Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."¹

As reported by Chuck Colson in BreakPoint, a commencement speaker at Georgetown University, a Catholic school, was Francis Cardinal Arinze, the head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. In his address Cardinal Arinze told the graduating students that "happiness is found not in the pursuit of material wealth or pleasures of the flesh, but by fervently adhering to religious beliefs."

He also stressed the importance of the family stating that "in many parts of the world, the family is under siege" saying that "an anti-life mentality [is seen] in contraception, abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia." And that the family is "scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions, and cut in two by divorce."

And as Chuck Colson said, "Well, that's a very Catholic message one might expect from a Catholic cardinal. But it proved too much for many in the audience. Teresa Sanders, a professor of theology, left the stage during Arinze's remarks. Seventy other faculty members signed a letter to the dean protesting what one of them called Arinze's 'wildly inappropriate' remarks. Really? As a result, the dean apologized for the Cardinal's remarks and the 'hurt' they caused."²

While I don't think too many Christians are against contraception for married couples who take family planning seriously, everything else stated by Cardinal Arinze is certainly Catholic, Christian, and Biblical. The opposition from the faculty is alarming for at least two reasons, not the least of which is because of the intolerance of another's point of view that differed from their own in a place of higher learning where every view is, supposedly, to be given a hearing. It seems today in the West that every religion and every message except Christianity is tolerated. This is even of greater concern when this happens in a Christian educational center.

Even more alarming is the opposition of the faculty of a Catholic school who are opposed to some of the basic tenets of the Catholic and Christian faith. One wonders at their ethics in that they are teaching in a school where they disagree with its foundational principles. Why don't they teach in a secular school?

And why is it that those who reject and oppose Christianity don't leave a countryâ€"that was founded on Christian valuesâ€"to live in a pagan land?

Far too many today want the benefits, blessings, and privileges that are based on and built upon Judeo-Christian values, but don't want to accept the responsibilities that guarantee its continuance. Furthermore, they reject the very values that are the foundation of a free society. In doing so they reject the source of the benefits they enjoy. In other words, they're biting the hand that feeds themâ€"the hand of God!

We cannot have it both ways. We either accept God's directives or go our own way. And whatever we sow we will reapâ€"even if it is eventually.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me in the midst of the ever-increasing pressure to be 'politically correct' to stand firm with my feet placed solidly on Your Wordâ€"the principles of which are eternal and will endure forever. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV).
2. Chuck Colson on "BreakPoint." www.breakpoint.org

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