Protestant Theologian: He Was My Pope, Too

christianity today ^ | 04.04.05 | Uwe Siemon-Netto

[Coleus]

For the last quarter of a century, this non-Catholic has had a pope. Now that John Paul II is gone, I am even more of an orphan than the Christians in the Roman church. For they will surely have another pope, but that one may not be mine, since I haven't converted.

I am sure I am reflecting the views of many Protestants. Who else but John Paul II gave voice to my faith and my values in 130 countries? Who else posited personal holiness and theological clarity against postmodern self-deception and egotism? Who else preached the gospel as tirelessly as this man?

What other clergyman played any comparable role in bringing down communism, a godless system? What other world leader—spiritual or secular—understood so profoundly how hollow and bankrupt the Soviet empire was, so much so that this tireless writer never bothered to pen an encyclical against Marxism-Leninism because he knew it was moribund?

Has there been a more powerful defender of the sanctity of life than this Pole, in whose pontificate nearly 40 million unborn babies wound up in trashcans and furnaces in the United States alone? What more fitting insight than John Paul II's definition of our culture as a culture of death—an insight that is now clearly sinking in, to wit the declining abortion rates in the United States?

In Europe some time ago, a debate occurred in Protestant churches: Should John Paul II be considered the world's spokesman for all of Christianity? This was an absurd question. Of course he spoke for all believers. Who else had such global appeal and credibility, even to non-Christians and non-believers?

Of course, there was the inveterate Billy Graham. There were many faithful Orthodox and Protestant bishops, pastors and evangelists.

[SoothingDave]

Don't confuse them with linguistic facts, Mrs. Don-o. Words mean only what they mean to contemporary Americans with the Holy SPirit guiding them flawlessly.

Apparently.

SD

[ArrogantBustard]

Where it the Bible does it say scripture alone.

It doesn't, of course. Sola Scriptura is the cornerstone of protestantism; take it away (for it is false), and the whole edifice collapses.

[SoothingDave]

("The Word was God" does not mean that the Bible is the Word or that the Bible is God.

actually it does.

Ok, thank you for being so forthright.

Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Torah. Jesus is God. what part dont you understand?

The part where you think the written Bible is the Living God. You are truly admitting bibliolotry. you are the first to do so, and it certainly helps things along.

Most deny it.

Perhaps you dont realize with what reverence our Jewish friends regard their Holy Torah?

I don't think they confuse the written word with YHWH Himself.

SD

[D Edmund Joaquin]

Sola Scriptura is the cornerstone of protestantism;

No, this is our cornerstone, taught to us, surprise! in the ... Bible

Mathew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6, and 7

[D Edmund Joaquin]

You are truly admitting bibliolotry. you are the first to do so, and it certainly helps things along. Most deny it.

yes, I made an altar to it, festooned it with baked cakes and say prayers to it.

[Uri’el-2012]

CompSciGuy; what's up; D Edmund Joaquin

Stick to your bibles. Stop foaming at the mouth about Catholicism, Remember:

 

 Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, that ye be not judged"

 

 Consider this a polite request to stop bashing my faith.

 

 Cheers,

 

 CSG

247 posted on 04/06/2005 1:56:37 PM MDT by CompSciGuy

 

Please do not take Y’shua out of context.

Finish the paragraph and the thought.

Better yet read John 7:24

 

NAsbU John 7: 24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

 

We are commanded to judge by Y’shua !

 

B’Shem Y’shua

chuck

[todd1]

Wasn't it the Catholics who gave us the bible?

[ArrogantBustard]

Protest all you like, your behaviour gives you away.

Like it or not, SS is the doctrine which makes protestantism protestant, and not Catholic or Orthodox.

The crowning irony is, of course, that sola scriptura is unscriptural. It's a tradition of men.

The whole situation would be funny, if it weren't tragic.

[SoothingDave]

yes, I made an altar to it, festooned it with baked cakes and say prayers to it.

Feel free to back track on anything you said. If you think the Bible is God, then you have made a book an object of your worship.

SD

[D Edmund Joaquin]

No, the Torah was with God before creation

[D Edmund Joaquin]

Ever wonder why it's called the Living Word? What does John 6:51 say?

[workerbee]

Wasn't it the Catholics who gave us the bible?

No todd1, don't you know, it fell from the sky one day in a beautiful leather-bound volume, in English too no less. The book is the Word. Humans had absolutely nothing to do with it.

(/sarcasm)

[ninenot]

They feel they need another heavenly intercessor

I'll take all I can get!

[todd1]

What about the new Testament?

[SoothingDave]

Ever wonder why it's called the Living Word?

Jesus is the Living Word. Jesus and the Bible are not consubstantial. The Bible is not the only way we have of knowing God.

SD

[ninenot]

In the Luminous Mysteries, Mary gets another 1/2--the Miracle at Cana.

[SoothingDave]

What does John 6:51 say?

51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live."

Ain't nothing about books or words in there at all. Did you mis-cite?

SD

[D Edmund Joaquin]

where did I say that the KJV was the torah?

[ninenot]

I'm late to this joust; forgive me if you've answered this before:

Do you believe that Mary was 'concieved without sin' due to her selection as the earthly Mother of Christ?

[D Edmund Joaquin]

what about it?