Is the Culture Toxic?

Notes from my talk at the Diocesan Prolife Conference in Boise, ID

We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to the values and principles of Christianity. Many of the issues that we face today are not only political or social, but also spiritual and moral. How can we as Christians respond to the challenges of our time with courage, faith, and hope?

Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash

In this talk, I will explore some of the main areas where our culture is toxic and how we can counteract the poisons that are affecting our society. I will also share some insights from my book Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad, which is available at my table, Barnes and Noble, Target, and Amazon.com.

Reason: Our Warped Worldview

One of the first areas where our culture is toxic is in the realm of reason. Our culture has adopted a warped worldview that denies the existence of objective truth, moral absolutes, and natural law. Instead, our culture promotes relativism, subjectivism, and utilitarianism. These philosophies lead to a loss of respect for human dignity, a disregard for the common good, and a rejection of God’s plan for creation.

Some of the poisons that result from this warped worldview are contraception, abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide, eugenics, reproductive technologies, so-called gender “affirmation” — we could go on.

These poisons are often disguised or justified by euphemisms or slogans that invert the truth and appeal to emotions. Some examples are:

• Planned Parenthood: The largest abortion provider in the US and a promoter of contraception, sterilization, and sex education that contradicts the natural law and the Christian moral teaching. This organization is neither about planning, nor parenthood.

• Secular Feminism: A movement that claims to advocate for the rights and dignity of women, but in reality devalues the unique roles and gifts of women and men alike. It also promotes a culture of death, a contraceptive mentality, and a radical autonomy that undermines the family and the society.

• Death with “dignity”: A term that is used to refer to euthanasia or assisted suicide, but in reality denies the true dignity and purpose of human life, especially in its final stages.

• “Compassionate” care: A term that is used to refer to the provision of abortion, contraception, or gender “affirmation” services, but in reality harms the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the patients and the providers.

• Gender “affirmation”: A term that is used to refer to the recognition and support of one’s self-defined gender identity, but in reality affirms a lie and a disorder that contradicts the natural law and the divine plan.

Bioethics: Our Dystopic Technologies

Another source of toxicity in our culture is the misuse and abuse of science and technology. Our culture has developed a technocratic and scientistic mentality that sees science and technology as the ultimate sources of knowledge and power, and as the solutions to all our problems. This mentality leads to a disregard for the moral and ethical implications of our scientific and technological endeavors, and to a blind faith in the progress and innovation that they promise.

Some of the examples of this dystopic technology are:

• Synthetic Embryos: The creation of artificial or hybrid human embryos for research or reproduction purposes is a grave violation of the dignity and rights of the human person. Synthetic embryos are not mere clusters of cells, but living beings with a unique genetic identity and a potential for development. They are also not mere objects of experimentation, but subjects of respect and protection.

• In vitro gametogenesis: The production of sperm or eggs from stem cells or other sources is a form of artificial reproduction that bypasses the natural and marital context of procreation. In vitro gametogenesis is unethical and unnatural, as it separates the generation of human life from the love and union of a man and a woman, and from the bodily and personal dimensions of sexuality.

• Embryonic/fetal tissue research: The use of human embryos or fetuses as sources of biological material for research or therapy purposes is a form of cannibalism and exploitation. Embryonic/fetal tissue research is immoral and unnecessary, as it involves the destruction of innocent human lives, and as it can be replaced by alternative and more effective methods, such as adult stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells.

• IVF: In vitro fertilization is a technique that involves the fertilization of an egg by a sperm outside the body, usually in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus of the mother or a surrogate. This technique violates the dignity and rights of the spouses, the children, and the donors involved. It also involves the creation, manipulation, freezing, discarding, or donating of human embryos, which are human beings with inherent value and dignity.

• Surrogacy: Surrogacy is a practice that involves the use of a woman’s womb to gestate a child for another person or couple, usually for a fee. This practice violates the dignity and rights of the mother, the child, and the intended parents. It also involves the separation of the biological, genetic, and social aspects of parenthood, which harms the identity and well-being of the child and the family.

• Egg/Sperm donation: Egg or sperm donation is a practice that involves the provision of gametes (eggs or sperm) by a person or a company to another person or couple, usually for a fee. This practice violates the dignity and rights of the donors, the recipients, and the children. It also involves the commodification and exploitation of the reproductive potential of human beings, which harms the integrity and identity of the person and the family.

• Postmortem conception: Postmortem conception is a practice that involves the use of gametes or embryos from a deceased person to conceive a child. This practice violates the dignity and rights of the deceased, the surviving spouse, and the child. It also involves the disrespect for the natural cycle of life and death, which harms the meaning and purpose of human life and the family.

• Genetic editing/designer babies: Genetic editing is a technique that involves the alteration or enhancement of the genetic makeup of living organisms, including human beings. While there are licit uses for genetic editing (long-term effects unknown), the harms may outweigh potential benefits at a societal level. Designer babies are human beings that are genetically modified to have certain traits or characteristics, such as appearance, intelligence, or health. These techniques violate the dignity and rights of the human beings involved, especially the children. They also involve the usurpation of God’s role as the Creator and a violation of the integrity and uniqueness of each person.

These poisons are often presented or defended as beneficial or necessary for the advancement of science, medicine, or society. Some examples are:

• IVF: A technique that is claimed to help infertile couples or individuals to have children, but in reality disregards the natural and moral means of procreation and the rights and interests of the children.

• Surrogacy: A practice that is claimed to help childless couples or individuals to have children, but in reality exploits and objectifies the women and the children involved and undermines the natural and moral bonds of the family.

• Egg/Sperm donation: A practice that is claimed to help infertile couples or individuals to have children, but in reality commodifies and exploits the reproductive potential of human beings and harms the identity and well-being of the children and the family.

• Postmortem conception: A practice that is claimed to honor the wishes or the memory of the deceased, but in reality disrespects the natural cycle of life and death and harms the dignity and rights of the deceased and the child.

• Genetic editing/designer babies: A technique that is claimed to improve the health or the quality of life of human beings, but in reality manipulates and violates the integrity and uniqueness of each person and creates new ethical and social problems.

• Embryonic/fetal tissue research: A type of research that is claimed to advance the knowledge or the treatment of diseases, but in reality destroys and instrumentalizes human life and cooperates with the evil of abortion.

Marriage and the Family: Perennially Under Attack

The third area where our culture is toxic is in the realm of marriage and the family. Marriage and the family are the basic units of society and the original cells of human life. They are also the natural and divine institutions that reflect the love and the plan of God for humanity. As Christians, we believe that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, who are called to love each other and to be open to life. We also believe that the family is the domestic church, where parents and children grow in faith, hope, and charity.

However, our culture often attacks or undermines the dignity and the meaning of marriage and the family, promoting poisons via normalization by the media, the education, the law, and the culture. Some examples are:

• Divorce: A phenomenon that is portrayed as a solution or a right for unhappy or incompatible couples, but in reality causes pain and suffering for the spouses, the children, and the society.

• Pornography: An industry that is marketed as a form of entertainment or expression, but in reality exploits and enslaves the producers, the consumers, and the society.

• Infidelity: A behavior that is justified as a personal choice or mistaken notions of freedom, but in reality damages and destroys the marriage, the family, and the society.

• Homosexuality: A lifestyle that is celebrated as a diversity or an equality, but in reality contradicts and opposes the natural and divine law of sexuality, marriage, and family.

• Contraception: A practice that is presented as a health or a freedom, but in reality interferes and opposes the natural and moral law of procreation, marriage, and family.

• Gender: An ideology that is imposed as a science or a justice, but in reality denies and defies the natural and divine law of creation, identity, and vocation.

Resisting in HOPE

As Christians, we are called to resist and to overcome these poisons that are affecting our culture. We are also called to witness and to proclaim the truth and the beauty of marriage and the family. We can do this by:

• Living our marriage and our family as a sign and a sacrament of God’s love and plan for humanity.

• Educating our children and ourselves in the faith, the virtue, and the natural law.

• Supporting and defending the rights and the dignity of the spouses, the children, and the family in the public sphere.

• Praying and fasting for the conversion and the healing of our culture and our society.

• Seeking and offering forgiveness and reconciliation for the wounds and the sins that we have caused or suffered in our marriage and our family.

Sr. Lucia, one of the visionaries of Fatima, said: “The final battle between the kingdom of the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.”

This shows us the importance and the urgency of our mission as Christians in our culture. The state of our world is not something to bemoan or escape from; it is the ground on which our own Fiat takes form. The Almighty Creator of the universe has chosen and called each of us to serve Him in these particular circumstances. The world we live in is begging for our prophetic response. If there was ever a time to rise up and proclaim that Christ is King, this is it.

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How do you see the effects of the toxic culture on your own marriage and family and community?

What are some concrete ways that we can resist and overcome the poisons that are affecting our society?