Romeward Trend?

Years ago, Karl Keating, Roman Catholic apologist, predicted that, although the traffic for many years had moved from Rome to Fundamentalism, the trend would be reversed. He has claimed no small credit for this apparent fulfillment of prophecy.

We have heard of Scott Hahn and Gerry Matatics, who may be just the iceberg's tip of folks flocking to Rome. Kenneth Howell, in The New Oxford Review (March 1996) wrote an article, "The New Surge of Converts to Rome from Protestantism."

A thinking Christian would immediately ask the question, Are the words Protestantism and Christianity synonymous?

It would be easy to assign all the "converts to Rome" their part in the Lake of Fire, but it might be more advantageous for us to examine their reasons, good and bad, and see if this doesn't teach us something about what may be a failure in Christian circles.

Dave and Colleen, called fundamentalists, "began their journey to the Church [Rome] when they saw how arbitrary were the doctrines and biblical interpretations of their background." They were seemingly more impressed by Rome's positive interpretation (of only seven scriptures) and their man-made liturgies which have plagued the post-Vatican II Church. Of course they very likely didn't know any of that, for Rome is adept at presenting a unanimity that it just does not possess. Their main problem may have been that they did not know God's objective was not to form a church with a lobotomy, but to allow discussion on spiritual themes that, even in the midst of disagreement, has produced a virile Christianity that knows it has to individually search the scriptures to find God's glorious truths.

Some were said to look for a "Christ-given authority," yet the authority structure of the Roman Catholic Church is explicitly disobedient to Christ (Matthew 20:25).

Most were said to "see the only hope for Christian unity in reunification with Rome." This is a misunderstanding of Christian unity, an idea that man can somehow help God to answer Christ's prayer of John 17:11, and a totally false premise that Rome is a Christian Church.

A former professor at a Calvinist seminary was dismayed to discover that St. Augustine. . .fully embraced the sacramentalism of the Catholic faith. Shame on him! Because he thought that since Calvin had evoked him, Augustine must take a place on Calvin's pedestal - and since his theology apparently was based on Calvin, it fell - shattered.

Many of these converts to Rome have come to share the conclusion of John Henry Newman. This pervert to Rome who has been demonstrated as having had none of the fruits of a regenerated life concluded that the Catholic Church is demonstrably closer to the ancient Church than its Protestant counterparts. This may be if you look at the apostate Imperial Church of the 4th century. But if you go to the New Testament, it is plain that the Church of Rome, even in its present-day ecumenical structure, doesn't have the mark of true Apostolicity.

The conversion of Scott Hahn has been highly publicized. He "fell in love with the Eucharist" after Mary had apparently answered an "impossible prayer".

"And," Rev. Howell concludes, "as might be expected, the uniquely Catholic practice of eucharistic adoration, with all its attendant depth of spiritual love, has become a prominent part of the devotions of many of these renewed lovers of God."

HOW CAN WE HELP THEM NOT TO DEFECT?

Anti-Catholic books are one answer - not the right answer.

More doctrinal authority imposed by Baptist popes? Never!

The problem might be compound, but the answer is simple. Stick to the basics of true Christian theology concerning the Person and Work of Christ, the inerrancy and sufficiency of scripture and the nature of salvation - because of His work and His Word. The cause is Jesus' death and the effect is true regeneration. These are valid references to His perfect Work, as committed to us in His Perfect Word.