THE
P RTAL
August 2017
Page 3
P ortal Comment
A view from the pew
Will Burton has been reading the newspapers
T
he way to push a particular group in society
to the margins is to begin in small ways.
These seemingly insignificant actions gradually
disenfranchise that group whilst at the same time
pushing them out of the mainstream of modern
thought. The word “modern” is
very important.
The group you are after must
be told at every opportunity
that their views and practises
are “out of date”, “not in keeping
with modern thought”, or most
damning of all, “not what right
thinking people know.”
I was reminded of this
when I read in Pink News that
“Education Secretary, Justine
Greening, tells the Church to
‘keep up’ on same-sex marriage.”
On closer inspection, it turned
out she was referring to the dear
old C of E not allowing same-sex
marriages on church premises.
It seems the Government
Minister really believes that the church can alter
received doctrine at a whim. Mind you, she may be
on safe ground, for the Scottish Episcopal Church has
already taken steps in this direction.
If Ms Greening has her way, the church will have
taken a giant step away from what all Christians
believed until the last few years, and an equally giant
step away from the Christian belief that marriage
is the life-long union between one man and one
woman.
But hang on a minute. Maybe Ms Greening (and
the Scottish Episcopalians) may not be so far from a
modern truth.
A quick flick through this week’s church
newspapers produced these stories: Catholic churches
may be deprived of Lottery cash; MP challenge to
Church on organ donation; Melinda and Bill Gates
have the Church’s teaching on contraception in their
sights; It seems Malta, of all places, is about to back
gay marriage; The importance of the parental role
in the education of children is challenged at many
points, this seems to extend to the
choice of medical treatment for
children as well.
As if that were not enough, try
saying that although homosexual
acts are not illegal, they are,
nevertheless sinful just like
adultery, pride and (in certain
circumstances) lying. Try speaking
out against the appalling death of
200,000 unborn children in the UK
very year.
Behind these issues euthanasia is
coming up on the rails. If the past
is anything to go by, parliament
will keep on voting on that issue at
the start of every new parliament
until it comes to the “right”
decision.
The campaign to enable people
to choose their gender, maybe at the age of sixteen,
gathers pace.
T he P ortal is praying for Charlie Gard and his
parents, and for a firm of Northern Irish Bakers who
produce delicious lovely cakes.
With so many “modern” so called “truths” at odds
with the teaching of the Catholic Church – not to
mention Christianity in general - one is forced to
admit we are on the wrong side of public opinion.
Perhaps we should remember that a great person
once said that she who marries the spirit of the
present age, will find herself a widow in the next.
When I was a young Christian, it was fashionable
for religious to say the church had to be “counter-
cultural”. I often wondered just what that meant. Now
I know.