Yes I agree. Singling out someone like Baldwin for what purpose? To suggest he isn’t a “true” Christian? To suggest unless he becomes a Catholic he isn’t entitled to God’s full grace or indeed that he isn’t truly Christian? Nonsense. This kind of sectarianism is counter-productive. To pit “Protestantism” against Catholicism in this fashion is unhelpful and smacks of religious chauvinism of the worst kind. I’d say to the writer: please write a letter to the other Baldwin (we all know which one) encouraging him to seek Christ rather than “outing” a Christian man who lives and works in very difficult and anti-Christian industry.
Singling out Stephen Baldwin makes perfect sense and doesn’t smack of chauvinism at all:
1) He is already a Christian, a recent convert, and has expressed an opneness to dialogue on Christian issues.
2) To bring someone to the fullness of Christian truth is not chauvinism - it’s just common sense and charitable.
3) As the letter says, “I write to you as one Christian to another in order to share with you the opportunity to experience a deeper dimension of intimacy with our Lord and Savior.” That is not chauvinism. It is a desirable Christian charity.
4) Also, your last point about converting the other Baldwins is off base. The Baldwin family is clearly a dissenting Catholic family. If Stephen Baldwin were to return to Catholicism with the zealousness of a convert, he would strongly encourage his whole family to return to the faith they clearly have abandoned. It would be a faith they are familiar with, but have fallen away from. Convert Stephen Baldwin and the whole family might convert. No joke. A friend of mine wanted to know why I was so interested in his conversion (he was a fallen away Mormon turned atheist). I told him plainly: if he converted, not only would mean all the difference in the world to him, but he would convert hundreds of others in his life time. He was taken aback. He later converted. He is now heading up a Catholic radio ministry and is converting others.
I think your answer can be found here:
you have become a strong voice in winning souls for Jesus as one who has experienced the saving grace of the Redeemer. May you always use your notoriety to spread the Good News.
The author seems to think that Baldwin is using his fame to win souls for the wrong church.
I agree. This is typical of the type of posting here, trying to win the separated brethren back over to the bondages of the church which they escaped, thankfully.
bump