Jun 25 Sun
Eight Modern Errors Every Catholic Should Know and Avoid
These masquerade as wisdom and balance.
1. Mercy without reference to repentance – For some, “mercy” means, “God is fine with what I am doing.” But, true mercy does not overlook sin; it offers a way out of sin. The opening words of Jesus’ ministry were “Repent and believe the Gospel!”
2. Fear of the Cross – A strong hesitation to recognize that sometimes we have to go through hard choices. Many Catholics are fearful realizing the demands of moral issues, such as chastity, euthanasia, abortion, and divorce and remarriage. St. Paul understood that Christ crucified is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.
3. Universalism – The belief that most, if not all people are going to be saved in the end, no matter what. This is directly contrary to our Lord’s words; he attests that “many” are on the road that leads to destruction and “few” are on the narrow and difficult road that leads to salvation (See Matthew 7:14, Luke 13:23-30). Seldom we hear sermons that warn of judgment or the possibility of hell.
4. Deformed dialogue – The term “dialogue” has come to mean an almost endless conversation, without a clear goal to bring someone close to the truth. It usually means just “talk.”
“Dialogue” is a tool, not a goal; it is a method, not a destination. Yet it is true, we seek to win souls, not arguments.
5. Equating love with kindness – Kindness is an aspect of love. But so is rebuke; so is punishment; as is praise. Yet many today think of love only as kindness, affirmation, approval, encouragement, and other positive attributes. Yet true love is, at times, willing to punish, to insist on change, and to rebuke error, instead of sacrificing the truth.
6. Wrong idea of tolerance – Most people today equate tolerance with approval of their error. But tolerance refers to the non-interference with beliefs, or practices that one considers to be wrong. Otherwise, we cannot speak of “toleration” but of “indifference” or “affirmation;” forms of indifferentism and subjectivism. Many demand tolerance from us, Catholics, but they have no intention of extending it to us.
7. Anthropocentrism – The tendency to have man at the center of everything, and not God. Thus, the liturgy becomes more about us than adoring God. Some parents too seem focused exclusively on the temporal wellbeing of children, on their academic standing and so forth, but less concerned with their spiritual life.
8. Role reversal – Jesus said that the Holy Spirit, whom he would send to us, will convict the world (see John 16:8). And thus, the proper relationship of a Catholic to the world is to test it. St. Paul says, “Test all things. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess 5:21-22).
But too often Catholics put the Word of God and the teachings of the Church on trial, judging them with the rules of the world.
All of this amounts to a tragic role reversal wherein the world and its ideas overrule the gospel. They put God himself in the role of accused. Yet do not be deceived; God will not be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.