Editorial: This is No Time to Retreat from the Culture, We Must Work for its Conversion

12/1/2012

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freedom. The myths they told had the pagan gods acting in much the same way. Our western culture is now sliding through secularism into paganism. The myths, tributes and statues of today are different but the reality is no different. Contemporary paganism, like the paganism of old, is not the path to authentic human freedom and flourishing but to misery and a loss of freedom.

The early Christians did not rail against the pagans of their age when they sought to effect the conversion of those cultures. They proclaimed the fullness of freedom which is found in Jesus Christ to all who would listen to them. They did not change their message to the culture but changed the culture through their message. They also demonstrated its truths with their compelling witness of life. They lived in monogamous marriages, raised their children to be faithful Christians and good citizens, and went into the world of their age offering it a new way to live. This way (which is what they first called the early Church) revealed a very different worldview than the one that the pagans embraced.

With joy and integrity the early Christians lived that way in the midst of their pagan cultures. As a result, they sometimes stirred up hostility. Some of them were martyred in the red martyrdom of shed blood. Countless more joined the train of what use to be called white martyrdom, living lives of sacrificial witness and service in the culture, working hard and staying faithful to the end of a long life spent in missionary toil.

Slowly, not only were small numbers of pagans converted and baptized, but eventually their leaders and entire Nations followed suit. Resultantly, the Christian worldview began to influence the social order. The clash of freedoms continued, but the climate changed significantly. It was the Christian faith and the practices of these Christians that began to win the hearts of men and women. The cultures once enshrined to pagan practices, such as plural marriage, homosexuality, exposure and abortion began to change dramatically and this dynamic continued for centuries.

It was Christianity that taught such novel concepts as the dignity of every person and their equality before the One God. The Christians proclaimed the dignity of women, the dignity of chaste marriage and the sanctity of the family. It was Christianity that introduced the understanding of freedom not simply as a freedom from, but as a freedom for living responsibly and with integrity. The Christians insisted that freedom must be exercised with reference to a moral code, a law higher than the emperor, or the shifting sands of public opinion.

It was the Christians who understood that choice, rightly exercised, meant always choosing what was right and that the freedom to exercise that choice brought with it an obligation and concern for the other. They knew that freedom has a moral constitution and must be exercised in reference to truth. Their Christian faith presented a coherent and compelling answer to the existential questions that plagued the ancients, such as why we existed and how we got here. What was the purpose of life? Questions like how evil came into the world and why we could not always make right choices? What force seemed to move us toward evil and how we could be set free from its power?

Christian philosophy began to flourish. Philosophies of government and economic theory began to be influenced by principles derived from a Christian anthropology and worldview. Christians helped to create the beautiful art which humanizedcultures. Christian artists knew that Creation and Redemption are part of a grand masterpiece by the Divine Artist and there is a connection between beauty and the Christian vocation to manifest the presence of the living God in this world which He still loves. Christians were - and are - the true humanists. That is because to be fully Christian is to be fully human.

We need to learn from the example of those who have engaged the very struggle we now face. Like them, we must also remember that what we are engaged in is first a spiritual struggle. Our victories will first be won in prayer and then must stepped into a new Christian missionary movement from the heart of the Church for the sake of the world. That movement will flourish and spread through the witness of a vibrant, theologically orthodox, faithful Christianity that is engaging, relevant and compelling to the new pagans of our age. It will bring about the conversion of persons, families and culture as it has in the past. It will pave the way for the future.

In 1999 the Pontifical Council for Culture of the Vatican released an insightful document entitled "Toward a Pastoral Approach to Culture". It contains helpful insights for us as we consider the road ahead in our work to convert the culture. Here is an excerpt: "From the time the Gospel was first preached, the Church has known the process of encounter and engagement with cultures" (Fides et Ratio, 70), for "it is one of the properties of the human person that he can achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture"(Gaudium et Spes, 53).

This is no time to retreat from culture, we must work for its conversion.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: culture, conversion, Pro-Life, pro-marriage, culture of life, courage, persecution, anti-Christian, anti-Catholic, spiritual warfare, early Church, culture war, culture struggle, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 13 Comments

Angele
5 months ago

The most important this I discovered this year is this:
Christians are RICH of the ability to forgive
Not many cultures encourage forgiveness as Christianity.
Jesus's answer: "One must forgive 77x7times" has been a guideline in my life;
and it is only this year that I realised that it is not the same for all cultures
In my multi racial country I met (non-christian) brothers not on speaking terms over football team... I was proud to tell that person: "Had u been Christian this feud would have ended a long time ago"
May the light love & peach of the AllMighty remain in our lives
DLL
5 months ago
Christianity is a religion that has faith that society will choose the greater good over the evil or poor choice. The family is father,mother,child and it is in family that the child forms in communion with a justice that is for the greater good. Justice for the greater good should be the goal of any society,because society in itself is community,a communion of personalities,meant to act together constructively for actuating the goals for achieving the greater good. Primitive and pagan societies governed by lesser effects,even evil practices,must in the end find their way to a better more harmonious,way of life. Evil forces are fires of destruction in all societies. If evil practices become the law that governs the practices of any nation then violent revolution from within seems to be the trend for changing it. This is a great evil. Unjust laws once enacted become deliberate laws to govern and oppress whole societies of governed people's. Hitlers Germany is a great evil for example and it took great violence and the death of many poor souls before this force of deliberate evil intent could be permanently extinguished. The fight against AIDS is first of all to teach sexual abstinence for instance. Sexual abstinence is not a popular world view. AIDS and other sexual diseases are the sad result for many of those afflicted by such diseases. Chastity is necessary for sexual health reasons. It is the greater good. Today it is not politically correct to make this even a reasonable viewpoint. Medical science will find a way to minimize the effects of these diseases but at very great financial costs. This is necessary but the contagion can be stopped by the practice of chastity,as well as the practice of marriage,as only being between one man and one woman. This is a juggle mental position as the greater good is not the choice for sound judgement on this issue anymore. The war between good and evil is that out of necessity,eventually the greater good must win. Harmony in society is action for all,is so all,can be governed by that which is the greatest good. Chaos is when people's or their governments choose to have rights without responsibility,except to simply enact and force agendas of evil,that are clearly not for the common good. Christ is the way,truth and the life. This is not the world view. Harmony for all people and the happiness of all people would be achieved if all people accepted Christ. Christ represents the greater good. The second coming of Christ could well be when the whole world finally accepts the fact that Christ is representative of the harmonious truth that is God,as God is as he says he is,"I Am". When God is we are. When God is not we are not. Chaos governs the pagans of history. Harmony rules all and all will willingly submit to the greater good,only when all share ultimately in the power of the Holy Spirit,that Spirit that re-news enlightens and enriches the life of each and every individual. Individual as well as societal freedom is a natural acceptance for self and a community of government,as well as the governed,that willingly submits to obedience to God. Christ represents to rule by love and God is the foundation for the rule. Christ is as we must all out of necessity be,obedient to God,because God is Love. The greater good is God. The ultimate world view is the Catholic one,but only if all universally believe in,have trust and faith in, and are obedient to God. Love is the rule of time and eternity. God is the source of all Love. All are created to be governed by love. Love is the greater good! Love is that strong foundation on which all can build on to create and maintain the greater good that ultimately eliminates evil as any sort of a choice to begin with.
Shalomi
5 months ago
To fight the anti Christ,we must realize a lot of truths of which 2 things are very much important.
1. We cannot fight him individually but as the Church, the one body with Christ as our head, we should fight.
2. Church is not merely the building in which we gather but it is we our self. Church ,the body of Christ is living! and it is us!

Word of God as the Spirit is the weapon. Hence we should start reading bible to know God's heart. Amen.

Visit www.lsm.org to know more about what God wants from us.
Emma
5 months ago
My husband is involved in contemporary Christian Music. When we're on the road during the summer, I see great reason for hope! Festivals and concert halls are packed with adolescents and young adults. These young people are fully aware that these are Christian Venues . They hunger for God! I do admit to wondering where they go and to what circumstances they return when the music stops and the lights dim, but I truly cannot, after witnessing their evident love for the message of the Gospel, accept that this is the time to retreat and sit on the sidelines! This is a generation that has not heard the Word of God spoken : neither in their homes nor schools. The majority, I dare say, do not attend churches. They are young and searching, but not a lost cause! They need us! They need Christ! They just don't know how to find Him! Following one concert this past summer some young people had been waiting in the parking lot by the bus. Young girls, about 13 yrs old, they asked for autographs, then a short conversation followed. One of these children had asked what church he attended, he identified himself as Catholic. This child was definitely surprised. Her response, tho not verbatim, "But you're Christian too, right? " Which led to further dialogue and ministry. I have to wonder about the naysayers. I honestly do. Our first and foremost calling is to worship God and bring souls to Christ! Not keep Him to ourselves! Jesus made it very clear, "Go out into the world and teach all nations! " The Holy Spirit gifted the first apostles with many different languages just so they could take Christ out into the world! Surely, we can speak to those who are lost in their own language. Unless we do, we are selfishly hoarding God and doing nothing other than "preaching to the choir!"
vance
5 months ago
Stephen, we will wake up when the USCCB wakes up.
Stephen
5 months ago
SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION OF CULTURE! As revealed by former American communist leader Bella Dodd to Bishop Sheen, she said of the de-Christianizing of western civilization, "If the agenda ilk have their way, you won't recognize America fifty years from now." She was right! She revealed the agenda in the 1950s.... This all "didn't just happen" randomly from some mysterious and unforeseen forces of secularism. This demise has been incrementally planned to bring the Christian Republic to its knees. When will we wake up?
Tom McGuire
5 months ago
Think back to 1978. Maybe the Pope had in mind the forces of destruction of human life which which dominated human affairs at that time. The Cultural Revolution in China was ending; more then one quarter of the population was torn apart during the previous ten years. Children were recruited to destroy all that was old in an effort to transform an ancient culture. Violent revolution against autocratic regimes imitated the Chinese model in many parts of the world at that time. Today we have what is happening in the Middle East. The Pope’s vision of the challenges confronting the Church then and now reflect the signs of the times on a world wide level.

The 1999 document Pastoral Approach to Culture makes positive contributions on how the Church can meet the challenges of today. Challenges that are not to be found just in the Western World. As the document states in a very positive way there is a need to re-formulate the Christian faith to be more accessible to dominant culture.

“All over the world, a whole new range of possibilities is opening up for a pastoral approach to culture to bring the light of Christ's Gospel to the hearts of men. On many points there needs to be a re-formulation of Christian faith which is more accessible to dominant cultures, because of the competition caused by the profusion on all sides of diffuse forms of religiosity.”

Let us together reflect on this point. There are challenges to human dignity in every area of human activity, also opportunities. Can we begin to move beyond rhetoric of condemnation of the dictatorship of relativism and the evils of secularism and begin to find areas where human dignity and freedom is supported in today’s world?. Can we engage in dialogue with those who disagree with us rather than condemn? Reformulation requires coming to a deeper understanding of the culture and the ability to speak in the language of the culture. Our model is the Incarnation which we prepare to celebrate during Advent.
JoAnn
5 months ago
This picture only shows me what all the people that voted for Obama to run this country for 4 more years look like. God bless.
Jane hartman
5 months ago
As a convert to the Catholic Church, I feel as though much of our problem exists because many Catholics, perhaps even the majority of Catholics pick and choose their Catholicism. I was so surprised at the Catholic vote for president indicating that Catholics aprove of Obama's policies. We are a divided lot and that works into the side of evil, as "divide and conquer" is a game plan for them. If we as practicing Catholics and devout Protestants regardless of denomination would stand together on these issues, we would be an army for good.
mike robertson
5 months ago
Beautiful article. I was in the bank shortly before the recent tragic election. The famous young woman demanding taxpayer subsidized birth control up to $3000 per month was on the TV along with the radio personality who apologized for calling her a bad name. The bank teller looked at me and said "What's wrong with that man, telling that woman she can't have what she needs?!" She assumed only an alien from another galaxy would not agree with the "poor" woman. But I am not a Catholic democrat. I told the teller "I would not want my daughter talking that way". The teller kept quiet and finished doing her job. Just a small case of how we must fight for God and His Church. It made me feel really good. No wonder the Catholic democrats' candidate said he was proud of this woman-who is advocating an immoral lifestyle and setting a wretched example for our girls and young women, If she was my daughter, I would be ashamed of her. But the Catholic democrats' hero not only advocates stealing our money to pay for this woman's chosen immoral lifestyle. He advocates giving what God calls an "abomination" the same status as Holy Matrimony. He is waging an unprovoked war against the Church for her adherence to God's laws. And he advocates the legal killing of children even after they survive the attempt to murder them in their mom's womb. So I will never give up standing up for Truth against the corrupt social policy voted for by Catholic democrats. P.S. Their economic policy is brutal, too.

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