Should The Church make compromises with popular (pop) culture?
"Fr. Bichlmair struck upon the unfortunate idea that one should tolerate a certain anti-Semitism in Catholics infected by Nazism to prevent them from falling away from the Church. This despite the fact he himself was a great friend of the Jews and directed many Jewish converts. It was just another manifestation of the disastrous old idea that compromises can keep people from falling away."
Dietrich von Hildebrand on his memoirs recollected in the book My Battle Against Hitler.
Compromises, as you may know, are good and proper in certain situations, but not in all. For example, if I like Italian food, but my family members (those I live with) like Japanese food, and we all want to eat the food we like always. It is in good order to make a compromise for an agreement to be reached making it possible for all to eat the food we like often. However, when it comes to matters of life and death, there can be no compromises that are good. For example, if a serial killer likes to kill children, we won't seek a compromise to let him kill certain children every now and then. Such a compromise is as absurd as a compromise that puts souls in danger of spiritual death by compromising the teachings of The Church, which have been given by GOD HIMSELF through CHRIST JESUS and THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Fads, in which some people are driven by impure spirits to lust after something, come and go. And, though a child may cry and whine, demanding that a certain candy may be given, a good parent will not make a compromise and give the candy if he (or she) knows that the candy is not healthy at all for the child. So, why should The Church make compromises that give what is not healthy to Her Children just so they won't whine and go away? There is an old wise saying to consider in such a situation, "give the devil your hand, and it will take your entire arm...". We must not give in to the demands of evil forces, but with love for all our brothers and sisters, and with Faith in The Power of THE CREATOR of all, we must be firm and protect what is good!
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My name is Mario Alejandro Magaña (Mario A. Magaña). I was born and raised a Catholic. I went to two Catholic schools during my childhood. One was a Marist brother's institution called Liceo San Luis, and the other was a Salesian (of Don Bosco) called Colegio Salesiano San José. Both institutions are located in Santa Ana, El Salvador (Central America). I thank GOD for having had the chance to study there because I believe my intellect and heart were both well taken care of.
During my teenage years, however, I drifted away from The Faith, and since I started sinning more and more, influenced by certain tv programming and music, I started facing more troubles in life, and, not recognizing them as the wages of my sins, I started thinking, "GOD doesn't exist and that is why troubles are coming to me unjustly". After a long struggle with sin, I finally found the freedom to repent, and opened my heart to GOD again.
I started attending a Protestant Pentecostal congregation under Argentinian Pastor Dante Gebel. I felt GOD speaking a lot to me there, so I was sure that GOD exists. But, being bombarded by the many accusations against The Catholic Church calling it satanic on Youtube and other sources on the internet, I thought that to be protestant was The Way. But, as I kept praying and pondering about the truth of The Church, GOD revealed to me through many sources how The Catholic Church itself does not teach anything evil, and how even if some people in it do bad, there are many others who do much good. So, I felt that it is our mission to protect The Church when some evil attacks Her from inside, or outside, not to leave Her, and start our own churches while speaking ill of The Church.
Today, I reside in Orange County, Southern California (U.S.A.). I have gone to a public community college, but not being entirely satisfied with their ways of teaching and materials, and not being able to afford a proper Catholic higher education, I have endeavored to be an autodidact. I am currently studying literature, theology, philosophy, and will shortly, GOD willing, resume my studies in computer science and German.
You can find me there through this link: https://twitter.com/marioservesyhwh
