Posted on 01/27/2014 1:46:12 PM PST by Gamecock
The election of Pope Francis has the world’s attention. It is fascinating to read the array of perspectives. Political pundits and cultural exegetes, with more or less knowledge of Catholicism, have expressed their opinions concerning the meaning and future prospects of this pope. But what about former Catholics, those of us who were raised Catholic and now identify with evangelical Protestantism? What are we saying? I can’t speak for others, but I’ll tell you what is on my mind.
My Upbringing in Catholicism
Hardly a week goes by in which I don’t receive an email from a Catholic reader of my blog expressing that he or she is praying for me to “come home” to the Catholic Church. On the whole, I find them to be incredibly genuine and therefore it is easy for me to give a sincere “thank you.” Over the last week, as I have participated in several interviews about the conclave and papal selection, my inbox has seen many such appeals. In what follows I would like to share with my Catholic friends the fundamental reason why I am an evangelical Protestant.
To start with, I should say that my experience growing up Catholic was exceedingly positive. Owing largely to the ministry of our parish priest, Monsignor Tom, I grew to love the Catholic tradition. I loved the grandeur of the sanctuary with its carved wood, arched windows, and stained glass. I loved the deep, resonate amalgam of voices confessing the Nicene Creed and the honesty and humility expressed in the kyrie: “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.” I loved simple things, like braiding cruciform-shaped palm leaves for Easter.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one more Knights of Columbus dinner, with trays of pasta fra diavolo, risotto parmigiano, and pignoli nut cookies prepared by my uncles. These were the occasions in which boys became men, learning how to eat for God’s glory.
I vividly recall our confirmation retreat at the nearby Cenacle. In the tranquil surrounding of a Marian grotto we learned stories of heroic saints like Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs who stared down lions in the name of Christ. Dominick, my best friend, suggested that I choose Saint Jude as my personal saint since Jude was the Saint of “lost causes.” Despite our juvenile banter, we were challenged to be courageous for God.
I enjoyed watching reruns of Archbishop Fulton Sheen with his long flowing cape and clever quips, marveled during Lent at the seemingly endless number of recipes we had for preparing tuna fish, and took great pleasure in walking to the altar with my family during Mass to present the gifts of wine and bread. This was my identity—a member of the Catholic Church—and I loved it.
But I had to leave.
Why an Evangelical Protestant?
Having written an entire volume on the reasons why I (and other Catholics) have decided to leave the Catholic Church for Protestant pastures—my book Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic—I will not retell my story here. Instead, I would like to put my finger on the fundamental reason why Rome is not my religious home. The leading edge of this reason is perhaps best expressed by John Bunyan in chapter three of his Pilgrim’s Progress. It is the climactic point when the faithful protagonist of his story, “Christian,” comes to the cross of Jesus and has his burden of guilt removed once and for all.
Christian ran till he came to a hill; upon it stood a cross, and a little below was a tomb. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up to the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the tomb, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then said Christian with a happy heart, “He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.” Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the water down his cheeks.
In my humble opinion, the above vision is the centerpiece of evangelical Protestantism. Through the preaching of the gospel, God removes the burden of guilt and shame from our shoulders and sends it into the grave, where it disappears, never to be seen again. As far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our sins from us. And moving toward the Celestial City from one’s initial encounter of the cross, Christian and all who share his name do so as children of God whose identities are permanently marked by this salvation. Precisely because we have died to self and now live anew in our resurrected Lord, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Such assurance is God’s gift to his children and serves as the driving force of our lives.
This lesson came into focus for me last month. A buddy invited me to his home to talk with his Catholic colleague who is struggling with religious guilt, feeling that he is never quite acceptable to the Father. This colleague described his experience in his Catholic parish as “salvation on probation,” a relationship with God that depended upon his ability to observe the precepts of the church (i.e., abstaining from meat on Lenten Fridays, holy days of obligation, auricular confession). Therefore, despite his best efforts, our friend bemoaned the fact that it was only a matter of time before he fell short of the church’s expectations and thus lost his eternal hope.
In response to our friend, I asked whether he had children. With great enthusiasm he proceeded to explain how much he enjoys his kids, attending all of their basketball games, going on vacations, and delighting in conversation about their future hopes and dreams. “Do they ever disappoint you,” I asked. “Of course; they are sinners like their mother,” he said with a smile. I then asked, “And when that happens, does it potentially terminate your relationship? Are they in jeopardy of losing their status as your children and being rejected from your family?” “You mean like a ‘mortal’ sin,” he responded? I could see he was starting to get my point. A long pause followed and finally our friend looked up with eyes full of tears and confessed, “I guess I’m secure as a child of God.”
My Current Relationship to Catholicism
I light of such evangelical Protestant commitments, is there any sense in which I appreciate Catholicism today? Let me answer the question like this. Most people who come from a Catholic background will probably identify with my sentiment, while those who weren’t raised Catholic probably won’t. It’s the kind of affection you have for that eccentric cousin whom you see once a year at Christmas. Despite your common upbringing, the two of you are now entirely different. He runs marathons, TiVo’s professional wrestling, enjoys dancing the polka, and somehow always manages to perform his Bob Dylan impersonation when the family is assembled. However, as first cousins, you have a deep, abiding affection for one another. Despite your differences, you share a common history that reaches back to your earliest memories, on the basis of which you possess a relationship that is deeper and richer than words can express. So it is for many of us who were raised Catholic. We disagree with much of Catholic faith, but these differences can’t erase the positive, Christ-honoring memories which we continue to cherish.
This is where my pursuit of Christ has led. I identify with the evangelical Protestant tradition because I believe that its approach to biblical authority and the gospel best reflects the will of God as revealed in Scripture. Insofar as the term “evangelical” describes such a person, despite its negative connotations and flaws, I hope to live accordingly, comporting myself and relating to others—including my Catholic family and friends—with the character of Christ. And I hope that what you read from this blog will serve you toward that end.
clippity-clop clippity-clop
I'd say you nailed it. puhpuhpuh-pow like a rattle gun on steel plate. The surface stays a bit rusty though. Splashing it with Ospho can help a bit...but the only thing that really works, regardless of how it's accomplished, is to get down to bare shiny metal.
Also, I could not help but notice the vagueness of how you (Elsie) were compared to Obama.
In this instance, can be invoked; Godwin's rule
The time that you stated when Jesus remained silent before his accusers was talked about here (if you notice he wasn't ENTIRELY silent):
Was what these people accused him of a lie? No, he said what they said he did. When Jesus remained TOTALLY silent was in the face of the accusations they made against him and which WERE the very things he said. They were NOT lies. Then we proceed to Matthew 27, where Jesus once again stands before accusers AND he answers them:
So, Jesus did not reply because what they accused him of was TRUE. They just refused to believe it. Why, then, would Jesus need to reply any further? Would it have helped him if he said, "Yeah, that's what I said and I stand by my statement."? Kinda doubt it. So, the example Jesus gave by his own words and actions throughout his ministry was what we are all told to do - earnestly contend for the faith. Once you see how that is different than the episode you gave for Jesus being silent, you will begin to understand WHY we also earnestly contend for the faith and why we rebuke error and expound upon what the word of God says over what religions teach.
Your whole post proves my point. Sometimes Jesus chose to answer someone else's erroneous babbling, and sometimes Jesus chose to just ignore and not answer someone else's erroneous babbling, and we should imitate Christ by sometimes answering erroneous babblings, and sometimes not answering erroneous babblings.
That's not even close. Read those passages again, why don't you?
Can you even IMAGINE the Apostle Peter kissing any pagan writings? I sure can’t.
Truth? what truth would that be? we've seen the same claims made a thousand times (without exaggerating concerning number of occasion), yet for most all of those most contentious, have seen those same much disproved (if only to the extent or reach the same such is being sought to apply) hundreds of times if not more, also.
Shall we (a royal we) be dissuaded for reason that this time, it is coming from an instructor (self appointed?) striving to have the last word, using the Word of God against metmom (of all persons!) as some form of bludgeon?
You want truth? The truth can carry some degree of complexity along with it, ha(!) particularly when "man" has hand his hands upon it, twisting and turning it to suite his own agendas.
You've not the personal authority to go about invoking Christ while claiming to yourself hold "truth" with a capital "T".
He -- is not us, and we are not Him, even as He may in fact live within us, and ourselves (also by the greatest of graces) within Him. Seems contradictory, I know. Truth can seem like that, most particularly when His realms are over-lapped into what is more typically our "earthly" own -- which latter realm suffers much competition of yet lower gradients of claims -- including Lucifer's relentlessness towards it.
But don't let that stop you. Shake dust, and keep on trucking. Yet remember, Paul's advice was to the true church (wherever that may be found) not what has "evolved" to be much contaminated, by the hand of the man.
God is Holy, not Holy --- mixed with other "stuff".
The meek, will inherit the earth.
“Luther turned out to be evil. He had a choice. I feel sorrow for those called by his name ...”
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/credo.htm
Top 10 Most Wicked Popes
http://listverse.com/2007/08/17/top-10-most-wicked-popes/
1. Liberius, reigned 352-66 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
2. Honorius I, reigned 625-638 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
3. Stephen VI, reigned 896-89 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
4. John XII, reigned 955-964 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
5. Benedict IX, reigned 1032-1048 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
6. Boniface VIII, reigned 1294-1303 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
7. Urban VI, reigned 1378-1389 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
8. Alexander VI, reigned 1492-1503 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
9. Leo X, reigned 1513-1521 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
10. Clement VII, reigned 1523-1524 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
Top 10 Worst Popes in History
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-worst-popes-in-history.php
1. Pope Alexander VI (1431 – 1503)
2. Pope John XII (c. 937 – 964)
3. Pope Benedict IX (c. 1012 – 1065/85)
4. Pope Sergius III (? – 911)
5. Pope Stephen VI (? – 897)
6. Pope Julius III (1487 – 1555)
7. Pope Urban II (ca. 1035 – 1099)
8. Pope Clement VI (1291 – 1352)
9. Pope Leo X (1475 – 1521)
10. Pope Boniface VIII (c. 1235 – 1303)
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears. (Acts 7:57)
Someone knows, but I'll accept your point that Purgatory may exist since you've confessed that you do not know and we don't want you calling yourself a liar.
There; you've SAID it again.
But Clara wants to know...
You are doing the LURKERS a disservice by not supplying the CORRECT data, that I have, somehow, failed to present.
Can they count on you; or will my data be all they get to see?
We'll see...
Aren't we all?
You'd think folks with large; uh; chutzpahs, would be a bit more brave in their verbage.
It mattereth not...
I'll accept that you make a lot of strawmen; but not very tall ones.
What a wonderful quote.
Apparently your and my views of what is disgraceful are completely different. Catholics love to bash Luther with is Jewish views. But the Church not only held the same views but put it in their "infallible" documents. It seems to me that someone simply choose to ignore that issue.
So, if the 4th Lateran Council is correct, then are their written comments about the Jews correct? That is, after all, what infallibility is all about.
And please don't get self-righteous with me. There is very little that is disgraceful as a "Christian" kissing the Koran.
No, we are not all evil. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Even Pol Pot liked kittens!
Now what?
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