An "Objective Moral Order"

I'll be disappointed, and concerned, if America's national government continues its efforts to control how Americans put our beliefs into practice. But I won't be discouraged.

It took my native country decades to produce the mess we have today. I'll be pleasantly surprised if respect for human life and religious liberty are restored quickly: but I expect that it will be a long process.

I am convinced that as the results of the last half-century's foolishness become harder to ignore, more folks will:

• Stop insisting that
  • The personal preference of a healthy adult trumps an innocent person's right to live
    (October 5, 2012)
  • Killing criminals is a good idea
    (November 2, 2008, October 2, 2008)
• Realize that
  • Humanity comes in two sexes
    (June 30, 2012, August 30, 2011)
  • Religious belief
    • Isn't always
      • Crazy
      • Destructive
      • Based on hate
    • Can be
      • Rational
        (June 19, 2010)
      • Constructive
        (April 2, 2012)
      • Compassionate
        (June 5, 2011)

This isn't blind optimism. It's recognition that an "objective moral order" exists. (Catechism, 2108-2109)

I've posted about natural law, cause and effect, and consequences, before:

• "Original Sin and the Unfairness of Gravity"
  (July 11, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Sin, God, and a "Distorted Image"
• " 'Legal' isn't Necessarily Right: My Take on Supreme Court Rulings"
  (June 29, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Hope, History, and Elections

America isn't Perfect

Finally, America's government has blundered, and eventually cleaned up the mess, before. My hope is that the process this time is swifter and less messy than some have been:

• "America, Racism, and What Didn't Happen at Virginia Tech"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (January 22, 2009)
  Particularly
  • Another Murder at Virginia Tech: And Nobody's Crying "Yellow Peril!"
  • America has changed since the Rutherford B. Hayes Administration
  • But What About the Japanese?
• "Dred Scott, the Slavery Compromise, and Who to Trust"
  (February 2, 2009)

I realize that America's government, and individual Americans, are far from perfect. But for more than two centuries, folks have decided that moving here was better than staying in their homelands. I think that is a good thing, some don't, and that's another topic. (August 20, 2012)

Voting Smart: Resources and Posts

As I said earlier this morning, I wouldn't be allowed to 'make' you believe something, even if I could. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)

I can, however, suggest studying what Catholic bishops in America have written about religious freedom and ethics; and it probably won't hurt to tell you where a list of my posts is:

• "Freedom of Religion: Resource Lists"
  Mostly from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
  • Fact sheets
  • 'Conscience' bulletin inserts (June 2012)
  • Background: Why Ethics Matter
    • HHS Mandate, and
      Why Catholic Hospitals Won't Kill
    • Why Catholic bishops in America are concerned
  • Federal publication
  • Correspondence
• "Working Toward a Better World"
  Link list of posts in this blog
  Particularly
  • The Department of Health and Human Services Mandate

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You may find a link list of today's three posts, and others, useful. Then again, maybe not:

• "An Election, Citizenship, and Expectations"
  (November 4, 2012)

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Related posts:

• "A Senator and a Bishop; Another Sex Scandal; and Religious Freedom"
  (November 2, 2012)
  Particularly
  • North Dakota Senator Instructs Catholic Bishop on Church Teaching
  • Chicago Declaration: Religious Freedom; for Everyone
• "Freedom: A Privilege for 'Us,' and not 'Them?' "
  (August 20, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Freedom: For Everyone
  • Abraham, Zoot Suits, and All That
• "Conscience, Natural Law, and Religious Liberty"
  (July 4, 2012)
• "Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity"
  (June 22, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Knights of Columbus Partisan? Yes and No
• "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
  (September 2, 2011)