Evangelicals and Catholics Together
You seem to object to anyone who does not perceive Christianity the same way you do: Roman Catholic Church (Which you clearly know very little about) and Charismatic Renewal. Why is this? To be Christian is to follow the teaching of Christ, that is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and also to love your neighbour as yourself. The Roman Catholic Church is not concerned with "Protestant bashing" but rather with seeking common ground and unity with other denominations. The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is not confined to the Council of Trent - often misquoted by those who seek to claim that the Church teaching one thing when it actually does not. Are you aware, for example, that the Roman Catholic Church places the Bible on same level of importance as the Eucharist? Are you aware that with the launch of the "New Vulgate Bible" there was a renewed interest in reading the bible among Roman Catholics - which the Pope encouraged and Vatican II also encouraged? Are you aware that charismatic renewal is supported by the Vatican and leading Christians of many denominations? Why damn other denominations because their beliefs are slightly different from your own - you could be the one making mistakes? How about a more positive and Christ-like approach: tollerance, forgiveness, reconciliation love and the faith in Jesus Christ we all share.
Michael C.
I will need to break down your letter in my response:
"You seem to object to anyone who does not perceive Christianity the same way you do: Roman Catholic Church (Which you clearly know very little about) and Charismatic Renewal. Why is this?"
The main reason is because I am interested in truth. And as for your statement that I know very little about Roman Catholicism; if that’s true, I’m in big trouble, since I have written a 250-page book on the subject, and am in the midst of writing my doctoral dissertation on it! You don’t give examples of my lack of knowledge in this area (it’s easy to make the charge—not so easy to substantiate it), so I’ll just assume you are writing from emotion rather than fact. As for the Charismatic movement, I embrace charismatics as brothers, but that does not mean I agree with all of their teaching. We are commanded by the Scriptures to be the "pillar and bulwark" of the truth, and to contend for the "faith that was once for all time delivered to the saints"; so I really don’t see what your objection is based on. If you are asking me to do something other than what Scripture commands, I'll have to decline.
"To be Christian is to follow the teaching of Christ, that is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and also to love your neighbour as yourself."
Well, yes, that’s a big part of it—but as I’ve shown above, that’s certainly not all. We are also to "teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16). Additionally, Paul charges us to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim 4:2). Why does he give this instruction? Because, "the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (4:3-4).
Quite frankly, no group has fallen prey to more "myths" than Roman Catholicism; and far from ignoring their errors, I am commanded by Scripture itself to "rebuke and correct" them. There are many Protestants groups that have similarly fallen prey to myths, and they need to be "corrected" biblically as well. The very fact that you level the criticism you do against what we are doing indicates to me that you, too, have fallen prey to myths and are in need of correction.
"The Roman Catholic Church is not concerned with "Protestant bashing" but rather with seeking common ground and unity with other denominations."
Hmmmm . . . this makes me wonder just how much you know about Catholicism. Have you visited the website of Karl Keating of the Catholic lay-ministry, Catholic Answers, or read his book, Fundamentalism and Catholicism, where he "laughs" at Protestant beliefs? How about Scott Hahn’s books or tapes ("The Bible Alone?") that teach Catholics how to refute Protestants? What about Bob Sungenis’ books decrying the Reformation principles of Sola Scriptura (Not By Scripture Alone—which interacts with my book) and Sola Fide (Not By Faith Alone)? Or perhaps you’ve read Patrick Madrid’s book, Any Friend of God’s is A Friend of Mine (which also interacts with my book), which implies that protestants are heretics for refusing to pray to Mary and the Saints? Perhaps you should read a few works from Roman Catholic apologists before condemning what we do.
"The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is not confined to the Council of Trent - often misquoted by those who seek to claim that the Church teaching one thing when it actually does not."
Actually, Trent is pretty clear on its anathemas of anyone who believes contrary to its teaching—have you ever read it? Roman Catholics cannot ignore it, for it is considered to be an "infallible" council by Rome. At least we haven’t anathematized anyone. I wonder, then (since you seem interested in unity at any cost), why are you pointing your finger at us rather than at Trent?
"Are you aware, for example, that the Roman Catholic Church places the Bible on same level of importance as the Eucharist?"
Rome even "claims" to submit to the Bible, and "claims" to derive all its teachings from the Bible. But then again, so do Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Unification Church, etc., ad nauseam. Lots of groups "claim" to place importance on the Bible—its quite another thing to demonstrate it by actually submitting all of their teaching to open and critical, biblical examination.
"Are you aware that with the launch of the "New Vulgate Bible" there was a renewed interest in reading the bible among Roman Catholics - which the Pope encouraged and Vatican II also encouraged?"
Yes, I am. Are you aware that Roman Catholics are still forbidden to interpret those same Scriptures on their own? Are you aware that if a Roman Catholic finds a passage of Scripture that contradicts one of Rome’s teachings—say, the teaching that Mary is co-Mediatrix with Christ—that that Roman Catholic must abandon the plain reading of the Scriptures (in this case, that there is only "One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim 2:5) and believe what Rome has decided that person must believe? Rome is still a long way from the Scriptures, I’m afraid.
"Are you aware that charismatic renewal is supported by the Vatican and leading Christians of many denominations?"
Yes, and it doesn’t surprise me given the lack of discernment within some of these groups.
"Why damn other denominations because their beliefs are slightly different from your own - you could be the one making mistakes?"
Your statement is very naïve, and I doubt whether you really understand the differences between Evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism--they are anything but "slight." Moreover, I have damned no one. Roman Catholicism has damned (in countless "infallible" statements from popes and councils from the fifth-century on) everyone who disagrees with her teaching. Again, it is interesting to me that you are pointing to us as the source of disunity while ignoring the history (and current teaching) of Rome regarding her anathemas (which have never been rescinded, by the way). Perhaps you just do not know enough about church history or current Roman belief to know any better.
"How about a more positive and Christ-like approach: tollerance, forgiveness, reconciliation love and the faith in Jesus Christ we all share."
While we can all applaud your emphasis on these qualities, unity at the expense of truth is not a virtue, I’m afraid. It is not a question of "tolerance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and love"—I am certain that Paul presupposed all of these when he commanded us to "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Tit 1:9). Unity must be based on truth. To be sure, some truths are more important than other truths, but your examples are examples of "essential" truths. That is to say, Rome denies that Scripture is the absolute authority for the believer, and instead commands obedience to Rome. I’m afraid I can’t do that, and I certainly don’t want anyone else doing that either, because then "the word of God is nullified for the sake of your traditions" (Mark 7).
E.S.