The 40,000 schisms that have fragmented and confused a billion Christians have things in common:
1. All schisms are begun by vain men unwilling to recognize the authority of The Church Jesus Founded.
2. The first inventors of schisms invented various “important differences” with The Catholic Church.
3. They told potential believers: “The ‘important differences’ we have discovered will help save your soul.”
4. Schism-inventors followed that successful pattern. They invented “important differences that had not been revealed” to earlier schism founders. “Our variation of Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mormonism is much better than the earlier, untested theologies. If you follow our new and improved doctrines, you will get to Heaven. I guarantee it!”
5. Secular governments encouraged people to break away from established religions. They encouraged Lutherans to leave The Catholic Church. Then, they encouraged ambitious clergy to “Move beyond Luther and explore new theological experiences.” States rejoiced to see Christendom splintered so that they could tax and spend to provide ever more incompetent education, health care, and social services at grossly higher costs.
6. Anti-Catholic movements from Mohammedanism to Communism encouraged, subsidized, and justified the splintering of Christendom. The forces of huge, powerful public relations companies provided, and continue to provide, a steady drumbeat of anti-Catholic messages. “Be free! Be independent! Think for yourself!” had the exactly opposite effect on those who do not understand they are so heavily taxes and regulated they are not free, independent, or capable of much thinking. Still, the anti-Catholic efforts were influential. Many left The Church. Many continue to do so.
Why did God allow these attacks on His Church? Why does He still allow them? We see a pattern. His people once demanded that Judges be replaced with Kings. In recent centuries, they demanded that Kings be replaced with democracies so that those who wanted to be kings might “have a voice”.
God provided that freedom. With it came illusions of prosperity. We clearly see in the lives of our neighbors: We all know, or are, people whose Catholic ancestors withstood famine, plague, invasion, and oppression while remaining firmly Catholic.
A thousand years of Catholics withstood every evil. Their descendants are now being tested by freedom and prosperity. They are dropping like flies.
The Garden is self-weeding.
