C.S. Lewis is a hero to evangelicals in general, and most Christians everywhere. If you've actually been an evangelical for any length of time, you might notice he doesn't square up with it very well. Well, duh. Anglican. Which roughly translates to, "Vomit-inducing heresy, or Catholics in denial." I digress.
But do you know why we still loved him in our evangelical days? Because when evangelicalism is good, preserving something true, it's Catholic. That's the reason. It's up to you to figure out where the stuff you believe that doesn't square with Lewis comes from, but the stuff that does is all Catholic. There is no mere Christianity without the Catholic Church. No, not "small c" catholic. Big 'c'. Get over it. Feel free to disagree. But when you get broad-minded, when you get the thirst for "historic" Christianity, you're looking for the Tiber. We could stick a little flavoring in there, and call it "Tiberian Quench." Billions we could make, friends.
There are only two ways to not be Catholic, in good conscience: 1. Total ignorance about the "rule of faith," and the means by which it was defined, or 2) the "We Lucked Out" version of Christian history, which is totally ad hoc, (which any good Montanist or Donatist would be happy to point out, since your ad hoc "orthodoxy" is no less so than his) and it presupposes this, which is utterly contrary to the basic biblical theme of God's faithfulness to his people, and to His Church.
There was a time in the search when there were essentially 3 groups: 1) my community, 2) the patristic Church, and 3) the Catholic Church. You shouldn't be Catholic unless and until you realize that (2) and (3) are the same Church. It's real simple, at the end of the day. If the identifiable visible Church of the Fathers is governed by the same guy juridically as the Catholic Church today, then the Catholic claim to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church is true.
I only pray Lewis didn't know it was true, and refuse. (LG, 14)
Bonus, From The Title: Some people call the "crackpot" notion that God could forgive the sins of a man who does not explicitly confess Christ "inclusivism." Oh, horse-hockey. Let me translate your outrage: "God alone is the just Judge of all, but I'd rather substitute my own judgment for His. I'd rather stake people's eternal souls on an arbitrary series of words I put together, rather than remember that God knows hearts, as He says in Matthew 7:21." There we go.
But do you know why we still loved him in our evangelical days? Because when evangelicalism is good, preserving something true, it's Catholic. That's the reason. It's up to you to figure out where the stuff you believe that doesn't square with Lewis comes from, but the stuff that does is all Catholic. There is no mere Christianity without the Catholic Church. No, not "small c" catholic. Big 'c'. Get over it. Feel free to disagree. But when you get broad-minded, when you get the thirst for "historic" Christianity, you're looking for the Tiber. We could stick a little flavoring in there, and call it "Tiberian Quench." Billions we could make, friends.
There are only two ways to not be Catholic, in good conscience: 1. Total ignorance about the "rule of faith," and the means by which it was defined, or 2) the "We Lucked Out" version of Christian history, which is totally ad hoc, (which any good Montanist or Donatist would be happy to point out, since your ad hoc "orthodoxy" is no less so than his) and it presupposes this, which is utterly contrary to the basic biblical theme of God's faithfulness to his people, and to His Church.
There was a time in the search when there were essentially 3 groups: 1) my community, 2) the patristic Church, and 3) the Catholic Church. You shouldn't be Catholic unless and until you realize that (2) and (3) are the same Church. It's real simple, at the end of the day. If the identifiable visible Church of the Fathers is governed by the same guy juridically as the Catholic Church today, then the Catholic claim to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church is true.
I only pray Lewis didn't know it was true, and refuse. (LG, 14)
Bonus, From The Title: Some people call the "crackpot" notion that God could forgive the sins of a man who does not explicitly confess Christ "inclusivism." Oh, horse-hockey. Let me translate your outrage: "God alone is the just Judge of all, but I'd rather substitute my own judgment for His. I'd rather stake people's eternal souls on an arbitrary series of words I put together, rather than remember that God knows hearts, as He says in Matthew 7:21." There we go.
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