State religion
The Catholic Church needs to recognise and accept that Ireland has reached the point where the Church is now the only remaining defender of Christian civilisation here.
The Church also needs to recognise that it is not in good shape to carry out its task, and that it will be hated for trying to do so.
Secularism, with its radical exclusion of God, is now the de facto State religion, having been promoted vigorously by various State organs and billionaire money for the past 50 years or more.
The State has adopted a specific religion with little reference to the will of the people and with virtually no discussion of its immense impact on society.
Our politics is being corrupted by this insane ideology while our 3rd level institutions of education have been seduced by it and propagate it to their unsuspecting students.
Far from questioning it, our national media, marching to the drum of the powers that be, do all they can to protect it and to obstruct any intellectual challenge to it.
Those who say they have "no religion" might more accurately describe their faith or fundamental outlook on life as Secularism. Indeed, this should be made one of the religious options on the census form.
Debate is out
When, on rare occasions, the harm to society caused by secularist ideology is pointed out the response is not reasonable debate - our choice-focused culture has gone far beyond that point.
The reaction rather is accusations of 'hate', 'phobia', 'intolerance' and an attempt to shout down, intimidate, crowd out or otherwise silence the truth.
But Catholics too, living in a secularist culture, have been profoundly affected by it, often without realising it. Too often we no longer think like Christians, we have conformed to secularist beliefs and values.
This is also true of many Catholic institutions - they are rapidly losing their Catholic identity and are undermining or abandoning their Christ-given mission.
The Church here needs to commit to a massive and vigorous 'decontamination programme' to free itself from this irrational ideology.
It must also speak out with courage to defend our Christian civilisation which ultimately defends us, especially the weakest among us.
The Church also needs to recognise that it is not in good shape to carry out its task, and that it will be hated for trying to do so.
Secularism, with its radical exclusion of God, is now the de facto State religion, having been promoted vigorously by various State organs and billionaire money for the past 50 years or more.
The State has adopted a specific religion with little reference to the will of the people and with virtually no discussion of its immense impact on society.
Our politics is being corrupted by this insane ideology while our 3rd level institutions of education have been seduced by it and propagate it to their unsuspecting students.
Far from questioning it, our national media, marching to the drum of the powers that be, do all they can to protect it and to obstruct any intellectual challenge to it.
Those who say they have "no religion" might more accurately describe their faith or fundamental outlook on life as Secularism. Indeed, this should be made one of the religious options on the census form.
Debate is out
When, on rare occasions, the harm to society caused by secularist ideology is pointed out the response is not reasonable debate - our choice-focused culture has gone far beyond that point.
The reaction rather is accusations of 'hate', 'phobia', 'intolerance' and an attempt to shout down, intimidate, crowd out or otherwise silence the truth.
But Catholics too, living in a secularist culture, have been profoundly affected by it, often without realising it. Too often we no longer think like Christians, we have conformed to secularist beliefs and values.
This is also true of many Catholic institutions - they are rapidly losing their Catholic identity and are undermining or abandoning their Christ-given mission.
The Church here needs to commit to a massive and vigorous 'decontamination programme' to free itself from this irrational ideology.
It must also speak out with courage to defend our Christian civilisation which ultimately defends us, especially the weakest among us.
