darinhouston wrote:thomas wrote:darinhouston wrote:Surely he wasn't equating the Protestants during the Reformation with the Babylonians...
Their use as an instrement of God's wrath , yep.
I can buy that as long as you don't also imply that they were just as "wrong" as the Babylonians in their own methods and reasons for having brought that wrath.
Not sure I understand that.
On this point (the correctness of what they were doing), the only thing the Reformers were doing was bringing light on the false doctrines, was it not? Do you believe the Protestants were correct in their doctrinal points, or incorrect? If you believe they were correct (as a good Lutheran, I presume), and they clearly haven't changed their views as to the Reformation doctrines then how can you join (professionally) to a church that teaches such fundamentally wrong doctrines? If you acknowledge they were wrong then, how could an infallible council have pronounced anathema on them and proclaim their doctrines to be heresies and remain infallible?
Unless you agree now with their doctrinal positions on such things as justification, etc. and walk away from the Lutheran catechism/confessions you once made (I assume), it strikes me a Lutheran joining the RCC would be either unequally yoked, or would be taking a false profession? If they permitted you to fellowship with them without such confessions, I would have no problem doing so -- wherever you find the body of Christ is what I say... But, I just don't see how I could make the requisite confessions to be considered a member of the RCC.
I have been a Lutheran for 44 years , quit happy with it. But what I have been through here has caused me to rethink some things. This concerns the use or misuse of:
Sola Scriptura , I have found that the use of history and tradition , though not superior to the Bible, are necesary for the church to speak in a consistant and unconfusing voice. I am tired of having the church constantly reinventing itself everytime a new official comes along with a cute idea.
Sola Fide , or rather its misuse. When this is used without repentance or sanctification , cheap grace , it alows fow corruption and even criminality in the in both the officials and members of the church.
So to that extent I've come to see the RCC position to be superior. And also that the solas came out of the reformation and were not restoration of lost or corrupted doctrine. So it is an honest conversion and not one of convenience. And I no longer believe the RCC doctrines are fundamentaly wrong.
Thomas
It also strikes me as odd that while the protestants say they have restored the true doctrines , that they can never agree on what thiose doctrines actually are. There ended up being 5 or 6 distinctive doctrines from the begining , and it´s gotten worse since.