Comments on: Synod fathers ask: Does the church need to watch its language? https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2014/10/13/synod-fathers-ask-does-the-church-need-to-watch-its-language/ The New Zealand National Catholic Newspaper Wed, 27 Jan 2016 01:24:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4 By: Thomas https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2014/10/13/synod-fathers-ask-does-the-church-need-to-watch-its-language/comment-page-1/#comment-4487 Mon, 13 Oct 2014 14:22:55 +0000 http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/?p=8722#comment-4487 Truth is eternal. There is one Truth. Truth is not democratic. Yes, God is Love, but God is also Truth.

This dialogue to use accomodating language to tease those who are offended by the harder words of Truth into the pews is troubling. As we look to alter language to accomodate the immature “faithful”, we will simultaneously confuse the whole world.

Language is the pathway into the conscious thoughts of man. Our souls may respond to different stimuli, but our thoughts are formed and expressed in language. Intentionally introducing language of uncertainty, albeit for a good reason, seems only destined toward a bad end.

]]> By: Francis https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2014/10/13/synod-fathers-ask-does-the-church-need-to-watch-its-language/comment-page-1/#comment-4484 Mon, 13 Oct 2014 09:55:21 +0000 http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/?p=8722#comment-4484 “If you tell people who live in this way and they do it in a responsible way, tell them that adultery, permanent adultery, I think they would feel insulted and offended. We must be very careful also in our language,” Cardinal Kasper said in English. – Living in an adulterous relationship “in a responsible way”? How can you responsibly break your marriage vows and live opposite to God’s laws in a responsible way? Can this thinking be also applied to other sins? Responsibly committing murder, theft, peadophilia, gluttony, lying? Yes you be gentle with people when you are trying to correct them, or telling them their way of life is wrong etc. However to not explain to them it that what they are doing is sinful, that they are offending God, that they are harming each other – this is being dishonest to them. When I wasn’t living a good life, it was actually a Priest who (charitably and nicely) told me what I was doing wrong and explained to me what I was doing was offending God and was sinful. It was that, that made me want to change my life. And knowing that if I died in the state of Mortal Sin I would spend eternity in Hell is what made me amend my life. So those who are honest and want to strive for goodness actually do want to hear the “hard truths”. Those that don’t want to hear that they are doing wrong just want to live in their imaginary world where everything goes and God can’t tell us what to do.

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