It is nearly impossible to derive the orthodox understanding of the Trinity, and other teachings which were disputed in the early Christian community, from Scripture alone without recourse to Church teachings. Sincerely motivated Christians studying the same texts have disagreed on the fundamentals of the faith, thereby dividing not only Protestants from Catholics, but also particular Protestant denominations from each other. Post-Reformation history does not reflect the unity and harmony of the "one flock" instituted by Christ [...], but rather a scandalous series of divisions and new denominations, including some that can hardly be called Christian. Yet Christ would not have demanded unity without providing the necessary leadership to maintain it. The same Catholic Church which infallibly determined the canon of the Bible must be trusted to interpret her handiwork; the alternative is to trust individual Christians, burdened with, as Calvin termed it, their "utterly depraved" minds, to overcome their tendency to rationalize, their selfish desires, and other effects of original sin. The choice is between Catholicism's authoritative Magisterium and subjective interpretation which leads to anarchy and heresy.
And then he tells us what he thinks it means:
Summary: Catholicism is infallible, all other religions are burdened with utterly depraved minds subject to subjective interpretations leading to anarchy and heresy.
What a moron.
This idiot became the voice of a generation how exactly?
6 comments:
Hey, he ain't speaking for me! ;)
Nice if he understood what total depravity meant in that context.
Though I think that the choices are more complex than the Vatican vs. anarchy.
BTW who was the voice for your generation? Abbie Hoffman? Bobby Kennedy? Or have I overestimated your age?
Or have I overestimated your age?
By a country mile!
As for the voice of my age..hmmm...he cynic in me wants to say Boy George. The "need-to-be-cool" guy in me wants to say Paul Westerberg. The political wonk in me wants to say Paul Tsongas. But based on how things he's written cling in the memory banks I'd have to go with Berkely Breathed.
I'm surprised you chose Breathed, given that he's such an environmentalist.
No, really! He certainly believes in recycling; he's certainly been willing to recycle the same comic strip characters over and over...
That was bad, but I couldn't resist.
I know he is a hollow shell of what he used to be (although he's a little better than the worst of the Outland days), but back in the day (mid to late 80's) who else did we have?
I don't think Kos has it right- but I'm interested in your one sentence summary of what the passage means.
Walt
P.S. BTW- who the voice of our generation is might be an interesting post/thread. here are some (questionable) names that come to mind, some ironic of course- John Hughes, P.J. O'Rourke, Gary Larson, Bono, and of course, Men without Hats.
I'm not really any good at taking complex ideas and turning them into bumper-stickers. (Kos isn't any good at it either.)
But if you insist:
It is the collective body of the Church, taken to mean the entire swath of its teachings (conciliar and ex cathedra) thoughout history, that is to be preferred to the myriad of conflicting and contradicting interpretations proffered by individuals in the Protestant traditions.
But I'd win no points as a prose stylist for it.
It goes without saying that any Protestant would say "No it isn't" to such a statement. So what?
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