Macklemore, Same Love and propaganda

So you have Theology of the Body or the arguments of natural law versus the word–image association of Macklemore—that’s not likely a ripe conversation—and Macklemore has a lead of 48 million views and a culture moving in his direction, not only in its beliefs but in its vocabulary.

That’s where the difficulty lies, not only in the conflict of judgment—conjugal versus revisionist beliefs on marriage—but in the mode of discourse, the process of how meaning is made.

First Things used to be a well done journal, primarily driven by Richard John Neuhaus.  RIP.  But now it has come to this.  A lament that there is no effective propaganda for “our side.”  Even though the article itself attempts to use communication techniques in carrying its message, i.e., it is propaganda too.

It might be much better, and more convincing, to come away from standard Catholic arguments regarding marriage, the potential procreative argument or even the complimentarily one, and think up new ones, because neither one really is all that effective.  Because they fail.  The procreation argument fails of its own weight.  Ban marriages by any woman who is past menopause?  Really?  The complimentarily one fails because the Bible contains examples of Christ blessing those who weren’t married, or who had five husbands and was living with one who was not her husband.  In fact, the Samaritan woman at the well brought His Good News to her village, and caused many to believe.  Christ truly has His apostles everywhere and in every guise, and you who think they know best are like those disciples who tried to stop others from preaching in his Name.  Christ's Good News was simple.  Love.  And not your definition of Love.  But God’s. 

One of the true First Things necessary to carry that message is don’t be like the Pharisees, busy making rules.  He saved His strongest condemnation for them, for the rule makers.  And He showed the most love to those who believed in Him.  Without rules.  After all, nowhere in the Bible does it say that He condemned the Samaritan woman at the well for her five husbands, or her living in sin.  Rather it says because of her testimony many believed.  And the Bible has Christ saying nothing more about her.