Hearing it from the horse’s mouth (2)

This being an era which pursues guilt-free pleasure, those most interested in it are naturally also the ones most interested in silencing the voices of morality; because moral constructs imply limits.

In Malta, we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. It means that religion can express a moral viewpoint about public issues which affect everyone.

We are not a theocracy. However, we are increasingly in danger of the dictatorship of relativism (which eradicates morality). If anything, this is being forced on society and has been for a good number of years – it is immorality (explicit sex and vulgarity in the popular media, and so forth).

When something is morally wrong, a Catholic must not support it and certainly can work to have it overturned. So we must not be afraid to stand up for our religious beliefs. This is called evangelisation. If we just pin people down and pour water on them… that would be ‘forcing’ our beliefs on them. This does not respect the dignity of the person. We must not force Christianity on anyone. It must be done through the example of how we live, which would encourage others to follow.

There is an enormous difference between banning something and seeking to prevent the government from affirming something. The act of affirming something by the State strongly influences the people to accept that as truth. It is ‘the law of the land’ with the implicit assumption that it is right and those who oppose it must be wrong.

Fornication is not illegal but it is not the law of the land. At one time slavery was supported by a majority in many countries but that did not make it right.

A world without God has no future. No society can exist without some rules and laws imposed upon its members for ‘the common good’. We cannot do away with all the red lights and stop signs.

Rather than forcing its morality on others, the Catholic Church is among a handful of bodies that remain a refuge for those seeking a morally coherent and consistent code. It has a legitimately moral role to play in preserving a healthy direction for society. It encourages the adoption of parameters, without which a society can dissolve from within.

In the divorce referendum, if enough voters agree with Church teaching, the law will then agree with Church teaching and ‘the will of the people’ (not the Church) will prevail. If not enough voters agree with Church teaching, then the law will not agree with Church teaching and ‘the will of the people’ (not the Church) likewise will prevail.

The Church instructs but the people will choose.