You're about to hear something anti-catholic when...

I just got done with the wearisome and charity-building task of replying to an anti-catholic screed on an atheist's blog.  I say wearisome because fundamentalist atheists have a tendencey to believe that 'reason' is a domain that they have a patent on -- whether they are using those faculties at this particular moment in time or not.  Mostly in replying to them, the fundamentalist ones (yes, J. I am using that word to needle you a little as you meet your own definitiion) discount everything you say because they think your first principles are farsical.  I.E. the existence of God.  Anything derivative of those principles is fiar game for ridicule, ad hominem's, etc...

No sooner did I finish replying than aI read this post over at Creative Minority Report about when you are about to hear something blatantly prejuediced, ignorant, self righteous, wrong, and anti-catholic.  OR perhaps I should just revert to a shorthand some of these people will understand -- Catholi-phobes.

You are about to hear something anti-catholic when the prefacing statement is:
44% chance if someone says "I'm not religious but I'm very spiritual."


49% chance if someone says, "The Pope during WWII..."
A 53% chance if someone says "I read in the New York Times..."

57% chance if someone says "I don't need an intermediary between me and God..."

68% chance if a representative of Barack Obama's Faith Based Advisory Council office is quoted.

83% chance if you hear from your television, "You're watching Hardball..."

84% chance if someone says "Richard Dawkins said..."

89% chance if someone says "I don't normally watch "The View" but Joy Behar said..."

94% chance if there's any mention of a flying spaghetti monster.

98% Any mention of The Inquisition or the Crusades.

100% If someone says "I was raised Catholic so..." anything that follows is guaranteed to be anti-Catholic.

How Ironic that today is the feast of St. Bonaventure.   Or perhaps the timing of this is a bit providential -- a mini-miracle, the movement of the holy spirit perhaps.  From today's Magnificat -- "O  Lord, you sent Saint Bonaventure to teach the wisdom he had learned through prayer and study: -- send us wise teachers in our day.  Make known your ways; teach me your paths, and grant me an increase in Charity.