Catholic Church Prepares for Cold War With Evangelists

Pacific News Service ^ | 05/31/05 | Paolo Pontoniere

[aspiring.hillbilly]

If someone has believed something all his life, and then is confronted with contradicting facts, it is very hard to accept this. That is human nature. If the RCC was the one true church as it is prone to boast about, God would not permit such an diabolically evil scandal to plague it.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "The point is it was not meant to be "interpreted" it is only to be understood. The words mean no more or no less that EXACTLY what the divinely inspired text says."

If you like an exact meaning to Scripture without an explanation may I recommend these:

John 6:52-57
52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.
53 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

For a follow up check out Matthew 26:26-28
26 And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.
27 And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.

We Catholics take these passages very literally but I have yet to run into the Protestant that did.

I gather your pastor only reads from Scripture since any sort of meaning or lesson for living that might be made out of it can lead to heresy.

Of course I don’t buy your cop-out for a second, but it was a nice try.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "If someone has believed something all his life, and then is confronted with contradicting facts, it is very hard to accept this."

Gawfawwww. This is real funny. You do realize you are talking to a former Protestant with strong ties to Fundamentalist and Evangelicals as well as Mainline Protestant?

I kept reading those Protestant Bibles and seeing Catholic Doctrine. You are correct in one respect; I did resist that fact for a long time. Turn from the dark side Vadar, there is still good in you I can feel it.

[thombo]

Good article.I can see where differences in theology could be a problem between Catholics and Evangelical Christians.It would be great if the 2 sides could get together,and take on the anti-religous,anti-family left.I think that is the bigger threat.