The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-18
THEOLOGY AND RELIGION
Extract From Sermon Preached by
Bishop ScanneII Of Omaha in His
Cathedral on Sunday, January 5th.

Cathedral on Sunday, January 5th.
That our Lord, during his life on
earth, was contradicted, opposed and
prosecuted is fact which enters so
largely into our religion, and to the
contemplation Of which we have be-
come so accustomed that it suggests
no difficulty to us and causes us no
surprise. For was not His mission a
scandal and stumbling block to the
world? And, therefore, we should ex-
pect the world to contradict and op-
pose him.
And the same treatment that was
extended to Him is extended to the
Church which He established. 1t is
contradicted and misrepresented. Not
to go back beyond the present time,
and to deal with our own surround
lngs, what is one of the commonest
objections made to the Church? That
1t has too much theology and not
enough of religion. Do those people
know the means of the terms they
use? Theology is the reasoned treat
ment of divine truth, of revealed doc
trines, and religion is the virtue by
winch We serve and worship God.
One is the foundation and reason of
the other.
But what do our critics mean by
religion? They mean philanthropy:
that is, the love of our neighbor for
our neighbours sake. And the Church
proposes something better than that;
it prefers charity which is the love
OF God for His own sake, and of our
neighbor for Gods sake. Oh, but why
does it not strive for social betterment
more comfortable houses, better
clothing, more agreeable surroundings,
higher wages and the like? For the
very good reason that it was not COM
missioned to do any of these things.
1t was commissioned to teach men to-
seek first the Kingdom of God and His
Justice.
Those temporal interests are best
promoted by the civic authorities or
by the people themselves. If the
Church were to take a hand in these
things it would necessarily be drawn
into politics, and it would soon be
told to mind its own business and to
go and preach the gospel.
But why does not the Church work
for social equality and the equal dis
tr1bution Of wealth, SO as to make all
contented and happy? Because the
Church knows men and their lfmfta-
lions better than the theorists who
advocate these things. The socialistic
state-for that is what these theorists
are striving after-if it could be
brought about would make all men
servants of the state and practically
slaves and would put an end to all un-
divided initiative and effort.
what has made this country the
great and prosperous country it is?
Not the state, not the government, but
the free efforts of the citizens them
selves. The state has wisely left them
to themselves as much as possible.
and their own energy, enterprise and
perseverance have done the work.
And as to the equal distribution of
wealth which some advocate, if it
could be realized, how long would it
last? Not twenty-four hours; for in
that time the capable man would have
more than his share, and the uncapa-
BILE man have less.
THE Church knows men and their
shortcomings, and for this reason it
will not recommend theories which it
knows are impossible of realization.
We need only good laws, say the
theorists, and new constitution
of society to make every citizen con-
tented and happy. Why then do not
people observe the Ten Command
ments? Are they not just and rea-
sonable? And yet some tell us that
they are out-of-date, and that they
should be amended or abolished alto
gether. No doubt there are many
abuses and often much injustice in our
social system; but in seeking a
remedy for these evils, we must never
go contrary to the precepts of the
natural law or the dictates of con-
science.
"All legislation, to be profitable.
must take into account mans free will,
his moral responsibility and his limit
atoms. For example, what prevents
the citizens Of Omaha from devising
city charter that would be ideally per-
feet and would make us all contented
and happy? Nothing whatever, except
our own shortcomings and Imperfect
tons, which would make such char
ter unavoidable. After ALL let unbe-
levers say what they will, there is in
the world such thing as original sin,
and all social reformers, who ignore
that sin and its consequences, will
spend their lives in devising vain
things.
"A thousand times better for us to
bear our present ills as free men than
to be fed and sheltered like cattle by
the socialistic state. / do not ques-
ton the sincerity of those theorists; /
question their wisdom and their fit
ness to bring about any real better
ment whatever. Men who find fault
with the divine government of the
universe are not to be trusted, and
we need not be disturbed If they con-
denim the Church for not bringing
about an ideal condition of things that
ID unattainable here below"