No Natural Law? Danger alert for society!

...one of the most disturbing and, frankly, dangerous things I've ever seen in a political conversation...

Those who lose touch with their Christian roots often display ignorance of what has made Western civilisation so magnificent. The latest gaffe was performed in a panel discussion on MSNBC which featured Heidi Przybyla, a Politico journalist. She showed some acquaintance with the concept of Natural Law, but could not identify it as the anchor of her own American heritage. Here, from the Declaration of Independence:  

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

A retort to the Przybyla barbarism came courtesy of Robert Barron, Catholic bishop of Winona–Rochester, Minnesota. Bishop Barron says on an video on X: 

On a clip that came out last night Heidi Prsybyla from Politico was on MSNBC. It was one of the most disturbing and, frankly, dangerous things I've ever seen in a political conversation.

She's going after what she calls Christian nationalism but what she said was there are these Christian nationalists out there who are claiming that our rights don't come from any human authority, they come from God, and she specified that they're claiming, these weirdos, that [human rights are] coming not from the Supreme Court or from Congress.

Well, first of all, it was Thomas Jefferson who made that claim “we hold these truths to be self-evident that we're endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights”. 

May I say, everybody, it is exceptionally dangerous when we forget the principle that our rights come from God and not from a government because the basic problem is if they come from the government or Congress or the Supreme Court, they can be taken away by those same people. This is opening the door to totalitarianism.

This is not some kind of religious nationalism or sectarianism; it's one of the sanest principles of our democratic governance, that our rights come from God.

Yes, government exists to secure these rights, the Declaration says, not to produce them. It is exceptionally dangerous to go down this road because we lose our groundedness in something transcendent and become, therefore, by that very move, victims of a potentially totalitarian state that can take away the same rights that they gave us in the first place.

So can I just say that in their enthusiasm I suppose to go against so-called Christian nationalism they're actually going against the foundations of our democracy. And it's further evidence of this extreme hostility of the left now toward religion.

No, no, precisely as an American I want to hold that my rights come not from something as vacillating and unreliable as Congress or the Supreme Court. They come from God. 

Outside the Bible, the concept of Natural Law has its origins in ancient Greece (Aristotle) and Rome (Cicero) and provided the Apostle Paul with the platform to teach his non-Jew audiences that God speaks to all human beings through the law of conscience; the authentic virtues and the interior resistances of the Gentiles to what is evil bear witness to this fact ‒ "that the requirements of the Law are inscribed in their hearts; and their own conscience will also bear witness for them, since their conflicting thoughts will accuse or even defend them" (Romans 2:12). 

The only proven reliable human system

Zach Costello, a YouTube host, comments:

The left has been infested with this atheistic secular moral philosophy that claims values and rights are man-made. What Przybyla is saying is in fact exactly what the left believes. 

Christians believe in an objective moral law that we are subject to and cannot change.  It’s like gravity. If you abide by and align yourself properly with the law of gravity you will live and thrive. If you ignore, or misalign yourself with the law of gravity you will get hurt or die. All human beings are subject to the law of gravity and all human beings are subject to the moral law. 

Many have died for this truth that our rights come from God because men cannot be trusted with the rights of other men. If you don’t think this is true, you know nothing about history... and that is extremely dangerous. The only proven reliable human system is one that is properly subject to God. We must remain one nation under God for a reason, otherwise we will be a nation gone under, [succumbing to] relativist chaos.

That chaos is already apparent in Western nations as traditional norms are abandoned under the influence of the leadership class, which is largely captured by the fashionable ideology of self-will and self-invention, itself the child of warped parentage, namely marxism and the sexual revolution.

Solzhenitsyn with some plain speaking

In that connection, graduates at Harvard's commencement in 1978 were enriched with insight on post-Christian society from the "outsider" Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn:

Destructive and irresponsible freedom has been granted boundless space. Society appears to have little defense against the abyss of human decadence, such as, for example, misuse of liberty for moral violence against young people, such as motion pictures full of pornography, crime, and horror. . . . 

Such a tilt of freedom in the direction of evil has come about gradually, but it was evidently born primarily out of a humanistic and benevolent concept according to which there is no evil inherent to human nature. The world belongs to mankind and all the defects of life are caused by wrong social systems, which must be corrected. . . . 

But the fight for our planet, physical and spiritual, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague matter of the future; it has already started. The forces of Evil have begun their offensive; you can feel their pressure, and yet your screens and publications are full of prescribed smiles and raised glasses. What is the joy about?. . . 

[The mistaken logic of today’s Western thinking comes from a view that] was first born during the Renaissance and found its political expression from the period of the Enlightenment. It became the basis for government and social science and could be defined as rationalistic humanism or humanistic autonomy: the proclaimed and enforced autonomy of man from any higher force above him. 

It could also be called anthropocentricity, with man seen as the center of everything that exists. . . . This new [autonomous materialistic] way of thinking, which had imposed on us its guidance, did not admit the existence of intrinsic evil in man nor did it see any higher task than the attainment of happiness on earth. . . . 

Is it true that man is above everything? Is there no Superior Spirit above him? Is it right that man’s life and society’s activities have to be determined by material expansion in the first place? Is it permissible to promote such expansion to the detriment of our spiritual integrity? 

If the world has not come to its end, it has approached a major turn in history, equal in importance to the turn from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. . . . This ascension will be similar to climbing onto the next anthropologic stage. No one on earth has any other way left but—upward.

One last thought:

Can anyone doubt that Solzhenitsyn’s appraisal of the future of culture without religion and moral norms is coming to an unmitigated fruition? If we are to escape the clutches of what he rightfully acknowledges as the “forces of evil”, we will have to “ascend upward”, which means rediscovering the religious and moral components of human nature, and bringing them to the forefront of our culture and society.

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Tet needs protecting under new colonialism

Traditional games come to town at Tet in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen/ Tuoi Tre

Tet, Vietnam's Lunar New Year festival, comes under scrutiny every year as its impact on business is assessed and Vietnamese compare notes on their experience of the latest event. This time of recreation and family re-connection has its detractors, but firm defenders, too, as we will see below.

As with Easter, the festival occurs in accord with the lunar calendar, so its dates change each year and so do the arrangement of the public holidays, of which five are codified, though an adjacent weekend can extend the time off work and school. Business operators and experts in the field have raised calls for a fixed-date holiday structure.

Other factors lead Vietnamese to turn their backs on Tet traditions. Businesses entice workers with up to double normal pay rates to stay on the job and keep production flowing. Those with the means often make the most of the opportunity to travel, not to their hometown, but abroad. Young people with few resources sometimes see it as a waste of money to travel home, with fares rising hugely, and because they feel they must comply with the customary gift-giving. Also, they cringe at the practice of family investigating their urban lifestyle, romantic activities, and especially, their economic condition. Vietnamese can be very direct in asking how much a person earns, along with their age.  

Though Tet remains solidly entrenched within Vietnamese society, modern ways of thinking, in particular the individualism and consumerism Western cultural colonialism imposes, are weakening its unifying force and its ability to uplift the people through focusing on what is noble, lovely and admirable relating to the past and present.

Fortunately, Tet has defenders who uphold this precious legacy of their ancestors. Trinh Nguyen is one defender, though she admits to having once been among the "boycott Tet" brigade of young Vietnamese. Now, with doctoral study and work experience overseas, she has very strong views on Tet's value. She writes:

I now see Tet as a special gift inherited from our ancestors. Just as we give children lucky money during Tet, our ancestors worked hard to preserve the tradition of saving a few days a year from work so their descendants will not be swooped away in the frantic typhoon of economic growth.

Let each person use this lucky gift the way he or she chooses. Let Tet be a period when the extroverts have a fantastic time partying and gathering, the introverts have their peaceful moments with their warm tea and Tet candies, the elders cheerfully wait for visits from their children, the young have time to finish their books, and the children learn to appreciate a red Tet envelope containing a sincere New Year wish rather than a high-value note.

The question is not whether to keep or to abandon Tet but rather how to celebrate it. By focusing on the value that Tet brings, Tet is no longer a burden. It is a time of harmony and synchrony between old and young, yin and yang.   

North America fades by comparison

Nguyen compares the Vietnamese approach to life with the experiences of Canadians and Americans:

During the two weeks prior to Tet, people's minds are already busy shopping and cooking. The common work email reply is: "Out of the office." Your co-workers are excited about their extended annual leave. Some projects seem to halt forever; the delivery schedule is uncertain, and many plans suddenly need to wait until after Tet. The whole system pauses to prepare for Tet. I advocated, therefore, abandoning this time- and energy-consuming holiday. I believed that by only celebrating the calendar New Year, Vietnam would be more advanced and more productive.

[However,] after more than 10 years working and studying in both Vietnam and Canada (I now live in Vancouver, Canada, where most people only have one or two days off for their New Year), I realized how much I miss the anticipation of the public announcement of the duration of the Tet holiday for that year. And I wonder, what are we all working for?

The exciting projects are endless. Success and ambition go hand-in-hand. Some people work to bring prosperity to their families; yet, "prosperity" has no limits. Some people work for their passion, and sometimes the passion swirls them away from their family before they realize it. The United States is a good example of this work-centric view.

The United States is particularly sparing with days off. It is the only developed country that offers no paid maternity or paternity leave to expecting parents. Parental leave is at the mercy of the employer. Most mothers, consequently, rush back to work as soon as they finish delivering their baby. A nine-year ethnography study of American bankers by Dr. Alexandra Michel in 2011 showed that the more successful these executives are, the more they work. One study participant shared that he must not miss a meeting even though his serious back pain forced him to lie on the conference table. The idea that hundreds of millions of people in Vietnam and other countries are willing to stop working for one week would be inconceivable to these executives.

Tet is intense, and Vietnamese take this time seriously, but, as Nguyen says, the burdens of Tet participation have to be seen from the perspective of service to society. She also advocates focusing on what is essential to the annual event, and dispense with what is not. "It is a time of harmony..." and within that, it can be a time of creativity in seeking to achieve the ancient goals. 

Ω See also: Tet 2024: Lunar New Year in Vietnam (photos)

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Tet 2024: Lunar New Year in Vietnam

Nearing the end of Tet, the Lunar New Year 2024 in Vietnam, it's time to curate some snaps that highlight the rich significance of this festive occasion.

The Government declared that there would be five days of public holidays, ending February 14, which meant a seven-day break from the routine, counting the weekend. Going back to one's hometown is an essential part of marking this time, which involves millions travelling away from factories, shops and offices in the main centres to re-connect with family. Vietnam's population is still predominantly rural based, at 61.23 % of the total population in 2022, according to the World Bank.

Householders turn to flowers to decorate and express the joie de vivre at the heart of this festival. The chrysanthemum plays the leading role here because it is synonymous with the worship of  the dead (for Buddhists), or honouring the departed (Christians). Markets spring up at points of easy access. Farming people grow trees and flowers as a supplementary income. Water melons capture the character of the festival with its generous shape and delightful fruit.

The boats draw up and unload their colourful produce

The few days before Tet's January 1 are hectic for buyers and sellers   

Householders enter into the spirit of the festival's customs

Neighbourhoods join in, with flags and hammer-and-sickle banners from the Ward Committee

Businesses and public offices provide for photo opportunities

Couples and families come out for photos in their traditional finery 

Tradition that is expressed with a touch of innovation is the challenge this festival sets

A sense of history, the importance of gift-giving, re-establishing personal connections as families and friends undertake a working life often far from home ‒ all of these socially important attributes are at the foundation of the Tet festival. Long may Vietnam value it!

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Mother rejoices at not aborting her terminally ill child

When the choice is - abort a child or not. Photo by Leonardo Gonzalez

Sometimes personal stories contain an unexpected power. One such is told by Laura, a mother who writes about why she carried her seriously-ill third daughter to full term. The outcome of not aborting her is that she and her family have "infinite gratitude for the gift that Caterina has been and is for us". 

Here is Laura's story:

At the end of last March, my husband and I found out that we were expecting our third child. We were not ready for such news, but I remember our happiness that day and my husband's beautiful smile. A few weeks later, we told our two daughters about the arrival of the little sister they had been longing for: we were really happy and I remember the gratitude I felt during those days thinking that I really had everything I wanted from life.

In May the unexpected happened. On the feast of St. Rita, the patron saint of "impossible causes", our life suddenly changed: during an ultrasound scan, potential problems began to appear in our baby, which a few days later were confirmed by a diagnosis that gave us no hope of survival, due to a serious chromosomal disease. I spent the first few months questioning everything, primarily my faith, which collapsed. Why did Jesus decide to give me such great pain overnight? How can one carry a pregnancy knowing that their daughter could die any day? How do you tell your other daughters that their much-desired sister was soon destined for heaven?

I was overwhelmed with grief and anger, I went through dark days. I never denied the encounter with Jesus that I had made years before, but it simply no longer seemed real, current to me in those days. Why had he abandoned me overnight? I always had many friends around, but I remember the loneliness of those days. Nothing and no one could take that pain away from me. I did not feel able to carry on with a pregnancy in which our child, given the diagnosis, would have died anyway. Everything seemed out of my reach and I felt totally incapable of standing up to what was asked of me. To stay on my feet I tried to cling to my family and do nice things, but nothing sustained me.

Until a meeting with a gynaecologist changed everything. During the first ultrasound with her, I realised that she loved my daughter more than I did, and above all she looked at her as a child and not because of her illness. I was so struck by this doctor's gaze on me and my husband, as well as on our little girl, that from that day on, I began to see a possible way forward: within such a companionship, it was possible to carry a pregnancy. From that day on, I slowly began to give in to His presence, starting with the meeting with this gynaecologist who helped us not to look at our daughter through the eyes of the world.

They were intense months, in which darkness, sadness and pain did not lack, but in which we received much more than we asked for. They were months of encounters, of new friendships, of beauty, a succession of "yeses" by letting what happened happen, and every day we thanked the good Lord that our little girl was still with us. We learnt to live one day at a time, certain that within each moment there was and is everything we need, certain that when we let Jesus in, grace happens.

I never felt "capable" of carrying this pregnancy, but [...] I know Who made it possible. I was then struck by our daughters, who for months asked simply and insistently for the miracle of their sister's healing, certain that Jesus is good and would listen to them. The certainty with which they prayed was beautiful to look at every day.

During the last period of pregnancy, important medical decisions were made, but every time we were discussing them with our gynaecologist, I went home with a grateful heart. We always chose together with her what seemed truest to us, looking at the great good that by now Caterina (this is the name we gave our little girl) was for all of us, within a communion that only a friendship in Jesus and of Jesus makes possible. I remember each ultrasound scan as the most desired moment, both because we could see our baby girl – knowing that, given the situation, there might not be another one – and because it was evident to me how within such a companionship and gaze even my pregnancy, which on the surface was only pain, was a gift and a preference that God had wanted for us.

The closer the day of delivery approached, the more at peace I was, certain that whatever happened was the best thing for us and for Caterina. We were accompanying her to the fulfilment of her destiny, something that we are also doing with our other two daughters; Caterina's fate was simply already written.

The constant embrace of our friends and all the doctors I met in the hospital really made me experience a joy that is difficult to describe because it is humanly impossible except within the work of Another. Our prayers and those of our friends never failed us (they prayed for us from Argentina to Singapore) and I often wished to pray alone, no longer asking for explanations, but asking for Him to show Himself in every moment. I realised that what saved me, and still saves me today, is to ask: "Where are You now?".

Caterina taught us to look at our daughters in a new way, truer and more certain of the good destiny that is there for them and for our family. Our daughter was born in Heaven on exactly the day she should have been born here on Earth. On that day the unthinkable happened again: we experienced great love and experienced unimaginable beauty, even within the pain of our child's death.

I remember that shortly before the birth, we went with the gynaecologist to pray in the little chapel of the hospital. That day there was nothing truer than standing before the Cross, before the One who thought of us and wanted us together, making Caterina's miracle possible. That day, as well as the day of the funeral, showed us again that within a companionship one can say "yes" to God with peace and joy in their heart from another world, in this world. The real drama today is not not having Caterina with us, the real drama is not saying "yes" to Christ in every moment.

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