What if they love each other” Clare asked. We had just read the Catechism explanation on the sinfulness of homosexual behavior. “Who are we to keep people from loving each other?”
“Nobody can keep people from loving each other” the teacher said.
“Then how can we call loving others sinful?” she asked.
“Loving others does not have to be expressed sexually” said the teacher. “Friends love each other. Dads and daughters love each other…”
“Ughhh…” came the sigh from the class.
“But to believe that these loving relationships must have a sexual expression is absurd. What is love?” asked the teacher.
“Choosing the highest good for the other” the class said in unison. They had that definition memorized.
“Don’t confuse love and sex. Friends that become sexually active use each other as objects”, said the teacher, “they don’t love each other. Love is self-less, not selfish.”
The look on Clare’s face showed she was not convinced, but she was thinking deeply. Clare had a strong faith, but she was confused. She alleged that the Church was being judgmental and she charitable. In fact, the opposite was true — she was thinking as man, not as God.
Man has been given a radical freedom by the hand of God — but choices have consequences. 
Regardless of man’s wishes, if he chooses to walk off a cliff — he will fall. Every time we exercise our freedom, there is an effect on ourselves and on the environment (for good, or bad). Consequence-free choices do not exist. Thus, we must use our freedom to help us to construct our authentic selves.
Constructing a Fallen Freedom; Becoming Enslaved
Constructing one’s freedom while believing man is only his fallen nature is a losing proposition that our culture has embraced. Limited perception begets limited freedom. The unwitting man with a darkened mind, (not realizing his own darkness) normalizes his sinful tendencies. He is convinced that he must “give in” to his lusts in order to be free. He is free to indulge — but his choices will enslave him.
The decisions he makes are objectively wrong — and he feels the effect. He does not feel free. In his heart, he knows there is a problem since he cannot outrun the original goodness that lies within him. He becomes convinced that others are judging him, while in fact, he is judging himself.
He feels shame at the objectively bad choices being made. But he reasons that the shame is merely a social construct being forced on his freedom. He thus assumes that society is at fault and tries to change society and its standards. The more he can break free from these superstitions, the more free he will feel. He believes the shame is coming from without, not within.
He is a rational person, and thus must try to reason the inconsistencies of his actions and their effect. Truth must be relative and anyone who thinks otherwise must be opposed. The more he rationalizes his indulgence, the more enslaved he becomes. The more enslaved he becomes, the more his heart convicts him. The more his heart convicts him, the faster he must run from truth. Convinced that he is not the source of his emptiness, reason itself becomes suspect.
He is enslaved. He has been taught to embrace his fallen tendencies and ignore the original voice that calls for his greatness. He despairs. But knowing he is called to greatness, he champions his own cause — calling on the rest of society to join him in his despair. Surely when he convinces everyone that his sinful actions are normal, it will ease his conscience. He is alone.
Enslaved man seeks to express and fulfill his freedom by using others as objects. Furthermore, he is convinced that others seek the same thing – which makes him an object as well. Man is thus an object — not a person made in the image and likeness of God. This is why outrageous deeds can be done to others; they are objects. Objects are to be used and then discarded when finished.
It is curious that always coupled with the objectification of man (man used as an object), is the personification of objects (objects loved as persons). Kill the babies, but save the trees.
Constructing Freedom from Real Man
Man is more than his fallen self . Deep in his heart, man knows that he was made for greatness — it is the echo of his original goodness. Man is redeemed and the grace of redemption is strong and sufficient!
The fall enslaved us.
We are not supposed to have a darkened mind, a weakened will or a disordered appetite. True freedom consists of being released from the slavery that took place because of the fall. This is what redemption is. Christ has come to set us free. Freedom can be understood as a slow progressive release from the chains that we have been placed in because of the fall. Christ comes to enlighten our darkened mind. He comes to strengthen our weakened wills. He comes to order our disordered appetites. He comes to give us life in abundance .
Christ has come to “set our freedom free’!
Charity, Redemption, and Masters of Suspicion
We must respect others decisions to choose slavery. However, charity will not allow us to dispassionately watch on the sidelines in the name of tolerance! When a small child gets out of his fenced yard to play on a busy street, charity demands that we help the child — this is no time for tolerance. He seems to be exercising more freedom while playing in the street. But, in fact, he is more free in the confines of his yard.
Charity cries out to help those that choose to enslave themselves in their limited understanding of freedom. When a friend believes that using others as objects will have no consequences, charity demands that we help him see that his choice is enslaving him and hurting others.
Masters of Suspicion is the term coined by JPII about those of us that have an intellectual knowledge of redemption, but suspect that it is not truly transforming. We “empty the cross of its power”. We are not convinced that Christ will affect what He promises. We ultimately are not suspecting ourselves or our faith, we are suspecting God and His promises. Everyone has at his disposal, the grace of redemption . It is there for the asking .
Education Goals, Authentic Man
Charity demands that we share the liberty felt when we fight concupiscence. We need to help others realize that our disordered passions are based in goodness. We long for love, but often substitute lust. We seek to beget a family, but often settle for sterile relationships. We seek communion with God, but substitute lesser things and persons in His stead.
Charity demands that we share with others through actions and words our faith in Christ and the power of His redemptive act. Pope John Paul II said it best in Veritatis Splendor :
What “are the concrete possibilities of man’? And of which man are we speaking? Of man dominated by lust or of man redeemed by Christ? This is what is at stake: the reality of Christ’s redemption. Christ has redeemed us! This means He has given us the possibility of realizing the entire truth of our being; He has set our freedom free from the domination of [lust]. And if redeemed man still sins, this is not due to an imperfection of Christ’s redemptive act, but to man’s will not to avail himself of the grace which flows from that act. God’s command is of course proportioned to man’s capabilities; but to the capabilities of the man to whom the Holy Spirit has been given”.
Excellence in education is only possible when it is based on the Truth about man; his history and his destiny. This Truth is utilized for instruction so that we can use our freedom to construct authentic man.
