Stewardship and an Imploding World

When I teach a religious education series or I give Defending the Faith talks, I usually start by asking, “is there anything that God cannot do?”  “No,” is the usual response from the majority.   But there is one thing that God truly cannot do.  He cannot contradict Himself. 

Truth cannot contradict truth.  In fact, Catholic theologian throughout the centuries, have combed the Scriptures to figure out how many seemingly apparent contradictions can nevertheless be true.  That’s a good part of the role of a credible Bible scholar.  It is also a very strong argument against personal interpretation of the Bible.

I’ll give you fair warning as I start this article, that it will not be politically correct. Truth is not meant to be politically correct.  It’s meant to be more like the law of gravity.  It pulls us back to who and what we really are as human beings… sometimes with a resounding thud. 

Christians believe that the Bible is truth.  It is the inspired Word of God.  The Book of Hebrews says, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joins and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts in the Heart” (Heb 4:12).  Catholics are certainly called to believe that.  We believe that the Bible is part of the “Deposit of Faith,” a tripod of revelation, if you will, which also includes Tradition and Magisterial teachings (i.e.the teachings of the Church).  

Recently, we have seen that the Episcopalian Church in the United States imploding.  It is in the process of collapsing in upon itself.  It has chosen a path contrary to Scripture, contrary to the nature law, contrary to its own very fiber as a Church.  It is my guess that, when the dust has cleared, the Episcopalian Church will remain forever under its own rubble.   Its members may fight determinedly to rebuild their church, but they will simply be shoveling sand against the tide.   The genie is out of the bottle.  They will never get it back in.

Was the real issue the conferring of the Episcopal order upon an openly gay cleric, or was that just the touchstone?  I’d argue that although it may seem like the proximate cause, it is actually more the effect.  The cause is private interpretation of the Bible run so far amok that that truth contradicts truth.

Catholics believe that there is one inspired Word of God.  We also believe that there is one, and only one, inspired interpreter of that Word…Holy Mother Church.  That’s confirmed in the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-19, where Peter is given the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and loose on earth and in heaven.

The Rev. V. Gene Robinson pulled off a grand slam.  But it’s for the wrong side.  He dishonored his wedding vows, he divorced his wife, he engaged in homosexual activities, and he got his church to confirm him in truth…effectively raising homosexual activities to the status of a sacrament.  Wow!  Impressive!  The only problem is that this is in complete contraction to Christian teachings. 

The truth is that homosexual activities are not a good thing.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls them “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law.”  That is because these acts do not serve life.  “They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.  Under no circumstances can they be approved.”    

Many Anglican Church leaders and believers feel the same way.  An Anglican Bishop from Africa said he sees Satan’s hand in this.  They are considering severing their relationship with the American Episcopalian Church.  I also recently read on a Catholic news wire that the Vatican is considering discontinuing dialogue with the Episcopalian Church in their talks meant to help unify the two communions.  It seems to me, we would have to.  It’s that “contradiction” word again.

Moreover, and this is really the whole purpose of this article, we -- as Christians -- are called to make moral stands.  Read St. Paul’s letters.  He condemned actions contrary to the truth.  He stood up for the teachings of Christ.  He did so in love, but the man clearly preached “tough love.”  People who didn’t follow were to given a chance then cut off from the assembly.  Why should people want to be called Christians or Catholics when they don’t want to believe as Christians or live as Catholics are called to live?

If you have a computer and a Bible program, look up the words “tolerate” in the Bible.   You will see that each time that word comes up it is framed in the negative… “do not tolerate.”  In a word search, “tolerance” does not even come up.  So, clearly, we are being exhorted not to tolerate sin.  Sin kills.  Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but sin kills.

In a certain sense, the Church and the world have always tolerated homosexual activity, gently beckoning homosexuals, and all who sin, back.  The Church teaches us to love all sinners and hate all sin.   Yet, the powers of the world teach us to love both the sin and the sinner.  Our American culture, too, is imploding, as is Western Civilization.   

Personally, as a Catholic, I was delighted to read the Vatican’s document “Considerations Regarding Proposals to give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons.” (See www.tcrnews2.com/newevangel.html ).    It was both forceful in its protection of the family and the sanctity of marriage, and compassionate toward our homosexual brothers and sisters.    

Yet that is not enough.  Each one of us as Catholics has to stand up for the truth in holy boldness and in love.  That’s part of our role as Catholic stewards.  That’s how we as a Church and as individuals can help stop our world from imploding.