This is a good thing.
- No one knows the exact number of Practicing Catholics.
- I heard a priest on Catholic Radio declare that the Church leadership knows the Church - right now - will become smaller. Filling the pews is not the whole goal. Faith without works is dead. Today, I saw people standing on street corners as part of “40 Days For Life” with signs that included: “Pray to end Abortion.”
- So, no, it’s not about numbers like the number of people who belong to any group going up and down. The Church is concerned to reach non-Catholics, Catholics who, for whatever reason, have left the Church, and helping to make sure that Catholics understand their faith.
- This whole thing did not happen overnight. It took 40 years to get here. It is the job of the laity to witness the faith and give the answers that the Church gives us to others - Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We are in no position to say that it’s only a “management” problem or only a problem among lay Catholics. As one Church leader put it: “We can’t do it all by ourselves.”
- Comparisons are always a bad idea, even when comparing one individual to another.
- If you make a list that includes most, as in 99%, of the problems facing Catholics and non-Catholics - the only conclusion to be drawn is that problem one is the misuse of sex and that includes life in the womb. The Church, and God, does not coerce. We all get a choice. The Church, and God, wants us to make the right choices.
A) Artificial birth control. Allow me to be blunt. Why? Does a small part of your body and the drug-like high of orgasms control us, or are we in control?
"National Review reported that ‘out of 23 studies on the effects of increased access to ECs, not one study could show a reduction in unintended pregnancies or abortions’
"Research arm of Planned Parenthood, Guttmacher Institute showed a simultaneous increase in contraception use and teen abortion rate in the US, Denmark, Cuba, Singapore, the Netherlands, and South Korea
"Guttmacher says 55%-60% of women getting an abortion are on contraception
"Sex ed program in Scotland over 3 years, scientists discovered it did not delay intercourse, improve use of contraceptives or reduce pregnancies or abortions. The government decided to continue the program because students reported feeling less regret about the first time they slept with their most recent partner
“In England in 1999 the government put £15 million to sex education, Students where offered condoms, morning after pills, while having ‘safe sex education’ in schools. In March 2004 they found that STD rates had gone up 64%, teens pregnancies where also up, some areas experience 34% overall leap. The greatest increases where in areas where the program had been implemented.”
B) Embryonic stem cell destruction for research purposes. EVERYONE reading this began life as a human embryo.
C) Women are being exploited as never before. In the 1970s, Adult Bookstores opened everywhere, along with topless bars and strip clubs. Why? For those who wanted to replace “Religion is the opiate of the masses” with “Orgasms are the new opiate of the masses.” Most porn is made by and for men.
Again, is a small part of your body going to control you? Why?
D) Cohabitation was a big scandal beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s. The anarchists, Hippies and perverts wanted it and they wanted it to be taught to everyone that it’s OK.
E) Right now, on TV. Two people have ‘just sex’ like using the toilet.
F) Artificial insemination. It does work but let’s just forget about those unused embryos and throw them out or use them in embryonic stem cell research.
THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY ERODED AS THE DECADES PASSED.
No-Fault Divorce in the 1980s. Hey, what’s the big deal? It’s nobody’s fault anymore.
In the 1990s, the misnamed baby boomers were getting old. This was their last chance to go to town, fill their houses with stuff and Par - Tay!
By the 1990s, I drove past a Church with this sign. “Ch rch. The only thing missing is U.” Yep, I saw the Church parking lots empty and the mall parking lots fill up. Malls became the new places of worship and stuff was your reward. Fortunately, one house can only hold so much stuff.
In the background, the atheists, the secular humanists and the ACLU were trying to pass laws. The ACLU suddenly discovered religious monuments near or in public buildings. THAT’S
UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!
And - get this - they told us that they were protecting our religious freedom. Like the local town where store owners put speakers on the outside of their buildings so people could hear Christmas music as they walked by. But guess what? The City Council of that town passed an ordinance: you could play the music
but not the words. So, the music from Silent Night meant nothing if you didn’t hear the words.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg people. Sins of the flesh – good, good. Pleasure – good, good. Listening to the Church? Why bother?
No guilt.
No shame.
Women treated more like sex objects than ever before.
Abortion? No big deal.
Cohabitation with sex? No big deal.
Divorce for whatever reason and more than once? No big deal. (And no, I’m not talking about women, including women I know, who were badly abused. I’m talking about people who are on marriage number three right now, as if they learned nothing from divorce number one, much less divorce number two.)
Porn? We love porn and masturbating.
Who’s in control? That’s the question. The Church won’t force you and God won’t force you.
Peace,
Ed
