Was it realistic of St. Peter to ask the scribes and elders to open their minds to the truth?

Saturday, 4/14/12

Peter and John were brought before the elders and scribes who had cautioned them against speaking in the name of Jesus whom they had crucified. They were indignant with the Apostles for ignoring their orders.

Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.”

Was it realistic for Peter to say that? Really, could he expect them to put aside their long experience in keeping the nation free from quacks? 

It brings up the question of to what extent any of us can make fair, independent decisions. As Catholics, if we do not think the way Catholics think we may be forced to go elsewhere. As Democrats or Republicans if we never think the way our party thinks they will push us aside. Birds of a feather flock, swim, and blog together

A report on North Korea made a deep impression on me. It said that from morning to night every home has a loud speaker telling the citizens to thank their great founder, Kim Il Sung, for every bit of happiness in their lives. They can hardly think otherwise.

This morning, walking by a station wagon parked behind a tavern, I saw its window sticker that said, “Talk English, or go back to the sorry-ass place you came from.” To make a profit the printer must have found thousands of people to pay for those stickers. The people with those stickers probably are not open to contrary views.

Can we ever free ourselves from group-think? Can we get a fresh insight into every moral issue that comes our way? It wouldn’t be easy. Our only chance of knowing and doing what God wants of us demands three things. First, we must open our eyes to all the issues. Next we must embrace the considerations that come to us from prayer and the Scriptures. Finally, we would need to have disciplined lives that are supple to the promptings of God’s grace.