Dear Editor: Father Anthony Raso’s exegesis in The Tablet of Oct. 6 (Sunday’s Scriptures) reveals that we have modified scripture by “little adjustments” so as to be nice. He decried such adjustments because they constitute a radical shift from Divine Revelation and lead to darkness.

Such compromises – widely accepted, but not voiced by church members – have contributed to a prevalence of ineffective church leadership, reluctant to preach the gospel of the Cross. Rather, they preach a feel-good, I’m-OK, you’re-OK gospel, so as not to offend anyone.

To be specific, let’s examine contemporary attitudes of some lay people on such issues as abortion, gay marriage, cohabitation, confession and exercise of moral conscience. Whenever Catholic teaching is tabled on these topics, negative and shocking objections are gotten from many so-called Catholics. Such responses range from the bizarre to the preposterous as follows:

• The clergy don’t understand the travails of pregnancy; their views against abortion are irrelevant and not welcome.
• If gays love themselves, let them marry. God made them so. Why bother them?
• I am not a sinner. Why preach to me about confession? I did not participate in any abuses.
• I am a convinced Catholic; but my Catholicism should not influence my decisions in political/workplace venues.
• It is not the Church’s business if I cohabit with my boy/girl friend. After all, we hope to get married.

Because of such responses, some clergy shrink from preaching sound Gospel and start to flow with the crowd. These responses are evil inspired and have become the cultural norm among us. Sexual revolution of the 1960s upended traditional morality and when evil is trivialized, it festers to scandal.

Hard truth makes us wise. Let homilists be incisive with true taste of Gospel message. Homilists should no longer placate us with platitudes. Scripture warns us against worldly conformity which on maturity, leads to sin and death. This abuse scandal causes death as many faithful abandon the Faith.

All must realize that if one part of the body is sick, the entire body suffers. Everyone has contributed to this spiritual decay. Let’s not blame the clergy alone. The Catholic Church should not hope that this evil will be swept under the rug.

God is merciful and gracious but the Prodigal Son first repented and then, God welcomed him back.

VICTOR C. ENEMUO

Elmont