Well, I'm Catholic now

[Randy_Carson]

Here’s the post I referred to earlier.

Would you say that this “mere Christianity” of which you speak the kerygma upon which catechesis is built?

 

[Duane1966]

Tim was the single person most responsible for catalyzing my intellectual/aesthetic interest in Catholicism into an active interest in converting. I do owe it to him to let him know that I finally did it.

Edwin

Thought it was me. Was I number two?

 

[Contarini]

Would you say that this “mere Christianity” of which you speak the kerygma upon which catechesis is built?

Maybe. I’d say that it consists of the doctrines that Catholics would regard as principal within the “hierarchy of truths”–the ancient doctrines found in the Creeds, which are accepted by East and West and were not rejected by most of the mainstream Protestant Reformers.

Of course, Protestants vary widely in how much of the Deposit of Faith they hold on to. That’s why “mere Christianity” is rather nebulous, and particularly unhelpful on controversial points.

Edwin

 

[Church_Militant]

Maybe. I’d say that it consists of the doctrines that Catholics would regard as principal within the “hierarchy of truths”–the ancient doctrines found in the Creeds, which are accepted by East and West and were not rejected by most of the mainstream Protestant Reformers.

Of course, Protestants vary widely in how much of the Deposit of Faith they hold on to. That’s why “mere Christianity” is rather nebulous, and particularly unhelpful on controversial points.

Edwin

Very good answer!

 

[Porknpie]

Here’s the post I referred to earlier.

Edwin, I read through the link above where you mention that you are liberal on women’s ordination but conservative on gay marraige, I then went to your blog to see if you’ve written anything in these areas. I found one writing on gay marraige but nothing on women’s ordination. Is there a women’s ordination writing on your blog that I’m not finding?

 

[Contarini]

Edwin, I read through the link above where you mention that you are liberal on women’s ordination but conservative on gay marraige, I then went to your blog to see if you’ve written anything in these areas. I found one writing on gay marraige but nothing on women’s ordination. Is there a women’s ordination writing on your blog that I’m not finding?

I have meant to write something for a while. Now that I’m Catholic, the difficulties of rightly expressing my view have only increased, so I had almost given up on the idea.

I am never going to contradict firmly something proposed by the Church to be firmly held, as the male-only priesthood is. My own private theological judgment is that the arguments against women’s ordination aren’t very convincing. I have expressed that view quite often on this forum, but you’re right, I haven’t written it on my blog.

One of the problems with this forum for me (and now with FB) has always been that it distracts me from actual blogging. I find it much easier to respond impromptu to other people’s posts than to write something semi-permanent on a “blank sheet of paper” as it were.

Edwin

 

[PRmerger]

I am never going to contradict firmly something proposed by the Church to be firmly held, as the male-only priesthood is. My own private theological judgment is that the arguments against women’s ordination aren’t very convincing.

This is humble and prudent.

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, for a man may be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem, without doubting that it admits an answer.”–Cardinal Newman

Like you’re a college student in a Calc 3 class. You know the professor has the right answer. You just can’t get it. So it’s your job to wrestle with the problem…until you come to the same answer as the professor.

 

[Techno2000]

This is humble and prudent.

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, for a man may be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem, without doubting that it admits an answer.”–Cardinal Newman

Like you’re a college student in a Calc 3 class. You know the professor has the right answer. You just can’t get it. So it’s your job to wrestle with the problem…until you come to the same answer as the professor.

The answer is, if God wanted to make woman priest he would have made Mary one.

 

[Contarini]

The answer is, if God wanted to make woman priest he would have made Mary one.

And any answer speculating about what God would have done is pretty certain to be a really bad one.

This is an excellent example of what I mean by the arguments being unpersuasive, though not all of them are quite as bad as this.

Edwin

 

[Peter_J]

I find it much easier to respond impromptu to other people’s posts than to write something semi-permanent on a “blank sheet of paper” as it were.

Edwin

I hear that. I haven’t even attempted to write anything for my blog (which oddly enough is called Mere Catholicism) in years.

 

[Peter_J]

My own private theological judgment is that the arguments against women’s ordination aren’t very convincing.

I’m a conservative – on this issue and in general – but I’ll readily admit that sometimes I feel sabotaged (as it were) by some of my fellow conservatives. Like referring to women’s ordination as “laying hands on hairspray”.

 

[Porknpie]

I have meant to write something for a while. Now that I’m Catholic, the difficulties of rightly expressing my view have only increased

Well perhaps with time this will become easier. Sometimes we have to chose our words carefully, and in the right time & season.

Should make for an interesting blog post.

 

[qui_est_ce]

This is humble and prudent.

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, for a man may be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem, without doubting that it admits an answer.”–Cardinal Newman

Like you’re a college student in a Calc 3 class. You know the professor has the right answer. You just can’t get it. So it’s your job to wrestle with the problem…until you come to the same answer as the professor.

I like this answer.

 

[Wannano]

This is humble and prudent.

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, for a man may be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem, without doubting that it admits an answer.”–Cardinal Newman

Like you’re a college student in a Calc 3 class. You know the professor has the right answer. You just can’t get it. So it’s your job to wrestle with the problem…until you come to the same answer as the professor.

In my high school math class our teacher was anxious one day to prove to the class that through mathematical equations 1 can equal 0. He tried and tried to write it on the blackboard in front of the whole class and became exasperated when he could not make it work. When he finally gave up one of the top students in the class offered a suggestion and sure enough it solved the problem and now 1 was indeed shown to equal 0 by mathematical processing. Then the teacher got angry with the brilliant student. That was 1967 and I have never forgotten that experience!

 

[Wannano]

I believe I shared this earlier in the thread. You will find a number of posts on my blog that reflect my thinking over the years–this one, posted right after the other one, is my take on Protestant history written originally for Christianity Today (they never published it).

I’m working on another post now called “How Mere Christianity Made Me a Catholic.” I’ll link to it when I have it up.

I have now read through most of your blogs and have an appreciation for your viewpoint on most things.

 

[PRmerger]

In my high school math class our teacher was anxious one day to prove to the class that through mathematical equations 1 can equal 0. He tried and tried to write it on the blackboard in front of the whole class and became exasperated when he could not make it work. When he finally gave up one of the top students in the class offered a suggestion and sure enough it solved the problem and now 1 was indeed shown to equal 0 by mathematical processing. Then the teacher got angry with the brilliant student. That was 1967 and I have never forgotten that experience!

Are you making an analogy that sometimes the apostles need to tweak what the Master says?

 

[Herculees]

Welcome to the family!

 

[Wannano]

Are you making an analogy that sometimes the apostles need to tweak what the Master says?

I never meant to make an analogy about anything. I just was reminded of this experience when I read your post.

 

[PRmerger]

I never meant to make an analogy about anything. I just was reminded of this experience when I read your post.

Okey dokey.

So do you, as a non-Catholic Christian, understand the analogy that Cardinal Newman made?

 

[Wannano]

Okey dokey.

So do you, as a non-Catholic Christian, understand the analogy that Cardinal Newman made?

Honestly, I do not.