England is in some ways the cradle of free-speech. Up until a few years ago it was in some still the capital of it. Most famous is Hyde Park Corner where anyone can mount a box and say anything. Long live the Queen! Down with capitalism! Jamaicans are lazy! Subsidize hemp! Whatever.
Some may not like that. I do.
But in regards to free speech, contemporary England is now choking on it. "Islamophobia" has been criminalized. If I lived in England, I would be on trial now (if anyone wanted to make an issue of it).
And even good old Hyde Park Corner is under pressure. It now abuts a heavily Muslim district, and Muslims like using the parks. Denounce Allah from your box and you'll soon get a swarm of bearded and five-o'clock shadowed hecklers. Heckling is what they'll do if you're lucky.
But here's a faithful Christian who doesn't give a fig. His brand isn't mentioned, but I assume he's Protestant. Any informed Christian would assume so, and that makes me sad. Since Vatican II, western Catholics have largely abandoned evangelizing for Christ, especially to hostile audiences.
They would rather denounce the death penalty to friendly audiences.
But one brave man chose to defend Christ amidst a smirking horde.
A grinch was defied, even with kabob breath.
This faithful Christian has been labeled as "elderly". Compared to us, he's twenty-five.
Can he be the next pope, please?
But but but the Vatican 2 church catechism says:
ReplyDelete841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."[330]
In the Novus Ordo church where I work but do not take the sacraments, the congregants were asked to pray for the souls of the dead terrorists who carried out the Paris killings. This made no sense to me as they died killing others and themselves. Then I thought about this paragraph and realized that in the V2 church, they have just as good a shot at salvation as any Catholic. In fact, those terrorists were better and more devout Muslims than the average nominal Muslim or Catholic by far. So sure, why not pray for their souls? Hell, why not canonize them?
Seattle Kim
Whatever else he is, brave chap.
ReplyDeleteWe pray for the salvation of every soul, because God so desires to show mercy to us all. Our prayers are never wasted, God will decide to give graces earned by our prayers to whomsoever He decides, and that simple act of love and concern even for those murderers could very well decide our own eternity for us. We cannot imagine who we will meet in Heaven, God willing.
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