Thursday 22 October 2015

The culture of death and the mask of hate


·       New Bond movie - same old culture of hate, masked to look good.

 

With the release this weekend of the new Bond movie I thought it's time to revisit this article from our CUT Newsletter of the Autumn of 2007. For it the main areas of research were two books Romano Guardini's End of The End of the Modern World and David Holbrook, The Masks of Hate. Holbrook's work is of particular interest as it involved a study of the Bond movie Goldfinger. Holbrook shows us in this study just how evil the Bond films are and although I have not seen the new 007 film, indications are it is more of the same. Cynical treatment of human life the usage and objectification of women, even by other women even if they now try and tell you that women give as good as they get in Bond films, it's still full of hatred for humanity, and particularly women.
 
copyright Bond movies MGM et al.
 

Visions of Modernity

 

How modernist broadcasts created a Culture of Hate

 

 

Modernity is all around us it is the modern world. Some elements of modernity have beneficial effects on our lives for example electricity, motorcars, aeroplanes, modern medicine, and mass-communication. But used to excess and without care the modernist, some believe could destroy the natural order and indeed undermine western culture itself. The modernist in this article refers to someone particularly in the media who has been totally and psychologically affected by modernity in all its excesses and champions it. He hates any group or individual who contradicts him and tries to deflect this hatred on them particularly through the push media the television and radio. However, the basic concept of modernity and the modernist, is being challenged or undermined from within by nuclear weapons, terrorism, euthanasia, the holocaust and today’s extermination camps - the abortion mills. The materialistic crudity that becomes ever more prevalent in society objectifies humanity, that if it can’t use you, you are discarded. This objectifying of the human person adds up to a world that’s being changed and controlled a culture that has turned its back on its foundations, and even despises it. Western man is replacing the culture based on love, Christianity, with the culture of hate.

                The once stable paradigms of Western culture, the family, morality and religion, are all up in the air and being juggled by the media and the secular liberal intelligentsia, who control the media. The Holy Father is aware of this and of the countless messages that arrive through the mass media and of their dangers. When addressing a gathering of 500,000 young people at Loreto, Italy, on September 2 last, he said, “Go against the current: Don’t listen to the persuasive and self-seeking voices that today promote lifestyles marked by arrogance and violence, by appearances and possessions to the detriment of being.” The Pope instead held out an alternative path marked purity, sharing, study and work for the common good. He said, “Be vigilant! Be critical! Don’t be dragged along by the wave produced by this powerful movement of persuasion.”1

                The above advice from the Holy Father is similar to that used by CUT from the beginning of our campaign. We always question the broadcaster’s motives and ask why they have produced programmes that push the boundaries of ethics and truth, have they personal issues at stake? For it has often come to light that those in the media who push ‘alternative’ life-styles or champion a ‘pro-choice’ stance, have a vested interest in the acceptance of these corrosive modernist doctrines. These are often the same people who will produce TV programmes that attack the Church and try to undermine her teachings. Either by producing anti-Church dramas or documentaries that attempt to attribute the world’s problems on Catholic moral teaching, problems that are really brought about by a misuse of modernity. In doing this they create a culture of hate, especially against those who have a traditional moral standpoint based on discipline and the teachings of Christ. They would rather objectify humanity especially human sexuality and use this object as a commodity.

                One of the Holy Father’s early mentors, Romano Guardini, who was professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Munich, wrote a remarkable work of social analysis The End of the Modern World in 1956. This work examines the era of “Mass Man” of mass communication, mass marketing and mass materialism that threaten to crush the individual human spirit, objectify him and drive him into anonymity. Of these forces that steadily erode man’s sense of his own uniqueness and replaces it with man as object he writes, ‘Man confronts this attitude in the range of authority exercised over him; he may merely meet it in countless statistics and tables or he may experience its culmination in an unspeakable rape of the individual, of the group, even of the whole nation.’2

 
From the new Bond film - the Mask of Hate masquerading
as good family entertainment?

‘Only the strong love, it is the weak who Hate’3

                One of the icons of the modern western culture, James Bond, with all the glamour of the materialistic world laced with sex, violence, and a shallow callous sense of humour, are typical traits that have become all too common in the media today. Academic and poet David Holbrook in his book The Masks of Hate used Ian Flemings Goldfinger to explain the hatred manifested and projected into society by such works. Holbrook’s analysis of the book and its simplistic messages leads him to state that ‘...its symbolism is manifestly that of primitive schizoid hate’3 He goes on to voice his concern to the point that humanness is at stake by such works of projected hatred, he says ‘...an uncomfortable sense that something even more primitive lurks beneath its coarseness, stupidity, and cruelty.’4 Bond’s contempt for women and for human life is all part of the glamour and excitement of the books and subsequent films. Their premiers are often attended by the highest dignitaries in the land these films are regularly shown on primetime television today, they are considered family entertainment. Yet these films have been surpassed in their simplistic crudity by even more explicit sex and violence of today’s films and television dramas. Our national public service broadcaster has shown itself to be one of the leaders in its decent into this simplistic crudity and hate with programmes such as Rome and Fanny Hill. The television is not a force for love and kindness and betrays its weakness for hate and evil. It makes one wonder what will be the next ‘classic’ that the BBC will adapt for television, the memoirs of the Marquise de Sade perhaps? I wouldn’t put it past them given their track record. However, that Ian Brady the ‘Moors’ child murderer had read de Sade is a warning to all.

 

Evil be thou my Good

                There appears to be a schizoid tendency prevalent in modern secular society and it is easy to see the footprint of the television leading culture down the path to hatred. There has seen a complete reversal in what is acceptable, particularly relating to abortion and family values. Activities once illegal are now even encouraged with the gagging of the individual’s conscience, by browbeating as him bigoted or even possessing a phobia. There has been a complete change in the love-hate relationship, ‘It becomes a case, not only of “evil be thou my good” but also “Good be thou my evil.”6

                The broadcaster’s vision of modernity, both materialistic and ethical, results not only in street violence and record numbers of people in prison, but also the AIDS crisis and other manifestations of hatred. The television presents us with a sea of fantasies that threatens to draw us in. Some believe the television exudes mediocrity but by its effects on society it betrays its brilliance. The fiendish brilliance of materialism and the doctrines of the politically correct that threaten to engulf us all.

 

References:

1. Sartini, Serena, Inside the Vatican. October 2007 p.21

2. Guardini, Romano, The End of the Modern world, 1956. ISI books, Wilmington. 1998, p.61.

3. Holbrook, David, The Masks of Hate, Pergamon Press 1972, p.30, quoting Guntrip.

4-5. Ibid p.75

6. Ibid p.53

Tuesday 13 October 2015

St Michal the Archangel protect us in our day of battle


Veritable bloodletting by the Irish media on

all things Catholic

I must admit when I come to write these letters I’m at a loss as to how to proceed. To write up on the media is not a pleasant task. To write upon the media after their ‘homosexual marriage’ legislation referendum victory is something else. Its now a free for all. Its a veritable bloodletting the media along with the vast majority of politicians can’t contain themselves. As regards balance in treatment of the church well that's all but gone out the window. Need  I point out all the instances where the catholic church and its teachings have been undermined. If  there is not an outright attack on the church then it is an insidious one and this can be even worse because its hard to hold it to account as regards balance etc. Their attitude now it seems, as regards Catholicism is, lets mop the floor with them.

                  The coverage of the pope’s visit in America was abhorrent or better still not at all. The one time I did hear any reporting on it was focused on the Pope’s failure to mention and sympathise with victims of sex abuse. Of course they are always able to find the one priest who will  get stuck into the pope as they did with an American based priest Fr Tom Doyle. Who said he was furious with the pope for not sympathizing with sex abuse victims and on he went for about ten minutes with his tirade, RTE only too happy to let him rant, without any  perspective. When the pope spoke to the American senate  RTE television reported that the pope spoke about immigration and poverty. But the pope also spoke about pro life and family values this was omitted from the RTE report. I heard this in a sermon. The priest went on to accuse RTE of censorship, not giving the full picture but only what suited their agenda.

                  Meanwhile you may be interested to know that one of the news presenters on RTE Jonathan Clinch or should I say Jonathan Rachel Clinch has announced that he is trans fluid gender (what's that) as announced by RTE. Jonathan doesn’t know if he is a man or a woman or maybe he thinks he is a man and woman. It was announced he (sorry she)??? Jonathan Rachel will be seen working around the newsroom office wearing women’s clothes. This poses some ethical questions such as does he use the men's loo or the women’s. Will RTE give him a women's clothes allowance or a man’s. Will it be Mr or Mrs or Miss. So we may have been wondering why RTE was so in favour of one view in the ‘marriage equality referendum’. I think we should pray for people like this who are mixed up and most likely have not had proper contact with the faith, that they will find God’s peace.

                   Basically there has been no let up. With RTE giving prominent air time about thirty minutes to Roisin Ingle an Irish times journalist and Tara ? who have had abortions. Roisin Ingle who had an abortion about 15 years ago said she had no regrets about her abortion and that she did  the right thing. It was getting in the way of her career, to paraphrase her. This is so sad to have done this but to have no misgivings about it and to campaign that other women should be enabled and encouraged to go down such a disastrous road, well it's just the type of thing that RTE would serve up. No prizes for guessing RTE never under any circumstance give airtime to women who regret their abortions, who are in the vast majority.


Skellig Michael - from Wikipedia

St Michal the Archangel protect us in our day of battle.
 
                   Skellig Michael has been hosting none other than the sequel to Star Wars that was made there a year or so ago. They have come back again the return of the Jedi. Of all the Islands in all the whole world they had to come to, Skellig Michael! This is the Island that was home to the Irish monks who lived there from the 8th century it is a Holy place and shouldn’t be utilised for such trivial events. There was one politician who spoke out against it, Michael Healy Ray which of course is a good thing but he was coming at it mostly from the perspective that it was a bird sanctuary and their natural habitat  was being destroyed. Though a govt environmental agency said this was not the case. There was one priest who spoke out against it, publically anyway, he stated that it was a Holy site for centuries and shouldn’t be given over to such filming. It amounted to desecration. Amen. The govt of course had no problems with it. It was bringing in jobs to the area they said. Everything with them is weighed in pounds shillings and pence.

                    Just last week a 91 year  old woman was fined  1500 euros by Dublin county council for having a satellite dish on the front of her house. She had just gotten it from her children as a birthday present. A bit harsh one would think given that Dublin county council is so remiss in carrying out its own responsibilities to go after a vulnerable 91 year old and drag her through the courts. As for this 91 year old, cable TV has brought unnecessary woes upon her, at this stage of her life she could have done without in fact at any stage of our life we can do without.

               The BBC has for many years had religious programmes. Sunday worship I think it is called. RTE has been imitating them in this area as they like to do. Though I have noticed that  it is a convenient cloak for attacking the church and  passing off all sorts of spurious notions that they seek to pass as religious. As RTE demotes its airing of the Catholic Mass,  its new dish that it is serving up is the programme ‘the leap of faith’.  On it were; Patsy McGarry, the Irish times religious affair correspondent, no friend of the Catholic Church. Talking about pope Francis then the next half of the programme to give its listeners more ‘religious’ helping was a former RTE presenter Bibi Baskin who has just come back from India to talk about her experience of Ayuverdic Indian head massage, (just exactly what every Irish Catholic needs at the moment especially if you're sick and housebound and can't get to mass, the next best thing an Ayuverdic Indian head massage RTE would have us believe anyway).I could go on and on with similar instances.

                     If there is anyone here reading this who pays the TV licence especially if your Catholic or other Christian how can you in all honesty in all good conscience pay a TV licence. How can you reconcile it with your faith with the teachings of the Gospel to hand over your hard earned money to those who are going to attack the faith. The very faith you profess. In the book of 2 Macchabees 10,14-24 we read that Maccabeus sent Jews, soldiers of his army under his brother Simon to besiege the Idumeans who were harassing the Jews.  9000 of them (The Idumeans) barricaded  themselves into two towers. When they were besieging them some of the  men  under Simon were were hungry took bribes from the Idumeans and let them escape. When Maccabeus found out he was angry and he accused these men of freeing  the enemy to fight against them and he slew them. In a sense when we pay the TV licence we are aiding the enemy to fight against us. We may have to admit we are addicted to it. Well at least that's a start. Acknowledging the problem. It's the first step. Then take the next step or jump to the final step and just chucking the tv out. No more under the obligation to aid the enemies of the faith.

                             Anyway I shall finish here just a final word , to say that the media (according to the sermon ive heard)will be twisting the synod statements this way and that. Don’t depend on them for information go to good independent catholic sources for the outcomes.
Prayer Crusader, St Rita - Dublin