Saturday, November 29, 2008

Great Article by Father Dwight Longenecker: American Anti-Catholicism

Fr. Longenecker has an interesting history. Brought up in an evangelical home and attending Bob Jones University, he is in a unique position to write about the new American anti-Catholicism that is on the rise. His latest article featured on Inside Catholic, summarizes what he foresees as tougher times ahead for Catholics. A snippet:

In this ecumenical age, such traditional Protestant bigotry is dying out. More and more, Evangelical Christians are coming to realize that the "old old story" of God's love for a dying world and the saving work of Christ on the cross is now most fully and vigorously told by the modern Catholic Church, as so many of their own churches are buying into the secular, morally indifferent agenda of the world around them. Marcus Grodi's Coming Home Network reports an increasing number of Evangelical pastors coming into the Catholic Church; it might not be long before Bob Jones University itself issues a statement apologizing for its anti-Catholicism.

Does this mean that anti-Catholicism is dead? I fear not. While the old-fashioned Protestant variety is dying out, a new and equally virulent form is rising up, evident in three different manifestations.

American Anti-Catholicism, Inside Catholic.com

The three manifestations are 1) Those who claim to be Catholic but are CINO's. (Catholic In Name Only) These are the types who will go from polite disagreement with the Pope to more extreme defiance. 2) Those who are what I call, The New Protestants. They come from both denomination and non-denominational churches who have sold out to the pervasive "culture of death" and promote gay marriage, feminism, and the whole liberal agenda. And 3) In Fr. Longenecker's words, "the secular hedonistic population in the United States."

Quite a trifecta. But if you're a believer in Christ, I would think you know something is up. We're seeing an increase of hatred toward Christianity like I've never seen before. It will come from all sides - both from the world (which we expect) and from within churches (which we usually don't expect).

Read his article prayerfully. I have a feeling it will be a good reminder to us all to prepare ourselves spiritually. No matter what, God is in charge and we are called to remain obedient to Him always. We are not alone.

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