When a Brother Stumbles
Published Oct 26, 2000
For those unfamiliar with the Christian doctrine of original sin, when a leader in the Christian community falls short of the standards he or she espouses, it seems to be the height of hypocrisy. True believers, however, know otherwise, that as Sam Coleridge once observed, "There is much beast and devil in man, so there is some angel and some God in him. The beast and devil may be conquered, but in this life are never destroyed."
In Washington, D.C., John Paulk was spotted at a gay bar chatting with customers. Paulk was the head of Focus on the Family's homosexuality department that has become nationally known in its tenet that homosexuality is a learned behavior and as such can be unlearned. Fortunately for Paulk, before he could do more than chat, alert patrons notified gay rights activists who created a stir that sent Paulk out of the bar and home to his wife. He has been suspended from the ministry's leadership.
In Colorado Springs, Colo., Mike Trout, vice president and radio voice of Focus on the Family, revealed to his boss, James Dobson, that he had committed adultery. Trout quickly resigned. In an interview with the Colorado Springs Gazette, he said, "I worked at Focus on the Family because I believed in what we were doing. I know that might sound strange, because I violated it."
The kinds of sins that have sidelined Paulk and Trout are just the kind of sins humans are prone to, and without constant vigilance and divine help none are immune to their lures.
In the 1970s the Pentecostal movement swept the Christian world and brought with it many positive changes. But it also seemed to popularize the notion that believers can one day transcend ordinary sins and live on a higher plane where temptations no longer ensnare them and vigilance is unnecessary -- a frightening misunderstanding of human nature.
True Christian doctrine of course is more grounded in reality, and the Bible, nothing if not a book of realism, provides numerous examples of the failings of heroes of the faith. These stories make clear the fragile nature and frequent missteps of those who are attempting the ultimate rebellion: to fight against and triumph over their weak, sinful human natures.
"We may be assured that perfect chastity will not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God's help," C.S. Lewis once observed. "After each failure ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up and try again. For however important chastity may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn on the one hand that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us: it is the very sign of His presence."
How should Dobson handle the matter with Trout? Fortunately, Christ himself left an example that his followers can imitate, for one of His disciples committed a deed far more wretched than adultery -- he actually denied even knowing Jesus.
It would certainly have been appropriate for Christ to ask for and receive Peter's resignation as a disciple -- he could certainly not be expected to turn the world upside down for his master after such a tawdry display of disloyalty. Yet his Master, understanding human nature as He did, reacted differently.
"When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers," Jesus told his disciple.
In so doing, he set an example for how leaders like Dobson should treat men like Trout, should they be repentant as Peter was. And while there clearly is Biblical justification for removing pastors caught in adultery, radio talk show hosts whose work happens to minister should be held to the same standards all Christians are: the standards of forgiveness, eventual restoration and a firm reminder like the one Jesus gave another caught in adultery: "Go and sin no more."
In Washington, D.C., John Paulk was spotted at a gay bar chatting with customers. Paulk was the head of Focus on the Family's homosexuality department that has become nationally known in its tenet that homosexuality is a learned behavior and as such can be unlearned. Fortunately for Paulk, before he could do more than chat, alert patrons notified gay rights activists who created a stir that sent Paulk out of the bar and home to his wife. He has been suspended from the ministry's leadership.
In Colorado Springs, Colo., Mike Trout, vice president and radio voice of Focus on the Family, revealed to his boss, James Dobson, that he had committed adultery. Trout quickly resigned. In an interview with the Colorado Springs Gazette, he said, "I worked at Focus on the Family because I believed in what we were doing. I know that might sound strange, because I violated it."
The kinds of sins that have sidelined Paulk and Trout are just the kind of sins humans are prone to, and without constant vigilance and divine help none are immune to their lures.
In the 1970s the Pentecostal movement swept the Christian world and brought with it many positive changes. But it also seemed to popularize the notion that believers can one day transcend ordinary sins and live on a higher plane where temptations no longer ensnare them and vigilance is unnecessary -- a frightening misunderstanding of human nature.
True Christian doctrine of course is more grounded in reality, and the Bible, nothing if not a book of realism, provides numerous examples of the failings of heroes of the faith. These stories make clear the fragile nature and frequent missteps of those who are attempting the ultimate rebellion: to fight against and triumph over their weak, sinful human natures.
"We may be assured that perfect chastity will not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God's help," C.S. Lewis once observed. "After each failure ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up and try again. For however important chastity may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn on the one hand that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us: it is the very sign of His presence."
How should Dobson handle the matter with Trout? Fortunately, Christ himself left an example that his followers can imitate, for one of His disciples committed a deed far more wretched than adultery -- he actually denied even knowing Jesus.
It would certainly have been appropriate for Christ to ask for and receive Peter's resignation as a disciple -- he could certainly not be expected to turn the world upside down for his master after such a tawdry display of disloyalty. Yet his Master, understanding human nature as He did, reacted differently.
"When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers," Jesus told his disciple.
In so doing, he set an example for how leaders like Dobson should treat men like Trout, should they be repentant as Peter was. And while there clearly is Biblical justification for removing pastors caught in adultery, radio talk show hosts whose work happens to minister should be held to the same standards all Christians are: the standards of forgiveness, eventual restoration and a firm reminder like the one Jesus gave another caught in adultery: "Go and sin no more."
Originally published October 26, 2000.
