The Most Social of All Actions
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
As our news article RUSSIAN PATRIARCH KIRILL CALLS FOR ENDING ABORTIONS TO BOOST POPULATION tells us, Russia along with most other European countries has been experiencing a serious decline in birthrates and population. Abortion and homosexual behavior are two leading factors in this problem. If two people just live together without marrriage, either man and woman tend to have few or no children, or two of the same sex never have any children. As my grandchildren would say, "Duh, Grandpa!"
But the younger generation is being brainwashed - er, propagandized - er, "educated" - to think that what two people do in private is nobody else's business. Hogwash! Utter nonsense! Why are Russia, Hungary, Germany, France, England, etc. worried about declining population and migrants? When children are taught that living together and the various LGBTQ lifestyles are just fine, indeed respectable and cool, some of these children will adopt those lifestyles that in just a few more years translate into declining birthrates and population. And yet, these people think that somehow society will simply continue on as it always has, with no changes.
How should Christians respond when this topic comes up? We should be respectful of others and not ridicule their lifestyles: these days we can get in deep trouble for that! But the Apostle Peter wrote that we should "always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear: having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who revile your good manner of life in Christ" (1 Peter 3:15-16). They will sometimes accuse us of being intolerant, bigoted or hateful even though we express our position calmly, kindly and rationally, so be prepared for that.
Here's what happened when the Apostle Paul was arrested and brought before the Roman governor - "But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, 'Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you'" (Acts 24:24-25). Felix, a Roman, had married a Jewish woman without converting to Judaism, and they both knew this violated her religion. Telling unbelievers the Gospel includes telling them about righteous living and self-control, which might well get them upset with you!
We also must keep in mind that the Christian lifestyle of sexual continence outside of marriage and sexual faithfulness within marriage is not the rule nowadays for many non-Christian people. We do business and have social contact with these folks on a regular, day-to-day basis, and should not reject or condemn them. As the Apostle Paul stated - "I wrote to you in my letter to have no fellowship with sexual sinners; yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. But as it is, I wrote to you not to have fellowship with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don't even eat with such a person" (1 Corinthians 5:9-11).
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We don't condemn secular people who are greedy or worship their cars and other possessions or who drink to excess, so we shouldn't condemn secular sexual sinners. We need to distinguish between what is acceptable in secular society in contrast with what is acceptable in the Christian community: Paul goes on to write - "For what have I to do with also judging those who are outside? Don't you judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves" (verses 12-13). We must not judge or condemn those outside the Church, leave that to God. But we should maintain purity within the Church.
In the very next chapter, St. Paul continues on this topic - "Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
The real issue comes down to repenting and being sanctified, changing what or Whom we worship: when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well and asked for a drink of water, He knew that she had been married five times and the man she was currently living with wasn't her husband, but He didn't condemn her for that. Instead, He steered the conversation toward God:
"You said well, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly. The woman said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.' Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:17-24).
And when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery, He didn't condemn her; instead, He forgave her and enabled her to repent, which means to turn about-face and change the way she was living: "Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, 'Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more'" (John 8:10-11).
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be!
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