Letters

Moral standards

Don Gaffney

Contents - Oct 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Australian Catholicism in the balance - Michael Gilchrist Catholic Life: Sydney's Pastoral Plan ready for implementation in 2008 - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Events: Book Launch: Advancing the Culture of Death, by Rev Dr Peter Hung Tran More of the same: Retired Sydney bishop calls for a radical overhaul of the Catholic faith - Michael Gilchrist Queensland: Liturgy in Brisbane and the rights of the laity - Michael Apthorp Sacred space: Sydney seminar promotes improved church architecture and art - John O'Brien A Christian sceptic's challenge: why atheism has no answers - Babette Francis Sacred language: New US liturgy head endorses revised Missal translation Truth: And the Light shines in the darkness: the meaning of true ecumenism - Andrew Kania Protect Our Children: New organisation to tackle doctrinal and moral child abuse - Fr John O'Neill PP Letters: Bishop Robinson - Fr Edward P. Evans Letters: Moral standards - Don Gaffney Letters: More on Vatican II - Peter D. Howard Letters: Catholic education - June See Letters: Mass attendance - John Schmid Letters: Nonsense - Frank Bellet Letters: Teaching position available in France - Br John Moylan CFC Letters: St Therese Church Torquay demolition threat - Charles Haber Poetry: Mother to Son - Bruce Dawe Books: JOHN HENRY NEWMAN: In His Time - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: SPANISH ROOTS OF AMERICA - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Events: Cardinal Pell to celebrate Latin Mass - 3 November 2007 Books: Books available from AD Books Reflection: Archbishop Hickey on the Christian concept of marriage - Archbishop Barry Hickey

Robert Garratt's letter (September AD2000) is very much to the point, especially in its conclusion. Relativists fail to realise that adherence to an external moral standard is a total necessity for a free society to remain viable. History abounds with examples of civilisations which either succumbed to despotism or rotted away and disappeared. Sybarus is the classic example of the latter.

Another historical demonstration of this law of cause and effect occurred in England. At the end of the Napoleonic wars it was a moot point as to whether this society would implode or explode. Under God's providence, humanly speaking it was held together by the efforts of John Wesley who didn't give a brass farthing about the progress of the Empire.

But because he called back the lowest social levels to their obligation to obey the Ten Commandments and various Christian teachings, as a by- product the British Empire remained a viable entity for another hundred years or so, carried literally on the backs of the working classes.

Where the Catholic Church, led by its bishops in union with the Pope, proclaims and teaches effectively, the future is golden. Where this does not happen we are already witnessing the results.

DON GAFFNEY
Tarragindi, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 9 (October 2007), p. 14