Lucyna's post below reveals plans for protesters to disrupt the Catholic World Youth Event in Sydney next month. They want to hand out condoms to youth and children in support of their own personal unholy trinity: condoms, promiscuity and abortion.
This stems from many non-Catholics taking offense over the Catholic Church's stance on contraception, and the use of condoms. In some ways, it's a strange attitude.
I say this because when people protest against the Church's stance on contraception they conveniently ignore that this is part of a bigger message. At the very least, we could mention two things, not one:
1. Contraception is bad.
2. Sex outside of marriage is bad.
It would make for an interesting post to outline the reasons behind this stance, but that is a post for another day.
In reality non-Catholic people don't give a toss what the Catholic Church's position is on both points are.
Sure, they get offended at the Pope expressing an opinion, but they wouldn't stop for a second and think "what would the Pope say about my behaviour?"
These messages ultimately only apply to Catholics. No-one else listens, except to scoff, protest or act offended.
And for Catholics, the contraception message is not to be taken in isolation; the kinds of Catholics that reject the first message are just as likely to reject reject the second.
Why would a Catholic think "The Church is against sex before marriage, but I'm doing it anyway" and then in the same thought say: "Gee, I wish I could use a condom, but the Pope said no." ?
For married Catholic couples, in a committed and loving relationship with no thoughts of infidelity, the only issue for them is the one of contraception - and I urge them to read up on Pope JPII's "Theology of the Body".
And I absolutely guarantee the protesters at the World Youth Day will not be in the category of "married Catholic couple respecting the Pope's wishes on contraception" and I wonder why these people think they have to protest on behalf of these people?
[Part II]
Whilst my point above is a good one, it has been a bit tongue in cheek. Obviously, there is a fear factor in play by liberals on all matters to do with the Catholic Church.
The Pope may be able to change the hearts and minds of Catholics, who in turn have some small influence in our democracy and in representing Catholic values. In a democracy, you convince enough people of an idea, and they can change the rules. We see it all the time with various interest groups tugging society in different directions.
Perhaps the liberals are detecting that there may be a backlash coming. It's always been fine rhetoric to say "give us freedom, and we will use it responsibly", but the evidence is that the new found freedoms have been terribly abused and responsibility is always assigned to "them, not me". Freedom without responsibility yields evil.
It hasn't helped that as we work to attain personal freedom, the State very craftily increases its power, often in the name of "protecting" freedom - freedom is cast as "rights". The State wants the power for assigning "responsibility", which, at its worst is the power to blame, and act unconstrained by justice.
We are being squeezed from both directions - and the moral core that made a powerful State unecessary and ensured freedom only sprung from respect for others has been dangerously eroded.
Non-Catholics don't listen to the Pope, but they fight every word. Their greatest fear is that Catholics will listen.
Related Link: Catholic Youth to be targetted
This stems from many non-Catholics taking offense over the Catholic Church's stance on contraception, and the use of condoms. In some ways, it's a strange attitude.
I say this because when people protest against the Church's stance on contraception they conveniently ignore that this is part of a bigger message. At the very least, we could mention two things, not one:
1. Contraception is bad.
2. Sex outside of marriage is bad.
It would make for an interesting post to outline the reasons behind this stance, but that is a post for another day.
In reality non-Catholic people don't give a toss what the Catholic Church's position is on both points are.
Sure, they get offended at the Pope expressing an opinion, but they wouldn't stop for a second and think "what would the Pope say about my behaviour?"
These messages ultimately only apply to Catholics. No-one else listens, except to scoff, protest or act offended.
And for Catholics, the contraception message is not to be taken in isolation; the kinds of Catholics that reject the first message are just as likely to reject reject the second.
Why would a Catholic think "The Church is against sex before marriage, but I'm doing it anyway" and then in the same thought say: "Gee, I wish I could use a condom, but the Pope said no." ?
For married Catholic couples, in a committed and loving relationship with no thoughts of infidelity, the only issue for them is the one of contraception - and I urge them to read up on Pope JPII's "Theology of the Body".
And I absolutely guarantee the protesters at the World Youth Day will not be in the category of "married Catholic couple respecting the Pope's wishes on contraception" and I wonder why these people think they have to protest on behalf of these people?
[Part II]
Whilst my point above is a good one, it has been a bit tongue in cheek. Obviously, there is a fear factor in play by liberals on all matters to do with the Catholic Church.
The Pope may be able to change the hearts and minds of Catholics, who in turn have some small influence in our democracy and in representing Catholic values. In a democracy, you convince enough people of an idea, and they can change the rules. We see it all the time with various interest groups tugging society in different directions.
Perhaps the liberals are detecting that there may be a backlash coming. It's always been fine rhetoric to say "give us freedom, and we will use it responsibly", but the evidence is that the new found freedoms have been terribly abused and responsibility is always assigned to "them, not me". Freedom without responsibility yields evil.
It hasn't helped that as we work to attain personal freedom, the State very craftily increases its power, often in the name of "protecting" freedom - freedom is cast as "rights". The State wants the power for assigning "responsibility", which, at its worst is the power to blame, and act unconstrained by justice.
We are being squeezed from both directions - and the moral core that made a powerful State unecessary and ensured freedom only sprung from respect for others has been dangerously eroded.
Non-Catholics don't listen to the Pope, but they fight every word. Their greatest fear is that Catholics will listen.
Related Link: Catholic Youth to be targetted
It's always been fine rhetoric to say "give us freedom, and we will use it responsibly", but the evidence is that the new found freedoms have been terribly abused and responsibility is always assigned to "them, not me".
ReplyDeleteVery true. Lowering the drinking age is but one example. Everyone thought teens would be sipping chardonnay with their parents in cafes and learning how to 'drink responsibly' - but they are running wild with it.
We can't put the genie back in the bottle - and it has made it so much harder for us to keep our kids safe during the difficult teenage years.
So it's all fine rhetoric- but there is a serious disconnect with reality.