Spoiled Americans
Americans are spoiled. American Catholics are tragically spoiled. Apparently the teachings of the Church do not apply in America. Allow me to elaborate. Americans think that everything requires a vote or an approval by the majority. Of course we think this way because we have been taught to be proud of our democratic process, but we must draw the line somewhere. If we are to demand our view on certain matters to become the official position of the Church simply because we want it to be so, then we will cause great scandal for our beloved Church. We cannot vote on Church policy or teachings because these things come from God and I don’t think that we can overrule God on anything.
I think the problem is that most Americans refuse to be told what to do. They refuse to be obedient because obedience, in their mind, is counter to freedom. So let me lay it out for all of the people too proud to follow Church teaching: God demands that we be obedient. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done..” is not a hollow request. Every time we pray the Our Father we are asking that God do His will in our lives. Even Christ begged for God to do His own will. I don’t recall the part in the Gospels where Jesus took a vote from the disciples to affirm that He should be crucified. God does His will through His Church and it is our duty to shut up and do what we are told. Does that make you feel bad? Does it make you feel low? Good. Humility is an important step to holiness.
I really hope that Pope Benedict XVI will get the American Bishops in line. I know that sounds bad, and I really love my Bishop (Bishop Robert Muench of Baton Rouge), but American Catholics need to learn how to be Catholic first and American second. The simple fact is that America was founded by men and the Church was founded by Christ. Which one do you want to serve?
Now I’m not being unpatriotic. I certainly love my country, but I refuse to let anyone undermine the Church with the cry for “freedom”. If you don’t understand how to use freedom, then freedom will take you straight to hell. With the increasing number of dissidents of the Church, we should be very alarmed and we should work to correct any errors that we see being spread among the faithful.
