Q about individual responsibility in social justice/activism

[Ravyn_Guiliani]

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask or not, so if it is inappropriate forgive me. I just read this article from a Priest in TX and I have a question about the extent of our individual involvement in social justice issues:

elpasotimes.com/ci_15649815?source=most_emailed

in this article he states: “Remember: Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions.”

how far does that ‘duty to oppose’ go? Is it enough for me not to vote for or support someone who supports these issues or am I supposed to join a picket line and march in front of abortion clinics? Is it enough for me to make this decision for myself or must I preach it to others? I find activism distasteful. I grew up believing that being “no part of the world” meant NOT getting involved with politics and issues in an activistic way. How does this balance with that?

 

[centurionguard]

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask or not, so if it is inappropriate forgive me. I just read this article from a Priest in TX and I have a question about the extent of our individual involvement in social justice issues:

elpasotimes.com/ci_15649815?source=most_emailed

in this article he states: “Remember: Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions.”

how far does that ‘duty to oppose’ go? Is it enough for me not to vote for or support someone who supports these issues or am I supposed to join a picket line and march in front of abortion clinics? Is it enough for me to make this decision for myself or must I preach it to others? I find activism distasteful. I grew up believing that being “no part of the world” meant NOT getting involved with politics and issues in an activist way. How does this balance with that?

Seems to me in today’s Western World where Christianity thrives, everybody still favors his or her own sense of moral code and personal values that most often differ from one another with so much differentiated unity. There’s only one morality.

in this article he states: “Remember: Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions.”

I surely wish my country had a far better voice against legalized abortion and homosexual/lesbian unions. Sadly; it wasn’t to be. Politicians grease the wheel of society that squeaks the most. Regrettably In my country Canada it must have been pro-abortionist and homosexuals who lobbied the government and had the greater voice verses those who were against it.

Perhaps this is exactly what is happening in the United States today. I can recall Father John Corapi in his talks reprimanding all Catholics in the U.S. against voting for Obama on a number of moral issues that were against Catholic Moral teachings.

Personally I believe were all accountable in some respects in whom we choose to vote for every four years. I try my most to vote for the lesser of two evils. Presidents and Prime Ministers don’t really serve the people. They serve Wall Street and huge investors.

 

[St_Francis]

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask or not, so if it is inappropriate forgive me. I just read this article from a Priest in TX and I have a question about the extent of our individual involvement in social justice issues:

elpasotimes.com/ci_15649815?source=most_emailed

in this article he states: “Remember: Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions.”

I would say that that means that you need to avoid voting for pro-abortion and pro-GL-stuff politicians, if you are in a position to vote. Maybe write letters letting those who win know where you stand on these issues, because letters carry a lot of weight. But I don’t think there is a *requirement *to go out and protest, or do much more. I think it applies to one’s state of life; a politician would be obliged to do much more than the regular person, for example.

how far does that ‘duty to oppose’ go? Is it enough for me not to vote for or support someone who supports these issues or am I supposed to join a picket line and march in front of abortion clinics? Is it enough for me to make this decision for myself or must I preach it to others? I find activism distasteful. I grew up believing that being “no part of the world” meant NOT getting involved with politics and issues in an activistic way. How does this balance with that?

Not all are called to do the same things. One person may do some volunteer work in her community, another travel the nation against abortion. This is a matter for prayer and possibly discussion with a spiritual director, if you have one.

I do not think that avoiding being part of the world means one *has *to avoid activism, but otoh, I don’t think that being a Christian means one has to, either. IIRC, St Francis de Sales talks about this difference in callings.

One is obligated, through the virtue of patriotism, to work for the best of one’s nation (whether by birth or choice), so one cannot withdraw *completely *from the public square, but being involved is not just activism.

 

[GratefulFred]

I agree with Father Michael and the above responses.

1. PRAY for an end to abortion and preservation of the definition of marriage as rightly being between a man and a woman. The power of prayer is often overlooked.
2. VOTE for candidates that support these natural law, moral positions. Father is correct - democracy can be corrupt especially when moral people fail to vote for moral positions and candidates.
3. BE READY to expalin your position to family and friends when the subjects arise. We need to be able to say more than I oppose or I support. We need to say WHY. Each of us may not be called to challenge the world, but we should be able to explain why we hold our moral positons.
4. CONTRIBUTE, if you can, to candidates or groups that seem to best represent our Catholic moral positons.

I contributed some money to the Protect Marriage Ballot Proposition in California. I was called by the large local newspaper and asked why. I did not expect the call but I said it was a moral issue for me. The 4th Commandment is Honor Thy Mother and and Father. It is not Honor Thy Father and Father. My response was used in the newpaper article.

As to living in this world, yet apart from it: There is much I see and reject even when I was much younger and found life more tempting. I knew then, as now, not to be buy into the lie.

But besides trying to live a less decadent, more moral life, we must also remember that all evil needs to prevail is for good men to do nothing against evil.

We MUST STAND AGAINST EVIL as best we can.