Recently there was an Andy Griffith episode where your Don Knotts figure as Barney, along with Andy helped a nurse meet her vaccine quota by harassing a local farmer to take an unnecessary tetanus shot.
Media has been the tool for pharma for a long time.
Just for the record, an Iconoclast is a breaker of images, not idols. Most famous were the Byzantine Iconoclasts of the 4th Century or so. They wanted to the Jewish mode of thinking, which forbid the making of any "graven image" including a sculpture or portrait of any animal, or any composite image.
Also for the record, real Catholics worship neither the Virgin Mary nor the Saints. We esteem the saints because they lived demonstrably holy lives and were close to God, and we beg their intercession. Even Our Lord Jesus Christ played favorites. He wept over the death of Lazarus at the tomb before He raised him from the dead, and St Peter was jealous of the beloved disciple St John, and asked Our Lord condescendingly, "And what will this man do?" in the last chapter of St John's Gospel.
As for Our Lady... well, as the Church Fathers say, about Our Lady we can never say enough. The Sacred Heart beats out of love for us from the wood of the Holy Cross, while Our Lady's Immaculate Heart beats for us at the foot of the same. She was not worried about the death of Jesus. Nay, the Fathers say that had not the Romans crucified Our Lord, she would have pounded the nails into His hands and feet. Our Lady's sorrows are infinite and she weeps for us poor sinners. (That includes Protestants.) And given the current sorry state of the church, it is a wonder the Pieta does not have tears like that statue in Syracuse during the pathetic pontificate of Pius XII. We venerate Our Lady because she, subjected to all the temptations which assail us, remained not only free from sin, but even the least imperfection, hesitation, or culpable doubt. Our Lady is God's masterpiece.
But to clarify for Protestants, Catholics worship neither Our Lady nor the saints. We do not offer them sacrifices of propitiation or supplication, as we do to God at the Almighty Sacrifice of the Mass. (Actually, to be theologically precise, it is Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, and Eternal Spotless Lamb and Victim, who offers the Mass. We "participate" in the Mass much less than the spectators do at a football game. Protestants are hopelessly confused about the Mass because they think it is a repetition, not a representation, of the Eternal Sacrifice of the Cross. And they think that Catholic priests are like the sons of Levi, offering victims over and over again. Nothing can be further from the truth. The Catholic Mass is merely a window, an extension of the Eternal Sacrifice to all times and places. It is the fulfillment of what the Prophet Malachi said: "For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts.")
Between Hellywood and the Major Leagues, it should be relabeled "Idols'R'Us." No man is an atheist. Every man has a religion. It might be a political party, a sports star, or his financial bottom line. But every man will worship something.
Don Knotts, loved him in The Incredible Mr. Limpett and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. So gratifying to hear that he was a genuine nice man. Mom made the popcorn at home and we went to the drive-in for some cheap family entertainment, which is where I saw such films in the 60's. The Christian drive-in gave away a free soda pop, a rare treat in my family when I was little, and showed movies like Ben Hur. Ahh, the good old days when life was simple, most people went to church, and Satanism wasn't so in your face.
You can add Taylor Swift to the list of manufactured idols. I recently watched Miss Americana which is a documentary about her. It felt like a psy-op. Her song writing and piano skills are average, just like Justin Bieber, but apparently they are superstars with magnificent talent. Is the brainwashing of society complete?
Your mention of OJ brought to mind a comedy bit I saw years ago. It might have been SNL. In a fake news report, the anchorman mentions that OJ is going to spend millions looking for the killer. The comedian remarked "That's a pretty expensive mirror."
Most of these idol worshippers have no self esteem. When I see a sports star out in public at the most I feel mild curiosity at what makes them so exciting to other people. In my childhood the big jocks were for the most part either stuck up or outright bullies. A few of them got humbled by a rock to the head or a smash by a baseball bat when they tried throwing their weight around so they pretty much left the crazy kid alone. Most of them were bigger sissies than you would ever believe when confronted with the sight of their own blood. Being tough and respectable means getting up in the morning and doing for yourself and your family and neighbours without any fanfare. Being tough is respecting the girl that serves you at the restaurant or the man who fixes your car no matter what is going on in your personal life. They are the ones who are the real people in this world not some entertainment shill for whatever political agenda is on the table That is what truly matters to a real man. Thanks for letting me rant.
What about the idea of tithing (paying taxes) as you worship your gods that call themselves your government? Yes, that is exactly how they think of themselves, and you dutifully submit your tribute to them. How many of you question this idolatry?
My favorite character on Star Trek TOS was Spock, because I share his preference for logic, to a fault.
Back in the 70s, while I was at the votech 2 blocks away, I found out that Leonard Nimoy was appearing at Currigan Exhibition Hall as a side appearance. I walked over there and he was kneeling on the stage passing out autographs. As I approached the stage, he stopped the appearance and came down the stairs on the side of the stage. I fell into line behind him and spoke his name. He stopped, spun around and gave me a great big smile and said it was so nice to have someone call him by his real name instead of Spock. Unfortunately, all I had was a ticket stub for him to autograph, but he did so gratefully. Unfortunately I misplaced the stub long ago.
And as always, kudos for your column. My story is essentially the same as yours. I outgrew being star struck by the time I graduated high school. They put on their pants one leg at a time, but only one makes gold records. :-)
A lot of the idolatry is manufactured. It seems like TV wants us to believe that people go crazy over celebrities…. But in reality I can’t think of anyone that I know who would go crazy over anyone.
Joe Theismann is from South River, just 15 minutes from my hometown in Zoo Jersey. When I was a senior in high school, we had a horrendous football team, lost every game. That year South River was undefeated and ranked number one in the state. We (New Brunswick) played them the last game of the season. They were slated to blow us out of the stadium. Our guys got sick of hearing how bad they were and how Theismann's crew was going to slaughter them. They played their hearts out like maniacs and in one of the biggest upsets in NJ high school football history, fought South River to a 7 to 7 tie. No one could believe it, least of all our head coach. He filmed the game and ecstatically showed it to us during gym class. Every play, our guys swarmed South River and Theismann like a nest of angry hornets. Bear in mind Drew Pearson was also on that South River team. He became an All-Pro, wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys. Celebrity worship is a sick symptom of a dying culture and society. I remember during a baseball autograph signing event with Hall of Famer, Pete Rose, a father in line told Rose that his young son was dying of cancer and he really idolized him. The dad said he would be very grateful if Rose, along with his autograph, would write his son a personal message. Rose just scribbled his name and waved the guy away saying, "Nope. I'm just paid to sign my name. Next!" What a scumbag! I knew a local guy who died years ago who was the head of a lighting company that went on tour with some of the biggest acts of all time like Aerosmith and huge Rap groups. He told me after the concerts, it was also his job to monitor who went backstage for the post gig party. Naturally you needed a pass. He gloated saying very pretty teenage girls would beg him for one and he made it clear that for a backstage pass, they had to give him a blow job. He said not a single one ever refused, they all did it without hesitation. There is a video that has been scrubbed off the internet of a Bruce Springsteen concert in which during the show, Springsteen picked up an extremely attractive young girl from the front row and was carrying her back and forth across the stage to the screams and delight of the crowd. She looked about 12 or 13 years old. The guy that made the video slowed it down and did a close-up of Springsteen walking with the girl in his arms and you can clearly see one of his hands sliding up her leg (she was wearing leotards) past her thigh to her crotch and fondling her vagina as he is carrying her. She had to be there with a parent because of her age who had to be in the front row as well and could see what he was doing. I can just visualize the mom or dad or both bragging, "Look! My little girl is being molested by the great Bruce Springsteen! Isn't that fantastic!" By the way, the girl didn't seem to mind at all. By the expression on her face, she was enjoying it. I'm surprised he didn't copulate with her right on stage. I'm certain the crowd, including her parents, would have roared their approval like the plebes in an ancient Roman amphitheater. Loved this, Don, thank you.
As a fellow RC, I have never worshipped our Blessed Mother nor any saint. I honor them and entreat them to pray for me … and you … and the whole world. To Protestants who object, do you ever say to a friend, “Please pray for me”? Catholics and other apostolic churches simply see the veil between heaven and earth as more transparent.
Saw a new commercial showing a lesbian looking female with a tattoo on her leg shaving her pubic hair. another commercial with an obese black woman saying not just my armpits smell. It’s over for us
Thank you, Donald. I do believe that was your most religious post, to date...and it was great. I hate that phrase: " I'm spiritual, not religious"... it's as if the person is really saying: "I'm not an atheist, but I'm not a judgemental, uptight, *******". One of the saddest truths I have learned in life, is that most folks hate and fear the truth. They will always chose a pretty lie over the hard and ugly (to them) truth.
I hate personality cults. I will watch a YouTube channel until the host starts acting like a celebrity...then I'm done. My heros are all people nobody else has ever heard of, for the most part. The Tavistock Institute has been controlling pop-culture since WWII (and maybe even before) so all those talentless people have been "installed". I recognize the names up until the eighties, after that, thankfully, the names bring nothing to mind.
So your wife worked at Farrell's? Did you know that ice cream parlor began in Portland OR? Back in the sixties going to Ferrell's was a rare treat... usually a bribe for behaving well through something unpleasant. They had a Gay Nineties decor; red velvet wallpaper with dark wood booths and paneling, and a black-and-white spooning Victorian couple logo, that was camp before anyone knew what camp was. Then they changed everything, and ruined Farrell's forever. That must have been when they began selling franchises. I think all the Farrell's are closed now. I haven't seen one in years
Recently there was an Andy Griffith episode where your Don Knotts figure as Barney, along with Andy helped a nurse meet her vaccine quota by harassing a local farmer to take an unnecessary tetanus shot.
Media has been the tool for pharma for a long time.
Just for the record, an Iconoclast is a breaker of images, not idols. Most famous were the Byzantine Iconoclasts of the 4th Century or so. They wanted to the Jewish mode of thinking, which forbid the making of any "graven image" including a sculpture or portrait of any animal, or any composite image.
Also for the record, real Catholics worship neither the Virgin Mary nor the Saints. We esteem the saints because they lived demonstrably holy lives and were close to God, and we beg their intercession. Even Our Lord Jesus Christ played favorites. He wept over the death of Lazarus at the tomb before He raised him from the dead, and St Peter was jealous of the beloved disciple St John, and asked Our Lord condescendingly, "And what will this man do?" in the last chapter of St John's Gospel.
As for Our Lady... well, as the Church Fathers say, about Our Lady we can never say enough. The Sacred Heart beats out of love for us from the wood of the Holy Cross, while Our Lady's Immaculate Heart beats for us at the foot of the same. She was not worried about the death of Jesus. Nay, the Fathers say that had not the Romans crucified Our Lord, she would have pounded the nails into His hands and feet. Our Lady's sorrows are infinite and she weeps for us poor sinners. (That includes Protestants.) And given the current sorry state of the church, it is a wonder the Pieta does not have tears like that statue in Syracuse during the pathetic pontificate of Pius XII. We venerate Our Lady because she, subjected to all the temptations which assail us, remained not only free from sin, but even the least imperfection, hesitation, or culpable doubt. Our Lady is God's masterpiece.
But to clarify for Protestants, Catholics worship neither Our Lady nor the saints. We do not offer them sacrifices of propitiation or supplication, as we do to God at the Almighty Sacrifice of the Mass. (Actually, to be theologically precise, it is Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, and Eternal Spotless Lamb and Victim, who offers the Mass. We "participate" in the Mass much less than the spectators do at a football game. Protestants are hopelessly confused about the Mass because they think it is a repetition, not a representation, of the Eternal Sacrifice of the Cross. And they think that Catholic priests are like the sons of Levi, offering victims over and over again. Nothing can be further from the truth. The Catholic Mass is merely a window, an extension of the Eternal Sacrifice to all times and places. It is the fulfillment of what the Prophet Malachi said: "For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts.")
Between Hellywood and the Major Leagues, it should be relabeled "Idols'R'Us." No man is an atheist. Every man has a religion. It might be a political party, a sports star, or his financial bottom line. But every man will worship something.
Don Knotts, loved him in The Incredible Mr. Limpett and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. So gratifying to hear that he was a genuine nice man. Mom made the popcorn at home and we went to the drive-in for some cheap family entertainment, which is where I saw such films in the 60's. The Christian drive-in gave away a free soda pop, a rare treat in my family when I was little, and showed movies like Ben Hur. Ahh, the good old days when life was simple, most people went to church, and Satanism wasn't so in your face.
You can add Taylor Swift to the list of manufactured idols. I recently watched Miss Americana which is a documentary about her. It felt like a psy-op. Her song writing and piano skills are average, just like Justin Bieber, but apparently they are superstars with magnificent talent. Is the brainwashing of society complete?
Your mention of OJ brought to mind a comedy bit I saw years ago. It might have been SNL. In a fake news report, the anchorman mentions that OJ is going to spend millions looking for the killer. The comedian remarked "That's a pretty expensive mirror."
Most of these idol worshippers have no self esteem. When I see a sports star out in public at the most I feel mild curiosity at what makes them so exciting to other people. In my childhood the big jocks were for the most part either stuck up or outright bullies. A few of them got humbled by a rock to the head or a smash by a baseball bat when they tried throwing their weight around so they pretty much left the crazy kid alone. Most of them were bigger sissies than you would ever believe when confronted with the sight of their own blood. Being tough and respectable means getting up in the morning and doing for yourself and your family and neighbours without any fanfare. Being tough is respecting the girl that serves you at the restaurant or the man who fixes your car no matter what is going on in your personal life. They are the ones who are the real people in this world not some entertainment shill for whatever political agenda is on the table That is what truly matters to a real man. Thanks for letting me rant.
Hollywood has a wide assortment of demons and missing persons.
Check out the book
Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon.
What about the idea of tithing (paying taxes) as you worship your gods that call themselves your government? Yes, that is exactly how they think of themselves, and you dutifully submit your tribute to them. How many of you question this idolatry?
Most evangelicals share their worship of Jesus with their worship of Israel. And it is disgusting!
On a lighter note, you mentioned the wrong Elvis! 😄
My favorite character on Star Trek TOS was Spock, because I share his preference for logic, to a fault.
Back in the 70s, while I was at the votech 2 blocks away, I found out that Leonard Nimoy was appearing at Currigan Exhibition Hall as a side appearance. I walked over there and he was kneeling on the stage passing out autographs. As I approached the stage, he stopped the appearance and came down the stairs on the side of the stage. I fell into line behind him and spoke his name. He stopped, spun around and gave me a great big smile and said it was so nice to have someone call him by his real name instead of Spock. Unfortunately, all I had was a ticket stub for him to autograph, but he did so gratefully. Unfortunately I misplaced the stub long ago.
And as always, kudos for your column. My story is essentially the same as yours. I outgrew being star struck by the time I graduated high school. They put on their pants one leg at a time, but only one makes gold records. :-)
A lot of the idolatry is manufactured. It seems like TV wants us to believe that people go crazy over celebrities…. But in reality I can’t think of anyone that I know who would go crazy over anyone.
Very thought provoking and so interesting.
Just had to state for the record, we Catholics don't worship the Blessed Virgin, we venerate her. Only God is worshipped.
Joe Theismann is from South River, just 15 minutes from my hometown in Zoo Jersey. When I was a senior in high school, we had a horrendous football team, lost every game. That year South River was undefeated and ranked number one in the state. We (New Brunswick) played them the last game of the season. They were slated to blow us out of the stadium. Our guys got sick of hearing how bad they were and how Theismann's crew was going to slaughter them. They played their hearts out like maniacs and in one of the biggest upsets in NJ high school football history, fought South River to a 7 to 7 tie. No one could believe it, least of all our head coach. He filmed the game and ecstatically showed it to us during gym class. Every play, our guys swarmed South River and Theismann like a nest of angry hornets. Bear in mind Drew Pearson was also on that South River team. He became an All-Pro, wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys. Celebrity worship is a sick symptom of a dying culture and society. I remember during a baseball autograph signing event with Hall of Famer, Pete Rose, a father in line told Rose that his young son was dying of cancer and he really idolized him. The dad said he would be very grateful if Rose, along with his autograph, would write his son a personal message. Rose just scribbled his name and waved the guy away saying, "Nope. I'm just paid to sign my name. Next!" What a scumbag! I knew a local guy who died years ago who was the head of a lighting company that went on tour with some of the biggest acts of all time like Aerosmith and huge Rap groups. He told me after the concerts, it was also his job to monitor who went backstage for the post gig party. Naturally you needed a pass. He gloated saying very pretty teenage girls would beg him for one and he made it clear that for a backstage pass, they had to give him a blow job. He said not a single one ever refused, they all did it without hesitation. There is a video that has been scrubbed off the internet of a Bruce Springsteen concert in which during the show, Springsteen picked up an extremely attractive young girl from the front row and was carrying her back and forth across the stage to the screams and delight of the crowd. She looked about 12 or 13 years old. The guy that made the video slowed it down and did a close-up of Springsteen walking with the girl in his arms and you can clearly see one of his hands sliding up her leg (she was wearing leotards) past her thigh to her crotch and fondling her vagina as he is carrying her. She had to be there with a parent because of her age who had to be in the front row as well and could see what he was doing. I can just visualize the mom or dad or both bragging, "Look! My little girl is being molested by the great Bruce Springsteen! Isn't that fantastic!" By the way, the girl didn't seem to mind at all. By the expression on her face, she was enjoying it. I'm surprised he didn't copulate with her right on stage. I'm certain the crowd, including her parents, would have roared their approval like the plebes in an ancient Roman amphitheater. Loved this, Don, thank you.
As a fellow RC, I have never worshipped our Blessed Mother nor any saint. I honor them and entreat them to pray for me … and you … and the whole world. To Protestants who object, do you ever say to a friend, “Please pray for me”? Catholics and other apostolic churches simply see the veil between heaven and earth as more transparent.
Saw a new commercial showing a lesbian looking female with a tattoo on her leg shaving her pubic hair. another commercial with an obese black woman saying not just my armpits smell. It’s over for us
Thank you, Donald. I do believe that was your most religious post, to date...and it was great. I hate that phrase: " I'm spiritual, not religious"... it's as if the person is really saying: "I'm not an atheist, but I'm not a judgemental, uptight, *******". One of the saddest truths I have learned in life, is that most folks hate and fear the truth. They will always chose a pretty lie over the hard and ugly (to them) truth.
I hate personality cults. I will watch a YouTube channel until the host starts acting like a celebrity...then I'm done. My heros are all people nobody else has ever heard of, for the most part. The Tavistock Institute has been controlling pop-culture since WWII (and maybe even before) so all those talentless people have been "installed". I recognize the names up until the eighties, after that, thankfully, the names bring nothing to mind.
So your wife worked at Farrell's? Did you know that ice cream parlor began in Portland OR? Back in the sixties going to Ferrell's was a rare treat... usually a bribe for behaving well through something unpleasant. They had a Gay Nineties decor; red velvet wallpaper with dark wood booths and paneling, and a black-and-white spooning Victorian couple logo, that was camp before anyone knew what camp was. Then they changed everything, and ruined Farrell's forever. That must have been when they began selling franchises. I think all the Farrell's are closed now. I haven't seen one in years