Faithless America?

Faithless America?,

By R.J. Godlewski

© February 26, 2008, All Rights Reserved

I have to admit, this piece began life as a simple comment to a posting by Right Truth regarding the decline of Protestantism in America and, well, being who I am I couldn’t find the presence of mind to refrain from adding more than a few personal thoughts on the matter. I have nothing against Protestants – indeed, I lived with a devout Southern Baptist for a full quarter of my life – I just don’t like what has become the natural evolution of Protestantism itself. This is not an easy subject to discuss, for I reside in one of only two overwhelmingly ‘Protestant’ nations on the planet. The other is Australia

The rest of the Christian world is at least a fifty-fifty split with my own Roman Catholicism – including those bastions of Protestantism themselves, Great Britain and Germany. As I have said, I have nothing against my Protestant friends many of whom have provided a great deal of ‘spirit’ for the Christian faith. Where I draw the line is when others naturally assume that my beloved United States of America is in deep Shiite or some other form of non-Christian evolution. They believe this because the greatest threat of our time is secular liberalism but that particular fallacy is still relatively modern on society’s timeframe. In this regard, we have been our own worst enemies.

The Protestantism of Luther – not to be confused with the ultimate schism of five centuries previously – intended to instill responsibility in the Church but what he got was the irresponsibility of his followers. People began to assume that the creation of the Church began not with the Lord but with the mass marketing of Scripture; the abandonment of sixteen hundred years’ worth of thought and trial for the mere benefit of the written word. Soon, largely here within America and ultimately exported to outlying regions including some who had their own indigenous versions of Bible-based churches, the presence of ‘Non-Denominational’ missionaries developed. Anyone with a bible in hand and a “$35 filing fee” could establish a new church and be free from the boundaries of The Establishment.

A Pandora’s Box of personal beliefs had been opened and the Christian world would never be the same. The problem, as I see it, is that there is no one in charge with adequate training and evolution, to determine what is written in any particular Bible is based upon fact and theology and not personal interpretation. We have the same problem on a broader scale here within the United States of America. For 176 years (indeed, since Columbus first bungled his way onto the New World), society understood the inherent dignity and integrity of the human person. Sure, we fought wars, engaged slavery, and experienced a host of other social ills but the one underlying feature of our civilization was that we allowed human life to be born. Then, individual people began to read into the privacy acts of the U.S. Constitution that women had a fundamental right to choose whether they were required to give birth or not. Is this any different than people who flip open a mere Bible and ‘understand’ more than what thousands of years of forefathers had intimately believed? Does reading a few paragraphs instantly give one more insight over what had been proven effective through timeless trial and error? Do what we see automatically explain why it exists?

Threats – to faith or country – generally arise from chaos and chaos arises from irresponsibility. The Church has weathered many spats in the past and local ‘believers’ have always felt that their rule was God’s rule. During the Religious Wars of the sixteenth century deaths from combat were measured in the hundreds of thousands instead of the mere hundreds that we see today. What we seem to forget, however, is that our culture – as modern as it seems to be – begun with the death of only a single person.

America today is overwhelmingly religious and of course overwhelmingly Christian. Nothing will ever change that. Fringe groups will come and go. Larger entities will evolve. Regardless, America will always be a Christian nation. Whether Christians will always be ‘American’ is a different subject. Americans have traditionally been those who upheld a deep sense that God knows best. We are, after all, “One nation under God”; “indivisible” and all that. We understood that the inalienable rights accorded to man were established by our Creator – not some distant king; not some local committee. Our laws transcended ten thousand years of society, not the whims of madmen.

In the world, there are only two great faiths today – Roman Catholicism and Islam. We tend to ignore this fact because our own introverted view of the world sees churches on every street corner (some even located within strip malls) and ‘ministers’ of nearly every persuasion and gender. Furthermore, the economy of the ‘Catholic World’ (herein largely meaning Southern Europe and Latin America) has been predicated upon the state whereas our own has been established upon the foundations of the individual meaning, obviously, from whence our money comes our hearts and minds will follow.

Almost equally split with adherents and growth, Roman Catholicism and Islam diverge from one another in their method for both. Catholicism grew with a singular view towards marriage: one man and one woman joined by God “until death do us part.” Islam grew because a man could obtain as many wives as he so dared and then divorce them at the drop of a hat. Which system of beliefs could possibly endure? Both Catholicism and Islam outnumber Protestants (herein including all ‘non-Catholic’ Christians) 3 to 1 but the undeniable fact is that Rome had already gone through its Reformation and learned from its mistakes. Islam has yet to endure its own Reformation – it has yet to reconcile the faith with the individual.

We humans, for whatever reason, will continue to evolve through trial and error especially that involving the direct input of the individual. The Vatican II council in 1963 tried to make the Catholic Church more appreciable to the layman. Latin was abandoned for local dialects. The priest faced the congregation instead of God (the Eucharist). Statues and icons were ditched for a semblance of the “town hall” motif. Instead of communion with God we strove for communion with our “other lives”. If marriage didn’t fit our bill, we divorced. If our local parish didn’t meet our needs, we changed churches. If our faith abandoned our desires, we simply found a new faith in which to believe – whether religious or not.

God came to earth as an individual but He does not exist as an ‘individual’. His Creation literally dwarfs our imagination. His laws reign supreme because they are natural and unbending. We exist merely as a blip in the timeless history of eternity and what may appear challenging (or threatening) to us is but a brief footnote in man’s endless desire to screw up what our Creator bestowed upon us. What works, lasts. What doesn’t, won’t. It’s the fundamental law of nature.

America did not become strong and prosperous because people weren’t willing to work towards a common goal. We did not become the envy of the entire planet because of our selfishness and introversion. Even amongst our enemies, it is actually individuals – movie stars, entertainers, fictional characters, politicians, sports athletes, etc. – that draw criticism. America the ‘way of life’ is desperately sought because they know, if only very deep down, that our system is safe and secure.

If there are problems with individual churches within America, it is because they have abandoned the “good of the many” for the benefits of the few. Adolf Hitler outlawed the Christianity of his youth to empower himself as a god and believed that his reign would last a thousand years but it was the more orthodox Christians that buried his dreams in a broken down bunker but twelve years later. Soviet communism also outlawed Christianity replacing it with the deification of the worker but that god sent their own economy spiraling into oblivion while capitalism based upon competition lifted up the free world.

It is very easy to fear the collapse of Protestantism, the proliferation of non-denominational “backroom churches” or even the encroachment of Islam, but the undying fact is that God prevails – we don’t. It should be no surprise then that the original Christian faith – Roman Catholicism – is growing, particularly within the savage and brutal Third World. There isn’t a nation on this good earth that doesn’t have at least one Catholic Church within its territory. After all, Catholic means ‘universal’ and the Church accepts all who come to its doors even those who don’t ‘believe’ what she represents. For all of her faults and her chaotic history, her ‘rules’ haven’t changed much in two thousand years. Will Islam share this remarkable feat? Will Protestants disappear off the face of the earth? Will man become overwhelmingly non-religious in nature? Only time will tell and in time, we have but a spectator’s role.

This article is posted at Real Clear Politics and Christians Against Leftist Heresy
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Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, third world county, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, Celebrity Smack, Leaning Straight Up, , Right Voices, Adeline and Hazel, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[KP]

The one thing Catholicism and Islam have in common is "Cain". His theology. The theology whereby man attempts to gain the approbation of God through human good, works. Horrifying to consider, but possible. The unification of Catholicism, Islam and "lukewarm" Protestant churches with their capital Rome. And, don't leave out the east, Hinduism and Buddhism. They are all welcome. Their followers place their trust in themselves. So, when the theological dust settles, it gets back to the same thing. The "gospel" pertaining to the work of Jesus Christ(atonement) based on faith, the law of liberty versus the law of slavery based on human good. There's plenty of faith in America. Scientists, global warming enthusiasts, religion and so on. The problem? Their faith isn't directed to Jesus Christ, the end of the law. So, when along comes the "fundamentalist" to proclaim the "gospel", the "religious" world becomes furious spouting out race issues, gender issues missing the point that it was never about race or gender but the soul.

[Debbie]

To Faultline USA, From R.J. Godlewski:

Liberation Theology is a major problem, particularly within Latin America where -- it is my opinion -- a certain Messianic element still swirls amongst the population. As you might remember, the late Pope John Paul II was very adamant against Liberation Theology, even going so far as to deny sainthood preparations for several 'martyrs' who followed this belief which is only Marxist guerrillas merging with the local priests/bishops who are often seen as heroes by the locals.

The closer one moves towards God the more fierce Satan becomes and it is only natural that 'mainstream' churches take the hit. I remember one Catholic priest at the parish near Michigan State telling the congregation that "There will be women priests someday, for the Holy Spirit is too strong!" Made me sorry that I had to go to confession in front of the &*&*&*. Anyway, what Luther had in mind was basically no different than what the Catholic Church represented but Protestantism has since moved closer towards 'Old Testament' Christianity whereas Catholicism concentrated on 'New Testament' Christianity. What I mean is, of course, that Protestants tend to be more invigorated, more dynamic in their approach to things whereas Catholics tend to be more concerned about 'social justice' as Faultline mentioned. There is nothing inherently wrong with either of these approaches -- if done with common sense.

Contrary to popular opinion, I rarely worry about Protestantism; I'm too enamored with correcting the problems in my own beloved Catholic Church to worry much about what others say and do. Too often today, people tend to view Christ as some 'wishy washy' character that wouldn't step on a fly inadvertently. I see someone who was a carpenter and surrounded himself with fisherman. In other words, people who spent their entire lives earning calluses. More importantly, Jesus didn't associate much with either the 'Righteous' or the 'Poor'. He surrounded himself with self-employed souls -- carpenters, fisherman, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. -- which, in my opinion, shows a great deal of interest in the "movers and shakers" of any community.

As far as liberal Bishops (among others) who want amnesty for illegal immigrants; I can only suggest the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. Nobody gets into Paradise without first being properly prepared! ;o) I, as a sinner, must earn my way into Heaven (through God's determination) and I feel that people must equally earn their way into the United States (through U.S. legal determination). Those caught 'cheating' their way into Heaven are cast straightaway into Hell. Quite apropos.

[Faultline USA]

Mainline Protestant Christianity has continued to move ever closer to Roman Catholicism especially since it was Catholicism that has led the world in the social justice area. Additionally, in the Mainline Protestant seminary I attended, we used a Roman Catholic textbook for our New Testament studies! Our professors watched every cue from Rome and have predicted that the next Pope will probably be from Africa or Latin America.

Failure to understand the Catholic/ Latin American origins of Marxist Liberation Theology and its growth into Mainline and Evangelical churches here in America is one of the reasons the Left has grown in political influence so quickly. The Left is no respecter of denominational differences!

I was reading a Catholic newspaper yesterday and learned that the border state Bishops, who are all very pro Amnesty, are encourageing a change in political language. Instead of speaking for amnesty they want the church faithful to start speaking in terms of "forgiveness. " So be on the lookout for a "Forgiveness" bill to pop up before Congress soon.

I feel the need to point out to these social justice pro Amnesty Bishops, that forgiveness is granted after some atonement and some pennance!!!

[Debbie]

Faultline USA: Mr. Godlewski responds to your comment. You said:

"With all due respect to R. J. Godlewski’s take on Catholicism vs. Protestantism, all Christians need to be aware that the greatest enemy to Christianity is from within – the fight against the leftist Heresy that has infected all Christian denominations, including Catholicism, in this day and age."

Mr Godlewski says:

"I did write:

They believe this because the greatest threat of our time is secular liberalism but that particular fallacy is still relatively modern on society’s timeframe. In this regard, we have been our own worst enemies.

Now, with all due respect to Faultline, I still believe that a fundamental problem with Christianity today is with our "denominational differences" particularly that involving "non-denominational" churches which I feel are nothing more than attempts to wed secularism with religion -- if we don't have to follow any established laws or guidelines, there's no stopping what we'll do next. In California, there's already an 'American Catholic Church' that purports to recognize abortions, gay marriages, and divorce. They claim to be Christian, but are they? I think not. If we keep allowing "drive by churches" to appear than the liberals will win by default because they'll use our argument against us -- that Christianity (and religion in general) is merely a matter of personal tastes. It isn't; it's God's law not ours. Jesus said "On this rock I will build my church". He didn't mention anything about a boatload of pebbles."

[Faultline USA]

With all due respect to R. J. Godlewski’s take on Catholicism vs. Protestantism, all Christians need to be aware that the greatest enemy to Christianity is from within – the fight against the leftist Heresy that has infected all Christian denominations, including Catholicism, in this day and age. It is the time for traditional Christians to pull together and not be divisive. We all have our denominational differences but when it comes to fighting leftism, we need to pull together.

[Angel]

back from skiing!..I was about to post on a similar topic Debbie..great read..sobering!