of him this video by him is very much worth watching. Most of my Catholic friends and some who aren't Catholic are well aware of the Spiritual warfare going on. Many of them realize how vulnerable we all are even if we are united but especially when we are not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNB469_sA3o&feature=player_embedded#!

Carson D. Lauffer

Glenn Beck joined Mormonism to marry a beautiful blonde mormon girl.

As for Martyrdom - I've seen more (albeit light weight) persecution of christians by christians

More persecution of conservative catholics by catholics

With respect, Carson, I think it is important to be able to distinguish between the gift of prophecy that comes from God and a conspiracy theory mentality that comes from paranoia. Glenn Beck doesn't enjoy the former, he suffers from the latter.

If he's even being genuine at all, that is.

When Beck first started out on TV, he used to say very straightforwardly that he was simply an entertainer and that all his...stuff...should be construed as nothing more than entertainment. Alas, there are people of a certain mindset who can't distinguish between that sort of "entertainment" and real news.

Look at the people who take the National Enquirer seriously, for example. Or the listeners who call into "Coast to Coast" who don't realize they're being exploited by George Noory for the entertainment of the rather cruel audience who get a kick out of their deranged ravings about vampires and shadow people and ancient aliens.

There is an entire industry that profits from the paranoia of the people who dwell on the fringe. Glenn Beck belongs to that industry.

Roman,

That's a nice opinion which I do not share.

I wonder what we would say about the various Stylites over the centuries? What about Jeremiah or Isaiah or even John the Baptist? Even Balaam's Ass gets more respect than some others do.

For some reason I can't see the videos; anyway, I fully agree with Carson that the 20th Century was the bloodiest against Christians, and the 21st doesn't look any better.

However I believe in the West there is a great persecution although not bloody but with worse effects nowadays through the media and entertainment industries, where the work of Satan is more than evident.

It's so hard to see the young lads (and young adults as well) getting so lost in all these "laicist live and let live" bull... and further living the most contradictory of lives preaching the tolerance and new age mumbo jumbo, while being impressively materialistic and in some cases even degenerates.

Worst of all is that the pressure now is so great, maybe not physically but psychologically... I mean these days those who want to keep the faith public, not only to the realm of "private devotions" and openly reject the aforementioned way of living, are being segregated, bullied so we feel we are wrong, that we are denying ourselves of so many good things... "God can't be that bad and strict"... I hope to make sense...

I have a close case of a relative that has started doing some things she did not used to, putting pictures with few clothes, pictures getting drunk, etc., and she used to be a very devout Catholic, went to Church at least 3 times a week, went to the vigils of the Holy Eucharist... and now, even she still goes, although less frequently, when I asked her, her reply was "all my friends do it, what's wrong with that?, it's not like Im killing someone" yadda yadda yadda...

What I mean is that all the pressure in the media, movies, internet, music, etc., is preaching these things and kind of "mixing" them with "good" impressions, and leading astray a lot of people... probably martyrdom now will be to be treated as lunatics and then again blame everything bad on the loonies going to Church and preaching and living against the modernist status quo... Persecutions are not finished in the West, they are taking a different mask

B

Oh yeah, we need Glenn Beck, we need Rush Limbaugh, we need Bill O'Reilly, Mike Huckabee, all of them. Let's hope they meet behind closed doors and come up with something that'll make sure persecution is a thing of the past.

Bernardo,

I fully agree. We pick each other to death and ridicule those who would be our allies and wonder why we cannot convince people to live holy lives.

I noticed that the original link was not in blue so I posted it again. That one is in blue. Perhaps you can find the video by trying that link.

CDL

8 Iron Bob, I don't mean to be thick but could you clarify. I can take or leave most of what any of the talkers on TV say. However, when they say something good I wish to applaud it. Moreover, I don't see how what Beck said on the video is designed to end or begin or change persecution. Please clarify for my dull brain.

why would they meet behind closed doors, when they daily speak out and say what others think but dare not say?

I wonder, sometimes, if Christians who are appalled by the sins of modern people imagine that their own redemption lies in...being appalled by the sins of modern people.

While Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly (and others) are out there getting our ire up by bemoaning the rot of liberalism and making us feel very self-righteous indeed about our conservatism...are we at the same time out there feeding the hungry, or clothing the naked, or visiting the imprisoned, or caring for the sick?

It seems to me that we aren't going to be asked on our last day what it was about our age that appalled us the most, but rather how well we lived the beatitudes. I'm not really sure, then, of the Divine origins of (or even necessarily of the value to the Christian soul of) the voices of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly or other political talk show hosts.

The idea that American political neo-conservatism = the Christian Gospel is a notion that frankly bewilders me.

I can't speak for US politics, but it is evident that that nowadays politics are a real antithesis to the Christian Gospel. I can speak for what I have seen in Mexico that we are supposedly a very traditional Catholic country (we even had a civil war to defend the Church!)but all those issues that Glenn Bleck mentioned: gay marriage, abortion, free union, have been pushed in an amazing way and worst of all, a lot of people are being proud of those "advances in public policy"!!!

The two most evident moments were when the Legislative Chamber of Mexico City "discussed" abortion and allowing gay marriage and adoption by gay couples... all the pro-gay, pro-abortion groups were given a voice in the Chamber... the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant groups that we tried to give our reasons... well... we were dismissed and beaten by the police and some gay groups... a similar thing happened when our Supreme Court declared abortion a right for women (basically copying-paste Roe v Wade)... and we had a "Conservative" Federal Government.

In the end, worldwide, what governments care now is for power for the sake of power itself, and if these groups are going to give them the votes they need... they'll change like the tide.

In that sense I believe that as much as each of us puts his grain of sand and work together with our Churches, and specially Catholics and Orthodox, will be the only way to fight back somehow.

B

Roman,

Be bewildered no longer. When you judge your brothers and sisters as you have done without any evidence whatsoever you may well become bewildered. If you don't wish to carry the load in an active manner then do so in your prayers. Both are needed. What is not needed is your condemnation of those who practice positive spirituality.

???

You've completely lost me, I'm afraid.

Dan, in all charity, you at times, can be as judgmental and condemning as anyone I've ever encountered--online or in person.