{"id":10207,"date":"2024-03-26T08:56:23","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=10207"},"modified":"2024-03-26T08:56:23","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:56:23","slug":"when-democracy-breaks-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/when-democracy-breaks-down\/","title":{"rendered":"When Democracy Breaks Down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As I said in my reflection on Sunday<\/a>, Pilate, as the local government official, allowed Jesus to be crucified \u201cto satisfy the crowd<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 He offered to release Jesus as it was his custom to release one prisoner on this feast.\u00a0 The \u201cmob\u201d did not want Jesus released.\u00a0 They asked for Barabbas instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Good Friday we will hear from the Passion of Jesus according to the Gospel of John<\/a>.\u00a0 When they brought Jesus to him, Pilate asked, \u2018\u201cWhat charge do you bring against this man?\u201d\u00a0 They answered and said to him, \u201cIf he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They had no charge to offer.  Why?  Because Jesus had broken no Roman law.   Jesus had broken no Jewish law.  What had He done to lead to his arrest?  The answer actually lies in what He had not done.  He had not done what they expected of the Messiah.  Pilate questioned Jesus.  Pilate declared three times, \u201cI find no guilt in him.<\/em>\u201d  Ultimately, Pilate allowed Jesus to be crucified.  Why?  \u201cTo satisfy the crowd.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find this very saddening.\u00a0 We use the term \u201cmob mentality\u201d in such situations.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it continues today.\u00a0 I think of the riots following such tragic events as the death of George Floyd.\u00a0 Legitimate protests were taking over by the \u201cmob mentality\u201d (see my article then \u201cHow Do We Look at the World?\u201d<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you allow the crowd to control you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You probably answered no.  Are you sure?  Are there times when you have \u201cgone along\u201d with your friends, doing something you didn\u2019t want to do? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How about what you think is right and wrong?  How much do you really think for yourself?  Do you make an informed decision or do you accept what people say to get along with them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus does not call us to get along with people.\u00a0 In fact, He knows there will be division (see Luke 12:51<\/a>).\u00a0 Jesus calls us to truth, the truth that will set us free (see John 8:32<\/a>).\u00a0 We need to ask ourselves where do we go for truth?<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer should be God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you<\/u><\/em><\/strong> go for truth?  Is it textbooks, the internet, government officials, friends, or your faith?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relativism says there is no truth.\u00a0 There is.\u00a0 It comes from God.\u00a0 Unfortunately, many reject God today while others say God exists but do not grasp the truth that God offers us.\u00a0 Society is losing the sense of how living God\u2019s Commandments leads us to a good life (see Deuteronomy 4:4-6<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus has become centered on \u201cfreedom.\u201d  Relativism says people must be free to do whatever they want.  From the overemphasized focus on freedom, some people say that they are against a particular behavior but they won\u2019t force their beliefs on others.  For example, a person might say they would never have an abortion but others must make that choice for themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel that way, I encourage you to ask yourself why you are against abortion.  I see abortion as the killing of an innocent child.  Because I believe this, I know I must stand up for that innocent<\/em> life.  I must be a voice for that innocent<\/em> child in the womb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you are for or against, ask yourselves why you have chosen this position.  Is it because you have studied the issue, including what our Catholic faith says, or is it because it is what others around you say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where democracy breaks down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democracy is based on majority rule.  However, we do not get to determine what is right and wrong.  God does.  Are you a friend of Caesar or a friend of God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just because something is common, doesn\u2019t make it right.  I remember when I was growing up, there was an expression, \u201cif everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?\u201d  Bad behavior starts with a few people doing something and it spreading.  Paul writes, \u201cDo you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?<\/em>\u201d (1 Corinthians 5:6<\/a>).  Another expression is \u201cone bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we need to tolerate others (see my article \u201cTolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue\u201d<\/a>)?\u00a0 Yes, in the sense that we are called to love everyone.\u00a0 However, this does not mean we can\u2019t speak up for our beliefs.\u00a0 In fact, if we love someone and see them sinning, we need to help point them to the truth.\u00a0 This is biblical.\u00a0 You can read it in Ezekiel 3:17-21<\/a>.\u00a0 When we see someone doing something that we know is wrong, we must first ask God if He wants us to say something.\u00a0 Then, if we are called to say something, we need to ask God to give us the words that He wants us to say and for the courage to say those words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding freedom, I agree with Pope John Paul II when he said, \u201cEvery generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought<\/u><\/em><\/strong>\u201d (\u201cHomily of his holiness John Paul II\u201d during his Apostolic Journey to America. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore. October 8, 1995.\u00a0https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/john-paulii\/en\/homilies\/1995\/documents\/hf_jp-ii_hom_19951008_baltimore.html. 7<\/a>.).\u00a0 I firmly believe that what we ought to do is determined by God.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 I do not believe this because I am afraid of God.\u00a0 I do it because I know God loves me (see John 3:16-17<\/a> and John 15:13<\/a>) and wants what is best for me.\u00a0 After all, Jesus died for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please pray.  Please pray that God\u2019s Truth be known by all.  Please pray for those are called by God to be a voice crying out in the desert.  Please pray for our church to always remain rooted in God\u2019s Truth. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not for us to declare what is right and wrong.\u00a0 It is for us to discern what God has set as right and wrong.\u00a0 Jesus is the way and the truth and the life <\/em>(see John 14:6<\/a>).\u00a0 Listen to Jesus and follow him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I said in my reflection on Sunday, Pilate, as the local government official, allowed Jesus to be crucified \u201cto satisfy the crowd.\u201d\u00a0 He offered to release Jesus as it was his custom to release one prisoner on this feast.\u00a0 The \u201cmob\u201d did not want Jesus released.\u00a0 They asked for Barabbas instead. On Good Friday …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘When Democracy Breaks Down’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[843,1077,905],"tags":[1145,1146],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMTPk-2ED","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10207"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10207"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10209,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10207\/revisions\/10209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}