Posted on 04/02/2005 6:53:28 PM PST by wagglebee
Billy Graham was inclusive in his campaigns as early as the mid-50's, and as you suggest, he received a lot of criticism for it.
Thank you The Red Zone - I had just done a private reply and then found your reply. You said exactly what I was thinking.
Yes Mother Therese would probably be on that list as well.
AS far as cleaning up the mess from the last four decades - make that the last 10 centuries and you would be more accurate - although the messes are very different and many of the very old problems have been addressed and some actually rectified.
As far as evangelism - I don't think I have ever heard the word used in the same sentence as Catholic! What we have to keep in mind is that above and beyond ANY belief or difference Christian sects have, the utmost important foundation or cornerstone HAS TO BE a personal faith in Jesus Christ as a VERY personal Savior. Not just someone with the title of "Son of God" who we study about in Sunday School and hear his name mentioned sometimes in the Sermon. Without this complete and total faith in Christ - NON of the other stuff matters at all - it's all as chafe on the trashing floor.
And I am not a Southern Baptist (not that there is anything particularly wrong with SBC members - especially since the convention is trying to swing the group back to the right....). I am planning to enter Seminary this Summer (Good Lord willing!).
Hard to think of many who lived out the Beatitudes as well as she did.
Works like that reflect a profound and deep faith.
AS far as cleaning up the mess from the last four decades - make that the last 10 centuries and you would be more accurate - although the messes are very different and many of the very old problems have been addressed and some actually rectified.
The current mess is of course one that afflicts all Christian churches - rationalistic source theory and critical theory of Scripture; moral relativism; infection by worldly values; decline in belief in the supernatural; belief that reason is incompatible with faith.
As far as evangelism - I don't think I have ever heard the word used in the same sentence as Catholic!
Sadly, there is too much truth in what you say.
I say "sadly" not least because once upon a time, the Church lived out vigorously the evangelizing mission: from the Irish monks who evangelized Dark Age Europe, to Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries, such as Francis Xavier, who brought the message of the Gospel to millions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, often at the cost of their lives. These missionaries are still at work (Mother Theresa's order springs to mind) but in much of the West they're out of sight, out of mind, and evangelizing that desperately needs to be going on right at home is too rarely being done.
What we have to keep in mind is that above and beyond ANY belief or difference Christian sects have, the utmost important foundation or cornerstone HAS TO BE a personal faith in Jesus Christ as a VERY personal Savior. Not just someone with the title of "Son of God" who we study about in Sunday School and hear his name mentioned sometimes in the Sermon. Without this complete and total faith in Christ - NON of the other stuff matters at all - it's all as chafe on the trashing floor.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" (Romans 1:16-18). Faith is the foundation of the Church. No question.
And I am not a Southern Baptist (not that there is anything particularly wrong with SBC members - especially since the convention is trying to swing the group back to the right....). I am planning to enter Seminary this Summer (Good Lord willing!).
I think I just assumed you were some stripe of evangelical.
Probably due to the salvation by works theological teachings and an inclusiveness that excludes those outside of Catholicism from the possibility of salvation.
In Matthew, Jesus is condemning the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He is saying that they desire the titles of respect for their own purposes, not for the glory of God; which is certainly wrong. He is not categorically condemning the use of titles of respect, but rather the misuse of them for one’s self interests.
And of course there are many examples in the Epistles of men being called "father." In Romans Paul calls Abraham our father no less than eight times.
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