Forty years after the start of the Second Vatican Council, Father Richard Neuhaus shares with us his views on the promulgation of "Dignitatis Humanae", the 1965 declaration on religious freedom, in this interview: "Certain 'exemptions' for religious faith and practice are not enough. Religious freedom is not toleration. The state that extends toleration can also withdraw toleration. Religious freedom is a God-given right that is grounded in the dignity of the human person, in natural law, and in divine revelation. That is the argument of the declaration, and it is an argument that, everywhere in the world, must be made again and again." Please excuse me if I go on a bit of a tangent, but this makes me think of the modern-day misconception of the virtue of tolerance. If we tolerate an evil while actively yet charitably working toward overturning it, that's one thing. However, if we tolerate evil by standing behind a live-and-let-live mantra, we are merely using it as a shield to protect ourselves from controversy, confrontation or condemnation. Pick your poison: abortion, contraception, adultery, fornication. There is certainly no shortage of evils; the adherents to which we do a great disservice by giving tacit approval of their actions. When it comes to questions of good and evil, we must be clear about which side we are on. Our Lord expects no less.
