Honoring Other Faiths

[consumedconvert]

I’d like some constructive comment on this, and I realize that it will turn into a debate thread at some point. But that’s okay by me, as long as I get at least a few constructive comments.

Thanks be to God, I’m scheduled to assist in RCIA this next year and I’m studying up for it. My understanding of why we should respect other religions is as follows. I have to get this one right, so I’ll be studying for some time.

1. God is the source of all Truth. Indeed, Christ is Truth.
2. The Catholic Church is a flawless reflection of Christ’s Truth. If God’s Truth is likened to the Sun, then Catholicism can be likened to mirror which perfectly reflects that sun. This is not to say that Catholicism knows all Truth, simply that it perfectly reflects all revealed Truth.
3. Other Faiths–Christian and non-Christian–contain varying levels of partial truth. Thus, they are partial reflections of the Truth.
4. Because of this, we should rightly honor those features of that religion which reflect Catholic Truth. For instance, it is only fitting to honor the Islamic dedication to prayer. It is also fitting to honor the Methodist Church’s belief in Baptism. Both reflect a Catholic Catholoc Truth partially; and thus what is Catholic Truth in them should be honored.
5. Those religions which hold more closely to Catholic Truth are to be regarded as more intrinsically related to the Catholic Church and more worthy of just praise. For instance, Methodists are much closer to Catholic Truth than Muslems.
6. While honoring other Religions and showing them respect, it is essential to never play-down our own Catholic bleliefs or identity, but rather use them as central reference point for inter-faith discussion–and never to descend to a false ecumenism of religious indifferentism. Indeed, our firm belief that only Catholicism holds the fullness of Revealed Truth must be clearly stated to our friends of other Faiths, and our reasons for believing so explained.

Thoughts? How might I better or more clearly express myself on this matter?

CC

 

[Dauphin]

I think this is wrong. By this logic, we should honor Satanism since it acknowledges the existence of Satan, which is an element of Catholic truth.

No religion with even a kernel of falsehood in it should be praised or honored. We can accept and promote the truth contained in the religion, but we should never give blanket praise to a false religion.

 

[consumedconvert]

I think this is wrong. By this logic, we should honor Satanism since it acknowledges the existence of Satan, which is an element of Catholic truth.

No religion with even a kernel of falsehood in it should be praised or honored. We can accept and promote the truth contained in the religion, but we should never give blanket praise to a false religion.

I didn’t say “Blanket Praise.”

I you could actually, in a way, pay a compliment to Satanists. Simply by saying, “Satanism containst some truth, sicne Satanists are not materialists, and they do not deny the existence of an adversarial supernatural being.” Of course, that’s just about as far as you could go.

I once read a blurb by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, who described how how he was invited to speak at a Unitarian Church on what Unitarians and Catholics have in common. He said it was a short sermon.

 

[JuanCarlos]

Since Catholicism is the only religion in which salvation is found, by extension all other religions all lead to hell. Not to say every material non-Catholic is going to hell, but those who seem to be outside the Church who will be saved will only be saved by ignorance.

Given this, to praise a false religion is give implicit consent for its existence, and thus giving implicit consent for things that damn people’s souls. While it may be charitable to withhold sharp condemnation of other people’s religions on the grounds that it actually would deter them form Catholicism, that doesn’t men one should go whole hog and praise them

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I’d like some constructive comment on this, and I realize that it will turn into a debate thread at some point. But that’s okay by me, as long as I get at least a few constructive comments.

Thanks be to God, I’m scheduled to assist in RCIA this next year and I’m studying up for it. My understanding of why we should respect other religions is as follows. I have to get this one right, so I’ll be studying for some time.

1. God is the source of all Truth. Indeed, Christ is Truth.
2. The Catholic Church is a flawless reflection of Christ’s Truth. If God’s Truth is likened to the Sun, then Catholicism can be likened to mirror which perfectly reflects that sun. This is not to say that Catholicism knows all Truth, simply that it perfectly reflects all revealed Truth.
3. Other Faiths–Christian and non-Christian–contain varying levels of partial truth. Thus, they are partial reflections of the Truth.
4. Because of this, we should rightly honor those features of that religion which reflect Catholic Truth. For instance, it is only fitting to honor the Islamic dedication to prayer. It is also fitting to honor the Methodist Church’s belief in Baptism. Both reflect a Catholic Catholoc Truth partially; and thus what is Catholic Truth in them should be honored.
5. Those religions which hold more closely to Catholic Truth are to be regarded as more intrinsically related to the Catholic Church and more worthy of just praise. For instance, Methodists are much closer to Catholic Truth than Muslems.
6. While honoring other Religions and showing them respect, it is essential to never play-down our own Catholic bleliefs or identity, but rather use them as central reference point for inter-faith discussion–and never to descend to a false ecumenism of religious indifferentism. Indeed, our firm belief that only Catholicism holds the fullness of Revealed Truth must be clearly stated to our friends of other Faiths, and our reasons for believing so explained.

Thoughts? How might I better or more clearly express myself on this matter?

CC

I would disagree with the idea that we honor those religions. We would recognize (not honor) an element of truth in those religions. We could admire certain practices such as a Muslim’s dedication to prayer or the Mormon focus on family life. We should respect those persons who are adherents to those religions while disagreeing with their beliefs.

I think your mirror analogy in #1,2,and 3 above is a good one.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I didn’t say “Blanket Praise.”

I you could actually, in a way, pay a compliment to Satanists. Simply by saying, “Satanism containst some truth, sicne Satanists are not materialists, and they do not deny the existence of an adversarial supernatural being.” Of course, that’s just about as far as you could go.

I once read a blurb by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, who described how how he was invited to speak at a Unitarian Church on what Unitarians and Catholics have in common. He said it was a short sermon.

The only truth about Satanism is they believe in the devil and that’s not a compliment. Satanists are power-hungry people who want temporal power and who are deluded and believe they will reign with Satan in hell (and will enjoy it). They don’t think Satan is their adversary. Big mistake.

 

[consumedconvert]

The only truth about Satanism is they believe in the devil and that’s not a compliment. Satanists are power-hungry people who want temporal power and who are deluded and believe they will reign with Satan in hell (and will enjoy it). They don’t think Satan is their adversary. Big mistake.

“Adversarial” was in reference to “Adversarial to God.”

I was a bit tongue-in-cheek here. I said compliment, sort of. I considered saying “Backhanded compliment.” Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that all religions (okay, the vast majority since I am not aware of all of them–please don’t attack with an unkown tiki religion of a small island in the Pacific) have some grain of truth in them, however minute.

I was never praising Satanism. I was saying that you could describe two truths that we share with them. That much is true. That we generally fall on opposite sides of those issues is another truth.

CC

 

[tcraig]

I would disagree with the idea that we honor those religions. We would recognize (not honor) an element of truth in those religions. We could admire certain practices such as a Muslim’s dedication to prayer or the Mormon focus on family life. We should respect those persons who are adherents to those religions while disagreeing with their beliefs.

I agree with this. And everything should always be done in charity, because no matter that others may follow a false religion they are still created in the image of God.

 

[consumedconvert]

I agree with this. And everything should always be done in charity, because no matter that others may follow a false religion they are still created in the image of God.

I wonder if the title of this thread is not misleading. Sorry.

I think we’re saying pretty much the same thing in two different ways. We can certainly (it seems to me) honor and praise aspects of a given faith because they are part of the Catholic Truth (aka Universal Truth). But by honoring a part of their faith, aren’t we honoring their faith? Can I honor the Methodists’ belief in Baptism without honoring Methodism for believing in Baptism? I think perhaps we’re simply coming at this from different semantic angles.

Of course “honoring aspects of others’ faiths/honring others faiths” must be done while maintaining our identity and stating, charitably, our disagreements when appropriate.

And I certainly agree with the bolded statement above.