Sunday, March 11, 2007

Why They Call Us Protestants and Why They're Wrong



Unfortunately due to the limitations of the physical world an image of Martin Luther burning in hell was not unavailable.

I was in a discussion recently about what constitutes a Neo Con or a Neo Conservative Catholic. And if you’re not too familiar with the terms Neocon and Trad and how those terms are flung about let me just say that they get along about as well as the Jews and the Samaritans did in Biblical times.

Examples of those who hold the neocon point of view would be Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin, Karl Keating and the like. Now this is not an attempt to condemn them but only to identify them. I’ll let their words speak for themselves.

I made the point that the neocons were like Protestants. They were trying to change the Church, it’s disciplines and embrace any watered down doctrine that will make their lives easier. They have raised NFP to the 8th Sacrament. They believe that the fewer children you have the more money you will have to fund their “ministries” and buy their pathetic little pamphlets, study guides, videos and cassette tapes.

When Church teaching and what they want to do come into conflict they do what they want. A perfect example of this is Bud McFarlane. McFarlane founded (or should I say incorporated) The Mary Foundation and Catholicity. After extolling the virtues of homeschooling, Catholic sacramental marriage and just being an all around good guy, he decided to divorce his wife, take custody of the kids (b/c she was homeschooling), force her to sell the family home, and sue for child support. This is the NeoCon poster boy. I understand that the Mary Foundation is suffering some repercussions from his behavior and fundraising has declined. I don’t know if he has taken a salary cut from his $100,000 per year salary or not. (Note bene: I think with book royalties and honorarium and who knows what else that McFarlane's salary is probably a lot higher than $100,000).

Who in the NeoCon world has condemned his behavior? No one.That would be “unsupportive” , judgmental, and Catholic.

Now you might think that with all their “zeal” for the Faith that the neocons would want to further the Traditions of the Church- the Latin Mass, Gregorian chant, ember days, but then you would be misunderstanding their mission. Promoting the Faith is not their goal. Promoting themselves is.

Because Traditionalists want to promote the Faith and worshipping God they threaten the neocon empire and their little cottage industries. And what do they call us in an attempt to really undermine and dispirit us?

Protestants.

They only use this term because it bothers us. To them the Protestants are not heretics but their brothers and sisters in Christ who will be in heaven at the very moment of their death anyway.

Unfortunately I think some Traditionalists have taken this to heart.

A Protestant is someone who opposed and continues to oppose the Traditions of the Church; the Traditions that have been held for 2000 years. And when they condemn us they condemn the Traditions of the Church and ultimately they condemn themselves.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, when they condemn you they condemn the traditions of the Church. Pretty strong words. Feel free to clarify

Anonymous said...

I have not heard of "neocon" being used to describe a theological school; they seem more like Cardinal Richlieu than Bill Kristol to me.

Anonymous said...

I have not heard of "neocon" being used to describe a theological school; they seem more like Cardinal Richlieu than Bill Kristol to me.

NCTradCatholic said...

Mary,

A few months ago, when you first mentioned the McFarlane case, I believe you said he paid himself $200K a year. Are you sure it's $500K now?? Not the main point of your essay, I know, but a whopper of a difference.

NCTradCatholic said...

Correction, $100K a year. Wish I could do that to my salary!

Anonymous said...

Boy. Don't even get me started!
Especially Jimmy Akin - an utter ass.
NO ONE can make me litterally scream in the car when listening to "Catholic Answers (now there's an oxymoron if ever there was one) Live more than Akin.

I love it when they are doing a show about marriage in the Church.
Someone inevitably will call in who has been divorced and usually "remarried" (sometimes more than once!) who wants to get back "in with" the Church, and the first d**n question that dribbles off the lips of these oh-so-"Catholic" apologists (and indeed they SHOULD apologize, in the modern sense, to us all) is: "Well, have you gotten/looked into getting an anulment?"
I truly think they see anulments as a Catholic divorce.
They haven't brought any Protty sentiments into the Church now, have they. Noooo.

M. Alexander said...

NC Trad- I think you're right. I'm mixing up Bud McFarlane and Karl Keating. Keating makes $500K from my recollection. Thanks for the corrections- I'll change it in the post.

My point was that Bai McFarlane spent 15 years raising children and homeschooling them. Her employable prospects are close to zero. Her husband is making $100K (and that is probably padded with royalties from his books, honorarium, etc. And he is suing her for child support.

NCTradCatholic said...

Mary, I couldn't agree more. Bud should be hung out to dry. I hope all his sons leave him and return to their Mom when they're 18. It would be much deserved vindication for her.

Someone commenting on your original post about the McFarlanes provided a link to Guidestar's report on Keating's non-profit filing with the IRS. It showed he made $200K, not $500K (in 2005). Still a ridiculous amount for him, but be careful with quoting salaries. Don't want to give him any more ammunition against good Catholics.

NCTradCatholic said...

By the way, thanks for bringing Bai's plight to our attention a while back. It has tormented me ever since, and I must get back to praying for her. I would never have known otherwise. The Novus Ordo websites don't seem to be giving it any attention. Please keep us up to date on any developments in her case.

elena maria vidal said...

I agree with you, Mary; I am SO glad to see people discussing this.

Sanctus Belle said...

Although your comment about Luther burning in hell is most likely tongue in cheek - we can't wish for this nor assume it. I'd like to think he was saved, as I hope all will be (although I know it isn't) Its an unspeakable tragedy that any souls go to hell....

Thomas Coolberth said...

Two more characteristics of the neo-cons:

1) Rampant Americanism manifesting itself in the inability to utter the slightest criticism of their protestant hero: George Bush

2) Consistent titillation over change, especially with the Novus Ordo Missae. Will the sign of peace be moved?, will they use Latin here or there? Will they get rid of the arm waving cantor? Change, change, change.

The reason they don't like the idea of the Tridentine Mass is that it needs no tinkering.

All of this get packed under the line "Reform of the Reform."

In the world of blogdom, add Domenico Bettinelli and Gerald Augustinus for classic examples.

Anonymous said...

Thomas!!!

I'm telling gerald on you!
Talking behind his back.
You are in sooooo much trouble!

*Thomas is getting ba-anned*
*Thomas is getting ba-anned*



Just kidding.