I say no one has the “liberty” to profess a false religion.
I agree. Nobody is at liberty to disregard God’s objective moral order with impunity. Natural liberty to choose sin, yes, we all have that. But such liberty is not with impunity.
“
Impunity” is, according to Webster, “***exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss.” ***
Surely, all who sin, do so without a freedom from punishment, harm, or loss.
According to Catholic doctrine everyone is morally obligated to worship as God himself intends (i.e., Catholic). Nobody is free to disregard such a moral obligation with impunity. One thing to be mindful of are those who suffer from invincible ignorance, as St. Thomas Aquinas contends, “it is not imputed as a sin to man, if he fails to know what he is unable to know. Consequently ignorance of such like things is called “invincible,” because it cannot be overcome by study.” (ST, IIa, 76, 2)
I don’t believe we disagree on that matter. Where we probably disagree is the
prudent response for a the Church Militant in battle with those that would oppose her. Battle tactics can differ with regard to the best way to win the war against Satan.
Those who would disregard their moral obligation and worship falsely, such as a those who choose to worship their left shoe, for example, do not do so with impunity. Yet, what ought to be the battle tactic? Burn them at the stake? Probably not a prudent response. “We had to destroy the village in order to save it” failed miserably in Vietnam and I think it would not work out so well for the Church Militant, either.
What should the appropriate response of the Church and civil government authorities be with regard to shoe-worshippers? Certainly Divine law forbids infidelity, heresy, and schism. Certainly those who commit such sin ought not to be, and in reality
will not be free from punishment, harm, or loss. That’s Catholic doctrine. To assert otherwise has been condemned as error.
And certainly, ecclesiastical law and civil law for every nation ought never to be contrary to Divine Law.
It is my belief that Ecclesiastical law can never be contrary to Divine Law, in general. Pius VI expressly condemned such a proposition, when it was asserted by the Jansensists. Thus, the 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia describes “Disciplinary Infallibility,” properly understood, as unanimously held by theologians and “undeniable.” (cf.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Ecclesiastical****Discipline).
But what about civil laws? Individuals and societies alike have a moral duty toward the true religion and toward the one Church of Christ. This is explicit in Catholic doctrine, as *Dignitatis Humanae *affirms “
the moral duty of men and societies toward the true religion and toward the one Church of Christ.” (
DH, 1). Thus, all civil laws ought never to be contrary to Divine Law.
In accord with the 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia, Divine Law properly so-called includes all that God has revealed, either naturally or supernaturally. Yet, some Divine Law is understood as not necessarily immutable, such as circumcision. Thus, the 1909 Catholic Encyclopdedia describes Divine Law as typically categorized into “
civil, ceremonial, and moral precepts. The civil legislation regulated the relations of the people of God among themselves and with their neighbours; the ceremonial regulated matters of religion and the worship of God; the moral was a Divine code of ethics.” (cf.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Moral Aspect of Divine****Law ) Both civil and ceremonial legislation can change, but "
It was otherwise with the moral precepts of the Mosaic Law. The Master expressly taught that the observance of these, inasmuch as they are prescribed by nature herself, is necessary for salvation."
Thus the civil laws of every nation ought to conform to the moral precepts of Divine Law, inasmuch as they are prescribed by nature, as these are “necessary for salvation.” We know this is not the case, which is why we are the Church Militant, in battle with the forces of evil. What should be the Church’s battle plan?
Should the Church burn all the shoe-worshippers at the stake?
Are there some demons that only prayer and fasting can expel?
How ought the Church Militant prevent false worship?
I think the battle plan ought to always include grace and truth. St. Francis Assisi’s advice is to “
Evangelize always. When necessary, use words.” The Church should prevent shoe-worshipping and other such false religions, but she ought to act prudently when doing so. An imprudent response to sin may not actually convert the sinner, but push them further away from the true religion.
