When I was a boy of 14 my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have him around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned. ~ Mark Twain

That quote got me to thinking. Yes, during Twains life, 21 WAS mature. At 21 a person DID get wiser, and come to appreciate the "older generation." One really WOULD be considered an adult at that age or a little past it. Imagine! Even during the '50's, men and women were much more mature (for the most part) at 21. But today, with so many kids still living at home with there parents into their 30's, well, it seems we [tail-end baby boomers] have succeeded in raising kids that really don't mature (some don't even WANT to grow up) until their late 20's or even more into their 30's. Now I'm not making a broad and sweeping generalization...don't leave nasty comments. Leave one or two nice ones though, because I don't get many. I digress.

I do find it fascinating to observe some of the more 'whiny' and immature actions/phrases/language of young "adults" these days. "Like, you know, it's like they're still so, you know, like teenybop." So many are struggling w/ the economy, and I understand them living at home, I'm not disparaging anyone or any circumstance. But when you do stop and ponder the past, WITHOUT television, more books were read. More time was spent THINKING, READING, PONDERING, LEARNING what needed to be learned to make a living, a trade. Many if not most of the youngest of children (before tv came on the scene) were more advanced in education in the 4th grade than kids today in middle school or senior high. They were learning penmanship, history, arithmetic, languages, classic literature and grasped much more than high schoolers today have any concept of, let alone the desire to even LEARN history.

This is taking me on a bit of a tangent, but bear with me, or go get a Coke. (that sounds good by the way.)

We're being surpassed in education by leaps and bounds by China, Korea and India, to name a few countries, and that is stunning! I find it a dark and sad commentary on us in America. We've been asleep at the wheel for way too long, in the Church, too! Sadly that's where MOST of the trouble stems! Catholic schools are being led down the same slippery secular slope into a cesspool of PC sewage. Catholics brought us the University system, and Catholic schools were way UP there in scholastic achievment. What happened?

When the Church fails to preach the TRUTH, from the pulpit and in the classrooms, no matter what the cost, and brings in all the 'warm,fuzzy theology' that denies sin, hell, consequences, then the culture around us doesn't see much need for religion/God, and starts buying into the humanistic, relativisitic lies, and eventually we end up....well, we end up where we are now. The Church IS going to be persecuted here like never before and how many are going to sit in disbelief?

Case in point, the recent murder of a PRO LIFE advocate, SITTING on a lawn chair in Michigan with a poster of a baby. He was NOT harming anyone. Not being obnoxious, or loud, or in anyone's face. What happens? He gets murdered in cold blood...only because of his "beliefs!" This is a travesty against the Church first and foremost, for having become so PC and utterly stupid in teaching the faith or in 'not teaching' it. Jim was living out his Catholic faith. Are we prepared to live it out, too? How prepared are our parishes? How many homilies prepare us for "war" in this culture of death? How many priests speak to us of our own actions and choices and the consequences of the ones we make? This man knew the the Truth, and was doing what he'd been called to do, but how many of us dare to "stand out" and "stand up" to this culture of death?

WE all need to STOP being cry babies, and spoiled baby-boomer brats and grow up! We'd better GROW UP WITH our kids and smell the stench of the "Snake"... this time, it's not "Eve" being lured and lied to, but YOU! The snake's dressed in fine clothes, has manicured nails, a soft, smooth voice...and is robbing you blind on your tv every night, and in the classroom of every school! Your children need to know the TRUTH of the Catholic faith, and so do you. So do all of us, or we won't be able to stand when the feces hits the fan! To be a Christian, to be a CATHOLIC Christian will COST us. Maybe even our own blood. PREPARE.