tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083542.post7399416375099248461..comments2023-10-30T04:13:46.636-07:00Comments on Witness To Hope - A Young Catholic's Thoughts: CrossroadsHarrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17845905351822140629noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083542.post-79359986442629403802007-07-31T22:33:00.000-07:002007-07-31T22:33:00.000-07:00I agree completely, the challenge is with the idea...I agree completely, the challenge is with the idea of the Church. We need to bring the Church to the culture and challenge it to realize its strong Christian heritage and that this is part of the root of our culture...<BR/><BR/>I think, too, that part of the problem simply comes with the other things that help define a culture. For example, one thing that defines a culture is a common language. So, when you have what you want to call as a Canadian Culture 2 separate languages, you have to ask yourself whether we really do have a Canadian culture.<BR/><BR/>This really is the trial of our generation as you had said, hence why I called the Blog Post "Crossroads". I think we can do it though, but I think it also involves a renewed interest of studying the roots, to see what those who helped founded this country, what were the principles they were aiming for as a country. An encounter with the original Canadian identity, and a re-affirmation of the Church and her role for society and as a root of the culture, these will be our task to bring to Canada over the next 50 years. <BR/><BR/>One last thing, in regards to the Church, I think that this can happen by exposing people to the Church's social teachings. Showing them the true identity of Man, showing them the Church's moderate realism in approaching the idea of society, a renewed interest in Catholic International Relations Theory, and a renewed sense that we are created for excellence. This could really bring a sense of unity to what we would want to have as a Canadian culture. The multiculturalism identity doesn't work (I wrote a paper on this) because of the inherent difficulties in the false tolerance, and how multiculturalism, when not engaged, cannot be an identity. The Americans have it right, they say "you must be American first and this is what it means to be American", they allow for a hierarchy of cultures, in which one is prominent before the others.Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17845905351822140629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083542.post-66363902133049294812007-07-31T22:02:00.000-07:002007-07-31T22:02:00.000-07:00Hi Harrison,Well first things first. For Canadians...Hi Harrison,<BR/><BR/>Well first things first. For Canadians to 'renew' our culture, there has to have been a culture to renew in the first place. Identifying what this culture was, is, and could be, is probably the most difficult for our generation, inured as we are to the vacuous notions of multiculturalism, bilingualism, and Trudeauean existentialism (in political theory of course). And it's not just us, for the past 40 years, all Canadians have been the gerbils in one sick, twisted social experiment spearheaded, politically, by our elite and usually liberal ruling class. I recall having a conversation with a very intelligent young man in 2005 who, in response to my arguments against the legalization of 'same-sex marriage', told me we had as much right to outlaw broccoli eating as we did prohibiting homosexuals from the social and legal benefits of marriage, because you just can't tell people what to do anymore. Tell me please if that makes any sense to you, because it never has to me. <BR/><BR/>But back to the Canadian culture that was, and may be again. In English speaking Canada, Canadian culture was deeply wed to the liberal Protestant establishment, which up until the 1960s looked as strong, politically, socially and economically as ever. In French speaking Canada, as you can guess, the Catholic Church played a massive role in the development of the Quebecois culture. Without the anchor of Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, both cultures have declined immeasurably in texture and vitality. So maybe you could say we have a twofold challenge: Bringing back the Church in French speaking Canada, and introducing the Church to English speaking Canada.Colmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16552955850927423137noreply@blogger.com