The May 2010 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter can now be found at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/Newsletters/Newsletter108(May2010)(RGB).pdf Bill C-384 was soundly defeated by a vote of 228 to 59. Check how the Members of Parliament voted at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/HowTheyVoted.pdf On June 5, 2010, we are co-hosting the US/Canda Push-Back Seminar at the Radisson Gateway Hotel at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. The overwhelming defeat of Bill C-384 proved that we can Push-Back the euthanasia lobby in the US and Canada and convince people that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a dangerous public policy. Register for the Seminar at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/2010SeminarFlyer(RGB)(LetterFormat).pdf The Schindler family are being attacked by a Florida television station and Michael Schiavo. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is standing in solidarity with the Schindler family. My blog comments: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/att...
Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
I agree with this article 100%. If Sola Scriptura is God's plan, why is it the greatest cause of division among the Body of Christ? IF the Holy Spirit is guiding each individuals interpretation of scripture, then unanimity should be seen on all teachings. Clearly this is not the case.
ReplyDeleteJesus also told us we need to have the faith of a child if we wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven. Think about that. When a child is told incredible things by the people they trust, they'll accept them in faith without question. Children don't question the existence of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny despite the obvious logical barriers to doing so.
No doubt God tells us incredible things that require that same childlike faith. The Eucharist is a prime example. In scripture he tells his followers unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall not have life within you. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. In fact people protested at that very moment and walked away from Jesus. His apostles accepted, perhaps apprehensively, despite the shocking implications with that child like faith Christ demands. This is one of those Santa Claus moments Jesus is talking about. Many, not all of our Protestant brothers, can't get their head around this as the people did that left Jesus that very day. How can he give us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink? Impossible!
Without childlike faith, the body of Christ will continue to disintegrate into smaller bits, drifting further and further from the unified body Christ requested.
Cheers
Paul
I concur with your points about the divisions within the Protestant Church body, it is deplorable. That being said, I agree we should all be one, but what form of unity are you talking about? Is it an invisible, imperceptible body where we are unified in key points but disagree on secondary doctrines?
ReplyDeleteExample: Pro-life conference held in Montreal 2005. The Holy Cross Fathers from the Oratory cancelled the use of their building minutes before the conference began putting hundreds of visitors and organizers in a quandary. Is this being the unified, one, holy catholic church?
But you know what happened next, a small Evangelical church took in the pro-life guests. Now who do you say is Judas in this case and who is the true "Peter"?
I know it is easier to see the speck in the eyes of others but ignore the plank in our own. On the point of unity, I think Catholics need to look within their own body first before pointing to the "speck" in the eyes of a protestant.
Cliff
Paul, I agree that we need a childlike faith, and I do believe the words that Jesus spoke when he instituted the Eucharist, (Communion to us Lutherans). I think we share a lot of common ground, and as I posted earlier I believe we both adhere to four fundamental basic truths, where we differ is on secondary truths.
ReplyDeleteJesus warned the Pharisees about legalism and that is what I sometimes read in devout Catholics who purport belief only in the Catholic Church. They forget that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, His work is complete we need not do anything further to add to our salvation. Believing laws and rules and dogma will not pay for any sins, Jesus work is complete. What we need to do is to love others and see them as God sees them.
Peace!
Cliff