I am submitting the following for your consideration as appropriate for publication the Letters section of the Faith and Values Section. The letter provides a means of reconciliation of two diametrically opposed groups in the Christian faith and, at the same time, puts in a plug for the voluntary communism which characterized the early church in Jerusalem (the one closest in time and sentiment to Jesus). Most Christians today do not want to believe that the Christian is especially suited for voluntary communalism, but actually few people are psychologically better oriented for this living than this very group. It comes as a shock to most people to realize that the traditional marriage is a commuinistic organization. Such shock can be beneficial.
Apparently there are two intractable wings in the Christian world today. The one, rightly called the Gentile wing perhaps, refuses to accept any law beyond the Golden Rule, and hence is desirous of sanctioning homosexual unions. The other, the non-Gentile wing, honors the Golden Rule as much as does the Gentile wing, but also honors other scriptural passages as law, e.g., a prohibition against homosexual activity.
But the reconciliation is really quite simple and can be accomplished as an adjunct to a very important mission of the church which has been largely neglected by the Protestants in particular, namely the promotion of communal unions of Christian people reminiscent of the first church in Jerusalem (Acts 2) and the band of Jesus and his disciples. These can be called monasteries, and the marriage can be seen merely as a special case monastery involving one man and one woman. In order to obtain church blessing any such union must be indivisible, communal and reject sexual contacts outside the membership of the union. [Note: we cannot say that members of a monastery MAY have sexual contact with one another, for that would offend the non-Gentile wing of the church, nor that they may NOT do so, for that would alienate the Gentile wing, but only that they may not do so APART FROM THE UNION.]
In addition to fostering more Christian communal living, those monasteries which do not produce children will help alleviate problems stemming from global overcrowding, and can be even encouraged to adopt children and give them a home and Christian nurture.
Sincerely,
To contact the author, please e-mail: pmr**kantwesley.com (note: the ** must be replaced by @)