FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THE CULTURE OF LIFE
(Part 22)
GOD’S DESIGN
February 9, 2021
Today’s readings:
Genesis 1:20-2:4
Psalm 8:4-9
Mark 7:1-13
God created the universe and everything in it, including humankind. In doing so, God laid down basic principles that would govern His creation. The well-being of all depends on living out these divine principles, which constitute a culture of life.
- “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them” (Gn 1:27a). This means man has inherent worth and dignity. Thus no one has the right to demean that life or image. Thus we must not accept abortion, euthanasia, pornography, deviant sex, sex trafficking, harmful drugs, torture, violence.
- “male and female he created them.” (Gn 1:27b). This means there are only two sexes, not the many genders that society proffers and even imposes. Thus we must not accept LGBT, same-sex unions.
- “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Gn 1:28a). Humankind is to procreate. Thus we must not accept contraception, sterilization, population control.
- “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.” (Gn 1:28b). We are God’s stewards over His creation. “You have given him rule over the works of your hands, put all things at his feet.” (Ps 8:7). We are to care for the earth and the environment. Thus we must not accept pollution, environmental degradation, wanton destruction of forests, irresponsible mining, overfishing, filling space with junk.
- “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food.” (Gn 1:29a).1 God provides us the food we need. We can look to fullness of life. We can actually look to abundance and prosperity. Thus we must not accept poverty or subhuman living conditions.
- “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.” (Gn 2:3). We are to honor the seventh day (Sunday for Christians) as a day of rest, worship of God, and family.
Now “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.” (Gn 1:31a). What God created is good. The principles He gave for this creation are good. If we look to God’s design and intent, then things will work out well for all in the world. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Sin entered, and Eden was lost. And humankind turned away from God and His ways.
Today, we are no longer living out God’s design. In fact, all the principles of God are being overturned, and humankind is doing what it ought not to be doing. The culture of life has been replaced by the culture of DEATH.2 We live today in a modernist culture, the culture of the age. Unfortunately, even some pastors of our Church, just like the scribes and Pharisees, have been failing to provide wisdom and guidance on how we are to live our Christian lives, as they are “teaching as doctrines human precepts.” (Mk 7:7b).
- Abortion is downplayed as just one other pro-life issue on the same level as immigration and climate change.
- Divorce gains acceptability as the Church gives Holy Communion to those in irregular unions, such as the divorced and remarried.
- There is acceptance of same-sex civil unions, as well as Gay and Lesbian Clubs in Catholic schools.
- There is collaboration with globalist powers that want to depopulate the earth, through the promotion of contraception, abortion and LGBT.
There are too many Catholics today—clergy, religious, laity—that live hypocritical lives, on the one hand going through the motions of Christian life, but on the other hand violating God’s principles and laws. “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me” (Mk 7:6-7a). Modernism has crept into the world, even within the Church. “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (Mk 7:8). Man’s wisdom is being substituted for the wisdom of God. The well-being of man is raised above the righteousness of God.
- Contrary to the truth that there is salvation only in Jesus, now all religions are ways to the divine.
- Contrary to the reality that homosexual unions are intrinsically wrong, there is now acceptance of same-sex civil unions, and there are LGBT Masses offered by parishes, even with the LGBT rainbow flag in front of the altar.
- Contrary to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all the nations, there is a prohibition on proselytism, this is, on making converts.
The culture of life has been replaced by the culture of DEATH. The city of God has been replaced by the city of man. The wisdom and ways of God have been replaced by the preferences and traditions of humankind. “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!” (Mk 7:9). The word of God is being ignored, misinterpreted, misused in order to support human desires. “You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.” (Mk 7:13).
No wonder the world is in such bad shape. What God created is good, but humankind has made a mess of things. We need to turn back to God, and to turn back to God’s ways. We look to how it was according to God’s original design. We look to the dignity and worth that God has made inherent in us. “What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.” (Ps 8:5-6).
People now no longer look to the God who created them, but have become gods in themselves. Adam and Eve lost Eden because they were tempted by the serpent that they could be like gods. Now we are losing everything too.
1 After the flood, humankind was allowed to eat meat.
2 DEATH is an acronym for Divorce, Euthanasia, Abortion, Total population control and Homosexual relationships.