Wheel and come again Christians

By Garth A. Rattray

She was very young, prepubescent and under 10 years old when her parents left her in the care of an aunt and her husband while they went abroad to make a living. What was a little girl, who was being sheltered by a pair of trusted and responsible adults with children of their own, to do? What could she do when she had been warned that no one would believe anything that she says? Who could she turn to when she had been told that she would bear all the blame for what was happening?

She had been told that, if she screamed, she would be blamed, cursed and thrown out. Her aunt's husband made it all very clear as he entered her room at nights and forced himself on her over and over and over again.

She knew that it was very wrong, sinful ... she felt violated, unclean, spoilt forever and yet it must've been her fault because there he was, very respected, head held high, dressed to 'puss foot', with his entire family in church. He was the pastor on the pulpit preaching loudly about sin, hell and the love of God.

'Protecting' the Church

This true story is not unique. Secularist, aberrant, sexually promiscuous behaviour is not all that uncommon among Christians. Unfortunately, some religious leaders cover up the moral failings of their colleagues and subordinates. They conveniently forget that they are men and women of God and rationalise that it's for the good of the church that they spare the organisation embarrassment and the loss of respect and trust.

Although Pope Benedict XVI (the first Pope to surrender power in 600 years) cited failing health and waning strength/stamina as the reasons for his retirement, well-publicised suspicions circulated that he was seeking sanctuary from the ugly sex abuse and other scandals pummelling the Catholic Church. The very idea that some people believe that a Pope could lie about the reasons for his retirement is a huge embarrassment for that prestigious religious body and should serve as a wake-up call. Now, if the new Pope (Francis) is to reclaim some of the respect that the Catholic Church once commanded, he must use openness and honesty as weapons to expose the morally decrepit priests and to protect the spiritual integrity of that organisation.

Many fall short

Christianity is supposed to be a very powerfully spiritual religion. However, too many self-proclaimed Christians fall far short of the requirements to be true followers. They quibble and squabble over the mundane and historical events found in the Bible while missing the profound spiritual lessons contained within it. So much emphasis is placed on the miracles performed by Jesus the Christ that I wonder what would have happened if He did not perform any.

Many 'Christians' see themselves as super special just because they claim to accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. They enter this little self-made world of exclusivity and it makes them feel magically protected. They feel that it gives them a spiritual advantage over the wretched sinners and lost souls. They treat God as their personal wizard, one who they befriended and who will reciprocate by literally moving Heaven and Earth for them. Many 'Christians' forget that it's their thoughts and actions that count ... not just their frequent church attendance and the utterances of their mouths.

Claims to a particular religion, money, power or position won't get us anywhere when we pass beyond time and space. The only currency recognised over yonder is love. I wonder how many 'Christians' truly love others. Our aggression towards one another, the number of our suffering poor and our high crime rate do not look good for a supposed 'Christian society'.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com