The road to hell

       One of the minefields of religiosity is intent. What was the intent of Jesus in condoning His disciples to disregard the law when they plucked and ate grain on the Sabbath? What of this 'in your face' cure on the Sabbath as well? This lesson is often lost in today's sense of religiosity, a zealousness to obey the man made laws of religion.

       The case that comes immediately to mind is how some churches feel about birth control and I'll use that term in it's broadest sense.  What is the intent? Could it be simply control over the genitals of men and especially women?  What is the intent? To cooperate with what is viewed as 'natural law'? That makes the 'rythem method' or some modernly named variation the only allowable option save abstinence. But is the intent to stop conception? If that is the intent, then isn't any form of contraception that doesn't allow fertilization ok?  I mean, are we simply animals or do we have a God given intellect that can also be used to avoid contraception? Is the intent of all of the methods the same? I could see a clear argument against abortion as a means of birth control but who would really want that?  That is a monumental decision, a very person and perhaps haunting decision. Why would anyone choose that as a preferred form of birth control? But then why would someone choose to intervene in such an intimate decision? especially a loving and compassionate church.

         And that goes to further intent about anyone that would be so crass as to rally and picket against abortion but be devoid of respect or genuine concern for the myriad other life issues such as sexual orientation, pre-natal health care, children without good health, food or educations. What of elder issues, abuse, and concern for reasonable and living wages to support a family. The list is endless but the reality is a myopic fixation with one issue that transforms an intent that is supposedly 'pro-life' and makes it simply and sadly, just a fixation on being pro-birth.

         In this and all the issues that are rampant within churches that are single minded and not born of love, the intent has less to do with God's love and the voice and mission of Jesus than it does with a blind adherence to a human law, contrived laws and laws that are born of control. There is little if any love there. There is no compassion. There is only ancient forms of errant thought, 'tradition' of the worst variety that only robs souls and condemns the makers to a downward spiral to hell. What is the real intent of celibacy when Peter himself was married? What is the intent of covering up centuries of child abuse? What is the intent of placing the ultimate and misguided concern on avoiding scandal only to transform the church into a horrifyingly ugly manifestation devoid of the love and compassion it was originally intended to foster?

         So what of intent? They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That seems so trite.  The Church that Jesus left is one not adherent to a mindless list of ten commandments but a thought provoking and challenging list of laws arbited by love and the two great commandments. Christians are not maniacal law abiders. Christians are called most of all to love and the individual, especially to people who live life on the fringes and are marginalized by society.

          For more love in our relationships and policies, personal and religious, we pray.

Luke 6:1-11

One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them.But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’

 On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.