Never Compromise

I was asked recently to attend a "get together" with a number of Protestants. The intent was for all of us to "come together as equals" who have the "same goals". I looked at a list of their objectives, and realized I had to make a choice. I could go and (to be perfectly honest) lie, but there is that eighth commandment thing (!). We are not "equals" and we do not have the "same goals". Or, I could just bow out and avoid giving the wrong idea.

Both of these possible actions had bad consequences. If I said we were equal, that would be a lie, and it would give the impression that it is just as possible for someone outside the Catholic Church to go to Heaven as it is for someone inside the Church (which, no matter how many people say it is true, it is not). Not only would that be a lie, but it would also endanger their souls. If I said we had the same goals, that also would not be true, because one of the things I am working for in the destruction of Protestantism (pretty sure that is not their goal); remember Jesus said He would destroy all His enemies.

If I stayed away (which I did) then they may take that in many inaccurate ways. For example, they could see it as though I do not care. I do care; in fact, I care more than they do, because I am working to accomplish the restoration of our entire planet through the ministry of the Church of Christ. They are trying to make things "nicer" in the local community by "helping out" with social activities and events. Yeah, not the same goal.

There are certainly times when we can unite with those who have a belief in Christ that falls short of the Catholic faith. In those times, however, we need to be clear that cooperation does not mean full communion. This is the reason why the Church allows Catholics to attend, on occasion, a Protestant service, but they are never to do anything that appears to show equality between Protestant ideas of a "communion service" and the genuine Catholic Eucharist. Some unity is OK, some crosses the line, and we must discern which is which and remain faithful in all things.

The list of goals I mentioned earlier resembled something that you would expect from Kiwanis, or the Rotary Club. Very generic "niceness Christianity" is what they promote; a lowest common denominator religion that mentions "some version" of Jesus but desperately avoids the historic truth. As St Paul warned us, "there are many so-called Christs, but for us there is only One Lord". In days where there is as much confusion as today, we must be even more clear on the faith. We must never compromise the truth and water it down so that we can include those who are in schism. Division must be overcome, but it will never be overcome through polite smiles; it will be overcome by the truth.