www.byzcath.org Forums Evangelize Muslims

Lawrence,

That committee has no authority what so ever. Even the USCCB only has authority to the point where if the local ordinary looked at them and told them to place their directives where the sun don't shine they wouldn't have leg to stand on authority wise.

This is the same committee that keeps producing screeds about the supposed problems that the Passion of the Christ was going to cause.

So we can safely ignore the USCCB on this one.

Go out and target anyone.

John

On "Reflections on Covenant and Mission" linked by Lawrence and Andrew, it should be noted that it has not been adopted by the USCCB as its official stance. It is just a "working" paper for the Bishops' Committee concerned with Jewish relations here in the U.S.

Thus, Cardinal Keeler, the U.S. Bishops' Moderator for Catholic-Jewish relations, said that:

On the other hand, "Jews for Jesus" is a Protestant evangelization ministry and it should be understandable for its promoters to incorrectly portray the Catholic "position" as official and then put it in a bad light.

Amado

Dear Andrew,

Do you believe that non-Christians cannot be saved?

Do you believe that non-Christian religions do not deserve respect?

And are you serious about evangelicalism? They believe Orthodox and Catholics aren't going to heaven and regard our Churches as little more than pagan temples!

This is why they invest millions into Europe and Russia to evangelize the Orthodox!

Faith is always a mediated experience to those who do not know Christ.

Jews and Muslims have a tremendous philosophical problem with accepting that God could take on our human nature.

They feel this is unworthy of the Divinity etc.

If faith were simply about hearing the Gospel and that this alone was compelling enough to convert people, all the world would be Christian today.

As for Cardinal Kasper, I don't like the way he is willing to be friends with Orthodoxy at the expense of the EC's.

I am very happy you are with me on this . . .

Alex

Alex, hi, here are some quick thoughts.

Let me describe what I believe and you can draw your own conclusions.

I believe God is an awesome mystery and we cannot, and never will understand his ultimate purposes. Much has been revealed to us though, and we must act on what has been given to us.

I pray for and hope his mercy is abundant and surpasses all of our wildest hopes. This is as much for my own sake (if not more) than anybody elses.

I believe that salvation is not going to one place or another, but that it is a process of achieving the fullest communion with God possible (theosis). I do not believe God condemns unjustly, either the innocent or the guilty. I believe that God respects human free will in the utmost, and that if one consciously rejects communion with the Holy Trinity, God will not �save� someone contra their own will.

Hopefully that makes my feelings clearer.

I believe all humans are worthy of respect in that they are in the image and likeness of God. I believe a civil society requires toleration of various faiths or lack of faith. Equally clear to us are the words of St. Paul the Apostle though. When worship is directed somewhere other than God, it is to the Demons.

I think perhaps you�re misunderstanding me here. I�m saying evangelization is all encompassing. It is living faith, it is preaching faith, it is worshipping in faith. Think of all the great Eastern missionary saints and how they carried the Gospel to Pagans, Jews, Muslims and everyone in between. The spoke of Christ, they lived for Christ, they translated sacred scripture and the liturgical texts, they built churches, they integrated the divine services in to the cultures they met. It was an active faith, they were not hoping people just showed up who might be interested.

The problem is as you note the evangelicals have taken one aspect of this, and in my opinion are selling an incomplete set of goods. To our discredit (both Catholic and Orthodox) and they taking the initiative where we often are unwilling to. You are right in saying if hearing the word was enough, the world would have converted. That is why those still linked with the Apostles should follow in the mission of the Apostles.


They do. Buddhists cannot accept a transcendent God. Hindus cannot accept that there is one God. Atheists cannot accept that there is a God.

They are all wrong.

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Why didn't you say so in the first place?

Alex

Say what?

Dear Andrew,

Say what you said above?

Very comprehensive and well worded!

Alex

Andrew,

This is true. We are doing NOTHING to spread the Good News to the Muslims. We should atleast try to do SOMETHING.