Statement by a Protestant about the Catholic Church:
I don't wish to create divisions in the church, but I am perfectly comfortable pointing out error where it exists.Response by Red Neck Woman over at Postscripts in her 5/31/08 post (Authority and Church Hierarchy):
By what authority?
I think this line of thinking is SO seductive. After all, what could be more simple that the Holy Spirit guiding me to Truth? What about those who are young in the faith? They have the same Holy Spirit. Right? Should they have the same authority to point out error? What if two good Christian people disagree? The same Holy Spirit is in both? How is it possible that they should then disagree? How is it possible that there are divisions in the Church? Well of course, the answer to that is sin! Right?
So....if I am right (because the Holy Spirit led me there) and you are wrong (and you say the Holy Spirit led you there) then one of us must not be hearing the Holy Spirit correctly. Right?
So this leads us to a very subtle sin of judging our brothers and sisters. Perhaps not even consciously. If I am right, it's because I hear the Holy Spirit better than you do because I sin less.
I'm just thinking that line of reasoning isn't at all in keeping with the teachings of Our Lord.
OR....does holiness and rightness go to the person with the best argument? Then is our faith a matter of intellectual prowess?
2 comments:
Ya know, this is a line of reasoning I always found really illogical in many Protestants, but it's a line they die on, because it DEFINES the necessity of the power and authority of One True Church. How many interpretations of one Bible passage can you have, for instance?
I agree -- I have been thinking about this a lot (obviously).
Lately I have been wondering if there are common key questions that bring people home to The Church.
"My Holy Spirit of Yous" is such a perfect example of, as you said it, "DEFINING the necessity of the power and authority of One True Church." Yet, it is ignored . . . much like Sola Scriptura (which is no where in the Bible).
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