tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post6766828645890937381..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Affirming Protestant UnityRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-9217416079605357172012-05-04T21:50:56.790-04:002012-05-04T21:50:56.790-04:00Much depends on whether one looks at institutional...Much depends on whether one looks at institutional form or at functional substance.In legal form, for example, the People's Republic of China is a centralised unitary state with a single, legally supreme national government, while the European Union is a loose confederation of independent, sovereign nation-states. Yet Beijing can find it impossible in practice to enforce policy on, or collect taxes from, recalcitrant provinces, especially the richer ones like Shanghai. Whereas the EU can fine British grocers for selling bananas by the pound instead of the kilogram.<br /><br />Another reason for the confusion is that Catholics (even ex-Prot ones) often view Protestantism through their own grid or filter. Eg, many, probably most, Catholics join, or remain with, the RCC because in some way they consider it the One True Church whose leadership is in some way divinely guaranteed by God. Thus they tend to assume, often unconsciously, that Protestants, too, select (or justify [NPI]) their denominational affiliation on the same basis: that, eg, if you are currently fellowshipping at Grove Way Reformed Baptist Church because the pastor is an energetic Evangelical and a good preacher, therefore you, too, must believe that the Baptist Church is the One True Church, denominationally contiguous with Jesus at Galilee, and infallible - a claim which is manifestly risible (which is why the Grove Way Reformed Baptist Church would never make it). Likewise, many Catholics think that Anglicans view Henry VIII in analogous terms to the way Catholics view their popes (at least the less embarrassing post-Vatican II ones). Whereas Anglicans themselves tend to dislike Henry: CS Lewis had Screwtape talking about feasting on the king's soul in hell, Dean WR Inge conceded that Henry was only a little better a man than Luther, and Peter Jensen describes him as "that tyrannical pope of England". (I should clarify that the last two were not meant as compliments).Tom Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246157794276270490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-6550974535195871842012-05-04T13:31:00.857-04:002012-05-04T13:31:00.857-04:00Liberal Protestantism is detestable.
It seems as ...<i>Liberal Protestantism is detestable.</i><br /><br />It seems as if liberal Roman Catholics and conservative Roman Catholics, finding themselves caught in the same net, are disliking each other more and more these days.John Bugayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17728044301053738095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-86810217604783876012012-05-04T11:07:28.562-04:002012-05-04T11:07:28.562-04:00"Because most conservative Protestants in our...<i>"Because most conservative Protestants in our day, now having separated themselves from the theological liberal influences within their midst, (unlike Rome, which has embraced its liberal wing only now to be seen to be changing its mind and cracking down on it) are unified around core doctrines that have always been the core doctrines of historical Christianity."</i><br /><br />Liberal Protestantism is detestable.Truth Unites... and Divideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08891402278361538353noreply@blogger.com