Against Immoral Publications

[thesmellypocket 1841]

 

"You shall not judge your own virtue, be it great or small, for all fall short of Me."-Virtue 7:8.

 

An exhortation to the people, against tabloid newspapers. 

 

O senseless sons of Horen, cease this nonsense, but prove yourselves worthy of that name. It is indeed a reproach to you from Almighty God that again it should fall to an idiot and wretch like me to be the one to rebuke you.

 

Point I. The Immoral Nature of these "Tabloids" is Now Clear. To Even Read Them, is a Sin. To Write or Promote Them, a Grave Sin.

 

What shall I say about these "tabloids" circulating in Oren and Haense today? They are not fit even to be mentioned. It is certain that those who write them are certainly the slaves of iblees, for of them we read: "their lies are lifted up in worship, for the slaves [Flexio: servi] of Iblees proclaim them truth." Even if they are not lies, even if they are true, then still a grave evil there is in the writing of them. For they show themselves to be utterly unrestrained in their imprudence, completely wanton in their effeminacy, and unreservedly rampaging in their calumny. Such publications and the interest in them reveal a very sinful and prideful civilisation. For indeed, why else would we want to hear about other people's evils? Why is a publication gossiping about immoralities more popular than reading about virtue? It is simple. It is because a society that is overwhelmed with guilt wants to hear about other people's problems. For the more they read of adulteries in others, comparing themselves to those, the more they become secure in their own self-assessment. But, as we have read, this is not the way God teaches us. God says: "Judge not your own virtue." Constantly comparing yourselves with others and holding yourselves above them, is a trick of iblees that leads straight to the Void. Therefore we should avoid reading such things.

 

Such gossiping is undoubtedly a sin. It is a grave sin against charity and prudence. For, if we love the sinner, we will seek to uphold and exhort him, not calumniate him. To publish, far and wide, gossip about him will destroy our neighbour and wreck him to misery, and it is a common temptation for women, who, seduced by the love of illicit pleasure, do grave injury to their fellows. We desire to bring the sinner to repentance. But I speak as assuming these persons are sinners. For these "tabloids" speak only in shades and in the venomous poison of snakes, and there is no knowing whether what they say is true or not. They are filled with horrible insults and meanness, and deserve to be burned. Indeed, if we must err on any point, let us err on the side of mercy. I mean that, if there is probable but not certain evidence of sin in another person, we should not believe it until proven beyond reasonable doubt, for, if we err in that a man has sinned when we thought he did not, we will have erred on the part of humility and mercy, whereas to condemn a man wrongly is to gather up kindling for one's own eternal fire, which we shall deserve, for, wrongly having judged another, he shall find himself before that Judge who admits of no excuse. 

 

These publications excuse sin, which, according to Blessed Seraphim the Tractarian, is the worst blasphemy. It is the gravest violation of the very first maxim we receive from Almighty God: "Blaspheme NOT!" (Virtue 1:8.) There is one such case where such a woman as this or that has committed adultery, and one of these - I mention not the name - and the publication, although saying they do not excuse the sin, go on to do so. They say that such a husband is a dullard, or something of that nature. Apologies if I get some details wrong, I have already done what each and every one of you ought to have done by now, and committed this rubbish to the flames. It is straight from the mouth of iblees, all of it.

 

People nowadays are very careful with what they eat. There is talk of sanitation laws. If a little dirt gets on a man's bread, he will not eat it. He will refrain from sweet foods in the knowledge that they are bad for him. But filth for the mind? We gobble it up with wanton gluttony! We will pour in all of the most poisonous vomit, and think nothing of it. But know that the filth of the mind is far worse than that of the body, and far more damaging. And as for the sweet foods of the soul, we will be seduced by the sweetness of gossip and calumny, and not care for the future bitterness that we reap thereby. Better it is to be good in poor health than evil in good health. For observe this: we become like that which we spend time with. Do you want to be a good man? Spend time with good men. Women, do you want to be like Saint Julia? Go and spend some time with her. A man among robbers, blasphemers, adulterers, drunkards and so on, ought to take care, lest he become one himself. At first, the sake of friendship he will at first excuse evil, and then he will share its delight, and then finally assent to it. Stay away from the sorts of people who make such publications, as well as the publications themselves. It seems that men become like that which they love. If they love what is noble, they will become noble. But if they love that which is base, they will become base.

 

Take care, then. Guard your mind against all bad books and pamphlets. It will avail you very little if you are very careful of what you eat and live to be an hundred, if all those years are pride, griping, lust, calumny and so on, because that is what you have poured into your mind, and so you will have become evil. Go instead to read the lives of the Saints, the Scriptures or Tractarian writings. Or even read books of wholesome recreation, not necessarily religious but ennobled by good characters, stories and wonderful language.  Even despite occasional liberal nonsense, Epochs of the Empire is well-written and not sinful, but teaches of our ancestors, and makes for better reading. You are called to be spiritual sons of Horen and Julia. Just like Owyn, Godfrey and Sigmund.  Why then do you become like worms in the ground? Rise up, do manfully, and be strengthened in the faith.

 

"But this man or that is a sluggard!" "This woman has done this!" ENOUGH! Are you yourself perfect? Can you yourself, a sinner, so judge others? You highlight the sins of others because you are yourself guilty. Stop this, and humble yourselves; do penance for the evil you have done. For if Godfrey, a man we all agree was most excellent, called himself a grave sinner (Proverbs 1:3), which of you shall be blameless? Do good deeds. Pray. Go to Confession. You are called by God to love your fellow man and woman. That does not mean loving a perfect man, it means loving the sluggard whom God, in His infinite wisdom, has given you. For it is in the extremity that virtues are tried. To crush a little ant is no sign of courage, and so to love someone who is always giving you sweets is not so difficult a thing. But we are not called to be courageous against ants, but a soldier must stand against enemy soldiers perhaps stronger and more numerous than his own. And so, you are called to love. Remember the example of a certain Priest, Ven. Humbert, who, upon seeing criminals about to be executed, exclaimed: "There but for the grace of God goes Humbert!" And Bl. Pius the Tractarian, who used to, upon hearing of a crime, say: "Thank God I have not done worse!' 

 

To the victims of the calumny, I beg them to forgive their calumniators, to not care for the opinions of men and women, but to lift their hearts to God. For, though our misery be great, yet is His mercy infinite, and, as Blessed Pius says, until God's mercy ceases to be infinite and your wickedness begins to be, then you have a right to stop hoping. But as for now, since God's mercy is infinite and you are very small in comparison, go and cast all your casts upon Him, plunging yourselves into the vast ocean of His mercy. 

 

Point II. Young Women and Effeminate Men are Drawn to Such Pleasures Because they Are Idle. 

 

I said this in the previous little homily. But idleness is a chief cause of these evils. Women do these evils, especially so-called noble women (for they rather less deserve that name than humble peasant girls whom God loves for their simplicity of soul), because they are bored. Illicit pleasure is, to them, an intoxicating remedy for their boredom. And it is the same with effeminate men who take to this manner of foolishness. But, as we know, there is such a thing as sweet poison, and that is what this is. We see it in the fruits of what has transpired: sickly envy, vengefulness and crime. But there is a sweet thing that costs nothing to drink, and bears no bitterness in it. It is the free air. Preserve yourselves then, little ones, from this idleness. Go and enjoy the free air, go and dance and play among the lillies, those games which you played when you were children. These pleasures are freer, more wholesome and joyous than any these evil things can give, whilst, by the self-forgetfulness and lightness they endow unto the soul, induce us to humility and playfulness. So bless the Lord at all times, occupy yourself with your looms and your children, and, when you have time, calumniate not, but play, and, in fact, do anything that will keep you from idleness and sin.

 

A blessing I wish you all, in the Name of He who lives and reigns forever and ever, Amen.

Edited March 9, 2021 by thesmellypocket

[NotEvilAtAll 9944]

“Sorreh, oi’m ter buseh wri’in’ me nex’ newspaper ter read dis crud!” Says Filibert Applefoot, lead writer for the Pumpkin Papers.