16AR21-04

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AR 21:4 - Cult of the Virgin

In this issue:

HOMOSEXUALITY - a good book-length response to same-sex marriage

ROMAN CATHOLICISM - National Geographic reviews Mary's global influence

SCIENCE - a level political playing field?

Apologia Report 21:4 (1,277)

January 27, 2016

HOMOSEXUALITY

Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage, by Sean McDowell and John Stonestreet [1] -- Salvo magazine (#33 - Summer 2015) reviewer Terrell Clemmons explains that "Part One [of the book] is about right thinking, and it examines the foremost relevant question, What is marriage? 'Same-sex marriage should be legal,' they begin provocatively, 'if marriage is only a way that the government acknowledges feelings of love and affection between people.' If, however, marriage involves essential purposes beyond state recognition (or appeasement) of people's feelings, then there may well be valid reasons for limiting marriage to those candidates whose prospective unions serve those purposes. McDowell and Stonestreet write as un-apologetic Christians but devote two full chapters to making the case for the traditional definition of marriage apart from any religious underpinnings or reasoning.

"Part Two, addressed specifically to Christians, is about right acting [where] being salt and light must begin in repentance - getting our own houses in order, accepting our share of responsibility for the decline in respect for marriage, and, where applicable, owning our own failures. To the Christian, the call is to the world, not away from it, and it is repentance that enables us to speak and act in truth and love.

"To those outside the Church, the authors echo the approach of Chuck Colson, who said, 'Christianity does not seek to impose; it proposes.' The most important question, the authors write, is not 'What are we going to do about same-sex marriage?' It is 'What are we going to do about marriage?' The final three chapters address this question and offer, respectively:

"• An immediate to-do list (be people known for loving gays; tell and live better stories about love, sex, marriage, and family; prepare for the conversations that will come);

"• Suggestions for the long haul (seek healing for our own sexual brokenness; honor the creational link between sex, marriage, and procreation); and

"• Helpful guidance for imminent challenging situations (What if I'm invited to a same-sex wedding ceremony? What if my church leadership shifts its doctrine?)." <www.goo.gl/MOh3Wm>

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ROMAN CATHOLICISM

"Mary: The Most Powerful Woman in the World" -- so reads the main feature by Maureen Orth on the cover of National Geographic, noting that "Praying for the Virgin Mary's intercession and being devoted to her are a global phenomenon. ... Mary is often the touchstone of our longing for meaning, a more accessible link to the supernatural than formal church teachings."

The story (pp34-37, 45-59) opens with a profile of Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Next, Orth profiles "Kibeho, a small town in southern Rwanda, [which] is remembered as the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to three young girls and foretold of the blood and horror of the genocide that would traumatize the country in 1994, when the majority Hutu attacked the minority Tutsi and in three months more than 800,000 people were slaughtered."

Orth also summarizes internal Catholic controversies over apparitions of Mary. "Michael O'Neill, 39, a Stanford University graduate in mechanical engineering and product design, is the Virgin Mary's big data numbers cruncher. On his website, MiracleHunter.com, he has codified every known apparition of Mary back to A.D. 40. Systematic investigation and documentation of supernatural occurrences began with the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church's ecumenical reaction to the Reformation, more than 450 years ago. Of the 2,000 apparitions reported since then, Miracle Hunter cites a mere 28 as approved by local bishops, who are the first to decide whether 'seers' seem plausible. Sixteen of those have been recognized by the Vatican.

"O'Neill, in his newly published book, Exploring the Miraculous [2], details the Vatican's painstaking process when deciding whether to endorse an apparition as miraculous - 'truly extraordinary.' The 'authenticity' and mental stability of the seer are prime, and anyone suspected of trying to gain fame or riches from contact with the Virgin Mary is ignored or condemned.

"Medjugorje is one of some two dozen sites in wait-and-see mode for Vatican approval."

Orth considers the role of Mary in Islam as well. "As the only woman to have her own sura, or chapter, in the Koran, Mary was chosen by God 'above all other women of the world,' for her chastity and obedience. As in the Bible, an angel announces her pregnancy to her in the Muslim holy book. But unlike in the Bible, Mary - Maryam - gives birth alone. There's no Joseph."

The author notes the perspective of various Muslims, e.g.: "[Mary's] story tells us a lot of things,' [an Egyptian woman named] Youra, 21, said. 'She is able to face lots of hardships in her life because of her faith, her belief in God.' Youra's friend, Aya, added, 'There's a sura in her name in the Koran, so we were curious what was going on inside the church.' ...

"Yohanna Yassa, a Coptic priest who has ministered at St. Mary's since 1964, told me that often Muslim women who want to get pregnant come to his church to pray. 'Today we had a lady who came for a blessing,' he said. 'Mary is calling us spiritually, and because of that, both Muslims and Christians love her and respect her.'"

Nearing her conclusion, Orth profiles the shrine at Lourdes in southwestern France, where "Bustling among us was one of the most remarkable women I've ever come across: Army Col. (Ret.) Dorothy A. Perkins, 60, an affable triathlete and mother of two who was commanding a battalion of 480 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, when the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001. ...

"'My faith has always been at the core of who I am,' Perkins said. 'It's a choice I made early on.' Without family to rely on, Perkins said, the Virgin Mary became her anchor. 'She loves you as much as you want. Through her to him, she focused me on making closer relations with Jesus.'"

We are moved to remember Luke 11:27 in response: "While Jesus was [speaking], a woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: 'Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!'

"Jesus commented, 'Even more blessed are those who hear God's Word and guard it with their lives!'" (Message Bible)

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SCIENCE

"Do We *Really* Want Science-Informed Candidates?" -- so asks Skeptical Inquirer's editor, Kendrick Frazier, who believes that scientific progress has long outpaced public understanding. He notes that "84 percent of Americans agree that science should not be partisan - not the sole business of one political party or another (87 percent of Republicans, 83 percent of Independents, and 82 percent of Democrats)." Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb '16, pp4, 12-13.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage, by Sean McDowell and John Stonestreet (Baker, 2014, paperback, 176 pages) <www.goo.gl/NVscHz>

2 - Exploring the Miraculous, by Michael O'Neill (Our Sunday Visitor, 2015, paperback, 224 pages) <www.goo.gl/iAVfyC>

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