The RiddleBlog - A Good Reason Why Hal Lindsey and/or Jack Van Impe Should Follow Frank Beckwith to Rome
Related posts:
Ignatius Insight e-Letter
The Sorry State of American Evangelicalism
“When it comes to visible unity, it is time for us Protestants to admit that we have failed”
The Reality of Romanism
3 comments:
Speaking as a Protestant, I'd like to divert some of the criticism in the Beckwith incident away from Protestant evangelicalism to Beckwith himself (if I may). First, let me say I respect Dr. Beckwith and believe his conversion was thoughtful and honest. My criticisms flow from that fundamental presupposition. As I interpret the situation, I find nothing explicitly doctrinal that would necessitate Beckwith's leaving the ETS (as I posted earlier, Catholics have explicitly stated that they could agree to the ETS doctrinal statement). Beckwith has given several reasons for his leaving ETS, none of which, in my opinion, are weighty enough to counter the positive that could have come from his staying. In a real, concrete way, we could have witnessed the fruit of the many years of laboring that has occurred between Protestants and Catholics, especially through past theologians such as Barth, Congar, Bouyer, Tavard, and Cullmann, and present ones such as those who have worked on the ECT committee, in which we have realized (or so I thought) that there are things more common to us than is usually stereotyped. But instead, Beckwith resigns. He resigns from a Protestant organization. But, as I read the Catholic Catechism, Protestants - at least those who have not willingly left the Catholic Church - are considered in some way a part of the Catholic Church. So, for Beckwith, there is no reason to leave ETS just because it’s Protestant. In fact, he should be even more willing to stay, since, at least as I read the Catechism, ETS is part of the Catholic Church. And there is no reason to leave because of ETS's doctrinal statement, as I've already stated. He leaves for social reasons. But, I ask, do we actually think we'll be able to take any significant steps toward unity without ruffling some social feathers? What bothers me is why the feathers would be ruffled on the Protestants side...for all I can gather, it's just because he's Catholic. What an opportunity, as I see it, to bring some enlightenment to those Protestants - to see that Catholics and Protestants are in agreement, not just on social issues, but doctrinal issues, as well! But instead, Beckwith leaves. And what does he say by leaving? What does he declare by walking away from the ETS? This leaves me asking, how important is ecumenism to Beckwith? If this is the move from a Catholic convert - an unnecessary move doctrinally and theologically - how much does the Catholic Church REALLY care about us "estranged brethren", to engage us even when it may ruffle some social feathers, to teach us where we may have ignorance? But instead, Beckwith leaves (or runs away as his statements sometimes suggest). And he leaves making a profound statement, as I read it, that Protestants and Catholics have not progressed as far as we sometimes think. I don't think this is actually the case - or at least my faith doesn't allow me to think such is the case. And that is why I see Beckwith's actions as problematic - he may have converted to Catholicism, but he does not seem to embody the Catholic spirit by his departure so willingly from ETS.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2007/05/dealing-biblically-with-apostasy.html
Refer to my comments on the various posts of the Riddleblog which are linked on this post.
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