Birther Controversy

Sharing the good news of rebirth by baptism

05/31/2020

1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13 Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but he same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Several years ago U. S. politics was embroiled in the so-called “birther controversy.” Do you remember hearing about that? The crux of the controversy revolved around the Constitutional requirement to be a natural-born citizen to run for president of the United States. So, I’m out, folks, don’t waste your vote on me! This birther controversy found a new champion recently at Purdue University. Students were discussing the qualification to be president of the United States. It was pretty simple: the candidate had to be a natural-born citizen and at least thirty-five years old.

However, one girl in the class immediately started in on how unfair it was to require a candidate to be a natural-born citizen to run for president. In short, her opinion was that this requirement prevented many capable individuals from becoming president. The class was taking it all in and letting her rant. Finally, she wrapped up her argument by asking adamantly: “And what makes a natural-born citizen any more qualified to lead this country than one born by a C-section?” Yep, these are the bright young minds that roam the halls of higher education in our country. And we should fear for the future of our great nation. Of course, that was all just a joke.

But did you know that there was a sort of “birther controversy” swirling around at the birth of Christianity itself? And that was no joke. At root was the dilemma of whether only those who were Jews could become Christians, or could those who were born in another race or another religion also convert to Christianity? That question may seem irrelevant to us today, where virtually all converts to Christianity are non-Jewish. But realize it was ripping apart the nascent church in the first century. Back then, the requirement to be a Jew in order to become a Christian was analogous to the requirement to be a natural-born citizen to become the U. S. president.

At Pentecost, recorded in the first reading from Acts 2, only Jews and converts to Judaism could thereby become Christian. But by the time St. Paul writes 1st Corinthians, which was during his third missionary journey from 53-58 A.D., he blows away the birther controversy, kind of like that student at Purdue said. He stated: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized, whether Jews or Greeks.” By using the term “Greeks,” Paul was referring to all “non-Jews,” all the “unchosen people” of the world (meaning you and me). In other words, anyone could be a Christian by being born again in baptism, a sort of C-section where the “C” stands for Christ. You have to be born in the U.S. to be the president of the U.S. But it doesn’t matter where you were born to belong to the Body of Christ, the Church, as long as you’re born again by baptism.

My friends, I am convinced that Pentecost makes it a priority for all Christians to abort any kind of birther controversy that may remain hidden in our hearts. That is, sometimes we exclude people from immigrating into our own hearts and we don’t extended to them full citizenship in the country that is called “Fr. John Antony,” that is, we don’t love them completely. I’m sure you’ve heard about the rioting around the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last Monday, May 25. However you may describe his death, it unleashed a torrent of protests around the country from New York to California. Lots of people have gotten involved and some may be taking advantage of the publicity. Nevertheless, it also unmasks the demon of racism that has not been entirely exorcised in our country. I would suggest to you that racism is a form of the birther controversy in each American heart. We have to ask ourselves: whom do I allows to be born in my heart and enjoy full rights of citizenship in me, that is, my total love and acceptance?

Another way Pentecost roots out this birther controversy is helping Catholics overcome our slowness in spreading the faith. We Catholics are notorious in not talking about our faith in public. Have you ever hesitated to make the Sign of the Cross in a restaurant? Don’t worry, I have too. At the first Pentecost, however, Peter spoke proudly and publically about his faith to everyone. Every Catholic should be filled with a desire to convert the whole world to Catholicism, like the first apostles. The twelfth and last step of Alcoholics Anonymous is to share the good news of AA with another alcoholic. If an alcoholic does not share that good news, he or she is still not free from their enslavement to addiction.

Similarly, the whole world is enslaved to sin (like an alcoholic), but we Christians have been set free by baptism and being born again in Christ. Galatians 5:1 reads: “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” But if we do not share that Good News of freedom in Christ, we have not fully been set free, and are still slaves, like alcoholics who cannot complete the 12th step. A sort of world-wide birther controversy exists until we have brought everyone to new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, so they enjoy full freedom in Christ.

It’s amazing how much time we spend reading about politics and the birther controversy, and it’s tragic how little time we spend reading about Pentecost and the rebirth of Christianity. We take great pride in our citizenship in the United States, but we take for granted our citizenship in heaven, as St. Paul explained in Phil. 3:20. Pray therefore that this Pentecost you will receive a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that you might be on fire for your faith like the apostles. Tell the whole world about the benefits of a “C-section,” being born again in Christ.

Praised be Jesus Christ!