Nor do I think it is helpful to paint such a picture: “fancy clothes”; “no concern for the gospel or morality at all”; “serving to increase profit margins”; “sacrilegious vipers” (!!!).
Would you have taken that view of such language as "whited sepulchers" when it was used a couple millenia ago? The fact is we should, no must, be more honest in our assessments of these people who have been so consistently unreliable. As it is now we are being led down the primrose path by a bunch of bureaucrats and politicians. It is time to wake up and see the situation for what it is.
The great mass of bishops in this nation have demonstrated over and over their lack of concern with morality and doctrinal integrity, and have consistently sided with political and monetary expediency. And now we are supposed to be convinced that they are all converted and instantly learned how wrong they were just in time for this one issue which just happens to place costs on them rather than those in their congregations? That would be convenient. I am sorry but I won't buy that until they take a position in which they don't have a monetary stake in the outcome.
Jesus had a right to call the pharisees “whited sepulchers”, because he is God and knew their hearts.
I don’t have that right-—or that divine knowledge.
As for the conversion you speak of (”And now we are supposed to be convinced that they are all converted”)....we are all in need of conversion every day of our lives. Each one of us could see our names written in the sand by the Lord. And if such needed conversions DO take place, our Lord said that it would be cause for rejoicing....not derision.
This isn’t a time to throw stones. It’s time to re-build with the “living stones” our Lord spoke of.
I don’t want negativity to be my “mission statement”.