Wise Words on Wednesday: Holding Grudges
To bear a grudge and pray, means to sow seed on the sea and expect a harvest.
– St. Isaac the Syrian
Protestants Reformers on Contraception
When Catholics argue against contraception from Scripture, they typically cite Genesis 38:9, where a man named Onan chooses to consummate his marriage, but purposefully prevents conception when he “spilled the semen on the ground”.
Since contraception is virtually universally accepted within Protestantism, most Protestants strongly criticize the Catholic analysis and use of this passage. However, in so doing, they must also reject the exegesis of some of the founding members of Protestantism…
Martin Luther: “Onan must have been a malicious and incorrigible scoundrel. This is a most disgraceful sin. It is far more atrocious than incest or adultery. We call it unchastity, yes, a Sodomitic sin. For Onan goes into her; that is, he lies with her and copulates, and when it comes to the point of insemination, spills the semen, lest the woman conceive. Surely at such a time the order of nature established by God in procreation should be followed.”
– Luther’s Works 7, 20-21
John Wesley: “Onan, though he consented to marry the widow, yet to the great abuse of his own body, of the wife he had married and the memory of his brother that was gone, refused to raise up seed unto the brother. Those sins that dishonour the body are very displeasing to God, and the evidence of vile affections. Observe, the thing which he did displeased the Lord – And it is to be feared, thousands, especially single persons, by this very thing, still displease the Lord, and destroy their own souls.”
– Wesley, Notes on the First Book of Moses, comment on 38:7
John Calvin: “I will content myself with briefly mentioning this, as far as the sense of shame allows to discuss it. It is a horrible thing to pour out seed besides the intercourse of man and woman. Deliberately avoiding the intercourse, so that the seed drops on the ground, is doubly horrible. For this means that one quenches the hope of his family, and kills the son, which could be expected, before he is born.
The wickedness is now as severely as is possible condemned by the Spirit, through Moses, that Onan, as it were, through a violent and untimely birth, tore away the see of his brother out the womb, and as cruel and shamefully was thrown on the earth. Moreover he thus has, as much as was in his power, tried to destroy a part of the human race. When a woman in some way drives away the seed out the womb, through aids, then this is rightly seen as an unforgivable crime*. Onan was guilty of a similar crime, by defiling the earth was his seed, so that Tamar would not receive a future inheritor.”
– Calvin, Commentary on Genesis
* Don’t worry John, there’s always the Sacrament of Confession 🙂
Reasons for Fasting
Have you ever wondered: why do we fast?
How it feels to be Byzantine at the moment…
Music Monday: Jesus we love you
Today’s music comes from Paul McClure, “Jesus we love you” and “We will not be shaken”:
Old things have passed away
Your love has stayed the same
Your constant grace remains the cornerstone
Things that we thought were dead
Are breathing in life again
You cause your Son to shine on darkest nights
For all that you’ve done we will pour out our love
This will be our anthem song
Jesus we love you
Oh how we love you
You are the one our hearts adore
(Last time end on)
Our hearts adore
The hopeless have found their hope
The orphans now have a home
All that was lost has found its place in you
You lift our weary head
You make us strong instead
You took these rags and made us beautiful
Our affection, our devotion
poured out on the feet of Jesus
Our affection, our devotion
poured out on the feet of Jesus
Our affection, our devotion
poured out on the feet of Jesus
Our affection, our devotion
poured out on the feet of Jesus
Sunday School: The Meaningful Life
What path will you choose? How will you live out a meaningful life? Who wants to be a failure?
Aren’t the accomplishments that are most satisfying those requiring sacrifice and effort, the meeting of a challenge and overcoming it? Isn’t this the theme of inspiring movies we love and just about every sports movie ever made? Rarely do we tire of moving stories where the little guy conquers against all odds or where truth and justice persevere. How interesting would movies be if the main characters regularly failed to succeed in their quest to overcome and succeed?
Flip it around now; how inspiring would a movie be if the supposed “hero” had everything handed to them without effort and gained everything they desired. Would you take them seriously? Would you respect a person that achieved much from nothing? Wouldn’t you come to dislike this person if they insisted they deserved it?
Christ is our role model and He calls us to practice His witness of self-sacrificial love in both small and large ways. Denying ourselves what we desire at times to sacrifice for the other helps us to grow stronger in faith and as a human person… really they are inseparable, just as we are body and soul, a mystery of unity.
There is something deeply interwoven into each of us that understands to truly value something, whether it be an accomplishment, honor, title or even physical item, it must have come at some cost or with some struggle. One of the great lies straight from the pit of hell is happiness is a state derived from pleasure and leisure. The really profound moments of life only occur after sacrifice, this is why we fast before great feasts. In fasting we prepare ourselves for the great feast we are to participate in. We struggle to empty ourselves from all of the “junk” we hang onto that is of the world in order to have the space be filled with the life and gifts of God. Recall also when celebrating a great feast, or struggling to fast before one, you are doing so in communion with those who came before you and even those who have yet to come. Truth be told, we are only capable of small glimpses of true sheer joy. These fleeting moments can have life altering consequence urging you forward to become closer to God the source of all life. Were it not this way, we would develop a spiritual sweet tooth or that of an entitled child expecting a treat at every turn and focus on the gift and forget the Giver. It’s normal to feel periods of spiritual dryness and distance. The voice of the saints and mystics is to just keep going. Struggle and sacrifice always wins out in the end and you can write a new story of valor in your own family and community.
Isn’t all religion anti-intellectual?
Quite some time ago, a NY Times columnist, Ross Douthat wrote a book called “Bad Religion”. He went on the show of militant atheist Bill Maher and I found their conversation really enlightening.
In particular, at one point Maher asks “Isn’t all religion anti-intellectual?” and Douthat gave what I thought was a really great answer.
My favourite part though was when Douthat talks a little bit about how our understanding of the human person radically alters our perception of abuses of religion.
I’d invite you to check out the video and see how Douthat calmly responds to Mayers questions with clear, logical responses.