The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-06-05
INDlFFERENTlSM.

OuISDOh6n lOT lIlG uullCdLlOh vi
church membership on the principle
of indifferentism, says writer in
THE Catholic Universe" His cry is:
What does it matter about trities in
religion? How can anyone be so
bigoted as to make fuss about trivial
differences? One religion, after all,
is pretty much the same as another
religion. Let us fraternize and get
together on these principles.
These principles would logically
argue that no religion is true. Truth
and falsehood cannot be equally good,
nor equally acceptable to sincere men.
To speak about "trif1ing differences of
creeds" means that God never made
any revelation or that it does not mat
ter to us if He has.
Any false religion is crime, and
| hence it must be an insult to God.
Since it is untrue it must be in itself
an abomination in the sight of God.
We may distinguish between such a
form of religion and the person who
practices it. Sincerity and good faith
4
but it does not make the bad act
good. An innocent person may have
had a counterfeit dollar palmed off
upon him for a genuine bill, and he
may pass it on, not suspecting that
lit is bad But his sincerity never
makes that counterfeit good or equiv
alent to the genuine.
Almighty God never demands an i'm
possibility Some good persons may
be so surrounded, and so situated
4 that they never had an opportunity to
find the true Church and to know i
to be the true Church. If they have
used all reasonable diligence in seek
ing it, such people are not responsible
for being out of the Church. But it is
not a sufficient excuse to say: went
on as my parents went on. If that
were proper principle we might all
be pagans because our forefathers
were.
When God establishes a religion and
lays down regulations, all should
practice that religion and observe its
rules. st. Paul says: IF any one
even an angel from heaven, breaches
another gospel, let him be anathema.'
| This indicates that it matters what re
ligion we practice. 1t must be the
true one.
Possibly King Saul thought that il
was only trivial matter to take the
place of Samuel in offering sacrifice
when the prophet was late in arriv
ing. For that usurpation of the
priestly office Saul was deposed. The
Lord said: Thou hast done foolish
ly, and hast not kept the command
ments of the Lord thy God; and il
thou hast not done this the Lore
would now have established thy king
dom over Israel forever" q Kings
XIII: 49,
To have the true religion implies
that a person has the true faith-e
J, correct knowledge of God in as far a:
He has been pleased to reveal Him
self to man. ST. Paul says thai
Faith is the substance of things t.
be hoped for" Hence faith must be
the foundation of religion. To have
a mere agreement about the forms o.
prayers and external observance:
, would be like erecting walls withou
foundations; it would be a mere pre-
tense of religion and that religion
would be false and sham.
{ We must give to God the kind o
prayer, of praise and of worship
) which He demands. If God has estab
7 lished a sacrifice on earth, and HI
: has, every kind of religion which ig
) nores that sacrifice is necessaril.
false. If God has established a partic
| ular organization or authority to carr,
3 out and provide for that sacrifice, ant
: He has, that authority must be recog
/ nized.
} If you have thing to do, the wa.
to do it is the right way. If you hav'
r a journey to make, the way to maxi
! it is by the right road. You woult
: not think of maintaining that an.
5 road would do as long as you mean
: to take the right road.
| Why should people seeking HEAVIER
: be less careful of the way than travel
erS are 10 reach their EARTHLY u0StIHd
/ ton? Why should they seeking thu
greater end exercise less common
sense?
) "The kingdom of heaven is Xix,
unto a treasure hidden in a field
which a man having found hideth
) and for JOY therefor goeth and selletl
) all that he hath and buyeth tina
ii field (St. Matt. XIII: 44.) The trutl
4 of this is often realized by those wht
) find the true faith and become Cath
J olics. A man must sell nearly all h
: has to get it. He must sometime
separate from his relatives ant
friends and suffer loss in business ant
undergo persecution. But the tru'
faith is '.the pearl of great price
) the treasure of unspeakable value.
) In maintaining the unity of faith
some call the Catholic Church "bigot
J ed She is as bigoted as truth
r and truth is always ''Bigoted' or IN
) compromising 1t cannot possibly b
!. otherwise. We cannot tamper witt