I must say that it’s pretty shocking to see all the harsh words directed at representatives of Mother Church by Tim Enloe and Kevin Johnson in the last several days. Whatever happened to the spirit of Catholicity?
http://www.reformedcatholicism.com/?p=368
http://www.reformedcatholicism.com/?p=370
http://www.reformedcatholicism.com/?p=371
The tender ears of Eric Svendsen, James White, Frank Turk, the Pedantic Protestant, and myself are just not used to hearing such mean-spirited exchanges.
I would earnestly counsel Tim and Kevin to follow our kinder and gentler example by cultivating a more respectful and charitable tone when addressing their Catholic brethren. Constructive dialogue is impossible when parties to the dialogue are so bitter and rancorous in word and register. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers to dwell in unity” (Ps 133:1).
Me too PP. What is the world coming to when even the Reformed Catholics are anti-Catholic?
ReplyDelete> "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers to dwell in unity" (Ps 133:1).
ReplyDeleteIndeed so. But brothers don't always dwell in unity. What happens in that case?
Well, obviously, you would count heads and go with weight of numbers. It's inconceivable that God in His mercy would leave X number of people in ignorant darkness, unless of course that was objectively necessary to avoid leaving X+N people in ignorant darkness.
Moreover, you would also go with seniority. Those who have been around longer, clearly have more acccumulated experience and wisdom than some recent upstart who thinks the world started yesterday with him.
So therefore, if - per arguendo -- the oldest ten or eleven brothers out of twelve combine against the youngest, he ought to submit humbly and obediently to their will, because that's the only way to ensure they can "dwell in unity".
That's what Tradition, Reason and Natural Law indicate, anyway. What a pity that Scripture is insufficient to give any guidance on this particular matter.
Tom's argument is a classic case of theological apriorism. It doesn't bother to look out the window. As a matter of fact, God has left multitudes in a state of spiritual darkness. Read the OT. Look at the map.
ReplyDeleteChronologically speaking, we moderns are far older than the church fathers. We have 1500+ years on the church fathers. So Tom's standard of evidence undercuts his own position.
Uh, Steve... Irony.
ReplyDeleteI can't find anti-Catholic sentiment in those links, at least the first 1 1\2 of them. I confess I didn't read all of it but I started to feel like I was looking for something that wasn't there. Maybe you could quote the section(s?) that are?
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the irony. But I thought I'd use the occasion to score some more points against Catholicism.
I'm playing straight man to your stand-up comic!
Well, Frogg, Al Kimmel for one found the exchange sufficiently offputting to remove the link from his website while dear old Dave was just as put out.
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteThink of it as my Ed McMahon to your Johnny Carson.