The Appeal of Catholic Sharia

The Stream ^ | April 30, 2021 | John Zmirak

[ebb tide]

The Appeal of Catholic Sharia

The Integralist Manifesto

Integralists disregard Natural Law as the only common ground that can hold a pluralist country together. Instead, its advocates offer the following, deceptively simple claims. (If either Scott Hahn or his co-author Brandon McGinley wishes to disavow any of the items below, I will be delighted, and will duly report it here.)

1. Catholicism is not only the true religion, but the only belief system even worthy to be called a “religion.” All other creeds are forms of idolatry or heresy. (This appears in the very first pages of Right and Just, and marks the first time I threw the book across the room. But not the last.)
2. Government should be founded on truth, not falsehoods, ambiguities, or compromises with error.
3. Therefore, the government should be founded on Catholic principles. Where possible it should be officially Catholic.
4. Since we don’t have the God-given “right” to do what is wrong, there is no God-given freedom of religion. The government should promote Catholicism, and suppress other faiths, using state coercion. This is especially true of non-Catholic Christian churches. Their members, having been validly baptized, are simply Catholics ensnared by heresy. They ought to obey their local Catholic bishops. If need be, the police should enforce the bishop’s authority. Integralists differ whether bishops should have their own (Saudi-style) religious police, or if local sheriffs should be the ones to make heresy arrests.
5. The lukewarmness, corruption, and doctrinal errors pervading the Catholic church — even the Vatican — are the fault of compromises with the false principle of “Liberalism.” Idolatrously accepting the notion of individual freedom as a good in itself, leaders of the Church (a Vatican council, and five successive popes) invited error into its own institutions.

[Nateman]

This Catholic battle was waged centuries ago and they lost. Nowadays you got a Pope who thinks Islam is cool.

[Marchmain]

Not appealing at all except maybe to medievalists.

[amihow]

Yes! Zmirack correct, based on my first reading.

[antidemoncrat]

“Nowadays you got a Pope who thinks Islam is cool”

Seems to me he is the first Chrislamic aka One World Religion Pope.

[jocon307]

“Quit hogging the bong, Tony!”

LOL, liked that part!

But seriously, I’ve never heard of this before. Of course this will never work. Religious freedom is one of the absolute cornerstones of our nation.

And, btw, none of this will ever really “work”. You can oppress people, and suppress people, and abuse them, and I suppose many can even be actually brain-washed against their will.

But in the end most peoples minds remain free, even if their mouths remain shut.

I fear for my country at this time. Democrat Party corruption has placed every single person in this country (maybe on this continent, maybe on the globe) in near mortal danger. But one thing I’m pretty sure is not ever going to happen is throwing out the Constitution and replacing it with the Catechism of the RC Church.

These people would better apply themselves to the beam in their own eye, ie: Bergoglio the idolator. Because right now he is the head of the RC Church and he is a disaster on stilts.

[ebb tide]

Actually, I highly regretted posting this article on my second reading. And that's why I didn't ping it to anyone.

Zmirak is defending a pluralist society. Christ never called for that. The Catholic Church has always called for the Social Reign of Jesus Christ the King here on earth.

The Social Reign of Christ the King: A Forgotten Doctrine?

[amihow]

Actually, I think that the Natural Law which has a long history and prominent in Aquinas, especially in his writings on Law. That long history, including Aquinas, are that which our founders used. It leaves room, for people to have their conscience respected.

[ebb tide]

Zmirak fails to address the fact that United States, as a now pluralist society, once a Christian society, has now dropped blue laws honoring the Third Commandment. The blue laws had nothing to do with Zmirak's natural law.

We should not impose faith in the Trinity, or the Virgin Birth, as conditions of citizenship.
Zmirak is describing scenarios that never happened.

The Catholic Church has always taught "tolerance", much different than "freedom", of false religions.

I'm hugely disappointed in Zmirak. He's drunk the kool-aid.

[lastchance]

Well, I think the focus ought to be on the Pope and Bishops being true to the teachings of the Church and imposing such on them. Not on the populace at large.

[lastchance]

I admit. I would rejoice at a proclamation announcing “Their Most Catholic Majesties.” But I don’t foresee that in my lifetime. So what then? I don’t know. I do know that a solution of “Catholic Sharia” while so many have been corrupted by false liberty and freedom of decadence would not be a path to peace or true freedom.

Submit to Christ and pray without ceasing.

[Chainmail]

It figures that this would be one of your posts, Ebb Tide!

Nothing like fanaticism to spread the faith in our Lord, right? (Sarcasm sign on)

[ebb tide]

Apparently you didn’t see my Post #7.

[ebb tide]

Not on the populace at large.

Why not?

[Tell It Right]

A) Referring to Catholics as "sharia" is misleading, and I'm Protestant. In the west it's the rabid Darwinists who are forcing their religion onto everybody else, not the Catholics or other Christians. And obviously, in the convert-or-die nations it's Muslims who are the sharia folks.

B) IMHO the allure of Catholicism is about the physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the misleading teachings of absolution from purgatory. The thinking goes like this: If the Protestants are right then there's no gain from being either Catholic or Protestant. But if the Catholics are right then there's much to gain from being Catholic. I obviously disagree with it and think there's much to gain from being Protestant and much to lose by being Catholic. I have trouble believing that Jesus set up a system where He's more in our presence only when certain members of a religious caste system make the communion elements sacred. But I think the sales pitch about the Eucharist and Purgatory are effective to some people.

[ebb tide]

There’s no such thing as absolution from Purgatory.

So you are starting off on the wrong foot lecturing Catholic’s about their Church.

[allblues]

I would question the Biblical support for the existence of purgatory. If I’m wrong I’ll gladly accept any Scriptural support for its reality.

[ebb tide]

St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15:

"For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble: Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."

[allblues]

Appreciate the response, but I see no support for the existence of purgatory.

[Captain Walker]

“...yet so as by fire.”