Beyond Superstition

As a follow up to the previous post, I'm sharing an example of a recent statement (just one among various others offered by some religious leaders) from a Roman Catholic bishop, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Rhode Island, on the topic of same-sex marriage and civil unions. Here's an excerpt (the complete text can be found at: http://thericatholic.com/detail.html?sub_id=4183):

"Can there be any doubt that Almighty God will, in His own time and way, pass judgment upon our state, its leaders and citizens, for abandoning His commands and embracing public immorality? I encourage Catholics to pray for God’s patience, mercy and forgiveness in these distressing times.”

Sadly, in contrast to the point made by Frank Schaeffer mentioned in the previous post, here we have a clear example of a purported spiritual leader who has lost sight of the authentic mercy, compassion, and ineffability of God and replaced them with his own limited prejudices. In effect, according to this statement, we have a god sealed off and boxed up into neat and tidy ecclesiastical language rather than the sacred mystery who is both beyond us and always with us - and, for Christians, revealed to us in Christ. What's more, we're also treated to a superstitious image of the divine - a picture of a vindictive god seemingly always at the ready to unleash divine retribution upon sinful humanity. Such theology was discredited ages ago and only confirms all the more decisively the moral bankruptcy of its author and others like him whose fear blinds them, binds them, and then, tragically, wreaks spiritual and emotional havoc among those who look to the supposed inerrancy of their spiritual authority for guidance - for example, by emboldening prejudices and even violence against LGBT people and encouraging others, as it were, to hide in the closet rather than accept and love themselves and others as they really are.

One recommendation that the bishop makes, however, I can indeed affirm: as a Catholic (albeit not a Roman one, but one nonetheless) I do sincerely pray for God's patience, mercy, and forgiveness - not to stay the ire of a vengeful deity but in hope that voices of true compassion and goodness will touch the hearts and minds of all God's children and bring healing and renewal to the church and to the world.

Peace,
Padre Chuck