Quote:
Originally Posted by Mailman
…Catholics are free to believe [for now] the Genesis story as either a historical account or an allegorical teaching …
+The above post contains absolutely false teaching and information that is completely contrary to and not in accordance with The Catechism of the Catholic Church . . . the materials presented are liberal in the extreme . . . and deliberately undermine the **TRUTH and Truths **of Sacred :bible1: Scripture . . . which is to be believed in its totality . . . literally . . . historically . . . **and allegorically **
Are you accusing the author of the book I quoted from of spreading false [Catholic] teaching? Redford was ordained into the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1967. Here’s what the book further says about him: “He is the former editor of Faith Alive, an adult catechetical program and Director of the first Distance Learning theology degree in Britain. He is currently a parish priest of Hersden, Canterbury, and a lecturer at the Franciscan Study Centre in Canterbury.”
Now, what about you? What are your credentials that give you the right to accuse this priest, theologian and educator of the Catholic Church of false teaching? Are you by any chance an ordained minister also? By the way, in case you don’t already know, the
Nihil Obstat and
Imprimatur are official declarations of the Roman Catholic Church that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error.
The “Foreword” of the book was written by Avery Dulles, S.J. (another priest). Here’s some excerpt of what Dulles wrote:
“My interest in the present book dates back to the fall of 1997, when I was invited to give a lecture at the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England, where
the author of this book is on the staff as Director of the Divinity degree program. My first reaction, which I communicated to Father John Redford, was that this work, What Is Catholicism? Hard Questions – Straight Answers, spoke to issues that were at least as vital in the United States as in England, and that the book, if published on this side of the Atlantic, would fill a notable gap in the existing literature…
“To be accurate, this work of Father Redford’s is directed not simply against Protestant difficulties. In many respects it is a defense of normative Christianity against modern infidelity… Father Redford’s position on these matters will be
welcomed by all who continue to adhere to the essentials of the faith handed down from the apostles…
“This work is notable because
the author has thoroughly assimilated the spirit of Vatican II… He does not feel a compulsion to profess complete certitude about matters that are still open to discussion within the Catholic communion.
He is remarkably well-informed about the state of the current scholarship in many different fields.
He is familiar with contemporary exegesis and historiography; he is a prudent and experienced pastoral guide….
“For these and many other reasons, this book can be helpful to a broad range of persons, from the interested inquirer to the priest or theologian. I myself have learned many things from these pages, and my path to Catholic Christianity would no doubt have been shorter and smoother if I had had access to a work such as this some sixty years ago.”
As you can see, Dulles is full of praise for Redford’s work. But you find his views wrong? In effect, you are also accusing this other priest, Avery Dulles, of false teaching. That’s two ordained priests you have accused of false teaching. No – make that, four. Lest we forget, there are two more priests who have given approval to Redford’s work – the Censor Librorum, Rev. Anton Cowan and the Vicar General, Rev. David Norris who gave the Imprimatur.
Now, listen to this. The book asks, “Can you defend your faith without becoming tongue-tied or vacillating? Do you feel adequately prepared to explain Church teaching to anyone who asks?”
“Now you can,” it says. “If you want to know EXACTLY what the Church teaches and be able to share that knowledge with others, What Is Catholicism? with is easy-to-use index and bibliography, is
an ESSENTIAL reference guide to Catholic thought and teaching.”
But you are saying those are false Catholic teachings?
Redford says that, “They are Catholic doctrines that were part of the Church’s teaching authority long before the Catechism [new Catechism] was published, and expressed usually quite explicitly in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and in earlier councils. Above all,
they are doctrines that are given with the authority claimed by the Roman Catholic Church and express that authority in matters of faith and morals. The new Catechism has only brought these issues more sharply to mind, and has given all of us an invaluable resource for now and the years to come.”
Redford should know what he’s talking about. Unlike you, he’s an ordained minister of the church.
“The Scriptures should be believed in its totality – literally, historically and allegorically.” I don’t think there’s anyone in this world who does not take a passage in the Bible literally when he believes it should be taken literally and allegorically when he believes it is an allegorical teaching. What I’m trying to say is that your above statement does not make any sense.
