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Just when you thought things couldn’t get any stranger — or at least give a glimpse of how strange they will soon become for us — France has decided to ban the words “mother” and “father” in regard to the civil-legal treatment of marriage. The European country’s proposed new law declares that “marriage is a union of two people, of different or the same gender.”
The reason given by Christiane Taubira, France’s justice minister: ”Who is to say that a heterosexual couple will bring a child up better than a homosexual couple, that they will guarantee the best conditions for the child's development?” She then reassured critics of the proposed law, “What is certain is that the interest of the child is a major preoccupation for the government.”
If the law goes through, then all references to “mother” and “father” will be erased from the civil code and replaced with the more abstract, cover-all, cover-anything term “parents.”
Let’s focus on that shift to abstraction. It’s more important than you might think, because, as France is now demonstrating, he (or she) who controls the language controls the fundamentally human ability to speak about reality.
France’s attempt to impose an abstract term, “parent,” in place of a perfectly concrete and natural set of terms, is an act of civil tyranny. It commits a kind of unnatural crime, a crime against the natural use of language, by officially prohibiting citizens to name what every child, naturally born, naturally wants to say: “mother” and “father.”
About this, we must note several important things. First of all, this move to abstraction in speech is already endemic — in English. And it is caused by a cultural rebellion against Judeo-Christian morality. You see and hear it everywhere. The “French revolution” is already on our shores.
We now speak of “partners” rather than husbands and wives, because sexually linking up for indeterminate periods has replaced lifelong, heterosexual monogamy. “Partner” is sufficiently abstract to allow any number of individuals of whatever gender — it wouldn’t even restrict the relationship to other human beings.
And we’ve just stumbled upon two others, “individual” and “relationship.” The modern “individual” was invented, in great part, to replace the more concrete “male” and “female.” The reason is historically important: Modern individualism, invented by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, didn’t want the family to be understood as the foundation of society.
Hobbes and Locke wanted to reject the Christian natural-law argument that the natural family (father, mother and children) was the natural foundation of society and the root of its moral order. In its place, they wished to substitute the all-desiring “individual,” a name that abstracts completely from gender — from male and female, father and mother, son and daughter. This individual, abstracted from any natural connections, is unbound to anyone by natural moral duties, and its only goals are self-preservation and self-interest. Such self-interested “individuals,” Hobbes and Locke argued, form society by a contract.
That’s modern individualism, along with its view of what society is for: not the protection and promotion of the natural family, but the elevation of this abstract creature, the “individual” and its interests.
I say “abstract” very precisely: There are no individuals, no human “its.” In reality, you will only meet males and females who are sons and daughters or fathers and mothers. Yet, in France, you will soon not be able to speak of them.
And “relationship”?
“Relationship” is the abstract term you get when a society replaces the understanding that sexuality is defined by heterosexual monogamy with the notion that sexuality should be defined in terms of the pursuit of pleasure wherever and whenever it can be had. “Relationship” abstracts both from the concrete morally laden word “marriage,” which implies permanence, and the implicit understanding that sexuality is defined by opposites (as in the opposite sex). “Relationship” is so abstract that it exists between points in geometry and any number of “individuals” in any possible combination of genders. Gone are the roles of husband and wife, father and mother, even boyfriend and girlfriend.
Whoops! I committed an abstraction myself — “roles.” The Christian natural-law understanding is that men and women, by their very nature, become husbands and wives, so that in turn they can become fathers and mothers. We regularly refer to these as “roles,” that is, something that we play, like a particular character in a play, which is as detachable from us as our costumes. Thus, we speak of the “roles” of mother and fathers.
But all this play acting is a farce. I am a husband of one wife and have been for almost 30 years. I do not play the role of a husband. I am a husband — it defines my very being and my natural, moral perfection. I have seven children. I do not play the “role” of a father. I am a father. The abstraction “role” was meant to allow “individuals” the freedom to don or discard such “gender roles” as their self-interest dictates.
As you can see, the “French revolution” in abstraction has already made significant headway in our own language. I suggest a counterrevolution for the sake of free speech, especially since (as I’m sure we’ll soon experience) our own civil authorities will be telling us what we can’t say. Say what you should mean, say what’s real, and don’t let anyone make you do otherwise.
But that’s not the end of the abstraction going on here. There’s also a kind of abstraction that makes the French denunciation of “mothers” and “fathers” possible — the abstraction from male and female that occurs through the technological manipulation of reproduction. If it weren’t for such manipulation, it would be impossible for homosexual couples to become parents. Without such manipulation, the only parents can be mothers and fathers. That is why the Catholic Church rejects all attempts to abstract reproduction from natural, heterosexual sexual union.
Author and speaker Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D., has published nine books,
with another coming out this fall with Scott Hahn,
He is currently working on a book on the Church and the secular state.
His website is BenjaminWiker.com.
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Look at her face….......just anger….........
They claim that science is the only knowledge and yet they divorce themselves from it. Regardless of who does the raising, generation of a human being can only be accomplished via union of an ovum (mother) and a sperm cell (father). I guess even biology is subjective now.
I do say what I mean and encourage others to do likewise. A sexual ‘relationship’ between two men is homosexual, not ‘gay’. For me, gay is a happy word redolent of earlier times when words actually conformed to the long-established dictionary definitions and weren’t hijacked by minority, single-interest groups. I find it strange that people are apparently ‘proud to be gay’ but don’t seem to want to say that they are ‘proud to be homosexual’. Supposing we substituted the new use word ‘gay’ with ‘crazy’ or ‘bigot’ or just about anything else (since if the meaning of words can be changed, just like that, then why not?) do you think folks would be ‘proud to be crazy’? Or ‘proud to be a bigot’? Wht don’t they just call themselves, what they are?
AS for France, what did you expect? When Socialists get elected morality and reason are the first victims, closely followed by ownership of wealth!!
This is just the beginning of the state-take-over of children, already happening in Canada with the erosion of parental rights via the Supreme Court. The ultimate attack on the family.
Gender-inclusive language irritates the heck out of me! And, no, I am not a man - I am a middle-aged female professional.
For decades, feminists with chips on their shoulders have striven to remove words like “Father” and “man” from society and even (Lord, help us)the liturgy.
...I wonder to what extent gender-inclusive language has greased the skids for this latest diabolical development.
The next steps will be to get rid of the “two,” change the wording to “any gender,” and change “people” to “beings” to account for the guy who wanted to marry his horse. Looks like the people don’t need to be adults anymore either?
When morality is tagged to “Christianity” instead of a universal truth, this is what happens. It is debated and ruled against because it is “Christian”. A part of me feels that perhaps we Christians and Catholics share in some of the responsibility for this, that we haven’t done such a good job at distinguishing between universal moral reality and the acceptance of it by Christianity, instead of allowing the world to believe that universal morality comes out of Christianity, when it does not, but has always existed.
Mark my words, the is a social experiment in socialism. And what happens in like experiments? Masses die. Why? Because to tolerate one group, one must be intolerant to another. Millions died under Stalin’s experiment, millions suffered and died under Hitler. Millions died under Mao, Pol Pot, etc., etc. All of these were social experimenters that failed because they encircled an ideology, or a man, instead of a universal reality, or God.
Travis
Ok. People, I´m officially terrified for the future of my children. I´m glad they will have Christ to lean on and our Virgin mother to console them. How can anyone believe this is right? Apparently many individuals.
We should all join in a pray for our nation to return to God. The only way to avoid what is happening in France to happen here.
http://www.religiousliberties.org/novena/?utm_source=hpbnr&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=novena
OUR WORLD HAS GONE MAD!!! The studies coming out are proving that Children growing up in Homosexual homes are NOT happy and DO HAVE many more problems than children with a Mother and Father (one man one woman). What are they going to call them? Parent #1 and Parent #2? Or maybe Parent A and Parent B? IN CALIFORNIA it is now legal to have 3 parents! That means Parent A, B and C…!!!! They did this I am sure so that the two sodomite men who want a child and use a female to impregnate would then also have that woman be parent #3. (just realizing that if my GRANDPARENTS heard me talking about this they would have thought I’d gone stark raving mad!!!)
SICK!
Another sign that we are close to or in the End Times. Thanks be to God for the Presence of the Virgin and the inexhaustible love of Her Son!
I’m currently rereading George Orwell’s 1984, that I first read as a young teen back in 1963. Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.
I love National Catholic Register, but this is not OK….France is NOT banning the terms Mother and Father - in its PROPOSED permits for all marriage, regardless of sexual preference, of course, gender-based names for parents would drop, since in homosexual marriage there are two daddies or two mommies depending.
Wow - as a teacher I want to send a note home to a child’s mother. I can’t address it to the “FEMALE PARENT”. Maybe I’ll have to refer to “PARENT 1” or “PARENT 2”. So the next insidious law could come out of the argument surrounding which parent should be labelled “1” and which parent should be labelled “2”!!! After all, equality reigns. I remember when I realized people (normal-seeming ones) started using “they” instead of “his/her”. I think it was long before heterosexuals ever thought their sexuality would become something that heterophobics would want them to be ashamed of. Now, I look back and see that the homosexual “agenda” was there a long time ago. (It was entitled: “HOMOSEXUALITY REIGNS”.) I have wonderful Christ-loving friends who have made “tolerance” into their God.
What happened to the understanding of Christian virtues that told us to love and be kind and empathetic to the sinner without “judging” but TELL THEM THE TRUTH - SUCH & SUCH THAT HE/SHE IS DOING IS A SIN!!! People (Christ-loving ones especially) are so afraid of being called homophobic or being told that they are “judging” that they keel over to the other side and think they’re SAFE!!!
Seriously? What is this world coming too? Marriage is a man and woman! Where is God in this world.
Everyone knows that the first word every child utters is “parent.” This political obeisance to cultural trendiness denies the reality of life as it evolved on earth. The polarity of parenthood is hard-wired; even disparate language groups reflect the essential differences in parenting including “mama” and “dada.” It is foolishness to the point of danger to deny this.
By all means, eliminate anger and bias against people who don’t meet the norm. But the differences are real and necessary.
I sometimes wonder when the George Orwell types write their prophesy, we read it and make it come to pass, if not on purpose, but in our subconscious. Just as when we number a war I, II and now we are wondering when III will come. We will never know because once it is out there, we begin to sort of plan for it.
Just a thought.
Posted by Tom Gray on Friday, Sep 28, 2012 12:18 PM (EST):Everyone knows that the first word every child utters is “parent.”
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:)
Thanks!
Banning mother and father terms? What’s next, banning all references to gender, male/female, he/she/him/her? That’s enough. I have had it with modern global culture. This isn’t political anymore, this is *certifiably insane.* It is demonic.
Oh My Lord God how sad we have become from the first humans !
may Our Father have Mercy on us all,...
@Angie I’ve been terrified of the future for our children for quite sometime now, and the only hope in sight is our faith. God can do all things. And, just like He did in the Bible, He may step in and take care of business. Let us all pray for each other and this fallen world.
This is absolute, total madness. We can not let this happen. Prayer and action are called for.
You don’t have to go to far for weirdness. Just look at California where Goveror Brown signed a bill where more than two adults can be listed as parents. Pray to save our Nation!
The best situation for any child is to be born to, or adopted by, a mother and father who are in a permanent, exclusive, committed relationship (marriage) and who love and respect each other. Kids do best when they have a mommy and a daddy. The state should support this ideal.
This is absolutely ridiculous !!! Man not just trying to destroy humanity, but angering our God. WE NEED TO PRAY PRAY PRAY and ask God to intervene in these self-destructive processes. We need to pray to our most POWERFUL intercessor, our Mother, Blessed Virgin Mary. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb , Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now & at the hour of our death, AMEN.
What a sickness that infects some of western europe. She does not look like an ethnic French. Came from a colony no doubt. Which one might explain her opinion. Probably only a great chastisement can effect a change now. May the good Lord help us.
Please refrain from using Judeo-Christian; it waters down the fundamental difference between these two religions. Thanks.
Usually Judeo Christian describes our country’s background in terms of origins/foundational reasons for Laws,etc.
@Elle Smith FAGAN,
Don’t take it personally, but you’re reading comprehension skills are lost on the one-note intolerance of the fire and brimstone crowd here. I likewise can’t understand how anyone could read the article and conclude that France has “banned” the words mother and father. Where a society allows same sex marriage or civil unions, it’s obvious that the legal system would replace gender-specific terms with the neutral term “parents” where appropriate . But from this, the author takes the gargantuan leap that “it wouldn’t even restrict the relationship to other human beings”, as if this is the thin edge of the wedge opening the door to human-dolphin relationships. Ironic that such a statement is found in an article entitled “Abstracted from Reality”.
@john,
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“She does not look like an ethnic French. Came from a colony no doubt. Which one might explain her opinion.”
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Wow. Just like those Americans who came from Africa. Probably from Kenya. Explains why they voted for Obama, right John?
Huh?
Was that a race card??
Someone came from out of the country of France. That being said, could have been a marxist philosophy there which could explain much. Which one could explain her opinion…
Eh, bien. Nous ne sommes que des herbes! Or for the non French speaking: we re nothing but grass! And that is Scripture!
“All men are grass” . Les français !!! Only they would go to such legal ends! This time they really make themselves look really foolish! That means that all the ...père/mère words will have to change. That could be comique ! Just sayin’
Me, I just say: Quando, Domine, quando.
When it comes to books and music, few can surpass the French ... Flaubert and Debussy come to mind. But in politics ... they should simply GIVE IT UP. Think of the French Revolution and Napoleon. And now this. How absolutely ASSININE. And once again members of the minority albeit vocal homosexual “marriage” contingency are taking over where common sense and TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES should prevail. I PRAY this idiotic proposal doesn’t pass!
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