Sophia - Melkite Eparchy of Newton

dictory position towards homosexuality,the Church is both consistent andgenerous in proclaiming a Truth thatchallenges and leads to salvation.Modern Culture Avoids Engagingthe Church in DialogueIt is clear that many would prefer forthe Church to ‘adapt’ to prevailing contemporarystandards rather than be trueto its own Faith and teachings. For theCatholic Church to continue to teachthe ‘hard sayings’ of the Gospel provokesa confrontation with Truth manytoday would prefer to avoid. It violatesthe “I’m OK, You’re OK” axiom thathas been emblematic of modern secularlife since the 1960’s.The Church’s claim to speak the truthimplies before all else that there justmight be revealed Truth out there.Truth may have an objective reality thatcannot be altered by public opinion orcultural drift. Our belief is centered onJesus Christ who proclaims the Gospelas objectively true. Thus, the Churchoffends merely by continuing to proclaimthe Gospel and Jesus Christ. Thatsuch a Gospel exists in itself confrontsmodern culture with a challenge itwould prefer not to consider.Rather than addressing what theChurch actually teaches, contemporaryculture instead commonly characterizesthe Church as ignorant or malicious.If it engages in real dialogueabout what the Church actuallybelieves it risks discovering that itschoices, opinions or behavior might berevealed to be immoral, or worse sinful.Such a dialogue might require us tothink and perhaps even change! (AsGK Chesterton quipped, “The CatholicChurch is the only thing which saves aman from the degrading slavery ofbeing a child of his own age.”)The Post and Courier article includesan example of how culture avoids discussingwhat the Church actuallyteaches. It notes that “slavery, racismand the discrimination of left-handedpeople” were “phenomena onceaccepted by society and people in thechurch” but which “changed overtime.” Worthy of discussion thoughthey are, introducing slavery, racismand discrimination into the argumentactually deflects attention from examiningthe Church’s teaching on its ownmerits. In the end, it is a red herringthat does not address the real issue.After forty years of the “I’m OK,You’re OK” culture, we must ultimatelyconfess that you and I aren’t ok. There“is” sin and sickness and evil in theworld; and sin does have its wages. TheGospel is a difficult spiritual path alongwhich we all sometimes stumble. Yet,stumbling does not relieve us from theresponsibility to continue the journeytowards our ultimate goal. The CatholicFaith is founded on and has held fast tothe Gospel for two millennia. Our Lordcame, not to make God over in man’simage, but to make man (male andfemale) to grow in the Image andLikeness of God. There is nothingambivalent about it. The real ambivalenceis in those who either do not listenclearly to what the Gospel proclaims orelse who don’t want to listen. AsChesterton said, “It is not that Christianityhas been tried and found wanting but hasbeen found hard and not tried.” †Fr Titus Fulcher is the Pastor of the MelkiteCommunity of Charleston in South Carolina.My TurnA CORRECTIONOur ApologiesHoly Land Must Always be Our Home” article on page 19 of the Fall 2007 issue of Sophia. Thisarticle was incorrectly attributed to Deacon Richard Downer when in fact it came from Aid to The ChurchRe:“Thein Need (ACN). We have heard from John Pontifex, publicity director for ACN UK who, despite the mistake,was quite pleased to receive the publicity in Sophia. Please also note the corrected captions for the photos below.From left to right: Fr John Salter, and assistant priest, Fr ShafiqAbouZayd; parish priest, Fr Francois Beyrouti from the Melkite Eparchyin Canada, and Deacon Richard Downer, in the Anglican Church of StBarnabas, Pimlico, London, as used by the Melkites in the UK.Catholic clergy, Latin and Melkite, with Archbishop Elias Chacour inthe Sacristy of Westminster Cathedral”.Winter 2008 • SOPHIA 37