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Faithful Catholic families….do we fight or flee?

As we look at the culture around us, we see what would seem to be a steady downhill slide…. some governments and businesses pushing the LGBTQ agenda; abortion as a “right”; gender identity (apparently there are up to six genders!); politicians who openly sow racial discord; sports leagues that have gone “woke” and so many other things in opposition to what we, as Catholics, hold dear.

Much of what follows is directed toward U.S. residents, but in general it also applies to Canada and a host of other countries as well.

Abortion in a Post-Roe World:

Here in the U.S., some states have banned abortion completely;  some after a certain number of weeks; but other states have offered to become “abortion sanctuaries” for those who cannot procure a legal abortion in their own state.

The U.S. military will grant up to three weeks of administrative leave and reimburse service members who travel to other states where abortions are legal.

So, although Roe vs Wade has been over-turned, it is only one battle in the war against abortion.  It merely sent the abortion issue back to the states.

 

The Transgender Movement:

As Catholic Christians, we believe as the Book of Genesis states: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”.

Drag Queen Story Hours in Public Schools
(Photo: Twitter/@RealOmarNavarro)

Not content with being left alone (that’s what they used to say) the proponents of the transgender movement now want to become mainstream…..and force you to accept their beliefs.  And yet, we are said to be the intolerant ones!

Some public schools and libraries proudly host “drag queen story hours” for children….and parents pat themselves on the back for being so open-minded.

Believe it or not, the people hosting these events are not open-minded…they are after your children!

TV cartoons feature gay characters; game shows seem to almost require at least one participant to be gay or trans-sexual; everything is in your face, and it is put out there as normal.

Likewise, we see free speech (not liberal speech, of course…just conservative speech) being limited on college campuses.

“Separation of Church and State”

Try to bring religion in to the public square and people will shout “separation of church and state” without having the slightest idea what that means.  The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. constitution does not say that, it merely states that the Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech

But, of course, that does not stop those who are determined to push God out of everything.  Many news anchors ignore (or are ignorant of) the First Amendment and prattle on about “threats to our democracy” with absolutely no idea of what they are talking about….but they all got the same memo, so they keep repeating the phrase.

 Did you ever think you would be talking about lack of religious tolerance in your own country?

Of course tolerance of other religions is highly encouraged, it is only Christianity that is held up as a threat. In fact, the Southern Poverty Law Center (which, ironically, once championed civil rights) has said “right-wing extremism exploits Christianity and the Bible to radicalize and mobilize its violent adherents toward criminality and terrorism“.  So, if you speak out against abortion, or gay rights, or a host of other Christian principles, you are a terrorist.

Christians are sometimes called “transphobic” or “homophobic” which of course is not the case.  To be phobic is to be fearful…we do not fear transvestites or homosexuals, we merely deem their actions to be contrary to Christian beliefs.  But that doesn’ fit their narrative.

So what do families do? Well, some choose to stay and fight against these attacks on religious freedom, while others choose to flee to other locales that seem a bit more Christian family-friendly. Faced with the hostile environment in some cities or states, many families have decided to put that behind them and move to locations where they feel they can better raise their families in the Catholic Christian tradition.

Families are moving to places where there are strong orthodox Catholic religious communities nearby, such as the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Clear Creek in Hulbert, Oklahoma; the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA; Little Portion Hermitage, in Berry, ARSubiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas and others.  Then, there is the growing Catholic Land Movement…a loose connection of those wishing to practice a simpler way of life.

And there are entire Catholic communities being formed, such as Veritatis Splendor in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

Here is a great article written by Johnathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register that tells the stories of some of those who have pulled up stakes and moved to more family friendly communities where their faith can be nurtured rather than attacked.

Of  course not everyone wants to re-locate nor are they in a position to do so. In the case of re-location, there are jobs to consider (fortunately work-from-home has helped make this easier for some), elderly parents nearby, etc.  Some are not in a position to move to a more Catholic-friendly area and others prefer “fight the good fight” where they are, perhaps by home-schooling their children through an online program such as Tan Academy; being active in the pro-life community; or a host of other opportunities.

Others have chosen to seek out a more traditional, and rural life.  One example would be The Catholic Land Movement.

Regardless, whatever the situation, we must fight back….“it can’t happen here” has been said by many over the course of history….and then it happened “here”.  Most recently in Rwanda, Bosnia, and currently in Nigeria, among other countries where Christians are attacked.

It calls to mind “First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller“.

The old saying “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing”.

Unfortunately, the way many Catholics have given in to the Covid hysteria and given up rights we thought were inalienable, concerns us.  We’re not there yet, and at The Catholic Travel Guide we remain optimistic as we see people start to realize that we are in a war with certain elements of the society around us.

Have a story to tell?  Please contact us and let us know.