Legalism

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A very conservative Baptist friend of mine has expressed the opinion that the Catholic Church is caught up in legalism and therefore not following the teachings of the Bible. I’ve tried and for the life of me I can’t understand this. I don’t want to be defensive but I do want an appropriate response to her opinion.
 
Here is a ten page essay on the Church’s precise medical requirements regarding the male’s production of semen in order to be eligible for marriage according to God’s divine law. This is probably typical of the kind of Church law that fundamentalists regard as “legalism”. Here is what the author of this essay, Thomas J. O’Donnell, S.J., has to say about the accusation of legalism:
These distinctions may seem dry and technical, legalistic and perhaps even too biological; but it must be remembered that the beauty and holiness of Christian marriage is much more than this. But even these prosaic elements are important. To ignore them may seem to give wider range to short term goals, but at the same time ultimately distort and destroy what the holiness and happiness of marriage is meant to be.
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To me, Bapist requirements for re-baptism of already baptized Christians seems pretty legalistic.
 
Thanks, you are both right on the money but, as I said, I don’t want to start a war; just have a sensible answer in defense of my faith. This legalism thing seems to be a great hammering point for certain conservatives. Living so near to Southern Baptist Seminary doesn’t help!
 
Joanne B:
A very conservative Baptist friend of mine has expressed the opinion that the Catholic Church is caught up in legalism and therefore not following the teachings of the Bible. I’ve tried and for the life of me I can’t understand this. I don’t want to be defensive but I do want an appropriate response to her opinion.
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Just a point of clarification, when non-Catholics talk of legalism, it is usually not with respect to following law, or legalities. Legalism is generally spoken of in terms of requiring a believer to do things that are outside of the law. In other words, requiring the believer to do what God/His word does not require.

So your Baptist friend probably has in mind the RCC sacraments, etc., that are not considered bibilical by the Baptist, nor other Protestants. I would suggest you ask her for a clarification of what she means by “legalism,” and she will probably respond as I have said.

Hope that helps.

Sandusky
 
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sandusky:
So your Baptist friend probably has in mind the RCC sacraments, etc., that are not considered bibilical by the Baptist, nor other Protestants. I would suggest you ask her for a clarification of what she means by “legalism,” and she will probably respond as I have said.

Hope that helps.

Sandusky
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Yes, that is probably true. Having worked for the government, when I hear the word “legalism,” I think of books upon books filled with the Codes of Federal Regulations, which are in themselves written to implement legislation which might only be a few paragraphs long. And from the CFR’s there are hundreds of operating manuals written!

Then I think of the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, which is contained in one volume, and I think, wow, that’s it? That governs the Church for the whole world?

Compared to the feds, the Church runs a loose operation.

But I agree, your friend is most likely thinking of the sacraments and liturgical matters as legalistic add-ons.
 
Joanne B:
A very conservative Baptist friend of mine has expressed the opinion that the Catholic Church is caught up in legalism and therefore not following the teachings of the Bible. I’ve tried and for the life of me I can’t understand this. I don’t want to be defensive but I do want an appropriate response to her opinion.
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You do not need to be defensive. Let your friend be defensive. You ask the questions, let your friend to the talking.

Ask questions like, "what do you mean by the word “legalism?”

Remember, the Baptist religion might be based on the Bible, but the Catholic religion is not. The reason the Catholic religion is not based on the Bible, at least the New Testament, is because the New Testament came from the Catholic Church. In other words, the New Testament is based on the Catholic religion.
 
Baptists usually mean legalism is to obey every part of God’s law. So, in condeming legalism, they are teaching it doesn’t matter if we sin.

What the bible really says is the the old Testament Law could not save a person, and by save I mean make that person a child of God wich gives them the right to heaven. If the Jews followed the law, they could certainly escape hell, but it still did not give them the right to heaven.
Through the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection we received this right to heaven, the grace of salvation, when we are baptized.
This is the teaching handed down from the apostles, and the Church Fathers.

Baptists think they are saved the moment they believe.
Baptists further deny that we have to obey God after we have been saved. (legalism) Most are taught, once saved always saved.
But, there is tremendous variated among them.
 
Some insightful posts above. Another possible thought for consideration.

We distinguish between divine law and merely ecclesiastical law of course. Not all the laws of the Church are contained in the codes of the Latin and the Eastern Churches. There’s liturgical law, the particular laws of dioceses, etc., the proper laws of institutes of consecrated life.

But I think it’s helpful to remember the context in which we do understand the code, and it kind of explains the role of laws in the Church which are only disciplinary.

(Of course, we can’t hedge on divine law. As revealed truth, we have to embrace it. That’s why we have the sacramental economy and Mass, a hierachy, etc.)

This was explained in the apostolic constitution, Sacrae Disciplinae Leges (January 25, 1983), by Pope John Paul II:

“the Code is in no way intended as a substitute for faith, grace and the charisms in the life of the Church and of the faithful. On the contrary, its purpose is rather to create such an order in the ecclesial society that, while assigning the primacy to faith, grace and the charisms, it at the same time renders easier their organic development in the life both of the ecclesial society and of the individual persons who belong to it. The Code, as the principal legislative document of the Church, founded on the juridical - legislative heritage of Revelation and Tradition, is to be regarded as an indispensable instrument to ensure order both in individual and social life, and also in the Church’s activity itself.”

As canon 1752 says in part, “the salvation of souls . . .must always be the supreme law of the Church.”
 
These would be the same Baptists who will not allow a sip of alcohol, a cigarette, no cards/gambling, and then there is dancing. Dancing is near the top of grevious sins for Baptists… And they call Catholics legalists???
 
**This is a complaint often voiced by non-Catholics, as well as Catholics who are no longer practicing their faith…They usually mean that the Catholic Church appears to have too many rules…It reaches into every facet of one’s life…including the bedroom. Those who make this point feel that a legalistic approach to faith gets in the way of true faith.

The interesting thing is that the fundamental protestants are just as “legalistic” as they percieve Cathoics to be…Just about different things…
**
 
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