Is the Term Liberal Christian an Oxymoron?

Can anyone be both a liberal and a Christian/Catholic?  The answer lies in understanding what it means to be each.  The word liberal is derived from the Latin word liber, meaning free or to be free from.   The notion of liberalism originated 500 years ago when political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli made an attempt to throw off the yoke of Christian belief, a century before the beginning of the so called, age of enlightenment.  Liberal philosophers including Francis Bacon, Voltaire and Rousseau, challenged long-held ideas grounded in faith and tradition, in favor of scientific theory and skepticism about the truths defined by the tenets of Christian faith.

The history of Western civilization has its roots in ancient Rome and the Christianization of Europe.  Prior to Christianity, all of Europe was a pagan culture, worshiping many gods with morality defined by kings and emperors who declared themselves gods as well.  At the time of Jesus, the Roman culture had become so immoral that infanticide, abortion, parricide (killing one’s parents) were all common and accepted practices, as were any and all variations of sexual relations, including incest and pedophilia.  Roman emperors were among the worst offenders and defenders of debauchery, while at the same time reveling in murder and the blood lust of gladiatorial combat.  In the meanwhile, the empire was beginning to crumble as the citizenship grew increasingly lackadaisical about work and family responsibilities.

It’s no wonder the Jews were so revolted by Roman culture.  But even Jewish law was somewhat lax compared to Judeo-Christian morality.  Consider this quote from Sunday’s gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Jesus did not abolish Hebrew law, He made the commandments more severe.  “Do not commit adultery” became “Do not even lust,” and divorce (allowed by Mosaic law), was no longer permitted except in extreme situations.   In short, being pretty good, was no longer good enough.  This is the morality ushered into Europe in the 4^th century when Christianity swept throughout the Western world.  Christian emperors in medieval Europe were expected to enforce this new moral code and follow it themselves.  You may be surprised to learn that from the very beginning of Christianity, it was the Church that insisted on separation of the Church and State.  This is because it is the Church that is the guardian of the Truth as revealed by God in scripture and in the life of Christ.  This moral code stands above merely human laws and judges them.  If the State took over the task of determining the moral code, it would inevitably water down the faith for the sake of political compromise. Neither can the Church rule the State because its domain is the kingdom NOT of this world.  The church alone demands holiness from its members, while the State’s concern is the temporal realm.

In reality, liberalism is a political religion that aims to replace Christianity.  Modern Liberalism seeks to bring its own version of Truth to bear on society.  It rejects the truth revealed in scripture in favor of absolute autonomy of the individual.  Freedom of religion has become “freedom from religion.”   The morality espoused by liberalism resembles that of the pagan world in that it rejects Christian morality and embraces hedonism.  The very essence of liberal thought is to treat this world as the highest good, embrace the natural, and reject the supernatural.  Moral boundaries as defined by Judeo-Christian tradition are attacked as repressive, superstitious, and unfair.  In place of the Truth as defined by Christian faith, liberals believe that each person should be free to determine what is true for them.

The notion of being pro-choice, neutral, and tolerant is only a pretense.  Consider that fact that the State now requires everyone to pay for abortions with their tax and benefit dollars. Our increasingly liberal government now requires that everyone obey liberal moral doctrines, even if it means violating their own religious belief.  The most obvious example is the current HHS mandate that requires Christian schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and social service agencies to fund abortion-inducing medication or face ruinous fines that will drive them into bankruptcy.  The signs of this transition away from Judeo-Christian ethics and toward secular liberalism are everywhere.  Bible reading and prayer are not allowed in school, Christmas is being replaced by “holiday season,” the 10 Commandments have been removed from courtrooms and public places, and the list goes on.  In the meanwhile, public schools have taken up the liberal religious agenda, evangelizing children for the sexual liberationist agenda, under the guise of promoting “reproductive health.”  This is not just a war on Christmas, it’s a war against Christianity.   G.K. Chesterton once said:

“Abolish God and the government becomes god.  The truth is that Irreligion is the opium of the people.  Whenever the people do not believe in something beyond the world, they will worship the world, but above all, they will worship the strongest thing in the world.”

Do not be misled by the liberal propaganda that is couched in terms of compassion and equality.  The liberal political regime pretends to have all the answers, but their agenda couldn’t be more obvious.  So let me close with another quote from Sunday’s scripture:

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are vain.”  (I Cor 3:19-20)

President's Day and George Washington's Spiritual Journey

President’s Day was originally established to honor George Washington, our first and most important president.  Had it not been for him, the American Revolution could not have possibly succeeded.  He led a small band of patriots against the most powerful army in the world and despite incredible hardships, won the war for our independence.  Washington was also chosen to preside over the Constitutional Conventions where his leadership and wisdom was instrumental in brokering agreement over the many disputes that ultimately resulted in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

Washington’s birthday, Feb 22nd, was celebrated widely from the time of his death in 1799, but did not become a national holiday until 1885.  The Washington monument, built in his honor, was begun in 1848.   In the 1960s the holiday was moved from February 22^nd to the third Monday in February to comply with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, and the name changed to President’s Day to include Abraham Lincoln whose birthday is February 12^th.

Washington was a man of great Christian faith.  He was a descendent of a long line of Anglican Catholics, including a great grandfather who was an Anglican priest.  George himself was a vestryman in his local Anglican church and participated actively in overseeing the church’s affairs.  Because Washington wrote hundreds of letters and other documents, we know a great deal about his strong faith in God whom he referred to frequently as “Divine Providence.”  He was often observed by his troops on his knees, in prayer.   From his journals and letters, we know that he entrusted and the outcome of the Revolutionary War to “God’s loving mercy.”  Less well-known is the fact the while encamped at Valley Forge, in the darkest, most dire hour of the Revolutionary War, when all seemed to be lost, Washington experienced an amazing vision of a “beautiful celestial woman.”  Here are excerpts about the event, in Washington’s own words, as told to his close friend and confidant, Anthony Sherman.

“Looking up, I saw standing opposite a singularly beautify female.  It was some moments before I found language to inquire the purpose of her presence.  A second, third and fourth time did I repeat my question but received no answer from my mysterious visitor, except a slight raising of her eyes.  By this time I felt strange sensations spreading through me.  I would have risen, but the riveted gaze of the being before me rendered volition impossible.  I essayed once more to address her, but my tongue had become useless.  Even thought itself had become paralyzed.  All I could do was to gaze steadily at my unknown visitor.  Gradually, the surrounding atmosphere filled with sensation and grew luminous.  Everything about me seemed to rarify, the mysterious visitor herself became more airy and yet more distinct to my sight.  I now began to feel as one dying…

“Presently I heard a voice say, “Son of the Republic.  Look and learn!” while at the same time my visitor extended her arm eastward.  I looked and beheld a heavy white vapor rising at some distance.  This gradually dissipated and I saw before me lay spread out in one vast plain, all the countries of the world…

“Son of the Republic” said the mysterious voice, “Look and learn!”  At that moment I beheld a dark shadowy being standing, or rather, floating between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean with his right hand, he cast it on America, while that in his left hand went on the European countries.  Immediately a cloud arose from these countries and joined in mid-ocean, then moved westward until it enveloped America.  Sharp flashes of lightening gleamed through at intervals and I heard the groans of the American people.  A second time the angel dipped its hand in the ocean and the dark cloud was then drawn back...

A third time I heard the mysterious voice say, “Son of the Republic, look and learn.”  I cast my eyes on America and beheld villages, towns, and cities springing up, one after another, until the whole land, from Atlantic to Pacific, was dotted with them.”

Washington had two more visions during this event, one that portrayed Americans fighting against one another, but coming together after many battles.  The third and last vision was that of all Europe and America engulfed in battle with massive death and casualties.  Here’s how Washington described the end of his strange experience:

“I found myself gazing once more on the mysterious visitor who said, “Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus: Three great perils will come upon the Republic.  The most fearful is the third, but the whole world united shall not prevail upon her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for God, his land and the Union.”  With these words, the beautiful visitor and the angel accompanying her disappeared from my sight.”

You can read the full account of Washington’s vision in The Spiritual Journey of George Washington by Janice Connell who discovered that it had been originally published in The National Tribune in December 1880, and is preserved in the Library of Congress.  Draw your own conclusions about this amazing account and who the beautiful woman was, but what Washington apparently foresaw was a vision of the outcome of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the great World Wars of the 20^th Century.  A few days after this vision, Washington led his sick, weak, and demoralized troops out of Valley Forge and on to defeat the British at Trenton on Christmas day.  It was the turning point of the war and resulted in a resurgence of hope and support for the successful outcome of the revolution.   Had it not been for George Washington’s faith and determination, the Revolutionary War would have surely ended in defeat and there would have been no new Republic of the United States of America.

After the war Washington was unanimously elected by Congress as our first president.  He gave many speeches attributing the success of the war and the founding of our new nation to “God’s great mercy” and “Divine Providence.”  In addressing the Governors of the 13 States, he said, “I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection, that He would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and… brotherly affection and love for one another.”   This is obviously quite different from the partisan and rancorous rhetoric we hear today from politicians on both sides of the aisle.  Christians are frequently referred to as “right-wing extremists” for opposing gay marriage and abortion, and the government now dictates that certain religious beliefs must be set aside, under penalty of law.  

I wonder what George would think of all this?  

World Marriage Day

Sunday February 9^th was World Marriage Day in the Catholic Church.  After the homily, our pastor had all married couples stand and renew their wedding vows.  Afterwards he gave us all a special blessing.  It was all very moving, and a vivid reminder of the permanency of our commitment to one another and to God who “joined us together” in sacred matrimony.   A new study, conducted by Rasmussen Reports in December 2013, found that 53% of Americans now view marriage as a religious institution.  That’s up from 48% just 3 months earlier.  Only 40% consider marriage a civil institution, a 5 point drop from the previous survey.   Several years ago, the US Catholic Bishops released a pastoral letter entitled: Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.   In it, they describe marriage as natural gift from God as revealed in the way He created our bodies (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:21-24).  They also explain that Christ elevated marriage to the level of a sacrament and a sign of His love for the Church.  Here is the wording of the Nuptial Blessing from the Rite of Marriage:

“Father, to reveal the plan of your love, you made the union of husband and wife an image of the covenant between you and your people.”

The pastoral letter goes on to explain that marriage is a special blessing for everyone in all time and in all cultures.  It is a source of blessing to the couple, the family, and society, because it includes the gift of co-creating human life.  Pope John Paul II never tired of reminding us that future of humanity depends on marriage and family.  Miraculously, God has included man and woman in the act of co-creating a new human being, body, soul and spirit.   In this way, the couple is privileged to participate in the inner life of the Holy Trinity, two people joining together in unity so powerful that it becomes the source of a third person.   This is God’s plan for humanity and it also reveals the life-giving love of God for all humanity.  These are the reasons why marriage can ONLY be the union of a man and woman.

Sunday’s gospel includes Jesus’ call for all of us to be light and salt to the world.  He challenges us to get involved in social and political life, rather than merely standing by, hiding our spirituality.   Marriage is special way in which we can demonstrate the beauty, truth, and goodness of life.  It demands that we love one another as Christ loves us, putting the good of our spouse ahead of our selfish desires, just as Christ sacrificed Himself for all of us.  The demands of marriage make us better persons, calling us to fidelity, and the development of the virtues of honesty, responsibility, and respect for the dignity of others.  The rewards of marriage are many, but the greatest of all is that we are able to come to know and experience the love of God.  Consider the words of St. John:

“Beloved, let us love one another because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God.   The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is love.”  (1 John 4:7)

Sadly, many people succumb to the temptations of lust, and out of selfish desire pervert God’s plan for humanity and the beautiful gift of our sexuality.  If this becomes habitual, it makes it difficult, if not impossible for that person to cultivate the virtues necessary to attain true happiness through God’s plan.  Infidelity, pornography, sex crimes, human trafficking, and broken relationships are all symptoms of the failure to understand and strive to live and love as God intended for us.  The consequences include depression, divorce, abortion, sexually transmitted disease, and even death (e.g., from AIDS or cervical cancer).  While this may sound harsh, it is the truth.   Rather than address the underlying problems of promiscuity, infidelity, and failure to cultivate virtues such as chastity, self-control, and respect for the innate dignity of every person, our society instead advocates “safe sex” and demands that children be vaccinated against HPV. 

All the publicity about “marriage equality” is missing the point that marriage is much more than just two people in love, it is about God’s plan for the continuation of humanity.   If two people of the same sex are in love and want to live together, I respect their decision, but do not agree that their relationship constitutes a “marriage.”  If the state wants to accord them certain legal rights with respect to taxes, property rights, etc. that should be up to the local legislature.  However, the “marriage equality” initiative goes much further.  Once adopted by a State, advocates for gay marriage now demand that everyone else agree with their view of marriage, and are completely intolerant of anyone who disagrees with them.  Numerous lawsuits have already been heard in courts across the country where people have been fined and threatened with imprisonment for refusal to participate in gay marriage ceremonies.  Bakers, florists, photographers, and wedding planners who disagree on the subject of gay marriage, have been found guilty of violating the civil rights of the gay couple for refusing to participate in their marriage.   School curriculum has been changed to teach children that gay marriage is perfectly “normal,” some even suggest that young teens may want to experiment in order to discern their sexual identity.  In one jurisdiction in California, high school cross-dressers cannot be refused use of the bathrooms of the opposite sex.  Scotland recently passed a gay marriage law and explicitly refused to include an amendment that would protect clergy who refuse to preside over gay marriage, or allow the use of churches for gay weddings.

What the world needs now, more than ever, is a better understanding of the true meaning of our sexuality in the context of the sacred institution of marriage.  John Paul II’s epic Theology of the Body would go a long way in clearing up all this confusion, if only we could get people to read it or hear it proclaimed.  His use of anthropology and biology in combination with theology, make a strong case for living in accord with God’s plan for men and women.  It is the antidote for the culture of death and makes a compelling case for the culture of life being the true path to happiness.

In the coming year, Pope Francis is expected to publish something along the lines of “human ecology” and I can’t wait to read it.  With so many people concerned about ecology and protecting the environment, there seems to be little concern for what Pope Francis has called “the throw away culture.”  We want to protect the earth, the atmosphere, the oceans, the endangered animals and insects, but continue to kill (throw away) over a million babies a year here in America, and probably millions more through undocumented chemical abortions. 

Lest I end on a sour note, let me remind you that despite the dismal statistics on divorce rates, less than 20% of Catholics who attend mass weekly get divorced, and fewer than 1% who practice Natural Family Planning will ever divorce.  The reason is that they are taking the time to discern God’s plan and making the effort to love one another as God loves us.  In doing so, they are becoming the Light of the world and the hope of the future.  This is the true path to happiness, and it’s open to everyone. 

 

Why Religion is Important to our Nation

Sunday’s gospel recounts the presentation of Our Lord in the Temple where Simeon and Anna recognize the infant Jesus as the Messiah, saying that He was the savior who was to be “a light for revelation to the gentiles… destined for the rise and downfall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.” (Luke 2: 32, 34)  Although the Temple was considered to be the dwelling place of God, it was Jesus who was the very Presence of God.   The temple itself would be destroyed within 70 years of Jesus’ birth, but God’s Presence would remain in the world, through the salvation wrought for us by Jesus.  Despite our sinfulness, Jesus redeemed (re-deemed) us as the children of God.  Because of His saving act, we too can become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God.

As children of God, we too face the prospect of being contradicted by the forces of evil and those who would deny the truth of God’s revelation.  In taking the name of “Christian” we assume the responsibility to speak the Truth as revealed by God in scripture, in the life of Jesus and in Natural Law.  If you think about it, there can never be justice unless truth is revealed.  The purpose of going to court in our free country is to discover the truth, so that justice can be administered.  Without Truth, there can be no Justice, and yet many in our country deny the truths of Natural Law that humanity has widely recognized for 2 millennia.  This is why it is so important for Christians to discover and reveal Truth, even it means bringing about “the rise and downfall of many,” or if it contradicts conventional beliefs.  

Religion is vital to revealing and teaching these truths, as our founding fathers well-understood.  The very first sentence the Declaration of Independence proclaims that they were assuming “the powers of the earth… which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle(d) them.”  The second sentence says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”   The Declaration of Independence is a Spiritual document!  It goes on to point out the many ways in which England violated the personal property rights and freedom of Americans, and ends with this sentence: “And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

In his farewell address, after refusing to serve a third term as president, Washington warned, “Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports.”  And, “… reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”  In his Thanksgiving Proclamation, establishing our perennial holiday, Washington wrote, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor.”  Clearly, we started out as a pious, God-fearing nation.  This is a far cry from the intentions of those who have twisted the First Amendment’s meaning to infer that separation of church and state means abolishing religion from the public discourse.   In recent years our country has repeatedly violated the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God,” not only abandoning but attempting to discredit and demean the importance of morality and the practice of religion.  One of the most egregious attacks on religious belief was NY governor Cuomo’s recent rant saying that pro-life Christians and those who object to gay marriage are not welcome in his state.  He and many others seem to have forgotten that it was religious conviction, publically proclaimed, that led to the end of slavery as well as the more recent civil rights movement 100 years later.

Not only has our president embraced Planned Parenthood (literally, hugging their CEO), and promoted their agenda with political and financial support, his administration repealed the Defense of Marriage Act, two flagrant examples of ignoring “the Law of Nature and Nature’s God.”  He has repeatedly and narrowly defined the practice of religion as limited to private discussion within church walls.  In his State of the Union address last week, he made several other assertions, misstating the truth of matters.   He said, “the debate on climate change is over,” dismissing scientific findings to the contrary, not to mention an historically cold winter, then went on to announce his intention to impose carbon taxes on businesses, as well as tax increases on oil and gas producers.   The truth is that American’s carbon emissions have declined more than 25% in recent years, not because of government regulations or taxes, but because the free market economy has been turning from coal and oil to gas.  All his proposal will do is increase energy prices which are conveniently left out of the CPI calculations produced by the government, hurting primarily the poor and middle class whom he alleges to be so concerned about.

Perhaps his most bold misrepresentation was that he has “cut the deficit in half.”  The truth is that the deficit continues to grow, although a bit slower.  Our national debt has nearly doubled during his presidency, now reaching $17.35 Trillion.  That’s more than $150,500 per taxpayer.  This does not include the $7.3 Trillion of debt owed by the States (mostly blue states, I might add).  As staggering as that is, the unfunded liability of Social Security and Medicare is at least $127 Trillion or $1.1 million per taxpayer.  But it’s even worse than that because 10,000 people retire every day, increasing this unfunded liability by $8 Trillion EVERY YEAR!  Where in the world will our country ever get the money to pay for all this?  Certainly not from taxes alone.  Even if the government took 100% of all the income from every corporation, they’d reap only $1.6 Trillion a year.  And if they took 100% of the adjusted gross income of everyone earning more than $66,000 a year, they’d get only another $6.7 Trillion.   Together, that’s barely enough to offset the growth in this massive liability without touching the principle.  The answer to this horrendous problem must include reform of these and other entitlement programs, but the president completely ignored his own bipartisan panel’s modest recommendations, even as he blithely infers that the debt is no big deal.

The Truth about our national debt and our profligate spending is that we are heading down the path toward a massive financial crisis.   Few Americans understand the extent of this problem and the threat it poses to our nation.   We have a moral obligation to our children and grandchildren to face up to this problem and finally do something about it.  Taxing carbon, oil/gas production, and the wealthy, has little to do with the solution.  This is as much a moral dilemma as it is economic, because we are in effect, stealing from our progeny.  Facing this Truth is an important first step toward addressing the problem.  It is our job to be “a light for revelation” even though it may lead to “the rise and downfall of many,” and it contradicts what passes for conventional wisdom (conventional ignorance?).  Let’s start there and pray for a new breed of leaders who will restore our sense of National piety, and return us to, “a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, (and) mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”