We Have Moved
"Thrown" April 13, 2007 — Issue #5— HOME NEXT ISSUE >>


About the Art:
Though Easter has come and gone, Lent already long forgotten by many, I nonetheless chose to create an image of Jesus carrying the cross for this issue. Quite honestly, this generation needs to re-learn what it means to take up their cross and follow Christ. We moderns comprehend the loving Father we know God to be, but we ever seem to forget that love requires sacrifice, that love without sacrifice is nothing, that in proving our love we too will discover a cross, a cross we too must embrace for love of God and our fellow man. Quite frankly, there is no love without the cross; not without our Lord's cross, not without ours.

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Yes, my 3D Jesus has been thoroughly revised yet again, though it may be difficult to tell with all the Suffering Servant has endured here.

About Us:

Time to put it back in the bottle and throw it!
If you enjoyed the Paladin's note, please pass it on! If it was passed on to you by someone else and you want to get it direct from the Paladin, just let him know!

© VW Malzahn, 2007


Leverage in Power Struggle
(Published in Yakima Herald-Republic as
a Letter to the Editor in March, 2007)

The Catholic sex scandal goes on and on in Yakima, not because there has been any recent abuse, but rather because pointing the finger has become an effective weapon in the ongoing struggle for power within the Church.

Because there were pedophile priests, one can now easily destroy any priest by simply pointing the finger. Because there were bishops who handled these horrendous crimes in an inexcusable manner, one can now easily damage the reputation of any bishop by simply pointing the finger. Those who do not hesitate to destroy the careers of innocent priests are those who intended to destroy the careers of innocent priests, and who hoped to actually gain from it.

What is to gain? Some seek to undermine the traditional authority of the Catholic Church. A few even hope for a democracy in which they can vote on truth and then dictate it to God. A democratic church would no longer be universal and would soon break into thousands of little uncatholic churches.

We as the Church will not tolerate pedophile priests. Nor will we tolerate anyone protecting pedophile priests. Nor will we tolerate ruining the lives of innocent priests. Nor will we tolerate the opportunists that attempt to use these crimes as leverage for power and their personal agendas. Above all, we will not be divided. Our unity is one of our greatest testaments that God remains with us even during this dark and rebellious age.

-VW Malzahn

The above article was published in the Yakima Herald-Republic as a Letter to the Editor. The title is theirs.

 

The Overall Cultural Problems Plaguing the Church
The Big Picture of the Spiritual Battle

There are three overarching attitudes in modern culture that are incompatible with Catholic culture yet are nonetheless common among Catholics and are raising havoc with their faith. These attitudes or modern “values” must become the focus of our spiritual battles. These three unchristian values are:

  1. Anti Authority, or “democratic religion” (rebellion)
  2. Anti Absolute Truth, or “personal truth” (relativism)
  3. Anti Sacrifice, or “pleasure centered life” (hedonism)

While we may spend much time defending the Real Presence or Marian devotion, we must understand that these three unchristian values are what lead to these problems. While we may spend a lot of time and energy defending innocent priests from unfounded sexual accusations, while we may debate endlessly in favor of celibate priests, and against female priests, we must understand that all these problems are founded on the three unchristian values mentioned above.

Thus the key to successful spiritual renewal in this age is to address these unchristian values with the appropriate Christian value. We must promote Authority, Absolute Truth, and Sacrifice. These are the three Christian values to focus on.

  1. We must devise methods of ongoing adult formation that focus on these three Catholic values, that better acculturates our people in our own culture, Catholic culture.
  2. We must devise methods to promote these three Catholic values at the community level through various celebrations, awards, dinners, talks, demonstrations, rallies, and so forth.
  3. We must devise methods to directly confront forces organized to undermine these three Catholic values.
  4. We must become exemplar Catholics who excel in these three Catholic values.

Pride in religion always
leads to a fall.

Below is a small sampling of information on the so-called "Voice of the Faithful" and connected groups of dissidents:

When Wolves Dress Like Sheep: Close Look at Voice of the Faithful

An Inside Look at Voice of the Faithful

Is It The Voice of The Faithful?

Twilight of the Scandal

CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter
August 8, 2002

Is VOTF’s Agenda Still Ultimately, Anti-Catholic?

Click here for on-line version

 
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