Time, Truth and St Bartholomew

Today I observe five years as a priest in the Church of God. My circumstances have changed somewhat over such a short period of time. Having been a parish priest, I am now trying to be a missionary priest setting up a congregation from scratch. One thing that has been a constant throughout my ministry and indeed my life is a search for Truth.

Indeed, truth (or lack of) marks out the godly from the ungodly. I know full well that any church that claims to be in communion with a patriarchal see and posts obviously photoshopped pictures of their presiding bishop against the Oecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is at least being deliberately misleading. If the truth has to be covered up in order to be a "church", then it is not of Christ who would have the truth proclaimed from the rooftops. This is why I cannot believe that James Atkinson-Wake, David Bell or Alexandria Demetrius (all the same person) is heading a Christian Church but rather something that appears to be an outfit designed for him to exercise his own fantasies of spiritual power.

This may shock people in that I am not usually this forthright, but I do believe I have a duty to warn people away from his group for the good of their souls.

If you want to find a true church, make sure that the church at least tries to tell the truth. There may be inconsistencies from time to time but an honest approach is the godly approach.

That can be difficult to find. Both the CofE and the Church of Rome are currently under scrutiny about the terrible actions of priests who should have known better and the just-as-terrible actions of bishops who have tried to cover them up. This will not do. If Pope Francis is intent on stamping this toxicity within his communion, then he and we must be prepared to hear some horrible things to come and also see some action to bring evil out into the open for recognition and banishment.

The only way that evil can be exposed is if we have a consistent mechanism to root it out. It is called the Truth.

I find it interesting how Post-Modernity and SJWs claim that truth is relative and diverse opinions and lifestyles must be not only tolerated but encouraged. They see any attempt at objectivity as being bigoted or narrow-minded which is a cardinal sin. Clearly they cannot tolerate anyone who would choose to be bigoted and narrow-minded.

I think it is Rawls who says that the liberal is justified in not tolerating that which is truly evil. However, to do that we surely need to be able to say not only what is evil, but a coherent society must be able to agree on what is evil. If there is truly one objective evil, then there must not only be an objective moral value not to commit that evil, but also an objective Truth that exposes that evil.

If there is one objective Truth then it can only have its origins beyond human thought. For me, this is further evidence of God. If there is Evil, then there is Good and this can only come from beyond our understanding. It is a transcendental Truth which means it can't be self-evident.

Because we all agree that the abuse of minors by priests is vile, this in itself forces us to call to God for justice. And the fate of these priests at the hand of God will be terrifying.

The Truth is terrifying. My friend Archbishop Jerome recently expressed that the truth of being a bishop means always feeling the weight of the Gospel on his back. I suspect Bishop Damien is the same. It's bad enough being a priest knowing that your human fallibility can damage others as well as endanger your soul.

If the legend is true, then St Bartholomew would prefer being skinned alive than betraying the truth of the Gospel. Again this must weigh heavily upon the minds of good bishops. However, the good bishop will always find himself supported by the willing and grateful prayers of faithful Christians who find true grace at his hands. It is those who put effort into seeking the Truth and helping others in their search to find it who will be rewarded by the Divine Smile. It is on this search that I base my walk with God. I am no bishop, thank God! Yet I know that if I betray that truth, I lose everything including my own soul.

I beg your prayers and also beg them for James Atkinson-Wake and his group that they may return to the truth - rather than preach half-truths - and be saved!