[Apologetics] Anglican leader says conservatives endanger unity

[Stuart D. Gathman]

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007, Bret Bellamy wrote:

> True church in the sense of believing that Jesus is the promised Messiah, a
> standard of basic biblical Christian doctrine and morality that all churches
> used to agree on (Jesus is the Messiah, monogomous heterosexual marriage, the
> Holy Trinity, no stealing, no adultry, no homosexual acts, chastity, etc.).

Yes, that is the Protestant concept of the "invisible" church: the true Church
consists of true believers.  However, Catholics (and you are one now)
define the "true Church" as the one true visible Catholic Church.
The Pope did acknowedge the validity of the Protestant concept of
invisible church by saying that God can and does use Protestant churches
as "instruments of salvation".  However, the term "true Church" for
Catholics means the visible Church only.  

While some Protestants were upset by the Popes clarification of "Church",
there is nothing new here.  And since Protestants don't put much stock
in the visible church (considering the invisible church far more important),
there is nothing to be offended about.  It is just another vocabulary
difference.  If you always qualify "church", then Catholics and 
Protestants still agree as always (except about the importance of
the visible church):

o Protestants are part of the true invisible Church (intruments of salvation).
o Protestants are not part of the one true visible Church (Catholic Church),
  if for no other reason than that they don't believe in any one
  true visible church.  (Which is why the old saw about 30000 denominations
  is a straw man.)

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
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