Models of Morality?

I find it kind of amusing that more and more entertainers, whether movie actors or singers, are speaking out against the government and speaking up for various moral issues. Since when did these celebrities become our spokespeople and models of morality? I overheard a song on the radio by the singer Pink entitled, "Dear Mr. President." The lyrics of the song basically question the president and call him out on various issues such as war, homelessness, and homosexuality. The accusation is that the president arrogantly has things all wrong and that everyone else can quite clearly see what he can't. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the president's policies and actions, the question that came to my mind was, "Is Pink really the best spokesperson to speak out on issues of morality?"

I understand that celebrities have their public platform and can use that platform to speak out when they are upset at the president or the government. I appreciate that we live in a country where its citizens can speak out against the president without threat of persecution. I also understand that people are entitled to their own opinions on political and moral issues. I just wonder if people give much credence to consistency. A lot of people overlook that these celebrities seem to pick and choose when morality is a big deal. It seems that even though their personal lives might be disasters morally, the general public accepts what they say when they hold the government accountable for its actions. I'm not saying they are all this way. I'm not even saying that everything they are saying is out to lunch. I just find it amusing that some of these celebrities point the finger at another person and say that he should be ashamed of himself.

Let's Just Call God "Allah"?

Did anyone else catch this article on msn.com? There is a Dutch bishop named Tiny Muskens who wants people of all faiths to call God, "Allah." He says, "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? . . . What does God care what we call him? It is our problem." Certainly the bishop's remark has sparked controversy in the Netherlands. People have been commenting in local newspapers about their disagreement with Muskens's view. On the flipside, the article introduces politician Geert Wilders who is a staunch, hateful anti-Muslim. He recently called for a nationwide ban on the Koran, likening the book to Hitler's Mein Kampf.

It is probable that Muskens's appeal to refer to God as "Allah" was in response to Wilders's anti-Muslim comments. As much as the gesture was probably well-intentioned in wanting to promote more religious tolerance and understanding, one cannot help but wonder why the bishop is so content with compromising the name of God. It is hard to believe that even a Catholic could justify associating God with the false claims of Islam. Muskens has apparently already demonstrated a history of finding practical solutions to societal problems at the expense of biblical truth advocating that it is justifiable for hungry people to steal. When you sacrifice biblical truth for practicality, you can justify just about anything. Certainly it is not wrong to address societal issues, but to respond to societal problems with blatant disregard for biblical principles is flagrant compromise.

Limbo?

I read an interesting article today on Yahoo! news that I thought might interest some people. The Catholic News Service has announced that the Roman Catholic Church has published an article, "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised," officially dropping the belief in Limbo. For centuries now, the RCC has taught from tradition that Limbo was a place where infants went if they died before being baptized. Though this doctrine was taught in Catholic tradition, the RCC claims it was merely a hypothesis which never became an official Catholic tenet.

At the same time, the RCC wanted to clarify that in no way should this move be interpreted as taking emphasis away from the importance of baptism. According to the RCC, baptism is still necessary to remove original sin and receive God's saving grace. This is undoubtedly still one of the major points of discrepancy between Catholics and evangelicals today. Though there are some who call themselves "evangelicals" who wish to believe that Catholics and Christians essentially believe the same thing when it comes to soteriology, the RCC's Catechism clearly shows how Roman Catholicism teaches a gospel that is entirely different.

Here is some information about Roman Catholic baptism and salvation according to the RCC Catechism:

1257 "The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are 'reborn of water and the Spirit.' God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments."

1263 "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God."

The grace infused in a person at baptism is lost when that person commits a grave or mortal sin. Acts of penance are thus necessary to bring that person back into reconciliation with God and the Church.

1446 "Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as 'the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.'"

From the Council of Trent: "As a means of regaining grace and justice, penance was at all times necessary for those who had defiled their souls with any mortal sin. . . . Before the coming of Christ, penance was not a sacrament, nor is it since His coming a sacrament for those who are not baptized. But the Lord then principally instituted the Sacrament of Penance, when, being raised from the dead, he breathed upon His disciples saying: 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained' (John 20:22-23). By which action so signal and words so clear the consent of all the Fathers has ever understood that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles and to their lawful successors, for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after Baptism" (Sess. XIV, c. i).

Reflections on the Virginia Tech Shooting

The nation has been mourning this past week over the murders of the thirty-two students and teachers at Virginia Tech. It is one of those tragedies that will not be soon forgotten. The messages left by the killer stunned people because of the intense hatred communicated by his words and tone. NBC News president, Steve Capus, in an interview on NBC's "Today," spoke about the decision to air some of the contents of the videos left by the killer: "Ever since we heard the first reports about what happened on that campus, we all wanted to know — and I’m not sure we’ll ever fully understand — why this happened, but I do think this is as close as we’ll come to having a glimpse inside the mind of a killer." The one question that seemed to be going through everyone's minds was, "What could drive a person to do such a thing?"

It is horrific that someone would choose to plan an attack and open fire on a university campus. And it is definitely a tragedy that so many lost their lives in what seems like senseless killing. Whatever the killer's intentions and motives, people seem to be taken aback by the rage and resentment through which he acted.

One thing, though, that crimes like this bring to mind is the thorough sinfulness of man. I understand that generally people strive to live in respect for one another. Kindness is taught as a virtue and love is the overarching social aspiration. But there is an issue of worldview communicated in this that is contrary to what the Scriptures teach. The overall feel of society is that people are generally good and deserve good things. So when a student decides to kill his fellow classmates, people react in horror and shock.

What eludes most people is the reality that every human being has the same propensity to hatred. Thank God it is not manifested in the same way or applied with the same intensity, but nonetheless, it remains in the human heart. Why would someone harbor so much hatred to the point they would be willing to gun down 32 people? The ultimate answer is because of the utter sinfulness of his heart. It is difficult to admit that all people share this same sinfulness in light of these tragedies, but still true.

Seeing the ugliness of sin manifested in the way it was at Virginia Tech makes me look with wonder to a perfect and holy God who would forgive men for sin. This is the condition and ugliness of every human heart and so it magnifies the grace of God shown through the cross of Christ. Of course it is not to say that all men would express that sinfulness the same way, and certainly God is just to punish sinners for heinous crimes such as this, but the delusion that most people are good and that people like Seung-Hui Cho are unfortunate exceptions is misleading.

Hopefully the shootings at Virginia Tech will not cause people to reflect on how much better they are than the killer, but that the human heart in general is really capable of tremendously horrific acts. Hopefully it will open people's eyes to see their need for Jesus who alone can save and cleanse the human heart. I think most people would say in defense, "I'm nothing like that killer." Of course not all people are equally guilty in the way they demonstrate their wickedness as protrayed in the shooting. But the Bible teaches that all people have in the heart the same root problem.

Oh, For the Love of Sports!

In a tough road to the NCAA Final, the Florida Gators topped the Ohio State Buckeyes 84-75 in the men’s basketball tournament. Certainly this was a favorable outcome for me since I was in last place the entire tournament in our bracket competition until the final three games, and I predicted Florida would beat Ohio State in the final.

But I suppose the big question that arises out of it all is: Who cares? A week from now, hardly anyone will be talking about the NCAA basketball tournament. I’m sure the players and coaches will bask in their accomplishment for a while. Perhaps there will even be an ESPN documentary made for the Gators. And I’m sure there will be conversations about how the Gators rank amongst the all-time great teams. But in the end, it’s just a season of basketball come to an end. Sports fans will turn their attention to baseball and Barry Bonds’ chase for the homerun title, or some other item in the sporting world.

Praise God that the Christian life is more than anticipating short-lived excitements. There is a lasting hope and joy found in Christ that even the most exciting events of the world cannot compare with. The hymns portray this hope very well:

What a wonderful redemption! Never can a mortal know
How my sin, tho’ red like crimson, Can be whiter than the snow.
All that thrills my soul is Jesus, He is more than life to me;
And the fairest of ten thousand In my blessed Lord I see.

Or...

Ev'ry joy or trial Falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial By the sun of love;
We may trust Him fully All for us to do-
They who trust Him wholly Find Him wholly true.

Stayed upon Jehovah, Hearts are fully blest-
Finding as He promised, Perfect peace and rest.

Standing on Biblical Convictions

As I was searching through the news today, I came across an interesting article about Indianapolis head coach, Tony Dungy. He is apparently, but not surprisingly, taking a lot of heat for accepting an invitation to speak at a banquet for the Indiana Family Institute, which is supported by Focus on the Family. The group is one of the strongest opponents of same-sex marriages in the state and a firm supporter of the state marriage amendment.

Regardless of how I might feel about the Indianapolis Colts, I cannot help but hold Coach Dungy in high regard and great admiration. Nowadays, one hears much of alleged Christian athletes, but apart from a spattering of WWJD bracelets and an occasional prayer after a touchdown, not too many of these celebrities are seen making bold stands for clear biblical values. Coach Dungy obviously knew he would face much animosity because of his association with the IFI, but still courageously stood up for what he viewed as the "Lord's side" on the marriage issue.

Too many Christians today shy away from taking the same kinds of stands. Certainly as the culture we live in becomes more and more tolerant of lifestyles and practices that are blatantly against Scripture, it will become proportionately more difficult to have biblical convictions without facing harsh attacks from those around us. We are living in an age where those who speak up about certain biblical convictions are labeled as promoting hate speech. Christ's words are becoming more evident with each day, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18).