I haven't written in while, but the recent post from Cardinal Dolan To Christ Through His Churchs inspired me to compose my own thoughts. First let me say this guy gets it. Almost makes me want to be a Catholic. No offense to my many Catholic friends including Kirk Freeman but its a lot of hoops to jump through, but with this return to a more traditional stance, if the whole Catholic Church embraces it while other churches go the way of the world I may have no choice. Nonetheless this entire piece is brilliant, he captures what I have been feeling for some time in the section about liberty:
"we now face a chilling reduction of liberty to libertarianism. For some, this means a selfish callousness to the needs of those beyond our own little world, a stubborn claim that we only need tend to ourselves, nobody else, even those in need. For others, this libertarianism means we have the unfettered right to do whatever we want, wherever, however, whenever, with whomever we want, unchained from any limit placed by ethics, morals, faith, or reason. No divinity, no church, no faith, no natural law, they say, has any claim upon our urges and drives."35 and under are almost all in this classification. That is why I have said many times our political parties must return to their liberty roots or face dying a slow death as less and less people care about what they have to say and who they represent. The Church is already seeing it, a recent pew research center poll said that nearly 1 in 5 no longer believe in God, they aren't Atheist, so much as they simply do not care and I think its because they do not want anyone to rule over them.
Its unfortunate I can not speak to all of them as I believe there is far more Liberty in Christ than they have been told. Yes we follow rules and should try to live a Holy life, but we do so out of love not out of fear, and there is a big difference between those two options. Somehow the church, you and I if you still consider yourself part of the church, must find a way to share this good news with people. We must love the sinner, and yes hate the sin, but first and foremost love the sinner.
He closes his post discussing a very troubling aspect of this new belief system; as more and more people, lose what Cardinal Dolan speaks of this "ought" to do, the seams of society begin to stretch. A lawlessness of morals will eventually lead to a lawlessness in society. We saw the same thing occur during the Roman Civilization, and the Church held what was left of society together after its fall, I do not doubt that it may be called upon again to do the same.
