Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Roman Catholics: Beware!

According to this document from the Vatican website:

1.2. Communications

The technological revolution in communications over the last few years has brought about a completely new situation. The ease and speed with which people can now communicate is one of the reasons why New Age has come to the attention of people of all ages and backgrounds, and many who follow Christ are not sure what it is all about. The Internet, in particular, has become enormously influential, especially with younger people, who find it a congenial and fascinating way of acquiring information. But it is a volatile vehicle of misinformation on so many aspects of religion: not all that is labelled “Christian” or “Catholic” can be trusted to reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church and, at the same time, there is a remarkable expansion of New Age sources ranging from the serious to the ridiculous. People need, and have a right to, reliable information on the differences between Christianity and New Age.

(Emphasis added)

Dave Armstrong's site has a Catholic label. Can it be trusted to reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church?

Of course, the same Vatican web domain claims that this is Roman Catholic dogma:
The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God.

5. Cf St. Gregory VII, letter XXI to Anzir (Nacir), King of Mauritania (Pl. 148, col. 450f.)
But Dave denies that Moslems worship the same god as the Roman Catholics, or that Islam submits to the decrees of the same God as Abraham. Notice the definite article in English ("the one God") - though obviously the "official version" would be in Latin which lacks the definite article. Likewise, notice the capitalization of God and Himself, as well as the affirmation that this God is "the Creator" (capital "C"). But perhaps you will say that "official version" is all capitals (and who knows, perhaps it is).

Ah, but here's the referenced language from the the letter of Gregory VII to Anzir:
This affection we and you owe to each other in a more peculiar way than to people of other races because we worship and confess the same God though in diverse forms and daily praise and adore him as the creator and ruler of this world. For, in the words of the Apostle, "He is our peace who hath made both one."
(source)
But Dave disagrees, insisting that I should not "ignorantly demand" that he answer questions about "my faith" (to wit, his religion) any particular way.

Consistent Roman Catholics Beware!

-Turretinfan

P.S. Quasi-Unrelated: is the President of Georgetown a Catholic, how about a consistent Catholic? (link)

P.P.S. Thanks dear Anonymous reader for the "not"!

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