I used to get worked up about defending marriage and opposing abortion. Perhaps I got too angry and veered into the territory of being judging the person and not the sin.
It seemed like I was obligated to say something, mostly in the form of comments on blogs and news articles.
Now I just don’t care. My own sins and spiritual life (or lack thereof) are burden enough.
It’s not like my words will have any effect on anyone who’s firmly decided for gay marriage or abortion.
It’s just tiring and seemingly useless.
They are ultimately responsible for themselves.
What little I can accomplish in prayer, I’ll still try to pray for the conversion of people and salvation of souls, but honestly, what can I possibly change?
No it means you’re moving beyond the current mentality of so many Catholics that they Must Be Loud and Screechy on any given issue. If our enemies are loud, then we will be louder.
I was elected to a precinct position in 1994, as a conservative pro-life Republicans. Against my advice, those who were more pushy, failed to pass a bill that the governor would sign, because they were so busy grandstanding and pontificating and “not negotiating” and therefore they saved no babies. If they had been smart politically and compromised on one phrase they might have saved some, but no they would rather pass something they know will fail compared to something that will pass that “isn’t perfect.”
But because they have taken on the mantra of “the 5 non-negotiables” etc they have painted themselves into a political corner because in politics, you can’t simply “not negotiate” unless you have enough power to completely obliterate the competition.
Then later I started realizing something. Would Jesus have us go to the government to get others to stop sinning? No, someone will scream at me, it is about the civil rights of the babies. Then I say sure approach the issue of pro-life, gay-marriage or whatever rustles your jimmies as a citizen for the common good. But to brandish the name of Jesus and the credibility of the Church, frankly, as ostensible authority for trying to outdo our adversaries playing their game, makes it sound like Jesus would whoop up on sinners, rather than those who accuse them. But how are we different than our opposition? We can scream louder? How are we different than Westboro Baptist Church, except maybe they are a little more direct?
Mark Twain — ‘Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.’
Jesus calls us through love and mercy; those are his tools. The government has access to authorized use of deadly force if we don’t comply. So we have two different systems and God help us if either Church or state takes over the other completely.
Why should any Catholic even care if others are going to be “gay married” except as a civil issue? Already the Church does not civil weddings as valid under many conditions; this is just another. “Sanctity of marriage” is, just like the gay marriage advocates say, already pretty much out the window on a civil basis at least, with all the divorce.
Jesus said all these things would happen, and He said not to worry about it. He said not to go to the government against our neighbors to solve our problems.
We as Catholics have gone way overboard at preaching to others and lost sight of any personal transformation other than active participation in the verbal ego wars.
Maybe you’re growing out of the need to be significant by promoting the mantra of certain political activists that may or may not be doing things that bring them closer to God.
Consider the possibility God is calling you into a deeper relationship, one bounded on love rather than acts to be seen before others. Here is a Franciscan friar Richard Rohr with a different view than you normally hear. A lot of people don’t like this guy, and you can see why. He doesn’t go along with “common thinking”. Some think he should be kicked out but he has lasted at least three popes now, all of whom were made aware of him, and neither the pope nor his abbot have censured him. I believe he has sold more books than any other Catholic author but I am not sure of that.
What Did Jesus Really Teach
Is it a sin to not care anymore about other people who vehemently condone sin?
It’s not like I’m a saint or have some moral authority to teach or rebuke.
It is not a sin to concern yourselves with your own relationship with God rather than focusing on the sins of others (whether by commission or omission), and then let the Holy Spirit take it from there. Jesus told us as much. The path that leads to destruction is wide, so at some point you have to get off of that beaten path.
And exactly. Who are we to presume to tell others we have the moral high ground? Again, work it as a citizen but don’t go fighting loud and arduous battles, in and out of court rooms, in the name of God. How dare we do that? We do because that’s what we’ve been shown and what has been modeled by some of the Most Visible Catholics.
