Letters

Natural law

Thomas A. Watkin

Contents - Dec 2011 - Buy a copy now Homily: Benedict XVI: From his Christmas homily - Pope Benedict XVI Ad Limina Visit: Australia's Bishops reaffirm their unity with Benedict XVI - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Vocations: Do not be afraid: successful Young Men of God retreat - Dr Barry Coldrey Youth Events: iWitness Retreat and Campion Summer Program Religious freedom: The plight of Christians in Islamic countries - Babette Francis Schools: St Philomena's school: a beacon of excellence - Alistair Barros Religious education: Different worlds: being Catholic in Indonesia and Australia - Phillip Turnbull Tyburn world tour: A visually compelling new documentary on the monastic life - AD2000 Report Pilgrimage: Young disabled Catholics: new ministry initiative - Fr James McCarthy Catholic Literature: Robert Hugh Benson and Christ's Second Coming - Br Christian Moe FSC Summorum Pontificum: Latin Mass in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral - Michael Daniel Letters: Homeschooling - Matthew Buckley Letters: Eucharistic confusion - John Royal Letters: Atheism - Paul Fitzgerald Letters: Vatican II - Peter Howard Letters: Natural law - Thomas A. Watkin Letters: Devotion to Mary - Cedric Wright Letters: Action needed - Dick Nolan Events: Advent and Christmas Liturgies - Extraordinary Form Books: WHY WE SHOULD CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS, by Marcello Pera - Elizabeth Lev (reviewer) Books: RONALD KNOX AND ENGLISH CATHOLICISM, by Terry Tastard - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Donations: Fighting Fund concludes Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Advent faith, Christmas and the Pope's call to evangelise - Fr Dennis Byrnes

Father Bernard McGrath (November AD2000) exposes the many tricks of atheism when it is presented under the cloak of feminism, materialism, naturalism, secularism, etc; which means: "Forget God. He doesn't come into the equation!"

On the contrary, God does come into everything through human experience, replete with the "reality of purpose and design" in this world. And this human experience shows that the human mind is "essentially" different from all other material things because it can understand universal ideas that are independent of time and space like truth, beauty, goodness, justice, loyalty, compassion, forgiveness, etc.

And, as Father McGrath points out, "We know things both seen and unseen." Awesome? Ponderously so, yet knowable! The true beauty of it all. Thanks be to God!

Which all gives us a purpose in living, a way to combat all the "strong passions" like greed, sex, anger and aggression and turn them around, tempering them to a good end which harmonises the emotions bringing goodwill and peace to mankind. A "return" to the "truth and the natural law" of our Creator God and Father is the way to go - the only way!

THOMAS A. WATKIN
Camberwell, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 24 No 11 (December 2011 - January 2012), p. 14