Catholisense – Part 1: The Need for Moral Idealism
Mar 28 2009
“If you want peace, work for justice.” – Pope Paul VI
“If you want justice, work for chastity.” – Pope John Paul II
This begins a serious of articles I have decided to write in defense of the Catholic Church and her controversial teachings in our current post-modern culture. I have entitled this series “Catholisense” because this is a mystical apologetic rather than a theological one. It is my belief that the presence and teachings of the Catholic Church are not outdated or irrelevant but rather necessary. Indeed, I will argue it is the very presence alone of the Catholic Church and the Vatican that is preventing our society from falling off a cliff of self destruction.
The first argument I am presenting is the need for “Moral Idealism”. There is an ever growing outrage toward what people are calling “unrealistic” morality in the Catholic Church’s teachings on monogamy, sex, abortion, and birth control. Even other religious institutions of morality, such as the evangelical community, find the Vatican’s positions on these issues to be extreme. Even within the Catholic Church itself, many members have given up or refused to follow Church teaching on the grounds of it being “unrealistic” in contemporary society.
Assuming, for the moment, that developing and legislating societies of people based on Catholic morality is unrealistic, does that make the ideal irrelevant? There is so much anger directed at the Vatican for maintaining a seemingly unachievable stance on morality, but have we ever stopped to think what would happen to societal development if those standards and ideals of morality did not exist?
Think about this for a minute: even though fornication, adultery, and divorce are so rampant in our society it seems impossible to stop, what would happen if the ideal of monogamous marriage did not exist? What would happen to our society if we felt no guilt, no obligation, and no responsibility to attempt monogamous and stable marriages? Think about how much good the remaining population of healthy families and stable households does to preserve society and keep peace in our world. If there were no families, no stable marriages, and no obligation for family unity, how would even the most basic of social services be possible?
Let’s look at birth control as well. While persuasive arguments can be made for restricting the birth rate in impoverished regions, encouraging “family planning”, and preventing pregnancy in the unprepared young, what would happen if we stopped seeing the harm in preventing life to serve the living? What if we no longer saw human life as sacred or special, and became completely unhindered in controlling new life? What would happen if we only allowed the birth of people who we, in our own frail understanding of the universe, felt were worthy or deserved of existence?
More than morality, the Catholic Church presents us with an ideal. It gives us a vision of a society of self-sufficient families. Families full of love, commitment, strength, discipline, and charity. Families capable of successfully raising their own children. Families who contribute to society, as opposed to burdening it. Families strong enough to absorb the pains and injustices of life.
The Catholic Church gives a society where sexuality is a wonderful force of new life and blessing, rather than a burdensome drain where such a large portion of social resources are dedicated just to containing and dealing with the consequences.
The Catholic Church shows us a world where each and every human life is a blessing and a source of joy, rather than the anxiety filled gamble modern parents face as to whether or not their child’s existence will be “acceptable”.
The strongest argument for the Catholic Church’s ideal teachings on morality is that it is not an unachievable ideal at all. While it may seem like so few, there are still many families who live out the ideals of the Catholic Church every day. They are blessings to society because they prove the ideal is real. Their children grow to be productive and beneficial members of society, and their households become safe havens to all who know them from the chaos and darkness of the rest of the world.
The Vatican is the “city on a hill” not just in the real world, but in our collective subconscious. If it were not for the presence of this one remaining organized bastion of moral consciousness, we would be left unhindered to topple into amoral chaos. Even for those of us (myself included) who fail to live up to the standards and ideals set forth by the Catholic Church, having those standards preserved in the world today creates an anchor for our minds. We all, Catholic or not, benefit from those ideals.
Jesus lived a simple “love God, love your neighbor” Gospel that was very absolute, but very forgiving.
The church has diminished Jesus’ Gospel by preaching a complicated set of rules that is absolute (divorce is sinful), but not forgiving (divorced Catholics cannot receive Communion.)
Jesus was outraged by the legalistic Pharisees, as many of us are outraged by a legalistic Vatican. Did Jesus intend a church run by canon lawyers?
I’m concerned that the church is alienating spiritual people who hope to live Christ-like lives, but who do not see anything Christ-like about some of the church’s rules.
In recent years, the church has angered many homosexuals, Jews, and Muslims, not because of its morality, but because of its perceived immorality.
An absolute, judgmental, legalistic, homophobic, misogynistic church is not a city on a hill.
As a Catholic, I hope that my church will always follow God’s rules and Christ’s example.
Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a while for the church to canonize some of those who were once deemed heretics or to realize that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa.
@ Larry Jordanon
I first must ask, and please forgive the directness, if you read this article at all, or just thought it looked like a good place to “Vent about the Vatican”. I also have to wonder about your information, since a divorced Catholic can receive communion (after confession), and the real “no no” isn’t the divorce, but the remarriage. A divorced individual can be in good standing in the Catholic Church if they stay single.
But to the point – The question I am trying to ask is, what would the world look like if those standards disappeared. Forgiveness implies a previous wrong-doing, it would seem you are not advocating forgiveness, but elimination of the acknowledgment of sin in the first place.
Of course, I read the article. You believe that the church’s teachings are not outdated or irrelevant. You argue for “moral idealism,” and you say that society would be doomed without it.
(I believe that Christians are governed internally by informed conscience and guided externally by the Church, so they are not solely reliant on the church to provide them with rules and punishments.)
Then you argue that if birth control was accepted, as Pope Paul’s advisory panel recommended, then human life would no longer be sacred or special. ?!?
You describe the church as an ideal, but also as one that can be realized. Which is it??
Yaholo, did you read my response? My whole point is that you and the hierarchy that you defend have embraced only half of the message — absolute morality without absolute forgiveness.
Would there be such a thing as Christianity if Jesus had cast the first stone at the adulteress? He did not fail to acknowledge sin, as you say, but he acknowledged the inherent imperfection in us.
Yaholo, I’m sorry if my response looks like a venting at the Vatican to you. Yours looks like blind obedience to a human institution, rather than its divine inspiration, to me.
Also, why the cheap shots? Do you really think that I did not read you article or that I misunderstood the church’s position on divorce?
Thanks for responding.
@Larry Jordanon
No cheap shot intended, I simply needed you to directly address the article so that I would be able to respond without leading a discussion off topic. I appreciate your follow up responce.
The idea I am proposing is the need for a moral standard, held at the highest possible level, kept alive for the sake of the collective sub-conscience. Without those standards, our society would be completely unrestrained in it’s fall down into amoral chaos.
Even if you are correct in saying the Vatican needs “absolute forgiveness” it had no baring on the validity of my currently proposed need for a moral ideal, which is why I had to ask if you read the article. Jesus Himself said He would not remove “one letter from the Law” and Paul taught us that the Law, while offering no salvation, presents the standard by which we all know we are in need of God’s Grace.
I have said nothing in this article regarding any judgements of those who fail to live up to the moral idea. I have also admitted that I, myself, do not. Additionally, whithin that failure (or dare we say*gasp* sin) I live very much accepted and loved in The Catholic Church.
Once again, for forgivess to exist, there must first be a trespass. You have not said anything regarding a change in the Vatican toward forgiveness, you have only said the Vatican should remove the trespass. Everyone loves quoting Jesus saying “let he who is without sin throw the first stone” but fail to mention what he says next to the adulterer, “go and sin no more”. Jesus forgave her, but still maintained the moral standard.
Yaholo is absolutely correct. If we throw out the law there is no need for forgiveness as there was no law to break! The point is not one of “meet this requirement or you will go to hell”, rather it is one of “try for this standard in order to better yourself and please God.” Everyone messes up. Repentance and forgiveness are what keep us striving for that high moral standard. Without that standard we fall into an endless pit of moral depravity.
Chris,
I just for the finished this FINALLY! I actually re-read it in it’s entirety. Very good thoughts.
The thing of it is, that it is the only organized body that is holding fast to the moral teachings of Christ.
The ideals of Christ and Scriptural teaching are being tossed to the wind by som many today. We now know of Gay Anglican Bishops and Women preaching how abortion is a blessing. The PCUSA is very easy going on moral issues… particularly fidelity in marriage. Almost the whole of protestant Christianity is lose on the topic of birth control.
We are seeing a melt down of ideals. This stems from a lack of commitment to “gospel living”. In the Evangelical circle “gospel preaching” is embraced, but the idea of living radically according to the ways of Christ is unknown. Yes, they do believe in the golden rule, but many areas and issues are left untouched. Leader worry about losing numbers and pushing people… fearing legalism.
Hopefully, the Vatican is preaching love above all. Love of God and others before ourselves is the answer to all of this. This is the basis of such a massive ideal. It is a moral code that we fail at, because we are unable to keep it in totality (all the time). However, the ideal is the northern point our compasses should turn to. Though our ships toss back and forth at times, as long as we are headed due North, we are moving in a positive direction.
I appreciate how the Catholic Church expects it’s flock to adhere to the BIGGIES, and encourages even the smaller steps in this kind of life.
I do not think it is perfect in all of it’s ways, but it is at least striving to insist excellence of living. How else will the throngs of evil be held back, if the faithful are not living faithfully? I must also admit, that there is perhaps an awful epidemic in the American Catholic arena… where are the true disciples of Christ? When you take Christ’s words seriously, suddenly you find that at least in teaching… the Catholic Church holds fast to those words about living the life.
The truth is though, the ideal is high and the road is narrow. This is why it is the road lesser traveled even by so called Christians and Catholics. Many are saying “Lord, Lord” but they do not do as he tells them to do. May we all seek the grace to live and walk as Children of light in an ever darkening world.
Blessings in the peace of Christ,
-g-