Worldly Christianity
Recently a well-known Protestant
speaker made some remarks on a television show regarding birth control that
were troubling. It was during a regular
question-answer segment in which viewers could submit questions for his
“wisdom.”
I don’t mean to personally insult this
man (I am sure he is sincere), which is why I’ll refrain from using his name. But his responses demonstrate a dangerous
snare that exists, of which all Christians need to be aware.
This particular caller said that her
pastor had preached against artificial birth control. She and her husband had been using it, and
she wondered if they were sinning. The
response began with a distorted presentation of the Catholic position against
birth control, followed by the inaccurate statement that, “The Protestant
Church has always supported artificial birth control,” and finally the
assurance that not only was she not sinning, she was being a responsible
Christian by being prudent and taking control of her own reproduction.
There are many pitfalls in this
response. Frist, it should be noted that
there is no such thing as “The Protestant Church.” Different Protestant denominations approach
different theological and moral questions their own way. The Southern Baptist Convention would
probably not appreciate being lumped in with the United Methodists, for
example, given their stark differences on abortion. Also, every Protestant denomination
considered artificial birth control sinful before the Lambeth Conference in
1930.
The second problem is an even bigger
one. This person’s presentation of the
Catholic position (not to mention his description of Natural Family Planning)
was shamefully distorted. I doubt that
he intended to deceive; I’m sure he shared what he believed to be true. But his error potentially led many others
into error. It reinforces the importance
of learning what Catholics believe from
the Catholic Church directly. The
catechism is readily available. Of
course, our Protestant brethren deserve the same respect. It’s only when we have an accurate
understanding of each other that any useful dialog can occur.
Finally, as I listened to his
response, I felt like I could have been watching the Ricki Lake Show. What I mean is, he was simply affirming the
wisdom of the world to the caller, and just putting God’s stamp of approval on
it. Again, my purpose is not to question
this man’s integrity (or Ricki Lake’s, for that matter).
But we have to beware of worldliness masquerading as
Christianity. We are all at risk of
falling into that trap. I certainly
have. Rationalization is the one skill
at which we are all masters.
As Catholics we have the benefit of the Church to safeguard
us from interpreting God’s Word in a manner that simply validates our own lifestyles. Obedience is critical to our avoiding the
snares laid out by the devil.
And especially regarding the issue of artificial
contraception, it would be an act of charity for us to know and understand the
teaching Christ has given us through His Church. We have many brothers and sisters who need to
hear the truth presented with clarity, confidence and charity.
