There are 43,000 “somewhat Christian” schisms, each founded by a Pastor Bob ambitious for power, money, and glory. It is interesting that all of them have this in common:
For two thousand years, those whose self-indulgence drives them into factions ignore part of Today’s Reading, Mt. 19: 3-12. Only The Church Jesus Founded takes it so seriously that they have been guided by it since the beginning:
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
Jesus’ words are clear. Catholic priests, bishops, sisters and brothers accept celibacy because they have renounced marriage “for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven“. The Pastor Bobs’ one universally shared belief is that they do not renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
So, to whom should we look for guidance? There is the swirling cloud of Pastor Bobs. All of them willfully choose to ignore Jesus’ words that describe the higher calling to greater obedience by the celibate Catholic priests. “Jesus isn’t going to tell me what to do!”
It is hard to imagine saying “I believe in Jesus, but I’m going to ignore Him when I want.”
But, that is what everyone in the schisms does. Pastor Bobs willfully choose to ignore this passage, and others, to their everlasting shame of embracing such confusing contradiction.
