Anti-Catholicism, Hollywood, and ISIS
If you are interested in an unmasking of the deep anti-Catholic bias in Hollywood, feel free to peruse an article of mine this morning in Crisis, which uses last year’s Captain Fantastic as a paradigm of what the media elites really think about Christians, and Catholicism in particular.
Of course, the Hollywood view is inadvertently aligned with the anti-Catholicism embedded within Islam, at least in its historical origins, as I wrote yesterday, even though Islam and Hollywood could not be further apart in their own moral principles, something the media elites will discover soon enough. For now, the media fawns over Islam, perhaps under the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, until the friend turns out to be an enemy also, after the common enemy is neutralized, if you follow my logic.
In other words, should Islamic principles ever be universally instantiated in the ‘West’ (a not-all-that-unlikely, and perhaps quite likely, scenario, given current demographics and politics), we won’t see too many Hollywood movies of current ilk . In fact, we may not see any films at all, except of the most Sharia-compliant variety.
Speaking of anti-Catholicism, the one still-permitted bias and hate, ISIS has completely destroyed St. Mary’s Cathedral in the city of Marawi in the Phillipines. View the video of the iconoclasm, if you will, as these (young) ‘militants’ smash and stomp on statues, rip up a photo of Pope Benedict, break windows, before setting fire to the building. This is much of a piece with what Islam did to churches in its origins, and, well, we are witnessing things returning to the source whence they derived. Coming to a city near you, unless things change, and change quickly. We must pray for peace, seek common ground, but also act prudently.
There is much ballyhoo over a billboard in Indianapolis, which outlines certain, shall we say, uncomfortable despicable deeds of Muhammad, whom Muslims revere as the ‘perfect man’. One should always be cautious of what is said of historical figures, for hyperbole runs rampant, but there is much evidence that Muhammad did indeed do things we would find abhorrent. But Islam, with its voluntaristic view of morality, that whatever Allah commands is by definition ‘moral’, well, they don’t quite see things the same way we Christians do. Hence, the Muslims are ‘sad’ over this billboard, a sorrow which may turn quite quickly to anger. Of course, they want to know who is behind the (anonymous) advertisement, but the person or group prefers, prudently, to remain anonymous. After watching the cathedral destruction, to say nothing of umpteen other ISIS videos, wouldn’t you?
And finally on this theme, a young Breitbart editor, Katie McHugh, was fired for tweeting that if there no Muslims in Britain, there would be no terrorism. She is right, as evidence demonstrates in Poland, which permits almost no immigration from Islamic countries and has no terrorism, but that is politically incorrect and, as Alec Guinness said in Tunes of Glory, that’s not on m’boy. Very few Muslims are terrorists, but the religion itself, in its theological and moral principles, as well as its historical roots, can find little argument against coercion and violence, and there are enough terrorists in the midst of Islam to make it, shall we say, problematical. We should at the very least be very very careful in importing this religion into our midst, in the midst of which are enough enemies of all that hold dear, or should hold dear, to make deep discernment necessary.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→