Self-Justification

Regarding “Catholic, Christian and Killing for a Living” (page one, March 8 issue):

Thank you for this illuminating piece. As one of the men correctly pointed out, dropping bombs from an airplane presents a much more challenging self-justification.

         Dave Farrell

         Brockton, Massachusetts

 

Serving Truth

Regarding the “In Person” interview (“Fads, ‘Fun’ and Failure”) of Alice von Hildebrand by correspondent Trent Beattie on the issues of truth, beauty and goodness in the Jan. 11 issue:

Mrs. von Hildebrand’s analysis of the “severe moral crisis” of today was one of the finest explanations and descriptions of why objective truth has been replaced by relativism, beauty by superficial delights and goodness by some sudden fashionable fancy or caprice; and, most importantly, of what we as Catholics can and must do to help bring about the change that is so necessary to alter the cultural climate of society. There is no moral equivalent to what we must do.

In such a cultural milieu, I urge all serious-minded, right-thinking persons to read this interview, discuss it with friends and especially to take to heart and (as Mrs. von Hildebrand says) to “Jive out the truth in our lives. A man can come up with all kinds of interesting ideas, but if he is to get to the truth he must ‘baptize his intellect with humility, which is closely related to reverence.’ Truth is not a matter of invention, but of veneration. We do not create truth; we serve it.”

As she points out, it is not enough to simply know the truth. In order to effectively share our faith with others or make it known to others, it must affect our behavior. The truth must be lived out in our lives.

Reverent behavior in church is but one example, albeit a classic one, since it deals with a more direct relationship with God himself. If we as Catholics are truly aware of the reality of the Real Presence in church, do we conduct ourselves accordingly by the way we dress and maintain reverential silence in his presence? Or do we see the church as merely an opportune place to meet and socialize with others? Mrs. von Hildebrand answers: “lf God is really present in our churches, we must act like it.”

If we present-day Catholics were to take a lesson from the early Christians — whose powerful example affected even the souls of those pagans who were most prejudiced against the new religion; if we were to imitate their splendid Christian life, which was nothing other than the Gospel put into practice; if we today, not unlike those who belonged to the “Church of the Catacombs,” are being called, as we most certainly are, to make use of virtuous behavior and interior life (I repeat: and interior life) alongside the task of mastering the doctrines of Christianity to win other souls for Christ — then how irresistible would be our apostolate among the modern pagans, who are too frequently prejudiced against Catholicism or repelled by the bitterness of our own answers to our opponents?

But earnest must be our prayer, earnest the elevation of our mind, earnest the gaze of our eye on heaven and earnest the determination of a virtuous will — such as no other system of belief ever bestowed.

         Richard S. Fuegner

         Kirkwood, Missouri

 

A Grandfather’s View

Is the Catholic Church in its opposition to “gay marriage” out of step with efforts to make a more tolerant world? I decided to write down for my children and older grandchildren the reasons why I personally believe that the Church is justified in its position and should not be criticized.

First, it is important to state what the Catholic Church does and does not teach in this regard. According to the Catholic Church, there is nothing wrong in loving a person of the same sex, and it is often commendable. The Gospel refers to the apostle John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” There is nothing wrong with people of the same sex sharing a residence and a life in common. Providing companionship and support to one another is commendable. A long-lasting, close friendship is one of the greatest gifts. Often, our closest and most loyal friends are persons of the same sex. Having a homosexual orientation is not sinful. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that persons with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.” It also states: “Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

On the other hand, the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are sinful. Historically, these acts have often been referred to as “sodomy.” For many people, including myself, the physical act most often identified with sodomy seems so unnatural that we don’t even want to think about it. This act certainly cannot be equated with the conjugal act between husband and wife.

In saying that sodomy cannot be equated, one really needs to consider the teachings of the Catholic Church, which describe conjugal love between husband and wife in very beautiful terms. Pope Benedict XVI has stated, “In the theology of St. Paul, conjugal love is a sacramental sign of Christ’s love for his Church.” It is inconceivable that sodomy is “a sacramental sign of Christ’s love for his Church.”

Whether sodomy is a sin or not is decided on how God views such acts. It will be God who will determine whether our actions were good or bad in the Final Judgment. God’s view on the morality of sodomy does not change over time. By definition, God is all-knowing and never needs to make a course correction. God’s opinion is not changed by popular opinion polls or by current trends.

In determining God’s view, one should look to the Bible — the inspired word of God. Both the Old and New Testaments condemn sodomy on a number of occasions. Second, as a Catholic, I am guided by the magisterium of the Church, which is safeguarded from error in teachings of faith and morals by virtue of the authority given by Our Lord to St. Peter (the first pope). The Church has always taught that sodomy is a sin. For the first 1,900 years of Christianity, every Christian denomination agreed that sodomy was a sin.

Looking at the great spiritual giants in Christian history, all of them who have commented on sodomy have said that it was a sin. In our own day, great spiritual men, such as John Paul II and Billy Graham, have agreed that “gay marriage” is bad. Pope Francis, during his recent trip to the Philippines, spoke against “gay marriage,” which threatens to “disfigure God’s plan.” Among the supporters of this convention, there are none, to the best of my knowledge, who are widely renowned for their great holiness and sanctity.

By enacting laws stating that “gay marriages” should be treated exactly the same as normal marriages, the state conveys the message to society that both forms of marriage and their sexual expressions are equally good. This affects the mores of society, and the Church has a right to be concerned. At the same time, we should love those who have homosexual tendencies and engage in homosexual acts. However, true love does not involve pretending that everything the loved one does is right.

         Peter Anderson

         Mercer Island, Washington

 

‘Seamless’ Evil

I was shocked that the Register published the letter “‘Seamless’ Argument,” in its March 8 issue, by someone claiming to be Catholic, who equated the minimum wage with the mass murder of 1.2 million babies every year in America. That person said that Jesus would prefer a political party that increased the minimum wage to a party that tried to reduce or end the mass murder of the innocent.

Such thinking is of Satan. It’s as though someone said it was okay to vote for the Nazis because, while they liked murdering Jews, the opposition party was against welfare programs.

But I can understand that, given the bishops’ refusal to publicly condemn Catholic politicians who constantly vote to defend and expand abortion and the lavish Mass used to usher Ted Kennedy — staunch supporter of the murder of the unborn — out of this life, people can hold such views. That’s why the bishops have to take a public stand against public scandal so that the well-intentioned but Satanically deceived people such as that letter writer cannot delude themselves into thinking that the slaughter of the innocent is just another issue.

         Tom Trinko

         Fremont, California

 

Clarification

Regarding “Radically Serving Christ in Costa Rica” in the May 3 issue, the most up-to-date website for the St. Bryce Foundation is
http://stbryce.org/.