Conscious that “even-you-know-who” can quote scripture to suit himself’ – nonetheless I admit this weekend to finding a very appropriate resonance, not to mention a relevant timely argument in today’s 2nd reading about law and freedom.
It’s encouraging to hear from such a credible source as Sacred Scripture, that Truth is not the preserve of any ‘Cabal’ who likes to ‘call the shots’ to suit their agenda. In the Ireland of today you could easily be forgiven for believing that the present lot of shot-callers seem to be dealing with us more like we were ‘subjects’ rather than ‘citizens’.
Of course some will try to argue that in the Ireland of 2013 that the Government we have is ‘the Democratically elected choice of the Irish people. That is correct, the Government benches right now were ‘democratically elected’, but on a platform of policies and the principles with which they wooed the Irish people to vote for them
Now though, that so much of that platform has so demonstrably been dismantled at the very hands of those who ‘claimed’ office on the strength of them to begin with! You could legitimately wonder about such a mandate in the light of those circumstances? Especially so for those of us with the largesse of reflection to recognize that real freedom is not, or is never, found in slavishly following the letter of any particular law (2nd reading again), unless that law conforms to the truth – and for Christians that truth is love – when it suits us as well as when it doesn’t!
Interesting example last weekend; Over 30,000 Irish citizens gathered last Saturday to register their objection to the new proposed Abortion legislation – not one of the following day’s papers carried either a picture or a report of the event. Monday saw the “paper of record” (two days later) print a photo and a report of the event that said “took place yesterday”!! Even more interesting is to ask; where is or are the Elected Representatives of that voting block to be seen or heard in our Democratic representative legislative assembly?
If, as we are being told, that this latest law on the protection of human life is so evidently ‘the right thing to do’, then why don’t the Government political parties allow their members a free vote on it!! Why turn our elected Representatives (the choice of the Irish people) into the equivalent of puppets with their supposed Leaders pulling their strings, telling them what to say as opposed to allowing them express what they think! – and if they do otherwise – they’re out the door!! And they laugh at the idea of excommunication!! Yea there are some Politicians, along with their personal agendas, who come in a very poor second best for most thinking Christians!
What did you think of the spectacle in the Dáil last Wednesday when we saw our Taoiseach whining about the (bold!) names he had been supposedly called, as well as the mail he says he got that was barmy, as an apparent attempt to justify his position on this new legislation! Wow! What leadership! He went on to tell us, as if it was to be news, that he was a Taoiseach first and Catholic afterwards Wow! Again! Do you it might have escaped him that we are citizens first as well (not
subjects) and hold beliefs as well – and neither have to be at variance one with the other!! How embarrassing when relying on name-calling is presented as weight of argument for Government “leadership” in 2013! Any wonder they won’t allow a free vote – there has to be some in their ranks who can think for themselves! Wouldn’t you be proud to be Irish at this time?! – makes it abundantly clear how difficult today’s theme of forgiveness can be at times! AO’N