We are also living in very individualistic times. Someone might hear a ruling from the Church about something and say "that's just about controlling people", but controlling people is not in and of itself a bad thing either. Every society has laws to try to control peoples' actions so that we do not run around freely murdering and abusing one another. So the question is what is the deeper agenda?
Some people might object to statements that we should be more charitable, because they don't like having to be charitable. That can just be put down to simple selfishness. But some people might hear statements about chastity and object because they object in principle to the idea that they should have to control their desires. They might turn such situations into a point of principle in their heads that they object to "being told what to do".
But the deep agenda of those chastity statements is to try to prevent people from having or aborting unwanted babies and to try to prevent unhappy, broken relationship histories.
Some people might hear messages about forgiveness and 'object' simply because they do not want to forgive. But the purpose - the deeper agenda of forgiveness is not to let people get away with doing bad things - we can still condemn unjust actions, but to prevent those wrong actions from doing us any more damage than necessary. Forgiveness is about not being consumed by bitterness and resentment - it does not eradicate righteous anger.
Sometimes people today are fond of pointing out that Jesus said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone", "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?", because they don't like to hear any opinions that suggest they (or others) might benefit from them changing their behaviour. People object to such advice as a point of principle. But Jesus also said "now go and sin no more". He also chased the money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals from the temple, so his message was not simply that we should do whatever we feel like, nor that we should object as a perverse point of principle should someone dare to express any view that advises self control or restraint. James 5:20 states "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
I'm amazed by how often someone has genuinely asked me for my perspective on something and because my viewpoint has involved a degree of self denial or abstinence, they have objected to my "forcing my opinion" on them.* It sometimes seems like the only advice people really want to hear is "do whatever you like" or "do whatever you think is right", but then they're not actually asking you for your advice - they're just asking for the go ahead to please themselves. They don't actually need your input to do that.
Some people might object to statements that we should be more charitable, because they don't like having to be charitable. That can just be put down to simple selfishness. But some people might hear statements about chastity and object because they object in principle to the idea that they should have to control their desires. They might turn such situations into a point of principle in their heads that they object to "being told what to do".
But the deep agenda of those chastity statements is to try to prevent people from having or aborting unwanted babies and to try to prevent unhappy, broken relationship histories.
Some people might hear messages about forgiveness and 'object' simply because they do not want to forgive. But the purpose - the deeper agenda of forgiveness is not to let people get away with doing bad things - we can still condemn unjust actions, but to prevent those wrong actions from doing us any more damage than necessary. Forgiveness is about not being consumed by bitterness and resentment - it does not eradicate righteous anger.
Sometimes people today are fond of pointing out that Jesus said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone", "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?", because they don't like to hear any opinions that suggest they (or others) might benefit from them changing their behaviour. People object to such advice as a point of principle. But Jesus also said "now go and sin no more". He also chased the money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals from the temple, so his message was not simply that we should do whatever we feel like, nor that we should object as a perverse point of principle should someone dare to express any view that advises self control or restraint. James 5:20 states "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
I'm amazed by how often someone has genuinely asked me for my perspective on something and because my viewpoint has involved a degree of self denial or abstinence, they have objected to my "forcing my opinion" on them.* It sometimes seems like the only advice people really want to hear is "do whatever you like" or "do whatever you think is right", but then they're not actually asking you for your advice - they're just asking for the go ahead to please themselves. They don't actually need your input to do that.
"No one has the right to do evil." - Fr. John Corapi
* These days I normally warn people first that my views are not typical for contemporary society. I double-check whether or not they really want to hear my opinion and warn them that they might well not like it. It isn't uncommon for another person to hear my perspective and say "Hmm.... well that's your opinion." which is a bit of a conversation stopper. If I'm really lucky they might add on the end "... which, of course, you are entitled to. And I'm entitled to mine."
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