“Catholicism Under the Searchlight of the Scriptures” by John Carrara

Catholicism Under the Searchlight of the Scriptures
By John Carrara
Zondervan, 1951 (Sixth Edition), 123 pages

Evangelist, John Carrara (1913-2008), was raised as a Roman Catholic but accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior as a teen and was called shortly thereafter to preach the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Brother Carrara traveled to every state of the U.S.A. as an itinerant evangelist and featured speaker at Baptist church revivals, reaching out to the lost for 77 years and warning of the errors of Roman Catholicism, with its false gospel of sacramental grace and merit.

Very few will recall the name of John Carrara these days but he was a faithful servant of the Lord and of His Good News!

I had already read Carrara’s biography and a booklet he had written regarding evangelical-Catholic intermarriage (see here and here), so I also ordered this slightly dog-eared, 1951 edition of his “Catholicism Under the Searchlight of the Scriptures.”

This short book is a decent examination of the main tenets of Roman Catholicism compared to Scripture, although I had the distinct impression that at least the first chapter was transcribed from a sermon because of several redundancies. But every Catholic and evangelical would benefit from reading this book.

Evangelical pastors back in 1951 generally had little difficulty distinguishing between the genuine Gospel of grace and Rome’s false gospel of sacramental grace and merit. While none of Rome’s main dogmas have changed since that time, many of today’s pastors and para-church leaders now embrace the Catholic church as a Christian entity due to the work of compromising evangelical Judases (Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Jerry Falwell, Bill Bright, etc.) over the years. These days, Zondervan-Thomas Nelson is as apt to publish a book by a committed Catholic as it is a book written by an evangelical.

Chapters:

1. The Roman Catholic Church Versus the True Church of God
2. The Roman Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory Versus the Word of God
3. Auricular Confession Versus the Word of God
4. The Mass Versus the Lord’s Supper
5. Peter The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church Versus Peter the Apostle
6. Mariolatry or the Worship of the Virgin Mary Versus the Word of God
7. The Roman Catholic Church and the Word of God (Catholicism’s view of the Bible)
8. The Roman Catholic Church Baptism Versus the Word of God

For a much more thorough and up-to-date examination of Catholicism, see “The Gospel According to Rome” by James G. McCarthy, which is readily available from Amazon. See here.

Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 7/29/17

• Catholics celebrate ‘joyful, historic day’ with Raleigh cathedral opening

Up here in the fading Rust Belt, Catholic parishes are closing or merging faster than you can say, “Hoc est enim corpus meum.” But this week, in order to handle all of the Rust Belt transplants, the diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina opened the new Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, which seats 2000 at a cost of $41 million. Keep in mind that the parishioners of the new cathedral, like all Catholics, are obligated to attend mass every single Sunday upon pain of eternal damnation.

• These Chicago Catholics have a game plan for evangelization

Earlier this month, a convocation of U.S. Catholic leaders brainstormed on ways to stanch the church’s membership freefall. This articles details some of the new programs Chicago parishes are going to try in response. But in stark honesty, the Catholic church has nothing to offer people. Its mandatory Sunday mass is boring beyond belief and the church doesn’t preach the Good News! of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Who needs a religious treadmill? The pope says even atheists can go to Heaven if they are “good” and follow their conscience so who needs all of that liturgical rigmarole? Has anyone ever wondered why the Catholic church now devotes so much energy and resources trying to “evangelize” its own membership, 80% of which don’t bother with obligatory weekly mass? What was it doing all of those years?

• Catholics with Lutheran roots join prayer for unity but oppose compromising Catholic truths

Evangelicals should oppose any ecumenism with Rome and its false gospel. Ironically, there are many Catholics, like these converts, who fret over ecumenism diluting their cherished anti-Biblical traditions.

• Callista Gingrich in the Vatican: a very strange fit

Trump threw his supporter, Newt Gingrich, a bone by appointing his wife as ambassador to the Vatican. Count on Francis to be querying Ambassador Gingrich about Trump’s much ballyhooed Mexican border wall and America’s retreat from environmental protections.

• Bible-reading was something Protestants did

I’m very happy to read any article about Catholics reading the Bible. Catholics were discouraged by their church from reading God’s Word for themselves for centuries. As they read the New Testament, many Catholics will compare Scripture to their church’s teachings and discover “something is radically amiss.”

• Evangelical scholars reflected on Catholicism in Rome

I’m encouraged by the ongoing efforts of Leonardo De Chirico, Gregg Allison, and others to educate evangelical scholars and leaders about Rome’s false gospel via the Rome Scholars Network and the Reformanda Initiative. Why aren’t similar works being done in the United States? Easy answer. Evangelical leadership in this country is so busy jostling in line for a private meeting and photo op with the pope that they have no time or interest in examining the differences between the Gospel of grace and Rome’s false gospel of sacramental grace and merit.

• Pope Francis’ unwillingness to meet with dubia Cardinals baffles former Vatican doctrine chief
• Vatican archbishop: Pope Francis opened Communion to adulterers
• Vatican article says ‘main obstacle’ for Pope Francis is bishops, priests
• Vatican rumblings: Pope Francis aiming to end Latin Mass permission

There’s no end in sight to Francis’ ongoing feud with church conservatives and traditionalists. Will Francis’ next move be to pull the plug on the traditionalists’ idolized Latin Mass as the last article speculates? Stay tuned.

The pope says one way, conservative bishops say another way. Who is right?

Catholics claim that they alone have an infallible magisterium to guide them in all matters of faith and morals. But when it comes to communion for divorced remarrieds, should Catholics follow the magisterium of pope Francis and his allied bishops, who allow communion…

or

…should they follow the magisterium of the conservative bishops, who deny communion?

For more arguments against the supposed infallibility of the magisterium, see…

• The Crusades
• The Inquisitions
• Forced baptisms
• Papal militarism
• Church sponsored anti-Semitism
• The condemnation of Galileo
• Papal participation in slave trade
• The persecution of Protestants
• The condemnation of all democratic forms of government

Catholicism: Divided and getting worse

Catholics and ex-Catholic Christians who are older than sixty can remember the period of great turmoil in the church that followed the Second Vatican Council, 1962-1965. In calling together the council, pope John XXIII was determined to “open the windows [of the Church] and let in some fresh air” by somewhat revising many of the church’s rituals and beliefs. There were many “window dressing” changes that did not affect core dogmas, but some revisions, such as the church’s new ecumenical outlook, were profound.

It took time before the Vatican II reforms, such as saying mass in the vernacular, filtered down to the parish level so when I became an altar boy in 1966 at the age of ten, I still had to respond in Latin to the priest’s prayers. I believe the mass switched to English the following year, in 1967.

Conservative Catholics deeply resented the many changes introduced by the church at Vatican II. A rift began in the church that continues today. On the one side are the conservatives/traditionalists who pine for the pre-Vatican II militant church with its exclusivist dogmas. On the opposite side are liberals who could be categorized as the Catholic version of the Protestant mainline “social gospel” followers, who downplay doctrine and regulations and emphasize social applications. Liberals welcomed the changes of Vatican II and press for further changes.

Between these two camps are the vast majority of Catholics, many of which might best be described as nominal members. They attend church for significant milestones – baptisms, weddings, funerals, major holidays – but that is the extent of their “spirituality.”

When a Christian witnesses to a Catholic, they must determine where the person falls on the extremely wide spectrum of Catholic belief and practice.

Catholic apologists like to present their church as a monolith united behind the pope but that’s very far from the reality. Conservative Catholics strongly resent the pragmatic, reform-minded Francis who plays fast and loose with cherished dogmas and traditions. They hope his papal reign ends quickly. Full-blown schism is not really an option at this point because, as much as conservatives dislike Francis, they’re restrained by their allegiance to church orthodoxy from considering a split from a duly-elected pontiff.

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I was recently scanning through soon-to-be-published books at Amazon, and I came across the two interesting titles below from traditionalist Catholic authors that mirror the deep divide within Catholicism:

Among the Ruins: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Catholic Church
By Paul Williams
Prometheus Books, August 15, 2017, 366 pages

“This critical review of the Roman Catholic Church since the pivotal changes initiated in the 1960s by Vatican II paints a disturbing picture of decline and corruption. Dr. Paul L. Williams, a self-professed Tridentine or traditionalist Catholic, traces the various factors that have caused the Church to suffer cataclysmic losses in all aspects of its life and worship in recent decades. Williams illustrates the decline with telling statistics showing the stark difference between the robust number of clergy members, parishes, schools, and active church-going Catholics in 1965 versus the comparatively paltry number today.

The author is highly critical of Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis for steering the church so far away from its traditional teachings and for a lack of oversight that allowed corruption to fester. Symptomatic of this failure of leadership are the recent pedophilia scandals, the ongoing financial corruption, a gay prostitution ring inside the Vatican, and criminal investigations of connections between the Holy See and organized crime.

This unflinching critique from a devoted, lifelong Catholic is a wakeup call to all Catholics to restore their church to its former levels of moral leadership and influence.” – Publisher’s summary

Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock
By Philip Lawler
Gateway Editions, February 12, 2018, 256 pages

“Faithful Catholics are beginning to realize it’s not their imagination. Pope Francis has led them on a journey from joy to unease to alarm and even a sense of betrayal. They can no longer pretend that he represents merely a change of emphasis in papal teaching. He seems to be engaged in a deliberate effort to undermine fundamental Catholic doctrines. Assessing the confusion sown by this pontificate, Lost Shepherd explains what’s at stake, what’s not at stake, and how loyal believers should respond.” – Publisher’s summary

Rather than placing your faith in an untrustworthy institution, place your trust in the unchanging Rock of salvation, Jesus Christ. Accept Christ as your Savior by faith alone.

 

The “king of cool,” Steve McQueen, meets the KING of kings, Jesus Christ!

Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon
By Greg Laurie with Marshall Terrill
American Icon Press, 2017, 302 pages

Okay, okay. Yes, I’m a big hypocrite! In the 5/27/17 edition of the Weekend Roundup, I posted a short criticism of Christians who make a big deal out of celebrity conversions. So why am I reviewing a book about a celebrity conversion? I usually catch the last five minutes of Greg Laurie’s radio show every day on my drive into work and as he peddled his biography of actor, Steve McQueen, daily for a couple of weeks, I found myself becoming “curiouser and curiouser.” I can’t say I was a huge fan of McQueen growing up, but I really enjoyed his portrayal of Captain Virgil Hilts in the 1963 film, “The Great Escape.” Neither am I a big fan of Greg Laurie but I’ll expound on that below.

This book traces the life of McQueen, from his very troubled childhood and young adulthood to his subsequent great success as an actor with all the “benefits” of life in the Hollywood fast lane, including wealth, fame, women, and easy access to drugs. McQueen’s popular, anti-hero persona elevated him to icon status in America as the “King of Cool” in the 1960s. Laurie writes that it was often said of the actor, “Every man wants to be like him, and every women wants to be with him.” But McQueen grew tired of the emptiness of the Tinseltown lifestyle and realized there had to be more to life than empty fame and fortune. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the witness of several people, he eventually accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in 1979 and died from cancer the following year.

This was a strange book to read. Laurie is clearly a HUGE fan of the “King of Cool.” It was a little bizarre reading a book written by an “evangelical” pastor that is so out-and-out…worldly. I don’t know how else to phrase it. Laurie is a Calvary Chapel pastor and periodically holds big evangelistic outreach events under his “Harvest” banner. He’s also a regular on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and, just like the Crouches and their associates, is quite ecumenical in his approach. Ecumenist, Billy Graham, clearly another one of Laurie’s heroes, gets a lot of positive ink in this book (he visited McQueen during his last days and presented him with his personal Bible). Controversial actor/director/producer, Mel Gibson, a Catholic ultra-traditionalist, is also warmly saluted and Laurie even identifies him as a “man of faith.” Huh? There’s also the requisite multiple quotes from ecumenical muse, C. S. Lewis.

It seems from what I read in this book that Steve McQueen genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and I praise the Lord for that. Maybe some cool cat-wannabe or fading Baby Boomer* will pick up this book about the “King of Cool,” pondering why the 60s “icon” who appeared to “have it all” wanted to become one of those “crazy born-agains.” That was clearly Laurie’s motive in writing this book. McQueen told friends that he wanted to use his celebrity to lead others to Christ and I pray his desire comes true with this book. Unfortunately, Laurie’s ecumenical brand of big-tent “evangelicalism” is so squishy doctrinally, a devoted Catholic or other works-religionist could read about Mel Gibson being a “man of faith” and think, “I’m good.”

I don’t recommend anyone get their theology from Laurie or the rest of the TBN crowd and this book was the first and the last I’ll ever read from one of those guys. I thank the Lord for anyone who genuinely accepts Jesus Christ as Savior through a TBN-affiliated “ministry” (with God it’s possible), but I deeply hope they find a solid, Bible-preaching church immediately afterwards .

*Speaking of fading Baby Boomers, the very large print type used in this book was appreciated.

Donuts Delite: Not much to brag about in Rochester, NY anymore, but we do have the best donuts in the USA!

Several decades ago, my hometown, Rochester, New York, boasted about being “The World’s Imaging Center” with Eastman Kodak and Xerox both running second and third shifts to keep up with demand. The two companies are now mere shadows of their former selves and Rochester doesn’t have much to brag on except for being one of the poorest cities per capita in the USA.

But one thing we do have are the best donuts in the entire country!

Back when I was a kid, my Dad often made the 1.5 mile trip to Donuts Delite at 1700 Culver Rd. and picked up a couple of dozen donuts for breakfast before we went to church on Sunday. They were the absolute best donuts in the world! The vanilla cream-filled were, hands-down, my favorite but all the varieties were easy on the palate.

The Malley family operated Donuts Delite from 1958 until 2005 when they decided to close the doors. People living on the northeast side of the city were heartbroken. After standing vacant for several years, the iconic, “I Like Ike”-era building faced demolition. But in 2010, Salvatore’s pizza-chain owner, Sam Fantauzzo, reopened Donuts Delite to the delight of all Rochesterians. Fantauzzo consulted closely with the Malleys to ensure the donuts were made precisely according to the family’s original specifications.

I don’t get to Donuts Delite often these days because we now live 11 miles away, but Sunday morning, my wife and I and our 5-year-old granddaughter made a special trip there for breakfast. The place is always packed, especially on weekend mornings. I ordered two large slices of breakfast pizza, a vanilla cream-filled donut for old time sake, and a cup of Joe. Oy vey! Not exactly diet fare but I was willing to make an exception. I took one of the pizza slices home for dinner and ordered three more vanilla cream-filleds “to go” as we headed out the door, two for my bride and one for me. Hey, I’m not driving all the way to Donuts Delite and coming home with just a single vanilla cream-filled in my gut.

Back a few years ago, when my parents were still alive and living down in Florida, everyone who made the trip down there to visit made sure to bring a dozen vanilla cream-filleds from Dunkin Donuts for my appreciative father. Yeah, they’re that good!

Just about every city and town has something or some place to brag about. Rochester isn’t what it used to be but we definitely do have the best donuts in the country at Donuts Delite.

Donuts Delite web site:
http://ddelite.com/

Stay tuned to this blog for a future write-up on another food item Rochester is noted for; the infamous Garbage Plate!

The Journey “Home” or the journey into spiritual bondage?

EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) is a traditionalist Catholic communications conglomerate that was founded in 1981 by Catholic nun, “mother” Angelica (aka Rita Antoinette Rizzo).

One of the most popular programs on the EWTN cable television channel is “The Journey Home,” hosted by Marcus Grodi. During the hour-long presentation, Grodi interviews reverts and converts to Roman Catholicism. The guests express their profound appreciation for “coming home” to the “one true church,” with its alleged “apostolic authority” and spiritually “essential” sacraments.

Catholicism teaches a person must receive its sacraments and obey the Ten Commandments perfectly in order to merit their salvation. That is not something to be happy about, but is actually an impossible burden shared by all who believe they must earn their salvation. How much is enough? How good is good enough? It’s a religious treadmill that never ends in this lifetime and ultimately leads to eternal damnation. I was a Roman Catholic for twenty-seven years until I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior by faith alone. Praise the Lord that my salvation is secured in His perfect, imputed righteousness and not my own miserable efforts. I have no righteousness other than my Savior’s righteousness.

Conservative Roman Catholics tune into “The Journey Home” and find great encouragement and satisfaction in the stories of those who have returned or converted to Catholicism. I, however, feel tremendous sadness for all those who have voluntarily submitted to the spiritual chains of Rome. I will readily admit that the rituals, ceremonies, great pomp and circumstance, and worldly trappings of Catholicism hold great appeal to many, but beneath the whited sepulchre is a grave full of dead men’s bones. Former “evangelicals” who appear on the show never genuinely trusted in Christ or they wouldn’t be celebrating their spiritual shackles.

“The Journey Home” purposely leaves its audience with the false impression that many Americans are converting to Catholicism. In actuality, for every person baptized, the U.S. Catholic church loses six members. See here. All a Catholic needs to do is look around at the empty pews in church on Sunday morning to comprehend what’s really going on. I praise the Lord for the large number of those souls who left Catholicism and accepted Christ and now follow the Lord as members of evangelical Christian fellowships. Thank you, Lord, for opening the eyes of so many and freeing them from the chains of Catholicism! Thank you, Jesus!

Genuine evangelical believers can’t boast of any communications conglomerates* as part of a colossal religious institution, but there are many testimonies available from ex-Catholics who left the legalism and ritualism of Rome and and accepted the free gift of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. For just a few examples, see here, here, and here.

It’s quite interesting to me that Catholics eagerly crow about “evangelicals” who have converted to Roman Catholicism on such outlets as “The Journey Home,” yet many/most evangelicals are absolutely mortified when a fellow believer “uncharitably” asserts that Rome teaches a false gospel.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 3:21-24

* Some might point to the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) as an evangelical media enterprise but that outfit is operated by the purveyors of the false “health and wealth”/”name it and claim it” prosperity gospel and regularly features Catholic guests and spokespersons.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant – Don’t drink the Mormon Kool-Aid

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) holds its annual Hill Cumorah Pageant just south of the town of Palmyra, NY, about 25 miles east of Rochester. This year was the 80th anniversary of the pageant and it ran from July 14-15 and 18-22 with yesterday’s performance being the final night. The church reports that around 35,000 people attend the pageant annually.

The production is a reenactment of the claims of the church’s Book of Mormon, that Jews immigrated to the Americas around 600 BC and split into two warring factions, that they were visited by the resurrected Jesus Christ, and that the one group, the Lamanites (supposed ancestors of the Native Americans) obliterated* the godly Nephite civilization. Angel Moroni (the last surviving Nephite) allegedly appeared to young Joseph Smith at Palmyra in 1823 and one thing led to another with the eventual establishment of the LDS church in 1830.

The Mormons buy a lot of television time in the Western and Central New York areas advertising the pageant. It’s billed as a “must-see event” and “possibly the largest annual outdoor theatrical production in the United States” with its 750 volunteers, ten-level stage, state-of-the-art light and sound systems, and 8,000 seats. While the church advertises the pageant as a free theatrical extravaganza, the entire purpose of the production is to draw non-LDS and expose them to the Mormon religion. Mormon missionaries canvas the crowd prior to each performance, asking people to fill out contact information forms for post-pageant follow-up.

The gospel of the LDS church has nothing to do with the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The church’s many unorthodox beliefs are totally contrary to Scripture and the Gospel of grace. Many people today have no knowledge of the Bible and get sucked into the church’s pro-family, pro-morality, pro-USA facade.

For my previous posts on the absolute untenableness of Mormon beliefs and the complete lack of archaeological evidence to corroborate the Book of Mormon myths, see here and here.

*According to the Book of Mormon, the last remnant of the Nephite civilization, 230,000 people, engaged the fierce Lamanites in one final, desperate stand at Hill Cumorah, the site of the pageant, around 385 AD. The B of M text claims all of the Nephites perished during the battle except for Moroni. One would rightly assume that such a mammoth gathering and conflict would have resulted in thousands of ancient artifacts, but the Smithsonian has no plans for an archaeological dig at Hill Cumorah any time soon. In fact, the Smithsonian issued a statement citing absolutely no archaeological evidence for the ancient Nephite and Lamanite civilizations as alleged by the Book of Mormon. See here.

Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 7/22/17

• For Evangelicals, the Marriage Debate Is Just Beginning

So, 51% of “evangelical” Millennials now support same-sex marriage? That’s a very disturbing statistic for the church. What other teachings of Scripture will be ignored?

• Families, Young People Strong in Faith Are Fruit of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

The Karrs are Catholic charismatics, demonstrating the requisite “gifts of the spirit,” but propagate Catholicism’s false gospel of sacramental grace and merit. Their glossolalia can’t be from the Holy Spirit since they uphold a works-righteousness gospel, so where does it come from?

• Culture of Silence’ Abetted Abuse of at Least 547 German Choir Boys, Inquiry Finds
• The Keepers: ‘I’ve dealt with survivors and they’re sickened by the church’s response’

Priest Georg Ratzinger (brother of pope emeritus, Benedict XVI) and his associates at the Regensburg Cathedral in Germany abused at least 547 choir boys over a span of decades. Proud parents sent their sons away to board at the church’s school, completely unaware they were sending them into a snake pit.

• Pope Francis’ Next Act

A timely brief on the status of the tug-of-war between Francis and his traditionalist opponents.

• Notorious abortionist lauded by Pope Francis

Francis isn’t careful who he praises!

• Is Catholicism too casual about sin, salvation, and mercy?

Catholicism teaches a person must perfectly obey the Ten Commandments and die in a sin-free, “state of grace,” in order to merit Heaven. The church recognizes that’s a steep hill to climb and so designates many sins as “venial” (from Latin “venia,” pardon or pardonable) or minor. Catholics rationalize their morally imperfect lives in comparison to the Ten Commandments by reasoning, “Well, at least I never killed anyone or cheated on my wife.”

• Pope Francis’s papacy has an ‘intellectual deficiency’

I completely disagree with this befuddled Catholic-convert egghead. I think Francis knows exactly what he’s doing as he moves the church away from rigid doctrinalism and makes it more appealing to doctrine-challenged Protestants and other non-Catholics.

• Trump threatens to change the course of American Christianity

I don’t reference politics often, but the elephant in the middle of the room is Donald Trump’s ongoing relationship with politically-minded evangelicals. Pastor Robert Jeffress’ recent feting of Trump at the “Celebrate Freedom Concert” on July 1st was a disturbing example of the centuries-old, misguided attempt to mix Christianity with fervent American nationalism, reminiscent of the heyday of Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority. Apostle Paul wrote that Christians should pray for the Roman Caesars so that believers might live peaceful lives in order for the Gospel to go out. He didn’t write that we should embrace Caesar or Roman glory.

• The Rise of the Nons: Protestants Keep Ditching Denominations

I personally like denominations because I can pretty much drive by a church sign and immediately know what is being taught inside. Now, with all of these non-denominational churches with ambiguous, trendy names, one has to check their web sites to see exactly what they teach. And, as we’re already seeing with the mega-churches, the trend will be towards a lowest-common-denominator “Just love Jesus” doctrinal statement.

Papal allies accuse Catholic and evangelical Trump supporters of joining together in “ecumenism of hate”

For centuries, Bible Christians never had much of a problem distinguishing between the genuine Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and Roman Catholicism’s false gospel of sacramental grace and merit.

But beginning around sixty years ago, evangelical pastors and para-church leaders began to rise up saying ecumenism with Rome was fine and even desirable; influential men like Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Bill Bright, James Dobson, and Jerry Falwell. Sure, they didn’t embrace all of Rome’s doctrinal deviations and “eccentricities,” but they gladly overlooked the “fine print” and declared Roman Catholicism to be “close enough.” After all, Christians in America were in a bitter battle to preserve “Judeo-Christian morality” and to “save America for Jesus,” so it didn’t seem wise to inspect the denominational dog tags of fellow soldiers combating the onslaught of secularism. Chuck Colson cleverly coined this alliance, “ecumenism in the trenches.”

But at this stage of the “culture war,” in the year 2017, politically-involved evangelicals have to concede that secularism has pretty much taken over the high ground. However, political/religious ecumenism with conservative Catholics and the culture battles continue. Research shows that 81 percent of White evangelicals voted for unlikely-candidate (to put it mildly), Donald Trump, in the presidential election. That’s no surprise given the only other option was Hillary Clinton. What is surprising is that 52 percent of Catholic voters, historically supporters of Democratic candidates, also voted for Trump.

But an article last week from a Vatican-approved source reveals not all Roman Catholics are pleased with the alliance between politically conservative Catholics and evangelicals in America. The article, written by two of pope Francis’s close advisors, warns of the “ecumenism of hate” shared by conservative Catholics (labeled as “integralists”) and evangelicals (labeled as “fundamentalists”).

“Appealing to the values of fundamentalism, a strange form of surprising ecumenism is developing between Evangelical fundamentalists and Catholic Integralists brought together by the same desire for religious influence in the political sphere.” – from “Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism in the USA: A Surprising Ecumenism,” La Civiltà Cattolica, July 13, 2017.

See here for the full article.

According to Francis and his allies in the church, religious and “social justice” ecumenism is just fine, but ecumenism based on “the nostalgic dream of a theocratic type of state” is not.

Where does Jesus Christ fit into all of this? He doesn’t. Evangelical Christians need to be about their Father’s business as emissaries and ambassadors of the Kingdom and the Gospel of grace. Roman Catholics are our mission field, they are NOT our allies in some misguided Falwellian “culture war” to “save America!”

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Below are two articles on the controversy from a conservative Catholic source. This newest squabble gives traditionalist Catholics yet another reason to hope for an early end to Francis’s reign.

Vatican-reviewed magazine accuses Catholics of ‘hate’ for supporting Trump
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/u.s.-catholics-and-evangelicals-supporting-trump-are-fostering-an-ecumenism

Archbishop rips Vatican-approved magazine’s ‘ignorant’ attack on pro-Trump Catholics
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archbishop-chaput-rips-vatican-approved-magazines-willfully-ignorant-attack