I disagree on biblical grounds. Jesus said that the enemy would sow tares amidst the wheat AND that removing them will be a job completed at the end times.
I am an ordained Methodist elder with decades of experience in that hierarchy as well as the US Army hierarchy. I know organizational systems as well as the next guy, I think.
It has taught me that those who practice their Christianity in a non-hierarchical denomination really have ZERO idea about the issues at hand. (Mind you, I think a "connected" Christianity (hierarchy) is the legitimate Biblical interpretation of Church structure.)
Likewise, I believe in the Church Invisible comprised of ALL true believers of all time. Every sincere believer in Christ, no matter the denomination or nation, is a brother or sister of mine.
So, allow me to repeat my position: Tares among wheat with churches having hierarchies that ALSO will have tares. Satan's purpose is obvious. He wishes to discredit, damage the wheat in any manner that he can.
In this argument, I will stand with my CONSERVATIVE Roman Catholic, pro-life brothers and sisters. In fact, in this argument, I am a CONSERVATIVE Roman Catholic.
The timing of these attacks on Catholicism is related to Catholicism's standing for life. It shows me the reason that darkness wants to discredit this field of wheat at this particular time. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood..."
Thanks for this post and also for your post #40.
Your decades of experience has profitted you well and have given you the gracious simplicity of wisdom.
If these are tares in the Church, then they are to be cast out. If they are Christians, then they are to be reprimanded. They are not suppose to be shuffled to another job somewhere. I thought it was with some irony that Justin Martyr talked about sexual immorality with children in the letter I referenced.
I would suggest there are many biblical examples of Christians-not tares-being lax in their behavior. A case in point is the Corinthians who seemed to excuse the behavior of a man committing sexual immorality with his father's wife. (I Cor 5) Paul was pretty upset Christians were arrogant about the matter rather than mournful. We are to be the light of the world, ambassadors for Christ, holy and blameless. We are not to ignore (and excuse) bad behavior within the church. We are to act upon it.
While I'm very familiar with hierarchies having been in a number of them myself, this is one of the reasons I don't believe the early church was structure under a hierarchical system. Hierarchical systems lend themselves early to corruption. When the hierarchy votes to recognize gays to marry or women to preach, what are you going to do? Wmfights has often brought up many excellent arguments why the early churches were individually run. It's our Baptist nature.
As far as the timing of these attacks, I'd say bring them on. Our God is mighty and fully capable of anything puny man can throw at us. But if it is God's will that we perish, then so be it. We will not bow down to their satanic visions. However, just like Joshua found out at Ai, we cannot go into battle if we have sin among our mist. Keep in mind that abortion in the church mirrors secular society. We need to repent and cleanse ourselves.
Your ecumenicism is clouding your judgment, IMO. The "timing" of these accusations are a distant second to the preeminent question -- are these valid accusations or not?
these attacks on Catholicism
Attacks on Catholicism? We're not talking about criticizing an organization for impertinence or a lack of Biblical clarity. We're talking about sexual molestation of children that either did or did not occur. The only "attacks" here are those perpetrated on children by pederast priests.
What in the world are you talking about? No one is denying Roman Catholics the right to worship as they please. "In this argument" we're talking about pedophilia in the Roman Catholic church where the labels of conservative/liberal don't even enter into the discussion.
What's really happening is that the media has always been complicit in the decades-long cover-up of this pedophilia scandal, and now, for several reasons, the scandal is permitted to see the light of day. So the story gets signified. Now we're supposed to know about it.
But the story has always been there.