Follow
Register for free to receive Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe’s My Daily Visitor newsletter and unlock full access to the latest inspirational stories, news commentary, and spiritual resources from Our Sunday Visitor.
Newsletter Magazine Subscription

Today’s new moral consensus is a call to proclaim the Gospel

evangelization evangelization
Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Arlington, Va., chats with young people in an undated photo during a "P3" evangelization event in the parish gym. Attendees of the event are offered offered Eucharistic adoration, confession, a meditation from a priest and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament -- the evening's "prayer" and "penance" -- followed by fellowship and community ("pub" time with beer and wine). (OSV News photo/courtesy St. Charles Catholic Church)

In just a few decades, the United States has experienced a significant and rapid shift in public opinion regarding same-sex “marriage.” Consider that, in 2008, then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was against such unions. Recall the interview in which Obama sat opposite Pastor Rick Warren, head of Saddleback church, and said, “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian … it is also a sacred union. God’s in the mix.”

According to a recent Gallup poll, more than two-thirds of Americans now believe that marriage between same-sex couples should be legal, with 69% in favor. Additionally, nearly as many, 64%, consider gay or lesbian relations morally acceptable. This is a stark contrast to the sentiment in 1996, when only 27% supported legal recognition for same-sex unions. This dramatic change highlights a broader transformation in social values, in which views, not long ago considered fringe, have become mainstream.

While the growth in acceptance of same-sex unions and same-sex relations has stabilized in recent years, particularly among Democrats and independents, there remains a distinct partisan divide. Support among Republicans has slightly dipped in recent years. But on the whole, on this issue, there is a startling consensus compared to that of just 20 years ago. News reports on the results of the Gallup survey and similar surveys always highlight the supposed partisan divide on moral issues, but it’s not really a divide. Across the political spectrum, over the past several decades, we’re seeing an alarming shift away from traditional moral views.

A rapid change in morality

In 2002, 45% of Americans thought having a baby outside of marriage was morally acceptable. Today, that number has ballooned to 68%. In 2001, 53% of Americans approved of sexual relations outside of marriage. That number is 69% today.

These numbers draw a clear picture of the accelerating decay of Christian moral influence. Of course, no previous generation fully lived up to the moral tenets of Christianity — we’re all subject to the effects of original sin, after all — but at least those tenets were regarded by most as a standard to which they aspired. The turn away from Gospel morality is objective. And, consequently, the future that awaits us is unprecedented in human history.

Confronting our post-Christian age

As C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Christians and Pagans had much more in common with each other than either has with a post-Christian. The gap between those who worship different gods is not so wide as that between those who worship and those who do not.” We are not seeing a repaganization of the world so much as we are witnessing the entrance into a new post-Christian age.

Amid this cultural shift, the Catholic Church is called to be a beacon of light and truth. It is imperative that we respond to this moral crisis not with despair but with a renewed vigor in proclaiming the Gospel. This moment demands that we engage the world with love and courage, offering the hope and transformation found in Christ. Our message must resonate not only in churches but in public squares, the media and everyday conversations. A clear proclamation of Gospel morality alone will offer a compelling alternative to the moral confusion of our times.

We are not seeing a repaganization of the world so much as we are witnessing the entrance into a new post-Christian age.

This is a time for the Church to rise, not to retreat. We must use the tools of our modern age to communicate timeless truths, ensuring that the Gospel is accessible to all. The mission is urgent, as countless souls are searching for meaning and truth in a world that increasingly denies both. Let us, therefore, commit to a contagious announcement of the Gospel, confident in its power to heal and restore. In doing so, we will not only affirm our faith but offer the world a vision of hope rooted in the love of Jesus Christ.