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Evangelicals: Change of Heart toward Catholics
The Black Cordelias ^ | July 28, 2008 | The Black Cordelias

Posted on 07/29/2008 4:39:52 PM PDT by annalex

Evangelicals: Change of Heart toward Catholics

Evangelicals have been going through a major change of heart in their view of Catholicism over the past 15 years or so. In the 80’s when I was in college I lived in the Biblebelt and had plenty of experience with Evangelicals–much of it bad experience. The 80’s was the height of the “Are you saved?” question. In Virginia, the question often popped up in the first 10 minutes of getting to know someone. As I look back, Isurmise that this was coached from the pulpit or Sunday school as it was so well coordinated and almost universally applied. It was a good tactic for putting Catholics on the defensive even before it was known that they were Catholic—”ummmm, uhhh, well no, I’m not sure, I’m Catholic.” Then a conversation about works righteousness or saint statues would ensue. Yeah, nice to meet you, too.
Thankfully, those days are pretty much over. We now have formerly rabid anti-Catholics apologizing and even praising the pope. Catholics and Evangelicals have both learned that we have much in common and need each other to face the secular culture with a solid front. But, where did this detente come from? I think there is a real history to be told here and a book should be written. Let me give my perceptions of 7 major developments since 1993, which I regard as the the watershed year for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States.

1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1993. When this document came out, it was uncertain that even Catholics would read it. We should have known that something was up when the French version hit the top of the bestsellers charts in France and stayed there for months. The English version did the same in the US. Catholics were reading the Catechism, forming study groups and challenging errant professors in the classroom.

2. World Youth Day, Denver 1993. Catholic youth and youth ministers woke up. Suddenly, Catholic youth ministers realized that the youth loved the pope. And they loved him all the more because he did not talk down to them or water down the faith. He challenged them. Gone now were the pizza and a video parish youth nights. Furthermore, youth and young adults took up the challenge to evangelize. One of those youth heard the message and started a website, New Advent. Catholic youth were now becoming zealous for the Catholic faith in its fullness and were not going to be swayed by an awkward conversation that began with “Are you saved?”

3. Scott Hahn. While the Catechism is great for expounding the Catholic faith, it is not a work of apologetics itself. It is not written to expose the flaws of Evangelical theology. It is not written to defend the Church against the attacks of Evangelicals per se. It just would not let them get away with misrepresenting the Catholic faith. But Scott Hahn hit the scene at about the same time with Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism (Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 1993). I first heard his testimony on cassette tape in 1996. It blew my mind. Suddenly, Catholic apologetics, which is as old as the Catholic Church itself, got a leg up and there was an explosion of books, magazines and websites that effectively undercut the arguments of the 5 Solas. For the first time, there was a cadre of Catholics well enough informed to defend their faith.

4. The Internet. The Net started exploding from 1993 to 1996. I had my first account in ‘94. Compuserve was horribly basic, but by ‘96 I had AOL and the religion debates raged instantly. Catholics who had just been given the most powerful weapon in the arsenal in the war against misinterpretation of their teaching were learning to type on a forum while balancing their catechisms on their laps. Of course, online versions came out, as well. But, no Evangelical bent on getting Catholics out of the arms of the Whore of Babylon could expect to do so without himself have a copy of the Catechism, knowing it inside out and pouring over it for the errors and horrors he would surely find. Evangelical apologists were confronted with a coherent and beautiful presentation of the Catholic faith that they were ill equipped to argue against. They learned that Catholics, too, loved Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Catechism had arrived providentially just before the internet and had turned the tables in just a few short years. With the apologetic movement hitting at the same time, Evangelicals were also confronted with Catholics who could argue from the Bible defending their faith and demonstrating the weaknesses of Evangelical interpretations of scripture.

5. Early Church Fathers. One fruit of the Apologetics movement has been a flowering anew of Catholic interest in Patristics. This is happening at every level from armchair apologists to doctoral studies. It is suddenly all about Patristics, whereas in the 70’s-90’s the academic focus had been on Karl Rahner and Liberation Theology.

6. Evangelical Third World Experience. Evangelicals have had a field day in Latin America among the poor who are not part of the internet conversation and are distant from the study of apologetics. But, Evangelicals have learned from their experiences abroad an essential aspect of the Gospel they were missing: the Works of Mercy. Once haughty with their criticism of “works righteousness,” they have learned one cannot attend to the spiritual needs of the poor without attending to their bodily needs. Catholic have always understood this. Now, the Evangelicals are coming around. I haven’t heard an Evangelical Televangelist speak on works righteousness in many years.

7. Secularism. With the collapse of the Mainline churches as the backbone of American religion over the past thirty years (since about 1975), Catholics and Evangelicals are the only ones left standing in this country to present the Gospel. Secularism is on the rise and is ruthless. Evangelicals are now learning that only Catholicism has the intellectual resources to combat the present secular age. And, with the pope, we have a pretty effective means for communicating the faith and representing it to the world. There is nothing an Evangelical can do that will match the power of one World Youth Day.

With such an array of Providential developments, Evangelicals as well as Catholics have come to appreciate the depth and the breadth of the Catholic faith. It is far more difficult for them to honestly dismiss Catholicism as the work of Satan as once they did without qualm. There have been apologies and there have been calls for a new partnership. Let us hope these developments will bring about a new moment of understanding for the Glory of the Lord.


TOPICS: Catholic; Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian
KEYWORDS: catholic; charlescolson; christians; ecumenism; evangelical; evangelicals; unity
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To: Quix; windsorknot; sandyeggo; Mad Dawg; Petronski; Jaded

Let’s see....it was either MadDawg or Petronski, who invokes the NGR rule...NO GIBBERISH READ...I dont remember which one of them invokes this rule, but it is a great rule, one I have also decided to adopt for my own...

Then Windsorknot and Sandyeggo, suggest making fine use of the scroll button...excellent....

So NGR+Scroll button, is a winning formula for quite easily getting past the gibberish, and the lame, junky pics....

And thanks to Jaded for suggesting the bottle of Baileys, and a spare mouse...

This is most excellent...


501 posted on 08/02/2008 2:13:46 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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To: rbmillerjr; Alex Murphy; blue-duncan; BnBlFlag; Dr. Eckleburg; ears_to_hear; Forest Keeper; ...

For sure.

Prottys get rebuked, posts pulled, etc.

probably 8-10 to 1 for every RC treated that way—particularly during some periods of time . . . and particularly about personal attacks.

Seems like certain rabid RC’s very infrequently get rebuked for personal attacks though they dish them out typically many times a day.

And, their personal attacks are much more overt, much more direct, much more PERSONAL . . . yet un-censored most often.

Prottys several layers out from that get some pretty hard slaps very quickly.

Yet RC’s have the brazenness to whine and complain when THEY are the ones getting the kid glove treatment.

THEY are the ones in the special protected status where folks are threatened with terminal banishment for anything some RC’s construe as offensive and therefore “RC bashing.”

Give me a break. What cheekiness.

As near as I can guess, there must be 2-3 fierce RC mods who routinely ride roughshod over Prottys whenever any excuse presents itself.

Particularly toward a couple of us Prottys.

Impressive. NOT!


502 posted on 08/02/2008 2:17:27 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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Comment #503 Removed by Moderator

To: Quix

Sorry, the “rule”: has been invoked.


504 posted on 08/02/2008 2:18:38 PM PDT by rbmillerjr ("bigger government means constricting freedom"....................RWR)
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To: andysandmikesmom

505 posted on 08/02/2008 2:19:21 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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To: rbmillerjr

Excellent


506 posted on 08/02/2008 2:19:51 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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To: Truth Defender
I could see this coming from a long way off. The papacy has not really changed at all. ......

Great post. Thanks very much for the history lesson.

507 posted on 08/02/2008 2:20:49 PM PDT by Forest Keeper (It is a joy to me to know that God had my number, before He created numbers.)
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Comment #508 Removed by Moderator

To: rbmillerjr

Hmmmmm . . . then I guess the "sorry" is a farce!

509 posted on 08/02/2008 2:21:27 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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To: Quix

NGR+Scroll Button


510 posted on 08/02/2008 2:23:00 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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To: sandyeggo

Dr. E is rebuked somewhat less than I am but still often enough.

The only reason a few RC’s may technically get rebuked numerically more often is that they pull such personal assault stunts daily and usually many times a day.

Prottys do so much, much, much more rarely—even Dr E and I.


511 posted on 08/02/2008 2:25:03 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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To: sandyeggo; Alex Murphy; blue-duncan; BnBlFlag; Dr. Eckleburg; ears_to_hear; Forest Keeper; ...

ACTUALLY, DR. E may get rebuked somewhat more than I since I began to post emoticons vs replies to the outrageous personal assaults in my direction.

The only reason a few RC’s may technically get rebuked numerically more often is that they pull such personal assault stunts daily and usually many times a day.

Prottys do so much, much, much more rarely—even Dr E and I.

Guess I’m really going to have to find a way to get to that statistics compiling task.


512 posted on 08/02/2008 2:25:55 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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To: Quix

NGR+Scroll Button


513 posted on 08/02/2008 2:26:19 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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To: andysandmikesmom
It's

Soooooooooo

thoughtful and kind when a rabid RC rep notes when someone in the pack has cushioned a truth-arrow’s trajectory.

Thanks.

514 posted on 08/02/2008 2:26:53 PM PDT by Quix (key QUOTES POLS 1900 ON #76 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031425/posts?page=77#77)
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Comment #515 Removed by Moderator

To: Quix

NGR+Scroll button


516 posted on 08/02/2008 2:30:16 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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Comment #517 Removed by Moderator

Comment #518 Removed by Moderator

To: sandyeggo

Yes, it is a great Saturday night...I prefer the Baileys but Margaritas are tasty as well...we can all have our own house drink, relax, and see what might pop up here...cheers....


519 posted on 08/02/2008 2:36:03 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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Comment #520 Removed by Moderator


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