USCCB President Cardinal Francis E. George recently addressed an "historic gathering" at BYU on the need to "stand together" in the defense of religious freedom. While it is certainly praiseworthy to defend innocent human life and marriage between a man and a woman, one might be forgiven for finding some of his remarks rather troubling. For example, if "true religious freedom" means the right to "influence the public square", how can one ignore the fact that his comments - taken to their logical end - advocate that non-Catholic religions influence laws regarding any number of sinful, immoral actions for which their adherents feel are "rights"? Particularly with regard to Mormons, does he not realize that 'full religious freedom' for them would include polygamy? It is certain that Mormons would practice polygamy today had it not been for laws curbing their "religious freedom". Such restrictions are actually a good thing, are they not? Presumably even the Cardinal would not push for their 'religious freedom' in this matter.
And when the Cardinal says that "government should never stand between its citizens and almighty God", he seems to gloss over the fact that just about every false religion probably believes they are following God's will - even if they are manifestly acting in opposition to it. Clearly, to put a justifiable obstacle between a person and his false conception of God can be the right thing to do - e.g. outlawing polygamy (even if someone thinks God desires it); stopping someone from murdering (even if they think God 'wants' them to kill); etc.
Furthermore, blanket calls for 'religious freedom' with reference to a country's laws seem to ignore the fact that laws based on falsities are not just. Rather, to be just, laws must be based on actual truth. To encourage false religions to exert influence on laws can be a dangerous road to travel. It is only when society's laws are founded upon the teachings of the one religion founded by Jesus Christ - Catholicism - will there be true religious freedom. To argue otherwise is shortsighted.
"Truth has its rights - or, rather, it is truth alone that has the right to claim liberty." (Gueranger)
"[I]t is contrary to reason that error and truth should have equal rights." (Pope Leo XIII, "Libertas Praestantissimum", 1888 A.D.)
"[F]reedom negates and destroys itself, and becomes a factor leading to the destruction of others, when it no longer recognizes and respects its essential link with the truth." (Pope John Paul II)
"[W]hen freedom is detached from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority." (Pope John Paul II)
Related: Truth / Error (Reflections)
[2/26]
Posts
