Vatican Pronouncement

Vatican Pronouncement

The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church, has caused quite a stir in pluralistic, modern America. They declared that "only faithful Catholics can attain full salvation..., and that other beliefs, including Protestant Christian ones, (are) inferior." This flies in the face of current American thinking. In a society where nothing is counted wrong except to think you are right, this is considered the height of arrogance. When we are constantly told that we can't be absolutely sure of anything religious, ethical or moral, (except that we can't be sure), a declaration that one is right is outrageous.

Current thinking says that all religions are equally acceptable to God. (Many of the promoters of this vies are not sure there really is a personal God). Most "Christian" bodies hold that "one church is as good as the other." The "thought" leaders go to great extremes to convince us that there are many worthy aspects of Hinduism, Islam, etc. that Christians ought to embrace and incorporate into their faith. Many New Age cults do just that. This is not a new approach to religion. It was widely practiced among the ancients. Its called syncretism, the blending of two or more systems of religion. God's prophets in ancient Israel fought endlessly against those Hebrews who would compromise the faith of Jehovah with that of their pagan neighbors (See Amos 8:11-14). Some of them, like modern Americans, enjoyed mixing a little paganism with their Jehovah worship.

Modern pluralism has no basis in Scripture. It is the child of modern philosophy that argues that all things are relative and nothing is absolute. Folks who hold that Christianity is just another human superstition, have no problem accepting any or all other religions as equally valid superstitions. Those who refuse to acknowledge the Bible as divinely given; whose authority must be respected and adhered to; have no problem casting it aside to embrace other systems One group they cannot bring themselves to love and respect; those pesky evangelical Christians who take their religion seriously, striving to be all that Christ wants them to be.

Frankly I am glad that Rome clarified its stand. Perhaps some of the fuzzy thinking, overly optimistic, Protestants will finally figure out that the ecumenical movement is really one way street who destination is Rome. On the other hand, I am glad to know that at judgment day, it is Christ, not the pope or the Curia who will judge us and assign our eternal reward (Matt.25:31-46). Upon reading this passage one notes that it says a lot about living the Christ-like life, but nothing about membership in the Roman Catholic church.

Of course I disagree with the Vatican Pronouncement. But I have always understood that an organization claiming to be incapable of mistake, could never change views held for over a thousand years. For myself, I will take my chances by simply reading and obeying the New Testament of Christ. I will worship him in spirit and in truth as did the first Christians, long before the earliest missionaries reached Rome; and centuries before emperor Pocus declared Boniface III to be the first pope of the all the churches (607 AD).

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