This fairly rapid incultration of the Spirit of the World into mankind increasing its rate due to, at least on the natural level, the availability of information --- much of it garbage from media which has, in its least concerns, the higher spiritual and temporal goods of men, has led to the inevitable promotion of gradualism within the Church's hierarchy. The scoundrels of men who would make a false god and call him "Christ" would rather the Church change to the times, rather than the reverse. Afterall, they will propose, God is merciful. However, they blaspheme when they accuse God of not being merciful unless HE acquieses to us, rather than mankind conform to HIM. We are the ones who are fickle, but not God who is always faithful. They blaspheme God the Holy Ghost by suggesting that this gradualism must occur, or they devise a revolt with her hierarchy against dogma, first by the application of "guidelines" that regard dogma as not being from the Holy Ghost, and rather, suddenly, the Holy Ghost is now also redefined as the Spirit of the World. They take Christ off the Cross, finding the Cross to be an abboration to their intentions. How demon-driven do they show themselves to be in doing so, for it is the demons that are most offended by the Crucifix, which mocks their choice to give their not fiat! When their first attempt of an revolt is thwarted, they get, never-the-less, their bifercated tails in the door by causing division under the pretense of worldly unity.
Never before in the Church's history was there a need for an increase of daily prayer and penances of the faithful. In the time of great martyrdoms, it was merely the secular authority which the faithful had to resist. Today, it is even in its spiritual leaders who are disavowing their vocations to Christ as Truth Incarnate Himself, by perpetuating this gradualism either directly or by their cowardice.
However, God gives us the priests, bishops, cardinals and popes we deserve, so, the question is: how did we get here? Besides the first fact that their is a tremendous lack of due worship, both in the liturgical sense and privately among most Catholics, the "Lex Vivendi" has been contributing to this blind leading the blind. Some of the more significant areas I mean to point out below, as a continuation from the previous post.
- The promotion of vice (i.e.: avarice, perversion, immodesty) Well, I;'m not about to list all the vices here, but just for the fact that most Catholics canot even name the 7 Deadly Sins, one could say its frighteningly obvious that there is a resounding lack of consideration for God's rights in most practicing Catholics today. Without this knowledge, how can their be any objective standards within our cutlure? A type of ennui towards prudence in general becomes presented by Modernists as "fundamentalism" because there are so few people who see the connection to even their own faults as contributions to the promotion of vice in the world at large.
- Contraception.
This causes people to become utilitarianists. No longer is the marital act something that is a participation of two for what is in principle a life-giving act, but rather, it is something that primarily self-oriented, and not self-giving. It erodes a sense of responsibility, actually keeping individuals from habitually growing in the ability to give sacrificial love within the context of marriage, and, like other sexual sins (self-abuse, pornography, etc.) its self-orientation stunts the maturity of those who participate in its use. This also indoctrinates a type of utilitarianistic philosophy which weakens the potential to express love and sacrifice in all other areas of one's life. - Lack of acknowledging the value of life from natural conception to natural death.
This also stems from the utilitarianist's outlook on life, as it looks to value another person by his or her viability and/or usefulness. One might, for example, extend this attitude towards not respecting a spouse because, perhaps, they cannot make a certain amount of money to "pull their weight" within a marriage. This attitude breaks down humanity within a person's character. God commands us to "love our neighbor as ourself", but how can we say this of someone who does not value life at all and any stage? - The lack of reverence to the solemn and sacred, recognizing the Transcendent nature of the Divine and divine truths.
We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, but firstly, to love God, as this love of neighbor springs from this love of God, all of which comes from Him. When we do not put reverence to the solemn and the sacred as necessary both from the interior and the exterior, then we are saying that the material goods of this life have no purpose. In fact, this is a heresy, because the goods of this life are intended for us to use to give Him glory, each according to our state. As the old saying goes, "Lex orandi. Lex Credendi. Lex Vivendi." - Lack of personal accountability.
...and regarding that "Lex Vivendi"...
Have you noticed how there is a fast-growing lack of accountability being replaced by entitlement? This prevailing attitude within our society is partly to do the humanism, materialism, and a whole lot of other 'isms', along with significant increases in utilitarianism, agnosticism. People are becoming more and more 'law onto themselves', lacking a holy fear in God, or the desire to grow in gratitude and holy fear (the Bible says that holy fear is the beginning of love of God).
The one, true God is the god of Truth and of Justice. By the way, there is no dichotomy between His justice and mercy --- there is a paradox, but NOT a dichotomy. To suggest that there is a dichotomy in God is to say that He contradicts Himself --- which is the basic error of the Modernist, since everything he proposes is based on comparing, what he wrongly perceives, as "dichotomies", and like Hegel, proposes, then, a dialectic to further his gnostic comprehension. Then he attributes his findings to modern science, which is not only an insult to our holy religion, but also to science itself.
But I digress, the lack of accountability is due to a lack of humility. We need to make ourselves accountable to our own faults if we wish to please God.
