Skip to main content

Lutherns vs Catholics

Image
By
+
JMJ


In the wake of another Luther/Catholic scandal - here's some clarity from a Catholic theologian: Dr. Malloy.

P^3

Source: Theological Flint

Luther and Catholic Faith in Contradiction?

Commentary, Ecumenism, Luther / Lutheranism
Nowadays, nearly all are aware of numerous claims on sin and justification shared by Luther and Catholics.
Some Common Teachings on Sin and Justification
  • We cannot justify ourselves: neither cause ourselves to be just (efficiently) nor merit that we be justified
  • God is the author of justification, the efficient cause
  • That we be justified is merited by the labor of Christ, who suffered died and rose
  • This merit of Christ must be applied to the individual in order that the individual be justified.
  • Just because Christ died, the human race is not thereby justified. Individuals are, one at a time.
  • It is good to imitate Christ
  • Sanctification begins, with justification, in this life
  • In heaven, all are holy

 Sadly, some have forgotten crucial differences between Luther’s views and Catholic doctrine. These differences are so crucial that they even color the agreed points. For example: It is agreed that God is the author of justification. But if we diverge regarding what justification is, then our understanding of God’s causality in the first place is divergent. Below, I list some other teachings on sin and justification. In looking at just about any row in this list, one would be hard pressed not to find significant contradiction.
 Some Other Teachings on Sin and Justification
LUTHER’s POSITION                                            CATHOLIC DOCTRINE
Faith, Hope, Love are part of the natural good condition of manFaith, Hope, Love are supernatural gifts
Corrupt human nature is as such totally depravedCorrupt human nature is as such deprived of all graces but not totally depraved
Without grace, present man cannot know GodWithout grace, man can know the Creator Exists
Without grace, man cannot know the natural lawMan can know the natural law without grace
Without grace, man cannot know the one true faithNatural reason can discern signs of the one true religion
All sins are damnableVenial sins are not damnable
Concupiscence (pre-freely chosen tendency to acts of sin) is a damnable sinConcupiscence is not even a venial sin
Concupiscence is the worst sin in us, worse than actual sins (such as adultery on Tuesday)Actual sins are the worst sins; concupiscence is not even a venial sin
Without grace, we sin in every workWithout grace, non-sinful works are possible
Even with grace, we sin in every workWith grace, non-sinful works are possible
Justification is by faith aloneJustification is not by faith alone, but by faith animated by charity
Faith is firm trust in the promise that I am savedFaith is intellectual assent, at the command of the will, accepting as true all that God reveals
Since along with faith there is always charity, and since one can retain faith while committing an actual mortal sin, therefore one can have charity yet have just committed a mortal sinOne who commits a mortal sin loses sanctifying grace and charity
It also follows that charity is compatible with the commission of mortal sinCharity is not compatible with the commission of mortal sin
Christ is not a LawgiverChrist is a Lawgiver, the New Moses
Adequate obedience to the commandments is not possibleAdequate obedience to the commandments is possible
Salvation does not require obedience to the commandmentsSalvation does require obedience to the commandments
God predestines some to hell, not in light of their foreseen sins but apart from themGod predestines no one to hell except in light of their sins that he foresees
Because God has foreknowledge of our future acts, there is no free willGod has foreknowledge of our future free acts, and these acts are indeed free
The justice by which we are just before God is extrinsic to us (God attributes it to us)The justice by which we are just before God inheres in us (God infuses it into us)
There is no increase in this justice: It is all or nothingThere is an increase in this justice: It varies by degrees according to God’s will and our cooperation
The justified are internally worthy of hellThe justified are internally worthy of heaven
Even the justified cannot merit heaven by any theological works they doThe justified can truly merit heaven by the good works they do in grace
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli

By
+ JMJ Interestingly the complete acceptance of the Second Vatican Council (without reservations) is required of the SSPX. Just when people are starting to wonder how it came to this! Courtesy of Rorate Caeli P^3
Post a Comment
Read more

A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976

By
 + JMJ  Looking back is important to understand why we are where we are in this crisis. Courtesy of RemnantNewsPaper  P^3 FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 Written by  Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Introduction by Michael J. Matt More than forty years ago—during the disastrous reign of Pope Paul VI, the latest candidate for a Vatican-issued Halo Award, by the way—my father, Walter L. Matt, organized the first large scale public reception in the U.S. for the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was held at the Radisson South Hotel, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, May 12, 1976, and its stated purpose was to assist the Archbishop in gaining a stronger foothold for the Society of St. Pius X in the States during the unprecedented crisis Blessed Pope Paul had helped unleash on the Church. On that occasion Archbishop Lefebvre delivered ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

By
+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B

By
 +  JMJ  I was trying to think of a way to map out the time course I discussed in Part A of this article.  Early this morning it came to me that this is more about obedience and duty than canon law.  As is my wont, I mapped out my thoughts (see image) to draw linkages between the core concepts. My conclusion is that, at least subjectively, Archbishop Lefebvre had sufficient information to make good decisions concerning whether or not he was obliged to obey.  I know that the Jesuits, some Sedevacantists and the priests that left over the years will not agree with my thoughts. So be it.  The core pieces of information include: Attacks against the SSPX were launched because they kept the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar understanding of the Truths of the Faith. The authorities in the Church were willing to go against the laws of the Church. The same authorities encouraged the various dangers to the Faith embedded in popular interpretations of ambiguo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations - Courtesy of SSPX.org

By
+ JMJ In the blogosphere there are number of responses to this crisis in the Catholic Church that lead to conclusions that run counter to Catholic Doctrine and Dogmas - if taken to their logical conclusion. The validity of the New Rite of Episcopal consecrations is one such hotspot within more extreme sections of the 'traditionalist' culture. Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations Courtesy of SSPX.org Why the new rite of episcopal consecration is valid Introduction This comprehensive study was compiled to settle a debate that has been circulating in traditional Catholic circles. Some writers have examined the new rite of episcopal consecration and concluded that it must be invalid. Since this would cause manifest problems if it were true and due to the heightened awareness of such a theory, we present a study of this question concluding that it is valid. Following the Council, in 1968 a new rite for the ordination of bishops was promulg...
1 comment
Read more