Legalism

[yesukristus]

This term comes up often in Protestant literature. I believe it means too strict an adherence to laws. Do we Catholics have a term/concept similar to it?

 

[LilyM]

Hmmm … as far as I know, we tend to use the same term ourselves, but also use the term ‘scrupulosity’, which is a bit like the spiritual version of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Many scrupulous persons are plagued with thoughts that if they don’t say their prayers in exactly the ‘right’ way, or make their confession in exactly the ‘right’ way they’ll be ineffective/invalid.

They are also plagued by constant thoughts that they are in a state of mortal sin, either due to doubts about the validity of their confessions or due to thinking they’ve broken some ‘rule’ or other without realising it.

 

[JustaServant]

“Don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t go with girls who do…”

 

[MarcoPolo]

You have 2 good answers already. I don’t think there is an official Catholic term for it, but it is basically “Pharisaic” mentality. It is when one thinks simply by going through the motions of a ritual one is saved----apart from transformation of the heart. With regard to the effect of sacraments, Catholics teach both form and matter is important as well as the individual cooperating with the grace imparted. Many non-Catholics assume sacraments are strictly “going through motions” which we don’t believe, but it’s what they impose on us.

 

[anon49823460]

Don’t protestants (evangelicals) imply that Catholicism is “Legalistic”? Is there a religion that is legalistic?

 

[Della]

Don’t protestants (evangelicals) imply that Catholicism is “Legalistic”? Is there a religion that is legalistic?

You know it’s funny about that because when I was within the Evangelical/Pentecostal side of Christianity we prided ourselves on not being legalistic. Now that’s downright ironic to begin with. Anyway, there were many people who appointed themselves the “true spirituality police”. They would gossip amongst themselves about who was truly spiritual and who wasn’t simply by outward appearances. One had to tow the line or be suspect, or worse, ostracized. So, I dare any Evangelical to call me legalistic for practicing my Catholic faith. I’d be glad to point out the plank in their own eye.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Don’t protestants (evangelicals) imply that Catholicism is “Legalistic”? Is there a religion that is legalistic?

Some do. Some that come to mind who use the “legalistic” term are John MacArthur and Michael Youssef. From what I’ve heard from them over the years (which includes quite a few of their sermons on morning radio) they are quite opposed to the efficacy of sacraments or even a norm like having to go to mass on Sunday.

Off-hand, I don’t know of a Christian sect that would consider themselves saved by doing x, y, z apart from a change in inner disposition and real love for Christ. Although in practice some of the ones who believe one must complete the altar call and can never lose his salvation after that are, in practice, legalists.

 

[JustaServant]

“Don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t go with girls who do…”

Legalism was a term I heard quite often in fundamentalism. The ‘camp’ I belonged to (Liberty University, Jerry Falwell) always spoke of the danger of falling into other camps of fundamentalism that were ‘legalistic’.
Note: I actually heard of a Baptist church in Pa. that literally measured women’s skirts at the door.
It usually involved the kind of clothes you wore, the kind of music you listened to, which Bible version you preferred, whether or not you went to movies or watched TV.
Note II: I actually knew a preacher in Pa. who took his TV into the backyard of the church and blew it away with a shotgun!!
Now these things, as they would point out, had nothing to do with your salvation. OSAS still applied, but you were considered at a ‘different level’ of your saved status.

So, the legalists would proudly proclaim the above quote.
But of course, who wants to go with a girl that chews tobacco anyway?

 

[CSJ]

Don’t protestants (evangelicals) imply that Catholicism is “Legalistic”? Is there a religion that is legalistic?

Those who do believe that Catholics are legalistic have a misunderstanding of the Catholic faith. They are misconceived in thinking that Catholics believe we can “work” our way into Heaven, which is not at all the case. They simply misunderstand the the doctrine of justification. Protestants believe that it is by “faith alone” whereas Catholics believe that a man is not justified by faith alone but by faith and works (James 2:24). These works are not works of the law - they are our faith working in love. Sometimes, the call to obedience is mistakenly seen as legalism, but even Jesus stated that "if you love me, you will obey my commandments (John 14:15).

Obedience is part of sanctification, but I will digress on this point because it begins to get into other misunderstood Catholic doctrines.

Every faith becomes legalistic (on a personal level) when it is exercised out of duty rather than love. The more we develop our relationship with God, the more we act out of love.

CSJ