Link - Evolutionism and Morality

Link – Evolutionism and Morality

          At the link below Ross Blackburn discusses the way we must defend the dignity of every human life in the context of our secularized culture.  Specifically, he comments on an article in Human Life Review that suggested we must do so with secular terms, on a secular playing field.  Blackburn disagrees.  Though we must have a grasp of secularist thinking, he points out that secularism / Darwinism is incapable of putting intrinsic value on human life, at least all human life, including the vulnerable.  Our culture has lost its mind.  But truth comes from God.  And Truth remains true even if our society has largely lost the ability even to properly seek it, let alone to find it.

We have as much reason to expect the secularist to abandon naturalist assumptions as he should have for us to remove God from our arguments.  One major problem is that an atheistic or Darwinist approach is incapable of accounting for morality.  If the last century has taught us anything, it is the perils of removing morality from a society.  We continue to face these perils.

At the link is a lengthy but brilliant analysis.

http://catholicexchange.com/evolution-and-morality/

Inspiring Reverence

Inspiring Reverence

I am very blessed to work at a Catholic school at which we take the kids to Mass every Friday.  Though we work hard to teach them the importance of the Mass, and what’s happening at Mass, some kids get it and some kids don’t.  What is really hard to instill is a sense of reverence.  We live in a culture in which reverence as a concept has been almost completely thrown out the window.

We generally do not show reverence for God or holy things.  Men no longer show reverence for women; as a culture we don’t even have reverence for human life, by and large.  How many comedians or radio personalities advertise their “irreverent humor,” as if we could even tell the difference anymore.

And yet, we try to tell kids who are surrounded by and saturated with this culture, that they need to be reverent in Church.  It’s a losing battle.  To be sure, there are many kids who are reverent, and who are taught reverence at home, but particularly by the time they reach junior high, that virtue is often lost.  The kids aren’t trying to be disrespectful; they just don’t know how to act in the presence of sacred things.

However, this Holy Week we had an eye-opening experience.  Our all-school Mass is usually on Fridays, but we were not going to be in school on Good Friday, and we thought it would be a good idea to start off Holy Week with Mass.  So we had Mass Monday morning, which also happened to be the parish day of Adoration.  Occasionally individual classes will go over for Adoration, but we had never done it as a school before.

Well, Father thought it was a great idea and he decided he was going to pull out all the stops.  He brought out plenty of incense, we sang the Tantum Ergo in Latin, and finished with Benediction.  The result was astonishing.  The kids were transfixed, on their knees, with their gaze on Jesus.  When it ended, the entire school exited the Church in reverent silence, as opposed to their usual impression of a talkative herd of elephants.

Why the change?  We have been preaching reverence for years, and it hasn’t stuck.  Yet that day they all displayed it instinctively.  I think the difference was the extraordinary display of reverence in the ceremony.  We tell the kids that Church is special, but they come in and hear the same music that’s on the radio (on the Christian station), with hand motions, etc., and the atmosphere in general feels somewhat casual.

Now I am not disparaging contemporary music and I recognize that it is something the kids connect with, and that there’s value in that.  But I also think we would do well to have more ceremony, more tradition, even at children’s Masses.  We should feel when we step into Church for Mass that we are taking one step into eternity.  We are participating in Heavenly worship, so we should be lifted a little off this earth.  Things should be different.  The air should be different, at least occasionally perfumed with incense.  The music should be different, at least sometimes.  The language should be different, with the inclusion of occasional Latin prayers.

The Masses we have every Friday are wonderful and beautiful, but I think everyone was amazed to see how the students responded to the tradition and ceremony of Adoration that Monday.  Just the fact of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and seeing our priest on his knees doing the same, drove home the message that the Eucharist is something special, in ways words never could.

This is exactly what Pope Benedict was trying to encourage when he suggested that the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (the Tridentine Mass) could inform the Novus Ordo.  I hope many schools we will begin to consider ways in which we can truly make the celebration of the Mass feel like a participation in eternity.

I Have a Say - Here Comes the Catholic Church

I Have a Say

Here Comes the Catholic Church

       Another in the series of Catholic responses to Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards’ request for videos titled “I Have a Say.”

Action! Oppose SB 1172 - Do Not Let More Children be Sacrificed

Do Not Let More Children be Sacrificed

Urgent! – Take Action!

Note: (Update added July 3): This bill has passed the senate and come out of committee in the assembly.  It will be coming to a full vote in the assembly.  Contact your assembly member and urge them to oppose.  Write to newspapers and Web sites, call radio shows, and tell friends.

In California a terribly destructive bill passed one senate committee last week and will come before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.  SB 1172 denies children under 18 access to any therapy to help with unwanted homosexual attraction, and requires those who offer such therapy to inform all adult clients that the therapy doesn’t work and will pose significant risk to their mental health.  It goes on to establish increased opportunity for patients and their families to sue therapists.

Forget for a moment the fact that the bill would require therapists to lie.  For people who compassionately practice a certain therapy to disclose to their clients that it is ineffective and dangerous, despite the fact that evidence demonstrates the opposite, is insulting and inexcusable.  Forget for a moment that the bill opens doors for people to seek such therapy only for the purposes of pretending to be harmed by it and suing the practitioners.

My first outrage over this bill is that it would be state-inflicted child abuse on those who are most vulnerable.  The bill states that no one under 18 will be allowed to undergo such therapy regardless of how desperately they want to. 

I have become somewhat familiar with therapists that provide therapy for people struggling with gender identity, unwanted homosexual attraction, or other sexual confusion.  They are among the most compassionate people in therapy and their work is often highly successful.  What’s more, children can struggle at a very early age with gender confusion, and these therapists often help them with extraordinary success.  This, I suspect, is the real motivation behind this bill.

The California state senate is on the verge of sacrificing many children on the altar of a political agenda and we can not let it happen.

I have worked for many years with many young people of many different ages and in many different settings.  In that time I can remember one who suffered from gender identity confusion.  I remember his struggle and discomfort.  I can still see his innocent eyes, his beautiful soul.  And I know there are people who can help him.

But if the supporters of SB 1172 get their way, he will never be able to take advantage of that help.  He will have to suffer in silence, for not only will they deny him the chance to heal, they refuse to acknowledge his suffering.  It does not fit their agenda.

To them he is anonymous.  One day perhaps he will understand that his suffering served, in their eyes, a higher good.  Well, to me he is not anonymous.  He is precious.  He is a child who simply needs help.  He is made in the Image and Likeness of God, and he is destined for greatness.  He needs people that will love him, help him, suffer with him, and succeed with him.

But if this bill passes what he will get from his state is a deaf ear and a cold shoulder.  He will become a statistic.  His pain will probably even be manipulated so as to justify more of these types of bills.  And if his life is ruined, well at least it was in the service of “progress.”  And yet some would say it’s the Church that’s repressive and bigoted.  Yeah, right.

We can not sit back and allow this to happen.  Yes, I know this bill is one in a number of steps being taken to rob me of my freedom of speech and to persecute religion.  Well, I’m a big boy.  And I can stand up and fight for myself.  But how can these children fight?  We must not allow them to be sacrificed for someone else’s agenda.

Now, I am sure there are senators who are supporting this bill that sincerely believe it is right.  They are sincerely wrong.  Whether their intention is to harm these children or not, that is what SB 1172 does.

We are Catholics.  We defend those who can’t defend themselves.  We stand up for truth, even when the whole world bows down to idols.  Stand up. If you live in California, call your state senator.  Ask him or her to oppose SB 1172.  No matter where you live, call Senator Tom Harmon, the vice-chair of the Judiciary Committee and ask for his help.  The fate of these children matters to us all, whether or not we live in the same state as they. 

Knowing God

Knowing God

          Before we can develop a relationship with God we have to have a correct understanding of what the term “God” really means.  Father Robert Barron compares two common misconceptions of the term with the Christian understanding.

Political Insanity

Political Insanity

I’ve seen two political articles the past few days that I have found quite disturbing.  The first was from a disappointed Santorum supporter (which I happen to be) and seemed to suggest that Catholics should be disappointed enough with a Romney candidacy to consider sitting this election out.  The second referenced two polls regarding who Catholics are supporting now that the Republican nomination has been secured.

This is a Catholic blog, not a political blog.  However, it is the duty of all Catholics, particularly the laity, to bring our Faith to bear on public life, and do our best to “baptize the culture.”  This is not optional; it is a mandate.  If we compartmentalize our Faith or suggest that as Catholics we have no business making strong political statements, we are being remiss in our duties, both to God and country.

Our political statements can and must be highly critical of the actions of public figures that oppose the Law of God.  They must be honest, of course, and we must never wish ill on a person we oppose, or cast spiritual judgment on them.  This blog is called “Servant of Charity,” and I try very hard not to violate the demands of charity, properly understood.

That being said, I have some rather strong feelings about the articles I recently saw.  As a Santorum supporter I too am disappointed that Romney will be the nominee.  I suspect he is a good and decent man, but his record in Massachusetts causes me to question his commitment to the principles I would like championed by a President.

That being said, he is running against Barack Obama.  Sitting this election out is not an option. 

People say this election will be about the economy, and the truth is that the economy still stinks.  But the fact of the matter is that the dividing line that demands people come down on one side or the other is the line that separates the Culture of Life from the Culture of Death.  As long as that battle rages, we have no business casting our votes based on tax rates or the growth rate of GDP.  We are soldiers for the armies of the Culture of Life.  Mr. Obama is currently the general of the armies of the Culture of Death.  He has expanded abortion with his health care legislation, his judicial appointments and his HHS mandate.  He has refused to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.  He has waged war on conscience, especially when it comes to life issues.  His justice department has persecuted peaceful sidewalk counselors whose only crime has been to successfully provide women in crisis pregnancies with options other than abortion.  The list goes on.  In this war, he is the enemy.

Understand, I do not hate Mr. Obama or judge his soul, or wish to see him lose his soul.  I pray for him every day by name, but I will do what I can to defeat him.  And if the choice is supporting a candidate I’m not completely enthusiastic about, that is an easy choice to make.

The other article, from the National Catholic Register, cited two polls.  The first, from the Pew Research Center, showed all people identifying themselves as Catholics supporting Romney 50%-45%.  A Gallup poll, however, showed that the only group of Catholics supporting Romney at all were what they called “very religious,” by a spread of 50%-46%.  Obviously that makes no sense.  The numbers don’t add up, so there is serious error in at least one of the polls.

The Church will not tell us specifically for whom to vote.  However, she has made clear that while all social justice issues are of great importance, the right to life is preeminent.  Also, the bishops have unanimously stood up to the President in defense of religious freedom, which he is violating, to the point of promising civil disobedience.

With this background, it is impossible that 46% of “very religious” Catholics, no matter by what doctored criteria one defines the term, support Mr. Obama.

Cardinal Dolan has said, with regard to the HHS mandate, “We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it.”  All Catholics must take that motto for their own as we approach the November elections.

My Mission

My Mission

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about. – Cardinal John Henry Newman