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Should Protestants Be Allowed To Have An Opinion Regarding The New Pope?
Blogger News Network ^ | March 18th, 2013 | Frederick Meekins

Posted on 03/19/2013 8:59:25 PM PDT by Alex Murphy

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To: HerrBlucher

So true. They are not as bad as the Creation v Evolution threads of yore though. Now those were vicious rumbles!

...they sure were...usually it would take all of three posts to get the namecalling going, generally from the evo side, but not always...


41 posted on 03/20/2013 12:32:14 AM PDT by IrishBrigade
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To: Alex Murphy
From the article..."Catholics have every right to select whomever they desire as their head honcho."

This fundamentally fails to recognize God Himself. He isn't dead to His Body. He chooses who will specific spiritual gifts. Even a conclave of Bishops lacks the power to give something they do not possess.

If they choose to select a particular person to lead their denomination, they have that authority, but it is only a worldly authority and not Divinely instituted. Within that constraint, there is nothing wrong with the last Pope resigning.

It further manifests the RCC isn't a Divinely established institution, but simply another denomination of believers who have formed a worldly institution.

The Body of Christ still has many different members and as a whole they form His Bride.

42 posted on 03/20/2013 2:10:22 AM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Alex Murphy
They each have a sufficient number of opinions on what Scripture says to, in effect, each have their own version of the Bible, so sure, what's an opinion about the Pope compared to that?
43 posted on 03/20/2013 4:05:00 AM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: Cvengr
It further manifests the RCC isn't a Divinely established institution, but simply another denomination of believers who have formed a worldly institution.

You get all that from a Baptist observing the Catholic Pope is chosen by Catholics?

44 posted on 03/20/2013 5:01:51 AM PDT by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Alex Murphy
For example, Pope Benedict repeatedly emphasized throughout his pontificate that Protestant churches especially were not real churches and at best could only be thought of as errant theological associations.

"Errant theological associations" is putting words in someone else's mouth. That's not a phrase the Pope used. The usual term is "ecclesial communities".

Meanwhile, Calvinist theologian John Gerstner calls the Pope's church a "synagogue of Satan". The official doctrinal statements of two American Lutheran groups call the Pope "Antichrist". There are many other examples. "Errant theological associations" seems pretty tame by comparison.

45 posted on 03/20/2013 5:10:52 AM PDT by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Alex Murphy

Its the first time I’ve noticed either of the secular/ protestant worlds want to get involved, in some way, in electing the Pope. Rick Warrens suggestion goes hand in hand with questions by an AP reporter to the State Department. The reporter compared the election of the Pope with Iran’s...


46 posted on 03/20/2013 5:49:41 AM PDT by bronxville (Margaret Sanger - “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population,Â)
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To: BillyBoy
For example, an Orthodox Christian in good standing is allowed to receive communion at a Catholic parish (although oddly enough, the reverse is not true)

Not always. We went to a Russian Orthodox/Catholic wedding in an Orthodox Mass where the Catholics were invited to receive. But then we also attended a Greek Orthodox/Catholic wedding where it looked like the Groom (Catholic) received but none of the other Catholics present did. We actually wondered if the groom had converted but according to his mother, he hadn't.

47 posted on 03/20/2013 5:56:40 AM PDT by old and tired
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To: longhorn too

Agreed. As the head of a billion plus Christian organization, a steadfastly pro-life, pro-traditional marriage pope solidifies and can mobilize a lot of people in that direction. And protestants with those values benefit from many like minded people supporting those goals. So it is fine for Protestants to pray for a leader who supports these values.


48 posted on 03/20/2013 7:11:05 AM PDT by tbw2
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To: Alex Murphy; narses; Salvation; NYer; Cronos; wagglebee
Should Protestants Be Allowed To Have An Opinion Regarding The New Pope?,

I don't really like the title. Who, really, is going to stop Protestants from having an opinion on the new pope? The thought police???

The question should be phrased: "When should Catholics care about Protestant opinions regarding the new pope?"

49 posted on 03/20/2013 7:16:43 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: Revolting cat!

“The Miracle Of The Bells”. Kinda schmaltzy. But I like it.


50 posted on 03/20/2013 8:40:05 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: HerrBlucher
The Pope can change disciplines though, so as I understand it he could lift the rule of celibacy for Priests.

he won't...there are Anglican priests coming back into the Catholic church and they, of course, being married will be fully accepted into Catholicism...

51 posted on 03/20/2013 4:03:04 PM PDT by terycarl
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To: BillyBoy
I believe they’d have to be from a church with valid apostolic succession that has the same beliefs about the Eucharist as the Catholic Church.

correct

52 posted on 03/20/2013 4:09:46 PM PDT by terycarl
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To: Cvengr
It further manifests the RCC isn't a Divinely established institution, but simply another denomination of believers who have formed a worldly institution.

wrong again!!! The Catholic Church existed for one thousand six hundred years before there was a "denomination" to recon with...

53 posted on 03/20/2013 4:15:33 PM PDT by terycarl
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To: Campion

Any Christian is able to observe this when in fellowship with God. He might be a popular figure amongst those electing him, but this simply manifests he doesn’t have any Divine Authority other than that of any other believer and their unique spiritual gifts given by God.


54 posted on 03/20/2013 6:30:54 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Cvengr
Ahhh, the contradiction of Core. There's no heresy like an old heresy, eh?

And people say non-Catholics have no sense of Tradition.

Well the proof is right here where someone clearly states the same heresy Core stated which proves non-Catholics love the old, traditional, clearly described as a heresy, tried, time tested, clearly condemned heresies. Now, that's Tradition with a capital T.

55 posted on 03/20/2013 6:57:08 PM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: Rashputin

It isn’t heretical that God provides a human spirit to His believers.

Why substitute God’s action with religious worldly institutional intervention?

Even Matthias wasn’t properly established as an Apostle by the same methods of the recent Conclave.


56 posted on 03/20/2013 7:08:34 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Alex Murphy
Should Protestants Be Allowed To Have An Opinion Regarding The New Pope?

How would you prevent it?

People have opinions. It is the way we are made.

Take it up with God if you don't like it but I am pretty sure He took down the suggestion box on this issue quite a while ago.

57 posted on 03/20/2013 7:17:12 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Promotional Fee Paid for by "Ouchies" The Sharp, Prickly Toy You Bathe With!)
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To: Cvengr
It is heresy to place oneself in authority over Scripture and throw out books of the Bible.

It is heresy to follow Core and assert that there is no need for a priesthood.

It is heresy to deny words directly from the mouth of Christ Himself.

It is heresy to deny that Christ Himself founded a visible Church to be a light on a hill, not something invisible and therefore much worse than a candle under a bushel basket.

have a nice day

58 posted on 03/20/2013 7:20:30 PM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: Rashputin

Nobody is denying our Lord Christ Jesus.

Scripture is used to communicate the Word of God, which is then used by God the Holy Spirit to sanctify the believer.

Jesus Christ never authorized the Apocrypha, nor were they given in the Hebrew Canon, nor were they considered a part of the Canon by earlier Catholic Councils. They were not written by Prophets, so they are not the Word of God. If one were to be consistent, then a countercharge could be leveled that anybody adding the Apochypha to Scripture is heretical.

As believers through faith in Christ we all are part of His Royal Priesthood. It is heretical to imply believers are not part of that Royal Family.


59 posted on 03/20/2013 7:38:49 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Cvengr
Well then, “this is my body” means what it says because it is a straight forward statement of fact by Christ Himself.

Christ wasn't being figurative when He was describing what He was doing as He did it, it's that simple. So what's this about not denying Jesus Christ? Does that mean someone who doesn't deny Him is free to essentially call Him a liar by trying to find a different meaning for whatever Jesus Christ says that they don't like? How can someone completely ignore, deny, or try to alter the meaning of what Jesus Christ Himself said, things that refute Once Saved Always Saved, that refute Scripture Alone, and that refute Faith Alone, but say they don't deny Him? Approve the Apocrypha? The Scripture Alone crowd bear the burden of showing where Christ or the Apostles ever even implied there were portions of Scripture in use that were not the inspired Word of God. There are three possibilities. One, that there's a list of what should be in the canon that the Holy Spirit did not protect and did not have passed along (which would make Jesus Christ a liar), there were books included in the Scriptures in common use that were not inspired but Scripture isn't important enough for Christ to point that out, or, Scripture Alone is a joke and a very poor joke at that.

Without the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Jesus Christ Himself founded to establish the canon based on what the Apostles passed down orally there wouldn't be the Bible as we know it. There would be tens of thousands of Bibles just like there are tens of thousands of denominations. Scripture Alone dissolves into Self Alone in very, very, short order. Usually as soon as there's something someone wants the Scripture to condone like infanticide by abortafacient contraceptive or premarital chastity not being any big deal.

So, if one were consistent, if they insist on throwing out the Apocrypha because the Jews did after Jerusalem was destroyed, they'd throw out the New Testament that the Jews don't accept as well. Either the Jews retained authority over the Scripture or they didn't. If they did, there goes the New Testament, and if they didn't there isn't even a shadow of an reason to throw out the Apocrypha that Christ never criticized but did quote. Lack of consistency is actually one of the many huge beams in the eyes of the Self Alone folks, not in the eye of the Catholic Church.

As believers through faith, Christians accept what Scripture says when it says to obey your prelates. They accept what Scripture says about each one having a role and no one being the entire body. They accept the hierarchy of authority clearly created by the Apostles in the New Testament and they accept that just like Moses had a chair, Peter had a chair and like the chair of Moses, that authority is passed down through future generations. They accept that they are not the head of the body free to determine all things with no direction from the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Jesus Christ Himself founded to provide His sheep with shepherds and instruction. That's faith in Christ and His Word. Anything else is part of the strong delusion of SELF ALONE because it imitates Eve, not Christ.

60 posted on 03/20/2013 8:31:43 PM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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