Dear TIA,

I would like to pose the following simple question to your readers: What is the source of anti-Catholic diatribes and how should we respond?

In my opinion, we should consider the recent ferocious anti-Catholic attacks [posted in hate mail] as useful and thank them for so clearly stating their hatred and explaining how they think of us Catholics: namely as desecrators, enslavers, liars, thieves, indiscriminate mass murderers, terrorists, and baby slaughterers. Well! Thank you for the precision!

This clarity serves for us a helpful, dual purpose. First, due to the undisciplined spirit of such attacks, they reveal the true nature of the hatred Satan and his sons of perdition unleash against God and His Church, and should serve to keep us vigilant. Second, it makes it easier to recognize and expose the more subtle versions of this same hatred, which is practiced by progressivists hiding behind false religiosity. This anti-Catholicism from within is necessarily subtle so it may be disseminated without widespread alarm. Perhaps those spreading it are not aware of doing so, however I wish to present an example of this subtle hatred to help TIA readers keep an open eye.

Because, as shown in the hate mail, the Inquisition is nearly always mentioned in anti-Catholic material, this is what I will address. The text provided here is a crafty progressivist presentation of "the Inquisition." It is from a history text often used for Catholic education of youth and, yes, in at least one traditional home-school curriculum [see its cover at right]. Progressivism is present, openly bowing to its golden calves of pacifism and historical laxity. It audaciously lectures past Church leaders for exhibiting a barbarously harsh "spirit of the time". At the closing, it goes so far as to plainly state that the cruelty of Protestant persecutions against Catholics was merely following the example set by the Inquisition. We are instructed to understand that the bad behavior of heretics against the Church was by our own doing!

This "history" text should be used as an example of how error is spread to youth. It should be promptly contrasted with the historical perspective of other various authors on the subject, made available by TIA. These include the biography of St. Toribio, March 23, The Moral Profile of an Inquisitor, Why the Inquisition Was Founded, Why Shouldn't the Pope Apologize for the Inquisition?, The Bad Effects of the Papal Apologies, Assault on Faith: Fictitious 'History' as Weapon, the biography of St. Leo the Great, April 11, The End of the Myth of Galileo booklet, and The Truth about the Holy Inquisition tape. Along with clearly pointing out the errors in progressivist history presentations, these should make a nice course of study for young Catholics.

The above litany of insults against Catholics, compiled from the recent hate mail, is shocking to our traditional sensibilities, but is probably not so shocking to "average" Catholics today. Perhaps much of it is already considered "understandable." This is partly due to the ongoing subtle attacks spread through Catholic history texts, such as the one presented here. While this anti-Catholicism has been made more palatable to the common Catholic, these attacks made by Progressivists are similar to that found in the hate mail: namely, Catholics are harsh and cruel prosecutors, promoters of unjust execution, opposed to many great leaders of the Church, at odds with Church councils, barbaric, living by the sword, exhibiting great cruelty, in violation of the teachings of our Lord, and finally, the model after which an untold number of murders will be committed.

Amazingly, all of this was condensed into only two short paragraphs! One can reasonably question how this gets the approval of Catholic publishers and home school lesson-planners. It appears we must be more attentive! If we do not instruct our youth in the truth, there will always be others to teach them something else.

     Tolle Causam!

     Dr. Pamela Dettman

TIA,

I have read several more very good articles on your site, and even some of the hate mail. Those who want to encourage being open minded are liars. Though all men have a longing for or acknowledge a deity, not all have the one true faith. For example, some women who like yoga and certain Indian (Hindu) exercises/ways of living; most related to comfort or sensuality (intimacy) forget that if they were to embrace this it would include being burned alive if their husband predeceased them and they were still alive.

Like many in the USA especially, the Western nations we want to excuse the same sins that God destroyed at Sodom and Gommorrah (hetero/homosexual). I at times have presented information or references and some, to include both sides of the family (wife & I), they turn a blind eye or put their head in the sand. They are not serious, lip service. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, repeated Isaiah "Thou speak of me with thy lips, but thy heart is far from me." That is why we are separated (my wife & I), I can not see her playing with fire and expecting not to get burned. I know we all need to pray and do penance. Pray to St. Francis Xavier for the conversion of all pagans.

Keep up your good work. I know it is hard to quiet our tongue with these dogs (Non mittendis canibus), but I had to remind our daughter, S., that the world does not owe us anything, we like St. Paul may be treated like refuse of this world, despised; and often, not all of our saints were know while they were living in this world.

     C.J.L.

TIA,

Your hate-mailer "H.M." (August 7th) is no Buddhist. In all likelihood "H.M." is a Hindu. Buddhists have no linkage with Hindu deities - even though some Hindus try to rope Buddhism in as a "Vedic" religion.

Another clue to "H.M's" Hinduism is the use of the word "Conversion." This is a buzz-word used today to justify the persecution of Christians in various parts of India on the grounds that they (1%) are forcibly converting Hindus (85%).

Furthermore, all the pretended scholarship on Christianity found in "H.M's" letter is readily available from the reams of such tracts published by the Hindu fascist organization, the Rashtriya Shyamsewak Sangh (RSS), from its base in Nagpur, India.

Please do not give people like "H.M." any publicity whatsoever, even in your "Hate Mail" columns. For them, any publicity is good publicity.

     A.K.R.

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