Why does Ramadan get so much publicity?

Ramadan is a time of year when Muslims fast during daylight hours. It happens once a year and lasts around 28 days. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, each year it is 10 or 11 days earlier than the year before. After Ramadan, the next day is Eid, where there are great feasts in the Muslim world. I remember 7 or 8 years ago when Eid was around the same time as Christmas, but this year it will be in September. But something has struck me as funny, and a little bit disconcerting. People seem more aware of Ramadan than Lent. Lent, of course, is the Christian time of penance, fasting and almsgiving. But I find people are more familiar with Ramadan than they are with Lent.

A couple of examples will illustrate this point. I was speaking to a friend of mine at a party one time. I told him that at the time it was Lent. He seemed a little confused as if he wasn't really familiar with Lent. This person was born in Quebec, the most Catholic province in Canada, and is a completely bilingual white man. I indicated that Lent is a time of fasting and so on for Christians, and as though a light went off inside his head, he exclaimed, "Oh, like Ramadan!" It seems to me, it should have been the opposite. He is not Muslim, and although he himself would probably not consider himself Christian, his heritage surely is.

A second example is of another friend, who is also a white Canadian. Although he himself cannot speak French, he has French ancestors (from France), but mostly of Canadian origin. He dated a Muslim girl for several years. They broke up. Later he started dating a Christian girl. One night the topic of Ramadan came up because it had recently started. He perked up. He became interested becuase he said he normally participates in the fasting, not for religious purposes he says, but for the beneficial effects fasting can have on a person, such as self control. He was concerned however, because his new girlfriend was quite Christian and he felt that participating in Ramadan might give her a bad impression. Interestingly, he failed to consider Lent, which would be wholly acceptable to her, regardless of her particular denomination since he would be imitating Christ. My hunch is that he had never even heard of Lent.

But how do these examples exist? In Canada, about 77% of the population considers themselves Christian, and around 44% call themselves Catholic. Compare this to the less than 2% who are Muslim. I think there may be several reasons for this occurrance. One of the main reasons is something I wrote about in a previous post and it has to do with self-hatred. We as a society seem to hate ourselves. The closer we approach our own culture, religion, way of life, historical values, and even skin colour, the more we want to lash out in angry vitriol. Yet, at the same time, we feel compelled to be overly consiliatory when it comes to other cultures and religions. Statement: Christianity is against abortion. Response: "Well, don't tell me what to do about my body! And how dare the Church try to tell me anything! What about when *insert random, unrelated, exaggerated incident(s) from the Church's past*?" But then tell someone about cannibals in a foreign country and say that's morally wrong and people will once again lash out, but this time in defense of that culture. Response: "How dare you try to push your imperialistic ambitions on these poor innocent cultures that are living how they have lived for centuries! Don't push your morals on them! You're worse than they are for judging them!"

What makes this situation even more surprising is that there is good reason to believe that Ramadan is just a Muslim version of Lent. Mohammed came into contact with Christians, albeit nonorthodox ones, and from them took many Christian ideas and changed them in certain ways. He also took pagan beliefs and incorporated them into Islam. The idea of Ramadan came directly from Lent. In the time when Mohammed got his idea, Christians had a very strict regiment during this penitential season, even stricter than Muslims now. There was little or no eating during the day, eating meat was prohibited, including derivatives such as butter, cream, etc. Also, there was much prayer. Mohammed didn't just take the idea of Lent and turn it into Ramadan, he also took many other ideas from Christianity and modified them. He took the idea of monks praying 7 times a day and changed it to Muslims praying 5 times a day. He took everything he wrote about Jesus, the New Testament, and the Old Testament from the Christians he met, including the idea that only Christ and Mary were sinfree their entire lives. He took the ideas to a certain extent. He did not accept that Christ died on the cross for our sins, and fulfilled all of scripture and thus removed the necessity for another prophet (since Christ fulfilled all prophesy). He could not accept this, because this would mean he was no longer a prophet and that he would simply be a follower. So, Mohammed changed things as he saw necessary to give himself his own self-title of prophet. As a warlord, Mohammed spread his message by the sword. Having said this, I believe Muslims worship the same God (although they have an incomplete concept of him), and I believe many Muslims are good people. But we must also not be afraid of the truth.

Somehow, out of a sense of political correctness, we feel compelled to act as a defense lawyer for all "others", while feeling a similar obligation to denigrate our own culture. I'm not saying we should be disrespectful or encourage racism or prejudice. I'm just saying we need to stand up for ourselves, love ourselves, love our culture, our religion, our way of life. We must respect others as well, but not at the expense of our own self-respect.

It is just so very ironic. If someone speaks about 9/11, it is considered terrible to mention anything about Islam, and if someone does mention that the hijackers were Muslim, it is quickly and emphatically followed up with statements about the peaceful nature of "most" Muslims. However, it is considered completely alright to bring up anything about the Church's history when opposing her in some way. I've read articles written for top newspapers in the United States that have been along the lines of the Catholic Church is opposed to abortion, but how dare they speak out against abortion when there was a sex abuse scandal! Or The Catholic Church does not allow women to be priests. How dare they do this, considering all the stuff that happened during the sex abuse scandal! Or The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage. But why not use that money to pay off sex abuse victims instead! Imagine using the same logic when it comes to Muslims. As in "Muslim countries are against same-sex marriage. How dare they! Remember 9/11!" It would seem completely illogical, and it would be! It seems logic is not necessary when bashing the Catholic Church.

I believe it is high time that we put away our self-loathing and rediscover a love for our culture and heritage. There are innumerable things to be proud of when it comes to being Christian, and specifically Catholic. The Catholic Church furthered the idea that scientific laws were rational and that science is possible because everything is not as it is right this moment because God is specifically willing it to be that way (i.e. everything is a miracle). The Catholic Church founded the university system we have today. The Western study of astronomy started with the Church. International Law came from the Church. We built innumerable schools, hospitals, and other places which provide social services. We've campaigned for the poor and abandonned. Monks gathered and transmitted knowledge from the ancient world to our own. You may say others have done this also to some extend, but none come anywhere near the Catholic Church. It is the largest chartible organization on the planet. 22% of hospitals in India are Catholic, even though only 2% of the population is. 50% of AIDS victims in Africa are cared for by Catholic organizations. There are many more statistics like these.

Let us spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and his Church!

Powerful profile of the first patron of the New World

Seminarians are choosing traditional training

I've known this for a while, but I found a good article on the topic, found at MSNBC. It shows that seminarians are opting for traditional Catholic training. I think this is logical. The Catholic faith is the Truth, so any deviation from this is a deviation from the Truth. When you present the Truth in all its splendor, it attracts people. I love my Catholic faith. I love reading about saints who persevered in the harshest times and circumstances. I am not inspired by cafeteria Catholics who want to have nothing to do with Truth or sacrifice or living the faith Christ calls us to live. I want the real deal. And so do these seminarians. Great article, worth a read:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32608171/ns/us_news-faith//

Ted Kennedy to Pope Benedict: 'I am writing with deep humility...' -- Politics Daily

On July 10th, Obama went to visit the Holy Father in the Vatican, and while there handed him a letter written by Senator Ted Kennedy. Many have speculated as to the contents of this letter, but they are now revealed. Well, most of them anyway.

Kennedy basically defends his record of public service to the poor and unfortunate. He reassures the pope that any health care reform will respect medical practitioners' right to conscience. He also asks for the Pope's blessing and prayers.

Many Catholics may be upset that Kennedy did not specifically mention his pro-abortion legislation or ask forgiveness for these. He specifies several times that he tried his best and admits he hasn't always been perfect, but this falls short of a repudiation of his positions, which many may have been hoping for, even if against all odds.

The pope very graciously gives Kennedy his blessing and invokes God's protection on him. The pope does not mention how Kennedy's legislation has contradicted Catholic teaching, but this was not expected.

We will entrust Ted Kennedy's soul to God.

Please read the following article:

Ted Kennedy to Pope Benedict: 'I am writing with deep humility...' -- Politics Daily

After Kennedy's Death: Silence from the Pope

This is an interesting article written by Time Magazine concerning Ted Kennedy and his relationship with his religion - Catholicism. It shows how he went from receiving first communion from Pope Pius XII to becoming one of the strongest pro-abortion politicians in the country.

After Kennedy's Death: Silence from the Pope

Father Raymond J. de Souza: Why priests dont have kids

Beautifully explained and well written. I suggest you take a look!

Father Raymond J. de Souza: Why priests dont have kids

Believe it or not, Ted Kennedy was once pro-life

Ted Kennedy, who recently passed away, spent about the last 30 years defending a pro-choice agenda, however prior to about the time of Roe v. Wade, Ted Kennedy was Pro-life. Click the link below to read the story about it and see the letter he wrote speaking of his pro-life convictions:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/08/on-abortion-a-once-catholic-te.html

Obama marks beginning of Ramadan, but is strangely silent about Lent

At the beginning of Ramadan, a Muslim month of fasting, Obama made a special announcement commemorating its start. His speech was geared toward American Muslims and those outside the country. However, Obama made no similar speech concerning Lent, the Christian season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Why would Obama pay special attention to Islam, while ignoring his own alledged Christianity?

This question becomes even more mind boggling when you consider the fact that a whopping 78.4% of Americans call themselves Christian, while just a very tiny group call themselves Muslim - just 0.6%, not even 1 percent of the population. There are more Buddhists in the US than Muslims.

If Obama had paid any attention to the Christian time of fasting, perhaps this would not be a big deal, but Obama probably didn't even know it existed. Many have questioned whether Obama is really a Christian in the first place. He vehemently says that he is, but where does the evidence point? Between Easter and his inaguration, Obama and his family missed church services for 11 straight weeks. While in Turkey, Obama declared that the United States is not a Christian nation. We all know Obama's record on life issues, valuable to all serious Christians.

Why does Obama go out of his way to mark the beginning of a Muslim month, while ignoring the Christian season from which many believe it is derived. Just as Mohammed took most of his new religion from Christianity and changed it to suit his needs, he also took the practice of Lent and turned it into Ramadan.

Now, in a country where almost four fifths of the population consider themselves Christian, while only 3/5 of 1% consider themselves Muslim, Obama decides to commemorate Muslims and ignore Christians. This would be the equivalent of being the key note speaker at a World War II conference attended by 130 veterans, then during your speech you congratulate the head waiter on his 15th wedding anniversary but completely ignore everyone else in the conference and mention nothing about the veterans or the war.

If Obama really is Christian, I think it's about time he try to prove it!

Note to The Tablet: 'Liberal Catholicism' is a flawed concept

This is really a great article which needs to be read. It's quite short, but sweet and to the point. The basic theme is that there is no such thing as liberal Catholicism. The Church is quite clear on her teachings and doctrine will not change. Worth a read!

Note to The Tablet: 'Liberal Catholicism' is a flawed concept

Joffé defends biopic of Opus Dei founder

There is a new movie out about the founder of Opus Dei, who is now a saint in Heaven. People seem to be upset that the maker of the movie did not portray Jose Maria Escriva in a bad enough light. I have a suspicion that people are objecting not so much to the historical inaccuracy but with Opus Dei's teaching on mortification and the primacy of the Church. Check out the full article below:

Joffé defends biopic of Opus Dei founder

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy dies

In very sad news, the brother of the first and only Catholic US President, and very famous Senator Ted Kennedy has died. He was 77. Please see the story below:

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy dies

Anniversary of Galileo's telescope and the old canards are back

The Galileo case is a favorite among anti-Catholics and anti-Christians. They believe it shows the Church's record of anti-science and her hatred for rationality. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Galileo was a strong Catholic who happened to be an astronomer. He was very popular in his day. He made friends with many top Vatican officials, even the future pope. He was well respected. His theory of heliocentrism was nothing new. Copernicus, a loyal Catholic cleric, had pioneered the theory several decades prior. Galileo attempted to further his research in this field.

At the time when Galileo was proposing his theory, another theory, proposed by Ptolemy many centuries prior, was very widely accept by scientists. The theory was that of geocentrism (the Sun revolving around the Earth). This was the dominant view in the scientific community, not just the religious community.

Galileo made several wrong moves when it came to his presentation of his theory. He demanded that church officials accept it as true, even though it was far from proven. Galileo even wrote a book in which he put the popes words and theories into the mouth of a character named Simplicio (similar to Simpleton). Obviously this was very insulting.

The Church said that until a theory can be proven, it should not be presented as fact. This was very wise, especially considering that several aspects of Galileo's theory proved wrong. For example, he believed the Sun was the centre of the universe, whereas we now know that the Sun also moves around an orbit at an even faster rate than the Earth.

The Church was not against, and certainly not against astronomy. In fact, many churches used their tall towers as planetary observatories. Many of the first astronomers were Catholic and even religious. The first person to propose the big bang theory was Fr. Lemaitre, a Catholic monseigneur (high ranking priest).

Many want to say the Church has always been against science, but this is simply untrue. Monks were responsible for transmitting practically everything we know of ancient Greek and Roman science and culture. Gregor Mendel, a priest, discovered the field of genetics. The first European universities were founded by popes.

The Galileo Case is a favorite among anti-Christians because the lies surrounding it have become so well-accepted. I would suggest you do your own research and find the truth.

Cardinal Newman Society > News

Cardinal Newman Society > News

Posted using ShareThis

Utah gets Catholic-themed radio station - KIFI - Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Jackson WY - Weather News Sports-

This is great news. Although Utah is very much associated with Mormonism, Catholicism is also quite large in Utah, representing 10% of the population, the largest non-Mormon group of Christians in the state. Over 60% of the population is Mormon, so this radio station should hopefully have an impact and many will come to the Catholic faith.

Utah gets Catholic-themed radio station - KIFI - Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Jackson WY - Weather News Sports-

Shared via AddThis

Mickey Rourke thanks God and Catholic faith for 'second chance'

I think this is a great article. Mickey Rourke always seemed like such a tough guy in movies. Now he is crediting his life to his Catholic faith, saying without it he would have committed suicide. Check out the full article:

Mickey Rourke thanks God and Catholic faith for 'second chance'

Man struggling with same sex attraction or homosexual feelings gives himself to Christ's Church

I just read a great story of a man named John Heard, from Australia, which sharply contrasts the typical "I'm a Catholic, but I disagree on........" story, and instead is a story of true love of God and his Church. This man puts his love of God first, as we all should.

You can read the full article at:
http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=61f61385-bf87-48aa-929c-0a2e21a80232

----------------------------------------------
Make Us Worthy of the Promises of Christ

Same-sex Attracted Catholic Puts Faith First

Published: August 25, 2009
----------------------------------------------

Wisconsin requiring Catholic institutions to provide contraception coverage

Religious freedom is being taken away quite blatantly in Wisconsin. How long will it take before other states follow? Imagine forcing a Jewish butcher shop to sell pork, or forcing a Jehovah Witness hospital to perform blood transfusions. Catholics, who really helped build the United States, believe contraception is immoral. Many contraceptives cause abortion by chemicals. An embryo is sometimes destroyed with contraception. Plus, Catholics believe it violates human sexuality and hurts relationships. This of course has been proven by information on contraception use. But what's a little forcing people to violate their consciences among friends, right? Next thing on the agenda is to force pro-life doctors to perform abortion. After that we might as well get used to the catacombs again. Goodbye freedom, welcome oppression.

Wisconsin requiring Catholic institutions to provide contraception coverage

Does our society hate itself?

Something rather amazing has occurred. Recently I have been pondering whether we as a society have started to hate ourselves, and the closer we come to "us", the more we despise it. I wondered that question even today. Then I happened to come across, by chance, and without searching, an article written by Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI on Europe's self-hatred. Part of what he says is the following:

My last point is the religious question. I do not want to enter into the complex discussions of recent years, but to focus on only one aspect that is fundamental for all cultures: respect for what the other holds sacred, and in particular respect for the sacred in the highest sense, for God, something that we can legitimately suppose to find even in one who is not disposed to believe in God. Wherever this respect is denied, something essential in a society is lost. In our present-day society, thank God, whoever dishonours the faith of Israel, its image of God or its great personalities, is fined. Whoever scorns the Koran and the basic convictions of Islam is fined, too. Instead, with regard to Christ and to what is sacred for Christians, freedom of opinion seems to be the supreme good, and to limit this would seem to threaten or even destroy tolerance and freedom in general. Freedom of opinion, though, finds its limit in this, that it cannot destroy the honour and the dignity of the other; it is not freedom to lie or to destroy human rights.

The West reveals here a hatred of itself, which is strange and can be only considered pathological; the West is laudably trying to open itself, full of understanding, to external values, but it no longer loves itself; in its own history, it now sees only what is deplorable and destructive, while it is no longer able to perceive what is great and pure.

It seems Cardinal Ratzinger was thinking the same thing I am now. Is this idea of self-hatred plausible? I think we just need to look at the evidence around us to find the answer.

As Ratzinger points out, there is this overwhelming need to be politically correct when it comes to other faiths. We must say all the right words, even use the right pronunciation. Nothing negative can be said of another religion, even if it's true. But when it comes to Christianity, and specifically the Catholic faith, anything goes.

A good illustration of this is an incident which happened to me several years ago. A lady at work very much lost her cool in an email to me after I had sent her an innocent message say I am Christian. Her response said vile and angry things about priests and the church, she even blasted the Bible and Mary. Her anger knew no bounds but were not spurred by anything I said. However, sometime close this to incident, this same lady corrected me hastily and with bitterness when I called what Jewish men wear on their heads a skull cap. She snapped at me and said "It's not a skull cap, it's a yamulke!" Her reaction was visceral. I felt as if I must have said something extremely offensive. It's important to note that this lady is a Christian (or former Christian) and indicated that she wanted to marry in a church.

It's rare to find someone who identifies as Christian and will stand up for Christian beliefs. You are much more likely to find people who identify as Christian or Catholic, but nonetheless feel it appropriate to bash their religion. It's common to hear people say things like "I'm Catholic, but I believe women should be allowed to have abortions if they want, and they should be allowed to be priests." People will say they are Catholic but believe gay people should have the right to marry or that they think contraception is fine.

If you have watched any television lately, you will notice something. The media will gleefully bash the Catholic Church on her stance on abortion, female ordination, contraception, married clergy, and any other issues. Comedians will constantly make crude jokes about pedophile priests, or to mock the Holy Father. If you are offended by this or object to this, you are condemned as a tight wad who doesn't know how to have fun. But if you even stated something that was factual about another religion you would be in the hot seat. Whenever there's a terrorist attack, media reporters and politians will bend over backwards to emphasize that Islam is in fact peaceful. Do we see these same reporters making sure to indicate that the vast (98% or more) or priests are faithfully celibate and wouldn't hurt a fly? Of course not!

How often do you turn on the TV and hear that HALF of all AIDS patients in Africa are receiving direct care from Catholic Aid organizations? I didn't even know abou this until I did some research. Of course you will hear about the pope being opposed to condoms in Africa.

You may hear the fictitious story about how the Catholic Church bullies its way into India to forcefully converts people against their wills. But do you hear the actual information that although only 2% of the population of India is Christian, a whopping 22% of hospitals are run by the Catholic Church? I doubt it.

The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization on the planet, but you are far more likely to hear about the inappropriate behavior of one of her 500,000 priests before you ever hear that important stat. As professor Philip Jenkins says, Anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice.

The bottom line is the Catholic Church has done far more for the benefit of humanity than all other organizations combined. We ought to be very proud of our Christian heritage and understand that sharing it with others is helping them. We need to stop being ashamed of ourselves and start to realize the real contribution our faith has made to the world. But at the same time, we needn't be surprised by the persecution. Jesus promised we would be persecuted because of our belief in him. Any time we are persecuted, let us think of that as Christ's promises being fulfilled.