Category Archives: Traditionalism

by

Introducing the American Traditionalist Society

The American Traditionalist Society does not exist. Not yet. But it is in the serious planning stages.

The Society’s purpose, in brief, is to help foster a more properly ordered American nation through the spiritual, intellectual, and moral renewal of Americans, both individually and collectively. This renewal will be a vast undertaking, and any organization can only help this process, not control or direct it. Nevertheless, concrete organizations large and small devoted to this purpose will be needed.

Here, by way of further introduction, are three brief statements:

.

Brief Description of the American Traditionalist Society

The American Traditionalist Society is dedicated to spreading proper—that is, traditionalist—conservatism. We call all people to understand and repent of liberalism, and we seek the renewal of American society.

.

Traditionalism Briefly Defined

Whereas liberalism denies man all that sustains his spirit, traditionalism restores the life-giving ties between a man and his people, their past, and his God. It restores wisdom and common sense by reconnecting man to the eternal order of being, a multifaceted order that is spiritual, moral, intellectual, religious, social and physical. Whereas contemporary thinking is fundamentally unwise outside of the procedures of the natural sciences and technology, traditionalism seeks to fill this void and strives for justice, truth, beauty, and the proper ordering of society.

Our traditionalism is therefore not simply a longing for the past. Since the present is radically defective, we naturally look to the past for a model of a more properly-ordered society, but we do not aim to recreate the conditions of the past. As Lawrence Auster has said,

“Traditition” is but one dimension of traditionalism. Traditionalism is, first, an orientation toward the transcendent structure of the universe–the natural, social (including historical and traditional”), and spiritual orders that make us possible.  Each society orders itself uniquely according to those orders. So traditionalism is not just the past tradition, it’s our active relationship and tension with the order of the world, but always grasped and expressed uniquely and newly in each time and society according to the particularities of that society.

.

The American Traditionalist Society: Our Raison D’être

Since roughly the 1960s, America has pursued a determined course of self-destruction in the name of liberalism. Our nation is now in a state of undeniable crisis. The federal government, close to insolvency, openly defies the Constitution and asserts its increasingly unaccountable and tyrannical power over the states and over the life of every individual. Our borders have been effectively erased, our language weakened, and our cultural foundations overturned. Our major institutions have been undermined from within. The media and popular culture have marginalized decency and virtue and made filth, transgression, and every kind of nastiness the new norm—a norm unquestioned by anyone in the mainstream culture, including conservatives. Our leaders pontificate that we must be tolerant above all else, and so many draw the natural conclusion that life is absurd. With the official-in-all-but-name denial of the God of the Bible and of any transcendent truth, many young men and women have become demoralized, leading lives that are amoral, selfish, and dissipated.

.

The response of institutionalized conservatism to this catastrophe has been wholly inadequate, for it has assumed that our nation is fundamentally sound and that we need only oppose the latest liberal initiatives. Failing effectively to challenge the false and evil premises of liberalism or even to acknowledge that these premises now hold effective control over all aspects of American society, the organized conservatism of our day has, at best, only slowed the rate of destruction. It is therefore time for a new, a traditionalist, conservatism which recognizes the dominance and falsehood of liberalism and the need to restore the traditional American way of life, yet updated to suit the times. It is time for men and women of good will to stand together before God, repent of their liberalism, and turn their hearts and minds toward the formation of a new social and political order, an order based on God, the wisdom of the ages, and that which is enduringly true in the American and Western tradition. We seek to foster a better order through the spiritual, moral and intellectual renewal of individuals, families, churches, and other fundamental units of society, leading naturally to an organic renewal of American society.

.

To this end, ever in debt to our forebears and beholden to posterity, the American Traditionalist Society is devoted.

.

[End of statement.]

Stay tuned for further details.

Note:  Since this is an occasion for, if not exactly celebration, then at least optimism and dedication, comments that are primarily or entirely hostile will be deleted / blocked. Disagreement that is respectful and at least somewhat rational will, of course, be allowed.

by

A Simple Proof that Liberalism is Bad and Must be Repented of

The reader probably knows this already. But here at the Orthosphere we’re not just interested in conversing among ourselves. We’re also interested in evangelism, in spreading the word.

.

And what is the word we spread? That the current system is fundamentally broken and wicked, and that we must all repent of the liberalism that is killing us spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and socially.

.

So there is a need for simple and visceral proof that liberalism is wrong, proof that anyone who has been paying attention to the world can acknowledge as valid. Here’s one such proof:

.

Ask yourself: According to our leaders, what is the greatest social good?

The answer is obvious. They all say it is diversity.  All of Western Civilization is currently organized around the moral principle that diversity is the greatest good, and opposition to diversity is therefore the greatest evil.

[John Q. Public knows that diversity is held to be an important social good. He may not be aware that it is held to be the highest social good, but that realization will come later, if he pursues the line of thought that we are opening up here.] Continue reading →

by

Catholic asceticism and the permanent diaconate

I recently came across an intriguing article by Catholic canonist Ed Peters. It turns out that not only is the married (and sexually active) permanent diaconate a historical divergence from the Latin Church’s ancient theological patrimony of clerical continence, it may even be a departure from the plain letter of canon law.

I had no idea this was the case, but it suggests the possibility of something deeply pernicious: widespread disobedience to Church law on the part of Catholic bishops during the immediate postconciliar era, and especially in the United States, where something like half the world’s permanent deacons reside. An effort to stir up agitation against priestly celibacy, perhaps?

by

My Prayer for Lawrence Auster

(For the background to this post, see here.)

Our Heavenly Father, creator and sustainer of all worlds and all men, and redeemer of those who trust in Jesus Christ,

We acknowledge our intrinsic unworthiness of approaching your throne, and we do humbly thank you for giving us the gifts of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, by which means only do you regard us as righteous and as your sons and daughters.

We come to you to humbly ask for your special blessings and healing for our friend and comrade Lawrence Auster. As the Great Physician, it is entirely in your hands to heal him or not. We acknowledge that you sometimes permit your children to suffer, for good reasons which we do not know, and we understand and believe that it may be your good will to take him home to be with you at any time.

Nevertheless, we his friends do humbly beseech you to heal and save our friend Lawrence. Protect him from the anguish of physical discomfort and the bodily threat of cancer. He is dear to us, and he has much good work yet to accomplish. We accept that your will shall be done, but we are bold to argue that by prolonging his stay on earth you may increase your glory, as Lawrence continues to be a witness for faith in Christ and for a properly-ordered Christian American society. And by defending and protecting your child Lawrence, you will bear witness to your goodness and lovingkindness.

We also ask that you increase his faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for without faith, no man can please you. And it is our request that you increase our faith also, for we are all weak and prone to infidelity, and it is our desire most of all to honor you.

In the name of Jesus our Redeemer, Amen

by

A Prayer for Lawrence Auster

Lawrence Auster is one of the seminal figures of latter-day Traditionalism. Many, many people have come to it, and to Christianity, as a result of his labors at View from the Right, one of the most important Traditionalist blogs. All true conservatives owe him a great debt of gratitude, including even those who feel at enmity with him; for whether or not they know it, and whether or not they have even read Lawrence’s writings, they have been influenced and informed by him, at least through those who have.

Lawrence is quite ill. For many months he has been suffering from cancer, and from related maladies brought on either by the disease itself, or by the chemo-therapy he has endured. While he has fought off the cancer for a long time, and soldiered bravely onward at VFR, his condition lately has worsened. Barring some sea change, his future here below seems at best bleak indeed.

It is time, and more than time, for all of us who owe him so much, and who hold him in such high regard, to do what we can to help him. So we of the Orthosphere have decided to organize a global vigil of massed intercessory prayer for him, using the web to propagate the effort as far and wide, and indeed as deep, as possible. Massed intercessory prayer has been the occasion of some truly remarkable events – not all of them physiological, by any means (and, for that matter, not all in the intended beneficiary of the prayer). Some background information may be found here.

If you wish to participate in the prayer, bless you; if you decide to use your own blogs, or email distribution lists, to spread the word, thanks. If you do, please ask respondents to post a notice of their intent to participate, as well as any comments or questions, at the Orthosphere. This will facilitate a coherent central conversation, give us all a sense of the size of the event as it builds momentum, answer frequently asked questions efficiently, and perhaps help us all learn more about prayer. The conversation can continue after the vigil; there is likely to be much to relate.

The vigil will happen in your time zone from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, Sunday, January 13. As evening falls, light a candle in an often used room, where those of your household will often see and take note of it. A burning flame is inherently interesting, and likely to be noticed. After you light the candle, and whenever you notice it again during the hour of the vigil, say a short prayer for Lawrence; something like this:

O LORD our Governor, whose help is in all the world, and by whom all things are made: bless now and keep thy servant Lawrence Auster, relieving him of all his troubles and travails, salving and healing all his wounds and illnesses, and restoring him to fullness of life in thee; and, at the last, call him home to everlasting joy in thy Heavenly Kingdom. All this I pray, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Or, just:

O LORD, I pray thee bless, keep and heal thy servant, Lawrence. Amen.

Or, pray wordlessly. The form of the prayer is important only because it helps form the intention thereof.

It helps, in praying, to engage one’s whole body in the effort; for the engagement of the body tends to entrain the otherwise distractible mind. Bodily involvement is facilitated by bowing the head, and, especially at the invocation of the Name, by crossing oneself.

There is of course no reason why you should confine your prayers for Lawrence to the hour of the vigil, and indeed I hope that you do not. Feel free to pray for him this very moment, and continuously! But do save some special oomph, as it were, for the massed intercession of the vigil.

Thank you; and may God bless and keep all you who read this.

Continue reading →

by

Resist and Oppose Liberalism

Background

As traditionalist conservatives, we understand that the current order, although it contains pockets of relative sanity, is, overall, hopelessly corrupt. Although we knew the chances were not good, many of us had been hoping that a renewal of American society could somehow be brought about. We knew that the old America—the predominantly white, Christian America of ordered liberty under God and the Constitution—was in some senses gone. But while the permanent loss of America was seen as possible, even likely, it was not foremost in our minds. We generally focused on what could be done to oppose liberalism.

That has changed. While the recent presidential election did not change anything fundamental (elections cannot do that), it did reveal that even a President who obviously hates and opposes the traditional American way of life can easily be reelected. It revealed that a president who is incompetent at doing what he should, and very competent at pursuing leftist-inspired destruction, can gain the votes of the majority. It revealed anew that in the new America the enemies of a decent order have all the advantages. Barring a miracle, we cannot see how it will be possible to revive a properly-ordered (or at least adequately-ordered) American nation from sea to shining sea. Continue reading →

by

What Must We Do?

As traditionalist conservatives, we recognize that the cultural and political order is fundamentally corrupt. Therefore we oppose it.

On November 6, many of us had hoped that the election of Romney could slow the rate of destruction, giving a real opposition to liberalism more of a chance to grow and perhaps, given enough time, even halt the decline.

But our hopes were dashed, and the decisiveness of the defeat has caused many of us to see the situation in a new light: It appears that the left rules without any significant opposition, and that no force is capable of preventing liberals from dragging America down to destruction.

This is not to say that conservatives never win political battles. They often do at the local level, and occasionally do at the national level. But overall, conservatism does not currently have the strength to reverse the course of liberalism.

Our fundamental analysis of the situation remains the same but in light of the latest defeat, how should we reorient our thinking? More specifically: Continue reading →

by

This Springtime’s sure been nippy

Our ill-advised liturgical experiment has been some uniformly bad fruits:

After temporarily rising to nearly 75% in the
immediate aftermath of World War II, U.S. Mass
attendance stood at about 65%, and hence roughly its 1939
level, in the period immediately surrounding Vatican II.
From there on, it fell continuously, at a relatively fast pace
initially, then much more slowly, and now more recently
faster again. In 1995, according to these data, it stood at
46%, …

The trend line is generally downward from 1959 onward, but notice that the negative slope sharpens dramatically at almost exactly 1970. Remind me what happened around that time?

Surely, though, it was just the seeds of 60′s secularism finally sprouting?

In the Protestant data, we see no downward trend at all. Church
attendance is lower than that for Catholics during most of
the period but is certainly not declining. In fact it may
even have begun to trend up. If the temper of the times
had been the cause of the decline in Catholic Mass
attendance however there is no reason that similar forces
should not have operated within Protestantism too.

Whoops.

Speaking of liturgical revolution, Fr. Z. today shared a YouTube video reminding us of one of those wretched fads that just won’t die — liturgical dance.

Hey, at least the choice of musical setting was relevant.