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The following is an article written by Roy Galand in 'The Monday Column' in the IRISH NEWS on (24/05/2004) called 'Evangelicals 'are not free from sins'. It opened up a discussuion on the Roman Catholic Church in that paper on which the editor of this site was able to outline the evengelical perspective of the same church.
Evangelicals 'are not free from sins'"OUR desire is to bring the simple gospel of saving grace to the Roman Catholics of our country and to see them set free from the bondage of popery" - Reverend Ivan Foster 1987. Last week this paper announced a new Free Presbyterian initiative to convert 3,000 priests. Reverend David McIlveen believes a Catholic priest might be a Christian but he has never met one he considered to be such. This question exercises the minds of many born-again (evangelical) Protestants and generally the proposition is considered doubtful. Free Presbyterians and like-minded people believe Catholics can become Christian but cannot then remain Roman Catholics, as this would be a contradiction in terms. This view conflicts with the traditional Protestant view that the Catholic Church is a Christian Church, but in error. Free Presbyterians profess love of Catholic neighbours but express this by (occasionally) preaching 'the Gospel' to them. If the seed falls on good soil Catholics are converted and become good Protestants. But most Protestants are also lost sinners as is reflected during the July 12 Belfast Orange demonstration when a small band of evangelicals lead the procession from a distance displaying colourful gospel texts. 'Unsaved' Protestants are not necessarily 'ungodly' people who don't darken a church door but include most Protestants and their clergy. Nor are fundamentalist Protestants free from the prevailing sins that beset other people and churches. To be a Christian entails, they suggest, a personal encounter with Christ involving repentance for sin and a commitment to follow Jesus, although the admonition about turning cheeks is frequently seen as applicable primarily, if not exclusively, to the next life. It is even possible to go through the motions without real faith but a Christian need not doubt their salvation. One well-known tract spells out how Christians have "safety, certainty and enjoyment" that can never be taken away. But some other evangelicals believe they can backslide and fall away from the faith. In this sense Catholics are no different from Protestants - all face eternity in Hell - seen as a real place where God punishes conscious living beings by consigning them to unquenchable fire. 'Good preachers' are those who present a realistic image of never-ending torment as opposed to endless bliss in Heaven. Priests are somewhat different. One Free Presbyterian sermon, part of which remains engraved in my mind, suggested that priests are wicked and deserving of hatred because they mislead their people. David "notorious sinner but a man after God's own heart" hated God's enemies. In Psalm 139:22, he says "I hate them with a perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies". According to Rev Foster even Jesus hated certain doctrines. Priests deserve to be hated because they lead their people astray. In theory, as Pastor McIlveen says, a Christian Catholic priest is possible - but unlikely. Then again how many Free Presbyterians enter into dialogue with Roman Catholic priests? McIlveen refers to the south of Ireland as 'Our Samaria'. Samaria represents alien traditions and the central act of Catholic worship,performed by priests, is regarded as a form of blasphemy akin to worship of the heathen god Baal. An old book The Two Babylons (1916) by Alexander Hislop, popular with some Free Presbyterians seeks to explain the pagan origins of Catholic practices. Among other things Hislop tries to prove the Christian cross is actually a pagan symbol from ancient Egypt representing "the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians" a "sign of Tammuz, the false Messiah". WP Malcomson, an evangelical Protestant authored a book on the Royal Arch Purple. In Behind Closed Doors (1999) he quotes Hislop, the above critic of the Catholic Church, in support of his contention that the Arch Purple Degree is likewise pagan in origin. The Arch Purple is closely linked with the Orange Order and intrinsic to the Independent Orange Order. Malcomson calls on members to renounce the Arch Purple and resign from any institution that performs this degree. In this way Malcomson turns the supposed indictment of the Catholic Church on some of those who promote it bringing another scripture to mind, "judge not that you be not judged". Email: roy@irishnews.com Evangelical Response by Paul Malcomson
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