“Cancel culture” is all the rage. In fact, it’s very much a weapon of rage, and is wielded against all who don’t toe the line on sexual ideology.
If you are in ministry and hold to the traditional view of sexuality, you no doubt have a little fear of how the radical voices of our day may impact your church or counseling ministry. Maybe more than a little. And you are not alone.
Pope Benedict XVI, the man elected to succeed Pope John Paul II, made this request of the worldwide church in his very first homily: “Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”
His biographer, Peter Seewald, assumed the Pope was referring to the controversy over Vatileaks. But Benedict XVI corrected him, explaining as follows:
The true threat for the Church, and thus for the Petrine service, does not come from this sort of episode: it comes instead from the universal dictatorship of apparently humanistic ideologies. Anyone who contradicts this dictatorship is excluded from the basic consensus of society. One hundred years ago, anyone would have thought it absurd to speak of homosexual matrimony. Today those who oppose it are socially excommunicated. The same holds true for abortion and the production of human beings in the laboratory. Modern society intends to formulate an anti-Christian creed: whoever contests it is punished with social excommunication. Being afraid of this spiritual power of the Antichrist is all too natural, and what is truly needed is that the prayers of entire dioceses and of the world Church come to the rescue to resist it.[1]
Incredible. Even in the refuge of Vatican City, this leader of the Church felt the pressure of those forcing an agenda on Christendom.
Doubtless, he was feeling the pressure long before election as Pope. I remember reading a quote from him 20 years ago when he was still a cardinal. Advising priests on ministry to sexual minorities, he said something like the following: Pastoral care without truth is neither pastoral nor caring. Easy to remember because it was so well put.
Theories abound for why he eventually retired from the papacy, but perhaps it was related to the snarls of circling wolves. Some have strong evidence to think so. Regardless, many of us, both clergy and counselors, hear the howls of wolves in the distance.
The primary purpose of this blog is to equip us for rescuing victims of the sexual tsunami. Our culture is awash with abuse victims, sexual addicts, and those who are simply confused by the chaos from progressive voices regarding gender and orientation.
And yet, the very process of rescuing people means knowing exactly what we believe, and holding to those beliefs in the face of the contrary currents of contemporary group-think. Going against the flow can be painful. Exceedingly so.
Some have already had their bouts with the wolves.
A good friend and colleague used to serve within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). When the governing bodies finally passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage and ordination of sexual minorities, he was assured that those with a traditional theology would be absolutely free to practice their beliefs. The legislation, it was said, was simply to allow each one to follow their own conscience.
Prior to this legislation, my friend had welcomed a gay couple into membership, and had baptized their adopted son. But once the ELCA took this step, he spoke out against the legislation and began preparing his congregation to vote on exiting.
Then came the wolves.
On the denominational and synod level, colleagues were calling for his ouster from committees where he had always played a vital role. Much more disheartening and surprising was the outcry from some within his parish—a church he had faithfully served for 13 years.
His church council was of one heart and mind about exiting, signaling so with a unanimous vote. The next step was to take a vote of the membership, and so they began to communicate their intentions. He himself began a series of classes held at three different times during the week. But a very vocal minority began to attend each class to voice their opposition, even bringing influential people from outside of the local congregation.
Most damaging, however, was what the opposition called their “behind-the-scenes education campaign.” In addition to teaching the progressive view, they also spread lies about the congregation losing their building, and about the inability to call trained and ordained pastors in the future. With frequent phone calls, emails and personal visits, the mood of the congregation soon shifted.
As the day of the vote approached, the opposition had personally notified every member in sympathy with them, even those who hadn’t attended for many years. With their numbers bolstered, the final vote lacked the required two-thirds majority to exit the ELCA.
People began to leave. Income dropped. Soon my colleague found his legs cut out from under him. Eventually, he had to leave both the congregation he loved and the denomination that had nurtured him.
Though his battle with the wolves paled when compared with the martyrdom of saints past, the wounds were painful nonetheless.
Indeed, the metaphor of “wolves” does feel a bit overstated in our context. We are not Liam Neeson, journeying knee-deep through the snow-blanketed forest as wolves devour his companions one by one (“The Grey” 2011). However, betrayal, taunting, backstabbing, and the mounting rumors and accusations all take a toll. No doubt the greatest pain is when our own children seemingly turn on us with disdain.
And so this blog will provide not only encouragement, but insight. There’s no controversy over ministry to the abused and trafficked. But there are powerful voices calling for the normalization of porn, polyamory, and sadomasochism (BDSM)—as long as all adults are consenting. And legally, people have the freedom to experiment and experience all of these things. But are they healthy, helpful and life-giving?
As for the church, you would be surprised what Christian couples are getting entangled with. Yes, surprised, because the church is the last place on earth they would even feel safe enough to ask questions about sexuality.
We need humility, wisdom and courage.
Years ago, I heard a friend of mine tell a story about his father-son trip to Alaska. Renting a canoe and equipment, he and his fifteen-year-old began a weeklong journey through the wilderness, never seeing another human being for days. One night under clear skies, they heard the distant howl of wolves. So they playfully began to howl in return. To their delight, the wolves began a conversation, howling back their replies.
But the fun soon ended. They noticed the howls getting closer! Though well-armed, they rightly had fear of a nighttime encounter with the hungry canines. After a sleepless night, they shoved off in their canoe and hastily put miles between them and the pack.
Most mature Christians, I believe, are willing to suffer for their faith. And as long as the howls seem distant, we sense a measure of safety. But we will travel better if we are well-armed with truth, know when it is appropriate to speak out, and have the encouragement of others to continue to minister to the victims of the sexual tsunami.
That’s what I hope to provide in future posts.
If you would like to suggest topics for me to address, or if you have input on how frequently you’d like to see new posts, email me at Ongley 01 at iCloud.com.
[1] Rod Dreher, The American Conservative, “Benedict XVI and the New Totalitarianism” November 18, 2020.