The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, April 27th: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)

ST. PETER MUST’VE BEEN ON DRUGS

In this week’s second reading, St. Peter wrote, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope (in Christ).”

Ack! What was Peter thinking about?! Talk to people about our religious beliefs? Was he on drugs when he wrote that epistle?

And what were those bishops thinking when they chose this verse to be part of the Sunday readings at church? What do they think we are, a bunch of fundamentalist Jesus freaks?

We don’t talk about our faith. We’re Catholics, for God’s sake. American Catholics at that. We are proud of the fact that we do not let religious doctrines interfere with our busy lives. We’re modern, sophisticated, and enlightened, just like the rest of society.

Don’t you know that we American Catholics have the same rates of promiscuity, abortion, and divorce as the rest of society? Don’t you realize we abuse alcohol, gambling, our kids, and our spouses (while we’re still married anyway) just as often as non-Catholics? Please don’t accuse us of being religious nuts.

Besides, even if we wanted to talk about our faith, we can’t. It’s against the law. This is America, don’t forget. We have the First Amendment, which very clearly spells out a strict separation of church and state. (A doctrine which we all know means a strict separation of religious ideas from everyday life.)

It says right in the Constitution (somewhere, I’m sure) that everybody has the right to have religious faith, as long as they keep it to themselves. I believe it’s in the oft-cited “Can’t impose intolerant values on others” clause.

Someone should really talk to those bishops. This is embarrassing. Don’t they realize we American Catholics have taken our cue from all those progressive Catholic scholars working at Catholic universities?

Like Holy Cross in Worcester, one of many Catholic colleges with co-ed dorms and co-ed bathrooms. Wouldn’t want to let church teachings about modesty and self-control get in the way of a good party. Just make sure there’s a convenient abortion clinic nearby.

Or Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., which had the good sense to remove all those offensive crucifixes from classroom walls (the Catholics were more offended than the non-Catholics!) and now provides school funding for gay and lesbian social events. How enlightened.

Or the chancellor of Boston College and the president of Notre Dame who told the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in no uncertain terms that they oppose any attempts to revitalize the authentically Catholic character of Catholic colleges and universities. That would infringe on “academic freedom,” not to mention raise the eyebrows of scholars at secular institutions, whose approval and acceptance they so desperately crave.

If we the laity have finally done such a good job of putting our religious beliefs into proper perspective, why in the world are we being subjected to such a bizarre Scripture verse, one calling on us to be ready to actually TALK about our faith?

The passage from Peter’s epistle goes on to give advice about how we should do this talking, and warns, “…so that, when you are maligned…”

Whoa, time out. Now I know Peter was on drugs. He knew in advance that when we talk about our faith in Christ it is bound to offend some people, and yet he instructed us to do it anyway? What was his problem?

Maybe things were different back in Peter’s day, but today the one thing we must avoid at all costs is offending anyone.

Back in Peter’s day those unenlightened, ignorant folks worshipped God as if He were real and personal. Today we know better. We now worship equality above all else. Everything’s equal. All ideas are equal; all behaviors are equal; all values are equal.

This way no one gets offended. We don’t have to get bogged down with questions of truth and values, right and wrong. If someone thinks something is true, it is. If someone embraces a particular value system, then it’s right for him or her.

Today we understand it is better to have no beliefs than to have firm beliefs. It’s better to accept everything than to stand for anything.

But come to think of it, this Scripture reading and Peter’s instructions are not necessary. We American Catholics already know how “to give an explanation” about our faith in Christ. The most common expression in our modern vocabulary says it all: “Whatever…”

It couldn’t be any clearer. Someone should tell those bishops to lighten up and join the modern world.

©2008