Culture War

Here's an excerpt of this interview with Rene Girard, Catholic author and Stanford Professor.

Q: Just as there is clash within Islam between tradition and modernity, doesn't Pope Benedict's crusade against relativism also announce a clash within the West? But the issue in the West is not about accommodating faith with reason. It is about resisting a culture of materialism and disbelief by insisting on values, as the Pope has put it, beyond "egoism and desire." Figuratively, the conflict is between the Pope and Madonna (the pop singer).

Girard: It is a culture war, yes. I agree. But it is not Ratzinger who has somehow changed and suddenly become reactionary and conservative. It is the secular culture that has drifted beyond the pale.

(Just as an aside, it's interesting that the interviewer posed pop star Madonna as the antithesis of Benedict. I've read that Madonna is now "growing up and admits to a past that was meaningless" and I've seen that she's wearing more conservative clothes. I bet Benedict was praying for her! There is hope to win the culture war by promoting the culture of life. I hope the next thing she realizes is that she's missing out on the treasures of her Catholic roots).