Theology, Not Politics
by Rep. Ron Paul, MD
Members of
Congress from both political parties outdid themselves last week in
heaping praise upon Pope John Paul II in the wake of his passing. Many
spoke at length on the floor of the House of Representatives, and some
even flew to Rome for his funeral.
I’m happy to witness so many
politicians honoring a great man of God and peace. The problem, however,
is that so few of them honored him during his lifetime by their actions
as legislators. In fact, most members of Congress support policies that
are totally at odds with Catholic teachings.
Just two years ago
conservatives were busy scolding the Pope for his refusal to back our
invasion of Iraq. One conservative media favorite even made the
sickening suggestion that the Pope was the enemy of the United States
because he would not support our aggression in the Middle East. The
Pontiff would not ignore the inherent contradiction in being pro-life
and pro-war, nor distort just war doctrine to endorse attacking a nation
that clearly posed no threat to America – and conservatives resented
it. September 11th did not change everything, and the Pope understood
that killing is still killing. The hypocritical pro-war conservatives
lauding him today have very short memories.
Liberals also
routinely denounced the Pope for maintaining that Catholicism, like all
religions, has rules that cannot simply be discarded to satisfy the
cultural trends of the time. The political left has been highly critical
of the Pope’s positions on abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage,
feminism, and contraception. Many liberals frankly view Catholicism as
an impediment to the fully secular society they hope to create.
Both
conservatives and liberals cannot understand that the Pope’s
pronouncements were theological, not political. He was one of the few
humans on earth who could not be bullied or threatened by any
government. He was a man of God, not a man of the state. He was not a
policy maker, but rather a steward of long-established Catholic
doctrine. His mission was to save souls, not serve the political agendas
of any nation, party, or politician.
To the secularists, this
was John Paul II’s unforgivable sin – he placed service to God above
service to the state. Most politicians view the state, not God, as the
supreme ruler on earth. They simply cannot abide a theology that does
not comport with their vision of unlimited state power. This is
precisely why both conservatives and liberals savaged John Paul II when
his theological pronouncements did not fit their goals. But perhaps
their goals simply were not godly.
Unlike most political leaders,
the Pope understood that both personal and economic liberties are
necessary for human virtue to flourish. Virtue, after all, involves
choices. Politics and government operate to deny people the freedom to
make their own choices.
The Pope’s commitment to human dignity,
grounded in the teachings of Christ, led him to become an eloquent and
consistent advocate for an ethic of life, exemplified by his struggles
against abortion, war, euthanasia, and the death penalty. Yet what
institutions around the world sanction abortion, war, euthanasia, and
the death penalty? Governments.
Historically, religion always
represented a threat to government because it competes for the loyalties
of the people. In modern America, however, most religious institutions
abandoned their independence long ago, and now serve as cheerleaders for
state policies like social services, faith-based welfare, and military
aggression in the name of democracy. Few American churches challenge
state actions at all, provided their tax-exempt status is maintained.
This is why Washington politicians ostensibly celebrate religion – it no
longer threatens their supremacy. Government has co-opted religion and
family as the primary organizing principle of our society. The federal
government is boss, and everybody knows it. But no politician will ever
produce even a tiny fraction of the legacy left by Pope John Paul II.
April 12, 2005
Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas.
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