I grew up in a small northwest Indiana town where I attended church with my family on a regular basis. We belonged to a local Lutheran church, Missouri Synod, where I attended confirmation classes and was confirmed in 8th grade. My oh my, how some things have changed.
While I’ve since left the Lutheran Church, my fundamental beliefs about Christianity remain the same, and as a result, stories like this one make me shake my head and wonder where Christianity is headed, which is a disturbing thought indeed.
As reported by the New York Post, a Catholic parish in Manhattan is under attack by some of its parishioners for prominently displaying a “God Is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey” exhibit — adjacent to the church’s altar. Blasphemy? Heresy? That’s not for me to decide, but…
‘God is Trans’ exhibit at ‘very liberal’ NYC Catholic Church raises eyebrows https://t.co/DJhLtcVrot pic.twitter.com/WXPyGE0iHC
— New York Post (@nypost) May 9, 2023
An angry parishioner told the Post:
The church should not be promoting this. I understand there are transgender people. I pray for all people but enough is enough. It seems like they are trying to force the agenda on others. Also, when a friend asked a priest about this they didn’t answer. You can’t put this out on the altar and then hide.
“That’s what gets the church in trouble,” the parishioner added.
True. But as is the case with Disney, Nike, Bud Light, and a host of other corporations that spent decades and untold millions of dollars building brand loyalty, only to drive away customers because companies would rather pander to a minute percentage of the population, there are churches among us who do the same, instead of remaining true to the moral and religious traditions expected by their congregations.
Here’s more, via the Post:
The display by artist Adah Unachukwu is described as a queer spiritual journey in three steps: Sacrifice, Identity, and Communion.
According to the exhibit, Sacrifice represents the need to “shed an old life.” Identity is described as “the most impactful part” of the display, asking the question, ‘What does holiness look like?’
Communion places “God and the mortal on the same plane.”
Translation: Elders of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan anointed themselves as the all-powerful decision makers of God and his image.
While some parishioners were deeply offended by the sacrilegious display, others saw it as business as usual for the “very liberal” Catholic parish, including 80-year-old Cherri Ghosh, who eagerly stopped by the church to view the display.
I don’t understand the art, but this church is very liberal, which is why I love this church. They are really in the present when others are not.
“In the present.” A dead giveaway that Ghosh is a left-winger (See: Kamala “In the Present” Harris).
Finally, another parishioner, 79-year-old Bill O’Conner, who told The Post he’s been attending the church for decades, loved every minute of it.
The queer community has been accepted here for a long time now. It’s wonderful having this here and a wonderful church.
Acceptance, as should be expected, in the sense of “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
However, as is the case with the aforementioned corporations, intentionally shoving that “acceptance” in the face of parishioners offended by the brazenness doesn’t seem like a very good “business” decision. The Manhattan Church of St. Paul the Apostle is hardly the only church to run afoul of Christian theology, and certainly not the only Catholic church. That said, Catholicism has had more than its share of “questionable” news over the years:
The Bottom Line
My intention in this article was not to sit in judgment (that’s way above my pay grade), nor was it to play God — God knows he doesn’t play me. Rather, my purpose was to shine a light on yet another example of others who appear to anoint themselves to do just that.
