David Ancell / Friday August 16, 2002
If you’ve been following other Catholic blogs, you’ve probably noticed a lot of strong statements. My own blogs may be regarded as some as such. I’ve sought some advice as well as e-mailed a couple of other bloggers whom I like to read. We all seem to have, to some degree, a struggle. How do we make strong statements when needed and still be charitable?
Like many Catholics, I have my share of frustration regarding what’s going on in the Church. I love the Church and her teachings. However, even before I was baptized in 1991, I had some sense that the Church’s teachings weren’t really being taught. People in the Church didn’t seem to know or understand them. If anyone spoke in the Church against her teachings, little was done about it. It was like the NAACP invited a Ku Klux Klan member to speak and then didn’t try to refute what he said. Now, this has culminated in this sexual abuse scandal that we see all over the news. Then, when the time comes to address it, the symptom (the sexual abuse) is treated (in the wrong way, in my opinion), but the disease (lack of proclamation of authentic Catholic teaching) and its cause go unaddressed. I cannot explain the grief in my soul.
My flesh wants to lash out and say uncharitable things, often in the name of making my blog entertaining. However, I really want to be an authentic, charitable Christian man. I don’t want to be an obstacle to someone’s acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his Church. At the same time, I don’t think that all strong statements are uncharitable. Sometimes, the truth needs to be strongly proclaimed. I’ve heard people say that Jesus wouldn’t make strong statements, but Jesus forcefully drove the money changers out of the temple. If you look at an excellent book by David Mills, The Seeker’s Guide to Knowing the Real Jesus, you’ll see that the early Christians had some colorful words for the heretics.
So what’s my point . . . . I, like some others I have talked to, am struggling to discern how God wants me to use this blog. I try to attack bad ideas, not people. I do not want to commit a sin of rash judgement by judging someone’s intent without objective evidence of it. I really don’t want to be involved in detraction or calumny. Bishop-bashing is something I want to avoid like the plague. At the same time, I want to preach against the evil of our day, whether going on in the Church or elsewhere, but I have to be careful to do this without forgetting the evil in my own life for which I need repentance.
Any ideas? Comments? Please feel free to write.
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