The Wicked Said Among Themselves…

Bible

This reading from the book of Wisdom, written around 100 B.C., is equally applicable today:

From today’s First Mass reading
Wisdom 2:1,12-22

Let us condemn him to a shameful death.

The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

Clarification

Of course, this passage from the book of Wisdom was written around 100 BC, and forecasts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and events that preceded the Crucifixion (John 7).
But the passage also describes a general phenomenon which is present in any age, in which those who are wicked despise those who are virtuous, and seek to destroy the virtuous.

Slide1

So today, radicals are not content to simply disagree with Christians, but they attack Christians, trying to destroy them.  They cannot bear to tolerate those who condemn the tragic liberal lifestyle cycle of promiscuity followed by abortion.
Radicals attack the virtuous.
Freedom from Religion attacks religion.
Obama attacks those who “cling to their Bibles” because he embraces abortion.
obamabitter

This explains the widespread use of Alinsky tactics in politics today.  Winning an election and agreeing to disagree is not sufficient for radicals.  They must isolate, vilify, attack and destroy all those who disagree with them.
The battle between Good and Evil continues, and no age is exempt.
Fortunately, God is involved, and the wicked do not prevail:

Today’s Psalm from the Mass Readings:

Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, 23

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

2013 Version of With revilement and torture let us put him to the test

So it is with revilement and torture that the wicked put the virtuous to the test.
In 2013-speak, it is with bullying.
In the playground.
In the workplace.
In the government.

“While President Obama and the left like to pretend that they oppose bullying with all their hearts and souls, the truth is far darker: the left is the greatest purveyor of bullying in modern American history. Bullying has morphed into the left’s go-to tactic, as they attempt to quash their opponents through fear, threat of force, violence, and rhetorical intimidation on every major issue facing America today.”

– Ben Shapiro, in Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans

Bullies