Freedom to Sin? (3)

It is possible after having read my two previous posts that some might think that I am very un-American. In one sense that is definitely true. If your definition of an American is someone who agrees with everything that this nation does, then I am definitely not that, so I will confess to being "un-American". If, however, you see an "un-American" person as someone who hates his home country and wants to cause it and its people as much harm as possible, then I am not "un-American".

Let me be perfectly clear: I am not advocating that people fight to take over the American system and replace it with something different ("meet the new boss, same as the old boss"). If that were to occur it would not be my hand that led to it. I am merely pointing out that the nation that we live in here in America is truly inconsistent with our faith in more areas than we realize. What can be done about that? That is up to those who are called to that task. Would we be better off if our country had genuinely Catholic principles, Catholic laws, and (faithful) Catholic leadership? Yes, I do believe so, but I also believe that sometimes bad leadership is good for us (especially when we are a bit arrogant and need to learn a lesson).

I do believe that the structure of our nation and many of its laws make it easier to sin. "Freedom" has become this idol that Americans claim to want, but few realize just how dangerous it is. The concept of freedom in many American minds is something similar to: anarchy for themselves, and strict totalitarianism for everyone who thinks differently. I advocate neither. I do think it is possible for our society to find a godly form of government, but what we have right now is not that. Yes, it is better than many of the other options, but that does not make it the highest point of perfection.

I see our current situation similar to owning a home. If your home has some problems, then work on what you can to improve it. Fix things and clean things up; pick your battles wisely, and seek to make the best of what you have been given. Then, if God blesses you sufficiently you can seek a total makeover. That does not appear to be something that can be done in our day, at least without a massive amount of repentance and the elimination of the majority of protestantism and all of its way of thinking. In the meantime we can work and pray like it says in the Psalms:

Let the faithful exult in glory;

let them sing for joy on their couches.

Let the high praises of God be in their throats

and two-edged swords in their hands,

to wreak vengeance on the nations

and chastisement on the peoples,

to bind their kings with chains

and their nobles with fetters of iron,

to execute on them the judgment written!

This is glory for all his faithful ones (Psalm 149:5-9).

In Catholic terms: go to Mass faithfully, be ready for battle, help to correct those who do not understand, because this is what it means to be the servants of God who live in a "foreign" nation.