I am not a fan of the papacy. I find the office and regard for one man to be misleading and un-biblical. However, I cannot deny truth when I hear it, even from the pope.
In a recent interview with Catholic magazine America, Pope Francis said the Church has become obsessed with controversial subjects such as contraceptives, abortion and homosexuality.
Preaching the gospel to all is the primary mission of the Church.
I must also contend with Pope Francis on the subject of homosexuality. Admittedly, this is a difficult subject to handle, but I’m afraid the pope missed the mark. On a return flight from Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis said if a homosexual person possesses good will and is in search of God, he is not one to judge.
All well and good, but if a homosexual person is in search of God, they must be willing to throw out their old nature and make way for a new nature, as with anyone else who seeks the Lord.
One of the fundamentals of being a Christian is to deny oneself and follow Christ. This means allowing our sinful nature to die so that we can serve Him. The problem is, in their knee-jerk reaction to the Christian stance against gay marriage, society wants the church to accept gay Christians. To do so, would be like accepting an idolatrous Christian, an adulterous Christian or a Christian who’s committed worse sins. Not that the church shouldn’t reach out to homosexuals, but those who wish to remain in sin cannot be accepted as they are not accepting the gospel. It therefore is not a matter of the church being discriminatory or hateful, but of false Christians who want the church to conform to their standards.
It is vital that the church not transform into a social club. Too often in today’s world, the church is used as a means to make one feel accepted or good. That is not what Christianity is about, nor is it what the church should be preaching.
Pope Francis needs to articulate this, especially since he is such a large figure in Christianity and has received praise from non-Christians. Society has forced these hot button issues onto the front lines, not the church. And while Pope Francis did not indicate any major shift in doctrine, it is vital to stand by doctrine. Christians can still spread the gospel while remaining firm and convicted in doctrine.
Pope Francis said at the beginning of the interview that he is a sinner. I couldn’t agree more, knowing full well that I too am a sinner. However, that does not give anyone excuse to abide in sinfulness. Repentance is key to living a Christian life – repenting of the sin that we hold most dear. This is extremely difficult, but no one, including Christ ever said the road was easy.