Do Catholics deserve the massive backlash they're suffering?

So asks John Zmirak over at Taki.

In short, his answer is "Yes".

He looks at the recently defeated bill in CT to force Catholic churches to become Congregationalist, the NY bill to extend the statute of limitations on student sexual abuse (but only in private schools), and the Orwellian "Freedom of Choice Act" (which would force any medical professional who disagrees with abortion or contraception to act against their consciences, go out of business, or go to jail). Then he ponders on how central to American life the Catholic Church was in the 1950s. And he asks,

How the hell did this happen? How did the largest single religious organization in the country, the oldest continuously functioning human institution on earth (after the fall of the Chinese monarchy in 1905), the heir to Roman law, the preserver of Classical learning and the creator of the university system, end up toothless and humiliated, basically begging for basic rights? Should Catholics see this as the fruit of an ugly conspiracy? Are the Protestants finally getting their revenge? Or are these just first hints of the persecutions to come pursued by the evil secularists whose creed is the “Culture of Death”?

There’s some truth in each of these notions, but giving them credence is really just a way for Catholics to let ourselves off the hook. The fact is, we had power and influence which we could have used in the service of the community, uniting Christian witness with civic duty. And we blew it.

The whole article is good, and important reading for any faithful Catholic.