americanism

Finishing our discussions on the modern English-speaking countries, we focus here on the United States and Australia! We discuss the "phantom heresy" of Americanism, the Church's position on social issues, the connections between Catholicism and politics, and a lot about abortion! We also go off on many side tangents, including about how we are distantly related to one of Notre Dame's Four Horsemen!

Father George William Rutler's 1985 Homeletic and Pastoral Review article on evangelism is professionally narrated and addresses the power of the current pontiff (John Paul II) and modern media to convert people. "The Church must be prepared for converts and converts must be prepared for the Church" If evangelism is effective the Church should expect converts, but today the idea of converts seems strange to most Catholics today. Relativism and secular humanism have destroyed the grounds for belief and thus the conviction needed to convert non-Catholics. The "Spirit of the Council", Americanism, and modernism has worked against any encouragement of American Catholics to be evangelists.

Emmett Shelton Sr. recorded this Americanism Assembly at Fulmore Jr. High in 1982. The speaker is South Austin native, and Fulmore graduate in 1920, John Henry Faulk. Most of the students knew him from his recurring appearances on the TV show "He-Haw" but they soon learned there was more to John Henry.

John Henry focused his talk on the Declaration of Independence and how it ensures freedoms to every American.

A bit of Background: While a soldier at Camp Swift, Faulk began writing his own radio scripts. He got an interview at WCBS in New York City. The network executives were sufficiently impressed to offer him his own radio show. Upon his 1946 discharge from the Army, Faulk began his Johnny's Front Porch radio show for WCBS.

In December 1955, Faulk was elected second vice president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists(AFTRA).  Faulk earned the ill will of the blacklisting organization when other members and he wrested control of their union, the AFTRA, from officers backed by AWARE. In reprisal, AWARE labeled Faulk a communist. Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, offered a "clearance" service to major media advertisers and radio and television networks; for a fee to AWARE to investigate the backgrounds of entertainers for signs of Communist sympathy or affiliation. When he discovered that AWARE was actively keeping radio stations from offering him employment, Faulk fought them in court for compensation.

On June 28, 1962, the jury awarded him the largest libel judgment in history to that date — $3.5 million. An appeals court lowered the amount to $500,000. Legal fees and accumulated debts erased most of the balance of the award. 

Faulk's book, Fear on Trial, published in 1963, tells the story of the experience.

Music by: Phil Ochs, Ballad of John Henry Faulk, Youtube

For maps and other info check out our Facebook page: Our Westlake

Stories told by Emmett Shelton / compiled and submitted by Cynthia Shelton.

Emmett Shelton Sr. records one of our family's proudest moments, Emmett Jr. was recognized in 1983 by the Ntl. Freedom Foundation for his Americanism Program in Austin Schools. 

Recent National Surveys show Patriotism is in decline in 2023. How will Americans face our next National challenge? What is missing?

Dating back to Terry's Ranger in the Civil War, Shelton men have been eager to volunteer to fight our Wars. At age 38, with a wife and three boys at home, Emmett Sr. worked to get into the Marine Corp after Pearl Harber. Following in his Dad's footprints, Emmett Jr. joined the Marine Reserves at 16 and was called to fight in Korea 1 month after high school graduation.   

In 1980, Emmett Jr. was Commander of American Legion Post 76 in Austin. He saw a need.  He created a high school speaker program to bring our heroes to talk about Americanism. He brought in Texans like: Roy Benevides, medal of honor winner in Vietnam, Hardy Hollers Atty in the Neurenberg Trials, John Henry Faulk local humorist who was Red Listed in McCarthy Era, and many more.   As Post Commander, Emmett Jr.  also participated in Boys State to offer boys hands on experience legislating in the Texas Capitol.

As the State Commander of the American Legion reported, " Under Emmett Jr.'s leadership, the Americanism Program in Austin Schools has reached over 35,000 students and left each one just a bit more patriotic."

NOTE: In this Episode, Emmett Sr. plays Taps. In 1983, the Beirut Tragedy killed 220 Marines. Emmett Sr. put up a flagpole at his Westlake Drive office and began regularly blowing Taps as the school bus passed in memory of this tragedy, "I'm a bit hepped up on patriotism".  
In his final years, Emmett Sr. practiced his bugle and recorded himself playing TAPS for his own Memorial Service.  A Patriot to the end.

For maps and other info check out our Facebook page: Our Westlake

Stories told by Emmett Shelton / compiled and submitted by Cynthia Shelton.

In a 1971 letter, Anton LaVey declared "Satanism is Americanism". Hear the full meaning of this, as Magister Bill celebrates July 4th and answers some listener mail himself.

Dr. John Rao continues the previous discussion by illustrating that separation of the modern from modernity involved work on many levels. It included theology, philosophy, biblical exegesis, historical studies, the question of the relationship of Church and State, and Catholic Action in such matters as the formation of political parties and labor unions. Leo XIII's condemnation of Americanism and Pius X's syllabus in Pascendi, attack on the Sillon, and support for Italian participation in political life were major aspects of the work of separation. Taken from: The Church of Eugenio Pacelli - 2000 VonHildebrand Institute

Dr. Thomas A. Droleskey speaks on the issue of Americanism vs Catholicism. Americanists did not emphasize evangelization and wanted to adapt Catholic life to the modern life and sensibilities. Leo XIII wrote "The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions."  Americanism  embraces the evangelization of democracy vs. the Catholic Faith. Droleskey is a Catholic writer and speaker. He was the publisher-editor of Christ or Chaos.

John Rao addresses the subject of Competition in the Call for Purification, 1919-1939. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church was not the only voice offering a purification message competing with that of the warmongers. Three others came onto the scene. One of these was that of Soviet Communism, which argued that the victory of the proletariat would cleanse the world of the evils represented in the last era of struggle by bourgeois capitalism. Another was enunciated by Woodrow Wilson, who saw a new, purified age of eternal peace emerging from the global spread of Americanism: what would, in the future, be called Pluralism. The third, building upon the experience of self-sacrifice and suffering of the frontline soldiers during the War, and resting upon obedience to the will of a leader/comrade in arms, was Fascism.

John Rao talks about the Tendencies Leading to the Abandonment of The Theory of Christ the King. Many Catholics in the interwar period were in practice devoted to Liberalism, Americanism, Fascism, and even Soviet Communist ideas. Others were concerned to understand why the new forces of Fascism and Soviet Communism should be so popularly appealing. At least one form of what became known as Personalism provided an explanation. It claimed that all "vital", "energetic", popular forces demonstrated the presence of the Holy Spirit, urging Catholics to "give witness" to what they were saying and allow them to converge into a new a greater understanding of what Christianity "really means". This ultimately would lead to a selling-out of the vision of Christ as King to the willful demands of modernity. All of the leaders of Second Vatican Council's changes came to maturity in the interwar period, serving as agents for this unfortunate change.

Dr. John Rao analyzes the heresy of Americanism. Pope Leo XIII addressed the encyclical 'Testem Benevolentiae' to James Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore in 1899. While paying lip service to the encyclical, most liberal American prelates at the time, including Gibbons, denied having any part in the heresy. In this way Americanism foreshadowed Modernism. Listen to Dr. John Rao's important analysis of Americanism.

Dr. John Rao argues that Catholics do not benefit from the so-called separation of Church and State regularly claimed as central to American political life. Why? Because the Americanist Religion and State are more profoundly tied together in the United States than the Catholic Faith was linked with the late Roman Empire and the various monarchies of Christendom. Moreover, to make matters worse, many Catholics fail to see this truth and therefore praise the American brand of Caesaro-Papism with just as great (if not more) enthusiasm than misled adulators of emperors and kings in the past. Taken from a 3-part series Catholics on the Global Auction Block - 2006 Roman Forum Conference

Christopher Ferrara demonstrates that Americanism is a religion of Nation, Constitution and Democracy which has regularly taught doctrines antithetical to everything Catholicism cherishes most. So subtle and effective has it been that Catholics have ended not only by not fighting off its unacceptable doctrines, but by actually becoming some of its most fervent adherents and cheerleaders. This was already crystal clear by the end of the nineteenth century in expressions of wild, anti-Catholic superpatriotism at the time of the Spanish-American War. Taken from a 3-part series Catholics on the Global Auction Block - 2006 Roman Forum Conference

In this episode, we put on our star-spangled spectacles, and take a look at the country in which we reside through lenses of partiality. We kick off by reminiscing about our short hiatus from podcasting, as our very American lives have left us without a surplus of time. As most patriots are indulging in explosive adulation, we ask the tough question: would America be the greatest country on God's green Earth without the United States federal government? Let's take a look!

Join the Peaceful Treason Podcast LIVE on Discord!:  
https://t.co/EgcWENkOsa

reader mailabg

Recently there has been a lot of discussion of the new TSA body scanners & pat-down security checks at airports and whether they are a violation of privacy. I recently encountered these new measures on a trip to Chicago.

I discuss the reactionary nature of our airport security and how we always seem to be behind the curve. Additionally I discuss a few measures that I feel would be more effective than continually adjusting our security based upon PAST threats and trying to anticipate FUTURE threats. 

The show is rounded out with some general current events & political discussion as well. www.stimulatedboredom.com