As we enter the new year, and naturally look to the future, think again of the struggle that is going on all the time between the Church and the powers of darkness. This review of Benson's The Lord of the World by my friend Fr. John McCloskey is a grim and sure reminder that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and the forces of wickedness in high places." The best thing about the review is an extended quotation from Newman about the great apostasy--which is putting personal experience above truth.
So Bl. John Henry Newman writes: (and remember Newman's writing is eloquent and dense--so it is worth reading and then re-reading)
Is there not a vigorous and united movement in all countries to cast down the Church of Christ from power and place? Is there not a feverish and ever-busy endeavor to get rid of the necessity of Religion in public transactions? … An attempt to educate without Religion? —that is, by putting all forms of Religion together, which comes to the same thing… An attempt to make expedience, and not truth, the end and the rule of measures of State and the enactments of Law? An attempt to make numbers, and not the Truth, the ground of maintaining, or not maintaining, this or that creed, as if we had any reason whatever in Scripture for thinking that the many will be in the right, and the few in the wrong? … An attempt to supersede Religion altogether, as far as it is external or objective, as far as it is displayed in ordinances, or can be expressed by written words — to confine it to our inward feelings, and thus, considering how variable, how evanescent our feelings are, an attempt, in fact, to destroy Religion? Surely, there is at this day a confederacy of evil, marshalling its hosts from all parts of the world, organizing itself, taking its measures, enclosing the Church of Christ as in a net, and preparing the way for a general Apostasy from it.
Now, and in the years to come we will see an increasing clarity in this struggle. Protestantism will move away from any pretense of being a supernatural religion. It will become one of three things: a dry exercise in fundamentalist Biblical exegesis applied in practical ways or it will be a superficially exciting blend of self help teaching and inspiring religious feelings or thirdly, it will be a fellowship of religiously inspired social activists. What it will not be is a supernatural religion claiming supernatural authority instituted on earth for the salvation of souls.
Catholics will also become clear about their mission. Those who have turned Catholicism into an inspiring self help program or a fellowship for social activism will die out. Their shallow religion will prove to be no religion at all, and those who desire this false religion will go to the Protestants where it will be done more effectively and efficiently. This new religion (which will grow out of Protestantism) will increasingly become the religion of the state. The anti-Christ state will realize that some religion is better than no religion at all, and as the Chinese have established a false Catholic Church, the American people will increasingly follow this hollow form of 'advanced' Protestantism.
The most insidious form of this new religion will be the evolution of 'conservative' Evangelicalism. It will lose it's Biblical roots and lose any sense of objectivity in moral or doctrinal teaching. The leaders will eschew all denominational affiliations and choose instead to graze among all the Christian teachers--taking a tradition here, a doctrine there, a worship practice here and a moral teaching there. Each one will be, even more than they have been in the past, a law unto themselves. Individual opinion and subjective sentiment will be their only guide. They will not be limited to Christian teaching, but will adopt and adapt Eastern religious practices and New Age practices as they seem to fit, and they will do so with slick marketing, high technology and attractive communication techniques.
As the old 'liberal' Protestantism dies out their social activism and moral laxity will be absorbed by this new syncretism. Trendy mega church pastors will make headlines for their work with the poor and their courage for setting up a church in the slums. They will campaign for women's rights and homosexual liberation. They will trumpet 'forgiveness' after divorce and remarriage, will admit that "sometimes abortion is a necessary solution to a difficult problem" and they will espouse contraception and overlook fornication and co habitation as "The way things are now." In other words, they will adopt all the positions of what we now term "liberalism" and they will do so while still wearing the coat of the "Evangelical Conservative." They will simply say they are "compassionate Conservatives."
In the midst of this, Catholicism will stand out as the only supernatural religion that remains. Because of this they world (and the false religions of the world) will join forces to oppose the Catholic faith. This situation will not be different than it has always been in the world.
It will simply be more obvious and transparent.
Father, these are perhaps the most moving words of yours that I have ever read. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDear Father,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right on the mark.
I find it interesting that "transparency" was or is one of Obama's buzzwords. He certainly is transparent in his wish to dismantle America, including the Catholic Church, the Pro-Life movement, and ordinary morality.
Thank you!
This past year I read "Father Elijah" for the first time. It's also a novel about the prophecies of our time. I was saddened to learn that many of the 'end time' trials of the Church will most likely come from within the Church itself. Liberalism and modernity are not just found outside the Church in Protestanism.
ReplyDeleteLike the politics of our country, the worst sabotaugers and enemies are within.
But the end is sure. Christ's Church is triumphant!
Happy New Year 2012...
The Year of Faith
Fr. I think your observations are partially right, but on the other hand classic Reformed Theology is having a big surge in the Evangelical Christian world, the two biggest selling "Systematic Theology" tomes are written by Wayne Grudem and Michael Horton, they are so "big" that even a "Big Box" mainstream bookstore like Barnes and Noble carry them as in store stock. I hardly think that either of these men would advocate Abortion, co-habitation, same-sex "marriage" etc. Don't forget J.I. Packer (a conservative Anglican) as well. R.C. Sproul is also very popular in Evangelical circles and he would never favor immorality in any form. Also throw in John Macarthur and James White as well. These men are strongly influencing young Pastors and Seminarians who are prepared to and are carrying on what all these men teach and preach
ReplyDeleteWhat is a threat are people like Joel Osteen and the whole "emergent Church" movement, these are the ones creating an unholy mess of teaching some "Evangelical theology" with doses of New Age rubbish, spiritualised "self-improvement" and ecletically grazing in "Christian Heritage" items to create some sort of synthesis some have called "The Ancient-Future Movement" and yes N.T Wright ties into all this, perhaps unwittingly with his "New Perspective on Paul". These "Emergent Church" types are the "Compassionate Conservatives.
R.C Sproul, Michael Horton, Wayne Grudem, John Macarthur, J.I. Packer, James White stand hard and fast against these "Emergent Church" types. While they may fight the battle, ultimately they may gain in the short run but eventually the majority of "Evangelicals" will buy into this Emergent Church therapeutic Christianity, and the Reformed folks, like those I mentioned will have three choices:
1. Stand alone as the "Minority"
2. Join the "Emergent Church"
3. Eat Crow and side with the Catholics
I'm not sure I agree with the bit about the evangelicals. Not that there aren't evangelicals who are tending in the direction you mention, but they're hardly the only ones; I can't imagine Voddie Baucham, for instance, having any patience with a syncretistic Evangelicalism like you describe.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is, I think, that evangelicals are never going to be completely divorced from supernaturalism so long as, and to the extent that, they remain "Bible Christians". They may have lost all belief in sacraments; they may have no clear idea of what the Church is; they may, in fact, have no room whatsoever in their minds for anything that we would call "mystical". All that is certainly true of at least a fair number of modern-day evangelicals. But I notice that, the more firmly they reject all of God's other gifts to the Church, the more tenaciously and devotedly they cling to the Bible - to verbal inspiration, literal inerrancy, and all those other things that would have so delighted the hearts of the Fathers of Vatican I. And that, I think, is what will keep them at least relatively safe when the winds of relativism blow. They have one artifact (apart from the baptism that they practice without understanding its efficacy) that they've retained from the Barque, and they know, deep in their guts, that they stand or fall according as they remain true to it. Whereas the more mainstream Protestants, most of whose organizations are actually closer approximations of the true Church, simply don't feel that imperative of fidelity anymore. It makes all the difference in the world.
We sometimes forget, I think, just how powerful even a single means of grace can be. If God has even the slightest foothold in a human soul, He can work wonders with that person. Watch the old-fashioned Bible churches in the upcoming years, and I daresay you'll see just such wonders.
Happy New Year to you, too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thought-provoking post.
Don't forget that Chinese New Year for 2012 is the Year of the Dragon...not judging, just sayin' is all...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the book is very interesting, in it's own conspiratorial way but let's not forget Act 2:17..............
ReplyDeleteDouay-Rheims Bible
"And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord,) I will pour out of my Spirit upon ALL flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
Jesus himself said that He had other sheep in other folds, some say this refers to other planets, as I have suggested in this combox before, there may even be Catholic Martians, we don't know. Don't limit the Holy Spirit!!! His words certainly suggest that He is reaching out further than man's eyesight can reach.
God looks at the heart, before He recognises or can even accept the rituals. I am not saying rituals aren't relevant, in fact the more I pray the rosary, the more meaningful they are becoming but also the moments of quiet clarity I sometimes glimpse, walking down a street, I see a person, a stranger, maybe struggling to walk and overwhelming compassion floods me. God shares His own heart with us, as He Wills, whether schooled or clothed in religion/religious vestments or otherwise. We don't dictate His boundaries to Him. the devil tried that one. I can't really describe what I mean very well, so I will stop.
However, this is who I(Ros) say Jesus is.
Well He is going to ask us one day, isn't He?
Mark 8:29
I wish it weren't so Father, but as far as I can tell there is just as much affinity for syncretism within Catholicism as among protestants. From masking pagan deities with saints in the non-European world, to practical goddess worship of Mary in Latin America, to aligning social justice with the machine of the political left, it's how the church got the reputation of being such an impure quagmire in the first place. Catholicism as an institution may look great on paper, but in many ways the "fruit test" says an awful lot to suggest otherwise. Your principles are good and true in this post, but perhaps the picture is bigger than we can see with physical eyes.
ReplyDeleteYou can count on 'revised' translations of the bible to bring many of these things about. Without that, those who advocate such changes realize they won't get far. It might take a couple more generations of gradual enlightenment to separate the new marketplace Christianity from what remnants it currently has of anything authentic, but those supporting such things (both physical and spiritual beings) have the patience.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest storm damage hitting the bulwarks of the Catholic Church by far is from within its portals;Benedict X1V recently marked the feast of the Immaculate Conception by making an afternoon visit to the statue of Mary erected near the Spainish Steps.He said :"The only danger the Church can and should fear is the sin of her members".I might add the word of Jesus to the Jewish Temple Guard after being facially cut :Why do you hit me?"
ReplyDeleteI had a very interesting christmas and God revealed some astounding things to me as I was reading the bible to finish the year right. you can read about it on my blog. It may help some of you understand the coming times are all in Gods master plan and it is his will that reigns sovereign. http://edwardelkins.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeletethe title of the blog is mysteries of Gods prohecies in deuteronomy and the united states
Its hard to discern the evangelicals sometimes. I met several pentecostal preachers sons and for some reason they had all joined up with biker gangs to retaliate against their father. Also I met some people evangelical who's deliverance involved eating a sheet of acid or lsd and reading the bible on an acid trip that miraculously brought won them over to christ. alot of hippies converted . I am not counting on them fighting our battles against the anti christ any how. we have alot of work to do. groups like the Elks,Moose,and other christian fraternities which really shape our communities are a different scope of perspective though how do they play into the end times and our fight of faith.
ReplyDelete