As taught by the Angelic Doctor in Secunda Secundae Partis, Q. 79, omission on the part of an individual is a sin.
As St. Thomas explains, "To the sin of transgression there correspond both the pain of loss on account of the aversion from God and the pain of sense, on account of the inordinate conversion to a mutable good. In a like manner, omission deserves not only the pain of loss, but also the pain of sense, according to Matthew 7:19, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire"; and this on account of the root from which it grows, although it does not necessarily imply conversion to any mutable good."
It is clear to the readers of this blog that our world - American society and the world by and large - is a bastion of sin and vice, which in our modern world is at times not only allowed but is even praised! How many people praise the evil of legalized abortion, contraception, divorce, and sexually-themed motion pictures to name only a handful!
Yet, it would seem that failure to act against such realities through clear, decisive, and regular actions is a sin of omission. While we cannot be held responsible for legalized abortion and the murder of children since we are not actualizing the crime, we do act as accessories if we knowingly and willingly vote for politicians that campaign on pro-death platforms.
But this post is not about politicians who support a culture of death. Rather, I argue that all Catholics who fail to take concrete steps to fight injustices fail in their duty of state and sin by omission. How often do you fight abortion by protesting it, by funding pro-life and anti-abortion organizations, by praying for an end of it, or by other means?
Your concrete actions are needed to stop abortion. The actions of all Catholics against these crimes that cry to Heaven for vengeance are needed in this war against Satan and his soldiers. Were you not baptized and confirmed as a soldier of Christ? Were you not given the Rosary, the weapon against evil, yet why do you not wield your weapon against the foes which press on from every side? Your omission is not innocent - it is as if you were a soldier whose duty was to guard a city and you willingly stepped aside as invaders pressed onward to burn the city. Your sin of omission is most grievous to the Church of God, even if it be a sin of omission and not a sin of transgression.
I wish to recommend the following small way to help in the fight to bankrupt pro-death organizations. I was
inspired by reading a post regarding sending mass marketers their junk mail back in postage-paid envelopes.
In short, go out and contact various pro-death organizations and ask them for donation envelopes. They will very willingly send them to you. Then, when you get them, simply find a box, fill it with any junk that you don't want, and affix the postage-paid label to the top. These organizations pay around 20 cents an ounce so even sending them a few old, virtually worthless books will quickly add up in shipping expenses that they will pay 100%.
If you're interested, these organizations would be a good place to start:
- Planned Parenthood
- Hemlock Society
- Call to Action
- Call to Action Nebraska
- Catholics for a Free Choice
Above all, if the organization is spending more and more on handling customer emails and on shipping expenses, they will have less to spend on aiding Satan.
