Posted on 10/11/2006 9:29:49 AM PDT by Antioch
Before criticizing Pentecostal churches that draw Catholics as members, Catholic leaders should ask why their own parishes aren't meeting the needs of those who leave, the Vatican's top ecumenical representative said yesterday at Duquesne University. "Our response cannot be in the form of a polemical approach, leaving ourselves to condemn the activities of other groups," said Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Such an approach "is not constructive and could even be counter-productive," he said. While Cardinal Kasper is known for outreach to traditional Protestant and Orthodox churches, he said it is crucial to be engaged with a diverse global Pentecostal movement that now claims 600 million adherents. He spoke to an audience of about 225, including Bishop Paul Bradley, administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Basil Schott of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh and Metropolitan Nicholas of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church of Johnstown.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Such a thread ... oy veh.
You have to remember that I live in NJ and work in NYC, so I'm used to getting a hard time when I defend the six day creation in the workplace.
Thought long and hard about that, but that is a thread for another day.
It is absurd, but I have ran into more than a few who are like that. Kind of makes me want to sit down and walk them through a nice logical exercise to see what their base assumptions about God and the Bible are, but I am not blessed with that type of patience.
What a beautiful metaphor! Maranatha, Jesus!
I respect that you have a different view of the Old Testament than do Catholics (or even many fundamentalist Protestants), but that doesn't mean that our view equates with the Jesus Seminar folks.
It is all-or-nothing. You have no grounds other than sheer hypocrisy or theological anti-Semitism to insist that the "new testament" is literally true word-for-word while simultaneously subjecting the Hebrew Bible to the tests of "science." It's totally illogical and absolutely disgusting.
The Torah was dictated letter-for-letter. The Nevi'im (Prophets) were written under the spirit of nevi'ah (Prophecy). The Ketuvim ("Hagiographa") were written under Ruach HaQodesh (Divine inspiration).
I assume your co-religionists give you a lot of trouble as well, which is why I point out that your position is somewhat anomalous.
Well, that's the thing. Invariably someone says: "Well, I'm a Catholic and I don't believe that!"
I always ask them when the last time they went to Mass of their own volition - not a wedding or a baptism or a funeral or obligatory Easter or Christmas with their parents. If they really rile me I ask them about their moral opinions.
They inevitably admit that they have never in their lives been to a Mass that was not socially compulsory.
I would guess that there are 70 baptized Catholics in my office and I would guess that four or five of them attend Mass regularly and I would guess that of that five, three attend regularly purely because their spouse demands it.
One other person in the office agrees with me on these issues and I would guess she is the one other Catholic who, like myself, would regularly attend Mass whether anyone else wanted her to or not.
Every serious Catholic knows, whether they admit it to themselves or not, that the distinctive giants of Catholicism: St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, etc. never themselves doubted for a second that the creation account of Genesis 1-2 was historical reality and that it is a single unitary account.
My argument, as always, is that the deeper one becomes in authentic Catholic theology like St. Thomas, the further one retreats from modernist fancies like Darwin.
One can believe that the Scriptures are entirely inerrant without believing that the entire Torah was directly dictated.
No one can dispute that some of it was, and I don't dispute that all of it was.
But the difference in the method of reception does not make the Prophets and the Writings any less true and inerrant than the Torah (although it does make it less important in Jewish terms).
He sounds like a very wise man. Prayer groups, bible study and youth groups are essential to a growing church.
That accusation, in addition to being false, is beyond the pale of polite discourse.
Church LAW has nothing to do with biblical truth or teachings. It stifles the Holy Spirit instead of allowing him to work and move in your midst.
Most welcome. PTL.
Amen.
Thanks, thanks.
Thanks tons.
Whatever good, of course, is from The Lord.
And it seems to me to be the case that what many people call speaking in tongues today is actually incomprehensible to all present and is not interpreted.
= = = =
Sorry.
Good point. And, I've agreed, that such is at least out of order.
Good points.
Maybe I just like to extend more grace in such matters.
Please let me know when you start it.
It has been a persistent phenomenon.
I think it will eventually be bridged as end times events progress . . . but even Jesus said He did no miracles in Nazareth because of unbelief.
You got it, Quix. My son is a Bahai. Please pray that he sees the truth. I know I can't convince him that it's wrong but God can. It hurts that he's bringing his dear children up in that faith.
Things are going to happen in America that will be very painful and even frightening to all of us. Our country will never be the same but in some ways that's good. God will call out those who have put their faith in trust in Him and He will protect them if they listen closely to the Holy Spirit. Dead churches will close and the true church, the Body of Christ, will finally arise. It will include people of all faiths and creeds. MARANATHA!
PTL.
Thanks for your kind words.
On reflection, I thought it was MUCH too long.
But, the thought came . . .
No. Humans tend to depend on the length of their traditions as salvation through organizations, through traditions, through habit by "virtue" of their years of length.
Salvation is through His Blood alone.
Anyway--if one soul is blessed and brought closer to God by it, PTL.
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