If you’ve never heard someone voicing the maxim ‘live and let live,’ you just may be a hermit.
‘Live and live let live’ folk are all around us. And those who express this sentiment might think it is a pretty pithy statement! In reality, it’s not.
It’s a Cop Out
The reality is that ‘live and let live’ (LALL) is a cop out. It’s a nothing burger that shallow thinkers latch onto because it’s easier than really thinking through what ‘right living’ means.
Quite often LALL comes up when a discussion turns to the topic of homosexuality. The individual who offers up the LALL fallacy (when asked about his or her thoughts on the homosexual lifestyle) will reply saying something like ‘To each his own, I always say. Live and let live.”
The proper reply to such a statement is, “Do really mean that? What you are saying is that, in your opinion, pedophilia, bestiality, adultery, fornication, transgenderism, lying, avarice, murder, stealing, and same-sex sexual relationships are all acceptable. You are saying every person gets to decide what is moral or immoral.”
The LALLer will likely respond to such question with “No, of course I don’t mean that. I just mean that if two consenting males or females choose to have sexual relations, it’s none of my business. They are not hurting anyone or forcing their sexual preferences on me, so I see no reason to object to their homosexual lifestyle.”
And with that statement the individual will probably want to rest on his or laurels. But it’s a mistake to allow the person to do that. The response to such a statement should be something like, “Do you honestly think God is okay with His children living a homosexual lifestyle after making it perfectly clear that such immorality is abhorrent to Him?”
Correcting is Not Judging
Such a comeback may have the LALLer hemming and hawing a bit before he or she recalls the ‘judging’ comeback. “Well, like Pope Francis says, who am I to judge.”
The response to this is that correcting sinners is not judging them. “Pope Francis was right in saying we cannot judge someone. Judging is for God alone. We can neither acquit nor condemn anyone.
“Calling out immoral behavior, however, is not passing judgement on the person acting immorally. We must leave judging to God, but immoral behavior is sinful, and correcting sinfulness is not judging. We are, in fact, instructed in Scripture to correct sinners.”
Scripture Says . . .
We are told:
“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19).
And St. Paul tells us in Galatians:
“Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:1).
While in Colossians he says:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another . . .” (Col 3:16).
And in John 8:3-11, Jesus admonished the scribes and Pharisees for condemning the woman caught in adultery; He did not chastise them for recognizing the sinfulness of the woman’s act. Then He told the woman to go and sin no more.
Homosexual Relationships are Immoral
God’s moral laws were spelled out clearly in the Old Testament. We are told in Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination.” That’s pretty matter of fact.
The New Testament makes it clear Christ did not change the moral laws. In 1 Corinthians 6:-10, St. Paul says, “Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Jesus Christ appointed 72 disciples and sent them to prepare the way for Him, telling them (Luke 10:16), “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
And Jesus’ disciples, speaking for Him, tell us that same-sex sexual relationships are immoral.
A Poor Life Philosophy
All thing considered, the LALL fallacy is a pretty poor life philosophy. What’s more, LALL adherents really only apply it selectively. They use it to keep from having to deal with tough questions and uncomfortable situations.
But we must tell the Truth to those misguided persons in homosexual relationships. And we must tell the Truth to those who condone such relationships. Good Catholics and orthodox Christians need to speak up loudly and often.
Homosexual relationships and same sex ‘marriages’ are immoral, and those in such relationships are living sinful lives. So, too, are the ‘drag queens’ and those who mutilate their bodies thinking they can change their sex living immoral lives.
The devil has convinced those who think ‘gay is okay’ that it really is okay. And, sadly, some Catholic priests and prelates are ignoring such sinful relationships. Some even seem to condone such immoral behavior.
Thankfully, a number of Catholic prelates have spoken out against the blasphemy displayed during the 2024 Summer Olympic Opening Ceremonies. The intolerance of the tolerant left was on full display during the ceremony. The Vatican has also spoken out, and perhaps Pope Francis will chime in as well.
Make no mistake about it, God’s truth is unchanging. As such, Catholic teaching on homosexuality, just like Catholic teaching on adultery, murder, or stealing, is unchangeable.
Good Catholics and orthodox Christians need to proclaim this loudly and clearly. We cannot allow ourselves to be cowed by the rising tide of paganism. The consequences of not doing so are a slippery slope to perdition.
As John Stuart Mill said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” One might add “or say nothing” to the end of that quote.
The post ‘Live and Let Live’ is for Shallow Thinkers first appeared on Catholic Stand.
The post ‘Live and Let Live’ is for Shallow Thinkers appeared first on Catholic Stand.