The Big, Beautiful Bible

 
If theTen Commandments, initially inscribed on a rock tablet, were good enough for God, why must we be weighed down by tons of legislative legalese on countless reams of paper?  According to Wikipedia (which always needs verification), since 1789, Congress has passed more than 30,000 statutes; Roll Call (5/2/2005) notes that Congress has passed approximately 28,000 bills.  This excludes the many more thousands of rules and regulations various bureaucracies derived from the legislation over time.  Moreover, this plethora has burdened even the most educated  jurists.  Bunk banners Neil Gorsuch and Janie Nitze’s book Overruled:  The Toll of Too Much Law and compares the relatively slim volume of law one hundred years ago to today’s three million words annually.  “Laws are exploding numerically and are increasingly complex.”

 
Furthermore, major Congressional Bills have expanded to several hundred pages.  Compare just one—-Bill Clinton’s 1993 health plan of 1,342 pages to the New American Bible’s 1,394 pages.  Incidentally, The “Big, Beautiful Bill” exceeds 900 pages.

 
You get the idea.

 
Even considering that the Bible has been compromised—reduced actually— by the Protestant Reformation and mistranslated over the years,  the vast majority of Scripture is unchanged.  Most critically, its moral underpinning of all law rests on the foundation of natural law.  Ideally, a population well reared in Faith and virtue would require minimal legislation; the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity would be maximally employed, and justice would be rendered appropriately but mercifully.  

 
As for those who argue about separation of Church and State, I would counter that historically that concept was applicable to the State not interfering with the business of eternal salvation, not the other way around.  

 
However, returning to the Bible itself.  According to several sources, there are 615 laws in the Bible, 613 in the Old Testament and 2 in the New Testament.  Much of the Old Testament legalese is based on the Ten Commandments and the Torah.  (For a full list of the 613, visit jewfaq.org).  However for Catholic purposes, we can focus on the two major Commandments (a summation of the Ten Commandments) to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

 
Based on those, Catholics may read many fine commentaries and explanations from the perspective of numerous  Church figures, including the Saints (Church Fathers and Doctors), the Popes (See Encyclicals), and other holy persons, including many insightful and inspirational laity over time.  Moreover, the classics of the earlier centuries are ever right and truthful despite the “changing times.”  

 
For expansion on that foundation, the Catechism of the Catholic Church remains a must staple in any Catholic home.  Part Three  “Life in Christ” includes two sections.  Within each are chapters and articles. ( CCC pgs 421-611).  

 
Section One elaborates on the Dignity of the Human Person; The Human Community; and God’s Salvation (Law and Grace.) Section Two reviews the Ten Commandments in brief.   Throughout the Catechism are footnotes citing Scripture and the aforementioned  superior catechists and authorities on Church law.

 
If persons sought and learned the truth, human laws would still be needed for contemporary issues, such as traffic codes, contractual nuances, water ways, municipal codes, state and national boundaries, and the like.  However, if the majority of persons were living according the the laws of the Catholic Church, only the Bible and the Catechism would be essential for a consistent, catechetically sound assessment of any proposal, both sources complementing each other. 

 
Daily Mass attendance would enhance knowledge and understanding, as such devotees would likely cover the entire Bible every three years, though additional  reading, reflection, and instruction would solidify a superior grasp of the Law.  As a strong Scriptural companion, the Holy Rosary focuses on the life of Jesus Christ and cultivates associated virtues to hone sage insights and communication with the political community.

 
Let us resolve to view any legislation through the prism of Faith—Scripture and its rightful interpretation. We can ask, “Is this manmade law prudent and just, based on truth and love”—from the individual person to neighborhoods, whole societies and the world.  

 
Of course, we know that no Congressional law will perfectly conform to Catholicism, but they could certainly be better approached, thought out, and crafted not to oppose the Word of God.  Imagine if the estimated 53 million Catholic adults in the United States were so informed and committed to following the Magisterium, not the social chatter on the news, Internet hyperbole, or headline cheery picking when evaluating proposals.  

 
Furthermore, it is our duty, as Catholic citizens, to know established tenets that have survived since the dawn of mankind. (CCC 2238-2243).  The role of the Church includes reminding the political community of its responsibility to advise lawmakers.  She is “both the sign and the safeguard of the transcendent character of the human person” (CCC 2295) encouraging political freedom and responsibility of the the citizen.

 
So, everything you hear or see the “One Big Beautiful Bill” be reminded of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and the One, Big, Beautiful Bible.