Times, They are a-Changing!

Yes, this is the weekend that we turn the clocks back one hour; moving to standard time. Hopefully you took advantage of an extra hour of sleep today – Yea! As a society though, are times really a-changing, as Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan would say?

If we were to listen to the secular pundits, then, yes, the times are really a-changing. We times-are-changingare becoming a progressive society, having removed discussion of God from public discourse, along with embracing moral relativism; discounting the moral truths set forth by God in the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the teachings of Christ. Examples of how we have embraced moral relativism can be seen in society’s overwhelming acceptance of same-sex marriage, abortion rights, euthanasia, and co-habitation outside of marriage. All of these things go against God’s Natural Law. Society is swiftly embracing these sins as the accepted norm. It’s called “entering the 21st century!” We’re told that we need to “get with the program.” People easily engage in this sinful behavior because “it feels right;” yet what they are really doing is ignoring the error-free advice of the Holy Spirit, who would tell them otherwise.

Proponents of moral relativism argue that the moral actions can be judged from a purely subjective perspective. This is a way of stating that moral standards are determined by personal dispositions and circumstances, and that the natural law no longer should serve as the ultimate litmus test for human behavior. This method of determining the morality of human actions leads to a situation in which each individual determines what he or she feels is right, justifying contrary notions as compatabile.1

Perhaps this is the cause for why we, as a country, are so divided as we enter the polling booths this Tuesday. As a society, we have lost our moral compass; we’ve discarded our “litmus test for human behavior.” Fifty years ago it was totally unacceptable to consider a candidate, for the office of President of the United States, who would consider an abortion or same-sex marriage as appropriate and acceptable. Today, we embrace such positions in the Democratic candidate for President. Twenty years ago, we deemed it totally unacceptable for the President of the United States to engage in sexual activity outside of marriage. In fact, when he lied about the matter, we impeached him for such action. Today, we look the other way as the Republican candidate has been accused of similar behavior toward women.

Yes, times they are a-changing; yet can we actually say that we are a more morally upright society twenty or fifty years later? No, we cannot.

Although times are a-changing, Christ’s moral truths do not change. What God declared as good is good for all time. What God declared as evil is evil for all time. God’s opinion does not need to change because God, with all of His Wisdom, is perfect. So, who, or what, then needs to change? We do! We need to move toward Christ and away from sin. We need to embrace God’s Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and Christ’s teaching. We need to find our moral compass once again. We need to reapply the Natural Law as our ultimate litmus test for human behavior and discard moral relativism. This is a tall order, but one we must undertake with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. It all starts within each one of us assessing our own actions, in accordance with God’s Natural Law, for He infused within each of us, at birth, the ability to know right from wrong. Now all you need to do, is what you know to be right, in God’s eyes.

Virginia Lieto teaches theology for Saint Joseph’s College Online. She is the author of children’s book Finding Patience and blogs at www.virginialieto.com.

1 Armenio, Peter V. Our Moral Life in Christ, College Edition. Woodridge: Midwest Theological Forum, Print, 2009, p. 177.

2 thoughts on “Times, They are a-Changing!

  1. Thank you for this! One of the reasons I chose to attend St. Joseph College of Maine is the strong Catholic teaching found here. It is refreshing to read this blog and find those solid truths coming through from our faculty.

  2. My congratulations for your wonderful article on the change of times. I particularly think that the key point had been the subtle change of the family conception, since the beginning of the XX century. The model of family that God gave us more than 2000 years ago, with our Holy Mother, Mary, model of women virtues and example of mother devotion and strengths. Her husband, Saint Joseph, a loving a devoted father to his family, regardless of the perils of live. Our Lord Jesus Christ the obedient son to his parents, inasmuch, his divine presence. Mary, Joseph and son: ; God exemplary teaching for the making of the human family to achieve a society of love. Unfortunately, it is no longer a goal to pursue,

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