Penny's, Target, and Starbucks now teach us morality?

Thomas Peters of CatholicVote recently addressed corporate efforts by such companies as J.C. Penny's, Target, and Starbucks, who now publically are supporting the drive by homosexual groups in their push for the redefinition of marriage.

"Over the last year or so, gay rights organizations have stepped up their efforts to get corporations involved," said Peters. "It's not the business of corporations to define marriage."

Starbuck's not only issued a public statement saying that redefining marriage is one of their "core values," but went as far as to file an Amicus brief to try to get state laws protecting marriage between one man and one woman struck down. "Amazingly, there is even a petition online to get Merriam-Webster to change their definition of marriage," said Peters. "Words define morality. Definitions matter."

Some may succeed in changing a dictionary definition but they will never be able to hide the truth by changing scripture.

Is this what a predominantly “Christian” nation has come to? Abandoning “organized religion” as unnecessary and moral values as “old school” to be guided morally by companies such as these… J.C. Penny's, Target, and Starbucks?

This is beyond pathetic. But we should realize one very important aspect. The fact that we would have to redefine the definition of marriage to make it suit an obvious perversion of its true meaning tells a great deal about the society we have created. If any Christian thinks this is a reasonable solution to justify to God what we support or even promote in this life, consider who it was that defined the relationship in the first place.

I for one will stand with Christ in the teachings and morality of His calling; I will retain my self respect by not supporting what is in opposition to nature, science, God, and moral dignity and if I may be so defiant, I will never again patronize any commercial entity that seeks profits by promoting causes that oppose our Creator or my Christian faith or attempts to distort reality by pushing for a redefinition of an institution founded upon the will of God.

How many Christians are willing to stand up for their faith now? How many will return to the faith they claim to be but have not honestly lived by in recent years? How many will continue to deceive themselves until they stand before the One who they can not deceive?

Catholic Polls - contraception coverage mandate

Today, June 8th, 2012, yet another poll came out regarding Catholics and Obama's HHS mandate. The group “Public Religion Research Institute” released a poll that found 52% of voting Catholics do not believe the contraception coverage mandate should apply to religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals. Only 45% of Catholic voters said the rule should apply to these ministries.

 Although it is a “positive” to see the Catholic majority (by a thin margin) are supportive of the Catholic Church against the mandate, it is extremely saddening that such a vast number of Catholics do not follow their principles of faith at least at this time. It is not that I do not understand how this can be the case after having been separated from living my faith for 25 years, I do. This is exactly why I find it so saddening. As a separated Catholic not practicing my faith for several years living among many people who were as indifferent to Catholicism as I was, I know all the excuses that come with it. But I also have learned over the last nine years of research and study into Christianity and Catholicism how ignorant I was to Christ and the faith He established and I have come to know Him in a way that I pray others will one day seek Him for themselves.

 There is no doubt in my mind that not a single Catholic would ever oppose let alone abandon the Catholic faith if they knew it properly. As in all relationships, you can not enter into a truly honest relationship with anyone without coming to know them. The fact is, too many Catholics know little to nothing of their faith as compared to what they should know and as a result, they misconstrue what it means to have a relationship with Jesus if they even express a sincere interest in the first place.

 I pray that others who are distant from their faith will one day open their hearts and accept the blessing offered them as it was offered to me – that they accept the inspiration to seek the truth and pursue it before time in this life is finished. For those who return to Christ like the prodigal son or daughter, there is a loving relationship and a fulfillment in life they could never have discovered otherwise. But if anyone thinks God did not know what was to come, or did not know what our choices would be in the society we have formed today, or there is anything in life that scripture does not address with relevance for any period since the formation of the Bible until the consummation of the world, that person deceives them self.

Time to rethink our priorities....

“For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” (2 Timothy CH4; v3-4)

“The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived.” (1 John CH2: vs4-6)

“…God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans CH1: vs26-32)

Conservative vs. Liberal Christians

Here we are. A society that defines itself either liberal as opposed to conservative, right verses left, far left verses far right or independent. We classify ourselves this way in all aspects of life but in this case we will refer strictly to our Christian faith and most especially our Catholic faith.

We boast of our advanced intelligence and express our “modern philosophies” but are we all that modern? No, not at all. Our society has digressed to a level of permissiveness that is perverse while we strive to redefine what we know is truth to conform it to fit what is most self indulging. In fact, today our social standards and permissiveness mirror that of the Caligula society during the first century. We’ve explained this in previous articles so we will not repeat the distorted elements or lack of morality that conform us to that era again here.  

In Christianity there is a call to faith that is expressed by a way of life of which we are taught by Jesus Christ. Scripture and the Church together teach that way of life and the moral values that are intrinsic to live as true Christians. Scripture does not teach a conservative way of Christian life or a liberal way of Christian life. It does not teach us we can selectively defy the teachings of Christ in our faith determined by what is most convenient or self gratifying to us as individuals. It does not teach us we can manipulate our conscience to serve our greater desires within a particular culture. The cultural elements of any given society are after all, nothing more than the adopted practices of the majority based on opinions. Opinions change based on what one considers as advantageous to the individual within that culture or period.

But God does not change; neither does moral values or truth change, but rather are respected or rejected. Principles of faith are either abided by or ignored. There are no conservative or liberal versions of Christian faith; we invented these categories to serve our own interests. We must be honest with ourselves before we can be honest with others. Many of us ignore our call to worship the Lord even one day a week. We claim sin is not sin, sexual promiscuity is not lacking in self respect or respect toward others, pregnancy to a single parent or outside of a marital commitment is acceptable and does not deprive a child of the benefits of a loving parental commitment or the influence of being raised by a father and mother during the growth of a child, divorce is as valid as marriage, abortion is not murder of human life, homosexual relationships are not adverse to nature, science, morality or the will of God, marriage is merely a civil agreement between any two people and is not a covenant intended strictly between one man and one woman but whoever chooses to enter into it including those of the same sex.

The fact is, if one believes in God and the judgment each of us will one day face, we must turn back to recognizing reality and stop kidding ourselves by claiming to be conservative or liberal in matters of living our faith. We must realize that claiming our conscience is good with the choices we make even when defiant of scripture and the Church either reflects an ill-informed conscience or a conscience that we have distorted for self-gratification. Is it difficult to live a truly Christian life? Not if you know your faith well enough to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. As in any loving relationship, self control and moral values are expressed willingly in the desire to preserve a loving relationship. Truth: there is no conservative Christian faith. In matters of faith, those considered conservative are actually striving to live their faith properly and “liberal” is living faith by convenience. Will we be judged on our choosing to live a truly Christian life or liberal way of life? The answer is in the following verse from Revelations, by which one can judge for them self the eternity they choose for them self. 

 "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold (grace) refined by fire (purified by perseverance in faith) so that you may be rich (righteous), and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.”  (Revelations CH3: vs15-18)