Conflating equality with identic

Once again, an insightful blog post from Colkoch has got me thinking.

Cardinal George has written an article in the Catholic New World titled "Why doesn't God love everyone equally?"  This question is penned with the assumption that God loves people in different ratios and some enjoy His favour more than others.  As passing evidence, George mentions that there are 'great saints' and 'little saints' and uses this to support the concept that recognizing the unique character of each person is to accept that people are not equal.  Contra-wise, if one says that all persons are equal, then one risks living divorced 'from real people' - denying the rich diversity of the Gifts of the Spirit.

Ignoring, for a moment, the dozen or so places where it says (both in the OT and NT) that everyone (i.e.- mankind) is made in the image and likeness of God and that we are all alike in that we have sinned.  The message of the New Covenant is one of inclusion, that the invitation to salvation is universal and does not depend on status, ethnicity, or gender (Gal. 3).

This is one of the fundamental, radical notions of Christianity which makes it theologically unique and why it was so dangerous to the Romans.

In specific, Paul speaks at length about the unity of believers...the Body of Christ.  In 1 Cor. 12, he explicitly addresses that different people have different gifts and are called to different tasks, but none are more or less important or worthy of praise than another.  Note that Paul recognizes the diversity of gifts which we have.  He does not deny that in the least, but he points out that they are all equally worthy.  There are no 'great saints' or 'little saints'.  All believers (alive or dead) are saints in communion with God and each other.

The natural world does not have discrete classes or borders.  Those divisions are invented and imposed by man.  The uniquely Christian message is one of unity and wholeness, not division and separation.  WE are the Body of Christ.  Some are hands, some are feet, some are eyes...but we are all equal.

hmm...of course, I could be wrong (with apologies to MadPriest)

One more handbill and I can afford shoes!

I have frequently referred to myself as a heretic, for the greek base of the word means 'one who chooses or decides' and I like the connotations of that.  Rather than having it all spoon-fed by the pope or the padre, I've done my own digging, praying and reflecting...coming to my own conclusions (whether they be horribly orthodoxical or not).

Then I run into this quote by some old german theologian (no, not the whack-a-doodle, the one named after the civil rights leader).

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men."   -Martin Luther

I see the wisdom of that, to be sure.  New insights, revelations and circumstances can show the fallacy of what seemed true, the folly of the wise.  For now, I'll settle on heretic, but I could be wrong.

Religion - You're doing it wrong! (Paul of Tarsus, most of his letters)

What is required to be a Christian?  A Catholic?

Does one need an organ? A choir? Music at all?

Does one need incense or bells? A sacramentary? Special clothes?

Does one need a dedicated sanctuary? A dedicated celebrant?


In the days of Paul, they didn't.  Augustine didn't have most of those things either.  It is part of the Tradition which has built up over time.  That said, there was a religious organization which DID have those things back in Jesus' day....and he didn't really have a lot of good things to say about them.

Now, it's not to say that there is anything intrinsically wrong or evil about those things.  They are reasonable and decent support mechanisms to assist in the worship process.   The trouble is that the priests were consumed with these mechanisms and took their eyes off the purpose of these things - to worship and praise the Divine.  If the letter of the law is more important than its spirit, when custom and tradition act as barriers instead of bridges, we fall into the same sorts of traps that Christ rails against.  This recalls a point from yesterday about the importance of intent.  If we do good because God wishes it and we wish to please Her, then that is all and well.  If we do good because ancient texts and hoary custom demand it, then there's something fundamentally wrong, for we would be in service to texts and custom, not to Him.

For some folk, having the ornaments and trappings of a traditional Catholic mass significantly enhances their worship.  For others, it is a distraction which inhibits their capability of connecting with the Divine.  I will recall the gospel verse from a few days hence.  "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off". (Mk. 9:43).  If the choir or the sanctuary or any of these things causes you to be distracted from God, set them aside. 

Focus on loving God and doing right by your neighbour. 
Focus on the moon (or, perhaps, the Son) and not all those fingers pointing.