Peter Leithart is. He has a series of questions for those moving away from Protestantism to Catholicism. I’m not a Catholic, although I am a pretty high church Protestant, so I’m going to answer these questions from experience. His questions are in bold. My reply is in blue.
Here’s the question I would ask to any Protestant considering a move: What are you saying about your past Christian experience by moving to Rome or Constantinople?
The same thing anyone says about any move in Christianity. That they are growing.
Are you willing to start going to a Eucharistic table where your Protestant friends are no longer welcome? How is that different from Peter’s withdrawal from table fellowship with Gentiles?
Would Peter accept a Eucharistic table with emergents? Cool, if he does, but does he realize how many Protestants are against the Open Table concept? That is has a long standing history in Protestantism? That many churches, sects, and denominations practice the Lord’s Supper being given only to members or members in good standing? Is this all that different? Is it wrong?
Are you willing to say that every faithful saint you have known is living a sub-Christian existence because they are not in churches that claim apostolic succession, no matter how fruitful their lives have been in faith, hope, and love?
See the above question and think about how Peter’s post on Catholicism fits into his question. He is saying the exact same thing about Catholics that Catholics, he believes, says about him.
via Peter J. Leithart » Blog Archive » Too catholic to be Catholic.
There is more in the post, but you’ll have to read it.
I love mirrors, because sometimes, the best ones, are those which we look into and think we are looking at someone else. Peter is not too catholic to be Catholic. He practices much of the same beliefs he sees as pitiful in others.
And honestly, icons are awesome. So is the host. If I could get my home church to put the un-eaten portions of the host into a container for meditation, I would – and don’t think that I haven’t asked, repeatedly.
Scripture isn’t a boundary, but a starting point and a guide. If Peter really feels like the Church can only permit what Scripture explicitly teachers, then he should not be Reformed, or Christian.
