Lighthouse Trails Research Journal VOL. 5 | NO. 6 | Page 6

6 Lighthouse Trails Research Journal
Reforming Catholic Confession — continued from previous page
Worth pointing out , John Stonestreet of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview is also a signatory of the Confession . Some may remember when Chuck Colson co-authored the Manhattan Declaration in 2009 . Lighthouse Trails wrote about this in our article titled “ Manhattan Declaration : ‘ Perhaps Millions ’ Being Led Toward the New Age / New Spirituality .” Here is a statement from the Manhattan Declaration :
We are seeking to build a movement — hundreds of thousands , perhaps millions , of Catholic , Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Christians who will stand together .
The connection between the Manhattan Declaration ( by the way , Brian McLaren was one of the signers ) and the “ Reforming Catholic Confession ” is not just that John Stonestreet is a signer . Timothy George was very involved with the Manhattan Declaration as well . He was one of the four drafters of it !
It stands to reason , based on evidence , that the “ Reforming Catholic Confession ” is just an extension of the Manhattan Declaration ’ s goal to “ build a movement ” of Catholics , Evangelical and Orthodox Christians “ who will stand together .” It seems naïve at best , deceiving at worst , to come out with this new document and claim it is an effort to renew the Christian church , when , in fact , it has all the earmarks of helping to bring the “ lost brethren ” back into the fold of the “ Mother Church ,” whether the drafters or signatories realize it or not .
The “ Reforming Catholic Confession ” lists several doctrinal characteristics that define Protestantism such as the Trinity , baptism , the virgin birth , the deity of Christ ( all of which the Catholic Church would say it believes in too ). However , when it came to the category “ the Lord ’ s Supper ,” while there was quite a bit of wordage , the words “ do this in remembrance ” were not used while the words “ the faithful ” ( the Catholic Church ’ s name for practicing Catholics ) was used twice in that section . This may seem like a moot point to those who may not understand the significant difference between the Catholic Mass with the sacrament of the Eucharist and the Protestant “ Lord ’ s supper ” ( i . e ., communion service ), which in Scripture Christians are instructed to “ do this in remembrance ” of Jesus Christ . We find it troubling that the “ Reforming Catholic Confession ” presented a vague and obscure description of this practice that has so separated Roman Catholicism from biblical Christianity for so many centuries that those who opposed the idea that Jesus was actually in a wafer were burned at the stake by the Catholic Church ( see Foxe ’ s Book of Martyrs for documentation on papal persecutions ). 5 In one section of the Confession , it states : “[ I ] t is particularly to be regretted that the early Protestant Reformers were unable to achieve an altogether common mind , in particular as concerns the doctrine of the Lord ’ s
Supper .” But the Confession , again , is vague and never truly defines the biblical practice of the Lord ’ s Supper .
We find it a little unnerving when the Confession states that we should go from reformation to “ reforming catholic .” Perhaps the authors of the Confession are not implying that Protestants should now call themselves by that name , but vagueness and the oft used word “ catholic ” leaves speculation to the imagination . And when the Confession states , “ We believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us ,” it is reminiscent of words Pope Francis said less than twelve months ago . In an article titled “ Pope Stresses to Lutherans : What Unites Us Far Greater Than What Divides Us ,” the Catholic pope told the ecumenical gathering of 1000 Lutherans :
The apostle Paul tells us that , by virtue of our baptism , we all form the single Body of Christ . The various members , in fact , form one body . Therefore , we belong to each other and when one suffers , all suffer ; when one rejoices , we all rejoice . We can continue trustfully on our ecumenical path , because we know that despite the many issues that still separate us , we are already united . What unites us is far greater than what divides us . 6 ( emphasis added )
According to the article , Pope Francis said , “ Lutherans and Catholics are on a journey from conflict to communion .” By the indications of the “ Reforming Catholic Confession ,” Lutherans may not be the only ones heading into communion with the Catholic Church .
If your denomination or the college that your children or grandchildren attend is represented in the list of signatories of the “ Reforming Catholic Confession ,” perhaps it ’ s time to reconsider the direction your family may be getting pulled into . Today , we are witnessing apostasy and delusion on a grand scale . To turn a blind eye to doctrines that were formerly of paramount importance and now waning to insignificance may have disastrous results .
ENDNOTES :
1 . https :// www . christianpost . com / news / over-250-protestantleaders-sign-reforming-catholic-confession-on-essentials-of-christianfaith-198747 / page2 . html .
2 . You can read the entire document at : http :// reformingcatholicconfession . com .
3 . https :// beesondivinity . samford . edu / deans-blog / not-just-forcatholics .
4 . Leith Anderson , A Church for the 21st Century ( Minneapolis , MN : Bethany House Publishers , 1992 ), p . 17 .
5 . We recommend the edition by Lighthouse Trails as many of the other editions by other publishers have removed Foxe ’ s writings on papal persecutions .
6 . https :// zenit . org / articles / pope-stresses-to-lutherans-what-unitesus-far-greater-than-what-divides-us .
Volume 5 — No . 6 November / December 2017