Top Southern Baptist official criticizes Pope Francis

[coachkfan1]

“What these interviews seem continually to do is what evangelical theologian Carl Henry warned Protestants of in the 20th century, of severing the love of God from the holiness of God,” wrote the Rev. Russell Moore, a past dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and head of the convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. “We must speak with tenderness and gentleness, but with an authoritative word from God.”

I know that it is tempting to say “who cares”, but this is an example of the misunderstanding that many are getting from the Pope’s interviews. The article also mentions the alarm of many Traditional Catholics at these comments that many believe are on the verge of relativism.

washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-stirs-debate-yet-again-with-interview-with-an-atheist-italian-journalist/2013/10/01/9e7a6790-2acb-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_print.html

 

[Lost_Sheep]

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is this to be interpreted to mean, say, a woman who is pregnant with a severely deformed child can get an abortion because she thinks she is doing a “good thing”?

 

[coachkfan1]

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is this to be interpreted to mean, say, a woman who is pregnant with a severely deformed child can get an abortion because she thinks she is doing a “good thing”?

I have said on here before that these interviews are causing MUCH CONFUSION! And now I am just confused about how I feel about the things that are being said.

 

[DaveBj]

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is this to be interpreted to mean, say, a woman who is pregnant with a severely deformed child can get an abortion because she thinks she is doing a “good thing”?

Is the quotation in the first paragraph from Pope Francis, or from the Baptist official?

 

[coachkfan1]

Is the quotation in the first paragraph from Pope Francis, or from the Baptist official?

The quote about each of us having a vision of good and evil is from the Pope. The bold quotation in the OP is from the Baptist official. There is a link to read the whole article.

 

[Petaro]

Is not the Pope saying we should follow our conscience? Such teachings are unheard of in our catholic faith? Get off his case and show some loyalty. This Pope is not deserting the ship, he is changing the trajectory of the turret towards a more inclusive church centered on the poor, the alienated and us sinners.

 

[catholictiger]

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is this to be interpreted to mean, say, a woman who is pregnant with a severely deformed child can get an abortion because she thinks she is doing a “good thing”?

I think the article took his words out of context here.

 

[seagal]

Is not the Pope saying we should follow our conscience? Such teachings are unheard of in our catholic faith? Get off his case and show some loyalty. This Pope is not deserting the ship, he is changing the trajectory of the turret towards a more inclusive church centered on the poor, the alienated and us sinners.

The key is a properly formed conscience, which makes a big difference in this relativistic society.

 

[bilop]

The key is a properly formed conscience, which makes a big difference in this relativistic society.

Correct. If you follow a malformed conscience you sin.

If your conscience tells you it’s a good thing to sleep with your neighbor’s wife, you still commit mortal sin.

God Bless

 

[KrazyKat]

Each individual interprets the statements of others using our own “leanings”. If you are looking to find evil, you will find it. If you are looking to find good, you will find it.

If you are looking for the truth the Holy Spirit will show you The Way.

Confusion and uneasiness are tools that come from Satan.

 

[triumphguy]

I don’t know how the Pope’s words could cause confusion.

• Believe that he is entirely orthodox.
• Believe that he is guided by the Holy Spirit.
• Believe that his aim is to make us think about the Mercy of God, and our role as Catholics in the world.
• Believe that he is challenging us to shed safety (whether as a liberal, or conservative) for right action.

 

[johnnyc176]

The key is a properly formed conscience, which makes a big difference in this relativistic society.

Exactly. We are talking about a society that is not only looking for approval of sin but is denying what sin is at all.

 

[bilop]

I don’t know how the Pope’s words could cause confusion.

• Believe that he is entirely orthodox.
• Believe that he is guided by the Holy Spirit.
• Believe that his aim is to make us think about the Mercy of God, and our role as Catholics in the world.
• Believe that he is challenging us to shed safety (whether as a liberal, or conservative) for right action.

And I believe those things. But, where I think he errs is we do not need to “shed safety”, we need to cling to the safety of Holy Mother Church with all our might.

Salvation for most everyone who will be saved, will come from the “safety” of the Truth the Church teaches, and has always taught, and the Grace of God through the salvific power of her Sacraments.

God Bless

 

[Back2Church]

this is an example of the misunderstanding that many are getting from the Pope’s interviews.

I question how many people complaining about what the pope said actually read what the pope said. I haven’t read this latest interview yet, but in every single issue so far, people seems to by shouting about what they read in a secular newspaper about what the pope said, rather than reading the source document for themselves in its entirety.

 

[bilop]

I question how many people complaining about what the pope said actually read what the pope said. I haven’t read this latest interview yet, but in every single issue so far, people seems to by shouting about what they read in a secular newspaper about what the pope said, rather than reading the source document for themselves in its entirety.

Right. The people who are complaining are not saying they believe the Pope holds unorthodox views. They are complaining that he is speaking in a way that makes it easy for the media to misreport and manipulate his words to give the impression of relativism and indifferentism, where none exists.

People are criticizing the Pope’s prudence, not his orthodoxy.

God Bless

 

[triumphguy]

And I believe those things. But, where I think he errs is we do not need to “shed safety”, we need to cling to the safety of Holy Mother Church with all our might.

Salvation for most everyone who will be saved, will come from the “safety” of the Truth the Church teaches, and has always taught, and the Grace of God through the salvific power of her Sacraments.

God Bless

Not the safety of the church, but the safety of our habits, our preferences and our needs to feel safe.

 

[estesbob]

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is this to be interpreted to mean, say, a woman who is pregnant with a severely deformed child can get an abortion because she thinks she is doing a “good thing”?

He was speaking to an atheist. He was encouraging him and all atheists to move towards the good-where, as he knows, they will find God.

 

[triumphguy]

Right. The people who are complaining are not saying they believe the Pope holds unorthodox views. They are complaining that he is speaking in a way that makes it easy for the media to misreport and manipulate his words to give the impression of relativism and indifferentism, where none exists.

People are criticizing the Pope’s prudence, not his orthodoxy.

God Bless

I don’t think we have the right to question his prudence.

He is holding the light to OUR consciences, not vice versa.

 

[robwar]

I have said on here before that these interviews are causing MUCH CONFUSION! And now I am just confused about how I feel about the things that are being said.

Remember that some of these interviews are not exactly translated well from Italian to English and we have a secular press that definitely want twist and distort anything Holy Father says. Likewise some of these interviews are being done with atheists reporters who the Holy Father was trying to reach to.

 

[bilop]

I don’t think we have the right to question his prudence.

He is holding the light to OUR consciences, not vice versa.

No, we have that right, though we should of course strive to view his actions in the best possible light. But, the Pope is not impeccable. Pope’s have done many, many imprudent, and even sinful things over the last 1980 years.

God Bless