For many years the phrase “cafeteria Catholic” has been a phrase floating around various literary and theological journals.  The term is used to describe someone who claims to be Catholic, but departs from one or more long-held Catholic doctrines and other official moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, simply based on their own personal reasonings. In other words, they choose to align their convictions with those of the Catholic church, similar to how a person would make their way through a cafeteria lunch line… “Yes, I’d like the potatoes.  No, I don’t care for any of boiled squash.” 

Maybe the first and most notable examples of this was when U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy ran for president in 1980, against his own party’s incumbent president, Jimmy Carter.  In an effort to differentiate himself from Carter (who was Baptist), Kennedy (a staunch Catholic) departed from his church’s teachings on abortion.  Kennedy claimed that it was possible for a person to hold a private conviction that was opposite of his or her public position.  So even while he claimed to be personally against abortion, Kennedy took political positions in support of abortion.

Lest you think that I’m picking on Catholics, or even a particular political party, the point of this article is that we as theologically conservative, protestant, evangelicals can be guilty of the same thing.  No, we do not have a single, centralized person such as the pope, who establishes our positions.  Instead, we have something much greater – the Bible itself.  And to be sure, we cannot pick and choose what parts of the Bible to believe and what parts to discard.  My commentary here is not about any member at Lakewood, or really on any particular person at all.  But as we see biblically faithful Christianity on the decline in America, I have noticed many public figures who attempt to hold on to some teachings of the Bible, while at the same time letting other teachings go, in order to gain more public approval.  This is simple and basic hypocrisy, and it is really nothing new.  God’s word is clear on this subject – the baby (so to speak) cannot be split.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus tells the crowds of people the simple truth that you cannot serve two masters. We must hold one another accountable to these things, even in the small matters.  Maybe especially in the small matters.  No one can perfectly keep all of the Bible’s teachings of course, but if we cannot hold one another to the smallest of things, then how can we hold leaders accountable for the weightier matters?

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce