Questioning the Dignity of God’s Creation

At times, religion has been the great bearer of liberation, while at other points in history religion has manifested itself as a force of oppression. Today, our world suffers at the hand of persecution on many fronts and in most cases the Catholic Church has expressed concern regarding this lack of respect for human dignity. Whether we consider the Church’s outspoken efforts on behalf of the Palestinian people or Rome’s recognition that the death penalty is no longer a humane sentence in the modern world, we can find countless examples of the Church pleading for justice and peace on behalf of the oppressed. In Gaudium et Spes, the Church declared “social disparity between individuals and people of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.” In light of this, today the Church remains silent in the face of an attack on the dignity of God’s creation. As I write this blog entry, people everywhere are mourning the loss of one Ugandan man, David Kato, who stood in the face of injustice and cried out for equality. David, like many others, spoke out against the proposed Ugandan law against homosexuality.

As I began to type this blog entry, I debated whether I wanted to comment on such a sensitive issue, but realized that if I opted for silence, I would be complicit in this denial of human rights. As I read the articles covering the proposed Ugandan law, which includes death as a possible punishment for homosexuality, I realized how truly lost humanity has become. Yet today, as people mourn the loss of one, they are reminded that he spoke for many. In spite of this, the Church remains silent.

I find the proposed law in Uganda to be antithetical to everything considered civilized and Christian, yet I am equally disappointed by the silence of the Vatican in response to this deplorable law against creation. This act of silence is not limited to the Vatican; however, as a Catholic I pray for a statement from Rome. The silence reminds me of a nonverbal version of Peter’s encounter with the Galilean where he denies knowing Christ (Luke 22:55-60). For when we look at our brothers and sisters and deny their existence and their very souls, are we not denying Christ himself? Our silence is denial.

The Church’s emphasis on compassion with regards to homosexuality is clear. The Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts:

They [gay men and women] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided (CCC 2358).

In exercising silence in the face of discrimination, the Church is failing to uphold its own teaching. This proposed Ugandan law against homosexuality and the punishments it institutes are in clear contradiction to the Church’s emphasis on “respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” So what are we as Catholics, and all Christians, called to do in response to this law? Pope Benedict XVI provides a path for the Christian response, in Deus Caritas Est, when he writes “love of neighbor is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that closing our eyes to our neighbor also blinds us to God.” Even if people hold different views regarding homosexuality, a law that denies the right to life cannot be in conformity with either Catholic social teaching or common Christian principles. This denial of human rights for gays and lesbians in Uganda is an aberration for all Christians. As Christians, we are called to preserve the human rights of all people without exception.

In addressing the Ambassador from Great Britain, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “Tolerance and respect for difference… derive from an appreciation of the innate dignity and the inalienable rights of every human person.” Therefore, if we turn a blind eye to the gay and lesbian people of Uganda not only are we denying their dignity, but we are risking our own ability to see God. In the face of such a grave act of discrimination, Catholics and all Christians should speak out against this law.

Further, as the house of the Vicar of Christ and as a symbol of truth and peace, the Holy See must denounce this proposed law as being a threat to creation itself. If we fail to speak out against this injustice, we will be left uttering the words of Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out –Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

We must not allow injustice to spread. Instead, we must respond to such not with silence, but with a promise for a peace founded in love. As some reflect on whether their views on homosexuality impede their willingness to speak out against this injustice, let us remember the words of Christ:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

If we stand together, in love, against this injustice we will ensure that no inn is ever to full to receive a child of God.

Discovering Truth

Currently, I am reading An Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI); in the opening pages of his book, Ratzinger explores three approaches to understanding truth. In reflecting on these three approaches, I realized that they offer a means for understanding our world today. By considering what distinguishes each of these approaches, I believe that we become more aware about how one’s perception of truth might impact his or her perceptions regarding our culture at-large. For the sake of this essay, I am going to explore the three approaches in reverse order from how Ratzinger discusses them in his book.

Perhaps the dictum presented by Ratzinger that best describes our culture is verum quia faciendum, finding truth in the “makeable.” In our world today, it seems as if this approach to truth has overwhelmed the language of political, social, and economic discussions. Consider for instance political debates related to whether man can “create” life or questions related to our ability to “forge” peace. In our world today, both sides of the political divide present their own views as if they are absolute fact. Sadly, they fail to realize that these “facts” are merely the products of our minds rather than truth in the absolute sense. As a world, we seem focused on questions of the future and creating a new tomorrow, however, in solely focusing on the makeable nature of a particular issue, we deny God being the beginning and the end. In ascribing to a definition of truth that emphasizes man’s ability “to create,” we forget that we are in fact a manifestation of creation itself (Ratzinger 1969).

A second approach, which Ratzinger explores, is verum quia factum. He explains that with this approach, we can only “truly know what we have made ourselves” (Ratzinger 1969). In other words, humanity embraces a view of truth that finds its definition in history. In the case of verum quia factum, it intrigues me to think how willingly humanity accepts the discoveries of science, but often questions faith. A mere 132 years ago, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, an invention that today is accepted as fact without question. Yet if we truly examine the light bulb, we are surely left with countless questions and perhaps even left doubting how precisely it was invented. Still though in absolute darkness, we flick a switch and are able to clearly see the room around us. We accept the relationship between the switch and light-filled room without question, because we recognize the truth behind its relationship as being “firmly” established. Perhaps when we examine the relationship at closer detail, we realize how weird it is. Although as humans we are willing to accept the “truth” behind a switch, a few wires, and a bulb bringing light to a room, many of us still doubt Christ being the light of the world. Is it because Christ does not require a switch for him to be “turned on” that we doubt his existence and in turn truth itself?

The final approach discussed by Ratzinger is verum est ens, being is truth (Ratzinger 1969). It is in recognizing the beauty of our own existence that we come to understand the creative force of truth itself. In essence, it is in ascribing to this dictum that we come to understand how being embraces both the past and the makeable future in a way that enhances our understanding of not only truth, but also the world around us. Christ came not only as love incarnate, but also as a living example of truth. In his living ministry, Christ exhibited the meaning of truth in the past, in the future and above all in the eternal.

Consider the scene in the New Testament where Christ appears before the eleven disciples at Galilee. It is here that many of the disciples recognized Christ, but the Gospel makes clear that “some doubted” (MT 28:16-18). In response, Christ declares:

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world. (MT 28:18-20)

In this powerful moment, Christ embraced the truth of the past, the truth of the future, and the truth found in the eternal. In accepting this commission, the disciples embraced the value of all three approaches to discovering the meaning of truth, but recognized the absolute nature of verum est ens. In today’s world, it will again be through looking to the heavens that we awaken to the deception of contemporary culture. Truth is not merely found in either what we have made in the past or intend to create in the future, but rather truth is found in the confines of our own hearts in a way that allows us to live and pray for a better tomorrow. One can only hope that policymakers entrusted with safeguarding the common good, will recognize that they are not charged merely with learning from the past and with building a “makeable” future, but rather they are charged with embracing the peace and love that Christ revealed to humanity. In this revelation, Christ revealed an absolute truth to the world: truth is in the eternal.