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every society has what we call
fundamental values that means goods that
are so basic they are taken for granted
and in turn they condition all the other
goods within the culture so for example
in our society as is the case in most of
the modern liberal democracies something
like freedom and equality would be the
fundamental values that's the bedrock of
the society look in the classical
communist society something like you
know justice achieved through the
elimination of classes might be that the
fundamental good even in a explosively
corrupt society you think of Nazi
Germany maybe it's the defense of the
fatherland or the will of the fewer you
know we're the fundamental values it's
actually not that hard to to discover
them if you keep asking that why are you
doing something keep asking that
question why why why until we get to the
point where you say well just because
that's good that's why we do it when you
reach that level you've come to the
level of the fundamental values now as I
say most liberal democracies are
conditioned by freedom and equality and
that remains the case but I would say in
recent years a kind of shifting of the
ground is taking place I would say in a
lot of Western societies today the
fundamental values have become diversity
tolerance and inclusivity I guess
especially for a lot of younger people
if you were to say well how come those
are good how come is good to be
inclusive you know and tolerant of
diversity people would say well does
that's just good to be that way you know
they're seen as the fundamental values
well kind of a contrast between that and
the community of the church the
community of Jesus Christ because we
would say the fundamental value is not
freedom or equality or inclusivity or
diversity or tolerance we would say the
fundamental value in the community of
Jesus Christ is love
now as I said a million times to love is
to will the good of the other right we
would say is Christian's that's the
value that's most bedrock and that in
turn conditions all the other values now
here's where things get maybe a little
bit confusing because sometimes love
indeed is tolerant sometimes love is
indeed inclusive sometimes it is very
open to diversity but not always see and
thereupon hangs a tail and I think that
distinction is worth getting at so I
mean we would love include these things
well I mean love to will the good of the
other of course is tolerant because it
reaches out to the person no matter what
that person's belief it still says I
want to establish a contact with you as
a as a dignified human being is love
inclusive well sure because its purpose
ultimately is to draw people into itself
is it tolerant of diversity yeah
often because love is opposed to an
imperialistic you know imposition of one
point of view so there is a lot of
overlap but not always now if you can
ask that let me propose first kind of an
ordinary example than a little more
elevated one I think is a a baseball
coach the college baseball coach it's
now spring tryouts for the team right
let's say a hundred players have come
out to the team and he can choose maybe
twenty to be on his squad now let's
presume he's a good man decent just man
what's he gonna do he's gonna watch
these players play and then he'll make a
judgement he'll make a discrimination he
will choose he'll include the 20 on his
team
now why let's say out of love he will
they're good why because he's recognized
their talents and they will benefit from
competing at this higher level and
competing against other players at their
level more to it their skill will
delight those who will come to watch
their games and so it's willing they're
good to include them on the team by the
same token he will exclude 80 of those
players
he'll say no you can't be on the team
now again let's presume he's a good
decent man why is he doing it out of
love love is too will the good of the
other is he saying you know I think all
of us have been through our lives in
sports now let's understand this dynamic
is he saying look I know you're a good
and decent person but this is not for
you you just don't have the skill level
to play it at baseball in college and so
maybe you should move in a different
direction if he's actually willing
they're good more to it he's still
willing the good of those that want to
come to the games to watch a high level
of baseball if everyone gets on the team
then the quality of the team obviously
will go down so in both cases as he
includes and as he excludes he's acting
out of love he which is proving
something philosophically it's proving
that love is a more fundamental value
than inclusion or exclusion now here's
some a more elevated example the Church
of Jesus Christ I would argue both
includes and excludes the inclusion
should be obvious think of the Bernini
colonnade right outside of st. Peter's
that reaches out by two great arms to
include everybody so the purpose of the
church is to preach to all nations right
to go to the end of the world to gather
everybody unto Christ of course the
church has an inclusive stance but
doesn't Church by the same token exclude
and the answer is frankly yes and what I
mean the church from the beginning is
recognized that certain forms of
behavior certain styles of life are so
repugnant to what the church is about
that it by its very nature excludes them
we say for example that someone in the
state of mortal sin not having been to
confession is excluded from receiving
Communion in extreme cases the church
will excommunicate someone not out of
viciousness and that's my whole point
but out of a form if you want of tough
love of willing the good
the other right it includes yes indeed
but at times also out of love it
excludes I know it's a subtle thing and
I know it's very easy to be drawn into
the rhetoric of the present day they
well of course some diversity tolerance
inclusion that's the ultimate value no
those are derivative values that are
that are less fundamental than the value
of love let me close with a line from
Cardinal George some years ago he was
commenting on the song which has been
very popular at least in Catholic
circles last maybe twenty years it's a
song that's very singable people like it
and it's got the lines all are welcome
all are welcome in this place
so as the mass begins we sing that you
know everyone is included true yeah yeah
the church does in love reach out to
include the whole world saints and
sinners yeah last time I checked every
single person that comes in that plays
in the center right but carnal George's
comment was his little gloss in that
song was yeah
all their welcome in this place but on
Christ terms not your own in other words
you don't come to church and say hey
Here I am just as I am living just as I
live and you're obliged to welcome me in
every sense know I welcome you as
someone that's been invited by Christ
but I welcome you on Christ terms love
is more fundamental than inclusion
tolerance and diversity
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