Democratic Religion

I know a lady who is a devout Roman Catholic. She is divorced, so she is not really in good standing with the church. And she has met a guy she would like to marry, but the church doesn't allow remarriage, so she's living with him instead. She told me, "I think the church needs to change its position on divorce."

It is popular in the media to hear of those (loud) voices calling for the church to change its views on homosexual behavior and other sexual sins. Many have argued that Pope Francis has changed the Catholic view on marriage, divorce, and homosexuality. If not, it needs to happen. The argument is that the church will be on "the wrong side of history" if we don't come up to speed on this stuff.

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hopes to "change deep-seated religious beliefs" on the subject of abortion. The Atlantic had an article entitled Can the UN Change the Church's Views on Abortion and Gay Rights?. It is a given. Christianity in its biblical form is at odds with the world. The solution is that Christianity needs to change.

Why can't I have a religion I can vote on? You know, "I don't like this doctrine, so can we take a vote?" It would be so much "friendlier". We could vote on same-sex marriage and, if we don't like the outcome, we can wait a year and vote again and we should get what we want eventually. We could petition and lobby and come up with all sorts of cool stuff. Things like extra religious holidays and such. Avoid those things we don't like--like rules against doing whatever we want with sex or being forced to learn ancient religious truths--and enjoy the things we do like--whatever suits our fancy. We can do away with that whole archaic notion of "truth" because everyone knows it doesn't count anymore and we could get along with everyone. Well, not everyone, I guess. There would still be those hardliners that would say, "This is God's Word and God's Word doesn't change." There would be those with moral compasses and moral principles and moral consciences that would argue that God is right and anything opposed to God is not right. But we could vote that we like God and are, therefore, not opposed to Him and it would all be okay.

Certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)

These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:16-23)

Jude must have been reading the Internet. Divisions, he says, are caused by "worldly people" operating on "their own ungodly passions", "their own sinful desires." Expect it. They are among us. They "pervert the grace of our God into sensuality." Why can't I have a religion I can vote on? Because it results in denying "our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." We don't get to vote on what the Master says. Nor do our desires matter, except as self-condemnation.

The answer is not to demand our rights, call for a vote, or militate against the foe. It is "to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 1:3) But even that isn't as much by argument or battle, but by living Christ. That contending for the faith is primarily "building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh." Because a faith that is argued is open for disputation, but a faith that is lived is irrefutable.