Formerly the Thinking Catholic Strategic Center
Confirming Culture=Religion+Politics
The Law in One Sentence.
Sunday, September 4, 2011; Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
https://www.catholicamericanthinker.com
Ez 33:7-9
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Rom 13:8-10
Mt 18:15-20
“All the commandments are summed up in this saying: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Paul, writing to the Romans, is on very firm ground here. He’s quoting the Lord Jesus Himself. Love is the fulfillment of the law. And that makes it simple, right? And easy? Just love others, which is pleasant anyway, and you will have fulfilled the law. No need to do anything else, or to know anything else; no need for the traditions of the rabbis or the teaching of the Church, all those thousands of years of careful moral theology, splitting of hairs. It’s really quite simple, isn’t it? Just love your neighbor.
Though I’ve noticed sometimes I think I’m loving my neighbor but my neighbor disagrees. Well, okay, so I need some objective basis to make a judgment whether I’m actually serving my neighbor’s true welfare, or simply serving myself. Surely the bare fact that someone doesn’t appreciate my effort doesn’t make my effort wrong. So what does Paul say again? – love is the fulfillment of the law because love does no evil to the neighbor. Evil. Can we have a definition please? Or an example?
Okay, I’m walking along the street with my neighbor, out for a morning stroll, and I push her out of the way of a truck careening onto the sidewalk. Saved her life. That’s good, not evil. If I hadn’t pushed her would that have been evil? Sure. So now we have sins of omission. Failure to do good can be as bad as actually doing evil. How much, then, am I obliged to do, failure of which would be evil? What if I could have pushed her out of the way, or jumped out of the way myself, but not both? What if she is intent on murdering her husband when she gets home from the walk? What if I have a large family to support and she is single? “Love your neighbor” sounded so simple when we started out, but take it out into the world and it gets complicated. Which is why all the great philosophers, Christian or not, have felt the need to develop a system of ethics. And why all the great religions of the world have a moral theology. Man is a spiritual creature, a moral creature, aware of good and evil and needing to choose.
Christianity not only has a body of moral reasoning, but claims to enjoy a special charism from God to reason correctly, and the authority to make it stick. Christ said, “I am with you until the end of the age”, and “I will lead you into all truth”, and “what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” He said this to Peter, and to the Church; to Peter, and so we believe that when a successor of Peter makes a formal statement on faith or morals, the Holy Spirit is guarding him from error, a charism known as infallibility. And we believe the same about an Ecumenical (Universal) Council of the Church’s bishops. But this charism extends only to matters of Christian faith or morals. It would be foolish to seek a papal declaration on the prospects for the Bengals this year; foolish and, in this case, totally unnecessary.
Sometimes people will look for an escape clause and say, “ah, but such and so hasn’t been infallibly declared by a pope or a council so I’m free to do as I whish and still be a Catholic in good standing.” I’ve noticed that the escape clause is most often attempted on sexual issues. But the escape clause is a chimera. Something that has been consistently taught from the beginning has as much claim on us as something that has received a formal declaration. This is known as the ordinary magisterium.
I recently read something about the dissent over contraception, so that might be as good an example as another. The Bible values creation, and so sex and procreation were always affirmed as God’s design. In the face of contrary pagan values, and then the anti-creation doctrines of heretical groups from within Christianity which condemned procreation, the Church insisted that sexual love and procreation belonged together. This was a consistent teaching. Even the Protestant Reformers condemned contraception. Even Sigmund Freud, the non-Christian pioneer of modern psychology, whom many regard as having been fairly obsessed with sex, thought that contraception perverted the natural significance and purpose of sexual relations.
The Catholic Church doesn’t look to Freud for moral guidance, but it is kind of interesting to find affirmation of its ancient teaching from a source such as that. It wasn’t until the 1932 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church that any significant Christian group considered that there could be circumstances that might justify contraception. The teaching authority of the Catholic Church continues to hold the original rule, though it does accept natural family planning as being consistent with Christian values. One might say that Church teaching is not so much anti-birth control as anti artificial contraception. Some ask, “what difference does it make, the result being the same?” But there might be multiple means of reaching the same end, some good, others bad. The end does not justify the means.
One practical indicator of the difference between natural family planning and artificial contraception can be found in the divorce rates. Couples using NFP have much lower rates of divorce than couples contracepting. Couples have told me that their practice of NFP develops attitudes that contribute to marital harmony, virtues like communication, patient forbearance, shared sacrifice, submission of immediate wishes to a greater reality.
The differing divorce rates are natural indicators that the teaching on contraception is true, but they don’t give authority to the teaching. The authority, on this or any other matter of faith or morals, comes from the Author: the Creator, Who became man and founded a Church to teach in His name, accompanied by His promise of guidance.
The Church is the instrument of God’s mercy, a watchman not for the House of Israel but for the whole of humanity, warning people of false ideas about human nature, human purpose, and what makes for genuine happiness. Her efforts in this regard are not always appreciated. She is in fact hated and persecuted for saying what she does to the modern world, but so was her Lord for saying what He said to the ancient world.
If the Church simply blessed whatever people had a mind to do, she would be no more than chaplain on a cruise to nowhere, without a captain or a rudder. Instead she, like her Lord, is a sign of contradiction to the present age, taking her lumps as she saves who she can for the life in the age to come.
Sarcastic Acronym Hover-Link Footnotes: For the convenience of those readers using devices that lack a mouse, these footnotes are provided for all webpages, in case any webpage contains any hover-links. (If you don't have a mouse, you can't "hover" it over a link without clicking just to see the simple acronym interpretation. Click any footnote link to see the acronym and a detailed explanation.)
SLIMC1 Secularist Liberal Intellectual Media ComplexGESGOEAEOT2 Gradually, Ever So Gradually, Over Eons And Eons Of Time
PEWAG3 Punctuated Equilibrium's Wild-Assed Guess
TTRSTF4 Them There Real Scientifical-Type Fellers
TTRSPTF5 Them There Real Smart Perfesser-Type Fellers
TTRSJTF6 Them There Real Smart Journalistical-Type Fellers
SNRTACBT7 Surely No Right Thinking Adult Could Believe Today
STNSEACPB8 Surely Today No Serious Educated Adult Could Possibly Believe
WDN9 We Don't Know
BMDFP10 Baboons, Mongrel Dogs, Filthy Pigs and ...
HBAACOTE11 Human Beings Are A Cancer On The Earth
ACLU12 Anti-Christian Litigation Union
FLORMPORIF13 Flagrant Liar, Or, Mindless Parrot, Or, Innocent Fool
MEJTML14 Marxist Ends-Justify-The-Means Liar
IEJTML15 Islamic Ends-Ends-Justify-The-Means Liar MPAV16 Marxist Principles And Values
WBESSWG17 Wise, Benign, Elite, Super-Scientific World Governance
TRMITM18 The Reason Man's In This Mess
IYI19 Intellectual Yet Idiotic
TTRSCBTF20 Them There Real Smart Catholic Bishop Type Fellers
IACMPVND21 Illegal-Alien-Criminal Marxocrat-Party-Voting Nation-Destroyers
PEJTML22 Palestinian Ends-Justify-The-Means Liar
Culture=Religion+Politics; Who Are We? Vic Biorseth
The Brilliantly Conceived Organization of the USA; Vic Biorseth
Return to the BLOG page
Return to the HOME PAGE
Subscribe to our Free E-Zine News Letter
Respond to This Article Below The Last Comment
Comments
Respond to this WebPage immediately below the last comment.
Or,
Publish your own whole new Article from right here.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Converted Page to SBI! Release 3.0 BB 2.0.
Date: Sun Dec 14 2014
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:
Changes pursuant to changing the website URL
and name from
Thinking Catholic Strategic
Center to
Catholic American Thinker.
Pulled the trigger on the 301 MOVE IT option June 1, 2014. Working my way through all the webpages. .
Regards,
Vic
Language and Tone Statement
Please note the language and tone of this monitored Website. This is not the place to just stack up vulgar one-liners and crude rejoinders. While you may support, oppose or introduce any position or argument, submissions must meet our high Roman Catholic and Constitutional American standards of Truth, logical rigor and civil discourse. We will not participate in merely trading insults, nor will we tolerate participants merely trading insults. Participants should not be thin-skinned or over sensitive to criticism, but should be prepared to defend their arguments when challenged. If you don’t really have a coherent argument or counter-argument of your own, sit down and don’t embarrass yourself. Nonsensical, obscene, blindly & doggedly anti-Catholic, anti-American, immoral or merely insulting submissions will not be published here. If you have something serious to contribute to the conversation, be prepared to back it up, keep it clean, keep it civil, and it will be published. We humbly apologize to all religious conservative thinkers for the need to even say these things, but the Hard Left is what it always was, the New Leftist Liberals are what they are, and the Internet is what it is.
"Clickbait" advertising links are not acceptable for posting here.
If you fear intolerant Leftist repercussions, do not use your real name and do not include email or any identifying information. Elitist Culturally Marxist Pure Authoritarians cannot and will not tolerate your freedom of speech or any opposition to their rigid authoritarian, anti-equality, anti-life, anti-liberty, anti-property, hedonistic, anti-Constitution, pro-Marxist, pro-Islam, anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, anti-male, sexist, pro-homosexual, anti-heterosexual, anti-white, racist, anti-Western, anti-American, Globalist, anti-Nation, blatantly immoral, totally intolerant and bigoted point of view.
Copyrighted Material
Solopreneur Opportunity Links, for a
Solo Build It WebSite
Sacrificate sacrificium justitiae, et sperate in Domino
 |
Priestly Order of St. Peter https://fssp.com |
 |
 |
|
WHISTLEBLOWERS WELCOME! |
 |
Help Us Expose Corruption |
Silence in the face of evil is speaking. "We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence." Saint Catherine of Siena
“An
error which is not resisted is approved; a truth which is not defended is
suppressed…. He who does not oppose an evident crime is open to the suspicion of
secret complicity.” – Pope Felix III
“Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God's creatures. What you are in God's sight is what you are and nothing more”—Justice Clarence Thomas
Reliable Sources
Restore DC Catholicism Blogspot
Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation
Bishop Rene Gracida: Deep Calls To Deep
Mary's Advocates Upholding True Marriage
Catholic American Thinker
What's New?
Latest Updates
"Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then, is the sin committed by the person who claims to have a 'right' to persist in evil-in any sin at all-and who thus rejects redemption." Pope Saint John Paul the Great
DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM
"Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and, indeed, to neglect to confound evil men-when we can do it-is no less a sin than to encourage them." Pope St. Felix III
Major Site Topics
The Catholic American Thinker URL Name Pages
The Orthodox Catholicism Pages
The Refuting Perverted Catholicism Pages
The Christian American Politics Pages
The Political Ideolgoies Pages
The Infiltration of Evil Pages
The Absolute Stupidassism Pages
The Anti-AMerican Political Pages.
The Impeachable Offenses Pages
The Forced Discrimination Pages.
The Sociological Definition Pages
The Refuting Freudianism Pages
The Economic Catastrophe Pages
The Refuting Mainstream Journalism Pages
Restoring Constitutional America Pages
The Arguments Pro and Con Pages
Catholic American Thinker Newsletter Backissues
If a purposeful violator of the Constitution who is a sworn officer of the governemt is not a domestic enemy of America and a traitor, then there is no such thing, and the Constitution itself is without meaning, and America has lost its grounding and its very purpose for being. Anti-American-Court
Live Interviews
"All the evils of the world are due to lukewarm Catholics." Pope Pius V
"All the strength of Satan's reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics." Pope St. Pius X
Click the image above to
publish your essay or article here,
to be included among those below.
Submitted Articles and
Reprinted Articles
(Note: copyrights on these articles wherever present will supersede the WebSite copyright at the bottom footer of every WebPage)
The Coup d'Etat and Forced Resignation of Benedict XVI. Benedict is still the True Pope, by Frank Albas
The Secularization and Demonization of Donald Trump, By David Byrne
Why do Catholics Pray With Patron Saints? Do Catholics Worship Saints?
Democrat Communists and Islamism. Democrat Communists also aligned with Islamists as their Hard Left Tool.
Still Time To Get It Right. “Once you understand the role of energy in everything, you can begin to appreciate why there's simply nothing more important to get right. Energy is at the root of everything. If you have sufficient energy, anything is possible. But without it, everything grinds to a halt.” Chris Martenson
Abolishing Political Parties: A Strategic Approach, by Daniel Taylor
Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston's Inappropriate and Dishonest Attack on President Trump's Immigration Policy. The Truth About Separation of Families at our Southern Border
Diuturnum: Leo XIII on the Origins of Civil Power. In Diuturnum Pope Leo XIII speaks of "Communism, Socialism, Nihilism, hideous deformities of the civil society of men". It's time to remember and reinvigorate his words.
The Ship is Off Course. Elena DiMaria, Saturday, January 20, 2018
American-Fences. A Poem by Rochelle Marie Harper.
Thanksgiving-Proclamation. Given by President George Washington in New York, October 3, 1789.
The Anti-Christians. By Nito Gnoci, Part 1 Of 4
The Anti-Christians. By Nito Gnoci, Part 2 of 4.
The Anti-Christians. By Nito Gnoci, Part 3 Of 4.
The Anti-Christians. By Nito Gnoci, Part 4 Of 4.
The Early Universe and the Human Embryo. On the Similarities of the Embryonic Human and the Embryonic Universe.
2nd Sunday of Lent, Transfigured of our Lord Cycle A Hope, inner soul room, transfiguration
A Pastor's Descant (Assumption Grotto News) Fr. Perrone: How our corporate prayers after Mass have been modified following the election.
An American Diocese upholds a Marriage against Abandonment. Which should be the norm. Abandonment of a Catholic Sacramental Marriage is assumed a priori to be a mortal sin.
Here comes the Synod Exhortation, and more EENS denial. Is this original simple mistake leading us into doctrinal and ecclesial revolution?
Agreeing with Mother Angelica, Rest In Peace, on no known exceptions to EENS. Are all VCII and Post-VCII "exceptions" to No Salvation Outside The Church just imaginary?
Was Archbishop Lefebvre Correct After All? Archbishop Lefebvre was correct in rejecting Vatican Council II, interpreted with irrationality. May God bless him for that.
Cardinal Kasper's False Arguments. Pope Benedict, Cardinal Kasper's false arguments for Synod Report: Vatican Council II agrees with the dogma extra ecclesiam nullas salus as it was interpreted by the 16th century missionaries.
Rahner's "Anonymous Christian" as main line Catholic theology. Coming back full circle?
The Heresy of Chrislam. Those claiming that the “Allah” of Islam’s Qu’ran and Yahweh or God of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are one and the same are missing one glaring point: GOD NEVER CONTRADICTS HIMSELF.
Faith, from the Easter series on the Three Theological Virtues. The virtue of Faith; One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Hope, from the Easter series on the Three Theological Virtues. The virtue of Hope; One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Love, from the Easter series on the Three Theological Virtues. The virtue of Love; One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Prudence, from the Lenten series on the Four Cardinal Virtues. The virtue of Prudence; One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Justice, from the Lenten series on the Four Cardinal Virtues. The virtue of Justice; One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Temperance and Fortitude, from the Lenten series on the Four Cardinal Virtues. The virtues of Temperance and Fortitude; Two of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
On the word Consubstantial, the Trinity and Infinity. On the Consubstantial (Single Substance) of God, and the mathematically impossible number of Infinity.
A Proposed Israeli National Doctrine that America should Learn From. Reprinted Article identifies common ideological enemies of Israel, the USA, and all Nations: Marxism, and New World Order concepts.
The challenge describes Capitalism as illusory and Marxism as solid. The mixture of religion just adds to the confusion of all good realists.
The Obama Ethos: Who is Barack Obama? What is his grounding, his ethos? The Obama Ethos explores Obama's grounds of being; his religious, moral and political guiding principles.
Obama the Moslem: Introducing Comrade Obama (peace be upon him.) Obama the Moslem: anti-Catholic; anti-Christian; anti-Jew; anti-American.
Freedom, yes – but from whom, and to do what? Is freedom from God enslavement to the world? Is freedom from the world enslavement to God? Which is better?
The Room: Born of that still inner voice. A story about a small church pastor who erects a small room to serve as a mediation room for his parishioners.
Are Catholics Saved, by having been Born Again? The theology of salvation: Catholic vs. Protestant.
Love thy neighbor as thyself: the Law in One Sentence. Can one simple sentence contain the whole of the moral Law of God?
The Catholic call is universal; it goes out to everyone. Although the Catholic call goes out to all, man’s free will means that all will not respond.
God’s Perfect Unconditional Love meets man’s Free Will. Perfect Unconditional Love can be rejected. Liberty and free choice may be a blessing or a curse.
Of Weeds and Wheat growing together, and the eventual separation. - Weeds and wheat in the field differs from in human kind, where either one can become the other.
Why Should I Believe in God? - an article by Eugene Rudder.
On Losing You - a poem by Rosemarie A. Stone.
Our Beautiful Love - a poem by Rosemarie A. Stone.
Catholic Communism: Similarities between Church Hierarchy and Pure Bureaucracy. Mises said that Communism equals Bureaucracy; the Church is a bureaucracy, therefore we have Catholic Communism. True?
The Source of Anxiety: Improper Priorities. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
“I, Pencil … ”; Capitalism in a Nutshell. Leonard E. Read
Endless Concessions to the Palestinians Pamela Levene
The Peace Treaty Sajid Ali Khan
Leftist Politics in Catholic Mass Mark Brumbaugh
The USCCB Flip-Flop Mark Brumbaugh
Open Letter to Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Mark Brumbaugh
The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
The Gift Bearers Michael from Florida
Dear Vic And Others ... John Felland
The Church Is Rotten To The Core Michelle Lobdell
Hatred of Palin Janet Morana
Proper Catechesis Susan Greve
Who is Barack Obama? Pastor Robert Legg Greve
Limited War Doctrine Colonel Thomas Snodgrass
Rabbi Meir Kahane's Letter Rabbi Meir Kahane, OBM
Solzhenitsyn Speaks Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn addresses the AFL/CIO.
Jefferson Speaks (Declaration of Independence)
The American Constitution (American Founding Fathers)
American Democrat Party Platform Karl Marx and Frederick Engles
Prof. Libor Brom
Re The Sin Of Scandal Phil Lange
Re Sydney Airport Security Ahmed
Marxist Infiltration into Catholic Thought Nancy Libert
New "race and racism" thread begun by Stephen from VT. On race and racism: the ever changing definition and generic usage of the word "racism."
The Bush War Doctrine Revisited: a fresh look at our horrible situation. A reproduction of the "Bush War Doctrine Revisited" article and discussion points by David Yerushalmi; there is much food for thought here.
Resignation of Benedict XVI and the Immediate Media Firestorm. The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and Rev. Marcel Guarnizo's interview with the author that caused the international media frenzy.
The Jewish Shabbat. Description of Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) from my Holy Land item supplier.
Kerry's Lies: The Old, Vietnam-Era Anti-War Chickens are Comming Home to Roost. POW Lawsuit Could Force Kerry To Come Clean - by George "Bud" Day, Chairman, Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation.
Just Laws for a Godly Nation. Many nations today still lack a core of just laws for a Godly nation.
What does the World Wildlife Fund have to do with World Youth Day? An unholy alliance between the Leftist WWF and the Vatican?
False Flag: Serious-minded fiction creating a better understanding of 9/11. Can serious-minded fiction play a role in creating a better understanding of critical contemporary social/political issues like 9/11?
Bringing the Liturgy Back to the Real Vatican II. Cardinal Burke Comments on Sacra Liturgia Conference
Layman letter to all bishops. Letter to Bishops from Mariann / Mary's Child
Fetal-Microchimerism gives new meaning to the bonding of Motherhood. How the unborn child blesses the mother and physically changes her, for the rest of her life.
Ars celebrandi et adorandi - Pastoral Letter from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. With Ars celebrandi et adorandi, all Springfield IL Catholic Parishes move Jesus back to the center of life! YES!
To be, or not no be lukewarm; that is the question. Whether tis nobler to fight the good fight, or just smile and be nice ...
Technology: a Two Edged Sword. Technology can be used for good, or for evil.
More American Imperial Edicts Issuing Forth out of Obamunism. Archbishop Schnurr joins Rick Santorum in identifying American Imperial Edicts from this administration.
Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum; Apostolic letter on 1962 Rite.
The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum confirms the 1962 Latin Rite as the 'Extraordinary' Roman Liturgical Rite.
The Pope's Letter to Bishops on Summorum Pontificum. Benedict XVI's Letter to Bishops on Summorum Pontificum issued the same day as the Motu Proprio.
The Explanatory Note on Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. An 'Explanatory Note on Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum' issued by the Vatican.
A concerned Catholic spotlights Catholic funded Alinsky organizations. The Alinskyite Gamaliel Foundation underpins multiple Catholic funded Alinsky organizations.
From Shane Leslie Mattison, whose father was Elden Mattison Woolliams. Annecdotes from Shane Leslie Mattison.
Dr. Ben Carson, Champion of God, Family, Country and Decency in Government. Ben Carson can return America to being a Constitutional Republic once again.
A submission from someone who would be Pope. If all the last five or so Popes have been invalid Popes, then, where's the valid one? Why, Brother Michael, of course!
If you can't find the page you're looking for, try the SITE-MAP
Never be lukewarm.
Life itself demands passion.
He who is indifferent to God has already forfeited his soul.
He who is indifferent to politics has already forfeited his liberty.
In America, religion is not mere window dressing and citizenship is not a spectator sport.
Do not allow our common destiny as a whole people to just happen without your input.
Seek the Truth; find the Way; live the Life; please God, and live forever.
Newsletter
Catholic American Thinker
Free E-zine Subscription
You will receive immediate email newsletters with links to new articles as they are published here. Your email is perfectly secure here; we use it only to send you the
Catholic American Thinker
Newsletter
and absolutely nothing else.
Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in
thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life:
and few there are that find it! Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Jesus
Christ; Matt 7:13-15
Recently Published Articles
By Date
"We belong to the Church militant; and She is militant because on earth the powers of darkness are ever restless to encompass Her destruction. Not only in the far-off centuries of the early Church, but down through the ages and in this our day, the enemies of God and Christian civilization make bold to attack the Creator’s supreme dominion and sacrosanct human rights.”--Pope Pius XII
"It is not lawful to take the things of others to give to the poor. It is a sin worthy of punishment, not an act deserving a reward, to give away what belongs to others."--St. Francis of Assisi
Truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.—Winston Churchill
The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.—Ayn Rand
Atheist Genesis:
In the beginning there was nothing, and nothing happened to nothing.And then nothing accidentally exploded and created everything.
And then some bits of everything accidentally encountered other bits of everything and formed some new kinds of everything.
And then some bits of everything accidentally arranged themselves into self-replicating bits of everything.
And then some self-replicating bits of everything accidentally arranged themselves into dinosaurs.
See?
(See The Darwinism Pages)
If you can't find the page you're looking for, try the
SITE MAP.