The Catholic Ark of Sexuality and why Protestants should get on board.

What ever way you look at the protestant reformation, whether you regard Luther as a hero or, if you’re like me, and view it as a most regrettable wound that still bleeds to this day, it has given birth to a movement that has become a target of the secular culture. However historically evangelical and protestant churches are known their use of the culture in evangelization. If you wish to observe societal trends, attend one of the many "mega churches" that have emerged in the past century. This method has brought many people to come to know Jesus and is something we all, Protestant or not, can be thankful for. Unfortunately, we have also witnessed the adoption of pop ideologies into their theology. 

An example of this is the influence of extreme-capitalism that formed the notion of the ‘prosperity gospel’. A very old idea, invigorated in our time by the industrial revolution, that states that who ever is fiscally successful is favored by God, leaving those who have experience any sort of misfortune out of God’s favor. An idea famously refuted by Christ himself: “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matt 19: 21)

We now are witnessing the culture's sway in some evangelical churches again. Rob Bell, former pastor of Mars Hill Church, has recently expressed his stance on same-sex  Marriage: “I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it’s a man and a woman,

a woman and a woman, a man and a man,” .

It should be noted that Mr. Bell does not speak for all denominations of Christianity. As an act of Christian solidarity on November 20, 2009 an ecumenical manifesto entitled “The Manhattan Declaration” was signed by individuals such as Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, Leith Anderson of the National Association of Evangelicals, Bishop Maymon of the Orthodox Church in American, and Dr. James Dobson. This document upholds the belief of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. What makes this document all the more dramatic is it’s call to civil disobedience. It states:

 “We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.”

Although we have examples of single mindedness among christian denominations, there is still the growing trend of divergence from an authentic, biblical, and life bringing interpretation of marriage among protestant churches. I understand that this may be a faux pas for a Catholic to call upon Protestants in such a way, however the landscape of Christianity is changing and, like global warming, the flood waters are rising taking with them more and more neutral ground when it comes to the sexual ethics of the 21st century. If our protestant brothers and sisters wish to stay afloat I believe there must be a renewal to the commitment to sacred scripture and uncover what being human, having bodies, and being engendered is all about. Evidently we Catholics can help, well one Catholic specifically: Bl. John Paul II

Early in his pontificate, from September 1979 to November 1984, Pope John Paul II devoted his wednesday audiences as a time of catechesis (education in the faith) in God’s plan for the human body. In Matthew 19 He is confronted by a group of Pharisees who wished to challenge Him on the topic of divorce, but Jesus, instead of falling into the snare they were trying to set, brings their attention back to the beginning. “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE IF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?” (Matt 19:7) they ask, to which Christ responds “Because of your hardness of heart...but from the beginning, it was not to be this way.” Matt 19: 7-8.

John Paul II, in his 129 talks, first plunges deep into Genesis‘ account of creation and man’s experience. Being alone, adam gives meaning and “names” to all that is around him, however the flora and fauna give him nothing in return in terms of his own identity. He comes to realize he is alone and is nothing like his surroundings. It is only through the introduction of Eve that he is completed when Adam exclaims “This is now bone from my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman...” Gen 2:23. What emerges is the most dense and concrete education in God’s purpose for mankind; it’s called the Theology of the Body.

On March 17th, 2013 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, after affirming his acceptance of Same-sex marriage he says “I think that ship has sailed.  This is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are.” Taking his statements to their logical ends, he promotes that truth, and in this case the truth of the gospel, is relative when subjected to popular cultural mores. If this premise is true, if trends dictate the ethics of sexuality, then your sexuality has no inherit, God-given value. I’ll pose a question: How did you come to read this article? If you follow all the contingent factors that brought you to this moment, you’ll eventually reach the fact that your mother and father had sex, and their parents did, and their parents, and their parents...it’s how we bring life into our world. If sexuality has no inherit value, if it has no plan, then your existence came about with the same lack of purpose.

John Paul II’s Theology of the Body doesn’t just say there are ‘Do’s and don’ts”, it doesn’t just say that sex is great, but it says that sexual love, in it’s proper ontological context, is an analogy for the very nature of who God is...a self-giving exchange of persons.

In writing this I do not mean to judge anyone. If someone was sitting across from me and they were pale, sneezing, and drowsy I would tell them that they needed rest because they had a cold. I’m not placing condemnation on protestants, homosexuals, or Rob Bell. This is nothing but an appraisal of symptoms that I believe lead to a greater sickness. It is also not at all an adequate illustration of the Theology of the Body. There is much more that John Paul II communicated through his in-depth analysis of Genesis and God’s plan for Man. This is simply an invitation to discover and deepen your understanding of human sexuality. What Rob Bell describes as a sailed ship, is in reality the shore to the mainland.

Below is a link to a free talk by Christopher West, a famous speaker on JP2’s Theology of the Body, given to a Protestant audience. It’s called “Theology of the Body: A bold, biblical response to the sexual revolution.”

http://thetheologyofthebody.com/download/category/19