Two Dictators in Action

Last updated on: September 23, 2011 at 9:24 pm by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Two Dictators in Action 2011-09-23T21:24:00-05:00 Fr. Dwight Longenecker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-0436fi780?version=3

In an earlier post this week I commented on three fallacies which are omnipresent in our relativistic society. To borrow an image from the Holy Father–“the dictatorship of relativism” is alive and well. The three are sentimentalism, utilitarianism and politics, and two of the three are in full swing in this video.

Here we have John and Richard. What a couple of genuinely nice fellas! They are clearly devoted to one another and have had sixty one years of happiness together. Two absolutely sweet old codgers. How could anyone be so hard hearted and calloused to refuse to allow these lovable old guys to tie the knot? It just makes you angry doesn’t it that people would refuse such sweet old dears (who are not doing anybody any harm) to get hitched? Well that’s the sentimental argument in full swing, and I mean really full, home run hitting swing.

Now check what happens next. If you don’t buy the sentimental argument; if you say, “Well, they’re a couple of nice old coots, but they shouldn’t get married” you will be blamed not only for not having compassion, but for being cynical about ‘love’. You will be blamed for being cruel. You will be blamed for not granting these old guys the good things about their relationship. You will be blamed for thinking that they are just as awful as the gay pride bath house monsters that parade naked through the streets and commit sado masochistic sex acts on the steps of the cathedral.

But that’s not what we’re saying at all. We can admit that Richard and John seem to be just about as nice as can be. We can admire what seems to be a faithful friendship over the years. We can admire the fact that the loyalty of their friendship seems to outstrip lots of heterosexual couples we can think of. We acknowledge that they love each other, as only old friends can. We can admire their loyalty and love. We could even admit that, for practical reasons, they might have a legal contract which grants each other property rights on death.

Nevertheless, they can’t be married because they’re two men. Marriage is between a man and a woman, and we resent the dictator of sentimentalism bullying us otherwise.

The second little dictator is the political argument. See how it all ends? They smile and say winningly, “Don’t we have a right to be married?” Then the clincher comes up–the slogan “Freedom to Marry Now”. So the dictator of sentimentalism hands over the stage to the dictator of politics and it turns into a question of ‘equality’ and ‘civil rights’. To deny Richard and John marriage is to be a bigot. The second little dictator of political argument is a self righteous, passive aggressive little dictator–all bluster and posturing and lecturing and hectoring and when that doesn’t work, the wounded look, playing the martyr and putting on that self righteous, victim expression so beloved of the rebellious adolescent.

Once again, we don’t mind sentimental and political arguments. They have their weight, as do all subjective and personal arguments. What we object to is not that there are such arguments, but that they are the only arguments, and what we have now is not only that these are the only arguments, but that those who hold them deny that there could possibly be any other arguments.

That such people wish to re-define marriage and impose their views not only on the vast majority of unwilling United States citizens, but also think that they should impose their views despite the opinions of the vast majority of human beings around the world who are alive today–not to mention the vast majority of those human beings who have lived in every place and in every age down through history is preposterous and dictatorial in the extreme.

When Christians and self identified Catholics also support such a radical and ludicrous innovation despite the fact that this definition of marriage is upheld throughout Sacred Scripture, never questioned by virtually all theologians and Bible scholars of all traditions from time immemorial, and is an integral part of the whole Catholic faith upheld at all times and all places by the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church, is simply breathtaking in it’s audacity.

UPDATE: Go here for Archbishop Dolan’s letter to President Obama about the administration’s attack on the Defense of Marriage Act.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 23, 2011

Clarifying Marriage

Next Post

September 24, 2011 Newman's Notes on Change

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anglican Matters Apologetics Architecture Blobble Study Book Reviews Brideshead Caitlin O'Rourke Catholic Art Catholic Culture Church Politics Chust for Nice Contemporary Culture Duane Mandible Ed Blanch Film Reviews Fr Harvey Nicolaitan Frank Viola Mantilla the Hon More Christianity Mrs Brady Catholic Old Lady Mystery of the Magi Norman Anderson Queen Hillary Saints and Supernatural Spirituality The Inklings The Vicar Theology Todd Unctuous Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz