Missionaries Of The Liturgy

(This is an article that is enclosed with the May, 2019 Missionary Messenger.  I thought others who do not receive the newsletter would like to read it.  If you would like to be placed on the newsletter mailing list free of charge, write Missionaries of the Liturgy/302 E Margaret St./ Iron Mountain, MI 49801.)

By Servant Maria

    Make America ‘Deist’ Again! If I had money to spend on billboards, this is the message I would spread across the USA. Little by little many who do not wish us to acknowledge a Creator and God have been taking away our ability to acknowledge God in public; God who has been the foundation of our nation from its beginning. They have actually used our freedoms to take away our freedoms, and they have done it very effectively as well. And because those who do love God know so little about history or philosophy, they have been unable to stop the tidal wave of atheism that has taken captive the ideals upon which our nation was founded. The summer I began giving away rosaries in honor of the 100^th anniversary of Fatima, many insights came to me about truth in society…insights that could help us better defend what we believe rather than just argue about it; not just to condemn those who are on the other side than we are but to gently lead them toward truths rooted in God.

One of these insights that first summer came about like this…. I drive an hour and a half each evening to return home from the Baraga Shrine through summer and fall. Often there is a Christian program I listen to on current events and other faith topics. During the program they will often say, “Our country was built on Judeo-Christian principles…” and, of course, most people would agree with that. But one evening I had a strong insight (which I think came from the Holy Spirit and maybe even some of our Founding Fathers.)…No, it wasn’t. Many of you know that a great number of our Founding Fathers were Deists, and not Christians. In other words, they did not necessarily follow the teachings of Christ, but did acknowledge a supreme being, God (Deo=God in Latin). Deism is a philosophy rather than a religion, which was not so good for them (since they did not know Our Lord), but very important for our country. Deism is not a religion, but acknowledges that there is a God, as every culture except our own modern culture has acknowledged. Deism also acknowledges that there is a ‘natural law’ built into the very nature of man, that has been planted into us to lead us to the good. This natural law is unchanging. It is the truth that God has planted in us. Deism is a human foundation for the truths that we know as Christians. That is why in our country many faiths that are founded on truth and goodness have been able to flourish in peace and freedom. Deism does not conflict with Christianity. The revelation of Christ perfects the human wisdom of Deism.

There are modern philosophies, however, that deny these truths. Few people without religion today hold to Deism, and a belief in the natural law, therefore people only associate morality with Judeo-Christian principles. The importance of the fact that many of our Founding Fathers were Deists is that our freedoms and rights were not established because of Christianity (which would be a religion and therefore unable to be applied to all the people who come to our land who follow different religions) but rather because of a system of philosophy based on Eternal Truths that are part of our human nature. So belief in a Supreme Being (God) is part of who we are as human beings faithful to those things planted within us that bring us to happiness. Morality also, the morality based on the truth of our nature (which does not conflict with the message of the Gospel…although the Gospel perfects it). Our country is built on natural law principles that acknowledge there is a God, that there are moral truths and certain rights that are inalienable. If we “Make America Deist Again!” we will be able to live our Christian faith in freedom again. Let us not let atheists take away our right to acknowledge God for it is that right which underlies all our other rights.

*You’ll read “Monsignor” Fulton J. Sheen explain the same thing in another way on side two of this sheet…

© 2019 Servant Maria Volp/302 E Margaret St. Iron Mountain, MI 49801

Categories: Featured,Missionary Messages for You