Why the “battle” terminology in matters of faith?

Probably because, as much as we’d like to use language that’s less confrontational, that wouldn’t change the reality that this culture is in a battle over the definition of morality and which worldview will prevail in power.

I’ve written about this lately and made reference earlier this week to the cover of The Economist with the hand of God holding a grenade and the headline “The new wars of religion.” The edition carries a special feature on that, like TV media running special series lately on faith and politics, and of course, there’s “God’s Warriors.”

Daily, the news sweep turns up stories of activism by secular liberals either trying to impose more restrictions on any public expression of faith or religion or religiously informed morality. But there are plenty of stories of active resistence to that secular offensive, and many of them involve Catholic bishops asserting truth about rights and calling people to be informed and engaged in working for rights.

Here’s just one.

 Quebec City Cardinal Marc Ouellet has spoken out against a Quebec initiative which would impose a relativistic religion course on all Quebec students whether in public school, private school or even receiving home education.  The Cardinal made his remarks before a commission which is seeking public reaction to the program on “Ethics and Religious Culture” which includes positive presentation of homosexual families and requires children to question their own religious upbringing. The Cardinal’s presentation before the Bouchard-Taylor commission is being seen as a watershed defense of the place of the Catholic faith in Quebec society and indeed in Canada as a whole.

Cardinal Ouellet said that the mandated course “subjects religions to the control and the interests of the State and puts an end to religious freedoms in school which were acquired many generations ago.” 

With a firmness and fire rarely seen from the Canadian Catholic hierarchy, the Cardinal said, “No European nation has ever adopted such a radical position which disrupts the religious convictions and takes away religious freedoms. There is an uneasiness felt by many families as well as a sense of helplessness in front of the almighty State.”

The Cardinal also used the opportunity to address the underlying problem of the clash between secular humanists and the Catholic culture in Quebec and the rest of Canada.

….and the United States….and Europe.

This is an outstanding public witness for restoring right order in society. Read the whole article, and the links there. Thank God we’re hearing more of this resonating truth from real leaders. It’s encouraging.