Societal Lukewarmness and its Consequences

In 1948 Dominican ethicist and theologian Father Jacek Woroniecki made the following observation about the eighteenth century, highlighting the general effects it later wrought upon European societies:

The individualism and sentimentalism of the last century produced in public opinion a strong prejudice against punishments and severity, after which there followed also complete indifference toward evil, at times even sympathizing with it and supporting it by people who would themselves never commit it.

Does this not ring just as true today as it must have in his own day, perhaps even more? Indeed, the horror that used to accompany public vice, particularly the unnatural kinds, has all but vanished. Punishment is now a dirty word, whereas in Catholic civilization it was the medicine for a sinner, all of us included, and perfectly consistent with justice. Justice which consists in nothing more than giving a man what he is due, whether merit or in this case, demerit.

Originally published in The Journal of American Reform. Read original article