The non-denominational pastor on the local radio station this morning was talking about the Bible being our only guide to what is true. Whether the book is opened or closed, he said the Bible should affect everything we think or do. As a Catholic, I won’t argue with that statement, but I do have questions I would like to ask him. I may not have that opportunity, so I will make a list just in case.
1. How do you know the Bible is true?
2. Who decided the Biblical table of contents?
3. By what authority did they do so?
4. What criteria did they use to select or reject writings?
5. How do you know they did not make a mistake?
6. Was this authority passed down?
7. If the Bible is our only guide, how do you resolve conflicting interpretations?
8. Is it possible the same inerrant authoritative body still exists today?
We Catholics know the answers to these questions, or at least we should. These are just a few and there are hundreds more. I wonder how many protestants ever think deeply about them. It must be easy to get comfortable in your non-denominational family and not ever consider what might be missing. Devin Rose wrote a book called The Protestant’s Dilemma that might be helpful.
I came across a story today titled After 15 years away from the Church, why I decided to go back. Oh boy, I thought, another great reversion story. Not so fast, I learned. What the author went back to was not “The Church.” He went through twelve years of Catholic education and was an altar boy up to seventh grade. Quoting from the article, “a combination of lousy religion teachers, creepy priests, being scolded for not following silly rules, and the overall boringness of Catholic masses had utterly turned me off to the church aspect. My religion teacher would tell us we were going to hell anyway for petty sins, so by age 13, I figured why even bother with church or God?”
The author goes on to tell his story of what eventually led him back to church, but the church he went back to was not the Catholic Church. He says, “It is a non-denominational church, which means they believe in the Bible and not all man-made rules created over the years. For example, not eating meat on Fridays during Lent or not allowing pastors to marry.”
And a couple more quotes to get the gist of the article, “Some religions worry more about not eating meat on Fridays during Lent than treating people with love and respect.” “After two months, I found the messages relatable to everyday life. The music was modern and energizing. And most intriguing was the diversity of the attendees.”
And that brings me to the Catholic’s dilemma, one that we encounter all too frequently. Despite getting a good Catholic education, so many Catholics never come to appreciate the great gift of their Catholic faith and choose the more comfortable path. Comparing religions is not like comparing apples to oranges. It is more like comparing spinach to ice cream. One is the optimal way to spiritual healthiness, but the other may be more appealing to the palate. Choose wisely.
