May 12, 2002

To the Editors of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution

I think the following letter is very apt concerning the current Roman Catholic scandal, and suggests a clearer way of thinking about religions and cults which may elevate the level of the debate. The thinking is insightful and sound and is derived from Romans 13:8-10 and Romans 14 which deals with differences of opinions among different Christians. I leave it to your editorial discretion as to whether the phrase "weak in faith" should be joined by hyphens.


The following understanding may be helpful: an active, pedofile (sp?) priest is violating the Golden Rule and that is shameful; but two priest engaged in homosexual conduct by mutual consent are merely disgusting, at least in the eyes of the many who have rules of etiquette over and beyond the Golden Rule. The latter may also be breaking church rules, but that is between them and their conscience and church authorities. I am speaking of violations of the Golden Rule alone as truly shameful (in our own eyes), for that is the oath of every Christian to God, priest and laity alike. Morally speaking all else is manners; and it is not against the Golden Rule to engage in homosexual activity (even if it is disgusting in the eyes of many).

Church bodies with these extra codes of conduct might well be called cults, and we would mean with that no more than: externally imposed rules alongside the Golden Rule. The Apostle to the gentiles, Paul, referred to such Christians as weak in faith. Not weak in love, but weak in faith. In this sense cult is merely a technical term and not derogatory at all.

The others are strong in faith, for while they, like the Boy Scout, seek to do good deeds, they never count them as an accomplishment, for they were not ordered to do them by any law extraneous to the Golden Rule. They have no law, but merely seek to emulate the spirit of their Lord according to this rule.

Paul puts it like this: each Christian, be he strong in faith or weak in faith, is responsible to his own conscience; and no one is to judge the conscience of another follower of the Christian Lord, for the Lord and Judge of Conscience is able to make his servant arise from his knees and stand with him as a member of his circle of friends. And it follows from the Golden Rule that the strong in faith are to avoid displays of freedom which would be disgusting in the eyes of any weak in faith who might be present, and in all cases to avoid enticing the weak in faith to violate their own, rule burdened conscience.

Best regards,