Musing on Dignity

As folks are spending more time unpacking the latest encyclical than I ever will, I noticed something. Something I've seen a lot of in the Church, even before we came into the Church all those years ago. It's the emphasis on Human Dignity, almost as a hub around which all considerations, including the Gospel, must forever rotate.

Now, some Protestant traditions, usually evangelical free church congregational ones, have what is flippantly known as 'Once Saved, Always Saved.' It's a fusion of Calvinist and Arminian theology. Unlike Calvinism, my free will ultimately decides if I accept Christ or not. No irresistible grace there. But unlike Arminianism, where I can thus lose my salvation, it is preserved instead, just as Calvinism teaches. No matter what I do. Once I freely sign on the dotted line, it's off to heaven I go. Not that I should do bad, or not do good. It just doesn't matter. I can rape, pillage and murder and it's off to heaven. Something both traditional Arminianism and Calvinism would reject, BTW.

When I see the modern Church's emphasis on Human Dignity full stop, especially within the context of the post-war Me Generation mentality, it seems like a materialist version of that; a sort of 'Once Dignity, Always Dignity.' It matters not what I do. My dignity (read: salvation if it was from a religious angle) is first and foremost what matters and it's mine, all mine, no matter what, and nothing can possibly be true if it challenges that fact. I can rape, pillage and murder, and it's still all about my dignity here in the world. It seems like Once Saved, Always Saved, but for a secularized, post-Christian era.

And yes, I know that we do have a dignity born of the fact that we are created in God's image and likeness. But historically, God's unending love, forbearance and endless blessings was not a blank check. Which was always the problem with Once Saved, Always Saved. I'm not so sure it's less of a problem when we secularize it and make it all about me and my dignity in the here and now. Especially if we still believe in eternal consequences for our various life choices. After all, what does it gain me to maintain my dignity and lose my soul? It would seem scant comfort in such an afterlife to say 'At least I have my dignity.' Assuming we still believe in such things.