Mary is crucial to Christmas and the Incarnation

Explained well -- by a Lutheran pastor!

Lutherans, Catholics, and the chasm in between

It was months ago when Lito (extranos) and I exchanged ideas about the Lutheran-Catholic gap. At some point, Lito declared that I sound almost Evangelical. He also thought that I was like an Evangelical trying to remain Catholic. Lito felt the need to confront me and declare that I was either Evangelical or Catholic. At several points, Lito declared that I was confusing. :-)

I can't blame him. You see, there is a chasm between us, and no one can say for certain how wide that chasm really is. I had recently found a Ponificator post on the conversion of Prof. Robert Koons, and it confirms what I am about to say.

The problem with chasms is that you can't really tell how wide the gap is when it's too dark to do so. From having read up on converts such as Dr. Scott Hahn and Dr. Francis Beckwith, I think it is true that one can only measure that chasm through the light of charity. Without the light of charity to look at the other side, it is entirely impossible to put things in perspective. The other side might as well be as dark as the chasm.

[Story about Prof. Robert Koons was found via The Catholic Report.]

What is the Church?

There's an ongoing discussion in the comment boxes of this post. The dialog begins with Lito pointing out something wrong with the question posed by Jeremiah:

"Given my Calvinist distinctives, which church would have claimed me as one of their own?"

It all goes downhill from there. :-)

There is an obviously large difference between the Catholic understanding of "the Church" and that of Lutherans (and Evangelicals) -- Lito is a Lutheran. The Coming Home Network has an online journal with good contributions from various converts to Catholicism, which is a good place to start with regards to the Catholic position, in light of the authors' previously held non-Catholic perspectives.

And the thoughtful visitor may wish to join the discussion by leaving comments.