I don't usually get political on this blog, but today I am about a few of our top social issues being debated in our nation and Catholics who support them. Today I am writing to Catholics who claim to be Catholics but don't believe or live their faith, AKA "liberal Catholics". These Catholics are those of you who support the legal right for abortion, use birth control, support embryonic stem cell research, support gay marriage and don't practice the faith you claim to belong to. When you say you are Catholic that means something! It means you believe and follow the teachings of the Church. If you don't believe the teachings of the Church and support all the things the Church opposes, WHY do you call yourself Catholic? Can't you see you're a hypocrite? Do you know why the Church opposes these things? Have you bothered to find out? There are good reasons why the Church opposes these things and all Catholics should know them. Catholics need to trust in God and the authority He gave to His Church to teach the truth. The Catholic Church is teaching God's Word and His Will. If you don't know why the Church teaches what it does take the time to find out. Don't listen to the secular media or what is currently politically correct today. Go to the Church you claim to belong to. Here's a starting point to the "why" behind the Church's position on these issues. Go dust off and read your Catholic catechism folks, it spells it all out for you. You don't have to figure it out or going hunting high and low for the answers, just open your catechism. I'll make it even easier for you, I'll post it so you don't even have to leave your seat.
First issue: Abortion
#2270 "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person- among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
Jere. 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."
Ps.139:15 "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth."
Second issue: birth control/contraception
#1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."
-Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. God himself said: "It is not good that man should be alone," and "from the beginning [he] made them male and female"; wishing to associate them in a special way in his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: "Be fruitful and multiply." Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day." (Gen.2:18, Mt.19:4, Gen.1:28)
Third issue: embryonic stem cell research
#2274 "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being."
Final issue: gay marriage
#2357 "Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Romans 1:24-27, 1 Cor.6:10, 1 Tim.1:10), tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved."
#2359 "Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection."
When you call yourself Catholic the world sees you and assumes (sometimes wrongly) that you are practicing what the Catholic Church teaches. You can and do set a bad example and can become a stumbling block for others when you live your life in opposition to the faith you claim. Now for the big divider during election years- Do Catholics have to vote according to their faith? Well, if you don't you're a hypocrite aren't you? If you don't believe what the Church teaches, why are you calling yourself a Catholic?
First issue: Abortion
#2270 "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person- among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
Jere. 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."
Ps.139:15 "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth."
Second issue: birth control/contraception
#1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."
-Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. God himself said: "It is not good that man should be alone," and "from the beginning [he] made them male and female"; wishing to associate them in a special way in his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: "Be fruitful and multiply." Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day." (Gen.2:18, Mt.19:4, Gen.1:28)
Third issue: embryonic stem cell research
#2274 "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being."
Final issue: gay marriage
#2357 "Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Romans 1:24-27, 1 Cor.6:10, 1 Tim.1:10), tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved."
#2359 "Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection."
When you call yourself Catholic the world sees you and assumes (sometimes wrongly) that you are practicing what the Catholic Church teaches. You can and do set a bad example and can become a stumbling block for others when you live your life in opposition to the faith you claim. Now for the big divider during election years- Do Catholics have to vote according to their faith? Well, if you don't you're a hypocrite aren't you? If you don't believe what the Church teaches, why are you calling yourself a Catholic?
Thanks for this. It looks like something set you off?
ReplyDeletelol yeah, the "so called" Pro-Choice Catholics supporting the issues the Church opposes and works so hard to end so that all life is seen and treated equally and with value. The Church preaches love, the Pro-Choice Catholics preach death. They shouldn't even call themselves Catholics in my opinion.
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