In my last post, I tried to make the point that the rights and freedoms of individual Americans, Canadians and Britons are now -- more than ever -- under attack by the state. The governments of the free world are just as authoritarian, in their own way, as those of Russia, China or North Korea.
They pay lip service to freedom, but in practice have taken away or seriously circumscribed the rights and freedoms for which so many have died. An example is the right to free speech. Anyone who thinks they can tell the truth, as they see it, without fear has never had to face the wrath of a "human rights commission".
Another example, as any landlord can tell you, is the right to choose who's going to live under your roof. Say that you'd prefer a male tenant for your basement apartment, and expect a charge of "gender discrimination". [Good thing you didn't say "sex"! ed.]
Want more? What kind of person do you want to fill that vacancy in your little company or organization? Looking for a leader for the local boy scout troop? Can you specify a "straight male"? That's two offences in one phrase, you sexist homophobe!
And while we're at it...how come the Boy Scouts felt obliged to change their name to just "Scouts" but the Girl Guides are still the "Girl Guides"? That's not in the USA but in Canada, which has a "Charter of Rights and Freedoms" enshrined in its constitution. It is to laugh. But I digress...
My point is that since the hippy-dippy 60s, we have seen an exponential growth of the all-seeing, all-powerful "nanny state" and the concomitant decline of individual rights. Our governments have weakened or altogether ignored constitutional limits. And woe betide any libertarian who dares question their authority.
Why is this? Because God and His Church have been removed from any meaningful role in our post-secular Western society. It's a wonder that "In God we trust" still appears on US coins!
Instead of God, our society puts its faith in humanism, in the inherent goodness of man. That man is basically evil is one of the chief tenets of Christianity. It's called "original sin". So to trust men [you mean "humans", surely. ed] to do the right thing is rubbish.
Our governors must understand this because their restrictions on our freedom say to us, "You can't be trusted to do the right thing, so WE, your [sic] government, will tell you, and you'd better do what WE say...or else!"
The subordination of the rights of the individual to the rights of the state was foreseen by Father Denis Fahey (1883-1954), an Irish priest whose name will always be associated with the doctrine of the Social Kingship of Christ. Here's a quote from his book, The Mystical Body of Christ and the Reorganization of Society:
As the revolt against the Divine Plan for order in the world and the denial of God's Rights have spread, respect for man's personal rights has diminished. These rights are being denied and the world is threatened with the return of a slavery worse than that of ancient Rome, in proportion as rulers of states no longer see in their subjects members of Christ.
As the social organization of the world has been increasingly withdrawn from the rule of Christ the King, human beings are being treated more and more as mere individuals completely subject to the State, just as in the days before Christ.
In this magnificent book, Fr. Fahey outlines and explains God's plan for order in the world and how we are to strive for its realization. You can order it online from the Fatima Shoppe. His autobiography A Brief Sketch of My Life Work is available from Catholic Books Online.
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