The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-11-21
Continued from Page y


will pervert his mind and heart.
Religion . Fundamental Need
of Society
Religion. necessary to individual
man, is necessary also to human
society. From the very beginning
the family, the primary unit of
society, has been intimately de-
pendent on religion, and from ii
has drawn its unity, its stability
and its holiness. Apart from its di-
vine origin and sanction, parental
authority, upon which the family
is founded. becomes but an arbi.
trary application ( force TO be
superseded by any stronger pow
er. Where religion has grown
weak the family has shown a cor
responding tendency to disinte-
CRATE. When religion remains
strong, ii stands as a protective
armor, safeguarding both individ-
ual and family. Uniqu as a COM
pelling ideal is the Holy Family of
Nazareth with the striking les
sons of love and obedience it
teaches. More than the knowledge
of all the abstract principles of
ethics and sociology, the example
Of this perfect fulfillment of Gods
plan has through the Christian
tradition strengthened and protect
ed the primary unit of society.
Nor is the civic community less
dependent on religion Men are
indeed forced by the conditions OF
human nature to unite and cooper
ate in the fulfillment of their com
mon needs But union and cooper
alton can continue to exist among
free men only when justice and
charity universal in their binding
force because imposed by God Him
self. are embodied in law While
civic authority may have IFS i'm
mediate source in the consent of
the governed, that authority must
be recognized as coming ultimate
ly from Him upon Whom all men
depend. Unless religion with its
binding force in justice and char
ity supplies the foundation of law
and authority, there remains only
human convention or brute force
as the unifying element in society.
In the last analysis there is no so
ciety OF free-men without the Gre
ative and sustaining force Of relig-
ion Civic society receives its most
effective support from Him who
taught us to render to Caesar the
things that are Caesars and to God
the things that are Gods.
Nor is religion less important to
the complex modern state than to
the more primitive social struc-
ture. In the measure the State
has excluded religion, it has
shown = tendency to become an
instrument Of tyranny The ire
ligious state sets itself up in the
place of God, substituting its own
arbitrary dictates for the DEGREES
OF eternal Wisdom II demands an
absolute loyalty such as can be
claimed only by Truth itself, and
ii has no effective deterrent from
violating its solemn treaties and
from waging unjust and aggressive
wars. Since religion is what con
temporary tyrannies are attempt
ing first to shackle and then TO de
stroy, one can rightly conclude
that IL Is the one thing most nee
essary for the preservation OF free
nations.
Religion then is OF the utmost
importance to society in all its as
poets and in all its stages of devel-
opment II is like the rays of the
sun, bringing the light of Gods
wisdom and grace into mans
whole social life. II lights up and
purifieS the City of Man and turns
ii into the City of God Without
these sustaining influences, the
City of Man is gradually oyerrun
by Mayanlike Jungle of human
passions, in whose rank under
growth of greed and cruelty and
every other vice man lives his lite
in terror-and in the end perisheS
Religious Influence in Amer
icsn Traditions
All society, particularly our own,
" intimately dependent on relig
ion In the beginning of our own
nation. al the very time when the
revolutionary movement on the
Continent OF Europe was planning
to destroy al influence OF religion
on public life il is a remarkable
fact that our Founding Fathers
based their own revolutionary ac-
tion on the rights inherent in man
as creature of God. and placed
their trust in His divine prov.
idence. The concept of man which
they set forth in the Declaration
OF independence and on which
they based the Constitution and
our Bill of Rights, is essentially a
religious concept concept in
herited from Christian tradition
Human equality stems from the
fact that all men have been ere
ated by God and equally endowed
by Him with rights rooted in hu.
man nature itself Against any 9th
er background, human equality
has no meaning. Freedom, too. is
essentially bound up with the re.
hgious concept Of man In any
context that separates man from
the creative and sustaining Hand
rf Cd aIan.n 81. Il ~. I.nnInr.n