The fallout from the world vision situation continues, and one of the reasons for them accepting gays has become apparent. (Via Will S)

Everything in the group’s statements speaks to their attempt to navigate a difficult cultural issue. It needn’t be “all” about the money to be even ever-so-slightly about the money. Or to at least have been made in consideration of the current funding climate.

While the vast majority of the $1 billion raised each year is from individuals and foundations, the government is presumably the biggest funder of World Vision. In fiscal year 2012, according to the group’s 990, $174,520,104 came from “government grants.”

It’s not unreasonable to imagine that World Vision hoped to keep funds from Christians who donated to World Vision precisely because of shared doctrines while also being able to keep the checks flowing from an increasingly hostile federal government. Hostile? Well, yeah.

Recent years have seen fights over whether federal funds should go to groups that only hire co-religionists or require them to sign a statement of faith or practice a shared code of morality — both issues that affect World Vision and which World Vision has fought to defend.

In 2011, USAID begins inserting in its mandatory requirements new language that it “strongly encourages” all grant applicants to adopt USAID’s hiring policy of not discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. No word on whether they added, “Mighty nice federally funded program you’ve got there, would be a shame if something happened to it.” This was another issue that World Vision had to work hard to navigate.

That same year, HHS defunded the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ domestic program to assist and resettle victims of human trafficking. Why? Even though everyone agreed that the USCCB was doing a fantastic job with the program, they didn’t provide contraceptives or abortions to the trafficked women. Funding seemed to be tied to agreeing with the doctrines policies of the federal government.

Well, yeah. I have seen this. I was quietly happy when Presbyterian Support lost the contract for providing community care to the frail old (despite the fact they did a great job) because he who pays the piper calls the tune. And all too often that is the government, and the government are not for us, but against us.

In this time, it is better to keep things fairly clear and very straight. To almost be a Pharisee, to avoid the stench of corruption. Those of us who work for the state — as I do: both the university and the hospital I work for are state-funded — have enough difficulties as it is.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

¹I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, ²and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. ⁷Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” ⁸We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. ⁹We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. ¹⁰And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹²So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. ¹³No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

In these times, we need to be very clear who we will follow. We need to walk away from those who would compromise what we believe, by making regulations in the name of equality. There is a stench of anticlericalism and secularization in the air, while at the same time, a tolerance for other religions, particularly anti Christian ones.

We need to stand firm. We need to be charitable to those who are left as casualties of the last generations sexual licence and free access to divorce.

Back to the issue of sexual immorality and the mandated tolerance of such required to get federal funds. World Vision has been pushed back. But some theology for a second. If you read Paul, the flourishing of homosexuality is a sign that God is disgusted with a society, and has allowed them to indulge their passions, and forget duty. This leads to a plummeting in the birth rate, and a sense of existential despair. It also leads to some sad and somewhat creepy advertisements.

I think, like Luther, that remarriage is permitted, in the rare, licit, case of divorce. And I think Paul’s advice to the woman divorced by her pagan husband was based on the use of women and marriage as pawns in alliances within the ancient world. I am not sure how this fits with the epidemic of frivorce we have.

But one thing I do know. As Israel was called to be separate, to be holy, to not be like the world, so called are we. Paul’s commentary on Exodus makes this clear. And Saul was a pretty good Rabbi before he met Christ.