Truth and Beauty

I would be remiss if I did not direct you to one of the most truthful posts about beauty you could ever read in the modern blogosphere:

Beauty makes the soul soar and it's as essential to the spirit as food and water is to the body. Yet it's mocked as sentimentality. Foolishness. It's wiped out of churches and removed from school curriculums. Even art school's favor is with modern art and beauty is turned into profanity.

On any given day I am not overly exposed to beauty. I sit in traffic each morning staring at grey asphalt, then I ride through treeless streets lined with ugly buildings and spend the remainder of my day in a cube. I imagine most people go through these typical mundanities daily and my day is not unlike the majority.

It used to be churches were where regular people could experience that overwhelming awe inspiring spiritual soaring. Churches used to make the soul sing for God. Beauty in the Church is essential. I don't want God brought down from the Heavens and made "relatable" to me. I want to carried up to Christ so I can meet Him there and be in awe surrounded by beauty.

People often justify their ugly little parishes by saying they don't believe in wasting money for garnishments, money that could serve the poor. Little do they realize that their bleak and barren churches are spiritually depriving the poor, starving their very souls. Denying them the one place where their senses should be swimming in beauty, the refuge from the ugly harsh world. The Church.

Beauty picks up where words leave off. It breaks my hurt every time I step into a white washed church devoid of beauty and love. I am reminded of an interaction between two small children I met in a library several years ago. They hungered for beauty like a baby hungers for milk. This is our instinct. God intended us to enjoy beauty, that is why He gave us the ability to create. To deny beauty is to deny God.

Read this short treatise on Beauty and Truth from the beginning, for it is only 2-3 short paragraphs longer than that which I have written here. And I omitted some of it to ensure that if I quiz you, you'll be able to identify it.

Read it and nod, and then...and then.....

PRAY

Verbum Domini

During my Master's studies, our professors, especially our scripture professors, spoke of the Synod taking place regarding Holy Scripture. We studied the various methods of study, critiqued them, used them and learned from them, although, of course, we learned primarily from God Himself.

Our texts regarding Sacred Scripture came to us primarily through Dei Verbum (Vatican II), The Pontifical Biblical Commission, and Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger). We couldn't help but fall in love with our dear Papa's scriptural tutelage, and greatly lamented the state of scriptural "scholarship" which has been dominated by either near or outright heresy for the last 40 years or so.  Jesus of Nazareth was a breath of fresh air, a rock to cling to in an ocean of "scholarship" seeking to deny the divinity of Christ, or to at least separate His divinity from his humanity.

Although we did not study these dominant academic dissidents in our program, all of us had been exposed to them, and a few of my classmates had been trained under them and inflicted with their disassemble-ship of Christ through the scriptures.  They were sincerely traumatized and confused, having to see the study of the Bible through entirely different eyes. They were eyes they desired, but their confusion arose from the twisted "scholarship" that has so lead people astray and destroyed their faith (quite literally) for a very long time.

In scriptural studies, Redaction criticism may have a place, but not a dominant place. Historical-critical methods have a place, but not if used in isolation. As our Holy Father pointed out in Jesus of Nazareth, and now, again, more feverently in the Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini, the methods of scriptural interpretation and research need to be taken in proper context of the WHOLE of scripture and Divine Revelation.

As I read the first section of Verbum Domini, I realized it was nearly a complete synthesis of my Master's program. I considered writing to ask Pope Benedict XVI if he had patterned our education after this introduction, but rather, I see it as the work of the Holy Spirit: it reveals that those who taught me were well within the mind, heart, and soul of the Church and formed us accordingly.

As I began the second section, I found myself deep within Ecclesiology and through all of it, deeply entrenched in our Catholic Theological Tradition.  Pope Benedict XVI operates through the hermeneutic of continuity, finding the foundation for us all and bringing it to light through the Church Fathers (Patristics). He knows he cannot speak of scriptural interpretation apart from St. Jerome.

Although I have not completed my study of the Exhortation, one of the passages that has affected me most deeply came from Pope Benedict XVI himself, and I hope it is a passage that fuels your own prayer as well.  I pray most deeply that you will read it and decide to enter into this Apostolic Exhortation. By definition this document is a re-presentation of known Catholic Doctrine, "exhorting" the faithful to follow what the Church in her wisdom has ALWAYS taught as Truth.  Take this document to heart, let it enter your soul, and let it draw you ever closer to Our Lord.

As the cross of Christ demonstrates, God also speaks by his silence. The silence of God, the experience of the distance of the almighty Father, is a decisive stage in the earthly journey of the Son of God, the incarnate Word. Hanging from the wood of the cross, he lamented the suffering caused by that silence: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46). Advancing in obedience to his very last breath, in the obscurity of death, Jesus called upon the Father. He commended himself to him a the moment of passage, through death, to eternal life: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Lk 23:46). 

 This experience of Jesus reflects the situation of all those who, having heard and acknowledged God's word, must also confront his silence. This has been the experience of countless saints and mystics, and even today is part of the journey of many believers.  God's silence prolongues his earlier words. In these moments of darkness, he speaks through the mystery of his silence. Hence, in the dynamic of Christian revelation, silence appears as an important expression of the word of God. 

~ VERBUM DOMINI

DEO GRATIAS! 

Sacred or Profane?

When we as human beings consider Art, whether we recognize it or not, we are faced with two very fundamental questions.

Which question we ask reveals a great deal about us as individuals and in fact, may very well reveal our souls.

Secular art, that is, most especially that art that speaks of the physical world and the reality of humanity, even by its method of creation asks the fundamental question:

 "Where do the shadows fall?  Where does the shadow lie?" 

In that form of art, it begins with light and is darkened to reveal the shadows that give form and nuance to the subject.

Sacred Art, on the other hand, as in, most specifically, Iconography, begins in the darkness and asks the question,


"Where is the light?  From whence does the light emanate? How are we drawn to the light?" 

We should use this as a spiritual barometer. Are we most drawn to the shadows or to the light?

Do you know that it is IMPOSSIBLE to look at the shadows that encroach upon us when we have fixed our gaze upon the source of the light?

That is why the Saints, and Christ Himself, tells us to focus our gaze upon Him, and Him alone, for only if we focus on Him can we avoid the shadows that seek to trap us through misleading questions and lying shadows.

We Interrupt Regular Programming...

...to bring you one of the best, if not THE best paragraph in the history of Catholic blogging. And in quoting it, I thumb my nose at the common misunderstanding of the concept of ecumenism and applaud the honesty in acknowledging actual history:

Perhaps now is the time for the rapidly dwindling band of Anglicans to realise that it is time to turn away from that brand of religion which was set up initially for no greater purpose than to enable King Henry VIII to divorce his Catholic wife, Catherine of Aragon, in order to marry that trollop Anne Boleyn, and return to the one true faith - a faith which believes in the natural order of things and at least tries to set a good example to mankind.

~ Mr.Public Opinion, Coo-ees from the Cloister

Amen brother!

Friends, readers, and countrymen, the reality is that most people don't realize that the goal of ecumenism is NOT an endorsement of religious pluralism, but the unity of the Church. And there is only ONE Church, and that is the Catholic Church. Every religion is NOT the same, and while it's laudable and necessary to learn about other religious, it's important to our salvation (ALL OF US!) to work for unity, which is a nice theological way of saying it is our job to help others find their way INTO the Church.

No, this is not a popular position, which is, in fact, one of the many reasons why everyone hates us. And people hate to be disliked which is why they embrace the lies of pluralsim instead of narrow gate which is Truth. (It's only the narrow gate because so few enter it God saw no need to go to the expense of installing an industrial garage door. He already gave His Only Son...what more do you want?)

So, let me say it again: Ecumenism, striving for unity, does not mean Catholics should embrace other beliefs; it means that Catholics are to work to bring those of other religions into the CATHOLIC faith!

Period. Deal with it. More importantly...live it.

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This has been a Public Service Announcement sponsored by Adoro. Now back to regular programming. Up next: more random things relating to Adoro's Great Monastic Adventure.

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If You Are What You Should Be...

....You Will Set the Whole World on Fire!

So said, exactly, St. Catherine of Siena.

I am currently reading, for the purpose of writing a paper, "The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena", one of my favorite Saints, and one I know has been interceeding for me for a very long time.

Yet I am constantly struck by the slander against her. There are some who would take the above quote and apply it to their dissident "theology", taking it as their motto as they seek to usurp the laws of God.

How ironic. If any of them bothered to ever read her actual writings or the revelations to her from God, or her questions to God the Father, they would be silenced in complete and total humiliation.

Just a few weeks ago, a woman I know brought St. Catherine into our conversation, and lamented that women today aren't as strong as she was. This particular woman was once a member of a certain religious community that shall remain nameless, but it's one that trumpets worldly and immoral causes such as gay marriage and female priestly "ordination". When I said that I was reading this book, she said that maybe she should as well, for St. Catherine is her patron Saint. I truely hope she does so.

This very same woman was taken aback when I dared to mention that as a woman, St. Catherine was very strong as an example for the women of today in her successful work to bring a Pope into submission to God; for she literally stated that if the Pope remained a single day in France, it was a mortal sin. The woman in question told me, "Well, I don't know about that..." clearly offended by my repetition of this objective occurance in history. But let's just say she's one that can't understand why I would teach children and their parents that there is such a thing as "mortal sin".

SUCH VIOLENCE!

Right. I consider Hell to be far more violent than the suggestion that we can offend God in such a way that we sever our relationship with Him.

Since then, I've also come across the blogs or other articles of two (or more) religious sisters who are also comparing St. Catherine of Siena to the dissident and highly mislead (and misleading) Srs. Prejean and Chittister, among others.

What is so shocking to me is that those Sisters aren't even in the same league as St. Catherine of Siena; the ONLY comparison is that they are all female.

The left-leaning spiritual miscreants that have arisen in past years clearly haven't bothered to actually read the words of this great Doctor of the Church; for if they did, they would not DARE to use her name to advance their causes. They try to usurp the name of St. Catherine to support radical feminism; yet if they actually read the revelations, they would realize that St. Catherine was in the world, but not of it, and the last thing she would do is support political and immoral causes, the like of which absorb the time and morality of too many allegedly "religious" women of our age.

This group likes to use the name of St. Catherine because she stood up to the Pope; it was she and St. Bridget of Sweden who brought a close to the Avignon Captivity, and an end to the false Popes, restoring authority to Rome and revealing the true Pope in a time of division. St. Catherine probably saved that Pope's soul, for no sooner had he heeded her words that he was in mortal sin for every day he remained in France, that he returned to Rome and died, hopefully as a loyal son of the Church. A new Pope was elected, unifying the Church once again.

St. Catherine was not a feminazi or a Democrat; she was a holy woman who respected the authority of God and His Vicar, and sought to RESTORE proper Church authority. She was a unifying force, an instrument of God Himself.

She doesn't compare to today's dissidents for one main reason; she was not out for power for herself, but rather, to call a Pope to CONVERSION and restore the Divine Order that had always been intended. She was not looking to change the Church to meet her own worldy purposes, but instead, she understood the Divine Nature of the Supernatural Hierarchy of the Church, and worked within it to restore what was corrupted by sin.

She did not deny sin; she denounced. She is a heroine to women everywhere for she knew what it was to be a woman; and that the Church needs good, holy women in order to bear fruit.

I pray that before I die I will see the good name of St. Catherine of Siena restored, nevermore to be usurped as an unwilling spokesman for immoral causes.

Those who think she challenged doctrine need to read Dialogues and her other works; perhaps it is only through her own words that she will, on behalf of Christ, convert those who seek power and fame as opposed to St. Catherine's clear foundational virtues of humility and obedience.

St. Catherine of Siena...PRAY FOR US, that we will set the whole world on fire!
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Do you know, My daughter, who you are and who I am?

You are she who is not; I am He Who is.

- Words of Our Lord to
Saint Catherine of Siena
The Dialogue

"Equality" is NOT Synonymous with "Dignity"

We live in a really messed-up culture. Like that's a newsflash of any type.

It's amazing how much we still hear the term "equality" thrown aroudn like so much chaff on the wind. Which it is, by the way.

So often it's used in reference to marriage, both partners should be "equal". To our culture, "equal" does not mean "equal in dignity", for our culture also does not understand dignity. It defines equal as "the clone of" whatever is being compared.

Well, I'm putting my foot down. As a woman, I am no man's clone! I do not want to be "equal" to a man. I do not want to be compared to him in all that I do for as a woman, God has given me other gifts, other roles to fulfill, and men cannot do some of them.

Why must I have to be like a man in order to be a good woman? How does that enhance my dignity as a woman? Or does forcing me to conform to this idea of "equality" rather inhibit and usurp my dignity of a woman?

The latter, people. Women, take note. If you are seeking to be like men, and denying your femininity, then you have lost the battle. You are not a man. Don't act like one.

This, coming from an ex-cop, ex-firefighter. Let me give you all a dose of reality;

I was never really that much of a tomboy. I liked my Barbie dolls, sure, but I also liked GI Joe. Fine. I wore dresses, I painted my nails, but something in me made me pursue law enforcement as a career. So in college, I set out to conform myself to what I thought I had to become in order to do the job; I set out to masculinize myself. Just as every woman does who seeks such jobs.

Why? Because she has to. Because she has to be "equal".

They changed the standards in some of the tests to meet the abilities of womem, but let me tell you...some of those physically-demanding tests recognized abilities we have and made OUR standards higher and sure enough, we blew the guys out of the water on those.

As I pursued this goal, I saw my body more as a machine to be trained, to be honed...so that I could compete with guys on their level...and even surpass them.

It was more so in firefighter training. Do you realize that a woman has to work three times as hard to do the same job? Why? Because the job does not cater to us...we need to be able to lift heavy equipment, drag heavy equipment, and develop a thick skin in order to fit into the male culture. We have to change to become something else because pursuing that job is not natural to us.

I was injured in training and while on light duty, I met a female firefighter who had been on the job for many years. She was one of the few non-lesbian women on the job, and she was very candid with me regarding the toll the job had taken on her physically.

"You want my advice? Do whatever basic time you have to, and then get promoted. I've been doing this job for almost 20 years...I was one of the first women hired on this department, and my body is wearing out. I can't keep it up. I can't keep doing this, and I'm in worse shape than women I know who are not on the job. We have to work so hard to do what comes so easily to the men that it takes a toll on us, physically...."

Wise words from a woman who could not have forseen what would happen to her.

I am not against women working in traditionally male-dominated fields. I have known many gifted female cops and firefighters, and they serve their communities and God in a special way. It is a calling, whether male or female, and women do have special gifts and abilities which are indispensible to the careers in question. The presence of women in the cited fields has definitely changed things for the better, so do not think that I am anti-working-women. I am simply not.

What I AM against, however, is the complete denial that women are different than men. We need to face that fact, and we need to do it now. I, as a woman, should not be forced to try to "overcome" my femininity because being a woman is not a "condition" to be cured...it is a very state of being. It is a gift from God.

Affirmative Action has been harmful to women. If I could count the number of times people have suggested that I only got into my jobs because I was a woman and they had to fill a quota, AND I didn't have to work as hard....WRONG! I had to work my TAIL off to get into those jobs, and I'd do it again. But NEVER suggest to any woman that the standards were "easier"...in fact, they are more difficult because we have to do MORE to reach the same standard.

It is not natural, and that which is not natural is dangerous to our dignity both as men and women.

Women trying to be like men is harmful to the dignity of men. Men need their own places in society, and via the femininization of our culture, we have robbed men of their natural inclinations...and we have created a couple of generations of wussy men. How sad. No wonder I'm not married...it's so hard to find a real man these days, someone who is not afraid to speak up and say that God got it right and we need to stop messing with it.

What has radical feminism done? It has confused children who have grown up to be confused adults trying to be "equal" while denying their very gifts specific to their sex. We all have special gifts, special needs that belong only to our genders, and when we try to be something we're not, it doesn't only affect us, but it affects society.

Feminism has caused motherhood to be looked down upon. It has gone from a source of justice (voting in the 20's), to the right to kill their children, forcing this "right" upon others without due explanation as to the detriment of such an act both upon the baby and the woman, and it has tried to make women into men. Feminism has made women into objects of lust, rather than obtained more respect which we are due. And likewise, men suffer...they are objects, too. Where is the dignity in that?

In my quest for the jobs I noted, I lost some of my femininity, and I'll never get it all back. I had to be like a guy...I had to be tough, and even though I painted my nails and curled my hair, I still had to work hard every day to avoid the insult, "You did that like a girl".

Being like a girl was a bad thing...how sad, considering that I am now, and I always was...a girl. A daughter of God.

Our culture does not recognize this. They try to make us "equal" where no equality exists. They try to make us see each other as identical, but this is a denial of what we are really meant to do, a denial of our natural instincts and tendencies.

Motherhood is beautiful. A gentle nature is beautiful. Strong women have always existed. I'll be the first to say the Blessed Mother was a very strong woman--her very "yes" to God was a risk of public defamation leading to a death by stoning. We must never forget that, for this poor girl risked death to bring life into the world...she stood up to the culture in order to do God's will, and in doing so, she fulfilled her gift of femininity...and her divine Son saved the world.

Women, do not shirk away from who you are. Be proud to be a woman, and walk...no...RUN away from anything that damages what it means to be a woman. Run away from contraception for it stops the process of life and gives men control of our bodies. We are the ones who suffer from the use of such toxins in our bodies...not men. By using thse things we give men permission to see us as objects for their pleasure. Does that make you comfortable? Does it make it OK for men to be "used" in the same way...especially when it is still women who are suffering the consequences and side effects of the poisons in the form of a little pill? It is we, the women, who flush our children, unknowngly, down the toilet each month.

Did you know the pill causes abortions? If conception occurrs, the chemicals in the pill cause too harsh an environment, and even without our consent, a life is born..and a life dies and is flushed away.

A couple generations of women have now flushed millions of children into the sewer with the rest of our bodily waste.

How is that an affirmation of dignity? How does that make us equal to anything but sewer scum?

If being "equal" means that I have to deny what it means to be a woman, then I don't want to be equal. I just want to be a woman, made in the image of God, retaining the dignity God gave me, and in the end, I want to give it all back to Him.

I'm just a girl, and darn it, that's all I want to be!

Give me dignity, or give me death. The "Liberties" of this society are simply not worth it.

Stick to your guns! Truth is NOT determined by popular opinion!

Sometimes I have to laugh at the rabid feminist extremists, the secularists, the "Cafeteria Catholics", etc., those who continue to demand that the Church change in order to meet their idea of "morality". I have to laugh at the man with two names, referenced in a previous post, who has chosen to change history according to his own agenda only to accuse the writers of scripture to have done exactly that.

I have to laugh, because we as solid Christians already know the end of this battle, we already know who wins...and every so often I need to remind myself of that for fear I take all of this too seriously. That's not to negate our own part in this spiritual battle, but rather, it reaffirms it and helps us to refocus; we are warriors, we have been called to be so, and we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We need to keep our confidance in Jesus and remember the example he set, his promise that he will always be with us, and the command to continue his work.

This is my way of continuing that work, as pitiful as it may seem.

A couple weeks ago I heard someone on Relevant Radio (AM 1330 in the Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota) stating that if the Church did change her position on certain hotbutton topics, ie contraception, abortion, euthanasia, etc., then this would NOT obtain more followers, but people would both leave in droves and the Church would be the rightful butt of much derision.

Who hasn't heard the term "stick to your guns!" It's one thing to acknowledge that you are wrong; it's another to give up your position when you know you are RIGHT! And in the case of the Catholic Church, being "right" does not belong to us, the followers of Jesus, but rather to our Triune God. It is He who commands us to stick to our guns.

I happened to remember an incident from my teenage/young adult years. My best friend was somewhat of a wild card and she continued, constantly, along with other friends and acquaintances to wear me down to committ a certain act which was mortally sinful. I did not say much, just went on my way, knowing right from wrong. This was not a huge outright battle, but one which just wore away at me; much as rain does at at sandstone rock face. Much as the ocean wears on the rocks of the shoreline..it is gradual, not an outright attack. It is commmonly referred to as "Peer pressure" which can indeed take out our retaining walls with a Category 5 sustained blast, but more often, it just happens over time.

My best friend never said much, just told me her stories, shared her "fun", and waited for me to pass judgment. I never did, although I did tell her that what she was doing was dangerous to herself and others, it was beneath her dignity, etc...she knew all of this and became very defensive so I always dropped it.

She suffered consequences, but refused to relent...she was having too much fun.

Finally, finally, I gave in to this sin. Willfully, under much pressure by some others, and the next day I was bitten by remorse. I didn't know what to do. I felt horrible...I had given in to this thing that "everyone else" said was "OK" and "Right", but in committing the act, I knew deep within my soul that it was wrong and that I was changed forever for giving up the ship, for not sticking to my guns.

I traded morality for popularity. I traded morality for what I thought was respect, only to learn that I was nothing but another sinner...and I already knew I was a sinner, anyway. And in the end, I lost the respect of all those I had trusted and believed before.

It was empty, and I felt empty. There is no victory when you wave a white flag, and that's a lesson we all need to learn. It is better to die standing your ground than to lose your soul by forfeiture.

I went to my best friend and I confessed my deed to her, looking for strength. I wanted to share my feelings, explain them, thinking she must have felt the same way. By the way she'd spoken on occasion, I was sure she had felt the same but covered it.

Instead of consoling me, she added insult to injury. She told me, "See? Now you're no better than I am so you can't say ANYTHING!"

What does someone say to that? I had never before realized that she saw me as a "better person" for not engaging in that particular sin while everyone else raged around me. I had never before understood that she thought I thought myself better than her as a person because I had withstood the pressure until that point.

I understood after my confession to her that she now saw me as a HYPOCRITE. In capital letters, just like that.

And when she responded to me like that, I was crushed. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know where to go. By giving in to the pressure and confessing my weakness to her, rather than having respect for me, rather than giving me the big "thumbs up" and "welcome to the club!", she tore me down. She attacked me where it hurt the most, and rather than strengthening our bond, I had forfeited any possible "leadership to Christ" I might have possessed. I had poisoned any seeds I might have sown, unknowing that they were even there.

I remember thinking I could go to her, this having been a barrier between us to some degree. I thought that if others knew that I had done this, they would see me differently and finally accept me. But that's not what happened. I, being one of the last holdouts, became the lowest of the low. I became trash.

It still hurts to think about this, but I post it because I would like those of you who question the Church's stance on morality to really remember some point in your life when you felt like this. When did you hold your place, knowing you were right, only to give in to the pressure and learn that you would have at least "died" well had you stood your ground?

If the Church did what I did, and what you have done, and followed human nature, she would not be the Church, and God would not be God; he would be just a guy behind a curtain with an artificially amplified voice...very much like the ACLU.

If the Church caved in and "decided" that contraception, abortion, euthanasia, Holy Communion for all comers was acceptable, then she would not be respected, she would NOT be a part of the club, and she would not obtain more followers. Jesus would not be seen as he is, our Savior, but would be slandered as a wimp. His name would not change hearts, his Church would lose all ability to speak out against any evil in the world, because the culture would cry out, "What do you have to say, you Papists? What do YOU have to say about it, Mr. Pope! What do you have to say about it Catholic Church! You're just the same as us! You gave in! I can't believe you fell for it! NOW I have less respect than I ever did, and NOW I have the RIGHT to trample you because YOU have proven me CORRECT and you have NO AUTHORITY!"

Truth does not give in, it does not quit, it does not fall to challenge, it is not changed by a vote of any kind. Truth is eternal.

Individually, we are imperfect, and we fall, and we are trampled.

And if the Church changed according to demand, the Church would fall. This will never happen, because the Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirit as established by Jesus Christ himself. Have you noticed that some denominations have fallen and some will fall--because they have chosen to change according to the winds of the culture? Have you taken note of that?

Those who make up the Church on the human side are imperfect in nature, and individually, they can and do fall, but their individual failings do NOT change the Moral Truth and the Faith taught by Jesus Christ and Sacred Tradition.

I will close with one of my favorite Pope Benedict XVI quotes, spoken while he was still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: "TRUTH IS NOT DETERMINED BY A MAJORITY VOTE"

As the Church has stood for centuries, so must we as individuals stand as holy warriors for Christ, and so must we continue to uphold and fight for the truth. Our personal example may not reach many, but even if a few are affected when we stick to our guns, then the world can be changed for the better and countless souls may enter the gates of heaven by the very grace of God.

Stick to your guns, my friends. The Truth is your sword. Use it well.