It\’s the Devil, Stupid

Val Bianco - Devil Stupid

\"Val

Like it or not, our country was founded on and sustained by the notion of a Creator. Furthermore our founding documents affirm that this Creator endowed us with certain inalienable rights. Our system of jurisprudence was rooted in English common law, which itself was dependent upon the informed discretion of individual judges to establish legal precedent.

Simply stated, the concept of common law relies upon the year in and year out cumulative good judgment of the judges. The question is, what was the intended basis for that good judgment? This question brings us all the way back to the first precept of law stated by St. Thomas Aquinas himself, that “good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided.” In other words, we are brought back to “The Natural Law.” (ST-II-I, Q. 94, Art. 2)

Now in the event of unregulated common law it must be assumed that the judicial temperament of the judges will remain sensitive to objective moral standards. The genius of the Founders, however, provided an overlay for judicial discretion by adopting the Constitution, which is, itself, deferential to the notion of seeking good and avoiding evil. This was a uniquely American and, if you will, revolutionary idea, for it made our system of justice universal and appellate in nature.

If a case is appealed, ultimately, to the U. S. Supreme Court they will fall back on the Constitution to render decision. It is interesting to note that Great Britain, to this day has no formal, written Constitution. To this end it is fundamental to understand that the United States Constitution is a document designed specifically to limit the power of Government in order to ensure that it remain the servant and never the master of its citizens. The founders had confidence in the American people, while retaining a prudent mistrust of any government administered by fallible men. Why? Because they knew that government was a soulless and corruptible thing, whereas individual moral men fear for their eternal destiny, making a Godly nation a self regulating entity. Consider the words of our second President, John Adams:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” –October 11, 1798

Now, you may ask, what does all of this have to do with the devil, and more importantly, what does it have to do with me? I would first ask you a question in response. Do you believe that, in 2012, the current political process is still capable of honest representation of our country’s best interests? Assuming that you are among the majority of Americans who answered — either “doubtful” or “nope” or “no way” or “hell no” — the next question is: Why not? The most common answer is that the entire process is no longer trustworthy.

So, I would ask a follow-up question. In your life, as you scroll through the institutions that built this nation, what is left that is trustworthy? Government, banks, schools, churches, the legal system, industry? “Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet?” Are any of these as trustworthy as they once were? As they should be? So what has changed? These institutions aren’t bricks and mortar, they are people. Washington D.C. is just land and buildings; the government is people. The Church isn’t the Vatican, the National Cathedral or some stadium mega structure, it is you and me, on our knees praying for God’s will. Things haven’t changed, we have. If our institutions are no longer trustworthy, its because neither are we.

Look at us, as a country. We lie, we cheat on our spouses, we spend our lives wanting bigger, better, faster everything, and we are obsessed with sex. Attendance at church is way down; at bars, way up. We abort our children, buy our daughters birth control pills, peruse internet pornography like our fathers watched the evening news and actually tolerate an idiotic word like homophobia. Despite all of this, we have the nerve, the unmitigated gall, to expect our elected representatives to be honest!

Now, clearly the above description doesn’t apply to the reader or any of his friends, relatives, high school classmates, or members of his astrological star sign. Neither, I pray, would it apply to me or mine, but when the bruised boxer’s coach told him, “He hasn’t laid a glove on ya, kid.” The beaten fighter replied, “OK coach, but, keep an eye on that referee, would ya, cause someone is beatin’ the hell outta me in there!”

I know that we don’t believe that it is us, but a whole lot of somebody is beatin’ the hell outta the moral fabric of this country.

—–

This is an excerpt from Val Bianco’s newest book It’s the Devil, Stupid, expected to be available in 2013.

© Val Bianco. All Rights Reserved.

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18 thoughts on “It\’s the Devil, Stupid”

  1. It’s disconcerting that the author states that the word “homophobia” is idiotic.
    I’ve live my entire life with people thinking I am a threat because I am a homosexual. I have experienced this. The catholic church promotes this.
    the fear is irrational yet I experience it.
    An irrational fear is a phobia.
    have any of you ever considered what it is like to have articles such as this written about you?

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  4. Wondering if anyone could pinpoint the time and reasoning behind this nation turning it’s back on God. My parents were immigrants from Italy when they came to this country. Never, ever once would they even think about asking for Government assistance (partially because of “pride” which is not a good thing)or blame God for horrible circumstances that has happened in our family. God was always number One….as it should be. Just when did the lack of respect for family and God cease as we know it now. When was hard work and rewards for that hard work become an evil thing.

  5. Val, God bless you for this terrific article. It is the political Left and Right of this nation that is causing its moral decline. Yes, the Left is certainly guilty of the collapse of sexual morality, but the Right is guilty of promoting a culture of soulless consumeristic greed.

    The political nouns and adjectives differ, but it all ends up being synonymous. The Left and Right have created hyper-individualistic cultures of “Me.” Whether it is the worship of uninhibited pleasure or the almighty dollar.

    Good Catholics should reject both sides.

    1. Dear Maine, you are describing the false left/right pardigm of the American media which helps divide and conquer US. Those who are on the “right” side reject satan and all his works that Val points out in his beautiful work above. Thankyou Val, you make my faith soar. Sla’n Seamus.

  6. To Lorna,
    please Lorna you can use it, the Holy Spirit inspired me to write it, for free I received for free I shall give. Lorna I work as a Labor and Delivery nurse in a Hospital where most of the patients are on drugs, or abused, or lonely.
    I try to bring God’s Love to them and I tell you the persecution around me is terrible, the devil is furious at me for that, especially when family members or the patients thank me for the warmth and love and hope I gave them.
    So please pray for me too that the devil will NOT be victorious and that I might continue doing what I’m doing. Nursing is viewed as a career nowadays, and 3/4 of the time is spent on computer charting. Little time is left to be at the bedside. This is very frustrating !!!!!! Rita Love and Peace to you and all the ones you encounter !!!

  7. THE GOOD SHEPHERD

    Lord, carry us safely on Your shoulders
    our feet hurt from the rocks and the boulders
    the edgy stones, the thistles and the thorns
    paved for us by coldhearted scorns

    We feel total abandonment and rejection
    we don’t feel any compassionate affection
    we CRY OUT
    L O U D

    Father, why? Have You forsaken us ?
    satan uses even his blunderbuss
    to annihilate us, bringing us to despair
    “he can’t touch you, not even a single hair !”

    Offer Me all your troubles and pain
    I will change it into eternal gain
    not only for you, but for many in need
    of conversion, salvation, waiting to be freed

    I see everything, I know everything about you
    My children, I will never forsake you My beloved crew
    but I need souls who willingly, freely sacrifice
    and offer their sufferings so souls can win the price

    Take courage, My little ones, it’s only a short time
    I love you, I love you, You are so much Mine
    Your Father will NEVER abandon you, NEVER EVER
    especially NOT in these times of dangerous stormy weather.

    I love you so much, Your Jesus.

    Rita Biesemans, written after Eucharistic Adoration and a waterfall of tears
    September 28 2012

    1. @ Rita,

      what a beautiful prayer (The Good Shepherd) you composed Rita. Would I be allowed to use it with the teens at our church? We are having an evening where we will be discussing suicide. I think these poor young people need to understand that they should always have hope in God, no matter what happens. I adore weekly and I know that this is a very special way of hearing Jesus speak to us. You are very blessed!
      Lorna 🙂

  8. You know Val, this past Sunday our priest preached on the devil and that was the first time that I have heard a priest talk about the devil. I was so impressed. There were around 400 people at that Mass. I wondered what they were all thinking because I think many Catholics (even some priests) don’t believe there is a devil or a real hell anymore. What a hay day that has been for Satan. Our culture has spurned the Commandments, no longer allowed to be displayed in our institutions of law, of government, or education. Without question,a culture who spurns the basic Commandments can only become the worst of people, liars, cheaters, murderers, adulterers, fornicators, haters, and enemies of God. It’s a given. And worst of all, we have become evil pillagers of the innocence of children. We are witness to a horrifying disfigurement of the human person. Where God is spurned, the devil takes residence; there is no neutral ground. He goes about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour(1Peter5:8)….and he doesn’t have to search too hard these days, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are plentiful in the devil’s kingdom at this time. Repentance, prayer, and fasting is necessary to exorcize the spirit of evil from out midst. Lent is a good time to renew this practice in earnest.

    1. WHO WILL CRY FOR YOU, AMERICA ?

      I, will cry you a river
      And much much more
      My dear dear America,
      Once so beautiful !
      You sold your soul
      To a bunch of mercenaries
      Which entered your sheep-fold
      As wolves and goats
      You sold your skin
      To the highest bidder
      You resemble a harlot
      The new BABYLON
      Eating and drinking
      With the rich of this world
      Prostituting yourself
      For money and power
      And became a den
      Of thieves and murderers
      You forgot all about
      The One Who blessed
      You so abundantly
      Biting the Hand of the Blesser
      Embarrassed to mention His Name !
      Did He not teach you
      To be wise as a serpent
      And harmless as a dove
      Why then do you behave
      As a silly goose ??
      He invited you to His dinner Table
      He so diligently prepared
      But, you made light of it
      And went your worldly, haughty ways
      One to his farm,
      Another to his business.
      But as the Father of Fathers
      He waits for your return
      The return of His prodigal daughter
      WAKE UP, AMERICA !!!
      Humble your pride
      And follow the Way, the Life and the Truth !!!
      Or, I SHALL cry you a river
      A river of bloody tears
      And much much more !!!

      Rita Biesemans 02/17/2003

  9. The number one question we should be asking is, “Is this the will of God?”. If you discern that it is, then accept it. The Holy Father is old and very ill. If God wanted him to continue in an incapacitated state, then he would have made it so, because believe it or not whether his love is accepted or not, he is present in all aspects of everyones life… every moment of everyones life. God controls all, and nothing happens if he doesn’t allow it. In our modern society we have come to make light of and belittle ancient traditions, and in some cases rightly so. However the church is based on the word of God. Gods word is eternal, and there can be no questioning of it. satan found out what happens when one calls in to question Gods will. The ancient Israelites also suffered because of turning against God. This is what awaits us also if we don’t turn back to God, and learn to trust in his most holy will. God has been imploring us now for sometime to return to him. Very few are seeing the signs.

    1. Right on, Padonne. There are so many signs and prophesies being fulfilled at this time and many are not seeing this because of the “great falling away” that Jesus spoke of about the latter days. Sad, but if only people would get out their bibles and really study it, they WOULD see.

  10. “In your life, as you scroll through the institutions that built this nation, what is left that is trustworthy? Government, banks, schools, churches, the legal system, industry? “Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet?” Are any of these as trustworthy as they once were?” Excellent. That should be one of the #1 quesions in this country today.

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