Posted by
Zentrist on Thursday, April 02, 2009 1:36:08 AM
The common ground between Catholics and Evangelicals is as wide and deep as the globe itself. Indeed, I agree, the Natural Law, by definition, applies to all human beings and citizens.
The "faith alone" doctrine of the Reformation is by and large shared these days by Catholics, as I learned just tonight. "Sola fides" or justification by faith does not exclude love or charity. Our Holy Father, when he reads or ponders the doctrine, Justification by Faith, has to admit the truth of it. For he knows, at least I think he knows, that this teaching, again, does not exclude love. How could it? when faith is not just an assent of the intellect, but a Yes embraced by the will and indeed the whole person whose "living faith" walks the walk in acts of faith, hope and charity.
(Tonight, I was reading about the remarkable friendship between two great Christians of our time--Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship and Father Richard John Neuhaus, who died recently. It was in 1994 that Colson and Neuhaus together founded an alliance between Catholics and Evangelicals. Over the years, we've all seen the fruits of their personal friendship and the renewed alliance between Protestants and Catholics, especially over issues related to the Natural Law referred to in Valiant for Truth's blog.)
The journal I was reading tonight was the recent issue of First Things, the magazine founded by Fr. Neuhaus in 1992 or so. If you read just one issue of this monthly, read the recent one, a magnificent eulogy to a great citizen, Christian, and human being. Chuck Colson's contribution in this issue is especially apropos.