ACL, my brother in Christ,

Yes, you are quite correct about Free Will, but unfortunately many people have not developed a true conscience.

I often wonder about the formation of people, especially politicians, think that when one says conscience they believe in a conscience without God. All one has to do is look at the politicians under Obama. Biden, Kerry, Pelosi, Sibelius, even Kennedy, who recently died, all promote abortions saying they have to follow their conscience. Kerry has even said inflammatory remarks that God should not be mentioned “in public but only in church.” What kind of Catholic politician is that?

Biden even went on to say on a political program that life begins “at the moment of conception,” But that it was wrong “for me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout than I seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society.”
Apparently, Biden, the Vice-President does not know what the purpose of a political system is to force someone’s (be they lobbyists or intrest groups) views upon somone else. And he uses this “conscience” clause as an excuse.

I could understand one born after or one not of the age of reason during Vatican II, but one who is over 60 years of age, who was taught with the Baltimore Catechism, the teachings of the Church should be quite clear. He doesn’t even know the position of the bishops. And if he is in such a battle of “concscience,” then why does he put himself in the position to sin? Is supporting the murder of innocent babies in the new Holocaust worth a beach house? Apparently so.

As far as schools are concerned, some are extremely good in the formation of conscience, while others seriously lack. They commit sacrilege by calling themselves Catholic. On Gloriatv today, there is a reportage concerning a list of schools that are allowing a controversial play to be performed by a controversial author. While others are extremely faithful to Holy Mother Church.

There is one Church, here in San Antonio, Our Lady of the Atonement, that has an academy that begins each school day with a Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form. What a magnificent way to start a day for a student. And what is also a truer blessing is that this church began with a former anglican minister who converted and was given permission to be ordained a Priest. He moved here and began the ministry. The Church started with 2 families and now contains over a thousand. People are drawn to the Truth.

Concerning the universities, one only has to look at three “Catholic” universities to see their state. Notre Dame, and it awarding Obama with a degree is highly offensive and what is Father Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame doing? He is pursuing charges against those Catholics who protested Obama getting the award. Boston College allows contraception to be distributed as part of the health plan of the students. Georgetown allowed the IHS symbol of the Jesuits to be covered up when Obama visited.

Your brother in Christ,
Elisha9821

Elisha brother! Well done here.... The difficulty with the mamoth gift of Free Will is that we human beings always tend towards a choice which disregards the greater good of our brothers - a consequence of Original Sin. Herein lies the problem: I have seen where people have not had a good formation of conscience in their youth, and so choose the greatest good which this poor formation allows - however, relative that good is, and appalling. Therefore, in terms of their conscience these people choose the best that they can. (I do not exempt them from moral culpability though!)

Consequetally, this means that the root of the problem is not people's ability to choose the greatest good. It is, rather, their early formation. Who and what is in charge of this early formation? This brings to the fore many other problems like the collapse of western civilisation, consumerism and captitalism, etc.

Yet all through this upheaval, the Lord continues to gently say "I set before life and death; choose life!" The Roman Catholic schools here in the UK do try their best at this early formation of conscience. But, some chaps do 'slip through the cracks'.

What are the RC schools like accross the pond dear brother, are they focused on a good early formation of conscience?

Tu frater in Christo,
ACL