Mark Shea has some interesting thoughts from a Catholic perspective about why Evangelicals tend to view Catholics the way they do. Suprisingly, he doesn't even mention riding the Mary bus . . .
HT: John H. Armstrong, Chad Toney
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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7 comments:
I'd say his comments are pretty dead on. One thing that needs to always be remembered is church traditions, many times, seperate denominations. These are not necessarily bad until the traditions within each denomination keep the members of the denomination from focusing on the truth, Jesus. When these traditions begin to take His place and prohibit true worship, they become a problem. I think it is also a problem for Christian churches to go to the opposite extreme and profess that ALL church tradition is wrong. Not understanding church history or thinking that traditions become outdated sets up a different sort of fall. IMHO.
PAX
JD
Having grown up in the UMC and having spent the last six years in a non-denominational evangelical church, I agree wholeheartedly with the insights in the post.
I have been stunned by how many in our congregation feel this way about both Catholics and mainline Protestants. The reasons given are an exact match with the post's insights.
Two things to add. These evangelicals feel they are really being generous to acknowledge that *some* Catholics and mainliners are actually Christians, and yes, they do use the criteria he listed.
Second, the people in our congregation who are hardest on Catholics are those who grew up Catholic but had a born-again experience somewhere along the way. They are the most adamant anti-Catholics we see.
The scariest thing in all this is for any Christian to say, "You are not a Christians." Just because of differing traditions. Let this not be cofused with the debate regarding belief in the resurrection and virgin birth.
PAX
JD
Yes, I agree with jd--I have been approached regularly by folks in this church who question whether I am actually a Christian because of my Methodist heritage.
I keep getting asked what was the moment of my conversion? As if, if you grew up the UMC but did not have some huge "aha" experience where you changed your sinful ways, you were not yet Christian.
I tried explaining the confirmation process to people, but the general feeling is that this does not count (and neither of course does catechism for Catholics). The only thing that counts is the exact kind of conversion experience that is narrowly defined by and in the evangelical world.
I have been introduced as I am getting ready to preach as "someone who came to know Christ at age 35."
I always have to correct that in the first minutes of my sermon by saying no, I did not convert at age 35. What happened to me at that point was an anointing for service and a dedication to ministry in Christ's name.
This largely goes over people's heads; they continue to believe that my call equaled my conversion. And it is all because I could not describe for them the moment when I was saved.
Go figure. rerc
There are times I feel saved everyday. Everytime I sin, I have to re-establish that relationship with Christ that I chose to sever. I would consider myself evalgelical in the basic sense, I try to evangelize the importance and wonder of Christ everywhere I go. I just happen to also be a former Catholic, now Methodist.
There were some posts last year about, "What is an Evangelical? What does it mean?". Maybe you could ressurect those, John...
PAX
JD
There are times I feel saved everyday. Everytime I sin, I have to re-establish that relationship with Christ that I chose to sever.
One could not write a more truly Wesleyan sentiment.
One could not write a more truly Wesleyan sentiment.
While I belive in God's absolute saving grace and the coverage of His blood as an atonement for my sins, I also believe that every day, at every hour, during every moment of my life, I still must make a conscious decision to ask for forgiveness and seek Him. That, to me, can be a common discussion amongst evalgelicals and "mainliners."
So while I am pretty evangelical in my understanding and belief of satan's role in everything bad and my worship tendancies, I also, and often debate with my wife, the understanding of some people's "once saved, always saved, do as I will" thought process and condescending tone.(Not my wife's tone)
Oh well. That is one thing heaven is for, to share with us the answers to all of our questions. :)
PAX
JD
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