"Pax et Caritas:
Question 1: Do you believe in Religious liberty? Do you believe that everyone has the right to belong to whatever religion they choose?
I’ve actually wondered about this. God gave Adam and Eve the choice of doing right or wrong. It’s not so much choosing to belong to a different religion. I more think of it as people seeking to belong to a different religion and then claiming to God “I was led astray”, or “I didn’t know” when they knew full well that it’s against God’s will.
God gave Adam and Eve the
ability to choose right or wrong, but he did not give them the right to choose right or wrong. The ability to do something does not equate to the right to do it. Pope Leo XIII clears this up in the encyclical I mentioned above (Libertas).
The Pope distinguishes between natural liberty (which is another name for free will), and moral liberty. Natural liberty is what we are able to do, whereas moral liberty is what we are allowed to do - or what we have a “right” to do. The pope explains that “a right is a moral power”, and that man only has a right to do what is true and good.
There are three things to consider: God’s Rights, man’s duties, and lastly man’s rights.
God has all Rights. He can do or command whatever He wants. Man then has the obligation - the duty - to do what God commands. Lastly, man has the right to the means necessary for him to fulfill his duties towards God. The Liberals invert the order and place man’s rights at the summit, while they completely disregard both God’s Rights, and man’s corresonding duty. Then, after disregarding man’s duties (except when it applies to their new religion of environmentalism) the Liberals claim for man rights that he does not possess (rights to have an abortion, etc.), while at the same time attempting to take away rights that he does possess (such as the right to educate our children, since we have d duty to God to see to it that they receive a good education). Our rights come to us from God, and God gives no man the right to violate any of His laws.
Pax:
Do you believe the State should be united to the Church? In other words, should the State by subject to the Roman Catholic Church and subject to the Pope, although having separate duties?
Darnok:
I believe that would be a wonderful ideal. I would love to see the Vatican as the leading central authority for Christian faith and morals. Do you mean that U.S. would use Catholic doctrine as the basis for establishing ethics laws (abortion, behavior of government officials, etc.)? If the answer to my question is yes, then my answer to your question is yes.
Beyond this, I would like to know more about how this is envisioned. Does this mean that it would be a matter of civil law that the President be Catholic (similar to how it’s required by British law that the King of England be Anglican)?
It’s hard to imagine the union of Church and State in America, since America is not a Catholic Country. The union of Church and State is the ideal, but not always practically possible. We are only required to believe that the State
should be united to the Church, not that it
must be.
In a Catholic country, the Church and State are united. They have different functions, but they are united and work together. Ideally the laws of the Church will be refelcted in the State. Therefore, as you said, no abortion, no divorce, no contraception, no public profession of a false religion (which is a sin against the 1st commandment), etc.
Pax:
The contrary has been condemned as an error of the Liberals.
Darnok:
The Syllabus of errors issued by Pope Pius X and Pope Pius IX, as well as teh encyclical Libertas. Here are two examples:
Syllabus of Pope Pius IX: [It is an error to hold that] “In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship” (#77); and
[It is an error to hold that] “The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church” (# 55)
In the encyclical Libertas, Pope Leo XIII discusses in detail why the two should be united, and the end result of their separation.
I started to repond to the last part, but don’t have time just yet. If you want a reply (and I have one), just let me know.
BTW, you seem very sincere and honest in your approach. Maintain that state of mind and read the documents I mentioned in the first e-mail. They will answer all of your question. I would suggest, most of all, the enyclical Libertas. When you have some free time, print it out and sit down with a highlihter. Take your time and really try to absorb it. It is a must read for today.
God Bless,