Comments for Heroes vs. Celebrities at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 11 out of 11 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Wed, 22 May 2013 00:32:13 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15898 Postscipt: Richard Brookhiser published Pres. Washington's RULES OF CIVILTY some years ago in a small volume. I believe it is still in print or available. - Graham Combs Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:55:50 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15897 I barely thought about it when I was in RCIA but almost instantly took St. Thomas More as my patron saint. That the prejudice against the South is resurging doesn't surprise me. The South is simply more religious. And just as infuriating to liberals, more prosperous and industrious. Interestingly since the 1990 census it has been documented that hundreds of thousands of Black Americans have moved -- in some cases repatriated -- to the South. We still vote and give lip service to cliches while America -- as she always does -- changes. Unfortunately this also means that cliches distract us from new and troubling developments. I lived in NY for seventeen years and I can assure the Archbishop of New York that guns are the least of its problems. Among them broken families, fatherless kids, drugs, truancy, gangs, violence, an STD epidemice (nationwide in fact), public schools propagandizing sexual experimentation, and the growing peril to the immortal souls of many. My point is not too far afield -- there are celebrity causes and too often the Church Distracted is mesmerized by them. Do we have core values, beliefs, and principles? Or are we simply social justice paparazzi? - Graham Combs Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:53:26 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15896 Another splendid article by George Marlin. I was sorry to hear that about Hayes, who did right to put an end to Reconstruction, and who was quite uninterested in pursuing a second term. I shouldn't have been surprised, though. The Republicans then had inherited too much of the old Know-Nothing anti-Catholicism, and we are still suffering the effects of it, in the so-called Blaine amendments -- named for James G. Blaine, northeastern liberal Republican. My man Grover Cleveland eked out a win against him, when a minister who supported Blaine said that a vote for Cleveland would be a vote for "rum, Romanism, and rebellion." The backlash handed New York (where Cleveland had been that rare bird, a relentlessly honest reformer) to Uncle Jumbo. - Tony Esolen Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:54:57 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15895 Just a word in defensse of Rutherford B.: I was pastor of one of the parishes in Fremont, OH, where Hayes lived most of his life. History shows that he was great friends of one of my predecessors, that he was an honored guest at the consecrations of both St. Ann and St. Joseph Churches, and that he encouraged prayer services connected with Grand Army of the Republic (Northern Civil War vets' association) to be held at St. Ann's. Tinged with the anti-Catholicism of his time? No doubt. Out-and-out bigot? I doubt it. - buckeye pastor Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:06:00 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15894 George Washington Carver, a great man named after a great man - Jim Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:28:43 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15893 I also saw A Man for All Seasons in 1966; I was in my first year of college. I was greatly disturbed by the movie. I found myself continuously thinking about Sir Thomas More, reading books about his life, and even purchasing the audio from the movie. I didn't understand at the time that the Holy Spirit was using the movie as a vehicle to reach out to me. I reached back, and was baptized thirty-three years later. I have to think St. Thomas was praying for me. - Mark Wed, 20 Feb 2013 09:51:20 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15891 Anthony Esolen wrote a similar commentary this past fall for Catholic World Report. It's called "Listening to the Experts" and it's fantastic. I think everyone who reads this article should check it out. :) - Briana Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:49:05 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15890 A fine piece here and oh so very accurate. America is truly one of the dumbest places I know, filled with absolute morons who prove themselves more moronic every day. I addition to the harlots you mention, becauae in reality that is exactly what they are, the hero status of "rappers" is equally pathetic. And of course, we can never forget the lofty place of the athlete, the hero, the "warrior," what a joke. How many of these dolts who can barely stumble through a sentence have multiple women, with multiple kids and of course who knows how many abortions, are the KINGS of World? Why, because Americans are intellectually, culturally, historically and emphatically morally corrupted. - Rob Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:20:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15888 Pray for these people. They have no one who really loves them for their souls' sakes. Their pain is obvious. 21 years ago my firstborn daughter, then 4, gave up "Yogi Bear" for Lent, telling me, "I think I love him too much, Mommy." On Easter Monday I reminded her that she could now watch her favorite show. She did but remarked to me, "I still like him, but Mommy, he doesn't "mean" the same to me anymore. I can watch it or not watch it. What happened?" (Yea! 1st "celebrity" attachment re-ordered in her life.) "Ah, you have discovered 'holy detachment' and that is just what Jesus wants in your heart. 'Do not love the things of this world....' " The following year with a newborn and this one now 5, the whole family gave up all TV for Lent (we were careful about what we watched of course anyway). 20 years later we are still cable and "regular" TV free in this home. My 14 year old son does not know who all these celebrities are by constant inundation; I consider this a ripe, lovely piece of fruit from this "sacrifice". We do watch some DVDs and internet here and there, but the worldly influence is not as suffocating as it would be were we just like all our neighbors. And, as the author suggests, we raised our children with the Saints as their brothers and sisters who "ran to Heaven ahead of them but can't wait to see them there"~ at least 4, 5 times a week a Saint's story was read aloud or discussed as they grew to read much on their own. AND EACH CHILD HAS AT LEAST 2 SAINT'S NAMES AS THEIR OWN. ok, THAT SAID, the world is EVERYWHERE and we are still influenced. If my 14 year old son goes with me to the supermarket, some woman's naked body is on display at eye level (Sports Illustrated swimsuit is out everyone). He is training himself to cast his eyes downward- only last Sunday he happened not to be Altar serving - so casting his eyes downward put his face in the backside of a young girl's thong popping out of the top of her low-cut pants. - so in Church, we need to look straight ahead and CLOSE our eyes if we don't want to be distracted! OMGosh! We are driving home the point to him that for his generation, there is little "custody of the senses" possible - he needs to call upon our Lady to pave for his brain a new road when he is smacked with immodesty and vulgarity. There is no "avoiding the near occasion of sin" unless you live in a cave. AND YET THIS IS WHERE OUR LORD HAS PLACED OUR CHILDREN IN TIME. THEY WILL BE CALLED UPON TO BE THE NEW WAVE OF MARTYRS FOR HIM. TO LIVE AND DIE WITH JOY FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY AND TRUE AND GOOD - FOR HIM. Let us ALL PRAY AND FAST AND LOVE AND EMBRACE (not decide they are "disgusting" and wash our hands of them)THOSE AROUND US and bring them to FREEDOM AND PEACE. I am CONVINCED that our fasting and little offerings bring torrents of graces to our world. My Lenten fast this year is for our beloved Pope Benedict and for ALL MY FRIENDS. Although I wouldn't know your face if I sat next to you on the bus, you are all in my heart at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Blessings to you, and may all our SAINTS guide us Home. and may many in Hollywood (etc) come to discover His love and forgiveness. - debby Wed, 20 Feb 2013 03:48:33 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15887 We live in an anti-heroic age, in fact: true heroism requires the exercise of virtue to heroic degrees, and it also requires an understanding that there are things in life that are more important than life itself. It requires commitment to ideals and causes that are greater than "self-actualization," self-projection, and comfort. It requires self-sacrifice. And so few there are who understand the heroic nature of Pope Benedict's papacy and the heroic nature of his resignation; few there are who understand the heroic nature of many of the Church's pastors, priests, religious, and laity who labor faithfully in the Lord's vineyard; or who understand the heroic nature of authentic parenting. Eliot's The Hollow Men come to mind; but the last word is really found in what used to be called The Last Gospel: "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not been able to overcome it." Thank you, Mr. Marlin, for the great suggestion (implied) for Lenten reading: we would all do well to recall the lives of the saints and what they endured in fidelity to the Light of Christ and in fidelity to their mission to spread that Light in the place and way the good Lord asked them to, in fidelity to the teachings of the Church. Much is required of us now, and much more will yet be required. - Dave Wed, 20 Feb 2013 03:18:16 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/heroes-vs-celebrities.html#comment-15885 The gliterati are...well...irrelevant. They know it; we know it; the media know it. But their presence is sufficiently numbing that we are not inclined to take oxycodone to get through the day. - Deacon Ed Peitler Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:14:50 +0100