President presents tough ethics issue

Published in Cumberland Times-News Thursday, April 5, 2012.

"The direction of our secular society today, especially under President Obama’s federally mandated complicity, seems to be to prepare our youths for unfettered, no-fault sex, and then communally to prevent or dispose of the consequences -- unwanted pregnancies."

Reading Charles Haynes’ column about the Character Education Partnership (March 31 Times-News), I thought, “How wonderful,” that Mr. Sandy McDonnell saw and addressed the need; how sad, too, though, that secular scholars should be expected (and entrusted) to teach ethics and virtues – training traditionally instilled in faith-filled homes and communities in our not-so-long-ago God-fearing nation.

Are public school teachers qualified, and whose standards would they follow, to consider such concepts as “conscience” and “discernment,” basic to ethics and virtues, and often confused today with “license” and “self-fulfillment?”

Not self-serving, discernment enables us to judge wisely what is true and just, particularly in complicated situations. Not self-gratifying, conscience empowers us to follow God’s will, rather than our own, or that of others. Intricately intertwined, conscience builds discernment, while discernment leads to conscionable actions.

In today’s muddled secular society, would public school teachers embrace truth, or desire to seek it, with enough expertise to teach it? Likely, some -- in keeping with current progressive trends -- might thumb their noses at truth, mock it, and teach narcissism, skepticism and antagonism, instead.

For example: In March 2008, then-Senator Obama, speaking of contraceptives, said of the future for his six- and nine-year-old daughters, “if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.” Then last month, in the context of his administration’s assault on religious liberty and conscience rights, President Obama referred to his two young daughters to imply they inspire him in his desire to mandate free contraceptives and abortifacients.

What confounding testimony for our nation’s youths – to educate them to think like victims that consequences of mistakes are punishments, rather than responsibilities, and then to provide “safety” for their sexual encounters at the expense of everyone else in the country, against the consciences and better judgments of most.

Public schools used to integrate domestic skills courses into curricula, to prepare young men and women for home and family life. Most youths came to school already trained in conscience and discernment, and practical matters, by their parents, pastors and neighbors; there was no need to teach ethics or virtues – or sex.

The direction of our secular society today, especially under President Obama’s federally mandated complicity, seems to be to prepare our youths for unfettered, no-fault sex, and then communally to prevent or dispose of the consequences -- unwanted pregnancies.

Ethical? Virtuous? No.

Corrupt? Extortionist? Perhaps some students in one of the CEP’s “schools of character” could take on this discussion as an ethics issue.

Manhattan Decllaration: Call to Saintliness

Published in Cumberland Times-News Monday, Dec. 7, 2009.

"All pledge their commitments, and urge us to pledge ours, to stand up, or sit down, and refuse to comply with laws that kill the vulnerable, defile the natural union, or silence conscientious objectors."

Saintliness is difficult, but simple: Do what is right in the eyes of the eternal God, not what is popular in the current culture. We all are sinners, but each can be a saint.

This Advent, let’s pray for strengthened conviction, for ourselves and for others, so that the visionaries of the Manhattan Declaration will accomplish their goals: To invigorate America’s Christians to do heroic acts of civil disobedience; and to inspire others of faith (or no faith at all) to adhere to biblical and natural truths that preserve life, define marriage, and exercise conscience.

One hundred sixty-eight American Christian clergy and leaders signed the Manhattan Declaration, presented to the public Nov. 20 in Washington, D.C. Thirty-one represent Catholic communities – bishops from Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Brooklyn, Newark, Kansas City (Kan.), Birmingham, Denver, Oakland (Calif.), Louisville, Detroit, Portland, Madison, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Fargo, Phoenix and Colorado Springs, along with Catholic editors, activists, educators, writers and scholars. Others represent the Orthodox, Evangelical and Anglican faithful.

All pledge their commitments, and urge us to pledge ours, to stand up, or sit down, and refuse to comply with laws that kill the vulnerable, defile the natural union, or silence conscientious objectors.

Nearly 300,000 Americans have signed onto the document, so far, to support renewal of Christians’ “2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God’s word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.”

Most poignantly, during this holy season, as we reflect on our own shortcomings and imperfections, and in this troubled time for our institutions, our religious leaders call us to take courage and do what is right, not comply with what is popular.

This is a protest against compromise and complicity with the inherent evils of abortion and euthanasia, unnatural unions, and coercive repression of religion. The declaration reminds us of those “who died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.”

We would hope that no modern-day saint in America would face death for civil disobedience; but these times are unsettled: A revolution brews.

The Taxed Enough Already Tea Party crowds protest corruption, redistribution and over-spending by big government. Black conservatives protest socialist and communist ideas (termed “plantation politics”) that undermine the American identity, perpetuate oppression, and resurrect racism (“Time to Be Heard: Black Conservatives in America” transcript, Nov. 16, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575301,00.html).

Now comes the Manhattan Declaration: Drafted by Dr. Robert George, law professor at Princeton University; Dr. Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School at Stanford University; and Chuck Colson, founder of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, the effort unites the thoughts, voices and actions of America’s Christians on matters of justice, human rights and the common good.

The Manhattan Declaration web site defines conscience as “the faculty of judging, informed by faith and reason, what one is bound by a law higher than oneself to do or not do, even if one would prefer…to do otherwise.”

Those who wish to preserve truth and freedom in America, and to live by “principles of right reason and natural law,” as Cardinal Justin Rigali summarized at the press conference, are logging on and signing up: http://manhattandeclaration.org.

'Humanae Vitae' not fodder for interpretation

"This is the constant teaching of Tradition and of the Church's Magisterium which cannot be called into question by the Catholic theologian." -- Pope John Paul II on Humanae Vitae

Most searches lead us home.

At the web site for SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Cumberland is a category titled "Right to Life," which takes the visitor to an article about Humanae Vitae written by Father Paul A. Duffner in which he expounds on the idea of "cafeteria" Catholic thinking, especially related to rejection of the church's teaching on contraception:

"[O]ur conscience, which is simply a practical judgment of the intellect, is not always a reliable guide. ... 'I am following my conscience,' they say.... What they are saying amounts to this: 'My conscience allows me to reject what the Spirit of Christ dictates, and follow what the spirit of the world suggests.'"

He quotes Pope John Paul II: "It is not sufficient to say to man: 'always follow your conscience.' It is necessary to add immediately and always: 'Ask yourself if your conscience is telling you the truth or something false, and seek untiringly to know the truth."

Quite strongly, Father Duffner says, "Once one is no longer guided by the light of divine faith, the spirit of the world takes over. "

by Nancy E. Thoerig 11-15-08

Faith a guide through politics

Published in Cumberland Times-News Letters on October 26, 2008.

Election messages are convoluted with thunderous clanging and clamoring for months on end – the contending voices and maneuverings of candidates and their interest groups. The crescendo peaks as Election Day nears. We voters weary; but we know our duty: To persevere in sorting through the noise and confusion, to discern the truth: To exercise our privilege to vote – and to vote responsibly in accordance with our consciences.

“When he listens to his conscience,” states the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1777-78, available at www.usccb.org/catechism/text), “the prudent man can hear God speaking.... [M]an is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right.”

“Faith helps us see more clearly the truth about human life and dignity that we also understand through human reason,” states the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in its 2007 publication titled “The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” (available at http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/).

The bishops continue: “The United States Constitution protects the right of individual believers and religious bodies to participate and speak out without government interference, favoritism or discrimination. … Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions into public life.”

Politics reflects society; and society is complex – and often self-interested. Considering the myriad of issues is dizzying. Listening to the rhetoric is confounding. We citizens are obliged, though, to seek clarity and to vote for the ticket that our faith and reason tell us is best for the common good – now and into the future.

Catholics are urged to be guided by our “moral convictions” when discerning our vote, rather than being swayed by a candidate’s party or other affiliation. In the Faithful Citizenship publication, the bishops state that voters should “examine candidates’ positions on issues and (their) integrity, philosophy and performance.” Prudent consideration, then, of the candidates’ formation, motivations and records is a practical place to focus.

The publication summarizes seven “themes of Catholic social teaching (to) provide a moral framework for decisions in public life.” The first listed is “Right to Life”: While no voter should be single-issue minded, the bishops note, “a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.” The right to life is basic to all other rights. (Visit http://www.catholicvote.com/.)

The next theme listed has to do with the sanctity of marriage as “the fundamental unit of society…(a) sanctuary for the creation and nurturing of children (that) must not be redefined, undermined or neglected,” as marriage between one man and one woman is essential “to promote the well-being of individuals and the common good.” Society is built upon families. (Visit http://www.mmarriagematterstokids.org/.)

In addition to calls to preserve life and family, five other themes are noted by the bishops as most deserving of voters’ discernment: Balance between individual rights and social responsibilities; treatment for “the weakest among us;” dignity of work; pursuit of justice and peace; and stewardship for the environment.

No one tells me how to vote; but I appreciate the Church’s wisdom and guidance in basic moral matters of life and dignity. Faith is a steady compass for navigating the political storm.

Nancy E. Thoerig
Mount Savage

P.S. to blog readers: This prayerful video titled "In Your Silence" sums up beautifully.

Infallible conscience not Catholic

"We need to be humble and pliable to seek and receive God's will for us, and thoughtful and "mature" in sharing it in our relationships and actions toward others. Misguidedly relying defiantly on the absolute truth of our own conscience' is not Catholic."

In my continuing research to discern the veracity of Father Paul Byrnes' "Why Catholic" presentation yesterday on the topic of "conscience," I found a wealth of information that further debunks his teaching. I shared a sampling of my additional findings and thoughts with Deacon Loren Mooney (St. Patrick Church in Cumberland):

Loren,
The more I research/read, the more reassured I am that my understanding of the Catholic teaching (as opposed to Protestant or Eastern, which is what it seems we heard yesterday) is the authentic one; and the more convincned I am that Fr. Byrnes, sadly, holds a distorted, stunted, misguided view of "conscience."

Look at this: http://www.beginningcatholic.com/conscience.html. The article notes: "It's a long story, but a lot of people have been taught weak or bad doctrine for many years...."

Speaking of the "long story," here's the article I was recalling yesterday: http://www.catholicepaper.net/eeusers/catholicreview/. It's by Archbishop O'Brien.

And while Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae encyclical ((http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html) may not be ex cathedra, it is a solid, inspired teaching that we Catholics are obliged to respect and obey.

I believe that "conscience," as a reasoned judgment to discern right and wrong, good and evil, in the context of our life's past, present and future, is intended to employ moral law, not usurp it; and to be a catalyst for seeking good information and guidance in order to discern facts or movements in a situation and then make sound decisions for promoting a poisitive personal impact in society; and to help us to develop the ability to learn from our mistakes or misjudgments and to know when and how to make amends with God and others for our errors or transgressions within the guidelines of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Church's teachings and the laws of the land; and to grow a solid foundational understanding of moral truth that results in maturity -- that is, well-roundedness and responsibility -- in thought and aciton.

God is God: We are not. Our consciences are not the source of moral truth. Our consciences are ever forming, and they are falible. We need to be humble and pliable to seek and receive God's will for us, and thoughtful and "mature" in sharing it in our relationships and actions toward others. Misguidedly relying defiantly on the absolute truth of our own "conscience" is not Catholic.

Prayers 4 u (and 4 Father Byrnes),
Nancy (10-24-08)

Update: See my additional October 25 post.

Debunking 'the conscience principle'

"Rather than being our own innate moral compass, always pointing us instinctively, infallibly on the right path, our conscience is our innate sonar, a "homing" device, that calls us humbly to seek God's will for us, and to desire to listen to it, and to discern through reason -- sometimes failing, often times correcting -- the right path to take for His glory on our life's journey."

Quite a lively discussion took place in our "Why Catholic" session today. Retired Monsignor Paul Byrnes, former pastor at St. Michael Catholic Church in Frostburg, Maryland, presented his view of "conscience." Father Byrnes' view fits within the context of what Dr. Frank Mobbs calls "The Conscience Principle," an erroneous and irresponsible interpretation, the defender of the faith characterizes it in his article titled "'Follow your conscience'": but what does that mean?", of the Catholic teaching; and it is called a "heresy" in an article simply titled "Conscience" by Scripture scholar and apologist Father William Most.

Father Byrnes espouses what appears to be a distorted, stunted, out-of-context personal interpretation of a catechetical doctrine, stated in part as such in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1782): "Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions."

Father Byrnes interpreted that passage for us, among others in Scripture, saints' and popular writings, and he cited (a bit incorrectly, and blatantly out of context) Pope Paul VI's Vatican II Council "Declaration on Religious Freedom" document, to teach that personal conscience overrides moral law as equally as it does civil law.

Sadly, Father Byrnes is sorely mistaken. The Catechism teaches, and the Catholic Church has always taught, that conscience is a gift from God, a divine desire for truth imprinted in our souls, that urges us and helps us to reason and discern right from wrong -- in accordance with moral law, not in objection to it.

To obey one's conscience is to be prudent in considering the fullness and complexities of a situation and to be courageous in deciding to do what is morally right, in accord with God's and nature's laws as we understand them, especially in the face of opposition or corruption that would persuade or coerce us to do wrong. Many of the saints' biographies tell heroic stories of choices made in defense of morality, often to their own peril. The saints are our role models throughout time for exercising conscienable objection to societal pressures that would distort or corrupt our relationships with God and others.

Conscience is not an individual source for moral law, as Father Byrnes espouses. Moral law originates wtih God and emanates form Him. God writes the desire to follow moral law in our hearts: At Baptism, we receive His invitation to the wedding feast; and we spend our lives seeking to know Him, to be ready to recognize Him and to respond when He calls us.

Rather than being our own innate moral compass, always pointing us instinctively, infallibly on the right path, our conscience is our innate sonar, a "homing" device, that calls us humbly to seek God's will for us, and to desire to listen to it, and to discern through reason -- sometimes failing, often times correcting -- the right path to take for His glory on our life's journey.

Following is an email that I sent today to Deacon Loren Mooney at St. Patrick Catholic Church, the host site for the "Why Catholic" program.

Loren, Hi,
I appreciate and enjoy the Why Catholic presentations at St. Patrick, but I truly was surprised at Father Byrnes' (apparently, thankfully/hopefully, now quite outdated and never officially adopted) post-Vatican II popular concept of "The Conscience Principle" today.

I've done some research and found the following that I want to share with you. I hope you'll enjoy seeing them.

http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/1991/decjan1991p14_716.html

http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/CONSCIEN.TXT

AD2000 is a JPII-influenced group of Christians in Australia who aim to revive and promote an understanding there of authentic Christian teachings.

Dr. Frank Mobbs is recognized in the Catholic Weekly, the official Catholic newspaper out of Sydney, as a defender of the faith.

The late Fr. William Most is consdiered to be a distinguished Scripture scholar and apologist.

(View my posts for "Why Catholic" sessions from October 9 and October 16.)

by Nancy E. Thoerig 10-23-08