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Raymond Arroyo interviewed Philip Jenkins on last week's World Over Live program. Much of what I see in the press and media, bear out his assertions.

This homily makes some important points, in that regard.

It is hard to ignore that the media have a bias against Catholicism and that their repeated insinuations do have an impact on our young people. Some young Catholics wonder whether they want to belong to an organization portrayed as anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-democratic, anti-science, even anti-Semitic.

Something to ponder, for those who are not home schooling their children.

And thanks for mentioning who was on last Friday with Raymond Arroyo. I missed it because I was away. I'll watch it on the ewtn archives.

A codicil, though. I don't want us to fall into the "victim mentality" mode of thinking. On the other hand, here in Massachusetts there was rampant anti-Catholicism in the 1840s until the 1920s or so. Including burning down of convents and parishes and not hiring Catholics (or worse, Irish Catholics). It would be nice to have a big-fat govermental check in recompence and a public apology from the government for holding us back and costing us money! ;-)

'It is hard to ignore that the media have a bias against Catholicism and that their repeated insinuations do have an impact on our young people. Some young Catholics wonder whether they want to belong to an organization portrayed as anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-democratic, anti-science, even anti-Semitic.'

I have to admit that I struggled a lot with this in my later teen/early twenty-something years. It is hard to state that you believe an unborn baby has the right to life when you get shouted down by 'liberated women' who call you horrible names to make their point. I wondered if I was wrong in my beliefs--the ones my mother spent years teaching me and I had heard for years in Catholic schools. I became at best apathetic to my Church at times.

I am not sure where I came back to my faith...I think it began when my husband began RCIA during my first pregancy. Seeing his zeal for learning about the Church awakened something I hadn't felt in years.

The truth be told, it is still difficult to stand up for my beliefs, but I don't doubt them at all anymore. When I come across someone who is hostile to my values, I start to seethe, but then I remember what I went through and wonder if they aren't going through the same thing. That is why I always pray for those who have fallen away to come back--somebody must have done it for me at one time!