The dictatorship of relativism decrees that tolerance is the only virtue. Because there is no such thing as truth I must tolerate ‘your truth’ and you must tolerate mine. The problem with this is that tolerance must eventually end in decadence. It ends in decadence because if there is no truth, then there are also no moral standards, and if there are no moral standards, then anything goes, and if anything goes, then decadence is the result.

So we see our society not just drifting into decadence, but suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, we are seeing a full flowering of decadence. The decadence is at every level of society, and is exhibited in disgusting behaviors and beliefs in a multitude of different ways. Sexual immorality is everywhere–children are highly sexualized. Adultery and divorce are rampant. Homosexuality is flagrant. Promiscuity, co-habitation and pre-marital sex are everywhere accepted and open. Furthermore, it is not just among the underclass. Their rampant behaviors are more crude and disgusting, but whether you fornicate in the street drunk on cheap beer or in some high class penthouse with a glass of champagne by your side–it’s the same.

Nor is the decadence merely sexual. The materialism and greed and cut throat attitude is everywhere. Again, the underclass may take to the streets rioting and smashing and grabbing. They are only exhibiting in their way what they have seen the upper classes do–it’s just that the upper classes have done so on a much more massive scale by paying lobbyists to change the banking rules so they can sell shoddy financial products to rip people off and make millions. The underclass burn buildings and loot and burn as we saw in London this summer. The upperclass destroy an economy to take salaries of several million and bonuses paid for by the government bail outs.

Are we surprised that violence is the result? Why should we? The tolerance that results from relativism leads to decadence and decadence always leads to violence. Why violence? Because the decadent are never satisfied. Their decadent behavior leads to self loathing, envy and hatred of others. They become possessed with a seething hatred and project it on to others. Why did the mobs in Rome break into a church and desecrate the crucifix and the image of the Blessed Mother? Because the violent mobs will hate most of all those who never bought into their demonic creed of relativism and tolerance in the first place, and who (even silently by their purity) criticized the decadence that resulted from it.

I hate to be a pessimist, but unless there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to convert souls we should be prepared for an ever growing hatred of the Catholic Church. The tolerance time is over. The decadence stage is in full swing. Get ready for the violence.

On this day when we celebrate the feast of dear old St Ignatius of Antioch witness his example. His death was a symbol of everything I am talking about. The violent came to take him away and the gentle old man was torn to pieces by hungry lions. The lions are out there now, prowling about–seeking whom they may devour.

UPDATE: For more on the threat of persecution read Russell Shaw here.