When one is considering entering the Catholic Church, the rose colored glasses effect is in full flower, and I can understand how it may appear to Anderson that the scandals are a non-issue.
However, once these protestants become Catholics and have to deal with the root causes of the scandals, I do not think they will consider them to be such a non-issue.
As a new Catholic, the scandals are having a devastating effect on me. While the sexual abuse of children is horrendous, I find the behavior of the Bishops in dealing with the scandals and what seems to be their innate arrogance to be equally horrendous.
I have more respect now for Jim and Tammy Bakker than I have for most of the Catholic Bishops and that is not good for my life as a Catholic. Yet, facts are facts and many of the Bishops are beneath contempt. Many of these new protestants will find themselves facing the same delimma as the harsh light of reality burns through the rose colored glasses effect.
They will find themselves questioning how the Church that claims to be the Church instituted by Christ could have such abysmal leadership. One would think that Christ would protect his own if they truly are his own.
They will find themselves questioning how the Church that claims to be the Church instituted by Christ could have such abysmal leadership. One would think that Christ would protect his own if they truly are his own. The atheists argue exactly the same way against the very existence of God. Just look at all the suffering children around the world... IF they are all creatures of God, why doesn't He care? The same answer applies here. God's providence is at work. Read St. Augustine's City of God book XVIII, especially the later chapters, where Augustine describes how Satan raises up heretics and wretches in the Church to destroy the faith of the Church, yet God uses the same heretics and wretches to build up virtue in the saints. All things work for the good of those who love Him... if we respond with confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit. The signs of the Spirit's action are everywhere. We only see the effects of the Spirit. The Saints toughed it out alot more than we have. St. John of the Cross was imprisoned by his own religious order for over a year. It was in prison that he went throught he dark night of the soul, and then the Carmelites were truly renewed.
By the way, where in Scripture does it ever say that when the going gets tough, one should just leave the Church. I see prescriptions to rebuke, exhort, even excommunicate, but it nowhere says "just leave..." That is an unbiblical practice the Prots have going for themselves.
God places us here at this time because He wants us here for His purposes. I think all the converts are,with the "communion of saints",who have gone before us,the army who will save the Church.
That is not to say that we orthodox,cradle Catholics have not a great part to play but you can be much more effective waking up the "sleeping" Catholics in the pews.
You see the "sleepers" have been brainwashed to believe most if not all cradle Catholics are either afraid of change or too stupid to recognize the need for change,so we are often marginalized and ignored in classes and lectures. But you "converts",God is really putting you in a wonderful position to proclaim His Word and teachings. Go,Rum Tum,get 'em!!!And,I will pray for you and your family.
I I read you saw "Late Night Catechism" and enjoyed it. It does reflect the Catholic culture,and we have always been able to laugh at out human failings and accept that others have them also.But in times past we recognized there was a big difference in out shortcomings that only served to affect us as well as sins for which we were truly sorry and confessed from "sins" which affect God and others and disrupt God's ordering of the universe.Those latter sins if not confessed and reconciled create sadness and suffering, here and hereafter. Those lines have become very blurred in America.
Excellent point. It was one of the many reasons I left Catholicism.
I fellowshipped at Calvary Chapel, a non-denominational nationwide church. A good deal of the Pastors came from the Catholic and mainline liberal denominations. The one I attended had over 1000 who attended and of those more than half were x-catholics. I have to chuckle when I read articles like this.
""Most of these people have M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees, and so they are not employable in the world. It’s a difficult decision for these men to give up their work, their careers, and their livelihoods. Nevertheless, 94 this year have entered, or are on their way into, the Church." "
The RC likes to parade around their Scott Hanhs like it it was some victory badge. The above quote from the article shines the light on these so called conversions.
As the article states most do have degrees and are giving up their "careers". I would bet that most of these converts are seminary trained. They chose this as a career. You don't choose to lead the flock, God chooses you. They have been taught by man, not lead by the Holy Spirit. Mans work always fails.
The Catholic church is the logical next step. When you're not led by the Spirit of truth you look to whatever doctrine of man tickles your ears. They look to man for the answers. What better place than the RC for a church based on the traditions of man. Any honest Catholic here can't debate that statement. We have numerous Catholics on here that will tell you you can't use the Bible to validate tradition. Sola Scriptura is foolish they say. You go to the church to validate the tradition of the church. Make sense? How can you loose?
To get back to your point on the leadership. You would think from reading in here that the problems with leadership is something caused by the modern age. Truth is that leadership in the RC has a long list of human debris as it's leaders. A study of the Popery will show that there were those in leadership who belonged in a chair with a skull cap wired to 20,000 volts, not the chair of Peter. When you question the RC on this they tell you that man is fallible. On the same breath they tell you that the church is led by the Holy Spirit, has all truth, and can't be questioned. Even though the priest that is putting the wafer in your mouth could have raped your 14 year old son the day before, Jesus has to overlook this and come down as this priest calls him. Sorry I'm not buying it.
If I have to stand before God and claim that I believed in His word only and not the traditions of man that perverted and contradicted it, so be it. I'll take my chances.