At what point would the Church cease being the Church? This thought crossed my mind this week as the Catholic Church has made headlines again with its stand that homosexuals cannot serve as priests. Even when we are talking about the vow of celibacy that priests are required to take, one who is homosexual might pose a risk to the teachings of the Church from a perspective that is not in union with the Church.
I firmly agree with advocates who demand that reasonable persons acknowledge that being homosexual does not make one a child molester. Child molesters are a whole other matter, and sexual orientation has little, if anything, to do with such a depraved mind.
The Catholic Church has also been unapologetic in its teachings about abortion, divorce and remarriage, unity in the Church, unmarried MALE ONLY priests, and AIDS and the use of condoms. Under the leadership of John Paul II, the Church stood firm in the world and on tradition steeped in biblical authority. Regardless of what one thinks about the office of the pope and the traditions of that office, John Paul was a genuine man among men. An uncompromising leader with compassion and a backbone.
A particular columnist with whom I sharply disagree over just about any topic you care to mention wrote a piece this week taking the Church to task over its refusal to allow homosexuals to enter into the priesthood, somehow reasoning that the Church must owe someone something due to its failures in the past to deal with the abuse scandals until forced to do so. For my way of thinking, one has nothing to do with the other.
Other advocacy groups working to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS proposed some time ago that John Paul II was responsible for the deaths of millions because he refused to compromise the Church's teachings about artificial birth control. That was a little over the top, but who can argue with someone who is passionate about their work? I will give this much to those who work tirelessly to combat the spread of this dastardly disease.
The Church has a much higher calling that demands a certain standard. That is to say, if we preach an eternal God, then an eternal standard must apply. "I am the Lord; I do not change." Malachi 3:6
With the exception of one or two denominations, the Church has remained steadfast in its teachings about homosexuality. What will it say to a secular society when the Church would compromise its teachings about moral issues and decide to go along with the majority? Would society breath a sigh of relief, or would they laugh at an entity that can so easily be manipulated and ultimately brought down? Does anyone honestly think that compromising a particular standard that our book of authority, the Bible, seems clear about will earn anyone's respect?
Please do not misunderstand my use of the issue of homosexuality. This is not the end-all, be-all mother of all sins that some would suggest. The very idea of sin itself is much bigger than one symptom of a great illness. But if the Church cannot be depended on to hold fast to a standard, regardless of what the world seems to demand, then where can hope fit in? And at what point would the Church cease to be the Church if she blends into society? Where will be her distinction?
Love? Christ commands His followers to "love one another as I have loved you". So what kind of love are we talking about when we demand that the very meaning of Christ-like love come more in line with what the world seems to want or thinks it needs? Even love for one another, whether homosexual or heterosexual, can come dangerously close to flirting with a very fine line. There is a jump-off point where we have to decide whether we love the world and all that it offers, or love the Lord and all that He offers. "Anyone who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39
So if the Lord says, "don't", and we do because we "love" someone, of course we can still say that God loves us because it is true! Again, there is that never-ending, eternal standard that will never change. However, that is the easy part. It is easy for God to love because that is what He is eternally. The real question, however, is not whether God loves us because this point is not in dispute. Rather, it is whether we love Him back. The answer is manifest in our actions and the choices we make.
The Church teaches this standard and maintains that a choice has to be made; compromise is not an option. We could say that a line has truly been drawn in the sand, and we must choose which side of the line we will stand on. The Catholic Church has defined that line and is refusing to cross it and, better yet, is demanding that genuine followers not cross it - insisting that Christ's own words are true eternally.
Folks may not like it, but they have to respect it. The Roman Church has declared war on evil in this world and is choosing to stand firm against the trappings and the temptations of this world. It is when the Church takes a "vote" and decides to back off from its centuries-old biblical beliefs that it loses its moral authority to teach. It is then when the Church has compromised its integrity. It is then when the Church ceases being the Church, Christ's Church.
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