Forget the real substantive issues we can actually do something about, like fixing Social Security's looming bankruptcy, and instead focus on bankrupting ourselves by bombing Yemen. Sweet!
And in a tradition that spans the history of the human race, bad ideas don't die. Hell, they don't even fade away anymore, thanks to the internet. They just get repackaged. Better yet, they just get rediscovered by those who didn't know what they were really looking for in the first place.
Did you see Fr. Steve Granow's post today over at the Word On Fire blog? It is his riff on the chord struck by Barbara Nicolosi's recent article in Crisis Magazine entitled Exposing Euthanasia Through the Arts. Go read them both.
Fr. Steve points out what I have decided to call The Layman's Conundrum™. It's sort of like Hamlet's line "To be? Or not to be?" In the world, that is. Well, I'm a layman, a husband, a father, so guess what? I'm definitely in the world. But I'm also a Catholic Christian and realize that I am called to not conform to this age. Come Holy Spirit!
And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)
I like how Fr. Steve's title plays off of the wise words written in my favorite Old Testament book, Ecclesiastes. They're right there in Chapter 3,
All things have their season,
and in their times all things pass under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal.
A time to destroy, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather.
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to get, and a time to lose.
A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew.
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time of love, and a time of hatred.
A time of war, and a time of peace.
The life of a layman is one of constant struggle. Christ hasn't promised you a rose garden, and yet the one you're in is pretty thorny. We have joined the cause of Truth and the Truth shall make us free. Both articles linked to above point out that we really can't flee the culture if we are to make the message of Christ known.
Which brings me right 'round back to Ayn Rand again. Her thoughts are corrupting our brothers and sisters and it smells like a zombie apocalypse to me. In a riff off Qoheleth, it's time for Christians to kill their ardor for Objectivism.
Because if you know what Anti-Christ is, you must engage it. Even Roger Ebert, the film critic "gets" Ayn Rand. As he put it in his review of the film Atlas Shrugged Part I, her philosophy is "I'm on board, pull up the lifeline."
Speaking of films, popular culture alert! This is how I feel about Ayn Rand and her ideas: "Why won't you die?!" Roll tape,
Thank goodness Austin Powers had an ally to drive him out of that tight spot. Sheesh! Nice car. Allies...yes! That is what is needed in this fight to focus the harsh light of truth on the satanic ideas of Ayn Rand. The Rand Busters, I like the sound of that.
Roll tape!
Um, it's not that easy, but it sure is fun. Mark Shea is a member. And Joe Carter (Semper Fidelis, brother!) is in the Rand Busters too. I'm definitely in.
We need others, you know. Both Catholics and Protestants. Sign up in the commbox below. Write your blog posts, wake the neighbors, phone your friends and tell them that when it comes to Ayn Rand, well...what he says!
I promise more on The Layman Conundrum™ later. In the meantime, stay true to your calling. Be a light to the world. We could be heroes, you know (watch this all the way to the end!).
Need more motivation? Read this. And look what happened today. Wow.
