In 2014, the invitation of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak at the Rutgers University commencement ceremony sparked controversy. When students and faculty disagreeing with her policies protested, she graciously withdrew from giving her address so as not to detract from the celebration of those graduating. In effect, the politically correct, instead of championing the freedom of speech, succeeded to squash any view contrary to theirs.
On Nov. 27, 2012, Saudi Arabia joined with Austria and Spain in opening the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna. This organization promotes understanding and tolerance among Jews, Christians and Muslims. Yet, within Saudi Arabia itself, religious freedom does not exist. Most recently, authorities of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stormed a private residence and arrested 27 Lebanese Maronite Catholics who were celebrating the feast of the Assumption of Mary. It mattered little to the police that the Koran holds Mary in great esteem. The police stripped the worshippers — men, women and children — of their visas and deported them. The crime: their Christian prayers were not Islamic.
The English philosopher John Stuart Mill once quipped that “the Battle of Marathon, even as an event in British history, is more important than the Battle of Hastings.” And, he was right. Though the Battle of Marathon was fought centuries before Europe was born, the fate of Western Civilization hung on the outcome of that famous battle.
I want to take the opportunity at the beginning of a new academic year to write to you as your bishop. I am very proud that you have chosen to continue your pursuit of truth at the university level. The time spent in undergraduate and graduate studies is a time of growth and change. More than just providing you with the skills and knowledge necessary for whatever profession you choose, a college education forms you intellectually, assists you in discovering your personal identity and helps you grow into a mature individual who contributes to the common good.
Humorist, newspaper columnist and social commentator Will Rogers once glibly remarked, “Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need.” His point is not so far off target. As the famous businessman William Feather astutely observed, “The philosophy behind much advertising is based on the old observation that every man is really two men — the man he is and the man he wants to be.”
In 1904, St. Louis hosted the 21st World’s Fair. The fair was so big that a visitor would need more than a week to give even a casual glance at all the attractions. The fair’s 1,272 acres boasted 1,500 buildings, connected by some 75 miles of roads and walkways. The fair feasted the visitor with the marvels of modern technology, such as the x-ray machine, the electric typewriter and motion pictures. For the first time, most visitors came to enjoy the ice cream cone, iced tea and the hot dog. Electricity, however, stole the show. Electric lights on the inside and outside of all the major buildings and on the roads dazzled the visitor.
On May 13, the Obama administration imposed its secular ideology by mandating access to restrooms, not on the basis of biological sex, but on the basis of gender identity. Men who define themselves as women may now use women’s restrooms and women who consider themselves men may make use of the men’s restrooms. This presidential intrusion into the common sense decency norms of American society was not enough. The government decided to change our society even more radically.
When news reporters cover a royal event in England, they are required to respect the proper dress code for formal occasions in the presence of the Queen. Those casually dressed are not admitted. Even in the relaxed atmosphere of the United States, there is still observed a proper dress code on certain occasions. For example, visitors observing the workings of the Supreme Court are told that they are not to wear inappropriate clothing.
Believers and non-believers address the Bishop of Rome as “the Pope.” But, this title has had a much wider use in history and even today. In the first centuries in the East, “papa” (“father”) was the title of respect and affection given to teachers. Later, within the Church, the title “papa” (“father”) came to be given to all bishops. In fact, in apostolic times, St. Paul did not hesitate to identify himself to the first Christians at Corinth as the father who brought them to life in Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:14-17). In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great restricted the title Pope (“papa”) within the Catholic Church to the Bishop of Rome. The faithful of the Coptic Orthodox of Alexandria continue their ancient practice of calling the head of their Church “Pope.”
On May 28, 2016, a 4-year-old boy managed to get beyond a protective fence in the Cincinnati Zoo and then tumbled 15 feet into the shallow moat in the cage of Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla. Onlookers shouted in horror as the 450-pound gorilla dragged the child with his head banging on the concrete. Whatever instinct prompted the animal to lay hold of the child, the child was clearly at risk. This was not a gentle, risk-free experience for the child.
When the early Dutch settlers arrived in the American colonies, they brought with them a unique piece of architecture that immediately became popular. They introduced the typical Dutch farmhouse door. It was a door split horizontally with the bottom half remaining closed and the top half easily opened. The closed bottom half kept the children in the house and the animals out. The top half allowed fresh air in. This clever way of fashioning a door gave birth to the common English expression “going Dutch.” When two people dine together and split the bill, each taking care of their own expenses, they are said to be “going Dutch.”
On April 19, 2016 the retail store Target announced that it would provide gender neutral bathrooms and also allow men and women to use the same fitting rooms. The following day, nearly one million people protested the decision, pledging to boycott the store. The store’s new policy is part of a trend spreading across the country to accommodate 1 percent of the population. Starbucks and Barnes and Noble have also announced that their customers may use the bathrooms according to the gender of their choice.
In the 19th century, before the age of television, oratory was an extremely popular form of entertainment. During those golden years of public speaking, one of the most noted speakers was American lawyer and political leader Robert Ingersoll. He captivated his audiences, sometimes with speeches lasting three hours as he lectured on almost any subject. But, his most frequent theme was agnosticism.
On April 12, 2016, the Pew Research Center published the results of its survey entitled “Religion in Everyday Life.” The survey reports that three-quarters of Catholics say that they decide what is right or wrong on the basis of their own conscience. Only 21 percent of Catholics say that they look to the teaching of the Church for guidance in making moral decisions. And, an even fewer 11 percent look to the Pope.