Very interesting article by Grant Kaplan of St. Louis University on opposing the mass imposition of Consumerist Sexuality and its implication on Church State relations.
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| Yes...I know Rush meant this as a rally for Libertarianism but I'm co-opting it because LIbertarianism is goofy and no thinking adult really wants it. Plus, the logo still works and is more valid when used as an appeal for authentic Humanism. |
I'd
take issue with Kaplan's opening paragraphs in which he downplays
the merit of the Bishop's call to the "Fortnight for Freedom." Prayer
and petitions are always our first recourse and I'm not sure that we
have to worry about the Holy Spirit going through our prayers with a
doctrinal scope to ensure philosophical
soundness and theological orthodoxy before He will hear our pleas, (not
that orthodoxy isn't relevant...obviously it is). In any case, efforts
to focus our attention to appeal to God are never in vain and I say
"good for the Bishops for first calling us to a prayerful response."
That said, I think this article is still well worth reading as there is some danger of us succumbing to a latent
Americanism, (or at least cultural Calvinism as Cardinal George has warned http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=2852
) in response to the cultural and political opposition of our times.
There is some really good history here and I think it sheds some light
on the present situation of the Catholic Church in America.
Kaplan makes the case that Protestantism is inherently vulnerable to a kind of state domination while the Catholic Church always stands as a contradiction to worldly powers. Sure we have our weak, cowardly and poor spoken Bishops the same as anyone else. However, it's these quirky doctrines of ours, (real presence, sacraments, priestly celibacy, contraception, etc), that really causes the world to do the double take of dumbfounded-ness. It seems that here is where any state ideology will always eventually bump up against Catholicism and some sort of conflict will come to a head. I wonder if what we're seeing now in America could have been seen as almost inevitable from the start, (and even implicitly present in the intentions of the Founders). In any case, the Church is always called to be a sign of contradiction and in an age too focused on the present, (and focused on the control of the present and future), that contradiction will come to a point of outright conflict. Perhaps we shouldn't be so shocked when the state opposes us. Interesting point here on the 19th century Catholic German theologian Mohler who encouraged the Church to resist the fusing together of religious and national identity.
Kaplan makes the case that Protestantism is inherently vulnerable to a kind of state domination while the Catholic Church always stands as a contradiction to worldly powers. Sure we have our weak, cowardly and poor spoken Bishops the same as anyone else. However, it's these quirky doctrines of ours, (real presence, sacraments, priestly celibacy, contraception, etc), that really causes the world to do the double take of dumbfounded-ness. It seems that here is where any state ideology will always eventually bump up against Catholicism and some sort of conflict will come to a head. I wonder if what we're seeing now in America could have been seen as almost inevitable from the start, (and even implicitly present in the intentions of the Founders). In any case, the Church is always called to be a sign of contradiction and in an age too focused on the present, (and focused on the control of the present and future), that contradiction will come to a point of outright conflict. Perhaps we shouldn't be so shocked when the state opposes us. Interesting point here on the 19th century Catholic German theologian Mohler who encouraged the Church to resist the fusing together of religious and national identity.
The Church has always been a scandal to the world and a sign of contradiction...all while being the only source of hope the world could ever have.
Also... Aaron Taylor at Ethika Politika has a whole slew of writing to peruse on celibacy as a voice for legitimate feminism.
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