Change was a disaster for Church and society
About 50 years ago the Catholic Church informally decided to more or less downplay the Ten Commandments in its spirituality, preaching and catechetics.
It was a remarkable decision, given the place the Commandments held in the preaching of Jesus and in the tradition of the Church (see Matt 5:21, 27; Mk 10:19).
There were many reasons for this move, including bad theology, flawed anthropology and an eagerness in the Church to fit in with the spirit of the times.
This was an optimistic spirit that wanted to stress "the positive", to help people feel good about themselves, to promote self-esteem, to celebrate "autonomy".
To speak about sins, like missing Sunday Mass, sex outside marriage, lying, would only make people feel bad about themselves.
It helped that a priest who glossed over the Commandments in his preaching was often regarded as kind, compassionate, "a lovely man".
This is still the way, maybe even more than in the past. But it has been an immense disaster for both Church and society.
1. Christian morality was reduced to "love God and your neighbour" but, on its own, this command is like a body without bones. It can be twisted in all kinds of grotesque ways.
It needs the ten Commandments to give it its true structure, to tell us what this love actually involves, the first three telling us in particular what love of God demands.
Natural law
2. The Commandments are a summary of the natural law, the wise rule of God which communities can come to know by reason alone.
Anyone who recognises that rape, for example, or a terrorist attack on innocent people, is always wrong, is following the natural law.
Over the centuries Christians, guided by revelation, have worked out in great detail what this law requires. In first place is the call to recognise and worship God.
Today it is often expressed in terms of human rights. Indeed, without natural law human rights have no solid basis, they are just a fiction to be manipulated as it suits any group with power.
Another way to speak of natural law is to recognise "objective morality", to recognise that good and evil are "a given". I do not decide for myself what is good or evil, I recognise it.
And if I think that something evil, fornication, for example, or dangerous driving, is good, then I am mistaken. And I may need to be told that.
I cannot plead "I'm entitled to my opinion", "You're being judgmental", "It may not be right for you but it is ok for me". These are simply attempts to avoid the truth.
Pro-choice
By neglecting the Commandments the Church, in fact, greatly undermined her own teaching on objective morality. This left the way wide open to the only alternative, the evil "pro-choice" ideology which dominates Western society today.
As a result not only secularists but vast numbers of Catholics now believe that "choice", "what I want", is the ultimate moral principle: You don't want to worship God? It's your choice.
You want to abandon your spouse for someone more exciting? Your choice. You want sex without marriage, to "marry" someone of the same sex, to vote for a politician with harmful policies, to end your senile mother's life, or your own - all are your choice.
Even paying a killer to destroy your unborn child who may be an inconvenience or seriously ill is your choice. And we'll change the law to enable that choice.
A lot of people, especially children and the vulnerable, have paid dearly in many different ways, for this ruthless ideology. And neglect of the Commandments has contributed immensely to its spread in our society.
3. Individualism. In order to thrive, any community needs a shared goal and an agreed set of rules that promote that goal. This is as true of a whole nation as of a football club.
The Commandments summarise the most fundamental principles that enable a community to thrive: worship God, no stealing, and so on.
Self-interest
When a community is working well, it is easy to take for granted the moral principles on which its success is built. But neglect or rejection of those principles soon radically undermines concern for the community.
This leaves the way open to members putting their individual self-interest ahead of the community's shared good.
With this kind of individualism dominant in a community, and even encouraged, regard for the truth declines, and conflicting interests cause deep divisions.
As in Ireland today, the best manipulators of public opinion get their way while the weakest members suffer. All this is thanks largely to neglect of the Commandments.
Resentment at God's Commands is often due to a false view of them. They are seen as an attempt to "impose" morality on the public, to limit individuals' freedom, as a bid for power.
But embodying God's wisdom, they are, in reality, essential signposts pointing us along the only road to meaning in life, to true freedom and to eternal happiness.
It was a remarkable decision, given the place the Commandments held in the preaching of Jesus and in the tradition of the Church (see Matt 5:21, 27; Mk 10:19).
There were many reasons for this move, including bad theology, flawed anthropology and an eagerness in the Church to fit in with the spirit of the times.
This was an optimistic spirit that wanted to stress "the positive", to help people feel good about themselves, to promote self-esteem, to celebrate "autonomy".
To speak about sins, like missing Sunday Mass, sex outside marriage, lying, would only make people feel bad about themselves.
It helped that a priest who glossed over the Commandments in his preaching was often regarded as kind, compassionate, "a lovely man".
This is still the way, maybe even more than in the past. But it has been an immense disaster for both Church and society.
1. Christian morality was reduced to "love God and your neighbour" but, on its own, this command is like a body without bones. It can be twisted in all kinds of grotesque ways.
It needs the ten Commandments to give it its true structure, to tell us what this love actually involves, the first three telling us in particular what love of God demands.
Natural law
2. The Commandments are a summary of the natural law, the wise rule of God which communities can come to know by reason alone.
Anyone who recognises that rape, for example, or a terrorist attack on innocent people, is always wrong, is following the natural law.
Over the centuries Christians, guided by revelation, have worked out in great detail what this law requires. In first place is the call to recognise and worship God.
Today it is often expressed in terms of human rights. Indeed, without natural law human rights have no solid basis, they are just a fiction to be manipulated as it suits any group with power.
Another way to speak of natural law is to recognise "objective morality", to recognise that good and evil are "a given". I do not decide for myself what is good or evil, I recognise it.
And if I think that something evil, fornication, for example, or dangerous driving, is good, then I am mistaken. And I may need to be told that.
I cannot plead "I'm entitled to my opinion", "You're being judgmental", "It may not be right for you but it is ok for me". These are simply attempts to avoid the truth.
Pro-choice
By neglecting the Commandments the Church, in fact, greatly undermined her own teaching on objective morality. This left the way wide open to the only alternative, the evil "pro-choice" ideology which dominates Western society today.
As a result not only secularists but vast numbers of Catholics now believe that "choice", "what I want", is the ultimate moral principle: You don't want to worship God? It's your choice.
You want to abandon your spouse for someone more exciting? Your choice. You want sex without marriage, to "marry" someone of the same sex, to vote for a politician with harmful policies, to end your senile mother's life, or your own - all are your choice.
Even paying a killer to destroy your unborn child who may be an inconvenience or seriously ill is your choice. And we'll change the law to enable that choice.
A lot of people, especially children and the vulnerable, have paid dearly in many different ways, for this ruthless ideology. And neglect of the Commandments has contributed immensely to its spread in our society.
3. Individualism. In order to thrive, any community needs a shared goal and an agreed set of rules that promote that goal. This is as true of a whole nation as of a football club.
The Commandments summarise the most fundamental principles that enable a community to thrive: worship God, no stealing, and so on.
Self-interest
When a community is working well, it is easy to take for granted the moral principles on which its success is built. But neglect or rejection of those principles soon radically undermines concern for the community.
This leaves the way open to members putting their individual self-interest ahead of the community's shared good.
With this kind of individualism dominant in a community, and even encouraged, regard for the truth declines, and conflicting interests cause deep divisions.
As in Ireland today, the best manipulators of public opinion get their way while the weakest members suffer. All this is thanks largely to neglect of the Commandments.
Resentment at God's Commands is often due to a false view of them. They are seen as an attempt to "impose" morality on the public, to limit individuals' freedom, as a bid for power.
But embodying God's wisdom, they are, in reality, essential signposts pointing us along the only road to meaning in life, to true freedom and to eternal happiness.
