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Originally Posted by Ohio
Rome did use the confessional to " control greedy secular leaders," and to further curtail their "greedy ways," extorted massive sums of money via blackmail from these leaders, since Rome and its thugs alone controlled the "gates to heaven." Not only did the papal empire deal with those " greedy leaders," they also dealt a serious blow to all those " greedy" peasants all over Europe. Rome felt it was better for them to starve to death, then to go to hell for the sins of " greed."
Fortunately for the continent of Europe, none of Rome's many bishops, priests, and monks were at all " greedy." No, of course not! And, by the way, how dare those young newly-married grooms be so " greedy," and not share their virgin brides with the local priests.
I could go on and on about how Rome has "properly" dealt with secular " greed," but I should move on to the subjects of medicine, engineering, astronomy, physics, agriculture, etc. which all went seriously backwards under Roman management. Then we can discuss how Europe got " Christianized" -- many were given the choice to be baptized in water or be drowned in water.
Seriously, Igzy which history books have you been reading?  |
I realize that there were some significant apostasies within the RCC in the form of wayward priests, and even a few popes, somewhat weighted near the times leading up to and not long after Luther, that were religious Pol Pots. But the practices of even the indulgences that Luther objected to was not some long-running scam, but a somewhat recent practice.
It surely was a dark time in which the RCC seemed to be rolling out its worst just as more of the people were becoming better able to grapple with scripture on their own. Not a whole lot, but more than had been.
I would suggest that if we can accept many of the changes that the RCC has made even in the past 30 year or so, they are taking on some of the practices and teachings that venture into what we would call evangelicalism. No, it is not a huge undertaking. And it has not ended the excessive reverence for — more like near to actual deification of — Mary. But leaving that one out, I think that we often miss what is actually right about them because the "look and feel" is so Apple in a PC world. It is liturgical and traditional in an evangelical, non-traditional world. (And we should look around to see that we just have more modern traditions. Even in the LRC.)
We had a little reticence toward the RCC a number of months ago. I recall realizing that salvation is not a prayer, or an agreement with a proposition. It is the acceptance that Jesus is God, and our sacrifice. In evangelicalism we are taught that this is something that you get convinced about, then pray a prayer and suddenly have this near-miraculous transformation from darkness to light. But it is also true that many following along in the older traditions learn, and follow, and obey, and as they do they begin to believe. First a little. Then a little more. Eventually, they can look back and realize that along the way they began to really believe in Jesus. No Baptist/Pentecostal/evangelical, etc., line-in-the-sand event. But a change from darkness to light.
I'm not excusing what is in error. But we often are too harsh on the RCC because they are not like us. Their tradition is more ancient, even Medieval while ours is modern and Western. We even think that everyone views the gospel in terms of American self-determinationism, capitalism, etc. But it is not true.
I know that your early history was in the RCC. If you had remained there for your whole life, I cannot assert that you would have been truly "saved." But there might be much more likelihood than even you could have believed at the time. You just might never think of it in the terms that Protestantism does. And our modernistic, Protestant views just do not want to accept that their way can result in salvation without sneaking out in some clandestine manner to a revival somewhere.
You should hear the screaming of part of my mind as I write this. The conflicts are tremendous. But I am starting to think that maybe all those old thoughts are just more ways to despise some of our brothers and sisters in Christ.