The cognitive dissonance was strong yesterday. I was half listening to a senior administrator talking about inclusion while reading a series of comments about the negative consequences of inclusion on the church. It is funny: the college will be open — but there are limits. We defend certain treatments, rightly, and we do not include the citizens commission of human rights because those scientologists would take our medications and ECT machines away.
In the real world, inclusiveness has limits: hard limits, and they are hit when fundamental values for the organization are breached. One of them in my trade is that we want and require tested and proven treatments: most of us do not believe a treatment works until we have seen the meta analysis.
And the same treatment working with patients. Be it talking therapy, internet CBT, or the newest product from big Pharma.
Within the church there are limits and the limit is simple. Those who teach error we should not welcome: we should shun. Those who teach the truth we should welcome.
The church pays too much attention to feelings and not enough to righteousness. We forget that the generation of Noah deserved to drown.
As do we.
Now, if those in error self remove themselves, then let them. If you are not of the faith, then your status within the hierarchy of a church does not matter.
The first Church of England vicar in a same-sex marriage is leaving his parish and claims “institutional homophobia” in the church means he is blacklisted from getting another job.
Andrew Foreshew-Cain, 53, a member of the General Synod, resigned from his London parish on Sunday, telling parishioners it was a “relief” because his ministry, and that of other gay and lesbian clergy, was “barely tolerated rather than fully accepted and celebrated”.
The vicar of St Mary with All Souls, Kilburn, and St James in West Hampstead is moving to Manchester where his husband, Stephen, whom he married in 2015, is now working.
“In the normal course of things I would look for a job in the area,” he said. “But I am on a blacklist. I can’t carry on being a priest because the institutional homophobia of the church makes it impossible.
“I am sure lots of parishes would give me a job quite happily, but it is finding a bishop who would be willing to take the risk of licensing me to that parish. I am far too prominent.”
The Church of England bans clergy from gay marriage, but it has been tolerant of him in his current post.
For there are many deceivers within the church, and there have always been many deceivers. The test is not what we say but how we act.
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love. I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning– you must walk in it. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person. Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.
But that means that we are called hateful, unchristlike, non christian. It means that we are seen as judgemental, hypocrites. So be it. There is clear teaching on how we should behave, and it is painful for many. This world is fallen. We all have to choose to obey God and not man, not merely when dealing with gluttony and lust, but when dealing with truth. For at times speaking the truth gains a martyrs crown.
No doubt there are many voices within the North American evangelical movement that are turning away from what the church has always believed and confessed. Hatmaker is now among them. They are trying to tell people that sexual immorality is compatible with following Jesus. And they are asking the rest of the church to accept their point of view as within the orthodox stream.
The problem is that their teaching never has been, is not and never will be within the orthodox stream. It will always be a mark of those who have fallen away from the faith. Theirs is an ancient error — one that can be found within the pages of the New Testament itself:
“Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3-4)
What is this departure from “the faith once for all delivered to the saints”? What is this teaching that amounts to a denial of “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” and that puts adherents under “condemnation”? It is the teaching that distorts the grace of God into a permission slip for sexual immorality. It is the errant notion that somehow God is OK with sexual immorality after all.
But he’s not OK with it. And neither are his people, the church. Faithful Christians are never going to accept this teaching. The true church is never going to embrace this. It may look otherwise to those who are focused on Christian organizations in the secular West. But this is not an accurate picture of the church worldwide, which is overwhelmingly with the orthodox on this question. And if we give attention to what G.K. Chesterton called the “democracy of the dead” — the faith of the church throughout the ages — it becomes very clear that American revisionists are a tiny schismatic minority.
We are not here to be inclusive. We are not here to act as the praying arm of he progressive narrative. Nor are we here oto be the braying arm of the Tories. (Milo Yiannopolous has that job).
We are here to preach the gospel.
We are here to live righteously, to be sober, godly and upright.
And we are here to help those around us, beginning with those of faith: those who teach truth, those who make that which is beautiful and true. For against truth, beauty, honour and self control there is no law.
But expect those who hate the truth to try to regulate.