by F. K. Bartels

The above statement is one we often hear. There are many in our society who shout it defiantly from the rooftops. There is a widespread tendency to muddle moral truth with subjective opinion, and lump both together as if they are the same, yet they are far different. This mixing of truth with opinion occurs to varying degrees, from subtle to open defiance, when faced with an unpalatable moral requirement. The resultant brew is always a deplorable mix.

The discordant clash between truth and falsehood is most pronounced in regards issues of morality and religion, which necessarily involve lifestyle. We most often run up against abject moral disorder regarding the evil of abortion and, on issues less horrifying but still relevant, the elevation of homosexual behavior as a “right”, the wide spread use of contraceptives, and dissent from the magisterial authority of the Catholic Church. The question is, does one have a “right” to an incorrect, or, to put it more accurately, an immoral opinion?

In support of the “right” to hold an immoral opinion, many insist that an opinion is benign, that no action is attached to it, therefore it is harmless. It is thought that what we say and believe does not flow into how we live. Yes, and a tree draws no life from its roots. Further, in an attempt to crush Divine Law, present sentiment goes like this:  “What is true for me is true; what is true for you is true; let us not argue about it; let us tolerate, let us live in peace, let us be friends.”

The concern is, does opinion matter? The answer is both yes and no. It depends on the opinion in question. One may, for example, have an opinion about their favorite food, or the “best” car to drive. These types of opinions are necessarily highly subjective, and they are, normally, of no moral consequence.

Yet opinions which involve moral truths such as sin, evil, murder, and offending God; these do not reside in the realm of subjectivity. One is not allowed to go about positing their beliefs in favor of immoral actions as correct, of no consequence, or as a personal “right”; to do so is to support immorality. To support immorality is evil. We have no moral right to believe whatever we desire. The scriptures tell us “no one makes a fool of God!”(Galatians 6:7). We are all held bound by the moral law. We are responsible before God and neighbor for what we say and believe.

Those who see themselves as elitists placed above the moral law, when angered, will often ask, “Who gets to decide which opinions are licit, you?”, implying that religious bigots and stuffy old men are going about unfoundedly asserting that others must obey their rigid concoctions. The question is, who gives us truth? Where does the moral law come from?

Truth and correct morals come from God. Period. And, since that is indeed the case, how do we hear these moral truths? Thus we arrive at the need for an authoritative, hierarchical Church, the Catholic Church founded two-thousand years ago by the Son of God. Man needs a voice which is guided by the Holy Spirit; a voice of truth. That is what the Church is. The fact that Christ founded the Church (Mt. 16:17-18), and that he sent his apostles out to preach whatsoever he had commanded (Mt 28:19-20), proves his intention of establishing an authoritative, living, divine institution which the gates of hell would never prevail against. That is indeed what Christ did.

God’s law voiced in the Catholic Church professes, for example, that abortion is an intrinsic evil, and is never correct for any reason. That is the final say on the matter. There are no instances when it might be allowed. It makes no difference whether or not the mother’s life is in danger; it makes no difference whether or not incest is involved; rape provides no excuse for killing either. No one has the right to kill an unborn child, regardless of whatever excuses or fears or medical “advice” he may have.

But let us return to the charge that we, those who stand up for moral truth, who insist on adhering to the precepts found in the Catholic Church, are merely dogmatically proclaiming how we want others to live, and that we think we’re “better”, that we’re tired of those “sinners” who can’t see things our way. There’s the sentiment that devout Catholics are imposing subjective morals on those who insist on subjective morals!

Are we Catholics who speak the truth merely postulating personal theories or beliefs? No. Such is not the case. It is God alone who makes the rules. Therefore, correct and proper morality is not from man nor man made. The man who repeats the Lord’s precepts is speaking not of himself but of what God has declared. We Catholics who love the Church and the Lord’s precepts, and openly profess them, are merely repeating what God has revealed to us, through his Church, as truth. Moral truth descends from God through the Catholic Church to man. We know this is true because the Catholic Church was given divine authority to rule on all matters of faith and morals by Jesus Christ through the powers to “bind” and “loose” (see Mt. 16: 17-18).

Now, back to this question of a “right” to voice opinion. Yes, it’s obvious a person can voice an opinion contrary to Divine Law, that’s called exercising free will; it’s also, in most cases, sinful, as it tends to lead others into sin. Asserting an evil as correct is to become an accomplice in that evil. Our choices of free will matter. We can chose this or that, good or evil. But we have no “right” to evil, for we will be held accountable before God. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20).

So, as mentioned above, a beastly tendency in our society is to assert that everyone has a right to hold and live by their own subjective opinion — hence the judgement against all judgment. And it is not something of which people merely talk. They walk the walk. Immorality under guise of tolerance has been raised to godlike status. The result is a culture of moral relativism with barbaric defects. The shockwave of such deep seated disobedience has destroyed 50,000,000 voiceless Americans; it has surged forward with the dark thrust of same-sex marriage; it has proclaimed itself the god of procreation.

If it is true that men have a “right” to an immoral opinion, then truth has become merely a transparent concept which drifts away on the wind. Such a situation, of course, is against all that God has revealed to man about the nature and consequences of sin, the necessity of striving for holiness, and the need to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”.

Let us exercise great care in choosing the field on which we stand. To whom do we listen? To whom do we pledge our allegiance? Jesus Christ, or he who was a liar from the beginning? Let us be lovers of the truth; let us reverently and with charity speak it. Let us live it. Let us live as Catholics!

Blessed Mother, help guide us to the truth of your Son. Just as you brought Christ into the world through your motherly womb, bring us also to the feet of our Savior with your eyes of mercy, with your intercessory prayers. We love you Mother! Amen.

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