There is a real pattern to the name calling:

Let's say the controversy is about eating meat. The objectively true position is "all good things in moderation", neither forbidding other foods, nor forbidding the eating of meat. We'll call this position the "correct" one.

But you might have some meat fanatics, who think you should ONLY eat meat and nothing else. They would call those with the correct position "liberals" since they allow things the fanatics would not allow.

Likewise, you have vegetarians on the other side (extreme left) of the spectrum, upset at all the cavemen who are willing to eat meat. They would call any meat eaters "freaks" for presuming to eat animal flesh. Calling those to the right of them "freaks" would be the equivalent of "schismatic", "sectarian", "sedevacantist" or "rigorist" in the Traditional Catholic world -- that's what we call those who are to-the-right of us.

But you see, it's all a question of perspective. It's all relative. Everyone has a name to call their opponents. There are names you call those "to the right" of you, and names you call those "to the left" of you.

One man's "heroic stand for the truth" is another man's "disobedient rebellion". One man's stand for proper morality is another man's "puritan heresy". One man's heroic adherence to proper dress and attire is another man's "Amish Little House on the Prairie nonsense". One man's "taking heroic initiative and decisive action in a crisis" is another man's "pride and having an independent spirit". The opponents always make it sound good.


If you're to the left, you're Liberal
If you're to the right of someone, you're Crazy

If you permit "too many" legitimate places to attend Mass, you're Tradcuмenist
If you permit "too few" choices for legitimate Masses, you're Sectarian or Schismatic.

And of course, in either direction you can call them a heretic. Being too permissive or too strict involves violating the "true position", which makes one a heretic, more or less. So that word means very little, unless backed up with a Papal condemnation and formal excommunication (like Luther received).

You have to read through these epithets, and draw out the TRUE meaning.

If a wild-eyed group of cultists (say, in the mid-American South) claim you are "Novus Ordo", that just means you're to the left of them. And perhaps they are so extreme fringe that they are objectively in error.

If a group is "off the reservation", you need to be somewhat to the left just to be back ON the reservation! When you're talking about extremists, it's perfectly OK to be relatively "to the left" of them.

Likewise, the Novus Ordo is so far off course to the left, that one HAS to be relatively "reactionary" "extremist" -- that is to say, "to the right" of them, if one desires to possess the true position. So if you hold the truth, you can expect to receive all the usual epithets meaning, "You're to-the-right of me!" And when you receive those particular epithets, you know you're doing well in terms of Truth.

So we need to determine the objective truth of the matter. Are they, in fact, in error? Or do they have the truth?

The only solution is to be objective, and get to the truth. Keep both your eyes open, keep an open mind, use your God-given brain, and sincerely do your research. Don't be attached to any man, however good he might seem. Never attempt to fool yourself, let alone try to fool God.