controversial
"Whoever teaches in any other way, not holding to the sound doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching proper to true religion, should be recognized as both conceited and ignorant, a sick man in his passion for polemics and controversy." —1 Timothy 6:3-4
We love controversy. It's hard to get on TV or in the paper unless you say or do something controversial. Even in religion, denominations denounce one another, Protestants protest, and Catholics pontificate. We enjoy the polemics of politics, talk shows, and newspaper editorials.
God calls this attitude "sick" (1 Tm 6:4). Our society's passion for controversy indicates conceit and ignorance (1 Tm 6:4), "in a word, the bickering of men with twisted minds who have lost all sense of truth" (1 Tm 6:5). This sinful attitude results in "envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions" (1 Tm 6:4). God tells us to "flee from all this. Instead, seek after integrity, piety, faith, love, steadfastness, and a gentle spirit" (1 Tm 6:11).
"Keep reminding people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about mere words. This does no good and can be the ruin of those who listen" (2 Tm 2:14). "Never act out of rivalry or conceit; rather, let all parties think humbly of others as superior to themselves" (Phil 2:3).
Prayer: Jesus, deliver and heal me from the sickness of loving controversy.
Promise: "The Twelve accompanied Him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and maladies: Mary called the Magdalene, from whom seven devils had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who were assisting them out of their means." —Lk 8:1-3
Praise: St. Cornelius reigned as pope in the midst of controversial issues within the Church and upheld the truth of God's enduring forgiveness.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 8, 2005
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