Posted on 07/20/2007 8:52:53 AM PDT by Between the Lines
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Instead of taking offense at a recent Vatican statement reasserting the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, evangelicals should seize the chance to respond with equal candor that “any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church,” according to a prominent Southern Baptist leader.
The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote on his blog that he appreciated the document’s clarity in voicing a key distinction between Catholics and Protestants over papal authority.
He said those differences are often forgotten “in this era of confusion and theological laxity.”
“We should together realize and admit that this is an issue worthy of division,” Mohler wrote.
“The Roman Catholic Church is willing to go so far as to assert that any church that denies the papacy is no true church. Evangelicals should be equally candid in asserting that any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church.
“This is not a theological game for children, it is the honest recognition of the importance of the question.”
This month, the Vatican released a document restating the contention that the Roman Catholicism is the one, true path to salvation. Other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches, the document said, restating the views of a 2000 document.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict XVI headed before becoming pope, said it issued the new document because some contemporary theological interpretations of the Second Vatican Council’s ecumenical intent had been “erroneous or ambiguous” and had prompted confusion and doubt.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
That's clearer ---- but it still has to be submitted to the authoritative Magisterium for an official meaning, and they are kind of backlogged right now. It could be two or three centuries before we get a ruling. That's why patience is a virtue.
Would a Church have to adhere to all Council & ex cathedra pronouncements from the time of schism until now, to establish full communion with Rome?
While you guys seem to be playing defense, some of us are in the Church that's prepping to knock those gates of Hell down.
Are you familiar with any of the ecumenical discussions between the RCC and Protestant churches?
From Greek presbyteros, “elder”. The Hebrew word for priest is kohen & in Greek it is hiereus.
Know if he did anything with his "authority"? Where did +Paul get his authority?
i ain’t protestant or catholic so i don’t follow em much
all the best intentions in the world combined with loving people ain’t gonna substitute for being baptized and believing.
actually it was started with Aaron but thanks for playing...
I don't understand you're response. My argument was about logic, not about revealed doctrine. I was arguing that you were making assumptions about the meaning of a text which could mean a number of things, and implying that YOUR assumptions were authoritative. Therefore, you were implying that SOME magisterium is required for the interpretation of Scripture.
You do not need to consult authority to do simple logic. So if perhaps you are trying to make some veiled argumentum ad absurdum, like "If I need the magisterium, don['t I need the magisterium to understand your argument?"it won't wash.
And if you are NOT trying to deal with my argument in an honest way, why not?
ex cathedra is BS, the only reliable thing is the 7 councils where the bishops from ALL OF CHRISTIANITY came together!
You're right, it did. Does a golden calf mean anything to you?
it is interesting that in a thread in which there is some considerable hyperventilating about the Catholic Church thinking it has a point you do not include me among the brothers and sisters. wouldn't that be the very "hyper-denominationalism" that WE are being charged with?
I know that you take issue with my believing Protestant Bible scholars rather than you about the meaning of the text "the Kingdom of Heaven is within you," but I don't think that justifies rudeness.
Now if you do indeed know what we believe, why not write it? Or are you saying you know better than we what we profess?
But, SINCE you say you intend by the misstatements you address to me NOT to converse with me but only to impress your brothers and sisters, then do not write to me ever again. I do not want to be your pawn.
There is evidently quite a crowd of anti-Catholics who ll believe that they know what we think and say better than we. I suggest you exchange opinions with them.
yeah it reminds me of how protestants worship books instead of Christ actually.
He didn't come to do away with one tittle or jot, so you are correct in that the law was not broken by Him. The law was written into our hearts, so we'd know what is or isn't sin.
Yeah so why is it you're so intent to toss the baby out with the bathwater...
I'm not trying to throw out anything. The actions of the Levitical priesthood had a single purpose, to set the pattern for the Crucifixion, where the wages of sin were washed away by the blood of Christ, the perfect sacrifice. The veil was ripped off of the inner sanctuary. It is finished, so there is no longer any need for a "priesthood".
the apostles had a council to decide what should go. read ACTS.
It wasn't to decide what should go, but what parts should apply to gentile converts.
You, you, (wait, I'm thinking) you, ah, You orthodox person you!
Okay, let me get back to you on that, okay?
But you see for many that is not the problem. They KNOW what we Catholics think better than we do.
And -- I can see this in some kinds of Calvinism, and it's what the Regensburg talk was about -- there are some for whom reason runs clean contrary to piety and devotion. Logic is either a kind of sneaky Jesuitical game or a prideful abandonment of docile piety. Of course, that's pretty much the attitude mainstream Islam has toward reason as well.
Just sayin'...
See? You (not you personally, you understand) want offensive? I got offensive!
Now see, I can go along with that. Those in the Oriental Church, not so much.
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