The Rise of the Armchair Crusaders: Olympia as a reflection on our own self-righteousness

There seems to be a pretty commonplace self-righteousness test people engage in, for whatever reason motivates them.  Though the man-made atrocity in question might differ (Inquisition, Nazi Germany, Rwanda holocaust, etc), the exercise usually goes something along the lines of this: “How could [the [people in that situation] NOT rise up and stand up for what is right?!  If I were there, I would surely have been martyred.  At least, I would have made my voice heard denouncing those atrocities!”  A noble sentiment made by armchair crusaders.  Unfortunately, most people have no idea how they would react when they think their own life or morals are being persecuted until it is one day - and most people would surprise themselves.  As a surprising testimony to this, I present: a staggering number of Catholic voices online (in the medium of comments on articles) who are semi-defending the atrocity that was the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

The truth is, most people who would proclaim their own bravery have had several opportunities in the past few years alone to prove their worth - and have always had some reason which, in their mind, justifies them for failing at their own lofty ambitions.  I will not embark on a laundry-list of disasters or horrific political movements over the last few years (and private citizens’ response to them) here, but as an example I will readily call out the USCCB and their response to Covid.  I am sorry, but a blanket interdict over an entire nation over a disease with a high survival rate and with no contagions for those gathering for approved protests is in NO world an appropriate response.  There are many who took the same route these bishops did in their own lives.  The sad fact is: there was a time and an opportunity for bravery, for witness to how valuable the sacraments and our Faith was (with only medium to little risk for able bodies Americans), and many simply let the opportunity for bravery pass on.

No problem: maybe the Catholic populace was simply waiting for an explicit attack on their Faith, one which makes a particular mockery of the opening act of the Holiest time of our year, the Triduum.  Sometimes we can get caught up in the politics of a thing and miss the nefarious implicit undermining of our Faith.  Well, if we were waiting for such an action, we have got it: the depiction of the Last Supper with drag queens for the Apostles and Our Lord, complete with the appearance of Greek pagan deities and surrounded by dancing children.  And, lest we be confused on what was supposed to be depicted, the name of the “artistic” piece was literally one referencing the Last Supper.  The organizers of the piece have claimed it was such a depiction, and have expressed glee at the offense it has caused.  I would think the only more explicit mockery of the Catholic Faith would only be a public veneration of the Black Mass (of which there have been several).  I would think that this would be the event that would spark indignation and self-reflection on your own Faith.  

Except the private citizenry of the Catholic Faith is expressing itself in comments on articles all across the web with the exact opposite response.  Defenses of the opening ceremony range from “it was just artistic” to “it wasn’t even the Last Supper - read your Greek mythology.”  There have been exhortations to pray for the end of such mockery, but even encouragement to pray has been met with “well, why not pray for this other thing?!  Why so focused on the Gays all the time, and pray for the end to homelessness,” as if praying for one thing necessarily removed prayers from another area of need.  Honestly, I should not be so shocked as I am.  But I surprise myself at my good-natured assumption of my fellow Catholics’ commitment to our shared Faith.

Unfortunately, the world is not so full of heroes as it thinks it is.  The world of the internet has created a virtual space where we can feel brave, without having to allow our own proclaimed bravery to have consequences.  There is no time like the present to allow your own person to have consequences in the world.  Your Faith must matter more than a technical historicism which allows you to feel as though you have fulfilled your Christian duties.  Protestants have one solid criticism of Catholics: our traditions and pious practices can lead us to miss the whole point of our Faith, as if actions were sufficient without the interior response.  These practices can lend a sense of security to our own minds, as if they are enough without requiring and being oriented towards a renewal of the spirit.  Well, now is the time to have the response that gives life and meaning to the pious practices.  Because, if we are not active and committed to defending our Faith now, when it is relatively easy, we most certainly will not speak up when the next disaster threatens our Faith.  We will be the ones history criticizes - the next images for the next generation of armchair crusaders to declare themselves better than.