Catholic Politicians

One of the purposes of this blog is to give you some background behind various items of news, particularly in areas where I am knowledgeable, such as religion and spirituality. I will also give you news on those subjects that you might not hear or read in the mainstream media. This is one such posting.

The Roman Catholic Cardinal of Scotland recently indicated that he may recommend that Scottish Roman Catholic politicians whose policies are inconsistent with the Church’s teachings will not be allowed to receive Holy Communion. To my knowledge he hasn’t made that decision, but other Catholics over the years have suggested that pro-abortion and pro-gay rights politicians should not be allowed to receive the sacrament.

This presents an interesting theological discussion about the sacraments and means of grace, but I won’t bore you with it. Instead, I’ll try to explain where this Cardinal and other Catholics are coming from in this regard.

In Europe and the Americas, what religion you affiliate with is a matter of free choice. While there may be social pressures to belong to a particular religion, everybody is free to belong to any religion of their choosing, or no religion. One of the basic rights in the U.S. Constitution is the free exercise of religion without governmental interference (more on this in a future posting).

Since choice of religious affiliation is an individual and non-coerced preference, then it follows that anybody who chooses a particular religion agrees with its teachings. For example, the Pope recently visited Brazil, where just about everybody is baptized Catholic. However, quite a few people have left the Catholic Church and converted to various evangelical Protestant denominations. They freely chose to reject Catholicism and embrace a different form of Christianity.

One thing about the Catholic Church is that its teachings and policies are clear – there is little wiggle room and no ambiguity. So if a Catholic politician rejects his or her church’s clear teachings on social issues, then he or she has in essence rejected the church. If he or she has rejected the church, then why should this politician be allowed to receive the church’s sacraments, which are, to some extent, a reaffirmation of one’s loyalty to that church? Politicians, in particular, make laws, so what they do affects everybody. It isn’t just personal belief, as with you and me.

So for these reasons many Catholics believe the Church does have the right to refuse the Eucharist to politicians who defy their church’s teachings. I suspect they believe that if the politician is “voting his conscience” on abortion or gay rights rather than conforming to his church’s unambiguous teachings, then he should join a church which is more consistent with his conscience. Otherwise the practice of his religion is a sham. The Catholic Church in particular is not a “cafeteria religion” where you can pick and choose what you believe. You buy into the whole package.

The Bible – Part II

As I mentioned in Part I posted earlier, Scripture convicts us of our own shortcomings and unfaithfulness to God. As we read the Bible, the Spirit tells us in what areas we can do better.

In addition, by reading the Bible we get to know God; we learn God’s plan for both ourselves and the human race; we understand how we are to live; and reading the Bible builds up our faith.

In the Bible, God tells us how important it is to study, learn, and properly interpret Holy Scripture. For example, God, through the Apostle Paul, advised us and Timothy to avoid being deceived, and the best way to avoid being spiritually misled is to:

…continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14b-15, NRSV)

Now that we know some of the functions of the Bible, let’s explore what the Bible is, and what it isn’t. The reason I want to do this is because the Bible is controversial and often misunderstood, so we need to address a number of issues:

·Some say the Bible is full of contradictions, which isn’t true, but there are some tensions and difficult passages in the Bible.

·Some say science and the Bible don’t mix, but each has its proper place. The Bible isn’t a science book and science shouldn’t be a religion.

·Some get hung up on some of the hard-to-believe stories in the Bible, and this can cast doubt on the whole book. Some obsess on how different miracles could have taken place and miss the point of the story.

·Some don’t know what the term “Word of God” means as applied to the Bible.

·Some attribute the Bible with almost magical powers, so we need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit with respect to the Bible.

Let’s tackle that last item. The Bible is special because it was inspired by God, as St. Paul wrote in today’s epistle reading (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NRSV):

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

The Bible is not God’s word-for-word dictation, but it communicates to us what God wants us to learn, using human intermediaries and various literary forms. Just as Jesus is both human and divine, so the Bible is both human and divine. God used men, but we believe the Bible’s message is a true and accurate representation of what God wants us to hear, learn, understand, and obey. Because of that, the Bible is truly useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, equipping us for every good work.

Many Christians believe that reading the Bible is a means of grace. Does that mean there is some sort of magic connected with the Bible? No, it means that when we are reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit works within us to fulfill one or more of the functions I mentioned earlier:
Convicting us of sin and our need for a Savior;
Getting to know God, especially in his Son Jesus Christ;
Learning God’s plan for ourselves and the human race;
Learning how we are to live as God want us to live;
Building up our faith in God.

Hebrews 4:12a says “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…”

That statement does not indicate any magic powers either, only that what God is telling us through the Bible under the power of the Holy Spirit can transform our life. That’s why I encourage you to read the Bible and take seriously what the Holy Spirit is telling you when you read it.

We see the importance of reading and properly interpreting the Scriptures when Jesus provided the disciples with understanding in Luke 24:45: “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” That’s what the Holy Spirit does with us today: the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand the Scriptures, which is important for our spiritual growth.

The Bible - Part I

Just about every religion has its sacred Scriptures. For Jews and Christians, it is the Bible. There are a number of important reasons why we should read, study, and know the Bible. Let me list a few of the benefits of reading the Bible:

1. Get to Know God

First, we get to know God by reading the Bible. The Holy Scripture is God’s partial revelation of himself to us, usually in language we can understand. I say “partial revelation” because there is still much about God we can’t really know or understand. While that bothers us, we have to remember this quote: “You must expect God to know some things which you do not understand.”

2. Get to Know God’s Plan

The second reason why we read the Bible is that in doing do, we get to know God’s plan for both ourselves and the human race. Not only do we learn God’s plan for the world, but we can also discern God’s plan for us as individuals through prayer and Bible study. If you aren’t sure what God has called you to do, both short-term and long-term, pray about it and read the Bible. You’ll be amazed how God answers your questions and gives you discernment.

3. Get to Know How We Are to Live

The third reason why we read the Bible is so that we learn how we are to live. God created the world and God created us. As the Designer, God knows how we should live, and the Bible spells that out. If we live according to biblical principles, we will have fewer troubles in this world, society as a whole will be better, and our lives will glorify God. God knows best – read what God has to say in the Bible about living life. As we read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) in a paraphrased translation:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

4. Builds Our Faith

The fourth reason we should read the Bible is that it builds up our faith. Faith is a gift from God, and God uses the Bible as an instrument of his grace to build up our faith. It says in Romans 10:17:

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. NIV

So when we read the Bible, we should look at it as an exercise in faith: God is using what we read to build us up. There is nothing magic about it. When God has our attention, such as when we are praying or reading the Bible, God can work in us to build up our faith, direct our ways, and give us understanding. Do you read the Bible frequently?

Let us pay attention to what God is telling us personally through the inspired Bible. We don’t worship the Bible, but we trust it to tell us what we need to know about God, ourselves, Jesus, faith, salvation, and the world. As it says in Acts 6:2b: “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God…” NRSV

The Meaning of Pentecost

We recently celebrated Pentecost. What is the meaning of that special day?

It commemorates the coming of the promised Holy Spirit to the disciples on a permanent basis (see Acts 2 and John 14). God’s Spirit is now always with us, and guides us, empowers us, gives us comfort, provides joy, and helps us in our spiritual walk. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers us both individually and as a body of believers called the church. The Holy Spirit empowers the church to be God’s agent of change in the world, a counter-cultural entity battling the forces of evil.

As the Spirit of God flows into us, it also ought to flow from us in the way we treat one another; in the way we speak to one another; in the way we treat others in our community; and in the way we live out the new life we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. With the Spirit’s help, we can be effective in pointing the unchurched to Christ and doing other works as the Spirit directs us.

The Holy Spirit is with us continuously to melt us, mold us, fill us, and use us. Let’s not ignore him, let’s obey him in doing God’s work as we are called.

Evolution – What’s Wrong with It?

The Theory of Evolution has been a contentious issue for quite some time. Some wonder what all the fuss is about, and others think that those who reject it are ignorant fundamentalists who ignore “science” and rely on myths and fairy tales. Let me make a few points about the debate for your consideration (especially if you have children).

(1) The Theory of Evolution is not “science” in the classic sense. Science in its purest form is the study of repeatable and observable events or controlled experiments. The formation of the universe and the appearance of various species on the planet are neither repeatable nor observable. Those who reject evolution are not necessarily rejecting “science” but are rejecting one particular explanation of historical events that many scientists believe (but still is not categorically proven – otherwise it would be a “law” such as the law of gravity or the laws of thermodynamics).

(2) Nevertheless, evidence of these events, sketchy as it is, has been studied in a rigorous way to try to determine how they occurred. Since this is “science” in some form, any conclusions involving God (or an “Intelligent Designer”) are not allowed, no matter how obvious they may be. Therefore, evolution is the only “scientific” explanation for now.

(3) Creationists believe God created everything in the universe. At one end of the spectrum are those who believe the literal six day account in Genesis. On the other end of the spectrum are those who say God used some sort of evolutionary process for his divine purposes, and was in complete control of the process. Creationists look to the incredible complexity of life, especially higher forms, as proof of an “Intelligent Designer.”

(4) “Pure” evolution excludes God entirely – everything resulted from random mutations over millions of years. The whole purpose of evolution is to come up with a way of explaining creation without the Creator. If you don’t believe me, read some of what Darwin wrote about God and Christianity – he hated both.

(5) Since the study of evolution is not “science” in its pure sense as explained above, then it is really a form of faith, similar to any religion. It worships the god of science and evolution is its creed. Why do I say that? Because the theory is unproven with many gaps in the fossil record and no transitional species found. Looking at the complexity of human beings, it takes more faith to accept that this happened through random mutations than it does to believe in a Divine Designer. It takes a strong faith to look at a porpoise and say it evolved from a land animal (especially since no transitional fossils have been found). If you really know all of the holes in the theory and still believe in it, then you have more faith than most religious people.

(6) I believe in adaptation, since it can be readily observed. However, I can’t buy Darwinism (meaning one species turning into another) because its sole purpose is to exclude God from the equation, it has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, and it can’t adequately explain the complexity of life. It also has in it the seeds of racism (“some races are more highly evolved than others”). Hitler was an avid Darwinist and used Darwinism to justify his persecution of “inferior races” such as the Jews and Slavs.

Regardless of what our kids are told in school, I believe Christian parents need to inform them that God is the Creator and evolution is an unproven theory, not a scientifically proven fact as they are led to believe. They obviously have to play the game at school in order to pass exams, but let them know that there is much more to creation than the godless theory of evolution. The more we move God out of their thinking, the further down the wrong path our children will go.

A President Other Than a WASP?

Among the many candidates for president are Catholics, an African-American, a woman, a Latino, an Italian-American, and a Mormon. Those of us of a certain age remember the fuss that was made when John F. Kennedy, a Catholic of Irish heritage, ran for president in 1960. Now we have a diversity that is remarkable (and long overdue).

This diversity is good because it indicates that certain groups now have opportunities that had been denied to them, or had hurdles that were difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Let us hope that this is a sign that the old barriers are falling, and everyone will have equal opportunities in all aspects of American life.

There is also a wide diversity of worldviews and positions on issues. I encourage you to focus on the issues, and not on peripheral things such as a candidate’s gender, ethnicity, or religion. We need to make sure the candidate we vote for:

(1) Clearly articulates his or her positions on issues that are important to you. I might also suggest that you shouldn’t be a one-issue voter, but look at all of the positions of the candidates. Make sure you understand a candidate’s values, character, and stands on the key issues, not just your favorite issue.

(2) Has a history that is consistent with what he or she claims are his or her positions on issues that are important to you.

(3) Has doable solutions to the major long-term problems facing this country: energy policy, social security, health care, unfavorable balance of trade, and exporting American jobs overseas (especially to China). All I hear is complaining about these – never a workable solution.

(4) Is, in fact, thinking strategically and long-term about such problems as Iraq and the Middle East, and is not suggesting quick fixes that will ultimately do more long-term harm than good.

(5) Is unwilling to be swayed by opinion polls, but is ready to stand up for his or her principles and beliefs despite what the polls say.

Let’s pray that the next president will not be a “politician” but will be a true leader that will address the critical issues facing us. And let’s also elect senators and congressmen who have vision, who will tackle the tough problems and not just take potshots from the sidelines. We have enough blowhards in Congress who are doing the public a terrible disservice by their lack of action. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to make them accountable.

Our Children

Our children are subjected to many influences that aren’t consistent with how we are trying to raise them (see my Mother’s Day posting). I believe parents need to take charge of their children’s lives and control what they are exposed to. I know this is extremely difficult, especially with older children, but it has to be done.

I heard a talk recently that discussed the kinds of sex and violence that our kids are exposed to that we don’t have a clue about. Incredibly violent games. Terrible song lyrics. Magazines aimed for teens that have inappropriate articles on sex and other subjects. Things on the Internet we would rather they not see. Movies that go well beyond scary (I don’t even like seeing the ads for them on TV).

No wonder the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred for some kids. No wonder kids want to have sex at earlier ages – their world is saturated with it. No wonder kids shoot up schools – they have been exposed to so much graphic violence most of their young lives. To many kids, sex and violence are normal, reasonable, and acceptable.

Not only must parents take control of their children’s lives, but they should start sending them to Sunday school or CCD. Those are about the only places where your values are reinforced. However, if you do send them to Sunday school or CCD, you should also attend church. If you just drop them off and then do something “more worthwhile”), it tells them that it isn’t really important to you. It also won’t be important to them, and they will tune it out. Remember, they often follow your example or pick up clues from you.

If you don’t believe me that we need to do a better job as parents, just read the article that I read recently (May 22) in the Poughkeepsie Journal. It had to do with five sixth-graders in Saugerties who planned to slit the throat of one of their schoolmates. I don’t know all that is behind this planned violent act, but if sixth-graders believe it is OK to slit someone’s throat, we have a serious problem.