Post-WCG Life and Theology ARCHIVES

I found an another interesting article on Christianity Today.com on a Question and Answer interview with Baylor University Professor Francis Beckwith's rejoining the Catholic faith from Protestantism. As a result resigned from the Evangelical Theological Society. Gavin Rumney has mentioned about Professor Beckwith's decision earlier this month on his blog at http://ambassadorwatch.blogspot.com/2007/05/roaming-rome-ward.html . As a teen growing up in the WCG, I believed with my whole heart that the Roman Catholic Church was Babylon as the church taught it. Thankfully in my mid 20's in 1994 when the late Joe Sr. said that there "were other Christians in other churches" I sort of mellowed out but was glad to hear that Catholics and Protestants were to take part in the "first ressurection", I was no longer lonely---while the ultra-conservatives in WCG cringed bitterly in being deceitful passive aggressive mode (smile outside, say nothing and whine and curse inside) against that concept. They (the Armstrongites in their vanity) had to be the elite force! I learned to respect and love Pope John Paul II as I entered my current decade of life (the 30's), finally learning that he was one of the "good guys" (hey there is a book about Reagan, Thatcher and John Paul II's effort to thwart the Soviet empire). Another side note, I was baptized as a Roman Catholic before my mom joined the WCG in 1971 and probably Jared Olar and Darren Carrey would love to say to me, "Felix, it's time to come home to Mother Church." Well, not quite. As I said, I admire Pope John Paul II and I respect the Catholic's belief in faith and works go together (whereas evangelical Protestants haven't grown up on this issue enough in my opinion, they like to scream we are NOT saved by works---yea,yea I know but in James said that faith without works is dead! So deal with it!) but I think Jared would consider me way too much of a "cafeteria Catholic" to join anyway. Still consider myself a post evangelical who is interested in some of what Eastern Orthodoxy has to say on original sin, their Christus Victor view on the Atonement (as opposed to the western view of penal subsititution), their view of heaven and hell among other things. I am also stil interested in the Hebriac roots of Christianity (but don't expect me to wear a tzit-tzit and dress up like a Hasidic). Those who are in the splinters (and those who have a malicious anti-Catholic bias) would do well to understand why people like Professor Beckwith, Jared and Darren decide to become Catholics. Trust me they are not evil people but rather pretty God-fearing. Open your mind and see their positions, you don't have to submit it---just understand it. You will become a better person for it.

Read the Q&A article here at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/mayweb-only/119-33.0.html