Over at the National Catholic Register, I have a piece up that asks “What’s So Great About Democracy?”
With dictator after dictator facing early retirement over the last month, we have heard a lot of talk about democracy.
We are told that protesters are seeking democracy. We should support democracy. The people deserve democracy. I say, so what?
What’s so great about democracy?
February 22, 2011 at 9:13 am
On Democracy; Exerpts from:
Encyclical Letter
On the Nature of Human Liberty
LIBERTAS
His Holiness Pope Leo XIII
Promulgated June 20, 1888
“There are many who imagine that the Church is hostile to human liberty. Having a false and absurd notion as to what liberty is, either they pervert the very idea of freedom, or they extend it at their pleasure to many things in respect of which man cannot rightly be regarded as free.”(1)
“Many there are who follow in the footsteps of Lucifer, and adopt as their own his rebellious cry, “I will not serve” and consequently substitute for true liberty what is sheer and most foolish license. Such, for instance, are the men belonging to that widely spread and powerful organization, who, usurping the name of liberty, style themselves liberals. …these followers of liberalism deny the existence of any divine authority to which obedience is due, and proclaim that every man is the law to himself; from which arises that ethical system which they style independent morality” (14,15)
“once man is firmly persuaded that he is subject to no one, it follows that the efficient cause of the unity of civil society is not to be sought in any principle external to man, or superior to him, but simply in the free will of individuals; that the authority in the State comes from the people only; and that, just as every man’s individual reason is his only rule of life, so the collective reason of the community should be the supreme guide in the management of all public affairs. Hence the doctrine of the supremacy of the greater number, and that all right and all duty reside in the majority. But, from what has been said, it is clear that all this is in contradiction to reason.”(15)
“From what has been said it follows that it is quite unlawful to demand, to defend, or to grant unconditional freedom of thought, of speech, or writing, or of worship, as if these were so many rights given by nature to man.
For, if nature had really granted them, it would be lawful to refuse obedience to God, and there would be no restraint on human liberty.” (42)
"…are the men belonging to that widely spread and powerful organization…" (Freemasons)
This new wave of Democracy is a new "I will not serve".
Your article is very genteel.
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