Letters

Moral decline

Frank Bellet

Contents - Aug 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, 15 August - Michael Gilchrist Caritas in Veritate: Benedict XVI's social encyclical: public life needs Christian principles - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Human rights: Small victories for pro-lifers at the UN - Babette Francis Priesthood: Benedict XVI's Letter to priests: follow example of the Curé of Ars Is this where 'progressive' religious life is heading? - AD2000 REPORT Magisterium: Authentic Catholicism: neither progressive nor conservative - Fr Martin Durham G.K. Chesterton on modernism and orthodoxy Foundations of Faith: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone): a recipe for doctrinal chaos - Dr Frank Mobbs God's Messengers: Angels: what Scripture and Tradition reveal - Susan McKinley Poetry: Nkosi J - Will Elsin Letters: Pope Pius XII vindicated - Tony Evans Letters: Religious freedom - Fr Brian Harrison OS Letters: Ecumenism? - Moya and Leo Morrissey Letters: Content of faith - Chris Hilder Letters: Moral decline - Frank Bellet Letters: Poems appreciated - Margaret Healy Letters: Appeal - World Congress of Families - Jenny Davies Books: THE WINE OF CERTITUDE: a Literary Biography of Ronald Knox, by David Rooney - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: JESUS, THE APOSTLES AND THE EARLY CHURCH, by Pope Benedict XVI - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: FLOWERS OF HEAVEN: One Thousand Years of Christian Verse, ed. By Joseph Pearce - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: BECAUSE GOD IS REAL: Sixteen Questions, One Answer, by Peter Kreeft - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: ... AND YOU ARE CHRIST'S':The Charism of Virginity and the Celibate Life, Dubay - Br Barry Coldrey Books: This month's selection from AD Books Reflection: Mary in God's plan of salvation - Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli

Now that the furore surrounding the Sharks' rugby league sex scandal has subsided to some extent, it's worth examining some of the transparently shallow suggestions offered as solutions for future behaviour. In no way am I making excuses for the behaviour of all those involved, on both sides I might add, but the proverbial elephant in the discussion room was obviously invisible.

Leading the charge was the ABC, who curiously ran a news story on the seven-year-old scandal on the 7 May 7am news, four days before the airing of their Four Corners expose and on a Thursday, the same day of the airing of the less than intelligent Footy Show on Channel 9, on that night.

This was pointed out by the well-known and respected former media personality Geoffrey Luck in the Weekend Australian (23 May). To my knowledge, this was unprecedented with the airing of similar Four Corners shows, so apparently the ABC wanted total impact.

The point I am making about the elephant in the room is that not only the ABC, but most other media, came out with much finger-pointing and both guns blazing, totally ignoring the fact, as we'd expect, that for at least two generations, most of the media, including women's magazines, have worked overtime to systematically change the attitude of the general public on moral issues, particularly in relation to sexual matters.

They have done this by a system of gradualism, two steps forward to test reaction and then one step backwards when it emerged. Opponents were constantly ridiculed and often silenced.

Is it any wonder that as a result of a lifetime of faulty indoctrination on morals, we experience the emergence of a minority of overpaid louts in most forms of sport, with no respect for women and more than enough women who have no respect for themselves?

FRANK BELLET
Petrie, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 7 (August 2009), p. 15