The Challenge of Defending the Faith in a "Cancel Culture"
When embarking on the task of crafting an article in defense of the Catholic faith and the fundamental doctrines of the Church, my primary objective is unambiguous: to impart the truth with compassion and lucidity. My goal as a writer for orthodox Catholic publications is to elucidate the teachings of the Church, the rationale behind them, and demonstrate how these foundational truths enrich and instill hope in our existence. Nonetheless, the ensuing discourse often deviates from constructive dialogue or genuine exploration. Rather, the reactions tend to be inundated with emotionally charged remarks, indicating a preoccupation not so much with delving into the subject matter but with reinforcing the prevailing cultural norms of our era.
It is absolutely disheartening.
The Internet, intended as a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange, frequently transforms into a chaotic space where rationality is overshadowed by clamor. Rather than engaging with people open to thoughtful discussion or debate, I frequently encounter responses that entirely ignore the essence of the message of the article. These responses lack a basis in logical disagreement or authentic misunderstanding; instead, they often are presented as anger, sarcasm, or blatant hostility—not directed at the arguments presented, but at the mere audacity of daring to express them. “Cancel culture” seeks to punish those who speak the truth and then attempts to erase that truth.
What can be notably frustrating is the divergence of these responses from the core subject of the article. For example, I recently wrote a review for the new movie “Conclave,” for Missio Dei and many of the comments rather than addressing the movie itself were instead rants and raves about the clergy abuse scandals, and how much he or she hates the Catholic Church. One comment in particular caused me to chuckle because it insisted, apparently based on my article, that I must have voted for Donald Trump, while another insisted that I must attend the Traditional Latin Mass. Huh?