10/30/2009
Holiday Trees and the Beast
NUMBER 207
TIS THE SEASON OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
The basketball season is upon us so we have renewed our subscription to the local liberal rag. It only took one week of it to stir me up to write a letter to the editor. The letter I sent was limited to 250 words, and by the editors' aversion to any kind of direct truth—you can mention abortion but not call it murder—what follows is a mild expansion of the letter I sent.
Modern liberals earnestly wish that every adult might make as many effective choices without fear or favor about as many aspects of his life as is compatible with the freedom of every other adult. This is part of the broad progressive attempt to put nature and the social order in the service of the human will.
In the contemporary pantheon of Progressive Liberalism, Autonomous Man is god, Reason and Science are his prophets.
The highest value of this liberalism is individual choice, followed closely by anti-American multi-culturalism, total tolerance, coerced inclusiveness, and managed equality. There is no room here for traditional religion, culture, or anything that smells even faintly of transcendent values or moral absolutes—they must be eliminated whenever or wherever they rear their ugly heads.
So the Whitehouse Christmas Tree will become a Holiday Tree this year. Whereas in the past the Whitehouse sent out an invitation and a theme to a number of interested artists who regularly painted ornaments to be used on the various trees, this year the artists were told not to send any ornaments with a religious theme. In Frankfort Kentucky the Democrat Governor is dutifully following the Pied Piper in Washington by renaming the Christmas Tree—it will now be the Holiday Tree.
I applaud those like Rev. Fugate who make a fuss when these things happen but urge them, and the rest of us who care, to recognize that these little irritations are simply flies buzzing around the head of the Beast: that great tribe of politicians, judges, media moguls and tenured academics who are busily eating away the foundations of traditional western culture in pursuit of a godless socialist utopia which, like all utopia’s, will end with misery and grief for everyone but the ruling elite, self-proclaimed Masters of the Universe.
It is my prayer that those who follow the One on the white horse who is called Faithful and True, who in righteousness judges and wages war, will not slumber but will confront the Beast wherever he is encountered, speaking the truth in love and singing William Blake’s great poem:
JERUSALEM
And did those feet, in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold,
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! Oh, clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land!
TIS THE SEASON OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
The basketball season is upon us so we have renewed our subscription to the local liberal rag. It only took one week of it to stir me up to write a letter to the editor. The letter I sent was limited to 250 words, and by the editors' aversion to any kind of direct truth—you can mention abortion but not call it murder—what follows is a mild expansion of the letter I sent.
Modern liberals earnestly wish that every adult might make as many effective choices without fear or favor about as many aspects of his life as is compatible with the freedom of every other adult. This is part of the broad progressive attempt to put nature and the social order in the service of the human will.
In the contemporary pantheon of Progressive Liberalism, Autonomous Man is god, Reason and Science are his prophets.
The highest value of this liberalism is individual choice, followed closely by anti-American multi-culturalism, total tolerance, coerced inclusiveness, and managed equality. There is no room here for traditional religion, culture, or anything that smells even faintly of transcendent values or moral absolutes—they must be eliminated whenever or wherever they rear their ugly heads.
So the Whitehouse Christmas Tree will become a Holiday Tree this year. Whereas in the past the Whitehouse sent out an invitation and a theme to a number of interested artists who regularly painted ornaments to be used on the various trees, this year the artists were told not to send any ornaments with a religious theme. In Frankfort Kentucky the Democrat Governor is dutifully following the Pied Piper in Washington by renaming the Christmas Tree—it will now be the Holiday Tree.
I applaud those like Rev. Fugate who make a fuss when these things happen but urge them, and the rest of us who care, to recognize that these little irritations are simply flies buzzing around the head of the Beast: that great tribe of politicians, judges, media moguls and tenured academics who are busily eating away the foundations of traditional western culture in pursuit of a godless socialist utopia which, like all utopia’s, will end with misery and grief for everyone but the ruling elite, self-proclaimed Masters of the Universe.
It is my prayer that those who follow the One on the white horse who is called Faithful and True, who in righteousness judges and wages war, will not slumber but will confront the Beast wherever he is encountered, speaking the truth in love and singing William Blake’s great poem:
JERUSALEM
And did those feet, in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold,
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! Oh, clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land!
10/10/2009
A Morning Visitor
Number 206
The day before yesterday St. Peter joined us for morning prayers.
He stood statue still for almost 5 minutes. I asked after his cousin Glythwyn (St. Cuthbert's rabbit seen by Godric on the Holy Island of Farne 800 years ago. I suspect they are related since the cross he wears is Celtic.) He said it had been at least 300 years since he visited Farne, and unlikely that he would go there as long as the European Union is running things. The Union is not fond of Holy Rabbits, except as fur for the collars of their royal garments. He may get back to Rome some day but will have to go quietly. In the meantime he has made himself an austere cell in our overgrown garden and we have seen another like him several times as well. He may be developing a small band of disciples.
