The Root of All Heresy: Liberalism
4m read • Dec 4, 2024
Written by James P. Alkire
Martin Luther in front of Cardinal Cajetan by Ferdinand Pauwels
Liberalism is a Sin
When the term “liberal” is mentioned—whether at the workplace or around the dinner table—a few immediate thoughts come to mind. For many Americans, it’s almost synonymous with the Democratic Party. However, the truth about liberalism runs much deeper than party affiliations. Its history, especially in America, crosses party lines and has profoundly shaped our society. To grasp its full impact, we must uncover the reality of liberalism and confront its destructive influence on the modern world.
“Liberalism is the root of heresy, the tree of evil in whose branches all the harpies of infidelity find ample shelter; it is today the evil of all evils." (Salvany, 1899, p. 22)
What is Liberalism
“What is Liberalism?”, a question many of us Americans think to know the answer to. In politics, you’re either a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative. This false duality of the two major political parties in America has led many “conservatives” to believe that their party is the opposite of liberalism. This could not be further from the truth.
“Liberalism…”, to put it in the words of the late Fr. Felix Sarda y Salvany, “…is the dogmatic affirmation of the absolute independence of the individual and of the social reason. Catholicity is the dogma of the absolute subjection of the individual and of the social order to the revealed law of God. One doctrine is the exact antithesis of the other. They are opposites in direct conflict.”.
Liberalism, as described in the aforementioned, puts individual reason and private interpretation above divine law, rejecting the necessity of submission of ones’ will or God’s. Taking this into consideration, we can now see where both parties intersect: Autonomy from God and from the Holy Roman Church is an essential characteristic of American politics throughout the ages. This autonomy has been evident throughout America’s history. American society, at its roots, is fundamentally liberal. This is plain to see in the first amendment in the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment, while seen as the foundation of American liberty, encapsulates the essence of liberalism: the rejection of all Divine Revelation in a society. To allow autonomy in ones’ religion is to reject the subjection of every creature to God’s will. The belief that an individual (if one even exists) can conduct his life without the subjection and guidance of Christ and His Church has led to the moral and cultural decay of all post-Enlightenment societies.
"And, since where religion has been removed from civil society, and the doctrine and authority of divine revelation repudiated, even the genuine notion of justice and human right fades, and with it the stability of the very State, we cannot but deplore the fatal error of those who desire that this absolutely false notion should be established in practice... namely, that the State should be separated from the Church and the Church from the State." (Pope Pius IX, Quanta Cura, 1864)
Protestantism and the Origin of a Great Sin
Protestantism is the root of the great sin we are discussing. To be Protestant often means to rely solely on one’s own understanding when contemplating the Scriptures or other spiritual mysteries. Take, for example, the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which reduces the comprehension of Sacred Scripture to private opinion and personal assumptions. This erroneous idea was condemned even in the Old Testament by King Solomon, who wrote:
“Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on Him, and He will direct thy steps” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Thus, Protestantism inherently develops its own dogmas and doctrines, not dictated by the Almighty but left to the discretion of human reason, unaided by divine revelation. The absence of any standardized authority to which one might submit makes it impossible to form a coherent belief system of any lasting significance. This is the precursor to liberalism: if one entrusts the interpretation of the divine to fallible human knowledge, what need is there for God at all?
How Liberalism Affects Our Culture
Liberalism, the foundation of American society, has profoundly shaped the evolution of American life over the decades. This decadent ideology has given rise to:
The acceptance of communism.
The inversion of gender roles.
The destruction of the marital sacrament.
The normalization of pornography and homosexuality.
International corporations whose goals are to exploit and enslave the American people through usury and addictive substances.
The genocide of millions of unborn babies.
The censorship and surveillance of traditional Catholics.
The overt promotion of Satan in our culture.
Yet our society is not beyond redemption. Generation Z—often called Zoomers—is ushering in a new age of social and political thought. This movement embraces anti-liberalism, anti-secularism, reactionary principles, Catholicism, and integralism.
Conclusion
Liberalism has become the destruction of the West. This horrid ideology has not only brought forth numerous cultural calamities, as previously mentioned, but it has also given rise to the greatest spiritual disaster in human history: the rejection of Divine Revelation, Christ, and His Holy Roman Church. This is the greatest sin because, as repeatedly explained in this article, it encompasses all evil and Satan himself.
Liberalism, therefore, is the root of all heresy. Not only is it heretical in its own right, but it embodies all heresies. LIBERALISM IS HERESY ITSELF! Yet, even as this ideology corrupts every aspect of American life, we must not despair. The absence of Christ in our culture has given rise to a young and fervent movement of Catholic men who, under the mantle of our Blessed Mother, are growing stronger than ever.
We see hope directly in our nation through the Eucharistic Revival, which has sparked a renewed belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. By the grace of God and the intercession of our Blessed Mother, America can and will be saved.
If you wish to read more in depth on the topic of liberalism, Fr. Felix Sarda y Salavany’s work, LIBERALISM IS A SIN, is a fantastic piece!
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