Bishops prepare Church for Battle

Obama has waged two attacks on the Catholic Church this year. The first attack was the obamacare HHS mandate which forces Catholic charities and services to pay for birth control including abortion. The second attack on the Church was Obama’s blessing of same-sex marriage (not merely civil union, but the sacrament of marriage). While this may have helped Obama sure up his base, I believe he has awakened a sleeping giant: The Catholic Church.

In response to the Obama administration’s assault on the first amendment, the freedom of religion, U.S. Bishops have called on Catholics to take part in the Fortnight for Freedom initiative, an intense two week period of prayer and education. Parishes across the nation are hosting guest speakers, liberty programs for kids and prayer vigils and special Masses. Catholic Americans are rediscovering their Christian heritage.

But as this religious liberty movement sweeps the country, homosexual activists are planning protests, even within the Mass, itself. In Los Angeles, a homosexual activist organization distributed the following:

 

Another protest occurred in Baltimore, where 40 protestors stood outside a Basilica in which a standing-room-only crowd gathered to applaud the Bishop’s Fortnight for Freedom initiative. On a popular Catholic blog, Father Zuhlsdorf questions one of the Baltimore protestor’s sign that read “Freedom for all”.  Father Z writes “Ok. What does that mean? Freedom for what? Freedom to have big government tell your church what it can and cannot do?”

Some homosexual activists are going so far as to educate Christians that Jesus and his disciples practiced homosexuality. You can read about it HERE. What a blatant perversion of the Word! But, false teachings are nothing new. Even the early Christian were warned about false prophets by St. Paul.

I for one am glad to see that the Bishops are wise to Obama and are no longer taking him at his word. Church leaders are right to not trust Obama when he assures them that the government will not intrude on the Church’s right to practice its tradition of one man and one woman marriage. Recalling that Obama once reassured Americans that if we like our health insurance, we could keep it, it is dangerous to believe any promises that our “evolving” president makes.

At a national gathering of Bishops in Atlanta, a representative of the Pope, told the Bishops to not relent in their battle for religious liberty.  Archbishop William Lori, who leads the bishops’ committee on religious liberty addressed the bishops saying “my brother bishops, we have a great task ahead of us. It will not be easy and we may well suffer, as we are called to do. But we will not fail.”

Although the Bishops didn’t choose this battle nor did they choose the timing, in an election year, they are not backing away from their religious conscience. While the Bishops take a stand for religious liberty, they need the support of the Catholic community.

The storm is coming.

The homosexual and abortion activists trained in Saul Alinksy tactics will come after the Church and nothing will be spared. Ridicule, intimidation and perhaps even violence should be expected. They seek to silence the voice for Truth.

But, remember our faith is all we need. Believe God. Trust God.

Ephesians 6:10-18:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.