The
North needs a Clerical Charter if being a practising
Biblical Christian is not to be a legally dangerous
faith by the end of the decade.
This
month the new Sexual Orientation Bill guaranteeing
equal rights for gays and lesbians becomes law
in the North in spite of high profile campaigns
by fundamentalists to overturn the legislation.
Pink
power has delivered a double whammy on Northern
fundamentalism in a year, first with the civil
partnership act, and then the sex orientation
bill.
The
Christian Church must face the sad reality that
as an influential movement, it has all but lost
its political and social power.
Now
the gay lobby has backed the Church into a corner,
it is only a matter of time before other minority
religious and secular groups challenge once-dearly
held Christian convictions, morals and practices.
How
long before we see a buddhist shrine in every
school? When will humanists succeed in having
Gospel street preachers banned? When will paganism
and witchcraft become a compulsory part of the
religious education curriculum?
How
long before sects such as the Jehovah's Witnesses
become spokespeople for supposed mainstream Christianity?
And how long after the tyrant Saddam Hussein is
hanged will be see the first Islamist insurgent
attack on an Irish Christian church?
The
harsh medicine which Christianity must face is
the power of the pew has dramatically slipped
because there is no longer confidence in the place
of the pulpit.
Our
Christian clergy have become the butt of jokes
by stand-up comedians, telly sit-coms and movies.
Northern
Christians have had their faith ridiculed by impersonations
of Ian Paisley's booming hell fire preaching;
the drunken priests in Father Ted; the brainless
clerics in Dad's Army and Vicar of Dibley, as
well as the psychotic Opus Dei monk in The Da
Vinci Code; the heresy of The Last Temptation
of Christ, and the blasphemy of Monty Python's
Life of Brian.
If
Christians want to see their Biblical values restored
once more to pride of place in society, then its
no use preaching and condemning the people in
the pews – or those not coming into the pews.
To stop the rot, we need to start with the pulpits.
The
time has come for Irish Christian clergy to get
back to Biblical Basics by agreeing a Clerics
Charter – and the cost could mean priests,
pastors and reverends doing porridge in Maghaberry
jail for defying laws which seek to devalue Biblical
teaching.
A
few days ago, to test grassroots feelings, I slipped
into a typical fundamentalist prayer meeting billed
as “a war room to seek God”. Normally,
this wee village mid-week gathering attracts two
dozen hard core supporters.
But
that night, the topic was gays and lesbians –
and the crowd had swollen to over 100. The fundamentalist
preacher spelt out in clear terms just how bad
he saw things for Christianity.
“The
world is asleep in the dark; the Church is asleep
in the light. Let's get praying, then God will
visit our community. I believe in the providence
of God; that He won't let wicked men rule.
“We
want God to intervene in the state of our land.
I do not hate the homosexuals and I am not a gay
basher. I am a fundamentalist and preacher of
the truth.
“I
have prayed much for the homosexuals for them
to be saved and to save their souls. We must reach
out to them in love that they might be won for
the Lord.
“The
homosexuals always want more and are pushing Christianity
into a box. We want men and women to preach the
Gospel without fear or favour. Who is to blame
for these laws? Not the homosexuals, the Government
or the devil. The people to blame are the Church
of Jesus Christ for allowing it to happen.
“The
homosexuals are spreading themselves in great
power. You couldn't see Tony Blair implementing
these laws on the muslims. The gays are blooming
and wallowing in their wealth, but Christians
must have their liberty, too. These people have
insulted our God long enough.”
It
was two hours of heavy duty material, but what
is clear is that many rank and file Christians
want their clergy to take a positive stand on
social and moral issues.
Ever
since the turn of the new millennium, fundamentalists
and evangelicals have ranted about the need for
a “Holy Ghost Revival” akin to the great
spiritual awakening which took place in the Northern
counties in 1859.
But
the clerics can't expect this to happen in their
flocks unless they buck up their acts in the first
place.
The
village 'war meeting' concluded with traditional
hell fire warnings - “God loves the homosexuals,
but hates their sin. If God does not judge the
United Kingdom for its homosexuality, then God
will have to give a written apology to Sodom and
Gomorrah!”
Did
it ever cross the Irish clerics' minds if they
themselves formed a Biblically-based Pan Christian
Front, they wouldn't have to rely on God's fire
and brimstone? Listen to the pews, ye clerics,
your flocks are crying out for leadership in 2007.
